The Official Concept is the key to unlocking a glistening and glittering world. It’s a magazine, a website, and a podcast showcasing the lavish and luxurious lifestyles of the rich, famous, and influential; a world most of us mere mortals can only dream of, but one Kento Nakajima was made for. Listen for yourself in the latest episode, featuring an exclusive full-length interview with host Allan Campbell! (Details below)
As a Japanese actor, singer, and dancer, Nakajima is best known as one of the founding members of the idol group Sexy Zone, which he’s been a part of since the age of 14. In addition to over a decade of chart-topping music, his television and film roles include Detective Novice, Love Like the Falling Petals, and the Japanese dub of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
As an entertainer, Nakajima, affectionately called Kenty by friends and fans, is one of the most recognizable faces in Japan. So it’s fitting that he was invited to participate in The Official Concept podcast to talk about his life and career, including his upcoming overseas drama CONCORDIA, Streaming soon.
CONCORDIA is a world where millions of cameras link to an corporate AI system that monitors every aspect of citizens’ lives, with Nakajima starring as ruthlessly ambitious CTO Akira John “A.J.” Oba. Led by producer Frank Doelger (The Swarm, Game of Thrones, etc.) this will be Nakajima’s first exposure to audiences as a serious international actor.
Closer to home, he will also appear in the new Japanese political thriller Omae no Tsumi o Jihaku Shiro (eng: Confess Your Sins), directed by Nobuo Mizuta (Maiko Haaaan!!! (2007)) and opening locally 20 October, 2023. These are all projects he is very proud of, which he was excited to not only share with Allan but also yours truly!
In your upcoming series (CONCORDIA), what is the biggest challenge you’ve faced?
Pronunciation was the biggest challenge for me. I didn’t have a problem with the actual lines because I worked really hard to memorize them. But if the pronunciation is off, the meaning behind those words might be different than what is intended. So, I trained every day and was very happy when I received the OK at the actual shoot. The tricky thing with overseas dramas is that if the director and/or producer don’t like the way you’ve said a line, the dialogue may just be deleted without any warning during the final edit, so to keep that from happening, I talked a lot with the producer, Frank Doelger, and various other people on set every day. I wanted to ensure that when it was over, as many of my lines as possible would be kept. I’m very proud of how it turned out, and I’m looking forward not only to sharing it with everyone but also to the possibility of a season 2!
You recently opened an Instagram account. What have you enjoyed most about social media and what kind of content would you like to share more?
Sharing is the most critical part of the relationship I want with my fans. Until I opened the Instagram account, I had been posting photos and videos for my J-web fansite, which is not something many international fans are a part of. Many of them were asking me to share more on social media, and now my Instagram account is open, I can do just that! I love taking pictures, and I would like to eventually collaborate with fashion brands, dramas, and even travel destinations with my photographs. Anthony Ramos, who I dubbed in the Japan version of Transforms: Rise of the Beasts, is even now one of my Instagram friends, so my future goal is to work with him in music activities someday, or just hang out! I am producing more too, so I want to share tracks, vocals, and more of my personal music through Instagram. I would also really like to collaborate on some fashion ideas. I think Instagram overall is an excellent tool for achieving these dreams and is also something that is a lot of fun.
What kind of character or role would you like to play in your next project, be it international or at home in Japan?
A scientist perhaps? I might want to get away from the clean-cut boyband image I’ve had so far, but on the other hand, there is so much from Japanese popular culture that I’d love to bring overseas. For example, if there is a Hollywood production that focuses on Japanese culture mainly, I would want to play the role of a Ninja or Samurai, but as a modern story, not a historical drama. I may want to play a role that can appeal to and promote something as a Japanese Asian actor professionally. For example, I would love to be in the live-action adaptation of the anime “Akira” if it ends up getting produced. Also, I want to appear in the Transformers series, not just as a voice, but physically in the film. I even got the chance to talk about it with the director Steven Cable Jr. and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. I would be happy if I could appear in G.I. Joe too!
Click below for the full podcast (in English) to get to know more about this up-and-coming superstar!
For More on Kenty and the rest of Sexy Zone follow their official social media accounts!
Life In Cartoon Motion 