[EN]Lisani Vol. 27.1 Interview with Nanjou Yoshino

Translated and Typeset by: @kuuxkat / QC by: ~mega and @astralwinters @ #teamonibe



Originally Sourced and TL by: 埃克斯 here

Images from: @emitsunosaurus-rex



DO NOT USE THE SUBS FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES!

Contents under the Cut!

Typeset images can be found: here

[Since we’ve walked this path together for the past 6 years, “Eli must be in good health somewhere out there, right now”, I really think is the case.]







– It’s been half a year since “μ’s Final Love Live!”. Have you had the chance to reminisce on the past six years?





Nanjol: Everything ended on that day… although I would like to say that, but there wasn’t much changes after that. It felt similar to when I was at school and when spring break was upon us, thinking that [We really don’t need to go to school right?]. It’s similar that way. Although I do think that way, I’ve always been moving forward towards the new goal in front of me, this is how I’ll describe my situation recently. On the other hand, for the fans who put their all into cheering us on, and for them to be in a state of “μ’s loss” where they’re constantly looking for fragments of μ’s in their daily lives. Those feelings, they have been expressed closely in the heels of other projects, and individual activities. They really have been putting their all to cheer for us, being able to say that experiencing this is reminiscing is right too. My real thoughts would be: [So it was just half a year ago, huh?]









– Asking once more, what was it like before and till Final Live?









Nanjol: First of all, Tokyo Dome is really so big that I wasn’t really clear on how the situation was (laughs). But, on the day before the Live I took part in the dress rehearsal while thinking that: [In two days time we’ll hold the final Live here, in front of an audience that will fill up this entire avenue]. As it is final, us members were still thinking and searching until the last minute about: [How do we express to everyone all the bright points of [LoveLive!] and μ’s so far]. Although physically it was very difficult, but more importantly was: [If we expressed just a little bit more would it be slightly easier to convey the message]. The degree of work that we put in to express this mentality, it can’t be compared to with the other Lives before this. It felt like each of the members faced the girls who they had performed as up until then once again and completed the live without regrets













– How did you feel that day when you saw the audience for the first time?





Nanjol: I feel that what I saw on stage at the Tokyo Dome is what made [LoveLive!] distinctive , the audiences who carried the lightsticks in nine different colors. This time; I saw so many different colors in that extreme expanse at the Tokyo Dome. was the deciding difference between rehearsals and the actual performance. To be able to showcase the monotonous practices that had been done continuously for several months in such a beautiful and sparking place, was extremely touching for me.







If I don’t work hard, Ayase-san won’t shine! I carried this mood with me as I stood on the stage.







– When you were the MC, you said: [It’s not 9 of us, it’s 18 of us], during the Live, can you describe how does it feel to be to be together with Eli?







Nanjol: As I worked very hard to stand on the stage, I don’t actually quite remember at that time the distance between me and Eli. But from the different stages of the practises I can determine that, we voice actresses try trying our best to let people understand and experience the child that they are acting for, to show the project [LoveLive!] and to recreate those intense feelings together with [μ’s]. So rather than say that I am working hard for myself, why not say that I am working hard for Ayase Eli. If it is my own live, there would be many places that I can relax (laughs). But at that time if I don’t work hard, Ayase Eli won’t shine, so I want to work hard for her! I brought those feelings with me as I stood on the stage.









– That performance was born from these kind of feelings right?





Nanjol: In the time that I stood on the stage, there were times that I felt unadulterated happiness, looking in all four corners I would discover that there were audiences 360 degrees around me, they kept smiling, but at times they couldn’t stop crying, in some way it’s just like they were looking at Gods while looking at the stage. If that’s the case, from my part I’ll naturally try to go closer to the back or the seats on top, working hard to give: [I saw μ’s with my own eyes], this experience to everyone. So the time when I actually felt my body’s exhaustion is when the Live was over and I’m back to the hotel, [… There’s one tomorrow huh!] like that (laughs).







Working hard by myself for Ayase Eli







– Going back to the time when you first saw Eli, what was your impression?





Nanjol: As previously I wasn’t casted in a role [slightly big sister-like ]like Eli , I thought: “To think that I would get a child like this?”. After looking at the other 8 concept arts, I wondered how should I perform her? Six years ago it was still at the time where girls with high pitched voices were popular, so I felt [It would be difficult for Eli-chan to gather popularity]. I kept on thinking how should I perform to be able to draw this child’s charm out, to make her into a child who who would interest everyone.







– Singing is an important aspect of expressing Eli, do you have any songs that leave an especially deep impression?





Nanjol: If someone ask me that question, I always answered with [START:DASH!!], but in the end (Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari (僕たちはひとつの光 lit. We Are A Single Light)) left a very deep impression too. But during the recordings, the one with a stronger impression is actually: [Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE (僕らのLIVE 君とのLIFE lit. Our LIVE, Our LIFE with you)]. My heart faintly had the thoughts of: [Why not perform it with an adult feel?], but when I went for the recording everyone told me: [In any case, be lively a little!] (laughs), as the personalities hasn’t been firmed. But, if at that time I performed too lively, afterwards I would have fretted over the difference between the two. So I thought about the Eli that I had pictured in my heart, and expressed liveliness within the boundaries of that personality, until now I still remember that minor adjustment I made.







– If at that time you sang it differently, perhaps the Eli now would not have existed.





Nanjol: It was only when the TV Anime started broadcasting did my initial blurry impression (of Eli) became a closer match. Before that I always thought I performed a feeling of coolness, during the initial PV that formal and stiff feeling became more obvious….when the TV Anime began I had that feel of [Yes Yes, the Ayase Eli that I wish to perform for is there!] (laughs)





– The cool feel of the Student Council President?





Nanjol: The cute points of Ayase Eli would be her inability to be candid, that clumsiness in her inability to express herself clearly. I feel that the previous: “Formal and Stiff-chika” could appear too, but seeing the process in which the distance between the initial concept art and the TV Anime started shrinking, I felt: [This-THIS! What I want to perform is this!] (laughs).









– At the very beginning, she was written as being the opposition, among the members, the scenes of Eli’s internal conflicts is particularly vivid and the most memorable.





Nanjol: I suppose she is fond of thinking all over the place? From worrying at the start whether if it would really be alright, even when Honoka who said: [Let’s try, alright?] and in the presence of all the other members with their [We’ll eventually find a way.], she’ll still ask: [Really?]. I myself had moments like this, so the resonance between us is very strong.







– Including that resonance, what is the relationship that Eli and Nanjou-san have now?





Nanjol: At times I feel like she is my own child, and at times she’s my partner, and there are even times that I feel she is me. During the process of making this project, there are times when the members (μ’s) would be close to their voice actress, and there are times when I, the performer, would be affected by Eli and naturally pick up things that are ice-blue in color in my hands. I feel that in this six years, there are many areas where we have melded together. There wasn’t any free time to allow me to seriously think about me and Eli’s relationship. We’ve been furiously preparing for Lives that’s just in front of us, recording large amount of songs, where Eli begins and where I end, even I wasn’t clear on that. But, when it came to Final Live, [to let Ayase Eli shine as brightly as she can, I need to work hard.] I’ve considered everything thoroughly.







– In the six years, the year before (2015) has been especially hectic in it’s development to the extent that it must have been hard to breath, what is your view on such a year?





Nanjol: At the start, whether it was my confusion of [How to perform as Ayase Eli], those days where no one could truly understand no matter how strongly I stress [I am very cute!] (laughs), I feel that I can never forget them. I hope I don’t cause any confusion, I didn’t become a voice actress for [LoveLive!], as at the same time I took up roles in other projects. But all of them were swallowed up by [LoveLive!]’s wave, for a second I thought I’ll be swept away and cease to exist (as myself), so at that time I clearly felt the danger and had to calm down. The scale in which it expanded was shocking, the level was also indescribable, so it’s not unexpected that there would be a part of me that was afraid.







– At that time, even people who don’t watch Anime, you could hear them talk about the name[LoveLive!], right





Nanjol: Although I often hear people say: [That’s amazing], but no matter what, the links I have with it is as a voice actress. Even if it was through TV or through media etc that they knew the ‘real’ μ’s, I really hope that they would continue to link it with the Anime and their related works.





Words that you wish to say to those ‘comrades’ that love ‘LoveLive!’?







– After going through this packed 6 years, what are your feelings now?





Nanjol: Although I’m doing well in the field of voice acting, but at times I do crossover that boundary to perform Lives. I’ve gone through many things that normal voice actresses won’t ever experience. Regardless as an performer or as a voice actress, there would be times that are very difficult, but I am really very thankful to have learned so much. I have met many people through my activities with μ’s.







– Among those that you have met, the eight other voice actresses. What kind of existence are they?







Nanjol: As expected, even now they still have the feel of being family. After all we really went through the same thing together (laughs). As there were periods where we were together almost every day, although right now we don’t frequently meet with each other like before, but whenever we do meet: it’s like I can breathe easier. Even with other people that I have good relations with, there is that small part where you get a different kind of safety.







– If you are able to say one sentence to Eli who spent the same six years with you?





Nanjol: I guess it’ll be: [How are you doing now?]. For six years, we have walked here closely together, and even if we have separated, I hope that we would be able to meet again somewhere else. To part ways with someone who has always been by my side, it’s a similar feeling as graduation. I really think that right now she is somewhere out there, full of energy now? Although it feels odd if I say that’s in the second dimension, but because I feel that she’s really living there right now, so I’ll think: [What are you doing now?].







As the comrades who have gone through the same experience as [μ’s], I hope everyone would definitely look forward and in many areas, continue working hard.









— Lastly, please say something to all the readers.





Nanjol: How does the μ’s loss feel? (laughs). There are people who really cried till their tears went dry, and to the messages of [I knew of you guys only recently, I really regret not knowing you guys earlier! ] from people who didn’t know us then. Like [Why didn’t I go to a Live!]. Although what you want me to say is [So didn’t I let you guys see it?] (laughs) But it’s μ’s fans like this, those that have chased us for the full six years, and those that who only did so for a few years. But no matter the time that we spent together, those feelings can’t be faked. After Final Live ended, there are people who are still in a cloud of sadness, but μ’s hasn’t disappeared, the memories that we have created would never disappear. Especially to those people who say: [I’m so sad… I’m so sad that I can’t see tomorrow…], as the comrades who have gone through all this together with μ’s, I hope that they can stop crying and look forward. If in the future and somewhere out there, μ’s is able to reappear in front of everyone, I hope that we are able to talk about those memories from those six years. Those who have supported us think so, and us performers we think so too. As fellow comrades who went through the same thing as μ’s, you have to look forward, and in many areas, continue work hard. As everyone has their different schedules, there would be people who will discover their next target whom they would inject passion into, and there would be people who would continue to loiter around in discontent after what has already ended. When the haze dissipates and we are able to look back at this six years, if we are able to say [We’ve grown up huh?] , it’ll be great. So I hope that everyone, from now on would as always, continue to treasure the memories and music of μ’s, and in all of your different lives, continue working hard.