KinKi Kids
The remarkable thing about the KinKi Kids, apart from their frequently misunderstood name, is how unimportant music has actually been in the development of their career. The twosome formed in 1992, but didn't actually release any records until 1997. In the meantime, Domoto Tsuyoshi and Domoto Koichi (no relation) relied on their native Kansai wit and winning smiles to propel them to fame and fortune. They were originally backing dancers for SMAP and also starred in the SMAP movie Shoot!
They then went on to star in a series of popular dramas including Ningen Shikkaku (Human Disqualification), which dealt with the subject of bullying. Their first concert in 1994 at the Nippon Budokan was a sell-out, even though they still hadn't released an album or single. This was followed by a concert tour where with only a handful of original songs but a lot of amusing Kinki banter, they won the hearts of junior high school girls across the country. The pair made up for lost time in 1997 when they released their first single 'Garasu no shonen' (Glass Boy). The single sold over 1.8 million copies in just over a month, making it the bestselling debut single ever in Japan. Their debut album, A album also continues to ride high in the charts.