A Relative of Shun Oguri is China’s New Star!

INTO1″ is China’s most popular male idol group. The 11 members of this global group, which made its debut on the audition program “SOUZOUEI 2021” in 2021, have a combined total of more than 30 million followers on their official Weibo accounts.

Looking at the Weibo followers of popular Japanese celebrities in China, Masaharu Fukuyama has 5.4 million, Kiko Mizuhara 4.2 million, and Takuya Kimura 2.5 million. Among these, the Japanese member of INTO1, Santa (24), boasts as many as 3 million followers.

A writer familiar with the entertainment industry in China says, “When INTO1 made its debut, it was an audition.

The audition program on which INTO1 debuted, “SOUZOUEI 2021,” is a Chinese remake of the Korean “PRODUCE 101″ series. Three series have been broadcast so far, all of which have been viewed more than 5 billion times on video distribution sites, making it one of the largest audition programs in China. About 100 male trainees from around the world live together and hone their singing and dancing skills, and the strict rules stipulate that the top 11 contestants will debut based on popularity votes by viewers. The struggling trainees are very attractive and have gained tremendous support from the younger generation.”

The second place winner in the popularity contest and the one who successfully won the chance to debut is Kohta from Aichi Prefecture.

Of the 90 participants in the program, 17 are Japanese. There were trainees who were already well known in China, such as former Johnny’s Jr. and influencers active on video websites. Among them, Yanta had little recognition in China, but he is a talented dancer who has won dance contests in Japan and abroad. When she performed her dance for the first time on the program, there was a big buzz on the Internet, “Isn’t she a teacher, not a trainee?” When she performed on the program for the first time, it became a big topic of conversation on the Internet. Before the program aired, there were many people in China who did not think highly of foreign trainees, but after seeing their dancing ability, I remember that the wind suddenly changed.

Yanta is also known for his unexpected connections with famous Japanese actors. In fact, he is a relative of actor Shun Oguri. Shun Oguri is one of the most well-known Japanese actors in China, and being related to him has caused a stir there.

However, his current popularity is not due to Shun Oguri, but to his own efforts. There are three Japanese who have made their debut. With his 181cm height and handsome face, he is popular among Chinese people, and his friendly personality and easygoing nature have made him a big hit on variety shows. During “SOUZOUEI 2021,” she appeared serious and cool on stage, but she also had a cute side, actively engaging with the other participants even if they did not normally understand her language. Such a gap must have won the hearts of many people.

Before joining “SOUZOUEI 2021,” Kohta was a member of Avex and formed the creative group “WARPs UP” in 1919. He was highly acclaimed as a choreographer and backup dancer, and some even said, “You don’t have to be an idol in China to be active on the international stage as a dancer. However, Yeon-ta chose to make her debut in China because of her longing to be an idol.

When her debut was decided, she said with tears in her eyes, “Dancers have many possibilities. I want to convey that to dancers all over the world. Her Chinese was not flattering at the time, but the fans at the recording site were moved by her clumsy but hard-working speech in Chinese, and they cheered her on constantly. In China, people like growth stories in which a person goes from an unfinished or unnoticed situation to finally being in the spotlight after seizing the opportunity through his or her own efforts. Kwang-Ta has taken exactly this route in his life, which is probably why he is so well received in China.

INTO1 is a two-year limited-time group, and their activities are scheduled to end by the end of this year. The day may soon come when Kwang-ta will be active in Japan as a reimported idol.