#nagichan

[frozenmikan]

Liella! Cross Talk 03 - Date Sayuri, Aoyama Nagisa, Suzuhara Nozomi

Check out the original interview in the LoveLive! Days Liella Special, available for purchase on Amazon JP here.

An interview with the voices of Shibuya Kanon, Hazuki Ren, and Sakurakoji Kinako. We asked them about how they feel now after starting from the open auditions and overcoming the same hurdles together.

Interview by Okada Moeka

I feel like Kanon-chan grew so much throughout the second season that I’m being left further and further behind

It’s been half a year since Liella! became nine. Has the group’s atmosphere changed since then?

Aoyama: I think we’ve settled down a little compared to when we first started out as nine. Now that we know what everyone else is like and what kind of people they are on the inside, we’ve managed to figure out the appropriate distance between us.

Date: We really were trying too hard back then, weren’t we? (laughs) Feels like we’ve settled down and are now much more comfortable with one another.

Suzuhara: Like, the first-generation members have always just been a group of people on the other side of a screen, so… Now that we’ve gone for meals together, I find that I can be quite frank when talking to them.

Date: I’m actually quite shy, so I’m not very good at initiating conversations. I decided that I might as well just be myself from the very start if putting up an act wasn’t going to work anyway, so I just treated everyone like I would have when we only had five members.

Aoyama: I’m also not very good at starting conversations, so I kinda get that (laughs).

When was the first time that it truly hit you that Liella! now has nine members?

Aoyama: When I watched the archive for our release event.

Date: !! (Nods with eyes wide open)

Aoyama: What’s with that reaction? (laughs) Now that we have more members, it’s not so easy to grasp what everyone’s facial expressions are like during dance rehearsals, unlike before. Of course, we do have recordings of the rehearsals, but you can’t really see everyone’s expressions clearly from that alone. So, when I first watched the recording of the event… That was when I felt like we could reach even greater heights together as nine.

Date: Yeah! I felt the same way right after the event. During the rehearsals, I usually focus only on what I was doing, not to mention the fact that we were wearing masks. So hearing our fans’ comments and watching the archive after the event was when it first hit me. It was also the first time I felt truly grateful that we had become nine.

Suzuhara: I watched Liella! perform as five for quite some time, so for me, a Liella! with nine members just didn’t feel right, probably even more so than the first-generation members. Watching the archive of our release event finally made me think, “Maybe I can call myself a part of Liella! after all…” more often. 

It sounds like you’re still in the process of discovering what it means for you to be part of Liella!.

Suzuhara: I spent a lot of time thinking about that, but there’s a part of me that’s still chasing after the five-member Liella!. A Liella! with nine-members is still Liella!, of course, but there are times when I think that they’re just not the same. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, though, so I’ll continue chasing after them!

This question is for the two first-generation members: is there anything that’s different about performing on stage with nine members instead of five?

Aoyama: It’s amazing just how much more reassuring it is to perform when there are more of us on stage. When performing as five, sometimes it shows on my face that I’m thinking about what my next line is, but now I feel like I can put on a more natural expression when performing.

Date: She’s right. You’re also really close to the person next to you! Our second release event was held in the same venue as our first event, Hajimari wa Minna no Sora, but the stage felt much smaller than before. Of course, part of it was because the seats were now filled with all our fans, but it felt like the stage had become more colorful than before. It really has gotten livelier, hasn’t it?

Suzuhara: We’ve all been strung along by Ookuma Wakana’s passion.

Date: Passion? (laughs)

Suzuhara: She can make very big movements with her head. I’ve always wondered how she manages to do that, and I even asked her that very question today during practice. Looking at her makes you realize how much fun it is to perform on stage, and seeing that in turn has made me want to make even bigger movements when I’m dancing, to use as much of the stage as possible and to make everyone enjoy themselves as much as possible. I’m sure Wakana’s dancing has infected the rest of the group, and Liella!’s dance moves now have much larger movements thanks to her… (voice getting softer with time)

Date/Aoyama: What’s wrong?! (laughs)

Aoyama: I totally get you! (laughs) Actually, I think it’s precisely because Kumachan dances so dynamically as Shiki-chan that her dancing shows off something different from just Shiki-chan’s dancing. She made me start thinking more about how I can incorporate her strengths and look even more like Ren-chan when I’m performing on stage.

Date: Kanon-chan doesn’t really have that much of a link to dancing story-wise, I guess. Now that we’ve become nine, I’ve spent more time thinking about how Kanon-chan would dance, more than I used to for our 1st Live Tour and 2nd Live. That’s one of the things I’m chasing after at the moment. Up until now, I’ve pushed through by just trying my best to have as much fun as possible, but now that she’s in her second year and trying to win Love Live!, I’m sure she has thought about how she should perform to achieve that goal, so I’m trying to figure that part out by re-watching parts of the anime.

How was your first time performing on stage, Suzuhara-san?

Suzuhara: I had loads of fun! I couldn’t picture in my head what it’d be like to actually perform on stage during the rehearsals. I did appear on stage for the fan meetings, but that experience wasn’t linked to actually performing live. I now know that performing live is really, really fun! I found myself naturally smiling when dancing, and I’m so overjoyed at being able to stand on stage as Kinako-chan that I find myself fully enjoying myself. I’ve always loved singing and dancing, so finally being able to do that, finally being able to show everyone that made me really happy as well.

That was when I felt like we could reach even greater heights together as nine

This may be a sudden question, but is there anything about the others here in the interview today that you particularly admire or would like to be able to do too?

Suzuhara: I’ll go first! I really admire Sayuchan’s loud voice—

Date: Loud voice?!

Suzuhara: I’ll talk about some other things later! (panicking) When we’re in a circle, or when push comes to shove, the way her voice resonates through the room is just so cool, which is something I really look up to. That, and her communication skills are top notch! Though I’m pretty sure she’d argue otherwise.

Date: That’s the thing I’m the worst at!

Suzuhara: She’s really easy to talk to, and talking to her is always so enjoyable, so I really like that about her. Her singing and dancing is amazing too, so I really look up to that part of her as well! As for Nagichan, she can do anything.

Aoyama: No way.

Suzuhara: I wanna do a segment where we try to find out just what it is she can’t do.

Date: I wanna join in too!

Aoyama: No, please~

Suzuhara: Oh, and she’s also really good at sports, which I really envy. I’m terrible at sports, so… She really can do anything. In fact, what is it that you can’t do?

Aoyama: There’s a whole lot I can’t do! I can’t speak Chinese or Spanish, for example.

Suzuhara: And that just makes you even more amazing! …That’s all.

Date: (Laughs) Guess I’ll go next. I feel like Nagichan knows herself really well. I’ve learned so many things from just talking to her. She speaks from her own experiences and gives really good advice on what I should do in every situation, and that has helped me out countless times. The other day, she recommended that I eat some meat—

Meat? You mean protein?

Date: Yeah! She says it a lot, things like, “You gotta make sure you get enough protein!” I’ve started incorporating more protein into my diet thanks to her, and I feel a little more cheerful than I used to be. So I have her to thank for that.

Aoyama: That’s such an interesting thing to talk about! (laughs)

Date: And, as for Nonchan—

Suzuhara: You don’t need to force yourself, just skip me… (softly)

Date: Now that we have nine members, our group definitely has more prominent personalities than before. When I first started out, I used to compare myself a lot to the others around me. Things like wondering why I couldn’t do something even though someone else could do it without any trouble. But Nonchan is different. She has a very strong sense of self, and seems to work towards improving herself step by step without ever comparing herself to someone else. Am I making any sense?

Aoyama: Totally get you!

Date: Oh, and because she doesn’t really say much about what she’s thinking, she has this cool, mysterious aura about her. Being able to use what she observes in others and converting it into something of her own is quite an amazing quality, and something I’d like to be able to do as well.

Suzuhara: (While slowly shaking her head, in a soft voice) Thank you……

Aoyama: I guess I’m up last. For Sayurin, it’s gotta be her smile. I’m sure her fans already know what I mean. She’s just so cute when she has this huge smile on her face! Her very presence brightens up the atmosphere in the room, so she’s definitely a natural idol. Every word she says to her fellow members is also filled with kindness, and she can always find just the right words to say. She’s a kind soul that brings with her a soothing atmosphere no matter where she goes.

Date: I’m gonna cry…… Thank you so much!

Aoyama: That really is something that’s unique to Sayurin. Nonchan, on the other hand, is a really strong person on the inside, though she doesn’t show it often. At first, I had no idea what she was thinking. But, now that I’ve spent more time with her, I’ve realized that she has a really strong sense of self. Now that we’re close enough to be frank with each other, I’m really glad that she speaks her mind to me. She’s even more diligent than everyone thinks, so I do hope she can relax just a little. Don’t push yourself too hard!

Suzuhara: Really~? But am I really pushing myself too hard? I find myself tensing up quite often, so I want to learn to relax like Nagichan does.

Going back to the original topic, did anything in particular stand out about the release event?

Aoyama: Our previous release events didn’t have an audience, so being able to perform directly in front of an audience made me really happy. We performed Watashi no Symphony in the audience seats during our first release event, so when the second-generation members were performing the first verse, I had flashbacks to when I sang the same lines standing to the right of the audience seats.

Date: We all performed Watashi no Symphony together, but I’m sure it resonated so strongly this time precisely because the second-generation members were performing it. It made me realize just how much the mood of a song is affected by the people singing it. I’m really glad we got to hear a version of it with the second-generation members.

Suzuhara: I was watching as a member of the audience when the first-generation members performed the song during their first release event, so that came to mind. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect myself to be standing on stage singing the same phrase I saw Sayuchan sing from where I was sitting in one of the audience seats in a corner. I’ve always thought, “If that was me performing, there’s no way I’d be able to sing that phrase,” so I was really surprised when I found out that I was assigned those starting lines. I practiced that part again and again, but I was still very nervous… How are you even supposed to sing those lines?

Date: Huh? But the release event is already over! (laughs)

Aoyama: You did great!

Suzuhara: Even though I spent so much time practicing, I felt like my mind would be completely blank when I actually got on stage. But being able to sing those lines was, to me, a really big accomplishment and my success story for this release event.

Date: There wasn’t an audience when I sang it, so you’re really amazing, Nonchan!

Suzuhara: It’s a precious song for the first-generation members, and also a very emotional song for the second-generation members and all the fans, so I was really, really nervous…!

The theme printed on the teaser visual for the anime’s second season was “Chasing after them, surpassing them.” How did you interpret this theme?

Date: In the teaser illustration, the second-generation members were chasing after the first-generation members, so that’s how I interpreted it. The second season of the anime really gave off the feeling of “Liella! is nine,” so I’m now convinced that it also has something to do with striving to become a better version of yourself, as well as the relationship between the cast members.

Suzuhara: The second-generation members took on this challenge with a similar mindset (laughs). But, hearing Sing! Shine! Smile! made me wonder if it’s the entire school that’s chasing after and surpassing something together, as a whole.

Aoyama: I too interpreted it as being broader than just referring to the second-generation members. I think the second season is a story of Liella! achieving something together as a whole. I guess you could even extend that to the entirety of Yuigaoka moving forward together.

I’m so overjoyed at being able to stand on stage as Kinako-chan that I find myself fully enjoying myself

I believe you’re all now in the midst of rehearsing for your 3rd Live Tour. Suzuhara-san, is there one goal or target in particular that you’d like to achieve during this tour?

Suzuhara: There are too many to count. I really love singing and dancing, but on the technical side of things, I still have a long way to go. I want to improve as much as I can given the time we have to prepare. We’ll be performing quite a few songs with pretty difficult choreographies for our 3rd Live Tour, not to mention Go!! Restart, in which only Kinako-chan performs with all the first-generation members… I’ll do my best during practice so I can get through it with a smile on my face!

We actually asked the first-generation members this same question in the Liella! special.

Date: I mentioned how I couldn’t do the Starlight Prologue twirl, didn’t I? (laughs) I didn’t manage to do it in the end either, but I think the most important thing was not panicking. I performed that twirl with all kinds of negative thoughts in my head, like how I’m wasting everyone’s time, or why I couldn’t do something as simple as this… But I realized that just enjoying myself and not thinking about anything negative while performing usually went better.

Aoyama: I think I talked about not being sure whether my facial expressions looked natural. But, seeing with my own eyes how everyone was supporting us naturally put a smile on my face, so I can now stand on stage without worrying about that. Now, my goal is to perform in such a way that even if all of us were performing with the exact same hairstyles and costumes, anyone watching would be able to tell at a glance that I’m Ren-chan. Of course, dancing dynamically or very energetically is bound to attract attention, but I don’t think that’s how Ren-chan would dance.

Suzuhara: When watching our dance recordings, it’s always so easy to pick out Ren-chan! So you are paying particular attention to that! 

Aoyama: Thank you!

Suzuhara: I actually think I’m too similar to Kinako-chan… When I first saw the script for the anime’s second season, her actions and words made me think, “...are they writing about me?” There are times when I can’t tell where the border between the two of us lies. Which emotions actually belong to me, and which are Kinako-chan’s?

Date: The two of you really are alike.

Aoyama: That’s amazing. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing?

Date: Whether or not I look like Kanon-chan… That’s something I’m working on too, actually. I feel like Kanon-chan grew so much throughout the second season that I’m being left further and further behind. Up until now, just having fun took every ounce of my effort, so I too am trying to find out how I should be moving to look more like Kanon-chan, and how to get closer to that.

Last but not least, a message for the fans!

Suzuhara: Our 3rd Live Tour will be the second-generation members’ first live tour, not to mention our first live tour after we became nine. Right now, I’m more nervous than anything else, but I’ll do my best to enjoy myself so much that I forget all about my nerves! I hope I can show how much I’ve grown since the release event, and put on a performance that stays in everyone’s minds as an amazing one even after it ends. I hope to see you there!

Aoyama: It’s our first time going on a live tour with all nine of us, so I hope to be able to say wholeheartedly that I really enjoyed myself. We’ll push each other to even greater heights and I’ll do my best to put on a performance even better than our release event!

Date: After our 1st Live Tour, the way I think about things changed completely. I’m sure our 3rd Live Tour will also become the starting point for some sort of change, so I’m looking forward to it. As the nine of us go around the country, I’m sure we’ll experience both fun and painful things, but I hope to not let the negative emotions overwhelm us and complete the tour while keeping the importance of having fun ourselves at the forefront of our minds. Yuina-san is coming along with us as well, so let’s get through this together!

Translator: xIceArcher Quality Check: Yujacha (@yujachachacha)

[nanisorezura]

Fun side by sides of both Leilla! albums where there were two separate album covers: one with the animated characters and one featuring the seiyuu’s.

[utenasatou]

... And a super popular Yokochan among the Team 8 members at her seitansai 😆

[mono-blogs-art]

LMAO they're doing a stageplay adaption of the "Kageki Shoujo" anime that aired a while ago, and they cast Sato Hinata and Takahashi Karin (Junna and Sakura, respectively) from Revue Starlight in it. So fucking based lmao

[ashitomarisu]

Neutral - KALEIDOSCORE

(Nagisa Aoyama)

[mihotose]

this event is awesome

[yumeblue]

nagichan ^_^

[ansutamusic]

THE NAGICHAN SLAY?!??!

[thevisitors48]

Nagi-chan~

[frozenmikan]

Aoyama Nagisa's Life Until She Became a Voice Actress for Love Live! Superstar!!

Header image provided by Young Jump Weekly. Photography: Sato Yuichi

In her first ever essay, Aoyama Nagisa, a voice actress from the Love Live! Superstar!! franchise, details the path she has taken to get to where she currently is from the very beginning.

A photo from a ballet recital during early elementary school. Taking a closer look, you can see that my front teeth are missing since I was in the midst of growing adult teeth.

Aoyama Nagisa, known for her role as Hazuki Ren in Love Live! Superstar!!, is a voice actress with many young fans. Besides working as a voice actress, her work ranges from serving as the “Imadoki Girl” on the TV program Mesazhi Television to appearing in magazine gravure photoshoots with the tagline “Voice Actress Most Wanted as a Girlfriend”.

Even as she devoted most of her early years to ballet, she joined a band in middle school in blatant defiance of her teacher’s wishes. Today, we bring you an autobiographical essay detailing her unexpected route to becoming a voice actress for the Love Live! franchise.

A mother sends her daughter to ballet class upon seeing her dance to Love Machine

When people meet me for the first time, there’s a high probability that they’ll compliment me for my good posture. I spent thirteen years learning classical ballet, so it actually feels more natural for me to be sitting perfectly upright. In fact, it’s to the point where people constantly tell me to relax, that I don’t have to be so tense when talking to them.

Now that I think about it, I remember my teachers saying something like “There’s no need to be so nervous” almost every single time I attended a parent-teacher meeting. I wasn’t actually nervous at all, so I got accustomed to responding with, “This is just how I naturally sit”. It’s been eight years since I quit ballet in my first year of high school, so I’m really glad that I’m still being complimented for my posture.

I started ballet because of my mother. When I was two, she saw me singing and dancing to the rhythm of Love Machine by Morning Musume on the living room table. Apparently, that’s when it struck her that I might have a talent for dancing.

Apparently, she played music from all kinds of different genres to find out whether I had a good sense of rhythm and a natural affinity for dancing. When I learned about this incident, I could not help myself from thinking that parents can be quite scary… By the way, I have an older brother, but he’s terrible at dancing, so he didn’t pass my mother’s dance audition.

My mother also started dancing from a young age, though it was something other than ballet. But, she thought nothing could beat the expressiveness of an experienced ballet dancer, so she decided she’d make her daughter learn ballet if she gave birth to one.

Thankfully, I was the kind of girl to break out into song and dance every time I heard music playing, so I attended ballet school according to my mother’s wishes. The expressiveness I developed from my years of ballet still helps me in my work to this day, so I have nothing but gratitude towards her for introducing me to ballet.

In both elementary and middle school, I had to attend ballet classes right after class. The ballet school I attended was very strict, and some girls broke into tears while practicing. Obviously, we barely ever got praised for our performance there. Because of that, even now, I’m still not accustomed to receiving praise or hearing words that make me happy, so I tend to react rather unnaturally when it does happen.

A photo from my school's cultural festival during my third year of high school, in my club outfit together with my friends.

A transition from ballet to volleyball, which she hated

Because I grew up thinking that being in a tough environment was a given, I joined the girls volleyball club in high school, which was famous for being the toughest club there.

I knew several upperclassmen who ended up at the same high school, and when I told them that I’d be joining the volleyball club, every single one of them told me to reconsider. Not a single one of them told me it was a good idea, and that actually made me all the more curious to find out what kind of club it was.

I wanted to join the volleyball club precisely because I hated the sport! Receiving made my arms hurt and would sometimes even give me scabs, and volleyball was the one sport that I felt like I was bad at during gym classes, so I wanted to overcome that. I myself have no idea what I was thinking. Not even now.

That incomprehensible line of reasoning gave me the idea of joining the volleyball club, but there was actually another incident that cemented my decision.

On the day of my high school entrance exams, just as I was nervously walking towards the examination venue, a current student called out to me and asked, “Are you okay? Just nervous? Don’t worry, you’ll be fine!” It was as if a kind goddess had just spoken to me, which immediately filled my heart with warmth.

It turned out she was an upperclassman from the girls volleyball club, and she had been tasked with guiding candidates to their examination venues. The way she handled the situation was so incredible that it made me decide to join the volleyball club so I could become just like her.

Besides just playing volleyball, the girls volleyball club at my school was a club that expected its members to not fall behind on their studies while also proactively taking part in the school’s activities, such as organizing tours for potential students and patrolling the school during our cultural festivals. That was precisely why all of my upperclassmen told me without hesitation to quit the volleyball club if I wanted to enjoy my life in high school.

As I expected, it was really tough and there were indeed people who quit, but I felt like a tough environment like that actually suited me better.

Having loved singing from a young age, I went for karaoke sessions with my family.

Joining a band to spite her middle school teacher?!

This happened a little earlier, but during the new year break in my first year of middle school, I heard the song Kimishidai Ressha by ONE OK ROCK for the first time. That song got me completely hooked on rock music, and I joined my school’s rock band club as a guitarist and sub-vocalist.

I was still doing classical ballet at that time. Just imagine it. A middle-school girl in her school uniform, a guitar case on her back, and her hair up in a bun for ballet. Quite the sight, isn’t it?

I was also right in the midst of my rebellious phase back then. I was trying to recall what made me decide to join a band, and I happened to hear something interesting from one of my relatives. Apparently, I had even written about it in my graduation essay.

The middle school I went to was rather strict and strongly emphasized traditional values. I had a teacher there who didn’t have a good impression of band activities.

At that time, I was also the class president, so this teacher of mine constantly mentioned their high hopes for me and praised me for being an upstanding student. I started wondering why I was the only one being told that despite everyone else also doing their best. That incident made me feel very strongly about how my teachers really ought to treat every student fairly.

Of course, I was glad that they had high hopes for me, but as someone who has had a strong sense of justice ever since I was a child, I could never ignore what I perceived as injustice.

The very teacher who had high hopes for me mentioned something about how they thought a rock band wasn’t appropriate for the school’s image, which made me decide to join the band just to spite them. I decided that it was my duty to change their impression of the club, to show them that there was nothing wrong with it.

I even wrote about the incident in my graduation essay. Reading it now, it was so edgy that it’s actually quite funny. I’m really surprised that it got approved.

Although I do think it’s a good trait, every once in a while, my strong sense of justice would bring me into conflict with the people around me. For example, I never tolerated bullying, no matter the reason.

When I was in middle school, I became the target of a group of bullies after defending a friend from their bullying. Because of that, there was a period of time when I was so frustrated with the situation that I just curled up in bed crying, not wanting to go to school. But, because I knew full well that breaking into tears at school or in turn saying bad things about them was precisely what the bullies wanted me to do, I pretended to be fine no matter what they said to me.

Me when I was a child, feeling happy after eating ramen.

An unforgettable phrase from a friend that quit school because of bullying

Perhaps because my bullies got bored of me not reacting at all no matter what they said, they eventually stopped. Most of my classmates just pretended not to notice the situation, for fear of becoming their next target.

I can put up with it when people are giving me a hard time, but the one thing I cannot stay quiet about is when someone else is being given a hard time. When I see someone in need of help, I would confront the group of bullies alone, telling them to knock it off.

Around that time, a friend of mine, who always said “I’m fine” with a smile no matter how much she got bullied and how many unreasonable things happened to her at school, decided to quit suddenly. She told everyone around her that she was quitting because of something that was completely unrelated, but every once in a while, the sadness at not being able to do anything for her still gnaws at me.

What was on her mind when she said “thank you” to me, when I last met her? I will never forget the times when she forced a smile onto her face as she talked to me.

To write this essay, I asked my mother for stories from when I was younger. Apparently, a similar thing also happened in elementary school. I had a friend with a disability, which got them into conflict with my classmates quite often. Let’s just say that my other classmates did not take very kindly to them.

I don’t remember what I did back then, but apparently, my homeroom teacher told my mother something like “I’m very grateful to Nagisa-chan, who’s always on their side.”

Besides that, when I saw my grandfather blow up at my brother for not finishing his homework quickly enough, I went up to my grandfather and started hitting him, saying, “Don’t bully my older brother!” I was three at that time. By the way, I was the only person in the family ever to hit my grandfather like that. At that time, my grandfather was what you would call the supreme head of the family, so even all my relatives were speechless. They were like, “What on earth is this kid doing?”

Apparently, seeing what I did also emboldened my mother. “If even a three-year-old kid thought the situation didn’t make sense, I have to do something too. I need to get it together.”

Because of my personality, I’ve definitely had to spend a lot more effort than necessary to maintain my interpersonal relationships. But, because of my personality, I also naturally became surrounded only by people with kind hearts. I will forever pray for nothing but happiness for the people who truly care for me.

Image provided by Young Jump Weekly. Photography: Kuriyama Shusaku

Header image provided by Young Jump Weekly. Photography: Sato Yuichi

This is an essay penned by Aoyama Nagisa, best known for voicing Hazuki Ren from Love Live! Superstar!!. In the first half of her essay, she talked about spending most of her childhood learning ballet, and how she fought against bullying when she was a student. In this second half, she talks about the setback she faced after enrolling at a university with the goal of resolving problems in conflict zones, her beauty pageant days, and how she became a voice actress for the Love Live! franchise.

A selfie from when I was in university.

A privileged child’s encounter with reports of war

I was given the opportunity to attend classes for the things I liked from a young age, and was brought to visit any place I wanted to visit, so I am well aware that I grew up in a privileged environment.

Due to my father’s influence, I developed a habit of watching the news on NHK almost every day, ever since I was in elementary school. News about conflicts would particularly hurt me. I constantly thought about the people who were born into war, people who knew nothing but war. How would they live after the war eventually ended?

Watching news stories and documentaries about children who lost their parents and, because they are left without anyone to support them, fall into a life of crime made me wonder whether there was anything I could do for them. In middle school, I started thinking about working in a job that would help protect the human rights of the people in active conflict zones.

I then found out that the place to learn about the field was the Faculty of Policy Studies at Chuo University, so, in my third year of middle school, I decided that I’d work towards enrolling in Chuo University.

When I was in high school, I had the chance to read the book Disarmament is My Job by Seya Rumiko, which left a strong impact on me. The book made me realize that peace wasn’t a natural consequence of the end of the conflict and that the sadness and hatred of the people involuntarily involved in the conflict do not just vanish without a trace once the conflict ends. Collecting weapons from the populace to prevent a conflict from happening again, giving vocational training to former soldiers who knew only how to fight, and teaching them how to live, was a process known as “disarmament”.

I became convinced that this was what I wanted to do in life, so I started to research what I needed to learn in university to achieve my goal.

I found out about a political scientist, Prof. Mekata Motoko, who conducted lectures on international cooperation at the Faculty of Policy Studies at Chuo University. I came to the conclusion that if I managed to enter Chuo University, I’d definitely take her classes because it would lead me towards my goal. Before enrolling at Chuo University, I attended trial seminars conducted by Prof. Mekata, and the thought of joining her research group after enrolling and spreading my wings overseas filled my heart with anticipation.

After I managed to successfully enroll in the Department of Cross-Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Policy Studies, I immediately started searching for an upperclassman in Prof. Mekata’s research group to find out what I should do to join her research group. I went to see my upperclassman, eyes sparkling with anticipation for taking the first step towards my new life, with a face full of hope and a spring in my step. But, that was when I was told the shocking truth.

“Oh, apparently Prof. is going overseas next year, so her classes won’t be offered.”

What…? Indeed, that was the bell signaling the end of my life.

Me performing The Last Night of the World in the musical Miss Saigon during a university festival.

What kind of expression does one have on their face upon realizing that their hopes and dreams have shattered into pieces?

Students could join Prof. Mekata’s research group starting from their second year in university. But, just when I was supposed to start my second year, she’d be going overseas.

I was devastated. My future was pitch black. I enrolled at Chuo University because I wanted to join Prof. Mekata’s research group, but she wouldn’t be here?! You might wonder if something like that could really happen to a person, but it really happened to me. I had prepared myself to study hard in university and immediately head overseas to contribute to the field of vocational training after graduating, but my dreams were shattered the moment I stepped foot into university.

Now, what was I to do?

Though I wasn’t completely sure, I had heard that she’d only be away for a year. Some of my coursemates already mentioned that if Prof. Mekata would be returning after a year, they’d take a leave of absence for a year just so they could join her research group. What should I do? Taking a leave of absence… That would work… Right? But that’d trouble my parents. I decided to give up thinking about the research group. The moment my dreams vanished before my eyes was not one of sadness or disappointment, but one of determination.

Because of that single event, the direction of my life changed completely. I wanted to find something that I could completely immerse myself in during my days at university, so I decided to join the musical and acapella clubs without too much thought. I got into musicals after performing in The Sound of Music at the cultural festival during my last year in high school. That got me completely hooked, and during university, I’d sometimes watch a musical every week.

Also, when I was in high school, I frequently looked forward to singing, harmonizing, and playing the guitar together with my friends on the school roof. That made me think that the acapella club would be a good fit for me, and I decided to join.

I found that I enjoyed myself and derived a greater sense of satisfaction the more I improved in both activities. So, I practiced almost every day. I soon got accustomed to that pace of life and started wanting to aim even higher. However, in every club, there’s usually quite a distinct split between those who took club activities seriously and those who prioritized having fun. I was in the former group.

I knew that I couldn’t force anyone to come along with me given that it wasn’t their job to participate in club activities. So, to make it to the environment I desired to be in, I knew I had to take myself to an even higher level. That was when I decided to aim to become a professional.

Me wearing a wedding dress for the prize-giving ceremony of the beauty pageant I took part in.

Throwing the envelope containing job fair pamphlets her mother prepared at the door

When I was still learning ballet, I made it through the auditions for the well-known Tanimomoko Ballet Company and had the chance to perform at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan.

It was my first time in such a large venue, with lights so bright that I could barely keep my eyes open, music performed by a live orchestra, and cheers and applause louder than I could ever imagine. That moment left such a strong impression on me that I still remember it vividly, even now. I could never forget how amazing the view from the stage looked, and I’m sure some part deep within me longed to return to the grandeur of the stage.

With my future path set, I decided to challenge myself to take part in a beauty pageant near the end of my second year of university. There’s a stereotype that beauty pageant participants all want to become news announcers, but I constantly emphasized my desire to become someone who sang and danced on stage for a living instead.

During the beauty pageant, I conducted livestreams at seven in the morning every single day of the week and put all my effort into maintaining my social media presence. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I spent all twenty-four hours of my days on it. In the end, I was crowned the runner-up. I didn’t manage to win the beauty pageant, but I was sure that the experience I gained there would definitely be useful for my future activities.

I knew that the path leading towards my goal would be full of challenges, but I continued doing my best even after the beauty pageant ended. Because I was treading on an uncertain path while all my friends were in the midst of job-hunting, my parents constantly fretted about my future.

One day, I found an envelope containing information about a job fair on the living room table when I got home. I thought that was of no use to me, so I threw it out without even taking a look. A few days later, my mother once again tried to offer me brochures for a different job fair, but I told her I didn’t need them, not even bothering to read them.

A few days after that, I found another similar envelope on my desk. When I saw that, I threw it at my door, saying, “I don’t need this!”. Why aren’t you supporting me, even though I’m taking this so seriously? Aren’t you supposed to be the ones who know that the best?

I was so frustrated that I broke into tears. I knew full well that my parents were just concerned and completely understood that they were suggesting that I take a different path because they didn’t want me to lead a difficult life. Even so, I didn’t want to give up and continued with my singing and dancing lessons with the determination to take hold of my dreams.

Messages I received from my relatives during the last day of Liella!'s first live tour. Next to me is my cousin, who is a huge Love Live! fan.

The first-ever Love Live! open auditions

Around that time, I received a message from my cousin that read, “Love Live! is having an open audition! Wanna go for it?”. My cousin is a big Love Live! fan, and thanks to her telling me things like, “Go watch the anime!”, “This song is super good so go listen!”, and “Yazawa-senpai is the best!!” I too became a Love Live! fan. A role in the Love Live! series would have everything I wanted to do: singing, dancing, and acting.

When I found out that Love Live! was holding its first-ever open audition, I immediately decided to apply. After making it through the many rounds, which included singing, dancing, acting, and self-introduction rounds, I somehow managed to make it through!

As the judges for the audition evaluated everything that I’d been through up till that point in time, I was almost crushed by uneasiness. But, I also found myself thankful that I managed to give everything I had. That was also the first time I fully acknowledged myself and the effort I put in. I was also relieved that I had finally managed to soothe the worries my parents had over my future career.

I debuted as the voice of Hazuki Ren in Love Live! Superstar!!, and have been given many opportunities to perform live as a member of the school idol group Liella!. Since starting my career as an artist and voice actress, I’ve also been offered new opportunities such as being involved in activities related to sweet potatoes, which I love, as well as recitation plays. It may not be much, but I believe that I’ve managed to achieve something worthy of note.

Perhaps because I finally managed to give them peace of mind, my parents now fully support my activities. When I get home, they watch the television shows I’ve appeared in over and over again, and listen to my new songs until late at night. Their actions make me realize just how much I’m loved, which really reassures me.

I’ll do my best to challenge myself to do all kinds of things so that my parents, who have always been there for me, can stay happy forever.

Image provided by Young Jump Weekly. Photography: Kuriyama Shusaku

Author: Aoyama Nagisa Editor: Nishinaka Kenji All photos were provided by the author herself

Aoyama Nagisa was born on May 16, 1998 in Tokyo Prefecture. She is 155 cm tall and graduated from Chuo University. Her hobbies include watching musicals and playing with little birds. Her specialty is classical ballet, and loves sweet potatoes. Currently, she voices Hazuki Ren in Love Live! Superstar!!. She's also currently serving as the “Imadoki Girl” on the TV program Mesazhi Television airing on Fuji TV, and holds regular livestreams on her Niconico Channel "Aoyama Nagisa no Katte ni IMO Kyoukai".

Nishinaka Kenji, a free writer, editor, and commentator, was born in 1978. Besides working as a news reporter and penning interviews, he is also in charge of editing gravure shots for weekly comic compilation magazines. His non-fiction book Hinatazaka46's Story, which follows the path taken by the idol group Hinatazaka46, is a hit that has sold more than 100,000 copies. He is also a contributor to the independent review magazine ARAZARU.

Translator: xIceArcher Quality Check: Yujacha (@yujachachacha)

[katavicbun]

As promised (actually I don’t think I promised it but whatev) here is the girl talk snippet from “It’s Not Over. We’re Not Done.” chapter 15. If you haven’t read it ( https://archiveofourown.org/works/28798473/chapters/70625382 plu plug plug) then you’ll be confused, but like... if you want contextless post-DR3 “Nagito has friends” fluff, who am I to stop you?

Back in the Jabberwock killing game, Nagito almost enjoyed the motives that they were given. As soon as the 77th class had been thrown into the thick of it, Nagito had been beside himself with anticipation at seeing brilliant Ultimate hope persevere against the depths of tragedy. But he didn’t think he’d be happy about a new killing motive again. 

Granted, the reason was much less nefarious this time around. 

The First Blood Perk: there would be no trial or punishment for the first blackened. They would be free; or whatever that meant in the context of the simulation.

Nagito was looking forward to telling Hajime the relatively good news, but once his game-watching shift was over, it looked like Kazuichi had beaten him to it. 

From what Nagito could hear at a distance, it sounded like Kazuichi was putting a bit too much emphasis on how “Kokichi is being an absolute dick to Kiibo”, but the tension in Hajime’s expression lessened with the actually-important news. 

Even when Kazuichi left, Nagito stayed where he was, indecisively shifting from foot to foot. Hajime hadn’t reacted well at all when the two’s relationship had been outed the day prior. He was slowly warming up to showing casual affection when they were alone, but when others could see them…

Hajime finally noticed Nagito fidgeting on the other side of the hall, his face softening further, a small but genuine smile gracing his face. The sight went straight to Nagito’s heart, speeding it up to double-time.

He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten this lucky. 

But before either could call out a greeting, two hands slapped over Nagito’s eyes as someone leaped onto his back. 

“Ah?” Nagito said in subdued alarm. 

“Nagichan spotted! Deploy, deploy!” Presumably Ibuki screeched in his ear, as he bent under her weight. 

“Oh, wonderful! I was worried we would not be able to meet today,” Sonia chirped, somewhere to Nagito’s left. When Ibuki slid off and he regained his sight, Nagito saw the two, plus Komaru, beaming at him expectantly. 

“Do you… need something…?” Nagito blanked. 

“Uh, yeah!” Komaru exclaimed, as if he were missing something very, very obvious. “We haven’t talked about-“

She cut herself off when she spotted Hajime in earshot, looking as baffled as Nagito felt. 

“Ha! Ha! Hajiman!” Ibuki hooted, “Nagi is needed in another castle!”

She and Komaru grabbed both of Nagito’s arms and tugged him back in the direction he’d come from. 

Murder, maybe? No, probably not. 

Sonia smiled brightly and gave a brisk wave to Hajime. “Do not worry! We shall return him to you soon!”

Komaru and Ibuki giggled madly at her word choice as they dragged Nagito away. He wasn’t positive, but he was pretty sure Hajime’s face began turning a concerning shade of white. 

Komaru threw the door open when they reached her and Toko’s room. The three girls filed in without hesitation, but Nagito stopped at the doorway. Wasn’t it inappropriate for a man to enter a girl’s room? It wasn’t like he had ever done that before. Nor had he ever wanted to. However, the protest never had the chance to leave his mouth before he was pulled in, too, the door slamming behind him. 

It came as no surprise that Toko was already inside, curled up under the covers. She seldom moved ever since they were locked inside the hotel, still wracked with guilt and self-horror from what she had done to save Komaru from Tsumugi’s crowd. From who she had let Genocide Jack kill. 

“Hello, Toko,” Nagito said quietly. “Is Nami bothering you?”

Toko made a small noise of negation. 

The only parts of her that Nagito could see was the tangled purple mess of hair sprawled across the pillow, and her hand, absently petting his dog lying beside her. Evidently, at some point during the past two hours or so, Nami had slipped inside, like the spoiled pet she was. 

“Tell us everything!” Komaru urged excitedly, jumping onto the mattress to sit with her girlfriend. Sonia knelt delicately on the floor on Toko’s other side, and Ibuki flopped down next, yanking a very confused Nagito with her.

“Everything...? Komaru, we were on the same shift,” Nagito reminded her.

“Huh? No, not about the…” Komaru trailed off. It seemed like their merry group of twenty-three was split down the middle when it came to how to deal with their situation. Hajime couldn’t stop talking about it, but Komaru was trying very hard to talk about literally anything else.

Ibuki interrupted. “So are you and Hajiman, like, ooey-gooey lovey-dovey, or are you…” She made a variety of random sound effects that Nagito was afraid to interpret.

Sonia and Komaru were leaning forward with sparkling eyes and wide grins.

Ah.

“I… um,” Nagito stuttered, completely unsure of how to answer. The room suddenly felt very warm. And small. “Not… Not the second one. I think.”

“Ooey-gooey boyfriends!” Ibuki squished his cheeks as Komaru and Sonia shot him with rapid-fire questions.

“When!?”

“Where?”

“Who confessed!?”

“Oh! Have you kissed?”

Nagito managed to pry Ibuki away from his face. She bounced away, unbothered. “A week ago, in the hotel hallway, it… depends, and…” Nagito stopped. What was he even allowed to disclose? So much of this was uncharted territory; he still wasn’t used to having friends in the first place. He still wasn’t used to even calling them friends, despite them insisting it was so.

“He’s blushing! They totally have!” Komaru accused proudly.

“My goodness, the both of you must be so sweet!” Sonia clasped her hands together under her chin. “What did you talk about?”

Nagito had replayed the moment an inappropriate amount of times in his own head; maybe it would be nice to talk about it out loud. And they were asking. “Hmm… Hajime said he loved me, and let me kiss him.”

The three girls had frozen smiles on their faces, like they were expecting more.

Ibuki blinked. “Ah… aww?” 

“I’m sorry. Was that too much?” Nagito frowned. He was trying to get better at determining when he had been talking for too long.

“D-details…” Toko mumbled. So she was listening. 

“It… was nice…?” Nagito ventured.

“What did you talk about?” Komaru prompted. Sonia and Ibuki nodded.

Oh. Just a little more, then. “I told him that I fell in love with the Hajime inside Izuru and the Izuru inside Hajime. Then he requested that I stop saying things like that if I continued rejecting his advances. I reminded him that it was for his own wellbeing, and he told me that for whatever reason, he believed that I wasn’t an utter detriment to his quality of life. He even said he was sad when I died!” Nagito closed his eyes dreamily at the memory. “He said many kind things, and allowed me to kiss him. He smiled!”

The girls looked considerably less excited.

“I… I am… more confused, somehow.” Sonia cocked her head, her eyebrows upturned.

“Wait, hold on, did Hajime say he loved you before?” Komaru asked. “When you were in Towa with us, you said it was one-sided.”

“L-lying…” Toko muttered.

“No, not on purpose!” Nagito quickly clarified. He tried not to lie when he could. “Hajime also said it on the boat ride back to Jabberwock, after we escaped Aozora.” 

“Well well well!?” Ibuki shook her fists, pumped up again at the prospect of more gossip.

That memory wasn’t quite as pleasant.

“When Hajime was fixing my prosthetic, he wanted to know why I sacrificed myself for him, and allowed myself to be captured in his place. Of course, I reminded him that I loved him,” Nagito recounted. It seemed like an obvious question at the time. Now that he had hindsight, though, he wondered if it was simply a way to steer the conversation. “He said he felt the same. He tried to kiss me, but…” Nagito winced.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I just can’t let you. Because I was right, wasn’t I?”

“You think I’m doing this because of Izuru!?”

Nagito shook his head. “...Well. Like I said. It was… for his own good.”

Sonia gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, Nagito, I… I am so sorry!”

“You’re… sorry?” Nagito repeated. Not quite the reaction he was expecting.

“I told you that Hajime was fixing your arm because I thought you wanted to talk,” Sonia explained mournfully. “I knew how you felt, and I could tell Hajime had feelings for you as well. You both acted so odd afterwards. I should have picked it together!”

“‘Put’,” Toko corrected.

Calling his and Hajime’s actions “odd” was a bit of an understatement. Hajime tried to explain himself, and reconnect, and care for Nagito. But Nagito pushed him away. He was cruel.

“Um, question?” Komaru spoke up hesitantly. “You keep saying that avoiding him was for his own good. What do you mean, exactly?”

“Is it Nagichan’s luck?” Ibuki asked.

Nagito shook his head. If it were anyone else, or if Hajime was 100% “Hajime”, it would have been. Something terrible would have happened to him, just like his parents. But Hajime’s own Ultimate Luck nullified the negative aspects.

Well. Not Hajime’s luck. It was-

“You are talking about the simulation, then?” Sonia offered after a pause.

No, not really. Nagito wasn’t in the mood to correct her, though. Plus, the Jabberwock killing game was a massive roadblock between the two of them. 

“I never saw the simulation, though. What happened?” Komaru asked. 

Sonia and Ibuki avoided Nagito’s eyes.

The Jabberwock killing was also the massive elephant in the room.

They all waited for Nagito to explain. He didn’t. He figured the extent of his actions would best be described by the ones he hurt.

“Ah. Well,” Sonia said after his silence became apparent. “Nagito, um… he was a little…”

“Wacko?” Ibuki supplied.

Sonia looked at her sharply. Nagito nodded in encouragement.

“Nagichan tried to hurt Imposter. And everyone. And Hajiman... is also part of ‘everyone’?” Ibuki continued with uncharacteristic discomfort. Her details were very lacking. Nagito thought it would be best to fill in a bit.

“Not out of self-preservation, either. I simply thought that by introducing despair, it would persuade our classmates to fight for their own brilliant hopes. When I failed, I tried to convince the others to do the same,” Nagito explained. The words were familiar, but even he noticed that his tone lacked the enthusiasm he once spoke with. It felt less like the ramblings of a devotee, and more like an objective, emotionless retelling. “I found out our past identities as the Remnants of Despair, and used my own life to try and take theirs. After all, it was the only use I could think of for myself.”

By the deafening silence following, Nagito came to the conclusion that this was not the planned topic of discussion.

This was all news to Komaru. Still, she didn’t look surprised. It probably sounded very consistent with her and Toko’s experience with him.

“But we have forgiven you!” Sonia insisted, covering his hand with hers. “You have proven that you are a good man, many times now. And… we have all done… terrible, terrible things.” Her voice dipped down at the end of her sentence. As pure-hearted as she was now, Sonia, too, was a Remnant of Despair.

“Hajiman totally thinks so, too!” Ibuki piped up, the positive momentum picking up again. “He’s gone gaga!”

“First impressions aren’t everything, either!” Komaru added. “I mean, look at me and Toko. The first time we met, we were totally different to each other than we are now.”

“It wasn’t the first time we met,” Nagito blurted out.

Oops.

“You… knew each other when you were students?” Sonia deduced. “I did not know that.”

“Oh no, Nagichan didn’t like Reserve Courses…” Ibuki recalled. There went the positive mood again. However…

“I met him when he was no longer a student,” Nagito corrected, his tone flattening out. He met him when he was no longer Hajime.

“I see. Hajime feels guilty because Izuru hurt you?” Sonia asked quietly. 

Yes, but not the way she meant it. 

Nagito wasn’t planning on explaining much further, but Toko spoke again, her voice muffled under the blankets.

“W-where did you g-go when you l-left Towa? Th-the f-first time I-I mean.”

Nagito’s head shot up.

“Wh-what Tsumugi said…” Toko murmured.

“Nagito Komaeda, Ultimate Lucky Student number two, psychopath hope-bitch, Izuru’s personal puppy dog!”

A sharp inhale from Sonia, a gawk from Ibuki, a sympathetic sound from Komaru.

The questions popping around in their minds were practically audible, but they knew enough not to voice them. It wasn’t like they didn’t understand what Toko was implying, either. 

Nagito felt that familiar, peaceful feeling of resignation fill his body, pasting a blank, cheerful smile on his face.

“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t what you planned on talking about today. Though, if it’s any consolation, I’ve found this conversation enlightening. It’s good to remember your roots, isn’t it?” Nagito mused. “‘Hajime and Nagito’... it’s pretty nonsensical and twisted, hmm? His claim to care for me is… impossible. And so is yours-”

Nagito was cut off when Sonia tackled him.

“Do not dare finish that thought!” She cried, squeezing him much tighter than he figured she would be able to. “I do not claim to know how Hajime feels, but I know how I do!”

“Sonia…?” Nagito blinked, trying and failing to untangle himself. 

“You are sweet and kind. You saved my life, even after how we have treated you!” She insisted, cheek squished against his shoulder. 

Ibuki leaped at Nagito from his other side, nearly knocking him and Sonia to the ground. “Ibuki’s crazy, too, it’s a-okay! And she was wrong, Nagichan would never hurt his neighbors’ pets. Nami-Mami is so happy!”

The dog’s tail thumped on the bed at the sound of her name.

“Plus, Nagi’s got the voice of a princess, and he lets me play with his floof!” To illustrate, Ibuki plunged one of her hands into his hair and ruffled madly. Nagito really didn’t like it when (most) people touched his hair, but he was too surprised at the moment to protest.

Two more arms wrapped around his shoulders as Komaru laid on her stomach to reach them from the bed. “I know I haven’t really known you for too long, but I wanna get to know you more. We didn’t get off on a good foot, but you’re so different now!”

A hand landed on his head.

“I-I j-just do wh-what Komaru does… sh-she makes friends w-with w-weird people, b-but…” Toko muttered.

Nagito felt tears prick at his eyes, but he was too cocooned with affection to be able to wipe his face. “Ah… that’s… thank you,” he murmured. 

He jumped when he felt a light slap on his scalp.

“Also, come on! Hajime is totally head over heels!” Komaru scolded playfully. “When you talked to him on the computer back in Towa, he was so happy you were okay, I thought he was gonna, like, explode!”

“I-it was gross,” Toko agreed.

“And Hajiman tried so hard to rescue you!” Ibuki squealed. Nagito flinched at her proximity to his ear. “Ibuki heard he carried Nagichan all the way back to the bus. Like a knight and a princess!”

Nagito wasn’t sure he liked Ibuki’s insistence of him being a princess, but she meant well.

“And I have never seen Hajime as happy as he was when you were together.” Sonia said, pulling back to put a hand on Nagito’s cheek. “We are not defined by our actions in the past. Who you are now is most important, and the person that you are now is the one we all love.”

Being loved: it was an experience that Nagito never really had. Of course he wouldn’t recognize it.

“After everything… I think you should allow yourself to believe what you are told.” Sonia smiled gently. “Don’t you?”

Change didn’t come easy. It didn’t come quick. It came in increments, in short bursts, in relapses and two steps back, and in growth. 

One gesture couldn’t change everything. But it could help the process.

“I… I love you all, too,” Nagito said thickly.

********************

Nagito knew he’d made Hajime lose his cool quite a bit back in the day. But not like this. Never like this.

The hole Hajime had punched through the wall watched them like a single black eye, the resulting drops of blood on the carpet almost visible, even in the dark. Hajime’s eyes were puffy, and the bandage on his hand was bulky and rough.

When Hajime had gotten out of the shower, Nagito was laying on the bed and feigning sleep. He wasn’t sure what he could even say to Hajime, and decided that acting was the least offensive thing to do. He kept his eyes shut, even when he felt Hajime’s bore into him. Even when Hajime laid down and clung onto him for dear life. Even when Hajime hooked his legs like a vice around one of Nagito’s, and gripped his shirt enough to make it ride up, and buried his face so far into the crook of Nagito’s neck that he worried his breathing was compromised. 

Maybe it was to prevent Nagito from leaving and trying to sacrifice himself. Again.

Or…

“I think you should allow yourself to believe what you are told. Don’t you?”

...Or maybe Hajime just wanted reassurance that Nagito was there. Maybe he just wanted to be with him.

“I love you,” Hajime whispered shakily to the supposedly-sleeping boy, his breath warm on his skin.

Hajime wanted Nagito to be scared about the prospect of his own demise. But how could he be?

Right now, Nagito had everything he wanted. He had… friends. A makeshift family. He had Hajime.

For once, Nagito was happy.

[wiichaanova]

Every time I remember megumi ogata sang moonlight densetsu (Sailormoon op), ifuudoudou, and evangelion's iconic theme song I can't unhear the nagito komaeda 😭😭😭

That boy definitely has The Pipes and we can thank* our lord and savior megumi ogata for that 😭😭😭

Ibuki was right, nagichan has the voice of a princess 😭🤙

[safe-kin-call]

Hi I'm Nagisa!!! I'm looking for my rei. I believe I had more depression issues in my canon??? Anyways message me if you wanna share memories!!! I have a temp blog set up just for messaging so dont be alarmed by the blankness!!! Its nagichan-esc

!!! @nagichan-esc (Won’t let me tag, probably a sideblog or something)

~Mod Ventus

[ashitomarisu]

Hmm...I'm trying to figure something out.

When I got into Love Live the first time (2015), I fell hard for Rin (who became my first nesoberi to own).

When I got back into Love Live in 2019, it was Yohane.

When Nijigaku aired, I can't recall who out of the original nine I fell for, although it was dangerously close between Emma, Rina, or Ayumu.

When Liella first debuted, Kanon instantly won my heart.

------------

Now, my interests are awkward:

Nozomi became my favorite Muse member (but Rin is still high on my list).

Chika is my favorite Aqours member and best leader (although Yohane is still a huge deal to me; despite surrendering to the whole group).

Emma still remains as a favorite, but Lanzhu is making things hard.

Yeah, Kanon is still a fave, but then there's Mei.

As for seiyuus....other than naming the "obvious", I actually do have interests in other seiyuus outside of Aqours.

In fact, Rippi was the first interest before ever thinking of Sunshine!. I desperately wanted to know more about Kussun, but the trail went cold. (OP's denying her feelings for Emitsun).

As for Nijigaku, contrary to belief, I'm actually dead set on Mayuchi, Homin, or Chunrun (although I'm guilty for seeing more Kaorin, Moepii and Mayuchi clips on Youtube).

When are Sayurin or Nagichan ever going to have a solo debut?! Nagichan would be highly anticipated, just for her vocals alone. Also, Nonchan...

[mihotose]

oh staff wish they were called SoLuna so so bad