ME:I・MOMONA "Lilo & Stitch" Interview

Disney's live-action film "Lilo & Stitch" (directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp) was released on June 6th and has been a huge hit, topping the number one spot for three consecutive weeks as a foreign film, and has already exceeded 2 billion yen in box office revenue. We interviewed MOMONA of the 11-member girl group "ME:I," who voiced Nani, the sister of the main character Lilo, in the Japanese dubbed version, about how she felt when she was chosen, the reactions of those around her, and her own voice.

◇ When we passed, "we all shouted in joy"

The film is a live-action adaptation of the Disney animated film of the same name produced in 2002. It is a heartwarming fantasy set on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, depicting the important bond of "ohana (family)." A young girl named Lilo and her older sister Nani, who have lost their parents, are confronted by Stitch, a rowdy alien who knows nothing of the love of family. Stitch's unpredictable actions cause chaos on the peaceful island, but this miraculous encounter eventually changes the sisters who were close to losing hope...

In the Japanese dubbed version, Stitch is played by voice actor Koichi Yamadera, Lilo is played by child actress Yuno Nagao, the kind-hearted surfer David is voiced by Kaito Nakamura of the popular group Travis Japan, and the alien Pleakley is played by voice actor Yuji Mitsuya.

MOMONA won the role after auditioning in the US. Looking back, she says that passing the audition "was like a dream come true."

"Ever since I heard about the audition, I hoped it would be a good experience. To be honest, I didn't know what the outcome would be, but I was hoping that this rare opportunity would lead to my own growth, and then I was accepted. I'm a huge Disney fan, and out of all the shows I've seen, Lilo & Stitch is the one, so being able to be involved in the production was like a dream come true."

She said she received the news of her acceptance via a phone call from her manager. The ME:I members were also there and celebrated with her.

"I heard about it through my manager over the phone. I was with the ME:I members at the time, so we said there and then, 'It's been chosen!' and we all shouted in joy. Everyone was so excited and were really happy for them as if it were their own success. I felt so lucky to have been blessed with such great members," he said, savoring his joy once again.

She said the animated version of "Lilo & Stitch," produced in 2002, was "probably the first DVD I ever bought for myself," and that she watched it over and over again.

"I can't count how many times I watched it since I was a child. I watched it every day until my DVD player broke. I watched it so many times that I remember the packaging, and I also watched the short animated version every day on the Disney Channel when I was a child."

◇ The whole family loves Hawaii. "We were so excited when we found out we were going."

The name MOMONA comes from Hawaiian words meaning "sweet" and "rich." MOMONA is the eldest of three sisters, and her two younger sisters also have names of Hawaiian origin. The whole family loves Hawaii. For that reason, the family was especially happy to be involved in "Lilo & Stitch," which is set in Hawaii.

"All of my sisters' names are of Hawaiian origin, that's how much our whole family loves Hawaii. So I was really excited when I found out about this role, and the other day my mother and sister watched the film, and they both burst into tears. When I met her after it was over, her face was a mess from all the tears, and all her makeup had come off. She was so moved that she cried and said, 'I'm so glad,' so I felt that she was so immersed in the film, and it was really worth the effort I put in."

"Lilo & Stitch" was a delight to MOMONA's "ohana" (family). MOMONA said with a smile, "Although Lilo and I are completely different ages, to me she is still my precious and adorable little sister, just like Lilo, so I was really happy to see her."

◇ "Powerful energy" in your natural voice

In fact, he confesses that he's "always hated" his own voice.

"There was a time when I listened to my own singing voice and wondered if it would be more fun to sing if it was something completely different, rather than like this voice. But there are so many people who truly love my voice, and they have directly told me, 'I love MOMONA's singing voice' and 'I want to listen to it forever', and after receiving such words and love, I thought that for me to dislike my voice would be rude to the people who say they like it," she revealed, causing her to reconsider.

"Thanks to the love from my fans and the support from everyone, I've come to love my own voice more and more," she said, helping her to become more positive.

During the dubbing, "it was pointed out that my speaking voice sounded breathy."

"I was told that my speaking voice has a bit of a breathy quality to it. But for the role of Nani this time, I was directed to 'use your natural voice and have a powerful energy,' so I was very conscious of that and had to use my natural voice more, put strength into my stomach. I was very conscious of the parts where I had to speak from my stomach."

◇The opportunity to start loving your own voice

"This was my first time working as a voice actress, and it was the first time that my voice was recognized for something other than my singing voice, and it made me feel like my voice is something that people can say is good, so it was a great opportunity. It made me start to like my own voice," says MOMONA with a smile.

Finally, when asked about the highlights of the film, she said, "The live-action version this time has a slightly different essence from the original animated version, and it pursues a greater sense of realism. While it is also the story of Lilo and Stitch, it depicts the lives of various people and the future of ohana (family) in more detail. The life of Nani, who I played, as a person is also portrayed in a delicate manner, so I think that anyone who is currently feeling unsure about something will be very encouraged by this work. I think this is a work that will make you think about trying your best to take care of yourself first while taking care of the people around you, so I would be happy if people pay attention to Nani's growth and the story."