=LOVE (イコールラブ, イコラブ, ikorabu, eqlove)

I understand we tend to see only our oshi, but please. =LOVE has really good momentum right now, they're not ‘Nagisa's backdancers’. They'll be fine.

Besides, this is Sasshi we're talking about. When she says ‘goal is Tokyo Dome’ I read she already has a date in mind, a promotion plan, a preliminary deal to rent the venue, and a detailed breakdown of how to get the tickets sold out. Quite possibly winter holidays, in which case Nagisa would still be around. Maybe even go the 48 route and bill one of the time slots as Saito Nagisa Graduation Concert.

 

Nagisa isn't my oshi and I also don't think =Love are Nagisa's backdancers. However she is their most popular member and the best way they had to publicise the group to people outside the fandom, she leaves a huge hole.

I'm sure the group will be fine without her but fine doesn't get you to the Tokyo Dome which was already a hugely ambitious goal. Tokyo Dome capacity is about 50000, even if that gets reduced with additional stages and walkways set up it's still orders of magnitude greater than what =Love can currently sell. For reference they just held their anniversary concert at a 13000 capacity venue that had significant amounts of seats not used due to the stage position and walkways in the middle.

They're nowhere near being able to perform at a Tokyo Dome sized venue and it's hard to see how they make up the gap without their icon and with a weak agency and record label that only puts the bare minimum effort in promoting them.

 

5th Anniversary Concert and Naatan's graduation announcement on Mezamashi TV

https://48idol.me/video/718047

=========

Hitomi and Maika on Games Bond 220925

22:30-
https://48idol.me/video/718013

 

I'm confused. Do you mean 'not graduating' is the norm for groups that don't have regular auditions (like 48G or H!P)? Because if yes, it would be strange to not follow the norm.

 

Mirinya, Maika, Iori and Hitomi on the cover of the November issue of BIG ONE GIRLS (on sale 9/30):
https://twitter.com/SCREEN__STORE/status/1574685235727327232

 

Tonight #Moshikoi airing anniversary SP! LIVE !
Guest : Iori
JST : 24:30


if the video does not show watch the video here

12th Single's special will be .... OKINAWA !! I-Ya-SA-SA~~~ !!


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Naatan and Mirinya have been my =LOVE oshimen from the start. I'm both so incredibly happy and so incredibly sad that it's finally happened but that knowing there won't be anymore and maybe 1 performance of this song, if at all, now that Naatan is leaving the group. I really wish she could stay longer

 

12th Single『Be Selfish』Performance Video
Premieres Sep 28, 2022 8PM JST



if the video does not show watch the video here

 

I mean other idols groups have members that graduate - they don't have 'trainees', they just audition or recruit new members - I'm talking about underground idols which is a wide term from completely obscure to well known groups (like say BiSH).

Sometimes the group disbands and are revived with completely new members.

 

https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2022-09-27/
#1 with 110,115 copies sold

 

Tanko's first Showroom after graduation announcement 220928




==========

Naatan on Sanma Goten 220928




=========

various idols about Naatan's graduation

Hattori Yuna (AKB)


if the video does not show watch the video here

Saya (≠ME)

if the video does not show watch the video here

Shoko (=LOVE)

if the video does not show watch the video here

Anna (=LOVE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyOnRR_m2fU

 

Kiara plays Splatoon 3:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

From my understanding, 'graduating' in Japanese means simply to leave something behind and start a new chapter in life. (Someone correct me though, if I'm wrong)

In the Japanese reality TV show called Terrace House, 3 men and 3 women live together in a house and they're just filmed going about their day and stuff. If a person left the house, they'd also say "I'm graduating from Terrace House".

To be fair, these people were also replaced (unless it was the end of the season), but it makes me think this concept just means that people will leave and move on to something new.

I reckon =LOVE would disband if the number of members was pretty small, now that we've had 2 graduations and there's no sign of disbandment (thankfully).

I love that they did this but the "Performance Video" in the thumbnail looks awful

 

Ikoinojoy Dai Undokai is just around the corner

Looks like it will be streaming too.



Plz no Hulu .... plz no Hulu .... plz no Hulu ..... Plz no Hulu ....

 

Maika seeking for blood donors to aid her seiyu friend whom is suffering from leukemia.
Awww man, it hurts to see her cry while seeking help but I really respect her.
Hopefully the power of social media will aid her friend.

Maika seeking blood donors

Full Showroom


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Former HKT48 member Ueno Haruka who graduated earlier this year to study choreography has tweeted that she's started to work with the Ikonoijoi groups:
https://twitter.com/harutan_pink/status/1576165249052381184

 

^ yeah, it looks like she is working in the office of 48/46/34G stage director SEIGO

https://twitter.com/free_supp/status/1575808689734266886

===========

in the latest Sasshi's Youtube video she showed 48/34G costumes. according to Shinobu, 34groups already have around 1500 costumes in total!


if the video does not show watch the video here

==========

Anna's Showroom with Risa, Hana, Iori and Hitomi as guests

38:00-

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Ah, I know Japanese people use it non-literally a lot but with how =LOVE and certain idol groups have no new auditions, I get Nonno's reason (retirement) but graduating because you want to try something new and move on is, at least, worrying (I definitely don't want to just watch =LOVE shrink and disband anytime soon) and strange because you would expect smaller groups with no auditions to have members staying together for a long time and not graduating so 'easily', like Perfume, Babymetal or almost every non-Japanese pop group.

 

Idols are ‘junior entertainers’, it's usually considered a step on the path and not an end in itself. Some people do it because they want to do some entertainment in their youth days then leave it behind (like Nonno and Momochin), others as a stage in an entertainment career (usually first stage but not always) to get experience and build some name. It's pretty normal stuff.

Your examples are not really good, Perfume is not an idol group, Babymetal had 3 members originally and one graduated. Graduations are a normal, maybe even essential part of the process. The question is only whether the group replaces graduates (like almost every group does) or not (like Momoclo, Berryz, and apparently Ikonoijoy).

 

=LOVE's latest program, =LOVE no Ikorafu, set to broadcast on Nippon Broadcasting System tonight.

10月3日(月)19:40～20:00



　 山本杏奈　 @yamamoto_anna_
野口衣織 　@noguchi_iori
　 佐々木舞香 @sasaki_maika

Source