msprojects

[msprojects]

Happy, happy birthday, my dear!

I wish you a wonderful year, good health and that you get all that you ask for <3 I am so happy to support you as you continue to evolve and grow as an artist. May all your wishes come true~

Love always xoxo

[msprojects]

I'm still in denial

I was still feeling the burn from TVXQ's breakup when I came across One Direction, so I told myself I wasn't gonna get invested and give my heart to another group that'll just break it. Boybands don't last forever generally but you always keep hoping they would. So I told myself I was only gonna be a casual listener.

But it's been a week and I'm still kind of reeling. There's never going to be a reunion with all five of them. Liam's voice won't be starting most of 1D's songs ever again. I think I really loved them as a boyband more than I let on to myself. I followed them in secret and felt so happy with all their antics and loved their music as a guilty pleasure. I wish I could have just admitted I was a huge fan.

I think I'm always going to have that little regret of giving away the concert tickets I bought on a whim. I should've just gone and not felt ashamed for liking another boyband. Because here I am anyway *sad laugh* I should've just let myself have fun and say fuck it to whatever anyone thought.

When I loved them, everything felt giddier and brighter. It's reminding me of the times back then.

It kinda hurts. I put one of Harry's new songs on my playlist a couple months ago and found that I liked it. I keep thinking I should've seen that as a sign to check up on the members and see what they were up to. But I was still too proud. I had already moved on, I thought.

This is all happening with huge changes irl that I just needed to vent this out.

I still can't believe he's gone. I keep thinking there must be some sort of conspiracy and he's actually alive somewhere.

He was supposed to be in a new show. He was getting better. Despite the setbacks, there was still something for him. Even Zayn got dropped from his label before. I don't know if they were in contact at all, but I... I don't know, it's nothing I can wish for because nothing can be done now.

I wish I could have checked up on them sooner and maybe joined one of his lives and sent a message of encouragement. I listened to his songs too and the sound was very reminiscent of early 2000's pop. I could have told him I wanted to hear more of it. I don't know if it would've helped. But anything to cut through the negativity he received.

I hope there's no more pain where you are Liam. I hope you're in a better place. You led the boys with impeccable professionalism and loved the fans truly. From where you are, I hope you could see that all the love you gave is coming back a hundred fold. Rest well.

[msprojects]

timelesz Audition Project

Is anybody watching this on Netflix Japan?

There's only one episode out at this time, and I'm surprised to find it's a great little slice of how job hunting goes here in Japan, as in, what not to say (DEFINITELY do not NOT know the songs of the group you're auditioning for, especially if said group's members are the judges!!) and how to appeal to your future employers.

We see instances of lack of enough effort shown by contestants ("I auditioned because of girls"), which is surprising to me because my impression of Japanese people is that they're always prepared (when I say prepared, they are PREPARED). Then again, this is show biz and attitudes may differ a little. But still, all of it is handled in a Japanese way, and one thing I always liked about the job hunting process here, even if it's difficult to be on the receiving end, is they really probe your motivation for wanting to enter their company, so you really had to have done some deep reflection to provide a satisfactory answer.

Another thing, too, is how group cooperation and harmony is prioritized in the selection process. More than just being good at singing, dancing and entertaining in general, they make it a point to say they want somebody who can fit in the group. I find this striking because I feel this is glossed over in other, similar shows (admittedly, I haven't seen much), as they seem to emphasize more on the talent and skill instead (understandably, it's a huge investment), but this is definitely a different vibe and I'm here for it. What good is a talented singer/dancer if they can't get along in the group? You get the sense that they're aiming for the very long-term. It makes me invested to look forward to more of the audition process and how they will select the new members, and see how they gel in the end.

Lastly, I may have found a crush in Kikuchi Fuma, he's got that bad boy stare you know will make you shiver if it's ever directed at you.

[msprojects]

Unclutching the hold on an unrealized dream

It would've been easier to say "on letting go" but it didn't have the same kind of feeling. Clutching onto something feels more personal and close.

It's been a while since I received my offer, and only a few weeks since I submitted my visa application. In that time, more than the feeling of dread at starting a new job, it was reluctance at moving out that came rearing its stubborn head as my main cause of anxiety, and I became fiercely determined to stay put in my current apartment.

I had had an unspoken wish, you see, and it may have been one that was made with a shallow conviction, because I had no deep reason to stay in this particular place. And yet, that wish had stuck in the back of my mind this whole time.

Whether it was 2 years, 4 years or more, I had pictured myself staying in this place for a long time. But there was really nothing that I could think of that was motivating me to stay here besides the location. I don't feel like I've made such a strong emotional connection to this place, like I thought I would have after living here for a little bit.

I had imagined myself becoming a neighborhood fixture who could strike up an easy conversation with the local fruit grocer across the street, or to have been able to make a friendly acquaintance with the ojiisan who made takoyaki a few blocks over.

As it goes, things didn't pan out as planned, and I remain as much as a stranger to this neighborhood as the day I moved in.

And I'd like to tell myself that it's not a bad thing. So what if I didn't make my mark here? I came here without a plan in the first place, so it's not like I knew already I wanted to stay here forever. This place shouldn't mean so much to me.

But as I write this, the things that make me grateful for having lived here rise from some hidden place, and float before me for a moment before they dissipate, and somehow their departure grants me a sense of relief and lightness.

I realize that maybe I just needed time to let go. Unclutch that tight hold on something that didn't and isn't going to materialize at this time, without blaming myself for my unrealized (and haphazardly made) goals. I'll focus instead on what I'm thankful for.

With that, I hope to then direct my attention to what needs to be done. Namely, selling most of my things and packing my life (again) into suitcases.

[msprojects]

Hello I'm still here

Hello to those of you who follow me. I'm grateful for your audience.

I've had quite a bit of change in my life recently, and I'm sorting through the activities I'd like to keep as I move forward in this new path.

This blog is one such activity I'd like to keep.

While I post as I please, and will continue to do so as time permits, these posts will not only include translations of fandom, but also my thoughts on random things unrelated to fandom.

So if you see a post here and it has nothing to do with Hokuto or The Rampage, fear not, this blog has not abandoned translations or fandom stuff. I just didn't see a point in making another blog to manage.

With that said, I hope you all have a good day and I'll see you soon in another post.

-m

[msprojects]

First (that I can recall) dream with Hokuto

Wow I think this was the first time I had a dream with Hokuto in it.

All I remember was I was with friends and Hokuto comes in all casually inserting himself into our group. He was his usual self I guess? Kinda reserved but still laughed along with our jokes. It was a pleasant dream.

This is gonna sound mean, but the only reason I knew it was a dream was because dreamHokuto's skin was not flawless like it is in reality (don't fight me on this). Like, I was all up looking at his face and I could see pores lol.

And that's it. Oh and his outfit was... Ray of Light era? With the ribbon-like tie and the gold-embossed coat or something.

I dunno, it was a really pleasant dream. He made me feel calm.

[msprojects]

Happy Birthday, Hokuto!

I wish you a wonderful day ahead, and would you look at it, it looks like the rain will stop just in time for you to enjoy your day <3

Even though I haven't kept up much with everything going on in your realm, I hope that you are still enjoying living out your dreams, that you are always learning something new, and that you never run out of curiosity in the world around you.

Whatever challenges may come, I hope you know that I am rooting for you. I hope you always find time to take your walks and enjoy the scenery of everyday life.

It's a little selfish of me to say on your birthday, but your smile never fails to cheer me up :)

Happy, happy birthday!!

Love always, m

[msprojects]

Mr. Yoshino charming the pants out of INI's Ozaki Takumi

I happened upon this cute short of Hokuto and INI's Ozaki Takumi flirting with each other.

I didn't see it translated yet, so here's my take. Enjoy~

Q1: If you could describe each other in one word?

Hokuto: Sophisticated style*~ (Takumi chuckles shyly)

Takumi: National treasure~

Hokuto: *laughs in disbelief*

Q2: What do you call each other?

Takumi: Hokkun! (*le gasp* Kazuma where are you??? your boyf is going wild taking nicknames from hot boys!)

Hokuto: Takkun~~ (*dead* Hokuto says this so seductively X_X - KAZUMA COME QUICK IT'S AN EMERGENCY)

Takumi: *starts to laugh uncontrollably* (yeah he's so unable to be unaffected, you already in love boy :D)

Hokuto: Takkun~~~~~ (omggggg, Hokuto you are teasing the poor boyyy)

Takumi: Hokkun~~

Hokuto: Takkun~~~~~~~~

(I'm pretty sure this went on for longer than what the clip shows lol)

Q3: What's your couple name?

Takumi: Hmm, it's gonna be... Hokutaku.

Hokuto: Please call us Hokutaku.

Takumi: Don't forget it!

Q4: Please do a heart pose!

(I'll let their actions speak for themselves lol, they're so cute)

I'm also posting this video below, and thankfully it's already translated. They're so cuteeeee.

Translation notes: *sophisticated style - Hokuto does say "smart," but in the long video he refers to it as a style, and Google says it's another way of saying somebody has a sophisticated/smart sense of style. In other words, he thinks Takumi dresses himself well.

Reference: https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88-84913

[msprojects]

Happy March 1st

Quite an ordinary day today, and the clear blue sky that greeted me when I drew the curtains aside from the window after such a long time - well, it made me feel that this ordinariness was even more precious than usual.

I wanted to remember this, because days like these always make me inexplicably happy, no matter how shitty everything else may be, and they only come every so often as the years go by.

[msprojects]

I need a BL story that's

got the two leads in a contentious relationship and yet, they still can't seem to part from each other.

I don't want fluff at the moment. I need the angst, I need the heart clenches, I need that gut wrenching feeling that comes from hearing things that shouldn't have been heard, seeing things that shouldn't have been seen, and a combination of either being at the wrong place at the right time, or finally being on the same page but regrettably only reaching it at the wrong time. Like, y'know, all the stuff that makes for a fun little story.

Someone... give me angst!!!

[msprojects]

Things on my mind atm

I'm listening to the latest episode of Hokuto's radio (#8 I think?) show after only repeatedly listening to his first episode, and the growth in his confidence is considerable! I'm happy he sounds more comfortable and is getting used to being a solo host.

I haven't had much time lately to translate, but I definitely want to keep translating his show. The pace of his speech is just right for me :D He really is nice to listen to.

I've been making progress on his first episode, but I get caught up in how to convey what he says more than just directly translating it. I'm sure it'll still make sense if I directly translate it, but I want to capture the feel of what he wants to say because I think directly translating it loses some of that feeling.

Actually, I've also been having some doubts about my ability to translate -

Lol, it seems like Hokuto likes One Republic, he's playing their songs a lot in this episode.

In any case, I've been having some doubts about my translating ability because even though, for example, I get the general gist of what Hokuto is saying, when I check it again via machine translation (which I admit may not be the best way), I somehow just barely missed what was actually said.

Maybe it's just growing pains, and this might be a sign that I'm improving?

I don't know, but I just want to get better in all aspects of learning the language quickly. Buuuuut that might be my actual problem, isn't it, trying to rush things ^^;; It wouldn't hurt for me to take it slow and properly learn things, right? :D

[msprojects]

Satou Kanta and Hokuto

Hehe.

I'm pretty happy right now.

There's this clip from the CL archives of an old High&Low event where Satou Kanta was going around interviewing the cast members.

I've been wondering for more than a year now what he and Hokuto were talking about bc they looked pretty flirty.

Basically, Kanta was like, every time I ask you out (to go eat/do something), you always turn me down.

And Hokuto tells him it's because he always invites him on the day of!! LOLOL He was like, at least call me the day before or something.

The way Kanta's face brightened up when he saw Hokuto was so heart melting.

KazuHoku is my OTP (besides YunJae), but KantaHoku is something I can ship too, if only they had more public interactions/mentions of each other.

That reminds me, there's a whole buttload of insta stories to go through. Hehe.

By the way, if there's any clip yall have been dying to find out what they're saying and there's no translation yet (preferably KazuHoku or anything Hokuto), send it my way and I'll let you know if I can discern what they're saying and translate it into English.

[msprojects]

Hokuto's Radio Show - Episode 1, Part 2 of 4 (in two posts). Post 2 of 2

**Update** The link to Post 1 of 2 for Episode 1, Part 2 is below:

https://www.tumblr.com/msprojects/732434502250610688/hokutos-radio-show-episode-1-part-2-out-of-4?source=share&ref=msprojects

--

11:00 Well, I get that about myself, too, like the speed or the tone of my voice, I think oh yeah I definitely I get what they're saying, I can see it. I've been told by our fans that listening to the sound of my voice makes them feel sleepy. Zin-san, who's one of the leaders in our group, Zin-san tells me I'm like an "air purifier."  "It's not a bad thing," he said, "You're very gentle, so it makes others around you feel at ease, like an air purifier." I don't really get it, though. Yeah so lately my hobbies have been going on leisurely walks and taking pictures. My camera is the Ricoh GR IIIx, and I usually shoot pictures of the scenery or just ordinary things, like a cup or something. If it makes me go, "oh, that's interesting," I'll snap a picture. 12:00 I'll compose nice pictures of even the most ordinary things. Recently I've been into taking pictures of cars. Like, it's really cool when there's a bunch of cars in different colors lined up on the street and I'd think that would make such a good photo. If it's something that I think would make a cool picture, I'll take a snap of it. If I do take a cool picture, I'll post it on my official X account, so please check it out. And as for my walking hobby. During our longer breaks, I'll take a walk from morning until evening. Since I'd have more time, it's normal for me to take 5-hour long walks. The other day, I wondered how far I'd gone, so I checked my phone, and it said I'd walked 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) [staff gasp in disbelief]. Hehehe. Well, I mean it's healthy, isn't it? When I'm walking, I basically listen to music, buy some coffee on the way and then drink my coffee while I continue my walk. I'll even do some shopping or just enjoy the changing scenery while I walk. Doing that kind of ordinary thing is really relaxing for me. Usually, we're working on a ton of different things at any given time, but I'm not really good at being always on the go. Like, I have this worry about losing sight of myself when we're in the thick of it all, so being able to have these simple hobbies to return to keeps me grounded, and that's what gets me going outside and keep walking.  When I was on that 12 kilometer walk, I must have definitely built up some muscles, yeah? Hehehe. [staff laughs along with Hokuto] Everyone, definitely try walking 12 kilometers next time! I recommend it~ Hehehe~ 14:23 "What kind of show do you want your radio show to be?" Well, it's my first time hosting a show on my own, so honestly, I have no idea, haha. But once I get used to doing it, like if I feel like "oh I want to do more of this and that," I think it'll come to me in time. Really, though, from the very start, I wanted to make this show with everyone. Also, I wanted it to be more relaxing, hehe. [staff laugh in the background] I wanna get rid of this nervousness soon and be a more relaxed radio host for you guys. And now here's our next song from The Rampage, "100 Degrees." 15:06 - ["100 Degrees" by The Rampage plays.] - Translator's notes: *MVP - Most valuable player. Hokuto don't play around yall.

[msprojects]

Hokuto's Radio Show - Episode 1, Part 2 out of 4 (in two posts). Post 1 of 2

**Update** Apparently the original post was too long so Episode 1, Part 2 is in two posts. This is Post 1 of 2. Link to Post 2 of 2 is below:

https://www.tumblr.com/msprojects/732434751925993472/hokutos-radio-show-episode-1-part-2-of-4-in?source=share&ref=msprojects

--

Part 2 of ほくらじ episode 1 is here!

Thank you guys for your encouraging comments <3

I did something differently this time to speed up my translation process. I think it's working, lol.

In this part of the show, Hokuto talks about his basketball history, his personality and his hobbies. Dude can be so funny and then turn serious all of a sudden, but still kept it light. You just can't help but love him even more haha.

I'm excited about doing part 3, he talks some more basketball and I'm interested to find out what he's saying hehe.

As always, there are mistakes, I'm not a professional (yet), and I would love to hear your thoughts! Enjoy~

Sincerely, m

--

8:10 - You were just listening to "Summer Riot." [a funky tune plays] 8:24 - The Rampage's Hokuto Yoshino's "Hokuto Radio"! [cut to commercial break] 09:37 - [program resumes] The Rampage's Hokuto Yoshino's "Hokuto Radio"! 09:43 - This is Hokuto Yoshino from The Rampage, and I'll be your host for tonight's show, "Hokuto Radio." That being said, even though I still sound a little too stiff [staff laugh in the background], please allow me to introduce myself again. I was born in 1997 in Kobayashi City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and I'm currently 26 years old. Back when I was still in school, I played for the basketball teams all throughout elementary, middle and high school. In elementary school, we won the national championship, and in middle school we won first place in the prefecture-wide tournament. In that same tournament, I was also awarded MVP*, so I'm pretty confident in my basketball skills.  I was the team's shooting guard, which is the best position, right~ [staff's laughing voices can be heard] [Hokuto laughs] Just kidding~ So yeah, I've been playing basketball for a long time. As for my personality, I pretty much follow my heart and move at my own pace. Even the other members (of The Rampage) tell me the same thing all the time.

[msprojects]

Hokuto's Radio Show - Episode 1, Part 1 out of 4

I'm back with one of my practice translations. This time, my Japanese has definitely improved, but there are still mistakes, lol.

This translation is edited to make it sound natural for an American audience (not that I'm assuming there's a huge one, just that it's the type of English background I have), so please don't worry too much if there's something you notice that's not directly translated. I'm also not a professional translator with any training, in fact, this is my training hahaha. Despite the mistakes, I hope you enjoy!

Listening to Hokuto is a pleasure, his personality shines through in the radio show and I hope it shows in my translation. He was quite nervous, and I also translated his filler words so you could see how he still did his best despite being that nervous. Precious boy!

If you have any comments or thoughts, I'd love to hear them!

Sincerely, m

-- 0:00 - The Rampage's Hokuto Yoshino presents "Hokuto Radio"! ["Escape" by The Rampage from Exile Tribe starts to play.] Good evening, everyone! This is Hokuto Yoshino from The Rampage (from Exile Tribe). Thanks for tuning in~! Right, so, starting today, I'll be hosting this show called "Hokuto Radio", and since it's my first time hosting on my own, I'm, uh, probably gonna mess up on some parts, so I would appreciate everyone's patience and understanding. Today's date is October 7, 2023, and for the next 30 minutes, I will be your host and I'll be presenting you a program packed with personality. To everyone at Nippon Broadcasting System and everyone listening in, thank you for your support! Let's get on with the show! Okay, so, an introduction is needed so please let me introduce myself. Um, my name is Hokuto Yoshino. My last name is written with the words "fortune" from "great fortune", "field" from "pastoral field"*, and when put together with "person of the north", you get my name, Hokuto! So yeah, um, I'm one of the singers from a group called "The Rampage from Exile Tribe," and we'll be celebrating our debut's seventh anniversary in a few months. Yeah, uh, the group has 16 members and um, we have three singers and 13 dancers, which makes us, uh, a 16-person group. Also, besides being a singer, I have also done some acting. I've appeared in movies like "What's Wrong with Being Popular" and "High&Low The Worst." I've also been in dramas like "Stand Up Start" and others, and I'd be happy if you could check them out! 2:00 - Right. *laughs* I'm so nervous! Okay. I sound a little bit stiff, don't I~ Normally, when it's the 16 of us, one of us will be in charge of doing most of the talking. But talking by myself... Gah, I'm so nervous. It's been about, well, seven years since our group debuted, so when we do intermissions during our concerts, like, I've already gotten used to speaking in front of an audience, and um, if the 3 of us vocalists are together, I know that if I trip up, they'll cover for me. So really, doing it by myself is kinda scary.

I'm really nervous right now! If I mess up, nobody's gonna come to my rescue. Man. Well, anyway, even so, I'll do my best and still have fun. Everyone, let's have fun together! 3:00 - Right, so as I said earlier, today starts my first radio program. It's already Saturday evening so I won't be doing an all-out, high-energy show, but I would like to comfortably spend this time talking with and listening to each other. I'm still new to this but I hope you all enjoy the show~ I wonder who's listening in right now. Well, generally, a lot of our fans are teenagers, but I'm looking forward to finding out who is tuning in. We'll have a Q&A corner and so on, so please definitely send in your questions. I'll also be waiting to hear your thoughts and comments on the show. 4:00 - Please send your messages to the following email address: hokuto@1242.com, that is Hokuto "at" mark, one, two, four, two dot com. H-O-K-U-T-O is for my name, Hokuto. If you post your comment on X*, please use a hashtag with "Hokuraji" in hiragana as well.* Okay, so now I'll play the show's first song, and I chose one of our recent releases. Here is "Summer Riot." [Music break at 4:37 for  "Summer Riot" by The Rampage from Exile Tribe] -- Translator's notes:  *pastoral field = this is not a direct translation, as far as I know 「野原」 just means "field" but it would sound weird if I said "take the word 'field' from 'field'."

*X is formerly Twitter

*Copy and paste this hashtag: #ほくらじ

[msprojects]

I finally met Hokuto, and he is possibly the cutest person on Earth <3

Yesterday, August 1st, 2023, in Saitama, Japan, I finally came face to face with the person I've been writing about, tweeting about, smiling about, teasing and admiring for more than a year now - yes, I finally saw Yoshino Hokuto in real life.

It was only briefly, but from the moment I saw him, he was just sunshine, he gave me such a light and bright feeling that I think I smiled even more than I already was when I saw him.

And he's so gentle, too. When I pointed to the sign I was holding up, he tilted his head forward (so cute!!), raised his eyebrows (cutely!!!!) and slightly (cuuuuute!!) bent down his head to look at it and his face was so cute when he read it.

I didn't have such a great day in the beginning and was even thinking of not going, but I'm glad I went. Even if I felt crappy throughout the event, a day later, I'm happy I decided to go.

I can see what's special about Hokuto, from that brief time with him. He makes people feel warm and at ease.

I'll cherish this memory forever. I'm so happy, so so happy.

[msprojects]

Hokuto, my cute little star

The reasons to adore you are as many as there are stars in your beloved Miyazaki sky.

First, you make me laugh with your straightforward personality, answering questions with goofy answers and snapping back with witty comeback when we least expect it. And the way you laugh at yourself reminds me it's okay not to take ourselves so seriously all the time.

Second, the way you keep those who matter very close, and how you show your affection. You are not afraid to be who you are, even if it's not what everyone expects you to be, so you love freely however you want once you open your heart to someone, and you love them the way you want.

And your heart is so big that you while you are willing to understand why people think a certain way about you, you gracefully don't let yourself get yourself boxed in, and you don't let that dim your beauty either. In fact, the older you get, the more I think you are getting better at showcasing your best points.

And lastly, the passion you always bring to the table, and how you show up every time, always aiming to be better than before - you inspire me to be better just by being who you are.

Always keep shining, Hokuto, your bright star illuminates the dreams within us and inspires us to shine as well.

Happy Birthday, my love!

March 6, 2023