Seiyuu Animedia September 2018: Interview with Kobayashi Aika (Part 2)
The second of two interviews in the recent Seiani. This one was winter uniform themed.
Scans from Dyrea. QC from Mega.
The scenes where the first years get along make me feel really happy
Q: Looking back on the anime, what sort of things come to mind?
A: Over the course of 13 episodes, I was able to grow with Aqours. While the story was progressing, Aqours and Yohane started to become something out of reach for me, so to chase them, I had to grow. As I imagined seeing Yohane leaving me behind, I turned to face the story and songs of the second season. In the end, I don’t know if I was ever able to catch up to them, but without a doubt, I grew a lot.
Q: Yohane and the others had a lot of ups and downs, but they were able to overcome them in the end.
A: I was surprised that the story started getting so serious! I didn’t think high school girls could take on so many difficult things in such a short amount of time, but to see them break past those walls was honestly amazing. Even if their goal changed from keeping their school alive to leaving their school’s name in history, they had no choice but to face forward. That fact that they didn’t shy away from reality is amazing, and it’s definitely because of Chika-chan’s optimism that everyone was able to keep facing forwards.
Q: Did you ever imagine the school would be closed?
A: I thought they would definitely save it! Even though it was decided in episode 7, I still couldn’t stop believing. I kept going along with these expectations and this uncertainty in mind, and before I knew it we were at the closing festival. At that point I felt like “Huh? Is it really...hold on, hold on!”. It went differently from what I expected, but looking back on it, it was still a really good story. They had to face challenges, disappointment, and many painful things, but everyone stayed positive, didn’t they? I think that’s just like Love Live! Sunshine!! and Aqours.
Q: What did you think about Yohane in season 2?
A: I think she’s a girl that will do things for the sake of others. She usually calls the 3rd years by their given names and acts arrogant (laughs), but there are also a lot of scenes where you can see her being considerate of others. It reminded me that she’s a good girl at heart.
Q: There were a lot of scenes with the first years getting along, weren’t there?
A: I want to see even more of the first years getting along really well! For example, in episode 2, seeing the first years stick to each other so much made me really happy. Yohane’s always been a loner, and she always does the thing where she pouts and crosses her arms. So, seeing the first years all together in the indoor group was really different. I bet Yohane was happy, too. I was watching with a smile on my face the whole time.
Q: She even gets teased by Ruby sometimes now.
A: I know! She’s always the butt of the joke now, and I’m really glad that she found friends that can be so honest with her.
Q: Episode 5 was about her and Riko taking in a dog.
A: In Dengeki G’s magazine, the two call each other Yocchan and Riri, so I’ve been waiting for the day when they call each other by these names in the anime. She finally called her Riri, and I was so happy! She never got called Yocchan (laughs), but when she asked, “Do you think fallen angels exist?” with such a raw expression on her face, it made me really thankful that she found a friend that she could joke around and argue with. The same goes with Aqours and the dog they found. You could feel the workings of fate in so many different places.
Q: Because of that, we also got to see a different side [of Yohane], didn’t we?
A: Season 2 had a lot of serious parts, but this was a really heartwarming episode. The dubbing session was really interesting, too. For the scene where she takes in the dog and stands up a bit to Riko’s mom, I asked Aida Rikako-chan about it and she told “Her saying this would be funny”. I recorded those lines with that in mind.
Q: The first years also had a big success in Hakodate.
A: For the first time, Ruby suddenly had something that she wanted to do on her own. I think it was the first big step for her since becoming a school idol. I was happy that she had Zuramaru by her side, too. Watching the first years help and support each other is so wonderful and cute! The first years are all girls that can’t really do much on their own, but when they all together with even Leah-chan, I feel like they can do anything. It makes me feel glad that they’re all such wonderful friends.
Q: What place do you think Yohane had in Aqours throughout Season 2?
A: Yohane is always really unlucky, and is the type of person to blame herself for things happening. For example, when it’s raining, she jokes about how “it’s because she’s here”. And she’s also the kind of girl to make everyone laugh and brighten the mood. She’s a serious person at heart, and I love the part of her that’s willing to shoulder everyone’s bad luck and make everyone feel better.
Q: She pays a surprising amount of attention to her surroundings, doesn’t she?
A: That’s right! She’ll always support others from the shadows, but she’s the type to feel like she didn’t really do anything to help. How do I explain this...is she a fallen angel working behind the scenes? (laughs)
Q: Do you see any similarities in personality or position with Yohane and yourself?
A: Well...ever since I met Yohane, I’ve been ready to shoulder all of Aqours’ bad luck. For example, when it rains, it’s definitely because I’m there. (laughs) I used to always complain and be like, “Why me?!”, but recently I’ve gotten used to playing that role. Now I’m more like, “Yup, I made it rain, whoopsies~♪” I guess in that way, I’ve become a much more positive thinker.
Q: Who in Aqours were you most like when you were in high school?
A: Probably Yohane. I was never the type to be in the center of my friend group, and just like Yohane, I probably had embraced the darkness…(laughs) Being alone wasn’t really hard for me, but just like her, being with my friends made me a lot happier.
Q: By the way, was there something you were really passionate about back in high school?
A: I really liked dancing , so I would go to a dance studio pretty much every day. Having fun with everyone at the studio made it feel kind of like an after-school club, but we never worked together to achieve our dreams or anything. So, I really admire everyone in Aqours working so passionately together with the same goal in mind. I never had something I could devote myself to like that. I think that’s part of the appeal of school idols, and if I were back in high school, I would want to start a school idol club!
