20.12.25 ARASHI's Gratitude Message to Fans - Oricon Ranking Top-Sale Artist Comment

[arashitranslation]

Estimated 2020 sales: 14.52 billion yen.
Consecutively 2nd year top-sale artist.
Nine years top-sale in total.



O: We have been awarded for this award for several years. I felt unreal when I was first awarded this.
M: Now still.
O: Now still. We are awarded this only because our fans buy our CDs and DVDs.
M: Right.
O: And that made the impression that we five lead the way ... My comment is not good?
M/N: It's OK.

S: I discovered a new talent of ARASHI. In April and May, we did nothing but paper-card story telling.
M: Right.
S: And I thought, so we can also challenge paper-card story telling :)
A: We can.
O: We can do everything.
N: We can.
M: Because we didn't do singing and dancing at that time so we became a paper-card-story-telling group.
O: Indeed, though we had challenged various things thus far, we haven't done paper-card story telling until then ...
M/A: Right.
S: Originally the story telling was done by one person but we five did it, it was fun. But this year we also did various things apart from music works like "WakuWaku Online". We five had discussion about doing works in a way to give fun to people who stayed at home.
N: And because of such COVID pandemic, Sakurai-san (or Mr. Children) wrote a song for Johnny's groups. Sorry for confusing you, not Sho-chan.
M: Mr. Children's Sakurai-san.
N: Yes. Mr. Children's Sakurai-san wrote a song and Johnny's groups united to sing for the listeners. I think this is something unique for this year.

S: And this costumes ...
N/A: Right.
N: Please elaborate for us.
A: Bruno. Isn't it amazing? (Look at his costume) That Bruno Mars made this for ARASHI ...
N: You sound like he made the costumes for us! He wrote a song for us, not costumes!
A: Bruno Mars studied ARASHI and wrote a song for us.
M: Right.
N: What a rare chance.
M: He wrote us a song with lyrics fitting this time (of hiatus). We are grateful. This year we had many songs.
N: Right.
A: We went to many music programmes.
M: We released a lot of songs!
N: Right.
M: And we performed at many music programmes.
N: Our Reborn series.
S: That we sang these songs at the new National Stadium is really ...
M: Significant.
S: a big topics.

N: Our popular single song ... Should be "Love so sweet"?
A: Should be this one.
S: The intro melody is so vividly good.
M: I also have a strong impression about "Truth".
A: "Truth" and "Monster" is so good.
M: This is a rather serious song among our bright-toned songs.
O: Right.
M: It fits the theme of the drama (Mao), and it is surprising that we sing serious song.
A: It has a feel of melancholy.
M: Yes, the chorus part.

S: (The most impressive live/performance) should be the opening of 5x10 live, that we used wire to fly from the National Stadium to the Olympic flame platform. Just recalling it a bit makes me full of sweat on palms.
N: Wow. It's better that you stop recalling if you're so afraid.
S: As the performer, in fact ... I'm afraid. But when I went to watch other artists' lives, when I saw their flying, I felt it was great and I got very excited. Four ~ five years ago, I thought it great when I saw such performance. (Moment of silence) That (flying performance) was ... very cool.
N: (Laugh) But you have sweat on palms. But it's great from the audience's point of view.
S: When I saw other artists' live I thought it was great.
N: I also thought about National Stadium, when the Olympic flame was lighted.
S: You've mentioned a great moment!
N: I was touched by it ...
A: Right. Sometimes the wind direction made the flame towards us and it was so hot!
O: It was bit dangerous.
N: We couldn't lose to that wind!
A: Right.
S: Who was standing the most behind? ... Me?
O: Aiba-chan?
M: Sho was the one who stands the most upfront?
S: Me?
A: I was standing in front of Sho-chan?
S: So you felt hot?
A: Yes, depending on the wind direction.
M: It was very hot when it was first lighted.
N: It left me strong impression.
A: It was long time ago.
N: OK.
A: When we had live at Yoyogi, Shimura Ken-san came to watch our live. And Shimura-san threw us fruits.
S: The beard dance. (Shimura-san's performance)
A: Shimura-san at audience seat and we on stage did beard dance together ...
M: To use a knife to stab the fruits.
A: Right.
M: To be able to watch Shimura-san do it (is great) ...
A: Right. It was impressive to me.
S: Recently I went to the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, I recalled it.
A: You did. Indeed it was impressive.

M: (Feeling towards year end) We'll do our best!
S/N: Simple.
N/A: Indeed we'd be so.
N: And stay healthy.
A: To an extent that we won't regret.
N: Right. Not only us, people in Japan would stay healthy, and we'll work our best to deliver our entertainment. We'll work our best.
A: Cool artist.
S: We're having rehearsal of our year-end live. Everyone we're pouring our energy into this live, hoping to show our performance to many audience through online live performance.
M: 31 Dec. Please watch our live!
S: Suddenly here comes the promotion ...
N: It's good.
M: The whole package includes this interview as well as the promotion of our live. On top of talking about our feelings, I also want to deliver this information (of the live).

Source: https://youtu.be/fENtgOoaOUQ

Comments

[junaibanina]

Thank you for translating. And to think that this year is almost over and we'll not see Arashi as 5 anymore 😥. I'm grateful to them for all they did for fans this year!
Can I put a link to this translation on my next post in my community?
I wish you a peaceful Christmas and happy holidays!

[arashitranslation]

Sorry for late reply, please feel free to link my post. Thanks a lot for your effort m(_ _)m

[junaibanina]

Thank you. I wish you a happy New year!

[arashitranslation]

Wish you a peaceful new year.

[sutekinaj]

Congrats ARASHI. Thank you very much for translating and sharing. Happy holidays.