Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony program leak spoils the surprise

Four months before the Tokyo Games are scheduled to begin on 23rd July, a Japanese weekly magazine called Shukan Bunshun in early April leaked a blow-by-blow breakdown of the Opening Ceremony, complete with the setlist, the names of celebrity collaborators, and 3D rendering of the stage design. Not only is this major spoiler a big disappointment to the global public and athletes alike, but it also is a damper on what many consider to be a ray of hope and normality after a year of life under Covid.

The spectacular closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympics set the bar high for Tokyo 2020, with anticipation having only risen since the announcement that the Japanese iteration of the Games would be postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The whole world is now looking to these so-called "Olympic Games of Reconstruction" to provide much-needed global solidarity and solace. After more than a year of doggedly continuing preparations in the face of adversity, the 32nd Olympiad will go ahead this July, albeit without foreign visitors, and will feature over 300 events in the Tokyo Bay and its surroundings. In all, 11,000 athletes are set to compete in a total of 33 Olympic sports and 22 Paralympic sports throughout the summer.

Spoiling the mystery

In the light of the global uncertainty, the leak on April 1 is adding an extra layer of difficulty to a year fraught with unique challenges. Shukan Bunshun managed to get its hands on the almost 300-page original proposal of choreographer Mikiko from 2020 before the Games were pushed back a year, describing what the ceremony could look like. According to the documents obtained the event features tight choreography, digital special effects and several celebrity appearances.

As is the case with all Olympic Games, the flamboyant opening celebrations are an opportunity for the host country to exhibit its culture and creativity to the world while sending a uniting message to the nations of the world in one event. Given the excitement and exceptional circumstances surrounding this year’s Summer Olympics, it was in the public interest for the details of the spectacle not to emerge ahead of time. Indeed, advertising agency Dentsu, who has been organizing the Tokyo Olympics behind the scenes, has had its work cut out keeping plans a secret in the face of increased media coverage in the lead-up to the Games.

Let the Games begin

It’s not the first time that the plans for Olympic opening ceremonies have been leaked, which is in fact a surprisingly common occurrence. While the organizers of London 2012 managed to keep ceremony details a secret, the Rio 2016 Committee was not so lucky when early footage from the Opening Ceremony rehearsals was posted online by spectators before the event. The difference to the Shukan Bunshun lies is that the current leak was comprehensive, detailed and published by a media outlet looking for a scoop – rather than spectators with smartphones – compounding an already highly complex year for the organizers.

Both Denstu and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) have remained tight-lipped in the wake of the leaks about what exactly lies in store for spectators. However, considering the severity of this data breach, a legal dispute is now brewing in the wake of the program’s publication. While an internal investigation as to how the information was released has been launched, the JOC is asking that the paper who leaked the book retract the story, and collects its print edition from Japan’s newsstands. While it will be the task of legal experts to determine whether the Committee’s demands have legal standing, it is clear that an act of unfairness was committed to both the Olympic organizers and the public.

This is a spoilers’ world

Indeed, the argument that anytime a leak containing major spoilers are published, it’s not only the creators but society at large who are the biggest victims, is a compelling one, even beyond the issue of the Olympic Games – one of the most anticipated, regular sporting events.

At the same time, the desire to sneak exclusive looks at secret and hyped content is a condition deeply engrained in large parts of the population, as can be seen time and again on an almost daily basis. Some spoilers stand out for having been particularly upsetting, providing a parallel to the Tokyo 2021 leaks.

A case in point occurred in 2019, when a summary of the “Avengers: Endgame” film plot was published on Reddit, creating an immediate wave of anger and distress among spoiler-averse Marvel fans. Indeed, when the five-minute leak became viral, trolls plastered Facebook with the minutiae of the movie’s twists and turns and media sites jumped on the opportunity for hits to analyze the plot points revealed in the video clip.

This incident very quickly turned the internet into a minefield for fans wanting to save the excitement for the much-anticipated final installment of the Avengers series until the film’s release. Disappointed Avengers fans hit back on social media, decrying the unrequested spoiler, but by then it was too late – the fans could not unsee the footage or revealing memes disseminated through all social medias. Within hours, the plot leaks undid all the hard work of the film’s directors, brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, to keep the genie in the bottle.

The malefactors behind the leaks of the Opening Ceremony program, as it was for the “Avengers: Endgame” plot, have spoiled its magic by revealing too much before the day itself. While the unexpected reveal will not take away from the momentous event in Tokyo, it is highly disappointing nonetheless that many now know what to expect. And yet, the Tokyo Olympics will go down in history as a tremendous feat – it is no mean task hosting this colossal sporting event in the face of such inauspicious circumstances.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes