Checkicco Explained

Checkicco
チェキッ娘
Alias:CXCO
Origin:Japan
Genre:J-pop
Years Active:1998 - 1999
Label:Pony Canyon
Associated Acts:chee's, METAMO, M@M
Past Members:Rina Tanaka
Mikuni Shimokawa
Miki Yahagi
Rika Arai
Megumi Igarashi
Asami Kumakiri
Aimi Ueda
Eriko Yoshioka
Megumi Machida
Marina Kushi
Emiko Sasaki
Mami Fujioka
Megumi Nozaki
Ran Shimano
Tomoko Mori
Eriko Matsumoto
Mayu Katō
Satomi Kaida
Hiromi Kobayashi
Ayano Ōtaki
Yuka Ōta

were a Japanese idol group that was active from 1998 to 1999. It was formed by Masahiro Mizuguchi, a producer for Fuji TV who had the idea of creating "an Onyanko Club for the Heisei era (1989-2019)". They debuted in 1998 with the single "Dakishimete". Their name comes from the phrase "Check it!", a catchphrase of Tomoe Shinohara.

There were several things about Checkicco that were similar to Onyanko Club. Like Onyanko Club, Checkicco also hosted their own TV show, called DAIBAtteki!. Each member also had her own number (ID) just like Onyanko Club's members did.

Checkicco held their final performance in November 1999, in front of an audience of 10,000 at Tokyo Bay NK Hall.[1] They have since reunited in 2004, 2009, and 2024.

Anime theme singer Mikuni Shimokawa and gravure idol Asami Kumakiri are two well-known former Checkicco members.

Releases

Checkicco has released six singles, two albums (counting their best-of album), a small number of IVs, a photobook, and a Dreamcast game. They had several subgroups such as chee's, METAMO, and M@M, however, they were not very successful (their highest selling single, "Hajimari", only sold 32,450 copies with its highest rank as 40 - this was back in the days when best-selling CDs were the ones that sold over 100,000 copies).

Members

Notes and References

  1. News: January 21, 2024 . 【満堂フェス】チェキッ娘、14年半ぶり"再集結" 大ファンの満堂も感激「ずっと番組見ていました」 . 2024-05-21 . ORICON News . ja.