To shine is to progress towards the future!



Introduction

In preparation for their final Love Live! performance as students of the closing Uranohoshi Girls’ High School, the school idol group Aqours deepens their bonds (e.g. with a training camp), and continues to try their best. Anju Inami, who voices Chika Takami, discusses her current feelings towards the girls who continue to touch viewers with their perseverance.

Tagline

My feeling right now is that of wanting to lift up everyone in Aqours!

Interview

As Chika continued her struggle, she experienced incredible growth.

—Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2 Episode 13 has finished broadcasting. How do you feel right now?

Now that it’s over, I feel like, “What a relief, huh?”. After the recording of Episode 13, everyone within the studio was feeling very relieved. Feelings like enjoyment and loneliness settled in bit by bit afterwards. Actually, the script for Episode 13 was given to us around when Rikako Aida (the voice of Riko Sakurauchi), Shuka Saito (the voice of You Watanabe), and I were participating in an event. We all opened the script on a count of “Ready, set—”, and when we saw that Aqours had won, we all shared the feeling of “We did it!”. We were very happy, and that still resonates in my heart.

—Chika showed desperation in her attempt to avoid the merger of Uranohoshi Girls’ High School, but once the merger was finalized, the somewhat philosophical mood that she had was impressive.

I think that Chika is someone who’s naturally quite perceptive of the atmosphere and mood. Since the start of Season 2, she’s been vividly painted as being sensitive. That’s why in Episode 8 [TL: actually, I think it was Episode 9?], when Ruby Kurosawa was doing something for her older sister Dia Kurosawa, Chika was able to reassure [the 2nd and 3rd years] them with a response of, “It’ll be fine”. Of course, I think she’d have that faith in anyone in Aqours if they needed to do something, though. I suppose that the story of Season 2 has conveyed the strengthening of bonds between the 9 members of Aqours to that extent. Personally, what the girls have accomplished in the tale of Season 2 is also woven into the music, and it’d make me glad if we were able to reach everyone through that.

—What parts of Season 2 were especially impressive?

In Season 1, Chika had this frantic, fiery vigor, while the Chika of Season 2 isn’t just “working hard”, but rather, “struggling”, and the expression of that in her image was impressive. Her declaration that they would struggle together in Episode 1 was incredibly astonishing. “Struggling” somehow feels unrefined compared to “working hard”, and it might be a little off from the aura of a radiant school idol (laughs). But I felt that phrasing expressed a certain feeling of hope: that “even if things don’t go well, even if the merger is finalized, something could change if we struggle together; our chances aren’t zero, so maybe it’ll work out”.

—In the story, Aqours travelling to Hakodate (in Hokkaido) was a surprising development.

We were surprised too! We never imagined that Aqours would sing as a group of 11 with Saint Snow, Hakodate’s school idols, and we were also surprised that Aqours would take off from Numazu (in Shizuoka Prefecture). On top of that, Sarah Kazuno—a member of Saint Snow—became really good friends with Chika, and I was like, “When did that happen?!” (laughs).

—And then Saint Snow coming to Numazu in Episode 10 was also an unexpected development, right?

Chika views Saint Snow as people she’s working hard with together, rather than as rivals, and as people who understand [school idols] that she can exchange opinions with. In Episodes 8 and 9, Saint Snow is important to the first years’ maturation, starting with Ruby-chan, and to Aqours, I think Saint Snow’s existence is crucial. Saint Snow’s Leah Kazuno caring for others—even while being aloof—was also unexpected, and I think that was super cute!

—In Season 2, did your impression of the Aqours members besides Chika change?

As the voice actor for Chika, I thought that Kanan Matsuura probably has a gap [in her personality] of some sort, so seeing her being scared [TL: in Episode 2] was extremely cute, and I’m glad to have been right! Regarding the first years: seeing them grow strong and having each one support the others, I didn’t feel that it was unexpected. The impression of mine that changed the most might be that of You-chan. Ever since Season 1, even though there was an episode about You-chan worrying about Chika, she hadn’t conveyed her feelings to Chika. So in Episode 11 of Season 2, the scene where You-chan responds to Chika saying “I’ve always wanted to be with you” was unexpected! But I’m very happy that she conveyed it so directly. Seeing Riko-chan smile as she watched over those two in that situation was quite wonderful too.

—For “Love Love! Sunshine!!”, the live scenes are indispensable, but which one(s) in particular left a strong impression on you?

Episode 13’s “WONDERFUL STORIES”. I also like Episode 12’s “WATER BLUE NEW WORLD”, but “WONDERFUL STORIES”, featuring the idols dressed in [past] uniforms singing and dancing on the school’s stage, felt particularly special to me. To see the 9 members standing on that stage—where Chika, Riko-chan, and You-chan stood in Season 1 Episode 3—made me really happy. Watching the 3rd years singing in these outfits, the thought that perhaps this would be their last performance made it all the more moving. And during the part when they were in the Uranohoshi Girls’ High School uniforms, I could feel the overflowing love for school idols.

—After Episode 13, the production of a completely new movie was announced.

I still don’t know what exactly the movie will involve, but I’m sure it’ll have new songs, so we too are looking forward to seeing what kind of Aqours it’ll show.

—If you could say one thing to the members of Aqours, what would you want to say?

I’d say “Congratulations!”, and to celebrate, lift each one up in turn!! Rather than saying a lot, I’d rather succinctly express my joy with “We did it!”, and share my gratitude towards everyone.

—A message for the readers, please.

Thank you so much for following Aqours and cheering us on. In 2018, we’re scheduled to have live performances, and in regards to the anime, the movie’s production has been confirmed as well. From here on, we’ll continue to work our hardest, step by step, with great care. I’d like to be able to bring out the energy in everyone, and to be someone that pushes you forward, so I’ll continue to be in your care. I want to see all kinds of sceneries with everyone!!

Production of a brand new movie has been confirmed!

The production of a movie for “Love Live! Sunshine!!”, which has aired for two seasons, has been confirmed. The release timeline hasn’t been announced yet, but the new work will show a new Aqours story. Let’s wait in excitement to learn more about what kind of radiance Aqours will show us on the big screen.

Translation: @ganbaramen

QC: @yujachachacha

Support the seiyuu and the magazine by buying the original (not a referral link, I promise!): https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0794MC5NV