The first Gekidan Theatre online performance

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Gekidan Year One, where I got a glimpse of Masaki's life at home...


Haven’t been updating this blog this year because… well, COVID-19 happens. So, as with many of us during this insane COVID-19 lockdown time, I had to go into lockdown. In Japan, Okada Masaki also has to do the same thing. I’ve been wondering, honestly, how he fares in this crazy time. Does he abide to the social distancing rule? Does he stay at home?

So, when Masaki banded with three Japanese actors to form an online theatre group, I was so excited. Joining Emoto Tokio, Ochiai Motoki and Kaku Kento, Masaki explored the current daily world during lockdown. Their first show was uploaded to YouTube yesterday (available until 21 May – so watch it now!) and was directed by Katō Takuya.





In the online conversation, the four actors did some roleplays of their younger selves (their 6, 10, 15, 24, and 29 years old selves, IIRC), while they talked about various things. My Japanese is still not as good as I want to, but at least I understood that Kento asked Masaki (as their 29 year old selves) about how many people lived in Japan these days (but I couldn’t catch whether they were talking about the lockdown or not).

I do know some snippets from scouring Twitter: that Masaki likes brown rice and Japanese traditional side dishes (okazu) – and I love them too, brown rice and okazu! Also, Masaki wants to be a painter. He is curious about traditional (or the olden days) sex… and he doesn’t want to venture out to the dangerous world out there.



So kawaii...

Scouring the YouTube comments, I found that Masaki said something like, “I don’t go out, and I don’t make physical contacts with people either” (「外に出ることがない、人と接触しない」, soto ni deru koto ga nai, hito to sesshokushinai). That gave me a relief, like what this person said:

岡田将生の生存確認ができて良かった…
"Okadamasaki no seizon kakunin ga dekite yokatta…"
("I'm glad I'm able to confirm that Okada Masaki is okay" -- seizon kakunin = survival confirmation, btw)


Me too. I’m relieved that I can confirm that Okada Masaki is healthy during this lockdown. (I will find it hard to forgive Abe Shinzo’s slow response on COVID-19 if anything bad happens to Masaki!)

Then… watching the first Gekidan YouTube show also gives me the rare and very precious glimpse of Masaki’s life at home. I mean, his home is TIDY. It is heart-warming. He has a cute coffee mug with a cute bird painted on it. He has a cute painter’s hat. He drinks from a glass or a cup, instead of from a bottle (thank you Masaki for not using plastic bottles!).



His care about his friends was evident in this YouTube talk. He asserted some leadership here and there during the talk. Oh, and I'm not sure if he has quit smoking (I hope he has...), but when Tokio and Motoki were smoking, Masaki didn't smoke. He did once say that he smoked when he was around his senpai (e.g. Ikuta Toma), hence I hope this lockdown has helped him getting rid of that bad habit.

Pardon the bad photo, but Masaki's thin moustache and
otaku glasses just make him even dreamier!

Pre-Gekidan, IDK that Masaki befriended Kento (ft. here), Tokio and Motoki.
Indeed, Masaki is beloved by many of his friends...

Also, Masaki was insanely beautiful when he was laughing, or when he was laying on his belly, listening to Tokio talking. He’s so beautiful in his domestic setting that I felt like I was a voyeur in his life… yet this is one time when he invited us to see him at his home. So… I wholeheartedly watched the talk, not knowing many parts of it, but still feeling flutters in my heart…

For Okada Masaki is well and alive. 

He is in lockdown like many of us. But he seems healthy, he has his healthy sense of humour, he keeps his house tidy… and he still has that child-like innocence when he laughs.

One YouTube commenter said that “Okada Masaki is a national treasure”.

岡田将生は国の宝
Okada Masaki wa kuni no takara


I agree with him/her.

Thank you Masaki, for allowing us to see you at home.

Thank you Emoto Tokio, Ochiai Motoki and Kaku Kento, for being there, laughing and talking with our Masaki. 

May you all stay healthy and happy. 

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