Johnny’s continues to see member departures and “Elements” that may disappear from future group names

It has been announced that Hiromitsu Kitayama (37) of Kis-My-Ft2 will be leaving Johnny’s as of August 31. Johnny’s fans are in for a big shock, as the seven members of the group have been together since their debut CD in 2011, as well as during their time together as Johnny’s Jr. The group name “Kis-My-Ft2” is in the form of the initials and numbers of the members, and fans lamented, “Never again will you make a group name with initials.”

On June 7, Johnny’s announced on its official website Johnny’s net, “We are pleased to announce that Hiromitsu Kitayama (Kis-My-Ft2) will be leaving Johnny’s as of August 31, 2023, to pursue a new career. (original text in Japanese, same as below). According to comments made in the names of the six members, last fall Kitayama asked to graduate from the group, and after numerous discussions, they came to the conclusion that we accept his decision.

According to the group’s founder, Kis-My-Ft2, “We have worked together since we were Jr. members and have had friendly competition with each other. In 2004, the predecessor unit “Kis-My-Ft. In addition to the current members Kitayama, Fujigaya Taisuke (36), and Yokoo Wataru (37), there was also a member named Iida Kyohei (35). Then in July ’05, Kennaga Senga (32), Toshiya Miyata (34), Yuta Tamamori (33), and Takatsugu Nikaido (32) joined to form “Kis-My-Ft2. Although the group initially consisted of eight members, Iida left the group in the spring of 2006,” said an idol magazine writer.

Their group name was taken from the first letter of their names in the following order: Kitayama (K), Iida (i), Senga (s), Miyata (M), Yokoo (y), Fujigaya (F), Tamamori (t), and Nikaido (2). After Iida’s departure, the “Ki” part has been carried by Kitayama (Kitayama). When Kitayama also leaves the group, there will be no member who can stand for the first two letters of the group’s name.

Johnny’s debutants KAT-TUN, like Kis-My-Ft2, is named after the initials of its members, as is KANJANI-∞ (Eight), which was an eight-member group when it debuted. Junnosuke Taguchi (37) of “T” left the group between 2010 and 2004. The three remaining members are applied to Kazuya Kamenashi (37) for “KA,” Tatsuya Ueda (39) (TaTsuya Ueda) for “T-TU,” and Yuichi Nakamaru (39) for “N.”

The active Jr. unit 7 MEN Samurai also had seven members when it was formed in February ’18, but Koki Maeda (24) later left the group. In December of the same year, Yabana Rei (22) The following year, Reo Igarashi (22), an original member of the group, left Johnny’s. The “7 MEN” group was formed in February 2006 with seven members, but Koki Maeda (24) left the group later that year. Therefore, although the group is called “7 MEN SAMURAI,” there are currently six members in the group.

In this way, groups with initials or numbers in their name have had members leave the group in the past, and so, in response to Kitayama’s departure, “Kismai is a group with ‘Ki’ in its name, and ‘Ki’ in its name,

The only member of Kismai with a “Ki” is Kitayama, so the initials of the group name will no longer be valid.
“Johnny’s should no longer name their groups by their initials.
“Can’t we stop using initials or the number of people in a group name?　It’s the same with Kanjani Eight, KAT-TUN, and Kiss Mai, but it makes it harder for the fans when something happens.

The fans were crying out in sadness.

There is only a little more than a month left until Kitayama’s departure. We hope that he will continue to face his fans and carry out his activities with no regrets.