Fiery White! The Bachelor” Takumi Bando: “I was a hunter and gatherer in the U.S.”

In my life, I haven’t really started anything on my own. With the Bachelor series, I never thought, ‘I’m going to make a name for myself with this show,’ or ‘I’m going to take a chance on this. I even thought that the format of the Bachelor show might not be a good fit for Japan. I just happened to fit in with the conditions that were set when I was approached. And since we do a lot of overseas filming, it would be better if I could speak English.

But now he is an indispensable part of the show.

I never imagined I would be on The Bachelor for this long. I never imagined I would be on The Bachelor for this long. I was written about a lot on the Internet. Then, in season 2, I was like, “I’m getting hooked,” and in season 3, I was like, “I knew it had to be him! (laughs). I appreciate the many compliments, but I think it’s healthy to have both sides of the argument.

Recently, Season 4 bachelor Huang Kou and Akikura Ryoko entered into marriage. Mr. Huang and I have shared two trips together, Bachelorette Japan and Bachelor Japan, and as he went through some truly grueling experiences, including heartbreaking moments and shaky feelings, he handed over the final Rose to someone who would stand firmly behind him. We are happy that it turned out this way. In watching the romance surrounding Bachelor/Bachelorette for six seasons, I have seen a change in myself. I went from living my life thinking only about myself to somehow becoming a person who could support other people’s lives. I began to think that the happiness of others is my happiness. This is also linked to the “Aura Art” that I have been drawing for the past few years. Aura Art is a painting that I draw just as I feel it, without any artifice. I paint in a session style, but when I touch the pure heart, I feel it and the person in front of me who touches my heart through me is also purified.

Bando is the only professional on set. He says that it is “my role” to communicate with the actors and ease their tension.

I only appear at certain points, so I am often asked, ‘What do you do when you are not on screen? I am often asked, ‘What do you do when you are not on screen? But while it may seem like I have a lot of free time, in reality I don’t have any at all. I have to stay on top of what the participants are up to so that I can be flexible and move according to what happens on the date. I also do some trouble-shooting without people knowing. Because you never know when your turn will come up, you can’t even sleep peacefully in the early stages. It’s like being on the battlefield. I have never been in a limousine or a helicopter. I hardly have time to drink! (laughs)

I often get compliments on my posture, but in fact, I can’t even sit down because my costume suit is fully custom-made and adjusted to the millimeter. If I gain weight, even a little, it becomes too tight, so it’s hard to keep my weight under control. It’s also tough to wear a suit to the beach in the middle of summer or to the snowy mountains (laughs).

However, through the Bachelor series, more and more people have become fans and are paying attention to the existence of the artist Bando Kou. We are sometimes asked by major companies to host award ceremonies and other ceremonies. Thanks to this, I only had two days off last year. This year, too, I have a big job lined up, such as the dedication of a painting and the Bando Kogyo Exhibition!　and other big jobs are lined up for this year as well.

It seems that his life’s many oddities have given depth to his personality and his works, and have attracted many people to his work.

Season 2 of “The Bachelorette Japan” is now available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.