“Everyone in Aqours is my rival.”

Suwa-san, are you the type to care a lot about winning or losing?

Hmm… I hate losing, but I don’t really think about that on a daily basis.

Then, are there any memorable events that happened because of your desire not to lose?

That’d be my club activities in high school, I guess? We were putting on an English play, and we wanted to win so badly that we practiced almost every day. Like, six or seven times per week.

In particular, what was the most challenging part of that?

Being together with the same people every day would inevitably lead to conflicts, and it was difficult keeping my focus throughout the entire period. Also, in our club, we didn’t just put on the play, we also made the props by ourselves. During summer vacations and the like, I literally left the house before sunrise and only got home after the sunset.

What about your work? For example, does your desire not to lose show itself during auditions and the like?

I think it does. I view each audition as a competition, and I frequently pick out clothes that fit the character’s feel for them. I even go so far as to buy new clothes when I don’t have any suitable ones.

I see. Do you think it’s because your emotions change with the way you dress?

I’m already usually the type to wear all kinds of clothes, so I guess… I wouldn’t say that it’s a huge change from who I usually am (laughs). It does make me slightly more motivated, though.

Doing that might appeal to the people conducting the audition as well.

Yup, you’re right.

Tell us a little about wins and losses in your private life recently. Were there any moments where you thought “I beat this!” or “I lost to this”?

Oh, the one thing that comes to mind is gluttony, I guess. I always end up snacking late at night, so you could say that I’m fighting a losing battle against it (laughs).

What kinds of snacks do you like?

Potato chips, ice cream… Watching a movie or anime while munching on an entire packet of chips is just so blissful.

I can relate to that. What about sloth or greed?

I guess I do have a strong desire to sleep; I constantly hope for a full eight hours of rest. That’s why on days where I don’t get enough sleep, I can’t wake up without Red Bull (laughs). I just really like sleeping. I even slept for sixteen hours straight once.

You’re really faithful to that desire, huh.

Yup. If I have no plans on an off day, I can continue sleeping forever. Also, about the greed that you mentioned earlier, I do end up buying a lot of new clothes every month. I would even say that clothes make up the largest part of my monthly expenditure. Being in this industry often requires you to supply your own clothes, right? Since that’s the case, I think to myself “It’s fine, since it’s for work” when I overspend; that’s how I justify it to myself (laughs).

I see (laughs). Do you ever reflect on your actions, though?

I’m the type to spoil myself, but I do think I watch too much TV. On an off day, I’m the type to keep the TV on from when I wake up to when I go to bed. Though I only actually pay attention to what’s on when it’s a show I really like (laughs). I end up watching it while gaming quite often.

From the theme of “competition”, let’s move on to something related, “rivals”. Who do you regard as your rivals?

Everyone in Aqours.

Oh, is that so. When do you feel the desire to not lose to them?

I always think that they’re really amazing during rehearsals and such. I try to emulate them when those thoughts cross my mind.

If you were to talk about anyone in particular?

Kobayashi Aika-san is really good at both singing and dancing. I’m pretty sure everyone else in Aqours thinks the same way too. That’s why I sneak glances at her during rehearsals and try to copy the parts I found good.

Being in the same group as someone like that must be something to be proud of. Though it does motivate you to not lose to them, right?

Yup, it makes me work even harder.

Are there any things that you pay particular attention to during rehearsals?

I… I manage to remember the steps during the rehearsal itself, but I forget them almost instantly (laughs). That’s why I’m now working on trying to keep those steps in my mind so that I can recall it at any time.

What do you do in particular to achieve that?

I rewatch the dance step footage at home. I’ll totally forget if I don’t do that (laughs). It was fine in the beginning since we didn’t have that many songs, but my brain is definitely over capacity now. So I’m trying my best (laughs).

Having so many songs is tough, huh. Going back to an earlier topic, you mentioned that you think of everyone in Aqours as your rival?

Yup, that’s right.

If you had to draw a pie chart of what you felt towards them, would it be 100% rivalry?

Hmm… I guess it’d be 50% rivalry and 50% friendship. Of course they’re my previous friends, and I frequently get motivated by seeing the others succeed. I get stimulated by their activities outside Aqours; I’m actually the type to get easily affected by things like that.

I see. Are you the type to reveal these feelings? Like “I should have done better!”

Nah, I don’t show it. I’m the type to pout about it at home (laughs). Maybe I just find it a little embarrassing to be doing that in front of others.

“One thing I’ll definitely bring overseas is a bottle of green tea.”

When was the first time you traveled overseas?

During the later years of elementary school, I went to Hawaii with my family.

Oh, that’s nice! Was the trip fun?

Actually, at that time, I wasn’t really into it (laughs). I went along with my parents because they wanted to go, but I was so overwhelmed by being in a foreign country that I stayed in the hotel most of the time (laughs).

Was that your rebellious phase?

Something like that. I’ll go if I’m forced to go, something like that (laughs).

What overwhelmed you?

I didn’t do too well with the ocean at that time. So I wasn’t particularly excited about it.

Going to Hawaii or someplace warm as someone who doesn’t do well with the ocean is a little… huh (laughs). Then, is there anything that you remember about Hawaii?

There were so many Haagen Dazs stores. That really left a strong impression on me. I don’t think you can see that here in Japan now. Apparently you could some time ago though.

Ice cream shops would pique the attention of any young child, huh. Are there any instances where you were affected or stimulated by being in a foreign country?

I studied foreign languages in high school, so I was constantly around exchange students. Also, my family hosted a student for a homestay once, and that was really fun. We would go to school together in the morning and spend time together after coming back home… Things like that. She’s from the United States and is the same age as me, and apparently, there aren’t things like karaoke over there. So I brought her to karaoke, and we also went to eat sushi together.

That sounds really fun! Is there anything you learned from her?

I guess it’d be vocabulary. She studied Japanese as well, so we spoke to each other both in English and in Japanese. Being able to communicate using a common language really makes things more enjoyable.

Were you lonely when the homestay ended?

It was only for a short period of time, but I was really lonely since we were always together. We gave each other presents from our respective countries.

What kinds of presents?

She gave me some snacks and cosmetic products you could only find in the United States. Their cosmetic products are so much shinier than the ones you can find here (laughs). As for me… I’m pretty sure I gave her something Japan-like, but I can’t really remember.

So you don’t remember (laughs).

But I’m pretty sure she enjoyed them!

You had a really valuable experience with international friendships in high school, huh. Let’s move on to your work life. Were there any memorable instances?

That’d be when we visited Los Angeles last year for a live, I guess. The audience was super into it. It was about as hyped up as it could get. I felt like that was something you could only see with overseas fans (laughs).

They really have a dynamic range of expressions, huh.

Yup, they cheered so loudly when we just appeared on stage. Of course, they could remember the Japanese call and responses, which made us, the performers, hyped up as well.

When you’re overseas for work, I guess you’d speak English most of the time, since you’re good at English. right?

Yup, I speak English a lot. Being able to get my point through is really fun.

Are you still studying English now?

I took the Grade Pre-1 Eiken test (TL Note: Second-most advanced level of a ubiquitous English certification exam in Japan) when I was in high school, but I didn’t pass since I didn’t really study for it (laughs). If possible I’d like to go all the way to Grade 1 (TL Note: Most advanced level of abovementioned exam) someday…

But you don’t really have the time to do that.

It’s really difficult. You degrade really quickly if you don’t keep up with studying too.

Forgetting a language just because you stopped using it is really a waste, huh. But, when going to English-speaking countries, wouldn’t you say that it motivates you to do more about your English?

I guess it does. I went to Guam some time ago with my friends, and we actually visited the more rural areas, where there were barely any Japanese people. In the tourist spots, the shop employees spoke fluent Japanese, but there they really only knew English.

Then what happened?

I realized that it’s better when only English works! (laughs) When you’re in the city where there are lots of Japanese people, I’d get spoken to in Japanese even though I wanted to speak to them in English. When that happens, I’ll go “But I wanted to speak English…”

Although they’re just trying to be friendly, it does leave you with this sense of disappointment, huh?

It was one of my few chances to do so too…

But you managed to speak English in the more rural areas of Guam. Were your friends fluent in English too?

Yup, mostly. I helped them a little with the parts they couldn’t quite catch. I was glad to be able to help them.

Then, do you have a favorite country? Are there any countries you’d like to migrate to?

I don’t think there’s any country that I’d actually like to migrate to… The United States is a really nice place, but their toilets don’t come with bidets. If that became a thing I’d totally move there (laughs).

Perhaps not going so far as to migrate there, but are there any countries to which you’d like to study abroad in if you had the time?

Oh, I actually wanted to study abroad in an English-speaking country in the past. If I were to go I’d like to go for a year. I have a lot of friends who’ve studied abroad before, and it seems like they flew from country to country when they were there. Hearing that makes me just a little envious.

I guess everyone has the desire to experience studying abroad for once. Actually, are there any good things about Japan that you only realize after coming back from an overseas trip?

How the people here are really kind! Of course, there are kind people in every country, but aren’t there countries where you just feel a little suffocated? Coming back from places like that really calms me down a lot. Also, the words. English is still fine, but I can’t read Chinese or Korean at all, so I realize how blessed I am to be able to read Japanese when I come back (laughs).

(Laughs). Just being able to understand the signs at airports or the menus at a restaurant is the best feeling, isn’t it?

Yup, that! It just gives you that peace of mind.

What about the food? Is there anything in particular that you need when you travel overseas?

This might just be me, but I feel like South Korea has a lot of sweet drinks. Like their milk tea is so much sweeter than what we have here.

Ah, I guess that’s true depending on the store you go to.

That’s why I’ll definitely bring a bottle of green tea with me when I travel overseas. Oh, instant miso and glass noodles as well. It’s really vital for when you just crave it while overseas.

“It feels like I’m one and the same with Kanan.”

Lastly, I’d like to ask about Aqours. As of this interview (late May), what kinds of activities are you engaged in?

We’ve been doing rehearsals for the upcoming 3rd Live Tour. For our 1st Live, the thought of whether we were actually going to do it occupied most of my thoughts, but that’s not the case now. I guess it’d be finding ways to enjoy the live while still being somewhat nervous in my heart.

You’ve managed to get yourself into that mental state after going through your 1st and 2nd Lives, huh.

Yup. It’s just that the preparation time we have decreases with every live (laughs). I sometimes wonder if we’re actually going to make it (laughs). My mind is optimistic, but…

It’s a worry of whether it’s physically possible, huh.

Yup (laughs). But, I’m sure we’ll make it somehow.

I suppose you’re right. Has the way you regard the other members of Aqours changed after being together for so long?

We were total strangers when we first met, so our interactions were mostly exploratory, but everyone has become like the air around me recently. In a good way, of course. It feels like I can talk to them without thinking about anything now.

You’ve gotten used to their presence.

Yup. So much so that not meeting them for about a week or so feels like a really long time.

It does remind you of when you were still a kid, huh. Not meeting your classmates for an entire long break feels like forever.

Yup. I didn’t expect to have someone like that even after I’d grown up.

This question might be a little specific, but what are your impressions of Saitou-san and Suzuki-san, who’s also featured in this issue? Starting with Saitou-san.

We’re usually very close so we can talk about anything with each other. This may sound a little weird, but it doesn’t feel like she’s younger than me… (laughs) While being cute in the way only younger sisters can, she really has it together on the inside. That’s why I can talk to her about serious matters as well.

How about Suzuki-san?

I frequently go for meals with Aina after rehearsals. I would say I’m the closest to her among everyone in Aqours. She’s also younger than me, but I guess our wavelengths just match. So I feel like we can talk about anything at all, and that’s reassuring.

I see. Then, what about the character you voice, Matsuura Kanan?

Oh, it feels like we’re one and the same. Kanan is a really sporty person, but I’m not that good at physical activities. I was really conscious of that difference between us at the start, but I guess you could say that we’ve melded together recently.

Was there anything in particular that led to that change?

Well, I don’t think there was anything in particular. I guess it’s just that I’ve spent more time with her…

Have your thoughts regarding the Love Live! Sunshine!! franchise changed over the years?

I started from absolutely nothing, so it really was a lot of “firsts” for me. We’ve been given the opportunity to do so many things that I can’t even imagine being somewhere else that’ll allow me to experience the sheer number of “firsts” I have here. So I’d say it has been a very enriching experience.

Do you feel that growth personally?

I don’t really think that I’ve grown all that much, but people have said things like that to me. Like about my singing and such.

Being praised and recognized by the people around you must make you glad, huh.

“Aqours is performing in a never-ending tour”

Let’s talk about Aqours’ future. The single Thank you, FRIENDS!! is slated for release on August 1, and your 4th Live has been planned for November.

It’s right after the end of our 3rd Live Tour in July, so my honest thoughts about it would be “That’s way too soon!” (laughs). Aqours really is performing in a never-ending tour.

(Laughs). But you’ve finally made your way to Tokyo Dome for the first time. It probably isn’t the easiest of things to perform there, but do you have a few words for us about that?

It’s where we saw μ’s Final Live, so I still can’t believe that we’re going to perform there. I’m really excited at how quick things are developing, but since our 3rd Live hasn’t even ended… It’s still a mystery (laughs).

Well, I guess that’d be the case (laughs). Actually, what were your impressions of μ’s Final Live?

I guess I’d say I really felt the sense of unity. It was a space filled to the brim with everyone’s love for μ’s.

I’m looking forward to seeing the legend that Aqours will create there. The movie’s release date has also been set for January 4 next year, right? There’s still more than half a year to go, but do you have a few words for the fans eagerly looking forward to its release?

Many things have happened up till now, and I feel like I’ve been able to experience many things just like everyone did. That’s why I’d be glad if you could continue supporting us in not just the movie, but also in writing more and more stories. Please look forward to it!

“I get stimulated by their activities outside Aqours; I’m actually the type to get easily affected by things like that.“

Aqours’ new single, Thank you, FRIENDS!! releases in August. The Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours Club Activities - LIVE & FAN MEETING 2018 Subunit Battles Countrywide Tour begins in Sapporo on September 9. Their 4th Live will be held in Tokyo Dome on November 17 and 18. Suwa Nanaka appears in the broadcast “Fuwasata” and “Suwa Nanaka’s Suwawa World” on Niconico Douga. Please visit her official Twitter for more details.

TL: xIceArcher
QC: Cornsplosion
Scans: Hellfire

Finally… this day has come.
We had a distant dream.
We hoped to fulfill it someday.
Maybe that was a little of an oversimplification. We thought there was no way we could chase after that.
Something further than the most distant of dreams.
The location we aimed for.
I had never seen it outside of μ’s MVs.
A concert at the dome…

The moment I started stepping forward, the shudders started.
My feet trembled. It was my first such experience.
I was so surprised that I grabbed on to Riko-chan beside me without thinking.
Her shoulders shook, and she slowly turned around.
I could see her face slowly paling from nervousness.
When I saw that…
Somehow… the depths of my heart suddenly warmed up.
Hehehe ♡ I felt energized.
Gyuuu. I squeezed Riko-chan’s hand tightly.
We both smiled.
Seeing this, everyone else also started smiling ♡
Yes, this was Aqours’ smiles.

Because of these smiles, we were able to get to this point.
Ever since the day we first resolved to become school idols.
They were small, but step by step, we continued facing forward…
And now we’re finally here!
This isn’t a dream, it’s reality!

At this point, we have no choice but to enjoy ourselves with our all.
We’re going to do everything that we can do right now!!
Ehehe ♡
Let’s look to Aqours’ future together.
I hope you get to see us at this place that we’ve always yearned for ♡
Let’s make this the world’s greatest stage together!

Sorry for being late (4L D1 was earlier, oops). Also, apologies for not having an actual scan.