An interview with Inami Anju from the School Idol Project Love Live! Series newest project, Love Live! Sunshine!!

From Sunrise x Lantis x Dengeki G’s Magazine arrives the 2nd generation of school idols that started on April 2015, Love Live! Sunshine!!. Set in Numazu within Shizuoka Prefecture, within Uranohoshi Girls’ High School, a new school idol group Aqours (A-ku-a), whose activities and growth were depicted in the broadcast of the TV Anime series, which will reach its climax soon! And now, this school idol group’s (Aqours) lively center, Takami Chika, will have her seiyuu, Inami Anju, be interviewed. Of course, we will also hear about her enthusiasm towards 1st Live♪

Chika-chan is like a shining, positive girl who endears others to follow her.



—-First, tell us your honest feelings when it was decided that you would be playing as Takami Chika.



Inami: I was very shocked over the decision that I would be playing as Chika; at first, I didn’t really understand what was happening. Of course, I was happy over the decision, but on the other hand, I had worries over whether I really would be able to do it, and I was in constant disbelief over that too.

—-How long did it take for the audition results to come out?



Inami: I had gone overseas for my theater work, and it was quite hectic, so I don’t remember much, but I think it was for around one month. Then, my manager suddenly received a call. I went to the specified location while thinking about how I did, and once I reached, I heard, “You’ve been chosen to perform as Takami Chika.” Because I had been telling myself off over the audition, this made me panic hard, while thinking, “It can’t be true, what do I do now…” (laughs) But because of the happiness over being chosen along with lots of other emotions, I ended up crying.

—-What was your impression of the girl Takami Chika, whom you are performing as?



Inami: My first impression was that she was cheerful and a really straightforward girl.

—-After performing as Chika, where do you think Chika’s appeal lies in?

Inami: Her way of cheerfully looking to the future of course, and being the pampered youngest sibling in a family of three sisters, I can also relate to her. In truth, I myself also really love Love Live!, so I supported μ’s as a fan, and when I thought about the position I was in, it was like Chika-chan relative to Honoka-chan. And speaking of her differences with Honoka-chan, when I thought about how her appeal differed from that of Honoka-chan’s, Honoka-chan is the older sister, and Chika-chan is the little sister, and that difference is especially apparent when I perform as Chika-chan, which really caught my attention. Chika-chan is really a regular girl, and she has nothing special, and I think her charm lies in the fact she is a girl that can be found anywhere. And that kind of normal girl that anyone can be with and yearn for is what appeals greatly to me.

Her words and actions also really draw others in.



—-Chika is the youngest out of three sisters, but what about yourself, Inami-san?



Inami: I’m an only child, so I don’t really understand the feeling of having siblings. Saitou (Shuka)-san, who performs as Watanabe You, is actually the youngest child, so I asked her before having to perform, “How is it like to be the youngest child?” Among the members, there are more of them with siblings than being the only child, so I take in a lot when listening to their conversations, and in doing so I can apply it to my performance as Chika-chan.

—-Did you also prepare yourself when discussing with the other members?



Inami: That was the case. As I expected, the performance can’t be done alone; what’s important is that we are working together with the others around us, something like playing catch. The more we got to know each other, the more we were able to flesh out the characters that we performed as, and the after-recording also was more fun. There was definitely this side of the girls, and the process of seeing each member and the cast becoming one was really enjoyable too, and thereby my performing also changed. What was revealed by the animation also resulted in changes, and I accepted it and performed accordingly. And because of that, while we were discussing with each other before the start of the after-recording, there were really a lot of things that we were looking forward to.

—-Please tell us the similarities and differences between you and Chika.

Inami: Unlike Chika-chan, I have not been positive about the future (laughs). Because of that, I really admire the innocent Chika-chan who draws others towards her. The other members and people around me often say “You’re similar”, but I myself don’t think so. However, living with the intention of a positive heart is something that we’re probably a little bit alike in. I myself am quite pessimistic, which I don’t think is a good thing, as when I’m down it will also bring down the mood of my surroundings. But at the time that I was thinking of that, I met Chika-chan. What that resulted in was that I was drawn along with her and we were similar that we became positive together. And it is because she wasn’t confident in herself that she changed and lived with a positive and innocent mindset, and I think that is where we are really similar to each other.

—-You did mature along with Chika while performing as her, huh.

Inami: That’s definitely the case. Her words, actions and others really drew in the existence known as Inami Anju. I really am thankful and strive towards her, something like an unreachable star (Todokanai Hoshi, reference to Todokanai Hoshi da to Shitemo). There’s still a lot more waiting in the future, and I’m really excited.

I really felt her “I must not give up on my hopes and dreams” while performing as her.

—-How was the mood at the after-recording?

Inami: It was fun and peaceful. Also, the screenwriter Nagasaki (Yukio)-san interacted with us sincerely, which really helped our mood. He explained it all in both lighthearted and serious tones, so we were able to perform the dubbing in a good environment.

—-What are your honest thoughts when seeing Chika and the others moving in the anime?



Inami: I really couldn’t believe it; it felt like I was seeing a dream. These girls really looked alive, and I really felt like their story was finally starting. But I still wasn’t used to my voice that outpoured from the TV, as expected (laughs). Because of that, when I watched Episode 1, a rush of emotions welled up, and it made my heart beat really fast.

—-If there are any scenes or lines by Chika that left an impression on you, please tell us.



Inami: What left an impression on me was the first scene in Episode 1 before the opening. Of course, one part of it was that it had finally started, and Chika-chan’s first steps towards wanting to aim to become a school idol could be seen, especially during the moment that she saw the shine, which reminded me of the time that I was really nervous during the after-recording. It was the beginning of the airing of Love Live! Sunshine!!, but it was a new start for me, so it is a very important scene. Other than that, there’s also the scene in Episode 8 where Chika-chan revealed to the other members her true motivations for the first time, and when I was reading the script after receiving it, I thought that everyone would probably consider this to be the defining scene for Chika-chan in the entire anime. And so, I usually return to the important points after reading the scripts, but this time I took all the scripts up to Episode 7, went to the studio earlier and reread it all the way until the last minute. I also yelled while entering, and there were also scenes that made me nervous. When the bright and positive Chika-chan who drew everyone towards her had the reality of the situation revealed towards her, she told her true motivation towards (Sakurauchi) Riko-chan. However, in reality I don’t really remember this scene well. Of course, I don’t remember my nervousness or other emotions well either, like as if they had just flown off; it was as if I had fully become the character I was voicing. This Episode 8 had allowed me to mature as a voice actress as well.

—-Please tell us any points of note or recommended parts of this work.



Inami: Chika-chan might be a highschool girl who could be found anywhere, but it is because of this that a lot of people have dreams or aspirations of meeting her, and that allows them to face forward. I really felt her “I must not give up on my hopes and dreams” while performing as her, which is something to note about her.

It feels like the Inami Anju who likes to sing is 50% made out of songs.



—-Inami-san has liked Love Live! since beforehand as we’ve heard, so where do you think its appeal lies in?



Inami: I myself really love Love Live!, and I’ve watched it for a long time, and I have been able to participate in this work, which has given me lots of courage, hopes and dreams, which I think is its appeal.

—-Have you liked singing ever since you were small, Inami-san?



Inami: I loved it. But I still can’t sing so I get stressed (laughs). It feels like the Inami Anju who likes to sing is 50% made out of songs, probably. It’s full of hard aspects, like the rhythm, scales, notes and others, and sometimes I get reluctant to practice (laughs), but even so I still liked it ever since I was small. And even with the good feelings and the tension of right now, the songs that we sang might’ve been the same as back then, but it was with a completely different nuance, showing that songs have infinite possibilities. Of course, acting is also like that. So if you take away singing and acting from me, then there will be nothing left of me (laughs).

—-By the way, what songs do you listen to often? Also, if you have any artists you like, please tell us.



Inami: What made me like Love Live! was actually the smartphone app Love Live! School Idol Festival. I was really attracted to the songs, and then I liked the members as well, so basically I got into Love Live! through the songs, and μ’s was a big part of me. Also, Hirano Aya-san (Actress, Seiyuu and Singer, who took part in many activities. Most famously known as Suzumiya Haruhi in Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu) was someone who I liked and admired. Even though my dream was to perform in a musical, I really felt drawn in when I performed and sang, and I had the same feeling regarding Love Live!, which is another reason why I love it.

I want to have fun in the 1st Live so that all the members will be able to smile.



—-The 1st Live was also confirmed, and the practice for the dances are also hard, so have you been memorizing the choreography?

Inami: I can’t remember any of it (laughs). Apologies to the other members for not being able to memorize the choreography. I was from a vocational school, but I only had dance lessons 8 times a year. So, even though I was studying dance as if it were a special class, I wasn’t very good at it (laughs). It wasn’t that I disliked dancing, but there was a feeling of being lost. However, I had many dreams of being in scenes in musicals with dancing and being able to reach my aspirations. They included dancing with a lot of feelings and looking beautiful, sexy, and cool… but it’s actually almost impossible (laughs). I was given a chance to try dancing and start learning the steps, but I couldn’t follow at all (laughs). Kobayashi (Aika)-san, the voice of Tsushima Yoshiko, and Saitou (Shuka)-san, the voice of Watanabe You, had dancing experience, so I relied on them both a lot. And when the anime was announced, and after I saw my own movements, I resolved to inspect our movements even more. And after I saw the way that dance experts presented themselves, I was able to dance in a cute manner. And then I learned from the other members as they were dancing, which made me more aware. The process of learning how to dance was really fun, and I also had a sense of accomplishment after that, and now I am able to give my all to face challenges.

—-Please tell us about your enthusiasm towards 1st Live.



Inami: I was trying not to get the choreography wrong, but in truth I’m also bad at remembering lyrics, so it was chaotic (laughs). There are a lot of things I have to do from now on, so I have a lot of responsibilities and pressure. Without the other members I cannot stand in the center, which I realized during the first event. Aqours☆HEROES was the song that required me to go forward the most, to form a triangle as seen from the audience. When that happened, there was no one beside me, and the whole audience in front of me, and I was really scared the first time. I felt very uneasy about it during the rehearsals, but I really felt that everyone was behind dancing by my side with smiles when I looked through the mirror. My heart isn’t that strong yet, so I am unable to stand on stage without the other members. But if it were Chika-chan, she would definitely not be afraid, and she would take everyone’s hands and break into a run, and I myself was pushed from the back by Chika-chan which made me able to stand on stage, and the audience was also able to enjoy it, and I was able to give my all for that. I want to have fun in the 1st Live so that all the members will be able to smile.

The beaches of Uchiura as seen within the work are also really beautiful, and I definitely want to go there to take pictures.



—-What started your aspirations towards the world of acting?



Inami: I saw Kuroki Hitomi-san’s acting in a TV drama when I was in elementary school, and that was when I first wanted to try acting as well. But becoming an actress required me to be beautiful and have good style, and I wasn’t someone who had myself together, so I couldn’t do it, and then I gave up. But then, I happened to watch anime and found out about the job of being a seiyuu, and I thought that I could do such a job that didn’t require my looks (laughs). And that was when I began to aspire to be a seiyuu.

—-What kind of person is the normal Inami-san? Please tell us your self-analysis.



Inami: I’m someone who is negative, pessimistic and lacking in confidence… I really can’t think of my good parts (laughs). But there’s one thing I can say, and that’s the fact that I love acting. The central focus of the person Inami Anju is her aspiration to become an actress, so I am not the type of person to want to stray from both being an artist and an actress. I’ve always thought that I wanted to become a good person to become a good actress, and so I don’t want to regret all the effort that I’ve put in. As for what I can deliver to people, I am experiencing many things, and I want to share my world to a lot of people. If I want to bring smiles to people’s faces, I want to also be able to put on a smile to show to everyone at any time, and to become the sun to anyone, which is what I admire about Chika-chan, and I wonder if I’m a little bit similar to that. It’s because I am naturally negative that I want to act positive, and so I have a sense of duty that I must live in a positive manner. Of course a change in mindset is a very big event for humans, and would I not want to realize this big wish of mine? I want to be someone who can grab the chance at that moment. And if I cannot grab that moment, then I didn’t try hard enough and am lacking in experience, but I won’t just say “some other time”, but I want to improve myself for the sake of being able to grab that moment. In relation to acting or singing, it’s not that I don’t want to lose to anyway, but instead I want to continue doing it with love, and it’s common for things to not go my way, and for setbacks to happen. What that means is that I am really not very good at expressing myself, so maybe I’m not the best person for those activities (laughs). When Chika-chan is next to me though, I am able to express myself in many ways, but since it is coming out from Inami Anju, I always wonder if it truly is alright. But this is exactly why I am able to take in many things, and become someone able to convert my negativity into positivity. Right now, I think I’m around 80% negative and 20% positive, but I’m also slowly changing myself that I can continue to increase the portion of positivity.

—-If you’ve gotten into anything or been obsessed with something recently, please tell us.



Inami: I’ve gotten into detoxification, so I’ve taken enzyme baths, as well as watched my diet well. I definitely can’t lose my good health right now, so I’m looking for medicine that suits my body, and if I find any articles which catch my eye, I will note them down and try them out immediately. I started paying close attention to my health, and I tried out bouldering and yoga to build my body up. For the sake of taking care of my body for 1st Live, I’m running everyday, so I think I’ve also gotten into bodybuilding. Just like an athlete (laughs). Also, I’ve recently gotten into photography. Recently I went overseas, and at that time I took pictures of all my journeys with the other members, including all the silly smiles and the like, and I really liked to capture all the ambiences then. I also liked to take pictures of the scenery. I wanted to keep the memories of what I saw at those moments, so that when I look back at it, I will be able to remember what I enjoyed about it. The beaches of Uchiura in Numazu as seen within Love Live! Sunshine!! are also really beautiful, and recently I’ve felt that I want to go there to take pictures.

PROFILE

Inami Anju

Born on February 7. Under Sony Music Artists. Radio personality and performer. Selected for the role of Aqours’s leader Takami Chika in Love Live! Sunshine!!.

ANCHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN

Okay anyway this is actually really late (I’ve been holding on to this from mid-November) but I finally got motivation to finish thanks to 1st Live being just around the corner. Why is Anchan so negative (makes you just want to go there and cheer her up and tell her everything is going to be alright) …

Hai, to iu koto de, I hope everyone enjoyed this interview! It’s pretty long, but if you’re an Anchan fan, I think it’s a very good insight into her mind, and I hope that you will continue to support Love Live! Sunshine!! with your wallet .

Released as part of Team ONIBE.