Hey! Say! JUMP’s Ryosuke Yamada Takes on First Romantic Lead in Film at 30, Despite Partner’s Past Controversies

The movie “Silent Love” opened in theaters nationwide on January 26. The main character, Sawada Aoi, is played by Yamada Ryosuke of the popular idol group “Hey! Yamada is very popular not only for his idol activities such as singing and variety shows, but also as an actor, and this film is attracting a lot of attention because it is his first starring role in a love story film.

Yamada has appeared in a number of movies and dramas, but in fact she has rarely participated in a film with a “love” story as its main subject. She played the lead in a love story in the drama “Semi Otoko” broadcast in 2007, but “Semi Otoko” is a fantasy story about “a cicada in human form who falls in love for one week.

Yamada finally appeared in a full-fledged love story in the drama “Ore no kawaii ha soon to expire! a drama series that aired in 2010. Yamada expressed her enthusiasm at the time, saying that it was her first time to act in a straightforward romantic comedy and that she was excited.

From this point on, she continued to appear in romantic dramas. In 2011, she appeared in the drama “The King’s Dedication to His Finger,” in which she starred alongside Kanna Hashimoto. The drama was a live-action adaptation of a manga, and was filled with kissing and love scenes between Togo Nitta, played by Yamada, and Ayaka Haneda, played by Hashimoto. Many viewers commented, “I can’t hold my heart because I’m so squeamish…” and “They are both so good looking, they are too dazzling.

Finally, the ban on romance in movies was lifted, and she is now starring in “Silent Love”. Generally speaking, idols often first appear in romantic films and then expand their horizons to other genres, but in Yamada’s case, the opposite seems to be the case.

An entertainment writer familiar with idols says, “In Yamada’s case, there was a possibility that her romantic works would go up in flames because of anti-commentary on the other actress. This may be why she refrained from appearing in romantic works”.

In fact, in the past, Yamada starred in the drama “Momigiri Fuyu: Waga Kate no Mondai Nattekoto” (Momigiri Winter: My Family’s Problems Never Happened), in which Yamada’s partner was burned by the flames.

In the eighth episode of this drama, there was a scene that suggested that Hidesaku Kitazawa, played by Yamada, had a relationship with Satoko Ikegae, played by Yuri Tsunematsu. The scene, however, is not directly expressed in the drama, but only that Hidesaku comes home in the morning with his hair looking a little disheveled. Even so, fans were quite upset, with many saying, “I don’t want to see Yamada-kun like this…” and “It’s too shocking. Tsunematsu’s social networking service was covered with anti-comments, and it turned into a bit of a flame war.

Yamada was 24 years old at the time, and fans may have reacted sensitively. However, Yamada will turn 30 this year. Appearing in a love story should not generate the same excessive reaction as in the past. We look forward to seeing what kind of films she will appear in in the future.