A press conference for "Theater Boys Group," a new male idol project produced by Yasushi Akimoto, was held in Tokyo on April 23rd, where 30 members selected after approximately six months of auditions were unveiled.
"Theater Boys Group" is a new entertainment project launched through a collaboration between Y&N Brothers, a subsidiary of Akimoto, Mitsui Fudosan, and Tokyo Dome. On this day, it was also announced that the project name would be changed from "Theater Boys Group" to "Cloud ten," which means "beyond" the ultimate happiness, "Cloud nine."
The group is comprised of members with diverse backgrounds, including students from the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and Keio University, a 13-year-old who won a national dance championship, and a chef. Shuto Fukamizu expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I hope that our diverse personalities can come together and create a chemical reaction!" On this day, they also performed songs with lyrics written by Akimoto, including "Sarigenai Mirai," "Kimi no Someday," and "Gomen Ai Koso Subete."
Akimoto said he wants to make use of his experience in creating teams within AKB48, such as "Team A," and commented, "I think we'll divide into several teams this time as well." When asked about the center position, he said, "I think the staff are thinking about various things right now. I think a center position is necessary. AKB48 also made Atsuko Maeda the face of the group, and people started saying, 'That's the group that she's in.' But ultimately, it depends on whether the fans find her." He then referenced Nanase Nishino from her time in Nogizaka46, saying, "Nanase Nishino was in the third row at first, but the fans found her. (This time too) it depends on the fans."
This summer, a dedicated theater with approximately 300 seats will open inside "DiverCity Tokyo Plaza" in Odaiba, Tokyo. The theater will become the group's home ground and will be operated as a place where fans can meet the members on a regular basis.
◇ Members of "Cloud ten" (in alphabetical order)
▽Haruto Abe▽Toma Inaba▽Seiji Ueno▽Toma Uji▽Raiki Ose▽Ayumu Owada▽Haru Kitanagi▽Yo Kimura▽Yamato Korogi▽Riku Komai▽Ryusei Sato▽Daito Seki▽Ryu Tomizawa▽Iyota Nishiyama▽Atsushi Nemoto▽Kotaro Hasumi▽Motoki Hamaya▽Aiki Hiraishi▽Miki Hiraoka▽Shuto Fukamizu▽Takamasa Honda▽Hodaka Matsuo▽Kiyohide Mochizuki▽Ayato Watanabe
