{"id":578,"date":"2017-10-16T16:44:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T22:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/?p=578"},"modified":"2021-01-09T22:43:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-10T05:43:48","slug":"asaka-manato-anything-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/2017\/10\/16\/asaka-manato-anything-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Asaka Manato: ‘Anything’ (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the continuation of this feature, Maa-sama answers questions from\u00a0GRAPH\u00a0<\/em>readers as well as questions inspired by her upcoming show (at the time),\u00a0A-Motion.<\/em> (Part 1 here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Questions from readers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maa-sama, what is your favorite food from Kyuushu? Mine is tonkotsu ramen! (Umeko)<\/em>
I like ramen too! Everything\u2019s tasty in Kyuushu, isn\u2019t it. Now that I\u2019m an adult, I\u2019ve really started to love \u2018sesame mackerel\u2019; it\u2019s mackerel served in a sesame sauce. It\u2019s super delicious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please let us know if there\u2019s anything where you think ‘I\u2019ve just got to have this\u2019 when spending time at home. (1+1=Synergy)<\/em>
I record dramas to watch later. Right now I\u2019m watching\u00a0Quartet1<\/sup>!<\/em>\u00a0It has Mitsushima Hikari-chan and Matsu Takako-chan, and the whole cast is really good at acting. I also like how the script feels like it\u2019s not just following one plotline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting in April I\u2019ll be going to a music conservatory, but I wanted to ask: do you have set songs you listen to, like ‘in this situation it\u2019s this song\u2019? (Wata)<\/em>
Wo~w! A conservatory, that\u2019s so cool!! It\u2019s like the world of\u00a0Nodame2<\/sup>!!<\/em>\u00a0I\u2019m jealous~ So\u2026what was the question!? (laughs) Music I listen to a lot, right? Right now for Kitashirakawa Ukyou in\u00a0Chateau de la Reine<\/em>\u00a0I listen to a lot of songs with a good beat to get my energy up. Before the curtain rises I\u2019ll listen to ’24K Magic\u2019 by Bruno Mars and dance along (laughs). But not just before the show, I\u2019ll listen to it all the time while driving along in my car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve had dance scenes with Makaze-san in previous performances, but if Makaze-san was a musumeyaku, what sort of situation would you like to dance with her in? (Mame Daifuku)<\/em>
(bursts out laughing) I can\u2019t even\u2026 (laughs) In the first place, wouldn\u2019t it make more sense to picture me as the lady? (laughs) But it\u2019s for the sake of the question, I guess. What do I do\u2026 Makaze-san would be a barefoot woman\u2026she has really good style, so she might look really pretty in a long flowing dress or something. And then we\u2019d come down the Grand Stairs\u2026no, that would be dangerous in bare feet, wouldn\u2019t it. In that case, the lake scene \u00a0from\u00a0Red Hot Sea3<\/sup>!!<\/em>\u00a0Makaze and I barefoot on the beach, splashing water at each other and frolicking around. ‘Splash!\u2019 ‘Splash!\u2019 ‘Ah, that\u2019s cold!\u2019 ‘Haha, got you~ <3\u2019, and all that (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I\u2019m watching Takarazuka Sky Stage, seeing you talking and getting along with everyone has a big impresison on me. What is the communication secret behind how you can get away with being such a joker with everyone? (I Love Otters)<\/em>
Basically, I like to enjoy myself, so if I\u2019m going to do something, I think I might as well have fun while I\u2019m at it. If I\u2019m working on something with other people it\u2019s no time to be shy. So I take it as a compliment when people call me a ‘good-time guy\u2019. Even Coach Hara, head coach of Aoyama Gakuin University\u2019s track and field club4<\/sup>, said ‘being called a joker is the highest possible praise\u2019! (laughs). I feel like whatever you\u2019re doing, it\u2019ll work better if you can be at ease and have fun with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maa-sama, tell us what your top 3 favorite sweets are. (I\u2019m putting on my eggs5<\/sup>)<\/em>
#1 is shortcake, #2 is cream puffs, and #3 is pudding\u2026I think. For creampuffs, I like the ones with double custard and whipped-cream filling the best. I\u2019m not really picky about food, so I\u2019ll like it whether it\u2019s really high quality or just what they sell at the convenience store (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions inspired by the Umeda Arts Theatre show, Asaka Manato Amazing Stage ‘A [Ace]-Motion\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes Asaka Manato think ‘this is ace-level!\u2019?<\/em>
My ‘ace\u2019 right now (laughs) is my MacBook Air! When the computer I\u2019d been using until recently broke I bought a Mac. Since I already use an iPhone, if I sync them up with the WiFi it\u2019ll import all my music, photos, and memos, so I was blown away by how convenient it is! I used to have to put all the backing track CDs they give me for rehearsal into iTunes, but now I don\u2019t need to any more. It\u2019s so thin and light, totally ace! \u2026even though I don\u2019t use it for much more than music, photos, and memos (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A=the beginning of everything. Is there something you think you\u2019d like to start?<\/em>
Sometime, and I really mean sometime far off here, I\u2019d like to try playing the cello! That\u2019s all due to the effect of Quartet<\/em> (laughs). I\u2019ve had experience with wind instruments and piano before, but I\u2019ve never played a string instrument. Cello appeals to be more than violin or viola. The tone is so wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s something you\u2019ve thought was ‘amazing!\u2019 lately?<\/em>
When I\u2019m playing Ukyou-chan and I think ‘how about if I do the delivery and timing of the lines like this\u2019 and then it totally makes a hit with the audience I\u2019m like ‘Amazing!\u2019 (laughs) I change it up by the day, so when I think ‘for today\u2019s audience maybe this timing would work\u2019, and then my hunch pays off, it\u2019s like ‘Gosh! Am I a genius!?\u2019 that\u2019s how amazing that feeling is. I\u2019m like ‘I did it, I did it!\u2019 (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us what your ‘motions\u2019 are from getting up to going to bed.<\/em>
That\u2019s behing a veil of secrecy (laughs)\u2026 It\u2019s really ordinary. I get up, take a back, and drink coffee while watching TV. I eat my meals at the theatre. Even in the morning I\u2019ll stay in the hot back for 30 minutes. Once I get home, I\u2019m already in ‘off mode\u2019 after the show, so I\u2019ll dawdle around, do my laundry, straighten up a bit, and head to bed (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you feel about your first concert?<\/em>
I love how enthusiastic Director Saitou is, so I\u2019m looking forward to see what kind of scenes he\u2019ll write for us. And since it\u2019s Cosmos Troupe\u2019s first concert in a while, I\u2019d love it if everyone could have fun and show off their charms, and get the audience excited!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, put your feelings for the new show into words using the initials ‘A\u2019 and \u2019M\u2019.\u00a0[T\/N: I promise this worked in Japanese but there\u2019s no way to keep the meaning and the letters]<\/strong><\/em>
Wha~t? (laughs) ‘Asaka seriously going for it!\u2019 Huh? It\u2019s A-M-Y that way? Then, ‘Asaka, seriously going for it!\u2019 \u2026the trouble was how I said it?! (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 – A TBS drama from early 2017 that won many awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 – Nodame Cantabile<\/em>, a manga set in a music school that has also been adapted into a live-action drama, anime, and films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 – A Flower Troupe revue Asaka appeared in in 2008.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 – Apparently he\u2019s a well known\/inspirational coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 – Letter writer’s original English spelling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the continuation of this feature, Maa-sama answers questions from\u00a0GRAPH\u00a0readers as well as questions inspired by her upcoming show (at the time),\u00a0A-Motion. (Part 1 here.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[13,360,126,73,25],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=578"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":579,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578\/revisions\/579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}