Straight from Japan

XTEEN What’s Next

/ Homicidol Maniac

So funnily enough, right after declaring my bearishness on XTEEN for all the world to see, they go out and update their membership rolls as of Ichica’s grad show and make it known that they’re not going anywhere thanks to a fresh release on the long horizon. Still bearish, though! Metal idol hasn’t panned out as well as punk. Nonetheless, if you want to know what’s up, John to the rescue.

XTEEN have had a few line up changes. Starting out as a 5 girl unit, they lost one almost right off the bat. Then they lost a couple members, gained one member. That was all cool, it happens. Now it seems we have lost another member, but we have gained a couple more. What is […]

via XTEEN – More Changes And Release Coming — Straight From Japan

And, Finally, Jekyll and Hyde Anew

/ Homicidol Maniac

Man, John isn’t kidding about it being forever since there was another going on with Jekyll and Hyde, a significantly underrated and underappreciated unit out of Akiba. It’s not that they aren’t constantly performing and releasing live video and stuff — it’s that, well, it’s the same stuff on long-term repeat. Not a bad formula in the scene, but tough for filthy gaijin like us to connect with.

I guess they did something new! Take it away, John:

I have not talked about Jekyll and Hyde for quite some time, like 18 months. They are not one of the acts that folks think about when talking about non traditional idols. How about a look at these song samples mentioned in the title.

via Jekyll and Hyde Have Some New Songs To Sample — Straight From Japan

It’s Another A.N.otheЯ Post, This Time with Music!

/ Homicidol Maniac

Hey, check it out — Dual Eye Rec zombie idol project A.N.otheЯ, which I’m only entering correctly so as not to confuse the SEO goblins, has a nice clip for us! Of course, this happened yesterday, and now I didn’t have the wherewithal, but I’ll be darned if the living dead who may be recruiting members via zombie bite are relegated to the Weekender. Fortunately, John has already doing the heavy lifting, so we get a post with very little Maniac energy!

I introduced A.N.otheЯ to you fine folks a little bit ago, well now we have something to hear. This was announced earlier in the day, if anyone was paying attention. 【拡散希望】 本日の19時にA.N.otheЯの1st.DEMOを公開します。 宜しくお願いします。#アナザー — A.N.otheЯ(アナザー) 公式 (@A_N_othe_R) June 18, 2018 How about a listen to what this new group, still under construction, sounds like.

via A.N.otheЯ – 『AWAKENING』(ver.Luna DEMO) — Straight From Japan

Have ANotherЯ Idol of the Literal Living Dead

/ Homicidol Maniac

Well, I was about halfway through doing my own version of this (in draft mode since Thursday, so shame on me anyway), when I saw that John had all the detail aligned in a more up-to-date thing anyway, so go let the man educate you. Me, I’m just glad that Waka is in fact doing things.

Also, the odds of me typing out “ANotherЯ” very often are low, so expect to see lots of references to “AN.” Continue reading →

JyuJyu: Here’s Your Nightmare after Christmas

/ Homicidol Maniac

Hey, I’m still feeling like I don’t want to do very much today, but let’s get the next year’s idol festivities off to a great start by … starting a week early with what might be the darkest release of the year, i.e., JyuJyu’s upcoming album. This builds on the earlier thing about downloading the re-recordings. But John has the rest of the details now.

You all know how I love my dark themed idols, so I was extra excited to hear that JyuJyu was releasing a new mini album. As a matter of fact I was so excited that I ordered it even before I wrote this piece. Lets see what we will be getting from the cursed quartet.

via JyuJyu Announce Upcoming Release — Straight From Japan

You Sure Did Put Yourself on Notice, BiS

/ Homicidol Maniac / 2 Comments

Interesting developments, perhaps, in the world of the grandmomma-iest of the homi side of idol, thanks in part to BiS apparently deciding that enough is enough, and it’s time to … something. Be more BiS, apparently.

I have thoughts, and they’re here there and everywhere (the original title of my post was Don’t Cut Yourself on All That Edge, BiS, to give you an idea), but: John with the bona fides, and let me just point out that, timing-wise and events-wise, this is right about in the continuum when BiS originally released IDOL is DEAD, which can neither be duplicated nor surpassed, but I’d be extremely pleased if Pour Lui were to give it a try.


Is all of WACK stealing from BILLIE IDLE right now or what?

That’s asking for a lot, right? Idol is, after all, always at least as much about image as it is anything else; this is how BiSH, the “punk band without a band,” can release an album that’s a weird split between punk (delivering on that brand promise!) and run-of-the-mill idol fare (the opposite of delivering on that brand promise!), and receive defenses from fans that boil down to calling critics stupid-ass edgelords (which, given that I’m also currently making fun of edgelords, is meta and funny). The power of idol: If you say it, it’s real enough that it may as well be true.

Regardless, you can imagine that I’d really love for BiS to get back to really truly seriously being the BiS that scared people literally just a few years ago, rather than being the occasionally interesting post-nostalgia vanity project that they sometimes seem like. I can’t think of a performer in this realm who I respect more than Pour Lui. Do well, senpai; these are the pitfalls that one faces after winning, apparently.

WACK is really on a tear lately. A new group, which is good by the way, new releases, awesome support for all of their groups. Now, today, BiS made an announcement we all knew was coming, it was only a matter of time. Of course we got this earlier, which always starts to rumor mill […]

via BiS Announce New Single Release Date And More — Straight From Japan

Also, the trade of Saki and Aya has an end date, whatever that means. Folks seem to think that it’s a ruse, for Watanabe-based reasons. I honestly don’t care.

What Manner of Evil Is This?

/ Homicidol Maniac

Hey, did you know that NECRONOMIDOL was almost a different thing? There were lots more members at one point! John’s got this neat feature on the earliest of early iterations of the blackest idols in the game.

You get what I’m saying, though, right? There were girls who were evil enough to want to be part of Necroma, but intimidated away by how evil the eventual fixed membership was. Amazing.

A lot of you may not be aware of this but before I got into idols I was very much into history (I still am). I was very passionate about research and finding the little stories behind the stories. I have now started to apply the skills I have acquired to my interest in idol […]

via NECRONOMIDOL: Members That Almost Were — Straight From Japan

REGiNA KiSS: What Is Going On? — Straight From Japan

/ Homicidol Maniac

Well. Because REGiNA KiSS is everybody’s favorite thing, I’m sure that you’re all on tenterhooks about this sudden, shocking change in the lineup that seems to have no explanation deeper than “idol.” John on the case!

This will be pretty short as I don’t have much on it. It seems that some time between August 31st and September 3rd, REGiNA KiSS went from three members down to two. It all seems so very strange to me, and I only noticed it because I wanted to watch their new video again.

via REGiNA KiSS: What Is Going On? — Straight From Japan

Is Mistress Really Too Noisy or Noetic?

/ Homicidol Maniac

I am full cognizant of the fact that this was released yesterday; I am also fully cognizant of the fact that I am just a man and can only do so much. I started to write up a post for this, then realized that Mistress has no greater fan than John, and yes, he did indeed post this, so I’m more than happy to steal a little.

One of my favorite alternative idol groups is back with a new video. I am so happy that they are able to keep going after the member change a while ago. This one might not rock quite as hard as their previous offerings, but I like it anyway. For some reason this group just hits […]

via mistress – Too Noisy! Too Noetic! (MV) — Straight From Japan

That’s Better, Candye Syrup

/ Homicidol Maniac

Have you ever had norovirus? It’s awful. My fever got so bad on Sunday that I was literally having hallucinations that Miyako from Guso Drop was in my house. Stay away from county fairs, kids.

But when you’re laid up and barely cognizant, it’s nice to know that friends are still paying attention. Like John here, grabbing this Candye Syrup thing by the reins and driving home. They still have some making up to do, but this is better work.

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/338874970

New kids to the scene, Candye♡Syrup, are not holding anything back when it comes to letting us have material to listen to. Today they released a new track and karaoke versions all of their previously released track on their Soundcloud account. So if you are a fan of this group get over there and have […]

via Candye♡Syrup: On A Soundcloud Rampage — Straight From Japan