[TRANS] 160405 Dramatic voice that charmed the world; Singer, Musical actor Kim Junsu’s Interview!

Japanese Translator’s note: It seems it is an interview inside the company magazine of a cosmetics company called Amore Pacific.
xiahjunjjyu’s note: I do not want to and like to translate source in Korean through the Japanese translations, but this time I wanted to share this so I went through the effort. Many thanks to the fan who translated from Korean to Japanese. Forgive me if there are any discrepancies in the translations.

Dramatic voice that charmed the world

Singer, Musical Actor Kim Junsu

Kim Junsu turned 30 years old this year. After debuting as the member of the K-Pop group ‘Dong Bang Shin Ki’ in 2003, is independent as the group ‘JYJ’, right now does activities as a solo singer and musical actor, and is meeting the fans through various works. Kim Junsu who uses the name called “XIA” in the time of doing activities as a solo singer. From Xiah Junsu to Kim Junsu, then to XIA. Unstoppable by the constant new transformations, the world’s fans who are enchanted by his unique voice even now send hot praises.

Recently, how are you spending your days?

I finished the performance of Musical <Dracula> a few days ago and am taking a short rest. Though it was the second performance to go up following in 2014, the cast called Dracula is a role for which you have to manifest the power of imagination and at the same time it is a role who passionately loves one woman so to be 100 percent absorbed in it, I concentrated a lot of energy.

Recently you successfully finished the fourth ‘Ballad & Musical Concert’. Though it was 3 performances on weekdays, all seats were recorded to be sold out in 5 minutes. How was the performance?

Orchestra of 60 people and also 30 people chorus participated, more than the previous performance was able to show the musical element far more grandly and richly. Seeing the fans who fill up the hall, during the performance energy appears all the time and I believe, I appeared on stage with more of my utmost effort. Inside the cold winter, hot atmosphere I was able to finish off the year with the fans, there was deep meaning (to it).

A performance called, ‘Ballad & Musical Concert’ is not familiar, how did you come to start it?

In the middle of watching small theatre performances, musical, gala shows etc., various performances, this idea came to my mind. Different from the performances where I meet my fans after releasing an album, ‘I want to try and do a performance where only the music and my voice completely exists,’ I had such a thought. Concert done together with a band or possibly furthermore an orchestra. Differing from a performance stressed show, I dreamt of a show where the vocals could be focused on. ‘Ballad & Musical Concert’ is not just the songs performed on the musical stage, but normally the songs I liked, the OST songs etc. that I wasn’t able to perform on live stage, I was able to have people listen to it, it is a concert again with a different charm than my existing music performances.

Kim Junsu, who in 2010 through the Musical ‘Mozart!’ attempted to transform into a musical actor, simultaneously with his debut set up a record astonishing the world. Each respective show recorded sold out and his vocal merit was known widely, to the extent that audiences from Japan gathered. Encouraged by popularity, he became qualified to be called, ‘the only actor who sold out all 3000 seats of all the shows’ of Sejong Arts Centre, a domestic theatre which accommodates the most number of audiences. After this, Kim Junsu starred in the works, ‘Tears of Heaven’, ‘Elizabeth’, ‘December, the unfinished song’, ‘Dracula’, ‘Death note’ etc., and stood towering over others as the musical star who firmly defended his ticket power.

In each of the works performed, a unique character is unfolded right. While selecting a musical what is Kim Junsu’s only criterion?

There is also [that I] draw the whole picture while looking at the script however, decisively what moves my heart is music. While listening to the ‘numbers’, the songs compiled in the musical, I also imagine myself on stage singing the song. No matter what kind of work it may be, even if the number that moves my heart is one song, in that case my mind becomes that, ‘I have to do this musical’.

Do you think that you want to learn more deeply about musicals and want to work in musical works oversees or do you have any dreams towards a global stage?

In the stages oversees there are far more genres of music than domestic has, as there are many works that I still haven’t attempted, I do have the thought to try and do it if there is an opportunity. A good opportunity will come if I steadily build up my career through the various works domestically no? (laugh)

Few days ago ‘Death note’ received the popularity award in the ’11th Golden Ticket Awards’ right.

It is an honour that every year through musicals I have become able to receive excellent awards. So that the audiences return satisfied with my performance to that extent, I keep on continuing and become determined to show an even better form. Especially since the popularity award is an award selected directly by the fans, it has a furthermore meaning to it. As much as the many love I received, this year as well I will repay with a good stage.

Kim Junsu left from ‘Dong Bang Shin Ki’ which was a 5-membered K-Pop group, started activities as a 3-membered group ‘JYJ’ together with Park Yoochun and Kim Jaejoong in 2010. After this, with JYJ’s name started to rise to oversees stages in Japan, China etc., their songs earned popularity in the global market as well, and also achieved the result of being the first amongst K-Pop groups to successfully finish a tour concert comprising of Europe and South America.

Last year they received lots of love from the domestic and foreign fans with their regular album and mini album. Recently you were also able to meet 80,000 fans through the Asia Tour but what kind of response do the oversees fans have?

When I go for oversees performances, they excessively come to receive me at the airport. Because after all we do not meet so much, in proportion to that it seems like they have a fervent heart. The other day at the Taiwan concert, before the translator translated, the fans gave a response of understanding my words, I was really surprised. Because of me they started learning Korean (language). Although it is an oversees concert, like a domestic concert the fans immediately respond on the spot, I believe I attended to an enjoyable concert full with energy.

Even though you haven’t broadened into any special activities, what do you think is the secret to have acquired hot popularity?

Nonetheless I think it is music. From the beginning they liked my music, right now, it seems like they love my form on stage just the way it is. When you look at the fans who visit Korea from oversees in order to see my musical, I always vow to my heart that I have to repay them with the best stage.

It seems there is a special corner in Kim Junsu’s concert. Please introduce it briefly.

It is ‘Genie time’. It is a corner in the midway of the concert, it is a corner where I listen to three requests that the fans wish for. In the beginning it was to the degree of ‘please sing this song’ , ‘please dance this dance’ but
the fans requests are increasingly progressing and right now directly editing the songs like a karaoke medley and putting it in a USB, fans who make the music sheet of the songs they want to hear has also increased. Right now, what kind of requests the fans will bring, is a bit to the degree of being startled. (laugh)

In the time when you don’t have a concert or activities, mainly doing what do you spend it? Do you have a hobby or activities you find enjoyable.

Sometimes, I improve my stamina while playing soccer. There are also days, to the point that, I leave to go play soccer after finishing my schedule. The time I take a day off, I spend by going to travel with my close dongsaengs as well as also go for gourmet (food).

This year you turned 30 years old. In your tens and twenties you broadened active activities as a singer and as a musical actor. How will Kim Junsu’s thirties become like? Do you have any new field that you would like to challenge?

There are words that I often say since I entered my thirties. ‘Man is from his thirties!’ (laugh) Though if given the opportunity I want to challenge drama and movies as well, still I want to focus meeting the audience as a singer, as a musical actor on stage. From now on, I will slowly show a charm again different from the Kim Junsu in his twenties, so please anticipate it furthermore.

Before anyone knew it is the 13th year since debut. From now on, as what kind of artist does Kim Junsu want to be remembered as? He in one go said, “not betraying the time and trouble of the people who come to my concert, I want to remain as an actor who showcases the best performance.” If you remember, when Kim Junsu is on stage, the sensitivity placed on the faintly shaking low tone and the roughness put into the high-pitched tone which overflows like it’s about to explode, you can guess to what degree the efforts regarding his music are. Kim Junsu added, “‘vocalist who loves music’ and ‘artist who musically believes and listens’, these words make me most happy.” He, who is trying to be an artist who constantly unhindered by a given position, opens to new ventures and progresses, his dream is becoming a reality on the stage.

Trans: Everyone of the employees of Amore Pacific who guides Asian Beauty, Fighting!
XIA

Source: ASIAN BEAUTY CREATOR
Kor-Jap Translations by: XIA Wonderland❤시아원더랜드
Jap-Eng translations by: xiahjunjjyu of XIAOVERFLOWER
Shared by: XIAOVERFLOWER + JYJ3