Last Idol 8th Single Interview

*Last Idol 8th Single - Close Up Star Interview. This was posted on TV Guide's site on March 25th.

"Selected members from the Aki-P produced group, Last Idol"

(L to R: Rio, Wakana, Abe, Midori, and Airi)

Last Idol, the Idol Group produced by Aki-P that debuted in December 2017, is releasing their 8th single "I Know Love". The groups was formed by members who won one on one performance battles held on a TV Show of the same name. After their debut, the title song for the singles was decided by battles between Units. They also tried various challenges such as the "Art of Walking" for their 6th single. This time, they held their first Candidate System Audition Battle to select 18 members to sing the title song! We spoke with members ranked 1 - 5 (Abe Natsumi, Nagatsuki Midori, Majima Wakana, Yasuda Airi, and Oomori Rio) about their thoughts on recent events.

--First of all, please tell us about your feelings after the first Candidate System Audition Battle.

Rio: out of 41 members, only 18 would be selected. I felt I absolutely had to be chosen. However, I had allot of anxiety, so I rented a dance studio and practiced by myself. As a result of challenging myself and giving everything I had, I was chosen for 5th place. I want to do my best to make everyone happy that I was chosen for 5th!

Airi: The candidate system was announced on twitter and I was at a loss. I really hate fighting against other members. However, after stressing out about it, I looked at the fans who work hard, and I remembered that Idols can inspire people and give them hope. Because of this, I decided to do my best and was chosen as 4th place in the candidate system.

Wakana: I was chosen as 3rd place, but I want to keep in mind the members who weren't chosen, and I want to work without being content with the results. The members who didn't place in the 18 are really disappointed and I think they are determined rise up. In this way, the entire group can raise our awareness of how much fun it is being in an Idol Group. I think that's what is most enjoyable. I hope to inspire this kind of group with the atmosphere of this single!

Midori: When this Audition Battle was announced, some members were crying because they were scared, but I was happy and crying (laughs). I've been battling allot, so my feeling was like "Bring it on anytime!" I went through the audition with the mindset of how I can improve and what I could do to get chosen. In the end, I got 2nd place!

--Midori-san has a battle temperament (laughs).

Midori: That's right (laughs). In Last Idol, it started with a 1 on 1 performance battle. But recently, the whole group is working together to accomplish one thing and there were many new dynamics. However, I was itching for a fight and started getting a little crazy (laughs).

--How about Abe-san how came in 1st place?

Abe: I also needed some kind of stimulation so I felt like "it finally came!" and was looking forward to the battle. As a result, I was chosen as the center once again, but I feel more pressure than I have before.

-- The title song sung by the top 18 from the Audition Battle is called "I Know Love". This a new type of song for Last Idol, isn't it?

Rio: This is the first time we've done Rock song. It's really upbeat. We can get fans really excited with a song like this when performing it live!

Wakana: When we received the song, I thought "It's finally come!" I wanted to sing the kind of song that gets people to spin towels above their heads at Summer Festivals, so I'm really happy!

Airi: I usually listen to upbeat songs, so I was really happy when I heard "I Know Love".

Midori: The music is upbeat, but the lyrics are a bit dark. Personally, I think that's become the trademark of Last Idol.

--Following her work on the previous song "Seishun Train", Akane, the choreographer of the "Bubbly Dance" and coach for Tomioka High School's Dance Club in Osaka, has also done the choreography for this song.

Abe: Last time, we performed the dance for "Seishun Train" with a serious expression. This time, there are allot of smiling faces and I think you can see allot of cute expression from the members!

Rio: There's also a part for a free dance, so we get a chance to show our individual charms.

--"I Know Love" is an impressive title.

Rio: Actually, I'm looking forward to what abbreviations will take root. There are some fans who are already abbreviating it to "Loving" and "I Love", but because I'm from Aichi Prefecture, "Loving" is the best choice! If this abbreviation catches on, we may be able to do a collaboration with Aichi Prefecture! (laughs)

(*This is something that gets lost in translation. "I Know Love" is written in Japanese as "愛を知る" When the characters "愛" and "知" are written together like this "愛知" it reads as Aichi, Rio's home. The joke makes more sense if I write her sentence like this: Because I'm from Aichi Prefecture, "Aichi" is the best choice)

--Of course (laughs). In addition to this, Last Idol has been around for over two years since it's debut.

What kinds of things have changed for you?

Midori: It's a group that was the result of 1 on 1 battles, but now I think we all respect each other. We can look past ourselves and see good points in the other members.

Airi: I think recently that Abe-chan has become a Center that encompasses everything. I look at Abe's back and see her dance and sing perfectly and it feels like everyone in the group is connected to her and follows her every move.

Abe: In the past, I only thought of myself. After being in Last Idol, I think of the entire group. I'm really very shy, but Akane-sensei said "If you open your heart to everyone, it will become a better group." Because of that, I think I'm changing.

--Currently, Last Idol has a television program being broadcasted on TV Asahi with the duo Shimofuri Myoji as the MCs.

Midori: Shimofuri Myojo also mentioned our name on the radio, so I'm really grateful. Both of them are very kind.

Abe: I want to thank them for taking good care of us.

--In closing, please tell us your current goal as Last Idol.

Abe: The goal is to make Idol known more and more and one day to stand on the stage at Budokan.

Wakana: Naturally, I think standing inside Budokan will prove without a doubt that Last Idol's popularity is growing, so we'll do our best!

https://www.tvguide.or.jp/column/closeup_star/20200403/01.html

Last Idol 2ch Comments - Vol. 1

*This was originally posted on OneHallyu on January 2nd, 2018. I've translated allot of comments from 2ch/5ch over the past two and a half years, so I'll be backing them up here over the coming weeks.

Rough translation for now, but I've been meaning to do this. It's an interesting discussion about reservations for Last Idol Family's upcoming Handshake Meeting from 5ch. There's allot more, but this is just a small sample:

23. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2017/12/27(水) 02:23:17.55ID:2Cfguhif0>>26>>43>>65 >>104

Individual Handshake Party on the 22nd (Last Term) Selling out information.

Cumulatively Sold Out so far:

*Handshake Meeting: Nagatsuki (X5), Ishikawa (X4), Yoshizaki (X3), Koga (X3), Abe (X1 Remaining 1), Ozawa, Matsumoto, Kiyohara, Nishimura

*Shooting Meeting: Nagatsuki (X3), Yoshizaki, Koga, Abe

Ishikawa-san, do your best.

26. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2017/12/27(水) 02:31:06.97ID:7XGlDJk40>>34>>41
>>23

The Sales of the Handshake Meeting shows the amount of funds of the Kimowota.
The Sales of the Photo Session shows the number of Kimowota.

In other words, Ishikawa has as small number of wealthy Kimowota, while Abe is supported by a large number of poor Kimowota.

34. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2017/12/27(水) 07:41:14.46ID:rdtWmcs40>>40
>>26

It's the opposite?
1 Handshake Ticket is 1000 Yen. 1 Photography Ticket is 3000 Yen.
It's more difficult to sell Photo Tickets than the Handshake Ticket.

43. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2017/12/27(水) 08:33:58.52ID:vmrygLOX0
>>23

It seems the Wotaku of the Akibisu Era have just followed Ishikawa.

65. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2017/12/27(水) 11:07:13.38ID:/PA5mt4S0
>>23

In order to sell, you cannot remove Nagatsuki.

104. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2017/12/27(水)02:53:47.36ID:nhwxUD+r0>>108
>>23

Is it because Abe's remaining 1 is increasing Kansai?
Aimi-chan has also increased Kansai for quite some time.

Yako-chan is now sold out in Kansai 1 frame, but I have already added Kansai 3rd frame and cannot write it after all sold out?

(*Backtracking and can't find the post to copy the ID and make it official):

A large quantity of people buy Handshake Tickets, but a wider range of people buy the Photography Tickets.

http://mevius.5ch.net/test/read.cgi/tv/1514301433

I didn't know who Ishikawa Natsumi was at first and didn't know why she was doing better than most of the other members. She was one of the last Challengers to appear on Last Idol and performed the BiS song.

She came from the Indie group Akishibu Project and is now in Love Cocchi. According to the poster, she must have a small hardcore fan base willing to spend allot of money compared to Abe who has a larger fan base, but is poor, lol. I don't know if they're putting down Ishikawa or just stating a fact.

(Ishikawa during her Akishibu Project days)

Based on these numbers, Midori is the Queen of Handshake Events! She's the only one who seems to be able to sell out the Photo Sessions.

I didn't see Airi, Nastumi, or Haruka listed, so I don't know if their reservations are available yet. I would've thought Airi would be popular. Also didn't see Good Tears or Someday Somewhere so maybe they're coming up later too.

Last Idol 8th Single Selection

Here's the line up:

1. Abe Natsumi (LaLuce)
2. Nagatsuki Midori (LaLuce & Chou Cream Rockets)
3. Majima Wakana (Someday Somewhere)
4. Yasuda Airi (LaLuce)
5. Ohmori Rio (Love Cocchi)
6. Yamamoto Airi (Love Cocchi)
7. Nishimura Honoka (Love Cocchi)
8. Ozawa Aimi (Chou Cream Rockets)
9. Machida Honoka (2nd Gen Main Group)
10. Okamura Mana (2nd Gen Unders)
11. Momiyama Himeri (Someday Somewhere)
12. Hata Misaki (2nd Gen Main Group)
13. Shinohara Nozomi (2nd Gen Unders)
14. Matsumoto Momona (Chou Cream Rockets)
15. Okumura Yuki (2nd Gen Unders)
16. Yoneda Miina (2nd Gen Unders)
17. Oba Yume (2nd Gen Main Group)
18. Shiraishi Mana (2nd Gen Unders)

I have to say, the uniforms look great. I wasn't expecting something like this. They're quite a departure from the previous AKB style ones they wore for the 6th single and the Keyakizaka style ones for the 7th.

/#ラストアイドル
8thシングル『愛を知る』
選抜メンバー18名が決定🎊
\#阿部菜々実 #長月翠 #間島和奏#安田愛里 #大森莉緒 #山本愛梨#西村歩乃果 #小澤愛実 #町田穂花#岡村茉奈 #籾山ひめり #畑美紗起#篠原望 #松本ももな #奥村優希#米田みいな #大場結女 #白石真菜https://t.co/iITAZh5Aja pic.twitter.com/pzzvalMPtU

— ラストアイドルファミリー公式 (@last_idol_pr) February 19, 2020

Overall, I'm fine with the selection results. Most of the members I expected to pass did so. I should note that the girls always seem so dour during these events. I remember watching Senbatsu's for Keyakizaka46 and the members didn't look happy at all. There's allot of pressure to stand out combined with competition among other members, so it could be that the stress of the situation is too much. There's also the expectation to be professional and maintain composure, so what should be a joyful occasion ends up being something grim.

They played it safe and went with the Abe, Midori, and Wakana as the top 3. This formula has worked before, so it makes sense (These three were at the top for the 3rd single "Suki de Suki de" and the 6th single "Otona Survivor". The only difference with the 3rd single is that Wakana was the center instead of Abe). Abe was the only choice for the center. There's no way Wakana was going to be chosen. While she does have an aura, she's not nearly as consistent as Abe. On top of that, Wakana's aura only comes through in MVs. It's not apparent during live performances.

Abe just seems to have so much confidence. Right before Lasu Ai, Yoroshiku! began, several members were selected to participate in the pre-release prayer (I can't remember, but it might have been for the 4th single). I don't know if it's still being done, but there was a trend where groups would go base jumping and say a short prayer for the single's success. Abe ended up going twice even though she didn't have to. That's the kind of person she is.

After taking her place, Abe said:

"Even though I've been the center on the previous two singles, there were times when I was unsatisfied with myself. This time, I will succeed. Thank you very much."

It's a bit hard to translate part of Abe's speech. She says "Shoubu" which translates to either "victory/defeat" or "sport/contest". I went with succeed because I think Abe wants to make this a challenge like it's a contest with herself.

Midori's so charismatic and has a great voice, so her being number 2 again is the right choice. She seemed quite humbled. It makes up for her not making it into the top 7 of the Dragon Egg Battle (she placed 8th). For those unaware, Dragon Egg is a very popular mobile battling game. It's doing a tie-in with the 8th single and the title track will be used in commercials for the game which is a big deal. Because of this, they held a battle involving fan participation. The rules are complicated, but fans could help members by sending them in game items. At the end of the competition, the members that ranked 1 - 7 would participate in a special commercial for Dragon Egg. The winners also received special golden dragon eggs with their names on them. It helped if you were good at the game and several of the members who placed in the top 7 are gamers, so that gave them an edge.

Midori said:

"I'd been standing next to Abe for such a long time during single promotions, but when Seishun Train was released, I dropped down a little. I didn't show it, but I was disappointed. This time, I became happy because I thought I would have the chance to stand next to Abe again. I feel that, standing in this position, I have to be great representative of Last Idol. This time, I will work harder than ever before. Thank you very much.

As I said earlier, Wakana wasn't going to be chosen as the center. The 3rd single with her as center was Last Idol's lowest selling up to the point. I don't think it was entirely Wakana's fault. They announced the single in the middle of the 2nd Producer Battle, which caught fans off guard. They were probably saving up to buy the single by the winners of that season and not prepared for a surprise single that would be released only 2 weeks after the announcement. It was poor planning on managements part, but considering how polarizing Wakana is, her role as center most likely hurt it as well. After being selected for the 3rd position, Wakana kept her speech surprisingly short.

All Wakana said was:

"I want to make Last Idol bigger. I'll do my best. Thank you very much."

I could go on an on about each member, so I'll make my comments brief about the rest of the selection process.

LaLuce's Airi seemed genuinely surprised to be 4th. She said: "when Last Idol debuted, #4 was my original position, so I'm happy to return to here." It's worth noting that the top 4 contains 3 members from LaLuce showing just how strong they are as performers.

I believe this is the highest position for Love Cocchi's Rio, so she was understandably emotional. She said: "I worked really hard to become the center of Last Idol and put allot of emotion in it. I was really worried about what I would do if I wasn't selected, but I'm happy to be standing here. Thank you for choosing me."

Personally, I would have switched positions for Love Cocchi's Airi and Rio. They're the two best performers in their Unit, but I'd put Airi ahead of Rio.

Aimi was also really emotional. She really wanted to be selected, but had allot of doubts. However, she thought it would useless if she said to herself "I can't do it" and instead thought positively. She came alive after hearing that she passed.

There are 3 choices I don't agree with:

- Good Tears's Kana should have been selected. Kana was better in her dance and vocal performances than some of the members who passed. Not only that, but Good Tears the only Unit not represented in the lineup. That's really odd.

- Hata Misaki should have been disqualified after forgetting the lyrics during her vocal performance. It doesn't feel right to select her when other members gave better performances.

- I feel the same way about Wakana. She shouldn't have been selected after her terrible vocal performance. Giving her such a high position only solidifies her reputation as Aki-P's favorite. I don't expect this will endear her to fans.

- I would also say that the 2nd Gen's Yoneda Miina should have been placed higher.

The judges commented, but I'm just going to summarize them. Akane said that the members who weren't selected weren't really that bad and they shouldn't feel depressed. She wants the members who were selected to evolve with the awareness that they are representatives.

Yoshida commented that the goodness of everyone came out. All the judges evaluated the members on different criteria, but the members that were selected had something that really shined.

This is how the rows will look.

I've read that one of the reasons fans think certain members were selected because they've been doing Gravure shoots so this helps marketability. They're actually doing a Gravure Battle to decide which Unit will sing the coupling song (I'll do a write up for that later). Naturally, some fans question what's the point of even doing an audition if the line up is chosen by management behind closes doors. It was pointed out that this kind of event is good because you can see how members have grown as performers. It can help their popularity grow. One fan said: "No matter what criteria is used to choose the lineup, whether it's ability, popularity, or appearance, someone will complain."

So very true.

8th Single Selection:

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av90260940?from=search&seid=11097122222227512182

Last Idol 8th Single Audtion

I wasn't planning to make a post about Last Idol's 8th Single Audition, but I've been thinking more about it this week and felt the need to write down my thoughts.

Back in December, at the 2nd Anniversary concert held on Christmas Day, there was a surprise announcement of the 8th single. This time, it would be a competition, something we haven't seen since the 5th single. Out of the current 41 members in Last Idol Family, 18 would be selected to sing on the title track.

After the announcement, Midori said she was a little excited and Abe said that lately she's been a little unsatisfied. Maybe Abe's looking for a challenge. The 2nd Gen's Machida Honoka said she's already scared and about to cry and Chou Cream Rockets's Aimi said it's been a long time since she's battled, so she's nervous.

I expected it to be more like the one on one battles of the past, but thankfully, it was a more casual type of audition. Members drew numbers and were put into groups.

Each group would then perform in front of a panel of Judges, 9 in total, who would award them from 0 - 100 points. They are judged in 3 catagories:

- Dancing
- Singing
- Single Phrase performance (This is sort of like an appeal)

There are some familiar faces among the Judges like Omori Seiko, Go Yoshida, CRE8BOY, and Akane who did the choreography for Last Idol's 7th single, "Seishun Train".

Yoshida commented that he'll do his best to create another flare up. It's really hard to find an English translation, but flare up means creating controversy. Of course, Yoshida is referencing his controversial decision to eliminate Midori from the 1st season, despite the other 3 Judges voting for her. He made a similar decision during the 2nd Gen's survival show, but it didn't have the same impact.

Each group does the dancing portion simultaneously and they all perform the same 30 second choreo put together by Akane. For the singing portion, they perform individually. I'm not going to review every member, just those that stood out for better or for worse.

For the dancing portion:

- Abe looked good as expected. She's so tall and really stretched her body out. One fan referred to her as "Abe Boss", so I don't know if that's an actual nickname, or something they gave her. I've always just called her "Giant Abe" after the wrestler Giant Baba. Yoshida said Abe's dancing was overwhelming.

- The 2nd Gen Unders Himari caught my attention during the battle for the 2nd Generation. She's kind of in the mold of Keyakizaka46's Hirate. Himari's dancing here was good, but she didn't stand out as much as I thought she would.

- I was really surprised by LaLuce's Haruka. She moved really well and showed allot of confidence.

I wasn't expecting this at all.

I think Akane expressed concern because none of them showed any expression while dancing.

- Good Tear's Kana was another stand out. My eyes were immediately drawn to her and even the judges pointed out that she was the only one who smiled. Kana even got a pick up shot.

There really isn't much to say about the rest of the groups since most were done in a digest. It's worth noting that Midori's dancing wasn't good as expected. It looked like she was just flailing her arms and legs, lol. I don't know how much time they had to prepare, but I imagine the routine was a bit higher level then she was used to (After watching the episode a second time, Midori didn't look as bad).

Regardless of the weakness of certain members, Akane said the field was good and it was a perfect score in this category. She was glad to see their growth.

For the singing portion:

- Abe sang Silent Majority. She didn't sound quite as good as she usually does. Abe's very consistent,

but something was a little off here. Even the judges pointed it out. Some fans commented that she didn't choose the best song for her voice. Song selection can go a long way to showcasing your singing ability, so that's a good point. Omori Seiko even commented that she didn't think it was the right song to showcase Abe's range.

For her Single Phrase performance, Abe said: "My motto for my Idol life is 'I'll always aim to be my best'".

- Again, Himari, the Hirate inspired girl, didn't impress me as much as she did in the 5th Gen battle, so it's a bit disappointing.

- Laluce's Haruka performed a very simple song and was complimented for it. She cried afterwards, so I'm not sure what was up.

There were two members in the middle groups that really stood out. Both are in the 2nd Gen, so I'm not familiar with them:

- The 2nd Gen Unders's Yoneda Miina has a fantastic voice! She picked the perfect song for her, so that really helped. She might be the best pure vocalist in Last Idol Family. Another judge, HKT48's Yuukosu, said she didn't expect to hear this kind of singing ability at an Idol audition. I don't know if that's a compliment, lol.

- The 2nd Gen's Machida Honoka also sounded really good. Another nice surprise. Yoshida said that her dancing and singing is the best at the moment.

- Midori sounded great as expected. Her voice was clear and strong. I still think she's in the top 5 vocalists in the entire group. Yoshida commented that the song choice was good and he hopes she passes at the time of selection.

- Back in the first season when the 1st Gen battle took place, Love Cocchi's Airi really stood out. Along with Abe, I thought she was the best overall performer. I think she could even go solo. However, just like Abe earlier, I found her singing a bit lacking. Not sure why.

- Airi's group mate, Rio sound really good however. Very clean and clear vocals. She and Airi have always carried Love Cocchi in the vocals department, so she came through here.

- Love Cocchi's Honoka has never been a good dancer or singer. She's more of a Variety talent and likes to showboat. She brought 4 talisman's to the audition to help her chances. She sounded okay here, but for some reason held out a fake eye to the Judges. The title of the song translates to "Drop Your Eyes Out", so I guess she wanted to work in some kind of gimmick.

- Mizuno Mana, who was one half of the W Center for the 5th single performed by the 2nd Gen, didn't impress me too much with her vocals. I expected more considering she started the survival show as the center and remained there the entire season. Mana gave a very weird single phrase performance. She did some kind of cheer about having 337 beats. I didn't get it.

- LaLuce's Airi injured her eye, so she was wearing a patch over it. When she came out, Omori Seiko started laughing. The song Airi chose to sing was called "Pupil" and Yoshida commented that someone who injured their eye is singing Pupil. The Judges made the connection with Honoka's earlier performance when she held out the fake eye which they showed on screen. The coincidence was too perfect.

Now on to the really bad:

- The 2nd Gen's Oba Yume was the first one who sounded really bad. She had allot of trouble during her performance and was crying. For her Single Phrase performance, Yume said: "I would like to grow in the future so my weediness becomes attractive". The SHOWROOM President, Maeda, still complimented her on her performance saying that it was great and he got a good impression from her.

- Hata Misaki A popular 2nd Gen member who participated in allot of interviews for the 6th single, forgot the words halfway through her performance. She was understandably upset afterwards and I'm sure she lost allot of points.

- In general, there were allot of mediocre and outright bad vocal performances. They focused particularly on 2nd Unders Shiraishi Mana who's eyes were bugging out. The pic below doesn't do it justice, lol. Her vocals were pretty bad, but she was praised for her expression. I don't know, I thought the whole thing was pretty cringey.

It's worth noting that the Judges aren't going to outright say you were terrible. They'll find some way to compliment you even if you stunk the place up. In the case of Chou Cream Rockets Momoka, Yoshida said she still has a long way to go, but did improve.

- Now we get to Someday Somewhere's Wakana. Before her performance, she gave a speech:

"In the early days of group activity, it was confusing for fans and members often felt uneasy and conflicted with each other. I want Last Idol to become national Idols. I want to be the Last Idol and do my best."

She can be very melodramatic and has expressed these sentiments before. Wakana then proceeds to perform Bandwagon along with the full choreography. It's been over 2 yrs. since she was eliminated from the 1st Gen battle, and she still hasn't gotten over it. I get that it's disappointing, but she made this too personal. Wakana gets so emotional, that her performance completely falls apart. She's a good dancer, but her voice has always been shakey and can't hold a note to save her life. Wakana made it worse for herself by picking such a triggering song like Bandwagon. She cries and her vocals are a mess.

Omori Seiko is moved to tears, likely because she was the one who was called on to vote during Wakana's battle against Abe and she chose Abe, thereby causing her elimination.

Seiko: "I was reminded that the first time I saw "Bandwagon" performed, Wakana was the center. Seeing her perform it again made me realize the burden I'd been carrying. I feel like I'll do my best too. Thank you very much."

Yoshida commented that even though her performance wasn't the best, she managed to convey something in it. One fan thought that this was meant to provide closure between Wakana and Seiko, so maybe there's something to that.

I just thought this whole thing was ridiculous. It's should have been a straightforward and drama free audition, but Wakana chose to make it about herself. It's entirely possible she was put up to it by management, but we'll never know. Despite Seiko complimenting Wakana after the perf, I can't imagine she got many points for this. Also, this display will only feed Wakana's anti's more.

A few Judges gave some closing comments.

Akane said that out of the 1st Gen, she thought the overall skill of the LaLuce members was overwhelming.

Seiko thinks that Abe is the best singer and dancer.

Yoshida said he wants to see Wakana's strength and determination.

That's it for the audition phase. I'll be back to talk about the final selection which was announced last Wednesday. You can watch both episodes of the audition here:

Ep. 1: https://www.bilibili.com/video/av87038860

Ep. 2: https://www.bilibili.com/video/av88586225/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.2

Last Idol Miscellany - Vol. 1

It's been a while since I've written about Last Idol Family. I've been meaning to update more posts from OneHallyu, so I went all the way back to the early days of the group to post some random things from that period. I'll be backing up more Last Idol posts over the next couple weeks.

These are from some random tweets I posted on December 27th, 2017. It can be difficult to embed tweets on blogger, so I'm just going to re-post the pics. Some tweets no longer exist, so these are what's left.

Haruka (on the far right) posted this bts pic of the final lineup of the 7 member incarnation of Last Idol, before Aya and Yako graduated and they changed their name to LaLuce:

From a release event at Sunshine City posted by Someday Somewhere's Mahiro on 12/19:

(L to R: Rio, Aya, Midori, Mahiro)

Pixel Last Idol post by a fan on 12/19:

Midori posted this pic of her with Aya on 12/21:

The entire first Gen of Last Idol Family posted by Love Cocchi's Honoka on 12/23:

Midori posted this Birthday message to Yako on 12/26:

Midori's Message:

"Happy Birthday Yako! When I came back to Last Idol, Yako-chan made the most time to say hi and talk to me. I can't thank you enough. I will do my best to help you make this a good year. Congratulations on turning 20!"

Midori and Abe were featured in the December issue of Flash Special, the first members to be featured in a magazine. Here are the best pics I could find at the time.

Prior to the end of the 1st season of Last Idol, the current Interim members did a magazine shoot for Weekly Playboy. At the time, I thought it was odd that they would do something like this before the lineup was finalized.  I suspected that the show was scripted, so I think this was supposed to be the final lineup. With the exception of Rena, all the members featured here made it to the end. Rena defeated Midori in their battle, but withdrew a few weeks later allowing Midori to compete in a "Revival Battle" for a chance to rejoin the group which she won.

I was able to find some decent pics and even a video with others:

Various Last Idol Family buttons sold at fan meetings:

Last Idol standee key chains:

Last Idol clear file:

A profile pic of Chou Cream Rockets from a Model Press article that was posted the first week of January 2018. It's mainly a bunch of comments from select members of each unit:

https://mdpr.jp/news/detail/1738639

The cover of Aya's first Photobook released on 1.20.2018:

Last Idol - 6th Single Interview with Tokyo Popline - Part 2

"Communication in the entire group deepens in 2019"

--Please tell us about the new single "Otona Survivor" that will be released on April 17th. What was your impression when you first hear it?

Midori: We can sell Last Idol with this. I got the impression that it's the first step on the path to being able to sell.

--What part did you like the best?

Midori: It wasn't so much an impression. Even though it sounds like a cool song, we say "Hey, hey".

It's a little different, isn't it? Last Idol is a little different. For example, the costumes for "Bandwagon" are cute with white high socks. It's also interesting when we sing "I like it, I like it allot" and say "I Like it" so many times in a row. Something has changed a little bit with this. There's nothing like Last Idol. If this song can spread, then Last Idol can become famous little by little, so I felt that I had to sell this.

--How about you Abe-san?

Abe: I thought it was cool when I listened to it, and I could see hope just as Midori said. I felt confident I could handle this song, and decided I should do my best from now on. 52 people are dancing in this song, so it will absolutely be cool. I think it's a song that will catch on/take off if allot of people know about it, so I want to do my best.

--When did you find out you were going to be the Center?

Abe: I wasn't told properly about the Center position. When everyone was assigned their positions, I was in the middle, so I was like "Really? I'm the Center?" (laughs). It's a little weird, but it takes the form of a pyramid. I take the lead as we move forward. I felt allot of responsibility, so I had to re-focus in order to lead the performance.

(*Where Abe says "re-focus" she used the phrase "body tightens" or "self tightening". It's sort of like re-committing yourself to a job. You've just been given a promotion, and now you're reaffirming your commitment to doing your best from this point moving forward)

--The "Art of Walking" was adopted in the choreography. Was this difficult?

Midori: It was very difficult. There's usually only positions in the front, but this time we took a new approach and added "depth". For example, up to this point, there was no intention to line up two rows. This time, we have enough depth to do it properly. I had to memorize both, but I don't like thinking like a graph, so I couldn't get it, and was panicking at that beginning.

Moe: Because the formation moves so much, and there are also 52 people, it took some time just to remember the positions. Once that was sorted out, I thought it would be okay.

--Please tell me about the coupling songs. What kind of song is the 1st Gen.'s "If Someone's Dream Comes True"?

Abe: "Otona Survivor" is in a cool style, but this song is more in a cute style with a refreshing feeling. It has a high sound. It's the highest we've done up to this point, so the recording process was very difficult.

--What kind of song is the 2nd Gen.'s "Lollipop"?

Misaka: "Lollipop" is a pretty song just like the title says. It's a sudden change from the 2nd Gen.'s song "Love Has No Weapons". It's a love song, and has phrases like "first love" and "unrequited love", so it's very cute. Moe: Right before the Sabi drops, there's a solo part where I get to sing by myself for the first time. The voices of the girls have many characteristics, so I think you will enjoy it.

(*I haven't heard the song, but I think Moe means that each member gets a solo part so you can hear each of their voices. I can't be sure until I hear it though)

--2018 was a year in which the unity of each Unit was strengthened by battles over the title song. So far in 2019, we've seen the "Art of Walking", the recording of this single, and there's been an increase in activities which call for the unity of the entire group. Have there been any changes in the group?

Midori: Everyone's getting along so well, that I think it was good that we stopped the individual Units for now.

--Is the distance between the 1st and 2nd Gen. also been reduced?

Moe: It's definitely smaller. I used to feel like I was on a cloud that was so far away that I couldn't get close. We originally watched the show on TV, so there's still the image that "The 1st Gen. members are amazing". Because all 52 of us were able to work together as one group on "Otona Survivor" without competition, we had an opportunity to get to know each other and make friends.

(*Where Moe says "Because all 52 of us were able to work together as one group on 'Otona Survivor'", she actually says they worked in a "Flat shape". I believe what she means is a "Flat Organization" which is a business term. I'm probably overthinking this, but there might be a bit more to what she's saying. 

Last Idol Family is structured sort of like a Division Organization:

A division organization is an organizational structure divided by related business units, such as business types, sales regions, and product types. It is often found in companies with multiple businesses. Each business has the necessary functions, and each has the right to make decisions, allowing business units to make flexible and quick decisions.

Another advantage is that competition by division leads to increased employee motivation. However, since one function is divided into multiple divisions, there is also the disadvantage that it is difficult to increase the expertise of each function. Another problem is that each department has its own goals, which makes it difficult for management to control the direction of the company.

A Flat Organization is much simpler:

A flat organization refers to an organization structure with few or no levels of management between management and staff level employees. The flat organization supervises employees less while promoting their increased involvement in the decision-making process.

Not only is Last Idol Family divided into Units, but there is obviously a hierarchy. You could break it up into a pyramid like this from top to bottom. Even within Generations, there is a hierarchy with LaLuce and the 2nd Gen's main group at the top of their respective blocks.

/  1st Generation \

/         LaLuce         \

/GT - CCR - SS - LC\

/     2nd Generation      \

/         Main Group          \

/               Unders               \

I think Moe is saying that that there is a clear boundary between the 1st and 2nd Gen., so by working as one group, those walls have come down and everyone is accessible)

--After looking at the 1st Gen., what impression do you get about the 2nd Gen.?

Misaka: Young (laughs). We're really young, so many of the girls need help when they get confused.

That's not the case with me. I'm more of an introvert. It's also very interesting when we take a picture.

For example, Takahashi Minori will say "The picture's nice, isn't it. Okay, I'm going. Let's go. 1, 2, 3"

she's like her own self shutter (laughs). If you hear a voice that sounds like a Cicada, then that would be Suto Moe (laughs). There's allot of high tension girls with a school like feeling, so I think Last Idol has become brighter.

(*Self shutter is the Japanese term for the timer on a camera. I went with "Introverted" but Misaka specifically says "locked in her shell" which is close enough)

Midori: When we held the 1st Anniversary concert at Tokyo Diver City, many of the 2nd Gen. members had no experience as Idols, so some of the girls didn't know how to rehearse well. Even though I thought they were "a bit of hindrance" in such a narrow space, I didn't say it. On the 2nd and 3rd day, I noticed they started doing better. They even properly organized their luggage, which I thought was cute. Also, because we all rehearsed together while being sweaty, when the 2nd Gen. members saw us like that, they said "we respect you", so I was very glad.

Abe: I've been an Idol for a long time, so when the girls who've never been Idols joined, I felt nostalgic about my early days, and remembered why I decided to become an Idol in the first place.

--Abe-san, you're a shy person, but what do you think about the 2nd Gen. members?

Abe: Yes. Hashimoto Momoka and I often use Line. If we're at an event and staying in the same Hotel, she'll say "let's go back together", and we'll walk back together. Oishi Natsumi from LaLuce is very friendly with the 2nd Gen., so you when you are with Natsumi-chan, you can interact with the 2nd Gen. (laughs).

https://tokyopopline.com/archives/114593

Last Idol - 6th Single Interview with Tokyo Popline - Part 1

Last Idol have a lively discussion when the 1st and 2nd Gen meet.

What do they want to do next after the "Walking Art"?

On March 23rd and 24th, a collective performance referred to as "Walking Art", which took 3 months of practice, will be presented at the B.LEAGUE held in Kawasaki City's Tororo Arena with 52 members. The title song of this single is sung by all 52 members, and the element of "Walking Art" was incorporated into the choreography becoming a work that cannot be imitated (duplicated) by any other group.

At this time, we spoke with 5 members of Last Idol, Abe Nanami (LaLuce), Nagatsuki Midori (LaLuce/Chou Cream Rockets), Majima Wakana (Someday Somewhere), and Shinoda Moe and Hata Misaka (2nd Gen) about the core theme of the new single.

"Now that you've accomplished this with all 52 members, what would you like to do next in the fashion of the 'Walking Art'?"

--Thank you for your hard work on the production of "Walking Art". I watched the performance on the 1st day at the venue, and it was a huge success. Did you cry after the performance?

Everyone: (nodding)

Midori: I started crying when I was alone even before it started... (laughs). I couldn't help it. The tears didn't stop until the moment right before the performance started. Once again, I was getting overwhelming because I wanted it to be successful. After it was over, I cried myself to death (laughs).

--What did you talk about after it was over?

Wakana: I couldn't talk at all (laughs). I cried so much that I couldn't get any words out and I was out of breath.

--What did your Supervisor say to you?

Midori: "All of you were amazing!". In the beginning, he said "What are you supposed to be?". However, the day before yesterday, he started saying "Amazing!" and that we were "courageous and really great", so I cried again (laughs).

--How was the performance on the 2nd day?

Wakana: Instead of crying, the 2nd day was filled with a sense of accomplishment, like "we did it right!".

Moe: I was really nervous on the 1st day, and couldn't focus on the audience or what was going on around me. However, on the 2nd day, I was able to relax and give a better presentation. I could smile during the performance of "Otona Survivor", and was able to express my true self.

--"Otona Survivor" was unveiled for the first time.

Abe: There are allot of times when we don't have allot of time to practice before we go out to perform. This time, we had allot of practice time. After we worked things out as best as we could, we prepared for the performance. Allot of customers were there beforehand, and they gave us shouts of encouragement, so I was relieved that we had a good performance.

--I think that the "Walking Art" was a challenge that Last Idol could undertake only after becoming 52 members. Now that you're a group of 52, is there anything else you want to do with this formation?

Midori: Yes! A Sports Day! (Everyone raises there hands)

Moe: Oh, I want to do that!

Midori: After this, I know who has good reflexes and who doesn't. I also have bad reflexes, so it would be more like a competition between the staff, so I'd rather see a contest between the members with good reflexes.

--You want to have a Sport Day, but you don't want to participate in the competition? (laughs)

Midori: Yes. Just let me roll the big balls. Otherwise, leave me out of it (laughs).

(*the big balls refer to a competition where several members roll a giant ball, about as tall as they are, to one end of a goal and then back again to their team. The object is for all the members of the team to roll the ball before their opponents)

--What's makes reflexes so important in this?

Midori: It's everything.

Moe: That's not it!

Midori: Well then (considering Abe and Wakana), these 4 might not be any any good (laughs).

(to Misaka) What do you think?

Misaka: How should I judge it? I'd say we're all average.

Midori: Wow, that's great!

Wakana: An average assessment is great!

Moe: Really?

Midori: (to Abe) What can you do?

Abe: I can jump the hurdles.

Moe: Are you fast?

Abe: Not really...

Midori: Well, then she's going to skip the relay (laughs). We'll do our best in the obstacle course and the ball rolling.

Everyone: (Laughs)

--Is there anything else you'd like to do?

Wakana: I'd like to do something like a stage play or a drama. We all want to shoot a drama. That's the path for an Idol isn't it, to shoot a drama with everyone? We all want to work on 1 thing together, and to overcome another obstacle with everyone, so I think I'd like to do something like this again.

Abe: I want to draw a picture.

The other members: A picture?

--Would you all draw 1 picture? Would you draw one after the other?

Abe: One by one...I want to paint a landscape (laughs).

Wakana: Something like that?! (laughs).

--That's interesting (laughs). On the other hand, even though there are more things you can do with this formation, you have to show your individual personality among 52 members. That must have been especially difficult for the 2nd Gen. What do you think?

Moe: I think that the members are not only friends, but also rivals, so I need to show my strength and personality within this formation. The chance to show what you can do is limited here, so I have to figure out on my own the best way to do that.

--Moe, what kind of character would you like to have in the 2nd Gen.?

Moe: It would be good if I expressed my opinions more. Many members in the 2nd Gen. haven't done anything in the entertainment industry until now. Because we're aware of this difference, we should talk express ourselves more so we can improve.

--What about you Misaka?

Misaka: Even though I host a variety program on Showroom called "Last Idol's 2nd Gen. Evening Distribution", I often have trouble understanding my character. I'm the oldest among the 2nd Gen. members, but I don't know what position I should have or what I should look for.

Moe: But I think that's a strong character.

Midori: I think so too.

Misaka: Really? What kind of character?

Midori: Fluffy.

Everyone: (Laughs)

(*Midori says "Fuwa Fuwa". The literal translation is "Fluffy", but there's a bit more to it. It can mean something that is soft and fluffy, like an animal or clothing, but it can also refer to the lightness of a cake or marshmallows)

Misaka: I think it's just the way I talk (laughs)

Midori: The way you dress too. Very fluffy. I'd like to copy that style in the Spring.

Misaka: Oh, I'm glad! I don't really wear clothes that are fluffy. I just post about them on SNS.

https://tokyopopline.com/archives/114593

Last Idol - Natalie 4th Single Interview part 2

Theme 3: "Victory and Defeat"

The fate of the "Last Idol" group is always being divided between the Winners and Losers. The girls taste either Heaven or Hell. Although LaLuce made their superb debut as "Last Idol" after the first season, they lost the Unit Battle in the second season and started over as LaLuce. What did you learn after experiencing such a huge setback? How did you grow, and what are you thankful for?

(*The intro includes a link to the 2nd Single article about Chou Cream Rockets taking the title of Last Idol)

--On "Last Idol in AbemaTV", Abe made an impressive comment that "We gained confidence in the first season, but carry the burden of losing in the second season". Have you thought more deeply about what you regret?

Haruka: There are too many...

Midori: Thinking back now, we didn't express ourselves enough. We wanted to figure out what our Producer, Komuro (Tetsuya), was thinking on our own, and try to carry that out, so our minds were pre-occupied with that. This time, we expressed our feelings to Goto (Tsugutoshi) and talked allot about what we wanted to do.

Natsumi: Certainly, that's a big difference, isn't it.

Midori: After all, I regretted losing in the second season. If we lost through that way of thinking, then there was no choice but to change it. If I lost thinking "I couldn't say anything...", I'd regret it. As a result of that, things turned out well. We understand now that we have to think about what we want.

Airi: When I was able to win the first season, I thought "The brilliant days are beginning". That feeling would be brief...

Midori: That was definitely a brief story (laughs).

Airi: We were confronted with the second season so quickly (laughs). I honestly thought "Here we go again...". However, we feel better about it now. We lost once in the Battle between the other Units. Because of that, we could see what our strengths and weaknesses were. Our debut was a brief story, and we behaved normally after the end of the first season. Now, I think we've become like a Tengu moving forward.

(*When Airi says they behaved normally, I think she just means they didn't make an changes to how they approached the second season)

Midori: In that case...I think that's a bit scary.

Airi: Yes. I misunderstood the benefit of the power of Television and how we can use it. I don't think I would have been happy if we won the second season. Because I know the feeling of losing, now I truly understand the happiness of singing the title song. How big is the title of Last Idol to us? How much do we appreciate it? After engraving these feelings of gratitude into my heart, I want to perform.

--Wow, Yasuda-san sums up the moral so beautifully, doesn't she (laughs).

Abe: Now I'm hesitating about talking next (laughs). A while ago, Midori-chan said "we couldn't express ourselves during the second season", right? I feel the same way. on the other hand, I thought at the time "it's not good unless everyone's feelings come together". This time, Goto-san said he got allot of information from us, so he knew what we were aiming for.

--Was it easy talking with your Producer, Goto-san?

Midori: He was very friendly and his stance was "Please say anything". In some way, rather than saying he's a great Producer, he feels like a kind Father. He wanted our opinions not just on the song, but on the clothes as well. I think it was a great opportunity that we happened to meet Goto-san.

Theme 4: "The bond of the 5 member Unit is born"

LaLuce was formed through the rivalries that were sparked during the 1st Season Survival Battle. A strong bond was formed during the Unit Battle, and after the graduation of the Senior members Yoshizaki Aya and Koga Yako, you became 5 members.

(*There's a link to the article about the graduations of Aya, Yako, and Good Tears's Orin)

--Due to the nature of the "Last Idol" program, in the beginning there was the feeling of a group being created, right? How did you strengthen you teamwork from there?

Haruka: Your age, where you grew up, your career up to that point...Just about everything was different, right? However, I think deep down, we felt the same way. I applied to the first season and felt I could achieve my dream there. However, at first I was afraid to talk.

--Who was the most afraid?

Haruka: Everyone. All of us were scared. At the time, no members had been decided. At first, I was the youngest, so it was scary being with the older sisters.

Natsumi: I joined around the same time as Nana-min (Abe), so it was easy to open up to her. I couldn't talk to Airi-chan and Haru-nun (Haruka) at all, and Midori-chan had left right before I joined.

(*To put Natsumi's comment into context for the readers, there's a note about how Midori was eliminated once, but returned later after winning the revival battle)

Midori: That's so true. If you join later, you can be puzzled by one another (laughs).

Natsumi: Because of that, I wasn't able to get along with the other members. So I thought "What will I do?" when "Last Idol in Abema TV" started. At that point, I was able to change. I could share my opinions with everyone, and gradually, you could say that our feelings became 1 and the same.

--Did the graduation of Yoshizaki Aya and Koga Yako have a significant impact?

Abe: It was amazing!

(*Abe uses "Sugoi" which can mean good or bad depending on the the situation. I'm not entirely sure which way she's using it, but considering that things turned out well for them, I'm taking it as a positive)

Airi: The first season was an individual game. In the second season, only the 2 oldest (Yoshizaki and Koga) gave a clear opinion. We were completely reliant on them. To be honest, it was more like "Seniors and Juniors" than "Peers".

Midori: Absolutely. Of course, we felt a bond, but in all honesty, many parts had been split up. That's how I think about it now.

(*I'm not sure exactly what Midori means by "parts split up". She could just mean the members hadn't formed a cohesive group yet)

Airi: So, when I found out that the two of them would be graduating, I quickly said "This is more than I can handle!". Now I'll be the oldest. There's no one to hold it together.

--Couldn't you hold it together just based on morality?

Airi: It was impossible because I don't rely on that too much (laughs). However, there was a benefit to their loss. We were forced to speak for ourselves.

Abe: The voices of 5 people were more visible than before.

Airi: Recently, we had the chance to sing "Wind Blows" from the second season. When the lyrics "Our bonds are born" came up, we got very emotional. "What's this?" I thought. It was the first time I felt that way. Because 2 members were missing, and a big hole had opened, it became a wall that we had to overcome. At that time, the real bond of LaLuce was born. It felt like we had all become connected, and there were allot of tears.

Theme 5: "Looking to the Future"

Goto Tsugutoshi, who participated as a Producer on the program, gave a message to LaLuce "I want you to work while looking towards the future". The girls who begin activities while drawn together into an instant Unit, what are your dreams for the future?

(*When they write "The girls who begin activities while drawn together into an instant Unit", they might mean that the 5 of them are now a Unit instead of the 7 member group that was originally formed, and this is a new beginning for them)

--What kind of group does LaLuce want to be in the future?

Midori: We're the ones who started as the Last Idol, and now we're singing the title song of the 4th Single. Because of this, I think LaLuce is the most visible group from the perspective of the general public. Naturally, I want us to be the group that leads all of Last Idol Family. Even if the number of members increases with the addition of the 2nd Generation, that won't change. From the beginning, we all said "We can do this!". We will continue to exist.

Abe: As Midori-chan said, the feeling that LaLuce wants to be the center of Last Idol Family is strong. To do that, we have to work harder than the other Units, and I feel we have to increase the things we can do. In the future, no matter how long the program continues, I want it to be said that "LaLuce is perfectly suited to be Last Idol". That's the kind of group I want us to be.

Haruka: LaLuce often gets to sing cool songs. I think it's a little different from the image of the Royal Road Idol. There are many Idols out there, so I want to make LaLuce's color and personality unique. I don't want us to be compared to anyone else. I want you to quickly say "LaLuce is LaLuce".

(*When Haruka says "I don't want us to be compared to anyone else", she actually uses the term "〇〇っぽい". The second part means "ppoi" which translates to "ish". It's a way for Japanese to say "girl+ish", "child+ish", etc. The first part "〇〇" is where you would insert whatever you want. Haruka uses "〇〇っぽい" to make a general statement that she doesn't want any comparisons. Kind of like "AKBish" or "Keyaki-ish". That's why I translated it that way)

https://natalie.mu/music/pp/lastidol03/page/2