Here is a short translated excerpt summary of a live stream by Sugiyama Katsuhiko and Akira Sunset that was streamed on 2021-12-18:
１０年間のありがとう！！ 杉山勝彦 vs Akira Sunset 最後の対等トーク
Thank You for the 10 Years!! Sugiyama Katsuhiko vs Akira Sunset, the Last Talk, Equally
You can find the Youtube video for this excerpt by googling:
乃木坂の象徴だった生田絵梨花について語る杉山勝彦とAkiraSunset
or:
youtube [dot] com/watch?v=U35qDa4LPmA
Akira went to Ikuchan’s graduation concert.
Sugiyama: Although Nogi has sembatsu and under, there is no ranking like in AKB elections.
Back then, with AKB’s Flying Get and Heavy Rotation, energetic songs were popular for idols.
Sugiyama felt he can’t win against people who are good at those kinds of songs. So he thought he’d just go with his own style, which was Seifuku No mannequin and Kimi No Na Wa Kibou.
The abovementioned things, plus the image and behavior of Nogi girls, was his inspiration for coming up with those songs (Seifuku No Mannequin and Kimi No Na Wa Kibou).
Seeing the image of Ikuchan playing the piano while she and the members sing Kimi No Na Wa Kibou in a school setting, without the tension of cutthroat competition – Sugiyama feels that these kinds of things are things that didn’t exist (in the image of idols) back then.
Sugiyama says, “Nogizaka isn’t a harsh medicine or drug.”
Akira says, “Maybe because Nogizaka isn’t a harsh medicine or drug, Nogizaka has lasting power.”
Akira did the arrangement for both of Nogizaka46’s appearances on First Take (with Endo Sakura, Ikuchan, Kakki-, Kubo Shiori) and did rehearsals with them for it
Sugiyama knows Kubo is good at singing
Akira praises Ikuchan’s singing technique and perfectionism regarding artistry
(When counting the times that Ikuchan has centered, they both count Nandome No Aozora Ka as the first and Saigo No Tight Hug as the second.)
Sugiyama says Ikuchan is a symbol. She has the technique and is genius-like. The type of person to become an artist.
Twitter thread version: https://twitter.com/Conjyak1/status/1507041412990308360
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