Yes, you guessed it, it’s time for a look at the end of the year as far as the Japanese idols that I follow (and hopefully you follow) are concerned. It’s been another crazy and sad year for me, personally. This year I only typed up three articles for my “This Is Your Wake Up Call!” blog. I wanted to type up more, but various problems kept me from writing more. So much great idol music came out this year, and I’m going to try to share as much as I remember.
Back in March I wrote an article about the groups Rabi Rabu IDOL School and Sweet Cherry Pepper’s. So much has changed about SCP that you’re going to need a score card to keep track! I mentioned in my March article about Sweet Cherry Pepper’s debuting on December 18, 2022 with five members, Murayama Hana from CherryChery, and four Rabi Rabu IDOL School members (now all graduated from that group), Higashionna Ruka, Miyuu, Shimabukuro Rairi and Kawamura Yunan. Rairi was inactive for around three months, apparently even before the group’s first music video appeared on YouTube on January 14, 2023, and silently graduated on March 19. A new member, Toue Miki, joined the group on March 12, which was officially before Rairi graduated, and photos of the five-member lineup without Rairi were taken. This lineup began performing new songs in April 2023, which were eventually released as a single in August. However, the new lineup of Sweet Cherry Pepper’s wasn’t meant to last long. My favorite member (and the youngest in the group), Yunan, graduated on May 28. So, the now four-member group continued performing live and recorded the single “Wonder Land”, which was released on August 25, 2023. On September 23, Izumikawa Rio joined SCP. But just when you thought this lineup might stick around for a while, Miki suddenly announced that she was graduating from Sweet Cherry Pepper’s and leaving Color’s Okinawa Modeling Agency on November 13. Then on December 9, Moromizato Anon joined the group. So now SCP has five members again. But not for long. The very next day Ruka announced that she was graduating from the group on March 3, 2024. Ruka is one of the better - and prominent - singers in the group, so this will really change how the group sounds after she leaves. Sweet Cherry Pepper’s have only been active for a year, and they have been through so many changes! I hope the fans are forgiving of this. I almost wanted to give up on the group, but I decided I want to stick around and possibly see if I can get their singles. So, because Rabi Rabu IDOL School’s song “U・SA・GI” debuted on YouTube on December 30, 2022, and the Dance Version on January 10, 2023, I’ll share the Dance Version of the music video. My pick for Sweet Cherry Pepper’s best song of 2023 was pretty hard to decide on, but I’m going with “StepUp!”, and I’ll also share the Dance Version of this song.
In October I wrote an article on the SPIRAL MUSIC groups. There have also been changes to some of these groups as well. Thirteen days after I published that article the kids group Neko Punch disbanded. The group changed its name to Neko Tiger (“Cat Tiger”, which is silly) and unfortunately lost a member (Takahashi Aoi), and they debuted under this name on December 3. Member Kusumoto Miki is taking a break for the rest of the year, so only three members are currently active. Also disbanding, on December 30, 2023, are KittyCat. Members Mochizuki Cocona and Ayaka are both leaving SPIRAL, but apparently want to continue dancing. I’m not sure where the girls will next turn up, but when I find out I’ll let all of you know.
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Neko Tiger
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The international idol group ww lost two members in a short time. Takahashi Kazaha graduated on September 24 and left SPIRAL MUSIC on October 27. Kanda Punam graduated on November 19, and then was transferred to the group NYAAANYA on November 25. Why, I don’t know. NYAAANYA is not one of SPIRAL’s better kids groups, and now I feel I have to pay attention to them because I like Punam. Thankfully, there are plenty of videos of ww with Punam as a member for fans to watch, including the music video for their only single so far, “Tokimekino SPACE” (“Sparkling SPACE”).
Harajuku Gakuen, another SPIRAL group, is my current favorite idol group due to their fun videos and some of the silly antics that they do on stage. This year they released a single titled “Kiss ga Suki” (“Kiss is Love”), and it’s probably my most played idol video of 2023. Can you tell whose lips are whose in the close-ups? I can!
Former Marble Angel member MOMOHA released her first digital single this year, titled “Hey, Are You Calling Me By Name Yet?” She’s a great singer, and super cute! There isn’t a music video, just audio, but it’s accompanied by a drawing that may be drawn by MOMOHA herself. For those who didn’t know, she’s also a great artist.
Jumping Kiss now only has three members, but they’re still releasing some terrific songs. Their latest song is titled “BLUE MOON” (not to be confused with any other song with this title), which is pretty fun and energetic!
Fluffy Star debuted a new song in April of this year titled “OVER CHARGE”. According to the information in the description, Sara (the leader of the group) wrote the music and Tsumu wrote the lyrics. There isn’t an official music video, but I’ll link the first live version that appeared on YouTube.
Cook a dish, another SPIRAL MUSIC group, was set to debut their first single, “Seishun Shitai”, on December 12, 2023, and then pushed back to January 23, 2024. Unfortunately, a lot of bad news for the group was shared on Twitter on December 19. First, the group is set to disband on February 23, 2024. Second, their single has been cancelled. Leader Miura Reika has decided to focus on solo activities. Kinohara Ruki and Shiina Mau have decided to cease idol activities. Watanabe Arisa, Hananashi Rin and Sara will all re-debut as a new group on February 25. Arisa, Mau, and Reika are my three favorites, so my biggest disappointment is that Mau is no longer going to be an idol. Mau has been with SPIRAL for four years, first as a member of Konyanko and then KittyCat. Reika’s solo single, “Love Letter”, is one of my favorites from 2023, so I’ll share the video again.
RABBIT HUTCH has been around for over six years but hasn’t released a physical single in over three years. The group’s latest digital single is titled “LIELIELIFE”, and the video features the girls divided into two teams playing what appears to be Go Fish. I’ve never seen it played using the Joker cards, though. By the way, member Goto Hinata released her first solo digital single, “Kiss no Mahou” (“Kiss of Magic”), on December 7.
VITORON are the group formerly known as KUWAGATA☆KIDS. The new KUWAGATA☆KIDS are the group formerly known as Rabi Rin. Meanwhile, there’s a new Rabi Rin. Got that straight? Interestingly enough, when VITORON debuted the girls dropped their former stage names and now go by their real names. My favorite of their original songs goes by the title of “Lucky Girl”. Here’s one of the live versions.
The group CRUiSE! disbanded on April 16, 2023, and I thought that a new lineup would debut sometime later. Well, here it is December and there still isn’t a new lineup. The former members of CRUiSE! are now performing solo, so they are at least active. A week after CRUiSE! disbanded member Tonogawa Harauka released a solo video, “Harugon’s Quest”. (Harugon being Haruka’s nickname, and the song is about her interest in games.)
Lock★Rock BAB were a rock idol trio, and I like all their songs. Unfortunately, the group disbanded on May 14, 2023. Back in March they released a video of their song “Liar”, which is my second favorite from this group (after “Brave”). The good news for fans of member Minashi Aura is that she performed solo for a time before joining Starwill Project Teen. Here is the music video for “Liar”.
Momonyan, former member of White Rabbits and Fluffy Star, has been performing solo ever since she left the latter group. Although she has a few original songs, the official video for her song “Welcome to Nyanko Town”, was shared on YouTube on June 7, 2023. (Yes, I shared a live version of this on last year’s list.)
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As always, thanks for reading my blog!
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