2PM - Oricon Japan interview + photoshoot
INTERVIEW 1
The Members Reveal! Each of Their Characters
From the other members’ point of view, what is each one’s strong point or most attractive feature?!
---Please tell us the strong point or most attractive feature of a member.
[Junho] Taecyeon is really a man amongst men! He makes good on his promises! When he’s struck with an idea, he immediately does it!
---He sure is a trustworthy person!
[Junho] His (outer) appearance is as trustworthy as the inside! And he has leadership qualities.
---What about Nichkhun?
[Nichkhun] (clearing his throat) *cough, cough* (Laughs).
[Taecyeon] Nichkhun’s outer appearance and his inside match. From his appearance, he gives off a feeling of having manners, seeming kind and gentle, right?
---Yes, he sure does.
[Taecyeon] He’s like that on the inside as well. He’s really a person whose inside and outside are uniform. He is incredibly considerate; he’s always worrying about the members.
[Nichkhun] (In Japanese) Thank you.
---What about Chansung?
[Wooyoung] His appearance is very manly and he seems tough but Chansung is immensely abundant in sensitivity. As a person who watches movies by himself and cries, he comes complete with sensitivity. Moreover, his ability to concentrate is incredible; he’s a person whose strong point is that once he decides to do something, he’ll be thoroughly immersed and he’ll see it through to the end.
[Chansung] Thank you for saying such nice things about me.
---As for Junho?
[Taecyeon] Junho is manly and very cool. Whatever he does, he does it to the very end. He possesses strength of will and he’s a person who becomes everyone’s role model.
[Junho] (Japanese) No, not so at all (bashful laugh).
---Well then, what is Wooyoung’s strong point?
[Junsu] He’s got sense, right? His gag sense is especially amazing!
[Wooyoung] (Japanese) No, not so at all.
[Junsu] Wooyoung’s personality is similar to mine. Even though I’m older, when I come in contact with someone younger than me, I easily assimilate [their behavior] (Laughs).
[Wooyoung] I’m sorry….
[Junsu] But when we’re together, the mood becomes incredibly fun.
---In contrast, how is Junsu, from Wooyoung’s point of view?
[Wooyoung] His strong point? U~m (Pretense of being worried)…. He doesn’t have one.
[Everyone]: (Laughs)
---Huh? (Laughs)
[Wooyoung] It’s a joke, of course!
[Junsu] Every time he does that, everyone livens up.
---Indeed.
[Nichkhun] I have one! Junsu’s strong point is that he is immensely skilled at singing!
[Wooyoung] Singing as well as dancing, he can do anything skillfully.
An area of the other members that you want to fix….
---Conversely, is there an area that you want to fix? Is there such a thing as being too perfect?
[Taecyeon] Rather than perfection, I’m resigned to everyone['s flaws].
[Nichkhun] I get up early so it’s my duty to wake everyone up everyday but really, none of them get up early (laughs).
[Chansung] He’s the type to be okay even if he doesn’t sleep much.
---By the way, about how many hours do you usually sleep?
[Nichkhun] About 5 hours. But, on days off, we sleep for about 7 hours.
---Do you wake up even without an alarm clock?
[Nichkhun] [The alarm clock] always chimes but I get up before that. I wake up about 5 minutes before the set time.
---In contrast, is there a person who is bad at waking up? Who is the person that doesn’t wake up even if shaken awake?
[Nichkhun] (Points finger) It’s Chansung.
---Do any of you have difficulty falling asleep?
[Chansung] Maybe because my ability to concentrate is excellent, I become unable to sleep at night (laughs).
[Junho] He’s slow at sleeping in itself, don’t you think?
[Junsu] I’m good at waking up but I can’t get up immediately. I always squirm around in my bed for about 10 minutes. Even if there’s something to do, I always squirm and squirm… I’m probably a little scatterbrained (laughs).
---Is that so!?
[Junsu] No, it’s a joke (laughs).
INTERVIEW 2 - The No.1 XX in 2PM is?
The No.1 Member Who Cannot Stand to Lose!!
---As for 2PM's No.1 mood maker, would it be Junsu?
[Wooyoung] Junsu's one too, but Nichkhun and Taecyeon...are the No.1 mood makers.
---Then, who is the No.1 most gentle in 2PM?
[Junsu] I would say Nichkhun. He's very gentle, and he's the kind of person who can be courteous and considerate to the people around him. However, everyone mutually worries about each other, so I think all the members are gentle.
---That's wonderful. Now, who is the No.1 most manly in 2PM?
[All] Taecyeon.
[Junsu] He is both manly on the outside and on the inside! He's also very emotional! Taecyeon can do just about anything in a manly way!
[Taecyeon] (in Japanese) Thank you (bright smile).
[Junsu] However, there's also the childish side of him that likes manga and video games (laugh).
---Who is 2PM's No.1 "my pace" [t/n: person who does things at their own pace]?
[Nichkhun] Junho. He's the type of person who is strongly self-assertive and is the type to go through with whatever he decides to do! It makes it so that he's not only No.1 for "my pace" but for 2PM's power of concentration too.
---Now, who is No.1 in 2PM who cannot stand to lose?
[Junho] (immediately) That would be everyone.
[Junsu] Dance lessons and the like can be painfully hard and there are times when someone will say "I'm tired," but no one ever gives up.
[Nichkhun] I really hate to lose! (smiling to his ears) "Don't Stop Can't Stop" (2PM song)!!
---The No.1 most emotional person (fragile tears) in 2PM is?
[Junsu] Hmm, who would it be? Maybe Junho.
[Nichkhun] That may be true.
[Wooyoung] No matter what happens, he takes every blow that comes to him with a straight face.
[Junsu] But the one who gets the most emotional when watching movies is Chansung.
---Now, who is the No.1 most like an adult in 2PM?
[Taecyeon] I think everyone has both an adult side and a child side to them. There are members who scold a lot, and there are members who [ask the others to] please clean up.
---While on the topic, which member scolds and which asks to clean up?
[Taecyeon] The scolding is done by Nichkhun, while Wooyoung is the "one who cleans up" (laugh).
The members get to brag, the No.1 XX in 2PM is...?!
---Now the other way, what do you think you are No.1 for in 2PM?
[Nichkhun] I think I am No.1 for language (being able to speak many languages).
[Taecyeon] I am No.1 for my excellent points (laugh).
[Nichkhun] Also, Taecyeon is No.1 for self-confidence.
---There's a lot of effort involved with that.
[Taecyeon] It of course takes a lot of effort, and I've been blessed with more than enough.
---There's also the No.1 owner of good fortune. So, how about Chansung?
[Chansung] I'm the No.1 glutton (laugh).
---In an interview, you said the Japanese you had recently memorized was "all-you-can-eat" (laugh).
[Chansung] (In Japanese) I love all-you-can-eat! (laugh)
---By the way, what do you want to eat now?
[Chansung] I just ate tons of yakiniku bentos so nothing's coming to mind right now (laugh). ......But, (In Japanese) they were really delicious!
[Junsu] My voice being the loudest is No.1. I can't lose raising my voice the loudest to anyone (laugh).
---That must be very important as a vocalist. For that reason, I think Junsu must feel a strong sense of being in songs.
[Junsu] (bright smile)(in Japanese) Not yet. I'll try my best!
---And Junho?
[Junho] I'm No.1 for eye smile. I also have the No.1 butt (laugh).
---You're confident with your hip line?
[Junho] Rather than that, mine is the biggest among the members.
[Wooyoung] Junsu just told me this, but my humor is No.1.
[Nichkhun] He's also No.1 for being able to do a funny dance.
---Funny dance?
[Nichkhun] Hip dance.
[All] (laugh).
---So you're boasting about your butt.
[Nichkhun] (in Japanese) Go ahead and do it.
[Wooyoung] (in Japanese) No way! I won't do it today (laugh).
t/n: So here is part 3 of the oricon interview. But before you read it there's one problem oraday and i had with translating this. In the last section the boys are asked to teach the japanese fans something in korean and i was going to romanize the korean (it's not actually in korean letters but katakana), but my knowledge of korean isn't that great so i'm sure i wrote a couple of them wrong. I know the one for Junsu is super wrong since i gave up trying to figure it out and just wrote the direct romanization of the katakana. lol
INTERVIEW 3 - Preferred Girl Type & Korean Words You Want to Teach
The Type of Girl You Like...?!
---Well then, please tell us what type of girl you like.
[Chansung] A person who looks charming. A person who is honest but happens to have a shy face.
---Because those points correspond to you, yourself?
[Chansung] I guess you could say that.
---As for Nichkhun?
[Nichkhun] I'm also similar as [I like] a person that is both honest and has a shy face. Also, [I like] a girl who respects her own parents. Rather than a girl who's outer appearance is pretty, isn't a girl with an attractive inner self good?
---The inside is what counts?
[Nichkhun] That's right!
[Wooyoung] Someone who loves me. Someone who has sympathy and who will often come to me to talk.
---So communication must be important?
[Wooyoung] Yes. It's the most important.
---As for Taecyeon?
[Taecyeon] Someone who engrosses themself in what they do, and who works their hardest. And, I would like that person to properly take care of me somewhere between all that.
---You're saying you like a girl who can handle both her work life and personal life.
[Taecyeon] Correct.
---As for Junho?
[Junho] (in Japanese) The type of girl I like is......someone regular.
---Do you like or dislike someone who has a flashy outward appearance?
[Junho] Rather than a flashy appearance, what's more important is someone who will love me and who's wonderful on the inside. Lately I'm becoming more and more aware [that those qualities are important].
---As for Junsu?
[Junsu] I like someone who has a beautiful smile. Someone who works their hardest and is kind.
---So I'm guessing you all like someone who will run to you.
[Junsu] I guess so.
What Korean words would you like your Japanese fans to remember?
---By the way, is there anything in Korean you want to teach your Japanese fans to remember?
[Wooyoung] "Areumdawo yo." It means (it's) beautiful.
[Junho] "Junho-ya, saranghae." Junho, I love you.
[All] (laugh)
[Taecyeon] "Yaksok hae jwo." Promise me.
---It's similar to the Japanese word. [t/n: the equivalent of the Korean word "yaksok" in Japanese is "yakusoku." the two are pronounced really similarly]
[Taecyeon] I picked that one since it's similar to the Japanese word.
---You were worried about the Japanese fans.
[Nichkhun] "Bap meogeosseo?" Have you eaten?
[Chansung] "Ddo manna yo." See you later.
[Junsu] "na ran no ra bo ru re yo?" Won't you play with me?
[All] (laugh).
[Junsu] Um~ by no means am I a shady guy. I'm more pure than anyone! So please don't misunderstand!
INTERVIEW 4 - Their Stage Gap...?!
Some Kinds of Pressure are Worth it
---Now, please tell us your thoughts on your first live in Japan which you performed yesterday (December 8) at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
[Junho] (in Japanese) I was really moved!
[Junsu] (in Japanese) The people of Japan were the best!
[Taecyeon] I had heard that the place "Ryogoku Kokugikan" was a sacred place for the beasts of Japan [t/n: reference to it being a place that normally holds Sumo wrestler tournaments] so I think it was definitely an appropriate place for us "Beast Idols." I would be very happy if those in Japan were also able to get the impression that 2PM = "Beast Idols."
[Wooyoung] At first I was nervous because honestly, the place was vastly spacious, but I was relieved upon seeing that so many people had filled up the seating area, and simultaneously, I received a lot of power from everyone there.
[Nichkhun] I, too, thought that I would be able to do well in Japan after being able to meet all the Japanese fans directly, and because of the love I received from so many people like that, I was able to possess a lot of self-confidence.
[Chansung] In order to live up to everyone's wishes I felt I had to exert more effort than ever and I wanted them to see our performances so that many more people would get to know about our existence. Thank you all so much for coming once again!
---How did you feel when you heard that your first Japanese DVD release got 4th place on the DVD weekly ranking (2nd place on the DVD weekly music ranking!), accomplishing an unprecedented achievement?
[Junsu] I was genuinely extremely happy! And yet, while I was thankful that we were able to get such a high ranking before we had even begun promotions in Japan, a lot of pressure arose in a positive way from the increase in attention.
[Taecyeon] There are some kinds of pressure that are worth it.
Normally They're Rather Relaxed! Their Stage Gap is......
---That's certainly true. Please tell us the main point of the DVD and the main point of the album once again.
[Taecyeon] The DVD allows everyone to see with their own eyes how far we've come along. Rather than having a particular highlight, we want you to see for yourself in what ways we have or haven't changed. The CD is similar to that, as it condenses into 1 item the locus of the activity we've done so far in Korea, and so we would like it if you would ascertain the changes and growth we've made through both of those.
---The same with your live performances, I don't think there is anyone else who has a DVD with such high quality dance performances that overflow with originality, but are there any parts of the dances that are troublesome and you therefore must pay attention to?
[Wooyoung] I would say the acrobatic parts since there are a lot of them and we can't allow ourselves to get injured. We're forced to take a break when there's an injury, so that's where we have trouble.
[Chansung] Every time we release a new album we have the challenge of making a new performance. If it's not [a challenging, new performance], we'll speak our disapproval. It's all about what our fans are expecting, so we can't do something that's average, all the members share a common feeling that we want to show everyone something beyond expectations.
[Wooyoung] Everyone always matches their strengths and breathing for our performances, but there are times when we pull off a great performance that had been really difficult for us to challenge, and the delight and sense of accomplishment we get from that is immeasurable.
[Chansung] For this reason, we are even more greedy in trying to show an even higher level performance for the next time.
---That kind of repetition will steadily raise the level [of difficulty] for sure. This type of advanced performances started with 2PM and there's a lot of charm attached to that, but where do you personally believe 2PM's unbeatable charm exists?
[Chansung] As "Beast Idols" there's a lot of emphasis on things like charisma and manliness, but we have the same feelings as other boys of our generation and have rather relaxed attitudes. We get told by our Korean fans and Japanese staff that there's a tremendous gap between what we're like onstage and what we're like offstage (laugh). That in itself can be seen as another charm of ours.
-----
Photoshoot
Source- interview: Oricon 1, 2, 3, 4 ; W2D 1, 2, 3, 4 / pictures: W2D