Expecting Jin to mention KAT-TUN all the time is a bit too much. Should I expect KAT-TUN to still mention Jin in every single interview too? No one’s complaining about the latter. As usual, double standards.

Shouldn’t we at least take the occasion into consideration? It’s a live chat meant to celebrate his US debut. Bringing up KAT-TUN (or god forbid, Akame) is completely jarring and awkward, even for me as a loyal subject-hyphen hybrid. Has everyone forgotten how Jin was open to discussing KAT-TUN in Takki Channel, which was a far more appropriate setting? Yeah, I thought so.

To address shit going down when KAT-TUN (or their specific name, to put matters into a more accurate perspective) is consistently left out of other people’s mention of Jin’s successes e.g. PK’s Facebook statement, tbh I wish his publicist or whoever wrote those would be more tactful. But alas, we can’t expect KAT-TUN to be relevant to people in the US who aren’t already fans. If it really matters to you so much, well, KAT-TUN is acknowledged on Jin’s own official US website. RIGHT HERE.

What would other people say if he keeps bringing up KAT-TUN? That he isn’t independent enough, that he’s still stuck in a group mentality, that he still wants to ride on their fame. And then if he doesn’t, he’s an ungrateful asshole. I see how it is. To be quite honest, I’d rather he not bring up KAT-TUN too frequently because if he chose to be on his own, he better show that. And he damn well show that he is working hard and moving on.

Jin is debuting in America right now. AME-RI-CA. The land of dance music and clubbing and getting it on. He has a whole new audience to cater to, one who doesn’t give a hoot about some Asian dude who wrote touching Japanese ballads. As a newcomer I think it’s reasonable that they take the fun, catchy, sex-sells route because that’s most likely to get him out there to people who are not already fans. Success is crucial, and in order to do that he WILL need to cater to the general US audience. Think about it this way, he broke away from KAT-TUN precisely because he needs to walk a completely different path from them. If he left KAT-TUN and then turned out making something no different from what he was originally doing, what’s the whole point? To quote someone, making constant references to his “Japanese past” and the band he parted from, which has no relevance to the US audience, isn’t going to fly well.

Yes his PV is all about girls (whom I personally feel are portrayed as hot and fierce, not sleazy. If you’re going to slut-shame either way you’re not worth taking seriously imo.) and cars. It’s about “chasing a girl”. But this is also the guy who wrote songs like Pindom (about booze, curves and clubbing) AND sweet, intimate, earnest ballads like Body Talk at the same time (which, if I may point out, he wrote entirely on his own and is truly Jin-only) . This is a guy who loves girls (OMG SACRILEGE. WHY ISN’T HE DECLARING HIS LOVE FOR KAME), sex, vodka, partying. Brand new information - there’s NOTHING WRONG with that. But he is also the same down to earth (not just my opinion, plenty of people he’s worked with in the US have praised this particular trait of him), laid back, shy and dorky guy who loves his family and friends fiercely. He’s the same awkward dude who is horrible at expressing himself, gets a bad case of nerves and just doesn’t know how to purposely go all out to please people. He’s still the same Jin who gets all mushy and happy after a simple convo with his mum and dad, so much so that he declares his love for them openly. He’s the same Jin who loves cuddling just as much as making love.

And no, he’s not losing his Japanese roots and kicking Japan aside. Jin himself gave a shout out to whoever mentioned BANDAGE (his solo Japanese works) on the U-Stream chat and talked about his favorite hangouts in Japan. That’s not the behaviour of someone “trying desperately to get rid of his Japanese self”.

I get it if you miss him in KAT-TUN. I get it if you miss him with Kame. I ship Jin/Kame myself, get nostalgic about his times in KAT-TUN too and I miss his projects in Japan. But to put it bluntly, if you can’t deal with it that’s your problem, not Jin’s. You can get emotional but to the point of blaming Jin for that - something you’re probably not even conscious of doing because it’s always so easy to paint him as the bad guy - that’s crossing the line.

Or maybe it’s alright to do that or be rude and not read the atmosphere by throwing out shipper/Akame questions on his live chat because you get a free pass as long it’s KAT-TUN-related. (Funny how no one called these people out, but they’re complaining about Jin not talking about KAT-TUN. Hypocrisy is acceptable, hmm? Just as long as Jin is on the negative receiving end.)

I couldn’t give a damn about haters. If you’re one reading this, congrats on reaching a new level of pathetic, yegga. But seeing people who call themselves fans acting like that - it’s just disappointing.

Jin bb? Congrats on your debut, I’m completely jammin’ to Test Drive! I love that you’re happy and smiling and doing what you love, stepping out to slowly but surely start following your dream. KAT-TUN bbs? Your upcoming single is going to be awesome, you are all doing so well and I will be a proud Hyphen for life - you guys  cemented that for me in the past year or so after Jin left. Fellow fans who can take things in a mature stride and be happy for both sides? Love and respect, y’all, love and respect.

(Source: tokyonights)

Akanishi also used the opportunity to thank his team mates.

“I’m sorry for all of the trouble I’ve caused, in big ways and small ways.  Thank you.  I had fun.”

To add on, I know how the “I had fun” translation angered many fans because of how flippant it sounds. It’s not literally just “have fun”, of course, but I’ll leave the technicalities of the meaning behind a Japanese phrase to someone more qualified in explaining.

English and Japanese are two totally different languages, it’s hard to convey the full meaning of a message in Japanese when you only look at it from a literal context.

It’s just. After making the decision to part ways after 10 years, after a period of struggles and changes, after forgetting how to smile and losing one’s spirit, sometimes the best reassurance comes in the simplest of forms. 

I had fun.

I was happy. Thank you.

And as a sidenote, what KaT-TUN did by holding up the fort (did they even fall? No.) and moving on —that’s true professionalism right there. /proud face. I’ve also never seen another person make JE history like Jin did, going solo like that. I can’t imagine how anyone can think it’s an easy, glorious decision. You’re alone now. It’s never been done before, it’s scary and uncertain as hell. It’s taboo. You don’t get love and understanding for it, you’ll just earn hatred and judgement.

I’m not excusing Jin, because the real world is an ugly one and these are the consequences he’ll have to live with. If this is your dream, you just go with it.

But this is why I will always be thankful to KaT-TUN. For being better men.

Nakamaru, for meeting up with Jin for dinner and attending his live as a guest.

Ueda and Junno, for writing a message of support on J-WEB.

Koki, although I don’t remember him making any specific reference to the whole incident, for loving Jin the best he can. Because I know he did, or maybe still does.

Last but not least Kame, because your bonds, your kizuna will always be there—whatever form it takes. Maybe not as future, nor as present, but if he says so - then as memories.

(Source: bentobride)