The Johnny & Associates entertainment agency's four-man idol unit 4U. is a group of talented men who spent 20 years working their way to the top.
The group -- comprised of Yuki Koshioka, Yuta Fukuda, Yudai Tatsumi and Yusuke Matsuzaki -- was dubbed 4U. in 2011 as all four members have "yu" in their first name.
The foursome, who were all born in 1986, can truly be described as artists with superb dancing and acting abilities.
They are currently performing in the play "Nenju Mukyu!" (Seven days a week) in Tokyo, with the members' bright personalities and elegant performances lifting the spirits of audience members.
"Nenju" is the trademark production of theatrical company Kakusuko, which contributed to a theatrical boom in the 1990s in which minor companies performed in small theaters. The play depicts the everyday life of a recycling shop owner and his employees. The script was written by Kakusuko's Ikuji Nakamura and further developed by Yuichi Toyone, with Worry Kinoshita adapting it into a play.
4U.'s Matsuzaki said, "We want to add our own unique touch to Kakusuko's masterpiece and create a 4U. version of 'Nenju Mukyu.'"
"This piece really matches our group's image," added Tatsumi.
The 4U. adaptation excites audiences with its dance routines performed to upbeat rhythms created using everyday items. At a press conference for the production, the idol group also showed off their versatility by singing a cappella.
The members recently sat down for a round-table talk with The Yomiuri Shimbun.
The Yomiuri Shimbun: How's the atmosphere at rehearsals?
Fukuda: We exchange ideas on how to make sure the play goes well and practice in an enjoyable mood.
Koshioka: I feel a sense of ease when we're all together.
Tatsumi: We can joke around wherever we go. When I acted apart from the other members in another production, I tried to be nice [to my co-actors] and was always wondering when to get a laugh from them.
Koshioka: I'm not like that.
Fukuda: Here we go! [Koshioka's] cliche of being "the good guy."
Tatsumi: I went to Kosshi's (Koshioka's nickname) production once and heard someone say, "Kosshi was the only one enjoying his dirty jokes in the hallway this morning."
Koshioka: Oh, you're right. I try to liven up rehearsals, you know.
Dream to be ambassadors for Kitasenju
Yomiuri: The play is set in Kitasenju [in Adachi Ward, Tokyo], and you'll perform in Kitasenju, too.
Fukuda: You visit Kitasenju, watch a play about Kitasenju and then realize that you are still in Kitasenju when leaving the theater ... The audience [in Kitasenju] might be tricked into thinking the play is still on after leaving the theater.
Matsuzaki: The distance between the performers and audience is so close at the [Kitasenju] theater that we feel the audience's exp ... exp ... explosion!
Tatsumi: Explosion!? You mean [facial] expression? I'm taking a note of that slipup (proceeds to take out his smartphone).
Matsuzaki: There are only six male performers including us on stage. I want female audience members to enjoy our show as if they are peeking into a room with only men, so they can get an idea of what kind of things we usually discuss.
Tatsumi: My dream is to become a goodwill ambassador for Kitasenju. I want to be assigned as a one-day police chief someday and walk around the city.
Fukuda: We need to find the location of the Adachi Ward Office first.
Matsuzaki: Sorry to be pushy, but (facing the Yomiuri Shimbun reporter) don't you want to hear about our profile now?
Tatsumi: How dare you give a suggestion to a professional reporter!
CD yet to be released
Yomiuri: Please tell us about the group then.
Fukuda: We are unique in Johnny's. I hope many people see us and think: "Who the hell are they? They're cool, though."
Tatsumi: We're all the same age. We met when we were in the sixth grade at elementary school. From then on, we grew up together. When we go out for dinner, we talk about Mini 4WD, which was popular in our childhood. It's just like a reunion every day.
Yomiuri: You recently left Johnny's Junior and formed 4U.
Matsuzaki: We're the first group to graduate Jr. without releasing a CD. But we want to do what we can, such as debuting with a record label overseas.
Tatsumi: Overseas!? We haven't even had success in Japan yet!
Koshioka: There are other groups within Jr. that haven't released CDs. We want to be the forerunners of a new type of Johnny's unit.
Tatsumi: In our early 20s, we had fewer gigs than now. It was like wandering through a thicket of grass and mowing through it ourselves. Even now, we have no other way but to clear a path by ourselves.
Matsuzaki: And we still haven't given up on releasing a CD. Jot this comment down, please.
Yomiuri: Have you ever been irritated that you haven't had a debut release?
All: Yes, of course!
Tatsumi: We now think "live and let live," but still feel like, "Damn! We'll beat the odds someday."
Matsuzaki: We're driven by this mentality.
Fukuda: Frankly speaking, I wasn't happy initially that our group name was written using hiragana characters (4U. in Japanese is written fo~yu~ in hiragana). But, [Kazukiyo] Nishikiori [from Johnny's group Shonentai] said our name is cool. Since then, I've grown fond of it.
Matsuzaki: I want people, from children to the elderly, to become familiar with us. I think that's why our name was written in hiragana. Our name can also be pronounced "for you" in English, so we'll put on fantastic performances "for you."
INFORMATION
Until Aug. 6 at Theatre 1010 (Tokyo). The show will also tour as follows:
-Aug. 9-12 at Sankei Hall Breeze (Osaka)
-Aug. 17 at Kamakura Performing Arts Center (Kamakura, Kanagawa Pref.)
-Aug. 24-26 at Winc Aichi (Nagoya)
For details call (03) 3591-2400.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
