Symphogear AXZ: Special Discussion Series #1

While AXZ was airing, there was a set of 7 "pair" interviews that were released on the official site that featured various cast and staff members. These are on my backburner for right now, but I've already finished the first one which features Aoi Yuki (Hibiki) and Yuka Iguchi (Miku). Enjoy!

Before we get to talking about AXZ, I'd like to have you summarize the relationship of Hibiki and Miku throughout seasons 1 to 3. There really has been a lot of drama between them. 

Aoi: I feel like they went through the dating phase and made it all the way to getting married. (Laugh)

Yuka: Basically it feels like in season 1 they dated, in G they had a fight and made-up, in GX they got married and now in AXZ it’s their married life 1 year later. I think their relationship is pretty calm and composed like that.

Aoi: Yeah, right now there’s a sense of security and trust between them.

So in G, would you say that their fight was the big turning point?

Yuka: For Miku, definitely. She wanted to believe in Hibiki and wait for her patiently, but she became so overwhelmed by the anxiety and worry that it led to her wanting to fight and protect Hibiki instead. However, when Hibiki saved her she gained a renewed understanding of her role as Hibiki’s sunshine and became able to believe not just in Hibiki, but also in herself. From that point onward her position is “it’s okay for me to stay here, it’s okay for me to wait” so no matter where Hibiki goes off to Miku stands firm and encourages her by saying “take care” as she leaves.

Aoi: On the other hand, Hibiki is pretty dense so although she thinks of Miku as her sunshine she didn’t really recognize what Miku was going through at that time. It was like “Whoa, I had no idea! Sorry!” (Laugh) To be honest, Hibiki doesn’t even really reflect on her own circumstances, much less anyone else’s. But I think she was able to learn from that experience and now more actively considers the things she holds dear and needs to protect.

Yuka: Hibiki has faced off against a lot of different people, and to be honest I figured Miku would end up being one of them eventually…

Aoi: For Hibiki, that fight with Miku is the most significant so far. Up until then she had managed to make things work by just fighting her point across, but faced with Miku as an opponent she realized that punching alone wasn’t going to be enough. She needed a new approach when confronting others and I think Miku helped her figure that out.

Do you remember recording for those episodes? 

Aoi: Well I remember being told by the Sound Director “Please yell, but please also sing” and thinking “What does that mean!?” (Laugh) But I remember watching the finished product and it really made me think “This is Symphogear." It truly was an emotional set of episodes.

Yuka: Yeah, there have been plenty of intense episodes, but these were especially so.

Aoi: I think if Miku hadn’t used the Shen Shou Jing gear, then Hibiki never would have changed. At that time I really felt that she had been saved by Miku’s love. I think Symphogear has a lot of scenes where the viewer is persuaded by force, which is true of this scene too, but it also succeeded on coming across at an emotional level.

Yuka: Back then I had spent the whole time from an outside perspective, just watching everyone else sing, so when it came time for me to do it I wasn’t really sure what I had gotten into. The experience really renewed how much respect I have for the talents of Ao-chan and the rest of the main cast.

Then, as you mentioned earlier, by GX Hibiki and Miku have developed a very firm mutual trust in each other.

Aoi: I really felt a sense of composure and confidence from Miku, like a woman who’s already signed the marriage papers. (Laugh)

Yuka: Hibiki had a lot of big problems then, like being unable to sing and worrying about her Father, but despite all that her relationship with Miku remained calm and steady.

Aoi: I think just having Miku there made a huge difference. No matter how beat up Hibiki got or how many things weighed down upon her, there was a sense of peace from the fact that Miku would always be there and would never betray her, which is what I think enabled her to face all those problems. When she became unable to sing the one who helped her out of that rut was Miku and I was really moved by it, like it’s clear that as her wife she understands Hibiki the best. (Laugh)

Yuka: A lot of Symphogear’s appeal comes from all the singing and fighting, but it was GX that made me realize that at the root of it all is love. Not just between Hibiki and Miku, but as the series grows there are various forms of love that continue to pile up and make it stronger, which I’m really happy about.

Now we’ve reached the start of the 4th season, AXZ, and right from the outset of episode 1 we get a look at Hibiki and Miku’s intimate relationship. 

Yuka: The main highlight of episode 1 is of course all the fighting, but I was really happy to see their relationship nicely summed up in that one scene. The most interesting part for me was when Miku watches Hibiki leave, “Miku gets a cheerful look on her face,” was written in the script. They’ve really overcome a lot together and that is the proof.

Aoi: They’ve become adults!

Yuka: Because they’ve been through so much already, I honestly felt so relieved. Like, now Miku has reached a level of composure that when I come in for recording session I’m really at ease.

Aoi: There are a lot of pairings in Symphogear (Laugh), but it finally feels like these two have become perfect. I mean they’re lovey-dovey right from the start, and actually I can tell you there are some more episodes later on we just finished recording where they’re even more lovey-dovey.

Yuka: Yes definitely, at this point in AXZ there have been no signs of any problems in their relationship. Of course, this is Symphogear so I can’t really speak for the future, but for the time being there are no uneasy feelings like there were in G.

Aoi: Just seeing how nice and content Miku is makes me feel warm inside.

Yuka: Right? There is actually a rare moment where Miku has an extended monologue coming up this season, and I hope everyone will look forward to it. I think it’s a scene that shows just how deeply Miku thinks about Hibiki and it will make everyone able to understand her feelings.

In episode 3 there was also a scene between them where Miku was concerned over Hibiki, who was worrying over Chris.

Aoi: Hibiki is too dependent upon Miku’s mature advice!

Yuka: I think it goes both ways. Miku always thinks “well Hibiki needs the help” so she just ends up pampering her. (Laugh)

Aoi: They make a great combo. But actually I felt there was one thing Hibiki became more mature about here. In this scene, she was protecting her promise to not hide any secrets from Miku!

Yuka: Oh I think Miku was happy about that, too. Not only does she want to help Hibiki sort out her problems, but of course anyone wants to be able to understand what the person they love is thinking, so when Hibiki finally talks to her I think Miku felt really relieved.

Aoi: I also thought that Hibiki’s concerns were slightly different than usual this time. Up until now she’s always been worried over her relationships, or her past and it’s always been her at the center of it all. But this time she was worried about Chris and wanted to help her, so she’s worrying more about others. Even though Chris was troubled, I think this was a happy moment for Hibiki.

Yuka: Which is why she didn’t have a gloomy look on her face.

Aoi: Exactly. You get the feeling that she’s trying to resolve the problem by working together with everyone. The teamwork between the 6 adaptors has gotten better and although they’re still risking their lives, I think they get a real sense of satisfaction out of everything. So not only is Hibiki living a happy married life, but things are great at her job which makes everything a win-win. (Laugh)

Yuka: Hahaha (Laugh). But you know, that feeling of satisfaction is only there because of all they’ve overcome in the past. The reason why Miku can smile so often now is because of all the things that Hibiki took on and dealt with. She’s become this reliable figure who encourages others onward, pulling them along…she truly is just so heroic. I think that if anyone can someday guide Saint Germain and the others to the light, it’s Hibiki.


So tell us, looking at each other’s character what makes them attractive? 

Yuka: Everything!

Aoi: The way she always sees Hibiki through rose-colored glasses!

Yuka: To be frank I could talk about Hibiki's good points all day, but I think the biggest appeal to me is just how straightforward she is. The way she never gives up on living life her way, always trying to reach out to everyone regardless of whether they are friend or foe, it’s so cool.

Aoi: Miku’s is…the fact that she’s so forgiving. Hibiki is the type who is always reaching out to others so to a certain extent she is forgiving too, but to be able to strongly embrace that type of person I think Miku is the only one for her.

Yuka: Well inversely, Hibiki is the only one capable of taking all of Miku’s love.

Aoi: Lately it does seem like Miku’s love has become a tad overbearing hasn’t it? (Laugh)

Yuka: In episode 1 of AXZ when we recorded the scene where Miku agrees to help finish Hibiki finish her homework before her birthday comes, we thought “It’s definitely because she wants to be able to spend the day together with Hibiki on her birthday.”

Aoi: Yeah, I figure that Miku is the type that would get upset if you didn’t remember an anniversary.

Yuka: Yeah, which is why she isn’t going to let homework stand in the way of something as important as a Birthday!

Aoi: Really I think Miku must have a notebook where she keeps track of various anniversary dates that are all surrounded with hearts. (Laugh)

Next I wanted to ask about your experience recording the series, if I’m not mistaken it’s been about 2 years since you recorded the last season. What were your impressions coming back? 

Aoi: Well it actually really helped to have that scene with Miku at the start, I was able to slip right back into character. Hibiki is prone to getting scenes where she just becomes way too cool, and sometimes it's difficult for me to keep her two sides balanced. But this time she had that scene with Miku so she starts off as this completely normal girl, which serves as a perfect contrast to the heroic scenes she has later in the episode, so I was able to grab a handle on both with no troubles.

Yuka: Yeah, I also had no trouble getting right back into it. I’m friendly with the other members of the cast too, so instead of feeling like “wow it's been so long” it was more like “wow the fun is finally starting up again.”

Speaking of, the cast became even more extravagant in AXZ thanks to 3 new characters who appear as part of the Bavarian Illuminati.

Yuka: Yes, and recording for Symphogear is such a unique experience that I think the new cast members were a little bewildered at first. But you know, Ao-chan stepped right up and just kind of said “Symphogear works like this! Follow me!” I think she was really someone they relied upon.

Aoi: I’m so happy to hear you say that.

Yuka: I think Ao-chan’s performance is actually a guiding light not only for the new and returning cast, but also for the viewers themselves.

Aoi: I actually had a chance to leave with Rina-chan (Prelati) after recording one time and she said to me “You looked like you were having fun when I watched the 3 of you sing during recording for episode 1” and that made me so happy. Even though for us cast members Symphogear isn’t much different than participating on a team sport, there is this rumor in the industry that the recording sessions are so intense that it makes your vocal chords wither. (Laugh) That isn’t true so I really wanted them to understand that it’s actually quite fun, so when she responded with that impression I was really glad.

Yuka: I’m looking forward to all the new synergy that’s going to result from the addition of 3 new characters to the usual 6 adaptors.

Aoi: Well this cast only consists of people who give it 120%, so I’m sure it’ll get more intense from here on out. It really is just like a sport!

Yuka: “Symphogear is a sport” is already a famous phrase!

Actually, I’ve also heard that the recording set-up was actually changed a bit for AXZ.

Aoi: Yep, that’s true. Up until recently we only had 2 recording booths (cue boxes), so whenever there was a 3 person song one person would record individually while the other 2 recorded together. So sometimes depending on the scene we would have to split it up and record different parts separately, but now we actually have 3 booths so we can all record at the same time together. While the other 2 are singing one of us is usually yelling out “Ora!” or something, and so it brings a new level of realism.

Yuka: A few days ago I heard the staff saying that the theme of seasons 4 and 5 is to “bring Symphogear to perfection.” So I think that the changes in the recording equipment were meant to bring out the best that Ao-chan and the others have to offer as a means of making Symphogear as perfect as it can be.

Aoi: I think it’s wonderful the cast and staff share that feeling of wanting to make the show as best they can in their own way. Everybody is willing to do whatever they need to! It really feels like we’re all facing the same direction and making progress together as a whole.

Lastly, please tell us what to keep our eyes peeled for in the episodes to come. 

Yuka: Well, AXZ may have started out with a glimpse at the lovey-dovey life of a married couple but the crazy twists of the usual Symphogear series are definitely coming. So not only will you be able to see the cool husband fighting her battles, but I think people will enjoy the interactions she has with the new characters as well. Also, don’t forget to listen to the radio show!

Aoi: Amazing! Cool! Intense! That’s what you have to look forward to. Also, there is development between Hibiki and Miku that will make anybody jump aboard the “HibiMiku” train if they haven’t already. Please look forward to their “precious aura.” And I’ll be making my way onto the radio show eventually as well!


Special Corner

Please sum up Symphogear in one word

Aoi: Strong!

Yuka: Aoi Yuki