Rhythm was a Q&A feature for young otokoyaku stars published through 2016, with fun questions about the performers’ on and offstage lives as well as some drawings. The specific questions and number of questions vary between features.
Minami’s was published in the November issue.
Rhythm – Minami Maito, Flower Troupe
Q: What moment have you been you the most nervous onstage?
The prologue of Elisabeth, when I was playing Lucheni in the junior performance. The production itself starts out in a very strained atmosphere, and the audience were so tense it was hard to believe it was a junior performance. Also, I was coming out from the opposite direction as Nozomi-san did in the main cast, so the audience thought “Oh, the other way?” and the gaze of the entire audience landed on me at once, and in that moment…I was defeated… I was nervous all the way through Lucheni’s adlib scenes as well. But it was really fun!
Q: What is something you like about stage makeup?
Uh, a picture…
My eyes aren’t very far apart, and this part where my nose stands out is pretty narrow, so I’m always striking a delicate balance while contouring since I don’t want my eyes to look too close together, but I want the definition. Although this person has eyes kind of far apart (laughs).
Q: Morning person? Night person?
Night person! Period (laughs) Maybe I’m bad at mornings… I don’t like it! I really hate that moment when my alarm goes off! “Why the heck did you go off!?” I’ll think (laughs)
Q: Your signature…
Q: What is your favorite seasoning?
Shichimi seven-spice blend. I’ll put it on anything: traditional-style pasta I make at home, vegetable stirfy, or miso soup.
Q: What do you do first when you get home?
I just lay around. Though I’m thinking the whole time this won’t do, in front of the TV there’s a “demon rug”. If I lay down on that once I won’t be able to get up for a while (laughs). I inevitably find myself on the demon rug at least once a day (laughs).
Q: Are you someone who replies on LINE right away?
I don’t, I think. Or maybe I do. Hmmm, I do if it’s just a stamp!
But if it seems like the other person is in a hurry, I at least…want to give them a yes or no… (laughs). I think everyone’s going to tease me for ‘telling all these lies’ (laughs).
Q: I’m actually…
I think I have the image of being a really efficient person, but I’m actually not like that at all. Though I’ll enthusiastically think “I’ve got to do my best!”, in reality I feel like I have a really ‘young’ mentality, so I’m pretty carefree. I especially feel this when I meet up with classmates like Aasa (Asami Jun) or Kizuki Yuuma. Even when I go out to eat with junior girls, ‘It’s Minami-san, so…’ they’ll generally decide everything for me (laughs). I’m surrounded by dependable people (laughs).
Q: What do you want to become one year from now?
I hope I can be doing things in a fresh way. Thinking ‘I have to be like this’ is too intense, so I want to make sure I keep my focal point, hold on to my original motications, and enjoy performing. Also, the thing I’m focusing on most right now is acting. I hope that I can act while using my voice skillfully as an otokoyaku, and breathe naturally… It might be hard to get there in a year but that’s where I want to be!
Q: What is your favorite costume besides black tuxedos?
Tuxedos! …oh, besides that (laughs). In that case, uniforms, maybe. See, people who wear uniforms generally have a lifestyle of fighting readiness, right. That’s really cool, I think.
Q: When do you feel the difficulty of being an otokoyaku?
When dancing in otokoyaku costumes. Rather than feeling ‘I’m having fun dancing at 100%!’ I have to prioritize thinking about how I can dance in a way that gives the audience the most enjoyment. In tailcoat ensemble dances in particular, if I’m not aware of everything–how much of the white shirt in front is visible, how much of the black on my back is visible–I won’t match everyone else, so it takes so much practice… And how I need to present myself changes with each kind of costume, so I still have so much to learn.
Q: Tell us your party entertainment repertoire!
Huh!? I don’t really have anything… When I wear a leotard, I’ll usually get ragged about how defined my back muscles are and stuff, so then I’ll do a pose (laughs). A muscle show! (laughs)
Q: Please draw a self-portrait!
Ah~ here it is at last!…
As long as I make the face long it’s OK.
🎵 My face~ is long~ 🎵
This is actually good maybe.
What do I do… This works!
Q: What kind of movies do you like?
Disney of course has that dream world, and it’s really cute, so I love it! And then, I also like emotional movies that will make me bawl. “My heart still isn’t corrupted, huh,” I’ll think (laughs).
Q: Do you have a drivers’ license?
I do. I drive pretty often. Generally I prefer to really floor it rather than going on a laid back drive (laughs).
Photoshoot outtake:
