Why fans are not happy about the possibility of STARTO’s return to Kohaku, even if it means “kicking off NHK’s offer”.

STARTO group has a chance to participate in Kohaku

On October 16, NHK Chairman Nobuo Inaba held a regular press conference to announce the resumption of the use of new talent from STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, the new company that took over management from the former Johnny’s (now SMILE-UP.). The station had been suspending the appointment of new talent from the former Johnny’s since September of last year, when the former Johnny’s acknowledged and apologized for the sexual assault issues of its founder, Janie Kitagawa.

At the regular press conference, Chairman Inaba explained that he had been in regular dialogue with SMILE and STARTO over the past year, and that he had come to the decision to resume appointments because “we have confirmed that efforts to compensate the victims and prevent recurrence as well as the separation of management of the two companies are making steady progress. Chairman Inaba hinted at the possibility of their participation , saying, “ We have not made a decision for Kohaku,” but that “the contract can be resumed at the discretion of the production site. Last New Year’s Eve, the 74th Kohaku Uta Gassen was the first time in 44 years that none of the former Johnny’s teams participated in the event due to the suspension of their appointment.

Four days after this announcement, on the 20th, NHK aired an NHK special “The Realities of Janney Kitagawa’s Idol Empire,” which examined the issue of Janney’s sexual assault. The content of the program went into great depth to give viewers the strong impression that Janney’s sister, the late Mary Kitagawa, was an “accomplice” in the “media manipulation” to cover up Janney’s sexual assaults.

However, the media, the other “accomplice” in the cover-up, had to be examined as well, but the report left viewers with a sense of indigestion in its pursuit of responsibility on the part of the station. The media had to be held accountable for their “complicity” in the other cover-up, but the report left us with the impression that they were not satisfied with the responsibility of their own station. It is no wonder that some people might point out that the TV station was just trying to say that its own talents were not to blame.

The number of Johnny’s groups participating in Kohaku had been two until 2008, but since the following year, the number has continued to increase, and in 2003, when the number was the highest, seven groups participated. In 2010, before the sexual assault scandal broke out, six groups participated.

Last year, when the former Johnny’s did not participate, there were two domestic boy groups, “JO1” and “BE:FIRST,” and two K-pop groups, “Stray Kids” and “SEVENTEEN. -POP groups may be replaced, but it is expected that about two groups will participate. In addition, “Number_i,” formed by former “King & Prince” members Shiyou Hirano (27), Yuta Jinguji (26), and Yuta Kishi (29), who left Johnny’s to join TOBE, may also make their first Kohaku appearance, as NHK is actively promoting the group. The possibility of their first appearance in Kohaku has emerged.

Other singers from last year’s white group, such as “Sutopuri,” Kitatatsuya, “MAN WITH A MISSION,” “10-FEET,” Yo Oizumi, “Elephant Kashimashi,” and Fumiya Fujii, will not be participating. Adding the new contestants, there will probably be at most three groups of STARTO talents participating.

Fans do not want to “participate in Kohaku”?

The most likely candidates for STARTO’s talents are “SixTONES,” “Snow Man,” and “Naniwa Danshi,” and NHK would especially like to see Snow Man, who is becoming a national idol, participate in the Kohaku White. However, fans do not necessarily want STARTO’s talents to participate in the Kohaku.

Last year, when they did not participate in Kohaku and the annual “Countdown Live (Cowcon)” was canceled, the STARTO talents held their own events for distribution, which were well received by fans. Snow Man, in particular, received such a positive response that they broke the record for the largest number of simultaneous connections in Japanese history with 1.33 million. Furthermore, there is talk of holding “Cowcon” this year for the first time in two years.

When they participate in Kohaku, we will only be able to see our favorite group on stage for one or two songs at most, and the rest of the time we will be cheering behind someone else’s back. Fans do not want to see Kohaku, so they are hoping that NHK, which gave up on STARTO’s talents last year, will kick the offer and throw all their energy into “Cowcon. Until “Cowcon” starts, the most “fan-first” form would be for each group to organize a live broadcast program to please their fans as they did last year.

An article in the October 23 edition of “Josei Jishin” (Women’s Journal of Japan) introduced a comment from an insider: “(Snow Man) is likely to decline the offer, even if it comes. NHK and STARTO are expected to finalize the matter in the future, but how will it end?