Moa Kikuchi interview & feature on Big Comic Spirits Magazine Vol.34

Sakura Gakuin 2013 Nendo student Moa Kikuchi was featured in the cover with Yuriya Suzuki from Cheeky Parade and Aika Hirota from Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, also the trio was interviewed by Big Comic Spirits Magazine! Very interesting, fun and cute interview! Read the translation and check the scans below! 

 

-- You have this 'little and docile' kind of image, but is it different in reality?

Moa: "I think, maybe I have a personality that doesn't match with my face. Maybe I'm thought of as a neat character, but when you're familiar, I'm rather noisy. Therefore I'm told that my outward appearance is that of an idol, but the contents are an old man" (Laughs).

 

-- You're not really timid, are you?

Moa: "No I'm not."

 

-- Well, surprisingly you can do things like talking with important metal artists and appearing at rock festivals. I think this personality is suited for this kind of job.

Moa: "It's that so? But, if I couldn't continue this job, I'd like to be a pharmacist. But without doing any studying."

 

-- It's impossible without studying, you know (laughs).

Moa: "That's right. I like mixing things. Therefore when I go to places like family restaurants, I do things like mixing juice, and also at the side you have things like ketchup and salt. I like mixing these things. And then I try to eat, but it tastes bad." (Laughs).

 

-- First of all, to the readers of 'Spirits' who have no knowledge of idols, please explain what kind of group you are.

Yuriya (Yuriya Suzuki): "I'm in 'Cheeky Parade'. Chikipa [Cheeky Parade's abbreviation] is an idol group for which live shows are the most important thing, aiming to be the number one of the universe, with cheekiness and aggressiveness. Our true nature is honest, but keep that secret." (Laughs)

 

-- Next, Ebichū [abbreviation for Shiritsu Ebisu Chūgaku].

Aiai (Aika Hirota): "Yes, I'm from Shiritsu Ebisu Chūgaku. The concept is, both the members and the fans, from adults to children, everyone is [forever] a junior high school student. 'Unskilled dancing and instable singing skills' is as a sort of sales catchphrase, I guess? The live is the school arts festival, all the fans are the Ebichū family, the day of the live is called a school day, there's a 'school' kind of touch, we have several tunes, we do whatever we like."

 

-- Both Sakura Gakuin and Shiritsu Ebisu chūgaku are groups based on the 'school' concept, but their school spirit is very different, right?

Aiai (Aika Hirota): "It's totally different!"

Moa: "It's different, isn't it?" (Laughing)

Aiai: "While Ebichū is called a private (school) it's rather like a public one."

 

-- Instead, saGaku (abbreviation for Sakura Gakuin) looks more like a private one.

Aiai: "It's true. only the name is 'private'."

 

-- What kind of group is saGaku?

Moa: "Sakura Gakuin is a group limited to the growth period, so right now we have 12 active members, ranging from 5th year of elementary school to 3rd year of middle school. We call our fans 'Fukei san', and we also have a handwritten blog where we write diaries about our school activity, our activities are based on a 'school' theme."

 

-- In the current idol world, this group is like a rare 'sanctuary'

Moa: "Do you think so?"

 

-- Even at the live shows, the seated audience watching, it's really like a totally different world.

Yuriya (Yuriya Suzuki): "That's true!"

 

-- This time we took pictures of you battling against each other, do you feel like fighting between groups?

(Everyone): Absolutely not!

 

-- But isn't Chikipa a fairly aggressive group?

Yuriya: "Yes, that's right! We're kawaii so we won't lose! The live shows are aggressive, at the live shows we don't get overpowered!"

 

-- Even when you say this, you're the most greedy (laughs)

Yuriya: "Because... it's very kawaii!!"

 

-- Even during the photo shooting you did a lot of 'kawaii' in a row.

Yuriya: "Now, it's so kawaii! Even now, I wonder if it's OK to be here. I feel sort of guilty for that..."

Aiai: "Even more for me, I have this feeling whether it's good to be here or not."

Moa: "But... maybe getting along well more and more, I think you definitely can't think of me as an idol."

Yuriya: "Eh?"

Moa: "I'm not idol-like at all."

 

-- It's that so?

Aiai: "I think I'm not idol-like myself."

Yuriya: "That's not true!"

 

-- I don't understand all this modesty battle (laughs)

Aiai: "In my case, inside, I'm really like a boy."

Moa: "Inside I'm an old man as well."

 

-- That isn't much known.

Moa: "That's right. I'm not shy with strangers, but in front of a kawaii girl, I feel shy and I can't talk. At the photoshoot we did just now, when we had to hold our hands, my heart was beating fast."

 

Aiai: "Really! When I felt your hands were sweating I thought, what should I do?"

Yuriya: "Yes, yes, it was like, how should I hold her hands."

 

-- The otaku fans probably know the feeling of tension when doing handshakes

Yuriya: "I totally understand. With that love deepens, doesn't it. I won't wash my hands absolutely! Even when they fight, when the eyes meet, they become shy and they unconsciously avert their eyes."

 

-- Moa-chan you're very popular with those two, inside you're an old man, and yet there's this sort of feeling of being sorry

Moa: "I said it before, but still I can't express my own self. Right now I am sitting properly with the intention of playing a neat kind of character, but in Sakura Gakuin I'm probably the one who jokes around the most."

Yuriya: "I'd like to see your joking side!"

Aiai: "Me too."

 

-- Since everyone awaits it, why don't you try

Moa: "Yes, during this discussion! Becoming friends more and more I'd like to know several things."

Aiai: "Yes, really."

 

-- Are there aspects of the other groups you're jealous of?

Yuriya: "The fact of being super kawaii! That kawaiiness that Chikipa doesn't have, that sparkling feeling. Because Chikipa acts so greedily. There's a kawaii aura coming out of these two. If Chikipa was there, everyone would get a nosebleed."

 

Aiai: "Ebichū does some curious things, Chikipa's costume is our type. So I think I'd really like to wear it. It's from a brand I love, therefore since the major debut I kept thinking that's so kawaii. Even in music videos it's so stylish, I really dream of that."

 

-- In Ebichū, things like kawaii and stylish...

Aiai: "There's nothing like that! I think I don't mind, though, about things like kawaii and stylish."

 

 

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Translation by: Gakushabaka

Scans by: Rene Colorado