STORY - Shige's interview [Translation]
STORY 07.2011 - KATO SHIGEAKI
The No.1 character we want to support, NEWS' Shige that I willfully want to certify was a rare student.
He's a strong boy who attended a cram school since the first year of elementary school, started to match work and study since the 6th year and, amazing as he is, he successfully entered the Aoyama university.
He's an only child but: "I had the prohibition to call mom or dad. I went to preschool with the train, they let me sleep alone since I was 6 years old". His parents were so much severe: "Thinking about that now I think they just didn't want to make me a spoiled kid. My mom gives hats' classes as hobby, right now she's starting parenting all over with other people's kids".
He loves assignments. He was like this: "I used to organize my summer holidays' homeworks and did them everyday", he said that: "I want to become a cool old man, right now I'm living my life so that I will die with no regrets". He seems to manage his life as an idol cleverly but in reality inside he's struggling a lot.
"When I was 18 years old I couldn't wait to turn 25 but actually the period between the 20 years to the 22's was my blackest one. I couldn't feel anything but discontent". Wow, that's so direct. "I watched TV and everybody was doing their best, I was the only one at home. The friends with whom I used to hung out from school time became CPAs...". In the haste he even thought to quit his job. Then he heard about Arashi's Ninomiya Kazunari's story: "He had no job so he personally went to take an audition", and he received a shock reading "MoshiDora*". He decided: "I'm prone to always assume that I'm right. Maybe if I'm idle is for a reason. Let's write a journal for my future". That's how he drew his objective for this year: "To change skin": "I realized that I had fishing and photography but in reality I really had nothing (laughs)". How he earnestly revealed his weakness is proof of his strenght. Isn't his character is very own weapon?
He's good friend with Arashi's Ohno and Kanjani8's Maruyama, he said smiling: "We share the same dark-natured sides (laughs). The nights when we drink scotch and watch movies in DVD are my happiness. Ah, if we were only drinking scotch we would be like cool old men, wouldn't we?".
Right now he's very busy with the butai "Rokugatsu no Bitter Orange". He proudly commented: "In one word this play is exactly like a citrus. It may be bitter but once you bit it you can feel his freshness". He steadily goes on: "I learnt by heart the lines one week before the beginning of the actual rehearsals".
And when the play will be over? "Right now I'm always craving for udon so I want to do an udon road trip from Sanuki to Naoshima, then to Okayama where my grandpa lives. But for now it's better to keep calm my own amusement". Life isn't like Summer holidays' homeworks but, always looking forward, even when he's lost, the diary of Shige's future has just begun.
*MoshiDora was a motivational book that was a best seller in Japan in 2009 [Wiki] They also made a movie and an anime from it ^^
EDITOR'S EYE
If you let me say my opinion, this guy's charm is his character doing little progress, don't you think? He's lost about his position, impatient watching his friends' activities, he writhes in agony, he struggles by trial and error, he gave us a miracle talk about his pains as a non-idol and his new real intentions. His sense of reality will open him the road to become a "sympathy idol". I want him to keep on his training to be a warrior, to not be afraid of wounds and to increase his tastes. The struggling figure of this smart boy going forward is indeed sexy. I'm sure he will become a unique presence in 10, no 20 years. By far, STORY is totally supporting Shige!
My 2 cents... This interview made me so proud of him, I always am but I didn't know how much he studied and how much his parents were strict before this, I really admire him for being just like he is. The editor's comment made me smile because it seems that Shige really affected the magazine staff. I agree with everything they said, he's a smart, strong guy and he will have a bright future, I'm sure of this :)
The interview made me sad as well though...Even if I know he's a pessimistic person I never like to read that he's sad. Knowing that the reason making him sad is the reason that makes me happy is even more hurtful. I've always thought that Shige doesn't really want to be an idol, in the strict sense of the word, everytime I read he wanted to quit, that this job made him unhappy...I just feel guilty and hurt. I think it can't be helped though and I hope that soon he will fully enjoy it. I will support him anyway. I don't want to make any fangirl sad with my words so I'll just stop here :) Who knows me a little better will understand my feelings right now.
The No.1 character we want to support, NEWS' Shige that I willfully want to certify was a rare student.
He's a strong boy who attended a cram school since the first year of elementary school, started to match work and study since the 6th year and, amazing as he is, he successfully entered the Aoyama university.
He's an only child but: "I had the prohibition to call mom or dad. I went to preschool with the train, they let me sleep alone since I was 6 years old". His parents were so much severe: "Thinking about that now I think they just didn't want to make me a spoiled kid. My mom gives hats' classes as hobby, right now she's starting parenting all over with other people's kids".
He loves assignments. He was like this: "I used to organize my summer holidays' homeworks and did them everyday", he said that: "I want to become a cool old man, right now I'm living my life so that I will die with no regrets". He seems to manage his life as an idol cleverly but in reality inside he's struggling a lot.
"When I was 18 years old I couldn't wait to turn 25 but actually the period between the 20 years to the 22's was my blackest one. I couldn't feel anything but discontent". Wow, that's so direct. "I watched TV and everybody was doing their best, I was the only one at home. The friends with whom I used to hung out from school time became CPAs...". In the haste he even thought to quit his job. Then he heard about Arashi's Ninomiya Kazunari's story: "He had no job so he personally went to take an audition", and he received a shock reading "MoshiDora*". He decided: "I'm prone to always assume that I'm right. Maybe if I'm idle is for a reason. Let's write a journal for my future". That's how he drew his objective for this year: "To change skin": "I realized that I had fishing and photography but in reality I really had nothing (laughs)". How he earnestly revealed his weakness is proof of his strenght. Isn't his character is very own weapon?
He's good friend with Arashi's Ohno and Kanjani8's Maruyama, he said smiling: "We share the same dark-natured sides (laughs). The nights when we drink scotch and watch movies in DVD are my happiness. Ah, if we were only drinking scotch we would be like cool old men, wouldn't we?".
Right now he's very busy with the butai "Rokugatsu no Bitter Orange". He proudly commented: "In one word this play is exactly like a citrus. It may be bitter but once you bit it you can feel his freshness". He steadily goes on: "I learnt by heart the lines one week before the beginning of the actual rehearsals".
And when the play will be over? "Right now I'm always craving for udon so I want to do an udon road trip from Sanuki to Naoshima, then to Okayama where my grandpa lives. But for now it's better to keep calm my own amusement". Life isn't like Summer holidays' homeworks but, always looking forward, even when he's lost, the diary of Shige's future has just begun.
*MoshiDora was a motivational book that was a best seller in Japan in 2009 [Wiki] They also made a movie and an anime from it ^^
EDITOR'S EYE
If you let me say my opinion, this guy's charm is his character doing little progress, don't you think? He's lost about his position, impatient watching his friends' activities, he writhes in agony, he struggles by trial and error, he gave us a miracle talk about his pains as a non-idol and his new real intentions. His sense of reality will open him the road to become a "sympathy idol". I want him to keep on his training to be a warrior, to not be afraid of wounds and to increase his tastes. The struggling figure of this smart boy going forward is indeed sexy. I'm sure he will become a unique presence in 10, no 20 years. By far, STORY is totally supporting Shige!
My 2 cents... This interview made me so proud of him, I always am but I didn't know how much he studied and how much his parents were strict before this, I really admire him for being just like he is. The editor's comment made me smile because it seems that Shige really affected the magazine staff. I agree with everything they said, he's a smart, strong guy and he will have a bright future, I'm sure of this :)
The interview made me sad as well though...Even if I know he's a pessimistic person I never like to read that he's sad. Knowing that the reason making him sad is the reason that makes me happy is even more hurtful. I've always thought that Shige doesn't really want to be an idol, in the strict sense of the word, everytime I read he wanted to quit, that this job made him unhappy...I just feel guilty and hurt. I think it can't be helped though and I hope that soon he will fully enjoy it. I will support him anyway. I don't want to make any fangirl sad with my words so I'll just stop here :) Who knows me a little better will understand my feelings right now.