"This is going to become one of the representative songs of Hasunosora." ── Love Live! New Series "Hasunosora Girls' High School Idol Club" Cast Interview Series Vol.5: Kan Kanna, Voice of Osawa Rurino
April 10, 2023
As a new project in the Love Live! series, details were announced on February 10th during the unveiling livestream for Hasunosora Girls’ High School Idol Club. A new “story to be realized by everyone (school idol project)” begins at the private Hasunosora Girls’ High School, located in a secluded area of Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
The debut mini-album Dream Believers was released on March 29th, and will be followed by a release commemorative event at Toyosu PIT in Tokyo on April 21st and an opening live event at the Pacifico Yokohama National Hall on June 4th! The app Link! Like! Love Live! is also currently accepting pre-registrations.
We will be publishing a series of interviews daily in which each of the six cast members portraying the members of the talked-about Hasunosora Girls’ High School Idol Club discusses the appeal of Hasunosora!
The fifth installment features Kan Kanna. We talked to her about her character Osawa Rurino, her subunit Mira-Cra Park!, her personal life, the songs she sings in the debut mini-album Dream Believers, her enthusiasm for the release commemorative event and opening live just about a month away, and more.
Please enjoy the interview along with keyword talks inspired by Love Live!.
Your hobby is recording yourself singing?
First, please introduce yourself.
Kan Kanna (voice of Osawa Rurino) (hereinafter, Kan): My name is Kan Kanna. Nice to meet you. People usually call me by my nicknames “Kankan” and “Kanchan.”
Does “Kankan” have anything to do with the panda named Kankan that used to be in Ueno Zoo?
Kan: Not at all (laughs), but I think the nickname is kind of cute like a panda. My strength is that I’m surrounded by great people. Be it the members, staff, family, or friends, I always have someone there to guide and support me.
My weakness is that I tend to get hyperfocused and not pay attention to my surroundings. I’m trying my best to improve this (laughs).
I like singing and music, and lately, I’ve been into recording myself singing cover songs. I attend a music university, so I get music tracks from my friends and record my own singing.
Do you upload the songs you’ve sung?
Kan: Not at all. I only record and listen to myself later, but I record a lot of takes.
While I think typical recording sessions have about 10 takes, I record about 50 takes until I’m satisfied. If I feel like I’ve really nailed the recording, I occasionally ask a friend to mix it for me, but I have no plans to upload them online (laughs).
As for special skills, my family has practiced the tea ceremony for generations. I’ve been doing it since I was little. I did get a certification once, but I don’t remember it well. I mostly participate when my grandmother or mother is making tea. I’m more often on the guest side, enjoying the tea and sweets, rather than performing the tea ceremony (laughs).
Nonaka Kokona, who voices Sayaka, also said she participated in her school’s tea ceremony club once a week, mainly for sweets with her close friends (laughs).
Kan: Japanese sweets are great, aren’t they (laughs)? I also played basketball during my elementary and middle school years, because of my father. I was tall, so I played the center position.
Do you have a personal motto?
Kan: “Smiling makes everything better” (laughs). I believe that everything will work out if I keep smiling. So even if I don’t understand what’s being said, I often just smile and listen.
Please tell us how you felt when you were chosen for the role of Rurino.
Kan: I’m prone to stage fright, so during the audition, my voice trembled a lot. I thought I failed after it was over.
However, when I found out I was chosen, I felt incredibly happy and grateful for the opportunity. It made me determined to give it my all and start this new journey with my full effort.
Please tell us about your impression of Rurino, who you play, the similarities and differences between you and her, and what you find charming about her.
Kan: I really like girls with twin tails, so the moment I saw Ruri-chan, I thought, Wow! She’s so cute! Ruri-chan is the shortest of the group at 151 cm, and since I’m tall for a girl, I find that attractive.
It’s fun to think about how she speaks. She’s a very cheerful character, but her tendency to overthink things and run out of energy is also cute.
When I run out of energy, for some reason, Megumi-chan (voiced by Tsukine Kona) seems to notice, and she asks me during breaks, “Aren’t you tired? Are you okay?” Apparently, I don’t realize it myself, but when I’m tired, I suddenly become quiet. That might be a similarity between us.
Also, both Ruri-chan and I tend to be noisy among the members, to the point of being told we’re being too loud (laughs).
I used to be the type who couldn’t do things alone, but I’m doing better now. Ruri-chan studied abroad in California, and I admire her decision-making skills and ability to take action during her middle school years are cool.
Since Ruri-chan and Megumi-chan are childhood friends, she’s less likely to run out of energy when they’re together. I’m curious about how Ruri-chan will become friends with the other members.
Mira-Cra Park! is a fun, energetic subunit that brings everyone together!
Please tell us about Rurino and Megumi’s subunit Mira-Cra Park! and its charms and appeal points.
Kan: I think the biggest strength of this subunit is that the two of them are childhood friends. They understand each other well because they knew each other since they were little. The other two units are combinations of first and second-year students where you can see the relationships between seniors and juniors, but Mira-Cra Park! has a best-friends-like atmosphere.
Their music is also different. Cerise Bouquet has a classic Love Live! feel, while DOLLCEHSTRA has a unique worldview and a cool vibe.
Mira-Cra Park! is a subunit that’s fun, energetic, and able to bring everyone together. You can feel that energy from its vibe to its music. I hope we can always be a subunit that stays close to everyone.
Ruri-chan thinks her partner Megumi-chan is the strongest school idol. Megumi-chan’s cuteness and girliness are things that Ruri-chan wants to match. She must be very happy to form a subunit together, and I think the two of them have a strong sense of unity.
Please tell us how you felt when you sang the debut song “Dream Believers” and anything you’d like to highlight.
Kan: When I first heard the song, I thought, This is going to become one of the representative songs of Hasunosora. Each member’s strengths are showcased, and the straightforward lyrics match the delicate melody.
My favorite part is the D-melody, which starts with “Even when chasing fun things,” I like how the song passes the baton from Tsuzuri-senpai to Sayaka-chan, Megumi-chan, Ruri-chan, Kozue-senpai, and Kaho-chan. It’s very touching. So when I sing the D-melody, I can’t help but smile at everyone (laughs).
Since we recorded the song early on, we might sing it completely differently at the album release event in April or the opening live event in June. I hope you can feel and watch our growth along with the music.
Please introduce “Do! Do! Do!” by Mira-Cra Park!, which is included in the debut mini-album.
Kan: When I first listened to “Watercolor World” by Cerise Bouquet and “AWOKE” by DOLLCHESTRA, I had no idea what Mira-Cra Park!’s song would be. When we received the song, the first thing that struck me was the impact of the title. And then the song itself is like a toy box full of fun.
It’s chaotic but has a clear message, and I think it’s a song that can serve as a calling card for Mira-cra Park! The instrumental is very powerful, so I felt like we had to make sure our voices were powerful too.
I like Megumi-chan’s sweet, princess-like singing voice, which is straightforward but also cute. I was wondering how I could add some fun to Ruri-chan’s voice (laughs).
I sang in a playful, excited manner, and I was glad that it matched well with Megumi-chan’s singing voice when I heard the finished version. I can’t wait to sing this song live with her.
The lyric video has already been released, and Nonsuke (Nozomi Nirei, the voice of Kaho) told me that she was moved by the second chorus. Others have told me things like, “The lyrics are straightforward and touching.”
As the one singing, it was just so much fun I couldn’t help it (laughs). Phrases like “Damn it!” and “I’m ready for anything!” may seem playful at first, but I think there’s a lot of meaning behind those simple words.
I hope that as we sing this song more and more in the future, it will become deeper and more meaningful.
I’m looking forward to seeing the scenery created by everyone’s penlights.
The mini-album release event is scheduled for April 21st at Toyosu PIT, and the opening live event is set for June 4th at Pacifico Yokohama. Please share your enthusiasm for these events.
Kan: I’m excited and thrilled about our first stage performance with all six of us. I can’t wait to see the scenery created by everyone’s penlights. Just imagining it makes me feel like crying (laughs).
The release commemoration event will be a milestone live performance for Hasunosora, and I think many people will be watching it at the venue and through the livestream. I want to work hard to show a different side of Ruri-chan in my performance that’s not just limited to the song recordings. I’m not great at dancing, so I’ll practice a lot (laughs).
Please give a message to everyone.
Kan: Hasunosora Girls’ High School Idol Club has just begun. Like all of you, we’re excited to see what will happen and how things will progress from here.
It’s only been a little over a month since our unveiling stream, but we’re always encouraged by the warm words we receive from everyone. Thank you very much. I hope that Rurino-chan and I can deliver performances that give everyone strength and the push forward they need.
In the future, there will be various events, live performances, streams, app features, and song releases, so let’s enjoy them together!
