2019.09.05 - The time has come...
All things considered, I hope you’ll be okay... It’ll definitely take time but you’ll become okay.
Probably because I’ve liked you so much for such a long time I can’t help but draw/find the parallel incidents at our major life-changing events...
- 2004: Your debut with 8-nin NewS and Kanjani8 (I didn’t know you yet but still...)
- 2007: When NEWS came back (I’ve been following you ever since...)
By the way, thank you Kurosagi-Yamapi, you led me to Ryo, and then to K8, a group of people who have been giving me strength through laughter (until last year anyway, strictly speaking).
- 2011: A chapter in your life closed
- 2018 - 2019: Turbulent time period that has led to drastic life-changing decision(s)
- 2019 September: Another chapter in life - closed.
I’m the silent type who hates to draw (unwanted) attention to myself, so I avoid butting heads with people (especially online) but I’ve been thinking, after seeing all those deplorable posts online, since last year that people are just becoming too much in asking a lot from you and taking you for granted (more than ever, I mean) while giving none of the recognition that you more than deserve.
You’ve been running (more like desperately sprinting, anyway) ever since your debut with 9-nin NewS... you never really felt that you truly belonged to either group regardless of all your hard work (twice the groups, thrice the workloads and more than a quadruple of hate from those random entities), and even after you put your roots down things didn’t really change much...
Further, (I personally don’t have a good impression of them but) people whom you’ve mutual affection within the company drifted away and one of your last rocks (that you might not have noticed that he ‘was’) was gone, and another is on a shaky ground himself... and you thought you’d will through and hold the forts with all your might but things just became too much and you just don’t have the energy anymore after all these years (decades, more like) of non-stop sprinting...
Did I get these right? I think I did, partially, at the very least...
I said (after 8-Jida-J, I think?) that it’s time to get exposed to unfamiliar territories and grow as a person by conquering them, even if it’s bit by bit...
With your innate potential and immense experience, I do wish for you to be able to nurture and grow “in the right way” in whatever profession that you end up choosing.
I’d still love to see you act; I’d still love to listen to your songs/singing voice; if possible. Hence, I’ll still be a fan of yours for as long as you stay in the entertainment industry ‘AND for as long as I can still respect your work ethics.’
There’s a saying in my country (paraphrasing in English) — “If you don’t learn from your mistakes, you are a big-time idiot; if you learn from your mistakes, you are on the right track in life; however, you become truly wise if you know how to learn from other people’s mistakes.”
So, please, please, please, “BE WISE.”
You know better than anyone what you’re giving up, so please, just be wise so that you can successfully be free with your artistic endeavors.
Thank you very much for all these years; I’ll forever be grateful for the help that you’d unknowingly provided up to this point.
I wish for you to be free, finally; happy, truly happy; and be able to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
Dear K8, I guess I will still catch up with you guys like I currently do with Arashi (as in, as a casual fan for group TV shows) from time to time, for as long as the group exists.
For I’ve no interest whatsoever in other J&A groups or talents, this is the end of my chapter with Johnny’s. My only regret would be for not having been to a K8 concert, but then again, I’ll never regret giving my education/career a priority before anything else, so... ... ... Sayonara! It was a great, fun ride.
- 2019 October onwards: Life must go on...
My dearest Ryo-chan, let’s just keep fighting and conquering in each of our battles... I truly hope to run into you at least once in my lifetime so that I can convey my gratitude to you in person.
Let’s do better than our best until we meet then!!!
