6-SMAP and 5-SMAP

[yanie02]

This is my general impression of them.

6SMAP: Chummy, Fun, Emotional
5SMAP: Kakkoii, Kowai(scary), Individual

It just happen to cross my mind the difference between 6SMAP and 5SMAP.

Comments

[ladyxenax]

Actually KimuGoro hang out a lot in private in the 90s (from 93 to 96-97 I guess). In 94 Kimura took Goro with him when driving to Osaka and back (I think it was Osaka) so that Goro would keep him awake chatting. That year they also went to movie dates. And don't forget the story about KimuGoro and the driving liscence ))

In 95-96 they often drank together at each other's apartments that were within 10 minutes walking distance. Kimura's washing machine broke down and he used to wash his laudry at Goro's. Paparazzi once caught "a girl" leaving Kimura's apartment but that was Goro.

Later they kinda of grew apart from each other or it seemed so - both were too occupied with romances and Hiro-kun)) But still Kimura once said (during concert MC) that when he was looking at Goro who was swimming in the pool that he wanted to protect this person forever.

During Goro's arrest Kimura visited him in the hotel and showed him the baby girl. And later said during MC how Goro was precious to him (though I kinda doubt in this quote as there was no exact source).

They dont look so close like ShinTsuyo because they are completely different from those two in terms of emotional openneess and sentimentality. Both of them are not sentimental at all and kinda "dry". And completely fine without talking and keeping distance from each other so that later they could chat away about everything. So that's how I see their relationship.

[yanie02]

Thank you for your additional info on KimuGoro, I think i really lack knowledge on their stories and I didn't dig much. Can you tell me the license story?

So you think KimuGoro was even closer in 6smap era compared to 5smap era?

[ladyxenax]

It was during a SmaSma ending talk (can't remember the year but it was November broadcast) a letter for Kimura from a certain member was read and he needed to guess from whom it was. And he guessed correctly that it was from Goro. It was Goro whom Kimura first took out for a drive after getting the driving liscence, they drank canned coffee in the car ("like adults") and then Goro went to Kimura's apartment.

I can't say for sure if they were closer during 6nin era because I lack information about their private stories from the years of 2004-2009 (due to my poor Japanese). I think that they definetely were VERY close to the point of intimate friendship during 93-96 and then for 2 or 3 years grew apart for some reason. Fans even speculated about "TakuGoro ice age" between them. And after Kimura's wedding and Goro's hiatus they suddenly became close again but mostly stopped visiting each other places. Though Goro've been to Kimura's house in Meguro several times (once or twice for sure)

Later they hang out in private during concert tours and started going to play golf together in 2010-11 I think. I have some speculations about their relationship now. If you're interested I can talk a bit more.

And back to the early years. In 1993-94 KimuGoro often bought similar clothes and sometimes looked like twins of sorts (like in Sexy Sexy documentary). And around that time Johnny-san scolded Kimura for associating with Goro so much and giving him the bad example.

So I'm afraid I haven't answered your question but what I think is that the changes in KimuGoro relationship didn't happen due to Mori's leaving. There were other reasons and one can only wonder what exactly was going on in their heads at that time.

[yanie02]

Well... if the ice age happened around 98-99 then no doubt its because of Goro and Hiro-kun's encounter! XD lol j/k Wow I didn't know Johnny scolded Takuya for giving bad influence to Goro... maybe its true that Goro was Johnny and Mary's favorite kid XD

Yes, pls let me know about your speculations!

But I bet nothing really significant happened during their "apart period" sometimes any friendship needs a period when they leave each other alone. Even ShinTsuyo said they rarely spend time in private in the last couple of years, in last year's Shuffle Bistro. Oh wait... they did say the reason was because Tsuyoshi stopped drinking since 2009, so they never meet up and drink together anymore since then.

[ladyxenax]

As for "98-99 ice age" I don't know if it really took place or maybe they both just spent more time with their women. Though I wonder why it didn't happen before - Kimura was supposed to be madly in love with Kaorin and Goro dated Hosho Mai or somebody else at that time. Why didn't they spend more time with their respective girlfrends at that time? But anyway "98-99 ice age" might've had nothing to do with Miho and Shizuka.

About ShinTsuyo. Yes Shingo told that after the drinking incident they stopped going together in private. But I think he meant "just the two" of them. Because they went out together with Goro. And the time when Shingo went to Korea on his birthday where Tsuyopon had butai, was it in 2013.

I'll elaborate more on KimuGoro in the next comment

[ladyxenax]

I'll try to summarize my thoughts as follows:

1) one can't help but notice the difference between the past Kimura and the present. Kimura used to be more talkative and open, at least before 99-00, later he gradually began to shut himself for various reasons. To protect himself and family, to be accepted more like an adult and manly man. Goro, on the contrary, became much more open with the age but one may wonder what was the reason for that change from the privacy freak he used to be to the man who jokes openly about his close friends and pretends being gay with them. As much as he used to pretend being gay with Kimura. They both changed so much as persons (esp Goro) and of course their relationship changed as well but... did they really?

2) in the past many Kimura fans used to hate Goro. They hated Goro as much as they used to hate Shizuka. There was an incindent (don't know if it's true of course) when a fan broke Goro's uchiwa (or maybe it was a poster or something) right before Kimura when he was driving his car slowly because of the crowd. I've read about it and other similar cases on Chinese forums though it seems like in the Japanese SMAP fandom things like that are rarely discussed. - That's why I sometimes wonder what if Kimura treats Goro similar to his family and rarely speaks about their closeness now just because he doesn't want to disclose his private affairs.

3) On the other hand, now Goro is very careful around Kimura. A lot more careful than he used to be. Careful as in "doesn't want to burden him with anything" and "doesn't want to be a bother and nuisance". Careful to the point he rarely mail first or will not invite Kimura knowing that it would be too tiresome for him. That's why perhaps Kimura stopped going to Goro's butais - Goro simply stopped inviting him while the others (Sanma, Shingo etc) always beg Kimura to come no matter what and Kimura can't resist them. But Goro knows perfectly well everything about Kimura likes and dislikes. And knowing that Kimura is ready to do lots of things for Goro's sake, Goro himself doesn't want that. (of course everything is just my speculation)

4) Nervous vs silent. When Goro is nervous, he always talks a lot. He's that way with women and he's that way with Kimura and people whom he likes a lot but still feels nervous. When he's with Kimura he tries to appeal and show off = attitude similar to Goro's behaviour towards woman. When Goro is with Hiro-kun or Tsuyoupon, he's not "doki-doki" at all and that's why he stays silent.
On the other hand, Kimura is a total opposite (similar to Tsuyopon in this case). Kimura talks a lot with people with whom he doesn't get all "doki-doki" and with the people he really likes he tends to be silent and always embarrassed. And sometimes behaves lika a brat.

As a conclusion of sorts. KimuGoro now are more nervous and careful around each other than they used to be. And it seems like Goro now looks after Kimura even more than in the past. While Kimura keeps silent about a lot of things, including Goro.

[yanie02]

That's why I sometimes wonder what if Kimura treats Goro similar to his family and rarely speaks about their closeness now just because he doesn't want to disclose his private affairs.

This is the same issue I feel for all of them. I think SMAP members purposely rarely tells stories about their meetings in private, and maybe it wasn't since Mori's leave, but probably since 2004-2005. Tsurube-san talked about Matsumoto Hitoshi, Tamori and also Shingo visiting Nakai's father in the hospital and talked about the photography album Shingo specially made for Nakai's father. Nakai talked a load about Matsumoto and Tamori visiting, but he didn't talk a word about Shingo visiting and his album present for his father. I also thought that Nakai consider Shingo as a family so Shingo's not categorized as the 'geinoujin' coming to visit his father.

Just like what you said. ShinTsuyo generalized it as "never meeting in private" for years since 2009, but I'm not sure if they forgot about their Korean trip and Paripia trio's Fukuoka meal or left them out in purpose.

I'm suspecting they are meeting Mori often too, but they just don't talk about it. When Takuya told the fans Mori just visited them in backstage during the 2010 tour, the other members were like "errr.... I thought we're not suppose to talk about it?"

I think it is possible that KimuGoro still meet in private often but they just never talk about it in public.

Maybe I'm just thinking too much, but sometimes I feel they feel insecure about letting the public know about their true private relationship with each other and they feel a lot more comfortable to tell the world that they don't have each other's numbers, they never meet each other in private and that they are on bad terms.

Careful to the point he rarely mail first or will not invite Kimura knowing that it would be too tiresome for him.

Yeah, I was wondering when Goro said "I was gonna send you the picture, but i thought it might bother you" I'm glad Takuya said "Its not a bother for me"

Also Goro seems to feel bad about taking pictures of the meals now during Bistro filming whenever he is paired with Takuya or Shingo. I wish Takuya never mention that it irritated him a bit. Or maybe I wish Goro doesn't mind what Takuya said. I'm sure Takuya didn't mind at all and just wanted to make it a topic for the show. Seems like Goro doesn't want to trouble anyone at all. Even Shingo. I wonder why? You're right about watching butai. I don't think Goro invite any SMAP member and that's why Shingo is not coming this time. I don't think he invited Tsuyoshi too, but Tsuyoshi came just because he never misses Goro's butai.

[ladyxenax]

Yes, I'm also sure that all of them hide a lot about their true feelings and relationships. If they're ok with it and find such secrets necessary then we just need to accept it as well.

And funny how this idea about "being careful not to hurt" shows that they are still so Japanese in their mentality and that's great I think