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Seiyuu idol units (including seiyuu idol bands) are musical groups featuring seiyuu as performers. They are very common in the anime industry and also are created for anime-style games (most commonly mobile games).
Types of groups[]
The typical seiyuu idol unit is 2 or more seiyuu who both sing, but songs and instrumentals are provided by the management or production company. As with most idol groups, the seiyuu are expected to also dance, but perhaps not quite as good or as much as traditional idol groups (the gap has closed quite a bit, though, especially for established units). Occasionally a member will consult with lyrics or rarely parts of arrangement or composition. More experienced members may also consult on choreography.
Seiyuu idol bands, sometimes known as "bandols" will both sing and play instruments, but most bandols will have a main vocalist and the other members will play instruments and sing backing vocals. In most cases the arrangement, composition, and lyrics of songs are handled by the management or production company, but bandols are more likely to have a member consult with lyrics or sometimes parts of arrangement or composition. Most bandols don't do much dancing, since they are playing instruments.
Most seiyuu idol units are formed based on a related media property like a game or anime, but can occasionally be formed for light novel or manga promotion. Some seiyuu idol units are formed to promote products or regional promotion. Unless the related topic has long term staying power, many groups last less than a year or less than 3 years at most.
Some seiyuu idol units are formed just based on the popularity of the seiyuu themselves or their perceived draw. Some seiyuu idol units are so successful that the seiyuu don't actually have to do much voice acting or they were included in the group more for their singing ability and the voice acting aspect is minimal.
Well-known groups[]
Well-known independent units[]
These units were formed independent of a specific promotional aspect, such as anime or games.
- sphere (2009+; Kotobuki Minako, Takagaki Ayahi, Tomatsu Haruka, & Toyosaki Aki)
- TrySail (2015+, Amamiya Sora, Asakura Momo, & Natsukawa Shiina)
- Hypnosis Mic Division All Stars (2017+) is a huge multi-unit group:
- Buster Bros!!! (founding Ikebukuro Division subunit; Kimura Subaru, Ishiya Haruki, & Amasaki Kohei)
- MAD TRIGGER CREW (founding Yokohama Division subunit; Asanuma Shintaro, Komada Wataru, & Kamio Shinichiro)
- Fling Posse (founding Shibuya Division subunit; Shirai Yusuke, Saito Soma, & Nozuyama Yukihiro)
- Matenro (founding Shinjuku Division subunit; Hayami Show, Kijima Ryuichi, & Ito Kent)
- DOTSUITARE-HOMPO (Osaka Division subunit; Iwasaki Ryota, Kawanishi Kengo, & Kuroda Takaya)
- Bad Ass Temple (Nagoya Division subunit; Hayama Shota, Sakakihara Yuki, & Takeuchi Eiji)
- The Dirty Dawg (gen 3 subunit; Takano Akira, Abe Alan, Yasui Kentaro, & Ayukawa Taiyo)
- D4 (gen 3 subunit; Takahashi Shunichi, Fukuzawa Yuu, Okano Kaito, & Goto Dai)
Well-known mixed-media units[]
- Poppin'Partybandol (2015+; Aimi [vocals, guitar], Otsuka Sae [guitar], Nishimoto Rimi [bass], Ohashi Ayaka [drums], & Ito Ayasa [keyboard])
- Afterglowa (2017+; Sakura Ayane, Kanemoto Hisako, Hikasa Yoko, Misawa Sachika, & Kato Emiri)
- Pastel✽Palettesb (2017+; Maeshima Ami, Hata Sawako, Nakagami Ikumi, Uesaka Sumire, & Ozawa Ari)
- Roseliabandol (2017+; Aiba Aina [vocals, leader], Kudo Haruka [guitar], Nakashima Yuki [bass], Sakuragawa Megu [drums], & Shizaki Kanon [keyboard])
- Hello, Happy World!c (2017+; Ito Miku, Kurosawa Tomoyo, Yoshida Yuri, Toyota Moe, & Tadokoro Azusa)
- Morfonicabandol (2020+; Shindo Amane [vocals], Suguta Hina [guitar], Nishio Yuka [bass], Mika [drums, leader], & Ayasa [violin])
- RAISE A SUILENbandol (2018+; Raychell [vocals, bass], Kohara Riko [guitar], Natsume [drums], Kurachi Reo [keyboard, vocals], & Tsumugi Risa [DJ, leader])
- Note a: Does not generally perform live, but Sakura Ayane has performed some songs live with Roselia as a backing band.
- Note b: Does not generally perform live, but Maeshima Ami has performed some songs live with Hata Sawako & Nakagami Ikumi appearing as well.
- Note c: Has not performed live, so far.
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- μs (2010 to 2016, 2020+; Iida Riho, Kubo Yurika, Kusuda Aina, Mimori Suzuko, Nanjo Yoshino, leader Nitta Emi, Pile (Hori Eriko), Tokui Sora, & Uchida Aya)
- Sub-unit lily white: Mimori Suzuko, Iida Riho, & Kusuda Aina
- Sub-unit BiBi: Nanjo Yoshino, Pile (Hori Eriko), & Tokui Sora
- Sub-unit Printemps: Nitta Emi, Uchida Aya, & Kubo Yurika
- Aqours (2015+; Aida Rikako, Furihata Ai, leader Inami Anju, Kobayashi Aika, Komiya Arisa, Saito Shuka, original leader Suwa Nanaka, Suzuki Aina, & Takatsuki Kanako)
- Sub-unit CYaRon!: Inami Anju, Saito Shuka, & Furihata Ai
- Sub-unit AZALEA: Suwa Nanaka, Komiya Arisa, & Takatsuki Kanako
- Sub-unit Guilty Kiss: Aida Rikako, Kobayashi Aika, & Suzuki Aina
- Nijigasaki High School Idol Club (2017+; Kito Akari, Kubota Miyu, Kusunoki Tomori, Maeda Kaori, Murakami Natsumi, leader Onishi Aguri, Sagara Mayu, Sashide Maria, Tanaka Chiemi; Koizumi Moeka <joined August 2020>, Homoto Akina <joined August 31, 2021>, Uchida Shu <joined August 31, 2021>)
- Liella! (2020+; leader Date Sayuri, Liyuu, Misaki Nako, Payton Naomi, & Aoyama Nagisa; announced April 28, 2022 and revealed May 11, 2022: Emori Aya, Okuma Wakana, Suzuhara Nozomi, & Yabushima Akane)
- i☆Ris (2012+; Akaneya Himika, Kubota Miyu, Serizawa Yu, Wakai Yuki, & Yamakita Saki)
- Wake Up, Girls! (2013 to 2019; leader Aoyama Yoshino, Eino Airi, Okuno Kaya, Tanaka Minami, Takagi Miyu, Yamashita Nanami, & center Yoshioka Mayu)
- Walküre (2015+; JUNNA, Nishida Nozomi, Suzuki Minori, Toyama Nao, & Yasuno Kiyono)
- 22/7 (2016+; as of May 2022: Amaki Sally, Kawase Uta, Saijo Nagomi, Miyase Reina, & Shirosawa Kanae; added Feb 2022: Aikawa Nao, Asaoka Mao, Shiina Satsuki, Shijo Luna, Tsukishiro Emma, & Mochizuki Rino; former founding member:
Hokaze Chiharu&Suzuhana Moe; former Feb 2022 addition:Amaya Oto&Kiyoi Mina)
- Franchouchou (2018+; center Hondo Kaede, Kawase Maki, Kinugawa Rika, Tanaka Minami, Taneda Risa, & leader Tano Asami; temporary Hanazawa Kana)
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- ST☆RISH (2011+; Taniyama Kisho, Miyano Mamoru, Toriumi Kosuke, Suwabe Junichi, Terashima Takuma, Shimono Hiro, & Suzumura Kenichi)
- HE★VENS (2013+; Midorikawa Hikaru, Ono Daisuke, Yonaga Tsubasa, Uchida Yuma, Takahashi Hidenori, Kimura Ryohei, & Yamashita Daiki)
- IDOLiSH7 (2015+; Masuda Toshiki, Shirai Yusuke, Yonaga Tsubasa, KENN, Abe Atsushi, Eguchi Takuya, & Ono Kensho)
- DRAMATIC STARS (2015+; Nakamura Shugo, Uchida Yuma, & Yashiro Taku)
- DIALOGUE+ (2019+; Hieda Nene, Izuka Mayu, Miyahara Satsuki, Moriya Kyoka, Murakami Manatsu, Ogata Yuna, Takamura Ayaka, & Uchiyama Yurina)