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[PRESS CON REPORT] WINNER Jinwoo’s cross dressing and Seunghoon’s skit as the center of attention in Japan Tour sets off! They talk about Tokyo performance’s impressions at the press conference!
First hall tour “WINNER JAPAN TOUR 2015’ started on 9/6 (Sunday) in Biwako Hall, Shiga. They welcomed their Japan 1st anniversary debut 9/8 (Tue) to 9/9 (Wed) in Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo. With the deep impressions overnight, they attended a press conference the next day to talk about thoughts on their Japan debut 1st anniversary, impressions about finishing Tokyo concerts, highlights of this hall tour etc.
The group of reporters’s welcomed them with warm applause as they were going up the platform. “Congratulations on your Japan debut 1st year anniversary”, in return the members said “Thank you!” and bowed. With the celebratory mood, the question and answer started.
1. You’ve welcomed your 1st year anniversary since your debut, please tell us what you feel now.
Seungyoon: It’s been already 1 year. Time really passes by so quickly. As a leader, I’ve had various experiences seeing the members matured which to some extent satisfied me. However, we are still rookies. We practiced songs, rap, etc. and also researched for our performances in this tour. We think that we must grow more. We will do our very best!
Hoon: As for me, I was surprised with the surprise event prepared by IC Japan and staff during our encore yesterday in Tokyo. Before we came out and went to the stage for the encore, the staff said “Please keep your messages short”, so I thought maybe the reporters came to see us, so we shouldn’t push (make the talk longer). Suddenly, photos of our 1st year memories were flashed on the screen, there’s also cake prepared, we were truly moved by it.
Taehyun: We had our 1st year anniversary in Korea and Japan, so we want to mature more.
Jinwoo: We had solo activities in this 1 year and just like that time has passed by so quickly. We didn’t have many group activities in Japan and also in Korea. We have started our activity as a group with this tour, so we take this opportunity to show our album in Japan and Korea. We’d be happy if we have more activities.
Mino: We released our original album in Japan, so we want to quickly let everyone to listen to it.
2. Two day stage performances in Tokyo are over. Please tell us your thoughts about having it twice a day, four times overall.
Hoon: Unexpectedly, we had our 1st year anniversary coincide with much gratitude to our fans. The members had a small party when we had our Korean debut 1st year anniversary, so having a memorable day spent with fans in Japan has become an unforgettable memory.
Taehyun: I’ve thought a whole lot about wanting to have activities in Japan. We completed the Tokyo stage without trouble, on the other hand, there’s a feeling of regret too. I want to stay a bit longer in Tokyo.
Seungyoon: I honestly thought “Can we do it 4 times?” It needs physical strength (laughs). It was really difficult after we finished the 2nd round during the first day (laughs). Our body condition the morning of the 2nd day wasn’t good, we thought “a~ maybe we’re in danger”. However, when we saw the fans’ eyes, their response, that difficulty just blew off somewhere. It was really an enjoyable performance.
Jinwoo: The first day of the tour was in Shiga, so we were worried if IC Japan fans forgot about us, or if they will come and see us. We were truly thankful that a lot from different places came. We will work harder.
Mino: We had short time to prepare for this stage performance, so we were worried until the first day. Lyrics we must memorize, new choreography too, we had a lot. However, we thought of showing you a perfect image. We practiced a lot, so we think we might show you a cool appearance.
3. Seems like it was very difficult to memorize Japanese lyrics during last year’s 1st tour, since it’s the 2nd time now, you must be thinking that it’s a relief.
Seungyoon: Certainly, it’s easier to memorize compared to before, but we want to show a new image. We prepared new cover songs, still new songs were difficult. But, the cover songs are really good songs, so memorizing them was fun.
4. In spite of that, you’ve forgotten a bit about the Japanese (language)?
Seungyoon: Yes (laughs). But, we didn’t forget the lyrics since we had 11 stages/venues during the 1st tour. It might be a little strange, but even though we made lyrics in Korean, Japanese lyrics are easier to sing than Korean lyrics (laughs).
5. How were the fans’ reaction?
Seungyoon: It was really nice. We were deeply moved with the fans’ response.
Mino: There were more male fans this time compared to last year’s ZEPP tour, so we were really happy. I wanna say “WHAT’S UP” (laughs).
Seungyoon: What really impressed us is that there were people who came who are of the same age as our fathers and mothers, there were also grandfathers and grandmothers. We wanted to become a group loved by all generations since the time we debuted. So seeing such fans deeply moved us.
6. What do you think is your appeal to such fans?
Seungyoon: Absolutely, our musical ability… (laughs). Our voices individually, and we can also do different genres. I think the best appeal would have to be the range of depth musically.
7. What kind of person are each of the members? Please tell us about the one next to you.
Mino: Jinwoo is an older brother at times, like a younger brother at times, and a friend at times… He’s like a chameleon, a reliable person.
Jinwoo: Seungyoon is the existence that has to be in WINNER.
Seungyoon: Taehyun for me is a person who would let me do what I want to do. Taehyun also has a lot of things he likes, musically we have different personalities, so I’d like to try to be like Taehyun among other things. He’s a person who let you do with such feeling.
Taehyun: Seunghoon is like a cinema. If you sit as is watching, it’s amusing, sad, fun. He shows various entertainment images; he’s a person who is like a cinema.
Hoon: What I think of Mino is that he’s like a puppy. A puppy I’ve raised since a long time ago. When the master finishes his work and goes home, he’d be welcoming him by wagging his tail (laughs). But even if a stranger comes in too, that puppy would be wagging his tail. He’s a big-hearted person.
8. There was a surprise plan wherein the audience simultaneously putting up their slogan banner with “WINNER Japan Debut 1st Anniversary おめでとう” written on it in yesterday’s Tokyo encore stage. Seungyoon, during that time in an instant was nowhere on stage, he returned with that slogan rewritten having a deeply moved facial expression.
Seungyoon: Before I went backstage, the time when Taehyun said that we always receive events and presents from fans and that actually we want to give something to them, but we don’t have. Seeing the surprise event slogan, I thought of paying it back to the fans. So because of that, I erased the “W” in “WINNER” and added “CIRCLE” at the back of it.
9. Fans were deeply moved with that image, right? You have conveyed how you value your fans.
Seungyoon: Fans are the most important beings.
10. We had surprise from fans this time, so what kind of thing would you like to do if you will do a surprise for your fans?
Seungyoon: We want to express the feelings we received from the fans thru music. And, since I think there are many fans who go to the venues without eating when we have daytime and evening activities, I want to distribute meals in the exit after we finish the performance. I want to do such event (laughs).
Jinwoo: That’s nice. There’s gonna be a notice in the end credits that we are preparing the meal. I want them to eat the food we made before the performance.
11. There are many unit and solo corners in this tour, so please tell us the highlight.
Mino: We don’t have a new song this time, so we prepared special performances. There’s acoustic version and we also upgraded performances we had last year. It’d be nice if we’d let you see such corners’ points. I also showed my solo performance in last year’s tour, but this time I practiced even more. Please receive it well!
Taehyun: We covered our senior group BIGBANG’s “FANTASTIC BABY”. I think that’s another point.
Hoon: Mino and I also covered BIGBANG’s “GOOD BOY”, we want to show dance image we’ve never shown in this stage performance. We want them to enjoyably receive WINNER’s different side.
12. Did Seunghoon do a lot of choreography again in this tour?
Hoon: Even if the songs are the same with last year’s tour, we think of showing a different color/look, so we change the choreography and added production.
13. Is that work difficult?
Seungyoon: Not at all.
Hoon: We enjoyably made it. Just like sneezing, the idea just comes out immediately (laughs).
14. Jinwoo, what about this tour’s highlight?
Jinwoo: For me, still it’s wearing female clothes (laughs). Seunghoon, Mino, and I, the 3 of us were worried til the day before. But, while Seunghoon is taking a shower, he thought about it. Thank you! (he said to Hoon).
Seungyoon: Seunghoon, Mino, and Jinwoo, the 3 of them have their skit, and I think isn’t it the funniest corner in our stage? Seunghoon puts out various ideas making an interesting corner.
15. There are also words from Jinwoo’s heart~
Jinwoo: That’s truly my heart (laughs).
16. And above all, Jinwoo’s beauty levelled up from the last time, right?
Jinwoo: Thank you very much.
17. Jinwoo, when you dressed up as a girl, was there any part that made you anxious or careful about etc.?
Jinwoo: For make-up, it’s the cheeks and lips. I had to wear make-up which will suit me. Also, wig and shaving too (laughs). There are various things I had to be careful about.
18. Everyone, you’ve seen Jinwoo’s female look many times, but what do you think about it?
Seungyoon: I was in the same dressing room preparing for the next performance when Jinwoo was dressing up as a girl, but even now I’m not used to that appearance (laughs). I’d be surprised when I see Jinwoo.
19. Too pretty, is it surprising?
Seungyoon: Yeah. Her undies is showing a bit, ah I think that’s a little bit uh-oh*!(laughs) [T/N: *He used “yabai” which can mean dangerous, risky, amazing…etc.]
Mino: You’d feel a little strange looking at Jinwoo’s eyes when he’s on stage (laughs). It’s a joke.
Hoon: I think the tour’s hair and make-up team’s ability is wonderful!
Taehyun: Honestly, it’s a bit difficult for me. I have really good eyesight, so I see Jinwoo’s hair (laughs).
Jinwoo: That can’t be helped, y’know. I’m sorry (laughs).
20. This time you covered “Koishikute” and “Glamorous Sky” with a unique view of the world, the applause and cheers from the audience were amazing after you sang, but have you conveyed (your feelings)?
Seungyoon: Of course. It’s a song we prepared only for our Japanese fans. We had fun from the time we practiced. We think that a good song will of course be liked by everyone. Everyone’s response after we sang “Koishikute”, particularly left an impression. Taehyun already finished singing, after it has ended too, nobody’s voice could be heard, it was quiet. When we said “Thank you very much”, the cheer was “Gyaaaaa—!”. We are deeply moved by that.
Taehyun: I think the lyrics of “Koishikute” is really beautiful.
21. We talked earlier about BIGBANG, but other than that you covered songs of your company’s senior groups like 2NE1, EPIK HIGH, so are there any advice from them?
Seungyoon: Our seniors are really busy, so we don’t have any particular advice from them. We studied how to express our senior groups’ wonderful songs with WINNER’s color. We have to make the best of the original version’s good point and also show WINNER-like color. Since we want to show a good performance, we’ll be happy if that too will be noticed.
22. You’ll be going to areas for the first time in this tour, is there anything you’re looking forward to or food you’d like to try?
Seungyoon: Sendai. I heard Gyutan (beef tongue) is famous, so I’d like to try it.
Hoon: I said it in Tokyo (stage), Okinawa. I’d like to go to fireworks festival wearing traditional Japanese yukata.
Seungyoon: But, is there fireworks festival in autumn?
Hoon: (he heard there’s none)…What a pity…
Seungyoon: So, let’s have our own fireworks festival after our Okinawa perf!
Taehyun: Miyagi. Miyagi is Sendai. I just knew it now (laughs). Miyagi’s dialect (pronunciation) is pretty, so I look forward to it.
23. Are you looking forward to eating “beef tongue”?
Taehyun: Do we have gyuutan in Miyagi? I’m also looking forward to eat gyuutan. By the way, what is gyuutan?
ALL: (laughhhhhs!)
Taehyun: (while listening to the explanation) A~~
24. Well, perhaps Taehyun has gotten over his favorite “Pepper Lunch”, right?
Taehyun: A~ Honestly, I want to think of gradually trying to eat other food (laughs). I’ve been going to Pepper Lunch every night since I came in Japan.
Jinwoo: Recently I haven’t eaten Tebasaki which I ate in Nagoya before we debuted, I want to eat it again.
Mino: I want to go to Sapporo in winter. I experienced it before, but the scenery is nice. It was really good, so I want to go there once again. And also I want to drink beer.
25. You went to Rusutsu Resort last time, right?
You got on the thrill ride. Looks like Taehyun wasn’t good at it though.
Taehyun: It was only because it’s cold, so I wasn’t able to ride it. Sapporo is a town wherein you’re like coming out from a novel, the scenery is very beautiful which has left an impression.
26. Your 1st Japan tour’s “WINNER 1st JAPAN TOUR” DVD which was released 8/26 entered 4th in Oricon DVD ranking. We’ll talk about your 1st Japan tour episodes, so please tell us stories behind and highlights.
Seungyoon: Still, perhaps you’ll be seeing fresh impressions. And not only our stage performances, we also recorded our everyday appearances, so you’ll be enjoying that.
Hoon: We had various experiences in Sapporo, we also went to public bath. They filmed the 5 members with just towels entering the public bath, but I wonder why was it not included in the DVD (laughs). It was our only good memory.
Taehyun: Our last stage was memorable for me. It’s because all of us cried. We are thankful to our fans even now.
Mino: Jinwoo suddenly went missing during our last rehearsal, so the 4 of us performed.
Seungyoon: We’re still left with a 5-member stage. And because of that when we asked Jinwoo “Where did you go?” in the dressing room, he said “E? Did anything happen?” His mind must be filled with thoughts about dressing up as a girl, so he was mistaken with the sequence.
Jinwoo: It was the first time, so I must not make a mistake, the pressure was a lot. I really want to say “Sorry” to the members.
Seungyoon: I think Jinwoo has always been thinking that since it takes a long time to change to female clothes, he has to quickly go back to the dressing room. You would see these in the DVD, so please check it.
27. You’ve had big activities in this 1 year, please tell us about your activities.
Mino: I appeared in a rap battle program called “SHOW ME THE MONEY.” It’s lonely working alone. I’m relieved now that we as 5 members are doing activities.
Jinwoo: I appeared in a drama as a solo activity, filming took 5 days. We filmed all night every day, so it was difficult. I’m also thankful that I had a solo activity, but doing it alone was difficult. If it were the 5 of us, we can laugh and encourage each other, and since that didn’t happen I felt lonely.
Seungyoon: I also filmed a drama with 2NE1’s Dara (senpai). It’s been a while since I had a solo activity, so it gave me a fresh feeling. Acting solo was fresh, but after filming, of course the empty feeling. ♪ Munashii ♪, And I felt lonely. I also felt that the best enjoyable work can be done when the 5 of us are together. I strongly thought that becoming WINNER again was the best.
Taehyun: I think out of the 5 of us, I had the longest time for solo activities. I filmed 3 dramas, a lot of things took place and also had things said to me. I think it was a good experience. You’d feel different when doing solo activity and then group activity, so it was interesting and refreshing. A new drama will be on broadcast after this, so please look forward to it. It’s a really scary drama.
Hoon: I want to do a solo activity in Japan. That’s all.
28. Seunghoon, what kind of activity would you like to do in Japan?
Hoon: I’d like to do a handshake event. Even doing it now is okay. With the reporters (laughs).
29. So once again for the last time, please tell us your objective in Japan.
Seungyoon: Absolutely, we want to perform in Tokyo Dome. And our number 1 target is to be a big group like national singers loved by everyone in Japan and in Korea too. As for music, dance, rock, hip-hop etc regardless of genre, we want to be a group who can do various music.
WINNER works hard in speaking in Japanese. When someone grasps for words, Seungyoon immediately follows up gathering everyone led by him. Their close relationship was amusing. Their amazing explosive power when members gather in their concert is enough since it’s such 5 members with each individuality and appeal. This time the tour will run for over a period of 2 months with 10 locations and 17 stage performances which will fascinate the fans.
Source: Korepo
Translations: prancingmaria via With_Winner
WLSY 