Time to take another trip around the world of Idols
First up is Alice 10 sister unit Topping Girls GT .You may notice that several members are from Alice 10 .That is because the members of Alice 10 are all in 2-3 other groups for their parent company Alice Project.
hy4_4yh is one of my favorite groups to see live and the best way to describe them is the following .If BiS is in the land of idol darkness ,then hy4_4yh is over the hill and across the valley in baka land, but in a good way that you just can`t get enough of.
This rock based idol group, takes nothing serious, they don`t really dance and vocally they may not be the best, but they are just themselves. Honestly being themselves works for them perfectly and you find yourself getting caught in their charms.
The thing that makes them great is like BiS there is nothing traditional about them ,if they want to do a live wearing pajamas and fuzzy slippers ,they will . If they want dress up as farm animals or pandas they will.
The only guarantee that you have with one of their lives is that you’re not going to forget it.
Recently they have released a single PV for Yuke Yuke GOGO Onnanoko!! And while they have been around [started in 2006] and have other releases, making a PV for TV release was not on top of their, to do list as this is the “ah we will get around to it one day idols”.
Sadly the PV gets axed by the video channel when it`s on YouTube, so here it is on an alternate site
In keeping with our “Fresh Face” series ,I would like to present a unit that I find enjoyable to watch perform live.
Please welcome
HY4_4YH [Hyper Yoyo]
HY4_4YH are free spirit idols with great fan interaction that made their debut in 2005 .Currently the lineup features the following members, Yukarin [22], Yumiko [21] and Sadachi [24]. They are older then the traditional Major Agency Idols , but not for Independents .For most Independents the 18+ age is common for a number of business reasons, not to mention several Indies are former Major trainees or audition passovers.
HY4_4YH put on a hyper live performance complete with a live band when possible, much like H!P`s Buono or BeForU with costumes that range from off the wall animal pajamas to Buono style fashion.
While some may not like the mix of off the wall to Buono style costumes ,their comedy carefree style attitude or rock style songs. Honestly, HY4_4YH are perfect just the way they are ,so a part of me hopes that they stay away from the big power companies as they may just loose the very style that makes them so special to the genre.
To date the group has released 5 albums ,9 singles and a host of other materials .
I have been wanting to feature some of the Indie Idols or groups ,that you may not have a chance to see overseas ,simply due to the economics and focus of their agencies ,yet are really entertaining to watch perform.
To make this happen, I decided to create a catch all topic, called "Idol Spotlight".
Every group would love to be the biggest or most popular group in the world, however there is something to be said about being an Indie.
Indie Idols are a very special sub grouping in the Idol genre .Much like Visual Kei is to the rock genre. Indie Idols have a different relationship, with their fan base, which is 100% wotas, which allow them to be much more fan friendly with their fans. Several groups, who have no agency support at all or are soloists from a maid cafe, may have wotas who design and run their web sites for free.
Because many Indie Idols come from Akihabara, they are "Otaku" and "Wotas" themselves and find the comfort and freedom in the Indies, that they may not enjoy in a major agency.
Being an independent by the way, does not mean having little to no fans or money, for some that is true, for others they sell just as much if not more then a Morning Musume or Berryz Koubou release.
There are advantages and disadvantages to being both an independent artist and a major artist.
Advantage is what "Idol Spotlight" is all about.
What "Idol Spotlight" will do is briefly shine a light on a few groups, who may or may not in the years to come be facing off with the major groups in this industry. Groups that you may never come across without some extra support.
First up is a group called HY4_4YH
HY4_4YH is a fun group, that made their debut in 2006 .Currently the lineup features the following members, Yukarin [22], Yumiko [21] and Sadachi [24].
They put on a hyper live performance complete with a live band when possible , much like H!P`s Buono and have a enjoyable fan base that you want to have your groups perform in front of them as special guests for HY4_4YH .
HY4_4YH are not the strongest singers, there are very few Takahashi Ai`s in Indies or in Idol genre to start with. The Aichan`s of the genre are the rare idols.
Their overall show and fan interaction makes up for any weakness they may have. HY4_4YH is really a fun group not only to have groups work with, but just to enjoy a night at their lives.
If you are a fan of, free spirit idols, you just may also find HY4_4YH to your liking.
