Kis-My-Ft2’s TV Appearances Decline as Snow Man’s Presence Grows

Kis-My-Ft2’s (referred to as ‘Kisumai’) exposure has sharply decreased.

Their regular appearance on ‘Moshi mo Tours’ (Fuji TV), which had been running for over a decade alongside ‘Cayn,’ ended in September 2022 and has since become a special program. ‘Kis-My-Ft2 Busaiku!?,’ which had continued for 11 years since the year after their debut and was renamed ‘Kis-My-Ft2 Chou Busaiku!?’ in 2017, ended in September 2023, shortly after the announcement of leader Hiromitsu Kitayama’s departure. Nearly a year has passed since then, and their presence on terrestrial TV continues to diminish.

“Only their long-running late-night regular show on TV Asahi, ‘Can You Do It with 100,000 Yen?’ has continued. Although it has moved to a prime time slot, it has a very faint impression of being a Kis-My-Ft2 show. While they put in a lot of effort during location shoots with physical challenges, the strong impression is that the show is elevated by the sharp comedic timing and skillful hosting of the comedy duo Sandwich Man. One could say that the show relies heavily on the two members of Sandwich Man,” says a television writer.

Their musical activities as a group are also far from thriving. The new single ‘HEARTBREAKER,’ released in January this year following Kitayama’s departure, received comments on social media like ‘The vocal ability clearly declined after Kitayama left’ and ‘Honestly, the appeal has halved,’ reflecting a lukewarm reception. During the Tokyo Dome concerts held from July 5 to 7, reports even mentioned that ticket prices plummeted to one-tenth of their original value due to poor sales.

Even though no member has caused any problems, the presence of Kis-My-Ft2 continues to fade. 

“It is said that Hiromitsu Kitayama’s departure had a significant impact on this situation,” says a TV director.

What could this mean?

In the first place, I, the chief manager of SMAP, played a major role in Kis-My-Ft2’s rise. I began overseeing Kis-My-Ft2 in March 2011.

“I-san, who had only managed SMAP, had strong connections with Fuji TV and TBS, which is why the discussions about shows like ‘Moshi mo Tours’ and ‘Kis-My-Ft2 Busaiku!?’ on Fuji TV, and ‘Kiss My Fake’ on TBS, were quickly settled. On TV Asahi, a show called ‘Hama-Kiss’ started, where the variety skills of the group were developed under the guidance of Yu Hamaguchi from the comedy duo ‘Yoiko.’ Kitayama deepened personal connections with producers and directors on set and also worked on creating connections for the members of Kis-My-Ft2.

Kitayama was also responsible for creating opportunities for members like Wataru Yokoo and Ken’ki Senga among the ‘back four’ in the haiku competitions on ‘Pre-battle!!’ (MBS/TBS). Staff were impressed by his efforts and this led to increased appearances for other members, as mentioned multiple times by the overall director, Masayuki Mizuno, in interviews. After I-san left the agency with SMAP, Kitayama continued to work hard as a connector in I-san’s place,” says a production company staff member.

 

Among the back four members is Toshiya Miyata, known for his passion for anime and his frequent appearances on music programs. However, with the departure of Kitayama, who was a key connection to various networks, their activities have started to wane.

“As soon as Kitayama left Kis-My-Ft2, his roles were taken over by Snow Man. For instance, when an anime special is planned, it’s now Daisuke Sakuma from Snow Man who gets called, not Miyata. In staff meetings, when discussing potential guests, it’s common for producers to specify ‘Sakuma only’ for certain slots,” says the previously mentioned staff member.

In variety shows, it used to be that Takashi Nikaido was frequently invited. However, a show director reveals that there has been a noticeable shift here as well.

“Recently, Koji Mukai has been increasingly called upon. Mukai, who has made a name for himself on shows like ‘Celebrity Pranks! Shocking GP’ (Fuji TV) and ‘I Am Adventurer’ (TBS), was also a member of ‘Tsuda’s Army,’ led by Atsuhiro Tsuda from the comedy duo ‘Dian,’ during his junior years in Kansai. He has gained recognition as someone who understands humor even among networks based in Tokyo.

At Fuji TV’s summer event ‘Odaiba Adventure King 2024,’ Mukai made a surprise appearance as his ‘Shocking GP’ character, ‘Massaman,’ and has become very popular with children. Such opportunities might have previously gone to Takashi Nikaido, but it seems the show producers are now favoring the fresher ‘Snow Man’ over ‘Kis-My-Ft2.”

The void left by Kitayama, who was a key leader and connection for various programs, seems to be too large to fill.

 

 

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