The SUPER MONKEY’S officially made their debut on September 16th, 1992, but the band already had already been formed in Okinawa Actors and went through several changes in name and composition.

 

Before debut (1991?-1992)

Club Heart
15 members, boys & girls

SUPER MONKEY’S
15 members, boys & girls.

Subunits:
Dreamers
2 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie

SPEEDY MONKEY’S
4 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Arakaki Hisako, Makino Anna

SWEET MONKEY’S
4 members: Minei Rie, Nakamura Yukie, Nakanishi Reina, Takushi Nanako

Takushi Nanako leaves SWEET MONKEY’S to join SPEEDY MONKEY’S, resulting in:

SPEEDY MONKEY’S
5 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Arakaki Hisako, Makino Anna, Takushi Nanako

 

SUPER MONKEY’S
7 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Arakaki Hisako, Makino Anna, Takushi Nanako + 2 boys

 

Debut (1992-1995)

SUPER MONKEY’S
1992
5 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Arakaki Hisako, Makino Anna, Takushi Nanako
Release: Koi no Cute Beat / Mister U.S.A.

SUPER MONKEY’S
1992-1993
5 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Arakaki Hisako, Nakasone Rino, Takushi Nanako
Release: none

In December 1992, Makino Anna leaves the group and is replaced by Nakasone Rino (not to be mistaken for Gwen Stefani’s dancer of the same name). Nakasone appears in several magazines and is initially scheduled to perform at Sapporo Snow Festival, but she has appendicitis and cancels all events. She leaves the group without having participated in any single or performance.

SUPER MONKEY’S 4
1993
4 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Arakaki Hisako, Takushi Nanako
Release: DANCING JUNK ; Aishite Muscat

Amuro Namie with SUPER MONKEY’S
1994
4 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Arakaki Hisako, Takushi Nanako
Release: PARADISE TRAIN

Amuro Namie with SUPER MONKEY’S
1994-1995
5 members: Ameku Minako, Amuro Namie, Matsuda Ritsuko, Miyauchi Reina, Takushi Nanako
Release: TRY ME ~watashi wo shinijte~

Matsuda Ritsuko (LINA) and Miyauchi Reina have joined the group before the official release of ‘TRY ME ~watashi wo shinijte~’. They have appeared in TV shows such as The Yoru mo Hippare! in late 1994.
LINA revealed that she was initially supposed to be part of a 3 members-band with REINA.

 

Amuro Namie
1995-2018 [hiatus – pregnancy leave in 1998]
Solo Act

MAX (Music Active eXperience)
1995-

1995-2002: Mina, Lina, Reina, Nana
2002-2008: Aki, Lina, Reina, Nana [Mina’s pregnancy leave]
2008-2011: Mina, Lina, Reina, Nana
2011-2017 : Mina, Lina, Nana [Reina’s pregnancy leave]
2017-2019 : Mina, Lina, Reina, Nana
2019-2020 : Mina, Lina, Reina [Nana’s pregnancy leave]
2020- : Mina, Lina, Reina, Nana

MAX were still Namie’s back dancers until mid-1996 – their last official appearance as SUPER MONKEY’S was at Chiba Marine Stadium. However, they kept appearing with her at The Yoru mo Hippare all through 1997.

 

In Live Style 2006 pamphlet, Amuro Namie appeared with former SUPER MONKEY’S members who had left showbusiness or were on hiatus.

Fans had been expecting a reunion with MAX before Amuro Namie’s retirement in 2018, but it did not happen.

 

Dreamers

 

SPEEDY MONKEY’S
Left to right: Nanako, Anna, Namie, Hisako, Minako
Left to right: Nanako, Rino, Namie, Minako, Hisako
Left to right: Hisako, Minako, Namie, Nanako
Left to right: Ritsuko, Minako, Namie, Reina, Nanako

Left to right: Namie, Hisako, Anna, Minako