Mary-san would have been so mad…” “STARTO’s challenge” that allowed Fuma Kikuchi to establish his “personal fan club”.
Johnny’s has ceased to exist, and the newly created “STARTO ENTERTAINMENT” (hereafter referred to as “STARTO”) is expected to cause a new sensation in the entertainment industry.
Until then, Johnny’s had a hidden influence in the entertainment industry, and when they held concerts, they quickly drew tens of thousands of people. Its fan club income was over 10 billion yen per year, and it was the “absolute king” of TV and commercials.
Last year, however, the late founder Janie Kitagawa’s sexual assault scandal threw all the wheels out of gear.
The firm ceased to exist, and was split into two companies, SMILE-UP. and STARTO, which specialize in compensating victims. The change of name did not restore the former momentum, and NHK stopped using new talent. Some companies also continue to refrain from using STARTO’s talents because of the image of sexual assault.
In addition, former V6 member Junichi Okada, Kazuya Ninomiya, Toma Ikuta, and Tsuyoshi Domoto have left the company and gone independent.
The situation would have been unthinkable a year ago. The golden signboard of Johnny’s has fallen to the ground, and its image is now a stumbling block.
In the days of Johnny’s, there were only a handful of talents who could complain to management, and those who left the office were not pursued. Now the talent has more power, and the office is struggling to hold on to them.
Koichi Domoto of “KinKi Kids,” who is one of the most talented talents in the industry, gave an interview in the May issue of “Nikkei Entertainment! in the May issue of “Nikkei Entertainment!
