Translation Cut, Ohno Satoshi long interview

[yun_miyake]

Translation CUT Ohno Satoshi

Ohno Satoshi is always ‘Ohno Satoshi’ regardless where he is, whom he together with or what kind of challenges he is doing, he’s a person who has an unchanged core. But it doesn’t mean Ohno Satoshi only has one face. He has many types of faces depend on the places and what role he needs to play. ‘As a dancer’, it is the way of life he has chosen as an adult. Inside Arashi, ‘as a singer’ and the other four members has given the warmth to the songs and they have their own part as a group. ‘On the variety’ he has learned the connection between the freedom of youth and how to live in a community. ‘As a leader’ he has embroidered five different colors into a beautiful star. ‘On his off day’ he has a chance to be himself even more than he realized. Then ‘As an actor ’, when he acts and becomes someone else, it makes us know who he is. I (the magazine reporter) am amazed that he possesses these 6 faces and only one face at the same time. This interview will give the understanding how amazing are his 6 faces.

1.      As a dancer

--- When did you start liking the dance and when did you think that you are good at it?

I started dancing seriously when I joined the agency. Before that, my mother watched Michael Jackson all the time because she was a big fan of him and I loved to impersonate his dance movement (laugh). My mother laughed at me every time I impersonate him.

--- So we can conclude that you didn’t like dancing since the beginning but started loving it after joining the agency because you simply wanted to dance.

Yes, because Jhonnys san said ‘your dancing is great’ and I was like ‘Maybe I’m good at dancing’ (laugh). I loved dancing ever since.

--- Do you know that your dancing skill is wonderful?

No, I didn’t know at all. I began to practice all the time so I can dance like my seniors.

--- You had become the back dancers for many JE senior groups, you admired them, and you created your own dancing style. Did you find it fun?

Yes, I danced until I got what I wanted and didn’t stop before that.

---You want to master the dance after that and your desire to dance has escalated since then.

You’re right, I practiced all the time because I wanted to dance like my seniors or like what the other dancers did. One time, I felt that I’ve reached my best point and I decided to stop for a while.

--- At the end, you dance as Arashi and even create the choreograph. Do you find it fun?

Yes, I got a chance to act on the stage play back then. I thought ‘I can move’. I found there were many other dancing styles and I wanted to try and master them.

--- Do you think that creating the choreography is something fun?

When I was in Kyoto, I created my own choreography and I didn’t hate it. We didn’t have any choreographer back then and we have to do it by ourselves. After becoming Arashi, I thought it’s better to create my own choreograph and started it with my solos, it’s more convenient that way.

--- I got it. We have watched Arashi and Ohno kun’s different roles in acting, but we could see many times that Ohno kun’s dancing skill is a kind of weapon. Do you think it’s your weapon or something which appear naturally?

I never thought it’s a kind of weapon. I dance to the fullest for my own sake, that’s it. I just want reach particular level and somehow, I was satisfied. It doesn’t mean I want to show it to the world. It’s just a coincidence that I have a chance to show it to the fans during Arashi concerts and maybe I can consider it as both: dance for myself and for the fans.

--- I guess that your dancing skills have taken part in the movie ‘Shinobi no Kuni’.

I know, I have danced a lot and I know how to move my body. I also learned sword during my stage play and I’m glad that my experiences give me advantages.

2.      As a singer

--- When did you start liking to sing and when did you feel that you’re good at it?

I never feel that way, I wonder why…. After becoming Arashi, there are a lot times for me to sing for the album recording and I think there was a time when sang until I got what I really wanted. I never thought that I’m good at singing and I even couldn’t do falsetto, that’s why I practiced all the time (laugh). I want to sing with my best; just like what I did in dancing.

--- I think that you are very good at singing, whether you agree or not. You use different kind of voice when you speak and sing. I think everyone said that you are good at singing ever since, am I right?

I don’t understand which one is good or bad (laugh). I only sing the way I want and sing with my best. Let’s take the example of musical song, we can’t say the person is good just because they adjust their voice the tone interval. They have to put some emotion into their songs. I think that it’s not enough only by singing beautifully.

--- The characters of Arashi members are very interesting, I think the balance in vocalization is also perfect. Have you ever thought about what kind of role your singing voice have taken in Arashi?

I never thought of it, not even the slightest (laugh). I did recording just like usual. I never thought of considering my voice as special and take role in particular part of the song.

--- Have you thought about your characterization in Arashi as a vocal group?

I never thought of something that deep (laugh). But sometimes when I listened to demo song, there’s time when I thought that the song wasn’t Arashi-like. I wondered whether it turned to be okay when the five of us sing it. However, after listening to the completed song, it was unexpectedly Arashi-like.

--- The five of you combine your vocal and make it Arashi-like?

After doing it for 15 years, I think we automatically sing it that way. We couldn’t do it during debut era, though. We can do that because the five of us had done this job for a long time.  

3.      On variety show

--- You got various kind of works in variety show after joining JE. Do you still remember the first time you appeared in variety?

Arashi’s first variety was ‘Mayonaka no Arashi’. That was the first time I realized that location filming is hard (laugh). We went to countryside and interviewed various kind of people in the midnight up until morning, it was tiring.

--- It must be so hard that you have to meet many people and there was also physical activity.

You’re right, I was in my mid 20s back then. We got plenty of claims as the corner for that variety, I even thought that one of us might have wounded as the result of the work. I can tell that we experienced many things through that show and all of them are something positive.

--- Variety show sometimes touched, but the funny part also takes important role. Do you like making people laugh since you were a kid?

I think yes, I like being laughed at and I like making people laugh.

--- When you appeared in TV shows, you have natural ability in making people laugh, even in the middle of serious filming.

I’m not good at measuring things (laugh). I don’t talk when I don’t want to and when I don’t understand things, I would have said honestly that I don’t understand. I just act naturally and they think it’s funny.

--- Recently, your guests in Arashi’s TV shows are mostly your juniors and it means you are the one who lead them along the show.

It feels weird (laugh). But, I mostly let them do what they like (laugh).

--- (Laugh) The show will be aired anyway.

I don’t mind if it’s not aired (laugh).

4.      As a leader

--- Have you become a leader when you were at school?

Never, I definitely didn’t want to be a class representative something related to it (laugh). I’m not a type of person who can gather people together, but I ended up becoming the leader of Arashi. 

--- It was decided by janken, wasn’t it?

Yes, I became a leader because I won janken battle. But, I consider it as a mere nick name. I never gather people, not even once.

--- You might think it was just a nick name and don’t want to take any responsibility as a leader, but what if your leadership gives some kind of influence towards Arashi.

I don’t want to take a lead, not even the slightest because I hate when Arashi follows ‘my color’. That’s why I do nothing as a leader and I think it’s best for everyone to do what they like.

--- It is because the leader isn’t a type of person who wants to lead, Arashi has created its own color, don’t you think?

I don’t really understand, but don’t you think that the leaders of the other groups also do the same thing? They don’t take a lead that much (laugh).
--- Maybe you’re right (laugh). In ‘Shinobi no Kuni’, Mumon is not the leader, but he has important presence in a group. In that case, do you have any similarity with Mumon? Or on the opposite, you feel there’s something not right about him.

Something I like from Mumon is he doesn’t want to lead, even though he is the strongest. He even positioned himself as genin (the lowest ninja ranking, if you’re Naruto fans, you must know what genin is hehe). But when the time comes, everyone needs him and count on him. I think that is the interesting part of this movie. But, despite that everyone counts on him, Mumon doesn’t really care about that and does as he pleased.

--- Normally, the character ‘Daizen’ which played by Iseya Yusuke or Heibee played by Suzuki Ryouhei would have become the leading character.

Yes, you’re right.

--- Mumon as the leading character is the charm of this movie.

But after watching it, I think everyone is the leading role, because their character is strong (laugh).

--- But the leading role is Mumon, a man with no responsibility.

(laugh), yes.

--- And he is the strongest ninja.

That is interesting, we rarely see this kind of movie.

5.      On off day

--- We have the impression that there is no difference between your ‘off’ and ‘on’ mode. Do you think that you are a different person when you are at the filming location?

Maybe I look the same on the surface, by my feeling is totally different.

--- what is the biggest difference between yourself when you work and on days off?

This job is all about being watched and I can do nothing about this. I don’t really care about it during my off days and normally I feel the same. However, I feel ‘off’ the most when I’m alone.

--- You are aware of being watched even though you don’t show it that much on the surface, but deep down inside you feel that you have to stay alert.

Something like that, I don’t really enjoy of being watched, I would be so tired when I got home (laugh).

--- Ohno kun loves something which need concentration such as painting and fishing. You even sacrifice your sleeping time to do those hobbies.

Yes, a long time ago, it was so hard when I had no time for painting or fishing, but now, I’m no longer feel that way. I think it’s already good enough to be alone at home and daydreaming all day. I like being alone ever since and I like it more now (laugh).

--- Do you think that ‘me time’ is very important?

Yes, I woke up earlier each day for ‘me time’. It is something I must have in a day and I make it longer now.

6.      As an actor

--- When we talk about acting, I presume there are a lot of difficulties and fun in it. I’m sure you felt the same when you acted as Mumon. What kind of impression do you have after playing the role?

Movie and drama are two different things; this movie was filmed right after my drama ended. It was hard for me to switch the feeling. There was 2,5 months gap before we started filming the movie and I found difficulties in the not-so-tight filming schedules of the movie.            

--- I see.

If we don’t have enough time in filming a drama, we would have continued working on it for two days in a row without stopping. On the opposite, in this movie, after filming for a day, I got two days off and I simply didn’t know what to do.

--- Did you think about the role during those off days?

Yes, I thought about it, but maybe it’s not good to think too much, because there will be immediate changes during the filming. Besides, I couldn’t go for fishing either (laugh).

--- (laugh) because it will change your emotion?

Yes, and I had no choice but staying at home.

--- It makes you stay longer inside Mumon’s character and I think it deepen your connection with him.

Yes, that’s why I think it’s better for me to do that. I didn’t do something special to deepen my emotion as Mumon, though.

--- After watching this movie, we can see that Mumon is strong, being loved and lonely at the same time – these three aspects are the charm of the movie. I think it suits Ohno kun. In what part did you think that you acted naturally the most?

I was told by the director that it was okay to act naturally as me, so maybe Mumon’s character is similar with me, that’s why I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t change my voice or made any faces, I did it naturally all time.

--- Did you find something similar between you and Mumon?

Yes. When the representatives of 12 families gathered for a meeting, Mumon was asleep. I did the same thing at school (laugh).

--- Ahahaha

There are a lot of similarities.

--- He fell asleep not just because he has no interest in listening, but because he thinks of something else and pretends to sleep.

Yes, that’s right.

--- But Mumon is chill, nobody scolded him.

What he did isn’t an issue and nobody scolds him after all (laugh).

--- In your opinion, what is the biggest change in Mumon through the movie?

He became more human. He wasn’t a lucky person, an abandoned child and survived by murdering and stealing. Then, he got Okuni and, someone he has to protect and at the same time, someone he can count on. Losing that kind of precious person has helped him to find some kind of conviction.

Credit to myself and my husband for buying me the magazine and for helping me translating this long interview.
t.n: I’m currently watching Naruto and I’m so happy to see Ohno’s choreography in Tsunagu includes some of Naruto’s jutsu LOL.

I love every song in Tsunagu and ‘Okini mesumama’ is my favorite.