Nakamaru Yuichi's strong will to keep his beliefs unshakable. He cares about his fans more than anyone else behind his unique activities.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of KAT-TUN's debut and their first appearance in the 72nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. Let's take a look back at the activities and charms of each member.
In KAT-TUN, Nakamaru is the most unpredictable guy, and I still can't get the full picture of him. The image that the public has of him, the Nakamaru that his fans know, and the essence of Nakamaru Yuichi all seem to be different. However, this "unknowability" may be the greatest appeal of Nakamaru.
In 1998, he joined the Johnny's office on the same day as Kamenashi Kazuya. Nakamaru and Ueda Tatsuya, who is the same age as Kamenashi, participated in a game project in "The Shonen Club" (when they were in Johnny's Jr.) as the duo "Robamaru" and won the tournament. Since then, they have been established as a pairing. Almost 20 years have passed, and they are still together.
One of Nakamaru's specialties is human beatboxing. He has been working on it since the early days when the technique itself began to be recognized by the public and was often featured when he appeared on TV programs. Of course, it is also an important spice in KAT-TUN's performance. Combining the elements of rap and human beatbox with their music is probably one of the reasons why KAT-TUN are unique idols.
Standing on stage, Nakamaru exudes a kind of strange aura and a cool, black presence. He has been described as "the emperor", but his personality is evident in the way he carefully holds the microphone, faces the sound with a serious expression, and precisely taps out the beat. The gap between his low-pitched rapping and sweet singing voice is also one of his charms.
"A man of common sense and dexterity." This is the image that people have of Nakamaru, isn't it? After all, the influence of "Shuuichi" (NTV), where he serves as a commentator, is significant. Nakamaru's sincere attitude and life-size words have created a favorable impression, and his approachability has made him popular among people of all ages.
However, this is only the doorway to Nakamaru Yuichi. Beyond that: Nakamaru as an idol and as a creator is truly an abyss.
At the age of 24, he entered a distance learning course at a university and graduated in five years while working at the same time. He does what he is interested in, one thing after another, and always manages to make something out of it. He is a "stubborn man" in a positive sense. This attitude can be seen in the four-frame comic that he updated every day during the stay-home period. Nakamaru continues to embody "continuity is power" and "never say never".
Nakamaru's creative side and dedication to his work are well known to his fans. He has been involved in the planning and supervision of special videos and the production of goods, and has been entertaining fans with his unique ideas. Nakamaru's skills allow him to skillfully distinguish between KAT-TUN's high points and gaps.
The stage show "Nakamaru-kun no Tanoshii Jikan" started in 2008, and Nakamaru himself composes and directs the show, delivering "fun" things he wants to do and is interested in. The fourth edition, held in 2020, was also online, and entertained audiences with a wide range of rich contents, including a remix of a KAT-TUN song, the "S-1 Grand Prix" (a challenge to put on and off stockings on a mannequin), and shadow plays.
On Johnny's web, Nakamaru has been developing his own unique style with "Yomu Rajio" and regular haiku competitions. While exuding an atmosphere of "seriousness," Nakamaru continues to try new things, sometimes freely and sometimes tricky. In fact, Nakamaru may be the most unorthodox person in KAT-TUN.
Nakamaru also wrote the lyrics to the surreal pop song "We are KAT-TUN," which features KAT-TUN's common things. The song became a hot topic among fans of other groups when they performed a special version of the song at "Johnny's World Happy LIVE with YOU" in March 2020 (the live also featured a setlist and staging that could be called an introduction to KAT-TUN, and I hope you'll check it out again, including the sudden change of pace from the MCs, who tend to gather tightly in the center.)
[because it makes hyphens happy]
This is the phrase that Nakamaru sings in the song, and it seems that he is motivated by "making hyphens (the term for KAT-TUN fans) happy". Nakamaru knows what makes his fans happy. I'm not sure if it's due to his strong research skills or keen intuition as an idol, but I think the source of his ability to put his ideas into practice is "because it makes hyphen happy".
What I felt through this project of analyzing KAT-TUN members was their pride as idols and their love for their fans. Kamenashi shows that he is a strong and determined person, Ueda is flexible and has an unwavering core, and Nakamaru faces the fans and sometimes takes the helm. In their three different ways, they have protected, strengthened, and made KAT-TUN an original entity. The members may have different personalities, but they all share the same goal and what they are trying to protect.
However, I still don't understand Nakamaru. Perhaps it is only his fans who see through his true nature, or perhaps he is still a mystery to them. Nevertheless, it is an undeniable fact that there are many fans who are attracted by his "unknowability" and cannot escape from his charm.
Comments
Post a Comment