Written exclusively for Tokyohive by Kat Gruss

The fan call reverberates throughout the hall, nearly two thousand fan voices joining as one to call their beloved idols onto the stage. For several years their voices have been trapped within them, a sound barely above a whisper allowed, and this is the first time since the pandemic began where their idols can hear them call out for them to appear.

The lights go dark, but as the fans climb to their feet, no pounding bass line or music greets them, the signal that the concert is about to begin. Instead it’s a chant coming through the speakers, the group name, 4U. (ふぉ~ゆ~), that is repeated over and over to which the fans quickly latch onto.

The fans' voices continue to call out as, behind the curtain hanging heavy over the stage, 4U. appears holding onto instruments and waving at the audience as if the group is performing at a rock concert. 3, 2, 1, the curtain drops as the first song of the show begins, and the audience bursts out into pure joyous laughter that fills the hall as 4U. performs their first song with instruments made of cardboard.

This kind of scene is not uncommon at a 4U. show, a wonderful mix of song, dance, acting, talking and comedy that shows the wonderful bonds the four members have built over their long careers in the Japanese entertainment industry. 4U. consists of members Yuta Fukuda, Yudai Tatsumi, Yuki Koshioka, and Yusuke Matsuzaki.

"Even though the kanjis are different, we have this sort of destiny of being united due to the fact that each of us has the word ‘Yu’ in our first names, and we were born in the same year,” Tatsumi said. “This is something that really brings us together to stand out amongst the crowd.”

4U. came up through various different units before they joined together as a group and were given the name 4U. They established their identity and honed their craft over the twelve years they’ve spent together. Whether it’s a concert or stage performance, it’s hard not to miss the energy and passion they exhibit. Being able to engage with their audience is something that is incredibly special to them, and they want more people to be able to experience their shows.

Like many of the groups within the company, 4U. have built unbreakable bonds with their fans, and you can feel the reciprocal adoration at every show. 4U. send their love into the crowd only for that same affection to be returned tenfold back to them on stage. It is a cycle of love that makes you only want to support 4U. for as long as you can.

But it’s not only the fans that have a special bond with 4U. They have also built great relationships with everyone within the company as well.

“A lot of the other stars and actors and artists have given us a lot of positive feedback on the kind of things that we do,” Fukuda said. “It’s something that we really want to take to heart and be able to build on, and it’s what we want to show off to people who have experienced us in the past and want to know what we’re doing now or brand new people who want to come in and experience what we have to offer.”

One of those things is comedy and, despite dance performance being their main weapon as a quartet, is something that 4U. have been honing since their formation as a group. In a company like theirs, it’s very easy for one person to get highlighted more than another because of different works or fan sentiments. 4U. chose to find something that would allow them to grow together in a symbiotic footing. To achieve that, they chose to focus on things that required a back and forth aspect, so no one person would be overly highlighted.

The person that helped in achieving that goal was Matsuzaki, who became the funny boy and gave the rest of the group the ability to tease him. The back and forth nature of that arrangement allowed them to build up their comedic style and routine over the years. As they continued to grow and evolve, 4U. slowly incorporated more stage elements, such as reacting to small mishaps that occur in live shows, that bonded them together.

“The reactive element of something that happens live is a big part of what our training has been and it’s something that we really like as well,” Tatsumi said. “Experience plus enjoyment has been important to our development of how we express ourselves in our own shows.”

One of the ways that 4U. can express themselves and spread joy is through their newest song, CALL & RESPONSE 4U. Introduced at their latest tour, Happy 4U. Hour, CALL & RESPONSE 4U. is an eight minute long masterpiece created by Hyadain that features plenty of interactions between 4U. and their fans.

“It's not the kind of song that can be played on TV shows or anything,” Koshioka said. “It’s definitely the kind of song that’s made for a live show where we can draw it out.”

CALL & RESPONSE 4U. feels as though it were a love letter between 4U. and their fans, though not in the traditional sense. It is the chance for 4U. and the fans to call out to each other, creating a dialogue between them by shouting ‘4’ and ‘U’ in a back and forth. There’s a transference of energy between each side that only builds as the song progresses.

But this song is more than a simple call and response with song and dance peppered throughout. Each member of 4U. takes control of a portion of the song, requesting different gestures or movements they want the audience to copy. Whether it’s jumping up and down or wiggling your hips or anything 4U. comes up with, it’s hard not to laugh and enjoy yourself during this portion of the song. The absolute joy on 4U.’s faces is infectious.

Somehow in all of the chaos and laughter, the call and response the audience has been engaging in changed. Instead of shouting ‘4’ at the audience, 4U. have begun shouting ‘U,’ and the fans shout ‘4.’ The group slowly comes to the realization their call has become ‘U4,’ and a UFO appears on screen, capturing 4U. in its energy beam. The only way to save the group is to shout 4U.’s name loudly, the alien captors asking the fans to shout louder and louder until 4U. eventually break free to continue the song. The performance ends with them hanging cardboard cutouts of their keychain goods and pretending as if they are the ones flying through the air.

CALL & RESPONSE 4U. is not a traditional song from an idol group, but it’s the kind of wonderful song that allows 4U.’s personalities to shine brightly from start to finish. It’s also a chance for them to slip in their specific brand of humor that is loved by their fans.

Perhaps the most beloved part of a 4U. concert is their MC, a time for fans to be able to rest their feet and listen to what 4U. wants to talk about. 4U. takes a different approach to their MCs, bringing out various props to set the scene of where they’ll be talking. Whether it’s camping equipment or bringing out a large bathtub in previous tours or this year’s sauna set up, the sky's the limit because the MC is incredibly important to 4U.

“The MC is so important to us that it’s the first thing we flesh out when developing our shows,” Koshioka said. “Instead of setlists or anything like that, we’ll start with the MC, figure out what we want to do there, and then build the rest of the show around it. That’s how important it is to us.”

By creating a scene on stage, it gives 4U. something to talk about, a conversation piece. For example the sauna used in this year’s tour gives them a basis to create interesting conversations around. Whether it’s Matsuzaki picking up a ‘coal’ because it dropped or Fukuda pointing out the water bucket didn’t hold any water in it, they’re small moments they can use to connect one conversation topic to another. These objects on stage help make each show unique and special while also being able to embrace the random happenings on stage that occur.

One of 4U.’s heavy influences for how they inspire themselves has been KinKi Kids. The two members have a habit of talking for forever during their own MC time with no one stepping in to stop them. When 4U. participated in KinKi Kids’ shows, they enjoyed them thoroughly.

“Being able to just listen and hear how they’re able to kind of play off of each other and keep others engaged and interested despite that length of time is something that we’ve taken to heart and tried to incorporate the best that we can in our own routines and what we prepare for our shows,” Tatsumi said.

That heart and passion that 4U. put into their shows is something that is visible from start to finish. Whether it’s singing, dancing, comedy or interesting conversation, concerts like Happy 4U. Hour have something for everyone to enjoy. Having so many different facets to their shows makes it easy for each member of the audience to find something to latch onto and enjoy.

From the creation of the MC to finalizing the setlist, 4U. find ways to make each part of their show shine. They work together to be able to develop their ideas to make a lasting impression on all of those that come to their shows. Whether they’re crooning their original song Velvet Touch or dancing along to King & Prince’s hit single Naughty Girl, 4U. know how to put together a setlist to send their audience on a journey from the very beginning to the end.

This time around for Happy 4U. Hour, 4U. changed things up compared to concerts they have done in the past. They wanted to build a concert that was completely different from the expectation of those who have known them up until this point. It was a betrayal to their fans who have come to know their performance style over the years, but a betrayal in a good way. This show allowed 4U. to open up and show there are more sides to them that the fans knew existed.

Past concerts had well-loved corners, such as DJ ZAKI, Matsuzaki’s DJ name, where he would rapidly perform popular songs from various artists within the company. Fans would change their penlight color to the one requested by the members as the remaining three sang. DJ ZAKI was not performed at the show. Instead there was a large portion of the concert dedicated to the members of 4U. producing solos for another member. The audience watched videos as each producer described their concept before launching into each memorable number.

During their shows, 4U.’s setlists are an amalgamation of beloved songs of their seniors, their juniors, as well as their adored original songs, and they are always searching for the next song to cover.

“If there’s particular songs you want us to cover in the future, please leave a comment and let us know,” Fukuda said.

Whether they’re on the stage or off, the bonds that 4U. share together is prevalent in everything that they do, for it does take a lot of trust to put your solo song in the hands of another member. Not only that, but the way that they work together in their variety of shows highlights how well they bounce off of each other. It is like the four of them are in total sync with each other.

This type of bond can be seen in their show ENTA but can occur in other performances as well. During this particular show, there is often a skit corner that allows 4U. to slip into different characters and tell an interesting story to their audience. Whether it’s a wig that comes flying off or a dress that was buttoned incorrectly, there are little moments where 4U. can make jokes or come together to assist their fellow members in perfect harmony.

The way that 4U. has built this bond together is by spending a lot of time together, going out and drinking, but there is another way they’ve continued to build their bond over the years.

“One thing we’ve been doing for over ten years is that the first time that we meet for the day and when we leave for the day, we have to touch fists to create a physical bonding element,” Koshioka said. “No matter if we’ve had a good day, a bad day, if we’ve gotten into an argument or whatever, it doesn’t matter. That element locks in the love that we have for each other as brothers in arms.”

The stage goes dark for a moment as 4U. leaves the stage, the last solo song performed to a roaring applause. A backing beat bumps through the speakers as spotlights shoot out into the crowd, blanketing the audience in a brilliance of light for only a moment before the pattern changes.

As quickly as they left, 4U. return on stage to perform a mashup of some of their original songs. The familiar beat of Scandalous takes over the speakers as they sing and dance the choreography. Fiery flames are shot through the air as they sing the familiar chorus of haunted house, a perfect complement to the spooky themed tour logo from this tour, before they switch over and groove along to a bit of Jellyfish’s dance.

The spotlights hit 4U. as they launch into a full performance of their song S.O.D.A., whose lyrics were penned by their very own Tatsumi Yudai. The song and dance are utterly catchy, making you wish you could pause the live performance and rewatch it over and over again. At the highest point, the backing track falls away, leaving only the sound of soda being poured as the choreography mimics the movement. Wrapping up the main portion of the concert, 4U. slide into their rock anthem, Rock the Show, that has the whole audience wanting more and more from them.

Much like their fans, 4U. have their own dreams and ambitions, especially regarding going overseas. In their own private time, they would like to travel and see the world. Fukuda wishes to go to Italy to see a country that has always inspired him. Koshioka, who has traveled abroad for work but hasn’t had the chance to go abroad in his free time, dreams of going to Hawaii to relax at a nice resort there. Meanwhile, Tatsumi, as a big connoisseur of vintage fashion, wants to go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Los Angeles to check out what the well-known market has to offer. But one member has held onto his overseas travel dream for quite some time.

“I want to go to Holland because I remember when I was in elementary school there was a textbook that had some kind of reference to the fact that there was really good cheese in Holland,” Matsuzaki said. “That image has stuck with me ever since, so I really, really want to go to Holland to eat this delicious cheese that I’ve been thinking about my whole life.”

4U.’s dreams of seeing the world don’t stop at just their own personal dreams and ambitions for travel. They have goals of being able to perform abroad to international audiences.

“That’s why I’ve been studying English for five or six years,” Tatsumi responded in English.

There’s no particular place 4U. wants to perform at. Whether it’s at the Super Bowl in a versus concert against Bruno Mars or performing inside of the Grand Canyon, their ambitions are as high as the moon for their dreams, but they also have smaller dreams they would love to accomplish one day. 4U. would love to perform in countries that don’t get thought about a lot, such as India which has a lot of interest in Japanese pop culture. They also would love to perform at a festival or small intimate settings as a brand new experience for them.

No matter the path that they take to make these dreams a reality, 4U are positioning themselves so that, over time, they can become national idols.

“One thing we are focused on, in terms of building ourselves, is not around one major impactful thing that launches us but rather a slow build,” Tatsumi said. “You sort of wake up one day and realize how big we’ve gotten simply because it’s been more of a slow boil rather than something that is large and impactful. Because of that, we want to continue to grow, continue to build not just across Japan but also internationally.”

4U.’s goals are lofty, but they can most certainly be accomplished with their fans supporting them. The mutual support 4U. and their fans have, have the ability to move even the greatest of obstacles from their path. When things look bleak, 4U. have their magic word to lift everyone’s spirits.

“Tukkuttsutu.”

This word does not have a meaning, not even in Japanese. It’s a gag that Matsuzaki does on numerous platforms. Stages, concerts, radio shows or even talking to fans on Line ZOOM, this magic word of his has the ability to impart a sense of good feeling to anyone listening. It imparts a sense of 4U.’s personality to the listener and gets to the heart of what they do every single day: make people happy. One day, they hope to be able to do a show wherever you live and give that very happiness to you.

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Twinkling star lights dot the air as the final song, Wagamama (わがまま), comes to a close. Wagamama is a sweet and refreshing song whose performance was filled with its original choreography and waving to all of the fans that had come to watch them. The instrumental music of the song continues as 4U. address their audience, shouting their thanks to everyone that attended.

Cheers and clapping erupt from the hall as 4U. slowly make their way off stage, not missing a single moment to utter their thanks and wave at all of their adoring fans. Their attention is always focused on the people in front of them who support them through the ups and downs, the twists and turns, and anything life throws in their way.

The bonds that 4U. have with their fans are unbreakable as well as the bonds they have with each other. Day by day, step by step, they continue to forge these connections to make them indestructible as they walk towards their future. After all, as long as 4U. are together, they can do anything.

Check out their live performance as surprise Secret Guests at the GirlsAward 2023 AUTUMN/WINTER!

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