Takuya Kimura and Shizuka Kudo will give up on Johnny’s.
The Johnny’s office is in turmoil.
In mid-March, the BBC reported on allegations of sexual assault by Johnny’s’s’ director, and in April, former Johnny’s Jr. member Cowan Okamoto held a press conference, using his real name and face, and claimed that he had been sexually abused by the director.
This is not the only situation that has rocked Johnny’s. The “rush of independent talent” is unstoppable.
As recently as last October, the independence of Hideaki Takizawa, who held the key position of vice president and was said to be the “successor” to Janie Kitagawa, sent shockwaves through the entertainment world.
Later, Shiyoh Hirano, Yuta Kishi, and Yuta Jinguji of “King & Prince” announced that they would leave the group and go independent in May, and on May 2, Ken Miyake, formerly of “V6,” left the group, and around the same time, Hiromitsu Kitayama of “Kis-My-Ft2″ was reported to be close to leaving as well. Anyway, there is no doubt that there is no end to the number of people going independent,” said a reporter for a women’s magazine.
Perhaps sensing this mess at Johnny’s, TV stations and other organizations have begun to change their responses.
Fuji Television, which had been cautious about using former SMAP and New Map members who became independent from Johnny’s in 2005, broadcast the drama series “War of the Traps” starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi in January of this year. In addition, Goro Inagaki appeared in “Hitoshi Matsumoto no Sake no Tsumami ni Naru Hanashi” broadcast on April 21, with “Downtown” Hitoshi Matsumoto serving as MC.
In addition, the first guest on “Matsumoto to Nakai Nakai”, hosted by Matsumoto and former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai, which started on April 30, was Shingo Katori. This was the first time he and Nakai had appeared together on TV in about six years since their independence. The fact that Fuji TV is so blatantly allowing former members to appear on the show must be a sign of the changing influence of Johnny’s,” said a reporter for a women’s magazine.
(A reporter for a women’s magazine) In this situation, the “departure” of former SMAP member Takuya Kimura has been the focus of much attention.
Speaking of Mr. Kimura, he was one of the first to announce his intention to stay behind when SMAP became independent. It is said that his wife, Shizuka Kudo, was behind his decision.
As a result, SMAP’s plans to go independent with the entire group took a turn for the worse and the group broke up. Kimura was rumored to be the cause of this, and he was also bashed. Moreover, his work, including commercials, was also affected.
It is said that the bashing during the Johnny’s independence fiasco took a considerable emotional toll on Kimura and his wife. However, Mr. and Mrs. Kimura have done a great job of remaining with the company, and now Mr. Kimura’s position within the office is absolute.
However, for Mr. Kudo, it is essential to have a “strong Johnny’s.” So, if the influence of the office becomes small, it will be difficult for him to influence the company. Therefore, if the influence of the office is reduced, he will feel that there is no merit in having Mr. Kimura there. The situation has changed dramatically since the breakup of SMAP, and there is nothing to stop Ms. Kimura and Mr. Kudo…. …” (A source in the entertainment industry)
In addition to the difficult situation surrounding Johnny’s, the momentum for a SMAP reunion has been growing. ……
What kind of decision will Kimura and Kudo, who are “skilled at reading the winds of the entertainment world,” make?
PHOTO: Masaharu Uemoto