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| Left to Right: Ba. seek, Vo. MIKI, Vo. YUKI, Gt. keiji, Gt. AYA, Dr. S |
On Friday, November 9th, 2012 at 7:30pm, Japanese visual kei band Mix Speaker's,Inc. held a panel at AnimeUSA for their fans to be able to "meet" them and ask any questions for the next hour available to them. There was no touching allowed, as in requests for hugs or autographs during the panel in order to be able to add more questions into the small time-slot. The band entered the room, being greeted by cheers from a moderately large group within the Events Room. The following questions are asked by press as well as their fans; however, some of them were fairly difficult to hear all together ad are interpreted based on the band's answers.
KEY:
-- = answered in Japanese/Translated
-^- = answered in English
~ ~ = comments/reactions
** = actions/ movement
Translator: Ok, guys, one more time, a round of applause for Mix Speaker’s,Inc.!
~Everyone: **cheers**~
-^- S: I am S, Mix Speaker’s,Inc. drummer.
-^- AYA: I am AYA on Guitar.
-^- keiji: Hello, I am keiji on Guitar, thank you for coming out.
-^- YUKI: Good Morning!
~Everyone: hee?? MORNING?~
-^- YUKI: Oh! (laughs) **moves glass of water** Good evening! (laughs) I am vocalist YUKI. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
-^- MIKI: I’m MIKI on vocal. Nice to meet you.
-^- seek: I am seek on bass, Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Translator: Ok, so let’s see hands for questions!
Q: This is a very important question! Are you ready? Do you like cheese?
~Everyone: **laughs**~
-^- S: ahh…like! (laughs)
-^- AYA: Like!
-^- keiji: Ehh, love.
-^- YUKI: (laughs) Ahh…Like.
-^- MIKI: Ahh… don’t like.
-^- seek: Like!
~Everyone: **laughing and clapping**~
Translator: Come one guys, you have better questions than that!
Q: Since we’re at an anime convention, what anime character would you be?
-- seek: Um… We actually saw some today, but we actually did a cover of the Sailor Moon song and if we did Sailor Moon, I don’t know how many Sailor scouts there are, but the six of us, if we could be Sailor scouts, that would be wonderful.
~Everyone: laughs~
-- MIKI: I would be Gaara of Naruto.
~Translator: I don't have to translate that, right guys? Gaara from Naruto?
-- YUKI: Anime, huh... Eh? **turns to MIKI** Gon? Nani?
~everyone: laughs~
-- YUKI: ah, Gon from HunterxHunter
~Translator (to the audience): The main character with the green jacket? You guys know him, right?~
-- keiji: Goku from Dragon Ball
-- AYA: Cloud (of Final Fantasy VII)
-- S: Suzumiya Haruhi (of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
~everyone: laughs and cheers~
seek: (mumbles) With that face?
Translator: seek is saying "With that face?"
~more laughing~
-- seek: It's so mean. (laughs)
Q: What do you think is the craziest, most outrageous experience you've had with crazy, hard-core fangirls?
~fans: laughing, band: thinking~
-- MIKI: It's with a cosplayer that has cosplayed us.
-- YUKI: Yes, this was in Europe before and they were both girls.They were taller than us, they looked better than us...
-- MIKI: And stylish...
-- YUKI: Yes, more stylish than us, too. They were so much better than ourselves.
~Everyone: aww~
Fan: not true!
Everyone: laughs
Fan: Does this happen a lot?~
-- MIKI: Yes, it happens often.
~everyone: laughs~
-- AYA: seek actually stage dived at the live recently and he went from left to right and got rolled to the other side of the stage where he jumped from.
~Everyone: laughs~
Translator: Next question! Come on, guys, don't be shy!
Q: Since we're near a zoo, what animal would you be if you could be in it and what animals would you see?
-- seek: We were actually animals at one point, so what do you guys think is the best?
~Everyone: laughs~
-- seek: We were animals at one point, I, myself, was a condor, S was a sheep, Aya was a rabbit, Keiji was a lion, and, obviously, y'know, there's cats and dogs everywhere, so, obviously they're not gonna be at the zoo. You guys should go see the animals that i just mentioned. Is there an animal at that zoo that only that you guys recommend?
~Fan: ...panda?~
-- seek: PANDA?
~everyone: laughs
Fan: No, no! RED panda! (laughs)~
-- seek: Red Panda? What's that...? We don't have "red". Ah! Lesser panda!
~Translator: They're actually not called "red pandas" in Japan, they're called "Lesser pandas"~
-- seek: S actually looks like a panda, so it's like we're in a zoo anyway, so it's ok. ...it's so mean (laughs)
.png) |
| S giving a thumbs up after seek's remark. |
Translator: Ok, so next question! Come guys, you guys aren't going to be shy.
Q: What musical artist do you like (right now?)
-- S: More than a specific person, I really like anime songs, so pretty much the whole genre of anime songs is what I listen to .
-- AYA: The Final Fantasy Soundtracks.
-- keiji: If it's a Japanese artist, I listen to "Momoiru Clover Z".
~Translator: It's an idol group.~
-- YUKI: I feel like everyone's going really minor right there, but I like to listen to "L'Arc~en~Ciel".
~LaLa runs up to give him a "L'America" pin~
-- YUKI: Ah, Thank you! ...L'America
-- MIKI: I listen to My Chemical Romance
-- seek: It's all different for everybody in the band for what they like, so you know, obviously the musical influences are all different, but my personal favorite right now is a band called "My Bloody Valentine".
.png) |
| Yuki looking at the L'America pin |
Translator: Ok, next question!
Q: What is something they all like to do, but dislike it about themselves? Things, habits, anything. (Aka, what are their complexes?) (There were some difficulties in explaining this question, so I am unsure as to how the question wound up being interpreted.)
-- seek: Um... I have a lot of facial piercings, so, you know, everyone thinks that I'm just this, you know, lash, crazy person, but, I feel that "What am I doing putting holes into a body that my mother and father gave me. I'm coming to that age.
-- MIKI: You know, i'm in a visual kei band and everyone things I like really hard rock music, like, you know, really loud stuff you head bang to, but I personally actually like nice, soft music.
-- YUKI: My complex is that I'm really bad at drawing.
~Everyone: laughs~
-- seek: The two vocalists actually write the lyrics for our music and we have a rough draft of the lyrics written, but it's all hand-written. For MIKI he actually writes really, really nicely. Really pretty, like a girl, but then there's YUKI... his hand writing is so... so bad... I can't even describe it.
~everyone: laughing~
-- keiji: Everyone has this image that musicians drink a lot and they can take in a lot, but for me, I actually can't drink that much. I'm really weak with alcohol, so that's one thing.
-- AYA: For me, personally, it's that on stage I wear skirts and stuff, so poeple assume I'm girly all the time, but normally I would wear more, like, hard rock, really guy-ish stuff.
-- S: I actually, seriously don't have anything.
-- seek: Regarding S, from the fan's image, he's the one that's always being picked on and everything, but really he is the most narcissitic in the band. He seriously doesn't want to be picked on... even though he looks like a panda.
~Everyone: laughs~
-- seek: it's so mean...
Q: Is this your first time in the U.S.? What is your favorite thing about being in D.C.?
-- seek: I've actually been here three times before. I've been here twice in February and once in November and I have this image that it's so cold here, but other than that, I do love the landscape here. It's a very nice town.
-- MIKI: As Seek said, I believe it's a very nice city and I personally am actually skateboarding right now, so I've seen a lot of streets that I want to skateboard down with the rails and everything.
-- YUKI: **having issues with microphone**
-^- seek: NO PROBLEM.
~everyone: laughs~
-- YUKI: It's actually my first time here, but since I've gotten here, I've only seen cosplayers..
~Everyone: laughs~
-- YUKI: So, you know, as the other guys said, I believe it's a very nice landscape here with the city-scape and everything. I really like it, but I would like to see what kind of fashion that the normal people are having here too.
-- keiji: We actually went to Target. (Everyone: Ahh, Target **laughs**)
~Translator: He's amazed that everyone knows about it and I told him it was a chain store.
~Everyone: continues laughing~
-- keiji: We went there and it's actually a type of store that doesn't exist in Japan, so, if I can, I wanna go back there again. (laughs)
-- AYA: it's actually my third time here also and I actually remember some of the landscape, so it's really reminiscent for me.
-- S: I like all of the trees that are actually growing in the city and everything. It's very, very American looking to me. Like from the movie West Side Story. it really just emanates American culture so much, so it's really the feeling of America for me over here in Washington. It's like "Oh my God, it's America!"
Q: What would you like to do after you retire from music?
-- seek: I would like to open a cafe.
-- MIKI: I would like to become a tattoo artist.
-- YUKI: A racing jockey (on the horses...)
~Everyone: laughs~
-- keiji: I would like to work in NASA.
-- AYA: Something internet-related. Maybe I should become a blogger! (laughs)
-- S: I'm going to stay a cool musician forever.
Translator: Ok, next question!
Q: I actually work at Target (everyone laughs) I was wondering if the employees did their job, you know. Did they go up to you and ask "How can I help you?" and stuff?
-^- seek: Ah.... No!
~Everyone laughs~
-- seek: No, they didn't ask if they could help me, but everyone's really nice, and you know, put everything in the bags...but...I actually bought a bunch of gifts for the staff in Japan. For example, i bought pringles and coffee beans, and cookies, and, you know, with the conveyor belt I actually put each one of those on there, separately. Obviously the chips with the chips and the coffee beans with the coffee beans, and then also the cookies with the cookies, but at the end, you would think that they would seperate the bags for you, right? They were ALL MESSED UP-
(everyone: laughs)
(Person: Was that really an issue?)
-^- seek: NO PROBLEM.
Translator: Come on guys, we can't lose to that bass next door (In the next room over, there's both karaoke and dancing going on, back to back, in the Events room.) Come on, next question.
Q: Have you ever cosplayed when you were younger? if so, who?
Translator: Not their costumes, right?
~Fan: No, when they were younger.~
-- seek: Ah, I don't know if America has something like this, but in my town, there is something where you become the main officer for the town for a day at the police station and I actually dressed up as a police officer when I was four and you know I told everyone let's follow public safety rule.
-- S: I don't know if this actually counts as cosplay, but I was doing Kendo from 1st grade to 6th grade and I really hated it because it was so hard and time consuming... but if I think of it now as if i was cosplaying, then maybe I could have enjoyed it a little more.
-- YUKI: I actually had a time I did cosplay , technically. When I was 3, where I live is called "Koga" in the Shiga prefecture and that town is actually known for the ninjas and I actually ws forcefully put on a ninja outfit, so yes, I cosplayed a ninja.
-- seek: I'll make YUKI dress up as a ninja for us.
~Everyone cheers~
-- YUKI: I'm not doing it!
Fan: Why not?
-- YUKI: I didn't bring it!
Fan: Go to target!
-- YUKI: Wha? They sell it there?
Fan: Of course! They have everything!
-- YUKI: Wouldn't they be closed?
Fan: Not for you!
~Everyone: **laughs**~
Translator: Ok, let's move on to the next question, guys.
Q: If we were to travel to Japan, where would you recommend that everyone go?
-- seek: There's a lot of really nice places in Japan but what I heard from conversation is that all of the bars close at 2:00am over here, but in a town called Shibuya in Japan, there is a place to drink for 24 hours out of the day. It would be nice if we could go drink there for, like, 3 days straight.
~Fan: wait, didn't someone say that they can't drink?
Fan: Keiji! Keiji can't hold his liquor well!~
-- seek: It's ok, Keiji's gonna fall over in, like, 5 minutes.
~Everyone laughs~
-- MIKI: It's obviously not as good as Target, (laughs) but in Japan there's a store called Donkihote. If you can go there, you should. It's really small, but definitely please go there.
-- YUKI: For all of you here, I think it's Akihabara that you should go to.
-- keiji:You know, if we talk about something that's current, Sky Tree in Tokyo is the tallest architectual structure in Japan.
-- AYA: Tokyo Dome. You should also go see the Giants play in Giants Stadium.
-- S: My mom makes the best Japanese food ever, so I would like you to come to my parent's home.
Translator: Ok, next question!
Q: What is your favorite anime?
-- seek: I really like Studio Ghibli movies, but out of that is Mimi wo Sumaseba (Whispers of the Heart).
~Translator: Do you guys know that one? I don't think it's actually been released over here... There's some that haven't been released over here, as you all know. It's the one original one for "The Cat Returns" If you guys are familiar with it. It don't know the English title of it, so...is there an English version out for that one, or no?~
Fan: there's an English version for the cat returns.
Translator: No, but the one before that one. The original story.
Fan: Whispers Of the Heart
Translator: yeah, that's the one. ~
-- MIKI: If it's a game, I like Kingdom Hearts, and if it's an anime, I like HunterxHunter.
-- YUKI: I don't know if you guys know this... Claymore
-- keiji: Fist of the North Star and Dragon Ball
-- AYA: It's a game called "Peace"
~(Gangnum Style plays next door for the dance tournament)
Translator: Everyone, brace yourselves!~
-- S: Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (The Daily Life of a Highschool Boy)
~Translator: "Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou", do you guys know that one? It's The Day In The Life Of A Male High School Student...
Everyone: **silence**
Translator: The one they did the opening for?
Everyone: Ohhh~!
Translator: You guys are gonna go watch it when you go back, right?
Everyone: laughs, yes.~
Translator: Ok, next question
Q: What was your favorite experience when you first came to the U.S. as Mix Speaker's,Inc. (in AnimeNEXT)?
-- seek: Obviously, the first time we came here, we got to do the live, you know, and it was the first time we came here as Mix Speaker's Inc., so I'm happy there were fans waiting for us here.
-- MIKI: Last time it was also an anime con we actually were here for and, you know, there's so many cosplayers,so if we're even walking around as in costume, there were no weird feelings or anything like that so it was really good.
-- YUKI: It wasn't a good thing, but I was... baptized by the alcohol, in a way... I think you guys get my gist when I say that. it wasn't a good thing, but it was something. (He's basically saying he gt really drunk.)
-- keiji: My answer is actually going to be the same as seek, but my favorite part was we were able to have a live there.
-- AYA: Same for me.
-- S: ...same for me too.
Q: Did you always want to become musicians? If not, what else did you want to be?
-- seek: Until I was in a band, i actually never thought that I wanted to be a band as a musician, but I actually wanted to work the background of creating concerts like this through the production.
-- MIKI: A pilot.
-- YUKI: Jockey. (Racing Jockey)
~Everyone: **laughs**
Translator: I don't have to say it, right?~
-- keiji: Baseball player.
-- AYA: Scientist.
-- S: Um... I actually wanted to become a police-man, but my dad told me to become a nursery assistant. (Male version of a nursery assistant)
Q: Over the years, you've had a lot of different costumes. What's your favorite one so far, and why?
-- S: Ahh... Mine is, let's see... Pet Tiger.
-- AYA: My outfit that I'm going to wear tomorrow.
~Everyone: ohhhh
Fan: Ahhh SUSPENSE~
-- keiji: Water Ogre
-- YUKI: Little Angel
-- MIKI: Black Warlock
-- seek: I'm actually a castle right now, in Japan... And out of all the outfits that I have done so far, I am finally a non-living thing! So... Yes, I like that one best.
~Everyone: **laughs**
~
Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
-^- seek: Washington!
~Everyone: yay! (laughs)~
-^- MIKI: London
-- YUKI: **thinking**
~Everyone laughs as Yuki punchs MIKI in the arm, then proceeds to punch keiji as well~
--YUKI: Ehhhmmmmmmmmmmm...
Translator: We have 30 minues left!
-- YUKI: Ah, really? Ok... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... The town where Santa lives in Finland!
Translator: He actually doesn't live in the North Pole, he actually lives in Finland! I'm serious.
-- keiji: Hawaii.
-- AYA: (laughing) The same.
-- S: It's only been my second time that I've been in America, but I've had wonderful experiences, so I would love to live in America.
Q: Whenever I listen to or see Mix Speaker's,Inc together as a band, I just see this big, happy family. Do you see a family?
-- seek: Yes, the band is fun and we do feel that we are one big happy family because it's really hard to be together as a band because, you know, when you're together for 24/7, 365 (days a year), there's always good and bad, but it's been five years that we've been together and I do believe that we are one big family because of the great relationship that we have together.
~seek starts clapping for the translator's work and some people join~
Translator: Ok, guys, i'm really sorry, but this is the end of the Q&A so let's get a word from the guys before we go off to our signing session that you guys are all gonna be at, right? Are you guys gonna be there?
~Everyone: Yes!~
-- seek: So we've actually been to America before for the first time and that was with BLOOD in New Jersey. We feel that it was a really good live and we felt the fact that there were fans that were waiting for us here. It's been a year sine then and we believe that our music and our performance has grown bigger since then. We're really looking forward to the live tomorrow so we'll see you tomorrow.
-- MIKI: Thank you so much for coming, all of you. In Japan, you know, we don';t get the chance to do a live Q&A like this, so it was really a refreshing memory to make. The more and more we do come here, I feel that we want to come back more and more. We're really looking forward to the live tomorrow, so please rest up and be ready for it tomorrow, and we''l see you at the live! Thank you so much.
-- YUKI: For the event for the next three days we want to make it the happiest time out of all of the events that we are actually going to be doing for the three days that we're here. If you do get a chance to come see us more often, it would be wonderful, but we would like to make the live tomorrow one of the best times, so please look forward to it. Thank you!
-- keiji: As I've gotten to meet you guys, I really do feel like we're a family and friends. After this too, we have a signing session, and then, also, we have a live tomorrow. We really want everyone to be in a really happy mood going back, so let's have fun together! Thank you!
-- AYA: Everyone has so much energy and I'm expecting a good live tomorrow. Let's have fun together!
-- S: We are a band that started out in Japan. Being from Japan and being able to come to America as a band from Japan... and meeting fans that are waiting for us in America... I would really like to embrace that fact and make it up to you, so let's have a really good live tomorrow!
Everyone cheered and clapped, through out their thanks, shuffling out after the band to make their way to the autographing session in the Thurgood Marshall Hall. Already, you could hear people reminiscing about the panel and the answers of the members as well as the fan's reactions. Clearly, the band had made a very good impression on everyone in the room that evening, only making some of them more excited and curious for the concert the following night. (Concert report, coming soon!)
Source: Meet the Guests: Mix Speaker's,Inc. event @ AnimeUSA
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