I love a good “Fight to the Finish” story where the good guys win the gold. Last night JPOP rockstars Ae! group returned to their roots with “We are called Ae! group” (JP: Bokura Ae! group tte iimasunen) which was their introductory show back in 2019.
Since their formation, the group has faced one hurdle after another, least of which being the fact that the world nearly ended via pandemic shortly after their formation. More recently, the group suffered another gut-wrenching blow when their sixth member, Taisei Fukumoto was released from his contract with agency STARTO ENTERTAINMENT. While the change caused concern amongst fans over the future of the group, last night any of those fears should have been put to rest.
The decision to return to their roots was a brilliant way to show that the group, like the mythical phoenix, has risen from the ashes anew – revised and reinvigorated.
As a person who speaks very little Japanese, I may not have understood everything that the guys were saying on stage, but I could feel their emotion – and I did giggle at Yoshinori Masakado’s concern about being blown off the toilet due to the pressure of a bidet.
Most of the special was light-hearted laughter, in part, thanks to Richard Keita Kusama’s self-deprecating humor and Ken Kojima’s ability to give ZERO F☆CKS about being an absolute dork. Masaya Sano paid tribute to his days on the stage (before joining STARTO) with a call back to The Lion King (he played young Simba in the Japanese Gekidan Shiki production) while Seiya Suezawa was just all-around adorable.
However, as the production drew to a close, emotions came to a head – especially when the five remaining members stood center stage to be addressed by You Yokoyama. A member of another STARTO group SUPER EIGHT (formerly Kanjani∞), he is the man who formed the group and has served as their co-producer with Tadayoshi Ohkura (also of SUPER EIGHT) ever since.
Speaking to them directly from off-stage, Yokoyama had this to say about how far they’ve come in 5 years:
“You are really a good group. Ah, I said it wrong on purpose just now. You are ‘Ae!’ group.* You are a truly good (Ae!) group that consists of unique members. Please continue doing your best from now on with determination. I have prepared a grand stage for you at the Kyocera Dome. Please produce great results there!”
(＊ Aぇ means “good” or “excellent” in the Japanese Kansai dialect)
Having crawled through the trenches and leaped every hurdle with them, he’s felt every win (and loss) just as hard as they have. Including Fukumoto’s departure. But, despite the sadness, he made sure the guy knew how hopeful he felt. He knows they have incredible potential – despite Masakado’s (literal) toilet humor.
He is proud of who they are, what they’ve done, and where they’re going – which not only includes contracts with South Korean athleisure brand FILA, but also a series of shows at one of Japan’s largest concert venues–the Kyocera Dome Osaka–on the 16th and 17th of March.
The true test of character is not made from our accomplishments, but rather how we handle ourselves when faced with adversity. Despite everything they’ve gone through, these five men have kept their wits and continued to push forward. This performance not only showed the strength of their resolve, but I truly believe that 2024 is going to be the year the Ae! group will burn brighter than ever!
Catch new YouTube videos with Ae! group every Tuesday at 8pm JST only on the Junior CHANNEL, many with subtitles provided by their dedicated fans!
More Ae! group soon so…
Stay Tuned!
Life In Cartoon Motion 