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With the third season of Love Live! Superstar!! on the horizon, three members of Liella! made the long journey to New York to entertain Anime NYC attendees with a talk show on Friday. Present were Sayuri Date, who plays Liella! leader Kanon Shibuya; CatChu unit member Naomi Payton, who plays Sumire Heanna; and Akane Yabushima, who plays Mei Yoneme.
As the concert audience's glow sticks lit up in the colors of their favorite Liella! members, the guests answered light-hearted questions about their experiences in New York so far. It was a first for both Date and Yabushima, who both exclaimed how amazing the city was. Payton pantomimed the Gen Z photo-taking motion—on her phone. “New York is so beautiful that we just kept staring and saying, ‘What is that? What is that over there?’” Yabushima added to the delight of the audience.
When asked what attracts them most about their school idol characters, Date cited Kanon's love of singing. “When she's an idol and performs at concerts, her eyes always sparkle and her smile sparkles! She has a natural charisma that attracts people.” She added that she admires Kanon's leadership skills and always being there when people need her. “I respect her a lot,” Date smiled.
Speaking next, Payton describes Sumire as very proud and always wanting to be the center of attention, even though Keke and the other girls love to tease her. “She has a fixed personality where she wants people to see her… and she wants people to see her wonderful side. I want to be confident like her. I'm so proud to be her voice!” Yabushima expressed this admiration for their characters, saying that she wants to be strong and kind like Mei. “She puts everyone else before herself, but I wish she would put herself first more sometimes!”
The development of their characters over the seasons remained a top priority for the next segment, where guests were asked to pick their favorite scenes in advance. Date chose the second season premiere, “Welcome to Liella.” In it, Kanon is trying to convince Kinako to join Liella. When asked why she chose this scene, Date said it was a great example of how much Kanon has grown as a character. The moment reminded her of the scene in the first season where Keke had to convince Kanon to become the school idol. “Now that Kanon is asking Kinako, you can see how much she has grown. Kanon is so kind and supportive, it's fascinating.”
Payton's favorite scene is in the third episode of season two (“Next in Line to Win”) where the Liella! girls are on the bridge. She chose it because she felt it represented Sumire's personal growth. “In season one, Sumire wanted to be the star and the center of attention. But when she performs the song “Non-Fiction” where she is the center, she starts to change. Before, she was ‘me, me, me, me, me,’ but this scene shows how much she has grown. I really loved it.”
Then came Yabushima’s scene selection. The crowd started clapping and cheering as the video revealed the school’s science classroom. It was from the fourth episode of the second season, “Two in the Science Room,” where Shiki approached Mei and convinced her to become the school idol. After a heart-to-heart, the scene ended with Shiki holding Mei’s hand. “Your welcome was a little too much,” Yabushima laughed, recalling the cheers from the audience throughout the scene. “They showed their feelings for each other. The words and actions were just between them. It was very precious. They only shared certain aspects because they trusted each other so much. I really loved their special relationship, and obviously the hand-holding part at the end was very beautiful.”
Guests were also asked in advance to pick their favorite songs and describe why the song was special to them. Date chose “Mirai Yoho Hallelujah.” Although the guests didn’t sing, the judges still played each song as they did in the anime, as many audience members performed the carefully choreographed wotagei that accompanied each song. Date said she chose the song because the characters were still struggling at the end of the show’s premiere, including Kanon, who was still working through some past trauma. “The push Keke gave her was the motivation she needed. She could sing it again. It was a very special song for Kanon, but it was also a very special song for me.”
It’s no surprise that Payton chose “Non-Fiction.” ,”saying that she had similar reasons as Date. She briefly describes the journey Sumire’s character goes through, saying that after she loses her confidence, the support of her friends helps her regain her confidence and allows her to become the center of “Non-Fiction.” “Looking back at her past, you can see how far she’s come. Sumire is very precious to me and I love this song very much.”
Rounding out the trio is Yabushima's choice, “Sing! Shine! Smile!” After the audience danced to the song, she explained her choice, saying that it represented the moment earlier with all nine Liella! members together. “We all have fears and things we go through every day. This is a very positive song and it cheers me up. Everyone had a big smile on their face.” [trong cảnh này]. This song always makes me smile.”
The moderator then mentioned that it had been 14 years since the Love Live! franchise began, a fact that may have had a profound impact on some viewers. It had also been four years since Love Live! Superstar!! began, which the guests were asked to comment on. Date said, “From when Love Live! Superstar!! began until now, it seems like time has passed very quickly, but I also feel like we've spent a lot of time together.” “We'll continue to work hard together as Liella! And I'll continue to work hard as Kanon too.”
Payton agreed that time flew by quickly, adding that those four years were “sparkling” and a treasure to her. “This time was so precious. The other members were so precious to me too.” She described the four years as the busiest time of her life so far. “I feel so lucky. Love Live! Superstar!! and the Love Live! series in general have so many fans all over the world. I can see how many of you are here today!” She concluded by saying that she hopes that Liella! songs can continue to spread around the world.
Yabushima said she felt very happy and lucky to meet Date and Payton and that coming to New York made her happy. “I still feel shocked by all the support for this franchise,” she said. “I hope more people will love our songs, concerts, and Liella!”
The interview ended with one final question—what do the guests have in common with their characters? Date said that Kanon is very human, and that emotions sometimes get the best of her. “She doesn’t always smile, so I like that about her. I have my ups and downs too.” She laughed and added that their bangs also go in the same direction. Payton pondered briefly and said that although she used to think they didn’t have much in common, she realized that they both get teased a lot. “Don’t worry, it all comes from love!” she added. “But that’s why I realized we’re similar,” Yabushima added that Mei is very honest about the things she loves, such as her school idols. “She loves them so much that she ends up going to the same school as them. She devotes her whole life to the things she loves, and I think I do the same.”
The third season of Love Live! Superstar!! will premiere on October 6 on Crunchyroll, where fans can also catch up on the first two seasons.
