Formed in 2015, Philosophy no Dance (or The Dance for Philosophy) is a Japanese idol group (more of an all-female R&B vocal group, in my humble opinion) with three studio albums and a number one song in the Oricon charts (as of thread creation date).  

Their music is a mixture of funk, soul, acid jazz, and disco. Their high musicality, lush vocal harmony, and mature image akin to girlbands Pussycat Dolls and Fifth Harmony that set them apart from many contemporary idol groups in Japan. They even had a recording with a jazz fusion band. Of course, the Dance for Philosophy lives up to its name because of these ladies' sick choreography! 
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Philosophy no Dance are:

Mariri Okutsu — Born in Odawara, Kanagawa, this sultry leader of the group with a sweet singing voice (soprano range) and sexy body. She also works as a gravure idol. Long before joining Philosophy no Dance, Mariri was a vocalist and guitarist of a local rock band.
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Haru Hinata — Don't be fooled by her cute looks and 144cm (almost 4'9") frame! This fun-sized Tokyo native has powerful contralto vocals fit for smooth jazz and adult contemporary music. She also worked with a number of jazz and accapella groups in the recent years.
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Otoha Totsuka — This cutie sings like Tomomi Ogawa has an interesting story. Otoha boasts a Bachelor's degree and likes assembling computers. The Yokohama-born idol became a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for a time until started auditioning for idol groups. Otoha left the the group on 19 November 2022.
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Maria Sato — The co-captain of the group from Saitama. Slender, seductive, and has six-pack abs! Sato is also a former [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] talent and Miss iD 2017 finalist. She's considered by the press as an industry late bloomer because she failed around 50 auditions before she became a member of Philosophy no Dance.
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Here is their December 2018 live performance of their number one Oricon Daily Single "Live Life"



Check out their profile and music on their official website:
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and their official Youtube channel:
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Thanks for sharing this, looks interesting and am checking out their vids right now  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] 

They do have a very "korean idol group" aesthetic, if I'd just seen a picture of them without any introduction I'd have assumed they were one.

Steadystate wrote:Thanks for sharing this, looks interesting and am checking out their vids right now  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] 

They do have a very "korean idol group" aesthetic, if I'd just seen a picture of them without any introduction I'd have assumed they were one.

I would say a Japanese idol group with a Korean idol group aesthetic and sound of a 90s Black girl band (examples: SWV and En Vogue).

No worries! I love featuring artists who deserve more fan base. They even sound better live!

Check out their December 2019 live performance of "Sister" at Studio Coast


Also, please check out their brand new single "Cup Ramen Program"

Did somebody say Japanese idols !!!

I did not know them but I am glad I do now

tonymiller wrote:Did somebody say Japanese idols !!!

I did not know them but I am glad I do now

Glad they got your attention, Tony! 

You'll even love them more once you see their music videos and live clips. Lemme know who's your favorite member later.  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] 

I think this clip below is their first-ever music video released in 2016 entitled "I'm After Time"

I have just started exploring their music and I will let you know

I saw them along with "the peggies" recently, the band knows each other well, my fellow fans and I were outnumbered (probably a dozen of us)  [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] well "the peggies" did perform at the same venue as a one man live about a week before.

I couldn't find the info, Sato Maria was sitting on a chair and doing her routines whilst sitting, she could walk, so I guess she had a injury or something, anyone know?

As for Yuuho of "the peggies" she made a few funny mistakes and many Philosophy no Dance fans found her cute. Yuuho mentions "my space" but said "my pace" (common Japanese phrase) instead.

I like The Peggies too

Oh and I really like Little Glee Monster

Well, I'm having a hard time choosing my favorite member of Philosophy no Dance because all of them are alluring in different ways. Now, in their late 20s...

Maria and Mariri are becoming more alluring.
Otoha and Haru are becoming more elegant.

Anyway, check out their brand new single "Double Standard" which will be released on the 16th of August:

On November 19, Otoha Totsuka graduated from Philosophy no dance to focus her day job as a career consultant and to debut in professional e-sports. 

On the same day, they introduced two new members from a series of auditions last summer:

Nono Kiyoshi from Toyama -- A blond-hair beauty from Toyama who has some resemblance to Haruna Ono and possesses a husky and beautiful singing voice. She is a licensed dietitian.
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Nanako Kayama from Kanagawa -- The youngest in the group who is an excellent singer and dancer despite being inexperienced as an idol. Her vocals reminds me of the young Chisato Moritaka. She's a huge fan of Philosophy no Dance and frequently watches their concerts long before her audition. Nanako is also an aspiring painter.
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Check out their first live performance as a five-woman vocal group, Gimme Five!

Neppu wa Rutensuru (Heatwave) -- Philosophy no Dance's first single as a five-piece vocal group. 
Its music video was directed by renowned music video director [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. 
This is also the theme of the anime Ayakashi Triangle started airing in January 2023.

You gotta love their strong vocals, 60s R&B vibe, and pole dancing - RED HOT INDEED!

This is a really good song, love the R&B vibe. I discovered it while giving the anime a try, the ending theme is also good.

I like the main vocalist (Mariri?), her style finishing the verses reminds me of LiSA in a way.

@harurob: Yes indeed, that the sexy Mariri Okutsu! She's also my favorite next to Halu Hinata. 

@wildthing: Glad that you saw them on stage along with the peggies. I've heard that Philosophy no Dance's fanbase is quite accommodating and fun-loving. Is that true that they have more female fans than any other groups? 
If I have the chance to visit Japan again in 2024, I'll watch them live.