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#18 What it Means to Shoulder the Tradition that is Morning Musume。- Extended Interview with New Morning Musume｡’15 Leader, Mizuki Fukumura（2/3）
On the Platinum Generation
Of all the members in the 9th generation and those since, Fukumura is probably the one who I’ve had the most opportunities, in interviews, etc., to talk to. She chooses her words carefully and speaks with sincerity. I asked Fukumura what has changed about her since joining Morning Musume｡.
▲Mizuki Fukumura
Fukumura “My whole character has changed. I used to be so laid-back and mellow. I wasn’t good at talking with people. I guess from other people’s point of view the laid-back part about me hasn’t really changed, but I’ve changed dramatically on the inside in so many ways. I now know what the senior girls meant when they told me “Morning Musume。is like school: it’s a place that helps you grow as a person.” I gradually learnt to do things I wasn’t good at, like being sociable. So now it’s like, ‘So that’s what they meant when they said that.’”
It’s been 5 years now since I’ve been keeping track of Morning Musume。and going to their concerts. So much time has gone by and yet it feels like it went by in a flash. Fukumura is now at the helm of Morning Musume｡’15 and bearing the burden of the entire Morning Musume。history, but I wonder if there aren’t any songs of the previous generations that she finds difficult to perform live. I decided to put the question to her directly.
Fukumura ““Resonant Blue” would definitely be one. For the long-time fans of the group, I don’t think they would be satisfied with our current level of expressive capabilities. There’s emotion that you can’t achieve just by dancing or singing your heart out, but the platinum generation had that. I love the song and I want to perform it more than anything, but I love the song that much that I also don’t want to perform it.”
To me it seemed a very honest and Fukumura-esque thing to say of the group that she loves so much. “Resonant Blue” was one of the songs the group played when I saw them perform live for the first time in Paris, and the level of delivery of that song resonated through to my core. It was the Ai Takahashi-led Morning Musume。standing face-to-face with the world and a moment I still remember clearly to this day.
Fukumura “The girls of the platinum generation had a greatness that I think transcended dimensional planes.”
The eight girls I met in Paris have all since graduated from Morning Musume｡.
Fukumura “Michishige-san’s impact was huge. The first thing she got mad at me for after becoming leader was “You can’t say the same thing in the MC.” Once we were all made aware of this, each of the members started to develop their own personalities. Every word that Michishige-san spoke was invaluable.”
Of all the members in the 9th generation and those since, Fukumura is probably the one who I’ve had the most opportunities, in interviews, etc., to talk to. She chooses her words carefully and speaks with sincerity. I asked Fukumura what has changed about her since joining Morning Musume｡.
Fukumura “My whole character has changed. I used to be so laid-back and mellow. I wasn’t good at talking with people. I guess from other people’s point of view the laid-back part about me hasn’t really changed, but I’ve changed dramatically on the inside in so many ways. I now know what the senior girls meant when they told me “Morning Musume。is like school: it’s a place that helps you grow as a person.” I gradually learnt to do things I wasn’t good at, like being sociable. So now it’s like, ‘So that’s what they meant when they said that.’”
It’s been 5 years now since I’ve been keeping track of Morning Musume。and going to their concerts. So much time has gone by and yet it feels like it went by in a flash. Fukumura is now at the helm of Morning Musume｡’15 and bearing the burden of the entire Morning Musume。history, but I wonder if there aren’t any songs of the previous generations that she finds difficult to perform live. I decided to put the question to her directly.
Fukumura ““Resonant Blue” would definitely be one. For the long-time fans of the group, I don’t think they would be satisfied with our current level of expressive capabilities. There’s emotion that you can’t achieve just by dancing or singing your heart out, but the platinum generation had that. I love the song and I want to perform it more than anything, but I love the song that much that I also don’t want to perform it.”
To me it seemed a very honest and Fukumura-esque thing to say of the group that she loves so much. “Resonant Blue” was one of the songs the group played when I saw them perform live for the first time in Paris, and the level of delivery of that song resonated through to my core. It was the Ai Takahashi-led Morning Musume。standing face-to-face with the world and a moment I still remember clearly to this day.
Fukumura “The girls of the platinum generation had a greatness that I think transcended dimensional planes.”
The eight girls I met in Paris have all since graduated from Morning Musume｡.
Fukumura “Michishige-san’s impact was huge. The first thing she got mad at me for after becoming leader was “You can’t say the same thing in the MC.” Once we were all made aware of this, each of the members started to develop their own personalities. Every word that Michishige-san spoke was invaluable.”
Morning Musume｡’15 One Year On
Where do you think Morning Musume｡’15 will be one year from now?
Fukumura “A bit of leeway would be nice. I’ve been running flat out with no time to stop and take a breather these past four years. There was the period when I had to keep up with my seniors, then more juniors would come into the group and then we had some really talented singers come into the group, then we’d get more members. Personally, what I want to do most of all in Morning Musume。is to sing a lot of songs. So that’s where I’m focusing all of my efforts.
All the current members see each other as rivals, so we’re able to use each other to really lift our game. But rather than repeatedly going around on the same loop, it would be nice to establish a bit of breathing space.
Where do you think Morning Musume｡’15 will be one year from now?
Fukumura “A bit of leeway would be nice. I’ve been running flat out with no time to stop and take a breather these past four years. There was the period when I had to keep up with my seniors, then more juniors would come into the group and then we had some really talented singers come into the group, then we’d get more members. Personally, what I want to do most of all in Morning Musume。is to sing a lot of songs. So that’s where I’m focusing all of my efforts.
All the current members see each other as rivals, so we’re able to use each other to really lift our game. But rather than repeatedly going around on the same loop, it would be nice to establish a bit of breathing space.
I think the platinum generation had leeway – in a good way, that is. They were naturally cool. Even if someone like Takahashi-san did something incredibly cool, I think that, inside, she had the leeway to be able to think, ‘Okay, today I’m going to try it like this.’ I want us to become a group that has that leeway and can be cool without trying to be. It’s probably too much to achieve in one year from now but it’s something I want to work towards.”
Morning Musume｡’14’s concert in New York in October last year was a performance that really made me go, ‘Wow, I’m glad I came to this.’ Whenever I travel overseas on cultural diplomacy related activities, I’m always struck by how much love there is for Morning Musume。throughout the world.
Fukumura “It might be too difficult to do, but I would love to be able to perform overseas with Morning Musume｡’15. One of our 12th generation members (Miki Nonaka) even speaks English. She herself is quite passionate about performing overseas, so I would love to make that happen for her. To do that, though, it’s not just the 12th generation members that need to work hard, us senior members and the entire group as a whole needs to raise the bar on our performance abilities. Once we’ve achieved that, we still have to keep going forward. That’s what the nine of us have work on. But I think that the harder people work, the greater the growth you see in them.”
As a fan it brings me great joy waiting to see just how the Fukumura-led Morning Musume｡’15 will grow and make a name for themselves in the world.
Morning Musume｡’14’s concert in New York in October last year was a performance that really made me go, ‘Wow, I’m glad I came to this.’ Whenever I travel overseas on cultural diplomacy related activities, I’m always struck by how much love there is for Morning Musume。throughout the world.
Fukumura “It might be too difficult to do, but I would love to be able to perform overseas with Morning Musume｡’15. One of our 12th generation members (Miki Nonaka) even speaks English. She herself is quite passionate about performing overseas, so I would love to make that happen for her. To do that, though, it’s not just the 12th generation members that need to work hard, us senior members and the entire group as a whole needs to raise the bar on our performance abilities. Once we’ve achieved that, we still have to keep going forward. That’s what the nine of us have work on. But I think that the harder people work, the greater the growth you see in them.”
As a fan it brings me great joy waiting to see just how the Fukumura-led Morning Musume｡’15 will grow and make a name for themselves in the world.
Morning Musume。’14 New York Live Performance
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