Nagahama Neru (Neru) / Keyakizaka46 1st Generation

As someone who is vulnerable to Neru's appeal, that Showroom above totally did me in. Neru was in full flight, maybe fuller than I've ever seen before. Not just a stream of charming expressions and cute little set-piece gestures (tongue-lolling winks, etc.), but clearly in control, flying around Sugai, manipulating her with what is obviously highly-developed emotional intelligence and irresistible force of personality. The very straightforward Sugai didn't stand a chance.

Neru seemed very willing to tease and bully people. At one point she faked being offended and stopped Sugai in her tracks. Not necessarily the most attractive element of her character, I suppose. But having seen her in the dressing room in the hidden camera episode of KeyaKake, I feel as if her pushiness stimulates the group. That sharp movement of intelligence and humorous provocation. Followed by sudden moments of confusion, transparently lost in thought. And then the sweetest and most innocent smiles. Certainly looks like a tanuki to me.

EDIT: Having watched the show again, I've come to the conclusion that Neru's antics saved the show. Sugai had a solid list of things to cover, sort of like something from a school class: M-Station, our 2nd year, etc. That would not have been nearly as entertaining as the screwball atmosphere Neru created and drove, with eager assistance from Fuu-chan and a bit of assistance from Satoshi.

I loved the period near the end where Neru was at the bottom of the screen, with only the top half of her face showing, and communicated with her eyes. I also loved it when Neru became suddenly serious and talked about how she didn't like her own voice, how she was not happy with how she did her "boku wa yada" in the Fukyouwaon recording, but said she keeps working on it in performances. Some people criticize her for refusing to get her face more visible when a comment asked her to. She said "I'm going to hide" and went fully behind Fuu-chan (thereby giving Fuu-chan more face-time)...but came out in ten seconds and made herself more obvious. She gave the commenter what they wanted, but made something funny of it.

EDIT2:
It worries me when fans call a member an "angel." Neru has been called that. So have numerous others. First, there is no way any of them are total angels. Even Mii-chan has a resentful streak. Second, it seems to dismiss anything specific about them and turn them into types rather than people.

Third, it means that once they do something that seems un-angelic, the wrath of the wotas will be upon them. I think this incident is serious for Neru, much as I enjoyed the show. I worry that Memi, Zumiko, Mii-chan, Uemuu, Yone are all vulnerable to this kind of reversal, too. But fortunately for them, none of them is as strong and forward as Neru.

 

Blog post about Neru's current appearance in BRODY magazine. She does ikebana, and is praised by the master. And BRODY gives away a set of headphones signed and worn by Neru.

 

fanart of Neru from Eccentric



source

 

Neru has made her first blog post since the Showroom fiasco with Sugai, two weeks ago. She talks about this and that -- about not having a cell phone for a week, for example -- then refers obliquely to the Showroom, I think saying that she feels she has squandered the credibility she had built up over the past year. I think she is going through a tough time.



The whole thing may be having an effect on the public. Even overseas. I think this is the first time I have seen Neru's thread down on the second page of threads.

 

For me both Neru and Techi are members that i cant fully grasp personally, after today watching keyakatte, she is really complicated, has many layers, i agree some of your blog that she is Tanuki. I can relate with the rest of member, but only those two that i cant relate, as a person who work everyday facing and maintaining people, people like them tend to be success but at the same time is hard to handle. you need to be careful when facing them bacause they capable doing anything.

Don't get me wrong, i like both of them, they both are important like other members. Neru smart but tricky is just like two side of the same coin, i guess human like that.

 

Okay sorry, but are you sure you are not reading too much into things and getting influenced by 2ch?

Because i have no idea how you could write such a long post about something so simple and trivial that shouldn't even be such a "huge fiasco": A group of best friends playing around.

Maybe this is a cultural difference, or maybe some people are just too uptight and serious, but what they are doing to Yuuka in their SR is exactly what me and my friends do to each other.

I'm glad that no one in K46 take this non-sense seriously. All the things waiting for them this summer is way, way bigger than this issue.

 

It is part of the cultural difference, but it sounds to me like it's a case of people that already didn't like Neru using a rather minor misdemeanor to justify their dislike and try to convince people to join them.

 

Yes, that's why i say this is a non-sense.

Those people are the kind of people who will look for the smallest mistakes and make a huge deal of it. Some people just have too many free time, i guess.

 

actually what happened to Neru? i watch the showroom and laughing because of Neru - Fuuchan and Shiori messing around Yuuka's room.

Sent from my MI MAX using Tapatalk

 

@ukifune first of all, I really appreciate your blog translations. I read them often - I've even taken a liking to Memi because of her posts. Thanks a lot for the good work!

Having said that - I'm in the camp that believes the whole thing is blown out of proportion. But then again, this is coming from a non-japanese asian who is a relatively new fan of idol groups...maybe I don't get the 'cultural aspect' or I don't get how the idol world really works. Maybe I'm just jaded...as someone in his late 30s, there's so many worse things happening out there on a daily basis.

Nobody likes absolutely everybody. Sometimes we put on "masks" to cope with what Life had in store. Maybe there's resentment (discord? heh) among the members. Maybe they just like to push each others' buttons, like some close friends do sometimes. Even families bicker among each other. I don't know for sure.

I still firmly believe that K46 is a stronger unit than the other group I support (Nogizaka46) - so far, they've been functioning well as a unit. I'm not able to judge them on a personal level beyond what I've seen on the TV programs. Sure, there's always rumors and speculations and crazy fan reactions - they existed in other fandoms too, I can confirm as fan of boardgames and pro-wrestling - but I just want to filter out all the toxic stuff and get to enjoy the things I want to enjoy.

Sorry for the long post, I'm not looking to bash anyone. My selfish wish is just that I'm able to enjoy the things I love, for as long as they last.

 

meh that incident was just a bunch of people harboring hate for Neru
as if it was just only Neru and Sugai in that showroom, what about the other two that were laughing along with them?

to me, they were just like any regular group of young girls having fun together.

 

I definitely hope you are all right, and this is nothing. In fact, you make me feel better about it. I myself enjoyed the show and thought Neru and the others improved it from the list of items Sugai had set up. But the flood of comments keeps coming, and 2channel is not nothing, it helps set the tone of otaku opinion. Of course, the main instigators were probably a bunch of people who have, for what I consider ridiculous reasons, hated Neru from the start.

But as a fairly sensitive person myself, it looked to me as if Sugai was frustrated and hurt. And certainly Neru and friends were messing with her script. As I wrote, I thought they improved the show by doing it. But for Neru and the others to be impolite and somewhat bullying (teasing, really) didn't come across that well even for me. I just hope it is all normal behaviour in the group, part of their daily fun. And that the vast majority of Japanese fans see it that way. I think Neru and Fuu-chan and Satoshi were thinking of it that way, trying to be natural and fun, but their act and Sugai's didn't quite jibe. As I said at the time, I hope the reaction doesn't stop Neru and others from being natural. You help me feel things may be okay.

But I'd love it if someone had a different interpretation from mine of Neru's words in that last post:
最近、
一年分の奇跡を使い果たしたことがあったので
いつも以上に
感謝の心を持って大切に過ごしていこうと思います。

Here's Neru's latest blog post, about working hard together, appreciating the work and the grand stages and the songs and the audience...and a bit uneasy that the magic will not last forever.

 

I advise you to not check Keyakizaka46's official Japan youtube for the Eccentric MV, the other day it was filled mostly with Neru hate

I'm sure Sugai's used to it maybe she even enjoys the banter and teasing(the sisterly and freindly bond she can have in keyakizaka46 despite being someone coming from a family of high status outside keyakizaka)

but I think definitely she is frustrated that her showroom organization and plans was destroyed though since she is a perfectionist and probably spent a long time planning it

 

This?

if the video does not show watch the video here

Didn't watch the whole showroom, so not sure how the other two members were interacting as well. If they were taking turns teasing each other then I think it's all g. But if it's just targeted at Yuuka then maybe there is some level of dissing there.

 

"set the tone of otaku opinion"

really? as if you said 2ch opinion is best opinion in internet world. Because they are japanese doesnt mean they always right

and for people wh think about this:

Neru Bullying? Man, are you never have fun with your friend? More like teasing each other

Why you all think everytime member teasing each other as bullying? Man, go outside and make a friend

 

I didn't say they were right. By "set the tone" I was trying to say that 2channel opinion influences general opinion in Japan. It doesn't determine it, but it's one of the influences. I just hope it isn't too big an influence. I'm a huge Neru fan and don't want to see her harmed.

 

My version of translation :

最近、
Recently
一年分の奇跡を使い果たしたことがあったので
Because something that used up all the miracle (might as well say luck) I've got for this whole year happened
いつも以上に
More than always
感謝の心を持って大切に過ごしていこうと思います
I want to treasure the rest of the year with a thankful heart in mind

(I think she meant that something happened but she barely manage to overcome it, so it might not be about the showroom specifically)

Anyway, from a japanese point of view, what she did in Sugai's showroom is just "a little bit" rude seeing Sugai is older than her and could be considered her senpai in the group and I feel that Sugai must've been pretty frustrated during the showroom around the time when she talked about skincare (but the same thing could be said to both fuuchan and shiori as they also did the same thing to sugai except that they both are in the same gen so no senpai kouhai relation there)

But yeah, I still think most of the people bashing to her on the net has already disliked her originally, so they kinda overreact to even a smallest mistakes she would made (basically anti duh)

Sad to see her kinda down lately -.- I really like her a lot

 

what''s the big fuss people making with yucca SR, is there any problems?

 

Thanks for the post translation. Somehow, that line about "a bit uneasy that the magic will not last forever" reminds me of Fuu-chan during the White Day gift episode, where she wants "Eternity"...afraid that someday Keyaki might end, she wants her time in Keyaki to last forever (or something along those lines). That makes me sad somehow, because that feeling of dread is actually relatable. Nothing really lasts forever.

I just wish well for Neru (and other members) and hope that they could cherish and "live in the moment" instead of dreading about how it's all going to end. Easier said than done, I know.

 

I haven't seen the Neru content in particular, apart from a heavily edited anti video, but I must step in here and say hardly. (As far as the influence of 2ch)

The general populace wouldn't go around looking for Keya 2ch threads to begin with, and as far as fans go - nearly everyone with at least a full foot in knows it's a place for anonymous trolls. Keyaki fans that have any influence over the rest of the fandom mostly reside on twitter.

A lot of people read it for the laughs though.