^^What? No comments for the cutest girl in the world??
Perhaps everybody is waiting for a certain yankii instead.
Translated by Fenrir
MM x Tsunku 2
Tanaka Reina
Striking her opponents with her aloof, cool beauty.
With a regular look, in a moment, she strikes her opponents with her aloof, cool beauty. Without listening to the praise in her surroundings, she puts all her passion and ambition in her own song and dance. Watching the T.V. or a live, Tanaka Reina has that charm, of course. Acknowledging our frank talk with innocence and a roar of laughter, she wants to have a cool talk, so without looking for words, she lets her eyes spin… that kind of girl is super charming <3.
Birthday: 1989.11.11
Blood Type: O
Birthplace: Fukuoka Prefecture
Debut Song: “Shabondama” (2003.7.30)
Stage Debut: Saitama Super Arena (2003.5.4)
Yuko Nohji: Do you still remember when you joined Morning Musume?
Tanaka Reina: Yes. The moment they said that I passed, I was happy going, “Wah-!” In my head, I was wondering what I got myself into.
When the three of you were told that you passed, everybody went silent.
I don’t know if Eri and Sayu had the same feelings, but I was first thinking, “I have to move places.”
But, if you pass, naturally that will happen.
Before going to training camp, they asked, “If you pass, will you be ok on moving to Tokyo?” At that time, I replied, “Yes, it’s fine.” That’s because I never thought I’d pass and need to go to training camp.
Eh, you never felt that you will pass?
Yes (smiles).
Eh, I couldn’t see that.
Therefore, when I passed, I felt, “Eh, did I really pass?” At that moment, thoughts of not being able to hang out with my friends, having to transfer, and not being able to spend time with everybody in the family were spinning around in my head and, so I tamely said, “Wai~!”
Then, when you started living in Tokyo, did you get homesick?
Yes. That was the toughest thing.
Even though you were with your mom?
But, my dad was in Fukuoka. Therefore, when there was talk of, “I want to live with a family of 4 people again,” I couldn’t handle it. And if I continued saying, “I want to go back!” there are times Mama would say, “Then, shall we go back?”
Quit Morning Musume?
Yes. I would be really noisy and I say, “Let’s go back to Fukuoka.” And with my willpower, if I replied, “Yeah, let’s go back,” then she say, “Well, then, go call the office and say that.” I really was about to call the office.
You really didn’t, did you?
No, when I told Mama, I knew. I thought, “As I thought, I can’t do that.” I was sad that I couldn’t spend time with the family and couldn’t meet my friends, but I really wanted to be a Morning Musume member, so I came to Tokyo. Even thought it’s painful, I wanted to work here… I knew that part of me was there at that time.
Mama saw it from the beginning, the feelings of you not wanting to quit, huh.
Yeah. My mama is really a candid person. She says what she is thinking. In the house, when I was practicing and couldn’t do it, if I get mad at myself, she would say, “Be quiet!! If you are irritated, go over there and do it.” But, when she doesn’t say that, I’ll complain until who knows when. If my mama wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be able to do this (laughs).
Do you actually resemble her a little?
I wonder how. We both say what we are thinking. Mama is strong. On many levels.
You always admired Morning Musume, so you wanted to take the auditions.
Yes. More than wanting to join, I wanted to meet them first.
In order to meet them, you needed to join, right (laughs).
Yes. Also, if I was able to join Morning Musume, I thought in what way will they look at me. Before taking the audition, I went to see a concert once. At that time, the friend that I went with said, “Reina, next time, it won’t be you watching, but you’ll be dancing.” And it really happened (laughs).
It’s just like a dream-like conversation.
Earlier, I had conversations with my Mama, “I really made it, isn’t it amazing.” I can’t really explain it very well, but it felt like, “Ah, I joined.”
Do you think about standing on stage?
Standing on stage, I don’t think about it. But I do think about it after the concert. When I’m on stage, I have fun and don’t have time to think about those things.
Before admiring Morning Musume, did you want to become a singer?
I wanted to become an entertainer. More than a singer, I wanted to become a person who “appears on T.V.” And, if it’s Morning Musume, that makes my dream come true in one sweep, right?
You sing, dance, appear on varieties, and do plays…
Also, I love having my picture taken, so for magazine articles, I’m able to do photo shoots. And a bonus, I’m able to meet the Morning Musume that I love (laughs). So I thought I try to take the audition.
When you met them in real life, was it different from your imagination?
Yeah, it really is different from T.V. The real thing has strength. There was an aura of not to come close coming out. Especially Iida, who was extremely pretty and had big eyes, if our eyes met once, it’s like I couldn’t look away (laughs). Therefore, in the beginning, I couldn’t get close to Iida, Yaguchi, Ishikawa…mostly everybody. Also, the person I especially could not look straight in the eye is Goto.
From the beginning, you seem to look up to the Morning Musume generation of Goto.
When I joined, she already graduated, but even though it was just greeting each other during Hello Project concerts, I was super nervous.
Didn’t you have a cool image around the time when you joined?
That has often been said, but where that started, I really have no idea. Actually, I’m not cool or anything. My friends back home said I have high tension, am weird and “stupid” (laughs). But I think that side doesn’t come out on T.V., so they might think I’m cool.
Saying that, you don’t want your actual and different image to be seen?
No, I don’t worry about those things. If that is seen, then it’s fine that it is seen.
I wonder if it’s because we are able to see an intense feeling when you aren’t smiling.
Ah, that’s probably right. When I have a serious face, I have been asked, “Are you mad?” Also, in the beginning, I was nervous. If I’m nervous, it seems you can see my “scary face.”
Is that so? So when you are nervous, you are the type that “stands dignified.”
Yeah, yeah, that’s right! Lot of members even say “Reina, you’re not nervous, eh,” but actually, I’m so nervous that my stomach hurts and I can’t speak at all. However, when I get so nervous that I can’t even say “Oh my god!” and I remain silent and just stand there, they say, “You’re calm.” (laughs)
When you just came to Tokyo, you said, “I still haven’t shown my real side,” but what about now?
I wonder. Probably, I think even now you haven’t been able to see the real Tanaka Reina. Umm, I wonder how to say this… it’s not that my true character isn’t coming out, but hasn’t come out. Isn’t the place where I generally work different so to speak?
It’s different from the place where you speak with your mom in the house, right.
Yes. That’s why I think, probably, you haven’t been able to see the real Tanaka Reina all this time. But, this is the real Tanaka Reina. I can’t explain it well, but do you understand the meaning?
That you right here isn’t a fake Reina.
Yes.
Two years have passed since you joined. Have you become more mature?
I don’t know.
What do people say?
That I haven’t changed (laughs).
My pace?
Maybe. Even though there are things I want to fix by myself, if another person says it I get irritated. When I understand things and people say to me, “Do it like this,” I think, “Of course I know that.” But I want to change that. For example, if other people don’t say something like, “For today’s concert, you weren’t like your usual self, you weren’t energetic,” I wouldn’t have known myself. Therefore, I know that kind of opinion is important, but if it is said, I would say, “Eh, why?” and I can’t take that sitting down obediently. However, recently, I think I have, in a good way, become more obedient little by little. In the beginning, whatever was said to me, inside my mind it would be like, “Shit!” (laughs)
The boastful guy type, huh.
If there is a part that changed, it’s said my face became young. However, when I go back home, they say, “What’s with this adult-like attire,” and “What is this make-up~.” What’s happening? I wonder if this is growing up. I thought going forward was faster (laughs).
Well, maybe if you do this everyday, you will become mature faster.
I do and everyday is fun. But there isn’t a lot of free time. Each day goes by fast. I go to school, then work, and when it’s all done, I go home and it’s 9 p.m. I don’t have much time to myself. I can’t stay up too late, so until I feel sleepy, I watch a DVD. Also, I take a bath and it becomes bed time.
Don’t you have something you don’t like?
When I go back home and then go back to Tokyo, it’s the most painful when I say bye to my friends. On the work side, I don’t think there are really painful parts. But when I practice and practice and still can’t do it, I have thought, “No more!” In new songs, I have my own solo parts. Even if it is a phrase, at that time, my singing power and performance must have some expression. Even in that one or two seconds, in order for my part to sound good, it’s necessary to practice.
It’s hard to show charm in a moment, huh.
Yes. But even if I practiced and practiced, in the beginning I couldn’t do it at all. While I was thinking I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I get this great burst of anger.
Completely opposite.
“Why am I singing like this? It’s just one group,” I would say to myself and get angry.
So you get angry at yourself.
The part of me that can’t do it is irritating. Somehow, if I become like this, I can’t sing and become irritated. And then, I think a lot about “trying it this way,” but as I think about it, I start to not understand it.
So, you go, “Waaaaaaaaah~!”
Even though other people say, “That’s ok,” there are parts of me that aren’t satisified.
Until the end, you won’t be satisfied or won’t let yourself be satisfied.
By that time, I don’t believe in other people. I still continue to do what I think is good. In the end, I feel better when I practice until I can do it. So, I always think of practicing without getting angry.
Are you strict with yourself?
Maybe. During recording, even if I’m told, “That’s good,” I have said, “No, one more time please.”
Why do you try harder even when it’s really painful?
That’s because, everybody will be able to see to what I put out. I even hear it from my friends. Probably, I think to myself, “Reina isn’t like this.” Therefore, I think I have to put myself out more naturally.
You want to show an even better you.
Yes. I think I still can’t really sing.
When you auditioned, you said, “I’ve tried really hard up to now,” but are you trying harder than you were back at that time?
Yup, I’m trying more than back then. At the boarding house, I thought, “For the moment, I’ll just remember this.” It’s just like at karaoke that it’s ok to properly remember the melody and lyrics. I didn’t think of being better than that. But when I joined Morning Musume, isn’t that becoming a “singer?” I gradually understood that it wasn’t like a karaoke.
Basically, you didn’t really sense that until after you joined?
Yes. If it was karaoke, wouldn’t the all kids now be good? So, if it was just ok to be good, everybody could become a singer. Since joining Morning Musume, if I don’t have a higher goal, then I can’t be seen as a “singer.”
When did you start thinking that way?
Umm, about 1 year from joining. I think I’ve come to be able to think properly just recently.
Was there a big trigger with a change in the way you think?
Around the beginning, I had a lot of solo parts, but, eventually, I couldn’t sing those parts. I thought, “Maybe I couldn’t sing those parts after all,” and be impatient. And after “Namida ga Tomaranai Houkago,” I thought, “In the end I really can’t do it!” and got really impatient. This might be really bad (laughs).
At this rate, you couldn’t see yourself as a singer?
Yes. But, besides trying my best, it’s not something that can’t be done. So, I thought I do my best in dance, etc for myself. And while I was doing my best, “The Manpower!!!” came.
You got a big part after awhile.
I was overjoyed more than before when I got a solo part. In the beginning, I just sang without understanding anything, so I didn’t understand the feeling of “being happy to get a solo part.” Therefore, if “Shabondama” came now, it would be the best.
During “Shabondama,” you joined and were suddenly selected to be in the center.
That’s right. But, at that time, I just did what I was told. The feeling of “I’m happy just to sing,” like now, might have been weak.
In other words, at that time, it took everything you had to just to do as you were told. That’s because, at that time, it seemed that you also practiced hard at home.
Of course, I can’t neglect singing. Even during “Shabondama,” and even when I was center during Otome-gumi. But, there was a period where I didn’t sing any solo parts, so when “The Manpower!!!” came being able to sing was great. I finally realized how happy I am to be able to sing.
It was a good experience then.
Now, at concerts, I’m able to sing Goto’s parts. And I have the expectation of it’s good to sing this part. If it’s done like that, the feelings of wanting to answer back to Tsunku’s expectation was born and I thought of trying even harder.
Well, is there something that is different from you during “Shabondama” to the you now?
Yes.
Aa! was a unit at that time.
Yeah. It really is amazing, my past self. In Aa! I was the oldest. The 3 of us appeared on T.V. I couldn’t believe it (laughs).
You just debuted, so it was very surprising.
Yup, it feels so long ago. It feels like 5 years ago.
Even though you were a new member, you were a leader.
But, I just joined, so I didn’t understand the responsibility. I was like “What is a leader??” (laughs)
What about pressure?
There was! That’s because, my manager said, “Look, those two are nervous, so you can’t fall apart!” I was like, “No, I’m nervous too. I already can’t talk!” (laughs).
You couldn’t afford to have the other girls help, huh.
Everyday, in my heart, I was about to cry.
Still, was able seeing you be really calm a disadvantage or an advantage?
Umm, when I was nervous, I would slip on the musical interval. But, if you can’t see me being nervous and think “That’s the real Tanaka Reina.” That would be troublesome.
Ah, I see.
If I don’t convey that I’m nervous, it’s like “this is my level of strength in singing.”
You couldn’t understand that “being off in the musical interval was due to you being nervous.”
That’s right. I knew when my dance is bad, my facial expression becomes bad. When I wonder if other people thought that this was my usual “bad dancing” and my face is “always like this,” the nervous me would be like “no” and I would be on the verge of tears.
But it wasn’t a wall that you couldn’t climb over.
Seeing me now, I think it was fun. Once more, I want to feel the fast paced heart beat.
In the beginning, you said that if you become nervous, the real you would come out. That hasn’t changed.
Ahaha. If I get nervous, I would restrain myself.
This year at the Hello! Project live, you covered the old song, Aa! “First Kiss.”
It was nostalgic. I felt like I returned back then.
Your singing is different from before?
It’s different. I’m able to think and sing about the lyrics (laughs). I understood the lyrics. In the end, it’s changed a little bit. I was surprised myself.
What is your happiest thing about joining?
I have lots, but when I do the concerts. The people holding my fans have increased and I can see that my fans have increased… when it’s like that the lives are the best. It’s like, “Everybody, please look at me!”
In the end, your motivation has changed?
It changed. Also, when we had a concert for the first time in my hometown, I was happy. At first, I was really, really nervous. My childhood friends came too. Therefore, also from the start, I didn’t see the audience seating much and I felt that I should just try my best and dance. And, when I saw the audience seats in the middle, I noticed that the number of my fans was a lot. At that moment, it was the best. I thought, “As I expected of my hometown” (laughs). I was deeply touched.
So you are not nervous about concerts anymore?
I’m nervous on the first day, but as the tour goes around, the bad nervousness goes away. I feel, probably, that at a live is the best place that I truly show myself. That’s because I’m always smiling. I smile so much that afterwards my face hurts (laughs).
So at the first live, you were super nervous.
In my head, it was pure blank. I really don’t remember anything (laughs). But, before it began, I was really nervous, but I thought, “I want to hurry up and go on stage!” I remember being excited.
I wonder if it’s always a battle between courage and nervousness.
As long as you don’t lose to nervousness, but in the end, nervousness is bad. If I’m nervous, I’m at a disadvantage… and I’ve even been told this by Mama (laughs). I don’t get as nervous as I did back then now and I think this is a chance for me to go out.
It’s about time for the 6th generation members to lose the feeling of “new members?”
Yes. But the actual feeling will probably come out more when a junior member joins. I’m the youngest in Morning Musume. I’m the same age as Sayu, but my birthday is much later.
I can’t see it. That’s because when Kamei and Michishige joined, they said you were reliable.
People have said that. Even though Eri is the oldest. But, it’s like that. If the three of us are doing work, I feel like I can’t fall behind because I’m the youngest. I wonder why.
Perhaps it’s your personality?
Yeah, I felt that way since long ago. Even now if the three of us are working together, I would suddenly talk about splitting the duties.
Have you thought about yourself 3 years to 5 years from now?
I haven’t thought of it. I’m thinking about the present. That’s because if you think about the future, it will be what it will be. Life is something that has been decided. Yeah.
That was intense.
It does sounds like that. Therefore, I don’t often think about what was said before.
You haven’t thought about when you will be graduating from Morning Musume?
For now, I feel like I need to try my best now. So that each day isn’t painful.
Do you think you will be continuing this work forever?
I don’t know… If I’m able to continue, it would be nice. But, I wonder if I can’t continue forever? Even if I may graduate from Morning Musume, I haven’t thought of wanting to become solo.
Ah, really?
Yeah. I may think of it later, but at this point of time, I haven’t thought about it. Therefore, I really didn’t know about the stuff before. Right now, I’m still going around, so I don’t think I have the actual strength in expectations to try it by myself.
But, if left to you, you have thought of “I’ll do it!”
If there is expectation that “I’ll be ok,” then I want to try my best.
I wonder what a 20 year old Tanaka Reina will be?
Right. That’s in 5 years. It’ll come soon. For sure.
Lastly, two questions from everybody in the community. First, about Tsunku.
I mail him a lot.
What kind?
If I mail him that I’m going back to my hometown, he’ll reply, “Bring back some whale bacon~” (laughs). It’s Fukuoka’s famous food. But even about work, I mail quite a bit. After a concert finishes, I receive a mail and I reply and this go back and forth for awhile…
For you, what kind of person is Tsunku?
Near the beginning, he sent a mail like, “It’s ok to think of me as Tokyo dad.” And, in the end, it’s just like that, a “father” figure. Even asking advice, I’ll believe in his replies. If he writes, “How about doing it this way?” I think, “If I do as Tsunku says, will I change more?”
You don’t listen to those types of people (laughs).
Ahaha, I want to trust his words. For example, even when I’m really depressed, he sends a mail praising me, and my motivation really comes out. I think of trying harder, I have self-confidence, and I’m able to have more fun. I’m the type that when praised, my tension rises (laughs).
Well, then do you have people that make your tension rise?
Yes. When I think, “It’s impossible…” and when mail like “If it’s you, you can do it,” come, I really think that it’s great having Tsunku here. Tsunku tells me lots of various things, so I think I have tried my best up to now.
Well then, one more question. What kind of person is Morning Musume’s Tanaka Reina?
Eh, what? Tanaka Reina is Tanaka Reina.
Unusual.
…But is it ok?
It may be like you.
At the most, I’m easy-going, so I go like that.
(2005.1.28 )
Morning Musume My Best Song: “Shabondama”
It feels like my song.
In the concert, when I think, “It’s tough! No more!” if it’s this song, then I completely change. Even though this is an intense songs, it’s a mysterious song that I’m able to become energetic and feel like, “Yeah, I can do it!” near the end of singing. I feel that this song is “my song.” I think of something like even if other people sing it, it can’t become “Shabondama.” At this point, somebody might think, “Just who do you think you are?” (laughs)