Yamamoto Mao (Maopani) / Draft 1st Generation

Yeah I agree. This was by far the best episodes yet.

It didn't really matter if she failed the bungee jump or not it would still make an impact.

 

Would've been funny if she failed to mirror Sasshi's bungee episode.. but also funny that she could one-up sasshi.

 

just watched her debut at the Tohoku Earthquake show and she looks so nervous! But i feel kinda glad to finally see her perform. Hopefully she'll debut at a stage performance sooner rather than later. I like her a lot.

 

mmmmh sorry Mao but you were soooo stiifff during SSA concert.

She really needs to triple her energy battery to make up the lack of performance.

Sasshi won't be there to back her up each time she has a performance.

Nako and Miku are already beyond her level of performance, i'm not joking.

 

That is sad to hear. In a sense I feel bad for her, because she was shoved headfirst into all these concerts without having some theater experience first. Hopefully she'll start performing regularly on Team H's new stage later this month.

 

That applies to all Drafties though. Their level is below the average Kenkyuusei which is understandable regarding they only perform 1 song per stage (in AKB's case). Now all Drafties became common team members equal to KKS who worked hard to get promoted etc.

IDK if that's how the DRAFT system was supposed to work.
Don't get me wrong I'm not vs Mao there's too little content to judge about. I'll wait for the new stages to see her level of performance.

 

Yamamoto Mao Interview Part 1/3 on ENTAME NEXT

http://www.entamenext.com/news/detail/id=616

ENTAME NEXT - Interview with HKT 3rd Gen + Draft Members Special

HKT48 Yamamoto Mao Falls From Slide and Has Nosebleed?
6/9/2014 07:00 a.m.

From this week on, we will begin a new special segment introducing HKT 3rd Generation members and Draft members. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we will talk about the members' past, present and future.

For the first issue, we introduce draft member "Mao-Pani", Yamamoto Mao!

INFO: Yamamoto Mao (1996.09.18) Nickname: Mao-Pani
In October 2013, appointed by HKT48 Team H at the Draft Member Conference, and made her stage debut at the January 2014 HKT48 Kyushu Tour in Kagoshima.

---Welcome, top batter! Since this is the first part of a 3-part special, we will ask you the same things we ask everybody about their childhood.
---What is the oldest memory that you can remember?

Yamamoto: I was on a slide with my older sisters, and fell from the top of the slide and had a nosebleed. That was maybe when I was 3? I actually fall a lot. A clumsy person.

---But that means you were a very active child, were you?

Yamamoto: Yes, that's true. I played outside a lot.

---What other things can you remember about your toddler days?

Yamamoto: I usually played in the sand, and did finger-painting. I was very strong. In my kindergarten days, when someone took the toy that I played with, I took it back and made the other kid cry. I hated losing.

---Did you learn any (extracurricular) skills?

Yamamoto: When I was young I learned the piano and electone (electric piano), and the abacus. When I entered elementary school I did volleyball.

---Abacus! Isn't that very unusual for kids in recent times?

Yamamoto: I can't remember how to do it anymore. I learned it in a class with my sister, and fell asleep during the lesson. The teacher got angry at me a lot. But I was very earnest about learning piano.

---I heard you are very good at golf.

Yamamoto: Yes. I did it in elementary school.

---Your best score was around 90, if I'm not mistaken. Isn't that high for an elementary schooler?

Yamamoto: But there were a lot of good players. I was the worst, I think.

---So you did lessons at a very high-level place? What drove you to learn golf?

Yamamoto: At first only my father did golf, and then I went with him once and found it fun. That was how I started to take lessons. I could also complete a course.

---How about now?

Yamamoto: Nowadays I only have time to do casual practices.

---When did you become interested in becoming an idol?

Yamamoto: When I was in elementary school I really liked Morning Musume. I even collected their trading cards.

---At that time, who in Morning Musume did you like?

Yamamoto: I liked the unit, Mini-Moni

---Ah, that was when they were at their peak! But when did you become interested in entering the show business like them?

Yamamoto: I guess when I was in 9th grade (first year middle school). I was watching TV, and thought to myself that I'd like to try to be like that. I never told my parents at the time.

---You performed in piano recitals too, right? Did you feel happy to receive applause from the audience?

Yamamoto: I was super shy back then. I was so nervous that I probably wasn't happy.

---So if you are really shy, how did you join the audition process for AKB?

Yamamoto: My mother saw the advertisement for the Draft Conference. My younger sister took a photo of me suddenly on the way home from school. I applied without knowing much about it, or when they submitted the application.

---But from there on out, you moved along smoothly, right?

Yamamoto: Although I was interested in show business from the beginning, it was really unbelievable.

---Was your first choice to be in HKT?

Yamamoto: Yes, that was my first choice.

---And you were indeed selected by your first choice destination. But that's a story we will save for the next part! (Coming Wednesday, June 11)


Video at the bottom of Original Link, check it out!

 

@Tarooooo: Thanks for the articles! It's nice to know some more about Chairgirl Mao. So she played some golf then? Maybe she could take more classes and use that to set herself apart like Yamauchi Suzuran.

And everytime I see "Maopani" I always think of bread...

 

No problem!
I forgot to post the rest in this thread but all 3 parts of Yamamoto Mao's interview are in the article translation thread as well as the HKT48 main discussion thread. In Part 3 she tells the origin of her nickname: It means Mao-Panic!
Check them out!

 

YAY! she is the MVP on Odekake this week!

 

thanks for the articles @Tarooooo !
and yes she is the MVP! i laughed so hard when she did that 'power' on this week's Odekake

 

She was so cute on 140823 stage, when the fans were shouting for Chiizu (and Naopon helps with the mic), she just came to Chiizu and whispered her something. Plus, I have to say that her performance is better now.

 

Maopani will be in the senbatsu of the 4th single! Here is her post about it. Let me know if you find any mistakes.


Today the senbatsu for HKT48's 4th single was announced, and I made it into the 4th single.

When my name was called I was happy, but more than that I felt uneasy. I think that not only my efforts are not enough yet, but also most fans are still not aware of me.

But I think that this senbatsu is the biggest chance of my life.

I will try harder than before, and will work so that more people get to know me.

I keep counting on you for my growth and support.

 

Well, i can't agree more with that short statement!

I'm still waiting for her to get out of her shell. I saw some sparkling during Goboten, but it will be truly during Hikaemi I love you that i will evaluate if she has improved since the HKT concert i attended.

Surprise me, Mao! Prove that i'm wrong!

 

I really like this photo, posted by Maopani (HKT48 something something G+).

 

mao now is 1000% better than last month and 10000% since her debut and she is evolving on every team H stage.

Let's see her on this oportunity!

 

It's true she's better and evolving! When you compare her first performance of ''nagisa no cherry'' during kyushu tour and her performance with team H now, you can clearly see a girl who evolving! It's still not perfect and she still have lacking things, but for now, I just keep watching her grow up!

 

For anyone who wants to see high-polished, perfect idols is better advised to follow kpop.
I mean the major charm of 48G is to see the girls grow and improve right?

Mao has become better at connecting to the audience, both in their latest concerts (gif) and in the theater.




Funny little anecdote from a recent H stage

Theme: Your target.

Mao: Mao hasn’t. I think probably it’s already all perfect.
Nako: You have. Nako will say it, Mao-chan’s target. To wear clothes in your room.
Mao: I wear them!
Yuka-chan: Does that mean she doesn’t wear clothes?
Nako: For example, ten minutes before of taking a bath she is already completely naked.
Yuka-chan: “Completely naked”? Those words said by Nako-chan…
Nako: She prepares for the bath being like that the whole time. Moreover, when she finish to take a bath, she hold the towel with her chin and comes completely naked. And in the end, she dances or something and the towel falls.
Mao: I’m kinda sorry. I teached weird things to Nako. Nako’s fans, I’m sorry.
Yuka-chan: Nako, what do you think about that?
Nako: I don’t think anything particular.
(cr.: and video to that dialogue here: http://xxxakaskorpion.tumblr.com/post/96294087745 )

 

That is a great gif.

And WTF are you teaching them kiddos, Maopani? Strange bath etiquette should only be shared with the older members.

 

She is getting really good. Nagisa Cherry compares her to Acchan and shows her deficiencies. Then all the growth becomes more apparent. Now I see the logic. Everytime in other thread I see people saying the Draft was not a good move. I really want to say "what about Mao?" but can't because I don't know about the other draftees.