[10000 Words Interview] Kouchi Yugo - Part 1
I've been waiting (and another part of me not), to read Kouchi's 10K interview, as I've been watching over him since around his first joining Johnny's. I can already see the angst even before reading LOL.
Probably someone else already translating it, not sure, but mostly for my self-satisfaction gonna posting my translation here.
Today is part 1 (probably gonna be 2 or 3 part in whole?), the continuation, maybe tomorrow?
In case anyone asking about re-transaltion or re-sharing, I don't have the time to check if what people's sharing are my translation or not, so even if you did I probably won't notice and not that I will be annoyed about it I think, as long it's for good intention, but I guess no one will be upset with a little of thanks ;)
- Soon it’ll be a year since your debut. What do you feel now?
Well, the staying home period in 2020 was pretty long, so I had more time to reflect back on myself. I didn’t get into the audition by my own will. Singing and dancing also not my forte. In Jr days, many times I thought “I’m not suited to be idol”, and also many times I thought to quit. Such myself, has already passed a year since given the opportunity to debut. It’s amazing. Of course skill wise I need to improve myself more. But among all the things that I’m remembering, my desire from long ago to make people enjoying themselves, making people happy, laughing, has grown stronger. A year since debut, if counted with Jr days 10 years, now I finally think. I’m probably suited to be an idol.
- Since when do you start thinking that you want to make people happy?
Since I was small. My first dream, the first job that I wanted to be was carpenter. When I was in 1st grade, my parents start building our house. We often went to the construction site together. Even as a kid, I can see how happy my Dad and Mom was at seeing the construction progressing little by little. I thought that carpenter who able to make people happy was so cool. I too, want to be someone who can put smile on other people’s face.
- You didn’t have any interest in entertainment world?
None at all. Even when being asked “Who artist that you like?” I can’t answer it, and I don’t feel that I’m any popular at all. During junior high school days, everyday I went to school with bed hair. I was the type that don’t want to be involved with girls as much as possible.
- The one who sent your application resume to “School Kakumei” show was your friend right?
Yes. I think it was around after Junior high’s graduation ceremony. My Junior high’s friend said “There’s audition so let me take your picture”. I didn’t know anything about the show, nor any knowledge about Johnny’s. I didn’t understand anything that they said, but in the end they made me do it. I remember that. The picture that they took was me wearing white set jersey that looks like some pajama, with my bed hair (laugh).
- Hahahahaha!
Few days after, a fax came saying “You passed the 1st round”. But the 2nd round date was right on the day the soccer club of the High School that I passed in having their tryout entry day. That day, when I was completely forgot all about the audition, first thing in the morning my classmate came to pick me up “You gotta be kidding me!?”. Then, they made me go again to the 2nd round, my Dad drove me to the venue.
- How was the venue atmosphere?
In the studio everyone was dancing a lot. Everyone was really into it. I have never danced even once, and it’s not like I want to passed in the first place, so I hid myself in the shadow of the emergency exit in the studio corner. I keep thinking “Please make time passed quickly!”. And then some unknown old man came to me and said, “YOU came with your father right?”. At that time I didn’t know the existence of Johnny-san yet, so while thinking “Who’s this old man?” I answered “Yes”.
- You thought you won’t passed the 2nd round?
Of course. I thought with this I won’t have to go to any audition anymore in my life. Even though I thought so, another fax came to our house. This is something I know from Johnny-san later after that though, but apparently on that 2nd round day when we rode the elevator he saw me and my Dad, and think our father-son relationship atmosphere was really good and think “I want to put this kid passed the 2nd round”. If that time Johnny-san went on the next elevator instead, he won’t saw that scene. Life can truly went differently with just few seconds after all, was what I thought.
- And after that, contrary to your own will you keep passing the examination process.
The last round was dance examination and audience votes. That time the one who teach me dancing was Tanaka Juri.
- What did you think of Juri-kun?
I didn’t truly think anything. Just that he was a small kid (laugh)
- And then you were chosen from among 1300 applicants.
I was called to the studio, there was the show’s uniform placed there and they told me that I passed. When Uchimura (Teriyoshi)-san asked me “How do you feel?”, I answered “The best!” with satisfied smiling face, but deep inside I thought “This is the worst!” (laugh). That moment, my Jr history started.”
- As soon as you joined the company, you’re put in B.I. Shadow with Nakajima kento, Kikuchi Fuma, and Matsumura Hokuto. What was your impression of Hokuto-kun?
Hmm, he was shining. It was conveyed clearly how he love Johnny’s. But, a year after joining was really busy my memories are kinda blurry.
- You were pretty busy right. A month after joining Nakayama Yuma w/B.I. Shadow was formed, and did CD debut with “Akuma no koi”. Right after you did Jr. Concert. Furthermore, you became NYC Boys member with Yamada Ryosuke and Chinen Yuri and perform in Kouhaku.
With those things of course my memories will be blown away (laugh). But somehow I still remember of my first recording right after joining. Even though I never went to karaoke even once, suddenly I’m being told to sing so I was confused. I don’t understand anything even how to use the equipment. That time, Fuma went into the booth and sing along together with me.
- So Kouchi-kun was an elite.
Regarding that, it took me everything just to keep up with everything, so I’m not sure if I can be called elite. I didn’t even know the value of being able to release CD. I thought it was like that for everyone in the Jr. It took me few years to realize it. When Sexy Zone debut, B.I. Shadow got disbanded, we lost our group’s waiting room, and as we receive different treatment, I started to realize for the first time. That I was among the type of Jr that they called elite.
- You thought of quitting right?
Many times. Within me there’s this feeling that keep saying as expected I shouldn’t be here. I keep feeling why I have to be scolded this much for dancing and singing. I was just floating around among the Jr. Even though everyone else was desperate to stand out even just a bit more, to debut, there’s me who was in the position that everyone want to stood in, looking like I didn’t have any will on it. There was even time that I was being scolded “Go home!” in dance practice and I actually went home. I think everyone think I’m such an annoying guy. But to be scolded everyday was also hard for me.
- So it was like that
In “School kakumei” too I feel like there’s no place for me as the only Jr there. Everyone else was being considerate to me and giving me the “Kouchi-sensei” character, creating a place for me to be. But the more they did it, the more I think that “I’m being a bother”, and I ended up speaking less, creating endless negative circle. During shooting, I often think “Why am I even here”.
- Even then what’s the reason that you continued?
Multiple times I went to Johnny-san, saying “I want to quit”. Every time he said “YOU just need to be there”, so I said “Then, I’ll be here”. But there’s a time that I got really fed up and told my parents about it. I said, “Why do I have to be scolded this much everyday? I can’t handle this anymore”. Then they told me, “You passed the audition for ‘School kakumei’ and entering this world, so continue until the show is over. Since this is the first job given to you in your life”. And even though it was really rude, I thought the show will only lasted for around a year, and I can barely handle that long. And then, the show didn’t ending at all, and the audience rate was getting better. Deep inside I thought, “I won’t be able to quit this”.
- Do you have anyone to consult your worries?
I told Fuma, “I will quit when School Kakumei over”. He said “Okay”. That time, I can’t consult to either Kento nor Hokuto. That time, it really feels like those two was born to be an idol, or rather they bet their all to be an idol. It was obvious, but to say “I don’t have intention of continuing” to those two will be annoying and rude. Only to Fuma, who to me felt like a classmate, like a friend, that I can say out my true feelings.
- But then, your jobs keep decreasing.
Slowly, me and Hokuto keep getting called less. Even “With you” that we singed together as 4 at first, ended up only featuring Kento and Fuma. The Hokuto that time looked like he keep having “Since someone such as me (won’t be able anyway)” thought, it was unbearable to see. Because for me, who didn’t intent to continue on, the mental damage was not there. I do feel like we’re being pushed up and down, but somehow I only think of those as “My life is something like this after all”.
- In the end B.I. Shadow was disbanded with the debut of Sexy Zone.
That’s right. Around before Sexy Zone’s debut, I was called by Johnny-san, “We’re starting “Johnny’s Jr Land” show, YOU also want to appear right?”. I said “I want to”, and he said “Then, I will put you in the members”. Few days later Johnny-san called me again, he was thinking hard while writing something in front of a white board. There was Fuma and Kento, me and some other Jr names there. I asked, “Is it the Jr who will appear in the show you mentioned?” he answered “No”. And then as if trying to lure me in he saying, “From B.I. Shadow only Matsumura is not in, huh. What to do….”. I don’t know what I think then, I wonder why, but I just naturally got the words out. “It’s okay to not include me in too”, I said. Few days later, there was the Sexy Zone debut announcement. The name of the members are the same with the name on the white board, so that time was probably the choosing for the Sexy Zone members.
- Does Hokuto-kun knows about it?
Until recently, I didn’t say anything to Hokuto. Not like I thought of saying it anyway. After that, I was called again and asked, “what do YOU want to do from now on? Want to do it alone?”. That time too, somehow I just naturally reply, “No, I want to do it with Hokuto”.
- Do you have any particular reason that you want to do it with Hokuto-kun?
I don’t know. Of course there was also that part because we were together in B.I. Shadow. That time, because Hokuto lives in Shizuoka, when we’re accompanying Hey! Say! JUMP’s concert he’ll stay at my place for around a week. We talked a lot of things, like dreams and stuffs. That guy truly loves Johnny’s and idols, he always putting his all because he wants to debut. For him, to see only Fuma and Kento who was in the same group to debut, somehow I saw him falling into something like in despair, somehow it look dangerous. I probably thought I can’t leave him alone.
---end of Part1---
continue to part 2 here
Ciao!