M!LK - Time Capsule
Release: 2019.02.06
Type: Album
Buy on CDJapan
MADKID - RISE
Release: 2019.02.06
Type: Single
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!
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.
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 ZeBRA☆STAR. 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.
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.
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 ZeBRA☆STAR. 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.
A group with just one foreign member isn't enough though, right?
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.
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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