Written exclusively for Tokyohive by K. Lee

On October 4, Tokyohive was honored to cover (in-person!) the latest entry in the long-running SHONENTACHI live theater series SHONENTACHI 2023: Through The Darkness. First produced in 1969, SHONENTACHI (literally, “the youths”) is one of the most beloved original stage shows from The-Company-Formerly-Known-as-Johnny’s.

For decades, the more-or-less annual production of SHONENTACHI has been helmed by many incredible groups, including but not limited to Kis-My-Ft2, A.B.C-Z, and Johnny's WEST, as well as SixTONES and Snow Man who–along with a few pre-debut members of Naniwa Danshi and many notable Kansai Juniors–lead a feature film version in 2019. Following said groups’ debut, Junior acts HiHi Jets and Bishonen took on the lead roles in 2021, with this year being the latter’s first solo headlining run (albeit supported by a host of additional Junior talent).

SHONENTACHI is the story of a group of teenagers in a juvenile detention center dominated by an egomaniacal maniac whose primary goal is to ensure that these boys lose every last shred of hope they possess. They will leave his care as men void of any kind of light or happiness.

The story is set in an indeterminate present/future, after a war has wiped out much of Japan’s population and those who did survive must learn how to live again. It’s a dark and dismal time for everyone, especially the boys in the detention center around whom the story takes place. Overcome with emotions (mostly anger), the only thing they seem to enjoy is fighting with one another. Eventually, they do come to realize that they’re on the same side and unite to break out.

As the lights started to dim for the opening, I could see some of the Juniors had already taken their spot on the sage surrounding a swing. It would become an important figure of the story - especially in regard to the main character, named and played by Taisho Iwasaki. As the music started, some of the Juniors, who had been sitting among the audience, stood, and joined their peers for the opening song before eventually taking their own places on the stage.

Even as familiar as I am with the agency’s artists and the unwavering dedication these guys have toward their craft, it never ceases to amaze me just how hard they work. Especially Bishonen; even for seasoned performers, this is a difficult piece vocally, and when you add in the intensity of the dance elements it’s nothing sort of awe-inspiring. Their passion and love for what they are doing as artists shone through in every note!

A truly tracing story, where even the youngest of the casts are subject to death on stage, not every moment in SHONENTACHI is dark, dank, and dreary. During the almost two hours run time, we were able to enjoy a truly spectacular work that is very reminiscent of Broadway classics like West Side Story and Chicago, featuring impressive dance numbers, moving songs and even well-choreographed stage fights between the different sides represented by the colors red and blue. And it’s all done while the actors are also giving their all vocally.

As the leads, Bishonen did carry the breadth of the show on their shoulders, but the intensity of such only added to their performances. Ryuga Sato was all attitude, with the swagger of a leading man. On the surface, his character is the alpha male, strong and defiant, but deep down, all he wants is affection and understanding. Naoki Fujii was all heart. His emotional performance pulled at the heartstrings and left me thankful I had an unused handkerchief in my pocket. Issei Kanasashi walked the line of sensual dance and comedic styling his on-stage persona with laser point precision. Undeniably handsome, Hidaka Ukisho was a high point, even during the most tearful scenes. And as the lead Taisho Iwasaki was nothing short of spectacular. Despite being the most distinct from his actual personality playing a trauma-regressed victim of shellshock, he was funny, tender, and strong throughout, making his final climatic moment (no spoilers, I promise!) all the more impactful. Anyone who is lucky enough to see SHONENTACHI won’t soon forget it.

One of the special treats of this year’s performance was it being choreographed and directed by none other than Hikaru Iwamoto, the leader of one of the company’s biggest groups: Snow Man, who once starred in the project himself both on stage and in the 2019 feature film release. A constant figure of support to his Juniors, you could see how proud he was of their performance. Without a doubt, Iwamoto put all his love and effort into making this new production a success for fans.

In short, it was one of the most enjoyable theatrical experiences I have had in a long time. I look forward to seeing where all these talented young actors go - and I very much hope to see Iwamoto take the reins of more productions. He’s a natural!

But of course no showing of SHONENTACHI would be complete without the completely unrelated (yet spectacular) Show Time portion at the very end, featuring a medley of performances from all the main cast and an exclusive first showing of Bishonen’s newest original song Flicky (pronounced like “freaky,” unless my ears were totally off). The song is a super-hot dance number that not only shows off Bishonen’s adult charms but Hikaru Iwamoto’s as the performance’s choreographer. Here’s to hoping they’ll get the chance to show it off to even more fans soon, but in the meantime I’ll close with another recent performance from their Secret Guest appearance at the Tokyo Girls Collection spectacular!