ME:I (ミーアイ)

ME:I

ME: (ミーアイ / 미아이) is an 11-member girl group under LAPONE Entertainment. They were formed on the 3rd season of Produce 101 Japan, also known as "Produce 101 Japan The Girls."
The group is set to debut in 2024.
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Members

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1. Kato Cocoro: 加藤心 (かとう こころ) / Oldest member, ranked 11th. Used to be a member of the K-Pop Group Cherry Bullet.
2. Sakurai Miu: 櫻井美羽 (さくらい みう) / Ranked 4th. She was also a trainee in Korea for a while and participated in the Mnet survival show Girls Planet 999.
3. Kasahara Momona: 笠原桃奈 (かさはら ももな) / Ranked 1st and centered the first single. Used to be a member of the H!P group ANGERME.
4. Ishii Ran: 石井蘭 (いしい らん) / Ranked 9th. Used to be a member of LDH group Girls².
5. Iida Shizuku: 飯田栞月 (いいだ しずく) / Ranked 7th.
6. Takami Ayane: 高見文寧 (たかみ あやね) / Ranked 3rd.
7. Shimizu Keiko: 清水恵子 (しみず けいこ) / Ranked 8th.
8. Sasaki Kokona: 佐々木心菜 (ささき ここな) / Ranked 6th.
9. Murakami Rinon: 村上璃杏 (むらかみ りのん) / Ranked 2nd.
10. Yamamoto Suzu: 山本すず (やまもと すず) / Ranked 5th. ME:I was formed on her 17th birthday, December 16, 2023.
11. Ebihara Tsuzumi: 海老原 鼓 (えびはら つづみ) / Youngest member, ranked 10th.

Music:
1. MIRAI (Single) - 2024.04.17

Teaser:

if the video does not show watch the video here

Spoiler: Tracklist

CD
1. Click
2. Sugar Bomb
3. (Regular Edition & Fan Club Edition exclusive) &ME (ME:I ver.)
4. (Regular Edition & Fan Club Edition exclusive) CHOPPY CHOPPY (ME:I ver.)

DVD
1. (Type-A exclusive) MIRAI Making #1 (Jacket Shoot, REC Behind)
1. (Type-B exclusive) MIRAI Making #2 (Lesson Behind and more)

Official Links:
Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | TikTok | Official Website

 

Interview with the debuting members:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Merry Christmas Eve from ME:I



Source - official ME:I twitter

By the way, I also changed Kokoro to Cocoro in the OP because that's how the official ME:I channel is now writing her name when using Latin characters. In her official signature she also signs as "Coco" - I won't share these as they are paid content / fanclub accessible

 

'2024 ME:I LAUNCHING SHOW ME:ICONIC' will be held in Tokyo (3/27 & 28) and Osaka (3/30 & 31):
https://cf.thegirls.produce101.jp/news/detail/18

These will be ahead of the release of the debut single which is scheduled for 4/17:
https://thegirls.produce101.jp/news/detail/17

 

Happy new year from ME:I! Original images are from @official__ME_I_ on twitter, translations are by me (also posted to @mei_trans on twitter)



ME:I also uploaded their first blog post! You can read it in English if you change the page settings to English. Note that this link will only work if you are a member of ME:I's fanclub:

https://thegirls.produce101.jp/blog/detail/3/?lang=en

 

A Coming of Age photo of Momona with the other group members:
https://twitter.com/official__ME_I_/status/1744192201389981841

 

Happy Miu day! Today, January 11th, is Sakurai Miu's 22nd birthday.

If you're subscribed to the ME:I fanclub, you can read Miu's blog post here:

https://thegirls.produce101.jp/blog/detail/6/

Miu also shared some photos from Christmas, here's one teaser image. (This image was also posted by ME:I's official twitter, the other photos in the post are reserved for subscribers only )

 

Thanks! You can tell I still haven't fully transferred into 2024 lol

 

Fan name announcement (I've put it in the spoiler):


if the video does not show watch the video here

Spoiler

YOU:ME

 

LEAP HIGH! - Dance Practice 11 ver:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

so how is the japanese people response regarding the selected members
are most of them satisfied w/ the final 11?

 

It seems yes. The girls have already exceeded the follower count of season 2 group INI on instagram, and they're generally seemingly welcomed very well. I think it helps having Momona in the centre, since she became a sapphic magnet after she cut her hair during the show.

We will have to wait and see how they're received properly when they actually debut and hold the fan meetings

 

'Thank you for your hard work' party:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

ME:I has changed their website from thegirls.produce101.jp to me-i.jp! Finally they got their proper URL.

The fanclub is also holding a daily collection event on the website from January 24th to February 26th (33 days total). Every day, you have to log into the fan club to collect a random photo of one of the members. As always, you aren't allowed to share the photos outside of the FC but this time they put a note specifically telling people not to. You also can't download the photos, like you can with the blog.

Personally, I got Rinon today in her outfit from the Otsukare Party (linked in the post above by @David61) and I noticed it says "No.3" in the top right corner. Also, the gallery has 33 empty slots available. Other people have mentioned they got members in a Christmas-y outfit, so I'm thinking they have prepared 3 photos per member, hence 33 slots (3x11 members) and hence the 33 days to collect the cards.

https://me-i.jp/redirect/mobadmin/event_path/cmn_fortune/1

 

ME:I Party : Letter Exchange (English CC subs):


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Reports from fans who applied for the fanmeetings in Tokyo and Osaka are promising! I know someone who applied for all six concerts and didn't win a single one of them! Of course it's a shame for that person, but that means the fanmeeting is in high demand. Looking like a good debut for ME:I

 

Self-Introduction Quiz (English CC subs):


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Earphone Gangan Game:


if the video does not show watch the video here

 

These videos have genuinely been so fun, and I'm really thankful to Lapone for providing these on a weekly basis while we wait for debut, and also especially big thank you for subbing these in English!!

ME:I's fanbase has some incredible artists out there and this time, I wanted to highlight these artworks from someone who did a highlight medley in cartoon form of the ME:I Party videos we've received so far:


https://twitter.com/rebl______m/status/1756241152066670825

Members also recently returned to Japan and of course, the Korean fanbase took a few videos of them at the airport in Korea (departing). It seems Cocoro has black hair now, but many other members took a great deal of care to hide themselves. I wonder if ME:I will follow in the footsteps of Korean groups and change their hairstyles for new releases? With Lapone as their agency and the Produce name attached to them, it may be very possible. JO1 and INI are also a bit more K-Pop coded than many other J-Pop boygroups, and they have debuted in Korea too, AFAIK.


if the video does not show watch the video here