[JO1] TV Navi Smile 220331

From his fragile and neat looks you will not expect the guts Shiroiwa has, which is also a huge charm of his. What kind of “desires” did he gain from giving his all in his first acting challenge?

For my first time acting I did my very best with all I got in the moment

JO1 who celebrated their second anniversary on 4th March have released a documentary movie “JO1 THE MOVIE ‘Mikansei’ - Go To The TOP” which follows their path up to now. It displays their efforts to keep going forward despite being unable to do their activities like they had imagined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, from the time right after their formation at the end of the audition to their first lives with an audience “2021 JO1 LIVE ‘OPEN THE DOOR’”, but Shiroiwa Ruki who is said to have a high professional even in JO1, was not so happy about the camera being backstage… Once again, he talks about “Mikansei”.

I think the situation of a camera being always around happened since the audition, but how did you feel regarding the filming?
I expected not to be closely followed anymore after the audition ended, so I faced the situation as if I went back to the very start. However, I am not good at showing my off side, so in the beginning there was anxiety and fear inside of me. I kept on thinking how it would look in general. Hence, speaking honestly in the beginning I hated it (laughs) But besides this, the director who created the movie along with us, continued to shoot us the whole time. He stayed with us even when we practised until the early morning and seeing him, my heart gradually changed, too. In the beginning I had built a wall, but my feelings transformed into that I started to think that it’s okay to show a little and more than anything I want to create a good piece together. I might say so but after all I am not good at this (laughs)

I think that you did not want to show your off side was because of your professionalism that does not want you to show your hard efforts, but for this you had to change your thinking. Yet on the contrary, was there a layer that you peeled off or did you ease by facing the filming?
I eased. Since I was a child, I was always the type who let his actions speak instead of words, or rather, I did not want to show my efforts if it was possible. I feel some mysterious aesthetics in this (laughs). Isn’t it cool to say “I didn’t study” but get the best grade for tests, too? I grew up with this feeling and believed that it was uncool to show my efforts, but I think this era changed into one in which your efforts are seen and appreciated, so I decided to give it a try. I wanted to know what would change and what everyone would think about it if I showed the things I did not want to show until now and I thought it would be not good if it always stayed my weakness, so this is a movie that challenged me personally, too. Rather that I peeled off a layer from myself, I eased a bit. Compared to the beginning, the wall has become a little thinner.

How was it to watch the finished movie?
Since it is something I have experienced myself and something that kept following us, I believed I knew the whole story. Hence, to be honest, I thought I would not be really moved by it, but I ended up being moved a little more than I imagined. Normally I’m not the type who is moved by movies, but this was the first time in a while that my heart was greatly moved. I’m nothing but grateful for this us having been completed like this.

How was it to see these two years of JO1 from an outsider’s perspective?
Two hours are not enough to show everything that happened in two years, so it feels like a summary, but they sum it up well. We also feel nostalgic, thinking this period happened, too, didn’t it? Right after we debuted the pandemic began and our timing was unlucky, but exactly that’s why this meeting happened… I deeply felt again that everyone is important and we have to work hard not just for us but also for JAM. I felt once more this is why we stand on stage. I think this is a good and energizing piece for us, too.

The drama “Short Program” in which all JO1 members star as the main characters is also streamed via Amazon Prime Video since 1st March. Acting for the first time has been a challenge.

If you graded your acting yourself?
From my perspective I really worked hard! I was the first one who filmed his episode and we also filmed it from the early morning to the next early morning. I left the house at 6 am and came back at 6 am (laughs) Thus, I worked incredibly hard, but I think I’m standing around 70 points with the hipe that I would like to go a little further. I want to challenge more works hoping that I can do better and become better at acting.

Do you think the story fits you?
I do not know whether it fits me, but the setting of the drama itself is a rare situation you barely experience, or rather something I have not experienced, so it was interesting to do so through the drama. Exactly because I came across this story, my interest in acting might have stirred up more. On the other hand, I would like to try a drama with a more normal situation and add a little shock into it. It was my first time, so it was full of things I did not understand and it was too difficult, which made it hard (laughs), but I talked a lot with the director in this situation. I might not have some technique or skills, but I gave the best I could in that moment and I did it with a pure heart.

Your role Seiya is auditioning for his dream, something that overlaps with our own life, right?
Seiya tries to join the audition because of a promise with the one he likes, so his reason for aiming for his dream is different, but I had my own conflicts when I auditioned, similar to what Seiya has to deal with in the drama. In this regard the role was similar to me and I could easily link to him.

I want to express something they moves the heart of people, not just by singing and dancing

Are there any “Short Program” like happenings around you that have been on your mind recently?
Pretty much every evening, Sato Keigo sends me super scary videos. It seems like it’s something popular within himself, and I’m annoyed by it (laughs) It seems like he sends the videos to various members and enjoys their reactions, but just yesterday he suddenly sent me another one. Each time, I diligently watch it and send him my thoughts, but for some reason he leaves me unread. Why does he even send me those in this case? (laughs) The most scary and mysterious one right now is Sato Keigo (laughs)

Is there anything “you want to make bloom” in yourself right now?
Since challenging acting in “Short Program” I consciously try to get in touch with different types of works. I’m watching various things such as dramas, movies and animes, and trying to add more knowledge. If you once more look at it from this point of view, it gets more profound and interesting. Recently, I am into the drama “Meet Me After School” (laughs). I want to become someone who moves the heart of people through various things and not just by singing and dancing, so if I get the chance to act again I want to do it more and more. What I especially want to do is to play is the role of a psychopath or the king’s road of a shojo manga like prince. I think it would be fun to be able to act a role with a wide range, so I want to be able to act polar opposites.

What is the charm of acting for you?
I am usually not the one who shows his emotions, but when you act you can bring out emotions without being tied to your actual self and without worrying about it? This is really enjoyable. Normally, my tone is basically even, but when I play a different personality I get a different feeling from myself, so it feels challenging and doing so is fun. As for myself, I hope I can be influenced by everything, but right now I’m still in the middle of learning.

Do you have an ideal actor image?
It is an actor who can show a variation in his acting. This is my final goal, but I want to become an actor who can show various sides of himself so that the viewers will think “He is different each time!” and I think once I become this person, I will be the real deal.