Interview with a Former Member: Zebi
For our “Interview with a Former Member” series this time, JKT48Stuff received an opportunity to chat with Zebi Magnolia Fawwaz (or Zebi), a third generation member of JKT48. Zebi talked to us about her past experiences as a fan, her transition into a member, and also her plans for the future.
Incidentally, besides Zebi, there was also Kei, a fellow third generation member who also accompanied us in this meeting. You can read our previous interview with Kei at http://www.jkt48stuff.com/2015/01/interview-former-member-kei/. It was a lively chat, and Kei occasionally joined in the conversation.
Zebi as a Fan
You were already a fan beforehand, what made you decide to join JKT48?
Zebi: As you know, I am a fan of Yupi. When I looked at them [JKT48], it was so cool that they’re able to perform like that. Was it difficult for them to memorize the movements? So I thought, “Is it possible for me to be like them?” Actually, I already knew AKB48 since 2010 before I [later] watched JKT48. I was introduced to them by my cousin. She also joined the audition at that time, but wasn’t accepted. As it turned out, I got accepted.
As a fan, surely you must’ve had an idea about what it is like to be a member. After joining, was it in line with your expectations?
Zebi: At first, I thought it was enjoyable to be a member. To receive gifts, to have a lot of fans, and to be cool. After joining [JKT48], that image changed drastically. In reality, it’s really hard. Halfway through I would sometimes feel giddy, anxious, and tired.
As a fan of both JKT48 and AKB48, did it help in any way when you became a member?
Zebi: It was easier, for example, when there’s this new song, “7ji 12fun no Hatsukoi”, which also happens to be my favorite song, and I was chosen to perform it. The others didn’t know anything about the song but I already had an idea of what the song was like. Also, in our early days as members, there were some of us who didn’t know the names of the [senior] members. They’d ask me, “What’s the name of that member? Do you know?” I was able to answer because I already knew their names.
By becoming a fan first, is it a condition that will help when applying for JKT48?
Zebi: In my opinion, it can surely help. Newbies are generally clueless, don’t know what the songs are like. If they are totally new, they’d definitely get confused and also have a lot more to learn.
Before joining JKT48, who was your oshi?
Zebi: Yupi!
After you graduated, who is your oshi now?
Kei: Kei!
Zebi: Ha ha ha… Still Yupi!
Still the same, eh. Why Yupi?
Zebi: She’s cute! I used to watch a lot of the second generation theater performances. During the show, I always got noticed by her. I even screamed out her name back then. Then she’d give me some “love” and I felt happy in the end.
After becoming a member, how did your interactions with Yupi go?
Zebi: Still cute! There are some fans who’d say, “Yupi’s cuteness is fake…” I’d get irritated, because Yupi is really genuine. Her real self is like that, childish. Whether in front of the fans or not, she is like that in person.
After becoming a member, how are your views towards fans?
Zebi: Back when I was a fan and I saw other fans criticizing members, I felt indifferent about it. After becoming a member, if there was a criticism, then I began to realize how uncomfortable it was. At first I thought that members were already used to treatments from fans like this. But it turned out that members could also get hurt because of it.
Have you encountered rude fans?
Zebi: Yes. There had been a Feni fan who taunted that I didn’t deserve to be a member. As you know, I’m pretty close with Feni. Incidentally, I once substituted her, and that fan watched me perform. He later apologized for his harsh words towards me. He even said that I was improving pretty well.
There was also a Desy fan who always laughed at me every time I performed. In the end, I teased him back after performing. I’d say “hello!” to him. Then there’s also a Chika fan that I liked to call the “lost child.” That nickname eventually stuck with him. His friends went on to call him that.
Zebi as a Member
What were the obstacles you faced as a member?
Zebi: I’m not that good at singing. That became a problem during recording sessions. My friends who were great at singing should’ve been able to finish their recordings earlier. I felt sorry for them. What should’ve been an hour recording session, because of me, became 2 hours.
I’m also a nervous wreck. Upon performing for the first time, I had problem with my expressions. At that moment, I felt dizzy and got confused about what I should do. During the Tenshi no Shippo rehearsal, when Angel and Nina were still having difficulties [with the song], I already felt quite confident. However, when we’re performing on stage, they’d become much better because they could express themselves. Because of my anxiety, I started to overthink. What about the next song? If it’s not good, I’d get scolded. But, as time passed by, I got used to it.
As for the MC session, I’m really bad at it too. Shy. But since I became friends with Desy, I was able to show my true self and became more expressive. I got braver. Coincidentally, our manager also had a crazy personality as well. It influenced me to become bolder. I also love taking silly photos with Desy. If we’re on a bus, members would laugh at the humorous antics by Desy and me.
You had performed the song “7ji 12fun no Hatsukoi” at the Trainee’s concert and handshake event. In your opinion, why were you selected for that song?
Zebi: Actually, I don’t know why I was chosen for that song.
Kei: From the characteristics of the performers, I guess it’s the playful and girlish types, eh?
Zebi: I love that song because of the (original) AKB48 costumes. The colors are all different. Cute. So I thought, “Wow, we’re going to have some great costumes!” As it turned out, we received costumes from Team K3’s setlist with matching colors.
(Then Zebi and Kei started to hum and wave their hands to the tune of the song.)
Zebi: That song was performed at the HS (Handshake) in Tennis Indoor (Senayan). I knew it was going to be my last HS. So, I chose to dress as a princess at that time, to look special.
Please share your experiences back when you used to perform in the unit song “Tenshi no Shippo”!
Zebi: One of my favorite songs has always been “Tenshi no Shippo”, because it’s really cute. There, I had to impersonate a cat. I really wanted to get this unit song. I practiced it with Angel and Nina. Nina even once said, “I don’t think I fit the image of this unit song. The two of you are more suitable.” Perhaps it’s because of her towering height – while I’m the shortest. One of the most challenging issues was that, as the shortest, my movements had to be at its best and largest, so that it could be noticed when viewed against the others.
The other difficulty for me was my lack of confidence. In “Tenshi no Shippo”, there was a lot of hip swaying movements. I felt embarrassed. But, there were many [members] who wanted this unit song; I even had a chance to teach them. Besides that, another difficulty was to perform it right after the MC session just ended. I had to quickly change into my costume. Didn’t even have the time to touch up at all.
Have you trained for other unit song?
Zebi: I practiced other unit songs by myself. Who knows, I might have to fill in for another member. I’d once learned the “Kagami” unit song but didn’t complete it.
Please share your experiences when you performed in the first Trainee concert
Zebi: At first I only had one position….
Kei: I’m sorry…
(Note: Kei did not join the first trainee concert but she took part in the training sessions.)
Zebi: No worries, it’s nothing at all because it changed for everyone. So at first I only had one position. Then a few days before the concert, I was asked to fill in a few other positions. I had mixed feelings about it. On the plus side, I was entrusted and given more responsibility. Finally, I knew how it’s like to have a double blocking, like how Chika usually went through. The song was the same but the blockings were different. The struggle was to switch between these blockings. After I’d finished practicing one blocking, the next day I was moved to another blocking, so I had to learn all over again.
(Kei suddenly sang a part of Gingham Check)
Kei: Remember that part?
Zebi: That’s the part between me and Farin, right?
Kei: No… With me!
(And then they both went on to sing Gingham Check).
Zebi: As you know, the two of us (Zebi and Kei) were always paired up. There’s this move that we created ourselves. So, in that song, there’s a part where we swayed our hips together. It’s really memorable.
Among the 3rd Gen members, who are you closest to?
Zebi: Desy! When I first met Desy, [I thought,] “Oh, this is Desy the wota, who’s popular on Twitter.” Maybe it’s because we’re both originally fans, so we’re able to relate with one another. Her oshi is Sonia, and I was once a Sonia-oshi too. She also spoke with a distinct accent, “Well, it looks like we share the same tastes, eh?”
Desy is also adorable in person. She used to help me if I didn’t feel brave enough or wasn’t able to do something. When my blocking changed and I was struggling with it, Desy was the one who helped me even though it wasn’t her blocking. There’s also this one time when she just returned from Japan, and she hadn’t even finished memorizing her own blocking, but she still managed to teach me anyway.
Among the First and Second Gen members, who do you most look up to?
Zebi: Ayen and Yupi. We can learn a lot from Ayen because her performance is really awesome. She understands when to exert more “power”. Her movements are also pleasant to look at. Plus, she sings beautifully.
Among the Third Gen members, who has the talent to lead, in your opinion?
Zebi: Tya. I don’t understand how she could be so patient. For example, if I had problems with another member, Tya would immediately come and help to resolve it.
If you were still a member, who do you both think is suitable to be Captain?
Zebi and Kei: Tya, obviously!
Please share your memorable experiences with the Red and White Teams!
Zebi: When it comes to the Red Team versus the White Team, I remember how the Red Team was always being praised as the “good one”. We used to be disappointed when we’re being compared to them. In the Red Team, there really was a lot of skilled dancers, while in the White Team, there’s only a few of them. But over the time, a lot of people commented that the White Team’s performance got better.
The members in the Red Team were mostly more mature, while in the White Team, many of us were much younger. There were also some Red Team members who said that they wanted to switch to the White Team because their team was more serious compared to the White Team, where the girls were more playful.
What lessons did you learn as a member that are still applicable now?
Zebi: Discipline and responsibility. In the past, I used to be indifferent and lazy. My Mom was the only one who could wake me up in the morning. Now, I can even wake up at 4 am. If I set the alarm, I can wake up by myself. If I was told [to do something], I used to be lazy, but now I have become more obedient. Now, I have a better understanding of what I should do.
For sports, it’s also really helpful. For example, running. My sports grade is better than my friends in class, because I have gotten used to running around GBK (the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium).
I even took the running exercise seriously. It’s as if I was expected to be in the front.
Kei: You’re right. Although if we finished running in the last place, we wouldn’t get scolded for it.
What advice do you have for those auditioning for the Fourth Gen?
Zebi: Don’t get carried away by emotions. If you get a lower position than others, you have to put in extra effort. Never be arrogant. Be respectful to your seniors.
Don’t look down on fans, let alone become snobbish towards them. During the auditions, your answers should stand out among the crowd. If the others answer that they have had casting auditions before, it’s because they’ve had previous experiences in the entertainment world. For me, I answered candidly with what I had. I told them that I could do public speaking, I was good in English, and I loved to play games. Because the answers were not common, it raised a lot more questions. I was asked to speak in English at that time, but I said, “I can’t. I’m nervous now.”
Then, during the final audition, I was asked to sing the Japanese version of “Temodemo no Namida” [and I did]. The Japanese judge asked me how I was able to memorize the song. Then I talked about how I’d been a fan of AKB48 for as long as I could remember. But my voice was bad though. I cried during the audition but when my name was called, I jumped with joy.
If you’re able to go back to in time right after the audition, would you tell yourself to keep moving on or to withdraw altogether?
Zebi: I’d tell myself to keep going forward. If it wasn’t for JKT48, I wouldn’t be able to get to where I am now. I wouldn’t have gotten such valuable experiences. Because of JKT48, I’m more renowned these days. Not only that, I’m better able to learn from my mistakes. I also pay more attention now to my appearance. I used to be afraid of looking at the mirror because I didn’t want to see my own reflection. That’s not the case anymore.
What are some of the things that you miss and don’t miss?
Zebi: I miss theater the most. The preparation process. The costumes. Changing uniforms in 30 seconds. What I don’t miss were the times when members get selected [for certain songs]. Why didn’t I get selected, even though I’d put in a lot more efforts than the others. How could they be chosen, but not me?
Kei: When our blockings were announced, it was also nerve-wracking.
Zebi: Yeah, true. When I learned that I still had the same blocking number, for instance. So say when there was a member who received number 7 blocking and complained about not getting number 5, it bothered me. I got an even lower blocking but still felt grateful about it.
Kei: Do you remember? For a week we kept eating the same meal, the rice box? Rice, with “hard” butter fried chicken, a lot of onions, capcays, and prawn crackers. The fruit was melon.
Zebi: Ah right, there’s that. Got sick of it, and could only eat a few mouthfuls. Even if we brought it home, in the end we’d still not eat it.
Zebi as a Teenager
When you were a member, did you envy the lives of your other friends?
Zebi: I really did. When my friends invited me to go out, I couldn’t join them because the schedules had not been confirmed by the management. When there’s a trend or hot news being discussed among my friends, I got left out because I was too focused with JKT48.
What activities were you unable to keep up with because of your work?
Zebi: The was this one time when I could not join the “tryout” (mock exams) because it coincided with the handshake event. Everybody received a grade, but I had a zero score. The results were announced on the school’s Bulletin Board, and could be read by the juniors.
Previously, I ranked third [in my class]. My grades were good too. Since joining JKT48, I slipped to the fifteenth place. The teachers suggested that I leave JKT48. In class, I always fell asleep and could not keep up with the lessons. After I left JKT48, I had plenty to catch up with my studies.
Please share some stories about your friends and teachers in school while you were still a member.
Zebi: There’s this funny story. My religion teacher didn’t know that I was in JKT48. Then, a friend of mine went like, “Sir, Zebi is a celebrity…” The teacher then said, “Well, if you appear on TV, you have to spread the teachings of Islam, so that you can receive blessings.” (Sigh) What can I do about it? I performed with short skirts. In the end I just said, “Understood, Sir…”
There were also friends who’d like to tease me, “Ciyeee Zebi, [from the] alay (cheesy and tacky) jay-kay-tee!” It’s even worse when I shared photos and wrote on Twitter, “Don’t forget to eat, ok?” or “Oyasumiii…,” When my friends read them, they used to mock me, “What are you doing Zeb, this is really lame. You’re acting all cute and childlike…”
Kei: My friend also saw my mobile phone once. The comments were all the same, “What are you tweeting about?” And when (s)he saw the photos on my phone, they’d go like, “Err, why do all the photos look like this?”
Zebi: Actually we’re just following how the seniors [in JKT48] tweeted.
Before joining JKT48, not that many teachers knew me. However, after becoming a member, they treated me differently. There’s also a teacher who told my mom that (s)he wanted to watch the [JKT48] theater performance. I was the one who felt embarrassed about it. What’s more, the teacher didn’t like it if anyone looked too revealing. (S)he once told me, “You cannot wear short skirts anymore when you perform on stage!” Right, like that’s even possible…
In JKT48, is it a necessity to be active on Twitter and Google Plus? Previously, which social media were you most active on?
Zebi: I used to be active on Instagram. Kik too, because JPop fans liked to use it. A lot of my friends were also from abroad. I’d also used Skout for a bit, to make some friends.
Kei: Skout used to be quite booming for a while, but then it faded away.
Zebi: I’d already used Twitter and was really active. But then I had to be more careful when using the official twitter account in JKT48 because I could not tweet the way I did. There was this one incident when I wanted to share a photo of Tya flicking her hair. In the photo, there was a camera from fans. Then there was also a S*nsilk bottle. I erased the camera and posted it on Twitter. But then I forgot to edit out the S*nsilk brand.
What will happen to you in the future?
Zebi: My Mom told me, when the UN (National Exam) is over, I could decide if I wanted to make a comeback in the entertainment world. I really love to dance and have been doing traditional dances since a long time ago. But I still don’t have any idea what the entertainment world is really like.
As the chat interview came to an end, Zebi and Kei got busy checking their mobile phones. They were surprised by Noella’s early activities on Twitter after leaving JKT48. Both of them sent a tweet to Noella, just to say hi. They got really excited when she replied them.
As it turned out, both Zebi and Kei are still feeling a rush of excitement when their tweets are replied by their seniors.
Di seri “Interview dengan Eks Member” kali ini, JKT48Stuff mendapatkan kesempatan untuk ngobrol-ngobrol bareng dengan Zebi Magnolia Fawwaz (atau Zebi), member JKT48 generasi ketiga. Zebi bercerita tentang pengalamannya dulu saat masih menjadi fans, lalu menjadi member, dan juga rencana berikutnya.
Kebetulan banget di pertemuan ini, selain Zebi, ada pula Kei, sesama member generasi ketiga ikut menemani. Kalian bisa cek wawancara yang dilakukan sebelumnya oleh JKT48Stuff terhadap Kei. http://www.jkt48stuff.com/2015/01/interview-former-member-kei/ Obrolan pun berlangsung seru, dengan sesekali Kei ikut menimpali.
Menjadi Seorang Fans
Zebi pernah menjadi fans sebelumnya, apa yang memutuskan Zebi untuk bergabung dengan JKT48?
Zebi: Aku kan ngefans ke kak Yupi. Trus aku lihat, keren ya mereka bisa perform seperti ini. Emang mereka nggak susah ngehafalin gerakannya? Aku kepikiran, bisa nggak ya seperti mereka? Sebetulnya aku sudah kenal AKB48 sejak tahun 2010, lalu aku nonton JKT48. Aku dikenalin oleh sepupuku tentang mereka. Sepupuku pun ikut daftar saat itu, namun nggak diterima. Malah aku yang diterima.
Saat jadi fans, Zebi tentunya sudah punya bayangan saat jadi member itu akan seperti apa. Lalu setelah masuk, apakah sesuai dengan ekspektasi?
Zebi: Awalnya mengira memang enak menjadi member. Dapet gift, punya fans banyak, dan keren. Lalu setelah masuk bayangan itu berubah drastis. Ternyata susah banget ya. Di tengah-tengah kadang suka pusing, bimbang, dan capek.
Dengan pernah menjadi fans JKT48 dan AKB48, apakah memudahkan Zebi saat menjadi member?
Zebi: Lebih mudah, misalnya ada lagu baru, “7ji 12fun no Hatsukoi” yang juga lagu favoritku, dan aku yang ditunjuk membawakan. Yang lainnya belum tahu lagunya, dan aku sudah tahu duluan gambaran lagunya kayak gimana. Trus pas pertama kali masuk, kan ada yang belum tahu nama-nama member. Mereka suka tanya-tanya ke aku, “Yang itu namanya siapa, tahu nggak?” Aku bisa bantuin, karena aku sudah tahu duluan.
Dengan menjadi fans lebih dulu itu, apakah bisa menjadi prasyarat yang membantu saat melamar menjadi member JKT48?
Zebi: Menurutku itu bisa membantu. Mereka yang baru masuk kan bisa dibilang nggak ngerti apa-apa, nggak paham lagunya seperti apa. Kalau masih baru banget, pastinya pada bingung, dan harus belajar lebih banyak lagi.
Dulu sebelum masuk, oshinya siapa?
Zebi: Kak Yupi!
Setelah keluar, oshinya siapa?
Kei: Kei!
Zebi: Hahaha.. Masih Kak Yupi!
Masih sama ya. Kenapa pilih Yupi?
Zebi: Lucu! Dulu kebanyakan aku nonton theater Gen 2. Lalu pas nonton, aku sering diwaro sama dia. Aku sempat teriak-teriak dulu manggil kak Yupi. Lalu dikasih “love” dan akhirnya aku kesenengan sendiri.
Setelah jadi member, bagaimana saat berhubungan dengan Yupi?
Zebi: Tetep lucu! Kan ada beberapa fans yang suka ngomong, “Yupi lucunya palsu…” Aku suka kesel, padahal Yupi memang benar seperti itu aslinya, kekanak-kanakan. Baik di depan fans atau nggak, aslinya memang seperti itu.
Setelah jadi member, bagaimana pandangan Zebi terhadap fans?
Zebi: Dulu waktu masih jadi fans, ngelihat fans lain yang ngatain member, aku biasa aja. Lalu setelah jadi member, kalau ada yang ngatain, aku baru ngerasain nggak enaknya. Awalnya aku kira member sudah terbiasa dengan kelakuan fans seperti itu. Ternyata member juga bisa sakit hati karena itu.
Pernah berhubungan dengan fans yang menyebalkan?
Zebi: Pernah. Pernah juga ada fans Feni yang sempat bilang kalau aku nggak pantas jadi member. Aku kan deket dengan Feni. Kebetulan aku pernah gantiin Feni, dan si fans itu lihat aku perform, lalu ia minta maaf kalau suka ngatain-ngatain aku. Ia malah bilang kalau aku berkembangnya cukup baik.
Ada lagi fans kak Desy yang sering ngetawain aku setiap perform. Akhirnya aku sering ledekin aja pas perform. Aku halo-in. Lalu ada lagi fans kak Chika yang suka aku panggil, “anak hilang.” Kata panggilan itu akhirnya jadi nempel terus ke si fans itu. Teman-temannya lalu jadi manggil dia seperti itu terus.
Menjadi Seorang Member
Hambatan apa yang pernah dirasakan saat jadi member?
Zebi: Aku kan kurang pandai menyanyi. Ini jadi menghambat waktu saat aku recording. Temanku yang jago nyanyi seharusnya bisa selesai duluan. Akunya jadi nggak enak. Yang seharusnya recording cukup 1 jam, karena aku jadi 2 jam.
Aku juga orangnya gugupan. Pas pertama kali perform, aku punya masalah dengan ekspresi. Aku saat itu sampai pusing dan bingung, aku harus ngapain. Padahal pas latihan Tenshi no Sippo sebelumnya, Angel dan Nina belum bisa, dan aku sudah lumayan bisa. Namun pas perform, mereka malah lebih bagus, karena mereka bisa berekspresi. Karena aku gugup, semuanya jadi dipikirin. Duh, nanti lagu berikutnya gimana. Duh, kalau nggak bagus nanti dimarahin. Namun seiring waktu sudah makin terbiasa sih.
Kalau untuk MC aku juga parah banget. Malu. Tapi sejak aku temenan dengan Kak Desy, sifat asliku jadi bisa keluar. Aku jadi berani. Kebetulan juga manajer kami juga sama gilanya. Ikut bikin aku makin berani. Aku suka foto-foto gila juga bareng Kak Desy. Kalau lagi di bus, member-member juga suka ketawa, gara-gara candaan aku dan Kak Desy.
Zebi pernah perform di lagu “7ji 12fun no Hatsukoi” saat konser trainee dan handshake. Kenapa kira-kira Zebi yang dipilih untuk itu?
Zebi: Sebetulnya aku nggak tahu kenapa aku dipilih di lagu itu.
Kei: Kalau dari karakteristik yang bawain, sepertinya yang centil-centil gitu ya?
Zebi: Aku senang lagu itu karena kostum versi AKB48-nya. Warnanya beda-beda. Lucu. Aku sudah mikir, “Wah kita akan dapat kostum bagus.” Eh ternyata, dapatnya kostum dari setlist-nya K3 yang warnanya sama semua.
(Lalu Zebi dan Kei menyenandungkan lagu tersebut sambal menggerak-gerakkan tangan mereka)
Zebi: Lagu itu kan di-perform di HS di tennis indoor. Aku tahu kalau itu HS terakhir aku. Aku makanya memilih baju princess saat itu, biar terlihat spesial.
Ceritain dong pengalaman Zebi saat dulu perform di unit song “Tenshi no Sippo”!
Zebi: Salah satu lagu favoritku kan memang “Tenshi no Sippo,” karena lucu banget. Di situ kesannya aku jadi kucing. Aku pengin banget dapet unit song itu. Aku belajar unit song itu bareng Angel dan Nina. Nina sempat ngomong, “Aku kayaknya nggak cocok deh di unit song ini. Kalian berdua aja yang cocok.” Mungkin karena Nina tinggi ya, sementara aku yang paling pendek. Salah satu faktor nggak enaknya kalau paling pendek adalah gerakanku harus paling maksimal dan paling besar, supaya bisa kelihatan dibandingkan lainnya.
Kesulitan aku lainnya adalah aku orangnya malu-malu. Di “Tenshi no Sippo” kan banyak goyangan pinggulnya. Nah, aku malu. Tapi banyak loh yang mau dapet unit song itu, bahkan aku juga sempat ngajarin mereka. Kesulitan lain dari lagu itu adalah perform-nya sehabis MC. Di situ aku harus cepet-cepet ganti baju. Nggak sempet touch up apapun.
Zebi pernah latihan unit song lain nggak?
Zebi: Aku paling belajar sendiri kalau unit song lain, siapa tahu harus menggantikan member lain. Dulu pernah belajar unit song “Kagami” tapi belum sampai selesai sih.
Ceritakan dong pengalaman Zebi saat ikut konser trainee yang pertama?
Zebi: Jadi tadinya aku cuma satu posisi…
Kei: Duh, maaf yaa…
(Catatan: Kei tidak ikut di konser trainee pertama tapi sempat ikut latihan).
Zebi: Nggak apa-apa kok, soalnya semuanya memang diubah. Jadi awalnya aku cuma satu posisi. Lalu menjelang beberapa hari sebelum konser, aku diminta mengisi beberapa posisi. Ada senang dan nggaknya sih. Senangnya, aku dipercaya dan dikasih tanggung jawab lebih. Aku akhirnya ngerasain gimana rasanya double blocking, kayak yang Kak Chika biasa rasakan. Lagu yang sama tapi mengisi blocking berbeda. Susahnya, aku suka ketuker antara blockingan itu. Lalu, sudah belajar blockingannya, tahu-tahu besoknya dipindahin ke blockingan lain, lalu jadi harus belajar lagi.
(Lalu Kei menyanyikan potongan lagu Gingham Check)
Kei: Inget bagian itu nggak?
Zebi: Itu yang aku sama Kak Farin ya?
Kei: Bukan.. Itu yang sama aku.
(Lalu mereka berdua melanjutkan menyanyikan lagu Gingham Check).
Zebi: Kita kan selalu berdua. Ada gerakan yang kita bikin sendiri. Jadi di lagu itu ada gerakan yang kita kompakan bareng, pake pinggul. Dan itu berkesan banget.
Di antara Gen 3, siapa yang dianggap paling dekat?
Zebi: Desy! Dulu pertama kali ketemu Desy, “Oh ini Desy yang wota, yang popular di Twitter.” Mungkin karena pernah jadi sama-sama fans, makanya bisa deket. Oshi-nya dia kan Kak Sonia, dan aku dulu pernah oshi-in Kak Sonia juga. Dia lalu ngomong dengan logatnya yang khas, “Wah selera kita ternyata sama ya.”
Desy juga orangnya lucu. Dia juga suka ngebantu aku kalau aku nggak berani atau nggak bisa. Pas dulu ganti blocking dan aku nggak bisa, Desy yang bantuin, padahal itu bukan blockingnya dia. Waktu itu dia baru pulang dari Jepang, dan dia sendiri belum ngehapalin blockingnya sendiri, tapi dia tetap ngajarin aku.
Kalau di antara Gen 1 dan Gen 2, siapa yang paling sering dilihat oleh Zebi?
Zebi: Kak Ayen dan Kak Yupi. Kita bisa belajar banyak dari Kak Ayen karena perform-nya bagus banget. Dia paham kapan harus menggunakan power besar. Gerakan dia juga enak dilihat. Ditambah, suara dia bagus.
Siapa di antara member Gen 3 yang Zebi anggap punya bakat memimpin?
Zebi: Kak Tya. Aku bingung kok dia bisa sabar ya. Misalnya aku ada masalah dengan salah satu member, Kak Tya langsung turun membantu menyelesaikan.
Kalau misalnya masih menjadi member, siapa yang kalian anggap cocok jadi kapten?
Zebi dan Kei: Kak Tya laaah!
Ceritain dong kenangan Zebi tentang Team Merah dan Team Putih!
Zebi: Mengenai Team Merah lawan Team Putih aku jadi teringat. Team Merah suka dibilang bagus. Kita sedih juga dulu disbanding-bandingin. Di Team Merah memang banyak banget yang jago dance, sebaliknya di Team Putih sedikit yang bisa dance. Namun lama kelamaan, katanya perform Team Putih malah semakin enak dilihat.
Member Team Merah juga kebanyakan dewasa-dewasa semua, sementara Team Putih banyak yang muda-muda. Ada member Team Merah yang bilang, ingin masuk Team Putih aja, karena di Team Merah serius, sementara di Team Putih anak-anaknya suka bercanda.
Pembelajaran apa selama Zebi jadi member yang bisa diterapkan sekarang?
Zebi: Disipin dan tanggung jawab. Dulu kan aku orangnya suka nggak pedulian dan males-malesan. Untuk bangun pagi aja mesti dibangunin Mama. Sekarang aku malah bangun jam 4, pasang alarm, bisa bangun sendiri. Kalau disuruh, dulu suka males, tapi sekarang malah jadi lebih nurut. Sekarang aku lebih mengerti apa yang harus aku lakukan.
Untuk olahraga juga ngebantu banget. Misalnya lari. Aku nilainya lebih bagus daripada murid yang lain, karena sudah terbiasa lari keliling GBK.
Dulu kayaknya pas latihan lari pun aku anggap serius. Aku kayak dituntut untuk jadi yang pertama.
Kei: Iya ya. Padahal kalau lari selesai paling belakangan pun kita nggak akan dimarahin ya.
Apa saran Zebi untuk mereka yang akan audisi Gen 4?
Zebi: Jangan bawa perasaan, jangan apa-apa dibawa emosi. Kalau memang nanti dapat posisi yang lebih rendah daripada yang lain, harus berusaha lebih banyak. Jangan pernah sombong. Harus hormat dengan yang lebih senior.
Jangan menganggap remeh dan sombong ke fans. Lalu saat audisi, jawabannya harus paling beda sendiri. Kalau yang lain kan jawabnya pernah ikutan casting, karena memang pernah punya pengalaman mencoba di dunia entertainment. Kalau aku dulu jawabnya jujur apa adanya. Aku bilang aku bisa pidato, aku bisa Bahasa Inggris, dan aku suka main game. Karena jawabannya nggak umum, itu malah mengundang pertanyaan lebih banyak. Aku diminta ngomong bahasa Inggris waktu itu, tapi aku bilang, “Aku nggak bisa. Aku gugup sekarang.”
Lalu pas audisi terakhir, aku diminta nyanyi, aku waktu itu nyanyi “Temodemo no Namida” versi Jepang. Orang Jepang yang menilai menanyakan kok aku bisa hapal lagunya. Lalu aku ceritain kalau aku fans AKB48 sejak lama. Duh, padahal suaraku jelek lagi. Aku sempat nangis waktu audisi, tapi pas namaku dipanggil, aku loncat sendiri.
Kalau Zebi punya kemampuan untuk kembali ke masa lalu pas audisi, apakah Zebi akan minta diri Zebi untuk maju atau mundur?
Zebi: Tetap maju sih. Kalau bukan karena JKT48 juga, aku nggak akan bisa jadi seperti ini. Aku nggak akan bisa mendapatkan pengalaman berharga. Karena JKT48 aku juga jadi lebih dikenal. Aku juga lebih bisa belajar dari kesalahan. Aku juga lebih memperhatikan penampilan. Dulu aku bahkan sempat takut dengan cermin, karena aku nggak mau lihat mukaku sendiri. Sekarang sih sudah nggak lagi.
Hal apa yang Zebi paling rindukan dan paling tidak rindukan?
Zebi: Yang paling dirindukan itu theater. Proses persiapannya. Kostum-kostumnya. Ganti baju dalam 30 detik. Yang paling tidak dirindukan pas saat pemilihan member. Nggak keterima, padahal sudah berusaha lebih keras dibanding teman lainnya. Kok dia bisa kepilih, aku nggak?
Kei: Pas dibacain blockingan juga bikin deg-degan sih.
Zebi: Iya, betul. Ooh ternyata aku masih di blockingan nomor ini. Kalau misalnya ada member yang dapet blockingan nomor 7 lalu mengeluh nggak dapat nomor 5, aku agak kesal. Aku lebih rendah dari itu aja masih tetap bersyukur.
Kei: Ingat nggak sih, seminggu dulu kita dapet makan yang sama terus, nasi boks? Nasi, ayam goreng mentega keras, banyak bawangnya, capcay, dan krupuk udang. Buahnya melon.
Zebi: Ah iya itu.. Sampai muak, dan kita cuma bisa makan beberapa suap doang. Kalau pun dibawa pulang, akhirnya nggak dimakan juga.
Menjadi Seorang Remaja
Saat jadi member dulu, suka iri nggak dengan kehidupan teman-teman Zebi lainnya?
Zebi: Suka banget. Kalau diajak pergi teman-teman, aku suka nggak bisa ikut, karena belum dapat kepastian jadwal dari manajemen. Bahkan kalau saat itu sedang ada tren atau hot news baru yang diobrolin teman-teman, aku suka nggak tahu karena terlalu fokus dengan JKT48.
Kegiatan apa yang dulu sempat tidak bisa diikuti Zebi karena aktivitas sebagai member?
Zebi: Dulu aku pernah nggak bisa ikut tryout, karena waktunya bersamaan dengan event handshake. Semuanya pada dapet nilai, sementara aku dapet nol. Nilainya dipasang di papan pengumuman sekolah, sampai dibaca adik-adik kelas.
Dulu aku sempat ranking tiga, nilaiku bagus-bagus. Sejak masuk JKT48 langsung ranking 15. Guru-guru sempat nyaranin aku untuk keluar aja dari JKT48. Di sekolah aku juga selalu tidur dan nggak bisa ngikutin pelajaran. Begitu aku keluar dari JKT48, aku langsung harus mengejar pelajaran banget.
Bagaimana cerita tentang teman-teman dan guru di sekolah saat Zebi dulu jadi member?
Zebi: Ini ada cerita lucu. Guru agama aku kan nggak ngerti kalau aku di JKT48. Lalu ada teman yang nyeletuk, “Pak, Zebi artis loh..” Si guru agama cerita, “Nah, kalau kamu di TV itu, kamu harus menyebarkan ajaran agama Islam, supaya kamu bisa dapat pahala.” Hehehe, ya gimana. Aku aja perform pake rok pendek. Akhirnya aku cuma bilang, “Iya Pak. Iya…”
Ada juga teman yang suka bilang, “Ciyee Zebi, Jeketi alay..” Apalagi kalau lagi share foto dan nulis di Twitter, “Jangan lupa makan yaa..” atau “Oyasumiii..” Teman-teman kalau lihat itu, suka komentar, “Apaan sih Zeb, elo alay banget. Sok unyu lo..”
Kei: Temanku juga pernah lihat hapeku. Komentarnya juga sama, “Hih, elo ngetweet apa sih?” Trus dia lihat foto-foto di hapeku, “Hih, kok model foto-fotonya gini semua?”
Zebi: Sebetulnya sih kita cuma mencontoh tweet-tweet para senior.
Sebelum masuk JKT48, aku nggak banyak dikenal guru. Namun setelah jadi member, si guru malah baik-baik sama aku. Ada juga guru yang bilang ke mama aku, kalau dia mau nonton theater. Akunya yang malu. Apalagi si guru nggak suka kalau ada yang terlihat terbuka. Dia pernah bilang, “Kamu nggak boleh pakai rok pendek ya kalo lagi perform.” Lah, gimana caranya…
Kalau di JKT48 kan dituntut untuk aktif di Twitter dan Google Plus. Sebelumnya Zebi aktif di social media apa?
Zebi: Dulu aktifnya di Instagram. Lalu Kik, karena anak-anak JPop suka pakai itu. Teman-temanku kebanyakan juga banyak orang luar. Pernah juga pakai Skout, buat kenal-kenalan.
Kei: Skout cuma booming sebentar, terus menghilang.
Zebi: Dulu juga sudah pakai Twitter dan aktif banget. Lalu jadi lebih hati-hati setelah pakai akun resmi JKT48, karena nggak bisa ngomong asal. Pernah kejadian pas mau share foto Kak Tya lagi ngibasin rambut. Di foto itu ada kamera dari fans. Lalu ada juga botol S*nsilk. Aku sudah hapus yang kamera lalu post di Twitter. Yang kelupaan malah ngehapus merk S*nsilk-nya.
Apa yang akan terjadi pada seorang Zebi di masa depan nanti?
Zebi: Mamaku bilang, kalau nanti sudah selesai UN, aku diminta untuk masuk coba lagi di dunia entertainment. Aku kan memang sudah suka dance dan tarian tradisional sejak dulu. Namun belum tahu sih di dunia entertainment-nya seperti apa.
Pas banget ketika obrolan interview berakhir, baik Zebi maupun Kei langsung sibuk mengecek ponsel masing-masing. Mereka dikejutkan oleh aktivitas perdana Noella di Twitter setelah keluar dari JKT48. Baik Zebi maupun Kei pun mengirim tweet ke Noella, sekedar mengucapkan hai. Mereka senang banget ketika tweet mereka dibalas oleh Noella.
Duh, ternyata baik Zebi maupun Kei, masih bisa gesrek juga ya kalau tweetnya dibales oleh seniornya.
English Translation by WasshoiJ
English QC by Hanif
Interview conducted by Pitra
Photos by Pitra
