to the most fabulous of them all
A significant portion of the people in Arashi fandom were baited by a certain drama known as Hana Yori Dango - yours truly included. And while it was not Domyouji Tsukasa that won me over at the time, it was this drama that led me to the land of rainbows, sparkles and failboats. The credit, of course, can only go to one man:
Matsufab.
To be brutally honest, at first I didn't know what people saw in Jun; all I knew was that he was very popular and pretty much skyrocketed Arashi to the heights they are at now. But I thought there had to be something about him that made it worthwhile, so I stuck around and gave him a chance. And really, I think I'm glad I did.
Jun has a very interesting aura around him. His popularity makes him seem very distant and he sometimes gives off a very commanding feel (which may be a result of his DoS-ness), but take him off the stage and in a variety show and he's dorking it off with the rest of the group in a way that people wouldn't normally think is possible, just because he's so popular and seems above all the silly things they do. And yet, this is where I love him best; the fact that Jun can do these sorts of things makes him very endearing, and I love my idols dorky. This is why I think Arashi has survived and become very strong as a group - each of its members remembers the others and how critical they are to each other. (It's also why I kind of mourn the loss of AnS, but that's another story altogether.)
Aside from really sticking with the group, Jun comes up with cool ideas. When I first learned that he was the innovator of the moving stages, I really started to admire the thought he puts into Arashi's concerts. The fact that he would watch the concert footage to constantly better himself is crazy in itself, but it just shows how dedicated he is to his work and to his audience. He works hard at what he does, and even though he's not the best at it, he knows and has improved over the years. Others in his position would rest on their laurels of popularity, but not him.
And lastly, he can fail on his own terms too. The cracks in his DoS persona are absolutely hilarious (such as the scene from where I get the cap - marvelous indeed!). And he makes it a point to get along with everyone.
Happy birthday, Jun! May you love Arashi as you always do. :)