Travis Japan’s “Genta Matsuda”…on the verge of a breakthrough as Johnny’s’s “silly character”, but there are issues to be concerned about.
Last October, the seven-member group Travis Japan made its worldwide debut for the first time ever from Johnny’s s office. Although they have yet to gain recognition from the public, one of their members, Genta Matsuda, who is known for his natural character, is expected to make a big leap forward as a TV personality, according to an entertainment writer.
Matsuda joined Johnny’s in February 2011, and has worked as a back-up dancer for debutant groups. On November 18, 2005, he and Kaito Matsukura joined Travis Japan, an existing unit within the Jr.
Since then, Matsuda has gained many fans.’ In February 2010, he won the first place in the “I want to be your lover” category of the “You Choose Jr. Award,” a readers’ poll project conducted by the idol magazine “Myojo” (Shueisha). This ranking was also an indication of his popularity, and Matsuda was the top-ranking Jr. member even before his debut.
At the end of March of the same year, Travis Japan went to Los Angeles, USA to improve their skills. They studied language, singing, and dancing, and made their worldwide debut with the digital single “JUST DANCE! Currently, her main base of activities is in Japan, where she also appears on individual TV programs.
Matsuda appeared on the June 9 broadcast of “Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Sake no Tsumami ni Naru Hanashi” (Fuji TV). When he appeared last December, he closed his eyes and froze while speaking, which shocked Downtown’s Hitoshi Matsumoto and others.
The show is a talk show over drinks,” he said of the last recording, “I really don’t even remember what I said. I watched the on-air show. I watched it on-air, and I really didn’t remember what I said,” he said. Matsumoto was aghast, saying, “This guy is really bad,” while his co-star Chidori-Nobu was amused, saying, “He’s funny. Matsuda-kun is funny. Matsumoto is easy to make fun of even for a comedian, and he was being taken to task mercilessly.
Also, on the “Kiss My Ultra BUSAIKU! (Fuji), he commented on the performance of his senior, Hiromitsu Kitayama of Kis-My-Ft2, saying, “I personally like the way he says, ‘Oh, shit! I personally like the way he says, “Oh, crap! When his junior gave him a scathing evaluation, Kitayama said, “Don’t be silly. There are other ways to say it. There are other ways to say it besides ‘stinky.
Idols like Matsuda, who can honestly say what he thinks without being intimidated by his seniors, are likely to be useful in a variety of situations. Among Johnny’s, Shiyoh Hirano of King & Prince, who was loved for his natural character, has left the group, and Yuta Kishi, a member of the same group, will also leave the office at the end of September. It may not be long before Matsuda becomes the new “natural/stupid character” among the young Johnny’s.
However, there are some uncertainties before he gets his big break. Speaking of Matsuda, a video released on Travis Japan’s official YouTube page on April 29 featured a scene in which he was believed to have been “smoking an electronic cigarette” during the filming, which caused a lot of controversy.
The video was shot at a ski resort in Niigata Prefecture. While the other members were snowboarding, Matsuda, who was watching from a distance, used an e-cigarette and was seen smoking unnaturally. Kaito Nakamura, who was standing next to him, brushed it off with his hand, and Matsuda was seen hurriedly putting what appeared to be an e-cigarette back into his pocket. Matsuda herself is 24 years old, so there is no problem in terms of age, but the Internet was ablaze with accusations that “an idol smoking during filming is taking her work for granted. The scene was later cut.
Matsuda’s outlandish behavior is what makes him suitable for variety shows. However, we hope that he will be careful about his behavior so that viewers will not be turned off by his “insane and not funny” behavior.
