Fumino Tamaki interview and profile – Nijisanji Archives 2020-2021

Translator’s note: Here are two pieces featuring from Fumino Tamaki from the Nijisanji Archives 2020-2021. First, her profile with a special message to fans, and the second a long-form crosstalk between her and her current manager. The interview is very funny – they’ve got a great dynamic, and as you might expect from someone capable of managing our favorite stray cat he holds his own against her constant prodding. We also get some behind-the-scenes highlights behind her natto-stirring video! Enjoy!

Virtual Livers Profile – Tamaki Fumino –

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Twitter: @nekokan_chu

Youtube

Birthday: Every day

Fan name: Joukyaku [passengers]

Charm point: Everything, but if I had to say something… everything! Haha

Favorites (food, drinks, things, colors, etc.): Kojima Yoshio, Ueda Shinya [comedians]

What I’m into right now: Making nan, impersonating the Tokaido Shinkansen

Favorite saying: Life’s an adventure!

3 year message: Lots of things have happened this past year, getting yelled at, getting yelled at… but thanks to that I was able to have a clean stream! This fourth year I’m gonna take the lead as senpai in getting all of Nijisanji to have clean streams!

A word to my fans: If you enjoyed this page, please like or dislike, subscribe to my channel, wash your hands and gargle, social distance, observe the three c’s, and GoTo 😃.

Behind the Nijisanji special interview: Fumino Tamaki x Manager E

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Nijisanji livers and the “managers” that support them from the shadows. This is a closeup on things between the people who provide total support to livers, whose activities have expanded lately to lots of places outside YouTube streams, and the livers they’re in charge of. First up is an interview between longtime Nijisanji liver Fumino Tamaki, who even for Nijisanji is an incredible, first-class person!? and Manager E.

– For starters, could you please introduce yourselves?

Fumino Tamaki (“Fumino” below): Well, if I have to… (laughing). Nice to meet you, I’m the world’s cutest stray cat, Fumino Tamaki. Kiraan☆

Fumino Tamaki’s manager (“Mane E” below): Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be (laughing). Is that it?

Fumino: What, you’re saying you wanna hear it again? Nice to meet you, I’m the world’s cutest stray cat. Kiraan☆

Mane E: But, ah, you didn’t say your name… (laughing)

Fumino: I’m Fumino Tamaki. I’m the world’s cutest stray cat. I’m the world’s cutest stray cat, Fumino Tamaki. Kiraan☆ Yay! (laughing) How was that?

Mane E: Okay, got it (laughing). Alright, now me. I’m Fumino Tamaki-san’s manager, Manager E. I’ve been her manager since May of 2020.

Fumino: Huh? No-one’s interested in hearing that.

Mane E: Um, but there’s nothing much I can say about myself.

Fumino: You should say you’re a guy who stirred natto for two hours (laughing).

Mane E: I’m sure there will be time to talk about that later (laughing).

Fumino: Oh, I see.

– While we’ve got you here, I’d imagine there are lots of people who don’t know who you are, so I’d imagine they’d enjoy hearing about your interests or what kind of person you are.

Mane E: Oh, well then (laughing). My interests… I don’t know if the fans wanna hear about that, but I’m a pretty big fan of reading manga. I also like watching movies, you could say I’m an indoor type. Nice to meet you.

Fumino: Which manga do you enjoy?

Mane E: I recently bought and enjoyed all the volumes of the Jump manga Juujutsu Kaisen.

Fumino: What? I doubt that.

Mane E: It’s true.

Fumino: But what you you really like is cute idols (laughing). You like cute idols, right? (laughing)

Mane E: Yes, idols, I like them too. I like idols too. Thank you for the addition. Yeah… I wonder if I should have said something that was a little interesting.

Fumino Tamaki, cute idol (source)

Fumino: (chuckling) You really should have~.

Mane E: Hey Tamaki, what do you think I should say in an introduction?

Fumino: Your kind of woman, something like that.

Mane E: My kind of woman.

Fumino: Like how many years you’ve been without a girlfriend.

Mane E: My kind of woman… is someone who’s cute rather than beautiful. There.

Fumino: Oh really. Maybe you should say a little more.

Mane E: Sure (laughing). This is the kind of stuff fans wanna hear about, right?

Fumino: What? Oh, why did you become my manager? There’s a rumor that it’s a punishment game for stripping down in the office.

Mane E: That’s not what happened (laughing). I’m sure people will misinterpret that, so allow me to correct it. This is a misunderstanding. That absolutely didn’t happen.

Fumino: Is that true? You’re acting kinda suspicious.

Mane E: No, I really haven’t (laughing). There’s a story behind this – Fumi-san, who I also manage, has said this jokingly, and used it a joke on a stream, so that’s all it is.

Fumino: I wonder…

Mane E: It’s true, I really don’t do that. If you ask anyone at the office, you won’t find any truth to it. I’m innocent. I really don’t.

Fumino: Oh really. Do you have any plans to get naked?

Mane E: Of course not (laughing).

Fumino: Oh, okay (laughing). Well, what’s something expensive you’ve bought lately?

Mane E: Something expensive? What comes to mind is a cushion I spent about 10,000 yen on.

Fumino: Whoa, that’s expensive.

Mane E: Yeah. But my time spent at home has been pretty comfortable ever since.

Fumino: That’s great. Gimme one of those too.

Mane E: Ahh, sure, I’ll think about it (laughing).

Fumino: Thanks, I’m looking forward to it.

Mane E: Sure.

Fumino: How much do you make a year?

Mane E: Ahh, that’s… I can’t really say that (laughing), go easy on me (laughing).

Fumino: (chuckling)

Mane E: Sorry, there’s a chance what I’m saying might not be that interesting…

– Don’t worry, this isn’t the kind of feature where we’re asking you to say something that interesting (laughing).

Fumino: We can just take it easy.

Mane E: Let’s take it easy then.

Fumino: So yeah, give us a good pun.

Mane E: Ahh, that’s asking to much from me… I appreciate the sentiment though. Actually, I’m good at knee dribbling.

Fumino: Do it.

Mane E: All I’ve got is audio (note: this interview was conducted online), so you’ll just be listening to it… I’m in the conference room right now, but here goes. [thump thump thump thump thump thump thump! (sound of the floor reverberating)] Thank you very much.

Fumino: That was interesting (laughing).

Mane E: They’re not gonna be able to put this in the interview. This is creepy!

Fumino: How’d you do it? What’s knee dribbling?

Mane E: Just like the name says, it’s like dribbling your knees. You stand up like this, and while you’re raising your legs you add your hands…

Fumino: That’s just a high knee march, isn’t it? (laughing)

Mane E: Please, just let me explain a little. This was a bad choice of gags.

Fumino: (Laughing) I think the fans will be happy.

Mane E: Thank you so much. That was an amazing follow-up. Thank you so much.

– Tell us your first impressions of each other, and a story from when Mane E-san first became Fumino-san’s manager.

Mane E: I’ve got a story from when things were beginning, I can still remember it today… At the end of my first call to say hello, I hung up after saying “let’s have a call at 3 pm,” but this was actually during a stream… I was in way too much of a hurry. I was the one with a little less experience, and there was no excuse for calling you out of the blue. And having you take a call while you were streaming…

Fumino: And then I asked if you wanted to do a collaboration stream (laughing).

Mane E: Exactly (laughing). The first event between us was her suddenly inviting me to do a collaboration stream, and me saying “Wait, hold up, give me a break” and that we could just do it after the stream was over. By the way, what was your first impression of me?

Fumino: My first impression was that you seemed like you had some kind of darkness inside you (laughing).

Mane E: Some kind of darkness (laughing). Ahh, what about me gave you that feeling?

Fumino: Even when you were lined up with the other staff, you liked like you had a kind of dark aura coming from you. Like you were downcast.

Mane E: You were probably imagining things… I’m a dark type, so I’ve got a dark aura…

Fumino: Dark type? What are you talking about?

Mane E: Oh, oops, I said nothing.

Fumino: Nothing (laughing)?

Mane E: Yeah (laughing).

Fumino: People are kinda harsh, they treat me like I’m a weirdo, but isn’t this manager just as bad?

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Mane E: I was actually really concerned about whether I’d be able to manage you after they decided I’d be your manager.

Fumino: Oh yeah? What about it?

Mane E: There was a lot going on, wasn’t there? I became your manager right around the beginning of May, so there was kind of a lot going on in March and April. I sort of had the impression you were someone who only just toed the line… but when we actually talked like we’re doing now, I thought you had a lot of energy. At first.

Fumino: What was that (laughing)? At first?

Mane E: Oh, pardon me. I, uh, thought you were a good person. That’s it.

Mane E: Yeah, sure.

Fumino: Yeah. Because I’m cute. And I’m a good listener.

Mane E: That’s true, sure.

Fumino: Eheh (laughing). But I’m good, aren’t I? (Laughing)

Mane E: How do you mean?

Fumino: Don’t you think I’m good? I’m a good liver, aren’t I?

Mane E: I think you’re good.

Fumino: I’m glad.

– After those first impressions, what are your impressions of each other now?

Fumino: How about it? Yay.

Mane E: Alright, I’ll give my impression of Tamaki-san first.

Fumino: Okay! What’s that, I’m a “cute, kind, incredible cat?” Thanks! What can I say (laughing)? It’s true. Ehe (laughing).

Mane E: She’s a spirited… Wait, what was all that? (laughing) What’s with that ridiculous introduction?

Fumino: Hey (laughing).

Mane E: But really, she’s always bright and full of energy, and when it comes to those two things you could say she’s easy to work with, or that she has things about her that can leave a good impression.

Fumino: And? And?

Mane E: And if you asked me if there were times when she does things that make me a little uneasy, I’d say yes, but…

Fumino: But?

Mane E: Broadly speaking, that might not be a bad thing.

Fumino: Broadly?

Mane E: You tend to get a little carried away with things, and you’re really self-confident, there are a lot of times where I think, why are you so confident?

Fumino: Of course I am, I’m cute. Cute, kind and funny. It’s like I’m a god.

“Cute, kind and funny. It’s like I’m a god.” (source)

Mane E: Well, I can confirm that. You’re good at singing too.

Fumino: Eheheh (laughing).

Mane E: But I’m constantly thinking about how much I’d like you to do things in moderation.

Fumino: Wanna talk politics?

Mane E: Please, cut me some slack. Seriously. Seriously.

Fumino: (Laughing)

Mane E: So now let’s talk about your impression of me.

Fumino: Ahh (laughing). My impression of you. It definitely felt like you were being really subservient and self-deprecating because you’d just been hired. It was just like that thing where, you know, it felt like you’d given yourself a makeover because you’d just come to Tokyo, and there was that time you put on clothing that was a little stylish and show off your new outfit to people (laughing).

Mane E: Hey (laughing). That’s way too embarrassing, could you lay off please?

Fumino: He asked me, “Could I please have your superchat money?”

Mane E: Hey wait, you’re taking that out of context.

Fumino: (Laughing) He was demanding money from the liver he was in charge of.

Mane E: Noo, I don’t wanna lose my job!

Fumino: (Laughing)

Mane E: But, uh, I remember feeling really depressed because when I showed off my new outfit someone ended up telling me it was kind of off.

Fumino: Ahaha (laughing). He asked how it looked so confidently, but I thought it was a little off.

Mane E: Yeah (laughing). I remember you making a face that said you thought it was a little off while you told me it looked fine. I felt bad that I was putting you out.

Fumino: I didn’t feel put out (laughing). But it felt sorta like that (laughing). Please keep dressing up and showing off from now on.

Mane E: Sure, I’ll work hard on showing off a cool new outfit too. I’ll study up on it.

Fumino: I think you’re doing fine though. It was like you’d come in from the countryside at first, but now you seem like you’re already able to walk though a scramble crosswalk. Is there something you wanna wear or put on next?

Mane E: For my new outfit?

Fumino: Yeah.

Mane E: Um, well, I was thinking I wanted a new coat or something. Do you what a Chesterfield coat is?

Fumino: I looked it up. Oh I see, it’s a little long, kind of clean-cut, with a dapper feeling to it.

Mane E: Yeah. If I buy this I kind of want to show it off again. (laughing)

Fumino: Alright, I’ll get my superchats ready.

Mane E: Ahh, no, that’s fine, I’m all set now. I appreciate the sentiment. But is there a new outfit you’d like to wear?

Fumino: Hmm, a new outfit… I really wanna wear a swimsuit.

Mane E: Oh, a swimsuit. I’m sure that would make your fans happy too.

Fumino: Would you like seeing that too?

Mane E: Well…

Fumino: No, ah, please Manager-san, control yourself.

Mane E: There’s no right answer to this is there?

Fumino: What? Don’t look at me wearing a swimsuit. Pervert.

Mane E: Alright, that’s fine (laughing).

Fumino: What? Are you sure? You can look if you want. I’ve got a glamorous body.

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Mane E: (Laughing). If this were a normal situation I’d be speaking more energetically, but in a public situation like this I feel like I can’t.

Fumino: That’s cause we’ve got Kadokawa interviewing us.

Mane E: Definitely.

Fumino: We’re very fortunate, this interview is happening because of me, you, Nijisanji, Kadokawa-san… we’re looking forward to promoting your company more in the future.

Mane E: Oh, wonderful.

Fumino: Eheh.

Mane E: You made a good impression. That’s important.

Fumino: It is, self-promotion really is important.

Mane E: Certainly. So could you give us three current appeal points of yours?

Fumino: Appeal points? First, I’m cute. You might be able to tell even if I’m not appealing to you, but I’m cute. My nice voice is another one. The third might be my totally clean streaming.

Mane E: (Inhales incredulously)

Fumino: When you’ve got all that, you’re pretty much the full package.

Mane E: Ahh, sure, well, thank you very much for that (laughing).

Fumino: Something wrong?

Mane E: Oh, no, I was just thinking how true that was. I’m looking forward to seeing that from now on, particularly the part about clean streams. Thanks for putting in the effort.

– I’d been thinking of asking how things usually are between you two, but I feel like I’ve already gotten a glimpse.

Fumino: You can see it now?

– I think so. I’ve also been thinking, “Wow, Fumino-san really is like this all the time.”

Mane E: Hahaha.

– So now I’ll actually ask it, how are things usually between you, and if there are any behind-the-scenes episodes you’re willing to share we’d love to hear them.

Fumino: I started talking about this before, but we did a natto-mixing stream.

Mane E: We did.

Fumino: My manager was the one who did the mixing.

Mane E: Ahh, yeah, that was me.

Fumino: (Giggling) How was that? Give it a try.

Mane E: Um, well, we definitely had a stream that day where I was mixing natto in one room and Tamaki-san was in another, I remember the room I spent two hours constantly mixing natto in had an unearthly smell, and all the staff that came in after were making faces. I’d been mixing it the whole time so I guess I didn’t really notice how much it smelled, but when I left and came back I thought it was intense.

Fumino: Yeah. There was a fragrance.

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Mane E: Also, that day was quite a workout for my right hand.

Fumino: Wasn’t there a rumor that you weren’t able to hold your chopsticks after that (laughing)?

Mane E: It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t hold them, but that my hand suddenly became weak and I dropped them…

Fumino: (Laughing) My fans were talking to me about it as if we needed to bring down our on-the-job injuries.

Mane E: (Laughing) I’m just fine now so it’s alright.

Fumino: Alright, maybe I’ll have you mix them again.

Mane E: Hold on a sec (laughing).

– How did it feel when she told you she wanted to do a natto mixing stream?

Mane E: Hmm… When she brought me the natto mixing stream, it crossed my mind that I might be able to get her to compromise with a different perspective.

Fumino: (Giggling)

Mane E: So when it came to using the studio, when I went to confirm with the studio staff I was inviting them to say no, saying, “It’s fine if we can’t do this, please let me know if we can’t. I know I’m asking for something impossible, but could we do a natto mixing stream?” …but they seemed totally into it, and told me it was fine. So I was like… well, I guess we have to.

Fumino: But you’re not the one I asked first, I asked the management, “Is there anyone who can mix this for me? Anyone will do,” and it got pushed onto you.

Mane E: It was more like everyone was obviously busy with other things, and I’d have felt bad pushing it onto other people, so I said I’d do it. For some reason, on the day of the stream, word had gotten around the office, and it became a day of people offering me words of encouragement, with lots of people I met were saying things like, “Oh, Mane E, will you be mixing natto later?” and “Give it your best!”

Fumino: I see. Maybe everyone was worried?

Mane E: Maybe… that’s what I’d like to believe. Maybe it was like, give it what you’ve got!

Fumino: But when you actually tried it, you thought it was fun, didn’t you?

Mane E: Actually, I felt the same way when I did it, for the first twenty minutes I was thinking about how tough it was. You can see this when you watch the video, but I was constantly switching between my right and left hands.

Fumino: (Laughing) You were getting tired?

Mane E: Yeah, it was like the way I held chopsticks changed afterwards.

Fumino: Please hold up a minute. When you said you were gonna do it, didn’t you say “I could spend my whole life mixing natto” or something like that? People say I’m full of myself all the time, but it turns out this manager is full of himself too. I think he’s like me.

Mane E: Whoa, it’s nothing like that (laughing). I’m not full of myself.

Fumino: Actually, I think I’m like him. He said it would be so easy. And when I told him something like, “even if you can mix it, I think you’ll last an hour” he was like, “an hour’s nothing. I could do 24 hours.”

– I see (laughing). So you’ve told us how things were with the natto, but if you’ve got a story about something you’ve built up together as a team in the time leading up to today, we’d love to hear it. Something like, that time we were actually working hard as a team behind the scenes, something like that.

Mane E: That would be like the time we thought of your new outfit together.

Fumino: Oh, did we?

Mane E: What? Your 50,000 subscriber outfit! You know the one.

Fumino Tamaki’s 50,000 subscriber outfit (source)

Fumino: Did we think of that together?

Mane E: Do you really not remember that?

Fumino: Yeah.

Mane E: With her 50,000 subscriber outfit, when we said we were making one, she couldn’t settle on an image for it herself.

Fumino: Ahh, I guess, because it was my first time being given a new outfit, I was thinking about what kind I should go with. I don’t really have any interest in fashion, so I figured I should ask my manager who did.

Mane E: (Laughing) Oh, you’re teasing me again.

Fumino: I wanted you to think on it a little. After all, you keep debuting new outfits.

Mane E: I actually hadn’t done that yet when this happened.

Fumino: I was thinking you might have fashion sense.

Mane E: Sure. So Tamaki-san couldn’t settle on something and was really troubled.

Fumino: I wasn’t really troubled.

Mane E: You were.

Fumino: I wasn’t.

Mane E: No, you were, that day, you were totally stumped.

Fumino: (Giggling) I wasn’t, I’ve never been, not once in my life.

Mane E: No, you were stumped, we spent like three hours thinking of all sorts of things and got some material together, and Tamaki-san user her photo editing skills to put her head onto different outfits that looked good and comparing them, and once we finished she debuted it in October as her 50,000 subscriber outfit and everyone liked it, I was glad.

Showing off my new outfit!! Thanks for waiting, everyone

Fumino: If you hadn’t been around it definitely wouldn’t have been that outfit, but maybe something like a nan kigurumi.

Mane E: Yeah.

Fumino: Just what I thought. People on the cutting edge of trends really are something else.

Mane E: Cutting edge (laughing). That’s a bit too much.

Fumino: I think you’re a fashionable manager. You’ve got good fashion sense.

Mane E: No way, not at all. But you were definitely thinking of something along the lines of getting a laugh or joke material, I was thinking something more flashy or glamorous. I thought something that gave off the feeling of an idol or a princess would be good. Although I think your usual outfit is already quite showy.

Fumino: Heh heh (laughing). Yeah.

Mane E: I wanted to make an outfit that’d leave your fans with nothing else to say how cute it was, part of making this might have been my own ego coming out.

Fumino: Yeah, that’s the kind of clothing you like. Ahaha (laughing).

Mane E: It’s not so much that I like the clothing as I like thinking about that kind of stuff.

Fumino: Ahh, yeah, you really are a coordinator, just what I thought.

Mane E: No way. You’re really laying into me now.

Fumino: Nah (laughing).

Mane E: Seriously, I couldn’t care less about your next outfit! (laughing)

Fumino: Wait what? (laughing)

Mane E: I think Tamaki-san can get full of herself if you praise her too much, but I thought that outfit was super cute.

Fumino: Eheh (laughing). Yaay! Woo~~!

Mane E: Wow, you’re bright and cheerful. Although, I wonder if they should use this conversation for the article… I’m scared I might get stabbed by your fans (laughing). Well, I thought it was really glamorous, there you go.

Fumino: Ehem (laughing). Alright, hurry up and give me a superchat.

Mane E: Oh, you didn’t notice?

Fumino: Wait, what?

Mane E: You didn’t notice?

Fumino: I didn’t.

Mane E: I see. Go look them over.

Fumino: What? I’ll take a look.

Mane E: Alright.

Fumino: Thanks (chuckling).

– Finally, I’d like you to each give the other a message.

Fumino: What? From me? A message for Mane E-san? Hmm… Oh! Please let me do promotional videos (laughing).

Mane E: Ahh, yeah, okay. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Fumino: Something else? Hmm…

Mane E: Like something you could only say at a time like this.

Fumino: Something? What thing?

Mane E: Like a message we’re giving to each other.

Fumino: Dear Mane E-san. Thanks for all the hard work! (Laughing)

Mane E: … That’s that.

Fumino: I’m looking forward to another new outfit!

Mane E: Are you happy with that? Kind of mediocre, don’t you think?

Fumino: Did you hear that? He’s always saying stuff like that.

Mane E: (Laughing)

Fumino: Every time I stream, he’ll act as if he wasn’t very impressed He starts talking to me as if he’s criticizing me.

Mane E: No no no, I’m a manager, I can’t just praise you, I’ve gotta raise your ambition a little too, so when I’m watching I wanna tell you stuff like where you could have given a good comeback.

Fumino: Oh I see, okay, I’m gonna give you a proper message.

Mane E: Alright.

Fumino: Dear Manager-san. Thanks for all the hard work. What are you doing right now? I’m eating a can of cat food. Lots of things have happened since I joined Nijisanji, and I may have made some borderline statements, but thank you for always scolding me kindly. Things may happen time and time again that’ll make you feel like you’re developing a stomach ulcer from stress, but please don’t abandon me. Thank you.

Mane E: Thank you very much. Alright, now me. Although I said “Kind of mediocre, don’t you think?” before, this isn’t that kind of message. During this third year of being active in 2020, when you were really working hard with your daily streaming, actively engaged with your other activities, and even with what you were doing on YouTube, I think were lots of opportunities for me to feel grateful, and I’m looking forward to supporting you and working together as a team during your fourth year of activity in 2021 to get you closer to your goal of one million subscribers.

Aiming for a million subscribers (source)

Fumino: So I guess that means you’re gonna do wanko sobaⁱ for me (laughing).

Mane E: (Falls forward comically in exasperation)

– That was a great punchline (laughing). Thank you for your time today!

Mane E: Thank you very much!

Fumino: Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

– Thanks, we’ll do our best.

Fumino: I’m rooting for you. Goodbye~.

i Similar to his natto experience, this is another physically demanding activity featuring repetitive motion in which the server has to constantly refill small bowls of soba for the diner, as seen here.