199 replies to this topic

[ulises]

Only talented girls have yaeba.

 

It's a fact. 

[megumibex]

I have yaeba so that makes me happy. And I will confirm that when I was a teen my dentist told me that she would normally recommend I get braces because having crooked teeth normally makes it hard for people to brush them properly but since I've never had a cavity she didn't think I'd need them unless I wanted them for cosmetic reasons.

[thegabriel]

Starting @ 11:21 Natsume has a nice long segment on this weeks Hello Pro Dream.

https://www.bilibili...738015109976066

 

Also from @realskoban

https://twitter.com/...361603887689728

Which KSS do you have your eyes on?

Fukumura: Nakayama Natsume-chan

I heard that she practises daily hoping to join MM I was so happy to hear that! I met her for the first time in ages and I was so surprised - she's grown taller, her looks have changed, her dancing has improved!

[Nayok-Kihara]

Suzuki Airi Award winner Nakayama appears on TikTok, dancing to S/mileage / ANGERME's "Yumemiru 15".

[ulises]

She has one of the best visuals i've seen in a long time. She needs to debut!

[Touki]

UFP already let Doi Rena get away, I hope the manager won't make the same mistake.

[thegabriel]

She's been getting more screen time the last few episodes of HelloPro Dream.

I really hope she gets to debut, Just look at her!

[thegabriel]

[Nayok-Kihara]

An excerpt from Natsume's interview in the Kenshuusei feature from "TOP YELL NEO" 2020-2021 edition, via jplop.

 

--In the Kenshuusei Summer Ability test held this year, you won the Suzuki Airi Award despite having the heavy responsibility of being the top batter.

Nakayama : The moment I drew the lottery ball and saw the number "1", I thought "Oh, it's over ・・・・・・". I'm really weak under pressure. This was the fourth time that I've taken the test.

Moreover, while my juniors were receiving various awards, I was on the verge of losing my mind, and I was the first one to be selected.

--So there was a sense of impatience in Nakayama-san due to the rise of the younger members.

Nakayama: Yes, there was.
I still have it now. Recently, I have been thinking, "The first one or two years, I wasted so much time."
I couldn't do anything, but I was relaxed, but I have a regret that "if only I had worked harder at that time ・・・・・・".
I have regrets. Well, it's too late to say.
I can't help it, though.

Shimakura Rika, Okamura Minami and Eguchi Saya of BEYOOOOONDS, and
Matsunaga Riai of Juice=Juice, who joined at the same time, also debuted before me.

--If you were to make your debut, what would be your ideal form?

Nakayama: It all started when I auditioned for Morning Musume.
"I want to join Morning Musume!" at first.
But now I like Hello! Project as a whole, so I don't think I'm as particular about it as before.

I like Makino Maria, and she has published a photo book.
So I hope I can do the same someday ・・・・・・

--Oh, You want to publish a photo book and shoot gravure like Makino-san!

Nakayama: Hehehe (laughs).
But as for Makino-san, of course I like her style and appearance, but I also like her dancing. I think it's amazing that she can move so gracefully and yet with such sharpness. That's what I'm aiming for.

[rurupedia]

ahh it hurts that she's doubting herself. i really hope she gets to debut soon since she's been debut ready for so long and it would suck a lot if h!p let her slip away

[mooniix]

Its touching to read her narrative like this from the interview. Many unfortunate stories in the KSS right now.

I'm glad that Suzuki Airi recognized her, she has a stage presence similar to her.

[Touki]

Its touching to read her narrative like this from the interview. Many unfortunate stories in the KSS right now.

I'm glad that Suzuki Airi recognized her, she has a stage presence similar to her.

 

Not just right now. Many KSS from the past experienced similar situations, and they ended up quitting. It's sad but it's true. Let me give some examples:

 

First, Nakano Rion. Almost all of her gen-mates debuted and she ended up quitting, then joined a local idol group, then quitted again.

Second, Kanemitsu Ruru. Her singing is very good, but she wasn't chosen as BEYOOOONDS member. As a result, she quitted.

Third, Doi Rena. Her case is the same as Kanemitsu Ruru, but her singing isn't good, instead, she's a prominent visual member.

 

I'll highlight this thing: the bad thing about H!P is that they tend not to hold on members with the most potential in being a visual member. Doi Rena was one example. And I fear that if they lose Nakayama Natsume, there will be no current KSS with potential to become a visual member. 

[mooniix]

Not just right now. Many KSS from the past experienced similar situations, and they ended up quitting. It's sad but it's true. Let me give some examples:

First, Nakano Rion. Almost all of her gen-mates debuted and she ended up quitting, then joined a local idol group, then quitted again.

Second, Kanemitsu Ruru. Her singing is very good, but she wasn't chosen as BEYOOOONDS member. As a result, she quitted.

Third, Doi Rena. Her case is the same as Kanemitsu Ruru, but her singing isn't good, instead, she's a prominent visual member.

 

I'll highlight this thing: the bad thing about H!P is that they tend not to hold on members with the most potential in being a visual member. Doi Rena was one example. And I fear that if they lose Nakayama Natsume, there will be no current KSS with potential to become a visual member. 

 

 

There are many success stories too though. If you look at KSS recitals from 2015 for example its like H!P daycare. 

It seems that many members who stick it out long do debut, notably Ichioka (4 years), Kaede (4 years) ,Ruru (4 years), Hamachan (4 years), Karin (4 years), Riko (3 years). 

I'm hoping that some of the present long timers, such as Natsume, will fall into that camp. 

Smileage members took five years to debut but I couldn't find any non-founding KSS members that actually debuted after hitting the 5 year mark. 

Which Natsume is safe for now but Kirara better be the first to do just that after January. ;_;

Then again 2020 was a whole pandemic year so I don't really count it.

[Touki]

There are three problems related to KSS. First, the KSS system becomes more and more competitive, and the ratio of debuted KSS to all KSS decreases more and more. For instance, in the past, about 1 in 3 KSS had a chance to debut, but right now it is like 1 in 6 or 7. Second, the manager usually doesn't debut the most prominent members and keep them in KSS as leaders or mentors instead, and if these members have second plan because they have stayed in KSS for a long time, Game Over. Third, the manager doesn't want to risk choosing more than 1 member per group with potentials as superior visual members but without strong dancing and singing skills, someone like Makino Maria or Tanimoto Ami. I'll focus on the first and third reasons, as Natsume falls into that category. The rate of joining KSS (number of KSS joining per year) far exceeds the rate of available slots for debuts (number of slots per year), and the number of outsiders who are chosen through auditions is high, so that's why you see the probability that the members debut is very low. Then, H!P tends to favor singing and dancing skill over visual, so Natsume has a very slim chance to debut, because even with her current improvement, she still does not reach the required singing and dancing level for H!P (on average). She only has more chances when members like Maria or Ami graduate. 

[mooniix]

I don't know what to say. Its so true it hurts.

Lately it really does seem they have been debuting the most talented members. Ruru's wait payed off. 

I dont know what is going on with Kanami but I guess Hirayama and Runo's prospects are looking pretty good then.

However, there was a point before the point where kenshuusei had a 1/3 chance of debuting, and at that point they rarely debuted at all. So I think these things come in waves.

Hopefully, a new group or two is just around the corner and Natsume can be one of the visual members with a nice personality. c:

And who knows, she is young, she could still pull an Uemura and surprise us with her skills.

[rurupedia]

at this point h!p has a lot of older members who joined around the same time and are now hitting the usual graduation age, so we're likely to see a wave of graduations anytime soon. because of that i think a lot of the kss have a huge chance of debuting around the same time, but it might be a bit longer of a wait for them

[Potassium Bicarbonate]

Just to defend this girl for a second, I 100% agreed with Airi's entire statement on Nakayama. At the test at least, she was one of the absolute best of the night from the first slot. I'm glad she ended up getting that recognition even, because it's so unlikely to be acknowledged when you're #1 of 20 something and you performed literally hours before any judging. I did agree that previously she was lacking performance skills and so it was very surprising for me, but I do think she's picked up the slack at this point and is easily an H!P quality performer.

 

I have a feeling they're going to announce a new group next year. Just announce, it might take a good year+ afterwards for them to start but it'll keep all the promising KSS on contract. Right now the KSS feels like pre-BEYOOOOONDS to me. So many ready to debut members. It's time to raid the cupboards again.

[mooniix]

oh yeah she has a good stage presence. she always has but now it’s more dynamic.
what was airi’s comment again? i guess it should be in the thread somewhere.

[Touki]

I think she's already pulled an Uemura surprise, the problem is time you know. Maybe by the times a new group is set for debut, she may have quitted. 

[mooniix]

Ahh I see!

 

Anyways, yeah, lets get some wholesomeness in here

 

Happy New Years from Natsume♡

Its the year of the Ox and she says even if things progress slowly like a cow's speed, cows still reach great distances and she will give it her all!!

https://twitter.com/...3356163073?s=20