From Honma Yanen! to Viral Fame—4-Piece Group Monaki Talks Breakout Success

Over 600 million video views

The four-member kayō-style vocal group Monaki, set to make their major debut under Nippon Crown on April 8, is already experiencing explosive popularity before even debuting.

Events planned in places such as Osaka and Ibaraki had to be canceled due to safety concerns, as the turnout was expected to exceed forecasts. While they are junior to the super sento idols Junretsu, what’s surprising is that their events are also drawing large crowds of middle and high school girls.

The members include Jin (39), the oldest, who previously appeared in “Ressha Sentai ToQger” as ToQ 2gou and in the musical “The Prince of Tennis.” Kenken (29), also a former Super Sentai actor who played Zyuoh Elephant in “Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger.” Alongside them are Oyone (28), a former university a cappella club member who now works as an office worker with a love for singing, and Sakai Jr. (37), who graduated top of his class from the University of Chiba Graduate School of Engineering and worked as a licensed first-class architect at a real estate developer. These two come from completely different worlds outside entertainment, forming an unusually diverse quartet.

What propelled Monaki—who hasn’t even officially debuted yet—into such popularity is the power of social media.

In particular, their spread on TikTok has been extraordinary. Related videos, including their debut song “Honma ya de☆Nande ya nen☆Shiran kedo”, have surpassed 600 million views, and likes have exceeded 11.1 million. For the kayō music world, this is a groundbreaking promotional success that overturns previous conventions.

To uncover the true nature of this explosive popularity, this site conducted a direct interview. When asked about their sudden fame:

“We kind of expected it to go viral (laughs),”

said Jin confidently. But he immediately added:

“Or rather, that’s what Yone said.”

Suddenly named, Oyone replied with a smile:

“I definitely didn’t think that at all!”

From the very beginning of the interview, their friendly, playful dynamic was clearly evident.

A mix of a sentai hero actor, a singing office worker, and a licensed architect—this unusual lineup is the brainchild of Monaki’s producer, Junretsu leader Kazuyoshi Sakai (50).

It’s probably fair to say that the public has completely fallen into Sakai’s strategy.

But how do the members themselves feel about this eclectic lineup?

Like boys who came from the countryside

When asked about their first impressions of each other, Jin said:

“I thought, ‘They’re not going to sell’ (laughs).”

He quickly added:

“Well, saying not going to sell is a bit of a lie, but I did think they were soft.”

Jin has been working in the entertainment industry since his early 20s, mainly as an actor in Super Sentai series. Within that context, he reflected:

“Yone and Sakai Jr. are types I had never encountered in show business before. They don’t push themselves forward. In normal life, that might be a great personality trait, but in entertainment, it can become a disadvantage. As friends, they’re more than perfect—kind and wonderful people. But I honestly couldn’t imagine how we were supposed to do entertainment together. I kept thinking, ‘What are we supposed to do?”

Three members—Jin, Oyone, and Sakai Jr.—were selected through auditions, and Kenken joined later. At first, Jin was the only one with show business experience, so the pressure on him must have been considerable.

Kenken, who joined later, also said:

“I felt the same as Jin—especially about Oyone and Sakai Jr. I wondered, ‘Can they really survive in this industry?’ Especially Oyone. Back then, he looked like a boy who had just come from the countryside (laughs). He’s not the type you usually meet in your circle of friends. But at the same time, I was excited about what would happen if we walked this path together.”

The two members without prior entertainment experience were initially seen with some concern by the veterans. Oyone, however, had a different impression of the others:

“When the three of them (excluding Kenken) first gathered and met me, my first impression was, ‘They seem serious.’ Because they were so serious, I thought it might take time for us to really communicate. Then Kenken joined us, and I was actually glad—he has a bit of a mischievous side. He’s kind of a naughty boy (laughs).”

He expressed relief at Kenken’s addition. However, his perception of him seems to have gradually changed over time as well.

“Honestly, the four of us are completely different.”

“You might think Oyone seems delicate, right? But actually, he has the strongest mental resilience among us. He’s the most adaptable to changes in environment. He’s also the member who enjoys everything the most,” said Jin.

“We’re the sensitive ones, huh (laughs),” Kenken added.

“I really feel like I can just be myself when I’m with these members,” said Oyone.

“So maybe Oyone is actually the most suited for show business,” Jin concluded confidently.

Sakai Jr., the intellectual of the group, reflected on joining Monaki:

“Both of them had experience in entertainment, and Oyone had done music in a university a cappella club. But I had never performed in front of people before—not even once. So when the four of us came together, my first thought was, ‘Do I really belong here?’”

Regarding his decision to join the audition, he explained:

“I had been working as a company employee, and in that environment, there are many people who actually have things they want to try outside of their jobs, but can’t because of time constraints. I’ve been able to pursue what I want, so I’ve had a lot of friends and colleagues tell me things like, ‘You made me want to try something too,’ or ‘I started something new because of you.’ That really encouraged me. However, right now I still feel a strong sense of anxiety and inadequacy about whether I’m truly matching the group’s level. I want to keep practicing the basics steadily without getting carried away by this popularity.”

Since passing the audition in June 2024, public perception of the group has changed significantly as their debut approaches. All members have clearly grown, but the one who has changed the most—especially in terms of appearance—is Oyone.

The one Kenken once described as a boy who came from the countryside has transformed dramatically:

“I got advice from agency staff about my hairstyle, and we tried a lot of things using AI samples—like buzz cuts, blond hair, perms, all kinds of styles. After experimenting, we decided on this current hairstyle. Actually, I was inspired by Masaki Suda (laughs). It works well even when I’m dancing and shaking my hair around, so I really like it.”

Now transformed into a long-haired handsome guy, Oyone continues to draw attention.

As Monaki gains major attention even before their official debut, the question remains: where are they headed?

Jin summed up their vision:

“I want to elevate our way of life into a form of entertainment itself, where audiences can feel catharsis, project themselves onto it, relive it, and gain courage from it. Each of us is different, but I believe that sweating and working hard in a gritty, honest way is one of the most beautiful things about being human. If people watch that and feel like, ‘I should try harder too,’ then that would be great. Or if they just watch us middle-aged guys messing around and laugh at how silly it is, that works too—it can be like a vitamin boost. I just want people to enjoy it all as a kind of entertainment show.”

Finally, Oyone added:

“Monaki is really a group of four completely different people. I want people to see that difference. Even our dancing can sometimes be out of sync, but that’s part of our individuality. It’s like showing that these four who don’t normally mix have come together. Like magnets—N and S.”

“They’d stick together if it were N and S though,” Jin joked.

“Ah, then S and S—no match at all (laughs),” Oyone replied.

Producer Sakai describes Monaki as a group once said to have a zero percent chance of success. Yet the nameless four, from which the group’s name Monaki (“nameless ones”) is derived, continue to generate unpredictable chemistry that seems to expand endlessly.

【YouTube】On the FRIDAY Digital YouTube channel, Monaki shares an original message for readers ahead of their debut. What are the true faces of the members that FRIDAY has stripped bare?