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22/7 Idol Group Adds 8 New Members

The official website for the 22/7 idol project announced on Sunday that eight new members have joined the project. The new members include Nao Aikawa, Mao Asaoka, Oto Amaya, Mina Kiyoi, Satsuki Shiina, Runa Shijō, Ema Tsukishiro, and Rino Mochizuki. The group now has a total of 14 members.

The new members will begin their activity in the idol group with the "22/7 Live Tour 2022 '14'" concert on March 10.

Since December 2020, five members have "graduated" from the group, including Urara Takatsuji, Ruri Umino, Mizuha Kuraoka, Aina Takeda, and Chiharu Hokaze. Hokaze graduated from the franchise in December 2020. Takatsuji left in November 2021. All five of the members' respective characters have also graduated from the franchise.

The project announced in September 2021 that the idol group was auditioning for new members. The audition marked the project's second audition in five years since the initial recruitment in October 2016.

The 22/7 Ongaku no Jikan (22/7 Music Time) rhythm mobile game ended service on December 22. The game launched in May 2020 for iOS and Android devices.

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 at the time. Aniplex of America streamed the show as it aired in Japan on FunimationNow. The anime debuted on Crunchyroll in February 2020.

AKB48 founder and producer Yasushi Akimoto is producing the titular "dimension-crossing" idol group. The group originally had eight anime idol characters, with their respective voice actresses performing as idols in the real world.

Sources: 22/7 project's website, Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web