Interview with Mai Nakahara from Fairy Tail Magazine
After finally getting the chance to catch up on Fairy Tail (and totally falling in love with Gruvia as a pairing), I decided to contribute to the fandom by translating something, and it ended up being the interview with Juvia’s voice actress from Fairy Tail Magazine volume 8. Special thanks to rieriebee for providing scans, which can be found here. (And for taking a million extra pics so that I wouldn’t have to stare at blurry kanji.)
Q: Having been devoted to playing Juvia for so long, is there anything that has changed regarding your impression of Juvia?
Nakahara: Since she was a character that first appeared as an “enemy,” my impression of her is completely different now that she plays an active role as a comrade of Fairy Tail. My impression of Juvia steadily changes. That might be because Juvia is growing up… I think. In Fairy Tail, I get the feeling that alongside main character Natsu, the surrounding characters are each growing up appropriately as well. Out of all of them, I think Juvia is the character who has transformed the most in the visual sense, with her hairstyle, facial expressions and such.
Q: Speaking of facial expressions, Juvia has gradually become cuter.
Nakahara: That’s because she has beautifully fallen in love (laughs). Because she was a “rain woman,” she came to be broken-hearted. But when she met Gray… she was able to meet a truly great person, and she fell in love with such a wonderful person… is what I think. Gray is so cool (laughs).
Q: Is there anything you find difficult about playing Juvia?
Nakahara: Currently, I think I’ve been able to establish the character of Juvia to the point that no matter how I play her, everyone seems to accept it as “Juvia-ness,” so there’s not anything in particular I worry about. However, when I first started playing her, I couldn’t grasp how far to “swing” when playing the gaps between her cute behavior towards Gray and her coldness during the portions when she’s fighting… Even after recording, I was told “exaggerate the difference more,” but I couldn’t imagine her going from her normal cute form to the way she is while fighting, so I was constantly nervous about whether or not those watching would accept that it was really the same character. But now, I’ve come to accept that “the wide-swinging range in her personality is just a part of her.” I recognize this myself, and I’m sure that those watching must also recognize it.
Q: Is there anything you worry about while playing Juvia in battle scenes.
Nakahara: Since I get to say incredibly awesome attack names, I want to pull off those attack names in a clean and awesome way… I think!!
Q: Are there any areas where you feel that you are similar to Juvia?
Nakahara: First off, I am not a rain woman (laughs). I may be similar to her in the way that we’re both completely wholehearted when we’ve fallen in love with someone, but our ways of expressing love are completely different. I can’t be so straightforward the way that Juvia is… Juvia is so strong, isn’t she? She uncontrollably spouts her feelings, saying “I love you,” and she can keep facing “Gray-sama” even though she gets rejected. I don’t have that kind of strength so… I want her mental strength (laughs).
Q: In this issue, an interview with Saori Gotou-san, who plays Meredy, is also being published. Tell us about Meredy, who has a deep connection with Juvia.
Nakahara: Since Juvia became a comrade of Fairy Tail a little later, she was kind of “junior-ish,” and with her cute side emerging in her love towards Gray, she didn’t have much of an “older” image. We hadn’t gotten to see her with a calm mind, or with a maternal side, but when she fought Meredy on Tenrou Island, she forgave her, and their friendship sprouted… In that course of events, we saw Juvia as something like an older sister to Meredy, or like a maternal figure wrapping her up… We got to make the new discovery that Juvia also has this side to her. I think it’s because of her relationship with Meredy that we found this. So it’s begun to feel like Juvia is an older sister during the times that she speaks with Meredy, to a greater extent than when she speaks with other characters… I think her tone of voice and facial expressions also seem that way.
Q: At the time of their reunion 7 years later, [Juvia] was also happy about Meredy’s growth.
Nakahara: Right. It feels like watching a younger sister or… one’s own child? (laughs)
Q: Speaking of which, at the time when Juvia first joined Fairy Tail, she was worried about Gajeel, who was wandering by himself. So with Meredy included, she’s pretty caring towards others.
Nakahara: She is actually kind (laughs). The side of her that stands out is the cute girl in love, but actually, she also has a kind, mature side.
(Skipped the next question because they were talking about anime filler episodes and I doubt that anyone cares.)
Q: Aside from Juvia, are there other characters that interest you?
Nakahara: Out of the main characters, I’ve always liked Erza since she was first introduced. She’s cool, but she also has a ditzy and cute side… I like that difference. Outside of the main characters, I like Plue. The aforementioned Saori Gotou-chan, who plays Meredy, also plays Plue, and the first time I heard Plue’s voice after recording, I was shocked!! I thought “Where is that voice coming from!?” (laughs). Then I understood “Saori-chan is perfect to play Plue!!” (laughs). Nobody besides Saori-chan could do that.
Q: If you could be Juvia, what would you like to try doing?
Nakahara: I have feelings of love for Gray that wouldn’t lose to Juvia’s, so I would want to go on a date with Gray… Huh? No change from how Juvia is (laughs). I want to go to Yokohama with Gray. I would want to go on a night cruise to enjoy the industrial area, or the kind of date where I could say “this is a real date!!”
Q: If you yourself could be a wizard called Mai Nakahara, what kind of magic would you like to try using? (Translator’s note: Her name is written as “Mai Nakahara” in katakana here, as opposed to the usual “Nakahara Mai” in kanji.)
Nakahara: I want to fly through the sky!! Then I want to look around as I please at wonderful scenery all over the world.
Q: What do you like about Fairy Tail?
Nakahara: I like that all kinds of people, from children to adults, can enjoy it. There are of course the parts that strike the hearts of children, and what they can grasp, and then there are also the parts that resound in the hearts of adults differently than they do for children. It’s a series that both children and adults can find interesting. That’s not just in Japan, but I think this is felt in the same way worldwide, so Fairy Tail is loved all over the world, and seems to be sought after… I think.
Q: Please leave us with some brief final words for the readers of this magazine.
Nakahara: I’ve gotten to play Juvia for a long time, but for as long as Fairy Tail continues, I want to keep on getting to play Juvia at my very best, so I will be glad if Juvia is loved along with the many characters who appear in the main series, as well as in the anime. From here on out, please think well of me!!
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