Fujiyoshi Karin and Seki Yumiko's interview in ExTaishu September 2021

 

The feelings they put into “Guuzen no Kotae”

Q Fujiyoshi-san, do you take Seki-san as an “older sister”?

(Looked at each other and laughed)

Seki: I don’t think she thinks of me as one (laughs).

Karin: I do. I do. I quite do (There are pauses).

Seki: See? She doesn’t think of me as one (laughs).

Karin: Not at all. I still have some childish aspects, so I see you as an “older sister”. There’s the impression that you are taking care of Inoue.

Seki: “Taking care” (laughs). I feel like my genmates are the same age as me. I never thought of Karin-chan as “childish”.

Q Fujiyoshi-san certainly has the tendency to be seen as mature.

Karin: Is that really so?

Q Have you ever thought “But the truth is that I’m still a child”?

Karin: I’m the oldest in my family, but I’m surrounded by people older than me when I entered the group, so I thought “Everyone is more reliable than me”. That’s why I also feel that Seki-chan is like an “older sister”. That’s true.

Seki: I get it (laughs).

Q Something that I wanted to ask the two of you about is “Guuzen no Kotae”. First of all, Seki-san stood as the “Guuzen no Kotae” center in BACKS LIVE!!! (16th - 18th June). You requested that, didn’t you?

Seki: Yes. Of course, I like the song, but I grew to like it even more with Karin’s performance, it made me want to try centering it.

Q You also talked about what you feel about the song on the stage.

Seki: Various emotions welled up within me when we recorded the MV, and when I read the comment section after it has been released to YouTube, I can’t put it into words well, but there is no one that is weird in this world, so I wish that people of any values could live happily in this world. I sang it with such feeling.

Q That really resonates.

Seki: Thank you very much.

Q Seki-san, which part of Fujiyoshi-san’s performance draws you in?

Seki: After we danced the last chorus in the MV, Karin cried. I was moved to see how much Karin put her feelings into singing “Guuzen no Kotae”. That moment I thought, “I want this song to reach more people”.

Q It’s not like the director asked you to cry there, isn’t he?

Karin: There was actually supposed to be a crying acting scene after that. However, I couldn’t connect the director’s explanation with my feelings and it bothered me, then TAKAHIRO-sensei said, “It’s the last part so you can do it freely”. When I remember all the scenes up to that point, it all came rushing back at once and I started crying unconsciously.

Q Did you connect to the MV’s worldview there?

Karin: When I saw the MV’s proposal, I was shocked by the concept and didn’t know what to do at first. I thought about watching movies and dramas with similar themes, but that doesn’t feel right either. So I acted as I was.

Q Because you could sympathize with the feelings of “not being understood” and “wanting to change”, did you?

Karin: That’s right. Because it’s not all about being understood by people. I hope that “Guuzen no Kotae” MV can be viewed in various ways.

Q Fujiyoshi-san, you saw Seki-san’s “Guuzen no Kotae”, didn’t you?

Karin: It was wonderful. Although I was already moved by the very concept of “BACKS LIVE!!” itself and cried (laughs), but I was happy that another 2nd generation could center and sing “Guuzen no Kotae”, and it’s interesting to see how the way the song is presented could change just by having a different center.

Q The “Guuzen no Kotae” you performed in “W-KEYAKI FES 2021” after receiving stimulation from “BACKS LIVE!!” was also wonderful.

Karin: It’s hard to put it into words, but there’s still a part of me that doesn’t want to leave the world of the MV yet. I performed it while thinking of Nagase Riko-san.

Q Is that so?

Karin: There are times where my way of thinking differs from the MV and performances, but it doesn’t change for “Guuzen no Kotae”.

Seki: I’m the same with Karin, I performed while thinking of that “pain” from the MV.

Performance that is born when limits are exceeded

Q What did you feel when you heard that you will be doing a joint live concert with Hinatazaka46 in W-KEYAKI FES?

Seki: I wondered if Hinata-san is “cute”, then Sakura is “cool”. Personally I like cool groups, so there is a feeling of expectations hoping that Ohisama could also come to realize Sakurazaka’s goodness.

Karin: In the online meet & greet that is happening at the time, there are people asking “Will you be doing Keyaki songs?” or “I hope you will be performing this Keyaki song”, but there was no one who said “I want to hear this Sakura song”. It made me very sad… I feel frustrated because I like Keyaki songs too, and I thought that I want to make a festival where they could have fun with Sakura songs.

Q It is because you have feelings toward the Republic of Keyaki that there are things that you had to think about as a member of Sakurazaka46.

Karin: Republic of Keyaki is purely just a Keyakizaka46 event, so there is no feeling to do it as it is as Sakurazaka… It’s complicated, isn’t it?

Seki: I feel the same. I entered Keyakizaka46 because I admired them, and the Republic of Keyaki I could participate in 2019 has become a beautiful memory, but it’s not the same as wanting to do Republic of Sakura.

Q In the solo live on the first day, the dance tracks left an impression.

Karin: I was worried because it was difficult, but I hoped that we could show Sakurazaka-likeness in the dance track, and it was fun to do the opening production cool like that.

Seki: I also really like the opening and ending. I think that the “Let me show you!” and “come with us” in the ending was “Sakurazaka-like”.

Karin: That ending sure raises the excitement (laughs).

Q What did you think about the rainy and foggy weather?

Seki: I think that rain is the real thrill of outdoor live, so it raised my excitement.

Karin: I don’t dislike getting wet from the rain, and I think it becomes a nice contrast to Hinata-san’s live that was very sunny.

Q Did you feel anything when watching Hinatazaka46 solo live on the second day?

Seki: It was truly an “idol” live. I thought that this is what it means to be energized.

Karin: It’s cute how the blue bird Poka is flying in the sky (laughs). I think that the part where a mascot appears is also Hinata-san like, which is wonderful.

Q Is there anyone you talked with in Hinatazaka46?

Seki: I guess (Kamimura) Hinano?

Karin: Yeah.

Seki: She is still a good girl like always (laughs).

Q Did you talk with any of the Hinatazaka46’s 1st and 2nd generation members?

Seki: I’m such a shy person I couldn’t start a conversation. But Watanabe Miho-san, with whom I do the pose together in “W-KEYAKIZAKA no Uta”, reached out to me with a smile after the rehearsal. It made me very happy.

Karin: I also wasn't able to start one. Tomita (Suzuka)-san said to me, “I really like “Guuzen no Kotae”, and it made me happy to be told so.

Q So you both are shy people (laughs). On the joint live on the third day, I could really feel how Sakurazaka46 and Hinatazaka46 were enhancing each other.

Karin: I think that it would be a great plus point if we could show the different individuality of Sakura and Hinata-san, so I had that awareness.

Seki: I wanted to convey both our goodness, so I hoped that we could draw each other’s strengths.

Q Please tell me which song you had fun performing in.

Seki: We danced “Plastic Regret” on a stage with fountains, so I was able to experience the fun of outdoor live.

Karin: “Buddies” and “BAN” at the ending was fun. As for “Buddies”, it was my first live with audience since we became Sakura, so it made me happy to see everyone’s happy faces. I danced “BAN” on the first and third day in a completely exhausted state, but I really like the moment when I break through the limit. There are times when it’s better that way.

Q I could feel the heat of pressure since “Nobody’s Fault”.

Karin: Hinata-san had a lot of exciting songs, so I felt that we can’t drop the tension down.

Q And at the end, Sakurazaka46 and Hinatazaka46 sang “W-KEYAKIZAKA no Uta” together.

Seki: There were a lot of feelings, but seeing the green penlight after a long while, I thought “So there are beautiful green sceneries like this” and tears came to my eyes.

Q Do you think it’s okay to have an annual event like this?

Seki: For Keyakizaka46 fan, there was the impression that “Speaking of summer, there is Republic of Keyaki”, if this continues then it could be “Speaking of summer, there is W-KEYAKI FES”, and I hope that they could look forward to this annual event.

Karin: Hmm… It’s difficult.

Q Does Fujiyoshi-san have a strong desire to first create the shape of Sakurazaka46?

Karin: That feeling is stronger right now. It’s a time where we have to make a solid form as Sakurazaka, I don’t think we have a foundation yet.

Q It'd be great if that foundation is created during the National Arena Tour that starts from 11th September.

Karin: We still haven’t found something that only Sakurazaka can do, there is the feeling of impatience that we have to find it soon. I hope that this tour could be an opportunity for it.

Seki: This is a chance for the people who can’t come to Tokyo to watch a Sakurazaka performance in person, so I hope that we could leave an impact and convey something to the people who will be watching Sakurazaka in person for the first time.

Q Because you will also be performing in your hometown Fukuoka, right (11th - 12th September)?

Seki: Although I’m surprised that Fukuoka is included together with Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya (laughs). But I think that it will be easier for people from Kyushu to visit, so I hope that they could come and watch.

Q I think that there are many things that could be tried because the individuality of Sakurazaka has not been decided.

Karin: We’ve been singing songs in various directions on the 1st and 2nd single and still exploring, and I heard that there are many fans who are enjoying the process. However, I think it’s about time that we at least found the “broken pieces”.

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Translation: toomuchidea

QC, raw: kiryu