73 replies to this topic

[miyooooons]

SO happy I finally got to listen to the full test!
Here is my final ranking (based on vocals) along with scores in black, the difference of scores from last year in green/red/grey, and their previous rank in yellow.

 

1. Matsunaga Riai (10/10) (+2) (#7)

2. Kanemitsu Ruru (10/10) (+3) (#11)

3. Shutto Anna (9.5/10) (+1) (#4)

4. Kudo Yume (8.5/10) (+4.5) (#25)

5. Yonemura Kirara (8/10) (+2) (#16)

6. Yamazaki Mei (7.5/10) (-1.5) (#2)

7. Onoda Karin (7/10)

8. Tamenaga Shion (7/10) (+2) (#24)

9. Sato Hikari (7/10) (+2.5) (#27)

10. Ono Kotomi (7/10) (+1.5) (#19)

11. Nakayama Natsume (7/10) (+2.5) (#26)

12. Hashisako Rin (6.5/10) (+0) (#14)

13. Saito Madoka (6.5/10)

14. Ishiguri Kanami (6/10) (-1.5) (#8)

15. Matsubara Yuriya (5/10) (-2.5) (#9)

16. Kubota Nanami (5/10) (-1.5) (#13)

17. Yamada Ichigo (4/10) (+1) (#29)

Really really surprised at how well everyone did. This Shindan Test overall was incredible!! There are so many talented KSS that have improved immensely and I'm floored with the amount of vocal talent. 15th Gen Momusu definitely has some great KSS options for vocalists.

 

My comments if anyone wants to read them!

Spoiler

 

1. Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne - Hashisako Rin

She improves every year. She’s starting to have a distinct tone in her voice and she shows a lot of potential. It’s still a little shouty for me but you can tell that with more training and coaching she’ll have a lot more skill. Definitely will be a force to be reckoned with! (6.5/10)

 

2. Koi no Jubaku - Onoda Karin

Wow! Can’t believe she has that amount of skill at her age! Definitely has some decent control over her voice. She of course could use more training, but overall everything was on pitch and powerful! Good for her! (7/10)

 

3. Souda! We're ALIVE - Yonemura Kirara

Her voiceeeeeee! It’s getting so mature and she puts so much thought into each note. Even with a fun song like this she proves to be really technical. There was a lot of attitude and style there, which was awesome. There’s a real vocalist here. (8/10)

 

4. Help me!! - Shutto Anna

The intro monologue!!! I’m slain. She’s sooooo powerful!! She clearly has a lot of natural talent and she’s really good at what she does. I was floored with how good some of the parts of this sounded, even the fast chorus/bridge parts were completely in tune and exemplified her control. The only faulty note was that last one, everything else was super powerful and amazing. I’m super impressed! Would not be surprised if she was added to Momusu for vocal power. (9.5/10)

 

5. Oshare! - Tamenaga Shion

She’s not pitch perfect, but she does have a lot of character in her voice which is something useful to H!P. That being said, this didn’t sound bad at all! There were some questionable parts but for the most part I actually enjoyed it because there was so much personality in it. (7/10)

 

6. Ren'ai Hunter - Kubota Nanami

I always talk about how she weirdly reminds me of Chinami, and I feel like her voice is even similar to hers. That being said, it was vocally pretty bland, but not terrible. She did hit that high note in the chorus though so I’ll definitely give her props for that. Her attempted growl made me laugh. (5/10)

 

7. LOVE LIKE CRAZY - Ono Kotomi

Just thinking about her first test in 2016 and every one after that, she’s improved sooooo much. Her voice used to be really unpleasant. I feel that not only she’s vocally improved, but she also knows what songs to choose that suit her voice. She has a really unique low register, which was perfect for this song even though it had some head-voice stuff in it. Although it wasn’t too wild or colorful, she sounded nice on this song and her performance was pretty commendable. (7/10)

 

8. Magic of Love (J=J 2015Ver.) - Sato Hikari

Another very clear improvement! Honestly I don’t think any KSS can do this like Yuhane did, but this got decently close! She lacks a little color/character but she did hit most of those notes with ease and I have to give her mad props for it since this is not an easy song. (7/10)

 

9. Kimagure Princess - Ishiguri Kanami

She is a queen, know THAT. However I think she got a little lost in this song. She had some shining moments, but I was a little let down because of how well she did vocally last year. This wasn’t bad by any means, but this song was definitely too high for her and it was clearly hard for her to shine through it. (6/10)

 

10. Mugen Climax - Yamazaki Mei

She is so gooood! She wasn’t pitch perfect here, but she has this way of singing that’s really mature and theatrical. I thought this song choice was perfect to show that quality of her voice off! I do think she needs a tiny bit more of polishing, but I really don’t want her to leave before debut. She has soooo much potential to be an amazing performer! (7.5/10)

 

11. Kirakira Fuyu no Shiny G - Kanemitsu Ruru

WOW. This is an IDOL. I felt like I was listening to a mini-Reina here. Not only does she have this adorable charm to her voice, but she also has amazing control and tonality! There’s something mature in those vocals that really shined through here. She improved so much since last year. Nothing sounded off and everything was super controlled. Really, really impressed. Ruru’s stay vocally gifted. (10/10)

 

12. Suki yo, Junjou Hankouki. - Nakayama Natsume

I was never that fond of her voice, but I must give her a large BRAVO. She’s really improved. Before, there was something unpleasant about the tone in her voice when she sang. It only comes out a little bit here, but for the most part she sounded really strong and clear! I felt really positive about this performance. (7/10)

 

13. GOOD BYE Natsuo - Yamada Ichigo

I’m sorry I still just can’t stand her voice. It is a little better than last year’s performance, but it just feels like she generally has not improved her vocal style or technique. It might just be the natural tone in her voice though. She hit the high notes but they just sort of felt scream-y and her voice cracked a lot as usual. (4/10)

 

14. ROCK Erotic - Kudo Yume

Definitely her best performance to date. I never really cared for her voice and always thought she was sort of bland, but she really proved me wrong here. Listening to her was really pleasant. She has the mature voice that fits this song, she can hit all the notes (low and high) and she actually does so with power and grace. Another one that impressed me a lot. Clear improvement and great conscious song choice. (8.5/10)

 

15. Aisaretai no ni... - Saito Madoka

This was not bad! Similarly to Tamenaga, she has a lot of texture and character to her voice even though the tonality was not perfect. She needs to improve but she has the right idea. (6.5/10)

 

16. SEXY SEXY - Matsubara Yuriya

I couldn’t help but smile the whole way during this. She just sounds like a kid. She does not have much character to her voice yet, and she just kinda shouts things onto the closest pitch, but it’s adorable. She at least can project, has confidence and is not afraid to take risks and put forth power in her performance. Still, she needs more time to find a voice with character that doesn’t just sound like a kid screaming lol. I would be easier on her if it weren’t for Onoda being the same age and having a strong voice with promising texture. Cute though. (5/10)

 

17. Gatamekira - Matsunaga Riai

She is a CLEAR front runner for Momusu this year. Her voice is so powerful and she clearly has a lot of honed-in skill that she knows how to use. The fakes sounded great and for the most part she had perfect pitch. There was one or two questionable parts, but I still think she deserves a perfect score. I can see why she won and I’m content. She’s awesome. (10/10)

 

 

Last year's rankings/scores:
EDIT: Now debuted members are BOLDED/COLORED for analysis purposes.

Spoiler

Finally listened to the SHindan Test performances and scored them on what I thought of their performances from an auditory perspective only. I showed their difference in scores and positions from last year.

 

1. Yamazaki Yuhane (9/10) (-1) (#2)

2. Yamazaki Mei (9/10) (+1) (#6)

3. Eguchi Saya (8.5/10) (+2.5) (#21)

4. Shutto Anna (8.5/10)

5. Okamura Minami (8/10) (+.5) (#10)

6. Shimakura Rika (8/10) (-1) (#4)

7. Mastunaga Riai (8/10) (+1.5) (#16)

8. Ishiguri Kanami (7.5/10) (+1) (#14)

9. Mastubara Yuriya (7.5/10)

10. Kawano Minori (7.5/10) (+2) (#26)

11. Kanemitsu Ruru (7/10)

12. Nishida Shiori (6.5/10) (-1) (#9)

13. Kubota Nanami (6.5/10)

14. Hashisako Rin (6.5/10) (+1) (#25)

15. Doi Rena (6.5/10) (+1.5) (#28)

16. Yonemura Kirara (6/10) (-2) (#5)

17. Maeda Kokoro (6/10) (+.5) (#22)

18. Kanatsu Mizuki (5.5/10) (-.5) (#19)

19. Ono Kotomi (5.5/10) (-.5) (#17)

20. Hibi Marina (5.5/10) (+2) (#30)

21. Horie Kizuki (5/10) (-4) (#3)

22. Kodama Sakiko (5/10) (-.5) (#23)

23. Noguchi Kurumi (5/10) (-1.5) (#8)

24. Tamenaga Shion (5/10)

25. Kudo Yume (5/10) (-3) (#7)

26. Nakayama Natsume (4.5/10) (-1.5) (#18)

27. Sato Hikari (4.5/10) (-1) (#27)

28. Ota Haruka (3/10) (-2) (#29)

29. Yamada Ichigo (3/10) (-.5) (#31)

 

My comments on each performance, for those interested:

Spoiler

 

Okamura Minami - Aishite Aishite Ato Ippun
WOW I love her even more. This for the most part very controlled and had a lot of emotion and feeling in it. She was super strong the whole time and her voice surprisingly fit the song well. She also did not miss a note. She’s going to make a good main vocalist one day. Love her. (8/10)

Kodama Sakiko - Mijuku Hanjuku Torotoro

Kinda shouty. She hit the notes but it wasn’t that engaging. I don’t expect great vocals from her but this was just kind of lackluster. (5/10)

Nishida Shiori - Golden Chinatown

There were some really good parts of this! She hit everything well, but some parts were really strong and other parts were really weak and fell through. Lacked a little bit of pizzazz but still pretty impressive. (6.5/10)

Inoue Hikaru - Munasawagi Scarlet

RIP ☹

Horie Kizuki - Ai wa Itsumo Itsumo

This was 100% not the right song for her. It was just extremely lackluster…it felt like she did nothing at all and she sung it half asleep. It makes me sad because I know she’s capable of so much more. Depressing! (5/10)

Ishiguri Kanami - Watashi no Nanimo Wakacchanai

Oh wow I love her. She really killed this. Her voice has a lot of similarities with Ayumi’s actually. I can see why she got a lot of votes for this. She knows how to use her voice. That Riho line was a lil shaky so I’ll take points off for that but other than that it was really good. I could actually imagine a girl like her in MM. (7.5/10)

Eguchi Saya - Hatsukoi Cider

She just Kirara’d this. She improved A TON and picked a good song for her voice and rocked it. She hit everything super well and it had a lot of character. WHERE has she been all this time?? She’s awesome. (8.5/10)

Kudo Yume - Keep on! Joushoushikou

It’s cute that she chooses songs like this to establish her style. That being said….she has this issue where she has some really good moments and then they get completely obliterated by the bad moments. She has problem following a melody clearly and she gets a little shouty. Not too bad but not amazing. I will give her props for that high note in the verse. (5/10)

Shimakura Rika - Fiesta! Fiesta!

It’s very clear that she’s so vocally talented. The chrous swallowed her up a little bit but the verses had some moments of slayage. She needs to work on her control a little bit but she’s got the right idea. She’ll be a legend someday and give Mariah a run for her money. Her voice actually has some similar qualities to Ruru’s which says a lot. (8/10)

 

Maeda Kokoro - Silver no Udodokei

She has this voice where it hits most of the notes and she sounds nice in some instances but for the most part her voice is just kind of boring and doesn’t have much of an appeal to it. This wasn’t bad by any means but I predicted it’d be lackluster and it was…but I will say she has a pretty good voice for rapping. (6/10)

Hashisako Rin - Hapiness ~Koufuku Kangei~

Improvements have been made!! I honestly do hear the work going into her voice. Part of it is just her growing up and growing into her voice. This wasn’t bad by any means, she just needs to keep going down the road she’s going and all will be well for her! (6.5/10)

Noguchi Kurumi - Kiiroi Osora de BOOM BOOM BOOM

I love my daughter and WILL always love her but this was the wrong song choice in every aspect. The range was both too high and too low for her at the same time. She couldn’t really hit those low notes OR the high ones. She seemed really out of breath too. I will never stop loving her tho despite this score I’m about to give her. (5/10)

Doi Rena - Aitai Aitai Aitai na

The song was too big for her voice but it actually wasn’t that bad. She hit everything, but her voice just felt out of place for this song so it was kinda weird, not bad by any means tho. (6.5/10)

Kanemitsu Ruru - Kare to Issho Omise ga Shitai

Okay this was great!! She seemed a ltitle out of breath but it’s clear that she has a pretty strong voice! All Ruru’s are talented I’m shook. I was impressed. (7/10)

Yamazaki Yuhane - Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!

Okay sorry to be THAT bitch….but she did way better than Rika. Her voice is so strong and she clearly has sooooooo much talent. She’s 100% going to debut in one of these new groups. They’ll be stupid not to use her as soon as possible. She had some pitchiness but this performance was really great. (9/10)

Yamazaki Mei - Wonderful World (Engligh Version)

OKAY WE STAN A LEGEND?? I LOVE THE QUEEN OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE? Last year the star quality in her voice peeked out but here it was suuuuuper apparent. Her voice is developing soooo well and I think H!P could use a vocalist like her. She needs some slight polishing but even if she was given a debut on the spot it would be deserved. I’m proud and I’m excited for her future. UFP pls don’t be stupid and just screw these Hokkaido girls over. (9/10)

Nakayama Natsume - Kono chikyuu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterun da yo

This was messy musicality-wise but I can hear the character in her voice and there was a lot of effort on her part. I think in a few years she’ll have a lot of star squality. (4.5/10)

Kawano Minori - Kiss Me Aishiteru

Woah! This had a lot of power! I knew from her new profile pic that she glew up….but her voice glew up too! Not pitch-perfect but I really enjoyed it. (7.5/10)

Shuttou Anna - Love Namida Iro

Okay this sounded extremely good and she has a solid voice I’m shook? I heard vibrato, the notes were hit, I have a wig no longer?? She really did her thing. (8.5/10)

Hibi Marina - Fantasy ga Hajimaru

Definitely better than her Glass no Pumps. Had a lot of moments where it fell flat and it lacked character but there have been improvements! Do your thing mama! (5.5/10)

Matsubara Yuriya - Shunrenka

OH MY GOD THE “WOO!” at the beginning I’m dead. This was so ###### adorable I almost teared up. This is like classic kid-voice but the song actually fit her and I applaud her for picking something she could handle. Her voice is so cute ogmogmogom….but she’s also hitting all the notes! She’s going to be so fierce in like 4 years I’m excited. (7.5/10)

Kanatsu Mizuki - Watashi Choito Kawaii Uranbanchou

Although I love her I anticipated that this would be a mess but it wasn’t actually bad. The chorus was a bit messy but at least it was better than her Are Kore Shitai. I love her so much tho she deserves to debut. (5.5/10)

Oota Haruka - Moonlight Night ~Tsukiyo no Ban da yo~

This song ALWAYS swallows girls’ voices up. I don’t know why girls choose this song to sing. It baffles me. This girl is just not a great singer….I’m sorry. Her voice was barely there and when it was it was off. Sorry girl. (3/10)

Matsunaga Riai - First Kiss

Ahhh these 27^th Gen girls have been working their skinny little butts off and it’s very obvious. She’s made clear improvements and her voice sounds more mature. She sounded very technical and it’s clear she has a lot of talent. Great job. (8/10)

 

Tamenaga Shion - Tachiagirl (S/M)

She was really pitchy and she needs some work for sure, but I actually like her voice. This was a good song choice for her but I hope she does something more challenging next year because I think if she improves she’ll be able to handle it. (5/10)

 

Ono Kotomi - MI DA RA Matenrou

Not as good as last year but better than 2016. Remember how bad she was lol? She still lacks a little but I think she’s still pretty fierce. (5.5/10)

Yamada Ichigo - Daisuki Dakara Zettai ni Yurusanai

I’m just not a fan of her voice at all. I feel like she thinks she can handle these big songs and then just gets destroyed by them. Her voice kind of reminds me of where Kassa’s started out…literally just singing whatever note she feels like it. Not into it. (3/10)

 

Sato Hikari - Love Take it All

She hit everything and this performance wasn’t that bad but I think her voice for me personally is just grating. I can’t really get behind it. I see her doing better next year tho. (4.5/10)

Yonemura Kirara - Inshouha Renoir no You ni

Ohhhh girl could not hit those high notes strongly :/ Her voice kind of disappeared. HOWEVER, the bridge and chorus saved this performance. I think this was just the wrong song choice for her, which disappoints me because I thought that this would be great. This still doesn’t change my mind about her though because I think she’ll end up being great come debut. (6/10)

Kubota Nanami - Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke

Her voice is so cute!! She could use some improvements but I appreciate her voice’s strength in handling a tough energetic song like this. Her aisaretai was cute lol. (6.5/10)

 

Feelings overall....I thought this year's test wasn't as good or impressive as last year's. I was disappointed in most of my favorites as they didn't do as good as they did last year. However, I was super impressed with the 27th Gen and Hokkaido girls and I thought they reeeeeally brought it. They showed so much improvement specifically and it was a pleasant surprise and it makes me happy that they're doing so well.

[Fall]

^It looks like we synced our schedules

 

It's that time again, if a little late. Thankfully it's a bit quicker to grade than in the past couple of years.  Even with the HKSS, the migration of several trainees into the Boonies, other groups, or out of the program entirely has made the KSS count in this one seem almost bare compared to 2017 and 2018. That will probably resolve after the MM audition and an expected influx of new trainees, so there will probably be a bit more density in next year's setlist.

 

Having more time for consideration with each individual trainee, I decided to add a little more flavor in this year's grading system by also including my "Idol Ready" rating as a fun way to express how ready I think they are for debut. It considers more than just their performance in this exam, but doesn't particularly mean much other than as a way to show how shocked or unsurprised I'd be if each one were chosen for debut tomorrow. As a point of comparison for how unreliable it is as an indicator of debut chance, 2017 Oota Haruka would have had an Idol Ready rating of roughly 25%, 2018 Oota Haruka would have been 35%, and Horie Kizuki would have been at 100% for most of her time in the program.

 

7.0/10 - Hashisako Rin [Idol Ready: 77%]
6.0/10 - Onoda Karin [Idol Ready: 43%]
8.0/10 - Yonemura Kirara [Idol Ready: 89%]
8.5/10 - Shutto Anna [Idol Ready: 91%]
6.0/10 - Tamenaga Shion [Idol Ready: 63%]
7.0/10 - Kubota Nanami [Idol Ready: 80%]
7.5/10 - Ono Kotomi [Idol Ready: 85%]
9.0/10 - Sato Hikari [Idol Ready: 94%]
8.5/10 - Ishiguri Kanami [Idol Ready: 89%]
9.5/10 - Yamazaki Mei [Idol Ready: 100%]
9.0/10 - Kanemitsu Ruru [Idol Ready: 91%]
8.0/10 - Nakayama Natsume [Idol Ready: 95%]
6.5/10 - Yamada Ichigo [Idol Ready: 65%]
9.0/10 - Kudo Yume [Idol Ready: 100%]
7.5/10 - Saito Madoka [Idol Ready: 68%]
7.5/10 - Matsubara Yuliya [Idol Ready: 55%]
10/10 - Matsunaga Riai [Idol Ready: 100%]

 

If you are interested in a much (much) more in-depth review/critique or just want to see what I said about your favorite KSS, spoilers below:

Spoiler

1. Hashisako Rin - Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne - 7.0/10
The gradation of her improvement reminds me quite a lot of Inoue Hikaru in how consistently she improves every year. She started stronger than she finished in this performance, or I might have given her another half a point overall, but it was still a very solid performance. I said last year that her energy, presence, and ability on stage reminded me of young Berryz and that I expected her confidence to shine through in a couple of years, but it didn't even take that long. I could sense the potential in her, but it's hard to believe that this is the same voice that delivered that 2017 performance of Massara Blue Jeans behind a pair of sunglasses.

 

2. Onoda Karin - Koi no Jubaku - 6.0/10
For as many problems as she had, confidence was not one of them for Onoda Karin. The performance manages to be enjoyable even when her voice isn't able to keep up. Her voice can take some unpleasant tones at times, but she has an awareness and tries to reign it in for the chorus. With some success, the chorus saves the performance. For being so young, she'll probably have plenty of time to improve in the program and that awareness should help her quite a bit. It will just be a matter of seeing whether or not this level of performance is her floor or her ceiling.

 

3. Yonemura Kirara - Souda! We're ALIVE - 8.0/10
The vocal chameleon is back, and with a warm reception even before she started singing. This time though, it seems like she's found a bit of her own voice again thanks to the song selection. It may not have been the best song to display her skill, but it's the first time I've felt like she's used her own voice in an exam since 2016 when I only gave her a 6/10 for her performance of The Matenrou Show. Compared to 2017's startling improvement, last year's performance almost felt like a step back when she chose a song that was way too hard for her and just didn't even sound remotely like herself. Now, she's perfectly in her wheelhouse and she sounds great without having to try and channel a voice that isn't fully hers and that's exactly what I've been waiting for her to show in one of these exams where more ears are listening. Something the Harosute edit doesn't show, however, is how long Kirara was singing and how great her performance was prior to the chorus. She didn't really pace herself as well as she could have though, and wore herself down by the end of the chorus. She was out of breath while speaking with the judges afterwards as well. There are worse problems to have, but it could be an issue if she does debut into a performance-heavy group with a significant personal vocal role for herself. The amount of boot camp she'd be given towards fixing that after a debut would more than prepare her though.

 

4. Shutto Anna - Help me!! - 8.5/10
An amazing performance and, unlike last year, it was fairly consistent throughout. There's a switch that she can flip though when she knows she's nailing it. When that switch is flipped, she has an energy that radiates outward like a true idol aura. Last year, the difference between on/off also applied to her voice, was so different that it was jarring when it happened, and prevented that performance from scoring higher because of how striking it was. However, this time her voice was on for the entire song right up until that last line, even if her energy had to catch up. The Harosute edit was just slightly generous in not showing the end where she lost that consistency just a little bit on the final lines, but that can't detract from how great she was for the entire rest of the performance. Even if she debuts, it's unlikely she'd immediately be given lines like that, and I've certainly heard worse from Sayashi Riho in most concerts.

 

5. Tamenaga Shion - Oshare! - 6.0/10
As visually impressive as the performance was and with the great expressions and stage presence that Shion displays, the song itself didn't really do her any favors vocally. She has the correct vocal color for the song and it shows in the chorus, but she just doesn't have the technique to pull off the rest of the song. She was just as all over the place as she was last year, but this time it didn't work quite as much to her favor.

 

6. Kubota Nanami - Renai Hunter - 7.0/10
Kubota has a showman's spirit and can roll with a performance in a way that far exceeds her vocal ability. I don't know if losing the hat was a planned choice she made in rehearsal, or if she was flying by the seat of her pants, but I'm hard-pressed not to give her bonus points just for that. She should never growl again though, at least not until she can transition into one a little bit better than she did. Thankfully that one didn't make the Harosute edit, where there was more of a focus on her strong visuals and the more stable part of her vocals. The vocal performance was fairly on par with what she displayed last year since she doesn't particularly stand out vocally, but it's worth reiterating what I said last year about her personality still being appealing enough to serve as a moodmaker in a generation or group.

 

7. Ono Kotomi - LOVE LIKE CRAZY - 7.5/10
This may not be the highest score I give for the event, but this performance should certainly be considered a personal victory for Kotomi. She's had problems with her control and range since I gave her my lowest score for 2016's event, only getting a 5 for her performance of Akai Freesia. While her performance in 2017 was singificantly improved, she still had a lot of the same weaknesses in that performance as well as in 2018. The 4th time's the charm though, because this felt like real improvement. Now I wish she had a little more oomph so you could feel the song a bit more, but she's on the right track. There's plenty of improvement that she may still be able to get even after so many years in the program, but this level of performance would more than suffice from what I'd expect of a newbie member in any group.

 

8. Sato Hikari - Magic of Love (J=J 2015 Ver.) - 9.0/10
More of this, please. Last year's performance got a full point lower than the 8.5 I gave her in 2017, but now she's showing exactly the level of improvement that I was hoping for with a song that shows how amazing her voice can sound. In some ways, the Harosute edit was just downright mean in that most of the amazing parts of the performance were cut out of the final product entirely. Her vocals in the beginning of the song sounded almost professional and gave me chills. Granted, Magic of Love usually gives me chills when performed well, but that's all the more reason I'm glad she chose it. I don't really think it hurts at all to compare this to Yuhane's 2017 performance of the same song. While Yuhane nailed some of the parts where Hikari struggled towards the end of the performance, Hikari more than held her own in the beginning. She does have a strange trait about her performances though that I almost want to call anti-charisma. She has all of the skill to pull off a good performance, but if she were muted you'd never be able to match her face to the confidence in her vocals. She might work towards becoming a bit more expressive during peformances, but that same trait comes off as humorous and endearing elsewhere.

 

9. Ishiguri Kanami - Kimagure Princess - 8.5/10
Hokkaido continues to deliver, this was definitely Kimagure Princess as it's supposed to sound. While not my favorite performance so far, that's more of a limitation of what I think is possible to showcase with the song than any limitations that I think were a part of Kanami's performance. I said that Hashisako Rin reminds me of Inoue Hikaru's consistent improvement, but Ishiguri Kanami fully embodies it. She's gained a full point in each performance she's given. I don't know if it's a matter of individual attention or if their trainer up north is just that good, but the HKSS seem disproportionately inclined to improve vocally, even if Oota Haruka was the exception that proved the rule. I will say though that as much as I think Kanami is improving vocally, she seems to have a tendency to pick songs that I personally don't think showcase it very well. It was still enough that she got an award, but not quite enough that I could justify giving a higher score for the overall performance.

 

10. Yamazaki Mei - Mugen Climax - 9.5/10
Debut this girl now. She may not be my favorite KSS, she may not even be my favorite HKSS, but I dont think I've heard or seen such a perfect "H!P" idol in the program for several years. Obviously, there are still some areas where she could improve. That's been universally true for even the most polished performers in the past like Horie or Dambara. However, if there were ever a scale on how H!P a person can be, she chucked it out the window because it didn't live up to her standards. She's come a long way from 2017, and while she still occasionally has issues with her lines not being as audible as they should be, everything else about her performance was well beyond the expectations I had, even based on the high score that I gave her last year.

 

11. Kanemitsu Ruru - Kira Kira Fuyu no Shiny G - 9.0/10
She covered every criticism I had last year and got a full point higher for her efforts. I actually didn't expect so much improvement. As an audition finalist with a level of skill that was already surprising for her age, I would have been satisfied with her performance even if she had stagnated, but I guess there was no danger of that. To quote what I said about her last year, "Kanemitsu has an understanding of what a good voice is supposed to sound like and that's where she sets her sights." While maybe not quite as naturally gifted as Tanaka Reina, Ruru's performance of the song was still extremely impressive and shows that she knows how to work her voice around a song. There was even one point before what's shown in the Harosute edit where she was certainly channeling Reina with a voice that did not sound like it should have belonged to this girl. For all of the improvement she's shown in tackling last year's criticisms though, she still hasn't quite nailed the consistency. That's probably the only thing that's held her back from having my favorite performance in the event so far.

 

12. Nakayama Natsume - Suki yo, Junjou Hankouki. - 8.0/10
She was so nervous and she even cried while she was being complimented by the judges, but you never would have known it from watching or listening to her perform. That alone is a fair improvement over last year when her nerves were much more apparent in her vocals. She still has those "hiccups" that I've described in past performances, but she was much more consistent and gave a performance at a level that wouldn't have been out of placed in a birthday event for a Morning Musume member during the colorful era. She definitely has the Musume look as well, for as much as such a thing can be quantified. Although it wasn't the case last year, I also get a lot of Nonaka vibes from her now.

 

13. Yamada Ichigo - GOOD BYE Natsuo - 6.5/10
If Nakayama was a bucket of nerves, then Ichigo could fill the pool. It's almost a running theme at this point that I always feel like Ichigo is capable of more and only ever seems to improve imperceptibly between each nervous performance while maintaining a 6.5 score. It's worth remembering though that she's still very young. Sometimes that's easy to forget when someone has been in the program for a couple of years. She doesn't have the natural vocal ability that some others in the program have had at her age and her nerves may still be getting in the way of the improvements she could be making, but she still makes you want to root for her. She's still as adorable and entertaining as ever, so as long as she's in the program she'll probably start to become a fan-favorite. She's cute enough that I wouldn't be entirely shocked if she made it into a group in a generation with someone else. Oota Haruka is in Angerme after all. I just don't know whether she'd benefit more from a couple more years in the program or with more of a crash course with a group.

 

14. Kudo Yume - ROCK Erotic - 9.0/10
People were worried about Yuliya, but they couldn't see Kudo Yume from a mile away, pfft. The performance itself was almost flawless and Yume's charisma is among the best I've seen in the program. She projects a little bit too much into her singing though, which is still one of the more common problems in the KSS, so I guess even the HKSS aren't immune. It was something that both Kaede and Dambara struggled with for years, and Kudo has had that problem for a couple of years herself, but she seems like she's already making efforts to curtail it. For as much energy and charisma as she has on stage though, she has every bit as much when she speaks. Her interactions with the judges are simply amazing and she'll have made a lot of fans from this event alone.

 

15. Saito Madoka - Aisaretai no ni... - 7.5/10
For the song that she chose, it was as respectable of a showing as any newbie should be expected to give. This event has been one of the rare ones where I'm not constantly commenting on breathing, so it's almost refreshing in a way that I get to do so here. If anything, the program should be well-suited to the specific problems she seems to have with her technique and consistency, so I hope to see if she manages to tackle some of that by next year if she doesn't get scooped up by Morning Musume just so they can teach her to wink.

 

16. Matsubara Yuliya - SEXY SEXY - 7.5/10
It always happens, but I never expect her to sound as good as she actually does. She's still shouty, of course, but that's Yuliya in a nutshell. Even still, it doesn't actually sound bad and works for her in a strange way. Take the next sentiment with a grain of salt because of how much she still may change, but I can almost hear a little bit of Dambara's vocal style trying to slip through. Maybe it's just because this was also a Dambara song or maybe there's a killer voice developing underneath her yell-singing, but there's something just below the surface that's trying to escape. If only because I'd like to see if she ever becomes the vocal powerhouse that I think she could be, I kind of hope that her ambitions are shifting towards wanting to remain an idol. She certainly seems like she's becoming more willing to challenge herself. When asked why she chose this song, answered in the most Matsubara fashion possible: "Because it's hard!"

 

17. Matsunaga Riai - Gatamekira - 10/10
She killed it.

 

 

As bare as the program looks now, I can only imagine how bare it would look in a year or two if we didn't have an audition wrapping up to add more. When Beyooooonds scooped up a lot of the more talented members of the program, I wasn't expecting everyone still there to be so excellent. You could throw a few of them into a Momusu generation and still have enough talent left over to form yet another solid idol group. What is the world even coming to when a solo KSS can nail Gatamekira?

 

PS I swear I'm not trying to pick on Oota. I love Haruka in Angerme, but it's hard not to use her as a point of comparison for KSS exams after the mark she left in them.

[miyooooons]

^ Wow we are!! hahaha. I'm going to read your review in full!

[Solarbladepsy]

Setlist for Kenshuusei June Recital ~Midori~ 

 

(Kanemitsu is absent because of the Tsubaki stageplay)

 

Opening VTR

1. Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / (Sumo done by Ono & Onoda)

2. Jiriri Kiteru

MC

3. Warui Hito (Lyrics by Ohashi Riko, arranged by Takahashi Shuhei)

4. Manner Mode / Ono, Yonemura, Matsunaga, Yamada, Nakayama, Tamenage, Kubota, Shutto, Yamazaki

5. Date ja nai yo Uchi no Jinsei wa / Ono, Yonemura, Hashisako, Tamenaga, Shutto

6. Konamaiki Girl / Kubota, Saito, Onoda, Kudo, Yamazaki

MC

7. SEXY SEXY / Matsubara

8. Kimagure Princess / Ishiguri

9. Mugen Climax / Yamazaki

MC

10. ROCK Erotic / Kudo

11. Gatamekira / Matsunaga

MC

12. Yuke! Genki-kun / Matsubara, Onoda, Yamazaki

13. Maji Good Chance Summer / Ono, Yonemura, Hashisako, Matsunaga, Tamenaga, Shutto

14. Oheso no Kuni Kara Konnichiwa

15. Junjou cm / Ono, Yonemura, Hashisako, Yamada, Nakayama, Kubota, Matsubara, Ishiguri, Kudo

MC

16. Dokk~an Cappricio 

17. Taikibansei

[ceferquin]

KSS T-shirt count on Zepp Tokyo:

https://twitter.com/...133418579156992

 

1.   Nakayama 26

2.   Hashisako, Shutto 18

4.   Matsunaga 17

5.   Yonemura 13

6.   Yamada 10

7.   Ono, Tamenaga, Ishiguri 6

10. Kubota, Saito, Onoda, Kudo, Yamazaki 3

15. Matsubara 1

[Nayok-Kihara]

Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2019 September (title undecided)

http://www.helloproj...4acb907f12cd2d/

 

Cast:

Hello Pro Kenshuusei (will be announced as decided)

BEYOOOOONDS

 

MC: Makoto

 

Dates:

(two shows each)
9/8

9/16

9/23

[Nayok-Kihara]

The title of the next recital has been announced, the cast list updated.

http://www.helloproj...4acb907f12cd2d/

 

Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2019 9gatsu ~Kira~

 

Cast:

Hello Pro Kenshuusei:

Yonemura Kirara, Yamada Ichigo, Nakayama Natsume, Tamenaga Shion, Kubota Nanami, Kanemitsu Ruru, Matsubara Yuriya, Saitou Madoka, Onoda Karin

※ Ono Kotomi & Shuttou Anna have completed their training.

 

Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido:
Ishiguri Kanami

※ Sato Hikari has completed her training.

 

BEYOOOOONDS

[Kumi-chan]

Sad to know Kotomi left the KSS.
Go Yamada !

[RenaiDestiny。]

2/3 of my favorites gone.

[megumibex]

Nooo! The only h!p member to share my birthday...

[Nayok-Kihara]

The cast for the recital has been updated to include the new girls they just announced.

 

The title of the next recital has been announced, the cast list updated.

http://www.helloproj...4acb907f12cd2d/

 

Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2019 9gatsu ~Kira~

 

Cast:

Hello Pro Kenshuusei:

Yonemura Kirara, Yamada Ichigo, Nakayama Natsume, Tamenaga Shion, Kubota Nanami, Kanemitsu Ruru, Matsubara Yuriya, Saitou Madoka, Onoda Karin, Hiromoto Ruri, Hashida Honoka, Nishizaki Miku, Hirayama Yuki, Kitahara Momo, Ebata Kisaki, Yofuu Runo, Murakoshi Ayana, Uemura Hasumi

※ Ono Kotomi & Shuttou Anna have completed their training.

 

Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido:
Ishiguri Kanami, Hashimoto Ririka

※ Sato Hikari has completed her training.

 

BEYOOOOONDS

[Nayok-Kihara]

Title and cast for the December recital announced. All Kenshuusei participating, no departures!
http://www.helloproj...bc64ab91478e61d

Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2019 12gatsu ~Ketsu; Musubu~

Cast:
Hello Pro Kenshuusei:
Yonemura Kirara, Yamada Ichigo, Nakayama Natsume, Tamenaga Shion, Kubota Nanami, Kanemitsu Ruru, Matsubara Yuriya, Saitou Madoka, Onoda Karin, Hiromoto Ruri, Hashida Honoka, Nishizaki Miku, Hirayama Yuki, Kitahara Momo, Ebata Kisaki, Yofuu Runo, Murakoshi Ayana, Uemura Hasumi
 
Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido:
Ishiguri Kanami, Hashimoto Ririka

[Nayok-Kihara]

Blog updates for the upcoming December show have started.

http://www.up-fc.jp/...ei/blog_tamago/

(Jpl)

 

Edit: December recital setlist.

(Amp@Jpl)

1. Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~ / All (entrance from the audience)

2. Golden Chinatown / All
3. Zettai Idol Sengen / All
MC Makoto, introductions, New Kenshuusei Hokkaido member introduction
4. "Idol wa Robot" tte Shouwa no Hanashi ne / Matsubara, Onoda, all ten 30th gen Kenshuusei
5. Hana Moyou / Hello Pro Kenshuusei Unit, Yamada, Nakayama, Tamenaga, Matsubara
6. Nanchuu Koi wo Yatteru~ YOU KNOW? / Yamada, Nakayama, Tamenaga, Kubota, Hiromoto, Kitahara
7. Shiroi TOKYO / Matsubara, Onoda, Yofuu, Murakoshi, Uemura (smol elementary)
8. Isshakudama de Buppanase! / All

MC game corner : Kenshuusei New members profile gesture quiz. The established members have to guess the new members' profiles, who are using only gestures to describe their answers (What they like to eat, sports, hobbies, favorite animal etc.)
Yonemura Team (Yonemura, Nakayama, Yuria, Saito, Onoda) vs. Yamada Team (Yamada, Tamenaga, Kubota, Kanemitsu)

9. Seinaru Kane ga Hibiku Yoru / Yonemura, Onoda, Hirayama, Yofuu
10. Aitai Lonely Christmas / Nakayama, Hashida, Nishizaki, Ebata, Hashimoto
11. Jounetsu Sparkle / 10 Kenshuusei
12. Hello! Massara no Jibun / 12~13 Kenshuusei
13. Shalala! Yareru Hazu sa / Hello Pro Kenshuusei Unit
14. Wonderful World / 16 Kenshuusei
MC
15. Ashita Tenki ni Naare / All
16. Watashi, Choito Kawaii Urabanchou
17. Goal~Ashita wa Acchi da yo~

[Nayok-Kihara]

The next recital will take place in March 2020.

3/15 Zepp Tokyo (two shows)
3/20 Zepp Namba (two shows)

http://www.helloproj...1568605a518c40c