Kansai Junior, Which Tadayoshi Okura is Pushing hard, Has Come Under Fire
Last year, Hikaru Hakui, a member of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (formerly Johnny’s Office), garnered attention on social media as a “genderless boy.” Unusually for a Kansai Junior, his personal Instagram account was opened in March this year, strongly pushed by the agency as a promising young talent. However, voices claiming he has a “bad attitude” are increasingly being heard.
Hakui, who joined the agency in January ’23, is currently 13 years old. He is known for his long hair and gal-style fashion. His dance video uploaded to TikTok last year went viral. Embracing the motto “Gal Mind,” he stands out within the Junior ranks, often sharing unique casual outfits on Instagram.
“The development and production of Kansai Junior involve Tadayoshi Okura of SUPER EIGHT, and it seems he also recognizes Hakui’s dance skills. In March of this year, Okura launched a new project called ‘+81 STUDIO’ on YouTube. Hakui was chosen for the first video, teamed up with the highly regarded young ninja dancer, Shota Oriyama. With the current trends, you can feel the agency’s enthusiasm to promote Hakui, the genderless boy.” (Entertainment Writer)
However, currently, Hakui, who carries the expectations of Okura and the agency, is facing heavy criticism online. Anti-fans are multiplying. The issue started with a video released on June 18th on the “Junior CHANNEL” YouTube channel. The segment featured Kansai Junior’s senior, Ken Kojima from Aぇ! group, critiquing surveys from his juniors after making his CD debut in May of this year.
During the video, when asked, “What hidden talent are you currently developing that you haven’t shown yet?” Hakui replied, “I’m good at contemporary dance where I express emotions, so I’m also good at listening to people’s problems and advising them lol. But for some reason, everyone seems to think I’ll tear them apart, so they don’t even come to me for advice.”
In Kojima’s direction, when junior members on site actually approached for advice, Boys be’s Atsushi Ito asked, “I want to be a little taller, what should I do?” Hakui responded coldly with, “You’re taller than me and asking me that?” causing a chilling atmosphere among the team.
Hakui continued to press with, “Is thinking about that kind of thing making your life enjoyable?” leaving Ito flustered with, “Well, actually.” Meanwhile, Yukiya Ikegawa from Boys be asked about cutting his hair, inquiring, “What length should I go for?” Hakui crisply replied with, “Do whatever you like.”
“Throughout, watching Hakui dismissively with low energy, Kojima remarked that he is still too much in development and might be a bit intimidating right now. Furthermore, while younger juniors sat with good posture, Hakui was seen sitting somewhat sloppily. When Shintaro Kado from Boys be performed funny faces or comedy routines, Hakui turned away or covered his face with his hand to avoid looking, clearly avoiding the situation.” (Entertainment Writer)
In response to Hakui’s behavior, critical voices have emerged:
“It’s uncomfortable to watch. Can’t any of the adults around him step in and say something?”
“Seems like he’s getting carried away because the agency is pushing him.”
“I had a bad feeling since Hakui, who is underage and hasn’t even debuted, opened his personal Instagram account so that he might become arrogant.”
“On what basis is Okura praising Hakui?”
These criticisms have been widespread.
In addition, there has been some recent controversy surrounding AmBitious’s Raku Kawashita regarding Kansai Junior. It started when a woman, claimed to be his former girlfriend, posted private sleeping photos on social media, leading to a messy situation where allegations of infidelity and womanizing are being exposed.
“In addition to Kawashita’s controversy, Kansai Junior, particularly Hakui who is being promoted, has faced backlash. Regarding this, the agency announced that he will be withdrawing from the August performance ‘TV Asahi Roppongi Hills Summer Festival SUMMER STATION 2024’ for ticket winners. Some media reported that Kawashita would ‘temporarily suspend activities due to health reasons,’ but there has been no official statement from the agency, leaving the situation unclear. Currently, AmBitious operates with an eight-member lineup excluding Kawashita.” (Entertainment Writer)
With these issues surrounding Kawashita and the backlash against Hakui, who is being promoted, how will Okura, who is producing them, address these challenges?
