/jp/ - Otaku Culture

When I first saw her, my heart sank a little because she didn't seem like a HKT girl. I thought she was loud, attention-seeking, and even shallow. She was just a young girl and I was happy to see her smile and laugh and play in the midst of my beloved group, but I saw no future in my relationship to her. Worse, I feared that her presence in the group might even dissuade me from following them in the future when her star was grown.

A little later I saw a few social media clips of her practicing martial arts. She threw some high kicks with an impressive form that indicated a considerable level of training. Had I been wrong to dismiss her? I reopened that door, if just a little.
Ibuki has a memorable face, and I began noticing her more in the background of the group, during rehearsals or backstage, at a time when the rest of the 5th gen girls were still mostly unknown to me. Away from the spotlight, I saw her without her overbearing smile for the first time. Instantly she seemed softer, quieter, more vulnerable, and more normal; full of those insecurities that all but the best of us must hide.
My heart warmed, and I felt shame that I had previously dismissed this young girl's camera play.

Later still I saw some variety-style programs with a small number of HKT girls, including Ibuki who was the youngest. And my, how she shined. Whilst I saw the same loud, shouty girl as before, now I felt none of the distaste that had marked my first encounters with her. Indeed, I was in awe of just how well she performed, lulling her giddy senpais into a completely relaxed, backseat role, merely reacting to Ibuki's antics.

A few months passed, and Ibuki's spot as future ace had by this point been sealed, which made what happened next all the sweeter. She was again teamed with some HKT girls in a variety style program, this time including a few of her fellow gen 5 cohort,. But this time, it was Ibuki who gracefully took the backseat, doing nothing to steal any of the opportunity from her less well-known friends. The push that she was receiving, the favour of the executives, had done nothing to inflate this young ace's ego. I was astounded at the tact of this sweet creature.

I still feel guilty for having judged Ibuki at such a young age, because this young woman deserves nothing but admiration.