SUNRISE's October original masterpiece "CROSSANGE Angel and Dragon Wheel Dance" has detonated the passion of countless anime fans with a cast of voice actors led by Yoshiharu Ashino, Kotsuo Fukuda, and Yota Tsuruoka, as well as a voice actor lineup composed of many big names such as Nana Mizuki, Eiri Kitamura, and Yukari Tamura. Among them, the voice of the heroine Angel is none other than Nana Mizuki, the first singer in the voice actor world. This time, she not only dubbed the protagonist, but also was responsible for the singing of the theme song. And this theme song is her memorable 30th single, and it is also a good product written by Nana herself. And for the first time, she played the heroine of a SUNRISE work and sang songs for the work, which must have many topics worthy of our attention. Recently, Japanese media conducted an exclusive interview with Nana, let us have a look!

[It's because it's a completely opposite role, it's fun to play]

――Ms. Mizuki, please tell us how you felt when you decided to appear in "Crossange's Angel and Dragon Wheel Dance"?

Nana: I'm very happy! But at the same time, I felt the pressure. There are two animation-related departments at King Records, and the third creative headquarters where I work is also working with STARCHILD for the first time to produce an animation, and the first memorable work is for me to be the main character, so I have to play 100%, no, 120%, no, 200% of my ability. A strong sense of mission burned in my heart.

――As a work that creates a new history, I think fans are looking forward to it.

Nana: Actually, the plot of the work itself is like this. There have been few stories of this type before, and in every sense they are some developments that are close to the limit, which makes my soul of an actor tremble. I felt as if I could push some kind of limits with guò. Because I had to write the lyrics for the theme song, I read the script in advance, and I felt like this unfolding was like a raging wave! I needed a lot of energy to get a good grasp of it, so I went to bed early the day before the recording. After all, I think that if I can't "recharge" it well, I won't be able to withstand it at all in the recording studio. When recording the first episode, the production staff, including the director, said to me, "If you hate Angel, it's actually our problem." ”…… And then I couldn't help but complain: "What does it mean to be a hated hero!?" (laughs)

――Generally speaking, the protagonist should be a person who is supported by the audience and can resonate with the audience. ……

Nana: I originally thought that Angel suddenly fell from a high-ranking princess to a spurned Norma, and this posture of falling to the bottom and slowly climbing up should resonate with the audience, and everyone will shout "Come on!" together. But after watching the first episode, I thought to myself, "Angel is too much...... this woman" (laughs) I think this is also very innovative. Not only Angel, but all the girls who appeared on the scene were actually not united, so in such a situation, how should Angel gain a foothold? I think this is one of the highlights of the work. Everyone has their own black history, some people try to break through the past, and some people take a long-term attitude to accept the reality, it can be said that it is different. But when it comes to what everyone has in common, it should be "no matter what happens, no matter what you do, you have to live". That is, a strong attachment to survival. In comparison, Angel makes people feel "really still a princess" in many places...... This is where she is naïve, but this purity can be regarded as Anqi's merit. It is precisely because she is like a blank sheet of paper that she can find her own way of fighting and survival in the future. Although there are certainly many people who are gnashing their teeth at Angel now, I hope that everyone must protect her posture of becoming stronger under harsh conditions and torture.

――If I ask Angel and Miss Mizuki what they have in common, it might be a bit confusing. If I had to list them, where did Miss Mizuki think they were more similar?

Nana: "As long as you decide something, then you have to follow through no matter what happens." If it sounds better, it means that it has a strong will to move forward...... Of course, depending on the angle, some people may think that this is "hopelessly stubborn", in short, it can be regarded as both an advantage and a disadvantage. I think that's something in common with me. It's basically different everywhere else (laughs). I've rarely played a role that's the exact opposite of myself, but that's what makes it fun and learns a lot. I felt that if I wanted to dig deeper into Angel's character, it would definitely not be enough to understand the sentences of Guò lines or something superficial, and I would not be able to synchronize with Angel, so it took me a longer time to read the lines carefully.

――This work also gathers the elite power of King Records, and the voice actors are almost all-star, does Miss Mizuki feel that she is also covered by a luxurious atmosphere on the recording scene?

Nana: Of course, I've worked with everyone on various dubbing scenes, but it's still very rare to be able to get together. So I thought it was fresh. In addition, there are some wonderful voice actors among the voice actors who have not yet been announced, so I hope you will enjoy it.

――Speaking of Miss Mizuki herself, this is the first time you've been the protagonist of a SUNRISE machine qì anime.

Nana: In the previous works I starred in, my role was often that of an operator, a character who stayed in an aircraft carrier as a commander, and so on (laughs), but this time I was very excited to be able to sit in the machine and fight. And I feel like I'm exploding! Because I'm not a man, I rarely have the opportunity to sit in the protagonist's body, so I don't know how to describe my joy when I can sit in such a handsome mecha as a girl this time. I think there will be a lot of scenes in the plot where I scream at the top of my voice (laughs), so I'm going to do my best!

――How does Miss Mizuki feel about her love machine this time?

Nana: It's even more petite than I thought. I don't think it's designed to make it easier for girls to operate. And the color scheme is my favorite blue and white, which makes me excited (laughs)! This Virukisu also seems to be a type of Paramilus, giving it a feeling similar to a near-future product, but with a bit of retro elegance in some places...... Compared to other paramelos, the shape is slightly different. This setting is also very much in line with Angel's royal identity, and she is perfect to sit on it! That's why I like it too.

[Theme song commemorating the 30th single]

――Speaking of the lyrics for this theme song, did Mizuki-san consciously consider something?

Nana: Actually, I wrote in my blog that I "I fell down the stairs~", and it was on that day that I finished the rough lyrics (laughs). In this work, including the protagonist, many heroines are not of the same mind. Therefore, I felt that if I used a positive and straightforward word to write my lyrics, I would not be able to connect with the worldview of the work...... So, I had an idea: I hope that this lyric can make everyone have their own understanding as the plot develops. For example, at the beginning, you may think that the lyrics mainly reflect the pain, sadness, and hesitation of the heroines, but as the number of episodes increases, we can see their growth, and we can also find a ray of light in the entangled reality. That's what I wanted to give to the lyrics, and among the lyrics I've written before, it's one that is particularly difficult. From what angle should you dig up? This made me very annoyed, and I hugged my head in pain and said, "What should I do......" I thought about this question as I went down the stairs, and I fell down violently. But at that moment, he was inspired and excited: "This is it!" "(laughs) I felt so much pain from the abrasion on my knee that I was bleeding and crying...... However, because of that impact, it seemed that something landed on my mind, and I was able to complete the lyrics extremely smoothly. I was surprised by that. Although I don't live in a world like Angel myself, this lyric is a veritable "creation while bleeding"!

――What happened when you were recording the song?

Nana: The recording of the song was done three days before the performance at Yokohama Stadium, and I did it very smoothly (laughs). However, although the direction of the song was determined, it also took a lot of time. If I get too close to the worldview of the work, then the sad element will be reinforced, and I will leave enough room for "warmth" so that this sadness does not become too obvious. Among them, the part where the women fight is very beautiful, but it is also a little embarrassing. If these two parts can be intertwined, then I think it's great. So when I was recording the song, I also reworked it while listening to it. Although the melody of the song is rock, it also feels like a ballad, so it will leave a deep impression on us. This chorus is also an unforgettable melody, and if you have the opportunity to perform this piece in a concert, it will also leave some interaction for everyone.

――Speaking of songs, this is also the starting point of Ms. Mizuki's life as a singer. And the inclusion of such elements this time also makes people feel meaningful.

Nana: In fact, the theme song single recorded for "CROSSANGE Angel and Dragon Wheel Dance" is actually my 30th single. The fact that this work was born out of a large-scale project is also a memorable event for me, and I am very happy that the timing is so delicate...... That's why I was fascinated by the ballad melody this time. After all, this is my starting point. In addition, Virukisu's design is full of near-future atmosphere while maintaining classical elegance, so the staff of the zuò team also wanted us to maintain the feeling of digital music while not forgetting the gentle tunes of jì folk music in the theme song. Digital music, real instruments, plus a six-hole whistle of national instruments...... In this way, a piece of music that seems to be integrated into all worldviews is born!

- It's already the 30th single. So when Miss Mizuki first made her debut as a singer, did you think that she would be able to carry out activities for such a long time?

Nana: First of all, I'd like to release a lot of songs...... In addition, I was the host of a radio show called "Smile Group", and I used to say, "The 77th single is called 'Kotobuki'!" "It's not easy to be able to do it all the time. And the fact that new songs are still being released so steadily makes me doubly grateful. As with the age, the sequence number of the single has also changed from 2 to 3, so there is still a difference in weight.

――Just as Angel struggled to survive in "Crossange's Angel and Dragon's Wheel Dance", did Ms. Mizuki also face difficult situations during her long career as a voice actress and singer?

Nana: There are many, many difficult things (laughs). But the most difficult thing for me is when I keep working every day. I learned a lot from my part-time job, but it was a time when I couldn't see the path of my dreams, so I was frustrated countless times.

――But Mizuki-san is busy with work every day, so it doesn't seem easy.

Nana: Being busy only makes me happy!

――During this summer's tour, Ms. Mizuki had to cancel the performance due to vocal cord inflammation. This is no small event.

Nana: That incident really caused a lot of trouble for everyone. If I could have adjusted my body better and made my voice louder, many things could have been different. However, it also made me rethink it. In fact, the doctors at the hospital also told me, "Don't always think you're only 20 years old...... It's important to go on a rampage regardless of it, but after all, your body has been going through the years, so you can't always put a burden on it, and you should give it some sweetness. I have to take my body and voice more seriously, and I will work hard with fighting spirit in the future.

――The domestic part of the summer tour ended on August 3 at Yokohama Stadium, and after that, Ms. Mizuki had to perform overseas in September and October, so I always felt that my body would not have time to "taste the sweetness".

Nana: After the tour, I kept recording songs and singing in public, but after the overseas performances were over, I thought I would be able to compliment myself (laughs). It would be nice to be able to soak in the hot springs leisurely~

――At the end of the interview, would you like to ask Ms. Mizuki to say something to the audience who watched "Crossange's Angel and Dragon Wheel Dance"?

Nana: This time, "CROSSANGE Angel and Dragon Wheel Dance" started with a very impactful first episode! And the characters who appear on the stage are not the type that makes people feel reassuring, and they often give everyone a sense of fear! The work will also make you feel "I'm looking forward to the next episode!" "This time, I played Angel as a princess (laughs), but I hope that everyone will look at me gently for a long time. The morale on the job site is high, and this enthusiasm is reflected in every detail. Please be sure to accompany me from the first episode to the end, then I will be very happy!