( interview yuuki & ryosuke kato for club slazy - spice october 11th 2016 )

[devilism]

A sexy danceable show and a conflict between men, the new installment of the Club SLAZY series has been announced! Kato Ryosuke x Izawa Yuuki interview


Young talented actors gathering for an "entertainment show" that's just a little bit different than a muscial, the play "Club SLAZY." The final installment of the popular series has been decided to be performend in December of 2016. Among the cast full of handsome men, which any woman would have difficulty picking from, Kato Ryousuke who plays Deep en Izawa Yuuki who plays End and who have both appeared since the premiere in 2013 are full of enthusiasm for the series. It's actually the first time these two have seen each other in half a year for this interview. But it's clear all the same that these two have a strong bond between the older Kato and the younger Izawa, who relentlessly plays the straight man. Within this peaceful mood filled with laughter, the interview started.

First of all, please tell us something about the roles you two play.

Kato: The role of Deep, who I play, is a deep role, just like his name suggests. With each installment I get to dig a little deeper into his past. Although he can seem shallow with his lines in the play, he still gives off the feeling that he's actually quite deep. The LAZY in SLAZY means a lazy person in English, but Deep actually isn't lazy. It's rather that he just doesn't get involved with things that are tiring. If he doesn't have a motivation for something, he's sluggish. The other guys all have a slightly different air about them.

Izawa: When Deep appears on stage, the place starts to feel more relaxed. During the show as well the audience calms down when it's Deep's turn.

Kato: Deep is pop, isn't he. He's a popper!

Izawa: That's a kind of dance, isn't it. (laughs) End, who I play, wasn't End during the first performance, but was rather still "Endou". At the beginning that Endou-kun gets a written invitation to a place called "Club SLAZY." Although he hesitantly goes to Club SLAZY, he gets various kinds of stimuli there and eventually becomes the five star End, that's the source of his name. Although there are a lot of people with strong individual personalities in SLAZY, End is called "the normal one," the only character that seems to come from the human world.


2 people that are meeting again after a long while
Do you have anything in common with your character?

Izawa: End is a tsukkomi, he usually doesn't joke on his own accord. Since I usually get to hear, "you're a tsukkomi sort of person," I guess we're a little similar in that sense. But I don't think that love is an illusion. (laughs)

Kato: Although it's not something we have in common, I really don't drink alcohol at all. Deep really likes alcohol. But we're a little similar in the sense that neither of us like to throw ourselves into something that seems troublesome.

Izawa: Once trouble starts, you quickly disappear.

Kato: Ah, I'm exposed.


(From left to right) Playing End: Izawa Yuuki, playing Deep: Kato Ryosuke
The first performance of Club SLAZY was in 2013, how does it feel to look back on yourself and everything up until now?

Kato: I was definitely always growing.

Izawa: That kind of comment is cool.

Kato: Please use that one for sure! (laughs)

Izawa: (laughs) Three years ago at the premiere I was 20 years old. Although I also had other productions after that so I couldn't be part of all installments, I still think I was able to grow by getting a lot of different experiences in different places that way. Although I wasn't able to join again until at least a year later, the way I approached my role and my trust in my friends had grown a lot. Every time I would do another show after the first one, it feels like I got a stronger grip on the character. So I will be looking forward to the next performance as well, since I've been able to grow both as an actor and as a character.


Looking back on the first performance...
What's the atmosphere like at the practice hall?

Kato: It's been harmonious. Even when we've left for a while, our friendships and the place's atmosphere come back right away when we gather again.

Izawa: The cast really consists of nothing but lovely people. I like all of the members, and things in the practice hall always get excited. In fact, even though I haven't seen Ryosuke-kun in a really long while now, it really feels like nothing has changed.

Kato: There's a lot of people you can rely on, and we're close regardless of who's older and who's younger.

Well then, please tell me about the highlights of the new production in December.

Kato: You can definitely depend on it being good with all of these members coming together.

Izawa: The list of names is super interesting! The best! There's the complete set of four members, B, C, D, E, who have been there since the first performance. The wonderful thing about SLAZY is that even if there are cast members that can't be part of a play, the story still gets worked out. That's what I really treasure about the way the director Miura Kaori-san looks at things.

Kato: When we thought of an adlib and used it, Miura-san picked up on it and gave it some sort of meaning for the next installment too. It happened often en is really amazing. When we think, "let's do this for the time being," and use it for then, it's sometimes used for unexpected foreshadowing.

Izawa: The adlib where "koala" popped up during a game of shiritori between Bloom and Deep is an example.


Two people who are looking back by looking at flyers of the performance
Lastly, please leave a short message for the fans.

Izawa: In addition to the members from the original installment that have come together, I myself am returning for the first time in a long while to Club SLAZY as well. I'll show how the core of the character End has been solidified, I want to show that to the audience. I would feel really honored if I could show the figure of someone who loves being on stage from the bottom of his heart to everyone.

Kato: Since watching SLAZY on stage is different from watching the DVD, I would like it if people made sure to come see us at the venue. For both the show and the drama I'll do my best at being playful, and I hope you will be able to see that we're giving it our all. That's why I'm glad to have been part of this legend.

Izawa: If it has such a good reputation and fame, then.. there could be a movie, right?

Kato: A movie adaptation! I don't know about that yet. But if the series would be followed up with something that amazing, I'm sure we'd also give our all for that. Since I'm so grateful towards all the people involved with SLAZY, it'd be nice if we could all become one at the end. ... In the movie. (laughs)

Izawa: "Club SLAZY the movie, coming soon!" Something like that, huh. (laughs)

Kato: Let's enjoy the December performances together for now. I'd be glad if you could look at us on the stage from every nook and cranny.


『Club SLAZY The Final invitation～Garnet～』
( link to the original )