Featured Image: OROCHI. 

It was a relatively quiet week in the world of chika idol as everyone makes preparations for idol Halloween. Over on the Homicidols Discord server, those of us fortunate enough to be spending the high holy day of dark idol in Japan are a bit overwhelmed planning for the festivities as well. Simply everybody is playing somewhere. All day long there are massive taibans featuring must see-units in live houses across the geography of Tokyo:  from Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shimokitizawa, all the way up to Saitama and down to Kawasaki. The earliest ones starts at 8:00 am and the last ones begin at Midnight. We may all die.

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Featured image: Quubi. 

It has been a rough couple of weeks for underground idol in Japan. Last week we were bombarded with notices of idols being struck down by illness. This week it was lives and festivals being cancelled due to heavy rains and flooding. Next week, I fully expect to hear about disruptions caused by plagues of frogs or insects. Perhaps Kami-sama sent the weather that cancelled shows in order to give the ailing idols some down time to rest and recover? God wants to see their favorite idols healthy and performing for a long time. 

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Featured Image: diig. 

We are nearing the end of summer which got me thinking about the court astronomer who established Japan’s 72 micro-seasons. I mean, we debate what is the Song of Summer each year, but just think if we had to have those discussion every five days. Imagine the chaos and confusion over on the Homicidols Discord Server:

Wota 1:  Hey! This new song by BANANANi TYPHOOOooON is definitely the Song of Wata no Hana Shibe Hiraku!!

Wota 2: What are you talking about? That season ended yesterday and it was only released on streaming. The CD release is today so it should only be considered for Song of Tenchi Hajimete Samushi.

Exasperated Mod: You are both shadowbanned until you write me ten haiku about how you will contribute to a serene Kokumono Sunawachi Minoru.

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Featured Image: ENVY PARANOID. 

It was a relatively quiet week for the bigger names in alternative idol, which, as it turns out, is excellent news for everyone else. With the exception of PIGMONZ, most of the heavy hitters took a bit of a breather, giving a real opportunity for the underdogs to get some room in the spotlight, and everyone featured below made very good use of it.

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Featured Image: RAY. 

It was a brutal week, having to return to the realities of work after spending last weekend in a reality distortion bubble crafted by JIEMEI, THEΔRAREz, and a small horde of kaigai idols in LA. I pushed through, and we’re back at the weekend again where I can now relax and plot my next escape to the Idol World where all of the meetings are off-kais and the only deadlines are for VIP line-ups. Here’s a few upcoming options:

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Featured Image: SoboRESONICA. 

This edition of The Weekender is brought to you from Los Angeles where we are on location for the US debut of JIEMEI. They kicked off their US tour last night with a mini live at Asayoru Maid Cafe. The venue serves as a cornerstone of the local idol scene and has become a stop for many units passing through town. JIEMEI performed a handful of songs in maid uniforms before switching into yukata for a powerful acoustic set. I am now convinced that the acoustic version of “Autophilia” should be the default arrangement moving forward. In fact, I would endorse the production of an entire acoustic JIEMEI album. Stripping down the instrumentals really highlighted the members resonant vocals and revealed some hidden emotional depths to these songs.

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