Cosmopolitan (11/99)

The memory of lips:

The question of the month:
Goro kun's kiss scene is an essential part of his stage play, movies and TV dramas. I always watch them absorbedly. Please tell us the Inagaki philosophy of kissing.

Ms. Shimako Sato, who is the director of my drama series "Akechi Kogoro", often used the work "Actorholic". I am quite convinced by this word.

Actors have to play each role as real as possible. Sometimes, acting as real as possible involves lying. (Occasionally, there are some dream like lies.) Being an actor is, in some sense, a very irrational thing. I often find myself unconsciously controlling own emotion even when that is not necessary. I can cry or laugh regardless to my real emotion. It sounds really weird but I am very objective about myself. I am fully aware of the fact that sometimes my acting is totally separate from my own emotions. This may be over stating about the weirdness of being an actor, or being "actorholic". Of course, every once in while, there are some inconsistencies within my emotions. The most obvious example is a scene with some sexual contacts which can show a real humanity. In the real world, a kiss between lovers will not be seen so often. Yet, in a drama, I am (even I as the actor doing the kiss scene!) thinking how to make the actress look beautiful in a kiss scene. Although, this is a lucky scene for a man, I do not enjoy the scene at all. I may be one of those weird who is too much into acting.

Of course, I am a man before being an actor and I do have the preference for kiss. When it comes to the shape of the lips, I like full lips. Or, even the lips are not so full, I like the lips which have high edges. I am attracted to the lips with some characteristics. Since I am somewhat of naturalist, I like natural shade lip sticks rather than the deeper shade. I also like the lips covered by lip gross. I am secretly thinking lip gross as "the veil for lips". Lip gross is natural; yet it does have the existence which is very wet and shiny. I guess all guys like the lips with lip gross which is more attractive than the lips with a deep color lip stick.

Now, this is my eternal question, should man kiss the upper lip or the lower lip of woman when he wraps her lips into his? (Personally, I like to kiss on the upper lip.) As I write about kiss, I cannot help but wanting to remember the touch of my best kiss. The lips remember the emotions and body temperature of the person who I kissed. Kiss is the emotional expression which exists in all kinds of living existences. After all, I would like to enjoy a great kiss as a straight expression of my emotion. Obviously, my actorholic personality has to be put away when I do a real kiss.

Goro this month (a little talk with Goro):

"If I were a woman, I would be fall into him!" Wow! Mr.Inagaki's dangerous statement. Who his is talking about is Mr. Etsushi Toyokawa. Goro got the vibes when he worked with Mr. Toyokawa in "Kiken na Kankei". Why was Goro so attracted to Mr. Toyokawa although Ms. Norika Fujiwara, who is the sexy actress number one in Japan, was also a co-star? The reason why Mr. Inagaki fall for Mr. Toyokawa was the way he eat. "He eats beautifully and deliciously." Goro said. He ordered a risotto while he was talking. He finished risotto and said, "That's it. I will not eat anything today." His way of eating was also very attractive.