My Johnny's Story Part 1

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).