Good Things Come To Those Who 8 - 8Flag, 8Angel, 8Wizard - New Age Idols Introduction
What do 23 idols, 3 groups, and one café have in common?
Some people wouldn't know that answer and if they did I would be shocked.
The answer to that question are the groups that I am going to introduce to you today (8Flag, 8Angel, 8Wizard).
I'm going to be honest with you that this article might be the biggest one I have ever written.
There will be a lot of information that might be a little overwhelming but I hope it doesn't deter you.
With that being said, let me introduce to you a group that has been a fixture in my life for over a year and two that has replicated the feelings over the past few months.
Group Information
The members of all three groups currently are active at a café named Konnkafé Edition in the Kabukicho area, Shinjuku, Tokyo
They are all under Skyz Promotion...
8Flag was started in Late July / Early August 2019 and they made their stage debut on August 23rd, 2019. The meaning of 8Flag is that they want to eight flags all over Japan.
As of November 2020, 8Flag has seven members.
8Angel was formed in Spring 2020 and contains eight members. The meaning of the group is simple. The members illuminate eight major cities in Japan.
8Wizard began their activities in Spring 2020 as well. The group currently contains eight members. The members stand for building peace with eight magic across eight major cities in Japan.
You can catch a theme with the groups but believe me, they are all different in style.
Member Information
In this segment, I will place the members SNS that you can follow them. Most members also have their own Showroom-Live, so follow them there if you would like as well.
Each member is color coded and you know that I love that.
8Flag
Name: Manamoto Kikumi
Concurrent Position with 8Wizard
Birthdate: September 29th
Color: Red
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Takanashi Mayuu
Birthdate: August 1st
Color: Orange
SNS: Twitter
Name: Makihara Yukari
Birthdate: December 31st
Color: Pink
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Miyashiro Haruka
Birthdate: May 14th
Color: Green
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Moehime Ichigo
Birthdate: August 12th
Color: Blue
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live.
Name: Morioka Raimu
Birthdate: June 5th
Color: Yellow
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Mishiro Riru
Debuted August 2020
Birthdate: February 6th
Color: White
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Former Members
Hajime Sonoka - Left the group in July 2020
Kanasaki Aina - Graduated July 2020
Nemu - Graduated August 2020
8Angel
Name: Kureha Kaho
Birthdate: June 13th
Color: Red
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Haneno Mariya
Birthdate: N/A
Color: White
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Yuzuki Nako
Birthdate: N/A
Color: Yellow
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Kashiwagi Mirai
Birthdate: September 5th
Color: Orange
SNS: Twitter
Name: Yuuki Momoka
Birthdate: March 29th
Color: Light Blue
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Amane Rimi
Debuted August 8th, 2020
Birthdate: July 9th
Color: Mint Green
SNS: Twitter
Name: Yokaze Emiri
Debuted August 8th, 2020
Birthdate: N/A
Color: Purple
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Former Members
Hojou Noa - Fired June 2020
Himgami Kurimu - Left August 2020
Yui Sakuraba - Left April 2020
8Wizard
Manamoto Kikumi - Reference 8Flag Members
Name: Mitsuki Nana
Birthdate: N/A
Color: Yellow
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Kagami Yue
Birthdate: August 2nd
Color: Purple
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Yoshina Aya
Birthdate: N/A
Color: Blue
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Yoshina Mio
Birthdate: N/A
Color: Gray
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Koina Arisa
Birthdate: February 22nd
Color: Orange
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Hazuki Sera
Birthdate: September 24th
Color: Pastel Green
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Name: Momose Ayane
Birthdate: February 6th
Color: Pink
SNS: Twitter Showroom-Live
Former Members
Rukia Ako - Left August 2020
Discography Information
As of this writing, 8Flag has released five digital singles that can be streamed on your favorite digital music listening applications (Spotify, Apple Music, LINE Music)
8Flag - Released August 23rd, 2019
Sekaiichi no Christmas - Released December 28th, 2019
Yakosuku no Basho de - Released March 19th, 2020
YAVAI Jan Night - Released July 7th, 2020
Dame Dame Dame - Released July 10th, 2020
Don! Don! Don! - Released August 7th, 2020
8Angel has released has released three digital singles since their debut. Just like 8Flag, you can find them on streaming sites as well. For those of you who use Spotify, they are listed under eightangel.
Teppen - Released March 19th, 2020
Zyunnaiesukepu - Released June 30th, 2020
Love Game - Released August 7th, 2020
8Wizard has released two digital singles on streaming platforms.
Change The New World - Released August 18th, 2020
Dakishimete - Released August 18th, 2020
Music Video Information
I will keep this section short and sweet. I want to showcase a few of my favorite music videos from all three groups combined. I will put in some commentary about each video below them. These are my personal opinions.
The first video I want to showcase is their Christmas song, Sekaiichi no Christmas, from the second single.
I know people don't like Christmas songs, but once you get to a certain part of the year, you can't help but listen to them. 8Flag does a really nice job in this song and video. The song itself is super catchy and sometimes I will catch myself humming it from time to time. The members outfits are really cute, both the stage outfits and the Christmas outfits. The video is really nice with the members playing around a table having fun. The games they are playing will give you a jump scare if you aren't careful. I personally enjoy this song around this time of the year.
The next video I want you to see is the video from their fifth single, Dame Dame Dame.
This is one kick-ass music video and song. This is the last video with member Aina in it. I really enjoy the melody a lot. Truth be told, while writing this, it was the first time I had seen the video. When it got to both the first and second chorus, it sent chills down my spine. That is when you know you have a great song. I like the rock atmosphere and it matches the group to be honest. The members look both really cool and pretty in their outfits. It shows the members styles and I liked it a lot. I will have this song on repeat or as an alarm tone.
The last music video I want to share from 8Flag is from their latest single, Don! Don! Don!. The song is the same as the title of the single.
I like this song and video a lot! First and foremost, I enjoy the mix of classic Japanese with a switch to EDM. It is a great change of pace to get you in the mood for the song. This video and song is the last one for member Nemu but the debut of Riru. It has that hard hitting EDM sound that makes you want to go on a run and not slow down. The outfits, both the traditional and stage outfits are really nice. The members colors are on full display in their new get-up. The traditional kimono are super pretty and they did a fantastic job with the syling as well. Also, you may notice a special guest appearance from 8Angel and 8Wizard. This is the first time to see all three groups in one video. They all look like they are having so much fun!
The only music video 8Angel has uploaded is their one from the first single, Teppen.
This is a very interesting song and music video. It features the original lineup of the group and it shows the OT in a really good way. The song itself is very up-tempo and it you can't help but create a fan chant while it plays. The running scenes are what get me because just the reactions of the people they bypass are priceless. The outfits of course are really cute and match the members to a t.
I really hope that 8Angel releases a MV for Love Game just because. It is different than Teppen, in a good way.
As for 8Wizard, they have one full length music video and a short one. I will showcase the long MV which is from their second single, Dakishimete.
This song is really peaceful, to me at least. It has good vocals but the one thing that distracts me is the background vocals. I don't understand why that is there, but maybe that is just me. It sounds a little over processed. I enjoy the school vibe of the video and their uniforms are adorable. The cinematography is fantastic as well. It gives the members equal screen time and it shows their cuteness. Other than that one complaint, I like this song. Most of the time I will still like a song after it has grown on me a little.
Final Thoughts
As this article comes to a close, I want to share how I came across this group and my interactions with them. I will include a note to the groups in this segment as well.
I came across 8Flag via the Twitter suggestions in the summer of 2019. I saw that they had a YouTube channel and I watched the few videos they had at that time. Two videos were of member introductions, so I chose a couple of favorites at that time. Over the course of the next few months, I interacted with them through Twitter and Showroom until I made my trip to Tokyo last December. I had a pretty air tight schedule of concerts that week but I saw on Twitter that they would be performing during the daytime when I had some free time before another concert I planned on attending. The venue was at VEATS Shibuya, which is an amazing place to see a concert for sure. I made it just in time to see a couple of groups before they went on stage. It was a small crowd to see them perform as it was just a mother and young daughter, a couple of gentlemen, and myself. I was shocked at the lack of fan support, but it is what it is.
After their performance came the merchandise time. I decided to get three chekis with a few of my favorites. I met Raimu, Ichigo and Aina. All three of them were so kind even if they didn't speak that much English. We were able to conversate and laugh regardless. The members were really cute and talkative. Every now and again, when they have a Talkport event, I like to stop by and chat for a minute or two because they deserve the support, even from someone far away. Truth be told, I kind of miss them, so Showroom and Twitter are my best friends.
8Angel and 8Wizard are a completely different story. I have not seen them in person so I rely on Twitter or Showroom a majority of the time. I found out about the groups through similar artists on Spotify because I had no idea that there were sister groups of 8Flag. After checking the groups YouTube, I started to like them more and more. It led me to pick a couple of favorite members, who will not be named (you know who you are). During my next trip, I plan on seeing them live, so I can get a personal feel about them. For the meantime, I will use social media to connect with them.
I really enjoy all these groups to be honest. They have begun to garner a stronger fan base but I hope to see more of course. There are not a lot of international fans of these groups and I hope that through this, they can get more attention in the English speaking world.
I would like to leave a note for the groups just in case that they read this.
To the members of 8Flag, 8Angel, and 8Wizard:
Thank you so much for being you. Even though I may not connect with a majority of you all, I still am paying attention to everyone. It is hard to keep up with 23 people but I'm doing my best. I hope and pray that you continue to shine, not only on stage but in your personal lives as well. Most or all of you work in the café so it may be hard to juggle both being an idol and working.
It pains me to know that your fan base is not big but I am happy that it is growing little by little. You all have a lot of talent and more that can attract a lot of attention to the right crowd. You all work your tails off to succeed and it shows.
Each one of you has so much potential that I am excited to see your future as singers and dancers.
I wish that you all have more success in the future!
I pray that you all keep your heads up during the rough times that you may be experiencing.
Someday, when you resume doing Talkport sessions, I would love to chit-chat with you all! Much love and support from here in the United States!
Official Links
If you read down this far, I really appreciate it. You have no idea how meaningful that it is.
Please feel free to leave a comment. Any comments would be nice, especially positive ones.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter if you would like.
*As always, wherever you are or whatever situation you may be in, Have A Great Day!
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