barbosa2007 | Mago Mago Rowing Club – The Arashi Story (Reply)

THIS has got to be Japanese reality TV at its best.

For some strange reason, I’ve never watched the Mago Mago Rowing Club (MMA Rowing Club) saga from start to finish, but now that I have, I felt it was truly a representation of Arashi’s growing years.

Synopsis: Due to an unlikely proposal from Ohno, the members of Arashi were thrust into a 100 day rowing club experience which allowed viewers a glimpse into the dynamics that created the super idol group we have today.

Ironically, this whole affair began with Ohno’s idea.

Ohno’s natural affinity with the elderly probably influenced him to take the decisive step of roping the other members into the boating experience. Sho, although shocked at first, stood with him on the idea, and the Fuji TV staff offered the Kaze members expensive bribes in the form of marbled beef and novelty fruits. Nino, however, was only offered milk buns since he could hardly bring himself to feast on anything expensive.

Thus began the days of the MMA Rowing Club.

As the members took turns to take to the water, Hikaru’s assessment of each Arashi boater strangely reflected their personalities. Nino, said Hikaru-san, was someone who could see the greater picture while rowing. Sho was able to match his rowing rhythm with that of the others, which was a reflection of his considerate nature. Aiba had the greatest horsepower, which probably stemmed from his enthusiastic nature and sporty persona.

Ohno, on the other hand, had a rowing form which was too unique to himself, but he was quick on the uptake. Jun was given the cryptic evaluation of having “a good attitude”, which must have worried him since the other members were praised in terms of their technical abilities, while he alone seemed to be praised for attitude. Little did he know that it was because he WAS the most serious member in the bunch, which was why he was given this evaluation.

Since only 5 people could ride the boat at any one time, Ohno was the first member to be left on the bench due to his unique rowing style. While Hikaru-san asserted that it was because Ohno’s rowing style might end up injuring himself, to Ohno, it must have been reminiscent of his debut days when he felt the pressure of being left behind the other members in the popularity race.

Other trials soon awaited the rowing club. Initially, Aiba was chosen to be the bench warmer as he was, ironically, the best rower and the rest simply couldn’t keep up with him. Aiba’s impatient nature also prevented him from matching the pace of the rest while they were on the boat, and as a result, the boat slowed down as a whole. Not realizing this, Aiba voiced his intention to quit as he feared that he was holding the group back. Sho, realizing Aiba’s fears and discontent, went to talk to him privately in an attempt to bring the team together.

Ohno’s ongoing stage play caused him to miss multiple practices, and in the meantime, the group’s communication with Hikaru-san had worsened due to differences in their perspective towards training. Jun was the first person to be the voice of dissent, although the others might have shared in his opinion despite their relative silence. Concerned with this aspect, Ohno calls the group after their practice to check if things are okay. He also goes down to the boating arena for individual training after his performance was over. Little did the members know that Ohno had been attending individual practice, in between the breaks of his stage play, and had kept it a secret for fear for worrying the other members.

So, when the man in question arrived at the boating arena expecting to find only Hikaru-san and the staff, he was genuinely shocked to see the other Arashi members waiting to train together with him. My personal view is that Ohno must have felt a huge sense of responsibility as he precipitated the formation of the rowing club and dragged the other members into this. As the other members gradually got behind him and rallied around the idea, Ohno was genuinely moved. I’m truly convinced from this series that Ohno really is the leader of this group. He may seem like he’s just the front man at times, but as he watches over the rest silently and tries to care for them the best he can,

Balance is key. The same principle holds true in boating, and in surviving as a group in the entertainment industry.