This is the last profile TIFriday (at least until next year!). After this I’ll be doing a review post, sharing my favorite acts from TIF. After that… I’ll do something else! Leave a comment if you have an idea of what I should do on Fridays from now on.
Love La Doll
First up in a series of two VERY similar names is Love La Doll! They actually made their performance debut at the 2012 Tokyo Idol Festival, so the 2013 one was an anniversary of sorts. The group was a three member group, and since their debut they’ve put out three singles (the latest being Seishun GIRLZ Saizensen!!!) and one album. I say “Was,” because this past year, two of the members (Kana and Lee) decided to withdraw from the group. Love La Doll is still active, but Aya is the only member. She hasn’t put out anything since the announcement, so the future of Love La Doll is kind of uncertain.
Other than this, one of the most noted aspects of Love La Doll is that they are choreographed by Aikawa Kozue, one of the most famous net dancers/idols. So if you’re a Kozue fan, you might want to check out the choreography she did for this group!
The girls seem to be a bit older than the really young idols I’ve gotten used to seeing in TIF, but they have very cutesy costumes. Their music, while not terribly memorable, kind of straddles the line between cute and electronic club music. Of all the songs I listened to (their three singles) their first most recent is by far their best. That said, it’s really not memorable, and nothing I would really listen to again.
Really, this group is hard to focus on, knowing that it’s now a solo act and the future is kind of hanging in the balance. The girls are cute, but again two of them are gone. I would mostly recommend this to Kozue fans to check out.
Lovely Doll
Their name reads “Ai Otome Doll” but it’s actually pronounced Lovely Doll. Their motto is “your doll any time” which sounds a bit weird, but I get it, they have to get their name in there somewhere. They’re also sister group to Doll Elements, so I guess Doll is the theme of these idol groups.
Lovely Doll was formed in 2011 and has six members. One of the members, the former leader of the group, is named Aisawa Mayu, but was previously known as Katono Mizuho, one of the 7th generation Kenkyuusei of AKB48. Another member in the group, Sano Yuriko, was part of the famed 8th generation of AKB48 that all failed as Kenkyuusei. So if you liked either of those KKS in AKB but were sad when they left, you’re in luck!
Lovely Doll has done pretty well for themselves; they’ve done four major solo shows, released one album and three singles (with one coming out soon). They’ve also been featured on idol producer Tsunku’s program Tsuntube, so you might recognize them from that. Their most recent single, ‘Paradise in the Summer,’ debuted at #10 on the Oricon Weekly charts. So they are doing very well indeed.
That said, I don’t find this group to be all that compelling. Watching two of their PVs, I don’t really care for much of their music, and there’s nothing that really draws me in. However, this is a group you might not know about and they are getting better, so you might want to check them out if you are interested in following idol trends and things.
RYUTist
This is another group whose goal it is to promote an area! This time it’s Niigata! This is a four member idol unit that was formed in 2011, and they seek to be a group that promotes Niigata.
Honestly, and this might be sad, but one of my favorite things about them already is just how easy this group is to discover. Their website has a list of all the songs they perform (originals AND covers), when they started, and even a list of lyrics. Their Youtube presence is stunning, with some full length concerts on there. Following RYUTist, despite their indie status, is a fairly easy task.
One thing that’s also remarkable is just how many songs are listed on their site. RYUTist has put out seven singles (which is still a feat) and they already have 39 original songs listed on their site (They also have setlists from lives. Seriously, whoever runs this website needs a pat on the back because they’re amazing).
One thing I’ve noticed, poring through this information, is that they don’t really perform standard idol songs. Looking at their covers, there’s no AKB48 or Morning Musume in sight. They’re performing stuff like Judy & Mary and even a song by Bon Jovi. Without even listening to their original stuff, I know this is a pretty unique group. Listening to their original music, it’s not QUITE as unusual/rock-inspired like I thought it would be, but I’m really finding myself drawn to this group. The music is pretty good, and all the girls are solid performers, from what it seems.
I know I talked a lot about their website. This is a good group besides that. But seriously, if you want to follow an indie group but the prospect of living abroad is too daunting, RYUTist might be your answer.
Lyrical School
This group was formed in 2010 as Tengal6. They were formed as an idol unit for Tenga. As in the, uh, adult toy manufacturer. Since then, they’ve changed their name to Lyrical School, to remove that implication. Which is understandable. They released a fair amount as Tengal6, but since their transition to Lyrical School they’ve put out three singles and one album.
This, like Rhymeberry, is a hip hop idol unit. Lyrical School tends to sound a bit more like standard hip hop and, with older members, sounds a bit more mature. I have a hard time comparing it to regular hip hop, as someone who doesn’t follow hip hop much at all, but it at least sounds more standard than Rhymeberry.
Honestly, it’s hard not to compare them to Rhymeberry. I prefer Rhymeberry as a whole, because I think they’re a bit more interesting and do unexpected things, musically. However, this isn’t saying Lyrical School is worse; just different. They’re doing some really quality music and seem to be an interesting group. If you want more hip hop in your idol groups, definitely look out for Lyrical School.
LinQ
Oh hey, I already did part of my work for me! A few weeks ago, I reviewed LinQ’s album “Love in Qushu ~LinQ Daiichi Gakusho~” for my Review Monday segment. Spoiler: I really enjoyed the album and I want to become a bigger LinQ fan.
LinQ is a group from Fukuoka, with 31 members. And yes, they often all perform in singles. The group is split up into two halves; Lady (girls over 18) and Qty (girls under 18), who have their own songs as b-sides and things (Sakura Kajitsu and Sakura Monogatari was a double A-side featuring Qty and Lady, respectively). Amano Natsu, the leader of the group, is in both Lady and Qty (and just happens to be my favorite). This might be a bit overwhelming at first, and I can’t tell you that I know even half the members, but LinQ is one of those bigger groups.
I am honestly really positive about this group. Their album was very excellent, and the music alone makes me want to pay attention to the group. I’ve since seen a couple of live recordings, and I was really amazed at how strong each and every member was. Even the girls off to the side and the back didn’t seem like they were phoning it in, which is always good.
LinQ might not be THE biggest idol group out there (in terms of popularity), but they’re getting pretty big. They have a lot of really great members and excellent music. You should be paying attention to LinQ.
Links
Links is a five member unit formed in 2012. Known as the Interactive Girls Unit, they have since put out two singles and one mini album.
The interactivity comes into play because they were (at least for a while) pretty active on Ustream. I can’t find any links on their official blog/site or on their wikipedia page, so I’m not sure if this is true anymore. However, they are pretty active on twitter and on their blog. This isn’t necessarily the most interactive group ever, but this is about all I can find.
Since their official website is just their Ameba blog, they aren’t the biggest group out there. However, they are doing their first solo live, which means something. I also enjoy their most recent single, which is definitely not bad.
I covered Links last year, and I’m just kind of disappointed that they haven’t gotten more interactive. For being an “interactive girls unit” they seem pretty average. That said, they’re not a bad group by any means; just not very remarkable. The one thing that could have made them more interesting is this interactive aspect and, from what I can tell, they aren’t doing much of that.
Linda Sansei
This is a five member unit made up of girls who, even though they were raised in Gunma and live in Japan, are from Brazil. Their goal is to be at the forefront of the “B-Pop” genre, and become world-class idols.
So far they’ve put out two singles, and I have to say they do sound interesting. Both feature a distinct electronic sound, but they also sound really unique, perhaps trying to get that Brazilian flavor in there. It’s pretty effective, and I really like both singles. Aiken Anthony, their latest single, is very catchy.
If you want something different in your idol group, Linda Sansei is a pretty good place to start. Their music is unique, and it’s interesting to have an idol group that’s not just the typical Japanese members. They are definitely worth checking out.