Me:I

Me:I
OriginJapan
Genres
Years active2023 (2023)–present
LabelsLapone Entertainment
Members
  • Tsuzumi Ebihara
  • Shizuku Iida
  • Ran Ishii
  • Momona Kasahara
  • Cocoro Kato
  • Rinon Murakami
  • Miu Sakurai
  • Kokona Sasaki
  • Keiko Shimizu
  • Ayane Takami
  • Suzu Yamamoto
Websitecf.thegirls.produce101.jp

Me:I (Japanese: ミーアイ, Hepburn: Mīai, stylized in all caps) is a Japanese girl group formed through the reality competition show Produce 101 Japan The Girls. The group is composed of eleven members: Momona Kasahara, Rinon Murakami, Ayane Takami, Miu Sakurai, Suzu Yamamoto, Kokona Sasaki, Shizuku Iida, Keiko Shimizu, Ran Ishii, Tsuzumi Ebihara, and Cocoro Kato. Like the winners of the first and second season of Produce 101 Japan, Me:I is intended to be a permanent group.[2] The group is managed by Lapone Entertainment, a joint company between Yoshimoto Kogyo and CJ ENM.[2]

Name

The group's name, Me:I, was chosen by Lapone Entertainment among all the suggestions given by the viewers through Produce 101 Japan's official website. The name was announced during the final episode of the show.

The group's name symbolizes a beloved idol embraced by all, an idol of the future. They move forward together towards the future, representing the new generation of Japanese idols. When the group name is said, the name sounds like the Japanese word 未来 (mirai, "future").

History

2023: Formation through Produce 101 Japan The Girls

Main article: Produce 101 Japan The Girls

Me:I was formed through the reality competition show Produce 101 Japan The Girls, which was aired primarily on streaming service Lemino from October 5 to December 16, 2023. A total of 14,000 participants auditioned for the show, ranging in age from 15 to 25 and not affiliated with any talent agency.[3][4] The final 11 trainees were picked by viewers from the original 101 trainees through online voting and announced during a live television broadcast on TBS.[5] Unlike previous Produce 101 franchise-winning groups, there was no intention of restricting the group's activity after its debut.[6]

Many of the Produce 101 Japan The Girls trainees had experience in the entertainment industry, resulting in Me:I members having varying levels of experience. Momona Kasahara was a member of the Hello! Project girl group Angerme from 2016 to 2021. Miu Sakurai was a contestant on Nizi Project and Girls Planet 999 as well as training under Source Music and Beat Entertainment. Suzu Yamamoto spent a year at South Korean company Source Music. Ran Ishii was a member of the girl group Girls² and appeared in the Japanese drama Secret × Heroine Phantomirage!. Cocoro Kato was a member of the South Korean girl group Cherry Bullet under FNC Entertainment.

They are set to release their debut single on April 17, 2024.[7]

Members

  • Tsuzumi Ebihara (海老原 鼓, Ebihara Tsuzumi)
  • Shizuku Iida (飯田 栞月, Iida Shizuku)
  • Ran Ishii (石井 蘭, Ishii Ran)
  • Momona Kasahara (笠原 桃奈, Kasahara Momona)
  • Cocoro Kato (加藤 心, Katō Kokoro)
  • Rinon Murakami (村上 璃杏, Murakami Rinon)
  • Miu Sakurai (櫻井 美羽, Sakurai Miu)
  • Kokona Sasaki (佐々木 心菜, Sasaki Kokona)
  • Keiko Shimizu (清水 恵子, Shimizu Keiko)
  • Ayane Takami (高見 文寧, Takami Ayane)
  • Suzu Yamamoto (山本 すず, Yamamoto Suzu)

References

  1. ^ "From J-pop to K-pop and back to J-pop once more". Korea JoongAng Daily. August 26, 2001. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "韓国の人気オーディション番組 吉本と組んで日本上陸". Nikkei Sports (in Japanese). September 22, 2021.
  3. ^ Jung Joo-young (September 4, 2023). 元Cherry Bullet ココロから「虹プロ」「ガルプラ」出演者も！「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS」の練習生が話題 [From former Cherry Bullet member Cocoro to "Niji Project" and "Girls Planet" participants! "PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS" trainees are a hot topic]. Kstyle (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "日本版『PRODUCE 101』始動 2020年デビューのグローバルなボーイズグループ選考へ". Oricon (in Japanese). April 11, 2020. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN」から誕生したグローバルボーイズグループ「JO1」のデビューを記念し、『JO1 museum ～「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN」デビューまでの軌跡～』を開催！". PR Times (in Japanese). February 28, 2020. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  6. ^ "韓国の人気オーディション番組 吉本と組んで日本上陸". Nikkei Style (in Japanese). September 22, 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  7. ^ "『日プガールズ』発「ME:I」4・17デビュー決定「成長した姿でお会いできるよう一生懸命準備します」". Oricon (in Japanese). December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.

External links