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22/7 Member Mei Hanakawa Goes on Hiatus Due to Poor Health

posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Idol will return to work after recovery

The official website for the 22/7 idol project revealed on Tuesday that the group's member Mei Hanakawa will go on hiatus for a certain period of time due to her health. She previously took temporary breaks due to poor health.

Hanakawa's brief breaks were unable to restore her health, and she and the group's staff members decided that a hiatus for an extended recovery period is necessary. Hanakawa plans to return to participating in the idol group's activities after she recovers.

People who purchased tickets for Hanakawa for the group's upcoming handshake event may transfer their tickets to another member at an upcoming event. Fans may transfer tickets purchased for Hanakawa for handshake events on September 8, October 20, and November 2 to another member on the latter two dates.

Hanakawa is slated to play Nicole Saitō in the television anime for the idol project. The anime will premiere in January 2020.

Takao Abo (The Rising of The Shield Hero, Norn9) is directing the series at A-1 Pictures. Chiaki Nagai (The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, Utano☆Princesama Legend Star) and Reiji Miyajima (Rent-A-Girlfriend, Mononote - Edo Shinobi Kagyō manga) are in charge of series composition. Majiro (Macross Delta, Barakamon) is handling character designs and serving as chief animation director. Akira Takata (Durarara!!, After the Rain) and Satomi Tamura (Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl) are also chief animation directors.

The group announced in July 2017 that they were getting an anime project. The group began releasing animated music videos in 2017, and their first character videos debuted in English in May 2018.

AKB48 founder and producer Yasushi Akimoto is producing the "dimension-crossing" idol group. The group based on the concept of "idols who cross dimensions" has eight anime idol characters, with their respective voice actresses performing as idols in the real world. A different character designer is handling each member's anime design. Sony Music Records and Aniplex received 10,325 applications for the idol group and held five rounds of auditions.

Source: 22/7 idol project's website (link 2, link 3) via Yaraon!


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