Taka, the vocalist of the rock band ONE OK ROCK's new song "Puppets Can't Control You," which is the theme song for the Sunday Theatre drama " Mikami Sensei " (TBS, Sunday 9:00 pm) starring actor Tori Matsuzaka , and producer Kazutaka Iida had a conversation. In the second part of the two-part interview, we delved deeper into Taka's passion for music, which he can only talk about as he is active overseas.
The drama is an original "great reversal story of education revival" in which Takashi Mikami (played by Matsuzaka), a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, who wants to change the Japanese education system, takes to the podium at a private high school and stands up to authority while guiding 18-year-old high school students living in the Reiwa era.
◇Taka's thoughts on expanding overseas and ONE OK ROCK's mission
Iida: In the first part, we talked about the moment when I felt that the power of entertainment had reached everyone during the first episode broadcast, but when do you feel that the feelings you put into your songs have been conveyed, Taka?
Taka: It's through communication with the people who listen to us. During a live performance, it's difficult for the fans to speak directly to me in the presence of a large audience, but I think there is energy in the words I speak when I'm emotional. I want to deliver that energy with my songs. Of course, there may be ways to communicate through television or music programs, but I feel like that doesn't convey what we really want to say.
Iida: For you, Taka, are live performances a form of entertainment?
Taka: That's right. But it's also a place to share my daily thoughts and philosophies, the path of our efforts so far, and what we're thinking now. It's not the same live every time, so we communicate what we're thinking at that moment in that place. In a way, it's like a shareholders' meeting.
Iida: Just out of curiosity, and not to say which is better, but do you feel there are any differences between Japanese and overseas audiences?
Taka: Quite different. Depending on culture and values, the way you enjoy a live performance changes completely. For example, there are "silent moments" that occur at Japanese live performances. That is a phenomenon unique to Japan, and it never happens anywhere overseas. It is a sign of respect for the audience to listen to the song purely, but when overseas audiences see it, they are shocked beyond surprise and are shocked to the point of being taken aback. But what's interesting recently is that as we tour overseas more and more, more overseas fans are becoming aware that we are Japanese. In the past, the cheers would never stop even during ballads, but recently, when I stop singing and stand up quietly, fans start saying "Shhh!" to each other. When I saw that, I felt that this was the transmission of culture. It was the moment when people recognized that we are Japanese, and I realized that there are changes that can only be created by continuing to do it.
Iida: In recent years, there have been many artists and actors who have expanded overseas, but from listening to you, it seems that you value being a Japanese artist.
Taka: That's the only way. All of us, as Japanese members, have a message we want to send out. To be honest, it's true that it can be difficult for a band like us to do it in Japan. We're the same as Iida-san, and we have a strong desire to change Japan by going overseas. I've always felt uncomfortable with the system of the Japanese entertainment industry, which hasn't changed since I was born. No matter how much we raise our voices in Japan to make it better for the next generation, it doesn't take shape. So we'll go overseas and create a situation where no one can complain. That will lead to a big step, and at the same time, it will be an opportunity for people overseas to know about Japanese culture. I think that music and entertainment are one of the few ways to transcend politics by going overseas. We have something to say because we're artists, and it's meaningful to send it out. That's why we value that in our current band style.
Iida: That's absolutely true. It's no good just admiring it. We have to have ambition and do our best in the field of TV dramas, I was able to reaffirm that to myself.
Taka: Actually, I don't have a TV at home, and I haven't watched one for over 10 years. So naturally I hardly have a chance to watch dramas, and I sometimes watch them on Netflix. But after watching this work, I've been feeling like I'm hooked on a TV drama for the first time in a long time. That's because it's really aggressive (laughs). For someone like me, I think it's valuable that a work like this is being broadcast on TV, and every line is exhilarating. It fits the current era very well, and I was also overwhelmed by the artistic challenge of doing it on a commercial channel instead of streaming. My manager and I have been talking about how amazing it is (laughs). I'm very happy to have been invited to participate this time.
◇ "The important thing is radical reform" - Taka's thoughts on "DETOX" the Japanese music scene
Iida: When I talk to you, Taka, I feel that you have a strong respect for others at the root of it all. Your involvement with younger artists is impressive, such as your joint live performances with Vaundy and Awich, which span generations, your feature with Satoshi Fujiwara from Official Hige Dandism, and the theme song this time featuring DAIDAI from paledusk. What do you pay attention to in terms of musicality, technique, and humanity?
Taka: In that sense, it might be the same as " Mikami Sensei". I myself used to be scared of myself and it was hard. That's why, although it's just my experience, I think that younger kids probably have similar feelings. The value of hierarchical relationships, like when seniors bully juniors in junior high school clubs these days, is already outdated. Rather, I think that people in higher positions should be kinder than anyone else and stricter than anyone else. It's important to face the other person sincerely, not just hypocritically or posing. Regardless of age or career, face people with all your heart and soul. I always keep that in mind.
Iida: As you work worldwide, you seem to be conscious of passing on your ideas to the younger generation. You're not just looking to your own success, you're looking to the next generation. I think Taka is consciously trying to circulate the parts of Japanese society and the creative world that have yet to be fully detoxified, regardless of age or category.
Taka: As this drama depicts, the important thing is "radical reform." I strongly sympathize with that aspect. There is a limit to how much we can improve things little by little, so we have to change things from the ground up. It will take time and it will be a difficult journey, but I think that is what is truly necessary.
Iida: I was really touched by this wonderful story. Finally, could you give a message to our viewers?
Taka: The drama is really wonderful, and we are honored just to be able to participate as the theme song. Looking around the world today, I feel that we are at a time when we really need to think about a lot of things. Even in the entertainment world, there are people who are serious about their work and putting their lives on the line to create works. It's the same in the world of television and the world of bands, and I hope that these people can join hands and move the world in a better direction, even if just a little. It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I would be happy if you don't just "watch" the drama, but see it as something that concerns you, overlapping it with the real world and yourself.
