Kakizaki Memi (Memitan) / 1st Generation

I couldn't let her go without say goodbye.
No matter what she'll chose to do, no matter the path she'll take, I wish the best for Memi.
She has all it takes to succeed.

またねめみ
ありがとうございます


(I'm pretty sure the image is within the limits, but let me know if I have to reduce it again. HighRes on my DeviantArt gallery or, in a few minutes, on my twitter... I'm not really satisfied with Memi espression... she looks sad like I feel though lol
sigh)

 

Just last night, I re-watched the burikko battle segment in HiraOshi...and I woke up this morning, thinking of checking @ukifune 's excellent blog, and boom - Memi's graduation topic is the first thing I see. I guess I found this out a little later than you guys.

My personal take: she's been a major part of the group for me since early days when she arm-wrestled Akanen in Keyakake - for all our speculation about her not fitting with the 'direction of the group' (as true as that might be)...she embodies the "light", the Happy Aura of Hinata. That's what I personally feel, anyway.

I wish all the best for Memi in whatever path she chooses. Thank you for the memories, for the smiles & for the nyan-nyan winks.

 

From Moriya Akane's blog
(Sorry, my Japanese isn't that great so this might not be that accurate)

"Including ohisama, it will take time for everyone to take in the reality
I will miss you now that I can't work with you anymore
I have so many memories

I was in the same group as Memi-chan onstage and although it was just a short while, we were able to spend time together
I'm happy to have learned about various aspects of Memi

Memi-chan is a very hard working person who has a kind heart and inspires me

I was very happy to know that you love Kanji Keyaki
You taught me Hiragana's choreography and that is a memory I won't forget
I want to dance together again someday

Thank you for all the memories
There is a long life ahead of Memi-chan
I will always support you in the future ahead
I look forward to fulfilling our promises together
Thank you so much"



(Mod note: please thumbnail images larger than 750x750 pixels.)

 

@Isaac H -- Thanks for your kind comment. I used to feel Memi was the happiest member of the group, with inner happiness rather than a show of happiness. I had begun to think she was becoming less happy -- especially in a clip from after the Laguna event -- when, boom, she decided to graduate. Early on, I said that I saw something like fear in most idols' eyes (quite rational desperate need for approval from fans and management, maybe), but not in Memi's eyes, which seemed always calm. Memi sometimes seems to intentionally go against her best commercial interests: e.g., fans love twintails and she decides not to wear them. And now she is reaching a point from which the group's and her own popularity could explode, and she backs away, for her own reasons. I admire this, to be honest, although my own interests lie in having her remain in view.

I'm not really a fan of burikko, and kind of regret that has become Memi's calling card, but that second burikko battle, where she pranced away from Manamo with a sour look on her face, ranks up there with Memi-cho and "ghost burikko" as amazing comic sequences. Top-class comedy, for me.

@bandica -- Nice translation of a nice blog post. I love to think Memi is still thought of fondly in Keyakizaka. Back around Christmas 2016, when Shida was thrilled to have made Memi's jaw vibrate (which Memi says happens when she's overexcited), Hirate got it to shake, then Akanen failed to. Shida loved that, lol. Good on Akanen to remember Memi this way.



@bandica -- By the way, the size limit for photos is 700px in any direction. If you reduce the size below that, no moderator will come and delete the photo on you.

 

@ukifune Great photos. The thought of Akanen trying and failing to make Memi's chin vibrate makes me laugh I'm glad to know Keyaki and Hinata still have good memories together

Also, thanks for the note about images! I'll remember that next time

 

I think the lyrics from Yasashi-sa ga Jamawosuru are like the implied message that the member wants to convey to Memi who will graduate from the group. I can't interpret each sentence (through google translate), but it seems really presented her condition through these lyrics:

ソファの上で肩寄せて　寂しさを分け合いながら これからのことを　ポツリポツリ話した　この夜
While holding shoulders on the couch and sharing loneliness, I talked about things from now on

夢はいつでも　ここじゃない　どこかにあるよ 一緒にいたら　きっと叶わない
A dream is not always here It's somewhere, I will not get lost if I'm with you

優しさが邪魔をする　強がりと分かっていても 僕が止めない方が　君のためだと思った
Even though it is known that tenderness interferes with strength, I thought that the one I can not stop was for you

キリマンジャロのコーヒーを　味わえるのも最後かな 君が好んだこの酸味を　忘れられないよ
It is also the last time to taste Kilimanjaro's coffee I can not forget this sour taste that you liked

これからの日々　後悔をさせたくなくて　微笑みながら　見送るしかない
I do not want to regret every day from now on, I have no choice but to see off while smiling

Then I searched for Kilimanjaro Coffee, and here's the description:
Farmed on the volcanic slopes of the continent of Africa’s highest mountain in northeastern Tanzania, Kilimanjaro coffee exhibits distinct origin tasting flavors along with a lovely body and shining acidity that have given it a reputation as one of the world’s top premium coffees.

I think it represents something to that she really likes but now she's already end it.

Spoiler: ???

Maybe it's the metaphor of Keyakizaka who has given origin concept (dark), with the lovely appearance (idol) and an shining acidity (rebellion song).

Or is she actually like drinking Coffee?

Sorry for thinking too much, actually I didn't like the thought that Memi graduates because of she dissatisfied with Hinatazaka which I think is the best place for her to shine. She's loved by all members from her generation, and respected by all of her juniors. Many thought that members conveyed through their blog and most of them have really good memories with her and the staff always give the best for her.

 

@Remylittlechef -- Memi drinks coffee, and drinks it black. But maybe in the lyrics it can be a symbol at the same time. Nice catch. Not "thinking too much."

EDIT: Quick translation of the full song. The lyrics are fabulous. Bring tears to my eyes. Definitely for Memi, as Japanese commenters are now all saying.

Spoiler: lyrics to Yasashisa ga Jama wo Suru translated

Yasashisa ga Jama wo Suru
(Kindness gets in the way)

"I'm not vulnerable to kindness," I heard you say.
Love has ended, but I held you in my arms one more time.

Nothing will ever change. The sunlight shines in over the shade.
The birds are chattering, morning has come.
Sitting on the sofa, with my arm over your shoulders, sharing this loneliness,
Through the night, we talked from time to time about what will happen from now on.

Your dreams will never be here, they're somewhere else.
If we stay together, you will never fulfil them.

Kindness gets in the way. I know now I was just pretending to be strong
But I thought that not ending it was for your sake.
To reach happiness, what sadnesses will you endure?
My eyes are damp, the tears about to flow.

wow wow wow

This may be last time I taste Kilimanjaro coffee,
I'll never forget this taste you love.
I don't want to make you feel regret in the days to come,
So I have to send you off with a smile.

Selfishness and compassion are having a tug of war deep in my breast.
Losing you just doesn't seem real.
I bite my lip and make no complaints,
Even if you fulfill your dreams, I will still control myself.

wow wow wow

We walk slowly to the door
Even if you waited there, I would not go after that back I love.

I'm not vulnerable to kindness, I heard you say
Love has ended, but I held you in my arms one more time

Kindness gets in the way. I know now I was just pretending to be strong,
But I thought that not ending it was for your sake.
To reach happiness, what sadnesses will you endure?
I still love you, after all
My eyes are damp, the tears about to flow.

wow wow wow

 

I'm just shocked. Whatever her reason for deciding to graduate, it must be for the best. I'm not gonna dig deep into it. She must have thought hard about it too.
I'm not a big fan of any Hiragana/Hinata members but I like Memi the most. I just wish her the best. I'm sure the future is bright for her.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the music of the song, but the voices are terrific, and so are the lyrics. The way the lyrics send her off is more or less perfect: you can't fulfill your dreams here, so you have to go elsewhere, and I will let you go and not complain, even though I love you. I wonder if that is really how Aki-P feels.

Memi's father has his twitter and facebook back and has been posting about art events in Tokyo. But Tuesday he reported that he has had a cough since February and now a very sore chest, and can't sleep, so he went to a university hospital for a full check-up. No word from him yet on results. Someone who met him at his own art show in Nagano earlier this month says he had a terrible cough. Earlier this year he said he had an operation to correct a condition that could have made him blind. I hope he's okay.

EDIT:
The group -- without Memi -- did Doremisolashido on TV last night. I've just seen a nice reaction from a Memi fan on 5ch: "I was watching, but tears came to my eyes and I ended up turning away."

 

The compilation of Kakizaki Memi's appearance in Keyakake and Hiragana Oshi / HinaAi


if the video does not show watch the video here
credits to Lee Tú

 

Memi fans' worries are much reduced today, after words from Manafi. And also from Neru.

Manafi makes a point of saying Memi has spoken to her often, over a long period of time, about other things she wants to do, and about graduating in order to do them. She says that Memi will not have any regrets. Fans are making the implication that Memi has not suffered from any of the wilder things speculated, such as a serious illness, or being attacked by a stalker. We still don't know for sure why she is quitting now. The change of the name and atmosphere of the group must be part of the immediate push. But the idea of graduating is not something new, and has a positive feeling behind it.

Neru's is the first totally positive post about the graduation. She thanks Memi for working so hard for so long a time, and says it's time to rest. "First, let's soak in an onsen again." She calls Memi her "precious friend," using the word for a personal friend (tomodachi). "And from now on, too, let's go all sorts of places and see all sorts of things and talk about all sorts of subjects." She paints a picture of Memi slamming herself into Neru and lying against her, depending on her (being amae toward her).

Neru certainly has been someone Memi has been consulting about all this. She stayed overnight with her and spent another day with her during the period when she must have been deciding. As a fan of Memi, of Neru (including tanuki Neru), and of trying new things, the only thing that would make me happier is if I knew we would still have a chance to see her and follow her career. Everyone says how much Memi thinks about everything, and that they are certain she has not made this decision without full and adequate thought of all the angles.

Still no real indication what Memi plans to do. But Neru includes a pic of another excellent little wire sculpture she made. Coupled with other little sculpture/cartoons Memi has posted in recent months, and her statement a while ago that she wanted to learn more about the history of art in the wider world, she may be heading back toward art. But with Neru involved, perhaps there is a chance of some entertainment, too? The one thing we know for sure Memi wants to do is act. Whether she has moved beyond that now, I don't know, but for me, her joining a theatre troupe remains a possibility, even though Manafi talked about her becoming an ordinary person, as opposed to someone in show business.

One intriguing thing is the tweet yesterday from her father about his attending an event at the Swedish embassy about studying in Sweden. Scandinavia is Kakizaki-sensei's base in Europe, and an area Memi said long ago she wanted to visit. She would have to graduate from high school first, though, so that could be something for the future. Maybe Kakizaki-sensei can follow my wish and take his daughters on a European art tour during the school break in August.

I'll do full translations of the two blogs (and of Kumi's), but I wanted to spread the good news right away. Here's the pic from Neru's blog with Memi's (left) and Neru's versions of Anpanman's face. You can see at a glance who has the art training. Although Neru's has a bit of cubism about it, lol. "Master sculptor."



EDIT: On the other hand, management has announced that Memi will not take part in the special event commemorating the release of the BD of Magia Record. Whether this is management refusing to give publicity to someone who has announced her graduation, or because Memi doesn't feel up to it, is not clear. No reason, such as "health reasons" is given, so I'm imagining it's management's choice, but I don't know.

 

Sugai Yuuka has written a blog post about Memi. She says what a hard worker she is, what a professional, how cute, and how overpowering an actress, especially in a scene in Zambi where Yukka and Memi were both part of a scuffle, and Memi slammed into Yukka so hard, with such a going-for-it look in her eyes. Yukka was able to withstand the charge, but the eyes.... The photo was taken after the last national handshake mini-live the two groups shared, at a little wrap-up party they had together.



Memi's father keeps tweeting and posting to Facebook about art shows in Tokyo. He says he liked one, but since he could only see out of one eye, most of it was too dark for him to see. He had an operation earlier this year that saved his sight, but obviously not fully. And he's a visual artist.... Some people wonder if his health, or the interference with his Twitter, or possible stalking around the family home, may be factors leading Memi out of show business.

There is a petition movement calling for Memi to rescind her graduation. And there is a contrary movement from people saying not to disrespect Memi's wishes. There's a tweet from someone who claims to have a friend who knows a member of Hinata, and they say that for both Neru and Memi, graduation is their own choice, and they both have their own reasons. And the post asks people to stop trying to pull Memi back.

There are plenty of people, including me, who are mesmerized by the idea of Memi joining Keyakizaka, but I think that ship has sailed: they have more than enough members already, and Techi may not last there much longer. I think Memi is headed either for an art college/university (after spending this year finishing high school) or for acting. Maybe both.

 

It feels like stalker when I read many posts here about Memi's father. As Memi fan, I only enjoy her activity as an Idol. I don't try to pry into her personal area, including try to find about her family. It would be different case, if Memi said herself that her father is him, reveal his name or showing up with that guy in the public. Finding his identity and even following his activity and try to connect it with Memi is just felt wrong to me.

Maybe, I only love Memi as an Idol and artist. Personally, I don't know her. I need to meet and hang around with someone for long time in order to know that person personally. As for Memi, I never met her or spend many times with her. So...

 

@MasToppu -- Thank you for saying that. I was wondering if someone eventually would. That may well be the best attitude -- and I know it is a general one among fans. But I am interested in entertainers -- Memi in particular -- as actual people, to the extent I can know about them. And so that is the approach I take. I apologize to those whom it makes uncomfortable.

It was only a widely-believed rumour that he was her father until he started dropping confirmations in his twitter, such as showing the outside of Yokohama Arena with her picture on it, and mentioning the Hinatazaka lives there. And I do like his art, as well as his social media posts. He's an interesting guy. And the context of Memi's art and personality includes him.

 

That Memi is not in the group photobook just announced for August is of course somewhat disappointing, but Memi's work with Hinata actually ended sometime between 14 April, when she posted her final real message (an audio "good night") and 19 April, when she did not appear on M-Station. The photobook was shot in late April, according to a tweet from Okinawa on 24 April that reported seeing members there. More about the photobook here.

I have always had the sense Memi was leery of an individual photobook. She said she wanted to do one...when she was 20, lol. She really seems to me to have done comparatively little magazine work, by someone's choice.

Well-known Hinata fan Miyakawa Ichirouta, the actor who played the teacher in Re:Mind, reacted with shock when he first heard of Memi's graduation, saying he hoped she didn't regret it. Later he posted: "Although of course I respect her decision, she has a high level of dramatic talent, and it would be good if she would follow the path of being an actress."

 

Sadly there is no Memi in the Hinatazaka Photo book. It might be concluded that Memi had decided to graduate and talk to management well in advance (since the beginning of April maybe), because I thought it was almost impossible for management to skip her especially when her conditions were "unhealthy" without any “hiatus” status, because this is a "Group Photo book" and they will definitely rethink other schedules to include all members. Even if Management knew this, they should also offer to Memi whether she wants to take part in this even before the planning date of the photo shoot and it could be a tribute for her graduation.

I think this is still a mystery too,
Since Neru announced her graduation, she still follows a few jobs as Keyakizaka or solo event, her blog and Mobame still updates normally. Unlike Memi who even after switching to the new Hinatazaka website since February, the first blog entry that we got from her was the graduation announcement at interval 4 months (Feb-Jun). Like the theory I've read, that management stopped pushing those who had intended to leave the group and prefer to push other members. It made me wonder too, whether letting her current situation be hidden from her fans was the thing she wanted, or Memi herself who had decided not to do activities with the Hinatazaka in the future.

Spoiler: .......

I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend anyone because I'm sure none of you feel this way. To be honest, I was a little annoyed when the antis said Happy Aura had disappeared from the group or the atmosphere in the group has changed. Happy aura itself is a concept that 1st gen made as their performance even though on their journey they have experienced more bitter than Happy Aura, also a contrast with Kanji Keyaki’s main concept. Among the members of Hinata it was Memi who was the closest to the Kanji members, even with their most popular members, so many Keyaki fans also fan of her, but instead there were some of their fans who hated Hinata for this. Like the statement "If Memi moves to Kanji Keyaki then she will not think of graduating from the group", or "Hinatazaka has decreased and its peak is only their name change, Memi's expression said it all" and the worst of their words that Hinatazaka has "thrown away" Memi from the group. But seeing the current conditions I can't stop thinking about it, even though there's nothing I take seriously any of their words. Anything that is able to stop this unpleasant rumors from spreading is probably a clear confirmation, if there’s not any, in the future it will probably worsen the image of Memi and Hinatazaka too. Once again, forgive me to spilled all of that, even though I only take a quick glance of their Japanese “toxic” forum (which I don't think I will visit it again) that was my conclusion. I like all three Sakamichi Groups both the song and members, but Memi and Hinatazaka are so special to me, and want everyone to keep supporting Hinatazaka even after Memi’s graduation.

When memi is already left the group, it will certainly leave a big hole in Hinatazaka, and I'm not sure they can patch it quickly in the near future. In their recent performance at Music Wave and Rakuten Girls Award, they intentionally emptied Memi's position in both Kyun and Joyful Love. Of course it was not a perfect performance and there must have been a feeling of emptiness when they performed compared to their performance during the full-team.

I still hope for a special event on Memi graduation day. It’s better if it’s a graduation concert with a beautiful send off as Nogizaka did and located in the member's hometown. Given her huge and great contribution to this group as well as appreciation for all the fans who supported her all this time, so they don’t have any regrets.


I can’t imagine they will perform daretobe without this girl

 

The idea of Memi going to Kanji doesn't make sense to me. Memi isn't friends with Kanji as a whole, she's just friends with Neru and Techi. I haven't seen any evidence that Memi is friends with anyone else in Kanji. And Neru announced her graduation well before the change to Hinata and Techi is barely active. So there really is/was no reason for her to go to Kanji.

I just hope Memi won't end up regretting this decision.

On a personal note, I realized today what bothers me the most as a fan. One of the best things about following idols is seeing them grow from wide-eyed amateurs to professional stars. You don't just listen to their music, you get to know them through variety, showroom, mobame, etc. Back when I first started following idols I thought "Man, how awesome it would have been to have been a Oshima Yuko oshi from the very beginning, or a Mayuyu oshi etc., and to have been there from the very beginning to the very end through an almost decade-long journey." And I quickly became a Nogi fan but even they had been around for a few years. So I was excited when Keyaki arrived and I was able to find a group I like that I could follow since the beginning. But all of my favorite members have all graduated or are graduating. Zumiko, Neru, and now even Memi. Feels bad, man. Maybe I have a type?

 

As @gish0048 says, I expected to be following Memi for years to come, as she grew as a person and an artist. And all the activities Sakamichi idols do -- especially the weekly TV show -- allow us to follow them quite closely.

I must have a type, too. My favorites are Memi, Neru, Techi, Monta and Shida. Maybe what they have in common is unusual confidence in their own ideas. That has led three of them into graduation, perhaps.

@Remylittlechef -- I think April 14 may be the date Memi told Seed & Flower she was going. That was the date of her final real Message, a spoken "good night" (oyasuminasai). And also possibly the day Premium Melodix was recorded. The show was broadcast after midnight that night, and in it Memi seemed a bit on the outside. And it shocked me at the time that suddenly they made Nao the one who winked most, rather than Memi, as it had been for the previous few months. First they had the other guests (Katoshi, Mirei, Kyouko, Kumi) try it. Then they had Nao do it (and she did it expertly). But no Memi. Something had changed behind the scenes. And Memi's father appears to have met with Memi in Tokyo around the 14th-15th.

But I also think Memi may have known her own mind, at least, when she took that highly unusual solo excursion to Kamakura on April 5.

This whole thing was not particularly sudden, however: her blog and Message started dwindling in the second half of 2018 and dwindled more in 2019. And in her Bomb magazine interview published 9 April and probably done sometime in March, she said she had recently gotten interested in learning about the history of world art. And she had already taken to making excellent little pieces of jewelry like her tanuki pin for Neru, some earrings, and the little wire flowers in her final Keyaki Message. These are tiny clues, but they suggest she may be headed for the art world in some way. (Memi's statements about acting suggest she might go that way, but Manafi spoke of wanting "ordinary girl Kakizaki Memi to enjoy her life," and that suggests she might not be headed for show business..)



Why has Memi said nothing? I don't know. Maybe part of the reason she is going is disaffection from fans (stalker?). Maybe she's embarrassed and doesn't know what to say. But maybe management has told her to say nothing, so as to keep attention away from her and on Hinatazaka -- and to prevent outspoken Memi from saying something that might reduce sales. I think this is quite likely.

I'm still mulling the whole thing over, overthinking every detail trying to figure out what happened.

I agree Memi is highly unlikely to go to Keyaki, but I still enjoyed this fantasy from a Memi fan on 5ch: he says he dreamed that Memi appeared on the last night of Keyaki Republic, as Keyakizaka revealed their next single....

EDIT: Interesting news Friday. The 3rd-year high-school girl who won a national drama-writing contest (the "Drama Koshien") wants Memi to star in her high-school zombie drama, which will be produced and broadcast by FujiTV. The writer, Itou Yurika, even looks a tiny bit like Manafi, lol. source

 

Is there no way Memi too was at ROK today, right?

 

https://twitter.com/69fest/status/1147788849503850496?s=20
From the fans report they saw Konoka, Tomita, Kumi, Takase, Katoshi, Miho, Meimei, and Ayaka. Many said that Neru also among them but looked like she's going to stay at backstage.
To think that last year they could perform on the same stage and in front of the same audience as them but now they can only watched them from a far, they will surely remember those memories of the past.