With a career of 17 years under her belt, Chihara Minori is one of the most well-known and well-loved figures in voice acting and anisong. Though you may know her best as the voice of Yuki Nagato from Kyoto Animation’s “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”, she has also given life to other characters such as Kaori Nagaseko from “Sound! Euphonium” and Erica Brown from “Violet Evergarden”, among many others.
It isn’t only her voice acting career that’s full of gems either. With 11 studio albums to her name, Chihara is a vocal powerhouse who weaves symphonic pop and techno elements into her work.
After announcing that she will enter a hiatus from her singing career at the end of this year, she will release her last five songs in the album “Re:Contact” this November.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Chihara shortly after the completion of her final “Summer Champion” performance to talk about her career and some of its highlights.
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- Chihara Minori© HORIPRO INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Jump to topic
- The final “Summer Champion” concert
- One last farewell: “Last Live 2021 ~Re:Contact~”
- Music career and overseas recognition
- The origin story of Chihara Minori
- Working as a singer and voice actress
- Rounding up
The final “Summer Champion” concert
Hello Chihara Minori!
Hi!
Thanks to everyone’s hard work, I was able to enjoy your concert “Summer Champion” at Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater this year. Thank you very much!
Thank you very much for watching!
Did you ever imagine that you would end up performing a series of 13 concerts at this venue?
When I first started Summer Champion in 2009, I couldn’t have imagined that this would become a yearly tradition. Even over the past 13 years, there were discussions like “What should we do next year? Should we do it, or not?”.
It would come up in discussion whether or not to do a solo concert, or go on tour or do something else. Stellar Theater is quite a difficult place for fans to get to, so there were times we thought about calling it off.
Although we talked about it many times, in the end, the whole team’s mood gradually changed towards feeling like continuing each year. Before we knew it, it was already our 13th year [laughs], that’s amazing!
It was two years ago, but I actually had the opportunity to go to the 2019 Summer Champion event. Even the train cars on the way had a Summer Champion theme, it was pretty amazing!
That’s right. Every year we collaborate with Fuji Kyuko and they put “Summer Champion” on the nameplate of their trains and filled the carriages with ads for Summer Champion as well, it was all Summer Champion-themed!
They did other things like putting a life-sized cardboard cutout of me at Kawaguchiko station. Everyone did so many things for me and supported the event year after year, it was really like a yearly festival. It felt like a Chihara Minori festival. In terms of annual events, I feel like Summer Champion became more important to me than New Year!
Recently you did some livestreamed concerts and the 13th Summer Champion show was also livestreamed. How did it feel to finally be able to stand in front of fans directly again?
Well, last year I performed at Kawaguchiko [the area where Stellar Theater is located] without an audience and livestreamed the show, so I’m really grateful that they let me do that despite everything.
This year—because of the coronavirus—we weren’t able to allow the maximum capacity for the venue and there hadn’t been any opportunities to meet with fans for a while.
I hadn’t done a solo performance since the Birthday Concert for my 15th anniversary in 2019, so up until the start of the show I wondered if, in the moment I saw them, I would be able to sing. I felt like I didn’t know what would happen.
When rehearsing alone in the studio, there were times when just thinking about it, I started tearing up. I was worried about whether I would be able to sing when I would finally be able to see everyone again. Another part of me really wanted to unite everyone with joy and show them how thankful I was. I wanted to convey that more than anything so I felt like I had to do it properly, and for about half of the show, I was going back and forth between those two mindsets.
Please tell us how you felt the moment you took a glimpse at everyone from the center of the stage on Day 1.
I felt like “We finally met! We’re finally here!”. I felt like I was dreaming and even when it was over, it still felt like a dream. I didn’t want to take off the wristband [concert merchandise] because once I did, it would really be over so I felt a little sad about it.
And you’re still wearing the wristband right now! But the final view from the stage, that’s a moment you want to remember with a photograph for sure.
Right? I can’t believe it’s over. It really doesn’t feel like it to me still. It’s so weird.
Maybe it’s because when you think back over that time, all those happy and sad feelings come right back?
Yes, they do. I was given some peaches from Kawaguchiko which I took home, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat them either because then it would be another thing that’s over [laughs]. They started turning brown, and I thought I should eat them, otherwise it would be such a waste—so I did. They were delicious.
This year—just as you did last year—you livestreamed the concert worldwide where everyone could watch, not just Japan. How do you feel about that?
That’s right, like the way that we’ve done it previously. Livestreaming isn’t something that we thought about trying. However, we were able to do something where both fans who came to the event, and those who live far away, were able to enjoy it together and could watch the performance in real-time.
It’s amazing how people in Japan and those who are even further away are able to enjoy the show. Streaming is amazing. It feels like the possibilities are endless. That’s the feeling I get anyway.
I’m so thankful that we can do this for anyone who wants to attend, whether they’re in Japan or not. I’m so grateful to be here in this generation where this technology exists.
Thanks to the livestream though, fans overseas and in Japan, as well as myself, were able to watch your final Summer Champion performance.
Thank you very much!
This time, you were able to perform a two-day event as usual, but with the coronavirus situation and the livestream, some things were probably a little different. Were there any big differences that you felt?
We’d usually have additional activities outside the main event every year, but this time around we weren’t able to do so, so that was a pretty big difference.
I’d go to Kawaguchiko station every year to see everyone and thank them for coming, take pictures with people and so on, but that’s not safe to do at the moment, so we couldn’t. Also, the rehearsal before the main event was tough… During rehearsals, you can hear us from outside, and the band members and I couldn’t head outside to greet people, and we couldn’t leave the stage during the flag songs either. We weren’t able to have as much fun with the fans as usual.
For the performances themselves too, people weren’t able to shout or cheer or stand up. There were so many rules everyone had to abide by, otherwise the event couldn’t go ahead. We thought it might be a little too strict for people to have fun. But, my fans are such wonderful people and we believed that even with all these limitations, they would stick to the rules and have a great time.
With my 15th anniversary this year, we couldn’t sing “We Are Stars” together one last time. It’s something we created and sang together over all these years. Leading up to the event, I thought we’d be able to sing together this year, but the fans couldn’t sing out loud!
We had no idea what we were going to do. We put a lot of thought into it all because we really wanted everyone to be able to take part. A lot of fans also requested that we play it, so I’m really pleased that we managed to get everyone together and perform it without any problems at the main event. I think that the frustration I felt not being able to do things the way that we always had before resulted in us putting on a show that—in a weird kind of way—expressed the relationship and bonds that I have with everyone.
What song do you feel received the biggest response from the audience?
There are way too many for me to count, so I’m not sure! Uhm, I was really surprised when all the fans pulled out sunflowers for Sunshine Flower.
It was a surprise, right?
It was. Because Sunshine Flower was a song that was born at a Kawaguchiko concert too. After all, this would be our last time performing.
We wondered if there wasn’t anything we could do differently from the usual performance. The general idea was to bring sunflowers, and the staff who heard that put their hearts together with all the fans and planned an amazing surprise for me. It made me very happy.
So, about the final song.
Ah, “purest note ~atatakai oto” (purest note ～あたたかい音).
You sang your final song at your final Summer Champion, could you tell us about how you felt in that moment?
Right. I can’t really describe it. Even though I also understood that it would end with “purest note ~atatakai oto”, it hurt.
I was sad that this would be our last time together, but I also realized how special and wonderful it is to be able to spend time like this with everyone at the concert. And I wished that moment could last forever.
I sang purest note while thinking I didn’t want it to end. Yes, I’m happy thinking back of the many memories I have. I don’t have the words, and I don’t want it to be over…
But it’s not over, is it?
It’s not?
One last farewell: “Last Live 2021 ~Re:Contact~”
You’ve announced your final concert for December. Could you tell us a little more about it and your feelings towards it?
That’s right. I spoke about it during my MC but I originally thought I could just finish all of the projects I had already agreed to, finish them one by one, and just quietly disappear but… over the last year, the response from fans has been so strong, so big and so warm.
I started wondering if that was really the way to do things when I had received so much love from everyone. I decided that, right at the end, I want to return those feelings if possible.
What I am able to do is sing, so I consulted with my management and producer about whether or not we would be able to release a CD. And also whether we could put on a show to tie everything up nicely. It was a fairly selfish request of me, especially considering how difficult it is to organize events during a pandemic. But they all agreed, and so they put the wheels in motion for this CD release [album “Re:Contact”] and the last live performance.
I honestly think I’m very lucky. I didn’t think I’d perform more shows or create new music, but it’s all thanks to everyone’s love and support! They’re such a huge reason for me to keep moving and I can’t thank them enough. Today, and for an eternity [laughs].
We already spoke briefly about the livestream, and I’m sure there are many things you were unable to do because of the coronavirus, but is there anything you’d take with you from your final Summer Champion to your last live?
I wonder. What would I bring from Summer Champion?
This goes for everything, but the bonds I share with everyone.
It’s been 13 years since I first played at the Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the bonds that we’ve created with the fans there.
Back when we first started in 2009, I wasn’t sure that people would come all the way out there to see me, as it’s not the easiest place to get to, and the staff and I spoke about it on several occasions. But it ended up a success and started off the tradition.
Right at the start, it was tough for the fans too when it came to working out how to spend time there. But year on year, after spending more time there, it kind of ended up like “Oh, we’ve got two days so we can stay at this place in Kawaguchiko, there’s shops we can go to and some great restaurants too. There’s also some beautiful sightseeing spots”.
People were coming to see me perform, but we were also all about to spend time together sightseeing and enjoying Kawaguchiko, and deepening those bonds. It really was a great 13-year run. It’s pretty amazing [laughs]. That’s all I can say [laughs].
How can I put it? It wasn’t just me, we created this beautiful thing together with everyone that’s a part of my history, a part of my youth—our youth, our generation. What deepened those bonds was Kawaguchiko. That’s what I believe. And I think that even when the last show is over, when those lights go off, those bonds will stay there forever and always. That’s what I want to think at least [laughs].
Speaking about bonds, there are a lot of people who get to know each other by going to see their favorite artists, or anime song singers. They meet, fall in love, and get married.
Ah! Yes, there are so many!
There are so many bonds that have been made over the course of your career—of course the bond you share with your fans but also, bonds between fans, between you and your staff, between staff members, and so on.
I truly believe that as well.
I think it would be wonderful to be able to see and feel those bonds at the end, at your last live.
Yes, that would be nice. Well, is it really the last one [laughs]? It still doesn’t really feel like it yet. Not yet [laughs].
It feels like I won’t ever get that feeling [laughs]. Right up until the day I die, no matter what I do, it won’t feel like it’s over.
Well, you said it yourself, right? Even after your “last live” and your “Final Summer Champion”, those bonds you’ve created will go on forever. So isn’t that okay? [Laughs]
That’s right.
Music career and overseas recognition
The next question is a little more general, but it’s quite a big one.
A big question!
When you look back over your career as a singer, are there any particular memories that stand out?
I debuted back in 2004, as both a singer and a voice actress. And when I talk about it, I always come back to the same thing: “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” [the anime]. This particular piece of work is how I was introduced to the record label Lantis. I hadn’t been able to get my singing career going until we started working together. Thanks to them, it took off so suddenly.
On my birthday in 2007, I played my first concert with band members at ASTRO HALL in Harajuku, and for me, that day was the start of something big. Before then, I’d only performed at events by singing along with the instrumental tracks, like karaoke.
To be able to make music with actual musicians, and to perform together with them… it was a big step for me.
After getting a good start on my music career, I set myself a big goal of performing at the venue Nippon Budokan. And then on May 30, 2010, that dream came true. That was a goal, a dream, for everyone on Team Chihara. I decided for myself in my teens that I wanted to become a singer, and to debut professionally, and did my best to make that happen. But, when I began my music career with Lantis, I became part of a team. The whole team working together to grant that first Nippon Budokan performance dream was huge for all of us.
The Nippon Budokan!
That’s right, Nippon Budokan [laughs]. Oh, but I can’t forget how big of an impact Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater has had on me. I always wanted to perform an outdoor concert, and the staff did their best to make that happen. They searched endlessly for the right space, and in all the places they looked, there was Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater. It was pretty amazing [laughs].
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- The Melancholy of Haruhi© Kyoto Animation Co.,Ltd.
Were there other venues in the running?
Yes, there were! I heard we almost decided on Tokorozawa.
Did the other venue not fit the kind of image you had in mind?
That’s right!
Kawaguchiko just felt like it was the right place—truly. If the weather was bad, no matter what, the people at Kawaguchiko always looked after us. The weather was usually really good thanks to Mount Fuji though [which is relatively near the venue], and I was always able to perform. There’s not a lot of places where you can enjoy nature in all its glory like that. There really isn’t.
They also allowed you to let off fireworks there, right? Isn’t that also kind of rare?
It really is! Every year, we really packed a whole lot of summer fun into those two days. It really was a summer staple—if we don’t perform at Kawaguchiko, summer hasn’t really started. And it kind of felt like summer would never end with all the things that we did.
This year’s Summer Champion Day 1 and Day 2 setlists featured a lot of your most famous songs, didn’t they? Of those, are there any particular genres that you enjoy singing? Is there a certain genre that gets you really fired up?
Ah, genres… I have favorite parts of all of my songs. But, I think my most favorite type of songs are the “flag” songs. They are the type of song where the audience and myself become one. Seeing those flags waving gives me a huge courage boost [laughs].
What are your flag songs?
Uhm, “Lush March!!”, “Best mark smile”, “Ai no uta”, “FLAGSHIP FANFARE”, “Joyful Flower”, I think?
Oh, and what allowed me to perform as a singer overseas for the first time was “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”. I was asked to perform at Anime Expo because of it. I’m the type of person who doesn’t know anything outside of Japan, and even then, I’m not the most familiar with my own country either [laughs].
I’m pretty sure it’s a lot of work just to visit all the prefectures and cities here in one lifetime! Just thinking about that was enough, and I never really thought I’d go overseas. To be able to have visited so many other countries is something I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams.
Working on Haruhi really kick-started my singing career and led the way for me to do a lot of other anime song work. It was a lot of fun. I’m actually scared of flying, so a future where I was traveling in airplanes all over the world was something I never imagined back when I started.
When you’d go overseas for concerts, were there any songs that foreign fans wanted you to perform? Or any songs that had a better reception than on home soil?
It was pretty much the same wherever I’d go but Yuki Nagato’s character song was always a really popular number [she is the character I voice for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]. There were a lot of people who brought Yuki’s character song CD. We would run a system where I would sign whatever you brought, and I remember the number of people who would bring her CD was quite high.
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- Album artwork of “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Character song Vol.2 Yuki Nagato”.
“Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite” [from the CD “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Character song Vol.2 Yuki Nagato”], right?
That’s right [laughs].
I’m a big fan, too [laughs]!
Oh, really? It all comes back to [the character] Yuki, really. We made “Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite” and that ended up being the reason I continued down this path. That’s really something.
It’s well-loved both in Japan and in other countries. Are there any songs from your vast catalog that you feel convey the true essence of “Chihara Minori”?
True essence? I wonder! [Laughs]
True essence… I think “Re:Contact”, which we’re recording now, and “Contact” are probably close. Contact is definitely the base of that cool “Chihara Minori” sound. Junpaku Sanctuary is a good example. I would say that electronic music with grandiose strings is probably it. My essence. This is so hard to answer [laughs].
So what defines “Chihara Minori” is electronic music with grandiose strings? I agree [laughs]!
Actually, on my way over here today, I was listening to your compilation album “Sanctuary II” on the train. And now that I think about it, on songs like “Paradise Lost”, you can really hear those strings. I think songs with your voice and strings really are your essence—but this is just my personal opinion.
Oh really? I feel like it’s pretty different from the regular me though—the Chihara Minori who makes music. It’s me but, it’s also not me, you know? It’s definitely me [laughs].
Already from the start of my music career, people would often comment on the contrast between my stage personas. The difference between when I’m singing [confidently] as opposed to when I’m talking to the audience [timidly] during intermissions. During MCs, people would react like “Huh? Aren’t you going to say anything?”. My mind was always blank and I never really knew what to say [laughs].
That’s also a part of who you are, no?
Yes, you’re right.
This is just my opinion but, the Chihara Minori who sings on stage and exudes coolness and the Chihara Minori who appears during MCs, who’s a little softer and cuter, that combination of parts is what makes you, you, I think.
Yes indeed.
The origin story of Chihara Minori
The anime “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” is one of the things that got you started as a singer. Would you mind explaining what made you want to become a singer and voice actress in the first place?
I wanted to become a manga artist up until I was in middle school, and spent a lot of my time drawing comics. I thought I had created something good enough to debut professionally, but it got rejected. The shock from that hit me quite hard—hard enough that I gave up wanting to become a manga artist [laughs].
When I became a high schooler, I didn’t have any particular goals or dreams that I wanted to fulfill. I had no idea what to do with my life. Right when I started to worry about my future, our school had the annual culture festival where they held a karaoke contest. There weren’t enough entries, and my teacher came to me and said “Hey Chihara, would you sign up?”. I could see that my teacher was in a pinch, so I agreed.
I sang in the contest and won. I won the grand prize, a bunch of cheap snacks [laughs] and everyone was really excited and I was overjoyed [laughs]! A girl, a classmate who I never really spoke to much came up to me afterward and said, “Chihara, I was so moved by your singing”. She had such a huge smile on her face, which, conversely, moved me and made me feel so happy. I thought, “Wow, I can make people this happy just by singing? Okay! I’m gonna become a singer!” [laughs]. From there, I started going to auditions as often as I could.
When I was in my late teens, I was in an endless cycle of auditioning—being rejected and working part-time. One day, I realized I was going to be 20 soon. I suddenly started wondering if it was really okay to keep on like this [laughs]?
I went back home, and of course my parents were worried about this kind of thing too. They were asking me what I was going to do. I’m really thankful for my parents actually, they were the type who would always support me in whatever I wanted to do. It was really easy to get them on board. But even they started saying that, “It’s great that you have dreams but you’re only getting older, so you should decide what you’re going to do with yourself if this doesn’t pan out”. And I thought it might be difficult to continue with auditions like this once I hit 20, so I started to consider joining a school and studying singing professionally at least once. This is why I joined the Avex artist academy.
I studied singing, and I had some chances, but they never seemed to go anywhere and I couldn’t debut professionally. As I was about to graduate and wondered about what to do, the school started a voice acting course. At the same time, one of the staff who had always watched me came to me and said “Chihara, you have an interesting personality. With your voice and your personality, I think it might be a good idea for you to try the course. Right now, voice actors aren’t just voicing characters in things—they’re on the radio, they’ve got singing careers. It’s actually quite a broad field and you could do a lot of interesting work. What do you say?”.
I’m very grateful that they asked me, because I decided to join the course and study the art of voice acting seriously. While I was studying, I was given the chance to audition for the role of Aya Natsume in the anime series “Tenjou Tenge” and [laughs], I passed the audition and made my debut as a voice actress. That’s it. On my path to becoming a singer, I found a career as a voice actress along the way.
For both your singing career and your voice acting career, it was thanks to the people around you that you started those journeys.
That’s right. Yes, I’m quite stubborn, and when I look back on it, it probably wouldn’t have ended up this way had it not been for the people around me who guided me down this path.
I don’t know if I would have chosen to study voice acting on my own volition back then. If I had been younger, I probably would have felt like, “No, I’m going to be a singer, nothing else”, or something.
Back then, I was studying singing and it wasn’t going particularly well. Had the staff member asked me any other day, I might not have said yes to voice acting. I think the timing was really important.
And from there, you’ve continued singing and voice acting for more than 15 years. Has your reason for doing either of those changed at all?
Ah, that’s right. The reason I sing… My work as a voice actress and my work as a singer… I don’t think I’ve ever really considered the reason I do these things.
As for my voice acting work, it’s probably because of all the support that I’ve received from people. As well as being able to bring characters to life with my voice, and all the work that I’ve been lucky to do as a voice actress.
There hasn’t really been anything where I’ve wanted to do it a particular way up until now. That’s probably why I’ve always been in a kind of idling state when it comes to voice acting. I’ve never been that hot-blooded, go-getter, the “I’m going to get this and my career is going to take off!” kind of person. My stance is much more about being moved by a character that I meet on my way, and if they touch my heart, I’d perform them.
When it comes to singing, I always thought that I’d become a singer, and I’ve always loved singing. If I were to compare my singing career to my voice acting career, I had a lot more confidence in my singing ability. I loved singing so I wanted to debut as a singer. I was inspired to do so right from the start.
I think, at the very beginning, I was singing for myself but over the years—this year is my 17th year I believe—that’s changed from singing for myself to singing for my fans. I want to sing songs that make them happy. The part of me that wants to sing for people and make them happy has only grown larger over time.
For both my voice acting work and my singing work, it’s all thanks to them that the Chihara Minori of today can stand here as I am.
Thank you very much for sharing all of this with us!
Continuing on, we were lucky to speak with ZAQ when she performed in NYC. She told us how her entire world was changed thanks to your music and how she pursued a music career—and even ended up at the same record label—because of you. Without a doubt, there are other people who have become musicians thanks to your amazing work. What would you like to tell them going forward?
Ah no, I don’t really have anything [laughs]! I say that, but I do.
Ah, I’ve actually spoken with ZAQ about this before and I was blown away. I was so grateful and happy. I’m sure my influence was only a small portion of the reason. I don’t really have the words. I mean, me? [Laughs] Someone like me being the reason?
The power of music really is something, to be able to bring all those feelings together, it’s a truly wonderful thing. I want music to bring smiles to everyone all over the world! [Laughs]
Please do!
Right now, it’s really rough for everyone, with coronavirus and everything. I hope it all passes quickly, so that we can play for you as normal, and we can come together with the fans again soon.
Working as a singer and voice actress
Singing and voice acting both require skillful use of one’s voice but what makes them individually challenging?
There are a lot of difficult aspects to both [laughs]! I don’t know if I can answer that!
For singing, you’ll need to get yourself in the right headspace or there’s a particular way that you want to sing something, and improving that kind of technical skill can be really hard. Also, the internal struggle of “Why can’t I do it better than this” [laughs].
For voice acting, I’d say that I play a lot of characters that couldn’t actually exist in real life, and knowing how far to immerse myself in that role can be quite difficult—even today. Is that okay for an answer?
Yes, of course!
Also, when it comes to my private schedule, maybe I’d really want to eat some crazy spicy food, or want to have some drinks or something, but it would affect my work the following day so I have to just grin and bear it. That’s a struggle [laughs].
I see! For both singing and voice acting?
Yes! I have to look after my voice. Also, no matter how much I want to turn my room into a freezer, I can’t turn my aircon on full blast… [Laughs] Oh, and the times that I’d love to laugh loudly, or talk loudly, but I have a recording or a performance the following day. The endurance challenge part is really tough for me!
As you need your voice for both voice acting and singing, the hardest parts are endurance and sacrifice?
That’s right! [Laughs]
I see! [Laughs]
It’s really tough. If I played an instrument, the sound would come out of that, but I am the instrument [laughs]. It’s really a struggle.
It’s health management.
Yes!
Has singing had any influence on your voice acting career at all?
Yes, it has! I’ve played a lot of characters who like to sing, such as Shirakawa Nanaka, Izayoi Miku, Kashima Noa. I feel like I’ve received a lot of work, and gained a lot of fans because of those roles where I’ve been able to sing, so I’d say it’s had a pretty direct impact [laughs]!
About the characters who sing, did you like to play them the most? Or did you enjoy playing a different kind of character?
Ah! If I have to choose… I wonder if it’s okay to choose… When it comes to those characters who love to sing, because of the fact that I also love singing, it was really easy for me to get into them.
Is that because their personalities are similar to yours too?
Yes, I think so. I didn’t have to think too much in order to get into the mindset of those characters, so it was easier.
Have there been any characters it was really hard for you to get in sync with?
So many!
Any characters that you just couldn’t understand whatsoever?
I can’t say that there haven’t been, but I can’t tell you any more than that [laughs]!
You don’t have to name names [laughs]!
Sometimes, their worldview or concept is really complex, and that can be tough to work with. Well, every character has a very detailed concept, right? When I find it too difficult, I feel like the problem is that I don’t have enough imagination or other skills, so I do my best to improve.
It’s a battle with yourself, right?
That’s right, it is.
Rounding up
As we near the end, and as you’re from Tochigi prefecture. Gyoza or strawberries?
[Laughs] What! If you ask me which, I have to say I prefer gyoza! Strawberries, I don’t eat a whole lot of. But gyoza… Gyoza and beer are a great match, I think.
Please leave a message to your overseas fans!
Thanks to my work as a voice actress and a singer, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many different countries and meet many of you there. Although my singing career is about to enter a hiatus, so this message will take that into account but… Thanks to all your support, I managed to have a wonderful time!
Working as a voice actress, I’ve been able to sing a lot of anime songs and thanks to that, people all over the world know who I am and I’ve been able to experience a lot of things, and for that, I’m truly grateful. Thank you so much!
This year, on my birthday I’ll be releasing [my album] “Re:Contact”, and at the end of the year [December 26] I’ll be performing. It’s likely we’ll be able to livestream the show [Minori Chihara the Last Live 2021 ~Re:Contact~]! So, if you have time, please watch it. It would make me really happy.
Eh? How should I end this?
That seems okay to me!
My songs and work aren’t going anywhere, so I’d be pleased if you continue listening to them! I still want to continue to make people happy with the things I create, so with that in mind, I’ll keep walking forward! Please check out Re:Contact when it releases! Thank you!
Interviewer and facilitator: Brandon C. Schindewolf (@brandon_jpn)
- Re:ContactRe:Contact
- a b ya・b・y
- FEEL YOUR FLAGFEEL YOUR FLAG
- Itsu datte aozoraいつだって青空
- SingSing
- Re:ContactRe:Contact
- a b ya・b・y
- FEEL YOUR FLAGFEEL YOUR FLAG
- Itsu datte aozoraいつだって青空
- SingSing
- Re:Contact meetings
- Making-of recording footage
- Behind-the-scenes footage of SUMMER CHAMPION 2021
- Behind-the-scene selfie footage
- Comes with a special box packaging