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[Interview translation] BiSH~Rock'n Roll Swindle~ーーEpisode 4 Hug Me's first interview, "I want to increase the total number of idol otaku"

Posted by Lurkette, in Interview, Translations 30 August 2015 · 1969 views

Episode 4: Hug Me's first interview

My favorite part of "Spark" was the second half of the second chorus. It was so emotional, a voice that has heart. That is what I thought BiSH was all about. Hug Me's presence and singing is BiSH's heart. Hers was the next interview immediately after Yukako Love Deluxe's decision to quit, and that's all I could think about.

Interview and text: Iida Jinichiro

The comparison is probably going to be drawn, but I have to believe in Watanabe

※This interview took place directly after Yukako Love Deluxe's.

ーーA sudden withdrawal. What did you think when you first heard about Yukako Love Deluxe?

Hug Me: I thought it was really fast. We all have a LINE chat, and I was surprised, or should I say I thought she made that decision too quickly. I get that she was having a hard time, so I wasn't mad or anything, but, well... It might have been difficult, but I wish she would have come to talk to us about it beforehand, instead. I want to speak to her face-to-face.



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ーーHer will is firm, isn't it?

Hug Me: I've heard her general reasons for why she came to this decision, but still, I want to ask her what she wasn't improving in, or what she couldn't do.

ーーShe said that a big reason was that she had a lot of concerns, but what do you think?

Hug Me: We all have concerns. We haven't even started up yet, so I'm honestly worried about how it will turn out, if we'll sell. I'm indescribably worried, but if that's all I'm thinking about then of course I'm not going to move forward, so I'm trying to think more positively, as much as possible.

ーーWhen do you get worried?

Hug Me: Like right now, I'm worried that I won't get as many Twitter followers as I thought, or that I won't be able to finish recording and we won't be able to finish the album in time. There are times when little worries become big ones.

ーーDon't you feel any pressure from those worries?

Hug Me: I don't, no. Watanabe made both BiS and BiSH, so even though the comparison is probably going to be drawn, I have to believe in Watanabe.

ーーWhat were the reactions like from people you know when you joined BiSH?

Hug Me: Well, like, the people who follow me said "we want to see you soon" and such, but I'm unfortunately good at selfies.

ーー(laughs).

Hug Me: Right after I uploaded a picture, a strange hurdle went up. When a picture of me without makeup went around, people said things like, "she's kind of ugly," which was scary.

ーーYou were originally in Dear Stage. What was the response from the people who watched you back then?

Hug Me: I graduated from Dear Stage right after I decided to join BiSH, but I never told them why I graduated, so they were confused, naturally, like "Why?!" They were surprised when I announced I was joining, but they were very positive about it, like, "Now I have a chance to see you again." Even with the picture where my eyes were blacked out, they quickly figured out who I was.

ーーWhy did you want to join BiSH so much?

Hug Me: Mostly because I liked BiS. I thought they were good at singing, and I looked stuff up about them and went to their shows, and they called themselves "Brand-new Idol Society," and yet what they were doing was a long way off from what idols do, right? Watching them was like, "What, are they really going to do that?!" and it was exciting and thrilling, and their tactics were thoughtless but really hit hard and they got bigger, and I think that's really interesting.

I think there might be a way to hold her back

ーーIn the same way, Yukako's departure, albeit sudden, gives you a story.

Hug Me: That's true. We haven't even been informed of anything yet. Of what she said. But I want to see her and learn how firm her convictions are. I think there might be a way to hold her back.

ーーYou want to stop her?

Hug Me: I do. I don't doubt there are a lot of things she's not used to, becoming an idol after being in a band, like the recording methods are probably completely different, and there are more experienced people in the group so I think she wonders why she isn't doing as well. It's not like everyone is totally used to these things and can do them right from the start, but I think it would be better to wait a longer and work some more before making a decision like this.

ーーBut isn't the current idol industry quite difficult?

Hug Me: It's incredibly difficult. There's a great variety of idols, aren't there? I think that BiSH still draw attention even so, and I think we're in a great position, but, honestly, I'm worried about beating the other idol groups who are selling.

ーーAll right, then. Do you have any secret plans to beat them?

Hug Me: Secret plans? BiSH's songs are simply that good. How hard do we have to work so that we don't lose to the music? I think if people know who we are, we can get a lot of music fans to listen to us and maybe think that our songs are really good. How many people can we get that aren't your typical idol fans, you know?

ーーWhat will you work on to try and get those people?

Hug Me: First of all, right now we can make the best of people talking about us. I think fans will get tired of us if we stay like this for months, don't improve our follower numbers or anything. Twitter is the only way we can communicate with our fans right now, but with that we can send replies to them and talk to each other that way. I do think we have to work harder at singing and dancing, but first it's about communicating. Also, I think we have to do things that other idols aren't doing. However, there are more idols now that do stage dives, so I'm thinking about what it is the no idol is doing right now, what's entertaining, what has changed. There aren't a lot of things that haven't been done. I wonder what we should do.

ーーDo you think there's a future for idols?

Hug Me: I don't think the idol industry is going to die out. People keep saying about AKB, "The AKB boom is going to end this year," but they still put out million-sellers, and I think idols in this industry are starting to stabilize their positions. I think the number of people who refer to themselves as idol otaku is fixed, but that's not okay. I want to increase the total number of idol otaku.

ーーYou want to work on that.

Hug Me: I do. I want to go to festivals and such because our songs are so good, and from there I think it would be nice to have fans who say they hate idols but BiSH is great.

I think doing lives is what makes an idol, an idol

ーーBy the way, which parts do you sing in "Spark"?

Hug Me: I sing the second half of the second chorus (Kuukyo wa~) and the second half of the chorus before last.

ーーReally! I really like that part, I was wondering who sang it.

Hug Me: That makes me happy.

ーーHow has the last month of working been?

Hug Me: It's fun.

ーーNothing bad?

Hug Me: Not bad so much as it is hard, but I'm bad at dancing so remembering the choreography is difficult. That's why I need to push myself more when it comes to dancing.


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ーーBut there are fun things, too?

Hug Me: We actually started recording, and there were difficult parts, but it's way more fun feeling like I've made something.

ーーAnything you're unsatisfied with?

Hug Me: I don't know about that, but I want to hurry up and do a concert. I want an opportunity to touch the fans directly. It's just the internet right now. That can spread information and announcements. But I want to see their reactions and hear their voices in person. I think doing lives is what makes an idol, an idol.

ーーDo you want to do handshake events, too?

Hug Me: Yes. I want to make direct contact with the fans.

ーーWhat do you think BiSH is lacking most right now?

Hug Me: Time. We have 13 album songs, but we haven't figured out the choreography at all. We were told to think of it by the beginning of April.

ーーSo you have one week left?

Hug Me: We have to do it, but we don't have time.

ーーWho does the choreography?

Hug Me: We all share the responsibility. But Aina is good and experienced so we rely on her a lot.

I want to perform at Budokan, I want us to be a group that makes people think, "That's BiSH!" when we go on TV

ーーWhat are the members like?

Hug Me: I feel like Yukako is overly serious. That's why she thinks so much about things and worries about things in the future she can't predict, I think. She's a stoic person.

ーーSentochihiro Chicchi?

Hug Me: She's so cute. She heals me.

ーーYou'd let Chicchi to be center?

Hug Me: It's appropriate, or at least makes the balance better. The shape of her mouth is cute when she smiles (laughs).

ーーAina The End?

Hug Me: She's so level-headed, her singing and dancing are amazing, and I take my hat off to her. She's a superwoman. When the members talk amongst each other, Aina says things like, "BiSH is like this in this so we have to work harder at that." But we can't leave everything to her, I'm worried if we do that we'll collapse. But I think it's okay for right now.

ーーMomoko Gumi Company?

Hug Me: I guess she's the mood-maker? She thinks about BiSH a ton, in her own way. You can really see how dumb she plays it, but she's still a girl. I think she might be the most sensitive among us.

ーーWhat about Junnosuke?

Hug Me: There are still a lot of puzzles with him. But he says a lot of things to raise BiSH's potential, to make us better, so I want to have a bit more communication with him. Though yesterday we had a man-to-man conversation and he told me, "Let's lose some weight," (laughs).

ーー(laughs).

Hug Me: Then I took my weight, and thought, "Oh no, I'm fat! They'll call me the fatty idol!" (laughs). There's a scale at the office, so he told me to go there anytime to weigh myself.

ーーWho do you think will be BiSH's leader?

Hug Me: We talked about this yesterday, and Watanabe said, "The other members haven't said anything, but it's you, isn't it?" Because I'm older. I'm worried because I haven't been a leader before and I have no leadership, but if he says so, I think I'd like to try it.

ーーWhat do you want BiSH to be?

Hug Me: I want to perform at Budokan, I want us to be a group that makes people think, "That's BiSH!" when we go on TV. I also want to do gravure!