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So Long, Farewell – Jurina Matsui’s Last Performance at AKB48 Theater!
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On October 21, 2015, Jurina Matsui announced on a radio show that her concurrency in AKB48 was coming to an end. 2 months after the broadcast, her last theater performance as an AKB48 Minegishi Team K member took place on December 24, 2015 with a farewell ceremony.
Upon her debut as a first generation member of SKE48, she was included in the senbatsu line-up for AKB48’s single “Oogoe Diamond”, and has been a solid senbatsu member since. It was during the group’s concert in Saitama Super Arena in March 2012 when her concurrency was announced and she became both the center of SKE48 and an AKB48 Team K member. Despite being well known to fans of both groups, she made the decision to stop her concurrency and focus on her task to take SKE48 to the next level when Rena Matsui, another center of SKE48, graduated from the group earlier this year.
To give back to all the fans that treated her as one of AKB48’s own members, she did not hold back and performed with extreme vigor from the very beginning, dancing with her all her might and keeping a smile on her face the entire time. Ikumi Nakano, a Team 8 member and a devoted admirer of Matsui, shed tears during MC, as she tried to treasure every moment spent on stage alongside Matsui.
The farewell ceremony took place after the performance, and started with a video of Matsui’s concurrency history from the very first day until the radio announcement. Then the Team K members who didn’t perform today took the stage, and a full Team K sang “Sougen no Kiseki” as fans chanted Matsui’s name. Having held back tears until then, she finally broke down.
“Even though Jurina is like a younger sister,” said Minami Minegishi, who was part of Team K at the beginning of Matsui’s concurrency, “she never compromised, never cried or complained despite never having enough time and always having too many conflicts. I thought that was really something. She’ll be going back to SKE48 full time, but I’ll watch over her like a big sister watches over a little sister. Please do your best.”
As an additional surprise, Sae Miyazawa, who was a founding member of Team K and now Matsui’s SKE48 group mate, wrote her a letter.
“Sae-chan was always there for me when I felt uneasy and supported me so much, I have nothing but respect for her, who had just announced her graduation,“ said Matsui, “After reading her letter to me, I am even more determined to become a well-admired member of AKB48 Group.”
Everyone was saddened that the ceremony was coming to end, but Matsui wanted the day to end on a positive and lively note, so “Korogaru Ishi ni Nare”, the song that has come to symbolize the team she was on for 3.5 years, was performed. “From here on,” said Matsui, “I will carry the spirit of Team K with me and do my best as a member of the 48 Group.”
Related Sites
AKB48 Official Site: http://www.akb48.co.jp
SKE48 Official Site: http://www.ske48.co.jp
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76do_
An overseas 46/48 fan who used to translate under the name of bilingual48. Can also be found at Nogizaka46 handshakes once every 2-3 months near Karin Ito’s lane – just look for the guy with purple sunglasses. Also, apparently I look like Akimoto-sensei, especially when wearing a suit.
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