Koike Minami (Miichan, Miiko) / 1st Generation

I was going crazy when i saw her right at the start~ Our adorable Penguin~!

 

here are some photos from Miichan blog & members blog

 

Thanks for the pictures!! They're so cute!~!~!~! I hope she had a great birthday~!~

 

Koikeeeee
at first i wasn't very interested in her. but she gradually caught my interest with her in keyakitte kakenai. she's very cute and adorable.
i love how she's taking her bangs and pengiun seriously haha

 

There's a collection of comments on a K46 news site talking about Mii-chan's good taste. They mention her having said that she doesn't like the end of spring because she hates treading on sakura petals. One comment says that if a well-known writer like Miyazawa Kenji (Night on the Galactic Railroad) had said this, it would be a famous saying. I myself think that her monthly greeting cards on the website are the best art of all the members, including Satou Shiori, who is at art college.

She is very open in her latest blog post about how shy she has always been, that she never had many friends, but that now she feels so at home with all the members, and can talk with one or other of them whenever she has a problem. She says that Aoi's determination helps her get over the panic she feels in the front line, no longer protected by having people in front of her. Aoi has written that she herself was so nervous about Music Station that she didn't sleep at all Thursday night, but Mii-chan held her hand and helped her get through it. Neither one of them appears nervous to me, but obviously they are good at hiding it. I think they are both doing great in the front row.

It was moving in the last KeyaKake episode when it was Mii-chan who went over to console the weeping Akanen after her team's surprise defeat.

From her part of the feature on the new front line in the December Big1Girls magazine:



Thanks, keyakizakamatome.tumblr.com

 

Putting her on the front line was definitely a good move by management for her and for the group. I don't know, cause I don't have stats, but I feel like her popularity exploded from her being in the front.

That episode where she did the karaoke in the abandoned hospital for Keyabingo personally where she started getting my attention just glad she's getting recognition. Kinda see a bit of a Nishino Nanase vibe from her. Really just taking things at her own pace.

 

Thanks keyakizakamatome.tumblr.com for the scans!!
and Thanks to @ukifune for the blog translations!

I think i saw another picture where Mii-chan was comforting another member who was crying on twitter somewhere, but yes when she came up to comfort Akanen~ An Angel~

As for what @Varianth said, Well i think her popularity was blooming before she was placed in front i think?
Miichan's favourite Nogi member is Nanase~
I think taking things at her own pace is a charm point i guess?

 

Recently, I'm having a ominous fascination with Mii-chan too.

She's never been my type, having a 'protect me' image. However, it's something else I noticed: When you look at how Mii-chan moves and dances, you notice that she does everything smoothly, with feel. In many sports for example, this is a sign of hidden talent, because there's always the way of just practicing and practicing and mechanically do your moves, but those who are gifted and into it will do the things gently and enjoy themselves doing it smoothly. And it's in her acting, speaking and even blogging too, she just goes in her own flow and does the things naturally (Sato Shiori is similar in this context but has a different style). Now, I wonder whether she actually has way more potential than I thought in the beginning.

Regardless, her recognition is mostly based on her surface and the 'my pace'-cuteness, which means that it's unlikely that her actual capability will be the the main point about her, contrary to the likes of Techi or Miyu. So, to understand Mii-chan's potential, I guess one has to take a close look and think around the corner. I'll keep an eye on her.

 

It's easier to see people in front, so their strengths and weaknesses are more exposed. Mii-chan has always been praised by some as a good dancer, but I myself couldn't see her well enough to make that judgment. Now what @Atreyu says seems true to me: she dances easily and smoothly. Not flashy, but enjoyable to watch, and in tune with her nature.

Aoi, on the other side of Techi, seems to me to have actually improved now that she has prominence. Before, she sometimes seemed to me to be going through the motions, allowing others to conceal her. Now I think she may have future centre potential. Her dancing, her expressions, all are bringing something to the party.

By the way, Atreyu: "ominous fascination" is a great phrase. Full of meaning.

 

Koike and Aoi's gravure for the new gravure the television magazine is cute

scans here

 

New look. From Sasaki Kumi's blog:

 

haha she looks like shes ready to be detective ozeki's assistant.
this girl is an absolute sweetie both inside and out. even the way she looks mad (like the kakenai episode with yonetani having stuff on her) or sad (during the "guess the name" special is cute. but her transition to a smile is almost perfect. shes like a gentle ray of sunshine.

... the kansai ben might also help but that might be just for me.

 

Miichan on the cover of BOMB magazine 2017 Feb issue with Techi, Aoi, Risa and Berika



http://toriizaka46.jp/keyakizaka46/64496/

 

It's great seeing her on covers and in photo shoots. I asked a while back what the chances of her getting a PB would be, and now with this much attention she's been getting, I'm thinking she may have a good chance of getting one. I'm glad they put her in the front, I know she wouldn't be getting this much coverage had they left her in the third row.

 

cute af!!
https://twitter.com/keyakizaka46rb/status/813302861970882563

 

^^^ Hahah i love her reaction as she's changing the colors but goes past green on the first try.

 

I got a full version of BUBKA's interview, so below is the continuation of my past translation.

Spoiler

Koike: When I participated in "FNS uta no natsu-matsuri", I saw Tanimura Shinji-san (* a former member of Alice), so I was wowed and excited by myself.
-- "Chimpei is in front of me!", haha. Is your taste of music influenced by your parents?
(* Chimpei is a nickname of Tanimura Shinji.)
Koike: By my father. I knew YMO for the first time when I was lower grades of elementary school. I found it's amazing only music without lyrics can attract people, then I've been listening to them. And also I got to like Watanabe Kazumi-san and Takanaka Masayoshi-san's guitar.
-- It's fresh to hear the name of Watanabe Kazumi from an idol!
Koike: But when I first met Tuchida-san and Sawabe-san in "Keyakitte kakenai?" and said "I like Takanaka Masayoshi-san", they totally spaced out.
-- They didn't know, haha.
Koike: I thought maybe it was a problem... Even after staff explained who Takanaka Masayoshi-san is, Tuchida-san said "Ah!" but Sawabe-san still seemed "?".

■Devotion to Terao Satoshi

-- As you talked, I think lower grades children can hardly understand and enjoy the appealingness, so Koike-san seems to have rich sensitivity.
Koike: No, no. By the way, I also have a somewhat bitter tooth, and my parents say "you're strange". When I was a kindergartener, I always said "yellowtail is yummy". Also stock of udon have been my favorite since then.
-- You don't like sweets, do you?
Koike: I like rather something like sashimi than sweets. And something sour. When vinegared food was served in school lunch, I always had another helping.
-- Are you a child who didn't have modernity.
Koike: Possibly.
-- Did you feel like "I'm a bit different" when you looked around?
Koike: Not really. I thought I was one step ahead of others.
-- I see. Like "you're childish".
Koike: Hehe.
-- "You are crazy for stuffs like "Purecure"".
Koike: Speaking about anime, I liked "Space Battleship Yamato". They were broadcast on Sunday evening. I recorded and watched all of them.
-- Haha, you're unusual. Do you feel unpleasant when you see others doing the same thing?
Koike: Perhaps so. Now "Pokemon GO" is the trend, but I'm not too interested. Harada Aoi plays it even in the travel time, haha.
-- Don't you play it?
Koike: I've been playing a game where I raise a penguin. Now the penguin grows to 2 meters and 33 centimeters.
-- Grows so huge, haha. Aren't you interested in pancake or popular shops?
Koike: I don't like to line up. But if no one lines up when I go there, I want to.
-- Have you watched "Frozen"?
Koike: I've not watched it, though I've watched "Hamunaptra" several times. Also I love "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" and "Seven Samurai". Mifune Toshiro-san is cool.
(* "Hamunaptra / The Lost Desert City" is the Japanese title given to "The Mummy".)
-- Don't you have some difficulty in talking with girls around you?
Koike: For the moment, I remember names of characters and give responses "uh-huh". Despite the response, I don't understand at all, haha.
-- Haha. "I can talk about "Lawrence", though".
Koike: I tried to have an interest in what young girls today like, but finally I returned to my favorites.
-- Can't you have an interest in movies based on heart fluttering girls' comics?
Koike: I like "Saka no Ue no Kumo". Father and I have watched it again and again, so mother says "why don't you get tired?". We watch it for the scene.
(* "Saka no Ue no Kumo" is a historical drama set in Meiji era and based on Shiba Ryotaro's novel)
-- What scene?
Koike: In the battle with Russia, a character says "port the helm~!". I love the scene!
-- The scene of Battle of Tsushima, isn't it? Japan defeated the Baltic fleet.
Koike: Right! Right! I never get weary of watching the scene~.
-- Haha, you look ecstatic. Was AKB48 the trend in your class when you were an elementary school student?
Koike: Yes. When I was higher grades, it was the trend. I loved them, but didn't say around. And I was rooting for 80's idols.
-- Like Matsuda Seiko-san?
Koike: I love her so much. And Pink Lady and Candies. When an old video of them is broadcast on TV, I dance with my mother. We scramble the roles, like "which will play Mi-chan?", "I'll play Kei-chan!", lol. And I did an imitation of Julie (Sawada Kenji)'s dete ittekure~.
(* dete ittekure is a part of the lyrics of Julie's song, "Katte ni Shiyagare".)
-- Hehe, it sounds like an episode of "Chibi Maruko-chan". And you liked AKB48 at the same time, didn't you?
Koike: I liked Mirukii-san. NMB48 led me to like 48 group.
-- I see. You look somehow like Mirukii-san. I think you should be often said so.
Koike: Fans frequently say "do you behave like her?".
-- Like "are you conscious of her?"
Koike: Right. But I'm not. I feel sorry when someone says "you look like Mirukii" because I respect her.
-- Have you had the hope to become an idol?
Koike: Yes. I wanted to become an idol.
-- Not a solo, but a group idol?
Koike: Either. Like "I want to become an idol!" at all.
-- If you couldn't pass the Keyakizaka46 audition, would you continue chasing the dream to become an idol?
Koike: No. I thought I would give up if I couldn't pass because I was the 2nd grade at high school and had to think about examination.
-- You realized the dream in the last chance. Are you enjoying your idol life?
Koike: Very much.
-- Don't you think "it's different from what I've thought"?
Koike: I thought idol was not suitable for me because I was not good at talking with strangers... I couldn't speak well and present myself at all in the audition. I thought that was a problem. So I was very anxious about that when I passed.
-- Are you bad at presenting yourself and standing out in front of people?
Koike: Right. I couldn't talk well with others because of my shyness. But in handshaking events, fans said "let's overcome it together", then gradually I became to be able to speak voluntarily, and now I'm not too scared of strangers.
-- Probably you can enjoy talking with older fans.
Koike: Yes. After I said "I like 70's and 80's music", fans of Anzen Chitai and YMO got to come to my handshakings. Fans who talk about music increased, like "I like the song", "I can play "RHYDEEN" on the piano". So I'm thinking handshaking is open and delightful, hehe.
-- You behave like participating in an offline meeting.
Koike: I sing "Ruby Ring" arbitrarily.
-- Terao Satoshi's song.
Koike: And Mizutani Yutaka's songs. Members asked me "what's the song?", but they don't know even though I answer...
-- They won't know! But most of the people you mentioned in this interview are over 60, haha.
Koike: I don't know much about young actors.
-- Well, you should see the teacher played by Terao Satoshi in "Aogeba Toutoshi".
Koike: Exactly! I saw Terao Satoshi-san and thought "wow he's so cool~!".

 

...that is one tall penguin.

 

Based on Neru's Blog its now 3m tall LOLOL