Ranking Talk was a Kageki feature from the mid-2000s where young otokoyaku stars would rank each other in various categories. This one was published in the October 2005 issue and features Mirai Yuuki, Sou Kazuho, and Otozuki Kei.

Ranking Talk Resurrected! (Snow Troupe – Mirai Yuuki, Sou Kazuho, Otozuki Kei)

Which one of you is the most conscientious?

Sou: Hamako-san (Mirai)!

Mirai: Eritan (Sou)!

Otozuki: I think it’s Eritan.

Sou: Why?

Otozuki: I feel like you’re really conscientious and diligent.

Sou: No, it’s definitely Hamako-san.

Mirai: It seems like Kimu (Otozuki) certainly isn’t conscientious (laughs).

Otozuki: I tend to think of things more generally, yes… I’m fine with third place. Which of you two is the most conscientious, then?

Sou: Hamako-san will always work so hard at making hotpot for cast parties and things… And when we go out to eat she’ll honestly be a little too helpful.

Mirai: Like a mother? (laughs)

Sou: Yes, a mother (laughs).

Otozuki: If that’s the kind of conscientiousness we’re talking about, Hamako-san will end up at number 1, then.

Sou: Conscientiousness in service.

Mirai: I can’t deny that (laughs).

Sou, Otozuki: Phew!!

Mirai: Eritan, you have your own particular fixations, don’t you? You’re very conscientious when it comes to those.

Sou: That’s true. I think it’s probably because my blood type is AB.

Otozuki: It’s a different variety of conscientiousness than Hamako-san’s. Perhaps you could share first place?

Mirai: But we have to decide the ranking, don’t we? It’s fine, I’ll take first (laughs).

All: (laugh)

Otozuki: First place is Hamako-san, second place is Eritan, and third place is me.

Who is most easily affected by the role they’re playing?

Otozuki: Eririn (Sou)!

Mirai: Eritan!

Sou: It is me, isn’t it. I get really overtaken by my roles. If I’m playing a character who’s down on their luck I start wanting to feel discouraged in my own life as well, that kind of thing…

Mirai: When you play a dark role, you get a really dark atmosphere too. But I think I sense that from Kimu, too.

Otozuki: Really?

Sou: Yeah. You get pretty affected by your roles, too.

Otozuki: I didn’t think I was the type for that, but depending on the role I suppose I’ve had that happen from time to time.

Sou: Hamako-san is totally different on and offstage.

Otozuki: But I think that’s just a matter of making the distinction there.

Sou: You’re smiling the moment you make it into the wings.

Mirai: Yes. I don’t take any of it with me at all.

Otozuki: I think Eririn takes first place here, fair and square.

Mirai: Kimu is second place, and I’m third place.

Who is the most talkative?

Sou: Kimu!!

Otozuki: Huh? It’s Hamako-san for sure.

Mirai: Huh!?

Otozuki: Hamako-san is always talking away but you still notice what’s going on around you.

Mirai: You’re so perceptive!

Sou: Kimu is always chattering. The only time you’re quiet is when you’re feeling ill (laughs).

Mirai, Otozuki: (burst out laughing)

Otozuki: That might be true.

Mirai: When Eritan’s interested in something she’ll join the conversation, but if she’s not interested she won’t talk at all (laughs).

Sou, Otozuki: (burst out laughing)

Otozuki: When I’m talking with Kin-san (Misumi Kanon), sometimes I’ll reply too quickly. I’m like ‘Oh no, that won’t do…’ (laughs).

Sou: This is a regular tell-all session now (laughs).

Mirai: The girls of Kimu’s year all chat away like students, don’t you.

Sou: Like ‘Hey, hey, listen to this~!’…

Otozuki: That’s definitely true…

Mirai: So, first place is Kimu. I’m second, and Eritan is third.

Who takes over when cooking hotpot?

Sou, Otozuki: (simultaneously point at Mirai)

Mirai: It’s me~! It’s definitely me!

Sou: You give off such an aura that nobody else will even reach for it. It’s like ‘HANDS OFF!’…

Mirai: I don’t want anybody else touching. It’s my hotpot that I’m cooking with such care after all (laughs).

Sou, Otozuki: (laugh)

Sou: You’d get really upset if someone put in the parsley first, wouldn’t you?

Mirai: Of course I would! I’m like ‘We have to start with what flavors the stock!’ (laughs)

Otozuki: Before I know it you’ll have carefully put in so many different ingredients. Hamako-san is definitely number one here!

Mirai: Yeah. I’m way ahead of the pack here.

Sou: I’m probably third place. Kimu is pretty stubborn, after all…

Otozuki: There’s a difference between that and taking over the hotpot, though.

Mirai: But still, I’ve never seen Eritan do anything like that at all… (laughs).

Sou: Yeah. I’d rather have someone else do it for me (laughs). I’ll take third place, please.

Otozuki: Yay! I’m in second place. Even if it was just by process of elimination… (laughs).

All: (laugh)

Who gets the most stressed out?

Sou: Kimu!

Mirai: (pulls down the hand she had been raising)

Sou, Otozuki: Ah… (laughs)

Sou: Hamako-san, do you get nervous?

Mirai: You don’t really understand me, do you?

Otozuki: You don’t look like you get nervous.

Mirai: When it comes time for the Thursday performance after my off day, I get so nervous my hands will be shaking.

Sou, Otozuki: Eh~! Wo~w~!

Mirai: It’s an amazing level of nervousness.

Otozuki: But, it’s a kind of nervousness that doesn’t transfer to other people. In my case…

Sou: Yeah, yeah. Kimu is contagious… (laughs)

Otozuki: I’ll keep saying ‘I’m so nervous’ over and over as I’m pacing around. Although that calms me down a bit personally… (laughs). So maybe I’m not actually that nervous.

Mirai: For us, even if we say ‘I’m so nervous right now’, we don’t really look it, do we?

Sou: That’s true for me.

Mirai: I think Kimu is like that too. When you were doing shinjin kouens, you looked extremely calm when it came time for the show. …So, who is first place?

Otozuki: We all get nervous.

Sou: Yeah. But I’ve never gotten stage fright performing right after a day off.

Otozuki: Me neither.

Sou: So, that makes Hamako-san first place.

Mirai: Eritan is second place, maybe. Sometimes I can tell hearing your voice over the monitor.

Sou: Ah~, you’re really perceptive to tell that way.

Mirai: In Susano’o and In Search of the Blue Bird, you had lines immediately after the start of the show, right? On opening day when you had your first lines I could tell that you were really nervous.

Sou: Ah…

Otozuki: If we’re thinking about it that way, I don’t really get that nervous on stage…

Sou: You’re really plucky.

Otozuki: I think it’s because I get so nervous before I go on that I tire myself out (laughs).

Mirai, Sou: (laugh)

Who has the most intense emotional swings?

Otozuki: We’re all like this, aren’t we.

Mirai: It’s hard to put a ranking on this.

Sou: Everyone tells me that it’s really easy to tell when I’m in a bad mood. I think though we might all have the same emotional range, there’s people who show it and people who don’t.

Mirai: If we’re going by how easy it is to tell, then Eritan is first. And then who between Kimu and I?

Sou: I can tell Kimu’s emotions. When she’s feeling down…

Kimu: I can’t hide it at all when I’m feeling down (laughs).

Sou: Perhaps it’s because she is more senior, but I can’t tell Hamako-san’s emotions.

Otozuki: When you’re frustrated or something I can tell ‘well, maybe she seems a bit more tense…’

Mirai: Maybe when it comes to things like that. I don’t think I’ve ever let anyone see me when I’m properly angry… So maybe Kimu is second, and I’m third.

Who is the biggest romanticist?

Mirai: Are any of us romanticists?

Sou, Otozuki: No~…

Sou: What is a ‘romanticist’?

Mirai: Someone who fantasizes a lot, and often ends up in a totally different world?

Sou: In that case, that’s me. I’m always wandering off to the other side of the world (laughs).

Mirai, Otozuki: (Burst out laughing)

Otozuki: That’s too fa~r!

Sou: I’m always getting called back when someone says ‘Eritan!’

Mirai: So, I’ll give you first place. Second place is Kimu, maybe. Look how cute your clothes are today.

Otozuki: I’m not a romanticist at all, though. I’m very realistic…

Mirai: I’m definitely not a romanticist at all! I’m all about physical activity!

Sou, Otozuki: A P.E. person!! (burst out laughing)

Otozuki: That’s funny!

Mirai: Let’s put Kimu in second place, and me in third, then.

Who would you want as a bride?

Otozuki: Hamako-san! She seems like she would do everything for you…

Sou: She seems like she’d be always wanting to help.

Mirai: As for me… (looking at the other two)

Sou: We’re being assessed! (laughs) Personally I feel like I would rather have a bride, so…

Mirai: So, maybe Kimu. Eritan is…well, that might be a bit of a hard time (laughs).

Eritan: (laughs) But, didn’t you say the other day ‘You’re easy to understand, so you’re easy to handle’?

Mirai: Yeah. So if you had a man who could understand and also respond in kind that would work out well, but…

Eritan: I’m accepting applications!

All: (laugh)

Otozuki: I’m sure any man would be happy to have Hamako-san as a bride.

Mirai: But, you too, Kimu…

Otozuki: I’m too selfish, I’d be no good.

Mirai: I’m selfish too, you know.

Sou: But even though you might be selfish, your helpfulness would completely make up for it, so that would be fine, wouldn’t it?

Otozuki: Right! Hamako-san is first!

Mirai: Really…? Well then, I’ll take first place (laughs). Then, Kimu is second place.

Otozuki: Ya~y!

Sou: I’ll be first place on the ‘person who wants a bride’ ranking, please.

All: (laugh)