Gedo Senki (Tales from Earthsea)

19th January 2006

Number 21 - I want to be popular without trying!

Yesterday, after doing layouts continuously for a long time, I got artists block, so I started listening to a CD I borrowed from the art department, with an earphone stuck in one ear.
At that point the NHK camera crew fliming here came over start filming me. The earphone was in my opposite ear to them, so they had no idea it was there.

Up until then I had been concentrating on drawing layouts, so the music hadn't entered my consciousness at all. However, when the camera turned to me, I became conscious of "Oh, they'll want to capture me with a serious expression, won't they", with the result that my concentration disappeared and the music I hadn't really been listening to until then suddenly came through clearly.

"I want to be popular without trying!"

Yep, what I was listening to was "Group Tamashii".
They are a currently successful band lead by Kudo Kankuro, that even appeared in last year's Kohaku Gassen[1] (though I didn't watch it), so I guess a lot of people know them.

Oh no, I can't laugh now!

The camera's pointing at me, and I'm trying consciously to do a serious expression, so I can't laugh now.
When this happens, you can't help wanting to laugh even at things that aren't funny.

So as vocalist Abe Sadawo screams on, I am desperately trying to hold it in, clenching my stomach as I hold a serious expression for three whole minutes.

Translator's Notes

[1]: This 'Red and White Battle' is an annual New Years Eve variety spectacular watched by millions. The most popular entertainers in the country line up in two opposing teams for an all-night long song contest.