B2takes!

Lore & Background

B2takes! was formed in December 2012 by Bacs Entertainment. Their debut single "Hanabi" was released in August 2015. In 2018, the group made their major label debut through King Records with the double A-side single "Brand New Anniversary" / "Not Alone." The song "Not Alone" was used as the theme song to the film BD: Akechi Tantei Jimusho, which member Ren Ozawa starred in. During their 6th anniversary concert in November 2018, Ozawa and Wataru departed from the group; however, Wataru later rejoined. In June 2019, Ryosuke Chiba, Manaya Yajima, Kazuya Yuuki, and YouJin were added as new members. In July 2020, B2takes!'s official website announced that YouJin would be leaving the group and terminating his contract with their agency at the end of August 2020.

Reader's Guide

B2takes! represents a Japanese boy band that transitioned from an independent debut to a major label release through King Records, a significant step in the Japanese music industry. Their song "Not Alone" served as a film theme, linking the group to broader media. The group experienced member changes, including the departure and return of Wataru, and the addition of four members in 2019. The departure of YouJin in 2020 marked another transition. Their history illustrates the dynamics of member turnover and label progression common in Japanese idol groups.

Did You Know?

• B2takes! was formed in December 2012 by Bacs Entertainment.
• Their debut single "Hanabi" was released in August 2015.
• The song "Not Alone" was used as the theme song to the film BD: Akechi Tantei Jimusho, which Ozawa starred in.
• YouJin left the group and terminated his contract with their agency at the end of August 2020.

Formation and the Long Road to Debut

B2takes! (sometimes stylized as B2takes!!) is a Japanese boy band whose project was launched in December 2012 by Bacs Entertainment. What makes the band's early timeline particularly striking is the considerable gap between that formation date and its first public release: the debut single "Hanabi" did not arrive until August 2015, roughly two and a half years later. That interval likely encompassed training, lineup adjustments, and label preparation before the group felt ready to step into the spotlight. The firework-themed title of that first single set an energetic, celebratory tone for a career that would go on to be defined by frequent reinvention. Throughout those formative years the band operated under the Bacs Entertainment banner, cultivating its identity and fanbase before the wider industry took notice. The roster that carried the group through this period included members such as Atsushi, Yuta Iiyama, Igu, Peewee Okuyama, Shidax, Takuto Nakajima, Hayato Mori, and Wataru, alongside Ren Ozawa, who was part of the lineup from 2013 until his departure in 2018. This core group would face its first major shake-up just three years after the debut single.

Major-Label Debut and the 2018 Milestone

The year 2018 marked a turning point for B2takes! as the group transitioned from the Bacs Entertainment stable to a major-label release through King Records. The vehicle for this step up was a double A-side single pairing "Brand New Anniversary" with "Not Alone," a pairing that gave fans two distinct tracks to celebrate the band's growing maturity. "Not Alone" gained additional cultural visibility when it was selected as the theme song for the film BD: Akechi Tantei Jimusho, a project in which member Ren Ozawa also starred. That crossover between music and film gave the single a reach beyond the typical idol audience and positioned the band within a broader entertainment conversation. The 2018 release thus served as both a musical milestone and a public statement that the group was ready for a larger stage. It also arrived at a bittersweet moment: the same year would see the group's sixth anniversary concert in November, an event that would coincide with significant personnel changes and reshape the band's future trajectory.

Departures, Reunions, and the 2019 Expansion

B2takes!'s history is punctuated by dramatic membership shifts. During the group's sixth anniversary concert in November 2018, both Ren Ozawa and Wataru announced their departures, a double exit that sent shockwaves through the fanbase. The loss of Ozawa—who had been with the group since 2013 and had just starred in a film tied to the band's major-label single—was particularly significant. Yet the story did not end there: Wataru later rejoined the group, restoring a piece of the original identity. The following year brought a bold expansion. In June 2019, four new members—Ryosuke Chiba, Manaya Yajima, Kazuya Yuuki, and YouJin—were added, swelling the roster and signaling a fresh chapter. However, the expansion proved short-lived for one of the newcomers. In July 2020, the group's official website announced that YouJin would be leaving and that his contract with the agency would terminate at the end of August 2020, ending his tenure at barely a year and a half.

The Evolving Roster and the Band's Present Shape

Today B2takes! fields an eleven-member lineup that reflects the group's layered history. The current roster blends members who were part of the band's earlier years—Atsushi, Yuta Iiyama, Igu, Peewee Okuyama, Shidax, Takuto Nakajima, Hayato Mori, and the returning Wataru—with the three 2019 additions who remain: Ryosuke Chiba, Manaya Yajima, and Kazuya Yuuki. This mix of veteran and newer voices gives the group a breadth of experience that a single-generation band might lack. On the other hand, the departure of former members Ren Ozawa (2013–2018) and YouJin (2019–2020) means that two of the band's most recent chapters have already closed. The fact that the group has weathered a double departure, a reunion, a four-person expansion, and a subsequent exit—yet still functions as a unified unit—speaks to the resilience of the B2takes! project. Under the Bacs Entertainment umbrella, the band continues to evolve, carrying forward the celebratory spirit first announced with "Hanabi" in 2015 while adapting to an ever-changing membership.

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