ZYX

ZYX (ジックス, pronounced zicks) was a short-lived Japanese pop group made up of five Hello! Project Kids led by Yaguchi Mari, a second generation member of Morning Musume. Yaguchi acted as a mentor to the Hello! Project Kids, showing them the ropes of being a performing member of Hello! Project. ZYX is important in that it is the first unit that Hello! Project Kids officially joined, the second being Aa! formed in 2003, the third being Berryz Koubou in 2004, and the fourth being ℃-ute in 2005. As Shimizu Saki and Tsugunaga Momoko were selected to become members of Berryz Koubou in 2004, the activity of ZYX virtually ended.

In 2009, the unit was revived as ZYX-α, with Tsugunaga Momoko and Umeda Erika being the only remaining original members until Umeda graduated in 2009.

Original ZYX (2003)

 * Yaguchi Mari (矢口真里; Leader)
 * Umeda Erika (梅田えりか)
 * Shimizu Saki (清水佐紀)
 * Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美)
 * Tsugunaga Momoko (嗣永桃子)
 * Murakami Megumi (村上愛)
 * Sugaya Risako (菅谷梨沙子)

Current Members

 * Tsugunaga Momoko (嗣永桃子)
 * Tokunaga Chinami (徳永千奈美)
 * Sudo Maasa (須藤茉麻)
 * Wada Ayaka (和田彩花)

Former Members

 * Niigaki Risa (新垣里沙) (Graduated May 2012)
 * Umeda Erika (梅田えりか) (Graduated October 2009)
 * Kusumi Koharu (久住小春) (Graduated December 2009)
 * Ogawa Saki (小川紗季) (Graduated August 2011)

Singles

 * [2003.08.06] Iku ZYX! FLY HIGH (行くZYX! FLY HIGH)
 * [2003.12.10] Shiroi TOKYO (白いTOKYO)

Compilations

 * [2003.12.17] Hello! Project - Petit Best 4 (#6 Iku ZYX! FLY HIGH)
 * [2008.12.10] Hello! Project Special Unit Mega Best (#4 Iku ZYX! FLY HIGH)
 * [2009.07.15] Chanpuru 1 ~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~ (#9 Mirai Yosouzu II) (ZYX-α)

Trivia

 * The name "ZYX" is a kind of acronym using a somewhat intricate play in notation. "Z" and "Y" are taken from the phrase "Zettai Yume o Bai ni." (絶対、夢を倍に, We hope that you will definitely accomplish your dreams double in size.) "Bai ni", meaning "[to accomplish] double in size", is represented not as "B" but as a multiplication mark "×" which was then identified with letter "X" in its formal resemblance. Also, it is strongly conscious that the letters ZYX are the last letters of the English alphabet in reverse order. In Hello! Project, this inverted order naming is followed by the groups W created in 2004, v-u-den in 2005, THE Possible in 2006 and SI☆NA in 2008. This line-up of groups continues the reverse alphabetical naming (ZYX-W-VU-T-S).


 * Umeda Erika and Tsugunaga Momoko are the only members to be in both the original ZYX and ZYX-α.