Move over AKB48, here comes the next “big” thing.



In Japan, there’s an idol group for every taste. Whether you’re into drones or heavy metal and head banging, Japan has got you covered. And now, there’s a new group tailor-made for those who have a thing for “obese angels.”

Coming in at a combined weight of 418 kg (922 lbs) , Big Angel is a new five member female idol unit centered around the theme of being overweight. Although by no means the first group of this kind – in fact, two of the group’s members belonged to a similarly themed group called Pottya until it broke up in 2017 – Big Angel definitely sets itself apart through their interesting backstory and the way they take the “plus-sized idol” theme to the next level.

Big Angel performing their song “I Gotta Go on a Diet” in nothing but bikinis





Here’s a bustier close up version which shows off the ample chests of the Big Angel members

According to their official profile, the Big Angel members are not mere mortals. Instead, much like their group name implies, they are “obese angels” who fell from heaven after eating too many delicious things. Prohibited from returning to heaven until they drop down to a more “beautiful” total weight of 269 kg (593 lbs), they have come together to sing, dance, and lose weight in hopes of one day returning their heavenly realm.

Big Angel’s entire April 29 debut performance at Live Stage Guilty in Tokyo (22 minutes)

Of course, the “obese angel” theme also extends into the group’s live performances. At Big Angel’s debut concert, which took place at a venue in Tokyo’s Shibuya district on April 29, the members came on stage by miming a fall from heaven and then busting into a catchy song titled “I Gotta Go on a Diet” (Daietto Hajimenakya). This performance even featured a 15-second pause in the song during which one of the Big Angel girls rushed to finish an entire onigiri (rice ball) on stage.

Big Angel member Haruka “Ton-chan” Arai chowing down on a rice ball mid-song



After finishing the first song and a break during which the “big angels” introduced themselves and divulged their divine origins, they performed a slower more sentimental song called “B.B.G.” (Big Body Girl), which is meant to remind people that it is not appropriate to touch “big body girls” without their permission. They too are feminine and care about being touched, just like their skinnier counterparts.

Off stage, the Big Angel girls are also quite active, regularly appearing in videos on their YouTube channel. These videos also center around being “fat” and eating. Many of their videos, including the one below, show the girls eating large amounts of food and competing to see who can eat the most.

Watch the Big Angel girls eat 315 kushiage (skewers of deep-fried meat and vegetables)

As for who exactly is responsible for the formation of Big Angel, that would be LeyLine, a Tokyo-based talent agency and entertainment company. In an interview with Japankyo, Kenichi Uraguchi, the president of LeyLine explained his motivation for creating the group, saying “Currently in Japan, there is nothing but cute, skinny, pretty idols. Naturally, if you follow the same pattern, the people watching will get tired of it. It’s boring. So we thought doing something contrary to that pattern would be interesting and that there would be a demand for it.”

Uraguchi also shed some light on the future plans of the group, saying “Of course, we plan to hold live performances, however, we plan for them to primarily appear on television and other forms of media. Obviously, they will continue to be active on YouTube.”

Whether Uraguchi and his angels will ever reach the “heavenly” heights of fame that he is aiming for, still remains to be seen. However, given that the group has already managed to get over 3,000 subscribers to their YouTube channel it seems that at the very least, Uraguchi is correct in his assessment that there is a demand for this kind of content. Only time will tell how “big” this demand is, though.

The Members



(From left to right)

Note: All members have a food that they are “in charge of.” They also have a fake age called their “heavenly age.”

Eri Tada

In charge of mayonnaise

Height: 169 cm

Weight: 86 kg

Heavenly age: 555

Inori Hashimoto (former Pottya member)

In charge of ham and sausages

Height: 156 cm

Weight: 76 kg

Heavenly age: 2929 (a pun on the word meat in Japanese,niku is meat, while ni and ku are the numbers two and nine)

Michiko Ohashi (former Pottya member)

In charge of karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken)

Height: 167 cm

Weight: 98 kg

Heavenly age: 20,003

Haruka Arai

In charge of white rice

Height: 158 cm

Weight: 75 kg

Heavenly age: 365

Ran Fujisaki

In charge of grape sherbert

Height: 169 cm

Weight: 83 kg

Heavenly age: 675

A video of the Big Angel members introducing themselves

Source: Big Angel YouTube

Featured Image: 【衝撃】「ダイエット始めなきゃ」を本人がビキニで踊ってみた (Big Angel Official YouTube)

Performance Screenshot: デブアイドルデビューライブ Debut Live (Big Angel Official YouTube)

Member Image: Courtesy of LeyLine