Kakizaki Memi (Memitan) / 1st Generation

Memi blog post: TIF -- enjoyment, lots of photos. Memi goes from no post in two weeks to two posts on the same day.

 

Magia Record stage play cast photo. My blog post about that, with other photos of Memi that have shown up recently, particularly screencaps of the live performance of Dare Yori mo Takaku Tobe! shown on GanaOshi. That's a song she started as double centre with Neru on and now performs as single centre.



front l-r: Ushio, Tomita, Kakizaki, Sasaki Mirei, Watanabe Miho
rear: Nibu, Kawata, Kanemura, Takase, Saitou Kyouko

 

Kakizaki Memi as Iroha, Nibu Akari as Madoka:



As usual, Memi has an interesting expression, with a bit of intensity, or perhaps self-satisfaction, in her eyes. Akari...is that her? It is. Well done. source

 

Here it is: the preview of the Techi x Memi selfieTV episode. Just what I'd hoped for: they go to an aquarium together, then to the sea. They laugh a lot. They even sing a bit together. This version is only visible from Japan, I'm afraid:


if the video does not show watch the video here

But here are some screencaps:



Main comment from Japan is about the way Techi's like a boyfriend and Memi a girlfriend. One person, however, makes the point that there is still a feeling of distance. I'm not so sure about that, but it bears thinking about. Hard to know just how to interpret everything. Lots of people say how much they envy Memi. I'm happy for both of them: Hirate seems so relaxed. Maybe she's the only one who actually enjoys Memi's warm physical attacks. The title on the first cap is: "Same school-year, same job."

Apologies for double posting here and in Techi's thread.

 

In the second pic, Hirate tells Memi that she is too close.. Haha... Fans will be drooling for sure..

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This video has been trending #1 on Japanese YouTube for at least the past seven hours, and is now at 440,000 views. You can find an internationally-viewable version in this post.

Some interesting comments from Japan.
-- Techi is like a boyfriend who wants to keep his independence and superiority, but whose actions make it obvious that this girl is important to him. [So there's distance...but no distance.]
-- "Memi/Techi, Memi/Neru, Memi/Takase, Memi/Shida, Memi/Ozeki, Memi/Kumi.... She'll go with anybody." [Memi does like to hug people, but actually, all of those are definitely just friends except Techi, and maybe (Memi claims to wish) Kumi. Memi just seems to go watery when Techi is involved.]
-- lots of envy of Memi and praise for her cute, cute devotion. Her running up and hugging Techi on the beach is said to be like a movie.
-- one person says Memi seems to be taming Techi, and that's a good thing
-- "Memi-chan...got a man!"
-- Techi is cool, but she's also cute (kakkoii...kawaii).
-- Techi as a normal 17-year-old girl
-- one person says they are a supporter of both of them, so they can't decide whether to envy Memi or to envy Techi. But in any case, they make a perfect couple.
-- some people are defending Memi x Manafi. [Sorry, that's close friendship. Memi's feelings for Techi are of a different order. Whatever that order is.]

I'm inclined to take this video totally at face value, but I do remember that both of these women are actresses. However, Techi to me seems nervous and overactive and likes to be in charge. She seems more aware of performing. Memi just seems to be playing and enjoying "Yurina." Memi is, however, aware of the camera and looks at it from time to time. Memi is so calming: maybe just what the somewhat hyper Techi needs. Is it my imagination, or do I see the two years of pressure that have made Techi feel she needs to perform for the staff? I love what she says at the end: "This was fun. I laughed a lot. So much I'm exhausted." Memi power.

But Techi is recovering even aside from Memi. People point to a moment in a weekend performance in Fukuoka where YuiPon dances closer and closer to her (intentionally) and they both laugh. We've seen more smiles from Techi in the past two weeks than in the past year, it seems.

Memi is generally not very good at publicizing things she's doing. But we already have a Message from her asking people to be sure to take a look at the video.

One negative about the video is that I don't think it shows us Memi at her prettiest. Maybe at her most attractive as a person, but her pale skin washes out when it's lit from in front, and you can't see the contours of her face, so it looks even rounder and broader than it actually is.

When Memi says she'd like to go to the sea, Yurina says: "Let's go then. We'll wear shorts ('sea-pants')." Memi seems concerned, and says they don't need to wear shorts. But Yurina says: "For the sea, of course you wear shorts." Japanese comments wonder why Memi is so surprised and concerned. I think it may be because she's self-conscious about her strong and not overly thin legs. Or because Techi's are so thin. In the end, there they are at the sea...not wearing shorts.

@MysticInstinct -- Is Techi really saying she's too close? Someone online renders it "chikai-be" I'm not sure what that would mean. "On the close side?" My aural comprehension is not that great. Techi doesn't seem to try to put more distance between them, anyway.

Spoiler: animated gif

EDIT: Now at 465K views after 16 hours online. And still trending #1. Obviously this is good for Memi, who is not near the same level of popularity Techi is. But coming just before the release of Ambivalent, it must be good for Techi's front-of-mind presence, too. She's baaack!

 

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from RE:Mind



https://twitter.com/stage_magireco/status/1028921332572991488


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@ukifune Techi did say 'chikai' to Memi.. Memi on the other hand brushed it off with a smile.. But still trending 1? Oh my goodness..

EDIT : Techi did say 'chikai be'.. My bad.. I must be hearing things after seeing such video..

 

@MysticInstinct -- 1. It was still trending #1 after 25 hours, with a total of 540,000 views. But now, after 32 hours, it's up to 659,000 views and down to trending #30.
2. My first thought was "too close," but I hoped that wasn't it, lol, so I racked my brains. I even wondered if it was "chika yuube," like underground evening, referring to the underwater light in the aquarium. But that didn't seem right. What would "chikai be" mean?

 

@ukifune 'chikai be' means close,that's for sure... Techi is using some regional dialect.. .. I have heard in animes and in dramas

EDIT: Did a little research.. The dialect Techi is using is Sendai-ben.. Where 'darou' (だろう) changes to 'be' (べ) .. Sendai is capital city of Miyagi Prefecture.. And fun part of research is that Wikipedia said that tree there in Miyagi is Japanese Zelkova.. Not sure if its talking about the regional tree that you find the most..

 

Could she be referring to how close the otters are? I'm grasping at straws, lol. Nice work, BTW.

To be honest, although I think Memi and Techi are friends, and Techi is one of the few who accepts Memi's forceful embraces, I'm not sure they're together that much. I just don't know. They probably are in the same grade at the same school, when they go. However, when Techi said she enjoyed this and laughed a lot, I got the feeling that she did not do this kind of thing with Memi as often as I hoped. But Techi's talk about feeling recently that she has the space around her that in the past she felt she did not have, makes one think Memi may be there giving her space by forcefully surrounding her with a loving atmosphere to relax in. Memi totally laughed at Techi's jokes. Just what a girlfriend does for a boyfriend, lol.

Techi still seems a bit strung-out, to me. Like "running on fumes," rushing to get things out that will entertain. Memi is much more relaxed.

From the Magia Record Twitter. Memi at rehearsal, then Memi-Mirei-Paripi (the three leading characters, I think) representing the show at an upcoming TV show with Watanabe Naomi:



The Techi x Memi extra that people get through Loppi/HMV. Not as relaxed as the Selfie TV, for sure, but similar to others of other pairs:

 

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@ukifune I think you seem to confusing it.. Here Memi approaches Techi slowly so Techi caught her red-handed.. So Techi laughed it off with 'chikai be'..

Memi has started rehearsals for the stage play?
She seems busy a lot since she updates her blog little slow.. Hope she doesn't overwork herself..

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Memi is hard at work on the play. She has mentioned working on stage fighting and ending up sore all over. And she has said that it's hard to remember all the lines, so she wishes she had "memory bread" (which I think is something from a cartoon: Doraemon?). Usually, Memi makes these little complaints when she has actually succeeded in overcoming the problem she mentions, though. Like when she said she needed a louder voice, or needed to learn to sing better.

Some new gifs from the Selfie TV just showed up:

Spoiler: animated gifs

Lol. You must be right. That little movement that only Techi would feel. But Techi didn't really hate it: she moved back to where she was and Memi didn't move away, just laughed and glanced at the camera.

Here's another little clip, showing Memi so happy, running down some stairs. The main reaction from Japanese viewers was to hint gracefully at how her bust moved and say she's growing up. But there's also just the lovely eagerness and care she seems to show. And then there's the worry that she's running down stairs holding a selfie-stick and could fall again.... Those are huge steps she is running down, always keeping the phone-camera well-aimed. I think the workmen in the back are saying: "Just look at her go! Don't fall, missy."

 

@ukifune Memi careful! Oh god.. The way she is running made me worry.. Ganbatte Memi! You will grow up to a very fine lady.. Haha Doraemon would love to lent his gadgets to Memi..

 

Now that I've seen the full video, on the one hand, the first eight minutes are wonderful, but in the last four Techi seems to be paying more attention to the male staff members than to Memi. Isn't that often what happens on a date? The guy wants to establish himself with other guys. But it was nice to see Yurina caring about Memi: enjoying the jellyfish with her (up to a point) and worrying about her shoes on the beach. Anyway, although the preview is a better work of art in itself, this has more Memi, and more of Memi and Techi seemingly being themselves.

They were at the "New Enoshima Aquarium" at Enoshima, and then on the beach there (to get to which she ran down those concrete steps). And finally in a burger joint. They mentioned that Techi's birthday was coming up (Jun25), so this must have been recorded around mid-June.

Memi admitted to Techi that she had come to the aquarium before, and had given the otters nicknames, one being "Techi." Techi wanted to know when that was, and Memi answered that it was after she joined Keyaki, actually pretty recently. I think she and Manafi went there this spring. Was Techi wondering why she didn't say "Yurina"? Or wondering who she was with...?

I really noticed how it was Memi touching Techi, rather than the other way around. It was like she was shepherding a wild animal around, trying to keep it from running away. Techi was often trying to keep out of the shots, as she does on KeyaKake. But there were times when Techi seemed pretty comfortable in Memi-world.

 

Hey! I wanna watch too! I am living with spoilers or short clips in Instagram..

Staff members are so damn lucky.. I never thought that I would be jealous of staff member

 

A couple of times over the past two years, there has been recruitment of junior managers for Keyaki. No experience needed. Decent regular wages. That's when I was tempted to feel jealous.

No-one is prettier than Memi when she looks like this:



The two paler hands are Memi's. Kumi's unseen hand is taking the shot, I believe. Kumi looks at the camera screen, Memi looks into the lens. Kumi left a note for Memi encouraging her as she worked so hard on the play. Memi called Kumi and angel. I'm not as big a Kumi fan as Memi is, lol. I feel as if she has stifled Memi's free spirit a bit, as she gets annoyed by her advances and maybe tries to make her more mature. Maturity and creativity are not necessarily close friends.


EDIT: Here's a post from 5channel that I enjoyed: "Elf, Cat, Snow Princess, Energy-Wielder, Magic-User, Magical Girl, French Doll, Idol -- she has so many attributes...." Someone had just posted elfin pics like these:



"Energy Wielder" is from Hunter x Hunter, and refers to abilities to use one own inner energy in various ways.

 

@CutePanda has put this over in the Hiragana thread, but it has to be here, too: the TV ad for Magia Record, featuring Memi. Good expressions. Although game/anime fans are complaining about the images not being right, some of the expressions make me think it will be an interesting group of characters. Memi and Mirei have the most intensity, it seems to me. Katoshi is beautiful.


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Kakizaki Memi SHOWROOM 柿崎芽実　https://www.showroom-live.com/46_MEMI_KAKIZAKI…　2018.08.21 16:00 (4pm) 6.25 hours from now.



EDIT: Only a half-hour long, but Memi seemed awfully together. There was so much to say about the play that she only got to say "What will I talk about?" a couple of times, lol. I think acting agrees with her. She said she wasn't nervous during the audition for the role of Iroha, but just enjoyed it. She's nervous about the play, but didn't feel nervous during this Showroom. As a comment said, her presence felt calm and healing. I don't think she's worried about her performance in Magia Record. She seemed pretty confident to me. There will be singing, she said. She said that practicing the fighting scenes made her muscles sore, but she said it is pretty kakkoii. Every time I see her, she seems to have grown a year, lol.

She didn't speak about the Techi video, but I wonder if succeeding in helping get Techi to do it, and shepherding her through it, made her feel like an important and responsible member of the organization, and gave her more confidence and maturity. She probably gained points with management by doing it, I think.

She said she has gotten closer with Nibu-chan during the rehearsals.

Great half-hour, for me. So natural and real. A bit over 17,000 viewers in a poorly advertised half-hour. There was quite a crowd waiting when it started. She was embarrassed at not having written a blog post recently, and said she would. She is still terrible at advertising herself: just announced this Showroom a very few hours before it started. I don't mind her concentrating on her actual work and leaving the advertising to others. I was just lucky enough to see it mentioned on 5channel.



from 5channel:


from Kyouko's blog: