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Johnny's Entertainment (1991-1999) - SMAP, TOKIO, V6, KinKi Kids, Arashi
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let's share everything about them, apa2 je! ;) first, kita mula ngan SMAP...
SMAP - my most favourite group in the whole world! :love:
(top, left to right: Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki)
(bottom, left to right: Shingo Katori, Masahiro Nakai, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi)
Japanese supergroup, SMAP was formed in 1988 with 6 boys hand-picked by talent agency Johnny's Entertainment. Before SMAP, these 6 boys were part of Skateboys, background dancers for Hikaru Genji, the hottest idol group at that time. The name SMAP stands for Sports/Music/Assemble/People, but it is pronounced as one word.
The initial members were, in order of age, Masahiro Nakai, who's officially the leader of the pack (34), Takuya Kimura (34), Goro Inagaki (33), Katsuyuki Mori, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi(32), and Shingo Katori (29).
Though formed as a dancing and singing pop idol group, their CD debut was not until September 1991, although their first concert was held in January that year. Their 15 years of fairytale was not an overnight success story. They had played to a full house, but none of the songs were their own. For years, their CD sales figures were the worst (for a newly debuted group) in Johnny's Entertainment history. They even performed in a half-empty venue, depicting their lack of popularity in their earlier years. But it's this kind of hardship that made them work even harder than everybody else.
As song programmes were being given the chop everywhere at the time, they were "farmed out" to variety shows in order to learn the basics of comedy and slapstick, as well as appearing in TV dramas and stage productions that required teenage boys. Thus, when Takuya Kimura's sudden rise to fame at the end of 1993 gave the entire group the break they needed, they were well-trained and prepared for any offer that came their way. The time was ripe for them, and their 12th single Hey Hey Ookini Maido Ari, which went on sale in March 1994 became their 1st No.1 hit. In less than a year, they became a household name and an unprecedented (in the sense that their popularity spread to age groups who had never shown much interest in young pop idols) phenomenal showbiz success. Their concerts are packed with fans ranging in age from 4 to 84, and the proportion of male audience is constantly rising.
Though it is well known that their ability as singers still leave a lot to be desired, they themselves have never made any bones about this. In fact, their generally poor singing has become a standing joke. Despite this, people in the music business are known to listen to SMAP albums. From around SMAP 007 Gold Singer (1995), their albums have boasted the participation of well-known American jazz and fusion musicians, and the quality of the music is excellent. The musicians apparently enjoy playing for SMAP, because they are given complete freedom. They need not worry about overshadowing SMAP, because all five members know they are hardly first-rate singers and focus on just doing their best. The result of the instruments and vocals concentrating on themselves, nearly oblivious of each other, is a strangely exciting musical duel (their vocal harmony sounds surprisingly good when singing together).
As of Summer 2005, they have 38 singles, 18 original albums, 5 best song collections, and over 300 songs to their name. The songs used to be of the "young love" variety but, since "$10" (late 1993), they have come to have extremely varied and original concepts, quite often at a tangent from the musical trend of the time, or pre-empting it. From around 1998, Japanese music critics started calling it "SMAP" music -- a genre by itself. The vocals, each quite distinctive when singing alone, somehow loses individual characteristics and become the SMAP voice (according to singers who know Kimura personally say that he can actually sing much better, but contains himself knowing that he mustn't destroy the group voice). The annual SMAP concerts may not be a music-lover's heaven, but are extravaganzas packed with singing, dancing and comic turns, and have been called the best shows in Japan, and "a lifetime treat for every Japanese woman". The (nearly) hour-long hilarious stand-up talk section (or the MC segment as they call it), which is unscripted and changes from performance to performance as the whim takes SMAP, is by itself worth hearing.
In April 1996, their own variety show SMAPxSMAP started. Now in its 10th year and immensely popular, every week it features gourmet cooking, contests, comic sketches, parodies and music, all featuring SMAP and usually suggested by them. Katsuyuki Mori left the group at the end of May 1996, very soon after the show went on air but, if anything, both SMAP as a group and the remaining members as individual entertainers have won even greater support and acclaim through the quality and varied nature of their work. Where pop-idols' peak periods are usually three years maximum, SMAP has remained at the top of their profession for 10 years and is still going strong. Over the years, all five members have become top-billing actors, yet in SMAPxSMAP there is no limit to what they can and will do, whether it's dressing themselves up as ice cream cones long past the sell-by date, or vying in a cooking competition with one another for the title of "Bistro King", or fencing traditional-style in dead earnest, or parodying themselves as dumb and untalented (and little known) teenage idols.
At the end of August 2001, the group faced the biggest crisis of their career; Goro Inagaki had gotten himself arrested for illegal parking and resisting police questioning. SMAP was in the middle of their 10th anniversary concert tour, and had to carry on with just the four of them. Although Inagaki was released after two nights and the prosecutor's office had decided not to press charges, it was obvious that the Japanese public's sensitivities would not condone his returning to work without first undergoing a suitable period of self-imposed penance. SMAPxSMAP broadcasts were suspended, and the media speculated on the possibility of SMAP disbanding, or sacking Goro and continuing as a group of four. However, the remaining SMAP members were staunch in their support of Goro. "SMAP are FIVE" became their byword, and also their fans'. Instead of demanding a refund for their concert tickets, SMAP fans who could afford it flew from all around the country to attend even more performances and show support. SMAPxSMAP went back on air after a month, with the four determinedly holding fort until Inagaki could make a comeback. The oldest members, Nakai and Kimura particularly took advantage of every opportunity to keep reminding the public that they were one member short.
The comeback took place on 14th January 2002, on a special live broadcast of SMAPxSMAP. Nearly half the country's viewing populace is said to have tuned in to watch Inagaki make an official apology in front of a live studio audience, and be welcomed back into the fold by a jubilant SMAP. That particular episode made it in SMAPxSMAP history as the highest-rated episode of all time. That summer saw the group doing a concert tour that pulled in the largest number of audience in Japanese showbiz history --1,150,000 tickets sold in 24 performances, proving, in the words of the media, that SMAP was, and is, in both name and actuality, the No.1 supergroup in Japan.
[ Last edited by whitedove at 24-5-2006 11:38 AM ] |
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continued...
Success Factors
Many people have attempted to analyse their success. One of the factors is probably the frank display of camaraderie, appreciated but not always publicly shown in Japanese society. Each of the members have said at some point that the others are "members" to them -- people who are closer than even brothers or best friends. As Kimura said in summer 2002, they are a "team". And in this team, the whole is greater than the sum of the total.
In the industry, it is said that when all five of them are there, the joint "aura" is almost oppressive and that they shut out others completely, becoming distant and even daunting. They themselves say that this is because they are "chickens" and scared of people. This may have its roots in the way the very young SMAP had to fend for themselves in a world of grown-ups, with the older two (Nakai and Takuya), themselves barely 16 years old, looking after the four "little ones". When Johnny's Entertainment first roped them in as SMAP, they weren't given any managers, so it's up to Nakai alone as the leader, and most of the times, both Nakai and Kimura to make decisions on behalf of the "little ones". They have recently mentioned how even now they always stayed together at parties instead of mingling, eating happily whatever Nakai the "mother hen" fetched them from the buffet, feeling lost unless the "members" were nearby.
Yet, unlike other Johnny's Entertainment talents, they rarely scratch one other's back. They have refused to become a cosy "family" that constantly back-pats one another. Instead, they are their own harshest and most constructive critics. The age hierarchy, which other Johnny's groups seem to lack, is very strong in SMAP, perhaps because of the early experiences mentioned above. Nakai and Kimura are equals, being of the same age and high school classmates, but the others are not allowed to address them without the honorary suffix "-kun" after their names, except as a joke. Even in jest, the dropping of the suffix is instantly noticed and eyebrows raised. When either of the older two is really angry, the younger ones (Goro, Tsuyoshi, Shingo) become as quiet as a mouse, probably intimidated by the power of the Big Two. However, this hierarchy works to their advantage. The younger three are delighted to win praise for their work from the older ones, and no doubt the fact that the two "big brothers" never sit on their laurels but keep aiming higher is why they are still held in respect, despite all the playful banter. And in individual work, too, each one gives his best, because that has ever been the SMAP hallmark.
The hardship they went through in their early years would have made others crumble under pressure, but not SMAP. They were formed in 1988, so why did their debut was postponed? Apparently, Victor Entertainment producer who was present at their first ever concert in 1991 told the boys that they "couldn't sing, couldn't dance, didn't have the looks". A bitter Kimura asked, "If we become good at singing, will you allow us to debut?" The boys trained and practised even harder, and finally, Victor Entertainment agreed to a contract with them. Then, the "Nagoya incident" happened. In 1991, they performed in a half-empty arena, sending the group of 14-19 year-olds to reality, that they weren't as big as they probably thought. Nevertheless, the boys regrouped and set their hearts to entertain some fans who were actually present in the arena. Today, the boys perform in huge stadiums and domes, places where baseball and football matches are held, and their fans turn up in more than 50,000 in each arena, estimating that more than 1 million fans have turned up for the entire tour annually.
Another success factor that most people agree on, apart from their refreshingly un-idol-like forthright speech and bluntness (which translated as being themselves and not pretentious), is the totally disparate personalities of the members, which also show in their work. What people love about them is the fact that they're just like normal people with flaws and not gods. They are cool, great-looking and beautiful, yet they are not afraid to be silly, outrageous and downright crazy (which is evident in their SMAPxSMAP skits). They are pure entertainers who take criticism to heart and try to make the best out of it. They are constantly in the center of attention whether it's a good press or bad press. Half of the media in the country simply love them, but another half just hate their guts. Yet being in the limelight since young and for so long, bad press only make them stronger each day.
SMAP will be celebrating their 15th year anniversary since their debut in September this year. Their 39th single, "Dear WOMAN" has just been released and debuted at no.1 on the ORICON chart. |
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double post...gomen...
[ Last edited by whitedove at 14-5-2006 07:24 PM ] |
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TOKIO
(clockwise: Shigeru Joshima, Taichi Kokubun, Tomoya Nagase, Masahiro Matsuoka and Tatsuya Yamaguchi)
TOKIO is a Japanese popular pop/rock band formed by Johnny & Associates in 1994. It is made up of five boys, starting from Sony Records, now from Universal Music Company. The group members are Tomoya Nagase (lead vocal & guitar, 28), Masahiro Matsuoka (drum, 29), Taichi Kokubun (keyboards, 32), Tatsuya Yamaguchi (bass, 34), and Shigeru Joshima, the official group leader (lead guitar, 36).
"Tokio" is an old romanization in English of the city Tokyo in Japan. They have started as a band with their debut single, LOVE YOU ONLY. Their single in 2004, Ambitious Japan, became an image-song for the JR NOZOMI shinkansen. Their latest single, "Mr. Traveling Man" was the theme song to the hit winter 2006 drama, "Yaoh (King of the Night)" which starred Masahiro Matsuoka as the lead character.
The year 2004 had become their special year. It is the 10th year since TOKIO was formed. They have participated in various TV dramas; the most recent ones are Yaoh and "Tiger and Dragon" played by Tomoya Nagase in 2005. The group has their own TV programs as well, including Gachinko and Iron-arm DASH. In 2005, Taichi Kokubun co-starred with KinKi Kids' Tsuyoshi Dohmoto in the hit movie "Fantastipo". Meanwhile, Masahiro Matsuoka is the director for TOKIO's music promotional videos (PV), and he himself says that he would love to make a movie someday with all the TOKIO members.
Their latest single has just been released called "Mr. Traveling Man" and was the theme song for the drama "Yaoh".
[ Last edited by whitedove at 14-5-2006 07:23 PM ] |
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V6
(left to right: Hiroshi Nagano, Masayuki Sakamoto, Go Morita, Junichi Okada, Yoshihiko Inohara, Ken Miyake)
V6 is a very popular Japanese idol group, formed by Johnny & Associates. They debuted on 1 November 1995 with CD-Single "MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE".
Due to the age difference between the 6 members (the difference between oldest member, Masayuki Sakamoto and youngest member, Junichi Okada, is 10 years), the band was separated into "20th Century (tonisen)" and "Coming Century (kamisen)".
There are many theories behind the meaning of the "V" in V6. It is said that it stands for Victory, but members have mentioned on TV programmes etc that it also means Volleyball (as their debut single was used in the World Cup Volleyball Tournament in 1995), Vegetable (as Sakamoto's parents own a green grocers), Vicycle (obviously means Bicycle - Hiroshi Nagano's parents own a cycling store) and Veteran (as Yoshihiko Inohara was told).
As they are idols, each member takes part in a variety of activities - as well as singing, they appear in TV dramas, variety shows, host radio programmes etc. 20th Century are usually associated with being on stage in plays and musicals, whereas Coming Century are more often in TV dramas (although every member has in the past done both). The most current TV drama involving a V6 member is "Kuitan (Eating Detective)".
Sakamoto is especially famous for his roles in musicals such as 'Footloose', 'Blood Brothers' and 'The Boy from Oz'. Nagano and Inohara also played the leading roles in the Japanese version of the hit musical 'The Producers' which proved to be a great success, being ranked as the No.1 musical of 2005 in a famous Japanese musical magazine.
Junichi Okada is also currently making waves in the movie industry with successive hits such as "Kizarazu Cat's Eyes Nihon Series", "Tokyo Towers" and "Fly Daddy Fly". He is also set to star in a movie by the famous director Hirokazu Kore-eda called "Hana Yori mo Naho".
V6 hosts two weekly TV shows as a group, "gakkou e ikou" and "viva viva V6". However, aside from this group TV shows, they also have individual TV shows, dramas or radio programs in Japan. Ken Miyake is a regular in the TV show "Itou-ke no Shokutaku (The Itou Family Dinner)".
V6 celebrated their 10th year anniversary in 2005. They commemorated the event by holding about 30 concerts in sold-out arenas all over Japan, holding 3 major "Thank You Events", releasing a hit movie "Hold Up Down" and releasing a new album "Musicmind". They also had a rare "Handshake Session" with hundreds of thousands of fans in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.
20th Century (tonisen) are Masayuki Sakamoto (V6 group leader, 35), Hiroshi Nagano (34) and Yoshihiko Inohara (V6's unofficial spokesperson, 30). Coming Century (kamisen) are Go Morita (kamisen group leader, 27), Ken Miyake (27) and Junichi Okada (26). |
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KinKi Kids
(left to right: Tsuyoshi Dohmoto, Koichi Dohmoto)
KinKi Kids was formed in 1993 but made their debut in 1997 with their single "Glass no Shounen" (Glass Boy), which made them a number one on the hit chart ORICON for many weeks. They are also listed in the Guinness Book of Records, where they are credited with having most singles go to #1. These CDs include "Eien no Bloods (Forever Blood)" and "Hey Minna, Genki Kai? (Hey! How's everybody?)". As of writing, their latest single has also debuted at #1, making them one of Johnny Jimusho's most successful musical artistes. The members are Koichi Dohmoto and Tsuyoshi Dohmoto, both are 27.
Widely known in Japan, the KinKi Kids are very popular among girls of all ages, and their subscription concerts even draw boys. Not only do they sing, but they are also talented actors, having appeared in popular dramas and sitcoms. For example, Tsuyoshi Dohmoto played the title character in Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo (Files of Young Kindachi), and Koichi was in Remote. Both have also collaborated since an early age in hits like Wakaba no Koro (Young Generation) and Miman City with their fellow juniors. They have their own variety show called Domoto Kyoudai (The Domoto Brothers). However despite their shared surnames, they are in fact completely unrelated and hail from two different prefectures in the Kinki region. |
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Arashi
(left to right: Sho Sakurai, Kazunari Ninomiya, Masaki Aiba, Satoshi Ohno, Jun Matsumoto)
Arashi (the Japanese word for storm), is a Japanese popular group consisting of five boys from the Johnny & Associates stable. They made their sudden debut in September 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii from the Pony Canyon Music Company. The group members are Satoshi Ohno (group leader, 26), Sho Sakurai (24, group's unofficial spokesperson), Masaki Aiba (24), Kazunari Ninomiya (23) and Jun Matsumoto (23).
This group is widely known for the members' good looks and for the group's smartly executed, powerful dances. The fans' ages range from the low teens up to the mid-forties. On the day of their debut single "A?A?HI", more than 80,000 fans showed up to attend their debut event. Since the debut single, the group has released more than 10 singles. Their first four singles, "ARASHI (Storm)", "Sunrise Nippon (Sunrise Japan)/HORIZON", "Typhoon Generation", and "Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi" attracted many people because they all dealt with nature. The cheap cost of 500 yen also attracted people to buy their 7th, 8th, and 9th singles. Arashi produces a wide range of different types of music, including rap, house, and hip hop. In 2002, Arashi established a music company of their own called J-Storm.
Arashi has also been taking part in various dramas, variety shows, TV commercials, and movies. The entire group played the lead in the drama called "V No Arashi (Arashi of Victory)" that supported the Japanese volleyball team in the World Cup. Other dramas include "Gokusen (Gangster Teacher)" and "Kimi wa Petto (You're A Pet)" by Matsumoto, "Kisarazu Cat's Eye" and "Yoiko no Mikata (A Friend of Good Kids)" by Sakurai, "Stand Up!" by Ninomiya, and "Yankee Bokou ni Kaeru (A Yankee Goes Back to His Alma Mater) by Aiba. The most recent TV drama is "Hana Yori Dango" starring Matsumoto which became a hit in 2005. The group took part in their famous movie, "PIKANCHI~Life is Hard Dakara(so) Happy" and "PIKANCHI Double" that concerned the passionate youth of 5 boys, acted by members of Arashi. The members also have their own TV programmes ranging from "D no Arashi", "Mago Mago Arashi" and "G no Arashi". |
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huhuhuhuhu.... baru aku ingat nak bukak 1 thread ttg TOKIO... takpo... nanti aku upload lagu2 tokio
hehehhehe ARASHI pun ada...
KINKI KIDS!!! aku suka!! kot2 rajin aku upload
[ Last edited by eyka at 14-5-2006 08:14 PM ] |
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Originally posted by eyka at 14-5-2006 08:13 PM
huhuhuhuhu.... baru aku ingat nak bukak 1 thread ttg TOKIO... takpo... nanti aku upload lagu2 tokio
hehehhehe ARASHI pun ada...
KINKI KIDS!!! aku suka!! kot2 rajin aku upload
ye le...;)
nanti aku wat 'individual shots' for each member lak...
kalau ko nak wat untuk TOKIO pun buleh hehe ;) |
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SMAP tu suka mmg suka selalu donlod jugak...
tapi dulu yg aku betul2 giler2 kinki kids dgn tokio sebbnya masa pakcik aku study kat jepun dia selalu bawak balik cd tokio & kinki kids..
[ Last edited by eyka at 14-5-2006 08:42 PM ] |
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Originally posted by eyka at 14-5-2006 08:41 PM
SMAP tu suka mmg suka selalu donlod jugak...
tapi dulu yg aku betul2 giler2 kinki kids dgn tokio sebbnya masa pakcik aku study kat jepun dia selalu bawak balik cd tokio & kinki kids..
aku paling suka muzik KinKi Kids even though SMAP aku punye ichiban hehe...;) tapi currently aku paling suka muzik Kanjani8, sebab lain dr Johnny's groups yg lain...:love: |
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smap!! smap!!! kimu takuuuuu... =)
cmap! cmap! wakakaaka, masuk anime yakitate plak!! =p
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waa sugoi whitedove :clap:
kalo aku nk lagu dr johnnys grup..cilok kt sini jela... :pompom: |
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cilok je lin! |
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dulu masa dok kat jepun minat gilos ngan arashi..
depa sumer hensem2..:love: |
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yay, eyka wat contribution! |
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Post time 14-5-2006 07:14 PM
变色卡
Author
