The end of 2023 was so much fun! I couldn't make it to the "One-man Live Volume 0," but the reviews seemed really good. Then on Christmas, there was a YouTube live stream. Having the entire group together for a live stream is something I'm truly grateful for. On the other hand, that stream also made it very clear who was already capable of speaking confidently and who still had a long way to go. For the Kumo-gumi (Cloud Team), whom many worried would get less exposure, a documentary series started on YouTube. Yes, this is exactly the point of separating the Aozora-gumi and Kumo-gumi. The Aozora-gumi serves as the entry point to attract fans, and then the Kumo-gumi pulls them deeper into the "swamp." Every one of the Kumo-gumi girls has that kind of charm.

And then, with the new year, came the pseudo-live stream of "One-man Live Volume 0"! I was so happy about this. It was right during my child's entrance exam season, and we were having a rather heavy-hearted New Year's holiday, so this was a wonderful "Otoshidama" (New Year's gift). Above all, seeing "Seifuku no Parachute" was the absolute best. Especially the opening spoken line, "I was surprised by you, who came dancing down, blown by the wind," and the moment where Toa-chan is lifted by Porisu and appears floating. I absolutely love this choreography!

At the end of January, the second single was finally released. To be honest, the title track felt a bit underwhelming. The coupling tracks overall felt dark or heavy, too. I was kind of like, "Oh, this isn't quite what I expected..." But, listening to them now, they are all actually very good songs.

Of course, the release commemorative live stream was a blast. Yuzu-chan during the "Loud Headphones Game" had me laughing so hard I was clutching my stomach. That was a rare kind of funny. Yuzu-chan herself was hilarious, of course, but the bewilderment of the members around her was the best part. It was probably the first time the other members had seen that side of Yuzu-chan, too.

The segment with the older members later in the evening was also great. There was this subtle atmosphere from girls who have likely experienced quite a bit in their actual lives. I was particularly impressed by how happy and skillful Su-chan was in her performance. I started wondering what kind of interaction she had with the manager at the convenience store in the middle of the night, and I could feel their usual sense of distance with the staff.

Speaking of Su-chan, there’s her "Kanaderu Radio." I only listened to the first few episodes, but when I listened again after a while, I was shocked by how much her talking had improved. This girl is definitely something special. And then there was Nana’s sheep counting after midnight! I fell fast asleep while listening to that. It was bliss. But I had no idea she kept counting all night long!

By the way, I feel like around this time, everyone’s way of expressing themselves started to change. More and more girls began searching for their own unique voice in their blogs. I feel like Kokona is trying to convey her feelings through subtle word choices in her writing. Ai-chan and Miisa's writing has a kind of bouncy, hopping feel to it. And Yuzu-chan's standard opening, "I did such-and-such, I'm Yuzu Ito"—wasn't that around this time, too?

I think the autumn of 2023—their first year—might have been the time when fans felt the most anxious. Especially for a fan like me who doesn’t go to real-world events and mostly follows them through social media and blogs. I couldn't help but wonder: "Is Boku-Ao just going to fade away like this?"

They debuted at the end of August. Immediately after, there were announcements like "They appeared on FM radio" or "They were on a local info program." But once that initial rush settled down, the updates just… stopped. Completely. Their YouTube channel wasn't updated for nearly three months. Even on TikTok, they were still trickling out videos of the members in yukatas from their debut day well into October.

Well, actually, there was one YouTube update. It was a video called "Boku-Ao Relay Art," posted shortly after their debut. The members were split into teams and had to walk or run through the city using GPS to draw the letters B, O, K, U, and A on a map. It’s been deleted now, but that video perfectly captured the "loose" and laid-back vibe of their early days. They weren't exactly walking, not exactly running, and when they talked, everyone just spoke over each other, doing whatever they pleased. They were given self-introduction cards to hand out, but there were no strict rules saying they couldn't finish until they’d given them all away. I actually liked that raw, early-days atmosphere. I wonder why they deleted it.

Their first TV show started around then, too, but it was a bit too "edgy" or experimental, to be honest. I watched it because I’m a fan, of course. Two radio shows started as well. On Hekireki, there was this segment where the "third member participates as a director, adding sound effects." I mean, what even is that? They could barely manage a steady conversation as it was, and then the flow would be interrupted by these random sound effects… it made a 30-minute show feel so much longer. I get it—you can’t just do the same thing as existing idols or rival groups. But I wondered, "Is this really how you attract new fans?"

Darker posts started appearing more often on social media, too. "They're already over." "They’re just going to fade out." "The release events were empty." "The members were crying."

Was it true? I wanted to go to the release events in September so badly, but living in Kyushu, going to Tokyo or Osaka just wasn't an option. Were they really empty? I thought about the debut day live stream with only a few hundred viewers. The YouTube subscriber count wasn't growing at all. It didn't seem possible that the real-world events could be a huge success if the online numbers were so low. I truly started to fear—could they really just quietly disband like this?

Then came the end of November. Finally, the announcement: the second single was coming. Along with it, a literal flood of news. They were introducing a "Senbatsu" system, splitting the group into the "Aozora" (Blue Sky) team and the "Kumo" (Cloud) team. The Cloud team would have their own solo live. A one-man concert was set for December. Suddenly, there was news every single day, and their social media was constantly active. I sat there thinking, "What on earth were those last few months for?" Oh, and they did a cover of Seifuku no Mannequin, too.

I suppose even for the management, the level of popularity, the turnout, and the sales around the debut were unexpected. They probably spent those quiet months completely rethinking their strategy.

By the way, there’s a lot of debate about the "Senbatsu" system, both then and now. Personally, I’m for it. In the world of entertainment, it’s ultimately a high-stakes game of musical chairs. Besides, being chosen for the main lineup doesn't guarantee your future, and not being chosen doesn't mean you have no chance.

"Oh? Another idol group just like the others?" That was my first impression.

It was mid-July 2023. The music video for "Ao-Zora ni tsuite Kangaeru" (Thinking about the Blue Sky) popped up in my YouTube recommendations. Since I was already subscribed to the Nogizaka46 channel, it wasn't exactly a surprise that the algorithm found me.

I ignored it for a while, but it kept showing up so persistently that I finally clicked on it, thinking, "Fine, let’s see what this is about." This was at the beginning of August (I like to tell myself it was August 3rd—there’s a reason for that, but I’ll save it for much later).

My initial reaction was, "Well, okay, I see." A center who felt very typical of an Akimoto-produced group. Flanked by two girls who clearly had incredible potential as idols. A very straightforward song with straightforward choreography. There was an overall sense of being unfinished, even a bit unpolished. I wondered if they were aiming for a nostalgic vibe. But honestly, the thing that struck me most was: "Everyone’s name is so hard to read!" So many "sparkly" names.

But before I knew it, I was back watching the music video again the next day. At the time, there were only a few other videos, like summaries of their training camp, but I watched them all. Every single day. Over and over. Naturally, I subscribed to the channel. I think the subscriber count back then was around 9,800. Those "difficult" names? I memorized them in a heartbeat. I even created X, TikTok, and Instagram accounts just to keep up with new information. TikTok is actually pretty interesting, isn't it?

Looking back, I wonder why I fell for them so fast and so hard. At the time, I think it felt like I’d found a treasure that belonged only to me.

The thing that left the deepest impression on me back then was the sight of Toa-chan crying when the center position was announced. Oh, man... that scene gets to me. Even now, it’s my favorite. Just moments before, she looked so relaxed, like she was thinking, "I wonder who’s going to be picked?" She was completely off guard. Then, the next second, she goes from total shock to that tearful face. Every time I watch it, I can’t help but think, "I know, I know. You’re thinking, 'No way, I can't do this!' right? But don't worry. You’re going to be just fine."

The members who first caught my eye were Karen, Anna, and Mocchie. But very quickly, my heart settled on Nana. I remember finding out that Nana would be appearing on All Night Nippon X toward the end of August. I knew I had to listen, and I remember how happy I was when they announced during the broadcast that she’d be the group leader.

Why her? Of course, I love her face and her voice. But think about it—in the music video for "Ao-Zora," isn't Nana’s scene just... different? Why is she the only one in a local diner eating ginger pork? If I recall, those scenes were supposed to represent the most memorable moments from their school days. I wonder what kind of memory that was for her.

I think it was her expression in a brief shot during the training camp digest that really did it. If you could put words like "earnest" or "devoted" into a visual form, they would look like her face in that moment. And then she has that mischievous side, too. Her expressions are just so honest. Later, I read on the staff blog that the female staff were already talking about how cute Nana was during the auditions. I thought, "Yeah, that makes total sense."

Then came their debut day at the end of August. A YouTube Live at noon, followed by a TikTok Live in the evening. I watched the YouTube one at the office. They sang in a chorus style—and that was it. But they were still so new; there wasn't much else they could have done yet. Seeing glimpses of their confusion and their determination... that was enough for me.

https://medium.com/@bloom0803ba/1eb7704ece5b

#J-Idol #Boku-Ao #Boku-ga-Mitakatta-Aozora

This text and podcast are based on essays about the Japanese idol group, Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora (commonly known as Boku-Ao), written by a fan living in Kyushu, Japan, and originally posted on the Japanese platform "note." The author resides in Kyushu and shares their personal journey with the group. AI was used for translation, and voice synthesis software was used for the audio.

Someone once wrote on X: "A true 'Otaku' lives on whatever money is left after spending on their favorite idol. A 'Fan' spends on their idol whatever money is left after paying for their life."

If that’s the case, I’m undoubtedly just a "fan." Still, I find myself wanting to write about Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora. Just as a fan. I want to look back and capture what I was thinking and how I supported Boku-Ao during those times.

First, let me explain. Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora—commonly known as Boku-Ao—is an idol group that debuted in the summer of 2023. They are generally known as the official rival to Nogizaka46.

What I’m about to share will be based mostly on my own memory. Because of that, some facts might be a bit off, or the order of events might be reversed. But please know from the start that I have absolutely no intention of attacking the members, the management, other fans, or any specific individual.

Also, you’ll probably notice some inconsistencies in how I write the group’s name or the members' names. Sometimes they’ll be in brackets, sometimes not. Sometimes in Kanji, sometimes in Hiragana. I might use nicknames, or I might use their last names. To be honest, it’s a reflection of my own shyness—a middle-aged man feeling a bit self-conscious about calling these young ladies by their nicknames, then suddenly snapping back to reality. Please bear with me on that.

To give you an idea of what kind of fan I am: I’ve never participated in online "Meet & Greets" or handshake events. As of this writing, the only real-world events I’ve attended were the "One-man Live Vol.1" in June 2024 and Nana’s event in Kagoshima in August of the same year. I watch almost everything they stream on YouTube and other platforms. I generally like all the members, but if you asked who my favorites are, I’d say Nana and Eren. Though, that does change from time to time.

From the next post onward, I’d like to write about when and how I discovered Boku-Ao and how I became a fan. I plan to follow the timeline every few months or by each single release. For a while, I’m aiming to post about twice a week.

Honestly, I don’t expect these posts to be read by many people. For now, I’m not planning to link this with X or any other social media. I’m only using the bare minimum tags like #Boku-Ao. So, the chances of this catching the eye of anyone who isn’t specifically searching for "Boku-Ao" are quite low.

As of early December 2024, Boku-Ao’s popularity isn't that high yet. That’s why, if Boku-Ao becomes much bigger someday, and a fan happens to find these articles after searching for them, I’ll be happy if they think, "Oh, so this was part of the atmosphere around Boku-Ao back when they debuted." That would be enough for me.