お誕生日おめでとう, 大ち ゃ ん (Happy Birthday, Oh-chan)

This is going to more visual than textual, so I hope you enjoy seeing Riida's pouty face over and over again!

Ohno Satoshi turns 33 today (since it is already Nov 26 in Japan), and I'm sure the other members have prepared a surprise for him at the LOVE tour. I'm hoping it's a cute prank :-) like when they gave MatsuJun that sparkling jacket as a gift. Who knows?

Riida debuted when he was 18, and he's certainly grown up a lot from the awkwardly reticent, long-haired teenager on that Hawaiian cruise ship back in 1999. For 14 years, he has been a part of fans' lives, singing us through difficult times with his powerful voice and offering us the rare word of wisdom in an odd magazine interview every now and then. He may be the quietest in Arashi, but his presence is like a warm blanket that covers the sets and stages; it envelopes us and reassures us. Everything's going to be all right; Riida has got your back.

Yoshi! On to the pictures!

Oh-chan is always tired, but cute.

Before he started plucking his eyebrows. Wasn't he cute in this McDonald's CM?

On his coming of age ceremony (20 y/o)

He is just too preeeettty *SQUEE*

And has a tender smile that melts hearts.

He just likes to be immersed in his own world sometimes. 

But he can be pretty curious when he finds something interesting to him.

Like piano. Sho-kun should coach him!

They're pretty close after all. 

But then, Oh-chan's also pretty close to Nino.

And Jun is always a nice manly shoulder to depend on.

And naturally, being with Aiba suits Riida's fancy as well. 

Hmmm... who to choose, Riida? 

EVERYONE! Arashi is always going to be 5 people together, as Riida always says!

How else are we going to bring out these goofy sides of Oh-chan otherwise?

Sure, sometimes he has to endure some friendly punching.

And yes, the stuff they make him wear!

And the dances they make him do!

Yep, the dances they get up to....

And even though they make him play silly games, he wins because he is a pretty bad-ass boss deep down.

Yeah, he surprises even himself in these moments. 

But silly games aside, Riida can get down to business when it really matters.

Like when he was that super creepy villain Naruse Ryo...

Or even when he's just busy kicking Jun's ass on the Wii in between shooting.

Or when he needs to tell Sho off when Mr. Fail messes up.

And when he dances, the world stops. 

He's pretty absent-minded, you know. 

He has simple pleasures like eating. He loves ramen. 

Maybe like Yamada Taro, he just imagines ramen in his head when he gives emotional performances? Haha...

He's an artist. 

in charge of tracing his friends' nostrils in ink.

Pleasant role, ne?

Sushi kanpai!

Oh-chan gets molested quite a lot, even by Jun!

And just because he's so good-natured, they make him be the one who gets slapped by the female guest for the experiment. 

Of course, Jun being DoS has to get a slap in too.

Poor Oh-chan! "I'll never touch your girlfriend again, Jun!"
Thank goodness Aiba is there to hold him.

Oh the things they get up to in Shukudai-kun!

"Ah, why am I even in Arashi?"

Because we make you happy! 

And because you bring us SO MUCH WIN.

You're a stern leader when necessary. 

But we all love you because you're so much fun too!

So let's look forward to your 33rd year bringing you more fun times ahead!

Just because I needed to end on a silly note!

Happy Birthday, Ohno Satoshi! May there be many more birthdays to celebrate with Arashi in the years to come!