TNX Official Website
I thought it would be pretty appropriate to finally start some kind of cohesive guide as to what TNX is, all that exists within it, and a bit of history within, so people have a place to go if you're unfamiliar with the whole thing, and otherwise, you might just learn a few things even if you were kinda familiar.
First of all, TNX is basically Tsunku's own production company, for which he is entirely responsible for producing all of the female artists within and for all of the business decisions that happen with all things encompassed. To date, TNX includes music and video production, concerts, promo events, live stage theater, an anime show, video games, a restaurant chain, among a few other things. Within this realm, the one that's most popular and most interesting to most is obviously the music and video side of things, since that's what Tsunku is most known for and extremely good at. I'll go into more depth about this aspect of the business since this is the one that is most appropriate to this BBS as well, being based on H!P.
In TNX, I'll mostly focus on info about the female groups, as that is most alike to H!P. There are older, now-defunct female acts and a few male acts within TNX as well, but that will be talked about later. Originally, all of the female groups in TNX were sort of floating acts of their own, but in April 2007 (as Tsunku claims,) he decided to rename the still-current female artists of TNX as a collective called Nice Girl Project! and also keep adding to it in the future. This is very similar to Hello! Project for more than just the name, obviously, as this is the all female sector of TNX's business. To make the whole thing possibly a little more relatable, think of Hello! Project just being one part of what Up-Front Agency does, where Nice Girl Project! is just one part of what TNX does. The girls are all still separated into the same groups they were before the "merger" happened, but now they also have the meta-group, NGP. The name didn't become more commonly used until around early 2008, but I guess that's unimportant, its just a note that you may not see that name anywhere on some of the older releases.
Keep in mind again that Tsunku also has a few male artists in TNX including himself and one of the other managers of TNX named TAKERU. He has also released all soundtrack material for his video games Rhythm Tengoku and Rhythm Tengoku Gold through TNX. These games are rhythm/music games all fully produced by Tsunku and they include music from Tokito Ami, THE Possible, Canary Club, AKIRA (H!P arranger) Kurei Soushi and TAKERU, along with all the regular music without lyrics being written by Tsunku as well.
I'll do this whole thing in sort of a chronological order as to when the formations came.
Tokito Ami (時東ぁみ)
Everything started with Tokito Ami back in April of '05 when she debuted after she won a contest where Tsunku wanted to choose a gravure model to do a singing career and her career lasted until about late 2007, when she decided she just wanted to concentrate on modeling again. Her career lasted for 4 singles, 3 albums, and a couple concert DVDs. She also had a number of gravure DVDs release before, during and after her time under Tsunku's direction. In 2007, she was a member of the group Gyaruru with 2 other girls. She also had 2 songs featured in Tsunku's video game, Rhythm Tengoku, being the only female artist featured in the first game.
Music releases:
[12/07/2005] Sanagi no Bathrobe (Mini-album)
[03/15/2006] Suki desu... (Mini-album)
[07/12/2006] Sorakara ~CRY FOR HELP!~ (Single)
[11/01/2006] I'm a lady ~Jirettai Watashi~ (Single)
[02/07/2007] Aiyai! Aiyai! (Single)
[05/16/2007] TAWAWA Natsu Bikini (Single, features Ohse Kaede and Morozuka Kanami from THE Possible)
[06/20/2007] Boom Boom Meccha Macho! (Single, with Gyaruru)
[08/17/2007] Tokito Ami! Best Vol. 1 (Best album)
THE Possible (THE ポッシボー)
The Possible is the first girl group in TNX, debuting in November of 2006 with their single Young Days, which has become a staple of TNX for a while. The girls were all pulled from the H!P EGG project which was started a few years earlier. Tsunku decided to diversify what the EGGs were doing, and decided to move them over to his own production company. It marked a sort of new era for TNX and made it seem like it could rival H!P someday in terms of girl groups. Very early on, the group accompanied Tokito Ami at concerts and events, basically to get some exposure before Tsunku thought the group was fully ready to run on their own. The group remained with the exact same lineup from November of 2006 until August of 2009, when Kaede Ohse graduated. The group now continues as a 5-piece unit.
Music releases:
[11/19/2006] Young Days! (Single)
[12/10/2006] Hatsukoi no Kakera (Single)
[02/18/2007] Shushoku = GOHAN no Uta (Single)
[03/14/2007] Be Possible! (Mini-album)
[06/13/2007] Natsu no Tropical Musume (Single, features only Hashimoto Aina and Yurika Akiyama)
[06/13/2007] Kingyo Sukui to Hanabi Taikai (Single, features only Okada Robin Shoko and Gotou Yuuki)
[08/01/2007] Kaze no Uwasa (Single)
[11/07/2007] HAPPY 15 (Single)
[02/20/2008] Love Message! (Single)
[04/30/2008] Kazoku e no Tegami (Single)
[08/06/2008] Ijiwaru Crazy Love (Single)
[09/17/2008] THE Possible Best Vol. 1 (Best album)
[01/07/2009] Shiawase no Katachi (Single)
[09/09/2009] Family ~Tabidachi no Asa~ (Single)
[06/02/2010] Yabe~Nabe~ na Atsuryoku Be~na (Single, with Oto No Moto)
[10/06/2010] Watashi no Miryoku/Love 2 Paradise (Single)
[08/31/2011] 6 Nenme Shido Kinen Mini Album 6 Nenme Start (Mini-album)
Jia Jia (ジャ・ジャ)
In 2006, Tsunku started this idea within TNX and H!P to start including the other regions of Asia in his projects, which involved producing and finding girls from China, Korea, etc. This project ended up causing the inclusion of LinLin and JunJun into Morning Musume, hiring a Korean girl who never really got past EGG status, Ice Cream Musume, and now the Frances & Aiko girls from China. Jia Jia was really the first of this wave, and she was originally sanctioned to do a song with an anime tie-in, all in Japanese. She also did numerous live appearances with other H!P acts when they would go to China, namely MM 10th group and Goto Maki. She had one digital single release (the anime tie-in) and one album, and she has since disappeared from any Japanese exposure. Her entire album was co-produced by both Tsunku as well as J-rock icon, Gackt. There is a cover of a Gackt song on her album (Last Song) and one original song that he wrote for Jia Jia.
Music releases:
[12/20/2006] Jia Jia 1 (Album)
Canary Club (キャナァーリ倶楽部)
Canary Club was the second girl group produced through TNX, with their debut being in May of 2007. Their first single is a cover of an old Minami-Aoyama Shojo Kagekidan song, Sweet & Toughness, and the group originally started with 9 members. In April 2009, one member Rippon (Sugiura Riho,) graduated, marking the first official graduation ceremony for TNX. Later in 2009, member Erina (Hashiguchi Erina) was taken out of the group to be presented as a solo artist and to concentrate on her acting career, after having a song in Rhythm Tengoku Gold, which became extremely popular. She was replaced by a new member, Chii-chan, so the group still retained 8 members. On March 21st, 2010, Uchida Yuma (Uchii) graduated from Canary Club, so the group remains at 7 members. The group also features Mana Ogawa, who is still an active member of the group, while also pursuing a solo career as well as voice acting for an anime series. The group currently has 6 singles, 2 albums, and a concert DVD.
Music releases:
[05/03/2007] SWEET&TOUGHNESS (Single)
[07/25/2007] Seishun Banzai! (Single)
[10/17/2007] Kanari Kyanari (Album)
[01/01/2008] FAITH! (Single)
[04/09/2008] Nishiki Kazare (Single)
[07/16/2008] Hitomi ga Kirakirara (Single)
[08/26/2009] Ee Ja Nai Ka (Album)
[08/04/2010] Daisukki! (Single)
Gyaruru (ギャルル)
In 2007, Tsunku also took an interest in female professional eating champion, Gal Sone. She was known for her crazy image, where she always dressed with heavy makeup in the kogyaru/ganguro style. Tsunku decided to make a group with music to fit her type of image, leaning towards the underground techno/parapara kind of sound, and he decided to use 2 other girls from his existing roster instead of it being a solo project. When the original press releases for the group surfaced, the group was planned to be Gal Sone, Tokito Ami, and Tsuji Nozomi, from Morning Musume. Shortly after, there were reports that Tsuji got too sick to participate in the group, so it was announced that Abe Asami (Abe Natsumi's younger sister) would take the place of Tsuji and the group would debut as scheduled. It turned out these reports from Tsuji were some early pregnancy stages or just doubts about being active while she had already planned motherhood, etc., but this didn't come out until much later. They released one single and did a few TV appearances, and have since disappeared.
Music releases:
[06/20/2007] Boom Boom Meccha Macho! (Single)
Peach (ピーチ)
In July, 2008, Tsunku debuted a new addition to the TNX family, a girl called Peach who constantly refers to her glasses as her selling point. She works pretty often at TNX events and has had a single release of her own. For her debut, she released a single with a guy named "Akkun," and it had a very traditional Japanese/ondo theme to the artwork, but the sound is just a techno dance song with a slightly traditional Japanese sound. She performs at the TNX concerts as a member of NGP and is a member of MM Gakuen Gasshoubu. On September 30, 2010, Peach left TNX, NGP, and show business altogether, and will no longer part-take in any activities from that date.
Music releases:
[07/10/2008] Natto! Nattou! (Single, with Akkun)
Ogawa Mana (小川真奈)
Originally a member of Canary Club, Ogawa Mana has been considered a solo artist since November, 2008, when she released her first single, Suppin Rock. The song was the theme for the anime "Hyakko." She has later gone on to do the character voice for the character Kitagami Mimi in the anime "Gokujou! Meccha Mote Inchou!" and has also released 4 singles related with this anime, all which act as opening or closing themes for the show, much like Koharu released many singles related to Kirarin Revolution. She remains active as a member of Canary Club and NGP.
Music releases:
[11/19/2008] Suppin Rock (Single)
[05/20/2009] Meccha Motte I LOVE YOU (Single, with MM Gakuen Gasshoubu)
[07/15/2009] Meccha Motte! Summer (Single, with MM Gakuen Gasshoubu)
[10/21/2009] Daisuki ni Nare! (Single, with MM Gakuen Gasshoubu)
[01/20/2010] Genki ni Nare! (Single, with MM Gakuen Gasshoubu)
[02/06/2010] COACH (Movie OST Theme song)
[03/03/2010] Mecha Mote Iinchou Mecha Hit Kyokushuu 1 (Album, with MM Gakuen Gasshoubu)
[06/16/2010] Kimi ga Shuyaku sa! (Single, with MM Gakuen Gasshoubu)
[07/21/2010] Teenage Blues (Album)
[08/18/2010] Mecha Motetai! (Single, with MM Gakuen Gasshoubu)
MM Gakuen Gasshoubu (ＭＭ学園 合唱部)
In early 2009, when the show Gokujou! Meccha Mote Inchou! started, with Ogawa Mana as the main character voice, TNX got a lot more involved with the show, since, at the same time, they also created the group MM Gakuen Gasshoubu, which contains all members of NGP except Ogawa Mana. The lineup has technically changed only twice, since it originally contained Kaede from THE Possible, who has since graduated, as well as Erina from Canary Club and Karen, who do not appear in the singles after Meccha Motte! Summer. The group is a sort of a "backup" for Ogawa Mana, who always leads the songs they are featured in, and all of the songs so far are tied with the anime.
Music releases:
[05/20/2009] Meccha Motte I LOVE YOU (Single)
[07/15/2009] Meccha Motte! Summer (Single)
[10/21/2009] Daisuki ni Nare! (Single)
[01/20/2010] Genki ni Nare! (Single)
[06/16/2010] Kimi ga Shuyaku sa! (Single)
[08/18/2010] Mecha Motetai! (Single)
[10/13/2010] Oshare My Dream/Elegant Girl (Single, with Risako Sugaya of Berryz Kobou)
[01/12/2011] Mecha Mote Iinchou Mecha Hit Kyokushuu 2 (Album)
S/mileage
Most people may be a little more familiar with S/mileage, since they all started as Hello! Project EGGs, but they have since been formed into an official group. Although the girls are all technically managed under Hello! Project, all of their releases so far as an indies artist have been released by TNX and are featured as official TNX artists, but not part of NGP. They currently have 3 singles as of 2010 and are featured often with H!P solo artist, Mano Erina, at concerts and in PVs as well. They were all EGGs along with Mano and Noto Arisa at the same time and became friends during this time, so Tsunku continues to use this. As of the group's 4th single onwards, their production and releases have been fully moved over to Hello! Project standards, as they had their "major debut" in May, 2010.
Music releases:
[06/07/2009] Ama no Jaku (Single)
[09/23/2009] Asu wa Date na no ni, Ima Sugu Koe ga Kikitai (Single)
[11/23/2009] Suki-chan (Single)
Karen (カレン)
In mid-2009, Tsunku started working on a new solo artist for TNX, and this time, she is completely based on Enka music in every aspect. She emulates a very authentic enka sound with all of her music and image, which is somewhat striking, given that she's only 16 years old as of 2010. She works as a member of MM Gakuen Gasshoubu and NGP as well, taking part in concerts and PVs alike. She currently has one single and one album. Her releases so far have actually been released by Victor Records instead of TNX, but she is still a member of NGP and takes part in their activities. Karen has been seen playing guitar as well, and composes some of her own music, but none of it has been utilized on her releases yet. It was announced that in the end of September, 2010, Karen will no longer be a member of NGP, but will stay as a TNX solo artist and continue to release music, but will no longer be a part of NGP.
Music releases:
[09/23/2009] Naku na Okamechan / Miren Zaka (Single)
[12/09/2009] Karen no Enka ga Ippai (Album)
[07/21/2010] Hotaru no Musume (Single)
[10/20/2010] Karen no Enka ga Ippai 2 (Album)
[04/20/2011] Osaka Koi Uta (Single)
[11/03/2011] Karen no Enka ga Ippai 3 (Album)
Cococrew feat. Ogawa Mana
In April, 2010, it was announced that Ogawa Mana would become the official "image character" for the clothing brand "COCOLULU" and Tsunku put together a group and made a song to promote this company. The group was formed with Ogawa Mana as the leader, and also Robin from THE Possible, Erina, and the debut of the newer girl, Tokki. They have a song that was never officially released on CD, but the PV for the song is included on Mana's first solo album DVD.
Music releases:
[07/21/2010] COCOLULU SONG (DVD release only)
Other members
That's about it as far as artists who have actually released something under TNX, there are a few others who are considered artists, like Erina, and there are a few other girls who are merely a part of NGP but not affiliated with any other group, and therefore haven't had any releases, but usually appear at concerts and NGP events. The others not included here are:
Erina (えり～な) - Formerly of Canary Club.
Marina (マリーナ)
Shiorin (しおりん)
Tokki (とっきー) - Released a few solo gravure DVDs and is part of the Cococrew group with Ogawa Mana.
Nice Girl Mu (ナイスガールμ) - A group of 6 girls from about ages 5-8 who just appear at concerts and get some kinds of training to be performers once they get older. In March of 2009, these girls did a collaboration with a JAM Project single, where they did backup vocals, but the CD was released under JAM Project's regular label, not TNX.
