Ray - [BE:FIRST] SOTA Interview – What has changed since debuting? (english translation)

This is from a series of short interviews the website Ray is doing with the members of BE:FIRST looking at how they've changed since their debut. SOTA is my favourite and his answers are pretty straightforward, so I wanted to give translating his a shot. These are a nice length and they're fun to read so I might do one or two more.

Here's the original article: https://ray-web.jp/186514

[BE:FIRST] SOTA Interview – What has changed since debuting?

Q: How has your impression of each member changed since you first met?

SHUNTO
I thought he was shy, but recently it’s like he talks without taking the team into consideration. At first, I was shocked by how fast he ate. Recently, he’ll arbitrarily report things like “I’m eating a hamburger today!” (lol).

MANATO
Even though I thought “he’s a well-behaved kid” at first, when we were in a room together during the training camp, that character collapsed to the point where I was like “Can he not see me!?” (lol) In reality, he’s a cheerful and mischievous guy.

RYUHEI
I think he’s changed the most. He was conscious of everyone in the group being older than him, but he’s started to take advantage of that. He’s become able to ask clearly when there’s something he’s not good at or that he doesn’t understand.

JUNON
I thought “He’s good at singing. He’s tall.” at first. He was the last one I talked to, but he’s reliable like a big brother, so being with him is calming.

RYOKI
He was wearing shoes that I wanted, and I liked the lock screen image on his phone, so I thought our tastes would match well, and that hasn’t changed to this day.

LEO
He seemed very caring and helpful, like a big brother in charge of a nursery school, and I realized that he was a person that always had other people around him. That dependable side of him hasn’t changed. While we weren’t able to meet up we became closer by exchanging messages on LINE (lol).

Q: If you had to analyze your own character?

SOTA: I’m “The AB Type” (*as in the stereotypical personality associated with the AB blood type). I can’t calm down. I’m always just thinking about things like dance and music, to the point where it’s like there’s always someone dancing in my head.

Q: If you were an animal?

SOTA: I’d be a bear. Because I like Winnie the Pooh (lol).

Q: What’s changed the most since before your debut?

SOTA: Since my life isn’t centered around dance anymore, the frame of things I want to do has widened. Before, I was just thinking about dance, but now that I’m in this circle called “music”, I’ve become able to do various things.

Q: Of all the new things you’ve encountered recently, which one is your favourite?

SOTA: After obsessing about it and searching around a lot, I found a double bed. Even if I stretch out both arms there’s extra room, and it’s good for sleeping both comfortably and snugly, so it’s the best!

Q: What is your secret for getting along with someone when meeting them for the first time?

SOTA: If you look at the person’s profile from up to like 2 or 3 years before to kind of figure out whether you want to get to know more about them or not, then you can start with something like asking them questions about their self. Since the way I look on the outside might lead people to imagine a lot of negative things, I try to act as cheerful as possible.