World of the 48 | Matsui Jurina Interview for Kataomoi Finally

Matsui Jurina Interview for Kataomoi Finally

I hate crying out of sadness

Hotexpress: So let’s start off by going over the past year!

MJ: Yes! Please take care of me!

Hotexpress: SKE48’s single Banzai Venus managed to secure first place on the Oricon Weekly charts. However, since it was released on March 9, it is not something that you can really be happy about completely. ( Editors Note: March 9 is two days before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan)

MJ: The release date was the day before my birthday, so I was incredibly happy. However, the disaster came….Since we were dancing and singing already, we wanted to convey happiness and hope to those affected by the disaster, especially since the theme is ‘Banzai’ after all. Later we were given an opportunity to visit Sendai as SKE and perform for those affected by the natural disaster. At first I thought they might not be as receptive, but I was surprised when we were welcomed by the people. “Thanks for coming!” is what they would say. At that moment, I realized that I had to give something back to these people. Even though were in Nagoya and we may not have an opportunity to visit those people frequently, I wanted to share happiness and hope with not only Sendai, but all of Japan.

Hotexpress: During the summer SKE was transferred to avex, and later during the Senbatsu Election you were elected to 14th place, dropping down from last year and left out of the Media Senbatsu. At the event you didn’t cry, but I’m sure you were sad about your placement.

MJ: I allow myself to cry out of happiness, but I hate it and don’t allow myself to cry out of sadness. My placement was a result of the fans who voted for me thinking that I was number 1. Honestly, I felt as if I had to accept the results and be thankful to those that voted for me. Fans at the Senbatsu Election may have said “I am sorry”, and I probably wanted them to push me forward at the time. But those fans were sad with me, and the fact that we went through this together made me very happy. In any case, I wanted to convey my thanks and appreciation towards my fans.

Of course I was disappointed, but when I am older I hope to do better. Being the age that I am, I am still not able to appear on late night programs, but when I am able to overcome that hurdle I hope to do better.

Hotexpress: Did you lower yourself because your rank dropped?

MJ: Hmmmm…that’s a hard one…hmmm?

Hotexpress: As SKE’s perennial center, you have led SKE from its very beginning, maybe people have begun to think “I don’t need to root for her!”?

MJ: I’m not perfect by any stretch! People always look cuter when they can’t do somethings. People always say “Jurina can do everything!” but I can’t swim very well. When we had the swimming tournament it was revealed that I wasn’t a very good swimmer and everyone said “So Jurina can’t do somethings, that’s cute!”. If there are somethings I’m not very good at, I can work at it and people can always say “You can do it!”. Recently, I’ve been compared to Oshima Yuko. She can do everything you know? People tell me “It’s normal for Jurina to be able to do it”. It’s a good thing and a bad thing.

Hotexpress: But Jurina, you are always looked up to by other members

MJ: I think I try to become an adult too much. In reality I get hurt easily and I’m probably the weakest out of all the members. If I’m not strong, I can’t lead the members. I say “Let’s work harder!” and then I think “Maybe I don’t need to be doing all of this”, but at the same time, I put pressure on myself by saying that I have to do it. Other members always say on stage I can be relied upon, but back in the dressing room I turn back into a kid.

Hotexpress: SKE’s summer single Pareo wa Emerald sold over 500,000 thousand copies, and SKE’s popularity had begun to skyrocket. Do you feel any pressure over this rising popularity and expectation?

MJ: Before we would say “It’s our first 1rst place”, with our fans included too. But as we get first it changed to “We need to get first again!”. In the past we were called AKB, SKB, but now we get recognized. Walking around in the street now a days I get recognized, which is a good thing but I have to be more professional now.

Hotexpress: During the Second Janken Tournament, you were eliminated right before the Senbatsu. For SKE who was busy at the time, I thought you would be able to rest a little but..

MJ: Definitely. I thought about that. But to appeal SKE, two is always better than one (Regarding Kuwabara Mizuki’s inclusion in UKM). Plus it would have been cool to say “I got in with Janken”. I told myself I had to win, even getting all dressed up, but I lost and I was very sad.

Hot Express: Going into November, we had SKE’s Request Hour. For the second year in a row, Matsui Rena’s Kareha no Station won first while KII’s Omatase Set List was second. I personally wanted more of your unit songs to be ranked higher up.

MJ: Thank you very much. I thought “We have more songs, I’ll probably drop”, but we didn’t drop that far off, and Glory Days not dropping a lot was nothing short of a miracle. Having a unit song so highly ranked is amazing and makes me happy.

Hot Express: Just wondering, would you like a solo..

MJ: Absolutely! I want a solo song.

Hot Express: That’s quick answer.

MJ: I want one. It’s about time I got one! (~~LOL Sayanee already got hers! Eff the police)~~

Hot Express: I was expecting that. What kind of song do you want?

MJ: I want a sexy and adult song. Rena’s song is a bit more quiet and calm, but I want mine to be moving! I want to sing a cool song like Namuro Amie! I want to dance!

Hot Express: At this point, what kind of person is Rena to you?

MJ: Rena, truth be told, probably isn’t my rival. People always ask “Aren’t you guys rivals?”. If you think about it, only our last names are the same. Our ages are different and so are our personalities. Fans always say “Don’t lose to Rena”, but it’s not about winning or losing. When you think about it, we’re all rivals and I am my own rival. But it’s just that everyone else is making a big deal out of it. We don’t give it much thought.

Hot Express: And at the beginning of the year you will be appearing on Kouhaku but not performing as SKE, which is disappointing.

MJ: Yes, it is. But at the same time I think it’s a good thing that we didn’t appear, because people would get satisfied and we would stop growing. I don’t want us to say “We’re on Kouhaku, let’s just stay as we are”. I want to us to fully show our color, even the new 5th generation. “This SKE can do it”. I want us to say that. Our failures are connected to our growth I think.

Hot Express: With 2011 out of the way, we enter 2012 with SKE’s first single of the year, Kataomoi Finally. Including the music video, this was a shocking product.

MJ: It was embarrassing, and there are moments where I am like “Nooo! Don’t look”. But I hope to appeal some of our growth. We have to provide some shock value to keep up with NMB48’s Junjou U-19 Tetsu no Pantsu.

Hot Express: What was the most embarrassing thing from filming the PV?

MJ: Kissing Rena’s ear. I don’t know if it’s in the video, but I had to do it for 15 seconds, and it took 3 takes, so 45 seconds! In the script it said “Lightly kiss Rena’s ear” but it wasn’t light at all. The staff got excited after filming Kumi and Kanon’s scene. I had to tell myself “I am a boy. I am a boy”. So a lot of my expressions are boy-like. Other members said I acted like a boy too. It was pretty fun. It was like being the only guy at an all girls school.

Hot Express: I think we got to see a new Jurina.

MJ: It was sad that I had to reject Churi though. I gave away the necklace Churi gave me to Rena, and Churi was so cute during the whole time. I’m tearing up -laughs-

Hot Express: You’re actually crying! Why?

MJ: If I think about her cuteness I start to cry. We didn’t have any lines during shooting, but Churi would always say “Let’s eat together!”, she would ask me to come over just like she always does and it made me happy.

Hot Express: But we also had that dramatic fight with Rena

MJ: I know! I thought “It’s finally come to this!”. We actually hit each other, but I got beat up quite a bit. We would ice my face, but since we had so many takes, Rena might hit me in a weird place and my ears would be ringing. It was tough!

Hot Express: I also like Shirogumi’s Coupling Song, Hanikami Lollipop.

MJ: Really? That makes me so happy! I like it too, I feel as if we are showing our idol-ness in this music video. In the PV, right before the chorus, I make a popping noise with my mouth. I usually get embarrassed easily, so I’m interested to see how the fans react.

Hot Express: What do you think of Red Team’s Koe ga Kasurerukurai?

MJ: I really like darker songs, so I thought their song was amazing. But then others say “Shirogumi is cute so it’s okay”. I just want things I can’t have -laughs-

Hot Express: And with the release of Selection 8’s Kamoku no Tsuki and everyone’s Kyo made no koto, korekara no koto, SKE has released many things in the single this year.

MJ: We had many love songs in general, so we had many different kinds. We had some from the boy’s perspective, and Kyo made to balance it out. Kataomoi is about not having any rules on love, despite age and gender. Recently, age gaps in marriage have been popular!

Hot Express: What kind of love do you want to experience if you could?

MJ: That’s a hard one. I’ve been in SKE since I was in Elementary School, so I’ve always imaged School Uniform dates. But…I like older men so I want them to take me. If they’re younger than my parents and if mom approves, then it is A-ok!

Hot Express: Lastly, what are some of your goals for this year as Jurina and for SKE?

MJ: Ah, we always get SKE, but now I get my own. I really want to act. I honestly don’t think I’m very good at it, but I want to do something different from Majisuka Gakuen 2. I want to improve at it. Last year I was allowed to do SKE’s Magical Radio, and I feel as if the whole cast really gave it their all acting wise, and I feel as if I’ve improved a lot, so I want to apply what I’ve learned as soon as possible.

Hot Express: Your ideal actress?

MJ: Kuroki Meisa! The cool beauty! She can sing and dance but also model. She’s all might and admired by both genders! I want to be like her.

Phew, there it is. Matsu Jurina’s interview!