The official group created through the OO48 show (OO48 thread here). UNLAME Official website: https://unlame.jp/ Warner Music Japan page: https://wmg.jp/unlame/ Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/unlame_official Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlame_official/ Official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unlame_official Official Fanclub: https://unlame-fc.jp/ Members: Kuranoo Narumi, Sakagawa Hiyuka, Arai Sae, Kubo Hinano, Sato Suzuka, Nakamura Yuka, Yamaguchi Yui Debut song "I am I" MV Preview: if the video does not show watch the video here [Full Song] I am I if the video does not show watch the video here [Full Song] Prismatic... if the video does not show watch the video here Please discuss about the members and their news in this thread
AKB Universal, UNLAME Warner. I don't know about you, but I think there's a chance they're going to become... Spoiler PERMANENT!!!
As I posted in the OO48 thread (thanks @Aka for directing me here) here's the links for the official site: Group's official website: https://unlame.jp/ Individual member profile photos (as posted above): https://unlame.jp/profile The Discography link goes to Warner Music Japan's site: https://wmg.jp/unlame/
Explanation of the group's name: UNLAME is the opposite of "lame: boring and unoriginal". It expresses the concept of a unique group, anti-"lack of individuality", and the desire to be a group that can express and show individuality that does not fit into existing formats. (Both Google and DeepL couldn't properly translate アンチ没個性) I don't think anyone just looking at the logo would know that is an "L". It could be a squiggly line, a snake or a worm. This initial look isn't bringing out much individuality, but I think Naru looks good.
To english-speakers, or at least to me, UNLAME just looks so lame to be a name. But I get it, on surface level, without attachment to the meaning in English language, UNLAME looks like a fancy name, imagine it to be pronunced with an accented e at the end or something. To me, something is just a bit not right with the stylized L in the logo, especially the pink-red version, it looks kinda love hotel sign-ish. But with a some tweaking, I can see how it would work nicely. I don't think I have a good impression of them in this first few looks. The MV teaser don't kinda hook me, visual-wise nor music-wise. But I like the title. The group and individual photos are nice. The name doesn't click with me, it's not giving me anti-"lack of individuality" and more like lack of creativity. I mean, I just keep on equating lame with dasai in my mind, that the girls just don't want to be called dasai, I don't know, it just feels like a cringe. I will wait for the MV to finally be released. I haven't been keeping up with OO48, so I don't really have an excitement building up for it. But even with all sorta negative comments I'm making, I am nowhere near disliking UNLAME as a whole, there are some points in the group's photos, members, logo, name, concept, that I can see to have elements that I like.
I've just been looking at the official site again and I noticed at the bottom of the pages there's a copyright notice for a company called ANYLAND which rang a bell with me but I couldn't think why? I then found their website at https://anyland.jp/ and I remembered why I'd heard of them - they own the official fan clubs for a number of current and former AKB and STU members as well as some ex-Sakamichi ones and former =LOVE member Saito Nagisa.
I don't have very good feelings with this, for many reasons. From how the audition was conducted, it was a realization that range from bad to awfull, with little to try to target a new audience, no promotion and it drove away curent fans. Ichinomiya blowout's past achievements don't speak in good favor either, and let's not mention how current DH behaviors are recieved among fans. Also, one of the previous work from a kind of related to a 48 idol group, with Warner Japan ended in a short life too. Thanks to liitle money put on the table from the get go, and no investments after a too timid debut. The Coinlockers fate The group start is going to be carried entirerly on Naru's shoulders. She's by far the most popular, just I'm not positive to have only 1 member to rely on for sales is the wisest idea. the production will have to make some efforts to promote the other girls Also, from Naru's words on Instagram, I'm skeptical on how this can help AKB48. It looks too different. Wait and see From the teaser, they are definetly trying the Kpop style. The youtube page uses english description, Predebut is used a lot Kpop, there's the hashtag #언레임, and they are releasing worldwide. Just see my reserves above about Warner. also they would have to establish themsleves first in Japan before thinking about oversea, that's a very high hurdle. they are the debut act at TGC, I guess, the staff had little choice to if they want to have them making some kind of impact. With the likes of LE SSERAPHIM in the line up, there is no way UNLAME could have any momentum during the main show. I'll give them some chances, maybe they can prove me wrong.
I saw this coming from the way they started the show, but I definitely don't like seeing that the group truly does seem to be going the k-pop route. I don't even dislike k-pop, I do listen to multiple groups, I just like j-pop more. And I think it's safe to make a generalized statement and say j-pop tends to go for more of a cute image while k-pop very often goes for a girl crush vibe. It seems like they're doing the latter here, and that's fine, but definitely not exactly my cup of tea, and it's very ironic coming from a group that apparently wants to be original. Unless they're trying to be original within j-pop? But if they're trying to be original in general, I'm definitely not seeing it. I've seen at least two Japanese fans on Twitter comparing the released pictures for UNLAME with IVE, especially considering IVE have released a song called "I AM" just not too long ago: https://twitter.com/IchiKakeruIchi/status/1697413068714831902?s=20 https://twitter.com/HizakiMaya/status/1697342166094450743?s=20 It's definitely way too similar, lol. I do like IVE, though, so there's that. I'm withholding judgement until their debut tomorrow for sure, I want to like them, but I'm going in with low expectations.
None of the girls from the show's PV and "Your Super Girl" made it to the final group. PERMANENT!!! ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... https://twitter.com/TGCnews/status/1697480833677087231 https://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-12818617853.html https://twitter.com/AKB48_staff/status/1697459350699409584
https://www.instagram.com/unlame_official They're doing that LAME thing... Spoiler: Sources https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpZRcvJG_u https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpZPHHpL1y https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpZM3cpFT7 https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpZKKTp6E4 https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpZIFoJvVu https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpZFDdJvpu
The OUT OF 48 twitter has become the group's official one. https://twitter.com/unlame_official Same treatment with the former OO48 Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@unlame_official
These are the links to the official audio tracks on YouTube but as these currently won't work for everyone without a VPN I'll just post them as URLs: 'I am I': www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI5ahiuWUN0 'Prismatic...': www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSLgTQdTAIo (Presumably they'll become available in each country around the world at 00:01 local time on 9/2)
The katakana spelling is アンレイム (an-re-i-mu) and the hangul one is 언레임 (eon-re-im). So, there is no "accented e". (I wonder if there is typo/mistake. 안 (an) and 언(eon) looks very similar.) They clearly wants to draw foreign fans seeing the English description on the teaser. The name of the group and the title of the song also are in English. The member lineup is imbalanced. That one shortie stands out so much. The height should have been more leveled. The age gap is too big, 9 years. That youngest one is too young for the concept too. Music wise, from what I heard from the teaser, it did not sound that good. The arrangement was not meticulous. The voice sounded gratingly nasal. I may like it better in full. The song made the R&B/soul singing tests in the show absurd. For the styling, they should have gone with something looking more casual. Something more of this if the video does not show watch the video here or this if the video does not show watch the video here Sae's hair should have been better stylised. Narumi needs higher heels. The mv production quality is chika idol level. Will there still be obstinate "no K-pop", "They do not aim at K-pop fans"?
Thanks everyone! I updated the first post with the official links. I'm going to add social media links and pictures for each member soon... Btw I didn't write my opinions here yet so: Like I said in the OO48 thread, the line-up surprised me a bit, but I'm planning to follow this group mostly because I really wanted Hiyuka in it and she was selected, so now I can finally have more content with her! About the MV preview, it looks good. it's very different than AKB yes... but the girls look pretty and it has a very elegant and feminine style that I find very nice. I think Hinano looks great, she seems to be the center? (her or Naru, or all of them, maybe they rotate it) About the name, hm... I guess, this is kinda like the H!P group 'ANGERME'. I'm not their fan or anything lol but I guess their fans got used to it eventually (it still feels aggressive everytime I read their name tbh lol). Spoiler or maybe... I could just think of it as (failed) french That's the spirit Let's be LAMERS. stan UNLAME. get UNLAMED. and then finally... we'll be cool Spoiler maybe
Based on sound only, I prefer Prismatic over I am I. The latter song will have to grow on me a little more. I liked it from the teaser, but after listening to the whole thing, it's kind of vocally chaotic (to me).
