Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for July 2019

Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of July 2019. To have all of the latest releases and news sent straight to your inbox once a month be sure to subscribe to the Dansei Idol Girl e-mail newsletter


GENERATIONS, THE RAMPAGE, FANTASTICS, and BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE - BATTLE OF TOKYO ~ENTER THE Jr.EXILE~


Release: 2019.07.03

Type: Album

Buy on CDJapan


Sonar Pocket x GFRIEND - Oh difficult


Release: 2019.07.03

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


Super Break Dawn - SUMMER DELIGHT / Senko Hanabi


Release: 2019.07.09

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


Fure Fure Danshi - Ouen Ganen


Release: 2019.07.17

Type: Single

An Introduction to Fure Fure Danshi | Group of the Month June 2019

Hey there, idol fans! You may have noticed that the blog was pretty quiet over the month of May. It was a pretty busy month for me so I decided to take a bit of a break. You see, not only was it my birthday month but the blog also turned 2 years old as well! There are a few little things I've been working on that I'll hopefully be able to share with you all soon. But anyway, let's get on to talking about this month's featured group!


June's Group of the Month is none other than Fure Fure Danshi, a 5-member (formerly 6-member) male idol group who's aim is to support you. Their mission is to cheer on anyone who is doing their best and most of all they want to support the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The group made their debut in 2017 and released their first self-titled single the following year. They will be making their overseas debut at Japan Expo in Paris next month after winning this year's Tokyo Candoll -BOYS- competition.

  
The music video for "Fure Fure Danshi", the main song from the group's debut single.


Members

 

Akisawa Ibuki


Membor Colour: Green

Date of Birth: 1998.08.24

Place of Birth: Kanagawa Prefecture
  • His hobbies include bike-riding and visiting secondhand clothing stores.
  • His skills are breakdance and beat-boxing.
  • He is Level 2 on the English Language Proficiency Test.  


Higuchi Daiki


Member Colour: Red

Date of Birth: 1997.09.22

Place of Birth: Saga Prefecture
  • He is skilled at breakdancing, particularly doing headspins.
  • His hobbies are using a camera and penny-boarding.
  • His blood type is B.


Sanpei Kouta


Member Colour: Blue

Date of Birth: 1995.04.08

Place of Birth: Chiba Prefecture
  • He enjoys watching sports and playing games.
  • His special skill is calligraphy.
  • His blood type is O.

Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for June 2019

Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of June 2019. To have all of the latest releases and news sent straight to your inbox once a month be sure to subscribe to the Dansei Idol Girl e-mail newsletter!



MAG!C☆PRINCE - Gomen, Hanashitakunai 


Release: 2019.06.04

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


ENVii GABRIELLA - Goka Nee-san


Release: 2019.06.05

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


First place - L.D.Love


Release: 2019.06.05

Type: Mini Album

Buy on CDJapan


IVVY - Light on fire


Release: 2019.06.05

Type: Single

Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for May 2019

Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of May 2019. To have all of the latest releases and news sent straight to your inbox once a month be sure to subscribe to the Dansei Idol Girl e-mail newsletter!


ONE N' ONLY - Dark Knight 


Release: 2019.05.08

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan
 

SparQlew - Shori no Uta


Release: 2019.05.08

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan

 

WAVE - Baby Star / Kimi to no Kioku 


Release: 2019.05.08

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


JUNRETSU - JUNRETSU no Happy Birthday


Release: 2019.05.15

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE - BALLISTIK BOYZ


Release: 2019.05.22

Type: Album

Voice Actors, Wota Life, and Crossdressing | 5 Types of Male Idol Groups I'd Like To See

Hey there, idol fans! As you probably already know, there is an idol group for pretty much everything (does the Happy Science cult idol group still exist?). Any specific, bizarre interest you have, there is probably an idol group that caters to it. However, there doesn't seem to be as many male idol groups with quirky concepts out there as there are female groups. Here's a list of a few concepts I'd like to see in the world of male idols in the future. Here's hoping a male idol agency will hire me someday so I can make some of these happen, haha.



1. A group with rotating members


When you think of female idol groups, outfits such as AKB48 and Morning Musume. tend to spring to mind. These groups have been around for a long time but have managed to stay somewhat relevant partially due to their 'rotating member system'. Basically a member will graduate (be it to move onto the next stage of their life, they're 'let go' because of a scandal, or they just simply reach a certain age) and every so often an audition will be held to replace the member(s) that have left. This concept doesn't seem to exist in the world of male idols. With male idol groups, the line-up seems to be more-or-less set in stone once they have their debut. If a member does leave they most likely won't be replaced. I'd love to see a male idol group with a concept more reminiscent of these kinds of female groups, where members graduate and auditions are held regularly. Fans can get to know the new auditionees through social media or TV shows and maybe even get to vote for their favourites. (Pictured: JUNON SUPERBOY ANOTHERS)



2. An 'idol otaku' group


I think pretty much every idol has at least some amount of appreciation for fellow idols, and there are some idols (e.g. Nishioka Kengo) who are not ashamed to admit that their love of idols was a big part of what influenced them to become idols themselves. However, I'd love to see an entire group with this concept! Imagine an idol who has a genuine love and support for other idols. Imagine being able to gush about your favourite idols to one of your favourite idols who also loves idols. Lots of idols. Idolception. (Pictured: Nishioka Kengo from MAG!C☆PRINCE)



3. A group that's part anime and part real life


There are a couple of groups that already kind of meet this concept but what I'm talking about is something like a male equivalent to "Wake Up, Girls!". In this franchise, the girls in the anime all share names and other characteristics with the voice actresses who play them and the voice actresses are active in a kind of 'real life version' of the anime's idol group. We do already have virtual male idol groups such as Hi!Superb, but I'd love to see an actual male idol group with a whole anime franchise formed around it as well. (Pictured: Hi!Superb)

An Introduction to CoLoN: | Group of the Month April 2019

Hey there, idol fans! This month's featured group is "genderless" group CoLoN:. Check out last month's group, HANDSIGN here and to be the first to know when next month's group is announced be sure to subscribe to the Dansei Idol Girl newsletter. If there are any groups you'd like to see featured in future months feel free to let me to know. Anyway, let's get started!


CoLoN: (formerly Duckling-B) is a 9-member boy group under BACS Entertainment, an agency that produces underground male idol units. They're described as a "genderless" group, with their concepts and costumes often having an obvious feminine touch to them as well as their songs telling stories from a more female perspective. Unfortunately though, being an indie group their CDs currently aren't available at ordinary stores so you can only really buy them at BACS' official online store. The group was formed in 2016 but they made their debut in 2018 with the single "MagicalCoLoN:".



The music video for "Snatch Cat", the main song from the group's 3rd single.

Members




Goto Nozumu


Member Colour: Red

Date of Birth: 1998.06.20

Place of Birth: Kanagawa Prefecture 

Height: 175cm

  • His hobbies include watching anime and making crafts.
  • He appeared in the stage play "DamePri: Dame Ouji vs. Misemono Ouji"
  • His specialties include tennis, badminton, and dance.


 Kurosawa Kengo


Date of Birth: 1998.04.03

Place of Birth: Tokyo

Height: 165cm

  • He plays soccer.
  • It was his birthday when I was writing this post lol.
  • His blood type is O.


Ishibashi Takumi


Member Colour: Blue

Date of Birth: 1998.01.24

Place of Birth: Fukuoka Prefecture

Height: 165cm

  • He's skilled at using the camera.
  • His hobbies include attending film festivals and making crafts.
  • He loves ball games; particularly baseball, softball, and volleyball. 


Kimura Rita


Member Colour: Light Blue

Date of Birth: 1996.09.03

Place of Birth: Yamanashi Prefecture

Height: 168cm

  • He likes playing soccer.
  • He loves Disney.
  • He likes sweet foods.

Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for April 2019

Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of April 2019. To have all of the latest releases and news sent straight to your inbox once a month be sure to subscribe to the Dansei Idol Girl e-mail newsletter!


 Hi☆Five - We are Hi☆Five


Release: 2019.04.02

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


 Super Break Dawn - Blood in Chains


Release: 2019.04.02

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


BANQUET - WELCOME TO BANQUET WORLD


Release: 2019.04.03

Type: Album

Buy on CDJapan


DISH// - Junkfood Junction


Release: 2019.04.03

Type: Album

An Emotional Time Capsule | Thoughts on M!LK and SUPER★DRAGON's Second Albums

Last month -- on the 6th and and the 27th respectively -- EBiDAN Next High groups M!LK and SUPER★DRAGON released their second albums. M!LK's is titled "Time Capsule" and marks their second release since the member change (Original member Yamazaki Haruki left the group last year and new members Ryubi, Sono Shunta, and Yamanaka Juutaro were then added from BATTLE BOYS), while SUPER★DRAGON's is titled "2nd Emotion". Let's take a look at all of the songs on these albums (both new and old) and the albums as a whole.


Time Capsule


M!LK's second album "Time Capsule" features 14 tracks including 9 new songs and 5 previously-released ones (one of which is a re-recorded version). It was released in two versions; the regular CD-only edition and the limited edition that comes with a Blu-ray that features clips from a concert the group held back in November at Toyosu PIT. The album is also available to purchase on iTunes and listen to on Spotify along with all of M!LK's previous releases. Up until recently, only "Bokura Nari Revolution" was available to us international fans so thank you for thinking of us EBiDAN!

Let's start off with the previously-released songs. The only previously-released song that received a re-recording for this album was "Bokura Nari Revolution" as this one was originally recorded prior to the group's member change. The rest are all just the same as they appeared on the "Over The Storm" single. Even though I wasn't too keen on EBiDAN's decision to add the three new members to M!LK I actually ended up really liking "Over The Storm". The music video isn't much to write home about but the song itself is really catchy and I like the choreography and outfits.

Next we have this album's main song, "My Treasure". I wasn't very fond of this one when the music video came out; I thought it was kinda boring if I'm honest. But its cuteness did kind of grow on me though it still isn't my all-time favourite song or video by them. "Goin' Down" didn't really stand out to me much but it's cute. I got a similar vibe from "It's only LOVE".


Now "Thoroughbred Onzoushi City Boy". That title's a fun one to type out. The first time I heard this one was when they performed it at MEN'S PANIC, a male idol festival in Japan I attended last year. I had no idea what it was called at the time but fell in love with it instantly and was full-on dancing in the audience, haha. I think it's probably my favourite out of the new songs from this album. "Jungle Rhythm" is very catchy and fun and is another one of my favourites.

An Introduction to HANDSIGN | Group of the Month March 2019

Hey there, idol fans! March's featured group is a rather unusual one but they have a lovely concept and they're definitely worth a look. Let's get to know "sign language dance" group HANDSIGN!


HANGSIGN is a Japanese boy group originally formed in 2005. Though the members themselves are hearing, the group is based around Deaf culture and their aim is to increase awareness of deafness and knowledge of sign language in Japan through dance. Their music videos often tell touching stories focusing on those living with deafness and their dance routines incorporate parts of Japanese Sign Language. They made their major debut in 2017 with the single "Boku ga Kimi no Mimi ni Naru".

  
The music video for "Boku ga Kimi no Mimi ni Naru" (I'll Become Your Ears).


Members

 

TATSU 

The leader and founder of the group. From Kanagawa prefecture.


Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for March 2019

Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of March 2019. To have all of the latest releases and news sent straight to your inbox once a month be sure to subscribe to the Dansei Idol Girl e-mail newsletter!


 CLOWN'S CROWN - Aetari Shinai Kedo


Release: 2019.03.06

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


SAMURAI TUNES - Samurai Tracks


Release: 2019.03.13

Type: Album

Buy on CDJapan


BATTLE BOYS - ebidence


Release: 2019.03.20

Type: Single

A Look at LGBT+ (Male) Jpop Idols | LGBT History Month

Idols often can't even be open about something as simple as being in a romantic relationship, so I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it would be for an idol to come out as being LGBT+. Honestly there are lots of idols who I'd be willing to bet money on the fact that they're gay (or otherwise not straight) but obviously can't admit to it for fear of it negatively impacting their career and/or other's opinions of them.

While it's not an extremely common thing, there are a handful of male idols who are out and proud and even some groups that use being LGBT+ as a large part of their concept, making it their mission to raise awareness about LGBT+ issues around Japan. Let's take a look at some of these idols in this post. Also fun fact: I didn't actually know that February was LGBT History Month when I planned to do this post, haha.


It has been hinted at by other members of the group and their producer KEN. alike that KOHEY -- member of this month's featured group BUZZ-ER. -- is bisexual. This concept was explored in a series of short videos they did in conjunction with their second single "Waltz", where KOHEY is portrayed as having feelings for fellow member SHALF while the latter is oblivious to it and is in a relationship with a girl. While KOHEY himself has never outright said he's bisexual, here's a quote from him that heavily suggests as such:

"If I like a person, I will like them for who they are NOT what they are. If they're a good and kind person, then I don't mind falling in love with that person." 

Source: Jpop Amino

 
Next on the list is a group which has now unfortunately disbanded but are still very much worth mentioning. SECRET GUYZ was a 3-member male idol group from Stardust Promotion. The twist however, was that all three of the members were FTM transgender. They performed at many Pride events and their aim was to increase knowledge and acceptance of transgender people in Japan.


Another 3-member group, ENVii GABRIELLA are an independent unit made up solely of gay men. All of the members previously worked as soloist in other areas.

An Introduction to BUZZ-ER. | Group of the Month February 2019

Hey there, idol fans! February's featured group is a somewhat underground group that has caught my attention recently and that group is BUZZ-ER.! Let's take a look at this buzzing rookie group. Sorry/not sorry for the pun.


BUZZ-ER. is a 7-member Japanese male idol group that made their debut in 2017 with the indie single "CAN U FEEL IT?". The group is produced by solo artist KEN. and they seem to already have relationships with other quite significant boy groups (such as Da-iCE and X4), mainly due to KEN. being well-connected in the industry. The group's name was chosen because they wanted to create a "buzz" in the world of Jpop.


 "Waltz", the first music video the group released.


Members

 


 

HAU


Date of Birth: 1997.11.14

  • He is actually fully Vietnamese.
  • He's a former member of G-EYE, a sub-unit of G=AGE.
  • Very precious and loves all the members dearly.


KOHEY


Date of Birth: 1996.07.19

  • He is a former member of Team Dot (KEN.'s backup dancers).
  • He is also a model.
  • It has actually been hinted at by members of the group as well as KEN. that's he's bisexual but it's never been officially confirmed.


SHUN


Date of Birth: 1996.04.18

  • One of the main vocalists within the group.
  • He loves fashion and wants to be a model.
  • Loves food and likes to try all different kinds of exotic foods.

Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for February 2019

Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of February 2019. To have all of the latest releases and news sent straight to your inbox once a month be sure to subscribe to the Dansei Idol Girl e-mail newsletter!


M!LK - Time Capsule


Release: 2019.02.06

Type: Album

Buy on CDJapan


MADKID - RISE


Release: 2019.02.06

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


CUBERS - Hajimete no CUBERS


Release: 2019.02.13

Type: Album

Buy on CDJapan


UNIONE - REVIVE


Release: 2019.02.13

Type: Single

Love is Illegal | The No Dating Rule For Idols and the Muroi Kazuma Scandal

The no dating rule is something a lot of us simply accept as idol fans. While it's more common amoung female idol groups, there are some male idol agencies that also have this rule or at least have some restrictions or guidelines (such as not being seen in public with the person they're dating etc.).

On the one hand it does make sense. A big part of the appeal of idols is that they appear 'available' to their fans. Not gonna lie, I often kid myself into thinking that Nishioka Kengo would totally fall head over heels in love with me if only it weren't for the distance and the fact that he's an idol keeping us apart. Knowing that your favourite idol actually has a girlfriend can kind of ruin that illusion. It's also a matter of keeping everyone involved safe as some idol fans have been known to get a little possessive of their idols, leading to some dangerous situations.

But then sometimes you get to hear the opinion's of those who aren't as 'desensitized' to the whole concept and it makes you take a step back. Remember a few years ago when AKB48 member Minegishi Minami was found out to have slept with a man against the agencies contract, and she ended up shaving her head and making a very tearful apology video? The scandal ended up making it into a few mainstream news outlets in other countries, probably being a lot of people's first introduction to Japanese idol culture.

People's reactions did make me see things in a new light. How moral is the 'no dating rule' really? There is literally no other job I can think of where it would be acceptable for your employer to dictate your romantic relationships, so why is this okay for idols? I guess it reinforces the idea that people often expect idols to be like 'blank slates' almost, that fans can bend to their will and project their own desires onto without taking into account the actual idol's feelings.

What led me to write this post now of all times? Well, just last month it came to light that a member of underground male idol group Amatou Danshi had gotten married in secret. It was clearly stated in the agency's contract that no relationships are allowed, yet Muroi Kazuma had been dating this woman for some time and they eventually decided to elope. The really strange thing about this situation though is that instead of simply firing him, the agency at first decided to put his fate in the hands of fans by asking people on Twitter to vote in a poll about whether or not they thought he should be fired.


A Look at Foreign and Mixed Male Jpop Idols

Hey there, idol fan! Today's post is a look at foreign or mixed boys in the Japanese idol industry, AKA another post all about me crying over my half idol babies. Why does SOU love half idols so much? A mystery.

But in all serious, having a member who's foreign can definitely add a bit of 'international flavour' to a group and can make the group seen more accessible to fans who aren't Japanese. It could be useful for Japanese people as well, as it could allow them to learn more about different cultures that they otherwise wouldn't come into contact with. Or maybe none of that matters and it's all just for Japanese people who have a foreigner fetish.


But whatever the reason, let's take a look at a few foreign or mixed boys in the Jpop idol industry!


We can't have a post about foreign male Jpop idols without mentioning Marius Yo. Marius is the youngest member of Johnny's Entertainment group Sexy Zone. Not only that but he currently holds the record for being the youngest boy to ever debut from Johnny's and the first boy to debut who isn't fully Japanese. Marius is half-German, a quarter Japanese, and a quarter Chinese and was born and raised in Germany. He moved to Japan to pursue his career as an idol.

Although I don't really follow Johnny's Entertainment anymore, Marius remains a special exception for me. He seems very sweet and down to earth, and his worldly background makes him very 'woke' to a lot of issues. I hope he'll continue to shock us by doing a lot of amazing things that we never would have expected (like when he made a guest appearance on the American sitcom Fuller House).


The next boy that comes to mind is Jean Kaito, lead rapper of EBiDAN group SUPER★DRAGON. Jean is half-Turkish and seemingly speaks Spanish.

Anyone who knows me knows how incredibly biased I am towards Jean. He's not the type of idol I usually tend to like at all, yet his whole "I try to act like a bad boy but am actually a huge dork" vibe just gets to me somehow. I made direct eye contact with him both times that I saw SUPER★DRAGON when I was Japan, but where other idols were really shook to see a black person in the audience, Jean just seemed completely unimpressed with my presence. It was wonderful.


Also from EBiDAN, we have Knight Andrew who is a member of the KiDS group ZeBRASTAR. Knight is half-British and speaks English fluently. Interestingly he was actually born in Hong Kong and seems to travel regularly. Queue more bias from me on account of the fact that we're both British. There is also half-American AMEZARI member Jay.

EBiDAN as a whole does seem to have quite a few foreign and mixed members although most of them seem to be in the trainee department (BATTLE BOYS) currently, such as half-American Jeffrey Malone. I hope EBiDAN will end up debuting more of their foreign boys in the near future. Does anyone else remember Dennis?

A group with just one foreign member isn't enough though, right? G=AGE had two. If that statement rings true for you then COLORFUUUL's got you covered. COLORFUUUL boast as being Japan's very first all-foreign male idol group. There have been many changes in lineup since the group was first unveiled but the group is currently scouting for new members. The only member we know of currently is Roma who's from France (and is adorable) but more is sure to be revealed very soon.

An Introduction to INTERSECTION | Group of the Month January 2019

Hey there, idol fans and welcome to our first Group of the Month post of 2019! Since a large part of what this blog's about is bridging the gap between the Japanese entertainment industry and international fans, I thought INTERSECTION would be a great group to start off this new year with. I'm planning for the whole of January to be a bit of a foreign idol-themed month actually, but we'll see how that goes. I'm very excited for this coming year as I have a lot of ideas about how I want to expand Dansei Idol Girl so I hope you'll all stick around for the ride. But anyway, let's start getting to know our featured group for this month, INTERSECTION!



INTERSECTION is a 4-member boy group that was formed in 2015 but made their major debut in 2018 with the single "Heart of Gold". All of the members are of Japanese-American descent and they primarly sing in English. They are the first and currently only group under a subsidiary of Avex called The Whole Earth Connection, and the group's aim seems to be the encouragement of diversity in Japan.



Starting Over, the frst music video that the group released.

Members

 

Mika Hashizume


Date of Birth: 1998.12.21

Place of Birth: Hawaii 

  • The leader and oldest member.
  • He was born in Hawaii and lived there until the age of 16. 
  • Has a background in both sports and music. He initially dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player.

Kazuma Mitchell


Date of Birth: 2000.05.15

Place of Birth: New York

  • He's a model for the men's fashion magazine MEN'S NON-NO.
  • He's currently attending Harvard University.
  • He moved from New York to Japan when he was 8-years-old.

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