Karigurashi no Arrietty
Q1. Six years since your debut... you have been in the industry for more than ten years!! What is your good experience in entering the entertainment industry?
A1. Not being able to live normally with relish, I felt a sense of achievement.
Q2. On the contrary, are there times where you feel uncomfortable?
A2. Not very much. I cannot help myself since I also go out with my friends. During filming, having to wake up early is a bit difficult, right (laughs)?
Q3. Before the start of filming, what kind of feelings do you have?
A3. Wonderful... indifferent, right? It’s always the same.
Q4. How do you get into your character?
A4. I have to think about my character’s feelings while reading the script. Given that it’s good to have the same habit from the character, I think the role of an ordinary high school student is difficult to portray.
Q5. Your roles you have portrayed until now, which character do you think is nearest to you (like personality)?
A5. I think the character that is nearest to me (in terms of personality) is my character in the drama “Seigi no Mikata.” At the appropriate place, I show my expressions easily, do funny faces, always running around (laughs).
Q6. After that, which role do you want to act?
A6. Because I have a lot of roles as a diligent honor student, I want to portray a rebellious character. Just like a problematic student in “Gokusen.”
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Q7. “Karigurashi no Arietti” is what kind of film? (Note: Karigurashi no Arietti, also known as The Borrower’s Arrietty, is a movie by Studio Ghibli.)
A7. Although according to the the people who watched the movie, they thought that it can be put into various messages. For me, I think that the message conveyed by the movie is “to live.”
Q8. What is a person’s impression when he/she says Arrietty? Is there a common feature between you and Arrietty?
A8. I’d say she is really brimming with curiosity. Then, she is really determined and lively. I am similar with her in terms of being curious, but because I immediately cannot change my action, I thought that Arrietty and I are different in terms of that one. Even if there is a great interest in something, I can say that I cannot jump in a surprisingly new world.
Q9. What are your thoughts as a voice actress for the first time?
A9. Even if..., I think being a voice actress is completely different since if a voice actress is confused and cannot act, he/she cannot proceed. Such times as to talk in sync with the scene, I have to face the monitor when looking at my companion, the feeling on where to face was really confusing.
Q10. Did you like Studio Ghibli’s works before?
A10. Yes. I watch movies like “Laputa Castle in the Sky.” I thought the scene where the character was eating a mouthful of sunny side up is so cute.
Q11. Then, it’s because you were pressured when it was decided?
A11. That was surprising. Because I had experience working as a voice actress once, I have various feelings such as being happy.
Q12. After that, what kind of actress do you want to become?
A12. Personally, I want to be an actress like Shida Mirai. Because which role will be assigned, everyone will give off a different “person,” I can say that I find it unpleasant if the performance is an imitation of someone.
Q13. Also in the interview before, you said that you loved your audition?
A13. Because I like when people are talking about it, I am able to answer their questions. I liked places who gives off tension/nervousness.
Q14. Not nervous?
A14. I do! I always do!! During grade school, I do such things as I could not sleep the day before and I cried since I hate to go, but rather than being nervous, I think that the director is scary and I cried! Therefore, if I did not know that we will meet in audition, I managed to calm down
Q15. Please give us advice on auditioning!
A15. If other people can do it, I can also do it because I think there is no competition. If I am aware on how much I am able to show myself (in terms of personality), I think auditioning can be fun.
Q16. What kind of a baby were you?
A16. I am able to stand early, I’m great at turning over while sleeping, I often cried... I can say I was a fussy kid back then. Therefore, since I was fat when I was a baby, it seems that I immediately got thinner (laughs).
Q17. What is your favorite body part?
A17. Nose. Although my nose was said to be really short, I really like it! I can say that it’s difficult when my glasses keep dropping, but there is an attachment.
Q18. Although you said that you like tuna, what is your recommended way of eating those?
A18. I don’t have any recommendation because I normally eat my favorite tuna as it is (clearly). Given that eating oil cuts are bad since this its calorie is unexpectedly high.
Q19. What is your personality in school?
A19. I’d say that I am diligent. Very diligent. (Edit: Do you fall asleep in class?) Absolutely not!
Q20. Do you have something like extracurricular activities?
A20. I was a member of the Disciplinary Committee last year and the year before that. It’s regrettable that there is no discipline this year... I am really bothered by people who does not wear their uniforms properly!! However, just a note that I am not a fussy kid. The reason is that if I am still a member of the Disciplinary Committee, it’s absolutely necessary to say something. (T/N: What she means is that she is not really fussy in school except when she is a member of the Disciplinary Committee.)
Q21. What is your obsession nowadays?
A21. Shoujo Jidai (Japanese name of Korean girl group SNSD). I bought their single “Mr. Taxi.”
Q22. How do spend your time during your break?
A22. I fall asleep. I spend my day off falling asleep until around evening and if I want to go out, I usually do things like eating out with my friends. I don’t wear my make up.
Q23. Do you have any small luxuries recently?
A23. Because I celebrated my birthday, I received an expensive ice cream cake. It’s strawberry cheesecake flavor.
Q24. Do you have a different experience when you turned 18?
A24. During around grade school, I thought 18 year olds are adults. Reality-wise, I can say that I am still a child. I only thought that the different experience is that I want to get my senior high school diploma.
Q25. Do you want to get married?
A25. Yes, I want to get married by 24 years old and want to have children that are both girls! Because I am awfully close to my sister whom I have a one year age difference, I think that I wish for a warm household. I want to become a friendly mother.
Q26. Have you experienced something wherein you continued doing for a long time?
A26. Coin savings. I put my savings in my gold piggy bank (I myself wrote the word “gold” between the eyebrows of the piggy bank) and if my piggy bank is full, I put my savings to its neighbor the cow bank, and then I deposit those in a bank. I put in coins that are not exceeding to 10 yen so that I can use it like buying presents for my friend’s birthday.
Q27. Mirai-chan, please show us your bag!
A27. I received this bag from my younger sister as a birthday present yesterday. My (current) wallet was also at the same place. Because I had a wallet before that had the color black, I thought that I can change it since it’s spring. I tried to change my wallet to have my favorite color green and cherries.
Off: Accessory case
~ I have to remove accessories during work.
Off: Memo pad
~ Ever since I was in grade school, I have been writing diaries every day.
Off: Wallet
~ Mirai-chan has a long wallet.
On: Green highlighter
~ Highlighting the script using my favorite color green.
On: Script cover
~ When I was in 9th grade, the staff from the drama “Seigi no Mikata” gave this to me with my name written on it.
Q28. Do you have a self-conscious habit?
A28. I’d say I do things like wrinkling my glabella near each other, was made to do a sour pout, and to speak with a neutral facial expression. (T/N: glabella: area between the eyebrows)
Q29. Please teach us the “Iron Man” image!
A29. In the olden days, I was obsessed in the “section chief” character. Reaching around the rank of a section chief is good, but being the department chief is common so it’s not good. Now, it’s nice to become a good person like a father.
Q30. What is your favorite motto?
A30. “Don’t forget your original intention.” For example, even though you are good at preparing your own bentos, you are still receiving it which is not a good thing to do. Since my parents are telling me this since I was a child, this has always been in my heart.
credits to my friend riseyuuko for the translation.