Born in Nagoya in 2020, the group HATE and TEARS has made a name for itself in the Japanese pop scene. On the eve of their first appearance in Europe at Japan Expo 2025, here’s a portrait of a trio determined to shake up the conventions of the modern idol world.
You’ll Melt More! turned the page on the final chapter of their You’ll Melt More! Tour 2025 “Phoenix Fire Drum Mandala Pilgrimage” with a spirited 18-song performance at Shimo-Kitazawa Shangri-La on March 30, 2025. It was a fiery conclusion to the first tour for the group since the addition of new members Raki and Makoto nearly a year earlier.
We are thrilled to finally introduce Next⭐︎Rico on BONJOUR IDOL! We first mentioned them in our article about the taiban event Mirai-kei Aidoru Special Live, available here – but rather than just scraping the surface through an event featuring multiple idol groups, we wanted to give them a proper introduction. Originally set to debut in early 2020, their launch was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They finally debuted in late July of that same year, under the name Stand Up! Next. In November 2021, the group rebranded and became Next⭐︎Rico, as they are known today. The group is produced by former Afilia Saga and Junjou no Afilia member Aomi Maho, who also became part of the lineup starting from 2024 with the group’s second generation.
Having Japanese artists perform in Paris is still rare, and fans are always eagerly awaiting the next ones. Recently, many Japanese artists have come to perform in France, thanks to the country’s biggest festival dedicated to Japanese culture: Japan Expo. Among them, four artists set the stages on fire during Japan Expo Sud in Marseille on February 21, 22, and 23. We Named BANZAI JAPAN, UK, ALL IN, and Kang Minsu!
On January 25th, we had the pleasure of attending Mirai-kei Aidoru Special Live 2nd Season #20 at Yokohama Bronth Live! This taiban event (対バン – a gathering where multiple idol groups perform back-to-back) is organized by MFIVE, a company we have a close relationship with. They are the idol branch of Mages Inc., known for producing Junjo no Afilia and Iketeru Hearts, two of our favorites at BONJOUR IDOL. Having worked with them for the past ten years, we wanted to help promote their newest groups, Baby’z Breath and Next⭐︎Rico, to the world. That’s why we decided to attend this full-day event in late January. Since idol groups from other agencies were also performing, we took many photos throughout the day. Rather than our usual live report, this article will be more of a summary, where we introduce and highlight some of the groups for you!
Many of you have already heard about them, especially if you follow Japanese music entertainment. Produced by singer-songwriter Ado, Phantom Siita, is now one of the most well-known idol groups since their debut on June 26, 2024. Mona, Miu, Rinka, Hisui, and Moka were selected through a massive audition involving 4,000 participants, organized by Ado with the backing of her agency, Cloud Nine, at the end of 2023. The entire concept of the group, starting from the audition process, is based on the idea of a 'retro horror idol' theme. Their name itself is a blend of 'Phantom', symbolizing ghosts and illusions, and ‘Siita’ from the scientific names of two insects: Paransita sita, a butterfly, and Epicopeia hainesii, a moth known for mimicking swallowtail butterflies.
BANZAI JAPAN celebrated the high achievement of 10 years of activity last January 19th 2025, as they officially hit the decade mark in May 2024. For the unique occasion, the members stood on the iconic stage of Tokyo's Hibiya Open-air Theater (commonly referred to as Hibiya Yaon), adding their own stone to over a hundred years of musical and entertainment shows legacy. The concert's title, 石の上にも10年 (literally 10 years on top of the rock) is direct reference to an old Japanese saying, stating that "sitting for three years on a cold stone will make it eventually become warmer" (冷たい石の上でも3年も座りつづけていれば暖まってくる).
Five years ago, we were happy and thrilled to meet the idol group Gunjou no Sekai for their first-anniversary live performance on December 23th 2019 at Shibuya Stream Hall. At that time, the group was still young and very promising, with a solid discography reminiscent of the Sakamichi groups, such as Nogizaka46, and a remarkable energy on stage.
The brand new shining lights of SUPERNOVA KAWASAKI welcomed an enthusiastic crowd on January 18th as Baby’z Breath were closing their triple one-man tour. After shows in Osaka and Nagoya, the group finished in high spirits with a double performance in the Tokyo area. While it was our first time meeting MFIVE and Stand-Up!’s newest production, we still got to reunite with two familiar faces! Still under the producer eye of former Afilia Saga Yukafin, Baby’z Breath stands as a spiritual successor to one of Bonjour Idol’s long-time favorites, Iketeru Hearts, covering numerous songs from their late seniors as they are still building their original discography. Two of Iketeru Hearts’ fourth generation, Kumamoto Miwa and Minami Ichigo, even joined Baby’z Breath as founding members!