Number_i’s Taiwan concert has been cancelled, while Naniwa Danshi is making progress in Asia

The entertainment industry insider continued, discussing the current status of their overseas expansion:

 

“Although they performed at the ‘Coachella Festival’ held in the United States on April 15 (Japan time), their main activities remain focused on music shows on Japanese television and domestic music events. Of course, domestic work is important, but some ‘King & Prince’ fans are questioning, ‘If that’s the case, why did they leave King & Prince?’”

 

Meanwhile, their former agency, the old Johnny’s Office (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT), has seen the emergence of groups venturing abroad. “Naniwa Danshi” announced that they would be holding an Asia tour from November this year to January 2025.

“They will perform in three cities: Taipei, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Shunsuke Michieda (22) starred in the 2022 film ‘Even If This Love Disappears Tonight,’ which was a hit in South Korea, earning him considerable popularity there. This tour represents a great opportunity for ‘Naniwa Danshi’ to boost their recognition in the Asian region. In terms of ‘expanding overseas,’ ‘Number_i’ seems to be a step behind their juniors.” (said a TV network insider)

With a strong “rival” emerging, there’s curiosity about how ‘Number_i’ will proceed with their activities. The TV network insider speculates, “At least for the rest of the year, they probably won’t hold any overseas concerts.”

“‘Number_i’ has a national tour from October 3 to December 26, promoting their album ‘No.I,’ so it seems difficult for them to fit in overseas performances within their schedule. STARTO ENTERTAINMENT has shown more enthusiasm for overseas expansion compared to the old Johnny’s Office. In the future, there may be more groups, besides ‘Naniwa Danshi,’ that perform overseas. The key will be how ‘Number_i’ and others under ‘TOBE’ expand internationally.”

The big question remains: can “Number_i” deliver performances that will strike like “lightning” across the world?