——What were your impressions of each other going into this performance?

Ishihara: When we were learning the choreography for "VOLTAGE," we don't usually get to see the other voice actors dancing in the studio, but the sight of her dancing so coolly in a very stylish outfit left a huge impression on me.

Miyumi: Ahaha (laughs).

Ishihara: On top of that, the way she spent time harmoniously with everyone in a bright atmosphere was very memorable! She is also an incredibly talented singer, so I was so happy to hear her live during the dress rehearsal, and it was the moment I first truly learned what kind of girl Forever Young is.

I felt that if I let my guard down, I might lose to her, so as the two characters on this key visual, I wanted to face it fairly and squarely just like her.

Miyumi: Thank you so much for all the wonderful words. I also got to work with Kaori-san... Ms. Ishihara for the first time during the choreography lessons for "VOLTAGE"...

Ishihara: You can just call me what you usually do!

Miyumi: Then I'll call you Kaori-san (laughs). Kaori-san is a kind senior who talks to me very warmly with sparkling eyes, but her expression when practicing the choreography for her solo song was so cool that I thought I would copy the sharpness of her movements and expressions if I had a cool scene like that.

Ishihara: I'm so happy!

Miyumi: Actually, I watched the video from that time over and over again.

Ishihara: Oh, you did?!

Miyumi: I watched it intensely, wondering how I could bring out that kind of cool vibe. Ever since the dress rehearsal, I knew the performance of "Glory Eyes" was incredibly cool and cute and would definitely get the crowd pumped, but hearing her voice through my in-ear monitors during the actual show, it was so sparkling and dignified, and I thought, "That's truly Ai-chan." I'm really looking forward to watching the footage of DAY 1.

——What else was memorable for you during the DAY 1 performance?

Ishihara: There are so many things, but personally, I love "Reimei ni Saku Hana." Being able to perform the song together with Lara (Lucky Lilac) this time and spark off against each other was so much fun.

Up until the previous performance, I think she was truly the sparkling idol Ai-chan, but if possible, I wanted to show the strong and sharp side of Ai-chan that isn't just that. So although I was smiling, rather than a fun and sparkling smile, I sang with the hope of showing a side of her that looks like she's smirking.

I felt like my own heart was burning up, and after that, during the "Become a Star" moment in "Glory Eyes," hearing the cheers from the Trainers made me realize how deeply this song and the character of Ai-chan are loved by them. I thought, "What a blissful time this is!" so it left a huge impression on me.

Miyumi: Every song was a first for me to sing, so they were all memorable and fun, but I heard that the song "We are DREAMERS!!" in particular was for the 1st anniversary, so I thought it was very emotional for Yan-ko, who appeared for the 5th anniversary, to sing it.

When the song started, I could see the Trainers going "Ah!" in surprise, but there was also a moment where we stood still on stage, so during that time, I could look around and scan everyone's faces closely, which made me incredibly happy.

In the lyrics distribution, Forever Young got to sing the part "The more time passes, the more our bonds grow—just like how we 'click' [uma ga au]." Just as the Trainers and many Umamusume have united their feelings over time up until now, I felt that the upcoming members, including Yan-ko, will spend a lot of time building that special connection with everyone... I could really feel the future... (holding back tears) Oh dear! I've loved that part since practice, and I thought I might cry if I sang these lyrics during the actual show, but I managed to sing it with a smile, and now here come the tears (laughs). That's how much I loved the song! I'm fine! They're going back in!

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