[translation] Morning Musume Oricon Style Interview for "Wakuteka Take a chance"

Here's a translation of an interview that Morning Musume's Fukumura, Sayashi, Ishida, and Kudo did with Oricon Style for "Wakuteka Take a chance." Notes in brackets are my own clarifications. As always, corrections are welcome =)

Enjoy~

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--Roughly speaking, which one do you adapt to more easily: cool songs like "Wakuteka Take a chance" or cute songs like "Pyoko Pyoko Ultra"?

Ishida: If I had to say, I prefer cool songs. Singing songs with energy and in a high key feels better. If it's high, I want to bring out my voice in a high pitch with all my heart (laughs). "Wakuteka" is also like that, so I think it's great.

Fukumura: I like both. Or rather, I sing, dance, and make facial expressions to match the song's world view, so it's like, "This time, it's like this. Ok, I'll think of it in this way then."

Kudo: I don't really have a preference. "Pyoko Pyoko" is honestly fun, and "Wakuteka" is also worth doing. However, I think Tanaka-san's solo song, "Namida Hitoshizuku," in the latest album, "13 Colorful Character," is all the more amazing because she sings it, but I definitely can't sing it (laughs).

--"Namida Hitoshizuku" is a song about painful love, so it might be difficult for the 12-year-old Kudo?

Sayashi: But no matter what kind of song it is, if you think about various things in your own way, you'll gradually start to see some sort of result. Being able to sing different kinds of songs might be distinctive of Morning Musume. Because there are different types of members, we can be perfectly suited for cute songs, cool songs, or even mellow songs. We can enjoy doing any kind of song.

--Did you also delve into the female image in "Wakuteka"?

Sayashi: I thought she's a very strong woman who takes the initiative and says, "I'll go for it!" in order to face the person that she likes. I myself have never thought something like that, so for something like that, I kind of have some delusions (laughs), but I sang it with the energy of facing someone.

Kudo: I also thought that in terms of image, she's more of a strong woman than a cute one, but in general, the lyrics are always difficult for me. My imagination has its limits too, and I probably reach that limit faster than Fukumura-san or Iikubo-chan (laughs). There are a lot of parts whose meaning I don't understand. But I do them in my own way.

Fukumura: The music is similar to the previous one, "One Two Three," but in that one the girl is brave, and in this one the girl is confident. If we don't show the difference, they'll sound the same. I thought it's a song that goes with a calling-for-attention way of talking and a standoffish smile.

Ishida: The line in the second verse that goes, "Even though I want to be boisterous, I just pretend to be a little cold," makes me think it's a person who can't bring herself out to the surface. I'm the type to be energetic, so when I'm singing this, I hold myself back and act as though I'm quiet. But in the chorus, in lines like "Try falling in love seriously," she takes a self-assured, commanding tone, so in that part, I let out the part of me that hates to lose a little bit.

--Ishida-san hating to lose--when does that come out?

Fukumura: The 9th and 10th gen, the other members also hate losing just as much, but Ayumi-chan also hates losing even at useless things you know (laughs). For example, in something like who can eat bento the fastest. She hates losing at that kind of stuff too, and she also hates losing at important things like dancing.

Kudo: When it comes to useless things, I might hate losing at them even more (laughs). When I'm going home from school, when cars and I are stopped at a red light, when it turns green, I'm like, "I'm gonna cross the pedestrian crosswalk faster!" I just selfishly compete with the cars (laughs).

Ishida: I do that too (laughs). So that I don't get overtaken by the bus, I start running earlier and in my mind, I'm thinking, "It's a race to the next traffic light!" (laughs).

Sayashi: Before, when going home from school, I used to have a custom of lining up with the kids from the same area. After saying goodbye in the classroom, we'd dash to the hallway and compete on who'd get to the front of the line (laughs). Right when saying goodbye, I'd be stretching my legs out towards the hallway (laughs).

Fukumura: Me too, when I'm walking and I get overtaken by elementary school students, I walk faster and overtake them (laughs).

--What kind of chances are these members aiming for right now?

Fukumura: I want a solo project. Up to now, my personality's been the type to go along with the surroundings, and I was scared of doing things on my own, but maybe because my generation-mates and everyone in the 10th gen are very passionate (laughs), I've become able to come forward. I got envious of Eripon, who's doing events on her own. If it were me, somewhere, I'd like to do a corner where I explain and comment on Hello!Project songs. I want to show my love for Hello Pro (laughs).

Sayashi: I want to appear in a cider CM. I seriously love cider, you know. Ever since I joined Morning Musume, I've been saying that the whole time. When they change the person for commercials, I think, "Hey! It's not me?" (laughs). Every time, a wonderful actress appears on them, so not everyone might agree, but it's frustrating for me (laughs). Of course, I understand that I can't appear in them at this point in time, but even if it's not a CM, even just some kind of ad--anything, I'd like to do work related to cider.

Kudo: I want the 10th gen to do a bus tour. I got to watch 9th gen's on DVD and it looked really fun.

Sayashi: Yeah it was fun.

Kudo: Making houtou [a type of noodle soup] in front of the fans and doing things like dodgebee when we did the fan club tour in Hawaii were interesting.

Ishida: The 10th gen will get to have a first anniversary event, so it's a chance to be frank with the fans and say, "Please don't be swayed by the 11th generation" (laughs). For that, of course, I'll power myself up and work hard to say funny things at the event (laughs)!

Kudo: But Daishi's jokes always fail (laughs).

Ishida: Yeah. They fail completely (laughs).

Kudo: If Iikubo-chan doesn't follow up, they won't come to a conclusion (laughs).

Ishida: "This will work!!" I think and then say it, but then everyone just becomes silent......(laughs)

Kudo: When she says something like "I'm gonna say something funny" with a self-satisfied look, it gets quiet......(laughs).

Ishida: Recently, I've realized that that kind of face isn't good (laughs). If I set it up, saying, "I'll say it!" everyone's like "Huh!?" At the next event, if I can say it spontaneously...

--Conversely, what about stealing fans from the other members (laughs)?

Ishida: At that event, I think I should also go with energy, thinking, "I'll also make my generation-mates' fans like me!"

Kudo: Sto~p (laughs)!

Sayashi: Actually, that kind of thing happens inadvertently (laughs). Before I knew it, a person who used to be my fan has changed the color of his clothes to Tanaka-san's......

Ishida: Even at concerts, surprisingly, we can see them, so it's shocking, right?

Kudo: Fans who have been coming to various events ever since I entered Morning Musume, saying "Remember my name, ok?" came to the "One Two Three" handshake event and I thought, "Huh? They've been wearing orange until now..." That kind of thing happens (laughs).

Sayashi: There are also fans who tell you frankly. "I'm gonna change my favorite to Maa-chan, ok?" "I understand......" like that (laughs). I can't show it when I'm having fun, you know. Even when I think it's fun, I can't be all boisterous. I have to show my natural self properly.

Fukumura: But I've been told by fans, "Take fans from other idol groups instead of fighting amongst yourselves," (laughs).

--This time, the coupling songs are also complete, and Kudo-san participates in "Futsuu no Shojo A." ["Ordinary Girl A"]

Kudo: I understand me and Maa-chan singing the lyrics, "I want to become an adult, I want to stay a child," but Tanaka-san singing it is a little strange (laughs). The tune isn't childish, so I think maybe the gap between that and the lyrics is what's good about it.

--It's similar to tango, huh?

Kudo: Our dance instructor calls us "Shojo A people" and gives us criticism, but I'm always called "Shonen A" ["Young Boy A"] (laughs). When I asked why, I was told, "When I look at Kudo, I just can't say 'Shojo A' " (laughs). In that case, I'd like to make that into my own personality trait and bring it out even in this song.

--Is Kudo-san the type to want to become an adult? Or the type to want to stay a child?

Kudo: I wonder. Middle school student feels kinda halfway. 4th or 5th grade might have been the best. It was fun becoming the older one at school. Pulling pranks and doing lots of other things, considering all that, if you also become the class representative, you can spend your time as you like. In middle school, school regulations become strict, and it's a bit formal. If that's the case, I want to become an adult faster.

--Fukumura-san and Ishida-san sing "Daisuki 100 Manten" together.

Fukumura: First, I was happy that the two of us got to sing together.

Ishida: When I first heard that we'd be doing the coupling songs in shuffle groups, I thought, "I wanna do it with Fukumura-san." Since we're also the same age. We both said, "But that'll never happen, right?" and what do you know, it did (laughs).

Fukumura: Yeah. The girl in the lyrics loves her boyfriend. What I particularly like is that the line in the first verse that goes, "Tsukisasare smile" ["piercing smile"] turns into "Tsukinukero smile" ["penetrating smile"] in the second verse. I also really like the part that has "hora" ["you see!"]. I don't know just how much I like "100 Manten" (laughs), but there are a lot of girls in our generation who are in love, so I think they'll empathize.

Ishida: When I saw these lyrics, I thought, "They're Fukumura-san-ish!" Because it's a cute and charming song. Frankly, it doesn't suit me, but with the intention to follow Fukumura-san, I'll act cutely with all my heart while singing it.

Fukumura: I thought it really suits Ayumi-chan. When she sings her first line, "Mabushisugiru taiyou, hare onna watashi" ["The sun is too bright, I'm a fine-weather woman"], Ayumi-chan is also summery, and I get the image of a fine-weather woman. On the contrary, I'm gloomy, so I was like, "Is it ok for me to sing this?"

Ishida: What I like in the lyrics is the part in the second verse that goes, "Hoppeta ni kiss suru tsumori ga kuchi ni atacchatte manten" ["Intended to kiss the cheek, but it landed on the lips, perfect score"]. I thought, "Whoa!" (laughs).

Kudo: She took a picture of just those lyrics and sent it to me (laughs).

Ishida: I was like, "Isn't it awesome?" Iikubo Haruna-chan also likes shojo manga, so she empathized.

--Do you long for a drive date like this?

Fukumura: What do you do on a drive date? Something like, get in the car and go "Yay!" (laughs)? With the roof down......

Ishida: In a red convertible? I can't quite imagine a drive.

Fukumura: Ayumi-chan seems like she would drive (laughs).

--The song that Sayashi-san participates in, "Shinnen dake wa tsuranukitoose!" ["Stick to your beliefs at least!"] is a straightforward song, right?

Sayashi: It's kind of like an easy way of doing an energetic song, so I'm happy to be able to sing something like this. In terms of image, it's kind of like the genre of Otomegumi's "Yuujou~Kokoro no Busu ni Naranee!" At first, it's quiet, but from there, it swells up.

--It starts with "Kono daichi ga miteru, hoshi ga miteru" ["This land is watching, the stars are watching"].

Sayashi: Just when I was thinking, "I want this line," I was completely off (laughs). But when I listened to the finished song, Eripon and Harunan were singing it, and that honest feeling came out plainly in their voices. I was deeply touched. I was glad that it was those two. It's the song of people who are working hard with all their might to achieve their own dreams, and we've also been working hard ever since we auditioned to get into Morning Musume, and we're working hard where we are now, so there are a lot of parts that can apply to us. It was a song that we could sing while being ourselves.

--Does Sayashi-san also have a belief that she sticks to?

Sayashi: I myself also don't really know specifically, but I think I have things that I take pride in.

--Also, 13-year-old, second year middle school student Oda Sakura-chan has joined as the 11th generation member.

Ishida: I heard that she's really good at singing, but we've never performed together, so I kinda feel like, "How should I start talking to her?"

Fukumura: When I listened to an interview, I thought, "She's a strong-hearted girl." "I'm not nervous," she said with a wise look on her face. We 9th and 10th gen are aggressive, but I don't think she'll lose and she'll be aggressive too (laughs).

Kudo: I've also been aggressive from the beginning (laughs), but there were 4 of us in our generation, so we weren't prepared. Sakura-chan is by herself, so it feels like she'll be properly prepared. Enough to make you think that her mental preparedness is perfect.

Ishida: Kuduu came from the Hello Pro Eggs, so she might have some similarities with Sakura-chan, who was a Trainee, but when we were announced, you were very nervous, right? You were practicing your self-introduction in the dressing room. But Oda-chan didn't look nervous at all.

Sayashi: Even though her voice is clear, what she says is so strong, it makes you think, "Oh?" My impression is that she's fearless. I think there'll be a lot of pressure put on her alone which won't crush her. But there will probably be times when she gets lonely because she doesn't have generation-mates and she's by herself, so I'd like to look out for her properly.

--Even though it's the 15th anniversary of Morning Musume's formation, it hasn't even been 2 years since all of you joined, right? However, I think the level that is demanded of you is just as high as the [Morning Musume] name is big. Do you have any thoughts like, "As a Morning Musume member, I want to be like this"?

Kudo: It's a very strange feeling for someone like me, who wasn't born yet when the group was formed, to be here now. I'd be happy if people in the world find out, "There's a small child too" (laughs), and then develop an interest and listen to us and watch us. I want a lot of people to watch this "current Morning Musume" which is composed of seniors who've been in it for 10 years and us who have been in it for 1~2 years.

Ishida: When I used to watch Morning Musume on TV, the whole time, I thought that it's a group that only shows a perfect appearance. The 10th generation is fortunate to enter at this time, at the group's 15th anniversary and with 50 singles. I want people to think, "Even though they're idols, they can do an intense song like this." I want to treasure this single more than anything else before.

Fukumura: I don't want to be saved by Morning Musume's name. The ones who are known (by face and name) by most people are Michishige-san and Tanaka-san, but the other members also have great individuality, so when we get the chance to appear on TV, I really want us to be remembered. Also, I want to respond to whatever is demanded of us.

Sayashi: Beyond being active as Morning Musume, I think any place is a chance. I want us to be a group that someone who became curious with the release of the 50th single and started watching can steadily get into. I think it's for this reason that we got a song like "Wakuteka~" for the 51st. It's a song about love, but I thought that now is the time to seize the chance, so we should seize it. From now on, too, I'd like to think of everything as my own chance and work hard on them one by one.