Iguchi Mao blog: Photos of Kakizaki Memi, "burikko"

"Snack Mao" night 2

Iguchi Mao
2018.10.27


-- "Burikko" is the highest compliment -- ["a girl who acts cute to attract guys," see note below]

The guest
On the second night of Snack Mao
Was Kakizaki Memi-chan

Thank you for coming to our shop

Representative burikko
Kakizaki Memi-chan

She and Manamo, who works at the shop,
Compete as burikko-chans.

They are of somewhat different types,
But both are cute burikkos.

However, Memi-chan

Says it bothers her
To be called a burikko.

What a cute worry

I thought:
She's still so pure.

I think
"Burikko" is a compliment!

So when I praise her
I say
"Like a true burikko. Fantastic!"

Manamo is really pleased
When I call her a burikko.

Because "burikko"
Is the highest praise.

If you're called a "burikko"
You should flash a smile
And say "thank you."

But that Memi-chan is cute
Is inescapable.

Even if she doesn't intend it
There's no way around it:

Her face is just so sweet and cute

Cute...!

And when she winks...
My mind just goes blank

Ohh,
If I had been born with a face like that
I'd be winking all the time.

In conclusion,
Girls who are so cunningly cute
That guys fall in love with them
Are mama's favorite.

Even though I don't think Memi-chan
Intends to be this way,
A girl who seems to have been born
For people to fall in love with

Can be trusted.

Personally,
I prefer fawning girls
To forthright girls.

They're so cute.
It's easy to understand why people love them!

More than anything,
Just looking at them is healing.


I think that girls
Who act burikko
Can be trusted.

All girls,
Somewhere in their hearts,
Want to be seen as cute.

I respect and love
Burikko girls,
Who can express that directly.


Girls who you can see at a glance
Have a desire to be seen as cute
Can be trusted and are easy to make friends with.

So
The rate of burikkos is high
Among Mama's old friends.


Mama herself
Used to be called burikko a lot

But surprisingly, she isn't called that any more.

It makes me sad.

Maybe I'll learn from
Manamo and Memi-chan
And aim at being a burikko.

No matter what angle you photograph her from,
She's totally like a doll.

Kakizaki Memi-sama
Of Hiragana Keyakizaka46,
I'm waiting for you to come to the shop again.

__________________________________________________________

posted 2018/10/27   21:26h

Personally, I don't think Memi is a burikko at all. A burikko is a girl who acts helpless and cutesy in order to get guys to like them. They are basically dependent. Memi doesn't seem dependent to me, at least in that way. She seems calm and straightforward -- as she was said to be by Neru when first introduced on KeyaKake TV. And in anime, at least, burikko girls have extremely high and artificial voices: Memi's voice is low and natural. Memi's appeal is in her gaze, which creates a contact between her and the audience. The winks just draw attention to the gaze. I think the wink is a joke that is so attractive people take it seriously.

But Memi did do a good job of being appealing in a somewhat burikko but still natural way on Hiragana Oshi. I don't think Manamo counts as a burikko, either, but she came close in her original auditions, where she was possibly imitating what she thought of as an idol style. And her exaggerated play-acting as a burikko on GanaOshi had its strength, too.　Here's a bit of their face-off on the show:



In any case, Mao-chan's photos have been greeted with joy and gratitude by Memi fans. One even made this somewhat awkward animated gif from them:

In Friday evening's Budoukan live with Kyary Pamyu-pamyu, Memi doesn't seem to have been all that prominent -- unlike in the Mechakari TV ad trailer. But there are still some nice photos around:

For those who haven't seen it, here is the 30-second Mechakari ad:




And here's the excellent "trailer" about it, which gives us more of the song, as well as some behind-the-scenes footage: