Twitter Tidbits: Country Girls on tour

22nd April Momochi-ism tour in Nagoya [x][x][x][x]

Yamaki: Mai-chan, Yanamin, you've become senior high students. How are you finding it?

Ozeki: I'm cute, right!

Momo: Well, it'll take some time if we go in that direction, so let's just put it aside for the time being...

Ozeki: As senior high students, we have new teachers as well. So at our first lessons with the new teachers, we have to introduce ourselves. Since I'm cute, I've get told that I'm cute dozens of times a day.

Momo: Hmm? Okay.

Ozeki: Like my friends tell me that I'm cute. But it'd be awkward to start off with a, 'Yeah, I know'. For me to suddenly come out to say it, the people around might wonder, 'What's up with this girl?'

Momo: I can relate to that, obviously (laughs)

Ozeki:  So I modestly tell the speaker that they're cute too. But humility just doesn't fit with me! I can't lie, can I? We started off with science classes, and we had to introduce ourselves with something that made us happy recently. So I was like 'I'm Ozeki Mai, and my cuteness makes me happy every day!'. The mood of the class was like, 'What's up with this kid?' But what I've learnt from Country Girls is that persistence through difficulty makes one stronger. Regardless of how down class' reaction made me feel!

Audience: Ohhhh~!

Ozeki: Next class was English. When I had to mention what I like, I went 'Hello, my name is Mai Ozeki, I like looking my face.' While the mood at the previous class was underwhelming, it was somehow well received at this class!

Momo: It went well!?

Ozeki: Our teacher was a native speaker, and even they were excited, going 'Oh, wonderful, beautiful'. My friends and teacher understood that that's the kind of person I am. And that's how I started my life as a senior high student.

🍑🍑🍑

22nd March Happy Dinner Time ~Momochi ni Sachi Are~ Dinner Show in Cotton Club [x][x]

Momo: I discussed the setlist with Yamaki Risa-chan. I wasn't sure if I should put in my favourite non-Hello! songs. And then she was like 'Momochi-senpai, what are you saying! The fans have come to watch their oshi have fun, as she enjoys singing the songs she likes!' I'm sure that she must have said that with Misshige-san in mind!

🍑🍑🍑

22nd April Momochi-ism tour in Nagoya  [x]

Yamaki: If I may say so myself, I think that we've grown compared to how we were in the past. And I've got a proper basis for making that statement. Do you remember the opening day of our second tour?

Morito: At the opening day of our second live tour, the first song was Kakumeichikku Kiss. We couldn't even get to our positions in time while the introductory song was playing. We completely missed the timing. We had to dash to get to our positions in Kakumeichikku Kiss. In a sense, it was legendary. It was just a week before when Momochi-senpai had to go on a break because of vocal cord polyps. Out of the blue, the four of us had to practise for the opening day, and we were nervous wrecks.

Momo: So it's because of my scheduling?

Yamaki: Momochi-senpai, without you, we were like mere children, completely clueless!

Momo: I was in the ward, worrying about you guys. Then I got a call. I was told, 'Momochi-senpai, it went perfectly!' That gave me some relief. Later that night, I got a video from the show. It only took 30 seconds of watching for me to see the first mistake.

Yamaki: On Hello! Sute, Hello! Project's YouTube programme, I hosted the show for my first time with Momochi-senpai. I was fully dressed up, putting in everything I had in my own way. To bring up my luck, I wore pink. And obviously, Momochi-senpai was also completely decked out in pink. As we were hosting, we were happily commenting about how we were both in pink. By the time I rewatched that Hello! Sute a couple of years later, I'd realised that I should make sure that my clothing doesn't overlap with the senpai.

Momo: I'm fine if that happens. But if it was some senpai who wasn't me, there might have been trouble. I won't name any names though.

Country Girls feat. Maimi Yajima (℃-ute) Original Photo Book (UTB+ vol 36 Mar 2017)

Yanagawa Nanami

I'd like to go to the gym and build up my muscles

My lifestyle took a huge turn once I joined Country Girls. Up until then, going to school was my routine. But with the addition of work, I got to go all around the country for events, I got to eat all sorts of things for the first time, I got to feast my eyes on many sights, it's all added to myself. And hiking up Mount Fuji undoubtedly left a huge impression on me. As hard as it was to deal with such a huge goal, it left me with a great sense of achievement. Last year, I got to play the sax in 'Namida no Request' and appear on Pokemon shows. This year, I'd like to leverage even more of my interests and skills in my work. I'd like to go to the gym and build up my muscles so that it'll have a good influence on my performances. When I'd first joined, I was immediately paired with Momochi-senpai for the filming of the MV for 'Boogie Woogie Love'. It made me happy when she asked me 'Are you having fun, being in Country?' As she was giving me her attention, I felt comfortable talking to Momochi-senpai. I get so nervous with Yajima-san that I haven't really talked with her. She's awe-inspiring, she's a beauty, she exudes this brilliant aura. I'd like to become like her. There's still the 'HinaFes' in March, so I hope to talk with her a little there.

Funaki Musubu

I'll work hard at my studies even after Momochi-senpai has graduated!

Last year, I got closer to the members, and have been going out increasingly more with them during our private time. I met up with Ozeki-san at eight in the morning to go and watch a horror movie. That was fun, the two of us watched it through the gaps in our fingers. (laughs) I think I've improved at talking on-stage. At first, even coming up with a topic was already hard enough, but I've gotten more and more used to it. Now I'm able to talk in detail about trivial things. I enjoy doing the talk segments while letting my inner self show. And I'll be taking exams this year, so even after Momochi-senpai graduates, I'll like to keep firm and properly study. When I was doing my first recording after having joined, I was a nervous wreck. But Momochi-senpai wished me luck. At the time, I couldn't believe that she had talked to me, I was so happy. What I remember about Yajima-san is when ℃-ute-san did a Christmas event. In that event, they discussed a survey filled by the Kenshuusei. After mulling over how to answer the question, 'What is scary about ℃-ute?', I wrote and sent in 'Yajima-san's smile is so beautiful that it's scary'. And it wasn't taken in a positive light. I got found out since I put my name down as FM-san. (laughs) I'd like to tell her that it was a misunderstanding. I meant it in the best of ways!

Country Girls (CD Journal Feb 2017)

Tsugunaga-san, this might be the last time you'll be appearing in this magazine.

Yanagawa: Huh~

Tsugunaga: Oh my! So, about that front cover......

Everyone: Ahahaha!

And with that, I think it would be nice if things moved along as usual.

♥♥♥

So when you go out for meals, it's normally Tsugunaga-san who extends the invitation? Is it difficult to ask her out without some sort of underlying reason?

Yamaki: Actually, there isn't a problem with inviting her out without any reasons. But I find it difficult. I can't just ask a great-senpai out for a meal without a reason. The other day, the two of us went for mushroom nabe. I felt like having some, but it turned out that the others weren't big fans of mushrooms when I asked them. I didn't want to drag along people who weren't really fond of mushrooms, so I asked Momochi-senpai whether she'd like to have mushroom nabe. She was okay with that, and she was fine with me asking her out. I was actually really shocked by the fact that there weren't any problems with me asking her out for a meal on a private basis. And though we happily headed to the store, (looks at Tsugunaga) she turned peevish.

Tsugunaga: I was really happy that Risa-chan extended an invitation to me. It's not uncommon for me to have a meal with the kouhai, but the invitation would generally come from me. That was the first time that Risa-chan had asked me out, so I was on cloud nine as we headed to the store, with a spring to my step. I was even having fun picking things out from the menu. But then I got embarrassed at how excited I was. Could it be that perhaps Risa-chan had something to discuss with me? Now that my graduation's set in stone, she'll become the oldest in the group, so I wondered if there was some sort of problem concerning the group.

Like she may have wanted to ask you something.

Tsugunaga: That's right. I was wondering if there was something she wanted to bring up. To find out if she wanted to talk with about something, I asked her why she'd invited me out. And so it turned out that it was because none of the other members liked mushrooms that much. I was like 'Huh?' (laughs) I'd been chosen via the process of elimination. And what's more, she added that nabe isn't something she could order without at least 2 people.

Yamaki: I couldn't go alone. (laughs)

Tsugunaga: Isn't that horrible!

I'd have thought that Tsugunaga-san would have been the first person to ask. (laughs)

Yamaki: And that's where we differ. I didn't think that it would be all right to ask Momochi-senpai out without a reason. If I'd told her that I just invited her for some vague reason or the other, it'd be awkward.

Tsugunaga: You could've just said that you wanted to have a meal with me.

All: That's right!

Tsugunaga: You just happened to want mushroom nabe, and I happened to be the only person who was convenient, right?

Yamaki: ...Well, that's true, you happened to fit the bill. That is a fact. (laughs) The big takeaway I got from this huge incident was that it's fine to invite Momochi-senpai out just because I want to have a meal with her. So I'd like to ask her out for more meals until her graduation.

A proclamation from the final successor to the 'Momochi-isms'? Country Girls' Funaki Musubu, who used to always put on a mask, talks about her 'worries'...

[Original interview published 2017-01-31]

Funaki Musubu-chan, entrusted with the 'Momochi-isms'

We finally arrived at the last, seventh person for the 2017 'ShuuPure News interview series with this year's "High potential Idols we're keeping an eye on"'!

'Momochi' Tsugunaga Momoko-san announced that she would be graduating in June 2017. Appearing in this final instalment is an assassin from 'Country Girls', the group Momochi is attached to! It's Funaki Musubu-chan!

Her cute looks are likely to catch the eye, but Musubu-chan has also been entrusted with the 'Momochi-isms'--- Not your run-of-the-mill beauty, is she??

＊　＊　＊

Well then, for 'ShuuPure News's selection of 7 idols that we're keeping an eye out for in 2017', we have the last person, number seven, Funaki Musubu-san! In these interviews, we dig deeper into the personality of the girl we've got our eye on, but in your case...

I put on a mask! (said clearly)

... You just go out and say it clearly! (laughs) Are you still acting innocent, even now?

Yes! I'm really putting on a mask! It's pulled down over my eyes. Even when I joined Country Girls, I was always on my guard. It was at the start of our tour when I shed it off. Before I knew it, I now speak in Kansai-ben in the middle of MCs, like I'm angry at something.

You are from Osaka, aren't you? So did you put on a mask when you were a kid?

If pushed to say, I was really forward when I was small, I could even talk to strangers.

Like Chie-chan, the protagonist in that old manga 'Jarinko Chie'. Something like that.

I've heard of it! I was often told that! People would say, 'Musubu-chan, you're like Chie-chan', and I'd be like 'Who?' (laughs) I'd just go and talk with all sorts of people. Even with old men whom I didn't know, I'd be like 'Listen~ I'm Musubu-chan. Did you know that~?' Also, there was a park near my home which had a stage. So I would go up on-stage while everyone was watching, and suddenly start singing and dancing Matsuura Aya-san's 'Yeah! Meccha Holiday'. So it's not like I was shy or putting on a false face.

Then it happened at some point in time... But wait a minute, you just pulled out Matsuura Aya-san's name, so have you always liked Hello! Project (the idol project that Morning Musume。 and Country Girls belong to) since you were small?

Originally, the anime 'Kirarin ☆ Revolution' aired when I was five or six. The heroine Tsukishima Kirari-chan was voiced by Kusumi Koharu-san, who was in Morning Musume。-san at the time. My mother told me that Morning Musume。's Kusumi Koharu-chan did the voice of Kirari-chan. And my mother likes Morning Musume。-san and H!P. When I was in my later years of kindergarten, she really let me watch their videos.

H!P fans from your parent's generation What elites! That's gifted education.

Heehee. (laughs) When I was small, I would make my own songs and lyrics in front of the mirror. I held singing programmes by myself in front of the mirror. I'm an only child, so the mirror was my friend. I'd sing in my own way, putting in what simple words I knew like 'Love' or 'Happy'. And I played all the roles, like the singers appearing on the show and the chairperson.

Country Girls - To Shout Out Their Secret (BLT March 2017)

Their last single before Tsugunaga Momoko's graduation will be going on sale!

With all of the members around, each member makes a big confession ♥

While we await the sale of their last single before Tsugunaga Momoko's graduation, the members confess some previously unknown stories ♥

I'd like this to be a single where I use up my whole 15 years (Tsugunaga)

You've finally announced your last single before the graduation of Momochi (Tsugunaga)-san.

Tsugunaga: As we draw closer to my graduation, more and more things are becoming 'lasts', which reminds me how close my graduation is. I'd like this to be a single where I use up my whole 15 years.

Ozeki: In 'Peanut Butter Jelly Love', you can hear Momochi-senpai's wonderful, lovely voice!

Tsugunaga: You're raising the bar too high. (laughs) I get to feature in this last one, so it's a difficult song that requires a broad singing register, but I'd like to sing it properly.

Funaki: The beginning is particularly difficult, you can tell from the look on Momochi-senpai's face. (laughs)

Morito: It's a cute song that's very Country Girls, and I hope that you keep an eye on the intricacies of the dance moves as well.

Yanagawa: The music video is cute and fairytale-like, and I hope that we can express the world of the song.

Yamaki: We were under the cold weather for the tea party scene, but we acted as if it was warm, so please watch that as well. (laughs)

How about 'Good Boy Bad Girl'?

Morito: The lyrics are split between a guy and a girl, and there's part of the choreography that looks like we're kissing. And it was fresh to have (Ozeki) Mai-chan take on the girl role.

Ozeki: I've been established as a guy character, so being put in the girl role was something that I found to be difficult, despite being a girl myself. (laughs)

Yamaki: The dance moves put a lot of pressure on me. 'Cause if I make a mistake, I might end up kicking Momochi-senpai in the head......

Tsugunaga: We have to hold hands after that, and yours get really sweaty. (laughs)

Funaki: The two songs are completely different, so you can enjoy various sides of Country Girls through this one single.

Yanagawa: In terms of dancing and singing, it's our hardest single yet, but we'll work hard with everything we've got in order to reach a high level!

Funaki Musubu 'Member I'd like to go on an on-location shooting with' ranking

ーーFunaki-san, the other day, you went for your first on-location shoot with Yanagawa-san to Enoshima on the Internet programme 『Girls Night Out』. Based on that experience, we'd like to ask about your 「Member I'd like to go on an on-location shoot with」 ranking！

Funaki　Right！　6th place is Yanagawa Nanami-chan though…。

ーーEven though you've just been on an on-location shoot together！　Could there possibly be something that you dislike about her…？

Funaki　No, you've got it wrong！ In the sense that we've gone on one together once, I'd like to go with someone else next time…。 However, even at that on-location shoot the other day, Nanami-chan properly took the lead, and she was really reliable, so I'm glad that my first on-location shoot was with Nanami-chan！

Yanagawa　Thank you very much （laughs）。

ーーThat's a weird concern…。 Well then, 5th place？

Funaki　Morito Chisaki-san…。 Obviously it doesn't mean that I'd hate to be on-location with her, but once, when it was just Morito-san and me in transit, since I had just joined, the ride just continnued on in complete silence. So, even now, I worry about how it'd turn out…。

Tsugunaga　That's true, on-location shoots are tough when it's silent！

Funaki　But recently, we've got increasingly more opportunities to talk a bit, so I think it'll probably be fine！ And then at 4th place, Yamaki Risa-chan！ Risa-chan is from the same H!P Kenshuusei generation as me, and we even go and hang out together on our off-days, so I feel like an on-location shoot with the two of us would be comfortable。

ーーYou wouldn't have to worry about silence？

Funaki　Yup （laughs）。 But on the other hand, I can predict how it'll be like, how we'll enjoy ourselves. So in the sense that I'd like to venture out a bit more, she's 4th。

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？

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.

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.

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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

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.

Country Girls and the New Members

Courtesy of Barks, we have coverage of what happened over at Country Girls' formation 1st anniversary event. I'll be focusing on the 2 new members in this translation.

If you're more of a video person, I've put up a subtitled version of the Jijipress coverage on the event. It includes a clip of the existing Country Girls members being informed of and welcoming the new additions, but not the closing comments from the members. I've been told that the video may not be available to US viewers though, so your mileage may vary.

This'll be out of chronological order, but I think it flows better given that we know the final outcome.
Quick note: from what I understand, the years are counted from when they start rather than when they end. So the day after your first anniversary, you enter your second year rather than starting on your first year. I guess the natural numbers start with 1 in Japan.

Letter from Country Girls Supervisor Satoda Mai

Everyone, a very good evening to you!
This is Country Girls Supervisor Satoda Mai.

Celebrating a whole year today, on the 5th of November,
Country Girls will be making a new start.

As the original goal was to be a group that's growing to face the world stage,
And thinking about how to power it up further,
I had exchanges with people from the office,
Including Playing Manager Momochi.
A proposal to add new members was made,
And I approved of that proposal.

Taking into account their habitual training, the outcome of their lessons, and their future prospects,
We chose 2 names for the new members, Yanagawa Nanami and Funaki Musubu, from the H!P Kenshuusei.

To the fans who have been cheering us on, we beg for your continued kind and warm cheers of support.

And to the 2 new members, please blow a new wind into Country Girls with your energy and freshness.

From now on, I'll be watching over the 7 of you!

November 2015, Satoda Mai

Momochi, welcome back! Also, let's get to know the new Country Girls!

On Thursday, Country Girls celebrated the anniversary of their formation, where we received some huge news concerning Country Girls:

Momochi has officially recovered!!!

That's right, she's been given the okay from the doctors to continue with her singing activities!

For those not in the know, everyone's idol was diagnosed with vocal cord polyps. She took a break for a while, but slowly recovered to the point where she could appear at events in as a MC. She even joined in a Halloween Parade. But as of Thursday, she's officially made her singing comeback.

Of course, I'm sure that all of us will gladly welcome back the presence of the Playing Manager, a paragon of stability in these turbulent times.

Also, another related and similarly momentous announcement was made on that day as well: Momochi would be growing the ranks of her loli minions Country Girls would be welcoming two new members from the H!P Kenshuusei - Yanagawa Nanami and Funaki Musubu. Just as a yardstick, both girls are slightly older than Momochi's idol career. While Funakki is a familiar face, Yanagawa Nanami's fairly new. In a bid to get to know them better, I'll be translating a little Q&A done by them, from the Kenshuusei portion of November 2015's Top Yell coverage of the September Nama Tamago Show!

Twitter Tidbits - 17th March 2015

(Wota) life after post-Berryz

ガールズライブ、ベリの映像少し見ただけで。。。やっぱり行きたかった。。もうだめだ、ヲタ卒だ。まで考えたけどその後のカントリーガールズがかわいくてときめいたのでやっぱり私はまだ現役なんだと思う。。
— 指原 莉乃 (@345__chan) 2015, 3月 5

I watched Berryz' video on The Girls Live。。。 I really wanted to go [to the last Budokan concert]。。 It's no good、 I'll grad from being a wota。 My thoughts had already gone that far along, but Country Girls who appeared after that were so cute they made my heart throb, so looks like I'll still be active。。

Mano Cover

稽古向かってる最中 ハロプロをシャッフルで聴く。 「涙が止まらない放課後」とか 「お願い魅惑のターゲット」 歌いたいな。 ハローの曲いろいろ歌いたいっ！ ハロカバとか、 あたしも出したい(´･ω･｀)
— 真野恵里菜(Mano Erina) (@erina_mano) 2015, 3月 6

On my way to practice
I listened to H!P on shuffle。

I want to sing songs like
「Namida ga Tomaranai Houkago」 or
「Onegai Miwaku no Target」。
There are all sorts of Hello! songs that I want to sing！

I'd like to come out
With something like a Hello! Cover (´･ω･｀)

Treasuring gifts

こんばんはー❤︎野村みな美でっす！！今日は、私のお誕生日の時にモーニング娘。'15の譜久村聖さんから頂いたスカートを履いて稽古場へ向かいました！私のお気に入りです〜☆☆ウキウキッ♪♪ #劇女 pic.twitter.com/PN082qpkqc
— 演劇女子部 - 劇女 (@_gekijyo) 2015, 3月 13

Good evening ♥ This is Nomura Minami!! Today, I went for practise wearing the skirt that I got for my birthday from Morning Musume。'15's Fukumura Mizuki-san ! It's a fave of mine~ ☆☆ *cheerful* ♪♪

Navigating in theme

【本日発売】『プリンセスBambina春号』では、はまちゃんこと浜浦彩乃ちゃんと、後輩のハロプロ研修生・船木結ちゃんが、サンリオピューロランドをナビゲート！ピンク＆白のマイメロコーデで登場だよ♡ pic.twitter.com/X39NhXLirJ
— プリンセスBambina編集部 (@Pribambina) 2015, 3月 14

【On sale today】 In 『Princess Bambina Spring edition』、 'Hamachan' Hamaura Ayano-chan and her junior Kenshuusei、 Funaki Musubu-chan、 bring you around Sanrio Puroland！ They're appearing in a pink ＆ white My Melody get-up ♡

Remembering old comrades

℃-uteの皆んなありがとう(⑉• •⑉)‥♡ ほんと愛が伝わってくる、、、 pic.twitter.com/o3mpkENL0J
—  梅田 えりか  (@umeda_erika) 2015, 3月 17

Members of ℃-ute, thank you (⑉• •⑉)‥♡

Your love really got through、、、

(Trans: The screencaps Erika posted are from the music video shooting of ℃-ute's GamushaLIFE. Note the 'EU' in the first pic. Umechan didn't screencap these, but there was also a 'KA' and an 'MM' on the background as well.)