Morita Hikaru x Matsudaira Riko x Yamasaki Ten from B.L.T April 2019

Why did you decided to take the audition?

Morita “I loved the Sakamichi Group, and the ‘Your life will change this summer’ tagline from the ‘Sakamichi Joint Audition’ CM caught my attention, and I wanted to see Imaizumi Yui-san who I loved. The venue for the 3rd round of the audition was in Tokyo, it was my first time going to Tokyo, I went there alone and I don’t have a sense of direction, so I was more concerned about arriving at the venue rather than the audition itself……”

Yamasaki “In my case, I liked Keyakizaka46 more than idols. I had never thought about becoming an idol, but when I saw the ‘Sakamichi Joint Audition’ CM that Sugai Yuuka-san appeared in, I decided to join the audition. At that time, there was nothing I really wanted to do, and I wasn’t good at anything too. So, I started to think ‘This is the only thing for me’. Of course, I didn’t think that I was going to pass the audition, my feeling was ‘I want to join Keyakizaka46!’ rather than the other groups, and now that I’m talking as a 2nd Gen member, I feel kinda strange.”

Matsudaira “Until now, I had never worked hard on something, and my club activities never lasted. However, I loved AKB48, and I admired Mika Ninagawa’s world view for the photos of Oshima Yuko’s photobook, and then, I became interested in this world. But, I was already 20 years old, and I was thinking about what should I do, then I saw the ‘Sakamichi Joint Audition’ tagline (“Your life will change this summer”), sympathized with it and tried it out of curiosity.”

Could you tell us stories about the 2nd Gen members?

Matsudaira “After passing the auditions, there was selection period, and then we were divided into two teams, the Kantō region team, and the Kansai and Kyūshū region team. So, when I was assigned to Keyakizaka, I properly met the members. The other 8 members were from the Kansai and Kyūshū region team, and they were already getting along each other, so at first, I felt that I didn’t fit the environment…… Although I’m the oldest 2nd Gen member, I got lonely that I was separated from the other members, so I cried everyday at the beginning. But, recently, the Kansai-ben of the members became contagious, so we naturally started saying 'Seyanen’’, and that got us closer (laughs).

Yamasaki “Not only Rikoppi (Matsudaira) but, Hono (Tamura) also doesn’t look like she’s 20 years old. They give this ‘soft’ feeling.”

Morita “Ten (Yamasaki) on the other hand, is the complete opposite, I think of her as a reliable person. When I was in middle school, I thought it was absolutely impossible for me to ride the Shinkansen alone to Tokyo, and I think she’s amazing for that.”

Yamasaki “I often took care of younger children, so I was usually acting like a big sister. Because of that, I’m regularly being told that I’m reliable. Still, I felt like I grew up during the audition period. However, I’m really glad that many older sisters were able to pass the audition (laughs).”

The opportunity to work with the 1st gen also increased, how they are?

Morita “In our early days as 2nd gens, Ozeki Rika-san came to our waiting room and said ‘Don’t worry, everyone in the 1st gen are just shy’, to ease us. Because of that, our senpais started talking with us.”

Yamasaki “Ozeki-san also came to watch the rehearsal for the Omitatekai.”

Matsudaira “On the recording of ‘Keyakitte, Kakenai?’, I got the opportunity to talk to Habu Mizuho-san and Nagasawa Nanako-san”

Yamasaki “Sugai Yuuka-san came to talk to me and we took a picture together, I was really happy!”

Morita “I got the opportunity to perform ‘Ambivalent’ together with the 1st gens in a year-end music program, and I took many pictures at that time. But, what made me happier, was a long message that Yumi-chan (Seki Yumiko) sent on the 2nd gen LINE group as soon as the year changed. She wrote ‘Thank you for dancing with the 1st gens on behalf of the 2nd gens’ very passionately, I thought I'm starting the New Year by crying (laughs).

Yamasaki “Yeah, that was dangerous~”

Now, please tell us the things that you would like to do as 2nd gens.

Yamasaki “I never went to Disney, so I want to go with all the members (laughs).”

Morita “I want to someday have 2nd gen songs. It would be really nice if we got songs with a cool dance and melody like Keyakizaka46”

Matsudaira “I would like to be in the cover of a magazine with the other members. I think that there are pros and cons in us joining Keyakizaka, but I want to leave results like that make people acknowledge us like ‘Well done, 2nd gen’.”--

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translated by maimonimo
QC by toomuchidea
raw weibo