dela (デラ) - Delightful Enchanting Lovely Angels

This new Nagoya idol group's concept may not be that special, but I still think they have a lot to offer! "dela", short for "Delightful Enchanting Lovely Angels", is comprised of 9 members and was formed to the west of Nagoya Station. Their name is also short for "Deluxe" and derived from the Nagoya slang "Doeryaa" which means "very".

Nakamura Kouichi, the group's creator, set up an office exclusively to the west of the station, as this was "the origin of a subculture. Of the Gundam bar, the Neon Genesis Evangelion bar, and many doujinshi stores...this place was fit for taking root [the group's] activities". Nakamura has already managed a group in 2010, so he revived that experience by having the same choreographer and composer etc., learning the know-how and assembling a creative staff.

Taking applications by magazine advertising and leaflets distribution, there ended up to be 615 applicants that could potentially be the "Class of Japanese representatives". In the application requirements, nationality was left out, in which Nakamura explained, "With the 2nd and 3rd generations from places such as Brazil, China, Korea, I thought that I'd like to branch out from the road of "Japan Idol"."

After passing the documents selection, 23 trainees went to Bic Camera, west of Nagoya Station, on March 31, and appeared at Esca on April 1 for an audition exhibit. It was at this exhibit in which they would find out who made the group through a web voting poll. The poll collected ~20,000 votes, more than half the votes being collected from Tokyo, which made their home area of Nagoya disappointed that they weren't the majority of the votes. The results revealed 9 girls making the group, including one who passed specifically for her "model frame". On April 28, they performed for the "Mammoth Flea Market" in commemoration of their CD debut. As for future plans? "From local, we can start in Asian countries before getting to the world. And if we can, something like a reimportation back into Japan.", Nakamura has said.

As said previously, there are 9 members in dela. It seems that each member has some interesting background to her, including a Miss Teen Japan finalist, karate champion and national dance competition champion. There are also two teams associated with dela, named Team Reserve and Team Model, each made up of two members. There's not a lot of information on these two teams, but I'm assuming that Team Reserve is a trainee group aiming to make it into the main group, while Team Model is a group specifically made for modelling.

The members, in order of the picture from left to right and bottom to top, are:

Inuzuka Shino (犬塚 志乃) (Captain)
Birthday: April 2, 1993
Blood Type: O
Background: Winner of 2007 Super Fighting Zen Nihon Karate Michi Senshukentaikai
- Also takes the Chinese art of self defence
- 2010 Race Queen for Super Taikyu, being the youngest ever at (then) 16 years old


Yumi Sayaka (弓 彩也香)
Birthday: December 8, 1993
Blood Type: AB
Birthplace: Osaka
Background: Champion of "DANCE STAD!UM" 2011
- CM Model for "Lakanto" (Zero Calorie Candy)


Kawai Rika (河合 リカ)
Background: Miss Teen Japan 2012 finalist (Nagoya representative)
- Model for Nagoya Culture Collection 2011
- Does flower arrangement
- Skilled in Chinese
- Has played the trumpet for 5 years


Ainami Ai (秋波 愛)
Background: Appeared at NFCC Collection 2011
- Has played the trumpet for 3 years


Kataoka Kazusa (片岡 かずさ)
Birthday: March 3, 1996
Blood Type: O
Background: In 2006, ranked 3rd for Gifu karate tournament


Ayase Reina (綾瀬 麗奈)
Birthday: December 13, 1994
Blood Type: O
Birthplace: Aichi Prefecture
Background: Has taken rhythmic sports gymnastics for 3 years
- Has taken Yosokoi for 9 years
- Pick up model for "Domatsuri Walker"


Morimoto Chiemi (森本 チエミ)
Background: Has done samba for 4 years
- Has taken Capoeira for 3 years


Matsushita Konatsu (松下 小夏)
Birthday: May 1, 1995
Birthplace: Aichi Prefecture
Background: Has taken ballet for 11 years
- Has played flute for 7 years
- Has done street dance for 4 years
- Has 3 years of experience in tea ceremony
- Rank 2 in English proficiency test


Kano Aimi (架乃 愛美)
Birthday: April 21, 1995
Blood Type: B
Birthplace: Gifu Prefecture
Background: Has done hand-ball for 3 years
- For Rank 1, was a runner-up for a karate tournament for the Gifu sector


Team Reserve
Hayami Sae (早見 紗英)
Birthplace: Mie Prefecture
Background: Has taken soft tennis for 2 years
- Rank 2 in Abacus Calculation
- Rank 2 in Mental Arithmetic


Kiara (稀亜羅)
Birthday: September 16, 1999
Blood Type: A
Birthplace: Nagoya
Background: Performed in "Dance Dynamite" in 2009
- Performed in "Disney Live!" from 2010-2012
- Has done Hip Hop and Jazz


Team Model
Buluna Yumi (ブルーナ・ユミ)


Sawai Rina (沢井 里奈)
Birthday: October 5, 1993
Blood Type: A
Birthplace: Aichi Prefecture
Background: Has played basketball for 6 years
- Has done track-and-field for 3 years
- Won 400m hurdle at Hokkaido University track meet


dela Member Announcement

First Stage at Mammoth Flea Market

Links Official Site