Peri Ubu - 2You Magazine Interview

*This interview was published on 2020.3.24.

Peri Ubu has gone in an entirely different direction. After BiS disbanded in May 2019, she started new activities as a solo artist and everything is now 100% about Peri Ubu. She can wear any kind of clothes she likes and do whatever she wants musically. Peri Ubu is creating a new Peri Ubu. Her appearance makes us think that she can be a role model in an era where being true to yourself is what's right in the world. Holding these new values, we've published this interview with Peri Ubu as she begins building a new era. A spirit hungry for a shining world, keep your eye on Peri Ubu who strives to become an icon of this new era.

--Suddenly, I heard that Peri Ubu became a solo and is going in a whole new direction.

Peri: Yay! I'm shining brightly!

--After BiS disbanded, you started activities faster than anyone else. On the day of the final live performance, you started an Instagram and announced a photo exhibition.

Peri: While in BiS, I learned that speed is life. So, I opened an Instagram account right after the live ended. There was a special party until the next morning, but I was glad to hear allot of people say they followed me. I did the photo exhibition with a make-up artist who also worked with BiS, so it was interesting.

--At the time, it was a freelance activity, right?

Peri: I was freelance for about three months before I joined my current office. I was impatient, but also not in a hurry to decide. I wanted to be careful and not have to change offices later on, so I made my decision when I was able to say "I want to do it with these people!". I think I made a good choice. It's an environment where I can do what I want.

--I can see that when looking at you now. It's really cool to see you coming into your own.

Peri: I want to put out energy like "Wow!". Can you see it?

--Absolutely. I'd say Peri Ubu has become whole.

Peri: I'm glad! The second half of BiS was very sad. As a group, we showed allot of painful and heartbreaking things to our fans, didn't we? But that was BiS at that time, and I think it was very real. It's because of those activities that I'm hungry for happiness right now. I want fans to laugh and I want to laugh too. I don't have to worry about anything, so I want to enjoy it as much as possible. So I want to pursue happiness as a new Peri Ubu.

--The vehicle for pursuing this happiness became fashion and music. You've created a new genre called Peri Ubu.

Peri: That's right! I want to create a genre called Peri Ubu! When I thought about what I wanted to do as a solo artist, the visual image that came to me was "I want to make everyone happy with dazzling fashion and cool music". I love to express myself. I want to think about how to make the invisible visible and try answering questions that haven't been answered yet. I also like choreography because I want to make it fun to see. I'd like to find a way to connect with people that can also be enjoyed visually. So I would be happy if this became a new genre called Peri Ubu.

--You can enjoy the way of expressing Peri Ubu with all five senses. The affinity between fashion and music is a new approach for Peri Ubu. It adds an increased value to your image.

Peri: I'm very conscious of that. I hope that more people can do what they like and say what they like.

--You've been very open about having eye surgery.

Peri: Oh, I forgot I had plastic surgery (laughs).

--You don't have to be afraid to be yourself, right? But Japan still has to accept it.

Peri: I wonder about that. I should probably talk about it since I had plastic surgery. I want to be cute. I want to create a world where a girl who has plastic surgery doesn't have to hide it.

--That way of life seems to be supported as a fashion icon.

Peri: I want to become what girls dream about. By being in the public eye, I have the courage to take action. It can be plastic surgery or anything else, but if you're worried about it, you should do it. I think Japan will become more interested in what you like the more you explore it. I think it's good to stay true to what you like. Don't be impatient with what High Schoolers like. They are the ones who will shape the world!

--I think Peri Ubu intuitively does what she wants. Not only with fashion, but with the music that she records. I think it's great that you've gotten better about having the intuition to dive into what you like and have fun with it.

Peri: That's 100% Peri Ubu. Every day is really fun.

--Peri's compatibility with club music is outstanding.

Peri: Right! When I was in BiS, I happened to listen to EDM in Ike-san's car (the group's manager). I could feel the drums in my body and said "this is super fun!". Immediately after hearing it for the first time, I thought "I like this kind of music". After a while, when I thought about what kind of music I wanted to do as a solo, I wanted to pursue the kind of music that would define Peri Ubu, so I thought "I want to make music like I heard in the car at that time". But I didn't know the word EDM and told the staff "I want to do Hip-Hop". Then I heard the song and it was totally different. "This isn't Hip-Hop!" (laughs).

--(laughs)

Peri: The songs they sent me were too relaxing (laughs). I wanted something with more beats and I said "wrong!" because I was thinking of a noisy music (laughs). A little bit later, I learned it was called EDM (laughs).

--To express what Peri Ubu wants to do, EDM is extremely fitting.

Peri: I like colorful fashion and like to wear flashy clothes. When I thought about what music fits that the best, EDM was the closest. That's why there's fashion and then music, but the order might be a little strange.

(*I think Peri means that she came up with her fashion style first and then the music genre. Maybe she thinks it's strange to do it in that order)

--No, it's very healthy. And because the music, fashion, and your way of life really match, I wonder if Peri Ubu will become an icon if it spreads to High School girls.

Peri: I want that! I want to make it popular! Um, how do you say it? Do you know what Pa-Pi-Pu-Pe-Po is?

--Pa-Pi-Pu-Pe-Po?

Peri: Yes! Pa-Pi-Pu-Pe-Po!

--Uh...what's that?

Peri: How would you say a popping sound like Pa-Pi-Pu-Pe-Po?

--Is it half-voiced?

Peri: Yes! Japanese people like the Pa-Pi-Pu-Pe-Po sound, which sounds like half-voiced sound. Puchin, purin, etc. (*she's referring to Flan). So Peri Ubu might have a chance. I'd be happy if Peri Ubu became popular among High School girls. It would be great if a girl looked up to me and I became an influence on her life.

--Like Amurer or Shinorer who were popular in the 90's.

Peri: Oh, that's it!

(*Amurer is the name for Namie Amuro fans who imitated her fashions. The Japanese word would be Amura. Basically just adding a "ra" to the name or "er" in English. It originated in the Kansai region where women who loved the Chanel brand were called "Chanellers". Another example would be "Visualer". These were men with long hair who wore long black coats imitating bands like GLAY.

Even though the interviewer is saying that Peri could become a trendsetter among school girls, I don't think she means it will be as widespread as the Amurers in the 90's. Btw, Shinorer, or Shinora in Japanese, refers to fans of Tomoe Shinohara, a singer and multi-talented artist who popularized a brightly colored, layered fashion style that is still popular today. It's been featured in magazines like Fruits and Layers.)

--Like a Perer.

Peri: You sound so fluent (laughs). Peri Ubaer? (*She really says Ubara, but I'm trying to be consistent with my translation, lol) Perya? I think it was super popular in that era. Recently, I've been watching old dramas and it's really popular in "Ikebukuro Westgate Park" (*aired in 2000).

(*Peri uses "pera pera" which can mean "fluent" or "flimsy", so I'm not 100% sure which one)

--Oh, the color gang.

Peri: The color gang is cute. I also want to do that. Everyone wore green in Shibuya. Wouldn't it be nice to do it now?

(*Abbreviated as "IWGP", Ikebukuro Westgate Park focuses on juvenile delinquents and street gangs among other things)

--If Peri-san leads the way, then the city will be overflowing with Peras.

Peri: I'd be happy if that happened. I won't give up on doing what I want. I want to wear the clothes I like and sing all kinds of music. I want to meet people in person instead of using SNS. By living this way, I want to create a world where all girls of this era can live their lives however they want. As Peri Ubu, I would like to send this message. Don't worry about what other people think and do what you like.

http://2youmagazine.com/2020/03/periubu/

Ebichu Kannai Devil gif Spectacular!!!

Starting in March, Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku became regular cast members for the 2nd Season of Kannai Devil, a weekly music variety program. The 30 min. program takes place in the fictional coffee shop "Kannai Devil" in Yokohama and is hosted by the owner Eiji Ooba and regular customer Kamura Mami. In each episode, the two are joined by a different member of Ebichu playing the role of a part time employee. After some unscripted banter, the three are visited by a musical guest and they discuss various things about their lives. Kannai might be a reference to Kannai Station in Naka-ku, Yokohama. It's also a popular name for the Ooka River in Naka-ku.

Since it's a dialogue heavy show, it's not practical for me to do a full translation. However, there are some funny and cute moments courtesy of the members of Ebichu, so I thought I'd make some gifs. I also recently purchased a real screen capture program and this is the perfect opportunity to test it out.

Intros

Hinata:

Riko:

Rika:

Talents

Hinta shows off her special skill of making a funny face:

Riko's baton twirling:

Drawing Fails!

There's a segment on the show where Mami and the member of Ebichu have to draw an animal after being told it's name. The results were questionable, lol.

Riko and Mami draw a Red Panda:

Riko and Mami have to draw a Clouded Leopard:

Rika and Mami have to draw a Dromedary or Somali Camel:

Bonus #1

I think they were talking about Rika's photobook, but they were trying to play a trick on Mami by pulling out on her old ones. That's why she's so eager to hide it.

Bonus #2

I made a lower quality set of gifs from Ebichu's MV for "Sweet Sweet", but decided to make another set since I better software.

You can watch the full episodes here:

Hinata's Ep

Riko's Ep

Rika's Ep

Faky "half-moon" Interview

*Faky "half-moon" Interview with Music Voice. Published on 4.2.2020.

"Faky starts in the true sense as 5 members find confidence and look towards the future"

Next Generation Girls Union Faky will release the single "half-moon" on February 26th. After Anna announced her graduation in December 2018, former Def Will member Hina and Taki from the Philippines, who is extremely popular with teens, joined Faky to create a new 5 member system in their 3rd season.

(*When they say 3rd season, they most likely mean 3rd Generation)

Last year, they released a dance trilogy with the theme of Girl Power under the new system. They also performed at allot of live events to strengthen their unity. The first release of 2020 "half-moon" includes the feelings that Hina expressed on the AbemaTV show "Don't Be Fooled By The Moon And The Wolf". This medium number that Lil' Fang put Hina's feelings into, adds a whole new dimension that's different from the previous Faky. In this interview, we listened to the members talk about the changes to group under the new system, their feelings about "half-moon", and asked the 5 of them about their enthusiasm for future activities.

(*Since it's a big part behind the creation of half-moon, I looked into Hina's reality show. It started airing on March 30th. If I understand it correctly, it's a documentary style dating program where a group of high school aged girls who want to fall in love and go on a series of dates with members from the male team. However, one of the men is a wolf, who is acting and trying to stir things up. The goal is for the girls to discover who is the wolf. It was inspired by the Mafia game which is also known as Werewolf in different parts of the world.

Since it started airing, Hina's Instagram followers have been increasing rapidly. As of April 9th, she has almost 450k! The show seems to appeal to not only female, but male viewers as well. Hina opened up a YouTube Channel on April 9th, and as of the 13th, her first video has almost 1M views!!!)

"I want to show Girl Power naturally"

--One year has passed since you started the 5 member system. How does it feel to change from 4 members?

Mikako: Going from 4 to 5 is a really big deal. Would you say painting power? Of course, I feel like the power balance is bigger now.

(*"Painting power" refers to a newer term that's kind of vague. It came from discussions in 2ch threads among people who were interested in painting and manga. It can be interpreted to mean "artistic power/drawing power". I don't completely understand it myself, but this is the basic idea. It can be applied in different ways, but I'm not completely sure how Mikako's using it. She could just mean that the group has leveled up and is more dynamic)

Akina: Because the two of them (Hina and Taki) were born and raised in different places, we have a new essence which I felt was a plus. I think it's become fresh and easy to understand.

Lil' Fang: When we were 4 members, it felt like everyone was laid back. You might say we were all different from each other. However, when we became 5, it showed us a something like a new way of life. I wanted us to get a little bit stronger, and now that we've gotten closer with each other, I think it's gotten better. Also, now that we have 5 members, there's a desire to show Girl Power naturally in our 3rd season.

(*I'm not sure what Lil' Fang meant in the first two sentences. I get the sense that she was saying when they were 4, the members weren't that close yet. Now that they've become 5, they're a more tight nit group)

--One year has passed since Taki and Hina joined. How do you two feel now?

Taki: When I was about 15, I met the members of Faky and listened to their music. At that time, I never thought I would ever be a member. After working over the past year, I feel like I made a good choice. Now that all the puzzle pieces have been put together, I'm confident that I didn't make a mistake in joining.

--Do you engage in any activities that are different from the image you convey?

Taki: Before joining, I thought everyone was so serious. In reality, they weren't serious at all (laughs). At the beginning of our activities, I felt like I didn't talk at all before live performances, and that's not me at all (laughs).

Lil' Fang: I saw it that way too (laughs).

--That's a little understandable. How about you Hina?

Hina: Before joining Faky, I belonged to a different group under the same office, but Faky was always around so I was always watching them and thought they were a cool group. I had allot of pressure and anxiety about joining.

--What anxiety did you have?

Hina: I wondered if fans would accept me as a new member. However, over the past year, we've performed live in various places and released the single trilogy, and I feel like I've received allot of support. Over time, I feel like I've gained confidence as a member of Faky.

--I've heard that the dancing was also very difficult.

Hina: It was. There were two skill checks before joining and I did a month of strength training. The training was very difficult because everything was controlled, from the time I got up in the morning to the distance of the run. After one more skill check, I finally passed.

--Has everyone trained like that?

Lil' Fang: The timing was different for each of us. Now, we've leveled up and manage ourselves. During our 1st season, I trained 6 hrs. a day, 6 days a week.

Mikako: 6 hrs. is short. Normally, it was 8 - 10 hrs.

Taki: I couldn't dance at all and wanted to get better, so I went to the Dance Studio in Shibuya and had lessons from 11am until 11:30 at night. By the end of the day I would be crying, but thanks to that, in one year I was able to raise my skill.

"Feelings about 'half-moon' draw near"

--Well, "half-moon" has been released, and it's been said that Lil' Fang used Hina's thoughts to write the lyrics, so can you talk about the circumstances surrounding that?

Lil' Fang: It was unlikely that a member would appear in a love reality show during in the 7 years that Faky's been active. Everyone felt that something unknown would happen, so I thought it would be meaningless to Faky if it wasn't expressed through music. After Hina's appearance, I thought "why don't we make a song about her feelings?". I consulted with Akina during the time I was writing the lyrics.

--Did Hina give a list to Lil' Fang?

Hina: That's right. I always keep a diary. It's very big with a nice scroll style width, and sometimes I write about how I feel.

--From heavy to light. Lil' Fang, how did you feel reading Hina's personal thoughts?

(*When the Interviewer says "from heavy to light", I think they mean the tone of Hina's response after Lil' Fangs more serious one)

Lil' Fang: She seems like a girl who struggles with her thoughts and takes allot of detours. However, I think her detours increase because she has allot of experiences. I thought, let's do our best not to let Hina surpass me when she's my age.

--Is there any member who's close to Hina's thoughts?

Lil' Fang: I might be the closest, so I was effected by many places in her diary.

--Mikako, how did you feel about the lyrics when you read them?

Mikako: I guess I felt like I'm the opposite of Hina's personality and didn't think I could put myself into the lyrics. I was troubled and listened to the song allot while thinking about the answer. I wanted to express it by drawing on my own life. Over the 25 years of my life, I haven't focused much on romance, and I don't think that was a good choice. I talked with Lil', got some tips and decided "I'll sing and focus on life". At live performances, I sing to express my thoughts about the path I've take during my life.

Akina: I'm different from Mikako. Of course, life is important to me, but when it comes to romance, I get really tense. even though it can be painful, I'm happy to sing lyrics about our expectations for the future.

Taki: At the time of the recording, I told Lil' and Mikako "I need help because I don't understand Japanese". I still can't read Japanese words, so I read it in Romanji. From there, I wrote out the lyrics and was able to understand the feelings behind them. I felt like it was a song that could be sung with various themes instead of one topic. I think the lyrics convey different emotions every time you listen to them.

Lil' Fang: The gist of the song may change depending on what words the listener picks up.

--Hina, when you saw the lyrics, was there a phrase that resonated with you the most?

Hina: I thought the lyrics were captured so accurately that it's difficult to choose a number 1. When we were working on this song, I never thought I could write in this way. The balance between the emotions was perfect so anyone who listens could empathize with it.

--The sense of balance was good in the parts where you entrusted your thoughts, right? Now, regarding the sound, it shows us a different side of Faky than in the past. What did you think when you first heard the music?

Mikako: It was a different from what we've done before, so I was looking forward to what would happen when the five of us rode this sound. At the same time, it was even more fun to think that a brand new Faky would be delivered to the world again.

Akina: It's unusual for a song to stand on it's own and convey a message without choreography. I feel like there's a closer connection to the audience when singing a song like this.

Taki: It's the first time I've experienced this. When I was standing on stage and singing, I felt like I couldn't see anyone (in the group). However, when the Sabi (low Japanese vocal tones) comes in at the conclusion, I suddenly realized that everyone was around and it was a strange sensation.

Lil'Fang: I totally get that! There's an image of passing each other when the formation changes. We're close, but it's like passing someone in the street, and finally, you meet them face to face. I got that kind of sense when I realized that the 5 of us were there.

--Hina, are you conscious that you're singing about yourself?

Hina: It was so difficult when I saw the lyrics for the first time because the lyrics were so honest. If I thought too much about myself while singing it, then it would have been a mess. However, now the struggles and suffering from when I was writing take shape, so I thought it would be better to sing with the feelings from that time.

"I am confident that this is Faky from now on"

-- Is the title of the song "half-moon" taken from the Moon in "Don't Be Fooled By The Moon and the Wolf".

Lil' Fang: In the end, I couldn't change it. Looking at the notes Hina gave me and her role on "Don't Be Fooled By The Moon And Wolf", along with her difficulties being in Faky, it was hard to convey both. However everyone has that emotion, but the contrast with Hina's is getting stronger and I think it's getting harder to reconcile them both. I feel like there are few people who can separate the two, so in the song I wanted to convey that "It's natural for there to be two". So instead of a full moon, I decided on a half moon.

(*This was hard to translate, but if I didn't make it clear, I think Lil' Fang is saying that there are two sides to Hina, who she is in private and who she is in Faky, and she has difficulty reconciling that fact)

-- Yes, we all have both Yin and Yang. Can you tell us if you have any favorite lyrics or a phrase from the song.

Mikako: I liked the lyrics "I walk while holding my heartache, I own my life". When I read this line, it really struck a chord. There are also words that come in quickly like "leaf". I wonder if it represents my current feelings, so I felt like that part was particularly important.

Akina: For me it's the beginning of the Sabi "half-moon the other side of me". I sang in unison with 5 people for the first time and I think you can feel the strength of it. This is a key point for me, so I hope you pay attention to it.

Taki: I love the entire chorus. It's a hook that appears in the world of the song quickly, so I like it.

Hina: If you're watching the TV Show, I wonder if you can picture these scenes while listening to the lyrics. However, even if you're not watching the show, I think you can still feel something and understand the various meanings of "half-moon".

-- On the contrary, After listening to the song, I thought watching the show would give you a different insight.

Hina: It's an idea I haven't had before, so I'd love to hear your impressions.

-- In conclusion, can you tell us about Faky's prospects.

Lil' Fang: The 5 of us came together about a year and a half ago, and there have been some twists and turn until we took this form. Sometimes we had to start over from square one, but with the power that each of us had, sometimes we'd start from 100. Mikako was also talking about this, but it feels like the power balance of the 5 of us has finally arrived. Our breathing is in sync and I think it took us a year and half to gain the self-confidence to feel like, from now on, this is Faky.

As the culmination of this, on May 31st at Shibuya duo Music Exchange, we'll be holding our One Man Live "Faky One Man Live, New Age". From that point on, I think that Faky will really start as a 5 member group. The time for training is over. From here, it will be a challenge of our abilities to convey what fees like Faky now and I would be happy if you come to our lives!

https://www.musicvoice.jp/news/202004020145521/

Mameshiba no Taigun - "Surprise Common Sense Quiz!"

This year, Mameshiba no Taigun started a Variety Show on their YouTube channel. Each episode features the members undertaking different challenges, some of which involve punishments if they fail to complete them.

(*They have the best thumbnails, lol)

In the two most recent episodes, "Surprise Common Sense Quiz", the members answered a series of questions on a variety of subjects. All of them had to answer correctly or they would have to undergo a punishment game as a group. The punishments are all listed on a board, 9 in total, and each round a member draws a question randomly from a box. Whether they all answer correctly or not, the punishment is checked off and they move on to the next round.

My intention was just to translate the punishment board because, even though some will be obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of Japanese, others might not be so clear. After writing up the list, I wanted to translate the quiz portions as well and decided to turn this into a full blog post.

You can both episode here: Part 1 and Part 2.

Punishment Board

Top Row:

- デスソース　(death sauce)
- センブリ茶　(Senburi Tea)
- パンスト被り (Pantyhose wearing)

Middle Row:

- 顔面洗バサミ　(Face Scissors)
- ゲテモノ食い　(Getemono Taberu),
- コンビニダッシュ (Konbini Dash)

Bottom Tow:

- 足つぼ大丈夫サンライズ　(Ashitsubo Daijoubu Sunrise)
- メンバーの嫌なところ暴露　(Exposing the members dislikes)
- クロちゃんの口臭 (Kuro-chan's Bad Breath)

Episode 1!

Question #1: "The Astronaut Gagarin's famous quote "The Earth is__".
(*Gagarin is Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet Air Force Pilot and the first human to travel to outer space)

Answer: "Blue."

Kaede, Hanea, and Nao answered "青かった" (It's blue) which is correct. Aika got it wrong and I think Miyuki was close, but didn't quite have it. The members now have to face their first punishment game.

- Face Scissors: Pretty self explanatory, but you put the close pins on your face and have them pulled off.

Question #2: "In which direction does the sun rise and set in Japan?"

Answer: "Rises in the east and sets in the West."

Kaede, Hanae, and Miyuki answered correctly. Aika and Nao had it reversed. Time for the next punishment game.

- Seburi Tea: Senburi is also known as Swertia Japonica, an extract is an extract from the Swertia Japonica plant native to Japan. It has been recognized for centuries as promoting long life, strength and wisdom. It has a very bitter taste and is said to be the most bitter crude drug (herb).

Question #3: "What metal is the Japanese 1 Yen coin made of?"

Answer: "Aluminum."

Everyone got it right, so they avoid the acupressure performance of Daijoubu Sunrise.

- Ashitsubo Daijobu Sunrise (Acupressure Daijoubu Sunrise): Based on other variety shows, I'm guessing that the members would have to sing the song while getting an acupressure treatment on their feet. Depending on which points on the foot are pressed, it can be quite painful. After re-watching the episode, they included a picture of a mat with a rough surface on it. The members would probably have to step on this while singing.

Question #4: "They succeeded in humanities first powered flight. Who are these siblings?"

Answer: "The Wright Brothers."

Aika and Miyuki got it wrong. They both answered "Space Brothers" which they found amusing.

(*Space Brothers is actually a Manga. Here's the synopsis straight from Wikipedia:

In the summer of 2006, Mutta Nanba and his younger brother, Hibito, witness what they believe to be a UFO, which flies off towards the Moon. Hibito decides he will go onto the Moon whilst Mutta decides he will aim for Mars. Nineteen years later, in the year 2025, Hibito has become a fully fledged JAXA astronaut assigned to go on a mission towards the moon.  Mutta, on the other hand, has not been so successful in achieving his dreams. As Mutta eventually recalls his past ambitions, he receives a letter stating he has been accepted to join a JAXA training program for new astronauts. The series follows Mutta as he seeks to become an astronaut and achieve his longtime dream just like his brother did)

Here's a good image from the Anime adaptation.

The members have to play a punishment game.

- Exposing the members dislikes: This time, they have to say something they dislike, which is about other members. Looks like they just talk about whoever's sitting to the left of them.

What Hanae dislikes about Nao: "When you get sleepy, your attitude gets worse."

What Nao dislikes about Miyuki: "She suddenly yells in public."

What Miyuki dislikes about Kaede: "She hates dogs and children."
(*Sounds like Kaede didn't like the dogs that were on the set of the MV shoot for Daijoubu Sunrise)

What Kaede dislikes about Aika: "The bathroom is dirty (Aika and Nao live together in the dorm)"
(*Kaede says something about pink dirt stuck there)

What Aika dislikes about Hanae: "Her legs are thin and her skin is white."

Question #5: "List the Zodiac 1 by 1 in order verbally."

(*Based on their answers, it looks like they were listing the Twelve Earthly Branches of the Chinese Zodiac,specifically the Kunyomi pronunciations. Kunyomi is a reading based on the pronunciation of a Japanese word that closely approximates the meaning of the Chinese character after it was introduced. These refer to months, not years)

Answer: In order, they are: "Ne, Ushi, Tora, U, Tatsu, Mi, Uma, Hitsuji, Saru, Tori, Inu, and I." Of course, each corresponds to an animal.

Kaede screwed up, twice actually, so they undertake one more punishment game.

- Getemono Teberu: It refers to something that is generally unpleasant to eat like reptiles and amphibians. This is wear the grasshoppers came in.

Nao's final comment after eating the Grasshoppers: "We've had our variety baptism."
(*You could say they've taken their right of passage. Trial by Grasshopper?)

Episode 2!

Question #6: "Who is the person who killed Oda Nobunga at the Honnō-ji Incident?"

Answer: "Akechi Mitsuhide."

(*About the The Honnō-ji Incident or Honnō-ji no Hen (本能寺の変). It refers to the forced suicide on 21 June 1582, of Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga at the hands of his samurai general Akechi Mitsuhide. This occurred in Honnō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, ending Nobunaga's quest to consolidate centralized power in Japan under his authority. I won't go into too much detail, but Nobunga had central Japan under his control and wanted to continue his military expansion by attacking the remaining three clans who were in a weakened state. While Nobunga's forces were spread out, Mitsuhide used the opportunity to take his troops to the temple where Nobunaga was resting (Honnō-ji) and staged a coup. While the temple was surrounded, Nobunaga committed suicide. There are theories as to why Mitsuhide betrayed Nobunaga, but the exact reason is still unclear)

Kaede is the only one who got it right, although she only wrote "Akechi". Aika wrote "Ishida Mitsunari", a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period. I have no idea what Hanae wrote, but I don't think she finished. Nao wrote "Toyotomo Hideyoshi", a daimyō and politician of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan. Miyuki wrote "Sakamoto Ryoma", a samurai and influential figure of the Bakumatsu and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo period.

Time for the first Punishment game of the episode!

- Pantyhose wearing: It's pretty self explanatory.

The Punishment game for the next question is Death Sauce. They make a point of mentioning that Nao already experienced it at the Training Camp.

(*Death Sauce is made by the US company "Blair's Sauces and Snacks" and frequently served at the Wack Training Camp. It's insanely hot)

Question #7: "The Era before the Hesei is the Showa, but what is the Era before the Showa?"

Answer: "Taishō era."

Everyone got it correct, so they escape the dreaded Death Sauce.

Question #8: "Take turns and list the months from January to December in English."

Miyuki answered incorrectly, so they have to do a Punishment Game. The other members tried to help her by bringing up the "June Bride" tradition.

- Konbini Dash (Convenience Store Dash): This is pretty self explanatory, but I think there's more to it. As far as the show is concerned, the last person to arrive has to buy something for the rest of the members. They wanted Haagen-Dazs.

(*Konbini Dash is also a hashtag on twitter, but I can't find a good explanation. It's usually connected to video games like the super hot Dragon Egg mobile game. It might be really simple like you really need something, so you have to make a quick run to the store)

Miyuki was first to the Convenience Store followed by Aika, Kaede, and then Hanae. Nao picked the wrong shoes to wear that day, lol.

Question #9: "What number is behind 3 on a set of dice?"

Answer: "4."

Hanae is the only one to get it wrong, so it's time for the final Punishment Game. They remind her that each corresponding side can be added up to seven. Aika even wrote it out: 1/6, 2/5, 3/4.

- Kuro-Chan's Bad Breath: So, that concoction they made a couple episodes ago where they recreated Kuro-chan's bad  breath...yeah they're reusing it here. The usage is self explanatory. They're so efficient on this show. They should find more uses for it, lol.

The members get a dollop of the concoction on their nose and have to do their intro.

With that, the members conclude the quiz and survive this show for another week.

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.

A Brief History of Tokimeki Sendenbu

*This is an expanded version of the original that I posted on OneHallyu on April 15, 2019.

While looking for more old posts to archive here, I came across this brief one about Tokimeki Sendenbu. I thought I would expand on it so it's more of an actual history of the group.

The group was formed on April 11, 2015 on the television show, Shiritsu Kagayaki Jogakuen SEASON 2.

Shiritsu Kagayaki Jogakuen (私立輝女学園, Private Kagayaki Girls' Academy) was an actress development project under Stardust Promotion talent agency section 3. The group's activities were broadcasted through the TV variety show titled Shiritsu Kagayaki Jogakuen ~KAGAJO.COM~ in J:COM station starting from April 6, 2014.

They actually released a single in August 2014 "Kagayaki Together (輝Together)". It translates to something like "Shining Together". It was coupled with "Kagaya Onna Taisou" which translates to "Women's Shining First Gymnastics" (Don't quote me this, lol). You can clearly see Kanami in the middle of the first pic.

(Jacket for Kagayaki Together)

(Jacket for Kagaya Onna Taisou)

It's interesting that the other 4 members who would go on to form TokiSen didn't participate in these singles.

(Our 5 TokiSen members on April 11th, 2015)

The original 5 members of TokiSen were:

- Tsujino Kanami (Tokimeki  Blue)
- Koizumi Haruka (Tokimeki Pink)
- Sakai Hitoka (Tokimeki Red)
- Yoshikawa Hiyori (Tokimeki Green)
- Nagasaka Mako (Tokimeki Yellow)

Tokisen's concept involves singing to promote pounding hearts. That's why their mascot is a heart and a heart is featured in the logo for their group name.

Their first Indies single was "Dokkyun♡!! Shoujo (土っキュン♡!!少女)" and released on 2015.6.24.

The ZAG mascot from the Kagaya Onna Taisou MV even makes a cameo in the MV.

Their first Major single "Gamba!! (ガンバ!!)" was released on 2016.11.9 on Universal. Ganba is probably short for Ganbare, which means "do your best!".

Nagaso Mako announced her graduation on March 20th, 2017 and they held a final live with her on March 20th. After this, there was a brief period when they were 4.

Fujimoto Bambi replaced Nagasaka Mako, who was also an original member, but instead of being the new Tokimeki Yellow, they made her Tokimeki Lemon, lol. Bambi joined in June 2018 along with Odaka Sala who was the first member to wear purple.

During this period, the group started wearing darker and more monochromatic costumes.

(Bambi is in the back row on the left and Sala is in the front row in the middle)

TokiSen released their first album "Tokiotome" on 2018.4.11. It's worth noting that the sound production was handled by Matsukuma Kenta, who does the sound production for all the WACK groups.

They released an MV for the song "Suki!".

Odaka Sala  had the shortest tenure in the group (June 2017 - October 2018). She was replaced by Julia Ann. For some reason, instead of continuing the fruit naming convention, Julia just became the new Tokimeki Purple. She really should have been Tokimeki Grape. I think the reason might be that Sala was a member during the period when the group didn't wear their member colors as much. Being the newest member, that must be why Julia got the center spot on one of the Jackets for Victory Story and was featured so prominently in the MV.

TokiSen made their debut on Avex with "Tokimeki Sendenbu no Victory Story" on 2019.4.10:

The single debuted at third place in the daily singles ranking with 30,160 copies sold!

I'll finish this off with a live perf from Tokisen's Christmas concert during their original era.

*Bonus: Sunshine City Live

To promote Victory Story, TokiSen held the obligatory live at SunShine City Fountain Square in Tokyo on 4.10. The concert was an hour long and streamed on Line Live. I like these kinds of videos because it feels like your right there in the audience.

https://popnroll.tv/articles/2377

*Bonus 2: Yoshikawa Hiyori (Tokimeki Green) is pretty extra. She's the firecracker of the group.