#honoshii

Ayasaki-san, who used to be “energy conserving” before she met Polka.

As Polka’s polar opposite, voicing Polka has also turned her into a more optimistic person.

Which parts of Polka charms Ayasaki-san the most?

One day in July, a few days before their first event, we had the opportunity to interview two cast members of the Ikizulive! project that launched into full steam recently, Ayasaki Honon and Endo Rina. Read on to find out their current thoughts about the project and more.

What were your first impressions of the Ikizulive! project?

Ayasaki: I first heard the title after I passed the auditions, and the phrase ikizurai (difficult to live) made me think that the project would take on a darker tone (laughs). But the characters’ lines seemed mostly positive, so I wondered what the story would be about. I then found out that our debut song would be really upbeat, and I thought that maybe it’d fit right in with the other projects under the Love Live! series. The Love Live! championship has existed in every series before this one, so I was also very excited to find out what would happen to the project’s characters, and whether they’d start something new given that it’s set in a world where Love Live! has somewhat faded away.

What were your first impressions of the character you’re voicing, Takahashi Polka?

Ayasaki: Polka-chan is just amazing (laughs). She’s really active and is the kind of girl to rush ahead and bring everyone around her along for the ride. But, she’s also the type of girl that people want to lend a helping hand to. She’s like everyone’s sunshine. I’ve also become more optimistic after meeting Polka-chan, so I’d say that she has had a positive influence on me. Polka-chan recovers quickly after encountering setbacks. Even though there are times when she feels down, she’s a positive girl at heart and will start smiling again after just a short while, or at least that’s the kind of girl I think she is. I feel like meeting Polka-chan has changed me as well.

Each of you involved in Ikizulive! has your own strengths. What do you think yours are? Also, do let us know if there were any particular instances where your strengths came in handy.

Ayasaki: It’s not easy for me to come up with something I’d consider one of my “strengths”, but others at my agency have mentioned my voice and singing. That was a huge self-confidence booster. I heard those words when attending lessons to prepare for the Ikizulive! auditions, so they really did give me the push on the back that I needed. I’ve been performing and singing all these years only because that’s what I love doing, so hearing them made me really glad. The other thing they mentioned, singing, is also something I love. I’ve always been singing the songs I love in whatever way I like (laughs). I go for karaoke sessions often, too! Love Live! songs aren’t easy to sing since they’re usually performed by multiple people, but I managed to get a 95 or 96 on Liella!’s Let’s be ONE. I usually sing with scoring enabled to make sure I hit the correct pitch. Oh, I also used to learn the piano, so that’s how much I love music in general.

To let our readers get to know you a little better, could you tell us about what you’re like as a person, or something that you really love, or are really good at?

Ayasaki: My personality is like that of an easygoing old lady (laughs). It’s probably because I try to conserve my energy as much as possible by minimizing how much I have to move every day, so much so that my family suspects that I’m actually 82 years old or something. Oh, this isn’t so much about my personality, but there’s something about me that’s changed ever since I was selected to voice Polka-chan. I’ve learned to appreciate just how delicious food is (laughs). I was totally exhausted after the ten of us first met to act together. Due to my energy-conserving lifestyle, I didn’t have to eat very much every day. But I’ve recently realized that Polka-chan is just so energetic that I couldn’t act as her for long periods of time without eating more, probably because of the energy debt I’ve been incurring. What started just as a way to replenish my energy led me to discover just how delicious food is, and I gained seven kilos! (laughs) That made me realize just how little I’ve been eating my entire life. Of course, it wouldn’t be a good idea to go on like that, so I’ve been losing weight gradually ever since. If you’re wondering what I’m good at aside from singing, I’ve enjoyed anything music-related ever since I was a kid. I’ve been writing songs and singing them acapella ever since I was in preschool, and my other hobby is composing songs using Vocaloid software. I also like flowers, insects, or anything related to nature, basically. Oh, I also enjoy cafe hopping and reading shōjo manga. I have lots of hobbies!

Was there any reason in particular why you decided to become a voice actress? Also, was becoming a voice actress your childhood dream?

Ayasaki: It was mostly because I’ve loved anime and cute girls ever since I was a kid. That was what I grew up watching, after all. Specifically, it was watching the anime Nisekoi and hearing Hanazawa Kana-san’s voice that made me want to become a voice actress. Hearing her performance made me realize just how amazing it is to be able to breathe life into a character with nothing but your voice, and I found myself looking her up to find out what kind of person she was. I’d always loved Onodera Kosaki-chan as a character, and hearing her speak in the anime made me fall in love with her even more. That’s how I got interested in voice acting. I wanted to reach someone’s heart with my voice, just like she did.

Tell us more about your impressions of the Love Live! series, or if you have any stories you’d like to share from your experiences with it.

Ayasaki: Of course, I like every single series, but I love Tennoji Rina from Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club! Although she’s very shy, the lengths she goes to express herself to everyone else really inspires me. Love Live! has produced so many god-tier songs, so it’s difficult to pick just one, but a song I listened to a lot was Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE by μ’s.

I heard that you got the chance to watch both Love Live! Series Asia Tour 2024 ~Minna de Kanaeru Monogatari~ and Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours Finale Love Live! ~Eikyuu Stage~ live. How did you find those concerts?

Ayasaki: Watching the concert at the venue itself was quite an experience! Seeing the world that I’ve only ever interacted with through a screen with my own eyes really touched me. Ikizulive! was announced at the Asia Tour, and I had so many thoughts about it that I wrote paragraphs and paragraphs about it in my journal. Do you mind if I read just a part of it? (laughs) “The main thing running through my mind as I watched today’s performance was how I was now part of Love Live!, or rather, that I would one day be part of the cast performing on stage. I still can’t believe that I’ll be joining Love Live! as a voice actress. The world that I’ve always dreamed of is now right in front of my eyes, and just having made it all the way here makes me emotional. After experiencing the impact of the performance of the senpais that came before us firsthand, I realized that I too have to work harder to deliver a stage performance like that someday in the future. After experiencing the unity of everyone in the audience, I hope to treasure this world that’s been loved by so many for the past 15 years. To be honest, it still doesn’t feel real that I’m already part of this world, and part of me was still doubting whether the project would actually be announced on stage today. But, when I saw Polka-chan, the girl I’ll be voicing, it finally hit me that the one who’ll be voicing the girl in front of me was none other than myself. I truly believe that I’ll be happy performing on stage together with her. At the same time, I also promised to become someone who will make people glad that I am the voice of Polka-chan. I’ll be sure to give Polka-chan and the series my all so that I can one day finally get to see what I saw today from the perspective of a performer on stage. It’d be nice if I could be part of creating a series that’ll be loved by lots of people.” I actually wrote a whole lot more than that (laughs). I sometimes write in my journal on days when a lot has happened, to gather my thoughts, so to speak. But during the actual concert, I found myself just having fun right until the announcement at the very end. I even did the calls (laughs). But the announcement had to be the most heart-stopping moment for me. I felt like I just had to hold on to something, so I borrowed (Endo) Rina-chan’s hand, since she was sitting right beside me (laughs).

Was there anything in particular that made you decide to audition for Ikizulive!?

Ayasaki: I’ve wanted to take part in a Love Live! audition so badly that I even told my manager, “Please let me know if there ever is an audition for Love Live!!” So not accepting the audition offer was never an option. Becoming a voice actress who can sing and dance has been a lifelong dream of mine, so I approached the auditions with the mindset that it’d bring me one step closer to my dreams. That’s why I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by when the offer finally came. I wanted to gain experience in the industry as quickly as I could, and it’s not every day that Love Live! holds an audition for a new series, right? Even if there’s an audition for the next series some years from now, would I even be able to take part in that one? I actually auditioned for a different character, so I was really surprised when I was told that I’d been selected to voice Polka-chan. I thought they were pulling my leg! (laughs)

What were some things that you highlighted about yourself during the audition process?

Ayasaki: I made sure the interviewers knew about all the things I love. That goes for singing and acting, and of course, that also included how much I love the Love Live! series. Oh, and even though I’m terrible at dancing, I gave it my all. Of course, I was really nervous and full of unease precisely because I love the series so much, but the moment the auditions actually started, I found myself just enjoying it all. I did the best I could as I enjoyed every moment of the auditions.

At this point in time, is there anything that you’d particularly like to work on?

Ayasaki: That’d be my dancing. I want to be able to do my steps perfectly. To be honest, I’m not very sporty, or rather, I’m not very good at moving around in general, so of course that affects my dancing as well. But Polka-chan is a girl who loves dancing so much that she breaks out into dance every time she’s happy. She probably has so much stamina that she’s always moving around. That’s why I’d like to work on my dancing in particular so that people in the audience watching me perform can really believe that they’re seeing Polka-chan perform on stage.

The project’s first single, What is my LIFE?, will be released soon, as well as a solo single for each character. Was there anything that stood out to you about the recording session?

Ayasaki: I think the recording went quite smoothly. They even let me do what I wanted to do. There’s a line in Asakusa Guilty Girl no Uta that goes “happi endo ni itashimasu” (I’ll make it a happy ending), and during the recording, we thought it’d be a good idea if I changed the way I sang that line to express how Polka-chan’s emotions are always in flux, so that’s what I did. Everyone reacted very positively to how I did that line, and that made me really happy. The other song in the single, Odorupolka, tells a story of how Polka-chan really enjoys everything that she’s doing, and I recorded the song with Polka-chan’s joy in my heart.

Are there any lyrics that you particularly like, or lines that you think suit Polka-chan particularly well?

Ayasaki: The line “ashiguse warukute gomennasai” (Sorry, I just can’t control my feet!) is just so Polka-chan. Also, I think the line “ame wa furu, nuretara onaji da” (It’s gonna rain, but once we’re wet, we’re all the same) summarizes the Ikizulive! project really well. It’s not a “I wish the rain would stop”, but a “who cares if it rains, if we’re all wet, we’re all the same!” That’s really Polka-like, since she’s such a positive girl. Even if she sometimes feels like it’s difficult to go on, I’m sure she’ll just break out of it by giving things a positive spin. That’s why I’m really glad I got to perform this song.

You’ll be participating in a release event for the first single in Ikebukuro, happening on July 18th, as well as a mini-live and meet-and-greet session on August 15th. Tell us how you feel about those upcoming events.

Ayasaki: It’s my first time doing something like this, so of course I’m nervous, but I’m also looking forward to being able to meet everyone in person! I just can’t wait to meet everyone, and the amount of excitement I’m feeling outweighs the nervousness. We’ve spent a lot of time practicing together, so we’ll put on the very best performance we can right now, and I hope you’ll enjoy it. I wouldn’t say that I’m 100% confident, but I’ll be sure to enjoy myself with the other members around me, so I hope everyone watching us feels the same way!

What are your hopes for the future, and are there any dreams that you’d like to fulfill through Ikizulive!?

Ayasaki: Personally, as a voice actress, I hope to appear in many different works. I also love singing, so it’d be nice if I could sing many different songs too. I mentioned this earlier, but I particularly enjoy Vocaloid songs, so one of my dreams is to have a Vocaloid perform a song that I composed and wrote the lyrics for. I hope I get to perform songs written by my favorite Vocaloid producers, too! As a part of Ikizulive!, I’ll do the very best I can, and I hope to grow as part of this amazing group of ten. I’ll do my utmost so that as many people as possible discover just how amazing this project is. One of my most important goals is to act in a way that makes people glad that I was chosen as the voice of Polka-chan.

Ayasaki Honon is from Kanagawa and was born on December 31. She has perfect pitch, can play the piano, and enjoys karaoke.

Q1: What’s a dish you’ve been hooked on recently? Japanese food and fruits!

Q2: What’s a moment that made you feel like you’re a genius recently? I got what I wanted from a crane game on my first try!

Q3: If you suddenly found yourself with a day off tomorrow, what would you do? Record some songs, play some games, watch some anime, or read some manga!

Q4: If you could bring just one thing to a deserted island, what would you bring? I’d want to bring someone who’s super knowledgeable about that sort of thing (laughs).

Q5: If you could become something other than a human for just one day, what would you like to become? A jellyfish.

Get your own digital copy of the Love Live! Days magazine featuring this interview and more!

Photography: Suzuki Kenta Interviewer: Machida Minami