The J-pop singing duo Kinki Kids are considered "first-class idols" by everyone in show business. However, the premise behind "The Domoto Brothers" (Fuji; Sunday, 10 p.m.) is that they're struggling musicians. On this weekly half-hour show, Tsuyoshi and Koichi Domoto -- who, despite having the same family moniker, aren't actual brothers -- play at being buskers.
Though most idols are famous for not being musicians, Kinki Kids worked hard to learn how to play guitar. This process was an integral component of their popular Saturday night series "Love Love Aishiteru," which ran during the late '90s. Seventies folk god Takuro Yoshida taught the two teens how to play guitar from scratch on air, and over the course of four years they went from fumble-fingered neophytes to decent pickers.
Each week on "The Domoto Brothers," the Kids go out on the street, usually with a famous musician guest, and play for passers-by. The location is never announced beforehand so as to make the reactions of potential listeners that much more spontaneous. However, the conceit behind the project is that the Domoto Brothers are waiting for their "big break" into show business.