This interview was originally published in Japanese on barks.jp. Translated by VK Chronicle.

Akatsuki × Tatsurou: “I Admire Them Because I Can’t Be Like Them”

On Sunday, March 1st, an Arルカン-organized event <束の世界 -SONOSEKAI- 2026> will be held at EX THEATER ROPPONGI in Tokyo.

For the second time in four years, this event will feature Arルカン alongside four other bands: MUCC, キズ, DEZERT, and 甘い暴力. Due to this powerful lineup, tickets have already sold out.

Ahead of the event, BARKS is conducting a series of conversations between Akatsuki and the vocalists of each band. In this third installment, we sit down with MUCC’s Tatsurou. How does Akatsuki view Tatsurou, who stands as the only “senior” figure at this event? We explored their honest feelings.

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Q: Before we dive in, I have to mention that a while back there was a vocalist gathering that trended on X, and you were the one who organized it, right?

Tatsurou: It was fun. A lot of people showed up.

Q: Akatsuki participated too. How was it for you?

Akatsuki: It was great. First of all, I was really happy that Tatsurou invited me. I’ve actually consulted with Tatsurou a few times——

Q: The usual band-related troubles, I assume? (laughs)

Akatsuki: Yeah (laughs). But even though I’ve consulted with him, I think I’m really bad at actually receiving his advice.

Tatsurou: It’s not that you’re bad at it, you’re just clumsy, you know? But that’s actually one of your good points. You try to understand everything 100%. But normally, nobody can do that, and it’s inefficient, so nobody even tries. Because you try to understand things you can’t understand, you get stuck and end up consulting with people about it. That might seem like a bad thing for you, but I think it’s your strength. You live a way that normal people can’t imitate. I think that’s pretty cool.

Akatsuki: Thank you.

Tatsurou: But everything works this way—you can see things positively if you choose to, or negatively if you choose to. It’s all the same thing, really.

Akatsuki: ……I’ll do my best.

Tatsurou: (laughs)

Q: So we’ve already started with some senior advice (laughs), but you were happy to be invited to the vocalist gathering.

Akatsuki: Yeah. And lately, I’ve been kind of living off the things Tatsurou told me—absorbing them as nourishment. Because of that connection, I wanted him to be part of <束の世界> this time.

**Q: This is actually MUCC’s first time appearing at <束の世界>. And when you think of MUCC and Arルカン, there's this image that Miya from MUCC and Nao from Arルカン are connected. Actually, I haven't seen them interact much at all.**

Tatsurou: Originally, the bands have been pretty close as a whole. As for Akatsuki, there are plenty of other seniors who dote on him, so I figured if he had questions for me, he’d come ask. That kind of distance feels right to me.

Q: You understand him really well.

Tatsurou: Well, it’s more that I think he’s fundamentally a different type than me. Going back to that 100% thing, Akatsuki seeks meaning in everything. He probably needs meaning behind any action he takes. But me—I’m kind of the opposite. I actually like meaningless things, wasteful things. And dragging a junior like Akatsuki into those kinds of games would just be cruel, right?

Akatsuki: Tatsurou is amazing… Also, honestly, I’m just happy. Happy that you understand what kind of person I am to that extent.

Q: It’s because you’re different types that you understand each other.

Akatsuki: I think Tatsurou probably moves around following curiosity, catches things, and absorbs them steadily. Me, I’m more of a type that stares at one small dot I’ve drawn and gradually enlarges it little by little.

Tatsurou: Yeah, I keep adding more dots and connect them with lines.

Q: What makes MUCC amazing is that each member has a wide range of friendships, and they don’t just use that as nourishment for the band—they also act as a hub connecting bands together.

Akatsuki: I really feel that. Back in the day, I’d avoid socializing as much as possible to keep my own sense of purity. And lately, I’m paying the price for that (laughs). What I realize now is that by talking to different people and touching different things, you develop a broader range within yourself. And that comes out when you’re making songs—like “Oh, so that’s what this was about.” So I can’t be like Tatsurou, but because I can’t, he’s definitely someone I admire.

Q: For example, what kind of things have you consulted with Tatsurou about?

Akatsuki: Well, there’s been various things. Before, we were invited to perform at a circuit event for a band called a crowd of rebellion, and I consulted with him about something that happened there. Since it was an event with a band from a different genre than us, it was the kind of live where dives are coming at you.

Q: An away game where Arルカン was the only Visual Kei band.

Akatsuki: It was probably a live experience our fans had never had before, so before posting about what I felt to SNS, I showed him the text. Like, “What do you think?”

Q: Why did you specifically consult with Tatsurou about that?

Tatsurou: Because MUCC has worked with different genres, right?

Akatsuki: Exactly. You can compete in all genres, you understand all genres, you’re connected with all kinds of people… So in my mind, there was only Tatsurou.

Q: MUCC definitely does perform across genres, but your personal connections are even broader. Haven’t you thought about using that more for the band?

Tatsurou: Well, about that—I don’t really like getting close to people for work purposes. So I don’t talk about work with my friends. I’m connected with NAOKI from 10-FEET, but I’ve never said “I want to perform at <京都大作戦>." Because I can tell the other person would be put in a difficult position. Since they're friends, work can't become the purpose. I don't want to make friendships into a means to connect to work. In that sense, that's why I like meaningless things.

Q: But maybe you two have more in common than you think. I’d like to explore that here.

Tatsurou: Don’t we both lack efficiency? (laughs) Probably Akatsuki is clumsy, and honestly, I’m pretty clumsy too.

Q: I know (laughs).

Akatsuki: (laughs)

Tatsurou: This interviewer has a taste for clumsy people anyway (laughs). As for what I can empathize with about Arルカン, it’s that they give themselves real reason for existing within their work.

Q: What do you mean by that?

Tatsurou: Since I’m a vocalist, I write lyrics. Like, what kind of lyrics do you put to a song—choosing words, struggling with expressions—and from that comes a sense of why that person sings. That’s the kind of music I like. In other words, whether or not you can see a person’s humanity from their music. I feel that in Arルカン.

Q: Both MUCC and Arルカン share the quality of not being pretentious. It’s like you’re only singing what you really think.

Tatsurou: Yeah, when you’re singing it live, you don’t want to write lyrics without any emotion in them.

Q: How do you feel hearing that, Akatsuki?

Akatsuki: It’s kind of the first time I’ve heard that. I can’t write lyrics like Tatsurou does, so he’s someone I admire. I’ve never even tried to find similarities between us. So hearing that even Tatsurou starts from searching for his own reason to sing… I can’t even imagine that kind of process. And honestly, he doesn’t really show that side of himself—he has this kind of carefree air about him.

Q: From your perspective, is there anything similar between you and Tatsurou?

Akatsuki: Is there…? Oh, maybe responding to Nao’s unreasonable requests? (laughs)

Tatsurou: (laughs)

Q: From knowing both of you, what I think is that you’re both fundamentally kind people.

Tatsurou: But I choose who I’m kind to, you know.

Akatsuki: I also really dislike people I don’t like.

Q: Like, if an elderly person is standing on the train, you’d naturally give them your seat.

Tatsurou: I don’t think I used to be like that. Now that I’m an adult, I probably would. But back then, I was too wrapped up in myself to have the capacity to notice other people. I didn’t really care about anything else.

Akatsuki: I’m the same way about not being interested in various things, and I still have that tendency now. Even though my perspective has broadened somewhat, I’m still pretty wrapped up in myself. So I want to become an adult like Tatsurou. Was there a specific timing, or someone who taught you how to get there?

Tatsurou: I’m not sure. But one thing I can say is that I gained mental space. And how did I gain it? Well, as you age, you experience many things, right? You learn things you didn’t know, and gradually you know more and more. When that happens, you naturally gain mental space. And with space, you can be kinder to people and see things from different perspectives. So it’s kind of like a natural phenomenon.

Akatsuki: Hearing you say that, I realized that Tatsurou was also just a single dot at first. But through different experiences, those dots connected into lines. Right now, I still feel like I’m just a dot, but lately I’ve been able to be interested in more things, I’m more willing to jump into things… so I feel like I’m gradually becoming lines.

Tatsurou: In a way, you didn’t need that before. You were too busy dealing with yourself to know a lot of things or have experiences. I was the same, so I get it. But as you age, that naturally changes. Akatsuki, your life isn’t just the band, right? Neither is mine. The older you get, the more things you have to care about. And then you’re not just focused on yourself anymore.

I needed to stand at the center as a vocalist and stand out, and I was struggling with that. But I gradually realized—maybe I enjoy being a vocalist more from a step back. Maybe that’s how I can be myself. Standing at the front as a frontman and vocalist, but not going “me, me, me!”—instead, how can I entertain everyone? I want to be that kind of presence. That’s what I’ve come to understand.

Q: So it’s not about self-assertion, but about how you can make everyone enjoy themselves. That’s the kind of existence you want to be.

Tatsurou: Of course, as a vocalist, enjoying yourself is absolutely essential. But I’ve realized that making someone happy, entertaining them, becomes your own enjoyment. So ultimately, you’re making people happy for your own fun, but realizing that about myself was a big thing.

Akatsuki: That’s something I still waver on. I have experience doing things for someone else’s sake, and with Arルカン, we’re reaching a point where we can’t just think about ourselves. I can’t speak with authority, but I’m becoming aware that we have a role to pass the baton to the next generation. But I still want to do what I want to do, and I want to live the way I want to live. And right now, there are two of me—the me for someone else and the me for myself—and I can’t choose. I want to have one foot in both camps. If I didn’t, I’d probably still be just a dot, only thinking about myself.

Q: And you can put that wavering self right into your songs. It’s a document. MUCC is the same way.

Tatsurou: There aren’t many people who can stand on stage with just their natural-born abilities. Even the most amazing vocalists exist through a balance of natural elements and calculated elements—and calculation is necessary for entertainment. I’m bad at showing myself in a calculated way. Then again, there are people who are incredibly natural but can’t do the calculations or elevate things to entertainment. But honestly, I prefer people with that kind of awkwardness. This is just a matter of personal taste.

Q: What do you think hearing your senior say that?

Akatsuki: It’s hitting me hard right now. I want to consult with Tatsurou about so many more things.

Q: By the way, back in the day you consulted with other people besides Tatsurou, didn’t you?

Tatsurou: Consulting is fine. But let me tell you one thing—don’t complain when you do. Consulting is fine, of course. But meaningless complaining makes nobody happy, and people who just complain all the time think the problem is somewhere other than themselves. It’s not good to blame everything on yourself, but before you complain, you need to organize your own situation and analyze things objectively.

Akatsuki: I used to do that a lot—complaining about band members. But I don’t do it anymore. First, I know my own shortcomings, and I have a clear vision of who I want to be. When I consult, I present both things together.

Tatsurou: Complaining just makes you feel better and then it’s over. I don’t think it has any positive effect beyond that. But like, if it’s exaggerated enough to be entertainment—if you can make everyone laugh—then that’s different.

Q: So what do you say, Akatsuki?

Akatsuki: ……I’m desperately trying to digest what you just said.

Tatsurou: You’re going for 100% again (laughs). In a band, it’s give and take, so especially don’t bad-mouth members or complain about them. I’m sure they’re holding back just as much as you are.

Q: Finally, what are your feelings going into this event?

Tatsurou: Since there’s a clear host, MUCC will focus entirely on creating the best situation for the host to have a cool live. Specifically, we’ll put on a high-quality live and get the host fired up. In other words, giving our best performance as a band means the organizer gives their best performance too. I think that even when we’re hosting events. If everyone performs like that, the event will be exciting, and I think that’s all there is to it.

Akatsuki: I want to go in with a fighting spirit. It’s a big deal for me to reach this scale with an event I initiated. These are bands that just existing gives me power. Especially MUCC—I’ve been receiving so much from them, including everything Tatsurou said today. But right now, there’s something burning in me. Fire is burning, and I’m dreaming of the future. So I’m going to do a cool live that makes people think “these guys are on fire.”

Interview and text by Higuchi Yasuyuki

<Arルカン Presents “束の世界-SONOSEKAI-2026”>

March 1st (Sunday) EX THEATER ROPPONGI Doors: 14:30 / Start: 15:30

Performers: Arルカン / MUCC / キズ / DEZERT / 甘い暴力

Tickets: SOLD OUT

Read the original Japanese interview on barks.jp