[Trans] +act (2022.09) - Nakamaru & Meguro (Last part)

NAKAMARU'S ROOM

 14th issue 

  

A stage play by himself, commentator, YouTube...

Nakamaru Yuichi has a lot of different activities.

Nakamaru will invite other artists from Johnny's & Associates

and with his particular point of view, he will dig into the true character of his guests in this serialization.

 

 

 Guest  Meguro Ren-san

[Last part]

 

Nakamaru: Should we talk about acting? Personally, which do you think it was a job that changed you as an actor?

Meguro: Something for which I had to prepare and that made me feel I was really acting was Kyojo II, a drama starred by Kimura Takuya-san. It was a 2-episode special drama that aired two nights in a row after New Year.

Nakamaru: What did you feel at that moment? Was it difficult?

Meguro: The story revolved around a police academy and I trained for it since many months before. In the drama, Kimura-san was the instructor and I was the student.

Nakamaru: So it must have been hard since you had to practice your acting and also the police training for your role.

Meguro: Yes. There weren’t also any members of my group so I also could experience what is to be alone. Till that moment I only took parts in dramas together with other members. With Kyojo II I received Kimura-san's encouragement and I could observe how other actors work and acting with all of those people was really fun. I could also learn a lot from the director.

Nakamaru: I see. So you already had experience as an actor, but your solo career started with Kimura-san.

Meguro: Yes. Isn't it completely different to act in a drama than in a stage play? Experiencing that difference was a also fun.

Nakamaru: How do you balance all your works, like regarding to music or acting?

Meguro: Everything is for the sake of Snow Man, I just do want I'm asked to do and go where I'm asked to go and when I'm going to a filming by myself I take it as if I were going to war. And that's why I enjoy so much going back to the group and work with everybody after I've had a filming by myself.

Nakamaru: I see. You all must be really close.

Meguro: We are.

Nakamaru: What do you usually do when you are together?

Meguro: We just talk about random things (laughs).

Nakamaru: Like what?

Meguro: Like, what we like girls to wear (laughs). It really can be felt there are a bunch of boys reunited.

Nakamaru: Do you eat out together and such?

Meguro: There's this member called Watanabe Shota.

Nakamaru: Ah, the one obsessed with beauty care, isn't it?

Meguro: Yes. I think I go out to eat with Watanabe Shota often. The other day he came to my house and we ate together. I also go for walks with Raul. We both love going for a walk. We see for how long we can avoid a main street and stay in small roads and things like that...

Nakamaru: Really? Don't you stand out a lot?

Meguro: That's why we try to stay in small roads as long as possible (laughs).

Nakamaru: I see. If someone sees you in those streets... And you wear hats and masks, right? It must be scary to run into you on those streets. People must think it isn't normal to be there. So it must be bad people or super models.

Meguro: Bas people... (Laughs) We just like going for a walk. Nakamaru-kun, don't you go for walks?

Nakamaru: Not at all... Only if I really have nothing to do, have 30 or one hour free and the weather is good. So I only do it, like, twice a year.

Meguro: Those requirements only meet twice a year? (Laughs)

Nakamaru: Yes. That's why I barely do it.

Meguro: I like going for walks just like I like looking at the stars. It's good. Walking while watching a grandpa and a grandma also walking holding hands makes me smile.

Nakamaru: You've really got a calm character, huh?

Meguro: I meet the other members a lot at work and privately, who do you usually meet, Nakamaru-kun?

Nakamaru: There are some people outside Johnny's, friends, I guess. We sometimes go out to eat.

Meguro: What about your kouhais? I've the image of you with Jesse-kun.

Nakamaru: Ah. Jesse, huh? We ate together. I also meet often Yamada (Ryosuke)-kun and Kikuchi (Fuma) because of YouTube.

Meguro: You don't open yourself too much, do you?

Nakamaru: It might not sound well, but with this job you just can't be friend with anybody, don't you think?

Meguro: Yes.

Nakamaru: That's why I barely make new friends.

Meguro: When we appear together as a group in variety shows, there are people who can talk with no worries to the other artists they are meeting for the first time there. Koji is like that. I really envy him.

Nakamaru: I heard about it. Fuwa-chan told me. She said, "Mukai Koji invited me to go snowboarding with him some day, what's with him?" (Laughs)

Meguro: Hahahaha! I couldn't do something like that, I would wonder if it's okay to say something like that in the set of a variety show so I think he is incredible.

Nakamaru: You also aren't good at talking in variety shows where there are more than 10 people telling anecdotes, right?

Meguro: Ah, I'm not good at that... It will end with me saying something serious.

Nakamaru: I get it. But no matter how much effort you put into it, you can't change yourself, right? You can't change your personality to be suited in all kind of situations. The things you can do well or bad is a different matter, but if you are bad at something because of the way you are, you would still be bad at it no matter how hard you work. I think there are many people like that.

Meguro: But of course I want to do things well and I feel like studying other people to learn.

Nakamaru: You enjoy variety shows.

Meguro: I do. Everybody is very kind.

Nakamaru: You are now 25 and if you have imagined what kind of artist you would like to be in 5 years, I'd like to hear it.

Meguro: I wonder... I simply want to live a happy life.

Nakamaru: Have you always thought like that?

Meguro: Yes. I want to increase the things I do that make me think I'm enjoying my life.

Nakamaru: I see. You want to be surrounded by things you enjoy.

Meguro: Yes. The moment I die, I want to be able to think I've done all the things I wanted to do.

Nakamaru: You surely are living fast.

Meguro: (Laughs) I'm working now with that thought in mind. I can keep going with just things that I think that are fun. I have a lot of fun when I'm with the members and I really can do anything if I think it's a fun thing to do.

Nakamaru: I think that's the most important thing. Thinking about everything, being allowed to do just the things you like and enjoy will give you real happiness.

Meguro: Yes. And for that reason I want to experience many different things.

Nakamaru: What kind of job do you exactly want to experience?

Meguro: I like acting, so I'd like to challenge new acting jobs. Also... I show about going for walks?

Nakamaru: Oh, I see. Like Takada Junji-san's in TV Asahi?

Meguro: (Laughs) But it wouldn't be something like "Here we've got a temple."

Nakamaru: Ah, like (Kokubun) Taichi-kun. A show like that would be perfect for you since you go for a walk often.

Meguro: If I could have a job like that it'd be the best.

Nakamaru: That'd be the best! What about music? Singing and dancing. And concerts.

Meguro: I love singing.

Nakamaru: Since always?

Meguro: Yes. I often listen to Ozaki Yutaka-san or Tamaki Koji-san.

Nakamaru: Who made you like them?

Meguro: My dad.

Nakamaru: Tamaki-san is very good at singing. His voice is amazing. His vocal power is.

Meguro: I listen to his songs often at home.

Nakamaru: Which songs do you like?

Meguro: If it's Ozaki Yutaka-san, I really like "I LOVE YOU." If it's Tamaki-san... Mmm... It's Melody.

Nakamaru: Meeeelody~ (while singing)

Meguro: That's how I began liking him. It's the first song of Tamaki-san that I listened.

Nakamaru: This is only my opinion, but if we compared the singing of the people of that generation with the current one, it's like now the singing ability isn't that important. Current songs are based more in the rhythm and are more chaotic.

Meguro: I totally agree!

Nakamaru: Right? So the voice of the people of that generation is fascinating.

Meguro: And that's why you can really get into the lyrics.

Nakamaru: Yes. I also only sing Tamaki-san's songs at karaoke. I love them.

Meguro: Really?

Nakamaru: Yes. But Snow Man doesn't have that kind of songs, right? You've got the image of mostly doing dance songs, but maybe you can release those kind of songs as B-side songs.

Meguro: Yes. Maybe as B-side songs or part of an album.

Nakamaru: I've got a question, but wasn't that the reason of debuting Snow Man and SixTONES on the same day?

You yourselves probably don't think like that, but the people watching you saw it as a good rivalry. Being it like that, has someone said something like, "That person get along well with Snow Man so they aren't on SixTONES' side"?

Meguro: (Laughs) No, I don't think so. Though, I'm not the one to see those things.

Nakamaru: Ah, I see. If you look at it objectively, don't you think it might happen?

Meguro: Hehehe... Nah, I don't think so. Why do you ask?

Nakamaru: I was just wondering if that happened (laughs). I don't remember it well and don't know when it happened, but someone once told me, "Nakamaru-kun, you are friends of Jesse and Kochi (Kochi Yugo), so you are on SixTONES' side, aren't you?"

Meguro: Really? (Laughs) Wow!

Nakamaru: I realized it at that time. And thought there was that kind of rivalry (laughs).

Meguro: I see (laughs). No, I don't think there's nothing like that. Is there someone in Snow Man you are close with?

Nakamaru: I think I've talked with everybody before on Doribo (DREAM BOYS). Like Iwamoto (Hikaru) or Fukka (Fukazawa Tatsuya). There was a scene where I fought with Fukka so we were throwing punches to each other every day.

Meguro: (Laughs) I often talk about the past with the members. That Doribo was the period where they could feel KAT-TUN-san in all its glory... So they told me. I've also heard many times all the epic anecdotes.

Nakamaru: Ah, the fun anecdotes.

Meguro: It happened this or that thing during the play... (He seemed to remember was he was told) Hahahaha! I've heard it so many times, I laugh just remembering it.

Nakamaru: In the scene were Fukazawa and I fought, we would talk to make it as real as possible. Then, if I threw strong punches, I would end up throwing Fukazawa out of the stage (laughs).

Meguro: Hahahahaha!

Nakamaru: So Fukazawa's defense became better and better.

Meguro: (Laughs) They tell those kind of anecdotes and we all laugh.

Nakamaru: With stage plays, including the practice time, we are all the time together for about 2 months so we all become close. It was fun.

Meguro: ...... (He kept remembering and laughing)

Nakamaru: Now that I think about it, you joined Snow Man later on, didn't you? Did you feel any pressure for joining a group known for its good dancers?

Meguro: Of course I did. But there were also a lot of good dancers in Uchuu Six so I worked hard while learning as much as I could from them.

Nakamaru: Is it hard dancing with a 9-people group?

Meguro: There are a lot of possibilities so I think that's really good. We try to avoid repeating the same positions as much as we can.

Nakamaru: I see. There are lots of possibilities. Were you able to do acrobatics at the beginning?

Meguro: I could do backflips and roundoff backflips.

Nakamaru: Wow! You can do roundoff backflips! Did you learn it when you were a junior?

Meguro: I did when I was in Uchuu Six and got to use it during a tour of Arashi-san.

Nakamaru: Is that so? Can everybody in Snow Man do those things?

Meguro: Backflips? Raul can't, but he is practicing. Koji is also practicing.

Nakamaru: I see, in that environment there's no other choice other than practicing. Can all the original 6 members do a backflip from a platform?

Meguro: They can.

Nakamaru: Ah, joining a group like that must be hard. Do you still practice acrobatics?

Meguro: Yes. When I've got time to practice, I do.

Nakamaru: It's amazing. You shouldn't lose that motivation. It's hell for people who weren't born with the talent of doing acrobatics.

Meguro: Did you do acrobatics?

Nakamaru: I practiced to do them. But I wasn't really born to do them. I think all juniors were doing them but at that time, the staff members told me it was okay for me not to do them.

Meguro: Hahahaha!

Nakamaru: I was told, "It's dangerous so don't do them" (laughs). I didn't know, but it looks like I was practicing backflips in a dangerous way. So they exempted me from the acrobatic practice. Doesn't all your motivation go away when something like that happen? So I never tried doing them never again after that.

Meguro: One time I back danced for A.B.C-Z-san in Music Station, we had a rehearsal in the morning and before that, in the dressing room I tried doing a backflip without using hands but landed on my face. I also twisted my foot so I was taken to the hospital but that day I had an exam at university, too. In the end, I took the exam and also appeared in Music Station and did the acrobatic.

Nakamaru: How dangerous! Did they examine you at the hospital? Was it not serious?

Meguro: They checked everything and I was all right.

Nakamaru: I'm glad. That's so scary about acrobatics. It's really incredible being able to do them. It seems you felt more pressure because of the acrobatics rather than the dancing.

Meguro: That's how things are when you are a Johnny's.

Nakamaru: Yes, it's the same for all of us. Since we are here, is there something you would like to ask me?

Meguro: Something I'd like to ask you... (He thought seriously) When you've got time between one work and the next one, do you go back to your house?

Nakamaru: What are you talking about!?

Meguro: This is something I really want to know!

Nakamaru: It depends on where the jobs take place.

Meguro: When do you think it's good enough to go back home?

Nakamaru: When that job is close to my home and I can be at least one hour there. More like, when the waiting time, including the transportation, is at least 1 hour and a half; I don't like waiting that much so I go back home.

Meguro: It's the same for me. If I can be just 10 or 15 minutes at home, then I go back.

Nakamaru: Is that so? (Laughs) You go back just for 10 or 15 minutes? Doesn't your manager complain? (Laughs) Doesn't he tell you to stay?

Meguro: He takes me home (laughs). Well, this is only the days I'm nor working with the group.

Nakamaru: You don't like waiting at the filming site?

Meguro: It's not like that, but it's like I regain all my energies the moment I enter my home.

Nakamaru: Like, you reset yourself. Like an oxygen capsule.

Meguro: That's right (laugh), that's right!

Nakamaru: That's how important you home is to you. I get how you feel, but going back for such a short time is too much.

Meguro: That's why I'm trying to making my home the best place.

Nakamaru: So do you have things like a bar counter or something like that?

Meguro: Like having a cocktail shaker? I bought one. And also a machine that makes splendid ice.

Nakamaru: And do you have a projector?

Meguro: I do. But I'm not using it at the moment. I really like being at home.

Nakamaru: It seems like in 5 years you will be living the best life of a single man.

Meguro: Really? (Laughs)

Nakamaru: Yes, I'm also at my peak right now.

Meguro: At your peak (laughs)!

Nakamaru: I feel the best at home and really enjoy the time dedicated to myself. That's happiness.

Meguro: That's right. I also prefer buying a lot of cheap clothes rather than one expensive garment.

Nakamaru: I get that way of thinking. I'm the same. I also have a lot of cheap clothes and change them often, so it's like I'm always wearing new clothes.

Meguro: I didn't expect we would talk about deep topics and have so many things in common; I really had a good time talking with you.

Nakamaru: Right. We have many more things in common that I had thought. We are even the same for clothes. Thank you very much.

 

 

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