 While at Japan Expo A-To-J Connections was lucky enough to sit down with Linkstar's at Japan Expo LA and talk about their experiences in the US and their unique take on the idol music genre. Linkstar's is an idol group that debuted in 2013 and currently has four members. They specialize in strong performances that get their crowds hyped with their high energy singing and dancing!! Besides their activities as music artists, they also participate in various projects such as TV, film, and magazine appearances, both as a group and as individuals. Their performances at Japan Expo LA mark their first overseas debut. Their recent single "Linkstar" is available through various outlets in two versions. More links can be found at the end of the article. A-To-J: Thank you for the opportunity for the interview! Please introduce yourselves. Haru: I’m Linkstar’s oldest member, Haru Ootomo and my emblem is a ribbon! Nice to meet you. Arisa: I’m Arisa Matsunaga and my emblem is a star! Nice to meet you. Hinano: I’m Linkstar’s leader, Hinano Ayakawa. My emblem is a strawberry! My throat is a little hoarse but nice to meet you! Mana: My emblem is wings and I’m the youngest of the group, Mana Haneda! Nice to meet you. Linkstar's: We are Linkstar's! A-To-J: How are you liking it in America so far? Hinano: It's really cool! Haru: We've been enjoying ourselves! A-To-J: What did you like most about it here? Hinano: Everything! Haru: The food was really big! All of it was really tasty and yummy too! A-To-J: What is your favorite food here? Haru: We really liked the candy! A-To-J: Are there any music artists, Japanese or otherwise, you would like to collaborate with? Hinano: Taylor Swift! A-To-J: Can you tell us a little bit about your name “Linkstar’s” and the theme of Linkstar’s? Arisa: Its very free! Hinano: “Freestyle”! Arisa: Yes, “Freestyle”! (Nods) A-To-J: Can you tell us about your most recent work, music-wise? Such as your recent single or song? Arisa: We released our new single, “Linkstar” in June! Our group name is “Linkstar’s” and the CD title is “Linkstar” Hinano: A-type and B-type… theres two types! A-To-J: What is your favorite song in “Linkstar”? Hinano: “Linkstar”! (the title song) Arisa: It’s a masterpiece! The lyrics are great and you get happy and get positive power listening to this song.
A-To-J: What are your thoughts about performing here in the US? Haru: We were worried at first because of the language barrier… but we used body language and our smiles. It was very fun! Arisa: Everyone gets hyped easily, so if she say “fuu~!” everyone also says “fuu~!” It was a very fun first overseas live. Linkstar’s: Thank you very much! [For the fun live] A-To-J: Can you tell us how all of you came to become Linkstar’s? Haru: We formed 3 years ago… and she (Mana) is the newest member! Arisa: She joined in March and we kind of ended up together… yea! (Laughs) Hinano: We were brought together [by others]. We’re the chosen ones! (Points finger to the sky) A-To-J: Are you guys fans of anime? Hinano: (Raises hand) “Me”! A-To-J: Whats your favorite anime? Hinano: Rozen Maiden! A-To-J: Can you tell us more about your time here in LA? Arisa: Since the language is here is very different from Japan, we gesture a lot and it’s kind of exciting! A-To-J: What about the fans? How are they different than those in Japan? Haru: They are all very friendly! Hinano: Yes! They also all had a lot of energy and moved a lot! Haru: Yeah, in general all the US fans were very nice and we hope to be able to come back! A-To-J: Are you fans of any other idol groups? Arisa: Yea! A-To-J: Which ones? Arisa: Momoiro Clover Z! Haru: I like Passpo. Hinano: Me? I like myself! (Gestures a thumbs up) Mana: I like Morning Musume. A-To-J: Do you have any funny stories of when you were performing? Hinano: I was trying to do a somersault like move but… Haru: But she tripped! Bam! Hinano: Not really tripped, but I fell on my butt! Haru: We’ve also had times where we bumped into each other. A-To-J: Were you still able to perform okay after falling? Hinano: It hurt a lot! Arisa: Also, when we were performing, my mic flew out of my hands! Haru: And then her shoe flew off too! Arisa: It did!
A-To-J: Have you performed in other countries? Linkstar’s: No! A-To-J: Where would you like to perform overseas? Haru: France! Hinano: Yes! Haru: And… world tour!! Linkstar’s: Fuuu!! A-To-J: Where can we find more information about Linkstar’s? Hinano: Twitter! Arisa: We have an official Twitter account, please “follow me”! Hinano: @LINKS_OnAir! We also have LINE account, so you can message us! A-To-J: Can we message you and you’ll reply back? Haru: Yes! A-To-J: What are you plans after this? Haru: Since we'll still be here, we plan to go shopping and other fun things! Arisa: We'll also eat! A-To-J: Lastly, can you please give us a closing message. Haru: I’m very happy we were able to come to LA for the first time. We’re going to try hard to be able to come back, so please keep an eye on us! Arisa: We’ve never done lives outside of Japan but we were able to perform overseas for the first time. I’m very happy that we were able to come here to LA and do our first overseas live, it was fun! Thank you! Hinano: This was our first overseas live and we got to do it in LA! I was excited before we came here but I ended up with this voice (from her hoarse throat) and I’m disappointed! However, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed it here! “Very happy!” Thank you very much! Mana: We got to do our first overseas live in LA and I now love LA! Thank you very much! To find out more about Linstar's visit them at: Website: linkstar-s.com Twitter: twitter.com/LINKS_OnAir Blog: lineblog.me/linkstars The above interview was conducted by Manuel Figueroa with assistance by Molly Ring and filming by Eunice Wang. Post translation by Tiffany Fujii.  Linkstar 's- Linkstar
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What a year 2015 has been. There were so many highs, a few lows, and yes, so many idol songs. I would say this was a year that I stood a little apart from the whole AKB48/Nogizaka46 line and went towards other idol groups, and boy were there a lot of idol groups. The main reason why I want to write this article is because there are five idol songs released this year that all share a special story. Each song defines my 2015, and I am willing to tell you exactly why. If you want you can give all five of these songs a listen! Just make sure you can find a way around YouTube’s prohibition on Japanese pop music, because one out of these five is unavailable. [Editor's Note: This may be worked out in the future] No, this is not a “Top Five” list. Let me lay one important thing about this article: this is an idols only set. Unfortunately, that means no Kyary Pamyu Pamyu or Perfume on this list, which is a shame because I would definitely include “KISEKAE” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and “STAR TRAIN” by Perfume easily on this list…but without further ado, here are five idol songs that shaped my 2015. “Akiba Romance” – Hiiragi Rio  This year was the first time I visited the Japan Expo in Los Angeles. Despite the rather weak turnout, the event overall was a fun experience. The real star of the show was definitely the idol performances. From some up and coming acts (Linkstar’s, Roli Angels) to some more well known acts (Cheeky Parade), the idol performances as a whole were a sight to behold. Despite the variety, the best performance in my book was Hiiragi Rio. Let’s just say that she has an idol song that celebrates otaku and wota culture. The real hook behind the song is that it is one of the bounciest songs you will ever listen to. Even when Hiiragi Rio was performing this live, you couldn’t help but to rock back and forth during the chorus. Fortunately, this song was not blocked in the United States. Give it a try! “Halloween Night” – AKB48  Because I am an honest fan of AKB48, at least one of their singles had to be here. What better way than the Sousenkyo single for 2015? Let me tell you the story about this one. A few of my friends had a get together for the Sousenkyo election, as we counted down every member who ranked. Most of us wanted someone other than Sashihara Rino to take the crown, but she won in a completely dominating fashion. The night overall was fun and exciting, most especially due to the reactions we had over every entry. Fast forward to a few months later and the first performance of “Halloween Night” happens. At first it sounded a little weak and almost like a B-side, but like most AKB48 songs this one grew on me. This had a disco feel and I have a thing for 70’s disco. It even came with a dance routine! Of course, I jumped right on this and my friends and I filmed the routine to present to AKB48 management. It took several tries to get all of the steps, as this dance routine was not as easy as “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” or “Kokoro no Placard”. Unfortunately, the recent YouTube prohibition hit AKB48 the hardest, and nothing is available on AKB48’s official account to American fans. Looks like I may never see how the “Halloween Night” routine turned out… “Kimi ga Ite Boku ga Ita” – Rev. from DVL  Throughout 2014 and 2015, I heard rumors of some idol who was one who showed up “every 1000 years”. Of course, I grew kind of curious as to who this “Idol of 1000 Years” was. I found out it was a girl named Hashimoto Kanna, and that one image can give you that title. This was the first year I have one of Rev. from DVL’s songs a listen. I did like what I was listening to, and I will admit that Hashimoto Kanna was able to stand out in the music video. Let me just say that I did jump on the Hashimoto Kanna bandwagon and am not ashamed to have done so. I feel like the more I talk about Hashimoto Kanna, the more I am doing a disservice to the other idols in the lineup…but really, the only person whose aura resonates in my book is Hashimoto Kanna. She is more of an idol cyborg than Watanabe Mayu, and that’s saying something. Surprisingly, Rev. from DVL is not blocked on YouTube, so take a look. “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” – Nogizaka46  With Nogizaka46 receiving one of the biggest snubs on the NHK Kouhaku the previous year, they had to make a statement. With three releases throughout the year, a baseball-based comedy/drama, and a slew of new shows, Nogizaka46 was a lock for NHK Kouhaku this year. No scandals even got in the way this time. There was a reason why I picked “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” over the other two singles. I would say “Inochi wa Utsukushii” sounded powerful and a tad dark, and “Taiyou Knock” was bright and energetic. Then we get to this single, and basically everything that this song is used for makes you cry. This song was used for the animated film, The Anthem of the Heart. Even watching the trailer of the film makes you want to tear up! Then there’s the music video, which makes you tear up even more than that. I swear that a good chunk of singles Nishino Nanase centered for will probably make you want to tear up. There was “Kidzuitara Kataomoi”, and now there is this. Unfortunately with Nogizaka46, all of their main channel videos are blocked, and this was before the big YouTube prohibition. The good thing is that Sony Music Taiwan has the music video available. “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪” – SUPER☆GiRLS  2015 was a year where I expanded my knowledge of J-Pop groups and idol groups. There were plenty of groups I discovered this year alone, with Musubizm, Cheeky Parade, FES☆TIVE, and Keyakizaka46 to name a few. Then there was this group, SUPER☆GiRLS. How I discovered SUPER☆GiRLS involves a web show that I wanted to be a part of. On the web show “Basugasubakuhatsu the TV”, I wanted to be a guest host and watch some idol videos while giving commentary. One of the videos was “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪”, and I got hooked to this song once I heard it. I also found a SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right off the bat in Tanaka Mirei. Perhaps it was her smile or perhaps it was because she was an amazing center in this song. Either way, she became my SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right away, and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. I mean, I spent a good few weeks trying to find her photobook, and only found out that it has been out of print for a year…but I digress. The song itself was joyful and gave a very bright summer vibe whenever I played it. It also helped that 90% of the video is of the members in bikinis, so of course that got my attention. Keep in mind that the video posted below is not exactly safe for work. Basically, since the theme of the year was spreading knowledge away from 48 and 46, and towards other groups, no other song epitomized the theme of the year better than this one. These are the five songs that defined my entire 2015. What idol songs defined your 2015? Let me know in the comments below.
-Nathan (L4verra)  ©YouTube, LLC Since YouTube Red launched in the USA, we haven’t been able to practically any Hello! Project videos. Up-Front has finally come to an agreement with YouTube and accepted the terms to their satisfaction, which means that we can finally view videos in the USA again. This comes at a very opportune time, with the recent announcement of Morning Musume ’16 coming to Texas for a concert next year. YouTube has been one of the main sources of information for foreign fans for years, and it’s very reassuring to know that they have finally fixed the problem for American fans. Keep in mind, YouTube Red is slated to roll out to the rest of the world over the span of 2016, so it’s good that Up-Front solved the problem before the rest of the overseas (and even domestic) fans suffered from this problem. There is a slight catch though. Since they are actively working on getting everything up to speed again, all videos aren’t available. They are rolling out over time, with most Morning Musume ’15 and ANGERME videos already up. I suspect that within the next month we’ll see everything pop up and life will be back to normal for fans yet again. Not only that, this means that fans can start uploading covers and other creative work involving Hello! Project music yet again. I hope that other companies who have suffered from this problem are able to sort things out soon as well. If you’re in disbelief, check out the YouTube upload of Sukatto My Heart, Morning Musume ‘15’s most recent release, below. - Teepu
 ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. For those of you who are living here in America, you may remember the last two times Morning Musume delivered phenomenal performances here. The first time was in Los Angeles through Anime Expo in 2009 and the second time was in New York City (as Morning Musume ’14) in 2014. Well, guess what? They’re coming back!
Due to the success of the previous two events, they’ve just announced that they’ll be coming (as Morning Musume ’16) in 2016 to Houston, Texas. This time, they’ll be coming through Anime Matsuri, an anime convention, as the main guest. The convention itself will be taking place from February 26 (Friday) to February 28 (Sunday), 2016. Morning Musume ’16 will be holding a Q&A and Press Conference on February 26 and the concert itself will be on February 27. Entry will be granted to anybody who has a convention badge, and early access will be offered to anybody who holds the Superpass. Keep in mind that Superpass sales are limited to 300, so get them quickly while you can. This is an exciting time to be able to welcome Morning Musume back in America, and let’s make it the warmest welcome we can. Check out the links below for more information, and also to keep up to date as more details are released. - Teepu (Bowser05) Official Announcement From Up-Front Link: https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-morning-musume16-main-guest-of-the-convention-in-houston-anime-matsuri/977248849000699 Official Anime Matsuri Site: http://www.animematsuri.com/ Morning Musume ’16 Details from Anime Matsuri’s Site: http://www.animematsuri.com/guest/morning-musume/   Le Siana is a small idol group based out of Nara, who started their activities in October of 2012. The group currently has two singles and an album out and they just uploaded the music videos for their third single 「やまとなでシカ」 (“Yamato Nade Shika”) as well as their major debut single 「まほらば！」 (“Mahoraba!”) on December 2, 2015! Even though it is now December, やまとなでシカ definitely has an upbeat, summer-esque feel to it, as the girls are playfully running around a small creek shooting each other with water guns. The music video also shows them around the outside of the Todaiji Temple which is famous for its great number of deer living in its park. While やまとなでシカ an upbeat song, まほらば！has a much lighter and soft feel to it. The music video for this major debut single of theirs is a fairly simple, yet refreshing video. [Both videos can be found below] I would definitely recommend checking out Le Siana and keeping them on your to-watch list in the future to see them grow into a great unit! ~Eric All pictures from Le Siana's Twitter. For More Information: Official Website: http://lesiana.com/ Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeSiananara 「やまとなでシカ」 (“Yamato Nade Shika”) PV 「まほらば！」 (“Mahoraba!”) PV |
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