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Newspaper: Jin Akanishi Forced to Leave GTO Show Remake
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
The Nikkan Sports newspaper reported that actor and former KAT-TUN singer Jin Akanishi (27) was forced by Johnny & Associates, his talent agency, to leave the GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka live-action television series remake. Akanishi would have replaced Takashi Sorimachi as the title character in the remake of the 1998 drama, which adapted Tohru Fujisawa's original school comedy manga.
According to Nikkan Sports, Johnny & Associates discussed the decision to remove Akanishi from the GTO remake last month with Kansai TV, which is producing the series. The television series is slated to premiere on Japan's Fuji TV network in July.
Akanishi married the actress/singer Meisa Kuroki (23) on February 2. As a result, Johnny & Associates also canceled Akanishi's spring nationwide tour across Japan to penalize the idol. The talent agency is holding Akanishi responsible for expenses related to canceling the tour. One reason for the penalties is that Akanishi reported the marriage to Johnny & Associates after the couple had already registered their marriage.
Akanishi and Kuroki announced via fax on the April 14 that Kuroki is four months pregnant. Kuroki apologized for the delayed announcement but kept it a secret at the advice of her doctor until her health stabilized. Kuroki admitted that she is now stable, mentally and physically, and is coming to terms with the sense of responsibility creating life brings.
The couple is expecting their baby to be born in October. Kuroki is scheduled to act in the play "Kenji Miyazawa ga Tsutaeru koto" May 12-13 at Tokyo Setagaya Public Theater. She then plans to go on maternity leave until the birth of her child.
In addition to his singing career, Akanishi starred in the live-action drama adaptation of Yukari Ichijō's manga Yukan Club, which featured KAT-TUN single "Keep the Faith" as its theme song. Akanishi also starred in the second season of the live-action adaptation of Kozueko Morimoto's manga Gokusen. His voice acting debut was as the title role in the Japanese-language dub of the 2008 Warner Brothers film Speed Racer.
Sources: Nikkan Sports, Sankei Sports
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