Born from Inspiration to Identity: The Rise of AsIs
Introducing AsIs
AsIs is a seven-member idol group that made their debut on March 29, 2024, with their very first live performance at Ebisu CreAto, which sold out following an extensive promotional campaign on social media.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, let’s go back to the origins of the group’s creation, which, as you will see, play a vital role in both their identity and their rapid rise to success on the Japanese idol scene.
From Producer’s Dream to Idol Reality: Nanamugi’s Journey and the Formation of Her Group
The group’s producer, Nanamugi, is a Japanese influencer from Hokkaido. After graduating from university, she showed a strong interest in the Sakamichi franchise groups (Nogizaka46 and Keyakizaka46) on social media, notably by posting cosplay photos of their outfits. Noticed by agencies, she began working as a model for various clothing brands and magazines, eventually becoming an idol herself with the formation of the group On The Treat Super Season (formed in June 2021 and disbanded in August 2023).
She left the group herself shortly before its disbandment, on June 25, 2023, after three years of activities, with many dreams and new ambitions in mind, one of them being to produce her own idol group. She announced this wish directly on her social media right after her departure.
In a comment to the press, she stated:
I’ve also recently fulfilled a dream of mine: I will be producing an idol group.
The tentative concept is “I’ll Never Deny What You Love.”
I hope that not only people who absolutely love idols, but also those who had once given up on their dream of becoming an idol, will take on this challenge.
Now, let’s move on to the group itself. The entire audition process was shared on Nanamugi’s social media and unveiled on TikTok through a series of teasers, culminating in the reveal “We’re actually idols” on February 8, 2024, followed by the member reveals up until the 17th of the same month.
Here is the group’s current lineup:
- Sei Ameno (雨野 せい) – representing Light Blue. Special skills: Flexibility, UFO catcher (arcade claw machine). @Sei_Ameno_
- Himeko Kitagawa (北川 姫子) – representing Pink. Special skills: Drums, hyperextended elbows (“monkey arms”). @Himeko_Kitagawa
- Hiyori Seno (瀬乃 ひより) – representing Yellow. Special skill: Napping. @Hiyori_Seno_
- Sena Minami (南 世菜) – representing Mint Green. Special skill: Drawing Doraemon. @Sena_Minami_
- Mitsuki Momoi (桃井 美月) – representing Blue. Special skill: Giving injections. @Mitsuki_Momoi_
- Yua Hoshino (星野 夢空) – representing Purple. Special skills: Eating lots of ice cream, instantly befriending cats. Former member of Tiam as Asahina Yua (朝比奈夢空). @Yua_Hoshino_
- Niina Yamashiro (山城 虹奏) – representing Red. Special skill: Imitating fellow members. @Niina_Yamashiro
The Way You Are – AsIs’s Artistic DNA
The name of the group AsIs comes from the English expression meaning “in its current state”, as opposed to “To Be”. The group has turned this into a positive message: feeling comfortable in your own skin and accepting yourself takes precedence over chasing an imagined ideal.
What’s interesting about the group’s overall identity is that it reflects the producer’s past as a Saka-ota (fan of the Sakamichi groups). Taking the same revolutionary and anti-establishment direction even in the group’s name, their musical approach closely follows that path as well.
Silent Majority” by Keyakizaka46 is the song that changed my life.
欅坂46の「サイレントマジョリティー」は、私の人生を変えた曲です。
Thus, one of their first songs, “Ari no Mama no Sugata (ありのままの姿 / The Way You Are)", along with most of the other early tracks, was written in large part by Nanamugi herself, but more importantly produced and composed by Bugbear, the team best known for composing “Silent Majority.” It is also worth noting that the choreography was created by Atsushi Matsuoka, a choreographer who has worked on Nogizaka46’s “Route 246” and “Jikochuu de Ikou!”
Through her extensive network of friends and professional contacts, most notably the wife of one of Bugbear’s composers, Nanamugi was able to combine her passion for the 46 groups with her ambitions as a producer. As a result, the music video for their signature song “Kimi no Suki wo Hitei Nanka Shinai (きみのすきを否定なんかしない / I’ll Never Deny What You Love)" is set to be released on April 7, 2025.
With dynamic video production, powerful musical composition, and expressive lyrics such as “What’s wrong with loving what you love? (好きが好きの何が悪いんだ)” and “Don’t let go of what you love (もう 好きを手放すな 好きを手放すな)”, the group asserts its determination to follow in the footsteps originally laid out by Yasushi Akimoto and Keyakizaka46. We can also mention songs like “Braver”, “be yourself”, and “Itsuka no Bokura no Koe ni Kotaete (いつかの僕らの声に応えて)”, which carry the same vibe as many of their seniors’ songs and choreographies.
Expressing the songs has been difficult. AsIs’s songs have amazing lyrics and compositions, but the choreography is also intense! I’m always worrying about how I can express myself in a way that really reaches people.
曲を表現するのが難しくて・・・。AsIsの曲は、歌詞も曲もすごく良いんですけど、踊りも激しい！ 自分がどう表現したら伝わるんだろうっていうのをいつも悩んでます。
It should be noted that the group is also open to other genres, particularly more “kawaii” and idol-coded ones, such as their song “Tokubetsu Adorable (特別アドラブル)”, which is currently their most-streamed track on Spotify.
Dedication, Teamwork, and the Joy of the Stage
One aspect that particularly caught our attention at BONJOUR IDOL is the members’ involvement in AsIs’s activities and content. As mentioned earlier, the group consists of seven members, with only one having prior experience as an idol.
Starting essentially from scratch, the adaptation proved to be challenging for some of them right from the beginning, especially given that six songs were already prepared before their debut.
From debut we were given six songs, which was amazing and something I was really grateful for, but it was my first time learning stage positions and memorizing lyrics. It was really tough. I watched the practice videos over and over again!
デビューの時から6曲も頂いて、すごく有り難かったんですけど、立ち位置とか、歌詞を覚えるのも初めてで。本当に大変でした。もう動画とかを何回も見て！
Just before their very first live performance, as part of the promotional campaign where each member was asked several questions such as “Why did you want to become an idol?”, Sei Ameno explained in her interview that she wanted to learn to communicate more with the other members and improve teamwork, a requirement that is often essential for the smooth functioning of a group working together.
And this was evidently achieved after some unforeseen events that no one could have predicted, such as the absence of one or more members during various live performances:
The hardest time for me was when we had to perform with only five or six members at one point. We had overlapping situations, members taking breaks from activities, getting sick, even being hospitalized. When one member had to take a break, we rearranged everything for six people, but right after that, another member had to take time off. [...] I thought, “This is the time to push through,” so I suggested we redo all the positions from scratch. Everyone immediately agreed, which made me so happy. We practiced right up until the last possible moment before the live began.
一番大変だと感じたのが、一時期5人とか6人でライブに出なきゃいけないときがあって、活動休止だったり、体調崩して入院したりとかが重なって。1人ある程度の期間休むことになったから、6人体制の形で立ち位置と歌割りを覚えたんですけど、その直後にさらに1人休むことになったんですよ。[...] ここは今踏ん張る時だなって思ったので、1から立ち位置考えようって提案したら、その時のメンバー全員が“そうしよう！”って言ってくれて。それがすごく嬉しかったです！ もうそのライブの本番ギリギリまでずっと練習してました。
One of the reasons driving the members to push themselves beyond their personal expectations and their fans’ hopes is simply the people around and working with the group, notably BugBear, as mentioned earlier.
Bugbear even posts on X to support AsIs, and every time I see it, I’m like, “What!? They actually know who we are!!” (everyone laughs)
バグベアさんが、XとかでAsIsを応援してくださってるポストを発信してくださって、それを見るたびに“え！ 私たちのこと知ってるんだ！！”くらいの・・・。(一同爆笑)
Finally, what truly won us over was the genuine joy the members have performing on stage. We can see from their various live appearances that each of them is genuinely happy to be there. How could we not mention their performance at the SMILE GARDEN during the Tokyo Idol Festival 2025, where Hiyori broke into tears during “Tokubetsu Adorable (特別アドラブル)” but kept dancing to finish the song? This simple reaction, beyond being touching, shows how much their first participation in the world’s biggest idol festival means to them.
Ever since our debut, this has been a dream for all of us, so I’ve really been looking forward to today. Personally, I’ve always loved idols, and I’ve watched this stage for so long, so being able to stand here now makes me truly happy. I want to savor every single moment and give it my all.
デビューしたときからズーッと、メンバーみんなの夢でもあったので、すごく今日を楽しみにしてましたし、私はもともとアイドル好きでズーッと見てきたステージなので、ここに立てることが本当にうれしくて、一瞬一瞬を噛み締めて頑張りたいなと思います
Himeko even concluded this interview with Kaiwaiweb by expressing the group’s wish to perform on the legendary stage of the Nippon Budokan, a goal we sincerely hope they achieve!
The group started their first national tour on August 10th in Fukuoka, followed by Hiroshima on August 24th, and will finish in Tokyo on September 22nd. Of course, BONJOUR IDOL hopes to be able to attend!
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