01x05 - Drive and Determination

[bunniefuu]

MAY 6, 2023

SENDAGAYA, SHIBUYA WARD

Is it around here?

MASAYASU WAKABAYASHI OF AUDREY

There he is.

Good morning.

-Good morning.
-Good morning.

-It's been a while.
-How are you?

-I'm looking forward to this.
-Likewise.

GEN HOSHINO

So this is the driving episode.

Yes, indeed.

This is...

This is fun.

It is, right?

I'm glad the weather is nice.

The wind is super strong, though.

-That's true.
-But better than rain.

No doubt.

THERE WAS A SCHEDULING CONFLICT

It's been three months
since we last saw each other.

A lot has happened, right?

In the last three months.

GEN HOSHINO APPEARED ON
"LIVE THE SPEEDSTAR" IN MARCH

AND CURATED
"SUMMER SONIC BEACH STAGE" IN AUGUST

WAKABAYASHI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHIC
DRAMA STARTED IN APRIL

ANN TOKYO DOME LIVE
IN FEB. 2024 ANNOUNCED

There's something I've wanted to ask you.

Sure.

Last time, we spoke in front of
a live audience in a theater.

Right.

Before that,

-we spoke on Christmas.
-We did.

And when we did,

you asked a question.

"Tell me what to do because
I don't know what I should do."

I did say that.

"I don't care who, just tell me
what I should be doing now."

Has anything changed for you after that?

Back then...

We're slated to perform at Tokyo Dome
for All Night Nippon.

Back then, I couldn't decide
if I should do it or not.

It wasn't finalized at the time?

No, it wasn't finalized yet.

And you know...

Japanese comedy isn't exactly
a conducive art to be performed

at a venue of that scale, like Tokyo Dome.

Another thing is, simply put,

we're talking about an event that would
cost hundreds of millions of money.

-You mean the money involved.
-The amount of money is huge.

Four years ago at Budokan,

we had about 20,000 viewers,
including the public viewing audience.

I see.

But the Dome can seat 45,000 people.

And it's so huge that the audience might
have a hard time hearing us.

I was questioning if the Dome was
a good choice to satisfy our audience.

That's when I spoke to you.

And you pointed out
that I have lost interest.

In a nutshell, I think you lost interest.

Well, Hoshino...

You don't hold back.

But that's the honest truth.

When you said that,

it was like a membrane that enveloped me
for four years or so broke.

-Popped open?
-Yes.

I was somehow telling myself
that I shouldn't lose interest.

So I wasn't conscious of the fact
that I was losing interest.

That moment was 100% responsible
for making me want to go for it.

And maybe this isn't the moment
or place to say this,

but having a dream is so important.

More than anything,
Kasuga was so excited about it.

So your dream is making
your Dome performance successful.

That's my dream now.

Wow, look at the wind.

That is quite a wind.

-This is rough.
-I know.

This is our last session together.

So it's a driving episode...

Plus we're going somewhere
that's fit for the last sh**ting.

That's my understanding, yes.

And it's by the sea, right?

-Yes, it is.
-So I'm thinking,

it'll be a visually-impactful episode.

Aspirations

Possibilities

God works in mysterious ways

A guiding light

Striking a pose

I celebrate

Love

A window

DRIVE AND DETERMINATION

STARTING AT SENDAGAYA, SHIBUYA

DRIVE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF
TO A PLACE WORTHY OF THE LAST MEETING

MIURA, KANAGAWA

-Your song, "Same Thing."
-Yes?

I play that song often while I'm driving.

Oh, really?

I think "Same Thing"
is perfect for a drive.

Also, on the way there,

your Doraemon song works.

Is that so?

On my day off, on my way to...

-Wanwan Park or a zoo,
-That's perfect.

The Doraemon song is perfect
to play on the way.

Which one do you want to play now?

-"Same Thing," please.
-Okay.

Here we go.

I listen to "Same Thing"
before my work as well.

I play it often on my way
to the TMC studio in Kinuta.

Wow, you do?

I'm happy to hear that.

"Same Thing" is a song I love very much.

It's embarrassing to say because it sounds
like I still have Eighth-Grader Syndrome,

but while I'm performing manzai,

there are moments I'm dying to give
my middle finger to the audience.

But I'm holding down
that urge desperately.

When the audience
is exploding in laughter...

suddenly, I get the urge to do that.

Performing manzai is fun,
and I love my audience.

And yet...

there are moments
I want to push them away.

When I'm in the wing of the stage,
I give the middle finger in my pocket.

It makes it fun to go on stage.

When I heard the lyrics,

I... don't want to be arrogant
and say I understand it,

but I felt the same,
truly the "Same Thing."

I'm so happy to hear that.

I love this song so much.

Thank you.

I wish I could pretend I made it.

I'd love to hear more about Tokyo Dome.

You said you weren't sure about doing it.

This was a while ago,
but they also came to me.

Producer Hikaru Ishii told me,

there was a possibility of Audrey doing
a performance at Tokyo Dome.

But when I first heard it,
it was a different venue.

It was another place
that had "dome" in its name,

but a different venue.

That's correct.

And we said,
"No, that's not the venue for them."

-Wow, really?!
-Yes.

The thought of me doing a manzai
live performance at Tokyo Dome...

didn't feel real to me.

I understand.

It's starting to sink in now.

But that's why I thought the other dome
was better for Audrey.

That was my initial thought.

Hoshino, when you performed at Tokyo Dome,

what kind of place was Tokyo Dome for you?

I thought... it was a place that had
nothing to do with me.

That was what Tokyo Dome was to me.

But then...

As I repeated touring arenas,

it came to a point
where the next goal was the Dome.

They said, "We're talking about
five major domes."

"We're looking to mobilize
300,000 audiences."

At first, I told them it was impossible.

-You also thought so in the beginning?
-I thought it was impossible.

But as I went through my music activities,

I was at my limit, in all kinds of senses.
How should I put it...

I was working without taking any breaks,

so if I kept up this pace,
I knew I'd break.

That's the line I had been walking on.

And I seriously thought,

"At this rate, I think I'm going to
quit after the next tour."

When I found myself in that situation,
I had to stop and think.

I knew I'd regret it if I quit without
performing at the five major domes.

So I thought I'd quit
after five major domes.

Wow, I had no idea!

But if I was going to do that,
I had to make it a success.

That turned on my engine for me.

And thankfully, the tickets sold out
and the venue was full.

So I was at my total limit,

and sort of snapped like,
"Let's do this, dammit!"

-That's where you were.
-I went that route.

So it was good for me.

I got to experience that.

After I decided to perform at Tokyo Dome,

I went to see other artists
performing there.

And one thing really struck me,

which was that nothing really reach me.

Because of the distance.

ABOUT REACHING MANY PEOPLE

For months, I thought about how I could
reach beyond that distance...

before I performed there.

When I saw you at the Dome performance,

you showed up in your hoodie.

-That was super awesome.
-Thank you.

At the Dome, usually things are upscale,
like the costumes are fancier.

That's nice too,

but the impact of you
showing up in your hoodie...

I don't know how to describe it,
but it felt hip-hop to me.

Or shall I say funky?

-It grabbed my heart.
-Happy to hear that.

The first thing I decided
for my performance at Tokyo Dome

was not to make the staging too big.

The set was the least decorative of all.

Yes, I remember your set was very simple.

When the capacity of the venue
becomes bigger,

the staging tends to be more dramatic,

with lots of colors and such.

Yes, they do that.

They do things like
preparing a large stage,

and that's one way to go about things.

But when I saw that
as a member of the audience,

it created more distance for me.

The bigger you try to make,
the further it feels.

That's so interesting.

Suppose there's a person ten meters away.

If they yell at you as if
they're 50 meters away from you,

you'd actually feel
that person is really far away.

But if they speak in a normal voice,

you'd react normally,
and you'd actually feel closer to them.

It's the same with the live shows.

If you scream, trying to send
your voice to the very back,

it feels to me
that the audience pulls back.

Because you're communicating
with the people far away.

Then the audience realizes
that they are indeed far away.

I didn't want my audience
to feel the distance.

So when I chose the costume,

I picked something I'd normally wear.

And instead of screaming during the talk,

I talked normally, like I would speak
with someone in front of me.

The mic would amplify my voice.

When you're listening to the radio,

if they talk very loudly, you'd move
your ears away from the radio, right?

So, similarly,

if I talk like I'm talking
on a radio show,

I get a sense that the audience
closes in toward me.

That might be what it means
to reach them without making things big.

So, Hoshino,

you composed songs based on the talks
we've had for the first three episodes.

I know you're busy,
but in your radio show,

you mentioned that you're always
working in front of your computer.

What were your feelings when you made
the song for Episode #1?

A faint beacon

Shining in the darkness

A flicker that never fades

When the two of us talked in Koenji,

I was vividly reminded of

the streetscapes of Asagaya.

The morose days of my early twenties

suddenly came back to me.

I tried to picture what you
saw in Asagaya in your twenties,

as well as my feelings from back then.

Also, do you remember

the interviews of the young people
talking about their troubles?

So the song is about a person

who is a mixture of all of that,
like a chimera.

In the lyrics,

it says, "It must be nice to be young,"

but "If I die tomorrow,

that's it as far as my life goes."

-That's exactly what I was thinking.
-Really?

For real.

If I die now, this is going to be my life.

-You feel that, right?
-Absolutely.

Anyone who told me,
"It must be nice to be young" back then

annoyed the hell out of me.

Why the hell would that matter?

I could very well die tomorrow.

But that just shows

that I couldn't see I had a future.

I didn't think a bright future
was in store for me.

You know...

I never told this to anyone,

but I looked older
when I was in my twenties.

That was because
I didn't have the future.

I totally get that.

-Right?
-I was the same.

Right now, I have the future
to look forward to.

And I have more money now than I did
back then, if I may crudely say so.

So right now, I can envision my future.

But I had no future back then.

And I had no guarantee
that I would be successful.

The other day, I bought a bicycle.

And on a YouTube video,
I rode it from Shibuya to Odaiba.

One of the comments said, "Impressive that
your first bike ride was to Odaiba."

But if you keep on pedaling,
the bike will get you there.

That's true.

In our twenties, we were "pedaling," but
we didn't know if we'd ever get anywhere.

I didn't know if the jokes I came up with
were any good at all.

So in art, "pedaling" doesn't necessarily
get you forward.

So I had no future back then.

The guitar in that song has
that punkish feeling of nostalgia.

So I can relate to it now,

but also as myself from back then.

-So it really moved me.
-I'm glad to hear that.

In Episode #2,

we were at a luxury hotel.

Yes, we were.

Since there was such an urban feel,

I wanted to make a song that was perfect
for the night view of Minato Ward.

In the middle of the night
That envelops the city

I ponder the meaning of myself

You sang, "I don't know what I know."

What did that feel like?

When we learned about
the many troubles of the youth of today,

they talked about not having confidence
and the feeling of uncertainty.

When I tried to translate those feelings

into the lyrics of the song,

it came out as that phrase.

Everyone often says, "Yeah, I get it."

But sometimes I wonder
if they actually get it.

You may feel like you know what others
are going through, but you don't.

But it's always like this

I don't know what I know

What other people are feeling...

When I emcee for a show,
I try to take that into consideration.

But most pop idols are
in their mid to late teens.

Let's say we take academic
achievement tests on a show.

And we want to laugh
about silly, funny answers.

This young talent made
a great, funny answer.

I focused on her, hoping to add that
as a layer to her on-screen persona.

She started crying during the set change

and were consoled
by her senior female pop idol.

It made me realized
how our culture was not normal.

Having fun at the expense
of someone's wrong answer...

I can see how crazy it is.

So, this is something I decided
over the period of last December

to now, which is April, but I decided...

that I'd never do something
to make young girls cry.

I realized that it was not
something I want to do.

So taking that wrong answer
and turning it into

entertainment without hurting anyone.

I think that should be my mission in life.

I promised myself that
over the last four months.

Wakabayashi, you truly have changed.

Do you think so?

Looking back, you were really struggling
when we started this show.

I don't want to see people getting hurt.

I admit I have done comedy
like that before.

But I don't like it.

Even if the culture of comedy
shifts in that direction,

I decided that I wouldn't be a part of it
in the last four months.

So if I could,

I'd like a do-over of this show
from Episode #1.

-This LIGHTHOUSE?
-Yes.

I wish I was softer and gentler
in Episode #1.

But I also think I got here
because we did this.

-You did All Night Nippon with Tamori.
-I did.

Man, that was...

The space you two created was very nice.

When I spoke to Tamori
on All Night Nippon,

he told me why he settled
on his current style.

One day, he offered to take
a photo on the street

since they seemed to be looking for
someone who'd do that.

But they avoided him,
saying he was creepy.

He decided that he would become creepier.

And he developed his current style.

That made me think,

his standard and that of the society
were so completely different.

So he chose to create a world of his own.

In its extension,

his wonderful sensitivity bloomed,

which attracted a lot of people.

That's why the Japanese entertainment
industry is centered around him.

I assumed that
he didn't know any setbacks,

but he actually had a major setback
with jazz music.

I see...

That led him to the path
of becoming a comedian.

He sees things beyond
what other people see.

He knows the views
that other popular TV celebrities don't.

And he has the strength to...

maintain who he is.

That meant he could...

accuse Sanma Akashiya
of always wanting to get laughs.

He did that to Sanma's face
on a live TV show.

I loved that episode.

It was very funny.

Shall we share our one-sentence journal?

This links back to what we discussed
on making songs and creation.

"Creation requires solitude.

But what releases me
from a stalemate is my wife,

or other people."

When I'm writing an essay or lyrics,

I'm working at home alone.

When I'm creating something new
from scratch, I need solitude.

I can turn zero into one when I'm alone.

In the process of turning that one
into 100, 1,000, or 10,000,

I go through the process
of getting stuck and overcoming it.

When I'm truly stuck
and nothing is coming out,

my wife comes home from work.

The moment I say "Welcome home," to her,
my brain starts working rapidly.

And I get things done.

It's like when a family member
enters a solitary space,

the air starts circulating
all of a sudden.

That's the sensation I feel.

I guess creative expression is
a form of communication.

Or rather, it's stimulated
by communication.

So that happens with my wife,

or when my staff comes into my studio.

Or when they bring me coffee.

I was speaking with Hikaru Ishii
about a similar subject.

We have to create something from scratch
for the Dome performance.

Looking back, rather than thinking
about it for hours at my desk alone,

ideas come to me
when I'm brushing my teeth,

walking to a store,
or watching a drama on TV.

So rather than sitting in front of a desk,

maybe I should have
external stimuli like that.

Then Hikaru said,

maybe it works because you spend time
regurgitating the idea alone

so that it responds to external stimuli.

I agree with that.

So he said
the lonely struggle was necessary.

-The struggle doesn't disappear.
-Exactly.

I used to think
that being alone was imperative.

It must have changed from
when you were single.

-In terms of the creative process.
-I think so.

I'm not the type who wants to be cooped up
in the room all the time.

I want to make sure I take time
cooking, eating, and talking.

Her presence forces me
to not be alone at times.

I see.

And I really like and appreciate that.

I consult her sometimes,
which opens me up to other ideas.

Do you consult your wife about your jokes?

For me, I want to share it
with her as manzai.

-Because she likes comedy.
-I see.

But then again,

now that you mention it,
since she is much younger than I am,

I ask her how she feels
about certain ideas,

or feedback on the design
of a T-shirt for merchandise.

I enjoy being able to get her reactions
on things on a daily basis.

We're at Yokosuka Parking.

-I see that.
-Such a nice weather.

Yes, I'm glad that the weather cleared.

Can I hear your entry, Wakabayashi?

Here is my entry.

"Humans are social animals,
but I am not social.

That's the problem."

Wow, powerful. It sums it all up.

Yeah, it's like a summary, I guess.

On TV variety shows...

you have the advantage
if you can be crazy about something.

Say I have to get into
a hot bathtub in a show,

the funniest person is someone who thinks
it's too hot and doesn't want to get in.

But my brain goes, "The viewers rarely
see me do this bathtub joke."

"Am I supposed to get laughs for being
awkward about it?" as I soak.

So it's not really funny.

And people around me notice that too.

But TV personalities like Miyuki Imori
can be crazy about it the whole time.

So is Tetsuro Degawa.

Or Eiko Kano.

Those who have tunnel vision
in a good way are funny to see.

I get hung up on how it should look,
or it's supposed to be a prank.

So my reactions get too cloying.

After 15 years, I never got better at it.

Then I realized that since I was little,

from grade school
to high school's sports day,

I've always acted as

a guest rather than a party involved.

I had that point of view.

My being alive in this world
also feels like I'm a visitor.

Since I emcee a lot, I have a habit
of seeing things from a bird's-eye view.

So maybe that's how I'm meant to be.

Now I can accept that it's okay for me
to be in the position of the visitor.

Speaking of a circle,
in terms of social nature,

I was never able to get
into a circle of people.

In human society, we belong to a community
to work things out and get things done.

So having a dinner party
and such was beyond me.

I was exactly like that.

-Really?!
-Yes.

NOT FITTING INTO A SOCIAL CIRCLE

I became aware that it was hard
for me to become a part of a group.

I had a hard time understanding
why certain rules needed to be followed.

I couldn't help thinking
outside of the framework of

what society considered to be normal.

I wondered why it wasn't open
to more possibilities.

I guess that led to me feeling like...

an alien, perhaps.

That word perfectly describes it.

I felt like I was on a foreign planet.

That's exactly it.

Shin Ultraman felt just like that.

I live my life thinking that,
"This is what Earth people are like."

When I go out to drink

or do BBQ with friends from high school,

I remove myself from the group to,
for example, cut up more meat.

I love those moments.

I assumed that everyone felt that way.

But usually, people feel secure
to be a part of a circle.

That's what I learned.

Then, I came to the world of showbiz.

I wondered why they want me emceeing
when I'm not that quick to respond.

But I think it might be
because I'm there as an alien.

I see.

So when I'm on Geki Rare
or My Life in Your Textbook,

I observe the parties involved
from outside,

and make comments from my point of view.

I want to maintain that stance, even if
it's not a typical comedian's stance.

Even though it's not the "crazed" attitude
that's valued on TV.

I have another entry.

"I feel I'm moving away
from a stereotypical comedian."

I felt this when I decided
to do the Dome performance.

After all, I do want
to be seen as a comedian.

Do comedy on TV,

tease and be teased,
made fun of and sweat a lot.

But I never really got
such typical comedian's gigs.

Some people only see me
always at the studio,

not out there, doing physical comedy.

And they look down on me

as a certain kind of comedian.

And I was concerned about that.

I haven't talked much about this,

but I couldn't watch a prank show
since I was a child.

To tell you the truth,

this shouldn't be a mindset of a comedian,

but I felt bad for people
in a prank show as a child.

There were also late-night shows
with women in bathing suits.

I wondered how those women were feeling.

I couldn't bear to watch it,
so I never got into those.

It made me emotional, I guess.

I can't watch prank shows, either.

Hits you right in the feels, no?

I've always thought that with those shows,

it relies too much on the prankees.

It solely relies on their reactions.

But if a prankee gets mad,
they're the bad person.

People would be like,
"Why be mad at something like this?"

But the hurt the prank causes...

You probably feel this too,

but for those of us
who have a certain antennae,

it leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

And it stays there forever.

-Even if it's a prank.
-Even with that stipulation.

THE IDEAL WAY OF LIFE
FOR WAKABAYASHI AS A COMEDIAN

Let's say there are 15 comedians
on the tiered platform on a TV set.

I've got to show my gut and step forward,

getting trampled by everyone.

And react loudly.

I'm not good with that.

And that was a huge complex for me.

But I'm starting to feel I "do Audrey"
rather than "be a comedian."

I see. That's fantastic.

Now my paths are getting clear.

I don't think there's any other comedian
whose goal is to perform at Tokyo Dome.

I agree.

It will be a good challenge for me to see
if I can get laughs at such a huge venue.

I think that's the path for Kasuga and me.

From here on, I won't get hung up
on the image of what a comedian should be.

If my gut tells me it's for Audrey,
I want to try it. That's where I'm at.

That's wonderful.

There's an accepted idea

that comedians are free
to hurt or feel hurt.

At least that's the feeling I get.

And I do not fit into
such image of a comedian.

But I strongly feel that I want
to do comedy without hurting anyone.

I don't want to say things
that make other people feel bad.

I think that's the mission
for us as Audrey.

I'm really impressed. It's like...

you've achieved enlightenment.

I wish to be enlightened,
though l don't feel I'm there yet.

-We've arrived at the beach.
-Yes.

-Thank you for driving.
-My pleasure. I love driving.

What's it like to drive and talk?
Isn't it hard?

It's not hard at all for me.

When I go on a da...
I mean a drive with my wife,

I do it on my day off.

My heart fluttered
when you almost said "a date."

I'm super embarrassed.

I was hoping that you wouldn't notice.

It was kind of obvious, huh?

I wonder if they'll use this part.

Here we go.

Ah, there's the sea.

I've been told that there's a nice cafe.

Is this what local film
sh**ting is like?

-Yeah, kind of.
-I've never done it.

Usually, it's pretty open-ended.

I guess it depends on the show.

Some are rather pre-planned.

-This is very stylish!
-Yes.

This is nice.

Wow.

Very nice.

What was your summer break like
in high school?

I wasted my time away. Didn't do anything.

-Like playing video games?
-Yeah.

Within the current struggles,

there are things that will become
treasure maps in 10 or 20 years.

-It pays off to live.
-You're right.

No matter how dark your days may look,

we'll just have to forge on.