cat nap (Morita Hikaru, Bubka March 2020)

Direct transmission from 1st gen

About half a year has passed since the last time we spoke in BUBKA’s 2nd gen feature. Has anything changed with your state of mind?

Hikaru: I think the awareness of being a member of the group has become stronger than before, and I am also slowly getting used to live performance. Until the anniversary live at Budokan, all I was worried about was to not make a mistake, but during the Republic of Keyaki, for the first time, I thought live performances were fun. It was my first time riding a cart, throwing a water balloon. Though the water balloon was caught without being broken (laughs). There was also the feeling of openness of an outdoor live performance, so it was really fun.

In the last interview, how you say “I was a cold person, but my emotions appeared since I entered Keyakizaka” left an impression.

Hikaru: In the past, I didn’t have many friends, but now it’s fun to be with the members, and my emotions started to appear naturally. There are many shy people, including me. At first, we all did our best to reach out to each other, and since then we became friends.

Are there any fellow generation members that you feel have the same atmosphere as you?

Hikaru: I think Seki Yumiko, who also comes from Fukuoka. Her being a shy person, is slightly similar to me. We wanted to talk with each other, but we couldn’t reach out to each other, and with the help of other members we were able to slowly talk with each other.

At what time did the two of you were able to speak with each other?

Hikaru: On the day of a shoot, the four of us including Inoue Rina and Matsuda Rina happened to end at the same time. Inoue and Matsuda invited, “Let’s go get some meal together”, and since then we were able to slowly talk with each other.

Has your distance with the seniors also shrunk?

Hikaru: Because I’m shy, it took some time… When we record a program, there are times where I could say things I don’t usually say because of the theme of the program, and sometimes because of that it shortened the distance between us.

I think that the number of times you perform and having lessons with the seniors have also increased.

Hikaru: At first, when I didn't know the choreography, I would often ask the dancers but recently the number of times I asked the seniors has increased. After all, there are things that only seniors, who have experienced the songs, can understand, like explaining things such as “this choreography has this meaning” or “this part changes into this”.

Takahiro-san said, “I made the choreography while interacting with the members”, so it’s important to listen to the experiences of the seniors.

Hikaru: That’s right. Before the anniversary live in Budokan, Ishimori Nijika-san, Kobayashi Yui-san, and Saito Fuyuka-san took the time to do so. While actually dancing to it, they explained various songs in order, from “Silent Majority” to the likes of “Sekai ni wa Ai shika nai”, and it made me happy. Since then, slowly I am able to ask various questions to my seniors.

“Mou mori” count

In 2019, there are various lives such as from 3rd anniversary live, Republic of Keyaki, National tour, and final in Tokyo Dome. Is there anything that left a particular impression?

Hikaru: When we did “Fukyouwaon” at the very end of Tokyo Dome, I felt the greatest feeling of achievement in my life. When we were done, it felt like, “Ah, I gave it my all…”. Adrenaline was rushing inside, so I don’t feel tired at all when doing it, but when we were done all the muscles in my body were in pain and that made me feel that I have worked very hard. During the performance, my head was spinning at full speed, the scenery around me, the memories, everything remains. There was a sense of accomplishment that I never felt before from various things, including the loud cheers from the audience.

Did you also see the movement from the people around you?

Hikaru: Yes. I do it while thinking of various things, such as my standing position and other member’s position so I pretty much remember the scenery I saw. There are times where our body would crash against each other, and we wouldn't notice it. That's  how desperate we were at dancing.

Among the songs that remain so vivid in your memory, is there any song that you felt you personally did well?

Hikaru: It’s “Mou mori e kaerouka?”. It’s very difficult to match movements in this song, if you don’t keep count inside your mind, you will be off. In that live performance, I felt that every movement was decided by that count.

It’s difficult to match the movement because rather than a dance that matches the song, the choreography is more similar to contemporary or a drama, right?

Hikaru: That’s right. I think how it started from the lifeless movements, and in the second half where the human-likeness overflows, was the best we ever did.

After the live performance, at what moment did you feel that sense of accomplishment?

Hikaru: When I watch the footage by myself. I go over it many times while thinking, “Whoa this part is good” or “The movement from this member at this part is really good!”.  By watching the footage, I could feel again the sense of unity with the fans, and hearing their impression is after, makes me even more happy. In daily life, sense of accomplishment only lasts for a moment, but after the Tokyo Dome live performance, the feeling of accomplishment linger for days as I watch the video.

There are also people who feel shy of seeing their own footage so they don't want to watch it. Do you have such feelings?

Hikaru: I want to improve my movements, so I watch performance videos. There are many things that I can notice like, “If I do this I would look bigger” and such. But I’m shy with TV programs like “Keyaki tte, kakenai?” so I don’t really watch them (laughs).

Body Height ≠ Height

On 29th January, the DVD / Blu-Ray of Tokyo Dome will be on sale.

Hikaru: I had the opportunity to get together with the members and watch the video, and I was immersed in the sense of accomplishment again (laughs). There were thoughts like, “I wish this movement from this member was shown”, but in turn there were parts that I didn’t see, so I’d like to watch it again and again.

Please tell the fans, who will be watching the DVD / Blu-ray, which part to pay attention to. For example, who and and which movement was particularly good.

Hikaru: There’s a lot but… In terms of the recorded footage, there is a part of “Fukyouwaon” choreography that is different between those in the stage right and those in the stage left. I was at the stage left, but the choreography of the stage right was very difficult, and Kobayashi (Yui)-san made a certain beautiful movement from such a great neck angle, and the way her hair bounces is super cool! Please pay attention to that.

Is there any point in the recorded footage where you thought “I’ve done well here so I want you to see it?"

Hikaru: The part where I think I did well in “Mou mori e kaerouka?” was not included, so I feel regretful about it (laughs). But the one part that I got praised both by the members, who I’m watching with, and staff is “Silent Majority”. After the Moses (the choreography where the legendary story of Moses parting the red sea was used as reference), when Suzumoto (Miyu)-san appeared, everyone was like “Whoa, so cool!!”, and then after that when I appeared, they said “That’s very cool” and “It’s an expression that conveys someone who carries a will''. That made me happy.

Listening to that, I could tell that you are aiming for a cool atmosphere. I think that fans and media sometimes request a cute atmosphere and girly feeling.

Hikaru: I’m happy that I can be cute in handshake events and magazine shoots. But in performances, I want people to say that I am “cool” instead of “cute”. In a certain lesson, I danced determined to be cool, but I was told I was “cute” instead, I was really disappointed.

On top of aiming for coolness, I think that you might have thought of having a handicap in how you are shorter than other members.

Hikaru: That’s right. I wonder when… But there was a time where I really hated my short figure. There was a time where I asked the dancers for advice, asking “How can I be seen bigger?”. There’s a lot of time where I am positioned close to tall members, making it more noticeable. If it’s a song with intense dancing, I can still deceive the audience, but in a song where we line up together like “Nobody” I look inconspicuous and if there's an unevenness, it will destroy the atmosphere of the song. There is a choreography at the last bit of “Eccentric” and “Ambivalent” last pose that aligns the height, and I don’t want to break the balance.

What kind of scheme do you use at that time?

Hikaru: When we line up together, there is nothing I can do, so I gave up. But, I still stretch my limbs like my joints are going to come off. The people around me are waving their hands normally, but if you look closely, there are times where I even jump a little.

Is there anyone you use as a reference to overcome the height difference?

Hikaru: Suzumoto-san. Of course, from my perspective, she is tall but despite being one of the shorter members in Keyakizaka46, she has an amazing presence. I want her presence that makes you feel there is no height difference and her performance ability too. In order to do that, I want to create expressions according to what I feel at the moment, and show “my own color” even just for a little.

What kind of image do you have of your own color?

Hikaru: Speaking of my ideal, my goal is showing my presence, one that can not get buried. It’d be great if there are times where I catch the eyes of those who watch us because like Keyakizaka46 songs, or the fans of other members, and I'm doing my best to achieve that.

After this interview, she became the Center of “Kuroi Hitsuji” in “CDTV Special! Premium Live of the Change of the Year 2019 -> 2020”. Her short stature, which she continues to see as a curse, was a great weapon in expressing the theme of the song which is confrontation between the protagonist and society. And surely, there must be many people who witnessed the expression that shows a strong will. Her complex, and the accumulated efforts of her trying to overcome it, you can say that it was a moment that it became something that can be called “my own color”.

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