Six Colors, One Ribbon: The Journey of Pixel Ribbon
Introducing Pixel Ribbon
Pixel Ribbon is a brand-new idol group that debuted in February 2025, based in Tokyo.
A single click on one of their documentary videos was enough to uncover the beginning of a fascinating story.
Let’s dive together into a deep dive of how the group came to light.
Two Friends And One Passion
At the origin of the Pixel Ribbon project are two well-known figures from the Japanese YouTube scene: Ena (えなぴ), one half of the duo mukuena Chik. (むくえなちっく。), and Yuupi-man (ゆうぴーまん), a member of the trio PKA. Together, they have amassed over 4.3 million subscribers and built a long-standing career creating content ranging from entertainment to lifestyle, including mukbang.
The idea came from Yuupi-man, who proposed the collaboration to Ena, having long admired her creative world and refined aesthetic sense.
By chance, Ena was also looking for a new challenge at that time.
Since last year, I’ve started expanding my activities. I wanted to try something new in that direction. So when Yuupi-man offered me this project, I immediately felt it had real potential. I wanted to give it a shot.
昨年から活動の幅もだんだん広がってきたというのもあって、ぼんやりとその軸で仕事をやってみたいという気持ちがありました。だからゆうぴーまんに声をかけてもらったときに、自然と「すごくいいものができる」「やりたい」って思えたんです。
Bound by a long-standing friendship, a shared passion for idols, and a strong entrepreneurial drive, they decided to take a new step: to stop putting themselves in the spotlight and instead focus on producing others. Their goal: to pass on what they’ve learned to a new generation. Yuupi-man, for his part, had already spent nearly a year behind the scenes at an idol agency. Between the two of them, they had the tools, the knowledge, and the ambition needed to take on the massive challenge of creating and managing an idol group.
In February 2025, with the support of their agency GROVE Inc., they officially launched Pixel Ribbon: an idol group developed from scratch based on their vision, and above all, firmly rooted in their time.
Even though the duo benefited from the momentum of their loyal online community, they still faced some skepticism from outside that circle.
[...] clips started circulating elsewhere, and that’s when we got a lot of skeptical comments: ‘YouTubers with no idol experience, will this really work?’ ‘What’s their goal?’ I think it’s a normal reaction at first, no matter who starts the project. In the end, it generated buzz, so it was actually a great starting point.
[...] でもその動画が切り抜かれた先で、僕たちのファンではない人たちからもたくさんの声をいただきました。アイドル経験のない僕たちYouTuberがアイドルをプロデュースすることに、「ほんとにちゃんとできるの？」とか「何がしたいの？」というコメントもたくさんありました。でも、僕は逆に最初の話題作りとしては完璧かなと思っていて。これって、多分誰がやっても最初は言われることだと思うしね。
That said, the two partners are taking the project very seriously and are determined to prove that their initial ambition can truly become a success story.
One Message That Changes A Life
The group’s recruitment process was anything but conventional. From the very beginning, potential candidates were contacted directly via private messages on social media. No traditional auditions, no singing or dance trials, no long elimination rounds. Just pure scouting. What caught their attention was each girl’s personal world, expressed through her posts and online content.
And what about stage skills? According to Yuupi-man and Ena, technique comes with time and professional training. What really mattered to them was motivation and personality.
[...] what I wanted to see was their motivation: ‘Does she really want to become an idol?’ ‘How far is she willing to go?’ We were going to form a group with these people, so their personality was essential. [...]
[...] 技術はあとからついてくるものだと考えていたので、「アイドルをやりたい」という意志や、どれくらい頑張れる子なのかを1番見ていました。集められたメンバーで組むことになるのでやっぱり中身は大事だなって思うし [...]
It was a clever approach. The duo understood that idol fans, especially early on, don’t necessarily seek flawless performances. What draws them in are distinctive, sincere, and emotionally resonant personalities. From the start, they chose to bet on authenticity.
The result? Six girls were selected, each one associated with a specific color and energy:
- Tachibana Hina (橘 陽菜), yellow, from Miyazaki. Ena discovered her during a local beauty contest called Yumezaki.
- Hashimoto Meguna (橋本 恵菜), green, from Shizuoka. A former caregiver with no prior performance experience, she’s now part of Pixel Ribbon. Will she one day be as beloved as her favorite idol, Maeda Atsuko?
- Kano Nanami (鹿野 ななみ), pink, from Saitama. She gained attention through viral TikTok videos. According to her family, she’s dreamed of becoming an idol since childhood.
- Kurosaki Moe (黒崎 萌), red, from Osaka. The most experienced on stage, she teaches dance in the evenings. Though she once aimed for a K-pop career, after participating in Produce 101 Japan and several setbacks, she turned to Japanese agencies. Her selection was revealed as a surprise during training camp. She’s the leader of Pixel Ribbon.
- Hayama Shizuku (葉山 雫), blue, from Kanagawa. Like Meguna, she was a total newcomer to the stage. She dreamed of becoming a wedding planner and studied beauty and aesthetics. Seen as the “big sister” of the group, she’s always there to comfort the others.
- Mashiro Mio (真白 美央), purple, from Tokyo. She was working at a hair salon when Ena contacted her via Instagram. A huge fan of Chinzei Suzuka (Fruit Zipper)!
Each girl has her own unique story, but now they’re united under a single banner: Pixel Ribbon.
Documenting The Journey
Once the group’s formation was complete, the know-how of the two YouTubers truly came into play. Starting in October 2024, a YouTube documentary series was launched, chronicling each member’s journey.
The series follows their progress from the very first training camp all the way to their debut concert at Shinjuku ReNY in Tokyo on March 30, 2025. The format is clearly inspired by survival shows like Produce 101 and Nizi Project, which are known for forging strong emotional bonds with viewers by showing the participants face real challenges and intense emotions during a demanding learning phase.
Across twelve episodes, we see them dance, sing, stumble, start over, sometimes late into the night. Slowly, they discover one another, and the audience gets to know them. The final episodes are more intimate, offering a glimpse into each member’s everyday life: in a café, at home, or during their downtime. This approach creates a natural and almost inevitable emotional connection.
Interestingly, Kurosaki Moe was only introduced to the five other members in the second episode, which came as a real surprise to everyone.
Nowadays, idol activities are largely driven by social media. [...] We already know how to handle online communication. We don’t overthink every post. Why? Because we’ve been doing it for years. We roughly know what we can say, what might be shocking, what’s going to work. [...] I think idols and YouTubers have a lot in common in that respect.
ここ数年、基本的にアイドル活動はSNSが軸になっているなと感じています。[...]それはやっぱり、いままで自分たちがネット上で発信してきた経験があるからなんじゃないかなと思うんです。いろんな声をいただきますが、何を言ったらどんな反応が来るのか、どうやって伝えたらいいのか[...]そういった部分はアイドルとYouTuberって通ずるものがあるのかなと感じていますね。
For Ena and Yuupi-man, the documentary also served as a way to observe group dynamics: confirming each girl’s motivation, identifying the challenges they faced, and seeing whether genuine chemistry would form. At the end of the training, two major announcements were made: the official integration of all six members, and the appointment of Tachibana Hina as the group’s center for the very first song.
For the members, this training camp was a first, and a tough one. Mio and Meguna, in particular, were overwhelmed by the intensity of the performances and the fast-paced schedule.
I was given this opportunity, I said yes, I followed the training... and even with the frustration, I didn’t want to give up. I told myself, ‘I’ll give it everything I’ve got. And if I don’t make it, at least I won’t have regrets.
挑戦の機会をいただいて、「やります」って決断して、合宿まで来て……。悔しいと感じる瞬間もたくさんあったんですけど、そこで諦めて帰るのは自分でも納得いかなかったんです。だったら全力でやり切ろうと思って。それで落とされても後悔はないという気持ちで、自分の全部を出し切るつもりで頑張りました。
The experience also brought the members and producers closer together.
At first, we saw them as producers, so we didn’t really dare talk to them. But after a year of training, we built a real relationship of trust. Now, we work together in a positive atmosphere.
最初はやっぱりプロデューサーさんだし、あまり喋っちゃいけないんだって感じだったんですけど、1年の修行期間が終わったあとは、すごくいい関係で私たちも活動できてると思ってます！
The work done on YouTube is massive but it doesn’t stop there. Every social platform is used with expert precision. Whether it’s visuals, documentaries, music videos, costumes, photo shoots, or live reports, everything is handled at a professional level.
Barely five months after their debut, the group is already operating at a remarkable level of quality, one that amplifies their impact on the public. Whether new or longtime fans, everyone can discover them in the best possible conditions.
A Cute Ribbon That Holds Strong
Style matters, but it’s the substance that makes the difference. On that front, Pixel Ribbon benefits from a carefully crafted artistic direction, as long as you’re on board with a strongly pastel-toned idol aesthetic, sometimes deliberately over the top.
The group doesn’t aim to reinvent the genre, and they fully own that choice. All the classic elements are here: vibrant colors, euphoric pop, and an infectious joy that shines through in every production.
A nice touch: each song is accompanied by a dedicated video that explains the wotagei calls. The chants and gestures that fans perform during concerts to cheer on their favorite members. It’s a detail-oriented practice typical of idol culture.
In just a few months, Pixel Ribbon has established a strong and steady presence, fueled by the power of social media. While initial buzz undoubtedly came from the fame of its two YouTuber producers, it’s the group’s consistent quality, driven by solid storytelling, that will help grow and sustain their fanbase over time. With agency GROVE backing them, they also have the resources to maintain this level of excellence and aim higher: in quality, reach, and ambition.
A dome tour is often seen as a milestone moment in an idol group’s career. Want to support them towards that goal?
Now that you (almost) know everything, all that’s left is to dive into their world, sing, dance, and feel with them.
Pixel Ribbon's lastest song "Heroin, kouryaku-chuu" has been released on August, 1st!
We had the pleasure of seeing them on stage for the very first time at TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2025, on the Doll Factory stage.
As expected, their performance was full of expression and overflowing with cuteness! More photos of Pixel Ribbon on our Twitter and Instagram!
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