More 2014.09 - Nino's 'It'
I've really missed translating these <3
Enjoy!
- - - - -
It {一途}
Everybody's course has a turning point. The same goes for Arashi, who welcome their 15th anniversary this year. However, the turning point he's personally thinking of is special. Now, what is the "It" that he's earnestly thinking of...?
Chapter #69
For all eternity...
This year, of the numbers associated with Arashi, there are many 'multiples of five'. The fact that it's their 15th anniversary of their debut is a given. The movie starring the 5 of them, 'Pikanchi Half', premieres after 10 years.
"Since the 'Pikanchi Series' project is something that originated with us, we're happy about that. Some time ago, the 5 of us had talked about how we'd like to continue with it someday, and that's how it became a reality. It's just that the decision was made sometime this spring. There wasn't much time between the conception to the premiere of this film, so it was pretty hard all around (laughs). If we were going to do it, we wanted to create something that was both funny as well as a sort of preparation for 'Pikanchi 3'. So it was emergency project '2.5' - not that it was a half-baked piece, but in the sense of something that properly linked 2 and 3, I think."
When they first filmed 'Pika☆nchi', he was 20 years old. Nino at that time was even more free with his speech and behaviour than he is now. Despite being in the middle of an interview, he'd start strumming his guitar while talking. Even when he started this series at the age of 25, you could feel his frankness and wisdom. "I'm a bundle of contradictions. So I'm often misunderstood; life is hard," he laughed.
"My younger self was moody, huh? (laughs). Still, even now my true nature hasn't really changed. If you didn't have enough time to compose songs, you'd probably strum a guitar while talking as well, right? (laughs) At that time, the world of show business wasn't really all that typical so there wasn't any awareness of common knowledge or rules set by anyone.
"For example, in the past, in the lead-up to February, we'd be asked all sorts of questions about Valentine's Day - but who decided that idols had to give answers about Valentine's memories every year? Some of the nicer kids would give proper answers every year. Me, ever since my childhood days, I was the type who didn't want to answer questions that I considered problematic. My true intentions are still the same even now. Magazines come in a lasting form, so to have the same information published again is a waste. I figured that doing things more freely would produce more interesting things, right?"
There's a pride in walking the path that only Arashi can
Regardless of when or what work he's doing, Nino doesn't get bogged down by conventional wisdom. To him, he'd rather choose 'a new form, a new path' and grow in that manner. Indeed, when he was 25, he'd talked about 'wanting to create a new image for idols'. For all that, it currently looks like much of that has been achieved.
"I still can't say that I've created a new image for idols; it's still a work in progress, I think. However, we're doing things that only we can do; we're following the path that exists only because we're Arashi. Since all of us have become fine adults by doing this, the same also goes for the fact that the 5 of us are making this movie sequel. It's a feeling you don't get from other groups; we're a rare group - we're grateful that people say this of us. It's not only for the mainstream or major stuff; in any case, they know minor work and indies stuff as well. The fact that I got to experience both in my youth is probably why I'm still here even to this day."
For the group, if we're talking about Arashi's idiosyncratic attraction, there's another thing. It's how they're especially close, as if it's a matter of course; that it will never change.
"But I think that's something that we don't want to put into words, as always. No matter how close we are, it feels like the moment we intentionally have our gratitude and thoughts towards our members come out of our mouths, the temperature will suddenly cool down. To have older men tell us, "Seeing the 5 of you having fun amongst yourselves in Arashi is kinda great. Reminds me of my school days," makes us happy. For that same reason, to have the actual person himself explain to you in words would be boorish. The reason's a mystery to us as well. For women, they tend to want words, but far more than words, we'd rather just feel it and leave the rest to imagination."
He prefers people or things that stir up power of imagination, anyway, and he'd want to be the same himself, Nino thinks.
"Rather than saying I'd want to be like that, to begin with, people are like that, aren't they? It'd be impossible to be in a position to know everything. You like someone because there are pieces of them that you just don't know; if you put it that way, that's something I can understand."
So the same goes for love as well?
"Mm. I'd rather the girl I liked didn't show me everything. She doesn't have to be a mysterious person - personality-wise it'd be better if she were cheerful and simple - but on the other hand, I'd like her to continue possessing 'fascinating mystery'. All the more so for the one you plan to marry.
"There's an older man who's been married more than 30 years who said, "Up until now, I've never seen my wife's underwear". She definitely wouldn't walk around the house in her underwear and she's hidden the place where she puts away her underwear, he said. Since he doesn't know what sort of underwear she has, he's still excited by the thought even today, in his 50s. That's because it's left to the imagination, right? Keeping stuff like a secret stash or things that you'd never particularly want to know a secret is meaningless, but I think it's wonderful - wanting to know but never being told for all eternity."
- - - - -
Kazunari Ninomiya
Born 17th June 1983 in Tokyo. 'PIKA☆★☆NCHI LIFE IS HARD probably HAPPY' (Pikanchi Half) will be screened from the 1st to the 31st of August at the Tokyo Dome City Hall. This month, the interview took place several days after his birthday. Up until now, there's always been cake prepared for him, but this year when we presented him with a gigantic hamburger with a 30cm diameter, unusually enough, he had second helpings. "Personally, I'm looking forward to Arashi's 16th anniversary next year more. To me, that's more deeply moving as it means I've been part of Arashi for half of my life!"
- - - - -
>> 'It' column by Yoshi Rei from the September 2014 MORE magazine.
>> Photography by Emori Yasuyuki.
>> Scans from nepheliads.
>> Any corrections/suggestions? Drop me a comment ^__^
>> Fangirling and feedback much encouraged <3
>> Previous month
>> Next month
[originally posted 2015-03-08 15:57:00]
<< back || index || next >>
Enjoy!
- - - - -
It {一途}
Everybody's course has a turning point. The same goes for Arashi, who welcome their 15th anniversary this year. However, the turning point he's personally thinking of is special. Now, what is the "It" that he's earnestly thinking of...?
Chapter #69
For all eternity...
This year, of the numbers associated with Arashi, there are many 'multiples of five'. The fact that it's their 15th anniversary of their debut is a given. The movie starring the 5 of them, 'Pikanchi Half', premieres after 10 years.
"Since the 'Pikanchi Series' project is something that originated with us, we're happy about that. Some time ago, the 5 of us had talked about how we'd like to continue with it someday, and that's how it became a reality. It's just that the decision was made sometime this spring. There wasn't much time between the conception to the premiere of this film, so it was pretty hard all around (laughs). If we were going to do it, we wanted to create something that was both funny as well as a sort of preparation for 'Pikanchi 3'. So it was emergency project '2.5' - not that it was a half-baked piece, but in the sense of something that properly linked 2 and 3, I think."
When they first filmed 'Pika☆nchi', he was 20 years old. Nino at that time was even more free with his speech and behaviour than he is now. Despite being in the middle of an interview, he'd start strumming his guitar while talking. Even when he started this series at the age of 25, you could feel his frankness and wisdom. "I'm a bundle of contradictions. So I'm often misunderstood; life is hard," he laughed.
"My younger self was moody, huh? (laughs). Still, even now my true nature hasn't really changed. If you didn't have enough time to compose songs, you'd probably strum a guitar while talking as well, right? (laughs) At that time, the world of show business wasn't really all that typical so there wasn't any awareness of common knowledge or rules set by anyone.
"For example, in the past, in the lead-up to February, we'd be asked all sorts of questions about Valentine's Day - but who decided that idols had to give answers about Valentine's memories every year? Some of the nicer kids would give proper answers every year. Me, ever since my childhood days, I was the type who didn't want to answer questions that I considered problematic. My true intentions are still the same even now. Magazines come in a lasting form, so to have the same information published again is a waste. I figured that doing things more freely would produce more interesting things, right?"
There's a pride in walking the path that only Arashi can
Regardless of when or what work he's doing, Nino doesn't get bogged down by conventional wisdom. To him, he'd rather choose 'a new form, a new path' and grow in that manner. Indeed, when he was 25, he'd talked about 'wanting to create a new image for idols'. For all that, it currently looks like much of that has been achieved.
"I still can't say that I've created a new image for idols; it's still a work in progress, I think. However, we're doing things that only we can do; we're following the path that exists only because we're Arashi. Since all of us have become fine adults by doing this, the same also goes for the fact that the 5 of us are making this movie sequel. It's a feeling you don't get from other groups; we're a rare group - we're grateful that people say this of us. It's not only for the mainstream or major stuff; in any case, they know minor work and indies stuff as well. The fact that I got to experience both in my youth is probably why I'm still here even to this day."
For the group, if we're talking about Arashi's idiosyncratic attraction, there's another thing. It's how they're especially close, as if it's a matter of course; that it will never change.
"But I think that's something that we don't want to put into words, as always. No matter how close we are, it feels like the moment we intentionally have our gratitude and thoughts towards our members come out of our mouths, the temperature will suddenly cool down. To have older men tell us, "Seeing the 5 of you having fun amongst yourselves in Arashi is kinda great. Reminds me of my school days," makes us happy. For that same reason, to have the actual person himself explain to you in words would be boorish. The reason's a mystery to us as well. For women, they tend to want words, but far more than words, we'd rather just feel it and leave the rest to imagination."
He prefers people or things that stir up power of imagination, anyway, and he'd want to be the same himself, Nino thinks.
"Rather than saying I'd want to be like that, to begin with, people are like that, aren't they? It'd be impossible to be in a position to know everything. You like someone because there are pieces of them that you just don't know; if you put it that way, that's something I can understand."
So the same goes for love as well?
"Mm. I'd rather the girl I liked didn't show me everything. She doesn't have to be a mysterious person - personality-wise it'd be better if she were cheerful and simple - but on the other hand, I'd like her to continue possessing 'fascinating mystery'. All the more so for the one you plan to marry.
"There's an older man who's been married more than 30 years who said, "Up until now, I've never seen my wife's underwear". She definitely wouldn't walk around the house in her underwear and she's hidden the place where she puts away her underwear, he said. Since he doesn't know what sort of underwear she has, he's still excited by the thought even today, in his 50s. That's because it's left to the imagination, right? Keeping stuff like a secret stash or things that you'd never particularly want to know a secret is meaningless, but I think it's wonderful - wanting to know but never being told for all eternity."
- - - - -
Kazunari Ninomiya
Born 17th June 1983 in Tokyo. 'PIKA☆★☆NCHI LIFE IS HARD probably HAPPY' (Pikanchi Half) will be screened from the 1st to the 31st of August at the Tokyo Dome City Hall. This month, the interview took place several days after his birthday. Up until now, there's always been cake prepared for him, but this year when we presented him with a gigantic hamburger with a 30cm diameter, unusually enough, he had second helpings. "Personally, I'm looking forward to Arashi's 16th anniversary next year more. To me, that's more deeply moving as it means I've been part of Arashi for half of my life!"
- - - - -
>> 'It' column by Yoshi Rei from the September 2014 MORE magazine.
>> Photography by Emori Yasuyuki.
>> Scans from nepheliads.
>> Any corrections/suggestions? Drop me a comment ^__^
>> Fangirling and feedback much encouraged <3
>> Previous month
>> Next month
[originally posted 2015-03-08 15:57:00]
<< back || index || next >>