Catching up with ANGERME

ANGERME is another group I have at least kept up with when it comes to their releases if nothing else. Which is probably why I missed the news of the addition of a new member.

From what I have learned about Kasahara Momona is that I have the desire to protect her from the haters. Honestly it surprised me to see so much dislike leveled at her, especially since she was only 12 years old. Certainly there is room for improvement but it feels like there are some that refuse to give her the chance to get better.

Kamikokuryo Moe is just precious in my eyes. She is so adorable and is fitting in so well with the rest of the group. Her performance level is getting pretty strong and she is comfortable enough with the other girls to move at the same pace of weirdness the group is known for.

It sadly is not smooth sailing for the group currently as one of the members, Aikawa Maho, is on hiatus for medical reasons. She has been diagnosed with panic disorder and is getting treatment for it. No word when she is expected to be back.

It is good to know that Maho is getting treatment and putting health before being an idol. H!P seems to be rather good with giving their idols the breaks they need to recover. Of course it is worrying on whether or not Maho is going to be able to return in the end.


ANGERME was a surprise to me with how much I liked the group but they have held my interest and I look forward to what the future holds for them. While I am still sad that one of my favorite members, Tamura Meimi, graduated I know she is following her dream and doing well so I am at peace with that.

Kis-My-Colosseum

To my surprise Kis-My-Ft2 will be releasing a new album on May 3rd, titled MUSIC COLOSSEUM. Since they only had two singles between this album and their previous one I was expecting something later in the year. Especially since they just released that second single as well. The album has three different versions, two limited and a regular edition.

The limited edition type A comes with the usual DVD with a PV of one of the songs off the album as well as a making of documentary. It has yet to be announced what that song will be.

MUSIC COLOSSEUM [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Type A] / Kis-My-Ft2

The limited edition type B also comes with a DVD. What exactly will be on the DVD is unknown as the contents is only 

MUSIC COLOSSEUM [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Type B] / Kis-My-Ft2

The regular edition is just the usual CD and it will come with four bonus songs that are not on the other two editions. Three of the songs are solos for Kitayama Hiromitsu, Fujigaya Taisuke and Tamamori Yuta, while the fourth is full group song.

MUSIC COLOSSEUM [Regular Edition] / Kis-My-Ft2

While I was not expecting an album from Kisumai I will not complain too much. I welcome more music from the group, especially since they have not released so much in the past year.

I am disappointed that KiFT are the only ones getting solo songs once again. I really thought the group was moving past that kind of thing with all seven members getting solos on their previous album, I Scream. This feels like a step back. I hope the next album lets everyone have solo songs again as it really let everyone shine for I Scream.

Catching up with Country Girls

Out of the Hello! Project groups Country Girls is the easiest for me to catch up with as they are the group I have been following the closest. The group stole my heart when they were first formed and even though there has been heart break I love them still. In fact this post is going to be mostly me just gushing about all the members because catching up with them has been a reminder of how much I love them.

Even though her departure was assured from the moment Tsugunaga Momoko was announced to be a playing manager of the group it is still saddening to know that she will be gone soon. But I doubt she would leave without feeling like the group is on the right track and will do well without her. And considering how much of her life she has dedicated to being an idol I feel completely reassured that her decision to leave to embark on a new stage of her life is something she truly wants to do. So I wish her the best of luck and will feel so grateful for her time in Berryz Kubo, Buono! and Country Girls.

Yamaki Risa is a beautiful princess that should be loved and adored by all. She is seriously stunning and brings a matureness to the group that works surprisingly well for a group mainly centered around cuteness. It will be interesting to see her in the leadership position once Momoko is gone, but I have faith that she will be up for the challenge. If anything she has had years to learn under Momoko and I have faith that she will do well.

Honestly I never paid much attention to Morito Chisaki before. She just seemed to be a member that was just there to me but in the past year or so she has caught my attention more as she has opened up. There is a shine and spark to her that I just did not see before and I cannot wait to see how she continues to grow as an idol.

I am most amazed with how much Ozeki Mai seems to have grown in the past year or so. I still remember her being the cute little bundle of energy when she first joined. She is still a bundle of energy these days but is no longer so little. It is always a joy to watch her and I hope she has a long stay in the group.

I have a weakness for strong singers so of course Funaki Musubu was a stand out addition to the group for me. Every time I hear her sing a solo line I just know that she was the perfect choice for the group. As much as I love the group it did lack powerhouse vocals and Musubu brings that. She is of course also really adorable. Though from this photo it looks like she can pull off the cool look well also.

Yanagawa Nanami is adorable. She will most likely grow up to be a beautiful young woman much like Risa is now but until then she is as cute as a button. Which of course makes her a perfect fit for the group. And I am so glad she was added with Musubu as both girls seem to get on so well together. It surely made the adjustment to joining CG much easier. I am definitely interested in seeing more of her and how she will grow with the rest of the group.


I just love this group so much. And if the rumors are true and they make a group addition after Momoko's graduation I feel confident I will end up loving them as well. This group never fails to put a smile on my face and fill me with joy. I have no idea how I made it through last year without having them be a bigger part of my life but I do not want to make that mistake again.

No matter how my attention strays my love for Country Girls never does in the end.

Catching up with Chu-Z

I have working on catching up with the idols I still want to follow and Chu-Z is a good start as I have kept up with them for the most part last year. It helped that they did not release much but they did have a member graduate and added two new faces to the group.

Since the last time I checked in on the group they have had another member graduate. Maia graduated from the group back on January 20th.

Honestly I had been suspecting after Asuka's graduation Maia would most likely be next if the group was going to continue on and do a rotating membership. Maia was the oldest of the group at 28, and with female idols that is an age most have already bowed out. When they added two new members I had a hunch it was to prepare for her graduation. So this was not surprising to learn. Still sad to know she is no longer with the group though.


Outside of that the girls have been touring and announced in a youtube video that they are adding a new member to the group to keep it at seven members. In the video we get the name of the new member, Futaba, and for now that seems to be it until she is officially introduced at their concert on March 13th.

I have done a little further research and it seems like the group is no longer on the Columbia Records label and they have a couple of singles I missed out on because of that. Their most recent release has them on another label, Imperal Records, which I recognize as being the label Kanjani8 were with until they switched to a Johnny's owned label. So hopefully this means going forward it will be easier to keep an eye on the group when it comes to new releases at least. And I should have something to blog about soon for the group with the new member being revealed soon.

Taguchi makes a Connection

Taguchi Junnosuke has a new single coming out on April 5th. This time he will be making his major label debut as a solo artist with Universal Records releasing the single, titled Connect.

With a major label in charge the single editions are more standard than his indie single with there only being two versions of the single. A limited edition that comes with a DVD then a regular edition. Both editions have the title track and a B-side, titled QI, on them. The regular edition has a bonus track that is a remix of Connect. The DVD that comes with the LE not only has the music video for the title track but also a music video for the title track of his previous release, HERO.

Connect [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]

Junnosuke Taguchi

Connect [Regular Edition]

Junnosuke Taguchi

Honestly I am surprised to see that he has gone major already. I can only assume this is a benefit from not having a tarnished image like other ex-KAT-TUN members, as he left Johnny's without a scandal tied to him. In fact overall Junno had a rather clean image with the rumor of him having a longtime girlfriend being the only idol scandal and as a non-idol that is really a non-issue.

That said I do not expect him to ever be the next big thing. At best he will do decently and get a dedicated following that will make it financially viable for Universal to keep him on contract for as long as he wants to continue to have a music career. And I plan on being a part of that following.

BanG Dream! an introduction

For those who do not now BanG Dream! is a new multimedia project that launched in 2016. Think of it like Love Live! but with girl bands. And like Love Live! and other multimedia projects of its ilk there are various media releases for the franchise, from the anime that is currently airing, the mobile game (set to be released later this month) to CD releases as well as a manga series and live concerts.

The focus on girl bands helps it stand apart from other multimedia projects that focus mostly on idols though it is still cut from the same cloth in the end. So if you like cute girls and music then it is worth at least checking out.

The anime series focuses on Poppin' Party, the band that is serving as the face of the franchise. There have been some cameos from the other bands, but those so far have been unvoiced and blink and you will miss them so far. The story follows the band coming together and has been taking its time with this, which I think is one of its strengths as you can see the girls slowly begin to bond and improve.

Also since the focus is only on Poppin' Party there is more time to develop so there can be two parters and the like for a character's plot line to play out, instead of trying to cram it all into an episode. Though I do hope the other bands get their own series or at least some focus if there are future seasons.

The anime is streaming on Crunchy Roll if you want to give it a shot.

The game itself will be a rhythm game that is currently set to be released mid-March 2017. Recently there has been more information about the game, from both official sources and the few lucky ones that were selected to participate in the Beta testing. The game play looks fun and I am interested in the multi-player feature that lets you play a song with five other players. (Pictured above.) And with five bands of five members each there looks to be plenty of girls to find a favorite with. Not to mention a good mix of songs, especially since there are cover songs from real-life bands (BUMP OF CHICKEN, UNISON SQUARE GARDEN, Goose house, ZONE, etc...) beings used in the game.

Poppin' Party

As briefly mentioned there are live concerts that the voice actresses participate in. They play their own instruments and even wear the same outfits as their animated counter parts to keep up the synergy level of this project. Poppin' Party is the most active with their own solo concerts but it looks like Roselia is gaining in popularity as they just had their first one-man* concert announced.

*In Japan solo concerts are called one-man, as in their will only be one band performing, and sometimes you can even see two-man for when it is a joint concert between two bands. This naming mostly pertains to indie level artists as major artists typically only perform solo concerts.


Honestly I was not really impressed with the first episode. A couple of the characters seemed too close to being clones of Love Live! characters that it put me off but there also a couple that were different enough to keep me interested. The clincher for me was noticing in the credits that Elements Garden was doing the music for the series. I recognized them as being the group that write the music for the Uta no Prince-sama franchise so I wanted to stay to at least hear the songs. I am so glad I did as the anime does get better and the girls I worried about being clones I ended falling in love with in their own right.

I have always had a soft spot for pop/rock and it sounds like BGD will be giving that in spades. Plus the set up of having the voice actresses learn to play instruments reminds me a bit of ZONE, who started off as an idol group but then learned to play instruments to become band-idols. In fact I was delighted to see that one of the songs that is getting covered is a ZONE song, secret base ~Kimi ga Kureta mono~. It may the ZONE song that has been covered to death already but it is their most iconic song, and is just a good song period.

There is also something really exciting about being able to get into a new rhythm game when it launches for a change. I have already pre-registered and just wait to see the announcement of it launching around mid-March.

I just hope more people give the franchise a try so I can have others to talk to about it.

OHP: https://bang-dream.bushimo.jp/