The end of the five-member group… “KINPRISE”: The “backstory” that made Hirano, Kishi, and Jinguji decide to leave the group.

[Claire] With all my heart. And to all the staff who have supported us, and to everyone behind the camera who has watched us for the past five years on this “Music Station.”

Before performing their new song “Beautiful Flower,” Shiyoh Hirano (26) of King & Prince expressed his gratitude in these words. Along with fellow members Yuta Kishi (27) and Yuta Jinguji (25), he will be leaving “King & Prince” and leaving Johnny’s on May 22. The entertainment desk of a sports newspaper spoke about their accomplishments.

Hirano, Kishi, Jinguji, Ren Nagase (24), Kaito Takahashi (24), and former member Genki Iwahashi (26) were all outstanding in their looks, singing ability, dance skills, and acting ability from their junior years. Overwhelmed by the members, Mr. Kitagawa Janney personally selected them. Mr. Kitagawa was overwhelmed by the members and personally selected them to form “Mr. King vs. Mr. Prince” in 2004. As a result, Mr. Prince was the last of his students to debut in his lifetime, but Mr. Janney was so smitten with their talent that he told those around him, “I have finally found a group that can aim for the world. In fact, he went out of his way to show them the stage, and was one of the first to instill in them a desire to go overseas.

Since their debut, “King & Prince” has steadily built up their popularity and ability. However, with the death of Janie Kitagawa in 2007, the wheels of the group began to come off the rails. In the process of drastically changing the environment surrounding the group, including Hideaki Takizawa’s (41) departure last year, Hirano, Kishi, and Jinguji announced on November 4 that they were leaving the group and leaving the office.

Although the members themselves stated that the reason for their departure was “a difference in the direction of each member,” that was not the only cause. A source in the entertainment industry reveals.

It is true that the members’ directions have diverged due to the death of Mr. Janney and the loss of trusted staff members, but there is another cause. That is the change in policy at the office. Hirano, who had a particularly strong desire to expand overseas, had repeatedly applied for an interview with the office since early last year, but the office did not take him seriously. At times, they even cancelled them. The decisive moment was an interview around last summer. When the members spoke passionately about expanding overseas, the office responded in the opposite way: “As long as you belong to Johnny’s, it is impossible for you to expand overseas, and we can’t possibly back you up.

This meeting triggered the decision of the three members, Hirano in particular, to leave the group and leave the agency. An entertainment industry insider continues.

A source in the entertainment industry continues, “The upper management of the office also has its own point of view. I think they felt that they could not afford to listen to what the Kimpli members had to say, given the continuing exodus of talent and staff, and the current situation where they are doing their best to protect the office. However, from the perspective of the members who had worked hard according to the teachings of Mr. Janney, the sudden change of policy at the office must have made them feel betrayed, as if the ladder had been suddenly removed from their lives.

On May 22 this year, “King & Prince” closed the curtain on its activities as a five-member group. How will each member develop their activities in the future?

Nagase and Takahashi, who will remain in the office, will continue their activities as a unit and individually. Hirano and Jinguji will leave the office when they leave the group, and Kishi will leave the office this fall after completing promotional activities for the movie “G-Men,” which will be released this August. They will probably take over Mr. Janney’s dream and aim to expand their business overseas.

Mr. Kitagawa has given his last and irreplaceable pupils his best. Although each member’s path may be different, the best way to repay him or her is to take Janie’s legacy to the next level, but what will their fate be?