ZYX-α

ZYX ZYX-α
ZYX, 2003. Back row (L to R): Erika Umeda, Mari Yaguchi, Maimi Yajima Front row (L to R): Saki Shimizu, Megumi Murakami, Momoko Tsugunaga.
Background information
Also known as	Zicks
Origin	Japan
Genres	Pop
Years active	2003–2009; 2015 (as ZYX) 2009–2011; 2013 (as ZYX-a)
Labels	Piccolo Town
Associated acts	Morning Musume Hello! Project Kids Aa! Berryz Koubou Cute Hello! Pro Egg
Website	Hello! Project.com
Past members	Mari Yaguchi Saki Shimizu Maimi Yajima Megumi Murakami Erika Umeda Koharu Kusumi Saki Ogawa Risa Niigaki Chinami Tokunaga Maasa Sudou Momoko Tsugunaga Ayaka Wada

ZYX (ジックス, Jikkusu, pronounced zicks) was a short-lived Japanese pop group made up of five Hello! Project Kids members led by Mari Yaguchi of Morning Musume. Yaguchi acted as a mentor and the group released two singles. ZYX is important in that it is the first unit that Hello! Project Kids officially joined with the second being Aa! formed in 2003, the third being Berryz Kobo in 2004, and the fourth being Cute in 2005. As Saki Shimizu and Momoko Tsugunaga were selected to become members of Berryz Kobo in 2004, the activity of ZYX ended.

The name ZYX is a kind of acronym using a somewhat intricate play in notation. "Z" and "Y" are taken from the phrase Zettai Yume o Bai ni (絶対、夢を倍に, Definitely double your dreams) "Bai ni," meaning "double in size," is represented not as "B" but as a multiplication sign "×" which was then represented by the letter "X." Also, the letters ZYX are the last letters of the English alphabet in reverse order. In Hello! Project, this inverted order naming is followed by the groups "W" created in 2004, "v-u-den" in 2005, "The Possible" in 2006, and SI☆NA in 2008. This line-up of groups continues the reverse alphabetical naming (ZYX-W-VU-T-S).

In 2009, the unit was revived as ZYX-α (ZYX Alpha). Of all the original members, only Momoko Tsugunaga remained (Mari Yaguchi and Megumi Murakami were no longer a part of Hello! Project, Erika Umeda also joined ZYX-a, but left following her graduation from Hello! Project in October 2009 and Saki Shimizu and Maimi Yajima were members of High-King).

ZYX-a disbanded in January 2011 alongside the other revival units, excluding High-King. In 2013, for Hello! Project's 15th anniversary, ZYX-a reunited with its remaining 4 members Momoko Tsugunaga, Maasa Sudo, Ayaka Wada and Chinami Tokunaga and featured former member Risa Niigaki as their special guest.