Yusuke Takemoto: There is no such thing as wasted effort. There is meaning in continuing to do something.

■ Profile

Born May 1, 1998 in Saga Prefecture. His TikTok posts, showcasing his dance skills, went viral. He currently has over 1.1 million followers on TikTok. In 2020, he made his acting debut in the musical "The New Prince of Tennis" as Shiraishi Kuranosuke. In 2022, he appeared in the musical "Touken Ranbu" ~Esui Sankasetsu~ as Minamiizumi Ichimonji, and has expanded his horizons by appearing in the drama "Goodbye, High School" and other shows.

Takemoto Yusuke is currently active mainly in 2.5-dimensional productions, and in December 2020 he played the role of Shiraishi Kuranosuke in the musical "The New Prince of Tennis." He is also expanding his field of activity, playing Minamiizumi Ichimonji in the musical "Touken Ranbu: Kosui Sankayuki," which opened this year. We spoke to Takemoto about his thoughts on the stage and what he would like to convey to students.

■ He aspired to enter the entertainment industry after admiring Kis-My-Ft2's Yuta Tamamori

I'm from Saga Prefecture, which is a bit rural, so even though I thought, "I bet kids in the city play games after school," I had an active childhood, using nature as an athletic facility to play outside and doing bouldering in club activities.

I had no interest in the entertainment world at all, but when I was in high school, my family took me to a Kis-My-Ft2 concert and when I saw Tamamori Yuta, I thought, "It would be great to have a job where you can sing and dance on stage and make lots of people happy. I would like to be able to express myself in that way too." "It seems like a dream come true and rewarding," so I started aiming for a career in entertainment.

If I hadn't gone to concerts, I might not be in this industry now.

■Once you find someone you want to emulate, all you have to do is run.

Just when I was thinking, "I can't make it to Tokyo, what should I do?", they were looking for a dance vocal group, so I decided to start something and auditioned. We watched videos of our seniors sent by the agency, and each of us memorized the choreography individually, and from there the members were selected through auditions. Whether we could perform on stage depended on hard work. I think that experience has led to the use of singing and dancing that I have today.

When I want to do something, I try to find someone to emulate. Right now I'm mainly working in acting, but I think the shortcut is to start by imitating great people. I think that by adding your own touch to what you imitate, it will turn out to be a really good form. When I first started my entertainment career, I was surrounded by people with experience and I was the only one without, so I would stay up all night dancing in front of the mirror until the morning and then go straight to the theater. I'm the type of person who takes action once I've decided to do something, so maybe it's been good that I've just been running around recklessly up until now.

■ I can do my best thanks to the opinions of my fans

I take into consideration the opinions of my supporters, such as "You've grown in this area," "Your singing has improved," or "It was like this compared to back then." I have fans who have been with me through my growth process, and receiving their feedback is a great motivation for me.

■The stage is "live"

Theater is a "live thing." There are many performances of a play, and some people come to see it every time. If it was the same every time, it would be a shame to charge the audience for the ticket, and it would be boring for the audience too. That's why we try to come up with something different every day on stage. We sing, dance, act, and do it all, so if we change even one of those things each time, it becomes something different.

I think one of the fun things about performing on stage is that there are many options to challenge yourself with, including dance, facial expressions, and song arrangements, and I think it's content that anyone can enjoy, whether they're an audience that likes singing or dancing. I also want to try my hand at video productions in the future. With video, the way you move your eyebrows or even a single blink can change your expression, and how exaggerated you are is also very important. One thing I'd like to do in a video production someday is a special effects production, which I've always dreamed of. I definitely want to try it someday!!

■Learn the stage from BTS Jungkook

I like Korean idols, especially Jungkook from BTS. I think what's amazing about him is that he never cuts corners on stage. He's so stoic, he even released a song with lyrics that say, "Even when people my age are playing around, I'm working hard." I like people who don't cut corners, so I really respect him. During the performance period, I can only listen to the songs from the show, but I sometimes listen to Jungkook's songs to encourage me and learn how to perform on stage.

■There is meaning in continuing to do anything.

I really like the saying, "There may be unrewarded efforts, but there is no such thing as wasted effort." To be honest, I don't think we live in a sweet world where hard work always pays off, and I believe that while many different people emerge, only a handful are chosen. I originally did bouldering for seven years, and as this sport trains your core, it still comes in handy in my current dance, and I often receive praise for it. I think that the hard work I've continued for so long has led me to where I am today. Even if it doesn't pay off, I think there's meaning in continuing, so let's all work hard together, students!

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on May 29, 2022 by Sakura Saeki, a first-year student at Hosei University

Hosei University freshman Sakura Saeki / Japan Women's University senior Rien Kanda / Chuo Gakuin University senior Hayato Tane Photography assistance: photographer Seita Hirota