[Translation] Yasu and Maru on a-ha-N
Hello! I translated a clip from a-ha-N where Yasu and Maru promoted Oosaka Obachan Rock. I once downloaded this but wasn't a big fan of Yasu's blonde hair at the time so I deleted it from my harddrive... (DUMB move, yes) so if anyone has the clip, can you upload it for me? Thanks! (Thank you
bochanfor the upload!) The youtube link is HERE.
Yasu & Maru on a-ha-N
Narrator: The year 2004… an idol group that has no precedent emerged in Kansai… they were called… yes! Kanjani8!! In addition to their idol-like cool and beautiful expressions, they have the comedic sense and tempo that is typical to the Kansai area. They have established a new style by combining idol and comedy. Their songs are catchy and cheerful, and their live performances are so powerful that they never bore the fans out! It has been nearly two years since their debut, and they have no competition! They are the most powerful idol group around! And finally, a couple of the members (the narrator says “an assassin to comedy” or something weird like that, lol) have come to visit us in a-ha-N!!
Yasu: Good morning! (In the Japanese show biz, they say “good morning” at anytime of the day… why can’t they just say “hello”? haha…)
Maru: Woah! (realizing that there is a camera) Good morning!
Yasu: …Is this television? Is this TV?
Maru: Yes, it is! (in a squeaky voice)
Yasu: Oh! Melio-kun! Good morning! (I don’t know the real name but that’s what they’re calling the puppet)
Maru: Good morning! Sit there!
Yasu: Okay, thanks.
Maru: Yeah, sit, sit!
Yasu: Excuse me… oh! Melio-kun here, too! Good morning, there he is. Excuse me… hmm. Melio-kun seems to be very square-shaped today.
Maru: Yeah, he does look a bit squared… what’s wrong? He’s not his usual self.
Yasu: Hmm? Melio-kun? Something’s wrong… (takes the CD out of the puppet, lol) OH! Look at this!
Maru: What is this!!
Yasu: It’s Kanjani8’s single!!!
Maru: Ohhh…
Yasu: It’s the new one!
Maru: What is it, tell us!
Yasu: This is probably their fourth single that came out on June 7th… Oosaka Obachan Rock!!
Maru: Yaaay!
Yasu: It’s Kanjani8’s new song!!!!
Maru: Niiiice! Why don’t you sit down!
Yasu: Oh, thank you very much Melio-kun.
Maru: Can I stop now? Hahaha.
Yasu: Yeah… So this is what it was all about.
Maru: I guess so! They took the trouble to invite us.
Yasu: Thank you very much!
Maru: Isn’t this the first time we’re here?
Yasu: Yeah, it is. Can we, like, keep on talking like this??
Maru: Do you have questions or something?
Yasu: Do you have questions? (Yes) Oh, I guess there are! Okay, then let’s get this started!
(About the concert in Nagoya)
Maru: We didn’t know what to expect going into Nagoya… we had done concerts before in Osaka and Tokyo, but we had never gone anywhere else, so we weren’t sure if they would get our sense of humor and whatnot… we weren’t sure what kind of response we would get… yeah we were definitely anxious… (Yasu keeps on playing with the puppet) but it turned out great! We had a lot of fun!
Yasu: Yeah… we had this stereotype that we get huge responses in Osaka just because it was Osaka, but when we went to Nagoya… we weren’t really sure what to expect but they stuck to us (just like the puppet is to the CD), haha like this, you get it? But honestly, we were very worried at first. We were wondering if there were people in the stands at all. We were saying “what if there were only three fans when the curtain opened?” But of course, there were so many people and we were really happy.
Maru: Also, we were given food that is a Nagoya specialty. Yama-chan?
Yasu: Yama-chan.
Maru: Chicken wings.
Yasu: They were so good!
Maru: Yeah, you break it like this, and…
Yasu: …and eat it like this. This was really good…
Maru: That became our energy and the concerts in Nagoya were a huge success. We want to visit again!
Yasu: Yes we do.
(About the new single)
Yasu: Oosaka Obachan Rock has a lot of elements that are unique to us. We want you to pay close attention to the dance! It’s really easy to learn. Well, I can’t really do this hand… (because the puppet is still there)
Maru: Yeah you can (as he takes the puppet off)
Yasu: It looks like this… (does the dance) It’s really easy to memorize. At the concerts in Nagoya, we all did this with our fans as well. I think one of our PR points for this song is that we can all enjoy the dance together.
Maru: Also, we helped come up with the lyrics to this song. The conte part, we talk really fast so it might be hard to understand if you’re not familiar with the Osaka dialect, but I hope you listen to the CD over and over again and enjoy it. Yeah, and if you could go to karaoke and sing it perfectly… (Yasu rubs his face with the puppet) Ouch! I think my makeup got on it…
Yasu: It’s alright…
(How do you spend your time with the other K8 members)
Yasu: Oh we hang out a lot. Me personally… the other day, I chatted with Maruyama for five hours! Casually.
Maru: There really was nothing. No TV. Just a little music.
Yasu: Yeah, in the background.
Maru: We were like, “Yeah… we’re going around this Toumeihan (=Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka) tour right now… we really should work hard!”
Yasu: Yeah, we should work hard!
Maru: So vaguely.
Yasu: Yeah, we were talking… I like this (puppet)
Maru: Oh, and also, we hold birthday parties for each other. We already went through everyone once. Yeah, we plan surprises for each other… it was really fun!
Yasu: We gave birthday presents, too. What we gave one of the members, Yokoyama… we gave him an oppai (=boobs, lol) pillow. This is how we roll. Yokoyama-kun always says “oppai, oppai” during MCs so we surprised him by giving him an oppai pillow. He was so happy that he was crying!
Maru: Let’s make this clear, he wasn’t happy about the “oppai” per say; he was happy about the fact that he got a present! Haha. Please don’t misunderstand. Of course, we all go out to have dinner and stuff, too.
Yasu: Yeah we do.
(About the nation-wide tour)
Yasu: We’re going to have the nation-wide tour starting in September!
Maru: Yes! We get to go around the nation twice in a year, now! (Little did they know that there was more coming in December, lol) The [FTON tour] was our first one ever, and now we’re going on two in a year!
Yasu: Yeah, seriously.
Maru: We’re really thankful of that.
Yasu: Yeah!
Maru: Of course, we’re worried as well. It’s another wall that we have to climb up. But we’re also excited and we can’t wait! The contents of the shows are not yet determined at all, but…
Yasu: The most north we go is Hokkaido, and the most south we go is Guam…
Maru: Yes, yes, yes… Guam??
Yasu: Hahaha, you almost ignored it!
Maru: You see, I’m not the “tsukkomi,” so can you not “boke” like that??
Yasu: Hahaha, sorry, sorry.
Maru: That's what I'm supposed to do.
Yasu: Hahaha sorry! So the south is Hokkaido… I mean the north is! South is Kyushuu. We will be going to different places for the first time. Well, we have been to some places when we were dancing behind our senpais, but this time, we’re the main focus of the concert… I’m sure there are people out there waiting for us, so we will do rehearsals and work hard to prepare for it.
(Things you want to try other than music)
Yasu: Things I want to try other than music…
Maru: Well, of course, I would like to work on music… but I would like to keep on acting as well. How about you, Yasu?
Yasu: Me? Work related, right? Mmm…
Maru: You said you liked to design clothes. (using the puppet again)
Yasu: I did say that… yo you’re annoying! Your voice is normal but the puppet is moving!
Maru: Sorry, sorry.
Yasu: Hahaha! But really… well, I’m not sure if I can use this for work, but for example! I do want to design the costumes we wear at our concerts. The colors, shape, silhouette… right? Melio-kun?
Maru: Make one for me, too!
Yasu: I’m making one for you (Maru) now, a T-shirt.
Maru: Ya right.
Yasu: I’m serious! You want me to make clothes for Melio-kun? Or Maruyama Ryuhei?
Maru: Of course, Melio-kun!
Yasu: Melio-kun? Does Melio-kun wear clothes?
Maru: Of course, I wear it sometimes!
Yasu: You’re already wearing something! It says here that you’re made of acrylic.
Maru: I just got out of the bath.
Yasu: Hahaha! That’s irrelevant! Not at all relevant! Yeah, but I do want to design costumes…
Maru: It’s really nice to be so laid back on TV!
Yasu: Yeah we never really get to be like this.
Maru: Yeah we haven’t done this in a while!
Yasu: Yeah, usually the big shots are all lined up in front of us…
Maru: We’re always so nervous! I wish we get invited here again!
Yasu: When I’m sitting here, it looks like I have teary eyes a little bit… teary eyes… do you see it?
Maru: Oh urume (=teary eyes)? The fish… (there’s a fish called “urume iwashi”)
Yasu: Yeah yeah, the ones you eat… No! No!
Maru: Haha, he did nori-tsukkomi! (note: “nori-tsukkomi” is when the “tsukkomi” plays along with the “boke” at first but end up “tsukkoming.” Yeah, I totally created the word "tsukkoming," haha) How free it is! It’s good, it’s fun.
Yasu: So, the new single came out on June 7th… I’m sure there are many people out there that haven’t listened to it yet, but the music video is really nice too. We shot it on a cabaret-style stage and had real obachans in the background dancing. We hope you enjoy the video, it’s really fun. Also, the type of this song is like the rockabilly in the 1950’s. The dance includes twists too, so I hope you can dance with us. Osaka Romanesque, which was in the album KJ1 FTO, has been cut out as a single, so if you liked that song, we would really appreciate it if you can purchase our album KJ1 FTO as well.
Maru: Well said! (pats his head)
Yasu: Shut up.
Maru: We’ll be really happy if you can listen to these songs and come visit our concerts in the fall!
Yasu: Yes, please!
Maru: We’ll be waiting for you at our tour!
Yasu: Bye bye!
Maru: Good bye… (in a real deep voice, lol)
Yasu: Was the voice supposed to be that low?
bochanfor the upload!) The youtube link is HERE.
Yasu & Maru on a-ha-N
Narrator: The year 2004… an idol group that has no precedent emerged in Kansai… they were called… yes! Kanjani8!! In addition to their idol-like cool and beautiful expressions, they have the comedic sense and tempo that is typical to the Kansai area. They have established a new style by combining idol and comedy. Their songs are catchy and cheerful, and their live performances are so powerful that they never bore the fans out! It has been nearly two years since their debut, and they have no competition! They are the most powerful idol group around! And finally, a couple of the members (the narrator says “an assassin to comedy” or something weird like that, lol) have come to visit us in a-ha-N!!
Yasu: Good morning! (In the Japanese show biz, they say “good morning” at anytime of the day… why can’t they just say “hello”? haha…)
Maru: Woah! (realizing that there is a camera) Good morning!
Yasu: …Is this television? Is this TV?
Maru: Yes, it is! (in a squeaky voice)
Yasu: Oh! Melio-kun! Good morning! (I don’t know the real name but that’s what they’re calling the puppet)
Maru: Good morning! Sit there!
Yasu: Okay, thanks.
Maru: Yeah, sit, sit!
Yasu: Excuse me… oh! Melio-kun here, too! Good morning, there he is. Excuse me… hmm. Melio-kun seems to be very square-shaped today.
Maru: Yeah, he does look a bit squared… what’s wrong? He’s not his usual self.
Yasu: Hmm? Melio-kun? Something’s wrong… (takes the CD out of the puppet, lol) OH! Look at this!
Maru: What is this!!
Yasu: It’s Kanjani8’s single!!!
Maru: Ohhh…
Yasu: It’s the new one!
Maru: What is it, tell us!
Yasu: This is probably their fourth single that came out on June 7th… Oosaka Obachan Rock!!
Maru: Yaaay!
Yasu: It’s Kanjani8’s new song!!!!
Maru: Niiiice! Why don’t you sit down!
Yasu: Oh, thank you very much Melio-kun.
Maru: Can I stop now? Hahaha.
Yasu: Yeah… So this is what it was all about.
Maru: I guess so! They took the trouble to invite us.
Yasu: Thank you very much!
Maru: Isn’t this the first time we’re here?
Yasu: Yeah, it is. Can we, like, keep on talking like this??
Maru: Do you have questions or something?
Yasu: Do you have questions? (Yes) Oh, I guess there are! Okay, then let’s get this started!
(About the concert in Nagoya)
Maru: We didn’t know what to expect going into Nagoya… we had done concerts before in Osaka and Tokyo, but we had never gone anywhere else, so we weren’t sure if they would get our sense of humor and whatnot… we weren’t sure what kind of response we would get… yeah we were definitely anxious… (Yasu keeps on playing with the puppet) but it turned out great! We had a lot of fun!
Yasu: Yeah… we had this stereotype that we get huge responses in Osaka just because it was Osaka, but when we went to Nagoya… we weren’t really sure what to expect but they stuck to us (just like the puppet is to the CD), haha like this, you get it? But honestly, we were very worried at first. We were wondering if there were people in the stands at all. We were saying “what if there were only three fans when the curtain opened?” But of course, there were so many people and we were really happy.
Maru: Also, we were given food that is a Nagoya specialty. Yama-chan?
Yasu: Yama-chan.
Maru: Chicken wings.
Yasu: They were so good!
Maru: Yeah, you break it like this, and…
Yasu: …and eat it like this. This was really good…
Maru: That became our energy and the concerts in Nagoya were a huge success. We want to visit again!
Yasu: Yes we do.
(About the new single)
Yasu: Oosaka Obachan Rock has a lot of elements that are unique to us. We want you to pay close attention to the dance! It’s really easy to learn. Well, I can’t really do this hand… (because the puppet is still there)
Maru: Yeah you can (as he takes the puppet off)
Yasu: It looks like this… (does the dance) It’s really easy to memorize. At the concerts in Nagoya, we all did this with our fans as well. I think one of our PR points for this song is that we can all enjoy the dance together.
Maru: Also, we helped come up with the lyrics to this song. The conte part, we talk really fast so it might be hard to understand if you’re not familiar with the Osaka dialect, but I hope you listen to the CD over and over again and enjoy it. Yeah, and if you could go to karaoke and sing it perfectly… (Yasu rubs his face with the puppet) Ouch! I think my makeup got on it…
Yasu: It’s alright…
(How do you spend your time with the other K8 members)
Yasu: Oh we hang out a lot. Me personally… the other day, I chatted with Maruyama for five hours! Casually.
Maru: There really was nothing. No TV. Just a little music.
Yasu: Yeah, in the background.
Maru: We were like, “Yeah… we’re going around this Toumeihan (=Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka) tour right now… we really should work hard!”
Yasu: Yeah, we should work hard!
Maru: So vaguely.
Yasu: Yeah, we were talking… I like this (puppet)
Maru: Oh, and also, we hold birthday parties for each other. We already went through everyone once. Yeah, we plan surprises for each other… it was really fun!
Yasu: We gave birthday presents, too. What we gave one of the members, Yokoyama… we gave him an oppai (=boobs, lol) pillow. This is how we roll. Yokoyama-kun always says “oppai, oppai” during MCs so we surprised him by giving him an oppai pillow. He was so happy that he was crying!
Maru: Let’s make this clear, he wasn’t happy about the “oppai” per say; he was happy about the fact that he got a present! Haha. Please don’t misunderstand. Of course, we all go out to have dinner and stuff, too.
Yasu: Yeah we do.
(About the nation-wide tour)
Yasu: We’re going to have the nation-wide tour starting in September!
Maru: Yes! We get to go around the nation twice in a year, now! (Little did they know that there was more coming in December, lol) The [FTON tour] was our first one ever, and now we’re going on two in a year!
Yasu: Yeah, seriously.
Maru: We’re really thankful of that.
Yasu: Yeah!
Maru: Of course, we’re worried as well. It’s another wall that we have to climb up. But we’re also excited and we can’t wait! The contents of the shows are not yet determined at all, but…
Yasu: The most north we go is Hokkaido, and the most south we go is Guam…
Maru: Yes, yes, yes… Guam??
Yasu: Hahaha, you almost ignored it!
Maru: You see, I’m not the “tsukkomi,” so can you not “boke” like that??
Yasu: Hahaha, sorry, sorry.
Maru: That's what I'm supposed to do.
Yasu: Hahaha sorry! So the south is Hokkaido… I mean the north is! South is Kyushuu. We will be going to different places for the first time. Well, we have been to some places when we were dancing behind our senpais, but this time, we’re the main focus of the concert… I’m sure there are people out there waiting for us, so we will do rehearsals and work hard to prepare for it.
(Things you want to try other than music)
Yasu: Things I want to try other than music…
Maru: Well, of course, I would like to work on music… but I would like to keep on acting as well. How about you, Yasu?
Yasu: Me? Work related, right? Mmm…
Maru: You said you liked to design clothes. (using the puppet again)
Yasu: I did say that… yo you’re annoying! Your voice is normal but the puppet is moving!
Maru: Sorry, sorry.
Yasu: Hahaha! But really… well, I’m not sure if I can use this for work, but for example! I do want to design the costumes we wear at our concerts. The colors, shape, silhouette… right? Melio-kun?
Maru: Make one for me, too!
Yasu: I’m making one for you (Maru) now, a T-shirt.
Maru: Ya right.
Yasu: I’m serious! You want me to make clothes for Melio-kun? Or Maruyama Ryuhei?
Maru: Of course, Melio-kun!
Yasu: Melio-kun? Does Melio-kun wear clothes?
Maru: Of course, I wear it sometimes!
Yasu: You’re already wearing something! It says here that you’re made of acrylic.
Maru: I just got out of the bath.
Yasu: Hahaha! That’s irrelevant! Not at all relevant! Yeah, but I do want to design costumes…
Maru: It’s really nice to be so laid back on TV!
Yasu: Yeah we never really get to be like this.
Maru: Yeah we haven’t done this in a while!
Yasu: Yeah, usually the big shots are all lined up in front of us…
Maru: We’re always so nervous! I wish we get invited here again!
Yasu: When I’m sitting here, it looks like I have teary eyes a little bit… teary eyes… do you see it?
Maru: Oh urume (=teary eyes)? The fish… (there’s a fish called “urume iwashi”)
Yasu: Yeah yeah, the ones you eat… No! No!
Maru: Haha, he did nori-tsukkomi! (note: “nori-tsukkomi” is when the “tsukkomi” plays along with the “boke” at first but end up “tsukkoming.” Yeah, I totally created the word "tsukkoming," haha) How free it is! It’s good, it’s fun.
Yasu: So, the new single came out on June 7th… I’m sure there are many people out there that haven’t listened to it yet, but the music video is really nice too. We shot it on a cabaret-style stage and had real obachans in the background dancing. We hope you enjoy the video, it’s really fun. Also, the type of this song is like the rockabilly in the 1950’s. The dance includes twists too, so I hope you can dance with us. Osaka Romanesque, which was in the album KJ1 FTO, has been cut out as a single, so if you liked that song, we would really appreciate it if you can purchase our album KJ1 FTO as well.
Maru: Well said! (pats his head)
Yasu: Shut up.
Maru: We’ll be really happy if you can listen to these songs and come visit our concerts in the fall!
Yasu: Yes, please!
Maru: We’ll be waiting for you at our tour!
Yasu: Bye bye!
Maru: Good bye… (in a real deep voice, lol)
Yasu: Was the voice supposed to be that low?