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 music label Universal Music Japan.

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 using musical instrument 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.

Members

 * Yoshinori Masakado (正門 良規)
 * Seiya Suezawa (末澤 誠也)
 * Keita Richard Kusama (草間 リチャード 敬太)
 * Ken Kojima (小島 健) — leader
 * Masaya Sano (佐野 晶哉)

Former members

 * Taisei Fukumoto (福本 大晴)