SMILE-UP. and TOBE Acknowledge Escalating Fans, Alluding to Past Excessive Troubles

Some fans’ outbursts at an event featuring “Snow Man” Meguro Ren have become a source of controversy.

On February 4, the award ceremony for the 45th Yokohama Film Festival was held at Kannai Hall in Kanagawa Prefecture, and some fans waited on the sidewalk with cameras ready to catch a glimpse of Meguro, who won the Best Newcomer Award. A post by an X (formerly Twitter) user reporting the danger was spread, saying, “It was annoying and dangerous. Later that day, Shukan Josei PRIME (Weekly Women’s PRIME) reported that there was also a post on SNS regarding another rule violation.

The image of a gorgeous flower stand sent to Meguro by a fan caused controversy. On the official website of the “FAMILY CLUB” of “SMILE-UP.”, a note is posted in the “About Gifts” section, stating, “We refuse to accept any gifts other than letters (including congratulatory flowers and stuffed animal telegrams), regardless of the amount or size of the gift. The following is a note that was posted on the website.

When a fan learned of this incident and contacted the office, the office responded that celebratory flowers are still prohibited. Not only that, the website also clearly states that fans “hugging” and “repeatedly chasing” are also prohibited. This means that such unwanted behavior was being repeated frequently,” said an executive of a well-established entertainment agency.

In fact, two days before this, Hideaki Takizawa, representative director of “TOBE,” updated his X (formerly Twitter). He called on some fans to refrain from disturbing the studios and locations used by his artists for filming and other purposes. And,

《If these incidents continue, we will lose more and more locations that can cooperate with us for filming, and it is expected that this will have a negative impact on the activities of the artists that you are supposed to be supporting. We ask for your understanding and cooperation.

The company is appealing to the fans. The office’s bitter words to the fans were a series of complaints,

The staff at the former Johnny’s was very attentive to the fans. However, as a result of the dismantling of Johnny’s, the staff that kept the fans together has disappeared. As a result, the number of fans who run amok may be increasing.

(A former sports reporter for Jani-supporters). However, even during the time of Johnny’s, there were not a few radical fans. The following are some of the problems that frequently occurred between the talent and some of the fans. Here are some of them.

He was so pissed off at fans that he punched them and kicked them on the escalator. ……

It was the 1990s. At the junior high school graduation ceremony of one of the members, who had already debuted and gained popularity, not only many fans but also the media were in attendance. When he came out of the school after the graduation ceremony, fans ran to him at once and touched him without hesitation. Of course, the office staff was there and tried to stop them, but the fans only grew more aggressive.

The members of the group were left at the mercy of the fans, but finally they ran out of patience and suddenly punched the fan. But the girl who was hit was not intimidated at all. They still flocked to him, screaming with delight.

In the ’00s, trouble was also frequent around NHK in Shibuya, Tokyo, where it was widely known among fans that the NHK had its own TV station and even a rehearsal hall exclusively for Japanese talent. Group members would arrive by shuttle, but Junior would walk from JR Shibuya station.

Since that time is fixed every week, many fans were waiting for them near Shibuya Station. When they started walking from the station, there was a long line of fan children following behind them like a procession of lords.

The same thing would happen at the end of the recording session, and the kids who wanted to get to the junior fans would form a big line again to follow them, and some of them even flowed onto the platform of Shibuya station, causing a commotion that stopped the train. The kids who wanted to get a ride home were using cars and motorized bicycles to coordinate their pursuit, and they looked like detectives,” said an NHK insider.

Similar problems have occurred many times at Haneda Airport. In the 10s, dozens of fans were waiting in the lobby for the arrival of a famous group. Some fans were holding SLR cameras, while others were holding large gifts and bouquets of flowers.

Around 10 pm, a fan saw them coming out of the gate earlier than the other passengers and ran to them without making any noise at all. They were surrounded by one-on-one staff, but they rushed through them. They reached out to them, tugging at their clothes and attempting to touch their faces.

The member who was in charge of the group stood in front of the escalator and pushed the fans back. But there were so many of them that they ended up kicking him with their feet. It was a very dangerous thing to do, but the fans who were kicked were overjoyed, exclaiming, “They touched me! and they were overjoyed. The passengers were stunned by the bizarre scene.

The girls were just a small group of fans who went wild, but the majority of the fans were obeying the rules in accordance with the office’s policy.

There will always be fans who run amok, but there is certainly concern that their numbers may be increasing. The former Johnny’s office will become “STARTO ENTERTAINMENT” in April, but I can’t say that they are very attentive to their fans. I have the impression that it is very dry. It is not good that the distance between fans and the office is widening. ……” (idol magazine writer)

It would be wise to establish proper rules once again.

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