After twelve months of watching, streaming, celebrating and grieving all that the world of alternative and underground idol can throw at us, the readers and writers of Homicidols have nominated what we feel could compete for being the best and most compelling artists, acts and moments of 2022. It is now time to vote for the winners.
We are criminally late in getting this out the door (damn you, obstructions and obligations of REAL LIFE®) so let’s just get to it: The nominations are in! Check them out below and find your ballot at the bottom of this post. (As always, please note that our Best Of award year runs from December to November.)
You have until Sunday, January 15th, 2023 to vote your hearts out.
Let’s go!!
Surprise of the Year
2022 was the year of the unexpected reboot, and nothing demonstrates that more than this year’s final nomination list, where almost everything on the list involves some kind of reboot; whether that be BPM15Q and GANG PARADE’s permanent (for now) comebacks, Bellheart’s temporary reboot, Nonamera’s (unfortunately short-lived) return to KAQRIYOTERROR or even Wagamama Kiite founding member Asaka suddenly reappearing in her former agency’s newest group, Makenai Bokura wa, Ame no Furu Sekai de Neko to Odoru. In fact, it seems PLANCKSTARS’ surprise (and, perhaps poorly-thought out) world tour is the only non-reboot entry on the list; and even that lowkey involves a reboot in the form of founder Ricca rejoining shortly after its announcement! Will Plasta going worldwide be the most shocking news of 2022, or will it be drowned out by all these reboots? It’s all up to you!
Letdown of the Year
Somehow, the theme of reboots has even made its way into the letdown category, as a couple of nominations appear suspiciously familiar to previous years. Yamakomaro leaft KAQRIYOTERROR again (this time for good), everyone but Himari left NECRONOMIDOL again, and last year’s “winner” Seiko Oomori was accused of abusing ZOC members again.
Even the lesser-familiar letdowns were no less disappointing; Following WONDER SNAKE’s Hizumi Iris Hijiri’s tragic death in August 2022, the announcement post was quickly inundated by conspiracy theorists blaming the vaccine. CHEQUEMATE threatened to disband if they didn’t sell enough tickets for their oneman live, only to disband anyway even after selling out. And then there’s BiSH, announcing their own disbandment on CHRISTMAS EVE OF ALL DAYS!
Funniest (Non-PLANCKSTARS) Moment
For a recap of what were found to be the most humorous moments in alt-idol this past year (that didn’t involve PLANCKSTARS):
- Ling Ling accidentally won a professional wresting title, just to lose it in an equally unexpected fashion to an apple.
- Hinnew was a crowdfunded video project enthusiastically celebrating the power of women with small breasts featuring Boss Rei among others.
- When Mistress wota got sucked into attending the worst idol festival in recorded history, they made the most of it in collective fashion.
- Rena of Yumegiwa last girl gave us all a heart attack with her White Tweet of Death announcing her retirement… from eating ice cream.
- When Hanako-san received an unsolicited pic of a fan’s privates, she turned it into an Instagram story featuring a tiny mushroom and an un-redacted user name.
- TRASH-UP!! was perplexed as to why no normal idols auditioned for their unit devoted to deliberate irrationality and the negation of traditional artistic values.
Funniest PLANKSTARS Moment
That’s right, while there’s usually only the one category for funniest moment, in 2022 the nominations were so dominated by PLANCKSTARS that we had to put them into their own separate category. To sum it up:
- Anaru RaiRai makes practical use of the onstage pyrotechnics to roast marshmallows
- The official PLANCKSTARS twitter account makes an announcement tweet formally requesting fans to pick up the clump of hair left behind at their previous live.
- The song from “STAY FUCKIN’ GOLD”, whose title is an entire 2000-word essay (to write it down would be to clog this article so refer to the JPopwiki for the full title and translation). The song itself is 13 seconds long and it’s only lyric is “sex”.
- When PLANCKSTARS held a competition where whoever sold the most cheki would win a bicycle, and who sold the least would have to do AV, it was a stunt that rustled the jimmies of even individuals from outside of the idolsphere. Unbeknownst to them, Plasta had recently debuted a literal shiba inu and a monkey who were also subject to this rule. Long story short, the dog has to do porn now.
- Richan’s involvement in the “Outdoor Sleeping” incident was just one of many layers to this inspiring tale of rebellion, starting with a game of Musical Chairs. The losers of the game, Richan, Mori and Kan Nyan, were required to sleep on the streets as punishment. Kan Nyan booked a hotel for herself. Mori actually agreed to the punishment, only to get in trouble with the police. And then Richan texted management saying she was going to stay over at a fan’s house instead.
- The official PLANCKSTARS Twitter account had to issue a formal apology after a wedding that was occurring in the same building picked up their mic frequency, leaving the loving couple and guests subjected to chants of varying Japanese expletives.
TL;DR, follow the PLANCKSTARS Twitter.
Saddest Disbandment
Saddest Graduation
Debut of the Year (Soloists and Members)
Debut of the Year (Group)
Best Friend of Homicidols
Collaboration of the Year
Overseas Act of the Year
Performance of the Year
EP of the Year
Single of the Year
Best B-Side
Best Promotional Art
Music Video of the Year
Album of the Year
Most Likely to Breakthrough in 2023
Song of the Year
Idol of the Year
Your Homicidols Best of 2022 Ballot
If one of your favorites failed to snag a nomination and you wish to (diplomatically) tell the community how poor it’s taste and judgment is, feel free to drop by the Homicidols Discord server.
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