"Wake Up, Girls!" is an idol anime set in Sendai

©Green Leaves / Wake Up, Girls! 3Production Committee

Wake Up, Girls! is an idol anime set in Sendai

While idol anime generally depicts the glamorous image of idols, Wake Up, Girls! is a little different.
It portrays both the sparkling aspects of idols and the struggles they face behind the scenes.

The sight of these rookie idols striving towards their dreams, overcoming various difficulties with a positive attitude, gave a great deal of courage and hope to the people of Tohoku who faced the immense hardship of the earthquake.
This time, we'd like to introduce Wake Up, Girls!

Overview of Wake Up, Girls!

Wake Up, Girls! (hereafter WUG!) is a story about seven girls who strive to become idols

The lead voice actresses are seven girls selected from an audition of 2,000 people.
Following the first theatrical film, "Seven Idols," and the TV series, two more theatrical films followed, all of which were hits, and a highly anticipated new chapter is scheduled for release in 2017.

The biggest appeal of WUG! is undoubtedly its charming characters.
In the next section, we'll introduce the members of WUG! while being as close to spoiler-free as possible!

Introducing the members of Wake Up, Girls!

Mayu Shimada

Voiced by Mayu Yoshioka
Born in Suginami Ward, Tokyo. Her hobbies include singing, she likes chicks, and dislikes lies.
Her nickname is Mayushii.

She is the protagonist of this work, the original center of the nationally popular idol unit I-1club, and the center of WUG!.
As a former top idol, she has exceptional talent in both singing and dancing.

Mayu's brilliant career at I-1club, however, comes to an end with her sudden departure.
What exactly happened in Mayu's past, which she stubbornly refuses to talk about...?
Her image colorred, and her image animal is a lion.

Airi Hayashida

Voiced by Airi Nagano.
From Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. Her hobbies include cooking, she likes Western-style sweets and cakes, and dislikes cockroaches.
Her nickname is Ai-chan.

She is a kind and considerate person and Mayu's best friend.
She is Mayu's classmate at school and encouraged Mayu to participate in the auditions even before Mayu was scouted for WUG!. She
has no experience in singing or dancing, but she is the hardest worker in WUG!.
However, producer Hayasaka points out that she lacks professionalism and hasn't completely shaken off her fan-like perspective, putting Airi in danger of being kicked out of the group... Her
image colorindigo, and her image animal is a shark.

Minami Katayama

Voiced by Minami Tanaka
. From Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Her hobbies include folk songs, and she likes roasted sweet potatoes, delicious food, and pancakes. She dislikes exercise.
Her nickname is Minami.

She is the mascot of WUG!
Her singing ability, honed through folk singing, is genuine, and she even won the Tohoku Nodojiman singing contest.
She was scouted for her singing talent and joined WUG!.
for her catchphrase "Umme-nyaa" (It's delicious!) as a gourmet reporter in the group's first TV project.
She played a key role in getting WUG!'s activities on track.
Her image coloryellow, and her image animal is the tiger.

Yoshino Nanase

Voiced by Yoshino Aoyama
. From Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture. Her hobbies include skiing, she likes stuffed animals, and dislikes sneaky people.
Her nickname is Yoppi.

She is the leader of WUG! and a local talent with experience as a model and appearing in commercials. She is
responsible, serious, and stoic.
On the other hand, her occasional vulnerabilities are also part of her charm.
Although appointed leader by the president due to her long career, she accumulates stress due to worries about her leadership qualities and her dissatisfaction and jealousy towards Mayu.
Initially, she had long black hair, but in the sequel movie "Shadow of Youth," she changed her image with short hair!
We should keep an eye on Yoppi's activities after this fresh start!
Her image colorblue, and her image animal is a polar bear.

Nanami Hisami

Voiced by Nanami Yamashita
. From Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. Her hobbies include playing the piano, she likes the Hikarizuka Revue, and dislikes natto (fermented soybeans).
Her nickname is Nanamin.

She is the youngest member and a musical elite.
Aiming to join the Hikarizuka Revue, she is perfect at piano, dance, and singing.
On the other hand, her basic physical fitness is age-appropriate, and there are many times when she can't keep up during physical training. She has
a strong sense of elitism and is strict with herself and others, but she can also show a gentle side once she opens up to someone.
Initially, she thought of WUG! as a stepping stone to joining the Hikarizuka Revue...
Her image colorpurple, and her image animal is the wolf.

Kaya Kikuma

Voiced by Kaya Okuno
. From Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. Her hobbies include jogging, she likes comedy, and dislikes the sea.
Her nickname is Kayatan.

She is the oldest member and sub-leader of WUG!
She is like an older sister to everyone.
She is in charge of sexiness and fashion, and
has the biggest bust! Although she can be jaded at times, her composure and the way she takes a step back to support others have saved WUG! many times.
When she sensed discord among the members and suggested a training camp, the bond between WUG! members deepened even further.
Her image colorgreen, and her image animal is a crocodile.

Miyu Okamoto

Voiced by Miyu Takagi
From Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. Her hobbies include karaoke, she likes idols and fried chicken, and dislikes printed books.
Her nickname is Myu-chan.

She's the one who gets teased the most in WUG! and is the mood maker.
Initially, she was timid and a crybaby, but after overcoming numerous difficulties, she has grown into a mentally strong character.
Before joining WUG!, she worked at a maid cafe and was a popular staff member with many fans.
Because of that past and her admiration for idols, she is also straightforward and devoted, constantly studying poses and talks to entertain the audience.
Whether it's part of her character or just her natural personality, she speaks to everyone using polite language.
Her image colororange, and her image animal is the eagle.

These seven are the members of WUG!.
Each member is charming, but ultimately, they are just anime characters.
Unfortunately, you can't meet them in person.

However, while you won't be able to meet the anime characters, you can meet WUG!

Wake Up, Girls! is here!

©Green Leaves / Wake Up, Girls! 3Production Committee

The voice actors who voiced the characters actually formed a voice acting unit called Wake Up, Girls!, and are currently working alongside the anime!

At the 9th Seiyu Awards held in 2015, she received a special award in recognition of her support activities for the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Her annual summer live tour has also grown in scale year by year, and in 2016, it visited seven locations nationwide and attracted more than 15,000 spectators.

WUG!'s music has expanded beyond the anime world, including songs used in the anime and new songs for TV commercials, and their popularity continues to grow overseas.
At the "Wake Up, Miyagi! Touch and Love Project in Taiwan" held in Taiwan, Nagano, Aoyama, and Takagi appeared at a talk event,
was a huge success with a packed house.

While there are other voice actor units linked to anime, WUG!'s most distinctive feature is the members' names. Their first names are the same as their characters'!
By shouting out the characters' names in support, you'll be joining the ranks of the fans who support WUG! as they appear in the anime!

It's not just WUG! that's real!
The environment surrounding WUG!, just like the characters themselves, can be seen in the real world!

The backgrounds in the anime faithfully recreate the scenery of Sendai, making it perfect for a pilgrimage to the real-life locations!
Real-life tourist characters active in Sendai, such as Musubimaru and the Date Samurai Squad, also make appearances, so be sure to check out their appearance events when you visit Sendai!

INFORMATION

Chimon

A balding writer who loves travel and laughter.
A nice guy who hides his thinning hair by shaving his head!
He travels north and south to bring smiles to Tohoku through his writing!

sbtimon.hatenablog.com/