I don’t wanna feel Blue anymore...
"Even a struggle through a time of low popularity can become an integral part of a group’s image. Though nothing succeeds like success in America, Japan prefers to lionize ganbaru, which roughly translates to perseverance. A good example of the appeal of ganbaru recently played out in the pop charts as Johnny’s group NEWS returned from an 18-month hiatus. NEWS had been struggling through both poor sales and an identity crisis. The group had never really gelled as a unit and, during the hiatus, old tensions came to a head and their most popular member, Tomohisa Yamashita, left for a solo career.
Contrary to how this would play out in America, Yamashita finds himself sinking further and further in popularity while NEWS came out from hiatus with a renewed energy and chart-topping single. It’s as if Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” was trounced in the charts by the remaining members of N*Sync!"
Source: http://www.popmatters.com/feature/166068-a-peek-inside-japans-tightly-managed-johnnys-entertainment/
That's an interesting look on things. I mean American articles tend to be very patronizing and include a lot of rumours as facts it's still fun to read.
Contrary to how this would play out in America, Yamashita finds himself sinking further and further in popularity while NEWS came out from hiatus with a renewed energy and chart-topping single. It’s as if Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” was trounced in the charts by the remaining members of N*Sync!"
Source: http://www.popmatters.com/feature/166068-a-peek-inside-japans-tightly-managed-johnnys-entertainment/
That's an interesting look on things. I mean American articles tend to be very patronizing and include a lot of rumours as facts it's still fun to read.