Potato 2015.09: crosstalk
Note that I am self-taught, and not a native Japanese speaker. There may be errors. Feel free to share, but please don’t claim this as your own translation. Corrections are welcome.
The topic of this crosstalk was words that have left an impression on them. It's quite a long crosstalk with some really interesting parts. Enjoy!
Kamiyama fully reproduces his legendary speech in the magazine!
Hamada: It left an impression on me, comparing the fans to "sunflowers" and things like that!
Nakama: It's legendary. It's what Kami-chan says in the final greeting in the concerts!
Hamada: Kami-chan compares the fans to things like sunflowers or rice.
Kiriyama: Eh? Potato-san, did you not know about this legend? That's unfortunate (laughs).
Hamada: But it's good that you got to know it today.
Kotaki: It's not if the fans were sunflowers, it's if we were sunflowers.
Nakama: Kami-chan, explain it!
Kamiyama: (in a cool fashion) Is it filming?
Hamada: Wait a second. Okay, (camera) begin~.
Kamiyama: I'm going to do a comparison here. If we were sunflowers, dreams were the sun, and all of the fans were the soil and water, air, etc., things that would nourish the sunflower. At the beginning, sunflowers are this liiittle tiny seed. Those seeds were planted when we entered Johnny's. We received a lot of love from the fans, debuted on April 23, and at that point we sprouted. We were still little buds though. But sunflowers always grow while looking towards the sun. This tiny seed becomes such a big flower. From now on we'll receive more nourishment from fans in the form of love, grow more and more, and think "we want to become big idols."
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Clap clap clap (applause)
Kotaki: And then, and then? As grains?
Kamiyama: I'm going to do a comparison here. If we were grains. People eat a lot of things to live. Like meat, fish, and vegetables.
Shigeoka: Is there a pillow?
Nakama: Shigeoka started sleeping (laughs)
Kamiyama: (completely ignores) But they always eat grains. It's a staple. In addition, cooked meat is still meat. Cooked fish is still fish. Even with dressing on vegetables they're still vegetables. But grains can become bread. It can become mochi. And it easily becomes rice.
Nakama: (in a subdued voice) That's what rice is.
Kiriyama: Well, that's rice...
Kamiyama: (completely ignores) If it becomes ochazuke then it's also ochazuke. We want to be idols that become many things, like grain does. Cool idols, cute idols. Or a mysterious kind of feeling. We want to become everyone's staple food by showing various sides of Johnny's WEST.
Hamada: Thank you very much!
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Clap clap clap (applause)
Kiriyama: Wow that was amazing. It resonates~.
Kamiyama: While listening to those words, someone fell asleep (laughs)
Shigeoka: (sleepily) No, it resonated~.
Kotaki: Rather than resonate, it permeates into your mind.
Kiriyama: Write this down properly, because Kami-chan doesn't usually talk this much.
Kamiyama: I think it'll be tough to transcribe this from the tape, but please leak it word for word (laughs)
Hamada: That's right. Because Kami-chan went through the effort to talk about rice spoons.
Kamiyama: No no no. I didn't talk about rice spoons.
Hamada: Rice spoons come with a grain of rice right? (laughs)
Kamiyama: You'd normally wash that off into the water.
Nakama: Long. Your tsukkomi is long.
Hamada: Anyway, those were the words that have left an impression on me.
Nakama: It's memorable.
Kiriyama: It's top prize, really.
Nakama: There was a moment where all of the members on stage had an expression like "oh?"
Kamiyama: I remember that as an unexpected moment. Before the real performance, I said I'd try to do a comparison.
Fujii: But at that time we didn't think it'd turn into such a joke.
Kamiyama: I said it seriously. I also said it seriously just now.
Fujii: Everyone crying into their towels, that kind of feeling?
Kamiyama: Yeah. Like "wouldn't it be good if it became a motto that resonates within everyone's minds."
Shigeoka: Your motto is way too long.
Fujii: At first we thought you were saying something good, but when we listened properly, we were like "oh..." (tension lowers)
Kotaki: The guests also went "oh..." (tension lowers) at the same time as us. It got noisy (laughs).
Kamiyama: Why!!
Hamada: However many performances we had is also however many times he said it.
Fujii: Perhaps the people who came to see the show many times also thought "this story again" (laughs).
Kiriyama: At the end, we even asked him to do it.
Hamada: Yeah, we were like "today, the talk about rice isn't happening today?" (laughs)
Shigeoka: This happened during our debut show, "Naniwa Samurai Hello Tokyo!!". The time we had to change was tight. Because at the end there's a part where we individually come forward to greet everyone that's connected. During that time, because Kami-chan said the speech comparing us to sunflowers for a really long time, we could take our time getting changed. But because we kept making fun of him during the performances, Kami-chan suddenly stopped doing that speech. So we were all in a huge rush (laughs).
Kiriyama: "Hurry up and change! Kami-chan didn't talk about sunflowers!" (laughs)
Hamada: Even the costume staff were like "huh? Today, there's no sunflower?" (laughs)
Fujii: The sunflower speech was long.
Kotaki: Yeah, I had two minutes.
Nakama: Ah, I miss that.
Fujii: Because we're talking about Kami-chan talking for a long time, Kami-chan will end up becoming that way as a result.
Kiriyama: Because it's Kami-chan's manly spirit, it's amusing. A good feeling.
Fujii: Though they can also be jokes, his good stories are good stories.
Kiriyama: Other than the sunflower and rice ones, there were the "doing various challenges" ones.
Hamada: Like the water and oil one.
Kotaki: There was, there was.
Kamiyama: Hm? Water and oil??
Hamada: The person who did it forgot (laughs).
Kamiyama: Yeah, I don't remember.
Fujii: If you think about it properly, sunflowers make sense, but grain doesn't.
Kamiyama: Why. Grain also makes sense. It has a variety of shapes.
Fujii: With sunflowers, comparisons like seeds and fertilizer make sense, but with grain, when you said "also ochazuke" the reactions were like "eh, ochazuke?" (laughs).
Shigeoka: While you're listening, gradually, you can't tell whether it's going to become serious or a boke.
Hamada: I have an impression left over from Kami-chan's talk about sunflowers, but other than those words, I don't remember anything else to be honest (laughs).
Kamiyama: Hm, well, it's okay that you don't remember. As long as there's even one part that's remembered by someone.
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Hahahahaha (loud laughter)
Kiriyama: Very cool!
Nakama: You're cool, senpai!
Hamada: Senpai, I only remember the words about sunflowers though...
Kamiyama: Yeah, that's fine! Just remembering the sunflowers is enough (laughs).
Fujii: In these circumstances, maybe Gakken-san will let you do an essay series.
[t/n: Gakken is the publisher of Potato]
Kiriyama: They definitely will.
Fujii: Essays that compare various things (laughs).
Kotaki: "Kamiyama damono". That'll be the title of the book.
Kamiyama: Hahaha. From Aida Mitsuo-san's "Ningen damono"?
[t/n: this title has been translated as "Because I'm Human" so Kamiyama's presumably would be "Because I'm Kamiyama"]
Kotaki: Finally, you'll write "Tomowo" in hiragana.
[t/n: Aida Mitsuo ended up changing to write his first name in hiragana]
Kamiyama: My name doesn't have "wo" in it!
Words from Matchy-san and TOKIO-san that have resonated
Shigeoka: Then, how about words from senpai that have left an impression? For me, it's Matchy (Kondo Masahiko)-san. Last year's "FNS Music Festival" when we did a huge medley for his 35th anniversary, Matchy-san gathered all of the talents before the program and told us "thank you for gathering for my 35th anniversary. I've done singing and dancing and plays, but the only way to live is in a cool fashion, so watch properly".
Everyone besides Shigeoka: Ohh.
Nakama: He did say that. It was passionate.
Shigeoka: When I heard that, I thought (appreciatively) "how cool".
Kotaki: For me, it's when we appeared on "TOKIO Kakeru" and they told us about their dissolution crisis. I remember it even now, they said something that made my chest go numb. (imitates Matsuoka Masahiro's tone) "there will definitely be cracks. Because everyone is different. But working to repair that is important".
Nakama: TOKIO-san has been around for 20 years?
Hamada: That's amazing...
Fujii: They said "quitting is the easiest thing to do".
Kotaki: Yeah. They said "disbanding is the easiest path".
Hamada: That's true.
Fujii: And they said "continuing is the hardest".
Nakama: I've also often been told things like that from senpai. Yokoyama (Yu)-kun also said that. When I thought "maybe I'll quit" and I went to him and Matsuoka-kun for advice, they both told me the same thing, and I ended up staying. After all, because a senpai's words are persuasive, it really resounds.
Shigeoka: That's true. Because our senpai have walked the same Johnny's path as us, they understand and know the circumstances.
Kiriyama: By the way, besides Kami-chan, I'm sure Hama-chan has other good things he's been told.
Hamada: That's true. I have one. During "Johnny's Countdown Live," in the dressing room there was Takizawa (Hideaki)-kun, and Kisumai, and A.B.C-Z. We were still Kansai juniors. Tsuka-chan (Tsukada Ryoichi) was being hit by Takizawa-kun, he was hit for various things, which weren't funny at all (laughs). He was really accepting them. In the middle of that, he said "okay, Hama-chan" and came to me next, though I hit him, nothing funny came out. When Tsuka-chan was leaving he said "if you have a character that people make fun of but you can't take it, it's going to be over for you".
Nakama: Heh, that's cool!
Kiriyama: Seriously, Tsuka-chan!
Hamada: Right? That's cool right?
Fujii: Tsuka-chan has said a lot of things about Hama-chan.
Hamada: Yeah, they're all published insults (laughs).
Fujii: (imitating Tsuka-chan's talking) "of course there's nothing interesting about Hama-chan" (laughs).
Nakama: (in the same voice) "No matter how hard he tries he won't have results. That's Hama-chan!"
Hamada: (in a loud voice) Hahahahahaha!
Shigeoka: From there, if you're hit you'd definitely do anything?
Hamada: Yeah. I thought "I see, this person (Tsukada) is living like this".
Fujii: But, while you'd get mad at other people if they said those things, when Tsuka-chan says them you don't get mad at all.
Hamada: That's true!
Kamiyama: Because there's no malice.
Shigeoka: Tsuka-chan is running at the front of "that path".
Hamada: I think that's amazing. Hearing those words from Tsuka-chan, I thought I also want to be able to say a few good things. Like how the words from Tsuka-chan resonated, I want to start saying things that will resonate too.
Fujii: Me too, though they're simple words, Tsuka-chan told me something that remains in my mind. When the two of us went out for karaoke, he even sang and danced female idol group songs with all his strength, like he showed off on "Out x Deluxe". Normally, when it's not the real performance, you reserve your power a bit. But he really put in all his effort.
Nakama: Seriously? That's amazing.
Fujii: When I told him, "it was a lot of fun. Thank you very much", he said "if you don't always do everything with your full effort, it's useless!" and those words resonated. Though Tsuka-chan himself wouldn't say that he said a good thing.
Hamada: Tsukada Ryoichi...
Shigeoka: As expected Tsuka-chan's actions are also accompanied by his words.
Kiriyama: He's a genius. It feels like you can't win against Tsuka-chan.
Nakama: Yeah. That's true.
Hamada: On the other hand, does anyone have words that hurt them? For me, when we were filming our first PV "Eejanaika", because I was nervous I had a lot of comments saying I needed to retake. Then, after it ended, the staff told me "Hama-chan, "you're definitely the type that will feel bad about this when you see it years later".
Nakama: It wasn't funny? (laughs)
Hamada: The staff were laughing a lot, but when I heard that I was really depressed (laughs).
Nakama: Even though you worked so hard on it (laughs).
Hamada: Yup. I was hurt (laughs).
Kiriyama: For me, even if I'm hurt, when it becomes the next day I've forgotten about it.
Hamada: In a sense, that's also a wise saying.
Kiriyama: Ah, I have one. I was talking with Kotaki about how "somehow I do all of my skills halfway", in a joking manner. When I said "I do make small things, but for example I can make comments halfway, and I can sing halfway. I want to reach the 100-point line, but everything I do is at the 50-point line", Kotaki said "well, the things you can do halfway are the most dangerous after all" (laughs).
Kotaki: That happened huh. When was that, I wonder. But I also do things halfway, everything from acting to dancing to singing.
Kiriyama:Yeah. With that halfway feeling we were talking like "That's no good for us. Doing everything halfway is dangerous."
Nakama: While jabbing at each other? (laughs)
Kotaki: Yeah, super famous people don't do things halfway after all. It's either 0 or 100.
Kamiyama: For me, it's the words of a girl that would make me happy but break my heart.
Shigeoka: Eh, like both meanings?
Kamiyama: Yeah. Words like "at that time, I liked you".
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Ahhh... (agreement)
Kamiyama: I'd be momentarily happy but I'd think "that was in the past..."
Hamada: It's like that.
Shigeoka: You're happy but?
Kamiyama: That was in the past (laughs).
Kotaki: You have expectations but?
Kamiyama: That was in the past (laughs).
Kiriyama: Ah, mine's a similar feeling but it's "you're really a Johnny's".
Everyone besides Kiriyama: Ahhh (agreement).
Kiriyama: When a girl says that, I'm glad that they recognize I'm in Johnny's, but I'm also not.
Kotaki: It's quite difficult.
Kiriyama: I'm glad they recognize me, but we definitely can't develop a romance.
Nakama: Yeah, we definitely can't. And the other party can't look at us because we're already Johnny's.
Kotaki: It creates a separated feeling.
Kiriyama: Well, that's the fate of an idol.
Hamada: After that would be? People saying "you're really horse-like"?
Kiriyama: That's only you! (laughs).
Shigeoka: Words are really complicated.
Kiriyama: What are the words that are special to Johnny's WEST? If you were to ask me that, it's only that. "are you fired up? It's up to us!"
[t/n: the phrase is 盛り上がれんのか？俺ら次第や!="moriagaren no ka? orera shidai ya!" which, in マ・ル・モ・ウ・ケ, is at the end of Shige's spoken part at the bridge]
Nakama: Ever since we were juniors we would say this every time before a live. We'd enter yelling it.
Kiriyama: In the past, we would call "are you fired up". And then the staff would tell us "that's up to you guys" (laughs). "Ah, that's true", we'd think.
Nakama: Yeah. It was definitely like that.
Kiriyama: So then the call out changed to "let's get fired up together!" (laughs).
Kotaki: If someone were to ask me, "what kind of group is Johnny's WEST?" I'd reply "a zoo".
Kamiyama: Well, for me, I'd say "a toy box".
Shigeoka: Well, for me, "an amusement park".
Fujii: Me me! "A stew".
Kiriyama: "An idol group that's close to everyone" in a good way.
Nakama: Mine also has a close meaning, "nearby older brothers"
Kiriyama: That's good! Last of all, Hama-chan.
Hamada: A rough...
Nakama: Eh, rough day? (laughs)
[t/n: Hamada said ラフで = "rafu de"]
Hamada: "Rough... people". Hm, it didn't come out properly? (laughs)
Translated using scans from yoshiko_mama
The topic of this crosstalk was words that have left an impression on them. It's quite a long crosstalk with some really interesting parts. Enjoy!
Kamiyama fully reproduces his legendary speech in the magazine!
Hamada: It left an impression on me, comparing the fans to "sunflowers" and things like that!
Nakama: It's legendary. It's what Kami-chan says in the final greeting in the concerts!
Hamada: Kami-chan compares the fans to things like sunflowers or rice.
Kiriyama: Eh? Potato-san, did you not know about this legend? That's unfortunate (laughs).
Hamada: But it's good that you got to know it today.
Kotaki: It's not if the fans were sunflowers, it's if we were sunflowers.
Nakama: Kami-chan, explain it!
Kamiyama: (in a cool fashion) Is it filming?
Hamada: Wait a second. Okay, (camera) begin~.
Kamiyama: I'm going to do a comparison here. If we were sunflowers, dreams were the sun, and all of the fans were the soil and water, air, etc., things that would nourish the sunflower. At the beginning, sunflowers are this liiittle tiny seed. Those seeds were planted when we entered Johnny's. We received a lot of love from the fans, debuted on April 23, and at that point we sprouted. We were still little buds though. But sunflowers always grow while looking towards the sun. This tiny seed becomes such a big flower. From now on we'll receive more nourishment from fans in the form of love, grow more and more, and think "we want to become big idols."
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Clap clap clap (applause)
Kotaki: And then, and then? As grains?
Kamiyama: I'm going to do a comparison here. If we were grains. People eat a lot of things to live. Like meat, fish, and vegetables.
Shigeoka: Is there a pillow?
Nakama: Shigeoka started sleeping (laughs)
Kamiyama: (completely ignores) But they always eat grains. It's a staple. In addition, cooked meat is still meat. Cooked fish is still fish. Even with dressing on vegetables they're still vegetables. But grains can become bread. It can become mochi. And it easily becomes rice.
Nakama: (in a subdued voice) That's what rice is.
Kiriyama: Well, that's rice...
Kamiyama: (completely ignores) If it becomes ochazuke then it's also ochazuke. We want to be idols that become many things, like grain does. Cool idols, cute idols. Or a mysterious kind of feeling. We want to become everyone's staple food by showing various sides of Johnny's WEST.
Hamada: Thank you very much!
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Clap clap clap (applause)
Kiriyama: Wow that was amazing. It resonates~.
Kamiyama: While listening to those words, someone fell asleep (laughs)
Shigeoka: (sleepily) No, it resonated~.
Kotaki: Rather than resonate, it permeates into your mind.
Kiriyama: Write this down properly, because Kami-chan doesn't usually talk this much.
Kamiyama: I think it'll be tough to transcribe this from the tape, but please leak it word for word (laughs)
Hamada: That's right. Because Kami-chan went through the effort to talk about rice spoons.
Kamiyama: No no no. I didn't talk about rice spoons.
Hamada: Rice spoons come with a grain of rice right? (laughs)
Kamiyama: You'd normally wash that off into the water.
Nakama: Long. Your tsukkomi is long.
Hamada: Anyway, those were the words that have left an impression on me.
Nakama: It's memorable.
Kiriyama: It's top prize, really.
Nakama: There was a moment where all of the members on stage had an expression like "oh?"
Kamiyama: I remember that as an unexpected moment. Before the real performance, I said I'd try to do a comparison.
Fujii: But at that time we didn't think it'd turn into such a joke.
Kamiyama: I said it seriously. I also said it seriously just now.
Fujii: Everyone crying into their towels, that kind of feeling?
Kamiyama: Yeah. Like "wouldn't it be good if it became a motto that resonates within everyone's minds."
Shigeoka: Your motto is way too long.
Fujii: At first we thought you were saying something good, but when we listened properly, we were like "oh..." (tension lowers)
Kotaki: The guests also went "oh..." (tension lowers) at the same time as us. It got noisy (laughs).
Kamiyama: Why!!
Hamada: However many performances we had is also however many times he said it.
Fujii: Perhaps the people who came to see the show many times also thought "this story again" (laughs).
Kiriyama: At the end, we even asked him to do it.
Hamada: Yeah, we were like "today, the talk about rice isn't happening today?" (laughs)
Shigeoka: This happened during our debut show, "Naniwa Samurai Hello Tokyo!!". The time we had to change was tight. Because at the end there's a part where we individually come forward to greet everyone that's connected. During that time, because Kami-chan said the speech comparing us to sunflowers for a really long time, we could take our time getting changed. But because we kept making fun of him during the performances, Kami-chan suddenly stopped doing that speech. So we were all in a huge rush (laughs).
Kiriyama: "Hurry up and change! Kami-chan didn't talk about sunflowers!" (laughs)
Hamada: Even the costume staff were like "huh? Today, there's no sunflower?" (laughs)
Fujii: The sunflower speech was long.
Kotaki: Yeah, I had two minutes.
Nakama: Ah, I miss that.
Fujii: Because we're talking about Kami-chan talking for a long time, Kami-chan will end up becoming that way as a result.
Kiriyama: Because it's Kami-chan's manly spirit, it's amusing. A good feeling.
Fujii: Though they can also be jokes, his good stories are good stories.
Kiriyama: Other than the sunflower and rice ones, there were the "doing various challenges" ones.
Hamada: Like the water and oil one.
Kotaki: There was, there was.
Kamiyama: Hm? Water and oil??
Hamada: The person who did it forgot (laughs).
Kamiyama: Yeah, I don't remember.
Fujii: If you think about it properly, sunflowers make sense, but grain doesn't.
Kamiyama: Why. Grain also makes sense. It has a variety of shapes.
Fujii: With sunflowers, comparisons like seeds and fertilizer make sense, but with grain, when you said "also ochazuke" the reactions were like "eh, ochazuke?" (laughs).
Shigeoka: While you're listening, gradually, you can't tell whether it's going to become serious or a boke.
Hamada: I have an impression left over from Kami-chan's talk about sunflowers, but other than those words, I don't remember anything else to be honest (laughs).
Kamiyama: Hm, well, it's okay that you don't remember. As long as there's even one part that's remembered by someone.
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Hahahahaha (loud laughter)
Kiriyama: Very cool!
Nakama: You're cool, senpai!
Hamada: Senpai, I only remember the words about sunflowers though...
Kamiyama: Yeah, that's fine! Just remembering the sunflowers is enough (laughs).
Fujii: In these circumstances, maybe Gakken-san will let you do an essay series.
[t/n: Gakken is the publisher of Potato]
Kiriyama: They definitely will.
Fujii: Essays that compare various things (laughs).
Kotaki: "Kamiyama damono". That'll be the title of the book.
Kamiyama: Hahaha. From Aida Mitsuo-san's "Ningen damono"?
[t/n: this title has been translated as "Because I'm Human" so Kamiyama's presumably would be "Because I'm Kamiyama"]
Kotaki: Finally, you'll write "Tomowo" in hiragana.
[t/n: Aida Mitsuo ended up changing to write his first name in hiragana]
Kamiyama: My name doesn't have "wo" in it!
Words from Matchy-san and TOKIO-san that have resonated
Shigeoka: Then, how about words from senpai that have left an impression? For me, it's Matchy (Kondo Masahiko)-san. Last year's "FNS Music Festival" when we did a huge medley for his 35th anniversary, Matchy-san gathered all of the talents before the program and told us "thank you for gathering for my 35th anniversary. I've done singing and dancing and plays, but the only way to live is in a cool fashion, so watch properly".
Everyone besides Shigeoka: Ohh.
Nakama: He did say that. It was passionate.
Shigeoka: When I heard that, I thought (appreciatively) "how cool".
Kotaki: For me, it's when we appeared on "TOKIO Kakeru" and they told us about their dissolution crisis. I remember it even now, they said something that made my chest go numb. (imitates Matsuoka Masahiro's tone) "there will definitely be cracks. Because everyone is different. But working to repair that is important".
Nakama: TOKIO-san has been around for 20 years?
Hamada: That's amazing...
Fujii: They said "quitting is the easiest thing to do".
Kotaki: Yeah. They said "disbanding is the easiest path".
Hamada: That's true.
Fujii: And they said "continuing is the hardest".
Nakama: I've also often been told things like that from senpai. Yokoyama (Yu)-kun also said that. When I thought "maybe I'll quit" and I went to him and Matsuoka-kun for advice, they both told me the same thing, and I ended up staying. After all, because a senpai's words are persuasive, it really resounds.
Shigeoka: That's true. Because our senpai have walked the same Johnny's path as us, they understand and know the circumstances.
Kiriyama: By the way, besides Kami-chan, I'm sure Hama-chan has other good things he's been told.
Hamada: That's true. I have one. During "Johnny's Countdown Live," in the dressing room there was Takizawa (Hideaki)-kun, and Kisumai, and A.B.C-Z. We were still Kansai juniors. Tsuka-chan (Tsukada Ryoichi) was being hit by Takizawa-kun, he was hit for various things, which weren't funny at all (laughs). He was really accepting them. In the middle of that, he said "okay, Hama-chan" and came to me next, though I hit him, nothing funny came out. When Tsuka-chan was leaving he said "if you have a character that people make fun of but you can't take it, it's going to be over for you".
Nakama: Heh, that's cool!
Kiriyama: Seriously, Tsuka-chan!
Hamada: Right? That's cool right?
Fujii: Tsuka-chan has said a lot of things about Hama-chan.
Hamada: Yeah, they're all published insults (laughs).
Fujii: (imitating Tsuka-chan's talking) "of course there's nothing interesting about Hama-chan" (laughs).
Nakama: (in the same voice) "No matter how hard he tries he won't have results. That's Hama-chan!"
Hamada: (in a loud voice) Hahahahahaha!
Shigeoka: From there, if you're hit you'd definitely do anything?
Hamada: Yeah. I thought "I see, this person (Tsukada) is living like this".
Fujii: But, while you'd get mad at other people if they said those things, when Tsuka-chan says them you don't get mad at all.
Hamada: That's true!
Kamiyama: Because there's no malice.
Shigeoka: Tsuka-chan is running at the front of "that path".
Hamada: I think that's amazing. Hearing those words from Tsuka-chan, I thought I also want to be able to say a few good things. Like how the words from Tsuka-chan resonated, I want to start saying things that will resonate too.
Fujii: Me too, though they're simple words, Tsuka-chan told me something that remains in my mind. When the two of us went out for karaoke, he even sang and danced female idol group songs with all his strength, like he showed off on "Out x Deluxe". Normally, when it's not the real performance, you reserve your power a bit. But he really put in all his effort.
Nakama: Seriously? That's amazing.
Fujii: When I told him, "it was a lot of fun. Thank you very much", he said "if you don't always do everything with your full effort, it's useless!" and those words resonated. Though Tsuka-chan himself wouldn't say that he said a good thing.
Hamada: Tsukada Ryoichi...
Shigeoka: As expected Tsuka-chan's actions are also accompanied by his words.
Kiriyama: He's a genius. It feels like you can't win against Tsuka-chan.
Nakama: Yeah. That's true.
Hamada: On the other hand, does anyone have words that hurt them? For me, when we were filming our first PV "Eejanaika", because I was nervous I had a lot of comments saying I needed to retake. Then, after it ended, the staff told me "Hama-chan, "you're definitely the type that will feel bad about this when you see it years later".
Nakama: It wasn't funny? (laughs)
Hamada: The staff were laughing a lot, but when I heard that I was really depressed (laughs).
Nakama: Even though you worked so hard on it (laughs).
Hamada: Yup. I was hurt (laughs).
Kiriyama: For me, even if I'm hurt, when it becomes the next day I've forgotten about it.
Hamada: In a sense, that's also a wise saying.
Kiriyama: Ah, I have one. I was talking with Kotaki about how "somehow I do all of my skills halfway", in a joking manner. When I said "I do make small things, but for example I can make comments halfway, and I can sing halfway. I want to reach the 100-point line, but everything I do is at the 50-point line", Kotaki said "well, the things you can do halfway are the most dangerous after all" (laughs).
Kotaki: That happened huh. When was that, I wonder. But I also do things halfway, everything from acting to dancing to singing.
Kiriyama:Yeah. With that halfway feeling we were talking like "That's no good for us. Doing everything halfway is dangerous."
Nakama: While jabbing at each other? (laughs)
Kotaki: Yeah, super famous people don't do things halfway after all. It's either 0 or 100.
Kamiyama: For me, it's the words of a girl that would make me happy but break my heart.
Shigeoka: Eh, like both meanings?
Kamiyama: Yeah. Words like "at that time, I liked you".
Everyone besides Kamiyama: Ahhh... (agreement)
Kamiyama: I'd be momentarily happy but I'd think "that was in the past..."
Hamada: It's like that.
Shigeoka: You're happy but?
Kamiyama: That was in the past (laughs).
Kotaki: You have expectations but?
Kamiyama: That was in the past (laughs).
Kiriyama: Ah, mine's a similar feeling but it's "you're really a Johnny's".
Everyone besides Kiriyama: Ahhh (agreement).
Kiriyama: When a girl says that, I'm glad that they recognize I'm in Johnny's, but I'm also not.
Kotaki: It's quite difficult.
Kiriyama: I'm glad they recognize me, but we definitely can't develop a romance.
Nakama: Yeah, we definitely can't. And the other party can't look at us because we're already Johnny's.
Kotaki: It creates a separated feeling.
Kiriyama: Well, that's the fate of an idol.
Hamada: After that would be? People saying "you're really horse-like"?
Kiriyama: That's only you! (laughs).
Shigeoka: Words are really complicated.
Kiriyama: What are the words that are special to Johnny's WEST? If you were to ask me that, it's only that. "are you fired up? It's up to us!"
[t/n: the phrase is 盛り上がれんのか？俺ら次第や!="moriagaren no ka? orera shidai ya!" which, in マ・ル・モ・ウ・ケ, is at the end of Shige's spoken part at the bridge]
Nakama: Ever since we were juniors we would say this every time before a live. We'd enter yelling it.
Kiriyama: In the past, we would call "are you fired up". And then the staff would tell us "that's up to you guys" (laughs). "Ah, that's true", we'd think.
Nakama: Yeah. It was definitely like that.
Kiriyama: So then the call out changed to "let's get fired up together!" (laughs).
Kotaki: If someone were to ask me, "what kind of group is Johnny's WEST?" I'd reply "a zoo".
Kamiyama: Well, for me, I'd say "a toy box".
Shigeoka: Well, for me, "an amusement park".
Fujii: Me me! "A stew".
Kiriyama: "An idol group that's close to everyone" in a good way.
Nakama: Mine also has a close meaning, "nearby older brothers"
Kiriyama: That's good! Last of all, Hama-chan.
Hamada: A rough...
Nakama: Eh, rough day? (laughs)
[t/n: Hamada said ラフで = "rafu de"]
Hamada: "Rough... people". Hm, it didn't come out properly? (laughs)
Translated using scans from yoshiko_mama