Sugai Yuuka x Matsuda Rina (1st gen x 2nd gen Special Talk from Documentary Movie Brochure)

 

Sugai who pulls the group as the captain, and Matsuda who shows leadership within the 2nd generation members. This is a conversation between the two who are often in charge of MCs during live performances and are anticipated as the face of the group.

It has been a year since the 2nd generation members joined Keyakizaka46, has your impression of each other changed since you have begun working together?

Matsuda: My impression of Sugai-san has been the same since the beginning, she is a person who is exactly as I thought she was. She really does things properly, and she is always thinking about the group. But she gets teased by everyone and also has a playful side (laughs)

Sugai: Hahaha (laughs). Matsuri-chan (Matsuda) is able to move according to her own will, she has the power to pull those around her. Of course, until now there have been members who were also like that, but I think she surpasses them, I think that her existence is a fresh breath of air.

Actually, the new things brought by the 2nd generation has changed the overall atmosphere of the group quite a lot hasn’t it.

Sugai: It has changed immensely. Of course they bring a feeling of freshness, but seeing the 2nd gen members sincerely working hard, it often makes the 1st gen members remember our early days. It was just the 1st generation members for a long time so at first some members were a bit hesitant, but now I think that everyone thinks, “I’m happy that they joined us”.

Matsuda: At the beginning, we wanted the fans and the 1st gen members to accept us, we did activities thinking that it would be nice if our seniors told us, “We’re glad that you joined us”. But since we did so many live performances last year, through completing something together, the atmosphere became, “Since we are one group, let’s work hard together.”

Sugai: We had to slowly build up from zero, but since the 2nd gen members joined when the group had already been established, I think there was a lot demanded of them. The positions of 1st generation members who had graduated or were on hiatus were filled by the 2nd gen. There were many things to remember, I think it must have been hard. Amongst that, they really did work hard, I want to thank them.

Matsuda: The first time the 2nd gen members participated was during a performance of “Ambivalent” at a 2018 end of year music program, at the time I thought, “This is my chance”, but even if I did remember the choreography, there were many times where we had to jump in time with our seniors. At the time it was intense, but now looking back at the footage I don’t think we did it properly at all (laughs).

Sugai: Eh? That’s not true at all.

Matsuda: No no. At that time it was because we still didn’t have enough experience, when I watch it now I feel apologetic.

As your experiences begin to pile up, you become able to see more things. The improvement of the 2nd gen members, are you able to feel this through their performances and such, Sugai-san?

Sugai: Yes. When the same song is danced by different members, the atmosphere changes, when watching footage I feel that their individual ways of expression are changing, I also strongly feel that this is becoming the group’s new strength. In particular, when Matsuri-chan is given the task of making the conversation flow during MCs, I think it must be very difficult. I also find that those occasions occur to me often, there are times where I get worried, I think it’s always good to gather everyone before the live performance and get everyone to say their opinions.

Matsuda: Actually, during the tour last year when the 2nd gen members were in charge of the MC, after the first day the staff gave us some criticism. That became the catalyst as to why we always ask for each other's ideas, “During this MC, what should we talk about?”

Sugai: As expected!

Matsuda: Not at all. Sugai-san always does preparation in the same way, right. When I think about how Sugai-san does this kind of thing everytime, I really think that it’s amazing.  I always think, “I want to help Sugai-san. I also want to actively join in doing the MC”, but trying to join the conversation on your own is quite difficult.

Sugai: Just the fact that you think to do that makes me happy.  But in reality, I can’t do it properly at all you know (laughs). I’m not very good at speaking, at first it was really hard, even now I can’t find the proper way to MC during live performances. Especially as the world view in Keyakizaka46’s songs get stronger and stronger, the way you cut in to do talk segments gets harder and harder, I’m still in the midst of exploring.

Recently other members besides Sugai-san are being trusted to do MCs right?

Sugai: That’s really big. Up until now, I had become frantic by myself, there were times where the conversations would end up nowhere, but now everyone has started to think about how to MC. From then on, the importance of continuously working together was understood, during the tour Ozeki (Rika), Miichan (Koike Minami), (Ishimori) Nijika and such began to help continue the talk segments, I’ve able to relax now. 

On top of that, Matsuda-san was talking about the inclusion of 2nd gen members before, they will become an additional strength. Since we are here, shall we take the opportunity to ask about things you are curious of in regards to each other?

Sugai: I often think that Matsuri-chan is a positive person. Furthermore, for you to be able to transmit that to other people, or rather when the other 2nd gen members seem like they might shrink into themselves you could come up to say something really nice to them, I frequently see you doing that sort of thing, do you yourself ever feel like you’re going to break down?  During times like that how do you switch your feelings?

Matsuda: After entering Keyakizaka46, I haven’t felt down even once.

Sugai: Eh, you’re joking right? (laughs)

Matsuda: I had more worries about human relationships when I was a student. But after my school life ended, those kinds of worries have decreased. Besides, I’ve been fortunate enough to have my 2nd generation members, I’m able to live happily everyday.

Sugai: That’s good to hear.

Matsuda: Originally I was working in my hometown while thinking, “I really wanted to sing and dance”, so being able to achieve my dream of genuinely doing what I like makes me happy. Also no matter what hardships there are, I think “but this is what I enjoy doing”, so I haven’t really been depressed before.  But if I were to feel down, I’m the type to talk about it straight away, so I’d definitely freshen myself up by talking to family or members.

Sugai: If I feel down …… first maybe I’d just sleep (laughs). I have never been the delicate type, I’m often glad that I’m thickheaded. Also, I live with my family so I can ask my family for advice or feel relaxed by my pet cat Tom, they make me forget about time.

Matsuda: Then, is it okay if I ask a question too? For example during live performances or recordings for TV programs, what things do you attend to and give importance to?

Sugai: Especially when it gets busy there’s no ease of mind, sometimes you’re not able to take your time with each job, I think that that’s really not good. Always having feelings of gratitude, or remember “do not take this for granted” in the back of your mind, rather than just “completing a task”, treat every situation with importance no matter what, have the attitude that you want to take a good outcome home with you. You’re carrying the sign of Keyakizaka46 on your back so I guess it’s the attitude that you hold the sense of purpose to let people know about Keyakizaka46. 

Matsuda: I’ll keep this in mind as a reference! As expected our seniors have had an overwhelmingly longer career than us, so I’m glad that I was able to ask this properly.

Lastly, let’s talk about the topic of the movie. This movie has many scenes from before when the 2nd generation members joined, I’m sure that there are many things that you saw for the first time in the movie. For the members it will carry the meaning of looking back on the past, while at the same also about new discoveries. 

Sugai: That might be true. Things you realise after watching, things you remember anew, or things where even you yourself go, “Huh, did something like that happen?”, there might be those kinds of things. 

Matsuda: Compared to the other 2nd gen members, I don’t know a lot such as, “At this time, Keyakizaka was like this”. That’s why there were a lot of chances for me to understand things this time around. Actually, right when I joined I had feelings of uncertainty such as, “Is it really okay if I join a group that I don’t really know about?”, so personally I’m very grateful.

Although Sugai-san has been running through 5 years of time, you haven’t really had the chance to look back on it as a whole, have you.

Sugai: That’s right. Recently I was thinking, “Will I finally be able to look back on it a little bit?”, so I was able to watch this documentary with really good timing. But sometimes I think, “It’s only been 5 years!”. Until now I have lived for 24 years, but these five years have been richer than any part of my life, so I have a feeling that it will shine even brighter. It has been so rich that I can’t even compare it to when I lived a normal life, I am also very grateful to have been able to have these experiences. I have learnt so much, these five years have been like training.

With Matsuda-san as well, this 1 year of activities with Keyakizaka46 is surely completely different to 1 year of your previous normal life.

Matsuda: It’s completely different. Even in just one year I was able to experience various things, when I think about it it’s been so concentrated but then I wonder about what the 4 and a half years our seniors have spent are like.

With this timing, the Sakamichi Trainees have been promoted to 2nd generation members. When those members watch this movie, there will be even more things that they do not know about.

Sugai: That’s true. I wonder if they’ll be scared to join Keyakizaka46? (laughs)

Matsuda: I don’t think that will happen (laughs).

Sugai: But to the 2nd generation members who have been with us, and the 2nd generation members who will be with us soon, I think it would be nice if the group stayed as a place where everybody thinks, “I’m glad that I joined”.

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Translation: shin

QC: toomuchidea

Raw: sunsetrider