Yesterday, Junnoske Watanabe announced that the WACK management company’s current system will end in 2026. We have seen Watanabe dismantle entire idol units on a whim before, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that he would seemingly do the same with his entire agency. To his credit, operating by instinct amidst (at times, self-inflicted) anarchy has served him pretty well over the years so, why stop now?
A ton of news on this topic dropped yesterday, but here’s what we know so far:
WACK iS DEAD. LONG LiVE WACK
Junnoske Watanabe reached out to a journalist at Natalie Music with a request that they publish his “Declaration of Defeat.” Posted yesterday, the screed recounts what Watanabe calls “WACK’s first chapter” and announces that it will come to an end in 2026:
“Still, looking back, WACK’s first chapter was a miraculous time.
We sang while crying, danced while screaming,
failed, broke things, disbanded, reformed,
and yet some still followed us.
This first chapter will close next year.”
However, WACK iS NOT OVER. The agency will be rebooted in 2027:
“If you’d like, let’s meet again somewhere. Raise your hand if you want to come on board. You’re welcome.
When that time comes, I’ll mess up your values again. It’ll definitely be fun.”
WACK is Being Retooled for the Global Market
Prior to the WACK in the UK concerts over the past couple of years, we had front row seats as WACK squandered each and every opportunity to take BiSH and other units global, focusing instead on the domestic market at the expense of potential audiences overseas. Now that the Japanese market has shifted to K-Pop influences and kawaii pop idol, WACK’s approach has become obsolete and the success of their units are on the decline. To his credit, Watanabe blames his own complacency and failure to innovate.
Launching in 2027, WACK 2.0 will set it’s sights on the global market. From his Declaration, Watanabe compares WACK to a sinking ship:
“That sinking ship will return to port next year, preparing to set sail once again for new waters.
My next voyage isn’t to Japan. I’m returning to the work of “shifting value and alchemizing it globally.” This is my reason for living, and the reason I’ve kept WACK going.”
Seeking to adopt strategies that will appeal to a more global audience, he specifically states that he is not aiming for or emulating K-Pop. As he tells Natalie:
“The point is, if we view K-POP as the “standard baseline,” we can’t even differentiate ourselves unless we have appeal that surpasses it. Not having reached that baseline, that might be the true nature of WACK’s current predicament.”
Every Idol Unit is Being Disbanded (except MAMESHIBA NO TAiGUN)
GANG PARADE, KiSS KiSS, ExWHYZ , ASP, and BiTE A SHOCK will all disband in 2026. The only unit that will be spared is MAMESHIBA NO TAiGUN, the Kuro-Chan produced partnership with Tower Records.
(Almost) Every Idol Will Have to Re-Audition if They Want to Keep Their Jobs
About two hours after the publishing of Watanabe’s Declaration, an announcement dropped of the “WACK Joint Audition 2026 in collaboration with former WACK CEO Junnoske Watanabe” (because, remember: Watanabe no longer works at WACK *wink wink* as he stepped down as CEO last August to pursue his education in England).
In addition to new talent, the audition is “open to current WACK members who want to stick around for 2027 and beyond, as well as former WACK members who want to come back.”
Again speaking to Natalie, Watanabe made a specific pitch to ex-WACK idols who may want to be a part of the new, globally focused company:
“I believe we can start over again and again. That’s why I want this training camp to be a place where the past, present, and future all connect. Of course, there’s a chance that none of the former WACK girls will apply, and that’s more likely than not.”
He does admit that 14 idols have already been selected. Six current members are currently being provided special lessons in dancing, singing, and English. They, along with eight trainees from “secret auditions” have already been granted placement in WACK 2.0 projects.
The First Final Tour Launches
The “Where the End Begins by WACK” tour will launch in January featuring all six current WACK units. Dates have currently been announced through February. Disbandment shows for each group will be held separately and announced for future dates.
Our good friends over at GG WACK compiled some other useful facts on this fast moving story:
Where We Goin’?
It is all a lot to take in but, at least, we will have several months-to-a-year to work out all of the details. The prospect of a Western-focused WACK is pretty enticing, but it’s a pretty steep price when the cost is losing GANG PARADE, ExWHYZ, and ASP. I mean, ExWHYZ is one of the classiest units that we follow around here. Without them, when are we ever going to have the opportunity to break out the fine china?
The final round of the audition promises to be a full blown training camp, which we haven’t seen from WACK in three years. What form it takes will be interesting and may present our earliest opportunity to see any evidence of a global-facing WACK. Broadcasts from previous camps were entirely tuned for a domestic audience, so we shall see.
All in all, yesterday was a heaping serving of heartbreak and disappointment alongside promises of something that we’ve always wanted and practically begged for: an alt-idol agency actively targeting overseas audiences. If anyone could pull it off, it may just be Junnoske Watanabe and his capricious instincts. Whatever WACK 2.0’s journey, we will certainly be along for the ride. As Watanabe says, “It’ll definitely be fun,” and, probably, equally infuriating.
