People always say that you don’t choose your favorite; your favorite chooses you, and I am pretty sure that’s what happened to me back in 2019.
It might not be a surprise to those who have gotten to know me post-2020 that I am, indeed, a big, obvious, and loud fan of Travis Japan’s Genta Matsuda. Some of you might even have gotten to know me because of my constant yelling about him.
However, I wasn’t always a Genta fan. It even took me months to accept that I was head over heels in love with Genta (not his fault; he did everything right, and I was just stubborn). Because when I first got interested in Travis Japan, it was all because of Noel Kawashima. Yep, that’s right. Noel got me into Travis Japan. It was mostly because he was easy to spot and so good at everything he did.
2019-2020
When I watched their first live stream on ISLAND TV – “Travis Japan Concert 2019 〜Present〜”, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The live stream was only 500¥, so I figured (in true Noel words): Why not?
At that time, Travis Japan to me was Noel, Shime (the cute one), overflow of Kaito’s, and someone called Genta (I think). For 500¥, it was definitely worth checking the live stream out and, at the same time, supporting the live stream initiative the agency had started back then. “Present” left me speechless. I didn’t think too much about it until the actual DVD release of “SUGAO4” happened, though. My priorities back then were SixTONES and Snow Man, so Travis Japan went back on the shelves for a while.
When it came to YouTube, I kept myself updated on Travis Japan enough to enjoy them weekly, and despite not quite remembering exactly who was who (still), they became kind of the afterthought most of the time, especially with how active SixTONES were around this time, too.
Then, “Summer Paradise 2019” came around, and I should have known at this point that I would end up as a Genta fan, considering how much I was screaming, “THAT’S A VERY LOW CUT FOR A BABY, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, HOLD ON, HOW OLD IS HE?”
Sometime during September/October, a friend of mine told me she had hit for Hey! Say! JUMP’s “PARADE” in Tokyo Dome and wanted me to join her in flying to Japan and attending the concert. I said yes, and the planning for the trip began. Then suddenly, SixTONES dropped their FAMILY CLUB opening announcement, as well as their tour “Track ONE IMPACT,” and the first tour stops happened to be over my birthday weekend (January 6th).
This ultimately made my trip even more worth it as I had wonderful friends helping me get tickets for that, and I ended up with two tickets.
Closer to the date I was flying out, a dear friend asked if I was interested in going to JUMP again, as another friend was looking for someone to accompany her. Did I say yes? Of course I did!
That’s how I ended up with two tickets to JUMP, too.
What does this have to do with Travis Japan? You see, they were actually back-dancing for JUMP during “PARADE.” They jumped onto the tour after the first venue in Osaka, and it didn’t quite hit me until after the concert that I saw Travis Japan, too. I may have gotten slightly distracted because I got fan service from Yuri Chinen. Did I mention that “PARADE” was also the very first STARTO concert I attended in person ever?
As someone who has been following and supporting JUMP and Chinen since their debut, it wasn’t surprising I didn’t pay much attention to Travis Japan. Oh, I forgot to mention. Somewhere between “Present” and “PARADE,” I had ditched Noel and turned into a Shime fan. Maybe I’d like to blame it on the cute pink member color curse.
So imagine my slight disappointment when Shime wasn’t in front of us when we got arena tickets for JUMP. However, I got a nice view of Chaka, and I can swear we locked eyes for a second. Before I knew it, he started swirling around, and all I could see was his back. I do remember his sweaty face and nice jawline, though.
During “PARADE”, Travis Japan performed wonderfully as backup dancers to JUMP, but their own performance of “Lock Lock” was extraordinary. I don’t quite remember the actual performance from the day itself, but after watching it on the recorded DVD/Blu-Ray (same show), it was truly amazing. What a shame I was too distracted to remember it clearly…
Considering… Genta did the thing that always gets me: “HELLO, MY FINE SIR, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?”. Yeah, you guessed it. He flashed his abs.
I’m a simple girl, after all.
However, I didn’t realize that until way after I fell since the time between the actual show and the physical release of the tour was almost a year. The only thing I vividly remembered from the show was, “Oh, sweetie, you’re so cute. That Yamada impersonation was GREAT, I LOVED THAT.” as Genta did a very nice take on Ryosuke Yamada’s “I love you~” line from “Hitomi no Screen” (瞳のスクリーン).
During the time between “PARADE” and the realization that I am indeed not a Shime fan but a Genta fan, a lot happened. There were several instances of photos and photoshoots that should have hinted that I was way more attracted to Genta than I ever was to Shime. However, I am a fool, a stubborn one, and even though my friends kindly tried to point me in the right direction, I was not listening as usual.
“Summer Paradise 2020” came around, and I had only bought tickets to see Shime’s, while my friends asked, “…so, not Genta?”
Listen, I was a Shime fan; I didn’t think I would enjoy Genta that much. I was merely intrigued, not interested. There was no way I would fall for the youngest in the group. That wouldn’t happen.
Oh boy, how I was wrong. Genta performed one of my favorite songs (“Last Dance” by Hey! Say! JUMP) among many others in his stunning solo show, and once I watched it, I was already deep in denial that this boy got my heart wrapped around his pretty fingers.
August 28th, 2020.
The day that turned my whole world upside down, and suddenly, all I could see was Genta. His solo shoot for the magazine SODA had just dropped, and a friend sent me the pictures. Let’s just say that it kickstarted “The Phase,” as I called it.
This threw me into a deep dive into Travis Japan again because I always deep dive into my interests. So, I went back to the very beginning of their YouTube career, revisited all the concerts I could find, and focused solely on Genta. Noel, Shime, everyone but Genta was out of the window, and my tunnel vision was Genta, and Genta only.
Head empty, only Genta.
Yet, I still said, “It’s just a phase!” when everyone asked me if I liked Genta. Back then, I truly believed it was just a phase. I believed that my strong and burning feelings for someone 6 years younger than me would pass, and I would return to being just “moderately interested” in Travis Japan.
But it wasn’t a phase. Whatever I felt didn’t subside, and I fell deeper into the swamp. 2020-2022 was a blur of events, but what stood out was how Travis Japan constantly improved and strived for improvement. Almost five years later, there hasn’t been a bump in my journey as a fan that has made me think, “This is boring.”
One of their strengths and charms is how they never give up. They keep on running until they’re out of breath, but they smile through it all. Even when their road is hard, they keep on smiling together, and that’s what has kept me as a fan for so long. Their undying devotion to their fans and their own craft is outstanding and astonishing. With every performance, I can feel the gratitude and authenticity radiating from them.
January, 2023.
Borders to Japan had finally opened, and it was time for me to return to Japan. Of course, I had a whole schedule lined up with various concerts to attend. JUMP and Travis Japan were two of those.
It felt like a full-circle moment. I was back in Japan, and I was going to see my boys again after Corona had so rudely interrupted the world peace. JUMP’s 15th Anniversary, and Travis Japan’s debut tour. Even if I wasn’t going to see them at the same concert, the combo still made it so precious to me.
The concerts were great and solidified the feelings I had for both groups. I’ll support these groups until the end of time. Seeing them perform brightly on stage was enough for me to feel satisfied and happy knowing that they worked so hard for the view they saw from the stage.
Throughout 2023, a lot happened, and while I never doubted that my feelings for Genta would change, I didn’t think they would last this long in the same capacity. The more I saw him, the more I fell in love. Living in this kind of parasocial relationship might not be the ideal situation, but it is what it is. If my delusions will help me through the day, I will take those over any other kind of help.
January, 2024.
Their tour, “Road to Authenticity,” started off with a bang in Yokohama Arena, and I was able to attend 5 out of 6 performances during that weekend. The start of 2024 had not been great for me, but the fact I had 5 chances to see Travis Japan and Genta helped me immensely to cope with the things going on. If I didn’t have Travis Japan that weekend, I would still be in a dark place. Seeing Genta perform and shine so brightly on stage once more made me fall again and again. I’m filled with joy and pride whenever I see his eyes sparkle.
There’s something incredibly charming about the way Genta is simply Genta. I lovingly call him “my dumbass” because he keeps doing dumb stuff that makes my heart flutter as if I were a main character in a shoujo manga meeting her first love under a cherry blossom tree at the entrance ceremony. (His math skills when it comes to multiplication don’t help his case…)
The Genta I see on stage and the Genta I see off-stage are both parts of him that make him so unique and amazing. It’s like watching someone through glass. I believe that he is a sweet and genuine boy who cares more than everyone else but can’t always find the right words to express his feelings. But to me, it’s okay. I see you, Genta. I love you.
There isn’t a day now that I go without whining his name (much to my cat’s annoyance), hoping that he is as happy as I am because I just saw his little face on my phone screen. More than anything, I’m so thankful that he exists because it gives me such warmth and comfort in my life. I know I called him “The Phase,” and I will probably keep calling him that because I’m still on the start screen. He’s the final boss, and I have a long way to level up until I’m anywhere near his level. Hence, he’s a “phase.”
No matter what, Genta’s smile and happiness are all that I wish for to remain a constant. He deserves more than the world and the universe because he’s with you all year round, just like the four seasons. He’s the fresh morning winter frost, the sweet spring wind, the blazing hot rays of summer sun, and the technicolor spectrum of autumn leaves.
We started out on a live stream in 2019 for 500¥. Fate brought us together later in “PARADE,” where our journey started. 2020 sealed the deal, and 2021 was a test period of my devotion and determination. 2022 was the year when I could finally express my feelings openly, and 2023 held my hand as I walked through it as if I were walking down my wedding aisle. 2024 will be the 5th Anniversary since I first met you. A 5-year long “Phase,” all because of 500¥.
Even to today, Genta’s photo folder on my phone remains named “The Phase.”
これからも、いつまでも