# Ae! Group

Ae! Group (Aぇ! group) (stylized as Ae! group) is a Japanese quintet boy band formed by Smile-Up on February 18, 2019. Their debut single, "A-Beginning", was released on May 15, 2024. They are signed under Universal Music Japan sub-label UJ.

## History

Ae! Group is produced by Super Eight's You Yokoyama. The group's formation was first announced through Johnny's web on February 18, 2019. It consisted of 6 member who all come from Kansai region. Johnny Kitagawa named the group hoping the 6 of them would become an excellent group. Their name is read as ee group (ええグループ), which is the Kansai dialect for "good group." Like Super Eight, the group also occasionally performs as a band as well including skits in their concerts.
On December 30, 2023, Starto Entertainment announced that it had terminated its contract with Taisei Fukumoto for breaking violation of the company's regulatory compliance.
On March 16, 2024, through the group's concert "Ae! group A-ttouteki Fan Daikanshasai in Kyocera Dome Osaka ~Minna Honma ni Arigatou~", the group announced their major debut on May 15, 2024, having been informed about it half a year prior by the agency's COO Yoshihiko Inohara and Tadayoshi Okura, who is in largely involved with management of agency's trainees at Kansai region. The group's debut was decided before Fukumoto's departure. Group leader Ken Kojima commented his frustration and hoping he could go back when there was 6 of them, but would do what he had to and continue moving forward with the remaining 5 members. Their debut was under label Universal Music Japan with single "A-Beginning." Ae! group's marks the first group debut for Starto Entertainment. Ae! Group is the fifth group in Kansai region of the agency to make an official debut after KinKi Kids, Super Eight, West, and Naniwa Danshi.
To commemorate their debut on May 15, the group announced a surprise event in Dotonbori's Tombori River walk at Osaka the day before.

### Post-debut

In September, 2024, the group is announced to be joining Kamigata Boyz, a collaboration unit between the Kansai-origin groups of Starto Entertainment. Ae! Group will be participating starting unit's second digital single, Sekai o Akaruku Terashimashou (世界を明るく照らしましょう) which was released on September 18.
A Japanese dubbed version of the movie New Gods: Yang Jian is scheduled to be released in Japanese theaters on March 21, 2025, under the name "Youzen". It will have member Masaya Sano voicing Youzen, one of the main characters, a bounty hunter who has lost his "divine power", and Toshiki Masuda as Jinkou, a boy who stole "divine power". The group will sing "ROCK'NPOP", which is included in their 1st ALBUM "D.N.A", as the movie's theme song.

## Members

Member list and the musical instrument they are in charge of during band performance.
* Yoshinori Masakado (正門 良規, Masakado Yoshinori) — Guitar
* Seiya Suezawa (末澤 誠也, Suezawa Seiya) — Lead vocal
* Keita Richard Kusama (草間 リチャード 敬太, Kusama Richādo Keita) — Saxophone & bass
* Ken Kojima (小島 健, Kojima Ken) — leader; keyboard
* Masaya Sano (佐野 晶哉, Sano Masaya) — Drum

### Former members

* Taisei Fukumoto (福本 大晴, Fukumoto Taisei) — formerly bass, left in December 30, 2023

## Discography
### Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions and sales :
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications |
| Title | Details | JPN | JPN Comb. | JPN Hot | Sales | Certifications |
| D.N.A | Released: February 18, 2025 Label: Universal Japan Formats: CD, CD+DVD, CD+BD | 1 | 1 | 1 | JPN: 247,323 | RIAJ: Platinum (phy.) |

### Singles

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | Albums |
| Title | Year | JPN | JPN Comb. | JPN Hot | Sales | Certifications | Albums |
| "A-Beginning" | 2024 | 1 | 1 | 2 | JPN: 625,044 | RIAJ: 3× Platinum (phy.) | D.N.A |
| "Gotta Be" | 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1 | JPN: 390,765 | RIAJ: Platinum (phy.) | D.N.A |

### Video albums

List of video albums, with selected details :
| Title | Details | Certifications |
| Nishi kara Ae! Kaze Fuitemasu!: Otento-sama mo Mitekuretemasunen Live 2022 | Released: March 10, 2023 Label: Storm Formats: DVD | |
| Ae! group Debut Tour ~Sekai de Ichiban Ae Live~ | Released: December 4, 2024 Label: Universal Japan Formats: Blu-ray, DVD | RIAJ: Gold (phy.) |

## Tie-ins

| Title | Tie-in(s) | Album | Note | Note 2 |
| Junjou Path Finder (純情パスファインダー) | Theme song for TV drama Kaettekitara Ippai Shite. | D.N.A | Ken Kojima lead role | Pre-debut songs |
| +You | Theme song for MBS/TBS TV program Saturday Plus | D.N.A | Yoshinori Masakado regular guest | Pre-debut songs |
| Never end | Theme song for TV drama Rikon Kouya | D.N.A | Masaya Sano lead role | |
| Colorful Days | Commercial song for Hankyu's cake delivery service "Cake Link" | D.N.A | | |
| Rock'N'Pop | Theme song for the Japanese dub version of New Gods: Yang Jian | D.N.A | Masaya Sano lead voice role | |

## Solo concert

| Year | Title | Note |
| 2019 | Ae! group First Live Tour 2019 ~Boku-tachi ga Yacchatte Ae!ndesuka? (Aぇ! group First Live Tour 2019〜ボクたちがやっちゃってAぇ!んですか?〜) | Pre-debut |
| 2020 | Ae! group Zepp LIVE 2020 STARTING NOW 413 | Pre-debut |
| 2022 | Nishi Kara Ae! Kaze Fuitemasu! ~Otento-sama mo Mitekuretemasunen Live 2022~ (西からAぇ! 風吹いてます！〜おてんと様も見てくれてますねん LIVE2022〜) | Pre-debut |
| 2023 | A!!!!!! to Odoroki Zenkoku Tour 2023 (Aッ!!!!!!と驚き全国ツアー2023) | Pre-debut |
| 2024 | A-ttouteki Fan Daikanshasai in Kyocera Dome Osaka ~Minna Honma ni Arigatou~ (Aッ倒的ファン大感謝祭in京セラドーム大阪 〜みんなホンマにありがとう〜) | Pre-debut |
| 2024 | Ae! group Debut Tour ~Sekai de Ichiban Ae Live~ (Aぇ! group Debut Tour 〜世界で１番AぇLIVE〜) | |
| 2025 | Ae! group LIVE TOUR 2025 D.N.A | |

## Filmography
### Documentary

| Year | Title | Distributor |
| 2023 | Ride on Time: Kansai Johnny's Jr. no Bouken (連続ドキュメンタリー RIDE ON TIME『関西ジャニーズJr. ～関西ジャニーズJr.の冒険～) | Fuji TV |
| 2024 | Borderless: Ae! Group Debut Made no Kiseki (BORDERLESS　Aぇ! group デビューまでのキセキ) | Netflix |
| 2024 | Borderless: Ae! Group Debut Tour no Uragawa (BORDERLESS　Aぇ! group デビューツアーの裏側) | Netflix |