This is a translation of the talk segment preceeding a performance of Link on Pop Jam from July 15, 2005. Takanori Nishikawa hosted the talk, along with Watanabe Ken and Kojima Issai from Anjasshu. Of L’Arc~en~Ciel, only tetsu and ken participated in this talk. The usual warnings about possible misunderstandings apply especially strongly, since all participants laughed and talked over each other throughout the talk. This translation was previously posted on my LiveJournal. This is a revised version.

Begin

Takanori : And now, once again we have dragged L’Arc~en~Ciel into this playful corner. Today we have tet-chan and ken-chan!!
(Much clapping)
Kojima : Another month, you guys are back.
ken : Today, I’m kind of uneasy. This morning when I watched the news, they said “Sagittarius, be careful with your mouth!!” (laughter)
ken : Bad day for a talk!
Watanabe : Be careful!
Kojima : Maybe you shouldn’t say anything.
ken : As soon as I heard that, I shut it off. But it’s worrying me! So I can’t help it, I’m watching what I do with my mouth. Today, I’d better stick with bananas.
(Takanori cracks up completely)
Watanabe : Don’t they normally follow up with advice for the day?
ken : But I didn’t hear that part. (Miming shutting off the TV)
(more laughing)
ken : Ah, I’m talking too much already.
Watanabe : At least you watch the news.
ken : Yeah, I watched it.
Someone offscreen : Take care. You don’t have to talk too much.

Takanori : tetsu-kun is acting normal. Talking as much as usual. Whenever he goes on TV he seems so nervous. Aren’t you?
tetsu : It’s not nerves, it’s just consideration.
Takanori : Consideration? (some laughing)
tetsu : It’s better that I not talk much.
Others : Whaat?
tetsu : If I talk too much, it’ll seem like I’m trying to outdo the other people participating.
Kojima : We wouldn’t think that! Fine then, we just won’t talk.
ken : He’s like this in shops, too. Even when he’s with a quiet person. Doesn’t talk.
Takanori : But today it’s ken-kun who’s not supposed to talk much.
Watanabe : He’s talking too much!
Takanori : We should make him talk on purpose! See what happens!

Watanabe : Now, we all know that L’Arc~en~Ciel is popular, but to get sales they have to appeal to all sorts of people! So then, we went to investigate what old ladies in Harajuku think of them!

First ‘fan’ question : When was your first love?

Watanabe : Preschool or something doesn’t count. It has to be someone you actually found attractive.
Kojima : After your hair started coming in. (Note: Puberty)
(much laughter)
tetsu : Must have been middle school.
ken : (Starts to say something about puberty, but starts laughing)
(Everyone is laughing and I can’t pick things out, but it sounds like tetsu is telling ken not to talk about something)
ken : I could trap him with what I know.
(More laughing)
Watanabe : Do you remember what kind of person it was?
tetsu : Ehhh?
Watanabe : What kind of club were they in?
tetsu : Who was it again…?
(Much laughing)
Someone offscreen: Then, tell us about your first date.
tetsu : The first girl I dated. She played volleyball.
Kojima : Volleyball… Were you classmates?
tetsu : Not exactly… (laughing)

Takanori : You two were in the same middle school right?
ken : Yeah.
Hosts mostly over-talking each other : So then did the baseball hero (tetsu points to ken) know the volleyball player girl? Did you know tetsu-kun was dating a volleyball player?
ken : Well… (laughs) Now you’re trapping me! (laughs more)

Watanabe : Now ken-san, tell us about your first love.
ken : I was an early one. (laughs)
Takanori : Energetic, too. (more laughing)
ken : I’m not sure if we’d still recognize each other. (turns to tetsu) My partner <3 Someone offscreen : Now that your hair's come in... Takanori : Don't talk about your partner! (laughs) ken : It's actually really interesting. Even though I shouldn't talk! Someone offscreen : It's OK! Talk anyway. Just watch the perverted stuff. ken: It was in third year of elementary school. We had an exchange diary. Everyone : Ohh! How nice. Kojima : What did you put in it? ken : Nothing like... (starts laughing) Watanabe : We don't have to hear about the weird stuff. Takanori : It must have been nothing but slang words! (laughing and more laughing) ken : I wrote stuff like... we should talk more <3 Watanabe : "We should talk more in school!" And stuff like that. Kojima : "Today, we talked! And it's starting to grow in." (Everyone cracks up) Next 'fan' question : When something is bothering you, how to you settle the problem? Watanabe : You must have things worry you once in a while. tetsu : Yeah, I do. Someone offscreen : Like your work? tetsu : My work, my private life. (nodding) Watanabe : So how do you go about making those problems go away? tetsu : I worry by myself. And I cry, alone. Someone : You cry? tetsu : Yes, I cry. Anjasshu guys : Ehhh. And you admit it so easily. tetsu : Mmhmm. Watanabe : It's like he's proud of it. (lots of laughing) Crying must help him forget. Watanabe : ken-san, how do you clear your mind of worry? Settling your problems? ken : Hmm... Mostly, I sleep. And the next day, I've forgotten about it. People : Ehhh... ken : I sleep, I eat... Takanori : tetsu-kun, you're an A type? (Note : Blood type) tetsu : A type. ken : AB type. Takanori : Ah, so you can get distracted faster. It's easier to take your mind off things. Watanabe : Has anything been bothering you lately? ken : Hmm... No! (laughs) ken : Really, I think my lifestyle of forgetting about things is nice and convenient. Watanabe explains about a part of their campaign with the old ladies, which was a popularity contest between them (Anjashu) and L'Arc. A clip plays of old ladies being asked to choose between two photos, one of each group. They were asked to pick who they would like to have for a son-in-law. Old lady 1 : Hahah.. a cute one would be best! (picks Watanabe) Watanabe : Yes! ken : Uh oh. Old lady 2 : I like this one. Watanabe-kun. He looks like a modern kid. Anjasshu : Oh yeah! Old lady 3 : tetsu-san. I like his face. ken : Why did they use this picture? Old lady 4 : This one. (points to Watanabe) Watanabe : Yay, they're picking me! Old lady 5 : Him! (points to hyde) Hahaha... Old lady 6 : Granny picks this one. (Watanabe again) Ken-chan, is it? Old lady 7 : How about this one? tetsu-san. He's my choice <3 Old lady 8 : I'd take that tetsu-san. He has atmosphere. Old lady 9 : I like this kid. (points to Watanabe) He's a cute kid <3 Watanabe : Yay yay yay! Old lady 10 : I like this kid. tetsu. He's cute. In the studio : Oh! Tied! Screen : Tied with one point remaining! Old lady 11 : This one. (Chooses Watanabe) He has a cute smile. Anjasshu guys : We win!! Bonus : Kojima-san? Somehow, he seems unfriendly. (Much laughter in the studio) Kojima : I thought there was something weird. They always picked you! (points to Watanabe) Watanabe : It's because I'm smiling in the picture! That's what draws them in. Takanori : It's Watanabe vs L'Arc~en~Ciel! Kojima : Not fair! They won't even look at me. Takanori : Yeah, well, tetsu-kun, you almost won. tetsu : But it's a bad picture! Takanori : Yeah, that's the only reason. tetsu : The background is too dark. They should have used one with a brighter colour. And a smiling picture. ken : I don't smile in pictures! (much laughing) Kojima : But even if you smiled, the old ladies would pick us. ken : (smiles) Someone : Cute. (more laughing) Takanori : Ok, so with that in mind, introduce today's song. tetsu and ken : (Smile!) tetsu : Here's L'Arc~en~Ciel! ken : Link! (laughing and clapping, then comes the performance) Transcribed and translated by Natalie Arnold