Uemura Rina and Ozeki Rika's interview in Gekkan Entame Feb - March 2022
A look back at the frenzied concert that bloomed with high spirits!
Sakurazaka46 “BACKS LIVE!!” After Talk
Part 1 Two extra cute girls talk about the evolving Sakurazaka46
Changing group and unchanging affections
Sakurazaka46 celebrated its first anniversary last December after renaming from Keyakizaka46. The group continues to change, with the graduation of Moriya Akane and Watanabe Rika, but there is also an unchanging enthusiasm. This time, 1st gens Uemura Rina and Ozeki Rika looked back on the recently held “BACKS LIVE!!” and talked about their thoughts on the group.
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“I wanted to meet you” matched my state of mind
Q Uemura-san, how has the experience of participating in the last BACKS LIVE!! helped you in your activities after?
Uemura: We had about a month to rehearse for the previous BACKS LIVE!!, so the distance between us and the 2nd gen became much closer all at once. At first, I had reservations about interacting with the 2nd gen, but I wasn’t in a situation where I could say that (laughs). Now, I keep in touch with them more than my gen mates, and I started to get closer to the girls who I hadn’t talked to much. Ozeki, who came to see the “BACKS LIVE!!”, was surprised at how close the 1st and 2nd gens had become (laughs).
Ozeki: It was different from the distance I had seen before my hiatus. (Masumoto) Kira-chan comes to play with the 1st gen, and the walls between them were gone. It made me want to get closer to the 2nd gen.
Q Ozeki-san was on hiatus last time, so this is your first time participating in “BACKS LIVE!!”
Ozeki: While the other members who participated last time had brushed up their skills and were ready to perform, I had to start with learning the choreography. Koike (Minami) and Fujiyoshi (Karin) were also participating for the first time, but that was due to both of them being in Sakura 8 through the first 2 singles, so I was the one who had to learn the songs the most. I was worried about how to bring myself up to the same level as everyone else.
Q What did you feel when you joined the rehearsal?
Ozeki: This time, we had dancers teaching the choreography to us, but the members who participated in the previous concert were reviewing the choreography videos and taking it upon themselves to teach each other the dance. Influenced by the members, I stood in the position previously held by (Saito) Fuyuka in “BAN”, and she taught me how to dance for it.
Q Uemura-san, did you feel that “I had to show a better performance than last time?”
Uemura: It was bound to be less fresh than the first time, so I thought, “I have to work harder”. I’m sure everyone else was working on rehearsals with a sense of urgency as well. However, it was difficult to concentrate because of the year-end and New Year holidays. After the rehearsals for “BACKS LIVE!!” there were rehearsals for NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen - it was an overwhelming situation.
Q I heard that you had lessons during the New Year’s holidays.
Uemura: The place where we have lessons was open so I practiced on my own. But I didn’t want to do it on January 4th, my birthday, because I would feel sorry for myself (laughs).
Q So you didn’t go...?
Uemura: No, I did end up dancing anyway though (laughs). I thought that it wouldn’t be good to not do anything the day before since the rehearsals were starting on the 5th.
Q Could you please tell us the reason for choosing to be the center for “Utsukushiki Nervous”
Uemura: I couldn’t choose the songs from the first and second singles because the songs had the image of the members who served as centers on them, so I decided to choose songs from the third single.
Q I thought “Utsukushiki Nervous,” which has an idol-like vibe, suited Uemura-san.
Uemura: Thank you very much. I was watching the mini-live from the side and thought that it was a nice song. I especially like the movements in Pe-chan’s (Watanabe Rika) position. Needless to say, I was happy to be able to participate in “Utsukushiki Nervous” as the center.
Q Ozeki-san chose “Buddies,” what was your reason?
Ozeki: Buddies was one of the 3 songs that I submitted, but the staff firmly asked me “we want you to do Buddies”. It’s a song that I’ve always wanted to join, and I think it’s a song that can convey my feelings, so I chose it. During my break, I felt the warmth from the messages I received from fans through the app (mobame app), so the lyrics of Buddies linked to the feelings within my current self.
Uemura: As I participated in the performance, I thought Ozeki’s smile was a perfect match for “Buddies”.
Q Was there a moment when you were singing that made a strong impression on you?
Ozeki: From the first phrase, “Yo! Are you well? I wanted to meet you!” matched my state of mind, and when we formed a circle while facing each other, I felt something I had never felt before. I want to encourage someone, and I think that it’s a song that encourages me as well.
Q What did you feel throughout this “BACKS LIVE!!”
Uemura: I don’t think we should use the lack of time as an excuse, but I went into the show with a bit of anxiety. As a result, I made mistakes on stage, and when I looked at the monitor, my expression was stiff. Personally, I had some regrets.
Ozeki: The members who participated in the previous one all said, “it was super fun!” so I’ve always wanted to experience the same feeling, and I certainly felt a sense of accomplishment. During the final MC, Koike said, “it’s called “BACKS LIVE!!”, but I want people to see it as a Sakurazaka concert.” We performed with the same amount of enthusiasm as in our regular concerts, so I’m sure the fans watched it as a “Sakurazaka46 concert”.
Uemura: I thought the name “BACKS” was only for the previous concert, but after that, people continued to call us “backs members”. When we were Keyakizaka46, we never had a name for the 3rd-row members, so I guess that is another change from renaming to Sakurazaka46. BACKS members have a goal of getting out of BACKS, and I thought maybe someday I could too… I was happy when Tsuchida (Teriyuki)-san said, “All members of Sakurazaka46 are red rangers”
A relationship that hasn’t changed since Omotenashikai
Q Have there been any changes between Uemura-san and Ozeki-san over the past six and a half years?
Ozeki: The relationship between us hasn’t changed. It’s still the same as the one we had in the broadcasting club (Omotenashikai, January 2016), where we can say anything to each other.
Uemura: We don't argue, and we don't always cling close together, but our relationship is something like where we keep a certain distance while walking side by side. Even in the dressing room, we talk all the time. And that’s with our backs against each other (laughs).
Q With the majority of the 1st gen graduating, you may feel a sense of sadness when you take a group photo and realize that the number of people has decreased.
Ozeki: We can immediately gather to take pictures (laughs). I think there’s something positive in that way too. There is nothing that can stay the same forever, so lately I’ve been thinking, “let’s enjoy the present.”
Uemura: It felt lonely since there were just five 1st generation members in the dressing room during “BACKS LIVE!!”. In the beginning, the car was so full we had to use jump seats, and even the seats in the very back were tightly packed too, but now there is enough room for one person per two seats (laughs). Because we have become fewer, the 1st generation came together to talk even more, and this made me think that we became even closer.
Q At the "1st YEAR ANNIVERSARY LIVE" on December 10th, there was a graduation ceremony for Moriya Akane and Watanabe Rika, and I think there was sadness but also joy in being able to send them off.
Uemura: Until then, I barely felt that "this is the last concert with this girl", and all I remembered after their graduation was "so that concert was the last one." However, during the rehearsals this time, I was able to digest every moment and think, "this concert will be our last." Maybe that's why I burst into tears at the graduation ceremony (laughs).
Ozeki: They were happy and we were happy, but I think the fans were also happy to see them in beautiful dresses. If I were a fan of both of them, I couldn’t have been happier.
Q Is there something you want to say to the 2nd gen?
Ozeki: I think that I have a stronger sense of “we should communicate” than I used to. I think it’ll be the juniors who will inherit the team called Sakurazaka, and I don’t want to see the group come to an end, so even if it is something trivial, I’m making sure to speak up.
Uemura: There are more 2nd gen now, and they are working on the front lines more than I am, and I'm sure there are many things I don't know. If they were to do something impolite, I would tell them "you shouldn't do that", but there aren't any girls like that, so I'm relieved. Rather, it’s at the point where I'm more worried about myself (laughs).
Q Uemura-san said that becoming Sakurazaka46 is "resetting our recognition to zero," but what do you think needs to be done to increase your recognition?
Uemura: I'd like to see the name "Sakurazaka46" become more widely known. The music videos we've made so far have all been great, but if we can make our music videos buzzworthy, I think we'll be able to reach more people.
Ozeki: I feel that the name “Sakurazaka” gradually became better known last year through the festivals with Hinata-chan (Hinatazaka46) and nationwide tours, so I think this year will be make or break for us. I want to put on a series of good concerts performances that will leave a lasting impression on everyone while increasing our individual activities so we can ride the rising tide.
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