The final 50 of the S/mileage generation 2 auditions featured eight H!P EGGS and 42 other girls .Will the EGGS have an advantage ? Should and EGG or two be new members ,will you be happy with that ?
One or more of these girls could become new members of S/mileage
First up the EGGS
3001 - Mogi Minami (from 9th Gen Momusu auditions) ,3002 - Miyamoto Karin ,
3003 - Katsuta Rina ,3004 - Otsuka Aina (from 9th Gen Momusu auditions) ,
3005 - Takeuchi Akari ,3006 - Kaneko Rie ,3007 - Takagi Sayuki,3008 - Nagazawa Wakana ,
As for the total audition ,I was away and can not tell you much about it ,sorry
One of the great things about Japan, if you are a fan of Idols pop groups is that we have idols in every prefecture of the country. The amount of female idols is so great that you simply cannot count them or cover them all.
With the success of AKB48 there has been a boom in idol groups , much like when Morning Musume got hot ,however as they slipped so did media interest in the genre . Now the genre is undergoing a new fresh unit media revival and if you are an owner of a new company or a bunch of girls doing your own lives, there is no better time then now thanks to AKB48, to start a fresh idol unit.
With each new rise in the genre comes groups that you can call "inspired by" .This current inspiration is from AKB48 ,which has a very profitable working model .
One of these "inspired by" groups is Gunma`s AKG48 . Now before AKB48 Western fans march to Gunma with axe in hand ,AKG48 full name is `Akagi48` ,Akagi is a well known mountain in Gunma .The 48 as you can guess is the number of members [if you count trainees the number is 100] .
AKG48 aims to not only be the top unit in Gunma , but also someday face AKB48 as equals .
To start this mission the group is leaving the comforts of Gunma and have started their advance on Tokyo with “Akagi no Megumi AKG48 Matsuri” at “Gunmachanchi“. Gunmachanchi is a store in Ginza ,Tokyo that sells goods from Gunma .
Team G the main unit of AKG48 are leading this charge by holding live events outside the store.
AKG48 is very much a new and fresh unit ,having only started in March ,when a local audition allowed their parent company Oriental Japan to select 100 girls on first audition. After training for two months that included and still includes going through vocal and dance lessons three to five times a week ,they made their official debut .
AKG48 along with their regular lives also perform lives at welfare centers and other events such as television work and promoting local tourism spots .
If you are an AKB48 fan and are already rejecting this unit ,for whatever reason ,that would be a mistake to do so.
Today there are 100`s of AKB48 inspired units currently in operation and each one of these units brings a specialness to the genre and to their base of operations that deserves to be seen as their own style .
AKG48 currently has one single “Knee High☆Lover” and as you can expect from new units have a number of AKB48 covers in their live set. There is nothing wrong with that as it takes time to build a live set of originals.
[Note-Wotas do not care if groups sing covers ]
Other local activities
The masked group with AKG is a Gunma TV show ,like Sentai Rangers ,not very big budget stuff .
Not long ago we reported about the Singapore based Singaporean-Malaysian Idol unit Sea☆A who are about to debut in Japan. They have now released a short CM for their debut PV “DREAM SHOOTER”
Former Morning Musume member an Idol Konno Asami has made her TV debut as an announcer for TV Tokyo. Konno looked like a veteran pro in her debut .Konno made a great impression on her veteran announcers.
Have a look here.
Konno will also be a co-host for a TV Tokyo show starting in a few days
Out of Ikebukuro, Tokyo comes the newest theater idol unit Houkago Princess [HouPri] .The first thing that sets HouPri apart from all other idol units is that fans will be able to pick the groups live stage outfits .For wotas this means they now have living dress up dolls.
The second thing that sets them apart is that they are a true grassroots Indie Idol unit .Their operating staff will work with others to produce their outfits ,music ,dance, voice training and internet work without the support of a name agency.
The third thing is that the girls themselves will seek advice from their fans by holding theater style town hall meetings.
HouPri is made up of the following members: Student council president [their term for leader] – Odagiri Nana (21), Chiba Sakino (20), Miyashita Mayuka (18), Kishitani Yuki (16), Yamaguchi Mai (16), Noda Hitomi (15), and Yumeka (14).
Their theater is scheduled open in Ikebukuro in August and they will release their debut single on August 3, supported by a debut live at Shinseido in Ogikubo, Tokyo.
Their debut single will be called “Houkago Princess ~ Oshiete Kudasai! The coupling tracks will be called “Sukidayo (Egao)” and “Ichigo Ichie“.
The group`s official media activates have already started, links to these events are on their HP
It`s that time of the year again, when the idol world below the 48`s and H!P come together with over 30 idol units[final lineup should be near 50] for a multi day Idol festival [Wota Heaven] .
The first lineups are out and is tradition the main acts get first billing .
Idoling!!!, Sakura Gakuin, The Possible, SUPER☆GiRLS, Tokyo Joshiryu, Vanilla Beans, Fudanjuku, Passpo☆, and YGA.
This year’s theme is “Eco & Smile” and will be an eco-friendly festival ,while bringing more need to the sufferers of the Tohoku Earthquake.
To live up to this theme power will come from private generators and there will be disaster relief projects that the idols will undertake.
One light hearted moment took place during the press conference when Sakura Gakuin`s Mizuno Yui was asked a difficult question , however the ever smiling idol stepped up to the situation and answered with “I’ll ask my teacher,” and ran over to their manager.
The developing lineup can be found on the home page below .
The festival will kickoff at Shinagawa Yoshimoto Prince Theater on August 24,25,26 and will continue on August 27 and 28
Buono! staff have posted their new PV for their July 20 single "Natsu Dakara” It`s a summertime feel good song ,with so much white ,one could see them playing the roles of brides maids in a summer wedding . The PV is nothing flashy and really just random one shot close ups.
If this is a sign of things to come, then NMB48 just may well be the next “Super Idol” group. Keep in mind as you read on I opened by saying If ,there is a big leap of faith to declare a unit a “Super Idol” and I am not there yet.
NMB48 has teamed with Kobeya for a snack bread collaboration. This NMB48 snack bread sold 400,000 bread packages in a single week.
The packaging has different NMB48 member’s photos on the cover. Each member represents a different type bread: Caramel Melon bread has Yamamoto Sayaka, Milk Whip and Custard bread has Watanabe Miyuki, and Strawberry and Milk Whip bread has Yamada Nana to name a few .
NMB48 has yet to release their debut single and already have a major variety show in Tokyo set to air and major product and group promotional campaigns are well underway.
Is the ground being prepared for NMB48 to be the next “Super Idol” group?
PASSPO☆ Movie Preview
Idol group PASSPO☆ are staring in their debut movie called “High Tension☆Please“ .The movie was filmed over 6 days in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, last month and features the members at the dormitory where they stay between flights as cabin attendants .Movie director said that movie viewers should expect to laugh every 30 seconds.
This short preview will show fans of the group what to expect from the 90-minute film.
NMB48 finally gets their time to shine and wow what a debut, the music and action scenes are upbeat, modern and tell a good story. The vocals are well done and near the end of the PV NMB48 steals some costumes from SDN48`s costume chest .This is worth checking out if your a fan of the 48 franchise.
“Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo“! Will be released on July 20
EDIT- download file . http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DRDHJLJ5
Note- This is mirrored [meaning ,left is right ,right is left so to speak ]
All non mirrored versions are gone for now.
