Kizuna Simulation sounds like a J-Pop idol group. On the contrary, they were a J-Pop-inspired “live idol” group from South Korea. They were a 4-member girl group with a concept that is very similar to a modern J-Pop idol group in the vein of AKB48—but with what appears to be some sprinkle of K-Pop inspiration from Crayon Pop.

Revisiting my previously published post of Male J-Pop Groups (As Heard By a K-Pop Fan), I pondered if there were any of the opposite for female J-Pop groups. For some reason, Kizuna Simulation, also abbreviated as KZSM, came to mind; although Kizuna Simulation could be considered simply K-Pop; the group was under an independent South Korean agency—29production—who also included similar J-Idol-inspired groups such as C.yndrome and RKTB before dissolving in September 2022.

Kizuna Simulation made up of Akane, Himari, MiU (previously a member of C.yndrome as MIYU), and Sae made their debut in August 2021 with the single Touch to Start. Kizuna Simulation also had a sub-unit H1RUY0RU, featuring Himari and Sae, that launched in March 2022. A few months later in June, Sae would leave the group leaving KZSM as a 3-member group. Following the dissolution of 29production, the group would self-promote until their initial disbandment on December 31, 2023. The group would reunite for one last single in October 2024, “Ending. Reset”.

I briefly came across Touch to Start in a video from YouTuber Ploopy678 in her reactions to 2021 K-Pop Debut MVs. This was the only single of theirs at the time, but I liked it enough to add it to my playlist of “K-Pop Discoveries”. It’s sad that the group had very few songs, but maybe there could be a second reunion someday.

Check out their Touch to Start MV below, as well as their single embedded below from Bandcamp!

[Source: International Idols Wiki]