=LOVE (イコールラブ, イコラブ, ikorabu, eqlove)

^ simply awesome!

first days sales according to Billboard are 177,989 copies!

https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/112600/2

 

11th Single bonus video "Eleven HOUSE" [digest]:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Staying at #2 with another 4,103 copies sold yesterday!

https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/d/2022-05-26/

 

video message and Ano Ko Complex MV on Dore Suki to Kore Suki 220528

15:00-



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Ikaringu on Otoboke POPS 220528

 

I started watching "Ashita, Watashi wa Dareka no Kanojo" today. There are 4 episodes so far. Naatan only appeared briefly (~10 seconds) in episode 3, but I believe she'll become more important later on. In the intro of the show, 4 characters are introduced. First is Yuki, then Rina, then Ayana and then Yua (Naatan's character).

Episode 1 focused on Yuki, episode 2 focused on Rina, episode 3 on the relationship between Yuki and Rina, and episode 4 focused on Ayana. I'm guessing the next episode might be about Yuki and Ayana, and then after that it'll be about Yua. It's interesting how the characters are linked.

Spoiler: Summary so far

Yuki works as a girlfriend-to-rent and her best friend Rina dates sugar daddies. Actually, Yuki doesn't seem to care much for the men she dates, but she does it to pay for her student loans. She has a troubled past and no family, so she needs the money for university. She also has a scar on her face that hasn't really been explained yet, but it's hinted that it has something to do with her mother.

Rina does care a lot about the men she dates. She does it because she feels lonely and just wants to be loved. When she meets a guy her age called Yudai, she wants to stop dating other men, but she doesn't know how to afford the life style that she's gotten used to. It's not said explicitly, but she receives a text from a man who offers her ¥40k per meeting, and next time she sees Yudai, she tells him she only just bought her new dress, so I believe she's still seeing sugar daddies.

Yuki didn't tell Rina she's a rental girfriend because she didn't want to share her past, but when it was found out that there are ads about Yuki, she had to come clean with Rina. Rina also didn't tell Yuki that she actually sleeps with her sugar daddies (she previously said they only go for meals and such). Their conversation wasn't shown, so I'm not sure if Rina also came clean with Yuki.

Ayana works for the same company as Yuki, and their boss told Ayana she should be more like Yuki, because Yuki has a lot of repeat customers. Ayana is old and uses a lot of plastic surgery, but it's unclear how old she really is. She has a boyfriend who believes she works in a call centre, and he mentioned that she's 29, but it's also been mentioned that Ayana lied to him about her age. She works as a rental girlfriend to pay for her surgeries and plans on quitting when she's happy with her face.

Naatan's character, Yua, came up only briefly. It was Rina's birthday, but her sugar daddy blew her off for another girl. The girl (Sanae) showed up and was chubby and not exactly like her picture, so he met up with Rina after all. Meanwhile Sanae texted another guy to meet up, who agreed. It was then shown that this guy was actually currently on a date with Yua. She asked him if he's seeing other women, and he told her no, that she is his "princess."

 

Message video from 'Music Voice' for the new single release with Iori, Hitomi, Anna, Risa and Shoko:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Kagura Mea from another Sasshi's produced group NHOT BOT covered =LOVE's Ohime-sama ni Shite yo with original MV!


if the video does not show watch the video here

yeah, unfortunately, Naatan's role in early episodes is almost non-existent, her arc starts only from 7th episode, but her performance had already generated some positive buzz. and according to ep 8 preview, it will be the death to her gachi koi fans...

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Naatan on Cho Muteki Class 220529

 

All songs of the single Ano Ko Complex are officially on YouTube Music now:


if the video does not show watch the video here


if the video does not show watch the video here


if the video does not show watch the video here


if the video does not show watch the video here

Good songs

 

https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/js/w/2022-06-06/
oricon result: 1st week - # 2 with 147,620 copies sold!
Happy with the result

 

Super great news !



There will be live streaming & Archive of both Day & Night for IkoNoiJoy 2022 !
Sales avaliable for Fan Club now !

Live Stream & Archive cost：11,800円（生配信＋見逃し配信）

https://equal-love.jp/news/detail/5454

 

according to Billboard, it's even more - 191,447

https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=sales

and it's 4th in JAPAN HOT 100 (sales + downloads + streaming)

https://www.billboard-japan.com/d_news/detail/112824/2

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Maika's interview on Oha!4

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1531745775692447744/pu/vid/1280x716/jwC-mLnDqpOuiw7L.mp4

 

The 11800円 cost refers to ticket for the concert and ability to watch stream and archive, last year they sold only stream and archive tickets nearer the time for about 3500円.

 

Naatan on Ashita, Watashi wa Dareka no Kanojo #8 (220531)

 

The live performance of Ano Ko Complex at =LOVE Ai was uploaded on YouTube!


if the video does not show watch the video here

This is just perfect!!!

 

IkoTime 220602
Shoko/Hitomi


if the video does not show watch the video here

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Hana/Hitomi Showroom 220529


if the video does not show watch the video here

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=LOVE will perform on "POP Fes 2022 Summer" produced by Popteen magazine on July 25!

http://equallove-2017.blog.jp/archives/29350405.html

 

crazy to think this random late night drama is so popular (ranked 2nd in tver) when her drama with nogizaka ace never made it to top 20
https://twitter.com/dramaism_mbs/status/1532023505029840896

 

The original work is apparently quite popular.

 

The difference between Billboard and Oricon is that Billboard counts shipments and Oricon counts sales. Basically, if the record label sends out 50 copies to a store, Billboard will count them as 50 sales. If the store actually ends up selling 32 of those, Oricon will count 32. The only way Billboard and Oricon would ever match is if someone sold out their entire stock completely

Although, of course, Oricon has a bulk buy limit. If you buy 30 copies from Fortune Meets for your online talks, Billboard will count all 30, but Oricon only counts up to 20 copies as valid sales.

I guess Oricon is slightly more accurate in that sense, but the reality is somewhere in the middle probably.

 

My 'Ano Ko Complex' signed cards from my two top favourite members Mirinya and Hana have just arrived:

 

This is making me so excited, they're so cute! I will also get one from Mirinya and I know it's arrived at my Japanese address, but still a while til I'll get mine