Shintaro Morimoto and Yuichi Nakamaru of “SixTONES”… Special situation where “Johnny’s Talent is valued” in the midst of headwinds.

In March this year, a documentary on the sexual assaults of the late Mr. Janney Kitagawa, broadcast by the British public broadcaster BBC, caused a stir in various quarters.

Former Johnny’s Jr. member Cowan Okamoto (27) held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, and at two hearings held by the Democratic Party of Japan, Okamoto, Yasushi Hashida (37), and Akimasa Nihongi (39) testified in person. On June 12, a press conference was held by the “Special Team of Outside Experts to Prevent Recurrence” consisting of former prosecutor general and lawyer Makoto Hayashi (65) and others.

Television professionals are focusing on the presence of Japanese talents who are being appreciated by viewers in the midst of headwinds.

Shintaro Morimoto (25) of SixTONES, who plays the role of Ryota Yamazato (46) in the drama series “But There’s Passion” on NTV, is getting rave reviews on social networking sites. Johnny’s actors are often criticized for their “bad acting,” but this film is particularly popular among comedians and comedy fans.

Yuichi Nakamaru (39) of “KAT-TUN” announced his debut as a manga artist in “Gekkan Afternoon” (Kodansha). Here, too, the Internet is lined with warm comments.

Nakamaru will be appearing in “Asa da! (TV Asahi), and he has become a professional at fruit cutting, which he tried on a project for “Shuichi” (Nippon Television). Nakamaru has remained with “KAT-TUN” even though many of its members have left the group due to scandals and other reasons.

A.B.C-Z,” which made its debut as a singer with a DVD and has regular programs on local stations, is also regarded as a “hard worker” by fans. Only Kawai Ikuto (35) has been criticized for doing exaggerated imitations of Takuya Kimura (50) and other senior Johnny’s. ……

Japanese talents with a masculine stench have also been excluded from the bashing.

TOKIO” is a good example of this, as is “The! DASH! (Nippon Television Network Corporation). Tomoya Nagase (44), who has since retired, has many male fans who admire his hobby of riding motorcycles and playing the guitar.

Tomoma Ikuta (38) did not debut as a singer, but became a successful actor because of his acting ability. His admirer is former pro-wrestler Keiji Muto (60), a taste that is popular with men, and few dislike him; he will also star in a July-cool drama as a detective full of masculine charm. Many viewers do not even recognize him as a Johnny’s celebrity,” says an advertising agency official.

Scandals are a negative factor for Johnny’s talents, who have a majority of female fans.

For example, Wataru Yokoo, 37, of Kis-My-Ft2, is the only married man in the group. For example, Wataru Yokoo (37) of “Kis-My-Ft2” is the only married man in the group, but he is not good at singing or dancing, and people on the Internet are saying, “You should take lessons before improving your personal life.

Will the sincerity of these scandal-free Japanese talents save the office?

From the July 7, 2023 issue of FRIDAY