Insights on Resigned Group and Drug Scandal of Famous Actor X in 2024 First Half Anonymous Entertainment Roundtable

The year 2012 began with the shocking news that “Downtown” star Matsumoto Hitoshi (60), who had reigned at the top of the comedy world, would be suspending his activities. The entertainment media has been very busy with a series of big news recently.

We invited Mr. A, a director of a key station, Mr. B, an entertainment desk clerk of a sports newspaper, and Mr. C, a veteran entertainment reporter, to a round-table discussion. We asked them to talk about the entertainment industry in the tumultuous first half of the year and what the future holds.

This is a continuation of the first part, “From Matsumoto Hitoshi to the ups and downs of the former Johnny’s, and the inside story on the rush of marriages and independence…An anonymous entertainment round-table discussion for the first half of 2012.

Winners” in the rush to leave the company

Mr. C: “The first half of 2012 was also a year of exits.

Mr. A: “One after another, the signature talents of each agency announced their independence, such as Mikako Tabe (35) of Hirata International, Kuranosuke Sasaki (56) of K-Factory, and Maika Yamamoto (26) of Incent.

Mr. B: “The reasons for leaving are different for each person, but the most common reason is probably a dispute over money. I hear that the decrease in production costs at TV stations has led to a decrease in fees and an increase in the number of cases of disputes over the share of money with the agencies. In addition, long-established entertainment agencies such as “A-Team” have recently gone bankrupt, and it can no longer be said that “you are safe if you belong to an agency. It is not surprising that more and more talents are thinking of becoming independent and competing on their own.

Mr. A: “However, leaving an office entails a high risk. If the transfer or independence does not go well, you will find yourself in a difficult situation at once.

Mr. C: “Among the exiting group, Sasaki is a complete ‘winner’. He is in a good position as the husband of the main character in “Hikaru Kimi he” and he further raised his reputation in the industry with “Godzilla-1.0” which won the Japan Academy Award. His appearance in the Taiga Drama should have been decided before he left the office. I felt that he was a schemer when he left the office after making preparations.

Mr. B: “On the contrary, I am not sure what will happen to Ryuta Sato (44), who also left K-factory. He has only appeared in one drama this year, and his contract for a commercial for “Big Motor” was cancelled following the insurance fraud claim issue. There remains considerable uncertainty as to whether he can really make it on his own.”

Mr. A: “As with those who have left the group, entertainers who are making a comeback after scandals are also divided into two groups.

Mr. C: ” Erika Sawajiri (38) is making a successful comeback; her stage play “A Train Named Desire,” in which she returned to acting after a four-year absence, sold out all 12 performances in Tokyo and all six in Osaka. The show was a great success. It was a return to the stage that showed off her abilities as an actress.

Mr. B: “She was not originally known for her purity and innocence, so the scandal did not cause much damage to her. In the future, she may increase her exposure mainly through works distributed on the Internet like Pierre Taki (57). In any case, there is no doubt that she has raised her stock in the industry with that stage. I look forward to seeing what he does in the second half of the year.”

Mr. A: ” Ryoko Hirosue (44) appeared in public for the first time this April after the riot, but there are both pros and cons.

Mr. C: “It’s great that she has the guts to make a comeback after causing so much trouble. However, when she spoke about child rearing at her first event after her return, she was maliciously criticized, saying things like, “What kind of mouth talks about that? There are rumors that she was inundated with offers for dramas during her self-imposed hiatus, but I find that hard to believe. It is not easy to make a comeback as an actress.”

Mr. A: ” Toshifumi Fujimoto, 53, of “FUJIWARA,” also returned to work less than half a year after his self-imposed suspension due to a hit-and-run accident, but his reputation among others is not so good. He often appears in TV Asahi’s variety shows because he is a favorite of Mr. Rinzo Kaji, a well-known producer at TV Asahi, but his return without holding an apology press conference has been criticized by some. Even when watching the programs he appears in, he has lost his former artistic style of teasing other comedians. He is now on the receiving end of teasing, but he does not know how to respond. If he does not stop using scandals as material as soon as possible and find a new style, he will be forced into a difficult situation in the future.

Mr. B: “What about Hiroyuki Miyasako, 54?”

Mr. C: “I don’t think he can do terrestrial broadcasting anymore. He has cut off his own road to recovery by running to YouTube in pursuit of immediate profit without having completed his purification process. This year, Miyasako and Kohin (31) were in the news for their quarrel, and many staff members were dissatisfied with Miyasako’s supercilious attitude and pretensions to be a big star. He probably no longer hangs out with his fellow comedians, so I think the chances of him returning to terrestrial broadcasting are extremely low.

Mr. A: “There has been no shortage of topics in the first half of the year alone, but will there be another major scandal in the second half?

Mr. B “There are whispers that the famous actor X is suspected of having a drug problem. There are rumors that he is using his favorite apparel store as the site of drug dealings.

Mr. A. “I think that Y of the old Janis will be hurt by women’s problems someday. I have had a few drinks with him, but his body touch to women is too intense. I have even seen him try to kiss them forcefully. I wish he would have a little more self-awareness as an idol.”

Mr. C. “Also, Z, the vocalist of a popular rock band, has an unusual drinking problem. He not only drinks himself but also makes the girls around him drink a lot of tequila. He even forces himself on girls who can’t drink, so he has the worst reputation among cabaret girls in the Roppongi area.

The entertainment media will be busy in the second half of the year.

From the August 23/30, 2024 issue of FRIDAY