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Onsen Musume Project Announces Wixoss TCG Collaboration, Launches Fan Clubs
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Enbound's Onsen Musume (Hot Spring Girls) mixed media idol project hit the ground running when its crowdfunding campaign reached its goal in 10 days. The campaign ended after earning 7,110,540 yen (about US$64,000), enough to fund production of a drama CD with the main cast. The project then added a manga, fan clubs, and a live event.
For its next step, the project announced on Thursday a collaboration with the WIXOSS trading card game franchise. People who attend a live performance event on August 20 will receive a special Yuna Kusatsu collaboration card (seen right). New WIXOSS products will go on sale in September, and collaboration cards are also planned.
Ikeuchi Organic also unveiled a Yuina Kusatsu bath towel (seen left), and the company is offering towels for all nine idols. The collaboration towels are made of 100% cotton and cost 7,500 yen (US$67) each. The company began accepting orders on Sunday, and the towels will ship in July.
The idol project officially launched its two fan clubs on Thursday. The Onsen Musume Official Fan Magazine fan club offers character-focused content with special items, advance event tickets, and original membership cards. Member-limited content includes images, illustrator interviews, and advance introductions to the project's characters and world. The HOT SPRiNGS cast-focused fan club also offers special content and goods to members. Limited content includes cast photographs and event reports.
The third installment of the web radio public recording event "Yukemiru Festa" will be held at Haneda Airport's Tiat Sky Hall on June 11. Four of the project's cast members and special guests will appear. The event will sell merchandise such as original T-shirts, tin badges, scarf towels, and acrylic key holders. Event tickets will go on sale on May 28 for 4,860 yen (US$44).
In the project's story, god of hot springs Sukunahiko summons nine girls to fight the decline of interest in hot springs. To fulfill their role, the Hot Spring Girls form the idol group SPRiNGS. The girls serve as guardian deities who are voiced by seiyū and designed individually by different character designers. Animation studio Doga Kobo brought the idols together for their first animated music video featuring their first song "Mirai Imagination!" (Future Imagination!).
The SPRiNGS idols cast includes:
Yuina Kusatsu (Yūki Takada, design by Dontsugel)
The group's center idol. She's the type that acts quickly and thinks positively. Her tendency not to look before she leaps causes problems for the other group members. She's always fighting against bad test scores due to her poor study habits. She's fearless on stage.
Mitsuki Gero (Yurika Endō, design by Ren Sakuragi)
She isn't confident in herself and would have undoubtedly remained alone if she hadn't met
Sukunahiko. When she removes her eyeglasses, her idol persona awakens and she radiates an aura. Her hobbies are looking herself up online, watching anime, and reading manga.
Saya Hakone (Rika Nagae, design by Itiso Kujō)
A "refreshing" girl who likes to exercise and enlivens things around her but on the other hand works as a shrine maiden at the family shrine. She tends to set the group's mood and makes use of Yuina's reckless momentum.
Fūka Arima (Kana Motomi, design by Mika Pikazo)
Despite being a sheltered girl, she's very curious, clumsy and possesses a mysterious energy. Although her entire being is packed with cuteness, she'll do things like go ghosthunting or go exploring to capture a strange animal to make it her pet. She's the group's lovely little sister.
Ayase Noboribetsu (Natsumi Hioka, designed by Tarō Amagai)
An easygoing person who moves along at her own pace, Ayase is the group's outstandingly stylish older sister. She'll gently envelop the other members when they feel like they've failed or are facing setbacks. In that way, she keeps the idol members feeling encouraged.
Rinka Arima (Yūki Kuwahara, designed by QP:flapper)
A high-handed lady who doesn't usually try to join a circle of friends. She has distinguished taste and has appeared in fashion magazines as an amateur model. She was the first to notice how attractive Mitsuki is without her glasses.
Nanako Akiu (Karin Takahashi, designed by Tiv)
A bit of a shy country girl, Nanako speaks with a Tohoku dialect if she isn't careful. She's very attentive, carrying various items in a handbag just in case. Her fashion sense is catastrophic, especially her casual wear. However, she stays in good spirits and serves as everyone in the group's "wife."
Izumi Dōgo (Minami Shinoda, designed by H2SO4)
An old-fashioned honor student girl, she is somewhat conservative and likes to abide by the rules. She finds problem children like Rinka and her younger sister Fūka baffling. She acts skeptical of trendy and expensive items but actually is very interested. The group leader, she keeps everyone organized.
Yufuin Baden Kanade (Misaki Watada, designed by QP:flapper)
Yufuin was born in the spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany and claims to have raised herself. She looks biracial and is a high spirited girl. She enjoys both listening to and playing music and can play the guitar, piano, and traditional Japanese instruments. She uses strange honorific words and Japanese phrases, using endings that have to be written in katakana. She's responsible for being the group's comedic relief.
