Honey-chan loves her anisong singers and is often spotted at a karaoke bar on Sotokanda Street in Akihabara, singing her heart out. There, she got the chance to talk with Konomi Suzuki about her career, inspiration, and upcoming concert in New York City. Konomi Suzuki made her debut at only 15 with the song “CHOIR JAIL”. She has also performed opening and ending theme songs for numerous anime including No Game, No Life and Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World.
Konomi Suzuki
Honey-Chan
Interview with Konomi Suzuki, Singer and Voice Actor Anisong World Matsuri at Anime NYC
You once stated that Sheryl Nome’s singing voice, provided by May’n, was your inspiration for making anime-related music. Why a 2D idol like Sheryl? Why not a 3D idol? What about the character inspired you?
As a series, "Macross F" has scenes where there are improv live performances, but since that is something that can only happen in 2D, I found it astonishingly refreshing. Another reason is that on top of learning the personalities and backgrounds of the characters from the story, I could listen to the music too. Through coming into contact with Ranka, Sheryl, and Macross F, I decided that I wanted to become an anisong singer. They were the ones to give me my dream.
Honey-chan: What is one of your earliest memories as a singer? Where did you start singing? At home? At school? In a club?
Konomi Suzuki: The beginning of my debut as a singer was when I performed the theme song for the TV anime "Dusk Maiden of Amnesia". My debut song is titled “CHOIR JAIL”, and I still remember that as I was very tense and my hands trembled. I do remember that once I stood on stage, it was so much fun I thought, “I want to sing even more!”
Honey-chan: Are you excited to be performing in New York? Do you have a message for your fans regarding your concert?
Konomi Suzuki: This is my first time going to New York and I'm looking forward to what kind of atmosphere New York will have. Not to mention too, this time is the first time that Anisong World Matsuri will be held in New York, so I’m really happy I get to participate! I have this image in my mind that the cityscape of New York is cool and stylish, so I want to be able to experience that atmosphere for myself while also singing my heart out.
Honey-chan: You made the jump from singing to voice acting, playing the role of Rin in the Lost Song. Is there any of you in the character of Rin? Would you like to continue voice acting?
Konomi Suzuki: It seems that the director was not aware of it, but personally, I felt that I resemble Rin, in that she too, is a girl who loves song and food. She is an obedient girl who has a strong sense of justice, so please support both Rin and LOST SONG. As a singer, I want to push myself even more, but if given the chance, I would love to try my hand at voice acting again.
Honey-chan: You sing a lot of wonderful songs to accompany a lot of amazing anime. Do you have time to watch anime or the shows you share your voice with?
Konomi Suzuki: Originally, I liked anime and that's the reason why I thought about becoming an anisong singer. So even now, I still watch anime whenever I have a break. I also absolutely watch anime I’m involved in. Many anime are typically broadcast late at night, but I think about how I want to watch them in real time with the fans as much as possible. So, if work the next day isn’t too difficult or strenuous, I do my best to watch it like they do in real time.
Honey-chan: The life of an artist can be exhausting. What keeps you energized? What part of the life of an artist gives you the most satisfaction?
Konomi Suzuki: When you’re exhausted, eating something delicious really hits the spot. In my case, I often eat ramen. When I am mentally tired, I write down all of my feelings in my diary and I feel refreshed.
It isn’t often that I am personally satisfied with myself, but there are times when I think “I am so happy I sang! I’ll do my best next time too!”, and that is when I am performing live. I am always very nervous right before going on stage, but when I see the smiles of fans or them crying due to being moved when they clap, and when they cheer, it makes me want to get ready for my next performance.
Honey-chan: What is it like working and sharing the stage with other anime singers during Anisong events?
Konomi Suzuki: It really spurs me on. Everyone’s performances are really fascinating. Seeing them put on these fantastic performances energizes me and makes me think, “I gotta work hard to put on a great performance too!”
On behalf of Honey-chan and Honey’s Anime we can’t thank Konomi Suzuki enough for taking the time to answer our questions. We are really looking forward to seeing her on stage at Anisong World Matsuri during Anime NYC in November. We also look forward to hearing her voice talents in future anime as an actor and singer.
I’m a journalist, writer, photographer, video producer, social media manager and above all a storyteller. I’m located on the east coast of the United States but travel the world with the love of my life. I’ve been a nerd since birth with a love of history and science. I fell in love with anime, watching ROBOTECH and Venus Wars in the 80s when our only source was secondhand VHS dubs. A crazy new thing called the internet changed that, giving me access to new and amazing anime every day. I love to write for work and pleasure. I’m living the dream of every kid, getting paid to watch anime and loving every subtitled line.
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