Alice Nine: Wink up 2009 April Vol. 18

Before we head into your 4th anniversary, for the sake of knowing even more about the members, this time, the theme will be "Members talking about members", we hope to hear more about the changes within members.

Hiroto: Well, let's start with Nao-san. I think recently Nao-san became tougher than before. You probably can't tell from his appearance or his words in magazines but in the background he's someone with power.

Shou: The intensity of his practices gets higher day by day, his conscious as a drummer gets stronger as well. He's always the most enthusiastic in the studio and during spare time or make-up time he's always practicing his parts. This is really respected of within our members.

Tora: For Nao-san's humanistic side, i think he's someone who has unchanging aesthetics. I think that's a good thing.

Saga: Speaking of which, recently his hairstyle hasn't changed at all (laughs). Personally, i really liked his wild hairstyle during 2006's Kowloon Nine Heads Rodeo Show period~

Nao: I would like to read wink up and learn something from it! Next, Tora. Recently Tora is getting a stronger tolerance for alcohol. That shows in his guitar play. The ambience is different! (laughs)

Saga: His guitar play is pretty 'soberly' simple ne.

Tora: My boom now is drinking. But I get in and out of things easily so that might change again (laughs)

Hiroto: I don't know if it's from the drinking but i think he's does a proper job of what he's supposed to do. In the past he did put effort in everything but recently, the things that need to get done, he properly sees through them and indicates his intentions and requirements more strongly than before. 

Shou: Right. He's doing things more freely than before. There's variety and more power in them. Especially in lives. I hope you all can come and see with your own eyes during our spring tour!

Nao: Okay! (raises hand) Also, Tora said i looked like Ichihara Hayato-kun, so that's what i like about him! (laughs)

Everyone besides Tora: Ehhhh! (disagree)

Nao: I guess it's only Tora (laughs) Anyway, next up Hiroto!

Saga: Recently Hiroto's sex appeal is coming to surface (laughs). I can feel it even as the same gender. 

Shou: He's still the no1 passionate guy in Alice Nine. (laughs) When you look at Hiroto, you can feel his man romance, and his competitiveness is really wonderful.

Tora: When we first started Alice Nine, he's the youngest and also the one with the least band experience so he's always working hard on his own, getting troubled by things trying to catch up to everyone. But recently he stopping pulling back and does things like he's at ease in the band so i think that is a really good thing.

Nao: He's really buying and collecting a lot of equipment, he's getting deeper in his pursuit of music, so much so that you can't feel his age. I think he found how he want things to be. The adult in him has grown.

How about Shou-kun?

Tora: There's no dramatic change in him but i think he's naturally becoming the kind of cool adult that he wanted to be.

Hiroto: This year on 3rd Jan, we had our company 10th anniversary live in Budoukan, that time when I was watching Shou's singing stance from the side, i saw an image of him overlapping with a vocalist of a band i admired! Not just Shou-kun, i think all of us, when we were standing on that stage, we all can't shake off the feeling that we were simply allowed to be standing there but that live, i felt that i saw the Alice Nine from now on. I think it has a lot to do with Shou-kun's change.

Nao: I guess when the changes within the frontman are most obvious in a band. Recently, i feel that the gap between the Shou-kun on stage and the usual Shou-kun has disappeared. It's a really good thing

Saga: I think that too. But then, because we are always together every day, we members ourselves probably don't realize the changes the most (laughs). But surely even if we disband, or if we distanced apart, i'll think, these guys really were the best. Not limiting to Shou-kun, i believe that i'll think the same way for all the members.

Shou: That's true. If i separate from this current band, i don't have the confidence to find another better than this. I can say for certain that these members are the best.

Wonderful! Well, lastly Saga-sama.

Tora: I think Saga changed the most. Last year's first half, he's an introverted shy-boy, but after his sense in music changed, his confidence in his doings emerged.

Shou: Basically he has a kind personality, but there's now an added strong will. Recently he has an unbendable conscious in especially music. He became more masculine.

Nao: Recently he is really into music so much so that he even bought a synthesizer!

Hiroto: In our latest album VANDALIZE, he has been taking the initiative and is really reliable.

Saga: Well recently i started thinking, "Forget it about being careless or short, i'm going to live life to the max". Life has a limited amount of time so i want to live life to the very end. To the readers of wink-up, let's live without regrets together! Right now i have a strong desire for song composition so please expect next releases! 

Credit: pokkori_a9