For anybody whos read my Acchan and Yuko interviews as well, my Erepyon

interview is much less literal (or at least I think so). I hope it wont disappoint you
too much. ^^; Happy reading!

AKB48
In AKB48, Ive cried for many different
reasons
AKB48 K

16
AKB48

Ono Erena (Erepyon), who passed the second AKB48 audition in Grade 6, and who is
active member of Team K, along with Oshima Yuko. Called the best sister
character amongst the fans, even she, who has always acted with the
straightforwardness of a child, is about to turn 16 years old and begin her transition
to adulthood. Among the 3 Ohta sisters, the title of her blog, which she was the
first to start, is Kira kira Pyon-kichis Growing-up Diary. It could be that the one
who is most self-consciously following AKBs concept of a documentary of
development is her. The words that speak of her journey up until this moment
cannot be stopped. As much as possible, let the emotion and force of that day and
these passionate words reach you.

To Akihabara, with a backpack

AKB
Today of course were going to talk about AKB, but Id also like to hear more
about Ono-san yourself as well.

Ono I dont think Ive ever been talked up to like that before, but Ill do my best!
Even though I think theres a limit.


Were you always interested in the entertainment industry?

Ono In the very beginning, I wanted to become a hero. I wanted to become Red
from a team called GoGoFive, and almost every day Id go to Kourakuen and say
Shake hands with me! At first, like a kid Id believed that I could just become Red,
but one day, I realized that actresses and actors were doing something called
acting. Actually, my mom told me. I think she thought that by telling me earlier, I
wouldnt go chasing false dreams. After that, I wanted to know what acting really
meant, and I began to watch a lot of different movies and dramas, and the first
actor that I came to like was Johnny Depp. The first thing I watched was a movie
called Scissorhands, and after watching it again and again, I began to think, I
want to try acting too. Even though Im a single child, as long as I enter the world
of acting like movies or dramas, I could become a younger sister, or even an older
sister. And even though choosing this kind of career, I cant really date or fall in
love, but in my role I could play a girlfriend, and when I become an adult I could
even play the role of a teacher. When I thought about that, being a really
adventurous child, I wanted to try a lot of different things. Becoming an actress
would be perfect for a child like that; being able to have fun myself while also
inspiring others with dreams - isnt that killing two birds with one stone? So I
thought, I will work hard with everything Ive got to become an actress. Even to the
point of sacrificing something, I will become a skilled actress.

When did you become so determined?

Ono It was during Grade 2 or 3. Actually, I started work in the entertainment

industry around Grade 3 or 4. I was scouted while I was walking around on the
streets with my mother. But I wasnt a kid with a lot of initiative, and even though I
went to auditions, I never passed any of them. I didnt know what to do. At that
time, Karasawa Toshiaki and Matsushima Nanakos Taiga drama Toshiie and
Matsu (2002) aired, and it turned out I resembled Matsu. I didnt resemble her at
all, but thats what people said (laugh). That year, as the cheerleading/support
team for the mimicry battle, a boy and I pretended to be Toshiie and Matsu, and I
appeared on TV for the first time. It was a show on Nippon Terebi. I was happy, and
it was so much fun having just the two of us perform our little act on a stage with so
many people. This prompted me to work hard, but in the end it didnt work out
again and I quit that agency. After that, I auditioned by myself for a while, but they
didnt quite go as planned either, and I decided that that was it. Im quitting, I said
to my parents, and after that we just lived a normal life. I planned on becoming a
hair stylist or a makeup artist or something along those lines, so I began to aim for a
university career in the arts and design.

When was that?

NTT
TBS

AKB48
AKB48

 AKB48

Ono That was Grade 6. Well, now were getting to the day of my encounter. I
always slept at 10 PM, but one night I couldnt fall asleep. My parents were both still
out at work, so thinking that Id look for some interesting show to watch, I turned on
the TV. There was a show on TBS called Desu yo nee (2006) by NTT Docomo.
Watching it, they said something like, Its finally the day of the audition, isnt it?
As I wondered what they were talking about, a video of some girls dancing at a
theatre started playing, and then about 5 people appeared. Thinking back on it now,
it was probably Acchan (Maeda Atsuko) and them singing Sakura no
Hanabiratachi. When I saw that, I thought that they shone and that they were so
cute. I dont know why, but I thought that if I applied to this group called AKB48 that
these people were in, I was bound to succeed! I wanted to join AKB48! I decided to
go for it. The next day after school, once school ended, I went on the subway by
myself for the first time and just carrying my backpack with me like that, I went to
Akihabaras Don Quixote. I still vividly remember when I stepped out of the elevator
onto the eighth floor. There was a red carpet, and on the left there were frames
with a lot of girls pictures. It seemed like a performance was going on, and I could
hear a lot of noise. In the caf, there were people sitting there who looked like fans
and people who were watching a screen. Because a little girl with a backpack had
entered so suddenly, a lot of them turned to look at me (laugh). The staff at the
information booth asked me, Whats wrong? and I said, I want to apply. Then
some other staff from inside came out and asked me how old I was. When I said
Grade 6, they were like, Grade 6!? (laugh). In any case, let me explain, and
after saying that, the staff said, Fine, I understand. Then they said something like,
But this is as far as Ill help you. After this, itll all depend on your own ability. Dont
blame me if you dont make it. I told them that I understood, so they took my
picture and I filled in some forms, then I went home. Later, I got to go audition, and
long story short, I ended up here.

They were tears of victory


Id like to ask a bit more about that part we skipped over (laugh). How was the
audition?

PV

Ono It was so fail. First, there was a singing test, for which I chose Otsuka Ais
Sakuranbo. I watched the PV a lot and practiced the dance moves, and I always
sang the second verse. Focusing on the yubi-kuru (motioning somebody closer
with a finger), Id decided to do it to Akimoto Yasushi-san. But when it finally came
to the yubi-kuru moment, I realized that I didnt know which one was him. I didnt
recognize their faces, so I was like, WHICH ONE!? But for the next chorus, I had to
choose somebody to point to, and when I couldnt make up my made, I just pointed
at Natsumi Mayumi-sensei (choreography, performance). Natsu-sensei was just as
surprised that I chose her (laugh). Even with that performance alone, I was already
so upset that I started crying and I didnt know what to do, with my mother laughing
at me. I was all depressed on my own, but there was still a dance audition so I
thought, Ill keep doing my best! Well, its about time for me to get changed into
my lesson clothes [to dance]. But when I looked in my bag, my pants werent
there. I told my mom, Theyre not there, theyre not there, my pants arent there!
Then she quickly went downstairs to Don Quixote and bought me a pair, but they
were really baggy. At that time, everybody around was already laughing at me, and
they were looking at me like they were thinking, Whats wrong with this girl? I
really wanted to go home. In the end, I didnt do that well on the dance test either.
So thinking that it was all over, I just phased out. When my number was announced
during the announcement for the passing auditions, I didnt notice it. When they

called me again, I realized, and I was like, What? Me? At that point, I just started
crying. I thought, I won. I did it! Rather than because I was happy, the tears that I
cried were because I felt that I had proven myself to all those people who had failed
me in previous auditions.

Those were nice tears, werent they? *tears worth crying?*

Ono After that, we were taken to another room again. There, we were told that the
girls who had passed would go through some lessons for a while, and that only the
ones who succeeded through all of it would become real members. I thought, Its
not over yet. Theres nothing for it but to keep going. So for a month or so, I went
through all the lessons earnestly, and even though I caught Natsu-senseis eye and
she made me cry each and every night, I kept going without giving up. Finally, on
April 1st, 2006, I was able to stand on Team Ks stage.

You still remember the opening day really well after all, dont you?

AKB
AKB
Ono On that first day, I wasnt myself at all. The members say that I was like a
dried up bunny. I remember standing behind the curtain and desperately writing
the words hito and yama in the palm of my hand, again and again. I also
remember that after the performance, I started crying right away. The thing that
surprised me was that when I stood on the stage, the audience called out to me,
Erepyon! I think that the fans probably saw my picture hanging on the wall and
cheered for me - that by itself was already enough to make me so happy. Up until
then, nobody had wanted me; rather, I had always been failed during auditions. But
at that moment, I thought, Im needed! I really thought, Im so glad to be alive.

Even if I cant become an actress in the future, having been in AKB itself is already a
huge blessing. Thats why the best that I can do is to give AKB all that Ive got.

Have my complicated feelings gotten through?
K
From Ono-sans perspective, what kind of team is Team K?
K
K

Ono K is really like a family. Its a team where everybody provokes each other to
keep improving and growing, so once in a while, there are some disagreements. But
I think that its because of that that Team K is the way it is. People say that its a
very athletic team, but if it werent for these members, it wouldnt be the colour
that it is now. Considering how todays Team K has probably succeeded because of
the athletic (Akimoto) Sayaka and (Miyazawa) Sae being there, it makes me think
that Akimoto-san is really a genius to use this as a way to create the members [of
the team].
K

Among the so-called family members of Team K, Ono-san is the little sister
character, the youngest child. Even for the major debut single (October 2006),
you were the youngest to be chosen.
CD

A
Ono These days, the chosen members are just handed a CD and told, Its the next
single, so memorize it. But back then, they gathered all the members and
announced the names of the senbatsu. At that time, there was the impression that
A members were definitely going to be chosen.
A
A was definite?

 A
K

Ono They were our senpai, and unlike now, back then we used keigo/the honourary
form of speech with them (laugh). So thinking that the next single would have A LOT
of Team A members again, I went, and there they announced that this time, there
would be K members too. At that time, people said that I was half a person or a
0.5 person *implying that shes not good enough to be considered a master of her
trade yet*, and Id never had my own part, so I thought that Id definitely not be a
part of it. But then, they announced my name. I was so surprised, I asked, Huh,
me? And then they replied, Do your best. Youre the youngest one, so dont lose
to the others. I was so happybut I couldnt let it show. After all, there were other
members there whose names werent called. There was a lot of tension in the room.
Even though I should have known that the world was like that, I felt apologetic or
rather, it was an emotion that I cant really explain. Why? Why me? Why cant
everybody be a part of it? Rather than happiness, it was a mix of emotions and I
couldnt bring myself to be happy at all. But thinking that somebody else would take
my spot if I backed down at something like that, I did my best.

How were the theatre performances?

2nd

1st

1st

3rd B

<>
K A
<Party >
Ono In the 2nd stage (July - November 2006), I got a centre position and my own
lines, and some solos. During the 1st stage (April - July 2006), the centre position
had been a spot that I looked up to. It was like a dream come true. It doesnt do to
take that spot lightly. As Natsu Mayumi-sensei said, The centre is the spot where
the gods descend. Its the place where the spotlights are aimed at, and it wont do
to stand there without being focused. But even so, that doesnt mean that you can
slack off just because youre standing off to the side. Thats what we were taught.
During the 1st stage, I worked hard no matter what position I had, with the goal of
standing in the centre one day, so I was really happy [when I got that spot]. Then,
around the time of the 3rd stage (December 2006 - June 2007), Team B was formed.
At that time, I felt a mix of emotions again. I didnt like the part of me that kept
wondering about what kind of girls had joined, and I tried to convince myself that it
was good enough for me to just be myself. But then I heard that there were a few
girls my age that had joined. For the first time, I felt anxious. I thought, This day
has finally come. I have rivals of my age now too. Hearing that they were still doing
their lessons, I asked the staff what kind of a stage it was, and they said that they
were doing Seishun Girls. What?! At that time, I really started crying. Why are
they singing our songs? Even though K had started off with Team As Party ga
hajimaru yo as well, I still felt so bitter.
B 1st K 2nd K

Team Bs 1st stage was a revival of Team Ks 2nd stage. It was the first stage that
Akimoto-san had written for Team K, a stage full of memories.

B
K K 1st

Ono So then I asked the staff, Whos doing my part? A girl called Watanabe
Mayu. Ma, Mayuyu~! (laugh). Doesnt it seem like things are going to get
interesting? For about a week after that, I tried not to think about it, but I was
depressed the whole time. And besides that, after hearing that Team Bs opening
performance had been a huge success, I felt even more bitter and frustrated. But
those are Ks songs! Those are the songs that K finally got after we worked so hard
on the 1st stage! And because I was so affected by it, I went to see Bs performance
one day. Even though I managed to hold it in for the first half, I just couldnt stop
my tears when I saw Ame no Doubutsuen and I left the performance. I started
sobbing in the elevator hall.A girl who was completely different in height and
voice was wearing the clothes and singing the song that I cherished so much. I think
it was the next day? I went to go see that outfit. The bottom had been extended,
since Mayuyu was taller. I couldnt help thinking, My clothes Oh, I forgot to talk
about something important. Can I go back to it?

Go ahead (laugh).
K B
BINGO!PV

2nd B 3rd
B
K
K 2nd B
B
K

Ono Actually, Id been friends with Mayuyu since Team Ks audition. When Mayuyu
joined as part of B, we were together because we were the senbatsu for BINGO!,
and we spent a lot of time together because of the PV and promotional activities. I
love making friends. Im the type that makes friends just by going to Kenkou Land
*like a public bath*, so we quickly became friends. At the beginning, Mayuyu had
used keigo/the honourary form of speech with me, but at some point, she started
affectionately calling me Erepyon. From then on, we became even closer friends.
Then, I think that Bs 3rd stage started while Himawari-gumi was doing its 2nd stage
(December 2007 - April 2008). I thought that it was great that B was getting its own
songs, but then I heard rumours that people were saying it was a perfect stage.

Rather than just me, all the members of Team K felt bitter. I was so bitter that I
even cried. Up until then, people had said that Team Ks 2nd stage was the perfect
stage, but at that moment, it seemed that B, who had started after us, had gotten
ahead. I was so frustrated. The staff provoked us too. They kept saying, Bs
perfect, Bs perfect in front of Team K. Because of that, all of us said, Stop saying
that! Of course, its important for team members to help each other improve, and
that sense of frustration became a source of power for us. We didnt want to lose to
the other teams, so in any case, it was vexing.Um, have my complicated feelings
gotten through?

Do my best as the Ono Erena I am now

14

AKB

Akimoto Yasushi-san wrote a foreword in your first photo album Erena~ My 14th
Summer~. Were lucky to be able to witness the present Ono Erena because ten
years later - twenty years later - we will be able to talk about her past. It could be
said that Ono-san, who was almost the youngest member to join, has best shown
AKBs initial concept of growth.

1st

Ono Its because even though Im still a kid now, I was more of a kid before, right?
(laugh) I dont know anything or understand anything. But after all, humans are
beings that grow; conversely, it would be weird if we didnt. People change, dont
they? They gradually get taller, their faces and their hairstyles change, even their

clothes, the way they talk and their voices change. Even if people tell you to stop, it
just cant be done. But I think the fans who have supported me since the 1st stage
will think after all that the present me has changed. They probably think things
like, Shes different now, shes become somebody other than the Erepyon we
knew.There was a time when I was troubled by that and I talked to a lot of the
people around me to ask them for their advice. Thats up to you yourself to
decide. Even my mom said that. So then this is what I thought: right now Im 15
years old; next year, Im going to turn 16. Im going to keep becoming an adult. The
age when I can no longer say Kira Kira Power! or Erepyon may come. Even
though I dont know what Im going to be like in the future, this is what Ono Erena is
like now. I want to do my best as the Ono Erena I am now. It doesnt mean that Im
throwing away the Ono Erena of the past; rather, Ive decided to keep moving
forward instead of turning back. So for those people who say that they liked the old
Ono Erena, please enjoy yourself with videos of the old Erena (laugh).

SUPERFLAT FIRST LOVE

This years April, the artist Murakami Takashi-san and Louis Vuitton collaborated
to make the anime SUPERFLAT FIRST LOVE. What was it like being chosen to sing
the image song First Love by youself, and to be the image model?

AKB

AKB48

Ono I was so surprised! I mean, its Murakami Takashi-san. Its awesome enough
that hes collaborating with Louis Vuitton, but getting me to sing the anime song is
just unusual! Even Akimoto-san told me to do my best. Its a wonderful song, and
even though I was nervous for the recording, when I heard the finished product it
was so good that even I was surprised. I wanted to perform it as soon as possible in
front of everybody. Then, I got to appear for Vuittons event in Omotesan-do, and
AKB members hurried there to support me Then, while I was waiting after I

finished changing, some important person from Louis Vuitton came into the
changing room. After I introduced myself as AKB48, and somebody said, Shes the
one [weve been talking about], the important person said, Ohhh! I thought, Ive
connected with the world! and I was so happy. Even after the event was over, a
beautiful foreigner who looked like she could have been a model for the Paris
Collection said something to me in English that was like, Can I take a picture with
you? I thought, Ive made a connection with the world again! First Love is a
song that I plan to continue to cherish from now on, and thankfully, it can be chosen
in karaoke stores now too. In the future when Im an adult, if I become a mother, its
a song that I would want my kids to sing. Thats how much I love this song.

It would be interesting for the 20-year old Ono-san to sing that song that
communicates the heartbreak of first love.

AKB AKB

Ono Indeed! Id definitely want to sing it again in the 8th floor of Don Quixote when
Im 20 or so. Even though I think that sometime in the future, I will grow out of AKB
as well, Im working towards my dream of being an actress while still taking part in
AKB activities. Even though Ive become a baka character, Im studying English, and
Im seriously aiming to join Hollywood in the future! Going to Hollywood and walking
down the red carpet with Johnny Depp is my dream. Even though its not 100% sure
that the futures going to go that way, I think that holding fast to a dream is
important. So like that, please look after me. I talked a lot-!