/jp/ - Otaku Culture

- Junior School Students already start to care about their skin. Especially the girls.
Oguri: Yup, that's right. It's already embarrassing to say "I want to go play outside". "Because everyone just wants to stay inside and they don't like to go outside." Almost everyone in the class is just chatting. I guess I'm really just in high spirits when it comes to physical education.

- You suppressed your feelings.
Oguri: I always go play on the playground back in elementary and hope the playground was available. Especially the swing when used by two.

- Pair swing ride! I used to do it too when I was a kid. But it's a little bit dangerous. Since you're not supposed to row too hard. You'll be facing each other, one will be using the swing and the other will be rowing.
Oguri: Yup, that's right. When I think about it now, it's such a wonderful state(lol).
There's a pig-like swing in the park near our house, there's also sandboxes, seesaw and trapeze rings. There were many that played with it.

- Ah, playground. It's refreshing~. Among them all, the swing is really your favorite, right?
Oguri: Yes, I really loved it so much. I was always competing with my friends on whom could go higher. Swinging yourself while looking at the sky somehow. I felt like I could fly.

- Woah. That's dangerous. "Swinging yourself while looking at the sky somehow. You felt like you could fly." It's quite something isn't it.
Oguri: Even now, whenever I saw a park. I was like "Ah~". Just the other day, while working on Team8 Activities I saw a park and by chance there's a swing. My mind goes "WAAA, there's a swing!" We just passed it by. I really wanted to go, but the situation wouldn't let me.

- What's so good with the swing?
Oguri: It's different from some other playground equipment and it looks like a small amusement park. Back then, I thought "The higher it is, the more fun it can be." But when I turned into an adult . . . . Well, even if I say adult, it still feels like junior school. Looking at the sunset while swinging, It's very beautiful.
The swing really sets you in a good mood. Flying slowly through the sunset, It's really nice. It's also different from flying in the sky, there's this weird unlingering feeling.

- Then, what is it that you don't like about it?
Oguri: No, It's not like I disliked it in any way(lol). But the last time I played in a swing was back in junior school, all because the park near our house is already gone.

- The park is gone, that's cruel.
Oguri: It's sad, We used to visit it everyday with my friends on our way back from school, talking, playing and riding the swing. It's really sad. After becoming an adult, I thought maybe it's time to say goodbye to the swing. But, I still want to ride one, especially when the sunset is beautiful.

- This talk with swings are really nice(lol). I feel I get to know Oguri-san little by little. Such pureness in AKB48. By the way, why did you join AKB48? Have you been in entertainment before?
Oguri: Not at all, though I learned dancing at the age of 3. Ah, during that time I have 4 best friends and among them there's one that loves AKB48 which I liked as well. She likes to go to handshake events. When we learned that there's an audition for Team8 we're like "Let's go together". "What's Team8?" I checked it and consulted my grandmother about it. She said "Try it". So I applied, but it's all a lie.

- What lie? Like a prank?
Oguri: I just felt like saying it back then. But I'm not really confident and it's look it'll be impossible for me. But I believed again in myself and sent it alone.
- That's really pure(lol)
Oguri: Even before that my friend also said that I can join AKB48 and there's also "Send in your audition." I've been saying it to myself before as well. "Let's send it"

- But during the auditions for Team8, it's said that it consists of 47 members from each prefecture and there will only be one representative. How was it?
Oguri: So I went to the auditions, normally one will think that they'll be one the that'll get accepted. For me, it's absolutely the opposite. During the auditions, I was kind of nervous being the youngest there with only my elder sister. Everyone's sitting side by side at 2:2 ratio, by chance I happen to be alone in the front seat. Everyone's talking at each other, I also wanted to, but it's quite hard to do. I just smiled when I made eye contact with the judge. The person said "It's alright" and I just continued smiling.

- So, how did it go?
Oguri: I thought I could express myself better through singing even though I did not know much about it, I just know that I liked it. We also sang at the district hall before, with costumes and stuff as well as when watching TV.

- Wait. . . What? Live at the district hall?
Oguri: I was in 3rd grade back then, my friends' parents made us costumes and have us sing together. There's three of us and we performed Heavy Rotation with me at the center.