So the post below was an overview of the camp whereas this is more about my specific group. Group 10 had some really smart kids who could speak English but who didn't always want to. They were great about speaking to me but didn't really speak to each other in English unless I asked for no Japanese. I won't write their names here, but I will instead call them by their answers to, "What Anpanman Character are you?"
We had our group leader, Cheese, who also went by Boss. He should have been Anpanman. He fit the role of group leader perfectly and could probably lead a country some day. He was honest, to the point, and held the others accountable for their actions. He could be both polite and stern but also enjoyed himself. I will never forget though, his answer to why he liked the Japanese group AKB48 more than the Korean group Kara. He told me, "Japanese people need to support Japanese artists." He was 13.
Next we had our vice group leader (that wasn't actually his title but he acted like that was his job), Shoko Pan Man, who was one of the sweetest Japanese students I have ever met. He sincerely wanted everyone to do well and was always translating for me when the other students spoke Japanese (even though I understood). He is actually the vice-class president and though the other kids tease him for his fashion sense and his enthusiasm for pop singers, you could tell he is well liked. He was a life saver in that he always kept the conversation going. the first night at dinner, he asked question after question but finally ran out of things to say. He looked at the other group members and pleaded, "Please speak!" The boss replied, "We are busy eating."
After that came Curry Pan Man who, unlike the character, was really laid back and played the role of Mr Cool. He was a good balance between the group leader (who was sometimes too serious) and the vice group leader (who was sometimes too friendly). He had great English and was quite funny. He seemed to be friends with everyone in camp and was considered quite cool by a lot of the girls.
Opposite to him was Bakinman who was very much, er, a nerd. The type of kid who hates sports and would have rather been playing games. He was polite enough but often tuned out in conversation to no doubt replay video games in his head. However, in the presentation he had great comedic timing and was quite a great speaker.
The final boy was Jam Ojiisan who was, like the character, the old man in the group. He was the smallest but also came off as the wisest. He was also the quietest and seemed the shyest, though he spoke a lot to me. He wouldn't contribute to the conversation on his own, but when asked a question, his answers were well thought out.
The girls were lead by Dokinchan who was just your average sweet Jr High Girl. She didn't speak a lot but made up for that by always smiling. She had great English but was slow to talk, mostly because I think she didn't want to overstep the boys.
Dokinchan's sidekick was Kokinchan, who barely said a word and made it clear she didn't really like English. The group actually said at one point, We're sorry. She is negative. Still, I had to give her credit for overcoming her stage fright and really doing well during the group presentation.
Last but not least was Melonpanna. I think she fit her chosen character in that she was one of the girls but also fit in with the boys too. She had great English and was quiet, but spoke the most out of the girls. She also tried the hardest to speak to me and to correct her own English. She was a total sweetheart who got on well with others but could also be by herself.
The group fit me I think in that I didn't pressure them too much. They were at their best when I gave them a game in English, such as I Never or English Uno. I liked that they weren't rude or obnoxious, and that they were pretty independent.
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