Who and what is A.B.C-Z?
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a fansite for newcomers

日本語版が読みたい人はこちら

If there's anything or you want more info, please contact the site author (@ezidyca) on twitter !

A.B.C-Z is a Johnny & Associates boys band of 5 members that was formed in 2008 and debuted in 2012.

In 2008, Hashimoto Ryosuke was selected as an additional member to the already existing Jr (=/= trainee) group A.B.C. (Acrobat Boys Club) and a "-Z" was added to the goup's name, hence the name "A.B.C-Z".
The "Z" shows the completion of the group, like the alphabet, but also significates "Zero" for their new start.
They were backdancers for a long period for debuted groups, giving them a reputation of great dancers.
(They also received the title of best shrimp of the year,but that's another story)

They are known and loved for their dance skills, acrobatics, relaxed talks and sudden announcements !!



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Ryosuke Hashimoto (橋本良亮)

Birth：15/07/1993
Nickanmes：Hasshi, Ryo-chan
Particularity：Youngest but tallest

Center and main vocal but came in afterwards. Often at the center on pictures. Likes and is good at cooking, so wins every cooking related in-group competition. Compares the group's own photobook to those japanese sexy pictures photobook.
Has two dogs, Roa and Koa, who apparently treats Kawai as an enemy.

Fumito Kawai (河合郁人)

Birth：20/10/1987
Nicknames：Fumikyun, Fumi
Particularity：His unique laugh

The one who is becoming famous thanks to his Johnny's colleagues impersonation. Fanboy of his own agency and big fanboy of Kimura Takuya and Matsumoto Jun (Arashi). Succesful fanboy who got a autographed guitar from Kimutaku.
Is nicknamed「Emperor of the still image」because he is (according to himself) far better looking on those.
Oldest current regular presenter on Shonen Club (TV show only starring idols from Johnny's & Associates)

Ryoichi Tsukada (塚田僚一)

Birth：10/12/1986
Nickname：Tsukachan
Particularity：Muscles !

The one with the muscles and who is (often) blonde. Will come to you when you're buying the group's CDs.Was often tight on money before and the total amount of money he borrowed from his mom is too much to be said in public. Recently adopted a dog, Win, whom the other member says he is starting to become muscly like his owner.
Did break a 20 million yen camera by accident.

Characters linked to Tsukada：
(from the left) Tsuka-Darkness, Tsuka-Rika-Chan, Cheat Auntie, Teacher Melody

Shota Totsuka (戸塚祥太)

Birth：13/11/1986
Nickname：Tottsu
Particularity：Changes his hairstyle often, if there's a person in denims with a bandana, it's him

Is considered to be acting strange by fans but he keep saying that he is a normal person with an innocuous life (probably not but sure, whatever floats your boat) .
He has brutal changes of hairstyles (buzz cut, shoulder-length green hair, black hair...) so he leaves a different impression at each apparition.
He has his own fashion and artistic sense and is also a composer. He had a corner in a literature/culture oriented magazine before (it was edited into a book "Jordan Bat is rumbling").

Had once skipped a live appearance by falling asleep after cooking curry, making even people outside the fandom panic about his well-being.

Koichi Goseki (五関晃一)

Birth：17/06/1985
Nicknames：Gocchi, Goseki-sama (Lord Goseki)
Particularity：Oldest but smallest

Choreographer and dancer of the group, he loves and is inspired by games, mangas and chinese history (Three Kingdoms).
Refused to show his refrigerator during a radio talk.
Is called "Goseki sama" by his fans and they are said to more or less worship him. Even KAT-TUN members (known for their bad boys image) talk about him with respect.

His blog on Johnny's web (a subscribers-only system) is a voice log and his updates are more frequent than when it was written.

Characters linked to Goseki :
(from the left) Teacher Dancing Goseki, Pi Koichi

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A.B.C-Z VOCABULARY

This is a non exhaustive list of some words or themes you might see when navigating the A.B.C-Z fandom

  • 5Stars：Designs the members of A.B.C-Z. It is often expressed by a 5-colored star. Star and 5 are a recurrent theme in A.B.C-Z's discography and performances.

  • ABC-Za：Yearly theater show starring A.B.C-Z as main roles (almost all of them have a commercialized recording)

  • Australia travel /working holiday：The official name is "J'J A.B.C-Z オーストラリア縦断 資金0円ワーホリの旅", translated as "J's Journey, A.B.C-Z's Australia crossing, no budget working holiday travel". It is the 5th installment of the J's Journey TV program series that started in 2013. The title is very explicit and the group had to do the 2800km between Cairns and Sydney with only a camping car and their working holiday visa.

  • Chanzoo : Nickname of their weekly TV show "ABChanZoo"

  • Cherry's：contraction of "Mahou★Danshi Cherry's"(Magical★Boys Cherry's) starring A.B.C-Z as main casts

  • circus : what their concert are sometime called thanks to their acrobatics and impressive scene machinery

  • Dolphin：Former Johnny's web blog that followed Tots...ahem... a lone spaceship captain's journal.

  • Ebi : Nickname for A.B.C-Z

  • Ebiblog : A.B.C-Z's blogs in general on Johnny's web or the name of the blog before renewal

  • Ebiebi : A.B.C-Z's fans

  • Ebi-Tan / Ebitan : A.B.C-Z's fans

  • EbiZa： nickname of the ABC-Za

  • Fumiblog：Kawai's Johnny's web blog

  • Koukan Nikki : Relay style blog on Johnny's web. Was formerly "Douga de koukan nikki"(Video relay diary) that started during the COVID-19 quarantine and was ranked up as an official blog category.

  • Goto Terumoto : A japanese comedian. Is often said to look like Kawai and vice versa. They both often makes fun of it and even AIs tend to confound them (leading to Google image confusions)

  • guerilla love : Shota Totsuka's Johnny's web blog

  • Hashi no moto (橋の素) : Ryosuke Hashimoto's Johnny's web blog (a pun with a famous food corporation's name)

  • Horse : An animal Kawai often refers to as he was said to have a resemblance with it

  • J's club：Nickname for "A.B.C-Z Konya wa J's club" (A.B.C-Z's tonight is J's club). A weekly radio each Tuesday evening on the NHK R1. Usually hosted by the 5 of them but due to the pandemic, there is currently only two of them at the studio and the 3 others participating from home (and creating funny situations)

  • Johnny's legend (ジャニーズ伝説)：Stage play starring A.B.C-Z as main casts in 2017 and 2019. It is a romanced history of the first group of their agency. They inherited a song from this group, "Never My Love", that is sung during the play.

  • JOYPOLIS : An indoor attraction park that did collaborations with the group two years in a row, making it a famous place for A.B.C-Z fans.

  • Koe log：Officially "Gocchi no koe log", it is Goseki's voice log style blog on Johnny's web (with japanese subtitles in case of hearing difficulties)

  • Ohenya / Ouenya (応援屋)：Translated more or less by "The cheering company", it can either signify the 2020 movie, the 2020 stage play or the first stage play from 2016. Even if the timeline and characters are not the same, the theme is centered around people involved in that cheering company ( played by A.B.C-Z) as a part of it or as a receiving end of the cheering.

  • Old man (じじい) : A mysterious character that started the "100k likes on the twitter promo" quest. He has no official name so he was nicknamed by his in-game sprite and the way he talks.

  • Ponyca : contraction of A.B.C-Z's record label's name, Pony Canyon

  • Shrimp : Group nickname that comes from the fact that the nickname "ebi" is phonetically the same as the japanese word for shrimp.

  • Teacher Melody : A fairy of fairies (self-proclaimed)

  • Teacher Dancing Goseki : A mysterious dance teacher (No he's not Goseki)

  • Totsukada(戸塚田) : Totsuka and Tsukada duo, have a particular relationship

  • Tsukablog / Tsuka diary：Tsukada's current blog on Johnny's web (Tsuka Diary is the official name)

  • Urablog/Ura Diary：Tsukada's blog on Johnny's web that comments on what he posted the year before

  • WanKame / One Cam：Contraction of "One Camera" or "One camera show". A.B.C-Z often did (and still do) these no-cut one camera following performances, making it an usual in this fandom

  • Yellow Muscle Girls : Girl's group Tsuka-Rika chan is a member of

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Want some music suggestions ?

(Approximate title translation in pink)
(CDs they're recorded in in grey)

Energy boost songs

JOY shitai kimochi (JOYしたいキモチ)
The feel we want to enjoy
JOYしたいキモチ / Going with Zephyr
Take a “5” train　
Take a “5” train / ABC STAR LINE
DAN DAN Dance!!　
DAN DAN Dance!! / CONTINUE?
Summer Joujou !!(Summer上々!!)
Enjoy the summer !!
A.B.Sea Market (Limited edition B)
Zutto LOVE (ずっとLOVE)　
Eternal love
ずっとLOVE / from ABC to Z


Cheering song

Ganbare, Tomo yo ! (頑張れ、友よ！)
(Keep up, my friend !)
頑張れ、友よ！　
幸あれ　
I wish all the good for you
Going with Zephyr　
Supporters ! (サポーターズ！)　
Shuuden wo koete～Christmas Night/Bounenkai!BOU!NEN!KAI! (Normal edition only) 　
Top of Ace
DAN DAN Dance!! (Limited edition B)
GAME OVER!!!
CONTINUE?


Cool energy

Moonlight walker 　
Moonlight Walker / ABC STAR LINE
Vanilla
from ABC to Z
Crush On You
Going with Zephyr
I Do
CONTINUE?
Welcome to the Night
Going with Zephyr
Black Sugar　
Black Sugar / Going with Zephyr
Shower Gate　
A.B.Sea Market
Suna no Gurasu (砂のグラス)
Sandglass
from ABC to Z
Lily-White
5 Performer-Z(Normal edition only)


Ballads, vibing

Hanakotoba (花言葉)　
Flower Language
花言葉 / ABC STAR LINE
Machikado (街角)　
Street corner
VS5
Akidzuki (アキヅキ)
Going with Zephyr
Naturally　
ABC STAR LINE (Normal edition only)
Glory Days　
5 Performer-Z
Ashita no tame ni Boku ga iru (明日の為に僕がいる)　
I'll be there for tomorrow
from ABC to Z
（※First original song as A.B.C-Z）



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So, you want to see them move and sing ?

At the time I'm writing this (october 2020), there is 3 full-length music videos uploaded on the official channel :

Cheat Time (チートタイム) - youtube

GAME OVER!!! - youtube

Ganbare, tomo yo ! (頑張れ、友よ!) - youtube

There is other videos (trailers, commercials, crossfades) the record label uploaded officialy, so be sure to check them up !

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