The True Meaning of "Junjou"

After a long two-years break in activities, Bonjour Idol is back, and we had to show up for one of our personal favorite groups! The now-seven members of Junjou no Afilia had their christening of the brand-new Zepp Shinjuku, kicking 2025 off to a good start.

A fantasy-themed epic introduction led to the seven silhouettes standing on stage, before rocking out to one of their new soon-to-be-released songs, “HIBANA”. Guitar riffs and crimson lighting bolts lit up the gigantic LED screen on stage, as Junjou no Afilia sang and danced along to the lyrics displayed for everyone to enjoy. The clock is ticking…

The first segment gathered some of the group’s most successful anime tie-up tracks, starting with “Hajimete no SEASON”, and oldie but goodie “S・M・L☆”. As their most recent successes, they also paired up the openings for both seasons of “Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense”, “Kyukyoku Unbalance!!” and “Kono tate ni, kakuremasu”, before going back to the classic “Embrace Blade”.

In a short talk break, the idols checked in with their audience. As some efforts were recently deployed to bring new senpai to the club, it was apparently successful as a good chunk of the audience were indeed first-timers! Some even came from abroad to meet their idol group for the first time, getting everyone excited.

Junjou no Afilia then moved onto the next part, with a small selection of older classics from their previous era. It was nearly impossible for us not to dance along to “Knee-high Egoist” while taking pictures… As the venue was dipped into an ethereal blue light, the segment ended with idols and senpai clapping along together to “Lost in the Sky” under the shimmering disco ball, all in unison.

The members disappeared off stage, and piano notes started playing along with a video. Telling some parts of the story behind the group’s latest name change back in 2017, members were asked what was their personal interpretation of the word “junjou”.

Inspiring quotes by each idol were shown, in a colorful palette of different meanings - to convey love and courage, to strengthen bonds and inspire people. The video ended with one of the newest members, Satsuki Yuna: “Back when I was training in Korea, people would always repeat that idols have to be absolutely perfect. When I joined Junjou no Afilia, on the contrary, I was told that my flaws were a part of my charm and what makes my authenticity.”

The seven members appeared again, dressed in brand-new pastel costumes of their signature colors. They gracefully started the next segment with “Sing a World ~Kimi ga kureta mahou~“.

As expected in true Afilia senpai spirit, the members did not escape the usual request to twirl around to flaunt their new outfits. They were crafted by former IDOL COLLEGE member turned idol costume designer Sato Haruna. With white lace and sparkly sequins giving a refreshing princess vibe in the middle of winter, Junjou no Afilia then soared towards the last part of the show, starting with “Venus Aoki Nanatsu no Umi”.

Alternating between dramatic pieces such as “Kono sekai ni mahou nantenai yo” and upbeat dance numbers like “Like? or Love?”, the main show ended in even higher spirits! Fan-favorites “Suki wa muteki” and “Mahou no Chocolate Densetsu” got senpai jumping around gleefully, with even more energy than when the show started an hour and a half earlier…!

They obviously did not want to let their idols go, as the encore call resonated almost immediately after the group fled backstage. Led by two roaring fans, the entire audience called their favorite idols back - as they showed up again under the ocean blue lights of “Kiseki to mahou no chronicles”.

Junjou no Afilia was nowhere near tired as they kickstarted the final song of the night under a bang and a rainfall of shiny streamers, all signed by the members! As fans happily reached out to share them as precious mementos of the day, the seven members unleashed their silliest behavior and funniest antics dancing along to “Go my Love”, before closing the show.

Because a one-man live never comes with no announcement, the release of a Blu-ray recording of the show was teased, along with… the next installment of their 2025 one-man lives, this time in late August, in Zepp DiverCity!

Junjou no Afilia shows are a handful of happy energy. What better than solid setlists of beloved old and new catchy pop songs, strong performance skills, happy idols having fun being true to themselves on stage, and a team of trusted professionals to support them!

In the middle of social media trends, the ten-minutes-of-fame effect, and a constant chase for “The Next Big Thing” in the harsh idol world, they are a long-lasting, stable and safe haven of pure, fun and cheerful idol spirit that absolutely never fails to bring us peace and joy. Maybe this is what “junjou” means for us at Bonjour Idol…

Whether you are a veteran idol enthusiast or just getting started, we warmly recommend checking them out during your future travels! And don’t forget to share your Junjou no Afilia experience with us on social media!