ACEes Debut May Arrive Sooner as STARTO Welcomes New President — Triple Debut Rumored

Am I just going to be kept on a leash like this?

On June 27, Katsuaki Suzuki (66), former executive director of Fuji TV and former president of TV Nishinippon, was appointed as the new president of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (hereafter “STARTO”).

“Many fans are rejoicing,” said an idol magazine editor. “That’s because under the previous president, Atsushi Fukuda (59), talent were allowed to choose between management contracts and agent contracts, which weakened group unity. Some talents began to appear neglectful of their fans. The company also became less strict about romance and marriage, leading to a surge in dating scandals—disappointing many fans. But what angered fans the most was the reorganization of the Jr. groups.

In February this year, it was announced that ‘HiHi Jets,’ ‘Bishonen,’ and ‘7 MEN Samurai’ would be disbanded. Some members from these three groups, along with a few from ‘Shonen Ninja,’ were restructured into three new units: ‘ACEes,’ ‘KEY TO LIT,’ and ‘B\&ZAI.’ However, there was no prior notice, which caused fans to feel anxious. On X (formerly Twitter), the platform was flooded with comments like, ‘Are they just going to be left to rot like this?’ and ‘Does this mean they’ll eventually disband?’”

However, a women’s magazine journalist who previously covered Johnny’s talents believes there was a clear strategy behind the Jr. restructuring.

“By consolidating the groups into three, each group’s concept can be more clearly defined, which helps attract attention from people who aren’t familiar with the Jr. division. Fewer groups also means resources can be focused more intensely, which allows for faster debuts of new groups.

‘ACEes’ is expected to debut within the year—it’s practically certain. With the growing competition in the boy group scene, STARTO likely wanted to reassert its dominance.”

Currently, STARTO’s top-earning group is ‘Snow Man,’ but each member is now thriving in acting, commercials, and other solo projects, so it’s inevitable that group activities will decrease. Moreover, 7 of the 9 members are now over 30 years old. Their debut-era rivals, ‘SixTONES,’ also secured their own primetime TV show this spring. For STARTO, producing a new debut group is an absolute necessity.

We asked STARTO Entertainment about the debut timing of the three new groups

“‘Snow Man’ and ‘SixTONES’ made a surprise double debut in January 2020, which astonished fans. Considering that precedent, there’s a possibility that all three groups could debut simultaneously. Even if that’s not feasible, STARTO would need to debut ACEes as soon as possible and have the remaining two groups debut within the year to establish its presence as the renewed agency. It’s likely that the company is fully aware of this need,” said the aforementioned journalist.

Some observers view the reorganization as an attempt to erase the legacy of the late Johnny Kitagawa, who used to decide group names and members. Let’s hear from Miho Yamada, a longtime broadcast writer and columnist who has covered Johnny’s talents for many years:

“‘Bishōnen’ was said to be Johnny-san’s favorite group since their days as ‘Tokyo B Shōnen.’ Though they never made their CD debut, they seemed to receive favorable treatment in stage performances and other appearances. Similarly, ‘HiHi Jets’ and ‘Shonen Ninja’ were active on stage and variety shows, but it’s undeniable that their group concepts and names still carried Johnny-san’s style.

Fans naturally tend to support the original group lineups, so it’s completely understandable that many are reacting negatively to the reorganization. However, with the appointment of a new president, STARTO seems to be finally stabilizing. I believe there’s a very high chance that the junior groups will debut one after another within the year. And it’s almost certain that ACEes will lead the way.”

We contacted STARTO Entertainment regarding ACEes’ debut schedule and the possibility of all three junior groups debuting within the year.

Although no response was received by the deadline, it’s clear that the debuts of the three groups are drawing closer by the day. Fans will continue to wait with growing anticipation.