Kakizaki Memi (Memitan) / 1st Generation

Today, Memi mentions that she recently really likes seiyuu Ogura Yui. Ogura-san has been a sexy young voice and figure in anime since 2010 (when she was 15). She started as a dancer, and also sings. Does this mean there's an anime in Memi's future? She also says she wishes she had a day to laze around reading manga and watching anime. When she says she wants something, it often means she has gotten it already, I have observed.

"I want (something or other)" is a common statement for Miss Natural (Memi). Yesterday she wanted to eat sweet things...and mentioned some comparatively high-class items (canelé, macaron, Mont Blanc, Tiramisu). I wonder if they will bake anything like that on GanaOshi tomorrow. Previously, she said she wanted to draw...and next week's GanaOshi will be centered around the members' drawing. Based on past efforts, Memi and Miku appear to be the best at drawing, among the members. That will make two shows in a row featuring Memi, who is one of the cooks in this week's show, upcoming in 20 hours or so.

Now that Memi is being featured so often, I begin to sympathize with the person who begged for at least a few words with Sarina, who seems not to be a favorite of the GanaOshi staff and/or hosts.

 

Animated gifs of Memi cooking on Ganaoshi 181104. From 5channel.

Spoiler: animated gifs

Wakabayashi asks her to be burikko with the pepper:


Kasuga asks her a question, but she wants to concentrate on her cooking and just replies with a meow:


Memi arrives for her second turn in the kitchen, on a swivel to figure out what has gone in since she was last there:


Memi actually tastes what has been made...and does not like what she tastes:

EDIT: In a report from Sunday's handshake event, a guest says Memi told them she was enjoying a current anime called Yagate Kimi ni Naru. So am I. It's a shoujo-ai anime with (distant) echoes of Maria-sama ga Miteru, concerning the relationship between the strong and beautiful student council president and a quiet but plain-spoken freshman who doesn't think she'll ever fall in love with anyone, let alone another girl.

Spoiler: details and links

Here's a trailer for the series, and another, and a link to the manga.



Does that scene from the manga remind you of anything? Such as Memi and Techi's trip to the aquarium together in a video extra for Ambivalent? In the manga, the young protagonist realizes that the perfect-seeming older girl is not as secure as she seems, and needs her plain-spoken help. I think Techi could use quite a bit of help, and I wonder if Memi is in a position to give any.

EDIT2: I have a running Twitter search for Japanese mentions of Memi, and it gives the hour with the highest number of posts in a day. Those numbers go up during TV shows, but this time Memi's numbers soared during GanaOshi, from the normal 10-20 to 362. Amazing what pretending to kiss a pepper will do, lol.

 

Yes I was damn right about Waka-chan! i am proud of MCs!
Memi well done

 

When I saw that happening, I thought: "How did @MysticInstinct know?" Good job by Wakabayashi. I saw criticism of Audrey early on, but I see a lot more praise for them recently. And for Memi to get straight into that excellent routine shows good instincts and good professionalism. As well as the naturalness that has always been her greatest appeal, for me. Her real feelings continue to show on her face, as Waka-chan noted.

Someone on 5channel has produced a plethora of gifs and screencaps:

Spoiler: gifs and screencaps

In her blog, Kubo Shiori has praised all of the Keyaki members she is working with on Zambi: Akanen (like a big sister), Yukka (her enthusiasm makes me do my best), Katoshi (mood-maker) and Memi (serious and mature, majime, very together...but I want to see her fluffy side some time).

 

Hirate Yurina x Kakizaki memi Selfie TV – 7th Single Bonus DVD (English Subbed)
https://depressingsubs.com/hirate-y...elfie-tv-7th-single-bonus-dvd-english-subbed/

 

It shows 404 error..

EDIT: Works fine right now! Thank you..

 

@Hiraishin -- I got a 404 from that link, too. But then I found the file via the home page. Thanks so much for doing this.

On another subject, here's a fun fact from elsewhere: an SKE fan reports that when that group had a tie-in with CoCo Ichiban, the curry Matsui Rena was said to like was the same one Memi is said to like now: tomato/asparagus curry (normal spiciness, pork sauce, 300g rice). Someone else said that Memi seemed the type Rena would like.

Others:
Kyonko -- vegetable curry, pork sauce, 300g rice, normal spiciness.
Katoshi -- cheese curry (!?), beef sauce, 300g rice, normal spiciness.
Miho -- "Never-never Bliss" curry, sweet pork sauce, 200g rice.

 

Here's a post from 5channel yesterday: "Before, I thought of Memi as an orthodox loli idol. But recently she's completely following the Manatsu-san route. In fact, sadly for Manatsu-san, she's cuter."

Can someone please explain to me what he means by the "Manatsu-san route" in this case? This is not the first post I've seen recently (and only recently) comparing Memi and Manatsu.

 

Manatsu(quite a burriko) actually fishes her fans so they are comparing them..
You can watch some of the Nogibingo episodes and you will get it right away what they mean to say.

I dont want Memi to go through that route..

 

I think that Memi is more or less incapable of being a serious burikko -- if there is such a thing. It seems to me to be all play, from her, not begging for attention in any desperate way (maybe that's true of Mana-tan, too, though). I think of her as more in control of the situation than that. But everyone grows and changes and adapts, so we will see how this goes. It makes me uncomfortable, too -- much as I enjoy each instance, lol.

But she is very capable of attracting people, largely by making some kind of actual contact, which for me she does by gazing into the camera, as if looking at each viewer directly, with her seemingly fearless and open gaze. I think I've said before that the wink seems to me just a way of reminding people she is "looking at them." To me, she is one of few performers who actually seems to be present, and not just putting on a show at arm's length from herself.

But as I say, people change. She may have to become more artificial to be successful, unfortunately. Many people in her 5ch thread are now posting that she is "the idol" now. So far, she still seems "there" to me, as in the way she slightly resisted doing the pepper thing, then came through with what was really an inspired performance, followed by a conspiratorial smile. Or maybe it was her self-satisfied smile.

In any case, I'd better watch some Nogibingo to get the picture. Recent or past?

 

Past ones .. Like 5th and 6th season , i guess..

It's true that she looks at you during showroom and I have my heart skip a beat..

After this revelation of her being burriko,she is actually attacking with her cuteness more and many fans are noticing her..

But i feel she isn't really burriko, idk why. .. It's like she is just revealing something of herself and doesn't seemed force except when you force her that she is really burriko (during the GanaOshi set)
She is more confident than before and that's just a plus point .

 

Her fans on 5ch remark on how well she speaks -- something I feel, too. She doesn't say the food is "awful" (mazui), which would be a normal thing for a teenager to say, but says it is "not tasty" (oishukunai), with a bit of a disapproving wail in her voice. They point out that her father is an internationally-known flower artist, her family runs a flower shop, and her grandma judges ikebana. They say that she has a comparatively cultured background, even if the family isn't wealthy.

Her visible reaction makes me feel she has not changed that much from two years ago, when I was so impressed by how her feelings were visible on her face in the auditions. She has more control now, but her real reactions slip through fairly easily.

Here's a shot of Kumi, Katoshi and Kono-chan reacting to her "burikko to a pepper" scene:



The caption is Katoshi saying (of the pepper): "Wash it, please." Katoshi is hilarious, too. In fact, a close inspection of the video suggests to me that Memi probably never touched the pepper with her lips, that she had her thumb between her chin and the pepper, so it wouldn't touch. I'm not sure what Kumi's reaction is: disgust? Disapproval of Memi taking this path? Uncomfortable amusement? Kono-chan just seems delighted, lol.

People comment how effective her finger tapping the pepper is. To me, she has rhythm and comic timing. One failure in the pepper scene: that's not her best wink, lol.

It was Wakabayashi who asked her to do the pepper thing, and a media critic in Japan has praised him highly, both in general and for making GanaOshi such an enjoyable show, saying that it takes a writer (which he is) to come up with such things. The critic says he keeps the show going, calling on Kasuga from time to time to scare the members into action.

I was struck by the lovely sequence where Memi was having trouble knowing what to do and cried out: "Help, Kasuga-san." I thought she might be making up for being one of the many who chose to be Wakabayashi fans rather than Kasuga fans, and I liked that. It was even better when he attempted to help and she didn't take time to reply, just waved the pepper and went "meow!" I think Audrey is realizing that she is a natural comedian.

Fans are also impressed with the pony tail, and with the apron. "I want a wife like that," says one. Pretty interesting to see her go from being seen as a kid to being seen as a wife so quickly, lol. She has said she wants to show herself grown up.

She reports on Message that she and Kubo Shiori are becoming friends, and that she now calls her "Shii-chan." She must be a bit less busy over the weekend, since there are suddenly 2-3 messages showing up morning and/or evening.

 

I definitely thought that Memi is a wife material!
I mean look at her! How she looks beautiful and matured in that ponytail though she is the same age as mine! I wouldn't mind waking up early to see this beautiful wife!
She is so much busy that I am beginning to miss her..

 

Memi and Katoshi video speaking about Zambi. Posted fifteen minutes ago.

 

Memi and Manatsu are similar in that they're both burikko and ostentatiously kawaii to a sometimes eye-roll inducing degree (for non-oshis anyway). The difference is that Manatsu is seen as conniving and black-hearted and she plays up thst image herself. Whereas Memi appears genuine and earnest.

Also the relationship between Memi and Kumi similar to the relationship between Manatsu and Maiyan. But again, Memi appears genuine whereas Manatsu sometimes seems like she's messing with Maiyan on purpose.

Though FWIW I would love to see a "Trial of Kakizaki Memi" episode (ultinately being found innocent of course).

 

@Navicon46 -- Thanks for the detail. I had never known that Manatsu had a dark side. She seems more Neru-like to me. Oh, wait.... Lol.

To be honest, as innocent as Memi may seem, I think she is as much black as white. She was a vampire fan in middle school. Innocently dark, lol. I recently saw comments on 5ch about her being so quiet and well-behaved. I guess they didn't see her breaking into Kyonko's Showroom and racing around laughing, with a mischievous smile on her face, finally tickling Kyonko against her strongly expressed wishes. If Kyonko expressed her true feelings, I think Memi might be found guilty, lol. Kumi in particular has really disliked the way Memi physically attacks and gloms onto people with her hugs. But she also has a kind of special relationship with her, so Kumi might vote not guilty.

I'm waiting to see how Memi develops this so-called burikko act. So far, it doesn't seem serious to me, just a successful act. Not "black-hearted", just a fun way to get fans interested. But even in her auditions two years ago, she took some delight in doing such then-embarrassing things as zukkyun. And handshake guests report good treatment (of all but the nastier guests, whom she sometimes seems to put down), recently including lots of stares and winks and "I love you".

 

Zambi opens in two days.... This photo of Umezawa Minami (Nogi) and Memi from the play's twitter account is labelled "captured" (or "I got her" #捕獲しました):



Memi is still not doing much on her blog, or on Message (though she has posted their every day for the last 2-3, without pics). But now even members of other groups are helping us put.

EDIT: Someone has come up with a nickname for this pairing: "Meminamin."

 

The Zambi home page says that after each performance, two members will sing a duet or put on some other entertainment, as they choose. Memi has mentioned going to karaoke with Katoshi after rehearsal to practice their song.

The run begins this Friday, with the Red team going at 2pm and the Blue team at 7pm. Memi and Katoshi will do their song after that blue-team performance. Add one more thing for Memi to be spending time working on. And one more reason to wish I could be there.

 

I've subbed a couple of Memi videos. One is her 21 August Showroom, just before the start of the Magia Record stageplay run. The other is the Magia Record PV that came out during the run. I think she's great in both: natural and present in the Showroom; and naturally dramatic in the PV, going from weeping at the memory of how nervous she was when they started rehearsals, to an amazing burst of joy when she thought of being able to act this play for more performances and produce more great stuff.

Showroom 180821:




Magia Record PV:




The final performance of MagiReco will be shown on TV on Saturday 24 November, from 10pm to midnight, on TBS Channel 2:
【放送情報】
舞台「マギアレコード 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ外伝」
CS放送チャンネル「TBSチャンネル2」
11月24日(土)午後10時～深夜0時放送.

 

The first performances of Zambi were on Friday, with Memi's group (the Blue team) going second, in the evening. Reviews are good all round, with Memi getting special praise for extreme cuteness and for the after-live she did with Katoshi. People said it was a bit rough -- Katoshi forgot some of the words of her first song -- but felt like being at karaoke with them. Katoshi did Nanase's Mou Sukoshi no Yume. That was followed by Memi doing Neru's Wait 100 Years, then the two doing Nogi's Hausu and then Hiragana de Koi wo Shitai. I did not expect a four-song mini-live. Before the event, people were speculating it might just be one song.

I was surprised to read that Memi did a cartwheel at some point in the evening. She probably learned 100 Years from Neru, and Neru helped Techi during her cartwheel at the Rock in Japan festival, so perhaps Neru taught Memi the cartwheel, too. Or perhaps Memi's friend Yurina did. A couple of reports said Memi did it well. I'd hoped to see Memi's acting getting more praise, but not particularly from the posts I read, except for a couple in Memi's 5ch thread. Maybe Sunday. Memi is one who keeps steadily working to improve.

Memi has published a couple of nice photos in her Message, and Katoshi has published several -- including two with Memi -- in her blog (comments on 5ch: "I want to be attacked, too"):



Here are some pics of Memi (with Kubo Shiori) from the pre-Zambi publicity session. I don't know if she's acting in-character or if she just looks more mature these days:




That last shot is from Manafi's blog.