"Having Tomari Is What Keeps Me Going"...
A Love for Love Live! That Began in Childhood
Liella!, the group born from Love Live! Superstar!!, marked the 5th anniversary of their debut this April. Starting out in 2021 with five first-generation members, Liella! welcomed four second-generation members in 2022 and two third-generation members in 2023, growing into the eleven-member group they are today. The cast side of their activities is thriving too: their numbered concert series has reached its 7th installment this year, they have appeared at festivals and plenty of other music events, and their own variety show, Liella! no Chu-toriera!! / TUTOLiella!! (Nippon TV), has now run for two seasons. So how do they see this thing called Liella! today? Through this relay interview series, Real Sound unpacks what all eleven of them are feeling.
For the second installment, we welcome Sakakura Sakura (voice of Onitsuka Tomari), a third-generation member who joined in 2023. At the end of the interview, the relay segment continues, with a question she wants to ask the next member and something she respects about them. Don't miss it.
"At first, I didn't even have the room to feel anxious"
──This year marks three years since you joined. How do you honestly feel right now?
Sakakura: I know this will sound like the usual answer, but it feels fast and slow at the same time... something like that. Between concerts and all kinds of other events, I've been given so many opportunities and made more memories than I can count, and yet I catch myself thinking, "It's only been three years!?" The pace of daily life before and after joining Liella! is completely different, so it's a strange feeling.
──You joined Liella! by passing an open public audition. Did you feel lost or anxious at the beginning?
Sakakura: Right after joining, I was so overwhelmed that I didn't even have room to feel anxious. There was just so much I had to think about and so much I had to learn... Dance was especially hard, since I had no experience at all. Tomari-chan is athletic and great at dancing, so I felt like I was going to be crushed by the pressure of being entrusted with a girl like her. It was only from my second year on that I slowly started to have some room to breathe. That's when I finally started feeling the anxiety too.
──Tell us about something especially memorable from your activities so far. For example, a moment that made you think, "I'm glad I joined Liella!"
Sakakura: Rather than one specific moment I could point to, I think I feel it in our day-to-day activities. For example, when the people supporting us say kind words at concerts and events, or when all eleven of us in Liella! are together, it quietly sinks in: "I'm glad we became teammates," "I'm glad we met." Of course it's not all fun, and there are plenty of hard and painful times too, but the warmth I receive from people outweighs all of that. So I feel "I'm glad I joined Liella!" daily
──By the way, from your point of view, what are the third generation members like?
Sakakura: This might be a strange way to put it, but we're young (laughs). Not in terms of age, I mean, we're a noisy bunch with this student-like energy. Emori Aya-chan (voice of Onitsuka Natsumi) told me, "The atmosphere in Liella! got even brighter after the third gen joined," and "Even when things start going quiet, the third gen livens it up, so I'm grateful." Though I think the main reason we get told that is Yuina (voice of Wien Margarete) (laughs).
──Yuina-san is a bright person, isn't she?
Sakakura: She really is. I feel like Yuina pulls everyone along and the whole mood gets brighter because of her. For me, and everyone else too.
Her most treasured memory: the 4th live tour, where "a view like a starry sky spread out before me"
──As a third generation member, you have been performing since the 4th live tour (Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! 4th LoveLive! Tour ~brand new Sparkle~). What do you keep in mind when you perform?
Sakakura: Tomari-chan, the member I play, is cool and efficient, the complete opposite of me. So at concerts, I always tell myself, "Don't let the real me show."
──Meaning that if your own vibe comes out on stage, it stops feeling like Tomari.
Sakakura: Right. The thing is, I've always tended to favor "the classic cute type" of characters, so cute poses and cute gestures were all I had in my repertoire. To become Tomari, I studied the TV anime and the animation MVs, then put them into practice at concerts. The 'free' (TL: the MC parts) sections between songs where we can move however we like are a kind of showcase, in a way, so that's where I'm especially conscious of Tomari's cool mannerisms. And as I kept at it, I could feel the distance between Tomari's heart and mine gradually closing. These days, becoming one with Tomari feels pretty natural to me.
──By the way, is there a cast member whose performance especially draws your eye at lives?
Sakakura: I think every one of them is amazing in their own way, but Nako-chan (Misaki Nako, voice of Arashi Chisato) and Wakana-chan (Okuma Wakana, voice of Wakana Shiki) have dance experience, so they really are cool. When we practice as 5yncri5e! (the unit made up of Misaki, Suzuhara Nozomi, Okuma, Emori, and Sakakura), they casually pull off moves that make me go, "How are you even using your body like that!?" They're at a level I don't think I could ever reach, no matter how much I practice.
──5yncri5e! is known as the unit that goes all out on dance numbers. Combined with that, your first year must have been brutal.
Sakakura: It was. When I first saw what the unit was about, I somehow didn't even panic. It was more like, "Oh my... this is going to be rough" (laughs).
──Next, tell us about a concert that is especially memorable for you.
Sakakura: It has to be day one of the Chiba shows on the 4th live tour, my first time ever on that stage. It's my most treasured memory, and I don't think I'll forget it for the rest of my life. The first song was Jump Into the New World, and the choreography had us whip around to face the audience right on the opening line, so that was the very first moment I saw the crowd. And then... everyone was watching the stage while waving their blades (penlights), so all at once, a view like a starry sky spread out in front of me. It was so beautiful.
──That sounds like the kind of moment you could get completely lost in.
Sakakura: Seriously! I actually almost cried, but I desperately pulled myself back together, thinking, "I can't cry here!" (laughs). But it really was beautiful. It gave me chills.
[Preview] "Jump Into the New World / Liella!" (from the Liella! 4th live Blu-ray box, released 5/15)
The Love Live! series is like life itself to her
──If you had to choose one Liella! song that is special to you, which would it be?
Sakakura: What would it be...! There are so many that it's hard to choose, but the one I've loved ever since I was auditioning is Watashi no Symphony.
──That's one of the songs on the debut single.
Sakakura: That's right. There's the nine member version re-recorded after the second gen joined, and the eleven member version with the third gen, so it's a song that keeps changing with the times. Another thing about it is that the staging changes at every concert, and it makes me feel like this song has grown right alongside Liella!. Also, listening to it always puts me in a really positive state of mind. I don't think I've ever forgotten why I started, but hearing it brings back how I felt back when I was desperate to make my dream come true. It's a song I want by my side forever.
Watashi no Symphony
──You also performed it on the 4th live tour, your first tour.
Sakakura: Yes, we did. The lines were split so that the third gen opened the song and passed it on to our senpai, so it felt like the senpai were right behind us, pushing us forward. During the chorus, a flurry of cherry blossom petals was swirling through the air... I still remember how lovely it was.
──Then, while we're on the topic, tell us about the new song Hyper Glowing!. What do you want people to pay attention to?
Sakakura: When I first heard it, I thought, "This is a type of song Liella! has never had before." It's less about belting it out and more about having fun, and I thought it would really get the crowd going at a concert. The biggest point is definitely the calls. A song where everyone who comes to see us can shout along with us is sure to be exciting, so I want to perform it as soon as we can. And also, this is actually the first song ever with "Liella!" in the lyrics. The "L, i, e, l, l, a... Liella!" part is where you can call along, so I want everyone to shout it with everything they've got!
──What do the Love Live! series, Liella!, and Tomari mean to you now?
Sakakura: The Love Live! series has been around since I was in about the middle grades of elementary school. I've loved it ever since those days when I was completely absorbed in μ's, so I've spent more than half of my life with the series. So... it's like life itself to me. Whenever I look back, it has always been there beside me.
Sakakura: And Liella! is what introduced me to so many experiences and emotions. There are so many things I could never have done, people I would never have met, and feelings that would never have grown in me if I hadn't joined. The name Liella! carries the meaning of "connecting," and I really think that's exactly right. As for Tomari... at first, I couldn't shake the worry, "Will I be able to truly understand this girl?"
──You did say she was your complete opposite.
Sakakura: Exactly. I kept wondering, "How can I get closer to her?" But at some point, I found myself thinking more and more, "Maybe Tomari and I aren't such complete opposites after all." Now she's like a second self who is always in my heart. Even when I'm feeling down or can't find any motivation, I think, "Tomari would never give up," "Tomari would see it through to the end." Having Tomari is what keeps me going.
──It's a curious thing, isn't it? At first, you thought you were so different.
Sakakura: Sakakura: I wonder why? Did I move closer to her? Did we both move closer to each other? I don't really know, but she's someone very close to me now, and she supports me.
──What a lovely relationship. Now, to close, a segment fitting for a relay interview. After you, Yuina-san's article will be published next, so tell us "something you respect" about Yuina-san and "something you want to ask" her.
Sakakura: There are so many things I respect about Yuina, but if I had to pick one, it's how bright she is. A lot of the Liella! cast are serious types who face themselves head-on and push themselves really hard, so sometimes things just naturally go quiet. Yuina is the one who softens that air. And she's not just cheerful, she genuinely pays attention to the people around her, so I think there are times when she's being bright on purpose, out of consideration for us. I respect that mature side of her too.
──Then, what would you like to ask Yuina-san?
Sakakura: Yuina and I go out together a lot, but we've never gone anywhere far. So I want to ask her, "If you could go on a one-week trip with me, where would you want to go?" I'm curious what her answer will be. It's something I could just ask her directly (laughs), but I want to find out by reading the article, like everyone else.
──Also, since you are the first runner in this relay interview, we have a question for you from the anchor, Date Sayuri-san (voice of Shibuya Kanon). Would you answer it for us?
Sakakura: Ooh, of course!
──Here it is: "If you could become a cat, who would you want as your owner?"
Sakakura: That's such a laid-back question (laughs)! Hmm, who would it be!? Picking just one person is insanely difficult. So... for now, can I say I want all of them to keep me (laughs)?
──(Laughs). As a hypothetical, you mean?
Sakakura: Right. I'd have everyone in Liella! live together in a share house, and I'd move in as their cat. Non-chan (Suzuhara, voice of Sakurakoji Kinako) said she's not good with cats, but maybe this could be her chance to become a cat lover. I'd try to stay in her line of sight as much as possible (laughs). Also, Pei-chan (Payton Naomi, voice of Heanna Sumire) and Wakana-chan have cats back home, so they seem used to taking care of them, and Nako-chan and Yuina both seem like animal lovers, so I bet they'd dote on me. I don't know if I could ever pick just one in the end, but as long as I get to be with everyone, I'd be happy (laughs)!
"I Was So Happy to Become One of Them"...
Uncompromising Passion, from Lonely Rival to a Stage Where Everyone Shines
Liella!, the group born from Love Live! Superstar!!, marked the 5th anniversary of their debut this April. Starting out in 2021 with five first-generation members, Liella! welcomed four second-generation members in 2022 and two third-generation members in 2023, growing into the eleven-member group they are today. The cast side of their activities is thriving too: their numbered concert series has reached its 7th installment this year, they have appeared at festivals and plenty of other music events, and their own variety show, Liella! no Chu-toriera!! / TUTOLiella!! (Nippon TV), has now run for two seasons. So how do they see this thing called Liella! today? Through this relay interview series, Real Sound unpacks what all eleven of them are feeling.
For the second installment, we welcome Yuina (voice of Wien Margarete), a third-generation member who joined in 2023. At the end of the interview, the relay segment continues, with a question she wants to ask the next member and something she respects about them. Don't miss it.
"I Started Out Alone, So I Was Really Happy to Become One of Them"
──It's been three years since you officially joined Liella!.
Yuina: You could say these three years flew by, but for me, they feel like three years I properly lived through. Ever since I met Margarete-chan and joined Liella!, every day has been full of new things. I have this real sense that I've planted my feet firmly in each and every day.
──Then out of everything so far, is there one moment that made you feel especially glad you joined Liella!?
Yuina: It has to be the first time I stood on stage with everyone in Liella! from beginning to end. My first Liella! concert was the 3rd tour (Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! 3rd LoveLive! Tour ~WE WILL!!~), but at that point, I wasn't part of Liella! yet.
──Right, Wien Margarete originally stood as a rival to Liella!. At the 3rd tour, you appeared as a guest and performed her solo songs.
Yuina: Exactly. The 3rd tour went around seven cities, and at every show I performed two songs (Butterfly Wing and Edelstein) all by myself, and every time, I watched the final "We were Liella!!" greeting from the side. I was already close with everyone in Liella! back then, but part of me deliberately kept my distance, thinking, "As Margarete, the stage will shine more if I stay a step apart" and "I have to fight this alone."
Yuina: That's probably exactly why my longing to have friends beside me grew so strong. At the 4th tour (Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! 4th LoveLive! Tour ~brand new Sparkle~), when I got to sing the very first song as part of Liella! and stay through the final greeting, I thought, "I'm so glad I joined Liella!!" For the first time, I felt like I could enjoy every single part of that space we call a live.
──And you weren't alone in the third gen, either. You have Sakakura Sakura-san (voice of Onitsuka Tomari) right there with you.
Yuina: That's right. Though Saku (Sakakura) wasn't in the 3rd tour, so the 4th was her first live, and I think she must have felt uneasy, like "I'm the only one who came in this late." So at the start, I wanted our time together, just the two of us, to be a time where she could feel safe, so she wouldn't get anxious. And through that, I hoped I could be a bridge to the first and second gens, so Saku could settle into Liella! even a little faster.
The Joy of Getting to "Live" as Margarete-chan
──By the way, is there anything that makes you feel you've grown since joining Liella!?
Yuina: Hmm, I wonder? I'm the type who never really gets used to things (laughs). Even after joining Liella!, I get super nervous right before a show. And every time, I'd look back on it and blame myself, but just recently I finally started thinking, "Isn't enjoying the live what matters most?" I saw the line in Margarete-chan's solo song Luca that goes "refine your skills to the limit, but don't corner yourself" (sukiru tsukitsumete mo oitsumenai), and something clicked. My whole mindset changed.
──Meaning it's not good to blame yourself too much.
Yuina: You should absolutely push your skills as far as they can go, but that belongs in the practice stage. Once you're standing on stage, all that's left is to trust the self you've built up and enjoy it. Being able to change my thinking like that... I'd call that growth. Since then, even my post-show reflection has changed. Instead of flatly shooting myself down with "this was bad, that was bad too," it's turned into a positive kind of reflection, the kind that ends with a little music note: "Ooh, I love how she performs this part. I want to try that too♪"
──So is that also what you keep in mind during your live performances?
Yuina: Yes! Meeting (the song) Luca was a really big deal for me. If I had to name one more thing, I also perform with Margarete-chan's "elegance" in mind.
──She comes from a family of musicians in Austria. When she first appeared, she truly was elegant, overflowing with confidence, with a cool, standoffish air about her.
Yuina: Since TV anime season 3, she's gotten pretty bubbly at times, but at her core, she's still elegant and dignified, beautiful, the kind of girl who shows a flash of maturity when you least expect it. So I want to hold onto that. I keep my legs fully extended, stay aware all the way to my fingertips, and try to carry myself with grace.
──Next, tell us about a live that's especially memorable for you.
Yuina: The 6th tour (Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! 6th LoveLive! Tour ~Let's be ONE~) is the one I remember most. It was a live that built around the TV anime season 3, so it made me feel all over again that I'm really in Liella! now, and I strongly felt how reassuring it is to have the girl I play right there behind me. I thought, "This is what I wanted to do!" I'd already traced TV anime season 2 through the 3rd tour and learned how good a live that carries the anime can be, and that made it land even deeper.
Yuina: Season 3's Margarete-chan grows with every episode. So even within the 6th tour setlist, her feelings shift again and again. Getting to "live" as Margarete-chan through the whole show was so much fun. I really feel like we became one, body and soul.
"Margarete-chan and I Are Always 'Back to Back'"
──Among Liella!'s songs, which one has stayed with you the most?
Yuina: Just one...! There are so many, but I'll go with Dazzling Game. I love a good rock sound, so from the very first listen I thought, "Oh, that's my type!" And the structure is rare too: the eleven of them split three against eight, singing as they battle. The lyrics express that structure as well, and I think it's the most beautiful portrayal of them sharpening each other.
Yuina: When you're working as a group, getting along is a wonderful thing. That's the baseline. But these girls are aiming to win it all as school idols, right? With nothing but a lukewarm "wouldn't it be nice if we all just had fun together!" attitude, there's no way you could ever win. Recognizing each other's strengths, saying it straight when something isn't good enough, going "I won't lose to you," "well I'm the one who's not losing!" with sparks flying... that's how a group grows. This song captures exactly that in lines like "this is no cozy friendship, it's resonance / this is no game, it's proof" (nareai ja nai no sa kyoumei / asobi de wa nai no sa shoumei), and it hits me hard. I listen to it a lot when I need to psych myself up. Highly recommended for workouts!
Dazzling Game / Liella!, Shibuya Kanon, Wien Margarete, Onitsuka Tomari [TV Anime Love Live! Superstar!! Season 3, Episode 8 Insert Song]
(TL Note: the official is region locked so I share the fan uploaded one)
──You also released the new song Hyper Glowing! in July. What should we be listening out for?
Yuina: The part where "Liella!" is right there in the lyrics! I believe this is the first time the group's name appears in the lyrics as is. It feels like a confident declaration of "together, we are Liella!," and I love it. I can't wait for all of us to shout "Liella!" together. The choreography and the live debut are still ahead of us, but I'm excited to see what kind of performance it turns into. I'm also curious how the calls and claps will fit in.
──Your feelings for Liella! have already come through plenty, but let us ask once more. Yuina-san, what do the Love Live! series, Liella!, and Margarete mean to you now?
Yuina: Every one of them is a treasure, something I couldn't be without. Without them, the me of today simply wouldn't exist. It's been close to four years since I joined Love Live! Superstar!! as a cast member, and through everything here, my feelings have shifted in so many ways.
Yuina: And with Margarete-chan, the image I have is that we've always stood "back to back," then and now. We're not the type to face each other and smile sweetly, you know? Even in places with no direct connection to the Love Live! series or Liella!, I think she'll always stay with me at exactly that distance. That's Margarete-chan for you.
──Lastly, let us pass along the question from Sakakura-san in relay interview Vol.1: "If you could go on a one-week trip with me, where would you want to go?"
Yuina: A whole week... that's surprisingly hard (laughs)! The first thing that popped into my head was going abroad, but if it's a week, I'd actually rather hop all around Japan. Hokkaido and Okinawa are a must, cutting straight down the country from north to south, eating tons of delicious food along the way! I feel like that would make for a fuller week than going overseas.
──And with Sakakura-san, you feel like you'd enjoy every bit of it.
Yuina: Right! I'm actually the type who can't relax around people I want to get close to, I get all polite and considerate with them. But with Saku, I think we're already past that. We're super close, we can say anything to each other, there's none of that awkward tiptoeing, and it's just so comfortable being around her. We've never gone anywhere overnight together, but I'm sure a whole week together would be totally fine. Even if I got tired, I could just say "I'm tired, let's take a break," and we'd both get to be our natural selves.
──By the way, Sakakura-san said this about you: "The way she brightens up the room just by being there is amazing. I really respect her."
Yuina: Whaat..., that makes me so happy! That's the best compliment there is. We've been together so long that we never actually say these things to each other, so I'm grateful.
──So, keeping that going: tell us what you respect about Emori Aya-san (voice of Onitsuka Natsumi), who's up next in Vol.3.
Yuina: What I respect is how disciplined she is. Apparently she recently started doing body-toning workouts at the gym, and no matter how exhausting her day was, she'll go, "Maybe I'll still go, even just for 30 minutes." Even when I tell her, "No no, today of all days you should just go home!? You're exhausted!", the next day it's, "So I ended up going after all." I'm not the type who can push myself that hard, so that discipline honestly amazes me. I respect her for it.
──Then please give us your question for Emori-san too.
Yuina: Exactly that: I want to ask her, "How can you be that disciplined?" Also, lately I feel like her looks keep getting more and more polished. She's turning into someone who has cuteness, beauty, and coolness all in one. I want to know how she polishes herself up like that too!
Interview and text: Matsumoto Mayuge
Photos: Horiuchi Ayaka
"It (Hyper Glowing!) Gave Us a Chance to Discover a Whole New Side of Liella!"
Liella! is the eleven-member school idol group born from Love Live! Superstar!!, the fourth main installment in the Love Live! multimedia franchise.
Even after the third season of the TV anime finished airing, they have maintained an energetic live schedule, headlining solo concerts at venues like Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 1 and Yokohama Arena while also taking the stage at anime events, idol festivals, and numerous rock fests. Now the group, known for the sheer heat of its live performances, is set to make its first appearance at Lucky Fes 2026. What kind of stage will they bring? Starting with their newly released mini album, we sat down with Date Sayuri, Aoyama Nagisa, and Yuina to hear how they are gearing up for Lucky Fes 2026.
──The "Liella! to Musubu Project" has kicked off. What kind of project is it?
Date: The Liella! members (characters) live around Harajuku, Shibuya, and Omotesando. We've always treasured the word musubu, "connecting," throughout our activities, and we thought it would be lovely if fans stepping into those neighborhoods could feel that much closer to the girls, like, "wait, they might have been standing right here." It's a project that ties the members, the town, and everyone together. That's why the jacket art this time has Harajuku as its backdrop.
Yuina: Telling the story of your bond with your home turf through song is something only school idols based around Harajuku could pull off. So I'm full of this feeling of wanting to liven up Harajuku even more, right alongside the member I play.
Aoyama: This time, our fans voted to split us into three groups. Members who didn't interact much in the TV anime or from our usual units get to show brand new dynamics, and that makes me really happy. There were fresh discoveries too, like "oh, so she actually talks about this kind of stuff with her," even with members who barely shared a scene in the anime. It gave us a chance to discover a whole new side of Liella!, so it's something I want to treasure.
──The title track "Hyper Glowing!", sung by all eleven members, rides a cutting-edge beat unlike anything you've done before.
Date: When I first heard it, I thought, this is seriously difficult, because all of us have to match each other's breathing. Unless we cast members truly became one in spirit and deepened our bond even further, it would end up sounding like we were just... singing it. On top of that, the lyrics speak about where we're headed and where we've been, so in that sense too, I felt it was a song that demands a lot.
Yuina: So thoughtful! I didn't think about any of that, I just went "this sounds fun!" (laughs) It felt like all the best parts of Liella! so far, packed tightly into one song, it got the coolness of "Aspire" and "Jump Into the New World," the sparkle of "Star Sengen"...And the moment I realized the word "Liella!" is in the lyrics, I went "yay!" Until now, the only place I'd ever heard people shouting "Liella!" was in the encore calls, so being able to shout "Liella!" together with everyone makes me so happy. I'm already so excited just thinking about it.
Aoyama: What struck me was how much of the lyrics rhyme. It makes the song easy to sing and easy to remember. And then there are spots where words you'd normally write in katakana are deliberately written in hiragana for a pop, adorable feel. You can really tell from that that the Liella! girls live around Harajuku, Shibuya, Omotesando, and Aoyama, and it made me love the song even more.
──Which lyric made you feel that way in particular?
Aoyama: The way "panchi da" is written in hiragana felt so high-school-girl to me. I bet they'd stop writing it that way once they hit college. Exactly because they're high schoolers, I couldn't help imagining them working out the lyrics going, "wait, isn't this way cuter?"
Yuina: My favorite is the rap part. The line that goes, 《オリジナルなジャンルなの 全部正解！》 ("We're each our own original genre, every one of us is the right answer!"). It feels like it captures how all eleven of them affirm each other's individuality, each one standing here with real confidence. Hearing it gave me strength... it let me feel like I'm fine just the way I am. I really love that lyric.
Date: The lyric 《できるの？できないの？とかじゃないの もっと光りたい、笑いたい、それだけでいいんだ！》 ("It's not about whether you can or can't... I want to shine brighter, laugh harder, and that's all I need!") is exactly right, I think. It's the very first message I received when I joined Liella!, and even now, having the girls tell me this feeling matters most makes me happy. Liella! is back-to-back Love Live! champions, superstars who might look completely out of reach, but when people like that tell you this is what matters most, it gives you courage. It's a really fast-paced part to sing, but it's a lyric that makes me want to work hard, so it comes across as pure fun.
──And you sing the line 《最強！》 ("invincible!") with your chests puffed out, like true superstars.
Yuina: Even in the recording booth, I was singing it thinking, "I AM invincible" (laughs). I must have been positively glowing.
Aoyama: You always are!
Date: Always sparkling.
Yuina: Ahaha. When I record upbeat songs, I like to turn the studio lights up bright, and for this one, I had them at maximum, singing with my chin up the whole time. I think the confidence really comes through.
Aoyama: The sound on this track is intense, with a beat that just pounds through you, and it was so much fun that during recording I deliberately had the instrumental turned up and sang along, riding the groove. That fast-paced section in the middle especially... I felt I couldn't ride it properly unless I let my emotions out, so I had it absolutely blasting. That said, Ren-chan (Hazuki Ren) is a girl who sings gracefully and elegantly, so...
──You don't exactly picture her dancing to two-step and trance beats.
Aoyama: Exactly. Arashi Chisato and Onitsuka Natsumi are the ones I can picture really getting into it, so I sang while trying to edge closer to their vibe, all the while thinking about how to keep Ren-chan's signature elegance. I took it on doing little steps and dancing along, never forgetting what makes Ren, Ren.
Date: I was surprisingly torn over how to sing this as Kanon (Shibuya Kanon), too. Should I go with her usual sparkling, smiley feel, or with her brows set and serious? I couldn't decide which was right, but since this is the title track of the "Liella! to Musubu Project," I settled on singing it as the one pulling everyone forward. So I dialed the smile back a bit compared to usual. Kanon has that image of leading with a smile, but when she shifts into an even higher gear, I think she's the type to trade the smile for full seriousness, so I sang carrying that tension... with just a little room to breathe in there, too. It was a genuinely tricky part, but I think I found a new side of her.
▲Date Sayuri
──Now, this time you're split into three teams, so tell us about each one. What kind of team is Team Kodomo?
Date: It's a team that needs nothing but smiles, basically. What children need is a pure heart, a smile, and hope. The members are all high schoolers, and high schoolers are still plenty young, but even so, there's a childlike innocence you inevitably lose somewhere along the way, right?
Yuina: Ahaha. So true.
Date: Life keeps you chasing after things, and stuff you used to do with a smile becomes stuff you can't do as an adult because you worry about how you look, or you stop being able to express yourself freely... We were always the ones learning about that from the high schoolers Kanon and the others, but this time it's Kanon and the girls learning it from kids younger than them. It's such an essential mindset for chasing what you want in life. So I sang "Tokubetsu ja Nai Mahou" while recalling scenes from when Kanon was little. Imagining present-day Kanon singing together with her tiny childhood self. Thinking, maybe this is how she used to sing, with that pure smile, before she came to carry her trauma.
Yuina: It's such a cute song. It makes you want to wave your hands along, and I really do think even tiny kids could sing it together. The team is full of members with adorable voices, so just listening is healing, and I think it's become a song that lets everyone remember being little, whatever their age. Before you know it, your heart's gone all floaty and the corners of your mouth are turned up. It was just lovely.
Aoyama: The lyrics use so many genuinely simple words, don't they? Word choices even a kindergartner could listen to and fully understand. I found it wonderful how they take plain, honest feelings like "let's sing" and "this is fun" and put them straight into words, just as they are.
Yuina: The line endings are gentle, too.
Aoyama: Like it's speaking softly to you. It's a song that leaves you feeling warm inside.
▲Yuina
──Thank you. Next up, what about Team Sports?
Yuina: Their teamwork is incredible. Say we have to deliver the same phrase in unison on the radio: these four will absolutely nail it clean on the first take, and it feels so good. Cheering someone on is all about becoming one in heart, and I feel like this group is packed with exactly that.
──It's the team that cheers on people giving their all in sports, right?
Yuina: That's right. But while the athletes are obviously the stars, I think the people cheering them on are stars too. That's actually the thing we've come to feel most strongly through our own activities. If the people supporting us ever dropped to zero, there's simply no way we could keep going, so we feel the sheer power of that support every single day. We're always hoping to deliver smiles and energy through song, but being able to deliver a phrase as direct as "you've got this" is something only Team Sports can do, I think. It's a group that wants to send everyone energy and let them know they're not alone.
──"Winds of YELL" has also turned out to be an anthem everyone can sing along to.
Yuina: The track even has everyone's "wow oh oh oh oh oh" voices in it. To me, it felt like a song that stays close by your side and gives your back a gentle push, like the wind. It's one of those songs where, strangely, power just quietly wells up inside you, so I'd be really happy if it reaches people who are actually out there doing sports.
Aoyama: It has such a refreshing feel, doesn't it? I think it pushes people forward in a way that says, "we know how much work you've put in, so believe in yourself." For people already trying their hardest, it never piles on pressure; it just leaves you feeling positive, like, okay, let's do this. It struck me as the kind of song you'd want to hear when starting something new or taking on something you're not good at.
Date: First of all, the members singing it are girls who genuinely look at home drenched in sweat. It's a cheer song from girls who are always sweating it out, giving everything to what's right in front of them. You know how Olympic athletes sometimes go on to become coaches? It reminded me of that. They know an athlete's pain and their joy, and that's exactly what makes it convincing. It's not just cheering, it carries the power of being cheered on by people who've been through the hard parts themselves.
Yuina: That makes me happy to hear. I love the lyric 《見えないところで重ねてきた日々ひとりぼっちな気がしちゃう》 ("all those days of effort no one ever sees... it starts to feel like you're all alone"). Every time I hear that part, my chest tightens and I nearly cry. The four of us have a LINE group, and the first time we all listened to it, everyone was messaging, "oh no, I'm gonna cry." I think it hits each of us somewhere personal, so I'll do my best to deliver this feeling exactly as it is.
▲Aoyama Nagisa
──Lastly, please introduce Team Midori.
Aoyama: It's a team of three calm, collected girls. The type who look at things with a cool head, and they're always researching different ways to raise plants. On the radio and in all sorts of places, the story unfolds with these three together, and they hold conversations using seriously difficult vocabulary.
Yuina: Right? It's amazing.
Date: I can't even follow what they're saying (laughs).
TL Note: Girl me too...
Aoyama: Even the katakana terms are hard, like, "people actually use these words in daily life?" You can really feel these three are the brainy ones. And the song they sing, "Mebae," is this track with a stylish piano sound, but before recording, the three of us were going, "isn't this insanely hard?" The melody is difficult, and there was a request for us to come into the chorus in our natural (chest) voice. It's a really high note, but I practiced so I could sing it crisply, smoothly, gently, in step with the music.
Yuina: It looked like a real struggle. (Ookuma) Wakana recorded right before me, and that's where I heard the song for the first time. There are so, so many chorus layers. I thought, this is something only these three could do. But if they ever had to do those harmonies live, that would be tough. Wakana was saying, 'Nagi, you've got this. Nagi can harmonize, after all.'
Aoyama: Hey, you sing them too! (laughs) There are tons of harmony parts, and all three of our voices sit in this calm register, so part of me thinks harmonizing live would be a blast... and part of me goes, no, this is hard.
Yuina: But listening to it, it's so breezy you'd never guess how difficult it is, and the three voices blend together beautifully. There's this softness, like being wrapped up in it, that just feels good to listen to. It made me want to hear it while strolling through a forest.
Aoyama: The lyrics are positive, but there's a slightly darker side to them, too. At the start, the flower has wilted. But the story is that if you tend it with care through the seasons, it will bloom again. I thought, I might never have heard words this melancholy in a Liella! song before, so it felt a little fresh.
Date: All three of their voices are so gorgeous, like 200% purity, that I wanted to sit down and analyze every one of their timbres. Absurdly beautiful. And yet these three can handle more than just gentle songs, so you feel that range, too. The lyrics give you a little nudge forward, but honestly, my heart got completely stolen by the voices themselves. It's stylish, too. Team Kodomo's lyrics were the simple, direct kind, so I liked how this one just casually slips English into the lyrics.
Aoyama: All we say is "Round and Round" (laughs).
Yuina: Ahaha. True, in "Tokubetsu ja Nai Mahou," even the "la la la la" is in hiragana.
Date: Kids don't say "Round and Round," you know! Everyone on Team Kodomo sang more clearly enunciated than usual, which is exactly why it's so easy on the ears, but Team Midori has this slightly loosened, flowing quality. The soft, supple way they use their tongues is so stylish it's soothing to listen to, and there's even a bit of an ASMR quality to it. It was great.
──With all four songs together, how do you hope they reach the fans?
Aoyama: Every song differs in direction and theme, so even though it's just four tracks, I think it's turned out to be a really substantial release. As for me, I'm already looking forward to the live shows. I can't wait to perform them myself, and precisely because we're on different teams, I couldn't help thinking I'd love to peek in on the other teams' rehearsals.
Yuina: There are songs here that will really hit home, not just for people who know the TV anime, but even for people who haven't met Liella! yet. Every track has a different flavor, so there's bound to be a genre in there you'll love. From kids to grown-ups, I hope it reaches the widest possible range of people, and I'm confident that when it does, something in it will hit home for them too.
Date: A while back, our units each toured regional fan meetings separately (TL Note: Unit Fan Meet). Honestly, I was worried we'd end up drifting apart after finally becoming eleven, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. When we all gathered again, our bond had deepened even though we hadn't seen each other. So this time too, I can't wait to see what "Hyper Glowing!" turns into after Team Kodomo, Sports, and Midori have each gone off and done their own thing.
──And on August 9, you'll be performing at Lucky Fes 2026. Could you tell us how you're feeling ahead of your first stage there?
Yuina: I can't wait!
Date: The acts before and after us are insane, right?
Aoyama: When the lineup was announced, I honestly thought, "are we... allowed to be here?" (laughs) That's how stacked the bill is; the members were literally having that conversation. We're truly grateful to be given such a huge stage. And really, without the people cheering us on, we would never get to stand on stages like this, so I want to convey our gratitude to everyone who supports Liella! day in and day out. I want to express that through our performance.
Yuina: It's true, the lineup overwhelmed me too, but since we've been given this chance, I feel it would actually be rude to step onto that stage without confidence. So until then, all eleven of us, all twenty-two of us, will pull together and work as hard as we can to build a stage worth being proud of. That day, that place, that stage happens only once, so I want to enjoy it to the fullest and give it everything we've got.
Date: You know, Liella! has girls from Ibaraki.
──The Onitsuka sisters commute from Ushiku all the way to Omotesando. The Liella! members have even visited their house in Ushiku.
Date: Exactly. That's one more thing to be thankful for, and I think it might let people feel close to the members from a different angle than usual. Beyond that, of course I want our fans to have a blast, but I'm sure the crowd will mostly be people meeting us for the first time, so first and foremost, I hope they walk away remembering the name Liella!. And it's a summer fest, so obviously we've got to blow the roof off, right? We don't know yet which songs we're bringing, but I want to properly express the spirit that Liella! and school idols hold dear: "enjoying this very moment." Of course we'll be nervous, but it'd be a waste not to have fun, so I want to take that stage without ever forgetting our gratitude.
Yuina: It IS nerve-wracking. But I'm pretty sure Margarete would just say, "With me here, we are invincible."
Date: True. We'll let Margarete drag us along.
Aoyama: (laughs) No no, Kanon-chan, we're counting on you!
Date: Her legs are definitely going to be shaking.
Yuina: Ahaha. But really, I can't wait. We'll give it our all!!
Liella! Magazine - CAST LONG INTERVIEW with Sakakura Sakura as Onitsuka Tomari, and her message to Tomari.
[This was part of Liella Magazine - Onitsuka Tomari Edition]
There was this feeling like being in a slightly surreal space,
and I think we were able to capture all kinds of expressions.
I really hope you'll see it.
Pouring every bit of Onitsuka Tomari's appeal into the gravure shoot and the comic concept ideas
―You proposed a lot of ideas for expressing Onitsuka Tomari, Sakakura-san. Could you tell us why you went with these in particular?
Sakura: First off, when I think of Tomari, jellyfish come to mind right away. She thinks jellyfish are the cutest creatures in the world, and loves them enough to keep some at home, so I was even thinking jellyfish should basically be the main motif. Then, since Tomari is from Ibaraki Prefecture and big sweet potato fan, I brought that up too, and puzzle games as well, because she has that brainy side. I think the shoot ended up pretty packed with Tomari's favorite things.
―How did the shoot itself go? Could you give us a quick rundown?
Sakura: First, we shot outdoors with this really cute jellyfish-shaped umbrella. It had been raining since morning, but thankfully, it stopped right when we were shooting. After that, we moved to the indoor studio, shot scenes of me playing with puzzle toys and eating sweet potato sweets, and finally, we used a projector for the shoot.
―What kind of sweet potato sweets did you have?
Sakura: They weren't cakes with sweet potato in them or anything, more like straight-up "THE Sweet Potato" itself, no frills, and every single one was so good. There was some left, so I ended up finishing it all off during the break (laughs).
―Do you like sweet potatoes?
Sakura: I love them! I already liked it to begin with, but after I learned Tomari likes it, I came to like it even more. The Liella! members all love them too, and when fall came, we happily went for sweet potato sweets together.
―How was the shoot using the projector actually done?
Sakura: When they said we'd be shooting jellyfish, I'd assumed we were going to some aquarium, but they actually projected jellyfish onto the studio wall with a projector, and we shot it there. It had this atmosphere like I was swimming underwater with the jellyfish, which felt really fresh, and I was just plain amazed that you could express it like that. There was also this feeling like being in a slightly surreal space, and I think we were able to capture all kinds of expressions. I really hope you'll see it.
―What's your own impression of jellyfish, Sakakura-san?
Sakura: I do like them. In Episode 7 of the TV anime's third season, Tomari says, "There's no other creature this cute and this healing," and I feel exactly the same (laughs). Honestly, for animals in general, I think cats are the cutest in the world, but among sea creatures, jellyfish are my favorite. I thought I'd try keeping some myself, so I looked into it a bit, but you have to carefully manage things like the water temperature and the salt concentration. Keeping them seems pretty difficult, and I thought, Tomari really pulls it off properly, that's so her.
―For the comic, you suggested the idea "I want to see Tomari researching 'cute'!" Could you tell us how you came up with that?
Sakura: When I think about what's great about Tomari, like how she's cool but has her sweet moments, sometimes she shows a blushy face, and she's the responsible type but has this airheaded side too. I think those parts of her are cute, and I wanted to see more of them, so I put in that request, plus a scene where she's thinking about and researching "cute" itself. When I thought about who she'd consult about something like that, I figured the one she could really rely on would be her big sister (Onitsuka Natsumi), so I also asked for scenes that show the closeness only sisters have, their back-and-forth at home, that kind of everyday picture of the two of them.
―In the comic, she goes to see jellyfish at an aquarium to look for an answer. Have you been to an aquarium yourself, Sakakura-san?
Sakura: I haven't just gone on a whim like Tomari does, but I did go from time to time for fun, and recently I went out to Ikebukuro with Yuina, and made the trip with my mom all the way out to the aquarium in Oarai, Ibaraki Prefecture. Since taking on Tomari's role, I've been going more often, and I've started thinking, "I want to check out this aquarium too," getting more interested. What I look forward to most is, of course, the jellyfish exhibit. Each aquarium has a different way of displaying them, and Sunshine Aquarium does this dynamic display, where you can see jellyfish across one big tank, and it was just breathtaking.
Taking that first step toward her dream of joining the Love Live! cast
I wore a Keke-chan T-shirt,
carried Keke-chan merch as a good-luck charm,
and above all, I gave it everything I had so I wouldn't leave any regrets.
―Could you start by telling us what made you want to try out for the audition?
Sakura: Back in elementary school, I watched the TV anime "Love Live!", fell in love with μ's, and ever since then, I've been holding onto this dream of "someday I want to be a Love Live! cast member too!" I've been following "Love Live! Superstar!!" too, ever since Season 1 of the anime, and when I saw the announcement about the 3rd gen audition being held after Season 2 wrapped up, I made up my mind to apply right away. I'd passed on the 1st gen audition, and I'd been telling myself that the next time a chance came around, I'd absolutely apply, so there was no hesitation. Only, after I've applied, I suddenly got nervous, like "…am I gonna be okay?" (laughs).
―What was your mindset going into the audition?
Sakura: I was honestly just a completely ordinary high schooler with no experience in dance, singing, or acting whatsoever, so I didn't have a single thing I could be proud of on the technical side. And while I was hearing things like how other auditionees already had a track record at that stage, the only thing I could really sell about myself was that I loved Liella! more than anyone and had loved the Love Live! series ever since elementary school. So, determined to go all out and hit them with all that love, I wore a Keke-chan T-shirt, brought Keke-chan merch as a good-luck charm, and above all, gave it my all so I wouldn't leave any regrets.
―How did you receive the notification that you'd passed the audition?
Sakura: Quite a bit of time passed between the final round and getting the acceptance notification, actually. And I remembered reading somewhere that when Sayurin (Date Sayuri) passed, her notification came really quickly, so I figured I'd been rejected and started preparing for university. And right then, an email saying "You passed" arrived, and in that moment, I wanted to shout for joy at the top of my lungs, but I happened to be on a train. There were people around me, so I remember savoring the joy quietly all the way home (laughs).
―Tell us your impression of Onitsuka Tomari's character design when you first saw her.
Sakura: I first saw her after I had been told I passed, but not right away. It was when I first met Yuina and everyone else for the introduction meeting that they showed us Tomari's design. She was ridiculously cute, and I was so happy that I would be voicing such a cute girl, and when I thought about all the different expressions and outfits I got to see from here on, I was just brimming with excitement.
Sakura: At the same time, my hair was short back then, about bob length, and I've been thinking twin tails didn't really suit me, which had become a bit of a hang-up for me, so I also got worried like, "am I really gonna be okay [in this role]?" But once my hair grew out and I started being able to pull off Tomari-style hairstyles, the fans cheering me on would tell me "It really suits you, you're so cute!", and after that the feeling that 'it didn't suit me' started to fade.
―When did you find out about the name "Onitsuka Tomari"?
Sakura: That was before I saw the design. At that point they didn't tell me she was Natsumi-chan's little sister, but I went, "Onitsuka? …Oh, so that's how it is!" (laughs). Aqours does have the Kurosawa sisters, but Liella! didn't have a sister pair yet, I realized. And honestly, the idea that Natsumi-chan, who gives off more of a little-sister vibe herself, was getting a younger sister!? That part shocked me just as much.
―What was going through your mind when you first met the Liella! 1st and 2nd gen members?
Sakura: I remember that day so clearly. Yuina and I walked into the room where the 1st and 2nd gen members were waiting, but emotionally, I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that the 9 people that I saw on stage and me from the audience were suddenly in the same room, to the point where I could barely even look them in the face (laughs). Everyone was just shining so brightly, I started getting anxious like, "can I really fit in among them?" But from that very first day they were all so kind, telling me "let us know if anything comes up," and before I knew it the anxiety was gone.
―You've been co-hosting "What a Wonderful Radio!! ☆☆☆" together for about half a year now, and as fellow 3rd gen members, I imagine you and Yuina-san spend a lot of time together. What kind of presence is she for you?
Sakura: With those gorgeous looks of hers, my first impression was, "She must be the sharp, no-nonsense type with a strong personality, doesn't she?" But she wasn't like that at all. She's kind and funny, and from the very first time we met, she's been the one to come up and talk to me. I'm the type who's happier when the other person reaches out first, so Yuina's go-getter energy and her bright, pun-loving cheer have helped me out so many times.
Wrestling with my first voice recording while finding her character by feel
―Tell us your impressions of reading her lines for the first time.
Sakura: The first time I read lines in front of a mic was for Tomari's self-introduction video. She mixes in English words like "commit" and "synergy," her sentence endings are pretty crisp, and she uses words I'd never said in my entire life, so I really had to work at it before I got a handle on her way of speaking and her intonation.
―And then came Episode 1 of TV anime Season 3. What was your mindset going into that performance?
Sakura: She only appears briefly at the very end, says "I understand," and that's it, but it came out so awkward (laughs). Voice recording itself was already a first for me, I'd just joined my beloved Liella!, and on top of that I had everyone watching me as I voiced the lines, so I got way too nervous and my delivery came out really stiff. I'm so embarrassed I still can't bring myself to rewatch that scene.
―There was about a year and a half between the audition and the start of TV anime Season 3, and during that time you had chances to perform as Tomari at lives and so on. How did you build up her character?
Sakura: The Episode 1 recording came pretty early on, but after that there were gaps, so it felt like I was gradually deepening my understanding of Tomari by reading the scripts I'd been given. Of course, the script is just text, so I didn't actually know what expressions she'd talk, dance, or sing with, which made performing her at lives difficult, and I was always struggling with it.
―Has anything inside you changed between before and after meeting Onitsuka Tomari?
Sakura: Back in middle school and high school I loved lazing around, totally in the "how do I take the easy way out" mindset, putting off things I needed to do, and whenever I had free time I'd just be lounging around, *all floppy and limp. But now, if I have time I think about doing something that builds my skills, and since I'm not great at dance, I work hard at lessons and rewatch my own videos to study what I'm missing. I hadn't really thought about it before, but I think I'm growing little by little.
TL Note: Saku use the ふにゃふにゃ (funya-funya), Japanese mimetic word for going completely soft and limp. The classic image is a cat going boneless when picked up.
―Walking step-by-step alongside Onitsuka Tomari, have there been any turning points or realizations along the way?
Sakura: Definitely understanding the events of her past was the big one. She loves her big sister so much, but I'd always been wondering, "Why is she so cold to her?", and when I learned, "Oh, there's this past, and it's because she loves her that she takes that attitude!", all these different feelings about Tomari started coming up. I realized that even a perfectionist like her has her vulnerable spots. So you could call Episode 8 of Season 3, when she reconciled with her big sister, the turning point, and it was also the moment I came to find Tomari even more dear to me.
―Did you and Emori Aya-san have any discussions about the performance before recording Episode 8?
Sakura: We didn't really sit down and work out the fine details, but I think we were able to perform off each other's feelings. Aya-chan (Emori) and I have been close all along, and we'd been saying, "I really want Natsumi and Tomari to reconcile already," so I remember after the Episode 8 recording wrapped, the two of us celebrated, going, "Finally! Now we're close in the story too!"
―Tomari's vibe changed between before and after Episode 8. Was there anything you consciously shifted or kept in mind in your performance?
Sakura: My natural voice is on the higher side, so before she reconciled with her big sister, I tried to keep my voice as low as I could, and I performed her flatly and coolly, doing my best to keep any big emotions out of it. After the reconciliation, her playful scenes started increasing too, so to let the warmth come through, I gradually softened how I expressed her.
―What episodes or scenes from TV anime Season 3 stand out most in your mind?
Sakura: Episode 8 is one I can't leave out. Reconciling with her big sister, singing "Dazzling Game"… it's packed with so much, and it really stands out. Then there's Episode 11, the scene where Tomari is the one inviting Margarete-chan with "Won't you stay in Liella!?", and Episode 12 where she gets a ribbon from Kanon-chan. Lots come to mind (laughs).
―Episode 4 also had a lot of highlights, with the Onitsuka sisters as young children appearing and their past being revealed, and finding out their family home is in Ushiku City.
Sakura: I tend to find acting as younger kids easier, and the kind of cheerful, innocent performance with a slightly higher voice, so the Episode 4 recording was so much fun. I watched the TV broadcast while following everyone's reactions on social media, and when it came out that the family home was in Ushiku, there were people posting things like "Ushiku!?" and "That's my hometown!", and all the responses made me really happy.
―What was your mindset when playing the scene where she tells Shibuya Kanon to give her the ribbon?
Sakura: Finding out she has that proactive side made me so happy, and since I'm such a sucker for the moments when Tomari blushes, I was thinking, "Show me more of that side!" (laughs). I was happy she showed a pretty big blushing face right at the very end. Honestly, Sayurin has always been someone I look up to, so what Tomari feels for Kanon-senpai and what I feel for Sayurin felt linked in that moment, and it felt less like acting and more like I was just saying my own honest feelings out loud.
―I imagine you watched Seasons 1 and 2 of the TV anime as a viewer. From a viewer's perspective, do you have any favorite scenes?
Sakura: Whoa, there are so many it's hard to pick (laughs). But if I had to pick one, it'd be Keke-chan's "Is there really an 'end' to working hard at what you love!?" scene. That line and that scene are among my top favorites in the whole show. Everything for Kanon-chan started from that moment, and that's when Liella! started moving forward. If Keke-chan hadn't given Kanon-chan that push, I don't think the future where Liella! grows into 11 members would have happened. I myself have been pushed and supported by those words so many times, and they've helped me keep going.
―Looking back at the TV anime overall, what kind of girl is Tomari?
Sakura: I should know her best since I've been playing her this whole time, but even so, unpredictable lines still pop out of her, she's a mysterious girl. Even now, I still pretty often find myself thinking, "Oh, so that's how she thinks about it." Cute, stylish, cool; she's got it all packed in, and the thought of a high schooler like her existing in real life is honestly almost too much (laughs). But within all that responsibility she carries, there's this cute little-sister side too, and while she's not the type to push forward herself, it's not like she dislikes connecting with people either, I find those parts of her cute as well.
First recording, first live: bringing out Tomari's signature self
―Tell us any memories from your first (song) recording.
Sakura: My first one was the 4th Live's theme song "Jump Into the New World," and it's one of the most difficult songs I've recorded to this day. On top of that, going into the booth, putting on headphones in front of the mic, and singing in Tomari's voice were all firsts for me, so it was really hard, and I remember struggling with it a lot.
―Is there anything you keep in mind during recording, or any routine you do every time?
Sakura: My vocal ability isn't high yet, I still don't have the technique, and I have less experience than anyone, but I can't lean on that as an excuse, so I make sure to prepare properly. I write everything down in my lyric sheet: breath positions, accents, the parts I need to sing with extra attention, and I go in fully prepped. But getting Tomari's energy level when she sings is something I always struggle with.
Sakura: Too high and it becomes me instead of Tomari; too low and it drifts away from the song's image, especially with an upbeat number. Bringing my vocal ability to where I picture it should be is still hard, and I'm still struggling with it, but I'm trying to get used to it bit by bit, challenging myself each time I sing.
―Tell us your impressions and memories from your first appearance in front of everyone as Onitsuka Tomari.
Sakura: My first time stepping onto the stage was at the 4th Live Tour's Chiba show, the <KALEIDOSCORE edition>, and I was incredibly nervous. But looking back now, the fact that, in a venue that big with that many people there, me, someone who've been a regular high schooler not that long before, managed to get up on that stage with such short preparation, I have to admit that's pretty incredible (laughs). People often tell me I have nerves of steel, but really, I want to give my past self a pat on the back for that one.
Sakura: Of the songs we performed, "Watashi no Symphony" is one I absolutely love, so getting to sing it with all 11 of us moved me deeply. And "UNIVERSE!!" has a part where we all gather in a circle and sing, and the audience sang along too, the space turned into something so wonderful I'll probably never forget it for the rest of my life.
―Is there anything you keep in mind or have set rules about for lives?
Sakura: If I let my guard down, I space out, become boneless Sakakura Sakura--all floppy and limp, and drift toward the easy way out, so I tell myself, "Right now, I'm Tomari!" and try to stay conscious of that crisp, sharp bearing that is so Tomari.
―For solos, you sing "dolce" and "Wild Card." Is there anything you pay attention to when singing alone?
Sakura: Songs sung with multiple people have part assignments, so there's that mindset of completing it together, but with a solo you're building the whole thing yourself, so the level of nerves is just different. On the flip side, there's also freedom in it, so I try to enjoy that nervous feeling too while I perform.
―You're also active in the group 5yncri5e! How do you approach that one?
Sakura: 5yncri5e! is a unit where one of its appeals is dance, so I go into it with a "got to work even harder!" mindset. I'm not great at dance myself, but Tomari is a girl who can do it, so I always have this feeling of wanting to get even a little closer to her.
―Could you tell us your favorite songs, or any that you especially love?
Sakura: "Dazzling Game" is genuinely cool, and it's also the song that sparked Liella!'s growth into 11 members, so I love it. "Bubble Rise" is another one that really stands out for me, because it was the song Tomari first sang on stage as part of the unit TomaKanoTe. And "11th moon," which I sang as a duo with Margarete-chan, is also a song I love. Lately, I'm absolutely obsessed with the 7th Live theme song (OPEN THE G☆TE!!!). It let me reaffirm my feeling that "I love Love Live! so much," and I think it'll be an important song for me going forward too.
A song where everyone in the venue can sing along,
the kind that gets the whole crowd hyped up,
And I'd be happy if there were
special cute outfits to go with it.
Feeling Tomari's presence within her, running toward new dreams!
―How are you facing Onitsuka Tomari now?
Sakura: At first I had this anxiety like, "Can someone as opposite as me really play someone as reliable as Tomari? Are the fans supporting us going to actually accept it?" But, gratefully, everyone welcomed me so warmly, I came to love Tomari deeply, and bit by bit I've been able to gain confidence in myself too. Now I feel Tomari's presence inside me to the point that it's like we're two people becoming one.
―Going forward, what would you like to challenge as Onitsuka Tomari?
Sakura: I've always had this dream of Tomari getting to stand at center for a Liella! (group) song. It's not that I want to be at center myself; it's that I want everyone to see Tomari standing there. I want to keep working hard so I can make that goal come true.
―As Onitsuka Sisters, you were appointed as the first Ushiku Promotional Ambassadors. How do you feel about it?
Sakura: I feel really honored, and I'm so incredibly happy! I'm from Saitama Prefecture, but it's a region with a similar atmosphere to Ushiku City, so it really gives me a sense of comfort, like being back at my family home. I want to help make it a place where the people living in Ushiku and the people who come to visit can always feel at ease, so I hope to liven things up together with the city and keep this connection going for a long time.
―It seems like you and Emori-san are putting together some kind of plan as part of your Ushiku Promotional Ambassador activities…?
Sakura: Aya-chan and I have been saying things like, "It would be fun if we could help out on the production side. And if a sisters' song got made, we'd love to perform it at a Ushiku live or the summer festival!" We're aiming to make it happen as one of our challenges to take on.
―Is there anything you'd like to try with Liella! going forward?
Sakura: I really wish Liella! had a song like AiScReam's "Ai♡Scream!" or Nijigasaki High School Idol Club's "Ryouran! Victory Road," the kind with spoken lines in the lyrics, where the whole venue can sing along and get hyped up together. I'd also be happy if there were special cute outfits to go with it.
―Lastly, please give a message to everyone who loves Onitsuka Tomari and supports her.
Sakura: Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for always supporting Onitsuka Tomari-chan. Back when I debuted, I was carrying these huge anxieties: "Will I really be able to deliver Tomari's appeal? Stepping into a Liella! where the other 10 members are already so full of personality, will I even get the chance to be liked?" But now I could tell that past self, "You don't need to worry!", because everyone has been sending me love almost every day through social media and letters, and my heart is just full of gratitude. I want to keep working toward my goals together with Tomari from here on out, so it would make me really happy if you could keep cheering me on warmly. Thank you so much!
To Tomari-chan,
Meeting you changed my life, Tomari.
Thanks to you, I get to have so many wonderful experiences.
I can give my best even at things I'm not good at.
And I've gotten to meet all these kind, beloved people who cheer you on.
Thank you so much for always giving me more happiness than I can hold.
I love love loveee~ everything about you!!
Let's keep making all kinds of dreams come true together, just the two of us 🥰❤️
From the one who loves you most in the whole world,
Sakakura Sakura
One thing that I have always loved is the symbolic meaning of Amu being able to transform with other people's shugo chara.
Because:
It shows that Amu is so empathetic that she understands that part of the original bearer's heart to the point she can transform with their shugo chara. Yes in the series, she only transforms with Utau's, however Peach Pit included these possibilities so I can't help but wonder if it could've been part of the series. I love it because it also reflects so much of Amu's character and her own struggle of being understood beyond her appearance. For example, Yoru is not just a cat, Yoru is Ikuto's dream of freedom. Kiseki is Tadase's dream of being able to protect other's like a good king. El is Utau's dream of moving others' hearts with her song. This shows how Amu is capable of digging deeper from others' impression and wishes someone is willing to do the same for her back (I will get back to this point).
Every time she transforms with someone else's Shugo Chara, it is a tamer version of the original bearer's. She looks so much more like the shugo chara rather than an impressive version of her + the shugo chara. Why? Because Black Lynx, Lunatic Charm, and Yamato Maihime feel like an amplified version of the original bearer. AND I LOVE THAT! It emphasizes that these shugo chara are truly who the characters want to be, thus is a amplified version of the bearers. From S to SSS, Gold to platinum, etc. Hence the idea that you are great, and have the potential to be excellent. AND that it is your own individual dream that will make you great because it's yours.
It's why Dark Jewel looks cool, but IS NOT Utau's best form. Yes, she looks amazing, but certain elements of her transformation feel corporate.
This goes back to Amu's own transformations. Because she has so many Shugo chara, yet they are not her SSS forms. I know a lot of people associate Amu with Amulet Heart for so many reasons. Some because it was her first Shugo Chara, some because she was commercialized more with the normal "pink" main magical girl. Or they may argue that Dia is her SSS form, which is understandable given the entire arc of her believing in herself. BUT when I look at Amu's form of cheerleader and idol, I don't see it as Amu following down those paths as an adult. Same with Su being a pastry chef or homemaker. Individually, I think Amulet Spade has always most aligned with Amu, hence why she transforms with Miki the least.
I think there is a bit of consensus that we all thought about how COOL Amu looked as Amulet Spade. Emphasizing a very unique style that we can see Amu wearing outside of her transformations. This also aligns really well with Amu and fashion as an expression of herself.
Even the original voice actress of Miki (Nanae Kato) believed that Miki was the most like Amu.
The reason why I say individually, is because we know that Amu's true SSS form is Amulet Fortune. With all parts of herself being loved and accepted by someone who looks past impressions as well.
Which is also her best form that brings out Amu's best features as well.
Liella! Magazine - CAST LONG INTERVIEW with Yuina as Wien Margarete, and her message to Margarete.
[This was part of Liella Magazine - Wien Margarete Edition]
The thing Margarete-chan and I have most in common is being big eaters, so in the Salzburger Nockerl shots, I think you'll see a lot of my natural expressions.
Tasting the Salzburger Nockerl that Margarete also made by hand!
―We hear you got to eat the "Salzburger Nockerl" that Margarete also made in this shoot.
Yuina: Yes, it was super delicious! Actually, the restaurant where we shot, I'd been there before. When I passed the audition for "Love Live! Superstar!!", my agency took me there to celebrate. We were looking for a place tied to Margarete-chan, somewhere with Viennese food, and this restaurant came up. But back then, I had no idea what Salzburger Nockerl even was, so this was actually my first time eating it. It was so good, it blew me away〜! The aroma was like pancakes. It's a dessert made from meringue, and I had it fresh out of the oven, all fluffy, so I polished it off in no time.
Yuina: I really love the scene in the TV anime where the Salzburger Nockerl shows up. Around that time, Margarete-chan still hadn't quite found her place in Liella!, but in her exchanges with Aria-chan (Shibuya Aria), you get to see the real Margarete-chan. She couldn't talk easily with the Liella! members yet, but she was chatting normally with Aria-chan, probably precisely because there's no group or rivalry dynamic between them.
Yuina: Oh, and I also got to play with butterflies (laughs). Lately, in real life too, I feel like I've been getting chased by butterflies more often. Ever since meeting Margarete-chan, I've been buying more butterfly trinkets and accessories, but even around town, real butterflies come after me sometimes. And I've been spotting more black-and-blue butterflies, too, so maybe it's Margarete's power.
―Maybe you've got her aura on you now (laughs). You also did a shoot holding a violin, right?
Yuina: I'd never played or even touched a violin before, so I was super nervous. Instruments are delicate, so I kept thinking maybe there were parts I shouldn't touch, and I was completely stiff. But they taught me carefully, and I somehow made it through the shoot. Holding the bow was especially hard. You hold it in a "fox hand" shape, supporting it without applying force, but just holding it was something I couldn't do at all, and my fingers almost cramped (laughs).
Yuina: When I first picked it up, it felt lighter than I expected, but holding it for a while, my arm started hurting to the point I could feel muscle soreness coming on. People who play the violin are amazing! This is Margarete-chan's special skill. It's so cool, and it kind of made me want to try it too! Now I can clearly picture her doing it ever since she was little. She must have grown up in a wonderful family, always surrounded by music.
―Out of all of them, which is your favorite photo?
Yuina: The violin shot I struggled with is one, but I'd say it's the Salzburger Nockerl shot, because big-eater Margarete-chan's smile in TV anime Season 3 was so memorable. Meringue deflates quickly, so it was like "we have to shoot within a minute!" I was sitting at the table about four minutes early, running simulations in my head while I waited. But what showed up in front of me was even bigger and more delicious-looking than I'd imagined, so I was barely paying attention to the camera at that point (laughs). The thing Margarete-chan and I have most in common is being big eaters, so I think you'll see a lot of my natural expressions in there. Margarete-chan is always cool, but when food's in front of her, even when she's with the other members, she breaks into this really innocent smile. Please pay attention to that side of her!
―There's a comic in this issue featuring Margarete as the main character, with a theme that you came up with, Yuina. Could you tell us why you went with this content?
Yuina: Margarete-chan has long hair, so I wanted to see her in lots of different hair arrangements. In the TV anime and on merchandise, she's basically always got long hair, so there aren't many hairstyle changes. I wanted to meet a Margarete-chan with new hairstyles, so I went with a hair change challenge. Plus, if they're drawing her hairstyles, her face will be drawn bigger too! I love all the different expressions Margarete-chan shows, like when she's angry, crying, or laughing, so I thought I could see those at the same time. I feel like we'll get to see a new Margarete-chan, so I can't wait for the finished version!
I never had the confidence to say "I'm absolutely number one," so being able to say that is really cool.
I just had to play this girl! The audition she went into with conviction
―Let's go back to the very beginning, when Margarete and you, Yuina, meet for the first time. Do you remember when you got the call that you'd passed the audition?
Yuina: I remember! I was home alone when I got the call with the result. The thing is, in moments like that, even though I'm super happy inside, I ended up swallowing the joy of being chosen and answering the phone calmly, going "yes, thank you so much…" After I hung up, that's when it all really hit me. I wanted to tell someone how happy I was, but there was no one home, so I was just jumping around by myself. But the news hadn't been officially announced yet, so I was also trying to stay as calm as possible, going "calm down, calm down…!" (laughs).
―What was your first impression of Margarete?
Yuina: Honestly~ I was just like "wow, her visuals are amazing…" (laughs). When they first showed me an illustration with her lined up alongside the Liella! members, she caught my eye instantly. I was thinking "this girl is so cute," and then they told me "this is the role you're auditioning for." The moment I heard that, this feeling came welling up: "There's no way I'm not winning this role! I absolutely have to be the one to play her!" She's that much my type!! And then when I got the lines, I thought "oh, she really doesn't hold back" (laughs). But she had a cool look visually too, so my impression didn't really change. I felt like she gave off the kind of cool I felt the Love Live! series hadn't had before.
Yuina: The thing is, the line near the end of the audition was "fluffy pancakes are delicious!" They told me to "try doing it really cutely." I didn't even know how to project my voice as a voice actor yet, but I figured I'd just use my natural voice and try to make it cute, so I gave it a shot. So because I knew she had this side to her, I never thought from the start that she was cold inside or genuinely harsh at heart. I was sure she had a kind side, and that her sharp words came from how strong her feelings were. That's the mindset I approached her with in the beginning.
―Are there any ways you feel you and Margarete are alike?
Yuina: There are times when I think our ways of thinking might actually be pretty similar. Like, the core underneath is the same, but how it comes out on the surface is different. Somehow it feels like I'm looking at my past self. I had that "wanting to act cool, wanting to be the cool version of myself in front of others, wanting to seem dignified" feeling too. The part where I want to take things innocently, where I want to be honest about feelings like "I love this! This is fun!", but there's also a part that suppresses emotion precisely because I want to be a grown-up. I feel like that's something we share.
Yuina: Another similarity is hating to lose. I never want to lose at anything either, no matter what. Even at trivial little games. I feel like Margarete-chan and I are competing right now over which of us hates losing more (laughs). On the flip side, there's one place where we differ that I really envy her for: even when there's a result I refuse to accept, I can't say so out loud. I never had the confidence to say "I'm absolutely number one," so being able to say that is really cool. Saying "I won't accept it" is about more than just being unable to come to terms with the result. It comes from everything she's built up, everything she's done, and that lets her give herself credit for her own efforts. That's where those words come from. That kind of "I've done so much" confidence is something I never had myself, so I'm always thinking how enviable, how cool that is.
Yuina: Even in conversations with the other members, she can hold her own opinion and state it clearly, saying things like "I think we should do this" or "I don't think I should be the one to do this." I really respect that too. Her words being backed by effort gives her this strong center as a person, and that's really cool.
―Did you feel any pressure or hurdles in becoming a Love Live! voice actor, and in playing Margarete, who's also a rival standing in the protagonist's way?
Yuina: Of course, there was, but the "I want to pass" feeling was so much stronger. It was a "no time to mope, just practice!" kind of mood, and that's how I was working through the audition's set pieces. At the time, I also had stage performances going on, so I didn't have much time to spare, and I had to finish things in the gaps and late at night. Rather than worrying like "Will I be OK?" I was going at it with the spirit of "I just have to do this!"
Yuina: I'd touched on dance a little when I was younger, done some acting, sung in a band, nothing major in any of them, but I had at least dipped into each one. And I thought the Love Live! series was the place where you could do all of those at once. "What a dream-filled world this is. I absolutely want to do this, so for now, let me just hold on to that 'just gotta do it' mindset." That's what I kept in mind as I worked. If anything, the practice that came after I passed, when it was time to actually stand on stage, was harder.
―In the beginning, you were performing solo, right?
Yuina: Once I was cast as Margarete, I started watching the Love Live! series more than ever. I also got to go see a live with the 1st gen members, and when I saw everyone there cheering for Liella!, I started feeling anxious, thinking "standing alone in front of this many people, what's going to happen to me…" Margarete-chan is a third-year middle schooler and a genius, while I'd only done dance as a hobby back in elementary school. In my lessons at the time, lots of things I couldn't do started showing up, and I couldn't dance with the full confidence I had during the audition. I got stuck in my own head. But after I shifted my thinking back to "just gotta do it," I just kept singing and dancing to "Butterfly Wing" and "Edelstein" over and over.
Yuina: I think Margarete-chan is also a "just gets on with it" kind of girl, so I figured it'd be faster to move my body and connect the singing and dancing than to overthink things. I went to the studio every day, did self-practice, and built up my confidence. I wanted to absorb how Margarete-chan builds confidence, so while borrowing that quality from her, I just kept practicing, believing that composure comes from however much you put in. Actually, I get so nervous that I start shaking the moment I begin dancing. At the time of TV anime Season 2, Margarete-chan as a character hadn't been deeply explored yet, so she was a mystery to everyone, and to me. So I tried to find hints about her in the song lyrics, and I think a big part of how I approached her was the time I spent reading "What kind of girl is she?" But when you look at the lyrics, it's actually pretty clear.
Yuina: Like in "Butterfly Wing," there's that line, "the more you have someone to fight, the more your heart is gently polished and starts to shine." Exactly! I really resonated with those lyrics. If I say "enemy," Kanon-chan will get mad at me (laughs), but having someone to face off against makes you stronger. I feel like through friendly competition, I can shine too. So there was a part that really linked up. When I stood on stage for my solo, I was alone, too. Compared to now, there was an overwhelming distance between the Liella! members and me, so I shared Margarete-chan's feelings. I couldn't really go to Liella! for advice, and the Liella! members each had their own feelings to work through about Margarete-chan, so I figured I absolutely had to handle this on my own. Back then, I really felt like I was "spending every day with Margarete-chan."
―It's already been 3 years since you took on the Margarete role. Have you noticed any changes within yourself, Yuina, in things like your expression style?
Yuina: When I was doing it alone, I was desperate. I had inner conflicts like "how am I being seen?" and "I have to look dignified." But once we became 11, mistakes turned into collective responsibility, so maybe that kind of pressure has shifted now. With solo songs, the song itself has its own personality, and I think there's a color that naturally comes with it. Precisely because Liella!'s 11 members have such rich personalities, I really struggle with how to bring out Margarete-chan's good qualities.
Yuina: The songs suddenly got bright, so with songs like "Killer Kyun☆," I really wonder, "how do I do this?!" (laughs). When I was thinking things like "I want to bring out a cool side that doesn't tilt too far into fun," in the beginning, I'd get lost in "which is the right answer? Which is best?" But now, on the contrary, I've come to think "whatever I do is the right answer!" I found what I wanted to do, and after thinking about how to present it, I realized that what comes out on stage is the right answer I can give right now.
Yuina: So I've started telling myself not to overthink things in the actual performance. On regular days, I think when it's time to think. On stage, I just go with what I feel. If I'm happy, I laugh; if I want to do something, I do it. That's how I'm doing it. Songs completely different from Margarete-chan's solo songs broaden the possibilities for me, and I love both so much I couldn't pick just one!
How self-conscious, easily nervous Yuina found her own confidence.
―Do you remember your first recording session for the TV anime?
Yuina: It was my first time doing a voice recording, and I was so nervous my throat went dry. Things weren't going the way I wanted, and I was just like "oh no!" When you act on stage, you memorize the script, but with voice recording, you act while holding the script, so it took time for my body to get used to putting emotion in while reading. I didn't have many lines either. At first, I was only saying "Shibuya Kanon!", so acting cold and showing no emotional ups and downs was hard too. I'm pretty much the type whose emotions just come out on my face… And on top of that, I simply had zero confidence in my acting, and I was just thinking, "What do I do?"
―Were there things about the acting that worried you?
Yuina: When I was a kid, the lessons I went to had this exercise where kids who raised their hand and got called on would go up to the front and speak. But I was the only one who couldn't raise my hand even once in that whole year. I'd always think "next time, I'll definitely raise it," but I just couldn't. That's how much, from the start, I was the kind of person who'd shut down in front of others. Since I'm the type who really minds what others think, I end up thinking about things I don't need to be thinking about, like "what if I do this and they think I'm weird?" So I got nervous during the recording, too. On top of that, all the 1st-gen members were there together for my first recording session. I can say this now, but at the time, I still hadn't really talked with them, so having them watching me quietly was scary, so scary…!
Yuina: Looking back now, being quietly watched during a recording is just normal. But I was panicking, and since it was my first time, I had to redo things multiple times. I was making them wait, and I was so anxious I wanted to say, "Please put me last (crying)." I gradually got used to it, but I was nervous for a long time after. Starting with TV anime Season 3, my dialogue increased compared to Season 2, and I could put more emotion in, but I'd start overthinking again, like "I want to go all out, but Margarete-chan would be more held back than that…" There were still plenty of moments where I was nervous. By the way, there's a behind-the-scenes story about this…!
―Please do tell us (laughs).
Yuina: Margarete-chan was often looking down at people from high places, like on top of stairs or on top of a slide. So I wore the tallest platform shoes I owned that didn't make sound when I walked, and I did the recording from a slightly higher spot than everyone else. In TV anime Season 2, I was wearing them the whole time! I figured I'd get into character through the look (laughs).
When I first joined Liella!, there was a time when I was off on this "journey to find the right answer." But now, on the contrary, I've come to think "whatever I do is the right answer!"
―So you were building up the feeling from the look. We'd also like to ask about the (song) recording. How was it for you?
Yuina: Recording started with "Butterfly Wing"… but all I keep saying is "whoa〜 I'm so nervous!", so right now I'm trying to find other words to use (laughs). But really, the nerves were intense. I had sung at the audition too, but performing a song that had been given to me for an audience was a first for me. And precisely because I have this love for Margarete-chan, I ended up thinking again, "what if they're thinking 'this isn't good enough'?" Since recording is the kind of thing where you build up the song with direction in the moment, I didn't really need to be overthinking before it even started. But back then, I might have been convinced that "everything gets decided in recording." My singing was going to lock in what Margarete-chan's voice sounded like, and it would become an audio recording many people would listen to, so I had to do it right…
Yuina: But the lyrics resonated with me in so many ways, so getting my feelings into the song was never an issue. If anything, the emotional connection was the one thing I had completely internalized, so I just put those feelings straight into the song as they were. And since it's "Butterfly Wing," I could sing it like I was already flying. That first recording was just the beginning. These days, I've come to really enjoy recording. Through my time in Liella!, I realized that "fun" isn't something you can make happen by thinking about it. So I think if I just trust in everything I've built up so far and sing, the fun will come across. The emotions in a singing voice can only come from me, so I want to throw everything I'm feeling right now into the microphone with all my might, and let it reach everyone who's listening. That's why now, it feels so refreshing when I do it.
Margarete-chan… do you love her? How much do you love her? I'm absolutely confident my love for Margarete is just as strong as any of yours!!
―What does Margarete feel like to you now, Yuina?
Yuina: It's like we're "back to back." There's a wish to be like that too, but instead of one pulling and the other being pulled, I want us to move forward together. Because we're "the same." It's not that we're competing, but there are parts of me that grow from watching Margarete-chan and resolving to push harder, so I want her to feel that way when she looks at me too. I want us to keep going like that, two rivals who hate to lose. In the beginning, I was often the one being pulled along, but now I want to think "we're together!"
―So going forward, are there any challenges or ambitions you have as Margarete?
Yuina: Skydiving. I've been saying for ages that I want to fly through the sky. That's because I have to prove that "you can fly even without wings"…! So I'd love to do the scene from the opening dance of "Butterfly Wing," the one where she leaps off a swing and lands, from up in the sky! I want to make my song echo across the big sky, and I want to feel the earth as Margarete (laughs).
Yuina: I'm also the type who wants to climb up whenever there's a high spot somewhere, so loving high places is another thing we have in common. Aside from that, I just want to fly during live performances too! At first, I was thinking, "how do they handle the entrance for 'Butterfly Wing'? Should I practice front-flips?" By the way, I figured back-flips might be a lower hurdle than front-flips, so I actually went to a back-flip class twice. With a spotter, I can actually do one now. I really do want to fly during a live performance. Talking about it now is making me really want to do it!
―We'd love to see that someday. Is there anything you'd like to do as Liella!?
Yuina: What I've been talking about for a long time is a school festival. Everyone putting on performances together, having exhibits for each member, setting up booths showcasing each person's special skills. For Margarete-chan, it'd be sweet-making. We've got Yuigao too, and we could sing in the gym, do unit performances… I think it would absolutely be a blast! My high school festival actually got cancelled by typhoons twice, so I really have this feeling of wanting to do one again.
―And finally, could you give a message to everyone who's been supporting Margarete?
Yuina: Everyone, thank you so much for reading this far!
Margarete-chan… do you love her? How much do you love her? I'm absolutely confident my love for Margarete is just as strong as any of yours!! Because all of you are supporting Margarete-chan, I'm able to think deeply about things like "what kind of Margarete-chan I want to see, how I want to express her." Truly, every day I feel that it's all thanks to you. When you all say things like "I love Margarete-chan" or "I'm so happy to see her having fun!", it's something I couldn't have imagined back in the early days. So it makes me so happy I could actually cry.
Yuina: I watch her thinking I want her to be even happier, and I want people to know more of the kind sides of her that still aren't widely known, and the cute, bashful sides too. I want to keep giving everything I have so I can help with that going forward. Thank you so much, always! Please keep showering Margarete-chan with lots of love from here on too! I'm sure you all know this already, but even though Margarete-chan plays it cool, I think she's actually getting all shy and happy about it~!
To Margarete-chan,
Meeting you, Margarete-chan, turned my life around a full 180.
Every day being this fun, and me smiling so much more, it's all thanks to you, Margarete-chan.
Your angry faces, your cute faces, even when you're being selfish, you're so precious I just want to hug you tight!!
Ugh, I just love every bit of you!!
Sorry for loving you too much… (laughs). But this is the only time I really get to tell you properly.
Thank you so much, always.
Whatever walls we face, let's climb over them and make your dream come true together, Margarete-chan!
Let's keep going from here too!!
Liella! Magazine - CAST LONG INTERVIEW with Emori Aya as Onitsuka Natsumi, and her message to Natsumi.
[This was part of Liella Magazine - Onitsuka Natsumi Edition]
"I wanted you to see the natural Natsumi, the side she only shows to people close to her, not the "OniNatsu" Onitsuka Natsumi we usually see."
Trying out the LTuber life! Watch for those "Oni Natsu" expressions too
―This gravure has so many different settings, indoor and outdoor, and it's packed with shots that feel so Natsumi!
Emorin: We shot in two setups, a Western-style room and a Japanese-style room based on Natsumi's family home! When I heard a Natsumi book was coming out, I told them right away that we absolutely had to include scenes of her doing video streams. I wanted to see her relaxing somewhere that felt like home, but I also wanted to see her in a *yume-kawaii kind of setting, and I couldn't pick…! While I was going back and forth, it just kept piling up (laughs).
T/N: yume-kawaii (夢かわいい, "dream cute"): a Japanese aesthetic featuring pastel palettes, soft dreamy atmospheres, and whimsical/fairy-tale motifs. Often used to describe fashion, illustrations, or photo settings with that hazy, magical quality.
Emorin: In the Western-style room, the setup was her actually rolling cameras and recording video as an LTuber. There are shots of her making her favorite smoothie, and her working on thumbnail edits too. I've never done video editing myself, but it was so much fun getting a real feel for what Natsumi actually does! And the park shots weren't even in the original plan, but the staff hunted down a spot for us, so at the last minute we got to shoot at a park with the giraffe playground equipment Natsumi loves. You can really picture her playing outside without a care, so I think they turned out to be great shots!
―There's also a comic featured in the magazine with Natsumi as the lead. We hear you suggested the content yourself.
Emorin: Since this is a book that people who love Natsumi are buying, I wanted them to see the natural Natsumi, the side she only shows to people close to her, not the "Oni Natsu" Onitsuka Natsumi we usually see. I requested something like child Natsumi, the original Natsumi without "desu no" tagged onto the end of her sentences. I also wanted to see the 2nd years having a pajama party, so the comic ended up packed with everything I could've asked for!
―So the pajama party was your idea too!
Emorin: Matching pajamas, eating snacks, watching movies, playing games… I saw social media posts of girls all having a lively party like that and went, "So cute! I want to see this with the 2nd years!"…! There've been pictures of them in loose loungewear-ish clothes, but I hadn't really seen them in actual pajamas, so I'm so happy! I almost want to go there myself and take the photos! I also love the part at the end where Tomari-chan is smiling in the room saying, "I'm glad."
Emorin: I think the Natsumi we see in this scene is the side she normally shows around Tomari-chan. So having Tomari watch her big sister letting her real self show in front of her friends, and feeling "I'm glad" about it, that part really makes me happy. On top of the 2nd years' bond, the sisters' relationship comes through really clearly. I think it turned out to be a lovely piece.
Turning frustration into fuel for the 2nd gen audition
―This time, we'd love to go all the way back to when you first met Natsumi. To start, how does it feel looking back on your work up to now?
Emorin: It's went by too fast! There've been so many experiences and just getting to have days this fulfilling is itself something I feel really lucky about. The "Love Live! Superstar!!" project was announced at "LoveLive! Series 9th Anniversary Love Live! Fes," and at the time, I was a 1st year in high school. I'd already been a Love Live! series fan, and it seems my manager at the time remembered that. So I got to audition for the 1st gen.
Emorin: Back then, I was full of hope, like, "This looks fun! I want to do it!" Pure feelings, nothing like frustration. It was all positive emotions, but everything changed in a big way when I failed the 1st gen audition. The flip side of loving it that much was that the frustration hit me really hard, and I ended up all pouty, like, 'Love Live!? I don't even know what that is anymore!' (laughs).
Emorin: But the 1st gen cast announcement and all that news kept showing up on social media. I'd see it, but the frustration still wouldn't lift… What turned my feelings around was when I saw the video of "Hajimari wa Kimi no Sora" being performed at the debut single release event. Even though I didn't want to see it back then, every time a new video went up, it'd show up in my recommendations! (laughs) Even though the frustration had me staying away from watching the Love Live! series, my love for it had never really gone, so I caught myself watching anyway. And I just honestly thought, "There's no way I would've been picked," and accepted it. The 1st gen's performance really was lovely, sparkling.
Emorin: From there on, I was watching the TV anime in real time as a fan, buying merch, all of it. While I was cheering them on like that, the 2nd gen audition came up, and I thought, if I'm getting another shot, this time I don't want to feel that frustrated again! So I auditioned. But there was quite a gap after I submitted the paperwork, so I'd convinced myself I'd failed.
Emorin: I was a 3rd year in high school then, with my career path and entrance exam prep on my mind, so I figured if my application didn't get through, I'd give up on entertainment work, and I was already moving toward leaving my agency. But the day after I had that conversation, my manager got in touch and said, "You actually passed the document screening… are you really going to quit the agency…?" (laughs). Timing-wise it was right down to the wire, but I talked to my mom about it, and she pushed me forward, saying, "You won't know whether you'll pass or fail unless you try, and so you don't end up leaving the entertainment world with regrets, go in carrying the mindset that this is the last one." So I told myself, alright, no regrets!
But I'd been thinking Natsumi was the only role I could play without forcing it. That Natsumi was the only one I could do.
―Timing-wise, were you doing this alongside your exam prep?
Emorin: Since I'd be going to university if I failed, I was studying too. I'd be at cram school until 10 PM, then go home and practice dance and lines until around 12:30 AM, sending my manager videos of me dancing and acting so they could point out what I needed to fix. I'm not usually the type to ask for advice on my own, so back then I was really desperate.
Emorin: From there, I made it through to the final round, but actually, the role I was first assigned in the final audition was Kinako. And (Suzuhara) Nozomi was assigned the role of Natsumi. But I'd been thinking Natsumi was the only role I could play without forcing it. That Natsumi was the only one I could do. So I was surprised, like, "Wait, Kinako-chan!?" but partway through, they told me, "Please switch roles with Suzuhara," and the audition went on from there, which is how it got finalized.
Emorin: Maybe that's what made all four roles (of 2nd gen) fit just right. I can't forget that "Yes!" feeling I had when they said "Please play Natsumi," and when I actually played her it just clicked, so I thought maybe my instincts hadn't been wrong after all.
―As you started your activities, did you have any anxieties?
Emorin: The moment I heard I'd passed, I was overjoyed, but as the day of the member and cast announcement actually got closer, the nerves started setting in. Before the announcement, all of us 2nd gens, plus Yuina, got to go see the 2nd Live. We were watching from the audience, and seeing the unity between the five Liella! members and everyone in the venue, I thought, "Isn't the responsibility of joining this group going to be unbelievably huge?"
―Even now, there are still plenty of moments when you feel the 2nd gen bond, right?
Emorin: When we sing as just the 2nd gens at lives, it brings me back to when the four of us were practicing together before the cast announcement. Our 2nd-gen-only songs are "Blooming Dance! Dance!" and "Summer Escape!!," and the moments when we get to perform as just the four of us really feel precious, and even more fun. There've barely been any chances to do something as just the four of us in our activities so far, so even though it's only brief moments at lives, getting to do something with these specific members is so much fun!
From mirror image/two sides of the same coin, to older-sister figure
―Next, let's talk about voice recording. I believe the first thing you did was record the self-introduction videos. Can you remember what that was like?
Emorin: Oh wow, I remember! I went in thinking, "I'll do my acting like this," and they told me, "More punchable! Like, give us a voice that makes you want to punch the person," and I was so confused, like, "Hold on, what?" (laughs). Looking back now, maybe that direction was about her "Oni Natsu" persona. As a video streamer, you need some kind of hook for people to remember you, right? I think now they wanted me to bring out that side of her, but at the time I had no acting experience at all, so I was just thinking, "What do I do…"
Emorin: But surprising even to myself, when I actually tried doing it the way they directed, it just clicked somehow. Listening to my acting from back then now, it's pretty rough, but there are traces of my current performance scattered through it here and there, and I guess that's maybe why even I could feel convinced by it. After that, through the TV anime Season 2 and the live interlude video recordings, I gradually built up Natsumi.
Emorin: (Ookuma) Wakana and (Yabushima) Akane both came from voice acting training schools, so I learned things like how to hold the script and how to stand in front of the mic just by watching the two of them. Since it was during COVID, the members we could record with at the same time were limited, so at the start, I was honestly took every single thing I could learn from those two. I didn't want to be the one dragging down the quality of the work, so I remember just trying desperately to absorb everything.
―With all that going on, what was your impression of Natsumi? And were there any changes in your feelings as you continued playing her?
Emorin: The very first line I saw was "Oni Natsu!," so my first impression was that she's the catchphrase-type character. Personality-wise, she's pure-hearted, bright, and a fresh kind of girl, and I was struck by how straightforward she is about the things she wants to do. Once I got into the TV anime recordings, her inner conflicts gradually started coming into view, but surprisingly, in the Season 2 stage, what specifically she'd struggled with wasn't actually depicted. Because something had happened in her past, lines like "If you're going to give up on your dreams, then please don't talk about them" would come out.
Emorin: But she'd overcome that in her own way, and the impression I had was that she'd often show this bright side of herself. Then came TV anime Season 3, and her younger sister Tomari-chan appeared. As my interpretation of Natsumi deepened, there were times my own feelings couldn't quite keep up. At the Season 2 stage, I didn't know she had a younger sister, so I'd been building her with a younger-sister-type personality. But sometimes you get a younger sister who's the responsible one, with that role-reversal happening between siblings, so I figured maybe it'd be like that, and that they'd get along well, but when I opened the script I was shocked, like, "Wait?! These two don't reconcile until episode 8?!"
Emorin: Saku-chan (Sakakura Sakura) and I would talk about what we should do. Since Natsumi was now being depicted from the perspective of being an older sister, she was more grounded than in Season 2, and I felt this strong anxiety of being left behind by her. In Season 3, Natsumi's past gets revealed, but just being able to find something you want to do in this day and age is itself amazing, right? In Season 2, Natsumi was thinking, "Since I can't find what I want to do, I'll just study, get my qualifications, and have a stable income," and that overlapped with my own thinking. But in Season 3, there's a scene where she actually has so many things she seriously wants to aim for that she could fill an entire dream notebook.
Emorin: I thought it was so cool watching her stand back up over and over, and I think it's amazing that she made it this far without becoming self-destructive after going through those setbacks. I realized, maybe this girl is actually really mature on the inside, and from there my way of seeing her shifted into something closer to respect. In episode 9, Margarete-chan points things out to her, and she actually listens to her own shortcomings. She properly acknowledges the abilities of someone younger and her junior, and works to improve her own performance because of it. Watching that, I came to think Natsumi is the kind of presence who clears the path ahead of me. She makes me feel like I have to do more myself. In a way, I now think of her as something like an older sister.
Listening to my acting from back then now, it's pretty rough, but there are traces of my current performance scattered through it here and there, and I guess that's maybe why even I could feel convinced by it.
―So between Season 2 and Season 3 of the TV anime, your relationship with her changed quite a lot.
Emorin: Up until now, Natsumi and I felt like similar beings, almost two sides of the same coin, but during the 6th Live Tour, the stronger feeling was wanting to somehow catch up with her standing in front of me, and to portray her as fully as I could through my own ability.
Emorin: If I hadn't passed the audition, I think I would've taken university entrance exams, gotten qualifications, and worked a normal job. That probably would've been a happy life too, but it would've still been different from what I really wanted to do. That's why I'm so truly grateful that I got to meet Natsumi. I wouldn't have been able to spend such exciting days like these and getting to meet so many people who say they love both Natsumi and Emori, I really feel blessed. I'm so glad I took on the 2nd gen audition back then, betting my life on it as my last shot!
―Along with the relationship change, how did your singing and performances change?
Emorin: Natsumi's voice tone is quite a bit higher than my natural voice, so at first, singing as Natsumi was pretty hard. At my first recording, I hadn't really established my Natsumi voice yet. Honestly, I only really got hold of it in the last six months or so. Up until recently, it was a cycle of moving forward then back, overthinking and ending up unable to sing because of it, so it was around the 6th Live Tour that I finally got a real feel for it. The trigger was definitely my deeper understanding of Natsumi through TV anime Season 3, I think. And Saku-chan's presence is also a huge factor.
Emorin: Saku-chan herself says, "I have to make sure I don't hold everyone back," but her performances are so amazing I think she's way more on top of it than I am! Both as her senior and as her older-sister figure, I can't fall behind. Tomari-chan is such a capable character, so I think Saku-chan is being fired up by her, and watching Saku-chan and Tomari, plus Natsumi running on ahead of me, makes me think, "I'd better step up!" (laughs). That became the trigger for me to reconsider my own performance. I want to catch up to the senpais too, but once I actually had younger sisters and kouhais, I realized, "Oh, so this is what being sandwiched from above and below feels like! I'd better step up."
―Your first performance in front of an audience was at the "WE WILL!!" release event, right?
Emorin: Of course there was anxiety about the fans' reactions, but back then, more than that, getting to be involved in the Love Live! series I loved, being able to dance carrying the character on my back, seeing this many people waving their blades for us, all of it together was so happy and so fun. I was completely filled with this feeling of "right now, in this moment, is fun!" I actually used to be less nervous back then.
Watching the 3rd gens, they're struggling with the same walls I was hitting a year ago. So in the same way, I wonder if I'll end up running into the kind of anxieties the 1st gens have now.
―Really! When were you most nervous recently?
Emorin: …All of it! (laughs)
After all the different experiences, I can look at my performances objectively now, and it's stopped being purely just fun (wry laugh).
It's the kind of feeling that only comes with accumulating years. Even watching old livestreams and lives, it's only been three years and I'm already thinking, "Emori Aya, what a fearless one you were!"
Emorin: These days I sometimes overthink and my expressions stiffen up, so finding the right balance with having fun is also something I'm working on. But there's still so much ahead, right! There are probably walls I haven't even hit yet. Watching the 3rd gens, they're struggling with the same walls I was hitting a year ago. So in the same way, I wonder if I'll end up running into the kind of anxieties the 1st gens have now. I noticed that recently, and now I've started being able to go to the 1st gens for advice. Having members with different lengths of experience means there's a lot we can consult each other about, so I feel really grateful for that.
I want to keep going as the 11 of us for as long as possible. There are views only Liella! lets me see and experiences only Liella! lets me have, and the chance to meet everyone who cheers for us. I want to cherish each and every one of those things.
Solo concerts, sister lives… what's the heartfelt wish bigger than any dream?
―Speaking of the Onitsuka sisters, you were appointed as Ushiku PR Ambassadors for Ushiku City in Ibaraki Prefecture, a first for the Love Live! series.
Emorin: When I heard, "You're becoming Ushiku PR Ambassadors," I was so surprised, like, "Huh, not Liella!, just the sisters?!" It's not the setting of the work, it's a member's hometown, so it's different from Aqours, you know? And on top of that, they really love us. I was amazed by everyone's open heartedness, in a way no word like 'grateful' could capture. I've gotten to visit Ushiku many times since then, and everyone there is so kind and warm. I was moved, thinking, "Natsumi and her sister grew up in such a wonderful city…"
Emorin: Something Saku-chan and I often talk about is wanting to release a sister song between the two of us, as Ushiku PR Ambassadors! And if that ever comes true, I'd be greedy and ask for even more, we'd want to do a live just the two of us in Ushiku. They hold events like summer festivals, so we want to go as often as we can, just the two of us, and help liven things up! It's such a wonderful place, I really love it.
―I think that's a wonderful dream! Are there other dreams you'd like to try with Natsumi?
Emorin: I've talked about a lot of things, but at the end of the day, the moments I get to stand on stage with Natsumi are what I love most. So, dreaming big, how about a solo concert?! I want to see solo concerts for all 11 of us! And someday, I'd love to try creating a solo song together with everyone who supports us. I think the cast are the biggest fans of their characters, so it'd be fun to also bring in ideas from all of you who watch over us every day, and create the song together. It'd be amazing if we could create the song's atmosphere, the costumes, and the lyrics all together!
―Then, are there things you'd like to take on or dream about as Liella!?
Emorin: Live tour through the hometowns of both the characters and the cast! And for an even bigger dream, I want to keep going as the 11 of us for as long as possible. There are views only Liella! lets me see and experiences only Liella! lets me have, and the chance to meet everyone who cheers for us. I want to cherish each and every one of those things. After live tours wrap up, there are members I don't get to see for a while. And when all 11 of us finally get together again after a long time, we always end up saying how lonely the time apart was.
Emorin: Liella! is a treasure of my life, a presence so big nothing else could ever replace it. So I just hope we can stay as the 11 of us for as long as possible. It's a dream, or rather, a wish.
―Lastly, please give a message to everyone who supports you!
Emorin: Thank you so much for supporting Liella!. Going forward in our activities, I think there'll be plenty of things you'll feel positive about, and plenty you'll feel negative about. But I want to work hard so that all of it becomes something you can look back on as good memories! And to everyone supporting Natsumi, thank you so much for finding her! Because you send words like "I love this side of Natsumi," or "she's cute," or "that was great!," I can think, "Okay, next time I'll show you this side of Natsumi!"
Emorin: A girl who'd been working alone, head-down, with everything she had, getting to meet Liella! and getting to meet all of you, I think that's become a treasure of her life for Natsumi too. The girl who used to sing "eyeをちょうだい" was able to realize "ずっとアイくれていたの" (you've been giving me ai/love this whole time), and that's thanks to all of you. I'd be so happy if you keep delivering lots of love to Natsumi from here on out too!
To Natsumi,
This is our 4th year since we met and started walking together.
There've been all kinds of things along the way, but every day I spend with you, Natsumi, has been nothing but happy memories.
If I hadn't met you, Natsumi, I wouldn't be here, and I don't think my days would have been this fulfilling.
From here on, forever and ever, let's keep walking together, the two of us hand in hand, laughing, and even if there are times we cry, let's keep walking, okay?
The greatest treasure of my life is being found by you, Natsumi.
With a major live performance coming up this summer, Love Live! Superstar!!’s Liella! reaches a big milestone. As the broadcast of Season 3 and its live tour approach their climax, and with the release of their 3rd album Aspire, we asked four members about their current feelings:
1st-gen members Payton Naomi (Heanna Sumire), Aoyama Nagisa (Hazuki Ren), and 2nd-gen members Yabushima Akane (Yoneme Mei), Ookuma Wakana (Wakana Shiki).
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The 6th Tour That Recreated the Anime
—Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! 6th LoveLive! Tour ~ Let's be ONE was a live tour based on the story of the TV anime Season 3.
Yabushima: It was so much fun. The 3rd live tour (2022–23), where we 2nd years carried Season 2 for the first time, was fun too. But back then, it was actually more anxiety and fear since it was our first time performing while carrying an anime season. This time, though, the feeling of "it’s fun!" came first, and I think that was a big change for me.
Season 3 depicted the four 2nd years becoming seniors, and also showed the growth of my character, Mei Yoneme, as well as Liella! as a whole. So, I really wanted to show an even more grown-up version of us through the live performances, and I feel like we were able to deliver that.
Aoyama: In the lives that are tied to the anime, we dance on stage while syncing with the movements of the characters dancing on the screen. But we only get to see that full production footage during the actual shows. So after watching the footage from Day 1, we'd go into Day 2 thinking, “Hey, we can improve this part!” and we'd start getting ambitious.
This tour had a lot of those "Let’s do even better!" moments coming naturally from us as cast members. Like Yabu mentioned, during the 3rd live tour, many of the 2nd years were still having emotional struggles during the MC segments. But this time, we were able to shift into a much more positive mindset, wanting to make things even better. That was a great change, and thanks to that, the opening show and the finale ended up feeling like completely different lives. Each time, there was a strong sense of achievement and a satisfying kind of exhaustion after every performance.
Ookuma: Even after carrying Season 2 for the 3rd live tour, we had other big lives, but this time, we were fully carrying the anime again for the first time in a while. And with so many songs being performed for the first time, I felt a real sense of responsibility to bring out the charm of my assigned character.
That said, even during the Tokyo opening show, I still felt like we hadn’t quite perfected it yet… But as we toured, we started discovering aspects of the characters' growth from the anime that we ourselves hadn’t fully realized before. We kept incorporating those discoveries, and I think that’s how the tour gradually came together and reached completion.
Payton: For some of the members, this was their first time doing a live while carrying the anime. As a 1st year, I was watching the 2nd and 3rd years thinking, “Wow, they’ve grown so much.”
Since we’ve been active as Liella! for a long time now, we 1st years have seen the 2nd and 3rd years go through moments where they were down or unsure of themselves. Seeing them happily singing on stage during the 6th live tour made me feel so proud.
Everyone’s grown stronger emotionally too. I feel like I was sharing the same feelings as Sumire Heanna, the character I play. But at the same time, everyone looked so cool that I also felt like, "I can’t let myself lose just because I’m a 1st year senior!" (laughs)
—What was the highlight of the live?
Aoyama: I think it has to be during the chorus of Dazzling Game, when we quickly changed into matching purple costumes right on stage.
—In the Season 3 anime, Liella! was split into two groups, but in this song’s chorus, there’s that moment where you take off the top layer of your outfits and all 11 members are suddenly in matching costumes. You completely recreated that moment live, which was amazing.
Payton: Even during rehearsals, none of us knew how it would actually turn out. We were worried whether we could really pull it off cleanly in one go. But when we tried it for real, we nailed it on the first try! In that moment, I felt like, “We’ve totally got this!”
Yabushima: And since we performed it on the center stage, no matter where you were watching from, or how many times you saw it, I think there were always new little things to notice. I feel like this was a song where everyone could enjoy it in many different ways.
—And during the tour, your 3rd album Aspire was also released.
Aoyama: Overall, I feel like it leaned more towards J-POP, or rather, it went in a very different direction from what people who don’t know school idols or Liella! might typically imagine.
—That might be best represented by the title track Aspire, which is an all-member song with rap parts and an overall really cool vibe.
Payton: It was way cooler than I ever imagined. I was like, “Is this really a Liella! song?!” (laughs)
There’s also a lot of English lyrics, and singing them in a cool way is really important, so I practiced a lot while listening to the recording.
Ookuma: For Shiki’s character, I was wondering how I should sing this song. I tried to push right up to the edge of what would work for Shiki’s character. Shiki’s singing style usually has this hazy, airy, delicate feel to it, but if I sang like that, the power of this song would completely overwhelm the voice. That part was really difficult.
And because of the song’s vibe, I was thinking, “We’re definitely gonna be dancing to this!” so I was mentally prepared for that too (laughs).
Aoyama: I also couldn’t really imagine Ren singing this song at first. So, I started by singing it as Nagisa Aoyama, and then gradually adapted parts of that into Ren’s style. Since I had worked out the singing style at home pretty thoroughly before recording, the actual recording session went by pretty quickly.
Yabushima: A lot of Liella!’s songs tend to have lyrics that show inner struggles, worries, or emotional shifts. But this song starts right off with a declaration like “There are no limits”, and has a lot of these strong, definitive lines. I felt like it really wanted to push out a strong, confident emotion. That actually made it easier for me to sing as Mei, lines like “Let’s go from here together!” totally feel like something Mei would say, so it was easy to put myself into it emotionally.
—Next, let’s talk about the solo songs. Mei Yoneme’s “Sky Linker” is a rock tune that really brings out Mei’s strength.
Yabushima: A lot of Mei’s songs have lyrics filled with kindness towards others. While singing, I found myself thinking, “I want to become someone like Mei, who can offer kindness to everyone without discrimination.”
Also, I really love the lyrics in the second verse: “What’s wrong with being weak? If you want to cry, then cry and scream it out.”
There’s a kind of strength in being able to accept weakness and say, “It’s okay to be like that.” I wanted to deliver that feeling to the hearts of the people listening.
Aoyama: I also love how the ticking sound of a clock is included in the song. Time represents change, so I felt like it’s expressing that even if you’re weak right now, it’s okay, but there’s still a desire to move forward and do your best.
—Heanna Sumire’s “Just woo!!” feels like a song where you can imagine her walking around Shibuya at night.
Payton: When I saw these lyrics, I was deeply moved from the bottom of my heart. Because in Season 1 of the anime, Sumire had no self-confidence and was even about to give up on her dream of becoming center. And now, she can sing lines like “Right now, I’m crazy about myself!” Also, in the second verse, she sings “The tiara shining on my chest.” That tiara, which appeared in Season 1 and 2, didn’t show up in Season 3. But I imagine that she’s still treasuring the tiara she received back when she was a first year, and now it shines on her chest. It made me feel like: that moment of success back then continues to shine even after she graduates.
Yabushima: It’s very much a "Sumire-chan" kind of song, one that only Sumire could sing. Since I also watched Sumire back in Season 1, imagining her now, confidently singing this song, made me feel really emotional.
—Wakana Shiki’s “LiLiA” is a ballad, and your vocals were wonderful.
Ookuma: I sang it almost like I was speaking. Up until now, most of my songs were about Mei, so maybe this one felt a little distanced from that (laughs). I think the lyrics reflect Shiki’s growth in Season 3 as well. Lines like “I stand in the light” really carried Shiki’s resolve that developed through the anime, and I sang them with that in mind.
There had been a lot of cool, high-energy solo songs up to this point, but I was hoping for a song that could make use of Shiki’s voice, so I was really happy to be able to sing something like this.
Also, I thought this song would pair really well with barefoot contemporary dance.
Payton: That would totally suit it!
If Wakana could incorporate the contemporary dance skills she’s been practicing, I think I’d be so captivated watching that I might not even be able to wave my penlight. It’s that kind of immersive song.
—Hazuki Ren’s “Musubiha” has a pop tune, but the lyrics are quite moving.
Aoyama: In Ren’s first-year solo song “Reverb”, there was a line that felt like she was asking herself, “Have I grown a little stronger than back then?” But in this song, she sings “These days, I’ve overcome it a bit”. I think she’s telling her mother that the things she used to worry about back then have disappeared after meeting everyone in Liella!, and that she doesn’t need to worry anymore. Since her mother probably worried about Ren right up until she passed away, I feel like Ren is trying not to make her worry anymore, even choosing not to use any negative words.
Ookuma: You can picture Ren writing a letter to her mom. I feel like she’d be so happy if she could share how she’s doing now, but at the same time, there’s a kind of bittersweet sadness that she can’t do that anymore. The fact that the song is upbeat and she’s singing it so cheerfully only makes it feel even more bittersweet in a way.
—All 11 solo songs were wonderful, so we hope everyone takes time to listen carefully.
Aoyama:
Especially since this was Onitsuka Tomari’s very first solo song, Sakura (Sakakura Sakura) was so happy about it (laughs).
To the Next Dream
—The terrestrial variety program Liella! no Chuutoriera!! (Liella! no TUTOLiella!!) was also broadcasted.
Yabushima: The response was even stronger (in a positive and successful way) than I imagined, and I was really happy about that. During filming, I kept wondering, "How is this even going to be broadcast…?" I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I think I just threw myself into it with everything I had. I was also happy to hear many people saying they want it to continue.
Payton: If it continued, it would be a big deal (laughs). I didn’t expect them to use my funny faces either…
Aoyama: For me, I enjoyed how freely Yabu was able to let loose.
We, the cast, have seen that side of her backstage, but she hadn’t really shown it in public before. Even when everyone was fooling around (on camera), she would often stay back and just watch from the side. I was glad that she could show a side that fans hadn’t seen before, and I hope she’ll show more of that (laughs).
Ookuma: I was totally drained, both physically and mentally (laughs).
Also, I was really impressed by how amazing comedians are.
The MCs, Time Machine 3-gou (San-gou), mentioned that they had another gig after the recording, and I thought: just how much stamina and mental agility do they have!?
—And on July 5th and 6th, Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! no Chuutorieraibu!! (Liella! no ChuutoLiellaLive!!) will be held at LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY.
Payton:
I thought it would be fun if we could bring the atmosphere of that show directly onto the stage. Since the show was about learning variety skills, I imagine there might be segments like that as well.
Ookuma:
There probably will be (laughs).
—Finally, on July 26–27 at Osaka-jo Hall, and August 9–10 at Ariake Arena, the Love Live! Superstar!! Liella! First Generation LoveLive! ~Wonderful Starlines~ featuring the 5 members of the 1st generation, will be held
Aoyama: It’ll be a revival live that re-constructs both the 1st live tour and the 2nd live. We’ve been preparing while discussing which parts from the two shows we want to highlight, so please look forward to it. I also re-watched some footage from back then, and it brought back so many fun memories, like, “Oh yeah, we had this kind of staging too!” I really want to bring back that atmosphere, and since it’s also a chance for people who didn’t know Liella! back then to see us, I hope we can put together a “best-of” kind of show.
Payton: The Love Live! Superstar!! project is now in its 5th year since it started, and I feel like we’ve been fortunate to continue for quite a long time as cast members. Compared to when we started with the 1st live, I can really feel how much we’ve grown. Back then, we were just running full speed through that first live tour, 10 cities, 20 performances. But I believe we can surpass who we were at that time. Still, while cherishing the feelings we had back then, we want to give our very best performance in front of everyone. We’ll do our best!
amandla
