Ozeki Mai's 'Member I'd like to have teach me' ranking

More from this ranking series:

Tsugunaga Momoko: Member that I'd like to help with studies

Funaki Musubu: Member I'd like to go with an on-location shoot with

Yanagawa Nanami: Member I'd like to turn to for advice when I have problems

Morito Chisaki: 'Member I'd like to stay over with'

Inaba Manaka: 'Member I'd like to have as a boyfriend if they were a guy'

Yamaki Risa: 'Member I'd like to have as a girlfriend if I were a guy'

――Please go ahead! First of all, which rank should we start with? 

Ozeki　Then we'll start with fifth. Fifth place is Funaki Musubu-chan. Funaki-chan is currently in her first year of middle school. The other day, the members of Country Girls had a mini kanji quiz in our dressing room. And it turned out that she really can't write out kanji. She was at a such a low level that even I was surprised. (laughs) There's also the difference between our academic years, so it'd be strange for her to teach me. That's why she's at this spot.

Inaba　Eh, but still, she's at fifth.

――Yamaki-san, you seem to be a bit relieved?

Yamaki  Yeah. I do have have seniority, after all!

Inaba　I'm more worried about where I stand! (laughs)

Ozeki　Continuing on, Yanagawa Nanami-chan is fourth. Yanagawa-chan is my age, but I feel that she has a very 'intellectual' air to her. But if she were to teach me, I feel like I'd end up confused and have no idea what she's talking about. So she's 4th!

Yamaki　You mean that you can't match her level?

Ozeki　Yup. Yanagawa-chan uses a lot of difficult words when she talks. All these words that I don't know. But I'm wondering that maybe if I keep talking with Yanagawa-chan, I'll gradually learn those words and also English words, and be able to use them in my speech! I'm sure that it'll be useful when I have to talk as an idol. So rather than being taught academically, I'd like to be taught 'the basics of everyday conversation'.

――Going on to third place! 

Yamaki Risa's 'Member I'd like to have as a girlfriend if I were a guy' ranking

More from this ranking series:

Tsugunaga Momoko: Member that I'd like to help with studies

Funaki Musubu: Member I'd like to go with an on-location shoot with

Yanagawa Nanami: Member I'd like to turn to for advice when I have problems

Morito Chisaki: 'Member I'd like to stay over with'

Inaba Manaka: 'Member I'd like to have as a boyfriend if they were a guy'

―― Well then, to keep up the suspense, we'll get to the first and sixth place at the end. So please start from the fifth place.

Yamaki　5th place is Funaki Musubu-chan! I gave this question some serious thought. Having put some serious thought into it... I couldn't imagine going out with a thirteen year old. In that sense, she's fifth.

―― I see. Well then, please go on to 4th place.

Yamaki　4th place is Morito Chisaki-chan.

Morito　Ehh!

Yamaki　This is... I think that this may have come as a bit of a surprise for a lot of people... If I had to put Chii in a role, I'd like to have her as a sister, a family member. Since she's innocent. If I was her boyfriend, I'd show her off. There are positives to that, but if pushed to say, I prefer that loving, sisterly mood, like 'Ah, you've done it again!' So, 4th.

―― Morito-san, what do you think? Being at fourth place. 

Morito　I'm a bit shocked! Because I thought I'd rank higher... Well, but family is closer than a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, right? And so, I get that Risa-chan thinks that she'd be fine with me being close-by... So, I'm like, whatever!

Yamaki　I'd like to have you near me!... I feel like you help keep me on solid ground.

Ozeki　Isn't that strange? isn't that what you'd call a pet...?

Inaba　Like you'd just want to keep on squeezing her.

Morito　I'm human, you know? A human being.

Inaba Manaka's 'Member I'd like to have as a boyfriend if they were a guy' ranking

More from this ranking series:

Tsugunaga Momoko: Member that I'd like to help with studies

Funaki Musubu: Member I'd like to go with an on-location shoot with

Yanagawa Nanami: Member I'd like to turn to for advice when I have problems

Morito Chisaki: 'Member I'd like to stay over with'

――Please go ahead! What order should we go in?

Inaba　Well, let's set aside the person at sixth... 'If this member was a guy, I'd want them as a boyfriend'. From 5th place! Yanagawa Nanami-chan.

――Yanagawa-san is fifth.

Inaba　Yes. It's not that there's anything wrong with Yanagawa-chan. I just don't know her that well since she's a new member... Also, she's got a very courteous way of expressing herself, which makes her seem girly. Because of that, I can't imagine how she'd be like if she were a guy... So it's more that I can't imagine her being a guy, rather than not thinking of her as boyfriend material.

――She is so girly, isn't she? Well then, let's go on to fourth place.

Inaba　 Funaki Musubu-chan. Funaki-chan's younger than me as well, right? Just like Yanagawa-chan, I'm still not that familiar with the new members. However, in Funaki-chan's case, she's got her husky voice and candid personality. With those, it's easy for me to imagine her as a guy. So she's 4th!

――By the way, the two that you just picked are younger than you, but what would you like to do if one of those two were your boyfriend?

Inaba　Umm, let's see... But since they're younger, I'd have to take the lead, right? Most of the other members are younger than me, but the two of them in particular have the largest age difference with me, so I'd have to teach them what they don't know. So I kind of think that I'll have to be the one who'll bring them along if we wanted to go somewhere.

Morito Chisaki's 'Member I'd like to stay over with' ranking

More from this ranking series:

Tsugunaga Momoko: Member that I'd like to help with studies

Funaki Musubu: Member I'd like to go with an on-location shoot with

Yanagawa Nanami: Member I'd like to turn to for advice when I have problems

——This is a 'Top 6' ranking, but let's set aside your announcement of who's first and sixth until the very end. And with that, let's start from fifth place!

Morito  Fifth would be Funaki Musubu-chan. She's a new member, and we've only worked together for just four months, so I don't know how her home situation is like. Staying over would suggest a close relationship, wouldn't it? I feel like we're still at the point where things are still a bit awkward... And so, she's fifth. But she's not at rock bottom! Funaki-chan's from Osaka, and I really like Osaka. I like how, when we're talking backstage, Funaki-chan will slip into Osaka-ben. Imagining how she's like when she's in off mode at home makes my heart skip a beat. I'd look forward to hearing Osaka-ben if I were to stay over with her!

——It would be nice if you could stay over at her place someday! Well then, fourth?

Morito　Fourth is Momochi-senpai!

Yamaki・Inaba・Ozeki 　Ehhhーー (with looks of surprise on all their faces)

Morito　I seriously put some thought into where I should place Momochi-senpai, but to start with, since she's a dai-senpai, I don't think I could stay over at her place! But then I continued with my thoughts! Since this was hypothetical, I'd be able to see everything, like how her home environment is like, or what she does before going to sleep. I can't even begin to imagine Momochi-senpai being in off mode, she's a mystery to me (laughs).

——By the way, how do you think Tsugunaga-san would be like before she goes to bed?

Morito　Well, she's constantly an idol, so I think even her pyjamas would be cute ♥ That's for sure!

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's come back!? 「Country Girls」 Special Interview Before and After their Live！――T-SPOOK

「Mezamashi TV PRESENTS T-SPOOK」 was held over 2 days, on the 24th and 25th of October.

We got to talk with Country Girls who appeared at the 2nd day's parade and live performance！

On that day, Momochi（Tsugunaga Momoko）-san, who had taken a break in order to treat her vocal polyps, also appeared♪  We got to hear her voice, which was adorable as usual！
 

――Momochi-san、 are you doing well？

Honestly, I've gradually been recovering. I apologise for causing worry and concern！


―― I believe that it's been a while since you last stood on-stage, so how do you feel right now？ 

That's right。 Thinking about getting to experience the joy of standing on-stage once again、I was looking forward to today ♡ My voice is better now、 but it hasn't recovered to the point where I can sing、 so I think it would be great if you would enjoy today's performance by my 4 reliable kouhai ♡

Hello! Shop Event - Country Hiroba (20th & 21st September 2015)

With the long Silver Week holidays happening in Japan, the Akihabara Hello! Shop held a series of solo talk events by the 'Fresh Team' of Country Girls. The 'Country Hiroba' (Country Plaza) would be the first time for these girls to do a solo talk event by themselves. Adding to the challenge, unlike the 1001 Nights series of Hello! Shop talk events, the girls were left completely to their own devices, responsible for advancing the event, with no member of staff supporting them by chairing the event.

As is usual with these Hello! Shop events, these are based on fan reports, mainly on Twitter. No hashtag specific to these events, so it was mainly whatever could be culled from the #country_girls hashtag from around that time. Normal disclaimer that these are based on fan reports mainly on Twitter, and what with the translation process, and putting reports together into a cohesive whole, please bear in mind that there are bound to be mistakes and/or inaccuracies.

Here's the order in which the girls held the events:

1. Morito Chisaki (20th September)
2. Yamaki Risa (20th September)
3. Inaba Manaka (21st September)
4. Ozeki Mai (21st September)

Without further ado, let's start with the easy-to-blush Morito Chisaki!

Morito Chisaki

カントリー・ガールズフレッシュ組 初ソロイベント『カントリー広場』、間もなく【森戸会】スタート！ 緊張でニヤニヤが止まらない森戸さん… テンション上げて頑張りまーす！by森戸 #country_girls pic.twitter.com/T37EDw7wBU

— カントリー・ガールズ (@countrygirls_uf) 2015, 9月 20

For Country Girls' Fresh Team First Solo Event 'Country Hiroba', the 'Morito gathering' is starting soon!
Morito-san can't stop grinning because of nerves......

I'll get hyped up and do my best! by Morito

☼☼☼

Greeting everyone immediately upon appearing on-stage
Morito: 'Today, for ma, ma, ma, making your way here... '

The event had just started, and Chiitan was already flubbing her lines [1]

The event starts with Chiitan going through her profile.

Skills: Dancing, swimming, making face go red
Morito: 'I did swimming for quite a while. From about the age of 5 to my 6th year of primary school. I haven't swum for about 3 years though'
Morito: 'I didn't write [making my face turn red]! There's no reason for me to write that!' [2]

Favourite food: Karaage
Morito: 'I like the taste of chicken meat'

Disliked food: Sakura Mochi
Morito: 'I can't stand the smell, the smell of the leaf and the sakura. I like mochi though'

Favourite subject: Science
Morito: 'I liked it in primary school'

Weak subject: English
Morito: 'I'm bad at it for some reason. I can't really get good marks'

Personality: Competitve, Shy, Positive
Morito: 'Competitive, is that so?'
Morito: 'I am shy. I can't imagine starting a conversation with someone I don't know'
Morito: 'Positive, well, I actually am positive. I don't get in a slump'

Motto: Hark work will definitely be rewarded

緊張？天然？ とにかく噛み倒してる森戸さんです。 #country_girls pic.twitter.com/1sC9QQEzCX

— カントリー・ガールズ (@countrygirls_uf) 2015, 9月 20

Nerves? Naturally?

At any rate, Morito-san's been defeated by her fumbling of words

Country Girls in Big One Girls

From BIG ONE GIRLS NO.027 (SCREEN Tokuhenhan)

Country Girls

Cute and upbeat! Whatever it is, they'll do their best with full power!!

With Satoda Mai as their supervisor, the unit name was changed from Country Musume。, 

With Tsugunaga Momoko who was active as a member of Berryz Kobo, 

Yamaki Risa, Inaba Manaka, Morito Chisaki, Shimamura Uta, Ozeki Mai,

These 6 members will start activities as 'Country Girls'.

On the 25th of March, they'll make their major début with their double A single 'Itooshikutte Gomen ne / Koi Dorobo'.

This time, the 5 members in their teens will talk about their enthusiasm about making their début. 

2015 HinaFes Blog Relay - #7 Inaba Manaka

From 1st gen H!P Egg Fukuda Kanon, the baton gets passed to 19th generation Kenshuusei Inaba Manaka!

While Maro posted hers at noon, Manakan's blog post that night had this little post-script:

p.s
I'll write for the blog relay
Tomorrow( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

After a long night, here's Manakan's entry in the relay:

(Original blog post in Japanese)

First, first！
Today Manaka had
Another！ Photo shoot
As part of
Country Girls ( ´艸｀)


Everyone, please look forward to it


Today was tons of fun♡
We were together with Momochi-senpai as well ♪