barbosa2007 | Orista August 2010 - Ninomiya Kazunari (Reply)

This is probably my favorite interview so far this year.

Ask ARASHI anything! Questions from Arashi fans all over Japan pour in as they’re presented in this month’s Orista.

NINOMIYA KAZUNARI

I see that you changed your hair color slightly. Was it for the sake of a role in your next film?

No, not at all. I’ve been sporting black hair all this while, so after I had finished filming Ohoku I thought I should change things up a bit, just to alter the mood.

Which brings an end to the topknot hairstyle in Ohoku. It’s good to have finished filming before the severe heat sets in, right?

But you know, when we were filming in Kyoto (mainly in June), it was pretty hot already. And it was my first period film, in my first topknot.

Alright, a question from the readers regarding Ohoku. A 20 year old female from Nara had this question: Did you do any magic tricks or other stuff in between the breaks when filming Ohoku?

Well you know, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t! There wasn’t anywhere on a period costume where I could hide anything (for my magic tricks)! I thought that I wanted to do it so I tried countless times, but in the end it couldn’t be helped.

Here’s another question. A 14 year old from Kanagawa says: “Congratulations on the cranking up for Ohoku. What’s your memory of Kyoto?

There were numerous staff members who had been working on period dramas for a long time, so I learnt a lot from them. Furthermore, the [filming] had been extremely smooth going. So it went like a breeze. I’ve heard a lot of people say that Kyoto is really scary, but if you were to ask me I wonder why Kyoto seems to inspire fear in so many people.

How was it like between you and your co-stars?

The atmosphere was really great. We were going at it even during the rehearsals, so it felt like we were doing a stage play. In my case, there were times when a test shot became a real take. I felt this on the set, but I thought it was a good thing that I was given the opportunity to appear in variety programs.

Eh? And why’s that?

If you compared it to the times when we were doing nothing but music programs, we’ve made a lot of acquaintances since then. I met people like Kou-chan*, Maki-chan** and Sadawo-san^# through variety programs so it was easier to talk to them. Although I have worked with Tamaki-kun and Kuranosuke-san in dramas before, there are more opportunities to talk during the spaces between filming for a variety program than during a drama.

*referring to Shibasaki Kou

**referring to Horikita Maki

#referring to Abe Sadawo

And following on from the talk on variety programs, here comes a question from a 13 year old in Shizuoka: Is there a particular Aniki guest which you’d like to meet on Arashi ni Shiyagare? What would you like him to teach you?

Actually, we filmed the program with Oguri Shun-kun and Matsuko Deluxe-san yesterday. Age-wise, Oguri-kun is younger than Riida, and Matsuko-san… is not an Aniki. I’ve been thinking that it’s possible to have a normal male guest come on the show, I guess.

*Aniki: Older brother figure

And there’s nothing which you’d like [the guest] to teach you?

It’s great to have whichever person to come on the show and to teach us whatever they want. I mean, this segment is like a Special Program in the sense that the guests who come are really extravagant.

It is indeed extravagant. Nonetheless, it must have been a hectic first half of the year. You had to film for variety programs in the midst of shoot for Ohoku and GANTZ, and on top of that to complete the recording for the new album as well.

When I was filming Ohoku, I returned to Tokyo only for two days each week, and shot our 3 regular variety programs within that period.

And there’s a question here. A 24 year old from Fukuoka asks: It seems like you have been composing songs even in the midst of your busy schedule. What kind of song did you compose?

I did compose. Even when I was in Kyoto, when I could find the time, I would be preparing for the recording and composing.

So when did you carry out the recording?

When I’m back in Tokyo. Each time I returned to Tokyo I would record two songs, so I did the recording in bits and pieces. Thus, when I received the entire list of songs [for the album], I thought, “Eh, I didn’t sing this…”

What do you mean by that?

When we were doing the recording, the songs all had temporary titles, so they were all changed in the finalized version. (laughs) So when I listened to the album, there were songs that made me go, “Oh, so it was this one…”

Oh I see. (laughs) And here we have another question about a song on the album. A 16 year old from Toyama asks: Like the lyrics in Monster suggests, is there anything which you would like to seek after you have been reborn?

I don’t… (laughs) Nothing comes to mind when I think about something which I’m searching for right now. But if I were reborn it would be nice if I could remain as I am now.

So you’re completely satisfied with the way things are now?

Of course!

scans: credited to pinklunacy

xmonster1603 did an excellent translation of the crosstalk segment of this Orista issue, which you can find here.