Bonjour Idol went full circle on January 21st as we broke our slumber to attend our beloved Iketeru Hearts’ final live at Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall. After eight years and a half of fun lives, exciting tunes and four generations of close-knit members – as all but only one of their OG were sitting and loudly cheering in the audience that night – it was time for the nine idols to call it quits as members of Iketeru Hearts, citing wishing to pursue different pathways as the reason behind their dissolution. We barely saw the two hours and a half of performance go by, paced by the group’s catchiest tunes for a high-tone send-off. Iketeru Hearts set the tone by opening with the crazy “SING・LA・BANG・SHOW!”, and performed four more songs before welcoming the audience with a short MC.
You’ll Melt More! returned to Zepp Diver City Tokyo on October 10, 2021 to commemorate the release of their new mini album “DELIVERY LIFESAVERS ~ You’ll Melt More! wo Tomenaide~” and the graduations of members Kechon and Chiffon. It was an evening overflowing with emotion and remembrance for the 2 members who had pulled the group along for much of its 9 year history. You’ll Melt More! exploded onto the stage accompanied by the pulsating synthesizers of “Yuru Toro” pumping their fists in sync with the waving penlights shining out from the venue floor and balcony. Blasting into “Kyokutou 47 no Machi” and “Surpriser!” the mood was festive with the audience dancing along in front of their seats as Chiffon shouted out encouragement. Picking up the pace with the aggressive ska-core of “WOW WOW WAR ~Ska Chanpon Saisho Sensen~” the first course closed out with “Reiwa Wonder”.
September 20th was a busy day for the 11 members of =LOVE, the first idol group produced by Sashihara Rino. It has been four years since the group officially debuted, and as of right now, they feature not less than a total of 9 singles! For this occasion, the members and the fans gathered at Makuhari Messe in Chiba to celebrate this achievement.
Bonjour Idol’s most senior favorite idol group Iketeru Hearts have had an interesting year. This September 11th 2021, they gathered on the stage of Shinagawa Intercity Hall to celebrate the group’s 7th anniversary since their debut, not without hitting some milestones! It was the first full-length concert for the 9-members formation of the group, after the promotion of probatory trainees Kayama Mitsuki, Minami Ichigo and Kumamoto Miwa as members of the 4th generation.
Since the graduation of leader Nijika last December, Iketeru Hearts has been undergoing a round of interesting line-up changes. The more recent departure of 2nd generation member Imai Aki was also followed by the announcement of the group’s 4th generation audition results. This March 21st, second day of concerts from their “7 Triggers to Destiny” series, was a very special one as Iketeru Hearts’ 4th generation rookie members made their stage debut! Not less than seven new faces were officially presented to the audience, and it would seem that fans already started picking favorites, as Tachibana Rie noticed a shift in their seating placement between both performances.
UP UP GIRLS kakko KARI bid farewell to Arai Manami, Furukawa Konatsu, Mori Saki and Saho Akari with a powerful sold-out (attendance limited due to COVID-19 prevention guidelines) performance at Zepp Tokyo on December 17, 2020. Titled “UP UP GIRLS kakko KARI FIVE SOUL FOREVER”, the concert was a celebration of the group’s history since their formation in 2011 and a glimpse into a future under the leadership of Sekine Azusa. Opening acts UP UP GIRLS (Pro Wrestling) kicked off the evening with “Ring no Ue ni mo San Nen 〜All Along The Way〜” and “Upper Kick!”. They were followed by UP UP GIRLS (2) with “Tsuyogari Rairairai”, “Ni no Ashi Dancing” and “Be lonely together”.
It has been a long time since we last told the story of =LOVE here on Bonjour Idol, and we’re glad we can write again on the now-popular group produced by Sashihara Rino. 2020 has been a busy year for the twelve girls despite the global sanitary crisis. First of all, it’s not one but two singles the group released with “CAMEO” in July and “Seishun Subliminal” on November 25. Secondly, they also went up on stage for multiple concerts planned on the second part of the year. We couldn’t miss their anniversary concert on September 6th, in which the group blew their birthday candles for the third time, as Takamatsu Hitomi returned from her year-long hiatus. With these uplifting news, Saito Nagisa and her friends met their fans during this winter tour going forward into 2021. A huge step for =LOVE. ボンジュールアイドルで=LOVEの話をするのが久しぶりなので、今回も指原莉乃さんプロデュースの有名なアイドルグループについての記事を書けることにワクワクしている。今でも世界に広がっている新型コロナウイルスにもかかわらず、2020年は12人の少女たちに充実した一年でした。まず、7月に「CAMEO」、そして11月25日にリリースされた最新作「青春”サブリミナル”」で、2枚のシングルも発売された。そこで止まることなく、2020年後半期にはいくつかのコンサートが予定されている中でステージに上がった。Bonjour Idolは9月6日に行われた、1年間活動を休止していた髙松瞳さんが帰ってきた3周年記念アニバーサリーライブに行くしかなかった！去年11月に始まったツアーで、メンバーがファンに会いに行ったのだ。
With the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, idol activities have greatly slowed down in 2020. Junjou no Afilia have been affected as well and have seen their activities, such as public events and concerts, simply cancelled. In November however, the girls were back on stage with a national tour starting in Yokohama on the 21th. Announced in July, this tour titled “Kimi to Mahou no Etranger” went by Yokohama, Nakano, Nagoya, Osaka and ended in Tokyo. The tour’s theme song “RE:QUEST” has been written by Momoi Halko, their producer. This tune represents the group’s journey to reunite with their fans after months of separation.
After six years and a half of brightening up the fans’ hearts with her energy and smile, youngest member and leader of Iketeru Hearts Nijika bid farewell to her career as an idol this December 19th. It was an eventful day at Dance Hall Shinseiki as a couple of idol groups were invited for an afternoon joint performance with Iketeru Hearts. Zenryoku Shoujo R and Ange☆Reve took part of this big farewell party for their friend Nijika, with an energy that lived up to the star of the day.
This series of reports about Japan Expo Thailand 2020 ends with more idols! Idols mean music, but also culture and travel, as groups like akishibu project, which combines the styles of Akihabara and Shibuya, or BANZAI JAPAN, which represents all the Japanese prefectures! If one day you have the opportunity to go to a convention in Thailand, the experience is definitely worth it! You’ll soon feel like you’re partying with a bunch of friends. Everyone shares the same passion and the fans will be delighted to have you as part of the crowd to support and cheer your oshi!