On the side of a road, a plant grows without notice, where suddenly a branch blooms a beautiful flower. 18 year old Shibata Yuna. A close-up of her long-awaited first senbatsu selection, with 10 pages that are more beautiful than flowers.
Photos: Fujii Yui
Stylist: Futa Masako
Hair and Makeup: Miyata (Yoshino Office)
By the time this issue goes on sale, you will almost be 19 years old. For your last photoshoot as an 18 year old, we used a flower motif to give you a more mature look.
Thank you so much. Since I haven’t experienced a vibe like this before, it was a joy to shoot. I normally wear cooler colours, so the pink outfit was something refreshing.
I think we get to see a new side to you. Also, congratulations on your first senbatsu selection!! Please tell us about what was going on as the announcement was being made.
As usual, all the members gathered for the staff to make the announcements. But firstly, they told us that there would be 18 members selected this time (Last single “Kimi ni Shikarareta” had 21 members selected for senbatsu). When I heard that, I thought that I probably wouldn’t make the cut. There were 3 less members being selected, so surely, I wouldn’t be in. Soon afterwards, they started announcing the members, and I happened to be about the 3rd person called up. I thought, “Huh!?” and couldn’t believe that my name was called. Those who were around me were urging me to stand, but instead of feeling the happiness of it all, I was thinking to myself, “My name was called but I didn’t get to experience it at all… can they redo it one more time?” (laughs)
I see (laughs). How did your fellow generation members react?
Everyone was as happy for me as if it was for themselves. Especially Yakubo (Mio), who gave me a present and a letter. Her kindness really moved me. Whatever she wrote in the letter will remain a secret, but I was so happy…
Thank you for sharing such an amazing story. So, with Yun-chan being selected for senbatsu, that makes it 8 members of the 4th generation who are included. The 4th generation members were officially incorporated into the senbatsu/unders as of “Kimi ni Shikarareta”, so this process of you being selected for the first time seems like a natural and smooth progression. However, I heard that there was something that you wanted to do before the announcement.
That’s right. I graduated in spring last year and felt a sense of crisis that if I couldn’t do my best in the coming year, it would all be for nothing. I managed to have a lot of photoshoots, including for “UTB”, and had the chance to have regular work on a radio show, so slowly I gained back some of the confidence that I had lost.
You had lost your confidence?!
When I joined Nogizaka46 as a member of the 4th generation, I was full of unfounded confidence. “I am second to none!!” kind of confidence. When I think back on it now, it’s kind of embarrassing (laughs). However, when I joined, I realised that everyone around me was cute, and could sing and dance well, so I instantly lost my self-belief.
When I joined Nogizaka46, I was full of unfounded confidence.
This is like how a super rookie is selected as number 1 pick in the draft for professional baseball (laughs).
That’s right (laughs). It was a single setback, but after getting some individual work last year, I started to feel some sense of accomplishment. It was around that time that the senbatsu was announced for “Kimi ni Shikarareta”. On that day, my family asked me what work I had, and I meekly replied, “The senbatsu selection for the new single” …
If you don’t mind me asking, but what happened afterwards?
I told them that I went home after work as usual, and they didn’t ask anything more after that. Because I thought it’d be awkward if that happened again this time, I didn’t mention it to my family on the day of this announcement. So now I’ve lost the chance to let them know, and I still haven’t done so… (laughs). The other day I was in the car with my family and my grandmother randomly said, “I wonder if Yuna will be selected next time”. The decision had already been made at that time, so I replied with a cryptic, “That’d be nice” neither confirming nor denying it.
I see (laughs). This is backtracking a bit, but was the experience of being in Unders for the first time for “Kimi ni Shikarareta” an important process to “regain your confidence” that you mentioned before?
It was. I was chosen as a front positioned member for the Unders song “Machine Gun Rain” on the “Kimi ni Shikarareta” single, which was big for me. I was then a part of the Unders Live soon afterwards, which I felt was an important experience for me, and one which I could really review my own performance.
Hearing this story, it sounds like this senbatsu selection wasn’t simply a selection process but a product of your hard work since last spring, and not just from since the last single. So that that you’ll be starting your work as a senbatsu member, tell us about what you’d like to show off and what you want to work hard towards.
I think my in my work I’ll be representing the group more from now, so keeping that in mind I’ll be doing my best at everything I can. On top of that, I personally love to sing so I hope to get better and better at it.
Which senior member do you admire in singing, and who do you consider as your singing rival in your own generation?
For seniors, it has to be Kubo (Shiori)-san. I really admire how she can express herself in many ways depending on each song she sings. As for my rival amongst my generation members… it’s Hayashi (Runa). It’s so motivating whenever I hear her sing on “Nogizaka Star Tanjou!”. Other than Hayashi, all the other members are working hard and always improving, so I also need to do my best so that I won’t be left behind.
My singing rival is Hayashi Runa.
It’s really good to have those who are close around you to inspire you, right? So then, you’ll be turning 19 next month. What are you planning on doing for your last year as a teenager?
What am I going to do, I’m going to be 20 years old soon… But just like last year, I want to head into this year with the mentality of there being no end in sight. The 5th generation members are joining soon, so I want to establish my own identity before I get left behind. I need to keep up this impetus.
Is there anything in your private life that you don’t want to leave behind in your teenage years?
How do I say this…? I love Disney, so I want to go to Disney with (Seimiya) Rei in our uniforms. I’m suddenly talking about work again, but it’s my dream to be able to work with Disney someday. I’m quite confident that amongst the members of Nogizaka46, I have the most love for Disney. To be able to work such a job, I know that I need to keep working harder and harder. Now that I’ve made it to the starting line, I will do my utmost best to get more people to know the name ‘Shibata Yuna’ during this 29th single period!!
Profile: Shibata Yuna, born 3rd March 2003 in Chiba Prefecture. Height: 160cm. Blood-type: A.
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