(Group) Akishibu Project

[daigong]

Akishibu Project (アキシブproject)  is a Japanese Idol Group. They aim to "bring the cultures of Shibuya and Akihabara together". The group was formed by a former member of BiS and there are currently eight active members. The group performs regularly at TwinBoxAkibahara, in addition to performing live concerts in and outside of Japan. The group performed in Thailand at Japan Expo 2016. They are affiliated with TWIN PLANET ENTERTAINMENT. [credit: Wiki]




Yuuna Arakawa  (荒川優那)

Born: 1993 October 16
Birthplace: Kumamoto Prefecture
Nickname: YunaRin
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features: Ability to weather in charge, Nogizaka46 audition finalists
Twitter

Natsumi Ishikawa (石川夏海)

Born: 1996 June 15
Birthplace:  Chiba Prefecture
Nickname:  Abuchan
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features:  Responsible
Twitter

Ami Iseki (伊関亜美)

Born: 1997 January 28
Birthplace:  Kanagawa Prefecture
Nickname:  Amirakuru
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features:  Self-proclaimed genius in charge, Hanachu reader model
Twitter

Hinako Kera (計良ひなこ)

Born: 1992, November 5
Birthplace:  Saitama
Nickname:  Hinahi
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features:  Specialty: calculation
Twitter

Miiro Taguchi (田口未彩)

Born: 1997 June 26
Birthplace:  Ibaraki Prefecture
Nickname:  Miichan
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features:  Everyone's princess  Tokyo Cheer2 Party three graduating class final candidates
Twitter

Saori Funaki (船木沙織)

Born: 1993 March 25
Birthplace:  Miyagi Prefecture
Nickname:  Saorin (bran)
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features:  Deputy leader, Confectionery College
Twitter

Yue Miyatani (宮谷優恵)

Born: 1995 July 20
Birthplace:  Tokyo
Nickname:  Yuechi
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features:  Leader, gal in charge   Popteen model
Twitter

Hiatus? Left the Group?

Emiri Otani (大谷映美里)
Born: 1998 March 15
Birthplace:  Tokyo
Nickname:  Minori NYA
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features:  Honor student in charge
Twitter

Sara Murayama  (村山沙羅)
Born: 1993 September 23
Birthplace: Shizuoka Prefecture
Nickname: Ramuchi
Height:   cm
Weight:   kg
Special Features: school hiatus
Twitter

is this right? think i missed something

Discography
Albums

Digital Singles


Summer Summer Setsunatsuri
1   Summer Summer
2   Setsunatsuri セツナツリ
3   Everyday! (未定)

source: Wiki / Official Site/blog

From their official YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/AkishibuProject new FIRST summer single! 2016/08/09 RELEASE

[kuro808]

Thnx to Jul and @RockLiao, I got to see them :3

They have an album before that.

Midaregami Fighting Girl

Type A

Eternal Blue～キミと僕と空と海の物語～
ガチ恋レボリューション
真夏のセレナーデ
Akishibu (アキシブウェイ)
flower×flower
虹の色
WAY TO DREAM
乱れ髪ファイティングガール

Type B

Eternal Blue～キミと僕と空と海の物語～
ガチ恋レボリューション
真夏のセレナーデ
Akishibu
flower×flower
虹の色
Candid Love
乱れ髪ファイティングガール

Type C

Eternal Blue～キミと僕と空と海の物語～
ガチ恋レボリューション
真夏のセレナーデ
Akishibu
flower×flower
虹の色
LOVE&PARADISE
乱れ髪ファイティングガール

Second Mini Album- NEW WORLD

wiki

[daigong]

Take it to da limit kuro! there's a thread for Yuuna Arakawa: http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=40848.0



ITS LIT!! a cutie Jul3 pointed out to me too when I was randomly pimping scans

[kuro808]

Anyways the interesting part and I think if dai was there, it would have been a fun time   (Alcohol and wotagei)

Overall I like their sound and away from H!P and 48 group, I listen to them quite a lot



A good push for the channel too TWIN BOX AKIHABARA https://www.youtube.com/user/TwinBoxAKIHABARA

[mixedmedia]

Otani's nickname was Mirinya.

Their first Zepp Tokyo one-man is on Monday August 22! Apparently those are Hinahi's boobs in the ads for the live.

[Jul3]

Thnx to Jul and @RockLiao, I got to see them :3

Oh yeah! I forgot about that, lol, you went to the handshakes. I don't normally like group handshakes, but they were all really fun. I think they are good at handling foreigners because they've been abroad quite a bit.

Strangely, the reason I wanted to see them was their live looked hype in this VICE documentary about the dodgy things going on with schoolgirls in Akihabara



Despite the host trying to say it was all horrible with regards to the whole concept of idol group, he did look a little fished, LOL.

Akishibu do seem to have quite a few female fans though, they had a female fans section at their regular TwinBox Live me and kuro went to.

They are always at taiban lives, but the only time I chekied with them was some release event on a rooftop. It was freezing cold, but it was nice to meet Arakawa in person.

[mixedmedia]

Thankfully some good came out of that VICE "documentary" where they were obviously misled about what the people making it wanted.

Akishibu seems to have a lot of younger fans that don't really look like they'd normally be into idols but then again, it's been like 10 years since the whole "warring states" period started and the number of groups increased so much.

Thread needs more videos!

"Setsunatsuri"



"Change the World"



"Akishibu Way"



"Eternal Blue ~Kimi to Boku to Sora to Umi Monogatari~"



"White" - written for Otani Emiri who graduated in April of 2016

[daigong]

SHIT! That was a great documenatary who knew they had such an extensive background before dropping their new single!

[mixedmedia]

Tonight's Zepp Tokyo was incredible! They had a 5-piece band backing them up for the beginning and end! Sadly, it seems I missed that Iseki Ami announced her graduation a few days ago. She'll be leaving at the end of the year. New member auditions will be held.

Apparently, Mirinya (Otani Emiri) was spotted in the balcony by some fans.

[Rezar]

It was a big step up from any other performance that I've seen by them, for one they sang live, at all the other occasions I've seen them they have played with a vocal track it makes a hell of a difference.

The songs with the band added even more and was excellent, I was a bit disappointed that they didn't keep them all the time.

One thing that surprised me was how many of the songs I didn't recognize, I mean I have both the mini-albums yet there was 3-4 songs that were new to me, could be new songs or b-sides (don't have the singles).

All in all very enjoyable 

[vlinorman]

Miiro most distinctive to me.

[tsutomo]

I kinda liked the group and its whole concept from the very beginning but lost interest after Rinahamu jumped the ship. I thought the group would fade out after a while but thankfully I was wrong. their first album was average but their newest single.... damn, that`s REALLY GOOD. I mean, imo, it steamrolls over other rockish idols (I won`t name some groups but you can guess who I`m talking about...  ). easily one of the best 2016 releases. Hinahi pre-Akishibu did some gravure works so not surprised to see her 'talent' being used in promotions now. actually, I`m surprised that they never really used it before! Hinahi is a very nice  material.

[vlinorman]

heh, seeing that VICE documentary again.. what a crappy media outlet.

[Rezar]

Must say I disagree with tstomo on this I think their mini-albums are good, their latest singles not so much.

[tsutomo]

that Vice documentary is horrible, completely wrong in most implications and nuances it makes, linking idol culture to prostitution and all... like wtf.

but hey, I wouldn`t expect something better coming from them. the days when that crew actually produced new and well informed stuff are long long gone. the last video from them that I saw and found interesting and insightful was that one about fighting in Thai prisons. almost three years ago. after that they started producing videos in manufacturing scale, hiring moronic freelancers to shoot most of them, made a partnership with HBO I think... they got fame, money, but the quality of their material got completely stripped in the process. what a shame.





oh and btw I`m actually satisfied that we diverge in opinions, Rezar. that is a compliment in my books, I`d probably need to cut my wrists if I discovered I like the same thing you do. 

[Rezar]

oh and btw I`m actually satisfied that we diverge in opinions, Rezar. that is a compliment in my books, I`d probably need to cut my wrists if I discovered I like the same thing you do. 

I'm gonna kick your ass next time I see you 

[mixedmedia]

The problem with the first mini-album was that there were some really popular songs which could not be on it (probably some legal BS) which were worked out by the time the second one came out. That and a lot of the new songs on "New World" are just better!

Content creation is being ruined by greed. The people in charge don't care about accuracy as long as they can grab eyes and get clicks which means more money. The Negicco piece they did years ago was well done in my opinion but then again b/c it's VICE, their viewers will always comment negatively about a culture they don't understand and will probably never experience, criticizing the fans for being gross and creepy.

I'm not gonna watch that poor excuse for "journalism" again but, having seen the fans of Akishibu, they definitely framed it to show the less common fans, the older ones. The thing that angers me the most is that they were definitely deceived as to what the video would be about.

[tsutomo]

yeah this! that`s the worst part of it all: they most likely lied about the contents of the video they were producing, making the poor japanese staff think it was some sort of good marketing for the group, introducing them to international fans and all... when in fact they were being criticized, portrayed as part of a creepy culture and compared to girls who engage in prostitution just to buy new iphones and expensive bags. if the group's management were really aware of what was going on, they'd never agree to be filmed. no one would. well, maybe Pour Lui, but that's a different story. 

[mixedmedia]

I'm not saying that human trafficking isn't a big deal in Japan and that there aren't young women being exploited but, to lump Akishibu project, and all idols in general, with such shady business is not fair no matter how creepy Westerners deem otaku to be because so many Japanese things can be shrugged off as weird and crazy without doing any research to prove otherwise.

For every incident that is reported on by the media thirsty to demonize otaku, there are thousands of fans who are respectful and intelligent functioning members of society, who just want to enjoy music they like and/or shake hands/take pictures with young women chasing their dreams.

Looking at fandom, how is a middle-aged guy who likes idols so different than a man of the same age obsessed with college sports? Are they so different than female fans of male idols or Takurazuka? Answer: Yes, female fans are way more scary!

Anyways, Japanese report on their 5th one-man at Zepp Tokyo with some amazing pics: http://next-starlight.com/akishibu_zepp_20160822/.

Since their Akasaka BLITZ live ended up on YouTube, I'm still looking for an upload of Zepp Tokyo...