18 posts tagged “arashi”
I haven't posted anything here for a really long time, so I just decided to copy and paste this translation from my LJ.
Hello!
I'm not sure if anyone has translated this yet. I found a Chinese translation
of this article, so I decided to translate it into English. Sorry, I'm not (re)posting any scans. I only know that yuckie-chan has them...And also, since this is a translation of a translation, please forgive any mistakes that I may have made. Plus, I'm sorry for sounding really awkward sometimes, and I tried my best to translate this thoroughly. Just to make sure my translation isn't too far off, I also read the original Japanese text in the scans. When I get stuck with the Japanese, I read the Chinese translation to help me finish translating all this into English. Note that the words in a darker kind of gray in [ ] are my notes/comments/thoughts etc. I'm basically doing this just to improve or keep my Japanese and Chinese language skills.
In this article, Arashi basically talks about their singles Truth and Kaze no Mukou e and their concert tours.
The talk is actually MUCH longer than I expected...=__=
Enjoy the translation~
Starting their Asia Tour at Tokyo's Kokuritsu in September, Arashi has released their 23rd/double A-side single Truth/Kaze no Mukou e! They recorded the theme song for the drama Maou where Riida Ohno Satoshi acted as the lead role for his first time. They also recorded the Olympic theme song for NTV in which Sakurai Sho was the maincaster. These contrasting and appealing songs will really stir up this summer!
Sho: I think trying various things is Arashi's style.
Jun: I hope everyone can understand the messages conveyed in these 2 songs.
Aiba: Through this song, I hope everyone will be more excited/enthusiastic about the Olympics.
Nino: Truth is a very refreshing song for Arashi.
Ohno: I hope these 2 songs will be able to become the memory of summer.
This time is double-A side. When you first heard of Truth and Kaze no Mukou e, what were your impressions?
Aiba: First off is Truth. Its style is really different from Arashi's previously released singles. I think it's our first time singing this kind of song. When I first heard it, I felt a bit scared, feeling more nervous as I listened to it more. This song is the theme song for the drama Maou.
Sho: How was it...? The drama...
Aiba: Drama, right. The drama...
Sho: Of course you're watching it right?
Aiba: Ah, I really want to watch it, but...
Nino: So, if you're saying that you want to watch it, then please do so. (laugh)
Aiba: Ummmm....(laugh) I'm really looking forward to it. I think I want to watch the first 3 episodes all at one go. That's why I recorded them all. (laugh) I want to watch it in high quality. Also, I think the other song Kaze no Mukou e really carries out Arashi's good side.
Sho: What is Arashi's good side?
Aiba: I'm being bullied today ne. (laugh)
[unsure about what ツッコミ means...]
All: Ha ha ha.
Aiba: Arashi's good side...what is it? Maa...because this is a theme song for the Olympics, so I hope that people will be more excited about the Olympics through this song.
Nino: Ooo, you said it pretty well. (laugh)
Aiba: Although we can only participate through the song, but it shows how much hard work we've put in. I think I'll support the athletes by watching TV. It seems like Sakurai-san is going to Beijing. Are you looking forward to it?
Sho: I'm looking forward to it ne.
Aiba: What are you looking forward to the most?
Sho: The opening ceremony ne.
Nino: About the opening ceremony, there are different rumors now. (laugh) Stuff like a UFO flying in the sky.
Aiba: Right, right.
Sho: But you can't believe the rumors! (laugh) By the way, I felt a bit scared too when I first heard Truth.
Nino: Your comment is a repeat!
Sho: Then, let me say it in other words. (laugh) Recently, we sing songs that are more upbeat and pop-like. We haven't sung this kind of song in a while. [as in like the style of Truth] In the Truth PV, we're dancing and singing at the same time; recently, you only get the chance to see that at concerts. Because of that, wouldn't a dancing Arashi be refreshing? I wrote the rap lyrics in Kaze no Mukou e. However, about the lyrics being my own feelings on the Beijing Olympics, I think they're more about my thoughts on the athletes after interviewing them. I wrote those lyrics after I carefully thought about them. [Sho used the word 咀嚼, which literally means "to bite or chew." In this sense, I guess it can mean that he digested the material before writing.] Although I don't get inspiration for rap lyrics quickly every time, but since I interviewed the athletes this time, I could quickly write the lyrics out. I think it'll be good if this song can become support for the participating athletes behind their backs.
After hearing Sakurai-san's rap lyrics, what were everyone's thoughts?
Jun: Is it rap? Honestly, I thought it could be better. (laugh)
All: (laugh)
Nino: Because of that, let's work hard. If you didn't have this kind of criticism, you won't improve. Isn't that right?
Sho: I couldn't write anymore. That's all I could think of. But after hearing the criticism, it'll become my motivation next time.
Jun: Yup, there's still the future. (laugh)
Nino: You better thank Matsumoto-san in advance!
Sho: Thank you very much!
Jun: Iya, I should be the one thanking you. To me, Kaze no Mukou e is a song that we can only sing now. We sang Hero for the Athens Olympics last time. It's glorious to be able to sing Olympic theme songs twice in a roll. 4 years have passed since the Athens Olympics. The athletes representing our country are mostly the same age as us. That's why I hope that this song can connect the athletes and many other people in Japan together. About Truth, if it's listening to an album, perhaps Arashi will try this kind of song very likely. However, for the people who normally just listen to our singles, I think it's really refreshing. Because we're dancing in the PV, the whole visual performance will be enjoyable for the audience as well.
There're 3 editions for this CD this time. What do you think of Smile, the extra song that's only in the regular edition?
Nino: I'll talk about Smile then. (laugh)
Aiba: Please do so/go ahead. (laugh)
[He used "onegaishimasu", and I never really know how to translate this exactly. >__<]
Nino: It has a really summery feel. Isn't this kind of song necessary for summer?
Aiba: It's also good that it goes well as the song for the Tongari Corn CM.
Nino: That's right. It fits well. (laugh)
[He used "tongattemasu"/とんがってますからね, which is like what they say in the CMs. I'm not really sure what it means though...It's mostly just a little catch phrase for the brand, I guess...^^;; Tongari literally means "sharp or pointy."]
Aiba: Yup. A summery song. Thank you very much for your comment~
Nino: (To Ohno) Jaa, general/commander, it's going quite steadily right?
[Nino used the word 大将=general instead of calling Ohno leader/Riida. Lol. He sure likes making up nicknames for Riida. xD]
Aiba: Want to talk about what you're doing recently?
Sho: But this is the monthly magazine Song.
Ohno: Maa, Truth is a song we've never tried before. [as in its style] So, before we finished singing it, I couldn't imagine how all 5 of our voices were going to sound like at the end.
[Riida finally said something...^^]
Sho: After listening to it, it sounds nice, doesn't it?
Ohno: Yeah, it really turned out that way.
Sho: How did it become?
Ohno: Something that sounds nice. (laugh)
[Riida, can't you be a little bit more descriptive? -.-]
All: Ha ha ha.
Ohno: I just feel like Arashi can do anything. Kakkoi/cool as usual.
[I can't agree with you more here, Riida. Arashi can do ANYTHING! xD Totally true with the kakkoi part too.]
Sho: Compared to the normal, I thought we can be better.
Ohno: Maa, that's how we'll be from now on?
Sho: That's harsh. (laugh)
[Lol at Sho who just said he wanted to be better.]
Sho: What do you think of Kaze no Mukou e?
[Aiba just randomly jumps in...and switches the topic again. Lol.]
Ohno: I feel relieved.
Sho: Why?
Ohno: It has an Arashi feel. If it's only Truth, I'm a bit worried about the future path of Arashi. The fans will feel relieved when they hear Kaze no Mukou e, right? Plus, it's a pretty easy song to sing.
Sho: Nino-san, why don't you talk about Truth also?
[Lol at how Sho said "Nino-san" instead of just "Nino" or more formally, "Ninomiya-san." Ok, maybe I'm too weird...]
Nino: My thoughts on Truth are really just the same as everybody else's. A fresh feeling. When we were dancing to it, I thought of how the drama Maou is like. I thought I could kinda imagine it.
Sho: I understand. Although when we recorded it, I still hadn't watched the drama.
Aiba: However, when I read the lyrics and listened to the song, I would start imagining that kind of scene. To think carefully, the happy thing this year is that we've released many CDs.
[I'd say poor fangirls going backrupt is not happy. I'm really happy for all their singles too. :D I'm not lying!]
Sho: This is our 3rd single?
Aiba: That's right. Therefore, instead of using nori-nori to describe, I feel more like age-age. (laugh) This time we released 3 editions. I hope people will be happy to choose the one they like.
[Lol. Aiba-chan talking in ageha terms. Nori-nori/ノリノリ=high spirts/tension. Age-age/アゲアゲ=high tension as well...I guess...]
Truth is a very fresh song to Arashi. Then, what is the "Arashi style" on the music aspect?
Sho: When you listen to it, you feel genki and happy afterwards. That's Arashi's song style. But if that's the case, Truth will have a different feel. Maa, just let us try doing various things. That's Arashi's style.
Aiba: That's right.
All: (clap hands)
Sho: Rather than wanting to try different genres of music, we want to sing songs that convey messages to the people who listen to us.
During the 5 Dome Tour from May to June, you performed your music for 440,000 fans. What are your feelings for this tour?
Aiba: Various things happened this time. It was also our first time doing a 5 dome tour, and we visited some of the domes for our first time. At the beginning, Sakurai-kun was injured too. It was a truly memorable tour ne.
Nino: Right.
Aiba: That's why it felt like we overcame some difficulties together. That kind of sense was really strong.
Jun: I'm very glad that the 5 Dome Tour came true at this timing, which made us feel like we've made one step up. After we did it, it was interesting. I was really happy that so many people gathered at the venue and enjoyed themselvestogether.
Nino: Somehow, I felt really refreshed at each concert.
Ohno: We've always had about 40 shows for each tour, but this time it was only 10 shows. However, the venues were huge and it was our first time, so it was fresh.
Nino: We don't think that finishing the 5 Dome Tour means our goal is accomplished. Because of that, we thought, "how will it be like?" [Unsure. He used どうなんだろう?] Last year, we got to perform at Osaka and Tokyo Domes, so we simply thought about how the other venues would be like. Even though we don't know the future world, it'll be good if we can try doing it.
Sho: Last year, we got to perform at Tokyo Dome and Osaka Dome for the first time. This year, we've stepped up to 5 Domes, and in September, to Kokuritsu. This should be the direction for trying new stages [or different venues]. Although this isn't our goal, so what is it then...?
Nino: Our goal? We don't have one, do we?
Sho: We're going to keep on going without a goal?
Nino: That's right.
Sho: That's hard/painful. Can you endure it?
Nino: I want to say that I'll try and endure it. (laugh)
Sho: Can you overcome it?
Nino: If I have everyone's support!
Sho: Good! Let's try out best!
Aiba: This [conversational] exchange now is totally right. (laugh)
[Aiba uses the word daiseikai or 大正解, which literally means big, correct. He's saying that Nino and Sho's conversation is really good.]
Sho: Right now, we're just saying how this is why we don't have a goal. (laugh) After we're done at Kokuritsu in September, we still have to go to Asia (Taipei, Seoul, Shanghai). I'm looking forward to it ne.
Nino: Another tour ne. The fact that everyone is waiting for this simply makes me happy.
[Nino being a DoS or what? It's kinda a torture for fans to wait...but at least I'm grateful that they have no goal in doing concerts and such. Yay! More concerts please! *hint: outside of Japan and Asia!!* ^_~]
Sho: It's kinda a strange feeling. Foreigners knowing us.
Aiba: In the years when we can't go overseas, there're people who come to Japan to see our concerts. That's why I'm glad that we can do the same for them.
[*prays hard for a world tour*]
While each person is gradually expanding in their own fields, being a member of Arashi, what is the fun of doing music-related things?
Aiba: I really like concerts. From the time I was dancing behind sempais, it's been the longest process/time.
Jun: We normally don't have many chances to meet the people who support us and because of this, concerts are really important. About music, we're not only performing it. From the perspective of the audience, I'm encouraged by the feelings at that particular time and I'll start thinking. I think that's something that we must have.
Nino: There're things that can be enjoyed by 1 person, and there're also those that can be enjoyed by the 5 of us. Recently, I often think about how it's good to find a balance among various things. Now, because Riida is doing a drama, he has a solo activity that he can enjoy. Perhaps this is a balance point.
[Nino thinking of Riida. How thoughtful! Not really sure how Riida's drama can lead to a balance point...I'm just too lazy to do any critical thinking.]
Ohno: Concerts are interesting ne. We really get to meet our fans, an atmosphere that's only at concerts. Being together at the same place makes me feel comfortable. The lyrics of Arashi's songs are straightforward, so when we sing them, we feel like the messages are conveyed directly. Like when there're people crying in front of us, we can see all that clearly at that place [concerts]. I thnk that's great.
Sho: In 1999 when Arashi debuted, we released a CD. The 5 of us isn't a funny/comedy group or a stage performance group. [But they sure are a funny, dorky group to me. xD] Because we released a CD together, everything started from there. When we're working on our respective jobs, I think the happiness of releasing a CD with the 5 of us will grow bigger and bigger.
[Well said, Sho-kun! :D I'm biased...]
What is the selling point of a double-A side single?
Aiba: There's a dance choreography in the Truth PV, so I hope people will enjoy its audio and visual sides. The feel in Kaze no Mukou e's PV is totally different. It seems like we're always running continuously. Even though the truth is that we aren't running. (laugh)
Sho: We aren't running at all.
Aiba: But it has a very lively feel to it. I hope everyone can feel that way too.
Jun: The 2 songs carry completely different messages, so I hope people will enjoy them. It's right to say that the 2 songs have really different styles. To us, they're both very nice. I hope everyone will enjoy listening.
Nino: Like how Aiba-kun said, it's also fun to watch the PVs. As for me with the job of promoting Smile, I think it's a song that you'll smile after you listen to it. If you aren't smiling afterwards, maybe you should suspect/question yourself. Try to change your affected self ne. (laugh)
[Sorry. The last sentence sounds awkward....]
Aiba: No, everyone's definitely going to smile yo.
Nino: If it's everyone, then they'll surely be able to smile.
Sho: With their best smile ne. I think it's interesting how these 2 songs are on 1 single. I somehow feel like this single consists of different feelings. So, chief/director, it's your turn, since it's the theme song to the drama where you have your first lead role.
[After Nino, now Sho is making up more nicknames for Riida. First is 大将general, then is 部長chief, will it be 社長company president next? xD]
Nino: You didn't do this before, so you better promote this time. How do you want people to think of it?
Ohno: This...I can't really say...
All: I see.
Ohno: I hope people will listen to it and feel it themselves. Truth is the theme song of a drama, and Kaze no Mukou e is an Olympic theme song. So, I hope these songs will be memorable for people.
All: Thank you very much~! (laugh)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I just think it's kinda weird how in most parts of this article, only 2~3 of the members are talking, and the others are silent...we all know that Riida is quiet, but this time, Jun doesn't talk much either. The interaction is a bit odd sometimes...maybe it's just me...
Also, I'd say this isn't the most interesting interview of Arashi. Not much really funny interaction....mostly just about their music. Well, after all, this is from the Songs magazine. So, yeah. They were more serious than usual in this talk. It's good to see their deeper thinkings too. I just reread the whole thing and it seemed a lot more interesting than when I was translating it. Lol.
Ummm...sorry for all my random comments in the middle...for like every line...If you're really bothered by them, please tell me so next time, I'll put them all the end or something...
Uhh...there's also a short little translation of a part of an Oricon Style earlier, which I didn't post on any communities. If you're interested in knowing when Arashi give their best smiles, go here.
I haven't posted in a while since I've been quite busy with school work. Today, I finally got to see VS Arashi, or just an Arashi show, on Keyhole TV, after like...maybe a month or so. My family usually eats out on Friday night (when VS Arashi is aired in Japan), so I rarely get the chance to watch Arashi on Keyhole, since I don't really like to wake up early in the morning when I go to bed at 2 am.
I thought Arashi is invincible! I was disillusioned...
Just a very very brief summary here. Lol, I'm totally making up names for the games. Sorry, the screencaps are pretty bad/random cuz you know how Keyhole doesn't run smoothly.
Catch-the-Pole Game:
Aiba and Sho lost to the guests. The male guest got 100 pts! I think the girl guest who played this game is pretty. She looks half. Maybe she is half since her name is Mona.
Catch-the-Balls Game:
Nino was good. After all, he should have pretty good hand-eye coordination cuz of all the time he spends on his video games. He scored 300+ pts. The girl guest (the shorter one) was scared of all those flying balls at first. She got a little better and scored 200+ pts, but at the end, she was still dodging the balls. At this point, Arashi was leading.
Stack-the-Disks Game:
Jun and Riida played this game. Arashi got a lil worried since Jun was the most ダメ one last time. This time, Jun lost again! Jun, what's wrong? Why are you the worst in playing these games? Even Sho, the sports loser, can do better!
The 3 guests won and got the prizes.
The Most ダメ Arashi:
Since Jun lost the stack-the-disks game, all his fellow members unexpectedly pointed at him and he got dunked into a pool of white styrofoam blocks. Jun, がんばれ! I want to see you win in the next episode!
Grrrrr! My brother just happened to come in during the ダメ Arashi part. I told him to stay and watch Jun get dropped, and so, I was distracted and forgot to take screencaps!!
Btw, I don't like how they put "The Most DAME Arashi." It's just awkward to mix in "dame" (Japanese) with the other English words (well, I know "Arashi" isn't English, but still...). And also, ごめんね, Sho-kun. I didn't catch a close-up of you during the catch-the-pole game or a solo screencap.
Just some other random close-ups.
And several other random screencaps.
Come on, Arashi, you must win everytime after this loss! I hope they play more new games. The one where Nino was catching the balls was pretty entertaining.
Okay, before I start talking about Jun, I'll just have to post about something else first. ^^
Today is my birthday! Yay! I'm 18 now!
I just spent most of my day in my room (sounds very depressing). It's the last day of spring break, so tomorrow, maybe I'll get something nice, hehe.
I got a slice of Godiva chocolate cheesecake, which is my favorite desert! I'll eat it after dinner. ^^
Sho Beat ended on my birthday...T_T Why...? I like listening to Sho Beat. Please ignore the scandal which I find ridiculous and offer Sho a new show. Onegai~
Sho's solo Hip Hop Boogie is awesome! I like it a lot. I can't wait to listen to the whole song. He played the whole song. It was just that he was talking over it.
Sho also played his remix of Where Is The Love. I really like the original cuz it conveys a good message. I just ♥ Sho's version and his style of singing it. I wish he played the whole thing though. Also, it seems like Sho's English pronunciation has improved a lot, just by listening to the English part of the song. I heard that Sho's learning English and his teacher/tutor (?) is about the same age as he is, so they become good friends. That's probably why Sho's Englishhas gotten better. He's just so hardworking, always finding time to learn amid all the other things that he has to do.
Today, I also watched the latest episode of GRA. It was so funny! Jun's magic, lol. Nino's monomane of himself (when he sees convenient goods) is hilarious.The best part, of course, is Sho's dance! Sorry, Riida, I couldn't understand your conversation with that ojisan, but you were really cute. Aiba, why didn't you participate? It'd be so much fun.
I saw the lil preview of VS Arashi at the end of GRA. It does look like Tokyo Friend Park with all the games/challenges. It looks really fun. I can't wait for it, and I guess I'll miss GRA too.
I saw the previews for Tokyo Friend Park and Himitsu no Arashi-chan as well. TFP is only a few more hours away. Too bad school resumes tomorrow, so I can't stay up from 2-4am to watch it. I'll just have to wait for somebody to upload. The quality of Keyhole TV is kinda sucky anyways...And Sho said some miracle happened at TFP...maybe...?
Somebody went to Disneyworld to film Himitsu no Arashi-chan!? They even had Mickey Mouse do the "Shhhh!" pose! I really want to watch it to see what's that all about.
What else is there to talk about before I talk about Jun...? Hmmm... *thinking*
Nino cut his hair! I want to see his new hairstyle! ^-^
Ok, I don't want to make this post too long. So, I'll just post another one after this. Lol, I'm totally procrastinating on my reading, again.
The April magzine photoshoots are pretty, so I decided to post them here.
Credits to Supia
Potato
Nino, please cut your hair! Aiba with a trench coat. かっこい～
I love this pic and Jun's hair! Jun and his big, pretty eyes~
I love this pic too! And of course my beloved Sho-kun! He looks gorgeous here. Well, actually anywhere, as always. I like his pose here too.
Wink Up
Aiba-chan with pastel-colored balloons! Love this pic! Although I'm afriad of balloons....yes, I'm kinda weird...
Jun looking gorgeous and Nino's cute smile and sleeping face. Sho looks cute with the hat.
Riida looking good here.
Message Boards Rough Translations with my limited Japanese knowledge:
Riida to Kazu (Nino): ...That's serious (おもい=literally, heavy).
Riida to Chinen: I want to be friends with you too. Shall we become mail friends? (mail probably means like messaging on cell phone?)
Junno (KAT-TUN) to Sho: Let's bring THAT person along to karaoke! (Who's THAT person? Hmmm....)
Junno to Nino: Do you play soccer games? (probably referring to soccer video games) In the game, I tried to find you, but at the end, I couldn't. (something like that about the last sentence...)
Shige to himself: The test has passed. Let's work hard in 3rd year of college!
(then, something about work...maybe just something encouraging himself to work hard....sorry about the very very rough translation. Lol, Shige, you gave yourself a message! )
Duet
Riida showing his black pinky fingernail! I guess he was just messing around with black paint or some other sort of art material...
I found casual Aiba very attractive. Wish I could just meet him on the street like that.
Jun busying filming while Nino relaxing and reading manga! Somebody please give Nino some work so hopefully, there's an excuse for him to cut his hair! Well, actually he does have some work now. The new CM for the Kirin Shava Dava grapefruit-flavored carbonated drink. (Shava Dava?? What a weird name...)
Riida fishing! He must be really happy ne. Fishing and working at the same time. I want to go fishing with you, Riida. I used to fish a lot with my family cuz my lil brother loves fishing. Now I don't really like fishing. The baits and stuff are so dirty...but since Riida likes it so much, I might just start to like fishing again. Who knows? The power of Riida...
Sho-kun's intense stare! I guess Keio Boy doesn't like others to interrupt him when he's reading newspapers. I won't disturb you anymore, Sho-kun...cuz you just killed me with your eyes!
Yay for Riida who gets 3 extra pages! Because of his great success in Freestyle and upcoming butai? Riida, keep up your good work. Show off your talents. Amaze more people. Let the whole world know how awesome you are! Yeeeeeaaaah!
Myojo
Myojo can do better than this, seriously. I don't really like the kaleidoscope effect. The "How well do you know Arashi" quiz is cool though. I enjoy guessing the answers and reading the members' responses. However, I just ignored the point system...wish I didn't cuz I want to know if I'm THAT BIG of a fan, who knows everything about Arashi.
3rd pic:
Riida is really the artist of the group ne. His kanji for "Arashi" is so pretty and artistic. I knew that Nino would do something weird with his writing...Aiba's is kinda normal, just in katakana. I knew Sho was the one who wrote in English and block letters. Jun wrote "Arashi" with his left hand?
They also talked about the food that they hate and what they want to do for their 10th anniversary.
Return of Aibado? I was laughing so hard when I first saw this pic. Aiba-chan flying in the air!!
Some questions he asked the readers for Aiba's quiz (highlight for answers, at the end of question):
- How did he take that picture? (b)
(a) Aiba has supernatural power (b) just a little jump from the platform where he's standing (c) photoshop
(d) using a trampoline to jump really high
- What club did he join in elementary school? (c)
(a) chess (b) pool (?)
(c) "get ball" (What exactly is this? Am I the only person who doesn't know cuz I don't really play any sports?)
- When did he think "maybe this time I'm really going to die"? (c)
(a) being attacked by a kangaroo during TSD (b) being attacked by a tiger during TSD
(c) "toriningen" (鳥人間）/ Aibado experiment during MMA
I didn't do all the questions. Hehe, just the ones that sound more interesting.
Quiz on Jun:
- What's the piece of furniture that he wants the most right now? (b)
(a) sofa (b) mirror (c) air freshener
My comment (highlight): I haven't read his explanation yet. I guess Jun really cares a lot about how he looks ne.
- What color is his bike? (c)
(a) yellow (b) black (c) red
- When he was reading the HYD manga, which role did he want to act? all 3
(a) Domyouji (b) Hanazawa Rui (c) Soujiro
Quiz on Nino: Sorry, I'm getting lazy, so I'm not going to translate all the multiple choices.
- How much money does Nino have in his piggy bank, with 500-yen coins that he started collecting 3 years ago (or something like that, sorry about my understanding in Japanese)?
Answer: None of the provided answers are correct! (Nino! You just have to be trick ne.) He has about 800k yen in it! He also says the piggy bank is really heavy. Nino thinks that if somebody broke into his house, the burglar wouldn't even be able to lift it!? おもいね。(Nande? なんで?)
- What happened at Nino's house recently? Answer: His grandma's hair caught on fire (cuz of incense). - What did he buy recently? (a) games (b) bag (c) house (me: o_0?) Answer: (b) He bought a bag for his laptop/computer. It's brown with pink dots. It costed about 15k yen. Nino, isn't that kinda expensive for a bag? Well, he's finally spending more of his money (other than games, I guess) and not as stingy now, it seems.
Quiz on Ohno:
- What fishing equipment did he buy recently? Answer: (a)
(a) reel (b) lure (c) rod
His little elaboration on the answer: He bought a 1000-yen one and a 2000-yen one. (me: mep...not very significant)
- Amatsukaze, his butai starting from March 21, is his ___th butai since Arashi's debut.
Answer: 8th butai. I guess almost one per year.
- Which of the 3 clay figure mice on the page is made by him?
Answer: (a) Riida sounds really excited talking about his art exhibition. Well, it's his dream, and he has finally made it come true. He said he asked Johnny's Jimusho about it last December. He was very surprised at how many staff people were needed for the exhibition. But at the end, he was very happy.
I found the pic of Sho holding the dishes kinda funny.
Quiz on Sho:
- Of all the food on the page, what did he eat after the photoshoot?
(a) pizza (b) pasta (c) fried rice (d) ramen
Answer: (b) Sho said he likes pasta the most (probably meant of all the food available there). (me: Why did Sho take a pic with all the food? I think it's kinda random...Lol. Did the other members get to eat it too? If yes, Riida probably chose the ramen, ne.)
- How many pictures did Sho take when he went to India for 4 days during New Year's holiday?
(a) 120 (b) 1200 (c) 12,000
Answer: (b) He used both his camera and video camera to take those pictures.
- What does he always have in his bag but he never gets to use it?
(a) laptop (b) mint (c) books
Answer: (c) He carries about 2 books with him. He said something about falling asleep after reading newspapers, and so he never got to read the end (of newspaper articles or books?) He brought 2 books when he went traveling, but he never even opened them.
- A question about the other members' messages for his birthday. Sorry, I don't know what "uketa" means.
Riida was the 1st person to call him. Sho was taking a bath, and so he heard Riida leaving him a message, "Sho-kun? Omedetou! *heart* Jyaa ne, oyasumi! *heart*". He said Riida said it in a LOVELY voice. Then, Riida called a 2nd time, and I don't really get what Sho was talking about this other person...Nino was the 1st one to send a mail (I guess thru cell phone). On the 25th around noon, Jun sent Sho a decorated mail. Sho said the writing (content) was ok...but he was surprised at the decoration. On the 26th, Aiba sent his mail, "Sorry, it's a bit late, but happy birthday!" Then, Sho replied, "I'm happy to get your message, but my birthday was yesterday!" Lol. (Me: Aiba-chan! How can you forget Sho-kun's birthday? I thought you guys are really close!)
Post more later, maybe~
I heard that Jun and the others are now back in Las Vegas for more filming. Nobody knows the exact time and location. I heard that they're here until Saturday. I'm not begging to go this time. I hope that filming will go smoothly for them. Maybe if Jun has some free time, he'll go visit the different hotels and see their arenas, trying to find one that's good for Arashi! 
*desparately hoping for an Arashi world tour with a stop at LV or SF or LA* Just count on Jun for concerts. He's the concert master planner. He always dazzles us with awesome stage "thingies" like the clear moving stage that goes over the audience's heads and his famous MJ Walk. Wonder what they have this time for their 5-dome tour...
Since I can't just think of ONLY ONE song for each "question," I'll just list the ones that I can think of...
If there are more than 1 song for each category, the songs listed are not in any particular order.
*open iTunes for help*
1. arashi song that never fails to make you genki - きっと大丈夫, Step andn Go, 冬を抱きしめて, Carnival Night Part 2, Yes?No?, Oh Yeah!, We Can Make It!, Happiness, A.Ra.Shi., ハダシの未来, サクラ咲, ...
2. arashi song that never fails to bring a tear to your eye - Days, Blue, 瞳の中のGalaxy, Be with you, 虹
3. fave arashi PV - #1 Happiness
Others that I really like: We Can Make It!, Love so sweet, PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE, 瞳の中のGalaxy
4. arashi song that previously didn't have a PV but you would like to have one now - Love Situation, Song for me, 虹, Top Secret, Right Back To You, 素晴らしき世界...
5. fave arashi song choreography - Step and Go, Love Situation, Right Back To You, We Can Make It!, Love so sweet, PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE, Song for me, Rain, Top Secret, A.Ra.Shi, きっと大丈夫
6. write the first arashi song (group/solo) that comes to your mind when you think of:
aiba-chan - Itsuka no Summer
matsujun - La Familia
nino - 痕跡
riida - Top Secret
sho - Unti-Unti
7. solo that you want to listen to when you are with:
aiba-chan - 涙流れ星
matsujun - One more time, one more chance
nino - 虹
riida - Open Arms
sho - 星になるまで
8. arashi song you would like them to perform live (during a concert. they may have or have not sung it before) - Days, Still..., 星になるまで, 冬を抱きしめて...
9. fave tv performance (song + tv program) - Love so sweet + Hana Yori Dango 2 Returns, Happiness + Yamda Taro Monogatari
10. arashi song with the best message conveyed - 素晴らしき世界, サクラ咲, Step and Go, We Can Make It!, Love so sweet, Happiness...
Part 2 will be the one that's about something like "how much do I know about Arashi songs" with the whole entire list of all Arashi songs....
The title of Arashi's new Thursday variety show on TBS starting in April is...
Himitsu no Arashi-chan!
秘密の嵐ちゃん!!?? 秘密の嵐ちゃん!!?? 
What the heck? Why "~chan"? I don't get it at all...
I've never heard of Arashi being called Arashi-chan. I've heard of Aiba-chan, Oh-chan, Nino-chan, Sho-chan, and I guess I haven't heard Jun-chan yet....But seriously, what's with "chan"?
I thought "chan" is a suffix after people's names if those people are considered kawaii or cute. I mean, of course, Arashi is cute, but naming a TV show Arashi-CHAN!!?? That's totally weird. Plus, the show is supposed to be about current issues, econ, politics, secrets of society and more serious/educational stuff... so why add "chan" to make it cute-sounding?
I'm totally chain-loling this. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL......
Anyways, it's H no Arashi after all. They've already had: A, C, D, G, M, Ni, O, and T no Arashi. Am I missing any?Now, H no Arashi is coming! Yatta! I'm really looking forward to the new show, despite the somewhat weird name...
Maybe they'll change the title? Well, it's printed on some TV magazine...I think I'll guess used to it eventually. After all, Arashi-chan sounds really cute.
やった！嵐、おめでとう。Step and Go はオリコンのシングルランキングで一番です！
Ok, I'll stop writing in Japanese since my Japanese isn't that good.
I finally figured out how to type Japanese on my computer! I tried to instsall IME and other weird stuff, and I actually didn't have to do all those. I just simply had to do something in the control panel! 
Here's the proof of Arashi's great sucess:
Sales figure on the 1st day of release:
#1 Step and Go by Arashi 107,689
#2 HEART STATION / Stay Gold by Utada Hikaru 8,504
#3 キャンバズ/君はス・テ・キ by Hirai Ken 3,295
#6 be with you. by BoA
My Comments:
Wow, there's such a HUGE gap between #1 and #2. The sales on 1st day for Step and Go is more than 12 times that of Hikki's new single(s)! 
Before, I was really really worried that Arashi won't get #1, knowing that Hikki, Hirai Ken, and BoA are super popular too. I was so scared to look at the Oricon charts today. But hey, the stormy boys won by a lot! I'm really proud of them now. I was so shocked to see such a huge gap between the sales numbers. Arashi really did a great job ne!
The 1st day sales of Step and Go are more than the 1st week sales of Happiness, which everyone knows is the theme song of Nino and Sho's drama Yamda Taro. I thought Happiness would've sold more since it's related to a drama, meaning more promotion.
Arashi (as always) beats KAT-TUN! 
The 1st day sales for LIPS is only 86,096, and LIPS is the theme song of the over-rated (arguably the hottest, 1 of the 2 most popular members of KAT-TUN) Kame's drama 1 Pound Gospel.
Just to repeat myself, I was really surprised by the number of sales, considering that Step and Go doesn't have anything to do with any drama, movie, CM, etc. Arashi is really getting a lot more popular ne. Maybe the promo for this single is much better...
Step and Go is the 10th consecutive Arashi single that has topped the Oricon single chart on the first day of release. Only 3 out of all 20 Arashi singles have failed to do that: Typhoon Generation, Tomadoi Nagara, and Hadashi no Mirai/Kotoba yori Taisetsu na Mono.
Now, I have another BIG worry: How long can Step and Go stay at the top?
NEWS's Taiyo no Namida is coming out on 2/28, just a week later. I'm sure that by then, Taiyo no Namida will take the top. *sigh* Well, actually, I have to admit that I really like that song, and the PV too. Plus, it's the theme song of Yamapi's Kurosagi movie, which will definitely be a great hit. Well, I bet the Hana Yori Dango movie will beat Kurosagi though! Haha! I like Yamapi too, but Matsujun > Yamapi, ALWAYS.
My bigger fear is that the 1st day sales of Taiyo no Namida is going to surpass that of Step and Go. No, Arashi must not be defeated! Ganbatte!
Once again, congratz to Arashi! Arashi easily won the race! 
----
I don't get why my posts are all very long...I'm weird. I just like being verbose, I guess. Maybe I think a lot or have many comments. And how come I'm not like this during class?
Arashi no Shukudai-kun Episode 71 2/18/2008
This time, Arashi and the guests try some Malaysian food that smells really bad. They also eat some food that's 30 or 50 years old. Ewww~
All videos and screen caps credits to Tenjo Style @ vox.
Poor Sho-kun trying to tell everyone that his breath doesn't smell bad."臭くないよ！”
Miracle! Jun thinks the smelly food tastes good while Riida doesn't! Riida, 大丈夫?
His expression is really cute! Some Ohmiya rabu too. Jun's smirk at the end!
Poor Aiba-chan who lost the round of janken. He looks like he's going to cry when he knows that he has to eat the 50-year-old food!
Sho-kun's stare at his "scissors" fingers is really cute. Sorry, I don't have a cap for that.
Sho-kun attacking Aiba-chan with his bad breath!
Nino, who normally looks small and cute, is so much taller than this guy.
Jun is sooo flexible!
Some gifs that I found:
gif credits to khamtanh @ arashian.com
Arashi no Shukudai-kun episode 70 -- 2/11/2008
Sawada Shin's little sister is the guest! Her name is Ichikawa Yui.
New corner: Shiodome Aibaland!
I don't get the "shiodome" part. Did Aiba said something like, "シオドメ"? Shouldn't it be "ドーム”? In front of the writing "Aibaland", there are 2 kanji's which I don't know how to read. Or may be he said "しよう dome"..."しよう or shi you" means "let's do it", and "dome"...I don't really know why they stick that word there...Haha, just my random, stupid guesses.
This episode is as funny as the housework episode, or perhaps even funnier! Arguably the best episode of Shukudai-kun, in my opinion.
First, let's start with some gifs.
gif from aibaland @ vox.
I want to make it just to try it out!
After all, Nino is the smart one ne. Well, of course Keio boy is smart too! Lol, I'm over using the angry onion head. Demo, Riida is kawaii at the very end with his cute smile and peace sign.My Groups
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