[Translation] MONSTERS official website special interview part.2
I think this special interview is a bit similar to the interview they did on Navi. So I'm wondering if this special interview is from that. Anyways, just when I thought the last interview was long, this one is even longer, like freaking long Orz. But I wanted to finish this before Monsters start. So hope you guys enjoy it! ^^
Katori: How was it?
Yamashita: The filming?
Katori: Yes.
Yamashita: Everyday is stimulating, it’s really enjoyable.
Katori: Are you enjoying it? Having fun?
Yamashita: Yes, very.
Katori: That’s good (laughs)
Yamashita: Yes.
Katori: How did you feel when it was decided that we would co-star?
Yamashita: I was excited when it was confirmed, “What kind of person is Katori-san?”
Katori: Dokidoki.
Yamashita: I told my manager before “I want to work with Katori-san one day.”
Katori: Amazing! Though I recalled it recently, but I did say it before.
Yamashita: Eh!?
Katori: It might be in some article somewhere, I was asked, “Which junior do you want to work with?”, and I answered, “Yamapi”.
Yamashita: Really?
Katori: Really.
Yamashita: I’m so happy. Katori-san probably doesn’t remember this… When I was 15, I was greeted by you before. Then you told me, “Ah, if it isn’t yamapi”. I was so excited, “How did you know me!”, and I like Katori-san ever since.
Katori: Eh~~~~~~~~~~!
Yamashita: It’s true, it’s true.
Katori: I’m so glad I left that impression on you. But, (looks doubtfully) do you still think that way until now?
Yamashita: Of course! Because from then on, I watch a lot of Katori-san’s drama and movies.
Katori: Even my dramas and movies?
Yamashita: I certainly watched dramas and movies, and you have some English songs right? I thought “English is so cool”, and bought Katori-san’s book.
Katori: Bera bera book! (Shingo’s English book in SmaStation)
Yamashita: Yes. I frequently study that book.
Katori: Is that so~~~. But you’re quite good at speaking English now right? You studied from my “Bera Bera Book” and surpassed me.
Yamashita: (laughs) No, I haven’t surpassed you, but I learnt a lot.
Katori: I was glad to be able to work with Yamashita.
Yamashita: Thank you. I’m really nervous.
Katori: You’re nervous because we’re senior and junior from the same company, but if you think about it, our age are also quite separated.
Yamashita: Well..…yes.
Katori: The nervousness ….is simply just the tense feeling when facing an older senior.
Yamashita: Of course, and because this is my first time working with a senpai this way. I’ve seen a lot of things that I don’t know from Katori-san, I learnt a lot.
Katori: Now, how was it when filming started?
Yamashita: Well…. From the sense of co-starring with Katori-san, we weren’t uncomfortable or confused. On the other hand, regarding my character…
Katori: What about Saionji?
Yamashita: At first, I was really confused because it’s a role that I’ve never done before.
Katori: You’ve never done it!?
Yamashita: I’ve never done this type of role.
Katori: It’s always the cool type.
Yamashita: I have relatively more cool roles.
Katori: This time is different.
Yamashita: Exactly. He bursts out “Yay~!”, anyways it’s a frantic role.
Katori: But it’s different from the always “cool Yamapi”, I think it’s really good.
Yamashita: Really? Thank you.
Katori: Everyone must watch it, he’s really cute!
Yamashita: Really!? Thank you. I’m worried about how I’m reflected on screen….
Katori: The other day, I had a strange conversation with the producer, something like “Isn’t Yamapi cute?” “He’s really cute~” (laughs).
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: A bunch of grown men gathered together, discussing “Yamapi is so cute”. That’s why I think girls will also be able to see and enjoy a brand new Yamapi other than just cool.
Yamashita: I’m really happy to hear that. I’m looking forward to myself in the drama, and how the viewers will react.
Katori: What do you think about the worldview of “MONSTERS”? When we started, the investigation of a mystery detective drama gave me the impression like “It looks like so much fun!!”, but after we started, it was super hard. Mystery drama is really interesting to watch, but it’s really hard to shoot.
Yamashita: It’s really hard.
Katori: When you watch it as audience, the deductive scene where they reveal “You’re the criminal” gives you shivers, but in reality it’s really hard to film. Even though it started with “That looks like fun~”, it became really troublesome. What about Yamapi?
Yamashita: I was dumbstruck by the amount of lines Katori-san has.
Katori: (loud laughs)
Yamashita: It’s my first time seeing lines that long. The conversation style is easier to remember, but there’s also the explaining part for the speculation, and even numbers and technical terms. I’m already having a hard time remembering my own lines, I’m amazed that Katori-san could remember lines 10 times more. With that strong impression in mind, so when I’m asked, “How is [MONSTERS]?”, I always reply “The amount of lines is nothing to joke about!”.
Katori: Exactly~ (sigh)
Yamashita: Also, like what Katori-san said before, it looks fun, but it’s difficult to film.
Katori: I agree. Although there are difficult parts, but every time one scene has been completed, I feel like watching the finished product sooner.
Yamashita: I want to see it soon.
Katori: Yamashita, what’s your impression of Hiratsuka Heihachi?
Yamashita: To be honest, Hiratsuka-san is…..well naturally he is working from the standpoint of a good policeman, but it’s a role that makes you think…is he really a good person? He’s a good guy in the sense of catching the criminals, but from his thinking, he’s a bad guy. You don’t know what he’s really thinking about.
Katori: On set, I act out this role while thinking about things that can’t be said.
Yamashita: Eh~!
Katori: Surely what I’m thinking in my head is what Hiratsuka is thinking. He’s excited when he corners a criminal.
Yamashita: He doesn’t have any sympathy for the criminal at all.
Katori: Exactly. Sometimes I get that part wrong when I’m doing it. I start to sympathize with the criminal from the second half.
Yamashita: Yeah.
Katori: But Hiratsuka doesn’t sympathize. He enjoys the case. That’s why I think it’s hard for the guests to be involved with Hiratsuka Heihachi. According to Heihachi, everyone is a candidate for suspect. So normally when someone says “this person is so weird”, you hear “Oh really?”. But Heihachi reply is like “Hm?” “So?”, he smirks and ignore it. At this moment, the opposing actor would feel somewhat annoyed, “It’s hard being the opposing actors” “I think it’s hard if I did it myself”. I might have succeeded in playing Hiratsuka, but he’s a hateful guy.
Yamashita: That’s for sure! He’s really someone you don’t know what he’s thinking about.
Katori: Didn’t Hiratsuka say to Saionji, “We’re the strongest team”. Who does Yamashita want to form a team with?
Yamashita: A combination huh….
Katori: Have you ever thought “I want to team up with this person to do OO”….?
Yamashita: Well… Although a duo was formed with Katori-san in the drama already, I’m looking forward to working together in music too.
Katori: Indeed, who knew we would form a unit together!
Yamashita: Yeah.
Katori: The MONSTERS!
Yamashita: Not even in my wildest dream…
Katori: Single!
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: I want to continue on even after the drama finishes~.
Yamashita: Me too.
Katori: Not just during the drama.
Yamashita: Yes.
Katori: I wanted to say this before. Let’s write the next song too, it doesn’t have to be a drama theme song, and then announces it in some way or another, like “We wrote a song again”. What do you think?
Yamashita: Let’s definitely do it.
Katori: From the co-actors…..What do you think of Endo Kenichi?
Yamashita: Endo-san…
Katori: Your first time working together?
Yamashita: It’s my first time. Because Endo-san acts a lot of scary roles, so I thought he was scary in person. But after co-starring together, I found that he’s very playful.
Katori: Playful?
Yamashita: Yes. When he wants to do ad-lib, he always asks “What do you think about here? Do you think it’s good if I do this?”. His thinking is quite playful. “Is it ok if I put my face really close?” or “Is this action ok here?”. Even though he’s a big senpai, he still went out of his way to ask me, I was quite surprised.
Katori: That’s right. This is just my personal impression of him, but Endo-san gives people the image of being scary. And even when he puts in his ad-lib, it feels like he did it on his own accord…but in fact he would properly explain everything to us beforehand. He asked me too, “What do you think if I do this here?”, I replied, “It’s good”, he continued, “There’s also this version. Which one is better? What do you think?”, I replied, “This one is better”, then he’d smile happily and say, “I see~. OK let’s try it!”
Yamashita: (laughs) that’s exactly what happened! Its like “If we have an idea we should try it once”.
Katori: He would talk to us too.
Yamashita: He talked a lot with us and relieved the tension, he’s very kind.
Katori: How about the heroine?
Yamashita: The heroine….
Katori: Yanagihara Kanako.
Yamashita: We’re the same age.
Katori: Same age!?
Yamashita: Yeah. I asked her, “Where do you live?”, she replied, “I lived at OO with my father”, she’s a very loyal daughter. She’s very good and cute.
Katori: Seriously?
Yamashita: Yeah. I like her a lot.
Katori: What is this! Is this going to appear in the weekly magazine at around the 6th or 7th episode!?
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: For real? Yamashita and Kanagihara? I want to see that (laughs)
Yamashita: Ahahaha (laughs)
Yamashita: Katori-san, do you have any episodes with the co-stars?
Katori: Let’s see…. I’ve met quite a few of them a few times, but on the day that I have a lot of lines. When I was in the same studio with the guest from episode 1, Takeda Tetsuya, we greeted in the morning then separated. We met again in the afternoon in front of the studio, and I felt it was rude so I thought I should say something, but instead he said, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to talk. We can talk when you don’t have so many lines the next time we meet.”
Yamashita: I see.
Katori: But in the end there wasn’t any day where I have fewer lines, so we didn’t get to talk.
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: Because we hardly talk, on Kaneda-san’s last day, I bowed deeply to him and said, “I’m truly grateful.”
Yamashita: So that was what happened.
Katori: Up until now, is there any person that made you felt that they are a “monster”?
Yamashita: well…
Katori: My monster is Tanaka Kunie, an eternal monster. I really like him. When I co-starred with Kunie-san, I thought “This person is a monster”. In my own words, he’s a “sniper” (laughs).
Yamashita: As for me….Yamazaki Tsutomu is a “monster”. We co-starred in my first leading drama “Kurosagi” (2006 TBS), and he was really scary during our confronting scenes.
Katori: I see.
Yamashita: I was 21 at the time, of course Yamazaki-san’s role setting was scary to begin with, but I felt afraid of the role that Yamazaki-san acted. It was the first time I experienced that, I thought “This person is scary!”
Katori: His force is overwhelming?
Yamashita: Very. But he’s normally a very kind person.
Katori: Kunie-san…while we were filming on location at Shinjuku, he said “I’m going out for a meal”. It was noon time and there was so many people, so the staff tried to stop him saying that going out in his attire is not a good idea, but he replied, “I’ll go alone”, so the staff handed him his cap and said, “Kunie-san, you better put this on!”, he agreed, took the cap and went out. The staffs were quite worried when they saw him walked out of the building with the cap backwards (laughs). The staff’s suggestion was so that he could hide his face with the cap. So I think he is a “monster”……
Yamashita: He’s really a “monster” (laughs)
Katori: Is there any monster from the guests this time?
Yamashita: Well… It would be Takeda Tetsuya-san. I don’t know how to explain it, “He has a composure that I have never seen before”……
Katori: (laughs)
Yamashita: His standing behaviour is like he knows everything. The camera, the lighting, the Takeda-san with the composure that he considered about everything makes me feel that he is a “monster”.
Katori: Kaneda-san. When we had our first scene, he said the lines “Well, I… (Doing an imitation)”, I thought “As expected of Kaneda Tetsuya!” (laughs)
Yamashita: Like “Ah I heard of this voice before” (laughs)
Katori: I was glad.
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: A lot of guests appear in this drama, it feels good to create one drama together.
Yamashita: That’s right. We can enjoy every episode.
Katori: It’s interesting.
Yamashita: It is. The way the staff put in their fighting spirit is abnormal!
Katori: Un.
Yamashita: Even though they probably didn’t have much sleep and are exhausted, they don’t compromise at all. Seeing that also boost my morale, it’s a good synergistic effect. And there’s also the strongest “monster” who memorizes a lot of lines.
Katori: fufufu.
Yamashita: Katori-san is amazing.
Katori: fufufu.
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: The guests, the 1st episode about large conglomerates, 2nd episode about politicians, 3rd episode about novelists, 4th episode about doctors….I want to watch this drama! Someone quickly film it!! (laughs)
Katori: What hopes do you have for Hiratsuka Heihachi and Katori Shingo?
Yamashita: What do I expect? As for Hiratsuka Heihachi, of course I hope he can solves all the cases, and I hope to know why and how he became that character, I want to know his background.
Katori: How far will they reveal?
Yamashita: He is quite unique in a lot of sense. I think surely something happened in his past, I want to know what it is.
Katori: We don’t know anything about his past, present, and what he is aiming for as a detective.
Yamashita: Exactly.
Katori: I wasn’t informed on anything (laughs). Then what about your hopes for Katori Shingo?
Yamashita: Hm….When I’m watching Katori-san’s work as an viewer, saying this might sound disrespectful, but I got the image that you’re doing what everybody hope you would be doing, and letting them see what they want to see. In fact, it would be great if we can see something that, in a good sense, betrays the professional part of Katori Shingo as a person and what everyone demands from Katori Shingo in SMAP.
Katori: Hm~. A good sense of betrayal……
Yamashita: Yes. In my mind there’s also the “mischievous Katori-san”, I want to see bad guy Katori-san too.
Katori: You’re right. When we’re working together so much, now and then we get a glimpse of these parts, the parts that are not on the surface.
Yamashita: Yes (laughs). If Katori-san’s Hiratsuka part comes out…..
Katori: Does Yamashita really want to show to the audience that side of me? You really want to see it?
Yamashita: I really want to (laughs)
Katori: Usually I’m like this right (soulless expression)
Yamashita: That’s just having not enough sleep (laughs)
Katori: At that time my voice is also like this, (In a subdued voice) “Ah… … Yes? I got it”
Yamashita: I have never seen this before… (laughs)
Katori: (laughs) My hopes for Saionji is for him to discover what is a “monster” through this drama. I want Saionji to see various “monsters” and become a “monster”, making Hiratsuka fearful of Saionji.
Yamashita: I see!
Katori: My expectations for Yamashita is….although there might be parts that are difficult as it’s different from all the dramas until now, but I hope when you’re finished, you will feel “It was so much fun” “I want to do more of this kind of drama.”
Yamashita: I do think that way. I’m already starting to feel “Every day is fun!!” “Work is so fun!!”.
Katori: I once had such a time before (laughs)
Yamashita: (laughs)
Katori: But it has only just begun. Let’s run till the end!
Yamashita: Please do! Thank you!
Katori: Thank you! Let’s do our best!
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