Snow Man: The Next SMAP of Reiwa?

On New Year’s Eve last year, the number of simultaneous viewers (number of real-time viewers) of the live broadcast by “Snow Man” on their official YouTube channel exceeded 1.33 million. Although it was right behind the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Singing Contest), it broke the all-time record for the highest number of viewers in Japan.

The late Johnny’s’s sexual assault scandal has led to a string of commercial contract cancellations by companies, and there are still headwinds for the talents of the former Johnny’s office. Even under such circumstances, “Snow Man” is gaining momentum. I sense a certain popularity.

The first and second episodes of “Koisuru Keifu 24jikan” (TV Asahi), a drama starring core member Teru Iwamoto (Hikaru) (30), have been viewed a total of 2.5 million times, the highest total ever for the same broadcast slot.

Ren Meguro (26) has reportedly been unofficially cast as the lead in Fuji Television’s drama signature slot “Tsuki 9” for the July season. He is doing well both as an artist and an actor.

According to this reporter, “This success is unexpected. At first, more expectations were placed on ‘SixTONES,’ which made its debut at the same time, than on ‘Snow Man.

During their junior years, the members of ‘Snow Man’ were regarded as ″not spectacular but highly skilled″ and were expected to work as back-up dancers for the older group. Hideaki Takizawa (41), who was in charge of the junior group at that time, recruited Meguro, Raoul (20), and Koji Mukai (29) to join Snow Man, probably to add a little flair. The office did not expect much from them at first, so they were not able to get them to perform in a variety show such as “Lavit! (TBS) and other variety shows became their main battleground, and it worked. (TBS), but it worked. The members’ characters became well known and led to the acquisition of new fans.

Perhaps because of this background to their debut, the members have not grown in stature even now that they have become successful.

Daisuke Sakuma (31) eats with the staff in an open area during breaks on location. Daisuke Sakuma (31) is very likable because of his friendly personality, which you wouldn’t expect from a top idol. Moreover, Sakuma has the draw of having a deep knowledge of anime. Ryota Miyadachi (30) has a narcissistic character, and Ryohei Abe (30) has the face of a weather forecaster.

Shota Watanabe (31) is a beauty boy and Tatsuya Fukasawa (31) is a teasing character. Each member has his own character, so their strength lies in their ability to tangle with a wide range of partners. Since the group has its own crown program, everyone, whether Meguro, who is highly regarded as an actor, or Raoul, a Paris Collection model, is blown away when they appear on the crown program. It’s a valuable picture, and I can enjoy it honestly. I feel it is similar to ‘SMAP,’ who became stars after being trained by Kinichi Hagimoto (82), who co-starred with them on the show,” says a broadcaster.

The broadcaster continues, “The only blind spot is the number of members.

The broadcaster continues, “The only blind spot is the number of members. There are too many members to make the most of each member’s character. It is even more difficult when all the members make guest appearances in other programs. ……

If “Snow Man” can overcome this obstacle, it can become the “SMAP of Reiwa”!

From“ FRIDAY “ February 16 , 2024