Assembling with a smile! H!P's new members - Yanagawa Nanami & Funaki Musubu (BOMB May 2016)

Elevated from the Kenshuusei! The middle-school pairing

Because our average height is low, maybe we're better balanced

A few months have passed since you joined the group, so how do you feel now?

Yanagawa: The first stage I stood on as a Kenshuusei was at Nakano Sunplaza, so I'm glad that I get to stand on the same stage at these Hello! Project concerts. I spent about half a year in the Kenshuusei, but there were lots of times when I felt flustered, since after having been in the programme for about 2 years, Musubu was good at dancing and singing. However, that instead spurred me on to aspire even higher.

Funaki: When I was in the Kenshuusei, I couldn't really spend a long time performing at Hello! Project concerts, so this time around, just about everything feels fresh, and there were lots of things that had me nervous. Yanagawa-chan's spirit is amazing, she aggressively pushes herself forward, so I'm completely filled with a sense of crisis (laughs).

This may be a bit sudden, but what do you think is the reason that you were picked for Country Girls?

Funaki: I don't know the reasons, but Country Girls have a low average height, right? At 147cm, I'm not that much different from Yanagawa-chan, so maybe it's because we strike a good balance.

Yanagawa: There's our height, and I also think that we engender a childish atmosphere.

Funaki: However, Yanagawa-chan's a grown-up on the inside. She's got such a polite way of speaking, and she's so level-headed and wise that it makes you wonder how many lives she's lived (laughs).

Yanagawa: Really? I often get told at MCs that I'm like a child actress (laughs). Momochi-senpai has also followed up from that, so I'm thankful that it's been established as a part of my character.

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 45: Kumai Yurina x Hagiwara Mai

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hello! Project Kids in 2012, a book entitled Rival - 12 shoujo no 10-nen monogatari - (The 10-year legend of the 12 girls) was released. The book contains 2-page discussions between various pairings of the girls, covering all 66 possible combinations. In the process of reading this book, I'll be putting up some highlights as I read through the interviews.

Kumai Yurina X Hagiwara Mai

---

Hagiwara: Kumai-chan has this cute atmosphere to her, and when Kumai-chan comes out to speak at MCs, the atmosphere turns into a Kumai-chan mood. As we watched you from the wings of the stage, the members of ℃-ute were like 'OMG, how adorable!' Since we don't have a girl with a similar type of character in ℃-ute...

What impression did you have [of one another] when you first met?

Kumai: Mai was around 6 years old at the time of the H!P Kids. The impression I had was that she was tiny and cute. But I think she's now turned into a beauty.

Hagiwara: No, no, that's not the case (laughs). I can say this now, though it's a bit embarrassing...... In the midst of the many people at the 'H!P Kids audition', I saw Kumai-chan among them, and thought 'This girl is cute'.

Kumai: Eh, really?

Hagiwara: Even when we became the H!P Kids, I thought 'Ah, that cute girl's here as well'. Kumai-chan's face is in the genre that I favour.

Get closer to (H!P Maruwakari Summer 2015)

The HaroPuro MaruWakari Books are released in conjunction with the twice-yearly Hello! Con tours. The contents usually take the form of questionnaires to the members, mainly asking about other members.

This one, which came out for the 2015 Summer Hello! Cons, would be the first without Berryz Kobo, and the first with Kobushi and Tsubaki Factories. As new entries into H!P, the members of the two Factories also got a 'New Face Maruwakari Special', which has additional questions for the girls.

Q4. I want to get closer to this member from now on

Yajima Maimi: Ozeki Mai-chan. I haven't really talked with her much yet, but I think that her liveliness and vivaciousness is cute!! Her sportiness also makes me feel close to her.

Nakajima Saki: Nonaka Miki-chan. She's such a strange kid. I'd like to ask her about stories from when she was living overseas.

Suzuki Airi: I don't really know about the kouhai in detail. .. But since I heard that Nonaka Miki-chan is a health freak, I feel like we'd get along (laughs).

Okai Chisato: The girls who are around my age! Recently, everyone's so young (laughs). And so, I'd like to get closer to the girls who I'm close in age to. Let's have a conversation----♥

Hagiwara Mai: Morito Chisaki-chan. She's cute! I want to talk more with her. Inoue Rei-chan. I haven't really talked with her, but I'd like to.

HP Maruwakari Winter 2016: Aarii, Yamaki, Funakki + extras

While I don't have a copy of the 2016 Winter Maruwakari myself, I stumbled upon a small selection of good quality scans. So I translated a few that piqued my interest.

λλλ

Uemura Akari

Q1. In 2015, what was something you were able to actualise, in your own way?
That we’ll be appearing in a drama! I’m happy, as it was one of our goals.

Q2. On the other hand, in 2015,  what was something you weren’t able to actualise?
My goal at last year’s birthday event was to have Sayashi Riho-san teach me kendama skills, but I wasn’t able to achieve that.

Q3. Who is the Hello! Project senpai you have as your goal, the senpai you respect?
Sayashi Riho-san. I really respect her!!

Q4. Member that you’ve currently got your eyes on (excluding the H!P Kenshuusei)?
Sasaki Rikako-chan. In music videos and performances, her sharp dancing draws your eyes before you know it. As it’s combined with everything.

Q5. If you could be together in a unit with H!P members for just a day, who would it be with? Please tell us your reason.
Wada Ayaka-san. I’d like to sing laid-back songs, like Peaberry's. Also, her airy atmosphere is soothing!

Q6. Who’s the H!P Kenshuusei you’ve got your eyes on in 2016?
Ichioka Reina-chan. She’s always smiling, and seeing her teach the kouhai girls how to dance, I feel like ’That’s Reina-chan for you’.

Q7. Please tell us who’s H!P’s number one for each of these genres? Singing, dancing, talking, looks, character.
Singing: Too many that I can’t narrow it down.
Dancing: Sayashi Riho-san. At any rate, she’s amazing.
Talking: Kanazawa Tomoko-chan.
Looks: Yajima Maimi-san. Because she’s got a great figure as well.
Character: Sasaki Rikako-chan. Because she likes solid soap.

Q8. Write your aspirations for 2016, illustrated in your own handwriting !
I want this year to have happier [something I can’t make out] compared to 2015

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 47: Yajima Maimi x Nakajima Saki

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hello! Project Kids in 2012, a book entitled Rival - 12 shoujo no 10-nen monogatari - (The 10-year legend of the 12 girls) was released. The book contains 2-page discussions between various pairings of the girls, covering all 66 possible combinations. In the process of reading this book, I'll be putting up some highlights as I read through the interviews.

Yajima Maimi X Nakajima Saki

///

It's been 10 years since you joined the H!P Kids, but on that note, in 3 years time, ℃-ute will be celebrating your 10th anniversary.

Nakajima: 3 years! Whoa, that's close!!

Yajima: Isn't it kind of terrifying (laughs)!?

Nakajima: Now we're in our 7th year, which means that lots of people have watched ℃-ute throughout that period, but looking back on the past, there were lots of times when I think that we should have worked harder. So I'd like to face the 3 years until we hit our 10th anniversary with even more seriousness. We're dreaming big, for something like an arena!

Yajima: That's right. We have to do our best!

///

Saki-chan has changed, but has Maimi-chan changed?

Nakajima: Leader, weren't you shy as well?

Yajima: I think I've still got that aspect to me, but I'm fine if I'm with someone. It's not my cup of tea when I'm really all on my own with lots of people that I've never met before, I get discouraged. But once my student life ended, there were less chances of that happening (laughs), so I've been alright recently.

Nakajima: I feel like Leader's come to have a calm personality. While you had always been serious, saying 'Yes' to everything you were told, recently you've let out just a bit of composure. Though at concerts, you keep going on in a straight line (laughs).

Can you talk about memories between the 2 of you within these 10 years?

Nakajima: I guess when I went on a Kyoto trip with Leader and Leader's mother 3 years ago. 

Yajima: That was fun, wasn't it? 

///

Nakajima: I like making plans, so I'm the type of person who'll make things like travel guidebooks. So next time, I'll set the plans, and Leader will lead (laughs).

Yajima: Even when the 2 of us went to Disneyland, Nacky guided me, so I was led (laughs).

Well then, how will you be like 10 years in the future?

Nakajima: I hope that Leader will be married, and have built up a happy family. Being married, you'll have more time to yourself, so I feel like you'll get even more active.

Yajima: I wonder how old I'll be when I get married (laughs).I feel like Nacky won't get married. You'd mix with all sorts of people, and enjoy yourself wondering what you'd do each day.

Nakajima: That might be ideal. Sounds like fun. Living by myself, I'd like to call everyone for a home party.

Yajima: Also, I feel like you'd live overseas. If that happens, let me come and hang out, okay.

Nakajima: Yup, you'd get a warm welcome! For you, I'll make a sightseeing guidebook and wait for you (laughs).

///

More interview excerpts from this book

A direct assault on Yanagawa Nanami and Funaki Musubu! - Top Yell March 2016

Country Girls New Members

A direct assault on Yanagawa Nanami and Funaki Musubu!

We hear about the particulars of Country Girls from the start, when they joined the group, until recently!

We would never have expected the appearance of such debaters on the idol scene. You wouldn't think that they actually were newbies, watching them shrewdly explaining their vision without a hint of fear. And in the midst of the discussion, Momochi-senpai's ability to draw out their innate talents comes to light. This confirms things. We can see nothing but a bright future for Country Girls!

Entering their 2nd year of middle school

Truly did make them slightly impatient

Congratulations on joining the group! Have you gotten a little used to it?

Funaki: Yeah! Compared to when we first joined.

Yanagawa: At the Hello! Project New Year's concert (Hello!Con), we had lots of opportunities to talk with the other members. That was huge.

It was announced to the fans on the event held on the 5th of November, but had the 2 of you actually heard about your success before that?

Yanagawa: That's right, we were told about it two days beforehand. Musubu and I were called by a staff-san, and what we were told at first was that we'd be making a surprise appearance at a Country Girls event. 'We'll keep it a secret from the members that the 2 of you will be turning up, and you'll be acting as background dancers or assistants'. And then, the moment we knocked on the door to the lesson room and opened it, we were greeted by the words 'Congratulations on joining us~', along with the sound of crackers being popped.

Funaki: It was a pretty strange situation. We'd been caught unawares, unable to grasp the situation, and I felt that the senpais were curious about us as well. That said, while the senpai did know that new members would be joining in, they didn't know who the new members would be.

Yanagawa: Until the door opened, the senpais didn't know who'd be coming in. Once the huge din of the crackers had settled, they confirmed it with a 'Ah, it's Yanagawa-chan' (laughs).

I see. However, with the announcement being made in such a way, you probably didn't feel that burst of joy.

Yanagawa: Yes, it took some time for that upwelling of happiness to arrive. I couldn't grasp things, like 'Eh? What's happening?', and I could only make an expression of bewilderment (laughs). But once I grasped the situation, I realised that I'd be making my debut in Country Girls.

Did you cry?

Yanagawa: Just a little bit... But I thought that it wouldn't be a good idea to cry.

Why is that?

Yanagawa: If I cried, my face would get all squished up, so it would have been unappealing from an aesthetic sense (laughs). And so, I kind of endured it. But on the other hand, I'm worried about being unable to stop smiling in the future.

Analysis: Boyfriends & Girlfriends in H!P Maruwakari Summer 2015

So if you've read this summary of Maimi's radio show, you've more or less seen this graph. While I got most of it correct, upon doing the detailed translations, I noticed that I'd got some things wrong.

Corrections
Firstly, I originally had Chiitan with Riho as her choice of girlfriend, when it should have been MaiMai. Guess I accidentally misread Chiitan's answer to question 5 rather than 6 when I was skimming through the book.

That's relatively inconsequential compared to the next correction, since this one actually throws a wrench in the analysis of the fellow who wrote in to Maimi - it actually adds another mutual girlfriend-boyfriend pair.

We can figure out where and how the listener went wrong though. Let's go back to the girlfriend question, particularly Kananan's answer.

Nakanishi Kana: Oda Sakura-chan. I'd confess by buying her her favourite ice cream. 'Please give me a squeeze!'. Also, even MeiMei would be fine.

While it looks like a throwaway comment, let's take a look at Meimi's pick for boyfriend.

Tamura Meimi: Nakanishi Kana. Her voice is low and she's got her Osaka-ben, so she sounds like a guy when you hear her talking. But personality-wise, she's a childish girl who can't be left by herself though...... (laughs). For the present...... no idea what I'd do.

Which makes them a mutual boyfriend-girlfriend pair, at least by my count. You can see where the mistake happened though - everyone else chose one person, while Kanana tucked away her nomination for MeiMei at the end.

Mutual relationships. As a result, we have 4 mutual boyfriend-girlfriend pairs:
Yajima Maimi ♂ x Suzuki Airi ♀
Hagiwara Mai ♀ x Kudo Haruka ♀
Ikuta Erina ♂ x Inaba Manaka ♀
Nakanishi Kana ♂ x Tamura Meimi ♀

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 39: Shimizu Saki x Natsuyaki Miyabi

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hello! Project Kids in 2012, a book entitled Rival - 12 shoujo no 10-nen monogatari - (The 10-year legend of the 12 girls) was released. The book contains 2-page discussions between various pairings of the girls, covering all 66 possible combinations. In the process of reading this book, I'll be putting up some highlights as I read through the interviews.

Shimizu Saki X Natsuyaki Miyabi

•••

When we asked the members of Berryz Kobo about Captain, they said that while Saki-chan's role was to bring them together, when it comes to the things that are difficult to say, Miyabi-chan would support you from the shadows.

Shimizu: She often helps me out when we're dancing in particular. She'll mention what she notices without any hesitation, like 'Isn't this part of the dance like that?' or 'That part was a bit out of sync'.

Natsuyaki: When we're doing cool songs, there are lots of things that make me feel like 'I want it to look like this', so that's what I'll say. There are times when we've gotten into arguments over things like that, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I think that dancing in-sync is definitely nicer. 

Shimizu: And by tightening things up that way, she helps me out. You'd think that the leader of the group would be the one to take control and give out warnings, but I end up wondering what people will think of me if I say those things, and so I don't give out warnings.

Natsuyaki: Captain does hold herself back in that way. Perhaps you could say that she restrains herself too much (laughs). But if I were the captain of the group, I think that whatever I'd say would end up becoming a huge thing. Captain has that gentleness to her, and I think that's why Berryz Kobo has our enjoyable group atmosphere. 

Shimizu: But at times, I'll ask things like 'Did I say too much just now?' or 'Did I go overboard?'

Member as boyfriend (H!P Maruwakari Summer 2015)

The HaroPuro MaruWakari Books are released in conjunction with the twice-yearly Hello! Con tours. The contents usually take the form of questionnaires to the members, mainly asking about other members.

This one, which came out for the 2015 Summer Hello! Cons, would be the first without Berryz Kobo, and the first with Kobushi and Tsubaki Factories. As new entries into H!P, the members of the two Factories also got a 'New Face Maruwakari Special', which has additional questions for the girls.

Q7. If your partner was a guy, who would you want as your 'boyfriend'? And what would you give him as a present?

Yajima Maimi: Nakajima Saki-chan. Whatever blunder I'd make, I feel that, while she'd be astonished, she'd accept it open-heartedly with a 'Can't be helped'! I think she'd be happy to receive something hand-made, so I'd like to present her with a collage album of memorable pictures!

Nakajima Saki: With a frank, cool image, it'd be the skilful dancer Ishida Ayumi-chan. I'd like to get matching T-shirts and give her one, which we would wear together to go and watch live concerts.

Suzuki Airi: Yajima Maimi-chan. I feel that we spend our time in the same way, and we wouldn't get into fights. I think we'd be happy doing anything, but I'd like to make her an album as a present ♥

Okai Chisato: Yajima Maimi♥ She's pretty open-hearted and it's cute how she's such a scatterbrain.

Hagiwara Mai: Kudo Haruka-chan. I'd give her a cute rucksack!! Her current rucksack looks used, so it'd be a new one.

Hamachan on dressing room antics and producing herself

Excerpts from Hamachan's 20th February 2016 dwango interview, 'I want to be number one' With her eyes on the Japan Record Award, Hamaura Ayano's great ambitions.

♥♥♥

We (Kobushi Factory) really get along. In the dressing room, someone said 'Let's do some arm wrestling!', and all of us started a showdown.

An arm wrestling tournament started?

We started one (laughs). We're all competitive, and we were like 'Let's do it!' I was the weakest though.

What led to the arm wrestling backstage?

Let me see.... We were talking about who was the strongest (laughs).

How did that development come about (laughs)?

Ogawa Rena-chan insisted that she was the strongest, but actually, Fujii Rio-chan is stronger. Yet Ogawa Rena-chan didn't yield from her declaration that she was the strongest. But she's about the second strongest.

A clash of egos.

All-in-all, Fujii Rio-chan was victorious.

You do amazing things in the dressing room.

In the intermissions, we'll start playing tag, or statues (laughs).

Like primary school kids!

Taguchi Natsumi-chan may be in her 3rd year of middle school, but her mental age is that of a child, her personality is like that of a baby's. She'll immediately say 'Let's play tag~!' While everyone else is exhausted, she alone will be full of energy.

♥♥♥

Is there a senpai whom you respect?

Country Girls' Playing Manager Tsugunaga Momoko-san. I really admire her.

Eh? Momochi-san?

Yes!

She's such a different type from Hamaura-san that your statement came as quite a shock.

She's really amazing at being her own producer. I think that's really something. Even from the singing aspect, she's amazing. She can sing really cute songs as part of Country Girls, but she can also sing cool songs. Plus, when it comes to dancing, it's also amazing how she studies up to make sure the curve of her palms and how she claps looks cute. Even when she's talking, she can respond to whatever anyone says, you'd expect no less from her.

Hamaura-san, how will you produce yourself?

I have to discover methods of singing, behaviours, dancing methods that suit me.

Hamaura-san, do you have an image of the ideal idol in your mind?

I'd like to become a perfect idol.

A perfect idol?

Capable of singing and dancing, as well as talking. Also, I think that Tsugunaga-san is perfect when it comes to acting and talking. I'd like to become like Tsugunaga-san.

♥♥♥

If you include other idols, is Momochi-san the closest to being perfect as an idol?

For me, she's number one.

But there's also people like ℃-ute's Suzuki Airi-san, who's popular with girls....

She's a different number one.

Eh? Different?

There are various number ones!

Source: dwango

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 48: Tsugunaga Momoko x Sugaya Risako

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hello! Project Kids in 2012, a book entitled Rival - 12 shoujo no 10-nen monogatari - (The 10-year legend of the 12 girls) was released. The book contains 2-page discussions between various pairings of the girls, covering all 66 possible combinations. In the process of reading this book, I'll be putting up some highlights as I read through the interviews.

Tsugunaga Momoko X Sugaya Risako

♥♥♥

Tsugunaga: I have no idea what to do when I have days off, so I end up answering questionnaires for work or doing some graffiti for goods. Even while watching television, I often think about work.

Sugaya: I'd explode without rest days, so I hit my tipping point when I don't have days off. My body gets out of shape, my skin gets rough, it shows on my body. It makes me irritated, and I'd unintentionally have arguments with our manager-san, thinking that it wouldn't be possible for me to go on,

Tsugunaga-san, if you're working all the time, doesn't the stress build up ?

Tsugunaga: More than being stressed about having no breaks, I get irritated when I can't do anything. 

[2ch] I'm a dude who will do as much as I can to answer your questions as if I was Momochi

1 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:01:41.31 0.net
Hailing from Chiba prefecture, in my 2nd year of being a working adult, cute as always today, this is everyone's idol Momochi

3 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:02:27.82 0.net
How long will you continue on as an idol?

5 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:03:38.26 0.net
>>3
Momochi was born an idol, so there's no such thing as 'until when'

I think I'd like to remain here as long as I can

6 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:04:07.04 0.net
Are you Momochi？

7 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:04:46.11 0.net
>>6
I'm Momochiー！

8 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:05:29.90 0.net
What sort of underwear are you wearing？

11 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:07:25.83 0.net
>>8
Eh？ I couldn't hear you well, yurushite-nyan

9 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:06:17.10 0.net
Is there a Hello! member whose backside has yours beat？
Please tell us about their rumps' firmness and shape

14 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:09:05.45 0.net
>>9
Kumaicho's explosive backside looks big and voluminous, it's really lovely！
But Momochi's an idol, so I don't really know about these kind of things

10 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:06:28.63 0.net
Bring back Buono!

15 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/09/25(金) 19:09:46.67 0.net
>>10
Those girls have their hands full at the moment, so…

Dance teacher SHE-sensei comments on the Berryz members - CDJournal Mar 2015

――We would like to ask sensei about the impressions you had while you were watching each and every member。

I guess we'll go by order of age.

Captain (Shimizu Saki) is serious.
Even from our first meeting, she'd ask for review sessions after we finished with rehearsals,
And despite being small, we had discussions about the things she was unclear on,
While we had conflicts at times, she's always been serious since back then.

I think that she's a good girl, be it at work or in her private life,
But roughly when she was a senior high student......
She became unexpectedly funny (laughs).
Doing funny faces and using a weird way of speaking, she liked funny things.
She discovered that aspect at the end of her teenage years though.
Since then, I've often messed around with Captain (laughs).
It's just that, her comicality doesn't really show on-stage, does it?
I think that it's not that she doesn't want to bring it out,
But it doesn't appear because she's in charge of all sorts of things.

Momo (Tsugunaga Momoko) is as she is.
That's probably everyone's impression of her.
She's got a high level of professionalism.
While I thought she was just a 'burikko' when she was small,
I think that she probably understands what the guests want the most,
And she studied up in order to understand them.

Recently, the girls have been proposing parts of their setlists at concerts and events,
But it's mostly led by Momo.
Like, how they'd like the stage direction to go.
She's not just making a fuss and having fun, she properly thinks it through.
But while it doesn't mean that the way she presents herself is just 'for business',
It normally does seem that way (laughs).

Also, I like Momo's butt. It's like pudding.
Let me talk about an amusing memory I have concerning her butt:
There was a time when her body was still expanding and growing a little.
As she was sitting down in a lady-like manner,
The back of her sweats ripped with a great sound. (laughs)
Her face went completely red. We had a great big laugh at that.

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk: Tokunaga Chinami x Okai Chisato

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hello! Project Kids in 2012, a book entitled Rival - 12 shoujo no 10-nen monogatari - (The 10-year legend of the 12 girls) was released. The book contains 2-page discussions between various pairings of the girls, covering all 66 possible combinations. In the process of reading this book, I'll be putting up some highlights as I read through the interviews.

Tokunaga Chinami X Okai Chisato

千千千千千

Chisato-chan, is there any type of food that you can eat any amount of, like how Chinami-chan can eat any amount of soba?

Okai: I like spicy foods or food that tastes rich, so I'd be able to do that with food like Korean soup. The side menus at various yakiniku stores are really delicious,  and I'll have all the mini-sized varieties. Negi shio ramen, galbi gukbap, vegetable soup, chilled noodles, negi tamago gohan, I'll eat all of those. I can change by 3 kilos if I've been eating meat for a day.

Tokunaga: Korean cuisine is yummy. When Berryz Kobo went to Korea before, the 7 of us ate 20 people's worth of bulgogi. 

Okai: That sounds nice~. I'd like to eat throughout the year. When it comes to delicious stores, my desire to go drop by several of them in one day gives me so much energy. I'd like to eat continuously. I love it!

Tokunaga: There's lots of food at Disneyland, so I really eat on the move whenever I go. Like spring rolls, pizza, and chicken!

Okai: OMG, they're all delicious!

Tokunaga: I'd buy 3 varieties of popcorn as the main course, then I'd put chicken into the opened packaging and nosh on it while lining up for attractions (laughs). I love having fun while eating, so Disneyland truly is the Land of Dreams to me. When I go to Disneyland, just my expenses on food can go to 10,000 yen. 

Okai: Normally it'd amount to 10,000 yen with tickets and souvenirs, wouldn't it? It's amazing to spend 10,000 yen on food only!

Tokunaga: Yup, it disappears in no time.

The scale seems to be getting bigger as we go along (laughs). Have the 2 of you always been big eaters since the past?

Okai: When we made our debut as the Hello! Project Kids, I didn't really eat that much. It was about last year when I started feeling that I could really eat, and then I immediately started eating.

Tokunaga: I've always been eating a lot since I was small, and as a child, I was chubby. Looking at photos from back then, they're all photos of me eating. Like eating a crepe, eating ice cream, eating shibatsuke. That hasn't changed, even now (laughs).

Okai: But how are you so slim? You've got such a great figure.

Tokunaga: I don't really do anything in particular. Weighing myself is such a pain that I don't bother. 

Okai: I get the shivers when I go to weigh myself. When I myself think that I'm in the danger zone, the fans that have been around from way back will also tell me 'You're putting on weight, so be careful'.

Tokunaga: The heck is up with that? If someone told me that, I'd be like 'Back off!'

Okai: How cool (laughs)!

Tokunaga: I really hate it when people tell me that my physique is like this or that. Even when our manager-san tells me 'You've gotten fat', in my mind, I'm thinking 'Hang on...'

Well, that's the manager's job though (laughs).

Tokunaga: I know that it's their job, and that they're saying it for my sake, but before those thoughts come to mind, I immediately think 'Why do you have to put it that way?'

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Tokunaga: At the recent BeriKyuu concert ('Berryz Kobo & ℃-ute Collabo Concert Tour 2011 Autumn ~BeriKyuu Island~'), I thought that you sang with your whole body. You were singing and dancing full throttle, and it was amazing how your body was full of power. At the concert, you sang 'Romantic Ukare Mode' solo, and the whole venue got pumped up. I really felt the energy radiating from you.

Okai: That makes me happy. Those kinds of stories rarely get talked about, so it makes me rally happy~

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Okai: I listen to more songs sung by men rather than by women, so I aim to bring out my voice strongly like how guys do it. Depending on how you listen to it, it might sound messy, as I'm unable to immediately connect my breaths, but I feel that a strong voice might be easier to listen to. I do think about breath management though.....

Tokunaga: Miya and Airi have this feminine gracefulness to them, but perhaps because you listen to male vocals, you've got a lot of spirit, which makes for a different performance.

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More interview excerpts from this book