#please3

Popular 2.5D stage actor Sato Ryuji, a member of Himawari Theatre Troupe, has acted in many stage and musical adaptations of anime, including the cornerstone of 2.5D, Musical Prince of Tennis, the globally popular Live Spectacle Naruto and various other stage performances. Of particular prominence is the musical adaptation of Japan’s most popular game, Musical Touken Ranbu, in which he played Kashuu Kiyomitsu. His incredible acting skills and his handsome appearance have attracted many fans who have never come into contact with the 2.5D genre, and he has gradually broken into this circle to explore his style.

On 3 September, Sunday, at Sanchuang’s CLAPPER STUDIO, Sato Ryuji held his first overseas fan meeting, with a screening of the movie in which he plays a lead role, “Please Please Please”, and shared happy times with his fans.

Sato Ryuji entered the stage wearing a combination of black and red, and as he was entering he muttered some English greetings, and expressed that before he went up the stage he had asked the staff about how the audience was like. “It seemed that there’s a more handsome Kashuu Kiyomitsu here, and they seem to be really popular, so please go easy on me! (laughs)” [1] It was hard to hide his happy but bashful side.

After the screening of the movie, he sang the full versions of song that was in the movie, “Please”, live, and the ending song for the weekly drama “FIVE”, “Gakuen Tengoku”. Sato said that this was his first time performing these two songs, and that they were available for download on iTunes. When he was talking about some other goals he’d like to fulfil on this trip to Taiwan, he expressed that he had seen Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, and heard that the scenery shown in the movie is inspired from Taiwan’s Jiufen. Since he thinks that it is very beautiful, he would like to go there to visit the real location. He would also like to try out the Taiwanese staple dessert, pineapple cake.

Coincidentally, at the start of September, his co-star Kuroba Mario had also come to Taiwan to hold his second fan meeting, and at that time Sato Ryuji recorded a video to give to him. Sato Ryuji half-jokingly complained, “Why didn’t he send me a video? And we have such a huge screen in this venue!”, which showed fans the good friendship between these two boys even in private.

After that, it was time for the fans question and answer segment. Fans were concerned if he was injured during the final performance of Live Spectacle Naruto, and Sato quickly explained, “It was just that I tried to say a line that was too long with one breath and wasn’t breathing properly, straining my muscle. Thank you for your concern.”

Sato Ryuji is also raising a kitten, and there were fans also asking about him. Sato expressed that he initially wanted to bring him to Taiwan, but since the kitten was not used to travelling long distances, he was left at the pet hotel. He also said that the kitten has been snuggling into his armpit and falling asleep with him, and his tender expression showed that he loved his pet dearly.

At the same time, Sato Ryuji shared that his favourite songs in Musical Touken Ranbu were “Tokenai Mahou” and “Show Me The World”.

Musical Touken Ranbu Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin 2017

From 5 October to 10 October, these 11 days at the Galaxy Theatre, Sato Ryuji will be playing the leading role and bearing the heavy responsibility of performing the Solo Live by himself.

He then discussed the upcoming Tanki Shutsujin performance in October. Firstly, because Kashuu Kiyomitsu is associated with the colour red, the chosen theme for the main visual was red, and with the whole visual giving the appearance of  “a whole piece of red”, it helped to highlight the character of Kashuu Kiyomitsu.

Sato further disclosed that this Tanki Shutsujin was his idea, and for it to be able to come true was very good, and that he was extremely happy. Also, this performance was different from the others as only one person was performing. At that time, the actor who plays Iwatooshi, Saeki Daichi smiled and said to him, “You usually have a stage presence that is equal to that of three people, you would certainly have no problems!” As he said this, the audience became very quiet, but Sato quickly corrected himself, saying, “Ah, but if the audience’s response is cold it isn’t my problem! It’s his fault!”, passing the blame to Saeki [2], making the fans laugh.

Musical Touken Ranbu is also very popular even overseas. To people now, these historical swords are a romantic story and the Touken Danshi are very handsome, so the popularity of this work is understandable.

Speaking of being on stage, [Sato Ryuji] would change his voice to fit the personality of his character. For example, when acting as Sasuke in Live Spectacle Naruto, his voice would get deeper. Sato performed a line in Sasuke’s voice on the spot, and said that even though in the original anime it should be more levelled, when performing on stage, it requires a bit of originality, so he added his own style, demonstrating his professionalism.

At this event, he not only allowed fans time to take pictures, Sato Ryuji also personally gifted fans with his own personal photobook, “Gekkan Sato Ryuji” and the perfume that he uses. At the end of the event, in order to let fans get the chance to get up close with him, Sato Ryuji high-fived everyone to send them off at the exits, ending this great fan meeting. He also reportedly had a special little chat with a Kashuu Kiyomitsu cosplayer!

According to the host, Sato Ryuji was very happy to be able to hold a fan meeting in Taiwan, and after the event was over, and celebrated with the rest of the staff. The host also said that while he was backstage he was excitedly taking selfies to post on his personal twitter, and said that he would like to come back to hold another event in Taiwan.

Notes:

[1] This phrase can mean “Don’t judge me too harshly” or “Look favourably on my humble efforts!”

[2] This inside joke started during the last 2.5D Cafe SHOWROOM with Kuroba Mario, Saeki Daichi, Oohira Shunya and Kitazono Ryo. Saeki Daichi told Kuroba Mario, the last Touken Danshi to sign on the cafe’s wall (Kitazono Ryo signed after him, but his signature was technically already on the wall), to use up all of the remaining space on the wall, which led to him signing a huge signature on the wall. Kuroba Mario then remarked, “It’s all Saeki Daichi’s fault”, which fans picked up and made into a meme. When the four of them tweeted after the end of the SHOWROOM, they all tagged their tweets: “It’s all Saeki Daichi’s fault”, and the hashtag trended on Twitter for a while.

More translations of articles about the event:

Gamebase

Translations of interviews by the Taiwanese media before the event:

HiNet Games Animen GNN News ETNews Taiwan Yahoo! News

Having previously played Uchiha Sasuke in Live Spectacle Naruto, Zaizen Hikaru in Musical Prince of Tennis, and Kashuu Kiyomitsu in the musical adaptation of the popular webgame Touken Ranbu, the 22-year-old 2.5D stage actor Sato Ryuji chose to hold his first overseas fan meeting in Taiwan! The meeting happened on 3 September, Sunday, with both afternoon and evening sessions. There was no shortage of overseas fans from Japan and Hong Kong who attended the event. As the event started, Sato Ryuji jokingly greeted in English, “Ladies and gentlemen”, and the atmosphere was hyped up instantly.

The event venue

Fans lining up to enter the venue

For his first trip to Taiwan, the popular 2.5D musical actor Sato Ryuji was interviewed by the media beforehand, and when asked what his impression of Taiwan was, he answered, “I heard that Taiwanese girls are very pretty,” flattering many Taiwanese fans yet inadvertently giving them a sweet burden to carry. There were many attendees who were carrying itabags (T/N: Itabags, literally translated to “painful bags”, are bags that are covered in badges, keyrings, and other merchandise of one’s favourite character), especially for roles that Ryuji has previously played. When the host asked how he felt seeing all the fans gathered at the event in person, Sato Ryuji said that he was very touched that people dressed up to attend this event.

As this was his first overseas fan meeting, there was some concern if he was a little nervous about going on stage. But he confidently replied that, during the backstage broadcast a little earlier, the response was very enthusiastic, and in addition, Kuroba Mario, his good friend who has previously worked with him on musicals, had come to Taiwan twice to hold fan meetings, so he believes that he himself will not have any problems. However, during Kuroba Mario’s events, Sato Ryuji sent a video to greet the audience, but in Ryuji’s fan meeting, Mario didn’t send him a video. “There’s clearly such a huge screen here, why didn’t Mario send me a video?” He jokingly said that this made him feel a little unsettled.

After greeting the audience, the screening of the movie in which Sato Ryuji had his first movie role, “Please Please Please”, which depicts a young person who makes a living as a conman then followed. Being caught together in this “game” of deception, is there a way to welcome the future in this dark life? Not only did this Japanese movie deliver clean camera shots and impactful message, it also helped Sato Ryuji, who played Shinji who swindled people by making them fall in love with him, to develop new acting skills. The movie was screened in Japan at the start of this year.

After the quiet screening of the movie, Sato Ryuji immediately appeared on stage again, and sang the song that was in the movie “Please Please Please”, during which he forgot two lines, but this all made everyone smile.

Immediately after, he sang the ending song of the weekly drama “FIVE”, “Gakuen Tengoku”. Before he sang, Ryuji told the audience that for the next performance, he needed some participation from the audience, requesting that, “When I yell “Are you ready?”, could everyone respond by laughing?” On the first try, the fans yelled “Yeah!” but immediately Ryuji commented that they should have responded with “Oh!”, like a gorilla. After the performance, he humorously said, “Everyone can turn back to human now!” During the activities that followed, he would shout “Are you ready?” to fill up the free time, showing his boyish side.

The specially set aside “Photo Time”, which allowed fans to use their smartphones to take photos to commemorate the day.

After the singing segment, it was time for questions. The host said that at the beginning of the movie, there is a romantic scene where the male and female characters touch their foreheads together, with the waves crashing against the shore, and dream about the future together, which made them curious about whether Sato Ryuji is as romantic in real life as in the movie. Ryuji laughed and pointed out that even though the opening looks very romantic, [throughout the whole movie] he’s actually always using vulgar language, and the movie isn’t even the slightest bit romantic. Also, he himself is actually more of a rough kind of guy, and asked fans, “Do you guys prefer the romantic or realistic guys?” Fans responded that they prefer the romantic kind, to which the host jokingly pointed out that they were just changing their answer [because of Ryuji’s answer].

Sato Ryuji wearing a black blazer and trousers with a red T-shirt, sporting fluffy brown hair, appearing on stage.

Regarding the Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin that is coming up in October, because it is different from before when he was acting with other Touken Danshi, the host asked if he did anything to prepare for having to shoulder the whole performance by himself. Sato Ryuji shared that because they are playing swords, every sword has their own history and story, their own masters, hence he was wondering if there was a chance to protect the master by himself. He was very moved to finally get this chance at last, and this spectacle would be very different from the previous performances, but the actor who plays Iwatooshi, Saeki Daichi, assured him that in his past performances, he already had a stage presence that was equal to that of three people, so he would be fine. And if the audience’s reaction is a little cold, it must be all Saeki Daichi’s fault (this is an inside joke among the Touken Danshi actors.) [1] Besides that, when he saw the Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin main visual, he felt that it was very red!

Sato Ryuji shared that his favourite songs in Musical Touken Ranbu were “Tokenai Mahou” and “Show Me The World”.

Then it was time for a fan question and answer segment. Some of the fans were very concerned about how during the last performance for Live Spectacle Naruto, Sato Ryuji was cradling the side of his body, as if he was unwell, and wondered if he was feeling any better now. Sato Ryuji replied that at that time, he had spoken too fast, and because he squeezed out too many lines at once, he had not been breathing properly, so his side had been a little tight. At that time, he had felt a little uncomfortable, but he felt better now, and he wasn’t hurt.

There were also some fans who were concerned about how Punio was doing. Ryuji said that even though he really wanted to bring him overseas, long distance travelling would have given Punio a lot of stress, so Punio was left in a pet hotel instead. Lately, Punio has been lying on him like a big rock pressing down on his body, and also snuggling into his armpit and falling asleep, so he has been doing just fine.

2.5D stage actor Sato Ryuji’s first overseas fan meeting coming to a close

As the event came to a close, there were some small presents specially prepared for the attendees. Signed copies of “Gekkan Sato Ryuji” and Sato Ryuji’s personal photobook were given out. The fans were most excited about Ryuji’s specially prepared presents, which were different for the afternoon and night session. For the afternoon event, Sato Ryuji’s personal perfume was given out in a prize raffle, and those who won the perfume also had the opportunity to get Sato Ryuji to sign Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin flyers. Instead of perfume, for the night session, he gave away some of his worn clothes.

While waiting for the fans to collect their prizes, Sato Ryuji talked about how he had arrived in Taipei the day before and had eaten scrambled eggs with spring onion, and that he hoped that after the event he would be able to eat soup dumplings. He said that his favourite Taiwanese food is pineapple cake, and that he hopes to be able to visit Jiufen. At the end of the event, Sato Ryuji high-fived every fan to send them off.

Note:

[1] This inside joke started during the last 2.5D Cafe SHOWROOM with Kuroba Mario, Saeki Daichi, Oohira Shunya and Kitazono Ryo. Saeki Daichi told Kuroba Mario, the last Touken Danshi to sign on the cafe’s wall (Kitazono Ryo signed after him, but his signature was technically already on the wall), to use up all of the remaining space on the wall, which led to him signing a huge signature on the wall. Kuroba Mario then remarked, “It’s all Saeki Daichi’s fault”, which fans picked up and made into a meme. When the four of them tweeted after the end of the SHOWROOM, they all tagged their tweets: “It’s all Saeki Daichi’s fault”, and the hashtag trended on Twitter for a while.

More translations of articles about the event:

Dream ELZA

Translations of interviews by the Taiwanese media before the event:

HiNet Games Animen GNN News ETNews Taiwan Yahoo! News

Sato Ryuji, who has been creating his own legacy in the domain of Japanese 2.5D stage and musicals, will be coming to Taiwan Sanchuang CLAPPER STUDIO to hold his own personal meeting this Sunday (3 September). Though he has not even held this sort of event in Japan, he is devoting his first fan meeting experience [to Taiwan]. Before coming to visit Taiwan, he received Yahoo! News for an interview, talking about this feelings these couple of years and his expectations for coming to Taiwan.

1: Even though you have been to many Asian countries, this is your first time coming to Taiwan, and you’re even holding your own meeting, how do you feel about this?

Sato: I am really looking forward to being able to have my first fan meeting in Taiwan, I hope that everyone will be able to pass the time happily.

2. In all the roles that you have played up till now, do you feel that there is a role that is similar to you?

Sato: Probably Teiichi no Kuni stage play’s Kuga Shinji. But sometimes I am like Sasuke, very quiet and not saying much.

3. After joining your theatre troupe, your debut in 2011, until now, what aspect do you think you have grown the most in? Are there any aspects that you would like to improve now?

Sato: [I’ve improved] my acting method. Recently, I’ve been told that I’ve become more mature overall. In the future, I hope to be able to continue to try even more and different challenges.

4. Right now in Taiwan, many people don't really know about 2.5D stage plays or musicals. What do you think about this [genre of stage plays and musicals] and the way they are presented? Could you introduce them to a Taiwanese audience?

Sato: I want to make 2.5D stage plays even more entertaining performances than normal stage plays. 2.5D stage plays can make people who only know about anime and manga and people who watch stage plays both happy.

5. When you were acting in Musical Touken Ranbu, besides having to act and sing, you had to dance, do blocking [1], and perform fight scenes, were there any times that you felt that it was hard? Or were there any times you felt very happy?

Sato: During rehearsals, there were many times that I was competing with myself, but I almost never felt that it was very hard or exhausting. Because with whatever work I do, it makes me happy.

6. There are a lot of parts where you have to memorise a lot, do you feel that you are someone who is good at remembering things? Do you have any methods that help you to remember things?

Sato: I have a lot of confidence about being able to remember things. As for methods to remember things, it may sound contradictory, but to get used to remembering things, there is no other way but to continue to repeat it from memory.

7. At this first Taiwan fan meeting, there will be a special screening of the movie in which you had your first leading role in a movie, Please Please Please. What do you hope audiences will see in this movie, or get [from this movie]?

Sato: This isn’t a happy film, so [the audience’s] thoughts after watching the movie are different for everyone. As long as, the audience feels something after watching it, I think I will have succeeded.

8. Before this, the movie Please Please Please was showcased at the Beijing Film Festival, and you and the director went to Beijing together. Was there anything that happened that left an impression on you? What were your thoughts?

Sato: When I went to Beijing, there were a lot of fans who showed up to support me, I was very thankful. Now, I am also looking forward to be able to meet many Taiwanese fans.

9. Live Spectacle Naruto ~Song of the Akatsuki~ had a live viewing broadcast in Taiwan this time, and the response was enthusiastic. In this play, there were many more songs and completely new challenges, what aspects did you find not easy to do?

Sato: I think it would be the singing. Because the other cast members all sing very well, so in order to keep up with them, I really had to do my utmost best.

10. I heard that recently you’ve been losing weight and working out, what methods do you use? Is there any special training that you do?

Sato: I’m not sure if it’s because the stages that I have been performing in have been very severe/harsh, I cannot lose weight just merely relying on exercise anymore, so now I am dieting at the same time.

11. Whenever you get into and out of a role, do you have any special methods to do so?

Sato: There isn’t a special method, I just say, “Work is work, so I must do it properly” and go face it.

12. I heard that in the past you were the lead singer in the band or the drummer, in the future do you have plans to do something related to music?

Sato: I also hope that afterwards I will be able to have a chance to do something related to music. If I could balance performing on stage and doing music, I feel like it would be very cool!

13. Do you have any thoughts about and goals for the future?

Sato: I want to be able to see different countries, because if I die without experiencing that, it would really be a pity.

Sato Ryuji has previously acted as Zaizen Hikaru in Musical Prince of Tennis, Kashuu Kiyomitsu in Musical Touken Ranbu, Uchiha Sasuke in Live Spectacle Naruto, Kuga Shinji in Teiichi no Kuni, and more, and his movie will also be screening in Taiwan. In October, he will be performing in Musical Touken Ranbu Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin 2017, his own solo live.

Sato Ryuji is a Japanese 2.5D actor that has become popular in recent years.

Note:

[1] Blocking is the positioning and movement of the actors to tell the story in visual terms.

More translations of interviews by the Taiwanese media:

HiNet Games Animen GNN News ETNews

More information about the event (translated by @rz-jocelyn) can be found here.

How did you get into acting?

Sato Ryuji: My father helped to register me to my current agency, Himawari Theatre Group.

Besides acting on stage, you have also acted in movies and dramas. Are there differences in acting on stages, in moves and in dramas?

Sato Ryuji: It wouldn’t be implausible to say that besides the acting method, it is completely different. Stage plays take about two hours to tell one story, comparatively speaking, the longest image segment [that is filmed in one go in a drama] is only two minutes.

Usually, how do you get a grasp of how to portray your character?

Sato Ryuji: If there is source material, basically I will read the entire source material, and choose the parts I would like to portray.

Do you run into any difficulties during rehearsals? If there are, how do you overcome them?

Sato Ryuji: For me, anything that is called a difficulty is basically only something you yourself feel is an unsolvable problem. If you say it this way, I haven’t encountered any difficulties! No matter what kind of difficulty, as long as you are willing to work hard, anyone can`overcome their handicaps.

Are there any types of roles you would like to tackle in the future?

Sato Ryuji: I really want to tackle the role of an ordinary office worker.

What are you feelings towards your upcoming performance in October “Musical Touken Ranbu Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin 2017”?

Sato Ryuji: This was something I said I wanted to do, so when this live was confirmed I was really very happy, at the same time it means that I will have to shoulder all the responsibility myself, so I will give my all.

Do you feel that you have anything in common with Kashuu Kiyomitsu?

Sato Ryuji: Probably not. If I must say, it would be that both of us dress up!

What is your impression of Taiwan?

Sato Ryuji: I heard that Taiwanese girls are all very beautiful.

Are there any places you want to visit or food you want to eat on this trip to Taiwan?

Sato Ryuji: Actually I would like everyone to tell me some famous food or places!

Finally, say something to your Taiwanese fans!

Sato Ryuji: This is my first time having an event in Taiwan, I hope everyone has a good time until the end!

More translations of interviews by the Taiwanese media:

HiNet Games GNN News ETNews Taiwan Yahoo! News

More information about the event (translated by @rz-jocelyn​) can be found here.