Neru at her Neru-est

Here are some photos from what is suddenly my new favorite Neru photo collection. Neru at her Neru-est. BLT Graph v16. Click images to enlarge.

"I was uncertain what expression to have. I ended up just facing the camera."

This may now be my absolute favorite photo of Neru. It captures the pride, solidity, and humour that dwell beneath her modesty. It seems to me to be the real Neru. Not that all the various Nerus we see aren't real, too, lol.

And here is the deep uncertainty that is another part of Neru.

I don't like the implications -- is she a prize in the game? -- but my goodness, what a photo!

-- You will soon be graduating from high school. Do you have any trips in mind?
 
"If I have time...I want to go and pay my respects to the teachers who helped me at my high school back home in Nagasaki. When I entered Keyakizaka46, I just transferred without being able to say goodbye either to my friends at school or to the teachers. And I haven't been able to see them since. I have received letters from teachers saying they have seen my work, and it made me very happy to think they are supporting me from afar. I'd like to be able to report to them that I have graduated and pay my respects....

-- You seem to have deep memories of your high school life in Nagasaki.

"Yes. I had the chance to take on various challenges in Nagasaki, as I have since coming to Tokyo. The people I met there were wonderful, and I often think how kind they were to me....

-- Was there anything that particularly surprised you when you transferred to Tokyo?

"In Nagasaki I went to a co-ed school. Tokyo was the first time I had ever been in an environment that was all female. That surprised me. But now I really find this all-female environment extremely comfortable, and don't have much desire to return to a co-ed school (laughs)."

-- So you're saying you have enjoyed your time in your Tokyo high school.

"My friends in class just saw me as high-school student Nagahama Neru, and treated me normally. I could live without any special concerns. At school, I could turn into the me who was 'off.' Now I think that was something extremely important for me."

-- You will be on the cover and in a photo-section at the front of the the magazine.

"Thank you very much. But I wonder if me being on the cover is really all right.... The other people in this issue are really fantastic, quite oustanding."

-- No, it's fine! The outfits for this gravure are very spring-like. How about trying them on?

"I've read all the Keyakizaka46 features you have done for us in blt graph, and both the clothes and the photography have been wonderful. And this time, I really love the outfits you've prepared for me."

-- So now we're coming up to a year since Keyakizaka46's debut. What are you really feeling?

"We've been given many experiences, of all kinds, and I think all the members have become very strong. No matter what circumstances we face, we have no uncertainty, and just take them on. Certainly, there were times when we felt overwhelmed by the things our situation had granted us. But we just said to ourselves that the chances we received were opportunities to repay others' kindness by becoming reliable people. Those times have helped us all change our consciousness. That's the kind of year it has been."

Images from blt graph vol.16, via @棠梨煎雪酿 and Keyakizaka Matome. Buy the full magazine from Amazon Japan and other retailers.