Nino's BayStorm 06.21.2009 [TRANSLATIONS]
I'm so sorry this one is so late! >.< This is a great BayStorm because it's dedicated to Nino's birthday! XD He gets many birhtday e-mails from his listeners, a voice-recorded message from someone special, and talks about who he dined with at 12midnight on June 17th. All in all, this is a BayStorm you shouldn't miss! Oh... and am I the only one who agrees with what's said in the "surprise birthday" message? ;)
Kind reminders:
+ My translations should NOT be used elsewhere without my consent. If you want to use my translations for something, please PM me and tell me how you intend to use them. Please respect this rule: 30-minute radio shows do take time to translate.
+ If you want to post about these translations somewhere (your own blog, forums, etc.), a link back to my page would be kindly appreciated. [ex: "I read in a BayStorm translation that Nino..."] *new
+ If you enjoyed the translations, I'd love to hear from you! :) Comments are ♥♥
Highlights from this birthday BayStorm:
# I think Nino's bitter about JStorm not celebrating his birthday... <3 How cute~
# More stories about other JE boys. ^^
# Nino talks a lot about his stageplay, Mishiranu Jyokyaku.
# He sounds so happy receiving his surprise birthday message! Awww!
# If you're a fan of STBY's jokes... there are hoards of them. :D
This particular BayStorm can be found HERE (@ MF) *audio credit: ysy2021 :D Thank you!
N=Nino
S=STBY
N: “For your birthday, Nino-chan, I made special meatloaf!”
BayStorm with Arashi, featuring Kazunari Ninomiya!
N: Good evening! This is Kazunari Ninomiya from Arashi. Today’s opening thought comes from radio pen name Ninocchin-san: “I am a nutritionist at a work cafeteria. On special days, I create special menus that include Arashi members’ favorite foods and desserts. I give better service, too. Because these are not national holidays, when I create these special menus, the chef asks me, ‘Was today a special day?’ I answer with, ‘It’s nice once in a while, isn’t it?’ and get away with it. Nino-chan, did you eat anything special on your birthday?” Wow… you can do such things? How cool that you can do that at all. I… ate dinner with Nishikido-kun at a restaurant. At midnight, the lights went out and a birthday cake came out. The people sitting at the counter got scared because all the lights went out all of a sudden. I knew why right away. I ended up dragging the other customers into the celebration. It was a bit early, but he celebrated with me.
S: Happy birthday!
N: You’re so slow!
S: [laugh] Congrats! It’s your birthday.
N: JStorm doesn’t celebrate birthdays, do they?
S: Not really… but it’s the thought that counts.
N:[laugh] No, no, no! I mean, I’m sure your thoughts go out to us, but…
S: Right.
N: Yeah, why is that? Is there a reason?
S: No, not really.
N: Is there a reason why you all don’t celebrate our birthdays?
S: No, there’s no reason. Did… you want us to?
N: Well… for example, TBS-san and Nittere-san (NTV), Fuji-san, too (*all TV stations), they all celebrate with us. People who are essentially outsiders of sorts.
S: Right.
N: But the ones who manage us, JStorm-san… I can’t remember any kind of acknowledgement.
S: Yeah, I don’t think… there has been any.
N: Was there any celebration when we turned 20? (*In Japan, turning 20 is a huge celebration as it denotes coming of age.) No, there wasn’t!
S: No.
N: That’s not how it should be!
S: Maybe for some… big event.
N: [laugh] What do you mean by “big” event? [laugh] What does it mean to have a “big” birthday?
S: I don’t know. Birthdays come every year…
N: You don’t celebrate them, now that you think about it.
S: But all the staff members do think about them.
N: What do you mean, “think about them”?
S: “Happy birthday”.
N: Really?
S: Yes.
N: But it already passed.
S: It did.
N: Okay, then, how about a joke related to my birthday? If you will, please.
S: [laugh] Happy!
N: Well, then. We look forward to more opening thoughts, so please send in your detailed stories. This is Kazunari Ninomiya’s BayStorm with tonight’s opening number. This is Arashi-san’s “Everything”.
[Arashi - “Everything”]
N: That was Arashi-san’s “Everything”. This is Kazunari Ninomiya bringing you BayStorm. Let’s move onto this segment: Douka Onbin ni (*Let’s settle this peacefully). Ah~!
S: How nostalgic!
N: No, no, you’ve already done one show with me before this, so that kind of reactions is…
S: Right.
N: Just get back on the ball, yeah?
S: Right.
N: Okay, this one’s from radio pen name Da~n, dan, dan-san: “This is a story about the time I went to a home electronics store. I was walking along when from somewhere, I heard Ninomiya-san’s solo song, “Niji”. It was being played on a piano. I started heading that direction to find a girl who seemed to be in middle school, playing “Niji” on a display piano. She was playing so well that I was staring at her, but she looked up and our eyes met. She was surprised, to which I was surprised. I ended up fleeing the scene. I’m sorry for staring at you and then running away; you must have felt awkward.” Uh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh… such things happen, I guess. STBY, have you heard any Arashi songs while you’re walking around town?
S: Oh! That… I hear your songs all the time.
N: Where do you hear them most?
S: At convenience stores.
N: Really? What song is most played at convenience stores?
S: Well, the… closest…
N: Will people understand when you say “closest”?
S: They won’t? By that, I mean the song most recently released. When I’m thinking of buying something, your songs will play and I’ll notice.
N: Oh, and does that make you happy?
S: Well, of course.
N: As a record label?
S: Right.
N: But… you don’t celebrate Arashi members’ birthdays.
S: I’m sorry.
N: I see, what a cold-hearted company. Next is by radio pen name Maegami no baresho-san: “The other day, we had a sports competition with a nearby school and at the end of it, we had folk dancing. But during the dance, the line of people got mixed up and I was left without a partner. So I grabbed my friend’s partner instead. I’m really sorry.” You folk dance at the end of a sporting competition? Do you? Is this tradition?
S: Tradition?
N: Really? I had no idea. Did I have that sort of thing at school? Do you hold sporting events with nearby schools? Oh, all boys schools compete with all girls schools?
S: Oh, that’s a nice idea.
N: Sounds like fun. I suppose students at an all boys school must wonder what they should be motivated about during sporting competitions otherwise. Just aiming to leave a good record is too ascetic and the Olympics will do for that. I see. Oh, hey! This person wrote that they want “STBY’s t-shirt sticker”.
S: Oh?
N: Here they come! They’re here!
S: Nice.
N: Yeah. Oh, but this person wants “Volume I”, this person, too. This person wants “Volume II”. Ah, I see. Next is by radio pen name Mousugu DraQue hatsubai dayo-san (*Dragon Quest XI is almost out). That’s true! “This happened almost 20 years ago. Back then, I wanted to complete the Rubik’s cube at my house, but it looked like I wouldn’t ever get it right. So I picked off the stickers and re-attached them to make it look like I had solved it. Now that I look back on the event, I had done something terrible. Dad, mom: I’m sorry.” You DEFINITELY can’t do it, can you?
S: No. In fact, I’ve done something quite similar to her. I totally understand.
N: For real?
S: I sympathize with her, alright!
N: “I sympathize with her, alright”? [laugh] Yeah? Well, I can’t solve a Rubik’s cube, either. How do I put it? You know those things that are broken down into nine squares? It’s just once surface, and it says 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. You scatter them and you move them around until you get them in numerical order. Remember that game? Okay, so to be clearer, you know that toy puzzle that came with Ken-chan ramen? If you were my generation, you’d know immediately. There was a toy prize that came with Ken-chan ramen, a pen and one other thing, the puzzle. At first, it’s all out of order, and at the bottom right-hand corner, there’s a round stopper. You take that out and shuffle the puzzle and try to shift the pieces so that Baka Tonosama (*Dumb King, a character) will appear on the surface. I couldn’t even do those. But the Rubik’s cube… even if it’s completely out of order, it can be solved.
S: Oh?
N: If you follow a certain method each time.
S: Like magic?
N: Yeah, so that’s why the Rubik’s cube is so interesting. Even if you shuffle it up, if you use the same solving method, how many moves did it take? 13? At a certain number of moves, you can solve it.
S: Really? I didn’t know that.
N: Yeah, that’s what Nishikido said.
S: [laugh]
N: Nishikido’s bored at home, so he plays with a Rubik’s cube, alone. He said he got really good at it.
S: [laugh]
N: Yeah, apparently, there’s a fail-proof method. That one’s… 6? Yeah, 6 surfaces, a 3x3. So he says. But I don’t know, that Rubik’s cube. It was really popular once, right? Is that your generation, STBY?
S: Yeah, just about.
N: How crazy! I should try it sometime. That’s all for tonight, but if there are events for which you need to apologize, please send your stories to this segment! I’ll be looking forward to them. Please take a listen now. This is Yui-san’s “Again”.
[Yui - “Again”]
N: That was Yu-san’s “Again”. This is Arashi’s Kazunari Ninomiya bringing you BayStorm. Here’s the next segment: Ura Arashi! (*Arashi Secrets!) This is by radio pen name Minna Tomodachi-san: “It seems you’ll be in ‘Mishiranu Jyokyaku’ starting in July. It has been four years since your last stage play. What’s the storyline for this one? I’m curious to find out, so please let me know!” So, STBY...
S: What?!
N: If you will, please.
S: Yikes, this is hard.
N: What?
S: Oh, I mean it’s not hard.
N: It’s not. Don’t surprise me like that. What’s the plot like?
S: You play the bad guy.
N: Well, I suppose that’s the idea.
S: Right, the bad guy.
N: The “bad guy”?
S: The bad guy?
N: The “bad guy”? Yeah, and?
S: Should I go more into detail?
N: Well, instead of details, you can describe it the way you see it, STBY.
S: Uh, well… I would have to see it first.
N: [laugh] I just wanted to know what you thought about it.
S: Yeah, well, Ninomiya-san, it will be your first stage play in four years, so you’ll be giving it your best. [laugh] And the cast... Akiyoshi-san,
N: Is part of the cast.
S: Right, and Ninomiya-san.
N: Yeah. You were there at the press conference, weren’t you?
S: I was.
N: That means… if you just repeat the description that was said during the conference, no one could say it better.
S: The description… I seem to have forgotten it. [laugh]
N: You’re no good, seriously.
S: But I was listening, honest.
N: Okay… so “The storyline is based on the Hitchcock movie that took from mystery novelist Patricia Highsmith’s long novel. The killer is a very likable character in this suspense drama. He is the son of a wealthy family who bloodies his hands in murder; Bruno is played by Ninomiya.” That’s what it says.
S: Right, it’s a suspense.
N: Yeah, that’s what I just said.
S: That you did.
N: Hm, it says “I bloody my hands in murder”. They’re already revealing that?
S: [laugh]
N: I see. It’s been a while since I’ve worked with Akiyoshi-san.
S: That’s true.
N: Yeah.
S: Since… ever since the movie?
N: Yeah.
S: That’s what I thought.
N: Since the movie. But, you know… this story has been made into a movie, as I said earlier, by Hitchcock. But I hear it’s nothing like the movie. So I don’t mind if viewers watch the movie, but it doesn’t follow the same storyline, so it could be that you can enjoy the story twice. Was it 34 times? That’s about how many I’ll do this stage play, so if you have time, I’d love for you to come and see me. That’s all I ask, really. The cast members are rehearsing really hard right now. Stage plays are difficult, seriously! Difficult indeed. This next one is from radio pen name Aya-chan, 17 years old: “Nino-chan, happy 26th birthday! You’re frequently called ‘Forever 17’, but you’re already 26. Having turned this age, is there anything you absolutely want to accomplish? Let me know.” Nothing in particular, really. Did you have any goals when you were 26? Something you just had to accomplish?
S: Not really…
N: Yeah, see? 26 years old… it’s not a celebratory age. Don’t you think? No?
S: Oh?
N: Did you do anything when you were 26? (*Here, Nino asks the other staff members what they did at age 26.) What? Study abroad?! You can speak English?! What? Then let’s have a “Learn English” segment!
S: Let’s.
N: Right? I mean, you can speak it.
S: Just a little bit.
N: Right?
S: Let’s.
N: You can speak English. I’m sure there are people who want to travel overseas in the future. Especially during summer break, people want to visit overseas. You could teach them useful terms that’ll aid the trip; the two of you could converse and teach that way, right?
S: Let’s!
N: Then Osao-chan (*staff) and STBY can do it.
S: Okay.
N: STBY, where did you study abroad?
S: United States of America.
N: How old were you then?
S: I was about 18 years old when I left Japan.
N: [laugh] Wow. Why did you come back? How wasteful! This is a good segment! Anyway, we’re looking forward to your questions regarding me or Arashi, so please send them to our Ura Arashi segment. And now, the annual special birthday message sent to me. Who will send their birthday wishes? Let’s listen and find out.
Itsumi-san: Ninomiya-kun, happy 26th birthday. This is fifth generation host, “It’s Me!”, real name Itsumi Tarou from Go ji ni Muchuu!
N: Oh!
Itsumi-san: To hear that you watch Go ji ni Muchuu!... I’m quite surprised.
N: I knew I had heard his voice somewhere before!
Itsumi-san: However, I’m also very happy to hear that. As a token of my appreciation and to send you my
birthday wishes,
N: Yes?
Itsumi-san: We haven’t met yet, but I hope this voice-recorded message will do.
N: Of course.
Itsumi-san: That’s why I’m sending this anyway. The impression I get from Ninomiya-kun…
N: [laugh] Wh-what?! What?! [laugh]
Itsumi-san: He reminds me of a Shiba-inu. He looks like he’s the gentle, herbivore type, but on the inside, he oozes a meat-devouring animal, as if he’s brimming with such characteristics. Ninomiya-kun, you’ve turned 26 now…
N: This is rare! You don’t usually witness Itsumi-san showing such emotion.
Itsumi-san: Looking back on when I was 26 years old...
N: [laugh] What?! [laugh]
Itsumi-san: I was studying abroad in America.
N: Oh! You’re the same!
Itsumi-san: It had only been two years since I returned to Japan. I was edgy!
N: Oh?
Itsumi-san: My thoughts were, “What does Japanese showbiz think it is?! How can it be so different from American showbiz?” I was irritated by the most trivial of things.
N: Those are things that he must have learned.
Itsumi-san: I don’t think you’ll have that kind of problem. But anyway, happy birthday! Once again, happy 26th birthday, y’all!
N: [laugh]
Itsumi-san: I hope your 26th year will shine brightly! This was Go ji ni Muchuu! ’s host, Itsumi Tarou!
N: Wow, Itsumi-san! He was probably saying all of that with a straight face. Always with a straight face. His eyes have such persuasive powers. But I didn’t know Itsumi-san also studied abroad. I guess this age is the time to study abroad. How different American showbiz and Japanese showbiz are! Itsumi-san had his edgy stages, too.
S: His English is very good.
N: Yeah. For reference, what was he saying just then?
S: [laugh] Wh-what did he say, anyway? [laugh] Oh, “happy birthday”.
N: Yeah, [laugh] he said that at the very beginning as well.
S: “Happy birthday”… [laugh]
N: Is this going to be alright? Maybe you two should read off English terms and decipher their meanings.
S: That’s good.
N: That might work better.
S: His pronunciation was pretty.
N: Yeah, he must still be using English in his daily life, the things he learned while he was abroad. This makes me so happy! I’m thankful. I watch his show everyday and record it, too. How should I put this? Go ji ni Muchuu! and its TV channel, MX TV, is great, seriously. I want everyone to watch Go ji ni Muchuu! You’ll get hooked! (*Nino does a play on words: “muchuu” means “hooked on” something, and it is also part of the name of the show.) Please watch that show. I’m so thankful. When I receive such messages, how do I say this? I realize that I have indeed turned 26 when someone celebrates for me. This is one example, the story I mentioned earlier about Nishikido is another, the other Arashi members celebrating with me is yet another. The listeners’ e-mails, too. It makes me realize it’s my birthday and I’m thankful for that. See? The birthday e-mails that have been sent to this radio program, the listeners… thank you very much. So to close, STBY, a joke about happy birthdays! If you will, please.
S: “Ome~detou”. (* “Omee” is a vulgar, slang way of saying “you”.) [laugh]
N: Anyway! Please take a listen now. This is Arashi-san’s “Season”.
[Arashi - “Season”]
N: That was Arashi-san’s “Season”. Alright, today’s winner is radio pen name Mousugu DraQue hatsubai dayo! They will receive “STBY’s t-shirt”!
S: Oh!
N: This… we should call it “t-shirt sticker”.
S: Ah.
N: It’s like we’re giving away your t-shirt.
S: That’s true.
N: You’ll run out of t-shirts.
S: Yeah.
N: The radio pen name winner is Maegami no baresho-san. They will also receive “STBY’s t-shirt”!
S: The sticker.
N: Should we just give away an actual t-shirt of yours 1 out of 10 times? Seriously…
S: [laugh]
N: We’ll send them to you so please take care of them. Also, novelty prizes from “Ashita no Kioku/ Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki”: a memo pad. This will be given to five listeners. The required pun for this time is using the words “memo” or “pad”, and the deadline is June 30th. For giveaways and regular messages to the show, access us at www.bayfm.co.jp by clicking on “BayStorm”. From your cell phones, go to our homepage and search for “BayStorm” from the show list. Well, today was a memorable day.
S: Yes, it was.
N: To have Itsumi-san send me birthday wishes…
S: Yes, such a wonderful message.
N: I didn’t think he would do that. So to end the program, though I’m not sure Itsumi-san is listening, I would like to show my thanks. So STBY…
S: No, no. This should be from you, Ninomiya-san.
N: A pun using “Itsumi-san”, an Itsumi-san joke.
S: An Itsumi-san joke?
N: Yeah.
S: An Itsumi-san joke…
N: Let’s end with an Itsumi-san joke! You can use “Tarou” instead (*Itsumi-san’s first name). But there are a lot of Tarous out there.
S: Itsumi-san, huh? “It’s Me!”
N: Okay, then. Your radio parner was Arashi’s Ninomiya Kazunari! See you next week!
Kind reminders:
+ My translations should NOT be used elsewhere without my consent. If you want to use my translations for something, please PM me and tell me how you intend to use them. Please respect this rule: 30-minute radio shows do take time to translate.
+ If you want to post about these translations somewhere (your own blog, forums, etc.), a link back to my page would be kindly appreciated. [ex: "I read in a BayStorm translation that Nino..."] *new
+ If you enjoyed the translations, I'd love to hear from you! :) Comments are ♥♥
Highlights from this birthday BayStorm:
# I think Nino's bitter about JStorm not celebrating his birthday... <3 How cute~
# More stories about other JE boys. ^^
# Nino talks a lot about his stageplay, Mishiranu Jyokyaku.
# He sounds so happy receiving his surprise birthday message! Awww!
# If you're a fan of STBY's jokes... there are hoards of them. :D
This particular BayStorm can be found HERE (@ MF) *audio credit: ysy2021 :D Thank you!
N=Nino
S=STBY
N: “For your birthday, Nino-chan, I made special meatloaf!”
BayStorm with Arashi, featuring Kazunari Ninomiya!
N: Good evening! This is Kazunari Ninomiya from Arashi. Today’s opening thought comes from radio pen name Ninocchin-san: “I am a nutritionist at a work cafeteria. On special days, I create special menus that include Arashi members’ favorite foods and desserts. I give better service, too. Because these are not national holidays, when I create these special menus, the chef asks me, ‘Was today a special day?’ I answer with, ‘It’s nice once in a while, isn’t it?’ and get away with it. Nino-chan, did you eat anything special on your birthday?” Wow… you can do such things? How cool that you can do that at all. I… ate dinner with Nishikido-kun at a restaurant. At midnight, the lights went out and a birthday cake came out. The people sitting at the counter got scared because all the lights went out all of a sudden. I knew why right away. I ended up dragging the other customers into the celebration. It was a bit early, but he celebrated with me.
S: Happy birthday!
N: You’re so slow!
S: [laugh] Congrats! It’s your birthday.
N: JStorm doesn’t celebrate birthdays, do they?
S: Not really… but it’s the thought that counts.
N:[laugh] No, no, no! I mean, I’m sure your thoughts go out to us, but…
S: Right.
N: Yeah, why is that? Is there a reason?
S: No, not really.
N: Is there a reason why you all don’t celebrate our birthdays?
S: No, there’s no reason. Did… you want us to?
N: Well… for example, TBS-san and Nittere-san (NTV), Fuji-san, too (*all TV stations), they all celebrate with us. People who are essentially outsiders of sorts.
S: Right.
N: But the ones who manage us, JStorm-san… I can’t remember any kind of acknowledgement.
S: Yeah, I don’t think… there has been any.
N: Was there any celebration when we turned 20? (*In Japan, turning 20 is a huge celebration as it denotes coming of age.) No, there wasn’t!
S: No.
N: That’s not how it should be!
S: Maybe for some… big event.
N: [laugh] What do you mean by “big” event? [laugh] What does it mean to have a “big” birthday?
S: I don’t know. Birthdays come every year…
N: You don’t celebrate them, now that you think about it.
S: But all the staff members do think about them.
N: What do you mean, “think about them”?
S: “Happy birthday”.
N: Really?
S: Yes.
N: But it already passed.
S: It did.
N: Okay, then, how about a joke related to my birthday? If you will, please.
S: [laugh] Happy!
N: Well, then. We look forward to more opening thoughts, so please send in your detailed stories. This is Kazunari Ninomiya’s BayStorm with tonight’s opening number. This is Arashi-san’s “Everything”.
[Arashi - “Everything”]
N: That was Arashi-san’s “Everything”. This is Kazunari Ninomiya bringing you BayStorm. Let’s move onto this segment: Douka Onbin ni (*Let’s settle this peacefully). Ah~!
S: How nostalgic!
N: No, no, you’ve already done one show with me before this, so that kind of reactions is…
S: Right.
N: Just get back on the ball, yeah?
S: Right.
N: Okay, this one’s from radio pen name Da~n, dan, dan-san: “This is a story about the time I went to a home electronics store. I was walking along when from somewhere, I heard Ninomiya-san’s solo song, “Niji”. It was being played on a piano. I started heading that direction to find a girl who seemed to be in middle school, playing “Niji” on a display piano. She was playing so well that I was staring at her, but she looked up and our eyes met. She was surprised, to which I was surprised. I ended up fleeing the scene. I’m sorry for staring at you and then running away; you must have felt awkward.” Uh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh… such things happen, I guess. STBY, have you heard any Arashi songs while you’re walking around town?
S: Oh! That… I hear your songs all the time.
N: Where do you hear them most?
S: At convenience stores.
N: Really? What song is most played at convenience stores?
S: Well, the… closest…
N: Will people understand when you say “closest”?
S: They won’t? By that, I mean the song most recently released. When I’m thinking of buying something, your songs will play and I’ll notice.
N: Oh, and does that make you happy?
S: Well, of course.
N: As a record label?
S: Right.
N: But… you don’t celebrate Arashi members’ birthdays.
S: I’m sorry.
N: I see, what a cold-hearted company. Next is by radio pen name Maegami no baresho-san: “The other day, we had a sports competition with a nearby school and at the end of it, we had folk dancing. But during the dance, the line of people got mixed up and I was left without a partner. So I grabbed my friend’s partner instead. I’m really sorry.” You folk dance at the end of a sporting competition? Do you? Is this tradition?
S: Tradition?
N: Really? I had no idea. Did I have that sort of thing at school? Do you hold sporting events with nearby schools? Oh, all boys schools compete with all girls schools?
S: Oh, that’s a nice idea.
N: Sounds like fun. I suppose students at an all boys school must wonder what they should be motivated about during sporting competitions otherwise. Just aiming to leave a good record is too ascetic and the Olympics will do for that. I see. Oh, hey! This person wrote that they want “STBY’s t-shirt sticker”.
S: Oh?
N: Here they come! They’re here!
S: Nice.
N: Yeah. Oh, but this person wants “Volume I”, this person, too. This person wants “Volume II”. Ah, I see. Next is by radio pen name Mousugu DraQue hatsubai dayo-san (*Dragon Quest XI is almost out). That’s true! “This happened almost 20 years ago. Back then, I wanted to complete the Rubik’s cube at my house, but it looked like I wouldn’t ever get it right. So I picked off the stickers and re-attached them to make it look like I had solved it. Now that I look back on the event, I had done something terrible. Dad, mom: I’m sorry.” You DEFINITELY can’t do it, can you?
S: No. In fact, I’ve done something quite similar to her. I totally understand.
N: For real?
S: I sympathize with her, alright!
N: “I sympathize with her, alright”? [laugh] Yeah? Well, I can’t solve a Rubik’s cube, either. How do I put it? You know those things that are broken down into nine squares? It’s just once surface, and it says 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. You scatter them and you move them around until you get them in numerical order. Remember that game? Okay, so to be clearer, you know that toy puzzle that came with Ken-chan ramen? If you were my generation, you’d know immediately. There was a toy prize that came with Ken-chan ramen, a pen and one other thing, the puzzle. At first, it’s all out of order, and at the bottom right-hand corner, there’s a round stopper. You take that out and shuffle the puzzle and try to shift the pieces so that Baka Tonosama (*Dumb King, a character) will appear on the surface. I couldn’t even do those. But the Rubik’s cube… even if it’s completely out of order, it can be solved.
S: Oh?
N: If you follow a certain method each time.
S: Like magic?
N: Yeah, so that’s why the Rubik’s cube is so interesting. Even if you shuffle it up, if you use the same solving method, how many moves did it take? 13? At a certain number of moves, you can solve it.
S: Really? I didn’t know that.
N: Yeah, that’s what Nishikido said.
S: [laugh]
N: Nishikido’s bored at home, so he plays with a Rubik’s cube, alone. He said he got really good at it.
S: [laugh]
N: Yeah, apparently, there’s a fail-proof method. That one’s… 6? Yeah, 6 surfaces, a 3x3. So he says. But I don’t know, that Rubik’s cube. It was really popular once, right? Is that your generation, STBY?
S: Yeah, just about.
N: How crazy! I should try it sometime. That’s all for tonight, but if there are events for which you need to apologize, please send your stories to this segment! I’ll be looking forward to them. Please take a listen now. This is Yui-san’s “Again”.
[Yui - “Again”]
N: That was Yu-san’s “Again”. This is Arashi’s Kazunari Ninomiya bringing you BayStorm. Here’s the next segment: Ura Arashi! (*Arashi Secrets!) This is by radio pen name Minna Tomodachi-san: “It seems you’ll be in ‘Mishiranu Jyokyaku’ starting in July. It has been four years since your last stage play. What’s the storyline for this one? I’m curious to find out, so please let me know!” So, STBY...
S: What?!
N: If you will, please.
S: Yikes, this is hard.
N: What?
S: Oh, I mean it’s not hard.
N: It’s not. Don’t surprise me like that. What’s the plot like?
S: You play the bad guy.
N: Well, I suppose that’s the idea.
S: Right, the bad guy.
N: The “bad guy”?
S: The bad guy?
N: The “bad guy”? Yeah, and?
S: Should I go more into detail?
N: Well, instead of details, you can describe it the way you see it, STBY.
S: Uh, well… I would have to see it first.
N: [laugh] I just wanted to know what you thought about it.
S: Yeah, well, Ninomiya-san, it will be your first stage play in four years, so you’ll be giving it your best. [laugh] And the cast... Akiyoshi-san,
N: Is part of the cast.
S: Right, and Ninomiya-san.
N: Yeah. You were there at the press conference, weren’t you?
S: I was.
N: That means… if you just repeat the description that was said during the conference, no one could say it better.
S: The description… I seem to have forgotten it. [laugh]
N: You’re no good, seriously.
S: But I was listening, honest.
N: Okay… so “The storyline is based on the Hitchcock movie that took from mystery novelist Patricia Highsmith’s long novel. The killer is a very likable character in this suspense drama. He is the son of a wealthy family who bloodies his hands in murder; Bruno is played by Ninomiya.” That’s what it says.
S: Right, it’s a suspense.
N: Yeah, that’s what I just said.
S: That you did.
N: Hm, it says “I bloody my hands in murder”. They’re already revealing that?
S: [laugh]
N: I see. It’s been a while since I’ve worked with Akiyoshi-san.
S: That’s true.
N: Yeah.
S: Since… ever since the movie?
N: Yeah.
S: That’s what I thought.
N: Since the movie. But, you know… this story has been made into a movie, as I said earlier, by Hitchcock. But I hear it’s nothing like the movie. So I don’t mind if viewers watch the movie, but it doesn’t follow the same storyline, so it could be that you can enjoy the story twice. Was it 34 times? That’s about how many I’ll do this stage play, so if you have time, I’d love for you to come and see me. That’s all I ask, really. The cast members are rehearsing really hard right now. Stage plays are difficult, seriously! Difficult indeed. This next one is from radio pen name Aya-chan, 17 years old: “Nino-chan, happy 26th birthday! You’re frequently called ‘Forever 17’, but you’re already 26. Having turned this age, is there anything you absolutely want to accomplish? Let me know.” Nothing in particular, really. Did you have any goals when you were 26? Something you just had to accomplish?
S: Not really…
N: Yeah, see? 26 years old… it’s not a celebratory age. Don’t you think? No?
S: Oh?
N: Did you do anything when you were 26? (*Here, Nino asks the other staff members what they did at age 26.) What? Study abroad?! You can speak English?! What? Then let’s have a “Learn English” segment!
S: Let’s.
N: Right? I mean, you can speak it.
S: Just a little bit.
N: Right?
S: Let’s.
N: You can speak English. I’m sure there are people who want to travel overseas in the future. Especially during summer break, people want to visit overseas. You could teach them useful terms that’ll aid the trip; the two of you could converse and teach that way, right?
S: Let’s!
N: Then Osao-chan (*staff) and STBY can do it.
S: Okay.
N: STBY, where did you study abroad?
S: United States of America.
N: How old were you then?
S: I was about 18 years old when I left Japan.
N: [laugh] Wow. Why did you come back? How wasteful! This is a good segment! Anyway, we’re looking forward to your questions regarding me or Arashi, so please send them to our Ura Arashi segment. And now, the annual special birthday message sent to me. Who will send their birthday wishes? Let’s listen and find out.
Itsumi-san: Ninomiya-kun, happy 26th birthday. This is fifth generation host, “It’s Me!”, real name Itsumi Tarou from Go ji ni Muchuu!
N: Oh!
Itsumi-san: To hear that you watch Go ji ni Muchuu!... I’m quite surprised.
N: I knew I had heard his voice somewhere before!
Itsumi-san: However, I’m also very happy to hear that. As a token of my appreciation and to send you my
birthday wishes,
N: Yes?
Itsumi-san: We haven’t met yet, but I hope this voice-recorded message will do.
N: Of course.
Itsumi-san: That’s why I’m sending this anyway. The impression I get from Ninomiya-kun…
N: [laugh] Wh-what?! What?! [laugh]
Itsumi-san: He reminds me of a Shiba-inu. He looks like he’s the gentle, herbivore type, but on the inside, he oozes a meat-devouring animal, as if he’s brimming with such characteristics. Ninomiya-kun, you’ve turned 26 now…
N: This is rare! You don’t usually witness Itsumi-san showing such emotion.
Itsumi-san: Looking back on when I was 26 years old...
N: [laugh] What?! [laugh]
Itsumi-san: I was studying abroad in America.
N: Oh! You’re the same!
Itsumi-san: It had only been two years since I returned to Japan. I was edgy!
N: Oh?
Itsumi-san: My thoughts were, “What does Japanese showbiz think it is?! How can it be so different from American showbiz?” I was irritated by the most trivial of things.
N: Those are things that he must have learned.
Itsumi-san: I don’t think you’ll have that kind of problem. But anyway, happy birthday! Once again, happy 26th birthday, y’all!
N: [laugh]
Itsumi-san: I hope your 26th year will shine brightly! This was Go ji ni Muchuu! ’s host, Itsumi Tarou!
N: Wow, Itsumi-san! He was probably saying all of that with a straight face. Always with a straight face. His eyes have such persuasive powers. But I didn’t know Itsumi-san also studied abroad. I guess this age is the time to study abroad. How different American showbiz and Japanese showbiz are! Itsumi-san had his edgy stages, too.
S: His English is very good.
N: Yeah. For reference, what was he saying just then?
S: [laugh] Wh-what did he say, anyway? [laugh] Oh, “happy birthday”.
N: Yeah, [laugh] he said that at the very beginning as well.
S: “Happy birthday”… [laugh]
N: Is this going to be alright? Maybe you two should read off English terms and decipher their meanings.
S: That’s good.
N: That might work better.
S: His pronunciation was pretty.
N: Yeah, he must still be using English in his daily life, the things he learned while he was abroad. This makes me so happy! I’m thankful. I watch his show everyday and record it, too. How should I put this? Go ji ni Muchuu! and its TV channel, MX TV, is great, seriously. I want everyone to watch Go ji ni Muchuu! You’ll get hooked! (*Nino does a play on words: “muchuu” means “hooked on” something, and it is also part of the name of the show.) Please watch that show. I’m so thankful. When I receive such messages, how do I say this? I realize that I have indeed turned 26 when someone celebrates for me. This is one example, the story I mentioned earlier about Nishikido is another, the other Arashi members celebrating with me is yet another. The listeners’ e-mails, too. It makes me realize it’s my birthday and I’m thankful for that. See? The birthday e-mails that have been sent to this radio program, the listeners… thank you very much. So to close, STBY, a joke about happy birthdays! If you will, please.
S: “Ome~detou”. (* “Omee” is a vulgar, slang way of saying “you”.) [laugh]
N: Anyway! Please take a listen now. This is Arashi-san’s “Season”.
[Arashi - “Season”]
N: That was Arashi-san’s “Season”. Alright, today’s winner is radio pen name Mousugu DraQue hatsubai dayo! They will receive “STBY’s t-shirt”!
S: Oh!
N: This… we should call it “t-shirt sticker”.
S: Ah.
N: It’s like we’re giving away your t-shirt.
S: That’s true.
N: You’ll run out of t-shirts.
S: Yeah.
N: The radio pen name winner is Maegami no baresho-san. They will also receive “STBY’s t-shirt”!
S: The sticker.
N: Should we just give away an actual t-shirt of yours 1 out of 10 times? Seriously…
S: [laugh]
N: We’ll send them to you so please take care of them. Also, novelty prizes from “Ashita no Kioku/ Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki”: a memo pad. This will be given to five listeners. The required pun for this time is using the words “memo” or “pad”, and the deadline is June 30th. For giveaways and regular messages to the show, access us at www.bayfm.co.jp by clicking on “BayStorm”. From your cell phones, go to our homepage and search for “BayStorm” from the show list. Well, today was a memorable day.
S: Yes, it was.
N: To have Itsumi-san send me birthday wishes…
S: Yes, such a wonderful message.
N: I didn’t think he would do that. So to end the program, though I’m not sure Itsumi-san is listening, I would like to show my thanks. So STBY…
S: No, no. This should be from you, Ninomiya-san.
N: A pun using “Itsumi-san”, an Itsumi-san joke.
S: An Itsumi-san joke?
N: Yeah.
S: An Itsumi-san joke…
N: Let’s end with an Itsumi-san joke! You can use “Tarou” instead (*Itsumi-san’s first name). But there are a lot of Tarous out there.
S: Itsumi-san, huh? “It’s Me!”
N: Okay, then. Your radio parner was Arashi’s Ninomiya Kazunari! See you next week!