TV Interview: Junnosuke Taguchi
オリ☆スタ (Ori-suta) 23/05/2011, No.19-1589
Interview translated by MOMOEDGEWOOD @ wordpress.com
Q: So this is your first TV drama in three years since “有閑倶楽部 (Yukan Club)”.
T(aguchi): I was just talking to the producers about how fun it is to be here. I feels great to be involved with the process of making this story from scratch, and it gives you so much motivation.
Q: Actually Taguchi-san, in an interview two years ago one fan had asked you what costume-play you would want to do, and you said, “a cool doctor”.
T: Did I say that!? (laughs) Wow, it came true!
Q: We’ve had letters from fans coming in saying they’re happy your wish came true.
T: Oh, that’s so nice. Thank you Ori-suta!
Q: (laughs) So how does it feel to wear the white uniform?
T: It’s like to be THE doctor, I need THE white uniform (laughs). It gets me into character.
Q: Is there anything in particular that you do to become Hotta?
T: I keep telling myself that as a doctor, I need to keep my back straight. The other thing is that my character has a bright personality so I try keep looking clean. There are little things I do to try and keep that image.
Q: That’s true, like when Hotta opens the car door for people, he seems like the real gentleman.
T: Oh, right. I’ve never done that before in real life (laughs).
Q: What would Taguchi-san do then?
T: I think I’d say something like, “be careful”. But saying, “oh, wait a sec”, then running around the car, and then opening the door. No, that’d take so much time! (laughs)
Q: And then there was the time when Hotta bought Asami Mizukawa’s character Sachiko a 50,000 yen toy present.
T: I know. At the time I felt really uncomfortable with spending 50,000 yen. I remember asking the director and producer, “wouldn’t 30,000 yen be enough?”, but they said, “no, it’d be better if you could go with 50,000 yen”. It just didn’t seem normal, but then it made me realise that Hotta isn’t normal.
Q: So a lot of talk goes into every detail (of your character).
T: Not a whole lot, but up to a certain point, yes. I want to be convinced with things. I feel really good being able to go into a shoot after getting these things cleared up.
Q: This is your second time working with Nishikido-san since “がんばっていきまっしょい (Gannbatte-ikimasshoi)” in 2005.
T: I’ve only met him once on set so far, but it was a lot of fun being able to act out a scene in a completely different way compared to last time.
Q: Will you have any more scenes with him in the future?
T: You know, I do. I was just flipping through the script for episode 6 and it looks like the story’s moving towards that.
Q: You mean there’s going to be some change between Yuji and Hotta!?
T: I haven’t read that far, but something seems to be coming up…Yeah, something like that might happen.
Q: I’m really curious! (laughs) I’ll be looking forward to your second scene together.
T: Well, I think it’ll go normally. But Nishikido-san is such a shy guy! (laughs) But I want to do a good job too so I hope I can learn from him!
Q: The story is also going into the final stages now but is there anything you can tell us about what to expect?
T: There’s no complicated drama (laughs). I mean, a lot of the dramas these days are either crime dramas or dramas about really technical and specific jobs. But I feel like people want to see a drama about your average family too. Well, at least I do. So I hope that we can get a warm message across to all of the kids and mothers and fathers who watch this heart-warming story. That and I hope people like seeing me in my white uniform.
Q: That’s what you want people to look out for (laughs).
T: Yes. Feel free to look at me!! Really! In the white uniform!!
Q: (laughs) At the Marching J event in Tokyo last month, what really stuck out in my mind was how you were able to keep a smile on your face and wave at fans the entire time. I think you made a lot of people happy because of that.
T: Well, they’d been waiting in line for hours. For the fans, they only had that one moment. So I wanted to make it a special moment.
Q: Surrounded by your senpai like SMAP and TOKIO.
T: That’s right (laughs). And being able to sing our new song, “PERFECT”. We haven’t had many chances to sing a cappella in front of people, but when we did it, we sounded pretty good. I felt like we were now a solid team.
Q: Speaking of which, have the other members said anything about your drama?
T: Yup, they told me to “get in the spotlight!” (laughs). So I told them, “I’m going into the spotlight now”.
Q: And that’s why you’re pushing the white uniform image.
T: Yes it is (laughs). Besides, our upcoming single is called “WHITE”.
Q: So it is all connected! (laughs)
T: Yes. It is all connected isn’t it! (laughs)
source/translated by: MOMOEDGEWOOD @ WORDPRESS.COM