Thursday, March 25, 2010

Don't you wanna see it when KAT-TUN makes it worldwide?



KAT-TUN is going worldwide! Well kinda, but not really. KAT-TUN will start their Jinless worldwide tour in May. The tour will run from May-August with stops in Japan, Bangkok, Seoul, and Taipei. Which would technically make is an Asia wide tour rather than worldwide tour. But I guess that's a start. As for the Jinless part, Akanishi Jin won't be taking part in the tour instead he will be heading to the US to do 3 solo concerts in LA.

Now that's a lot of KAT-TUN news to digest. My initial reaction was "OMG JIN IS COMING TO THE US!" Then I had a moment of fangirl glee. Only to find out that the concerts were in LA, and I had no way to get there. Which is like the 7th Japanese concert I couldn't go to because it was in California. Thank god it's only Akanishi Jin, and I don't really like KAT-TUN music too much. Not being able to see Momusu at Anime Expo physically hurt. But crying about living in New Jersey isn't what this post is about. It's time for my over analyzed reaction to this news.

First off KAT-TUN's world tour. I'm happy for them. Not doing back flips excited, because KAT-TUN is probably my least favorite Johnny's group and touring Asia isn't that big of a deal. I mean NEWS had a concert in Taiwan, and Arashi has their Around Asia tours. So it's pretty much old news for Johnny's artists. But I guess it's cool if you're a KAT-TUN fan for them to be able to have overseas concerts for the first time. But this really only effects fans from Thailand, South Korea, and Taiwan. Which I'm not.

As for Akanishi Jin's concerts they're pretty exciting. I mean they're in the US after all. The first JE artist to perform in the US ever. This is pretty big. Especially for Jin fangirls in the US or one that can easily get to the US. I know I was pretty excited for Jin to be in the United States. I'm not even that big of a Jin fan. I wonder what songs he'll sing? Probably Love Juice, Wonder, and the LANDS album. And of course since I have to over analyze things, this concert makes me think JE is realizing Jin's potential for the US market. So be prepared for my long explanation why. XD


Lets look at Jin's concerts in LA a little closer. Jin's concerts have their own website, which you can find here. Now on the website basically all they have on it so far is the tour name, when the concerts are, and when tickets go on sale. But it also says in bold letters Japan Pop Star US Debut. Now you can argue that US debut simply means what is says. These are his first concerts in the US so naturally their his US debut. But what if they mean debut in the normal sense. Like Jin will be debuting in the US. Now I know what you're thinking, "how can that possibly be," or "that will never happen." While I will agree that most likely he won't be making a debut in the US, but with everything going on around the concerts make it seem like a slim possibility.

First off the amount of time Jin is staying in the US for. He's leaving for the US in May to prepare for his 3 concerts from June 19-20. But he's staying in the US until October. October, but why? The KAT-TUN concerts end in August. He could miss the first half for his solo concerts, and be back in time for the second half. But he's not doing that.
The reason Jin is staying in US for so long is He will be involved in promotional activities and is considering additional U.S. concerts. Which seems a little unnecessary for 3 concerts. Sure he said he is considering adding more US concerts. But let's be honest, Jin is an unknown singer in the US. The venue he's pre forming at only hold 2,000 people. Which is the perfect size because only people who listen to Japanese music or know who he is will go. But let's say he does add more shows. It will most likely only be 3 shows. Even if he does that he's still staying for too long. Let's say it takes him a month to prepare for each set of concerts. He each set lasts two days. That brings up his stay in the US to two months and 4 days. Figure in time for rest and that's an even 3 months. Which is just enough time to miss the KAT-TUN concerts. But remember that's just if he adds the extra concerts. If it's just the 3 concerts that brings his stay until the end of June. That doesn't make sense to me.
Jin said he would be doing promotion activities. Which seems weird to me.
Let's look at Miyavi for example. His first solo US performance was in Las Vegas and was a very small performance since he's not well known here. Much like with Jin's LA concerts. Miyavi has performed at Anime Expo with S.K.I.N. and done 2 world tours. But he has not promoted any of these performances at all. Aside from posting it on his website and myspace. AKB48 performed in the US and France. Momusu performed at Anime Expo and tons of other Japanese artists have performed in the US. But none of them have taken actual time to promote this concerts. And why is that? Because they are Japanese artists who sing in Japanese. And if you don't already like Japanese music you won't go to these concerts. And these artists know that. The only Japanese artist to do any real promoting here was Dir en grey. And that's only because they had some mild popularity here. But even their promotions were small. So why is Jin promoting his concert? Anyone who knows who Jin is or would actually go to his concert already know it's happening. So who is he spending so much time on promoting to? The only person he could possibly be promoting to for that long is average Joe who doesn't know who he is. And why would he go through all that trouble? Promoting a concert 4 months after it ended, if he doesn't have any future plan for the US.
Another thing that comes to mind is Jin might want to continue his English studies. Which seems completely reasonable. I wouldn't have thought twice if it said, "And while Jin is the US he plans to further his studies of the English language." But if that's really the reason Jin wants to stay, why the secret? They could just say it. He left to study English once, why not again? So there's no way promotion could really mean study English. Unless promotion really means, Jin wants to party for a while in LA again. Which could definitely be the reason. But it's not like JE could straight up say that. He could be using this as a vacations. Since JE boys hardly ever get a break.
My last reason why Jin's concerts seem like a US career starter is, JE artists never perform in the US. Plain and simple, they never perform here. If I'm not mistaken no JE artist has ever performed on US soil. Not even Arashi, who would probably be the only JE artist to have a successful US tour. So why is Jin so special? It can't just be because his English is good. Because if that was the case where's Okamoto Keito's solo concerts? No, Jin is so special because not only can he speak English pretty well, but he would sell well in the US. I mean he copies Justin Timberlake so much that he already has a US vibe. Listen to Wonder his English singing is nearly accent free. If the lyrics were better I could see a song like this becoming popular in the US.

So anyone reading this post what do you think? Questions, comments? I can't be the only one over analyzing this. The only one who thinks his solo concerts are fishy and have an underline agenda. But either way I bet Jin is ecstatic. He probably jumps at any opportunity to be close to foreign chicks.

4 comments:

Laalaa said...

i read about this on last.fm yesterday (or the day before) , everyone is really mad at Jin for not joining KAT-TUN for at least half of the asian tour. :/
I see comments like "I'm so angry at him right now" and people starting to call them "KT-TUN" already, and it makes me sad.
I guess Jin going back to LA make people worried, that he might leave KAT-TUN :/ But thats not possible (?)

I personally think Jin would do well in US, i mean most of his solo songs like LOVEJUICE and A PAGE are english right? and he pronounces the words pretty well. and also, i wouldnt be very surprised if he plans on releasing a solo album, and singing them live first before the studio version comes out (it has been done by artists so many times.)

i agree with what you said at the end. He'll take any opportunity to get close to foreign chisck ^.^ ha ha

AimxAim said...

I'm not really mad at Jin for not being part of the KAT-TUN tour. More like I don't understand why he's not. Unless he's really doing this to set the ground work for a US album, there's no reason he can't do the second part of the tour. I guess I'm just a little taken aback by this whole situation.

But Jin seems to really dislike being in KAT-TUN. The only time he actually looks happy or entertaining during interviews is when he's alone. Or when they were about Bandage and his solo activites. Which mades him seem really ungrateful. :/

I think Jin doing something in the US is a real possibility. But even if he does, he most likely won't leave KAT-TUN. He'll probably do the same exact thing Tegomass did with their Swedish debut.

Right now Jin would do ok in the US. His songs could sale well, but his accent is a problem. During LoveJuice and A Page I can't understand what he's saying without reading the lyrics. The US would probably make fun of him cause of his accent. Especially since he's Asian and there's not that many Asian celebrities here. In all honesty, to be taken seriously in the US his accent has to be practically none existent.

Ha ha. :] He really will though. And apparently he'll settle for any chick if she's foreign. Did you see the ugly chicks he was with last time he was in LA? lol. XD

Laalaa said...

I'm not really mad at Jin either. It just makes me a bit sad. Really, KAT-TUN wouldn't be the same if Jin leaves, :( I bet if Jin left then the same thing would happen to KAT-TUN as what happened to the korean group 2PM :/ Loads of people turned their backs on the group, and supported the member who left.
(you live in the US don't you? so you might have heard something on the news about Jaebeom/Jay park? )
I would REALLY HATE IT if that happened to KAT-TUN.
I would remain a KAT-TUN fan, just like with 2PM.

GAHHH >.< I REALLY DON"T WANT TO THINK ABOUT JIN LEAVING. He won't leave, he won't leave, nothing is certain yet, so i wish people would stop saying Jin might leave. I would have never even thought about it if it werent for the people who keep saying it under comments of their vids and last.fm and everywhere else.
grrrrr.... Jin put your hair down and get a haircut!!
that was uncalled for...

I really don't like how Jin seems to dislike being with KAT-TUN :/ Did you see the KAT-TUN 2010 calendar pictures?
He really seemed to be very distant...
he looked like he didnt belong in KAT-TUN.
like he was just someone random who got in the pictures.
or like he just didnt want to be there :/

Yeah, Jin's accent really is quite bad, and i can't really understand what he sings either, but still...
well i guess you're right. People might really make fun of him. :/

I think Jin's debut in US would be a little different from Tegomass' swedish debut. because we can actually understand tegomass english songs XD XD XD jk
what i mean is, Jin's debut would be a bigger deal, because Jin has a bigger fanbase.
He's pretty popular here in Europe, and i'm guessing he's even more popular in the US ?

And lol, why does Jin like foreign chicks so much ? He doesn;t even care if they are ugly ? o.o wow XD

AimxAim said...

Yeah I heard about Jaebeom. But that won't happen to Jin. I really doubt Jin will ever leave KAT-TUN. He's way too popular to leave the group for good. JE would lose a lot of money so I doubt that will ever happen. Besides there's was even more Jaebeom outrage because he was basically fired.

There is a small possiblity that Jin might leave KAT-TUN though. But it's an extremely small possibility and hightly unlikely. So you pretty much have nothing to worry about. I'm convinved that if he does have some sort of career in the US he'll only be in the US half the time and Japan the rest. Kind of like Ryo being in both Kanjani8 and NEWS.

Yeah I saw the calendar pictures. Jin always does that though. He always seems like he doesn't want to be a part of KAT-TUN. But there are a few pictures where he looks happy. But I was more focused on Koki when I was looking at the pictures. lol <3

I can't understand Tegomass's or Jin's English. lol. XD Or Ryo's actually. Yamapi's English is kinda good though. But that's probably because it was all auto tuned. XD

I don't get what you mean by popular in the US? Do you mean with US fans? Because no Japanese music is popular in the US.

I don't know if he actually doesn't care what they look like, but it kinda seems like he doesn't. The Japanese celebrities he's linked to are usually really pretty. But the girl's he hung out with the last time he was in LA were really ugly. So I don't, it just seems like he'll settle. XD
As for why he likes them so much, I don't know. I guess he just does. Everyone has a type.