2025 will likely be remembered as the year when two groups that had a decisive influence on shaping the idol scene of the 2010s came to an end: Dempagumi.inc and BiS. Both groups began their activities from independent environments without the backing of major talent agencies or labels. Although they stood at opposite extremes in terms of musical style and narrative construction, they shared a common role in presenting new ways of thinking about expression, ideas, and attitude—paths that would later idols would follow. At a time when most groups modeled themselves after mainstream predecessors that had found success through Hello! Project or the AKB48 system, these two groups searched for success from entirely different directions, ultimately presenting a truly alternative vision of what an idol could be.

Dempagumi.inc, whose roots trace back to the group “Dempagumi” formed in 2008, originally launched from Dear Stage, a live venue in Akihabara. The group emerged from an intense affection for diverse otaku cultures such as video games, maid cafés, cosplay, and denpa songs. Their musical identity centered on so-called “moe songs,” foregrounding elements of anime songs, game music, and chiptune, brought to life through collaborations with creators such as AKI HATA, Masaya Koike, Kenichi Maeyamada, and Tamaya 2060% of Wienners. In particular, Tamaya 2060%—who was responsible for signature songs like “Demparade Japan” (2012), “Dendenpassion” (2013), and “Sakura Apparition” (2014)—went on to create high-energy classics for groups like FES☆TIVE and Appare!. More recently, he has also produced viral hits such as CANDY TUNE’s “BaiBai FIGHT!” (2024) and FRUITS ZIPPER’s “Hacha Mecha Wacha Life!” (2025). In this sense, the addictive qualities that Dempagumi.inc foregrounded as their defining trait clearly fed directly into the mainstreaming of KAWAII-style idols in the 2020s.

On the other hand, BiS began in 2010 as a project centered around the solo singer Pour Lui. Their history—spanning three distinct incarnations marked by frequent lineup changes and two full resets—stands in sharp contrast to Dempagumi.inc, which reached its conclusion while retaining original members alongside newer additions. Especially in their early years, BiS operated from a meta perspective that involved researching other idols and reflecting on idol culture itself, grounded in a strong sense of counterculture. Their stance as a quasi-idol group living up to their alternate name, “Brand-new idol Society,” became a key factor in converting subculture enthusiasts and indie rock–to–punk listeners—many of whom previously had little interest in idols—into devoted fans. Musically, the group increasingly leaned into loud rock sounds driven by band-oriented production from Kenta Matsukuma. The aesthetic vision of their manager, Junnosuke Watanabe—who would later go on to establish WACK—was most fully realized during BiS’s first incarnation. That version of BiS ultimately grew to the point of holding a disbandment concert at Yokohama Arena in 2014. Following their breakup, the success story of BiSH—a group that emerged with a heightened degree of “idol purity”—sparked a rapid increase in idols oriented toward loud band sounds.

Alongside BiS, a wave of alternative idols with strong countercultural sensibilities rose to prominence. Groups such as You’ll Melt More! (active from 2012), which combined escapist thinking with an ’80s new wave–influenced sound, and BELLRING Girls Heart (2012–2016), which cultivated a cult following through eerie, dark aesthetics rooted in psychedelic and garage rock, generated intense enthusiasm among fans seeking alternative stimulation during the idol boom. From the lineage of BELLRING Girls Heart emerged a succession of groups, including their successor THERE THERE THERES (2017–2019), Yanakoto Sotto Mute (2016–2022) with its grunge- and shoegaze-based sound, the psychedelic trance–driven MIGMA SHELTER (2017–2024), its spiritual successor FOKALITE (from 2024), and Finger Runs (from 2022). BELLRING Girls Heart themselves also reunited in 2023 and continue to be active today.

Running parallel to these developments, WACK spent the past decade operating on a higher tier of activity, with the mainstream success of BiSH at its core. At the foundation of this movement lies the enduring influence of BiS. That legacy can be seen not only in GANG PARADE, which directly inherited BiS’s emotional intensity, but also in the trial-and-error–driven second incarnation of BiS (2016–2019), the third incarnation (2019–2025), and later groups such as ASP (from 2021). Independent activities by former members—such as PIGGS, formed by Pour Lui in 2020, and LUCY, led by AYA EiGHTPRiNCE from 2024—can also be understood as part of this continuum. Furthermore, numerous rock-oriented idol groups that evoke a post-WACK sensibility through their sound—such as Girls be bad (launched in 2024 under the sound production of Kenta Matsukuma), NEO JAPONISM, LiVS, and BLUEGOATS—demonstrate how this DNA is steadily being passed on to the next generation.

As of 2025, the dominant figures in Japan’s female idol market are capturing the spirit of the times through clean radiance and approachable cuteness. Yet, the further this tendency advances, the more likely it becomes that an alternative counterproposal will emerge from somewhere. Will it take the form of a renewed swing back toward rock-oriented idols? Or will it arrive in an entirely new guise?

Writer：Koji Dejima
Japanese music writer. Editor-in-Chief of the Tower Records Japan magazine “bounce”.