22/7 Project's Nagomi Saijō Graduates From Franchise
The official website for the 22/7 idol project announced on Sunday that Nagomi Saijō, who plays Miu Takigawa, is graduating from the franchise. Saijō will graduate from the franchise after the activities for the group's 15th single scheduled for release on July 16. The exact date of Saijō's graduation will be announced at a later date. Saijō also announced her graduation on her radio show "Nagomi Saijō's Nemu Nemu Time," which started streaming on early Sunday (1:15 a.m. JST). 22/7's 15th single titled "Anata de Nakucha" (It Has to be You) will have a limited edition photo book version (image above) featuring Saijō, to commemorate her graduation. The photo book will include 104 pages of Saijō wearing all of her costumes from her previous singles and albums and gorgeous dresses among others. "Anata de Nakucha" is also the ending theme song for the second season of the A Couple of Cuckoos (Kakkō no Iinazuke) anime.Saijō has been a member of 22/7 for eight years. With her graduation, Sally Amaki is the only group member left from the original 2016 lineup. Moe Suzuhana, who plays Mikami Kamiki, most recently graduated from the group last August.Reina Miyase, who plays Ayaka Tachikawa, graduated from the franchise in 2023. Kanae Shirosawa, who played Akane Maruyama, also graduated in 2023.Chiharu Hokaze, who plays Reika Satō, graduated from the franchise in February 2021 to pursue a career in voice acting. Mei Hanakawa left the 22/7 idol group in December 2019 for health reasons. The group had announced in October 2019 that she would go on extended hiatus due to her health, and had planned for her return after she recovers. Despite Hanakawa and the staff's best efforts, she did not recover, and it would have been difficult to continue performing. Uta Kawase replaced Hanakawa as the character Nicole Saitō.AKB48 founder and producer Yasushi Akimoto is producing the titular "dimension-crossing" idol group. The group based on the concept of "idols who cross dimensions" currently has nine anime idol characters, with their respective voice actresses performing as idols in the real world. Sony Music Records and Aniplex received 10,325 applications for the original idol group and held five rounds of auditions. The group began releasing animated music videos in 2017, and their first character videos debuted in English in May 2018.The 22/7 anime premiered in January 2020. The series had 12 episodes, plus a 13th "extra episode" titled "8+3=?" featuring all 11 main cast members. Aniplex of America streamed the show as it aired in Japan on FunimationNow. The anime debuted on Crunchyroll in February 2020.The group is holding an audition for new members, which started on April 10 and will end on May 19. This is the group's third audition for new members since the initial recruitment in October 2016.Sources: 22/7 Project's website, Nagomi Saijō's Nemu Nemu Time radio show X/Twitter account via Otakomu
