--- Sato-reporter is normally scared of nothing when it comes to dealing with people, but are the rumours that you are scared of Shimizu-san true?
Sato: ...... That's true. I was scared of Shimizu-san and Sugaya-san. Of course, that's not the case at all now though.
Shimizu: I heard about that. Maachan had a ranking of people she was scared of, right? I think that I was ranked 3rd or 4th. I also heard that there were 2 people at the same rank.
Sato: Shimizu-san didn't laugh at all during rehearsals. I had this image of you sitting fixedly on the floor, gripping your knees. So, I thought that you were a grouch......
Kudo: Isn't that just her being serious during rehearsals? Instead, Maachan guffawing away during rehearsals is weirder.
Sato: But, somehow Shimizu-san was emitting this scary aura. Like I'd get told off if I got too close...... Masa's scared of people who'd tell her off.
Shimizu: You wouldn't get scolded just for getting close (laughs). That'd make me seem like some crazy person, wouldn't it?
Sato: Then, I asked Tanasa-tan. 'What sort of people are Sugata-san and Shimizu-san?' Since Sugaya-san was 2nd in my scary person ranking.
Shimizu: Since you've talked about it so far, I'd like to know, who was number 1?
Sato: Tanasa-tan...... 3rd was Shimizu-san and Natsuyaki-san, 2nd were Sugaya-san and Okai-san.
--- That's an unexpected ranking. All those people named in the upper ranks now have this image that they're familiar with Sato-reporter.
Kudo: That's true! Maachan's really open with them~
Sato: The moment that made Masa not scared of Shimizu-san was when Shimizu-san referred to Masa as 'Maachan'. Since someone who actually was scary would call me something like 'Sato'. Tanasa-tan even referred to me as 'Masaking'. Since they're referring to me in such a caring way, to Masa, they're really caring people.
Kudo: So simple that it's startling (laughs).
♫♫♫
Kudo: Shimizu-san is Berryz Kobo's captain, but first of all, why are you a captain, rather than a leader?
Shimizu: I have no idea why. When I asked, the reason was that Berryz Kobo were contemporaries whereas in the case of Morning Musume。, there were senpai-kouhai relationships.
♫♫♫
Kudo: What was the biggest hardship for you?
Shimizu: Let me see...... All of us were still in primary school when we made our début. Even though I asked for their comments as the captain, they were unable to give thoughtful, brief comments. But, if they couldn't do it, I'd be called out by myself and get scolded. The manager-san of that time told me 'Become someone who's disliked'. 'It's all right to be disliked by the members, so you have to warn all of them properly, and lead this group as the captain'. But as a normal primary schooler, to be hated was something disagreeable (laughs).
Kudo: Whoa, how tough......
--- But from primary school, Kudo-reporter's ability to give comments was high.
Shimizu: Yup. I think that too! From when Kuduu was in the H!P Eggs, you were talked about among Berryz and ℃-ute. 'Even though her looks are so adorable that you feel like you want to protect her, her voice is husky. Plus she's such a level-headed person, talking with everything she's got!'
Kudo: Seriously? I'm glad to hear that!
♫♫♫
Shimizu: Are the 2 of you really in the same school year? Your awareness is completely different. I feel that even for Berryz, there isn't this much of a difference (laughs)
Kudo: It was quite tough during the Morning Musume。 10th gen audition. Maachan was making such a loud ruckus at the training camp in the middle of the night that she got told off by the manager-san.
--- Kudo-reporter, for the TV interview at the time, didn't you give a comment on the lines of 'Of course I want to pass the auditions, but I hope Sato-san gets dropped' (laughs).
Kudo: I failed the Morning Musume。 9th gen audition, and was greatly frustrated. I couldn't go for S/mileage's 2nd gen audition due to the age limit. I continued on with H!P Egg activities enveloped in frustration, but finally a chance to make my debut was right in front of my eyes...... Maachan said to me 'Let's practice together' at the training camp. But, auditions aren't like that, right? It's about how to show off your plus points. And, how do I get Tsunku♂-san to recognise me. It's a war, isn't it? Despite that, Maachan was making a ruckus and playing tag...... Seeing that, I thought 'Does she even feel like passing?'
Sato: For Masa, I thought that whether or not I'd pass would depend on Tsunku♂-san. Because it's whether or not Tsunku♂-san would think 'This girl shines'. Before going for the audition, I discussed it with my family and my piano teacher. What I was told at the time was, 'At any rate, enjoy the auditions'. 'You can't be prickly, since you'd be judged on that aura'. Masa couldn't dance, but I was told 'That isn't a bad thing, since it'll be all right if you overcome it'. I thought that it would more important to enjoy myself......
Shimizu: That said, I think that playing tag is enjoying yourself too much though (laughs)
Sato: But that game of tag, if you look into how it started, it was Duu's fault! She came out saying 'I saw a ghost!'
Kudo: Those participating in the training camp were split between 2 rooms. And with that, a ghost appeared in the room where Ayumin and I were in......
Shimizu: Ehh? A ghost appeared?
Kudo: I'm not kidding, one really appeared! I was definitely scared, and reported it to the staff. But, I forgot the ghost incident after that, and practised normally.
Sato: It might've been okay for Duu who forgot it, but the tale of that ghost came around to our room. And the mood of the room got uncomfortable. It was definitely scary. So in order to get rid of that uncomfortable mood, Masa and another girl went 'Let's play tag' and we started playing. In order to to bring up the mood of the room. And then I got told off, I was like 'Eh?' Duu didn't get told off, instead it was us who were trying to do something good who got told off......
♫♫♫
Sato: By the way, what's Shimizu-san's favourite tree?
Shimizu: There it is, that question (laughs). There are big trees at places like Ishigaki Island, right. I have this image of everyone holding hands......
--- Like the Jōmon Sugi?
Kudo: Is that related to Ishigaki Island?
Shimizu: I don't know tree varities in detail, so I don't know its name.
Sato: It's that, that! What you do in the middle of a forest. The flames are like whoosh, where everyone encircles it! Umm...... It's a campfire!
Kudo: Hold it! Maachan, you're responding to the 'holding hands' part rather than the tree (laughs).
Shimizu: O~i, Maacha~n! It's not that~ (laughs).
Sato: You know, didn't it appear in the 2nd 'Peter Pan'!
Shimizu: And so, that's enough campfire talk (laughs). At any rate, for my favourite trees, ones with thick trunks are nice. Trees that have stood for countless decades. Because they somehow lift your spirits.
This seemed longer and more insightful than the others. Was it that way in print, or did you just post more of the translation?
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to hear the inside story of the Maa-chan audition tag-playing incident!
There were more things that I thought were worth translating. This covers like 40% of the interview.
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