Amid timelesz Success with Taipro Rising Criticism from Antagonists Gains Attention

10 to 200,000 likes on Instagram posts

In November 2011, “Sexy Zone” debuted with a CD release, but on April 1, 2024, they changed their name to “timelesz.” On March 31, Kenichi Nakajima (31) left the group, and “timelesz” relaunched as a three-member group consisting of Shori Sato (28), Fuma Kikuchi (30), and Sho Matsushima (27).

The group decided to expand, and after the audition program “timelesz project -AUDITION-” exclusively streamed on Netflix, Takuto Teranishi (30) and Yoshitaka Hara (29), who were part of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT’s acting department, joined the group. In addition, Shuuto Inomata (23), Daiki Shinozuka (22), and Masaki Hashimoto (25), who were recruited through public auditions, also became members of “timelesz.”

On February 15, the new lineup began, and on February 28, they released their new single “Rock this Party” digitally. The “timelesz ‘Rock this Party’ Music Video TEASER” (released March 17) on their YouTube channel had reached 670,000 views by 7 PM on March 21. This was a teaser video, not the full version, showing the high anticipation from fans for the music video.

By 10 PM on March 21, the video “timelesz ‘Rock this Party’ (YouTube Ver.)” had surpassed 1.8 million views by 7 PM on March 22, illustrating the high level of attention they were receiving.

“In recent times, most of the group’s Instagram posts have received between 100,000 and 200,000 likes. Back in the ‘Sexy Zone’ days, they weren’t exactly considered big stars, and with Nakajima, who was the face of the group, leaving, things looked tough. However, ‘timelesz’ turned the situation around. Many new fans, who got into ‘timelesz’ through the show, have joined the fan club, and membership numbers are increasing. So far, the expansion can be considered a success,” says an entertainment writer.

However, with their rise in popularity, some negative comments have also emerged on social media. Some long-time fans from the old Johnny’s era are rejecting the new members, Inomata, Shinozuka, and Hashimoto, who joined through the general auditions. They are closely monitoring the behavior of the new members, scrutinizing every action they take.

Attitudes on CDTV and M-Sta Criticized

“On March 17, when ‘timelesz’ appeared on the music program ‘CDTV Live! Live!’ (TBS), there was a moment when Inomata made a gesture that appeared to hide Hara’s face. While there were voices defending this as a prearranged playful act, including Hara’s fans, many expressed discomfort online, saying, ‘Hiding his face is unacceptable’ and ‘Unthinkable.’”

On the same day, the new members Inomata, Shinozuka, and Hashimoto appeared on the radio program timelesz’s Qrzone (Cultural Broadcasting). During the show, they announced their upcoming appearance on Music Station (TV Asahi), but Shinozuka’s remarks about descending the stairs also became a target for criticism.

Music Station is known for the memorable scene where performers walk down the stairs in the studio, and Shinozuka said, “I’m excited to go down the stairs normally” and continued, “Should I slide on the handrail? Oh wait, there’s no handrail,” and “I’m thinking of jumping six steps, like a little kid in second grade!” His light-hearted comments spread quickly on X (formerly Twitter), with harsh comments following on social media, such as:

“They don’t understand how important the M-Sta stairs are. I don’t want these kinds of jokers to be on the M-Sta stairs. They don’t seem serious like we need to stay focused now that we’ve debuted. It’s uncomfortable to hear such silly talk on Qrzone. For fans, walking down the M-Sta stairs is a dream. Don’t mess around during the performance.”

On-air, Shinozuka did not act playfully; he bowed and then quietly descended the stairs.

“With more media exposure and an expanding fanbase, it seems that there are now some people who do not like timelesz. Kikuchi, who is the group’s leader, complained in a video on his YouTube channel Yoni no Channel (released March 12) that no matter what we do, we get criticized. Because they are now under the spotlight, the members have discussed together that they must be careful with their words and actions.”

While things are going well, it is hoped that they will show such remarkable performance that will blow away the critics.