Ozeki Mai/Other Q&As

==[2015.01] LoGirl Interview==
On January 28, 2015, LoGirl published an article containing an interview with Ozeki Mai as part of their Hello! Project New Men 20 series:http://logirl.favclip.com/article/detail/303
;How did you feel when you were told you were in Country Girls?
:I was very surprised, but also happy. “Country Musume” was renamed to Country Girls. The fact that it was going to be a new group made me happy.
;Did you receive the news with the 12th Generation auditions?
:Yes. I went to the final selection and had failed, but I had been chosen for Country Girls.
;The audition gave you the chance (to be in a new group)?
:For about two years I had been dancing and singing in my house, so I liked it. But, I hadn’t really thought about joining Hello! Project, so I didn’t think about auditioning. After my mother said, “You’re not going to try?” I felt better about about trying. So, I went through the first and second stage willingly, and then I became one of the last people standing. At that point, my feelings changed to “I can’t be done after I have come this far,”.
;How were other’s reactions to you joining?
:My friends watched the announcement on Hello! Station and said “Wo~w! Mai is in a movie~!” with happiness.
;At school, it was kind of like being a celebrity, right?
:I had been telling people to watch the video’s of me singing and many had the reaction of “I’ve seen it already~”. It wasn’t embarrassing to me, as I had kind of wanted to become like a celebrity at my school and everyone had saw the video eventually.
;Your solo part in “Itoshikutte Gomen Nee” isn’t embarrassing to you?
:I like it when the fans will yell out “Woo~” at my part, its fun.
;When Country Girls was announced, it was also announced that Momoko would be the playing manager, but its hard to see how she is going to be involved. How do you feel about it?
:There was some time to consider it before the Hello! Concert rehearsals. So, I had thoughts like “Are we going to sing Country Musume songs?” “Are there going to be other Hello! Project members involved? Are we going to perform at the Hello! Concert?”. However, it was made clear at rehearsal. I am very inexperienced, so the realization of everything swept over me quickly and I thought “Wow, this is Hello! Project”. After seeing all my senpai rehearse I realized “I’m going to dance with these people on stage,”.
;Didn’t it make you nervous to rehearse so close to your senpai?
:I was nervous, but also very impressed by them. Uta-chan likes Natsuyaki Miyabi, so she would always always be watching a video of her and would call me over to watch too. One time, Miyabi passed our dressing room and and said “Uwa!” when she saw what we were doing. I think that our feelings for her were conveyed at that time.
;Has your life changed since joining Country Girls?
:Thus far my life has been pretty laid-back. And yet, during the Hello! Concert rehearsals I was singing and dancing every day. Its very fun, but it’s definitely difficult. I have been very busy so I haven’t been able to contact my friends, but, I’m pretty happy anyhow. Its a strange feeling, but it seems like something a professional would do.
;Please tell us your favorite Hello! Project songs.
:Uwa~ There’s a lot of them, but I like ℃-ute's “Tokai no Hitorigurashi” and also Berryz Koubou's “Love Together!” and “Towa no Uta”.
;Do you think there is something special about you within the group?
:I have an energetic image, but because I am always energetic, I can be noisy. Within Country Girls I think that the other members are mostly more lady-like, so there isn’t anybody that I can get excited with. But, Sasaki Rikako is like me, so we can be loud together happily.
;Do you think you have a rival within the group?
:Probably “The timidness inside me,”. I don’t think I have a rival within the group yet, as I feel like we all have fun together.
;What member have you been paying attention to in other units?
:The new Kenshuusei unit Nomura Minami. We have the same birthday. Besides that we also talk often together. Minami has a sharpness to her dancing, so I am always watching her.
;What is your goal within the group?
:We have just started so we’re all a little timid, but I’d like to improve my skills and gradually get better through practice.
;Please give your personal appeal
:Country Girls hasn’t been around for very long, but I’m going to double my efforts to catch up with everyone. I want to work hard to do my best!
==References==
Category:Ozeki Mai
Category:Lists