TOBE’s Record-breaking Live Stream: Fulfilling Johnny’s Vision with 220,000 Viewers!

Talent agency “TOBE,” led by Hideaki Takizawa (41), held its first concert “to HEROes~TOBE 1st Super Live~” at the Tokyo Dome from the 14th of this month for four days, featuring all the agency’s artists.

Former “V6” member Ken Miyake (44), former “Kis-My-Ft2” member Hiroki Koyama (38), former “King & Prince” members Sho Hirano (27), Yuta Jinguji (26), and Yuta Kishi (28), along with the group “Number_i,” performed at the event, attracting a total of 220,000 attendees over the four days. Additionally, the concert was streamed worldwide on the video streaming service “Prime Video.”

“While the issue of sexual misconduct involving the late Johnny Kitagawa, founder of the former Johnny’s agency, has yet to be resolved, Takizawa, who left the agency in October 2022, has established his own ‘castle.’ By successfully hosting this major event with all the agency’s artists and showcasing their presence to the world via ‘Prime Video,’ Takizawa has embodied the long-cherished wish of Johnny-san, who aimed for his artists’ world debut,” says a music industry insider.

On the final day of the performances, TOBE announced solo concerts for its artists and the decision to archive the performances. The solo concerts will feature “IMP.,” a seven-member idol group formed in the former Johnny’s agency, under the new name “IMPACTors,” on June 13th and 14th, Koyama on the 15th and 16th, “Number_i” from the 18th to the 20th, and Miyake on the 22nd and 23rd, all at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

“About half of the audience at the dome were reportedly fans of Hirano. Therefore, tickets for ‘Number_i’ are likely to be in high demand. However, there are also fans who, after seeing the performances of other artists affiliated with TOBE, may consider attending their solo concerts. The Tokyo Dome performances seem to serve as a showcase for TOBE’s talent roster,” comments an entertainment journalist.

 

 

Hirano has already secured contracts with four companies since joining TOBE in July last year. He has been chosen as the brand ambassador for Suntory’s “Green Jin Soda,” as well as for Ikeda Mohando’s anti-itch and insect bite medications “Liquid Muhi S” and “Muhi Alpha EX Series.”

In addition, in January of this year, he was appointed as the Asian ambassador for Yves Saint Laurent Beauté. When the new commercial featuring Hirano for the company’s lipstick “Rouge Pur Couture” was released, sales at the flagship boutique in Tokyo recorded approximately 540 times the sales compared to the same time the previous day. Similarly, the “Hirano effect” occurred at Louis Vuitton, with a significant increase in sales after the partnership was announced in the same month.

“Hirano has become the ace of TOBE. Hirano’s presence alone can drive up viewership ratings, and it’s no surprise that ‘Number_i’ will make their debut performance on the new music program ‘with MUSIC Spring 2-hour SP’ on NTV, starting on the 30th of this month. If the response is positive, they may even be given a regular position on the show, and we can expect a fierce competition among various music programs on different networks,” comments a source related to music programs on commercial television networks.

Furthermore, TOBE’s talents are not limited to former Johnny’s members. On the first day of the dome concert on the 14th, TOBE officially announced the formation of a new group called “wink first,” consisting of five trainees aged 11 to 13. The members of the group were introduced during the four-day concert.

 

“On the 16th at Kyocera Dome, the former Kansai Johnny’s Jr. (now Juniors) unit ‘Ae! Group’ announced their debut at a fan meeting. However, due to the impact of the late Johnny Kitagawa’s issues, their debut, which was scheduled for last autumn, was postponed, so it doesn’t feel very fresh.

 

In contrast, Mr. Takizawa, when he was a Johnny’s Jr. (now Juniors), was appointed as a leader and demonstrated high production abilities, even after retiring. He debuted ‘Snow Man’ and ‘SixTONES’ on the same day, showcasing his ability for production.

 

With the absence of Mr. Johnny, the former Johnny’s agency struggles in discovering new talent, while Mr. Takizawa ironically displays his full potential in talent scouting and development, leveraging the skills he honed during his time at Johnny’s,” comments a reporter from the entertainment industry.

Exactly one year since TOBE was established on the 21st of this month, Mr. Takizawa updated his status. “We strongly believe that we want to continue to do things beyond everyone’s imagination with confidence. We are still a small company, but we want to be dynamic in our actions,” he stated. There’s no doubt that TOBE will become an even greater threat to the former Johnny’s agency.

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