Terada Ranze x Shinuchi Mai Interview (Entame 01/2020)

Interviewer: Surprisingly this is your first pair gravure in your 7 years of being active! The second generation members are all very unique and seem like self-reliant women, so this time the photo shoot was meant to capture that strength.
Shinuchi: That’s true, even the two of us are completely different types.
Terada: That’s true. I think us 2nd gens have that particular feminine strength more so than the other generations. Like we exhibit a woman’s “coolness”.
Shinuchi: We had to become strong in certain ways because of our environment. But thinking about it now, that was probably actually for the best.
Terada: Yeah. Right now we’re in a strong position being in Nogizaka46, so we’ll be fine even if we have some rough times, but when it comes to what it’ll be like after graduation, I think all the 2nd gens will probably be fine. Because we were in this kind of environment.
Interviewer: Shinuchi-san, from your perspective what are Terada-san’s good points?
Shinuchi: She’s mentally strong. She can become stubborn when she goes too far and that could be a bad thing, but over the last six years I think Ranze’s stubborn side has changed.
Interviewer: Going in the other direction, Terada-san, how do you see Shinuchi-san?
Terada: She never changes. She said I’m mentally strong, but I think she is. She seems really mature, but when you actually talk to her she’s surprisingly ditzy. (laughs)
Shinuchi: Hey, praise me. (laughs)
Terada: Well, it’s really comforting! I think it’s amazing that you can stay that way without changing no matter what kind of work you do. I think we’re both the “I’m me” type, but I think there are some differences. I’m more of the strong-willed “I’m me” type, but Maichun is more of the positive “I’m me” type. That’s something I don’t have and I think it’s great.
Shinuchi: Thank you for the praise. (laughs)
Interviewer: It’s a been a year of change for the second generation with events such as Itou Karin’s graduation.
Shinuchi: I don’t think of Karin-chan as having graduated yet. (laughs)
Terada: Very true. I’m with her a lot for things like Sayuringo Gundan work so it still doesn’t feel real. (laughs)
Interviewer: If that’s the case, is Karin-san still in charge of your regular second generation meetings?
Terada: I don’t think that’ll change. (laughs)
Shinuchi: We have a group chat just for us 2nd gens, but Karin-chan asked if it was okay if she could stay in the group when she graduated and we never even considered the fact she might leave. (laughs)
Interviewer: Looking back over the year, individually or as a group, how was it?
Shinuchi: The radio show I host got an upgrade and I got to do work as an exclusive model, so it was a year where it really felt like everything I’ve been doing up until now was gradually starting to take shape.
Terada: The group had a lot of changes with members graduating and the 4th gens joining. For me personally, recently at the Under Lives (October 10th & 11th) Iwamoto took on the role of center for the first time, and she was at about the same age as I was when I first got to be center. Looking at that objectively, it made me think how much of a kid she still is. But the fact I can think that shows that I’ve matured and it made me feel like I’ve really become an adult.