Jounetsu: Yu Aoi

Who rocks? Well, commenter aoinohoho~~

He found the interview I was looking for… almost half a year ago. O.o
Only it’s divided into two, and has Chinese subtitles instead. Video embeds after the break!

Show is called Jounetsu (Passion) and they followed Yu around when shooting some Hula Girls, promoting Honey & Clover, getting her driving license, renting/buying films to watch, kid Yu, etc etc… the segment aired on September 2006.

Part 1
[iframe src=”https://www.tudou.com/v/MZwy1Olg0tc/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″ ]

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15 responses to “Jounetsu: Yu Aoi”

May 20, 2009

Amy

I was wondering if anyone understanding this video (Chinese, or Japanese) would comment on stuff. LOL

You know, just to get an idea of it…

from the video?
they followed Yu for… 8 months? From January to August?
And… she didn’t think her dancing shooting was particularly good?
And… and… I was only able to watch the first part tonight. xD What’s up with the movie questions?

and ooh ooh! Leon mention!!! LOL
For those who don’t know… big Natalie Portman and Leon fan here as well.

June 19, 2009

personal.amy-wong.com – A Blog by Amy Wong. » Blog Archive » We are getting some Yu Aoi clips subbed~

[…] anything else you think would need translation, grovel in this post too. – I mentioned the Jounetsu interview from 2006, since it seems to be a popular interview for her Asian fanbase. I’m willing to […]

June 26, 2009

vina

i love aoi yu! watched jounetsu tairiku even though i didn’t understand it…but i did enjoy watching the show.

June 26, 2009

Amy

visitor kitty mentioned she wants to translate this, so hopefully we will be able to have an English subbed version in the future =D

September 14, 2009

personal.amy-wong.com – A Blog by Amy Wong. » Blog Archive » The Ultimate Fan Activity

[…] Dandelion (2007). Add to that two interviews with NHK’s Top Runner in 2005, and TBS’ Jounetsu (Passion) interview in 2006, which was translated into Korean and […]

October 5, 2009

personal.amy-wong.com – A Blog by Amy Wong. » Blog Archive » To Watch Until They’re 30 – Hayato Ichihara

[…] Hayato in much as of lately, other than that Jounetsu interview they did this year. However, I know how well that program worked for #2 The 20 to Watch fellow actress Yu Aoi. So the fact that they are doing one on him now should […]

December 4, 2010

Nina

Pardon for my lateness in this! Been having some stuff to finish so I didn't have time to translate. Here goes! My English gets a bit weird sometimes, I apologise for that as well ahaha.

Despite she's a 20 year old actress who is in the middle of make up, she remains calm even when the camera shoots her (some actresses don't like it, but Yuu-chan doesn't mind). Firstly, she was asked this. "Do you not mind being shot without make up on you?" She laughed then replies, "rather than that, I feel more embarrassed when being shot with a thick make up on. Because I didn't really have times when I get captured /that/ beautifully." She becomes a different person when it comes to doing her work (as in acting). One time, she is a girl with a deep problem, being caught in between an act of enjo kosai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enjo_k%C5%8Dsai). Another time, she's a girl who sends off her boyfriend during the war. From a serious type of drama to the comedy type, she did an impressive job in her acting. A lot of medias, upon covering about her, let out words such as "genius".

69 Sixty Nine and Hula Girls director, Sang-il Lee
"She has the power to change the movie in one scene. She's like Ronaldinho. Just with one pass, he changed the match. Was Ronaldinho also called 'genius'?"

Lily Chou-Chou and Hana to Alice director, Iwai Shunji
"Well if you see Aoi, you can see that she doesn't think that she's a genius. That it's still not enough in her measure. She's the type who doesn't really know what she wants to do afterwards."

Having a sincere image, she graces the covers of magazines whether it's men's or women's. During this interview we get to see her unexpected sides. For example, when eating. Her favorite shop to eat at has this kind of appearance. "The chiai (meat of a fish that is dark red with blood) is delicious~" "Yum~" When we follow her to shopping, what was in her hands were three bags of hoshi imo (some snacks made from sweet potato). "This is my favorite food ehehe~ I'm embarrassed." During magazine interview too, she left the interviewers dumbfounded. "What kind of computer do you have?" "I have three of them. White, black and grey."

Then, regarding this question too. "What do you think about the job as an actress?" ”Somehow, I still can't say that this is my 'calling'." A journey of twenty year old who doesn't know her destination. We follow that progress of her for eight months. January. Her first work of the year was in Tohoku city. "Today is the first time (of the year) going to the location of the movie. Please enjoy it!" New production, Hula Girls cranking in (filming starts). This movie talks about a city who has to work on coal mine in which the girls learn hula dance. Story was based on Showa 40s' Hawaiian Centre. Aoi acts as the leader of the girls who are striving for their goal of hula dance, Kimiko. The lines are in Fukushima dialect. Once she entered the location, without bringing the script with her, she started to chat with her fellow actresses. There was a reason for it. "I'm surrounded by people of here's (Fukushima) theatrical company, so I'm learning to grasp a hold of the characteristic of their mouth movements. I received a tape (a sample tape probably), when I listened to it, even if I could say the lines, I couldn't do the adlibs." The filming starts. It's a scene where Kimiko is having a mouthfight with the dance teacher. Firstly, rehearsal. The lines won't come out. Once more, she checks the lines. From there, she shows her true worth.

December 4, 2010

Nina

"I don't practice my lines at home so I don't know how would my own play broadens on the location, so there's also an anticipation." "Before you enter the location, don't you have something like 'creating the character'? I thought that it's how actresses do it…" "Ah! Right, 'creating the character'… I read the script a lot, so if I could create the 'core' of the role inside myself, on what kind of tone would I be saying the lines will come to existence."

Using crane camera, creating the most large-scaled scene. They'll be filming one thousand people of extras sitting on the audiences' seat while twenty girls will dance together on the stage. For this day's sake, Aoi went through training for four months. "Here and here and here hurts." "Wah, there's a lot on the tiptoe." Three cameras don't only shoot the dance, but also Aoi's expressions.The director gave an "ok". But… She was regretful. "Well the dance was okay." When asked, apparently because the song at the location was hard to hear, she became too into the dancing, that she couldn't show the expression of happiness being in the first stage (as in for her character). "For the sake of improving the movie, I wanted to say one more time please. But, the moment I realise I couldn't say such a selfish thing, I couldn't change my tension back and it was… an introspection for me." The next day, the director and Aoi's opinion matched and they decided to retake that same scene. The tears of happiness flowed. It was a satisfactory performance. As the compensation for the paticipation, muscle pain on both legs. There's the fact that she puts all her strength in it as well. "Haha I can't go on the last three metres."

A day off after a while. What we went to was a rental video place. "What's that?" "List of movies I want to watch." It was a list of movies that you won't expect twenty years old girl will want to watch. It was quite a guyish kind of selection. "I like movies that remove more things better. Like Aru Kodomo." (I'm not sure but probably it means the ones without too much of fancy stuff. Those that are a bit underappreciated, I guess.) Aru Kodomo, a story of a couple who are growing. It was shot in one long cut. It doesn't use any background music. "Does this one have the feel of removing a lot of things?" "They don't really have cuts, the people starring in it aren't those who are popular either. Then, I also like Leon." "But isn't Leon's story quite flashy?" "Hmm, it is, but hmm.. the flashy things are just the things that happen around the center that is the two of them. It's not that they captured a lot of things, it's just things that happen around this two people. That kind of image." Today's rental. Dodesukaden, Tokyo __ (lol I suck at kanjis), Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu Soshite Haru. The movies she borrowed today, as expected, these three masculine ones.

Aoi Yuu's Film Critiques. Regarding the sound/music of some film. "You put the song in too fast." Regarding editing of some film. "Each scene is too short." Regarding filming technique of some film. "If they take it from this angle, it would've been better." Regarding her own performance. "I keep finding flaws. Stuff like, 'too much movements', things like that are a lot. I keep feeling dissatisfied."

Born in Fukuoka. Since young, she has always liked lessons. Ballet, Japanese dance, tap dance. Overflowing with curiosity, she stood on a stageplay. Without any goals, she starts to walk the path of an actress. Without any desire nor ambition, but she has her own individuality.

Iwai Shunji
"The first time I meet her, when I asked what kind of actress do you want to be in the future, she replied 'what are you talking about? This is just creating memories'. She has a wide range. She has a range that people who wants to be an actress all her life don't have the preparation for."

To movie world, she's needed. While walking her path as an actress, she doesn't lose sight of herself. "As expected this kind of work is kind of unusual, I guess. If you were to be a normal university student, if you feel thirsty, no one would buy you water right? So in a way I guess our sense becomes a bit weird if we keep thinking about work only (like you will have the intuition like an actress and being 'served' by others)."

December 4, 2010

Amy

Wait, I have a thank you speech prepared for when I finish reading all of this. But I just had to laugh at her response to Shunji Iwai's casting.

Must search what film is Aru Kodomo? But her third film is Kim Ki Duk's Spring Summer Fall Winter… and Spring.

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December 4, 2010

Nina

The day when we meet after two weeks. "Good morning! Long time no see!" Two weeks is a long time. Today she has a driving exam. Yesterday she studied up til 3am, then wake up again at 5am to continue studying. "During school exam you…" "I didn't study." "But you could make it?" "Yeah. Proudly, hahaha. I grasped the teachers' trait, like what kind of questions will they pop out. When I see the textbook, I'd feel 'ah they will let this out on these things that people don't usually notice right' then I'll read it. Ah if I fail here, what to do~" Then… "I succeeded." "How was it? Eh?" "I passed it." "Show us!" "I don't want to! Too close~" Aoi gets more than usually happy over usual things. "Congratulations." "Thank you~" "Ooo~" "I got it!"

Okinawa, Yonaguni Island. We came here to investigate Aoi Yuu on her serial drama filming that has started. Fuji TV Dr. Koto Shinryoujou 2006. Aoi is portraying a role of a nurse who just reached the island. Cheerful but has a 'shadow' behind her, a difficult setup it was.

About the creating of the character this time. "A bit more careless…" "But I didn't follow exactly the script." "Ah, really?" "I took an approach from an opposite side." "Opposite side?" "So not overflowing with energy, but conversely a bit dark/depressed." "Is it your own proposal?" "But I think the director also thinks about it so." At these times, we tend to forget that she's only twenty years old.

We travelled together to Aoi's hometown, Fukuoka for work purpose. At the first time she started to work, she lived in Tokyo with her mom. At that time, her dad and grandma stayed in Fukuoka. Since then, their family lived separately. "I was really worried about it. All the time. Ah if I didn't come out in Tokyo, this thing won't happen. But I was really supported by my family. Really supported by them." Today's work is a new film's campaign. A popular comic that is turned into a movie, Aoi was portraying the role of a genius art university student. "What are your preferences during creating of the characters?" "Up till now so that I could perform Hagu who was only in a picture well, I paid attention on showing the human-ness of her."

She starts guiding us on her primary school days. "Uwa, was it horizontal bar this short?" "What's your number one memory?" "Bullying I guess. I'm really glad that I was bullied." "You're glad about it?" "Yeah. I always had to go home alone, then one day there my older brother noticed I was being bullied, at that turn he hid me at the other side, then go home together with me. Because if I were waiting in the school gate, they will think "she is relying on her brother. (I don't know if it's her real brother or just an older guy) Bullying was a big thing." We parted there. Today Aoi will, after a long time, stay at her dad's house.

Tokyo, Yuurakuchou. The movie where Aoi stars, Hula Girl, will be displayed to public. She's entering the venue just at the time the movie was going to start. She was in her mourning dress. Her beloved grandma in Fukuoka has passed away. She managed to hear about it, but she didn't get to see her at her last time.

"I thought you might tear up during the stageplay, I was really worried." "Ah, me too. I was thinking like, 'what should I do'. I couldn't stay until the funeral procession. I'm such a horrible granddaughter." She blamed herself. She couldn't do what normal person could do for her beloved one. "I'm sorry, I'm like asking you about a difficult thing." "Ah no, really, sorry for tearing up." Tomorrow, she also has another work to do.

December 4, 2010

Amy

wutttt, she was bullied? I think it should be her older bro – she has one from that Tetsuko's Room interview. Frak bullying man. I'm proud she's not like "buah, I was bullied poor me".

From all that text, I only got that bit with the grandma.

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December 4, 2010

Nina

There was another offer for Aoi to star in the main role. it's a role of a blind lady. She'll decide on accepting to star or not after reading the script. Aoi doesn't have a big preferences in her roles, but she pays attention on the idea of the whole story. "To me what's more important than anything else is the message that the work has in it. But to me, this might sound lame but, I can't do anything much other than borrowing the power of the person who wrote the script and convey the message." Aoi decided to take up the role. Then, she decided to meet with a blind woman. "Blue is sky's color right? Sea's color. Then on what sense would she feel it, even if people say the sky, she never see sky before." "So if you find out about it would it change the way you say some of the lines?" "It wouldn't be a big gap but, it becomes a confidence within myself. That I truly understand it."

Actress, Aoi Yuu, became 21 years old. If there's one thing that draw out her performance, that would not be the shooting location, it's the fact that she lives normally on special days as well. That's why from now on too, she won't think of actress as her 'calling'.

Eight months of interview has come to and end… "Usually there are not a lot of times when you say out loud what you were thinking, right? I realised that I thought of quite harsh things too." "You realised that?" "Yeah! Want to retake this? Another half a year. Hansei dayo~ (I don't think there's an equivalent English word for this but basically she reflected from it, kind of like ah, I learnt a lesson kind of feel?)"

December 4, 2010

Amy

Amazing stuff, Nina.

Huge, HUGE thank you on behalf of the Yu Aoi fans who don't speak Japanese, and are also too lazy to comment. It actually takes a long time to go through the whole show and translate it. So thank you.

If it's easier for you, you can just send me one file with the translation instead of writing, copying, breaking it up and pasting in the comments. If it's easier.

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May 16, 2011

personal.amy-wong.com – A Blog by Amy Wong. » Blog Archive » Yu Aoi’s Updated Wiki Entry

[…] andÂ Dandelion (2007). Add to that two interviews with NHKâ€™sÂ Top Runner in 2005, and TBSâ€™Â Jounetsu(Passion) interview in 2006, which was translated into Korean and […]

May 16, 2013

Yu Aoi Updated Wiki Entry #2 | personal.amy-wong.com – A Blog by Amy Wong.

[…] andÂ DandelionÂ (2007). Add to that two interviews with NHKâ€™sÂ Top RunnerÂ in 2005, and TBSâ€™Â JounetsuÂ (Passion) interview in 2006, which was translated into Korean and […]

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