Recommended Reading: May 20th, 2013
Looking back on Tanaka Reina’s time with Morning Musume! Kashiwagi Yuki does okra! And more!
Looking back on Tanaka Reina’s time with Morning Musume! Kashiwagi Yuki does okra! And more!
Berryz get their own Budokan concert! Atsuko Maeda goes to Taiwan to promote her film! And more!
SUPER☆GiRLS release new video! PSY moves on to Canada! Bloggers return from hiatus! And more!
Dance Dance Dance with Itano Tomomi and PSY! Whose boobs are appreciated by 2ch? (I mean recently.) And more!
Iida Kaori gives birth! Gackt responds to the charges leveled against him! Ishida Ayumi announces first solo photobook! And more!
PASSPO☆ and Perfume release new videos! SMAP’s Tsuyoshi remains clueless as a TV detective! And more!
Ray wishes farewell to AKB48′s virtual idol and hopes there will be many more like her in the future.
Details for Lovendor’s first mini-album released! Eguchi Ami disappears from AKB48! And more!
New graduations announced for AKB48 and SKE48! LC9 debuts with Ga-In! And more!
Girl’s Day hug students in campaign to stop bullying! Reina speaks her mind on what the best Morning Musume line-up was! And more!
AKB48 celebrates its 3000th theater performance! Crayon Pop adds a Japanese member for its Japan promotions! And more!
What does it take to be considered an idol fan? Ray either starts to unravel this question or make it more confusing, depending on how you look at it.
Who are the top girl groups according to Nikkei Entertainment magazine? Matsubara Natsumi announces her graduation from AKB48! And more!
Ray goes off on one of his speculative jaunts on why a bunch of ex-SDN48ers may be changing the rules of the game.
Ex-SDN48 members form the new group 7cm! Appeal videos for the AKB senbatsu are out! And more!
What could Miyabi becoming Berryz sub-captain mean for Saki? T-ara N4 caught in flag scandal! And more!
Preview for the new AKB48 video is out! New video from Secret! PSY earns another world record! And more!
There are some things that will make Summer 2013 more than just your typical summer, and Ray goes over them.
Nishikido Ryo addresses rumors about himself and his female co-stars! AKB48 family shuffles around concurrent members, make concert announcements! And more!
Ray has a poolside barbecue and starts savoring the season ahead.
Tegomass are a couple of pussies for their new single cover! Ohno Satoshi shares his wisdom! And more!
Morning Musume’s latest number one stirs up fans! Is Kasai Tomomi in another scandal? And more!
YuiKaori graduate from StylipS! Avex announces new artists! And more!
NMB48 have their first Request Hour Set List and announce a line-up change! Selective Hearing attends Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s U.S. shows! And more!
Lots of idol groups are showing lots of positive developments. Does this mean anything?
Is Brown Eyed Girls preparing a comeback? BRIGHT disbands! PSY is coming to America! And more!
Ray’s bouts of musical nostalgia lead him to look to the future and how our present will be judged.
PSY dominates with his new single! Chinese ex-Musumes share opinions on the new Musumes! And more!
Ray is, as always, impressed by how precociously pop cultural his daughter is.
Full subtitled video of Morning Musume single released! PSY’s new single is released! And more!
Bloggers continue to react to the AKB senbatsu and Akimoto Sayaka’s graduation! PSY’s new single to be released on April 12! And more!
Bloggers share their thoughts on the AKB senbatsu candidates! PSY and Ga-In spotted filming his new video! And more!
Is there such thing as an idol scene, a creative community that expands beyond music? Will the influence of idols go beyond the here-and-now and mold Japanese society? Ray speculates far too much again.
The 2013 AKB senbatsu registration has closed! Who registered, who didn’t? Hamasaki Ayumi announces her fifteenth anniversary single! And more!
Ray pays tribute to one of his favorite AKB idols, recalling ways that she made AKB48 so memorable to him.
Ray considers how origins of idol groups – or at least, what we remember of their origins – and what that tells us about them.
Graduation date for Kasai Tomomi announced! Kudo Haruka needs a fujoshi education! Will the Wonder Girls be on hiatus for a year? And more!
Wonder Girls’ Sun announces her pregnancy! SMAP collaborates with Johnny’s Juniors! ZWEI returns with a new album! And more!
C-ute to perform at the Budokan… and Paris, France! Hiro to cease performing with EXILE! And more!
Bloggers continue to go ga-ga over Juice=Juice! Kyary Pamyu Pamyu announces new single! And more!
Bloggers respond to the Juice=Juice video! Morningtime and fly in the f*ing wine celebrate landmarks! PSY announces his next single on the news! And more!
All this talk about AKB’s senbatsu has Ray thinking, “What if…?”
Ray looks at the candidacy aspect of this year’s senbatsu from a different angle: who’s being left out.
What is the senbatsu’s new candidacy rule all about? Or rather, who? Also, DMTN’s Daniel is found guilty of distributing marijuana! And more!
Who’s in and who’s out for this year’s senbatsu election? Never mind the bollocks, here’s Linda Sanseii! And more!
LovendoЯ announce first mini-album! Morning Musume continue to push their Brainstorming promotion! Two Johnny’s graduate from college! And more!
HKT48 to do closing theme for My Little Pony! Idols get striking makeovers! And more!
Johnny’s announces new group Twenty Twenty… debuting in the year 2020? PSY speaks about upcoming songs! And more!
Tsunku announces Morning Musume’s twelfth generation auditions! The blogosphere reacts! And more!
AKB blog Aitakatta! celebrates its fifth anniversary! Bloggers review works by AKB48, Kikkawa Yuu, SKE48, Berryz, PASSPO☆, and more!