Jin Akanishi dropped from drama

Johnny’s talent Jin Akanishi had been cast as the lead for a drama scheduled to start in July but has been dropped, it was revealed on April 14, reports Nikkan Sports.

It has been reported Akanishi’s agency Johnny’s & Associates had asked producers to drop him, and it is another punishment for the talent’s sudden marriage to Meisa Kuroki. It is another blow to the talent, who has already had his national tour cancelled.

The drama in question is a remake of the highly-popular “GTO” series, a live action drama made in 1998 based on the popular manga series about an ex-gang member who becomes a high school teacher. Akanishi had been cast as the lead character before he and Kuroki announced they had gotten married on February 2.

It has been reported Johnny’s had talked to the drama’s producers at Kansai TV early last month, and after some discussions between the two parties they had made their final decision by the end of March. When Nikkan Sports reporters went to ask for an interview, a Kansai TV representative had said they had nothing to comment about, neither denying or confirming the news. However, it has been reported a source within the TV company had said the report was true.

“I had heard Akanishi-san was one of the leading candidates for the role, but it’s been made quite clear he’s out of the picture now,” the source said.

“GTO” would have been Akanishi’s first leading drama role since “Yukan Club” five years ago. It has been reported the TV company is moving ahead with production, and have already started auditioning actors to play school students.

Now, Akanishi’s schedule for the near future is blank. For the 27-year-old talent who said he left KAT-TUN because he hated how his own ambitions were causing the others trouble, this could be his toughest lesson yet.

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Jin Akanishi’s Japan tour cancelled as penalty for marrying without telling agency

No national tour, paying fines out of his own pocket, and no jobs for the time being is the price Jin Akanishi has to pay for getting married without permission, it was announced on March 24, reports Sports Hochi and Nikkan Sports.

“I understand that as a working adult I have acted irresponsibly. I deeply apologise to my fans and the people I work with for all of the trouble I have caused,” Akanishi said in a written statement.

It has been reported Akanishi had married actress Meisa Kuroki in February, only telling his agency about it afterwards. Johnny’s however, were not impressed. The agency’s president Johnny Kitagawa had previously told reporters he had found out about the marriage on the news, and although getting married was a great thing, he said Akanishi should have thought twice about the consequences the news would have on his and Kuroki’s career.

As a penalty, his Japan tour which was supposed to go around Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Fukuoka has been cancelled. Any fines, such as for canceling concert venue bookings, will be paid out of Akanishi’s own pockets. While the talent will not have to refund fans for their tickets since they have not gone on sale, arena concert venues typically charge one to two-million yen for canceling a booking. In a worst case scenario, Akanishi would need to pay tens-of-millions-of-yen. It has been reported the talent has also had some drama roles offered to him, including a role in the upcoming remake of “GTO” planned for July, but the agency has not accepted anything yet, emphasizing the talent’s schedule remains. The penalty given to him reflects the trouble caused to Kuroki’s agency, their sponsors, and his own agency. “Johnny’s & Associates talent Jin Akanishi admits the press reports from February 9 are true and that he married on Feburary 2. Akanishi has sent a fax to those who are concerned explaining the situation,” a representative from Johnny’s said.

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