Your character, Miku Kohinata, is an important part of the show who has a distinct role from all the gear users. She bookends the series with an appearance in the first scene of season 1 and the very last scene of season 5. Can you tell us how you feel now that Symphogear has reached its 10th anniversary?
Half of me feels like “Wow, 10 years already!” but the other half knows that it was actually a very long and jam-packed 10 years. Looking back on it, Symphogear was the first series I had to do a singing audition for. It was full of surprises that caught people off guard, like how Hibiki was the main character instead of Nana Mizuki’s Tsubasa, plus the fact the first scene of the series starts at her grave. There were many twists that kept everybody on the edge of their seats for 10 years. But, above all, the reason it continued for so long was thanks to the dedicated staff and fans, so I feel thankful for all of them.
So, you had to sing at your audition, too?
Yes! I originally auditioned for the role of Chris Yukine, but as I remember it, they also told me to try another character and that’s how I ended up reading for the role of Miku. But singing was a compulsory part of all the auditions, which became a hot topic. I remember people gossiping at the office like “Hey, did you hear about that one audition?” Especially because it wasn’t the typical light and poppy anime songs, it was real hardcore stuff.
How did it feel for you to watch all the other actresses recording their songs during the ADR sessions?
When it came to recording the battle songs, I knew that Aoi, Nana, and Ayahi were taking on a new challenge that nobody had done before. All I could really do was watch over them, similar to Miku but without all the emotional baggage. So I just stood by and offered my support, like: “Knock ‘em dead!”. Aside from that, I did my best to help provide the walla for the concert crowd. They needed male voices for those scenes, too, so Mr. Agematsu and other members of the staff came with us into the recording booth and we all did the “Hey! Hey!” shouts and such.
Let’s talk a little about the events of season 1. The interactions between Hibiki and Miku were a focal point at the outset, but back then, Miku had no idea what Hibiki was really up to. So there was a stretch of time where Miku got pretty irritated, right?
Yes, because Miku cared so deeply for Hibiki. Yet at the same time, Hibiki couldn’t tell Miku the truth because she desperately wanted to keep her safe. It sadly put them at odds with each other. That kind of storyline happens a lot on TV. It really tugged at my heartstrings when I recorded her dialog in season 1. But when you think about it, Miku really matured into her role as an onlooker. In the beginning, she couldn’t accept the situation and would butt heads with Hibiki about it. Like: “I’m worried about you! Don’t you get that?!” Worse yet, Miku didn’t know the best way to express herself, and that just made things more complicated. But in the end, she came to accept it and helped lead everyone along. She’s both a love interest and a hero at the same time.
Indeed. Miku gradually matures after she discovers the reason why Hibiki was keeping secrets. Then we start to see a more forgiving and tolerant side of her.
Just like a wife. Because that’s what she is (laugh).
Hahaha! Especially in season 3. That’s when Miku starts exuding serious “Hibiki’s wife” energy.
By that point, their relationship was rock-solid and Miku herself had built up a lot of confidence. So she definitely projected this aura that said: “You all know by now, right? Hibiki is mine to look after” (laugh).
Did you do anything special to bring that kind of composed confidence to her voice?
Honestly, I didn’t pay any special attention to it because it just came to me naturally. I credit that to Mr. Kaneko’s (the scriptwriter) great dialog and Aoi’s performance as Hibiki. She was always so steadfast and cool that it coaxed the words right out of me. The way that Hibiki speaks to Miku really instills her with confidence, which also spurns me on personally. So I would say my performance is born out of the back-and-forth between our characters.
Let’s talk about season 2. There was a big shift for Miku’s character when she temporarily donned her own gear.
Yeah, I remember a conversation I had early on in the production of season 2 where the producer Mr. Morii (from King Records) asked me: “Can you shout in Miku’s voice?” And I replied: “Yeah, I can do that… why are you asking?” But, you know, it wasn’t like Miku became a gear user like everyone else. It was more of a mistake that happened because Dr. Ver exploited her emotional instability. So I didn’t let myself get caught up in trying to make her sound cool in any way. Instead, I recorded those scenes while considering how best to portray it from Miku’s perspective.
Well, the events of season 2 served as foreshadowing for what happens in season 5, where Miku’s body gets taken over by Shem-Ha, one of the Gods.
That really came as a shock to me! I was like: “Wh-wh-what’s going to happen now?!” On top of that, every time I opened the scripts I was assaulted by a ton of kanji that I had never seen before. It was extra difficult because I wasn’t sure how to look them up when I didn’t know the readings. So I worked my butt off to do all this research before recording only to find out they made changes to the script when I got to the studio… (pained laugh).
The scene towards the end where she gets into a fight with Carol especially had a lot of complex dialog.
I have to admit, it was fun to say a bunch of obscure words that Miku would normally never use in a different, more arrogant tone of voice. Shem-Ha was originally played by Noriko Hidaka, so part of my performance came from the energy she passed on to me. But there was also the fact we knew season 5 would be the end of the series, so everybody approached it with that in mind. We mulled over our lines in each episode and recorded them with more gusto than ever before. Trust me when I say there are not many series where every actor dedicates themselves that fully to their characters.
What was it like recording that final battle scene?
Well, I had the least experience with recording battle scenes, so when the staff were like: “Okay, please come this way to the studio” I was like: “Who, me?!” (laugh). It’s actually a totally different studio from where we record dialog. It’s one they’ve specially prepared so that everyone can sing at the same time. Not only are there screens for us to see the visuals, but the microphones are set up in such a way that we can all see each other. Once everything was ready and the staff said: “Let’s do a test run” everyone else replied with a confident “Okay!” but I felt so out of my element that I said: “Whoa, whoa, hold on!” (laugh). When I think about how all the other girls went through 5 whole seasons of doing that, I really have to tip my hat to them.
And after that big climax, the series ends with a scene between Hibiki and Miku that was depicted on the key visual for season 5.
I’m so glad we got to see smiles on their faces at the very end. Considering all the trauma and tears they had to go through, I really wanted a heart-warming ending.
Tell us about your experiences with the Symphogear concerts. I understand that you’ve appeared at every single one, right?
Yes, I was even at the legendary first concert from 2012, which didn’t get recorded for video. I remember going up on stage to introduce Miku’s song, “Hidamari Memoria”, but then I accidentally said “Hidamari Sketch” instead (laugh). We were still clumsy with the live performances back then, but Nana led the way while Ayahi kept everyone’s spirits up and Aoi put her best foot forward despite her inexperience. I mostly just kept watch over them. One moment that left a big impression on me was when Aoi came back to the dressing room at the end. She went all out to make the concert a success and felt such relief afterwards that she just started bawling. The tears that came down her face were truly beautiful. It made me feel like “Symphogear” only became what it was because of her.
Wow. What a touching behind-the-scenes story.
The encore where they officially announced season 2 came just after that. Aoi reacted by saying “So, I have to fight again…” and I totally understood how she felt. But when I saw her again at the recordings for season 2, she had become this incredible pillar of strength. It was like: “I’ll take point on this, so everybody just follow my lead”. She truly seemed like the embodiment of everything “Symphogear”. All of the recording sessions and concerts were so fun and exciting thanks to her. I honestly don’t think the show would have made it this far without her around. Meanwhile, I was just there singing mostly fun and lighthearted songs (laugh). Although, I suppose “Waikyo Shenshoujing” was a pretty powerful battle song.
Having something like “Hidamari Memoria” amidst all the intense battle songs is actually nice. It feels like a blessing.
That makes me happy to hear. I totally connect with Miku's desire to always provide a “warm and sunny spot” for everyone. After they perform all those cool power ballads at the concerts, her song is kind of like a moment of respite. It doesn’t light a fire under anybody, but it does provide a gentle warmth that makes them feel comfortable. Or, at least, that’s what I was aiming for whenever I performed it up on stage.
I’m sure the fans would love to see another concert some day. What would you like from the “Symphogear” series in the future?
I would love for there to be a movie, because I wanna see it on the big screen! Symphogear is a series that I owe a lot to because of the connections it’s given me. I know many fans got to know me as an actress because of it, and others who discovered the show through the music or the pachinko machines started listening to the radio show that I host with AyahI (Symphogear Radio). We’ve even gotten letters from people who said they got married thanks to Symphogear. So I hope that even more people discover the show in the future. And I’m sure that Miku wants a chance to flaunt her position as Hibiki’s lawfully wedded wife, too (laugh).
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