Nagase Ren Threatening Incident Reveals Challenges in Distinguishing ‘King&Prince’ from Number_i

Number_i Fan Incident

On August 21, it was revealed that a woman in her 50s, a fan of Number_i, was referred to the authorities for posting a death threat against Ren Nagase (25) of King & Prince on an online bulletin board.

The woman reportedly acted in retaliation after becoming upset over some King & Prince fans posting defamatory comments about Number_i online. Following this revelation, the unnecessary conflict between fans of both groups has intensified once again on the internet.

“King & Prince was regarded as a ‘mainstream idol’ group within the former Johnny & Associates, known for their high visual standards. However, since Sho Hirano (27), Yuta Jinguji (26), and Yuta Kishi (28) left the group to pursue other activities, comparisons between the two groups have become more frequent.

With those members gone, King & Prince has clearly become less prominent, and Number_i’s goal of ‘global expansion’ hasn’t been progressing as expected. If both groups had been thriving, the frustrations among their fans might not have escalated to this extent,” commented an entertainment reporter from a sports publication.

This year, Number_i has released three singles and made their world debut by performing at the Coachella 2024 festival in California in April. Their album, No.I, is set to release on September 23. Their commercials for McDonald’s Japan and Suntory Beer have been well-received, and they have been frequently appearing on music programs. There are even reports of their tentative participation in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.

“Neither of them is particularly impressive.”

However, the situation regarding their global expansion is not progressing at all. Naturally, fans are voicing their frustrations, asking, ‘What happened to the plans for global expansion?’ As for the management and production at their agency, TOBE, the industry’s reputation is as follows.

“Although Number_i performed at Coachella 2024, we haven’t heard any news about connecting that to further overseas activities. Instead, it has become apparent that their singing and dancing do not meet international standards.

It seems likely that TOBE lacks the personnel to develop plans for what to do after entering the global market. In the previous Johnny & Associates, the president, Hideaki Takizawa, was recognized for his skills in video production and social media usage, but overall, he isn’t particularly outstanding in the industry. There are even comments suggesting that the productions still closely resemble those created by the late Johnny Kitagawa.”

On the other hand, King & Prince is also not making much of an impression. They released their first single as a duo, “Nanimono,” last November, which debuted at number one on Oricon. However, this year they have only released one song, “halfmoon/moooove!!”. While they are active individually in acting and other fields, there hasn’t been much notable activity as King & Prince.

“It’s hard to believe that the now-duo King & Prince is being strongly promoted by their agency, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT. Nagase starred in the drama ‘Tokyo Tower’ (TV Asahi) in April, which garnered significant attention, but the subsequent opportunities have mainly come to his co-star, Genta Matsuda from Travis Japan. On the other hand, Takahashi’s popularity has taken a hit, especially after painful reports of his romantic relationship with Kasumi Arimura. Although there have been breakup rumors, his popularity has noticeably declined.”

It seems unlikely that both sides can maintain a clear distinction between themselves.

A television magazine writer familiar with former Johnny’s fans explains the fan psychology as follows:

“During their Jr. (Junior) days, fans find their ‘oshi’ (favorite) and take great joy in nurturing them to eventually stand at the center of the stage. This is the essence of being a ‘Johnny’s fan.’ The ideal for fans is to see the group debut with the original members and grow over the years, celebrating milestones like the fifth and tenth anniversaries. Fans invest a lot of time and money to see this happen, and when their favorite doesn’t align with their expectations, they can become enraged.

With the recent wave of marriages, some fans have directed harsh words at the women involved, while others have lectured their favorites for lacking ‘idol awareness.’ It seems particularly intolerable for them that ‘King&Prince’ has changed form before reaching their fifth anniversary.”

Even so, if both groups were thriving, fans might not have raised complaints.

Ultimately, it seems that there is currently little significant difference between what King & Prince and Number_i are doing. It’s hard to believe that they will be able to maintain a clear distinction in the future. If that’s the case, Number_i, with the exceptionally popular Hirano, would likely come out on top.

Once again, it feels like the fans are the ones being left behind.

 

 

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