#nonchan

As Love Live! Superstar!!’s third season approaches its climax, we interview Date Sayuri (voice of Shibuya Kanon), Suzuhara Nozomi (voice of Sakurakoji Kinako), and Yuina (voice of Wien Margarete) from the school idol group Liella! to learn more about their thoughts on the anime!

First up, tell us more about what you think of each other. What do the others mean to you, both from the perspective of the characters you’re voicing, as well as yourself? Let’s start with Yuina-san, the voice of Margarete.

Yuina (voice of Wien Margarete): I think Sayu (Date Sayuri) is basically (Shibuya) Kanon in the flesh. Kanon-chan has a unique aura about her no matter what she’s doing, and that’s the same for Sayu. It’s especially obvious when she’s performing on stage!

Suzuhara Nozomi (voice of Sakurakoji Kinako): Totally agree.

Yuina: She’s always smiling! No matter what she’s doing, and even when she’s not facing the audience, she always has a smile on her face. She puts her all into every movement she makes, and you can really tell how hard she’s trying to reach everyone in the audience with her singing. Like Margarete-chan, I’m not very good at conveying my thoughts, so just watching Sayu taught me everything I needed to know about that. There’s a sense of weight behind her each and every word, which makes what she says feel really impactful. And that’s not even mentioning the sheer passion behind her singing. I’ve said this over and over again, but her voice resonates really well. Her singing really does convey the full force of the emotions behind her voice. Listening to her sing has taught me a lot, and has made me want to do better myself countless times. As for “NonKina”—

Date Sayuri (voice of Shibuya Kanon): “NonKina”?

Suzuhara: Never heard that one before (laughs)…

Yuina: Yeah, that’s ‘cause it’s the first time I’ve ever called you that (laughs). Non (Suzuhara Nozomi) and (Sakurakoji) Kinako are also basically the same person. They’re so similar that I mix the two of them up sometimes. I’m sure that’s because Non always has Kinako-chan at the back of her mind. She’s constantly thinking about things like “What would Kinako-chan do in this situation?” or “Kinako-chan would definitely do this during times like these, so that’s what I’ll do.” I feel like she’s been dedicating her entire life to Kinako-chan.

Date: I guess “NonKina” was spot on, then!

Yuina: Yeah, it’s precisely because of how much she loves Love Live! Superstar!! that I think Non is the only person in the world who can voice Kinako-chan. Oh, I didn’t know about this when I first met her because I’m not part of the second-gen, but I heard that Non wasn’t too comfortable with talking to others… But I really couldn’t tell! She even sent me a message on LINE to say that she hopes to get along, so I really couldn’t believe that she wasn’t good at holding conversations when she first joined. After I joined Liella!, she even said things like “If there’s any part of the choreography that you’re unsure of, you can always ask me!” or “Let me know if you’re not sure of anything, and I’ll try my best to teach you!”

Sounds like she’s the perfect senior.

Suzuhara: Did I say that? Both our third-gen members are so dependable, so I don’t remember thinking too much about how I needed to act like a senior… 

Yuina: You definitely did! Being able to say things like that without thinking about it is another thing that makes you so similar to Kinako-chan! If what the other second-gen members said was true, that you weren’t very good at striking up conversations when you first joined, it just makes me feel even more sure of the fact that you’ve grown so much after joining Liella!. Even if you don’t think you’ve done anything significant, having the determination to change a part of yourself, and having the courage to step out of your comfort zone, has definitely given me courage as well. Seeing you gives me the motivation to work even harder to grow, and that’s why I think both of you are really reliable seniors!

Suzuhara: You never really talk about things like these, so that’s pretty nice to hear! So that’s what you thought about me… I’m so happy to hear that!

What about you, Suzuhara-san? What do you think about the other two?

Suzuhara: First up, Yuina is just such a good girl… Of course that goes for everyone else in Liella! too, but my first impression of her was that she’s really beautiful, so I thought she’d be more on the cool side. But she’s always so expressive, not to mention all the gestures she makes! The more I talk to her, the more I realize just how wonderful she is. Also, at first glance, you may think that Margarete-chan and Yuina don’t really have much in common, but they’re actually quite similar. In particular, they both share a passion for singing, not to mention how important music is to them. Oh, their cute sides too!

Yuina: Yay!

Suzuhara: Ahahaha. That’s the thing I like most about you. This goes for both Yuina and Sayu, but the more I get to know them, the more I love them. Sayu is the same age as me, so I’ve wanted to be good friends with her ever since we first met. I’ve been watching Sayu since Liella! was just the first-gen members, and I’ve liked her ever since, but what she means to me… I feel like I’ve thought about her so much that I’m not sure anymore!

Yuina: Is that a confession?!

Date: Ahahahahaha. That’s kinda overbearing… But thank you! (laughs)

Suzuhara: Yuina mentioned this just now as well, but the way she puts her thoughts into words makes what she says really impactful. And it’s not just her words, but her singing and performance on stage as well. Even though we’re about the same height, the sheer presence her dancing gives off is leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else, and that’s something I find really impressive. I find myself constantly observing her just to find out how she manages to pull that off. How cool she looks when she’s performing, that’s gotta be the biggest thing for me. That’s what I love the most.

Date: I’m so happy to hear that… I think my palms are starting to sweat.

Suzuhara: (Laughs). Oh, Kanon-chan is also really important to Kinako-chan. I already felt that during the anime’s second season, but when Kanon-chan was part of TomaKanoTe at the start of season three, Kinako-chan cried… Even after that episode, I felt like there were always moments where she was thinking about Kanon-chan. After all, Kanon-chan was the first senior she met after arriving in Tokyo, and she’s always been so kind to her, so Kanon-senpai definitely occupies a very important place in her heart. Of course she wants to catch up to her one day, but Kanon-chan is still a senior that she loves a lot. That’s pretty similar to what I think of Sayu.

What about you, Date-san?

Date: Yuina and Margarete used to be in the rival position before eventually joining Liella!, and I’ve watched their performances during rehearsals even before they joined. The first time I saw them rehearsing, I was really surprised. I really love the song Edelstein, and at the start of that song, she’s standing by while facing away from the audience, with her arms outstretched. Because we’re usually watching from behind during rehearsals, I could see her facial expressions clearly. The degree to which her facial expressions changed before the song started really shocked me. But when it was time for us to take a break, she became her usual beautiful self with her usual charm, and that perfect combination is what made all of us fall further in love with her with every passing day…

Yuina: Ahahahaha.

Date: The gap between her two sides really impressed me. Since she’s supposed to be a rival, she doesn’t exactly give off the best first impression, and you’d naturally treat her like the enemy, right? I’m sure there were quite a few people who misunderstood Margarete-chan, but Yuina’s performance caused a wave of silence to wash over the audience right from the start… Without rejecting what everyone thinks of her, her presence on stage was so powerful that it managed to silence everyone watching, which I thought was really cool. It is precisely because we got to see that that I’m really glad we get to see Yuina voicing a smiling Margarete-chan after she joined Liella!.

Suzuhara: Yuina’s always smiling, isn’t she?

Date: Yeah, like during our first release event with all eleven of us, she was always smiling no matter how busy our schedules got. Having someone who’s always smiling in the group really does create a warm and comforting atmosphere. Even though it must’ve been hard keeping up as a third-gen member, she still managed to constantly have a smile on her face, and that’s one thing I’m really grateful for. As for Nonchan…

Suzuhara-san appears to be staring very intently at Date-san.

Date: Ahahaha. She’s just so kind, so much so that the word “kind” doesn’t even begin to describe how kind she is. I think she’s very attuned to the pain others around her are feeling. Even though she tends to overthink things, and I’m sure there have been times when that has hurt her unnecessarily, she still has an indomitable spirit within her. As we’ve been performing as a group, there have definitely been some emotions that only Nonchan felt. It’s precisely that kindness that has saved me and helped me countless times. I have this baseless feeling that we’re somewhat similar, so every conversation I have with her lifts a weight off my chest. It’s because she’s so delicate that she always gives off a feeling of warmth, and that drives every part of her performance on stage and every single word she says as Kinako-chan. I love that about her from the bottom of my heart.

Yuina: Guess the feeling’s mutual, then!

Suzuhara: (laughs)

Yuina: You’re so happy that you can’t find the words to describe it?

Suzuhara: Yeah… I feel like I’m about to cry.

Date: Same here. It’s been a while since I last felt this way.

(Laughs). After all that, we finally got to see a performance by all eleven members of Liella! in episode nine. Was there anything you paid particular attention to when performing Let’s be ONE, which is also the opening theme of the anime?

Suzuhara: I really want to know what Margarete-chan thinks about this!

Yuina: It’s gonna be a long one (laughs). This is actually something I really like about her, but I think this episode really showcased Margarete-chan’s toughness and sharpness. She’s always true to herself and what she really thinks, so she never compromises on her beliefs, nor will she ever run away from a problem. She comes into conflict with others around her precisely because she faces every challenge head-on, or at least that’s what I think. But the other ten members of Liella! are just so kind that they’d never abandon her, no matter what Margarete-chan said. In particular, when Kanon-chan reached out to her saying that she understood how she felt, I wondered, “Does a high-schooler like that really exist?!” That’s just how kind Kanon-chan was, and I’m really glad she managed to meet such a wonderful group of people. But before the actual performance, she clashed with Kinako-chan and (Onitsuka) Natsumi-chan…

The scene where she said they weren’t up to scratch.

Yuina: Yeah. This is a really small thing, but Margarete-chan said “I think it’s better if I’m not the one deciding”. If this was season two of the anime, she’d definitely say something like “This is what I think”, or “That’s a complete no-go”. She wasn’t the type to mince words no matter what. However, after meeting Liella! and spending time with the others… I’m sure hearing what Kanon-chan said to (Tang) Keke-chan and watching the relationship between the Onitsuka sisters from the sidelines changed something within her. Saying, “I think it’s better if I’m not the one deciding” after going through all that is definitely a pivotal moment, or at the very least it’s an instant where you can tell that she’s really grown. But, it’s because she’s now a member of Liella! that she had the resolve to face the problem head-on and say what she needed to say, no matter how difficult it was for her. The atmosphere on the rooftop shifted right after she said those words, but seeing how Kinako-chan and Natsumi-chan reacted to what she said almost drove me to tears more than once. I’m sure there’s not a single person in the world who wouldn’t be hurt after hearing words like those from a junior, and even though there’s no way that they didn’t feel hurt by that, they suppressed those feelings and proactively asked Margarete-chan to teach them. That definitely isn’t something a normal person would be able to do, and I’m sure Margarete-chan decided to help them because she was so moved by their actions. I believe that at least some part of Margarete-chan wanted to be relied on, and hearing their request definitely made her happy. At first glance, that scene seemed to imply a crack forming between members of the group, and I’m sure some viewers thought that it was a pity that this had to happen even though the group just got together, but I personally think that this clash turned out to be a good thing for everyone, because that moment is what made the Let’s be ONE performance possible. It made me realize that compromising and treating everyone with kindness just because everyone’s a member of the same group, and trying to tie everything up with a neat little bow aren’t the only things holding a group together. It’s because they truly want to win, because they want to deal with any issues they face head-on, that they can state their honest opinions with each other. I feel like what Margarete-chan did required a lot of courage, and this episode surely marks a turning point for Liella!. Performing Let’s be ONE, a song about coming together right after that is really meaningful. It’s precisely this clash that bound the group so tightly together that they’ll never ever come apart, and I’m sure the song is also very important to Margarete-chan.

Suzuhara: I’m sure every single Liella! member knew just how much courage it took for them to say something like that. Also, don’t Kinako-chan and Margarete-chan go pretty well together? At least that’s what I think. This may come as a surprise, but Kinako-chan doesn’t stay down in the dumps for long. She always seems to recover pretty quickly, and perhaps that’s also because there wasn’t really anyone who would say anything too mean to her. Most people would start questioning themselves, with doubts like “What if she starts to hate me?” or “Maybe she wouldn’t take that too well…” taking over before they managed to put those thoughts into words, right? I’m sure Kinako-chan felt really happy that someone cared so much about her to overcome all that and put those thoughts into words, and I think that’s why she decided to take Margarete-chan’s words head-on. Liella! definitely managed to grow even more because of Margarete-chan’s actions, and this episode is also very important to me on a personal level. It was just something that they had to go through.

Date: This episode reminded me that they’re all still in high school, in both a good and a bad way. Once you grow older, you stop being able to blurt out everything that’s on your mind, and even if you do decide to do so, you’d try to soften the blow by holding back a little. But as a high-schooler, that way of thinking hasn’t really sunk in yet, so you could consider their ability to just say things straight as one of their strengths. Episode nine, Let’s be ONE, taught me that clashes like these can push everyone involved to even greater heights. Once you grow older, you tend to start avoiding conflict, but perhaps, just sometimes, speaking your mind might actually lead to a better outcome… Doing so might be intimidating, but perhaps taking that path could eventually lead to everyone shining brighter and having more genuine smiles on their faces. That’s what the girls taught me, and I’m glad I got to see them acting like the school idols they are.

The opening theme starts with the three of you, so I’m sure everyone watching will develop a new perspective of the song after watching episode nine. Aside from Let’s be ONE, could you also tell us about a song from the anime’s third season that you’re particularly fond of?

Yuina: There are so many, so I can’t really decide on just one… But coming from Margarete’s perspective, it’s gotta be Bubble Rise. I will never forget what she said after performing the song: “It’s been so long since I last had fun singing”. That phrase probably led to a huge change within her, and it’s this song that gave her the opportunity to feel that way. That’s why I really like this song, and it’s also very precious to me. I’ll definitely continue to perform with Margarete-chan’s feelings at the forefront of my mind from now on.

Suzuhara: For me, it’d be Fighting Call, the extra song on the episode three version of the CD. After Natsumi-chan talked to (Onitsuka) Tomari-chan about the past, the other second-year members showed Natsumi-chan her old notebook containing all her dreams. They performed for Tomari-chan after that, but we don’t actually know what song they performed. Personally, I think it was Fighting Call. There’s a line in the song that goes “As the rain lets up, a beam of sunlight shines through”, and the second-years seemed to be wearing a costume that was inspired by that very theme. The song would probably have resonated a lot with the second-years, including Natsumi-chan, so this does seem to be a song that they would’ve performed for Tomari-chan. Just thinking about that makes me emotional.

Date: This is also a song that didn’t actually appear in the anime, but I’d go with Itsumo no Peace Sign (Our Usual Peace Sign). A peace sign, it’s gotta be that, right? That was the only thing on my mind during the recording…

Could you be referring to the ending of the second episode of season two, with the six of them at Yoyogi Park?

Date: I’d prefer to leave this up to everyone’s interpretations, but… (laughs). Though if we’re coming from Kanon-chan’s perspective, I get the feeling that she performed this song with Liella!... or rather, Chii-chan (Arashi Chisato) at the forefront of her mind. That’s why I remember Chii-chan being in my head the entire time during the recording. Kanon was supposed to go abroad to study in Vienna at the end of season two, and even though that got postponed and she didn’t actually end up going, what if she actually did…? Could this song be describing what Kanon and Chii-chan would’ve felt before Kanon came back to Yuigaoka? Or at least that’s my interpretation of it.

There’s even a line that goes “Think of me if you ever feel down”.

Date: Yeah, that! The anime’s songs up until now give off an image of everyone being together, like Let’s be ONE, with all eleven members becoming one and holding hands, but in this song, they’re letting go and leaving each other all of a sudden… I’m really glad that we get to explore these types of emotions in the extra songs, and I remember excitedly talking to Misaki Nako, the voice of Chii-chan, about the lyrics when I first read them. That’s how deeply I treasure this song.

The anime’s third season is approaching its climax soon. Before we end this interview, tell us what you think we should be looking out for.

Yuina: I’m already wishing that the anime would never end… But one thing to look out for is definitely how each year group views the other year groups, and how that develops over time. Since I voice Margarete-chan, I believe I know best how she feels, so I’m sure spending time with her seniors has changed the way she views them a lot. I’m sure that’ll become even more prominent in the final three episodes, so I’d be glad if you looked out for not just each year group individually, but also their relationships with one another. Oh, and even though the anime may be coming to the end, Liella! will definitely continue, so that’s also something I hope to convey.

At the end of episode nine, we learned the title of episode ten for the first time, “Sakurakoji Kinako”.

Suzuhara: That really surprised me too! (laughs). I hope you look forward to it! The anime’s story is coming to a close, so it might start getting a little sad and wistful, but I sincerely hope that everyone continues watching to the very end to see how brave everyone has become. I hope to continue walking alongside everyone in Liella! from now on as well!

Date: The fact that school idols have a strict time limit, just three years in high school, is something that really draws me in. If you take that perspective while watching the journey the girls undertook, and think about what you did before entering high school or the things that you’ve encountered in life… I’m sure there will be a lot of people who can relate to what they feel. Also, I hope that you pay attention to all the little details, things like why someone had that particular expression on her face during one particular scene, or why a scene was set in a particular location. There are definitely parts of the anime that you won’t be able to fully grasp by watching it just once, so rather than jumping to a definite conclusion from the start, I think it’d be interesting if you watched the show while considering all the different possibilities. All in all, I’d be glad if you paid close attention to not just everyone’s expressions, actions, and the words they say, but also to the songs’ lyrics, and even the background scenery! I hope you enjoy the final episodes!

Interviewer / Writer: Nagahori Atsuo

Photography: Nozaki Satoshi

Translator: xIceArcher