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INTERVIEWER: Today, we have a very special guest joining us for an exclusive interview! Kozume Katsumi, daughter of Kozume Kenma, better known as Kodzuken , the world-famous YouTube gamer, and formerly known as Kuroo Tetsurou, but now known as Kozume Tetsurou - the man who went viral for posing with a volleyball for posing in random places with a volleyball.
KATSUMI : [ laughing dryly ] Yeah, that sounds like Papa all right.
INTERVIEWER: Kozume-san, how are you doing today?
KATSUMI: You don’t have to call me Kozume-san. That sounds like you’re talking to my dads. Just Katsumi is fine.
INTERVIEWER: Katsumi, then.
KATSUMI: I’m okay. This weekend, my dads volunteered me to help send out merch packages for Kodzuken, which is always such a good time.
INTERVIEWER: How does it feel to be the daughter of a famous YouTuber?
KATSUMI: I suppose it’s a lot better than it could’ve been. I know a lot of YouTubers and vloggers, like those in America, tend to put their kids in their videos and all over social media. The kids’ entire lives are blasted all over the internet. They have no sense of privacy. But my dads, especially Dad - Kodzuken, as you call him - are very private. So for years after I was adopted, they didn’t put up anything regarding me at all. When they did start to reference me, it was always just as ‘my daughter’ - never anything personal and never any pictures.
It’s still weird to think about, though, that I have famous parents. To me, Dad’s just Dad. He sleeps even later than I do and can’t cook for shit and, even though he’s not the super emotional type, he kisses my forehead before I go to sleep every night and buys me my favorite games on pre-order, just to show me he loves me.
INTERVIEWER: That’s very sweet. Are you a big video game fan, then, like your dad?
KATSUMI: I try not to say ‘like my dad’, because I honestly don’t think anyone can compare to Dad when it comes to gaming. Sometimes I like to say that my dad has played every single game on the planet. Sometimes I even believe it. But I do like video games a lot! I’m already much better than Papa at Mario Kart. My favorite game series of all time are definitely the Fire Emblem and Legend of Zelda series, but lately I’ve been playing the Silent Hill series. I’ve been banned from playing it in the living room, though, because it freaks Papa out.
INTERVIEWER: Your Papa, huh? He’s kind of notorious for the weird things he posts online.
KATSUMI: Yeah, he is. I think the problem is that he doesn’t really know how to use the internet. He thinks he knows how, though. I think Dad’s told him now that he has to run everything he posts by Dad first. (grinning) Dad and I like to tease him, but Papa’s a really great father, seriously. He’s not as weird as he comes off online. He’s very open and loving, and he’s very dedicated to our family, and he’s a really good cook. He also brings a lot of… entertainment to our house, I suppose you could say. We’re always laughing at something. So I’m really grateful for him, too. Just don’t tell him I said that.
INTERVIEWER: That’s wonderful to hear. Now, your parents are one of the most notorious ‘celebrity couples.’ They were one of the first gay couples to ever be so open in Japan. That garnered a lot of feedback, both positive and negative. I’m curious about your perspective, though. What insights do you have into your parents’ relationship?
KATSUMI: Ugh, it’s the worst. And I don’t mean that like they have a bad relationship! No, they have literally the most sweet, loving relationship ever. And it would be cute if it were anybody else in the world, but it’s my parents, so it’s disgusting! They’re the lovey-dovey parents that are constantly snuggling and kissing and saying ‘I love you’ and of course I have to witness it! They love each other way too much. The other thing is that they know each other too well. They’ve been together for like twenty-five years now, but even before that they were childhood friends! So they’ve been friends since they were little kids.
Sometimes it’s annoying ‘cause it’s like they can read each other’s minds! Like, they’ll just look at each other and know what the other one is thinking. I’ve known them both almost my whole life, but I still don’t get how they do that. I guess they have a special connection or something. But yeah, they’re pretty much the perfect couple. They balance each other out really well and they have a very equal relationship, I guess? They bicker a lot though, always about stupid stuff. But it seems like they both seem to enjoy it or something. I don’t know, I’m glad they found each other.
INTERVIEWER: A lot of the talk going around is about children of gay couples ‘missing out’ on having a male and female parent. Do you feel like you ‘missed out’ on anything because you had two fathers?
KATSUMI: No. Absolutely not. A lot of dumb people ask me this question - no offense. But I don’t really think I missed out on anything at all by ‘not having a mom’. My dads did a lot of research, and they were - are - really open about talking about anything and everything. I think I had the best childhood, even compared to my classmates who had heterosexual parents. So really I’m just grateful. And I had a lot of good female role models in my life, even the famous model Haiba Alisa, so there’s that.
INTERVIEWER: You’re just really well-connected, aren’t you?
KATSUMI: You could say that. I think I just got really, really lucky with where I ended up.
INTERVIEWER: Well, Katsumi, thank you so much for coming in today. We’re so lucky to have heard your perspective and learned more about your parents and also you!
.
“How come they only referred to me as the man who went viral for posing with a volleyball? I’m Kozume Tetsurou! I’m a higher up at the JVA and the man who’s well known for promoting volleyball worldwide!”
“Most people only know you because of the weird volleyball posing thing, though.”
“ Kenma! You’re supposed to make me feel better! It’s like, your job as my husband or something.”
“Fine. C’mere.”
“ Mmm. Shit, you’re right. That always makes me feel better, my love.”
“ Ugh. You two are absolutely disgusting. Get a room, will you?”
“Kozume Katsumi, don’t you dare speak in such a disrespectful way!”