218 replies to this topic

[Nayok-Kihara]

The two groups will hold a joint audition to find new members for each.
 
Hello! Project  Juice=Juice & Tsubaki Factory New Member Joint Audition

Official Audition Site
 
Info
• The first joint audition in Hello! Project, seeking out new members for Juice=Juice and Tsubaki Factory!
• They are looking for girls that feel:
-- I love Juice=Juice! I love Tsubaki Factory! I love Hello! Project! (「Juice=Juice」「つばきファクトリー」が大好き！ ハロー！プロジェクトが大好き！)
-- I love singing and dancing! I'm confident in my singing and dancing! (歌を歌うこと、踊ることが大好き！ 歌やダンスに自信がある！)
-- I want to make the most of my strengths and special skills! (自分の長所や特技を活かしたい！)
-- I want to find a "new me!" I want to find it! (「新しい私」を探したい！見つけたい！)
 
Progress
• 2021/01/20 (The joint audition is officially announced through episode #359 of "Hello! Project Station". The site will open 1/22.)
• 2021/01/22 (The official audition site opens. Group promotion videos released.)
• 2021/03/01 (Application submissions officially closed at 10 a.m.)
• 2021/06/30 (Announcement of results reveal on 7/7 through "Hello! Station" on YouTube.)
• 2021/07/07 (Audition winners are revealed on "Hello! Station.)
 
Audition Requirements:
• Applications will be accepted between January 22nd and March 1st at 10 a.m.
• Must be a female living in Japan between 6th grade elementary (approx. 11-12) and 2nd year high school (approx. 16-17) (as of January 22, 2021).
• Must not be contracted to or affiliated with any entertainment organizations.
• Consent of a parent or guardian is required for minors to apply.
• Only those who are able to attend lessons in Tokyo will be eligible to pass the audition.
• The final screening may result in "not applicable". We may recommend those with future potential join Hello Pro Kenshuusei. The Kenshuusei are eligible for selection to Hello! Project groups in the future.
• Hello Pro Kenshuusei will be screened for their aptitude through daily training activities.
 
Audition Results

Spoiler

JUICE=JUICE:
• Irie Risa

 
TSUBAKI FACTORY:
• Kasai Yuumi


• Yagi Shiori


• Fukuda Marin

 
Audition Promotion
• Official]Hello! Project Site Announcement
• "Hello! Project Station" Group Leaders Announcement
• Juice=Juice Audition Promo Video
• Tsubaki Factory Audition Promo Video
• Oricon Article
• Tsubaki Factory Twitter Promo
• Twitter Promo Video
• Member Promo (Dambara Ruru)
• Hello! Project Audition Winner Roundtable Discussion (Kamikokuryo Moe, Nonaka Miki, Hirai Miyo) [Translation: Part 1, Part 2]
• Twitter Promo (Kanazawa Tomoko, Asakura Kiki) [Subbed]
• Member Interview (Dambara Ruru, Niinuma Kisora)
• Instagram Promo Video (Inoue Rei, Tanimoto Ami)
• Twitter Promo (Ono Mizuho, Dambara Ruru)
• Twitter Promo (Yamagishi Riko, Kudo Yume)
• Twitter Promo (Uemura Akari, Akiyama Mao)

Misc.
• TBA

[Juandalyn]

Oh boy. Pretty sure that means more graduations for both groups.

I guess we're somewhat used to it for Juice, but Tsubaki will join the generational groups, too...

I'm both looking forward to it and terrified lol

[YellowAccel]

Same I'm not against new Tsubaki members, it's a good way to erase the scandal and generate more hype. But i really don't want to see anyone leaving Tsubaki. I also hope they won't change the group's style.

[patapataful]

At first... Noooooo!!!!! Because all I can think about Are more graduations coming....!
(With (1) new member for Tsubaki I am fine..., But didn't J-=J got Rei?)

[Nayok-Kihara]

First post updated with all current information. Aside from the occasional age range change the audition requirements are usually the same, so I left them as is for now. I'll adjust them accordingly once the website is open.

[blackknight07]

I knew that Kanatomo was probably gonna be graduating soon but i kinda put it out of my head. This just brought it front & center Got the feeling another first gen JJ will be leaving this year too

[Kumi-chan]

I assume that the juicejuice audition is because Kanatomo, Sayuki or Akari plan to leave soon.

But for TF? Why? The group is great as 8 members. I thought the group would stay with the same members until the end (Kobushi's way).
I'm so sad. It's like saying to the girls: you're not good enough as 8 members.
Does it means that someone else want to leave the group?
I hope it'll just be 1 new member.

[Danes83]

JJ's criteria will be clear and straightforward maybe, excellent in singing or dancing. For Tsubaki Factory, i guess this the step forward in response to their previous issue. Maybe they can fill the hole left by Risamaru.

[mizukingdom1]

Just a big no from me but I see why they are doing this...

[tadase]

Oh boy. Pretty sure that means more graduations for both groups.

 

Exactly this sentiment as I saw the news. Tsubaki is already generational in the indies prior to debuting, but the CD debut erased that seniority lol

 

However, both of these groups have all their past/present members coming from the KSS (Yuka is an up-front trainee as opposed to an HP one, but she receives training lessons in UF Tokyo prior to joining J=J), which sets the standards that HP does for its trainees. I find the "audition" very disappointing because after this, we'll probably see them with new members that are really raw like how we've had with MM and Angerme which breaks the whole "pure KSS" group mystique. That mystique also adds why they're being treated as one of the most talented groups in HP, especially J=J, because they all went under one system and they're talented in their own right even before their debut.

 

KF was also going to go this route too, I guess, but they were all like continue or disband at that point

 

If we get a swerve that they'll get KSS from this audition process and just use this platform to entice girls to become new HP KSS, then I'd be freaking shocked.

[Juandalyn]

I just don't think they'll just "replace" Risa in Tsubaki. 8 girls is definitely big enough for a group, especially with their big seller Kiki still being there (and Mizuho rising). So yes, I fear there will be more graduations.

For Juice=Juice it's nothing set in stone, but considering that they just added Rei and Riai and Yume are still rather fresh I fear another older member is going to leave, too. All signs point to Tomoko of course - she will turn 26 this year and had solo concerts and songs. However, pretty much all 1st gen Juice members are at risk. Considering Juice usually adds only small generations (Nanami and Ruru, Manaka, Riai and Yume, Rei) they might, once again, just add a single person, though.

 

That being said, I'm sure they'll do something about the Kenshuusei, too. Hello Dream mentioned a big announcement next week. I think it's either the announcement of the two groups searching for new members or, what other fans have mentioned, the possibility of a new group. That way a new audition also can be used to fill up the KSS (see: Hello! Project Shin Member audition 2017).

 

^/edit; we just posted at around the same time But yes, adding non-KSS to either group is a surprise, I agree. That's more an Anju or MM thing (or Beyooooonds).

However, I feel that the management "overdid" debuting KSS from 2013 onwards (Juice=Juice, half of Country Girls (2nd gen included), Kobushi, Tsubaki, most of Beyooooonds) which majorly drained the talent pool of the KSS. Remember how some people called Tsubaki "the rest" when they were announced, because the "more talented" girls went to Kobushi? (Not my opinion here, therefore quotation marks.) I wouldn't be surprised that they hope for a fresh wave of new KSS from this audition - may it be because some KSS leave or debut.

[tadase]

^I honestly think they did not overdo it back then. Berryz and C-ute were bound to go down graduating given they've been provided stale/mature music as they near their final concerts, so a fresh wave of talent is entirely needed to realize their idea of a performance-based Hello Project. If we leave them down the KSS and not debut, though, I won't be shocked to see them leaving like many other talented KSS did. After all, the KSS lessons are still paid lesson programs and are not a guarantee of imminent debut. Ichioka and Okamura were like, 5 or 6 years in the KSS before debuting with BEYOOOOONDS?

[Juandalyn]

I'm not sure. At some point people were honestly upset when they announced the new MM members would be entirely KSS, and new, non-KSS members rose to popularity. I fear that while being in the KSS gives you an insight into the company and you know the basic rules, you also get formed into a certain style of performing, which ends up in groups being a bit too unison. But that's all subjective I guess.

[Jenksy]

I'm still rooting for KSS members. I thought Miku or Madoka would be great for Tsubaki!

[rurupedia]

 

i mean i kinda of understand j=j??? they're already rotational so it makes a tiny bit more sense but that probably means upcoming grads >_> and tsubaki.... yeah this makes no sense to me. tsubaki just lost one of their most important members after having a stable lineup since debut (not really predebut since they added members but even then i'd count it), but adding a new member or more will only make fans and maybe even the members resent them, especially if they're just a risamaru replacement. this bothers me so much ughhh T_T i'll probably get used to it but eh. just worried about tsubaki since kobushi disbanded to avoid new members (well thats one of the reasons but still lol), in this case i guess tsubaki is ok with it but it's still worrying. and for j=j, well, like i said we're probably gonna see grads soon, so not looking forward to that

[Pyo-Kiyo]

I guess that since it's a joint audition... it can mean that one group can receive some members while the other gets none... (if they find no-one fitting).

[Potassium Bicarbonate]

I can understand the appeal of keeping an already established brand going from the company's perspective, but I'll miss new groups if they all go rotational. And it's totally cynical, but I agree this probably indicates more graduations from both groups this year.

[honeyharunanfan]

I find this to be a sensible and timely decision.

 

Juice=Juice will obviously be losing members soon, I am certain that Tomoko will depart from the group within the year. They were pretty much setting up her solo career last year, similarly to what they had done with Karin some months prior. If Karin's graduation hadn't been postponed, Tomoko would have probably graduated last year. I'm uncertain about Sayuki and Akari, but I wouldn't be surprised if all three graduated at the same time, with the group reforming under Manaka's leadership. They lost their most popular member last month, and the remaining original members leaving will be a big blow as well. Sure, Rei was added as an already established idol, but Yume and Riai have yet to find their place in the group. The group needs new members, the sooner the better.

 

As for Tsubaki, I had seen it coming with Risa's departure. Contrary to popular belief I've been seeing here, I find that Tsubaki is not fine as they are now at all. They had already lost steam before Risa's 'scandal-embroidered' departure, especially with that long break between releases during Kiki's downtime, when the group was barely doing anything. They seemed to be getting back on track last year, but losing their second most popular member in such a way was a huge blow, especially considering all the implications surrounding it. Also, I think several members of the group have probably already brought up their graduation plans to the office, but I will refrain from speculating about that any further.

 

In an ideal world, Tsubaki would have gone with nine members until eventual disbandment, and I feel a bit disappointed it didn't pan out, as they are (or at least used to be) my favorite group since C-ute disbanded. But a shake-up and changes is what they need now. The ever-popular H!P method of adding new members as bandaids to cover (bullet)holes has proven effective time and time again, and Tsubaki members are not opposing it, unlike their former sister group. And they already had experience with it, even if it was five years ago, with seniority having been abolished.

 

What did surprise me a bit is that this will be the first time for both groups to get members outside of KSS. The office is probably satisfied with how well the recent audition winners have been received, Musume 15th gen being the prime example. Some KSS will probably also be promoted in addition to audition winners, like what they've done with Yamazaki and Tamenaga.

[YellowAccel]

The problem isn't that Risa's left, it's how she left. I know people like to think it was because she wanted to make the group better (lol) but all she did is hurt the group reputation. So yeah, if they add someone, it's probably not because Godess Risa left but because they want to be sure fans have something else to focus on. They're fine performance wise and Ami and Mizuho's rising popularity would be more than enough to fill the gap if Risa didn't create such a mess.

[carl Turh]

I really don't like the idea of this concurrent audition and the fact this also means graduations might be coming.

 

I think Tsubaki will be fine, a new gen might be the boost they need after Risa's graduation, specially if the new girl(s) are talented and charismatic, similarly to what happened to Juice=Juice. I also don't sense a mass graduation coming in the group, maybe one girl or two but this seems more like their trying to renew the group image.

 

Juice=Juice on the other hand is kinda uncertain since the most popular members are the older ones, while the young girls (Yume and Riai) haven't had the opportunity to gain popularity and to develop to their full potential. Also it's expected that the new member(s) to be good singer(s) but for some reason I don't think they will find someone like that.