One more question left after this, and I am already missing having these around to answer. But I will still wait until next year to do this again.
This question comes from an anonymous poster:
What do you think is the likelihood of Yamada would leave Hey! Say! JUMP ? I just wanted to hear your opinion since the whole fandom believes so
I do not think Yamada Ryosuke is likely to leave Hey! Say! JUMP. There is a clear love for the group and the other members in it that other recent group leads turn soloists lacked. Akanishi Jin was a bit infamous for not hanging around his group members and with Yamashita Tomohisa he rarely did, minus Nishikido Ryo but since he left the group as well I am not sure how much that counts. Yamada on the other had does so on a regular basis and there are plenty of papa photos to prove it.
In an interview about doing a solo song he talked to Takaki Yuya who told him to take it as he could never know if the opportunity would present itself again. I think it is rather telling that Yamada went to another member of the group for advice. And I think Takaki was a good choice as he has been the only other member of HSJ that has done a solo song for a drama (Oretachi no Seishun fro Gokusen 3 that was a B-side on the group's Dreams come true single). But the main point is that he went to a group member, and most likely talked to it to some of the others as well, about this just to make the decision. I think that shows that he really cares about the group over his individual wants or at least sees them as interconnected.
I know Yamada gets a lot of hate his way because he is the ace of the group and gets promoted the most, but that really is not his choice. So I would ignore those who call him selfish because of how much screen time he is given or that he is placed center all the time. Those are not his decisions to make and from interviews and seeing him on camera for behind the scene segments it is easy to see that he enjoys being with the others and does not naturally push himself in front of them.
Also I think the big difference between Yamada and the other two is that Yamada was much younger when he debuted with HSJ then they were when they debuted with their groups. (And I will emphasis the debuted part here as debuted groups since I believe it makes enough of a difference.) He has the vast majority of his teenage years growing up around the members of the group and most of his time in Johnny's has been around mostly the same group with Nakajima Yuto being the member he was frequently paired up with as a Junior. And I think this has let him create an attachment to the group that the other two lacked.
Plus leaving a group to go solo after a solo release is actually something new. Most of the older groups have had members do solo releases but stay as a group, the duos can be considered infamous for it. And there is still to be seen how well Yamada will sell solo, especially as soloists tend not to sell all that well.
So looking at all these things I really do believe that Yamada will not leave HSJ. Or at least not anytime soon but there will have to be a major change in his personality for that to even happen.
Showing posts with label q and a month (2012). Show all posts
Showing posts with label q and a month (2012). Show all posts
23 December 2012
20 December 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 14
Going back to answer the question I decided to skip this time as the information I had been waiting for is out now.
This question comes from an anonymous poster:
how do you think will NEWS fare from now on? after chankapaana and starting with world quest/pokoponpekorya.
With the numbers in for the first week of World Quest/Pokoponpekorya I think NEWS will be okay. I honestly think that any sales over 100k for the first week alone is nothing to sneeze at as there are not many Japanese releases that can do that. Is the 130k a big drop from the previous 300k of Chankapaana? Maybe, maybe not as a part of how Chankapaana got those sales is that the limited edition that had all four limited edition CDs counted for four units not one so those sales were definitely inflated. Also Chankapaana had the added interest in being the comeback single of the group and music program promotions that WQ/P lack, most likely because it is the time of the year of year end specials and a new release is not a deciding factor for who gets to be on those.
As NEWS stands they have lost their most popular members and have to in some ways start from scratch with how the group is set up and what kind of image they want to promote. Not to mention to try to find a new face of the group, which they may not even do as they all are getting chances to do projects that will help them be known to the general populace between dramas and news/sports caster positions.
I think NEWS will be a group that will be around for the long run, maybe not have the best sales numbers but they should have enough of a loyal fanbase to keep them going like the older groups as the members all do what they have done individually. In fact the group of individuals that do their own thing but can come together to do something as a group has been rather status quo for NEWS since the group had to share its members with Kanjani8. I do not see that changing but in a way I am glad for it as I think that kind of system will be a big part of why the guys will want to continue on as a group for a long time to come.
This question comes from an anonymous poster:
how do you think will NEWS fare from now on? after chankapaana and starting with world quest/pokoponpekorya.
With the numbers in for the first week of World Quest/Pokoponpekorya I think NEWS will be okay. I honestly think that any sales over 100k for the first week alone is nothing to sneeze at as there are not many Japanese releases that can do that. Is the 130k a big drop from the previous 300k of Chankapaana? Maybe, maybe not as a part of how Chankapaana got those sales is that the limited edition that had all four limited edition CDs counted for four units not one so those sales were definitely inflated. Also Chankapaana had the added interest in being the comeback single of the group and music program promotions that WQ/P lack, most likely because it is the time of the year of year end specials and a new release is not a deciding factor for who gets to be on those.
As NEWS stands they have lost their most popular members and have to in some ways start from scratch with how the group is set up and what kind of image they want to promote. Not to mention to try to find a new face of the group, which they may not even do as they all are getting chances to do projects that will help them be known to the general populace between dramas and news/sports caster positions.
I think NEWS will be a group that will be around for the long run, maybe not have the best sales numbers but they should have enough of a loyal fanbase to keep them going like the older groups as the members all do what they have done individually. In fact the group of individuals that do their own thing but can come together to do something as a group has been rather status quo for NEWS since the group had to share its members with Kanjani8. I do not see that changing but in a way I am glad for it as I think that kind of system will be a big part of why the guys will want to continue on as a group for a long time to come.
14 December 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 13
Probably should have made sure to have done this yesterday as I knew I would have plans later to see The Hobbit. But hindsight is 20/20 and all that.
This question comes from Faye:
Johnny's groups are increasing to an unprecedented number. Instead of dropping older groups when they reach a certain age, the organization keeps them and then adds more and more younger groups. Do you think the organization is spreading itself too thinly? Seems as if they can't give enough attention to them all (concerts, DVD and album releases) since there are too many for which to care and promote. Will the organization implode at some point? Do you think there should be an age limit on the groups Johnny's should manage?
I agree that things seem rather crowded when it comes to active Johnny's groups. In fact I wrote a post about the issue earlier this year as well. But since then I have done a bit more thinking about it and have some more ideas about the issue.
From what I can tell Johnny's is willing to keep a group around as long as they want to still be a group and are profitable. While most of the older groups may not sell a lot with their releases for the most part they still bring in revenue from their other work, like commercials, dramas and variety programs and that is where the profit is for them.
An age limit is an interesting idea but since SMAP changed the image of Johnny's from the more limiting prince image to that of a more all around entertainer it more or less opened the door to having group be able to continue on long after they pass the shelf-life of past Johnny's groups. If anything it is more likely for the older groups to follow in the path of Kondo Masahiko and Shounentai and eventually rarely release anything, which will help solve the issue of having so many releases at least.
I think what we are going to see is the less successful groups not release as much or often, much like some of the older groups do like V6, TOKIO and Tackey & Tsubasa. And of course the ones that have lost their number one streak are going to be less of an issue with releases as they can be scheduled whenever with very little worry about who else is releasing.
I am sure Johnny's is just going to expand with the number of groups but hopefully we do not get so many debuts all around the same time like we did with the most recent debuts. And who knows, with some of the members of the older groups hitting forty now perhaps some will want to call it quits for being in an idol group. But in the end it looks like it is most likely going to be a decision left to the groups as Johnny's has crafted their system well to support these aging idols.
This question comes from Faye:
Johnny's groups are increasing to an unprecedented number. Instead of dropping older groups when they reach a certain age, the organization keeps them and then adds more and more younger groups. Do you think the organization is spreading itself too thinly? Seems as if they can't give enough attention to them all (concerts, DVD and album releases) since there are too many for which to care and promote. Will the organization implode at some point? Do you think there should be an age limit on the groups Johnny's should manage?
I agree that things seem rather crowded when it comes to active Johnny's groups. In fact I wrote a post about the issue earlier this year as well. But since then I have done a bit more thinking about it and have some more ideas about the issue.
From what I can tell Johnny's is willing to keep a group around as long as they want to still be a group and are profitable. While most of the older groups may not sell a lot with their releases for the most part they still bring in revenue from their other work, like commercials, dramas and variety programs and that is where the profit is for them.
An age limit is an interesting idea but since SMAP changed the image of Johnny's from the more limiting prince image to that of a more all around entertainer it more or less opened the door to having group be able to continue on long after they pass the shelf-life of past Johnny's groups. If anything it is more likely for the older groups to follow in the path of Kondo Masahiko and Shounentai and eventually rarely release anything, which will help solve the issue of having so many releases at least.
I think what we are going to see is the less successful groups not release as much or often, much like some of the older groups do like V6, TOKIO and Tackey & Tsubasa. And of course the ones that have lost their number one streak are going to be less of an issue with releases as they can be scheduled whenever with very little worry about who else is releasing.
I am sure Johnny's is just going to expand with the number of groups but hopefully we do not get so many debuts all around the same time like we did with the most recent debuts. And who knows, with some of the members of the older groups hitting forty now perhaps some will want to call it quits for being in an idol group. But in the end it looks like it is most likely going to be a decision left to the groups as Johnny's has crafted their system well to support these aging idols.
12 December 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 12
I cannot believe I am almost done with answering all the questions for this. I will be sad when I get to the last question as I have enjoyed answering them, so thank you to everyone who left a question this year.
This question comes from Nanu fui:
what do you think about Kisumai variety shows? Kisuhama learning and Kisumai Busaiku? do you think the last one will be a regular show?
I can proudly say as a Kis-My-Ft2 fan that I have watched and enjoy both shows. One more than the other though.
While Kisuhama Learning can be rather hit or miss with their challenges, but overall I like it and I think it really helps everyone in the group as the s-My-2 grouping get chances to shine or fail enough that they get extra attention. Also Tamamori Yuta may not be the greatest singer or dancer but he is proving to be strong in the world of variety shows so it is nice to see him excel in something to help justify his position as center if just a little.
Kisumai Busaiku was complete genius. I cannot remember the last time I laughed so much watching a variety program and it was great to see the guys enjoy themselves so much as well. While I would love to see it become a regular show I would worry about being able to keep up the quality of the show if they did. But if they made it an annual program and did a couple of episodes a year I would love it.
I think they are both good shows and if Michi is pushing them to become one of the top groups of the agency the way to go. Variety programs play a good part in making a group massively popular, which can be seen with SMAP, Arashi and Kanjani8 having strong variety presence that came hand in hand with their ascents in popularity. Of course the fact that the programs were/are good is vital as well as the groups being the main focus of them unlike Hey! Say! JUMP's programs typically have been.
This question comes from Nanu fui:
what do you think about Kisumai variety shows? Kisuhama learning and Kisumai Busaiku? do you think the last one will be a regular show?
I can proudly say as a Kis-My-Ft2 fan that I have watched and enjoy both shows. One more than the other though.
While Kisuhama Learning can be rather hit or miss with their challenges, but overall I like it and I think it really helps everyone in the group as the s-My-2 grouping get chances to shine or fail enough that they get extra attention. Also Tamamori Yuta may not be the greatest singer or dancer but he is proving to be strong in the world of variety shows so it is nice to see him excel in something to help justify his position as center if just a little.
Kisumai Busaiku was complete genius. I cannot remember the last time I laughed so much watching a variety program and it was great to see the guys enjoy themselves so much as well. While I would love to see it become a regular show I would worry about being able to keep up the quality of the show if they did. But if they made it an annual program and did a couple of episodes a year I would love it.
I think they are both good shows and if Michi is pushing them to become one of the top groups of the agency the way to go. Variety programs play a good part in making a group massively popular, which can be seen with SMAP, Arashi and Kanjani8 having strong variety presence that came hand in hand with their ascents in popularity. Of course the fact that the programs were/are good is vital as well as the groups being the main focus of them unlike Hey! Say! JUMP's programs typically have been.
09 December 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 11
I'll be skipping a question right now but only because I want to get a bit more information for it, which will be out this coming week. So I will get back to it.
This question is asked by an Anonymous poster:
what do you think about snow man? i like them so much but i think this group rare to get perform in shokura or magazine. lately they are in magz because bakaleya movie but i think jimusho not really push this group. do you think they'll debut although in long time like kisumai. or they end become jimusho dance group like mad??
I do not really follow Snow Man much, I did more when Sanada Yuma and Nozawa Yuki where in the group under Mis Snow Man though. I like the group but after Sanada and Nozawa were taken out I could not help but think they would end up under the dance umbrella.
I am not so sure with the more recent activities for members of the group I am not so sure though. The members are getting some breaks with acting in dramas which is a good way to get promoted to the public. But on the other hand they are not really regulars on Shounen Club so much anymore and when they are on the program they are just back dancers. And one thing that all the groups that got to debut eventually have in common is the fact that they were regulars on SC and got to perform songs as a group, something Snow Man is not doing.
I do not think they will debut as a group unless things change and they start being on SC performing group songs but I think there could at least be hope for some of the more popular members to be placed in a group to debut. Yet even then that is just a guess as only those in charge at Johnny's probably have any idea if they are getting placed to be built up for a possible debut in the future or not.
This question is asked by an Anonymous poster:
what do you think about snow man? i like them so much but i think this group rare to get perform in shokura or magazine. lately they are in magz because bakaleya movie but i think jimusho not really push this group. do you think they'll debut although in long time like kisumai. or they end become jimusho dance group like mad??
I do not really follow Snow Man much, I did more when Sanada Yuma and Nozawa Yuki where in the group under Mis Snow Man though. I like the group but after Sanada and Nozawa were taken out I could not help but think they would end up under the dance umbrella.
I am not so sure with the more recent activities for members of the group I am not so sure though. The members are getting some breaks with acting in dramas which is a good way to get promoted to the public. But on the other hand they are not really regulars on Shounen Club so much anymore and when they are on the program they are just back dancers. And one thing that all the groups that got to debut eventually have in common is the fact that they were regulars on SC and got to perform songs as a group, something Snow Man is not doing.
I do not think they will debut as a group unless things change and they start being on SC performing group songs but I think there could at least be hope for some of the more popular members to be placed in a group to debut. Yet even then that is just a guess as only those in charge at Johnny's probably have any idea if they are getting placed to be built up for a possible debut in the future or not.
06 December 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 10
Continuing on to see about finishing all the questions people have left.
This question comes from an Anonymous poster:
What do you think of HSJ Jump World DVD first week sale? i don't follow this group very much but the number seems to be on the low side for them? it's lower than their Summary con DVD. given the increase in their recent single sales. i was expecting them to do better. much better actually.
To say the least it is disappointing. Looking at the numbers though it was only a 6k drop from the first week sales from their last DVD which is not horrible. Not great, but not a sign that the group is heading down a downward spiral.
One of the reasons for the sales increase for HSJ's singles though is the fact that they now have three versions instead of two. That extra version helps in bringing up sales which is in part why OVER did so well compared to Arigato. So keeping that in mind helps in figuring out how sales of albums and DVDs are doing in comparison.
If you look at it the album sales for the group has also dropped from their last album so I think it is safe to say that the group just is not as popular as they used to be. This does not mean it is the end to them but I think there needs to be more done with the group to start reclaiming the popularity they did have before. A good part of that should be promoting more of the members with jobs that keep them in the public eye and of course releasing more often. The first is happening with other members than Yamada Ryosuke getting drama roles but not the latter for whatever reason. But the group should still have many more years to look forward to and anything can happen in them.
This question comes from an Anonymous poster:
What do you think of HSJ Jump World DVD first week sale? i don't follow this group very much but the number seems to be on the low side for them? it's lower than their Summary con DVD. given the increase in their recent single sales. i was expecting them to do better. much better actually.
To say the least it is disappointing. Looking at the numbers though it was only a 6k drop from the first week sales from their last DVD which is not horrible. Not great, but not a sign that the group is heading down a downward spiral.
One of the reasons for the sales increase for HSJ's singles though is the fact that they now have three versions instead of two. That extra version helps in bringing up sales which is in part why OVER did so well compared to Arigato. So keeping that in mind helps in figuring out how sales of albums and DVDs are doing in comparison.
If you look at it the album sales for the group has also dropped from their last album so I think it is safe to say that the group just is not as popular as they used to be. This does not mean it is the end to them but I think there needs to be more done with the group to start reclaiming the popularity they did have before. A good part of that should be promoting more of the members with jobs that keep them in the public eye and of course releasing more often. The first is happening with other members than Yamada Ryosuke getting drama roles but not the latter for whatever reason. But the group should still have many more years to look forward to and anything can happen in them.
05 December 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 9
Alight, it is December so time for me to finish answering all the questions that were left for me. I want to thank everyone that left a question and I should be able to finish them all this month.
This question comes from riyelalivia:
after reading kokochan comment,i think i also wanna ask about bakaleya6 ^^ from internet there is rumour about bakaleya6 just for drama and not to long periode. thats why jimusho doesnt give them official name. what do you think about it? some fans say that because in december photoshoot magz there is no group photo anymore... i really dissapointed if this is true because i like 6 of them so much ^^ is it enough fact to judge bakaleya will disband because some photo magazine they are not together anymore? and if i think again, why doesnt jimusho give them official name if agency think about debut them like kattun or kisumai?
It really is hard to say what the future will hold for Bakaleya6 and probably at this point only Johnny's knows what the fate of the group will be. They probably were not created for the long term at first but since they seen to be given more and more activities as a group and seem to be accepted as a group by fans I would not be surprised if they are pondering if they should group them officially or not.
Interestingly enough looking at the information for the January magazines only one does not have the six all listed together in order, Wink Up has Hagiya Keigo mixed in with them like for the December magazines. But I think as long as there is something Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou related they will still be grouped together, as they still have at least one loose end of the movie being released on DVD/BD that they can promote together. It will be the true test if they will continue to go on as a group or not after that is done.
We probably are not going to get anymore hints though what is going to happen to the group in the near future unless we get an announcement at the upcoming Yokohama Arena concert on the 16th of the month. So we Bakaleya6 fans are just going to have to suffer unknowing the fate of the group for a bit longer at least.
This question comes from riyelalivia:
after reading kokochan comment,i think i also wanna ask about bakaleya6 ^^ from internet there is rumour about bakaleya6 just for drama and not to long periode. thats why jimusho doesnt give them official name. what do you think about it? some fans say that because in december photoshoot magz there is no group photo anymore... i really dissapointed if this is true because i like 6 of them so much ^^ is it enough fact to judge bakaleya will disband because some photo magazine they are not together anymore? and if i think again, why doesnt jimusho give them official name if agency think about debut them like kattun or kisumai?
It really is hard to say what the future will hold for Bakaleya6 and probably at this point only Johnny's knows what the fate of the group will be. They probably were not created for the long term at first but since they seen to be given more and more activities as a group and seem to be accepted as a group by fans I would not be surprised if they are pondering if they should group them officially or not.
Interestingly enough looking at the information for the January magazines only one does not have the six all listed together in order, Wink Up has Hagiya Keigo mixed in with them like for the December magazines. But I think as long as there is something Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou related they will still be grouped together, as they still have at least one loose end of the movie being released on DVD/BD that they can promote together. It will be the true test if they will continue to go on as a group or not after that is done.
We probably are not going to get anymore hints though what is going to happen to the group in the near future unless we get an announcement at the upcoming Yokohama Arena concert on the 16th of the month. So we Bakaleya6 fans are just going to have to suffer unknowing the fate of the group for a bit longer at least.
28 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 8
Decided to take a bit of a break yesterday as I had RL stuff to take care of. I cannot believe this year is almost at the end. Where did it go?
Talking about time passing quickly, only a couple more days before the end of the month and the period for accepting questions end for this Q&A Month. If you want to get a question in for me to answer make sure you do so in this post.
This question is the second one from kawaii:
who are your favourite juniors??
Talking about time passing quickly, only a couple more days before the end of the month and the period for accepting questions end for this Q&A Month. If you want to get a question in for me to answer make sure you do so in this post.
This question is the second one from kawaii:
who are your favourite juniors??
While there are plenty of Juniors that I like I think the place of favorite has to go to the ones that I continuously look forward to seeing. And with the current state of the Juniors those Juniors are conveniently all in one group, the Bakaleya6. Of course before they were grouped together I liked them all and most would have fallen into my favorite Junior list.
Being a long time Hey! Say! JUMP fan it was hard not to know about Morimoto Shintaro because of his older brother having been in the group until about a year ago. Though I think it was his starring in the Snow Prince movie and his CD release with Snow Prince Gasshodan that made me really start paying attention to him outside of his frequent association with his brother.
Since Kyomoto Taiga was a part of the same grouping as the younger members of HSJ during their Juniors days I knew of him for some time before he really caught my interest. For him though it was his duets with Uekusa Yuta. I know there are those that do like his voice but I enjoy it but I can understand how others may not because it does not have the kind of tone that is typically considered pleasant.
Matsumura Hokuto was one of the few Juniors I found myself being an immediate fan of. And I have loved to seeing him finally find his niche with his acting after being overshadowed by Nakajima Kento and Kikuchi Fuma when he was in B.I.Shadow.
I have the tendency to like underdogs so Kochi Yugo fits that well. I think he is one of the members that still have a good deal of potential to be discovered and I eagerly await for when he figures out what he can bring to the group.
I have liked both Tanaka Juri and Lewis Jesse since I learned a bit about them when Hip Hop Jump was first formed. They were both rather adorable back then and it is amazing to see how much they have grown since. Juri seems to have that soft side of him that his older brother has but does not seem to try to hide it as much. And Jesse has a nice voice that is easy to listen to works well to help balance Taiga's.
And then the members of B.A.D. are probably just high enough to be on the list now as I am really impressed with how they have been dealing with their role as the leaders of the Kansai Juniors. Kiriyama Akito especially. Of course I have had always had a soft spot for them from their roles in Gokusen 3 and it has never completely gone away.
After all that said I also do find that Sanada Yuma kinda hovers close to being on the list as well. And the fresher Juniors are starting to get my attention to but none are quite up there enough to be on my favorite list just yet.
(And to note I am not counting Nakayama Yuma as a Junior because he has debuted so many times I think it is safe to say that one of those has stuck.)
26 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 7
I have to say I am quite glad I decided to do this again this year, as otherwise I would be lapsing back to being lazy and not posting as much as I feel I should be for this blog. So thank you everyone that has left a question, you have helped keep this blog active this month, and as well as the next.
Only a few more days left until the question period ends. If you want to ask a question please leave it in this post.
This question comes from Kokochan:
What do you think about the ability to be debuted of Bakaleya6?
I think Bakaleya6 could debut. Of course they would need a new group name and I do not think it would be wise to debut them anytime soon, but there is a possibility for it.
There is no doubt that I am a big fan of this group since it is basically most of my favorite Juniors all in one group. Yet even putting that aside the group has a lot of potential to become the next big thing considering who the members are and what they have done so far as Juniors and what Johnny's seems to be lining up for them. But there are also things that need to be worked on for them to debut as a group, like come together more so they have a better group dynamic for example.
So in my opinion they should debut as a group, but a couple of years from now at least, so they could become stronger as a group.
Of course as any Junior fan knows it is difficult if not sometimes impossible to predict what is going to happen. But unless Johnny's actually breaks the group up I will remain hopeful.
Only a few more days left until the question period ends. If you want to ask a question please leave it in this post.
This question comes from Kokochan:
What do you think about the ability to be debuted of Bakaleya6?
I think Bakaleya6 could debut. Of course they would need a new group name and I do not think it would be wise to debut them anytime soon, but there is a possibility for it.
There is no doubt that I am a big fan of this group since it is basically most of my favorite Juniors all in one group. Yet even putting that aside the group has a lot of potential to become the next big thing considering who the members are and what they have done so far as Juniors and what Johnny's seems to be lining up for them. But there are also things that need to be worked on for them to debut as a group, like come together more so they have a better group dynamic for example.
So in my opinion they should debut as a group, but a couple of years from now at least, so they could become stronger as a group.
Of course as any Junior fan knows it is difficult if not sometimes impossible to predict what is going to happen. But unless Johnny's actually breaks the group up I will remain hopeful.
24 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 6
Since I seem to be getting a new question a day now I figured I should pick up my pace and see about answering a question a day for a while.
If you have a question to add to the growing list you can leave it in this post.
Today's question comes from reader AJ:
Thank you for providing a space for us to ask questions. Homosexuality in Japan seems to have adopted a Western-style prejudice, unlike historical Japan, in which samurai often had young boyfriends as companions in and out of bed. I remember Subaru Shibutani getting in trouble when he agreed to do a gay scene in an early drama (suggested sex only--it was a family drama). Are there now or have there ever been any Johnny's talents who were gay? Would that be a total career ender if one of them ever "came out"?
Want to start out by putting out there that I am definitely no expert in this matter. I do have some knowledge about it from my Asian Studies classes and what I have picked up from reading about the topic in new articles, but I know even then my knowledge is surface at best.
From what I understand pre-modern ideas about homosexuality in Japan was on par with the other major East Asian views on it, it was something someone did but it was not what they were. So if a man had sex with another man it did not make him homosexual, it just meant he did something that was homosexual. And this was tolerated because those samurai would have to marry a girl at some point to have kids with and pass along their family name, which was a very important thing for Japanese families during that time and even today one of the main pressures homosexuals get from their family is to marry and have children.
With the Meiji era the pressure to have a traditional family unit clamped down on tolerance for homosexuality. But with the modern era came the modern idea of homosexuality, it is something that you are, not just something you can do from time to time. This change of definition of the term and what it entails makes it hard to compare how homosexuality was once treated in society compared to the more modern take on it as it is not really the same thing.
So if there is a surfacing of Western style prejudice it is because homosexuality in Japan has taken on a Western style meaning of being something that you are. That and the fact that Japan has been known as a rather conservative nation so new ideas are not always going to be met with acceptance. But there is some hope for the LGBT community in Japan as 2011 saw the first openly gay politician elected into office and there is an openly transgendered politician that was not only elected in 2003 but re-elected in 2007. So there are at least some small victories that one can only hope will lead to larger ones later on.
I do not believe there have been any Johnny's that have been openly gay. There are rumors but nothing that can be proven in anyway. If one of them came out as openly gay it would probably depend on who they are for what it would do for their careers. I think for the older Johnny's it would not be much of an issue as most have long left the heart throb/prince status that the younger groups have. The younger groups may have issues. Maybe if it was one of the less popular members it would not matter much but I doubt that if one of the popular members/front men of a group will get a lot of pushing if they came out, seeing as the fan base for those groups are mostly girls and the appeal of these groups are for them to be boys that they can imagine as potential boyfriend material.
That said I think it would be great if there is any Johnny's that is gay that would come out publicly. Sure they probably will not find it easy to be openly gay and avoid not being stuffed in the stereotypes that most openly gay entertainers in Japan adhere to, but I am sure it would be helpful to the LGBT community at large. Much like how celebrities in the U.S. have come out publicly to give other members of the LGBT a role model to look up to showing that they can be out and proud and still do well in life without being a stereotype I think having a Johnny's come out could have the same affect. Of course like I mentioned it would be best for it to be one of the older ones because they would have a lot more say in how they are treated and want to present themselves compared to the younger ones.
Personally I cannot imagine what it must feel like not being able to be honest and open about your sexuality but I can only assume it is not the most pleasant of experiences. While I doubt their sexuality will change how I feel about any of the members of Johnny's I would want them to be able to live as they wish and not feel like they have to hide a part of them in fear of people hating them for something as innocent as loving someone of their own gender.
If you have a question to add to the growing list you can leave it in this post.
Today's question comes from reader AJ:
Thank you for providing a space for us to ask questions. Homosexuality in Japan seems to have adopted a Western-style prejudice, unlike historical Japan, in which samurai often had young boyfriends as companions in and out of bed. I remember Subaru Shibutani getting in trouble when he agreed to do a gay scene in an early drama (suggested sex only--it was a family drama). Are there now or have there ever been any Johnny's talents who were gay? Would that be a total career ender if one of them ever "came out"?
Want to start out by putting out there that I am definitely no expert in this matter. I do have some knowledge about it from my Asian Studies classes and what I have picked up from reading about the topic in new articles, but I know even then my knowledge is surface at best.
From what I understand pre-modern ideas about homosexuality in Japan was on par with the other major East Asian views on it, it was something someone did but it was not what they were. So if a man had sex with another man it did not make him homosexual, it just meant he did something that was homosexual. And this was tolerated because those samurai would have to marry a girl at some point to have kids with and pass along their family name, which was a very important thing for Japanese families during that time and even today one of the main pressures homosexuals get from their family is to marry and have children.
With the Meiji era the pressure to have a traditional family unit clamped down on tolerance for homosexuality. But with the modern era came the modern idea of homosexuality, it is something that you are, not just something you can do from time to time. This change of definition of the term and what it entails makes it hard to compare how homosexuality was once treated in society compared to the more modern take on it as it is not really the same thing.
So if there is a surfacing of Western style prejudice it is because homosexuality in Japan has taken on a Western style meaning of being something that you are. That and the fact that Japan has been known as a rather conservative nation so new ideas are not always going to be met with acceptance. But there is some hope for the LGBT community in Japan as 2011 saw the first openly gay politician elected into office and there is an openly transgendered politician that was not only elected in 2003 but re-elected in 2007. So there are at least some small victories that one can only hope will lead to larger ones later on.
I do not believe there have been any Johnny's that have been openly gay. There are rumors but nothing that can be proven in anyway. If one of them came out as openly gay it would probably depend on who they are for what it would do for their careers. I think for the older Johnny's it would not be much of an issue as most have long left the heart throb/prince status that the younger groups have. The younger groups may have issues. Maybe if it was one of the less popular members it would not matter much but I doubt that if one of the popular members/front men of a group will get a lot of pushing if they came out, seeing as the fan base for those groups are mostly girls and the appeal of these groups are for them to be boys that they can imagine as potential boyfriend material.
That said I think it would be great if there is any Johnny's that is gay that would come out publicly. Sure they probably will not find it easy to be openly gay and avoid not being stuffed in the stereotypes that most openly gay entertainers in Japan adhere to, but I am sure it would be helpful to the LGBT community at large. Much like how celebrities in the U.S. have come out publicly to give other members of the LGBT a role model to look up to showing that they can be out and proud and still do well in life without being a stereotype I think having a Johnny's come out could have the same affect. Of course like I mentioned it would be best for it to be one of the older ones because they would have a lot more say in how they are treated and want to present themselves compared to the younger ones.
Personally I cannot imagine what it must feel like not being able to be honest and open about your sexuality but I can only assume it is not the most pleasant of experiences. While I doubt their sexuality will change how I feel about any of the members of Johnny's I would want them to be able to live as they wish and not feel like they have to hide a part of them in fear of people hating them for something as innocent as loving someone of their own gender.
23 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 5
The holiday threw me off a bit but I am back and ready to try to get everything back on schedule as I want it to be. And since I keep getting new questions I know the best way to help do that is to get to answering them.
The deadline for questions is of course the end of this month, so if you have something you want me to try to answer make sure you leave it in this post.
This question is the first from kawaii:
i wanna ask about jr life. do you think jr tachi get paid for concert,photo magazine & shokura? or jr tachi must spend fee for dance lesson?? just curious...
When it comes to pay for the Juniors it is a lot of guessing based off of tidbits of information gleaned from various sources. It is considered a fact that they do get paid something for concerts and live performances like that. Though it is said to be a rather small amount, which would make sense business-wise when you are having concerts that use hundreds of Juniors as back dancers.
And I am sure they get the standard pay for things like endorsements and acting as anyone else would in the entertainment industry. Much like with debut Johnny's they get paid a salary but if they have activities like product endorsements or acting they get that pay added on, which is part of how Nakai Masahiro from SMAP earns as much as he does, because he has a lot of work on variety programs and of course his endorsements.
For magazine photo shoots I am unsure about. I do not think I have heard anything either way about that.
I do not think they have to pay for their dance lessons, as it seems like the lessons are more just teaching them the moves for whatever performance they are going to be in, not to become better dancers so much.
Of course this really only relates to the younger Juniors as I believe the older Juniors, like those in the dance umbrella groups and long time Juniors like Sano Mizuki or Kazama Shunsuke get paid on the same salary system as debuted Johnny's. But again that is mostly speculation from going off what little is known about pay in Johnny's.
The deadline for questions is of course the end of this month, so if you have something you want me to try to answer make sure you leave it in this post.
This question is the first from kawaii:
i wanna ask about jr life. do you think jr tachi get paid for concert,photo magazine & shokura? or jr tachi must spend fee for dance lesson?? just curious...
When it comes to pay for the Juniors it is a lot of guessing based off of tidbits of information gleaned from various sources. It is considered a fact that they do get paid something for concerts and live performances like that. Though it is said to be a rather small amount, which would make sense business-wise when you are having concerts that use hundreds of Juniors as back dancers.
And I am sure they get the standard pay for things like endorsements and acting as anyone else would in the entertainment industry. Much like with debut Johnny's they get paid a salary but if they have activities like product endorsements or acting they get that pay added on, which is part of how Nakai Masahiro from SMAP earns as much as he does, because he has a lot of work on variety programs and of course his endorsements.
For magazine photo shoots I am unsure about. I do not think I have heard anything either way about that.
I do not think they have to pay for their dance lessons, as it seems like the lessons are more just teaching them the moves for whatever performance they are going to be in, not to become better dancers so much.
Of course this really only relates to the younger Juniors as I believe the older Juniors, like those in the dance umbrella groups and long time Juniors like Sano Mizuki or Kazama Shunsuke get paid on the same salary system as debuted Johnny's. But again that is mostly speculation from going off what little is known about pay in Johnny's.
21 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 4
Figured I should get around to answering a few questions now before the month ends as they are beginning to pile up now. That makes me quite happy as I do enjoy answering these.
The deadline for questions is of course the end of this month, so if you have something you want me to try to answer make sure you leave it in this post.
This question comes from an anonymous reader:
What non JE group do you want to listen to but just never have for any reason.
Honestly most of what I want to listen to but have not tend to be older J-pop/rock songs. Like I would love to listen to more of the popular Japanese music of the pre-CD era but of course for those not in Japan it is really hard to find music from that era in a format you can easily listen to.
I am interested in these oldies because I feel like I am missing a part of the greater picture of Japanese popular music by not being very familiar with the artists that many in Japan grew up with or know the songs that are just suspected that you would be familiar with. I think I would come to know and understand J-pop much more and understand their trends, kinda like I can look back and see the trends in music for the U.S. because I am familiar with so much of the music from previous eras just by living in the country.
The deadline for questions is of course the end of this month, so if you have something you want me to try to answer make sure you leave it in this post.
This question comes from an anonymous reader:
What non JE group do you want to listen to but just never have for any reason.
Honestly most of what I want to listen to but have not tend to be older J-pop/rock songs. Like I would love to listen to more of the popular Japanese music of the pre-CD era but of course for those not in Japan it is really hard to find music from that era in a format you can easily listen to.
I am interested in these oldies because I feel like I am missing a part of the greater picture of Japanese popular music by not being very familiar with the artists that many in Japan grew up with or know the songs that are just suspected that you would be familiar with. I think I would come to know and understand J-pop much more and understand their trends, kinda like I can look back and see the trends in music for the U.S. because I am familiar with so much of the music from previous eras just by living in the country.
13 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 3
So glad I did go ahead with Q&A this month so I can stop myself from getting too lazy with posts this month. Also it is always nice to know what other fans are interested in and want to read about. It helps with figuring out what I should write about for not only my blog but also for Idol Minded.
So if you have a question that you want me to try to answer please feel free to ask it on this post and I should be able to get around to it sometime this month.
This question comes from an Anonymous poster:
do you think JE will ever paid attention to what the fans think about the 3/4 split in Kisumai? do you think Kisumai cares about this? There are really complains in japan about this ?
I do not think Johnny's will change the 3/4 split anytime soon even if they know that there are fans unhappy about it. And it just boils down to the fact that the group has been successful and is one of the stronger selling groups so an unhappy portion of the fans is not enough to make them change their minds. And the 3/4 is weakening a little with Miyata Toshiya and Senga Kento starting to get a little more attention than before, even though they are still well behind the other three.
But it is all going to depend on getting breaks and how they help bring in fans of the s-My-2 members. If they start getting popular among fans, like having their concert merchandise and such start selling strongly, Johnny's will notice and start shifting to include them more, or at least whatever member is rising in popularity.
I am sure this is affecting the members. Hopefully though they are trying to make it into a positive, like for s-My-2 taking it as a challenge to try harder to stand out. In fact I think at least Miyata is very much going down this path as he seems willing to put himself out there when given the chance, which when you are not a front member is an important thing to do if you want to be noticed. I mean if you look at the recent appearance of the group on Music Station Miyata made most of being on camera and made sure Senga joined with him for waving at the camera to be noticed.
Of course I doubt they will let on much if this split is causing a rift of anything like that. Perhaps years from now when it is no longer an issue, hopefully, it will be brought up. Until then we only have speculation for the most part.
I am sure there are Japanese fans that complain just as much and as bitterly as English language fans. This split was a dramatic shift when the group debuted and I doubt the pre-debut Japanese fans were any happier about it than the English language fans. Especially those who are fans of any of s-My-2. But even if you are a fan in Japan you have little say in how a group is managed.
So if you have a question that you want me to try to answer please feel free to ask it on this post and I should be able to get around to it sometime this month.
This question comes from an Anonymous poster:
do you think JE will ever paid attention to what the fans think about the 3/4 split in Kisumai? do you think Kisumai cares about this? There are really complains in japan about this ?
I do not think Johnny's will change the 3/4 split anytime soon even if they know that there are fans unhappy about it. And it just boils down to the fact that the group has been successful and is one of the stronger selling groups so an unhappy portion of the fans is not enough to make them change their minds. And the 3/4 is weakening a little with Miyata Toshiya and Senga Kento starting to get a little more attention than before, even though they are still well behind the other three.
But it is all going to depend on getting breaks and how they help bring in fans of the s-My-2 members. If they start getting popular among fans, like having their concert merchandise and such start selling strongly, Johnny's will notice and start shifting to include them more, or at least whatever member is rising in popularity.
 |
| Miyata makes sure people notice him. Senga, not so much. |
Of course I doubt they will let on much if this split is causing a rift of anything like that. Perhaps years from now when it is no longer an issue, hopefully, it will be brought up. Until then we only have speculation for the most part.
I am sure there are Japanese fans that complain just as much and as bitterly as English language fans. This split was a dramatic shift when the group debuted and I doubt the pre-debut Japanese fans were any happier about it than the English language fans. Especially those who are fans of any of s-My-2. But even if you are a fan in Japan you have little say in how a group is managed.
08 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 2
I plan on playing catch up with this blog today, maybe tomorrow as well depending on how well I do today. So expect at least one more post today at least. Until then I will go ahead and answer a question.
If you have a question you want me to try and answer you can leave it in the comments on this post.
This question set is from bakadaboys:
for next FIVB group, is it possible for bakaleya6? which jr do you think will get chance??
Honestly if the Bakaleya6 are to remain a group I do not think they would be the next FIVB debut unit. The FIVB units are never pre-existing groups, the closest being the original Hey! Say! 7 all debuting as a part of Hey! Say! JUMP but even then the members had more or less gone back to their previous Junior groupings before the HSJ announcement.
B6 run a much greater chance of debuting as a unit like KAT-TUN and Kis-My-Ft2 which means they will have years as a Junior unit and have that time to build their fanbase so they can have a similar strong debut like those groups.
Seeing as I do not think either Nakajima Kento or Kikuchi Fuma, the two members of Sexy Zone in the agency the longest, were even in Johnny's or had only just joined a year out from Hey! Say! JUMP's debut I would say that it is much too soon to start guessing which Juniors could debut in 2015. When it comes to the FIVB groups I think it is better to wait until about a year or even half a year before the debut to start speculating on who would make it in. And even then by the nature of these groups it would be difficult to correctly guess who would make it.
Though I will give myself some credit in the fact that I did guess that Nakaken would be debuting in the 2011 group and that if Fuma were to debut it would be with him when I did attempt some debut predictions about seven months from the debut announcement.. Though I was so completely off about everything else. But honestly the younger three really were unknown at the time and I feel that perhaps if Morimoto Ryutaro did not have his scandal there would have been a chance for Shintaro to have debuted in SZ, as he was definitely the right age and he would have helped bring in early fans. But I guess that is neither here nor there now.
for next FIVB group, is it possible for bakaleya6? which jr do you think will get chance??
Honestly if the Bakaleya6 are to remain a group I do not think they would be the next FIVB debut unit. The FIVB units are never pre-existing groups, the closest being the original Hey! Say! 7 all debuting as a part of Hey! Say! JUMP but even then the members had more or less gone back to their previous Junior groupings before the HSJ announcement.
B6 run a much greater chance of debuting as a unit like KAT-TUN and Kis-My-Ft2 which means they will have years as a Junior unit and have that time to build their fanbase so they can have a similar strong debut like those groups.
Seeing as I do not think either Nakajima Kento or Kikuchi Fuma, the two members of Sexy Zone in the agency the longest, were even in Johnny's or had only just joined a year out from Hey! Say! JUMP's debut I would say that it is much too soon to start guessing which Juniors could debut in 2015. When it comes to the FIVB groups I think it is better to wait until about a year or even half a year before the debut to start speculating on who would make it in. And even then by the nature of these groups it would be difficult to correctly guess who would make it.
Though I will give myself some credit in the fact that I did guess that Nakaken would be debuting in the 2011 group and that if Fuma were to debut it would be with him when I did attempt some debut predictions about seven months from the debut announcement.. Though I was so completely off about everything else. But honestly the younger three really were unknown at the time and I feel that perhaps if Morimoto Ryutaro did not have his scandal there would have been a chance for Shintaro to have debuted in SZ, as he was definitely the right age and he would have helped bring in early fans. But I guess that is neither here nor there now.
02 November 2012
Q&A Month! (2012): Question 1
Figured I should kick off this month by answering a question as thankfully people have already been leaving questions. Thank you for everyone who has already and I look forward to seeing more.
If you have a question you want me to try and answer you can leave it in the comments on this post.
The first question is from commenter JJ:
Hi! When Johnny's boys get into trouble (or when Johnny's men like Akasaka-san get into trouble), the general reaction is often to drop them entirely rather than to try to keep them in the organization and try to find them some help. Is that just an American reaction I am having that something more should be done, or is JE just really cruel? Or is it just part of Japanese culture? Thoughts, please.
It is something that is a part of Japanese culture, when it comes to drug usage Japan has a zero tolerance policy on that. And to be honest I am not even sure if there are any organizations in Japan to help with substance abuse, as treatment for such problems seems to be one of the issues that the Japanese media turns a blind eye to.
The reaction is more due to the idea that by doing something illegal it sheds bad light on the whole company and anything less than swift punishment, such as dropping them, will make the company look like it does not take the offense as serious as popular thought thinks it should be.
As an American I do agree that is does seem cruel to just drop someone who probably needs more support not less to help themselves out. But as I mentioned in Japan drug usage is severely frowned upon which is why it is considered a career ender and agencies want nothing to do with the talents caught using drugs.
Being a foreigner and being caught using drugs will expel you from the country and celebrities in the past have been prevented from entering Japan because they have been known to have taken drugs in the past. So the issue of severe punishment for drug use tends to affect pretty much anyone caught.
Of course with issues of drinking there is more lenacy, even with under age drinking, but that is more dependant of how popular a talent is. Uchi Hiroki would have been kicked out if he was caught when he was still a Junior most likely, but since he was a popular member in two debuted groups Johnny's was willing to give him a second chance. I believe Kusano Hironori benefitted from that as it would have looked bad for them to have kicked him out when there was not 100% confirmable proof of him drinking underage unlike Uchi.
Yet there is a massive drinking culture in Japan so the public opinion is more lenient to it. Unfortunately though if someone has a drinking problem there really is nowhere for them to go for help with it from what I can tell.
So in general substance abuse is one of those areas in Japan where they are embarrassingly behind other developed nations in.
If you have a question you want me to try and answer you can leave it in the comments on this post.
The first question is from commenter JJ:
Hi! When Johnny's boys get into trouble (or when Johnny's men like Akasaka-san get into trouble), the general reaction is often to drop them entirely rather than to try to keep them in the organization and try to find them some help. Is that just an American reaction I am having that something more should be done, or is JE just really cruel? Or is it just part of Japanese culture? Thoughts, please.
It is something that is a part of Japanese culture, when it comes to drug usage Japan has a zero tolerance policy on that. And to be honest I am not even sure if there are any organizations in Japan to help with substance abuse, as treatment for such problems seems to be one of the issues that the Japanese media turns a blind eye to.
The reaction is more due to the idea that by doing something illegal it sheds bad light on the whole company and anything less than swift punishment, such as dropping them, will make the company look like it does not take the offense as serious as popular thought thinks it should be.
As an American I do agree that is does seem cruel to just drop someone who probably needs more support not less to help themselves out. But as I mentioned in Japan drug usage is severely frowned upon which is why it is considered a career ender and agencies want nothing to do with the talents caught using drugs.
Being a foreigner and being caught using drugs will expel you from the country and celebrities in the past have been prevented from entering Japan because they have been known to have taken drugs in the past. So the issue of severe punishment for drug use tends to affect pretty much anyone caught.
Of course with issues of drinking there is more lenacy, even with under age drinking, but that is more dependant of how popular a talent is. Uchi Hiroki would have been kicked out if he was caught when he was still a Junior most likely, but since he was a popular member in two debuted groups Johnny's was willing to give him a second chance. I believe Kusano Hironori benefitted from that as it would have looked bad for them to have kicked him out when there was not 100% confirmable proof of him drinking underage unlike Uchi.
Yet there is a massive drinking culture in Japan so the public opinion is more lenient to it. Unfortunately though if someone has a drinking problem there really is nowhere for them to go for help with it from what I can tell.
So in general substance abuse is one of those areas in Japan where they are embarrassingly behind other developed nations in.
31 October 2012
Q&A Month! (2012)
Like last year I am going to do a Q&A month for the month of November. This time it is more to help me move out of my current rut and get myself back on task with blogging. Though the fact that I liked doing it last year and was pretty happy with answering all the questions given to me.
Again as long as the question is about Johnny's, or at least Japanese idols (Korean idols would be fine but I do not follow many), I am game for trying to give an answer. Since I no longer have a more personal blog off topic questions are not likely to be answered this time around.
You have to leave your question here in this post if you want me to answer it.
The period of time I will have for leaving questions this time around will just be from the time this post goes up to the end of November. And I will make sure that I will answer all questions before the end of the year.
There's no limit on how many questions you can ask. If you do ask more than one question though I will not answer them all in order, instead I will answer one then answer at least one more from someone else before going back to answer the next question from you. And if you think of a question later on in the month that you did not ask with a previous question feel free to still go ahead and ask away as long as it is in the allotted timeframe.
So with all of that said, please feel free to go ahead and ask away.
Again as long as the question is about Johnny's, or at least Japanese idols (Korean idols would be fine but I do not follow many), I am game for trying to give an answer. Since I no longer have a more personal blog off topic questions are not likely to be answered this time around.
You have to leave your question here in this post if you want me to answer it.
The period of time I will have for leaving questions this time around will just be from the time this post goes up to the end of November. And I will make sure that I will answer all questions before the end of the year.
There's no limit on how many questions you can ask. If you do ask more than one question though I will not answer them all in order, instead I will answer one then answer at least one more from someone else before going back to answer the next question from you. And if you think of a question later on in the month that you did not ask with a previous question feel free to still go ahead and ask away as long as it is in the allotted timeframe.
So with all of that said, please feel free to go ahead and ask away.
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