Ae! group, the five-member group from Kansai, released their debut single “《A》BEGINNING” on May 15th. To celebrate, they held a surprise debut event on a boat along Osaka’s iconic Dotonbori River on May 14th, marking the “last day of being Kansai Juniors.“
Despite announcing the event only an hour in advance on their official X, an impressive crowd of 7,000 fans gathered for this event at 1 PM. Along the “Tombori River Walk,” near the famous Glico sign and Ebisubashi Bridge, the scene was adorned with lanterns bearing the group’s name and flags displaying the members’ names and colors. The group’s debut song “《A》BEGINNING” played on a loop, adding to the excitement.
At precisely 1 PM, three boats slowly emerged on the river. The central boat, equipped with a stage, carried the five members of Ae! group, who greeted the fans with enthusiastic waves and cheerful greetings. The fans responded with loud cheers, creating an electrifying atmosphere and turning the excitement to the max for both the boys and the fans and onlookers alike.
“Thank you all for coming despite the heat,” Yoshinori Maskado said, acknowledging the crowd and the summer-like weather.
The other members echoed his gratitude: Masaya Sano expressed disbelief at the large turnout, Seiya Suezawa noted the intense heat (as if he doesn’t blaze it up himself), Ken Kojima thanked everyone sincerely, and Richard Keita Kusama offered heartfelt thanks. They waved in all directions, ensuring every fan felt appreciated.
Why the Dotonbori River?
Yoshinori explained the significance of the location: “When we thought about where to hold an event that represents Ae! group, we considered Shochikuza in Osaka, but we wanted to make Dotonbori our sacred place, so we chose here.”
Dotonbori holds a special place in their hearts. It’s also where leader Ken Kojima achieved the impressive feat of catching a critically endangered Japanese eel in November 2023 for the show “Ae!!!!!!Ko” (Aぇ!!!!!!ゐこ).
Following their greetings, the members shared highlights from “《A》BEGINNING” and its music video. The youngest member and drummer, Masaya, highlighted the moment he shouts “恐れを撃ち抜け”/”overcoming fear,” while Richard, saxophonist, and bassist, enjoyed the part where they link arms.
Leader and keyboardist Ken recommended the arm-swinging movement in the intro, describing it as “stirring the soul.” Meanwhile, their main vocalist and powerhouse, Seiya, pointed out the high harmonies and ad-libs, while Yoshinori encouraged fans to clap along during the B melody. To the delight of the fans, he announced, “We’re going to sing it now!“
On the boat stage, the members arranged themselves in the shape of an “A” and began singing “《A》BEGINNING.” The sun’s rays intensified, creating a stunning visual effect as they performed joyfully with smiles.
The heartwarming moment of the five members linking arms for “明日を砕いた フルテン・ラウンダー”/”We shattered tomorrow Full ten louder” was particularly touching. Richard’s graceful kick and Seiya’s high-tone ad-libs added to the unique performance. In a humorous twist, Yoshinori forgot to dance during the chorus, opting instead to wave and interact cheerfully with the fans. Adorable!
At the press conference following the event, Ken expressed the group’s aspirations: “We want to make Dotonbori our sacred place, but we’re not yet worthy of it. Eventually, we want it to become a place where people say, ‘This is where Ae! group held a surprise event,’ making it our holy ground.” His passionate words reflected his ambition and dedication as the group leader.
A Fan’s Perspective: @zaq_in_chill’s Event Experience
X user @zaq_in_chill was one of the fans attending the Dotonbori River event, and Dumpling Box had the honor of talking to them about it and how it was from a fan’s perspective!
Attending the event was a nice experience, and fans started gathering as early as 10 AM since the signs were already up. Many curious tourists wondered what was happening, and I was happy to explain the event to English speakers. The excitement kicked into high gear when “《A》BEGINNING” started blasting across Dotonbori right after the announcement on X.
Finding a good spot was challenging unless you were lucky enough to win the fan club lottery. Staff were constantly asking people to move and not loiter around, so I had to change positions three times. Despite the hassle of moving around and waiting under the sun, it was all worth it once the barges appeared. Two of the three barges had LED screens playing teasers of the music video, while the central barge featured a stage from which the members emerged.
The atmosphere when they started singing live was special, and the feeling of their powerful voices resonating throughout Dotonbori, Minami, and Shinsaibashi is indeed different from how it is broadcasted on TV clips, YouTube, and videos from fans. Seiya’s powerful voice, in particular, stood out. Fans and even tourists were captivated as the entire area was focused on them. It’s a pity they didn’t perform the entire song. After their performance, they posed for press pictures, interacted with fans, and then floated away down the river.
Having the event in Dotonbori was a perfect choice—from the location’s significance, the nearby Shochikuza theater, where they’ve grown from the start of their career, Ken’s internationally recognized feat of catching the magical eel, to it being the place to gather in Kansai to celebrate victories—made it a fitting place to mark their new A BEGINNING as a fully debuted group. I even spoke with two elderly Australian tourists who were curious about the event before it started. After showing them the music video, they expressed interest in returning to see Ae! group live.
Additionally, some tourists reportedly bought the CD at the pop-up shop outside Ebisubashi Tsutaya after the event.
Ae! group’s surprise debut event on the Dotonbori River was a resounding success, creating lasting memories for both the group and their fans as they embark on their musical journey. Knowing and seeing that even tourists bought and got interested in the group showed the group’s immediate impact and growing popularity.
It’s been about a month since the event and their official debut, and right now, they are in the middle of their nationwide tour, “Ae! group Live Tour 〜 The World’s Best AeLIVE〜!” The tour started in Hokkaido, and is currently in Shizuoka at the time of writing this article. The tour’s last stop is in Tokyo, August 16-18.
Not only are they busy with their tour, but several other fun announcements have happened, too!
Their first solo docuseries, “BORDERLESS,” is out on Netflix and will be available worldwide on June 19th, according to Netflix’s page. The documentary series follows the journey of the group, documenting the challenges, mistakes, and personal development of each of its five members. Witness firsthand the remarkable evolution and personal growth of each member, showcased through a collection of never-before-seen videos.
In the musical “The Three Musketeers” Seiya will take on the role of the young man, D’Artagnan, who dreams of becoming a Musketeer, alongside Masayuki Sakamoto, who will play the role of the leader of the Musketeers, Athos.
Our beloved Masaya is promoting his movie “Tomorrow in the Finder,” where he plays the significant role of Taiichi, a talented young photographer who aspires to become the photographer Samejima’s (Sei Hiraizumi) apprentice.
Yoshinori has been appointed as the official ambassador for Immersive Museum OSAKA 2024. With his unique perspective, having previously portrayed the young Van Gogh in a stage play—one of the painters from the Post-Impressionism movement—Yoshinori will broadly share the charm of this exhibition.
Richard will star in the Japanese edition of Jonathan Larson’s musical “tick, tick…BOOM!” along with Kota Yabu from Hey! Say! JUMP. “tick, tick…BOOM!” is based on writer Jonathan Larson’s experiences during his struggling years, depicting his conflicts and growth through numerous songs, and Richard will portray Jonathan’s best friend Michael.
On the other hand, Ken has taken an active role as the (somewhat self-appointed) CEO of the current STARTO Jr. in the Kansai region. Every Tuesday since Ae! group graduated from the Junior CHANNEL, it has been a pleasant mix of talents from the pool of 73 individuals, led by none other than the Words of Wisdom man himself—Ken Kojima.
In the article, “Ae! Legacy: The STARTO Kansai Family,” Ken commented, “I hope that those same people will continue to enjoy what we have planned for this new Kansai Junior segment and share it with others…in addition to subscribing to Ae! group’s new channel, of course!”
It’s just the beginning, but Ae! group is sweeping through the country and the world with another fresh wind, and this is certainly just their starting point! Stay seated for more Ae! group to come!
Check out Ae! group on their various social media platforms!
aegroupofficial @ X | YouTube | Instagram | Official Website
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