Ride on Time (2018) s01e17 Episode Script

Episode 17

1
THE POWER OF ADVERSITY
Do you know of these idols?
Hello, we're Kansai Johnny's Jr.
Let's have some fun!
KANSAI JOHNNY'S JR.
They are all the rage
in the Kansai region,
Kansai Johnny's Jr.
They may not be well-known
on a national level yet,
but to become the new stars
of the idol world,
on New Year's they are about to take up
a make-it-or-break-it challenge.
Are you having fun?
Make some noise!
JOICHIRO FUJIWARA (AGE 23)
It may be my last chance.
I felt that I've renewed my determination
to keep walking down this road
that I've chosen.
This is documentary series Ride On Time.
OSAKA
It's not an easy feat to become
a national idol group from Osaka.
In 2004, Kanjani∞ debuted,
and then ten years later in 2014,
Johnny's WEST debuted.
It's been five years.
Okay, get a little closer together.
Despite that, last year
a new star was born in Osaka.
Seven were chosen out of
Kansai Johnny's Jr.
to create a unit called Naniwa Danshi.
They were quietly reaffirming
their determination to debut.
The creation of Naniwa Danshi
was a breath of fresh air.
DAIGO NISHIHATA (AGE 22)
We can show a different side
of Kansai Johnny's Jr.
At the end of the year
they'll be performing
at the legendary Osaka Shochikuza Theatre.
OSAKA SHOCHIKUZA THEATRE
1 MONTH, 35 PERFORMANCES
Then at the start of the new year,
they'll be at Osaka-Jo Hall
for two consecutive days.
They will entertain approximately
100,000 people in total.
OSAKA-JO HALL
2 DAYS, 4 PERFORMANCES
A total of about 50 members
from Kansai Johnny's Jr.
will perform with them this time.
Singing and dancing
are not all they have going for them.
Some dedicate themselves
to playing instruments
and others to comedy.
A large knife!
Not a large knife.
Among them are innocent
elementary school kids.
Hyokkori-han.
I'm ten years old.
I'm nine years old.
It died.
As a team,
they stand on stage as professionals.
And that is why they go through
strict training.
-You have to practice.
-Yes.
This is bad. If you can't memorize it,
you can't be a Johnny's Jr. member.
Yes.
Let's work hard.
This time, they have
some reliable helpers.
Their seniors from Kansai Johnny's Jr.,
Kanjani∞'s Tadayoshi Ohkura
and You Yokoyama, have volunteered
to direct the composition and production.
Naniwa Danshi may have been created,
but there are so many more
amazing talents here.
Thinking about what we can do
to make those talents shine
is our job right now, I think.
Will they succeed at
having the performance of their dreams?
Nice to meet you!
We are Kansai Johnny's Jr.!
Viva!
NOVEMBER 2018
OSAKA
It's early November,
and their first day of rehearsals.
-Morning.
-Morning.
As we film the members walking in
all of a sudden
I'll do a party stunt!
I'll make a kanji character with my body.
The word for "dirt."
Dirt!
Thank you.
Don't do it out of the blue!
Who made you do it?
Who made him do it?
It's an expression
of their love to entertain.
Good morning.
On this day, Naniwa Danshi
and other central members
have come together to talk about
the end-of-year performances.
There is a reason why
the members are nervously waiting.
Good morning.
Ohkura from Kanjani∞
is joining in on the meeting too.
TADAYOSHI OHKURA
For the Christmas medley,
I was thinking of doing it like a show.
Whatever song you're doing,
I don't know how much
the fans will understand,
but you should start raising your game.
That was when the frontman,
Daigo Nishihata, spoke up.
I want to give the spotlight
to the little kids.
Rather than me.
Like in ANOTHER?
What members will they choose,
and what songs will they sing?
Amid everyone's ideas,
Nishihata has been put in charge of doing
a collaboration with the children.
Interacting with them
It's fine if it's part of
the choreography,
but going up to them while singing
and doing things like this
becomes really tiring.
Just being with the kids is tiring.
Yeah.
You should treat it like it's your solo.
-Oh, really?
-Yeah.
As someone who knows the difficulties,
Ohkura gives him advice,
but Nishihata still wants to
focus on the children.
Rather than a solo, I was thinking about
prioritizing the kids during the song.
More than making it my solo.
So Daigo,
you want to support the younger kids
who just joined?
Yes.
You want to nurture them?
Creating a performance
where everyone can shine.
That is Nishihata's wish.
Now, let's introduce the remaining members
of Naniwa Danshi.
The leader, with his countertenor voice,
is Kazuya Ohashi.
KAZUYA OHASHI (AGE 21)
-This.
-Yes, I can.
I can sing that.
The oldest member, Joichiro Fujiwara,
is the gray eminence of Naniwa Danshi.
JOICHIRO FUJIWARA (AGE 23)
KYOHEI TAKAHASHI (AGE 18)
The tall and handsome Kyohei Takahashi
and Shunsuke Michieda.
SHUNSUKE MICHIEDA (AGE 16)
These two joined Kansai Johnny's Jr.
four years ago,
and were chosen to join Naniwa Danshi.
Is your voice still changing?
I don't know.
Is it done?
Maybe.
And the mild-mannered classic idol types,
Kento Nagao and Ryusei Onishi.
They didn't expect to be chosen.
RYUSEI ONISHI (AGE 17)
I got a message
from our manager saying
they made Naniwa Danshi, a Kansai unit.
It had all the members written down,
but I thought it was a prank at first.
I asked them what it was about,
and they said, "the message explains it."
It wasn't a prank.
Now that we've become a unit,
the seven of us can work hard together,
so it's reassuring.
More people will come to know us.
It's a huge chance.
For these members,
Ohkura spends all the time he can
giving them advice.
What is on his mind?
During the interlude, for example.
There are so many kids here
with such potential and talent.
But
I feel like they're being overshadowed.
I'm sure they've felt isolated.
Each of them must have felt anxious
and probably still do right now.
But they don't know what to do.
When I was a Johnny's Jr. member,
before I was in Kanjani∞,
I wasn't in any unit.
And I didn't have anyone
I could get advice from.
When I think about how they've been
in that situation this whole time,
it makes me want to help them
in any way I can.
Who have I not met?
-Me.
-Me.
Not wanting their fellow teammates
to feel isolated.
Nishihata feels the same way as Ohkura.
-What's your name?
-Ryusei Ida.
-Ida?
-Ryusei.
-Ryusei?
-Yes.
Like a dragon?
Holding on to big dreams,
these children gather here.
Many of the idols
who are in the limelight now,
including himself,
have all gone down this road.
If possible, he wants them to feel
like they have a chance.
Work hard on the dance routine.
Nishihata joined the agency
when he was 14 years old.
He was in a unit with Ren Nagase,
who is currently in King & Prince,
and they worked hard together.
REN NAGASE
He kept his nose to the grindstone
and seized opportunities,
like appearing in dramas by himself.
Good morning.
To meet for our interview,
Nishihata has come by subway.
Let's go.
Let's go.
How do you usually travel?
I use the train.
Pretty much all Johnny's Jr. members
commute by train.
Nishihata has one wish.
That is for all
the Kansai Johnny's Jr. members
to become famous.
That's what he believes his own role
within Naniwa Danshi to be.
One day, I'd like to be
like ARASHI and Kanjani∞,
where no matter who becomes the frontman,
the group still shines.
That's the kind of group that I want
Naniwa Danshi to become.
I don't mean that I'm not cut out
to be the frontman,
it's just that would make us stronger.
It's not easy to make a group
that can shine
no matter who the frontman is.
All of us need to become famous
and be qualified as frontmen.
Not that I'm famous or anything.
I'm not at all.
Mid-November.
As the performance nears,
the rehearsals become more rigorous.
Each member is honing their own skills.
Some of those are unique.
During free time in between rehearsals,
this member is studying.
While studying economics
at a national university,
he's also active as a Johnny's Jr. member.
There are idols who do news shows, right?
I want to focus on that area.
We don't have anyone like that right now.
So I wanted to assume that position.
TAISEI FUKUMOTO
And demonstrating
precise dance moves here
is the group of older members
who are the pillars of Kansai Johnny's Jr.
On top of their own performances,
their job is to rev up the crowd
as backup dancers for the younger ones.
No, that's no good. It's too fast.
We danced behind
the younger generations too.
-Really?
-Yes.
Right?
I was a backup dancer for WEST.
For Johnny's WEST?
They're younger?
A few of them.
That's how it is here.
Understood.
It doesn't matter.
That's right.
It's a tough world.
But despite that fact,
helping each other out
is part of their tradition.
MAIDO! JOHNNY FILMING
That was clearly eminent during
this day's TV show filming.
The two who support the members
who are less experienced
with their excellent conversation skills
are Koji Mukai and
the eldest member, Ryuta Muro.
RYUTA MURO, KOJI MUKAI
If someone tries to do
something funny and fails
RYUTO MURO
I want to be able to save the situation.
I want to help everyone, you know?
I want to,
because people did the same for me
when I was small.
You're making fun of me.
I can feel it.
Your monologue almost made me cry.
You liar.
Good luck.
KOJI MUKAI
On the other hand,
Mukai is the caring type.
Kyohei is always
fixing his hair like this.
KYOHEI TAKAHASHI (AGE 18)
-Right?
-Yes.
-You do it the most out of everyone.
-Yeah.
Good luck.
When are you going?
When are you going to go?
They almost seem like brothers.
Johnny's members get costumes
with their names placed on top, like this.
Right now, it's Mukai's, but
We've all done this.
Inohara!
Like that, new names are placed on top.
So everyone goes,
"Whose costume was it?!"
"It was Yamashita's!"
That happens a lot.
-Big bro!
-You work at a nightclub?
Looks like it, right?
There may be a big age gap,
but they're a team.
Big bro.
-Big bro!
-Big bro! So cute.
You're so cute, Big Bro.
In this tough business
where there's no promise of success,
they support each other.
The feeling that they all share
is expressed
in a song written by their senior.
Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Nishihata is on the film set
for a drama series
in which he is appearing on his own.
He uses any opportunity he can get
to make Kansai Johnny's Jr. and
Naniwa Danshi nationwide household names.
He is playing the role of a Tokyo student
who studies animal behavior, but
When did you start liking ants?
Relaying interesting facts
is fun, isn't it?
Fix your intonation.
"Relaying interesting facts."
"Interesting facts"
"Relaying interesting facts."
"Interesting facts."
"Interesting facts."
He can't help but say things
with a Kansai intonation.
Another time, when I was in a movie,
I had to say, "culture festival".
My intonation for that was different too.
In standard Japanese,
it goes down after the first syllable,
but in the Kansai dialect, it goes up.
But then
When I'm on set for a long time,
I get used to standard Japanese.
So, when I go back home to Osaka,
standard Japanese comes out sometimes
unintentionally,
and they call me gross
and tainted and whatnot.
It's tough.
So tough.
Even in between scenes,
he practices his dance routine.
If people come to know me,
then Kansai Johnny's Jr.,
and now the unit Naniwa Danshi,
will also become known.
So, I need to be the vanguard
and promote them.
I hope that I can get people
at least a little bit interested
in Kansai Johnny's Jr. and Naniwa Danshi.
With preparations for the end-of-year
performances underway,
today, they are practicing
their variety corner.
It will be directed by
You Yokoyama from Kanjani∞.
YOU YOKOYAMA
Do you want to run through it once?
Do whatever part you can.
Okay.
You can go off script.
Okay.
What about
It's here.
Naniwa Danshi's opponent
Hey, wait a second!
is a group of unique individuals
led by Mukai.
-It has to be us.
-Excuse me?
We are Kyara Jutai Santa.
Is that supposed to be cool?
Let me grace you with a cool phrase.
Can you?
New Year's Shanson Show.
YURI OKA
Even poor articulation can be a strength.
May I speak?
Guten Morgen, Fräulein.
SOTA OKUMURA
In German that means, "Hello, Miss."
I have a cool phrase as well.
They're so unique.
I can eat dried saury so cleanly.
KEITA RICHARD KUSAMA
Saury?
So cool!
That is rare.
There are a lot of funny kids.
I'm in charge of the variety portion,
and I'm really impressed by some of them.
Thank you.
They will later receive
a wonderful gift from these seniors.
On the next Ride On Time
Good morning.
Kansai Johnny's Jr. go to a dome stage
and perform for 45,000 people.
They get to perform their own song
during a Kanjani∞ concert.
Being able to perform at a dome
is amazing.
We want to become like them.
I'm nervous.
They cannot make any mistakes.
All right!
What kind of view do they see from there?
Subtitle translation by Kiko Morita
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