Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Pop Culture 201: Johnny's Jimusho (Part 1)
Hopefully some of you will remember the Pop Culture 101 article I wrote, like, a year ago. If so, you might also remember the very first "section" of the article, Johnny's Jimusho. I've had a mostly passive interest in them the past few years, but recently...



I admit it. I'm a fan of Japanese boy bands.

It's shameful, I KNOW. But I can't help myself. It's SO interesting. And looking back at my Pop Culture article, I just couldn't leave their section so short and stunted. There's so much more to be said. And thus, I decided to write this, my first real article in months.

Whereas the 101 article explained what the Jimusho are, this one centers more on their appeal. And how very uniquely Japanese the whole concept of the Jimusho is. (So if you need a reminder as to what the heck I'm talking about, just reread their section in the previous guide.)

I tried to make this as entertaining as possible, so please stick around and read it despite its subject. XD

Enjoy. :3

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Boy bands represent everything I dislike about the music industry, where music stops being art and becomes a product. Johnny’s Jimusho in particular are manufactured to the core; the music, the concerts, the boys’ persona and every little aspect of their public lives are usually controlled in some way. Even their friendships, and for that matter rivalries, with each other are often exploited or sometimes even fabricated.

Yet at the same time Johnny’s Jimusho represents all the alien, yet utterly irresistible aspects of Japanese pop culture. These boys are so much more than just dancers or mediocre singers: they are actors, hosts, comedians, models. They will do the most bizarre, ridiculous things to please an audience. They know how to make anything and everything funny. And above all, they know how to entertain people.

The Jimusho are a special breed in that you can be a genuine fan of these boys, yet never listen to a single one of their albums. Some time in the early 90s, Johnny Kitagawa realized that in order for his bands to be truly huge, he could no longer confine the boys to the stage. They needed to be everywhere. And that’s exactly what happened. Magazines, commercials, movies, variety shows, radio programs, look anywhere in Japan and you’ll see a Jimusho.

Japanese dramas are one of the best places to look. (Heck, that’s how I got into it.) I’d say about half of dramas in Japan feature at least one J-Pop star in their cast, and of those stars, about half of them are one of Johnny’s boys. Surprisingly, many of the Jimusho make very good actors. In fact, Kimura Takuya (SMAP), the Jimusho King to many, is often said to be one of the most prolific drama actors currently in the industry.

Yet despite his status, you can easily spot Takuya doing the strangest things, such as dancing and dressing up as Beyonce. Or not-so strange things, like getting scarily pissed off whenever anyone messes with him. This is the beauty of the Jimusho, their ability to be serious-minded actors, badasses, and cross dressers all at once.

Though there is always a conflict when it comes to the boys’ public personas, the question of how much of it is real and how much is for show. So much of their lives are controlled that it is very difficult to believe everything they do or say. This is especially true concerning the boys’ relationships with each other, as it’s not uncommon for Johnny to force boys to collaborate and give off the appearance of being friends, regardless of whether or not they genuinely like each other. In the past year or so, however, I’ve come accept that it doesn’t really matter. Jimusho is mostly centered around spectacle and aesthetics, and in that regard, not everything needs to be real in order for it to be purely enjoyable.

That said, the Jimusho have very distinct, charming personalities. There’s the obsessive Gackt fan who has the most flamboyant wardrobe ever, an adult well into his 30s who made a television show out of invading random people’s houses wearing a pink dress with bows in his hair, the dudes who do ridiculous dances in rainbow-coordinated outfits and fake afros, and the boys who will never let them live those things down. In fact, I guarantee that in every popular Johnny’s band, you are bound to find at least one person whom you’ll absolutely adore.

But not all of Johnny’s Jimusho are naturally lovable. If the Gallagher brothers are my drunken, but talented a-holes, then Nishikido Ryo (NEWS, kanjani8) is my darling little demon child. Simply put, Nishikido is the dark horse of the group. He tells his guyfriends they are fat and need to diet, is shamelessly egotistical, and openly harasses people on national television. Often. Most have trouble liking him at first, for obvious reasons, but many grow to accept him.

For all his snark, he’s charismatic and softhearted when he wants to be. He cries at weddings. He’s quick to defend his friends when others insult them. He’s freakishly proud of being an Osakan. He actually writes his own songs on occasion. He has regrets, crushes, and all the other normal things young men usually have. And it helps that he generally looks way more innocent than he acts.

Nishikido has also made it a point to profusely reaffirm his straightness. (i.e. “Stop trying to make me gay, stupid fangirls!”).

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That last sentence is actually a transition into my next part, but I decided to pause it here since this makes a great segway into my One Litre of Tear review. Assuming that I get around to writing it, that is. And assuming that I get around to finishing this thing too. *wonders where the Pan's Labyrinth review ran off to*

And so I end this post with one of my favorite pictures of Ryo-kun:



His smile is borderline psychotic and his use of glasses even more so!

EDIT: OMG HALF THE LINKS ARE SOLELY RELATED TO RYO-KUN. I'M SUCH A SAD PERSON.
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