Takechi Kaisei |
Takechi Kaisei (武知海青) is a Japanese performer, body-builder, actor and wrestler. He is a member of the group THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE.
He participated in the EXILE PERFORMER BATTLE AUDITION and made to the finals, but did not get selected.
Early Life[]
Takechi Kaisei was born on February 4, 1998, in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. He has two older sisters.[1]
In his childhood, Takechi excelled in different sports. His father had taught him and his sisters how to swim to prevent them from drowning, and by the time he was in 5th grade, Takechi competed in the Junior Olympics in swimming and was particularly known for his Butterfly stroke.[2][3] "I used to swim 10 kilometers a day. I would practice in the morning, eat lunch, and then swim again. [...] I learned (butterfly) on my own by watching top swimmers, and I was surprised how fast I was. From there, it became my specialty. I was never satisfied unless I got first place, and the more I tried, the better I got, so my ultimate goal would have been to become a member of the national team." However, he later recalled that he did not like the sport and training as it was "hard and painful".[3] Besides swimming, he also practiced discus throwing in junior high school.[4]
Due to the influence of his mother who had been running the dance school "T’s-BOX" in their hometown, Takechi also started learning dance at the age of two.[4][5] "I really wanted to join a club like baseball or soccer, but my mother insisted that I dance.... However, when I was in junior high school, I found out that dancing had an advantage in sports. I felt that my flexibility and instantaneous power made me stand out from the rest, and I felt that this was because of dance."[3] From third grade onward, he participated in various dance contests and won many of them.[4] In his early teens, he was part of a performance team called "Radiation" which focused on contemporary dance and took part in local competitions and events such as DANCE ATTACK.[6] Moreover, he was a member of the dance teams "AVANTI" and "Rhsmmm" too.
Takechi describes his childhood as very stressful: "Ever since I was little, I've been dancing and swimming, practicing on weekdays and having swim meets or dance contests on weekends. I practiced seven days a week and never had a day off. I would come home from school at 4:00 p.m., swim from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., get out early for dance practice and dry my hair in the car. I had dance lessons from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and then I would eat dinner and go to bed at 1:00 a.m. But I was a person who wanted to have good results in both dancing and swimming, so even though I didn't like it, I couldn't forgive myself for losing, so I worked hard."[3]
When he entered junior high school, he had to choose between dance and swimming. In the end, he chose dance as his older sisters had quit dancing before he did and he was convinced he had to take over his mother's dance studio.[7] However, as his goal was to become famous as a dancer, he realized that winning dance contests was not the path he should be aiming for, so he decided to stop participating in contests and reconsider the path he wanted to take.[8] Ultimately, he was scouted by EXPG in his third year of junior high school when he performed at a contest he was invited to be a guest at the year after he won second place, and became a scholarship student at EXPG Osaka. At the same time, he was working at his parents' dance studio.[4][7] Nevertheless, he felt inferior to the other scholarship students of EXPG who had been working as back dancers for artists because he thought his experience level was by far the lowest. "As the son of the owner of a dance studio, I felt that I had been pampered growing up, and I was fired up to dance so earnestly that I could silence the people watching me."[7]
Career[]
2014[]
At the age of 16, Takechi participated in the EXILE PERFORMER BATTLE AUDITION and was able to remain as a finalist. By the time of the audition, he had been a student of EXPG for only four months.[7] He describes this experience of failure as "confidence-shattering": "I couldn't understand what I was missing, and every time I was called a "finalist", I started wondering 'what am I missing?' [...] I didn't want to experience that feeling again."[9] Even though he wasn't able to be finish as a winner, he was selected to become a candidate for the upcoming EXILE TRIBE group THE RAMPAGE.[4] Convinced he would dishonor his mother and could not return to his hometown if he failed to become a member of the group, he competed in the group's first musha shugyo.[9] After completing the musha shugyo, Takechi was announced as an official member of the group on September 12, 2014.
2017[]
On January 25, Takechi made his major debut in THE RAMPAGE with the group's first single "Lightning".
2019[]
On November 16, he took part in the Summer Style Award 2019 ROOKIE CHALLENGE CUP, a beauty and body competition to determine the best-looking man for summer in Japan, and won the first place.[10][11]
At the end of the year, he also participated as a contestant in the athletics-focused variety program SASUKE that aired on TBS.[12][13]
2020[]
On February 17, it was announced that Takechi would be one of 10 LDH members participating as torch runners in the Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay on July 23.[14] Although, the relay was cancelled as the Olympics in Tokyo was postponed to 2021.
2021[]
On October 12, he started his first digital serialization titled "Takechi Kaisei no Hore Sase Body" about diet methods, body makeup techniques and fitness tips on the website of the women's fashion magazine ar web.[15]
2022[]
On March 22, he became the overall winner of the TBS program Sports Danshi Grand Prix / Saikyo Sports Danshi Chojo Kessen 2022.[16]
In the same year, he made his debut as an actor in the stage play REAL RPG STAGE "ETERNAL2" and also his on-screen debut in the ABEMA original drama series Fukumen D.[17][18][19][20][21][22][5]
2024[]
On February 25, he made his debut as a professional wrestler at the tournament Into The Fight 2024 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, held by the professional wrestling organization "DDT". He previously appeared in the wrestling-themed drama Fukumen D in 2022, which was fully supported by DDT, and teamed up with Sekiguchi Mandy in the special program GENERATIONS 24 Jikan Television 24 Jikan Ironna Live Dekiru kanaa? to have a match with professional wrestlers Endo Tetsuya and Oishi Makoto. This connection led to the realization of his professional wrestling debut as his talent was discovered by the trainers who coached him and he was scouted by DDT Pro Wrestling.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]
2025[]
On June 5, it was announced that Takechi has signed an agent contract with DDT as a professional wrestler. It was also revealed that he is appearing as an additional player in the match ROCK IN RING 2025 ~Kanadero Dageki, Sakebe Kansei~, scheduled to be held on July 13 at Korakuen Hall.[32]
Personal Life[]
- Family
As the youngest of three siblings, he describes himself as a "spoiled child".[33]
- Health
On January 7, 2021, it was announced that Takechi had been diagnosed with COVID-19. The PCR test results had turned out positive the day before when he underwent regular inspections, however he was asymptomatic and had no fever.[34]
Works[]
Music[]
- Choreography
- THE RAMPAGE
- "HARD HIT"[35]
- "INVISIBLE LOVE" (solo part)
- "STARRY LOVE"[36]
- Music Video Appearances
Filmography[]
- TV Dramas
- [2022] Jitenshaya-san no Takahashi-kun (自転車屋さんの高橋くん) (final episode)
- Digital Dramas
- [2022] Fukumen D (覆面D)
- TV Programs
- [2019] SASUKE 2019 Oomisoka (SASUKE 2019 大晦日)[37]
- [2021] SASUKE 2021[38]
- [2022] Saikyou Sports Danshi Choujou Kessen 2022 (最強スポーツ男子頂上決戦2022)[39]
- [2024] Saikyou Sports Danshi Choujou Kessen 2024 (最強スポーツ男子頂上決戦2024)[40]
- Digital Programs
- [2021.12.xx] Koi no Coach wa Moto Koibito (恋のコーチは元恋人) (MC)[41]
- Stage
Publications[]
- Serializations
- [2021.10.12-present] Takechi Kaisei no Hore Sase Body (武知海青の惚れさせボディ) (ar web)
Trivia[]
- Hobbies: playing video games, body-building[2]
- Speciality: Krump, contemporary dance, jazz dance, theatrical performance
- Emoji: 🦁 (Lion), 💪 (Flexed Biceps)
- The second tallest member in the group.
- The only member of THE RAMPAGE with the blood type O.
- Was the youngest contestant out of all EXILE PERFORMER BATTLE AUDITION finalists.
- He is called "muscles" by the group members.[42][43]
- Described as a person with a friendly and loose personality. According to his members, he is "a cute guy who is always happy to talk about himself and the people around him, and you can't hate him", "he reports to the members every day on what happened to him from the time he woke up in the morning until now" and "(he) never forgets what he sees and hears on TV and teaches us many things, he is very knowledgeable". [4][5]
- According to Yoshino Hokuto, he is kind and generous to everyone, but also firm and has his own opinions.[44]
- According to himself, he tries to be open, speak out, and express his opinions within the group even though he is one of the youngest members.[33]
- Described as a "lovable man who is considerate to those around him" and "analyzes the shortest route to a goal and has the strength of will not to compromise until he achieves it".[36]
- According to himself, he is competetive, stoic and hates to lose.[4][5][45]
- Describes his motivation in life as "to defeat the champion from the standpoint of a challenger".[17]
- Started body-building when he was 18 years old.[46]
- Likes to do detailed research on body-building and to buy books and magazine features that specialize in the body and muscles.[47]
- When he started body-building, he used to keep a "muscle notebook" in which he wrote down everything from names of muscles to efficient muscle training methods. According to himself, he is the type of person who, when he wants to put something in his head, memorizes it by writing it down by hand.[47]
- His role model in terms of body-building is Edward Kato.[47]
- Likes to give advice on muscle training and body-shaping.[48][49]
- Likes to test his physical abilities and would like to know the limits of them.[36]
- Cooks for himself at home. Some of his favorite ingredients are natto (fermented soybeans), Nameko mushrooms (for miso soup), Chinese cabbage, seafood mix and seasonings.[50]
- Loves sour food.[50]
- According to himself, his body has always been prone to breakdowns from dancing.[46]
- In an interview in 2021, he revealed that he had recently started practicing judo and was aiming to become a black belt. He would also aspire to qualify as either a physiotherapist or a judo rehabilitator after turning 30 years old.[46]
- Later that year, he obtained a black belt in judo.[51]
- His second career goal developed after some advice from his father as he often used to get injured while dancing. "[...] I thought that if I could dance while taking care of myself, I would have a long life as a dancer. And even if I can't cure my injuries completely, I can clearly communicate my symptoms to the people who treat me."[47]
- In an interview in 2023, he affirmed his goal to qualify as a physical therapist, medical therapist, judo therapist, etc. His priority would still be his artist activities, so it were difficult to attend school, but he would be studying every day to accomplish his goal.[47]
- In an interview in early 2024, he revealed that he would like to enter a university where he can obtain qualifications for the national exam from around the age of 27, build a foundation for his second career from the age of 30 and ultimately open his own business.[36]
- According to himself, dance is essential for his life: "There was a time when I was frustrated with my studies in junior high school, and I questioned myself and felt like quitting everything. For the first time in my 13 years of life, I didn't dance, and I realized that I had become an empty person.... That's when I got nosebleeds for the first time in my life, four or five times a day. If I don't dance, I get nosebleeds. If I don't dance, I'm going to die. Then I went back to dancing and the nosebleeds stopped."[7]
- In October 2014, before THE RAMPAGE's debut, he participated in a swimming competition of the TV program Mecha-Mecha Iketeru! Hagezairu SP (めちゃ×2イケてるッ!ハゲザイルSP) as a member of the EXILE TRIBE team.[4]
- Only two months after he entered EXPG, he was chosen to perform at EX SHOW. There, he met HIRO for the first time.[7]
- Initially, he had no intention of taking the EXILE PERFORMER BATTLE AUDITION. However, when he was in the hospital with a shoulder injury, a staff member happened to have an application form and convinced him to participate.[7]
- Would like to enter the acting business.[46]
- According to Yamamoto Shogo, Takechi has a lot to offer when it comes to acting.[52]
- In an interview in late 2022 after his acting debut, he revealed that he had actually decided not to be an actor before he took on the roles. However, he changed his mind in order to evolve and make personal progress.[17][53]
- Accepted the offer to debut as a professional wrestler (in 2023) because he saw it as a chance to expand his possibilities and change himself.[54][36]
- Before his wrestling debut, he revealed that no matter how many times he practiced, he would still feel uncomfortable and reluctant to attack people.[54]
- Aspires to be the first in the entertainment industry to wear the championship belt.[54]
- Initially only knew little about wrestling.[36]
- EXILE HIRO, who is a huge fan of professional wrestling, advised him to watch videos of old matches and study them.[36]
- In an interview in early 2024, he revealed that he would still like to take over his mother's dance studio when she retires. "It's a place with a long history that I grew up in and that my parents protected."[36]
- On his days off, he likes to have a busy schedule from morning till night.[55]
- Loves video games.
- When he was young, his parents forbade him to play video games, and he only had the chance to do so when visiting friends.[56]
- During the high school entrance exam period, he studied for the exam on the condition that if he passed it, he would get a computer.[57]
- His favorite game character is "Samus", the main character in the Metroid series.[56]
- His favorite Pokémon are Charizard, Blaziken and Salamence.[56]
- His favorite game genre is "FPS".[56][57]
- The first game he ever bought was Ratchet & Clank for PlayStation 2.[56]
- Likes playing Apex Legends, VALORANT and Winning Post 10.[57]
- Plays together with other members of THE RAMPAGE, and they have group chats for different games.[57]
- Participated in "RAGE PARTY 2021 poweredby SHARP" as a member of "Team LDH" (Kainuma Ryusei, Kawamura Kazuma, Takechi Kaisei) in the "Apex Legends Best Trio Determination Tournament. The team won the championship.[56][57]
- Likes to listen to all kinds of music, regardless of genre. On rainy days, he relaxes with ballad-style music, and when he wants to get pumped up, he listens to up-tempo music.[58]
- Is not very interested in creating choreographies.[3]
- According too himself, he can't think about the composition and incorporate it into the choreography at the same time (unlike Yamamoto Shogo), so he has to get all the choreography down first and then adjust it to the overall composition.[59]
- Is right-handed. When it comes to creating dance moves, he would think about the overall balance of the body and consciously add his left hand to widen the range of movement.[59]
- In his youth, his grandparents and parents always played mahjong when his relatives would gather at his parents' house. However, after his grandfather passed away, they stopped playing mahjong as a family. In order to revive the tradition, Takechi himself started studying mahjong in 2022 so they could play as a family again.[56]
- According to himself, he was not a good student in his childhood. When he was in junior high school, there were days when he would skip cram school to play in the park.[47]
- Started playing golf in 2023.[60]
- His favorite movies are all Marvel movies.[61]
- His favorite color is black.[45]
- Loves chocolate, especially eclairs.[62][63]
- One of his favorite songs is "Heavenly White" by EXILE.[64]
- Has a very close friendship with Kazuhara Ryuto of GENERATIONS. Kazuhara was the one who inspired him to train his body.[65][66]
- Close with Yamamoto Shogo.[67]
- Is close with and admires Sekiguchi Mandy.[17]
- Became close with Matsui Riki after acting together in the drama Fukumen D.[17]
- On April 27, 2024, he opened a personal Twitter account (@kaiche_official).[68]
References[]
- ↑ https://mdpr.jp/news/detail/3386441
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 「海外のゴリゴリに鍛えたトップダンサーが僕の理想像です」|筋肉図鑑 vol.23(〈THE RAMPAGE〉パフォーマー・武知海青)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 https://hochi.news/articles/20210527-OHT1T51180.html
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 https://realsound.jp/2020/06/post-561635.html
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 https://times.abema.tv/articles/-/10038928
- ↑ DANCE ATTACK!! FINAL 高校生の部【Radiation】
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 https://hochi.news/articles/20210527-OHT1T51181.html
- ↑ https://mdpr.jp/news/detail/1735675
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://hochi.news/articles/20210527-OHT1T51184.html
- ↑ THE RAMPAGE武知海青、“夏が一番似合う男”決めるボディコンテストで総合優勝
- ↑ THE RAMPAGE武知海青、“日本一夏が似合う男性”決める美ボディ大会で総合優勝<サマー・スタイル・アワード 2019 ROOKIE CHALLENGE CUP>
- ↑ 「SASUKE」にTHE RAMPAGEから3名出場、Snow Man岩本照も
- ↑ THE RAMPAGE陣&浦川翔平&武知海青が「SASUKE」初参戦!「目標はてっぺん」
- ↑ LDH10人、東京五輪の東京都グループ聖火走者に
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/10670
- ↑ https://mdpr.jp/news/detail/3069183
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 https://realsound.jp/tech/2022/10/post-1153887.html
- ↑ https://m.ex-m.jp/news/detail?news_id=39824
- ↑ https://mdpr.jp/drama/detail/3351417
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2249082/full/
- ↑ https://mdpr.jp/drama/detail/3351097
- ↑ https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202209120001553.html
- ↑ https://www.ddtpro.com/news/21912
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2308140/full/
- ↑ https://www.tokyoheadline.com/729421/
- ↑ https://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/202401080000584.html
- ↑ https://hochi.news/articles/20240108-OHT1T51080.html?page=1
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2309564/full/
- ↑ https://www.tokyoheadline.com/731528/
- ↑ https://hochi.news/articles/20240225-OHT1T51173.html?page=1
- ↑ https://www.daily.co.jp/ring/2024/02/25/0017367498.shtml
- ↑ 武知海青がプロレスラーとしてDDTに入団決定!
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/16370?display=full
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2181288/full/
- ↑ https://realsound.jp/2020/05/post-550837.html
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 36.7 https://hochi.news/articles/20240226-OHT1T51202.html?page=1
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/music/news/356688
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/music/news/454815
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/music/news/469018
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/music/news/564131
- ↑ https://natalie.mu/music/news/457606
- ↑ THE RAMPAGE 筋肉美は努力のたまもの
- ↑ https://www.vivi.tv/post392070/
- ↑ https://gingerweb.jp/timeless/person/article/20240202-hokuto-yoshino
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 https://www.vivi.tv/post346084/
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 https://hochi.news/articles/20210527-OHT1T51185.html
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 47.5 https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/15663?display=full
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/9475
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/16267?display=full
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/15418?display=full
- ↑ https://www.cyzo.com/2022/10/post_324842_entry.html
- ↑ https://realsound.jp/2022/05/post-1036671.html
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2254569/full/
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 https://topicool.jp/article/rampage/kiji-ranpage/article-18941
- ↑ https://jj-jj.net/lifestyle/168624/
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2 56.3 56.4 56.5 56.6 https://smartmag.jp/archives/26833/
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 57.3 57.4 https://realsound.jp/tech/2023/04/post-1312562.html
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/15796?display=full
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/16114?display=full
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/15545?display=full
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/8858?page=2
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/14656?display=full
- ↑ https://ananweb.jp/news/528997/
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/15966?display=full
- ↑ https://otekomachi.yomiuri.co.jp/lifestyle/20181108-OKT8T109535/
- ↑ https://ar-mag.jp/articles/-/14539?display=full
- ↑ https://hochi.news/articles/20210527-OHT1T51186.html
- ↑ https://twitter.com/kaiche_official/status/1783874187368763488