Yamada Ryosuke...the perfect definition of an idol. Well at least to me, he's got all the necessary characteristics down: the looks, the charm, the fanservice...But just when I think "Yamada is the perfect idol!" , a few seconds later, he does something dorky and I go "What an idiot..." (in a good way though).
Ok, so he's got the looks. I mean, he's the reason why I fell in love with HS7. There's not a lot of
people who can look cute and hot at the same time.
Or proclaim that he runs like a teddy bear...He runs just fine, I think. circusdoll
Despite, his "cool beauty" appearance, he's quite the sweetheart. Remember the time when he cried after tantei eye's filming finished? Or the behind-the-scenes for Mystery Virgin, where he confessed all the things he liked about JUMP's members? (Though i wanted him to talk more about Inoo-chan). Or when he was scared of going on the roller coaster but went on anyways because daiki forced him to ?
It's interesting to know that the few close friends he has are actually from Jump and NYC. I do get that he's popular and it may be hard for him to trust people (some might get close to him just because he's in the spotlight).Despite that, he treasures his friends so much...We all know how much he loves jump and his loyalty just makes me so happy. So please still stay a group even when you're old grandpas!! (actually don't, i don't want you to break your leg while dancing or something...)
Above all, I admire how hard he works. If he didn't memorize all the dances in his jr days, he might not have gotten the chance to appear in concerts or shounen club. If he didn't stay up at night to practice playing the sax, he wouldn't be able to show it off during concerts. And even though you can say he's made it, he hasn't stopped working hard. hakkouscaps
Actually, there is something else that I love: all the fanservice he gives! He's not shy to say "I love you" or show affection sometimes to other members. I mean, what kind of fan doesn't love that? XD kenken18 Really....who doesn't love that?
If there’s one thing that university has taught me, it’s to
always ask “Why?”. Ever since I’ve entered back into the JE fandom, there are so
many questions that keep popping up in my head:
Why am I so invested in people who live half way
around the world?
Why do I
listen to music that I don’t understand?
Why do I buy their CDs, magazines, dvds etc when
there are *cough* other methods?
Maybe the simplest
explanation is that Hey! Say! Jump, Kis-My-Ft2, Kat-Tun, News and other groups
make me happy. I feel happy when I listen to their music and watch their
concerts. So I continue to listen and watch.
But there are a lot of things that make me happy: for
instance, watching puppy videos on youtube, eating popcorn, and reading a good
book. Why is there a significant difference
between these and Johnny’s? Why do I harbour such intense feelings towards
these groups? When it comes down to it, I don’t just like JE because it’s
entertainment....it’s a part of my life, my identity.
Recently I read this very interesting thesis about Johnny's and reasons why people are interested in this particular form of pop culture: It's My Passion, That's My Mission to Decide, I'm Going Worldwide.... Pradhan suggests that by being invested in Johnny's, it allows people to escape their local culture and later this investment becomes a part of their identity. You’d think that over 100 pages would be
enough to read, but no- I wanted more. lol.
Here are some reasons she lists of why we love Johnny's:
They're human beings with flaws and weaknesses
Since we're of similar ages or experiencing similar things, we see ourselves in them and empathize with them
Their accomplishments become our accomplishments
They don't come out as flawless ,perfect humans: They have problems with weight (Oh Takaki, you're fine the way you are), problems with height (Sorry Yamada, please don't get mad XD), problems with smoking (thank goodness Kame quit...). They are people who deal with issues we can relate to. And for the most parts, they're such loveable idiots. They do stupid and silly things, which creates gaps between their "images" and "actual personalities".
I'm the same age as HS7, so I feel like we're going through the similar things. Whenever they talked about school work (well it's only Keito and Yabu in jump now), I would immediately think "Omg they must so tired from studying and working at the same time" or like "They don't have any eye bags even after pulling over nighters...Damn good genes". Though it could be make-up.
Also, I find it interesting that we become so happy when they accomplish something! Like when a junior debuts (bakaleya6, we're waiting for you) or when Miyata became a prince for his butai (I was so proud!!!). We have this kind of parent relationship where we feel proud when our support has helped them achieve their goals.
Johnny's makes me laugh, cry, and smile. They give us energy, happiness, and dreams. They're more than just idols. They're friends, family, and crushes lovers. So....don't underestimate idols! edit: i removed the quote since i found out she has subbed videos on her account. she didn't specify no hotlinking but i don't want to cause trouble for the subbing community.
I've been wanting to write a post about Inoo for a long time and no matter how much time passes I don't think I'll be able to sum up all the things I want to talk about him. So better start now than never.
I didn't like Inoo at first...he didn't really catch my eye and his eyebrows bothered me for some reason. (I need to keep remind myself not to judge people based on their eyebrows!) Anyways after my initial dive into the kisumai fandom, I started to catch up on the HSJ fandom and read some magazine translations. One day, I came across one recent article where Inoo was talking that he would like his girlfriend to call him Inoo sama. I thought this was absolutely hilarious and I wondered about what kind of person he was. From then on, I wanted to know more about him. tumblr
Inoo, to put simply, is plainly normal. (Now don't get mad just yet, let me explain). He's so down-to-earth, it almost feels like he's not an idol. There are people who fit perfectly into the idol type and then there are people whose circumstances just happen to be in the entertainment industry. If it weren't his circumstances, I feel as if I would meet Inoo in my class or the supermarket or something. Inoo's an idol but he's also an university graduate, a brother, a son, a grandson and a friend to many. asianfanfics
Inoo might be normal as can be but he is also very admirable. He works so hard (finished his thesis while doing Johnny's World, come on, give this kid a million pats on the backs). He also is so nice to his fans (I've heard very good things about him during the concerts where he would look out for foreign fans). He knows how to make others laugh (Yamada once described him as someone who can make you laugh without saying a word).
He was such a cute kid! I never thought I'll be thanking parents for making a kid but Thank you Mama and Papa Inoo for raising Kei. crunchyroll
I think Inoo's got one of the best fashion tastes out of Jump. He looks fantastic in his papa pics! I mean, I need to get my hands on that sweater! Lollipop
He's deathy afraid of roller coasters. I love to see him all worried and nervous. (It's just so cute...is this sadistic of me? XD) And he's so sweet with Daiki (or Yabu or Hikaru for that matter)! Those ships will be the end of me.
During his JJE days, he was such an oddball (he still is). He'd say things that seemed out of place but aren't really (his train of thought is really amazing). Sometimes he'll try to act cool but end up looking silly. He'd get all excited when eating delicious food (I mean to join Johnny's just to eat food is kind of amazing in itself).
Sometimes I wish I was one of the fans who've been around since his junior days because they got to see him grow up. But I don't think he's changed all that much. He's still that kid who loves food, who loves to make friends, and who loves his family very much. tumblr Now, I love his eyebrows. They make him unique. They're a part of him and to love someone is to accept them for who they are. I love the way he smiles and wrinkles show up on his face. I love his eyes droop to one side. I love his signature face, the one where he's about to eat something and shapes his lips in an O. I love his voice, it's really different (I really wish he got more solo lines in Jump's songs. Maybe he can do some rapping? I love his as much as I love Hikaru's). I love his hair. I love his laugh. I love his un-muscular arms. I love his beautiful hands (though his long nails sometimes erk me).
But even though I love him, I will never know him well enough to love him wholly. This is a fan's dilemma And I'm fine with it. I may never fully understand him, never meet him, but I'll support him in the best way I can. I'll support him by wishing him happiness, even more so than my own happiness.
It's not that everything in High School was horrible. There were good moments where I talked to friends, laughed with them. There were moments where I didn't worry at all, moments where I wanted to tell people about my adoration for Johnny's. Alas, I was too scared of what others would think to even mention a name.
One day I was bored and went through Newshfan's archive of stuff (I should add that this is before she quit lj). It was that day that I discovered Masuda Takahisa. Massu was different, he was quirky. I remember watching him on Waratte Iitomo, where he proudly said he would go to restaurants and eat alone. I thought he was really mature; he wasn't afraid to be by himself. His sense of fashion made him stand out, but he didn't mind standing out. His confidence and the way he carried myself fascinated me. And though, a single member wasn't enough for me to get into News, Massu was more than enough to keep my mind off things.
At my graduation ceremony, I received my diploma and left. While everyone else was taking photos and thanking teachers, I went straight home. No thank you's, No goodbye's, No tears. I didn't want any wavering memories, not even the good ones. I wanted to start somewhere new. If I didn't, I knew my past (along with regrets and weaknesses) would consume me completely. I stopped checking news sites, watching subbed videos on youtube, listening to any sort of JE music, or watching japanese dramas.
But change isn't easy. As soon as I got into university, I couldn't bear the pressures of keeping good grades, talking to people, or feeling motivated to do anything. It was too simple-minded to think that if I ran away, my depression would stay away. It became a cycle of go to class, go home, eat, and sleep. I didn't mind being alone but I hated feeling alone. I immersed myself in anime and manga: alternative universes where everything and anything could happen. I read books and more books, and somehow I found myself connecting to characters on a strange level- the same extent as I felt with Ueda, Yamada, Matsumoto, and Masuda. For the time being, these fictional characters were enough to keep me going.
And as time passed, I started to get better. It was due to entirely different than JE, but I didn't feel so sad and worthless all the time. It wasn't as painful to look back into my past as it was before. Soon I became curious to see what was happening to the JE fandom.
Roughly around the middle of November 2012, Ai no Beat hit number 1 on the oricon charts. I listened to it and all the feelings of being a fan came rushing back! I couldn't stop replaying the pv over and over again. I only had a faint recollection of Kis-My-Ft2, as there was a couple pictures in my Wink-up 2007 magazine. It's so weird how a group that I didn't give the time of day, had my full attention now.
Falling for Kitayama Hiromitsu was instant. His features definitely stood to me out of all the members. And I loved the way he danced and sang in the pv. There wasn't much information about him but I did discover a Kis-My-Ft2 community on Livejournal. Upon making an lj account for the first time in my life, I was shocked to see how many different subbers and fans there were. I only really knew of Newshfan back then.
When you watch making of's, read interviews or watch tv appearances, you can tell Mitsu's the one who's pulling the group alone. He's the one who keeps conversations going, he's the one who takes things seriously (but isn't afraid to goof off at times). He's the one who hit Nikaido while crying because during their junior days, Nikaido wasn't putting much effort into the group and Kitayama was so passionate about the group.
I owe a lot to Mistu. Here he was, putting his all into this one dream while I was here doing nothing but complain and feel sorry about myself. Because of him, I learned that change can be scary- it can require lots of hard work and faith but in the end, it's definitely worth it.
I'd thought I'll take a break from my johnny's story series and talk about someone who has been on my mind for the past - hmm I don't know- 5 hours. I can't even focus on studying because of him!
That person is no other than Mr. Nakajima Yuto.
He is my niban for many reasons. First and formost, he's handsome! But who isn't in Jump?!
It's hard to imagine how fast he grew up as he's over 170cm! But he didn't grow up physically! He's very professional and has a strong sense of justice. Even Yamada and Chinen talked about how diligent he was as the class representative during a magazine interview. (or was it council president? Anyways it was a respected position. I will try to find the links to this).
The second reason (and most important one to me) is his kindness. why I love him so much is because he is just so kind. It always seems like he's smiling, giving off a very friendly and approachable vibe. His aura just emits kindness! Even when he was a young junior, he was someone who took notice of other people. I like that he cherishes his parents and brother and dog!
When Ryutaro was having trouble understanding English, Yuto was the one who whispered the answers. He didn't just stand there and watch Ryutaro fumble over his words. I didn't notice this at first because nervous Ryutaro is adorable, but when I watched the video over, I could hear Yuto's saying the Japanese translations and at one point, even the answers.
Yuto is also very sweet towards other members, and it really does show through his actions. When Yamada was sweating in the first Thailand meet, Yuto was the one who wiped his sweat off. He was really careful and being really serious doing this task! It was quite funny. And once again, during their 2013 concert, Yuto was wiping someone's face again. This time, it was Hikaru.
Other reasons include his voice and arms! Since his hobby is drumming, it's no wonder his arms are well toned. His voice can go into the higher range, giving off a childish feel. And the things he says is sometimes very childish and cute too. For example, in Jump radio, he likes to say Kobanuuu! In the song Uta Utau, Keito and him were shouting to see who was louder. While Keito went for a deep resonating yell, Yuto squeaked "UTAU!".
I like that Yuto is passionate about his hobbies (he has so many!), which may drive others away. But his passion reflects how he thinks: straightforward and unwavering and how he acts: hardworking and dedicated.
He is also a very good friend. One time, he lost his baby teeth trying to break up a fight between friends. (I seriously need to find the links to this, because the translation was such a good read!)
I'm talking so much about Yuto that he's starting to go up in my JUMP rankings. Maybe he's not 2nd (along with Hikaru)....Maybe he's 1.5 now. No one can beat Inoo afterall. :)
High school was Hell. Every night I would think of all the things that happened today that went wrong and all the things I wished I could have changed in the past. It was more than just typical teenage problems. Regardless if I had friends or not, I never really opened to anyone. Not even my parents. And though I wasn't bullied on a usual basis, there were the occasional times....during those times I would shut down. And it would takes days, weeks for me to recover and move on. Because I was a weak person who took others' words and actions to heart.
I couldn't focus on myself, so I focused on fictional characters in manga and anime, Matsumoto Jun, and Yamada Ryosuke. During this time, I discovered Kat-tun. I hated them at first because Akanishi Jin was the "enemy" of Matsumoto Jun. It was because of this video:
Looking back, it was a petty reason to dislike Jin (even though I'm still iffy about him now). It shows just how narrowed minded I was as a teenager. Still carrying a special place for Arashi in my heart, I didn't want to get into the Kat-tun fandom. But I listened to Real Face and thought they were the coolest guys ever. It was the first time in my life that I learned the names of ALL the members, even taking turns with each as my bias. My perspectives broaden, as I learned not to hate something just on first impressions.
Every Wednesday I would look forward to watching Cartoon Kat-tun....It was my favourite show because it made me laugh, it helped me understand more of the members' personalities, and it introduced me to more Japanese pop cultures (celebrities, talentos, artists, actors/actresses etc).
Through Cartoon Kat-tun, I felt an deep bond with Ueda Tatsuya. This was also the first time where I fell in love not based on appearances but on personality. For Jun and Yamada, I liked them because they looked cool. But tat-chan was special; sure, one can say that he is good looking but more than that, his personalities and struggles were what really drew me in. He was quiet, shy, and kind. I loved his sweet angelic smile and his outbursts of random weird comments. I understood his feelings as he came from a family that expected and demanded a lot. These kinds of experiences were shared with someone who I never met, someone who lived on the other side of the world. I didn't feel alone for once in my life.
My very first JE album was Kat-tun's Break the Records: By You & For You. My favourite song then was Ueda's song, Hana no Mau Machi, because he composed it himself and wrote the lyrics too!
Because just one show of Kat-tun wasn't enough for me. I searched for more subbed clips of them. This is how I stumbled upon Newshfan. You've definitely heard of her! She was the most famous english subber I knew. Not only was she fast, all her videos were available even if you didn't have a livejournal account. I never really knew that there were more subbers out there, I just had to make an lj account to find the communities. Only relying on newshfans' videos, I started watching making of, cms, random tv clips...she introduced me to Ya-ya-yah. Me being the ignorant fan I was, I only watched them for their entertaining personalities and silliness. I never learned the members' names until later...
However 3 major things happened in my high school life at this time.
1. newshfan quit subbing in 2010 (she uploads videos now on her dreamwidth account)
2. cartoon kat-tun ended
3. mid life crisis of what i was going to do with my life
Deprived of releases or new things to watch, I grew out of the Kat-tun fandom.(At this point, I also wandered out of the Arashi and Yamada Ryosuke/ HS7 fandom). I was occupied with more important things at the moments like what I was going to study after high school. I didn't have a dream, I always felt like I would find a middle income job and just live a normal, boring life.
I thought about death and the meaning of life a lot. Sometimes just sitting in my room, wondering endlessly. Sometimes reading books to escape these consuming thoughts. Sometimes listening to Japanese music.
As commemoration for my 1st post, I'd like to talk about how I got into Johnny's and how they ultimately shaped the person I am today.
It all started in middle school. Because I moved soon after school started, I didn't know anyone in my class. I would always go straight home to watch anime, read manga, just distract myself from problems in the real world. I was very insecure and not confident in myself. This led to severe problems in high school. I was constantly on the internet, somewhere I didn't have to compare myself to others. Somehow I stumbled upon a drama called Hana Yori Dango. I was instantly hooked.
This girl was so confident, so strong in her beliefs... I wanted to become someone that sparkling and outspoken. To embody all the characteristics of Tsukushi, I decided to change...No, it was more like I wanted to change. I started to talk more to people and worked harder in school. But still I was scared that people hated me and would leave me out of conversations. No matter what insecurity still lingered.
Of course, the most prominent appeal of Hana Yori Dango was its romance. I fell in love with the characters, especially Domyouji. My thirteen year old dream was to find someone who understand me, love me unconditionally, and there for me....Matsumoto Jun was that someone.
Finding about Arashi was only natural as I liked researching more about Matsumoto. I started to listen to their music and to this day I recall the time where I discovered Wish. It was such a great pv: the outfits, the songs, the choreography....everything made me fall in love with the style of Johnny's. However, all dramas come to an end and I soon found myself empty and bored without any new episodes or music to listen to.
I started searching for more dramas to watch and came across Tantei Gakuen Q. Back then, it was hard for me to differentiate between acting and people's true personalities. Like the case with Mastumoto and Domyouji, it happened with Amakusa Ryu and Yamada Ryosuke. Ryu always had a solution for a problem and held a strong sense of justice. He was calm, cool, and smart. Someone who shone brighter whenever he was with friends. I thought real life Yamada was just like Ryu. Even more than wanting him to be my boyfriend, I wanted him to be my friend. Q class was the epitome of friendship and I envied them as friendship was something I always found lacking in my life.
Around this time, I also started watching Lovely Complex, where Hey! Say!7 sang the 2nd op and ed. I loved that song! It was something different: the slow piano intro, high pitched voices, catchy melody, and random lyrics. I loved it, though I didn't understand what the lyrics meant and never bothered to search the English translation.
Around 2007 or 2008, I bought my first Japanese magazine: Wink Up Sept 2007. It was then when I was mocked by family for liking "girlish" Japanese boys that I realized being a fan of Japanese culture carried a stigma. I did not buy any more magazines for a while after that. Even though my family did not approve of my hobbies, I still found myself looking at Yamada's pictures often and listening to Bon Bon and Hey! Say!.
I wasn't really interested in any other members other than Yamada. I learned about Chinen Yuri because he was quite popular but didn't feel excited about him, compared to my precious Yamada. It was as if I had tunnel vision.
Middle school passed quickly due to all my attention on Japanese dramas and such I went to High School. High school might have been one the toughest times in my life and it didn't help that I fantasized that my high school life would be glamorous (like that portrayed in dramas).
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