SUMMARY of Johnnys World (Taiwan Version) DVD Region 3

Summary opens with all the pretty young faces, perfectly primped hair, and brightly colored, furred, fringed, sequined outfits one could possibly hope for (or dread). Throw in some requisite tumbling, roller skating, dancing, and singing, and it's shaping up to be a typical Johnny's affair. But then they start flying. Wirework is another Johnny's concert staple - apparently dangling around 50 feet in the air on a cable as if it's perfectly normal and comfortable comes after cartwheels on the Johnny's checklist - but Summary really takes it to a new level of carnivale. Scores of pop stars whirling and tumbling around in the air in smooth unison is a pretty impressive sight; I also like the part where people zoom down really quickly like they're on a SWAT team mission. If these boys ever get excommunicated from Johnny's land, they can seek work as stuntmen.

The first part of the show, "Japanesque", is dedicated to some folk legend heroic adventure. I was too distracted by the five million things going on at the same time to listen closely though, as the conveyance of said story involves geta tap dancing, traditional drumming, martial arts, mask dance, fan dance, swordplay, and, er, dragon slaying. This is one serious production in terms of stage design and direction, with fairly elaborate dancing and action sequences and many people running and tumbling around on stage. There's also a dragon, a couple dragons actually. Should little boys be allowed to stay up late, fly around recklessly, and play with dragons? Is Johnny's exempt from child labor laws? All good questions to ask on another day.

After the dragon slaying, Summary makes a rather dramatic shift to an Olympics-inspired "World Tour" segment. (The Athens Summer Olympics were going on, and Johnny's is big on the sports connection.) This portion sees the boys channeling the spirit of Greece, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Turkey, and Brazil via loud stage costumes (rainbow ruffled sleeves for everyone!) and more dancing, flying, and singing. Yamashita Tomohisa does the main narration for this segment, which is I believe a highlight for some people. The final third of the show is more of the usual routine with song and dance sequences and medleys of classic Johnny's hits.

For Johnny's fans, Summary is really a must-watch. It offers a chance to see NEWS before member loss as Kusano Hironori is still around, although Nishikido Ryo and Uchi Hiroki are both curiously absent from the show. There is also a sea of Johnny's Juniors for the picking, including subunits A.B.C., J.J. EXPRESS, Kis-My-Ft, and Ya-Ya-yah, although the only ones with significant face time are current Hey Say! JUMP members Nakajima Yuuto, Yabu Kota, and Yaotome Hikaru - or maybe they're just the only ones I recognize. Even for those not so enamoured with Johnny's - and I would count myself in this group as I've only recently returned to the folds of J-pop after swearing it off a couple years ago - Summary is worth a watch just for the pure entertainment value of the show. And did I mention the flying?