{"id":1540,"date":"2026-09-15T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kmanga.kodansha.com\/blog\/?p=1540"},"modified":"2026-09-11T16:15:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T07:15:35","slug":"promise-me-the-spotlight-akb48-momoka-ito-mizuki-natsuno-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kmanga.kodansha.com\/blog\/article\/promise-me-the-spotlight-akb48-momoka-ito-mizuki-natsuno-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"[Promise Me the Spotlight] Going Viral \u2013 A Special Feature with AKB48\u2019s Momoka Ito x Mizuki Natsuno! – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two viral sensations!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In January 2025, the phrase “There’s a super cute AKB48 trainee!” blew up overnight on social media. This brought the attention of a ton of fans and propelled Momoka Ito to the position of the most-watched idol. In this special talk, she chats with Mizuki Natsuno – an idol who was on the verge of graduation until a music program showcased her stunning coolness to the world and reignited her career!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Momoka Ito even recreated some poses from Promise Me the Spotlight<\/em>!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That sparkling spark<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno (Nerves: MAX):
<\/strong>(Oh my gosh… she’s so cute, I can’t look…)
Thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity. Jumping right into things, what made you want to become an idol, Ito-san?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:
<\/strong>The pleasure is all mine. I’m so happy I get to meet you, Mizuki-chan!
Actually, I wasn’t aiming to become an idol at first. I worked as an actress since I was little, all the way up until I auditioned for AKB48.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
I see! You could have continued in that line of work, so what made you decide to try joining AKB48?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:<\/strong>
After I graduated university, there was a period where I wasn’t sure what to do with my future. I took some time to think about what it was I really wanted to do. That\u2019s when I realized that my biggest desire was to stand in front of an audience. I thought back to the time I acted with some idols on a job; they had such a wonderful energy, like they were sparkling. I realized how much strength I got from idols who were my age, and I thought that it would be wonderful to become someone who could do the same for others. That’s why I decided to audition for AKB48.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
I totally get it! Idols really do sparkle so bright it’s almost unbelieveable. I felt exactly the same way, so when I auditioned and was asked what sort of idol I wanted to be, I said that I want to be an idol who shines brighter than anyone! Thinking about it now makes me feel a little embarrassed though…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:<\/strong>
I know you can become an idol who shines brightly, Natsuki-chan! I’m going to do my best so I don’t lose to you in that department too, okay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u21e7 Volume 1 – Natsuki Mizuno\u2019s classic idol pose!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She was right next to me a moment ago, and now she\u2019s on TV?!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
If you don’t mind, could you tell me about what it was like when you were a trainee? Was there a senior member you looked up to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:<\/strong>
Airi Sato. I had the chance to work with her on the live-action drama adaptation for Stardust Telepath<\/em> right after I joined. It was right around the time she was chosen as the center for AKB48… After she finished shooting with me, she went straight to record a music TV program. This person who was right beside me just a few hours earlier was on TV, singing and dancing. I thought that was really cool!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
That really leaves an impact, doesn’t it! Did you watch her on TV? Did you feel frustrated at not standing on the same stage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:<\/strong>
I watched it while I ate dinner at home [laughs]. If it was me as I am now, I would definitely start sprouting seeds of frustration. But back then, I had only just joined so I was still looking at things from the perspective of a fan. I watched with simple admiration for how she shone. As I was chatting happily with my family about it, I was thinking about how I wanted to stand on the same stage and make my family proud someday too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
I see. I think they were probably the happiest people in the world when you first appeared on TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:<\/strong>
I’d be happy if they were! They always contact me if they watch, but my mom is pretty tough with her feedback… She’ll say things like “isn’t this angle a little better?” She can be kind of harsh [laughs].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
My mom is pretty harsh too… (Well, there’s also someone who’s very supportive, but…)
Let’s change the subject a little. You performed at the AKB48 theatre when you were a trainee, right? Do you feel like you did a good job from the get-go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:<\/strong>
Absolutely not! When I first started out, I spent a lot of my focus on things like “don’t forget the choreography!” and “don’t mess up your position!” so after performances, I really didn’t remember much else. As I gradtually got more used to things, that focus changed to making sure the fans in front of me enjoyed the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
At the theatre, can you see the fans’ expressions clearly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momoka Ito:<\/strong>
You can really see all their faces, all the way to the back. As a result, I also realized there were people who were not looking at me… Right now, I put my everything into my performance so they look at me, too, not just their favorite member!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mizuki Natsuno:<\/strong>
I really feel you on that frustration when people aren’t looking your way. It just means you can try even harder to try to catch their eye, though, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u21e7 Volume 2 – Natsuki Mizuno\u2019s handshake event pose!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That’s all for part 1! Come back soon for part 2!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25bc\u25bcIf you want to learn more about Momoka Ito, check out her official X account and other official links below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Official X Account (Japanese):<\/strong>\u00a0@momoka_ito1206<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>
Other links:<\/strong>\u00a0lit.link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25bcMake sure you check out \u201cSuki-ish\u201d from AKB48!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second single in a row where Momoka Ito features as the center!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25bcRead Promise Me the Spotlight on K MANGA!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

pocket.shonenmagazine.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The anime version is also coming! Keep your eyes peeled for details!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Official Manga X Account @watacen_comic<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official Anime X Account @watacen_anime<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official Anime Website watacen-anime.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In January 2025, the phrase “There’s a super cute AKB48 trainee!” blew up overnight on social media. This brought the attention of a ton of fans and propelled Momoka Ito to the position of the most-watched idol. In this special talk, she chats with Mizuki Natsuno – an idol who was on the verge of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[87,45,88,416,86],"kmanga_work_term":[],"kmanga_creator_term":[],"class_list":["post-1540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview","tag-akb48","tag-k-manga","tag-mizuki-natsuno","tag-momoka-ito","tag-promise-me-the-spotlight"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t