Remember Zero?

The only episode I have watched in the show and it just so happens to be the last one as well? What karma!

But it is Mayuki and they either open a show or end it so really, nothing to complain about. All I am sad about is that the episode probably is less awesome than it might have been if the-event-that-shan’t-be-named did not happen.

Seriously, don’t bring up that-event on this blog please, I beg of you.

Going back to the episode, I believe that this is the very first (and last of course) episode that had only two members. And really, if it is to be anyone, it gotta be Mayuki, eh? Though I would settle for a SayaYuki too given the chance. Speaking of which, they did talk about Sayaya in this episode and I could just feel the love Yukirin had for her. I bet ya Mayuyu felt a pang of jellies during that convo. And she is the one that brought her up…

They only have like 5 mins out of the show to have fun and the rest of the time is spent on serious talks; about graduation pressures, the hard early days, their auditions, the difference between the old, the current, and the young future gens, the early Mayuki days, and so on and so forth.

 
 

 
 
 

 


Yukirin totally watching dat ass!
 
 
 

Lovers who took their photo in the Zero movie!
 
 
My God, so much Happy Mayuyu on this date!

 
 
 

Yukirin’s reaction at Mayuyu Fantasizing about her
 
 
 
 
  
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

Some, if not most of the information dumped through their talks I already knew. Like how the early days they performed almost three stages a day despite a close to empty theatre. The current girls don’t know that feeling at all. They have come at a time where theatres and domes are always filled to the brink no matter what day. They haven’t been as mentally challenged as the old gens have been. You actually see this a lot with new less known Idol groups from the fans vids uploaded up on youtube. Some have less than 10 people in the audience. It is kind of painful sometimes. To think that AKB was once like that…

Also the fact that Yukirin was labelled as Mayuyu’s Mama way during their debut days was known to me but I did not know the details. This time I learned more about that incident. It seems that while at Shibuya, Mayuki were confronted by these talent pick-up people. The target was of course Mayuyu (probably recruiting her for the other type of Idol business). The guy then turned to Yukirin (who was just starting high school at the time BTW) and asked ‘How about your mother?’! That made me crack up.

While on Mayuki, another thing I knew was theirs was love at first sight. Mayuyu already said it but I don’t think I mentioned it before so I will take this opportunity to say it again. She said that when she first saw Yukirin she was so smut with how cute she was that Mayuyu (who was like, 13 at the time) used to have delusions where she thought that were she a boy and a girl like Yukirin had come to her class, she would totally it that (Yukirin)! She said here too right in Yukirin’s face and that cute Yukirin reaction…She was so totally embarrassed!

Another thing that I knew of but once again only had part of the story is that both of them actually failed AKB auditions once before they passed as 3^rd Gens. I knew of Yukirin’s but I did not know of Mayuyu’s. I also only knew that Yukirin failed the audition for 1^st gens but I did not know the details. Actually it is not that she failed, but rather fate had other ideas, or as she explains it, her own fault.

By that I mean that she applied for the 1^st Gen auditions without telling her parents. When the results came in and she saw that the auditions would take place in Tokyo, and having come earlier than she expected, she could not make it because her parents would not have been very happy about it and not ready. So she did not go to Tokyo for those first auditions. But then Yukirin talked about the first Gens, Acchan, Mariko-sama, Takamina, Tomochin etc and she realised that maybe it was fate that she did not make it. She said she could not see herself making it among those 1^st Gens. Yukirin really respects the 1^st gens so much. She still calls Acchan Maeda-san even after all this time. Only Yuko she calls Yuko-chan, and that must have been one hard task for Yuko to pull off!

As for Mayuyu, she first auditioned for the 2^nd gens. Yes, that 2^nd gens Team K that had the likes of Sayaka, Yuko, Sae and many other strong girls. Either way you look at it fate was on Mayuki’s side in these auditions. I mean, can you imagine Mayuyu is Team K? For crying out loud, she couldn’t even fit into Team A and she would have been in Team K? The very first Team K?! HA! I loved how she joked about her failing saying that she just backed off having just taken a glimpse at the other girls around her.

Speaking of which, they also talked about the three major Shuffles. By major I mean the very first one where Yukirin was appointed Team B captain, the next one where Mayuyu was transferred to Team A and the one where Mayuyu was back to B but Yukirin kennin’d to NMB48. I already mentioned how Yukirin respects the 1^st and 2^nd gens, right? Well she mentions that it was hard for her because almost half of that Kashiwagi Team B was filled with her senpai and Yukirin at the time was so not ready to lead. But apart from the very first Team B (because it had the original blood), Kashiwagi B was the best Team B next to that 1^st one! Yukirin then wonders what a team led by Mayuyu would be like. Mayuyu says that she would be the strict kind of leader because when given that kind of power, she would strictly tell it like it is, no matter who it may be. I have my doubts of ever seeing a Mayuyu Team (B most probably because I am sure those AKS learned their lesson last time or if these two don’t graduate at the same time).

Mayuyu mentions how she was so not expecting to get transferred, especially given that she was the very last person called, or more like she was forgotten about. See, even Management was so aware of their mistake they were willing to let it pass but Mayuyu had to ask so they had to tell! Any way Mayuyu mentions Takamina and Mariko-sama’s reactions where they were asking her if she didn’t want to go to Team A but she did not say anything because her mind was blank. She says she never entertained the idea that she would ever leave Team B. I don’t think anyone expected that. She was like the Centre of Team B since the beginning of time and suddenly being removed? Even Yukirin said how shocked she was about that. I think we can all agree that Mayuyu so did not want to go to A at that moment.

This brings us to the other shuffle where Mayuyu was brought back to Team B. The two mention how happy they were to be re-united only to be separated again, somewhat, when Yukirin was announced as a kenning for NMB! They say how incredulous a thought that was at the time because they did not see any benefits of Yukirin going to NMB given her position. But as she already mentioned, she says to Mayuyu that everything changed when she got there (to NaMBa). Unlike her expectations, she got along well with the members, especially Team N members, and that instead of what she was thinking the reasons for her kenning might have been, it was the exact opposite when instead of teaching something to the NaMBa girls, she was instead educated! She says that she saw a different way to look at the AKB as a whole. While before she went to NaMBa, due to AKB being like so, every man for their own kind of philosophy, when she got to NMB, she learned of the two minds are better than one way of doing things. She saw how NMB was more about the whole group than individual development and how well Sayanee was respected by everyone, which was the exact opposite of what KB as a group was, where every member was working hard on their own to surpass the other (or keep up) and I thought that was a great way to distinguish those two groups.

As you might have noticed, those pics of Yukirin and the young members began to surface just this year, this is because Yukirin was changed by NMB. She began to look at her kouhai not as frenemies but rather those that she could help develop using her experience and with her time running out, she was thinking less of herself and more about the group as a whole. Both she and Mayuyu mentioned this in their graduation talk where they said that it is getting to be less and less about themselves and more about both themselves and the group too.

While on the subject of Kennin, Mayuyu asks Yukirin about NGT! Yukirin says that she is worried about this one. While NMB was already established and she was more in their hands than anything, this time NGT has not been formerly formed yet. So she feels worried because given her schedules, it would not be good to rarely appear with NGT while it is in its infancy! If she missed out a lot she won’t have the connection with the group that she should have given this important time of NGT! This either means that Yukirin will have less B performances, less solo works or less outside work (dramas, etc)! Either way it is not looking good right now. First of all she hasn’t released anything solo in over two years now. Fans are crying out for a solo live, though it seems Yasusu already has her next solo song ready so there is that. Next, the teams have also just been reshuffled which means that just like NGT is new for her, Team B will also be new so she had to build up her relationship with that team as well as NGT! Either way you look at it, Life is pulling her in all directions and if you ad it the fact that she should be thinking of her future outside of AKB, and thus should be looking for experience in outside work like dramas or movies, well, you can see why she is getting worried.

Another subject touched upon was the Centre and the SSK of course. They both agree that though they wouldn’t want to fall out of the top 10, the willies only get intensified at about the 5^th ranking. Yukirin mentions that when they hit 4^th and Takamina was not called yet, she, Mayuyu agrees too and they think the others did too, thought that Takamina was going to get that first position. Yukirin says that despite this year having been the first time that she truly wanted that top spot, when Takamina was still in the running at the fourth position she was happy and ready to accept Takamina as the new Centre. Interestingly she doesn’t mentioned Sashiko in regards to her feelings then but rather that the three of them being the immovable top three. This brings them to the subject of their graduation pressure. They feel like they are somewhat hindering the young group by staying because if the top members in SSK don’t change then there won’t be any changes within the group. So they feel like the need to ‘leave’ so that the young ones can move ahead. Though this is good in one way, feel like it is not on the other side of things. If the young members don’t get to be at the top through by bulldozing through the walls then it is all the same. They will be at the top but it will be a weaker version! Mayuyu said that she prays for a member to grasp that top from them rather than SashiMayuki just making the slots available by leaving. Kind of like what Yukirin did in 2011 when she did the impossible at the time!

Yukirin also adds that even though she really wanted that top spot this year, she would have been happy if Mayuyu or Sashiko got it. She says that she doesn’t have those feelings of rivalry or jealousy and Mayuyu seemed surprised by that even though she should have seen it by now with how long she and Yukirin have been together. Really, if I were her I would have thought Yukirin had some dark hidden feelings throughout all those years that I (Mayuyu) was chosen over her despite us two being Team B’s Aces. But Yukirin is as is and I was happy about that. Mayuyu was too when Yukirin said that was why she was truly happy for Mayuyu last year when she got that No.1 at the SSK.

Mayuyu then asked Yukirin about her Centring Green Flash. Yukirin had the exact same thoughts as we all fans had. She said that she wondered why now, after all this time. Why with NyaNyan? But she says that it was a great opportunity because she saw how unfit she was for Centre (As in how uncomfortable she was). She muses how she had never seen it before until she was actually in the Centre position. This tells me that unlike every other member in the whole 48 family, Yukirin wants Centre more for her fans than herself. As for the volition to win SSK, she said already herself in this SSK’s speech, that she wanted to have the Centre in order to better inspire the young ones by showing them that Takamina was right, hard work can is always rewarded.

Mayuyu tells us of her experience as Centre when Yukirin asks her about it seeing as she has been Centre forever, both as Team B’s, as last year’s Queen, and as AKB’s Face! Mayuyu doesn’t mention anything new but rather what anyone could guess themselves; all the pressure that comes with being the Centre as all eyes are on you, the expectations of everyone as you now represent the group, having to change yourself to meet those expectations. To which Yukirin says that it is why she respects members like Mayuyu and Acchan! Mayuyu in return says that she doesn’t see herself anywhere but the front and she is true. Members like Mayuyu, Jurina, and Meru, all these Centres once they are not in the front they all but disappear. It is funny how that is a kind of double edged sword, eh? Yukirin feels more comfortable in the back than the front where as Mayuyu is the reverse.

This episode was really informative. I might have to look into the other relevant episodes if all of them are as informative as this one. Maybe I will learn more about Miion and Sayaya. They did appear in this show, right?

But really, I am not going to kid myself here. I went into this episode for Mayuki, this information just happened to be the icing on the cake. I was expecting some awesome shippable moments but like I said, the timing was not so great.

But even with that, we still got some awesome moments, the first one being that extended bus scene uploaded on the HULU AKB channel where the two slept on the bus. Funny how it was Yukirin who initiated! And they way she did it was so cute, making that cute sleepy face at Mayuyu! The two sleeping together as they leaned their heads on each other…Hanyan!

I was kind of down when I did not get the moment I had been looking forward to since the very first minute. I was waiting for the two to hold hands but alas! But then that fact lit a light bulb in my mind. Girls hold hands all the time, it means nothing most of that time. So then I was like, why then isn’t Mayuki holding hands? Then I tried to recall the time I saw Mayuki blatantly holding hands and for life of me, I couldn’t seem to remember at the top of my head. This is something to think about! Mayuki, arguably the closest members in the 48G don’t hold hands! What does that tell you?

Oh but there was more! First thing I should have mentioned really, the two’s choice of clothes! I ask you all to come out and tell me that you thought Mayuyu a pants person! I do not! And so I was really surprised by her choice of fashion this time around! Gotta admit too that I could not stop staring at that Cyborg backside! Not gonna lie and say that I did not lose some oil in the process! On the other hand even though Yukirin too was wearing pants (essentially) she was at the girly end of the spectrum opposite of Mayuyu! And for some reason the difference between their heights seemed to have disappeared making the two look like a couple out on a date!

Then the much time in the restaurant! Food comes out and even before anyone takes a bite, Mayuyu asks Yukirin to give her a taste of her food! I was like, come on Mayuyu, let her have a bite at least! And while it would have been the best thing ever and I was expecting it to happen, sadly Yukirin did not feed Mayuyu! Can you just imagine it? The food was beef, it was sizzling hot still on the hot plate, Yukirin would have had to blow on the piece of beef then feed it to Mayuyu who, interestingly and most preferable, was sitting right opposite of Yukirin. Oh well, I will settle for Mayuyu watching Yukirin cut that piece for her with mouth all but watering and that naked ecstasy on her face after she finally takes that piece into her mouth!

Meanwhile at the cottage, nothing that noticeable happened and the time was really short but it was there that the two made the most eye contact. It also felt very romantic for some reason, more so than the restaurant because I guess it had the home feeling to it. The two sitting there so comfortably in that couch like they were the only people in the room was just so good. But then again, when has Mayuki never been in their world whenever they are together? It’s just that, when Mayuyu sat there with her awesome white pants on the couch next to Yukirin who was looking at her with these eyes from time to time was just so…

Dear Muse, I don’t remember calling you! Why are you here?

Perhaps a fic? It just might happen actually. You see, I got an internship job (just two weeks ago actually) and it is so boring! I sit there for hours (8-5) and some days I have nothing at all to do! Now, usually this would not do but I get paid like any other employee (strange I know) and my job that I usually have had to be quit because they had asked for my P45 and since I sat the exams, which I passed by the way (I’m not a genius, seriously I am not) I don’t have the obligation to get work my butt off for college in my work. You see we either get 15 credits from the internship or sit three exams and since I did not get the placement in time I had to do three other courses which I sat the exams for so now I am only here to grab some real-world experience but since I did not get into the industry I want well…

Anyway the point is that I have lots of free time, only thing is that I can do anything else personal but write in notepad. It’s open-space offices and I am right next to the pathway so everyone passing by can se what I am doing on my desktop. If this boredom keeps up, I might pick up the fics once again. Then I can just teach my self relevant things for my final year at home!

Anyway, this was Tabi Shoujo last episode 12 with Mayuki as the cast!

Ja…