Matsumoto Jun - Takes Himself Seriously, Loves Arashi Selflessly

So before anything else, you need to just look at this guy. Get ready for electrifying paralysis of all body systems except your toki-toki hearts.

You're welcome, girls.

The intimidating and magnetic stare that Jun
is so famous for.  

Because I can't resist putting another
sexy-and-I-know-it Jun pic here...

I never skip over the Lucky Seven opening credits because
of, well, this. 

Here's a gentler Jun-gaze to ease us into the mecha-kakkoii
subject that is Matsumoto Jun.

Aaaand here it comes. Matsumoto Jun-sama. It was so difficult to condense his character into a little phrase for the title here. Certain words thrown around in the fandom came to mind: Princess, Diva, Stoic, Concertmaster, DoS, and of course, we have to keep in mind that Jun, unlike Aiba, Nino, or Ohno, changed quite a lot in both appearance and personality since Arashi's debut; he's grown from that cute spiky-haired kid with the idiotically wide smile to the sexy brooding gentleman who's always in demand for romantic lead roles in doramas. So what phrase could encompass all these sides of our beloved Jun? In the end, I settled for a title that is quite lame. But whatever, it sort of fits, as Jun is stoic to a fault when it comes to perfecting his art and takes himself very seriously. You don't see him chuckling at silly things as much as the others, especially after 2009 when he really matured. And he really does love Arashi like it's his soul, soul; the other members have all, at one time or another, pointed him out as the one who cares most about the group. He can be just as yasashii as Riida when you get past his intimidating superstar aura!


Basics
Born Aug. 30, 1983 in Tokyo. Has an older sister. Not much is known about his family since he is the most private of all Arashi where this is concerned. Sent in his Johnny's application on his elementary school graduation day and became a Jr. in 1996 at the age of 12. Is the second tallest in Arashi at 173 cm, and has A negative blood, which is uncommon. Nicknames: "MatsuJun" is the most commonly used one, with all Arashi members and familiar people in the entertainment industry using it. You'll also hear "Jun-kun" or "Matsumoto-kun" (the latter is rarely used by members) but never "Jun-chan" or really, anything with "-chan." No one, not even the nicknaming specialist Aiba, is so presumptuous as to address Jun with "-chan." Although during his younger days, Sho used to call him by the endearing "Macchan," but naturally this is just a funny nickname used mostly to get laughs out of the surrounding audience nowadays. Nino came up with "J" and often calls him that, especially when he's about to do something bad-ass, like give away 50 points to the opposition on VSA just to "spice things up."

Appearance

Dem eyebrows. 

Hot. Hawt. In case you somehow managed to skip past those pictures above, let me reiterate: Sizzling. Hot. From. Every. Angle. (that was even pointed out by a guest on HnA Sharehouse). Every fan might have a different idea of what's sexy in a man, but most (including Arashi themselves) will agree that as far as marketing purposes are concerned, Johnny has put Jun squarely in the category of Sex Appeal Idols. He's sexualized visually a lot, and plays way more romantic roles than any of his bandmates. Jun may have debuted as a dorky, scrawny, bucktoothed teen in 1999, but that changed somewhere along the way. His teeth got fixed, which really helped, and he started playing around with hairstyles. Jun's very fond of giving his hair a complete makeover once or twice a year, and we've decided that he can pretty rock any look. But after his famous role in Hana Yori Dango was when people really started to notice. He was widely discussed for the intensity of his burning gaze and his oh-so-strikingly-thick-and-angrily-slanting eyebrows (Japanese men actually voted that his eyebrows are a prime "manly" feature of his). And oh yes, do we love those eyebrows! They're quite possibly the most famous and obsessed-over eyebrows in Japan. And for once, we completely understand the obsession. Jun's toned down the bushiness of his brows over the years, though, and they now look very expertly refined, but oh! That slant, that dark arch still haunts all our dreams. Jun sometimes complains (like a typical princess) that his heavy facial features make it impossible to disguise himself in public. It's true that his face looks like it was painted in big sweeping strokes; his eyes are huge (don't put him in those eye-enlarging photobooths; they already tried that in HnA and the result was creepy), his nose is big, and his mouth is just Julia-Roberts-humongous, making the wattage on his smiles a gazillion times greater than a normal person's. This strong-featured face, the face of Doumyoji, became the face of manliness, and we all covered our mouths with a sharp intake of breath as we realized: Jun had gone from being

                        this                                                                              this.

               





                  to







Jun just has this unique look to him that yes, makes him a little scary and unapproachable, but is nevertheless the exotic expressive look that make him such a great model. He can deliver heavily loaded messages with an arch of a brow, a curl of a lip, an offhand glance, a small clench of the jaw... He's just got that face models would dream of, a face that can occupy a whole spread and spark endless fantasies. He's even got his own beauty marks: one on his upper lip and one just below his lower. They sometimes get photoshopped out of magazines, but watch some of his doramas (Kimi wa Petto is a good one) and you can't miss them. They are, in my opinion, tantalizingly apparent. Speaking of lips, MatsuJun's are very unique. They aren't really symmetrical, and when he laughs or talks you can often see his mouth slanting to one side in an incredibly sexy and forceful way.

Like Sho, MatsuJun has gained some muscle mass since his scrawny teenage days and can now rock a tank top. He's also the designated "chest-barer" in Arashi, ripping off his shirt during concerts (whether as a part of the choreography or not), doing nude photoshoots (bless you so much, an an!), and acting in certain doramas (that bare-chested ring fight with Eita in Lucky Seven was seven heavens of steaminess). While all Arashi members have appeared shirtless before, MatsuJun's shirtlessness is undeniably the most sexualized. He's the one who's done implied bedroom scenes and nude photoshoots with a nude female model. He also loves to douse his head with water during MC breaks in concert and then shake it off like a dog. As far as I know, no one's ever complained. The Arashi members don't even look twice at it. Just Jun being his sexy self. In a recent 2013 interview, Ohno was asked who he thought was sexiest, and he chose Jun without hesitation. In fact, Jun frequently tops lists/polls (within Arashi or just within the general public) concerning sexiness, love and popularity among women.

Oh, and also, Jun loves to squat, for some reason. Which is cute. In a weird way.

Young Jun (left) with Young Nino. DoS tendencies already?

Personality

Jun's probably the only one in Arashi who was actually very excited about debuting back in 1999. We all know how Ohno, at that time, had already asked to be released from the jimusho but was tricked into debuting by Johnny-san, and how Nino and Sho had gone into the office together so they'd morally support each other in quitting Johnny's. Ohno wanted to pursue art, or baking. Nino wanted to move to Hollywood and learn to be a director, and Sho just wanted to go to university like the good little boy he was. And Aiba was still that simple-minded gangly kid who was a little shy of the spotlight and just wanted to dance in the background. Which just leaves Jun. Oh Jun, the ambitious, the elite, the one who probably wanted to debut more than anything. Jun, who loved the idea of being an idol and charming the pants off of girls in front of millions of TV screens in Japan. Jun, who had worked the hardest as a junior, waiting for just this moment. Jun, who was pretty much born to be a superstar and got accepted into Johnny's without even an audition. I remember when Arashi was being interviewed for their 10th anniversary, Jun had commented that "three of the five (Ohno, Sho and Nino) were very negative about the news of debuting." Poor Jun must have been quite heartbroken when he realized his friend Nino and his idol Sho wanted to jump ship back then, and I still thank whatever forces were at work back in 1999 for convincing these three to stay with the group every day; I have a hunch that all five Arashi members say the same prayer of thanks too, judging by how much they love each other now.

Jun working hard in between takes. 

But back to Jun. He takes his profession as an idol very, very, seriously. He (and Sho) were the ones who led the conversation on the future direction of Arashi in 2002 when the five were holed up in Ohno's hotel room after their concert. He is picky about the acting roles he takes, and worked really hard to improve his singing over the years. He is known within the entertainment industry as being a perfectionist when it comes to acting or concert performances. His role in NatsuNiji was probably not at all hard to play, as I can absolutely see him poring over books and overanalyzing every line in the script just to nail every second of his performances. He's very detail oriented, and is the number one overseer of Arashi's concerts. He checks it all: costumes, song list, transitions, equipment and everything else. He got very annoyed that the pathways running through Kokuritsu in 2013 were not of a matching color as the rest of the ground (which I think he mentioned was grassy or something), and insisted on having the staff spray paint it to make it more aesthetically pleasing. MatsuJun takes every detail very seriously. You can see him making poor Sho try on different costumes in the behind-the-scenes footage of the 2006 Asia Tour and evaluating which outfit they should open with. And the Johnny's moving stage? You know that big see-through stage that passes right over the audience with the boys dancing on it? That was his idea, too. Naturally, MatsuJun will eagerly execute all professional duties without complaint; he's like the complete opposite of Ohno! Riida likes to sit in the background and daydream, but Princess Fabulous demands more work for himself and naturally occupies the spotlight. Just take his solo performances for example. Is it enough to just dress up in bright outfits, throw in some choreo and the sing against a digital screen? Uh, not for uchi no J! For Yabai-Yabai-Yabai, he suspends himself on wires and does an upside down walk on some scaffolding before falling with a look of surprise that smoothly leads us into Yabai! Wait, that wasn't awesome enough? Oh don't worry, J's already upped his game for Come Back to Me. He's on wires again, but this time he's sailing through a video game, ducking digital rocks and breaking bad-ass asteroids with his powers. Possibly one of the most awesome moments of the Scene Tour DVD's. Clearly all those trips to see Cirque du Soleil have paid off.

Man, I sure wish Jun was there
to help me with my chores, too.

Back in the CDG no Arashi days, especially in the days before he took on HanaDan, Jun was an awkwardly goofy character. He was the baby of the group, and often attached himself to Sho or Ohno like a puppy following his mother. He used to idolize Sho, too, calling himself Sho's No. 1 fan. He would be adorably shy when praised and liked to goof off and assist Aiba in his crazy experiments. His mouth was always never shut because he was constantly wearing that big wide smile. He had that slight bad-boy look to him with his shaggy hair and habit of wearing these thick necklaces. But back in those days, Sho took the cake for being Arashi's resident bad boy with his ear and belly button piercings and his love of wearing sideways baseball caps, so Jun came off more goofy than bad. Somewhere around the HanaDan role, Jun began to, well, mature. In a very sensual way. The lines of his face became smoother, his expression became more cool and aloof, and though the goofball character could often be revealed through a quick tease by his bandmates, he was definitely quieter than he was before. He didn't double over and show all his teeth in laughing so often as he used to. I personally think he may have been a bit abashed by all the sudden attention he was getting from his Domyouji role, and trying to downplay himself when he was with his bandmates, because if it's one thing you can be sure about Matsumoto Jun, it's his ardent and sincere love for Arashi as a group. Jun cares about Arashi. A lot. In fact, one of the demands he made to the production team before he accepted the Domyouji role was that Arashi would sing the theme song. The whole group's popularity soared soon after, and most people would say that Jun's HanaDan role was a turning point for Arashi. It is true that many fangirls (me included) were Jun-baited through this dorama into loving Arashi, but Jun was always a bit uncomfortable with this sort of labeling. He always waved his hands and lowered his head in denial when anyone called him "the most popular ladies' man" or "the most desired man" or anything like that. For all his ambition, he isn't the type to hog all the spotlight for himself, and he would certainly dislike being referred to as the reason for Arashi's success when there were four other equally important members! So it's no surprise that he became much more mellow after all his bandmates began to get more recognition of their own.

Relaxed, confident Jun.

Now, Jun is someone who has grown into an intelligent, strong silent (smoldering) type. Very mature, much less impulsive, and thinks deeply before he speaks. That's earned him the  nickname of "Mr. Stoic," which I think secretly pleases him. Other celebrities often comment on his maturity, too. He's a rather reserved, private person, and is probably the most aloof member of Arashi when the group is together. Please don't mistake that for haughtiness though! Because Jun's face will break into an unbelievably gentle smile when he wants to be tender (which is actually more often than you'd think). Everyone agrees that his bark is worse than his bite, and he certainly looks scarier than he actually is. In fact, he's got a sort of motherly role in Arashi. He enjoys taking care of people, and the role of cutting up and divvying food is naturally his anytime on Arashi variety shows (I suspect he even practices how to do it elegantly in his spare time). His costar on Hidamari no Kanajo and other friends of his have all revealed that he is always the one who roasts the meat for the table at yakiniku dinners. Ah, Chef Jun is very yasashii, ne? He is also known for being generous, and will treat his friends to meals, paying the bill secretly before the others at the table even think to ask for the check. Though not as fond of skinship as Nino, Ohno or Aiba, he does loosen up on variety shows, and will play along gamely whenever Aiba feels like grabbing him or someone else wants to tease him (he'll look to the sky and cry out "majide?! majide?!" a few times before he lets himself be led). He gives as good as he gets in the teasing department though, and is no duller than Nino when it comes to pointing out others' mistakes in front of the camera. That's his DoS side coming out.

Jun can't hold back his tears, and Aiba
was only seconds into his letter.

Want more proof that Jun is just a jiggly piece of jelly inside? He is a shameless crybaby, and admits to it. He cried when watching the Lord of the Rings, and he was first to break down when Aiba read his famous letter in 2004. He is often the one who wordlessly helps another member or guest up after they fall, and did I mention he is absolutely adorable with kids? As heartbroken as I will be to see him get married, I do admit that he would make an excellent Papa Jun. He has just the right balance of discipline and tenderness, and judging from the way everyone in Arashi trusts him implicitly, I'd say he's just the type of father a kid could lean on for advice, for support, for anything, really. He's also an incredibly reflective person with quite a lot of wisdom coming out of his mouth. During Arashi's tenth anniversary, Jun was asked about how he dealt with the pressure and frustration of low visibility and popularity of Arashi in the period after their debut and before 2004. Jun replied that he never thought of Arashi as having fallen into a slump after the sensational debut; if anything, he saw the debut as a fluke and claimed that Arashi had always seen themselves as working from the bottom up since day 1. So the success now is really not a return to the top, per se, but a destination that was finally reached after a decade of hard work. Jun, more than anyone, knows that the only thing for Arashi to do is to keep on being their awesome selves and think of new things to make their fans happy. He always delivers serious, heartfelt speeches to the audience at concerts, and you can really feel that he bristles with excitement at the prospect of putting the miles on those fans' faces.

Rocking the plaid and the glasses.
It's official. Dork now equals HAWT.

MatsuJun is, as I said, fabulous. He's a superstar with a superstar sense of style. His bandmates have revealed that he is the one who spends the most money on clothes. He loves fedoras and sometimes has to coordinate with Aiba (who also loves fedoras) so that they don't both wear fedoras on the same day. He also loves rings. Big shiny bad-ass skull-shaped rings that the other members all complained about because it hurt so much to high five him in concerts. Being short-sighted, he wears contacts most of the time, but on occasion, we will see him with some snazzy glasses. Our Princess Jun is an expert in accessorizing. But let's get on to his actual clothing. Nowhere better to get a sense of his personal taste than in Mannequin Five, right? Haha, no. MatsuJun has been most frequently voted last place in the M5 specials and has gotten first place only once (thanks to @shinigamiami for pointing that out!). Sometimes, I think his daring style gets the better of him, but other times, he consciously tries to dress more "normally" and ends up getting penalized for being "boring" so it's really a rather random game. Jun generally likes jackets and blazers (he looks really good in jackets and blazers; something every wardrobe staff member in every show he's ever worked on has discovered). He chooses nice pointy dress shoes of either black or white whenever the occasion permits (M5 is usually themed, so you wouldn't really choose dress shoes for a theme like "beach date attire" for example. I'm sure Jun was disappointed that episode). He favors solid colors over florals, and likes a neutral, well-blended color scheme that isn't too ostentatious. He can really pull off the dressy look, but often likes to spice it up by adding contrasting elements to make his outfits geek-chic, almost. When confronted with a less dressy theme, he'll often opt for a carelessly handsome look that, if it weren't for his perfect hair and face, would fall suspiciously on the side of sloppy. Haha, you can't throw our Princess in uncivilized environments!

A random selection of Matsumoto Jun's fashion choices.

MatsuJun, along with Sho, is probably the most polite member of Arashi, always attentive to the guest, never failing to bow and say greetings at the appropriate times, and certainly always referring to sempais with suitable honorifics. They have also both mastered the art of diplomatic answers during interviews and guest shows, Jun in a self-absorbed, reflective way and Sho in a more general, political way. Jun's sense of decorum is present even behind the scenes, as he is known to walk specially to the green rooms of his sempais whenever they are present in the same studio as him. It's not surprising that Sho (or maybe Ohno, can't remember who) picked him as the member with the biggest social circle. He certainly has several prominent intimate friends, like Oguri Shun, Ikuta Toma, and Matsuda Ryuhei. Within Arashi, he's suggested that he hangs out with Aiba the most in private, though it seems difficult for them to decide on who their "most intimate friend" is within the band since they're all so close. Jun has indeed also taken a trip to Europe with Riida in private as well. And obviously he was with Aiba and Nino on a trip to New York (Gosh I wish I could have bumped into them!!).

Hmm? Do you need clarification?

But decorum, in Jun's case, only goes so far, since he is also incredibly ERO (erotic) and is the least shy when talking about such topics on their shows. He has mentioned, more than once on AnS and once  when he guested on another show, that his favorite part of a woman is her butt. Yes, you read that right. A Japanese idol of a group known for their squeaky clean images, has actually openly talked about his, erm, sexual fetish? He gets into a lot of detail about it too. On AnS, he will excitedly explain to you the two different types of female butts (from his observation), and ask you which kind you prefer. It is hilarious because he is so methodical! And he also joked  about giving porn as a present to the MC, which made me laugh so hard. Trust Jun to just say something like that in response to a perfectly innocent question! He doesn't do it often, but when the aggressive mood strikes him, he can really hit the laugh note. And does anyone mind that our national idol watches porn? Hardly. I mean, he is 30, after all, and working in an industry full of pretty girls that he isn't allowed to (openly) date. The general public finds it acceptable that he talks about porn, I think, and loves that he admits to it in such a careless, offhand way.

Talents

Clockwise from top left: 1) the arrogant heir Domyouji; 2) the hot-headed detective Shuntaro; 3) the adorable pet Momo;
4) the tender lover Okuda; 5) the struggling patient Yamaguchi; 6) the brooding brother Yori.

Jun's got a reputation for playing forceful characters like Domyouji in HanaDan, Sawada Shin in Gokusen, Shuntaro in Lucky Seven, and with his looks and voice, he's got the gift of being able to pull it off effortlessly. He's perhaps one of the most active Arashi actors, appearing as lead actor in doramas as early as Gokusen in 2002 and winning numerous acting awards over his career. Nino may be the recognized engiha (skilled actor) in Arashi, but Jun's also shown off some remarkable versatility in the dramatic department over the years. He's consciously chosen roles that challenge him, and it's paid off. He was getting a reputation as a hot bad boy with the Sawada Shin role, so what does he do? Immediately get a role that shows off his irresistible charm as a cutesy, pouting, pet, of course! Enter Momo in Kimi wa Petto. Did that make your insides fuzzy and just make you want to hug him and take care of him, poor thing? Well, Jun wouldn't want you to forget his manliness that fast, so he comes back as the cruel, egotistical (but slightly idiotic and lovesick) Domyouji Tsukasa in Hana Yori Dango. Oh ladies! Dreaming of his arms wrapping them around you? Fantasizing about his kisses in the rain? Haha, well, don't get too comfortable, because next thing you know, he's being melancholy hot on the big screen in Boku ga Imouto ni Koi o Suru (lit. I'm in Love with My Younger Sister) and you find yourself squirming because you can't get the perverse idea of twincest out of your mind. Tired of playing these assertive roles, Jun then decides to melt your heart with some vulnerability by transforming himself (tan and all) into the half-Filipino Vito who gets trampled all over on in Smile. Cried your eyes dry? Well, hope you have some more tears to spare, because you'll see him struggling CIPD on 24 Hour TV, where he's just your average salaryman trying to regain control over his steadily weakening muscles (think ALS, but not as bad) so he can be strong for his wife and daughter. Cathartic release? Tissue box empty? Oh don't worry, MatsuJun is back in style as the oh so stylish, hot-headed womanizer in his second getsuku Lucky Seven, and yes, his little sideways smirks and heated banter with Eita, Oizumi and Riisa will bring that smile back to your face in no time. Lucky Seven is just splendid comedy blended with some of the most kakkoii action scenes MatsuJun has ever attempted. Phew! That was too hot, you think. And Jun agrees, so for 2013, he's exchanging the roundhouse kicks for sunbathed whispers against a Beach Boys soundtrack in Hidamari no Kanajo, and if that won't satisfy your craving for some sweet tender, heartbreaking Jun, I don't know what will.

That chikazukidai line that launched
seventy-thousand screams.

Then, there's his, erm, singing. I think it was one of Arashi's first few appearances on Utaban, where Jun, with his tongue shyly in his cheek, said he admired the host Nakai-sempai because Nakai isn't very good at singing and that's one thing they have in common. The look on Nakai's face at this backhanded (but very adorable) compliment was just priceless. Jun is well aware that his singing voice is nasal, flat and very limited in range, but he's never any time whining about it. Instead, he rolls up his sleeves and works with what he's got. He's probably been taking vocal lessons since debut, because the quality of his voice has certainly improved a lot since the early 2000's, and he likes to experiment with all the different ways the sound engineers can treat his voice to make fabulously techno tracks that just wouldn't sound as good if someone with actual vocal skills (like Ohno) sang it. Come Back To Me is a good example of a track that needs the nasal flatness in the voice. So is Shake It. And so is Dance in the Dark on Arashi's newest album, LOVE. Jun knows how to maximize the advantages of his unique voice, and he knows that he doesn't have to try to imitate other more powerful voices to achieve good music. And boy, whatever Jun doesn't have in terms of vocal power or range, he makes up for in stage sass. He winks, he smiles his lopsided smile, he makes come-hither gestures with his hands, and generally exudes this energetic and magnetic charm. A very sassy diva he is indeed. All versions of La Tormenta, Arashi's intro song, describe Jun's dance moves as being "mollusc-like," which is best interpreted as curvy, with a lot of swaying and sliding. It's really hard to explain his style of dancing without straight up showing a video of it, but trust me when I say that it is unique and you'll recognize it at once when you see it.

Jun's always got his eyes on the prize.

Though more known for his sense of fashion than his athletic prowess, Jun is actually not bad at sports. He plays indoor soccer with Ikuta Toma sometimes, and played baseball when he was younger. He once said that if he wasn't an idol, he would have considered making baseball his professional career. On VSA, he's generally a pretty fast Cliff Climber and can rock the Pinball Runner when he's not in a diva mood (sometimes he'll just get annoyed or frustrated and will give up for a few seconds, to the visible chagrin of his bandmates). His best game is probably Koro Koro Viking, where he is usually placed in the final orange zone and shows off his mad fine motor skills. Several guests who were paired with him in the orange zone have said that he was a very dependable director of the action during the game. His detail oriented attitude has also helped Arashi snag many victories in the Giant Crash segment; the others pretty much just look to him when this segment comes along now. He is not good at Bound Hockey or Dual Curling, though, and got made fun of for that. For his role in Lucky Seven, he learned a few martial arts tricks, and he showed off some pretty elegant-looking throws and kicks in an impromptu AnS segment. He also has started learning golf, under the influence of Aiba. But of course, one fact will always haunt him, no matter how athletic he gets: he has never been able to do a backflip, even though he is an elite Johnny's. He (and Sho, the other culprit) get teased about this endlessly.

Ever since taking on the Bambino role in Bambino!, Jun has developed a passion for cooking, and his cooking is excellent. No one generally trusts Sho (or Aiba, for that matter) in the kitchen, but everyone feels safe when Jun's got the apron on. He likes to make Western-style dishes for most of the cooking segments they do, and whatever he makes is generally well-received.

Well, that's Matsumoto Jun, folks!