G-STAR.PRO Special Interview with yunocy / Yua Shiraishi / Shun Nishime 　　　　　

In junior high school, I played percussion in the brass band. When I entered high school, I wasn't actively looking to join any extracurricular activities, but when I heard that four childhood friends who went to the same junior high school were joining the brass band, I became interested as well. However, the brass band club's fees were high, so my mother was against it. However, I ended up playing percussion, which was the least expensive, and my mother was relieved. In high school, I was a member of the after-school club, so I started going to game centers and became obsessed with music games.

As I became more and more addicted to games, I began to think about playing games on the same streaming platform as my favorite streamer, Detonator (a professional gaming team active in Japan). At that time, I happened to be contacted by a gaming device manufacturer, and I decided to become a streamer whose main focus was games.

Currently, I work in games, something I've loved since I was a child, but it's not all fun and games. There were times when I wanted to quit gaming because of the difficulty of balancing my favorite games with the games I'm not good at, and the fact that I often receive slander and abuse. But I continue because I enjoy being involved with the games I've loved since I was little, and making lots of friends through games. I try to take on jobs while considering the balance between the things I like and the things I'm not good at, so that I don't come to dislike games.

My dream for the future is to compete in another beatmania tournament. This tournament is a team event, which is very different from the individual competitions that have been the norm in music game tournaments up until now, and it was very stimulating. Meeting with my team members for months and gathering at the game center to work together has been a very enjoyable and memorable experience. I would like to compete in this tournament again, which holds such strong feelings for me. There will be times when you feel like giving up, but I hope you don't give up on what you love now and stick to it. I believe that doing so will definitely lead to something, so please do your best.

(Yuto Higobashi, 4th year student at Rikkyo University)

In my teens, I was a quiet student who often stayed in my seat. At that time, I loved reading Kanae Minato's "Motherhood," and I find myself wanting to reread it every now and then.

I admired Namie Amuro as a child and decided to enter the entertainment industry. I was particularly drawn to acting, and now I work as an actor.

In ensemble plays with many lines and scenes, actors often engage in ad-lib battles. I like the atmosphere where everyone is working toward the same goal and trying to create a high-level production. Being a part of that is both rewarding and fulfilling.

Last year, I was told, "You're already 19." Now that I'm 20, I've had more opportunities to realize that not only do I need a career, but I also need to be known. Amidst all this, I was blessed with the opportunity to appear on AbemaTV's "Love Drama na Koi ga Shitai." While I sometimes feel out of place among members with hundreds of thousands of followers, I want to continue to maintain an attitude of taking on new challenges.

You can't stay in the entertainment industry solely on the childhood feeling that "I'm the cutest." Famous actresses have hard work, charm, and talent. That's why they face many opponents when it comes to ordinary roles. At one point, I realized that because everyone in the entertainment industry is so amazing, competing with others in an ordinary way would be a detour. So, I thought, maybe it would be better to go in a more unusual direction. Of the overly positive roles I've played so far, the most difficult was a role where I exclaimed "Delicious!" after just one bite of rice. An alien, perhaps, would be interesting next. I find myself yearning for unusual roles like this. I hope to be given all the roles I don't know who should play. By taking on a variety of roles and looking at myself from a bird's eye view, I hope to find a place where I can shine.

I think it's difficult to take action on your own in your daily life. Some people may wonder why they are studying or why they are at university. However, taking action will broaden your options. I moved to Tokyo on impulse, and by gaining experience, I found the image I should aim for. Now, when there are more restrictions than a few years ago, it's time to seize the opportunity. I'll do my best with you.

(Akari Mikamiyama, 3rd year student at Komazawa University)

I spent my school days up until junior high school surrounded by the nature of Okinawa, playing until I was covered in mud. I first became interested in a career in the entertainment industry when I was in my third year of junior high school. It all started when I happened to see some Johnny's guys on TV and they looked so dazzling, I thought, "I'd like to try that too." I moved to Tokyo as a high school student and spent a year correcting my dialect and getting used to life in Tokyo, after which I decided to start a career in the entertainment industry.

What I find most rewarding about my job is seeing the work I've performed become a film and remain in a tangible form. And it's when it's recognized and responded to by many people, including my fans. I love acting, so I study things from my everyday life that relate to acting, extracting "emotions" and "movements" and using them in my own acting. I find it very enjoyable to be able to actually use what I've learned from my private life in my acting.　

When I feel down about my work as an actor, I watch my favorite anime. I've always liked live-action films, but since I started acting, I've found myself focusing more on the "structure of the film" than the "content of the film," so I watch my favorite anime to take a break from acting and change my mood.

My future goal is to get rid of the image of myself as a "rider actor" in a good way. I have a strong impression of myself because I appeared in the Rider series, but I would like to try various roles and stage performances in the future and continue to expand the colors I have as an actor. To that end, I try to act immediately when I find something I want to do or try. I would also like all university students to act immediately when they find something they really love or want to try.

(Sakura Fukuda, second-year student at Rikkyo University)

Meiji University 4th year Yamamoto Masato / Rikkyo University 4th year Higobashi Yuto / Komazawa University 3rd year Mikamiyama Akari / Rikkyo University 2nd year Fukuda Sakura / Kunitachi College of Music 2nd year Okabe Maria / Kunitachi College of Music 2nd year Miyajima Yu