Good morning! This is typically a really neat spot in the idol calendar, with lots of live in Santa attire and usually the last few releases before the new year … and this year there are like no lives (obviously) and what seems like fewer releases, even (does make some sense!). I hadn’t really noticed until I was going through material for this Weekender and realizing that I should have a lot more of two things. So it goes!
We’re now inside of a week until Maniac’s favorite few days of the year that aren’t Halloween, so you know I’m excited. I also spent the past week clearing my work deck as much as I possibly could, which if you’ve done it you know is just about the most cathartic thing ever. So here I am, warm despite sub-freezing temperatures outside, cat next to me, future Mrs. Maniac sleeping off the cauldron of Gluhwein we drank last night … and it feels good, man. Considering the two huge stress-related breakdowns that I dealt with in a single year’s time recently, it’s liberating.
Anyway, the point is, this is a great time of year, sort of regardless of your personal religious or cultural context, because everybody likes hegemonic observances of peace and light and love even if how they got to particular areas of the world are basically the complete opposite of those things! I hope you have a great time these last two weeks of 2020 — we’ll be publishing the Best Of winners early next week, then getting out the staff picks at some point in the not-too-distant future, and then we’ll see about a Year in Review in Review. It seems like a weird one.
You’re One to Talk
Note that it is the official policy of Homicidols Dot Com to call idols what they want to be called:
I USE THEY/THEM😀THX🙂 https://t.co/2nccslzUHc
— ヨネコ (@naniyaraYONEKO) December 15, 2020
In Japanese, the words "he" and "she" are not often used🦭
I often think that "honorifics" and "manners" peculiar to Japan are shit ,but I think that "his or her culture" deeply rooted overseas is a strong enemy for non-binaries🦭
↑
It's just my subjectivity🦭— ヨネコ (@naniyaraYONEKO) December 15, 2020
Truly excellent ZOC live video, which we just don’t get enough of:
And to stick with a theme, Zsasz:
Prepare yourself for the next vintage BiS moment from GO TO THE BEDS:
【「マジカミ」タイアップ大決定!!】
PC・スマホ向けゲーム「マジカミ」とのタイアップが決定!!
第3部OPテーマにEP1曲目JxSxK作詞「マジ神」
第2部EDテーマにはEP5曲目ヤママチ作詞「SECRET MESSAGE」が起用!!2021.1.1 0:00に「マジ神」MV公開!!
お楽しみに!何卒!!#ご〜とぅ〜ざべっつ#マジカミ pic.twitter.com/6Ubi1l8II8— GO TO THE BEDS (@GO_TO_BEDS_G) December 14, 2020
So like was STARMARIE on hiatus or something, given the themes herein?
STARMARIE、新しい物語を綴るツアーと新アー写を発表https://t.co/wN9n57cmzw#STARMARIE
— BARKS編集部 (@barks_news) December 16, 2020
Kamikaze Sensation dance clip!
振付から楽しく頑張ってみました🙌🏻💖
とにかく踊るの大好きやけん、このダンスコンテスト企画が最高にうれしい👯♀️YouTubeとTikTokに別バージョン載せたけん見てください!💥#全日本ガールズダンスコンテスト#ハピスマダンス #ケンズカフェ東京 さん#神風センセーション#拡散希望#北崎渚沙 pic.twitter.com/968UIOiJjO
— 北崎渚沙@神風センセーション (@kamikaze_nagisa) December 9, 2020
Don’t let this be the last amiinA you ever see and hear:
I happily share this not because I’m interested in completing an RT challenge that by now has surely been completed, but because I’ll cry out loud if lo-fi idols become a thing:
2人目のメンバーシルエット
ついにあの子が戻ってきたよ。….WHO?
『100RTでついに2人の素顔の公開』#新アイドルグループ#拡散希望 pic.twitter.com/lPcI6hejdt
— New ruru (@NEWRURU123) December 15, 2020
Nice new NaNoMoRaL for you:
I won’t try to guess if these wonderful ATARASHI GAKKO! weirdos actually will be the best bet for an international audience, but at least we can appreciate that they’re literally one of a kind:
Attention! ATARAHII GAKKO!teaches you how to celebrate New Years and Christmas in Japan ❄️🎄@japanleaders /:: https://t.co/lrMu3g1HTp pic.twitter.com/WbvT5XwaYT
— 88rising (@88rising) December 17, 2020
BURST GIRL is going to be down Miyako, which is super sad and I hope our resident gigantic BURST GIRL fan does a proper in memoriam:
https://t.co/oUXgGj8XDN pic.twitter.com/C6xd4x9DBg
— ストロング都子©︎爆裂女子 (@miyak_burstgirl) December 18, 2020
We’re also losing a RAY:
白川さやか卒業のお知らせ
2/23(火・祝)に開催される「白川さやか卒業公演 -ひかり-」にて白川さやかがRAYを卒業することをご報告させていただきます。詳しくは添付の本人メッセージ、運営メッセージを一読くださいませ。 pic.twitter.com/qx0xRo4iIy
— RAY (@_RAY_world) December 13, 2020
And a meme tokyo.:
【meme tokyo.からの大切なお知らせ】 pic.twitter.com/PhNlqytkAU
— meme tokyo.公式 (@memetokyo_info) December 14, 2020
REBEL REBEL live:
Idol in Focus
This week’s Idol in Focus is AIBECK, who are … actually, I don’t quite follow what the hell is going on. Maybe you can figure it out:
🔺🔻AIBECK🔺🔻
🔥🔥Twitterフォローしてね🔥🔥
塩藤さやの(@aibeck_sayano)
星乃さゆみ(@aibeck_sayumi)
大神のん(@aibeck_non)
となりのアイル(@aibeck_airu)
姫野たま子(@aibeck_himeno)
ひなたゆか(@aibeck_yuka )
🔺🔻AIBECK🔺🔻 pic.twitter.com/rMdz0lKPB0— ▲▼AIBECK▲▼【公式】伝説の幕開け12/26お披露目追加公演@目黒鹿鳴館 (@AIBECK_) December 15, 2020
Nonetheless “AIBECK live” used to be such a staple in this post that I could’ve just had an AIBECK Corner!
『深夜の活力プレゼント6』
🔻onlineコチラをCheck🔻https://t.co/v2O1NVoBHl
①キミだけ写メ◀︎5枚限🤍
②7秒動画◀︎5本限🤍
③20秒動画
④🌟第10弾プレミアムチェキ
⑤超ラクガキチェキ
⑥推しが描くアイコン&ヘッダー
⑦テレビ電話
⑧ランチェキ5枚SET pic.twitter.com/Mk5EeAGTyF— ▲▼AIBECK▲▼【公式】伝説の幕開け12/26お披露目追加公演@目黒鹿鳴館 (@AIBECK_) December 7, 2020
Better in Focus
You guys remember that idol project from last year, the one that wouldn’t truly debut until they had 10,000 followers on Twitter? Well, Hatena Lab did it! I have no idea if they’re ultimately worth the follow, but this is pretty neat:
👩🏻🔬1st MusicVideo 公開!!👩🏻🔬
【ハテナラボ / ? (クエスチョンマーク)】https://t.co/3Ofh5zEMRv
-世の中の?を解決すべく結成されたアイドルプロジェクト-
"じゃあ まずは第一問" pic.twitter.com/WCmIkctC1d
— ハテナラボ 👩🏻🔬1万フォロワーで始まるアイドル👩🏻🔬 (@hatena_817) December 18, 2020
Three hours of Yanakoto Sotto Mute:
I have very good feelings about the Kashin no Ichigeki album:
会心ノ一撃 NEW ALBUM 2021.1.20 release 『シガテラ』 CM 【みっく ver】https://t.co/ibmU1nPn10
— 会心ノ一撃 (@KISNnoichigeki) December 17, 2020
For my fellow CODE OF ZERO fans:
I don’t want to have to wait for the Sugarpills announcement!
🌓お知らせ🌓
12.24 at VARON
New system
Announcement#Sugarpills #シュガーピルズ #シュガピル pic.twitter.com/pu5tyPNN1L— Sugarpills-シュガーピルズ-(公式)🌓 (@sugarpills_info) December 14, 2020
I wish I could make a whole-ass post out this latest from KAMEN JOSHI but it’s honestly basically every other Alice Project post I’ve done in the past three years, so:
This is to answer the question, What kind of idol unit would you get if you tried to make Erisu but happy … no no, even happier than STARMARIE:
\ 🎥MV公開🎥 /#ARCANAPROJECT
2nd single『夢で世界を変えるなら』
Music Videoを公開🎞2021年2月10日(水)Release!
TVアニメ「回復術士のやり直し」ED主題歌🔑🔻Full Size🔻https://t.co/7TfAgdhVkb pic.twitter.com/1dwFpaY5vN
— ARCANA PROJECT (@arcanaproject) December 14, 2020
Broken By The Scream wishes you a merry Christmas:
Have a great weekend!
The comments the members put out regarding Miyako’s departure are pretty interesting. Seems like she got fired for joining another group without getting approval from everyone else and Rinchama especially seemed pretty hurt and upset by it because her and Miyako are really close. But she did tweet a video of pictures of the two of them together set to Guso Drop and Burst Girl music so hopefully things can be mended even if Miyako’s out of the group.
Also for what it’s worth 88rising actually just launched a station on SiriusXM a few weeks ago and I’ve heard Atarashii Gakko! on there a few times already so they’re certainly going to get a good, serious push by a label that will actually support them. And if nothing else hearing an indie idol group that’s not Babymetal on American radio is pretty cool and hopefully a good step towards more of these groups getting the exposure they deserve. If the Leaders are able to do well it could definitely open a lot of doors for more groups and be one of the bigger idol stories of 2021.