[TRANS] 150819 Yixing - Tianya Entertainment Livestream Interview

Yixing answering questions on Go Fighting, haters throwing shade at him, his fans, getting a girlfriend, and questions that netizens wanted to ask him ^^ Take some time to read this interview if you can, some of the questions were brutal (Tianya interviews are known for them apparently), but Yixing handled all of them with a great attitude – it says a lot about him.

About Go Fighting

T: Recently we see you a lot on TV because of <Go Fighting>, there are netizens who would like to ask, who among the cast do you have the best relationship with privately?



YX: My relationships with the geges are all very good, so I have no way of judging which is the best. Because I am the youngest, there isn’t any gege who doesn’t take care of me.

T: Then is there anyone you get a little petulant around (t/n: or throw a little tantrum/act childishly), or anyone you’ve had small conflicts with?

YX: I’ve been a little petulant around all of them.

T: When you do that, will the geges think what is going on?

YX: No, they will forgive me.

T: In <Go Fighting>, a lot of viewers felt that some segments are very interesting, as someone who really personally participated in them, which ones left a deeper impression on you?

YX: There are many that left a deep impression on me, but I think the one that left the deepest impression on me is probably when we were recording the last episode, I couldn’t bear to part. It felt like Go Fighting had already become a part of my job, or maybe not a job but a part of my life. It felt like something suddenly collapsed, my heart felt empty inside.

T: Do you contact them privately?



YX: Of course I contact them, our group chat is still very active until now.

T: There are many segments where, after the viewers watch them, they feel that they are very thrilling or high-risk. Before recording will (the staff) communicate with you guys about this?

YX: There is no communication beforehand. We completely don’t know what there is. It is only when we film two episodes in a row, because some circumstances might crop up, so the director would give us a rough idea, like he would tell us the rough idea of each stage, how the process would go on. But he would not tell us the details, like he would want us to be in that kind of sudden unexpected state. Reality show, it’s really a reality show. Including the time when Huang Lei ge, master, brought me to Lijiang, we really drove all night to get there. We rested at a gas station, slept for about one or two hours, and set off again.

T: Then was there a time where, halfway through you felt that you could not stand that segment, or you felt that it was too dangerous and you could not accept it, and you would tell the director?

YX: When the geges have not said anything, I normally keep my mouth shut. But there was once I had a little miscommunication with the director, it’s regarding the crowd that gathers to watch us, the fans. I don’t really like to hold them back or obstruct them, but when recording we must look out for safety. Another problem is, sometimes because there are too many fans gathering and moving into the scene, that scene might be edited out. If it is edited out, then this will cause troubles. So I hope everyone will understand each other.

T: I heard that whether it’s Teacher Huang Lei or Teacher Sun Honglei, you always call them “gege”, wouldn’t that appear like you are pretending to be delicate/inexperienced, or give the feeling that you are appearing to be silly? (t/n: “Gege” is even more respectful and perhaps childlike compared to just “Ge” or “Da Ge”, like the way a child would call someone older.)

YX: First of all I feel that geges definitely know more than I do, so I respect them. I can’t call them uncles, how awful is it to call them uncles, right? But because a lot of viewers gave me suggestions, hoping that in China I would use “Ge”, I will also accept this opinion, and will do my best to change it to “Ge”, that is of course okay. But correcting myself takes time, sometimes I might suddenly say “Gege”, I hope everyone won’t mind, I will slowly change.

About getting thrown shade

T: Have you heard of this website Tianya before?



YX: Yes, of course.

T: Would you go to check posts about yourself?



YX: It’s better not to look.

T: Because you are a celebrity, there are many people who like you, but there must be a lot of people who don’t like you as well. If there are a lot of criticism and verbal abuse, would you be sad?

YX: If I say I’m not sad that would be lying, but I can regulate my own mood. If other people don’t like you, there must be a reason. From some of their evaluation towards me, I can come to some conclusions, do some reflection, and see if I am really wrong in some areas. If I am wrong, that can be changed, if it’s not that I am wrong, then it means they purely hate me. In that case I can’t do anything about it, I am not the RMB (Chinese Yuan), it’s impossible for everyone to like me. I can only only say alright, thanks for visiting, just like that, that’s enough.

T: A lot of your fans feel that Tianya throws quite a lot of shade at you, as a celebrity actually you wouldn’t be very willing to listen to comments like this, but why are you still willing to accept our interview?

YX: Actually I am a very grateful person, I feel that it doesn’t matter which media outlet or website is interviewing you. Firstly it means that they think highly of you, in Changsha we call it “giving you face”. So I’m very thankful to so many people for caring about me. I think that an idol has the role of guiding fans, in the past people might think an idol is someone you blindly worship, but now, they will read a new definition into the word “idol”, and of course it’s because fans love us a lot, so there is such a word. The media and reporters also have the role of supervising idols, it’s not just that negative comments are bad but actually they have a supervising role towards us celebrities.

T: I think throwing shade actually has two sides, it means that you have a high popularity, that’s why people pay attention to you and throw shade at you.

YX: That’s not true either.

T: Really, you have many fans, when we posted about inviting you to an interview, the post received more than a million hits. You have so many fans, but to people who aren’t fans of you, they might feel that your fans are 脑残粉 (t/n: crazy or obsessive fans). Do you feel that such a term, or that having too many fans, would influence your image?

YX: Ay no, you can’t say they are crazy or obsessive either, because they’re probably very young, they don’t know how to express their love. Maybe when expressing their love they might cause some disagreements or misunderstandings, I hope that everyone can look at some problems from a perspective where you can understand each other, then these problems can be easily solved. Furthermore, some people might be called crazy or obsessive fans through no fault of their own, I also hope that nobody will be labeled crazy and obsessive just for liking me or liking us. So I must also work hard, so that next time when people say they like Zhang Yixing, others will think, he/she liked the right person.

T: A lot of fans are leaving you messages, are there a lot of fans who send you gifts?

YX: I feel that I should not accept their gifts, but some of them stuff plushies into my pockets, I can’t throw them away, so I might as well just accept them.

T:Are there any gifts that left a deep impression on you?

YX: Too many, maybe it’s because everyone thinks I like plushies. Because I accept letters, they will say the letters are inside the plushies. Sometimes at the airport, they will say “I give you a plushie”, I say thank you, and then there’s a letter in the plushie, I say “can you take the letter out and just give it to me”, but they say no, there are so many letters inside.

T: There are people who say you had plastic surgery, is there anything you want to clarify about this?

YX: Let them say (whatever they want).

T: Then which facial feature are you most satisfied with?

YX: There’s nothing I’m particularly satisfied with, just that on the whole (my face) looks quite nice. My nose I guess, my nose is not bad.

About emotional trends

T: Fans actually care about you very much, have you thought about how when you find a girlfriend next time, what kind of girlfriend would you look for, or what kind of girl you would like?



YX: I like pretty and cute girls, and also girls with a sense of responsibility, not just towards me, but also towards the family.

T: When you have a girlfriend will you tell your fans? Or will you keep it a secret until your relationship is stable?

YX: This is a question I have been considering, I can’t give you a perfect answer, but if I really do get a girlfriend I will think about this question.

T: Would you consider a fan outside the industry, or would you look for a girlfriend within the industry?

YX: Mainly have to look at whether we are suitable for each other in terms of personality.

T: Saw your sleeping position in a video, I feel like your sleeping position is very strange, like you sleep all over the entire bed.

YX: Yes. I think sometimes I sleep all over the bed, sometimes I sleep very properly.

T: People on the internet say people like you who sleep like that definitely don’t have a girlfriend, can we get some gossip about when was the last time you had a girlfriend?

YX: Very long ago, really, very long ago.

T: Was it during your training period?

YX: Really a very long time ago.

T: They say eating alone is the loneliest thing, do you feel this way?



YX: Sometimes after I finish my work, when I’m alone in my room, it’s true that I will feel lonely. Really, I’m not joking with you, it is true.

About various strange questions from netizens

T: Netizens say your Hunan accent is quite heavy, have you ever thought about changing it etc.

YX: I’ve thought about it. But when I was filming <Oh My God>, actually the director told me to use my hometown accent to read the script once, that kind of expression is the most natural. I think I’m not embarrassed of my hometown accent, because I was born in Changsha, Hunan, and in the Changsha environment everyone spoke Hunan-accented Mandarin. I think my Mandarin is grade A- Mandarin haha. But when working, such as when acting, or hosting, I still have to let myself speak correct Mandarin quickly, and go for classes when I have time.

T: Hunan people like eating spicy food, do you like eating spicy food too?



YX: Ever since I participated in <Go Fighting> and ate that spicy meatball I’ve wanted to learn to eat spicy food, because that was too embarrassing, the food was so spicy I threw up in the bathroom. It was truly spicy, every gege put in a lot of hard work, as for the details I will not reveal them.

T: If you had to choose between stir fried meat with chilli or chilli radish, which would you choose?

YX: This is a little difficult. Chilli radish can be mixed with rice and eaten, and stir fried meat with chilli is a dish, can’t miss either. If there is such a restaurant with both chilli radish and stir fried meat with chilli…

T: Have you thought about what kind of plans you have for your future?

YX: My own long-term development, because I have a platform overseas, but because I am Chinese, perhaps I hope to bring my own composed music to China and let the Chinese public listen. I also hope that people all over the world can hear my music, because this is also a Chinese person’s music, and I hope I can become a representative symbol in Chinese music. Maybe people might find this a bit funny. But I hope I can do this through my own hard work, because I compose and arrange music, so I hope I can bring my music to everyone, hope the Chinese public will like it.

T: Other than music, have you thought about developing in the area of movies or TV dramas?

YX: There won’t be little in terms of movies, our team will be mapping out a plan for me, right? All this will be handed to our team to discuss with me, a good actor Zhang will be born before the public. But I will not forget that my original intention is to be a singer.

T: Any director you prefer to work with?



YX: I want to work with all directors, because this truly is an opportunity to me. I hope I can quickly train up my skills, this way it might be helpful to my future movies or performances. Then regardless of which director I work with, that director will think that this kid is not bad, this chap is not bad.

T: Other than the director, are there any actresses you admire and want to work with?

YX: Actually I’m okay with all actresses, if we can work together, that is fate (here he randomly began humming a song) A fated sky~ A beautiful dream~

T: There are rumours that you admire Tang Yan?

YX: That’s because of my grandfather.

T: Your grandfather likes Tang Yan?

YX: Yes, it’s my grandfather.

T: We’ve finally solved this mystery, your grandfather likes Tang Yan.

YX: Yes, because at that time when I just debuted, when I went home I watched a TV drama with my grandfather, and my grandfather said Tang Yan is not bad. Afterwards people kept asking me which female celebrity I like, I didn’t want to keep mentioning Korean celebrities, I wanted to mention Chinese celebrities, and suddenly my mind thought of Tang Yan jiejie. But I feel that every Chinese female celebrity is really great.

T: Just now I felt that your articulation of words is very cute, will you maintain this kind of adorkable personality and keep going with it?

YX: I really don’t think I’m adorkable, you know? I really don’t think so, but sometimes when I watch <Go Fighting> myself I think, is this a fool? But I really have a slow reaction. Xiao Zhu ge imitates me very well, he said why are you standing there like that, when you stand over there your expression is (0o0). Maybe it’s because there are some special habits that I don’t know about, like I like to chew on my tongue, I always chew, you know? I’ve done it a few times on the show, more than 10 times, I didn’t even realise. After that when I’m engrossed in looking at others I might naturally become open-mouthed or wide-eyed. But it’s not that I purposely want to do something like pretending to be cute, actually if you think about it, all the geges are so much older than me, I don’t need to act cute. But sometimes I do wonder when I can change a little. I think one day when I’ve reached a high level like the geges through my hard work and obtaining recognition with some luck, at that time I will be different. Maybe when my mouth is open my eyes will become brighter, or when my eyes are bright my mouth will secretly close. But right now because the pace of the game is too fast, you only see Huang Lei ge actively engaging, and then you inexplicably develop a sense of respect. You might not know it yourself, but if you jiejie (t/n: referring to the interviewer jiejie) were to take part in the show, you might uncontrollably become open-mouthed as well. I hope I can slowly close my mouth, and become bright-eyed.

T: The interview is ending soon, can you say something to all you fans at Tianya as well as the people who threw shade at you?

YX: I hope that everyone, regardless of whether you are my fan or a person who threw shade at me, can pay attention to your body and take care.

T: Take care? Are you insinuating something about them?

YX: No no, it’s really pay attention to their bodies and take care. Ay that’s wrong, can’t say take care. Hope that all friends at Tianya can live everyday happily, and hope that every celebrity you like can have a thriving, flourishing career. You guys must also be happy in your own fields.

T: Hope that from today your development will be more and more smooth-sailing, and also slowly close your mouth, and become bright-eyed.

YX: Yes! Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you, this is really well said.

(t/n: the full interview is here and an edited “review” version of the interview was posted by Tianya here. because the full interview contains some relatively less important questions and because Yixing tends to be quite rambly while talking (lol), I’ve mostly translated from the edited version. some of the answers in the full interview and edited interview are slightly different as well, I’ve translated the answer that makes more sense to me ^^)