news_jpop | NEWS news (week of Sep 25)

Masuda Takahisa no Master Hits (Sep 28)
- At the opening, he mentioned it’s the 702nd episode, and how there was a special appearance by Nino in the 700th episode. He thought Nino would just appear for a bit, but Nino stayed for most of that episode and that was really nice of him. Massu said he went to watch “Kensatsu gawa no Zainin” and Kimura Takuya-san and Ninomiya-kun were really impressive. He shared just some of his thoughts and said he won’t say too much so as not to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it. He said it’s really amazing and asked everyone to go see it. At this point,
  M: Hmm? AH! No way…
  Kame: ♪ Giri giri de itsumo ikiteitai kara ah~ ♪ (breaking a bit on “ah~”) Sorry we just finished a concert and my throat’s kinda dry.
  M: No way.
  Kame: And I messed the lyrics up. Not “Ah”. “Sa”.
  M: Yeah it’s “sa” for the first time. I sang that at the play. Thank you. Here’s our special guest, Kamenashi-kun!
  Kame: Domo~ this airs at night?
  M: Yeah at night. As you can see, it’s a live programme. From 23:00.
  Kame: Can I do “giri giri” again? ♪ Giri giri de itsumo ikiteitai kara sa~ ♪ Thank you.
  M: ♪ sa~ ♪ Ah just that bit?
  Kame: Yeah I felt somewhat regretful about that.
  M: It didn’t differ that much from the first time though
  Kame: Massu what’re you up to these days?
  M: Hurhurhurhur!
  Massu said he’s done with his play, to which Kame apologised for not being able to go for and Massu said he must have had the time! They shared how they met up for a meal while Massu was in the middle of the play, and Kame said he wanted to go, so Massu told him the detailed schedule. Kame said he wanted to go to the Osaka shows (M: You liar! Kame: No, really) but it ended. Kame asked if it was Massu’s first time at the Globe Tokyo (M: Obviously not!) and Kame said he’s never had anything there, though he’d always wanted to.
  M: Where did you have your first play?
  Kame: Me? The Imperial Theatre.
  M: Whoa…
  Kame: Sorry. Thank you.
  M: Amazing. Too amazing.
  They then talked a bit more about Kame’s other plays, and how Kame really wanted to do something in a more compact venue like the Globe Tokyo, since Johnny’s has a good relationship with the venue too.
  They moved on to talk about Kame being in the middle of the tour, having just finished the Niigata show on Sep 9, appeared on “Going!” and have been working since morning that’s why his voice isn’t that great. Massu said he’d go watch, and Kame commented how Massu has always been going. It’s also amazing how Massu goes to other groups’ concerts too. Kame has always wanted to go since every group is different, but he feels weird going to watch concerts of people who are too close so he just watched concert digests. He also said how he watches PON! pretty often as he travels to work, and saw episodes of Massu showing Aoki ana around their costumes room, Massu making Aoki ana his vest etc.
  M: If KAT-TUN ever gives me an offer…
  Kame: (laughs) That’s strange isn’t it. Work hard on creating NEWS’ colour.
  M: Ah really?
  Kame: Give in your 120% to NEWS now.
  Massu said he just made costumes for A.B.C-Z, as Tsuka-chan got really excited after seeing NEWS’ costumes and said they wanted to wear costumes like that too. So he asked Massu to make them costumes, and said to not worry about making costumes easy for them to do acrobatic moves in, as they’d be cooler if they could do acrobatic moves in the costumes Massu designed for them. Kame commented how it’s great how Massu is multi-talented and how as you grow older and try a variety of things, you gradually start to think more about how to present not your outward appearance, but what’s on the inside, which is why he thinks what Massu does is great. And explained how he happened to be in the studio next to Massu’s. Since NEWS’ debut 3-4 years before KAT-TUN and is thus a sempai, he thought he’d go over to say “Hi” to Massu. Only to be asked by Massu to appear on the show, not that Kame suddenly wanted to appear on his own, randomly singing “Real Face” and not even going to the “tsk” part, suddenly talking whatever he wants and then disappearing or something.
  They talked about how they entered the agency at the same time, and it’d be 20 years since they joined, in a month or so.
  Kame talked about how Massu doesn’t change at all, but has become more mature these days. It’d be nice if they can grow to become well-balanced, be it for work or as a person on a whole. While Kame is a grade ahead of Massu (TL note: Japanese schools group children into school years by those born from April 1 - Mar 31 the following year. Kame was born in February, so he goes to the school year ahead), they’re born in the same year so they’re almost the same. They then talked a bit on how Fujigaya (Kis-My-Ft2) and Tsuka-chan were elites from their batch, Nakamaru (KAT-TUN) too, as they started started appearing on TV or backdancing for Kinki Kids soon after passing the auditions, but Kame and Massu were in the B/ C groups that didn’t get to appear.
  M: And moving on to “3nen Bgumi” (referring toKinpachi Sensei) from there.
  Kame: Ah! You’re kohai in that sense too. (TL note: Kame appeared in Season 5 while Massu appeared in Season 6, along with Shige)
  M: Yeah. For that too.
  Kame: That’s how I suddenly thought I belonged to the “adult” group while Massu was still in the “kid” group, and started putting on the sempai airs.
  They talked about how Kame talks the same way to everyone, be it sempai or kohai, even with the big shots in the company. Though he’s never rude, of course.
  M: It’s a happy thing that people who entered together can be working hard together now.
  Kame: Right. I’ll be off, then. Hahahaha.
  M: If you have anything to promote…
  Kame: No it’s okay, it’s okay. I just came to see your face.
  M: At the end…
  Kame: Eh?
  M: ...you had to say the best thing…
  Kame: Obviously.
  They then talked a bit about the Tshirt Kame was wearing, with Massu saying it’s some weird Tshirt. Kame saidi it’s from a brand Massu likes, and to not say it’s a weird Tshirt.
  M: Since it’s a rare chance, let’s play a song.
  Kame: You sure it’s okay for me to do the intro? Okay here goes. Please listen to NEWS’ “Zero”.
  M: No, wait wait wait. That’s weird. Hey-
  Kame: ♪ Nan man kai nan nan nan Nan nan nan nan nan nan ♪
  M: You practically sang nothing properly. Sorry. The title for the song isn’t “Zero”.
  Kame: Ah it isn’t! HAHAHA. Sorry about that.
  M: And you only managed “nan”.
  Kame: Because it’s always aired before “Going!”. Massu appeared at the start right?
  M: Yeah I did.
  Kame: Sorry about that!
  Massu thanked Kame, and then talked a bit about when they entered the agency together and now they’re both working hard in different groups. He’s glad they’re still on good terms now and can go to each other’s radio programmes too.
  M: Well he totally said “Please listen to ‘ZERO”!!!”, he got it wrong. But since it’s a rare chance, please listen to the song. The actual title is “Ikiro” by NEWS.
- ♪ Ikiro ♪
- The first mail was from someone who wanted to know which seats Massu usually chooses when he goes for movies, and what movie(s) he watched recently. He said “Kensatsu gawa no Gainin”, of course. He went to watch it with his manager and had the manager helped to reserve the tickets. Massu usually has the impression that seats around the center are easier to watch movies with, but when the manager asked where he prefers, he said he’s easy. Then the manager started a series of questions - “There’s xx row and xx row, which is good?” “Both are good.” “Is the side or center better?” “Both are good.” “Here’s the seating plan.” “WHATEVER!!!” So in the end the two of them entered together, with the manager naturally taking the better seat. They sat at around the center row, with Massu taking the aisle seat, though he usually prefers seats around the center of the theatre.
- The second mail was from someone who cuts their carrots into various shapes (stars, planes) when making stews. When they find a nice shape, they’d think they got lucky. What shape would Massu feel lucky to find? He said a carrot shaped carrot. (M: This is interesting! Nice sense!) He then said to cut some into the shape of strawberries, and those would be the unlucky shapes. The carrot shaped ones are jackpot. He wouldn’t want too many shapes, so carrot shaped carrots are good.
- The third mail was from a listener who doesn’t have the habit of wearing slippers at home, as they find it troublesome to have to slip them on and off. Especially so in summer. They got told off by their mother when they walked around barefooted as their mother said the oil discharge from their feet will get onto the flooring. They don’t understand why there’s a need to wear slippers at their own place and wondered what the point of wearing slippers was. Massu said he basically doesn’t wear slippers at home either. He doesn’t like slippers much either. Like when he goes to places where they give out slippers for guests to wear, he’d find them dangerous. As he never knows what’s in those nor who has worn them. He can’t wear his shoes in the socks he wore the slippers in. He said he has a slight fear of slippers, and shared how there are quite some people around him who doesn’t like going to restaurants with tatami rooms, and would specially bring socks to change when they go. When he asked what they do when they visit people’s homes, they said they don’t. Massu said if they own cute slippers, it might be good to wear them, as they might be good for our bodies? He also owns a few pairs, so he can use them when necessary, but he basically doesn’t.
- ♪ Real Face ♪
- At the ending, he said how this episode was a special one, and how he’d like to appear on Kame’s radio too. He also mentioned Nino’s appearance 2 weeks ago and about going to watch his movie. While it’s an impossible pace, would anyone appear for the 704th episode? He shared how he gets a bit nervous when someone suddenly comes as he’d feel the need to throw the conversation out, while he’s always been speaking alone for Master Hits. It’s good practice though and he’d like more people to come more often.

HANG OUT (Sep 29)
- Massu appeared a bit on Kame’s radio programme, through the form of a phone call. Kame whistled a bar from the chorus of “Ikiro” before the phone got through.
- They first pretend to talk normal, like “How’re you” “Thanks for coming yesterday” before coming clean and saying they have to call out to Massu despite him being in the studio just next door, as the studio Kame’s using only has one microphone.
  M: I was totally geared up to go over, but got told a phone call will do, so now…
  Kame: Hahahhaha… sorry about that. Would you introduce your radio show?
  M: Yeah. It’s called “Masuda Takahisa no Master Hits”.
  Kame: Every Friday.
  M: Every Friday. Yup. Yesterday, Nakamaru-kun ca- AH! It’s not Nakamaru-kun.
  Kame: Oei! See ya, I’m going to hang up~
  M: AH HANG ON HANG ON!
  Kame: I’m hanging up.
  M: Wait, sorry!
  Kame: How do you get this wrong? You… it’s been 20 years!
  M: Hahahaha…
  Kame: How do you get this wrong??
  M: No no, I messed up.
  They went back to talking about how Kame appeared on the previous day’s Master Hits and Kame talked a lot, so Massu talk. Kame asked Massu about his play, and he talked about singing “Real Face” again. It’s the first time he sang it as if it was his own song, and it’s a really cool song. Kame asked Massu to sing a bit to hear how he sang it. And while Massu finished one phrase of the chorus, Kame started singing the chorus of “Miso Soup”. Kame said Massu’s really good at singing, and wondered when he started being known to be good for singing, since he wasn’t known for that during junior days. Massu shared the Johnny-san story again, and that he started being interested in singing after Johnny-san praised him.
  They talked about how they totally didn’t move around together during junior days, be it the people they backdanced for etc., and then Massu got to debut. It’s been 20 years and they’re grateful that they’re all active in their different ways. Kame asked Massu to organise a douki gathering again, and brought up the time when Kosshi (Fo-yu) appeared on “OUT x DELUXE”. (TL note: we have a summary in thisNEWS news) Kame said he has zero connections with Kosshi, and Massu said he’s probably the same age as Kosshi. They tried listing who to ask for the douki kai - Nakamaru (KAT-TUN), them, Fujigaya (Kis-My-Ft2), Tsukada (A.B.C-Z) and Kosshi. They explained why they spent so much on that meal again. It was their 18th year in the agency, and they wanted to remind themselves how they should be grateful for their work. So they decided to go to somewhere they don’t usually go to. They also talked about how they used to be only able to afford the soba and udon from NHK’s cafeteria, costing 190 yen, when they’d really wanted to eat the pizza toast in the cafe next door that cost 400++yen. But they couldn’t afford to pay for that. They said they’re perfectly okay going to more affordable izakayas and all. But it’s the 20th anniversary…
  Kame: Should we go eat the 190yen udon instead?
  M: Maybe make that the 3rd round or something?
  Kame: To end the night with? It won’t be open! NHK’s cafeteria.
  M: Let’s start from there then.
  Kame: If we make that the last round, we’d have to start pretty early.
  M: I see. Let’s dance at NHK, eat soba, then go for our meal.
  Kame: Troublesome… hahahah. Sorry to have you specially appear, and through the phone though you’re just next door.
  M: I am in the studio next door, by the way.
  Kame: Thank you.
  M: You sure you don’t need me to go over?
  Kame: Yeah it’s fine.
  M: Don’t need to see my face..
  Kame: I took a proper look at it already. And they gave me “Ikiro”, so I’m looking at the jacket photos now. It’s special too, and properly designed.
  Kame then asked Massu to introduce “Ikiro” and played the song in full, talking over the opening to tell Massu to organise the douki kai.