Tackey and Tsubasa
Encyclopedia
are a Japanese idol
duo
consisting of Hideaki Takizawa
and Tsubasa Imai from the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
. Takizawa, nicknamed "Tackey" (sometimes spelled as its literal romanization), is best known for his drama
works, and Tsubasa for his dancing ability. They have also been musically successful with hit singles such as "Venus" and "Yume Monogatari". Their works are produced by Avex Trax
.
, a company which specializes in male teen idol
s led by Johnny Kitagawa
. They started out as backdancers for better known teen idols in their label such as KinKi Kids
(who also had not yet debuted at the time) in 1995, when both were 13-years-old. They have hosted the Japanese variety shows, Gakibara Teikoku 2000 and Music Enta. Besides hosting, the two have starred together in dramas such as, Kaiki Club Ghost Stories and Genroku Ryoran. During the filming of the NHK
series Genroku Ryoran, which aired in 1999, they became best friends.
Before their official debut, the two performed together many times. In 1999, Tackey asked Tsubasa to join him in their first duet during the "Johnny's Juniors First Concert" in Tokyo, Japan. And in April 2000, at the "Johnny's Juniors Spring 2002 Concert", the two performed their second duet together on stage. For this duet, the two designed their outfits, choreography and even their unit symbol (a tarantula). It was after this time that they hosted the two variety shows, Gakibara Teikoku 2000 and Music Enta, from 2000 to the beginning of 2001.
In February 2001, it was announced that the two would be headlining their first tour, called "Takki and Tsubasa 21st-century Showdown with all Johnny's Juniors". Tsubasa designed the customs and Tackey designed the setting for this very successful tour, and for the first time in JE history, two Johnnys were distinguished in the title of a Junior tour. This led to many people believing that the two would debut as a duo like the KinKi Kids
. Instead, at the end of this tour, Johnny Kitagawa announced the two would debut as solo artists in 2002. They were planned to officially debut when they reached 20-years-old due to their popularity.
For the 2002 "Johnny's Junior concert" the two were again announced to be the headliners of the tour, and it was during this tour that Tackey mentioned he wanted to debut as a duo with Tsubasa. The fans then launched a campaign asking people who wanted them to debut together to send postcards and letters to Johnny & Associates
, imploring Kitagawa to debut the two boys as a duo instead of as solo artists. The campaign has lasted for about a year, but then on August 1, 2002, Johnny announced that they would debut solo. Their debut solo songs would be entitled "Get Down" (Tsubasa's) and "Kiseki" (Tackey's). Yet, as a surprise instead, where the official announcement of their debut was to take place, the two announced they would be debuting as a duet after all. The two solo songs of theirs along with the duet song "True Heart" were the first releases from their debut mini-album, Hatachi
(meaning 20-years-old in Japanese), which was released on September 11, 2002.
Their songs "Crazy Rainbow" and "Mirai Koukai" were one of the opening and ending theme songs respectively for popular Japanese anime One Piece
. They were also featured in the opening animation of One Piece episode 303, added into the opening segment to their song that was used since episode 284. Also, their song "One Day, One Dream" was on the soundtrack of the Japanese anime Inuyasha
.
and romaji titles are given first, followed by the Japanese
titles underneath.
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
consisting of Hideaki Takizawa
Hideaki Takizawa
is a Japanese actor and member of the J-pop duo Tackey & Tsubasa from Tokyo, Japan. In 2002, when he reached the age of 20, he debuted with Tsubasa Imai in the group Tackey & Tsubasa under the record label Avex Trax. That same year, he graduated from Johnny's Junior. Tackey & Tsubasa have released...
and Tsubasa Imai from the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
. Takizawa, nicknamed "Tackey" (sometimes spelled as its literal romanization), is best known for his drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
works, and Tsubasa for his dancing ability. They have also been musically successful with hit singles such as "Venus" and "Yume Monogatari". Their works are produced by Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
.
Pre-debut
Before their debut, Tackey and Tsubasa were the top "Juniors" in the Johnny & AssociatesJohnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
, a company which specializes in male teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
s led by Johnny Kitagawa
Johnny Kitagawa
, born , is the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for numerous popular boy bands in Japan. Kitagawa assembled, produced and managed more than a dozen popular bands, including SMAP, Arashi, Kanjani8, Hey! Say! JUMP, V6, NEWS and KAT-TUN. Kitagawa's influence has...
. They started out as backdancers for better known teen idols in their label such as KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
(who also had not yet debuted at the time) in 1995, when both were 13-years-old. They have hosted the Japanese variety shows, Gakibara Teikoku 2000 and Music Enta. Besides hosting, the two have starred together in dramas such as, Kaiki Club Ghost Stories and Genroku Ryoran. During the filming of the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
series Genroku Ryoran, which aired in 1999, they became best friends.
Before their official debut, the two performed together many times. In 1999, Tackey asked Tsubasa to join him in their first duet during the "Johnny's Juniors First Concert" in Tokyo, Japan. And in April 2000, at the "Johnny's Juniors Spring 2002 Concert", the two performed their second duet together on stage. For this duet, the two designed their outfits, choreography and even their unit symbol (a tarantula). It was after this time that they hosted the two variety shows, Gakibara Teikoku 2000 and Music Enta, from 2000 to the beginning of 2001.
In February 2001, it was announced that the two would be headlining their first tour, called "Takki and Tsubasa 21st-century Showdown with all Johnny's Juniors". Tsubasa designed the customs and Tackey designed the setting for this very successful tour, and for the first time in JE history, two Johnnys were distinguished in the title of a Junior tour. This led to many people believing that the two would debut as a duo like the KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
. Instead, at the end of this tour, Johnny Kitagawa announced the two would debut as solo artists in 2002. They were planned to officially debut when they reached 20-years-old due to their popularity.
For the 2002 "Johnny's Junior concert" the two were again announced to be the headliners of the tour, and it was during this tour that Tackey mentioned he wanted to debut as a duo with Tsubasa. The fans then launched a campaign asking people who wanted them to debut together to send postcards and letters to Johnny & Associates
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
, imploring Kitagawa to debut the two boys as a duo instead of as solo artists. The campaign has lasted for about a year, but then on August 1, 2002, Johnny announced that they would debut solo. Their debut solo songs would be entitled "Get Down" (Tsubasa's) and "Kiseki" (Tackey's). Yet, as a surprise instead, where the official announcement of their debut was to take place, the two announced they would be debuting as a duet after all. The two solo songs of theirs along with the duet song "True Heart" were the first releases from their debut mini-album, Hatachi
Hatachi
Hatachi is Tackey & Tsubasa's first mini-album to be released under avex trax. The album was released on September 11, 2002.-Overview:Hatachi is the debut mini-album released by duo singers Tackey & Tsubasa...
(meaning 20-years-old in Japanese), which was released on September 11, 2002.
Post-debut
To date, Tackey & Tsubasa have released 10 singles, 3 albums and 3 DVDs: a significantly smaller number compared to their counterparts in the company. They have been quite successful; their most recent CD releases have reach the top position on the Japanese music charts. The two also share a very close friendship, being best friends; this aspect of their relationship is obvious through their interactions and interviews and is a very important part of the dynamic between them. Each has incredible strengths and skills, and as a result they complement each other very well.Their songs "Crazy Rainbow" and "Mirai Koukai" were one of the opening and ending theme songs respectively for popular Japanese anime One Piece
One Piece
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4, 1997; the individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 64th volume released as...
. They were also featured in the opening animation of One Piece episode 303, added into the opening segment to their song that was used since episode 284. Also, their song "One Day, One Dream" was on the soundtrack of the Japanese anime Inuyasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
.
Discography
In several cases, the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and romaji titles are given first, followed by the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
titles underneath.
Singles
| # | Information | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1st / Debut Single |
To Be, to Be, Ten Made to Be To be, To be, Ten made To be "To Be, to Be, Ten Made to Be" is Tackey & Tsubasa's debut single under the Avex Trax label. This is the first retail single for their 2wenty 2wo album.-Overview:"To Be, to Be, Ten Made to Be" is the debut single released by singer duo Tackey & Tsubasa...
|
107,298 copies sold |
| 2nd | Yume Monogatari Yume Monogatari "Yume Monogatari" is Tackey & Tsubasa's second single under the avex trax label. This is the second retail single for their 2wenty 2wo album.-Overview:... 夢物語 |
199,015 copies sold |
| 3rd | One Day, One Dream One Day, One Dream "One Day, One Dream" is Tackey & Tsubasa's third single under the Avex Trax label. This is the third retail single for their 2wenty 2wo album.-Overview:... |
110,679 copies sold |
| 4th | Serenade Serenade (song) -Overview:Serenade is Tackey & Tsubasa's fourth single, and currently their lowest selling and lowest ranking single. The a-side song "Serenade" was used as the Olympus "μDigital" commercial song... 愛想曲 (セレナーデ) |
90,955 copies sold |
| 5th | Kamen/Mirai Koukai 仮面/未来航海 |
124,344 copies sold |
| 6th | Venus Venus (Tackey and Tsubasa song) -Overview:"Venus" is Tackey & Tsubasa's sixth single, and currently their best selling single, reaching the 300,000 copies sold mark. The a-side song "Venus" was used in commercials for the ringtone service site, Mu-Mo... |
301,192 copies sold |
| 7th | Ho! Summer Ho! SUMMER "Ho! Summer" is a single by Tackey & Tsubasa."Ho! Summer" is Tackey & Tsubasa's seventh single under the Avex Trax label, and is their first single to be dedicated to summer. The regular version of the CD came with a bonus track, the limited version came with a special key ring, and the CD+DVD... HO!サマー |
143,014 copies sold |
| 8th | X (Dame)/Crazy Rainbow x～ダメ～ / Crazy Rainbow |
92,267 copies sold |
| 9th | Samurai
|
85,097 copies sold |
| 10th | Koi Uta (Koi Uta)/Progress 恋詩－コイウタ－ / PROGRESS |
100,000+ copies sold |
| 11th | Ai wa Takaramono 愛はタカラモノ |
69,167 copies sold |
Albums
| # | Information | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1st / Debut Mini-Album |
Hatachi Hatachi Hatachi is Tackey & Tsubasa's first mini-album to be released under avex trax. The album was released on September 11, 2002.-Overview:Hatachi is the debut mini-album released by duo singers Tackey & Tsubasa...
|
264,680 copies sold |
| 1st / Debut Album |
2wenty 2wo 2wenty 2wo 2wenty 2wo is Tackey & Tsubasa's debut album to be released under avex trax. The album was released on April 28, 2004 in two formats, limited edition and regular edition.-Overview:... |
118,851 copies sold |
| 2nd | Two You Four You Two You Four You "Two You Four You" is Tackey & Tsubasa's 2nd album to be released under avex trax. The album was released on November 15, 2006, over two and a half years after their debut album "2wenty 2wo", and contains a total of four previously released singles.... |
93,011 copies sold |
Compilation albums
| # | Information | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1st |
Tackey & Tsubasa Best Album タキツバべスト
|
120,648 copies sold |
DVD
- "" (February 2, 2005)
- "Tsubasa Imai 1st tour 23 to 24" (August 16, 2006)
- "Hideaki Takizawa 2005 concert ~~" (August 30, 2006)
- "" (March 7, 2007)
- "Tackey and Tsubasa Premium Live DVD -5th Anniversary Special Package-" (March 3, 2008)
- "Tsubasa Imai Dance and Rock Tour'09" (August 2009)