Why Gackt left out Mongolia and Vietnam when he said, he wanted to unite Asia throught music? Options

[Mightycandy]

hey Zezei? You know why?
Because these countries will never buy his cds and Mongols hate feminine guys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

This post has been edited by Mightycandy: Apr 18 2006, 07:34 AM

[Suijen]

Because he's talking about F. E. Asia.

[daidai]

Why do people take it literally. Who cares and who give a damn about him leaving out Vietnam and MOngolia. They don't know who Gackt is anyway.

This post has been edited by daidai: Apr 18 2006, 05:43 PM

[Anda]

hey Zezei? You know why?
Because these countries will never buy his cds and Mongols hate feminine guys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

Who is Gackt?

[transtic]

^ yes they do. I have pictures of Mongolians coming together on the streets of ulaanbaatar to protest against japanese people. because of gackt being so ignorant, relations between the two countries are at an all time low.

[Anda]

^ yes they do. I have pictures of Mongolians coming together on the streets of ulaanbaatar to protest against japanese people. because of gackt being so ignorant, relations between the two countries are at an all time low.

Mongolians have no problem with Japanese. even the during the war, we did not have any hatred like Koreans or Chinese

Danbadarjialin monastery: "There are a lot of events that left the traces in the history of the relationship between Mongolia and Japan. One of them is the Japanese soldiers captured in 1945-1947 who ended up living and working in Mongolia. In the autumn of 1945 Japanese captives numbering 12,318 came to Mongolia through Mukden, Chanchun, Tsitsikar, Khailar, Kharbin, Jekhe in China and Otpor, Borz, Chita, Ulaan-Ude, and Naushki in Russia. The authority in charge of captured soldiers’ affairs was established by the council of ministers of People’s Republic of Mongolia. The resort in Dambadarjaa was closed down and it was decided to use all the buildings there as a military hospital for the captured soldiers. Some of prisoners were allocated to work in factories and industries that were lacking laborers. The captives were given medical treatments mainly in the hospitals in Dambadarjaa and Khujirbulan. The Mongolians treated them with kindness, sending them to the urban areas in central or northeast part of Mongolia to work. These regions are naturally beautiful parts of Mongolia. Mongolians did not send them to the Gobi or the areas with severe and harsh weather. The ones who worked very well and completed the given tasks were given supplements and bonuses and provided with separate accommodations. Mongolians and Japanese soldiers were somewhat similar to each other in terms of appearance, physique, respect for elders, religious rituals, and hospitality. These led them to form close friendships with each other. Doctor Kasuga Ukio shared his experience. He was working at meat-processing factory in Ulaan Baatar. He was starving and exhausted. A Mongolian who lived near the factory asked:
“Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
“Come in the ger and have some food. I’ll stay outside in case anyone comes.”
Kasuga was very happy to meet the man and entered the ger to have some food.
Japanese soldiers numbering 10,705 left Mongolia in good health on October 14-28 in 1947, although 1,613 had died in Mongolia because of different health problems. There is a cemetery of Japanese captives in Dambadarjaa near Ulaanbaatar and in Khujirbulan; at Sukhbaatar in Selenge; at Baruunkharaa, Zuunkharaa, Shokhoi and Tsagaan Bulag in Töv aimag, and at Nalaikh, Arkhust, Jargalant, Batsumber, Bornuur, and Ukher Chuluu."

This post has been edited by Anda: Apr 18 2006, 06:25 PM

[Jarhier]

gackt..what have you done..

[tutu2000]

does it make you proud that Gackt included you in his speech? who is Gackt?

[~Theta~]

does it make you proud that Gackt included you in his speech? who is Gackt?

Actually, Mightycandy isn't proud or anything. He's just dissing Gackt. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_neutral.gif)

[Zezei]

hey Zezei? You know why?
Because these countries will never buy his cds and Mongols hate feminine guys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

Who is Gackt?

One of Asia's coolest guys (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Don't be fooled by his looks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/genius.gif)

======
Crea ~ Asian Cool Guys
Gackt was chosen as one of Crea magazine's "Asian Cool Guys" in the April issue.

I scanned the beautiful pic and translated the really short interview that accompanies it~ There's a crease down the middle because the picture was spread out across two pages~ ^^

The other "cool Asian guys"~~ Korea: Jang Dong Gun, Rain, Won Bin, Gang Dong Won, Jo Han Seon. Taiwan & Hong Kong: Vic Chou, Jay Chou, Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue. Japan: Yuya Yagira, Mokomichi Hayami, Ryo Kase, Tatsuya Fujiwara.

I didn't read the others' interviews so I'm not sure what makes them all so cool~ XD

(IMG:http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/lynx_photo/LJ/creas1.jpg)

Gackt ~ Uniting Asia with his individualized aesthetics

The first objective is to make inroads into Asia
An ambition concealed by aesthetics



This past January, Gackt enthusiastically sang in front of 8,000 fans crammed into Seoul's Olympic Park.

"The Korean fans' response? They went insane[1] (laughs). I was moved by the happy, cheerful and sad emotions they showed us."




Gackt's aesthetics in terms of new songs, vocals and staging were passionately accepted even in Korea. The contents of the Korea performance were the same as those in the Japan tour, and enormous production costs were at stake. He has released Korean language versions of his CDs in the past, and now plans are being carried out for an Asia tour in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Gackt's movement into Asia is serious. What is the true intent behind this?

"I want to unite Asia with music. It's been my hope since I started making music."


The reason he has embraced these strong feelings can be found in the environment (surroundings) of Okinawa where Gackt spent his childhood.

"I had many friends around me who were Korean, Chinese and American. And I grew up seeing their low position in Japan. Also, I have pride in myself that I am Okinawan."


There is no connection with the recent Korean boom[2] in Japan.

"The number of people who are now interested in Korea, in actually visiting Korea and studying its language has grown thanks to the Korean boom. What could not be accomplished with politics was changed by the strength of culture. The atmosphere has become such that foreigners living in Japan can (openly) declare their roots."


The topic is politics, and the problems with the economy and its growth.

"Like Europe began using Euros as its common currency, it'd be good if Asia can use music as its common language. That's why, until that day, I intend to continue fighting to break down the walls regardless of what others may say. That's what rock (music) is all about, isn't it."


Notes:
[1] "hakkyou": become insane; get mad; go crazy; go psycho; lose one's senses.
[2] "Korean boom": The Korean boom in Japan was sparked by the drama "Winter Sonata", which aired in Japan in April-September of 2002. The lead actor, Bae Yong Joon, became very popular with Japanese women, and more Korean dramas and movies were brought over to Japan. A few tidbits: The Japan Travel Bureau announced that the number of Japanese who traveled to Korea in 2004 increased by 35.6% over 2003. The Dai-ichi Life Research Institute estimated that there was a 122.5 billion yen boost to the Japanese economy due to the Korean boom. The Seoul Plaza Hotel, which was featured in "Winter Sonata," sold 750 "Winter Sonata packages" to Japanese tourists from October 2003 through October 2004, bringing in revenues of 250 million won.


Gackt-style super art of memorizing Korean

Gackt can speak Korean fluently. It's clear that the reason he succeeds is because he even takes advantage of the small amounts of time during intermissions in the photoshoot to study. "We placed bets in a memorization contest and Gackt robbed us of 10,000 yen" (says the staff). His rate of memorizing words in a short period of time exceeds 80%.

Translator comments:

First of all, he looks so good in this pic. I went through all the 'cool Asian guys' and no one can even come close to Gackt in my eyes. ^^ I was thinking how there are people in this world who probably look at Gackt and not see what I'm seeing~ and they would look at some of these other guys and see what I'm not seeing. XD

I always love hearing him talk about his plans for uniting Asia~ I can't wait until he announces some dates for the tour. I hope things go well... It probably won't be easy for him to completely realize his visions in these other countries, so I can imagine there will be some hardships along the way. But he's strong and he will fight for it, like he always says~

The staff should've known better than to challenge Gackt to a memorization contest. XD XD

I'm starting to get that melancholy feeling again~~ because he'll be away on the fanclub trip soon....



To be x-posted to dears

---
voiceofanarchy
2006-04-10 04:55 am UTC (链接)
He has such amazing motivation to make a collective identity for Asian people, it's beautiful. Even the European identity isn't that strong - there are still looser bonds between the German and the Scottish and the French and the Spanish and etc, etc, etc than the bonds between Japan, Korea, China, HK, and Taiwan. And the North American identity is growing, but still not comparable.

A friend of the Korean kid in my Japanese class (Jun) is a big fan of Gackt's, and saw one of his shows in Korea. Jun says the Japanese girls call him Bae Youn Joon because he has similar glasses, and is Korean of course.

Rain is pretty but Gackt pwns all. And seriously, is Rain going all over trying to create a greater identity for people? :P
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(无主题) - gekka_no_neko, 2006-04-11 02:44 am UTC

selinachan
2006-04-10 05:09 am UTC (链接)
Lovely. ^_^ Thank you for sharing this.♥
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(无主题) - gekka_no_neko, 2006-04-11 02:44 am UTC

_boooo
2006-04-10 05:33 am UTC (链接)
*squeeee@!*
CREA, GOOD CHOICE! ^^
Gackt is so talented, good looking, and outstanding that he's beyond comparison to any of the guys listed with him. <33 Thanks for this news!
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(无主题) - gekka_no_neko, 2006-04-11 02:45 am UTC

vanilla_girl_09
2006-04-10 06:40 am UTC (链接)
o_________O hair... pretty... guh.... *twitches and drools*

WHY! why did he have to cut his hair... NOOOOoooo.... *sobs and flails*

*cough* ok anyway... <.<;

"We placed bets in a memorization contest and Gackt robbed us of 10,000 yen" (says the staff). His rate of memorizing words in a short period of time exceeds 80%.
He does that with everything. Its gotta be a photographic memory. I only knew one person who had that, its amazing really. Well of course not for Gackt cuz its Gackt afterall... XD

Gackt is gonna be so busy... I wonder when he'll have time to do another tour? He usually has one a year. Maybe he'll add USA... *wishfull* ^/\^
With all the jrockers coming here Im getting spoiled. XD;;

*sighs and goes off to petition that USA be added to list of Asian countries*

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(无主题) - queenyouran, 2006-04-10 06:24 pm UTC
(无主题) - ka_dono, 2006-04-10 07:13 pm UTC
(无主题) - gekka_no_neko, 2006-04-11 02:48 am UTC
(无主题) - vanilla_girl_09, 2006-04-11 07:35 am UTC





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hikariblade
uncontrol


Joined: 28 Jan 2006
Posts: 268
Location: Stockton, CA
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 7:20 am Post subject:

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actually i was not a gackt fan in the beginning... i actually found him somewhat repulsive ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ) due to the actions of my sister when anyone mentioned gackt (in a negative or positive manner)... and then i saw clips of his somewhat more outrageous behavior (the fanservice version of vanilla) as well as the (cough cough ... rather risky photos of gackt)..

i was talking to my friend p-chan about random things you know how everything is going here in stockton, ca and there in japan and the topic of gackt came into the discussion.. well i stated my opinions based on what i had seen and heard about him and she proceded to send me various tracks of different artists (no indication of who was the artist.. she's a sly one) and asked me to listen to all of the songs and tell her the number of which one i like the most... it ended up a tie between #1 and # 20 which turned out to be last song and sakai story... i was surprised to hear that they were written and sung by gackt...i would have never thought the person i described above would be capable of writing such beautiful music or such passionate lyrics...( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) ) so i decided to give him a try and p-chan proceded to SNAIL MAIL me almost anything she could that she had of Gackt in the form of songs/videos/pics (yay for the diabolos concert!!!) and this all was about a yr and a half ago (well not the yay for the diabolos concert though)

ive come to appreciate/admire him as an artist and human being. his style is unique as much as his music and thought process is... i admire the passion and variedness of his music... but most importantly the love and devotion that he has for not only his fans, but his "family" (his staff- and bandmembers)... not many highly popular artists would be soo kind/caring/loving towards their crew from each individual in gacktjob to his background dancers to the roadies and security guards...they all have a place in his heart... though he at times looks cool (emotionless) only a man with as much passion for everything i stated above would be able to produce the music/performances/and whatever else he works on... his caliber of artistic talent is rare but to be a highly successful artist and still have a personal connection with all those who work with you is very very rare and possibly non-existent now... who wouldnt fall for that?

===============


In a nutshell


Not much to report this time around. Mostly quiet weekend to say the least. I never got to the onsen today becuase Kaoru had to work. Bah. Because the Gods of Tickets smiled on me yet again, I got to see Gackt again last night for the final stop of the tour before Tokyo Dome on 12/24. Man was that poor guy in bad shape. As soon as they killed the lights after Mirror, he hit the deck. Hard. There was a very audible thud and the mike cracking the ground. He works too damn hard. And with my fantastic binoculars, I got to see it up close. Very frightening thing, that was. My stomach turned at the sight of him falling. Alas, he is human after all.

It's also great to know that after nearly twenty eight years I think I've finally got my sexuality worked out. Inside the body of this big, white, American woman is a skinny, gay, Japanese man dying to get out. For the most part I don't dress in a very feminine manner at all and I like pretty men. Now when I say pretty I don't mean the kind who like to wear dresses or make up on a daily basis. Serving up Mana on a platter? No thank you. Return to sender. What I mean is smooth skin, soft faces, full lips and high cheekbones. Pretty. Like Miyavi or Gackt or even Hyde. As manly as Hyde is at times, there's still something soft about him. Especially in the live suit. Slut. But these men act like men and can be very masculine in any given situation. They look beautiful but don't act like whiny little girls. In short, I want a beautiful face and the ability to kick some @$$. Tattoos and peircings are welcome and appreciated. Anyway, that's where it lies.

=====

you mean Fucking East Asia? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

Anyway, even then ^ Vietnam is arguable but Mongolia definitely should have been included.

But Gackt did mention Vietnam..and even Malaysia..in those articles that...err..Zezei (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_confused.gif) posted (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

He talks about Asia as a whole..but then slides right into talking about unifying just CJK specifically (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

who cares lol? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_wink.gif)

=========
As someone who expresses himself, the number one thing that is forbidden me is to stereotype anyone.

In making the movie "Moon Child," I put other actors into my own work, and as time went on, I could not continue to be skeptical about if it would work or not. I had fellow musicians Hyde and Lee Hom collaborating with me, as well as Tarou-san and Toyokawa Etsushi-san and other actors who participated.

There was no dividing line between those of us who were actors and those of us who were musicians. As I had thought, expressing something like that is able to get rid of stereotypes and bring about a feeling of change, and as we became more and more expressive, we started understanding that there was this mountain of things that we needed to study.

We went all over Asia to film. Because of that, I was completely able to place Asia on a field inside of me.

To me, Asia isn't a place for me to promote myself. Asia is my country, the place where I come from, my hometown. I have always wanted to come to the point where I could feel "I am Asian."

Through my music, through my movie, I want to make people conscious of the thought of an Asian brotherhood.

I want to feel that people are not just Japanese, Chinese, Korean, but have a brotherhood among them as all being Asian. I want my life to bring people closer to this realization.

One Asian people. The pivotal point is the people of Asia having this revolution of thought together.

There are more Asians than any other group in the world, more than 20,000,000,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) of us yellow-skinned people. If all of us bonded together like the people in Europe have and made the "Asian Union," wouldn't that be a really great thing?

But even if the country is formed into a single entity and bound together by friendly relations, it means nothing if the people don't feel it. If the people of that country individually could have the walls before their eyes torn down, becoming closer to one another, if they could feel their same customs together, then the country's policies would advance, wouldn't they? I want it to become like this.

Doesn't that sound interesting? One musician, finally tying country by country together, taking them to one place.

I am only a musician. But nevertheless I am a musician. That is the possibility that I have as a person of expression.

Even on movies, I want them not to say "Made in Japan," but instead they should say "Made in Asia." These are movies you can't do in Hollywood. They're not Japanese movies, they're not Hong Kong movies, they're not Taiwan movies. I want to establish that they are all "Asian movies."

Though that is a separate world from Hollywood, we have so many feelings about the things that we carry with us and that we should try to express.

At that time, I will be so happy if circumstances change to the point where I don't say "I'm from Japan" but "I'm from Asia."
==========

such a dreamer.
on the other hand, he does DO things.


yeah, he did mention non cjk-countries


=======
Gackt~~ mitaaaaaa
I read that Gackt was going to be on two FM Okinawa radio shows today, so I figured out where the studio was (with help from my cousin) and planned to go there. I wasn't sure if he was actually going to be there, and if we'd be able to see him, so we sorta took our time to get down there. ^^;; When we got there around 10:45, there was a line already~

I am not looking too happy because the line was really long, and I 'forgot' to wear decent clothes and looked like crap. XD I was still in tourist mode and didn't switch to Gackt mode for this. ^^;


This is the front of the studio.
(IMG:http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/lynx_photo/Japan%202005/FMOkinawa2.jpg)

Eventually lots more people came and we were somewhere around the middle of the line. We weren't even sure what we were waiting for because it seemed like way too many people to fit into a radio studio. niatinari also joined us. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Around 12:45pm they announced they'd start letting us in at 1:00~ *o* So the line moved, then stopped, then moved and stopped a couple times, and we saw people coming out the exit, looking verrry happy indeed. ^^ We heard the comments as they came out, 'you can see his face', 'cornrows'. XD

We finally got closer to the building, and heard the interview with Gackt playing on the speakers outside. We got in and went up the stairs to the second floor~ Then....

They let us go in groups to the window of this really small room where the interview was taking place. At first I was at the back, but I think because I started saying 'mienai mienai' (I can't see I can't see), the guy pushed us back to the line, so I ended up being at the very front of the next group. o_o We kneeled down in front of the glass so the people behind could see. ^^ But there was Gackt, only about 10 feet away, separated from me by just a pane of glass. He looked really gooood. If only he wasn't wearing sunglasses, I really wanted to see his eyes. We waved a little, but he was busy talking (and glowing ^^). They then told us our time was up, and just as we started getting up, he smiled and waved at us~ shiawase desu. Life=complete. XD

I am really glad I went after all. ^^ He was on a second radio show, a couple hours later, so I decided to go back to the hotel and listen to it there. I really wanted to hear the interview. Before that, we all three went to Kokusaidori, the main shopping street in Naha, and had lunch. Okinawa soba, oishiiii. We also did a bit of shopping before heading back.

***

The interviewer mentioned that Gackt was worried about all the fans that were lined up outside because it looked like it was going to rain~ After the concert last night he went out partying until 6:00a.m. ^^ He slept for two hours, as usual. Imee-chan, you will love what he said in this interview!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) They talked about how he is having a concert in Korea, and she asked what other countries in Asia he likes. He said China and Taiwan, but he wants to go to countries he has never been to including Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia~ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Then she asked him what is something he would like to challenge himself with. He said that he loves languages, going to other countries and learning by listening to their language. He saw that in the Guinness Book of World Records, the most languages one person knows was something like 12, and he wants to challenge that. ^^ He said he already speaks Chinese, English and a little French (one of the fans asked if he would do his MC in Korean during the concert, and he said his Korean is not at conversational level ^^). The reason he likes languages so much is that he is interested in other cultures. He talked about how he would say some Okinawan words to his Taiwanese friends, and they would actually understand some words because they have Chinese roots; it makes him think about how the language flowed to Okinawa from China. It reminded me when we were in the taxi and Ricky said that the guy speaking Okinawan sounded like he was speaking Chinese. ^^

He said that he would definitely come back to Okinawa. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) He said he felt a 'power' when he steps foot on this land... I do believe I feel that power too.

She asked him what is his best Christmas memory. He said he hasn't had a private Christmas in about 10 years... But his best Christmas memory was performing at Yokohama Arena~

Those were the major points in the interview. I'm really glad I got to listen to it. I could've went back to see him again, but I decided it was alright. Seeing him that one time was enough to make me very very happy. ^^ And here we go again, I miss him~~ mata mitai na. ano suteki na egao~~



Tomorrow we leave Okinawa. I've gained a lot of wonderful memories on this leg of the trip. I'll never forget the concert, and I'll never forget seeing his smiling face. I'll be sad to leave... but there are many more days to come, in Tokyo!!



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niatinari
2005-11-22 09:56 am UTC (链接)
I was saying to myself after the concert "It's ok if I can never get closer to him than this-- it's ok, it's ok (repeat to infinity). It's enough to know he exists!" But secretly, I must have been hoping I'd get another chance to see him! I wanted to see him smile.

I'm so glad you told me about FM Okinawa! It's starting to sink in that that was really him only a few feet away (but it hasn't sunk in entirely because I'm still breathing)... I thought he looked amused in a kinda sleepy way when he waved at our group. Well, it was an odd group, with kitty paws and me kind of jumping up between people so I could see ^^;;;

I'm really happy you've enjoyed your visit/homecoming to Okinawa! If you feel like swinging back by, there's a spot for you and Ricky in Itoman (oh how exciting, I know!).

I've asked my students lots of questions about Okinawa, and apparently the Obon celebrated here and the New Year are closer to the Chinese holidays than the mainland Japanese ones, and other things I can't think of at the moment! It's quite an interesting place!

Phew... I ramble way too much, yes? Gomen ^^;;;

Safe travels to Tokyo! Say hi to Gackt for me ^^
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wow, he can admit japanese are kind of related to chinese in some ways

[Zezei]

hey Zezei? You know why?
Because these countries will never buy his cds and Mongols hate feminine guys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

he doesn't need the money anyway


===
I: As for that, I think Gackt-san senses that danger precisely because you really felt the atmosphere in other Asian countries. For example, you went to Korea quite a few times already, right?
G: I did. Recently I’ve been meeting politicians from China, Korea and Taiwan often.


(zezei: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) Taiwan is a country?)

I: What kind of conversation did you have?
G: The reason I’m making music, the reason I’m doing them overseas, etc., and in between there are talks about sponsors and things like that. Mostly those kinds of conversations. First we start from “I’m not coming here to do promotions.” I said that the influence of culture is necessary right now to unite Asia. So I would like them to lend me their strength.


I: Well then, it’s not simply because you want to do a live, but in a deeper sense, you are advancing towards Asia with a mission in mind.
G: I do think about that. A lot. I do it with that in mind because I won’t be able to move on if I don’t. If I go there simply to do a live, it will only be a matter of bringing the instruments and the band members over, and putting the stage together there. What I plan to do is completely different from that. I’m going there to show them the world view that we are looking at. Our world view is the message. I have no interest in promotions; I’m doing this only because I feel it as a mission of sorts, that I’m meant to do something to bridge Asia.


I: Do you also start becoming aware of this mission when you were 20 years old?
G: No, it’s in the recent five years that I started thinking this way. Ten years ago, those were still the times when I was concerned about whether my CD will sell or not.


I: Eh! Gackt-san?
G: There were such times. That’s because I won’t be able to continue if my CDs don’t sell; because we can’t make a living (otherwise). But I realized in these seven, eight years that we can still earn our income through something besides music. It’s really easy to see.


I: Bwahahaha! So frank
G: In this past seven, eight years, I began to understand that we can still earn money even if we don’t play our music in order to make a living. I saw that we can still, surprisingly, earn an income. And so, I realized that it is not necessary at all to play music just to make a living. If I do, I would have to write popular music, and I’m not interested in doing that. Doing that would only bring conflicts eventually. (lit. conflicts, complications, trouble, discord)

( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) )

I: Were there times when Gackt-san yourself experienced such conflicts?
G: There were. Around seven to eight years ago.


I: Hooo, I’m a little surprised.
G: I thought to myself that living through nothing but music makes you dependent on it. I think it was seven to eight years ago, close to nine years ago. A group of my close friends, who were in bands, were rapidly falling out of the music scene and quitting music, and life became difficult. All these happened before my eyes. It was such a time.


I: I see, I see
G: At that time I thought, “I see, everybody is frightened.” About not being able to make a living. We musicians give a strong impression of making lots of money, right? But in one lifetime, the period of time when we are popular (lit. respected) is amazingly short. The amount of money isn’t really that great in proportion to our lifespan. But musicians are, generally, really foolish. That is why when we receive large amounts of money, we think that this will last forever and spend it frivolously. And the interesting thing about human is that even though we’ll be happy when our standard of living goes up, we will never drop it. Even if we can’t sell (our music) anymore, we will not lower our standards. We suffer, are terrified of discords and worry about it dropping. That is what I saw happening with my own eyes and the first time I realized that this is what it meant by depending on music to make a living. But that isn’t… very good at all. I decided that I mustn’t be that way. And I look again at what “music means to me”. To me, music is (a way) to convey our message, philosophy, will; and to fulfill what I mentioned earlier on, missions and duties. I concluded then that music shouldn’t be all about earning a living or (feeding) our families.


I: Music is separate from a way to make a living.
G: Yes. And then when I was thinking of how to make a living, it came to me. “Indeed, I can earn my income by doing other jobs.” And I thought that if I set up a few different companies and make profits from there, music will not be my income anymore. In that case, I can use music to realize my dreams and to use it as a tool to unite Asia; I can devote myself to (creating) a home to help everyone move forward. (lit. push people’s back) I am a complete brand.


I: Brand?
G: Yes. (However,) if you think of the brand as something to make a profit from, it will become worthless at once. What the power of brand refers to is really the power of image. That is completely different from profits. I will do something else unrelated to me (lit. other than “me”) to earn the profits. “I” am a complete brand. That is why it is OK even if we get red numbers (from concerts). The people who take part in this feel that it doesn’t matter as long as the brand lives on. So the tour this time will not be the scale of that of a “hall tour”, let me say that clearly.


I: Not just this time, it’s the same way for each of your concerts.
G: How (scary) the red numbers are. When artists who are planning concerts come to watch mine, they will ask, “How much did you spend!?” I wonder if they aren’t trying to create such a stage as well. But they won’t be able to, because they are planning to make profits out of it. So we can invest on (such concerts) because we look at making profits separately. You won’t be able to do it if you keep thinking of makings tons of profits. That is why we can come up with such crazy things. I tell them to not get that wrong. Same goes for going to Asia which I mentioned earlier on, I’m not going there because I want to sell my CDs, but because I can do something after using this brand called “me”.


I: How can you use this brand called Gackt in Asia?
G: What I can do is to further strengthen the relationship between Asia through the influence of music culture. To make it strong like it has never been before. My dream is to unite Asian citizens. I think that is what I’m meant to do.


--------

shibuya
2006-02-11 04:32 pm UTC (链接)
Thank you so much for translating this. Lately, my Gackt fandom has been slipping, and now I'm so ashamed of myself for it. It's not that I love him less, it's just that I've been paying attention to different things lately.

He still amazes me everytime I read his interviews though. *___*

I was thinking about how some people accuse him of being a "sellout" because he does so many promotions and endorsemnents outside of just making albums. And after reading this, I realized that's not true at all. Like he said, when music is your source of income you become dependent on it, and therefore the music you make has to be the sort that will sell well. For him, it's more like all these other things he does to make money are actually helping him stay true to his music. If he can make his own income come from places other than album sales, he can make the kind of music he wants to, and convey the message he wants to, without having to worry about whether it will make enough money.

That's a really awesome philosophy. :DDDD

I'm also very impressed with his views on being Asian and the economy. He's just so intelligent. I'm like...speechless. XD
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kuro_no_diablo
2006-02-11 04:59 pm UTC (链接)
Can I just say that your own comments are just as meaningful as Gackt's interview? ;D

This interview can be the subject of a long, long discussion XD But to sum it up:

..it is the way we look back, reflect and introspect.

That is so true. We use the mistakes from our past as a tool for self-improvement, and then we let it go, because if we are too harsh on ourselves, we can never be as successful as we can be. Only when we acknowledged our own imperfections and strengths can we be more successful, because we know ourselves better, develop our strengths further, and take more care in not making a mistake. And this acknowledgement can only come with much introspection, looking inside yourself. I love this, this is a wonderful practice. ;3

In this article you can see more of how Gackt's mind functions. He doesn't stay "stagnant". He works, he reflects, and then he LOOKS FOR NEW WAYS OUT. And that, I think, is what makes him so versatile and charismatic. He used politics as part of his explanation of why he thinks Asia should unite... it's like, DUDE, DO YOU EVER SLEEP? XP

He's an ever-changing angel (<- XD)with a very ambitious goal in his mind. But, like you said, I think we truly believe that he can do it. When has he ever not delivered as promised? ;D

And that whole thing with testing his staff.. how sensitive of him, he doesn't really push them to their max. Rather, he asks them to follow - if they can (<- in an arrogant way? XD j/k). We just wish that he'd apply the same theory to himself, and not push himself to BEYOND the max and fall over at concerts. ;_;

I hope that he's going to your country so you can go to his concerts! ;D

And dearie, if you are going to say "It makes me want to do some real damage to someone.", please end it with a "-____-||" or a "RAWR", for more dramatic effect, yes? XD XD hehe.

.... did I say "to sum it up"? >.>;;

*falls in step behind you to follow Gackt*

THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL TRANSLATION!
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(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-11 06:03 pm UTC
(无主题) - kuro_no_diablo, 2006-02-12 01:35 am UTC
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(无主题) - kuro_no_diablo, 2006-02-12 02:51 am UTC

_boooo
2006-02-11 05:13 pm UTC (链接)
Are u asleep? XD

because I plan to move around the whole of Asia: Taiwan, China, Singapore, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.

Eh?! U stopped breathing? I took a sharp intake of breath! LOL Im glad Singapore was named and didnt fall under etc. Zomg, i hope he comes here! *__* A one day stopover for a mini fan meeting would do too. Anything! Someone stop my racing heart -___-;; I have an Indonesian friend who thought that it was sweet of him to mention Indonesia too ^__^ She thinks that it will be unlikely that he goes there bcuz of the unstable politic system. However, I feel that if Gackt had said it, then he will do it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_smile.gif) Im waiting for the day for him to come here!~ It would be so cool to see all Gackt fans gather in this tiny island (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Based on Japan’s position in Asia, Japanese very much think that other Asian countries are beneath them, right?

Thats true. Even I thought that all Asian countries were beneath Japan ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif) ) :3~~~ Gackt has a mind of a president! When I first read about him wanting to unite the whole of Asia, it came across to me as he using his music to get himself known in parts of Asia first, then gradually spread the message across in his songs and interviews for a united Asia. I know he can do it! *__* He has the ability and the charisma for his goodwilled message to sink into his fans.. like what u said.. you can't help but be affected,. Wow, I await the day where this will come true! Maybe he might do something crazily huge like giving a quota to the number of fans from each respective country to attend his concert or something.. heh.. talking about random >.> ^^;;

I think I would like to visit less popular places one by one.
I: Like the North Pole or South Pole?
G: Or the Amazon.

LOL word to that. Or singapore? XD Punggol is not very well known... -__-...^_____^

I wonder if they aren’t trying to create such a stage as well. But they won’t be able to, because they are planning to make profits out of it.

*sigh and melt into a puddle* That's probably why his band members and crew respects him SO much, they know that they are working for someone who goes out of his way to bring across something that's more than just music, and the least that they could do is to give him their utmost support and loyalty.

I don’t use the word “retire” lightly;

Right on. No more worries for yr 2007 ^^;; Year 2005 was truly a year of fighting :/ Gundam project, Love Letter, then Diabolos. Its 2 albums in a year, holy cow *.*!!!!

*strains neck to take a peek at his schedule* Come here onegai! XD
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(无主题) - _boooo, 2006-02-11 06:25 pm UTC
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(无主题) - _boooo, 2006-02-11 07:50 pm UTC
(无主题) - tarogirl, 2006-02-11 09:37 pm UTC
(无主题) - _boooo, 2006-02-12 05:07 am UTC
(无主题) - kaede_75, 2006-02-12 11:06 am UTC
(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-13 04:29 pm UTC
(无主题) - kaede_75, 2006-02-12 11:10 am UTC
(无主题) - aureliano_, 2006-02-20 05:59 pm UTC
=================



leftapple
2006-02-11 07:42 pm UTC (链接)
The little comment he made about coming to Malaysia made my heart stop for just a beat ^_^;; The thing about him is that, when he says something, he truly means it. So we know that he is definitely coming to us, it's just a matter of time:)

The thing about Gackt is most people tend to generalise him, as they do other artists. What people don't get is that it is so easy to pass judgement onto other people without even bothering to look underneath the surface. So I do understand what you said there about getting riled up whenever someone calls him a media-whore.

I liked what he mentioned about setting up different companies as a means to fund his music. That is one smart man there. He has incredible foresight (^^;;) and is able to see the bigger picture, and plan for the future rather than simply live in the present.

My words seem so jumbled up. Anyway, excuse me for dropping by here ^^;;. And Thank you muchly for your lovely translation.
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fiorente
2006-02-11 09:39 pm UTC (链接)
Thank you for the translation! I always wanted to know what what all that kanji, hiragana and katakana says on the magazines I buy. XP And your translations are so fluid. Wow~ ^_^

I'm really glad to hear that Gackt is moving across Asia. I really want to see him live one day. That would mean so much! XD And I'm glad he mentioned your country. I don't live in Asia right now, but I still go back to Taiwan now and then. I'm going back this summer, so hopefully I can get my hands on more Gackt stuff.

Sometimes, I am really amazed about all the information that he knows and picks up, too. He's like the CEO of Gackt (his brand). * lol * CEO's have like a few television sets that they watch all at once on the lastest news all over the world, and everyday they read 20 journals. It's crazy! I wonder if Gackt does that, too. >_< I think, though, he probably picks up a lot of it from talking to all those important people that he talks to. Yeah...

Anyways, thanks a lot! This is really exciting!
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(无主题) - fiorente, 2006-02-14 02:42 am UTC
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(无主题) - fiorente, 2006-02-16 05:50 pm UTC
(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-18 04:41 pm UTC
=====

[Manun]

Wtf? U expect ppl to read that. Mongolia and vietnam should be happy, they are not part of asia. They are superasia!

[Zezei]

http://sweiled.livejournal.com/27207.html

[daidai]

hahaha..

I don't think the vietnamese and mogolian people really give a care. He's just a entertainment star and most entertainment stars are stupid--or maybe it's just the U.S. stars. haha

Anyway, life goes on.

[Zezei]

noooo. he's not just an entertainment star. and yes, us stars are often stupid.





============
A man who puts his life on the line to continue the fight, even to the extent of declaring, “I’ll retire if I can’t accomplish this.” And thus a raging 2005 passes. Now he already has his eyes fixed on year 2006, no, even much further than that. What’s truly spurring him on? It’s the mission he has placed on himself; as well as the dream that must be accomplished. What is in his mind and what is he aiming for now? This cover article will discuss (lit.draw near, press) Gackt’s real intention.


Gackt CHAPTER.1
Look back on 2005
Long interview


In 2005, Gackt challenged himself more than he usually does, and also took on new challenges outside. [1] In this article I would like to focus on the keywords “GIFT”, ASIA”, and “Fighting”.
[1] I believe he means moving outside, out of Japan.




GIFT


2005 began with the release of “ありったけの愛で” (arittake no ai de) single. This opening was a continuation of the “GIFT” theme from the previous year; and under the same theme, the “Love Letter” album, which you could consider the compilation of the theme, was released. And with that ends the releases under that theme, but……



"This one single word, “省く”, can sum up all of one’s life"



I: Along with the release of “Love Letter” album, a special event limited to couples was held, and a ski resort was reserved for the fan club trip and a Winter Sports Meet held. As for the annual overseas fan club trip, you went to Sydney for the first time, didn’t you? The opening of the year 2005 sees a continuation of GIFTs for fans from Gackt-san.
G: It started from me saying, “I’ve started snowboarding,” while I was doing a tour two years ago. I said during one of the live MC, “Let’s go play snowboarding together in a fan club event.” Since I said it during the MC, I would be deemed a liar if I don’t follow through ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) ). I searched (for a place) immediately after that, but there is no way we can book the whole slope for weekends, right? Because it takes a lot of money to even book half a day.


I: Ooh
G: I thought, “It’s impossible!” But there was someone I became friends with by chance, and he is the owner of a ski resort. I told him, “Actually, I would like to do something like this…” and I persuaded him to help me make it happen somehow. Well, it was a relief. First and foremost, I was glad I could keep my promise.


I: And what about going to Sydney?
G: That’s our annual overseas fan club trip. The first and second year was in Hawaii; third year was Vegas; and the fourth year this time was Sydney.


I: Have you been to Sydney before?
G: No, it was my first (time). It is a great place. So basically, it will be places I’ve never been to. Halfway through I started thinking of going to places which everyone won’t go to normally. It was Hawaii at first, but I think everybody can go there themselves. From now on, I think I would like to visit less popular places one by one.


I: Like the North Pole or South Pole?
G: Or the Amazon. (laughs) Hawaii is better in that case. They know Japanese language and the security is good. But that’s easy for the organizers; it’s not up to me. Everybody tends to do things the easy way. [1] I think I found a good word recently. This one single word can sum up all of one’s life. It is the word “省く”. This word “省” can sum up one’s entire life.
[1] I believe what he meant was that the organizers/sponsors just want to find easy and convenient places, maybe because it’s easier to handle procedures and things like that. And also for security reasons of course. So the problem doesn’t lie with him.


I: How so?
G: The first (meaning) is to reflect (省みる kaerimiru). But this is only fifty percent of it. It becomes one hundred percent in your life if you are capable of the act of discarding (省く habuku)[1]. In short, it is the way we look back, reflect and introspect. Then we will feel various emotions within ourselves. And sometimes we need to cast those aside, and courage is needed to do that. [2] If we do not have the courage, we will not be able to cast it away. Because we fear it; because there is the fear of losing. Being able to do that –to discard is the first time the word (represents) one’s life. It’s a great word. I think that is really how I managed to reach this point now.
[1] 省く habuku: to omit; to eliminate; to curtail; to economize; to economize
[2] When we reflect on our actions, or even our life in general, we’ll discover and feel something. Negative emotions, perhaps. We know it isn’t right, and even so, we can’t bear to put it aside. We cling on to it. So we need great courage to let it go and release ourselves from the restrain we have placed on ourselves. Edit: kuro_no_diablo gave a good explanation of this part on the comments below, if you are interested. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Thanks!


I: Indeed, the act of casting something away takes a lot of courage.
G: It’s not because it is painful that we cast it aside. I think that’ll be more like running away. It’s not that it’s troublesome or anything like that, but to discard it under one’s own determination. The act of casting something away is indeed dreaded (lit. hated), isn’t it? There is also a fear of hurting someone through it. Courage is needed. One needs to be decisive. Well, I don’t think there are many who can understand this meaning. When I saw that word, I thought it had a deep (meaning). I was a little touched.


I: Where did you read it from?
G: Something like “Wise Sayings of the day”.


I: Could it be something like different aphorisms you read every day?
G: Yes, yes, something like that.


I: And finally, this theme known as the GIFT. How did you feel about ending this theme?
G: With a feeling of gratitude, and also to “follow closely now” because we will be moving even faster from this point.


ASIA


It can be said that the year 2005 for Gackt is a year which focuses on Asia, Korea in particular. Along with the release of “Love Letter” album, he also went to Korea to do promotions. He was invited to the biggest music event held in the country, “m,net/Km MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL”, at the end of the year 2004, and was awarded the Best Asia Rock Artist. The Korean version of “12月のLove song” [12 gatsu no Love song] was recorded that year as a coupling of the single which was released annually. [1] And for year 2005, he re-recorded the collaboration version in Korean language with popular Korean artist, Isoo, vocalist of MC the MAX. This song is currently released through Gackt’s first – and only – net distribution.
[1] He released the original Japanese version in December 2001, and since then he has released the English, Chinese and Korean version at the end of each year. Normally the singles comes with a revised Japanese version, the version in other language, and the instrumental version.



"What I can do is to further strengthen the relationship between Asia through the influence of music culture"



I: Year 2005 was a year which focuses on Asia, in particular Korea.
G: That’s right. But well, it’s not that I’m only looking at Korea alone, because I plan to move around the whole of Asia: Taiwan, China, Singapore, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. We are currently planning my activities as a vocalist in Asia.


I: When you said “vocalist in Asia”, was it something you realized when you are making music?
G: It was when I was 20 years old, that was when I came to the realization that I’m Asian.


I: And what brought that about?
G: I don’t know what exactly it was. I am Okinawan and am extremely proud of that. When someone asks, “Are you Japanese,” I would reply that I’m Okinawan. But when I came out to Asia, I realized that this is not right. Based on Japan’s position in Asia, Japanese very much think that other Asian countries are beneath them, right? Yet here we are, so near to each other. Perhaps, if we ask amongst the Japanese about “overseas”, most would definitely think of America first rather than China, Vietnam or Malaysia, etc. We are close mentally. We are all Asians. I believe the economy centers around Asia as well. And Japan’s economy is already declining in Asia. Though Japan has been on the top of Asia till now, Asian countries are now starting to be independent from Japan, and that is one of the reasons for this decline. Even so, there are still a lot of people in Japan who live in the old “syndrome”, as if the economy of Asia still depend on them to survive.


I: We think too highly of ourselves.
G: But it doesn’t work that way anymore. If we don’t pace ourselves with the Asian countries, Japan itself won’t last. We look at Asia as one whole entity and we come into contact with (each other) in this huge framework called Asia economy. In short, if we don’t come to terms with each other, (none of us) will survive. That’s the present state. It is a fact that the power of America is growing too large currently. The strength to fight that more as best as we can, as well as an influential voice is necessary for Asia. But not through force, mind you. For that purpose, it is important that Japan, China and Korea step up side by side as one economy. But Japan still thinks too highly of herself and fails to understand that. I think it is pertinent that we understand our current state. While Japanese are thinking over it, other Asian countries are already moving ahead first.


I: Korea, for one, is growing fast.
G: They are growing rapidly. And we are the only ones who aren’t aware of that. Other countries have felt the danger and started to act on it.


I: As for that, I think Gackt-san senses that danger precisely because you really felt the atmosphere in other Asian countries. For example, you went to Korea quite a few times already, right?
G: I did. Recently I’ve been meeting politicians from China, Korea and Taiwan often.


I: What kind of conversation did you have?
G: The reason I’m making music, the reason I’m doing them overseas, etc., and in between there are talks about sponsors and things like that. Mostly those kinds of conversations. First we start from “I’m not coming here to do promotions.” I said that the influence of culture is necessary right now to unite Asia. So I would like them to lend me their strength.


I: Well then, it’s not simply because you want to do a live, but in a deeper sense, you are advancing towards Asia with a mission in mind.
G: I do think about that. A lot. I do it with that in mind because I won’t be able to move on if I don’t. If I go there simply to do a live, it will only be a matter of bringing the instruments and the band members over, and putting the stage together there. What I plan to do is completely different from that. I’m going there to show them the world view that we are looking at. Our world view is the message. I have no interest in promotions; I’m doing this only because I feel it as a mission of sorts, that I’m meant to do something to bridge Asia.


I: Do you also start becoming aware of this mission when you were 20 years old?
G: No, it’s in the recent five years that I started thinking this way. Ten years ago, those were still the times when I was concerned about whether my CD will sell or not.


I: Eh! Gackt-san?
G: There were such times. That’s because I won’t be able to continue if my CDs don’t sell; because we can’t make a living (otherwise). But I realized in these seven, eight years that we can still earn our income through something besides music. It’s really easy to see.


I: Bwahahaha! So frank
G: In this past seven, eight years, I began to understand that we can still earn money even if we don’t play our music in order to make a living. I saw that we can still, surprisingly, earn an income. And so, I realized that it is not necessary at all to play music just to make a living. If I do, I would have to write popular music, and I’m not interested in doing that. Doing that would only bring conflicts eventually. (lit. conflicts, complications, trouble, discord) ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/love2.gif) )


I: Were there times when Gackt-san yourself experienced such conflicts?
G: There were. Around seven to eight years ago.


I: Hooo, I’m a little surprised.
G: I thought to myself that living through nothing but music makes you dependent on it. I think it was seven to eight years ago, close to nine years ago. A group of my close friends, who were in bands, were rapidly falling out of the music scene and quitting music, and life became difficult. All these happened before my eyes. It was such a time.


I: I see, I see
G: At that time I thought, “I see, everybody is frightened.” About not being able to make a living. We musicians give a strong impression of making lots of money, right? But in one lifetime, the period of time when we are popular (lit. respected) is amazingly short. The amount of money isn’t really that great in proportion to our lifespan. But musicians are, generally, really foolish. That is why when we receive large amounts of money, we think that this will last forever and spend it frivolously. And the interesting thing about human is that even though we’ll be happy when our standard of living goes up, we will never drop it. Even if we can’t sell (our music) anymore, we will not lower our standards. We suffer, are terrified of discords and worry about it dropping. That is what I saw happening with my own eyes and the first time I realized that this is what it meant by depending on music to make a living. But that isn’t… very good at all. I decided that I mustn’t be that way. And I look again at what “music means to me”. To me, music is (a way) to convey our message, philosophy, will; and to fulfill what I mentioned earlier on, missions and duties. I concluded then that music shouldn’t be all about earning a living or (feeding) our families.


I: Music is separate from a way to make a living.
G: Yes. And then when I was thinking of how to make a living, it came to me. “Indeed, I can earn my income by doing other jobs.” And I thought that if I set up a few different companies and make profits from there, music will not be my income anymore. In that case, I can use music to realize my dreams and to use it as a tool to unite Asia; I can devote myself to (creating) a home to help everyone move forward. (lit. push people’s back) I am a complete brand.


I: Brand?
G: Yes. (However,) if you think of the brand as something to make a profit from, it will become worthless at once. What the power of brand refers to is really the power of image. That is completely different from profits. I will do something else unrelated to me (lit. other than “me”) to earn the profits. “I” am a complete brand. That is why it is OK even if we get red numbers (from concerts). The people who take part in this feel that it doesn’t matter as long as the brand lives on. So the tour this time will not be the scale of that of a “hall tour”, let me say that clearly.


I: Not just this time, it’s the same way for each of your concerts.
G: How (scary) the red numbers are. When artists who are planning concerts come to watch mine, they will ask, “How much did you spend!?” I wonder if they aren’t trying to create such a stage as well. But they won’t be able to, because they are planning to make profits out of it. So we can invest on (such concerts) because we look at making profits separately. You won’t be able to do it if you keep thinking of makings tons of profits. That is why we can come up with such crazy things. I tell them to not get that wrong. Same goes for going to Asia which I mentioned earlier on, I’m not going there because I want to sell my CDs, but because I can do something after using this brand called “me”. ( (IMG:style_emoticons/default/madcool.gif) )


I: How can you use this brand called Gackt in Asia?
G: What I can do is to further strengthen the relationship between Asia through the influence of music culture. To make it strong like it has never been before. My dream is to unite Asian citizens. I think that is what I’m meant to do.


FIGHT


After “Love letter”, the story revolving around “MOON” was restarted after the end of the GIFT theme. Three singles were released followed by the album, “DIABOLOS”, making it the second album for the year 2005. The concert that started along with the release of the album was the biggest national tour ever and Gackt held his first Tokyo Dome live as the concert final. Year 2005 for Gackt can be said as (a year of) fighting grand battles.



"Only the ones who think of moving up along with me need follow"



I: You released two albums; held the largest national tour to date; and had your first Dome performance. When we were doing the keyword interview earlier on, (page.29), you said, “I’ll retire if I cannot accomplish this.” I think the year 2005 was truly a year of fighting.
G: I see myself as having missions and duties that I have to accomplish in Asia, so if I can’t do even this, I won’t be able to accomplish those, right? That is what I think. I don’t use the word “retire” lightly; I do it knowing in my mind that I can clear it. And I would like my staff to think that way too. That is why I said that I would also like to determine the staff’s [will or ability] during the tour this time. In the end, it’s not like everybody moved along with me when I cleared something. [1] “Although I can do it by myself to this extent, I can’t go beyond that.” There are a lot of people like that, right? That isn’t something bad. For instance, being able to think that they don’t have the ability to carry on any longer also takes courage. And we’ve ascertained their [will or ability]. [2] If we don’t, it’ll be difficult for them because we’ll be pursuing more things from now. Stop if it becomes too difficult and painful. I don’t want to become such a companion [who would force others to continue] either. Only the ones who think of moving up along with me need follow. Really, I just don’t want to think badly of my companions.
[1] It’s like when he did something successfully, not everyone made that progress along with him. As you move along to a higher level, some people get left behind or can’t catch up.
[2] He didn’t specify what it was he was testing the staff on… but I believe you can’t follow something/one either because you don’t want to, or you just don’t have the ability to.


I: We aimed even higher and year 2005 was for determining how much of those (goals) we can achieve for ourselves. It was a year of fighting and determining our limit. (lit. maximum)
G: I hope everyone can see it that way.


Original text by: Sachie Tojo
Translated by: Sweiled



Own comments:
I think I stopped breathing for a few seconds when he mentioned Singapore and Indonesia in his plans. XD He has never been here to do promotions and the like before, so it really came as a surprise. I thought that he will tour China, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong maybe, or Thailand... but I didn't think of my own two coutries. And more than anything, I'm truly grateful that he includes Indonesia in his plans. It's not exactly the safest or cleanest or most advised place to hold a concert in. XD I do love my country, despite its many faults and to know that he thinks it worthy enough... it brought a bit of tears. Even if it somehow falls through due to security reasons, I'm still glad that he thought of Indonesia.

/patroitism XD

It's the first time he named countries as well! Before, it was just a vague "Asia", but now it's pretty definite. Though we don't exactly know when, he IS coming. Ah, it will be grand to see him in Singapore, and also to meet up with other fans! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) That will be the day~


It is interesting to see his view on Asia economy. I don't know many artists who do that. ._. But you can really tell his love for his country and his desire to make it better. He isn't afraid to point out the faults and to admit that they have weaknesses either. Though sometimes I wonder when he has the time to think about all these. XD You need a lot of information and news about politics, the world, current economy to be able to make a proper stand, and you need a lot of time to read about all that. He gives me the impression of a black hole. Keeping his eyes open and absorbing everything that is in his way. Hehe. ^^;


Ahaha, I thought it was rather amusing that the interviewer found it hard to believe that Gackt has had such times when he couldn't sell his CDs too. It tells us something too, doesn't it? ^^ But wow, this part definitely interested me most. Haha, he sure is someone who doens't compromise. XD I thought it was bloody brilliant what he chose to do eventually. Most people would either accept the way things are done and try their best to live with it, or they move away from it, refusing to compromise their way of living. But Gackt, he carved another way out for himself. :3 In the end he got all that he wanted. The music that he loves and use to spread his messages; as well as a way to make a living.

And my bad for bringing this up again, but the thought of people calling him a media-whore... It makes me want to do some real damage to someone. XD I do think that anybody has the right to criticize others, but DON'T do it if you don't know anything about the person. And especially NOT in public places. It just makes one seem ignorant, jaded, and thoughtless. If there is anything I learned from being here, it is to not judge the book by its covers. Not everything is as they seem... And I try to keep that in mind for other artists, or even people in general, as well. I may not know them well but if others like them, then they must have positive qualities to them too, just that we aren't aware of it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Don't be too hasty to judge others. I think being in a fandom makes me understand that.


I admire him muchly for saying, "I am a complete brand" and then to say in the next line, "If you think of the brand as something to make a profit from, it will become worthless at once." I think he has succeeded well in finding a good balance between the two. I especially like the line "What the power of brand refers to is really the power of image." It's true too, if you look at all the TV appearances and CMs he has appeared in. I don't know how exactly to put it in words... though he makes use of it to earn his income, he doesn't sell himself and go for everything that can give him money, you know? Despite it being his way of earning money, he still chooses carefully the projects he take and products he endorses. That's the impression I get.


My dream is to unite Asian citizens. I think that is what I’m meant to do.

A lot of people might laugh at him and say that he is silly for wanting to do this. "An artist trying to unite Asia? With what? His looks?" I think a lot of people will think that way, but I can see it happening. I've always believed in it. Even when I didn't understand him well, all I felt was admiration and respect when I first read about his goals. He isn't someone who talks about grand dreams without doing anything about it. He sees, he plans, and he executes. He has such great passion and strong faith in him and what he is trying to do that you can't help but be affected, I guess.

And as I read the last part, I realized that it is true that only the ones who can and wants to will follow him. ._. Though we don't contribute directly, but it's quite the same case here, don't you think? It takes a lot of determination and dedication (not to mention insanity XD) to stay in this fandom, and I've never once felt that it isn't worth it. And I do hope I can still say the same line in the years to come. ^^


Thank you for reading and do keep a lookout for the next two chapters. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)


==========


kuro_no_diablo
2006-02-11 04:59 pm UTC (链接)
Can I just say that your own comments are just as meaningful as Gackt's interview? ;D

This interview can be the subject of a long, long discussion XD But to sum it up:

..it is the way we look back, reflect and introspect.

That is so true. We use the mistakes from our past as a tool for self-improvement, and then we let it go, because if we are too harsh on ourselves, we can never be as successful as we can be. Only when we acknowledged our own imperfections and strengths can we be more successful, because we know ourselves better, develop our strengths further, and take more care in not making a mistake. And this acknowledgement can only come with much introspection, looking inside yourself. I love this, this is a wonderful practice. ;3

In this article you can see more of how Gackt's mind functions. He doesn't stay "stagnant". He works, he reflects, and then he LOOKS FOR NEW WAYS OUT. And that, I think, is what makes him so versatile and charismatic. He used politics as part of his explanation of why he thinks Asia should unite... it's like, DUDE, DO YOU EVER SLEEP? XP

He's an ever-changing angel (<- XD)with a very ambitious goal in his mind. But, like you said, I think we truly believe that he can do it. When has he ever not delivered as promised? ;D

And that whole thing with testing his staff.. how sensitive of him, he doesn't really push them to their max. Rather, he asks them to follow - if they can (<- in an arrogant way? XD j/k). We just wish that he'd apply the same theory to himself, and not push himself to BEYOND the max and fall over at concerts. ;_;

I hope that he's going to your country so you can go to his concerts! ;D

And dearie, if you are going to say "It makes me want to do some real damage to someone.", please end it with a "-____-||" or a "RAWR", for more dramatic effect, yes? XD XD hehe.

.... did I say "to sum it up"? >.>;;

*falls in step behind you to follow Gackt*

THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL TRANSLATION!
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(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-11 06:03 pm UTC
(无主题) - kuro_no_diablo, 2006-02-12 01:35 am UTC
(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-13 04:24 pm UTC
(无主题) - kuro_no_diablo, 2006-02-12 02:51 am UTC

_boooo
2006-02-11 05:13 pm UTC (链接)
Are u asleep? XD

because I plan to move around the whole of Asia: Taiwan, China, Singapore, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.

Eh?! U stopped breathing? I took a sharp intake of breath! LOL Im glad Singapore was named and didnt fall under etc. Zomg, i hope he comes here! *__* A one day stopover for a mini fan meeting would do too. Anything! Someone stop my racing heart -___-;; I have an Indonesian friend who thought that it was sweet of him to mention Indonesia too ^__^ She thinks that it will be unlikely that he goes there bcuz of the unstable politic system. However, I feel that if Gackt had said it, then he will do it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_smile.gif) Im waiting for the day for him to come here!~ It would be so cool to see all Gackt fans gather in this tiny island (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Based on Japan’s position in Asia, Japanese very much think that other Asian countries are beneath them, right?

Thats true. Even I thought that all Asian countries were beneath Japan :3~~~ Gackt has a mind of a president! When I first read about him wanting to unite the whole of Asia, it came across to me as he using his music to get himself known in parts of Asia first, then gradually spread the message across in his songs and interviews for a united Asia. I know he can do it! *__* He has the ability and the charisma for his goodwilled message to sink into his fans.. like what u said.. you can't help but be affected,. Wow, I await the day where this will come true! Maybe he might do something crazily huge like giving a quota to the number of fans from each respective country to attend his concert or something.. heh.. talking about random >.> ^^;;

I think I would like to visit less popular places one by one.
I: Like the North Pole or South Pole?
G: Or the Amazon.

LOL word to that. Or singapore? XD Punggol is not very well known... -__-...^_____^

I wonder if they aren’t trying to create such a stage as well. But they won’t be able to, because they are planning to make profits out of it.

*sigh and melt into a puddle* That's probably why his band members and crew respects him SO much, they know that they are working for someone who goes out of his way to bring across something that's more than just music, and the least that they could do is to give him their utmost support and loyalty.

I don’t use the word “retire” lightly;

Right on. No more worries for yr 2007 ^^;; Year 2005 was truly a year of fighting :/ Gundam project, Love Letter, then Diabolos. Its 2 albums in a year, holy cow *.*!!!!

*strains neck to take a peek at his schedule* Come here onegai! XD
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(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-11 06:09 pm UTC
(无主题) - _boooo, 2006-02-11 06:25 pm UTC
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(无主题) - tarogirl, 2006-02-11 09:37 pm UTC
(无主题) - _boooo, 2006-02-12 05:07 am UTC
(无主题) - kaede_75, 2006-02-12 11:06 am UTC
(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-13 04:29 pm UTC
(无主题) - kaede_75, 2006-02-12 11:10 am UTC
(无主题) - aureliano_, 2006-02-20 05:59 pm UTC

uranus_sama
2006-02-11 05:23 pm UTC (链接)
*sigh* This is probably rather shallow of me to say but it's times like these that I curse the fact that I am but an American Y_Y
Its true, though... America is going farther and farther down the tubes... and I hate being seen as some kind of ... ambassador or like... part of what's going on with it... I want to get "I DIDN'T VOTE FOR BUSH!!!!" tattooed on my head in like seventy different languages so that people KNOW.

I can't help it though... I guess I feel kind of left out. I dont think that's what he's getting at but that's how I feel ._.

btw, what keyword question are you on? I'm on *counts* Question 20. It's rocky at best... but if you wanna compare notes... you know where to find me XD
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(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-11 06:13 pm UTC
(无主题) - uranus_sama, 2006-02-11 06:26 pm UTC
(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-11 07:14 pm UTC

vanilla_girl_09
2006-02-11 04:32 pm UTC (链接)
*dances* thank you so much for translating this! its so huge too!! @_@

It is the word “省く”. This word “省” can sum up one’s entire life.
*burns word into memory* XD
Im not too sure I understand exactly the whole concept of what he was saying but it seems to make sense at the same time. ^_^;

We are currently planning my activities as a vocalist in Asia.
頑張って　ね Gakuto-sama!!!

It is a fact that the power of America is growing too large currently. The strength to fight that more as best as we can, as well as an influential voice is necessary for Asia.
eh? *whimpers*
if he is gonna fight America, can it wait till I get to Japan first? lol...
Im not sure what all that was about... I hope Gackt doesnt dislike Americans (like the rest of the world -_-(IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_wink.gif) though I cant really blame him. ><

said that the influence of culture is necessary right now to unite Asia. So I would like them to lend me their strength.
awww~ *tear* the altruistic egoist... I so want to help him. I dont know how... it makes me sad. T_T

I have no interest in promotions; I’m doing this only because I feel it as a mission of sorts, that I’m meant to do something to bridge Asia.
I truly believe this, I cant say that I ever thought any famous ppl were very sincere but he really is, and its not just becuz he says so, he proves so!

Ten years ago, those were still the times when I was concerned about whether my CD will sell or not.
*dies* Its hard to believe, there was a time when he thought like that. Just like when he said he questioned his singing ability (in his autobiography)... it makes me a little less nervous about all my self doubt. XD

We suffer, are terrified of discords and worry about it dropping. That is what I saw happening with my own eyes and the first time I realized that this is what it meant by depending on music to make a living.
I absolutely LOVE what he says about music being a philosophy. And how he didnt want to think of it as a way to make a living or make music to sell out. I wish I could be like that about making films. I wish I had that kind of courage. I feel bad that I try so hard to learn from him but yet I still live in fear. Even though I love it, I hate it too... cuz it makes me ashamed that I cant go beyond the fear like he has.

So we can invest on (such concerts) because we look at making profits separately.
It makes me want to cry how noble this statement is... specially after seeing Xmas Live, cuz I know he went so far into the red for that. I used to joke about him being an attention whore, not even meaning it seriously or hatefully. I think even that is wrong. I dont know any musician person like that. Now when ppl say those things about Gackt it really hurts me. Here he is working himself out to the point of illness, fainting after (even during) shows and gets labeled a sell out, when all he is doing is making money to give back to the fans, so that they have a wonderful time. I cant even begin to imagine how hard that must be.

Only the ones who think of moving up along with me need follow.
@_@ he says it so simply but its difficult to be overshadowed by someone... specially somelike Gackt... his friends & staff truly have their work cut out for them.
I want to be someone who can measure up... artistically. *sigh* Im not even a speck of dust in the horizon compared to Gackt.. -_-;;;
*twitches* ... even if I never make it, even though I want to give up (alot), I will always try... I want to follow Gackt too. ^_^

Once again thank you SO much for this. *pounce huggles*
and sorry my post is like a book. >< .



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(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-11 05:46 pm UTC
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shibuya
2006-02-11 04:32 pm UTC (链接)
Thank you so much for translating this. Lately, my Gackt fandom has been slipping, and now I'm so ashamed of myself for it. It's not that I love him less, it's just that I've been paying attention to different things lately.

He still amazes me everytime I read his interviews though. *___*

I was thinking about how some people accuse him of being a "sellout" because he does so many promotions and endorsemnents outside of just making albums. And after reading this, I realized that's not true at all. Like he said, when music is your source of income you become dependent on it, and therefore the music you make has to be the sort that will sell well. For him, it's more like all these other things he does to make money are actually helping him stay true to his music. If he can make his own income come from places other than album sales, he can make the kind of music he wants to, and convey the message he wants to, without having to worry about whether it will make enough money.

That's a really awesome philosophy. :DDDD

I'm also very impressed with his views on being Asian and the economy. He's just so intelligent. I'm like...speechless. XD
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(无主题) - sweiled, 2006-02-11 05:48 pm UTC


========

[Suijen]

Zezei, stop posting the same gay article over and over again. You gay guy.

[Zezei]

Zezei, stop posting the same gay article over and over again. You gay guy.

==========
A promise made to fans for snowboard event
I: Spring is in the air… When you think of spring, (the first thing that comes to mind) is skiing in spring… Yes, an unexpected turn of event (lit: impossible development) indeed. [1] Actually, Gackt held a fanclub members-only event “白銀の夜と雪の戯れ 2005” on 26th March to 27th March in ‘ca et la’ ski resort in Gunma prefecture. Close to 1,000 fans participated. (Gackt) booked the whole ski resort for Saturday and Sunday. (The fans) were divided into teams and a huge sports game event were held on the snow. It was a lively day indeed. It’s just like Gackt-san. Anything he comes up with will be of a huge scale!
[1] The interviewer is actually joking here. Of course ski is the last thing that came into mind when you think of spring, because people normally do it during winter. Only Gackt will think up something like this is the underlying implication.
G: Yes, But that (event) is a promise I made to my fans. No matter what, I have to book a place because I made a promise (lit. cannot not do it) (laughs). There are people who badmouth me and say that I am using the fans to make money (lit. take money from fans) but you can’t make a profit out of that. (laughs) It takes a lot [of time/money/effort] to hold this ski event in Japan. An average of 4,000 people visit a ski resort on weekends but we have to book the whole place for only 1,000 of us. We had to clear many obstacles before we can achieve that. (lit. walk a long road to reach that point)


I: You booked the whole place for Saturday and Sunday?
G: Yes, I did.


I: Gackt-san yourself snowboarded as well didn’t you?
G: The fans and I went skiing during nighttime because we booked the resort from Saturday night. On the next day, we held a sports event in the morning (laughs). And it starts at 8 AM in the morning. What started all this (the ski event) was something I said during a live (concert) previously. During the live, I said that I would definitely hold a snowboard event in Japan. And so a promise was made. If I do not (hold my words and) do it, I would be called a liar now, won’t I? (laughs) But you need quite a huge sum of money to book a ski resort like that and holding a ski event would be impossible if you do not talk to the people above [1]. So the first thing I did was to find an owner. (laughs)
[1] Literal translation. 上の人間 . It refers to those people with ‘power’ or ‘authority’. Bosses would be called that and subordinates would be called the opposite.


I: So that is where you start from! (laughs)
G: (Yes) From there. (I started) from building connections (lit. make human relations). And I met the owner of ‘ca et la’ ski resort in Gunma and we became close friends. He is a very good owner. He said that it is ok if it is for Gaku-chan. Even though (the reservation) was for Saturday and Sunday. It’s really crazy [1]. I felt bad about it yet grateful at the same time. It’s usually impossible (to book it) on Saturdays and Sundays.
[1] Mechakucha. Mechakucha ii can be loosely translated to ‘fu-kin good!” Indicates that something is extremely good. And in this case, it will mean something along the line of ‘sounds impossible’ or ‘it’s crazy! (as in amazing)’


I: Even if you manage to book it somehow, people [owners] would normally ask you to avoid Saturdays and Sundays.
G: Right? And we reserved the whole ski slope on Sunday except for one which was opened for the children in the nursing institute [1] of Gunma. His kindness really struck me [2]. The children in the nursing house did not want the resort to close because there is no other place they can play in. When school starts, they will not be able to tell their friends where they played (during the weekends). And that owner wanted to open one of the ski slopes just for the sake of those children. And he told me, “Gaku-chan, I need your help on that day.” When I asked him, “What’s wrong?”, he said, “I want you to talk to those children.” He also said, “Show them your face. I would like you to give them dreams [3]. Because that is something I cannot do.” Of course, I said to him that I am willing to do anything within my power. (lit. if I can do it, I will do it) And it so happens that my schedule is free but I do think that it is very meaningful [4]. I felt that it was destined. That there are people who do things without thinking of profits and such, and do them only just because they wanted to see the smiling face of the children. Don’t you think those people are admirable? It has been a while since I last met someone like that.
[1] 養護施設 . It means nursing house and more commonly used for nursing houses for handicapped people or old people. However, it is definitely not so in this case (they are snowboarding). The house is more for children who do not have guardians or were abused previously.
[2] The word can also mean will or intention. So he could also mean that the owner’s strong intention/will in letting the children have a place to play amazed him. I chose kindness though because I think that is more correct in this case.
[3] In dreams here, he refers to goals and ambitions. By meeting someone famous and great like Gackt, the owner hopes to give the children ‘dreams’.
[4] The way he phrases the sentence gives me the feeling that even if his schedule were not free on that day, he would still make some time out to meet the children. Because he felt that it was very meaningful.


I: It is a very meaningful act indeed.
G: Yes, I think so. It took me 2 years, since I made that promise with the fans, to accomplish this (lit. reach here). However, it was after this year’s January that the owner and I became close friend. I often think, we made it (organize and hold the event) within 3 months. This ‘ca et la’ ski resort is the newest ski resort in Japan. The facilities are good and because I became close with the staff there, they often teach me (skills in snowboarding). Snowboarding there is the best. I hope that it will become a popular ski resort.


The moment you think “Ah, it’s spring…”
I: Gackt-san, when is the exact moment you feel that spring has come?
G: When I see couples cuddling close to each other and holding hands as they walk because the weather is cold. That’s when I would think, “Ah, it’s spring time…” Because it is cold during winter, (couples) do not hold hand, do they? (Seeing) couples walk arm in arm. Don’t you feel that spring has come when you start seeing couples holding hands?


When you talk of spring, graduation ceremony comes to mind…
I: Did you attend the graduation ceremony?
G: Yes, I attended. I graduated properly [1] (laughs). But, I don’t think I have much good memory of graduation ceremonies. There are teachers I can’t stand (むかつく mukatsuku: to feel sick; irritated; offended; angry.) who attends the ceremony and they would run away as soon as they saw my face because they thought I would punch [2] them… Something like that. (laughs)
[1] Very literal translation would be ‘I could graduate like the way I was supposed to’. It could be interpreted two ways. One would be that he always performs badly in classes and are seriously in danger of retaining classes. But he managed to pull through in the end. The other is he attended the ceremony properly and hence, has ‘officially’ graduated.
[2] He used the word ‘yaru’ here. It means a lot of things, the most commonly used one being for ‘to do’. But I believe in this context, it means more to punch or hit or fighting the teachers, etc…


I: Aah, that’s good. I thought you would really do it (punch them) (laughs).
G: During the graduation ceremony, the first person I saw (lit. who was there) as I came in [to the hall] was that teacher. (He) was walking and grabbed my two hands as soon as he saw my face. He clasped it tight without letting go. He held on firmly because he thought he would be punched (by me) (laughs). And he said, “Ganbare yo!” [1] and walked away quickly as soon as he let my hands go. He was the councilor [2] for the karate club (laughs).
[1] Ganbare can be loosely translated to ‘work hard!’ The teacher is wishing him all the best basically.
[2] Each club has a teacher in charge of them. The club advisor. And usually, they will be good at the activity the clubs are in. For example, the club advisor for the arts club will most likely be an arts teacher. And someone who is good in judo will probably be the one chosen to be its club advisor.


When you talk of spring, school entrance ceremony comes to mind…
I: You have any memories of entrance ceremony?
G: Hmm, entrance ceremony. It was during senior high school (ceremony) that a ‘happening’[1] occurred.
[1] It means here that ‘something’ happened. Some incident, I would say…


I: Eh! You already got into trouble (lit. there was a ‘happening’) since beginning of school?
G: Yes, yes. Because the whole lot of them from various schools were gathered there. [1] Everybody was giragira (glaring at each other) (laughs). We were going, “What is your problem?” “What?” (We) kept staring at each other. We were staring each other even though we are in the same class. (laughs)
[1] I think he meant that all the bad boys from all the different schools were gathered there. And so you get a whole bunch of ‘punks’ in that class.


I: And all of you became close after being in the same class for 1 year?
G: We did. Amazingly. (laughs) That was really amazing. At first, (I) would really think, “He is such an idiot!” We would introduce ourselves at first [1] and when we were about to walk back to our seats, we will meet the next person who was going up right? Both were unwilling to give way (laughs) and would keep saying “Move, I say!” “You move!” It was interesting. And then, there is also the seniors. The seniors who are popular like to come and ‘check’ the new students. [2] Because I don’t like that, I told them, “Nanda omae, kono yaro~!”[3] That was how my first meeting with the seniors went… (laughs)
[1] In Japan, students make self-introductions when they first enroll and also when they change classes as they get promoted. Their names, previous school/class and other information normally.
[2] Seniors like to come in and check out the new intakes. To show them who is ‘boss’ in the school and who ‘rules’ here as well.
[3] Can be translated to “What do you want (or what is your problem), you son of a b!tch!” yarou can also be translated to bastard, @$$hole or more mildly, rascal.


I: And you did that in turn (to the next batch of intakes) when you became a senior yourself?
G: Ah, I didn’t do that. Because I hate those kind of thing. When I come across a younger student with lots of guts, I would tell them, “You sure have lots of guts” I would talk to them normally [1] and became close friends naturally. I would feel happy when I see a younger student who is ikeike [2]
[1] As in he would not throw his senior status around and would talk to them with a normal tone/attitude instead.
[2] I believe in this context, it means someone with lots of fighting spirit and guts or courage.


I: But you were already piripiri [1]even though it was early spring. Shouldn’t you feel more peaceful during springtime [2]?
[1] Piripiri is used to describe an electric feeling. So in this case, it refers more to the tension being high-charged. Everybody is feeling tensed up and ready to fight feel to it…
[2] I think this is what he meant. During springtime, flowers are blossoming and there is a ‘love is in the air’ feel. So they should feel peace and love yet here they are fighting and glaring at each other. High tension in between them.
G: Iya. (No) This is a period of piripiri for men. When you enter a company, those of the same age will become your rival, right? There (in the company) the difference between someone whose performance improves and someone who doesn’t will show. And I wonder if it is not because they kept clashing with each other that (people) become close friends eventually. [1] That is the reason why I view spring the way I do. When I was in junior high school, I was caught by the teacher and brought to the counseling room [2] He was angry. “What’s with your uniform?” I changed the button (pinned on) the inner collar of our school uniform and there were words like “tengai kodoku”[3] written (lit. carved) on it. [4] He was angry just because of that. He asked “Why did you change the button?” and when I answered “Because it (looks) cool”, he pushed me hard. [5] (laughs). That was my memory of enrollment ceremony. (laughs)
[1] Since graduation is during spring time, graduates would also start work around the same time. That was why he suddenly talked about entering working life. You will tend to view those of the same age as your rival when you start work and when you compete with them (clash), you will become close friends eventually. Because by competing with them, you get to know them better as well. That is what I think he meant here.
[2] The room you are normally called to go to where the teacher gives you the punishment. Discipline room.
[3] I’m not sure if there is any specific meaning to this word. 天涯孤独 If it was a movie title or anything like that, but basically the phrase describes someone who is alone. No relatives, no friend, lives life by him/herself.
[4] Normally they have their school logo pinned on to the outer collar of their school uniform. According to my Japanese friend, what Gackt did was he pinned the button with those words on the inner side of their school uniform. And the words are really small and would be almost impossible to catch. Which is why it’s amazing that the teacher caught it and even got so angry because of it. My friend said that the school rules in Japan is very strict and that Gackt must have went to a very strict school.
[5] This is a very strong action. Pushing someone so hard that you send him flying to the other corner of the room.


A day in spring for Gackt
I: Gackt-san, what would be an ideal day of spring to you?
G: Go to Yoyogi park and read a book there. After that, I will go to a friend’s house and play fireworks.


I: You like fireworks, don’t you?
G: Yes, I love it. When this time of the year comes, my friend would say “Let’s play firework” and invite everybody over. And there will be a whole field of sakura trees planted in the garden. And close to 50 of my close friends will come (lit. go).


I: 50 people! Don’t tell me that the garden is as big as a park’s?
G: That’s right. Not big enough that you can play baseball there, but it is quite big. But my friend’s father is very scary. He stormed in while yelling, “Who’s the one who parked their car in that kind of place~?” Even though we are all on our 30s and 40s, everybody went ‘shiin’ [1] (laughs). That was funny.
[1] shiin. Represents silence. Everybody was shocked into silence here because his friend’s father was so scary.


I: Of course there will be (viewing of) cherry blossoms at night as well, won’t there?
G: Yes, sakura at night. It is pretty. There is no place in Tokyo where you can view sakura at your own leisure (lit. slowly). I stayed in denenchofu in the past and the sakura on the sakura slope were beautiful. There is (also) a place in Kyoto I would really like to take [you][1] to. I would like to take a photo [of it]. There is a waterway road [2] on top of the exit of the tunnel from Yamanashi to Kyoto and when you pass through that, (you will see) a lot of sakura trees along both sides of the road. I really went there often. The sakura in Yasaka Shrine or Maruyama Park is also beautiful. I would like to drive there and see (the sakura) again this year.
[1] He didn’t specifically mention who he wants to bring. But I’m assuming the interviewer because he mentioned photography in the next sentence.
[2] I believe this is a road built along the waterway. And you can see sakuras blooming on both sides of the road.

Note: In Japan, the education system is slightly different. You have 12 years of education in total. 6 years of elementary school, followed by three years each of junior high school and senior high school. You will be 18 years old by the time you are ready to enter university. And school starts in spring and not June or January like some other countries. That is why you get graduation and enrollment ceremony in springtime.

Translated by: Sweiled



Er, sorry for the extremely long notes. I hope they don't confuse you even more or something.. >.> Anyways, feel free to ask if you don't understand any part. I'll try my best to explain it to you more clearly.
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[Najjiah]

i LOVE Gackt! how come nobody has done a Gackt Apreciation thread in the pics forum?

[Jarhier]

i LOVE Gackt! how come nobody has done a Gackt Apreciation thread in the pics forum?

we have it here. his pics are everywhere in jchat. lol (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

[Suijen]

Thanks to me and Zezei, Gackt is everywhere.