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Kobayashi Aika BLT Interview - English Translation
(Block tagline quote: “When a girl shines, she transforms into an angel.”)

Up till now, I have always been a singer. This time, when I became a voice actress, on top of singing, I got to experience acting and dancing. I’m looking forward to see whether I can expand my horizons. When acting as Tsushima Yoshiko-chan, I considered what kind of person she is, and what kind of voice I should use to portray her: when I’m face-to-face with her, we will search for Yohane’s (=Tsushima Yoshiko) identity together.

Because Yohane loves to be her little demon self, she messed up her self-introduction during her first day at school, which led to her being unable to integrate well with her surroundings and ultimately skipping school. However, when using Yohane’s identity to attend and perform at live events, I can feel her inner strength. Personality-wise, since she always finishes her homework on time, it shows that Yoshiko-chan is really a good girl (haha).

When acting as Yoshiko, I have to use a wide vocal range, which I enjoy a lot. Speaking as Yohane while speaking with a dark tone, saying things that normal high school girls wouldn’t say, really complicated words which cannot be understood without checking the dictionary… Conversely, when something shocking happens, she reverts to her higher-pitched voice. In this sense, I tried to split these aspects of her into ‘devil’ and ‘angel’ sides to portray her.

Also, when I was voice-acting as her, I also discovered I used a wide range of voices and sounds. When singing as an Aqours member I use a cute voice, because I want to portray how the Yoshiko participating in school idol activities is just like an angel. As expected, when a girl is doing something she wants to do, that is when she shines the brightest and moves people the most. On the other hand, as a Guilty Kiss subunit member, Yoshiko’s singing style also changes, singing in a slightly cooler manner. This subunit’s members include the 2nd year Sakurauchi Riko and 3rd year Ohara Mari. I figured that as a 1st year, Yoshiko would spread her wings to transform into Yohane and sing.

In the “Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiteru Kai” PV, that scene where Yoshiko squeezes her face onto the window glass is really cute. Although she appears to be uninterested in school idols, after looking at her enthusiasm and energy, she is actually really into school idols after all. In the end, Yoshiko really became an idol, which made me think that this girl is really cute (haha). In “Koi ni Naritai Aquarium”, there is another scene where Yohane was showing herself to be uninterested in school idols. To me, Yohane was really cute in that scene, and I really like it. Her smile while dancing and her wink are extremely cute too.

I started learning ballet when I was 5 years old, and started learning Hip Hop Style when I was in Elementary School Grade 3. I was able to apply this knowledge to the rhythm and dance steps in idol dances. Also, both working really hard to practice and use energy efficient methods of practice seem to be helpful. Saitou Shuka, a member of Aqours who is acting as Watanabe You, is also really good at dancing. When it comes to anything related to dancing, most of the time, both of us are in charge of teaching the other members. However, since a team cannot become united when only a part of is good in dancing, I feel like we are all working so hard together to raise our collective standards, and not make unnecessary movements while dancing.

In the TV anime, there will be more chances to see Yoshiko’s cute side both now and in the future. Although there are very few scenes depicting Yoshiko’s original self, in episode 5, Yoshiko musters the courage to integrate together with everyone, in order to compensate for the failed self-introduction during the start of school. She often observes the situation in her surroundings carefully and also acts in a way that shows that she is interested in what is going on around her, so it looks like she actually dislikes being alone after all. However, when she is alone, she pretends to be uninterested in group activities. The dual personalities of Yoshiko and Yohane lead to conflicts within herself, which is a charm point to me. Also, the side of her which likes chocolates and strawberries is surprisingly cute (haha). If everyone can support a Yohane who has both a devilish and an angelic side, I would be really happy.

Aikyan is amazing. She not only helps with the vocals (with King), but dancing too.