The first thing I want to do is clarify the title of this
article. I’m not going to discuss live
performances by the Japanese idol group monogatari, but rather the different
phases that the group has gone through over the course of five years. That’s right, monogatari has existed in one
form or another for five years as I type this. Some of the information and photos I am going
to use in this article have been deleted from the internet. Thankfully I have saved it, and I will share
all of what I have with you!
The group now known as monogatari actually began as a temporary unit named Norns in December 2013, formed by
Millennium Promotion. They are based in
Harajuku at Millennium Dance Complex.
Although Millennium Dance Complex is at eight locations in the United
States, there is only one in Japan. Many
girls auditioned and fans voted on their favorite members. The name was changed to Millennium Girls and four
members elected by the fans participated in the first single “Kiss My Girls”,
the video of which debuted on YouTube on April 7, 2014. The single was released on May 10, 2014.
Five girls elected by fans participated in
the second video, “Kyoshitsu Sabaibaru”, which debuted on YouTube on July 17,
2014. (I feel I must give fair warning
that this video contains more fan service than usual.) By August there was a tour to vote on the next
single’s members. On September 17, 2014
there was a DVD and Blu-ray release of the PVs.
On December 27, 2014 Millennium Girls’ second single, “#Noisy Girl”, was
released. (I’m assuming “Kyoshitsu
Sabaibaru” was the B-side of “Kiss My Girls”.)
This was the first single released outside of venues. The DVD and Blu-ray for “#Noisy Girl” was not
released until May 30, 2015 (but only at venues where they performed.)
The amount of girls
who were in Millennium Girls has changed over time, like you would expect from
any idol group. The problem is that I
don’t have a complete list of all of them.
In mid-2014 I had typed a list of 38 girls, although the official
website had the photos of two more whose names were not revealed. Here is the list I typed.
Members:
Utashiro Miku (歌代 ミク) - Born on January
12, 2002
Marumi Ruki (丸海留希) - Born on December 24,
2001
Kayama Amu (香山あむ) - Born on January
30, 2001
Aozora Asuka (青空 明日香) - Born on December 19,
2001
Yokota Miyuki (横田 美雪) - Born on March 19, 2001
Fukumoto Karen (福本 カレン) - Born on July 10,
2000
Nishime Sae (西銘 紗英) - Born on January 23,
2001
Saegusa Nana ( 三枝 菜々) - Born on April 11, 2000
Takeuchi Konatsu (竹内 己夏) - Born on August 13,
2001
Takenashi Ria (小鳥遊 りあ) - Born on January
12, 2000
Mizuse Airi (水瀬 あいり) - Born on March 17,
2002
Hiiragi Usa (柊 宇咲) - Born on April 27, 2003
Kodama Nonno (児玉 のんの) - Born on June 3,
2003
Tateishi Rira (立石 梨礼) - Born on May 27, 2003
Kurasawa Haruka (倉澤 遥) - Born on October 7,
2001
Mine Yuuki (三根 優希) - Born on January 23,
2001
Sueki Momo (末木 もも) - Born on December
25, 2001
Sakaguchi Honami (坂口穂乃実) - Born on July 6,
2000
Momose Serina (百瀬せりな) - Born on September
1, 1999
Osaki Rika
Katase Hinako (片瀬 ひなこ) - Born on May 1,
1998
Hayama Hitomi (葉山 ひとみ) - Born on April 12,
1999
Fushima Riho (伏見 莉穂) - Born on November 28,
2000
Matsunaga Remi (松永 麗未) - Born on August 30,
1999
Mita Karin (三田 佳凛) - Born on October 28,
1999
Konohana Erika (此花 エリカ) - Born on July 5,
2000
Serikawa Risa (芹川 梨咲) - Born on January 2,
2002
Muzutani Sachika (水谷 幸果) - Born on November 16,
1999
Uesugi Seri (上杉 世凛) - Born on May 14,
2003
Itsugu Kanami (井次 かなみ) - Born on October
13, 2001
Shoyo Natsune
Mizuki Yuika (美月 唯花) - Born on April 10,
2001
Midorikawa Miu (緑川 美海) - Born on November 2,
2000
Yoshida Shikura (吉田 しくら) - Born on August
13, 2004
Shirakawa Saki (白川 咲希) - Born on March 28, 2000
Miura Nanaho (三浦 七帆) - Born on August 31,
1996
Otsuki Rena (大槻 レナ) - Born on July 23,
2001
Graduated Member:
Saeki Runa (佐伯るな) - Born on November
11, 1998
Runa is the main
focus of the video “Kyoshitsu Sabaibaru”.
Miku, Ruki, Amu, Asuka, Miyuki and Karen are the singers on “#Noisy
Girl”. It should be noted that when
Millennium Girls changed their name again, to Harajuku Monogatari, they
reworked both “Kiss My Girls” and “#Noisy Girl” for their live
performances. Unfortunately (at least
for a fan like me) the singers were not the exact same girls.
I think one of the
things that might confuse people about Millennium Girls is that there are two
YouTube channels for this group. The
first was called soma I and the other Millennium Promotion Official Channel. The soma I channel last
uploaded a video on January 19, 2015. The
first video on MPOC was uploaded on August 19, 2015. I’m not sure why there was a seven month span
between uploads, or why a new channel was created. Why not simply rename the channel? By Fall 2015 the name of the group was
changed to Harajuku Monogatari (although one YouTube video says “Harazyuku
Monogatari” in English).
The selection of
which girls appeared on stage and in the singles continued until the early part
of 2016. Eventually the group was
reduced to 13 girls. On July 20, 2016
three singles were released simultaneously, two singles by subunits and one by
the full group; “WIN the STAR” by Harajuku Monogatari ~Pray uS~, “WE are ONE”
by Harajuku Monogatari ~Cloth~ and “PARTY ANIMALS” by all the members. One more single, “Shinpaku 1 Metre”, was
released by the ~Pray uS~ subunit on December 14, 2016, followed by a nine
track “mini album” on March 15, 2017 titled “Sanzen Sekai” from the full group.
Unknown to many idol
fans, in 2015 a documentary film was being made under the title Tokyo Idols. It premiered in the U.S. at the Sundance Film
Festival on January 20, 2017 and in an edited for TV version in the U.K. as Tokyo Girls on June 27, 2017. Among the idols featured in the film were Harajuku
Monogatari. One girl from each group
profiled was chosen to be interviewed, and in Harajuku Monogatari’s case it was
Kayama Amu. Unfortunately, the director
of the movie took every opportunity to embarrass the idols and the fans who
were interviewed. Amu caught this, and
didn’t give the director the answers she was probably seeking.
Harajuku Monogatari (May 5, 2017)
For a few months in
2017 the members of Harajuku Monogatari were wearing fake fur sleeves on their
right arm in each girl’s member color. Three
singles were released that year. 2017
was also the first year in which the group was invited to Tokyo Idol
Festival. In December 2017 there was an
announcement that Harajuku Monogatari was changing its’ name to monogatari
(with a lower case m). This meant that
the group had used four names in as many years that they were active (at the
time). Harajuku Monogatari officially
ended on December 31, 2017 and monogatari had begun on January 1, 2018.
The first single by
monogatari, now with only eleven members, was “Re:born”, released on March 27,
2018. A very energetic dance number,
“Re:born” was exactly that, with an exciting music video. While previous singles and videos were also
exciting, this was possibly the group’s best single. It took until August 8, 2018 for the next
single to be released. “Mou Ikkai Kimi
ni Suki to Ienai” has driving rock music, and passionate vocals by leader
Fukumoto Karen to go with it. Overall,
though, the music video is a bit bland.
(And I’d like to add, doesn’t have enough Aozora Asuka scenes to please
this fan.)
Believe it or not, I
have wanted to write an article on this group, which I originally came to love
as Millennium Girls, for over four years now.
I’m not sure what will be next with monogatari as they finish off their
fifth year of being an idol group and head towards their sixth year. All I know is I’m still in love with this
group.
Takeuchi Konatsu Twitter (graduated member)
Yokota Miyuki Twitter (graduated Millennium Girls member)
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