Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 03: Tsugunaga Momoko x Tokunaga Chinami

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 Tokunaga Chinami

☻☻☻

First of all, why are you said to be on bad terms with one another?

Tokunaga: We did a radio programme when we were still small (JOQR 'Berryz Kobo Kiritsu! Rei! Chakuseki!') All of us spoke from our core, Momo as well, with her inner cutesy character, that's not it....

Tsugunaga: My merits, my merits.

Tokunaga: She talked using her merits, but I hated it when she put on that facade, so we would end up seemingly clashing. What's more, debates were held on that radio programme, and we both would say what we wanted to say, so the fans started to think that we were on bad terms.

Tsugunaga: Even on TV, lots of people would ask us whether we got along, and we'd just reply that we get along normally.

Tokunaga: Your run-of-the-mill idols would probably try appeal to the audience by declaring their friendship, but we're be like, 'Nah, it's nothing out of the ordinary (laughs)'.

Tsugunaga: But whatever she says, Chinami likes me, right?

Tokunaga: That's what I hate about you.

You really said it (laughs).

Our Music History ～Ongaku to Watashitachi～ Morning Musume。’14 Special - Part 2 of 3 (2014/10/08)

This special show happened during MBS' 'Music Week', which held in October 2014. In this programme, four members of Morning Musume。´14 talk about their music history. Our hosts for this programme are Morning Musume。 9ki Fukumura Mizuki and Sayashi Riho, and 10ki  Iikubo Haruna and Ishida Ayumi.

If you missed it, here's the first part. Or perhaps you might want to skip to the third part?

A comment concerning music
Sayashi Riho: 'Music is something that brings out your uniqueness'

Morning Musume。´14 history

With Morning Musume。 celebrating its 17th anniversary, in this second part, the girls look back on Morning Musume。's history, albeit from from when they joined.

2nd January 2011. The 9ki were announced at the Winter Hello! Con in Nakano Sunplaza. Fuku-chan's passing came as a surprise even to the other three 9ki, who had thought that they were the only successful candidates. So when Fuku-chan came out, Riho was like 'Who's this? Who's this?' Tsunku♂-san was the only one who knew about it, so there was a flurry of activity even amongst the cameramen, who had to quickly try to figure out where Fuku-chan was.

Mizuki herself was curious about who'd be getting in the 9ki at that announcement concert, and when her name was called, her mind went totally blank. As she went down the stairs, she felt like she could fall at any moment, her legs were trembling, she was crying hard,

After that, she had a chance to greet the other three. At first she was worried whether they would be on their guard around her, what with her being an experienced Kenshuusei and all. But with the shooting they had the day after, they soon got familiar with one another. Riho recalls referring to Fuku-chan as 'Fukumura-san' at the start, but now Riho is all touch-as-much-as-she-pleases with Fuku-chan's marshmallow skin. Fuku-chan does remembers Kanon and Riho-chan referring to her as Fukumura-san at first, but Eripon immediately went 'Can I just call you Mizuki?'

Ishida remembers watching videos of the announcement, seeing Fuku-chan's name being announced, the look of surprise she had in the bleachers, and coming down the stairs. 'How childish...' Ishida thought, despite being a kid herself. After all, the 9ki seemed so tiny in the midst of the mostly grown-up members of Morning Musume。at the time.

Morning Musume。´14 and guitars

In 2014, each H!P group had the opportunity to make their own digital photo book as part of the au Book Pass campaign. Each group got to choose their own theme, and would take photos and choose which pictures to use. The theme chosen by the Musume was 'Bunkasai Joshi' - 'Liberal Arts Girls'. Along with that, each of the then-five groups were also interviewed about the process. Here's an excerpt from Morning Musume。´14's interview.

Sato　It was my first time holding a guitar, and I thought that it was heavy. I can't play it at all, so if I'm able to play the guitar someday, I'd like to try playing a song composed by Tsunku♂-san.

──Singing to your own accompaniment？

Sato　Yup. When the day comes where I'm able to do it, I'd like to surprise people, make them go, 'Eh, Is that Maachan playing the guitar?'

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 40: Yajima Maimi x Kumai Yurina

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 Kumai Yurina

ʕ♡˙ᴥ˙♡ʔ

When I think about Maimi-chan and Kumai-chan, the only word that comes to mind is 'airhead'...... (laughs). Do the both of you think that you're of similar types?

Yajima: I've thought that recently. Kumai-chan is a cool beauty, so it feels like she's kind of difficult to approach. Even when the only thing she's doing is standing up, she looks so cool, so it's like she's a prickly girl. But she's actually laid-back (laughs). We had lots of BeriKyuu activities last year, and from then on, I thought of her as a girl with this airy feel to her.

That's quite recent, isn't it? What made you think that?

Yajima: At the BeriKyuu tour ('Berryz Kobo & ℃-ute Collab Concert Tour 2011 Autumn ~BeriKyuu Island~'), Kumai-chan often taught me the choreography, and her way of teaching was really airy (laughs). 

ʕ♡˙ᴥ˙♡ʔ

Kumai: I heard that Maimi was a real big airhead, so I thought that she would have an extraordinarily high level of airheadedness. 

Yajima: And that's coming from Kumai-chan (laughs).

Kumai: Like she doesn't realise when she makes mistakes, and she'll still go on doing the wrong thing at full throttle. Like even if you were to point out to her that she might be a bit off the mark, she'd ask back, 'What is it that I'm doing wrong?' while continuing to do it at full power (laughs). But that's also a good thing about Maimi. She does everything at max power, and I've never seen her cut corners.

Yajima: Skilful people might good at glossing over their mistakes, but since I make mistakes while rushing with all my strength, I can't gloss over them (laughs).

Maimi-chan is the types that rushes through, while Kumai-chan is calm and moves at her own pace. While you're airheads, there are slight differences.

Kumai: I'm told that I'm somehow inattentive. Even at MCs, while I'm just listening normally, I'll be asked if I'm listening, or they'd ask me if I could pay a bit more attention.

Yajima: I feel like that's something I've got in similar to Kumai-chan, which relieves me a little.

Kumai: Ah, I kind of understand.

Miyamoto Karin x Uemura Akari - Cross Talk between H!P's Platinum Generation!! (Top Yell May 2014)

Appearing from Juice=Juice, H!P's youngest group, we have Miyamoto Karin, the person from the born-in-'98 group who has spent the longest time in H!P,  and even as we boast about Uemura Akari's exemplary beauty and proportions, it's permeated by the contrast that's created through her airhead character. In contrast to Miyamoto who carries around grave worries, Uemura comes out into the open with her day-by-day innocence. So let's have this contrasting pair unveil stories of the '98 group that we haven't heard about!

Does it weigh in your mind that there's someone in the same group who is also in the same grade?

Uemura: I'm reminded that we were born in the same generation whenever we talk about school.

Miyamoto: As we were concentrating on Juice=Juice activities last year, we didn't really talk about school.

Uemura: When I joined the H!P Kenshuusei, I respected Karin-chan as a dai-senpai, so it was difficult to get close to her. She was so level-headed that I didn't even think about her being the same age as me.

Miyamoto: When Uemuu joined, we talked about how a lovely girl had joined us, a calm Osakan beauty. But now, I know that she's quite the airhead who'll immediately give out hugs, so my impression of her has changed (laughs).

And when did you close the distance with the difficult-to-get-close-to Miyamoto-san?

Uemura: After quite some time had passed since Juice=Juice's formation. From when we first formed, I thought about how we'd become friends, but I know that I'm the type of person who makes aggressive moves, little by little, and I enjoy hugging people (laughs). Using that, I just went ahead. I've always been bad at talking with people whom I'm meeting for the first time, I'm the shy type.

Miyamoto: Rather than saying I'm shy, it's more that I'm the type of person that builds a wall between myself and others.

Uemura: Karin-chan, you did build a wall around you.

Miyamoto: At first, I was the fastest to speak out to anyone, but that was just at the start. Then I closed my heart, and while I wanted to get close, I was stumbling around for companions.

Uemura: Recently, I realised that Karin-chan had built a wall around her, but she wouldn't honestly say what she felt. It's like she'd feel out how the other person felt first, and then she'd aim to follow along with that person.

Miyamoto: I guess so. Now, I'm slamming into the wall of trying to figure out what my true feelings are. Like when we were small, we'd just say outright what our true feelings were, right? Little by little, I became unable to do that, and started thinking about how people would see me. I'd like to fix that, but I'm quite the worrywart.

It's become a therapeutic, grave discussion, hasn't it (laughs)?

Uemura: Karin-chan is someone with a personality that I've never met before.

Miyamoto: I'd like to get better at maintaining communication.

Miyamoto Karin and Uemura Akari (UTB May 2016)

Released at the end of the school year, this edition of the magazine came out about a week or two before Juice=Juice got the fateful news about their Budokan performance. Karin-chan and Aarii were interviewed as part of the magazine's promotion for H!P Best Shot Vol 23.

I think that making the Budokan performance a reality will be how we repay the favours we owe

Looking back over the school year, what do you think?

'I grew out my hair that I'd cut drastically short (laughs), we released an album, had a nationwide live tour, starred in a drama. It was a busy year with lots of changes that left us dizzy, but we were really watched over warmly by the members of staff around us and the Juice=Juice family, so I think that it was a year where we were enveloped in love'

In particular, taking on the role of Hidaka Aiko in the drama 'Budokan' must have been a huge challenge.

'Though I'm an idol, I thought that I shouldn't act in a way that would be disrespectful to actresses, and my co-stars were also amazing people, so I was worried that I might feel out of place. But I really learnt a lot, and I think it helped me develop. And I'm glad that even after we were done with the shooting, I was still able to interact as Aiko through NEXT YOU events'

Looking at the entirety of Hello!, there are kouhai who admire Miyamoto-san (laughs).

'It makes me extremely happy when Country Girls' Musubu-chan and Yanagawa-chan say that, but I've got to make up for it by being reliable, and I'd like to tease them.

Finally, what's your goal for the next school year!

'Firstly, we've got to respond in kind towards the love that we've received over the past year, and I think that a Budokan performance would the biggest way to repay the favour. In the midst of that, while we're raising the level of our dancing and singing individually, our powers become different when all 5 of us are together. I'd like us to become a group that's terrifyingly amazing. Personally, I'd like to become even more knowledgeable about 80s idols. I like Matsuda Seiko-san, and I'd like to learn more about the other idols from that generation, and make use of that knowledge in my own performances'

I've become used to solo photo shoots and interviews (laughs)

This past school year has been a year with a lot of firsts, hasn't it?
In April, Juice=Juice acquired our first Oricon Weekly first, our first starring role in a drama, and personally, I came out with my first photobook. Personally and as a group, it was a year where we were able to do all sorts of huge jobs. I was nervous at first for solo magazine work, and interviews were hard for me since I get tongue-tied. I can't conclude my statements, I just take up too much time (laughs). However, our member Kanazawa Tomoko-chan knows a lot of difficult words, so using her as a reference, I'd like to overcome that'

What memories do you have of your photobook 'AKARI'?

'The Labrador Retriever that I took shots with was adorable, and I'm really curious how much that doggy has grown. The shooting was at Okinawa, but after that, as Juice=Juice were on our way to conquer the 47 prefectures, we went to Okinawa, and I felt a connection. It seems that the fans had gone to the places where I'd done the shootings, which made me happy'

The drama shooting must have been tough as well though.

'The staff members of the drama were really warm, and it made me happy to see them come to our concerts, waving glowsticks for us. It was sad to part once the filming ended, but from now on, I'd like to challenge myself to acting work, in the hopes that I'll work with those staff members again'

And, as Juice=Juice, your goal is also a Budokan performance.

We'd like to polish up my singing and dancing, so that we'll be able to stand on the Budokan stage in perfect condition!'

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 33: Tsugunaga Momoko x Kumai Yurina

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 Kumai Yurina

♥♥♥

Momochi, from your eyes, do you think that Kumai-chan has changed recently?

Tsugunaga: She's changed. Specifically, she got good at singing all of a sudden. How good she's become at singing has even become a topic of discussion among the members.

Kumai: No way- I'm getting really self-conscious. I was aware that singing wasn't my strong point, but I wonder how it ended up that way? Personally, I don't think that I've changed in any particular way.

Tsugunaga: That's great. If possible, we wouldn't really like to raise the topic, and if we were to say 'Kumaicho, you've changed in this way!', you'd be conscious of it, which might make you veer off the course and fall short of everyone's expectations. 

♥♥♥

By the way, Momochi, how did your way of referring to her as 'Kumaicho' come around?

Kumai: When we were still small, the name of the Imperial Household Agency, 'Kunaicho', happened to come up, and I was like 'Kunaicho? If you're looking for Kumaicho, I'm here', and all the members started calling me that.

Tsugunaga: So for a period of time, all of us were calling her 'Kumaicho'. Then at some point it reverted back to Kumai-chan, but I was the only one who missed the boat.

Kumai: The other day, by some chance, Momo called me Kumai-chan after so long, but it felt really out of place, like 'Who is she calling out to?' I won't turn to her if I'm not being called Kumaicho (laughs).

As for Momochi, you haven't changed in that sense (laughs).

Tsugunaga: That's right. It's also often said about my face and my voice as well. But last year, Kumaicho actually became the centre of a Berryz Kobo single ('Shining Power'. To be exact, it was released on the 10th of November, 2010), and she also became the lead role for a movie ('Ousama Game'), she was placed in a lot of high-pressure situations.