04 November 2013

Q&A Month! (2012): Question 1

Just want to start off by thanking everyone who has left a question already. I will try to get them all answered in a timely fashion. If you want to leave a question for me to answer then please do so in this post, I may not see it if you leave it anywhere else.

The first question is from Karen who asks: What are your thoughts on KAT-TUN's future? 

Do you see losing Koki as a major loss for KAT-TUN (in terms of sales, musically, group dynamics etc.)?



I think KAT-TUN will do alright overall. They are more or less in the same boat as NEWS, a group that started strong but over time has not been able to keep their starting level of popularity for various reasons, but still do well enough that the agency has no issue with keeping them as a group as long as the remaining members want it. But they do have the advantage that their main front man, Kamenashi Kazuya, is still with the group.

But I think if their inactivity this past year or so was because of what Koki was doing then I think at least fans will at least get a more from the group going forward. In fact with a release already set to be released so soon after Koki leaving and a concert set for the year things are already pointing towards that.

I think losing any member of a group will affect it, especially with a group like KAT-TUN where members are not as sharply divided with solo lines in group songs and screen time in PVs and such as some other groups. The dynamic will definitely change as they try to redefine themselves as a four member unit and will have one less opinion to be added to discussions about what they want to do or what direction they want to go. And since Koki was popular in the group I am sure that sales will dip as I am certain a portion of his fans will just not want to support the group without him in it for various reasons. But on that note Koki has been rather vocal about wanting to support KAT-TUN after his firing so his goodwill towards the group may be able to lessen the number of fans that the group will lose from his dismissal.

Of course not having Koki's raps anymore for the group does seem like a big blow as it was one of their signature sounds for their songs. So it will be interesting to see where they go musically from now on to see how they figure to try to set themselves apart from the rest of the Johnny's groups out there.

Overall I will be hopeful for the group. They may never reach the levels they where once at but they will probably be around for a while more as a group at least.

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