The original TV anime "Princess Session Orchestra", a collaboration between King Records, Aria Entertainment and Takara Tomy, has been airing on TV Tokyo every Sunday at 9am since April 6th. The work was planned and proposed by Akifumi Kaneko of the "Senki Zesshō Symphogear" series, and is a "music x anime x toys" that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The fun-loving residents of the wonderland known as Alicepia, the Alicepians, live in the wonderland, but the mysterious monster Jamaock has taken away the sparkling light of the land. In this pinch, the princesses, who never forget to sing in their hearts, go on an adventure. The songs and battles are also a major highlight of the show. We asked Azusa Aoi, who plays Minamo Sorano/Princess Ripple, Yuri Fujimoto, who plays Kagari Shikibe/Princess Zeal, and Azusa Tachibana, who plays Nagase Ichijo/Princess Meteor, about their thoughts on the work.
◇ Admiration for the transforming girl
--Because it's broadcast on Sunday mornings, it seems to be an anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. What is your impression of the work?
Aoi: In one word, it's exciting. It has serious parts, but also bright parts, and has many different charms, making it an exciting work for people of all ages.
Fujimoto-san: This is a work that is full of my dreams. Ever since I was a child, I loved anime where people transform and fight. It's a work that is full of my dreams, with characters becoming princesses, changing their hair color, and wearing dress-like costumes. Personally, I love singing, and I also liked anime where you defeat enemies by singing, so I thought, "I can fight while singing too!" and I'm happy to have the opportunity to appear in a work that is full of my dreams.
Tachibana: It's fun, exciting, and sparkling for anyone to watch. I think it will be a work that will be loved by people of all ages and genders. I'm an adult now, but every time I receive the script, my eyes sparkle. I can't stop feeling excited, and my eyes sparkle too. I wonder what it will be like when the video is completed!? It's a work that is full of sparkles, so I think it will be felt that way by everyone, regardless of age or gender.
--Aoi-san, Tachibana-san, were you also fascinated by transformation anime when you were kids?
Yes, Aoi-san ! How many times have I fantasized about it... When I was in the sixth grade of elementary school, I even drew a magic circle in the park. I was praying, wondering if I could go to a fantasy world. I'm not even a middle school student yet, so please forgive me (laughs). I have always admired the sparkling world of fantasy, and the reason I started to aim to become a voice actress was because I thought it was the closest job to that world, so this work is full of my dreams. You can enter the world of Alicepia through the Alicepia Channel, and since it's a video channel that's close to home, it's easy to fantasize.
Tachibana-san: Maybe there's a parallel world where I'm a magical girl? I still fantasize about that. I think everyone has the right to fantasize about being a princess. I'm so happy.
-What is your impression of the character?
Aoi-san and Minamo-chan are girls who try their hardest. I have a lot in common with them, so they are easy to play. We also share similar pains, so I want to grow together with them.
Kagari Fujimoto loves singing and dancing, and became a princess before the other two. She has a stronger conviction, determination, and sense of mission to protect Alicepia than most. After the other two became princesses, she has become more dignified and takes the lead. She is dignified and sticks to her will, but the contrast makes her a cute girl.
Tachibana-san Nagase-chan is like a shooting star, she is single-minded about what she likes, and she tries to act first without thinking about anything. Even though she is a junior, she is the type of girl who says "I'm going to do it!" and rushes ahead. She is a little sensitive, but the gap between her personality and personality is endearing.
--What did you feel when you saw your transformed self?
Aoi-san has a lot of attention to detail. The frills on the blue part of the skirt are in the shape of a heart. They look like water droplets, and the whole thing is beautiful. My hobby is drawing, and I'm fascinated by the artistic side of things. I was impressed, thinking, "How can you do something like that?"
I really like Fujimoto-san Zeal 's hairstyle. There is a rose in the middle of the donut-like part on the side. I also like how the ends of the ponytails are rounded. I also like how the back of the skirt is long. The accessories also have a rose motif, which is a design that I really like and makes me happy.
Tachibana-san's Meteor looks like a shooting star. When she transforms, her hair grows and goes into a ponytail, making her look like a shooting star, which is really cool. Meteor wears pants, and I also like the belt around her thighs. It's a really perfect balance of coolness, beauty, and cuteness, which is wonderful. I love it too.
◇ “Song dubbing” is difficult but fun
-What do you keep in mind while acting?
Aoi-san and Minamo-chan are strong-willed, and sometimes they surpass my imagination. I was moved when I was worried about whether they were okay or not. They smile even when they feel angry or sad, but I am conscious of not letting their strong feelings end there. I don't show anger, but I try to smile after thinking about my inner self. I think about how to act, not just on the surface, but on the inside, and that is the most important thing.
Ms. Fujimoto has stronger feelings for Alicepia than anyone else, and she has a strong sense of mission and responsibility as a princess, so no matter how strong the enemy is or how high the wall is, she has the strength to do it! When the three of us first got together and she explained the character to us, we were told that "Zeal never breaks" and "Even if he falls, he somehow manages to pick himself up." We are trying and testing to express that strength and strong feelings for Alicepia. There are some difficult parts, but we are doing our best.
Tachibana: I try to relax. She's a cheerful character, but she has a lot in common with me. She's cheerful, but she also overthinks things when she's down. She also has a childish side. When she's feeling down, she's the type to say, "I can't do this anymore." I'm like that too, so I think that doing things naturally makes her more like Nagase, so I try not to overthink things, bring out the parts of myself that are similar, and stay natural. Compared to the other two, her strengths are harder to see in some ways. She doesn't have a strong core, and she's also the most shaky. She struggles, works hard, and sticks to her core, so I think she's the most human.
--There's also a vocal dubbing of the scene where they fight while singing.
When I asked Yoshino Nanjo, who plays Aoi 's mother, "How do you make it feel like you're fighting?", she advised me, "I didn't care how bad my singing got, I just made sure to fight." After that, I gradually got the hang of it and it started to become fun. I'm now able to fight at my own pace without being afraid of losing my rhythm.
Fujimoto: When I actually tried it, it was more difficult than I imagined. I had to match the lyrics to the timing of the fight, and I also had to match the vowels and consonants... I had a hard time. After Aoi indirectly heard the advice she received from Nanjo, I started to feel like I wanted to do it this way. I'm still trying things out, but I think I'm starting to be able to fight.
Tachibana: There are a lot of really difficult parts, but I enjoy it. It's an experience that you don't get very often, and the fun of doing something interesting prevails. I really look forward to it every time. I want to grow, and I have an ideal of how I want to sing and fight, so there are times when I feel frustrated, but it's still fun.
Aoi said it was difficult, but it's not that hard. It's fun after all. I do feel frustrated that my skills aren't up to par, though.
Fujimoto-san, that's true! It's fun.
Depending on Aoi's episode, it can become like a different song, so it's difficult, but when I see the two of them singing during the song dubbing, I think, "I see!" and when I see their backs, I think I can overcome it because I'm not alone. I use that experience in my regular dubbing, and song dubbing has become a treasure to me.
◇ Be mindful that children will watch on Sunday mornings
--What is the combination of the three of you?
Tachibana-san and I are perfect together! I don't think there are any other people who get along as well as we do! Fujimoto-san is really perfect!
Tachibana-san, it's perfect, like Tetris. Tetris that never disappears.
All three Aoi-san are completely different, and the things they are good at are also completely different. Whenever I hit a wall, they always help me, so I am always moved and relieved. I feel like I'm not alone!
Even during Tachibana-san's first live performance, I thought, "With these three, we can do it!"
I felt that way from the first time I met Mr. Fujimoto . I feel at ease with him. Whenever I'm feeling down, he tells me things that I would never think of. I trust him.
--It's broadcast on Sunday mornings, and it's an anime that children will also watch, so is there anything you keep in mind?
Mr. Tachibana and the sound director also told me at the beginning to "try to act in a way that's easy to understand," so I try to act in a way that's easy for children to understand. When I'm excited or depressed, I try to act in a way that's easy to understand, even though it's delicate.
Aoi: It was difficult at first, but I gradually got used to it.
Fujimoto: At first I was very conscious of it, but now I can do it without really thinking about it.
--Do you find that children's smiles and support give you strength?
Aoi: I'm excited because I haven't seen many reactions from children yet. At AnimeJapan, her child came and brought merchandise! I was so happy.
