Documentary Series 'VIBY 159 Road to Budokan' Follows All-Teen Japanese Boy Group VIBY: Aiming for 10,000 at Budokan, Their First Guerrilla Live Attracts Only 40 Fans… Facing the Wall of Obscurity

ABEMA, the new future television, began broadcasting the documentary series 'VIBY 159 Road to Budokan' on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 10 PM JST. The series follows 'VIBY (ByeBye),' a boy group born from 'Rii.MJ,' a new label founded by KIM MI JEONG (Kim Mi Jeong), known for discovering global stars like BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER.

The program is a full-access documentary that closely follows VIBY, an all-teen Japanese boy group who made their long-awaited debut on June 24, as they prepare for their debut showcase at Japan's Budokan on August 31—a 159-day journey. It captures the real, daily challenges of the members striving toward their dream stage.

The studio MC is talent Miki Fujimoto, joined by comedy duo Beni Shōga—Kumamoto Puroresu and Minori Inada—and former Japanese national figure skating representative Shigemi Takahashi as "witnesses." They observe VIBY's sincere efforts from their unique perspectives.

Episode #3, aired on July 1, features the members' first visit to the Budokan stage—where they will perform 159 days later—and their first attempt at a "self-live," a challenge set by producer Kim Mi Jeong to create their own concert from scratch.

Receiving Kim Mi Jeong’s message—"For the next four months until Budokan, I want you to fully dedicate yourselves to live performances"—the five members diligently prepare for their self-live one month later, tackling everything from venue selection and concert structure to editing entrance sound effects, despite having no prior experience.

During this process, studio guest Fujimoto praised IO, the group's leader, saying, "He’s so responsible. He’s more put-together than your average new employee."

To learn about live performance production, the members attended a concert by third-generation J SOUL BROTHERS, a group that youngest member KOTARO, 15, is a fan of. They carefully observed the stage production and took detailed notes. Later, they met NAOTO, the leader of third-generation J SOUL BROTHERS, who had invited them. Upon hearing that VIBY’s first live would be at Budokan, NAOTO exclaimed, "Budokan!? That’s amazing! Your very first live is at Budokan?" He then enthusiastically shared tips on audience engagement and live show dynamics.

Amid the pressure of both the massive Budokan goal and the upcoming self-live, sub-leader RENKI revealed that the members had held discussions: "IO is the type who won’t speak up even when he’s struggling. We didn’t realize that, and when he said, ‘Let’s do group practice,’ even though he was exhausted and hadn’t done individual practice, we were like, ‘Huh?’ and we had a bit of a clash." He admitted that stress had caused misunderstandings. "If IO seems troubled, it’s our job to listen and become someone he can rely on. And IO agreed he should learn to lean on others too." This conflict deepened their mutual understanding.

AKITO also shared, "When we’re all serious about our goals, we sometimes have different opinions or misunderstand each other. It’s not simple. But through that, we learned about each other’s feelings, discovered new ways of thinking, and understood what we can and can’t accept. We were able to truly share our perspectives."

Former figure skater Shigemi Takahashi, observing from the studio, praised, "At this age, even a one- or two-year age gap feels significant, but VIBY is a strong team that can exchange opinions as equals."

During the conversation, Kumamoto Puroresu from Beni Shōga asked Fujimoto, "By the way, did Morning Musume ever have conflicts among members?" Fujimoto replied with a laugh, "When Morning Musume had up to 15 members, during a 4-beat interlude in a song, we had to move quickly. I remember telling a senior, ‘I can’t make it in time,’" sharing a nostalgic anecdote.

Before their first self-live, the members decided, "Let’s start with a guerrilla live in Sapporo." They headed to the streets of Sapporo, but due to unfortunate weather, only about 40 people stopped to watch their first guerrilla live. Far from their Budokan goal of 10,000, it was a harsh start. Leader IO frankly admitted, "We could actually see what we’re lacking. Honestly, this is frustrating." The members, feeling the weight of their low recognition and difficulty attracting audiences, wore more anxious expressions than usual.

Exclusive VIBY episodes, available only on ABEMA, are currently streaming on-demand. Witness the real journey of VIBY as they race toward their new goal: Japan Budokan.

ABEMA 'VIBY 159 Road to Budokan' Program Overview

(C) AbemaTV, Inc.

Broadcast Channel: ABEMA SPECIAL

Episode #3 Air Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 10:00 PM JST

Episode #3 Streaming URL: https://abema.tv/channels/abema-special/slots/DDjvQ4gpGmEHBM

Program Page: https://abema.tv/video/title/90-2053

Episode #4 Air Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 10:00 PM JST

Episode #5 Air Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 10:00 PM JST

Episode #6 Air Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 10:00 PM JST

Cast: VIBY

Studio Guests:

[MC] Miki Fujimoto

[Witnesses] Beni Shōga (Kumamoto Puroresu, Minori Inada), Shigemi Takahashi

About 'VIBY'

VIBY (ByeBye) is the first boy group from 'Rii.MJ,' a label founded by Kim Mi Jeong, who discovered BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Comprised of five Japanese teens, the group’s concept is 'Voyage Into Bright Youth,' with 'Voyage (journey)' as their core worldview.

They aim to directly convey the honest, pure emotions of boys living in today’s world through music and performance.

VIBY Official Website

https://viby-official.com/

VIBY Official SNS

X: https://x.com/Official_VIBY

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official_viby/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Official_VIBY

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@official_viby

LINE: https://page.line.me/official_viby