The way Moeka talks is so weird and fluffy. And AKB doesn’t have cyalume or member colors so I had to just pick something (笑)
Utada Hatsuka
Interviewer: Watermelons are on of your favorite foods, aren’t they? How long have you loved them?
Utada: I’ve loved them as far back as I can remember. I’m a watermelon lover through and through. Frankly I could eat them all day. They’re sweet, the flavor is light, and I simply love the taste. Also, I like how they feel special because of only being available in summer.
Interviewer: You love watermelon a lot more than I’d imagined (lol). Do you have any stories related to watermelons?
Utada: I have siblings, so even when we buy a watermelon it’s completely gone in no time. So I always ask my mom to get a watermelon just for me as a birthday present. But that wish still hasn’t come true. I want to eat watermelon on my next birthday with all my heart. I also check the price of watermelons every time I go to the supermarket. A cheap watermelon is about 1,000 yen, so if I find one being sold for 1,000 I buy it, but the average price jumped to 2,000 recently. So I still frequently check and now I’ll buy one if it’s about 1,500 yen.
Interviewer: You’re so persistent! How was the watermelon we used for the photo shoot?
Utada: It was sweet and delicious. It was a strange photo shoot with watermelon all over the place and I had a super fun day. I was a dream of mine to do a photo shoot while bathing in the sunlight, so I’m happy it came true.
Interviewer: “Eito no Hi” was held again this year. How was it?
Utada: The concert was fun, and it was only for a moment, but my position and such made me realize how immature I still am and it was kind of a shock. But during rehearsal I went up to the seats on the second floor and watched the members dancing on stage and I was shocked to realize that from the second floor you can see the all the way to the back of the formation, so during the concert I tried to me more conscious of the fans on the second floor. I kept in mind to wave and such to the people on the second floor as much as possible.
Interviewer: As a second generation member, how was it performing with the graduated members?
Utada: I watched as the first gens and graduated members cried over their reunion and I love (Shmiaoki) Karin-chan so much I could cry too, so I was happy, but I had some slightly complicated feelings as an active member. For the morning performance the unit songs were done with first gens and graduated members so I was sad about not being able to stand on stage. On the other hand I knew the fans were so happy and moved that they were crying and I could sense their joy, and that helped me reaffirm that we all need to work harder, enough for us and the graduated members.
Interviewer: During the midday performance you broke into units based on region and performed “Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru”, “Oh My God!”, and “Shekarashika!” I hear the members discussed and decided on these songs.
Utada: The Chuubu members are young so decided we wanted to wear uniforms and do something youthful. When it was over Abe Mei-chan told me “Chuubu was the best” and that made me happy.
Interviewer: As a Chuubu area member what kind of position are you aiming for?
Utada: I’ve been doing this for 3 years and I’d like to aim for the top both among the Chuubu members as well as all of AKB48. That feeling hasn’t changed, but recently I’ve gotten more kouhai and I think it’d be nice if, even just a little, I could be the type who supports everyone. I could give advice like “this girl would get more popular if she worked on this” and I think about things from a producer’s viewpoint sometimes, so I’d like to try playing that kind of role. But first I need to work harder so that my words will sound more convincing.
Yahagi Moeka
Interviewer: Your first photobook, “Jibun Zukan”, is now on sale!
Yahagi: It’s a photobook that shows Moe-chan as she is and I think it’s full of things I could only because I’m 16! Things I couldn’t do at 15 or 17. It’s Moe-chan in that interval of growth!
Interviewer: The shots of you soaking wet at the pool, beach, and in the bathtub left an impression.
Yahagi: I’d never been soaking wet with water in a photo shoot before. This was my first solo photobook so I definitely wanted to get soaked!
Interviewer: You also asked for the shots with the twintails, didn’t you?
Yahagi: There are a lot of mature shots and I thought everyone might think there weren’t enough shots of “Suchi” Moe-chan, so I went on the offensive with the top-tier twintailed little sister type Moe-chan (lol).
Interviewer: What other types of Moe-chan are there?
Yahagi: There are a lot of Moe-chans! Firstly there’s Tinkerbell Moe-chan! There’s the little sister type Moe-chan we just talked about, floral bath Moe-chan, also highschool girl Moe-chan, submerged Moe-chan, healthy Moe-chan, same-old Moe-chan, adventurous Moe-chan, taking a walk Moe-chan, and sleepy Moe-chan! There’s also a nighttime Moe-chan~. They’re all exciting!
Interviewer: All the Moe-chan get the imagination going! So, since we have you, could you make a special recommendation of shots for the magazine’s readers?
Yahagi: They’re all so cute so it’s hard to pick~. Maybe the photos of me in the ocean in my uniform💛. The shirt of my uniform is wet and the splashy feeling is vibrant and youthful!
Interviewer: The shots of you getting along well with the kids of Bali are charming.
Yahagi: We became pretty good mabus! Ah, mabu means friend. It’s not Indonesian, it’s Moekan (lol).
Interviewer: The mabu from mabudachi (lol). What other Moekan words have there been recently?
Yahagi: They aren’t new words, but I’ve gotten into old gyaru slang. Word like “yorotano” (please do~), “choberiba” (super very bad), and “choberigu” (super very good) have been making the rounds.
Interviewer: How do the other members react?
Yahagi: They all ignore me (lol).
Interviewer: They ignore you out of love (lol). I believe you enjoyed some food between shooting as well. What was especially good?
Yahagi: The mangosteen I had at the night market was tasty! The mie goreng too! There were a lot of Moe-chan dishes that Moe-chan liked!
Interviewer: Having shot your first photobook I think you’ve matured in some ways.
Yahagi: I realized again how important it is to show a lot of different expressions. Until now I didn’t like smiling in a way that showed my teeth, but now I think it’s alright to smile like that. So maybe my way of thinking has matured.
Interviewer: Also, for AKB48’s 56th single “Sustainable”, that’ll be released in September, you were chosen to be the solo center in unprecedented time.
Yahagi: I was so surpised I screamed! I thought for sure it was a prank, but the staff were all calm, so I realized it was real, not a prank (lol). There are probably still fans who can’t accept me being center and I’m still such a novice so I was worried at first. But I talked to (Okada) Nana-san and she told me “If you do it in your own you’ll be fine” and just hearing that got me back on my feet!
Interviewer: So, could you tell us your goals for your first center position?
Yahagi: I’m currently becoming aware of the fact I’ll be able to lead the group. I don’t like gloomy atmospheres, so I want to be someone who can make AKB48 a more cheery, positive group!
Interviewer: What kind of group do you think AKB48 should become in the future?
Yahagi: AKB48 has a characteristic that’s unique to AKB48, so I think we should put that on display. To put it into words, we should be energetic and be like “Yay!”
Interviewer: I’m looking forward to seeing a photobook from a Moe-chan who’s become an adult and, of course, someone who leads AKB48.
Yahagi: This is a secret between just us, but actually all of the cameramen were asking me to put out a 2nd photobook soon (lol). I’ll do my best to be able to put out another one someday!
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