Why I Love Yamashita Shoon.

Well I've been meaning to start these mini-essays up and today I just felt like fangirl-ing about Yamashita Shoon so he gets to be the first of my list of Johnny's that I will gush about why I love them. It's also happens to coincide with Shoon's birthday, December 20th, which it already is in Japan. (And I will honestly admit I didn't plan on writing this up today because of that, it just ended up happening.) So before I start off with my fangirl gush, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Yamashita Shoon!

Probably the hardest thing about being a Junior fan is deciding on a favorite of them all. Or at least it is for me as there are so many of them and they all shine in their own way. But Yamashita Shoon it without a doubt at the top of my list. I don’t think I’ve ever gone from ‘knowing only a little about but thinking he’s cool to complete love’ so quickly without any of that love fading. In Shoon’s case the love just continues to grow as I see more of him.

As a newer Shoon fan (I think I’m probably just past the year mark from really feeling like I was his fan) I’ve really only come to know him as the Junior that after Ya-Ya-Yah seemed lost at first but quickly came into his own with Hyakushiki-Ou and the Junior League segments. I mean I have seen some of the old Yax3 episodes and it always seems to odd to see him so subdued compared to how he is now. His change over the past year has been very impressive and quite delightful to watch and I’m glad I got to see it.

His decision to not only just stay with Johnny’s after Yax3 was broken up for Hey! Say! JUMP’s debut but to also to step things up for himself to make sure he stood out and shown has really impressed me. I think in that kind of situation it would be easy to fall into self-pity about not getting chosen to debut with your group mates would be easy but he really didn’t take that route at all. Instead he took up the challenge and has proved that he deserves every chance Johnny’s gives him to stand out by doing just that. Even now on Shounen Club when A.B.C.-Z and Kis-My-Ft2 have just about taken over the show the few moments he’s on he tries to find ways to shine and be remembered amongst the sea of fellow un-grouped Juniors. He’s always a highlight of any episode for me because of this.

I think Shoon is in an interesting position right now. He no longer has a group and after putting him with A.B.C. for a brief period Johnny’s doesn’t seem in a rush to try to put him in one. I wonder if it’s because there really isn’t anyone for Shoon to be with. Most of the Juniors his age are in groups already or are back dancers, and Shoon has too big of a fan following to but him in the back. So he has to continue on solo until either Johnny’s finds him a group to put him with, Junior or debuted, or they decide he’s outgrown Shounen Club and he takes the route the former TOP4 members have and continues with Johnny’s on stage and film. Though I really hope he gets a debut because I think he would make an excellent host for any variety program that they would put him on.