The cool thing about being friends with other Dir en Fans is that they sometimes send me shit like this on a Monday, and here I am cracking up at work.
This is post for all Dir en Grey pseudo-fans. Especially for Toshiya's fans who constantly send me unpleasant and offensive messages. They wish I finally stop commenting. I don't know if it's the right thing to write here, but at this point I'm giving you the middle finger. F...K OFF . We have the 21st century and freedom of speech. I don't write anything offensive under posts about di en grey. I like admiring them, especially since they don't read it. And I repeat, none of the members of di en gray are owned by anyone. These are people, normal like all of us. Not things that belong to someone. Come to your senses people and let's enjoy together, admiring them, listening to their amazing music. Regards
The Freedom of Expression-Ep 22, Guest: Morikawa Toshiyuki
(starts with casual baseball talk between J, K, and T while watching the game)
J: Ah! Leader! We already started! The director is waving!
K: Haha, oh yeah.
J: The broadcast already started! There are aready comments coming in! We were too engrossed in the game!
K: We actually have yesterday's game on our screen here. This is the moment where Hiroshima are about to score.
J: Aghh, no! What a terrible time to start the show!
K: Yeah, haha
J: What an awful show, so insensitive! Anyway, Kaoru, please introduce yourself.
K: Yep, This is The Freedom of Expression Live, Im Kaoru from Dir en grey.
J: And I'm Joe Yokomizo.
T: And I'm Tasai from Tokyo Sports
*applause*
J: Yes, so the viewers can't see, but we are watching the game from yesterday on the channel DAZONE, between Hanshin and Hiroshima in the Climax Series. And this is just where Hiroshima score??
K: Yeah
J: But you dont care, right??!
K: Hahaha. What do you mean by that?!
J: *looks at the game* Aghhaghhh! Thats where they scored?!
K: Yeah, see. Its terrible, we might lose!! (*sarcasm - He already knows Hanshin won the game*)
J: Oh, you are awful!
K: Hahaha
J: You know, Kaoru was so happy in the dressing room, I've never seen him so smug!
K: No no...
J: Those were the kind of smiles you would never expect from the Leader of DIR EN GREY!
K: Hahaha
J: You didn't have a care in the world! Anyway, Leader, today is gonna be a kind of celebration special edition for 'THAT', right?
K: Yeah
J: And 'THAT' is...
T: Joe, don't forget about Youtube!
J: Ah, Youtube! We are broadcasting on youtube too! But hey, Youtube viewers! Only half way for you! Do not imagine that you can watch the whole thing on Youtube!
T: Joe, don't make them sad.
J: No, I mean they can see the juicy parts on youtube, and then be lured over to Niconama. Its a sophisticated trap, you see.
K: Well, yeah, right?
J: Yes, but hey, there are a lot of comments coming through on youtube too. You can see their names.
T: Yeah, like "Its the Tigers collab Happi coat!"...Yeah, it is.
J: Ok, Leader, remind everyone again what we are celebrating!
K: Well, the Hanshin Tigers have made it to the Nihon Series.
*loud applause*
J: Congratulations! They made it at last!
K: Ah, I thought this moment would never come....Eh?!
*Morikawa san enters singing the Hanshin Tigers song 'Rokkou Oroshi'*
M: 🎶Rokkou oroshi ni sassou to
souten kakeru nichirin no
seishun no haki uruwashiku
kagayaku waga na zo Hanshin Tigers
Oh oh oh oh Hanshin Tigers
Fure Fure Fure Fure🎶
(※Official Eng lyrics found here.
'Dashing swiftly through the wind blowin’ from Rokko
Like the big sun soaring in the clear blue sky
Mighty spirit of the youth shows the victor’s grace
The name that shines in glory “Hanshin Tigers”
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers
Go, Go, Go, Go!')
Congratulations!
*applause*
J: Incredible! It's today's guest, voice actor Morikawa Toshiyuki!
M: Thank you
J: Your spirits are not dampened!
M: No, really, congratulations.
J: But what are you doing here?!
M: Well, I was hoping that it would be me and Kaoru watching a Hanshin vs DeNA game today. ※T.N-Morikawa is a DeNa(Yokohama) fan.
J: Ahh, now you are in a difficult position!
M: Ah, but really, Hanshin have been so strong this year! We were well and truly beaten.
J: Kaoru, don't you have anything to say to Morikawa san?
K: About Yokohama? Well, last year WE were well and truly beaten by them! We didn't get a single win at their stadium. We couldn't win!
J: Haha, look at Morikawa san's smug face.
M: This was my face last year!
J: Haha, right?!
K: Honestly though, I'm glad we ended up with Hiroshima instead of Yokohama this time. Yokohama would have been scary!
M: Yeah, I can understand what you mean. Actually, I told Coach Miura(Coach/manager of DeNA) that I was coming on this show..
J, T, K: Ehhh?!
M: I said, 'I'm going on Kaoru from Dir en grey's show to undergo public execution...
J, K, T: Hahaha
M: Anyway, he told me to make sure to talk a lot about the greatness of Yokohama.
J: I see, I see...Uhh, we're gonna be kinda celebrating later though...
T: Joe, don't say that to our guest!
M: Hahaha
J: But hey, you've written a lot down for us to use later on, right??!
M: Yes, but why don't you explain the connecton between myself and Kaoru.
J: Oh, of course, the connection is that Morikawa san provided the narration for the Dir en grey interview special that was broadcast on WOWOW last month!
*applause*
K: Thank you!
M: Oh, no, it was my pleasure.
J: By the way, the WOWOW interview special will actually be broadcast again tonight at 2:45am...
K: Oh, great timing!
J: Right?! So everyone, please check it out. Anyway, because of this connection, here we are with Yokohama fan Morikawa for this Hanshin crelebratory special!!
T: Look at that comment! "All my fave people in a row, I'm about to have a heart attack!"
J: Ahh, wow. Hey, by the way, how did you two come around to this idea of baseball talk?
M: Well, this is actually the first time we've met.
J: Really?!
K: Yeah
J: Well, Yokohama were doing better last year, now its maybe a bit of a tougher position for you, but you are just here for your team, right?
M: Yes
J: So, just say whatever you like.
M: Haha, I'll try my best.
J: Ok, the notifications. We are always asking for comments and messages from viewers. Anything is ok, thoughts, suggestions, requests, anything. People using X, formerly Twitter, can use the hastag TFOE to contact us. Anyone can watch the first half of the show for free, but you need to be a member to watch to the end. If you become a member, you can watch these broadcasts in the archives for one year, and also enjoy members only videos. So please use the link at the top if your screen to join, Leader, point to it please, and enjoy the show to the end. Ok, lets just take this moment to properly introduce Morikawa san. Tasai san, could you?
T: Well, he needs no introduction, I'm sure you all know him, but he has had a career in voice acting spanning 40 years! He has worked in anime, narration, dubbing for foreign movies...He is even known as the king of BL anime. In anime he had voiced Ubuyashiki Kagaya in Demon Slayer, Takumi in NANA, Nick in Zootopia, the second voice for Nohara Hiroshi in Crayon Shin-chan, and so many more that its impossible to count them! For foreign movies, he has voiced the dubs for Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, for Keanu Reeves...I mean, even just those two are exciting enough! And if you go to Disney Sea, you will also hear Morikawa san's voice in certain areas of the park too.
J: Ah, incredible! Well, it would be great to hear some stories from the world of voice acting from you, but for the main part I wanna try and stick to baseball talk.
M: Hanshin talk, right? Hanshin winning, right?
J: Yeah, hey by the way, speakIng of your work, are you actually in a band too?
M: Oh yeah, kinda. Its like a vocal unit with fellow voice actor Tachiki Fumihiko san. He has quite a husky voice. So its him and me, and we are called '2Hearts'. But both of us tend to have a really busy VA schedules, so its actually a miracle if ever our schedules coincide...in one sense we are a miracle pairing, haha.
J, K, T: Hahaha
M: I'm hoping we can actually do more with that.
J: You did the narration for Dir en grey's interview special, so that must mean you were aware of Dir en grey?
M: Of course, I knew of them. But I'm quite seperated from the music world in general, so since I was asked to do the narration, I've done a bit of checking online, sorry!
K: No, no
M: But I thought you guys were really cool! As for rock, I like hard rock most. I LOVE Guns and Roses, I used to listen to nothing else! Years ago when I went to LA, I went to see them in West Hollywood in this venue called Troubadour. Its a really old place, The Doors, and Jim Morrison etc have played there before. Anyway, I was able to join them on stage! I'm just a VA, but I told them I was an artist, and they let me sing! I love them so much. There's also the venue called Whisky a go go, right? Thet let me on stage there too!
T: Did you sing there??
M: No, I didn't sing there, just went onstage.
J: On this topic, do you have any questions for Kaoru about the music world?
M: Well, you've come so far with one band, but don't the members ever feel like going in different directions? Haven't they changed their outlook since starting the band?
K: Hmm, yeah. Well, things do come up sometimes which we have to discuss and work out, but generally yeah, we haven't changed all that much. No one has ever really directly said, 'We need to do this!' or ' We need to go like this!' or that kind of thing. Someone might say something like, 'I'd like to do something like this for the next album', but no one has ever actually tried to force the band a certain way.
M: Ahh, but still, to continue on like this...the members must all be of the same feeling.
J: Isnt it kinda like family, being in a band?
K: If it were like family, wouldn't you eventually wanna leave though?
J: Ah, ok, yes. If you are with them constantly, you wanna leave home..
M: Like, 'I'm leaving home!' haha
K: Yeah, hahaha.
J: Hey, a comment just came in saying Morikawa san's songs are also really cool! Is it that you were having musical differences with the partner in your vocal unit?
M: No, no, its simply that both our schedules are too busy.
J: I see, ok, haha. Lets just leave it at that. Uh, so I'd like us to focus on baseball if we can. Yokohama didn't do so well this year, but Morikawa san, how long have you actually been a fan of Yokohama.
M: Oh, I've been going to watch them for as long as I can remember, my parents would take me...as Yokohama fans. Well, the team are the Yokohama DeNA Baystarts now, but back then they were called the Yokohama Taiyou Whales.
J: Ahhh yes! The first baseball hat I ever bought was a Yokohama Taiyou Whales hat! I liked that player, John Sipin!
M: Then why did you become a Hanshin fan??
J: No, no, this is just for this show!
M, K, T: Hahaha
J: I honestly know nothing about baseball though.
K: Surely you never wore that?!
J: No, I did in elementary school. There wasn't anything else going on in those days, there wasn't pro-soccer, or anything like that.
M: But to wear a Taiyou baseball hat then, that was ahead if its time!
J: Yes! The orange and green, right?! It was a forerunner, right? You would get bullied just for wearing it!
K, M, T: Hahah
M: Anyway, since that time I've been going to the Kawasaki stadium, and also the Meiji Jingu stadium. Actually, back then the stands in the Jingu stadium were all just earth/soil. I used to be always sat with my back to the game digging holes in the mud, and the Taiyou players would get mad at me.
K, J, T: Hahaha
M: Like, 'Oi, start supporting us!!'. There were that few people there, that the players would shout over to me for more support!
J: Haha, so empty! You couldn't even get away with taking your eyes off the game?
M: Right!
J: Conversely, the players should have been focussing on what they were doing! Nevermind looking at you!
M: Haha, yeah. So since then we have gone a looong time without any major wins.
J: From my point of view, its seems like Hanshin and Yokohama are both the same kinda 'often losing' team.
K: Thats right.
M: Hanshin have been Japan champions once before, right?
K: Yes
J: What about Yokohama?
M: Twice! Twice! hahaha.
J: Omg, no fair! The Giants and such are always winning!
M: The fist time Yokohama won was in the 1960s.
J: What?! The same era as the Vietnam war?! What are you saying? Don't you have anything more recent to celebrate??
K: Haha
M: Well, they won again more recently in 1998.
T: The Machine Gun lineup?
M: Yes, thats right. So I took a day off work then, and celebrated with them from the stands.
J: Ah, you were there? So you understand how Kaoru feela now?
M: Yes, I do. But for Kaoru, the real fight starts from here, right? You are aiming for No.1 in Japan, right?
K: Yeah
M: So if it all goes smoothly, Hanshin will be number 1, they will enjoy celebrating, and then by next season they can return back to the lower levels to cool off....
K: Hahaha
J: Ah, harsh! Next year will be the Baystars' year?
M: I hope so!
J: Thats harsh, pulling Hanshin down off their pedestal like that!
K: Haha
J: Morikawa san, I like your character!
M: No, but you know, once the players reach their goal of becoming No.1 in Japan, they have a lot going on. They will have their celebratory trip, they will be pampered in all their interviews...
J: They will appear on tv shows too.
M: Yes, so following all this, its back to the grind.
J: By the way, Kaoru, we will talk more about this in the second part, but did you think the Baystars were strong this year?
K:. Yeah, but Hanshin were stronger. haha. Last year we were totally beaten by them though.
M: Yeah, but since Okada became the manager of Hanshin, they've really transformed.
K: Our opening match this season was with Yokohama, and we had a good start straight away, so I was excited about that.
J: You thought it might happen?
K: Yeah, oh, also, last year and the year before, Yakult came out top in the Central league, but this year they were in 5th place. So its like Morikawa san said, about slumping after you win.
M: Yeah, Yalkult's slogan this year is 'Ok, lets go'...
J,K,T: Hahaha
M: Go where???
J: It sounds like to just go shopping or something, haha.
M: So you can really tell where they're at now by looking at their slogan.
T: What was Yokohama's slogan this year?
M: It was, 'Yokohama Challenge'.
J: Oh, Challenge is a good word. What was Hanshin's slogan again?
K: THAT (アレ/A.R.E)
J: Oh, thats what THAT was?? I didn't realise that was the slogan!!
K: Hahaha
J: They won with that slogan?? Maybe I should make THAT my life motto!...Ok, I think we still have a bit more time on the free section....Yes, I finally understand what THAT means. But Hanshin have had a lot of different managers before, right? This year's manager, Okada, if you even just look at his face, he is shocking.
T: Joe, don't say that.
K: He has a serious look.
J: He does! What do you think is good about him?
K: Well, he believes in the team. He was saying, Why couldn't the team win last year, even with this great lineup?? So he is just making most of the team.
J: Morikawa san, what do you think it is that has made Okada lead the team to victory?
M: He is unwavering. Since he started the role...There was one time this season where, what was it again? That thing with one of the other directors about changing the pitcher. I really thought he was determined when I saw that. He envisions the future victory over the of situation right in front of him. Some fans and other people were questioning his decisions previously, but now they don't really. I think maybe he is also a bit difficult to approach. For those young player, he is too much of a legend, there is quite a distance between them. I think thats a good thing. Like, even if he gets too serious...
J: He has a kind of dignity about him, or a kind of simultaneous dignity and foolishness.
K: Yeah, so he doesn't even have to say things directly.
J: Really? I see. Is it also that he prioritizes the team as a whole over individual players skills, and that mindset has then permeated the team?
M: Yes, there is an element of that.
T: Tasai, whats your opinion?
T: Well, just as the others have said, but also, if you look at the Pacific league, teams like Orix and Lotte are always changing up their batting order, they don't really play baseball with a fixed shape, wheres Hanshin are really playing and winning 'proper' baseball, by keeping a solid team each time.
K: They havnt really changed up their order at all since starting the season.
J: Oh, is that unusual?
K: Well, it used to be the norm, but teams change up their order more often these days.
J: Oh, look at the screen! Its showing footage from 1985.
K: This was the year Hanshin got to No.1 in Japan.
M: Okada was a player then, right?
K: Yes, he was.
J: I'm not entirely sure if my memory serves me right, but was that also when Kakefu san and Bass san were in the team.
K: Yes, yes. Thats when Colonel Sanders was thrown into the river.
J: Oh, that was then?! Osaka people are crazy!
K, T, M: Hahaha
J: Why on earth did they throw Colonel Sanders into the river??
K: Cause it looks like Bass!
J: Really?? They need their brains checking! I don't understand that at all, haha. I didn't know it was thrown in because it looked like Bass. Ahhh. If you compare 1985 to this year, how are they different?
K: Oh, they are totally different.
M: The style of baseball is different too.
J: Ok, please explain, I'm sure there are many viewers like me who know nothing. How is the style different?
K: There used to be...what was it called, the lucky zone. It made it easier to get home runs, if your hit landed in there. It was like a fence, slightly inward from the wall.
M: In high school baseball too, the lucky zone became kinda like a bullpen.
J: Oh I see. But now it doesn't exist?
K: No, it used to be easier to get a home run.
J: Ahh, I see. Well, I suppose the game changes as technology advances. And the pitchers must be throwing different balls too.
K: Yeah, their throwing speed is much faster.
J: How fast can they throw?
T: They can easily throw at 150km these day.
J: Wow, thats amazing, I didn't know that. I gave up watching baseball a long time ago, but I'm giving my all with it just for today.
T: Actually, I have a question for Morikawa san...What would you say was the one thing the Baystars were missing this year, which would have helped them win? From the fans' perspective.
J: Ahh, thats a tough question! Don't we need alcohol yet?
M: No, its ok. Well, before the season started, all the fans agreed that the lineup we had ready was going to give us the best chance to win. But the reality was that after the season started, the conditions of each individual player didn't combine to make the team we had hoped for. It wasnt the right balance, and of course Yamazaki etc were unwell. And then there was Soto, he joined the team midway during corona, and he was here from the start of the season this year. But he somehow didn't excel. A lot of the players who we had placed high expectations on didn't quite fullfill their potential. They couldn't keep the batting line connected. The pitchers did a god job, but their fatigue started to show in the later stages. While we were busy trying to figure out how to retain a good balance, Hanshin just shot off into the lead.
K: But at one point Yokohama did catch up so there was one one game between us.
M: Yeah, that was our peak, haha. We thought we were on a roll then, we we actually just sunk straight down after that.
K: I had thought that might be the end for Hanshin.
J: Weren't you pretty happy in the early stages??
K: No, no. As I said before, I couldn't trust the team. I thought our only future was to start losing.
M: As for the balance between the six teams, Chunichi just couldn't win. All the other five teams were determined not to lose against them.
J: If you lost against them you were hopeless?
M: Yes, and then Yakult found themselves falling.
T: And then The Giants suffered bit.
M: Oh, 10 in a row, right?
J: Morikawa san, no wonder you have no time for your band activity, you are too busy watching baseball!
M: Haha, no I watch it at night, I record the games and watch them later.
J: Ahh, you really love it though. Ok, so we are at about 30 mins now, so we have come to the end of the first part of the show. When we start the second part we will do Kanpai, and get straight into the party to celebrate..is it the Central league win?
M: No, the CS (Climax Series) win.
J: Ah, ok. So ever, please have a drink ready to join us for that. That will make it a bit more exciting for those of you like me who know nothing about baseball. So, everyone please become a member. Let me explain how it works. The second part of this show is for members only, so you have to be a channel member if you want to watch to the end. If you join, you can watch this broadcast in the archives for a year, and you will also get an extra members only video in the coming days. We challenge ourselves to all sorts in these extra videos so please 'Check It Out!'. Ok, How to join! There should be a blue link at the top of your screens now. Leader is pointing to it. Please use this link to joIn. Also, thank you to everyone who has been watching on youtube. We will continuing on Niconama, so please use the link in the discription to jump over to niconama. Ok, here's how to pay for membership. If you click the blue link, you will get a page asking you to choose your method of payment. Choose your preferred method, click proceed, enter your details, and thats it. If you have yet to join, please do so to enjoy the rest of the show. So, Morikawa san, do you have ny announcements?
M: Announcements? Not Yokohama related? Haha. Well, I'm currently featuring in a movie showing nationwide, called The Creator. I'm doing the voiceover for Ken Watanabe for some reason.
K: Wow!
M: So please check it out in theaters. I'm Ken Watanabe!
T: Thats interesting, haha.
J: How many actors have you provided voice-overs for so far?
M: I've never counted, you count them.
J: Not like 100?
M: Oh no..
T: Its more like 10,000.
K: You know, Ken Watanabe is also a Hanshin fan.
J: Morikawa san, how far are you gonna stray into away territory?!
M: Very, haha.
J: I feel for you wearing that shirt.
M: Actually, yesterday, I mean this morning, I was speaking to Mizuki Nana, who sung the naitonal anthem and Rokko Oroshi at the first game of the Climax series. She was telling me she was trembling, singing the national anthem at such an important game before the whole stadium. Anyway, thats a bit of trivia for you.
J: Really?
K: It was our first time hosting a CS final at Koshien too.
J: Oh, I see. Hey, how about Dir en grey doing that?
K: Doing what??
J: Singing the national anthem.
K: Who would sing it??
J: I don't know...You could, Kaoru!
K: Haha, no way.
J: You can do it Kaoru! We'll be supporting you!! Anyway, Kaoru, any announcements?
K: Uh, the tour starts from next month, so please check it out.
J: How are preparations going?
K: Getting there.
J: Oh good. Haha, yeh, someone commented 'Metal growl opening ceremony'. Anyway, please check out the tour if you can. We will have a quick break here while we change over to the members only content with more from Morikawa san, so wait right there. Back soon! 'I became a member!' Thank youuu!
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