was an idol group formed by Yasushi Akimoto

Yasushi Akimoto

is a Japanese television writer, lyricist, record producer, professor and vice president at Kyoto University of Art and Design. He also created some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise.- Career :...

, who was also the producer of the group (he also produced Onyanko Club

Onyanko Club

was a large all-girl Japanese pop idol group in the 1980s. The group gave a new approach to the idol formula with its 52 official members and three unofficial members...

 and is now producing AKB48

AKB48

AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.The group has achieved enormous popularity in Japan. Its ten latest consecutive singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart...

), along with Masahiro Mizuguchi, a producer for Fuji TV

Fuji Television

is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....

 who had the idea of creating "an Onyanko Club for the Heisei era

Heisei

is the current era name in Japan. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the first day after the death of the reigning Emperor, Hirohito. His son, Akihito, succeeded to the throne...

 (1989-present)". They debuted in 1998 with the single "Dakishimete". Their name comes from the phrase "Check it!", a catchphrase of Tomoe Shinohara

Tomoe Shinohara

is a Japanese singer, actress, fashion designer, producer and artist. She is notable for her flamboyant fashion sense and bubbly personality, as well her distinctive squealing speaking voice. She is also a close friend of singer Eiko Matsumoto.- Career :In October 1996, Shinohara began as a...

.

There were several things about Checkicco that were similar to Onyanko Club. Like Onyanko Club, Checkicco also hosted their own TV show, called DAIBAtteki!. Each member also had her own number (ID) just like Onyanko Club's members did.

Checkicco broke up on November 3, 1999. At the Girl Pop Factory 2004 event, however, the members performed together as Checkicco again for only one day.

Anime theme singer Mikuni Shimokawa

Mikuni Shimokawa

is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter. She is best known for her songs used for anime theme music, particularly the opening and ending themes of the Full Metal Panic! series. In addition to her vocal talents, Shimokawa can also play the piano...

 and gravure idol Asami Kumakiri are two well-known former Checkicco members.

Releases

Checkicco has released six singles

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

, two albums (counting their best-of album), a small number of IVs, a photobook, and a Dreamcast game. They had several subgroups such as chee's, METAMO, and M@M, however, they were not very successful (their highest selling single, "Hajimari", only sold 32,450 copies with its highest rank as 40 — this was back in the days when best-selling CDs were the ones that sold over 100,000 copies).

Members

• ID001: Rina Tanaka
• ID002: Mikuni Shimokawa
• ID003: Miki Yahagi
• ID004: Rika Arai
• ID005: Megumi Igarashi
• ID006: Asami Kumakiri
• ID007: Aimi Ueda
• ID008: Eriko Yoshioka
• ID009: Megumi Machida
• ID010: Marina Kushi
• ID011: Emiko Sasaki
• ID012: Mami Fujioka
• ID013: Megumi Nozaki
• ID014: Ran Shimano
• ID015: Tomoko Mori
• ID016: Eriko Matsumoto
• ID017: Mayu Katō
• ID018: Satomi Kaida
• ID019: Hiromi Kobayashi
• ID020: Ayano Ōtaki
• ID021: Yuka Ōta