Popolo 2012.02 - “Full Understanding of Whats In Yamapi’s Head! His Current Best 3 Announcents!!”

NEWS members aren't included as his best friends???

And wait - not even Akanishi Jin???

That's right, minna. Popolo's 2012 February issue covered a column titled "Full Understanding of What's in YamaPi's Head!". In this column, YamaPi discusses his "best 3" on various topics - one of which happens to be "Johnnies Your Close Friends With." Shocking or not, not one of NEWS's four remaining members or even KAT-TUN's ex-member Akanishi Jin were included in his "best 3."

His best three in this particular category are as follows:
1. Ikuta Toma [No Border]
2. Matsumoto Jun [Arashi]
3. Nishikido Ryo [Kanjani8]


Yamashita comments on the topic:

"With Ikuta, I do stuff like eating out or going to the gym. Lately our conversations have been actor-like. Even though we go back and forth to the gym together, during training I’m doing solo activity. [laughs]"

With such a comment as this, I myself am left a bit speechless. It appears as if NEWS's ex-leader, YamaPi, is now regarding his withdrawal from his long-time unit as simply a trivial matter after only separating from the group three months prior. It doesn't surprise me much though. Even in NEWS's early days, you could tell that Pi felt a bit aloof among the members. Really, I think that it makes sense for Nishikido to be in his "best 3". It's a bit odd to explain, but I'm sure some of you long-time NEWS fans already know where I'm coming from.

I guess if I know one thing for sure, 6-member NEWS fans will surely be disappointed, as well as those fans of the Akanishi/Yamashita 'best friends' duo.

[source: aramatheydidnt@livejournal, various tumblogs, 6theory]
[primary source: Popolo Magazine 2012.02 (Feb) issue]

~Alie deshita