Biyuuden (美勇伝)
Biyuuden (v-u-den or Viyuden) was formed in August of 2004 and consisted of Ishikawa Rika (former member of Morning Musume), Miyoshi Erika (winner of a 2003 Hello! Project audition), and Okada Yui (a former Hello! Pro Egg who made her debut). The group’s formation was announced alongside Ishikawa’s graduation from Morning Musume, and her official reason for graduating was to lead Biyuuden full-time.
They hosted the TV show Majokko Rikachan no Magical Biyuuden in 2004 and had their own radio show, Biyuuden B.B.L. from April 3, 2005 until September 30, 2006. In early 2005, Miyoshi and Okada released a photobook called “hello! x2″. They released a decent number of singles, did a small tour in Singapore, and even performed in Ribbon no Kishi: The Musical. They were, at one point, one of the most active groups in Hello! Project.
All 3 members of Biyuuden appeared in the movie Sukeban Deka Codename Asamiya Saki.
Biyuuden disbanded on June 29, 2008 after the completion of their 2008 Summer concert tour.
The group was reformed as Zoku Biyuuden (続·美勇伝) in 2009.
The Name
- 美 bi (び) : beauty
- 勇 yuu (ゆう) : bravery
- 伝 den (でん) : legend
美勇伝 is found romanized in several ways on the Internet, including “v-u-den”, “Biyuuden”, and “vi-yu-den”, among others. There is evidence that references each of the above spellings of the name, including their costumes in the H.P. All Stars video, their singles, their photobooks and magazine articles. Which one is correct depends on the romanization system you use or on how Tsunku is feeling on any particular day.
The differences in romanization are largely due to a misunderstanding of the sound being pronounced. The Japanese language doesn’t really have a “V” sound. So while the group’s name may be spelled with a V, it will be pronounced as a “B” sound by native Japanese speakers, and this is where the romanization gets confusing.
First Generation (2004 – 2008)
Second Generation / Zoku･v-u-den (2009 – )
http://wiki.jpopstop.com/wiki/v-u-den
