^ Because whoever edited that page is a perv, and he wants us to look like one too, by making it as if we're looking up Rena's skirt rather than reading her name.
Sakaeandfrog recently translated Rena's interview from Smart, May 2012
Q - This was your first fashion shooting with Smart, how did it go?
Rena - I was really nervous (laugh). I’m not good at posing in the first place, but when I stand in a white studio like this one I’m totally at a loss (laugh). I’m extremely happy to be able to figure in so much of Smart pages, but if those end up being all weird pictures, I deeply apologize!
Q - There is no such thing! Those are all splendid shots! Is there any outfit you liked in particular?
Rena - All those clothes were lovely, but the matching of parka in page 3 is something I wouldn’t usually wear, it was refreshing for me to try it. Since it gives another image of me, I’m looking forward to hear fans reactions about it.
Q - That’s also the first time you’re submitted to a long interview in our magazine, so I’ll start by asking you about your various fields of activity. This spring, you’ll cross the 3 years and an half mark of entering SKE48, in the first place, why did you join SKE48?
Rena - Since I was little my dream was to become an actress, but when I saw AKB48 performance on TV I instantly loved it. I really admired them as artists so when I saw Maeda Atsuko-san or Oshima Yuko-san playing in drama and movies, I realized entering this group could bring me closer to the objective for my future, so I decided I wanted to audition. And right then, I heard a sister group, SKE48, was to be formed in my home area, so I apply for the audition right away.
Q - When you passed the audition, were you confident you’d succeed?
Rena - No, not at all (laugh). I had zero experience in singing and dancing, and during the audition too I didn’t do well at all. I was convinced dancing normally wouldn’t be good however, so during the audition I always bear in mind to maintain my best smile while dancing. And then, I was somehow selected, which made me really happy.
Q - In parallel to your position inside SKE48, you’ve ranked 11th in 2010 General Elections, 10th the following year and so you’ve become a regular in AKB48 singles’ selection. So far many things happened, among them, is there one that holds a special significance for you? If so, please let us know what it is.
Rena - First of all, to have been appointed as a member of Team S. Among the 20 girls who passed the selection, only 16 could enter Team S. It was of great importance for me to be among those 16. I realized then that the first time I had gain a bit of self-confidence. The second one was to be given the opportunity to play Gekikara in 「Majisuka Gakuen」. I believe it’s thanks to this role that AKB48 fans have come to know me.
Q - Sure enough, thanks to this drama the number of AKB48 fans went up at once and your name became famous too.
Rena - With Kojima Haruna-san, Itano Tomomi-san, Kashiwagi Yuki-san I was part of the “Four Heavenly Kings” (tln : 四天王 in the text), the first time I read the script and learn about my role I wondered 「Why do I have such an important role?!」, I didn’t expected it at all (laugh). I heard it from a 3rd party afterwards but, in SKE48 2nd stage there is my unit song 「Ame no pianist」, and in this song there is a part where I violently mimic playing the piano, it’s said that seeing this Akimoto sensei felt “something” in my dance and that “something” is linked to my role as Gekikara (laugh).
Q - Indeed, that’s a dance that would let transpire Gekikara ferocious nature’s aspect (laugh). In addition, you took up the challenge to play as a solo actress (tln : meaning outside 48 production), did it prove difficult to conciliate your usual work with this filming?
Rena - Last year I was given the chance to play in BeeTV drama. At first I had to remember many many things, I had a lot in my mind, I couldn’t correctly coordinate the shooting times with my activities in SKE48, so I started to feel down. But thanks to the support of those around me even though everyone was very busy, I was able to pass through this dark period. Thanks to this I think my internal capacity to deal with hard times has extend dramatically. After that, my stance with regard to work has changed or rather I came to enjoy working more than I did before (laugh).
Q - Is there something you’d like to do in particular as an actress?
Rena - I love acting and express myself in front of an audience so, if I’m offered a role, right now I’m ready to try anything. I can capitalize what I learn while working as an actress during SKE48 performances, also I think when I act my dancing and singing experience as member of SKE48 can be felt, so to rise my overall level from now on I want to take up the challenge of “expressing myself” more and more.
Q - You released your first photobook 「Kingyo」 in March…
Rena - The theme is 「If Matsui Rena wasn’t an idol, but an ordinary girl」, the photobook doesn’t hold sophisticated idol pictures, but it’s full of photo of my casual self with close-up on my facial
expressions. Things like part-time working, cooking for myself, having lunch in a cafe, playing on the riverbank (laugh). It isn’t written anywhere, but there is clearly a story in this book, so I’d be really glad if people were to look at it while trying to imagine this story.
Q - Did you manage to use your experience as an actress during the shooting to make it more “expressive”?
Rena - I think so. We started the shooting of Kingyo right after I ended filming BeeTV’s drama. For the conclusion of the drama, there were many scenes where I had to pretend crying and a bit of this lingering memory was still inside me when I went to pose for the photobook. And so, the 1st day we were shooting in a relatively adult atmosphere and while I was being taken in picture tears start to flow naturally. I was surprised myself but I was praised by the cameraman. Those pictures can be found in the photobook, even though this is slightly embarrassing, please have a look!
Q - The latest release to date of your primary place of activity, SKE48’s 「Kataomoi Finally」, was a huge hit. Do you actually feel the spread of SKE48 popularity.
Rena - As a consequence of those good results there are more fans coming to our handshake events, thanks to this I realize there are lots of people who are interested in SKE48. However compared to AKB48 our popularity is still limited, I wish for even more people to know about us! Last month Kuumin (Yagami Kumi), Yuria (Kizaki Yuria) made their entry in this magazine, our group if full of interesting members like those two, but even though they are all extrovertit between them, they don’t show it to the outside* and so they can’t show all their charm (laugh). (tln : Rena uses the expression “内弁慶”-> usually points at someone who is loud, confident even bossy at home or his/her circle of comfort but who loses his/her means once out).
That’s why I want everybody’s charm to be drawn out more!
Q - Next, I’ll inquire on your private life. What fashion do you adopt on your private time?
Rena - Lately I’ve been combining chiffon skirt and knitwear (laugh). But it’s not like I was always wearing the same items, I’ve several of them of various lengths and tints, I like to try different combinations with my clothes.
Q - What is the main point of your clothing style?
Rena - There is none in particular, but there is a particularly elegant female manager in SKE48 and she has become my model. Her tastes in clothes are unusual but she is very skilled at using colors, green suits her especially well. And thus last year all my summer clothes ended up being green (laugh). The other day she was telling me 「I will probably wear red this spring」, so I think this spring I will wear mostly red too (laugh).
Q - She is like your “fashion leader”, isn’t she (laugh)? Are also influenced by the other members?
Rena - Lately I’ve been wearing dresses more often thanks to Kojima Haruna-san. Seeing how cute she always is in dress I thought 「I want to wear dresses to look as cute as Kojima-san!」. If Kojima-san was to hear about it, it’s would be slightly embarrassing (laugh).
Q - Kojiharu-san would be delighted to hear that I’m sure! Now, please tell us about SKE48 objective from now on, as well as yours.
Rena - To make more people aware of our glamor, I want for all the member to raise the level of their performances. In order to bring happiness to the fans coming to our lives or theater stages and to all those who see us on TV, by polishing our skills more and more we will establish SKE48 own mark. On an individual level, I wish to be given more opportunities of acting, also I want to enhance my own performances. There are many members in SKE48 who are great singers and dancers, I want to rapidly reach their level and I’m sure those great efforts will be a plus in my other activities. Anyway, no matter the case, I’ll go at it with all my strength and might.
Q - To conclude, please a word to Smart readers.
Rena - For this shooting I was given the chance to wear really cute outfits, but as I wish everyone could see me wearing SKE48 uniform, by all means please come have fun to our stages or lives! Matsui Rena, SKE48 and Smart (laugh) will continue being in your care from now onwards.
- Wasn't Aki-P the one who gave her Ame no Pianist in the first place? Lol, then he must've have already sensed something in her even before, otherwise, why would he trust her with a unit like that?
Topic: [TEAM E] RENA ~ The Matsui Rena Thread (Read 964163 times)