Another long-form interview with my favourite rookie seiyuu of 2019, Fairouz Ai, this time by Nico Nico Douga.
Who is Fairouz Ai? A long interview with the woman within whom Cujoh Jolyne resides
Interview/text/editing: Kanazawa Shungo
Interview/supervision: Harahachibunme Taro
Photography: Kanazawa Shohei
Hair: Je suis heureuse tokyo
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Q: Fairouz-san, today you’re….
A: Ah you pronounced my name wrong, it’s Fai↑rouz – you say it the same way you say Fab-breeze (laughs)
Q: I’m sorry! So I’ll call you Fairouz-san, like Febreze.
A: But you can call me anything you like. ‘Fai-san’ is fine too!
Q: Okay (laughs) So let me start from the top again – let’s talk about all things Fairouz-san. Thanks for your time!
A: No problem!
Q: There have been rumours of Fairouz-san’s art skills making the rounds. You’ve brought some samples of your work today, can I have a look?
A: Sure! This..
Q: …eh, really?
A: …and this…
Q: …you’re too good.
A: Ah it’s embarrassing. I drew these 5 years ago (laughs)
Q: They’re amazing though.
A: I was in the graphic design department in vocational school. I’m not very good at anime-style art; my forte lies in more dramatic pieces.
I’d love to see some of these works featured in an exhibition; or maybe draw a manga and have it made into an anime someday.
Q: You’d never be able to produce such art unless you put in a lot of effort – did you like drawing from a young age?
A: When I was young I could only draw like your average person. Even when I was in junior high the most I could manage was to trace my favourite manga. When I entered high school I had a classmate who was really good at art and that inspired me to want to get better at drawing – that’s when I started drawing for real.
Q: They’re truly amazing. You use numbers as motifs etc – any particular significance behind them?
A: Not really. They’re just random. I wonder if I had anything on my mind when I was drawing these…maybe I did.
Q: It feels like there are various themes weaved into each picture. People might interpret them in their own way (laughs)
A: I’ll leave that up to the research groups then (laughs)
Q: Have you ever thought of becoming a professional artist?
A: Illustration work tends to involve drawing anime-style art or game characters but I was never good at that. My style is more theatrical so I thought it’d be better for me to draw as a hobby.
Q: Rather than drawing whatever’s required of you as part of a job, you’d rather draw the art and motifs that you wish to.
A: Yeah. Obviously, I’d be happy if anyone out there appreciates and likes what I draw.
Q: Have you been drawing anything recently?
A: Umm, not really…not since I started weight training (laughs)
Q: Didn’t expect the talk to suddenly turn to weight training (laughs)
A: I felt like my muscles might waste away if all I did was sit down and draw (laughs) But having my art being praised in this way is giving me the motivation to take up drawing once again.
The influence of ‘How Many Dumbbells Can You Lift?’
Q: You mentioned muscles – the main character of How Many Dumbbells Can You Lift?, Sakura Hibiki, has received a great reception. Your life must have undergone pretty dramatic changes because of this [role] – what are your thoughts on this?
A: How Many Dumbbells Can You Lift? happened to be my first ever TV anime so I didn’t even know what recording in a studio was like. It’s definitely my first big step as a seiyuu.
Plus, I was finally able to relate positive news to my mother and father! A lot of friends have sent me messages about the show as well; I’m really glad.
Q: It’s pleasing to get a good response from people close to you.
A: That’s true not just of people I’m close to, but also of the many people who hear my voice through the role of Hibiki; which has turned her into a much-loved character. It makes me really happy.
Q: Looking through the comments on Nico Nico, we can see many users going ‘an amazing seiyuu has appeared’.
A: I’m glad! Thank you.
But when I watched episode 1, I was thinking ‘How stiff my performance sounds’. I had a negative mindset and was prepared to see ‘So wooden www’ kind of comments.
So it was a great relief to hear a huge round of applause from the viewers at the advance screening event, and to see the anime broadcast and get a good response!!
Still, I do accept the fact that, as many suggest, I am tone-deaf when it comes to singing.
Q: Ehhh really? I thought you were very good though.
A: No way, it only seems so because ‘Onegai Muscle’ is an easy song to sing.
Q: It’s a song that includes quite a fair amount of dialogue-like parts.
A: That’s right. I’m lucky to have been given such a song. I know I’m tone-deaf but I still like to sing karaoke so I hope I get to continue singing forever. I’m glad I’ve kept singing even though I’m not so good at it. I never even imagine a day would come along when I’d be judged in such a way. It makes me happy.
The Fairouz Formula: ‘Stress Relief Method’
Q: You mention that you were ‘worried in advance of (your shows) being seen’ – what exactly does it feel like? Do you lose your appetite etc?
A: I never have problems with appetite! I’ll talk to my white rice and say ‘you’re so tasty!’ (laughs) When I’m feeling down…I start looking up the procedures to obtain permanent residence abroad (laughs)
Q: Does that mean…you want to escape from Japan? (laughs)
A: It’s more on the level of ‘where should I live if I can’t make it as a seiyuu?’ (laughs) I look for people who feel the same way on Yahoo! Answers. For example, I’ll look up phrases like ‘I don’t have confidence’ or ‘I hate myself’ on Yahoo! Answers and I’ll find that there are lots of people like me out there. It gives me courage when I realise that I’m not alone.
Q: So the prospect of obtaining PR overseas and Yahoo! Answers is what gives you courage.
A: Yeah and it made me think, ‘What’s the point in worrying about things that have already happened?’. For example, recording might not have gone well but that’s because of my own lack of skills – there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it after the session is over.
Q: I see. So you have the self-awareness to realise that you’ll need to switch gears.
A: Maybe so. Before I began weight training I’d tend to drag my feet about but now I tell myself ‘Just get to the gym and start moving your body before you have time to grumble!’ When I work out I’ll always go home feeling refreshed, and that stops it from feeling like a drag.
Q: But you must’ve been busy over the last few months. Do you still have time to go to the gym?
A: I have plenty of time to go to the gym! I’m not that busy (laughs) It’s a little painful to say so myself though… (laughs)
Q: I think that pretty soon, you won’t have any time to spare for it!
A: I wanna get busy!
Childhood memories
Q: Now, let’s hear about your younger days. What’s your earliest memory?
A: When I was in kindergarten I went to Disneyland with my family. Maybe it’s because I was overly excited – I ran off the moment I got there and they couldn’t find me until it was time for the night parade (laughs)
Q: Eh, all the way ‘til night? You mean you walked around alone for a half a day?
A: Yeah. My family searched high and low for me and had no time for any of the rides. So day turned into night, and one of the cast members took me to where my family was. And I was like, ‘Hey mom, where did you guys go?’. It seems I had no idea that I’d gone missing.
Q: That’s awesome (laughs)
A: I’ve been crazy since I was a kid (laughs)
Q: You were the kind of kid who’d run around non-stop.
A: There was no stopping me. My report cards would say ‘bright and cheerful child’.
Oh, and this seems a bit of a contradiction to my crazy character but my mother’s a very strict disciplinarian so I was often described as a child with impeccable manners towards her elders.
Q: I have thought that you are a very humble and polite person since we first met during the briefing session.
A: Really? I think that’s down to my mother’s education – I’m very glad.
Q: What are your parents like?
A: Normal parents (laughs). Can’t say that my personality’s similar to either one of their’s. My father’s Egyptian and my mother’s Japanese.
Q: What language do you speak at home?
A: When my father’s around, both my mother and I will speak Arabic.
Q: By the way, do you know how your parents met?
A: I’ve asked them before and the answer I got is ‘it’s a secret’.
Q: Ehhhh (laughs)
A: They even keep it a secret from their daughter! Both of my parents don’t like to talk about themselves. While I on the other hand, can’t stop talking (laughs)
Q: You’d like to find out someday, right?
A: Yeah. I used to be anxious to find out how but now, I’m not too bothered. As long as I know that I’m a child born to a loving couple like my parents, it’s really not a problem.
Q: Oh, what wonderful words!
A: Rather than knowing how they came to love each other, it’s better to know that they still do love each other right now! (laughs)
Egypt: My roots, my pride
Q: Do you remember what kind of child you were in primary school?
A: I was an outdoorsy kid. Going down to the river, building secret bases, playing with frogs.
Q: Er, you played with frogs huh (laughs). I can’t imagine it at all…
A: When I was a schoolkid, I had this toy car made from building blocks. I’d put a large frog on it and take it around for a spin (laughs)
Q: You were quite a rascal of a child (laughs)
A: I also liked Yu-Gi-Oh! It was only when Yu-Gi-Oh was popular among my classmates that I was treated like a cool kid ‘cos I was half-Egyptian. Can’t say I’ve ever been popular otherwise.
Q: That so? You seem like a person whom a group would revolve around.
A: Not at all. Throughout primary school, junior high and high school I was always seen as ‘the lame [wannabe] entertainer’ (laughs)
Q: Oh noes… (laughs)
A: Yeah I was really very lame. Though I did get paid a little more attention when the Pharaoh and Millennium Ring turned up in Yu-Gi-Oh.
Q: Does it bring a sense of familiarity to you when you see Egyptian things appearing in not just Yu-Gi-Oh, but the anime and manga world in general?
A: Yes I was so happy! I’ve always had a bit of a hang-up over being biracial. That’s why I was so happy when more and more people said to me that they liked Egypt because of anime and manga shining the spotlight [on Egypt]. That’s when I realised, ‘This shouldn’t be a complex that I have – it should be a source of pride’.
Which is why I felt so happy when I read Part 3* of JoJo. When I made friends with fellow JoJo lovers they’d go ‘Oh, you’re Avdol!’
*Part 3 of JoJo, Stardust Crusaders, is set in Egypt.
Q: I see (laughs)
A: I’d go ‘Yeah! I’ll bring out Magician’s Red!’ (laughs)
Q: And you actually went to Egypt and started living there, correct?
A: Yes, I was there from the second semester of fifth grade.
Q: It wasn’t because of your parents’ work but rather, you went there of your own free will.
A: That’s correct. My parents remained in Japan, while I went to Egypt alone. I spent one and a half years there ‘til my graduation from primary school.
Q: It wasn’t a short-term overseas study programme?
A: It wasn’t a programme of any kind. Both Japan and Egypt are my countries of origin, right? So I thought, ‘I need to know more about Egypt!’. When I mentioned that to my mother, my paternal grandmother who was living in Cairo said, ‘Why not come and study in a Japanese school in Cairo?’ and off I went.
Q: ‘I want to learn about Egypt because my roots lie there too’ – that’s a very advanced way of thinking for a fifth-grader.
A: Maybe so, but it could have been down to my environment. After all, I’d always had certain preconceived views myself. I wanted to know ‘What would xxx seem like from the eyes of an Egyptian?’!
Even if I wished to refute other people’s biased opinions, there wasn’t much I could say because I knew nothing about Egypt. That’s why I wanted to live in Egypt for real and observe the people living there. So that may have been my motivation, to ‘fight back against prejudices!’
Q: I see. You had a firm purpose, or should I call it a ‘strong will’?
A: Yes, I think so.
Q: How was life in Egypt?
A: I got homesick.
Q: Yeah, that’s to be expected.
A: Nobody in Egypt understood the Japanese aspects of who I was, y’know? Even if there was something I wanted to say, I couldn’t ‘cos the Arabic words just wouldn’t come to me. Plus, I wasn’t able to talk to my mother since there wasn’t LINE or Skype back then and international calls were too expensive.
Q: Do you recall the specific Japanese aspects that seemed incomprehensible [to Egyptians]?
A: For example, let’s talk about food.
The big supermarkets over there do sell Japanese food so I’d buy seaweed to eat and everyone would be making faces that said ‘what are you eating?’
Also, Egyptians value the family unit. But I think it’s important to spend time alone and there were days when I’d rather people not come into my room. I tried to be a little too considerate and it ended up wearing me out.
Q: Did you watch any anime or read manga while you were alone at home in Cairo?
A: Not really. I couldn’t get my hands on them anyway. You didn’t get overseas shipping back then like you do now. I did read some manga brought back by kids who’d gone home to Japan for holidays.
Q: Did you not bring any manga or videos from Japan?
A: Nope. I wasn’t much of an otaku back then. It was only when I was in 6th grade and about to return to Japan that a new student came in and they told me what was popular in Japan at the time. Gintama, D.Gray-man and BLEACH etc.
Q: They’re all Jump series.
A: I’m not sure if I was influenced by that but when I came back to Japan I pounced on shonen manga and got addicted. Since then, I’ve become a [shonen] limited otaku.
Q: A limited otaku (laughs). Was there any kind of such anime or manga culture in Egypt back then? Did they show series on TV every week, for example?
A: They were showing Detective Conan and Captain Tsubasa, things like that. Oh, and Naruto. But due to censorship rules they couldn’t show naked women or swimsuits etc, so the series that they could broadcast was limited. The Sexy Technique in Naruto was censored too.
A cat with bloodshot eyes in Egypt
A: There was one unforgettable event that happened in Egypt. It’s a bit of a horror story, can I talk about it?
Q: Do go ahead.
A: There’re a lot of stray cats in Egypt and they’re filthy (laughs). It’s not like in Japan where you get your cute ‘nyaaa~~’ kitties – instead, you get cats with bloodshot eyes.
Q: And they’re always hunting prey?
A: They’re hungry beasts, these cats (laughs) So I had some parakeets at the time. Two budgies, to be exact.
Q: I have a bad feeling about this…
A: I came back from school one day and 1 of the budgies was gone. So I asked our maid ‘why is one of the budgies missing?’ and she said ‘it was dead when I came in so I dumped it in the rubbish bin’ (laughs)
Q: Nooo! That’s cruel!
A: I was thinking ‘Oh god, it must be a bug!’ (laughs) Bird flu was going around at the time so it was dumped as it was deemed dangerous. So I was going to the rubbish dump with tears in my eyes when I came across a cat with bloodshot eyes that had a budgie in its mouth – it looked right into my eyes and went ‘Miaoww!!’.
It had my beloved budgie in between its teeth! I was so traumatised (laughs)
Q: I’m not sure I should laugh.. you’re laughing, Fairouz-san, that’s why I’m laughing too.
A: Ah I’m sorry I shouldn’t be laughing, right? (laughs) And that, sums up my 1.5 years in Egypt!
A cheerful personality cultivated in Egypt
Q: How was your life in Japan after spending time in Egypt?
A: I found it even harder to get along with other students than before I went to Egypt. As a ‘returnee’, I had no idea what was trendy in Japan at the time so I couldn’t keep up with the conversations.
There’s also one other thing I regret. I took English classes in Egypt but I couldn’t understand them at all and was disappointed. So when I returned to Japan I started attending English tuition when I was in my first year of junior high. One day in class, kids started making fun of me saying ‘this person’s showing off her English just ‘cos she lived overseas’. I was frustrated, thinking to myself ‘That’s not even true! I only started learning after I came back!’
Q: Ah…that’s infuriating to hear.
A: Yeah, that happened. But still, my cheerful personality is probably due to my time spent in Egypt, I think.
Q: So there are many cheerful people in Egypt?
A: Lots of cheerful people there. Everyone was so kind and considerate. People are also very chatty and they’d be keen to strike up a conversation with anyone.
Q: I think that’s contributed a lot to your charming nature now, Fairouz-san.
A: Yeah, I’m thankful!
I want to be strong like Jolyne
Q: When did you start thinking of becoming a seiyuu?
A: When I was in high school, and it was thanks to Nico Nico Douga.
Q: Our company! We’re all pleased to hear that.
A: It’s not lip service either – it’s the truth. I became a top class otaku in my 1st year of junior high and was constantly watching videos on Nico Nico.
Q: Thank you.
A: I should be the one thanking you.
So yeah, you’d see certain comments in videos going ‘Ora ora ora ora’, ‘Muda muda muda muda muda’ or ‘But I refuse’, right? I was just so curious about them so I looked them up and discovered that they were lines from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The art happens to be in my favoured dramatic style too.
So I was in junior high and didn’t have much money, but I went ahead and bought the first 5 volumes of Stone Ocean. I’d mistakenly thought that it was the first arc of JoJo. I read it, but couldn’t understand anything at all. I was like, “Huh? What? Who’s DIO? Who’s Jotaro?” (laughs)
Q: They reset the volume count starting from Stone Ocean*.
A: Regardless, I did think the protagonist Cujoh Jolyne was so cool and I wanted to know more about here. I started collecting JoJo bit by bit and by my 1st year of high school I had the entire set. I still found it tough to adjust when I entered high school but I’d find courage whenever I looked at Jolyne.
Jolyne is a 19-year old girl who was betrayed by her boyfriend and falsely imprisoned despite her innocence, and all the while her dad is in critical condition. She’s in dire straits and completely messed up at first, but her resolve only strengthens.
She’s exactly the kind of woman I want to be. I thought, ‘I want to be as strong as Jolyne!’
My worries over my inability to adjust in school seem trivial when compared to Jolyne. I’d fire myself up with the thought that ‘Jolyne wouldn’t cry over something like this!’ and thanks to that, I’ve overcome many painful situations since. And not just in high school – [she’s helped me] even when I was job hunting or working, and now that I’ve gotten into this industry. I tend to contemplate things a lot, and it is Jolyne whom I’m devoted to. Jolyne, and the JoJo series has been the Bible of my life.
*The original JoJo series consists of 63 volumes across 5 arcs. From the 6th arc Stone Ocean, the volume count was reset to Volume 1.
Q: It’s amazing…just listening to you speak about this makes me feel overwhelmed. Is there anything special that you do so that you can become as strong as Jolyne?
A: The one scene that resonates with me and gives me strength is when Jolyne is sent to the prison quarters and gets faeces thrown in her face. Normal girls would go ‘what century are we living in again?’ or something like that, but she replies with ‘the one thing I can’t do in here is to build up unnecessary stress or allow my mental strength to wilt – I have a mission to fulfil while I’m here so I’m going to grow stronger in these circumstances’.
I just love how inspiring this scene is. I still go back and re-read it whenever I’m low on confidence or feeling a bit down to gain a bit of courage. ‘Jolyne’s doing her best too!’
Q: Jolyne resides in your heart now.
A: That’s right. She’s the key to my optimism!
JoJo also happens to be my first taste of voice acting. A group of JoJo fans gathered and started doing something similar to recitals through Skype group calls. We’d decide on which episode of which part we’d do that day, and rotate the various roles amongst ourselves.
Q: So such meetings do exist. Did you take part as well, Fairouz-san?
A: I took part in the recitals when I was a freshman in high school. I’d never done any acting prior to that – I was just keen to join in with the thought of ‘wanting to be a character in JoJo!’, but I ended up being praised for what I did. I couldn’t wait for each JoJo recital after that and would often do readings on my own. The thought did occur to me that I wanted to act in a JoJo anime adaptation and voice a character who aids Jolyne’ – and that is why I became a seiyuu!
Q: Ohhh!
A: Sorry for being long-winded….
Q: It’s alright. I thought it was wonderful, that you went from putting voices to a manga, to actually becoming a seiyuu.
A: Yeah.
Q: Do you still read JoJo?
A: Of course! And I still do my own recitals. I’ll listen to what I’ve read, and go ‘Nope, that sucked’ (laughs)
Q: If arc 6 of JoJo were to be animated, you’d really want to be in it.
A: I’d probably cry if that were to happen (laughs) But I couldn’t pull off Jolyne. I’d love to play a character that fights alongside Jolyne, someone who’s there to lend her a hand.
Q: You never know, you might get an offer to do Jolyne…
A: Obviously if that was the case then I’d do my best to bring out the ‘Jolyne inside me’ that I’ve carefully nurtured – so watch out! But of course I’d love for Jolyne to be voiced by the worthiest woman in the world and for me to observe from behind.
I’ll believe in the words of the people who support me
Q: Knowing that you wished to become a seiyuu, was there any reason that you chose to enrol in Pro-Fit’s training school amongst the many available schools?
A: The instructor at the training school was Shioya Yoku, the voice of Zepelli in JoJo. I thought that if I joined Pro-Fit, I might have a chance to appear in JoJo (laughs)
Q: So you went to Pro-Fit in a calculated attempt to get into JoJo (laughs)
A: I was in regular employment when I started attending seiyuu training, so I had to pay my own way through school. There were financial and time constraints naturally but yes, I agree with the reason you gave (laughs)
Q: What did you do in training school?
A: Basic vocalisation skills, enunciation, etudes, acting basics.
Q: What were your thoughts on the professional industry, once you dipped your toes in it?
A: I had no idea how far I could go but I decided that my voice would be louder than anyone else’s. During lessons or roll call I’d scream ‘YESSS!!!’.
Q: Sounds good!
A: Even in the recording studio nowadays, people tell me ‘you always greet people so cheerfully’. It’s a habit from my training school days.
Q: You must have gone through a lot during training school, affiliation tests included. Did you feel nervous?
A: The intention was to give up the dream of becoming a seiyuu after a year if things hadn’t gone well in Pro-Fit’s training school. Since I’d already made that decision, I didn’t feel too many nerves – I was determined to push myself as hard as I possibly could without cutting any corners.
Q: You’d strengthened your resolve. Do you remember how you felt when you made your seiyuu debut?
A: My first thought was ‘maybe my type of personality won’t be easily accepted’. But a friend said to me, ‘Don’t listen to anyone who thinks negatively about you; rather, just believe in the words of those who support you’. That’s the way to go!
Q: That really is the way to go!
A: I came to think, ‘Who cares what the masses say!’ (laughs) So yes, it’s helped to strengthen my spirit.
Q: And you’ll get tens or hundreds of thousands of people who watch a series and say or write whatever they want to.
A: When I was in my 1st year as a seiyuu, I was sometimes shocked by what I saw when I googled myself but I’ve stopped doing it lately.
But more importantly, fan letters! I’ve realised that I should prioritise listening to people who’ve taken the time, effort and have the heart; as well as spending on stamps and delivery costs, to get their words to me. In that sense I think I’ve grown up a lot.
Q: I feel like writing a fan letter to you now.
A: Fan letters can be read and re-read endlessly!
I want to be known as ‘the filthy voice’
Q: You mentioned that you like karaoke and singing. What kind of songs do you sing?
A: I’ve always listened to Vocaloids on Nico Nico Douga or anisong on Nico Nico medleys and oh, I love Maximum the Hormone! My friends are super happy when I do my ‘death voice’.
Q: Fairouz-san, you have a beautiful, clear voice by nature that’s suitable for acting. Somehow, a death voice is…
A: Oh it’s fine to describe it as a ‘filthy voice’ (laughs)
Q: No way (laughs)
A: It’s okay, everyone says the same thing (laughs)
Q: I love how your voice has got a slightly gritty edge to it. There aren’t too many people who can do it very well.
A: Ah, I’m not really aiming for that though; it’s just what I normally sound like. In fact, what you hear now is just my voice putting on its ‘Sunday best’ (laughs)
Q: (laughs)
A: When I’m talking to friends I’ll be saying things like ‘Uheheeeee’ and they’ll go ‘that’s a disgusting voice!’. It’s just normal to me so I’m not really conscious about it, but I suppose I like producing all these filthy sounds – it’d be great if they made people happy.
Q: Are you sure you want your fans to say that you’ve got a ‘filthy voice’?
A: I’d be glad. I want to be told, ‘Fairouz-san, your voice is so dirty today!’ (laughs) I’d like to make that a kind of signature chant or cheer!
Q: Okay, I’ll make sure that phrase is set in bold (laughs).
NICE, FILTHY VOICE
I’ll try to spam it all over Nico Nico.
A: Thank you (lol)!
Always smiling, illuminating others
Q: You’ve discussed how your roots lie in Egypt. Is there anything you can think of doing that involves Egypt?
A: Interest in Japanese anime is growing at a tremendous pace, not only in Egypt but throughout the Arab world. There was even an event called the Dubai Comiket. I have seen both Japanese and Arab culture for myself so I hope that as a Japanese seiyuu, I can be the link between Japan and the Arab world.
Q: It’d be great if Japan and Arab could produce something together.
A: Co-produced anime sounds like a good idea. I’d love to produce something like that. Work on character designs too.
Q: As a seiyuu, you might even voice characters in Arabic.
A: I can only manage conversational Arab. If I had to say things like ‘I’ll X or Y to overcome my destiny!’ I’d be completely lost (laughs). I need to study Arabic more from now on.
Q: The possibilities are endless for you.
A: Thanks. I’d be glad if it was so. Obviously voice acting is my main calling but there are a wide range of activities I could get involved in. Seiyuu don’t only have to voice act. I want to be a multi-talented [actor] and try out a bunch of different things!
Q: Lastly. You’re so versatile and have many gifts – what do you think is your greatest strength; your greatest asset?
A: My positive attitude! Thanks to Jolyne I have unwavering, sturdy feelings, so I want to be a cheerful person who’s always smiling and illuminating others, so that everyone can say ‘Looking at Fai-chan brings me joy’.
Q: You’ve already brightened up many people’s days, and you’ll continue to shine your light on many others in future.
A: Thank you. Someone wrote ‘Fai-chan, you are someone I admire’ and ‘Fai-chan, I want to be like you’ in a fan letter…I used to be a person who thought that about others. I’ve always been an admirer so I never thought that I could be a person that someone else admires. To have that said unto me; to think that I could be a shining light for someone else makes me extremely happy. From now on, I want to become a person who can make other people cheerful and bright.
Q: I look forward to your future success! Thank you so much for giving up your time today.
A: Thank you! I really enjoyed talking to you freely today!