I think this interview gives an insight into aspects of Kakizaki Memi that are not so obvious. She is not really the cute, shy little thing people have thought she is, but actually strong, direct and straightforward. The very feminine side of her personality, and her tendency to fawn dependently on her elders, have misled us. Her stoic reaction to her broken wrist may be closer to the real Memi. If she is a French doll, she is a macho French doll.
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Mannish, strong-willed
Interviewer -- With your statement "I want to become a French doll" and so on, Kakizaki-san has a strongly feminine image. But from various things I've heard, I've come to think you may be someone with a lot of guts. And your manager has used the word ikemen
[cool guy] about your character.
Kakizaki -- Hahaha. It's true that although I've talked about wanting to be a French doll ever since elementary school, I'm actually rather strong-willed.
-- So you normally played like a boy?
Kakizaki -- Yes, that's true. I was outside doing things like climbing trees (laughs).
-- So you were actually quite a little scamp, then! (laughs) Were those the things you liked doing, rather than playing house?
Kakizaki -- In pre-school, I played dolls with my elder sister. I liked doing both. But lately, I haven't played like that, have I. (laughs)
-- Certainly, for a high school girl to climb trees would be a bit extreme. (laughs) The thing that made me think you might be someone with inner strength was hearing that after a Hiragana Keyaki performance in Tokyo, you vehemently declared to members: "I want to work harder on our performance!" Could you speak a bit more about that?
Kakizaki -- I said something like that I was not just trying to look cuter, more than that I wanted to properly work on singing and dancing. At the time, I was probably a bit angry. (laughs) We talked about things, and the members had various opinions, and we were rather scattered.
-- With what tone of voice did you say it? Were you crying?
Kakizaki -- I wonder if I was. I was sure there were other girls who felt the same, but none of them said anything. I really hated it, so I said it myself.
-- It seems you said what you really wanted to say. So your character is to be quite frank?
Kakizaki -- That's what people around me say.
