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Seiyuu Zukan introduces to you up-and-coming seiyuu through interview and photoshoot. Learn about what motivated them to become a seiyuu, their first work, their personal life and many interesting stories.
For the 206th edition we have Kusunoki Tomori, the voice of Kagimura Hazuki (Märchen Mädchen), LLENN/Kohiruimaki Karen (Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online), Yuuki Setsuna (Love Live SIF ALL STARS).
――What influence you to become a seiyuu?
Kusunoki: I was influenced by friends who like anime, Tokyo Mew Mew was the trigger and Ms. Hanazawa Kana performance in Kobato is what inspired me. I love Hanazawa san’s voice quality as well as the broad perspective that her voice acting covers. She is an excellent actor who gets close to her characters and makes those roles her own, I hope to become someone like her.
――Do you also like songs from Ms. Hanazawa?
Kusunoki: I love them. I think that their cuteness is healing, I often listen to them when I want to calm down. For artist songs I listen a lot to『Marathon』, leaded by Ms. Hanazawa cute voice it’s a song with a feeling of running in a fluffy atmosphere. For character songs I like Kuroneko’s『Platonic prison』from OreImo.*
*Thanks Tomoriru no Renai Circulation.
――「Anistoteles」was your chance to pursue the seiyuu path but you auditioned as a singer.
Kusunoki: Once I participated in a contest like where I was able to challenge seiyuu work, I couldn’t compete at all and I totally failed the preliminary. I thought that it was impossible unless you had proper experience at voicing but I still wanted to do a work related to anime. Originally I liked music, at that time I was really into LiSA and Suzuki Konomi. Even in high school, in the anisong copying band of the light music club I liked singing in front of people. So I started to aim for anisong singer. Then my sister said “There’s this one, there’s Sony, LiSA is there” (laugh).
――How did you come to like music?
Kusunoki: I think that thank to my family who goes to karaoke a lot I had many opportunities to sing and, also playing the piano helped a lot.
――What kind of girl were you when you were a student?
Kusunoki: In elementary school I participated in the committee, in middle school I was student council president but it stood out too much and I couldn’t have good friend relationships. So in high school I thought I should stop being a good girl (laugh). Having club activities, doing what I want to do and going out with my friends after school. After learning about all these shops I went to play, to shopping, to take anikura photos. I was a proper JK (laugh).
――You debuted in 2017 and are already appearing in many works. What are the memories of your first leading role as Kagimura Hazuki in Märchen Mädchen?
Kusunoki: I have my hands already full only dealing with myself. However anime related job are meant to face someone’s passion, to get close to that feeling I kept in mind that I had to properly do my performance. This, and I also remember putting an antenna on my seniors acting to absorb various things. When a cool line comes out, I would try to act like my seniors did for their character. I feel that what I learned there is now alive inside me.
――Even in other works, are you setting up the “antenna” too?
Kusunoki: I am always conscious that I never took acting lessons so I have to learn while working.
――Did you have direct talk with the seniors around you too?
Kusunoki: I don’t want to trouble my seniors but as soon as I had a question they would listen. For example “I can’t say this line at all, is there any trick?” I think it’s the occasion to make mistake while I am still a rookie. Of course, it’s better to not make mistake at all but I want to experience what I can now to connect my present experiences in the future.
――After that you played LLENN in the popular work Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online. How was those days?
Kusunoki: It went in the blink of an eye but since I like SAO the time I spend acting was such a bless. Being surrounded by great seniors, performing too, doing work outside from the anime production like participating to a survival game. I feel like I went through a valuable human experience.
――Any impressions left by your seniors you remember?
Kusunoki: Mr. Okitsu Kazuyuki who voices M was seated next to me, so I heard a lot of things. There are many scenes where LLENN talk with a loud voice, to not sound monotone Mr. Okitsu gave me the theoretical advice “the most important part is to stand up”. It was easy for me to understand. Acting should be intuitive after all.
――Did you also voiced LLENN based on your instinct?
Kusunoki: LLENN and Karen are girls with a lot of empathy. So instead of acting it in a strange way, I felt like if I wanted to deliver feelings of empathy then it must come out naturally.
――Does that mean they share similarities with yourself?
Kusunoki: Yes. Karen is holding a complex, she wants to do something about it, she struggles, that’s why she became LLENN. In the same way I don’t like myself, I want to change. Challenging my hobby, challenging seiyuu work. Jumping in a new environment in order to change myself, I think I can sympathize with that.
――What kind of girl is Yuuki Setsuna (Love Live School Idol Festival ALL STARS short. SukuSuta) comparing to yourself?
Kusunoki: In a good way, she is a simple and straightforward girl. I find it attractive that she walks forward, dedicating herself to what she likes. I can relate to her because me too I am the type to head straight toward what I like. She is a school idol and a good girl who cares about her surroundings.
――What can we look forward to for Love Live?
Kusunoki: I would like you to look forward to the solo song that will released! Because Setsuna is a mysterious girl, I think that there are still people who don’t know what kind of girl she is. If you advance in SukaSuta and listen to the solo song, I think you will be interested when you will find about the aspect of Setsuna.
――What kind of song is it?
Kusunoki: In the image of Setsuna it’s a cheerful song but instead of a school idol like song it’s surprisingly leaning more towards anisong. It’s a cool setsunai rock* song.
*I decided to leave setsunai not translated because of the next answer. The idea around the word is nostalgic, bitter sweet, love sick feelings.
――Setsunai rock………Setsuna rock?
Kusunoki: Yes, that’s it! There’s a connection with Setsuna it’s interesting, isn’t it? During the recording the director said to go with a “Setsunai rock” feeling. I thought to myself “Ahh, Setsuna!” all exited (laugh).
――How far has this been thought about I am curious (laugh). And then there is Ootemachi Ririn (Onsen Musume). What are the catching points of this role?
Kusunoki: First you’d think girls from the city are cute but when you think about Tokyo you don’t associate it with onsen at all. And yet she is appealing Tokyo (laugh). I think the fact that she is working very hard despite being childish is cute.
――You are also from Tokyo, how would you appeal Tokyo?
Kusunoki: Well… For me there are many people in Tokyo. Sometimes it feels noisy but when you listen carefully there are interesting sounds among the conversations. I like to listen to the advertisements and the sounds played in the shops.
――Ririn cute gap is that she likes Japanese style things although she is an urban girl. Are there any unexpected side of you that only you is aware of?
Kusunoki: I am being told that I look firm but in fact I am not (laugh). Like when even though I am nervous I don’t notice it. Before big event or recording I’m stuck just thinking “I have to say that, I have to do this” to think “I’m fine”. It seems hard for me to let the tension go out. Besides, although I’m weak I hate losing so I am quite bothersome. But I am quick to laugh. This point was shallow (laugh).
――You definitively don’t notice that unless you know about it (laugh).
Kusunoki: In truth I am very clumsy! I stumble right away when there is nothing, I forgot a lot and lose many things. Strangely enough, 1 or 2 month ago my clumsiness last for one week you know. Immediately after dropping something I’d think about how unlucky I am (laugh).
――It sounds like it happens quite frequently (laugh). Finally, in December Ririn will have her solo debut!
Kusunoki: Thankfully the theme for the first solo project is rock. Ririn has small, loli-like voice, so I wondered a lot about how to properly sing rock while using Ririn voice. But I like rock and I listen to it frequently, so I look forward to sing.
――Anima Yell! is airing since October, what are your impression on Tatejima Kotetsu?
Kusunoki: She looks mature but in fact she’s a dual-sided girl, so it’s fun to voice her. I like to play strange characters (laugh). How to make it feel like a different person while it’s still the same person. It’s difficult to find the balance but I have fun playing her while trying to figure it out.
Also from the Kirara series, in the mobile game Kirara Fantasia, I voice Kirara but it’s the first time I work for one of their anime. I’ve always want to appear in one of them, so I’m glad.
――Have you meet with any fellow seiyuu recently?
Kusunoki: I get to see Ms. Hikasa Yoko a lot recently. As we both appear together in Gun Gale and Kirara Fantasia. This summer I did a barbecue with the 4 main members of Gun Gale cast and two members of SHINC, Ms. Shiraishi Haruka and Ms. Morinaga Chitose.
――If you have new challenge, what would it be?
Kusunoki: I’d like to broaden my acting, what I want to do specifically is a cool role because I haven’t done it yet. Then, a strange character that would break apart midway through. Because it would be worthwhile to perform (laugh).
――You conveyed your enthusiasm for acting! What kind of seiyuu do you aim to be from now on?
Kusunoki: I really want to challenge a lot of things. Among them I want to properly grasp the essence of being a performer, I want to focus my spirit in acting. I still have a long way to go but recently I feel I got the room to enjoy and the expression of my acting has become rich. Because it is a hobby, while making the most of it I want to grow little by little.
――Thank you very much!
Look forward to the next Seiyuu Zukan!
Kusunoki Tomori
Kusunoki Tomori Sony Music Artists Profile
Interview: Yoshida Yuki
Photography: Yamamoto Tetsuya
Production Casting: Yoshimura Naoki
This article was published on 05 November 2018 on ddnavi.com
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