The 22nd installment of the popular anime "PreCure" series is "You and Idol Pretty Cure". Minami Takahashi, who plays Cure Ink/Nana Sofu, has always admired PreCure and has tried out for auditions many times. We asked Takahashi, who said she "met the PreCure of her destiny," about her thoughts on "PreCure."
◇ This was my last audition!
The motif of "You and Idol Pretty Cure" is "idols" and the theme is "Because of you, I can shine and become stronger!". The legendary saviors, Idol Precure, sing, dance, and give fan service, making "you" - the people they love, the people they care about, the people who support them, the people next to them, and the people in front of them - shine brightly. And it is "you" that makes Idol Precure shine brightly and strongly. Appearing in the show are Misato Matsuoka as Cure Idol/Sakura Uta, Takahashi as Cure Ink/Soukaze Nana, and Natsumi Takamori as Cure Kyun Kyun/Shiu Kokoro. The show airs every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on ABC TV and TV Asahi.
"I've met the PreCure of my destiny." Takahashi sent a passionate message when the cast was announced. Takahashi had wanted to appear in "PreCure" so much that even though her appearance had not been confirmed, she had cleared her schedule for the recording of "PreCure."
"I've always wanted to be a Precure. I auditioned many times, but I never passed. There was a time when I thought I might not be the Precure, and wanted to give up on auditions. Every time I failed an audition, my schedule would be empty, and I felt like there was a hole in my heart. But the staff told me, 'It's just that the time just isn't right for you yet,' and 'It's just that you just weren't the Precure you auditioned for this time, so if you have the ambition, don't give up and keep auditioning.' Everyone on the Precure team is really warm and kind. I'm really glad I was able to meet the Precure of my dreams!"
Takahashi plays Nana Sofu, a second-year junior high school student who is good at playing the piano and is a kind and intelligent girl. She transforms into Cure Ink with a wink, a fan service. Her transformation catchphrase is "The courage of my heart that twinkles with you! My eyes snap, Cure Ink!" Takahashi feels that it's "destiny" but...
"Nana-chan and I are completely different. Sometimes people say to me, 'You have a similar vibe to Nana-chan,' but that's not true. I'm the type who acts on emotion, so I might be closer to Uta-chan. I wish I could be more like Nana-chan, but if you asked me if we have anything in common, it would be that we both learned piano when we were little. But I feel like it was fate that she thought my voice was a perfect fit for her."
He revealed that he "didn't feel any sense of accomplishment" during the audition.
"I went into the audition with the thought, 'This is my last time! I'm just going to have fun!' so maybe that made me feel relieved. But I was really nervous."
◇ A life saved by idols
"Pretty Cure" is an object of admiration for children. Takahashi participated in the "You and Idol Pretty Cure" event, "Ohirome Debut Live," and saw the smiling faces of the children, which gave her courage and energy.
"Pretty Cure has great power and is a support for children. Even when I'm feeling down, watching Pretty Cure gives me courage. It's really wonderful. Because Pretty Cure is doing their best, I can do my best too. If I can voice the Pretty Cure I admire, maybe I can become a part of the courage of these children. That's why I wanted to become a Pretty Cure someday. I was moved by the sight of everyone interacting with Pretty Cure at their debut live show. Even during the recording afterwards, I felt like I could hear everyone's voices."
She also has a special feeling for "idols," the motif of "You and Idol Pretty Cure." She is trying to portray Nana with those feelings in mind.
"Idols have helped me in my life. When I'm sad, idol songs can cheer me on and give me strength. Idol songs often support people who are trying new things and give someone a push forward. I feel like helping someone through Idol Precure is a way to give back to the idols I've supported up until now."
◇It’s important to take a step back
In episode 3, "Take Courage♪ Cure Ink Debut!", Nana gathers up her courage, takes a step forward, and transforms into Cure Ink for the first time.
"It was my long-awaited first transformation, but to be honest, I don't remember it at all... I was so busy trying to keep up with Nana-chan's emotional changes that I transformed before I realized it. Nana-chan also transformed before she realized it, so maybe we linked up? I've always admired her, and I wanted to make the transformation more satisfying. In episode 3, I made some mistakes that I don't usually make, and I got flustered, so I'm glad I was able to transform without any problems."
When playing the role of Nana, I keep in mind to "take a step back."
"This time, Precure has hand-to-hand combat, and Precure has a strong image, but we were told that 'Wink should take a step back.' The other two attack directly, but Wink takes a step back and fights while protecting herself with a barrier. Protecting is one of the skills, and in order to protect, you can't be too on the front line. I think taking a step back is important in acting as well. Nana-chan is in the process of finding herself. She looks at people objectively and is not the type of person to be so forward."
For Takahashi, "taking a step back" has become a challenge.
"In my previous roles, I played a lot of characters that were either '0' or '100'. I played a lot of very energetic characters or very downer characters, so I didn't play many roles where I had to take a step back. I'm thinking about how to make a more withdrawn role more appealing. I'd like to find that together with Nana-chan."
Takahashi is enthusiastic about the upcoming recordings, saying, "All my friends who are voice actors who have appeared in PreCure so far all say, 'It may seem long, but it goes by in a flash,' and 'Just enjoy PreCure.' I'm still a bit nervous, but I want to enjoy it from now on!" We look forward to seeing more of Takahashi's work after she became a voice actor for PreCure, which she had always dreamed of.
*The "taka" in Takahashi Minami's name is pronounced with a "hashigodaka" sound.
