April Famitsu Shiny Colors interview (Hitomi Sekine)

From here, we will now interview 6 voice actors who have performed various activities as part of "Shinymas". Today's top batter is Hitomi Sekine, who plays the role of Mano Sakuragi. What about her has changed in the 2nd year?
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Thoughts and feelings that have changed over the course of 2 years of activity


- Sekine-san, you were also in the 1st Anniversary feature (May 2nd/9th/16th 2019 feature issue) last year. What kind of year was the 2nd year?

Sekine: I continued to be nervous during the first year of activity, but for the second year, I feel it was a year where I could grow in many ways. Up until a while ago, I thought that I should keep Mano-chan's voice the same way as it was originally recorded. But, the staff gave me some advice; "As Mano grows, you can change her voice along with her". It was like a bolt from the blue, I was really surprised.


- It's like the scales have fallen from your eyes, huh.

Sekine: That's right. At first, Mano-chan's goal was to be an idol, but she was easily frightened and lacked confidence. However, since then she's had many different experiences and has grown. In the second year, based on that advice, I thought to express a Mano-chan who's growing as an idol.


- As you were playing Mano, did you yourself make any changes, Sekine-san?

Sekine: As for myself, I admit I'm still nervous at every stage and event, but the way I feel nervous has changed a little. I think that I've become less rigid, and more delicate, in the kind of way that I perform as Mano-chan, and I might have been able to concentrate further on that.


- This kind of experience, you can only gain when you continue to play the same role, right?

Sekine: This is my debut role, and the character that I've played for the longest amount of time, so I feel that I've really learnt various things as a voice actor from this role.


- During the Lives, it's really as if it's Mano who's up there.

Sekine: That's true. Up until a while ago, I thought that my role during the Lives was to essentially to project Mano-chan through myself. But recently, I've been thinking, maybe it should be me and Mano together...... I feel that these feelings, they're the reason I was able to grow, even if just a little.



Surpassing the imaginations of the Producers in the 3rd year of "Shinymas"



- Last fall, you guys had a Live performance during the Bandai Namco Entertainment Festival at Tokyo Dome.

Sekine: When I first heard about the Live, the scale of it was so grand, that I couldn't really imagine how amazing it was going to be (laughs). But on the day itself, I remember being less nervous and more wanting to have fun with all the Producers. Up until then, during events I would be so nervous that my face would become stiff, so on that day when Damayu (Mayu Mineda, who plays Meguru Hachimiya) said that "you're smiling today", I was really happy. After these past 2 years, I feel that I've become really close with the other 2 members of Illumination Stars.


- Do you tend to go for food with Mineda-san and Kondo-san (Reina Kondo, who plays Hiori Kazano)?

Sekine: Yes. We do go out together, and we usually play a lot at theme parks really often. Also, for some reason, I often meet with Damayu in the city.


- Meeting your friends in the city by coincidence, those must be some really great odds you have.

Sekine: I really do meet Damayu really often (laughs). And, when we meet up, we tend to go for food together. Maybe we're in sync, but our hobbies and preferences are really similar.


- And this relationship, it's reflected in the performance as a unit, isn't it.

Sekine: For the Live's choreography, whenever I look at the other two's faces, I'm reminded that I'm not alone when on stage, and I can feel them with me; it's very reassuring.


- And in the 3rd year, this degree of unity is only going to keep increasing, right?

Sekine: That's true! When "Straylight" was added, and then later "noctchill", I feel that "Shinymas" is only going to get more exciting, and in order for us to not lose to the other units, we'll work hard in order to give the best performance. Up until now, the Producers might have had many lively, exciting feelings when watching the Lives, like "They're fine", or "They can do it". However, for the 3rd year, we're thinking of delivering fresh impressions and passions, in order to surpass everyone's expectations. It's not something that can be easily put into works, but we're working toward delivering those impressions and passions which can only be seen at that moment, so I'd be really happy if you could continue to Produce without missing them. As for myself, I'm trying to convey Mano-chan's natural expressions without thinking or trying too hard. From here on, I'd like to thank everyone for your continued support!