MONSTERS official website second interview
(continued on from the first interview)
Have you ever discussed about the script and the roles during filming?
Katori: About the drama….we didn’t really discuss about it (laughs)
Yamashita: We didn’t talk about it (laughs)
Katori: We didn’t (laughs)
Even during rehearsals?
Katori: Yes…that’s right. But we can talk about it. The conversation would start from me, but I’m so busy I barely have time to talk. I think we worked frantically from the very first day.
Yamashita: We worked really hard.
Katori: No matter what drama I’m filming, I’m always like that. Before entering the set, I think over about many things, but when I’m on set, it becomes a match. Not only do I have to memorize lines, I have to consider about the emotional side as well. I sit silently by myself on the set. You sensed this on the first day right?
Yamashita: Yes.
Katori: Silently thinking.
Yamashita: Silently.
Katori: That’s right.
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: It’s not like I was unhappy.
Yamashita: Right (laughs)
Katori: I was doing my best!
Yamashita: Right (laughs)
Katori: But I’ll talk from now on.
Yamashita: Yes, by all means (laughs).
Next up, is there something Yamashita wants to ask Katori?
Yamashita: I do have some questions after this. Through this drama, what message do you want to convey to the viewers… You can’t just keep it in your heart.
Katori: Yes. So serious!!! (laughs) But I get it, I get it. There is.
Yamashita: Yes.
Katori: What would it be? It would be “monsters” after all. There will always be someone better than you. What Heihachi saw in Saionji and what I saw in Yamashita is a monster.
Yamashita: !?
Katori: Even though there is an age gap between me and Yamashita, but from now on he will show even greater power, that's scary. It’s the same as what Yamashita sees in me too, perhaps he can see it. School or society, I think monsters exist in any kind of world. But within it, not wanting to lose in whichever kind of situation and to hold on to the desire to exceed and push through, I want to convey this power through this drama. What about Yamashita?
Yamashita: For me personally, I want to cling to it in any case and go forward. Therefore I want to show not just the passion of a man who continues to works hard on his self-imposed tasks. Through this drama, just like what Katori-san said, I hope to let the viewers see the power of exceeding the “monster” around you.
For Yamashita-san, is there the existence of monster?
Yamashita: There are monsters all around me. But I receive stimulation from these people, in order to not lose to them, I want to stand and push forward, on the other hand I also want to stimulate them. Naturally Katori-san is one of the monsters too. Not only does he understand a world I don’t, I can also learn a lot by looking at a problem from an viewpoint that’s different from mine.
Katori: Thank you.
Over time, what do you think will happen to Heihachi and Saionji’s relationship?
Katori: Saionji might get closer to Heihachi? What do you think?
Yamashita: Although it’s hard to predict, but Saionji does everything with all his heart, in any case I think he will follow Heihachi. And I think Saionji might have not wanted to get close to Heihachi, but he did without realizing it. But this is just my prediction…
Katori: I see. I wonder how it will turn out. When we asked the staffs, they didn’t tell us, even I don’t know… (laughs)
Do the 2 of you have any odd person like Heihachi around you?
Katori: Is there?
Yamashita: Perhaps….it’s only Katori-san.
Katori: Excellent!! I intended to say that too. Surely those that have known me for more than 10 years think they know me, but they don’t know the real me.
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: (laughs)
You two wrote together the song “MONSTERS”.
Katori: There are solo songs in SMAP’s albums, but this album is the first in about 2 years, and when I was thinking “what should I do”, I heard that I’ll be working with Yamashita. After that we went to watch Lady Gaga’s concert together.
Yamashita: Yes.
Katori: But it was a coincidence. After that we went to have a meal with the staffs. There, I asked Yamashita “Have you composed songs before?”. We talk about various things that day, after that, how long was it?
Yamashita: Not over a week.
Katori: Right, we met again not over one week, “The other day, did you really mean it?” “I mean it.” I’ve written lyrics before, but I’ve never composed a song, so he introduced me to Jeff Miyahara, he participated in Yamashita’s album. I met with Jeff-san that day and we composed until morning.
Yamashita: We did.
Katori: After that we worked together for about 4 days.
Yamashita: Yes we did.
Katori: Yes, and during that time we talked.
Yamashita: We talked a lot. He answered my questions and gave me advice… Up until now, I’ve met a lot of people and listened to many stories, but Katori-san sees things from a viewpoint that is different and surprising than all of them, I think this is Katori-san’s charm. After we talked, I decided “I’m glad to have Katori-san as Heihachi. I’d gladly let him push me around”.
Katori: It was a good start. Because he took on my absurd request of “let’s write a song”, we had plenty of time to talk. “Since we are going to write a song, I want you to voice out all your thoughts so we can be one creator instead of senior and junior. Otherwise there is no point in doing this together”, I said. So from the very beginning of creating, Yamashita expressed his opinions constantly, commenting on the good parts, our relationship started from there. In the case of drama, it often starts with having no time to talk with the co-stars. So this time we were able to talk deeply by chance, it felt different from the senior junior relationship, it was the sense of accomplishment of finishing one work together, and that’s why it didn’t felt uncomfortable even when the photoshoot and filming began.
Even when drama filming began, you could discuss without holding back?
Katori: It’s because we have a foundation. But even with a foundation, I have a lot of lines, so we don’t really talk on set.
Yamashita: (laughs). When I talked with Katori-san, he told me, “In order to make a good drama, don’t hold back”, so I tell him properly my thoughts and feelings. I intend to discuss gradually without reserve in order to create a good drama.
Katori: Yes, let’s discuss together! But…I really have a lot of lines.
Yamashita: It’s extremely a lot.
Katori: I might not be able to cope with the pattern for memorizing at other scenes… Still I don’t want to prove this wrong yet… (laughs)
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: I’ve only read the script for episode 1. There’s still more…
Yamashita: It’ll be quite hard from now on.
Katori: Even as I turn the pages of the script, there are still Heihachi’s lines.
Yamashita: Yes, and on top of that, there’s still the reasoning part, and memorize the conversation smoothly, this is considered the memorizing type… (laughs)
Katori: Memorizing by heart eh.
Yamashita: Yes.
Katori: I’ll do my best.
Phew that was long. Just 3 more weeks until MONSTERS starts. ^^
Official website
Cr: Wb