TegoMass interview - QLAP! June 2012
Sharing a translation of the recent TegoMass interview with QLAP! See how Tegoshi and Massu’s bond has deepened along with the NEWS restart and find out what type of stage Massu would like to create for fans!
Special thanks to yuchen85 for the scans!
‘Acting in the big screen adaptation of popular drama series ‘ Hotaru no hikari’ is Tegoshi Yuya’
I’m a big fan of the drama series ‘Hotaru no Hikari’. Watching it was a little like a variety show and I was really into it, so when I received news about the movie, I was like ‘I can be part of that?!’ and was just really, really happy. I’m acting as an original character called ‘Saeki Yu’, who is the younger brother of the Italian version of ‘himono onna’, Saeki Rio’ (Matsuyuki san). The character is one who thinks a lot for his sister so I went around asking my friends what it feels like to have siblings to understand the character better. As I’m the only child, I don’t quite understand how it feels like to have siblings. By the way, a similarity that Saeki and I share will be that when an idea hits us, we will react very swiftly to it. We aren’t the type who will deliberate too much (laughs) For instance if I was out having dinner with a couple of friends and realized that it was someone’s birthday, I would think ‘we’ve got to do something!’ Then I would silently leave my seat; call a florist that I know and a nearby cake shop. Then I would reappear with a bouquet and cake and go ‘Sorry to keep you waiting~’ so that the other party might be surprised but happy. For a long time now, I’ve always love springing surprises like that to see their happy faces.
For this movie’s story, it is about Hotaru and Buchou’s honeymoon, as well as showcasing Hotaru’s entire character as a ‘himono onna’. For me, girls who aren’t too clean and make a mess of their rooms are a little… (forced laugh) But I’m happy with someone who will show her weakness to me only; hanging around without make-up and wearing a jersey is not a problem too. Someone who returns home from work, opens a can of beer and goes ‘Ah….’ is quite cute too. To be hard at work (at the same time), resulting in a big gap between the work self and the home self! On a side note, I could very well be someone who shows a slightly different side in front of the girlfriend. While I’m usually sadistic, I think I could turn masochistic in front of the person I like, or should I say, I would be the ‘useless’ type who would give in and pamper her, and end up buying her anything and everything. Well, my girlfriend will be the only person who would be able to see this ‘gap’ in me though! (laughs)
If I went on a date with Tegoshi kun…
- ‘A romantic date would be ideal’
The ideal date would be a seaside drive and then have a meal at a restaurant where we could see the ocean. Once we are full, we could go for a walk or shop around and then admire the scenery after sunset. After that, we could leave the car aside and then go drinking till we are a little tipsy. I like the cliché but romantic feel (laughs)
- ‘Darken the room to watch a scary movie’
If we were having a home date, I would like the both of us to prepare a meal together, do household chores together and then relax and watch a DVD. As for DVD type, something like ‘Confessions’, that has a slightly scary plot, would be good. I would darken the room and when the girl goes ‘Kya-‘, I would like to calm her and go‘yoshi yoshi’
(haha Tego, is that what you do at home with Tinny and Skull?)
- ‘First date would be to be active at a theme park ‘
Since I like to be active, perhaps the first date would be at an amusement park or a theme park. Going to such places makes one happy and it would also take away some of our nervousness. By the way, I love fast rides and would like to have a go at these rides even on the first date. I would also lead her on the order of rides to go on.
- ‘If I like a girl, I would confess straightaway’
As direct as ‘I like you!’, or in instances when I’m not that confident, I might ask ‘is it okay for me to like you?’ In the instance of the latter, it is more unlikely to be a ‘no’ right? Hence this would be easier on me and also gives me a chance to check her feelings. I think the first and most important thing will be that (laughs)
- ‘I’ll give my all to plan for a surprise proposal’
Since it’s going to be a ‘once in a lifetime’ event, I would give my all, regardless of the amount spent (laughs) For instance, to have a surprise message to be played on one of those big screens at a scramble crossing. I might get friends and extras to be part of it and everyone would be having a great time.
If I went on a date with Masuda kun…
- ‘First date at an amusement park or an aquarium’
For the first date, since it’ll be in the day, perhaps we’ll spend it at an amusement park or at an aquarium, have dinner and then go home. It’s not that I’m especially active or what but in amusement parks these days, one could stroll around and still see lot of things right? That said, I personally would like to go on some fast rides (laughs)
- ‘I’d like to pick out clothes for my girlfriend’
For my ideal date, I’d like to go shopping with her. Then I’ll pick out clothes for her and buy it for her (laughs) That sounds like what a mother would do but there could be times while I might come across something while choosing things for her, and end up thinking ‘this is good!’ and buy it for myself. I have to be careful with that though (laughs)
- ‘Somehow I’d like us to see big objects together’
If we were to travel further, I’d like to see big objects! Grand Canyon, pyramids, Sphinx, Sagrada Familia,… it would be so huge that I’d get excited just seeing it and saying things like ‘let’s go see OO’ makes one happy no? For Japan, it would be Mt. Fuji.
- ‘I guess I’d like to eat home-made food’
If it was a home date, then I would like her to cook me a meal. As for the menu, I will be happy with something simple like curry or stew. After all, I can’t cook too (laughs) Oh but it seems like fun to make gyozas together. And when we are full, we’ll spend the night watching DVD.
- ‘I’ll give myself a jab* before confessing’
First, I need to be certain that it would be okay before I confess, since I don’t want to be rejected. So I need to have quite a jab* (laughs) So, when I think ‘we could make it’, I would say ‘I like you’. I’m the type who gets excited about celebrating guy friends’ birthdays; I definitely won’t be able to spring a surprise like Tegoshi (laughs)
(*I take it that he meant ‘a jab of confidence’)
‘Gray Canary’, first play in two and a half years．His feelings about being in a play after so long, as well as an inside scoop on members!
I was given the lead role in ‘Gray Canary’. When I first read the script, it was such a page-turner that I really enjoyed and got into the story.., Moreover, the more I read it, the more interesting it gets. At the very beginning, I just enjoyed the script simply as a read. While it’s been two and a half years since my last stage play and perhaps this pace is just nice for me (laughs) Now I’m just getting excited about facing this new piece of work.
The character I’m playing as is a newbie reporter for a gossip magazine which is always after scoops. Even though his actual dream is to become the editor of a music magazine, his current job now is so different from his dream… so it’s that of a young adult feeling lost and conflicted. Eh? A scoop about NEWS members? …. Koyama said this the other day: ‘I will definitely change my hair colour for the tour!’ This is a scoop right? (laughs) Since he is working as a newscaster now, he has to keep his hair colour dark and professional looking but perhaps he might be able to change his hair for just that period? I’m sort of looking forward to that. Tegoshi is blonde while my hair is reddish, so there’s a feeling like the two guys in the middle of NEWS are taking off…. So if Shige changes his hair colour to green, then we’ll be like traffic light (red, yellow, green) and maybe that’ll be fun…. Just kidding (laughs)
By the way, I will be celebrating my 26th birthday during this stage play. Moreover it’ll fall on the first day of performance in Osaka. It’s the first time my birthday falls on the actual day of a public performance (including concerts) so I am quite excited about it. Regarding my thoughts about turning 26, ‘26’ has always been special to me since a long time ago. ‘At 24, one is still a kid’, ‘at 25, one is a proper adult’ and ’25’ is kind of like in between. I’m not sure why but turning 26 feels like coming of age. That said, when it really happens, I doubt anything would change (laughs)
TEGOMASS, talking about love
What the two of them think about TegoMass from now on, and the restart of their homebase, NEWS. It’s a talk which includes lots of ‘thank you’ messages for the fans who support them thus far.
‘If Masuda gets better at guitar, TegoMass will grasp the key to their strength’
[R= Reporter, M= Massu, T= Tego]
R: I’ve watched the DVD of your 3rd live and I thought it was a really wonderful concert.
T: Thank you. It was an enriching experience for us too and you can see that from our expressions in there.
M: From discussions to the stage set up, this was the live we discussed the most about various things thus far. And to complete the tour without hiccups, to see it on a DVD like this makes us more happy than anything else.
R: You did the 1st and 2nd tour, what is there in the 3rd tour that made it different from what you have done so far?
T: At the risk of simplifying it, the 3rd tour is a combi of both 1st and 2nd.
M: And we were able to do whatever we wanted to do. It’s a bit early to talk about the 4th tour now but if we are to have one, I suppose we’ll be able to put in everything we would like to do too.
R: Things you would like to do, for instance the set for ‘Miso Soup’?
M: Ah, the soup bowls?
R: Yes, the part where both of you got into giant soup bowls and Masuda san played air guitar with the chopsticks (laughs)
M: Hahahaha! That was an idea I had for a long time. But we had something different for the first tour and ended up with riding horses instead. For this time, I thought ‘Ah, there are the soup bowls!’ and they made it for me.
R: So it went like that. (laughs) Then what are the necessary experiences that TegoMass should have in order to better themselves in the future?
T: The other day, we were given the chance to participate in ‘Music Fair’ special, then there are things we could experience because of being a Johnny’s, and there are other things that we could experience only as a Johnny’s. To be able to collaborate and sing with other artistes; it was very exciting and I think I would like to go as far as our potential as TegoMass allows us to.
M: That’s correct. And…. Maybe I’ll do guitar?
R: Oh! It seems like you’ll be playing guitar in your stage play
M: Yes~ but I guess it’s impossible after all (laughs) I can’t sing and play the guitar at the same time
R: Like which to focus on?
M: That’s it! Thus Tegoshi, who could play the guitar and sing at the same time, his left and right brain must be quite something! (laughs)
R: But if both of you would play and sing at the same time, I think TegoMass would have gone up yet another notch!
T: That’s true. Work harder!
M: If I’m able to get better at playing, then I’d like us to do ‘Kushami’.
T: Oh! He has just said something pretty difficult (to do)
M: Well, Tegoshi can play most of it and if I just need to play a little, I think that should be fine. And if it gets to a part that I don’t know, I can just feign it by moving my hands around.
T: What’s that about! (laughs)
‘We’ll like to bring happiness to the fans with NEWS activities’
R: Next I’d like to hear about your activities as NEWS. You’ve made 3 major announcements - new single, ‘Best of’ album and nationwide tour.
Massu: That’s right. Right now, as we’ve been given time to properly prepare for our next piece of work, and the four of us would like to produce something good; I feel that we have come together as one emotionally.
T: Even though there are fewer members now, if we look at it positively, there are now more opportunities for us to have discussions that include everyone’s opinions and ideas. Recently, we meet at least once a week.
R: I think fans must be really happy with those three announcements.
T: When I was out for a meal privately, a fangirl came up to say, ‘Thanks for continuing with NEWS’ Actually I have been told that quite a lot of times on other occasions, so much that I’m a little surprised.
R: It’s not so much ‘Ganbatte (work harder)’ but ‘thanks for continuing’?
T: That’s right. It’s more like ‘thank you’. Well, when the two of them left, ‘to continue or not’ did become a discussion topic.
R: So that was something you guys talked about.
T: Yes. For me, I really hate doing things half- heartedly and I did think for a second if having the four of us left would be seen as ‘half-hearted’… But when I thought about the feelings of our fans, who did nothing but waited for us yet we didn’t release any single or do any concerts and if we were to disappear just like that…. That can’t be it right!? Thereafter, the four of us discussed and thought ‘let us then go ahead with this!’ and saw it as an opportunity to properly continue and keep NEWS going. From now on, we have to bring twice as much, ten times as much happiness to our fans.
M: For instance, we can feel the love just by the mere presence of the fans during concerts. For them to be happy by the same things that make us happy; that’s a really heartwarming existence.
R: You won’t do anything that will make these fans sad right?
T: Yes. In our restart this time, Massu and I are probably the ones who talked the most. In wanting to express our gratitude (to fans), it also includes us as TegoMass so we did think a lot about different things. Since it is the first time ever we seriously contact and talk to one another, it is just slightly embarrassing. (laughs) For the both of us, Tego Mass is important but so is NEWS, so we have to have conversations about it, right?
M: Yeps. Even when Tegoshi is filming overseas, he’ll make international calls back to talk about things. I feel that the bond between the both of us have gotten deeper again. There’s also a feeling that the both of us would like to be the ones to pull NEWS along.
R: It’s been quite a while since NEWS had a nationwide tour so I’m looking forward to it.
T: I’m really excited! While I would be happy if we did it at a big venue and for fans to travel to see us, I do think it’s absolutely necessary for us to go around places to see the fans so I would like to go as many places as possible. This tour has been decided based on opinions from all four of us.
M: Those places that we haven’t been able to go to in the past, the things that we would like to do, the ideas we have up till now have all been gathered together. I would like to produce a stage that would make the fans that come and see us think, ‘I’m glad I’ve waited!!’
It was a lovely interview and once again, I think their bond has gotten a lot deeper, not just as TegoMass but as NEWS members too.