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nxmuzluv · 8 months

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THE FIRST SINGLE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

“GIRLS DON’T CRY” is the debut single by CHOUKA AIKAWA. Released on April 5th, 2024, the song went on to top charts in various countries. Hailed as one of the best debuts of 2024, critics and fans alike fell in love with the song’s “girlish” and carefree production, and praised how Chouka stayed so true to her hyperfeminine, “princesscore” image. The song’s success as caused critics to name her as a pop girl on the rise.

TRACKLIST … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

GIRLS DON’T CRY ! LEAD SINGLE

CAKE ! B-SIDE

GIRLS DON’T CRY (SPED UP)

PHOTOCARDS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Highly praised for its sound and how it fit Chouka’s style, “Girls Don’t Cry” was a resounding success. The music video’s teaser, which was released with no prior notice onto a completely new YouTube channel (“c.a.”) with no previous content (it was later turned into a channel for all of Chouka’s music related endeavors), garnered over 3.2 million views within its first twenty-four hours after Chouka posted it to her Twitter and Instagram accounts. The single’s title was revealed on both platforms an hour later, coinciding with the launch of her official website, which displayed the title alongside a countdown timer.

The song received over 400,000 pre-saves, and the title was trending on Twitter with over a million Tweets. Shortly before “Girls Don’t Cry” dropped, Chouka’s website was updated with the single’s cover, and she posted behind the scenes photos of her on its set, which received over two million likes within the first day.

Upon the song’s release, it was a smash hit. The music video garnered 32 million views within its first 24 hours, finding itself at #1 on YouTube’s trending page, and topping both the Spotify and Apple Music charts. It went on to become the second most streamed song on Spotify in regards to first day streams. “Girls Don’t Cry” topped charts in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines (it also managed to remain atop the Oricon chart for seven weeks).

Surprisingly enough, “Girls Don’t Cry” would debut at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with sales of over 200,00 units, despite industry insiders predicting a Top 20 debut; probably due to the song’s immense popularity online. Unfortunately, it would never reach #1, falling to #7 after five weeks and staying there for two until falling off, but Rosettes were still happy to see that Chouka’s debut managed to get that high. In total, the single would sell over 850,000 units within its first week, cracking a million by the end of April.

Additionally, the song was also praised for its lyricism and feminist commentary on how women who are seen as “strong” or “smart” are not allowed to cry or display negative emotions and are expected to act as role models, while women who appear as if they have everything are told to “just deal with it” and that they have “nothing to be upset about.” Many Rosettes (and critics) were also surprised to find out that Chouka had written most of the lyrics, as she never expressed interest in songwriting before.

“Cake” was released as a single a month later, on May 3rd, 2024. Although the music video received over 11 million views within its first twenty-four hours, Rosettes were … a bit divided. It seemed like none of them could figure out whether they liked the song or not, with certain Tweets saying …

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ y’all are just HATERS ! like y’all have truly forgotten what real pop music sounds like bc cake is a hit idc ! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ chouka girl with all due respect i think letting a major label get a hold of you was a mistake ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ no bc this is girly girl music ! it’s cute it’s fun it’s bouncy and it’s so HER ! chouka bby get behind me PUT DOWN THE HATERADE NOWWWW !! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ #notmychouka girl why does this sound so EMPTY ??? republic needs to pay for their crimes bc ….. ”

Despite the confusion, “Cake” also went on to top charts. It also debuted atop the Apple Music chart, and came in second beneath “Girls Don’t Cry” on Spotify. It managed to debut at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, although Rosettes were gunning for a higher placement (it was definitely because they couldn’t stop beefing with each other). The song remained on the chart for two weeks (managing to jump to #5 during its second), before completely falling off the Top Ten.

Luckily, more retrospective reviews shows that Rosettes have warmed up to “Cake,” saying that it fit the aesthetic of the lead single. Everyone loved the “sugar sweet” concept that Chouka had going on, and expressed pleasant surprise that her try at a music career was going so well.

STYLING … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

ERA HIGHLIGHTS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Definitely a fun era! Republic was truly pushing this single and girl, it showed. There were billboards playing her music video (Rosettes in New York even crowded around one when it first launched), ads plastered all across YouTube, “Girls Don’t Cry” was all over the radio, and it was the most popular song on TikTok for a good month.

The promotions were insane! Chouka was all over television this era. She was on the Kelly Clarkson Show (which was too cute! Like Kelly literally complimented her accent), she was on Jimmy Fallon, she was on GMA … like you truly could not escape her! She also had a photoshoot with Harper’s Bazaar and people ate it up! It was very Marie Antoinette themed with huge dresses, pastries, and of course, it was shot at a chateau in France!

And of course she had to promote in Japan! Chouka performed both “Girls Don’t Cry” and “Cake” on Music Station, and no one expected either song to have choreography. But the choreo was so cute, and especially for “Girls Don’t Cry!” Like you could truly tell that Chouka was having a blast, and everyone was so surprised at her stage presence because she’s literally a YouTuber. She also held a press conference in Tokyo, and she even got to visit a pop-up event held by Rosettes at a café in her hometown, Kyoto! It was the cutest thing to see her interacting with her fans, and she thanked them at least five times.

Chouka managed to squeeze in Korean promotions, as well! She performed both of her singles on M Countdown, Inkigayo, and The Show, and she was even on Weekly Idol! She held a small fansign for 200 fans who participated in the pre-order and received a “mystery ticket” with their album, and it was so cute! Chouka was cracking jokes with them and receiving SO many gifts (most of which were either pink or ridiculously expensive; she got a lot of bouquets, too!). Her Korean promos even saw the birth of her first fansite, Strawberry Sweet! She also appeared on the cover of Vogue Korea, and after that, Korean promotions ended unfortunately.

Side note, every performance of “Girls Don’t Cry” started with a costume change! It was usually Chouka tearing off a huge ball gown like skirt to reveal her shorter costume underneath, and her performance on M Countdown was literally her playing a princess getting ready for a ball. There was also a lot of ribbons, platform heels, and satin gloves used styling wise, and Chouka’s makeup was always so soft and pink!

Although she didn’t have enough songs to perform a full set, Chouka attended Coachella anyways and met a bunch of Rosettes! Jason (her fiancé) also tagged along, so fans got to meet him, too! Fashion girls were all over her festival looks too … being raised in Milan truly did wonders for her fashion sense.

Girl, the way the “#GirlsDontCryChallenge” blew up on TikTok is insane. The song had over a million videos underneath it by the start of June, and Chouka was doing it with celebs like Kelly, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, the members of Aespa, the members of Itzy, Rosé of BLACKPINK, Nayeon and Momo from TWICE, Yuju, the members of Viviz, and a few members of Stray Kids and NCT; among others! Chouka also did the challenge with Leeseo, Rei, and Wonyoung of IVE, and the way Dives and Rosettes were across every social media app absolutely freaking out that Chouka and Wonyoung were the same room was truly crazy.

Towards the end of promotions, a full length documentary covering the making of “Girls Don’t Cry,” the music videos, and the subsequent performances premiered on YouTube. It was a mix of professional camera shots and footage personally shot by Chouka herself, which was refreshing since Rosettes got to see a sillier side to her personality. The documentary garnered over 3 million views within the first twenty-four hours, and would end up at #5 on YouTube’s trending page.

At the end of promos, Chouka posted a long, heartfelt letter to her Instagram thanking fans for their support and expressing how surprised she was at the single’s success. She wrote, “I know that you guys have been waiting three years for me to try my hand at music, and words cannot express how happy I am that it was worth the wait. Over these last few months, you all have shown me so much love, and just thinking about it is moving me to tears as I write this! I promise that I’ll repay your support tenfold. You guys truly mean the world to me, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it weren’t for you. You are truly my other half, even if I unfortunately don’t know you personally (don’t tell Jason I said that). I hope and pray that one day, I’ll be able to meet every single one of you from around the whole world in person, and tell you just how much you mean to me. Until next time, my loves. Ti amo sempre e per sempre. Ciao ciao. ♡”

Additionally, there was also a remix planned with PinkPantheress, but unfortunately, plans ended up falling through because Chouka simply … didn’t want to do it. However, Rosettes ended up finding out about the planned collab, and demand for it was huge. So the remix could happen in the future! Who knows.

All in all, this era was great. It truly showed how much untapped star power Chouka had, and the numbers proved it. It reinforced her “It girl” status, showing that no matter what industry she tried her hand at, she would still dominate. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

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shenrickyz · 8 days

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ARE YOU READY SPACE CADET 𖤐 ᵎ

setting 1 2 3 🪐 ─── WELCOME SPACE CADET to your new intergalactic journey! now i know it might all seem intimidating at first glance but i swear you'll get the hang of it! are you ready to save the neighboring galaxies from impending doom? .. okay.. maybe i overdid it, i'll take it easy on you, newbie things and all. you will be joining the intergalactic space team STARLIGHT CRUSH! cute name right? now don't worry about the members or if they look like they wanna kill you or if they try to punch each other in the face, it's their way of showing off their affection! woo.. okay, enough of my talking, you are now . . . CADET #094

time to blast off 🚀 ! ─── STARLIGHT CRUSH! ( スターライトクラッシュ) is a currently inactive japanese girl group debuted in 2002 by KANNEZAWA NANAMI as apart of record label gekkō collective! consisted of four very dedicated space cadets, the group rose to prominence in the early to mid 2000s for their unique concept. fighting off alien invasions and saving neighboring galaxies with their catchy tunes. the quartet, consisting of: HIMENO EIMI, NOSAKA YUINA, ASAO RYŌKA, and MAEDA HIMIKO dominated their time as a group. they carried presences that completely destroyed everyone around them, they all might seem intimidating at first glance, but they can all be harmless, just don't steal their accessories or they'll make sure it turns physical.

the group made their formal debut on march 22 2002 with the mini album ‘THE FIRST LAUNCH!’ and the single ‘LOVE REVOLUTION!’, making quite the name for themselves the moment they stepped into that studio. the girls knew what they had to do, and they did it effortlessly. having no sign of a graduation system or even signs of a contract ending in the next decade, they continued their years long journey of success, saving the neighboring galaxies with their irresistible dance tunes, wielding the stars in their palms. over the course of almost two decades, the group held their spot on the oricon charts, just up until their announced hiatus in 2021, just a year before their 20th anniversary.

now let's meet your fellow space cadets! you're going to be stuck with them in the endless void of space either way!!! am i making this better? i definitely do think i am, this is how i introduce all the newbies! so anyway CADET 094! do you think you're ready to take the challenge? will you chicken out? i can only wish you the best of luck!

WELCOME CADET 078 !

IF you know EIMI in real life, you probably either hate her or can't even comprehend that someone with such a thought process can exist. it's a well known fact that she isn't exactly the easiest to get along with, there's no single strand of hair on her head unturned, no part of her face wrinkled, not one piece of cloth left unironed, but of course, not everyone is perfect.

It was a breezy evening in November 1981 when Himeno Eimi was born to your regular working class family in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. Life wasn't exactly terrible, it wasn't bad. Dad and mom kept smiles up enough that everything seemed fine, her younger siblings were annoying and insanely nitpicky, but she didn't exactly mind. She focused on school, trying to find her calling, trying to be something more. It wasn't fame that immediately appealed to her, it was more of.. being something. Her mother was unhappy with her life, she'd always wanted to be something more, so maybe she could be that something for her.

The idol life was never meant to be it, but as said by one of her teachers, she seemed to ‘have a face for fame’. Eimi really had no idea what she was doing when she took the long train ride from her hometown to Tokyo in May 1998, but she was given an opportunity, one she couldn't waste. Did you think this was the idol audition? So soon? Oh no! She auditioned for this cute little show named LOVE+ that totally stayed a cute little show (it actually became a national sensation), and in the blink of an eye, she was a national superstar. Apparently, she indeed did ‘have the face for fame’ as she suddenly was plastered everywhere, billboards, magazine covers, lotion bottles, you really couldn't escape her face.

Eimi played the ‘innocent actress’ role terrifically, guess she did get the job done. She charmed everyone, her male costars, interviewers, the people of Japan, even people outside of Japan themselves. She was a cultural phenomenon, even if she felt a bit undeserving of the iconography. She didn't know how to talk to anyone after the persona shut off, when she went back home after a long days worth of plastic smiles, she had no idea what to do. She still felt as if something was missing, even with the added fame.

The fame would come in the form of idolatry. You see, after she starred in the musical A Summers Rain in 2000, people learned she could sing, but only the right people decided to take advantage of a certain fact. She would be reached out to by Gekkō collective! and asked to audition for their upcoming group. She decided that it would be better to change up the scenery a bit, so she turned down upcoming acting jobs to audition for this 'weird group'. Well, you know how the story goes, she passed with flying colors! She was then placed in a dormitory with three other strangers until her eventual debut in 2002.

Now if you were to ask Eimi, she doesn't prefer either idoling over acting and vice versa, but if you know Eimi, she's also a huge liar. It was clear that, between singing and dancing on stage, in comparison to acting in cheesy romantic comedies, there was one she was particularly passionate for. It isn't to say her time in the group was perfect, because.. well, what would we be talking about if it was? We're here to talk about these girls weird lives!

Having been chosen as leader, Eimi was pretty condescending towards her members for her time in the group. She was probably over confident, she fought with everyone over stupid things such as curling irons, misplaced clothes, and stolen accessories. She was hard to get to on an emotional level if it didn't include her being drunk, she wasn't exactly the biggest partier of the group, but it didn't mean she wasn't getting up to things with other people, even if she's only ever harbored feelings for one certain person.

Eimi never really liked her fellow male idols, she was once called out by an interviewer for her ‘strange friendships with her fellow female idols’ and it really made her overthink everything about herself. Under the idol spotlight, the only way she got to explore her sexuality was barely under the watchful eye of crazy people. She could play the part on screen, but in real life? Oh she really had no idea if she liked men at all. She only survived through her whole sexuality crisis was.. and you better believe me, having a borderline relationship full of hate sex with her groupmate. She swears she doesn't like Yuina like that, no, she never liked her that. They fought about literally everything, they only liked each other for sex, there was never anything more there.

..but you should probably take those words with a grain of salt, because she still believes her feelings are unrequited. She never talks about it, and don't ask her about it, she has fists, she'll throw a fucking punch. All that aside, Eimi is a boss, so maybe don't cross her, and remember, don't stare for too long! The beauty will cause for your brain to melt!

｡。the profile !

BIRTH NAME HIMENO EIMI ( 姫野えいみ )

DATE OF BIRTH NOVEMBER 29, 1981

PLACE OF BIRTH MORIOKA, IWATE, JAPAN

NATIONALITY JAPANESE

ETHNICITY JAPANESE

HEIGHT 165 CM ( 5'5 )

BLOOD TYPE B

PORTRAYED BY NAKAMA YUKIE

WELCOME CADET 029 !

YOU can easily describe YUINA as a partier, but she is also so much more than that. she's a listener, she remembers everyone, she's always there as a readily available shoulder, she'll be a voice for you if you can't find your own. though on most cases she's hard to get through, in times of vulnerability, she's always there.

With snow decorating the ground a pure, clean white, Nosaka Yuina was born in February 1982 in a broken home nestled in Utsunomiya. Luck was never really on her side it seemed, and it seems that luck never shows up when it's meant to. Dad and mom never liked each other enough to get married, they only liked each other because they both had something they wanted from the other, it was never meant to be children, but then they forgot to wear protection once.. hence, Yuina. Unfortunately this dynamic would come to foreshadow most of her future relationships, but we really aren't there yet.

Dad left and never looked back, so ultimately, her mom was all she had left, but it wasn't exactly the best thing in the world. Her mother was suffering with a terrible alcohol addiction, an addiction that shaped most of Yuina's childhood. Her mother wasn't around, not in a present sense anyway, she got used to the mundane days where she would be passed out on the couch, she got used to staying at school until five in the afternoon because her mother forgot she even had her. She got used to do doing things herself, she got used to making excuses for her mother when she knew all too well what was happening with her.

The desire to be an idol came from the desire to be seen. She had gotten into music after her music teacher had let her borrow a guitar, performing was the only thing she could think of which would make it all better. She found comfort in her many anime posters and Akina Nakamori songs, music was her coping mechanism when her mother stayed passed out on the couch late into the night. Yuina let the music comfort her until she would find herself old enough to cop a shot in the music industry.

Yuina would be the first member of the group to audition at Gekkō collective! in 1998. She hopped on the train with her mom knowing absolutely nothing of it, not that her mind was even in the right, she probably lost her memory at that point. She auditioned with one of her favorite songs ever “Haru No Arashi” by Taeko Onuki, and passed with flying colors. Out of her mother's house and all the way in Tokyo, her life got a little better. She spent her days in school, then her evenings endlessly in the studio. She mostly got along with her two other members, but then there was Eimi, they could just never find common ground.

The debut in 2002 brought the desire to be known, she easily outweighed her members in terms of popularity, and the whole time, her mother remained oblivious. There were times when, even with the added fame, she couldn't help but want her attention in comparison to everyone else's. Getting ignored by her own mother, the one person who shouldn't have been ignoring her at all, really put a stain on everything in her life that should've been perfect. Her mother still had a larger attachment to the alcohol than she did to her.

So Yuina began slowly picking up her habits. Spending nights endlessly drinking at parties with people who loved her. People loved her. It made up for her mother's lack of love or attention (it really didn't, she just pretended it did). She was the life of the party, everybody loved her. She could get through to anyone if there was enough drinking involved, the bonds she made while drunk seemed much more real than the ones she was forced to make when sober.

The consistent drinking didn't stay the norm for long, but the sex did.. well, with only one person anyway. Yuina could never describe what it was that caused for her and Eimi's relationship to become what it was, maybe she still feels something for her, but it'll all probably come to nothing anyway. They would either fight till one of them lost their voice, or one of them would shout so loud the other would cry. When they had their soft moments, they had their soft moments, but those were incredibly rare. They don't talk about what they are, Yuina definitely strays away when conversation comes up.

Yuina is one of the more understanding members. She can seem scary to approach, but she will genuinely try when it comes to anyone. The members (though Eimi is still a strange case) can always go to her for something, and even with their extended inactivity, she's around if they need her. She has questionable feelings about the idol industry, but for now, she's content in her place.

｡。the profile !

BIRTH NAME NOSAKA YUINA ( 野坂ゆいな )

DATE OF BIRTH FEBRUARY 19, 1982

PLACE OF BIRTH UTSUNOMIYA, TOCHIGI, JAPAN

NATIONALITY JAPANESE

ETHNICITY JAPANESE

HEIGHT 169 CM ( 5'6 )

BLOOD TYPE AB

PORTRAYED BY AMURO NAMIE

WELCOME CADET 041 !

IT'S pretty clear that the only reason the group has lasted so long is because RYŌKA kept their reputation from bursting into flames. she holds the moral high ground in comparison to the rest of the members, she could even be considered the actual leader of the group. she's clearly the easiest one to talk to, a rule follower through and through.

Born to clearly leave a mark on the world, Asao Ryōka was born in July 1983 in the busy Shibuya City. She was the heart of her family, at the center of it all, she was their golden child. From a young age she had a passion for dance, eager to pursue the types of dancing her older brothers found themselves interested in. She begged for her parents to let her get the same lessons, but she wasn't allowed to do hip hop like them.. it put her in a terrible place growing up, she thought she didn't have the potential to excel like they did.

But she could do something else with her time.. ballet! Yeah, not exactly the most exciting thing in the world. Ryōka wasn't as into ballet as her parents wanted her to be, but pressure has it's way of getting to people. She joined this crazy ballet academy that totally fucked her up for the rest of her life, though she found ballet enjoyable in certain aspects, she struggled.. a lot. She had terrible teachers, classmates, and developed an eating disorder barely four years into the dance.

Ryōka stayed in ballet for a good five years, but then she was pulled out of it by her older brothers when they noticed her deteriorating mental health. She thanks them for that every single day, she probably would've taken her own life if they didn't go against their parents wishes and take her out of ballet. Though she was out of ballet, she didn't stop with her love of dance. She still wouldn't be able to enroll into the dance lessons her brother was doing, but she could get into music. She mastered the piano, then when she was done with that she mastered the violin, then the guitar, then before she knew it, there were a ton of instruments up her sleeve.

She never thought being an idol was possible with the way her parents monitored her life, they didn't even let her practice dance styles they didn't seem "feminine", how was she going to convince them to let her sing and dance on a stage? They wouldn't even think she was worth such a thing, they never directly said it, but it's obvious they never expected for her to be the most successful of all three of their kids.

Despite having said to possess no potential, Ryōka wouldn't exactly give up so easily. She began taking vocal classes without her parents' knowledge, then she began taking dance classes without their knowledge, it's not like she was preparing for her future idol life, she simply just found herself interested in the whole thing. There was no way she was going to become an idol without her parents knowing, so she just let the dream fester at the back of her mind. She pretended she didn't dream of the big stages as her parents continued their utterances about her getting into medical school.

But of course, you know how the story goes. In 1999, without her parents knowing, Ryōka decided to enter a singing competition held by this company called Gekkō collective!, which was being held in Shinjuku City. With her parents assuming she was at one of her many extracurriculars, she placed second in the competition, right behind one of her future members. She was then offered the opportunity to join Gekkō collective!, and by proxy, the opportunity to debut in their upcoming group.

And again, she kept it all under wraps. Her parents knew absolutely nothing of her 'new' extracurricular activity. Considering she lived in Tokyo, it was easy to go to the label every day without suspicion. Life was barely steady, as having to keep up appearances with her parents, then also manage school, then also continuously training to become an idol, the stress almost completely got to her, but she managed. She managed for the next three years until her debut, still somehow able to keep it from his parents.

Her parents only found out in 2002.. the year of her debut, and they weren't exactly happy. They completely ridiculed her after her debut stage, embarrassing her in front of her fellow members and leaving her in tears. She would slowly cease communication with her parents over the years, but she pretended it all didn't matter, she simply put on smiles and went on.

Her debut with STARLIGHT CRUSH! brought her responsibility she didn't exactly expect, keeping all of the members out of trouble. You could call her the actual leader of the group, she was the one making sure the other three kept their hair out of the news. Eimi and Yuina would spend nights partying or were caught out at shitty motels, and Himiko was found smoking so many times there more concern for her lungs than there was outrage. Ryōka quite literally became the only member without scandal, she was their saving grace, the groups moral high ground, their real leader. She accepted the awards, remembered every one of their slogans, and gave all the important speeches.

But even with that, Ryōka still had her fair share of issues. She was just too nice, it was another dating rumor every week because she was simply magnetic. She could be friends with anyone, which got her a lot of flack because of her barrage of male idol friends. She pretended she didn't mind, but it all really got to her head. She worked hard as an idol, she got many endorsements because, in her managers words, her face was ‘to die for’. There wasn't a day before 2021 that she didn't work 24/7, it was simply idoling all day for Ryōka, she would have to be forced into breaks by her fellow members or her managers because she just couldn't stop herself, she felt she needed to prove she deserved the fame to everyone, if not her own parents.

She then sunk back into an unhealthy eating habits, her body image slowly becoming more and more distorted as time went on. Ryōka pretty much became a shadow of her former self as time went on, she didn't exactly like how she looked, and it all circled back into her feeling insecure over her weight. People always commented on her body, and it got to the point that she began skipping meals much more frequently, feigning ignorance to her members.

Again, she never gave herself a proper break until she was forced to. Up until the groups ‘long hiatus’, she was the most consistent member in terms of activity. She finally stopped her lifelong working obsession and sat back to do absolutely nothing. Ever since the group initially went inactive in 2021, Ryōka has been seen less and less by people of the public. She went from being the most active member, to being the member who people can barely even find. She's since gotten therapy, and she's considering leaving the idol industry altogether, but for now, it's all up in the air.

｡。the profile !

BIRTH NAME ASAO RYŌKA ( 浅尾リョカ )

DATE OF BIRTH JULY 17, 1983

PLACE OF BIRTH SHIBUYA CITY, TOKYO, JAPAN

NATIONALITY JAPANESE

ETHNICITY JAPANESE

HEIGHT 171 CM ( 5'7 )

BLOOD TYPE A

PORTRAYED BY IIDA KAORI

WELCOME CADET 015 !

THE lengths at which one has to go to get through to HIMIKO are a challenge, and it's even an enigma as to how she managed in the group when she could've easily gone solo as she desired. there's a lot she could say, but she keeps it in the recesses of her mind as to not cause conflict, the last time that happened.. well the group almost fell apart.

With fate practically carving a path out for her, Maeda Himiko was born in August 1983 in a small town named Inuyama. From the beginning it was difficult, there was no sight of a father figure, and though her mother tried her best, she could never just take care of her on her own income. She again moved in with her parents and had them raise her as she spent her days working several odd jobs to provide for her daughter. The first thing Himiko ever noted about her mother was that she was.. struggling, whether physical or mental, there was always something there making sure she didn't succeed.

Growing up alongside her grandparents in her mother’s childhood home, Himiko learned of her first real passion, music. Before she met that pathetic excuse of a man, before adulthood settled and responsibilities gripped her by the throat, she wanted to be a musician. Singing, singing brought her joy, singing brought her a sense of solace nothing else really could, and naturally, like mother like daughter. Himiko took up her passion as if it was passed down to her, busying herself rereading the song lyrics her mother had scribbled into her old middle school journals, then rewriting them and bringing them to life with her guitar.

She learned how to teach herself her own endeavors, beginning with covers of citypop songs, which then became her own voice over original instrumentals. She became infatuated with her mother's former passion, pretty much obsessed with the idea of becoming a singer, to be the one who would be able to live out her dream. She felt guilty in a way.. it was her fault her mother couldn't become a singer, so she felt she had to become one for her.

The efforts would be strained for a while, mostly because her mother was afraid of what she would face if she tried to enter the music industry. Himiko didn't want to be held back, though, she would persevere with her dream of becoming a musician and she would make her mother proud (she had already done that with her perseverance, she just had no idea). She had no idea how she was going to do it, she just knew she was going to do it. Maybe if music didn't work out, she would simply give it and get on with something else, but until she knew, she wouldn't give up.

The time would eventually come, when, in 1999, Himiko entered a singing competition being held by Gekkō collective!. In a feat that wasn't completely planned, she placed first, even if her sixteen year old jitteriness made her seem a bit off in comparison to the rest of her much more exuberant competitors. After winning a cash prize, she was offered an exclusive opportunity, one that would make all of her dreams come true. She could become a solo artist in the following year, she could make her mother proud.

..but for some reason, Himiko felt as if something else was up. She used the excuse of wanting to finish her studies as use to wait for a few more years, being an idol whilst also trying to manage high school would be hell, so she decided to wait until she finished to attempt her break in the music industry. Again, she wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to be alone in that break, even if it meant being stuck with three other strangers.

So when her debut finally rolled around in 2002, it also rolled around with some terrible news. Only two months prior her mother had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which put her in a tough spot for beginning promotions, it also put her in a tough spot with her members. She was the least introverted of everyone, she preferred her alone time, Ryōka and Yuina tried to reach out, even Eimi tried to reach out on occasions! But she kept most of everything to herself. She spent her time with her headphones on, volume blasting, jotting down lyrics in her journal.

Her mother had passed away the following year, and it sent Himiko down a spiral she doesn't know if she'll ever truly recover from. The fast paced idol life paired with the complications of grief were a terrible mix, so smoking came into everything. Originally, it became a habit she developed during exam season, away from the prying eyes of her mother or her professors, but it became much more regular as late night partying became much more regular. She never liked alcohol, but she loved cigarettes. The over exaggerated caricature people made of her wasn't as fake as she pretended it was. She had no idea how to cope, so she destroyed her body, she slowly let her life slip away as she couldn't even go a day without smoking a pack.

She never got the whole 'love' thing, there was this girl once, she was apart of another group at the time, but she never worked up the courage to tell her anything, their friendship fell apart after their first kiss. She kept herself busy pouring her creativity into lyrics and production, her lungs suffering, but her façade particularly strong. She was one of the more popular members because of her ‘honesty’, but even then it was merely a front. She was there to tell jokes when the time was right, then retreat back into herself when the cameras shut off.

For at least three years, none of the members knew much about Himiko, it wasn't until she began participating more in outings that they realized she was so much more than the rude character she posed as. Though her honesty was usually needed, it was also a pretty deadly weapon, seeing as how some of her words worked up Eimi and Yuina so much that the two went without talking to each other for a whole month, their lack of cooperation putting promotions behind for a good few weeks. It only made her sink back into herself more, as she felt that she was to blame for everything going wrong.

She began getting close to Ryōka after a specific while, but it was more the other doing the talking whilst Himiko laughed at her off sounding jokes. It was easy to get through to Yuina too, she became the older sister she didn't know she needed in life. Her problems with smoking continued, but she was mostly able to keep it under wraps as she.. tried to form some kind of friendship with Eimi. Again, she was pretty difficult to find common ground with, but they had their moments, occasionally, it'd seem like they had been friends for years, but the eldest has always been a wild card. She knew to never push her buttons, remembering the whole fiasco that happened last time.

The life as a musician she envisioned turned out to be less of a dream than it was a nightmare. Sometimes, she cusses at herself for even making this decision, but then she would think back to her mother, and she'd simply continue, all of it to fulfill a dream she died much too early to fully witness. Himiko was never loud, but actions speak louder than words, she practically crafted the groups music from her own imagination, she's basically their musical genius. Maybe she wasn't exactly all about the idol life, but she cared deeply about her group and her members, even if she didn't really show it.

BIRTH NAME MAEDA HIMIKO ( 前田卑弥子 )

DATE OF BIRTH AUGUST 22, 1983

PLACE OF BIRTH INUYAMA, AICHI, JAPAN

NATIONALITY JAPANESE

ETHNICITY JAPANESE

HEIGHT 174 CM ( 5'8 )

BLOOD TYPE O

PORTRAYED BY NAKASHIMA MIKA

THE success of STARLIGHT CRUSH! was the kind of success unseen in.. well, forever really. strange japanese pop groups aside, the group also had a knack for producing music videos that were pretty much feature length films in their own right. the concept of ‘saving the world from alien threats with catchy dance pop songs’ was one that wasn't exactly unique, but it didn't mean it wasn't a serve for interest. zooming past the galaxies in a spaceship aptly named ‘THE LUMINARY 76’, the imagery of their concept, paired with the members complete magnetism made for a great group that made a hefty amount of profit for their home label.

it was a pretty lucky case, ‘LOVE REVOLUTION!’ was an immediate hit the day of it's release in march of 2002. the storyline of the music video (which was watched on tv channels at the time), paired with the members irresistible acting, it was a smash success. the group stole the oricon singles chart, keeping the number one spot for seven consecutive weeks, they were practically taking over the world. to this day, their debut album, ‘THE FIRST LAUNCH!’, holds the spot for the fourth best selling album ever on the oricon album charts, selling 4,603,009 sales in total. even from the beginning they knew exactly what their goal was, to save the coming universes and snatch up all the awards there were to snatch up.

the quartet dominated their decades long journey across the many galaxies, and they captured the hearts of the public. they pretty much had everything. figurines, tshirts, blankets, sweaters, yeah.. they had a fashion line. hey! don't laugh! those exclusive blankets are rare! they sell for practically $7000 today! if you can even find it with how many people decide to gatekeep.. along with all of that, the group also had their manga series, which eventually became an anime series after a couple of years of backed up progress.

first it was the manga series ‘ACROSS THE UNIVERSE WITH SC!’ released in 2005 that spanned ten volumes. the series was put together by three fans who had heard of RYŌKA's love for old manga series, she once said herself that she hoped for the group to get their own one day, as she believed their concept was a good idea for one. the story sold exponentially, with characters that "briefly" imitated that of the members, it was a huge success, but you could honestly throw their name on anything and it would became a huge success, so this wasn't exactly a surprise.

then, the anime came around a few years later. though it was originally supposed to be released in 2008, there were a few production issues in the beginning. directly taken from the manga series, the members participated in voice acting the characters for the two seasons the show ran. it was, pretty unsurprisingly, a smash hit, taking from the stories in their music videos, you would shoot across the galaxy along with the intergalactic space team STARLIGHT CRUSH!, and maybe the anime got much too realistic at times (portraying EIMI and YUINA's real life arguments to a t). though only lasting for two seasons, it became one of the most watched anime's of the year, clearly, everything the group touched turned into gold.

STARLIGHT CRUSH! had a good nineteen year run, eventually going into inactivity right before they were able to celebrate their twentieth debut anniversary. the members haven't all disappeared, but being an idol for almost two decades straight with minimal breaks will do wonders to a person. currently, the group is inactive, not disbanded, simply inactive for the time being. EIMI has again been active in the acting industry, where she originally made her name, both YUINA and HIMIKO have participated in the production of their own solo music, making sure to keep up updates semi regularly. RYŌKA is the member whose been the most silent since their immediate inactivity, barely updating her social media and barely even seen anymore. she keeps in contact with her members, though, who all continue to stress that she's doing fine, she just needed a long break.

their group bond can definitely be described as.. strange. though there's only four of them, there is a lot we could say about all of their relationship dynamics. they all love each other some (YUINA & RYŌKA) more obvious than others (EIMI & HIMIKO). it'd be a lie to say that they all hate each other, but it would also be a lie to say that they always get along. though they know when to keep it civil, sometimes they can't help themselves. STARLIGHT CRUSH! have often been described as ‘a strange phenomenon’, but one thing we can all agree with, is that they won't ever lose.

#˖﹙ 🚀 ﹚it's a love rev ! ─── sc : profile #fictional idol group #idolverse #female idols #jpop girl group #jpop idol #japanese idol oc #fake jpop oc #female oc #original characters #jpop original characters

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ᯓ★ // ... Kaori Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋かおり, Hepburn: Takahashi Kaori; born February 6, 1995), also known as Kimberley Ava Takahashi and mononymously known as Kaori, is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter, actress, producer, DJ, and fashion designer. Making her debut as a singer in 2011, she has gone on to be one of Japan's most popular singers. She is portrayed by Hirai Momo.

Kaori Takahashi was born on February 6, 1995 in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan as an only child. Born into a wealthy family, her father is Takahashi Hidehiko, a businessman. Her mother is Nakamura Mamiko, a singer-songwriter, socialite, designer, and former member of the eighties idol girl group Onyanko Club.

Takahashi's parents suddenly divorced in 2004, which caused her and her mother to move out of their wealthy neighborhood and into a small apartment in Yanaka, Tokyo. Takahashi and her mother would reside in Yanaka for two years until they moved into her maternal grandparents' home in rural Nakagawa, Nagano, Japan. They lived there briefly, moving to a larger townhouse apartment in Brooklyn shortly after.

After moving to the United States, Takahashi began acting and modeling as a way to support her mother. She attended an audition for Hannah Montana (2006) and secured a supporting role, and would continue working with Disney until 2010. Takahashi signed with Hollywood Records and released music under the label, but her debut album, scheduled for release in 2009, was shelved.

Takahashi attended high school in New York for a year, but moved to attend school in Tokyo in 2010. She would continue her modeling and acting career there, sending her mother a percentage of what she made.

Takahashi speaks Chinese fluently, as her mother studied it while in high school. She also speaks decent Spanish and French, the former of which she learned in high school, and the latter of which her mother also studied.

2005–2010: Career beginnings, stints with Disney, cancelled debut album

Shortly after moving to New York, Takahashi was scouted by IMG Models. She began modeling for magazines such as Seventeen and Elle Girl, for fashion brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, and in commercials for the fashion doll brand Bratz.

Showing an interest in acting due to her love for actresses Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, and Lucy Liu, Takahashi began taking acting classes and auditioning for roles. Due to her inexperience, she didn't get many roles at first. However, she landed a small role in the television series Ugly Betty in 2005.

Around the same time, Takahashi's mother would spot a casting call in a newspaper for socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's reality show The Simple Life, calling for "eccentric families" on the East Coast that Hilton and Richie could live with. Seeing it as an opportunity for her daughter, Mamiko answered the call, and the Takahashi family was chosen by production. The family's episode aired in October 2005.

Takahashi would continue modeling following her role in Ugly Betty until she was convinced to audition for Disney's Hannah Montana. She scored a supporting role in the series, and she received critical acclaim once it premiered.

Following this, Takahashi would star in other TV shows such as the the sitcom Seven Street (2006) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 2007, she began writing music and recording demos for Hannah Montana and other Disney productions, which included The Princess Protection Program (2008), 16 Wishes (2010), and Shake It Up (2010). Takahashi was also a cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club at this time, remaining on the show until 2008.

In 2008, she had a supporting role in the Emma Roberts-led film Wild Child. Afterwards, she had her first major film role in Lucky, playing the lead character Elizabeth "Lucky" Jones. The role garnered Takahashi a Kids' Choice Award nomination, as well as a Young Artist Award. Her popularity as an actress picked up, and as a result, Disney decided to push her as a singer, as well. Her debut single album, Kimberley, was released on October 9th, 2008. The album's lead single, "Girlfriend," debuted at No. 1 on Radio Disney. That same year, she also appeared in the music video for Miley Cyrus' "7 Things."

In early 2009, Takahashi starred in the television film Anything But, playing the rebellious Riley "Lee" Sawai. It garnered her first nominations at the Teen Choice and MTV Movie & TV Awards.

The same year, Takahashi was in talks with Disney to star in her own television series, but that would never come to fruition. She later confirmed that her debut album, titled Don't Tell, was set for release that year. However, months passed, and after the album's release faced multiple delays, news about it eventually stopped. By early 2010, Takahashi revealed that Don't Tell had been shelved and that she had moved back to Japan to continue school. Disney confirmed the news shortly afterwards.

The last film Takahashi was in before resuming school was Talk Talk Talk (2010), which premiered in theaters to positive reviews. Takahashi contributed to the film's soundtrack, which became her only album release in the States at the time. She also appeared in a few episodes of the Nickelodeon TV show Victorious, which she also wrote music for.

2011–2015: Other acting roles, debut in Japan, rising popularity

After moving back to Tokyo, Takahashi moved into her maternal aunt and cousin's apartment. While in school, she continued to write music with the help of her mother, and recorded a few songs which would be posted to her Facebook page.

Takahashi would ease back into work through modeling, scoring jobs with Seventeen, Egg, Nylon Japan, Vivi, and S'Cawaii. She modeled for the clothing brands JSG and Fig & Viper, the former of which was founded by former model Kaoru Watanabe. Takahashi was also featured in various commercials, as well as in campaigns for cosmetics brands such as Dolly Wink and ColourPop. She also became an exclusive model for Egg, appearing on five separate covers.

After modeling for a while, Takahashi had a supporting role in the Japanese drama Switch Girl!! (2011). The drama made her popularity as an actress rise in Japan, and later that year, she scored another major film role.

Playing the lead in the film High School Debut, it would do immensely well, becoming one of the most popular teen films in Japan and skyrocketing Takahashi to star status. She was nominated for numerous awards in the country, most notably for the Best Newcomer awards at the Japan Academy Film Prize. Additionally, Takahashi also sang "Heart no Tonari Ni," the song used in the films opening credits, which would go on to chart highly in Japan. As a result, the record label Avex Trax would later contact her and offer her a recording contract.

Takahashi accepted, wanting to restart her music career. After nine months of development and recording, Takahashi released her debut single, "Treat Me (Akachan o Atsukatte)."

Meant to establish her "eccentric" image and technopop sound, "Treat Me" debuted at No. 4 on the Oricon charts, selling over 100,000 units. It fared moderately in the States, landing at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single brought Takahashi back into the public consciousness, and it set the precedent for what would be her debut album.

2012–present: Debut album, expansion into other countries, superstar status

Finally, on February 17, 2012, Takahashi released her debut album, Kaori. It was massively successful, selling over 400,000 units and debuting at No. 2 on the Oricon albums chart. It also did well in the United States, garnering a placement of No. 70 on the Billboard 200. With sales of over a million, Kaori was one of the highest selling albums in Japan by the end of 2012. Takahashi's sophomore album, Sweet 18 (2013), would turn her into a teen idol in the country.

After releasing her second studio album, Takahashi released her debut Chinese album, K.T. (2013). Prior to its release, the single "I'm Not Yours" was released. It topped the Global Chinese Pop Chart, selling over 90,000 units in the country.

In 2020, Takahashi signed with JYP Entertainment and ventured into the Korean pop market with the single "I'm Not Cool" off of her extended play Spicy 'n Sweet. Both the single and album topped the Gaon charts, and Takahashi became the fastest female soloist to garner a first win after just four days. She would achieve a triple crown three weeks later.

With over 10 million albums sold in total, Takahashi is one of the highest-selling musical artists in Japan as of 2024. On September 6, 2024, she released her eighth studio album, CHECK IT!, alongside the single "ESCALATE."

The album sold over 2,500,000 units within its first week, and its projected to be the highest selling album in Japan by the end of the year.

Takahashi is a lesbian, of which she's been open about since her debut in 2012. She has stated that she has known she was into girls since she was in middle school, stating, "I guess I've always been this way. I naturally gravitated towards girls more, but I think it really clicked when I was around 11. I never clicked with boys in a romantic sense."

Since 2014, Takahashi has been dating singer and DJ Elizabeth "Liz" Ronson. The two were in a highly publicized relationship for six years, until they publicly split in 2020. They remained apart for three years, but rekindled their relationship in 2023. In September 2024, Takahashi and Ronson announced that they were engaged after seven years of dating. The two live together in Los Angeles and own a cat, Matcha.

At the age of nine, Takahashi was formally diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Since the start of her career, she has been very open about her experiences with both, and has been an advocate for other neurodivergent individuals.

In 2013, nine years after their publicized divorce, Takahashi's parents were remarried at a small ceremony in France. Takahashi acted as the maid of honor. The year prior, she had seen her father in person for the first time since 2004.

In 2014, Takahashi founded the fashion brand Jazzy. Targeted at mainly teen and young adult audiences, the brand was based around Takahashi's own individual aesthetic, as well as around the gyaru subculture. In 2016, Jazzy expanded into cosmetics and began housing Takahashi's first of two fragrances, Electric Pink. The brand, now worth over USD$400 million, is well-known for its eyewear, handbags, and accessories.

Takahashi began deejaying in 2014, following a surprise set at Tommorowland. Since then, she has done sets at Glastonbury, Coachella, and at the Governor's Ball in New York City.

In 2014, Takahashi became the face for Moschino's Toy 2 fragrance, but left the brand shortly after. In 2016, Takahashi was named the global ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion house Versace, which was teased in an Instagram post in April of that year. She became the face of the brand's Crystal Noir fragrance shortly after, and has remained with them since.

In 2016, she became the ambassador for SK-II, the largest luxury skincare company in Japan. A year later, Takahashi was chosen as the face of MAC Cosmetics, signing a USD$10 million contract with the brand. She was later featured in a pictorial for their Viva Glam lipstick line in Vogue Japan.

Takahashi has also been named the global ambassador of Bulgari in 2018, and Hermes the following year, and Marc Jacobs in 2022. In 2020, she became the model for Chum Churum, a soju brand founded in South Korea.

The following year, Takahashi was named the ambassador for South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster. In 2022, she partnered with the brand to create her own limited edition line of sunglasses. The line, called Kashi x Gentle Monster, was sold for six months.

In 2023, Takahashi partnered with Push! Color, a colored contact lens brand founded in Japan, to release her own line of colored lenses, called DEJA U. Four separate colors, ranging from light blue to hot pink to gray to yellow, were released in May.

format entirely inspired by @venusvity ! ★

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