The second season of the TV anime "Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Club". The story is set at "Nijigasaki Gakuen," a high school in Odaiba, Tokyo, where 12 girls and a girl fulfill their dreams of becoming school idols. We interviewed Maayu Sagara, who plays Kasumi Nakasu, a.k.a. "Kasumi," and Akina Hougen, who plays Shou Ranju, an exchange student from Hong Kong who has appeared in the second season of the TV anime, after their appearance on the 12th episode of "Anime Hack TV" (distributed on April 3, 2022). (Reporting and composition by Kotaro Gosho / Anime Hack Editorial Department) --How was it working with MC Tokui (Aozora) on "Anime Hack TV"? Sagara: The hour flew by and it was fun. Soramaru (*Tokui's nickname) and I had a lot of fun working together on "Love Live! I have been friends with her in many other jobs as well, but this was the first time for me to wear the "Nijigasaki" uniform and participate in a program with Ms. Soramaru as the MC. I felt comfortable and relaxed to participate in the show because I had a sense of security that Soramaru-sensei would take everything we said and dig deep into it. I made a mistake in the three-letter game in the program, for which I am really sorry (laughs), but he made it funny and helped me out. Hougen: It was nice to meet Mr. Aozora Tokui on today's show, and for me it was my first time to work with him on "Love Live! I was happy because this was the first time for me to meet the members of "μ's (Muse)" as part of my work with the "μ's". Like Mr. Sagara, I felt very safe and relaxed, and I was able to perform as if I could surrender myself to them. --You mentioned this in the program, but could you tell us again how you felt when you were chosen to play the role of Shigaranju? Hougen: At first, I was so happy that it was like a dream. From there, as I got more involved in the production as Tama Kanehran, I realized that I was going to play the role of Tama Kanehran in "Love Live! I learned that the series is challenging in many ways. Like the fact that there are native speakers from overseas, such as Tama Kanehara and Kaka Karaka, who have come to "Love Live! I was thrilled to see that the world of the "Mere Old Man" was about to expand even further, and I felt truly honored to be in a position to be directly involved in such a work. From that point on, I was not only happy, but also excited to be a part of the "Love Live! I strongly felt that I wanted to follow and spread my wings in the new world being created by --Do you remember the first time you met Mr. Hougen? Sagara: I think the first time we met was before the spread of the new Corona, when everyone was recording games together. I remember that Minmin (*Mr. Hougen's nickname) was very nervous because she was almost new to voice acting, and I was cheering her on to do her best. Then, because of the new Corona, the recording sessions were held separately, and after a long time, I had the opportunity to work with Minminmin for the first time in a really long time. At that time, I saw how much she had grown! I remember being very happy. I was sure that they must have worked very hard during the time we had not been able to see them. We didn't have much time to talk when we met after a long time, but I wanted to convey that feeling to him by quietly saying, "That was amazing! I called out to him. Hougen: That was the first time I had talked to him in a long time, so I was very happy when he said that to me. --Hougen-san is a member of the "Love Live! Superstar!" is credited as a sound collaborator on "Superstar! If you don't mind my asking, what kind of work did you do? Hougen: I worked with Liyuu, who played the role of Karan Kaka, as a support person for the recording. Liyuu, who had spent her life in Shanghai, was recording for the first time in an unfamiliar environment in Japan, so I, who speaks Chinese, had a lot of conversations with her, such as explaining the technical terms related to the recording. --So you supported the recording as a Chinese-speaking voice actor. Hougen: I think we could have asked a professional interpreter, but in terms of support for the recording, I think it was better for me as a voice actor. I felt that this way of working was quite luxurious, and that I was given a job that was a good experience for me. As I worked with the "Liella!" members at every recording session, I naturally spent more and more time with them, and although I am afraid to say this since I had just joined the group, I began to think that I could be a bridge between "Nijigasaki" and the group. In fact, I was happy to be able to talk a little more casually with the fans during the live broadcasts with "Liella! Kasumi Nakasu (CV: Mayu Sagara) --What episode or scene in the first season of the TV anime made the biggest impression on you? Sagara: For Kasumi, it would have to be episode 2. Her ever-changing facial expressions are cute, and she is an aggressive girl who sneaks into the student council room right from the start (laughs). (Laughs.) Not only in episode 2, but also in other episodes, there are various scenes of cute Kasumi, such as when she sings and when she is blushing, so I think these are all highlights of the show. In the game, Kasumi's "cute" and "loves her senpai" were featured more or less, but in the anime, in addition to her cuteness, I think the strength of her beliefs are depicted quite a bit. （Her clash with Setsuna was also a result of their mutual inability to compromise on what they wanted to do, and I saw her core strength and competitive nature in that as well. In this way, we can see Kasumi's core strength and her competitive nature. I felt that this is how Kasumi grows as a school idol in the anime. --What did you think of the first season of the TV anime? Hougen: The main thing is that it was fresh. The goal of everyone in the "Nijigasaki" group is to make "Love Live! Rather, each member has a dream of becoming a School Idol and starts to pursue it, and they are getting closer to the School Idol they have always wanted to be. Rather than a story of growth as a group, I saw it as a story of individual growth. The story of each member is very rich because you can follow the stories of ten different people, and the songs sung by each member are accompanied by wonderful images as insert songs, so it was a great experience to watch. It was visually and aurally satisfying, and the accompanying stories of each of the members were truly wonderful. --In the first season, there was a scene in which the characters are all saying, "'Love Live! I was shocked by the line, "I don't need to get out. Sagara: It's a line that Yuu says in Setsuna's episode (*Ep. 3). --I was surprised that it was okay to say such a thing in this work. How did you two feel about that line? Sagara: "Love Live! As an otaku, I thought it was amazing that he said that, but it was clear that by saying that line, he was making a clear statement about the past Love Live! I think it was important to show that the series was different from the other series. It was also significant that YU-chan, who is not a school idol, said it. When a girl from the school idol side says it, it has a different meaning. It was also important that Yu, who is supporting Setsuna, said that line, so it must have resonated with Setsuna as well. I think it was one of the scenes where we could clearly say, "This is how we are," and we can proudly say "This is how Nijigasaki is. Hougen: When I was chosen to play the role of Aranshu-chan, I thought that I would be able to play a role in Love Live! I mentioned that I felt really honored to be involved in the series. I thought it might be one of the new challenges and possibilities for the series. Looking at the recently announced information on new school idols (*note), I feel that they are exploring various things rather than sticking to one form. Nijigasaki Gakuen" seems to me like a school that opens such new doors, and I hope that we can be the one to pave the way for people to easily take on new challenges. Note: Love Live! A new project in the series, "Virtual School Idol," was announced this fall in February. https://anime.eiga.com/news/115432/ Kanegoranju (CV: Akina Hougen) --The first episode of the second season was Arashu's first appearance and also featured a solo song. Hougen: Since the recording session, I could sense that the singer was determined to "show Arashu with all her might," and I had to sing to respond to that determination. I was also very enthusiastic. I had a preview of what Aranju's dance would be like, and I had a feeling that it would be absolutely cool and amazing if she danced this dance. When all the members watched the first episode together before the broadcast, I was so moved that I cried. I was so excited and excited about what everyone would think when it was shown to the world, and I strongly wanted everyone to see it soon and to deliver Arashu-chan's music to everyone. Sagara: At the beginning of the first episode, I was wondering what kind of anime had just started, but I was able to see expressions and movements of the members that I don't usually get to see, and I learned something new about their charm. In the first episode, there were some scenes where I wondered if it was you who was doing it (laugh), but I was glad to see how good she is and how much of a disruptive force she is in the story. I would be happy if you could pay attention to it. --The catchphrase of the film, "Hibikake! A crush." Please tell us about your recent crushes. Sagara: I recently had a crush on "Love Live! I was able to be on stage for the "Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Club 4th Live! I am from Kyoto, and when I went to see a live concert at Kyocera Dome when I was a child, I thought it was very spacious, and I had always wanted to be there someday. It was the greatest thrill to see one of my childhood dreams come true, and I was filled with gratitude that it was because of your daily support that we were able to be here. I will never forget that moment. I will keep the thrill that everyone gave me close to my heart and continue to do my best in the future. Hougen: I feel a crush when I come across music or books that influence my way of thinking or sense of values, and right now, I am extremely attracted to the members of "Nijigasaki," with whom I spend a lot of time. You may think it's a pretty thing to say, but they are all really very nice girls. The more I get to know them, the more I like them, and I am now being influenced by them very clearly, thinking "Oh, there is this way of thinking" and "I want to learn from them. They all have their own unique personalities and charms, and the future of working with them is very exciting for me. I have been thinking every day lately how lucky I am to have encountered *Please also watch "Tokui Aozora's Anime Hack TV #12" with guest appearances by Mayu Sagara and Akina Hougen. (C)2022 Project Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Club
【Background】
・Graduated from Kyoto University with a major in Japanese Culture Studies, Faculty of Letters
・After graduation, worked 4 years as editor and proofreader for a print magazine specializing in traditional performing arts and culture
・Became a freelance journalist in 2021 and launched japanculturean.com in 2022
【Expertise】
・Pop-Culture Fusion Analysis
Analytical commentary on how modern pop-culture media (anime, film, fashion) incorporates and reinterprets traditional Japanese motifs.
