Madousho #23 (Aug. 2004) To Mon+amour International members: As noted on the Mon+amour International Join page, the first Madousho to be sent to the platinum members (who joined during the months of July and August) will be the September 2004 issue. However, due to the fact that the September issue will contain Part 2 of Mana's France Travelogue interview, we thought we'd better translate Part 1 featured in the August issue and start from there. It was also Mana's wish that the interview be read in its entirety by Mon+amour International members. Unfortunately we have no actual August edition available to send, but to make up for that we have translated the entire context of it, so here it goes. Enjoy! A Day with Mana-sama - Japan Expo July 4th, 2004 - 12:30 Mana-sama left the hotel and got into a car that took him to the Expo Center. Earlier that day, Mana-sama had gotten up before anyone else, and by noon, he had sauntered out of the hotel in full make-up and costume, ready to face the day in Paris. 13:00 Mana-sama arrived at Paris la Defense where Japan Expo was being held. As soon as he stepped in, the press, with translators armed at their sides, greeted Mana-sama and interviews began. 14:00 Moving swiftly from the press to the venue, the film concert began. Live footage of the Moi dix Mois concert, a history of Mana-sama, and a specially edited film were presented to the packed audience. Mana-sama seemed to relax as he heard the familiar cheering of his fans, which started no sooner had the images started rolling. As if unable to contain himself, while the film was running, Mana-sama kept on going back to the side curtains to confirm with his own eyes, the reactions of the audience. After half an hour of the film presentation, it finally came time for Mana-sama to come out on to the stage. Public Conference: nearly half an hour of Question and Answer time for the audience. Even with the translator standing in between, and all the fans still eager to have their questions answered, all good things must come to an end as they eventually did at the Expo. 15:30 No sooner is he off from the stage that the interviews resumed once again in the anteroom. After the interviews, cameras flashed away at him endlessly, but he seemed at ease, enjoying a short moment of rest. At one point, a translator asked for his guitar case to be autographed and Mana-sama readily agreed. 16:15 For this event, 200 lucky fans were given a chance to shake hands with Mana-sama and receive autographs from him. One fan was heard exclaiming uncontrollably "Oh, he is very sexy!!" while others expressed joy in French. This continued for nearly two hours. 18:00 The last interview was with the magazine "ELLE" which is popular in Japan as well. Showing no sign of being worn-out, Mana-sama expressed his strong feelings towards his European fans. 18:30 With all the day's events carried out as planned, Mana-sama, whose boundless energy surpassed that of anyone else's, had to practically be dragged out of the Hall. Well-done Mana-sama! To all the fans who came from Japan, and to all the fans who came from not only France, but from all over the world to meet Mana-sama: Thank you so much! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Madousho #23 (Aug. 2004) An In-depth Interview with Mana by Mademoiselle L France Travelogue (Part 1 of 2) As a guest for Japan Expo held in Paris, France, for this issue we would like to ask about the first half of your stay. Let's begin by asking about the flight since I know that was a bit of a concern for you. M: The flight is nearly 12 hours so I prepared for it by not getting any sleep the night before. On this flight, the Executive Class had been furnished with the newest model shell-shaped seats, so I was promised a most comfortable ride... but actually nothing I did could make me fall asleep. So I decided to be French about the whole thing, and drank a few glasses of wine... Did that deliver to you the much-needed sleep? M: I don't know if it was because I drank champagne along with the wine, but I ended up having a splitting headache. (Laughs) So finally, I just gave up on the whole notion and turned my attention to the love-romance movie that was on. I almost never watch those typical love stories, but I gave it a try this time. Well, I call it a typical film, but it was actually about this girl with a memory disorder, so I ended up watching it pretty intently. It made me think; I shouldn't be so critical of love stories all the time. So you got to enjoy the film, and by the time you landed it was late afternoon in France? M: That's right. That day, I met the staffs that were organizing the event, and all of us decided to go out for dinner. I rode the metro to Champ Elysees. My plan was to order a nice big fat, juicy piece of steak, hopefully with the blood still visible, at a good French restaurant. That was how I planned to replenish some life back into me after the long flight. Instead though, what I got was a too-well-done, burnt completely black, crispy piece of meat. That was a bit of a shock to me, but the raw ham and fruit plate was amazing, and I was thoroughly satisfied. After we left the restaurant, we decided to climb the steps of the Arc de Triomphe.   That couldn't have been easy for you, what with the l2 hour flight from Japan. M: Yeah, my legs got really stiff from climbing all the steps. What did you think about Paris seen from the top of Arc de Triomphe? M: More than anywhere else, at that moment, it sank in that I had finally come to Paris. Around this time of the year, the sun doesn't go down in France until about 10pm, so it's light outside for the longest time. For a while there I almost believed that it was still really early, and this gave me such a great feeling, like I wanted to stay out and party forever. After we climbed the Arc de Triomphe, we walked the Champs Elysees, which was lit up by then. Words like "So this is the great Paris" escaped out of my mouth. After that we got back on the metro and went back to our hotel.   What are Mana-sama's impressions of the landscapes of Paris? M: The city itself is art. There are various regulations to conserve certain Parisian characteristics. I'm use to seeing Japan's anything-goes city planning, so Paris' uniformed beauty really impressed me. Oh yeah, the Louis Vuitton shop on Champ Elysees was under construction, but the outside wall was in the design of a gigantic logo monogram bag. I was impressed to see that, they went as far as to spend money on something like that!   That was amazing. In Japan as well, Louis Vuitton is very meticulous about the covering during construction, but when it's displayed in Paris, it looks all the more fashionable. M: It really is something, and that sort of clear-cut, image branding may be something I want to learn more about as well.   So that was the first day of Paris for you. What did you do the next day? M: From the afternoon, we went to check out the venue at Japan Expo. It's only pretty recently that my stuff got released in Europe, and there hadn't been much in the ways of promotion either. So I really hadn't expected to be recognized, and I stepped in without giving it much thought. But the local security personnel were more than worried that I would be recognized and that there might be a panic, which would be dangerous. The situation caught me off guard because the mood was unbelievably tense. So it seems like you're a major star overseas as well. M: Well, there really was a fuss on security; it got me thinking that by creating such a commotion, we might attract even more attention. But when I finally entered the Expo, I was instantly recognized, and you could see the crowd around me picking up on the vibe. Needless to say, the security people grew more anxious as well. I went in my regular clothes so I was sure no one would notice but... my only regret is that I was ushered by the security personnel so that I didn't have time to get a look around. What was the Japan Expo (held from July 2nd through 4th) like? M: It was an event to introduce the Japanese culture to the public, and there were things like kimonos and traditional Japanese crafts on display. Many people from all over Europe had showed up, and it was a delight to find out that so many people were attracted in some way to our culture.   I heard it was so popular that there was people outside, that never got to go in. M: The level of interest did surprise me. Just finding out what people's impressions were on Japan made this trip worth it, and I think that had a lot to do with the anticipation I felt going into the concert later. There was actually a booth selling Moi dix Mois CDs and goods, and guarded tightly by security, I secretly watched the goings-on. I was thrilled to see that the stuff sold so well.   The day you first got your look at the Japan Expo was also the opening day, but the tickets for the Hand-shaking event sold-out instantly, and didn't last the day. M: Yeah, I was actually worried that no one would even want to shake hands with me, and that I would be left utterly alone. So when I heard that news, I was both surprised and very relieved. So, I guess that's how the day ended: on a good note. Oh yeah, actually after that we went to watch the "Wikipedi" at the Opera Bastille. Were you inspired in any way? M: As soon as the curtains were lifted, we were introduced to a grayish, surreal world, where everyone's faces were painted white, and someone even seemed to have an Eiffel tower sticking out of their head. (Laughs) The whole thing was so avant-garde it really got me! It was the first time for me to see this type of modern opera, so I had a lot to learn from, like how the settings were presented and the various methods of presentation in the performance. So you got to experience an European opera. By the way, were you affected in any way by the jet lag? M: I barely felt it. I lead a life in Japan where nights and days are basically flipped anyways so being in France, I didn't encounter much problems. That's good. Were you able to wake up to a nice morning on your second day? M: Normally in Japan, there's barely a time when I ever wake up early and eat breakfast. But being in France, I thoroughly enjoyed the Parisian buffet style breakfast. Problem was though, when that got to be the third day, even I could get a little tired of it, so instead we went to a Chinese restaurant. They didn't have any of the sweet-and-sour pork that I like, so I got the sweet-and-sour chicken instead. It tasted like it was made out of gum syrup! Apparently, after asking around, I found out that the French really like their food sweet. So I guess I did experience a "French style" breakfast after all. The cuisines may be where you experience one of the biggest cultural differences. After breakfast, you went in search for places to shoot your videos. Where did that take you to? M: We went to art museums and to the Boulogne forest. In the forest, there were art pieces made by young artists. These foreign objects placed amongst nature gave both a strange and surreal impression. There were also swans or geese or ducks or whatever they were, in the forest.   I think swans and geese and ducks are all pretty different. (Laughs) M: Really? To me, they all look the same. All I know is there were large, white birds in the vicinity.   Well, white and large blocks out the possibility of ducks and geese, I think. (Laughs) M: Well, all I know is I had fun seeing everything there. All of a sudden a jungle you would expect to find in the Amazon would loom over you, or a fall might come up ahead of you, so the setting was just brilliant. After that, since my idea is that, if you're in France, you gotta eat crepes, we went to get that. I was all set to devour it, but the amount of that thing is amazing! I got nowhere close to finishing it... (Laughs) ======================================================================================================================================= Madousho #23 (Aug. 2004) An In-depth Interview with Mana by Mademoiselle L France Travelogue (Part 1 of 2) After that, we took a walk around the Notre Dame. The cathedral looks great seen from across the Seine, but when you get closer to it, you see that there are all these over grown trees all around it that are blocking the great view. That really is a shame, and it made me think, hurry up and get rid of the thing. So would you like to take advantage of this moment and make a statement? M: Yeah, sure, aren't those trees a little long? I beg for the care of those trees. Would that be good enough? We hope your wishes will be answered. So after the photo shoots, you met up with the concert organizer for France and Germany, right? M: Yeah we received an offer to do concerts in France and Germany, so there was a get-together. It was a French gentleman and a German lady, and apparently they were in a band themselves. Both were dressed head to toe in black, and you just know they're some sort of artists. Real cool, nice people. We went out to eat with them, and him being French, he lectured me on the French language, and I had a great time.   It seems to me that you were practically being bombarded by questions yourself. M: We each have are own views on music and at times the talk got heated, but I enjoy that sort of challenging talk anytime. After that, leaving the restaurant to get back to the hotel, if it was Japan, I would without a doubt, stop by at a convenience store. The thing is, you can't find it in France, so instead I went to the closest thing there was, which are the local stores run by the Arabs. (Pronounced "Arabu-ya" in Japanese.) I went to the store so often, I really owe a lot to them. I don't know why, but I love the sound of the word "Arabu-ya" as well. (Laughs) So after that night out, the next day was Japan Expo. M: Yeah, I had to go straight from the hotel I was staying at to the venue. I had my whole gear and make-up on ahead of time at the hotel, and the stares I got there! People couldn't take their eyes off of me, and the stares just bore into me, you know like, "What is he supposed to be?" looks. At the venue, I went through some interviews.   Were the interviews somewhat different from what you were use to in Japan? M: Different, no doubt. Every interview had that one question: "How much time do you spend on the makeup?" So I really got the feeling that this sort of makeup fascinates them. Also in the fashion magazine "ELLE," I got a lot of questions on Moi-meme-Moitie. I really felt the European's interest in Gothic-Lolita fashion, which is a great thing. So after the interviews, you had the film concert. M: The capacity of the hall was about a 1000, in actuality though, there was way more than that on the actual day of the concert. I later found out that there were people outside who couldn't come in. I felt bad finding out that there were people who had taken the time to come down to the Expo, but never got to enter. Until I actually got to France, I never knew just how much support I had in Europe. When the curtains were lifted and Shadows Temple started playing, it was like people thought there was going to be a real concert, with singing and everything: there was so much cheering and screaming. It was such a moment; you can't blame me for getting a little teary there.   It was even more than you had anticipated, wasn't it? M: For some reason, I had expected a quieter audience, so the level of power generated by this audience just struck me.   So the audience seemed to enjoy themselves. How did the rest of the film concert carry out? M: After the film was shown, I went out on to the stage, but the procedure was different from the way it's usually done in Japan, so there were too many glitches. Like the presenter stepped out before the images ended, or when the presenter announced, "Now I finally present to you, Mana-sama!" this macho guy came out of nowhere before me. It was like, so this is Mana-sama. (Laughs) It was all too... I don't know, surreal? Was there anything memorable during the Question and Answer that time you can tell us? M: I guess because there aren't too many chances like this for the audience, there were so many hands up in the air, and that made me happy. Also, everyone was sweet because every time a question was answered, they would clap. Amidst the huge success of this film concert and public talk, you moved on to the handshaking event. M: Yes, here as well, the exciting fashion of the men stood out, and there were even people who presented their CDs, profiles, etc., and all but insisted that I become their producer. It was incredible. Only thing is, there were so many security personnel. There were close to 10 people guarding me, and even I felt intimidated. (Laughs) Possibly because it was carried out in this sort of intense environment, compared to the hypertension seen at the concert, the fans seemed a little bit quieter.   They were very quiet. But actually outside, there were fans that had broken down and were completely in tears, overcome from seeing you in person. Apparently, the people at the handshaking event had been told by the organizers to "Be as quiet as possible." M: I found out later that that had happened, and even now, I wish that I could have been there in person, to directly take on their emotions. One of the presents I got that day was a collection of messages written on Polaroid pictures of the fans at the event. It gave me an idea of the various fans that had showed up, as well as leaving me with great memories of that day. The Expo really is full of memories for me. It simply made me happy to find out people here knew so much about me, that they owned my CDs, and that they welcomed me so warmly upon my arrival. My feelings on not just Europe, but overseas, may have shifted significantly as a result. So there were some unexpected occurrences, but overall, the first overseas event can be called a success, I take it? M: Exactly. The whole experience was more than I had ever imagined it would be, and I hope someday I can make a European concert come true It really is a relief that the Japan Expo ended in such success! Where did you go afterwards? M: For the after party, we went to a Korean Restaurant, and I was grateful to finally get my hands on some rice. I guess I can't go on for long without it. Also, on this day, there was a soccer game; Greece versus Portugal, that Greece had won. The whole city seemed to be in celebration of it, with Greek flags all over the place, and half naked men running and screaming. A real fever pitch. They really were enjoying themselves. (Laughs) M: People who didn't know each other seemed to come together for the celebration, like "I don't know you, but what the hell, we're all getting along tonight." In the midst of it, I'm a real lone wolf so no way I could join like that, which is a little tragic I suppose.   That's not true, it would have been a little shocking for us if Mana-sama had so readily joined in. (Laughs) M: But that sort of mood is infectious, and it made me not want to go home yet, so we decided to go to another place. In town, we accidentally bumped into the concert organizer we met on the second day, as well as the interview press team we had met at the Expo. So we all decided to drink together. The amazing thing is, as it turns out, some of the people who had interviewed me earlier, had been great fans since the Malice Mizer days, and had even come to the concert in Tokyo... that really took my breath away.   To have drinks with so many foreign acquaintances must have been a rare experience for you, even in Tokyo, it must not happen very often. M: It was something I couldn't have experienced in Japan. That may have been why I felt a little giddy, and picked up some tequila to drink. Speaking of liquors, I'm thinking about studying a little bit more on wine because lately I'm enjoying the taste more and more. I've come to be able to differentiate between the various tastes.   So that concludes your long day. M: Yeah, I think that's about it for the first day of the Expo. On the second day, we had made plans to meet the translating staff that had worked with us on a Malice Mizer promotional video in 1997 France. We had arranged to meet at a cafe, but as it turns out, it took them forever to show up. (Laughs) I think I've gotten use to waiting around now. When you've lived all your life in the island of Japan, it seems your patience is put to a test in France. M: It is, isn't it? It seems to take about two to three hours just to get through a meal in France. It's just such a laid back style compared to the Japanese way of life. As we waited for them to arrive, we drank some cafe au lait. We heard that the sweet toothed French have a habit of munching on the sugar cubes that come along with the coffee. Well, we tried it as well, dipping it into the coffee and crunching on the sugar. Well, it actually wasn't bad at all, although one sugar cube is my limit. It seems like you gave a lot of things a try. Like that saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do?" M: Being in France, one thing I did keep in mind at all times, was that I would do as much as possible in the French way. You always have to have a flexible mind after all. Let go of your perceptions and just go with the flow, as its often said. It's best to be open to everything that comes your way. You're unnaturally accepting. M: Yeah, I suppose so. One of my policies is to that I should always try to rupture preconceived notions, so I don't ever want to be hung up on what is accepted as the norm. Once you get in the habit of thinking only inside a certain box; one form of reality your familiar with, then I think you stop producing new ideas. The reason why I've chosen music in the first place is because I always want to be stimulated in some way or another. Of course, it is essential to have knowledge of the classics and the history of things, and from there, figure out a way to fuse that with what is avant-garde in order to break new grounds in music. The ultimate goal is breaking down logic. There is nothing more utterly boring than to simply act on logic. I can't help but think that on a daily basis.   So you did just that in France. After spending time at the cafe, what did you do next? M: I got on a bus for the first time to see around Paris. Unlike in Japan, there you can travel on a bus and the subway with the same travel ticket. Also, it's one price regardless of distance (within the certain limit) so it's very tourist-friendly. Whereas in Japan, it's all so detailed, just buying one bus ticket is a real hassle. Although I have to admit, it's been a while since the last time I rode on a bus in Japan. On the Metro, I discovered accordion players, and platforms with violin and piano players brightening up the stark underground space. So that night, this underground took me to a long-established French diner where, for the first time in my life, I tasted escargots. Escargots they may be called, but to me they're simply "snails." I just can't stand the way their eyes poke out like that, you know? Once I placed it in my mouth though, there's no way of getting around it: they taste good. So that was another new experience for me.   Well, maybe it helps that the escargots aren't served with the eyes popping out. (Laughs) The waiters were all very "entertaining" too, weren't they? M: They were all very frank and they didn't care at all for the details of things, such as cracked plates, or practically throwing the napkins instead of handing it to you. I guess such bold actions are great fun to observe though.   That's definitely true. So please tell us about your next day. M: Ok, the next day, the local cameraman and coordinator that had assisted us through the various events, took us to a French bakery that was famous for its excellent baguettes. Unfortunately, since there were so many pigeons and sparrows flying around the place, and I'm absolutely horrible with animals, I sat eating my baguette feeling slightly scared. Can you believe it? Birds actually all over the store. Apparently though, the French aren't bothered at all by this. They must be use to it, because I was the only one there freaking out every two seconds. (Laughs)   It was quite a sight. Did you enjoy the taste of the baguette though? M: It was without a doubt, very delicious. I was really impressed and couldn't help thinking "The French sure know what they're doing." Seriously. After that, we went around the city just taking in the various scenery. Our cameraman in Japan, Mr. T flew over for shooting that day, and we all went on a walk around Montmartre to check out any possible shooting locations.   So you got to enjoy some relaxing times. Did anything strange or funny happen? M: Actually, there was one slightly disastrous occurrence. I bought a mysterious orange juice on the day of the Expo, but I left it untouched. We changed hotels the next day so it was placed in my suitcase, but it actually burst inside. That doesn't sound good. You must have been shocked when you opened it. M: No, actually I didn't realize it when I opened the suitcase. There was this really distinctive odor, and I remember thinking my clothes smelled strange. However, I just thought very optimistically that traveling and being in a different county did that. (Laughs) I didn't realize it for a while, but afterwards I realized it was the mystery orange juice that was at fault. It was very outrageous. Did you wash everything yourself? M: Yes, I washed the whole suitcase. The guidebook that I had brought was soaked in orange juice too and it had a smell all its own. Before going to sleep, I picked it up to read some pages, but the smell was unbelievable and I had to stop practically before I started.   I had a bad feeling about that orange juice too. It looked evil. (Laughs) M: You think so too? Orange juices aren't supposed to smell like that at all! What was that? (Laughs) I had various other juices packed in my suitcase; it's just my luck that the one with the worst smell bursts.   So that incident wraps up our report of the first half of the trip in France. (Laughs) For the next issue, we would like to continue our talk, with questions directed toward the filming that took place. To Be Continued...