This is an Interview with BiSH and Ebichu. I forgot that they did a collab last Nov. and only just came across this Interview a couple weeks ago (This explains Ebichu's cover of Orchestra that I found on YouTube). I'm including a few select pics.
"Orthodox Idols and Punk Idols are like White and Black"
On October 12, "Tokufuku Live Connect! Vol. 2" will be held at Shinkiba Studio Coast. This event of the "Connect=Connect" with the Artists who would like to join in future programs and events. This time, the appearance is Ebichu and BiSH. Ebichu is the orthodox Idol with their singing and dancing, while BiSH are called the "Instrument-less Punk Band" in the Idol scene and is a group with distinct characters. They're said to have a heretical presence which is clearly different from the group they're appearing with. Although meeting for the first time, when talking, it turned out both groups have been fans of each other for a long time. At today's event, their should be unforeseen developments due to the chemical reaction between the two of them.
-- This is your first time meeting, what kind of impressions do you have of each other?
Yasumoto (Ayaka): I like BiSH's songs very much. I've listened carefully to "Promise the Stars". They have a cool image.
Hoshina (Mirei): The 3 of us went to Karaoke and sang it.
BiSH: Really?! We're glad.
Yasumoto: Personally, I listen to it all the time (*not sure if she means just the song or BiSH's music in general) Anyway, I like the song. The lyrics resonate. They have many songs girls of the same age can relate to. Even at school, many girls listen to it.
Chicchi: I'm glad! We also talk about Ebichu.
Momoko: To be honest, there are many BiSH fans who like Ebichu.
Chicchi: I really love "Super Hero". They feel like Super Idols.
Momoko: There are allot of members, but they all seem to be on good terms.
-- From the viewpoint of Ebichu, what do you think is interesting about BiSH that you don't have?
Hoshina: Watching how Fashion is transmitted. I think that girls can feel sympathy and get support. I think that Ebichu has a nice and friedly, like the feeling of flying, while BiSH is cool.
Yasumoto: I admire them. At Lives, I've heard there are dives and they do intense things. Since it's not something we do in Ebichu, I was shocked.
Kobayashi (Kaho): "Punk" also really stands out in their PV. There is no Punk in Ebichu.
Yasumoto: We say Punk allot (laughs).
Kobayashi: They have a cool image.
Chicchi: I'm glad. Thank you.
-- What does BiSH think about Ebichu?
Chicchi: Unlike BiSH, there is a pure aura (laughs).
Momoko: I know it.
Chicchi: It's like Ebichu has a White image while BiSH is Black. Their like proper Idols, always shining. BiSH, as you said earlier, is Punk (laughs). I've also gone to see them Live.
Yasumoto: Really?! I'm glad!
Chicchi: I thought the power of shining was good.
Momoko: Since we don't have it.
Hoshina: To shine can be frustrating, right. (*not sure how to translate what she says. It's a direct response to what Momoko said).
Yasumoto: Actually, my age isn't that of a Junior High School student, but my heart still is.
Chicchi: But it's not so bad to be a Junior High School Student. I want to return to that...
-- If Ebichu is White and BiSH is Black, what kind of group does BiSH think of themselves as?
Momoko: As I said earlier, I think that there is familiarity with Ebichu, however, when meeting BiSH right now, it's often said "they're surprisingly small, aren't they?" and "they're not scary at all".
Aina: We write lyrics ourselves, and I also do the choreography by myself, but rather than doing a job I'm told to do as an Idol (*this was a bit hard to translate), "I don't want to do things I don't want to do", so I think we are selfish girls.
Hoshina: I think that's cool.
Aina: In that sense, I really admire Ebichu, and I think they really do shine. Even in the Live it comes through. It feels like the Super Idol I was talking about a while ago.
-- In BiSH, where do the ideas for the lyrics come from?
Momoko: The lyrics are written individually, so I think that persons nature comes out. I wonder what kind of life that person had led.
Chicchi: That's exactly how it is.
Momoko: Just looking at the lyrics, you can tell who wrote them. For example, Aina has bugs in her lyrics for some reason, which has been going on for a while.
Chicchi: Mostly, is about losing control in the world. It's intersting isn't it?
Momoko: That kind of Punk feeling comes from Aina (laughs).
Chicchi: I can only write "Hot" lyrics (laughs). (*I don't think she literally means hot. She says "Atsukurushii") what does Momoko say? It's Momoko's World. I love it though. I feel like a song writer.
Aina: It's creative, isn't it. For example, looking at the sky, everyone thinks of the color blue, but I think Momoko sees a different color. It's a different point of view. Each member is different.
-- What's the most important thing for a Live?
Yasumoto: There are members with different sensibilities and different expressions, and after all, it's a group with many members, each part must be properly aligned. There's freedom when you do it yourself, but when doing it together, you have to keep the performance sharp.
Hoshina: Surely. Recently, I've become concious of this.
Chicchi: It's very serious. Because we have 6 people with strong personalities, perhaps each one comes through. As I said within BiSH, I guess it will happen every time.
(*This was a bit hard to translate. I think she was saying that, even though you have to work together as a group when performing live, because the 6 members have such strong personalities, their individuality can't help but come through, so there might be some rough edges)
(*This was a bit hard to translate. I think she was saying that, even though you have to work together as a group when performing live, because the 6 members have such strong personalities, their individuality can't help but come through, so there might be some rough edges)
Aina: I feel like I can't be defeated all the time. I do not want to be defeated because I want to win.
-- Does that mean you don't want to lose to the other members? (*Not sure if they mean to Ebichu in the collab or the other members of BiSH)
Chicchi: It's like that with everything (laughs). Even the fans.
Aina: Chicchi will suddenly say "I don't want to lose to anyone!".
Yasumoto: I'd never say such a thing!
-- Where does this competitive spirit come from? (*He actually sayd "Hungry" Spirit, but I use competitve instead)
Chicchi: It was established over the last 3 years. In the beginning, there wasn't this kind of feeling, but that is what BiSH has become. We're not the same as anyone else. If you come in that way, I began to think I didn't want to lose any scenes. I started to say something like that to myself (laughs).
-- Do you think that Ebichu has grown during their activities?
Hoshina: In the beginning, most of the members had never done any singing or dancing, so the feeling was that the dancing wasn't good and the singing was unstable. We started getting frustrated. From that point on, we were able to stop sending out something like our catchphrase. I think that's why each member changed and one of the reasons the group has changed.
(*this was a bit difficult. I mostly had trouble with the middle. I wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about regarding the members struggles early on. However, the catchphrase she's referring to is "Unarticulated dance and shaky vocals". I take it as meaning, as they improved, they got to a point where the catchphrase no longer applied them)
-- That's very regrettable isn't it? (*referring to members leaving I think)
Yasumoto: The members have changed, but when no. 12 Nakayama Riko joined, we ourselves changed. There's was some fear. I wonder if I changed then.
-- Do you tink BiSh has had any opportunities to change?
Chicchi: BiSH changed allot when Ayuni D joined last year. The 3 of us are original members, but it changed how we felt. Even thought 2 members of the group who joined later became seniors, it sesms like the feelings and performance aspects have changed. Last December, a had a month to improve myself. From that point on, the opportunity to communicate with members increased.We talk allot about what we want to do as BiSH, so naturally the conciousness has changed.
-- Could you talk about each other's favorite songs? You've already mentioned a few.
Hoshina: The members often listen to "Orchestra". We also sing it together in the dressing room. When we came today, we just arrived when you were rehearsing it. The moment we heard it, we were like, "What?!" (laughs).
Momoko: I really like "Natsu Daze Jonny".
Hoshina: That's unexpected (laughs)
Aina: Allot of Live Idol Images are often given to fans, and among them Ebichu might be the most well known. Because we do the choreography ourselves, I often see allot of images. Ebichu's choreography is interesting and the costumes match well with the movement. Everything's cool, isn't it? Of course, I don't listen to the songs, so I'm always watching the performance.
Yasumoto: After it's over, we're always muddy aren't we?
Kobayashi: There's no makeup left when it's over (laughs).
-- How do you spend your time before the Live, is there anything that you always do?
Aina: Everyone in BiSH does.
Chicchi: I stay on the Toilet.
Momoko: It's incredibly annoying.
Chicchi: I like to take my time, I stay there forever. It's the place you feel safe. Sometimes I get angry.
Momoko: When there is only one toilet, right? I double my shoelaces. They would unravel and come off. Tying them is really suited for your fighting spirit.
(*At first, I wondered what tying shoelaces had to do with the toilet, but then I realized that it was unrelated. Momoka just made a brief comment about Chicchi hogging the toilet to wrap it up and then moved on to talking about her pre-live preparations, lol)
Aina: I imaging singing in the bathroom, and sing 1 phrase of a song I like. When it comes to live singing, I get nervous. After I make the atmosphere for singing the most fun, I go out onto the stage.
Hoshina: Ebishu is fine. Everyone does different things. We all take time for meditation. Just before going out on stage, the members and managers close their eyes, and say what today's Live will be like.
Aina: That's so modern, isn't it.
Momoko: Right now, meditation is popular for mindfulness, isn't it.
Aina: That's good, let's do it. I'd definitely like to do it together at the 2 Man.
Yasumoto: It's agreed then!
-- Lastly, tell us about your enthusiasm for the Live.
Chicchi: I think that BiSH and Ebichu are different as groups, but we'll give you a Live that is BiSH-like. I think that BiSH fans, Ebichu fans, and everyone will have a fun day.
Aina: That's the way.
Momoko: Of course, I don't want to lose, but regardless of winning or losing, everyone will have fun at the venue, right.
Yasumoto: Because we do not do Lives with other groups very much, we're getting excited. Like BiSH said, it's a Battle. In the end, I was glad that we could do it together. I want to make a Live where fans of each others groups will want to see them again.
(*I'm not sure if she means "other groups". She uses "Taiban" and I wasn't sure if it meant "opponent", so I picked something that sounded friendlier)
The interesting thing about this is that Ebichu are considered the Traditional Idols. It's kind of funny because they have their eclectic side and have done some heavy songs. I guess when paired with BiSH, they would be considered the more straight forward of the two.
