Sources Suggest Meguro Ren’s Illness Stems from Overly Conscientious Personality

It was “within expectations” that he would collapse.

It was bound to happen.

This is the situation for Meguro Ren (27) of “Snow Man,” who recently made headlines due to the postponement of his lead drama’s broadcast caused by his poor health.

Meguro is currently appearing in the Monday 9 PM drama “The Beginning of the Sea” (Fuji TV). However, he was likely very busy balancing this with the activities of the popular group “Snow Man,” to which he belongs. It seems he became unwell and collapsed. On August 21st, it was announced that he had been on a break from activities since the 15th. It is reported that he has now returned to filming.

That said, for popular talents from STARTO Co. (formerly Johnny’s), it’s common to handle both group and solo activities simultaneously. This was true for stars like Kimura Takuya and the members of Arashi. So why, in this case, was Meguro the only one pushed to the point of a broadcast postponement?

For writers who frequently cover Meguro and are familiar with his interview demeanor, this outcome seems to have elicited a reaction of “I knew it.” According to them, Meguro has an incredibly conscientious and overly serious personality—something almost unbecoming of a superstar. It appears that this might be the root of the issue.

One interview writer shared the following story.

“During an interview with ‘Snow Man,’ I was in charge of interviewing Meguro-san. However, while I was talking to him, the filming of the entire group or the unit would often interrupt us, forcing the interview to be paused multiple times.

Each time, Meguro-san would stand up and say ‘Excuse me’ while bowing politely before leaving. When he returned, he would bow again and apologize, saying, ‘I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,’ before sitting down and continuing to answer the questions. The interview was interrupted four or five times, but each time, he meticulously repeated this process without cutting corners! I had never seen a talent like him before, and I was genuinely moved.”