Japanese boy group M!LK has shifted from being introduced as “the group with actor Sano Hayato (佐野勇斗) in it” to being a household name in its own right, according to Real Sound Tech. The group’s rise is credited not just to a string of viral hit songs but to its members’ standout comedic chemistry on variety shows and YouTube.
M!LK broke through with “Ii Jan,” a song that surpassed 2.5 billion total plays across social media and became a genuine social phenomenon, followed by other hits including “Bakuretsu Aishiteru” and “Sukisugite Metsu!” During the July 4 broadcast of NTV’s music special “THE MUSIC DAY,” a survey of roughly 8,500 fans found that M!LK’s top-cited appeal points were words like “exciting,” “fun,” “energizing” and “funny” — a contrast to other idol acts on the show, whose fans more often cited visual appeal or performance skill.
The article points to the group’s official YouTube channel as evidence of their comedic range, highlighting videos such as a 2022 sketch parodying a graduation choir song, a 2023 clip called “Silent Room” in which members act out prompts without making a sound because a company executive is supposedly in a meeting next door, and the recurring “Yamanaka Derby” segments featuring member Yamanaka Jutaro’s (山中柔太朗) original character Tanigishi Arisa, a backpacker persona that drew attention after an appearance on TBS’s “Lavit!” in November 2025. Family-focused videos, including tips submitted by members’ relatives, are also cited as adding to the group’s down-to-earth image.
On July 7, M!LK aired its first-ever primetime variety special, “M!LK no Bakuretsu Mission,” on TBS, which the article says drew significant buzz and suggests the group’s comedic momentum is still building.
Who is M!LK?
M!LK is a five-member Japanese boy group whose lineup includes leader Yoshida Masato (吉田仁人), actor Sano Hayato (佐野勇斗), Shiozaki Taichi (塩﨑太智), youngest member Sono Shunta (曽野舜太), and Yamanaka Jutaro (山中柔太朗). According to the article, the group is known for its high-energy variety show presence alongside its music career, with Shiozaki often leading the group’s comedic bits, Sono enthusiastically joining in, Sano playfully trying to rein things in as the eldest member before joining the chaos himself, and Yamanaka — often seen as the coolest member — turning out to be just as committed to comedy as the rest.
The report suggests M!LK’s variety-honed appeal, built up over years of YouTube content, is now translating into mainstream TV opportunities, with the group’s new TBS special seen as just the latest step in their continued rise.
