Ryuchell

, known professionally as , was a Japanese social media personality, model, singer, and activist. In the mid-2010s, Ryuchell gained a social media following through modeling in Harajuku and later became an influential figure in the Japanese genderless fashion subculture. In 2018, Ryuchell also debuted as a singer with their first song, "Hands Up!! If You're Awesome."

In 2022, Ryuchell began advocating for LGBT rights on Japanese television. This, compounded with Ryuchell's announcement that they no longer identified under male gender roles and had divorced, opened them up to scrutiny.

Early life Ryuchell was born in Ginowan, Okinawa, on 29 September 1995. Ryuchell also attended the same high school as JO1 member , as well as The Rampage from Exile Tribe members Kenta Kamiya and Rui Yonamine.

Career After graduating from high school, Ryuchell moved to Tokyo and began working in clothing stores in Harajuku while modeling at the same time. On 14 February 2018, Ryuchell debuted as a singer with their first song, "Hands Up!! If You're Awesome."

After a four-year absence in music, on 11 January 2023, Ryuchell released their second album, Time Machine, independently. Ryuchell described the album's lead track, "Never Say Never Again", as "melancholy melodies" from the 1980s and 1990s. Ryuchell was one of the key influential figures for the genderless fashion subculture in Japan, due to their penchant for androgynous and colorful clothing. Ryuchell's fashion was heavily influenced by fashion from the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. As their popularity grew, they were also subjected to numerous harassment campaigns on Japanese social media, which primarily criticized Ryuchell's divorce and gender nonconformity.

Personal life

On 31 December 2016, Ryuchell married model and fellow Japanese social media personality Peco. In July 2018, they announced the birth of their son, named Link after Link Larkin from Hairspray.

On 25 August 2022, Ryuchell announced through Instagram that they no longer identified with male gender roles regarding their marriage, and that they would rather be considered as a "life partner" and "parent" to Peco and their son instead. Ryuchell and Peco's agencies confirmed that the two divorced, but initially denied the couple was living separately. In the months following the divorce, they made numerous appearances on Japanese talk shows advocating for LGBT rights in Japan.

Ryuchell participated in Tokyo Rainbow Pride since 2018.

Death On 12 July 2023, Ryuchell was found unconscious by their manager in a talent agency office located in the Sasazuka neighborhood of Shibuya. They were pronounced dead shortly afterward, at age 27. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the cause of death was believed to have been suicide.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2019 Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane ~The Lost Hiroshi~ Themself voice 2022 Safe Word Tsubaki

TV series Title Network Notes Peke Pon Fuji TV Quasi-regular appearances Yasashī Hitonara Tokeru Quiz Yasashī ne Fuji TV Quasi-regular appearances

Stage Year Title Notes 2015 Arikanashika

Discography Albums Title Details Peak SalesJPN Super Candy Boy Released: April 10, 2019 Label: Universal Music Format: CD, digital download 45 JPN: 1,146 Released: January 11, 2023 Label: TuneCore Format: digital download