Kakizaki Memi's final blog post: Thank you!

Thank you 

Kakizaki Memi
2019.08.12   09:28h


Good evening, it's Kakizaki Memi.

I graduated from Hinatazaka46 today!

Thank you very much for coming to the graduation ceremony, despite it being so late

These three years or so have really been an enjoyable idol life!

Now I will retire from the entertainment world,
And live as an ordinary girl.

Thank you very much for all the wonderful experiences!

It's a blessing to be sent off by so many people.
Thank you very much for the warm cheers right to the very end!


I was also given a graduation on today's Hinatazaka de Aimashou, which will be broadcast at 25:05

This will be the last, so please watch!

I got the burikko character from the show, and I really thank them for that.
Every recording session was so much fun! I love that show
I'll continue to look forward to it from now on

My beloved members

Let's keep going out to eat together, eh



Truly, thank you very much for everything up to now!!

Kakizaki Memi

________________________________________________

As you probably know by now, Memi announced at her graduation ceremony after the handshake event in Nagoya Sunday that she and her family had been bothered by a stalker or stalkers, scaring her so she felt she had to miss handshake events from late April on, and at least implying (she may have stated it directly) that the stalking was the main reason she was leaving show business. This has sent shock waves through her fandom and made this a much less happy graduation than we thought it was.

When Memi says the graduation ceremony was late, she's referring to the fact it was in the evening around 8pm, after a full day of handshake event. It was also announced late, just the day before the event, and details were apparently still being decided on Sunday. I wonder if management realized Memi was going to reveal the stalking.

To be honest, I think it should have been the responsibility of Seed & Flower, Hinatazaka's management company, to spend the money necessary to protect her and find the culprit(s). An employer should be responsible for protecting its employees from dangers generated by the job, which the stalking clearly was.

The group photo includes all the members who were present at the handshake event (no Kage-chan or Hiyo-tan). Toshi-chan, Nao-chan, Ayaka and Manamo all missed some sessions at the handshake event for health reasons, and there was some baseless speculation about discord. But the photo gives the lie to that. It was a very hot day, so they were probably suffering from that.

The blog was posted Monday morning, but was evidently written Sunday evening, sometime before 1am, when HinaAi was broadcast.

The sign on the flowers Memi is holding is from the Kakizaki Memi Graduation Planning Executive Committee, probably a fan committee: "To Kakizakai Memi-sama, Congratulations on your graduation!  Thank you for so much happiness and energy and courage. May Memi's future overflow with happiness."

Here is the graduation certificate from the Committee (click to enlarge):

 
"Graduation Certificate. Hinatazaka46, Kakizaki Memi-dono.

"Chosen as the youngest member of Hiragana Keyaki, double centre with Neru-chan, you expected to move smoothly into a drama. But Neru dropped her double duty and went to Kanji Keyaki. However, after that you became really strong. A centre praised for your beauty, cutting a path forward, leading Hiragana Keyaki, your form and feelings bewitched fans, growing the group's appeal. As an idol, your singing and dancing were wonderfully cute and lovely.

"In variety, your burikko character made people laugh out loud. In drama and on stage, your acting caused a stir as Reiwa's Ishihara Satomi (note: 石原さとみ is an award-winning actress active since 2003).... Supremely enjoyable! In the heat; when you broke your wrist; under huge pressure as the lead on stage; you overcame all difficulties to stand on stage. On stage you just shone, answering every question. You gave people so much courage. In everyone's minds, you were the greatest idol. You did things in your own way. May you have a blessed future.

"We are so glad you were our oshimen. Thank you for so much happiness, Memi-chan! Thank you for three years of hard work. Congratulations on your graduation. Be happy, eh. Nyan-nyan ♪  Look toward the future and Fly Higher Than Anyone!

"Reiwa 1, August 11.
Kakizaki Memi Graduation Planning Executive Committee"

I agree with all of this.

In the photo from HinaAi, note that the flowers are wrapped in pale green, Memi's penlight colour and similar to the Hiragana Keyaki colour. 

In her comment on the group photo, Memi talks about going out to eat together. This and other mentions make it seem she will continue to live in Tokyo, at least for a while, and be in contact with her friends in Hinatazaka. Maybe she will be enticed back into entertainment, if the stalking thing is solved. And perhaps not. Perhaps she will enjoy her new life even more than her old one, even if it was a stalker that forced her into it.

Congratulations on your graduation, Memi. May you have the happiest of future lives.