218 replies to this topic

[Juandalyn]

The announcement was... a new album! 'Second Step' will be released on May 26

I guess this is going to be their last release with the current line-up, and the only one (since the last single came out with Risa still in the group).

[Verilian]

I wonder why they don’t have news updates for this audition? Is it because they don’t know how long it will take because of uncertain lockdown measures? Or maybe they don’t know how long it will take to decide with two groups in question? If this was a normal audition I feel like they would almost be done right now, but it’s not.

[Kumi-chan]

Yeah, there is no update. I would like to know at what stage of the auditions we are. 

[thegabriel]

I have a feeling that we might not get any new girls and that all the new members will come from the KSS.

So maybe they are waiting until after the Shindan Test to make an announcment.

[Verilian]

Oooh. That's an interesting idea.

 

I think between the two groups and the new group debuting they're probably going to need new people, but sometimes UF does only KSS additions so who knows.

 

But yes it makes sense that they're waiting for the Shindan Test to be over before they make any final decisions. The timing of the Shindan Test is very coincidental with what would be the third round in a normal audition, actually.

[Nayok-Kihara]

I wonder why they don’t have news updates for this audition? Is it because they don’t know how long it will take because of uncertain lockdown measures? Or maybe they don’t know how long it will take to decide with two groups in question? If this was a normal audition I feel like they would almost be done right now, but it’s not.

I've been wondering the same thing, and my only guesses were to do with having to adapt to COVID and the unpredictability, or they didn't think it was worth the trouble since all the updates are generally the same (X round is complete, those that have passed will be notified), or maybe it's something to do with it being two groups at once. Who knows. No matter the reason, I do miss those silly short updates a lot.

[Curlymckay]

Is it possible that maybe the updates are just being emailed (or mailed I guess) directly to the applicants instead of being posted anywhere? So the girls who applied know if they did/didn't pass a round but we don't?

[Nayok-Kihara]

They always directly contact the applicants that pass each round, the website notifcations were just very (very) simple updates for the fans/public.

[Juandalyn]

Maybe they hold back with updates due to the new corona emergency status. Not risking anything here about when they meet up or with how many people.
(Remember, the latest stressful rumor was about Up Front being lax with Corona measures, and they won't want to risk anything in that direction anymore.)

[megumibex]

I don't think the shindan test will have many tangible effects on the results of an audition because at this point, they must know what each KSS is capable of. The shindan test doesn't really tell the management anything they won't have already seen in rehearsals and the like. I think it's more of a way of legitimising debuts to the fans / gaging the popularity of certain members (tho even then they have other ways to do that).

If they are waiting till after the test, I imagine it would be because they intend to have the new member(s) debut right away after the announcement, and they don't want to have to rework the set list for the test to accommodate the girl(s) absence. 

[Verilian]

I thought the Shindan Test was self-produced?

 

So it's a test of how well the girls can push themselves, and what they actually know about performing without the pros guiding them. I think it would be a valuable test if so, but even if they got help from the pros it's a test to see how well the girls perform under the pressure of being the only person on stage which doesn't usually happen with the KSS, and stage performances are always different from rehearsals, so I do think management gets value from having the test done. On stage there's a lot more psychological pressure (and the most when it's a solo performance), and it's important for management to see that the girls can perform in a real stage environment vs just rehearsals.

 

I think though also they're probably waiting for the test to finish to give some publicity to members who are going to debut. Sadly it's cancelled so idk how management will gauge the popularity of the girls. (They're still selling the goods though, right?)

 

Anyway, I think it's probably going to be at least a month before we hear any news. D: Waiting super impatiently now lol

[Nayok-Kihara]

^ Yeah, Shindan Test performances are self-produced. They didn't entirely cancel it though, they're still planning to deliver it remotely (I assume the same way they did last year).

[Verilian]

I just had a weird thought that they're going to put Sakura into Juice=Juice because J=J is full of great singers already and it would be like, extremely interesting to follow the KSS singer who is struggling the most try to fit in with everyone else.

 

I feel like this is something that definitely could have happened back in the Tsunku days, but I think management is more interested in stability these days.

[Punkin]

Tsunku was all about choosing the girl you’d least expect (Konno, Sayu, Koharu, Mitsui, Zukki, Ikubo Haruna, Maachan, Miyazaki Yuka [though I think that was also UF wanting to make use of her], and Nakanishi Kana, just to name a few off the top of my head). Some girls were obviously chosen more for visual reasons than talent or skill (Rika, Sayu, Konno, Koharu, Haruna, Maria) and didn’t really improve much over the years in terms of singing or dancing but became decent enough at one or both to at least not stick out negatively. But there’s a few that ended up being diamonds in the rough (Maachan, looking at you!) and watching them bloom like the way we’ve seen Maachan is such a wonderful experience, and I think what Tsunku’s H!P was truly built on — average girls who may not seem like much becoming amazing little stars with hard work and support from their fans.

Hello! Project post-Tsunku is definitely more about finding girls that are already fairly skilled or have been in the KSS program and can just be shoved right in with much less time needed to catch them up and see improvement. They’re definitely not looking for fixer-uppers. I think it ties in with the Cool Hello! concept, and also the fact that they’ve simplified a lot of things (dances, for example) to also make it easier for new members to adjust. This is especially the case with Momusu.

I can’t see Juice getting a girl that can’t sing at least decently well, especially right after losing their best singer. They’ll be looking to fill in the gap Sayuki left, not make it bigger by adding girls who can’t keep up and will bring Juice’s main selling point (high performance level + great singers) down.

Because all of the groups are starting to become more or less the same (rotational), there’s going to be a lot of girls looking at H!P and going “they’re all the same concept? I guess it doesn't matter which one I audition for”. Right now there’s very little that actually differentiates the groups (all rotational, don’t stick to any particular style of music for the most part), so it’s important that they maintain those thin lines when adding new members. Anju is fun and carefree (personality is their main selling point), Juice has highly skilled members and are the Queens of live performances, Tsubaki is the group with a more traditional feminine image, Beyooonds is theatrical and out-there, leaving Momusu as the group with a strong sense of teamwork I guess, but they’ve honestly become the most boring and their history is their main selling point right now.

If these groups get girls that don’t fit these main differences, then the groups will have nothing that makes them different than any other H!P group. So I think they’ll be sticking to the Juice = good singers and Tsubaki = feminine model.

[Touki]

I think H!P groups cannot lack girls like Sayu, Harunan or Yuka. A group doesn't need to have 3 or 4 girls like that, just 1 or 2 are enough. I guess that most of H!P groups have such girls already, so there's a little chance that the manager decides to choose girls similar to Sayu. J=J is a good example, they lost 2 powerhouses already. Karin's stamina is the most stable within the group, while Sayubee is considered among top H!P best vocalists. I doubt that there will be new J=J members similar to Sayu or Yuka. However, for Tsubaki Factory, that may happen.

[Verilian]

^^I agree with everything you've said, Punkin, except I think current Morning Musume is distinctive by their performance standards. And they're really being pushed as the performance group lately - with all the emphasis on their stamina and everything. Also, imo, their stage presence is just different from all the other groups.

 

Anyway, in that vein, I guess post-Tsunku H!P would put Sakura in Tsubaki or the new group then, if they debut her. I'm a little glad for it, because I have been really enjoying the new generations that management has picked out lately.

[Verilian]

I have a feeling that we might not get any new girls and that all the new members will come from the KSS.

So maybe they are waiting until after the Shindan Test to make an announcment.

I really think this is possible now. Last night when I was falling asleep I was thinking it's possible that they're going to debut all their current KSS in a dramatic twist, and this is their way of replenishing their ranks.

 

I'm hoping that they're going to introduce the new members during the summer concert series; the timing seems about right for the auditions to be done.

[Kumi-chan]

Same, I have a feeling we will not get any new JJ/TF member from the auditions but certainly from the KSS.

I think we will see a lot of KSS debut this year which is great. Even if there is no audition winners we will probably see new girls join the KSS.

 

And maybe I'm wrong and we will have audition winners 

[RobianMoon]

I think it's really possible that all current kss debut on different times but I can't stop thinking about Ichigo, but I feel more real the no audition winners and add only kss to the groups wich I think it's better since they are looking for a monster group (J=J) and an established group (TF).

Buuuut audition winners last years are pure gold, Layla, Rio, Honoka, Wakana etc.

No matter what I would be very excited with the winners!

[Verilian]

My current conspiracy theory hypothesis is that all the girls who are going debut soon know it, and Ichigo was one of the girls not picked for debut, which is why she quit. The fact that they're putting so much effort into promoting the KSS tells me that most of the girls are going to be debuted.

 

It's true though - the last few auditions have gone really well for H!P. Maybe they're truly undecided on who to debut or not, and are waiting to see what kind of girls they get from the auditions.