Here’s Suwawa’s interview from the November 2016 issue of Dengeki G’s Magazine, translated in time for her birthday!

Original image here.

Text form behind the cut:

Big Text: Wanting to make our scenes satisfactory, the countless re-recordings I had with Aina are precious memories too.

Left speech bubble: Having the same ponytail as Kanan makes me happy!

Right speech bubble: Everyone, call me “Suwawa”!

Profile:

Suwa Nanaka

Something that recently made her feel touched was acting alongside Asumi Kana-san, who voiced one of the protagonists of the original work “Hidamari Sketch”. Her favorite food is ice-cream. She loves eating without a care for the condition of her stomach.

[The days when I struggled to approach my beloved Kanan, have now turned into an existence where I feel like there’s “another self” with me.]

— Please tell us the reason you decided to challenge the Love Live! Sunshine!! project.

When I was a middle-schooler, I came across the anime Hidamari Sketch, which was produced by the anime studio Shaft, and it was the first time in my life I was really engrossed in an anime. Especially the characters’ lovely voices, which made me feel a sense of healing during their conversations. That was the trigger that gave rise to the feeling that I wanted to become a seiyuu, and made me start attending training school. At that time, I was interested in musicals which let me enjoy singing, acting and dancing, so I did that alongside studying. While passing by the days repeatedly applying to all sorts of auditions, I came across one that I absolutely wanted to qualify for. That was Love Live! Sunshine!!. Ever since a while back, I had already come to like μ’s style, where the seiyuus sing, dance and act. It was a form of entertainment that let me feel the same sense of excitement as I did from a musical… Plus I had always been playing School idol festival, and I wanted to challenge the work I had aspired towards.

— During the audition, were there any points about Matsuura Kanan that attracted you?

Yes. Her hairstyle and the atmosphere of her lines left an impression in my heart, and I remember feeling a familiarity towards her that I didn’t for any of the other girls. For the final audition I also did my hair in a ponytail, and wholeheartedly put on an aura of wanting to voice Kanan (haha). But then there were questions I couldn’t answer well, and I became unsure of whether my own acting was heading in the right direction… I had been dieting as well as exercising in preparation for that day, intending to start off with my body in perfect condition, but instead I only realised my immaturity, and was filled with regret. That’s why when they first contacted me that I had been chosen to voice Kanan, I really couldn’t believe it.

— Now then, it’s been about a year since you made a CD debut as a member of Aqours. Acting as Kanan who you’ve longed for ever since the audition, were there any unforgettable events?

My precious memories with Kanan are uncountable. At first, her way of talking made me feel extremely confused. She had a gentle expression and an easygoing personality so I thought she would have a soft way of talking. That’s why when I was given the advice “She’s a straightforward girl. She looks feminine on the outside, but she feels like a dependable elder brother”, I was surprised. In the first place, my own speech style is on the slower side and I don’t have a energetic personality either, so I was panicking over how I should portray her. I spent every day thinking about how I should speak like Kanan for the recording of the TV anime’s trailer too. But when it comes to personality, Kanan’s and mine overlap in a lot of places, so now I feel a sense of affinity with her, almost as though there’s “another self” with me. My first impression of Kanan was someone with a younger childhood friend, an elder sister-type who grew up by the sea and doesn’t sweat the small details, but after starting the recording for the TV anime, I got to see more complicated parts of her inner personality. Though there were all sorts of feelings and troubles bottled up inside her, she was unable to put them into words. Especially for the third years, she’s very caring towards her friends, and over-thought things to the point she was unable to say anything… I myself also think a lot, but once I put it into words and think about other people’s feelings, I find myself unable to say anything too, so I feel like I understand Kanan’s feelings very well. Especially episode 9 “Mijuku DREAMER”, Kanan’s true feelings… her wishes, her anger, her sadness was all conveyed in that episode. Her line “Let’s hug” from the first single’s self-introduction was also included here, so the recording for Episode 9 left the deepest impression on me. Throughout the series, Kanan had a lot of dialogue with Mari. During recordings, I would always sit next to Aina who voices Mari, and I was always with her no matter whether we were talking or not. The two of us wanted to make our scenes satisfactory, so those countless re-recordings of our lines we had with the help of the sound director are also important, unforgettable memories. Surrounded by both trustable friends and staff, the TV anime was truly a wonderful experience for me.

[Numazu’s event’s unexpected tears… It’s not possible to hide my true feelings in front of my trusted partners.]

— After meeting Kanan, were there any parts of yourself that have changed?

My heart has become energetic, in the true sense of the word. When I entered voice-acting training school back in my middle-school days, I had no self-confidence and was convinced that I had no talent after all. During high-school I entered the English drama club to develop a special skill and continued applying for auditions, which all seems like positive actions, but the truth is I was deperate to change myself, a self which had neither talent nor self-confidence. But while acting as Kanan, it seems as though her easygoing personality, as wide and forgiving as the sea, has sunk into me as well. Just as pleasantly as a sea breeze on a clear day, the pressure on myself was lifted. While desperately struggling to understand Kanan, it feels as though the two of us just fell into step together naturally… Without hurrying, believing that everything will be fine as long as I have a positive mindset, those are things that Kanan taught me. And more than anything else, being so warmly supported by all the fans even as I struggle through trial-and-error, having made it here has left me with a deep sense of gratitude. Whether it’s through letters, our events or Twitter, I have received a lot of encouragement from everyone. How should I thank them.. Truly, thank you all very much… I can deeply feel everyone’s support for me, and I want to respond to that. Aqours’ 1st LIVE which will be held in Yokohama Arena next year’s February, I’m still unable to imagine what sort of stage it will be. But I want Kanan to stand in the midst of that brilliance perfectly. If Kanan was able to exist upon that stage even for just a single moment, it would be the greatest way I could repay that girl who has led me this far, and the fans who have given me their love.

— Speaking of which, during the Numazu event on July 31st when they announced the 1st LIVE, the usually-impassive Suwa-san also began tearing up, which left quite a strong impression.

At that time I felt a strong pressure thinking about our first live concert, but everyone in Aqours was there to take that uneasiness away, and that sense of security made me start to cry. The nine of us have worked hard to this point supporting each other… It’s been about a year and a half since our debut, and it’s not possible to hide your true feelings in front of your trusted partners, or rather, it’s fine even if you don’t hide your feelings. Both as rivals and the greatest friends I have, putting our strength together, that day—. When we formed a circle on the stage of Mielparque Hall on January 11th, I wanted to advance towards the dream within my heart. I believe the 1st LIVE is the first step towards that dream.