And now, here's some Takaya Kuroda trivia that no one asked for (Part 4)
Part 4, and the last in this series for now!
#38 「怖いものがない二人」 (The Two Who Fear Nothing) 0:00 to 24:40
Kajita: "Kuroda-san... You aren't afraid of anything, are you?"
Kuroda: (laughs) "I'm really not."
- He appears to have a strong tolerance for alcohol, as he mentions that the last time he and Kajita went drinking together, he downed 2 bottles (didn't specify what) and still looked/behaved normally.
- He leads a calm, maybe even boring, life. He doesn't gamble, and generally stays at home when drinking.
Kuroda: "Even if by chance some magazine reporter decides to tail me, they might see me come out late at night and think 'oh, he's gonna be up to no good--oh, never mind, he was just taking out the trash.'"
Kajita: (laughing)
Kuroda: "And maybe I come out yet again, and they go 'oh, this time he's going somewhere! Maybe some woman--oh, he just went to buy Iqos.'"
- He genuinely finds joy in simple things like shopping for groceries (taking note of sales and special offers), cooking his own meals, and relaxing at home while drinking. He always gets recognized when he's at the supermarket, which he doesn't mind, but when it sinks in for the other person that this seiyu is in this ordinary place doing ordinary things (discounted green onions in the basket and everything), they get this weird look on their face which kind of bugs him.
- He regularly goes to Don Quixote and is always recognized by fans. Greetings are exchanged, they shake hands, take photos, etc. and if they're younger, he'd say something encouraging like "stand up against bullies" or "stay strong," they'll go "Yeah!" If he tells them to not be mean to others, they respond "We won't!" with great enthusiasm, which he finds endearing and another thing that he enjoys in his life.
- Sometimes there will be someone who takes a photo with him and then start showing it off and claiming to be friends with him, which can be troublesome. He could just refuse taking photos with people altogether, but that wouldn't be fair to the ones who don't do anything wrong, so he lets it happen. And if word of some guy saying they're friends starts to gain traction, he'll simply deny it to quash any rumours.
- He himself is a huge fan of singer Shinji Tanimura, and he went through a similar fanboy experience in the past, so he understands how meaningful it can be for someone to be able to spend time with someone they admire.
- There was a time when he was at some RGG-related event where there was merch being sold, and right next to the RGG stuff was Chiikawa merch. He thought the stuff was cute and wanted to buy it, but felt too self-conscious to do it with all those people around and feared getting judgemental looks from the cashier.
Kuroda: "I know I said earlier that I stay true to myself and don't hide anything, but... I might've lied a bit in that instance."
Kajita: "...I love Chiikawa, too."
Kuroda: (laughs) "Their stuff was legitimately cute, so I wanted them!"
Kajita: "Wait, do you actually like cutesy stuff?"
Kuroda: "I mean, I definitely don't HATE them--I might as well admit it, Hello Kitty's cute too!"
Kajita: "You know, when I heard your song 'Pretty Girl,' I had my suspicions, but I guess I was right!"
- On the flipside, neither of them feel any hesitation or doubt when buying porn or anything sex-related.
- Both have experienced the odd die-hard fan who confesses their love to them.
- When he was younger, due to his personality, Kuroda apparently gave the impression of being a ladies' man, despite still being a "total amateur" regarding sex. So now there's this expectation of him being the king of riz, which stressed him out even more, and inevitably led to several disappointments and painful memories.
Kuroda: "What the hell do I know! This was a time when we didn't even have video rentals! The best you could get was some wrinkled, crusty old porn magazine by the riverside! How am I supposed to learn anything from that?"
- Kuroda did want to clarify, though:
Kuroda: "By the way, I study hard. I'm the type to put all of my effort into learning things. I would just like to have it on record that since then, I have become a 'professional.'"
Kajita: (laughs) "So, if you ever need to find a new career, there's always porn."
Kuroda: "Of course! If being a seiyu ever goes south, I have options. I just want it to be clear that NOW, I'm a man who will not disappoint."