Momoiro Clover Z, Natalie 5th Album Interview - Part 1

"14 Songs that you can sing because you have become adults"

Momoiro Clover Z's 5th Album "Momoiro Clover Z" has been released.

The self-titled album was released on the group's 11th Anniversary. In addition to the 5 songs that were released consecutively from last August - December, the album includes 8 new songs and 1 bonus track. Through a variety of songs that convey the image of "Show", you can feel that Momoclo have become adults. "The Diamond Four" is a pop tune with a rap composition, "More We Do" was composed by Chai, "Lady Mei" was provided by GLIM SPANKY, and "Momokuro no Norikazu Nippon Banzai" is a remake of the an older song "Momokuro no Nippon Banzai" (2011). Music Natalie talks with the 4 members about recording the album.

"There's so many things, I can't understand the flow of time"

--It's been a year since the release of the Best Of album "Momo mo jyu Bancha mo Debana" and your one man live in Tokyo Dome. There must have been allot going on during this period. Can we take a look back?

Reni: During the period when we were holding the "Momoiro Clover Z Japan Tour: Springtime of Life" throughout 47 prefectures (from April 2017 - December 2018), time moved really fast. Every weekend I was doing a live, and it always felt like the weekend came very soon. It feels like time passes more quickly as the years go by. During this time, there was also the Annual Spring concert "Momoclo Big Spring" in Kurobe city. I couldn't believe it had already been 1 year since we held the concert in Higashiomi!

Arin: I have the impression that we held allot of lives over the past year. Whichever month I look back on, I have allot of memories of those lives. More and more, I think that our time revolves around live performances.

--In addition to the big annual Summer and Winter concerts, You starred in your first musical, and all of Stardust's female Idol groups met/came together in one place for "Summer S".

Kanako: Ah, "Summer S" is also an event this year!

(*Summer S took place last year, so I think Kanako means "It was an event within this past year".  In the interview, they're talking about everything that's happened since around the 10th Anniversary concert, so Summer S was part of that time frame)

Shiori: Since last August, there was a plan to continuously release songs for this album, so the number of songs we've released as 4 members has increased. I think that Mononofu have some new favorites, and there were allot of opportunities to get their feedback on the new songs, so it was a fun and fulfilling year.

--Momota-san, looking back over the past year, do you feel anything?

Kanako: There was allot of overlap with the 10th Anniversary, so it was one thing after the other.  There was allot going on before we even reached the 10th Anniversary, and we collaborated on various things afterwards, so I think there was allot of celebrating. Because of this, I felt like I've lost all sense of time. The work I did this morning already feels like the old days, and even a week feels condensed. I realized that I can do allot of different things in one year.

--Like Takagi-san was saying, did it feel like time was moving faster than before?

Kanako: Yes, it did.

Shiori: It felt like a week went by in no time.

Arin: When I was in Elementary School, I'd think "It's still August!" (laughs).

Reni: Me too! When I was a student, I felt the passing of every day, so I kept my own regular cycle. But after graduating High School, more often I can't keep track of time.

"Agreeing to spend the night together in a Japanese Style Room"

--On the new album "Momoiro Clover Z", I heard that "Momoclo has become adults" is one of the themes. Among the members, do you feel that you have "become adults"?

Kanako: The subject of beauty comes up increasingly in our conversations. Recommending beauty methods, make up tools, face lotions, etc. Recently, we've been talking about whether or not to moisturize before applying make up. Our conversations are like "which lotion do you use?", so I think we've grown up a little. We're just like OL's (laughs).

Shiori: When I went traveling, I used to bring back pastries or other foods for souvenirs, but now I bring makeup goods.

Arin: You change the most in your teens and twenties, right? The way you look and how you think. I think it's a big deal to have experienced these changed together over the last 10 yrs. However, we haven't changed in some ways.

--Where do you think you still have childish tendencies?

Shiori: Being tempted by sweets (laughs). When one of the staff says "I'm going to buy tapioca", we all say "Yeah!" (laughs).

Arin: After working one day, I was tired and went to the dressing room. When I opened the door, I saw that some tapioca was there, and went "Kya!" and grabbed it right away (laughs).

Kanako: "There's tapioca there!" (laughs).

Reni: We're still interested in things that children like too. Recently, I've become addicted to riddles. It's not easy for adults to solve riddles (laughs).

Shiori: Reni-chan got hooked on them because she appeared on a Radio Program.

Kanako: Also, when we stayed overnight in a single room, Reni-chan got a little scared.

Reni: It was a Japanese style room...Suddenly the TV screen turned off even though I didn't touch it at all. I started getting scared and called the Manager and asked them to come to the room. He checked various things and found out it was because of the timer setting.

Shiori: It seemed like she was crying allot.

Reni: I was panicking and couldn't sleep.

Kanako: It's been a long time since we experienced "The problem of not being able to sleep at the Hotel". Shiori-san already overcame that.

Shiori: However, Reni-chan signed an agreement that stated "When we stay in a Japanese style room, let's stay in it together." It's because we like watching horror movies.

Reni: I'm the type that regrets watching them.

https://natalie.mu/music/pp/momoclo21

Imaizumi Yui - Hominis Interview "Adult Woman"

*This Interview was posted on 2019.6.25.

Imaizumi Yui reveals the reason why she cried on her Crown Program.

The Crown Program of Keyakizaka46's Imaizumi Yui "Adult Woman Imaizumi Yui ~ What I want to do at the age of 20" will be broadcast three times over the next three months starting on Friday, June 28th, on TV Asahi's Channel 1.

(*Crown Program is the literal translation of Kanmuri Bangumi (冠番組). I watch a limited amount of Japanese TV shows, but I think these are pretty common. They're basically a TV or Radio program with a unique name or nickname for the Entertainer or Sponsor in the title. In this case, it's "Adult Woman". I don't know if there's anything more to it than that)

The program challenges Imaizumi, who turned 20 last yr, with various things in order to become an "Adult Woman". In the first episode "Adult Body Beauty", in addition to receiving training on the latest topics, Imaizumi will be introduced to "Adult Woman's Makeup" by top makeup artists. The themes for the second and third episode will be "Adult Dating" and "Glamping".

At this time, we interviewed Imaizumi about her impressions of the program and the shooting location, and what her image of an "Adult Woman" is.

--How did you feel when you found out the Crown Program would be broadcast for three consecutive months?

I was surprised! I didn't think I could get a Crown Program, so I thought "Is this a dream?". I was very happy. The concept "What I want to do at the age of 20" was decided at a meeting.

--How was the filming?

My metabolism isn't very good, but I'm doing aerobic training, so for the first time, I felt comfortable when the sweat was pouring down. I usually do weight training at a personal gym, but because I haven’t done any heavy exercises that puts me out of breath, it felt like it's been a long time since I've done this (laughs).

--You were challenged with the latest training methods during the filming. What were you impressed by?

I wanted to continue "VR Cycling". Suddenly, depending on the image, the pedals will get heavy on the exercise bike. Along the way, I couldn't keep up with the level of intensity, so I felt sorry and just started crying. However, I definitely want to master it someday!

--Aside from the content of the program, what do you want to do now that you're 20?

I want to get a driver's license. However, when I tried, I wasn't able to do it...(feigns crying). After I accomplish that, I want to meet allot of different people, talk with them, and hear their stories. When I was sent to Hokkaido due to shoot a DVD, I saw another girl from my generation living a completely different lifestyle from me, and I thought it was amazing. Some of them had 2 children, so I was a little envious.

--What kind of image comes to mind when you think of an "Adult Woman"?

People who have only a little luggage! They put lip balm, sun screen, or anything else they need in a compact sized bag. When I look at people like that, I think "That's an Adult". Other than that, people with "shiny skin", and someone who can cook with ingredients from the refrigerator really fast (laughs).

(*I wasn't sure why Imaizumi laughed at the end of the last sentence. She uses "Papapatto (パパパッと)" when referring to cooking. "Papatto" means making something fast or recipes that you can make quickly. The "papa" part is the sound effect for bullets being fired from a gun. Imaizumi could be laughing because she thinks being able to cook fast is funny, or maybe she finds the "papa" sound amusing.

She adds a third "pa" when she uses it. "papapa (パパパ)" is specifically the sound effect for bullets being fired. If you do a search simply for "papapa", the Old Spice commercials with Terry Crews comes up. His catch phrase, "pap pap power" is written like this in Japanese: パパパッパッパッパ、パァウァー!! It's similar to the other one, so that could be another reason Imaizumi laughed. And yes, I really felt the need to research this, lol)

--What do you do on a daily basis to become an "Adult Woman"?

I try to keep my room clean. You'll feel like a child if the room's messy. Before, if I saw a dog toy I liked, I would buy it. Now, I'm working on stopping that habit little by little.

--What kind of "Adult Woman" would you like to become?

I want to go traveling alone! First, I'd like to go to someplace nearby, like Korea (laughs). It's a country of beauty, and I'd like to eat San-nakji (Eating the dancing octopus is a Korean delicacy). After that, the most fun I have is working on the play. I'd like to play allot of different roles as an actress. I'd like to try playing the role of a Psychopath or an amazing Burriko! The actress I really admire is Kitagawa Keiko. She's amazing because, no matter what role Kitagawa-san takes, even if it was played by someone else previously, she redefines it and makes it her own.

(*San-nakji (산낙지) is a variety of hoe (raw dish) made with long arm octopus (Octopus minor), a small octopus species called nakji in Korean and is sometimes translated into "baby octopus" due to its relatively small size compared to the giant octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini). The octopuses are most commonly killed before being cut into small pieces and served, with the nerve activity in the octopus' tentacles making the pieces move posthumously on the plate whilst served. The octopus' highly complex nervous system, with two-third of its neurons localized in the nerve cords of its arms, lets the octopus show a variety of reflex actions that persist even when they have no input from the brain. Less commonly, a live octopus is eaten whole. The dish is sprinkled with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds)

--The theme of the 2nd episode is "Adult Dating", but what do you think an adult date is?

Two people going grocery shopping, and then taking their time cooking dinner at home. Moreso than going to a restaurant, I feel like I'm an adult at home. As I've never dated, I'm looking forward to shooting the next episode. What kind of dates do Adults go on...? I'm also looking forward to the third episode "Glamping"! I've been camping before, so what will this be like? I have no imagination! (laughs).

--What kind of man would you like to go on an "Adult Date" with?

I like people who talk allot. A person who doesn't get bored even if you talk for a long time is good.

--In closing, please give a message to the viewers!

I think I was able to show different sides of my personality, so I hope everyone can watch and enjoy it! I shot the first episode with a feeling of "the child", but I start to act more like an adult in the 2nd and 3rd episodes...(laughs). By the time we get to the 3rd episode, I'll be able to show the adult Imaizumi!

https://hominis.media/category/actor/post4077/

*You can watch the first episode here without subtitles.

Imaizumi Yui - Hominis Interview Part 2

*I didn't realize there was another part to this interview. I think this might have been posted before the previous one, but I'm still going to call it Part 2.

Keyakizaka46's Imaizumi Yui says her co-star, Non Style's Ishida, is her "Dad"

--Your debut as a full fledged Actress is going to be in a work that is considered a masterpiece in the world of theater.

When I first heard about the casting, I couldn't believe it. I never thought I'd be able to act on stage.

I actually felt more shocked than happy (laughs). Later, when I read the script, it was difficult for me to understand at first, so I read it over and over. Knowing that Tsuka-san was about the same age as I am when he wrote it, it's really amazing!

--What did you think about the role of the female police officer conducting an undercover investigation?

The rehearsals have only just begun, and I'll be studying with the Director (Okamura Shunichi), my co-star, and everyone else in the cast, so I'd like to create the role during this learning process. In this situation, Okamura-san advised me to be conscious that Mizuno Reiko is close to my real age.

--What is the atmosphere like at the rehearsal space?

The other day, all the performers gathered together for the first time. That was the first time we ran through the play from beginning to end. It was like "let's do it here!" and then we could share opinions and discuss it. It was so unbelievable that it was the first day, and then we all went out to dinner afterwards. During the meal, I discussed the Atami Murder Case with Kimata-san, Ishida-san, and Satou-san and it was very exciting. Regarding the development of Mizuno's emotions, 2 people give some exposition in the background, and clear up what is unknown.

--What's your impression of your co-stars?

It was hard to read Mikata-san's emotion when I first met him. My first impression was "what are you thinking?", but when we had a meal together, I got the sense that he's very passionate about the production. When we started talking about the play, he wouldn't stop, so it was a bit overwhelming (laughs). Satou-san will be performing in this play for the second time, and he has experience working with him (Mikata) before, and they share some scenes together. There's a certain desperation during their confrontations. During those scenes, I'm impressed by the expressive power when Satou-san uses his entire body. Ishida-san already feels like my Dad! (laughs).

There are many things I don't understand, so they've been teaching me everything from proper enunciation to correct posture. And to liven up the mood during rehearsals, ad-libbing is an amazing way to practice! Every time I use a different ad-lib, Okamura-san burst out laughing, and I desperately try to keep from laughing myself...I'm really scared of the real performance (gives a wry smile).

https://hominis.media/category/idol/post3462/

The DNA of Japan

The DNA of Perseverance: 

"DNA Rhapsody"

Whether or not you cry is up to you;

Whether or not you smile is all up to you

Now, what will you do? Decide...

Are you giving up? Averting your eyes?

Running off with your tail between your legs?

Will you shut your eyes and mouth and ears,

living as a monkey?

Hey, somehow just being with you

makes me smile, as if my DNA were coded to you

There's no need to reaffirm our bonds

through words, not anymore

Take my hand, hold it tight, and let's go

The DNA of Life:

"Island Country DNA"

Blessed sea of the island country

I'm looking for the DHA that lives in fish

Nurtured by the sea

We Japanese love fish

I have lived in this island country

Looking for this Living DNA

Blown by the wind of this island Country

We Japanese love fish

The DNA of Change:

"WATCH OUT!! ~DNA~" 

Hey, watch out

Hey, watch watch out!

Creating a scene, an overflowing beat

Hey, watch out!

Hey, watch watch out!

AND→DNA

Connected to the changing times

from this place

An adaptive human

Without a moment's delay (bra bra bra bra)

An unlikely vision

Unwavering fashion

AND here's my soul mate

YOLO! Gotta get crazy!

Imaizumi Yui - Hominis Interview

*I've been focusing on writing some longer pieces, so I decided to take a break and do something less time consuming. I've wanted to translate some Imaizumi interviews since she left Keyaki, so here's a short one she did in March.

"I love Trade Secrets!"

Imaizumi Yui confesses where she would like to go undercover.

Imaizumi Yui, who graduated from Keyakizaka46 in November 2018, will make her acting debut in the stage production of "The Atami Murder Case: Last Generation 46". The performances will begin at the end of March in Osaka and Tokyo. This will be the 46th year that the Atami Murder Case has been produced for the stage. The play is a seminal work of writer Tsuka Kohei. Imaizumi plays the role of Mizuno Tomoko, a police officer who carries out an undercover investigation.

(*Tsuka Kohei is one of Japan's most influential theater figures, to such an extent that recent Japanese theatrical history has been divided into pre-Tsuka and post-Tsuka periods. The first Atamai Murder Case was produced in 1973)

At the time of this interview, it's been 4 months since Imaizumi graduated from Keyakizaka 46. I asked about her current state of mind and thoughts about her future activities.

--What's your current state of mind after graduating from Keyakizaka46 4 months ago?

The last couple months have been very intense, so it feels more like 1 or 2 years since I graduated.

During that time, I was happy to hear from the members that they would come see me on stage!

--After graduation, did you have time to relax a bit?

I did! I traveled to Yamanashi Prefecture and Atami City in Shizuoka Prefecture with my family at the end of the year. I went to Atami via Yamanashi, and on the 1st day I visited Fuji-Q Highland (*Amusement Park). On the 2nd day, I went to a hot spring in Atami and then ate gourmet seafood. It was so much fun!

--Mizuno Tomoko, who you will be playing, performs and undercover investigation. If you went undercover, where would you like to infiltrate?

I really like meat, so I'd like to go undercover in the kitchen of the best grilled meat restaurant in Tokyo! What kind of meat comes in and from which suppliers, what kind of condition do you store the meat in, what's it like cutting up the meat, what kind of seasoning is used, etc. I want to know the entire process. I love "Trade Secrets" (laughs). As a matter of fact, the grilled meat shop I like has a dish on the menu called "Negi Rice", but I've heard the way they make it is a secret. However, after visiting so many times, I was able to get them to tell me the secret recipe. Even so, if you try to make it at home, it will turn out differently from the shop (smiles & laughs).

--You will be making your full-fledged debut as an actress in this production. What would you like to do after this?

I've taken so much pleasure from performing during rehearsals, that I want to continue working in plays. While absorbing everything during daily practice, I get allot of enjoyment wondering "who will I become tomorrow?", so I think I want to focus on plays right now.

--Will you be releasing a second photo book?

I'd really like to do that again. I was 19 when I released my first photo book. Now I'm 20 and my face has changed. There's also been a change in the environment from Idol to Actress, so I think that I can express myself in a different way. Not only that, but in the case of the first book, it was rushed out in 2 months, so I want to do it one more time and carefully craft it (laughs).

https://hominis.media/category/idol/post3463/