Kobayashi Yui, Sugai Yuuka, Moriya Akane interview in Weekly Playboy
Since its shocking debut, Keyakizaka46 has run through the music scene with its 4 consecutive Kouhaku appearances and successful Tokyo Dome appearance. However, the Absolute Center Hirate Yurina withdrew in January this year. After a performance held in Yoyogi National Gymnasium on 12th and 13th of October, the group’s activity will be put to rest, and they will restart under a new name. What happened behind all the frenzy? We asked Sugai Yuuka, Kobayashi Yui, and Moriya Akane about it.
I’ll leave it to them to decide what they feel about the movie
The group’s documentary movie “Our Lies and Truth: Documentary of Keyakizaka46” was supposed to be released in April, but it will now finally be screened. Can you tell us what the members felt when watching this movie?
Kobayashi: Past live performance footage isalso put inside the movie, and seeing the stage from fans’ perspective felt fresh. I got goosebumps several times, thinking, “So it’s this powerful”
Sugai: Due to the postponement, the online live performance held in July is also included in the movie, so I think that it has become a movie that conveyed our current state more now
The title contains the words “Lies and Truth”, but what would you like to convey to the audience?
Sugai: Right… There are many ways to look at this documentary movie, but I'd like to leave it up to them to decide how they feel about it. However, it exposes our weak and fragile sides, so I'd be happy if this film gives someone the courage to think, "There are people who are fighting like this, so I’ll do my best too!”
Immediately after appearing on NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen at the end of 2019, there was a scene where the Center -- Hirate Yurina -- hugged each member and told them a few words. I was impressed by the stunned look on Sugai-san's face, but what did she say to you?
Sugai: She said, “We won’t be doing this together anymore”... I had always been prepared for this kind of day to come. But when she told me, I felt so sad, and I wondered if I could have done more for her. All kinds of thoughts came back to me.
Moriya: Even when we were working on "Kuroi Hitsuji" (the 8th single released in February 2019), I had a feeling that she was going to leave. But Hirate is a person who really lives day by day, so I hoped that her feelings would change again. But by the end of the year in Kohaku, I felt she was ready to leave, so I had a feeling that it would be our last time.
Kobayashi: In this movie, each member also spoke about Hirate, and I thought that we really are thinking the same. When it comes to Hirate, "gratefulness" comes in mind first. She is carrying something immeasurable to us on her shoulders, and has been fighting for a long time, and given us those performances. I don't think we could ever do that much on our own, so we are grateful for that.
Five years have passed since Keyakizaka46's formation, how would you describe it in one word?
Moriya: One word… It would be "turbulent". Looking back, it seems to be a happen for a moment, but it was a very intense and physically demanding five years
Kobayashi: Especially in the first and second year, we experienced a lot of things and it felt like we were moving forward very quickly. However, in the third and fourth years, I often felt the frustration of not being able to take one step further... I felt like that time was very long, it made me think that a lot has happened during the past five years.
Sugai: I think the time I spent active in Keyakizaka was like a dream. Especially in the early days, there were moments when I thought "What if this is just a dream?”, the time I spent was really dream-like. It's a time in my life that I'll never forget because the fans made me see this dream, and I think it was a miracle that these members gathered together.
I want them to see us on the stage
At the online live performance held in July this year, Keyakizaka46 announced their suspension and name change. How did you take it when it was decided?
Kobayashi: At first we heard it with the nuance of "The group may change its name," so I wondered if there was still a way to continue as Keyakizaka. Like, if only I had more talent, or how frustrating it is that people think we won't be able to continue as Keyakizaka if Hirate is gone, and all sorts of other emotions came up. But once I put my own feelings aside and look at Keyakizaka objectively, I think it's true that people have a bad impression of the current Keyakizaka, so I think it might be better to change the name and create something new.
The suspension and name change was announced by Captain Sugai herself, how did you feel about that?
Sugai: I feel a great sense of responsibility for the announcement that Keyakizaka will no longer be Keyakizaka, and I was thinking about how I could convey my hopes and expectations for the future, not just a sense of sadness, while I was speaking. But I was conflicted within myself, and as I spoke, I felt like "Oh, I really liked Keyakizaka"... As it was our first online live performance, we couldn’t see the reaction from the fans, so I wasn't sure if I could convey it properly, but when we were heading to perform the last song, Moriya held my hand. I felt relieved to know that she felt the same, even though she didn’t say anything.
The last song you performed was "Dare ga Sono Kane wo Narasu no Ka?", which will be the last single by Keyakizaka46. It will also be the first and last time for the 2nd gen members to participate as Keyakizaka, but did you feel any differences from the past?
Sugai: The first thing I felt is that our voices sounded really new because of how the members have changed. And in this song, there is no all-out-war for the Center position, but when we are dancing, I took a step back and looked around the group and thought "This is how we are going to change”.
Finally, what are your thoughts on the future?
Moriya: When Hirate was carrying Keyakizaka on her back more than anyone else, I didn't think about standing out as an individual, I just danced with the intention of conveying the music. But now that the group is starting afresh, I'm hoping to increase the number of places for each of us to shine, so I'm also looking forward to that new activity.
Sugai: From now on, I think that if we make people think "If Hirate were here," we’ll lose. I think we've made our fans very worried about us, but I'm thinking positively now that we have nothing to lose. I'm very grateful to be able to take on new challenges again, so I'm going to do my best to deliver more than I ever imagined to those who are waiting for us to make a fresh start.
Kobayashi: I want to show them that no matter how the group changes, no matter what the song is, we're dancing as hard as we can and trying to convey you something. Fans may change their minds after watching this (documentary) movie, but I want them to see us on stage, rather than the behind the scenes of our activities. My greatest hope is to be able to perform in a way that the audience can receive something from us.
Sugai Yuuka: Born on November 29th 1995, born in Tokyo. Height: 165cm, blood type: AB. Keyakizaka46’s Captain, an elegant princess
Moriya Akane: Born on November 12th 1997, born in Miyagi. Height: 163.5cm, blood type: A. Having a passionate demon inside her, Keyakizaka46’s Vice Captain
Kobayashi Yui: Born on October 23rd 1999, born in Saitama. Height: 161cm, blood type: A. Having served as the Center many times during concerts, one of the best performers
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Translation: toomuchidea
QC: SatoneShichi
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