Million Live 3rd Live Leaders’ Interview 01: Machico & Kido Ibuki

To commemorate the first Million Live 3rd BD release we have translated the first Leaders’ Interview from the 3rd Pamphlet featuring Machico and Kidochan. Thanks to PuchiTL for the edit as usual.

Leaders’ Interview 01: NAGOYA

In this 3rd Live Tour, every venue has its own appointed leaders. In this column, each venue’s leaders will be asked about their resolutions and stories up to now. First up is the interview for the leaders of the Nagoya venue: Machico (Ibuki Tsubasa) and Kido Ibuki (Yabuki Kana)

First up, can you tell us your feelings when the leaders for the Nagoya Venue was decided.

Machico: Based on the flow until now, I thought Mirai’s Harunyan would be the leader, so I was surprised when they announced that this live tour will have specific leaders for each city! I was really worried whether we could actually do it.

Kido: I couldn’t believe it either! Harunyan has always been our center, I pondered on whether I’ll be able to handle this important role, but I have Machico as my partner who I’m close with. As long as I’m with her, we should be able to pass the baton to the next venue… I have nothing to worry about if I’m with Machico!

Machico: You’re so cute! (laugh). Ibuibu is the youngest Million Live member, so it’s amazing that you got picked to be a leader!

Kido: Ehehe, thanks (embarrassed)

Machico: After hearing about the leader thing, the two of us hung out a lot. We would go out and eat, and every time we both ended up talking about “We’re not sure what’s gonna happen, but let’s do our best!”

Kido: Yeah, I still don’t have the image of a leader. What about you Machico?

Machico: Hmm, I want to level up our performance compared to the firstt & second lives! Nagoya is the first venue of the tour, so this is a really heavy task. I would like to help everyone get along with each other better. We’re both leaders, but instead of pulling everyone up, I want everyone to help each other. It would be great if we are able to show off a colour that is unique to Nagoya. This time, there are some MILLIONSTARS members who will perform in an anniversary live for the first time.

Kido: For Nagoya we have Inagawa, Kiritani and Watanabe (Keiko). Is there anything we can do to support them?

Machico: Let’s see. It’s all right for you fail and miss during Million Live lessons. Even if you don’t  remember the choreography, there are people watching who will be willing teach you.

Kido: That’s true, if we’re wrong people will tell us!

Machico: For example, Harunyan would watch everyone in the mirror as we’re dancing, and she’d say “Hey, that bit is different, it should be like this!” Because of that I want to tell Inagawa and the others that “The other members will teach you and take care of you, so don’t worry even if you can’t keep up!” What about you Ibuibu?

Kido: During the actual concert, people may be worried that they’ll get nervous and forget lyrics and dance steps, but I think making sure that the Producers enjoy themselves is more important than delivering a perfect performance, . Because of that I feel that it’s important for us to enjoy being up there on stage… I’m going with “It’s okay if I fail as long as I can enjoy it with a smile!”

Machico: Yeah! It’s important for you to enjoy yourselves!

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As the leaders of the Nagoya venue, is there anything you would like to try?

Machico: At first I only had the vague image of the leader shouting “se~no!” during Thank You! (laugh). After that I started watching old live footage to research what Harunyan did!!

Kido: Oh, how did that go?

Machico: Harunyan is great at making people excited! People will get excited regardless, but as a leader you have to be more proactive in doing things like that. In the lives up to now, Harunyan would say “Everyone, I wanna hear your voice!” and the Producers would answer with “uooooooh!” and then we’d add in our “yaaaay!” to that bit (laugh). As the hyper ones, the two of us need to get people hyped!! So how about we just shout for a start?

Kido: Yeah, I think shouting all kinds of things would be great.

Machico: During Welcome!! each unit will have their own individual lines, and if each idol would freely shout something associated with them, I think the Producers would get a kick out of that.

Kido: Then I’ll shout “Tenmusu!”

Machico: Eh? Tenmusu?

Kido: Because the live is in Nagoya, and there are lots of specialties (laugh).

Machico: Oh! Like Nagoya Cochin and Hitsumabushi? Chicken wings too!

Kido: Sounds delicious!

Machico: Misonikomi Udon? Let’s throw udon at the audience!

Kido: Catching that would be hard! (laugh)

Machico: During THE IDOLM@STER M@STERS OF IDOL WORLD!!2015 throwing those signed balls was fun, it’ll be nice if we can do something like that  (laugh).

Kido: Yeah but don’t throw udon (laugh). Nagoya has a lot of delicious foods, and the shopping arcades smell great.

Machico: It’s really tempting!

Kido: If we have time, I want to try a lot of the food here. Anyway, personally I want to make people feel like the idols are performing on stage. A 2.5D live where everyone’s looks and performances are just like the idols!

Machico: In terms of performance, I want to pay even more attention to the character aspect than before. From singing to how we present ourselves on stage, even the things we might have missed before.

Kido: I wonder what the direction and stage set will be like this time.

Machico: The venue sounds like it’s going to be big. It’d be nice if we get to  hop in those carts again. During 2nd being able to get really close to the Producers was a lot of fun!

Kido: I want to go all out with my singing and dancing, too. Million Live has a lot of artist-like songs and choreography. There are a lot of difficult songs, but I feel like it’ll be great if we can work hard and show it to the Producers. I want to show them a new color of Million Live!

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If Tsubasa and Kana were leaders, what do you think the live would end up like?

Kido: Kana gets a lot of eating scenes these days…

Machico: That’s true! Like with those petit choux!

Kido: Ever since she ate petit choux during THE IDOLM@STER MOVIE Kagayaki no Mukougawa he, she ended up as a glutton.

Machico: There are a lot of big eaters in Million Live!

Kido: That’s true~. She gets called a chubby idol so I wanna fix that.

Machico: But that chubby Kana was cute (laugh). I wonder what Tsubati (Ibuki Tsubasa) would do. These days in the Gessan comic she really feels like a troublemaker that doesn’t cooperate with anyone. She’d go with her own pace and people would tell her”Tsubasa, if you do that no one will be able to catch up!” and she’d lightly reply with “Really? Everyone can do this!” while going ahead on her own.

Kido: Tsubasa is a genius who can dance and sing, isn’t she?t Kana likes singing too, but she’s tone deaf, so she’d go ahead with all she has in spite of it not going well for her. She’s a clumsy girl but she’s the type of leader who works hard because people around her support her. She may not be able to leader-like things, but if she sees her friend sad during a lesson, she’d bring the girl a petit choux while telling that girl to hang in there.

Machico: And we’re back to petit choux (laugh). Tsubati goes with her own pace and may not be sensitive to the things happening around her But she loves everyone so if she sees Kana working hard she’d probably give her ideas like “Hey, lets do it like this!”

Kido: And then Kana would say “Oh that’s good!”

Machico: The two of them won’t get mad either, so they won’t ask “Why can’t you do this?” or “Everyone, let’s take this seriously!!”

Kido: Instead of “Let’s do this properly!” they’d say “If you’re tired, we’re taking a break!” (laugh)

Machico: But I think this will go well. Kana can be the brakes to Tsubati’s actions, and they’d think about everyone’s strong points. Fight, Tsubasa! (laugh)

Kido: Yeah, it’s probably gonna be okay!

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In the 3 years you’ve been together as MILLIONSTARS, what are your impressions about each other?

Machico: When Ibuibu gets on stage, she switches really fast. It feels like she researched how to appeal to others more than anyone else. Even though I’m 6 years older than her, I still have much to learn! When speaking I would lose words quickly but Ibuibu can speak so well… Her mental age is definitely older, that’s why I feel safe. (laugh)

Kido: Oh, come on~ Thank you!

Machico: Oh and I like Ibuibu’s “na~inai” voice during Kana’s Original Koe ni Natte.

Kido: You’re a maniac! (laugh)

Machico: I’ve known her from middle school, and early on she had this innocence, and she even looked like a kid, but I feel like she’s growing up so fast. The serious look fits her now. You can’t go wrong taking pictures of Ibuibu’s moving expressions!

Kido: Aww, shucks(embarrassed). Still, I’m a lot more conscious about my expressions now. During THE IDOLM@STER M@STERS OF IDOL WORLD!!2014 when I was singing my solo, I was overcome with emotion and cried. After watching the footage, I look really bad so I reflected on that.

Machico: You were cute!

Kido: No no no! From then on I thought that I’d switch, be strong and not cry anymore. That time the Producers helped me, so now I want to give people energy! Because of that now I intend to do fun performances.

Machico: What a good girl… You’re all grown up now.

Kido: And I want to be pretty, so I started paying attention to that too.

Machico: Ibuibu, you’ve been taking better care of yourself by going to massages lately, haven’t you?

Kido: I have!

Machico: Now is not the time for me to not eat vegetables because I hate them (laugh).

Kido: I really respect Machico’s stability! You don’t waver  during your songs. Its because you work hard. You spend a lot of time doing lessons.

Machico: Come on, you’re embarrassing me!! But in addition to normal lessons, I also sing during the personal rehearsals, and then take video of it so I can check whether my song went fine. But sometimes because of the automatic corrections in the videos I can’t tell if it went fine, so I’d record my voice only sometimes.

Kido: Wow, that’s really thorough!

Machico: But if I pay attention to being able to sing well, I can’t hold Tsubati’s voice so I’m trying to find the point where it’s just right.

Kido: Wow! That’s why when I see you on stage I think “She’s an artist!” I really like Believe my change! And during 2nd when I see a lot of dancers dancing, I think “Wow she’s Amuro Namie!”

Machico: Stop that! You’re good at praising people (laugh).

Kido: Machico is really good at singing, it’s like you’re Tsubasa herself! If Tsubasa is a role for Machico, every time I see you on stage I feel that “I gotta work hard!”

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Lastly, please tell us your resolution for the 3rd Live!

Machico: The 1st live was also a lot of girls’ first time appearing on stage, so everyone really felt the pressure. By the time the second live came along, people who have experienced the first live were more relaxed reliable. Because of that, I also stopped getting worried about everything. With the other members and staff I feel calm, and stopped thinking about unnecessary things.

Kido: Yeah, I felt that our bonds with everyone grew stronger. During lessons and in ear monitor checks, and when we do our dance steps wrongly, we’d point it out to each other., I feel like we can make something good together. Our unity, our teamwork got better! When they started all they could take care of were themselves, but now we can start to see each other better.

Machico: Did the performances get better too?

Kido: When we started most of us had a hard time remembering the imas step where you move to the side. The choreography is more difficult now but most people seem to be able to follow it without too much trouble. I think everyone made progress!

Machico: I like making eye contact with other members during performances! Before I had to focus on myself and look at the producers in front, but now I can see other members too, so I feel like we’re more of a unit now. Our trust gave birth to unity no matter what the unit is. I feel that it’s because we’ve experienced lives. third live is bound to be better!

Kido: Yeah!!

Machico: We still don’t know what the units will be like this time around, but I’m sure it’ll match even the members who haven’t been there to now., The Producers will also feel the sense of newness from “This song is done by this unit!” We’re really looking forward to it!

Kido:     I’m really nervous with this important leader role, but there are people who haven’t been in lives before, so I’ll work hard with Machico to back them up! Producers, please look forward to it!

Machico: This tour is a dream come true with all the MILLIONSTARS performing, and each venue is important. We’ll start the tour with a setlist and members that can only be done in Nagoya. With my reliable partner Kido, all us idols will hit hard!

Kido: We’ll do our best!

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