Tsugunaga Momoko 'Member I'd like to help with studies' ranking

ーーThis time, in the sense that 'I've got to teach this girl!', please tell us the 'members you'd like to help with studies'.

Tsugunaga　Right! Well then, I'd like to announce them from last to first. 6th place is Yamaki Risa-chan. Even amongst H!P members, Risa-chan is a prodigy, and she's far and away more capable at studies than I am, so there's no need for me to teach her. Since I'd prefer to be taught by her instead (laughs). Even when the other members face difficulties with their homework, they don't ask me, they ask Risa-chan. That's how reliable she is on the academic front.

ーー Well then, 5th place？

Tsugunaga　Inaba Manaka-chan. Regardless of whether she can study or not, what's bigger is that Manaka-chan has the strength to survive well in life.

ーーThat's… Aren't you dissing her quite a bit…？

Tsugunaga　Not at all! (laughs). Manaka-chan is really good at elevating her superiors, and Manaka-chan constantly put me in a good mood, she's good at giving me a lift. She's the type that will probably have a successful career. Since she possesses a skill that they don't teach in school, when it comes to her, I think she's got nothing to worry about even when she hits her golden years!

ーー Does Inaba-san put the two of you new members in high spirits as well？

Funaki　Yes!

Yanagawa　She's skilled at praise, and I feel that she's a person who's really good at finding people's good points.

ーー It's amazing how she's got techniques to make both senpais and kouhais feel good! Continuing on, how about 4th place？

Arai Hitomi - Young King No. 14 (2014/06/23)

The pure white princess who's loved by everyone, or

The jet black queen who is completely entrancing

Which Hitomi will we fall for!?

We can make a choice! Which do your prefer?

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 23: Yajima Maimi x Sudo Maasa

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 Sudo Maasa

╪╪╪

Besides your BeriKyuu activities, the 2 of you stand out as actors. Are you aware of one another in that field?

Sudo: I've managed to see almost all the productions that Maimi-chan has appeared in. It motivates me.

Yajima: I've seen all the productions that Maasa has appeared in as well. We've also appeared in plays and dramas together, but depending on the role, Maasa, you become a truly different Maasa, well, it's like you're no longer Maasa at all (laughs). Once you're acting, you completely discard things like being an idol. Like if you're playing a granny, you'd fully enter that role.

Sudo: In acting, the most enjoyable part is becoming a different person.

╪╪╪

Yajima: And now, I don't just enjoy acting, but I also enjoy watching dramas.

Sudo: Ah, I know what you mean! Watching someone play a part, you think, 'I'd do that in this way', and you'd want to try it out. At home, I often enjoy myself by repeating the lines in my own way (laughs). In addition to watching dramas, trying them out is another way to enjoy them, so it adds to the ways we can  enjoy them.

╪╪╪

You're of different types, but but in a good way, you're both aware of one another, so doesn't it feel like you're rivals? Looking at one another, could you tell us what's the greatest impression you have of one another?

Yajima: For a drama, Maasa was told by the director-san that she was to cry at a certain part, and the scene was being shot out of order, and yet, no matter how many times she had to cry, she was able to do so properly. At the time, I was impressed, she truly was an actress.

Sudo: During 'Sengoku Jieitai', Maimi-chan was really serious, and when there was a scene where it went to blows, and she really hit with a bam! But I remember it feeling good since we were doing it together.

╪╪╪

What do you feel about one another, personality-wise?

Yajima: Maasa's really level-headed, she like a mother who can properly bring people together, which is something that I lack.

╪╪╪

The 2 of you are good rivals at the moment, but did you have any sort of relationship between one another when you made your debut?

Yajima: When we were in the Hello! Project Kids, we didn't really have that many opportunities to talk.

Sudo: I was particularly shy, so I guess that I didn't really talk. What got us started really was acting. I found out that Maimi-chan had appeared in many plays, and she lent me DVDs, so we were able to talk about acting.

Yajima: Like 'Have you seen this movie?' But when we're doing plays together, we have good discussions about the play itself.

╪╪╪

Just like the other 10, the 2 of you have been constantly singing and dancing, from when you were the H!P Kids up to BeriKyuu, but were those experiences of use with acting?

Yajima: There are similarities in that we act out the protagonist in the song, so while it might not be on the forefront of our minds, I think that it's slightly useful even for acting.

Sudo: They're the same in that you're doing something in front of an audience, and you're granting dreams, but I think who I am when I'm at a concert and who I am when I'm acting are different. On the concert stage, I'm just Sudo Maasa, but on the play stage, I'm not Maasa, I'm the role that I'm playing. And while we have the same smile, the smile I have at concerts and the smile that I have at plays are completely different. However, whatever it is, the viewpoint has always been that I'm acting as Berryz Kobo's Sudo Maasa. But someday, I'd like my genuine acting to be highly regarded. Like people would say that there are roles played by Sudo Maasa which could have only been performed by Sudo Maasa.

╪╪╪

Sudo: I feel that it would be interesting if Maimi-chan played a delinquent role.

Yajima: Eh, really? 

Sudo: Yup. Since it's different from how you normally are. In my mind, Maimi-chan as a delinquent would be like a female gang leader of the past: wearing a long skirt, with bright red lipstick, holding a wooden sword, going 'Oi!'(laughs). I'd like you to do that.

Yajima: I feel that Maasa would suit a wooden sword and long skirt as well (laughs).

╪╪╪

More interview excerpts from this book

[2ch] I'm jealous of the flirting between Momochi and this mascot character

1 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:14:45.13 0.net
Can we forgive him?
Dude's a bear

2 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:15:45.67 0.net
It's all right, it's a bear after all
Momochi's like a mascot character herself, right

3 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:15:46.62 0.net
It's a celebrity

5 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:16:19.12 0.net
He's a regular patron

6 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:16:43.93 0.net
>>1
He's touching Momo-chan's Momo-chans

9 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:18:34.60 0.net
This bear's smug face offends me

11 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:19:12.72 0.net
Linked arms…

12 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:20:26.19 0.net
Well, we still don't know if that bear is ♂ or ♀
Don't be jealous

17 ：名無し募集中。。。＠＼(^o^)／：2015/11/23(月) 14:22:56.40 0.net
The ２ of them are cute

Country Girls' Eh, are you really going to surmount Mount Fuji? #3 (UTB+ March 2016)

Here's the 3rd part of Country Girls' UTB+ serialisation, 'Eh, are you really going to surmount Mount Fuji?'. Did the translation directly on the image since it's easier to read that way. Enjoy.

The original:

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 44: Natsuyaki Miyabi 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.

Natsuyaki Miyabi X Okai Chisato

xXxXx

Firstly, what led to Chisato-chan becoming a fan of Miyabi-chan?

Okai: I'm actually not the kind of person who'll easily say that someone's cute. I'll say it if I feel that something is cute, but it's not like I get seriously enamoured. But I just happened to go to a Buono! concert, and though (Suzuki) Airi was my reason for going there at first.....

Natsuyaki: At first, huh (laughs)?

Okai: Before I knew it, I noticed that my eyes were only on Miyabi-chan, I realised that, could it be, I liked Miyabi-chan (laughs)!? I think It was Buono!'s second concert tour (Buono! Live Tour 2010 ~We are Buono!~'). Miyabi-chan had extensions on, her hair was long, and she was wearing a pink and black dress. I completely fell for her. At first, I was using glowsticks that were green (Airi-chan's member colour), but I changed to red ones (Miyabi-chan's member colour) midway through (laughs). Miyabi-chan's hairstyle and air changes every time I see her. I look forward to it, and she gives me inspiration every time. I admire her.

Natsuyaki: Is that so (laughs).

Do you remember the impressions you had of one another at the 'Hello! Project Kids Audition'?

Okai: At the auditions, my Papa said that Miyabi-chan was cute! Like 'Oh my, there's such a cutie here, you're gonna fail!!' (laughs). But I was on the borderline of passing and not passing, so just going with the flow, I became friends with Maasa-chan and Mai-chan who lived near me. Actually, I've only recently started talking with Miyabi-chan. There was the age gap, and I was just sticking behind Momo-chan.

Natsuyaki: That's right, it doesn't feel like we really talked. Early on, Chisato and Mai were both like babies, and I thought that they were cute when I looked at them. My impression of Chisato at the auditions was that you were boyish, with your short hair.

Okai: But our mothers were friends.

Natsuyaki: Yup. They'd go for meals together, or karaoke.

Okai: Our mothers went to the same senior high. They were senpai and kouhai.

That's quite the coincidence!

Natsuyaki: Quite (laughs).

Okai: However, I was very much a child within an already childish group (laughs), so I looked on Miyabi-chan and the rest as oneechans. As for Berryz Kobo, I used to chat a lot with (Sugaya) Risako-chan, from way back. Because of that, since (Shimizu) Saki-chan and Miyabi-chan were there as well, that's when I started talking a lot with Miyabi-chan.

Natsuyaki: We also started exchanging messages.

So the cupids that connected the 2 of you were Saki-chan and Risako-chan (laughs). Miyabi-chan, did you know that Chisato-chan liked you that much?

Natsuyaki: The fans told me about it. They'd report things to me, like 'Chissa keeps on saying that she likes you' (laughs). [...] I heard all sorts of things from the fans, and I was like 'Is that so!' (laughs)

Okai: I did a question corner on my blog, and about half the questions I got were concerning Miyabi-chan (laughs). What's more, ever since I said that I like Miyabi-chan, my fans have gradually become fans of Miyabi-chan, which puts me in a situation. At my events, there are fans that'll intentionally use Miyabi-chan's uchiwas, or wear her T-shirts. And at MCs, they'll yell out 'We know how you feel! Let's cheer her on together!!'. Recently, the staff-san have been sending me pictures on Miyabi-chan (laughs).

Natsuyaki: Even at handshake events, I get told 'Don't snatch away Chisato!' I press them, asking 'Do you really like Chisato!?' (laughs). There are people who'll give a serious reply, 'I'll be marrying Chisato! So I don't want her to be stolen away by Miyabi-chan!!'. And that brings out my competitiveness, and I'll fire back by telling them that I'm serious as well! A little battle unfolds between me and the fan (laughs).

xXxXx

Natsuyaki: I'm glad to be told that I'm cute, but since I'm not cute character-wise, it makes me embarrassed to be told that (laughs). 

xXxXx

Chisato-chan, from your point of view, please tell us frankly what you find attractive about Miyabi-chan.

Okai: She has all these contrasting traits to her. She looks cool, but she actually talks a lot. Just looking at her makes me feel happy. 

xXxXx

Well then, 10 years in the future, how do you think your relationship will be like?

Okai: We'll be married with children, and we'd meet up to have meals together (laughs). However, I think that Miyabi-chan's children will be the cutest (laughs).

Natsuyaki: I'd like to meet up for meals. I think that there are aspects in which Chisato and I are similar. So it's fun to be together.

xXxXx

More interview excerpts from this book

What sort of occupation they'd like to try once - Country Girls & Suzuki Airi (Big One Girls NO.032 April 2016)

Q. What line of work would you like to try once?

Tsugunaga Momoko
Kindergarten teacher. I've always loved children, so I've always found it to be a really appealing line of work. So in middle school, when we were allowed to pick workplace experiences, I chose to go to a kindergarten, and I got kindergarten teaching qualifications at university. If I wasn't an idol, I think that I'd be a kindergarten teacher. However, if that were the case, all the boys' first love would be Momochi (laughs). I think that it would be the general state of things. Taking that into consideration, I chose the idol profession, where being in loved by everyone wouldn't be a hindrance (laughs).

Yamaki Risa
A mangaka assistant. I love drawing, and that's the sole hobby I've continued on with since I was small, but I'm completely self-taught, so I've got lots of simple questions that have built up ever since I was small. And so, I'd like to be taught from scratch by a pro mangaka.

Inaba Manaka
I love dancing, so much that I can't go through a day without dancing at least once. I want to dance so much that it sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night. So I think it would be nice if I became a dance instructor, as I'd always be engaged in dancing.

Morito Chisaki
I'd like to work at a cake store, and invent all sorts of cakes. I'm skilful, so I think I'd probably be able to do it.

Ozeki Mai
I love ice cream, so I'd work at an ice cream store, and I'd buy ice creams every day on my way back.

Yanagawa Nanami
A nurse. I'm interested in the medical profession, so I'd like to try it, to experience it.

Funaki Musubu
I love learning about makeup and cosmetics, so I'd like to try being a makeup artist, and make entertainers look beautiful.

Suzuki Airi
I'd like to try being a planner for commercials. I've got tons of ideas. Currently, I'm on the acting side, but instead, I'd like to try the other side once, having someone do what I've thought up. That, or something that I've always wanted to try: handling a cash register at a supermarket.

Momochi no Kimochi: Sushi Janken (Essay #9/22)

At my home, when we order sushi, 

we use a system whereby

janken is used to decide the order 

of who gets to pick what they prefer. 

By right, my favourites are amberjack and white fishes, 

but I've developed a strategy for those times:

I'll pick up the popular ones like sea urchins or fatty tuna first.

And in the midst of that, my Papa will happily be going,

'I got the the egg♪' or 'Ah, lean tuna, that's mine'.

While I normally wouldn't think something like 

'If I can't get my hands on the fatty tuna, 

then tuna rolls can act as a substitute', 

I'll end up getting taking them

Having gotten caught up in the mood of the moment.

How childish~

Well, for me, the ones I like are easy to line up, 

so Papa's presence is welcome.

I'm always grateful ♥

More from this book

Tsugunaga Momoko Photo Essay "Momochi no Kimochi"

Momoko Tsugunaga

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 60: Tokunaga Chinami 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.

Tokunaga Chinami X Hagiwara Mai

↨↨↨

Tokunaga: Mai, you've got your original characters that you made yourself, right?

Hagiwara: They're characters named '"Hagio" and "Hagiko"', and I think I draw them at times when I'm troubled (laughs). [...] Chii, you use a lot of colours [to illustrate photos], it's amazing.

Tokunaga: I prefer things to be colourful, so I've got to be careful about using too much colours when it comes to painting. And I don't end up using similar types of colours like blue and aqua either, like if I've done something in blue, then I'll go for pink or orange, I'll find something to match the subject colour in a way that stands out.

Hagiwara: Your sense of colour is amazing. On the other hand, for me, I have no idea if one colour goes with another. I only know of safe colour combinations, I can't take risks. Airi often uses pink and brown, but I didn't know that pink and brown could go so well together, I was like 'Ah, that's great' (laughs).

↨↨↨

Do the 2 of you have any common memories from when you were small?

Tokunaga: When we were in the Hello! Project Kids, Mai and me and Miya referred to one another with a 'chan' appended to our names. But at some point in time, we talked about no longer using the 'chan' - but it still stuck. So we ended up declaring that anyone who used 'chan' would have to pay 100 yen.

Hagiwara: And it seriously ended up working. You really can get things done if you get serious (laughs). But I wonder what led to us saying such a thing? I guess we wanted to be even closer as friends.

What impression did you have of one another at the time?

Hagiwara: I thought that Chii was highly excitable.

Tokunaga: Mai was the youngest, so she was just Mai-chan, everyone's little sister.

Hagiwara: Chii could shape the mood. Once before, I alone was on a bus with Berryz Kobo, and Chii made cracks at everyone at the time, which I thought was amusing.

Tokunaga: Eh, what did I do at that time?

Hagiwara: You invited everyone to play shiritori.

Tokunaga: Ah. I like shiritori. But the rest find it a pain, so they'll be like 'Right, right, "zukan" (dictionary)', and it'd end just like that, so I'd attempt to bounce back with a word that starts with an 'n' (laughs).

Hagiwara: ℃-ute is funny in a different atmosphere. Also, what I think when we perform live together, is that Berryz Kobo have like an aura.

Tokunaga: We don't have any such aura.

Hagiwara: I guess you could say it's like you've got a high level of professional awareness, and all of you stand out in a good way, you have your own unique characteristics.

↨↨↨

Tokunaga: All of Berryz Kobo are uncoordinated, we do as we please, so even when we're told to assemble, we don't (laughs). But that comes out in our dancing as well, and we end up really going all over the pace, which is no good. 

↨↨↨

You both came from the same H!P Kids. How do you think things would have turned out if the two of you had switched places?

Tokunaga: I feel like I'd still be like how I am now, even in ℃-ute. I feel like I wouldn't change.

Hagiwara: It might turn out the other way, like because of your influence, the others would change (laughs). If I were in Berryz Kobo...... I can't imagine it. While I thought that it was great that they were able to become part of a group when they made their major debut, with the difference between their ages and mine, everyone in Berryz Kobo would be way more grown up, so I feel like I'd only burden them. 

Tokunaga: But Mai, you have this amazing ability to bring out huge bursts of laughter at MCs. Whatever you say will never fall flat. You're funny.

More interview excerpts from this book

Message to fans (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.

Q10. A message to the fans!!!

Yajima Maimi: Thank you very much always giving us support ♥ From now on, let's all make a warm H!P!! If I catch sight of the newbies, I'd like to talk with them about all sorts of things and become good friends ♪

Nakajima Saki: Without the support from all of you, we wouldn't have been able to come out with this book or hold concerts. I'm trully filled with gratitude towards all of you. Thank you. There are times when the fan letters I receive have made my tears flow. Thank you for everything. More than anything, you support my heart!

Suzuki Airi: Thank you very much for always giving us your support. It's been 13 years since we passed our auditions, and we've constantly been supported by all of you. We wouldn't have got here just by ourselves (>_<) Thank you so very much. We're concentrating every day with the goal of becoming idols that are close while distant at the same time, so we beg for your kind, continued support.

Okai Chisato: Thank you very much for all your support ♪ ℃-ute are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year, and we'll do our best to not yield to the young ones (Momochi excepted). Please keep following me as well as ℃-ute ☆

Hagiwara Mai: Thank you very much for always cheering us on. I'm glad to receive so many heartwarming words at concerts and handshake events. I beg for your kind, continued support!