Saturday 27 June 2015

H!P's orthodox successor Juice=Juice's ace ・ Miyamoto Karin is the true “ Miss Hungry Mentality”!

(Originally posted 28 January 2015)

Miyamoto Karin, the ace of the youngest group
 in the idol elite collective 『Hello! Project』,
Juice=Juice
She's the 5th person to be interviewed as one of this year's “Highly anticipated idols to look out for”、 selected by  「WPB NEWS」 in 2015
Morning Musume。’15、 ℃ーute and other groups belong to the elite idol collective  『Hello! Project』。 Youngest among them is Juice=Juice, who made their début in 2013。At the end of that year、 they received the New Artist Award in the 55th Japan Record Award。
Appearing here is the ace of the school of proficient orthodox idols、Miyamoto Karin-chan!
* * *
― And that's how it is! You're here as a 「2015 idol to look out for
Miyamoto It truly is an honour to be selected! I think that I've got to leave some sort of impression on everyone who reads WPB NEWS!
― What a wonderful statement!  You'd expect no less from someone who's called  「Miss Hungry Mentality」。
Miyamoto No no、 that's not it! It's normal!
― You're called 「Miyamoto-pro」 amongst the fans、 and it seems that there are all sorts of 「Miyamoto Karin legends」…。 First of all、 what sort of child were you?
Miyamoto Ever since I was small、 I couldn't become number one, no matter how much effort I put in。 You could say I was awkward…。 Living in a delicate position、 I thought 「This is kind of complicated…」。 I wasn't good at art、 and I couldn't conclude discussions well…。

― At which point did you become aware of that part of yourself?
Miyamoto I got 20th place in the student marathon tournament  when I was in primary 1st。 There were only 2 classes though、 so there were 40 girls in total。 And with that、 I thought 「I'm the worst」。
I'd been dancing since I was in kindergarten、 but with that、 I did my best at dancing、 built up my stamina、 and did my best at the marathon meet 1 year later。 But I came 6th。
― You managed to overtake 14 people、 isn't that amazing?
Miyamoto  Isn't 6th place really lame?  I felt like 「Even though there were girls who I could have overtaken with just a bit more effort、 why didn't I do my best?」、 I thought 「I won't be number 1 even when I do my best」。 I did my best with studies too、 but didn't become number one。 I realised that 「There is no limit to excellence」。
― Well~、 I think that 6th place is satisfactory though。 Well, so that's where Miyamoto Karin's 「Life of hunger」 started, huh。 And、 how old were you when you entered H!P?
Miyamoto 9 years old。
― 9 years old, already an idol。 Did you have confidence in your looks?
Miyamoto  I didn't! I disliked my face。 Thinking 「Why is my face like this」、 I started doing exercises to train my facial muscles when I was 10。 I awoke to make-up at that time too。 I did make-up in the style of a 10 year old。

― Make-up at 10??  You can't do it that early!!  It's bad for your skin!
Miyamoto (Laughs)。 But、 it definitely was too thick、 I got told off by our manager-san 「This isn't how a 10 year old uses make-up!」。 How would you put it、 when I joined the H!P Egg (Hello! Project Trainee)、 there were lots of cuties surrounding me。 So I thought 「As I am, I'll just be a small, normal girl」。 Just as it was with make-up、 I thought I had to work hard on things like dancing as well。
― There aren't any other 10 year olds who think about that。 Did you put in as much effort with your dance practices?
Miyamoto That's right。 At that time, I'd wake up at 4 in the morning and do independent practice (laughs)。 Watching videos of the senpai dancing、 I memorised the steps to the dances by mimicking them。 And at the rehearsal for a performance、  the sensei who was directing went like 「Right、 you're no good!  Is there anyone else who can dance this girl's part?」。
Originally、 I wasn't scheduled to appear for that song、 but I got to act as a replacement since I had memorised the dance。 That was when I was 10。
― That's so amazing。 When I was 10、 I'd just taken the training wheels off my bicycle! Also、 there's this Karin legend that「Even with a broken leg, she danced at full power」。
Miyamoto That's right! It was in summer, two years ago。 I had fallen and was thinking 「It kind of hurtsー」、 but they said 「It's a sprain」 when I went to the hospital。 So I thought it'd be all right, but the pain didn't lessen when I danced at concerts。 So、 I went once again、 and a CT scan revealed it was broken (laughs)。
― It's not something to laugh about! I happened to watch that concert、 and you were dancing like crazy, to the extent that it was unbelievable, weren't you?
Miyamoto (Laughs)。 After that, I was using a wheelchair and crutches for a while (laughs)。 What's more、 we were shooting the MV for 『Ijiwaru Shinaide Dakishimete yo』 at the time。 I couldn't dance、 so Morning Musume。's Ishida Ayumi-san came to back us up by doing my dance parts。

― It was a strange MV。 Even though it was Miyamoto-san during the singing parts、 Ishida-san was centre in the dance scenes。 First time I saw it、 I got a shock 「Eh? Miyamoto-san hair has grown… Wait up!」。
Miyamoto Honestly、 I was really frustrated、 but Ishida-san's dancing was really good。 And so、 I think it wasn't just me, but the other members also felt like 「We can't lose, we've got to give it our best!」。 It motivated us in a good way。 So I'm really grateful。 Well、 it turned out to be an MV that you'd rarely ever see、 so I'd like you to watch it if you have the opportunity (laughs)。
― By the way、 speaking of Morning Musume。’15、 Miyamoto-san auditioned for 「Morning Musume。's 9th gen」「S/mileage's (Now ANGERME) 2nd gen」「Morning Musume。's 10th gen」「Morning Musume。's 11th gen」。 And、 you missed out on all of those。
Miyamoto Yes (laughs)。
―  Why was that? Particularly during the 10th gen、 where your H!P Egg kouhai Kudo Haruka, who's about the same age as you, got in。
Miyamoto That is so。 Having said that、 Rinapuu~ (Katsuta Rina, accepted as S/mileage 2nd gen) was also my H!P kouhai, so I did feel as if I had been overtaken。 At the end、 me and Take-chan (Takeuchi Akari) and Rinapuu~ the 3 of us remained、 and I was the only one who didn't get in…。 What's more, it was announced on-stage。 I broke down in tears at the cheering stands、 and just sat at the cheering stands like that。
And、 at the place we were having lessons at during the Morning Musume。10th gen auditions、 I heard that Duu (Kudo Haruka's nickname) had advanced to the next stage。 I knew 「…I failed」 when that news didn't turn up for me、 and just like that, I broke down crying。
― Going 「Uwaーーn!」 at the lesson venue。 Like a high-school baseball player at the Koshien?
Miyamoto I couldn't think about anything。 I was crying to the point that I couldn't go out for the lesson。
― Wellー、 at the start you said you lived 「A life where you couldn't be first place no matter what」、 but you've gone through lots of those experiences、 it really does make you feel like that。 And、 the Morning Musume。11th gen auditions?
Miyamoto That was also announced on-stage。 Right in front of my eyes, my kouhai Oda Sakura-chan had passed。 But、 Oda-cha really is a good singer。 I thought 「She's amazing!」 when we did lessons together、 so I clearly thought 「I lost」。
What's more, the 11th gen was named the 『Utahime (songstress) audition』, so 「I lost at singing」。… But clearly thinking that 「I lost」、 I thought positively、 「I'll do my best to cut through a different path」。

― Advancing along such a long, long, hungering path、 how was it when you joined Juice=Juice、 with it being your 2nd year last year?
Miyamoto I got injured in the 1st year、 and I spent it full of regrets。 And、 I was rushing so frantically in the 2nd year、 I think I wasn't really able to look at myself objectively。 My feelings had jumped the gun…。
In 2015、 we're getting kouhai groups,  so I think we've got to work even harder。 Normally when 「There's a new group!」、 everyone's eyes goes towards them, right。 What's more、 these girls are just starting out with everything、 so they're reckless… I think they really shine。 But、 we've got to bring out a shine that won't lose to their brilliance!
― In particular、 the renamed S/mileage,『ANGERME』's new member Sasaki Rikako is amazing。 Similar to Miyamoto-san、 she dances so aggressively that it makes you feel like her body might break。
Miyamoto Everyone's got their eyes on the new members、 but Sasaki Rikako-chan is really aggressive。 When I was small too、 I did “large dances”、 but my dancing is more organised。 You'd go 「Whoa! She's shining」  seeing it。
At Hello! Project concerts、 there's a time when she danced next to me、 but it definitely made me think 「I can't lose here!」。 But、 while those feelings were natural、 it also has to be combined with letting everyone who came to see us enjoy themselves、 so in my mind, it's just right for me to dance an 「enchanting dance」。 A plus point of competing is that everyone gets to enjoy it。
― Besides that、 your kouhai 『Country Girls』 has also been formed。
Miyamoto They're really cute。 I've been enchanted by those girls' natural cuteness。 But、 while I watch how natural they are、  I'm imprinting in my mind, 「Where can I make use of that facial expression?」 (laughs)。
― Ehhーー?? You're ripping off your kouhai's naturalness??
Miyamoto You're mistaken、 you're mistaken!(laughs) It's things like 「The cuteness of naturally bringing out a smile」 or 「Getting self-concious and red-faced」。 Facial expressions are important when singing songs, aren't they? Plus there are also songs with spoken lines。 We get to use it in musicals too、 so it's useful。 Those girls' expressions enter the depths of your heart、 so I might bring it out when those times arrive。
For those girls、 they can get embarrassed in the middle of singing that they turn away with their faces completely red。 That's a sight that you can only observe at this moment。 I don't have anything like that at all, so I'd like to learn from them!

― Wowー、 you truly are a hard worker。 Well then、 finally, what is your personal goal for the year?
Miyamoto I've got lots。… It's like、 I think 「I'd like to be like this」、 it gradually gets stronger as I get on in years。 That awareness increases as I live on and my age goes higher and higher…。 Like I see the things I can't do、 my deficiencies。 The empty drawers within me are increasing。 And so in 2015 as well、 I'll move forward constantly with my goals every day!
― Inundated in goals! …That said、 you truly are 「Miss Hungry Mentality」。 What do you do on your days off?  Do you not laze around、 do things like read manga?
Miyamoto Wellー、 I don't。 Even with TV or music programmes, I go 「I've got no time、 so I'll skip this talk」、 I'm always watching in a rush。…Besides that, I do things connected to Juice=Juice。
― Living life in the fast lane, huhー。 Normal 16 year olds、 they go shopping for clothes, don't they?
Miyamoto Me、 I'm unacquainted with that。 My mother buys all my clothes for me, I wear them directly。
― Huhー。 Do you have a favourite brand?
Miyamoto 『KUMIKYOKU』 or 『23ku』。 My mother buys them for me。
― Oh!?  You know、 those brands have this image of being OL staples!
Miytamoto Is that so?  But then、 I'm not going to overlap with anyone, right?  「That outfit、 I've got it too!」 That doesn't happen。
― There definitely won't be any clashes (laughs)。 Wellー how splendid。 Please continue to do your best!
Miyamoto Thank you very much!

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