The Rebirth of BiS

Packed in tighter than you would be on a rush-hour train. Being over venue capacity is par for the course. The dancing and singing may suck but they give it their all.  Above all, the Researchers (what BiS fans are called) give all their love to the group on stage in the most violent way possible.  This is no ordinary idol live.  This is BiS.
満員電車よりぐいぐいな状態。キャパオバーが当たり前。歌もダンスもヘタクソでもステージに立って全力でライブを行う。研究員（ファンの呼び名）の行動が激しくても愛のある物で。これが普通なアイドル現場はじゃない。これがBiSです。

At this live I once again realized something, I love Bis.  I loved the BiS of before.  I really did love them, but then I just got tired of them.  This happened due to various reasons, but the biggest one was the fans themselves.  When I got into BiS, the fans were rough and violent but still had a certain respect for those around them.  When I gave up on BiS, it seemed as if the fans were being violent only to appeal to the girls themselves and there was no fun or purpose to their roughness. And because of that, I just sort of lost interest.
このライブで改めて思いました、BiSが好きです。前のBiSは好きでした。好きでしたが飽きてしまいました。飽きた理由は散々あるけど、一番の理由はファンでした。ファンの行動が回りをリスペクトする激しさから単なる自分をアピールする激しさになってしまいました。それがBiSから離れた理由でした。

The debut live held on September 4th, 2016 was different.  The atmosphere felt the same as it did when I first saw BiS perform live on a whim.  Watching fans rush up onto the stage during a certain song, I could really feel the love the fans had for the group.  This was merely their way of showing it.  And the thought that kept crossing my mind throughout the live was that these would be the Researchers to build the new BiS up from scratch into the group we all know it can be.  Now, I can’t say for certain that the Researchers I saw on that day will be the ones to carry BiS until the very end, but I still look forward to seeing where they go from here.
でも９月４日のライブは違いました。BiSを初めて見た現場と一緒な環境でした。押し合ってステージに乗りあがったファンの行動はまさにBiSを愛しているだと感じました。研究員がこれからの新BiSを作って行く気がしました。研究員が最後までその役目を果たせるかどうかはわからないけど、それが今回のお楽しみです。

You might be thinking it strange to talk about “until the end” at the group’s debut live, so let me explain a bit for those of you who are unfamiliar with the group.  The BiS of the path had a clear goal, and that goal was to make it to Budokan and then disband on that legendary stage.  Unfortunately, that dream was never realized, and instead they disbanded in the not completely sold out and even larger venue that is called Yokohama Arena. No clear goal has been stated yet, but one can assume the group wants to make it to Budokan this time once and for all.  There’s just one catch, Budokan is likely to undergo renovations in the near future to prepare it for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.  You better hurry girls!
「最後まで」をデビューライブに対して言うのはおかしいよと思っているあなたに説明します。前回のBiSはちゃんとした目標があって、それは武道館に立って解散することでした。残念ながら、武道館に立てず、より大きい横浜アリーナで満員ではない状態に解散してしまいました。今回の目標は公式に発表されてないが、おそらく武道館の再チャレンジになります。ただ、オリンピックに使われる武道館がリノベーションに入るのは間もなくです。急げBiS!

The set list was almost exactly as fans watching the audition process predicted.  One reason for this is the fact that this new BiS can only sing songs that were around prior to the previous group’s major debut.  Of course, that means there is a limited amount of songs to choose from.  Even if the song choices were predictable, they were all songs that get fans pumped up during the live.  You can see the set list on many different websites, but it will be written below the article for anyone not familiar with it.  There weren’t really any surprises, it was simply what you’d expect the debut set list of the new BiS to be.  Personally, I really wanted to see the group perform “Chelsea” and “Paprika,” but those songs are a little too high level for girls who just became members of the group one day prior. Hopefully I can see them performed sometime in the future.
セットリストはファンがオーディションの映像からほぼ予想した通りでした。新生BiSはBiSのメジャーになる前の曲しか歌えないため、曲数が限られています。限られているけど、全部ファンが盛り上がる曲です。セットリストはいろんな所に書いてありますが、念のため書いておきます。得に驚く曲もなく、当たり前な曲ばっかりでした。個人的に「Chelsea」と「パプリカ」が見たかったです。まあ、公演の前日になったメンバーにはレベルが高いですね。次回聞けるといいですね。

As for the chosen members, well… they are pretty much the definition of a BiS member.  BiS is presented as a group doing research into the world of idols, and they were never known for having good singers among their members. What this means is, we can look forward to seeing them get at least a little better in their time in the group. As I previously stated, their dancing and singing sucked as much as you would expect from BiS, but their personalities were spot on. The group has always given its members interesting stage names, and fans knew that part of the live would be devoted to revealing these names.  And they weren’t disappointed.  Part of each girl’s name seems to have been taken from nicknames given by fans while watching the audition and most of the names are easy to remember.  Of course, they had to stick one of the girls with a sort-of complicated name, but even hers will get remembered more and more each time she steps onto stage. Take a look at the names below.
メンバーになった子は。。。まあ、ある意味BiSらしい子です。もともと歌がうまいグループとして知られていないし、アイドルを研究するグループという設定でこれからスキルが少しは上がるかもしれません。歌もダンスもBiSらしく下手でしたが、キャラ作りはばっちりでした。芸名が面白いグループなので名前の発表は期待していました。その期待は裏切らなかったです。一部の名前はオーディションの時にファンが作ったあだ名からとって、頭から抜けない名前になっています。一人だけがややこしくて覚えづらいですが、ステージに上がるたびに覚えるような気もします。名前は以下の通りになっています。
 
日本語                                                    英語
キカ・フロント・フロンタール                        Kika Front Frontalle

• 合宿（マイナ・ジ・エンド）                        Audition (Maina the End)

ゴ・ジーラ                                                Go Zeela

• 合宿（ヨコヤマヒナ）                            　Audition: (Yokoyama Hina)

ペリ・ウブ                                                Peri Ubu

• 合宿（ナガヤマユキコ ）                         Audition: (Nagayama Yukiko)            

アヤ・エイトプリンス                                  Aya Eight Prince

• 合宿（コショージメグム）                　　　　Audition: (Koshoji Megumu)

プー・ルイ                                                Pour Lui
 
I’d like to talk a bit about where these names came from.  Be aware, this is information I got from the audition live stream and fans’ own tweets regarding the girls, so some of it may be inaccurate as it has simply been gathered together.　Kika’s name likely comes from the fact that she lives in Kawasaki and the Kawasaki Futsal team’s name is the “Kawasake Frontails.” Go Jeera became Go Jeera because fan’s noticed her dancing way in the back of everyone on the first day of the audition wearing a Godzilla t-shirt.  Fans were intrigued by this, in her own words, “dark horse.” Some fans have speculated that Peri’s name comes from a post-punk band called “Peru Ubu” and Aya is from the city of Hachiouji.  Throughout the auditions he was called Hachiouji by fans and from there her name arose.  Hachi = Eight and Ouji=Prince. Aya is likely her real name.  Pour Lui has simply always been Pour Lui.
名前の由来についてなんですが、情報をオーディションの映像とファンのTweetなどからとって、ここにまとめます。情報は集めた物で間違っているところもあるかもしれません。キカの名前は川崎に住んでいる、川崎のfutsalチームの名前が川崎フロンターレからとっているかもしれません。ゴ・ジーラはオーディション初日ゴジラのTシャツを着て、ファンが後ろの方に踊ってるゴジラに興味を持ちました。彼女自身はダークホースになりたかったそうです。ペリはファンの間にポストパンクバンドのペル・ウブからとっているじゃなかいと考えられます。アヤは八王子に住んでいることで八=eightと王子=princeを使って、作りました。アヤは本名と考えられます。プ・ルイは前々からの名前で決定しました。

I’d like to give you all a bit more info about Peri Ubu.  Before the audition, all girls were stated as being “18 years old” and that setting seems to be continuing even know that the group is formed.  However, Peri is likely the only real teenager of the group.  There is a possibility that other members (excluding Pour Lui, whom we all know is not under 20) are under the legal age of adulthood in Japan, which happens to be 20 years old.  But, we know for sure that Peri is the only member under 18 years old.  Why, you may ask?  Well, she was very noticeably absent from any audition footage that took place after 10 pm (when school is not in session this is the absolute latest a 16-17 year old can be working) and was then absent from a late night program held a couple of days after the group’s reveal and first live.  From what little information they had, fans put on their detective hat’s and got to work.  From their research, they were able to gather that she was in an underground idol group called Attain Music in Nagoya for a short period of time and went by the name of Utatano Soyulu before moving to Tokyo.  Her age apparently, 16.  That’s right, she is likely the youngest member that BiS has ever had or will ever have in the future. You can take a look at the blog below if you want to see the adorable 16 year old Peri Ubu for yourself.
ペリ・ウブについてプチ情報もあります。新生BiSの設定はみんなが１８歳ですが、ペリがグループの唯一のリアル１０代かもしれません。他のメンバー（プ・ルイを除く）にもしかして日本法律の上ではまだ大人になっていない（２０歳以下ということ）ですが、ペリだけが１８歳未満であることは確定です。なぜなら、オーディションの時は１０時以降の練習はでなくて、決定してからの夜番組にも出演していません。ファンが調べたところで、ペリは短い間ですが名古屋の地下アイドルグループAttain Musicに所属していました。その時の名前は雨汰々野 そゆる(utatano soyulu)でした。年齢は１６歳です。BiSの歴史上の最年少になると思います。以下のブログをご自身でペリ・ウブのかわいい１６歳の存在をご確認してください。

http://ameblo.jp/attainmusic/entry-12152646677.html
As any of you who watched the NicoNico live broadcast are aware, she is a huge crybaby.  And this crybaby’s growth may be what Researchers are looking forward to the most. I know I am.
ニコ生をご覧になった方がわかると思いますが、相当な泣き虫です。この子の成長が研究員が一番楽しめるポイントになります。私もそうです。
 
If I were to give this live a rating out of five stars, I’d have to give it ★★★★☆. Now, if you were to ask why I didn’t give it five stars, the answer is simple: I don’t want to give BiS five stars at the very beginning of their run.  That’s all.
五つ星のなかから評価を付けることだったら、★★★★☆を上げます。万星にしない理由はBiSを最初から五つ星を付けたくないです。ただそれだけです。

After the main live finished, three girls from the losing team of the audition stormed onto the stage without permission.  For now, they are calling themselves SiS and they refuse to give up so easily. BiS will continue to be produced and managed by the man known as JunJun to fans (real name: Watanabe Junnosuke) and SiS will be produced as a rival group to BiS by another member of Tsubasa Records named Mr. Shimizu. The very fact that a group like SiS exists when in reality they shouldn’t is very BiS-like. SiS will hold a live in the same venue this new BiS debuted in on September 25.  They will be stuck in this packed live house.  BiS themselves will be performing on stage at the much larger venue of Makuhari Messe as part of the @Jam festival on the September 24. For both groups, the fact that they exist in rivalry with one another is likely to play a big role in pushing them to do their best.
ライブが終わったら、オーディションの負け組の３人のSiS（仮）が勝手にステージに上がりました。BiSは愛称ジュンジュンの渡辺にプロデュースされますが、SiSは違います。SiSは公式ライバルとして同じ会社の清水さんにプロデュースされるそうです。存在されるはずのないSiSの存在もBiSらしいです。SiSもBiSが当日使った会場でライブをするのが発表されました。日程は９月２５日です。BiSはその前日の２４日に幕張メッセで行われる＠Jamの大きいなステージに立って、公式ライバルがギュウギュウなライブハウスに立ちます。ライバルがいることは両グループの支えになるかもしれません。
 
If you want to know more about BiS and their activities in the future, take a look at their official homepage.  If you take a look, you’ll notice that activities are being added one after another at an alarming rate. I guess that means that this BiS is not one you should look away from.
BiSのこれからの活動はホームページを見ると予定が続々と増えています。これからのBiSを見逃しなくということですね。

-Rin Rigoni

For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.brandnewidolsociety.org/top.html
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BiSidol/