Johnny's to change name to SMILE-UP.; create new firm to manage performers

That is only about 20% less creepy than keeping it named after a serial child rapist.

That’ll solve all their problems then.

Notice the mandatory period/stop at the end. That’ll confuse people for years to come.

Smile no matter what happened!

Johnny's will be renamed "SMILE-UP." 

"Smile Up." Sounds like the name of a poorly thought-through snack food... such as some of the classics already on our shelves: Cream Collons or Crunky Ball Nudes.

Turn that frown, upside down!

Could have been worse, like Shut-Up.

Johnny's to change name to SMILE-UP.; create new firm to manage performers

You could translate all the disgust at how easily pedophile abuse is covered up and Japan Inc. easily able to cover the most horrendous crimes with just a bow and name change by one endless projectile vomiting gif.

Could have been worse, like Shut-Up.

No,it couldn't.

'Smile Up' is about as creepy as it gets bearing in mind Japan's 'kawaii' culture.

Suck it up

Goodness me...

Less creepy than "Feel up" I guess.

Terrible name but thankfully only temporary, apparently.

The renamed firm will close down once it has completed providing compensation to victims...

Johnny's will ask its fans to come up with the name for the new agency.

As Mobeen Azhar the BBC reporter who almost single handedly made the documentary that exposed this abhorent criminality has said, the company with the silence of the broader Japanese media was just waiting for the story to go away again as it had a decade earlier.

A change of name? Pathetic.

The company should be disbanded with compensation paid to the abused.

should've named it 'Jim'll Fix It'

What a stupid name. Even by Japanese mistranslation and English butchering standards.

Obviously, Johnny did not care that everyone he produced was tone-deaf. So maybe now that he is gone we can all Smile Up and see some real talent come out of this change.

That is only about 20% less creepy than keeping it named after a serial child rapist.

to me its as creepy as in t could be

Oh for gods sake. Smile up? Really? Are you guys running a kindergarten? Guess money cant buy sense.

Smile-up!? Honestly, I thought it was a joke. Since the sole purpose of this structure will be the indemnisation of victims, a bit more neutral and humble name would have been appropriate. But, no. Adding insult to injury. Stellar level of cynicism.

nandakandamanda | Today 04:44 pm JST:

"Notice the mandatory period/stop at the end."

Yes, absolutely -- 100% agreement. Perhaps we must console ourselves with the thought that at the very least, they are no longer abusing the apostrophe...

Reminds me of The Laughing Salesman.

"Smile-Up" but these guys are not smiling. What a joke!

Smile up? I'd be interested to see the short list of other names.... "Touch up", "Feel up", "Get it up", "Shut up" or "Put up".

Obscuration, a technique to create an illusion of change, a diversion tactic to manufacture a misleading pretense, sham, a false disingenuous impression whilst privately just a superficial self-deception to deceive the public.

All thanks to the BBC.

Fake phony smiles are like rainbows, they only appear after the storm.

I remember reading this, never truer words

What an awful brainless thought of naming why not rename it to getting it up. A name change is not going white wash Johnny history

Which committee of 'Oyaji's' came up with the truly inventive and creative name, SMILE-UP.?

The mind boggles.

Well, the sad reality is those are the people who worked together/under that person for many years and most likely knew very well what was happening and chose not to see it as a problem ig they are either have similar ‘values’ as that man or couldnt be bothered ig narcissists or enablers so expecting a true honest change is highly unlikely. Unfortunately, the only genuine thing left for victims is to work on their mental wellbeing and try to recover and for the general public to learn a lesson.

Key theory: Curran and Seaton’s Power and Media Industries

https://georgebautistamediastudies.wordpress.com/2020/10/14/key-theory-curran-and-seatons-power-and-media-industries/#:~:text=The%20idea%20that%20the%20media,inhabits%20variety%2C%20creativity%20and%20quality.

The idea that the media is controlled by a small number of companies primarily driven by the logic of profit & power.

The idea that media concentration generally limits of inhabits variety, creativity and quality.

Johnny Kitagawa has shuffled off this mortal coil, however his legacy, Johnny's business model still controls pulls the strings of media broadcasters, advertising power remain fully intact.

This will no longer be in the news and forgotten in the next few weeks

Set up

Feel up

Beat up

Cover up

Rile up

Hurry up

Break up

Set up

Smile up

Throw up

Smile Up!??? so what will the name be changed to when the next scandal surfaces!? Smile Down !?

Just guessing, but this stultifyingly bad artificial construct could mean if you want to go up in the world… come to us and it’s smiles all round. Smile as you rise??? Yuck.

Ridiculous name.

And still no talk of criminal investigations?? Absolutely cringe worthy!

has so far received consultations from a total of 478 sex abuse victims

But still not enough for any authorities to be involved, like police?

Do you know when you see silly English mistakes in Japan on shops or advertising? This is of the same mentality. They could easily have gotten the help of any native English speaker - you know, anyone walking down the street - and hire their help. But they are old, xenophobic, nationalist Japanese businessmen who obviously can’t speak English. So this is all they could stupidly think up. Really insulting to the Japanese public to assume they’ll fall for such simple-mindedness.

It is going to take a while to compensate everybody. Latest from the BBC "More than 300 people are seeking compensation for being sexually abused by Japan's top talent agent"

"Smile-Up." No native English speakers involved in picking that, then.

Well that's that then, scandal over. Everyone go home there's nothing to see here

“Speak Up.” even with the stupid period would have been a better choice.

Editors, now is the time to start insisting on writing Smile-Up in articles, ignoring this firm's ridiculous mockery of the English language and its standards. No, Johnny's, you don't get to insert a random period after your name and force beleaguered journalists to come up with kludges like:

Johnny's will be renamed "Smile-Up." from Oct 17

...with quotes around it, just to make it readable.

No Japanese media would allow a foreign entity to do this with the Japanese language; why do they expect English writers to endure it?

Johnny Smiles Up.......there you are, all settled.