Regardless of a groups tenure or status within the industry, my aim is to create a guide for idol fans, as well as myself. If a group piques my interest, then I will feel a desire to research them, and what better way to fuel my research than to write about the group that I have recently discovered, and potentially fallen in love with?
With that said, today's group is one that I struggled to research, simply because they share a name with a former Visual Kei band (Dec. 2015 - Aug 2018) and a Vocaloid song. But with these hurdles I faced myself and hours of dedicated research, I finally managed to compile enough sources and the necessary information to complete this guide, which ultimately gave me a sense of fulfillment and happiness, because idols and research are my passion!
And now, without further ado, it is time to introduce today's group. Resisting the bad end together with their fans, let's take a look at Merry Bad End!
*Despite my research, I am in no way an expert on Merry Bad End, nor do I claim to be one. This article was made out of my love of idols and research, and to share with other fans who may have an interest in the group. I did all I could to include as much research as possible, and tried my best to include accurate dates and details. Of course, mistakes will be made, so please let me know of any that are undoubtedly sprinkled throughout this post. Thank you in advance.
The Origin Story
The evolution of Merry Bad End (メリーバッドエンド ) is an interesting one, because whilst their story has a defined starting point to their career as a group, it isn't the first of their beginnings. If anything, the group that we have come to know as Merry Bad End have had multiple start points in their short history, and it wouldn't be until May of 2018 where the group would finally get the chance to move forward and make a name for themselves.
But in order to understand why Merry Bad End are the group that they are now, we need to rewind a little bit. So, heading back to 2017, let's actually get into their story and learn a bit of Idol History. Are you ready?
Merry Bad End's inception came a little later on, but the start of what would become the group we see today began with Chihiro. A fan of idols since the 6th grade, Chihiro first focused on her studies before deciding to pursue a dream of becoming an idol similar to the ones she admired. This proved difficult, however, and after a year and a half of auditions that saw no results, Chihiro made the decision to make her own group and fulfill her dreams by herself. In July of 2017, Chihiro began to advertise the audition for a new group thanks to the help of a friend.
These auditions resulted in the recruitment of two new members: Honaming! and Yuina, both of whom had their own aspirations and reasons for wanting to become idols. For Honaming!, this would be a chance to join a group where she could both produce and create the idol costumes she had liked, and to wear them as well. For Yuina it would be her chance to fulfill the dream of becoming an idol after being a fan of them for so long, and to chase a dream that had seemed out of reach due to various restrictions.
With the formation of the group came preparations, and on October 1st, 2017, the official Twitter account was opened, and #CMYK was revealed to be the groups name. Though there was no official concept behind #CMYK, the appeal was that all three members were idol nerds and had been created from a 'nerds perspective', and that the group wanted to give other girls the courage to take a step forward to reach their dreams. The groups aim was to debut in the winter of 2017, but due to various circumstances the group could not make their live debut.
Despite things not working out as planned, Chihiro's sheer determination to debut her group lead her to instead recruit a new member, Yusura, in March 2018, bringing the group to four members. That same day, the group revealed their new name: Merry Bad End, or MeriBa for short. With this change came a new concept and logo, and Merry Bad End was officially born.
From there the group would finally make their live debut on March 6th, 2018 at OTASound on the Kanda SOUND STAGE MIFA, 10 months after their formation. Despite their initial setbacks in making their debut, Merry Bad End have performed over 150+ shows since May 2018, and have even hosted their own events under the title 'Meriba Go Land'.
Merry Bad End were doing well and making a name for themselves in the chika idol circuit, but 2019 would be a year of great change for the group. With the New Year came the first change: the graduation of Yusura, who would graduate from Merry Bad End in January 2019. On the day of her birthday and graduation live show, Merry Bad End would also release their first original CD, Restart.
With Yusura's graduation came a a renewed Merry Bad End, one that found even further success despite the hurdles of their past. The group would go on to their first expedition in Nagoya, as well as celebrate their first anniversary on May 4th, 2019. They would also hold their first one-man live, release two singles and announce that they had become a part of T-Rex Production, which ultimately began a new start for Merry Bad End once again. With this, Merry Bad End officially entered their current phase, and the group are no longer self-produced or freelance.
The end of 2019 saw Merry Bad End record and unveil their first music video, a dream of Chihiro's that she had wanted to achieve since becoming an idol. Now in 2020, the group is continuing to release their music, and have already brought out two more singles. They don't seem to be stopping any time soon, but their career as an idol group is just beginning.
Now in their second year, Merry Bad End continue to grow and have shown few signs of wanting to slow down. With various music releases and a desire to head towards their dreams at full force, this group seems to have finally found their place in the idol world, and it's incredibly inspiring to know just how far they have come in such a short space of time. Hurdles have been jumped, obstacles have been avoided, and even if they fell they would pick themselves up and keep going. It's simply incredible just how resilient the members of Merry Bad End are.
Their motto is 'To Resist the Bad End!', a phrase that depicts the members' desires to never give up and to overcome the challenges thrown at them.
Merry Bad End's fans are called 'Resistance'.
D.O.B: December 9th
Blood Type: B
Height: 156cm
Image Colour: Blue, formerly Cyan in #CMYK
Skill: Putting in eye drops
Likes: Kanji
Hobbies: Sleeping, drinking, Idol manga, listening to music
Personality: Ponkotsu, My Pace
Fun Fact: Was determined not to give up on her dream of becoming an Idol, so created Merry Bad End.
Role: Leader
Tenure: July 2017 - Present
Twitter | Instagram | Blog
Bio:
A fan of idols since the 6th grade, Chihiro began to work towards her own dream of becoming an idol later on, only to face various difficulties. After a year and a half of applying for and attending auditions that ended with no results, Chihiro set out to make her own idol group. With the help of a friend, Chihiro set up the auditions for a self-produced, freelance idol group in July of 2017, with the result being Honaming! and Yuina.
Though the group would face many setbacks in their quest to debut, Chihiro was determined to make their dream come true, and would recruit a fourth member in March of 2018.
The Leader of the group, Chihiro is also in charge of 'screaming' vocals in songs such as Astra, and is currently a college student. Chihiro has also penned the lyrics for Merry Go Round, which included her regrets and feelings throughout the first three months of 2019 in it.
Despite all that the group has been through, Chihiro strongly believes that MeriBa could truly grow and become what they are now thanks to that trial and error.
She has been described by the other members as a Ponkatsu (useless) and My-Pace character, whilst Chihiro describes herself as an In-kya (negative, asocial). In an interview with Idol On Chaos, it has been mentioned that Chihiro will often mess up on stage, though Chihiro herself considers that she looks pretty cool on stage.
In contrast to Yuina, who is carefree and goes at a faster pace, Chihiro is laid back and slow, often dragging behind when the members are out together.
Bonus Trivia: Chihiro enjoys alcohol such as Jack Daniels, Umeshu and Akadama wine, and considers drinking her hobby as she is currently so busy with her studies and Merry Bad End. She is also a big fan of Kanji characters.
Personal Thoughts:
Though she has been described as a Ponkotsu character and an In-kya, I personally believe that Chihiro is an incredibly determined and inspiring idol. After falling again and again, she continued to pursue a dream that some would simply give up on in favour of security and ease, and finally managed to make her long-awaited dream of debuting as an idol come true.
It's amazing what Chihiro has done, because making a group by yourself is no easy feat, even if a good chunk of groups are self-produced now. It's even harder when you have no connections, which was probably the case for Merry Bad End at the start... and yet they pulled through, and it's because of Chihiro. She showcased her leadership skills in the beginning: she made the group, jumped some hurdles and still showed the determination and strength to move forward. And even when the original concept and image of the first group didn't work out, she didn't back down, instead choosing to follow a new plan, and ultimately finding their feet in the idol world as a group that would 'resist the bad end' and embrace the challenges they overcame.
It is clear to me that Chihiro is extremely thankful for the fortune she has met with MeriBa. From her blog posts and tweets, you can see that she is overwhelmed by the love and support from the fans, and that with each passing day she is filled with gratitude that she could finally see MeriBa debut. But with this happiness comes a few regrets, such as seeing MeriBa debut 10 months after the group was initially formed, or never performing in the white costumes from February 2019. Still, it's her happiness at being a member of MeriBa that is clear, and it's simply overwhelming just how important the group is to her, and how proud she is of the other members and all that MeriBa has achieved.
Chihiro is incredibly inspiring, and she managed to inspire the other members and create a group that she is proud of. And honestly, I feel super proud of her, and I barely know Merry Bad End. But Chihiro feels like such a strong person, someone we should respect and look up to because of all that she has endured to create MeriBa.
She made a group from nothing, and now she is a part of something bigger than she ever expected. Chihiro should be proud, and I am so glad that she is happy with MeriBa's achievements and growth. She deserves this, and she has done an amazing job. Her determination to become an idol has paid off, and I only hope that the group she loves so much will reach newer heights than before.
Nickname: Honami / Mingu / Ho-chan
D.O.B: November 25th
Hometown: Kanagawa, Japan
Blood Type: A
Height: 154cm
Image Colour: Red, formerly Magenta in #CMYK
Skill: Costume making, calligraphy
Hobbies: Pokémon, games
Personality: Mood-Maker, The Bridge between members
Fun Fact: Wants to become the bridge between Idols and fashion, and likes Udon
Role: Costume designer
Tenure: July 2017 - Present
Twitter | Instagram | Blog
Bio:
Though Honaming! would later come to enjoy idols as performers, her initial intrigue with the idol world came to fruition in junior high school when she discovered them. Falling in love with the costumes they wore, Honami's unique interest in the idol work allowed her to pursue an interest in learning how to make her own cute outfits that other idols could wear, and at first felt content with the idea that she was producing something for others. Somewhere down the line, however, Honami became conflicted with her desire to create idol outfits for others, and the desire to wear them herself after realising that the outfits are cute because of the idols that wear them.
At the time she was feeling conflicted in what path she should choose, Honami came across an advertisement for a self-starting idol group, and took it as a sign to become a part of a group where she could do both of the things she had been conflicted about: creating costumes, and wearing them as an idol. She felt that instead of regretting not having done something, she would rather regret something that had been done, and chose to audition for the group that would become Merry Bad End.
With her love of fashion and creating outfits, Honami is the official costume designer / producer of Merry Bad End. Right now, her goal for MeriBa is to have people simply like the group because they enjoy the music, and not just because they are idol fans.
Described as a Gyaru and mood-maker by the other members, Honami is the 'bridge' of the group, and is often caught in the middle of the members. Chihiro furthered this theory by revealing that, when walking, Honami is typically in the middle of the three members
Fun Facts: Honami has produced costumes for various idol groups, including the groups I to U $CREAMing!! and mogumogu. She is also a fan of the Pokémon Scorbunny, and enjoys the military uniform motif.
Personal Thoughts:
Honami is the member that I initially thought was cool, but upon closer inspection - and a lot of research - I have found that she is, in fact, absolutely adorable. Now, don't get me wrong; she's still really cool, but there are a lot of adorable things about her, including her love of Pokémon and the way she poses... etc. I just can't help but think that she is this extremely cute and charming person.
With that said, Honami also seems like the most level-headed of all three members, and the member that will quickly call the others out on their shit. It's incredibly funny to see, actually, and I can really see why she is viewed as the bridge of the group. Of all the members, Honami seems to be the one that will break the tension and resolve any conflicts, if there are any at all.
During my time researching this group, I found that I liked Honami the most, which surprised me. Though I initially thought she was just cool and collected, I found her love of idol costumes - not the idols, ha! - a unique spin on why she wanted to become an idol, and this interest was only furthered upon seeing how she interacted with the other members during the Idol On Chaos interview.
She is interesting, and I just can't help but adore her. I'm still at a point where I don't know what to say to her on Twitter, but I look forward to speaking with her one day and letting her know that I admire her. For now though, I will admire her from afar and think about how amazing it is that she became an idol because she wanted to create and wear the cute idol outfits that she loved the most, only to create and wear extremely cool idol outfits instead.
She's great, extremely talented and balances the group wonderfully. I look forward to the future costumes she will create for MeriBa and other groups.
Nickname: Mama, Mom
D.O.B: November 20th
Height: 164cm
Image Colour: Purple, formerly Black in #CMYK
Skill: Choreography, cutting onions
Hobbies: Idol Otaku, going to idol lives, YouTube
Likes: Idols, Hello! Project
Personality: Air-headed, careless, yet acts put-together
Fun Fact: Is often called 'mama' by the other members
Role: Choreographer
Tenure: July 2017 - Present
Twitter | Instagram | Showroom | TikTok
Bio:
From a young age Yuina enjoyed to sing and dance, and would eventually take up dance lessons. Through this passion, Yuina came to learn about the world of idols and would become obsessed with them, and initially felt happy enough chasing them as a fan.
As time progressed however, Yuina's love for singing and dancing created a desire for her to be in the same position as the idols she loved. Due to setbacks and restrictions however, Yuina realised that becoming an idol wasn't an easy feat, and struggled with finding an idol group to join. During a time where she was considering a different path to follow, Yuina found Chihiro's audition to create a new group, and she chose to give her all in the audition with the understanding that, if it didn't work out, she could go down another route and pursue another dream.
Because Yuina successfully passed the audition that would eventually result in Merry Bad End, she aims to put her all into the group and continue to grow with them as an idol. Since becoming a member of MeriBa, Yuina has also begun to follow more idol groups instead of limiting herself to certain ones in order to learn more about them, and to ultimately benefit herself as an idol.
Yuina has been described as a Yankee by Chihiro, whilst Honami claims that she is the most air-headed and careless member of the three. Whilst Yuina herself feels that she is the most put-together member, Honami was quick to call her out on it and revealed that she only acts put-together in front of the fans, and is in fact very carefree and air-headed. Yuina does not try to hide this trait, per say, but does so unintentionally.
Similar to Chihiro, Yuina goes at her own pace, however she steamrolls ahead at a faster pace and is much more carefree in what she sets out to do. When walking, Yuina will be the member ahead of the others.
Personal Thoughts:
Yuina is honestly a great member, as well as my initial favourite prior to researching this group. I think she is a very beautiful, and I honestly admire anyone who can choreograph, because it's something that I could never do. After research, however, I have found a new appreciation for Yuina, and actually find her quite funny, especially with her reaction to being called a Yankee character on the Idol On Chaos interview.
Though the other members see her as a carefree, fast-paced person, I do think that Yuina is a serious person when it comes to her life choices. With the audition for MeriBa, she chose to give it her all whilst having a backup plan if the audition didn't turn out in her favour, and even began to follow other idol groups outside of the ones she preferred in order to learn more about Idols, and to better herself as a performer. This is incredibly mature thinking on her part, and I'm glad that she went ahead to audition for MeriBa whilst still considering another option.
She's a cute, charming idol, one who might trick you into thinking that she carries the group thanks to her mature aura and put-together facade. Also, it's extremely cute how she is called 'mama' by the other members, and I really do want to get to the bottom of why she has been given this nickname.
I'm glad that she took her chance to audition, even when she found it hard with all the restrictions set by other groups, and I'm glad that she found a place where she could dance and sing, and put her own experience into action as a choreographer. It's great that she can do all this, whilst being an idol like the ones she had loved when she was just a fan. It's incredibly inspiring, and I'm glad that we have Yuina as an idol.
Former Members
D.O.B: January 31st
Image Colour: Black
Tenure: March 2018 - January 2019
Bio:
Announced on March 20th, 2018, Yusura was recruited by Chihiro and joined the newly renamed Merry Bad End. She was given the title of 'The Strongest Beauty' when it was announced that she had joined the group. She is the first member to have joined MeriBa after its first phase.
During her time in MeriBa, Yusura was active in live performances and seemed to have had a close with relationship with fellow member, Honaming!, with both members joking that they were dating one another.
In November of 2018, Yusura went on a short break from live activities to focus on her health, but would later announce in December of 2018 that she would be graduating from Merry Bad End in order to receive medical treatment for a prolonged throat issues. Her graduation was held in the New Year on January 26th, with a dual Birthday and Graduation live show.
Yusura wrote the lyrics to the groups first original song, Restart.
From 2019, Merry Bad End have been consistently releasing music, and currently have ten songs in their catalogue. The group has released one mini-album - now out of print - and five singles, four of which are available to purchase digitally.
Mini-Albums
Personal Favourite: Restart
Release Date: January 26th, 2019
Price: ¥1,500 *(Out of print)
- Restart (リスタート)
- Share my days
- Meriba ni Ai wo Kudasai (メリバに愛をください)
Last: Yusura
Singles
Personal Favourites: Astra, Now And Forever
Release Date: June 22nd, 2019
Price: ¥1,500
- Merry go round
- Shi chae yo! Gachi koi (しちゃえよ！ガチ恋)
Diamond Ain't Break Down (2nd single)
Price: ¥1,500
- Diamond Ain't Breakdown
- Heavensfall
- Diamond Ain't Breakdown (Instrumental ver.)
- Heavensfall (Instrumental ver.)
Release Date: March 31st, 2020
Price: ¥1,500
- Astra
- Astra (Instrumental ver.)
Now And Forever (4th single)
Price: ¥1,500
- Now And Forever
- Now And Forever (Instrumental ver.)
King for a day (5th single)
Release Date: May 31st, 2020
Price: ¥1,500
- King for a day
- King for a day (Instrumental ver.)
Though the group has a few singles under their belt, Merry Bad End currently have one music video for fans to watch.
With a simple white backdrop for the dance sequence and solos framed by beams of light, Diamond Ain't Breakdown feels reminiscent of simpler idol PV's from the most orthodox of groups, only to show its edge with glitching effects placed over the members dancing figures, further enhanced by the use of inverting an already jarring scene.
Though simple, the music video is effective in what it does, and is a fun watch. The energy of the groups is the most engrossing aspect of this video however, and it's clear that this was a lot of fun to film for the girls, which only makes the much-anticipated debut MV that much sweeter as you watch it.
For a first music video, I can't fault it. The members are charismatic and a joy to watch, and the pacing of the video and its edits are to a professional standard. It's a great watch, and I look forward to future music videos from this group.
Though Merry Bad End are not inundated with music videos, the group does have their fair share of performances on-hand to watch, and they are a lot of fun if you give them a chance. So, for those who are a little more curious about the groups performance style and their music, give these videos a go.
As a random bonus of sorts, an interview and call video for their track, Heavensfall, are included. Of course, there is plenty more where this came from in terms of live performances, so be sure to further your MeriBa experience after you have indulged in the selection I have left for you.
Similar to a few other groups, Merry Bad End have had their fair share of logos during their career. Including their original group logo before evolving into MeriBa, the group has had four logos in total. From the perspective of an outsider, all four logos seem to represent a new start for each phase of the group.
Introduced: October 2017
Retired: March 2018
Introduced: April 2018
Retired: February 2019
Introduced: February 2019
Retired: May 2019
Introduced: May 2019
And with that, I hope you all enjoyed and learned something new about Merry Bad End.
I will round this off by saying that, despite the difficulties in researching this group and creating the post you see, I had a lot of fun compiling it together. As always, these posts are created out of my love of idols and research, as well as a desire to share information with others and to introduce you to some great groups that may be overlooked in the favour of others. Of course, this article is here not only to teach others about a group and its history, but to teach myself about them, too. Through this journey I learned a lot about MeriBa that I didn't know before, and was able to figure out who my oshi was in the process.
These are fun posts to create, and I hope that you enjoyed reading and learning about a different group with me. Of course, I hope that this inspires you to continue your own research into any given idol group, and I hope that it has enabled you to become a fan of this group in particular.
The journey of MeriBa is an inspiring one, and like many other idol groups before them, they have faced their own struggles and jumped or fallen over hurdles. Now they are creating their own battlefield, and continue to fight for their dreams whilst instilling hope into their fans with their determination and perseverance.
To end, I hope that you have enjoyed this post and found it even a little informative. Thank you very much for reading, and thank you for giving Merry Bad Ending a chance if you decide to check them out.
Until the next post my lovelies. Please take care, stay safe, and continue to love your idols and the music they create.
Much love and well wishes,
Chiima~
Sources:
VDC
reverie
fesvolta
Discogs
Idolender
Seesaa wiki
#CMYK camp-fire
Japanese Music Wiki
Chihiro Official Blog
Idol City - Yuina Profile
Idol City - Chihiro Profile
Idol City - Honamingu! Profile
Idol City - Merry Bad End Profile
Announcements, Articles & Interviews:
Live Appearance Announcement (30.04.2018)
Updated Profile + Logo (08.02.2019)
KNOW YOUR IDOL (23.03.2020)
Merry Bad End - All Japan Show Interview (01.12.2019)
Mens Joker Part 2 (10.08.2019)
Mens Joker Part 4 (12.08.2019)
Tunecore Magazine - Diamond Ain't Break Down (12.12.2020)
sosouso Blog (13.12.2019)
Chihiro Official Blog (01.01.2020)
Izawan - MeriBa Info (11.02.2020)
Music & Merch:
iTunes
Spotify
Deezer
Google Play
Idolunderworld
Social Media & Official Links:
Merry Bad End Twitter
Merry Bad End YouTube
Merry Bad End Showroom
Merry Bad End Spotify
Merry Bad End TwitCasting
T-REX Production
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