[Status: Lurking] Liz lives in the Kansai region of Japan (formerly way in the countryside and now way in the city) and practices Japanese by trying to translate things.Ā
Keisuke Ueda is an actor and singer best known for his performances on stage, particularly in ā2.5 Dimensional Musicals,ā stage shows based
Ueda Keisuke will be a virtual guest at FanimeCon 2022~!
Yes, it's 'only' virtual, but if you are planning to go to FanimeCon, or have 2.5D-fan friends who are going, please try to go to the panel! There will be a pre-recorded video appearance, plus special prizes (and, well, he won't be there live but it's still like an hour of Ue-chan~). This is Fanime's first 2.5D-related guest*, and if this panel gets a good turn-out, it could help with the chances of getting 2.5D-related guests in the future! Can you imagine seeing an A3! troupe or TouMyu unit perform in California?!
Of course, please be sure to check FanimeCon's rules esp about vaccination before buying your tickets, and also please please please follow the rules at the panel itself (no sneaky video or recording!).
*Yes, Matsushita Yuuya was a guest twice, but not in his capacity as Sebastian. :P
[Interview with Miura Hiroki & Takano || Hirokiās solo part
Starting with hip-hop from a young age, he debuted at 12 years old. Now, he's in a new phase as an actor.
He wields the weapons of energetic, sharp dancing, and precise acrobatics. Takano Akira actually marked ten years in the entertainment industry at twenty-one years old.
"At one point in my last year of junior high school, I wondered if I should leave the entertainment industry. I watched people around me prepare for high school entrance exams, and thought about continuing on in school myselfā¦ But then my friends told me, 'It's motivating seeing you work hard, so you should keep going.' When I thought about it, I had kept trying hard because of everyone supporting me. So now I think that becoming famous enough to be known in my hometown of Kurume is the only way for me to repay that."
Looking back, he says, "I've been really lucky."
"When I first became interested in working as an actor, I was able to be a part of a show called BLEACH, and learned how amazing the 2.5D world is. I'm really grateful to be involved in a hit production as popular as TouMyu. A lot of people support us thanks to the source materials*, so it feels like I'm borrowing the strength of the characters."
He's not talkative, but the way he speaks while searching for just the right words to express himself exudes earnestness, overlapping with his role, Hizamaru.
"With TouMyu, it's amazing how everyone, including the director Kayano (Isamu)-san, improves each other. Rehearsals are strict, and it's tough with so many things we have to do, but my awareness has gone up and I've become stronger mentally, so it's worth it."
This spring, he appeared in the drama, I Will Not Work Overtime, Period. "I have dialogue with Emoto Tokio-san, and even though it was a really short scene, it was amazing how his personality showed. I want to keep acting more with many kinds of people, and try to have a variety of experiences."
It seems he wants to try acting in a morning drama. "My family in Fukuoka watches them. I'll be happy if I can act in one of those, and my family and hometown friends can watch it."
---
Q. What's your favorite romantic scenario?
On special occasions, I want to go to a fancy restaurant or a dream country** ā I want to do something we don't usually do for a date. Even though I forget anniversaries instantly (laugh).
Q. What would you say is your 'treasure'?
Family is a given, but also being able to have activities like these, and having a healthy body.
===
[Translator's Notes: * The words he actually uses are "original work and original plan" with original work referring to the script/story itself and the original plan referring to the overall idea/themes/basics of the original manga or game... so, to sum up, the source material XD
** "dream country" = Disneyland]
[[ DO NOT REPOST IN FULL. If youād like to use this translation anywhere, please link back to this blog/page or otherwise credit yeouya @ tumblr OR kitsuneeyan @ twitter. At the very least, donāt claim this as your own work. Not fluent, so mistakes are possible~]]
[Interview with Miura & Takano Akira || Akiraās solo part]
My picture of his solo page came out really badly, so may re-do and add later >.>
Standing out in the world of classical ballet, moving on to the path of the actor. He's now gathering attention from the musical world, too.
With his beautiful posture, he exudes the elegance and composure of a famous sword known as a treasure of the Genji. The graceful movements Miura Hiroki possesses are the result of the classical ballet he studied from the age of five.
"When I was a child, I saw a video of Kumagawa Tetsuya-san and thought I wanted to do that too. It was the same as how other kids looked up to Kamen Rider. I was confident for no reason, so I even danced for my friends in class, thinking it was cool."
While standing on the stage as a dancer, he naturally turned towards the road of the actor. But, "at first, I hated acting and singing."
"In the beginning, I couldn't do anything at all, and I really, really hated that... It was frustrating, so I watched and imitated the capable people around me, and it became fun in the meantime. These days, I like both [acting and singing]. But even now, there are times where I'll randomly think, 'Why the heck am I singing on stage?' (laughs)."
"Les Mis is completely different from everything else so far. For a start, it's my first time participating in this kind of drama(/story). Because of it, I studied the historical setting of post-Revolutionary France, and started noticing societal conditions I hadn't paid attention to before. It feels like I've matured a little more with this production. But I don't think of grand musicals or 2.5D musicals differently. TouMyu is TouMyu, and the aspects I dig into are different and interesting. Simply put, I myself like Higekiri, so playing him is fun."
He's the type to not set many goals. "Up until now, it's felt like when one job ends, an unexpected new world opens up. So I think it could be good to not cling to anything in particular. It's just that I like the stage. The moment I hear the applause of the final curtain call, I'm glad for all I've done so far."
-----
Q. What's your favorite romantic scenario?
I always did ballet, so I was in the "go home club*," so I'm attracted to a romance with a school club manager. I want to go home together with her, while the other club members tease us.
Q. What would you say is your 'treasure'?
My body. Because I'm doing Les Mis, every day I feel really grateful to be living in good health and without impairments.
===
[Translatorās Notes] * the "go home club": while it's not always required, students are usually encouraged to join a school club in high school. When it's required, exceptions can still be made for students who have an external sport/activity they are active in. Sports clubs have student managers, who are more often than not, female students... thus the trope of a manager and a club member becoming a couple (something I have often seen occur IRL :P).
[[ DO NOT REPOST IN FULL. If youād like to use this translation anywhere, please link back to this blog/page or otherwise credit yeouya @ tumblr OR kitsuneeyan @ twitter. At the very least, donāt claim this as your own work. Not fluent, so mistakes are possible~]]
[Translatorās Notes: Opening with notes since itās been awhile since Iāve posted any translations~ Not fluent (decently conversational), so there may be missed nuances. I also tend to not translate to completely ānativeā English, as I like the stylized sound/feel of some of the original syntax (if that makes any sense). ]
[Miura Hirokiās solo part || Takano Akiraās solo part]
Close in age among the cast of the musical Touken Ranbu (henceforth referred to as Toumyu), Miura Hiroki and Takano Akira have a good relationship. With ballet for one, and hip hop for the other, they both studied dance from a young age, but their personalities are the exact opposite. However, it may be for that reason that when they come together, they create a beautiful contrast.
Hiroki: Akira is the only one close to me in age, so from the start, it was really easy for us to work together. But to tell you the truth, the first time we met wasnāt at Toumyu.
Akira: Right. About a year before that, we had the chance to meet through a mutual friendā¦.
Hiroki: They said it seemed like weād get along really well and introduced us, so later, when we met again for Toumyu, it was a surprise. Well, now, I donāt know if weāre getting along well.
Akira: Hey! But to be honest, I donāt really remember what Hiroki was like at that first meeting.
Hiroki: Hey! But, when we started practicing for Toumyu together, it never felt difficult to do, so maybe we really do work well together.
Akira: With height too, when weāre lined up next to each other, I think we balance well.
Hiroki: Our individual personalities are similar to our charactersā so isnāt it amazing that theyāre brothers? In that sense, it might be close to miraculous.
Akira: The two of us love Higekiri and Hizamaru, so now there are more things that we deliberately try to match.
Hiroki: At first it was so hectic we couldnāt do that, though.
Akira: Back then, in between performances, we also had rehearsals for Shinken Ranbu Sai (a show with the Touken Danshi whoāve appeared in Toumyu), so it was all we could do to just remember what to do.
Hiroki: It feels like there was a long time when weād do something and then get scolded and do it over again, without getting to a place where we could think with our own heads.
Akira: Acting as Hizamaru became fun during last yearās Shinken Ranbu Sai 2018. In the meantime, Iād been in different productions and then come back to the character, so my own perceptions had changed.
Hiroki: Even from being next to you, I understood that. You really seemed to be having fun then.
Akira: Itās like, I thought about getting to meet Hizamaru again, and it made me really happy.
Hiroki: I definitely had fun, too. But with the role of Higekiri, from early on, playing him didnāt feel awkward at all. You could say I got used to it without hesitating.
Akira: It was purely fun for me to play Hizamaru, too. Especially the banter between the two brothers, which is the kind of fun you canāt create alone, I really love that. When the laughter comes from the audience and Iām onstage, as Hizamaru I think, āWhy are they laughing?ā but when I go into the wings of the stage having made them laugh, it makes me happy.
Hiroki: Having had some time since the first Tsuwamono domo ga yume no ato performances, I feel like I know the role more deeply. Having continued acting as the same character for a long time, I think itās interesting that there are some things which have now come into view.
Akira: After the shows finished too, there were many chances to āhead to the front lines,ā with music programs and such.
Hiroki: Like Kohaku Uta Gassen, right. Akiraās dancing then was so cool, I replayed the video recording of it so many times. Itās something thatās not in my own repertoire.
Akira: On that topic, I was really moved and a little surprised by how high-level Hirokiās vibrato had become in one year. Also, his sidelong glances are sexy.
Hiroki: What the heck is that (laugh). But even though the two of us were different types from the start, arenāt we going more and more in the opposite direction?
Akira: Iāve thought that too.
Hiroki: If it had been a different production, I think we might not have gotten along as well. To begin with, we both basically felt like āsolo players.ā
Akira: Yeah. But it feels only natural for us to go to battle as a pair instead of solo. I want people who come to watch us to think, āOf course, itās good with the two of them together.ā
Hiroki: Itās a battle with just the two swords, so Iād like to show more of their brotherly relationship.
===
[[ DO NOT REPOST IN FULL. If youād like to use this translation anywhere, please link back to this blog/page or otherwise credit yeouya @ tumblr OR kitsuneeyan @ twitter. At the very least, donāt claim this as your own work. ]]
Prologue
Chapter 1: part 1 . part 2 . part 3 . part 4 .
Just a headās up for those looking for an English version of the new BSD light novel~ theyāre planning to update quite frequently (certainly compared to me back in the dazaiscans era :P), so go and show some (patient) support!
I went to Animate to try and get the novel but despite the website saying it was in-stock, I could not find it anywhere (and a lot of the BSD section was empty)... alas... Chuuya in a book is still missing. :P
The last year of life (year and a half?) has been an increasing level of stress and work - both paid and volunteer - and BSD had gradually joined that workload. I still looked forward to seeing what would happen each month and enjoyed sharing plot tidbits with people, but working on the scanlation felt less like a hobby and more like a third job (thanks to my tendency to take everything way too seriously XD).
So itās honestly a bit of relief to be able to step back and not feel like being behind is something to feel guilty about. Overall, this has been quite the learning experience~ and one Iām ultimately grateful to have been a part of.
From now: hoping to catch up on the last few months of chapters at some point (and maybe start picking it up on time again, from next year >.>), working on other things that I have been wanting to translate but havenāt had time for (mostly non-BSD due to 2.5D stageplays taking over my life). and perhaps sharing spoilers every now and then once more :P
I was always a fan of Miyavi since a teenage girl.
His individualism, style, skill and persona was so strong, it was very charming, charismatic and cool.
It was inspiring to see someone being so unique, constantly evolving as an artist and doing good for others.
Itās something as an illustrator-artist myself always aim to be.
Cool to me back 13 years ago, still damn cool now.
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kaledo-art
snowghoul
