Duet May 2010: Make Me Your Friend!

First we'll begin as friends...!?

When speaking of April, the first thing that comes to mind is a new school year.  And when speaking of the new school year, you can't forget self introductions!  This month, we asked each of the juniors to give us self introductions.  Will they be able to make 100 friends!?

増田良
Masuda Ryo

ますだ・りょう
DOB: 9/26/1993
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 55kg
Place of Birth: Tokyo
Blood Type: B

Self Introduction:  Patience is not one of my strong points, but rather a weak point.  (laughs)  Since I suck at sports, I feel nervous around girls who are well coordinated.  Right now I'm obsessed with American comics!  They also become a tool for learning English!  My favorite food is gateau chocolat (chocolate brownie type cake) and I hate strawberries!  Strawberries seem sweet but sometimes there is a sourness mixed with it and I don't like that.  Someday I want to have a bad guy role in a drama like Gokusen.  From here on, I want to work hard at acting! 

Current Status: The other day, I went to the amusement park with four of my friends.  For the first time in my life, I took on the challenge of roller skating.  I really look up to Kis-My-Ft2 and I always wanted to try it.  However, once I put on the skates and went into the rink, I looked like a joke....  I mean, I was able to continue skating but I thought, "Singing and dancing like this is simply impossible!"  I've gained a new respect for Kis-My-Ft2.

高田翔
Takada Sho

たかだ・しょう
DOB: 9/14/1993
Height: 172cm
Weight: 53kg
Blood Type: AB

Self Introduction: I'm always cheerful!  But since I'm a moody person, I can also suddenly become depressed! (laughs)  The type of girl I like is casual and has a gentleness to her.  I'm currently obsessed with reading manga.  My favorite food is meat ♥ and fried pork is seriously delicious.  I love dramas and someday I'd like to play the role of an antagonist.  I don't have confidence in action type roles but I've read hand-to-hand fighting manga and so I've already done image training!

Current state: Recently, I've been interested in people who do really great imitations of singers or actors.  They're really great at being able to capture certain characteristics of who they are imitating ne.  So in order to broaden my skills, I've decided that I too will practice imitating.  Eh?  What's wrong?  Well, isn't it okay?  (laughs)  First I'll copy Masuda's great singing na.  ("Then teach me how to act!!!" by Masuda)  Okay, that sounds good ne~.  Let's exchange our techniques!

岸孝良
Kishi Takayoshi

きし・たかよし
DOB: 9/18/1992
Height: 180cm
Weight: 60kg
Blood Type: O

Self Introduction: I have a bright personality.  I'm also shy when it comes to meeting new people, but if we spend at least 3 days together, it should be okay. (laughs) I'm good at ball games and right now I'm really into basketball.  I've been playing the piano since I was in first grade.  The kind of girl that I like is a girl that I can talk to easily because I really can't stand silence ne.  My favorite food is yatsuhashi!  I was really surprised when a fan made an uchiwa with the word "yatsuhashi" written on it but I was also really happy ♪.  I love how Yamashita (Tomohisa) dances.  Someday, if I could dance as well as him, that would be great! 

Current State: From spring to my senior year in school is my final time studying for exams. (sweats)  By the time I think, "I seriously need to work hard...," I find myself addicted to something like snowboarding ne... (laughs)  But since it will be the end of my life as a high school student, I'd like to continue earnestly in both my hobbies and my studies.  For a change of pace, sports are ideal.  Being spontaneous is also good ne.  I love mountains!  My parents say to me, "It would have been great if you were born in the countryside na..."  I love it when they say that.  (laughs)

The Birth of Kishi's New Nickname!

Takada Sho: Now that I think about it, Kishi-kun doesn't have a nickname ne.  I'll help think of one right now!

Masuda Ryo: A bit sudden isn't it? (laughs)

Takada Sho: Your first name is "Takayoshi"...  Takayoshi, Takayoshi...

Kishi Takayoshi: It's embarrassing so stop it ne.

Takada Sho: Masuda's nickname is "Massu"...

Masuda Ryo: Takada's is just "Takada" ne.

Takada Sho: Aw~~ I can't think of anything right now!

Masuda Ryo:  We've been calling him Kishi-kun since forever so isn't okay to just leave it like that?

Kishi Takayoshi: Trying to come up with a nickname for a name like "Takayoshi" does seem pretty hard ne.  My friends from school just call me Kishi too.

Takada Sho: I've got it!  From now on we'll call you... "TAKAPI"!  Because I really like it when you add "Pi" to the end of the name. 

Masuda Ryo:  Kishi-kun.  You okay with that?

Kishi Takayoshi: Sure.  It's fine.

Takada Sho: How do you do, Takapi! ♥


T/N: Sho is hilarious.  The picture looks like it's from the calender shoot.  It's from April's Myojo issue.  I wonder if they'll stick to this nickname.  Yamapi anyone?  He has set a trend.  I think Kishi is just fine.

Wink Up May 2010: Portion - What are you satisfied with in regards to your body??

thanks to shattered tenshi over at lj for the lovely scan




Portion
What you are satisfied with in regards to your face or your body?  Analyze.



Takada Sho

I have elephant ears! When I was filming for Battery, because I shaved my hair off, my ears were left defenseless.  And at the time, I looked to the staff and said, "My ears--don't you think they look like an elephant's?"  That was the first time I ever noticed it ne.  And speaking of that, when you shave your head, the quality of your hair supposedly changes too right?  For me, it completely changed.  Really.  It became a lot softer.  If it were possible, I wish that it could cure my unruly, wavy hair too na~ (laughs)

Also, palm reading seems pretty awesome.  It's not often that you can get your palm read.  My right hand has a pretty て etched in it (laughs).  The intelligence and emotion lines meet and become one.  So does that mean that my feelings become nothing?...  My left hand is pretty normal ne.

And also, my nose grew bigger! (laughs)  Ever since I started wearing glasses, my bridge became taller!  When I wear glasses, my nose twitches.

After I do weight training, my muscles feel like they're convulsing.  I'm sure no one would believe it but I can feel those convulsions all the way to my nose! (laughs)  I really like Kamenashi-kun (Kame from KAT-TUN) and slowly, my nose has evolved to look like that so I'm super happy about it!


Masuda Ryo

Something that I'm satisfied with on my face would have to be...I don't think there's anything! (laughs)  It would be nice if I were paler.  But if I had to really choose, I would say my eyelashes ka na.  They're long and they extend upwards ne.  They're like the lead in mechanical pencils and even seem to be precisely placed there. (laughs)  But only 2 or 3 pieces or so.

My body is also pretty crappy.  I'm happy that I have long legs but having long arms too is a bit too much since it's hard to find clothes that reach all the way down to my wrists.

I'm happy that it seems like I'm good at dancing though ne.  But that's only because if I don't keep track of my body parts, my hands naturally start to look like they're just sticking out.  Even if I'm doing the proper dance moves.  That's why I always make sure I'm moving more than the people around me.

My ideal body is having muscles na.  The me at the moment is completely off the mark.  First, I want to build up my body.  Once I'm able to do that, I'd like to work on my arm muscles.  I guess I just want to make my upper half tighter ne.  That's why right now I'm doing a bit of weight training.  For my abdominal muscles and back muscles I do push ups.  Since I don't really like to do weight training, I have no choice but to make myself do it once in a while.

I'm already at a good height so all I really would ask for is to get more width and for my face to become paler na.


Kishi Takayoshi

If I had to say something that I like about my face, it would have to be my eyes ka na... People always tell me that my eyes are big.  To me, whether they're male or female, I like people who have large, pretty eyes.  But that's about all I can say I like about my face. (laughs)  If we're talking about my body, there's some stuff ne.

Recently, I've been doing weight training.  I've actually been noticing more arm definition so that's definitely something that I'm satisfied with.  So I have a body that matches with wife beaters now probably. (laughs) I started weight training about October or November of last year.  I do 70 push ups a night.  Even though at first I could only do 10, I've improved ne.  But since I want to build more muscle, I've got to work harder.

And what would I want to change with my outward appearance?..  Ah!  Fingers!  On my keyboard, I'd want my fingers to be able to reach and press from Do to the following Mi.  Even without trying, I can reach from Do to Re.  But not just my fingers, but I'd want longer arms.  When I buy clothes, there are times when my arms are too short and the sleeves go past my wrists ne.  If my arms became longer, don't you think that they would finally match with the rest of my body?  I have a feeling that my arms would be better longer.



T/N: Sho's wavy hair is so pretty and makes him stand out!!!  Don't ever change it!  And the nose thing.  (face palms)  What a dork.  Who else wants to see him with glasses on???? Hot nerd alert.

Massu and his body fail.  lol  He cracks me up.  And he does have very pretty eyelashes.

Kishi Kishi.  Future bodybuilder???  And yes, he does have very pretty eyes.  I noticed he skipped over the lips.  XD.  I find it hilarious that Massu wants shorter arms and Kishi wants longer ones. 

I'm kind of glad to know that they're all building muscle.  But they need to eat too!!!  Be strong, stay healthy.

I'm still here.

I'm busy with school work so that last article is still only half done. Very sorry about that. But to make up for it, here are some paparazzi shots of Sho that I found online.

I had them on my lj but I thought it would be nice to assemble them over here too. Pretty right??

Scans: Thank you!

kyomototaiga over at lj has kindly scanned the junior calendar.

Yay.

Picture of the Day: Junior Colliseum: Takada Sho shows off his sexy side.

bwahahaha  I love how he did it.  He was all excited to go next and then his face was like, "Are you kidding me?" when he got the "show sexy" card. 

Translation: Duet April 2010 Paint It Spring

Just gathered: Fresh Diaries

The arrival of super fresh members!

The continually evolving Jr members talk about the theme "Spring".  Of course, what their current up to is also included~

Takada Sho

The other day at school, in gym class, I was able to go bowling!  My school seems fun right?  Besides bowling, there's soccer, basketball and billiards.  But I couldn't seem to decide which class I wanted to take.  I mean, they're all fun and popular.  Incidentally, a week earlier was billiards.  ...maa. That was fun.  This time when I went bowling and I scored 142 points.  (The staff's reaction: "Amazing!" and applause)

No no no, it's not amazing at all!  Because my best score was around 160.  So 142 is a bit unsatisfying.  Besides, at that time, a friend of mine was able to score 212...

Recently, I've been engrossed in billiards so that's probably why my bowling score fell na...(bitter laugh).

Spring: With the entrance of freshmen,  I've become an upperclassman too.  But as an upperclassman, I don't want to end up making fun of the freshmen(laughs).  It's not that I'm trying to act cool. From here on out, when I greet my kouhai, I just want to be thought of as a friendly senpai. 

 

Masuda Ryo

I'm good at English.  I'm confident when it comes to listening.  Recently, I've become able to comprehend Spongebob or Batman--American comics.  Right now I'm addicted to American Idol. (translator notes: lolwioertajg!~!!  Massu's adorable)  Last year, (the runner up) Adam Lambert's CD went on sale but it wasn't available in Japan.  But I was able to import it.  He reminds me of Michael Jackson.  Rock, Pop, Visual Kei.  He blends it so well and every time I listen to him, I'm moved.

Spring: When I hear the word "Spring", I associate it with a smell. The flowers start blooming, everything's sprouting--that green, unripe smell is what I think of.  What?  I sound poetic?  No, it's not like that.  Even though I was born in Tokyo, since I grew up in an environment that was brimming with nature, I'm just attuned to the smell of spring.  And when speaking of spring, it's the season of chance encounters...This year's spring, at the very least, if I can meet a great girl that would be great na....Why does it feel like I'm holding onto a such a fleeting dream?



Takayoshi Kishi

For me, I've come to love basketball!  Since I can remember, I've loved playing any type of ball game.  After classes, I'd play some sports games with a good friend of mine, but it's basketball that I've come to be most engrossed in.  When there's not many people, we play 3 on 3.  It's different from soccer, where you only use your feet to kick.  Basketball is about using your hands to handle the ball and being aggressive when playing and that's a fresh experience(laughs).  When dunking for example, if you can do it coolly that's great but I don't have that jumping power...(cries).

 Of course, I've pursued it with a serious attitude, reserving a court at the community center. The old man in charge there said to me, "Next time,  when we hold a basketball tournament, why don't you try out?" as if scouting me.  Incidentally, the only ball game I suck at is baseball.  Maybe because the ball is so small?  If I were hit with it, wouldn't it hurt? (laughs)

Spring: When talking about spring, I think of clothes.  The other day at a store I like, I bought a blue sweater!  Its distinguishing point is that it's made with Alpaca  fur.  Next time I want to get a shirt na...  Maybe I should purple ka na.  It's my favorite color.  If it's more on the light side, it'd be spring-like wouldn't it?






Translator's notes: I've been wondering about Masuda Ryo for a while now.  Is he mixed?  I really don't know.  But it's cute that he watches Spongebob.  An Adam Lambert fanboy. lol


Kishi....hahaha.  Sho's specialty is baseball.  How will you two ever play a game together????  


And Sho...142 is great.  He puts himself down too much.  I can barely score 60. 

Takada Sho loves orange.

 

He's kind of shocked that they asked him to come for Jr. Q

The week's question: What is your favorite color???

Sho's answer: orange~!!

  

Koyama kind of chuckles because he thinks that orange suits Sho to a T and then Sho gets asked why he likes orange.

He says something along the lines of..

The first song he danced to when he performed on Shokura was Cherish by NEWS and he was wearing orange.

Besides that, it's a cheerful color and he hopes that he can be cheerful so that the people around him feel happy too.

Picture of the Day: Takada Sho and the Dark Side of Johnnys

I'm sure that this picture was taken quite a while back, probably right after he started Battery.  Before Misaki left.  Before Kishi joined the group.  Before Hiroki and Keigo were brushed aside.

Happier times.

Johnny's is both a beautiful and a frightening world.  You can either reach your dream or not.  Always feel that you're almost there or that you were so close and then it just...slips away.  I hope that Sho will find a way to persevere, along with Ryo and Hiroki and Keigo and Kishi.  It's really too bad about Misaki.  Oh Johnny.  

Takada Sho is...

I've been thinking about this for some time.  Of all of the juniors, of all of the characters at Johnny's jimusho, why Takada Sho?  He's not the best singer, he's not funny, he really isn't the best dancer, his charisma comes and goes, he's more of an observer than a doer--what is it about him that I find so charming?

Maybe a list will help.
 

1. Battery: his smile.  That crooked tooth creating his signature smile.  His eyes wrinkle up and all you see is teeth and joy.  Even if it was just acting, I love how he showed such a dynamic character that made up for the blandness of Yuma's character.  I was surprised he was a Johnny's.  His look was just so clean cut.

2. The Battery making.  Sho really is a good sport.  Even though he was so nervous, he went head on into the first day of shooting, not minding that his first scene meant being dumped from head to toe in flour.  When he spoke about his feelings about the drama, I could see his earnestness.  He had thought hard about how to answer each question appropriately and with his best effort.  It showed how grounded he was as a human being, even at just fourteen. 

3. He can talk to anyone.  From all of the interviews I've read, it seems that Sho is a people person.  Although on screen he seems reserved, when in his element off screen, he's just a very easy guy to talk to.

4. His awkwardness.  I find it crazy to see young entertainers on screen with no sense of awkwardness.  As if they simply skipped that stage.  Like Morimoto Shintaro.  I find Shintaro adorable too but to me, Sho's awkwardness resonates with me.  He's still finding himself, still struggling with what he could improve on and it shows.

5. Hyakushiki.  I love how much of a fail he is. 

6. Shokura and School Kakumei: he's barely there but he does so many dance numbers, along with Takayoshi Kishi and Masuda Ryo and Ookawa Keigo and Nakada Hiroki, that I can only imagine the hours they pump in to do every routine.

7. His eyes.  When they pop out in shock, when they look angry, when they scrunch up from laughing so hard.  I can tell he lives life to the fullest, letting the natural reactions come.

8. Because he's Sho.  There is no other like him.  Although I find it difficult to imagine him debuting in a group with a CD simply because I've never really heard his voice (for a reason, I presume), I'd like to think that he'll walk a similar path as Ikuta Toma.  Keijiro Engawa 3, Battery, Hontou ni Atta Kowai Hanashi, Team Batista SP--I feel like that he's getting his feet wet as well as learning much about the filming and acting world.

I'm really grateful to Johnny's for giving Sho a chance to shine as an actor.  I can tell he loves it and wants to understand it more deeply.  I'm hoping for the day when he can find a wow character. 

9. He's just a sweet guy. 

10. If his baby pictures are any indication, he'll have beautiful babies. 

 

 

Picture of the Day:

 

  

  

  

He looks like he could be broadcasting news in this last screen shot.

Picture of the Day: 高田翔 Takada Sho's album cover (I wish)

 

Doesn't this look like an album cover????

Arashi's Wish: School Kakumei flop for Takada Sho

I don't know what the hell the choreographer was thinking but this is just ridiculous.


And I mean ridiculous, even for a Johnny's setup.

I wrote about this in my previous post but watching it again just dumbfounded me.  What the hell did I just see????

First Massu taps Yamada Ryosuke's shoulder and then boom.

It starts off normal enough.  

And then it progresses.

 

I just about died at this part.

 

And then almost fell out of my chair here.

 

And just didn't know what to think here.

Look at Ryosuke's face.

And Sho's.

Oh my god.  Let me cover my face.

What the hell is wrong with that choreographer!!!????  I just don't understand.

It's wrong.  Sho deserves better.  Takada Sho cannot become infamous for this scene. 

高田翔

I think he really is a people person.  Watching Hyakushiki, it's hard to tell and he admits it too.  That he's a lot more talkative than what viewers can see on Hyakushiki.

But I think that it's his level of confidence.  He wants to be funny but truly believes that he isn't a naturally funny guy.

I find that he's an interesting character who does contemplate things deeply but sometimes thinks so hard that he forgets what he's thinking about.

Sho works hard.  So I too will strive to do so.  Maa...he's still young.  I really can't believe that he's the same age as my little brother.  Embarrassing.

March 2010 WU

 

You know what I've been wondering???

Where's Keigo?

Did he just disappear off of the face of the earth?

It feels odd, just the three of them.  Nakada Hiroki isn't in this picture too. 

Picture of the Day: Food Critic Takada Sho

 

"What is this???" 

  

"Hm...."

  

 "Eh..."

  

"I can't breathe!!!"

  

 "Ehh???!!!~~"

  

"It tastes good but..."

  

"I was looking forward to something normal!"

  

  

"I'm so happy...(that we're done)" *cries*

He's hilarious.

Bonus:  a sleeping/waking Sho

  

Picture of the Day: Is it DESTINY?? Takada Sho and Nakajima Kento???

I thought about this a lot.  This shot is so sweet.  It was in last year's jr. calendar.  Right now I don't have a scanner but I had my camera so I took this picture of Sho.

It's so beautiful!!!  And Kento!  They all look great.  I was just happy to see the Nightingale team together.

They all have such sweet smiles.  And one cannot forget the skinship.  hahahah.

Sho's arms around Kento.  Keigo's arm casually around Fuma and Ryo's hand on Misaki's shoulder.  This is too cute for words. 

We Can Make it!!!!! If Keigo says it, I believe it.

I stumbled upon this clip the other day and I was so happy!!! It's not every day or EVER that Ookawa Keigo gets a strong solo. Of course, it's lipsynched but the fact that he recorded it is just amazing. It makes me wonder how Sho sounds. Masuda Ryo sounds good, Kishi Takayoshi sounds great and now Keigo??? He has a pure voice. I wish that Johnny would give him a real solo one day. And Sho??? I have a sneaking suspicion that singing is his weak spot but it's okay.

If Keigo sings to me, "We can make it!" I'm all for it. Every Johnnys has a weak spot but more than enough strong features to compensate for it.




I find myself unable to simply ignore all other members because that would make no sense.

Calendar 2009-2010~!!!!!

Even though it's "outdated", my calendar came in today!!!! Unfortunately I don't have a scanner but it's so beautiful!!!! Even though Sho only appears a few times, the quality is so nice that I'm okay with it. I was happy to look at the other juniors' photos too. The calendar was a lot bigger than I imagined. I'm tempted to buy the 2010-2011 calendar that comes out in March.

Fresh Junior Introductions from February 2008

I was watching an episode of Shokura that aired in February 2008 where you can begin to see the makings of pieces of Sho's unnamed group.  Misaki from B.I. Shadow was also bunched with them--probably same time of entrance.  I thought that was interesting.





The theme for that episode was "Treasures/Precious things" and so Nakamaru and Koyama asked the fresh juniors, who happened to be Nakada Hiroki, Masuda Ryo, Takada Sho, Takahata Misaki and Ookawa Keigo what their treasure was.

Nakada Hiroki answered that his treasure was his soccer ball because through joining soccer, he was able to make a lot of friends.  Aw....

Masuda Ryo answered that his treasure was the guitar that his parents bought for him.  Something about a band??  But it's interesting--I wonder if he can really play.

Sho answered that his siblings were his treasures.  He said he had a sister two years younger than him and a brother three years younger and that they're a big part of his life.  I really did go, "Aw..."

Takahata Misaki answered that it was his trumpet?  I think he just started playing so he wanted to become better.

And Keigo.  It was so sad.  Ookawa Keigo aka Sho's ramen buddy/best friend (I'm assuming) said that his dad suddenly passed away the previous year (in 2007) so his treasure has become his family.  He said that they've become even more important to him now.

The look on Koyama and Nakamaru's faces....they wanted to comfort him but it was Shokura, where they sell smiles.  They told Keigo that from here on out, it would get better.  Getting into Johnny's was the hardest obstacle.

Picture of the Day: Sho's Charm Point

 

Ookawa Keigo: On the left side of my face, is plainly, my mouth.  (I think he's trying to say that he's a plain person, but his charm point is that his mouth is situated more to the left of his face.)

Nakada Hiroki: My endlessly frizzy hair.

Takada Sho:  Big eyes.

Masuda Ryo: Pretty black hair.