Kusanagi in a new play and a couple of old faces resurface

First off a little bit of news. Kusanagi Tsuyoshi of SMAP will be starring in a two man play named K2 which will begin its run in November of this year. His co-star is Tsutsumi Shinichi.

Tokyo Graph article. (English)

And since I am a big fan of Yamashita Shoon I just have to mention this even if it isn't really connected to Johnny's. But Shoon and his younger brother Reon have both resurfaced and have their own official website with blog. It's called Flying Sheep Cafe and it seems that Reon has decided to use not only a different kanji for the first part of his given name but has chosen to romanize it with a 'L' instead of the 'R' that has been used before this. So I guess it's Shoon and Leon from here on out. I truly wish them the best success in their new endeavor.

A farewell to Yamashita Shoon.

I've been meaning to do this for a couple of weeks but have been putting it off. At first it was because I felt I needed the time to let things sink in so I can find the proper words to say but recently I think it's mainly because I feel by writing it down it really means I've really given up and I don't like to give up. But I think I need to be honest with myself and admit that Yamashita Shoon has indeed left Johnny's.

For about a month it was speculated that he had left the agency as he was no longer listed in the Junior section of the website that can only be accessed by those in Japan. This section has all the active Juniors listed and tends to be the thing that indicates whether or not a Junior has left, unless they were kicked out because of a scandal. Of course sometimes there are mistakes but after his name was removed from the official website for Hyakushiki-Ou, which he was a regular on, it seems like there's little doubt that he is no longer a part of Johnny's. There will probably never be a statement about it so these little signs are what we have to go by.

If you've been reading my blog for a long time then you know that Shoon was one of my favorite Juniors so this has been rather sad news for me. It's just so disheartening to know that I will no longer be seeing him when I pick up a new magazine issue or watch a new episode of Hyakushiki. He was always a bright spot for me and I seemed to love him more and more each time I saw him.

I came in to the Junior fandom around late 2007, after discovering the Hey! Say! 7 Junior unit, so I did not get to really see him much in Ya-Ya-Yah as it was only a couple of months before they were disbanded in Hey! Say! JUMP's creation. But during that time he stood out to me as the one that made me want to see more of Yax3. Even though he did not get nearly as much attention as Yabu and Hikaru there was just something that drew me to him so I was relieved to see him carry on after Yax3 was disbanded.

Seeing him shine so brightly on his own truly endeared him to me. He could have easily sulked about not debuting or become jaded about it but if he did he didn't let it show. In fact he seemed to do the opposite and became more lively and vibrant whenever he got a chance to be on stage on Shounen Club. And then when he became a regular on Hyakushiki he continued on with that wonderfully bright smile of his.

He was able to have some wonderful oppurtunities with acting as well being able to star in a play, Full House, in 2008 and then in 2009 he was in Romeo & Juliet. From reports from both he was praised for doing well and I know I couldn't feel happier for him to receive it. I still believe that if he remained in Johnny's he would have found great success. I wish I had the chance to see him live myself but things just didn't work out that way.

I truly believe that even though he is no longer with the agency he has left a mark with it from the opportunities he had been given. Something I don't think many Juniors can attest to.

With Ya-Ya-Yah he has a long friendship with Yabu and Hikaru, who got to fulfill his dream of debuting. And both have made it known, especially Yabu, that it is a part of their lives that won't be forgotten. I know in the past Yax3 fans have gotten irate when members of Hey! Say! JUMP have done Yax3 songs, but I believe they're doing those songs at the request of Yabu and/or Hikaru so I see them more as tributes (as they're the ones usually singing them) to the group that they cherished. So I hope that HSJ continues to perform Yax3 songs, as to me that's the way Yabu and Hikaru can show how much they cared for the group and that they won't forget the friends they made during that time.

With Hyakushiki Shoon was one of the older Juniors with a wealth of experience behind him which he used to show the younger and fresher Juniors as well as Okamoto Keito from HSJ how to shine. I've watched the program for a couple of years and seeing the growth of the younger Juniors on the program, Sanada Yuma & Takada Sho as will as Keito has been wonderful. The three were so quiet at first but over time they slowly came out of their shells as they gained experience and I'm sure having Shoon and Fujigaya Taisuke, then later Totsuka Shota, was a big help in this. So I have taken the outlook that whenever I see those three I will always see a bit of Shoon there in their smiles and confidence.

And of course it's not like he died or anything. He just decided to walk another path in life. He is a university student and is working on getting a degree in law, so I can only imagine he decided to dedicate himself to that instead, which I honestly don't think I can fault him for. I have only warm wishes for him in whatever he does in the future and I am grateful that he decided to share so much of his life during his time with Johnny's.

While I do feel sad about him leaving and not being able to see more of him I know I'll always have my memories and what still remains from when he was with the agency. The entertainment industry can be harsh and if you want to make it big it takes probably just as much luck as it does actual talent so unfortunately not all dreams can be made true. But I think as long as he can look back with no regret then Shoon will be fine in whatever he does. So this is a farewell to the idol and a hope that the new life he has begun will lead him to happiness.