In this episode of "Fateful Encounters," we ask popular actors and artists about the people who influenced them. This time, MOMONA from the 11-member girl group ME:I, who voiced Nani, the older sister of the main character Lilo, in the Japanese dubbed version of Disney's live-action film Lilo & Stitch (directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp), talks about her fateful encounter with singer Kaela Kimura.
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My soul mate is Kimura Kaela, who served as the representative national producers in the audition program "PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS."
Even after the show ended and we debuted as "ME:I", she came to many "ME:I" concerts, and I was really inspired and influenced by her personality, her passion for music, and the way she shows love to the fans who love her music.
When I went to see Kaela's 20th anniversary debut concert at Nippon Budokan (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) last October, I was impressed by how cool she was singing with all her heart and soul, and I strongly felt that she was my role model.
To be honest, I wasn't confident that I would definitely pass either "PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS" or this voice actor audition.
However, the things I've done up until now, and the fact that I'm here now, means that someone other than myself believed in me, and that's why I got this opportunity. I used that as my driving force, believing in myself and the people who believe in me, and I took on the challenge, cherishing the feeling of working hard without worrying about the results.
I felt a strong sense of empathy when playing the role of Nani in "Lilo & Stitch."
I started working full time when I was in the first year of junior high school, so I entered the industry early, but when I was 18, I lost my way and left the entertainment industry for a while.
That was when I was 18 or 19 years old, just like Nani. During those two years, I was just working part-time jobs and was really worried about what I should do with my life.
Nani's struggle with the choice between her future, her current environment, and the family she wants to protect reminded me of when I was about 18 or 19 years old, and I felt a strong sense of empathy when playing the role.
Although I'm not as far away as Lilo, I have a sister, so I really feel like we're the same. There are so many points I can relate to, and although we're not soulmates, I felt like Nani was like a dear friend who was in a similar situation to me.
I also have a strong impression of having served as the monthly entertainment presenter on Fuji TV's "Mezamashi TV" in March of this year.
I was very nervous about reading a script on a live morning information program, but with the support and encouragement from the other members, I managed to persevere and get through it.
I remember that on the day, everyone was saying positive things to each other in the group chat on social media, like "Momona, you're doing your best!" and "You're so cute!", which really encouraged me.
Of course I will continue to work with the group, but this time I also tried voice acting for the first time and found it to be a lot of fun, so I would like to do it again if the opportunity arises.
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MOMONA Born October 22, 2003, from Kanagawa Prefecture. Height 163 cm, blood type A. Appeared in the survival audition program "PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS" in 2023. Won first place in the final episode broadcast in December of the same year, and was confirmed to debut as "ME:I". This year, she voiced the role of Nani, Lilo's older sister, in the Japanese dub of Disney's live-action film "Lilo & Stitch" (currently in theaters). After auditioning in the United States, her acting and singing skills were highly praised, and she made her debut as a voice actress.
