INFINITE Haru*Hana Magazine Interview
They arrive with a new style called limited rental singles!
Making their debut in Korea with the song “Come Back Again” with a mix of the memorable guitar replay and digital sound, INFINITE garnered attention for a “stylish song that didn’t seem idol-like.” They have for 4 months released continuously limited rental singles in Japan!
● The term “limited rental single” is the style you guys are approaching with your debut in Japan nearing. How do you feel?
- Woohyun: Honestly, we didn’t know either. In Korea, there’s no shops like TSUTAYA, so the feelings are fascinating.
- Dongwoo: But being the firsts to attempt with that approach in that rental shop made us extremely happy.
[*T/N: Tsutaya is a rental shop in Japan where you can rent DVDs/CDs and I believe that Infinite is the first Korean group to take this approach in putting out their albums for rentals.]
● INFINITE is known for their uniformity in their choreographies. How long did you practice?
- Dongwoo: It varies on the day, but it’s often that we practice from the middle of the night till dawn.
- Hoya: To see if our choreography is perfect, we record it on tape to check. We replay it over and practice the parts in having our hands or feet be in the same direction.
● What do you think is INFINITE’s charms?
- Dongwoo: All the members’ distinct characters are everywhere (^^)
- Sunggyu: We goof around but when we dress up, our attentions are focused and we work hard. In that case, I think that image of us can also be a charm.
● You’re under the same company as Epik High. Are there any advice your seniors Epik High gave you in advancing to Japan?
- Sunggyu: Our seniors are currently serving in the military, so we don’t get to see them often but… When there’s time, they come over to our dorm and give us various advice over drinks in a light atmosphere.
- Woohyun: Our seniors always tell us, “No matter how tiring and difficult it mayget, don’t forget to enjoy music.” We are never forgetting these words and we want to work hard.
● All the members are living in dorms, correct? How do you share the rooms?
- Sunggyu: I share the same room as Woohyun. We’re the “main vocal” team.
- L: Dongwoo hyung and I share a room.
- Sungjong: Sungyeol hyung, Hoya hyung, and I share a room. We’re the bed team. (^^)
- Sunggyu: The other two rooms use blankets.
- Dongwoo: L and I sleep on a mattress.
- L: Dongwoo hyung collects stuffed animals, so there’s a lot piled on top of the mattress. It’s already crowded enough and the space for me to sleep is getting smaller. (^^)
● On April 2nd in Japan, you will open a showcase. Do you have any desires or mind-sets of it?
- Sunggyu: It’s the first time showing a performance in Japan, so we want to show our all!
- Hoya: We want to meet our fans who’ve waited for us in a good image.
- L: We will work hard in showing the best stage for a group!
- Sungyeol: This is my first time going to Japan, so I’m really anticipating it.
- Sungjong: I want to eat lots of delicious foods. (^^)
[Sunggyu]
Part: Leader, vocal
Date of Birth: April 28, 1989
Blood type: A
Height: 178cm
Hobby: Listening to music, singing, reading
Specialty: Impersonating NELL, speaking Chinese
Questions for Sunggyu!
Q. What did you learn recently in Japanese?
A. Food!
Q. A drama or movie you like?
A. The movie ”Tazza (War of Flowers).“ I was in awe by the protagonist, actor Jo Seung Woo’s acting.
Q. Your ideal type?
A. A cute and sexy type.
Q. A message to your Japanese fans.
A. I am anticipating the day I meet you all. We will work hard in always being an awesome INFINITE. I love you all!
[L]
Part: Vocal
Date of Birth: March 13, 1992
Blood type: O
Height: 178cm
Hobby: Reading comic books, cooking, fashion
Specialty: Photography, acting
Questions for L!
Q. What did you learn recently in Japanese?
A. My heart is going pit pat.
Q. A drama or movie you like?
A. The movie “Ahjussi (That Man)”. You can feel the charisma just from seeing the facial expression of Won Bin.
Q. Your ideal type?
A. Someone with long, wavy hair.
Q. A message to your Japanese fans.
A. I love you~ MY LOVE IS INFINITE!!
[Dongwoo]
Part: Rap
Date of Birth: November 22, 1990
Blood type: A
Height: 175cm
Hobby: Skateboard, snowboard, playing the Patica
Specialty: Vocal Percussion, Dance
Questions for Dongwoo!
Q. What did you learn recently in Japanese?
A. Pirate~
Q. A drama or movie you like?
A. Drama “Full House”. The movie “To Home.” I was really touched. (ㅠ_ㅠ)
Q. Your ideal type?
A. Someone who fits with my personality.
Q. A message to your Japanese fans.
A. Anticipate our greatest stage performance! We’re going soon~
[Woohyun]
Part: Vocal
Date of Birth: February 8. 1991
Blood type: B
Height: 176cm
Hobby: Weight training, ski, tennis
Specialty: Cooking, doing impersonations
Questions for Woohyun!
Q. What did you learn recently in Japanese?
A. Ikemen イケメン (A good-looking guy)
Q. A drama or movie you like?
A. Lately, I’ve been into dating movies. I was touched after seeing “A Secret I Can’t Tell.” I felt through the movie that love can be possible through music.
Q. Your ideal type?
A. Someone who likes me and has aegyo.
Q. A message to your Japanese fans.
A. I want to meet you soon~ This message will be plentiful enough~ I love you all!!
[Sungyeol]
Part: Vocal
Date of Birth: August 27. 1991
Blood type: B
Height: 180cm
Hobby: Reading, surfing on the internet
Specialty: Acting, rapping
Questions for Sungyeol!
Q. What did you learn recently in Japanese?
A. Self-introduction
Q. A drama or movie you like?
A. The Japanese drama “Hana Yori Dango.” I like Oguri Shun.
Q. Your ideal type?
A. Someone who is laid-back and cute.
Q. A message to your Japanese fans.
A. In our April showcase, I’m nervous as it being my first time going to Japan. I want to meet you all soon~
[Hoya]
Part: Rap, vocal
Date of Birth: March 28, 1991
Blood type: AB
Height: 178cm
Hobby: Directing choreographies, dancing
Specialty: Taekwondo 3rd rank
Questions for Hoya!
Q. What did you learn recently in Japanese?
A. My heart is going pit pat.
Q. A drama or movie you like?
A. Movies like “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings.” I like fantasy movies.
Q. Your ideal type?
A. A tennenboke (天然ボケ) type of person.
*Definition of tennenboke:
A person who doesn’t have their basics established and acts oddly (sometimes stupidly) like it’s nothing. To put it simply, someone who has a slight dumb side and is odd, but it’s not dislikable and appears lovely? Something like that keke
Q. A message to your Japanese fans.
A. There’s not a lot of time left^^ I want to hurry and meet you all! I love you all~
[Sungjong]
Part: Vocal
Date of Birth: September 3, 1993
Blood type: A
Height: 177cm
Hobby: Collecting Bearbricks
Specialty: Dance
Questions for Sungjong!
Q. What did you learn recently in Japanese?
A. Hiragana ひらがな (Japanese alphabet/writing system for native words)
Q. A drama or movie you like?
A. The drama “Stairway to Heaven.” I cried a lot.
Q. Your ideal type?
A. Someone who is chubby and cute.
Q. A message to your Japanese fans.
A. We hope for much cheering and support at our Japan showcase. I love you all! Come see us, everyone.
trans. cr; jiwon @ infinite updates ; take out will full credits