1. Check the 2023 Stage48 Member Ranking Results, how did your Oshimen rank this year?

Kakizaki Memi (Memitan) / 1st Generation

Discussion in 'Hinatazaka46 Graduated Members' started by ForrestFuller, May 11, 2016.

  1. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    Just to make us feel better, the person who tweeted about seeing her filming the 2nd single in Yamanashi keeps posting to say that we shouldn't worry, he saw her smiling there. If we worry, it could make her worry, he says. In tweets over a week ago, just after that first one, he said he was in a truck, at work, so although there were guards, he looked like he was working so he could drive into a parking lot and sit there in the truck watching the filming while he ate. He says the photo-shoot for the photos to insert in the disk packages must have been done earlier, while she was still ill. I guess that could apply to the 19 musical notes without her, too. And the eight faces advertising Mechakari could be the same. The best I can think is that she is dropping extraneous work and just doing performances. We shall see. It is upsetting to read posts from a few jackal anti's on 5ch, directly saying they want her gone.

    The poster, "keyakizaka1005", is a Nogi/Keyaki/Hinata fan (recent posts mainly Nogi and Hinata) and has Memi as his oshi. His twitter account began two years ago.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2019
    • Like Like x 2
  2. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    After a period with few Showroom broadcasts, they are starting to reappear. There are slated to be three this week: Manafi (06/06, 17:45), Miho (06/05, 21:30), Manamo (06/06 21:00). Since all three -- especially Manafi -- have a connection with Memi, no doubt they will be asked questions about her. Whether or not they reply is up to them, but I think there might at least be a statement of some kind before we get to those broadcasts, so as not to put the three members in a difficult position. My (faint) hope is that Memi will join Manafi on the broadcast....

    Some old photos (and a new gif) that have shown up in the last couple of days on Twitter or 5ch:

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I really enjoy the gif. Does anyone remember what KeyaBingo that was from?
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2019
    • Informative Informative x 2
  3. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    The new single is out on radio, and we discuss in the 2nd single thread whether Memi can be heard in it. Nobody's sure, but there are some people in the world who think they hear her. Not a lot of people are sure of any voices, except maybe Toshi and Mirei. I've posted over there (a) an audio YouTube, (b) the Japanese lyrics and (c) the first draft of an English translation.

    The first sales period for the 2nd single handshake events starts Thursday afternoon and goes for 24 hours. They may well make some announcement beforehand about Memi being there, even if it's just putting her in the list of members. They probably have to let the fans know if she is going to be there, or few people will order her handshake tickets, thinking that she won't be.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2019
    • Like Like x 1
  4. Xiphyas

    Xiphyas Next Girls

    Joined:
    May 22, 2017
    Location:
    日本
    Oshimen:
    みなさん 美玖をお寿司かない
    Sadly I have bad news for you Memi-chan fans.

    There is no HS line for Memi-chan on 2nd single. I sincerely hope it's nothing serious, if is health, I wish a good and fast recovery; if study, I wish she can do her best. But no official notice about her yet.

    Hinatazaka46 HS schedule notice.
     
    • Informative Informative x 2
  5. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    With my optimistic approach, I think this is good news. What the announcement of the first sales period for 2nd single handshake literally says is that Memi will not take part in any of the 2nd single handshakes "for scheduling reasons." The natural implication for me is that she has some big, continuing outside work. Kage will not take part for education reasons, Memi for scheduling reasons.

    Twitter comment is confused by the announcement. 5ch comment includes a number of people who think it's for school and a number who think it means impending graduation. I'm sticking with what the announcement actually says, for now: that her schedule would interfere with her taking part. And I'm not going to give up on her being somewhere in the formation until I see the MV. At least it doesn't say "physical condition," so perhaps she is over any physical problem she may (or may not) have had. But the idea of her possibly having been bothered by a stalker and not being comfortable doing handshake does remain in my mind.

    I would not even be sad if she did leave Hinata for a theatre troupe, which is I think where her heart lies. Bad for us, good for her. Anyway, my highest hope is for her absence to be because she's in a prime-time TV dorama, and not able to announce it yet, because of the drama's own publicity schedule. Like I say, I'm an optimist.

    EDIT: I've looked around for other examples of members being excused from handshake for "scheduling" reasons. I know I've seen the phrase, but I can't find it in past official news items. When Hirate started missing handshake, after the 2017 flare incident, the official site news put it down to health reasons, then slipped into just not saying what the reason was. I've seen a post saying it's a common phrase in Sakamichi, but I don't know the details of other times it has been used.

    EDIT2: I have now found the phrase "scheduling reasons" (スケジュールの都合) used for things Hirate missed when she was probably filming Hibiki late last spring...but also for Neru when she was missing things this Feb-March, in the run-up to and aftermath of her announcement of graduation.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2019
    • Like Like x 2
  6. Remylittlechef

    Remylittlechef Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2017
    An article about Memi from realsound jp. The writer called her The Heroine of Hinatazaka46.
    https://realsound.jp/2019/06/post-370939.html

    edit:
    I just watched Zambi stage play, she's really good at it both singing and acting, improving so much since Magia Record. She deserves another main role on stage play.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2019
    • Like Like x 1
  7. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    That realsound piece is pretty strong, builds her up. And it goes out via Yahoo and other sites. I've just gotten far enough in Zambi to be impressed with Kubo Shiori. And I certainly agree about more acting for Memi. In fact, I think that's what may be happening.

    In her Showroom, just over, Manafi said early on (approximate quote, from 5ch plus my memory): "I definitely expected to hear [those questions about Memi]. I don't have the right to talk about that. I can't just go off on my own and talk about various things. But I can say we're as close as always. We're eternal partners." And she said something about just wanting this broadcast to be a fun conversation.

    「絶対聞かれると思っとったけど」
    「それを言える権限はないので」
    「勝手にいろいろ話すことはできないけど」
    「まぁ相変わらす仲ええとだけ。永遠の相方です」

    The "eternal" is striking (a farewell?). I can imagine Memi not feeling in sync with the new style of happy aura, and feeling the lure of the stage. But I'm waiting for more info. At least we know there are "various things" to come out. A poster gave Manafi credit for her careful way of revealing while concealing.

    Anyway, Manafi's Showroom was excellent. She was cute and smart and funny and close, said she just wanted to thank people for selling out her handshake lanes, that handshake was like the main purpose for her. She got lots of praise in comments.

    There is a slight alarum now because Memi's name is on the official list for Saturday's Kyun handshake event. But single absences are not usually announced until the day before the event, so the announcement will likely come. EDIT: The announcement came on Friday evening around 8pm that she would be absent for health reasons.

    EDIT: Here's Manafi's Showroom:


    if the video does not show watch the video here

    EDIT: Memi continues to have more than double the number of posts in her 5channel support thread as any other member. In fact, her lead continues to grow quickly even through this period when she has been invisible. The last thread (#32) filled its thousand posts in a few hours less than a week.
    Memi - 32,052 posts; Suzuka - 13,903; Kyouko - 12,892; Miho - 12,119; Mao - 11,795; Nao 11,664; Manafi - 11, 014; Mirei - 9705; ...etc.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2019
    • Informative Informative x 2
    • Like Like x 1
  8. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    As I am sure most of you know already, they announced the 2nd single senbatsu on HinaAi a few hours ago, and Memi was not in it. Perhaps we're getting closer to finding out what's going on. I would not be surprised if they released the MV this week, or even today (Monday). I still feel that the guy who said he saw them filming it was not lying about what he saw. Maybe it was not the MV, or maybe they just shot a few things with Memi in case of need. But even if he was lying, I'm grateful to him for a couple of weeks of optimism.

    Manafi and Memi's father both said a couple of weeks ago that Memi was "genki," which could mean either "in good health" or "in good spirits." It should mean the former here, but I don't know. Manafi definitely said it, in her Message. And she included a new photo with Memi and Mirei. A tweet from a visitor to Papa's art show had a pic of Kakizaki-sensei with the visitor and quoted him as saying she was genki, and as asking him to support her from now on. This suggests she is not dropping out of show business, at least.

    It could really be health problems that will make her rest all summer. Or the statement that the summer absence will be due to schedule conflicts may be true, and she may have a big project coming up. Memi said in an interview that she would have been happy to keep on at the same level of activity with Hiragana. I don't think she is really a "professional" in that sense. She's not that ambitious. She said in that interview that the important thing was to be having fun.

    Health problems suggested (by antis, with evil delight) have ranged from exhaustion to pneumonia to pregnancy to the latest favorite, leukemia. No evidence for any of them. The other possibility is a stalker. That was suggested by the post on all Sakamichi sites that members and families had been bothered. That would make life hell.

    But I think it is also possible that Memi had just had enough. Her devastation when the name-change was announced could have been because she saw the Hiragana Keyaki she had helped build up, and that had been her identity for three years, was being discarded in favour of a more genki and active Hinata which did not suit her personality or her lifestyle. She may have confirmed that feeling over the past four months and have decided to move in another direction: to acting, to Keyakizaka?

    I have always thought that her going to Keyaki would not work: Hirate may not stay long, and how would the 2gens feel? But I think she could keep up with the dancing, and she's a better singer than all but one or two of the 1gens now. And her personality is quieter, more like a Keyaki-chan. So it could work...maybe.

    Of course I want to see her as much as possible, but now I understand the stated feelings of idol otas for their oshis: all I really care is that she is well and happy, even if it means she leaves entertainment. Although it would be disastrous for the entertainment world if she left it, in my opinion. Her singing and acting are improving rapidly, and she has a natural instinct for comic timing and for surreal humour.

    @Remylittlechef -- I've watched Zambi and wow is she good. Powerful and artistic. Good pitch, though not quite as good as Katoshi or especially Kubo-chan. And she moves so well in her scenes. I wasn't as impressed by her acting -- or by anyone else's. But when there was a lot of screaming and shouting, she was a cut above everyone else with the power and realism she could bring.


    Here she is with Katoshi in Zambi and in a magazine feature from 2016 or so. Plus one more pic from later.

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    When the fortune-teller told their fortunes, the advice to Memi was that she should get advice from people around her and follow it. I imagine management or the fortune-teller or whoever came up with this imagined her going to managers or Kumi or Mana and others -- and she really did seem to get closer to Miho and Suzuka over the past few months. A 5ch poster suggested she did ask and they said she should rest. Personally, however, I think she would be slow to take advice from anyone but herself. Or maybe Neru. One poster suggested she went to Neru and Neru said: "Quit."

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    The advice to Memi, and her face as she heard her fortune being given.
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2019
    • Like Like x 4
    • Informative Informative x 1
  9. Remylittlechef

    Remylittlechef Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2017
    Yes, thanks to that twitter guy, at least it still keeps our hopes, that she participate in one or two upcoming Hinata activities.

    I think so, even though she's really cute and has a burikko image, sometimes it makes me wonder whether she's enjoy for doing it or not, and probably the colors of Hinata that the management starts to build isn't as she imagines.

    If I may speculating, it seems like after graduating from high school she was interested in taking an art college, and she began studying seriously through his father. Memi's drawings or paintings are actually quite good compared to other members, but no one ever referred her as “Hinatazaka artist” even though she said that she was the head of art club in her middle school, we also still don’t know her best piece if she is doing that seriously. Therefore she wants to learn from now on, and we all know that she has potential to be good in it. It seems that her family will support whatever she wants to do, even though this is not something related to Idol, if she says that she wants to study and persevere, especially if it's the art field that flows in her parents' blood. She is still young and there is still plenty of time to try new things.

    Maybe that's why her father and Manafi's father said she was fine, since both of them keep in close contact, but from management said not to divulge it, for Memi's sake too. She also had a chance to meet with other members recently, so it can be concluded she is not absent because of something negative. Through Manafi and her friends also said it was not something to worry about so keep believing on it.

    I advise you @ukifune to stop following those 5channel forum for a while, lots of confusing and baseless news about her. Since many fans are also wondering, it seems like they are hung up for no clear reason and also haters who don't like popular members from Hinata and the existence of Hinatazaka46 itself, their words and comments might hurt you. I hope that in the future Memi will make a comeback dramatically, which is able to answer all of the doubts that her absence is not without reason.

    btw this is my favorite pic of her
    [​IMG]

    Bonus:
    The cut from Zambi stage play team blue, Memi and Katoshi part:


    Please management, give both of them an unit song, I think this will be the best duo in Hinatazaka, since I thought her duet with Mirei were a little unbalanced because of Mirei's high voice and she tried hard to keep up, but the duet of Memi - Katoshi was perfect, their voices are matching and can complete each other part and also both of them have good expressions especially if they perform an emotional song.

    edit : the youtube video was deleted, I reupload it at dailymotion
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2019
    • Like Like x 4
  10. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    @Remylittlechef -- That's one of my favorite pics, too. And thanks for posting the duet video. Thanks, too, for your reminder about 5ch, which I will remember. But I'm afraid I can't stop looking at every possible source of information, lol. As usual, 5ch is full of everything, from the best discussion to the worst attacks. And yes, it does sometimes hurt to read bad things from nasty people. But I was just looking at Twitter and saw the same things....

    Things are looking a bit better, however, with the release of the MV. The background proves that the guy who posted he saw her filming it was actually there. He said he saw her playing around in the pool with Aya, but made the wrong assumption that meant she was actually in the MV (unless he only thought it was his oshi, Memi, and it was actually someone else):

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    In any case, it now seems at least a bit more likely she was not too ill to be there. EDIT: The poster of that tweet has posted to say he's absolutely sure it was Memi fooling around with Aya when he was there (eating lunch in his commercial truck in the parking lot) and wonders if he could have realized she was not actually taking part in the MV. He says he feels terrible that she isn't in the MV.

    Nice quote from a Japanese poster: "I'm so worried about Memi that I can't sleep anywhere but at work."

    I've always thought Memi was one of the best artists in Keyaki/Hinata, but somehow she never pushed that forward, and others didn't evaluate her at her worth. She can draw nice little cartoon figures that show emotions; her sketches of people (one of her past top fans, in this case, Shuutta) are good; I like her penmanship; and she makes nice little bits of jewelry, such as the tanuki pin she gave to Neru and the earring she's wearing in my avatar:

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    She may not be a top draughtsman, but she has an artistic sense.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2019
    • Like Like x 2
  11. Siniy

    Siniy Member

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2017
    Twitter:
    _LeCielVAN
    I know I never go through here, not because Memi does not like me or something similar because it is the opposite, she is an angel, but that's not the point. I just wanted to say that for me the words "Memi" and "graduation" don't match in the near future. As someone who was paranoid due to the absence of Uemu in the fifth single, with those rumors that she was going to graduate, the lack of news and that ultimately turned out to be a family affair, I recommend you don't worry too much about it, respect her time and wait, is the best thing to do, wait. Paying attention to comments full of hate can be harmful, those who mention a disease have given me special disgust (you are talking about the health of a person as if it were nothing!). That said, I hope that Memi is taking a good resting or working on a great project... Or both lol

    I will continue supporting and waiting for Memi. It is good to see that she have such loving and dedicated fans haha. Kisses.
     
    • Winner Winner x 1
  12. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    @Siniy -- Thanks. I'm hoping that either she has some big project coming up and they are waiting for that project's own announcement; or she is taking the summer off and her father is taking his daughters to see art in Europe (I made this up, lol). Thanks also for telling us about Uemu. I didn't realize all of that. It helps me relax...a bit. I've never understood why Uemu isn't more popular.

    EDIT: Not that it's unexpected, but again Memi is not listed for Thursday's episode of the NHK "Information and Society" education show. She also missed the last two episodes (which were probably recorded on the same day). And since it looks as if this and the next show will have been recorded at the same time, she will likely miss the next show, too. Konoka coninues to appear alone (with host and teacher). main show page, with video links.
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2019
  13. Dill

    Dill Next Girls

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2017
    Oshimen:
    Techi
    Since her antis are doing their best to make up stories, I don't see why you shouldn't spread the Europe journey too; we can just photoshop her around for proof.... just to piss them off [hehe]
    Uemura and Memi are such anomalies to me. As INTL fan who grew up reading manga, they are exactly like I expected idol to be, at least visually. So I'm a bit confused as well.
    This said, everytime a favorite of mine is missing I always hope for a dorama (I'm still waiting for Shida's :cold:) and since I really enjoyed Memi in Re:Mind (esp towards the end) I hope she had been given the chance to explore this part of her career and this is the reason of her absence. Stage plays in my humble opinion require more training and I'm not sure they need the same level of secrecy a new drama or movie requires (but I could be wrong about this, I don't really know the timing and scheduling of japanese plays)
     
  14. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    @Dill -- If management has not set up a drama and/or stage play for her this year, it might make sense for her to quit. Every time she talks about acting, her eyes light up with pleasure.

    I'll only post this here, not in the blog or on Twitter, but Kakizaki Junichi, although his Twitter is gone, is still using his Facebook. He also has a website.
     
  15. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    I've translated the piece from realsound.jp that appeared earlier this week. It calls Memi "Hinatazaka's heroine" and describes her progress over the past three years and her appeal, and hopes to see her smiling face again. Photos people have posted recently:

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 3
  16. AlterEvolver

    AlterEvolver Kenkyuusei

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2019
    Memi send mobame with pic and word, she made flower with wire.
    :omfg:
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    Yes! She writes: "I had some wire, so I made them" Two very well-made little forms of flowers, rough but elegant and balanced, made of copper (I think) wire. Yes, an artist. Daughter of a modern artist, granddaughter of a florist and ikebana judge. The wire flowers may not be perfect ikebana (I can't judge), but they are ikebana-like.

    I hate to add this, but people on 5ch have been saying for weeks now that she would post on the 15th, as she did on the 15th of May, just to keep the mobame account going by posting once a month. The previous photo, of the sun in the sky over some trees, could have been posted by anybody. This one, however, has Memi's fingerprints all over it, lol. My impression is that she, too, has been given limits as to what she can say.

    Note the pics above of the tanuki pin she made for Neru, and the earrings she made for herself. She likes this kind of art. I wonder if she got a chance to see her father's exhibition. With this kind of thing, maybe Neru can put her in touch with Marika for some future commerce, lol.

    EDIT: Posts in Japan keep suggesting she must be missing school. That is almost certainly not so, whether she's in Tokyo or in Nagano. Most young entertainers apparently go to schools that have a distance-education stream that allows them to do most of their schoolwork from home. I suspect that does not apply to top students like Kage and Aoi, who are aiming at universities they will have to study a lot for.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2019
    • Like Like x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
  18. Dill

    Dill Next Girls

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2017
    Oshimen:
    Techi
    Watching Hinatade right now... I'm the only one weirded out by the fact Memi didn't spoke at all during Miho's stuff? (I don't want to spoil it, but you should get it anyway since it was in the previews last week)


    Also, for no reason at all, my Memi-Miho ship just reached another level lol
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2019
  19. ukifune

    ukifune Under Girls

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    You just found the only thing that seems at all strange about Memi's performance, in this, the last show we know her to be in. Most comments are saying how normal and happy she seemed in the show. But I guess I did expect her to at least make a couple of burikko sounds. Voice trouble? That's something that would prevent participation in music shows and recording. But this seems to have been recorded at the same time as the previous show, where she did speak a bit (pitching).

    However, overall, nice performance. The other members were cracking up with laughter, while Memi kept seriously concentrating on the story and her reactions (except for a late smile at Miho?). And yes, Memiho for the win. Here are a some shots of Memi and Miho, plus a gif of the performance that just appeared on 5ch.

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Yes, the hand cupping Memi-cat's chin is Miho's.

    [​IMG]

    PLUS, there's a long page of screencaps here.

    EDIT: I do a Yahoo search for Japanese Tweets mentioning Memi. Usually, there are 25 or so Tweets in the busiest hour of a day, and a HinaAi show produces around 250. Last night, when Memi was doing her horror/burikko act on HinaAi, that hour stimulated 1483 Tweets.

    Discussion says that it appears Memi started doing this on her own, ad lib, and the staff saw it and framed it. It even seemed that Aya began to stop Memi, but fortunately Memi went on. There was the problem that Memi's act would take attention away from Miho's words (which it did), so perhaps Memi intentionally did not speak, in order to reduce that problem.
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2019
    • Winner Winner x 1
  20. Dill

    Dill Next Girls

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2017
    Oshimen:
    Techi
    I know I can always count on you @ukifune to fuel my ships lol :worthy:

    What felt strange to me is not that she kept quiet during her gag with Miho, which she delivered pretty well and Miho also received like a pro, but after, while they were talking to her.
    Even so, I hope she's well and it's just a casuality I'm giving way more importance that I should
     

Share This Page