Minami Minegishi recalls her high school days when she attracted attention in AKB48, "I've never been looked at by so many men at once." Fuku Suzuki encounters a "surprising person" on a trip to Taiwan, "I get excited when I meet people overseas."

New Future TV "ABEMA (Abema)" will broadcast the "ABEMA" original dating reality show "Shuffle Island Season 7" starting on July 7 (Tue), Tanabata. The four studio MCs for this program, Yasanori Yashiki of New York, Minami Minegishi, Yuki Kimura (known as Yukipoyo), and Fuku Suzuki, attended a joint press conference after the recording. They spoke frankly about the highlights of the show, their own "peak of popularity" episodes, and even "fateful encounters" related to Tanabata.

Minami Minegishi: "This is the first season where I'm torn from the first episode, wondering 'who do I like?'" Expresses anticipation for the new season of "Shuffle Island."

When asked about their impressions of the current season, Yashiki commented, "It feels like the Kohaku Uta Gassen. It's become an annual event." He expressed his affection for the series, saying, "I find it fresh and interesting every time." Minegishi said, "Every year, the visuals and appeal just keep increasing, and I'm always worried it might stop, but this year too, everyone is so charming." She praised it, saying, "This might be the first season where I'm so torn from the first episode, wondering 'who do I like?'" Yukipoyo said with a smile, "My year starts here, so it feels like I've 'crossed over into the new year.'" She commented, "The level of the muscular men is getting higher each year." She expressed surprise at the evolving physiques of the male members, saying, "People who thought they were lean and muscular aren't lean and muscular at all." Suzuki also expressed his anticipation for the new season, saying, "There are also minor rule changes that haven't been seen before, and it looks like there will be thrilling developments from here on."

Minami Minegishi recalls her high school days when she attracted attention in AKB48, "I've never been looked at by so many men at once."

Yukipoyo, was she the "spoiled princess of Konan" in her hometown of Yokohama during her peak of popularity!?

When asked about their "peak of popularity" episodes, inspired by the "harem situations" that arise in the show, Yashiki recalled his time as a student teacher. "When the female students brought me so many pound cakes they made in home economics class, everything really seemed to be in slow motion," he said, drawing laughter. Minegishi recalled her "peak of popularity" as the time around her first year of high school when she began to attract attention as a member of AKB48. She shared an anecdote about when she went to school and all the boys on the baseball team called out to her, "Thank you very much!" "I had never been the center of attention like that at school before, so it left a strong impression on me," she said, looking back on that time. Yukipoyo revealed that before her entertainment career, she was aiming to be "the cutest gal in Yokohama and was called the 'spoiled princess of Konan.'" She attracted attention even back then when sites like "Zenryaku Profile" and reader models were popular, saying, "At the time, my friends in Yokohama would buzz about me, saying, 'She's the spoiled princess! So cute!'" On the other hand, Suzuki commented with a smile, "For me, it's from now on. My future is yet to come."

"Fateful Encounters" related to the Tanabata broadcast!

Fuku Suzuki encounters a "surprising person" on a trip to Taiwan, "I get excited when I meet people overseas."

When asked about "fateful encounters" in relation to the broadcast start date of July 7 (Tanabata), Minegishi shared a miraculous episode with her husband, Tetsuya: "My husband had liked me since I was in high school, and it was written in my graduation yearbook that 'I'm going to marry Minami,' which felt like a miracle. I guess that was the last fateful encounter of my life." Suzuki also revealed a surprising encounter overseas: "Last year, when I went on a trip to Taiwan, the family sitting next to me was the family of Souta Suzuka." Yashiki also mentioned, "I ran into Minegishi-san in Hawaii on her honeymoon." He added, "I am, after all, one of the MCs. It's fateful," bringing the venue to life with an unexpected coincidence.

"A show that gives courage even to those unaccustomed to romance." MCs talk about the appeal of this season.

Finally, when asked to give a message to the viewers, Yashiki commented, "Even though we've only seen two episodes, there are already several surprising twists." Yukipoyo said, "Among the many dating reality shows, the charm of 'Shuffle Island' is that you can enjoy it without thinking too much, in a good way." Minegishi appealed, "Open in heart and costume! I think it's a show that gives a lot of courage even to girls who haven't dated yet or aren't used to romance, so please watch it." Suzuki said, "There are many participants around my age, and it's appealing that younger generations can relate to it and enjoy it," calling for anticipation for the new season.

"Shuffle Island Season 7," which searches for fateful love by "shuffling" members every day between two islands, the "pink" and "blue" islands, set in the tropical resort island of Koh Samui, Thailand, will begin broadcasting for free on ABEMA on July 7 (Tue), 2026, at 9 PM on Tanabata. Please watch it.

What is "Shuffle Island Season 7"?

"Shuffle Island" is an ABEMA original dating reality show where attractive men and women in swimsuits, gathered on two islands and boasting overwhelming physiques, must "shuffle (switch)" members between the "pink" and "blue" islands every day. Under this rule, members pursue love based on their instincts as they "shuffle" between the islands. The first season aired in 2021, and this, the seventh season, is set on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. In a location full of tropical vibes, passionate love, stripped bare of instincts and desires, will accelerate. The show's highlights include the love dynamics where jealousy and mind games intertwine amidst unpredictable encounters and partings.

ABEMA "Shuffle Island Season 7" Program Overview

Preview Video: https://youtu.be/o9JtGQGYgKo

<Episode 1>

Broadcast Date and Time: July 7, 2026 (Tue) 9:00 PM –

Broadcast Channel: ABEMA SPECIAL Channel

Broadcast URL: https://abema.tv/channels/abema-special/slots/C9q1ASUDQXs92P

[Studio MCs]

Yasanori Yashiki, Minami Minegishi, Yuki Kimura, Fuku Suzuki