WHY ARE WE SO PRO!? WE ARE APOLLO!!!!

I love my faculty in Hwa Chong! :D Apollo! We won all the campfire components today (or yesterday) :D Yayyy. Here's like 23/26 of my CT/class, 09S7E, with our two J2 CT leaders, the very awesome Jialin and Shion! :D And the best part is Shion speaks Japanese and loves Arashi too XD When she was smearing yellow paint in my hair before war games she was all "Nino colour!" and when she waves at me she does "Arashi, Arashi, for dream" XD


Stolen from apollofaculty.

Orientation's over and school starts properly next week D: Not 100% used to life in Hwa Chong yet - I miss MGS a lot a lot a lot! But what to do D: I'll try to visit my alma matter next week~

Meanwhile, I've finished a translation that took me the past 2 weeks to do because I only did a few lines as and when I had the time. Continuing with my little translation project for Arashi's 10th anniversary~ The month of Feb means 2008! ^^ This is article #1, hailing from Wink Up's December issue, scans from lady_mercury.

This one's pretty appropriate since it's an Arashi quiz XD It's interesting to see who gets the answers correct and who doesn't. I added in "[正解！ Correct!]" when the answers were correct. Most of this was old (1999-2002 time frame) so I actually had to search it up to see who got it right XD



king of ARASHI
In celebration of Arashi breaking into their 10th year since their formation! With this, we challenged the Arashi members to an Arashi quiz based on "Aramashi Arashi [1]". What will the result be of this quiz that they challenged with full confidence, saying, "It's about us right? Isn't it obvious that we'll know it all?"...!?

Arashi Quiz
(1999 ~ 2002 Version)

START!!

Q1. In 1999, what are the names of the venues in Tokyo and Osaka where Arashi's debut handshaking event - that, in just Tokyo alone, drew 80,000 fans - took place?

[松本正解！ Matsumoto, bingo! - Nino was close, though.]

Ninomiya: Yoyogi and Osaka Dome, right?
Sakurai: In front of Yoyogi #1 Gymnasium and outside the Osaka Jou Hall.
Matsumoto: Yoyogi Gymnasium and Osaka Dome.
Ohno: Yoyogi. For Osaka it was the Jou Hall.
Aiba: Yoyogi. ... Osaka Jou Hall?



Q2. At your FIRST CONCERT, the unit "Half & Left" consisting of Nino & Ohchan was formed, and can be said to be the precursor to OhmiyaSK. What was the origin of this unit's name?

[Not sure of correct answer]

Ninomiya: Was there even an origin? Ah! That's it, pizza, right. Right?
Sakurai: Kuhaha! (Burst into laughter after hearing the question) What's with this "Half and Left [2]"? This is the first time I'm hearing of it. Hmm~ Pizza? Nothing else other than "Half & Half Pizza" comes to mind when I hear "Half & Something".
Matsumoto: I don't know about this unit (laughs). Half & Left? Half Left? A center parting and left-side parting (hairstyle) or something? Hmm... In the first place, don't go creating your own units like that (laughs)!
Ohno: Wasn't it because of Pizza? Half & Half Pizza, no? I have no idea why (laughs).
Aiba: Because Ninomiya-kun often wore shorts (half pants) and Ohno-kun stood on his right side! Therefore, Half & Left... Ah! I mean, left side!

Q3. As a surprise during the Video Concert held in Tokyo and Osaka in 2000, the Arashi members made an appearance. Sho, Matsujun and Nino appeared in Tokyo. Ohchan and Aiba-chan appeared in Osaka. Who was it that specially came running to support them in Osaka?

[相葉以外全員正解！ All correct except Aiba! - Hina came on 15th Jul 2000 when Ohno and Aiba were there, but it was Yoko who came on the 16th, when it was Ohno and Nino. ]

Ninomiya: Hina [3], right? Hina.
Sakurai: Since it's Osaka... Yokyama! Ah, no. It was Murakami.
Matsumoto: Yokoyama. Ah... No. It was Hina.
Ohno: Hina.
Aiba: Eh~!? Someone came? Yoko of Kanjani!

Q4. The first outdoor concert Arashi held took place in 2000 at a certain event. What was the name of said event?

[相葉以外全員正解！ All correct except Aiba!]

Ninomiya: It was at Odaiba. It wasn't "Bouken Ou (King of Adventure)"... It was the one before it, "Odaiba Dotto Komu (A suddenly-crowded Odaiba)".
Sakurai: "Odaiba Dotto Komu". I remember it. It was at Odaiba in the middle of summer, wasn't it?
Matsumoto: (immediate reply) "Odaiba Dotto Komu".
Ohno: Wasn't it "Odaiba Dotto Komu"?
Aiba: "Odaiba Bouken Ou"! (After hearing the answer) I got it wrong but I was close enough. This is a triangle!

Q5. In an extremely popular corner of "Gakibara Teigoku 2000!", Nino became an invisible man "Invisible-tan". What was the name of this corner and the boy who became good friends with Nino?

[全員不正解！ All wrong! - They all got Mune-kun, but the corner name appears to be "if ~ Series".]

Ninomiya: It was Mune-kun, wasn't it? The corner had a name (laughs)? I don't know. Since I was always invisible.
Sakurai: Mune-kun. The name of the corner... Erm, "Go for it! Invisible-kun" (laughs).
Matsumoto: Mu... Mu? It was Mune-kun! That's right. And, the corner name? Ehh... I haven't the faintest clue. Mune-kun... Mune-kun, what? I give up!
Ohno: Mune-kun. The name of the corner was... "Invisible Man Muneshizu-kun".
Aiba: Mune-kun. The corner did have a name, didn't it? ... "Invisible-san"!



Q6. From "Gakibara Teigoku 2000!". The boy in Q5 loved Arashi but there was one member who was treated coldly. What was the name of this member and his reason?

[相葉，大野以外全員正解！ All correct except Aiba and Ohno!]

Ninomiya: There was someone like that? Ahh... It was Ohno-kun. Because they became really pally, didn't they?
Matsumoto: Riidaa. Riidaa, he hates kids (laughs).
Sakurai: Ohno-kun. Because he made him cry (laughs)
Aiba: Matsujun, "scary"
Ohno: It wasn't me, right? Ehh... Aiba-chan. And, the reason was what again? Because he kept touching his head. (After hearing the answer) Eh, are you joking? Me? I didn't know that (laughs).

Q7. In "PIKANCHI LIFE IS HARD DAKEDO HAPPY", what were the names of the 5 characters? (Nicknames are OK too)

[二宮、松本正解！　Ninomiya and Matsumoto correct!]

Ninomiya: Bon, right? Chuu, right, Shun, right? And then Riidaa was... Haru! That's the same name as my dog, you know (laughs). And I was Takuma. Onda Takuma! I still use it sometimes. When I'm writing stories, or when I'm playing RPGs. I use the names of my friends or roles that I've played. Don't you use the names of the girls you used to like? Like, "I'll save her!", you know. Me, I've always been that sort of gross person, ever since elementary school (laughs).
Sakurai: I was Chuu. Matsujun was Bon. So, Chuu, Bon... Aiba-chan was the one whose dad had a radio station, and who called "Blue Mountain" "Aoyama" when ordering, right? I remember that. That guy, what was he again... Masa (laughs)? Oh no... Sorry, I really can't recall (laughs).
Ohno: What was it again? Kei? Oh, no, that was "Kiiroi Namida" (laughs). Haru. Kida Haruhiko. Then, Bon and Chuu and... I can't do it, I don't know at all. Ah! Takuma. And then there's Aiba-chan, right? H~mm... Mmm~ It's no use, it's not coming out!
Matsumoto: Shun, Chuu, Bon, Takuma, Haru. Bon's real name? Ehh... Futaba Rentaro. Bon's nickname is the only one that has no relation to his real name, huh (laughs).
Aiba: Shun-kun, right? Sho-chan was a Yankee, you know. So he was Yankee. ... There was a Takuma, right? Matsujun was... Bon, Riidaa was... Haru! What was Yankee's name again. Iya, if I had more time it'd definitely come out!



Q8. In "OPIKANCHI LIFE IS HARD DAKEDO HAPPY", what did the 5 of you do when you went to Harajuku to go skirt-chasing?

[全員正解！ All correct!]

Ninomiya: Aiba-kun skirt-chased. Chuu was breaking roof tiles, wasn't he. With a fuse lighted. Bon was making crepes. And then Riidaa was somehow made to buy some strange teaching materials or art piece, wasn't he? And then... I was skateboarding but somehow... I ran into some riders, right?
Sakurai: I was breaking roof tiles. My whole body was a dangerous weapon, wasn't it (laughs). And then Satoshi-kun was made to buy an art piece. Matsumoto-kun was making crepes. And then, Aiba-kun was having a date, with the girl from the Aoyama Tunnel. Ah, no. That was the time when they met, right? Nino, what was he doing again... Ahh, he was skateboarding. Somehow like the riders.
Matsumoto: Riidaa was getting tricked, Aiba-chan was skirt-chasing. Nino went to buy a skateboard and met some rivals... Sho-kun was breaking roof tiles. And as for me, I was making crepes. I remember it pretty well. Because every time I see the Aoyama Tunnel, Aiba-chan's scene comes to mind. The scene where they were talking about Aoyama Tunnel, and Aiba-chan asked "Eh... Aoyama Tunnel?" and was bullied almost to the point of death with the reply "What are you going to do, digging yourself under there". I'm remembering it even now (laughs).
Aiba: I skirt-chased, Haru was buying a Russian painting. Takuma skateboarded, Chuu broke roof tiles, Bon set up a crepe shop.
Ohno: Haru was... Acting all hesitant in front of a woman with big boobs (laughs). Matsujun was making crepes. Nino was skateboarding, something like, "let's have a match". Aiba-chan, he fell in love with that girl right? Right. Sho-kun was... Ah! "My whole body is a dangerous weapon"! He was breaking roof tiles, right? He got himself all covered in blood (laughs).

Q9. "Mayonaka no Arashi" starting in October 2001. Who was the first member to go and where did he go?

[全員正解！ All correct!]

Ninomiya: Starting from the southernmost point of Kagoshima, to see a giant eel, wasn't it. Sho-chan did, right?
Matsumoto: Sho-kun went to Makurazama
Sakurai: It was me. To Makurazama. The southernmost point. The southernmost point of Kagoshima.
Aiba: Sho-chan to Kagoshima
Ohno: Sho-kun. Kagoshima? Erm, it was like a bath tub but somehow, a giant eel was it? He went to see those, didn't he.

Q10. What did each of the members choose to challenge in order to step up in "ALL or NOTHING"?

[相葉、二宮以外全員正解！　All correct except Ninomiya and Aiba!]

Sakurai: It was RAP for me. I did it at HARLEM in Shibuya. Nino went on a trip, didn't he? Capoeira for Satoshi-kun. Aiba-kun... What did he do again? Wake-boarding. No... Ehh? Why can't I remember? Ah... That's right, the saxophone. And lastly Matsujun, I remember! He danced at Yoyogi. A pop dance.
Ninomiya: I, played the guitar or something, right? Jun-kun did that thing... He danced, right, in Shibuya. And Riidaa did capoeira. And it was RAP for Sho-chan. Aiba-kun... What did Aiba-kun do? I know, drums. No, saxophone?
Matsumoto: Riidaa did capoeira, I did pop, Sho-kun did rap... What was Nino's again? Guitar? Ah! Erm, he went somewhere, didn't he? He went to the sea or something. And it was the saxophone for Aiba-chan.
Ohno: Capoeira. Sho-kun, that guy, didn't he mix around with some rapper-type people? Matsujun did pop right? Aiba-chan did the saxophone. What did Nino do...? Nino, didn't he just have fun (laughs)? He went on a trip right?
Aiba: I don't know~! I punctured my lung you know. At that time. That memory is vivid. Riidaa did capoeira, Sho-chan did rap... What did Nino do? (While he was thinking, Sho, who had just finished his quiz, arrives) "Isn't this super fun!" (Sho) Ahaha! Right now, you know~ I'm getting into it but I can't remember the answer for Nino and Matsujun... Nino played games! Matsujun... Modern dance! (After hearing the correct answers) Pop dance!? Well, the general idea was correct, wasn't it (laughs). Sho-chan, did you get it right? Ah... Okay! Amazing.



Q11. Oh-chan had his coming-of-age ceremony in 2001. Who else had their coming-of-age ceremony and who was the witness?

[全員正解！　All correct!]

Ninomiya: The ones who had it with him, Okada-kun, right? Then... At Riidaa's time it was Sakamoto-kun? Matchy-san? I got it, Joshima-kun!
Sakurai: Okada-kun, and the witness? Yamaguchi-kun. ... It was Joshima-kun.
Matsumoto: Okada-kun. And... 3 years older than me, right? It was Nagano-kun for me so... The witness was Joshima-kun.
Aiba: Okada-kun, wasn't it? For me it was Gussan so... Ah, Joshima Riidaa, right?
Ohno: Okadacchi. Joshima-kun.

Q12. What was the title of the song that Nino created and revealed at the "ARASHI SUMMER CONCERT 2000"?

[二宮、櫻井、惜しい！ Ninomiya, Sakurai, close! - The correct title was "Boku ga shiawase de ireru basho" (The place where I can be happy)]

Ninomiya: I don't really remember the name of the song or anything... I know, it's that! 2000 right? "Boku ga nantoka ~" (I something~), something like that, right. A song by the name "Nantoka... shiawase de ireru basho" (The place where something... Can be happy) (laughs).
Sakurai: "Boku ga boku de aru tame ni" (So I can be myself)... That's Ozaki Yutaka [4], isn't it (laughs). Hmm, it was a rock song, and I have the impression of him running around as he sang it. Nantoka nantoka (something, something)... Iru riyuu (reason to exist), something like that. "Boku ga boku de aru riyuu" (The reason why I exist as me)? (After hearing the answer, he burst out laughing) Kuhaha. I was close! The same nuance is conveyed, right?
Matsumoto: Erm, "Shougai nani ga atte mo ai suru kimi e" (To you whom I will love no matter what happens in my lifetime). Eh... Not that? I had a strong impression it was that song though.
Ohno: Uwa... This is hard (laughs). Wasn't it a song called "Hoshi" (star)? If I'm not mistaken... He played the piano, didn't he. Eh... He didn't? That was for "Niji" (Rainbow - solo from "Time" album) huh (laughs). It was rather the rock type, right? Didn't Nino hold a bat? Something like "Funky.Strike"... Didn't it have that kind of feel (laughs)?
Aiba: Hm!? ...... "HEAVEN"! I can't remember a thing!



Q13. In Winkup July 2001, Nagase-kun told Aiba-chan during the filming of "Mukodono", "There can't possibly be anyone who doesn't suit the regent look more than you do". Why did he say that?

[Not sure of correct answer]

Sakurai: Eh? I don't know... (laughs) Hn~ Because you've got to be calm!
Matsumoto: (Looking at the photographs) Because he looked like a grandma (laughs)
Ninomiya: What's that? I don't know... Because he's an idiot (laughs)?
Ohno: Why he didn't suit it? Because it looked like a wig.
Aiba: I can do the regent look pretty well, can't I? I decided that on the spur of the moment, didn't I. Because I seemed weak...?

Q14. From an interview regarding the 2001 special drama "Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo". Matsujun learnt a way of remembering long lines from Domoto Tsuyoshi-kun. What was this method?

[Not sure of correct answer]

Ninomiya: Read it repeatedly in the bath. Then get straight to the filming once you're at the set! No? Hn~, record it into a tape recorder then listen to it and memorize. Is it?
Sakurai: Record it into a tape recorder once and listen to it over and over again. That's what I heard from Satoshi-kun during the WSS time.
Matsumoto: Urm, record the lines and memorize them. No? Write out the lines? I was taught by Sakamoto-kun in the past that it was helpful to write them out... Urm, what was it? Was there a need to prepare something? Ahh~ Earplugs, right! I'm pretty sure I remember carrying them around during that time.
Ohno: ... How would I know anything about that (laughs)! It was probably something interesting, right? Rather than the way to remember lines... I was told "Let's bet on your grandfather's name!" (laughs)
Aiba: Sleeping method! A method to remember while sleeping! (after hearing the correct answer) Ho~! That was hard, wasn't it!

Q15. In Kisarazu Cat's Eye, Sho played the role of Bambi. What was the reason behind the character name Bambi?

[全員正解！　All correct!]

Ninomiya: The outer appearance! Visuals!
Matsumoto: Because Sho-kun's teeth were like Bambi's. I remember reading an article like that.
Ohno: There was a reason? It was a name right? Bambi, Bambi... Bambina? Because he wanted to sing "Bambina" at the meeting!
Aiba: Front teeth! They resembled (Bambi's) didn't they!
Sakurai: Because my face looked like a fawn's. But what I heard was that there was another reason, which was that like with the handkerchief prince, there was a baseball player called "bambi" during Kudokan-san's [5] time whom I resembled. Whether it was because in Isoyama-san [6] and Kudou-san's image, "baseball" plus "pitcher" equalled "Bambi", and that I resembled him, or if it was because I resembled a fawn... I don't know which it is. Arashi quizzes are so fun! Aren't there any more questions (laughs)?

[Total number of questions with definite answers: 12
Scores! Aiba: 4, Jun: 10, Nino: 8, Ohno: 7, Sho: 8 (are we surprised? XD)]



Arashi Recently

I'm having fun filming for my drama. "Having fun at the set" is my motto, after all. Recently too, since the filming day fell exactly a day after Bananaman-san [7] got second place at the "King of Conte". I thought he'd definitely be depressed and down. I thought, especially since he'd get told by everyone that they watched it, he wouldn't know how best to respond. When I entered the changing room... He was having a great conversation going on with Miura-san [8] (laughs). Everyone is on good terms with everyone. Please watch "Ryuusei no Kizuna".

I've changed the lyrics a little to "Re(mark)able" which we performed publicly for the Asia tour. Or rather, I wrote the lyrics while thinking only of Kokuritsu (laughs). So, it was Matsujun, about two weeks before we went to Taiwan? He told me "Sho-kun, what are you going to do about the lyrics?". I was all "Eh... What do you mean what am I going to do?" (laughs). And when I listened to it again, I didn't say anything about anything other than Kokuritsu, called out "Tokyo" repeatedly... So, I changed one part (laughs). I'm looking forward to our second Asia tour. I'm doing my best!

Shall I make it all in quiz format this time (laughs)? So an Arashi quiz from me as well. When Arashi was formed, it was decided in Hawaii that "XX member will be the XX leader of Arashi". What leader was I? The correct answer is... Comedy. The unexpected comedy leader (laughs). Because my character used to be different, wasn' it. I'll make my recent happenings a quiz as well (laughs). What did I do last night? Cleaning? I didn't finish cleaning (laughs). The correct answer is, I watched "24", and uploaded pictures from my digital camera into my computer. When I was done, it was 4 o'clock (laughs).

Recently, I go straight home everyday. When I go home... I watch the fishing channel (laughs). I can't quite get the timing to match so I haven't been able to go fishing. I wanna go~ It's going to be winter soon, but even fishing in the middle of all that coldness would be good, wouldn't it (laughs). Ah, we're releasing a new song in November. Hnn, you know, Nino was the one who said this but, give "Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy" a listen. He said the atmosphere of both songs were similar. I think they really are. The images of a night sky or stars and such, you know. Please enjoy it alongside Nino's drama!

I've never been to Shanghai before, so I'm looking forward to it. After all... Crab? I never get food poisoning. I get to go overseas a lot for the location shoots of "~ Doubutsuen", but I'm okay even with eating food off a food cart. I'll eat anything, and think it's yummy. Even worse, I might think even the grass in that area would do fine (laughs). But, one time when I was scared to eat at a food cart when they were selling raw oysters! I was confident that whatever it was, I'd be fine, but still! So saying, I didn't eat it. Something like that. I felt like I'd been defeated, you know (laughs).

--
[1] Outline of Arashi
[2] The unit name was "Half and Left" in katakana so technically it was "Haafu & Refuto". What Sho replies is in Japanese and translates to "Half and Left".
[3] For non-Kanjani8 fans, Hina is the nickname of Murakami Shingo, so they are one and the same XD
[4] Ozaki Yutaka is an old Japanese singer who's already deceased. This is the 2nd article I'm translating in the same time frame where he's mentioned @_@
[5] Kudokan = Kudou Kankurou, the scriptwriter for KCE, and also Ryuusei no Kizuna and others.
[6] Isoyama Aki, producer of KCE.
[7] Bananaman is a comedy group that has appeared on some of Arashi's TV shows, and one of them, Shitara Osamu, acted as Detective Hagimura in Ryuusei no Kizuna.
[8] Miura Tomakazu acts as Kashihabara in Ryuusei no Kizuna.
--

As always, comments and corrections are more than welcome. Do note this was done at the end of tiring days of orientation that ended at 6pm practically every day, so yeah @__@