Saint Aqours Snow
Saint Aqours Snow was an eleven-member Japanese school idol ensemble formed through the temporary union of Aqours and Saint Snow. The collaboration originated in the activities of the school idol clubs at Uranohoshi Girls' High School in Numazu and Hakodate Seisen Girls' Academy in Hakodate. Its recorded repertoire consists principally of “Awaken the power” and “Over The Next Rainbow.”
The ensemble operated as a joint performance framework rather than as a replacement for either constituent group. Aqours continued to represent Uranohoshi, while Saint Snow retained its association with Hakodate Seisen. Consequently, the name Saint Aqours Snow identifies performances involving all eleven participants and does not denote a separately recruited school club.
Historical context
The collaboration developed after Saint Snow was eliminated during a regional qualifying stage of the Love Live! competition. Leah Kazuno's fall during the qualifying performance interrupted the group's final competitive campaign before Sarah Kazuno's graduation. The result also created a conflict between Leah's intention to continue as a school idol and her difficulty establishing a successor group with other Hakodate Seisen students.
During an Aqours visit to Hakodate, Ruby Kurosawa worked with Leah on a performance that would allow the Kazuno sisters to appear together once more. Chika Takami supported the project through Aqours, while Sarah Kazuno participated as Saint Snow's senior member. Their work expanded the proposed sister duet into a combined performance involving both established groups.
The resulting ensemble made its initial appearance at the Hakodate Christmas event. “Awaken the power” was structured around Ruby and Leah before incorporating the remaining members of Aqours and Saint Snow. This arrangement connected Leah's prospective continuation at Hakodate Seisen with the conclusion of Sarah's period as an active student performer.
Membership and organization
Saint Aqours Snow had no membership independent of its two constituent groups. Its eleven participants retained their existing school affiliations and academic-year positions.
| Participant | Constituent group | School year during formation | Institutional role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chika Takami | Aqours | Second year | Founder and leader of the Uranohoshi club |
| Riko Sakurauchi | Aqours | Second year | Composer and performing member |
| You Watanabe | Aqours | Second year | Founding participant and performing member |
| Kanan Matsuura | Aqours | Third year | Senior member of the Uranohoshi club |
| Dia Kurosawa | Aqours | Third year | Senior member and student-council president |
| Mari Ohara | Aqours | Third year | Senior member and school director |
| Yoshiko Tsushima | Aqours | First year | Performing member |
| Hanamaru Kunikida | Aqours | First year | Performing member |
| Ruby Kurosawa | Aqours | First year | Co-organizer of the Hakodate collaboration |
| Sarah Kazuno | Saint Snow | Third year | Senior member of Saint Snow |
| Leah Kazuno | Saint Snow | First year | Co-organizer of the Hakodate collaboration |
The distribution of work followed the organizational structures already present in Aqours and Saint Snow. You Watanabe participated through the Uranohoshi club and contributed to the collective stage presentation. Riko Sakurauchi's musical work and Chika Takami's coordination remained functions of Aqours, while the Kazuno sisters supplied the performance conventions previously developed by Saint Snow.
No permanent hierarchy encompassing all eleven members was created. Leadership remained situational because the collaboration addressed a specific performance objective rather than an extended competitive program.
“Awaken the power”
“Awaken the power” was the first work credited to Saint Aqours Snow. Its musical construction reflects the circumstances of the ensemble's formation. The opening material emphasizes Ruby Kurosawa and Leah Kazuno, whose parallel positions as younger sisters provide the song's narrative framework. Subsequent sections broaden the vocal arrangement until all members participate.
The performance combined Saint Snow's established emphasis on forceful rhythmic movement with the larger ensemble staging used by Aqours. Sarah Kazuno and Leah retained Saint Snow's paired vocal identity even after the complete group entered. Dia Kurosawa and Ruby likewise appeared within the broader formation while preserving the sibling relationship that connected the Hakodate project to Aqours.
The commercial single was released on 20 December 2017. It also included “CRASH MIND” and “DROPOUT!?,” both performed by Saint Snow. This release structure presented the joint recording alongside material documenting Saint Snow as an independent duo.
“Over The Next Rainbow”
The ensemble reconvened for “Over The Next Rainbow,” associated with the 2019 film Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow. The song concerns transition after graduation and the continuation of school-idol activity under altered institutional conditions.
Unlike “Awaken the power,” which was organized around a particular event in Hakodate, “Over The Next Rainbow” treats the two groups as parallel communities facing succession. Mari Ohara, Kanan Matsuura, and Dia Kurosawa had completed their time at Uranohoshi, while Sarah Kazuno had completed hers at Hakodate Seisen. The remaining students therefore occupied positions comparable to Leah's earlier situation, although the two schools followed different organizational paths.
The recording was issued on 6 February 2019 as part of a three-song release. “Believe again” was credited to Saint Snow, while “Brightest Melody” was credited to Aqours. “Over The Next Rainbow” completed the release under the combined Saint Aqours Snow designation, thereby preserving the distinction between the joint ensemble and its constituent groups.
Institutional significance
Saint Aqours Snow represents a temporary interschool collaboration within the development of modern school-idol clubs. Its formation did not depend on a competition entry, a shared school administration, or the creation of a permanent organization. Instead, it provided a mechanism through which two existing clubs could address graduation and succession through a common performance.
The collaboration also altered the relation between rivalry and joint production. Aqours and Saint Snow had previously encountered one another through competitive evaluation, but Saint Aqours Snow operated outside that structure. The combined ensemble retained the visual and musical identities of both groups without merging their institutional histories.
Its limited repertoire established a clear functional boundary. “Awaken the power” records the initial Hakodate collaboration, whereas “Over The Next Rainbow” addresses the later transition of both groups. Subsequent activities continued under the names Aqours and Saint Snow rather than converting Saint Aqours Snow into a permanent school-idol unit.