There’s been some comments discussion lately about origins, about how and why idols of a more alternative or aggressive bent are comfortably being mainstreamed and taking up a big chunk of the schedule at events like TIF, to say nothing of crossing over to rock festivals and the like.
That’s all well and good, but the chatter got me thinking about that moment in time when a hundred light bulbs went off and just so many of the groups currently forming the backbone of the broader scene were either born, re-branded or being conceived. Yes, good children, 2012 was a hell of a time to be alive.
I offer you here a time capsule, if you will, as if you had a chance to travel back in time to see the very birth of the galaxy itself. Here is the not-quite-original-but-may-as-well-be iteration of Bellring Girls Heart just a month into the group’s existence.
No antics, no props, no feathers or wings. Just idols not atypically costumed doing very atypical music and employing some atypical dance. Pretty cool.
It is incredible how much they have changed. And nice to see Juri, YuuYuu and Tira-pyon again. But the other yellow member (is it Nana?) actually showed how they will continue, with her attempts in “head banging”.
But even more incredible I find the fact how much the audience has changed compared to back then, not even that for Bellha. You should have posted this video for comparison 😉
https://youtu.be/RAJg8J2Um-g
Gods, yes, I love that video. You’d be hard-pressed to convince me that the group from 2012 would ever get to the kind of wrestling-ring-owning, wota-annihilating force of nature that they’d become.
Definitely not. The addition of Moechi and later Ayano was important for this development, them even doing stage dives and such. Juri became more open to this (water-spiting) but Yuuka, Mizuho and Kai were or still are more reserved in their stage behaviour.
I’m not sure I could believe in a Kai who got too rambunctious. The Quiet Weirdo thing works well for her.
The other girl in the yellow hoodie is Rina. Bellheart is my 2nd favorite idol group and it is so crazy looking back at what they used to be compared to the powerhouse they are now. This particular song for example. So much has been added to the performance such as the obligatory screaming before the beat kicks in, the turkey noise gibberish adlibs, the addition of Mizuho’s shime-daiko during the break after the bridge, and of course Kanra’s crazy water fountains lol. Even the Ai no Te got more intense than how it was in this video.
It is known that Ayano is the fan favorite and owns the crowd however I do believe that Kanra owns the stage. She was the perfect addition to this group. Her sometimes overdramatic but well calculated movements and animated expressions make for an amazing visually stunning performance and are exactly what got her placed in my top favorite idols. Her vocals add that certain dynamic to the music and her dancing is pretty damn good too. And on top of all that she is super crazy!! Which is what I love most about her. I do like her new hairstyle which suits her face well but the messy-twintails-from-headbanging look was iconic.
Thanks for clearing the name. I only know the group since summer 2014 and their early history is confusing for me. But it produced BedHead!
The Edge of Goodbye is one of my favourites during lives. It is also the only song, where after long times of not seeing them I still can participate in the choreo without fail.
Well, but we obviously found a fan of Kanra here. 😉 But I agree: She really made the group/stage dynamic better. I also like her strong voice, even if it doesn’t fit with meek voices of the others, lol. But her hair is too short for my taste, though I would never tell her. Also Reina has become gold for the group, being very A-yan like in her attitude.
My favourite btw is Ayano, because I prefer the ever-friendly smiling type. I am always astounded about the difference in her stage performance to her usual character. I also liked YuuYuu back then.
“The Edge of Goodbye” is a very fun song live and also one of my favorites. I also don’t mind getting drenched with a face full of water courtesy of Kanra lol. “low tide” is probably my most favorite song from them. I just love the grunge sound and the intense outro that smacks you after the mild bridge that Mizuho performs.
Ayano is great and she does seem to be the most conventional idol-like of the group and I can see why she is the fan favorite. Reina is very model-like with her height and long hair. I love how each of the girls have their own characteristics and personalities that make them stand apart from each other.
Is that Mizuho in the blue? The only one still in the group today? Did she eat the other 4 members?
It looks like she’s got stage fright in this video, and nowadays the whole group is exemplary on stage. Lunatic anti-idol pals having fun together, being their own weird selves. Fun!
LOL yeah that’s Mizuho but instead of eating the others I see her more of the type to deliver a kawaii death stare and absorb their souls like Shang Tsung. Rina was fired from the group the following year (2013) and TIRA was basically deported back to Taiwan due to issues with her visa and couldn’t enter Japan again. Juri and Yuka graduated at the beginning of 2015. They had quite a rocky start with the line up in the beginning stages but what they have now is a solid cast. Still miss Moechi and hearing her beautiful vocals.
Lol, you also have to consider that Mizuho was one the youngest in the group (14 in the video??). But she definitely quickly adjusted to the change of attitude in group and fans and gained a lot of confidence! She is doing the kawaii thing still, as her voice is not able to do ANY nuances – no matter if happy, sad, angry, she always sounds the same, lol. And she has those puppy eyes…
And damn you Viz for reminding me of Moechi! ;_; But she has found a job now ^_^
True about Mizuho’s voice lol but I think that’s what makes it so distinguishable and unique. I have heard some people say she can’t really sing but I think her vocals fit in perfect for the arrangements and harmonies. Sorry for the Moechi reminder lol but the great thing is we have songs and videos of her we can always go back to. And that’s awesome she has a job now. Wish her the best success! 🙂
off topic- Why do my last comment need moderation? I hate wordpress. – off topic end
I have always considered the Bellha members as bad singers. (Sorry) Just ask my sister. I took her to a show once and she found it terrible. But I consider this as type of their charme. And it fits the circus/rock-style of most of their songs.
Here’s the reason, and I agree that it’s dumb — multiple links in one comment look like spam or phishing, so it mods them out. Oddly, I’ve never had to un-approve a single comment, as Jetpack does almost all of the actual filtering for me.
Anybody have a link from their brief “seagull” (white feather) stage?
Outdoor, rainy, kicking much ass. First Vid I ever watched from them, actually. Adjacent to their “primary color” phase. Must see.
Not sure if that is what you mean:
They had this MV in white clothing
https://youtu.be/TF-WCXAcXow
And Live recordings like this:
https://youtu.be/OOHWW6NMa7Q
Might you perhaps be thinking of the music video to サーカス＆恋愛相談 “Circus & Renai Sodan”? It was shot outside in the rain and was during the time when they wore the white dresses and there were white feathers floating around at certain parts in the video. Really awesome song/video.