[NEWS] Daesung’s 1st Japanese pictorial interview 1/4

We heard that Daesung’s Japanese is really good. Why don’t we use Japanese for the entire interview today? (laughs)
No….ah….don’t…

You can speak Japanese now, is that right? You have a lot of schedules though so how did you learn Japanese?
When I have time, I go for Japanese lessons but since I’m always in Korea, I never have the chance to use it because I don’t need to speak Japanese there. I’ll forget it so when I’m in Japan, I always try to talk in Japanese.

Which member’s Japanese is the best? Is it Daesung?
No (laughs). It’s definitely not me. I think it should be Seungri.

When there’s live, the 2 MCs are usually Seungri and you?
But I can’t….Seungri usually leads the MC.

During MC, Seungri is quite reliable isn’t he?
Yes, but only during MC time (laughs).

It’s been a long time since you’ve come back to Japan. How do you feel?
I forgot a lot. Before going to Japan, I studied a lot in Korea so I feel okay. Honestly, after being in Japan for some time I realized I forgot most of my Japanese. I really need to study it again.

Memorizing, forgetting, memorizing…it’s a cycle, but if you set your heart on it and work hard, you will succeed.
Believe and work hard! I read the textbooks so when I come across Japanese words I don’t understand I write it down in my notebook. Seungri learns his Japanese by watching Japanese dramas and movies. The way we learn is different.

Since we’re on the topic already, what was the first Japanese word you remembered?
“Just right”

Why isn’t it “thanks for your hard work” but “just right”? (laughs)
When we were in class, the teacher suddenly shouted “just right!” That wasn’t the first phrase I learned but the one that left an impression on me.

Ah I see.
Actually….what’s the meaning of that word?

It means “just right” in English.
Oh…now I know!

When you encounter words you don’t understand, do you have a habit of asking people about them?
Yes, even if it’s not within the course. Whenever I don’t understand, I always phone my teacher and ask, “excuse me but what does this word mean?” It’s the same for Japanese songs. First I study the lyrics and try to figure out the meaning because if I don’t, I won’t have the passion to sing the song to its fullest.

Daesung has always been hardworking?
I always prepare and study.

So that means your grades must be very good….an A+ student?
Um…………..(shy smile). Let’s not go there (laughs)

What do you think?
Ah…but my mathematics is good! I really like answering questions that makes me think.

When it’s summer vacation, do you have plans to finish your school work?
No, not really because I like to play when it’s summer. I usually leave it till the last few days and finish them all at once.

What do you do during the summer?
Soccer! I’m good in sports..and I like to play with my friends.

Does that mean you can also run away really fast? (laughs)
Yes, as fast as the Olympic athletes…ah well that was just a slight exaggeration (laughs). I’m still like a kid because once I concentrate on 1 thing, I will forget the time so there’s been times where I went home really late. I always make my family worried..

[NEWS] Daesung’s 1st Japanese pictorial interview 2/4 : His personality

You’ve always been the one to create a friendly atmosphere since you were young?
I was a really naughty kid.

Does that mean you would tease the girl you like?
Yes….(eyes widen) You know?! (laughs)

The naughty type…the ones with a weird temper…quite a lot of people are like that.
Weird temper??

These people won’t directly say their feelings out…instead, they will tease.
Yes, I’m completely like that! (laughs)

When was your first love?
I liked a girl from Grade 3 to Grade 7, but I didn’t have the confidence to tell her so that was it…

You’ve liked her for a long time….why did you suddenly give up in Grade 7?
I found out she had a boyfriend..

Ah…what a sad love story. Did anything change for you after that experience? Do you have more confidence telling girls about your feeling now?
No….no way (laughs).

Ah..Daesung really doesn’t like to express his feelings. What about to your BIGBANG members? Can you express your thoughts to them?
I will definitely speak up if it’s about BIGBANG but I don’t like confrontation. I like being honest.

You are the peacemaker then.
Yes, I’m very shy in front of strangers and I usually won’t talk to them first. When I first started getting to know BIGBANG members, I rarely expressed my thoughts.

So when did you start to express your feelings to them?
Hm……since last year.

(laughs) After 5 years of being together…
But I still can’t fully express myself. Hm how should I say this? Our relationship with each other is at the point where we don’t need to talk to know what the others are feeling. It’s not that I’m holding in what I want to say, but this is my personality. There are times where I feel too worried but it’s not only for the members, but other people as well.

Don’t you think it’s tiring?
To be honest, yes…..but I’m used to it. (laughs)

Then have you complained to any of the members?
No.

So, when the members’ feel down, what is something you will definitely do?
I usually don’t say anything directly to make them feel better. I will pretend nothing is wrong and tell some jokes or do something funny to make them laugh.

Have there been times where you suddenly wanted to cry?
I definitely won’t cry when I’m outside, but I will cry when I’m by myself at home. It’s not crying because I felt I was treated wrongly or because I felt sad, but it’s when I watch a movie and it makes me too emotional. I watched ‘Hachiko: A Dog’s Story’ a few days ago and cried…(laughs)

I agree that movie was very sad indeed, but I’m surprised that Daesung cried.
Ever since that accident (Editor’s note: A car accident happened in August, 2009 where Daesung injured his nose and arm. His activities were halted for 4 wks), all my thought process and everything has changed. I felt like I went through hell and back. Nothing is more horrifying than that, so when I encounter things I dislike and I can tell someone to ease my burden, that will make me happy. I changed after that accident…I want to treasure everything in life and I don’t want to waste a second of it.

[NEWS] Daesung’s 1st Japanese pictorial interview 3/4 : Bigbang

What role do you think you play in BIGBANG?
If BIGBANG was family, I think I would be the uncle…the relative..(laughs)

Why did you suddenly say you’re the uncle? Aren’t BIGBANG like a family?
To me, the uncle (relative) will go to the house to play once in awhile. The impression he gives off is that he can make everyone feel alive and happy. I’m not saying that BIGBANG aren’t like family but that we don’t invade each other’s privacy. The uncle does just that – gives them the right amount of space.

That is your ideal? What about the other members?
GD is the father, Taeyang is the mother. GD is a very strict person. As a leader, he always leads BIGBANG into the right direction and is someone you can rely on. Taeyang is a person….that if you stand behind him, nothing else will matter.

What about TOP?
TOP is a newborn baby (laughs). He jokes 80% of the time while 20% is real. He says this himself, that he can express himself clearly. Seungri is the pet (laughs); the miniature poodle. He is really like a puppy. He is never shy…he can get along with almost anyone.

I’ve heard that sometimes he’s too friendly?
That is very true (laughs). On the contrary, I control my emotions too much so I’m quite envious of him.

The 2 of you are complete opposites then. Daesung has a Dorae-Daesung nickname because you like Doraemon a lot? If Doraemon was real, which tool of his would you want? Could it be the time machine door?
Ah…..I really want that door so I can go anywhere (laughs). If I had that, I could go straight from Korea to Japan instantly. I could also go to the concert hall from my home by walking through the door.

Ah right. Since we’re on the topic of concerts, you sang “Cotton Candy” during Electric Love Tour and you thoroughly presented a dream-like world. There was even a video of when you woke up and it let us, the audience come closer to what Daesung is like in real life. It was a performance that only Daesung could do.
Ah…don’t say that…I’ll feel embarrassed (laughs). Even though during the recording, I didn’t feel that at all.

The way you woke up in the video was very well done. You always smile when you wake up?
Yes (laughs), so I am always the first to sleep. I will sleep at 12am if our schedule ends early and then I will naturally wake up at 8am, but as soon as I wake up I have to go on the net and listen to music. I really like using my computer – I’m on before I sleep and after I wake up, so in order to conveniently use my computer, my desk is next to my bed.

Ah so it’s like that…Also, don’t tell me that it was your idea during one of the performances to sing and give bento to audiences?
Yes, that was my idea. Different things in different performances. It’s usually things like chocolates and my handwritten notes….

[NEWS] Daesung’s 1st Japanese pictorial interview 4/4 : His voice

Wow it’s all handmade by you…I can really feel the warmth of Daesung. I also want to ask, how is it like backstage in concerts?
I especially like delivery food (laughs). Ramen, curry, salad, teriyaki…but I can only eat about half during concert time so when I wake up the next morning, I will eat a lot.

You have to run around the stage and use a lot of energy. Do you feel hungry during that time?
Ah…sometimes (laughs). There was once where I saw all the audience faces as food (laughs). I’m just kidding! Truth is, I want to have eye contact with the audience. Holding a concert is because we want to enjoy it with the audience. If one wants to watch a simple live performance then they can watch videos instead. It’s hard to see all the fans in 1 spot at the same time, so that’s why I try to be interactive with the audience.

Ah, when we think of Daesung we automatically think of an overwhelmingly powerful voice. We will remember it even after listening to it once and as a result, whenever we hear your voice, we automatically think of the stage.
Ah, thank you for the praise, it’s an honor. I always sing like I’m on stage.

When did you start to realize how charming your voice is?
No…I haven’t realized it yet…how should I say this…I don’t like my hoarse voice.

Why not? Don’t you get infatuated with your own voice when you sing?
No, no. My throat isn’t good so I’m don’t have confidence with my voice. We begin to practice early in the morning when we have a live performance and when we record new songs, we listen to it everyday. We think about the melody, the lyrics and the best way to combine the 2 together. Each BIGBANG member have their own parts in the song so we have to perform our best in each of our roles.

When we receive new songs, we listen to the other members’ parts once and then grasp the correct feeling. After that, we have to consider how to balance our voices out so that each of us can express our own individual colors. BIGBANG is a group so we can’t only let 1 person be conspicuous. We have to consider all the members. That’s what I think.

Who is Daesung’s idol?
Brian McKnight. It’s difficult to describe his charm…you have to feel it. Mm how should I explain it in words…

You need to think with your brain when you learn about reason and facts, but when it’s about music you can only use your feeling? There has to be a reason behind this.
Oh yes, I just realized there’s a difference between music and that (laughs). I feel warmth whenever I listen to his songs. Like my fans who feel warmth when they listen to my songs, so I will continue to sing with all my heart.

Finally as a very last question…what do you want the most right now?
To be more popular in Japan…as BIGBANG…also want to be number 1 in Japan. As for myself, all I want are my fans’ love…

Not enough, not enough….if you want the fans’ love, Daesung also has to love the fans.
I always fill my songs with love, so everyone…please come love me (laughs).