HT Interview in N.Y.

 

Seventeen Magazine:

VD Special:
The Man That is Miura Haruma

[according to Satou Takeru]

We get along well so I don’t think there’s any particular reason, just that Miura Haruma is a great actor. I don’t think there’s anything else.




Do you often exchange e-mails with him?

Men don’t really exchange e-mails, you know. Unless there’s some real reason for sending the e-mail.



“Miura Haruma is a man who possesses both a cute side to him and a chivalrous, manly side to him.”



The first time I met Haruma was around four years ago. It was around the time I’d just started working for my company. I went to a lesson and there was Haruma. He was already a kind of established actor at the time, so my first impression of him was, “Wow, that’s Miura Haruma, as seen on TV” (laughs). After that I saw him a couple more times, and then there was this time where there were four of us who just had to go to an amusement park, and I went to the pool with him, so we kind of became friends. But I think the time we really started to be friends was filming the first season of “Bloody Monday” together. What kind of man do I think Miura Haruma is? It’s hard to put it down in words exactly. He’s a guy that has a lot of different sides to him. He has a cute side to him and a manly side to him…what part of him do I think is his cute side? That’s gotta be that smile of his. When he laughs, that’s him at his cutest (laughs). The side of him that’s manly is his stubbornness. I mean that in a good way. He doesn’t easily get flustered or confused about what he’s doing, he just goes his own way and doesn’t care what people think about that. From my point-of-view, I think that’s what makes him cool.





The Man That is Satou Takeru
[according to Miura Haruma]

“He’s really stylish and great at dancing. It’s because he’s got that face (laughs). Of course he’s cool.”



When I first met him until now, the good points of Takeru have never changed. He is really true to himself.



We both watch plays, and sometimes Takeru will send me e-mails about his thoughts on the plays. It kind of makes me happy.



My first impression of Takeru was “What a show-off” (laughs). It was the impression I got from looking at him, and when I got to know him better that impression changed. At the time his hair was long. Having long hair like that would make anyone think he was just being one of those laid-back, cool guys you see in high school. So I remember thinking, “Wow, he’s good-looking.” From my point-of-view, if I could describe Satou Takeru in two words, they’d be “Cool guy.” First, he’s really stylish. So every time we go shopping together he always stands out from the crowd. I think people must go, “Wow that guy’s really stylish. Wait a second, isn’t that Satou Takeru?” So it becomes kind of a hassle going shopping with him (laughs). Moreover, Takeru’s great at singing and dancing, because he’s got that face. Furthermore, he’s got a cat-like quality to him of being sensitive. Like I don’t think he’d be able to stand seeing a girl cry (laughs). We both work at the same company, and we get along with all the guys who work in the company. Takeru lives a life full of aspiration.







I’m really obsessed with falling in love right now, so seeing Takeru not showing off about love and just being laid-back about it makes him really cool in my eyes.





I really want to find true love, and I constantly think about it, but I can’t find the passion to look for it within me. So I’m kind of jealous, seeing Haruma so openly and honestly fall in love.





The neat-freak? Miura Haruma.

The messy guy? Satou Takeru.

Seventeen: Contrary to the serious expressions you both give in front of the camera lens, you both possess what can only be described as a “true” face. While filming, the two of you spent your time asking after each other, such as “How’d that thing we talked about last time go?” You both get along so well. What do you normally do when you hang out with each other?



Takeru: We often go out to eat together. It’s because we both love looking for great restaurants. We say, “That place looks good” and give it a shot to see if it is. The last time we hung out, I went over to Haruma’s place and watched a DVD.



Haruma: I invited another friend over as well, and we watched a horror movie. Three guys (laughs).



Takeru: That was such a scary movie. I often go over to Haruma’s place, come to think of it.



Haruma: I’ve never been to Takeru’s place before, you know. I don’t think he’ll ever let me see his place.



Takeru: Well…it’s because my room is really messy.



Haruma: I could clean it for you. You’re just being stubborn and making up excuses for not allowing me to see your place.



Takeru: If I decided to actually clean my room, I think it’d take me at least an hour to clean it all. There’s a lot of stuff all over the place. I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff I have that I don’t need anymore…but I just can’t throw stuff out.



Haruma: Like holding onto paper bags you’ll probably never use again?



Takeru: Yeah exactly. I can’t seem to find the will to throw them out.



Haruma: You think things like, “This paper bag is so cute! I can use it when I return that DVD to my friend”, don’t you?



Takeru: Yes. Yes, I do.



Haruma: But then you never, ever actually use that bag again. For me, if I know I’ll never actually use it again, I throw it away! I never save things up!



Takeru: And Haruma’s place is…so clean.





Our philosophies on love are completely different, aren’t they?

Seventeen: So I was kind of wondering what you two talk about with each other. Like while you’ve been filming the drama, “Bloody Monday 2” what do you guys talk about? Work and acting?



Takeru: You know what, we don’t ever talk about work. Since we’re in the middle of filming a drama, we often get asked the question “Do you guys ever go over the script together?” But you know, not once have we ever done that (laughs).



Haruma: That’s why, whenever I read an interview Takeru’s done, I think “Ahh, so that’s what he was thinking about when he did that scene.” I mean when we talk to each other, it really is just common, everyday stuff we talk about. Like asking how the other person’s doing, conversations about women and stuff.



Takeru: Do we talk about romance stories? That’s…well of course we do (laughs).



Haruma: Our philosophies on love and falling in love are completely the opposite. If you were to think of us as animals, I’d be a dog and Takeru’s a cat.



Takeru: I see that. When Haruma falls in love he really falls hard. The type of guy who falls hard-core in love.



Haruma: I’m at the complete mercy of the girl I fall for (laughs). Well, that’s a lie, but when I fall in love it’s like my brain can only think: “I like her. I like her.” I’m so simple-minded (laughs). Takeru thinks kind of like a cat does, and he treats the girl he likes kind of like a cat would. Like, he just continues doing his own thing.



Takeru: I think it’s because I’m just not prone to falling in love. I mean I say “I want to fall in love” a lot, but I think, deep-down, I’d be just fine not finding love.



Haruma: I’m the kind of guy who falls in love at first sight. So when I meet a girl for the first time sometimes I literally think “Ah! She’s the one I’ve been looking for!” It has all the feel of a drama, doesn’t it? But I mean Takeru’s a guy who just doesn’t fall in love.



Takeru: I mean I’m trying to think of how people actually fall in love.



Haruma: That statement in itself makes you so much like a cat! You’re now gonna get a lot of women declaring “I can awaken the passion for love in Takeru-kun!”~ (laughs). 



Takeru: What the hell (laughs). But I mean, if there is any gracious woman out there who is capable of awakening a passion for love within me, by all means please do so. From the bottom of my heart it would be welcome.



Which of us is popular with the ladies? Let’s put some serious thought into this.



Seventeen: So it’s clear that you guys are totally different when it comes to love. Well then, which one of you is…popular with the ladies?



Haruma: Well obviously that’s Takeru.



Takeru: Hold it right there!! Which one of us really is popular? Let’s put some serious thought into this. First off, you said I was popular, but honestly I’m not.



Haruma: Oh come on ~ (laughs). I mean just look at that face. Of course you do well with the ladies. .



Takeru: No, seriously I don’t. It’s because I’m the type to take every situation really seriously. Like, for example, even if there’s a girl in some kind of situation, I still focus more on that situation and doing my best with it than the girl being there.



Haruma: Ok, then, let’s determine which one of us is more popular with the ladies by comparing how many boxes of chocolate we’ve ever received for Valentine’s Day.*

*In Japan it’s the reverse of North America where girls either make or buy chocolate and give it to guys they like. Japanese guys get to do a whole lot of nothing on Valentine’s Day.



Takeru: I just got a lot of obligatory boxes of chocolate! If those still count…I think about ten boxes? But I mean that’s including chocolate I got back in elementary school. Back then the boys would give their friends chocolate, too, as well as the girls.



Haruma: I’ve gotten chocolate from girls I’ve liked before but…I think my best record was six or seven boxes. I guess Takeru’s more popular with the ladies after all.



Takeru: But, I mean since I was born, realistically I’ve only received about one real box of chocolates. I wonder if I’ll get one this year (eyes grow distant).





First we went on a trip to N.Y.C. Maybe next will be South Africa! It’d be fun to play with animals deep in the heart of nature.



Seventeen: Last year you guys went to N.Y.!! And now there’s a DVD of that trip for sale.



Takeru: For five days stayed in the same hotel room together. I think this was the first time we’ve spent so much time together.



Haruma: Takeru takes longer baths than me, I realized. He also just opened his suitcase and didn’t bother to kind of arrange things in the room (laughs). There were a lot of new discoveries about him that I made.



Takeru: We did a lot of sightseeing.



Haruma: It was a lot of fun.



Takeru: Where should we go next time?



Haruma: Obviously South Africa!!



Takeru: Um…why? (laughs)



Haruma: They’ve got world-class hotels, comparable to the ones in Osaka, and a lot of nature!! And this year there’ll be the World Cup there (and he continues talking passionately about the merits of South Africa).



Takeru: It certainly is appealing that they have animals there.



Haruma: Isn’t it?! I mean don’t you want to go out camping in the wild among the animals?



Takeru: Well, I mean I can’t cook at all and I have no idea how to set up camp. If we did that…I guess it’d be ok since you’re used to the outdoors.



Haruma: Uh well, it’s true that I can cook, but setting up a tent is another story altogether.



Takeru: It’ll be ok. We just need to read the instruction manual on setting up the tent. I’m sure you can do it! 



Haruma: …now I’m worried.