Arashi at National Stadium Photobook Translation (Part 5 of 6)
Two more parts left! This one's the other long one (with 5 x 10), but quite hilarious~
Enjoy!
<2012 Arafes/ 9/20 (Thurs), 21 (Fri)>
Matsumoto: Shall we move on to “Arafes?”
Sakurai: Let’s do it! In the first place, we actually decided to do “Arafes” the night we finished “Waku Waku Gakkou” in Osaka.
Ninomiya: While we were having dinner together.
Matsumoto: Yeah. And then, a ton of things got decided all at once.
Ninomiya: Like having Aiba-san supervise the goods, and Riida doing the choreography.
Aiba, Ohno: Yeah…it got decided suddenly.
Everyone: (All together) Yeah. A bunch of things did.
Sakurai: In the end, we were able to do it 2 years. But it was like…I thought that maybe things actually get decided like this all the time.
(All laugh)
Aiba: Yeah, it was pretty sudden.
Ninomiya: It really was.
Sakurai: We put out ideas, and gathered them together. And then we put out more ideas, and gathered them together…and it started taking shape.
--The opening this time (appearing from inside a balloon), on the 2nd day there was the accident of Aiba-san’s crane not going up…
Aiba: Yeah…mine was the only one that didn’t go up.
Ninomiya: The incident of Aiba on the 2nd day?
Aiba: Yeah (lol).
Matsumoto: It’s ok, it didn’t get put on the video.
Aiba: It didn’t. That’s because I went to negotiate about that. That day (the 2nd day, where the crane didn’t rise) was the one we were recording the video. So I asked the director, “Please, don’t use that video!” So they used the back-up video from the 1st day there.
Sakurai: Sensei, could you please give us an explanation of the “incident!”
Aiba: As you can tell from the video, the opening this time was supposed to have the cranes (with the balloons in which the members were standing) rise up, and then at the top the balloons pop, and we would appear. The crane didn’t go up…(remembering what happened) And you know? How long was it, after I appeared? For about 10 seconds, I didn’t even notice what had happened myself.
Matsumoto: Because you’re so excited (lol).
Aiba: Right, because I was excited (lol). I mean… I thought I was up high like the rest of you. So I was looking down and waving my hands.
(All laugh)
Sakurai: You were thinking you were up high, and waving your hands (lol)?
Aiba: Yes! I was looking down and waving my hands. And then, I turned all the way around once like, “Huh?”
Ninomiya: You were pretty much on the same level as the audience.
Sakurai: Were you thinking, “Huh? Did the audience rise up too?”
(All laugh)
Ohno: (Still laughing) When I looked at the monitor, I saw Aiba-chan walking down the stage path with a “huh?” face…
Matsumoto: His panicking was up on the screen, right?
Ninomiya: Yeah (lol). He was really panicking.
--Well…of course you would panic.
Aiba: You would, right!
Sakurai: Because, when you were in the booth (inside the balloon), you thought you were going up, right?
Aiba: Yeah, I thought I was going up!
Ninomiya: The booth is shaking the whole time anyway. Even if you’re at the bottom…
Sakurai: Because of the vibrations from the motor and stuff, right?
Ninomiya: Yeah, so it shakes. So you couldn’t tell if you were properly going up or not, right?
Aiba: Yes, yes. It’s shaking, and the balloon is continually being blown up so there’s a bunch of wind blowing around. So my semicircular canals couldn’t tell what was going on.
Sakurai: (You appear) like, “Huh? Where is everyone?...Ah, it’s me!”
Aiba: Exactly (lol)! When I realized what happened, I was really embarrassed…
Ninomiya: Man~, I was laughing the whole time. Watching all that (*Ninomiya was checking for everyone’s cranes, so he apparently noticed Aiba’s accident faster than anyone).
Sakurai: And after that, you did it, right? The MA Walk?
Aiba: The MA Walk! The one where I just walk to center stage (lol).
(All laugh)
[Checking out the opening video]
Ninomiya: Yeah…So we didn’t get to see the balloons this year.
Sakurai: That’s true. Because (we were) inside the balloons.
Ninomiya: So I just had to sense, “Oh, the balloons got released now” based on the audience’s reaction.
Aiba: (Watches the video of him appearing from inside the balloon without incident) Ah…I’m glad it went ok!
--With this excitement, coming out of the balloon and having the crane not go up…would be quite harsh.
Aiba: Kuhahaha!
Matsumoto: If it were me, I’m sure I would’ve noticed here (when the crane didn’t go up) though (lol).
Sakurai: So that’s why in this video (with no accident)…you look so happy! Because you’re up high!
Aiba: Of course I’d be happy! You all wouldn’t understand the feelings of the guy on the ground!! It was really hard… it was.
Sakurai: That’s true…I do think it’d be pretty hard.
(All laugh)
Aiba: Everyone… is basically looking up during that time. And in the midst of that, I’m doing the MA Walk to center stage.
Sakurai: That takes an extremely high level of emotional strength!
Aiba: That’s true (lol). This year… I became a bit more of an adult.
Matsumoto: (Watches the video after that) All of a sudden, I’m high-fiving Aiba-chan…I must’ve been cheering him up.
Aiba: I’m sure you were (lol).
Ninomiya: Like, “It’s ok. Don’t be down” (lol)
Aiba: Like, “Cheer on up” (lol). I did my best! This experience was really long!!
Ohno: I’m sure it felt long for you (lol).
Aiba: Accidents happen…a lot does.
Matsumoto: Gotta have a strong mentality (lol).
--For Arafes, you collected the fans’ requests and made the concert together.
Matsumoto: That’s right. Since we hadn’t done a concert like that before. It was really fun. It was fun, and the people that came to the concert were into it more than usual, since they had voted for the songs themselves.
--You can tell that from the loud cheers that start with each song intro.
Matsumoto: Yes. When the song starts, that feeling of, “This song is here~!”
Ninomiya: That “it’s there” feeling, like, “This song made it!”
Matsumoto: The way it worked out, that was fun.
--For you guys doing it too, was there a big “festival” feeling after all?
Ninomiya: Yeah, since that was how we went into it.
Sakurai: That’s why “CARNIVAL NIGHT part2” turned into “FESTIVAL NIGHT” after all.
Other 4: Yeah, yeah!
Matsumoto: That kind of idea is very Arashi-like (lol).
Sakurai: What do you mean “Arashi-like”…it was your idea, MatsuJun!
Matsumoto: Yeah (lol). I just said it on a whim, but then we really decided to do it.
--Sakurai-san’s high spirits during “Summer Splash!” is also a standard now (lol). Like, “It’s summer, summer, summer~!”
Aiba: Although summer is ending. That time of year (lol).
Sakurai: It’s already chilly out!
--(lol) But, you can tell that while you’re saying that, you’re really having a good time.
Sakurai: Somebody stop me!
Ninomiya: Hahaha! It’s like, “I can’t stop!” …like, “It’s not me!” (lol)
Sakurai: This was the year we did it just us 5. As expected…it was a lot of work.
Matsumoto: It was.
--To do a concert at a place like Kokuritsu with just 5 people…is really amazing. I thought that while re-watching the video again.
Matsumoto: Yeah…I can’t believe we were able to do it (lol).
Ninomiya: Can’t help but think that, after all.
Sakurai: Background dancing behind the members was something we hadn’t done since we debuted.
Ninomiya, Aiba, Matsumoto: Yeah.
Ninomiya: Dancing that much like that, it had been a while.
Sakurai: But at our debut concert we did it a lot. Like for Satoshi-kun’s solo, Nino and I were there.
Matsumoto: Man…I felt like it was really compact at the time. Of course looking at the whole concert, it’s pretty long. The time (spent out on stage) was pretty long.
Ninomiya: Since we’re the only ones performing.
Sakurai: Yeah…just us 5 (deeply).
Matsumoto: Seriously… it was like, leave the stage, get changed. Move locations, get back on stage right away.
Sakurai: And the solos for this time, we of course had to negotiate for ourselves, like, “how many members can I get to appear?” Everyone did, right? For me it was “T.A.B.O.O.” for MatsuJun it was “Shake it!” for example. Really… I was a little nervous (during the negotiation).
Matsumoto: Everyone, will you be in it?” (lol)
Sakurai: Yeah (lol). Like, “I’d like you to be in it, will you?” And like, “It’s just for the chorus!” (lol)
--For “Shake it!” there was also the “She-ke She-ke Scam” issue (*The other 4 were only supposed to be there for the chorus, but in the end they wound up dancing the entire song with all their strength).
Sakurai: The She-ke She-ke Scam was the next year. Ah…no, wait. It was this year.
Aiba: It was this year.
Matsumoto: Yes, this year (lol).
Sakurai: That’s right. The agreement was only for the chorus, wasn’t it?
Ninomiya: Yeah it was! That’s what I heard anyway…and then we did the whole thing.
Aiba: Yeah.
Ninomiya: Though we did have a lot of fun doing it…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: In the order of the set list, everyone was already out on stage for Aiba-kun’s song, so…if that was the case, I wanted to have everyone dance mine too…is what happened (lol).
[So they take a look at the video from Aiba’s solo to Matsumoto’s solo]
Matsumoto: This song “Friendship” is also very Aiba-kun-like. And then having the members appear here, right?
Sakurai: It made a perfect “5-road junction” right?
Aiba: Yes!
--The timing for when the members appear, was that Aiba-san’s idea?
Aiba: Yeah, I told them. At the part with the “5-road junction.”
Matsumoto: We barely made it though.
Sakurai: We were changing outfits like mad!
Ohno: We were changing underneath the stage.
Ninomiya: Yeah.
Matsumoto: We changed, and moved…Though when you think about it, Aiba-kun (his appearance) was also cutting it close…probably.
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: (Watches Aiba singing alone before the members appear) You know, this occurred to me while watching this. What’s amazing about Aiba Masaki-san is that…the way he is just waving his hands while singing totally works for him, I think. I mean, until we appear, he doesn’t dance at all.
Aiba: Yes, I’m not dancing. Not at all.
[And then, the members appear on each of the 4 paths]
Ninomiya: (Looking at themselves) We really look like we’re having fun (lol).
Ohno: It was new to be dancing in the background.
Matsumoto: Yeah, it was.
Ninomiya: To be on stage this long without singing…only happens at times like this (lol).
--You were even saying during the MC that it “brings out your Jr spirit.”
Sakurai: Yeah… I remembered what it was like being a Jr.
Ninomiya: Yeah (lol).
Matsumoto: It’s difficult to know how hard to try. You can’t go all out with the dancing, but you can’t exactly slack either.
Sakurai: Otherwise the main person won’t stand out!
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: But you can’t do so bad that people think you’re just goofing off.
Matsumoto: Since you’re a background dancer.
Sakurai: But, you want to stand out a little. It’s finding that balance, right?
Ninomiya: Trying to interact with the main person…
Sakurai: Going for it but not too much, sort of thing.
(All laugh)
--Ninomiya-san looked like he was having a blast with his She-ke dance this concert (lol).
Ninomiya: That She-ke right!
Sakurai: That actually is a hip hop dance called “shake” that was popular in 2004, 2005? It came from the west coast or something.
Ninomiya: Yeah.
Sakurai: It was our joke, doing it during that song.
Aiba: No one can tell…that was a joke (lol)!
Ninomiya: Yeah. It was a pun, like, “We’re doing the shake for She-ke!”
Sakurai: People who did dance back then probably saw Nino and thought, “Wait, Ninomiya is doing the shake…”
Ninomiya: I’m sure they were! We were doing the shake for “Shake it!” For real.
Matsumoto: This music just makes you want to dance the shake…right?
Ninomiya: Yeah, yeah. (Watches them dancing with all their might) Around here, it was seriously…really hard.
Sakurai: We were super tired.
Ninomiya: Right! We hung in there!
Sakurai: It really made me remember what it felt like to be a Jr. It was a lot of fun.
Matsumoto: (At the dance during the chorus) Uwa… everyone’s in sync.
Other 4: Of course, we did our best (lol)!
Ninomiya: Around this part, the story was that I was saying (as a bit of an act), “I’m tired so I won’t do it,” but my body just started moving, so I did it.
(Everyone can’t stop laughing)
Ninomiya: I’m saying, “No way, I’m tired, so I can’t do it” like this (saying no by waving his hand)…
Sakurai: The shake, right?
Ninomiya: The shake.
[The video reaches this particular moment]
Ninomiya: See, here. I’m saying, “I won’t do it.”
Sakurai: But then your body starts moving…that’s the shake! Hahaha!
Ninomiya: That’s the shake! It’s harder than it looks!
Matsumoto: (Still laughing) If…you did that in front of me while I was singing, I wouldn’t have been able to keep it together.
Sakurai: (Continues laughing) Seriously, it’s so dumb… (lol)
Ohno: So dumb… (stomach hurting from laughing so hard).
Aiba: Did people get it?
Ninomiya: They didn’t, without a doubt.
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: (Watches the video) You guys are really dancing hard after all… (lol)
Other 4: We were!!
Matsumoto: Sorry about that…really.
Sakurai: Nino was dancing (the shake) a bit more than us too. It was hard on him.
Ninomiya: Because even though I’m saying, “I can’t, I can’t” my body moves anyway!
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: (At the song’s climax) Like here, when you strike a cool pose, you look down and stuff… that was new. Like, “Ah, back then (in my Jr. days) it was like this.”
Sakurai: So that you don’t stand out more than the main person.
Ninomiya: Yes, yes!
Sakurai: You “stand back” a bit.
Ohno: (Looking happy while watching the video) The shake will happen one more time, right?
Sakurai: Yeah…I’m laughing a little already in the video (lol). Thinking about it and laughing!
Ninomiya: Like, “That’s going to come one more time!”
Matsumoto: Sho-kun, you’re laughing like crazy (lol).
[The Ninomiya shake finally comes yet again]
(Everyone continues to laugh)
Ninomiya: I was doing it here…because I thought for sure that J would get mad at me for it.
Sakurai: That’s why you won’t look at MatsuJun (turned your glance away), because if your eyes met he’d definitely get mad at you.
Ninomiya: I’m only looking in this direction.
Sakurai: You’re only looking in our direction.
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: If a Jr. did that, you’d get mad, right?
Matsumoto: (Laughing the whole time) If a Jr. did that…I’d be seriously pissed!
Ninomiya: You’d be super furious, if they did that.
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Well…all of us were also there for Aiba-kun’s song (“Friendship”).
Aiba: Yeah, with those “red hands.”
Ninomiya: Yes… we all appeared.
Ohno: Mine was the only solo you guys weren’t in?
Ninomiya: Because you told us, “I don’t need you.”
Ohno: I said I didn’t need you?
Sakurai: You said you didn’t need us…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: For Riida’s solo, it was just a video of us.
Sakurai: Each of us appears on video.
Aiba: That’s right.
Ohno: I think… it was because you couldn’t appear, no matter what (due to the order of the set list). You guys.
Matsumoto: Yeah, it was essentially impossible.
--Ninomiya’s solo “Gimmick Game” was also done by himself.
Ninomiya: Yes. I also said, “I’ll be ok by myself.”
Matsumoto: That’s true, you were on your own.
--Sakurai’s solo was the shocking “T.A.B.O.O.” from the “ARASHI 10-11 TOUR “Scene” ~The view I’m seeing with you~”
Sakurai: It was. Because… it got 1st place. It can’t be helped (lol)!
Ninomiya: It was 1st. That can’t be helped (lol).
--It was like, “Here they are!” when the members joined in (lol).
Sakurai: Yeah. I was singing by myself. When the other 4 appeared for the last chorus… that made me happy. Since I made the offer myself. Through negotiation I was able to get their consent!
Aiba: We danced the last part of the choreography too.
Matsumoto: We did. The part where we lay down (on the stage) right?
Aiba: Yeah that. That made me happy. That I was able to do it.
Ninomiya: You were saying you wanted to do it…after you watched (last year’s video).
Aiba: Yeah, I was even happier because I’d been watching the video. And, Sho-chan said, “Adjust the mike receiver (on your hip, since you’ll be laying on the stage)! Be careful!” He made sure to tell me!
Ninomiya: Nothing less from him!
Sakurai: Because I’m used of “T.A.B.O.O.”!
(All laugh)
--You all really did look like you were having fun when you’re dancing all together…
Sakurai: Because it is really fun (lol).
Ninomiya: Because it really was just the 5 of us out there.
--And this concert also had the spectacular debut of Ohmiya SK at Kokuritsu (lol).
Ninomiya: Yes, that’s right!
Matsumoto: And you had more people, right? (*Each was accompanied by Ohmiya SK dolls)
Ninomiya: Yup (grins). We really evolved/advanced! And we didn’t get yelled at for it. This time. It was really wonderful.
Sakurai: (Laughing) That…was so ridiculous. And really funny. I was able to watch it from the side (of the stage). That’s how it turned out.
--It’s very rare that Ohmiya got captured on film this time.
Sakurai: Because, Ohmiya SK isn’t supposed to be something that gets filmed, right?
Ninomiya: Yes, yes. That’s the nature of it.
Sakurai: There was that implicit rule, right?
Ninomiya: Yes. We were allowed to do it, but were not to leave any evidence of it…is what we were told.
(All laugh)
Ohno: This time…was probably the toughest of all the (Ohmiya acts) we’ve done.
Ninomiya: It was the toughest.
Ohno: That bar (that was holding up the dolls) gave me bruises (lol).
Aiba: It was heavy, right?
Ninomiya: It was super sturdy (lol). But… Riida looked like he was having a lot of fun.
Aiba: He was lively?
Ninomiya: Riida was really lively!
(All laugh)
--When did you make that song, “MIKOSHIBOY?”
Ninomiya: Eh? That song?
Ohno: When did we make it…?
Ninomiya: That…when did we make it again? Well…
Ohno: It was over 10 years ago.
Ninomiya: You’re probably right. We don’t do it too often.
--I never thought I’d be able to see Ohmiya-san on a stage like Kokuritsu (lol).
Ninomiya: That’s what you’d think right, after all. How do I say this…in the end, if you really do a poll, this kind of thing happens, it turns out like this…I think people probably wanted to see it. Since it was the first time we’d done this. In the “Other Requests” section (of the Request page), there were quite a lot of votes (for Ohimya SK).
Sakurai: So you set out to do it with the strong backing of “public opinion.”
Ninomiya: Yes exactly! So…no one would be able to say anything to us about it (lol).
Sakurai: Hahaha! Like, “We’re not the ones (who said we wanted to do it)!”
Ninomiya: Or even, “It’s not like we’re doing it because we want to!”
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: The orchestra (that played the music and arrangements) was great too.
Sakurai: Ah~, that was good! In the end, we’re only able to see the orchestra on DVDs like this. We can’t see them from where we’re standing and singing…
Ninomiya: (The orchestra’s position) is too high, right?
Sakurai: Yeah, we can’t even see them at the rehearsals. And of course during the actual concert we’re facing forward so we can’t see them. This DVD lets us see how the picture of Arashi and the orchestra together looked like.
Matsumoto: Also, at this concert Riida did the choreography for “Tokei Jikake no Umbrella.”
Ninomiya, Aiba: Ah~, that’s right!
Matsumoto: He hadn’t done that much before, doing choreography for a song where all 5 of us are full-out dancing.
Sakurai: But he’d done more fun songs like “CARNIVAL~” before.
Ohno: Yup. I thought up the choreography.
Matsumoto: We performed it without saying that Riida was the one who did the choreography.
Ohno: Yeah, we didn’t say it. But, there were a lot of people that noticed it.
Sakurai: Ehh~!
Ninomiya: Like, “Isn’t that Riida’s choreography?”
Ohno: Yeah. That made me happy…or maybe, surprised me…
Matsumoto: Eh…no no! That’s important to know which it was.
Sakurai: Um…I guess it’s a quiz.
Ninomiya: I wonder which one it is…
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Hahahahaha! (To Ohno) What’s the right answer?
Ohno: …I wonder what it was?
Sakurai: Eh? Were you surprised, or were you happy about it…
Ninomiya: I’m sure you were definitely surprised.
Ohno: It’s like…I thought that you couldn’t tell (the choreography was done by Ohno). I thought, “There’s choreography that’s ‘like me’?” That’s the first time I felt that.
Matsumoto: Also, he did the choreography for the instrumental break during “truth.” And the choreography for the tour we did this year.
Ohno: Yeah. I think I had probably already started thinking of it during this concert.
--And Aiba-san supervised the goods.
Aiba: Yes, this was the first time I did it. You know, I saw (in producing goods) how long it takes to make, and how the cost changes, things like that… I really learned a lot.
Sakurai: Eh…are you going to open a store or something? We can’t have you do that!
(All laugh)
Aiba: I know that (lol). But, ideas for goods that I wasn’t able to use this year, we did the next year. Things like those “mysterious glasses” I’d wanted to do since this time.
Ninomiya: You kept saying you wanted to make glasses.
Sakurai: But in the end, doesn’t it make you happy when it actually does become part of the goods?
Aiba: It does. Huh? It didn’t rain at this year’s concerts?
--It rained only on the 2nd day, at the end.
Aiba: It was just at the end?
Matsumoto: During “Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi.” Right when I was about to say the title, the rain just started pouring (lol).
Aiba: Ah~! That was incredible timing.
Ninomiya: Yeah. And then you started laughing over it, right?
Matsumoto: Yeah.
Sakurai: It rains a lot on us.
--Of the 6 years you did it, you were rained on for 4 of them.
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: That’s too much rain…
Sakurai: On the other hand, there’s 2 years it didn’t rain?
Matsumoto: It didn’t rain last year after all.
--Yes. It didn’t rain in 2010 or last year (2013).
Ninomiya: Oh yeah, it didn’t rain last year.
Matsumoto: Also, there was that! We announced “Popcorn” (the album and tour) here.
Ohno: Oh, the video. At the end we made the announcement.
Matsumoto: Yeah. We made an “urgent announcement” kind of video.
Sakurai: With that “Sending shockwaves across America” sort of tone…
Ninomiya: Completely over-reacting, right?
Sakurai: Totally not “all of America” at all (lol). It has only a very local effect…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: We hadn’t done “La tormenta” since the first Kokuritsu we did for AROUND ASIA in 2008. So…in the end, we did some stuff we’d done at Kokuritsu, and…of course stuff that’s popular too. And there were ones we got a lot of requests for, like “Love Situation.” There were a lot of songs that we thought, “Let’s do this one, we haven’t done it in a while.”
--You were saying at the time that it was a lot of work re-learning the choreography for “Love Situation.”
Sakurai: We did…re-learn it, didn’t we?
Aiba: Yeah we did.
Matsumoto: This song…is a lot of work.
Ninomiya: It is. It’s a ton of work. In the end it was like, “Why does this song have to be popular (slightly angry)!”
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: We were wondering why it is.
Aiba: We only did it once, after all.
Sakurai: Everyone must be watching the DVD.
Ninomiya: That’s the only thing we can think of.
--There was quite a lot of cheering when this song’s intro started.
Matsumoto: Yeah, it exploded with cheering.
Ninomiya: Yeah, it was incredible.
--It must’ve made you happy to hear all the screams of the stadium at your “chikazukitai” line (“Want to get close to you”), right?
Matsumoto: No…well, not really… (wry smile)
--Eh, but…that facial expression, I’m sure you have to think of it ahead of time.
Matsumoto: I don’t (lol)! I’m not thinking about what kind of face I should make while saying it…
Ninomiya: Eh? Those kya~ screams don’t make you happy? The rest of us won’t ever be able to say it. The (chikazukitai) line.
Matsumoto: No, you can go ahead and say it!
Ninomiya: No no…I can’t say it.
Aiba, Ohno: We can’t say it.
Sakurai: (After saying it) I’d probably (hide my face with my arms and) crouch down…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: (Lol) Really…next time we do it, certainly, someone else can say it instead.
Sakurai: It might be fun to do a shuffle like that too.
Matsumoto: Right, it could work.
Ninomiya: Unexpectedly.
Sakurai: What happens if we don’t get the “kya~” response though…
(All laugh)
--This year’s Arafes was connected to the next year’s Arafes, wasn’t it?
Matsumoto: It was already decided from the beginning that we’d do Arafes 2 years in a row, and Arafes was made to express our gratitude for everything up until now, in preparation for our last time at Kokuritsu. We wanted to do different things this year (and the next). However…we thought in the beginning that the “songs you want to hear (requests)” would change a little bit more.
--The rankings didn’t change all that much.
Matsumoto: Yeah. The new songs and singles were of course there, but other than that it didn’t change very much. When we thought about it afterwards…would your favorite songs by an artist you like change that much in one year? They wouldn’t…
--That’s true. But I thought maybe there would be more people like, “I want to hear that old song one more time!”
Ninomiya: But there was surprisingly not a lot of that.
Sakurai: I mean, when we were planning the concert, for a while we were having meetings only about how to set up the voting. I thought, “What on earth are we doing?”
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Doing it out of 10 points…and stuff (looking grim).
Ninomiya: Hahaha (lol). Yeah, like, “How do we get the rankings to change?”
Sakurai: To have our planning meetings start from there…I guess that’s based on our reflections, looking back at last time. Well, we learned a lot from it. Really.
Ninomiya: Yeah, we learned about a lot.
-----------------------------------
Gotta say, this concert is a lot of fun~ I was especially happy to see Love Situation and Tokei Jikake, myself ^__^
...do I need to keep repeating my disclaimer? Nah...
Part 1 - AAA 2008
Part 2 - 5 x 10
Part 3 - Scene
Part 4 - Beautiful World
Part 6 - Arafes '13
Thanks so much for reading!
Enjoy!
<2012 Arafes/ 9/20 (Thurs), 21 (Fri)>
Matsumoto: Shall we move on to “Arafes?”
Sakurai: Let’s do it! In the first place, we actually decided to do “Arafes” the night we finished “Waku Waku Gakkou” in Osaka.
Ninomiya: While we were having dinner together.
Matsumoto: Yeah. And then, a ton of things got decided all at once.
Ninomiya: Like having Aiba-san supervise the goods, and Riida doing the choreography.
Aiba, Ohno: Yeah…it got decided suddenly.
Everyone: (All together) Yeah. A bunch of things did.
Sakurai: In the end, we were able to do it 2 years. But it was like…I thought that maybe things actually get decided like this all the time.
(All laugh)
Aiba: Yeah, it was pretty sudden.
Ninomiya: It really was.
Sakurai: We put out ideas, and gathered them together. And then we put out more ideas, and gathered them together…and it started taking shape.
--The opening this time (appearing from inside a balloon), on the 2nd day there was the accident of Aiba-san’s crane not going up…
Aiba: Yeah…mine was the only one that didn’t go up.
Ninomiya: The incident of Aiba on the 2nd day?
Aiba: Yeah (lol).
Matsumoto: It’s ok, it didn’t get put on the video.
Aiba: It didn’t. That’s because I went to negotiate about that. That day (the 2nd day, where the crane didn’t rise) was the one we were recording the video. So I asked the director, “Please, don’t use that video!” So they used the back-up video from the 1st day there.
Sakurai: Sensei, could you please give us an explanation of the “incident!”
Aiba: As you can tell from the video, the opening this time was supposed to have the cranes (with the balloons in which the members were standing) rise up, and then at the top the balloons pop, and we would appear. The crane didn’t go up…(remembering what happened) And you know? How long was it, after I appeared? For about 10 seconds, I didn’t even notice what had happened myself.
Matsumoto: Because you’re so excited (lol).
Aiba: Right, because I was excited (lol). I mean… I thought I was up high like the rest of you. So I was looking down and waving my hands.
(All laugh)
Sakurai: You were thinking you were up high, and waving your hands (lol)?
Aiba: Yes! I was looking down and waving my hands. And then, I turned all the way around once like, “Huh?”
Ninomiya: You were pretty much on the same level as the audience.
Sakurai: Were you thinking, “Huh? Did the audience rise up too?”
(All laugh)
Ohno: (Still laughing) When I looked at the monitor, I saw Aiba-chan walking down the stage path with a “huh?” face…
Matsumoto: His panicking was up on the screen, right?
Ninomiya: Yeah (lol). He was really panicking.
--Well…of course you would panic.
Aiba: You would, right!
Sakurai: Because, when you were in the booth (inside the balloon), you thought you were going up, right?
Aiba: Yeah, I thought I was going up!
Ninomiya: The booth is shaking the whole time anyway. Even if you’re at the bottom…
Sakurai: Because of the vibrations from the motor and stuff, right?
Ninomiya: Yeah, so it shakes. So you couldn’t tell if you were properly going up or not, right?
Aiba: Yes, yes. It’s shaking, and the balloon is continually being blown up so there’s a bunch of wind blowing around. So my semicircular canals couldn’t tell what was going on.
Sakurai: (You appear) like, “Huh? Where is everyone?...Ah, it’s me!”
Aiba: Exactly (lol)! When I realized what happened, I was really embarrassed…
Ninomiya: Man~, I was laughing the whole time. Watching all that (*Ninomiya was checking for everyone’s cranes, so he apparently noticed Aiba’s accident faster than anyone).
Sakurai: And after that, you did it, right? The MA Walk?
Aiba: The MA Walk! The one where I just walk to center stage (lol).
(All laugh)
[Checking out the opening video]
Ninomiya: Yeah…So we didn’t get to see the balloons this year.
Sakurai: That’s true. Because (we were) inside the balloons.
Ninomiya: So I just had to sense, “Oh, the balloons got released now” based on the audience’s reaction.
Aiba: (Watches the video of him appearing from inside the balloon without incident) Ah…I’m glad it went ok!
--With this excitement, coming out of the balloon and having the crane not go up…would be quite harsh.
Aiba: Kuhahaha!
Matsumoto: If it were me, I’m sure I would’ve noticed here (when the crane didn’t go up) though (lol).
Sakurai: So that’s why in this video (with no accident)…you look so happy! Because you’re up high!
Aiba: Of course I’d be happy! You all wouldn’t understand the feelings of the guy on the ground!! It was really hard… it was.
Sakurai: That’s true…I do think it’d be pretty hard.
(All laugh)
Aiba: Everyone… is basically looking up during that time. And in the midst of that, I’m doing the MA Walk to center stage.
Sakurai: That takes an extremely high level of emotional strength!
Aiba: That’s true (lol). This year… I became a bit more of an adult.
Matsumoto: (Watches the video after that) All of a sudden, I’m high-fiving Aiba-chan…I must’ve been cheering him up.
Aiba: I’m sure you were (lol).
Ninomiya: Like, “It’s ok. Don’t be down” (lol)
Aiba: Like, “Cheer on up” (lol). I did my best! This experience was really long!!
Ohno: I’m sure it felt long for you (lol).
Aiba: Accidents happen…a lot does.
Matsumoto: Gotta have a strong mentality (lol).
--For Arafes, you collected the fans’ requests and made the concert together.
Matsumoto: That’s right. Since we hadn’t done a concert like that before. It was really fun. It was fun, and the people that came to the concert were into it more than usual, since they had voted for the songs themselves.
--You can tell that from the loud cheers that start with each song intro.
Matsumoto: Yes. When the song starts, that feeling of, “This song is here~!”
Ninomiya: That “it’s there” feeling, like, “This song made it!”
Matsumoto: The way it worked out, that was fun.
--For you guys doing it too, was there a big “festival” feeling after all?
Ninomiya: Yeah, since that was how we went into it.
Sakurai: That’s why “CARNIVAL NIGHT part2” turned into “FESTIVAL NIGHT” after all.
Other 4: Yeah, yeah!
Matsumoto: That kind of idea is very Arashi-like (lol).
Sakurai: What do you mean “Arashi-like”…it was your idea, MatsuJun!
Matsumoto: Yeah (lol). I just said it on a whim, but then we really decided to do it.
--Sakurai-san’s high spirits during “Summer Splash!” is also a standard now (lol). Like, “It’s summer, summer, summer~!”
Aiba: Although summer is ending. That time of year (lol).
Sakurai: It’s already chilly out!
--(lol) But, you can tell that while you’re saying that, you’re really having a good time.
Sakurai: Somebody stop me!
Ninomiya: Hahaha! It’s like, “I can’t stop!” …like, “It’s not me!” (lol)
Sakurai: This was the year we did it just us 5. As expected…it was a lot of work.
Matsumoto: It was.
--To do a concert at a place like Kokuritsu with just 5 people…is really amazing. I thought that while re-watching the video again.
Matsumoto: Yeah…I can’t believe we were able to do it (lol).
Ninomiya: Can’t help but think that, after all.
Sakurai: Background dancing behind the members was something we hadn’t done since we debuted.
Ninomiya, Aiba, Matsumoto: Yeah.
Ninomiya: Dancing that much like that, it had been a while.
Sakurai: But at our debut concert we did it a lot. Like for Satoshi-kun’s solo, Nino and I were there.
Matsumoto: Man…I felt like it was really compact at the time. Of course looking at the whole concert, it’s pretty long. The time (spent out on stage) was pretty long.
Ninomiya: Since we’re the only ones performing.
Sakurai: Yeah…just us 5 (deeply).
Matsumoto: Seriously… it was like, leave the stage, get changed. Move locations, get back on stage right away.
Sakurai: And the solos for this time, we of course had to negotiate for ourselves, like, “how many members can I get to appear?” Everyone did, right? For me it was “T.A.B.O.O.” for MatsuJun it was “Shake it!” for example. Really… I was a little nervous (during the negotiation).
Matsumoto: Everyone, will you be in it?” (lol)
Sakurai: Yeah (lol). Like, “I’d like you to be in it, will you?” And like, “It’s just for the chorus!” (lol)
--For “Shake it!” there was also the “She-ke She-ke Scam” issue (*The other 4 were only supposed to be there for the chorus, but in the end they wound up dancing the entire song with all their strength).
Sakurai: The She-ke She-ke Scam was the next year. Ah…no, wait. It was this year.
Aiba: It was this year.
Matsumoto: Yes, this year (lol).
Sakurai: That’s right. The agreement was only for the chorus, wasn’t it?
Ninomiya: Yeah it was! That’s what I heard anyway…and then we did the whole thing.
Aiba: Yeah.
Ninomiya: Though we did have a lot of fun doing it…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: In the order of the set list, everyone was already out on stage for Aiba-kun’s song, so…if that was the case, I wanted to have everyone dance mine too…is what happened (lol).
[So they take a look at the video from Aiba’s solo to Matsumoto’s solo]
Matsumoto: This song “Friendship” is also very Aiba-kun-like. And then having the members appear here, right?
Sakurai: It made a perfect “5-road junction” right?
Aiba: Yes!
--The timing for when the members appear, was that Aiba-san’s idea?
Aiba: Yeah, I told them. At the part with the “5-road junction.”
Matsumoto: We barely made it though.
Sakurai: We were changing outfits like mad!
Ohno: We were changing underneath the stage.
Ninomiya: Yeah.
Matsumoto: We changed, and moved…Though when you think about it, Aiba-kun (his appearance) was also cutting it close…probably.
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: (Watches Aiba singing alone before the members appear) You know, this occurred to me while watching this. What’s amazing about Aiba Masaki-san is that…the way he is just waving his hands while singing totally works for him, I think. I mean, until we appear, he doesn’t dance at all.
Aiba: Yes, I’m not dancing. Not at all.
[And then, the members appear on each of the 4 paths]
Ninomiya: (Looking at themselves) We really look like we’re having fun (lol).
Ohno: It was new to be dancing in the background.
Matsumoto: Yeah, it was.
Ninomiya: To be on stage this long without singing…only happens at times like this (lol).
--You were even saying during the MC that it “brings out your Jr spirit.”
Sakurai: Yeah… I remembered what it was like being a Jr.
Ninomiya: Yeah (lol).
Matsumoto: It’s difficult to know how hard to try. You can’t go all out with the dancing, but you can’t exactly slack either.
Sakurai: Otherwise the main person won’t stand out!
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: But you can’t do so bad that people think you’re just goofing off.
Matsumoto: Since you’re a background dancer.
Sakurai: But, you want to stand out a little. It’s finding that balance, right?
Ninomiya: Trying to interact with the main person…
Sakurai: Going for it but not too much, sort of thing.
(All laugh)
--Ninomiya-san looked like he was having a blast with his She-ke dance this concert (lol).
Ninomiya: That She-ke right!
Sakurai: That actually is a hip hop dance called “shake” that was popular in 2004, 2005? It came from the west coast or something.
Ninomiya: Yeah.
Sakurai: It was our joke, doing it during that song.
Aiba: No one can tell…that was a joke (lol)!
Ninomiya: Yeah. It was a pun, like, “We’re doing the shake for She-ke!”
Sakurai: People who did dance back then probably saw Nino and thought, “Wait, Ninomiya is doing the shake…”
Ninomiya: I’m sure they were! We were doing the shake for “Shake it!” For real.
Matsumoto: This music just makes you want to dance the shake…right?
Ninomiya: Yeah, yeah. (Watches them dancing with all their might) Around here, it was seriously…really hard.
Sakurai: We were super tired.
Ninomiya: Right! We hung in there!
Sakurai: It really made me remember what it felt like to be a Jr. It was a lot of fun.
Matsumoto: (At the dance during the chorus) Uwa… everyone’s in sync.
Other 4: Of course, we did our best (lol)!
Ninomiya: Around this part, the story was that I was saying (as a bit of an act), “I’m tired so I won’t do it,” but my body just started moving, so I did it.
(Everyone can’t stop laughing)
Ninomiya: I’m saying, “No way, I’m tired, so I can’t do it” like this (saying no by waving his hand)…
Sakurai: The shake, right?
Ninomiya: The shake.
[The video reaches this particular moment]
Ninomiya: See, here. I’m saying, “I won’t do it.”
Sakurai: But then your body starts moving…that’s the shake! Hahaha!
Ninomiya: That’s the shake! It’s harder than it looks!
Matsumoto: (Still laughing) If…you did that in front of me while I was singing, I wouldn’t have been able to keep it together.
Sakurai: (Continues laughing) Seriously, it’s so dumb… (lol)
Ohno: So dumb… (stomach hurting from laughing so hard).
Aiba: Did people get it?
Ninomiya: They didn’t, without a doubt.
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: (Watches the video) You guys are really dancing hard after all… (lol)
Other 4: We were!!
Matsumoto: Sorry about that…really.
Sakurai: Nino was dancing (the shake) a bit more than us too. It was hard on him.
Ninomiya: Because even though I’m saying, “I can’t, I can’t” my body moves anyway!
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: (At the song’s climax) Like here, when you strike a cool pose, you look down and stuff… that was new. Like, “Ah, back then (in my Jr. days) it was like this.”
Sakurai: So that you don’t stand out more than the main person.
Ninomiya: Yes, yes!
Sakurai: You “stand back” a bit.
Ohno: (Looking happy while watching the video) The shake will happen one more time, right?
Sakurai: Yeah…I’m laughing a little already in the video (lol). Thinking about it and laughing!
Ninomiya: Like, “That’s going to come one more time!”
Matsumoto: Sho-kun, you’re laughing like crazy (lol).
[The Ninomiya shake finally comes yet again]
(Everyone continues to laugh)
Ninomiya: I was doing it here…because I thought for sure that J would get mad at me for it.
Sakurai: That’s why you won’t look at MatsuJun (turned your glance away), because if your eyes met he’d definitely get mad at you.
Ninomiya: I’m only looking in this direction.
Sakurai: You’re only looking in our direction.
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: If a Jr. did that, you’d get mad, right?
Matsumoto: (Laughing the whole time) If a Jr. did that…I’d be seriously pissed!
Ninomiya: You’d be super furious, if they did that.
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Well…all of us were also there for Aiba-kun’s song (“Friendship”).
Aiba: Yeah, with those “red hands.”
Ninomiya: Yes… we all appeared.
Ohno: Mine was the only solo you guys weren’t in?
Ninomiya: Because you told us, “I don’t need you.”
Ohno: I said I didn’t need you?
Sakurai: You said you didn’t need us…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: For Riida’s solo, it was just a video of us.
Sakurai: Each of us appears on video.
Aiba: That’s right.
Ohno: I think… it was because you couldn’t appear, no matter what (due to the order of the set list). You guys.
Matsumoto: Yeah, it was essentially impossible.
--Ninomiya’s solo “Gimmick Game” was also done by himself.
Ninomiya: Yes. I also said, “I’ll be ok by myself.”
Matsumoto: That’s true, you were on your own.
--Sakurai’s solo was the shocking “T.A.B.O.O.” from the “ARASHI 10-11 TOUR “Scene” ~The view I’m seeing with you~”
Sakurai: It was. Because… it got 1st place. It can’t be helped (lol)!
Ninomiya: It was 1st. That can’t be helped (lol).
--It was like, “Here they are!” when the members joined in (lol).
Sakurai: Yeah. I was singing by myself. When the other 4 appeared for the last chorus… that made me happy. Since I made the offer myself. Through negotiation I was able to get their consent!
Aiba: We danced the last part of the choreography too.
Matsumoto: We did. The part where we lay down (on the stage) right?
Aiba: Yeah that. That made me happy. That I was able to do it.
Ninomiya: You were saying you wanted to do it…after you watched (last year’s video).
Aiba: Yeah, I was even happier because I’d been watching the video. And, Sho-chan said, “Adjust the mike receiver (on your hip, since you’ll be laying on the stage)! Be careful!” He made sure to tell me!
Ninomiya: Nothing less from him!
Sakurai: Because I’m used of “T.A.B.O.O.”!
(All laugh)
--You all really did look like you were having fun when you’re dancing all together…
Sakurai: Because it is really fun (lol).
Ninomiya: Because it really was just the 5 of us out there.
--And this concert also had the spectacular debut of Ohmiya SK at Kokuritsu (lol).
Ninomiya: Yes, that’s right!
Matsumoto: And you had more people, right? (*Each was accompanied by Ohmiya SK dolls)
Ninomiya: Yup (grins). We really evolved/advanced! And we didn’t get yelled at for it. This time. It was really wonderful.
Sakurai: (Laughing) That…was so ridiculous. And really funny. I was able to watch it from the side (of the stage). That’s how it turned out.
--It’s very rare that Ohmiya got captured on film this time.
Sakurai: Because, Ohmiya SK isn’t supposed to be something that gets filmed, right?
Ninomiya: Yes, yes. That’s the nature of it.
Sakurai: There was that implicit rule, right?
Ninomiya: Yes. We were allowed to do it, but were not to leave any evidence of it…is what we were told.
(All laugh)
Ohno: This time…was probably the toughest of all the (Ohmiya acts) we’ve done.
Ninomiya: It was the toughest.
Ohno: That bar (that was holding up the dolls) gave me bruises (lol).
Aiba: It was heavy, right?
Ninomiya: It was super sturdy (lol). But… Riida looked like he was having a lot of fun.
Aiba: He was lively?
Ninomiya: Riida was really lively!
(All laugh)
--When did you make that song, “MIKOSHIBOY?”
Ninomiya: Eh? That song?
Ohno: When did we make it…?
Ninomiya: That…when did we make it again? Well…
Ohno: It was over 10 years ago.
Ninomiya: You’re probably right. We don’t do it too often.
--I never thought I’d be able to see Ohmiya-san on a stage like Kokuritsu (lol).
Ninomiya: That’s what you’d think right, after all. How do I say this…in the end, if you really do a poll, this kind of thing happens, it turns out like this…I think people probably wanted to see it. Since it was the first time we’d done this. In the “Other Requests” section (of the Request page), there were quite a lot of votes (for Ohimya SK).
Sakurai: So you set out to do it with the strong backing of “public opinion.”
Ninomiya: Yes exactly! So…no one would be able to say anything to us about it (lol).
Sakurai: Hahaha! Like, “We’re not the ones (who said we wanted to do it)!”
Ninomiya: Or even, “It’s not like we’re doing it because we want to!”
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: The orchestra (that played the music and arrangements) was great too.
Sakurai: Ah~, that was good! In the end, we’re only able to see the orchestra on DVDs like this. We can’t see them from where we’re standing and singing…
Ninomiya: (The orchestra’s position) is too high, right?
Sakurai: Yeah, we can’t even see them at the rehearsals. And of course during the actual concert we’re facing forward so we can’t see them. This DVD lets us see how the picture of Arashi and the orchestra together looked like.
Matsumoto: Also, at this concert Riida did the choreography for “Tokei Jikake no Umbrella.”
Ninomiya, Aiba: Ah~, that’s right!
Matsumoto: He hadn’t done that much before, doing choreography for a song where all 5 of us are full-out dancing.
Sakurai: But he’d done more fun songs like “CARNIVAL~” before.
Ohno: Yup. I thought up the choreography.
Matsumoto: We performed it without saying that Riida was the one who did the choreography.
Ohno: Yeah, we didn’t say it. But, there were a lot of people that noticed it.
Sakurai: Ehh~!
Ninomiya: Like, “Isn’t that Riida’s choreography?”
Ohno: Yeah. That made me happy…or maybe, surprised me…
Matsumoto: Eh…no no! That’s important to know which it was.
Sakurai: Um…I guess it’s a quiz.
Ninomiya: I wonder which one it is…
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Hahahahaha! (To Ohno) What’s the right answer?
Ohno: …I wonder what it was?
Sakurai: Eh? Were you surprised, or were you happy about it…
Ninomiya: I’m sure you were definitely surprised.
Ohno: It’s like…I thought that you couldn’t tell (the choreography was done by Ohno). I thought, “There’s choreography that’s ‘like me’?” That’s the first time I felt that.
Matsumoto: Also, he did the choreography for the instrumental break during “truth.” And the choreography for the tour we did this year.
Ohno: Yeah. I think I had probably already started thinking of it during this concert.
--And Aiba-san supervised the goods.
Aiba: Yes, this was the first time I did it. You know, I saw (in producing goods) how long it takes to make, and how the cost changes, things like that… I really learned a lot.
Sakurai: Eh…are you going to open a store or something? We can’t have you do that!
(All laugh)
Aiba: I know that (lol). But, ideas for goods that I wasn’t able to use this year, we did the next year. Things like those “mysterious glasses” I’d wanted to do since this time.
Ninomiya: You kept saying you wanted to make glasses.
Sakurai: But in the end, doesn’t it make you happy when it actually does become part of the goods?
Aiba: It does. Huh? It didn’t rain at this year’s concerts?
--It rained only on the 2nd day, at the end.
Aiba: It was just at the end?
Matsumoto: During “Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi.” Right when I was about to say the title, the rain just started pouring (lol).
Aiba: Ah~! That was incredible timing.
Ninomiya: Yeah. And then you started laughing over it, right?
Matsumoto: Yeah.
Sakurai: It rains a lot on us.
--Of the 6 years you did it, you were rained on for 4 of them.
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: That’s too much rain…
Sakurai: On the other hand, there’s 2 years it didn’t rain?
Matsumoto: It didn’t rain last year after all.
--Yes. It didn’t rain in 2010 or last year (2013).
Ninomiya: Oh yeah, it didn’t rain last year.
Matsumoto: Also, there was that! We announced “Popcorn” (the album and tour) here.
Ohno: Oh, the video. At the end we made the announcement.
Matsumoto: Yeah. We made an “urgent announcement” kind of video.
Sakurai: With that “Sending shockwaves across America” sort of tone…
Ninomiya: Completely over-reacting, right?
Sakurai: Totally not “all of America” at all (lol). It has only a very local effect…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: We hadn’t done “La tormenta” since the first Kokuritsu we did for AROUND ASIA in 2008. So…in the end, we did some stuff we’d done at Kokuritsu, and…of course stuff that’s popular too. And there were ones we got a lot of requests for, like “Love Situation.” There were a lot of songs that we thought, “Let’s do this one, we haven’t done it in a while.”
--You were saying at the time that it was a lot of work re-learning the choreography for “Love Situation.”
Sakurai: We did…re-learn it, didn’t we?
Aiba: Yeah we did.
Matsumoto: This song…is a lot of work.
Ninomiya: It is. It’s a ton of work. In the end it was like, “Why does this song have to be popular (slightly angry)!”
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: We were wondering why it is.
Aiba: We only did it once, after all.
Sakurai: Everyone must be watching the DVD.
Ninomiya: That’s the only thing we can think of.
--There was quite a lot of cheering when this song’s intro started.
Matsumoto: Yeah, it exploded with cheering.
Ninomiya: Yeah, it was incredible.
--It must’ve made you happy to hear all the screams of the stadium at your “chikazukitai” line (“Want to get close to you”), right?
Matsumoto: No…well, not really… (wry smile)
--Eh, but…that facial expression, I’m sure you have to think of it ahead of time.
Matsumoto: I don’t (lol)! I’m not thinking about what kind of face I should make while saying it…
Ninomiya: Eh? Those kya~ screams don’t make you happy? The rest of us won’t ever be able to say it. The (chikazukitai) line.
Matsumoto: No, you can go ahead and say it!
Ninomiya: No no…I can’t say it.
Aiba, Ohno: We can’t say it.
Sakurai: (After saying it) I’d probably (hide my face with my arms and) crouch down…
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: (Lol) Really…next time we do it, certainly, someone else can say it instead.
Sakurai: It might be fun to do a shuffle like that too.
Matsumoto: Right, it could work.
Ninomiya: Unexpectedly.
Sakurai: What happens if we don’t get the “kya~” response though…
(All laugh)
--This year’s Arafes was connected to the next year’s Arafes, wasn’t it?
Matsumoto: It was already decided from the beginning that we’d do Arafes 2 years in a row, and Arafes was made to express our gratitude for everything up until now, in preparation for our last time at Kokuritsu. We wanted to do different things this year (and the next). However…we thought in the beginning that the “songs you want to hear (requests)” would change a little bit more.
--The rankings didn’t change all that much.
Matsumoto: Yeah. The new songs and singles were of course there, but other than that it didn’t change very much. When we thought about it afterwards…would your favorite songs by an artist you like change that much in one year? They wouldn’t…
--That’s true. But I thought maybe there would be more people like, “I want to hear that old song one more time!”
Ninomiya: But there was surprisingly not a lot of that.
Sakurai: I mean, when we were planning the concert, for a while we were having meetings only about how to set up the voting. I thought, “What on earth are we doing?”
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Doing it out of 10 points…and stuff (looking grim).
Ninomiya: Hahaha (lol). Yeah, like, “How do we get the rankings to change?”
Sakurai: To have our planning meetings start from there…I guess that’s based on our reflections, looking back at last time. Well, we learned a lot from it. Really.
Ninomiya: Yeah, we learned about a lot.
-----------------------------------
Gotta say, this concert is a lot of fun~ I was especially happy to see Love Situation and Tokei Jikake, myself ^__^
...do I need to keep repeating my disclaimer? Nah...
Part 1 - AAA 2008
Part 2 - 5 x 10
Part 3 - Scene
Part 4 - Beautiful World
Part 6 - Arafes '13
Thanks so much for reading!