Tokyo Girls Style

[EmEl]

Avex is returning to the girl group business. They have a new girl group debuting on May 5. They are Tokyo Girls Style. You may have heard of them because they announced them in January, and they've performed a few times since then.







Kirari.

Their first single is being released on May 5. It is accompanied by a stylish video. The face close-ups reveal just how young these girls are. It has three versions of the single, and at least one of the covers is nice looking.







Don't worry, they won't fizzle into nothing and never release anything again because their second single comes out two weeks later on May 19.

Onnaji Kimochi.

The video is brighter, and the song is more... fun? There's a pretty cool part at about 2:50. There are also three versions of the release.



Their dancing is pretty polished already (especially that part in the second video), and you can see all sorts of offshot stuff on their youtube channel. Such as them practicing the dance for Onaji Kimochi or having, uh, futon fights.



In their profile, their ages are oddly listed as private in the same way that anime idols in their 30s do the same thing as they wish to remain young forever. But these girls are clearly 11. Perhaps they are genetically engineered 28 year olds. If they don't give their birthyears now, then we won't be able to hold it against them in 10 years when they're too old for us. We must note, however, that they avoid the word "idol". They are a "dance and vocal unit", of course, who will operate all throughout Asia.



They're all cute little kids now, but the close-ups in their second video made me fear to some of their faces in 4 years. Maybe they'll grow into them.

[Ap2000]

Their shoes in the first picture are waaay too big, which looks very stupid.



Other than that, I'm indifferent for now.





EDIT:

Oh and I completely agree with you on their faces.

[Shoujo Q]

They remind me of SweetS. Maybe a little too much. But with better dancing.





And uhm, ugly shoes yeah. They show way to much teeth when they smile, at least one of the girls does I'm not sure who they all look the same. One of them is pulling a Tsuji with her teeth though but it's like ten times worse. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... popper.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[aine]

* watches the PVs

* nostalgiatrips about SweetS

* meh

* walks away





edit: damn you PQ beating me to bringing up SweetS! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... dammit.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Melon]

Avex you better go back in time and veto the decision to kill SweetS. At least SweetS had better vocalists...and better debut singles. Well, it's not really fair to compare them, considering SweetS was more like a typical girl group and TGS seems to take the AKB48 style of group singing with a few solos for measure. Then again, that second picture is pretty reminiscent of lolita-strawberry in summer/bitter sweets. Maybe they wanted to evoke the SweetS comparison.



Songs are okay, I mean, they're the kind of stuff I like, but they're a bit boring. The type that can grow on me. I'll keep giving them a shot because it is avex so we could get some great songs in the future. And as another note, I effing love those black/white outfits. So cute, so girly awesome.



We don't have to worry about their faces as teens, knowing avex, they'll break up either just before/when they hit the awkward stage.

[Noa]

I've been a huge fan of them since before they released anything, and Ayano and Hitomi are my favorites. We do know their ages though.







Ayano Konishi

Nickname: Aachan

Birthday: 15 December 1997

Blood type: O

Birthplace: Osaka

What is New Year's to you?: I like the happy feeling that a whole year has passed! I get presents!

What do you do with your New Year's Gift?: Use it! (Last year I bought a game!)

Things she'd like to try with TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE: Come into contact with various artists.

Instruments played: Piano



Ayano attended EXPG and aaa.





Miyu Yamabe

Nickname: Miyu

Birthday: 24 June 1996

Blood type: B

Birthplace: Chiba Prefecture

What is New Year's to you?: My grandmothers cook New Year's food and we eat it every year!

What do you do with your New Year's Gift?: Save it.

Things she'd like to try with TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE: For people to learn about the group from a singing battle.

Height: 135cm (4' 5")

Person she admires: Dance teacher

Hobby: Drawing, dancing

Special skill: Drawing

Pets: A chihuahua

Favourite class: Art class

Favourite sport: Basketball

Favourite artist: Hamasaki Ayumi-san

Favourite saying: ("Ganbaru!") [Try your best!]



Miyu is the leader of TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE. She was selected in the 2007 avex audition project as an actress and star personality talent, after passing the model auditions successfully. She once modelled and was represented by Junes.





Hitomi Arai

Nickname: Hiichan, Hitomin

Birthday: 10 April 1998

Blood type: O

Birthplace: Miyaki Prefecture

What is New Year's to you?: Mom lines us up and gives us the fortune bags that she bought.

What do you do with your New Year's Gift?: Save it.

Things she'd like to try with TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE: Want to be on a television program and sing. First, she wants to perform and sing on stage, and then she wants to appear on 'Talk Corner'.

Height: 134cm (4' 5")

Person she admires: Both parents

Hobby: Snowboarding

Special skill: Light Festival Dance, PARAPARA

Favourite class: Physical education, art class

Favourite sport: Sprinting, swimming

Favourite artist: Koda Kumi

Favourite saying:("Genki!") [I'm well!]



Hitomi was selected from avex audition 2006. She was previously a part of step1 sendai.





Yuri Nakae

Nickname: Yuri

Birthday: 28 June 1997

Blood type: O

Birthplace: Osaka

What is New Year's to you?: I like mochi rice cake! Even though it is stick and clogs the throat, I like eating the grilled food with everyone in my family.

What do you do with your New Year's Gift?: Save it.

Things she'd like to try with TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE: See and study various artists in a performance.

Special skill: Bushido, Martial Dance, sword battle

Pets: A dog, Leon



Yuri attended EXPG and aaa. She was represented by Sky Actors in 2006.





Mei Shoji

Nickname: Mei

Birthday: 2 July 1997

Blood type: O

Birthplace: Yamagata Prefecture

What is New Year's to you?: I like to write New Years cards! I like receiving New Years cards from lots of people! I like looking at the various pictures inside the New Years cards!

What do you do with your New Year's Gift?: Save it.

Things she'd like to try with TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE: Want to appear on a-nation. She wants all of her seniors to stand on stage with her.



At age ten, Mei auditioned and was chosen in the avex project Crystal Children as a Crystal Wind. She performed in live performances in the dance unit. Mei attended DanceStudio MPF.

[EmEl]

[quote name='Molly' post='79443' date='May 2 2010, 04:15 PM']We do know their ages though.[/quote]

Thanks for all the info.



I guess I should have bothered looking up their individual avex pages where it says their birth years. I still find it odd that the actual group profile willfully hides the information though. It'd be one thing if they just didn't write it, but it actually says, 年齢非公開. It's like they're explicitly being implicitly young. I guess I don't understand marketing.

[eri]

So super cute. The leads are sooo cutte.



However, they are nothing like SweetS. SweetS could actually sing and dance on a frighteningly high level. That is why they were also freaky pedo bait: they just seemed older than their ages in every way.



These girls look like they are playing dress up. Also, one of them is very...uncute.

[JPope]

If they really want to evoke SweetS comparisons, they're gonna have to do better than these Paradise Go Go reject songs. I wonder what Bounceback is up to these days?

[freezingkiss]

I want them to be as good as SweetS. I so want them to be. Any of them up to anything lately?

[vivian]

Very sweet.

[boomer]

[quote name='freezingkiss' post='79470' date='May 4 2010, 05:52 AM']I want them to be as good as SweetS. I so want them to be. Any of them up to anything lately?[/quote]

As of now, they're just going around Japan promoting their singles and of course, promoting themselves as a newly formed group.



I really wish they'd have a live in Tokyo while I'm there next week, but alas...

[JPope]

[quote name='boomer' post='79976' date='May 20 2010, 09:45 AM'][quote name='freezingkiss' post='79470' date='May 4 2010, 05:52 AM']I want them to be as good as SweetS. I so want them to be. Any of them up to anything lately?[/quote]

As of now, they're just going around Japan promoting their singles and of course, promoting themselves as a newly formed group.



I really wish they'd have a live in Tokyo while I'm there next week, but alas...

[/quote]

I think freezingkiss meant was, are any of the former members of SweetS up to anything lately?

[EmEl]

They have a new song or something: Ganbatte Itsudatte Shinjiteru



There's cheerleader and schoolgirl outfits. The video's got a little story of them confessing their love to baseball players. Well, most of them do. One of them just creepily hugs the guy's laundry. I don't remember how the song sounds.



Their videos would be far better if they cut out the close-up and focused on wide group shots. Here's their dance practice if you're only interested in their best skill of crazy-arm dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyouDUjZxcY



July 21.

[Noa]

This song/pv is probably my favorite out of the three they've released so far.



Ayano is the most talented, and my favorite. (aka laundry hugging girl)

[vanillacat]

The way they stare at the camera is kind of creepy... kind of un-blinking, wide-eyed, creepy smile... They're cute, at least! My favorite is ouenshiteru yo! girl. My least favorite is Daisuki! girl. I don't know if I can tell them apart...



I couldn't remember what the song sounded like while I was still LISTENING to it.

[Noa]

That would make your least favorite Mei and your favorite Hitomi. Those two look identical in my opinion.

In case anyone wants to know any of them.



Ayano - "Akiramenaide" / 6th solo

Mei - "Ganbatte" / 4th solo

Hitomi - "Ouenshiteru yo" / 3rd solo

Yuri - "Faito" / 2nd & 5th solos

Mei - "Daisuki" / 1st solo

[mrsross]

I like their new song. My favorite single is still Kirari. I love them a lot.

[freezingkiss]

They are cute, and their songs are catchy, but I don't understand why they don't recruit kick-ass chicks like the SweetS girls anymore. All 5 of those girls could sing, dance, and be awesome, and they were all around the same age as these girls when they started. So they can't play the age card.



ARE there any good teenage singers/groups out there? Like really awesome, stand out ones? I'm so out of the loop lately. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /sleep.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />

[Shoujo Q]

It's the bump of a century!



Tokyo Girls' Style just announced their new single. And if you don't think Avex wants you to think they are the next coming of SweetS, maybe THIS will change your mind.

[JPope]

[quote name='PQ' post='88523' date='Dec 4 2010, 05:15 PM']It's the bump of a century!



Tokyo Girls' Style just announced their new single. And if you don't think Avex wants you to think they are the next coming of SweetS, maybe THIS will change your mind.[/quote]



Good lord, when did UFA take over Avex? How's about just writing your new girl group a kick-ass song of their own, guys?

[freezingkiss]

^ THIS made me go 'Oh my god!' - I'm a bit disappointed, that is like, one of my favourite songs ever. I hope it's at least a bit re-arranged, and not exactly the same!!! Everyone will think my email is based on this version now! *cries*

[Melon]

I laughed at the "girls consider the SweetS girls their role models" hopefully they don't learn of how Avex basically dumped them and left them to die shortly after their non-Bounceback comeback. :/



I'll give their version a try out of curiosity. None of their members have the vocal chops of the SweetS girls, so I wonder what sort of processing magic will occur!

[aisasami]

Live version of their version of "Love like candy floss" from this past weekend is now up on Youtube:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBhcw1Fk3r0...layer_embedded#!



Still makes me miss SweetS. Though, I don't know if I like it if the lead vocals are trying to sound like them.

[Shoujo Q]

Watching that makes me wonder what SweetS is doing now. Probably rolling over in their graves.



I hate that arrangement.

[surasshu]

They took a huge risk in trying to rearrange that song since it was incredibly good as it was, and boy did it ever disappoint. It sounds awful and honestly these girls can't even sing the song, so what's the deal? I can't wrap my head around this at all.



Anyway, Himawari to Hoshikuzu is their only good song/single. It's actually really good, both the single song and the b-side, and both were arranged by a guy called Matsui Hiroshi who has a pretty solid track record. All of which makes their decision to go with another arranger and a recycled song after this even more questionable. I mean, all the previous singles bored me to tears, so I'm not surprised they tried something else, but why change direction after finding something good? Then again, this is avex...



At least they picked some really ganky looking and talentless chicks to keep the lolicons away, good job on that avex???

[JPope]

That's actually worse than what I was expecting, and I was expecting dog shit.

[Tallgeese]

yeah, pretty underwhelming. it lacks that "kick" that the original song had. I forgot how good Sweets was. Sure it was loli, but in a kickass/sassy kind of way, probably not seen since SPEED. Where can I find those kind of groups anymore?!

[EmEl]

[quote name='///' post='88609' date='Dec 6 2010, 07:34 PM']At least they picked some really ganky looking and talentless chicks to keep the lolicons away, good job on that avex???[/quote]

It didn't work. They have boring music, they can't sing, they are ugly, yet they still sold a few thousand CDs. What other reason were they bought? Because they are above-average dancers? I don't think so.

[surasshu]

[quote name='Em-El' post='88628' date='Dec 7 2010, 09:22 AM']It didn't work. They have boring music, they can't sing, they are ugly, yet they still sold a few thousand CDs. What other reason were they bought? Because they are above-average dancers? I don't think so.[/quote]

Hey now, I only complimented them for their intentions, not the results! <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />



One thing this did do is make me look up what BOUNCEBACK has been up to since SweetS, but strangely the website with their portfolio hasn't been updated since early 2008 (and I'm really quite I've seen them credited on stuff since then... it would be really crazy if such a successful writing/arranging team would suddenly stop, as well). But hey, they wrote a really kick-ass opening to one of my favorite anime, and somehow I never realized that, so that's a cool little nugget.



(I also didn't know they wrote/composed/arranged Koharu Kusumi's "Happy", but that song sucks incredible amounts of ass, so I was better off not knowing that. Guess even BOUNCEBACK couldn't save Koharu?)