Azami Izumida/MANKAI Party

BIRTHDAY VLOG: Azami

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Yuki	…So these are the costumes I’ve come up with.
Azami	Ahh… I can see the image, more or less.
Yuki	Alright. I’ll work out the details later, but this is the basic gist I’m going for.
Azami	Sure. I’ll think up more ideas before our next meeting.
Yuki	…Oh yeah. On a different note, your turn is coming up for that, isn’t it?
Azami	That?
Yuki	Remember, that thing you’re doing in October?
Azami	Ahh, the birthday event…?
Yuki	Don’t you have to film your VLOG soon?
Azami	“A sight you want to show all your fans”, was it?
	I haven’t decided what I’m gonna film at all yet.
Yuki	Are you going to be okay?
	There’s not that much time left until the event, you know?
Azami	I know it’d be better to do it early…
	But when I hear “a sight I want to show my fans” or “what I think my fans want to see”, nothin’ really comes to mind.
	I thought I’d refer to the comments I got on inste, but the themes sounded really similar, so I wondered if it’d overlap with someone else’s or somethin’…
Yuki	It’s fine if they overlap though. Even if you film using the same theme, it’s not going end up exactly same as the other guys anyways.
Azami	Well, you’re not wrong…
Yuki	If you’re worried about that, then why don’t you watch the videos of the members who went before you?
	That might help in some way.
Azami	Right, good idea.
	I’ll ask Kazunari-san to show them to me.
	…
Kazunari	So?
	Do you think everyone’s VLOGs helped?
Azami	Ah, yeah. More or less.
	Thanks.
	…
Kumon	“I’m filming my VLOG at Tsukushi High School!”
Azami	(Kumon’s VLOG, huh… I helped him take that.
	That feels like ages ago even though it was only recently.)
	…Ah.
Kazunari	Sounds like you were struck with a good idea~?
Azami	I don’t have all the details yet, but I think I got a pretty nice idea.
Yuki	Huh? Are you goin’ out right now, Yuki-san?
	You too?
	Are you going shopping?
Azami	Well, yeah.
	I wanted to take a look at some new cosmetics that launched today.
	…I’ve also decided what I wanna film for my VLOG, so I’m gonna scope that out too.
Yuki	Hmm.
	…How about I go with you and take care of the camera for you then?
Azami	Eh, you will?
Yuki	That way you can film finish filming your VLOG today without having to do a preview.
Azami	That’s true… but you’re goin’ out for your own errands, aren’t ya?
Yuki	Yeah, I’m going to buy some fabric.
Azami	I don’t wanna bother you then.
Yuki	No worries. After I help with your task, I’ll ask you to help with mine.
Azami	You just want me to carry your bags, don’tcha?
Yuki	I’m not gonna do it for free, you know?
	Also, it’s better to do these types of things right away when you think of them.
Azami	…Well.
	I guess so.
Yuki	If that’s settled, then let’s strike while the iron’s hot.
	Come on, let’s go.

Azami	This colour’s limited-edition, but it’s pretty versatile.
Yuki	Ooh.
	The colour looks quite sharp though?
Azami	I think it depends how you use it.
	The way it looks surprisingly changes when you apply it to your skin.
Yuki	I see, I see.
Azami	…Alright. That’s all for the shoot.
	I just gotta pay now, so cut the camera.
Yuki	Got it.
Azami	Sorry for the wait, Yuki-san.
	Thanks for filmin’ today.
	That seriously helped a ton.
Yuki	…Hey.
Azami	Hm?
Yuki	How’d you think of doing this for your VLOG this time?
	You were still undecided just a short while ago.
Azami	Ahh…
	…When I was thinkin’ what I wanted to show my fans, I realized it might be better to show ‘em a side of me they haven’t seen much up ‘til now.
	So instead of showin’ me as an actor on stage or in an instelive, I thought I’d let everyone see me behind the scenes.
	…I mean, you introduced your costume room in your VLOG, didn’t you?
	I got this idea once I saw that…
Yuki	Oh, so you’re plagiarizing me?
Azami	Uh, no. You’re the one who said it wouldn’t be the same even if the themes overlapped, remember?
Yuki	True.
Azami	Geez…
Yuki	Alright, are we done filming your VLOG now?
Azami	Ah, actually, there’s somethin’ else I wanna film once I get back to the dorm…
Yuki	And you want me to film that too, don’t you?
Azami	Pff… I owe you one.
	And hup… there.
	*places something down*
Yuki	Can I film now?
Azami	Yeah.
	…This time, what I wanna show everyone is a men’s makeup course using my face.
Yuki	Men’s makeup?
Azami	Well, I say makeup, but it’s gonna be somethin’ that people who normally go to school and such can do. It’s for men, more or less, but I think there’s parts that’ll be practical regardless of gender.
	Alright, let’s get started.
	First is the base.
	For makeup, the most crucial thing is the foundation. It’s important to do some thorough skincare before applyin’ stuff on top.
Yuki	Should we do skincare even at our age?
Azami	It doesn’t matter how old you are.
	Of course it’s good for your skin now, but that’s not all. It’s for the sake of your future skin too.
	It’s better to think of it as an investment in your future and do what you can.
Yuki	Hmm.
	Anyways, that lotion’s a pretty good one, isn’t it?
Azami	Ahh, Azuma-san told me about this one. It goes on sale online sometimes, so I think it’d be better to buy it then rather than pay regular price.
	Or this one…
Yuki	Ah, I feel like I see that one at the drug store all time.
	Is that also lotion?
Azami	Yeah. Honestly, the ingredients themselves aren’t all that different from the previous one.
	But you can get it for a more reasonable price since the ingredients are less concentrated.
	You’ll still see results if you apply this one daily, so if you’re plannin’ on using it regularly, I don’t see any problems with gettin’ it.
	…That’s a wrap.
Yuki	Heh. It was mostly foundation, but with just that, the impression of your face changed quite a bit.
Azami	I know, right? The impression changes since the area around your face looks brighter.
	I hope lots of people give this a try.
Yuki	At any rate, I didn’t except you to do a daily makeup course.
	I was sure you were going to talk about stage makeup.
Azami	…My realistic self? I wanted to show somethin’ like that.
Yuki	What do you mean?
Azami	I told you earlier that I thought of showing my behind-the-scenes work after I saw the VLOG with your costume room, right?
	In the same vein, I remembered Kumon said something like, “I wanna show myself as I am” when I shot his VLOG.
	I want everyone to get to know what I do all the time and feel closer to me too… you feel?
Yuki	…Hm, not bad.
	I was able to get a good shot of your face. Should I stop the camera now?
Azami	Ha!?
	You were still filming!
Yuki	You never told me to stop.
Azami	…I’ll get them to cut that part just now.

Izumi	…Huh? Where’s Azami-kun…?
Yuki	He’s still doing his makeup, isn’t he?
Citron	Hey, hey. Today’s star is here~!
Azami	Dude, I said stop pullin’.
	It’ll cause wrinkles.
Azuma	It took you quite a long time to get ready. Did you do any sort of special preparations?
Azami	…Not really.
Yuki	He put more effort into his makeup than usual.
Azuma	Oh, you’re right.
	You look even more beautiful today, Azami.
Citron	You look really cool~!
Azami	Well, of course I did.
	It’s my event and all.
Yuki	Hmmm.
Azuma	…Fufu.
Citron	Fufufu.
Azami	Ah, geez!
	What’re all of you smilin’ for?
	…Anyways, thanks for helpin’ today.
Citron	Aw, Azami’s shy!
Azuma	He’s about to be celebrated by even more people. I wonder if he’ll be okay.
Yuki	Don’t show that face in front of your fans, alright?
Azami	I won’t!
Izumi	(Fufu.
	It looks like Azami-kun’s nervousness has been eased.)
	Azami-kun, don’t forget to take the photo at the end of your event.
Citron	Don’t worry!
	I’ll rebound him!
Azuma	You mean remind.
Yuki	Hold on, is this really going to be okay?
Azami	*Sigh*…
Azuma	Now then. The fans are getting tired of waiting, so shall we call today’s main star over?
Citron	Oh, that’s right!
	Azami! AZAMIII!
Yuki	Are you ignoring the plan?
Azami	Uh, you’re makin’ it awkward to come out, Citron-san…
Citron	Ooh, he’s here!
	Happy birthday, Azami!
Yuki	Happy birthday.
Azuma	Happy birthday, Azami.
Guest A	Azami-kun, happy birthday!
Guest B	Happy birthday, Azami-kun!
Azami	…Thanks, everybody.
Azuma	Fufu.
	Are you feeling shy again, Azami?
Azami	…More importantly, we should hurry up and watch that.
Yuki	Got it, got it.
Citron	And so, the first segment will be the VLOG viewing party~!
	*applause*
Azami	This time, I filmed a VLOG with the theme of “a sight I wanna show my fans.”
	I asked Yuki-san to take care of the camera.
	I’ve already said this, but thanks for that, Yuki-san.
Yuki	Don’t mention it.
	I got to observe some interesting things too.
Azami	…Huh?
Azuma	Fufu. I’m looking forward to seeing how Azami’s VLOG turned out.
Citron	I can’t wait!
	Let’s watch it right now!
Azami	“This is the one that came out today.
	It looks legit, just like the advanced reviews said.”
	“Hold on, I’ll ask the beauty adviser if I can try some.”
	“Oh, this colour’s been restocked.
	I’ll buy it and head home.”
Yuki	“That colour’s pretty intense. Is it for personal use?”
Azami	“This is for the stage. You don’t come across this colour often and it’s got good pigmentation, so I’ve always thought I could use it for roles that aren’t human.”
Citron	Azami selects our makeup one by one?
Azuma	It’s interesting being able to watch a video on how Azami selects his cosmetics.
Guest C	Azami-kun looks at the cosmetics with such a serious gaze…
Guest D	I guess that’s how he usually shops, huh?
Azami	“…This time, what I wanna show everyone is a men’s makeup course using my face.”
Guest E	Azami-kun’s makeup course? I’m so happy~.
Guest A	He’s doing it on his own face. He knows what we wanna see!
Azami	“Make sure you wear sunscreen.
	You need it all year round. Not just in the summer.”
Guest C	Eh, I thought you didn’t need it in winter!
Guest D	I’m learning so much.
Azami	“You can get it for a more reasonable price since the ingredients are less concentrated.”
	“You’ll still see results if you apply this one daily, so if you’re plannin’ on using it regularly, I don’t see any problems with gettin’ it.”
Guest E	That’s Azami-kun for you. He really knows his cosmetics!
Guest A	Letting us know about affordable products really helps~.
Azami	“That’s all for today. I apply eyeshadow when I go on stage or when I’m in full costume… but this is it for a daily look.”
	I shot this VLOG intendin’ on showing everyone the “regular me” as opposed to me on stage—.
	Watching it again, I realized that I naturally do lotsa stuff while thinking, “how would it look if I did this?”
	For example, for my daily makeup, if my complexion looks washed out, I’ll add blush. Or if it’s too much, I’ll apply a blue base.
	It all looks the same in the end, but I do some fine adjustments depending on my condition that day.
	So, looking at it objectively, I was reminded that these small realizations and experiences in my day-to-day life are relevant for my stage make-up too.
Azuma	I see… the way Azami considers “how it looks and how it presents” shows in our makeup as well.
Citron	I’m so happy to have Azami do our makeup!
Guest D	Azami-kun puts that much thought into doing his makeup…
Guest E	I’ll pay more attention to the makeup the next time I come watch a play!
Yuki	…That’s great, right?
Azami	…
Citron	It’s almost closing time!
	But I don’t want it to end yet!
Azuma	You have to take your photo at the end, Azami.
Azami	Right…
Citron	Who’s going to take it?
Azuma	Why doesn’t Yuki?
Yuki	Me?
Azuma	Yes. You were the one who filmed the VLOG too.
	What do you think, Azami?
Azami	Doesn’t matter to me.
	…Aight. I’m countin’ on you, Yuki-san.
Yuki	Well, it’s fine with me.
	…Okay, strike a pose.
Azami	Sure…
Azuma	Hm?
	There’s something written on Azami’s palm.
Citron	Oh, it says “Thanks!”!
	It’s a surprise from Azami!
Yuki	Heh… you took so long to get ready since you were preparing that, huh?
Azami	…
Azuma	This is shy boy Azami’s own way of thanking everyone. Fufu.
Azami	Sh…shush!
	Whatever, just take the picture already!
Yuki	Alright, alright.
	Make sure to smile.
	…Say cheese.
	*click*

Anna