Kobayashi x Morita Interview (EX Taishu 05/2020)

Interviewer: The two of you currently give off an impression of being a “pair with a sisterly vibe”, but looking back, wasn’t one of your first interactions when Morita-san told Kobayashi-san, “I love Yuichanzu,” on Music Station Super Live?
Kobayashi: I was happy when I heard that. The 2nd gens joined in our performance of “Ambivalent” and someone told me, “Hikaru-chan said she loves Yuichanzu.”
Interviewer: So it was through someone else? (laughs)
Morita: That’s right. (laughs) I’ve been listening to Yuichanzu’s songs recently, too.
Interviewer: What do you like about Yuichanzu?
Morita: Naturally I love how good of singers they are, and also how they seem so close when they talk. Kobayashi-san is someone who can do anything well, so I respect her.
Kobayashi: (embarrassed laugh)
Interviewer: During the “Feeling Couple” segment on “Keyaki tte Kakenai” you two did a great job of forming a couple. Were you confident about it, Kobayashi-san?
Kobayashi: Eh~. Was I? Girls often change oshimen once they actually start working with the group, so I was worried. (laughs)
Interviewer: During this years Valentine’s day segment in February you got your love across to Kobayashi-san, didn’t you Morita-san?
Morita: I sure did. (laughs)
Interviewer: Have you always been the unwavering type?
Morita: Maybe so. The music I listen to never changes either.
Interviewer: As a result of the “Feeling Couple” segment you two went on a location shoot together to the safari park, which seems to have brought you closer together. Do you understand Morita-san better now, Kobayashi-san?
Kobayashi: I learned about her open personality and what kind of girl she really is.
Interviewer: And Morita-san was able to show her true self.
Morita: Yes. I’ve always been shy, so I’ve never been good at striking up conversations with my senpai, but I can talk to Kobayashi-san now.
Interviewer: Kobayashi-san, this is the first time you’ve had official kouhai, so do you feel at all like you want to be a “big sister”?
Kobayashi: Us 1st gens have been working as Keyakizaka for years longer, so I want to teach them whatever I can.
Interviewer: Does it seem like Morita-san has matured in terms of performing?
Kobayashi: All the 2nd gens, not just Hikaru-chan, are quick at learning choreo. There’s been nothing to worry about in regards to performing.
Interviewer: Even compared to the first year after you girls joined yourselves?
Kobayashi: They’re doing really well. Surprisingly so.
Interviewer: Morita-san, do you feel like you “need to catch up to the 1st generation”?
Morita: You could say that, but at first I was thinking “try not to be out of place.” Now I endeavor to do our performances knowing what each piece of choreography means.
Interviewer: Have you gotten advice from Kobayashi-san?
Morita: When us 2nd gens are having problems during rehearsal Kobayashi-san will tell the dance instructor… so thank you very much.
Interviewer: You took this opportunity to convey your appreciation? (laughs)
Kobayashi: (laughs)
Interviewer: Kobayashi-san, since the 2nd generation joined have you become more attentive to those around you?
Kobayashi: I suppose so. When we do existing songs us 1st gens know how to sync things, but there’s a lot I imagine the 2nd gens don’t know, so I worry about that and feel like I need to tell them.
Interviewer: Have you always been that type?
Kobayashi: I had that kind of position when I was in the brass band club in middle school too. (laughs) I think it’s less my nature and more my position as a senpai. It feels like all of the 1st gens have gotten more reliable since the 2nd gens joined.
Interviewer: Is there anything about Morita-san that makes you think “we sure are similar”?
Kobayashi: I write sort of masochistic stuff in my blog, but Hikaru-chan writes about stuff that happened to her too and there are times I see it and think “that happened to me too.”
Interviewer: Morita-san, do you read Kobayashi-san’s blog and think “I understand” too?
Morita: A lot. When I write about things that happened to me the fans will tell me “it’s like you’re writing the same thing as Yuipon.” It makes me think, “I’m sorry!” (laughs)
Kobayashi: Fufufu. I think we’re also similar in how we do bad things on the train. (laughs)
Morita: That’s true. (laughs) Like my Bluetooth headphones not connecting so I end up playing something really loud.
Interviewer: What did you do on the train, Kobayashi-san?
Kobayashi: I often ride it too far. I get on and space out. I’m not wearing headphones or anything but I tune out all the noise around me.
Morita: (laughs)
Interviewer: Do you ride too far too, Morita-san?
Morita: No, I carefully watch each station thinking “are we almost there yet?”, so I’m fine.
Interviewer: Don’t you share the fact you both have sharp tongues?
Kobayashi: I just blurt things out, but Hikaru-chan can be sadistic too, so it might be similar. (laughs)
Morita: I’m often told that I’m frank. I unconsciously casually say things that are a bit mean and everyone teases me for it. (laughs)
Interviewer: At last year’s “CDTV Special: New Year’s Premier Live 2019 → 2020”, Morita-san, you sang “Kuroi Hitsuji” in the center position. I’d like to look back on that time. How did you feel when you first heard you’d be the center?
Morita: The 2nd gens Tamura and Matsuda participated in the performance of “Kuroi Hitsuji” at the “Record Awards”. I was watching a video of the rehearsal for that thinking how I wanted to be in it when I got contacted about “CDTV”. It was so sudden, so I was mostly surprised.
Interviewer: Did you think, “is it okay for it to be me?”
Morita: I felt bad for being in the center position. But I didn’t have time to talk about those concerns with anyone.
Interviewer: You performed “Kuroi Hitsuji” at the anniversary live in Budoukan too, didn’t you?
Morita: I was a “white sheep” high school girl at the time, but I remember crying when I heard TAKAHIRO-sensei’s words through the earpiece while waiting on standby. Other members cried, too.
Interviewer: I got the feeling TAKAHIRO-san had a hand in the production of the “CDTV” performance too.
Morita: He went with a story different from when Hirate-san does it, and made the presentation match me more.
Interviewer: Kobayashi-san, did you feel like you wanted to support Morita-san in her center position?
Kobayashi: Yes. It seemed like Hikaru-chan was feeling the pressure of being the center and we felt like we needed to support her during the performance. It was super sudden, but if we’re going to put something out there it needs to be a complete product. There had been a number of versions of “Kuroi Hitsuji” up to that point, but this was the one and only “Kuroi Hitsuji” with Hikaru-chan as center and on “CDTV”, so, as people who’d performed it before, we talked with TAKAHIRO-sensei about what to do with it.
Interviewer: Considering the relationship you two have, the dance you two did at the end really hit home.
Kobayashi: During the performance I was myself and I felt emotions that matched with the “Kuroi Hitsuji” role.
Morita: It was Kobayashi-san, so I felt reassured.
Interviewer: Morita-san, have you watched video of the “Kuroi Hitsuji” from that time?
Morita: I don’t usually watch old videos. I did what I could at the time, but there’s no sense of accomplishment. But I was happy when my senpais and the dance instructors called out to me after the taping.
Interviewer: I think you made “Kuroi Hitsuji” your own.
Morita: Thank you very much.
Interviewer: Kobayashi-san, has there been anything Morita-san or the 2nd generation have done that was motivating for you?
Kobayashi: Us 1st gens had overcome various things on our own thus far, so at first I was worried how proactively the new girls joining would come at Keyakizaka. But the 2nd gens really cherish the worlds created in the songs and they actively ask about things if there’s something they don’t understand during rehearsals. They’re all working with the pride of being a Keyakizaka member, so it makes me want to try harder too.
Interviewer: The Aeon Card CM “Watashi no Michi” is a short drama with the two of you and Watanabe Risa-san. Morita-san, how was your first attempt at acting?
Morita: It was my first time, so I was anxious, but I was playing a girl my same age that I had some things in common with and my senpai were there to help me, so I was able to relax during the filming.
Interviewer: Kobayashi-san, how was Morita-san’s acting?
Morita: Eh~. Please don’t ask her that. (laughs)
Kobayashi: Watching the finished video I thought the scene where she’s talking with her father was good. It was fresh because I’d never seen Hikaru-chan raise her voice and get angry. (laughs)
Interviewer: Morita-san, would you like to do acting work again?
Morita: I had nothing to compare it to so I was just doing trial and error, but as the filming went along I started thinking “I want to do it like this”, so I would like to try it again if there’s a chance in the future.
Interviewer: Speaking of acting, Kobayashi-san, you were in “Joshi Kousei no Mudazukai” that was airing up until March. I don’t think there are many dramas that are that ridiculous.
Kobayashi: The atmosphere on set was cheerful too, so it was easy to do.
Interviewer: You joined partway through and when there’s already an atmosphere on set like that sometimes it can be easy to join in and sometimes really hard.
Kobayashi: I was worried at first, but everyone on the cast accepted me and we became fast friends.
Interviewer: It’s based off of another work, so I imagine it was difficult to arrange it in a way that works for live-action while recreating the original.
Kobayashi: I think there are fans of the original who are opposed to the live-action version. But the script remained close to the original and there were times it was like “the original did it this way, so let’s try this”, so I think that made it possible for me to play Lily in a natural way.
Interviewer: Did you feel like it was kind of an extreme performance?
Kobayashi: It’s a drama that does stupid stuff so seriously that it makes the viewers think “what are these people doing?” (laughs) So I was excited playing the role.
Interviewer: I can see naturally getting excited while doing dialogue with your co-stars, but weren’t you embarrassed doing the daydreaming scenes by yourself?
Kobayashi: The embarrassment I felt at first went away as the filming went along. (laughs)
Interviewer: Was it a motivating experience acting with actresses your own age?
Kobayashi: They’re all such professionals and they’re great at switching between themselves and the role. As soon as the filming would start they’d fully turn into the characters, and they make the set a really cheerful place as themselves. I’d like to take that experience back with me to Keyakizaka.
Interviewer: Having done this television drama, would you like to continue doing acting work?
Kobayashi: Since I was allowed to have this experience I’d like to make the most of it, and I hope I have another opportunity to learn more.
Interviewer: Seeing as you’re doing solo work during a period in which the group isn’t doing much, did you feel like you wanted to draw more interest towards Keyakizaka?
Kobayashi: I felt like I don’t want people to forget the name Keyakizaka. I think all the members who are doing stage plays, quiz shows, magazines, etc. keep something like that in mind.
Interviewer: I hear you gave earrings to Sugai-san who was starring in the stage play “Hiryuuden”.
Kobayashi: I did. (laughs) My drama and her stage play were going on at the same time and I thought she might be feeling anxious going out to work alone, so I gave them to her.
Interviewer: Morita-san, do you have any feelings about seeing other members doing solo work?
Morita: You know how Takemoto has started appearing on quiz shows? We thought she might be nervous being surrounded by all those famous celebrities, so us 2nd gens all cheered her on.
Interviewer: I hear there are a lot of members whose bodies are aching to perform again.
Morita: Our bodies will lose their edge, so I’ve started doing independent practices with other members. It’d be great if we could learn some things even during this period with no concerts or rehearsals.
Interviewer: On January 23rd it was announced that four members would be graduating, withdrawing, or going on hiatus. I believe the fans are both nervous and expectant of the new Keyakizaka.
Kobayashi: We want to continue moving forward, so when we can do concerts again I want to put on a show that will make all the fans who have misgivings think “I want to keep following them.”
Morita: I think Keyakizaka will change a lot with the joining of the new 2nd gens. The fans might be a bit confused at first too, so I think we need to put on performances that’ll make them say “I love Keyakizaka.”
Interviewer: Is there any chance you’ll suddenly completely change?
Kobayashi: Hmm. I think we should keep what’s made us who we are so far while also finding new ways to express ourselves. I want to exceed everyone’s expectations.
Interviewer: In last month’s issue Sugai-san spoke about how she’d “like to carry on Hirate’s feelings that have permeated the group since the beginning.”
Kobayashi: I think Keyakizaka’s songs are full of that spirit, so I’d like to continue to place importance on those things we’ve been bringing attention to up until this point.
Interviewer: Kobayashi-san, I see you as someone who took action when the group was on the brink of losing its balance.
Kobayashi: I don’t know. I’m negative when it comes to myself, but I’m different when it comes to the group. I hate to lose and it frustrates me when people think “so that’s all Keyakizaka’s got.” I want to be the type of person who can keep their composure and lead everyone in the right direction even when everyone around me is depressed.
Interviewer: Are you the emotionally strong type?
Kobayashi: I may be good at controlling my emotions.
Interviewer: Is it your love for Keyakizaka that’s at the root of that?
Kobayashi: Of course. I wouldn’t be who I am now if I hadn’t joined Keyakizaka. I feel strongly about wanting to repay the group by continuing to work in it.
Interviewer: Morita-san, do you love Keyakizaka as well?
Morita: Yes. I end up thinking about Keyakizaka before I know it. I’m so overflowing with motivation I’d say, “I’m ready to perform anytime.”