amnosxmatsujun | Ninomiya Kazunari's "It" - More 2017.03 #99 [TRANSLATIONS]

Surprise! There's been a lot of Sho posts from me lately, but how could I forget about my ichiban? ;)

WHY?! HOW?! Is he not the cutest creature you've ever seen...? ;_;

This is the 99th "It". Nino reflects on past interviews and talks about how thankful he is to be an idol. There's a part in the article that makes me heart hurt a little bit, when he talks about how idols are basically reflections of an image that the media and fans have of them. And yet, he is full of gratitude for it all. I feel nothing but respect for this man.❤

☆ My translations are not available for retranslating purposes. ☆

Ninomiya Kazunari’s “It” – 99th

99th: A Constant

This series started back in 2009. Seeing 8 years’ worth of his life laid out in front of him, what thoughts cross his mind? What unwavering values remain in his heart?

I laid out 8 years’ worth—that’s 96 interview photos—on the ground and said to him, “Pick your favorite one.” He looks back with a wry smile and tells me he can’t choose his own face. Still, when I revealed to him that several staff members had chosen the same photo as their favorite, he excitedly responded, “Then, I’ll try and guess which one that is!” He walked around slowly for about a minute, then picked one up and declared, “It’s this one, isn’t it?” Could you believe it? He hit bullseye! Out of a massive collection of photos, he chose one without hesitation. To this, the staff members were full of surprise as gasps and wows filled the room. How did he know that was the photo?

Ninomiya Kazunari (hereafter “N”): I just had a feeling. But I look like I’m thinking about absolutely nothing in this picture… It’s rare, so I thought you staff members would be fond of it. I’m not trying to look good for the camera [laugh].

Yoshi Rei (hereafter “Y”): It’s been 20 years since he became an idol. He’s posed for thousands of cameras and for just about every medium of media. Responding to requests for him to smile or pose for the camera come second nature to him.

N: What is demanded of an idol is not dependent on era, age, or the type of media. If it’s a photo, they want a smile or suave look. If you’re asking me if I like how I look when I make such faces, I’d say ‘no’ [laugh]. But I’m satisfied. Answering to everyone’s expectations is an idol’s job. I can see faces of staff members who clearly look like they stayed up all night to put things together for us. “I don’t want to do this.” I’m not going to complain like that. You want a suave look? A smile? If there’s a request, I’ll do my best to fulfill it [laugh].

Y: And yet, during our special feature interview 8 years ago, back before this series existed, he told us something different. I asked him to portray the range of human emotions: joy, anger, sadness, and happiness. “I can’t make myself cry unless I’m actually sad,” he mumbled. This is coming from a man who chooses to approach work by keeping his opinions and complaints to himself.

N: I don’t remember clearly, but I probably thought it would be a waste of a series project if we did something everyone else has already done. I’m not saying that fake tears and smiles for the sake of art is wrong. But, is that really what people want to see? Photos and conversations are the same. The value of publishing a series is to capture someone’s moment to moment, just as he is. I suppose in doing so, this series doesn’t seem very idol-like [laugh].

Y: Once upon a time, he wanted to “redefine what it meant to be an idol” through his work and way of life.

N: I think it was around the time I was on Jounetsu Tairiku. I earnestly thought I could break the stereotype of what an idol should be. It’s been 10 years since, and I don’t think that anymore. Maybe I became calloused [laugh]. I realized that the definition of an idol will never change. Regardless of the era, regardless of age, what people expect from an idol will remain the same. I’m not being negative here. I’m an idol because what others desire of me remains constant.

Y: Because he’s made up his mind to fulfill others’ demands instead of his own, he’s “stopped thinking about himself” and he “doesn’t care what others think of him.”

N: Even if I took time to think about myself, that’s not what people demand of my profession [laugh]. I’m okay with everyone having their own opinions of who Ninomiya Kazunari is. Sure, I find some opinions a little off, but who am I to say there’s a correct opinion?

“Idols” cannot live their lives as they please, but…

Y: He doesn’t intend to, but by being true to himself, people desire to work with him. That’s because Ninomiya Kazunari was born to be an idol. When I told him that’s how I felt, he jokingly laughed and replied, “You’re probably right.”

N: You can’t become an idol simply because you want to be one. Besides, things don’t go the way you want them to in this profession. Still, I love what I do, and I’ve been an idol for this long because I feel gratitude. To be honest, I don’t know what kind of life I would have led if I hadn’t become an idol. I stuck out like a sore thumb in society and among the majority [laugh]. If I remained the same person I was before all this, I probably wouldn’t have fit into society, wouldn’t have relations with others, and would have most likely stayed at home and rotted away. But, since I became Arashi, I had to force myself out of the house. I can connect with others. The struggles and joys of working, societal norms and why they exist… everything valuable and vital to humans, I learned through my profession. Some idols will proclaim, “I am first a human being, and an idol second.” For me, it’s the exact opposite. Being an idol has taught me how to become a decent human being [laugh].

Y: You say, “I don’t think about myself.” Could this perhaps be because you already know so much about yourself?

N: I feel never-ending gratitude for my profession as an idol, for the existence of Arashi. There’s nothing but gratitude. That’s why I wish to continue contributing and serving this industry. This is my honest perspective on how I approach work. That being said, I dream of staying at home indefinitely, playing games for the rest of my life if I didn’t have to work [laugh].

“Being an idol has taught me how to fit into society, how to become a decent human being. I feel nothing but gratitude. Everything valuable and vital, I learned through my profession.”