Ghost Keyword Interview Translation
This was supposed to be my Easter translation project, but I procrastinated a lot until recently :).
This interview is from the February 2009 issue of Arena 37c. Credits goes to ryuik for scanning and sharing.
This is dedicated to wongkk for being a wonderful person and getting me goodies from Japan. I hope you enjoy this, especially the last part since I remember you mentioning that you liked that part of the live.
Disclaimer: My experience with violins is limited to watching a friend play and going ohshit that looks so hard so I apologise if I got any of the musical terms wrong here.
The text here is colourful because the original text itself was this colourful. Also, all the text in brackets are not my comments unless noted. They are the interviewer/writer's own comments.
*
2009 February Arena 37c - Ghost Keyword Interview
Ima sugu... kowashite...
Right now, what do you want to destroy?
I: Gackt-san, is there anything you would like to destroy right now?
G: Something I would like to destroy? ...Pointless rules in the world now. I would like to destroy this country itself. I want to shatter it into bits and pieces! Then, if it is possible, I want to build it up from the very foundations. Hmm, people might say that I am thinking like a terrorist if I said that (laugh). However, this country has to be destroyed one time. It is just that if that were to happen, a lot of people will be hurt, so what I am saying is unrealistic. However, I think that everyone must realise that this country is now starting to be destroyed, bit by bit.
Ima nara ososugiru
Have you ever been told, or have you ever said the phrase "It's too late now"?
I: Has anyone ever said to you "It's too late for you to say that now" (in a clearly feminine way)?
[T/N: The interviewer ended the phrase with a 'osoi wa yo' which as far as I know, is a feminine way of speaking. He was probably guessing that a girl might have said that to Gackt.]
G: It has happened... I was told that by a girl (<- As expected!). There was something I wanted to say but I couldn't convey it. When I said "I said it", it became a round of "I said it", "No, you didn't", "I said it". So I apologised and said "In that case, I'm sorry". She said that line, "It's too late for that now!", to me. I said, "Why? I wanted to say if before but I couldn't, so I'm apologising. I'm sorry." Then she got angry. A lot of things were said, and in the end I said, "In that case, bye-bye!"
I: It ended just like that?
G: Yes. I don't like that kind of troublesome situations. If she can't forgive me even after I have apologised, wouldn't it be better for us not to be together? It will be depressing. Don't complain so much. A man is apologising and saying sorry, so please do understand the meaning. After all, I don't often apologise (laugh).
I: Have you ever been the one to say "It's too late now!" to someone else?
G: Yes, I have. It's probably when I was at work. It was about timing. If anything fails or anything happens, as long as the person communicates it properly, reports it and we discuss it, then we can correct the mistake in its early stages. If the person puts off doing all that, I will have to pay for it later. I will be like, "I'm not here to fix your mistakes!". I can't work with people like that; I'll fire them straight away. This is why I tell everyone related to my projects to properly communicate, discuss and report everything.
I: This is something that can be said for all jobs, isn't it?
G: Yes!
Taikutsu wo iyasu
What do you do when you are bored?
I: Gackt-san, what do you do when you are bored? Do you often have times when you are bored?
G: (Loudly and clearly) I don't! In my life, there hasn't been a time when I'm bored. However, there are times when I am not bored but I'm just spacing out and thinking "Aah, I feel so good now". That is when I'm having fun* with a girl (smile). That is my resting time. We won't be doing anything. We will just be together with each other.
* [T/N: He used icha icha here ^^]
I: Having fun... just what exactly do you do? (laugh)
G: Sleep on her lap (He said it!). I would say that I want to borrow her lap and then I'll lie down on it.
I: Do the two of you talk about anything then?
G: We don't really talk much. I would lie down, think about various things on my own and suddenly... I would think "Aah, this feels good." (smile)
Yaban na
What are the characteristics of a savage?
I: Gackt-san, what do you think a savage is like?
G: Everyone of us has an ugly side. However, I think a savage is one who openly and frankly shows that side. I think that one becomes a human by suppressing it. However, there are people who can't do that. They show the ugly part of themselves openly. That is what I think a savage is.
I: It is a question of a person's character rather than about the person being a savage, isn't it?
G: I think that it is more about restrain. It is normal for a person to have the desire to do something or other. However, to show that ugly side openly and push it onto people is a little different. That is just crass.
Me wo hiraita mama
How long can you keep your eyes open?
I: What is the longest time you have kept your eyes open for?
G: I was often told to keep my eyes open when I was filming and I can keep them open for a really long time. I can do it for about 10 minutes.
I: That is amazing! Won't your eyes get dry?
G: In the first place, I don't blink much (laugh). During the filming of the PV recently, there was a scene where I was staring at the camera with my eyes open the whole time. A roll of film is about five minutes long and I kept my eyes open throughout. I gave the cameraman quite a shock. He asked me how can I keep my eyes open for so long. Well, I was told to keep them open so I just did as I was told (laugh).
I: That is amazing. You are just like a cyborg. It is amazing enough that you can keep them open, but to keep staring at the camera at the same time; the intensity of your gaze is amazing too. I guess you won't lose to a camera.
G: Hmm, I have not thought of it that way but I have never lost in a staring contest.
Oboretai nara
Have you ever lost your head over something or someone?
I: For example, have you ever lost your head because of a girl?
G: I have. Back when I was in my teens. There was a girl I loved so much back then that when we had to separate, I thought my life was over. Later, I understood that I lost my head because I was feeling very insecure. Most people, when they feel insecure, have a bad habit of being attracted to someone who has the qualities they lack. People are linked together in this jagged way. We are used to clinging to people who have what we do not, just like the two opposite poles of a magnet. At that time, the girl had something I did not. That is why I was so strongly attracted to her. After I resolved my insecurities and we separated, one-by-one I gained what I lacked and I understood that actually, it was the other person who did not have those qualities. I learnt that to lose one's head is something unique to humans, something that makes us human.
I: There are stories of how people fall into ruin because they lost their head due to their relationships with the other sex, aren't there?
G: That is possible. There are people who can't stand living in a state of insecurity. Especially in times like now, there are many weak people.
I: You have said before that you have nearly drowned in the sea, didn't you?
[T/N: If you're wondering about the sudden jump of topics, it's because oboreru can mean to drown, or to lose one's head over something.]
G: It has happened twice. I really thought that I would die.
I: Were you traumatised by those experiences?
G: I was. Even now, I am afraid. I don't hate the sea but I am afraid of it. I like watching the sea but once I go into it, the feeling of being trapped in the sea returns.
Motto te wo nobashite
Have you ever had the feeling, if only I could have reached out more, things would be better"?
I: In your life until now, have you ever regretted and thought that if only you could have reached out more, things would be better?
G: I recently thought that it would be good if I had worked harder on my violin practices when I was younger.
I: Aah! There was a scene where Gackt-san and YOU-san played the violin together in your concerts this time, wasn't there? I was surprised by that! It was amazing.
G: (Looking happy) You were surprised, weren't you? We practised really hard for that.
I: It is already tough if it is a solo. You must need a really good technique to play a duet in sync, don't you?
G: Isn't that so? (Smile) We are still practising everyday. Basically, we are practising really hard to play it for the tour this time. However, it wouldn't be cool if we kept saying that we practised so hard, again and again (But he just said it). I wanted to present it as a beautiful picture to everyone and surprise them. Basically, I was really hooked on violins this time. I have played it all this while but I was not hooked on it. However, somehow this time it is like a switch has been flicked (laugh). This time, for a change, I realised that violins and vocals are very close to each other. When I practise playing the violin, my vocals improve too in areas such as pitching. For example, in violins, the major sound of the standard tuning sounds more pleasant if it's tuned just a little lower. Inversely, the minor notes sounds more pleasant if they are tuned just a little higher. This is something a tuner cannot tell you. It is something you can feel because you are alive.
I: It is an instinctive kind of feeling, isn't it?
G: Yes. You can't do that with the piano. It is possible with the violin because it is the violin. I thought it was really amazing.
I: Talking about that, I could feel that your vibrato has permeated both your violin playing and your vocals.
G: Yeah, it has! I like the vibrato and I can control it with my hands when I play the violin. When I play the violin, even singing is fun.
I: It is terrible of you to perform just that one song on stage.
G: Isn't that good? (Smile)
I: The two of you looked really good standing on stage and performing together.
G: YOU and I practised intensely to bow in sync. If you are only concerned with playing the song correctly, then there is no need to change the direction of your bow so often. We both tried playing naturally at first. In the end, we did not change the direction of our bows often enough so it did not look good. That is why we purposely increased the number of times we changed directions.
I: All in order to present a aesthetically-pleasing performance on stage?
G: Yes. Rather than the ease of playing, I paid more attention to the aesthetics. That is what a visualive is (Please refer to the interview about his single).
I: You really paid a lot of attention to this.
G: YOU and I disagreed a lot regarding the bowing. He would say that it is more natural this way and then we will disagree on whether or not it looks good because it is more natural. The two of us practised separately. On top of that, we had to bow in sync even though we were both playing different melodies. Professional violinists will probably think that our bowing is very unnatural if they see us playing. However, we were not just concerned with playing correctly. We have to make the audience feel it. I want even the person at the furthermost back seat to see and understand it. That is what my stage is.
I: That is where the charm of your concerts lies, isn't it?
G: Otherwise, there is no point in us doing things like swinging our guitars about when we perform, is there? There wouldn't be a point in spinning the drumsticks either. It is the same for all musical instruments. A concert is about performing what you want to show to people. I think that that is the duty of the person standing on stage.
*
This interview was a fun one to read. The topics are really random, from destroying the world, to 'oh hey do you know that I can out-stare a camera', from relationships to 'my concert is awesome isn't it'. Especially the part about the violin (I'm really, really looking forward to watching this when the tour DVD comes out, given how much I've heard about it), you can feel his excitement and pride once the interviewer mentioned it.
This interview is from the February 2009 issue of Arena 37c. Credits goes to ryuik for scanning and sharing.
This is dedicated to wongkk for being a wonderful person and getting me goodies from Japan. I hope you enjoy this, especially the last part since I remember you mentioning that you liked that part of the live.
Disclaimer: My experience with violins is limited to watching a friend play and going ohshit that looks so hard so I apologise if I got any of the musical terms wrong here.
The text here is colourful because the original text itself was this colourful. Also, all the text in brackets are not my comments unless noted. They are the interviewer/writer's own comments.
*
2009 February Arena 37c - Ghost Keyword Interview
Ima sugu... kowashite...
Right now, what do you want to destroy?
I: Gackt-san, is there anything you would like to destroy right now?
G: Something I would like to destroy? ...Pointless rules in the world now. I would like to destroy this country itself. I want to shatter it into bits and pieces! Then, if it is possible, I want to build it up from the very foundations. Hmm, people might say that I am thinking like a terrorist if I said that (laugh). However, this country has to be destroyed one time. It is just that if that were to happen, a lot of people will be hurt, so what I am saying is unrealistic. However, I think that everyone must realise that this country is now starting to be destroyed, bit by bit.
Ima nara ososugiru
Have you ever been told, or have you ever said the phrase "It's too late now"?
I: Has anyone ever said to you "It's too late for you to say that now" (in a clearly feminine way)?
[T/N: The interviewer ended the phrase with a 'osoi wa yo' which as far as I know, is a feminine way of speaking. He was probably guessing that a girl might have said that to Gackt.]
G: It has happened... I was told that by a girl (<- As expected!). There was something I wanted to say but I couldn't convey it. When I said "I said it", it became a round of "I said it", "No, you didn't", "I said it". So I apologised and said "In that case, I'm sorry". She said that line, "It's too late for that now!", to me. I said, "Why? I wanted to say if before but I couldn't, so I'm apologising. I'm sorry." Then she got angry. A lot of things were said, and in the end I said, "In that case, bye-bye!"
I: It ended just like that?
G: Yes. I don't like that kind of troublesome situations. If she can't forgive me even after I have apologised, wouldn't it be better for us not to be together? It will be depressing. Don't complain so much. A man is apologising and saying sorry, so please do understand the meaning. After all, I don't often apologise (laugh).
I: Have you ever been the one to say "It's too late now!" to someone else?
G: Yes, I have. It's probably when I was at work. It was about timing. If anything fails or anything happens, as long as the person communicates it properly, reports it and we discuss it, then we can correct the mistake in its early stages. If the person puts off doing all that, I will have to pay for it later. I will be like, "I'm not here to fix your mistakes!". I can't work with people like that; I'll fire them straight away. This is why I tell everyone related to my projects to properly communicate, discuss and report everything.
I: This is something that can be said for all jobs, isn't it?
G: Yes!
Taikutsu wo iyasu
What do you do when you are bored?
I: Gackt-san, what do you do when you are bored? Do you often have times when you are bored?
G: (Loudly and clearly) I don't! In my life, there hasn't been a time when I'm bored. However, there are times when I am not bored but I'm just spacing out and thinking "Aah, I feel so good now". That is when I'm having fun* with a girl (smile). That is my resting time. We won't be doing anything. We will just be together with each other.
* [T/N: He used icha icha here ^^]
I: Having fun... just what exactly do you do? (laugh)
G: Sleep on her lap (He said it!). I would say that I want to borrow her lap and then I'll lie down on it.
I: Do the two of you talk about anything then?
G: We don't really talk much. I would lie down, think about various things on my own and suddenly... I would think "Aah, this feels good." (smile)
Yaban na
What are the characteristics of a savage?
I: Gackt-san, what do you think a savage is like?
G: Everyone of us has an ugly side. However, I think a savage is one who openly and frankly shows that side. I think that one becomes a human by suppressing it. However, there are people who can't do that. They show the ugly part of themselves openly. That is what I think a savage is.
I: It is a question of a person's character rather than about the person being a savage, isn't it?
G: I think that it is more about restrain. It is normal for a person to have the desire to do something or other. However, to show that ugly side openly and push it onto people is a little different. That is just crass.
Me wo hiraita mama
How long can you keep your eyes open?
I: What is the longest time you have kept your eyes open for?
G: I was often told to keep my eyes open when I was filming and I can keep them open for a really long time. I can do it for about 10 minutes.
I: That is amazing! Won't your eyes get dry?
G: In the first place, I don't blink much (laugh). During the filming of the PV recently, there was a scene where I was staring at the camera with my eyes open the whole time. A roll of film is about five minutes long and I kept my eyes open throughout. I gave the cameraman quite a shock. He asked me how can I keep my eyes open for so long. Well, I was told to keep them open so I just did as I was told (laugh).
I: That is amazing. You are just like a cyborg. It is amazing enough that you can keep them open, but to keep staring at the camera at the same time; the intensity of your gaze is amazing too. I guess you won't lose to a camera.
G: Hmm, I have not thought of it that way but I have never lost in a staring contest.
Oboretai nara
Have you ever lost your head over something or someone?
I: For example, have you ever lost your head because of a girl?
G: I have. Back when I was in my teens. There was a girl I loved so much back then that when we had to separate, I thought my life was over. Later, I understood that I lost my head because I was feeling very insecure. Most people, when they feel insecure, have a bad habit of being attracted to someone who has the qualities they lack. People are linked together in this jagged way. We are used to clinging to people who have what we do not, just like the two opposite poles of a magnet. At that time, the girl had something I did not. That is why I was so strongly attracted to her. After I resolved my insecurities and we separated, one-by-one I gained what I lacked and I understood that actually, it was the other person who did not have those qualities. I learnt that to lose one's head is something unique to humans, something that makes us human.
I: There are stories of how people fall into ruin because they lost their head due to their relationships with the other sex, aren't there?
G: That is possible. There are people who can't stand living in a state of insecurity. Especially in times like now, there are many weak people.
I: You have said before that you have nearly drowned in the sea, didn't you?
[T/N: If you're wondering about the sudden jump of topics, it's because oboreru can mean to drown, or to lose one's head over something.]
G: It has happened twice. I really thought that I would die.
I: Were you traumatised by those experiences?
G: I was. Even now, I am afraid. I don't hate the sea but I am afraid of it. I like watching the sea but once I go into it, the feeling of being trapped in the sea returns.
Motto te wo nobashite
Have you ever had the feeling, if only I could have reached out more, things would be better"?
I: In your life until now, have you ever regretted and thought that if only you could have reached out more, things would be better?
G: I recently thought that it would be good if I had worked harder on my violin practices when I was younger.
I: Aah! There was a scene where Gackt-san and YOU-san played the violin together in your concerts this time, wasn't there? I was surprised by that! It was amazing.
G: (Looking happy) You were surprised, weren't you? We practised really hard for that.
I: It is already tough if it is a solo. You must need a really good technique to play a duet in sync, don't you?
G: Isn't that so? (Smile) We are still practising everyday. Basically, we are practising really hard to play it for the tour this time. However, it wouldn't be cool if we kept saying that we practised so hard, again and again (But he just said it). I wanted to present it as a beautiful picture to everyone and surprise them. Basically, I was really hooked on violins this time. I have played it all this while but I was not hooked on it. However, somehow this time it is like a switch has been flicked (laugh). This time, for a change, I realised that violins and vocals are very close to each other. When I practise playing the violin, my vocals improve too in areas such as pitching. For example, in violins, the major sound of the standard tuning sounds more pleasant if it's tuned just a little lower. Inversely, the minor notes sounds more pleasant if they are tuned just a little higher. This is something a tuner cannot tell you. It is something you can feel because you are alive.
I: It is an instinctive kind of feeling, isn't it?
G: Yes. You can't do that with the piano. It is possible with the violin because it is the violin. I thought it was really amazing.
I: Talking about that, I could feel that your vibrato has permeated both your violin playing and your vocals.
G: Yeah, it has! I like the vibrato and I can control it with my hands when I play the violin. When I play the violin, even singing is fun.
I: It is terrible of you to perform just that one song on stage.
G: Isn't that good? (Smile)
I: The two of you looked really good standing on stage and performing together.
G: YOU and I practised intensely to bow in sync. If you are only concerned with playing the song correctly, then there is no need to change the direction of your bow so often. We both tried playing naturally at first. In the end, we did not change the direction of our bows often enough so it did not look good. That is why we purposely increased the number of times we changed directions.
I: All in order to present a aesthetically-pleasing performance on stage?
G: Yes. Rather than the ease of playing, I paid more attention to the aesthetics. That is what a visualive is (Please refer to the interview about his single).
I: You really paid a lot of attention to this.
G: YOU and I disagreed a lot regarding the bowing. He would say that it is more natural this way and then we will disagree on whether or not it looks good because it is more natural. The two of us practised separately. On top of that, we had to bow in sync even though we were both playing different melodies. Professional violinists will probably think that our bowing is very unnatural if they see us playing. However, we were not just concerned with playing correctly. We have to make the audience feel it. I want even the person at the furthermost back seat to see and understand it. That is what my stage is.
I: That is where the charm of your concerts lies, isn't it?
G: Otherwise, there is no point in us doing things like swinging our guitars about when we perform, is there? There wouldn't be a point in spinning the drumsticks either. It is the same for all musical instruments. A concert is about performing what you want to show to people. I think that that is the duty of the person standing on stage.
*
This interview was a fun one to read. The topics are really random, from destroying the world, to 'oh hey do you know that I can out-stare a camera', from relationships to 'my concert is awesome isn't it'. Especially the part about the violin (I'm really, really looking forward to watching this when the tour DVD comes out, given how much I've heard about it), you can feel his excitement and pride once the interviewer mentioned it.