[JO1] AR 220512

JO1 meets…

Yudai -> Takumi
Being an artist is a really fantastic profession. He is indeed gifted with multiple talents starting with singing and dancing of course, and also visuals, acting and variety skills. I think even if there had been an audition program in my teens, I would have never participated in it. I might have thought not to have a chance. Thus, that Kawanishi-kun chose me as his talk partner is a big honor and there is a lot I would like to ask him. Normally it’s rare that younger people ask me for advice, so I’m also worried whether I can do so well. Sometimes when I’m asked, I speak like a senior making me worried whether I forced my opinion on others (laughs). What I can do now is to approach him with an even mind set I guess. Working on this set, if there is anything hard to say, I will instead say it for you and I selfishly hope you can rely on me.

Takumi -> Yudai
Since I was young I strongly admire the Sentai heroes and I first got to know about Chiba-san when I watched “Tensou Sentai Goseiger” during elementary school. He appeared in a lot of works and CMs from then on but “SUMMER NUDE” made the biggest impression on me. I love it and I became a huge fan when I watched it. There is a lot about him I admire, but what I like the most about him is his voice that is calm and can heal me. I want to listen to it no matter the time of the day and I even want it to be my alarm tone! If it is possible I would like him to say “Good night” for me (embarrassed). I’m so happy that through the talk today I can monopolize this voice for myself. Actually… I was nervous the whole time since yesterday and not just today. It is pretty much the first time I can talk to a senior from the entertainment industry like this, so my heart won’t stop throbbing. I might end up being too busy with admiring you to talk to him?!

Talk theme
“The magic of words”
Words of thought, words of encouragement, words that became reality by saying them, There are a lot of meanings including also in lyrics and scripts…
We are approaching the feelings that have been carefully turned into the strengths of the two who don’t immediately show their efforts and hearts to others.

The cheering of the fans are my driving force

Takumi: Please take care of me today. I’m really nervous (loudly)
Chiba: I met you at the music show “MUSIC BLOOD”. All members of JO1 appeared there and you said “I like Chiba Yudai”. Back then we had no time to talk so I’m happy that you called me here. Kawanishi-kun, such a good kid 🤍
Takumi: Thank you very much! I watched a lot of your works in the past, but you are handsome in reality and you have an aura with your small face and your untainted side is also amazing…
Chiba: I wondered how a 22 year old boy would see me, but being praised like this (embarrassed)… I need to improve myself more, do training and get vitamin injections in the future!?
Takumi: Injections!?
Chiba: If I want to be as handsome as you, I need to improve (laughs).
Takumi: I said something terrible… (panics)! When I told the members about today’s talk, they said “awesome~” and they were jealous. Chiba-san has a lot of male fans, right?
Chiba: eh~? I’m happy ♪ Thank you very much. Recently my radio schedules are increasing and listeners told me “It is different from what I expected” or “It’s surprisingly funny”, so I think that I still have room to improve (laughs).
Takumi: I love your radio.
Chiba: But from my side, I unconditionally admire JO1’s performances. You entertain with singing, dancing and refreshing talks. I feel you are a collection of a lot of talents.
Takumi: I’m thrilled to hear this.
Chiba: The distance between you and your fans is also different from the ones between fabs and actors. In JO1’s case there are also people supporting you since before your debut but how do you react to it?
Takumi: I mainly feel reassured.
Chiba: The fans are looking over you like a family, right?
Takumi: Yes, it might be like this.
Chiba: I was so bad at acting when I made my debut, so whenever I got a new job, there were encouraging voices such as “I’m glad” or “I was worried, so now I’m happy” from the fans and thanks to this kind support I was able to work hard and still be able to work like this now.
Takumi: I actually feel that we are able to be active like this thanks to the support of a lot of people. After making our debut we were unable to hold lives with an audience because of the influence of Covid-19, but thanks to the fans' support we trended on SNS, they spread the word of JO1 and helped us a lot! Hence, we want to repay them through our music.

Being “cute” and “a princess” is also your very own strength
Chiba: What kind of character do you have among the members? Are you the one who is called cute?
Takumi: The youngest, Mame-chan, is the one who gets called “cute” the most and I’m the one who is usually called “Princess”. It is a nickname I received from the fans.
Chiba: Princess, a good one!
Takumi: But I can’t really feel this (laughs) I’m the most happy about being called “funny” (quietly)
Chiba: Ah, I get that. I’m the same! But our Princess side is a part of your charms that others feel, so you should make it your own while enjoying it.
Takumi: And make it my weapon?
Chiba: Of course! Over time you will naturally mix with your actual self and become good. I have an unexpectedly sharp tongue, hence I somehow became “cunningly cute” (laughs).
Takumi: I see, I will go with this strategy!

Connections attract themselves

Takumi: I also admire that your field of activities outside of acting is wide.
Chiba: In my case, I challenged the job offers I received and then little by little… like this. And since I started to voice what I want to do, my horizons broadened even further. This interview is this case and for example, I like “Ojamajo Doremi” and the director Xavier Dolan, so after mentioning this a lot I was entrusted to comment on these works. Also for the radio work I want to do, I can submit my own proposals.
Takumi: And by doing this you expanded your activities.
Chiba: My dream is to hold the “Chiba fest” one day. There amazing artists and bands will appear and I hope to do something there, too.
Takumi: Please invite JO1, too!
Chiba: If I can make what I say happen one day, I will for sure!! What are you interested in, Kawanishi-kun?
Takumi: Some time ago, I tried acting for the first time in a drama and I became more interested in it. I want to get more involved in it and try it more.
Chiba: Do you have a favorite movie?
Takumi: I love a baseball movie called “42”.
Chiba: You seem to fit something sports related or in a school setting. I played the role of a student when I was 28 years old., but you could easily do that. I would be happy if we could co-star one day.
Takumi: Of course as students from the same class ☺︎
Chiba: In this case… I surely have to work hard to stay untainted (laughs).
Takumi: Please recommend something to me!
Chiba: Your singing is fantastic, so how about theater or a musical?
Takumi: I have never been to those.
Chiba: I like the play “Les Miserable” and the role of Marius is one I always wanted to try and there are a lot of interesting musical films such as “Hairspray” “Chicago” or “The Greatest Showman” and also in the works of the director Xavier Dolan who I mentioned earlier makes you feel the true nature of humans and they are touching, so please watch those.
Takumi: I will! At the moment I like the anime “Shaman king” and I often watch it. The protagonist’s phrase “It’s gonna be alright”, goes into my heart as if I had said it myself. I’m someone who worries quite easily, so it feels like it lightens my heart. I think it would be fun to make something about friends and friendships with the JO1 members ♪

What the two have in common
Takumi: Oh… If it is okay, I would like to discover whether we have something in common! What is your favorite food?
Chiba: Cod roe ♪
Takumi: I like hamburger. Your favorite type of sushi?
Chiba: Minced Tuna
Takumi: Eggs
Chiba: Eggs! So cute ☺︎
Takumi: Cod roe are fish eggs so… we have eggs in common 🤍
Chiba: Is this common point okay? (laughs) Do you have a color that makes you happy?
Takumi: It’s yellow.
Chiba: Light blue.
Takumi: How about sports? I like baseball.
Chiba: Tennis. What was your best school subject? Mine was English.
Takumi: Math.
Chiba: Your favorite season? Mine might be fall.
Takumi: Spring..
Chiba: It’s so funny that everything is different (laughs)
Takumi: I didn’t mean to!
Chiba: Well, if we did something together?
Takumi: I would like to take a walk with you.
Chiba: Really? How about a series in ar in which we take a walk while talking about your dreams?
Takumi: This is really good (large smile)!
Chiba: Something like Princess Takumi will answer to the worries of the readers. Then what could be my position…
Takumi: Chiba-san will be the prince.
Chiba: eh! I would be embarrassed to be the prince, so being someone like a sister-in-law would be better. Someone who gives hearty cheers to the ones around him (laughs)
Takumi: As long as we are together, everything is fine.

"Not saying anything is the same as not having an opinion on anything” Words that changed me

Takumi: It is our third year after the debut, but is there anything we should be doing at this point?
Chiba: It is not that you have to do something, but rather it might be better to make notes of the things that interest you and what you experienced even a bit. It would be a waste if you can’t remember in the future what you have felt and thought in this very moment. I am interested in writing screenplays right now, but sometimes I wish I had made a record of what I felt when I was 22 years old.
Takumi: I can learn a lot from you.
Chiba: Also, I make sure to convey my opinion properly. That I started to do so, is because someone who took care of me told me when I was 26 years old “If you don’t say anything, it could be perceived as you don’t think anything about it.” which was breathtaking. Since then I make sure to voice my opinion properly.
Takumi: It is important to convey things with words, right?
Chiba: Do you exchange your opinions with the members?
Takumi: Yes, we are discussing things with everyone together. We sometimes clash, but that is because we have the same goal of making everything better! Your talks resonate with me a lot. Thank you so much for today!

Their future

Takumi Kawanishi
Today was so much fun because he talked to me in a friendly manner !I felt that Chiba-san gave me a push forward by telling me to voice what I want to do and the dreams I want to make true.The thing I want to voice the most right now is that I want more people to know about JO1. Once I reach my 30s, I want to be as beautiful inside and outside like Chiba-san, but I’m worried that I could turn into a worn out old man by all that singing and dancing (laughs). I will keep on improving myself to become a fantastic adult!

Yudai Chiba
Talking with Kawanishi-kun I felt like I had returned to my starting point, or rather, I felt that I wanted to cherish more the simple things such as what I wanted to do when I started this job and what I like. Some time ago, I played the role of Takara in the WOWOW drama “Double” depicted by two actors. In the series there is the line “I think having fun is the best”. I think it is something deep and strong to say “I’m having fun” including in your hard times and without forgetting my initial love for acting, I would like to continue to do so.