Yuma is no longer a university student

Apparently Nakayama Yuma quit university and has instead been focusing on his career. He has expressed interest in going to a school to learn English but not returning to university.

JE Fandom (English)
Oricon Style (Japanese only)


I can understand his reasoning, after all with Johnny's you are set for a career once you debut and Yuma has done that enough times that he should not be worried. Of course it is disappointing that he was not able to complete university after he worked so hard to get in, but at the end of the day it his choice. And it is not like university is the only way to gain education.

I do find it interesting that he wants to learn English. I wonder if this is suggested by Johnny's so that he can be more international or if he just really wants to learn the language.

Kanjuu Might Debut!

It was announced at one of the performances of the stage show Another that Johnny Kitagawa is thinking of debuting a new unit with its members being all Kansai Juniors. His plans would be to debut a seven to eight member unit that will debut early next year.

From the newspaper article it sounds more like Johnny gave his okay to these plans but like with all announcements like this it will probably have to wait before we see it either start to happen or just be forgotten. Though I do think this is will be the same as the A.B.C-Z debut announcement, where things started off vague and questionable but it happened anyway. In fact that debut was also first announced at a stage show, IIRC.

My recent thoughts about the chances of a Kanjuu group debuting have been high and I figured if it were to happen than next year would not be a bad time frame. I can only assume the group will be mainly the older Kanjuu and they are at a point that if they do not start debuting soon they might as well leave the agency. It has almost been ten years since the last group of Kanjuu debuted and debuting Nakayama Yuma multiple times does not make up for that. And while next year is Kanjani8's 10th anniversary for their debut it would seem weird for them to celebrate it after going all out for their 8th anniversary just last year. Plus I think they would gladly step aside to let their juniors debut, as if any group understands how hard it is for a Kanjuu to get to the point where they will be debuted it is them.

With the group being seven or eight members I would assume that it would at least be the usual seven Kanjuu that get the most promotion, B.A.D. (Kiriyama Akito and Nakama Junta), 7WEST (Shigeoka Daiki, Fujii Ryusei, Kotaki Nozomu and Kamiyama Tomohiro) and Hamada Takahiro. If they decide on an eighth member I can see them either choosing Hamanaka Bunichi, as he is one of the better known older Juniors, or even Mukai Koji, as he is not far off in age from the members of 7WEST and has built popularity with Kin Kan. Though personally I would rather have Bunichi debut over Mukai for now as this would probably be Bunichi's final shot at it and I like Mukai with Kin Kan and want him to debut years later in a group with KK and Naniwa Oji. Or he could end up in Twenty Twenty if that group goes through. (The vote for the 2020 Olympics host city is on September 7th, so we could be getting some major news about that too.)

In the end all I know is that I have been wanting a debut to happen for the Kanjuu for years and I will be crushed if it does not happen. So Johnny better not forget about this.

The Shounen Club 7 December 2008 review

This month's episodes seem to be ones for new groups as we get to see two of them with this episode, but only get the name of one of them.

The episode opens up with the usual introduction segment as the Juniors perform Yuki ga Futtekita. B.I.Shadow are still getting introduced by their individual names but we have Jr. Boys getting introductions and the dance unit MADE is on the program, but it is probably just because some members of the group are a part of one of the new units that will be seen in this episode.

The theme of the episode is Fuyu (winter) and the show goes into the theme medley rather quickly. Probably one of the most standout things about this medley to me is that Jr. Boys actually get to sing a song in it, though they have to share with the other new group of the episode, Hip Hop Jump. HHJ though is only seen in the episode without any mention of their group name though it looks rather obvious they are meant to be a group. I assume they get a more proper introduction in the next episode.

The first MC segment is with the members of B.I.Shadow who answer the question about what they think of when it comes to winter. Nakajima Kento answers with wearing layers of clothes and Kikuchi Fuma's answer is a kind of udon.

Then there is a medley of songs with no real theme but they feature the Juniors not in groups (which the BIS members still technically are). After having Takahata Misaki as the center of the trio's performances in this we see Nakaken get into that position for at least some of the performances in the medley. I have the feeling Takahata was center at first mainly because he was a Junior the longest but it became really clear rather quickly that Nakaken was the one that was catching attention.

In the next MC segment Koyama Keiichiro and Nakamaru Yuichi start off talking about who the guest is, going so far to say that he is an "ikemen" (a good looking guy) from Kanjani8. Of course this means that the guest ends up being Maruyama Ryuhei. Because it is K8 and they love to troll.

While I appreciate Maruyama's comedic ability and the fact he seems to always bring a good deal of energy to K8, I do not care for his singing ability. He is on the low scale of things and I tend to skip his solos when listening to K8 albums. This song, Aitte, is no different and he even seems to lack energy while performing it.

After that it is time for the game segment and it is one of the prompt games where a member from each team needs to act out a prompt and the judge, this time Maruyama, decides who did it better. The first prompt is about crying, I think it is about comforting someone who is crying but not completely sure. Then there is a prompt that they have to be someone doing something, such as Kawai Fumito doing Matsumoto Jun as a  convenience store clerk. And those two prompts end up being all there is for this game segment, but they do two rounds of the second one.

The following MC just has Koyama and Nakamaru talking about SMAP, Arashi as well as A.B.C-Z and Kis-My-Ft2. This is to lead into the next set of performances where we get to see the name of one of the new groups finally.

It starts off with They Budo making their Shounen Club debut performing C=Normal. This is the group that Yamamoto Ryota ends up in and the three other members are Takahashi Ryo, Hayashi Shota and Eda Tsuyoshi. The group is still around but mainly as a dance unit.

EbiKisu then take the stage to perform Wish, so there is plenty of Kawai impersonating Matsujun in this episode for anyone who does not tire of watching that.

There is then a Junior ni Q segment up next and the topic is about food that is made in a pot. First up is Kyomoto Taiga who answered with Kyomoto nabe, which of course is a special dish made in his family.

Up next is Morimoto Shintaro who talks about tako shabu, which I believe he says he had in Hokkaido or that the region has its own version of the dish that he has had before.

Fujigaya Taisuke is called over next to talk about a kimchi pot that I believe he wrote down that his father makes starting at midnight so it is ready by the morning.

Kawashima Noeru talks next but I could not get more than that the dish he talked about had something to do with oden.

Then to finish up the segment it is Morita Myuto who talks about how various things from other dishes get added to a pot dish to somehow turn it into curry rice.

After that segment there is a Heisei Post segment featuring the trio of Juniors that make up the natto appreciation group who answer a question about eating natto.

The following performance is made up of two solo performances, one for Fujigaya who sings a song that Yamashita Tomohisa wrote the lyrics for, Let me, then Kitayama Hiromitsu performs a solo version of the SMAP song It Can't Be, with lyrics written by Katori Shingo. I really did not care for the first performance and the second was better though. I would have rather had the two sing their own original solo songs instead, as I like both of those.

The episode ends with a performance of Mafuyu no Nagareboshi by the main Juniors. And we get to have the little Juniors up on one of the balconies. I love it when they use these spaces from time to time and it does feel like it has been too long since it was last used.


It feels a bit frustrating to have BIS without having BIS, as I am remembering that it did take a while before the group became an official group.

Other than that it is nice to see some more Junior groups on the program again, though They Budo are not to become regulars on the program but Hip Hop Jump should be around to be featured. Though not as much as I would like as the members keep changing after a while.

Junior News Round-Up 005

There are a couple of drama casting news bits as the full casts of the upcoming dramas for the fall season are being announced.

First up is Jesse having a supporting role in Kimura Takuya's drama Ando Lloyd ~A.I. knows LOVE?~. The character he will play is named Edokawa Tomu and works in the university research department that one of Kimutaku's characters in this drama does.

TBS OHP (Japanese only)


I would probably be more excited for this if Jesse has not had a history of getting small supporting roles where he is barely seen in the drama before. I fear this will be the same for him and wonder if getting small roles in dramas that are meant to be hits actually help him out. I think it would be better for him to get bigger parts in lower rated dramas or even get to star in one of the late night NTV dramas, even though his acting has failed to impress me. But he would hardly be the only Johnny's that did not have impressive acting skills get pushed into a lead role.

~*


In other drama news 7WEST member Fujii Ryusei will be a regular in an upcoming drama, Miss Pilot, which stars Horikita Maki. They do not have any hiragana to show how his character's name is to be read but I believe it should be Yamada Kazuo, the Yamada of course being the obvious reading and Kazuo is what my search came up with for names for the given name.

Fuji TV OHP (Japanese only)


I am really happy for Fujii as this is a national drama on a major station which is a pretty big thing for a Kanjuu. Of course I have no idea if he is a good actor or if the part will give him any decent screen time, but he would at least make for some nice eye candy or fill an ikemen role nicely.

And of course there is always a part of me hoping for a Kanjuu debut and tying in all these little things into that being possible. And I do think getting the Kanjuu out there in national dramas and not just regional ones is a big step in that direction. And if Fujii proves to be popular he could easily fill the actor role in a group.

Johnny's Under 100: Matsushima So

Matsushima So

Group: Sexy Zone/Sexy Boyz

Birthdate: November 27, 1995

The most overlooked member of Sexy Zone, though he shows a lot of potential. He is also growing up rather fast now and it is looking strange to not have him with the older three as he is starting to look older than Sato Shori.

I love that he is a big Chinen Yuri fan as it is amusing to see Chinen, who has been known as a massive Ohno Satoshi fan would have a massive fan himself.

I do hope that the main thing holding So back is school so when he graduates he can become more active.

Shori 49

The next late night NTV drama to replace Kamen Teacher has been announced. It is titled 49 and will star Sato Shori for his debut in a leading role. The drama will begin on October 5.

The Juniors that will be in the drama are, Jinguji Yuta, Yasui Kentaro, Teranishi Takuto, Morita Myuto, Shimakake Ryuya, Takahashi Fu, Abe Aran, and Haniuda Amu.

NTV 49 OHP (Japanese only)


Not sure about the plot of the drama outside of the fact that Shori will play a first year high school student and there is something about his father involved. Honestly I am just happy that it seems to be a drama not based around delinquents. I may like those types of dramas but not season after season.

I am curious to see how Shori as a lead actor works out. I knew eventually he would get a chance like this and I was pretty sure it would be for one of these late night dramas. Of course it may take me a while to get to watch this as I am still working on my back log, but with any luck I will be much closer to catching up by the time this starts.

I would not be surprised to find that the theme song for this drama will be the untitled A-side on Sexy Zone's upcoming single. In fact with the single being released in October it is timed just right to have a drama tie-in like this. And if it is indeed the theme song for this drama then having it by only Shori, Nakajima Kento and Kikuchi Fuma like BAD BOYS was would make sense in the fact it would not be the first time they have done it.

The Shounen Club 9 November 2008 review

I cannot believe I am almost through all the 2008 episodes. I feel like I am actually catching up to the newer episodes now.

This episode actually starts with the theme, Arigato (thank you), announced by Fujigaya Taisuke and Hashimoto Ryosuke before they join their respective groups in the singing of the opening number, SMAP's Arigato.

The program's hosts, Koyama Keiichiro and Nakamaru Yuichi, then do the usual opening talk, again announcing the theme of the episode. They have Fujigaya talk and he brings up that in December Kis-My-Ft2 and A.B.C-Z will be having their first concerts so they are thankful for that. Hasshi gets asked to say what he is grateful for and he says the other four members of A.B.C-Z.

The episode then moves on to do the theme medley. I am starting to recognize some of the little Juniors back dancing as those that will be in the Snow Prince Gasshodan group, but I never did learn all their names and I cannot remember which ones are still with Johnny's or not. Other than that the medley gives a good mix of the Juniors in it and there are some good moments for seeing Juniors together that normally would not be mixed as they are.

For the first MC segment it is Kyomoto Taiga and Uekusa Yuta, who will be paired up with Taiga quite a bit before he leaves the agency. They are asked what they are thankful for and Taiga says going to karaoke with Uekusa.

The two sing Tegomass' Kiss ~Kaeri michi no Love Song~. As I already mentioned these two will be paired up quite a bit and mostly to sing Tegomass songs. They actually work well as a duo as they seem to be two of the stronger singers for the younger Juniors. Though Taiga's voice has yet to really crack so it is still a good ways away from what it currently sounds like.

Part way through the performance Tegomass come on stage to join the two. Knowing what a Tegoshi Yuya fan Taiga is I can imagine that this is one of his favorite performances.

Tegomass then of course are the focus of the next MC segment. They talk about what they are thankful for and then Nakamaru gets prodded to talk about the theme as well.

Tegomass go on stage again to perform Ai Ai Gasa then have Koyama join them on stage to perform Happy Birthday. The former is the typical early Tegomass song, a ballad like song that lets the two show off their vocals. Happy Birthday is a fun NEWS song that helps bring some energy to the stage.

There is the game segment next and it for physical challenges this time around starting with chin ups. I rather love how they all get to sit and watch this one. This is followed by a limbo challenge where the guys have to go under the pole in pairs of two.

The final challenge is to have the entire team to skip rope together. Had to feel sorry for Dream Bombers as they had to do this a couple of times as the rope hit the side of the stage and messed them up.

A.B.C-Z is then up to perform a new unit song, Vanilla, which looking back really does not seem to be quite appropriate for a sixteen year old Hasshi to be singing. But being age appropriate has never been Johnny's strongest suits.

There is then a Kansai Junior ni Q segment. The topic for them is their lucky color. Fugal Shawn Goku is up first with his answer being yellow and blue.

Then it is Nakayama Yuma who answered with orange, and even has a T-shirt with the color on. He says its his favorite color because he is a Giants (a baseball team) fan.

Following him is future Veteran member Kikuoka Masahiro who answered with rainbow. He gets a hard time with the fact that he is not wearing anything with rainbow colors on it.

Then it wraps up with Hamanaka Bunichi who put down pink. He is obviously embarrassed about it as he does what he usually does when he is completely embarrassed, tries to hide as much as his face as he can with his hands.

Question? then performs a song completely written by their lead vocalist, Yonemura Daijiro, My Way. It seems rather bitter sweet watching this now as Yonemura is the first of the group/agency to leave and will be doing so sometime in 2009.

For the Heisei Post segment Nakamaru has Kisumai with him to read and answer letters. The first requests Senga Kento to do his impression of a turtle laying eggs. Then the second is a question about who spends the most time fixing their hair and the answer is given is Tamamori Yuta.

Kisumai then have a special stage that they kick off with a dance with light rods. The actual song that they perform is Fire Beat. I venture to say that it is really with this upcoming concert that the colors assigned to each member gets cemented. Especially with the outfits they have been wearing throughout most of the episode. I do not think the colors were really used as much beforehand.

With that it is time to wrap up the episode and the older Juniors all sing Arigato no Uta. They have a section where they all in twos or threes say "arigato" to the camera and at the end it is revealed that Tegomass has joined them on stage. With them and the Juniors on stage they finish off the song and end the episode.


Now with the KisuEbi concert around the corner the two groups are on their way to debut. The next couple of years or so of Shounen Club episodes will have the two groups rise in prominence, especially Kisumai as they have a few tours before they debut.