℃-ute in Big Comic Spirits - The 'cute' revolution is beginning!

{September 10th is ℃-ute no Hi! Let's celebrate!
We've got℃-ute with teddies! ℃-ute IN teddies!}

Big Comic Spirits No. 33 (28th July 2014)

The 'cute' revolution is beginning!

The peak of cuteness - a gravure collaboration with artist Masuda Sebastian

Over a year since the 2013 Japan Expo, this collaboration has finally been realised!

First session with gigantic plushies!

Yajima: In this colourful world created with cotton and these dream-like, fluffy outfits, it feels like a party.
Okai: These clothes are so cute that I'd think I was an angel if I were to wear them to bed (laughs).
Yajima: Everyone got a plushie to themselves.
Okai: This bear I got, I'd like to put it on my bed! I really want this bear, no matter what.
Yajima: Although it isn't a bear, it's a dog (laughs).
Suzuki: In the middle of the photo shoot, Masuda-san was throwing out ideas, showering us with praise. This photo shoot marks the last photo shoot of my teenage years, so it's ending on a high note.

5 people, 5 colours, ℃-ute's summer

Yajima: It would be great to go to Okinawa for marine sports.
Suzuki: My family prefers Hokkaido. I'd like to go on a trip with my family, out of filial piety.
Okai: It's gotta be BBQ for me! I'd look forward to getting excited with everyone. I can drink alcohol now that I've turned twenty. But I pray that my drinking habits don't turn out to be bad.
Nakajima: I'd be invited by Chisato to join the Okai family's BBQ!
Hagiwara: That's right... I'd like to make my private time as fulfilling as possible, and go to the sea or the pool or a festival. I'd work properly though, and split it 50-50 with breaks.
Okai: That's half-hearted.
Hagiwara: Well, how about 70 to 40?
Nakajima: Then the numbers don't add up!

About their new song 'The Power', on sale 16th July

Hagiwara: The first time I heard it, it didn't feel like a ℃-ute song. I was brought to an world that's honestly unknown to me, whose features can be described with the phrase 'Middle Eastern'.

Nakajima: It's like nothing we've done before, so I guess you'll be able to see a whole new ℃-ute once we include it in our concerts. I want people to get pumped up at the parts where they can yell out 'Oi!'

Hagiwara: It feels like the dance is also something that the fans can dance along too.

Nakajima: The moves may be simple, but they're large and fast and use your whole body.

Hagiwara: There's a move where the 5 of us make up the word 'Power' for a moment, I want people to watch that.

Participating in Japan Expo for 2 years straight

Nakajima: This year is the 2nd time we've joined it. France is fashionable and ℃-ute finds it attractive, and it makes me happy that there are people from that country too who are interested in us.

Hagiwara: Last year, Masuda-san just happened to address us at the venue. And then, when we held a talk event in yukata, their cheers made me really happy.

Nakajima: For our independent live in Paris, there were even people there from South America, like Peru, so it felt like we were doing a world tour (laughs).

Hagiwara: They were different from the Japanese fans, it felt like they were constantly shouting out. I'm looking forward to this year, where we'll be joining forces with Berryz Kobo!

℃-ute's aspirations going into the 9th anniversary of their formation!

Yajima: It's kind of a strange feeling. We feel it too, that all of us grew up naturally and our outfits matured as well.
Suzuki: But we haven't really changed on the inside, so you can see our cute side at times, and it would be great if you could continue cheering us on forever.
Okai: This is a bit early, but for the ℃-ute no Hi Nippon Budokan performance on the 10th of September, we'd like to make it a special day and incorporate more of our own ideas.
Yajima: After the Budokan, we'd like to perform at bigger stages like arenas and domes.
Suzuki: We're thinking that if that happens next year, it'll be 10 whole years, so we'd like to make it a fulfilling year.
Yajima: Firstly, I'd like us to work hard to achieve this year's objective of making the rounds in prefectures we haven't been to yet. In spring, we had an independent Taiwan performance, and we've got the Japan Expo at Paris in summer...I think it would be great to meet with people from all over the world.

And here's the 'making of' video from this photo shoot. They also held a birthday celebration for Airi, who would be turning 20 the day after the photo shoot.