Darvish Kenji in Anan #1859 [2013.06.12]
I'm still learning Japanese and by no means a professional translator, so please forgive any mistakes! I did my best. :)
For those who don't know, you can read Kenji's blog here: http://ameblo.jp/doramu-kenji/
The Celebrity Gods of Blogging
DARVISH KENJI
(Golden Bomber)
“Carefree laughter!” at the super popular blog.
Meet the man who frequently takes the top slot in the Ameba Blog Rankings, Darvish Kenji.
Anan: Judging by the large number of comments on every post, you really are popular, huh?
Kenji: I started the blog four years ago, when I had just joined Golden Bomber. I really hated it when I started. Or at any rate, I was really bad at writing posts. But because Ameblo-san moved, I was able to start receiving comments and all of sudden I began to really enjoy myself!
Anan: Above all else, the most comments received is when you post pictures of your face without make-up! With your extreme handsomeness [lit. the interviewer actually says 超イケメン heh. - NEKO] as the subject of the comments, right?
Kenji: I checked out some actresses’s blogs and thought, “Ah, when you post a picture without make-up, there’s a big reaction!” (grin) At first, I posted pictures fairly often but, yeah, there are pros and cons of doing it. What struck me were thoughts like, “Is it really in the spirit of Visual Kei to have my make-up free face easily able to be seen?” And now I limit it to just my eyes, the rest of my face is always covered. I’m anything but an ikemen! In reality, I’m a 32 year old oji-san! [There’s no direct English equivalent to this but in Asian cultures, there is a tradition of calling older adult men ‘uncle,’ which is the word he uses, implying he’s not a hot thing but just an old perv. さすが、ケンジくん - NEKO ] Everybody, the gap between the white paint and my real face is just fooling you!
Anan: Despite some minor fluctuations, you’ve had the first place in the rankings for over half a year. That’s an amazing run, isn’t it?!
Kenji: Well, honestly, it’s a fair amount of pressure. As much as possible, I try not to to check the rankings. At the moment I’m in first place, I’m troubled by thoughts like,“What the hell did I do to get this?” and unfortunately become unable to write. Recently, isn’t the case that people like Ichikawa Ebizo [a Kabuki actor infamous for a drunken brawl a few years ago - NEKO] have taken the top spot? If you read Ichikawa Ebizo’s blog, you truly get the feeling of somebody enjoying their blog. Those kinds of people are a threat. But, at some point, I want to try and talk with Ebizo. Not a cross-talk in a magazine but something like a friendly, informal talk in a normal izakaya. I have the same color, so I feel like I’m connected to kabuki. (grin) [Kabuki actors also paint their faces white, which is what he's referring to. - NEKO]
Anan: For your blog posts, when do you think of the subject matter?
Kenji: At night before I go to sleep. There are many times when I think too much and can’t go to sleep. (grin) I’m obsessed with making sure the people who read my blog will smile. For that, pictures will work! And pictures that inspire me to blurt out captions are the best. In a series of photos, it often happens that there is just one that stands out as special. In the case of the band members, Kyan Yutaka is the best at interesting photos! Kiryuin is busy, you know, but I’m grateful there are still times when he’ll take pictures for my blog...
------
Semi-nude and without make-up, these shots are fully loaded private treasures! ❤
Viewing precious off-the-record shots is a well-known secret! The photographer is mainly Kyan Yutaka, Kenji’s manager, or the man himself. We’re frequently shocked at how many times Ameba deletes the pictures because he exposes too much!
When he’s writing his blog, he concentrates in perfect silence.
He updates his blog on a PC. “I carry a wifi router with me so I’m able to write at all times. When I write, a dark room and ear plugs are a must. The feedback I want from my readers is a spontaneous laugh.” (grin)
For those who don't know, you can read Kenji's blog here: http://ameblo.jp/doramu-kenji/
The Celebrity Gods of Blogging
DARVISH KENJI
(Golden Bomber)
“Carefree laughter!” at the super popular blog.
Meet the man who frequently takes the top slot in the Ameba Blog Rankings, Darvish Kenji.
Anan: Judging by the large number of comments on every post, you really are popular, huh?
Kenji: I started the blog four years ago, when I had just joined Golden Bomber. I really hated it when I started. Or at any rate, I was really bad at writing posts. But because Ameblo-san moved, I was able to start receiving comments and all of sudden I began to really enjoy myself!
Anan: Above all else, the most comments received is when you post pictures of your face without make-up! With your extreme handsomeness [lit. the interviewer actually says 超イケメン heh. - NEKO] as the subject of the comments, right?
Kenji: I checked out some actresses’s blogs and thought, “Ah, when you post a picture without make-up, there’s a big reaction!” (grin) At first, I posted pictures fairly often but, yeah, there are pros and cons of doing it. What struck me were thoughts like, “Is it really in the spirit of Visual Kei to have my make-up free face easily able to be seen?” And now I limit it to just my eyes, the rest of my face is always covered. I’m anything but an ikemen! In reality, I’m a 32 year old oji-san! [There’s no direct English equivalent to this but in Asian cultures, there is a tradition of calling older adult men ‘uncle,’ which is the word he uses, implying he’s not a hot thing but just an old perv. さすが、ケンジくん - NEKO ] Everybody, the gap between the white paint and my real face is just fooling you!
Anan: Despite some minor fluctuations, you’ve had the first place in the rankings for over half a year. That’s an amazing run, isn’t it?!
Kenji: Well, honestly, it’s a fair amount of pressure. As much as possible, I try not to to check the rankings. At the moment I’m in first place, I’m troubled by thoughts like,“What the hell did I do to get this?” and unfortunately become unable to write. Recently, isn’t the case that people like Ichikawa Ebizo [a Kabuki actor infamous for a drunken brawl a few years ago - NEKO] have taken the top spot? If you read Ichikawa Ebizo’s blog, you truly get the feeling of somebody enjoying their blog. Those kinds of people are a threat. But, at some point, I want to try and talk with Ebizo. Not a cross-talk in a magazine but something like a friendly, informal talk in a normal izakaya. I have the same color, so I feel like I’m connected to kabuki. (grin) [Kabuki actors also paint their faces white, which is what he's referring to. - NEKO]
Anan: For your blog posts, when do you think of the subject matter?
Kenji: At night before I go to sleep. There are many times when I think too much and can’t go to sleep. (grin) I’m obsessed with making sure the people who read my blog will smile. For that, pictures will work! And pictures that inspire me to blurt out captions are the best. In a series of photos, it often happens that there is just one that stands out as special. In the case of the band members, Kyan Yutaka is the best at interesting photos! Kiryuin is busy, you know, but I’m grateful there are still times when he’ll take pictures for my blog...
------
Semi-nude and without make-up, these shots are fully loaded private treasures! ❤
Viewing precious off-the-record shots is a well-known secret! The photographer is mainly Kyan Yutaka, Kenji’s manager, or the man himself. We’re frequently shocked at how many times Ameba deletes the pictures because he exposes too much!
When he’s writing his blog, he concentrates in perfect silence.
He updates his blog on a PC. “I carry a wifi router with me so I’m able to write at all times. When I write, a dark room and ear plugs are a must. The feedback I want from my readers is a spontaneous laugh.” (grin)