"Your Brothers Are Actors, So Why Aren't You?"... Kocchino Kento Overcomes Complexes to Become a Star [Japanese Perspective]

Compared to His Brother for His Looks
Endured Bullying During School Years
After Quitting His Job, Wrote a Song to Find His "True Self"
Rose to Stardom by Resonating with Office Workers

Are you familiar with the 'Girigiri Dance' challenge that's trending on Instagram and TikTok Shorts? Kocchino Kento, who performed the song "Hai Yorokonde (Yes, Gladly)," even appeared on YouTube channels introducing Korean singers and gave a live performance. He has a warm physique and a distinctive face. However, when it became known that his older brother is the famous Japanese actor Masaki Suda, many people reacted by saying, "He doesn't look anything like his brother!" Today, we will share the story of singer Kocchino Kento (こっちのけんと), who overcame feelings of inferiority growing up between an actor brother and a younger sibling, and rose to stardom through music.

Kocchino Kento is his stage name; his real name is Kento Sugo. His older brother, Taisho Sugo, is a well-known actor who performs under the name Masaki Suda, while his younger brother, Araki Sugo, is also an actor using his real name. In other words, both his older and younger brothers are actors. Since both his brothers have relatively sharp features, one of the most searched phrases related to Kocchino Kento is "He doesn't look like Masaki Suda." Japanese TV shows often feature scenes comparing his face to that of his brother, Masaki Suda.

Kocchino Kento album jacket photo. Kocchino Kento Instagram.

This was a complex he had felt continuously since childhood. His brother was scouted by talent agencies on the streets of Osaka as early as middle school, being asked if he had ever considered becoming an entertainer. After his brother debuted while still a student, Kocchino Kento was often compared with comments like, "Your brother is a celebrity, so why do you look like that?" Over time, he became afraid of being called Masaki Suda's younger brother. At school, he was bullied, with classmates throwing his pencil case in the trash or leaking his personal information online. Despite this, he felt he couldn't tarnish his newly debuted brother's reputation, so he tried to live as the "ideal younger brother of Masaki Suda." He has said on TV that "things go well if you just do what your father says," indicating that he doesn't have a bad relationship with his family, but he still felt a significant gap between his successful brother and his own ordinary self.

Compared to other celebrity siblings, Kocchino Kento led a fairly ordinary life. At his father's suggestion, he moved from Osaka to Tokyo to attend university, and during his first year, he worked as a secretary for a member of the House of Representatives, diligently building his resume for future employment. However, what truly awakened his passion was singing. He joined an a cappella club at university and worked hard enough to win the national amateur a cappella competition two years in a row.

Kocchino Kento (from left), Masaki Suda, Arata Sugo. Kocchino Kento Instagram.

However, singing remained just a hobby, and he entered the job market. He even failed several interviews. After a rough period, he finally landed a job at an interview where he felt he had nothing to lose and spoke his mind freely. Yet, at the company, he often worked overtime, and the workload was so intense that he practically lived at the office.

One day, after returning home for the first time in a while, he found himself unable to move from the entrance, unable to manage his schedule, and fell into a deep state of lethargy where he couldn't do anything. On the advice of a senior at work, he went to the hospital and was diagnosed with severe depression, leading him to take a leave of absence. During this break, he realized that the job didn't suit him and decided to quit.

After quitting, he began writing songs, initially not thinking of it as work but simply writing as it came to him. While talking on the phone with his father about his depression, his father's parting words, "Don't die (shinu na)," stuck with him and inspired him to write a song. He resolved that once he finished writing this song, he would truly turn his back on life. He considered it his first and last song, not worrying about whether it would make money or if returning to music was the right choice. Around this time, he also started uploading a cappella videos to YouTube.

This is when two personas emerged: "Acchino Kento (あっちのけんと)," who hides his true self and tries to fit the ideal image others expect, and "Kocchino Kento," who follows what he genuinely loves. That's how Kocchino Kento became his stage name.

A scene from the "Hi Yorokonde" music video. Photo by Kento Kocchino YouTube.

He gradually gained recognition, and then hit it big with the song "Hai Yorokonde (Yes, Gladly)." Within just a month of its release, the music video surpassed 10 million views, and he was immediately invited to perform at NHK's year-end music show, Kohaku Uta Gassen, among other achievements. An English version of the song was released, and he even visited Seoul to film a Seoul version video for his YouTube channel.

The song's success can be attributed to the perfect combination of its title, lyrics, and the message conveyed by the music video. The title "Hai Yorokonde" is a phrase commonly heard in Japan, used in situations like ordering various things at a bar, meaning something like "Yes, understood." In Korean, it would translate to "Yes, gladly (I'll do it)."

Japan has a culture of honne and tatemae. Honne (本音) refers to one's true feelings, which are often hidden, while tatemae (建前) refers to the ideal, polite facade shown to avoid conflict. Expressing one's true feelings and doing as one wishes is considered meiwaku (迷惑), or causing trouble for others. The phrase "Hai Yorokonde" itself represents tatemae, accepting others' requests gladly even if one doesn't really want to. The "Girigiri Dance" featured in the TikTok challenge refers to being "on the edge," and the lyrics include Morse code for "SOS," revealing the inner turmoil people feel beneath the surface.

The music video adopts the style of Japanese animation from the 1960s and 1970s. After hearing the song, retro-style illustrator Kazuya Kanehisa immediately started working and completed the animation. Kocchino Kento was reportedly so moved by the animation that he cried.

This song resonated with many office workers, and in the same year, Kocchino Kento received numerous offers, including the Best New Artist Award at the Japan Record Awards and an appearance on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen.

He also confronted the depression that had always been with him. At the height of his popularity, he suddenly announced that he was suffering from bipolar disorder and would be taking a break.

Having grown up being compared to those closest to him, struggling with confusion and complexes, he ultimately became a singer who gave hope through songs about finding the "real me" that others can't see. Perhaps we, too, should consider whether we are sending out an SOS inside while being overly conscious of others' views and social standards.