[translation] NEWS in may potato 2008
The theme for this time was 「TAKE OFF」. By taking off their shirts and becoming lighter, the members of NEWS tell us about the new things they want to take up this spring. Also, words of encouragement for the people who will be beginning new stages of their lives from April are included! [Graduation / the beginning of the new school year is in the spring for Japanese students.]
TEGOSHI YUUYA
I want to break one or more of my shells!
I don't want to tamper with the pace I've maintained until now, but I do want to change something for the spring. What I want to change most is inside. While keeping the good things about myself, I am already 20 years old, after all, so I would like to get rid of some of my childishness and become a real adult! Singing is a given, but I also want to be able to dedicate myself to everything stoically. I know that people can't change that much in a day, but I would like to start from taking a second look at myself and who I am. I hope to work hard and continue to break through my shells instead of just sitting back and being satisfied with myself.
Something that would be fun to do with the members of NEWS? Hmm, for work, being on a TV show with everyone is still the best. Content-wise, probably a variety show with both music and skits. Privately, I want all of us to go out to eat together -- it doesn't matter what kind of food. The only thing I can't eat is Chinese cilantro, anyway. I will be fine with eating whatever everyone else wants!
Spring is truly a perfect time for taking up something new. I bet there are a lot of people who are starting new lifestyles from April, too. During difficult times, I think having even one friend that you can ask for advice or hang out with makes a huge difference. I have a friend like that, too. I hope that all of you reading won't be afraid of new encounters in your new environments -- you will definitely be able to find a friend that you can talk to about anything. If you think, "this is a person I want to be around for the rest of my life," the distance between the two of you should shrink gradually. Don't worry too much about the changes you face, and make really good friends!
Finally, to report a little bit of my own news, March 1st was my dog, Teeny-chan's birthday, so my family had a party! We celebrated by lighting a candle on a cake made for dogs. For some reason, Teeny-chan isn't afraid of candles (laugh). Whenever I take a bath, Teeny always comes to help me take my pants off. It's a habit that she has continued for the last 7 or 8 years (laugh). It's really really cute!! At home, we always talk about how we wouldn't be able to go on without Teeny. For us, her existence is just that important.
YAMASHITA TOMOHISA
I want to develop a habit of sleeping early and waking up early on days off
Something I want to start doing in the spring... I wonder what that would be. In terms of new habits, it would be waking up early and sleeping early! Of course, I mean in my day-to-day life. I already have to sleep early and wake up early often for work. If I can also sleep earlier on my days off, I can wake up earlier and use my time more efficiently. My ideal would be to go to sleep by 1AM and wake up around 8AM. On holidays, I always end up sleeping really late and waking up in the afternoon, so I don't actually leave my house until pretty late. If I could wake up earlier, I would eat breakfast properly and be able to go out while it's still light outside. I wish I would be ready to go around 10AM. It doesn't matter what I actually do from there, I'd just like to be able to start moving around before the sun is already all the way out.
It would be fun to go on a hot springs trip with the members of NEWS. If we were really going to go, I wouldn't mind planning the trip. I like the ocean, so I would want to go to a hot spring near the water. In terms of duration, something like 2 days and 1 night is probably good enough (laugh). We would go by car. I could drive, but I would prefer leaving that to someone else -- maybe Koyama. He was the first to get his license, so something about him feels safest. After him would be Ryo-chan. For the rest of the NEWS hot springs trip... we would eat at a rest stop along the way and go to a shooting range nearby (laugh). Once we get to the ryokan [traditional Japanese hotel usually with its own hot springs/bathing area], we would bathe and then play table tennis! That kind of very cliche vacation is great. Well, if we were to go, rather than plan it all out, it seems like we would just all decide on the spot and say, "Let's leave tomorrow!" (laugh)
My message to people who are beginning new lifestyles... all you can do is get used to it! It will probably be a little difficult at the beginning when your environment changes, but that is true for everyone. You can just leave things to time until you start adapting. It's not good to get too overexcited about things. When I first started college, I was really nervous. I was always being helped by the people around me.
Before I go, a report about myself recently! It's right before the KUROSAGI movie comes out in theaters (the interview took place in early March). I am really anxious, but also very excited about it. If I can, I want to go to the movie theater as an audience member and watch everyone's reactions. I hope that everyone will watch it seriously and have a good time.
NISHIKIDO RYO
I want to go to a hanami [literally, "flower watching" kind of like a spring picnic under a cherry blossom tree] for the first time in my life
What I want to start once the spring comes... even if you ask me that, once the filming for a drama begins, I barely have any time off (laugh). Oh, hanami! I've never gone to a hanami before. After all, I am awed by the cherry blossoms once they start blooming. I would especially want to watch the flowers at night. Hanami is in reality just a bunch of people talking and being rowdy together, but that looks really fun (laugh). I want to try saying, "Hey! Go spread out the sheet!" to someone. I wouldn't want to be the person in charge of the sheet. I would rather get the food and drinks. In Tokyo, I hear the area near the Meguro River has really good scenery. I've never seen it, though. Even cherry blossoms have many different kinds, huh. Among those, I like the someiyoshino kind (laugh).
I think it would be fun to go on a hot springs trip with everyone in NEWS! Because there are 6 of us, we'd have to rent a pretty big car. I will drive the way there. I definitely don't want to drive on the way back (laugh). Driving there is really fun because everyone is excited -- and I would be at the helm! (laugh) Plus, I drive really carefully... and I think we would make it there really fast, too. The people who seem like they would plan the trip out would be Shige and Koyama... and I would do the final check! I would look it over and give suggestions, like, "I think it would be good to try doing this to that" and give alternative ideas!
My message to the people who are starting new lives in the spring is this: work hard to take advantage of your once-in-a-lifetime opportunities! When I started high school, I was surrounded by people I didn't know. The first person I talked to was the guy behind me in the seating order, and the first thing he said was, "Help me put on my tie." Right now, he's my closest friend. I think it's important to treasure your new encounters!
Recently, that friend, my father, and I went to visit my grandfather's grave in Kumamoto, where my dad was raised. We also went bowling together! There, for the first time in my memory, I high-fived my dad. He had just made a strike, so we were really excited. My dad is really good-- rather, fast -- at bowling. I was throwing a 12 pound ball at around 23km/hr, but my dad's was 16 pounds and he threw it at 29km/hr (laugh).
[I am not at all certain of these measurements of speed. If they sound unrealistic, let me know. ^_^;]
KATO SHIGEAKI
This year, I want to become a bigger person
They say that you turn over a new leaf in the spring, but I've been starting new things since January! I think that I need to become a bigger person. I want to go overseas if I get the chance, and I want to go watch movies on my own. I think that, for me, right now is a really crucial time. As soon as I turned 20, I was really elated for a while, and that feeling has finally worn off (laugh). I need to start using my personal time effectively. Even so, there are limits to what you can gain from being by yourself. Therefore, I want this year to be one in which I learn things from other people and produce new things. I want to meet many different people and think about many different things by myself... hey, I say some really deep things! (laugh)
As an extension of those feelings, I went to Australia in February. It was amazing! I realized that I'm just a small piece of the world. By visiting places like the Great Barrier Reef and famous landmarks in Asutralia, I felt as if I crossed a great distance. I really experienced the excitement of going someplace by plane. This time, I arranged the plane tickets myself and communicated with the local people in English. Those things are really important. A lot of times, I leave things up to other people; I think I need to change that about myself.
What do I want to do with the other NEWS members? Maybe go skydiving (laugh). There are some members who are marginally afraid of heights, and I can understand that, but I'm also really curious. I've heard from people who have done it that once you're on the helicopter and so high in the sky, you feel as if the only thing you can do from there is jump. I think it would definitely be terrifying, but doesn't it seem like something inside you will change after an experience like that?
My message to the people whose lives are changing in April is: you should carry out the things you have decided on. For example, if you're feeling insecure about a new environment, you must also have memories of having done the same thing before, right? It's not good to worry about it too much. Instead of pushing yourself to be someone you're not, you should stay in your natural state and find a place that will accept you. I think that environments are things that you get accustomed to in that way.
KOYAMA KEIICHIROU
I want to keep going to the gym and have a nice body for the summer
I've been working out all the time. I started so I could build my body for the theater version of LOST: TIME: LIFE, but I want to continue it throughout the spring and have a nice body by summertime. Right now, we're still in the rehearsal stage (interview took place in early March), so I go to the gym whenever I can. Ever since I started working out, my clothes have been getting tighter and tighter. I can tell that I am slowly gaining muscle mass, and I'm also stronger. It started out in my arms, but now my entire upper body is starting to become more muscular. Each time I go to the gym, I do my best for about an hour.
I'm co-starring in the play with Furuya Ikkou, and I've learned a lot from him. Just like the drama, my role is that of a policeman, but the story is completely different. I think that the stage version is really suspenseful. It should be easy to watch because there are probably a lot of people who have watched it once on TV.
What do I want to do with the other members in the spring? Hmm... I wonder. Something like a hot springs trip would be nice.... but you would have to plan that out beforehand, and that might take a lot of work. For the time being, it's probably good enough to go around to different public baths nearby (laugh). Everyone in NEWS likes to take baths. During tours, we all go to the hotel's big bathhouse. If I have a choice, I prefer places with outdoor baths. More than old-fashioned bath houses, I like the newer "super bath house" places. Even so, I can't stay in the water for very long... I leave after about 30 minutes. Ryo-chan and everyone else stays in for like an hour. After that, I would want to eat dinner together and just relax.
For everyone with new beginnings in the spring, I think that April is the best time to make new friends. I hope that you'll gather your courage and work hard to make friends. It would be a shame to let this timing pass. Beginnings are important! For people who are hard to approach, momentum is key! When I enter new situations, I count on momentum, too, because first impressions are built from there. You create work for yourself if you expend too much energy at the beginning, but for the sake of showing to others who you are, work up your courage!
MASUDA TAKAHISA
I can't think of any ways to change!?
In what way do I want to start over? Ummmm.... I can't think of one (laugh). I really can't think of any new habits or anything. It's not as if I'm satisfied with everything as it is -- I just like maintaining things as they are. My hobby right now is shopping. I explore new stores, too. Recently, I bought new shoes! The places I buy things change, but the types of things I buy don't tend to change much. When I first starting shopping for myself, I bought a lot of clothes, but after a while, I started paying more attention to things like shoes and belts. In high school, there were a lot of times when I would buy accessories and realize that I didn't have anything at home that matched with it! Lately, I've gotten more predictable. I have a few outfits that I really like, so I choose accessories based on what would go well with those.
What do I want to do with the NEWS members? I have a feeling that we've already done everything that seems fun. For example, we go on trips, right? Even if we goto the mountains, I'm the type that's fine with just staying in one place and relaxing. But there's no one else like that in the group (laugh). Shige would probably be taking pictures or passing the time rowdily. If we all went somewhere together, I would probably be the one that messes up everyone's pace (laugh). Instead of a trip, it might be fun to play futtosaru [abbreviation for Futbol de Salon, apparently, a less-intense soccer-like game] since Tegoshi already plays it. Speaking of futtosaru, Nakamaru-kun from KAT-TUN and I decided to play it one day. Then, Nakamaru said, "I have a futtosaru ball at home, you know." A few years ago, we went together to buy the balls. Nakamaru-kun completely forgot about it.... I was a little sad (laugh).
Finally, a message for everyone who is starting something new. If you're worried about whether you will make new friends, think about your own record up until now. If someone has ever approached you or joined your group of friends, you can do the same things. Even saying that, I'm not very good at starting conversations with people (laugh). But even without working hard at it, there will be people that you can be friends with. Just be patient, and if you have 2 or 3 good friends by the time you graduate, isn't that good enough? I think that's all you will need to enjoy a good school life.
Scans from agtoro at boku_nari_no at this post.
Random thoughts:
• Tegoshi. Why is your dog stripping you. Amusing mental images x 100000.
• The onsenryokou/hot springs group is funny in how they all distribute responsibility. I love how Ryo leaves planning to Koyama (and Shige) and Koyama opts for bath houses because planning is too much work.
• I wonder if Koyama/Japanese men in general T__T are capable of gaining muscle mass! Where is the proof. *__*
On a completely unrelated note, I hope Jin decides he wants to work out and be fat again ♥♥♥
Blah. I just noticed that someone posted a translation of this series earlier, but it's a little... strange.