The Surprising Reason Why Fans Are Not “Raging” at the Report of King&Prince’s Ren Nagase’s Date with Minami Hamabe

The July 16 issue of “Josei Seven Plus” and the July 17 issue of “Josei Seven” (Shogakukan) reported that “King & Prince” Ren Nagase (26) and actress Minami Hamabe (24) had a date at a teppanyaki restaurant and “stayed over” at Nagase’s house.

The public commented that they were a “beautiful couple” and “a good match,” and Nagase’s fans seemed to be in a comparatively “supportive” mode.

First reports of a passionate love affair

According to an article in Seven, Nagase and Hamabe had a private date at a teppanyaki restaurant in Tokyo on a night in early July. The two then took a cab to Nagase’s apartment. They did not come out of the apartment that night.

Although they kept their distance, a photo of each walking around in plain black clothes was also included in the article, and after the article was published, it quickly spread and spread on SNS.

Speaking of Nagase and Hamabe, they will both be charity partners in a major special program, “24-Hour TV48: Love Can Save the Earth” (NTV), to be broadcast on August 30 and 31. The press conference announcing the production of the program was held on July 1, but the date mentioned above was on the night not long after the press conference.

Nagase made his CD debut as a member of Kimpuri in May 2006 after working with Kansai Junior. The group was a six-member group at the time, but following Genki Iwahashi (March ’21), who was the first to leave the group, Shiyou Hirano, Yuta Kishi, and Yuta Jinguji also left on May 22, 2011 (later forming “Number_i”). The group became a two-member group consisting of Nagase and Takahashi Kaito.

This is the first time that Nagase has been reported in a weekly magazine to be in love with a woman. Some fans are upset that he was photographed with a woman, calling it “unprofessional,” while others are so shocked by the report that they are considering quitting as fans.

However, in Nagase’s case, perhaps because of his past behavior and the way he has treated his fans, I have the impression that many people are congratulating him on this latest report of his love affair. This is because, at least until now, Nagase’s fans have not been aware of his girlfriend’s existence.

In August 2006, three months after his CD debut, his partner Takahashi was scooped by “Shukan Bunshun” (Bungei Shunju) about his love affair with Minna Owada (ex-AKB48), and in December 2011, Seven magazine reported about his relationship with actress Kasumi Arimura.

In comparison, Nagase has not been in the news about his relationships with women, nor has he said or done anything suspicious that would raise suspicions about his girlfriend’s existence.

(Entertainment writer) Even in the case of Hamabe, no definitive “smelling act” that would indicate an intimate relationship has been found so far. In the first place, there is no information that the two have appeared together in a drama or movie at this point, and even the suspicion of a relationship between the two had not been circulating, making them a surprising partner for fans.

Nagase has been protecting the group since three members (Hirano, Kishi, and Jinguji) left the group, taking the lead from his younger brother Takahashi. He has been throwing words of concern to the fans on the radio, etc., and has been there for them at every turn.

Last May, he injured his right ear before a performance at an office concert. Despite the many hardships she has endured, many people say they were “saved” by Nagase, who has continued to work as usual, trying not to worry her fans.

Many messages of support on SNS

Usually, when rumors of love affairs or female relationships emerge among the idols of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (formerly Johnny’s), the idol’s social networking accounts are often in an uproar, with harsh words of disapproval lined up on the account of the idol. However, a post on Nagase’s Instagram, which was updated on July 12 before the news broke, reads as follows

If Ren-kun is happy, that’s enough for me.

I will always love you, Ren-kun.

Ren was there for me a lot at that time, and Tiara (her fan name) was saved by that!　I will always support you, my favorite Ren-kun.

This is the first time I’ve heard about your love affair, but I’m relieved to know that you’re in love!

I’ll stand by you no matter what!

I’ll stand by you no matter what!

Nagase and Hamabe are scheduled to appear together in “24 Hour TV 48” at the end of August. Although some fans are now taking a positive view of their relationship, there is a possibility that it may cause some animosity depending on what they say and do in the program. We can’t take our eyes off these two hot topics.