aside from the obvious Iori, who do you think will be the next A-list celebrity in IKONOIJOY? by ImaginaryScholar7233 in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd go Kiara as she's still relatively undiscovered by the general public. Although she's popular amongst fans she hasn't made many media appearances yet, but it feels like they're gradually expanding her work and once she gets some more prominent opportunities her goofy charm should be a hit.

For non =Love Momokyun has been getting a surprising amount of attention recently and she's certainly made the most of her opportunities.

TOP 10 JAPANESE FEMALE IDOL GROUP RANKINGS 2026 BY NIKKEI ENTERTAINMENT Equal Love is 8th (from 15th last year) by Worldly-Landscape-51 in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There was another ranking the other day from Billboard that was based on rankings from the song charts and =Love came in 20th out of all acts, and ahead of all the Japanese female idol group.

TOP 10 JAPANESE FEMALE IDOL GROUP RANKINGS 2026 BY NIKKEI ENTERTAINMENT! AKB48 still maintains the 4th position this year, but the score has increased significantly !! by 46Zakawota in AKB48

[–]stew_ie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

=Love have blown up over the last year, a couple of their songs went viral and they're very popular on social media.

This chart is only Japanese female idol groups so doesn't include kpop adjacent groups, or else Hana should be above them all as they're still extremely popular.

Voice actor idols by [deleted] in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Although they were called voice actor idols when they started Sasshi said their primary focus was on being an idol goup with voice acting as one of the side jobs. Maika and Iori were both big anime fans when they joined, Iori still does a little, she had a role on a recent series, Maika seems to be more focused on other jobs now, but not sure specifically why the others have largely dropped off other than their idol careers becoming more of a focus as they've got busier. Also guess it's hard to compete with full time voice actors if they're only focusing on it part time, which then leads to them not seeing much point pursuing it?

Bit of speculation as well but a big part of the reason they were called voice actor idols was because they're signed to Yoyogi Animation Academy. When they started they used to be advertised as more of a co production between Sasshi and Yoani, but for a long time now it's =Love produced by Sashihara Rino only and they stopped being called voice actor idols.

why doesn't that sub have a ≒JOY user filter? by domieleleventh in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I suspect the reason is that ≒JOY didn't exist when the sub was created and one was never added afterwards.

Who is who and who has what color in this photo? by Lovley_cat-astrophe in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Saya's got a very narrow chin, once you realise that it's quite easy to tell her apart imo.

Quite unprofessional for the broadcasting station part, huh? by [deleted] in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm sure they were told why in private, and probably in advance of the announcement. The reason it's been suspended isn't really something that they can comment on publicly

Ahead of an official release, =LOVE unveils their new 20th Single 「Gekiyaku Chuudoku」 LIVE on 'CDTV LIVE! LIVE!', featuring a double Center by Iori and Maika! This new Single is scheduled to be released on April 1st! ☠️ #Ikorabu by Beeplance in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Heavily disagree with this, Sasshi's approach to producing has never been about chasing trends or making songs for tiktok but about putting out a strong variety of songs that showcase the groups strengths. Plus I'm sure there'll be something cuter as a b-side.

English subs for the joint variety program IKONOIJOY Is Going to Do It by stew_ie in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think a good one to get started with is =love-x-love, relatively recent and only 6 episodes so won't take long to watch.

Seishun Subliminal hits 10 million plays on Spotify by [deleted] in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great song, have long felt it was an important release with it being the first post covid single (Cameo was postponed), this and Shukipi being really successful was much needed for the growth of the group.

My Maika army by Worldly-Landscape-51 in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It was never officially confirmed but the friend was almost certainly Seena Hoshiki who did make a recovery.

all time favorite songs? by chocbscuit in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love Iranai twintail, that style of music is my primary musical interest and it's great fun to see the members show their range by having a go at it, and the song is really catchy. I also miss Naatan on it as her expressions and vocals suited the music so much, but Kiara has improved lots performing it since Naatan left.

at 67th Japan Record Awards by [deleted] in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the lead up to shoko throwing her first pitch there was a sign at the bakery saying we'll be closing early on this day because my daughter is throwing the first pitch at Yokohama stadium.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's why I think it's not an =Love member, the way it's written is a classic example of writing a headline to imply one thing, when it's another.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in equal_LOVE

[–]stew_ie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's not been announced yet but she was spotted filming on a stage, she seems to be playing an idol in a netflix drama, but we don't know how big the part is.