Feb 28 2008
Quotation Qorner: The Mystery of Ohmiya
Warning: Post contains little to no KAT-TUN.
“The Mystery of Ohmiya” might sound like a good title to a Nancy Drew book or perhaps even an Indiana Jones movie, but what I actually want to write about is one of the most unusual and fascinating features of Arashi: the Ohmiya relationship. Ohmiya of course stands for Satoshi Ohno and Kazunari Ninomiya, who are known to be a little bit too comfortable around each other, making a regular habit of holding hands, playing grab-ass, and generally being joined at the hip whenever Arashi is together. Sure, it makes the fangirls squeal, but after watching 8 years of this and hearing the other members say time and time again that, if anything, they’re even worse when they’re not on camera, makes it difficult to believe that what we’re seeing is mere fan-service. So what the hell is going on? Is there some kind of romantic relationship? Are they just doing this, as they claim, because they’re good friends and it amuses them? Do they like each other that way but they’re in denial so they tell themselves they’re just playing around? Have they gotten so used to the fanservice thing that they do it when the fans aren’t watching just out of habit? Does my collection of Ohmiya quotes have the answer? Here are some of the better recent ones, arranged from “aw, they’re good friends” to “have you no shame!?”
Nino: Even if we meet every day, I still always mail leader (note: he’s talking about cell-phone mail)
Sho: Really? You guys sure get along well.
Nino: If we’re counting, I probably mailed him about 6 times yesterday.
Source
Ohno: Who was it that you wanted to see again most?
Nino: Eh!? It was you of course!
Sho: Amazing! You two really seem to understand each other. How do you understand Nino so well?
Ohno: Because I love him
source
Nino: That’s because we’re going out!
Sho: Coming out at last?
Ohno (sheepishly muttering to interviewer): Please don’t write that down…
Nino: Ah, just joking, ne?
source
It is well known that Chinen from HeySayJump really admires Ohno.
To Chinen from Nino: I will never lose to you!
To Ohno from Nino: Lately there’s a kouhai who’s suddenly appeared and is aiming for Satoshi, but I will never lose, because I’ve always been watching Satoshi!
This exchange is seperate from the one above:
Ohno: Nino, compared to meals, I would rather eat you.
And Nino’s reply in the next issue:
Nino: Me too! I want to eat you too!
source
Ohno’s message to Nino: Love doesn’t change~(laugh). Shall I say it more? Love for all eternity…
source
Oh, and the clip is mislabled. They were actually in Sho’s bed. Ohno’s bed is the one he retreats to, and Nino is supposed to be rooming with Matsujun. I notice that all too often Sho is an accessory to these quotes and situations. Maybe he’s in on it? I do believe that Matsujun and Aiba are as baffled as I am by their behavior, but Sho… maybe Sho knows something…
Anyway, the best part of that clip is where Sho tells Jun that he found them asleep and cuddling and Jun’s response is not “WTF?” but rather, “They did that again?” And then he just calmly moves on to talking about the book he’s reading.The most incriminating thing is how sheepish and embarrassed Ohno acts. Just look at him in that video. Nino’s cutely confused and sleepy (huh? is it morning already?) but Ohno goes and hides like a little kid who just got caught doing something bad. It’s the kind of illogical, ‘I just woke up’ thinking that probably prompts him to think, “maybe if I don’t show my face they won’t know it’s me!” I think he got woken up when Sho came in and then sort of panicked. If it was all a big joke, then shouldn’t they be laughing and playing along more? Actually, whenever Ohno gets questioned about why they’re so touchy he gets kind of annoyed at the interviewer/the other members and changes the subject. Also, if Ni no Arashi has taught me anything it’s that Nino can’t keep a straight face for very long when he’s playing a trick on someone. Whatever they’re doing, there is no way that I can believe it’s all just a joke.
On the other hand… if there really were something going on there, it’s hard to believe that they would be so damn obvious about it. I know plenty of real life couples who are no where near this affectionate in public. I dunno. Then again, convincing the world that they’re just good friends messing around when they really are secretly more than that is exactly the kind of joke that Nino would enjoy most. It almost fits. Ohno becoming embarrassed because he’s afraid that if Nino reveals too much, their cover will be blown, and Nino vastly amused by seeing how much he can get away with. He totally would…
I suppose that another option is that one of them secretly has romantic feelings but he’ll never admit it because the other one just thinks they’re playing around. Or they both like each other but they think the other is just playing around so neither will admit it for reals! Fanfiction fodder, no? Meh. I don’t believe it. Such pretty stories probably don’t exist in real life.
As happy as it would make me if they would just get married already, my gut feeling is that these two are just both rather strange people (TRUE!) and that whatever this unusually close bond they have is, it’s nothing sexual. Don’t ask me what it actually is because I’m not sure that even Ohmiya themselves know that. Is it possible for two straight guys to fall in love with each other? What if you met someone who you were compatible with in every way except that you weren’t physically attracted to them? Because if so, maybe that’s what’s going on here. Okay, so my official position on the “are they or aren’t they?” question is: They’re not, but they kind of wish they were.
Or maybe I’m totally wrong. I can only hope that when they’re old and retired one of them will write a tell-all book, and then maybe the mystery will finally be solved. Knowing them they won’t though…
Confused, but too entranced to look away,
~Celestia~
Okay, I’ll dedicate one line to KAT-TUN. Remember how I have a student named Tanaka Koki? Well, I was tutoring him today when one of his friends called from across the room, “Oi! Kattun!” and he looked up and said, “What?”. The guy answers to “Kattun” rofl
You have brilliant points. ^_^
I’ve always thought of Ohmiya along the same lines and my theory on Ohmiya has strengthened even more as I hear (read?) my thoughts voiced out by another.
Sugoi, sugoi!