From Graph December 2003, Feelings: Kiriya Hiromu

[matataku_hoshi]

Many, many thanks to

sumire_no_hana, kozuki, mizukusa, and anyone else I may have missed for their help.  You guys are lifesavers.  There are still a couple of places that I feel unsure about, but I think this is as good as it's going to get for the moment.  May go back later before putting this on the TakaWiki.

 

Do not repost or retranslate without getting permission first.  

Note: Kiriyan missed most of the Tokyo run of Takarazuka Floral Diary/Senor Don Juan and both runs of Bridge of Tears, Bridge of Smiles due to illness.  This article was published in December 2003, which would have been right around when she returned to perform in Seal of Roses.

Love 

Because I have killed even things like plants, I thought I really wasn’t the type to own things like pets.  Recently, though, I encountered a French Bulldog named Finch and I resolved to own him (laugh).  From the beginning I liked dogs whose noses were a little squished over little cute ones with pointed noses.  I liked bulldog lineage dogs and I always wanted to own one.  Because Finch has a roly-poly body, whenever I’m holding him, I start feeling just like I’m holding a human baby and one way or another I start feeling maternal (laugh).  Moreover, because I’m entrusted with his life, I also start feeling like I have to be responsible.  While I was out sick, I saw the form of the growing Finch munching his food and becoming vigorous, and I thought I also had to eat heartily and become well.  I thought for the sake of making this dog eat his food I also had to do my best.  Because of this, if he wasn’t there, I think I probably wouldn’t have been able to return as quickly as I did.  I love you, I love you, I love you even more than I should, but I love you! 

Peace of Mind

Whenever Finch sleeps with me, he always puts his head on the pillow (laugh).  For me now, I have Tempur pillows that I fancy, but whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, even though my head comes off the pillow, Finch does things like putting his head on the pillow and sleeping and putting his head on my neck and shoulders and making heavy squealing snoring noises in his sleep.  But even when I have to put up with his loud snoring and he does things like stealing my pillow and using me as a pillow, when I’m sleeping with Finch, I have a feeling of great peace of mind.  The time I spend at the end of the day with Finch goes by in a flash, but it’s the time when I have the greatest peace of mind. 

Enjoyment

This year I was unfortunately out sick and I was a nuisance and caused trouble to many people.  For me it was an extremely painful occurrence, but when I look at this situation positively, during my sick leave I decided to enjoy various experiences in my own way.  Until now I didn’t have hobbies or, I didn’t have time for that purpose, but within the time when I experienced for the first time being hospitalized and being on sick leave, I was able to take up a lot of hobbies.  Things like going on walks with Finch and taking care of bonsai house plants, as well as things I had done once before like challenging myself with ceramics.  Because I think until now I wasn’t enjoying that side of life, in a way of from now on reveling in my life more, I want to treasure my hobbies. 

Impatience

I was the type to carelessly be in a rush and become impatient.  However, because I experienced life being hospitalized and on sick leave, I think I’ve become much more patient.  Recently, inside of me I have an illusion of a feeling that time is relaxed and drifting and I’ve been able to be at ease with my emotions.  Because of this I think having to take time off from performing made me more mature.  Other people may even now see me as impatient, but when I compare it with myself up until now, I think “Hasn’t my tempo slowed down?” and that I’ve become less impatient.  Because of this, I want to from now on more and more spend time at ease.

Satisfaction

The curtain on our next Grand Theater show will open soon, and I think that really the stage is the place where my self lives.  Until now I thought this kind of thing was ordinary, but it was a moment that wasn’t ordinary, and so again, it appears I’ve returned to daily life, but now doing rehearsal is really fun.  My Takarazuka colleagues, the fans who kindly worried about me, I am spending time together with many of you and I have a feeling of being filled with happiness and satisfaction.  Because I think that I will without fail be satisfied more and more when I stand on the stage, I want to from now on without forgetting this feeling treasure it.  Now, from the bottom of my heart, I am filled with a tremendous feeling of gratitude.

Becca’s commentary: For all that everyone likes to poke fun at Kiriyan and her obsession with her dog, I really get the impression that Finch saved her life, or at the very least her sanity.  From what I can tell Kiriyan has always been very ambitious and perfectionistic (I say this in an endearing way).  Having to miss two show runs, one of which was supposed to be her lead, must have really dampened her spirit.  I read somewhere that she had started feeling sick as early as the Chunichi run of “At the End of a Long Spring.”  In any case, we probably have Finch to thank for Kiriyan being able to come back and be as truly wonderfully gay as she was in Bara no Fuuin.

Comments

[koneko-desu.livejournal.com]

What I wouldn't give to be Finch :3 Using Kiriyan as a pillow? YES PLEASE! XDD So cute <3<3~~~

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hope to be reborn in my next life as either Finch or a Pandora lackey XD

[faux-semblant.livejournal.com]

this interview is so interesting!!!! thanks so much for the translation.
And do you know exactly what was her illness? it seems she spend a lot of time in hospital .

And dogs are wonderful

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

I can't remember off the top of my head what she had...I think the rumors said that it was some kind of auto-immune disease?

[ruderal-species.livejournal.com]

Aw, it's cute how much she loves her dog. I don't think it's silly at all (but then, some would think it's crazy the way I dote on my cats, so there you go...)

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

My family used to have two dogs. One of them died about a month ago. My mom called me about it in the morning, but unfortunately I still had to go into work. I went through the day in a depressed daze, and I had no idea how to explain to my Japanese colleagues the reason why I was so upset. I wasn't sure if they'd take me seriously (in the end my principal was very sympathetic, but I'm getting off topic).

In any case, the upshot of this is that it made me feel better to think that Kiriyan would understand. For me (and it sounds like for you with your cats), my dogs were/are part of the family.

[dark-toothfairy.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the transalation of this interview <33!

It gives some insight into Kiriyan's emotional turmoil due to her sickness and how all that changed her way of thinking. I'm really glad she had Finch to cheer her up and give her even more reasons to get better and recover fast.

I love you, I love you, I love you even more than I should, but I love you!

aw, so adorable!

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

I think we all should be grateful to Finch for this reason :D

[shirabyoshi.livejournal.com]

I commented on a couple of bits of this as you were working, and what I said then still stands: I love a woman who isn't afraid to make an unholy fuss over her dog. :D Thank you for the translation!

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

Oh, agreed completely. I was thinking about this theory the other day about how most dog people are Kiriyan fans while most cat people are Yuuhi fans, but then I remembered that you like cats (although apparently dogs too).

[kozuki.livejournal.com]

I really like the translation, it was a good article to translate.

I can understand Kiriyan's love of Finch. Nothing wrong with loving your dog.

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

It's a really cute series of articles. I might try to do another one eventually.

[wao-wao.livejournal.com]

Aww. <333 The whole thing is really sweet, and your translation seems good to me!!

[muffin-song.livejournal.com]

I got that issue in the freebie bin at Takarazuka-an. It turned out to be a really good find ^^

I'm glad that the translation doesn't at least appear to be crawling with errors. I worry sometimes >_<;