Regarding Nishioka Kengo and Sexual Assault in the Idol Industry

Recently I'd noticed that my blog posts about Nishioka Kengo - former member of MAG!C☆PRINCE and one of my all-time favourite idols - had been getting a lot more views than normal. I was aware that since leaving Magipri, Kengo (also known as Gonchi) was doing work as a solo idol so I mainly put it down to that. That was until another fan made me aware of some unsettling rumours about Kengo that had been doing the rounds. Thanks to a blog post by my friend and Magipri super-fan Rainbow Pudding (check out that post here) we now have the proof that it unfortunately wasn't just rumours and that Kengo has accused Osawa Tsuyoshi - the (now former) producer of MAG!C☆PRINCE - of sexually assaulting him.


So where do I begin? I'm extremely angered and saddened that something like this has happened, especially to an idol I love so much and has helped me through so many hard times. As always the media aren't really talking about it, as was the case when similar things happened within Johnny's Entertainment and (allegedly) G=AGE's agency. At the very least I'm glad that Osawa has been removed from his position as Magipri's producer and I seriously hope that he'll be brought to justice. Sexual assault from higher-ups seems to be a disturbingly common occurrence in the idol industry and I want to know why this is being allowed to go on with no-one really discussing it. 

On a slightly positive note, I'm so proud of Kengo for everything he's doing despite the trauma he's experienced. He's working so hard at being a freelance idol, doing everything himself including designing his own merchandise and learning how to make his own website from scratch. I've also noticed him interacting online a lot with Yamazaki Haruki (former M!LK member) which I think is really sweet because they're both two of my absolute favourite idols and I feel like they would have a lot in common. They're both very cute, 'otomen' types and Haruki also left his group due to experiencing trauma, but in Haruki's case it was more to do with his own mental health.

This blog post was a little messy and I'm not really sure what the point of it was, maybe just to get my own feelings out there. But really this is about Kengo and any other idols who may have been taken advantage of in this way that we may not know about. All we can really do as fans is make as much noise about it as possible so that the powers that be have no choice but to actually do something about it. Kengo has nothing but my love and support with this and any of his future, hopefully less traumatic endeavours and I hope that the situation will be resolved in the best way possible for him.

3 Lessons A Beloved Ex-Idol Taught Me

Today is the 4 year anniversary of the release of the single, "Age of Future" by G=AGE so I thought now would be as good a time as any to write this post. For anyone who's known me for a while you'd know that G=AGE (before they disbanded) were my all-time favourite Jpop boy group, and in particular I was a big fan of the member Kazama Roi.

Just a note, I have been in contact with Roi recently and he told me that though he still works as a model he wants to move on from his past as an idol and would rather his new friends didn't know about it. For this reason, I will refer to him as Roi (the stage name he used in G=AGE) in this blog post rather than his real name. Although, I do believe he still models under his real name so it's not a secret in case anyone wants to try and find his stuff. But anyway with that, let's get sappy. 


1. It's okay to have a laugh and be silly.


Roi has always been very silly and playful and frankly quite chaotic. He's loud and has a bit of a weird sense of humour. Though he appeared to tone this down slightly when he was an idol (he was often described by fans as very quiet and polite) he was known for joking around and occasionally making silly faces at the camera. Roi came into my life at a time when I couldn't see much humour in anything. I was depressed, anxious, and felt hopeless about the future but seeing or hearing about his silly antics would always cause me to at least crack a smile. Now I'm probably a little bit too silly for my own good a lot of the time!

2. When you love someone, you have to let them go. 


When G=AGE disbanded, for a long time Roi was the only member to disappear completely. He seemed to be absent from the entertainment industry and he didn't have any public social media accounts. Even after he eventually made a public Twitter account, there would be long periods of time where he would just drop off the radar again, probably because he was unsure about whether he really wanted to continue his career as an idol or not. Though my mental health was a lot better by this point I missed him terribly. I just wanted to see him again, even just one of his derpy selfies would do. Eventually though, I had to come to accept that Roi didn't want to be in the public eye anymore and that was okay. That was his decision to make and just because I had been his fan for such a long time didn't mean that I was entitled to him or he owed me anything. 

3. An idol can be your soulmate? Huh?


I know how weird that sounds but hear me out, haha. If you're new to the spiritual concept of soulmates, allow me to explain. A soulmate doesn't necessarily have to be a romantic partner (after all I'm in a happy relationship and Roi is quite a bit younger than me, haha); it can also be a friend, a family member, or just anyone that comes into your life for a significant reason even if it's only for a short time. If you believe in past lives, it's thought that soulmates are people who were with us in previous incarnations. The first time I saw Roi, I had a massive sense of recognition, like I'd met him somewhere before and I still feel this to this day. Even if I never see Roi again for as long as I live, I know that he came into my life for an important reason and that was to help me grow and teach me these lessons. He did so much for me whether he realizes or not so now the least I can do for him in return is to keep doing my best to improve and achieve everything I want to achieve. He's inspired me to try my best with my music, dance, Japanese, and just my well-being in general.


With that, I will end this blog post with a thank you to Roi-Roi, Roi-pyon, Little Prince, or whatever other bizarre nicknames I came up with for him.

風間ロイくんに、私の心の中から、本当に本当にありがとうございました!

An Introduction to JO1 | Group of the Month March 2020

Hey there, idol fans! This month's featured group as suggested by someone on Twitter (thanks, I was having a bit of a brain lapse, haha) is a group that's only just making their debut this month but are already causing a bit of a stir; it's JO1! If there are any groups you'd like to see featured in future months don't hesitate to let me know but as for right now, let's get started!


JO1 are an 11-member Jpop boy group that made their debut in March 2020. The group was formed thanks to the members all being the final contestants on PRODUCE JAPAN 101, a reality competition show that aired in 2019. Due to the show being a spin-off of the South Korean television series PRODUCE 101 X, the group is also quite well-known among Kpop fans.


The performance video of "La Pa Pa Pam", one of the bonus tracks from their debut single "PROTOSTAR".


Members

Mamehara Issei

Date of Birth: 2002.05.30

Place of Birth: Okayama Prefecture

  • He placed 1st overall in PRODUCE 101 JAPAN.
  • He loves GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE.
  • His hobby is dancing, especially to 90s hip-hop.

Tsurubo Shion

Date of Birth: 2000.12.11

Place of Birth: Shiga Prefecture

  • He placed 5th in PRODUCE 101 JAPAN, and interestingly he also broke the "Produce 101 Curse". Based on all previous seasons of the show, it's been said that anyone who sits in the number 1 seat will not debut yet he has been the first to do so.
  • He was formerly a trainee under FNC Entertainment and can speak basic Korean.
  • He and Ruki both participated in the JUNON SUPERBOY contest in 2015. 

Kinjo Sukai

Date of Birth: 2000.05.06

Place of Birth: Osaka Prefecture

  • He placed 10th in PRODUCE 101 JAPAN.
  • His special skills are karate and soccer. He also enjoys movies and music.
  • He said if he got into the top 11 on PRODUCE 101 JAPAN that he’d fly anywhere for the National Producers because he is the ‘sky’. This is a pun, as his name 'Sukai' sounds like the English word 'sky'.

Ohira Shosei

Date of Birth: 2000.04.13

Place of Birth: Kyoto

  • He placed 4th in PRODUCE 101 JAPAN.
  • He graduated from the EXPG dance school in Kyoto.
  • His hobbies include watching movies, walking, editing videos, and beat making. He's also good at hand tricks. 

Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for March 2020

Hey there, idol fans! Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of February 2020. Enjoy!

BREAK☆THROUGH"5D - Wild Side


Release: 2020.03.02

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan

BANQUET - Rush Around


Release: 2020.03.04

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


Contact+ - Eye Contact


Release: 2020.03.04

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan

CUBERS - WOW


Release: 2020.03.04

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan

JO1 - Protostar


Release: 2020.03.04

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan


MATSURI nine. - Teppen New Days


Release: 2020.03.04

Type: Single

The Three Times I Fell For Him | A Short Story About Meeting Your Idol Part 1

So...this is happening, haha. 

While I do also love writing this blog and nonfiction, writing fiction has always been my main passion. As a special Valentine's Day gift to all of you here is a silly little short story I've been working on. I had intended to have the whole thing finished by Valentine's Day but it ended up being way longer than I expected so here is just the first part. The second part should hopefully be out sometime next week. 

It's obviously a little different than the kind of thing I usually post here but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless and Happy Valentine's Day!




The Three Times I Fell For Him, Part 1

Alwyn Foster was perfect for Demi. They had so much in common. For starters, they were both huge nerds who loved video games and comic books. She loved to listen to his insight and mad conspiracy theories about the latest volume of whatever it was they were both reading at the time.

They had the same taste in music. It was difficult for Demi to find others who shared this particular passion, as while she did enjoy cheesy pop songs where the boys who sang them added 'girl' onto the end of every sentence she also had a taste for really obscure micro-genres like emo-pop-screamo-rap-metal. She would always look into the artists that Alwyn recommended and more often than not, end up loving them.

She and Alwyn shared the same sense of humor. It was lazy, cynical, and sarcastic and she often found herself giggling uncontrollably at the dry yet quick-witted comments he made.

Demi and Alwyn had even grown up in the same town. She still remembered the first time she'd met him, in a fast food restaurant of all places. Actually, the place didn't deserve to be called a restaurant, not really. It was a dingy little take-out place that housed only about two or three tables (that were in desperate need of a clean) and the place itself was only one health and safety check away from being shut down. Demi had been working there part-time mainly because her parents wanted her out the house and doing something they deemed useful.

Demi had been the only one working that day. She'd probably been cursing her no-good boss Mr. What's-His-Name for not bothering to show up when she clearly wasn't qualified to be running the shop by herself when Alwyn had stalked through the door. He was handsome, she'd noted but then so were a lot of guys. His lazy green eyes were barely open as he ordered a burger meal to go before slinking over to one of the tables. He made a face at the mess before taking a seat but Demi was too underpaid to care.

She slapped the meal together in a matter of minutes and placed it inside a brown bag on the counter. She called to him a few times but he didn't seem to hear her. He was facing the window with his head resting on one of his hands. She wondered if he'd fallen asleep. She came out from behind the counter and grabbed the take-out bag, intending to bring it to him but somewhere along the way she'd lost her footing and ended up on the floor. The sound of her body smacking against the cold, hard ground had been enough to pull the boy out of his daze and with a cheeky grin he'd turned to her and said,

"We only just met and you're already falling for me."

Demi's cheeks had been burning as he'd helped her to her feet but she couldn't help but laugh at the terrible pun. She was grateful that none of the food had spilled out of the bag at least. He took the bag from her, nodded his thanks, then left without another word. As she watched him go it was only then she'd realized he'd either forgotten to or deliberately decided not to pay but she just shrugged and return to her post behind the counter, deciding it wasn't her problem.

An Introduction to AXXX1S | Group of the Month February 2020

Hey there, idol fans! I'm back with our first featured group of 2020. Let's get started!



AXXX1S (pronounced 'axis') are a now 6-member male idol group that made their debut in 2015 under the name AMAZ (pronounced 'amaze'). In 2019 they underwent a major line-up change and thus changed their name to AXXX1S; Yuuto is the only of the original members left. Their first release as AXXX1S was the album "We Are AXXX1S".



Dance video for "Bakuretsu Hangover", the group's second single.


Members



 Matsushita Rikuto

Member Colour: Green

Date of Birth: 2001.08.12

  • His special skill is playing mobile games.
  • He took part in Danshi Kousei Mr. Con 2018, a kind of competition for high school-aged boys.
  • His hobby is binge-watching dramas on his days off.

 Murahashi Takumi

Member Colour: Red

Date of Birth: 1998.07.21
  • He's a former member of G-BOY'S, the trainee unit of G=AGE.
  • He's a regular model for the fashion magazine Popteen.
  • His hobbies include VOCALOID and utattemita.

 Okada Yuuki

Member Colour: Blue

Date of Birth: 1997.04.07

  • His hobby is watching YouTube videos.
  • His special skill is baseball.
  • Has appeared in the series "Triangle kara Hajimaru Koi".

Upcoming Jpop Boy Group Releases for February 2020

Here are all of the upcoming music releases by Jpop boy groups for the month of February 2020. 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!


ael - Hakugen 

 

Release: 2020.02.05

Type: Single

Am!station - Cho Zetsu Am!'s San

 

Release: 2020.02.05

Type: Single

Buy on CDJapan

AMEZARI -RED STARS- with BATTLE BOYS OSAKA - Impulse to the higher / Zubatto! Onomatope!


Release: 2020.02.12

Type: Single

Idol Rewind | My Top 5 Jpop Boy Group Releases of 2019

So yeah, I did this for 2018 so I thought it would be fun to do it for 2019 as well. Admittedly I was a bit AWOL for the latter half of 2019... I had my debut idol performance in August and around that time I moved into my own place as well. Plus the fact that September would mark the beginning of my first year of no longer being a college student so having to start properly looking into finding work and figuring out what I actually want to do has been...interesting to say the least but anyway, even if I wasn't posting I was always there, always lurking. Certain idols I like to stalk online can probably attest to this. So anyway, without further ado, here is my slightly biased top 5 list of Jpop boy group releases from 2019!



1. SUPER★DRAGON - 2nd Emotion

SUPER★DRAGON takes the first spot on this list for the second year in a row! I stand by everything I've said about them in the past; they're just a group that knows no boundaries and is always surprising us with the interesting concepts they come out with and this year they of course didn't disappoint. "2nd Emotion" was their second album and not only did we get two tracks with music videos from it but also a dance version of the main track, not to mention the abundance of extras you got if you bought the disk. There wasn't a single song on this album that I didn't like and it's just good, man. So good.



2. BUZZ-ER. - #BFF

A group of new faces takes the second place spot, and this is also a group that has managed to creep their way into my top 5 male idol groups list this year too. Welcome BUZZ-ER.! BUZZ-ER. actually released 2 albums and a single this year but I chose this particular album because it contains all of the songs from all their other releases as well. Most of BUZZ-ER.'s releases this year have had such a fun dasa-kakkoi (goofy-cool) vibe to them that I absolutely love and all the songs have been so catchy I've been looping them on Spotify for months. 

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