Oricon Interview with Shiho Kato | Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko 2nd Stage


Already back with something else, my AyaHiro loving friends! I translated the questions from this Oricon interview with Katoshi that are related to AyaHiro. Enjoy!



— AyaHiro 2nd Stage is set to start about a year since the first season aired. What was your honest reaction when you heard Season 2 was going to happen?

[Shiho] I was so happy. I was still a member of Hinatazaka46 when I came across this project, and the filming experience was incredibly fun, also thanks to the warmth of the cast and crew. So, my first reaction was one of joy, for being able to get together with everyone again. It's all thanks to the AyaHiro fans who have supported us!

— The 2nd Stage portrays Ayaka and Hiroko's life after they started dating. What were your initial thoughts when you read the script? 

[Shiho] I found it so funny that I just couldn't stop reading. Just like Season 1, Season 2 is full of twists and turns. This time, we had two separate directors taking care of the first and second half of the season, and I believe the impression each part gives is going to differ deeply as well. All considered, I think that the content of the season as a whole is going to represent closely the real struggles of lesbian couples¹.

— How has Ayaka, your character, changed from the first season?

[Shiho] Ayaka already went through a considerable growth in Season 1, but she's going to grow even more in the 2nd Stage! She's going to become so full of humanity that she'll even start exuding maternal² vibes!

— How has playing Ayaka influenced you?

[Shiho] Something I had in common with Ayaka was definitely the difficulty in expressing emotions. She has grown really rapidly in that regard, and that has inspired me to do the same.

— In what way, in particular, would you like to grow? 

[Shiho] Surely as an actress. I was still working as an idol when I filmed the first season, so it was a daily struggle to keep up. This time I found myself able to think things through much more deeply, facing head-on the reality of my path as an actress. I feel like I was able to grow, together with Ayaka!

— Is there anything you especially paid attention to, in order to improve your acting for AyaHiro 2nd Stage?

[Shiho] Working on the first season allowed me to realize just how difficult it is to convey emotions through a screen. Even if you manage to connect with the character's feelings, there's no point in it if it doesn't reach viewers. So, I would say the biggest difference in my approach for the 2nd Stage is the fact that I put a lot of care and focus on how to make Ayaka's feelings come across visually.

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¹ The expression used here (当事者) translates literally to "the people involved", "the people directly concerned", and in the case of AyaHiro is meant to refer to lesbians, and more specifically to lesbian couples, since Ayaka and Hiroko's struggles as one are going to be the main theme of the season. It's an expression widely used when referring to people who are part of a specific category or community (very common when it comes to LGBT) as they are spoken about in a text.

² This might sound strange to many western people (at least it does to me); maybe even other non-Japanese asian people, but for some reason, the word that points to maternal instinct is not rarely used to positively describe women in the context of romantic relationships, in how they act towards their partner. It's mostly about that warm, nurturing and all-embracing sort of kindness associated with how mothers see their kids. It's about the expression of affection, basically, so don't take it too literally when you bump into it).  

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