Interviews

 ●  10/3/20  -  Nikkan sports article - First Interview.

Nogizaka's new [breeze]: Hayashi Runa, a new member with a strong personality.

The new rising star, Hayashi Runa (はやしるな - 16y/o), who just joined Nogizaka46 last month, it's having her first exclusive interview. She joined the group one year and three months later than the 11 members in her generation, but she has been working at full throttle with her strong spirit of, "Don't lose, don't be afraid"(her catchphrase, "makeruna, shogeruna~") against the adversity. She is going to bring a new style to the group with her strong personality, which has never been seen in Nogizaka46 before.

Hayashi Runa of Nogizaka46 shows a fresh smile for the first time.

And it seems that her reason for auditioning was somewhat... 'impure'?. "I thought if I make it to the second round, I'd meet some cute girls..." said while she smiled shyly. She liked idols from always.

When I was in my first grades of elementary school I liked Atsuko Maeda of AKB48, and when she cut her hair, I would cut my hair too. Then, after I entered junior HS, I saw Nishino Nanase on TV and that's how I got hooked on Nogizaka46.

In August of 2018 she advanced to the final round of the Sakamichi Joint Auditions. While the other candidates performed their special skills, like dancing and impersonations, she appealed to the audience with her unprecedented self-presentation: "I will report the news of Yasushi-kun, a panda who escaped from the zoo, with white eyes." she said.

"I didn't think I was going to get it, so I thought I could do whatever I wanted in front of people I'd never see again. But now I'm ashamed of myself (laughs)."

Her "white-eyed report" drew laughter from the judges, and she became the talk of everyone involved. Among the 39 successful applicants, she won media awards from several media, including the Nikkan Sports Award, the majority of them.

However, things were not simple. In November that year, while the successful candidates were assigned to Nogizaka46, Keyakizaka46 and hiragana keyakizaka46(now Hinatazaka46), she was told that she wasn't assigned to any group.

"I wasn't confident in myself, so I was heading to the station without thinking about it, but there were some unsuccessful girls at the station and when I saw their expressions, I couldn't help but cry. Everyone was cheering each other up."

Hayashi Runa writes a mathematical formula on the whiteboard.

And then her days as a Sakamichi trainee began, while her mates from the "same generation" who just joined started to appear in various media and became active. "Of course I had mixed feelings about it, but I think I had been watching everyone's activities from an objective point of view. However, from the third year of junior HS to the first year of HS I felt that we were getting old."

While some members withdrew from the tour in the middle of the tour, the 15 trainees left started their lessons in June last year. They were taught the choreography of all the Sakamichi groups songs. The purpose was to prepare for the trainee tour to be held from October. "From around the summer holidays onwards, we became much closer to each other. Me and Masumoto Kira (now of Keyakizaka46) are the type of girls who get excited even when we're down. We motivated each other." she recalls.

In September, her face and name were made public for the first time as a Sakamichi trainee. "When I woke up in the morning and saw the article in the newspaper, I thought, 'This is it' " However, regarding the photo on the official website, she said, "It's a photo of a person who is looking at me with compassionate eyes. I was like "They used this picture?", I was told by the members that I wasn't looking good enough there. But I thought it would be better if I lower a bit the bar, because I took it in front of a bright light" she laughed.

On stage during the tour, she performed a formula that uses the integrals ∫ (integral) to make the answer "884 (hayashi)(ha=hachi(8), ya=yatsu(8), shi=shi(4))" and excited the audience with another unique self-introduction.

Hayashi Runa of Nogizaka46 introducing herself in a unique way using equations.

Last month, Hayashi and the other five trainees finally decided to join Nogizaka46. "When we were trainees, everyone predicted that Runa wouldn't be assigned to Nogizaka. So I was happy to hear that she was chosen to join Nogizaka46, but honestly I was surprised." She laughed and said, "I may not be Nogizaka-like, but I think I can create a new wind for that reason."

and like that she joined the 11 members of the 4th generation who joined earlier. They are now closing the gap little by little, there is certainly a difference in experience, but they will spend more time in the future with the 16 members of the 4th term after the 5 of us have joined. At that time, I would like to be able to say 'I'm happy with these 16 members'. She said positively, "Although we're in the same group, I can learn a lot from them since they're in the group before me, so that's very reassuring.

As for her activities as Nogizaka46, she vows, "I'll do my best with my life on the line. I think I can do whatever I put my body through, as long as I divide it up as work! She declares, "No ngos."

"I'm really bad at dancing and right after I was accepted I was at a level I couldn't even be seen. But I'm the type of person who can do my best in adversity, whether it's something I'm not good at or something I don't like, and I'm the type of person who can do my best in adversity...I'm a year late to join, but that's why I can do my best and give myself a boost. I want to be someone who can brighten up the atmosphere of a place and make people like me as a person!"

"Don't lose, don't be shaken, Hayashi Runa". It will be a new weapon for this national idol group.

Source: https://www.nikkansports.com/m/entertainment/column/sakamichi/news/202003100000059_m.html?mode=all

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● Ex taishu - Kakehashi Sayaka, Hayashi Runa.

Nogizaka46 4th generation 

A talk with「Kakebayashi」

Friendship is a love tactic.

Kakehashi Sayaka, who is in the 4th generation, and Hayashi Runa, who joined her mates as the new 4th generation, went from just being interested in each other to being irreplaceable "friends" now. This is an extraordinary love-story of two girls who have many things in common.

[ Hayashi and Kakehashi are more than just fellow members, they are「friends」]

― Did Kakehashi and Hayashi interacted with each other between the time you passed the Sakamichi joint audition and the selection process?

Sayaka: I recognized Hayashi one-sidedly. During the selection, we had the chance to divide ourselves into groups and present our answers to a question/topic. We were in different groups, but later when I found out about Hayashi's answer, I thought she was very unique. And when I watched the video of her self-introduction, her talk as if she was answering an interview in her imagination was very interesting. Since that moment I got curious about her.

Runa: Eh~! I never heard that before.

― Is that so?

Runa: I’m surprised, I thought that I was the only one who recognized her. I mean, the atmosphere was serious, and it's not like I was trying to joke around or something, but when I saw the reactions of the people around me, I felt like the winds were blowing in the wrong direction (laughs).

Sayaka: I like such unique personalities (laughs). And it's not just because she seemed "different". I couldn't take the initiative during the selection process, so I respect Hayashi for being able to speak well and clear in that moment.

― At that moment Hayashi was also watching Kakehashi, right?

Runa: During the selection process there were lots of participants so I wasn't able to know all of them well, but when I saw Sayaka-chan who was already chosen, I thought, "There's an incredibly cute girl here!" At any rate, I liked Sayaka's face, all the time I was openly saying, "My 4th gen oshimen is Kakehashi Sayaka", and I also used to tell to the trainees about how much I liked her.

― You were first attracted to Kakehashi from her visuals, but what was your impression of her character and personality after that?

Runa: I've always seen Sayaka as a fan, but my image has changed since I' ve become a member. Outsider people tend to think that Sayaka is a cold and blunt person.

Sayaka: Yeah.

Runa: But she's not. She goes after the things she's interested in with a great vigor.

Sayaka: Yeah, yeah.

Runa: Recently I've been able to hit Sayaka's mark, so I've been talking with her with a good control.

ー Kakehashi, is she right?

Sayaka: She's so right. I wonder if she's reading me today.

ー I think that Kakehashi also observes the people and move accordingly to their actions.

Sayaka: Eh~! Really?

ー That's why it's so difficult to move forward(with relationships) sometimes.

Sayaka: That may be true. But with Hayashi I don't have to think about anything, we're more than just fellow members, we are「friends.」Hayashi is the first in the list of all the members who calls me that much.

Runa: Thank you for that. For me Sayaka is like a "friend I made at school".

ー Did that happen as soon as the new 4th gen joined up?

Sayaka: When we started talking on Nogizaka skits(Nihon TV), we noticed that we had the same hobbies, like Vocaloids and watching anime and then we just clicked.

ー How often do you call each other?

Sayaka: Although I'm not a 'phone' person by nature, I like to call Hayashi all the time. But since she tend to say, "I have school tomorrow," we can't get in touch that much.

ー Is there that much to talk about?  

Runa: We have things in common, and although that at first glance one might think we are two completely different types of people, our personalities match in some ways.

Sayaka: Yeah yeah yeah.

Runa: That's why I'm not afraid of being quiet with her.

Sayaka: We have the same air, the same vibes.

(Next page)

[ Leaving aside Kakehashi, a girl who can perform with accompaniments, Hayashi... ]

ー On Kakehashi's streaming (Sept 8th), Hayashi took 143 screenshots of her, right?

Runa: Sayaka was singing with an accompaniment on her streaming, and I really love her voice, so I watched her like a fan would. I was taking screenshots while commenting, after a while I put her shots in my album since I had accumulated a lot, and even though that she was in the middle of the broadcast she noticed that I was doing it. By the way, the name of the album is "Sayaka Kawaii Suki (Sayaka's cute I love her)".

Sayaka: When I did the Nekojita Showroom with (Sato) Rika on September 3rd she took about 500 screenshots from us. But I, on the other hand, was worried about it. Worried that they might stop coming someday. Recently I was thinking that this may be actually Hayashi's strategy. I'm caught in her trap.

ー Suspicions begets monsters (laughs). Hayashi-san, is that actually a trap? 

(Proverb that when one suspects something, then everything will seem suspicious and so on, until that person reaches the shadows(in which there are monsters))

Runa: I didn't mean to do that at all, but maybe the tactic started to work by its own (laughs).

Sayaka: (laughs)

ー Returning to your streaming, Kakehashi-san's performance playing Nogizaka songs was quite good.

Sayaka: To be honest I've been working really hard on my guitar lessons. The last broadcast was only about the 20% of my full capacity, so I want to improve it.

ー As an idol, it's good to have more skills up your sleeve.

Sayaka: There weren't so many senpais who had performed with accompaniments at their streamings before, so I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it, but after consulting with the staff, I was able to realize it. However, I was very nervous because more people came to see my broadcasts in September than I imagined (laughs).

ー Hayashi-san, is there anything you want to do?

Runa: I don't think I've yet found my greatest strength, but I love to talk, so I'd really hope to be able to work in the radio. I'd also like to do something related to my favorite anime series.

ー The manzai you did with Yumiki-san on "Nogizaka skits" was also very good.

Sayaka: Aru-aru Tankentai (laugh). 

Runa: I'd like to establish a character who loves comedy as well, since the comedy-loving girl I played in "Smile Girls" on Nogiskits is very close to my real character. Recently I was happy to know that JARU-JARU, who has been a godlike person to me, won the "King of Conte".

Sayaka: I also started to like JARU-JARU so I have more friends now (laughs).

ー Speaking of "Nogizaka skits", Kakehashi's "Insurance Police" is a high quality skit, isn't it?

Sayaka: Thank you so much. The hardest part of that skit is not to laugh at Higashi-san's and Morita-san's ad-libs.

ー Kakehashi-san don't improvise in her parts?

Sayaka: No, I don't improvise, but Hayashi ad-libbed in every skit, I think that it's quite amazing.

ー She has a terrifying strong spirit.

Runa: (laugh)

Sayaka: There's a lot to learn from Hayashi.

ー Both of you have a lot of vitality, and you look like you can do anything.

Sayaka: I don't, but I think Hayashi is very skillful and can do everything.

Runa: No, no, no, I may just look like I'm skillful, but actually I'm not. I'm not very athletic, so I have to rely on Sayaka to help me with my dancing.

Sayaka: I'm glad (laughs).

Runa: In the rehearsal of TIF (Oct 4th), we were so close to each other, so close that when one of us made a mistake, we noticed it right away and we were like "Ah!" every time, during all the rehearsal we were like that.

Sayaka: I was embarrassed to make a mistake in Hayashi's presence, so I worked even harder than usual. When I made a mistake and our eyes met in the mirror, I was so embarrassed (laugh).

ー In the rehearsals isn't fine for one to make mistakes?

Sayaka: Since she kept saying, "I like you I like you" to me, it makes me feel like I've to do it right.

ー That means that Hayashi's presence is a big plus for you, isn't? 

Sayaka: Yeah, yeah.

ー I think there is also the delight of performing with the 16 girls at TIF.

Sayaka: Yes, I'm pleased to know that we will be able to perform with 16 girls from now on. The more people we have, the more excited we'll be.

Runa: It was a pleasure to do it with everyone. It was hard to remember the movements and positions, but it was reassuring to have friends who could help each other. With the exception of Sayaka, with the other 4 gens we exchanged videos giving advices like "this way is better" and so on.

ー Your love seems to be serious, does Kakehashi love you too?

Sayaka: I like Hayashi a lot, but I try not to tell her too much. I'm just worried that she might be disappointed if I just show and tell everything about me.

Runa: I know I'm saying this, but there are times when I think, "You like me, don't you? 

Sometimes I show a side of me that I don't want anyone to be disappointed, but even then, I think I'll be fine with anything because Sayaka takes it easy.

ー Is there anything you would like to do together in the future?

Runa: I'd like to participate in Sayaka's accompaniments on her streamings.I mostly just watch from the side, and sometimes just shake the guiro.

Sayaka: I'd like that too (laughs). Rather, with the guiro, you say?

Runa: Yeah, with the guiro.

Sayaka: Chaos (laughs)

Runa: I entered the light music club in HS, and since I joined a piano-driven band, I decided, "I'm going to play the guiro with the vocals." So the guiro is non-negotiable.

ー Do you think you'd like to eventually be established as a formal unit?

Runa: That desire is growing in me as well.

Sayaka: If it's possible then I'd like to do it as "Kakebayashi" (laughs).

(end)