Interview with MOSO CALIBRATION

MOSO CALIBRATION is a six-member idol unit whose name carries the meaning of having an infinite imagination. Backstage at @JAM EXPO 2015 in Yokohama Arena on August 29th , the girls indulged JaME in a long interview where they spoke about their habits, latet single and staying beautiful.

First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of JaME for agreeing to this interview. We heard that some members enjoy playing a game called Splatoon, so let’s begin with a very simple game of the European Splatfest, an in-game event that requires players to make a choice between two items. Pop or rock?

Marihu: Rock.
Nia: Rock.
Nae: Rock.
Usa: Pop.
Iori: Rock.
Yumeko: Do I also have to do it? Ok, then rock!

Eating or sleeping?

Nia: Eating!
Yumeko: Sleeping!
Nae: Eating!
Iori: Eating!
Mahiru: Eating!
Usa: Eating!
Marihu: Is that ok to say that character-wise? (laughs)

North Pole or South Pole?

All: South Pole.
Mahiru: South Pole! Because there are bears.
Iori: There are bears at the North Pole as well!

Singing or dancing?

Iori: Singing!
Usa: Singing!
Nia: (thinks) Dancing …
Nae: In the middle!
Nia: Me too, in the middle, right? I want both!
Marihu: You have to choose!
Nia: Singing and dancing! Singing while dancing!
Yumeko: Dancing!

Now that we’re a little warmed-up, can you introduce yourselves and tell us about one interesting habit you have?

(Editor’s note: The members say the introductions, which are used at live shows. These include plays on words, which cannot be easily translated.)

Mahiru: Easy-going miracle! This clumsy girl’s skills are infinite! I am an angel who brings love to everyone, Kurumizawa Mahiru, also known as Mahiru! My habit is always saying “I’m Mahiru! I’m an angel!” during my microphone check when we all do microphone checks before the shows.

Nia: I’m always in my rebellious age. Pay attention to me! I’m small but I won’t lose to anyone in being energetic! I’m Hoshino Nia. I twirl my hair on both sides with my fingers a lot, to the inside. (demonstrates twirling) I’ve been doing it since high school.

Nae: I will plant my seedling into everyone! I want to become a jellyfish that everyone is kind to everywhere! I’m Futaba Nae. I always start a sentence with “yeah”.
Mahiru: Her sentences don’t have any connecting words, just “yeah”. (laughs)

Yumeko: Whether sleeping or waking, I’m in a dream. Someone wake me up please! Good morning, I’m the green part, Mizuki Yumeko. My habit is saying trivia.
Mahiru: She is the youngest, but she always gives out some random trivia information.
Iori: Like where online did you find this?

Sakura: And it’s always things you wouldn’t care about, like “peaches may be soft or hard, but their sugar content is the same” (laughs). It’s always like you don’t know whether you would ever need this information.
Iori: She knows a lot of small details about things.

Iori: Always intuitive! Everyone wants to capture me! I’ll pierce through everyone’s heart. I’m Amamiya Iori. I have a bad habit. When I’m tired and come home, I don’t even take my shoes off and fall asleep at the entrance.

Usa: Tsundere (normally being cold but at some prompt suddenly becoming nice), derenuki (normally being cold, without the suddenly becoming nice part), sly! Abracadabra! Releasing my magic power fully, I’m Sakuno Usa!
Iori: You touch people a lot!
Usa: No I don’t!
Nia: When you talk, your face is close!
Usa: No it’s not!
Yumeko: You fawn over people!
Usa: No I don’t!
Everyone except Usa: You’re denying everything. (laughs) But it’s true! Also, you ask “Am I cute today?” a lot, and do parodies of Mahiru.

Mahiru, it’s stated on your official profile that writing in English is your special skill. Can you give us a short introduction to MOSO CALIBRATION in English?

Mahiru: (in English) Yes, I can speak English a little. Everyone, what should I say in English?
Nia: (in English) Cute! Cool! Rock!
Mahiru: You can say it in Japanese!
Iori: Wonderful! Unbelievable! (in English)
Mahiru: (in English) We’re not good at dancing and singing, but we do our best on our stage. We’re charming and we have our only one and number one character! We try hard in dancing lessons and voice training. And we want to do lives every day and every night. We want to go abroad for lives and we want MOSO CALIBRATION to be known all over the world!
MOSO CALIBRATION: Yeah! (all cheer and clap)
Nia: How do you say MOSO in English?
Mahiru: (in English) Our imagination is infinity?
MOSO CALIBRATION: (in English) Infinity! Our imagination is infinity! Cool! Wonderful!

If MOSO CALIBRATION were a family, who would be the mother, father, elder sister and so on?

MOSO CALIBRATION: Mahiru would be the father, Usa would be the mother, Yumeko would be the pet, the dog, Nae the older sister, Nia the older brother, twins! And Iori would be the younger brother.

Please tell us about your new single, Gensou koi hanabi, which was released on August 4th.

Mahiru: It’s a song about love with a ghost, and it’s a very summery song. We have not had any songs related to seasons with MOSO CALIBRATION so far, and this is the first time we have had a summer song. Our costumes are also very impactful, having fireworks motives on the fabric, and a part of the skirts imitates the tail and fins of a goldfish.
Usa: This was also the first time we wore yukata in the music video. Each one of us became a ghost, and animation was also used.
Nae: It’s also the first time we use Japanese umbrellas in the dance choreography. It’s great for the end of the summer.
Mahiru: The song uses traditional Japanese instrument sounds and has a flair of a festival, and it’s also quite an upbeat song, but the lyrics are very sad and touch your heart.
Nia: Best summer song! (in English)

Since Gensou koi hanabi is about ayakashi, do you personally like Japanese mythology?

Mahiru: I used to like reading books a lot when I was a child, so I read a lot of Japanese mythology!
All others: We haven’t really read it much.
Mahiru: It’s interesting! From ayakashi, for example kappa would save humans.
Yumeko: I know this from anime!

What is your song recommendation for people who haven’t heard of MOSO CALIBRATION before? Why that song?

MOSO CALIBRATION: Gensou koi hanabi!
Mahiru: I also like the song Mosou ga tomaranai. It’s very MOSO CALIBRATION-like. It’s from our very first single, and it has the Mocali (note: abbreviation for MOSO CALIBRATION) pose in it. In Gensou koi hanabi we are more adult-like, but in Mosou ga tomaranai we are cuter, so I think it would be great if you could see the cool and the cute MOSO CALIBRATION in these songs!

In October, you will be on tour until the final at Zepp Tokyo on January 1st. It’s a huge step for the group. Do you think you are on the trail of Dempagumi.inc? Some people say you are Dempagumi.inc’s little sister because you work at Dear Stage too.

MOSO CALIBRATION: On the trail!
Usa: We are under the same label of Dear Stage, and rather than little sisters, we see ourselves as Dempagumi.inc’s kohai (juniors). But we have different directions in our mind, and we would like to create our own genre of “MOSO CALIBRATION”, which is different from Dempagumi.inc. So we are striving towards them, but not trying to catch up with them or trying to override them.
Mahiru: There is a genre in which MOSO CALIBRATION are, and a genre in which Dempagumi.inc are, and we are what they frequently call the “orthodox” idols. We want to continue pursuing this idol-like idol genre, and would like to be able to show our uniqueness within it. Dempagumi.inc have established their genre within the idol scene, and we would like to establish our MOSO CALIBRATION genre, and not catch up with them but to be able to stand on the same stage on par with them.

To wrap up our interview, please give some parting advice on how to stay beautiful.

MOSO CALIBRATION: Seriously? To foreign fans? They are already so beautiful! We should give them advice? (laughs)
Mahiru: I use sunscreen every day, not letting a single day go without it, and also use a parasol. (in English) I have been to Europe, maybe 10 years ago, and the sun was very strong!
Nia: Eat tasty food!
Usa: Be watched by people. Always have the feeling that people are watching you and act accordingly.
Iori: Be loved!
Yumeko: Sleep properly!
Usa: Ha … have confidence …
Everyone except Usa: You sound like you don’t have any! (laugh)

Thank you for your time today.

MOSO CALIBRATION: Thank you!

JaME would like to thank PROMIC and MOSO CALIBRATION for this interview opportunity.

The music video for Gensou koi hanabi can be watched below.