I've posted translations of her saying the exact same thing in interviews around here a few times before so some of you might find this a tad repetitive but please bear with me... She really, really does love Morning Musume a great deal.
Damn. I like to think I'm cynical(realistic) enough to never put too much stock on what I saw on tv/read in articles until proven otherwise and in Sayu's case I already got a healthy stack of evidence in favor of it.
But watching this has just removed any remaining traces of doubt I'll ever have again about her love and dedication to the group.
Just the way she reacts here when asked about whether she's thinking of graduating now with the group's recent success and two new subleaders appointed ... how she breaks down crying explaining what the group meant to her and reaffirming her decision to graduate only after she can give back as much to the group in gratitude.
MARQUEE vol.96 (excerpt)
──For Michishige-san personally, what would you like to accomplish before you can start to feel satisfied?
「The reason I'm here now is because I wanted to become a part of Morning Musume。, truly, and for the time being I don't give much thought to anything beyond that.
Looking at my Senpais, some of them have mentioned how they would like to be an Actress etc before there are even any talks about graduation or in Reina's case, how she discovered something she'd like to to next in band activities, then they graduated to pursue a different path.
For me, instead of deciding to resign after I found something else I'd like to do, I'll only consider that maybe it's time for me to resign after I have accomplished something with Morning Musume。, that I can leave behind as Morning Musume。's Leader and also as Morning Musume。's Michishige Sayumi. I have been much indebted to Morning Musume。 for this past 10 years and I'll try my hardest to give something back in return.
When asked what would I like to do from now on, well, I would like to live a fulfilled life as part Morning Musume。 (lol). I want to devote my life to Morning Musume。or rather... well, basically I want to have a long life and I have this image in my mind of a granny eating senbeis with a crunch in front of the tv watching variety shows, grumbling and complaining all the while. I want to become that kind of granny (lol) 」
―─You really loved the group, huh
「I do. I really do」
