For horror fans, it sounds like a match made in heaven. It is, in fact, a match made in Hulu, who have put together Saw II-IV director Darren Lynn Bousman and two members of pop supergroup AKB48 to create Crow’s Blood , a six-episode horror …Read more »
A 26-year-old man in Kyoto was arrested for possession of an illegal fake ID card, it was reported January 6. His motive for owning the card: to attend more AKB48 handshake events. Part of the charm (read: marketing gimmick) of idol group AKB48 is the …Read more »
Idol groups -- particularly one as big and terrifying as AKB48 -- make their fans do crazy things. I still remember hearing news of a guy beaten near to death outside a Shibuya train station bathroom for some kind of AKB48-related misgiving when I was …Read more »
A small fraction of AKB48 and its sister groups. It has spawned. “It” is, of course, the unstoppable idol group juggernaut that is AKB48 and its spinoff groups, which spans Japan from sea to shining sea (not to mention Shanghai and Jakarta) and employs literally …Read more »
Looks like Aska isn’t the only J-pop artist in trouble for drug use. Kosuke Oba, a composer who has worked with idol groups like AKB48 and on anime like Prince of Tennis and Steins;Gate , was recently arrested for using stimulant drugs. Police were clued …Read more »
Tokyo police have filed charges against an idol group for performing a concert outside Shinjuku station, one of the city’s major traffic hubs, according to Tokyo Reporter. The offenders, Flare-La-Mode Ace, are an idol group made up of seven women 18 to 26 whose theme …Read more »
Peach John and Bandai are set to launch pre-orders for a second collection of Sailor Moon lingerie, including a "Sailor Moon Narikiri/Costume Bra Set," Princess Serenity and Black Lady dress negligee, and Inner Senshi school uniform pajamas. Building up to the release, AKB48 idol/actress/model Haruna …Read more »
Idol supergroup AKB48 is no stranger to appearing in ads, and the latest collaboration has the girls teaming up with Nintendo to promote Super Smash Bros. As the post over at Kotaku points out, some Japanese commenters had mixed feelings about the resulting commercial, which …Read more »
For Japanese pop idol group phenomenon AKB48, 139 members apparently isn’t enough. They’re currently recruiting an additional part-time member. Girls from middle school up can apply until September 10th, and must pass an interview and audition. One successful applicant will join AKB48 until February 2015, …Read more »
The 2014 J-Pop Summit Festival announced another addition to its lineup with Tomomi Itano—formerly of idol super group AKB48—joining the event as a guest of honor. Itano will be making her first-ever US concert appearance to launch her new release and will perform a special …Read more »
AKB fans descend on a handshake event - Karl Baron AKB48’s “akushukai” – sessions where fans of the idol supergroup can meet and shake hands with their favorite members, have been on hold since an attack on two of AKB members at one such event …Read more »
Japan has voted, and the results are in. No, not for prime minister – we’re talking about the sixth annual AKB48 elections, in which fans trade yen for votes by buying AKB’s latest single, each copy of which contains one ballot used to vote for …Read more »
It was about a week and a half ago that two members of idol group AKB48 and one of the group’s staff members were attacked at a meet-and-greet handshake event, receiving cuts and fractures to their hands and fingers. Since then, more information has come …Read more »
The talents of AKB48 member Yui Yokoyama aren't restricted to the stage, studio, and screen. As it turns out, the young pop star can also tear it up in the wrestling ring. The smackdown occurred on a recent episode of Japanese comedy show Mecha Ike …Read more »
Anna Iriyama (left) and Rina Kawaei (right) In a piece of news so grisly and odd it sounds almost made up, it was reported Sunday two members of phenomenally successful idol group AKB48, plus one member of their staff, were seriously injured by a man …Read more »
Matt Schley
Jason Moses
Joseph Luster
