Shift Arakawa/ETERNAL GOD
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A Theatre Writer’s Observation Diary (Arakawa Shift)
Backstage Stories| Tsuzuru | Alright, once again, good work for the collab performance. |
| Thanks for everything. | |
| Madoka | Same here, I really appreciate it. |
| Thanks for your work. | |
| Tsuzuru | I wanted to chat more during our closing party, but I couldn't talk calmly since the atmosphere there made me nervous. |
| But today, we’re just two playwrights meeting to celebrate the completion of our collaborative performance. | |
| Madoka | Yes. I'm happy since I wanted to chat with you too, Minagi-san. |
| I said this during the party, too, but… | |
| I learned a lot being able to collaborate on the script for “Twin Kingdoms”. And I also had lots of fun. | |
| Tsuzuru | It was a really fun and great experience for me as well. |
| I was surprised and excited when I saw Madoka’s lines and ideas, like, “I see, so there’s those kinds of proposals too”. | |
| And I was struck with ideas and lines that came to me in response to those. | |
| Madoka | I was also really impressed by your lines and ideas. |
| I aim to be able to write a work like that. | |
| Tsuzuru | Thanks. Haha, I feel kind of bashful. |
| I’d like for us to keep providing inspiration to each other as fellow scriptwriters from now on. | |
| Madoka | Yes…! |
| Um, I’m still just a beginner, so I’d like to learn various things from you, Minagi-san. | |
| Is it alright if I ask you a question? | |
| Tsuzuru | I mean, I’m still learning too… |
| But if it’s anything I can answer, then sure. | |
| Madoka | Thank you very much. |
| Then… as a Theatre’s playwright, what do you usually think about when you write your scripts? | |
| Tsuzuru | Hmmm, let’s see… |
| If I had to say, then I guess I try to get to know each and every actor in their daily lives. | |
| Madoka | Each and every actor? |
| Tsuzuru | Yeah. The more I learn about what kind of person each actor is, the more ideas I get for roles and stories I’d like to try out. |
| Madoka | I see… |
| Reni | Alright, we will start our rehearsal. |
| Troupe members | We’ll do our best today! |
| Madoka | (Minagi-san said your ideas grow when you get to know each actor, huh?) |
| (I'd also like to get to know all our troupe members better while observing their rehearsals.) | |
| (But it's tough looking at them all at once… | |
| So let's observe one person at a time.) | |
| (Who should I choose today…) | |
| (Oh, I know, let's focus on watching Shift who’s the top at GODza.) | |
| Haruto | Good grief, you’re stiff! |
| Shift | Hmm, this scene is hard, man. |
| Haruto | Like I said, be more expressive in acting out those lines. You can come up with some gestures too, got it? |
| Shift | I see—that’s Haruto-san for ya! |
| With gestures like this… | |
| Alright, let’s try it one more time from that part just now! | |
| Reni | You can step out sooner in this scene, Shift. |
| And then for the next exchange between you two… | |
| Shift | Sure, you got it! |
| Madoka | (Shift has only been acting for a short time, so he doesn't have much to draw from in terms of acting.) |
| (But he has a straightforwardness that absorbs any and all advice he gets from others…) | |
| (And he always carries through with Kamikizaka-san’s guidance, 120 percent, and with his whole body and soul.) | |
| (With this kind of attitude, it seems all the troupe members of GODza, including Haruto-san, totally acknowledge Shift as the top.) | |
| Troupe members | Good work today! |
| Shift | Madoka! |
| Madoka | Good job with rehearsal, Shift. |
| Shift | Good work! |
| You were staring at me a whole lot today, huh? | |
| Madoka | ! |
| That’s… the truth is, I was talking with MANKAI Company’s Minagi-san a few days ago… | |
| And he taught me that in order to write a good script as a Theatre’s playwright, it's also important to observe and understand the actors. | |
| So that’s why I wanted to observe and get to know all the troupe members better. | |
| Shift | I see, so it was my turn today, huh? |
| Wait, I got it! If that’s the case…! | |
| Hey, practise wrapped up early today, so do you have some time after this? | |
| Madoka | Yeah, I don’t have any particular plans. |
| Shift | Nice! Let's go then! |
| Haruto | …So, why do I have to come along too? |
| Azami | I mean, we were called out of the blue too. |
| Kumon | We got a LIME from Shift so we dashed over! |
| Shift | Hehe, I called Kumon and Azami as special guests, and also Oruto who was on his way home from Little League practice! |
| Oruto | I brought the baseball equipment just like you told me to, aniki! |
| Madoka | Umm, why are we at the park? |
| Also, what are you doing calling out Haruto-san, and even Kumon and the others? | |
| Shift | You wanna get to know me better, right, Madoka? |
| So I figured… I’d like to show you a side of me you haven’t see yet—the side of me playing baseball! | |
| Madoka | Baseball? |
| Kumon | Woahh, that sounds interesting! |
| Azami | No matter how you look at it, we don’t have enough guys here to play baseball. |
| How’re you gonna show him? | |
| Shift | Fufufu… |
| I’ll use the baseball gear Oruto brought over… | |
| And challenge Haruto-san for a one-turn at bat showdown! | |
| Haruto | HAH? Why do I have to do something like that… |
| Shift | A match between the top VS semi top is the most excitin’ after all, right! |
| By the way, can you play baseball, Haruto-san? | |
| Haruto | It’s not that I haven’t played it before, but… |
| I don't get why I'm being brought out for a match all of a sudden, so it's a pain. And in the first place, why do I… | |
| Shift | Ehh? |
| Don’t tell me you’re running away from a match with me, are you? | |
| Haruto | Ahh? Who’s running away? |
| Don’t underestimate me; I was the number one slugger my hometown. | |
| Shift | Alriiight, then we’ve got a game! |
| Haruto | Hmph, I’ll take you on! |
| Kumon | Amazin’! It’s a super fired up match up! |
| Shift | Then I’ll be the pitcher, Haruto-san’ll be the batter, and can I ask Kumon to be the catcher? |
| Kumon | Of course! Leave it to me! |
| Shift | I’m countin’ on ya! Madoka and the rest of you guys, watch our match from the bench. |
| Madoka | Sure. Good luck, everyone. |
| Azami | *Sigh*… why is this happening? |
| Oruto | YOU GOT THIS, ANIKI!! |
| Haruto | … |
| Kumon | !! Haruto-san’s batting form looks just like former Tigers' star player, Torata’s!! |
| Haruto | Are you a Tigers fan? |
| Heh, so you noticed, huh? | |
| I liked Torata when I was little, too, see? | |
| Kumon | Oh, really! |
| The Tigers are great, right? I’m a huge fan! | |
| Hey, hey, wanna go catch a game together next time!? | |
| Madoka | It looks like those two are hitting it off. |
| Azami | So that guy was a Tigers fan too, huh? |
| Shift | Alright… we’ll start the one-turn at bat showdown! |
| Haruto | Bring it on! |
| Shift | …Hahh! |
| *throws* | |
| Haruto | …! |
| *hits* | |
| Kumon | FOUL! |
| Haruto | Tch… |
| Next, bring it! | |
| Shift | I’m not gonna lose! |
| …HAH! | |
| Madoka | Two balls, two strikes… |
| Azami | It’s getting surprisingly heated, huh? |
| Oruto | The next one will decide it…! |
| Fight, aniki!! | |
| Shift | Here I go, Haruto-san. |
| Haruto | … |
| Shift | …HAHH! |
| *throws* | |
| Haruto …!! | |
| *swings* | |
| Kumon | STRIIIKE!! |
| Azami | He pitched with everything he had for a strike with a fastball down the middle, huh? |
| Oruto | YAAAY! You’re so cool, aniki! |
| Madoka | (It’s just like Shift to fight head-on with all his power at the very end.) |
| Kumon | That was a super great game! |
| Good job, you two! | |
| Haruto | That was just a warm up! One more time! |
| Shift | Ahahaha, fine by me! |
| Madoka | (Shift looks like he’s having fun competing against Haruto-san.) |
| (I’ve always thought this… during their rehearsals and performances…) | |
| (But Shift definitely can’t help but enjoy acting while competing with Haruto-san, huh?) | |
| (I'm sure their relationship will continue to make GODza more exciting from now on.) | |
| (It might be interesting to write those two as rivals in our next script.) |
Anna
