EMIRU 10 ITEMS INTERVIEW
April 1999
please send thanks and fanmail to Tyran Grillo for the translation.
and, learn about Tyran's own music (as Murasaki) at his official site
Monochrome no Kokoro
interview by: AZUSAKO MATSUSHITA
6 If it was the end of the world, who would you want to spend your last days with and what would you do?
"I would want to do fun things. If I could be with a wonderful person that I liked, I would be happy just playing ping-pong all day, and then "close the curtain" of human kind. (Laughs) [Note: I hear that Emiru is very good at ping-pong.] However, I think it would also be good to talk for a little while. If faced with the fact that we would soon die, surely we would have to talk earnestly and without inhibition, don't you think? (Laughs) I would want to go to some nostalgic places from my memories, and do mundane things all day, like dating."
---So you are more comfortable and happy with the simpler things in life?
"Exactly. If it is fun, then it is good to me."
---I must admit, Emiru, that I find it hard to understand you sometimes. (Laughs)
"People often say that to me. The gap between me and my fans is amusing. When they send me letters, they often write something to the effect of: 'I laughed when I thought of you being a DJ on stage dressed like that.' (Laughs) At any rate, when there is something I want to do, I dedicate myself to it. When there is something that I want to buy, I usually save my money to buy food. (Laughs) If I get involved deeply in something, and don't complete it, then I cannot settle down and feel comfortable. Moreover, I am not a stubborn person, so the things that I desire to do are constantly changing.
---I think that people have many different faces, but if they have too many, then they're usually gamblers. (Laughs)
"There are many people who gamble for something trivial like not having enough money for a car. I think that there are two people inside of me, one who uses money for the car, and one who gambles. On the other hand, they both like very cute things. That kind of cycle exists within me. Recently, these two personalities have gradually become one. I used to feel absurd being a boy dressing up as a girl, but now they coexist. It is similar to decorating the interior of a fast and powerful car with floral patterns. (Laughs)"
---So what you are saying is that these have become natural things within you?
"Yes, very natural. Though I think of the band as the most important and serious thing in my life, I still find time for hobbies, such as collecting cute things. When we first started the band, I thought that I would have to give up collecting cute things, and that I could only concentrate on the more important things in my life, but on some pretext or another, I decided not to give it up. That is now emerging."
---That's because of the gap between the 'stage Emiru' and the 'everyday Emiru,' right?
"Yes. It is that kind of concept, and I feel like I am almost able to do it. (Laughs)"
---Do you amuse yourself with this gap?
"Hmmm...yes. On stage, the things that I give to the audience are things that I want to give personally, so I cannot give my best if I spend my time idly. But the thing I want most is to make those who come to see me understand what they are watching. From as far back as I can remember, I never denied the things that I liked, and this has made me wonderfully happy."
7 What are the essential things that support your livelihood?
"Anything that gives me confidence. Whenever I get something like that, I think to myself 'Wow~.' Just because something is fashionable again, that does not mean that I will seek it out, because it derives from the past. If I possessed that kind of thing, then I could not feel confident. For example, a famous brand. I would be like painting a city all one color, wouldn't it? I would be in opposition until I bought that product, but I would have to control myself."
---Are things which are similar to people more likely to possess this peace of mind?
"Not necessarily. If I were to simply appeal myself, I would first have a desire to take that in. I think that there are many people who want to be popular in the public gaze by charm alone. However, I would appeal my individuality above that. I like popular fashion that springs from profoundness, but I am not sure that we can see everything together from a sudden glance. For example, a uniform skirt is not just something short, it is a length that suits oneself. That is the number one point in fashion. Popularity is not something that you just control. I think is is something that you assimilate to, and one must dress accordingly. Therefore, I like people who check fashion.
---Is there also a certain power inherent within that as well?
"Yes, of course. I understand that concept of fashion much more clearly, so it is better to wait, I think. I will exude a unique aura, just like my stage presence. I will not solely have that appearance, I will think that I am good, for it is bad not to have confidence. Those who do not have confidence in themselves cannot achieve great things. Something must eventually decline. Something like that."
8 If you could live anywhere but Tokyo, where would you want to live?
"I love Japan best. I love Tokyo best. Hmmm...probably the Disneyland in Chiba. I want to live inside 'It's a Small World After All'! (Laughs) I love that world. Many flowers bloom there. It makes me happy. After all, I would never want to live in the 'Haunted Mansion.' (Laughs)"
9 In what kind of situation do you feel the greatest love?
"Whenever I am feeling dead, and someone helps me. Whenever I become sick, and am nursed back to health. I simply try dreaming of deteriorating, and there's my ideal love! (Laughs) Maybe something like slipping off a cliff and catching hold of a helping hand just in time. And if only she can be saved by letting go of my hand, then she will not let go, and we will fall together. Also, when I am being attacked by someone, she will jump in front of me to save me. .....someone like that. (Laughs) And as I am carrying her away, I say, 'Why~?!'"
---And would she die in your arms?
"Yes, yes. Such a tale is quite realistic in my mind. If I have that kind of experience, then I will think to myself, 'That is love!'"
---I'll try saving you right after your fans mob you!
"When someone meets with me, after we have fought and I have thrown them down, they will be the ones needing nursing. I am a developed street fighter. (Laughs)"
10 What's in store for Lareine in 1999?
"I have the feeling that you will be able to see a 'new mask' of Lareine. However, we have always wanted to give our fans various things, and we have always brought forth new things from within that process. It is too standard to change nothing. We simply want to enchant everyone through various means. We do not wish to destroy the thoughts and dreams that our fans have of us. We are consciously displaying a mysterious world. By the time this magazine comes out, our live show at Shibuya Public Hall will be coming up quite soon, but the 'Romance Revolution' show at Shibuya on March 26th will be the only part. For the time being, that is the concept Lareine wants to show. We are in the midst of recording right now, but in around May we will reveal a new sound. I think that we will be able to do that full tale of change at Shibuya. You will understand what Lareine is in 1999 if you come to the Shibuya show. We will be waiting for you in Shibuya!!"