Johnny’s is trying to revive the “group” after Tackey and ex-Kinpuri member Shiyoh Hirano were stolen from them.
The Johnny’s empire is in further trouble.
While the company is busy putting out the fire over the sexual assault scandal involving its founder, Janie Kitagawa, Takizawa Hideaki, aka “Tackey,” who left the agency last October, has begun laying the groundwork for a “new empire.
On July 2, he announced that Ken Miyake, formerly of V6, would join “TOBE Inc. On July 7, he will hold a live broadcast on his official YouTube channel, where he is expected to announce that former King & Prince members Shiyoh Hirano and Yuta Jinguji will be joining him.
Takizawa launched TOBE in March and announced the audition in April. Since then, he has not made any overt moves, perhaps because he has been watching the transition of his old company’s sexual assault problem.
This month, however, he produced a series of surprises. Eventually, it is believed that the members of “IMPACTors,” all of whom resigned from Johnny’s in May, will join the group.
Former V6 members Miyake and IMPACTors were expected, but I did not expect former Kimpuri member Hirano to join at this time. At first, Hirano had told everyone that he would take six months off after leaving Johnny’s.” “Takizawa’s boldness is not a surprise to us,” said one of the reporters.
A reporter in charge of Johnny’s for a sports paper was surprised at Takizawa’s bold move.
The Johnny’s s office has lost some of its former influence due to the sexual assault issue. Although some of the “discovery culture” still exists, it is much smaller than it was in its heyday. It is now possible to ask Johnny’s for the results of an investigation into sexual assault, as was the case with TV Tokyo. According to the aforementioned reporter
“Such a ‘power relationship’ would never have existed in the first place.
The “power relationship” itself is not supposed to happen,” according to the aforementioned journalist.
If Takizawa took advantage of this situation, it would appear to be a “winning move. Another reporter in charge of Johnny’s said
Hirano and Jinguji just left the office in May of this year. If it had been Johnny’s a decade ago, they would have been destroyed for sure. Takizawa must have thought he couldn’t do that, so he made his move.
The fact is that the Japaneses office has been hit hard by the earthquake.
In fact, the upheaval at Johnny’s has not subsided. The Shukan Bunshun (weekly magazine) reported that a certain company’s commercial offer to its signature celebrity, Takuya Kimura, has been canceled.
Mr. Kimura himself is not at fault. However, global clients and companies aiming for inbound business don’t like the image of sexual assault. Mr. Kimura’s case is a very big deal, and it means that it will be more difficult for Japanese celebrities to be used in commercials in the future.
Compared to TV, movies, and stage productions, commercials are more cost-effective. If this is affected, it is not surprising that other talent would consider transferring to other companies or becoming independent.
On the other hand, there is a way out of this situation. We can create a new star. Among them, President Keiko Fujishima is particularly enthusiastic about the “A! group,” a six-member unit of Kansai Johnny’s Jr. “The group’s godfather is Johnny.
The group’s godparents are Mr. Johnny, but he is not directly involved in the group. The office is pushing Yoshinori Masakado and Taiharu Fukumoto of this group hard.
Masakado, in particular, is regarded as being able to fill a 5,000 to 8,000-capacity hall by himself. Recently, when a certain person communicated with Johnny’s about casting, Masakado and Fukumoto’s names came up first,” said a TV station official.
TV stations are also said to be positively considering the use of a talent with a passionate female fan base, as it directly affects viewer ratings.
The Johnny’s s office has been left at the mercy of Takizawa, but will the day come when they strike back? ……
PHOTO.: Yusuke Kondo (Hirano), Makoto Kuwata (Takizawa)