Ikuta Toma

[Aoi Kurenai]

So what's this guy's story? I've read around a bit about him and people keep mentioning that he's gone through a lot of hardships in his career and such and I can't seem to find anyone that actually explains what. I also found out that he can sing pretty good, saw a lot of those videos of him on YouTube, but I can't actually find a single or album of his.

 

[kitkat00]

Oooh Toma, I can tell you about him

Toma joined Johnny's Jimusho in early 1996 when he was 11, before that he was acutally on another show with Wentz Eiji but I don't know much about that... Anyway he was pretty popular right off and I think in 97 he was put in a play and a group with Matsumoto Jun, Aiba Masaki and Ninomiya Kazunari (all from Arashi who debuted in 99). Then after that he was put with Yamashita Tomohisa a lot and they would host shows and preform together. People talk about his hardships because basically he's been passed over for debut twice with Arashi and with NEWS. Also he doesn't show up on any Johnny's shows on TV any more, the last time he was on the juniors show was Christmas 2005. That's why you'll never find any CDs by him, because he hasn't debuted but you'll find many preformances from when he was younger. Like here, here and here (jshkd cover your ears :laugh: )

 

[Someru Tsuki]

I asked my friends who are into Johnny's a while ago, and they all say it's mostly Toma's newest (eg: HanaKimi) fangirls that greatly exaggerate his "hardships". He's basically a Junior that never got debuted when he was the right age and now is too old for it so he'll never be in a boyband - but that's the same story of about a million other Juniors, and older JE fans have resignated to his fate a long time ago. New fans who don't know how JE works read his bio, find out he was once in those temporary bands with some Johnny's who are all famous and popular now and go "oh poor baby he could have debuted with NewS or Arashi or whatever but never did cry cry weep weep", as if the same thing hasn't happened with literally dozens of other Juniors who didn't get picked up either every time a band got debuted.

Now, I'm not into JE at all so I'm no authority to speak, but I think debuted or not, Ikuta's fine. If he was half as broken-hearted about the whole thing as fangirls make it sound, he'd have left JE by now. Kawano Naoki (Gekiranger's Long) and Nakamura Yuichi (Den-O's Zeronos) were Johnny's Juniors once and left when they noticed there was no future there for them, Ikuta could've left too if he was truly unhappy with his management. If he never left despite the disappointment of not getting debuted with his friends way back in the day, it's because he's comfortable there. And how wouldn't he be - he doesn't have the perks of being in a boyband, but he still gets great roles in great series just for being a JE boy, appears in every JE-oriented magazine all the time, gets money from advertising and ****... the kid's doing alright.

 

[kitkat00]

That's true there are tons of other juniors who never debut or never even get a chance, normally junior groups are broken up all the time people debut and people don't, it's what happens. I think that people just feel as if Toma got especially screwed over since Toma and Yamashita had been put together for many years, all the time, until all of a sudden NEWS when clearly Toma is a much better entertainer than YamaPi (or actually anyone in NEWS). But I think if people look at it, it was pretty clear that the 4TOPS (the group he was in with Yamashita and two other juniors) was not going to debut because of their name and because I don't think they were all that popular, outside of Yamashita.

I doubt Toma's sitting at home crying about it and he is a lot better off than other juniors around his age. But his situation is a bit different from Nakamura's in that he was very popular at one point in juniors and if you watch old junior shows, the main people in those shows are bunch of guys who are debuted now and Toma (well ok an one other who was popular and left) so sometimes it seems odd. His new fans probably are crazy, I wouldn't know I don't pay attention to that but people like being dramatic, every Johnny's fan likes to think that their group is soooooooo special and suffered sooooooo much.

 

[Ladymercury]

Toma's newest (eg: HanaKimi) fangirls that greatly exaggerate his "hardships".

I hate them.

That's all I have to say in this thread.

But there's been rumors of a debut .... Sooner or later. He'll probably debut as an actor, not all Johnny's have to be singers. Or whatever. Its just a talent agency.

 

[kitkat00]

But there's been rumors of a debut .... Sooner or later. He'll probably debut as an actor, not all Johnny's have to be singers. Or whatever. Its just a talent agency.

That's true, I even read that there was an article about him saying how he could be a model for new Johnnys who do not need to make a CD debut to be sucessful. People are just too used to the way it has been for years, there's never been someone from Johnny's who's been very sucessful without a CD debut which is why people are so obsessed with it.

Gah I'm sorry, I've been posting way too much, I've never even seen Toma in a drama or anything :sweat: I'm just interested in Johnnys... Anyway there's a rumor that Toma is going to be in a drama this winter with Kame :sick: And also a rumor that he's going to have a guest spot in Yukan Club (a drama running this season which kind of sucks but has Yokoyama You in it and nothing with him in it can suck), I hope that one's true.

 

[Ladymercury]

I don't know, Yukan Club seems okay but I hate Jin so I gotta stay away from it.

Either way, Toma debuting or not isn't a big deal for me. Toma is Toma and he's doing his own thing. He doesn't have to debut in an agency to finally make it -- Besides, he can always leave Johnny's.

... Though, those who leave never make it out too well.

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

That does seem kinda depressing actually, but not as much as the fangirls made it out to be. It definitely sucks that he's been passed over though, the guy has some real talent and it seems funny that guys like those two members of NEWS that drank more or less just squandered everything they had and (in my eyes) didn't really deserve a spot on that band. But at least Hana Kimi has earned him more fans, I can only hope his career goes to some better places now, he's one of my favorite actors out there right now.

 

[Ladymercury]

He shall always be Box-kun in my heart. Though, like I said, I don't care if he debuts or not. He's getting the work and that's all that counts.

 

[Inui Takumi]

Toma is a very talented actor and he really doesnt have anything to worry about. Ive only seen him in A@DEEP and Hana Kimi, but he does have talent, i can defintely say that. Im sure he aint worried about being debuted or not, he seems to be doing fine. and like Ryoutaro said, he is one of my favorite actors right now.