Hello!Spam :: 2026 ~Dancing, Singing, Exciting!~

[Shoujo Q]

Ocha Norma’s Roko and Miku sing Tanpopo’s Last Kiss acapella.

[DonJuan]

Found Momohime's opening of Gatamekira on Youtube. Goosebumbs.

EDIT: lol ok found the full thing

[Shoujo Q]

Y’all remember Ogata Risa and what led to her eventual sudden graduation from Tsubaki? Well Kita Rio said, hold my beer and double down because she is in another bit of trouble. Leaks of her Snapchat ended up on Twitter when she complains about members of Morning Musume.

And then not long after that a quick, blink and you’ll miss it, photo of Oda Sakura with a guy appeared and disappeared.
The original got taken down so it’s questionable if it was real or not.

But anyway, enjoy your scandals. It’s been a minute.
Morning Musume have a concert Sunday so they may stay mum about it all and UF will probably say something on Monday. Depending on how crazy and bad this all really is.

Update: Oda responded that the photo was real but it was from a series of photos with family and friends and the one they threw up to cause discourse was put out with malice intent. One wonders how the photo got taken to be leaked. I’m sorry Oda had to apologize. It was only leaked to cause chaos after the Rio leak.

So messy.

[Farrah]

I'm probably an asshole, but I'd be lying if I said the pearl clutching over this incident from newer/younger fans didn't make me giggle. It sucks that Rio seems utterly miserable to be in this group, it sucks that she hates seemingly everyone she's working with to such an extent that a member accidentally bumping into her during a song feels worthy of multiple social media posts, HOWEVER... it also feels sooo tame compared to some of the stories we've heard about the Golden Era feuds lol jesus, half the group practically banded together to systematically bully a 13 year old out of the line-up back then!

That said, it's not gonna help her that this is her second major scandal in just a couple months. I wonder how UFP will handle it. I'm seeing wota say this is even worse than the Ogata Risa incident since Risa's complaints were mostly targeted at one member and mostly regarding work (vs KitaRio being at bitch-eating-crackers status for half her groupmates, "Look at this bitch with her pigtails" etc lmao). Tbh, when Sakura kinda came for her during her dating scandal earlier this year, I suspected there must be bad blood there - Sakura was pretty defensive of Sayube during her dating scandal, yet quick to insinuate KitaRio lacks worth ethic.

I guess all our old theories about infighting and drama making the group more entertaining were wrong though, the group has still felt stagnant as ever for the past few years lol.

[JPope]

My 50,000 ft view of this brings an old adage to mind: if you find yourself consistently surrounded by assholes, it's likely that you're the asshole. And honestly, it's the vibe I've gotten from KitaRio for most of her tenure. What UF chooses to do about it is up to them, and I don't really care one way or the other. It's just another reminder that work as an idol comes with a lot of the same bullshit as working anywhere else.

[Shoujo Q]

Update 2 : Rio made a quick apology. The Snapchats that were leaked were from over 2 years ago. It's obvious she didn't think they'd get out, but friendships can change over the years and what you think may be innocent can turn on you if the friend you thought was a friend turns into an enemy. I mean, while I don't want to take her side, and I wont, I do feel bad for her. If anything I said about my coworkers got out and they saw it, I'd be mortified. But at the end of the day, it's up to UF to handle this. It's very similar to Ogata Risa, but at the same time it isn't. Ogata was still actively using the account, going against H!P rules at the time and slandering members in her group. Kitagawa's was a past transgression. I'm sure a lot changed in those 2 years and UF will need to take that into consideration I'm sure. They'll probably give her some options and she'll have to take one. I'd gather, remain in the group, but we aren't going to push you as a front girl until this all blows over because the fans of (other members) will be out for blood, leave the group and go into M-Line or whatever until your contract is up for renewal. So she can either remain in UF or go off on her own. But I doubt anyone would touch her given her history.

At the end of the day, Rio's gonna need to be eating some humble pie for awhile to get back into anyone's good graces and probably going to be laying low until after Ikuta's graduation.

[Farrah]

I feel bad for Erina, since this is basically going to cast a cloud over her entire graduation and remaining months in the group.

I think the apology is kind of bad lmao just felt bland and recitative compared to Sakura's. But I do feel bad for her in the sense that this entire situation must feel humiliating. She's going to be in a very awkward position within the group for a long time.

[JPope]

I feel bad for Erina, since this is basically going to cast a cloud over her entire graduation and remaining months in the group.

I don't think there are many fans who are happier about Erina finally graduating than me, but I agree. She doesn't deserve this shit.

I think the apology is kind of bad lmao just felt bland and recitative compared to Sakura's.

Yeah, it's pretty blasé. Like "management told me I have to say this, so I'm saying it. Ugh, so annoying..."

[sadude]

half the group practically banded together to systematically bully a 13 year old out of the line-up back then!

Which incident was this?

[DonJuan]

^Fukuda Asuka I think.

Coming in late. I've mellowed down a lot on my initial thoughts because man, Rio really has at least one shitty friend if those private (!) snaps from 2 years ago were leaked just now. I mean, they're a private snapchat thing. That's like sending a whatsapp. I do think Rio sounds like an annoying coworker, but in my book it's still different from Risamaru - especially because that one involved a boyfriend scandal and accusing Kiki of faking her hernia which is a lot worse than just complaining about your coworkers.

That being said, I don't think she's coming back. Her popularity has hit rock bottom for some time (ofc not Akane or Yokoyan level, but for a front girl verrrry low) and wota have hated her at least since the boyfriend scandal (and hey they leaked another pic of her with that/a dude). Especially the Japanese fans are really angry with her.

On top of that, I've said it on discord I think: MM always acting like the well behaved princesses is really biting them in the ass now. Golden Era beef was entertaining because we knew they "hated" each other. Here it's a case of a crumbling facade, right before Ikuta is graduating and they need to start building the new era of the group. It's a bit like how Fukumura's reputation went downhill ever since the Kaede thing.

[arcobaleno]

It's a bit like how Fukumura's reputation went downhill ever since the Kaede thing.

What was the Kaede thing? I’m so out of the loop.

[Shoujo Q]

I believe it was that Kaede graduated because Fukumura was pretty awful to the 12th gen and Chisaki which resulted in both of them leaving before Fukumura did. But there’s no real basis for the rumor.

[DonJuan]

Oh, there's just been a lot of talking ever since Kaede announced her graduation, as Shoujo said.

• Kaede announces her graduation. Mizuki makes a silly comment "your graduation will be at Ehime (super small venue) right? haha" and Kaede's fans are pissed and take this as 9th-11th gen in general being super disrespectful towards their juniors.

• Loooots of fans jump to Mizuki's and Ikuta's instagram accounts and spam comments about how they clog the group for younger generations and tell them to graduate.

• Kaede blogs about how she hopes she has made an impact in the group in her 6 years and mentions how 9th gen plays and messes around, but they love MM. Mizuki blogs 3 days later that 6 years is a short time and that Kaede messes around during rehearsals. Wota point out that it's the exact same words that Kaede used, taking it as Mizuki can't take criticism.

Gotta mention here that Kaede had a lot of very eccentric fans. Not Maa level, but definitely... dedicated. So they went deep and basically dug up everything Mizuki has done "wrong" as leader.

• Built up a super strict senpai-kohai system (with the rest of 9th-11th gen) which was basically impossible to overcome. Kind of made obvious that basically no new member until 15th gen made it close to front row. Has been talked about with other H!P groups (how Anju is quite relaxed with their kohai) and OGs (Mizuki defended the group's strictness on TV in front of... Gomaki and Tsuji, like basically Golden Era's finest lol). (Also apparently Mizuki brushed off everything Goto said which made her look really bad.)

• Mizuki dropped that she was basically the one who greatly influenced concert lists, outfits and general style (previously decided by Tsunku, but for some time now H!P only had verrry young managers (like, some younger than the girls, right out of college) so it makes sense for the long-runners to decide). Some people blame Mizuki for the boring direction MM took.

• At some point she also said that she wasn't interested in idols outside of H!P, not doing idol trends and even thought TikTok was beneath MM. Some people said this was elitism and prevented MM from keeping up with the times.

• The Chisaki situation is used over and over how Mizuki didn't want new members to overshine their seniors, taking it as she was scared Country Girls' ace would take over (kinda silly in hindsight since the two seem to be the bestest of friends nowadays).

• 12th gen were basically left alone until 13th/14th gen came in and every time they tried to bring in new ideas they were cut short by their seniors.

• Mizuki is kind of infamous for teasing younger members, like Kaede as mentioned before, she made fun of KitaRio for being way more mature than her genmates and said Rairi was too shy (and Rairi herself said that she wasn't shy at all, just that Mizuki didn't try to get to know her lol).

• When she came back from her hiatus and went on TV where she mentioned fans telling her to graduate at some point and made it sound like they were ageist... which pissed off the fans of course.

Basically TL;DR: "Blame Mizuki" is the new "Blame Tsunku" lol. But mostly they blame her for being boring/making the group boring and the weird strict senpai-kohai system and most of that started when Kaede announced her graduation.

[Shoujo Q]

The same hate is slowly being directed at Sakura. Some fans desperately want her to graduate quickly so Nonaka can take over as leader. I’m sure we might get one or two things this fall. Another Musume graduation be it Oda or Kitagawa, maybe both? And or another audition.

[DonJuan]

I feel like for finally going a different way with MM a Sakura graduation would be benefitial, however, they still need her as a singer. I'm definitely expecting an audition soon though. It will be at least 3 graduations since Ako and Haruka joined (Mizuki, Ayumi, Ikuta), and they might fit in a 4th one as well, maybe even a 5th one, depending on how the KitaRio situation goes.

[JPope]

Re the Kaede stuff: when I tweeted the link to my blog post about her grad announcement -- which was essentially "this is what you get when multiple members decided to never leave" -- 95% of the replies were basically telling me to fuck off, but the positive comments and likes were almost all from Japanese accounts. After reading the more recent replies here, that makes a lot more sense.

[DonJuan]

Yup. In general there's basically two factions among MM fans:

• 9th-10th gen fans, who of course want their faves to shine the most. Understandable, most of them have been around since Colorful Era started, and man these girls have gone through a lot. 15 years is quite the time, too. Especially among the international fans there's also a lot of women who basically grew up with the girls and therefore are especially attached to them. Also, suggesting they should graduate is always met with "so you think women are only good idols when they're young and cute?" (really dumb considering the hottest Up Front idol right now is Airi). Among Japanese fans 9th-11th gen are in the right because they like the senpai system, they like that they put such focus on the history and legacy of MM (though that's debatable imo) and of course, a bunch of them were just really good idols. Mizuki is as decent as an idol can be, Sakura is outstanding. Ikuta not so much, but she's there. Ngl, there have been talks about Up Front cutting the stuff for Ikuta's graduation short (Budokan instead of YokoAri, for example) is a direct consequence of her never being that high in the rankings. These fans get really defensive, even more since Masaki and Ayumi graduated.

• Fans of the kohai, and yes, 12th gen still counts as kohai. Which is ridiculous, but actually one of the point these fans try to make. There is a bit of a shift between 12th-14th gen and 15th-17th gen fans but not by much since they're in the same boat (12th gen fans though are of course a bit sour that KitaRio and Mei have gotten closer to front row than Miki and Maria in 10 years). A lot of those were Kaede fans, but as Shoujo has mentioned, there's also a bunch of Miki fans who are pushing for her taking over. And while this is also a bit ridiculous KitaRio has kind of fallen from grace because she got comfortable with taking more or less Mizuki's spot.

Mizuki is such a "die a hero or live long enough to become a villain" case. Remember when we were cheering for her being the second newbie after Riho to get a solo line here and there? But she was never good at talking, was surrounded by yes-sayers for years and at some point just took over everything (center, lead, direction) despite not appealing to the general idol public. (And some things really raise questions: Why did she become H!P sub-leader when Ayaka was perfectly capable of being leader on her own? Why was there never another sub-leader after her? And why is there not even an H!P leader at the moment? Why did nobody tell her to graduate but basically told Ayumi so afterwards? (they did, Ayumi confirmed it lol).)

But it was not only her. 12th gen have talked about how their first few years were hell, and they included all of 9th-11th gen. Sakura even apologized. KitaRio complaining about Ikuta not even greeting her fits right in.

Unfortunately with the kohai-fan faction growing bigger the complaints about Mizuki just continue to grow. It's also mostly against her and sometimes against Ikuta, because they were leader/sub-leader (and Ikuta being rather unpopular). Ayumi and Sakura were/are incredibly popular and respected for their abilities so they get away with more (but as we know, lots of people want to show Sakura the door too). It doesn't help that the scandals with Kaede and now KitaRio have made national idol news. But it certainly also doesn't help either to back talk the few MM idols that are known to the general public (Goto as mentioned, there was also a similar situation with other OGs iirc, Mikitty I think? Maybe Yaguchi?).

Also, seems like her debut single flops.

[JPope]

Mizuki is such a "die a hero or live long enough to become a villain" case. Remember when we were cheering for her being the second newbie after Riho to get a solo line here and there? But she was never good at talking, was surrounded by yes-sayers for years and at some point just took over everything (center, lead, direction) despite not appealing to the general idol public. (And some things really raise questions: Why did she become H!P sub-leader when Ayaka was perfectly capable of being leader on her own? Why was there never another sub-leader after her? And why is there not even an H!P leader at the moment? Why did nobody tell her to graduate but basically told Ayumi so afterwards? (they did, Ayumi confirmed it lol).)

I wonder how much Tsunku influenced Fuku being given so much sway over shit? This is the dude who said she should stay in the group into her 40s after all, lol! One could come up with some very spicy conspiracy theories if one wanted to...

[Shoujo Q]

So Kudo Yumi and Endo Akari had a fanclub event today. Both girls are from Hokkaido.

Turns out that both girls are also related, they are second cousins. Their grandmothers are sisters. Endo knew, but Kudo did not. They showed a picture of the two of them together when they were really young at the FC event. So this is our second set of cousins after Yajima and Takeuchi. But first time they are in the same group. Just pure coincidence they ended up in the same group.

[Shoujo Q]

The 2shot of Endo and Kudo they showed at the FC event and a more in-depth blog post of their relationship.

[DonJuan]

^Now that's funny! Also I understand Yume, Akari looked very different back then while Yume barely changed lol.



Random youtube find. The avengers might be gone, but new Juice is also not bad.
(This channel has a lof of great shorts.)

[JPope]

Ruru with Japanese sister duo Mebius, singing "8 Tsuki no sora," which I assume is a Mebius song. Who knows, maybe it's a cover. Anyway, it's very nice.

[JPope]

I know it was posted in the Discord, but it should be here, too. Juice=Juice live of "Bloody Bullet"



As DJ said, it's very Juice. Is this the first footage of J=J with a fully operational Niina? She's a little stiff, like she's still thinking more than performing, but sounds just fine and fits right in. I kind of dig that she's keeping the eyeglasses as part of her on-stage look. I don't think H!P has had a glasses-girl since Megumi Murata, have they? Anyway, Juice is still awesome, and they sure have a lot higher-end younger talent.

[JPope]

[DonJuan]

J=J newbs performing the Juice discography. The kids are Juice is alright.

[Shoujo Q]

I really love this group right now, keeping H!P glued to my hip while my Musume group crumbles into dirt.

Also, Juice=Juice are having such a moment right now and whoever is in charge of their social media has been so on top of keeping the momentum going.

[JPope]

Juice and Anju are both riding a peak right now, and I'd love it if both could make it through 2026 without any important graduations. Ruru and Rei are inching perilously close to ageing out of H!P, but 26 is not unheard of for H!P idols anymore, and J=J is gonna drop way off when they leave. Just one more year of the good stuff would be great.

[Shoujo Q]

So I've noticed it for awhile now but no one really talks about it.

Up-Front Links and for the most part, A LOT of Facebook pages have these really descript posts. It's clearly AI typing it all up. And I'm half convinced the UP-FRONT Links page uses it as well. Unless of course it's one person with a passion for essays typing out a full run down of concerts. I'm not upset about it they don't seem to do the same for the Japanese fans so it's sort of a treat only international fans will get. It's nice to have a good read now and then and you get a little background info while you're reading them. It's something only found on Facebook so if you don't have one, you wont get these epic long posts.

ANGERME's Latest Budokan Performance.

Spoiler: [+]

On November 30, ANGERME held the "ANGERME 2025 autumn 'Keep Your Smile!' final" concert at Tokyo・Nippon Budokan. Approximately 9,500 attending fans ignited the atmosphere.
This day also marked the final show of the tour "ANGERME Live Tour 2025 Autumn ~Keep Your Smile!~," which had run for a total of 37 performances across all 17 venues since kicking off on September 6 (4 performances at 2 venues were canceled and will be rescheduled in February 2026). This was the first time the new system—with Layla Ise promoted to leader in June and new member Momoha Nagano joining in August—had stood on the Budokan stage, building great anticipation among fans even before the show began.
Because this tour continued the history of its predecessor group, S/mileage, which started with Live House tours, the theme was set as "Returning to the origin, honing individual skills and expressive power," and thus was held in Live Houses. The tour title adopted ANGERME's pre-show cheer "Keep Your Smile!," carrying the meaning, "Even when things are tough, don't forget to smile, let's work hard together!" After the lights dimmed, the members waiting backstage were projected onto the screen. Ise shouted: "We finally made it to Nippon Budokan! Let's get excited together!" The pre-show cheer concluded, and the concert officially opened.
The members, dressed in pure white outfits symbolizing the group name's origin, "Angel," appeared and started the festive first song, "Ai Subeki Beki Human Life." New member Nagano has completely integrated into the group, delivering a dazzling performance with a bright smile under the yellow light of her member color.
Following Shion Tamenaga’s shout, "Budokan, let’s shout it out loud," the atmosphere rapidly heated up with "Desugita Kui wa Utarenai" and "Otome no Gyakushu," pushing the energy of the entire venue to its climax.
Immediately following, they presented "Troublemaker" from their new album Keep Your Smile!, released on November 12, showcasing another facet of the group through a new, somewhat provocative style, and displaying full confidence.
During the MC, Ise greeted the audience: "Welcome to Nippon Budokan!" Warm cheers immediately erupted. This concert was live-streamed online via Hulu and simulcast in 51 cinemas across Japan and Vieshow Cinemas Xinyi in Taipei. The members also greeted fans on the other side of the screen: "Can you see us?" "How are you all?"
Momoha Nagano, standing on the Nippon Budokan stage for the first time, said: "I truly cannot believe that I can stand on this stage, and seeing all of you has deeply moved me." Looking at the audience seats lit by colorful light sticks, she smiled and said: "It’s like stars!"
Ise commented on this autumn tour: "It was a tour created together with the fans, and we were constantly saved by everyone’s enthusiasm." She then shouted: "Can we make our voices loud enough to lift the ceiling of the Budokan?" showcasing the new system’s determination to make this first Budokan performance even hotter than before.
After a transition by Rin Kawana, the next section officially began with the new album track "FAST PASS." This song, combining unique and powerful charisma, fully exhibited ANGERME’s appeal. They consecutively brought powerful rhythmic tracks like "Myouban, Galaxy Gekijou de," "Bukkowa Shitai," and "Aisare Root A or B?," before performing the album track "Migi Naname Ushiro Kara" for the first time. Amidst the delicate sadness woven by the piano melody, the singing voice of each member gradually soaked the entire venue.
Then the atmosphere changed, and the S/mileage medley time began. First, Layla Ise, Wakana Matsumoto, Yukiho Shimoitani, Hana Goto, and Momoha Nagano performed "Jitensha Chiririn," interacting in a way reminiscent of walking home from school; "Kiiroi Jitensha to Sandwich" was performed cleanly using props with yellow handlebars.
Next, the combination of Shion Tamenaga, Rin Hashisako, Rin Kawana, and Yuki Hirayama took the stage, demonstrating explosive vocal power that matched the fast tempo of "Shin Nippon no Susume!," while in "Samui ne.," accompanied by falling snow, they gently brought the audience into the world of the song.
After changing into colorful mini-dresses paying tribute to S/mileage, they sweetly attracted the attention of fans with "Please Minisuka Post Woman!"; in "Watashi, Choito Kawaii Urabancho," Nagano's line "Do you still have energy? No slacking off, right?" stirred up the venue, immediately sparking the "Choi Kawa" (a little cute) cheers. Hashisako shouted: "Nippon Budokan, bring it on!" The strong rock music style caused the venue's heat to soar again.
The high energy was non-stop with consecutive performances of "Survive ~Ikiteku Tame ni Yume wo Min'da," driven by the full-power vocal vs. falsetto battle between Kawana and Goto, "Akai Earphone," demonstrating ANGERME's sturdy presence, and "Ai no Kedamono," with the thrilling dance of Hashisako and Tamenaga. "Kagiriaru Moment" echoed through the Budokan with energetic vocals, and "Taiki Bansei" made the venue boil over again amidst the fans’ passionate cheers. The main part of the concert concluded with "Tomo yo," as if making a promise, "See you at the next concert!," uniting the entire audience.
As earth-shattering shouts of "ANGERME!" echoed from the audience, the members reappeared for the encore segment in shimmering purple sequined outfits. They publicly performed the new album track "Prison Breaker" for the first time, showcasing ANGERME's new territory with its heavy rock arrangement, powerful vocals, and true/false notes.
During the final MC, Momoha Nagano said: "I am truly happy that I could spend such wonderful time with everyone. I hope we can continue to create more beautiful memories together." Goto only had one sentence to say—"I love you all the most!" Yukiho Shimoitani expressed: "I am really happy that all nine of us could stand on the Budokan stage together." Yuki Hirayama mentioned that the inciting part at the beginning of "Watashi, Choito Kawaii Urabancho" was suggested by the seniors for the four juniors—Hirayama, Shimoitani, Goto, and Nagano—to perform, "I felt the seniors' immense love, and it made me love this constantly changing group even more, and I hope to become a member who can contribute to ANGERME."
Wakana Matsumoto reflected: "Touring the Live Houses all over the country deepened the bond between the nine of us, and also the bond with the fans." Shion Tamenaga felt the juniors' brilliance and recalled her own first time on the Budokan stage, "At that time, I felt like I wasn't standing here by my own power, but a senior told me, 'We all stand up here together,' and that deeply moved me. Today, I also deeply feel that the nine of us are indeed standing together on the Budokan stage," she said with a warm smile. Rin Kawana also said: "This tour made me feel once again that this space is built by everyone, including the fans."
Rin Hashisako, tearing up after hearing Tamenaga’s words, said: "The nine of us want to pursue higher goals together." Then she laughed and added: "My eyesight has been getting a little worse recently, I will try hard to eat more blueberries so I can see everyone's expressions more clearly!" Layla Ise, also with tears in her eyes, said: "Today everyone fought with all their might. As a new beginning for the nine of us, I think we took a very good step forward. What do you all think?" drawing warm applause. "I will turn today into confidence, and I will continue to work hard."
Ise said: "To allow everyone to continue to cheer up tomorrow, with a message of support—" and then delivered "THANK YOU, HELLO GOOD BYE." Amidst the harmonies flowing among the members, a gentle atmosphere permeated the venue. The final showstopper was the S/mileage classic, "Suki-chan." During the interlude, the members ran to the center stage, and fans sequentially shouted "〇〇 ga Suki-chan! (I love 〇〇!)," which the nine members responded to with dazzling smiles, bringing the Budokan concert to a perfect conclusion.
The new songs premiered in this performance are all included in the new album Keep Your Smile!, which achieved No. 1 on the Oricon Weekly Digital Album Chart (dated November 24). They will also appear at "COUNTDOWN JAPAN 25/26" on December 29. ANGERME will continue to run forward with undiminished momentum through the remaining time of 2025 and heading into 2026.
—
ANGERME 2025 autumn "Keep Your Smile!" final
November 30 (Sun) Nippon Budokan
■ Setlist
1. Ai Subeki Beki Human Life
2. Desugita Kui wa Utarenai
3. Otome no Gyakushu
4. Troublemaker
5. FAST PASS
6. Myouban, Galaxy Gekijou de
7. Bukkowa Shitai
8. Aisare Root A or B?
9. Migi Naname Ushiro Kara
10. Jitensha Chiririn / Ise・Matsumoto・Shimoitani・Goto・Nagano
11. Kiiroi Jitensha to Sandwich / Ise・Matsumoto・Shimoitani・Goto・Nagano
12. Shin Nippon no Susume! / Tamenaga・Hashisako・Kawana・Hirayama
13. Samui ne. / Tamenaga・Hashisako・Kawana・Hirayama
14. Please Minisuka Post Woman!
15. Watashi, Choito Kawaii Urabancho
16. Survive ~Ikiteku Tame ni Yume wo Min'da
17. Akai Earphone
18. Ai no Kedamono
19. Kagiriaru Moment
20. Taiki Bansei
21. Tomo yo
＜Encore＞
EN1 Prison Breaker
EN2 THANK YOU, HELLO GOOD BYE
EN3 Suki-chan

Juice=Juice's Latest Budokan Performance.

Spoiler: [+]

On November 19, 2025, Juice=Juice held their solo concert “Juice=Juice Concert 2025 Queen of Hearts Special Flush” at Japan’s legendary Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.
The stage featured all 11 members, including individual solo performances, with a total of 33 songs performed, drawing an audience of 10,000 fans known as the Juice=Juice Family. The event was broadcast live on CS TV Asahi Channel 1, and simultaneously screened at 52 cinema theatres across Japan as well as in Taipei.
Juice=Juice released their 20th single on October 8, titled “Shi no Go no Iwazu Satto Wakarete Ageta / More! Mi Amore” (double A-side), which debuted at number 2 on the Oricon weekly singles chart. “More! Mi Amore” surged in popularity when the Hello! Project group OCHA NORMA coined the catch-phrase “SukiAmo” (隙あらばアモーレ) — meaning “if there’s a chance, Amore!” — which caught fire among Hello! Project fans. The official YouTube MV for the song surpassed 2.88 million views as of November 19. Additionally, for the first time Juice=Juice appeared on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE, performing their signature track “‘Hitori de Ikirare¬sō’ tte Sore tte nē, Homete Iru no?”, which generated widespread commentary.
This Budokan performance served as the grand finale of their “Juice=Juice LIVE TOUR 2025 Queen of Hearts”, which ran from September through November across 12 venues and 22 shows. One of the group’s newest members, Niina Hayashi (who joined in June and is known for wearing glasses), made her debut Budokan stage appearance at this concert.
Before the performance, the entire arena echoed with chants of “Juice!” When the opening video ended, the 11 members stepped into the spotlight. They wore red-and-white swirling dresses layered beneath glittering white jackets. The concert opened with “More! Mi Amore”, as flames erupted on stage and under the leadership of Dambara Ruru, the members locked their confident gazes on the audience. Fans responded loudly with chants of “Amore Mi Amore!” and “M O R E!” Sub-leader Inoue Rei showcased her signature beat-box skills during “STAGE ~Agatte Mina~”, followed by expressive performances in “Naimono Love”.
During the MC segment, Niina Hayashi, performing at Budokan for the first time, stated: “I’m going to enjoy this stage to the fullest!” The crowd responded with waves of excited cheers. The performance resumed with “Sunao ni Amaete”, then with the intro to “Ijiwaru Shinaide Dakishimete Yo”. At one point the members removed their jackets, appearing solely in their dresses. They then proceeded into “Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya Ne”, followed by “Shi no Go no Iwazu Satto Wakarete Ageta”, which featured a jazz-inspired intro. In this section, Endo Akari stood in the center, giving a poised expression while synchronised breaths and movement from the group enhanced the performance’s impact.
In the next MC, Arisawa Ichika declared: “We will keep pushing forward!” Soon after, the members appeared draped in capes emblazoned with crowns and hearts, stepping forward as “queens”. During the tour each show featured a different member performing a solo as “Queen”; now all solos were gathered on one stage at Budokan.
The first solo performer, Ishiyama Sakura, delivered a bold vocal in “Erabareshi Watashitachi”. Inoue Rei followed with a powerful rendition of “Future Smile”. Kudo Yume then charmed the audience with “Hato!” (“pigeon!”) in “Pop Music”. Kawashima Mifu performed the melancholic “Synchro.”. Ebata Kisaki in “Giniro no Telepathy” turned the microphone to the audience with a “Ready, go!” call-and-response. Niina Hayashi closed the solo series with “Kindan Shōjo”, showing a commanding stage presence that belied her short tenure.
The members then changed into sporty black-based glittering outfits. Dambara Ruru, Matsunaga Riai, Arisawa Ichika, Irie Risa, and Endo Akari performed “Tokyo Blur”, all staring sharply at the audience. In parallel, Inoue Rei, Kudo Yume, Ebata Kisaki, Ishiyama Sakura, and Kawashima Mifu delivered a bold performance of “Pride Bright”, showcasing the group’s united power.
The “queen” capes returned for the second half of the solo block: Irie Risa performed “Jouro” with a bright smile; Matsunaga Riai sang “Vivid Midnight” and earned cheers for her flawless high-note technique; Endo Akari belted the passionate “Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no KISS”; Arisawa Ichika rallied the audience with “Romance no Tochū” and closed with “Juice=Juice, I love you!” Dambara Ruru rounded out the solos with an emotionally intense performance of “Suki Tte Itte Yo”.
The group then reconvened for full-group performances of “‘Hitori de Ikirare¬sō’ tte Sore tte nē, Homete Iru no?” and “Va-Va-Voom”. They then debuted the new tour song “Amaenna” (lyrics: Ōmori Shōko, music: Sumigama Tomohiro), starting with rock-style guitar and followed by vocals that grew stronger as the melody progressed.
In a subsequent MC, Endo Akari revealed that the solo track “Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no KISS” was her selection because she had performed it just after joining the group and had strong feelings for it — and that she was glad to finally perform it at Budokan after missing a previous tour stop in Fukuoka due to illness, calling it a “revenge”.
As the concert neared its climax, the new song “BLOODY BULLET” (lyrics: Nishino Konnyaku, music: Hoshibe Shō) was performed, beginning with Kudo Yume and Matsunaga Riai during the opening section, followed by tightly synchronized footwork from the full group. They then moved into “Abaretekka?! Have AGoodTime”, “CHOICE & CHANCE”, “Fiesta! Fiesta!”, and the day’s second performance of “More! Mi Amore”. Flames erupted again on stage and the fans’ cheering pushed the atmosphere to a fever pitch.
Before the encore, fans repeatedly shouted “Juice!” and “One more cup!(mou ippai)”. The members reappeared wearing “Special Flush” T-shirts (black with red graphics) symbolising the tour’s motif. During “Goal ~Ashita wa Acchi da Yo~”, the group and audience sang together, confirming their bond through song.
Niina Hayashi said: “I was really nervous before going on stage, but the feeling of joy really overwhelmed me and I couldn’t stop smiling.” She then addressed the audience: “Please draw energy from us!” — prompting laughter and applause.
The members, looking out over a fully packed arena, expressed gratitude. Matsunaga Riai passionately noted: “The seniors have created so much history for us to inherit. But at the same time, there must be things that only this current 11-member Juice=Juice can accomplish. I really love the music the 11 of us make together. Family, will you keep creating music with us?” The crowd responded with overwhelming cheers.
Finally, leader Dambara Ruru told the audience: “Juice=Juice still has so much we want to deliver to you all, so we hope you keep coming to see us. I hope to meet again at Budokan. And I hope to meet you in even bigger venues in the future.”
The concert concluded with full-group performances of “KEEP ON Jōshō Shikō!!” and “Magic of Love”, each member smiling brightly in the spotlight as they brought the show to a perfect close.
After the show, At 22:00 that night, a trailer for the second release on THE FIRST TAKE — “More! Mi Amore” — premiered on YouTube, signalled by Dambara’s voiceover: “See you again on YouTube tonight!” The teaser played inside the venue, building anticipation for the group’s future.
Juice=Juice Concert 2025 Queen of Hearts Special Flush
Date: November 19 (Wed), Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
■ Setlist
1. More! Mi Amore
2. STAGE ~Agatte Mina~
3. Naimono Love
4. Sunao ni Amaete
5. Ijiwaru Shinaide Dakishimete Yo
6. Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya Ne
7. Shi no Go no Iwazu Satto Wakarete Ageta
8. Erabareshi Watashitachi / Sakura Ishiyama
9. Future Smile / Rei Inoue
10. Pop Music / Yume Kudo
11. Synchro. / Mifu Kawashima
12. Giniro no Telepathy / Kisaki Ebata
13. Kindan Shōjo / Niina Hayashi
14. Tokyo Blur / Ruru Dabara · Riai Matsunaga · Ichika Arisawa · Risa Irie · Akari Endo
15. Pride Bright / Rei Inoue · Yume Kudo · Kisaki Ebata · Sakura Ishiyama · Mifu Kawashima
16. Jouro / Risa Irie
17. Vivid Midnight / Riai Matsunaga
18. Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no KISS / Akari Endo
19. Romance no Tochū / Ichika Arisawa
20. Suki Tte Itte Yo / Ruru Dambara
21. “‘Hitori de Ikirare¬sō’ tte Sore tte nē, Homete Iru no?”
22. Va-Va-Voom
23. Amaenna
24. BLOODY BULLET
25. Platonic Planet
26. Abaretekka?! Have AGoodTime
27. Ashita Yarō wa Baka Yarō
28. CHOICE & CHANCE
29. Fiesta! Fiesta!
30. More! Mi Amore
【Encore】
EN1 Goal ~Ashita wa Acchi da Yo~
EN2 KEEP ON Jōshō Shikō!!
EN3 Magic of Love

[JPope]

Ha ha, those really are in-depth! That's kinda crazy.

[DonJuan]

Sigh. I miss Aika writing these posts.