(Noah) Atsushi Kotoge ☆ animal interview

3rd October 2012

Snippets of information

• Kotoge was kind enough to bring a chair not only for himself, but for the interviewer also.
• Kotoge says he will get a smartphone to accommodate the Kotoge Meerkat phone case
• Kotoge, who has only been in Tokyo four months by this point since moving from Osaka, says he doesn't know where Jiyūgaoka is (the interviewer mentions that is where their work is being exhibited), although he does know where supermarkets, convenience stores and where to go for other stores are. 
• When asked what his impression of Tokyo is, Kotoge says there are many many people. Osaka is big, but crowds of people tend to be found in the center, he says wherever he goes in Tokyo, there are people, but he does enjoy Tokyo life (even if after drinking with the seniors he gets in a taxi and doesn't know where to get back to). Homesickness is not the problem as he was prepared to come to Tokyo, but he does realize his sacrifice when he meets friends after tour and has lunch with them.
• The interview was done during the days when Noah were at Differ Ariake, Kotoge says that because Differ is not good for transportation (many fans would agree) he rode his motorcycle there and back.
• The other day at a hotel Noah were staying in, he saw a something on west Japan and became nostalgic. He laughs as it was only an advert for Akashi Appliances.
• He says he likes the pro-wrestling life of moving around the country, even though the journeys are sometimes very long (and the seniors say they are used to it). Everyone is really tough though, and there is little else to do on the bus other than listen to music, play games or sleep. The worst is after a hard match.
• Kotoge says that he didn't choose pink as it wasn't originally his favorite color. He says that when he entered Osaka Pro, he was given pink spats by his seniors to train in and was teased about it, "Pink? Pink is a color for little girls!" However as it was given from the seniors, he had to use it. When he debuted, he was told his debut costume would be pink. He says he likes pink now, and everything has become pink.

The designer says that they came to Korakuen Hall to watch Noah, and while watching got a rough sketch of Kotoge. First idea was to have him as Osaka's famous racehorse, Yanja Boy. When Kotoge smiled the image came to mind of some kind of rodent, and a meerkat came to mind. Although Kotoge was nervous at the beginning of the interview, he was still kind of excited about it. The interviewer felt that Kotoge was a little lonesome from the look in his eyes, but he will be fine.

Link to original article from Ambelo.JP (in Japanese)