prettyprettyGANG
The greatest sense of living!
Translation by pretty pretty GANG
original: https://ototoy.jp/feature/2018060507
[Short term serialization 3/3] GANG PARADE we ask “first generation members” about the relation of the 3 of them, 9 members formation, the future from now.
from left: Yumeno Yua, Yamamachi Miki, Kamiya Saki
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From the same office as BiSH, BiS and EMPiRE, the 9 members idol group GANG PARADE. Kamiya Saki who went to BiS in a rental trade returned to the group, the 2 members who passed the “WACK training camp audition” held from 2018/3/12~18, Tsukino Usagi and Haruna Ba Chiin, the 9 girls who are now active with the most members so far in the group history released their first single with the current formation “GANG 2”. With a song with great artistic value that GANPARE didn’t have so far they aim for progressing even more. Going on a 9 cities national tour “REBUILD TOUR” from 7/1, and having the final happening at ZEPP TOKYo on 9/20, we’ll deliver a GANG PARADE interview divided in 3 parts.
Interview: Kamiya Saki x Yumeno Yua x Yamamachi Miki
from left: Yumeno Yua, Yamamachi Miki, Kamiya Saki
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OTOTOY custom GANG PARADE short term serialization, this time we did the interview divided in 3 parts. The last and 3rd part, we talk with the 3 original members since POP changed its name to GANG PARADE, Kamiya Saki, Yumeno Yua and Yamamachi Miki. At the beginning the two had some reservation towards Kamiya Saki who was a former BiS member, but after many twists such as members withdrawal and Kamiya’s rental trade, they talked about how when together words aren’t necessary for understanding, and how their relation became one of relaxing near each other. We heard from the 3 of them, who while having many struggles, had a strong heart and became the foundations to GANPARE.
Interview: Nishizawa Hiroo
Photos: Jumpei Yamada
HERE TOO THERE’S ANOTHER WARRIOR (LAUGHS)
- You 3, have been doing activities together since POP era. After Saki-chan’s rental trade, how did the relation between the 3 changed?
Yumeno Yua (under, Yua): There’s something I realized exactly because we were apart. I felt lately that exactly because we have always been together, the 2 of them are the ones who understand me the most. When we were together I didn’t feel it but, I understood more things after Saki-chan returned. I became able to feel.
Kamiya Saki (under, Saki): I know! When we were at Niigata and it became just the 3 of us, I thought I was relaxed but… Eh, is it wrong (laughs)?
Yamamachi Miki (under, Miki): I understand it too (laughs). GANPARE now has a big number of members, there’s a lot of personalities, there are a lot of bright girls who talk a lot but, us 3 are relatively in the calm team. Because we’re like that, the moment is just the 3 of us it feels like my tension in lost (laughs).
Yua: There’s absolutely no need to create a mood or talk unnecessarily. Even if the 2 don’t say it they’ll leave me alone, it’s like that (laughs).
Saki: It’s fun when we are with everyone but, when it’s these 3 it’s like “Oh!” (laughs).
Miki: It’s hard to put it in words (laughs).
- Miki-chan is in charge of Kamiya Saki so, it was quite an experience when she wasn’t around, right?
Miki: I think Saki-chan’s feeling before going to BiS was strongly of supporting GANPARE. Actually, she worked a lot alone, we didn’t have the capacity to support that. After she returned, it’s transmitted she can rely on us so I’m happy. (Saki-chan) She’s someone who will give her best alone often, right? To share this and give our best it’s also a characteristic of GANPARE, it’s like she will finally rely on us.
Yamamachi Miki
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Yua: Because BiS has so much personality, I think Saki-chan taught them how to sing and to dance to fit their own personality better. Passing that it’s like the power to look at respect the members increased, I think it turned out to show their individualities in a better way.
- Listening to that Saki-chan is like “ehh” but, you don’t feel that?
Saki: Because what everyone is saying becomes to my own valuation, I’m happy when they say those things (laughs).
Yua: For example, Haruna still can’t dance sharply, right? If it was 2 years ago I think that would be unacceptable (laughs), I think it’s amazing she’s doing in a way that her behavior will show her strengths. Also, a while ago there was a time I was really down but, she said “I understand it” and supported me also mentally. If it was before, I think we didn’t have a relation she would say these words directly.
- How about Miki-chan?
Miki: I’m not able to be called “warrior”. I don’t mean it myself but, when we are talking and I say “I think that”, she says “As expected from a warrior!” (laughs).
- With what intent are you saying warrior (laughs)?
Saki: People have a core, don’t they? To Yama-chan that is heavy and thick. She replies in a way that you think it’s ok if you give your best like that, because she will propose things that will make you think it’s incredible to think like this, it’s like a warrior.
- Before the rental trade she wasn’t a warrior?
Saki: Back then she was a warrior too but, it felt like a warrior holding yourself back (laugh). For example, when I saw that her physical condition was bad during an event and she endured it to her limit without saying anything I said “warrior” but, now she’s like a spiritual pillar warrior.
- Her body and soul became a warrior (laughs). How about Yua-chan?
Yumeno Yua
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Saki: Since the training camp just before I was traded, a Yua fever like situation started. To tell what I experienced from that fever, when everyone was disperse she would just put everything in order, when I was wondering what we should do now Yua would say how we would do it, there’s also a warrior in here (laughs). There’s also a lot of wisdom. It really helps when Yua judges reasonably the things I go with my intuition.
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NOW IT’S A PHASE WE ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WILL THE 9 OF US BUILD
- When the 2 new members joined and you started as 9 members, how was mood?
Yua: I think everyone felt like there was no other way but do it. When Maika joined, when 3 former SiS members joined, a lot of things were happening and started in a way we couldn’t sort out our feelings but, this time we saw the 2 girls in the training camp, we also saw Maika, so we were working hard to the Zepp just ahead, to get known as GANPARE. The two of them also practiced thinking they had to do it, so in this way feeling wise perhaps was the time our feelings were in order the most.
Miki: I saw the training camp, the two who joined were the ones I thought it would be joining GANPARE so, at Osaka Yaon I was able to embrace and welcome them that way. After that during lessons everyone’s feelings were to teach them, we all stood in Zepp feeling we will give our best, so it was a good atmosphere.
- How about Saki-chan?
Saki: It was just the same time I had just returned to GANPARE, it was a period I was desperately searching for the thing everyone build in the 1 year I was around so, the career time is completely different but, I was facing it like I should give my best along Tsuki and Haruna.
- Indeed, it feels like Saki-chan has a newcomer feeling, the mood from before is different (laughs).
Saki: I wonder what it is (laughs). I think perhaps I stopped getting worked up in a weird way. Before I thought I had to bring forth my way of thinking for the greater good but, now while relying on everyone, because I think it should be ok to do things while being rescued by others, I think the mismatch almost disappeared. Maybe I was bracing myself before.
Kamiya Saki
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- I think the reason the 2 new members could be welcomed it’s because if we look the other way around, the group as 7 did everything they could do to the very limit, how about it?
Miki: Before the training camp started, Saki-chan has also just returned, it was at a level like “I want to do it as these 7. So, we don’t really need new members now, do we?”. But there wouldn’t be any meaning in doing things the same way as when Aya was here, it was a situation we didn’t know what we should do to build something as 7. In this meaning, we didn’t exhaust everything we could as 7 with Saki-chan, and we also weren’t moving forward.
Yua: Because the training camp started just when we decided to have that talk, the new members entered before we could be precise about what we were going to do as 7 members.
- On the other hand maybe it was a good thing that the 2 joined before you could settle on a 7 members GANPARE image.
Miki: It was. If we had talked and decided as 7, when the 2 joined, there was the possibility we would have to do a completely different thing.
Saki: Because I too was trying to understand what they had built as GANPARE with Aya, there wasn’t really the mood to suddenly talk about what we would build. First, I thought I should properly see what everyone built, and then within that think about the best way to show my individuality. Now it’s the phase we are thinking about what the 9 of use will build.
THERE’S SO MUCH MORE FEELING PUT INTO “GANG 2”
- There wasn’t even one month before the debut live. How did you spend the time before the one man?
Miki: Every day, there was practice. Thankfully there were a lot of occasions we could go on long expeditions, at some point during the 3 days on Osaka we talked how would it be bad if we didn’t practice. We had the 2 of them come in the night bus, went to the studio, while we were performing a live the 2 would practice themselves, it was days like that. In bad days it was like, we would rehearse in the morning, practice, perform live, practice again. I think everyone did well.
- Were the 3 of you also nervous for the Zepp DiverCity (TOKYO) one man?
Yua: Back when Aya was here, or the GANPARE after Saki-chan returned, I think it was something relatively tense but, by becoming 9 we would instantly collapse, I wondered how the audience would accept it. Having the movements uniform, even though we were told our performance was good, I think I was anxious about breaking this once. Because everything we did so far, it will become something completely different.
- In this turbulence you heard the “GANG 2” demo, what did you feel?
Miki: So far, even though there were negative aspects there were a lot of songs in GANPARE with lyrics like “let’s move forward” or “let’s surpass it” but, “GANG 2” melody is also splendid, when I first heard it, I wondered how I should sing it and express it. But I was happy I could sing a song like this. Even among GANPARE who is told to have a great extension of songs, it’s really a song it didn’t exists, it’s a weird feeling. Perhaps we can show again another new aspect with this.
Yua: All other songs too but, there’s so much more feeling put in “GANG 2”. I wrote the lyrics to “forget me not” but, “GANG 2” is in a way my ideal self. While having a part of I have to work hard, with lyrics close to the origin, in a way the feelings get into it the most there.
- It’s a strong song with the so-called artist nature, it’s a song testing your expression power. What did Saki-chan feel?
Saki: From the lyrics to the melody, I was really happy about every single thing. There’s also the part of being revalidated after the trade but, it’s like my true feelings that time were put into the song with a strong emphasis. I think there are also fans who are encourage with the lyrics like “let’s give our best together” but, it’s a song we can also get close by expressing things like “I’m also worrying about those things but, because those girls might be thinking the same I’ll try to give my best too”, I thought it was a song we could also express this persistence. At other interviews when I heard members saying “I put my feelings into the song”, I was happy we could share that because “me too!!!”. I think that will connect to individuality. If you can grasp the emotions only this girl has expressed with all her heart, it will be more fluent to get emotion from other songs too. In this meaning even regarding the GANPARE songs so far, I think it’s song that will spread our capacity.
- The choreography, what is the theme?
Saki: In a big picture we talked about “it would be good if it showed our history”. Ups and downs, struggling but, in the end it’s good to face forward. We made it with this big theme. As a shadow theme, being gathered closely in the beginning, it’s just a piece of meat. It was like ourselves who had no colors before auditioning with no conscience whatsoever. In the end we stand undependably but, going through a lot of things, being able to be oneself and become GANG PARADE, we also added those weird aspects.
Yua: It’s the first time you say this, right?
Saki: Choreographing was, just a little after the end of the training camp audition. I looked at the candidates, I think at the beginning everyone was no one. For example, Yokoyama Hina (Tsukino Usagi’s audition name) became Tsukino Usagi. I saw this and thought I wanted to express it.
IT WAS A LIVE IT FELT WE FINALLY STOOD IN THE START LINE
- Following this “GANG 2”, you welcomed the Zepp DiverCity one man day. Looking back at it now, how was the feedback?
Miki: Thankfully there was a lot of response from the staff and audience who came to see us saying “It was really good”. I’m happy but, I think it was a level we could make things last moment just enough to show the audience. There was the fact it was the debut live for the 2, there the 2 who were working hard, ourselves who were supporting that, I think we were told it was good by adding all of this stuff, so it was a live it felt we finally stood in the start line.
Saki: I think it’s not something you can do a second time.
Miki: In the end it’s something that can be forgiven because was the very first one.
- Yua-chan screamed “THIS IS GANPARE—!!!”. How were you feeling on the stage?
Yua: The GANPARE until now, we were in synchrony, we were a group people said the performance was good but, during the rehearsal we were told by live manager Sato-san that “GANPARE it’s not about doing it cleverly but doing it with all your might”. Until then we were focused on the choreograph but, I realized it was not only that. We would all have our own miss but, us 9 were able to make our very best at that stage. There are a lot of aspects we can’t do at all but, we exhausted the best we could do then, at this aspect I thought this is the current GANPARE. The performance might have been terrible, but I thought it wasn’t only about that.
Saki: I myself was desperate, it was the first one man after returning, I stood in that stage thinking it was also a battle for Kamiya Saki. I stood in the stage by emotionally relying on everyone’s shoulders, I did a performance I put my own feelings as I pleased in each and every song, so I was really tired (laughs). But it was fun, to an extent I found out the challenge of the 9. As my own challenge, to now manipulate 120% GANG PARADE songs… for example, in a game there’s this one sword that’s really hard to manipulate, right? It was a one man that I thought time was still necessary to be able to do it easily.
- There’s still the feeling there’s much more growing space.
Saki: To an extent before the trade, I ended up feeling within myself a stability sensation. I’m not shaken much, I can’t get nothing but 80 points, but it doesn’t become 120 points. I wasn’t influenced physically and mentally but, when tears came, I was happy I got a goal of not letting that happen again.
- The “GANG 2” coupling song “Laile” had its MV shot in Taiwan, right? Before the interview, I was impressed by the story that Saki-chan brought back from Taiwan a spirit like a “small old man” (laughs). Miki-chan wrote the lyrics but, it’s a song with what theme?
Miki: I wrote the true emotions of someone who want to give their best. There are times you want to give your best but you don’t want to work hard, right? If you look at other people, you will think it’s impossible, I think there are times it’s tiring for both the mental and physical condition. It’s a song with lyrics written about this person’s feelings. But honestly, about half of it are my own feelings. The deadline for the lyrics was just around the time the 2 new members joined and we started practicing but, we would practice every day, there was also lives with just us 7, we had to remember formations, I had to write lyrics, there were times I ended up thinking that it was really tiring. This is the first single with us 9, I thought I had to show myself how I am, so when I wrote it was accepted.
- How did you came up with the title?
Miki: Because the melody had a Chinese feeling, I thought I definitely wanted to use Chinese. I sang humming words that could go well in the refrain. Among those I thought it would be nice if there was a Chinese word that sounded like “raira”, so I googled it and there was (laughs).
- (laughs). What does that mean?
Miki: It had the meaning of “I’ll come”.
Saki: It came…
Yua: A small old man though (laughs).
Miki: It was different from who I wanted to call (laughs).
Yua: But this small old man might bring good fortune to GANPARE.
Saki: Indeed (laughs).
Yua: We’ll let it stay for a while and if it goes wrong we drive away.
Miki: If it goes wrong let’s get an exorcism…
I WANT TO MAKE A GROUP PEOPLE WILL FEEL HAPPINESS AND SUCH
- (laughs). From 7/1 the national “REBUILD TOUR” will start. The final will be held on Zepp Tokyo, which kind of live do you want it to be?
Yua: Personally, I want to make a day that’ll point out the guidelines “9 members GANPARE will move forward like this”. I think the goal is important but, I passed desperately every day of the GANPARE we built with Aya, I think in the end we managed to build um a GANPARE with Aya. I think maybe the group’s color is done during the days that pass. Because in the tour we can pass a lot of time with members, I want to show on 9/20 the GANPARE made there.
Miki: I want to have the tickets sold out. Because we couldn’t have Zepp DiverCity sold out, I want to definitely have Zepp Tokyo sold out and have fun with the audience who came to see GANPARE.
- The period between Zepp DiverCity and the BLITZ one man was short, right?
Miki: Even so it was a place we had to fill, not being able to do that is completely due our lack of capacity. We’ll catch the audience’s heart each and every live and make them want to go come back thinking “it’s fun”, I want to show that and ended it in a fun way.
- Lastly, it’s ok if Saki-chan wraps it up?
Saki: I saw the GANPARE with Aya one man at LIQUID ROOM, I understood that GANPARE is moving in this direction, I could feel the audience’s excitement as well. That’s why I definitely want to show at Zepp one man that the 9 of us will go like that. We, the asobinin, I want to make a group people will feel happiness and such.
Yua: Somehow, she became like a priest (laughs).
Miki: It’s not like it’s not happy now, ok?! We’ll become happier!