Interest
UNIDOL Competition Brings Love Live to Life with College Students
posted on by Bamboo Dong
Countless fans have been smitten by the high-energy, reach-for-the-stars world of Love Live! School idol project. But for those wishing it was real, or for all those gals (and guys) out there who have Idol Dreams of their own, there's an event worth putting on your radar. Called UNIDOL (short for University Idol), this competition features college "idol groups," each representing their universities.
This year's UNIDOL 2014 Summer finals will take place on July 9 at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel Stellar Ball event hall in Tokyo. Finalists include nine pre-qualified idol groups, with twelve more groups who will be competing for three remaining spots. Winners will be determined by audience votes and a panel of expert judges, including those from talent agencies, choreographers, and television networks. The event will be hosted by former Hello! Project member You Kikkawa and the comedy duo Summit Club, with a special appearance by a surprise celebrity guest.
Finalists
Preliminary Qualifiers
The competition attracts aspiring "school idols" from all over Japan, including teams from prestigious institutions like Meiji University, Waseda University, and others. At the moment, the competition is mostly just a dance contest, but with its growing popularity, it may someday evolve into something more.
Advance tickets cost 2,500 yen (about US$24.56), while tickets purchased at the door cost 3,000 yen (about US$29.47) for students, and 3,500 yen (about US$34.38) for the general public.
For more information about each group, and to follow their social media accounts, check out the official UNIDOL website.
[Via Kai-You]
