_{A personal reflection by Kelly}

Idols bring us hope, happiness and a drive to continue with our daily lives, no matter how mundane a day might be, or how weary we feel after the work has been done. Come rain or shine, the joy that an idol creates is second to none, and a core point of our fan journey.

Looking back at my own journey as a fan, there is one group that comes to mind when I think about the love I hold for Idols and Japanese music, and the role they have played in my life as an Idol fan.

So, let’s talk about Houkago Princess.

Houkago Princess did not bring me into the Japanese music fandom, but they quickly became one of my reasons to stay. With their cute, upbeat music, awkward looking start-up members and a costume gimmick, Houkago Princesses debut in August of 2011 entranced me. I was 18 at the time, held a deep love for any Idol group that had a fun or weird gimmick going, and became invested in this little group that nobody else cared about.

It was like an invisible rope had tied me to this group, and outside of a temporary lax in passion from late 2012 to mid-2013, I have never looked back.

10 years and 7 months have passed by since then, and every day I am nothing but grateful that I have found and supported them. I love Houkago Princess.

I am overwhelmed with pride, happiness and love for this group who I was lucky enough to watch from debut until now. Though it has been hard to keep up with them as an overseas fan, the music, performance videos and the small interactions have been nothing short of a wonderful experience. Moments that have been encased in my memories keep me going from day to day, and when I think back to the various releases and generations that have passed through the group, I see a history that I have been a part of as a fan.

Without a doubt, Houkago Princess is precious to me. This a group that I have watched grow, and have grown with. Without Houkago Princess in my life, I doubt I would have become the fan that I am today, or I would probably no longer be a fan of Idols, period. Like many other groups, Houkago Princess has a decade’s worth of history, but this is a history that is tied to mine, and every day I am so happy to be aware of this.

Even if I am a small part of this fandom, my experience has been a wonderful one. No matter how far away I am, no matter the language barrier, I am forever grateful that I could become a part of this beautiful groups fandom and history.

I love Houkago Princess, and as the group steps towards a new chapter, I look forward to the stories that will be written within the groups history.

Thank you for existing in this lifetime.