V6 (group)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = V6


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|Japan Japan
Genre = J-pop
Years_active = 1995–present
Label = Avex Trax
URL = [http://www.avexnet.or.jp/v6/ www.avexnet.or.jp/v6/]
Current_members = Masayuki Sakamoto
Hiroshi Nagano
Yoshihiko Inohara
Go Morita
Ken Miyake
Junichi Okada
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

V6 is a very popular Japanese idol group, formed by Johnny & Associates. They debuted on 1 November 1995 with CD-Single "MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE".

Due to the age difference between the 6 members (the difference between oldest member, Sakamoto and youngest member, Okada, is 9 years), the band was separated into "20th Century" and "Coming Century".

There are many theories behind the meaning of the "V" in V6.It is said that it stands for Victory, but members have mentioned on TV programmes etc that it also means Volleyball (as their debut single was used in the World Cup Volleyball Tournament in 1995), Versus (20th Century versus Coming Century), Vegetable (as Sakamoto's parents own a green grocers), Vicycle (obviously means Bicycle - Nagano's parents own a Cycling store) and Veteran (as Inohara was told). It also could stand for Volume, which derives from their album that they made.

As they are 'idols', each member takes part in a variety of activities - as well as singing, they appear in TV dramas, variety shows, host radio programmes etc. 20th Century are usually associated with being on stage in plays and musicals, whereas Coming Century are more often in TV dramas (although every member has done both).

Leader Masayuki Sakamoto is especially famous for his roles in musicals such as 'Footloose', 'Blood Brothers', 'The Boy from Oz',and 'No man's Land'. Hiroshi Nagano and Yoshihiko Inohara also played the leading roles in the Japanese version of the hit musical 'The Producers' which proved to be a great success, being ranked as the No.1 musical of 2005 in a famous Japanese musical magazine. Hiroshi Nagano is also famous for playing the lead role in ウルトラマンティガ / Ultraman Tiga. He is remembered by kids and fans of the series as Madoka Daigo, the character he played and the human-form of Tiga.

Go Morita played a leading role in "荒神"(Ara-jin, characters mean rough god but it's obviously meant to mean Aladin too), Ken Miyake too has two stages under his belt (卒業 ~THE GRADUATE~ and 第32新海丸) and will be starring in yet another one coming February called 殺人者 (Satsujinsha). In 2005, Miyake finished filming a movie called 親指さがし(Oyayubisagashi) which was released in theaters across Japan in Summer 2006.

Junichi Okada is also currently involved in the movie industry with "Kisarazu Cat's Eyes Nihon Series", "Tokyo Tower" and "Fly Daddy Fly". He is also set to star in a movie by Hirokazu Koreeda called "Hana Yori Mo Naho"

V6 hosts two weekly TV shows as a group, "Gakkou e ikou"（学校へ行こう） and "Viva Viva V6". Along with their group shows, they also have individual TV shows, dramas or radio programs. Miyake is a regular in the TV show "Itou-ke no Shokutaku (The Itou Family Dinner)".

V6 celebrated their 10th year anniversary in 2005. They commemorated the event by holding about 30 concerts in sold-out arenas all over Japan, holding 3 major "Thank You Events", releasing a hit movie "Hold Up Down" and releasing a new album "Musicmind". They also had a rare "Handshake Session" with hundreds of thousands of fans in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.

As separate bands, both of them performed the opening song for the anime, Eyeshield 21. Coming Century performed "Break Through", the first opening theme song and 20th Century performed "Innocence", the second opening theme song. Also as V6, they performed "Chain of Power" as an insert song and it even had another version performed by characters in Eyeshield 21.

Members

;20th Century
*nihongo|Masayuki Sakamoto|坂本 昌行|Sakamoto Masayuki|born 24 July, 1971, Tokyo, Japan, Bloodtype O
*nihongo|Hiroshi Nagano|長野 博|Nagano Hiroshi|born 9 October, 1972, Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan, Bloodtype A
*nihongo|Yoshihiko Inohara|井ノ原 快彦|Inohara Yoshihiko|born 17 May, 1976, Tokyo, Japan, Bloodtype A

;Coming Century
*nihongo|Go Morita|森田 剛|Morita Gō|born 20 February, 1979, Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan, Bloodtype A
*nihongo|Ken Miyake|三宅 健|Miyake Ken|born 2 July, 1979, Takamatsu, Kanagawa, Japan, Bloodtype O
*nihongo|Junichi Okada|岡田 准一|Okada Jun'ichi|born 18 November, 1980, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, Bloodtype B

Discography

Singles

#MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE
#MADE IN JAPAN
#BEAT YOUR HEART
#TAKE ME HIGHER (Opening theme to the hit Tokusatsu series Ultraman Tiga starring Hiroshi Nagano)
#愛なんだ (Ai Nanda)
#本気がいっばい (Honki ga Ippai)
#WAになっておどろう (WA ni natte odorou)
#GENERATION GAP
#Be Yourself!
#翼になれ (Tsubasa ni nare)
#over/EASY SHOW TIME
#Believe Your Smile
#自由であるために (Jiyuu de Arutameni)
#太陽のあたる場所 (Taiyou no Ataru Basho)
#MILLENNIUM GREETING
#IN THE WIND
#CHANGE THE WORLD (First Opening Theme for the hit anime, InuYasha)
#愛のMelody (Ai no Melody)
#キセキのはじまり (KISEKI no Hajimari)
#出せない手紙 (Dasenai Tegami) (Theme song to Neverland starring Ken Miyake)
#Feel your breeze/one (Opening Theme For The Japanese Drama Show Gokusen)
#メジルシの記憶 (MEJIRUSHI no Kioku)
#Darling (Theme song to Kimi wa Petto starring Jun Matsumoto from Arashi)
#COSMIC RESCUE/強くなれ (Tsuyoku Nare)
#ありがとうのうた (Arigatou no Uta)
#サンダーバード -your voice- (THUNDERBIRDS -your voice-) (in conjunction with their voice acting of the movie Thunderbirds)
#UTAO-UTAO
#Orange (Theme song to their movie Hold Up Down)
#グッデイ!! (Good Day!!)
#HONEY BEAT/僕と僕らの明日(boku to bokura no ashita)
#ジャスミン/Rainbow (Jasmine/Rainbow)
#Voyager
#Way of life
#Chou (Butterfly)
#LIGHT IN YOUR HEART (Theme song to the Tokusatsu movie Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers starring Hiroshi Nagano)

20th Century
#Wishes~I'll be there~/You'll Be in My Heart
#Precious Love
#オレじゃなきゃ、キミじゃなきゃ (orejanakya,kimijanakya)

Coming Century
#夏のかけら (Natsu no Kakera)
#Get Set Go!/MiMyCen

J-FRIENDS
#明日が聴こえる (Ashita ga Kikoeru) /Children's Hoilday
#Next 100 Years
#I WILL GET THERE
#ALWAYS (A SONG FOR LOVE)
#Love Me All Over

OTHER
#シーサイド・ばいばい(Seaside Bye Bye)/木更津キャッツアイ(Kisarazu Cat's Eye) feat.MCU(Junichi Okada)

Albums

Original Album

#Since 1995 ~ Forever
#NATURE RHYTHM
#A JACK IN THE BOX
#"LUCKY" 20th Century, Coming Century to be continued...
#"HAPPY" COMING CENTURY, 20TH CENTURY FOREVER
#Volume 6
#seVen
# ∞ INFINITY ~LOVE & LIFE~
#musicmind
#Voyager

Original Mini Album

#GREETING
#SUPER HEROES

Best Album

#Very best (best-of album)
#Very best II (second best-of compilation)

20th Century
#ROAD
#! -attention-
#Replay -Best of 20th Century- (best-of with new songs)

Coming Century
#Best of Coming Century -Together- (best-of with new songs)

J-FRIENDS
#PEOPLE OF THE WORLD:Mini Album

DVD/VHS

#LIVE FOR THE PEOPLE
#Film V6 -CLIPS and more-
#SPACE -from V6 Live Tour '98-
#Film V6 act II -CLIPS and more-
#VERY HAPPY!!!
#Film V6 act III -CLIPS and more-
#LIV6
#Hard Luck Hero (Movie)
#LOVE & LIFE ～V6 SUMMER SPECIAL DREAM LIVE 2003～ Normal version
#LOVE & LIFE ～V6 SUMMER SPECIAL DREAM LIVE 2003～ V version
#LOVE & LIFE ～V6 SUMMER SPECIAL DREAM LIVE 2003～ VV Version
#Film V6 act 4 -BALLAD CLIPS and more-
#Film V6 act 4 -DANCE CLIPS and more-
#Very best LIVE-1995~2004-
#メイキング オブ ホールドアップダウン (Making of HOLD UP DOWN)
#10th anniversary concert tour 2005 “musicmind”
#ホールドアップダウン (HOLD UP DOWN - Movie)
#VIBES

Coming Century
#? Question
#SKY
#Cosmic Rescue

TV Shows

Currently On Air
#Gakkou e ikou!Max (TBS)
#Viva Viva V6(Fuji TV)
#R30 (TBS, Yoshihiko Inohara)
#Hyakushiki～Hyaku de shiru hitotsu no chishiki (Fuji TV, Yoshihiko Inohara)
#Athlete ouen TV! Nippon! CHAx3(TBS, 20th Century)

Past TV Shows
#LoveCen (TBS)
#MiMyCen (TBS, Coming Century)
#Otona Seiki(TBS, Coming Century)
#Otona Seiki II (TBS, Coming Century)
#V6 no moto (Fuji TV)
#Owarai V6 byoutou (Fuji TV)
#Tamashi no one spoon (TBS, Ken Miyake)
#BOON!(NTV, Nagano Hiroshi)
#MOBI (NTV, Nagano Hiroshi)
#Magical Brain Power(NTV)
#Ponki Kids (Fuji TV, Yoshihiko Inohara)
#Shimada kentei! Kokuminteki gensai nouryoku test (TBS, Yoshihiko Inohara)
#Itou kei no shokutaku (NTV, Miyake Ken)

Filmography

V6
#V no Hono
#Hard Luck Hero
#Hold Up Down

Coming Century
#Cosmic Rescue

Masayuki Sakamoto
#同窓会 (Dousoukai)

Hiroshi Nagano
#ウルトラマンティガ (Ultraman Tiga)
#きみはペット (Kimi wa Petto)
#2nd ハウス (2nd House)
#大決戦!超ウルトラ8兄弟 (Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers)

Yoshihiko Inohara
#銀狼怪奇ファイル (Ginrou Kaiki File)
#コーチ (Coach)
#Psychometrer eiji 1
#Psychometrer eiji 2
#あした天気になあれ。 (Ashita Tenki ni Naare)
#警視庁捜査一課9係 (Keishichou sousa ikka 9 kakari)
#天国也许可待 (Tengoku wa Matte Kureru)

Go Morita
#Pu-Pu-Pu jump
#新俺たちの旅 (Shin oretachi no tabi (ver.1999))
#月下の棋士 (Gekka no Kishi)
#嫁はミツボシ (Yome wa mitsuboshi)
#ランチの女王 (Lunch no Joou)
#零のかなたへ～THE WINDS OF GOD～
#喰いタン (Kuitan)
#喰いタン 2 (Kuitan 2)

Ken Miyake
#金田一少年の事件簿 1 (Kindaichi shonen no jikenbo 1)
#銀狼怪奇ファイル (Ginrou Kaiki File)
#Meitantei hokenshitsu no obasan
#Pu-Pu-Pu jump
#新俺たちの旅 (Shin oretachi no tabi (ver.1999))
#Neverland
#明るいほうへ 明るいほうへ (Akarui Hou e Akarui Hou e)
#私の青空2002 (Watashi no Aozora 2002)
#マルサ!! (Marusa!!)
#親指さがし (Oyayubisagashi)

Junichi Okada
#D&D (dangerous angel x death hunter)
#Pu-Pu-Pu jump
#新俺たちの旅 (Shin oretachi no tabi (ver.1999))
#モナリザの微笑 (Mona Lisa no hohoemi)
#オヤジぃ (Oyaji)
#忠臣蔵 1/47 (Chuushingura 1/47)
#木更津キャッツアイ (Kisarazu Cat's Eye)
#恋愛偏差値 (Renai Hensachi) - Story 1, Story 3
#末っ子長男姉三人 (Suekko chounan ane san nin)
#大化の改新 (Taika no Kaishin)
#冬の運動会 (Fuyu no Undoukai)
#タイガー&ドラゴン (Tiger & Dragon)
#木更津キャッツアイ ~日本シリーズ~ (Kisarazu Cat's Eye ~Japan Series~)
#東京タワー (Tokyo Tower)
#FLY DADDY FLY
#花よりもなほ (Hana Yori mo Naho)
#木更津キャッツアイ ~ワルードシリーズ~ (Kisarazu Cat's Eye ~World Series~)

External links

Official

* [http://www.johnnys-net.jp/jfc/info/v6.html Johnny's Entertainment Official Site]
* [http://www.avexnet.or.jp/v6/ Avex Trax Official Site]

TV Shows

* [http://www.tbs.co.jp/gakkou/ Gakkou e Ikkou! MAX]
* [http://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/vivaviva/ Viva Viva V6]