=LOVE (イコールラブ, イコラブ, ikorabu, eqlove)

Got my wish and yes it's a 100% Maika song. Could be Iori on a stretch but it would look weird with Hitomi.

I think it's ‘That Girl Complex’? Or ‘That Boy Complex’? It's seriously dark for an idol group, I think if it was outside Japan it would be all over the news, even in Japan I think the xchans and matome will catch on fire. Heartbreak after a breakup (possibly after being cheated on), and in the end it's implied the girl kills herself. … Kinda glad it's not Hitomi? Definitely too dark for her image.

 

so Maika is a new center... no surprise there, I guess, she is probably the hottest member among fans right now. congrats!
the song is great as well and suits Maika, so it all turned out fine?
the only question that is left - will Maika be a new "immovable center" or will there be a rotation just like with coupling songs? (the latter is more probable, I think)

 

Come to think of it
Latest ≠ME song: murder (for love)
Latest =LOVE song: suicide (for love)
New group: almost but not exactly joy
Is Sasshi having an emo phase?

 

These groups are getting so goth and I love it x)
Once I read that Hitomi was stepping out of the center position, I was sure it was going to Maika... She was the only one that could fit it properly IMO. And I'm so glad about the change (nothing against Hitomi. I never saw her as center material though). I wonder if it's really Hitomi who asked for the change though...

The background set is gorgeous, I hope we get someday a dance version in front of it.
Saito Kiara was so invisible during the MV, only when I saw her face at the end did I think "wait... Wait a minute". Usually, she seems much more pushed.

 

I don't think Kiara was invisible, I noticed her a lot. Maybe she's growing up and her image in the MV was so different from your expectation that your brain didn't ‘recognize’ her so to speak? I mean, the whole song is a very different vibe as it has been said already, Nagisa and Shoko for example weren't their usual selves either, but we're already used to seeing their cooler sides in other songs.

 

Sasshi is definitely in goth maid mode lately

Ano Ko Complex with English subs!


if the video does not show watch the video here

Ano Ko Complex group photos and CD covers

http://equallove-2017.blog.jp/archives/29117385.html

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Kimi wa =LOVE wo Aiseru ka! 220429

https://48idol.tv/video/699725/

 

I wonder. I just rewatched the MV and indeed she was actually quite present in the second verse of the song, so I guess I missed her at first? I always prefered her in darker atmosphere (like in Shukusai), her looks fit very well this atmosphere I find.

Looking at it again, this MV is like Zurui yo Zurui ne 2.0. I'm not complaining.

 

I’m loving the aesthetics of the new MV. Also, Maika center! I’m a big fan of having the most popular member in the center as a reward.

 

I had my signing from Mirinya for the new single earlier today. She did it at 1:32:55, just 4 minutes before the end but I took a chance and started watching at the 1-hour mark so I didn't need to watch the whole thing (credit to uploader):


if the video does not show watch the video here



Meanwhile, she's tweeted her new visual for the single:
https://twitter.com/otani_emiri/status/1520728451363180544

 

National Tour 2022 in Tokyo 220430

matome
http://equallove-2017.blog.jp/archives/29116560.html (day)
http://equallove-2017.blog.jp/archives/29118863.html (evening)



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Hitomi x Anna x Kiara Showroom 220501


if the video does not show watch the video here

Anna x Hana Showroom 220430


if the video does not show watch the video here

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Ano Ko Complex got into Youtube trends!

fan reactions


if the video does not show watch the video here


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

OMG Maika, my oshi! She's so versatile I associate both bright and dark concepts with her. The theme is perfect for the seasonal changes here haha it's finally going to rain.

I wish they had used real (?) water in the MV for the sinking scenes like AKB48 Team SH did. I'll probably have to listen to the song a few times more. Hasn't topped Zurui yo Zurui ne for me yet.

I'm just sad that even though it's finally a Maika-centered a-side, I cannot buy the single anytime soon because I have been saving up for something else

 

My favourite =LOVE a-side has been Teokure caution ever since it was first released. I think this song is very similar to Teokure caution, both in terms of the overall vibe and the music video, and also the lyrics. It almost feels like the other side of the story. Teokure caution sounds to me like two people are so engrossed in their love that they can't see/hear how someone else is suffering, whereas Ano Ko Complex is about that suffering person who can't get over their love.

I've got a lot of favourites among B-sides though, so I wouldn't say that Teokure caution was their peak and they haven't overcome it. I think it is and probably will always be my most favourite song, but I also really love Geneki Idol Chu (Nagisa solo), literally every single song on "The 5th" (can't rank them, they're all super good), Shukipi from Seishun Subliminal and Shukusai from Weekend Citron.

They keep getting better in terms of skill, and also some girls (especially Naatan imo) has grown extremely beautiful since debut. They all started out looking shy and like regular school girls, but now all of them glow and look like proper idols. I'm very excited for the B-sides and think it's an A-tier A-side so far

 

I'm not sure what's happened but last night just before I went to bed the MV was on 430000 views, now 8-9 hours later it's on 814000. Is this finally their big break?

 

Ahhh Kiara, about to be 18 yrs old ... no longer a kid ... You must remember to be careful when in front of camera
Hitomi must had seen some of them commented and turned around to remind her

https://streamable.com/pnk5g9

 

yeah, my face was like when I saw those numbers today!
all this time it remains in Youtube music trends and its position even growing!

 

894k at the moment.
I'm hoping they can appear on some music shows to showcase their new single

1×1 pn

 

1 million views reached about 3 days and 8 hours after the mv release. Remarkably the previous =Love record was Shukipi which took nearly 21 days to reach the same total.

 

ske latest single has faster pace than them but didn't manage to trending

 

1.393 Million views as of now. I didn't really follow their last singles further than listening to them once or twice since they weren't really my taste, but for this on it's different. Song+MV are really nice, and I am SO HAPPY that Takamatsu is not in the center (just not a fan of her + I dislike it heavily when groups take the same person over and over again as center). Maika does (and looks) great in this position. Hopefully we'll see Otani and/or Nagisa as center again in the future, but for now I wish we could see e.g. Noguchi, Kiara or Morohashi serving this position. Wouldn't complain about Otoshima or Yamamoto either tho. Hopefully it starts a little trend in =LOVE that Takamatsu restrained from that position, so we can witness how good others will do, strong enough are they without a doubt

 

National Tour 2022 in Aichi 220504

matome
http://equallove-2017.blog.jp/archives/29141695.html (day)
http://equallove-2017.blog.jp/archives/29143711.html (evening)
http://equallove-2017.blog.jp/archives/29143806.html (members)



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Ano Ko Complex MV reached 2M views in 4 days (it is still in Youtube music trends)
Teokure Caution MV reached 2M views as well
Ohime-sama ni Shite yo! MV reached 1M views