Modelpress interview with Takemoto Yui, Tamura Hono, and Matsuda Rina
Keyakizaka46’s first documentary movie “Our Lies and Truth: Documentary of Keyakizaka46” is currently being screened. Keyakizaka46 who announced the closing of their 5 years of activity, and renaming. 2nd gen members Takemoto Yui, Tamura Hono, and Matsuda Rina talks about the “truth”.
Keyakizaka46 first documentary movie “Our Lies and Truth: Documentary of Keyakizaka46”
While showing their best performance in the audience-free online live performance “Keyakizaka46 Live Online, but with YOU!”, Keyakizaka46 suddenly announced the closing of their 5 years of activity, and to restart with a new name.
The main part of the movie was completed in March, but due to the postponement of the release, an additional interview was conducted with the members who had to restraint from their activities in a hurry, and the online live that was thought to be the first step to their "new chapter". In July, a few days after their live performance, the documentary camera captured them again, where they spoke frankly about their “present” feelings. The ultimate documentary movie that can be said to be the culmination of five years from the debut to their latest appearance was completed.
Modelpress interviewed 2nd generation members, Takemoto, Tamura, and Matsuda. “We were full of regrets” -- The girls, who admired Keyakizaka46 and became a member in December 2018, talk about the “conflicts” and “regrets” that they had. What are their thoughts now that the group has reached a turning point?
“We really didn’t know anything”... What they feel about Keyakizaka46’s history
I think that this is the first time 2nd generation learn about what happens behind the path your seniors have walked on so far. Was there anything that left an impression or surprises you?
Matsuda: What left an impression for me was the "Debut Countdown Live" and when they were shooting the music videos for "Silent Majority". Our seniors have always been leading us and we've been working under their guidance, but we’ve never experienced working on our own without someone to lead us, so I thought it was really great that they had to do everything by themselves from scratch.”
Matsuda-san, you said your older sister is a fan of Keyakizaka46, but did your impression of Keyakizaka46 change from the image you heard from your sister after you actually had joined the group?
Matsuda: I think my older sister wanted me to know about Keyakizaka46, but she usually presents it like “Keyakizaka46 is different from usual idols, they’re amazing!” (laughs). So my impression of Keyakizaka46 hasn't changed since I joined.
Tamura: I was impressed by the fact that the film included live performance footage from before we joined the group, which hadn't been released and we didn't even know about it, and I was impressed by the fact that the seniors were a little different than they are now. They were so innocent, and I could really feel their enthusiasm of "We're going to make this kind of group!”, and I realized that this is how the group was built.
Maybe we think this because we're also active as Keyakizaka46, but I think Keyakizaka46 is a group that doesn't hide its good and bad points. I felt that we're sharing these things with our fans as we move forward together.
Takemoto: We are now active as Keyakizaka46, but after watching the film, I frankly felt that we really didn't know anything about the group; What kind of thoughts and feelings our seniors had for their activities, how they overcame the obstacles and how they are now doing their activities with this kind of feeling were different from what we had imagined, and we really didn't know anything about it.
Once again, I felt that we are here as the 2nd generation members of Keyakizaka46 because of the seniors who have created the group over the past five years, so I was filled with a feeling of gratitude as I watched the film.
Takemoto-san, you went to handshake events before you entered the group, didn’t you?
Takemoto: Yes. So when I first joined the group, it was strange for me to perform the songs that inspired me together with my seniors, and I felt a mixture of emotions, like it was a dream, but also a bit of guilt.
So there was also a feeling of guilt
Takemoto: The 2nd gen member didn't have an original position in the songs released before we joined the group, so we often entered the position of a senior who graduated for about a year and a half after joining. At first, I was full of feelings of fear and guilt to enter a position that had already been completed.
Tamura: I agree. We were the ones who had seen Keyakizaka46 from the outside, so we understood how amazing the performance was, and that's why when we were popped into the middle of it, we were upset, but more than that, we wondered how the seniors and fans would feel about it. To be honest, none of us in the 2nd generation had the confidence at that time.
Looking back on it now, I think that was not the right way to think about conveying a performance, but I think we were looking at other people's faces rather than our own feelings. When performing too, no matter what position we were in, that was our senior’s position, so we were struggling to find out what we could do there.
Matsuda: I think that the 2nd gen members were all thinking about the same thing as we do our activity. All we can do is perform as hard as we can in that position ... I would have a negative feeling, like "Is it okay for me to be here ...", but I just concentrated on doing what I could do to get myself into the performance.
What they truly think of the big stage and their role “It was scary”
At the Tokyo Dome performance, there were scenes where Takemoto-san, Tamura-san, and Matsuda-san were the main highlight. How do you feel looking back to it?
Matsuda: When I first heard that we were going to perform at Tokyo Dome, I couldn't really get a reaction out of my head, I was so overjoyed that I showed no reaction (laughs). We could only stand at Tokyo Dome thanks to my seniors, so on the day of the concert, we didn't feel like we were standing there thanks to our own efforts. Watching the live performance video again, I realized that we had been given an amazing experience standing in a really amazing place.
Tamura: From the tour before the Tokyo Dome show, the 2nd generation members were tasked to be MCs, and we were asked to do the MCs at Tokyo Dome by ourselves. On the first day of the tour we couldn't do well at all, and the 2nd generation members were disheartened, saying "We ruined the show..." but we held our own discussions before each live and practiced MCing together. At Tokyo Dome, we were given our own MC session, and MCs are the only time the atmosphere in the live performance would change, so each member was filled with pressure
Tamura-san taking Nagahama Neru-san’s position in “Fukyouwaon” was very impressive.
Tamura: That's right. I was nervous in that position, but "Fukyouwaon" was a song that would be performed after a long while, so I was fully aware of how much the fans were waiting for it. That's why there was pressure within 2nd generation to surpass the "Fukyouwaon" so far, and since the Tokyo Dome performance was the first live performance after the announcement of the senbatsu selection, I was very scared that people will think “Even thought she got selected for senbatsu…”, and with that in mind I was scared to stand at Tokyo Dome.
Takemoto: For the past five years, Keyakizaka46 has been made by our seniors and the fans, with staff who support the live performance, so when the Tokyo Dome performance was decided, rather than my own joy, I was filled with the feeling of "Congratulations, truly" to the seniors, and we felt that it would be great if we could help "Team Keyakizaka".
At that time, my feelings about entering the seniors’ position have changed, and I've finally come to think of myself as a member of Keyakizaka46. So, the performance at Tokyo Dome will be a moment that will remain as history, and in order for people to think "As expected, Keyakizaka46 is amazing", we have to show the best Keyakizaka46, and so we desperately follow the spirit of our seniors, and we thought that we mustn’t break the level of performance with our participation.
Was it through the Summer National Arena Tour 2019 that your feelings of guilt about entering the seniors’ position changed?
Takemoto: Personally, I didn't realize I was a member of Keyakizaka46 just because something in particular happened, but I think I felt a change during the period of outdoor live performances, tours, senbatsu announcements and the Tokyo Dome concert. I think it's because the 2nd generation members have gradually become accustomed to the situation and the environment.
The regrets felt toward Keyakizaka46’s “big decision”
Keyakizaka46, which you've admired for so long, is about to make to come to a stop as a group, and I'm sure the 2nd gen members have different feelings than the 1st gen members
Tamura: I joined the group because I like Keyakizaka46, so when I heard of the name change, I was sad that Keyakizaka46 was going to disappear, and at the same time, I was very frustrated because I thought we could’ve done more. To be honest, since we 2nd generation members had not been able to do anything in Keyakizaka46, it was sad that it ended as it is, as we wanted to continue to do our best in Keyakizaka46. That feeling was strong, so I felt frustration, sadness, and loneliness.
But honestly, at first we was often wondering as to "Why?”, but now we've accepted the name change if it will make the group better. We are serious about our desire and determination to make the group better, so we are willing to bet on that and have a fresh start to try again.
Matsuda: At first I thought, "I don't want to. I don't want to change our name if possible, I'm going to miss it". Maybe it’s not as long as everyone else, but I joined Keyakizaka46 because I like it too... Of course, it doesn't mean that the past we've been active won't disappear, but I was frustrated because I wondered if there was anything we have left behind in Keyakizaka46. I feel lonely about it, but it has now changed into the feeling of having to do my best.
The movie includes the first performance of “Dare ga Sono Kane wo Narasu no Ka?”
Matsuda: When we are performing, I feel like we was just performing with the utmost desire to convey the song.
Takemoto: I didn't even know that changing the name was an option, so I frankly thought, "I see, so there is such a way." At the time, I thought it was a message for me to be prepared to do something like that, so I was resigned to the fact that I had no choice but to work hard from scratch with a positive attitude.
When Sugai (Yuuka)-san was announcing our name change to our fans, I was determined to stand strong and look forward because I didn't want to make them feel uneasy or cause them worry. The conflicting emotions of needing to move forward and feeling lonely kept hitting me one after the other and I didn't know what was going on... I then found myself unable to stop crying.
So, I honestly don't remember the performance afterwards at all, but it was the first performance of the single that fans had been waiting for for a long time, so I think I was concentrating on conveying the song, hoping it would get through to them since they had to wait so long.
Hono: I had decided not to cry until the end of the live, keeping in mind that “I’m a member of Keyakizaka46”, but after the performance, when my eyes met with Morita Hikaru next to me, I broke my tears. Before the live started, we were hugging each other, we were going to perform with various thoughts in mind, so I hugged all the 2nd generation members. We didn't say words to each other, but we all felt the same way, I felt very supported by it.
Thank you very much.
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Translation: toomuchidea
QC: Mentos
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