( interview yuuki & ota motohiro for club slazy - livedoor october 19th 2016 )

[devilism]

Finally the finale! Ota Motohiro & Izawa Yuuki invite you to the world of Club SLAZY


Although the news of this being the final installment brings along a hint of loneliness, Ota Motohiro and Izawa Yuuki seem to be feeling more passionate than sad in their hearts. "Club SLAZY has become like this"-- so they speak unanimously. From 2013, "Another world" included, there have been 5 installments in the popular stage play series. In December the series will come to an end with the final chapter "Club SLAZY The Final Invitation ~ Garnet ~". Before the last show these two who have supported the series say everything they want to say about the charm of this production!


Real LAZY gathering! The feelings towards the last chapter of the series

Today we came to bother you at the place of the festival event "Club SLAZY Song Collection Screen LIVE" where all the Club SLAZY fans got to enjoy the beautiful numbers and names scenes. Between the events we came to ask you to talk about some things. By the way, what is this place...

Ota: It's the Ikebukuro Sunshine Theater!
Izawa: It's super luxurious, isn't it. (laughs) Usually when there's a full house for performances here it feels like there are things I can't do even when I want to do them...
Ota: You practically feel nervous when it's that crowded... It's really moving that the support we've gotten from fans until now has only increased. The start with the first performances was at Shinjuku's Live House, that sort of scale. That's why I think it's really amazing that we can have an event here in Sunshine.
Izawa: It really is moving.

At this event the final chapter of the series, the next production "Club SLAZY The Final Invitation ~ Garnet ~" was announced. You'd think it would be sad news for the fans...

Ota: That's right. Well, since it's the last one I felt lonely.. no, although there was of course a lonely sort of feeling, more than that there was the sort of feeling that I want to do this with the members. Since many of the original members gathered again, we could reach the end with the thought, "this is Club SLAZY!" Is lonely the right word?
Izawa: No, I really felt the same sort of thing. Of course that doesn't mean there's no loneliness to be felt as well. At first we couldn't even imagine that there would be a sequel, and then it was somehow followed up by "2", "3", "4", "Another World" and gradually getting bigger... For "Final" everyone is glad to be able to stand on the stage together. Just like Club SLAZY, right? It makes me recall the feeling of doing the first installment in Shinjuku.


The first installment, "Club SLAZY", was in 2013.

Ota: Just like I said before, it was at the Live House. Although it had musical elements, it didn't really feel like "the musical!", there were some live-ish parts to it, like the songs and the interactions with the audience. I also got the sort of feeling there of "how is it going to turn out?" and the feeling of constantly trying to look how the audience would view something.

Club SLAZY is said to be a place in the corner of a big city that can only be found by people who are chosen to be guests there. Many audiences were fascinated by the story of beautiful men singing and dancing!

Ota: Bloom that I played and End that Yuuki played, and CoolBeans (Yonehara Kousuke) that livened up the theatre... Together with the audience we came understand the individual characteristics of each character bit by bit.


Izawa: Because of the unique setting and the quick tempo I felt nervous, wondering how the audience would take everything and if they would accept it. But we got an unexpected response, and we were able to keep on going with the help of a good mood. The feeling of the growth of the production and sharing it with the audience is stronger than with any other production!
It's interesting that the series has kept growing, even though you two weren't in all of the productions in the series. Even when Bloom and End aren't there, the story still moves forward, and the surprising past or truth behind characters that aren't present is also revealed...

Ota: "Even if you're not on the stage, you still live." They make up a reason as to why a character is left in the background.
Izawa: I felt how thoughtful the production team is. Although I was part of "1" and "3", I wasn't able to be in "4". When I went to see it, End was being confined as a punishment. (laughs) It was since he brought in a cat while not knowing that Odds (Fujita Ray) has a cat allergy... I heard of that for the first time. (laughs)
Ota: But when I heard that anecdote for the first time, I thought "Huh?! That sort of thing?!" (laughs) That sort of thing is a key point. It has a kind of cute affinity to it.


Do you feel the growth of Bloom and End, which you play?

Ota: I actually don't really feel that. I think the character's basics haven't changed very much.
Izawa: They haven't changed at all.
Ota: Although there will actually be more new information added on, the character's basics somehow still don't change.
Izawa: So even when I can't participate in some productions, it doesn't feel strange when I return later on.
Ota: The scriptwriter Ise Naohiro-san and the director Miura Kaori-san have thought out the characters well. Since there are plenty of special anecdotes, there is more depth added to the characters, but it's different from actually changing. The essence was there from the start, the only thing that's different is how much is made public.


Reproducing their own experiences... the lesson from hell?!

A very well thought out world was made from the beginning.

Ota: It's always what I say as well, it's amazing how the members from the first performance managed to solidify that unique kind of setting. (laughs)
Izawa: I had that one day straight from hell, didn't I... (strained laugh)

One day straight from hell?

Izawa: Was it the day before the last day of practice for the first installment? Suddely Miura-san told me, "You won't be able to be End like that. Firmly create a backbone for the character! Pick one person among your co-stars to play your lover from now on, play out a real experience!" (strained laugh)
Ota: It was sudden... (laughs)
Izawa: When I heard that, I was like, "Huh? Huh? Who would be good to use as my partner?" At that time only Mokkun and Fukki-san (Fujiwara Yuki) were left, and when Miura-san said "Mokkun or Fukki...", Fu said, "Mo, Mokkun please!" (laughs)


And in that situation with Ota-san as your partner, it became an "etude of love"...?

Izawa: It really is my own experience with love! That course of events really is what I'm using in the scene in which I first appear. (laughs) Or maybe it was like a new door was opened, or it was like the feeling of being baptized...

And yet it was the day before the last day of practice?

Ota: It was frantic. But honestly, isn't it an interesting situation? As a third party, I got to enjoy it like, "hey, what's going on?" (laughs) Even though Miura-san was thinking of the time, she must have enjoyed it somewhere deep down a little too, don't you think?
Izawa: Definitely, she was even laughing a little! (laughs) When everything was over, Miura-san wanted to tell me "actually, about that one time..."

Did Ota-san have any struggles with the role of Bloom?

Izawa: Weren't you able to do it straight from the beginning?
Ota: I wasn't able to do it! (laughs) The songs were difficult and everyone around me had great potential, so I really struggled. But just like Yuuki said a while ago, everyone around me was always supporting me. Even without directly saying anything, everyone was creating it together.

Before the word "unique" popped up, but even though the setting is very unique, the songs, dance, acting and the expression of deep emotions that's asked from the actors could be seen as an orthodox element.

Ota: It's unique, but also a simple approach. And familiar! This unique sort of word needs to have a sense of familiarity or it won't make sense anymore.
Izawa: The level of everything that's required from the actors is of course high, since the quality of the story also feels high. For example, each character holds a certain drama or mystery that can be drawn out whenever or wherever. Just like puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly, it has something polished and stylish to it.


Talking about their relationship of mutual respect

As installments of the series pile up and you get trained more as an actor, is there something big you got out of it?

Ota: Of course it's the motivation you get from the members around you! It's like craftsmen gathering to thoroughly make a production within an atmosphere of craftmanship, I learned a lot.
Izawa: No, no, Mokkun himself really is a craftman.
Ota: Huh? Why am I being sloppily praised like this? (laughs) Do I sometimes seem like that?
Izawa: No, it's different, different! (strained laugh) I remember the first time I met Mokkun. At the first meeting for the first installment.
Ota: Did I seem like a "craftsman"? (laughs)
Izawa: A craftsman... No, it was more something like "entertainer." (laughs)
Ota: You often say that. With such a pure face. (laughs)
Izawa: No, the people we started with back then were all great, but between the people who easily opened their hearts and those who didn't, there was only one person like you with an aura!
Ota: I've shown shyness though. (laughs)
Izawa: No, in a good way. (laughs) You were close, something was there. Rather than a wall, it's like an aura.


Ota-san, how did you view the then twenty years old Izawa-san?

Ota: Twenty years old?
Izawa: I was twenty years old.
Ota: Although he looked like a handsome guy, he honestly seemed the complete opposite of the role. Before I really talked with him, I really thought, "it's fine if your personality isn't like a handsome guy's." There was also a bit of jealousy. When he was able to sing and dance so well, I thought, "this is dangerous, it's a crisis!" (laughs) Moreover, since he was also very humble, his quality only seemed higher. I honestly thought he was amazing.
Izawa: Please write all of this down precisely. (laughs)


It came up in the question I asked just now, but I don't feel the age difference between you two at all. Or maybe I should say that one can't really guess you guys' age when they look at you.

Izawa: That's because of Mokkun's charisma. (laughs)
Ota: It's since we're adults. (laughs)
Izawa: Or maybe I should ask.. Mokkun, how old are you now?
Ota: Stop this direction of the conversation! (strained laugh)


Izawa: He really has charisma. So when I'm together with him I don't really feel any kind of pressure, and he creates the kind of atmosphere where you feel like you can frankly talk with him.
Ota: No, although he's younger, there's a strange sense of respect, which means there can be a good small distance.

Please show us your enthusiasm about going towards the last chapter of the series!

Izawa: All of us with active duty as LAZY are coming together at the end! Although there have been various installments and charming characters have popped up one by one, the ones from the beginning are collected together again at the end with a slam. On the other hand, there is a sense of resolution about ending this. I hope I can transmit this excitement to the audience.
Ota: It continued all the way up until this point thanks to the audience. I think we can make a wonderful end of the year by not forgetting our feelings of gratitude and showing our growth to its full extent!


( link to the original )