Fire Him? Boy Group Member’s Fate Decided By A Twitter Poll Following His “Betrayal”
When an idol becomes the center of controversy, they are often at risk of being removed from their group. One agency, however, took an unconventional approach to decide whether or not to terminate their star’s contract.
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On December 11 2018, the Japanese idol group Amatou Danshi announced on their official X account (then Twitter) that member Muroi Kazuma had secretly gotten married. His marriage, according to the agency, was a breach of contract. Reportedly, Muroi had hidden his marriage from Amatou Danshi’s agency but also from his members. Like the agency, they felt blindsided and betrayed by the news.
However, rather than terminating Muroi’s contract outright, the agency and his members decided to leave his fate up to fans. Over 138,000 votes were reportedly cast in an X poll that has since been deleted. The choices were “Continue” and “Withdraw.”
At one point, the votes were split 46% (Continue) and 54% (Withdraw). In the comment section, voters reportedly explained why they had voted for one option or the other. Though some fans expressed that they felt betrayed by his marriage, most voted “Withdraw” for legal reasons; if Muroi had broken his contract, there should be consequences. Those who voted for Muroi to stay expressed their love for the idol and support for his marriage. Many voters on both sides reportedly disparaged the agency for leaving Muroi’s fate up to the internet.
So, what happened to Muroi Kazuma? Six years later he is still a member of Amato Danshi! Since the controversy, Muroi and his members have celebrated many milestones together including birthdays, holidays, and the group’s anniversaries.
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