Special feature] Serialization in commemoration of the Boitama Project Reading Theater vol.2 "white Swan+"! Interview with Marina Horiuchi in Part 5!

The Voitama Project, a project in which new voice actors take on various challenges with the aim of becoming world-class voice artists, will hold a reading theater vol. 2 "white Swan+" on November 2 and 3, 2019.

Boitama Project Reading Theater vol. 2 "white Swan+" is a re-staging of the reading theater event "whiteSwan" held on March 27, 2019 at Ebisu Tenmado.switch, with two versions: "ver. Denev" with the same cast as last time and "ver. Albireo" with a shuffled cast. Albireo" in which the cast has been shuffled.

The five new female voice actors belonging to the Boitama Project, Ruri Arai, Akane Kumada, Moeba Gomoto, Marina Horiuchi, and Chisato Yoshitake, will be performing. The reading play, in which the girls, who are striving daily to achieve their dreams despite the obstacles they face, play the same rookie voice actors as themselves, is packed with entertainment elements, including acting and singing!

Akiba Research Institute interviewed the five girls, who are currently rehearsing for the performance! We asked them about their thoughts on the show, what they usually think about, why they wanted to be a voice actor, and what they are thinking about. We also asked them about their reasons for wanting to become voice actors and their episodes.

In this fifth installment of the series, we will introduce you to former members of the idol group "Sakura Gakuin," who in recent years have been cast in a number of high-profile productions, including "Live Revolt" as Hinata Tokine and "IDOL Mai Show" as Ami Akese, as well as singing and performing on the kids' TV show "Kinda Terebi," and also performing on the stage. Marina Horiuchi has been active in various media.

She has the longest artistic career of all the members, and she spoke about her thoughts on being a voice actress and an artist.

⇒ [ Special feature] Boitama Project Reading Theater vol.2 "white Swan+" Commemorative Serialization! Interview with Ruri Arai!
⇒[Special feature] Boitama Project Reading Theater vol.2 "white Swan+" Commemorative Serialization! Interview with Chisato Yoshitake in Vol.3!
⇒ [Special feature] Boitama Project Reading Theater vol.2 "white Swan+" Commemorative Serialization! The 2nd interview with "Mouha Gomoto"!
⇒ [Special feature] Boitama Project Reading Theater vol.2 "white Swan+" Commemorative Serialization! First "Akane Kumada" interview!

─ ─ It's been a long time since we had an interview with you once in "Live Revolt" last year, hasn't it? Please introduce yourself again!
⇒The "Live Revolt" interview series in commemoration of the release of the 1st album and the 3rd live tour! The 7th interview is with Marina Horiuchi, who plays the role of Hinata Tokine!

Horiuchi My name is Marina Horiuchi. My hobbies are visiting Cheesenan and riding the monorail.

─ The monorail?

Horiuchi Yes, that's right. I especially like the Yurikamome and the Tokyo Monorail!

─ ─ Thank you very much (laughs). How did you come to want to become a voice actor?

Horiuchi: I was in a group called "Sakura Gakuin" since I was in elementary school, but when I became a junior high school student, I had to think about my career path. When I was in my second year of junior high school, I discovered Nana Mizuki through the song "You have a dream. I was shocked. I was active as an idol at the time, and I liked idols and watched many of them, but Mizuki shined the brightest in my eyes. I thought, "This is amazing," and I was hooked on her. I was attracted to Mizuki's songs that expressed the world of anime, and I wanted to sing as a voice actor and ani-song artist, which is how I became a voice actor.

───You have been performing on stage since then, and now you are working as a voice actor, and your recent performance in "Live Revolt" is very impressive. How do you like being on stage for "Live Revolt"?

Horiuchi I think that it is not myself but Hinata Tokine who is standing on stage, and what is being expressed are the lyrics and thoughts that Hinata is singing. When I look at the audience's faces during the live performance, I think that it is not just fun, but the emotions that well up inside me are what Hinata felt, and that she can create such a scene when she performs live. I think it is rewarding to be able to feel the emotions of the characters up close and personal.

─ So you are not only singing the song, but you are also playing the role of the character.

Horiuchi That's right. Hinata in particular is a truly profound character, and I want the audience to hear her cries and lamentations and be moved by them. It's fun to feel the link between the work and reality.

───And in the recently announced music battle project "IDOL Mai SHOW," you are playing the role of NO PRINCESS, Ami Akease, and the first event was already held on October 26. How is it going?

Horiuchi: (At the time of this interview) I feel like the recording went well. I thought the lyrics were aggressive. From the atmosphere of the song and the meaning of the lyrics, I can clearly feel Ami and her group's struggle and their desire to "take the world by storm. I want to do my best so that everyone else can enjoy the show as well.

─ ─ I feel that both singing and acting are bringing in the next job.

Horiuchi: Recently, I have had many people say to me, "You are doing a great job with Live Revolt," or "I am rooting for Kinda Television," and I often feel that if I am doing my best, many people will see it. So I would like to play Ami-chan with a cool switch in a good way.

I would like to make a lot of human observations, fill in the elements that I think would be attractive if there were such a girl, and carefully create a character.

─ ─ And on November 2 and 3, the Boitama Project reading play vol. 2 "white Swan+" will be held. Once again, what will the reading play be about?

Horiuchi It is a story about new voice actress girls who are in a situation similar to ours in the "Boitama Project. The story is about these five girls bumping into each other and coming out of their shells.

─ ─ In vol. 1, you played the role of Rui, the most senior character.

Horiuchi: I feel I fit in pretty well. I sometimes thought that Rui's environment, where she has to organize everyone, and my current position are similar, but I thought that it would be wrong to bring them too close together, so I tried to create the role from scratch. Rui-chan's character is that she takes joy in the growth of the children around her, and this is something that is linked to my feelings. I believe that there is a link between the "Live Revolt" that I am actually doing with Ruri, and the sense of accomplishment that I get when I get to know various aspects of everyone in the process of creating a program distributed by STOLABO with the members of the Boitama project.

─ ─ In this vol. 2, you play the role of Rui in ver. Denev, as you did in the previous performance, but in ver. Albireo you play the role of Himari. In ver. Albireo, you will play the role of Himari.

Horiuchi: Yes, that's right. Himari is a very different character from Rui. I think that Himari is a character who is very particular about various things, such as being very good at making duck sounds and having already appeared in an anime, so she has a very fast pace, but she is also very passionate in a relaxed way, like "I won't compromise on this! I would like to play my part so that the audience can enjoy my enthusiasm in a relaxed atmosphere.

─ You not only act but also sing, don't you?

Horiuchi: I felt that singing is the same as dialogue, or rather, that singing is used to convey emotions, so I would like to sing a song that will be more in tune with the inner feelings of the role.

I love musicals, so I have a sense of "lyrics are vital! I have a kind of consciousness that "the lyrics are the life! I want to digest the lyrics and lines in my mind and bring them to the point where they come out unintentionally, like .......

─ ─ From your point of view, what do you find attractive about your four co-stars?

Horiuchi: Ruri is close to me and I always feel that she is very particular about her voice expression. （The highlight of Yuki-chan (who plays in ver. Denev) is the gap between the way she does what she wants to do at the beginning and the way she becomes very good at the end. I think Ruri's ability to express herself so well is amazing. Also, Yuki-chan's innocence makes me think that she is really innocent. I think that the energetic feeling of the role is perfect for Ruri, so I would like you to feel the natural and powerful Yuki.

Meeting Akane-chan has given me a lot of inspiration. Sayaka-chan is the type of person who says what she thinks without hesitation, but Akane-chan is also the type of person who expresses her opinions clearly in front of everyone during practice, and she is the type of person who communicates her desire to make things good to everyone around her. I believe that her guts, or rather, the link of her power to the others who are jumping out of their skin, will give the audience courage to watch.

And then there is Moeba. In the production, she is Chihiro-chan, who has a traumatic experience and is a bit reluctant to come forward, but actually, in Vol. 1, she was the one who was the least nervous. She was the only one who was poised, and I think that's why she could convey Chihiro-chan's charm. I thought that her natural acting and singing were exactly the words of Chihiro, so I hope you can feel her feelings and thoughts about her role.

Chisato is the same age as me, so I feel like we are good comrades-in-arms. I really like her songs, and I listen to her "Pretty Cure" songs all the time. When she plays Himari, Chisashi-chan is soft and relaxed, just like her character, but she has a strong core, and when she sings, I feel that she has a unique sound and sparkles.

─ ─ There is a subtle link between the characters you play and what is inside them, isn't there?

Horiuchi: That's right. In ver. Albireo, the cast changes again, and I wonder how the new roles were decided. I am looking forward to the show.

─ What kind of actor do you want to be in the future?

Horiuchi: I want the audience to be excited, and I want them to see how we all grow in this reading play, and I want those who saw the previous performance to see us grow even more. Last time, it was a one-time performance, so I was like, "I'm going to put everything I have into this performance! But this time, since we will be performing three times, I would like to expand each of our personalities and enjoy each stage. I want the audience to feel as if they are on an adventure, which is the axis of my expression, so I will practice a lot and do my best to show the results of my efforts.

I am looking forward to it! Finally, do you have a message for our readers?