Thank You, LONDON BLUE (The Hiatus Appreciation Post)

In which I appreciate LONDON BLUE, a group that has since gone on hiatus from September 27th, 2020...

LONDON BLUE has held a special place in my heart since July of 2018, back when the group - then at five members - made their way to Hyper Japan in London. Though I was aware of their existence at the time, I had kind of lost sight of the group itself due to a lack of interest at the time, but that very interest was reignited when I saw them perform on stage, and I suddenly found myself head over heels for this cute and cool, London themed Japanese Idol group.

My love for them grew even more this year, back when I visited Japan for the first time in late January, where I was able to watchNOA's official stage debut. Sure, my initial aim was to meet my Kamioshi before she could even consider graduating, but I quickly found myself following LONDON BLUE to all of their lives in the two-weeks that I spent in the Holy Land of Idols and crane machines, which ultimately deepened the love I already held for them.

In the blink of an eye, LONDON BLUE became my favourite group, a spot that was originally held by Houkago Princess. It was eye-opening to see how they performed in their own country, and ultimately allowed me to understand just how incredible chika idols can be.

"I want this to be a group that doesn't lose to anyone!" - An Interview with LONDON BLUE

Earlier this month, I was contacted by LONDON BLUE asking if I would like to interview the members. With the up-coming debut of newly appointed member, NOA, I knew that I had some questions I wanted to ask the two girls who make up the cool & cute group inspired by Pop, rock and the iconic London landmark.

This interview will mark my 4th time talking with the group, but the first time interviewing both AILI and NOA. Please enjoy the interview below.

Left: NOA, Right: AILI

*I would like to thank LONDON BLUE, their staff and the members for allowing this interview to happen. I would also like to thank LONDON BLUE staff for permitting the use of their images of the members, which can be found on their group and individual Twitter accounts.

The following Interview was conducted via e-mail.

Active since September 2013, LONDON BLUE is a group with a COOL & CUTE image and a sound that will either charm you, or simply rock your socks off. A lot of the groups inspiration undeniably comes from Britain's capital, London, and more often than not you will find that influence infused into the groups sound style, as well as their fashion on-stage.

Similar to most other Idol groups, LONDON BLUE has had its fair share of old and new members, with NOA being the most recent addition this year. Debuting on January 31st, this will end LONDON BLUE's current one-member system, which AILI has dedicated herself to whilst also being active as a member within Ange Mignon.

Before AILI and NOA debut the latest chapter of LONDON BLUE on January 31st however, let's take a look at what the girls have to say in regards to their image of the group, their goals for the new year, and what inspired them to become Idols...

The Support Behind 6 Years Of History: "Because It's LONDON BLUE" - An Interview with Kiyoshi Hayashi (Manager of LONDON BLUE) (19/08/2019)

I would like to begin this post with my gratitude towards Kiyoshi Hayashi for agreeing to do this interview with me via e-mail, and for patiently awaiting its translation. I would like to further my thanks towards him for continuing to work alongside me with these kinds of interviews, and also for his continued hard work as the groups producer, manager and also one of their lyricists.

Beginning their activities on September 11th, 2013, LONDON BLUE have been singing cool & cute songs together for 6 years. Now, with KANA graduated and ending  5 year history within the group, LONDON BLUE has transformed and stands with one member who will continue the groups history on her own shoulders until another member joins.

But behind this history there is Kiyoshi Hayashi, the brain behind the group that brings J-pop and British music together. Whether he is acting as their manager, teaching them how to play an instrument or penning lyrics for one of their songs, Kiyoshi is always doing something, and today he has allowed us to have a talk with him.

But first, let's learn a little more about him before we talk.

(Photo courtesy of @londonblue2013)

CEO, manager, producer, guitarist and the occasional lyricist, Kiyoshi Hayashi seems like he has a lot going on, and you are probably right in thinking that. As the creator of LONDON BLUE - the cool & cute girls unit who focus on music that fuses British pop, rock and R&R with Japanese bubblegum pop - Kiyoshi focuses a lot of his time on his project that has spanned 6 years, and can only see them going further now that they have completed their 6th Anniversary One-Man Live.

But with a new member continuing the future of LONDON BLUE, Kiyoshi continues to envision all he can do with LONDON BLUE. Though he may be a busy man, - what with being the CEO of Birdland Music Entertainment and Fine Promotion, Inc. - the passion he holds for LONDON BLUE is burning brightly, and with a new era beginning, I thought that it would be as good a time as any to ask him a few of the questions on my mind regarding LONDON BLUE, their future and whether or not he will teach the new era how to play a few instruments...

KANA - The Graduation Appreciation Post

On this day, September 18th 2019, KANA will graduate from LONDON BLUE amidst the celebrations of the groups sixth anniversary. With 5 years under her belt, a leadership that lasted well over a year and a boatload of memories from her time as an idol, KANA has experienced a lot in her time as an idol.

From the indies trials to holding a major debut in 2018, learning how to play the drums and choreographing the groups dances, KANA has fulfilled her time as an idol and created a lot of memories along the way. Now it's time to create her last few memories on the stage before walking behind the curtains and creating new memories with the future of LONDON BLUE. But before she graduates and takes a step back to teach a new generation, let's take a moment to appreciate an idol I adore.

It's time to sit back and talk about KANA, an Idol I appreciate. It's that time again, everyone. Let's appreciate the Idols that we love before they graduate from our world.

Are you ready?

I learned about KANA back in 2016, sometime after discovering LONDON BLUE and asking if I could review their latest album for JaME. At the time I didn't know much about them aside from their names, a little bit of background info and the fact that they were created to promote the joys of both Japanese and British music. By 2017 I was no longer following them.

And then Hyper Japan Festival 2018 happened. When the schedule for who was performing was officially released I recognised a group - LONDON BLUE, except the lineup was different. KANA was now the leader, and three new members would be joining, but that was all it took: One familiar group name and my intrigue was sparked once more, but this time I was in it for the long run. Thanks to Hyper Japan I was able to become a fan of LONDON BLUE.

Now five years after joining LONDON BLUE, KANA is ready to graduate on the groups own 6th anniversary. With this, she will join her fellow graduates and friends on the sidelines, supporting LONDON BLUE in front of the stage she once stood upon.

As a fan I couldn't be prouder.

Walking Down The Graduation Crosswalk - An Interview with LONDON BLUE (19/08/2019)

I would like to start this post with my gratitude towards LONDON BLUE's manager, Kiyoshi Hayashi - also known as Rin Say - for allowing me this opportunity once again, as well as for allowing me to use images from LONDON BLUE's live shows via their Twitter page. I also want to thank both KANA and KYOKA for their hard work and for answering these questions despite being busy with practice, performances and more.

I would also like to thank ジュンペイさん, ヤウユ and ふしあな for allowing me to use their images in this post. Full credit will be given via each photo used.

Inspired by British music, UK fashion, Japanese pop and a cool n' cute vibe, LONDON BLUE are a J-pop Idol duo filled with energy and packaged in a cute burberry or plaid design. Styling themselves around UK fashion prints, the groups love for Britain - London in particular - is undeniable in both their look and sound, and with each performance the girls will wave a towel of white and blue above their heads with pride.

Created 6 years ago, LONDON BLUE has faced their fair share of hurdles as an indies idol group before finally making their major debut under King Records in 2017. Now that their 6th Anniversary is on the horizon, the group faces their biggest hurdle yet - the graduation of their current lineup, KANA and KYOKA. With this, LONDON BLUE will restart with the introduction of new members, girls who are ready continue the groups legacy whilst finding their own path to walk down.

(Photo courtesy of ジュンペイさん via Twitter)

With their graduations announced back in early August, KANA and KYOKA have since been preparing for their last few performances together before LONDON BLUE's September 18th One Man Live, which will see former members MISAKI, KAORU, RIYO, KAYANO and 3510 return to the stage with KANA one last time before she graduates. This special One Man Live will also act as the penultimate performance for KYOKA, who will go on hiatus from the group until her final Birthday Live on September 30th. She will not be participating in any live shows or events with the new members.

Their future's seemingly set in stone - KYOKA potentially walking down the acting path whilst KANA aims to stay behind the scenes as the groups choreographer - both members have an exciting time ahead of them. With the hurdles of the idol world soon behind them, the excitement and the memories that this path has brought them down, it's time to have one final chat with the girls before they go their separate ways and create a new road for themselves.

Before they both take the crosswalk towards a new career, let's talk a little about graduations and instruments, memories and new era's with KANA and KYOKA, the energetic idol duo behind LONDON BLUE...

KAYANO - The Graduation Appreciation Post

Today on March 30th, 2019, KAYANO of LONDON BLUE graduates from the Idol world. Despite only being an idol for a short time, I want to take my time to appreciate KAYANO and her time spent with LONDON BLUE. So for the idols we adore, let's appreciate them as much as we can before they graduate from our world of idols.

It's time to appreciate KAYANO, my 1-year Idol.

Shall we begin?

It has been a while since I created one of these posts, and because of that it is also a struggle. I do not know what to say, I cannot figure out how to word everything I want to express, and I don't know how to introduce this fandangled post of feels... so, let's start it like this:

Meeting KAYANO is one of my most treasured memories. Even though I have not been her fan for long, I feel blessed that I was able to meet and talk to such a cool, fun idol. I am happy I could see her considerate side and learn about her helpful nature, and I am grateful that, even for a short time, I could witness KAYANO's stage of her life where she acted as an idol.

I love Kominato Kayano as an idol and a performer, and it is no lie when I say that I will miss her so freakin' much now that she is graduating from the world of idols. She was a wonderful idol, and I am happy to know that she cherished her time on stage as a member of LONDON BLUE. In return, I will continue to cherish this beloved memory of her as an idol, and I will look back on my interactions with her fondly. No matter what, KAYANO will continue to stay as an idol in my heart.

The Return of LONDON BLUE - An Interview with LONDON BLUE (Part II)

*The interview was conducted via e-mail on October 24th as a look back at LONDON BLUE's Hyper Japan debut and their thoughts on the event, as well as a look at how their current events are going to celebrate their major debut release. A big thank you to LONDON BLUE and Kiyoshi Hayashi for allowing Selective Hearing to have this opportunity once again.

**Unfortunately, due to RINA's hiatus taking effect during the time this interview was conducted, she could not take part in answering the questions alongside the other members.

This post has been cross-posted from Selective Hearing. Please be sure to check out the official post on the website!

Made up of five members with a passion for the UK in both its sound and fashion sense, LONDON BLUE are a group known for their towel-waving moves and guitar-riff fuelled instrumentals in more than a few of their tracks. Though the group has been around since 2013, LONDON BLUE have only recently begun to make a name for themselves within the idol fandom thanks to their recent major debut with the King Records label, a company that distributes music for the likes of AKB48, Uesaka Sumire, TeddyLoid, Ogura Yui and more.

Since the groups major debut on September 5th 2018, LONDON BLUE have been actively performing and promoting their single through in-store events and live performances whilst also taking on outside activities to further promote themselves individually. Unfortunately, member RINA announced her hiatus from the group on October 12th, 2018 in order to focus on her current acting projects. Furthermore, the youngest member RINKA announced her own period of rest on November 7th, 2018 in order to focus on her exam period and other side projects. Due to both RINA and RINKA's respective breaks, LONDON BLUE is now operating as a three-member unit and actively promoting their new single to get their name out there.

Now, just months after their UK debut at Hyper Japan Festival 2018 and a major release, LONDON BLUE return to Selective Hearing for a second round of questions to discuss their major debut single, fashion and their plans for the future as a group. What will we learn about the London-loving group today?

Welcome to London, LONDON BLUE! A HYPER JAPAN Festival 2018 Interview with LONDON BLUE (via Selective Hearing)

*The following Interview took place on July 15th, 2018 at HYPER JAPAN FESTIVAL at the Kensington Olympia in London, England. Four members of LONDON BLUE - KANA, KAYANO, KYOKA and RINKA - were in attendance for their London stage debut. The following write-up of the interview was published on September 4th, 2018, just a day before the groups major debut event with KING RECORDS.

You can find the original write-up on the Selective Hearing website! Thank you for visiting, reading and supporting this blog and any other website I might be affiliated with.

With a cool & cute image, as well as soundtracks inspired by UK Rock, bubblegum pop and R&R, LONDON BLUE is an all-female idol unit inspired by the UK! With five years to their name, as well as their up-coming major debut, the group has seen hardships and highlights since their beginnings in 2013, with the most recent highlight being their major debut with KING RECORDS on September 5th.

Made up of five members - KANA, KAYANO, KYOKA, RINA and RINKA - LONDON BLUE are known for their catchy songs mixed with 'cool and cute' visuals, as well as their entertaining stage presence. With three singles (two indies, one major) and an indies album to their name, there is no denying that LONDON BLUE are a little under the radar, but the group have found mild success in the past with their album track MIDNIGHT LOVER, which reached the #5 spot on the Japan weekly Usen hits back in 2016.

Yet it is this year alone that has been one of LONDON BLUE's busiest. From the recent lineup change that introduced KYOKA, RINA and RINKA, LONDON BLUE also announced that they would make their UK stage debut at HYPER JAPAN in London, finally realising the groups dream of performing in the city that they are named after. With so much going on, from a UK stage debut to a major record deal for their up-coming single, LONDON CALLING, it seems like LONDON BLUE are heading towards a new stage, one that might have seemed impossible to reach five years ago.

But it is the Hyper Stage where LONDON BLUE truly shined this year. With their towels in hand and energy boosted, four of the five members - RINA was absent due to a schedule conflict - took to their first London stage and dazzled the audience. With an updated God Save The Queenopening their act, cute and cool songs at their disposal and an enthusiastic audience, it's no surprise that LONDON BLUE found mild success during their two-day stint at HYPER JAPAN, particularly when it came to their meet and greet.

It was after their first performance and meet & greet on the Saturday that Selective Hearing had the chance to catch up with LONDON BLUE to talk about the groups 5th anniversary, their up-coming single and the plans they had for touring London.

Who are You, LONDON BLUE? An Introduction to the Idols Inspired by the UK! (Updated on September 29th, 2020)

LAST UPDATED on 16/02/2020

Cross-posted from Selective Hearing (Includes a spiffy photo gallery, a lot less commentary and a lack of two extra video links.)

An Introduction To is a series of articles on both Selective Hearing and Okay! Musume Time that aims to introduce readers to various groups and musicians, regardless of their time within the industry. Whether they are indies or major, unknown or even relatively well-known, this series is here to give readers an insight into who is who and what they do. For our first post, let's check out a group inspired by the UK.

Who are you? It's LONDON BLUE!

*(This is the first in a new series for Selective Hearing, but the continuation of what I hope will be a revival for Okay! Musume Time's past Introduction articles).

The Origin Story...

Way back when in 2017, back when I actually blogged, I learned about LONDON BLUE. I don't know how I heard of them or where, but I did, and my interest was piqued. One review of their album, We are LONDON BLUE later, I pretty much forgot about them. Of course I still knew of them, but I didn't follow their releases, themembers or anything else. And then 2018 happened.

Announced as one of the groups that would perform at Hyper Japan Festival 2018, I travelled to London to finally meet the group I had reviewed long ago. There I was able to meet the renewed lineup, watch their live performance and take some cheki's with the four members who had attended the event. It was here that I was able to fully appreciate the group I had almost forgotten, and now I am a changed person.

Now I love LONDON BLUE, and here I am, introducing them to you...

With their humble beginnings starting back in 2013, LONDON BLUE began with this audition notice: “We’re looking for girls who can express the world of “pop&rock”. In September of the same year, LONDON BLUE was formed with its four original members - AKANE, MISAKI, MIDORI and HIKARI - and their sound producer Hidemaro Aoki of Kabuki-Rocks fame, who has since been creating music that incorporates a mixture of genres ranging from UK Rock to Bubblegum Pop and more.

Now with a modest 6 years under their belt, LONDON BLUE proudly claim their love for the UK music and fashion scene in both their sound and style. Yet despite the groups significant lineup change over the past five years, the members still tote a 'cool & cute' style in their music, visuals and fashion choices, all of which they showcase frequently with various lives and release events they perform throughout the year.

From February 2018, LONDON BLUE has seen a significant change not only in its lineup but also its status. With their fifth anniversary the group finally held its first performance in London, England at HYPER JAPAN in July 2018 before returning to Japan to prepare for a September major debut under King Records. Since then members have been busy with performances, radio segments and release events. Furthermore, auditions are underway for new members to join the group.

With the addition of member NOA in January 2020, LONDON BLUE became a two-member unit with a focus on harmonising. Lead by AILI - formerly of AngeMignon and currently a member of Ever!BE Mayowanai - the group has continued to uphold the name and history of the chika idol group.

As of NOA's graduation on September 27th, 2020, LONDON BLUE has entered an indefinite hiatus.

But who is the primary member of LONDON BLUE? Let's take a moment to find out.