Welcome back to the weekend, gang! Yes, now autumn is officially upon us, and I am going to be spending my day indulging all kinds of impulses and whims. This is, after all, my deep-down favorite time of year, when I have excuses to eat and drink a little bit too much, excuses to eat and drink WAY too much, opportunities to productively burn things and don’t get any crap if I want to spend an afternoon working on my car. And the coming month in particular is absolute perfection — October is great weather, all of the major North American sports active at once, a tentpole holiday and pretty much everybody in a good mood. Yes, truly the greatest of all seasons!
And, of course, Idol Halloween. Can’t forget that. We’ve somehow gone three full years since JyuJyu gave us the greatest MV of all time, and I keep hoping that they’ll repeat at some point, but alas.
As for this Weekender, it’s a good one, with a slightly different format that seems appropriate now that we’re closing in on the third anniversary of this longest-running post series in idol blogging history. I was toying with the idea of killing the Weekender (as we know it) when we cross that threshold in six weeks’ time, but naw, this helps me to feel connected even when I don’t have a lot else to contribute in a given week.
And as for the Fun, since this is where I normally urge you to go play, wowwie. Kerrie completely outdid herself concept-wise, and the community showed up in spades. Maybe a bit much griping and grinding of personal axes for my tastes, but it was mostly done in good faith and good humor, so I certainly have no complaints. It all just goes to show that wota are a fascinating species.
Is That Some Kind of Dig?
In the latest international feature on idol that doesn’t quite get it but ultimately gets it just enough:
An interesting piece on the Japanese idol phenomenon was shown in "Japan with Sue Perkins" from the UK's BBC. Watch this heavily edited extract (original is >7 mins) in which comedian Sue Perkins changes her views about idols after attending a Tornado concert and talking to fans. pic.twitter.com/riJaJlNiZg
— J-Pop Project News (@JPopProjectNews) September 26, 2019
Nice long trailer for the Toricago DVD:
Because humanity doesn’t deserve anything from tapestock lasting for too long, Koutei Camera Girl Drei is dissolving:
校庭カメラガールドライ活動終了のご報告https://t.co/mP7rEha3J1
— 校庭カメラガールドライ (@kouteca3) September 27, 2019
We don’t get to see enough of Not Secured, Loose Ends, so let’s just amplify this little promo:
ゆくえしれずつれづれ東名阪企画ワンマン「ININnocent tour」
▼全曲SETLIST
final 10/12(土) 下北沢SHELTER待つ!https://t.co/7ulQhgv3Lo #ゆくえしれずつれづれ #ININtour pic.twitter.com/cPk4oTAKCK
— ゆくえしれずつれづれ (@yukuetsurezure) September 24, 2019
Your periodic reminder that nobody does anything better than Dance for Philosophy does their thing:
I absolutely must have video from this live between the inimitable Yanakoto Sotto Mute and the equally inimitable Lovely Summer-chan:
【9/25(水)トレーラー公開!】
ラブリーサマーちゃんとのツーマンまであと1週間!
ヤナミューはバンドセットでの出演です!
YSM3 FINALから「ぼくらのちいさな地図」のライブ映像をトレーラーでお届け!
チケット絶賛発売中!
■Ticket
e+https://t.co/hryI1zEIdC
PMチケットhttps://t.co/AWmYJHSc8h pic.twitter.com/p9qnOmgkxY— ヤなことそっとミュート (@YanakotoSM) September 18, 2019
Devil ANTHEM went ahead and put the instrumental versions of the tracks from their last single on Soundcloud:
Here’s a totally normal PassCode promo:
Idol in Focus
This week’s Idol in Focus is yandoll, who I used to try really hard to include as often as possible because everything about them was inexplicable and therefore neat, but who I also gave up on last year because some things ultimately aren’t worth the effort. I do this now because a Twitter accident led to me finally discovering this single that they released over the summer:
Otherwise, I’m guessing that their, yes, inexplicable signing with a major label a while back didn’t quite work out as planned, and I frankly have no idea which member/s from the era of their definitely-not-fake-guys-we-swear CD-selling contest are even still around. And yet! They’ve picked up a sister/trainee group, #111111SICK (highsick), about whom I once intended to do a thing and then, you know, let’s bring it all back to “not worth the effort.” Nonetheless! This being Idol in Focus, here’s the whole family being very excited:
#今日のハイシック pic.twitter.com/utdKJWj03H
— #111111SICK (@highsick_tokyo) September 25, 2019
Minor Bonus Idol in Focus
I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring to attention both this excellent POPPING EMO sort-of MV:
Plus the continuation of this wild-ass series where they read lyrics with Cronkite-like gravity:
The search for a viable ska idol project that can last more than a few months and isn’t kind of terrible has now yielded BAMBi:
本日はBAMBiにとって初の「ハニグラ応援」出演で 新規の方もとても多く遊びに来て頂き誠にありがとうございました🙇
次回のBAMBiは9/7 栄広場での「みんなの遊び場 vol.17」の予定です。 pic.twitter.com/oyjEZeG8Y5
— BAMBi(公式) (@BAMBi_ska) August 27, 2019
Whatever the hell it is that Up Up Girls are doing here:
I am delighted to inform you that Arrow Heart is still a thing:
9/23
福島県矢吹町
TOHOKU FRIEND PARK vol.5 in YABUKI#Arrow Heart① pic.twitter.com/4eHyu79rb1— フクミツ (@fukumitu2) September 24, 2019
STOP TEASING ME WITH THE NOT-MUSIC VIDEOS, KOTO!
Clip Corner
A new feature comes to the Homicidols Weekender! You may have noticed that I sometimes wind up dumping a lot of live clips out in a row. Now let’s make it an official thing!
Melon Batake a go go gone country!
GIVE ME SOMETHING pic.twitter.com/D6CMZ08Izb
— めろん畑a go go@10/17 ZeppDCワンマン (@MELONBATAKEAGO2) September 27, 2019
Lively one from LADYBABY:
Nice live clip of the new FRUITPOCHETTE single:
FRUITPOCHETTE
New Single 『月兎-Disappear』
収録曲より⭐慟哭-Extreme-⭐LIVE情報&ツアー情報はHPにて!https://t.co/ndtsbHXnl1 pic.twitter.com/IKxk5VRJXl
— FRUITPOCHETTE 公式 (@fruitpochette2) September 25, 2019
And some classics:
Plus some Summer Rocket:
And avandoned in action:
avandoned マーガレット①
2019-9-26 Shimokitazawa Club 251 『エクストロメGrit Glitch Generator‼︎』#ゑりカメラ pic.twitter.com/0zaH9OynMB— ɱαɱҽʂσɾα (@mam_e_tan) September 26, 2019
Yeah PANDA MIC!
Here’s MAPLEZ affiliate NEMURIORCA proving that the apple can fall pretty damn far from the tree, actually:
Maybe your preference is Malcolm Mask McLaren:
Or notall:
And BiSH just destroying this:
Osaka Shunkashuto says that stealing bikes is bad, you guys!
【お知らせ】
この度、大阪☆春夏秋冬が自転車盗難防止啓発ポスターのモデルになりました‼️大阪府警察と大阪府自転車盗難等防止対策協議会の自転車盗難防止啓発活動を今年度は、私たちがお手伝いさせて頂きます。
『みなさん、自転車にはちゃんとツーロックしてや‼️』#大阪春夏秋冬#しゅかしゅん pic.twitter.com/Z6aakSy9GL— 大阪☆春夏秋冬 9/22イナズマロック (@syukasyun) September 24, 2019
The other MAPLEZ sister group, Meteonomicon, is releasing their first single:
【Release】「メテオノミコン 1st Single 発売決定」
待望の1st Single、2020年初頭にリリース決定!
書き下ろしの新曲含め、楽曲制作&サウンドプロデュースは「マツモトマサヤ」!
前身であるMAPLEZ楽曲のリバイバル収録もあるかも!
お楽しみに!そしてこの冬、新メンバーも加入!
詳細後日! pic.twitter.com/9rMYepsX8x— メテオノミコン (@Meteonomicon) September 28, 2019
They’re having a good time!
ダブルハピネスさん、大阪初遠征ということもあってか、PINK HOLE 3連発スタートでした。 pic.twitter.com/ryXmwHB1C8
— ショーキチヘヴン (@bbyg459) September 23, 2019
And this, friends, is fan art:
Have a great weekend!