Friday, July 27, 2012

[NEWS] Yamapi defeated by KHJ; Jap media sarcastic, J Ent lost face

Original source: ent.huangqiu.com
News link: http://ent.huanqiu.com/music/yinle-guoji/2012-07/2929225.html (Dated July 19, 2012; 10.36am)
Translated by: OnlyKHJtimes (onlykhjtimes.blogspot.com/@onlykhjtimes on Twitter)
[Please retain full credits when reposting]

Tomohisa Yamashita (Yamapi) 
Tomohisa Yamashita totally defeated by Kim Hyun Joong; Japanese media sarcastic, J Ent lost face
According to the latest Nikkan Gendai issue, Tomohisa Yamashita's single 'Love Chase' was totally defeated by Hallyu singer Kim Hyun Joong, who is regarded as a 'rookie' in the Japanese music industry, on the Oricon weekly charts.
Kim Hyun Joong's single HEAT sold 183,478 copies in its debut week, placing no. 1 on the Oricon weekly chart in the period between July 2-8, with a significant gap from the 2nd-placed Tohomisa's 'Love Chase' (118,981).
The Nikkan Gendai article termed Tomohisa (Yamapi) as Johnny Entertainment's 'Ace level' (elite idol), and, "Now (he's) lost to Kim Hyun Joong who is of the rookie category, resulting in a grave atmosphere throughout Johnny Entertainment. (But) because Yamapi belongs to Johnny Entertainment, so all Japanese media became very evasive – and dared not play up the news of Kim Hyun Joong's victory; with some media completely ignoring the news, with not even a word of mention - to protect Johnny E's face," said an industry insider.
Oricon weekly chart July 2-8

Although the media had consciously tried to minimise the effects (of KHJ's win) on public opinion,  it still couldn't change the fact that Yamapi had been defeated.
"His manager is Iijima, who nurtured the national heavenly group, SMAP. This kind of 'shame' is unbearable."
Looking at the matter objectively, the enviable results achieved by Kim Hyun Joong's single this time was closely related to the series of PR activities that he had conducted.
"But losing on the charts still means losing."
Before this, Kim Hyun Joong was the leader of SS501, starred in the Korean dramas 'Boys Before Flowers' and 'Mischievous Kiss', (thus) became a familiar face to the Japanese audience. After signing up with Bae Yong Joon's artist management company, the momentum of his development became increasingly strong.
"Recently, Bae Yong Joon's schedule is almost blank, so a considerable portion of (his) fans has switched to Kim Hyun Joong. The latter would also be starring in a Japanese drama - his development in Japan appears optimistic."
Interestingly, many Japanese netizens have left comments like "Yamapi and Kim Hyun Joong really look too alike, but (Hyun Joong) looks more 'man' than Yamapi", "Don't know who is Kim Hyun Joong, but it is clear that Yamapi's singing ability is average/nothing special. Being defeated on the Oricon chart is to be expected."
The article in Nikkan Gendai said that since Yamapi was transferred into the management of Iijima, his solo career did not seem to experience much improvement. On the contrary, the continued decline from bad to worse "has caused others to ridicule that for the sake of sales, he would even cast aside his status to joke around in variety shows and organise hand-shake tours to court fans".
"But Iijima is still a capable woman and how she will turn around the decline of Yamapi will draw attention."

Translator's note:
1) Nikkan Gendai = is a weekly tabloid-sized magazine
2) Johnny Ent is perhaps the biggest entertainment company in Japan, with acts like Arashi, Jin Akanishi, Yamapi, and the legendary SMAP under them too.
3) It should also be noted that when this article came out in Nikkan Gendai, many Japanese fans responded online that Kim Hyun Joong's rising popularity isn't because of Bae Yong Joon's declining popularity, as suggested by the article.

13 comments:

  1. Johnny Ent is scary,its control Japanese entertainment Business for more than decades.
    Other boy groups who not under Johnny Ent were treat like ******(unable to appear on tv shows,etc).
    Nikkan Gendai is just like other jap medias who afaid of Johnny Ent.

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    1. Johnny ent. is like SM entertainament!! :O

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  2. Well basically I thought ppl save up to buy his album ERO instead of purchasing the single. And I guess this a good thing, it puts off the pressure off him of keeping his straight #1 single.... I winder by any chance hyun joint is buddy with yamapi or not with jaejoongie being the middle man. I would love to see them collab

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  3. Oricon reported it, the usual chart rank online watchers reported it, a lot of tabloids reported it too because of Yamapi losing his #1 streak, but who else should have? If the artist's agency has clout, the #1 sometimes gets highlighted on morning shows. But that's it. Oricon weekly rankings come out every wednesday and are not made into as big a deal in Japan unlike Korea.

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  4. "Who else should have?" Dunno, but I think you may be missing the point that the report is a commentary of the loss of YMP, an elite level star, to a supposedly rookie level star and how it was not widely reported. and the commentary which appeared in nikkan gendai, a Japanese tabloid as pointed out, is aimed at the Japanese entertainment company. it's not as if it was a Korean paper writing about the situation. it's just the report by NG was picked up by a chinese e-news site. so nobody's comparing whether it was "as big a deal in Japan unlike Korea" or not.
    just saying.

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  5. Seem like some Yamapi's fans are here( because his name in tweet?)

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  6. http://www.facebook.com/questions/435801499791338/

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  7. I hate to say this - but has the recently 'yamapi letter on leaving NEWS' triggered by his decline?

    i wonder - after all, it took him one year to come up with some sob story about leaving NEWS : and "coincidentally" at about the time that 4-nin NEWS is doing very well - and they don't seem to be needing PI (or RYO) at all, thank you very much.

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  8. porque no comentas que la siguiente semana khy desaparecio de las listas y yamapi continuaba ... y la siguiente igual??? hijo de puta

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    1. no solo no habia desaparecido sino que le seguia ganando y acabo vendiendo mas que el jajajaja

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    2. No sean así, los dos son buenos cada uno en su estilo de múscia, a veces algunos artistas bajan en las listas o suben pero no por eso hay que desmerecer al otro ;)

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  9. I didnt get to know yamashita tomohisa until i watched buzzer beat! I have always been a big fan of kpop and naturally I love dramas. My first thought when I saw him,"he look familiar". Tada, he looks like a mix of kim hyun joong and wuchun. Even though my fav character in korean BOF was yoon ji hoon, but i got to say that yamashita tomohisa is more appealing to me IMO (Thats my perspective..). Well, if sales of album can define anything, then what makes music different? Everyone has their own preferences, whether is it appearance or music or acting, it just that how individual sees things. I congratulate to these two singers/actors who have garnered many love and obtain success! Hope more talented ones will be discovered :) (Yoochun has great acting too xD!) LOL. Peace out yo~!

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