Thursday 7 April 2016

Berryz Kobo x ℃-ute Cross Talk 43: Sudo Maasa x Suzuki Airi

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hello! Project Kids in 2012, a book entitled Rival - 12 shoujo no 10-nen monogatari - (The 10-year legend of the 12 girls) was released. The book contains 2-page discussions between various pairings of the girls, covering all 66 possible combinations. In the process of reading this book, I'll be putting up some highlights as I read through the interviews.


Special Crosstalk Book "RIVAL 12 shoujyo no 10 nen monogatari (10 years stories of 12 girls)" / Berrz Kobo / Cute

Sudo Maasa X Suzuki Airi

At first, the planned theme of discussion was about black hair. 
However, we instead had an opportunity to learn about the unexpected relationship between the two of them, something that's rarely heard about!?


This is embarrassing to mention, but when I was assigned for the discussion between the 2 of you, the common feature that I came up with was 'black-haired'... Is there a better theme? Maasa-chan, are you a big fan of Airi-chan?

Suzuki: Maasa always says that I'm cute. Even on New Year's cards and messages, she'll definitely mention that I'm cute somewhere. It makes me self-conscious (laughs), but happy.

Sudo: We're like sisters, I support Airi. I got to watch a Buono! concert the other day (Buono! Live 2012 "R•E•A•L"), and when you came out for 'Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!' at the encore, you were holding a frisbee, and I thought you were super adorable when you let your face peek out! If I was a guy, I think I'd be completely taken away (laughs).

As for Buono!, there are 2 members in it from your very own group though..... (laughs)?

Sudo: Um~, they're roughly supplementary (laughs). I hadn't really seen Momo doing rock before, so it was nice to see a new aspect of her. Miya is always amazing, and even in Berryz Kobo, she's special, so calling her Natsuyaki-sama would be the least I could do (laughs). I always watch the 2 of them from nearby, but I hardly ever meet Airi, so seeing her after so long made my heart skip a beat.

Suzuki: Even at the BeriKyuu concerts (Berryz Kobo & ℃-ute Collab Concert Tour 2011 Autumn ~ BeriKyuu Island~'), you'd tell me at rehearsals what points you liked when I sang. Which made me think, 'She's watching me!' (laughs).

Sudo: My eyes get drawn to you. At any rate, you're cute, and it's like you'd disappear if someone were to touch you, like you're a cloud. You've got things that I don't possess, so you're an idol to me, like a younger sister to me. 

I do my best because Maasa watches me by Airi

For the Airi-chan who is so beloved, what do you think about Maasa-chan?

Suzuki: Maasa is someone who can be depended on for anything. When I'm with Maasa, it's like anything's fine, and we can go anywhere! For questionnaires concerning Hello! Project, Maasa's name always crops up everywhere for questions like 'If you had to enter a haunted house together with someone, who would you pick?' or 'Who would you pick to be with you on an unpopulated island?' (laughs).

They both think that the other is amazing
The acting test at the auditions

Did you have this sort of relationship from the past?

Suzuki: Looking back, we weren't like that when we did the movie 'MiniMoni。ja Movie Okashi na Daibouken', were we? Mai-chan was a child, so everyone pampered her, but I was just a slightly cheeky kid (laughs). When did it start?  Since Maasa became part of Berryz Kobo, perhaps?

Sudo: When we split into Berryz Kobo and ℃-ute, I'd only meet Airi infrequently, so the feelings might have gone overboard. Every time I'd see you, you'd have grown so much, and you became so sweet that it made my heart skip a beat.

Suzuki: It really is reassuring to be next to Maasa. If Maasa's around, there's nothing to be scared of. I think I feel differently about her than others. Everyone says that she's a mother, and call her Mama, but that's not it for me. She's reassuring, I could safely put myself under her care.

Sudo: If Airi were my daughter, you'd be my pride and joy (laughs). You're good at singing, and you're good at dancing. I have nothing to say. Even though the members of ℃-ute find your puns lame (laughs), I'd accept all of it.

Suzuki: I get too confident (laughs). Before I knew it, Maasa became the person in charge of MC-ing, and that couldn't be the position of the Maasa that I knew, but when we were working together as BeriKyuu, I agreed that Maasa could be relied upon to be the MC. Without worrying about anything, we stood on-stage. You're good at leading-up to things, and you're also quick-witted. That's why you're called Mama.



The two of you are speaking very highly about one another, and you have such mutual affection for one another (laughs). What was the first impression you had about one another?

Suzuki: We were together at the 4th audition stage of the 'Hello! Project Kids Audition', but the image I had of her then and the image I have of her now is completely different. At the auditions, she was blonde with streaked hair, with tight trousers.

Sudo: I wore that, didn't I? I did, I did (laughs).

Suzuki: I thought that you were a model! There were lots of girls like that at the 4th audition stage. I thought that Momo was a girl who had been on TV, And while Risako had a broken limb (laughs), she was as cute as a doll, Chinami had a great figure and oh-so-long legs, I was at a loss! I really had no confidence at the time. And before I knew it, Maasa had turned into a black-haired beauty, a motherly presence. 

Sudo: Airi could sing and dance, which I thought was amazing. There was also an acting test, and I thought you were markedly different.

Suzuki: No way! I thought Maasa and Momo were amazing back then. 

Sudo: Eh (laughs)? I don't remember how I was at all, but I thought I was a ham actress, so it was like Airi could do anything.

Suzuki: We were given the script there and then, and assigned roles, but Momo and Maasa were amazing. Momo's features suddenly changed, and her lines were flawless. I had few lines, yet I was in a rush (laughs). Maasa and Momo were awe-inspiring.

Sudo: I was just shy, so I may have looked like I had withdrawn myself (laughs). When I look at Airi, it's like she can do anything. When we were doing the dubbing for 'MiniMoni。...', I wondered how you were so capable. For me, I couldn't express the line 'It's heavy', so I said it as my shoulders were getting pressed (laughs).

Suzuki: Looking back on it now, the way I said my lines was unappealing. While it would have been better to have done it childishly, it bore on my mind somehow, and became a bit mature (laughs).

A soothing presence, a presence that pushes her on
How will these 2 be like 10 years in the future

Well well then, in 10 years time, what sort of relationship would the 2 of you like to have?

Suzuki: As fellow adults, I'd like to talk about all sorts of things at even more leisure. A relationship where we'd go and visit one another's' homes. I hope that Maasa becomes a good mother. I feel like you'd be good at cooking meat-potato stew.

Sudo: Well, with meat-potato stew in hand, I'd be like 'Airi, here I am again today' (laughs)? I hope that Airi continues on singing, but it would be nice if our relationship was just as Airi mentioned. We'd chat while drinking tea. If it's Airi, even if we don't go and hang out somewhere, I feel that we'll still have a good time.

Someone who's like water, like greenery by Maasa

Suzuki: As if we were lovers (laughs)!? But it's hard to find girls you can leisurely spend time together while just spacing out, so it makes me happy. Also, Maasa's dextrous with her fingers, so I'd like to make something together. 

Sudo: That's nice. I like making things, and I've given everyone tissue cases and bead accessories that I made. I'd like to try that out as well. 

For the both of you, what sort of time have these 10 years been to each of you?

Suzuki: Maasa always tells me that I'm cute. At first I thought that you were just going with the flow along with the rest, but I gradually realised that you were for real (laughs). Since Maasa was watching me, I could push myself. For example, at morning rehearsals on concert days, you feel a bit sleepy, right? But since Maasa was watching me, I got psyched up. Maasa would generally be sitting down when I would perform songs that Maasa said I was good at. Like 'I watched you! At that same position again today' (laughs). It'd flip my own switch, and give me confidence that I'd be able to perform on that day. So I feel like I should thank you for watching me these 10 years!

Sudo: Once BeriKyuu were split, I would hardly ever meet Airi, so I really looked forward to meeting her at events like Hello! Project concerts. Just meeting Airi makes me feel at ease, she really soothes my heart. Airi, you always soothe my heart. You bring me warmth, like water, like greenery. Good for the eyes, good for the skin, and good for the throat!

Suzuki: Like Mother Nature (laughs)!?

Sudo: And perhaps it's thanks to the presence of this Mother Nature (laughs), that I could do my best in these 10 years. You might think that it's annoying, but it's to the level that I'd like you to send me photos every day (laughs)!

Suzuki: Really (laughs)! That makes me really happy!!

And if there was some weird guy latched on to Airi, there'd be problems.

Sudo: I'd immediately fly there! 'Get your hands off our Airi!!' (laughs).

Suzuki: How reliable! I feel like I'd immediately type in Maasa's phone number (laughs).

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