Fans Find it “Unnecessary” to Appoint New Johnny’s President Due to Increasing Appearances of Johnny’s Artists on TV
Artists from the former Johnny’s (SMILE-UP.) have been appearing one after another on major year-end singing programs.
“Best Artist 2023″ (NTV) broadcast on December 2 featured five groups: King & Prince, SixTONES, Snow Man, Sexy Zone, and Naniwa Otoko. The overall host was Sho Sakurai of Arashi.
On the same day, it was announced that Kanjani Eight, Snow Man, KinKi Kids, and SixTONES would perform at Fuji Television’s “FNS Song Festival” scheduled to air on the 13th.
“Music Station SUPER LIVE 2023″ (TV Asahi), which has not yet been announced, and “CDTV Live! Live! Christmas SP” (TBS), which have yet to be announced, are also expected to feature a significant number of former Johnny’s groups.
The late Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual assault became the biggest topic in the entertainment industry this year. The number of victims was in the triple digits and was described as “a sex crime that will remain in the history of mankind.
As a result, “Johnny’s” disappeared and the company was renamed SMILEUP. It was a year of upheaval, with the discovery culture that had taken root in the media industry coming under scrutiny.
“I never thought that Johnny’s would cease to exist. It may be a sad time for fans, but it is not all bad news.”
“Now that the “special treatment” of the old Johnny’s is gone, we can expect more free and open casting. It is now possible to coexist and co-prosper with other idol groups, which was not possible before.” (Sports newspaper reporter)
In response to the sexual assault issue, only public broadcasters NHK and TV Tokyo have refrained from using new casts. The former is largely because it is operated by the public through subscription fees.
