the oldest vid I have is a 1997 TV show. I don't think it's his first apparence. He is with Youko and Shingo.
sorry to not be able to help more.

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/3742/snapshot20080809193258ek2.jpg

Thanks very much!! I think that video might be the one I found on YouTube (the one I took the pic from to make my avvy). It was a really, really short clip that only showed Subaru introducing himself, with Yoko standing behind him.

He was so adorable!! And that hair...he used to tease Maru-chan, calling him "light-bulb head" but look at him!! Oh my!! 8D

I hope it's okay to ask...do you have the link to that video?

Greatly appreciate your help. :)

If I'm not mistaken, that is from the manzai duo 99's show: Mecha Mecha Ikiteru (or something like that), where the boke tries and succeeds in 'infiltrating' the Johnny's juniors to backdance for a SMAP con in Osaka dome. That pic is prob from some pamphlet or something, which they used to introduce the juniors on the screen.

It's this video yes,you can see subaru, shingo and yoko only few seconds ^^" but the tv show is really funny.

ah sorry, i forgot, i can upload the vid....tomorrow ^^

That'll be great!! I really appreciate it!! Thanks very much!! (HUGS!) :)

http://lilyrh.livejournal.com/36997.html
=D

You're an absolute angel!! Thank you very much!! (HUGS!!) :)

taking this too! XD

His first tv appearance was in domoto tsuyoshi's "Domoto Tsuyoshi no DO-YA !", that aired the 1st october 96 (but was recorded the day of his audition ^^), but i never saw that show, so i dont know if he sang or not (he was in a corner called "Junior Slot")
After that he won't be called until december, to go to a new audition to be a backdancer for KinKi Kids for their Osaka Jo Hall stop in their "Gattsu" Tour.

I have a short vid from 97 or 98, so he was 16 or 17, in the "Kanjani Knight" show...
It's not "serious" singing though, but i imagine it can give you an idea (guitar skills were also...not really convincing ^^): http://www.imeem.com/people/_Fzr93i/video/QoPtz0ld/baru_kanjani_knight_2_music_video/
I had it on streaming beforehand, but if you want it i'll search for it and upload the file.

I'm not really sure if that really was what you were seaching for... If it was not, sorry ^^

Thank you very much for the info and the video. I recognised High-Heel Momoko - no wonder she adores them so much...she's been with them from the very beginning. And I didn't know Subaru was one of the backdancers for Kinki Kids. I would love to see videos from that time.

LOL @ the video and his somewhat shaky guitar skills - he's come a long way since then, hasn't he?

If it's not too much trouble, may I have the link to that video (if you can find it)? I'd greatly appreciate it and once again, thanks very much! 8D

Just to add on to what was said above, mostly regarding Subaru's singing;
that video clip for the show Kanjani Nights was the first show the Kansai Jrs had as their own. from the first episode, you can sorta see that Yoko is being put the fore and standing out more. He is the one doing the most talking even back then XD. Subaru's singing potential was most likely first noticed during the studio recording session for the show's theme song (Boys in the West Side). (Additional trivia: Kanjani Nights was renamed Nanjani Kanjani - with the same Jr lineup. That later became Weekly V.WeSt which became J3Kansai which became Honjani <3 which is currently Janiben - so the Kansai Jrs have been holding that KTV slot for 10 years running)

The thing that really made ppl sit up and catapaulted Baru to Tokyo tho, was the Johnny's junior medley in Music Station in 1998 where he sang Aishiteru Aishitenai (with YOKOHINa flanking him as backdancers). And of course from then on, he would get many more solos and go on to become the leader of KJJ.


All that said, I have not been a fan since the beginning and this has just been a compilation of info gathered thru shows and from more veteran fans through the years.

Hi Anon!!

I watched a couple of video clips of Kanjani Nights on YouTube (shortly after I signed off of K-Eden) and yes, I noticed that Yoko did more speaking than Hina at that time (Hina eventually became the host and main speaker to many of their later shows, it seems). Subaru as always, never said much unless there was a reason for him to speak.

Very interesting history of the shows - from Kanjani Nights all the way up to Janiben. 10 years is a long time!! I didn't know that.

So it was Aishiteru/Aishitenai which sort of catapulted Subaru into major Pop-Idol Star...something else I didn't know. I love that song...love watching the old videos of Subaru performing it too. Yeah, I can see why people would all of sudden sit up and take notice.

Thank you very much for all the info!! Greatly appreciate it! :)