155 replies to this topic

[TheFlush'18]

To me the problem with Morning Musume is this:

There are many girls in the group now that don’t have any opportunity to shine. The only things left now are concerts, singles and photo books. With 2 singles a year not everybody will get attention, so management will focus on the prettier girls or the ones with the best voices. Some of these girls probably have awesome personalities, but we never experience those because they don’t have a TV/YouTube show of their own and they hardly ever take part in variety shows. A Sayumi or Konno that don’t have vocal talent but have other qualities are simply impossible now.

 

To me, that was always the most fun part about morning musume, to follow the development of these girls and watch them grow and polish whatever talent they have. But nowadays they audition and graduate without us having really experienced them. Haruna Ogata was the biggest example of this in my opinion, we didn’t even get to see much of her and then she was gone. The lack of new albums also adds to this problem, because albums at least have songs for the less vocally talented girls. I want to see more of Akane, Reina, Homare, Rio, but they have so few opportunities to shine. That’s a pity.

 

If there’s nothing left besides vocal talent, looks and dancing skills, then why don’t they simply focus on adding girls that have those? Just make Morning Musume a performance machine, just like many k-pop groups. Right now, they are floating.

[Juandalyn]

Yeah. Thing is they *could* do it - Tsubaki and now Ocha Norma have/had variety shows, Biyo has their Youtube channel and radio shows. They just play it save with MM and are ping-pong-ing between focusing on performance ("stamina monsters", focus on concerts, difficult songs and dances) but still adding girls mostly for looks and cuteness in hope that we can follow them improving but then shoving them into the back (Oharu, Chii, Homatan). Sigh.

[YellowAccel]

I get Homare, but the others? Like Rio is slowly becoming a front member and both Reina and Akane are getting a great amount of lines for members who aren't that popular, sometimes more than members who are super popular. Not everyone is that lucky

 

But yeah i don't get why they add so many cute members to the group when you know they're not gonna do anything with them. Some of them are more lucky than others, like Mei and Maria who are forced into cool songs that doesn't fit them at all, but most of the time this type of members doesn't fit the cool and talented image they want to give to the group...

[Touki]

I guess managers for different H!P groups have different approaches. For ANGERME, members have to fight themselves, and the manager will almost never hold their hands. For MM, members with pretty face or good vocal will be pushed by the manager, but it's not guaranteed. Maria has her own safe zone as a visual member. However, Rio has to come up with her own strategy and discuss with the manager to be pushed. Miki had to fight for over 5 years to become one of the lead vocalists. MM members with personality: good luck! Eripon could easily become a member for TV show, but the manager didn't seem to care. Members like Reina or Mei need to at least put effort into work twice as much as the one Kishimon put her effort into if they want to be promoted as "personality" members.

 

I think this is the problem of MM right now: each member has their own strengths/weaknesses (some are potential visual members, some are potential vocalists, some are potential to be on TV shows). However, as a group, I think they are not as impressive as other H!P groups. Tsubaki Factory members don't really stand out individually, but as a group, I think they are more impressive than others. In conclusion, while being amazed by Miki's vocal, Rio's visual, Ayumin's dancing and Mei's personality, etc. I'm not impressed with MM as a group right now.

[patapataful]

I guess managers for different H!P groups have different approaches. For ANGERME, members have to fight themselves, and the manager will almost never hold their hands. For MM, members with pretty face or good vocal will be pushed by the manager, but it's not guaranteed. Maria has her own safe zone as a visual member. However, Rio has to come up with her own strategy and discuss with the manager to be pushed. Miki had to fight for over 5 years to become one of the lead vocalists. MM members with personality: good luck! Eripon could easily become a member for TV show, but the manager didn't seem to care. Members like Reina or Mei need to at least put effort into work twice as much as the one Kishimon put her effort into if they want to be promoted as "personality" members.

 

I think this is the problem of MM right now: each member has their own strengths/weaknesses (some are potential visual members, some are potential vocalists, some are potential to be on TV shows). However, as a group, I think they are not as impressive as other H!P groups. Tsubaki Factory members don't really stand out individually, but as a group, I think they are more impressive than others. In conclusion, while being amazed by Miki's vocal, Rio's visual, Ayumin's dancing and Mei's personality, etc. I'm not impressed with MM as a group right now.

 

Thank you, you wrote my thoughts too! I am so sad seeing MM managed like this now. They're have great members with great Hobbies, personalities and appearances.

I don't get it how they don't promote them separately in their "niches"...

So my fear doth 16th gen... next curtain members and maybe wasted potential

[Nayok-Kihara]

2022/05/06

 

The third screening is complete and those passing to the next round will be notified.

https://twitter.com/...aGSZd3WOlaFYORQ

[Juandalyn]

Some people are wondering if we will see the new members at MM's Budokan concert, but I think a summer streaming event seems more likely.

[Sugaya Risako]

I wonder if  mm will  get 4 new members, and how many of them will be kenshuusei.

[tadase]

I think they'll really go for a livestream than a Budokan, but since Japan is kind of resuming normal things now despite the cases maybe we can get the results faster than last year's HP/Angerme auditions

 

A 2nin would be nice

[XFER]

I know and understand all the comments in this page regarding pretty members and their proclivity to be pushed to the back... but I want pretty members!! I won't name names, but I see other HP groups and I'm like... thankfully I'm a fan of MM! ♥ 

[sukibeam]

If Yulia and Karin are chosen due to being winners of the spring recital, I can't even make up my mind of where either may be placed.

 

J=J is more vocally focused. MM more dance focused. That being said, members of both groups needs to be passable in the less-focused skill. My theory is that MM is about to have an exodus of older members over the next couple years, so having girls with strong skills from the KSS program will be important for picking up the slack. And H!P has been having a lot of luck finding some all-stars at these auditions (seriously Tsubaki 2ki are stellar).

 

My prediction: Yulia is passable at singing while dancing, and can be trained to have sharper dance skills, but I feel like she's more of an Angerme kind of girl. I could see them holding off on placing her anywhere quite yet, but if they do it would be MM. Karin is a decent singer, so she will likely end up in J=J, but I also have a feeling they may be plying her for MM too with this dance award. I'm not sure about other KSS, but I really hope Ishiyama Sakura goes to MM. She seems like a character, and MM needs an injection of that.

 

In short - it's anyone's guess lol

[RoseQuartz+Aina]

If Yulia and Karin are chosen due to being winners of the spring recital, I can't even make up my mind of where either may be placed.

 

J=J is more vocally focused. MM more dance focused. That being said, members of both groups needs to be passable in the less-focused skill. My theory is that MM is about to have an exodus of older members over the next couple years, so having girls with strong skills from the KSS program will be important for picking up the slack. And H!P has been having a lot of luck finding some all-stars at these auditions (seriously Tsubaki 2ki are stellar).

 

My prediction: Yulia is passable at singing while dancing, and can be trained to have sharper dance skills, but I feel like she's more of an Angerme kind of girl. I could see them holding off on placing her anywhere quite yet, but if they do it would be MM. Karin is a decent singer, so she will likely end up in J=J, but I also have a feeling they may be plying her for MM too with this dance award. I'm not sure about other KSS, but I really hope Ishiyama Sakura goes to MM. She seems like a character, and MM needs an injection of that.

 

In short - it's anyone's guess lol

Yeh it's anyone's guess !

I'm sure we will be surprised... Everyone thought that Runo will go in Juice=Juice. Surprise -> Tsubaki Factory !

 

My feelings, so it's only speculation... I think, Karin will go in MM. probably, because i saw comments comparing her to a young Sayashi Riho !

I'm seeing her as a future Ace.

 

I think, maybe Sakura Ishiyama in Juice=Juice.

I'm going against all odd ! She's super beautiful, and because she's 18yo she looks mature.

Juice=Juice is a singing talent group, but also a mature group... So, i like her there.

 

I'm wondering if they will keep Yulia together with Karin... I have issues imagining Yulia and Karin in different groups.

[Verilian]

I think they will put Yulia in MM with another audition winner or two, and Sakura and Karin into J=J. Yulia's performance kind of reminded me of early days Maachan, and Sakura's got a kind of charismatic stage presence that reminds me of Manaka.

[Touki]

I am quite certain that Yulia will get debut, either in MM or J=J. Mifu won Miyamoto Karin's award? I bet she has a high chance to join J=J. Then either Onoda Karin and Ishiyama Sakura has a chance to debut, but the chance favors Onoda Karin, though. However, J=J is in need of visual member after Manakan leaves, so I am more satisfied when Ishiyama Sakura joins the group.

[Sugaya Risako]

I would love to see yulia join mm, with 3 or 4 other girls. A 5-nin would be nice.

[megumibex]

I'm hoping for MM to get either a solo generation or 2nin. Either way Yulia needs to be there. 

[Jenksy]

Mifu must debut. Preferably in MM

[Touki]

If Yulia, Honohono, Onoda Karin and Ayana are considered a new group, which is planned to debut later, Mifu, Sakura and Hasumi have the chance to debut. UFP is pretty obvious nowadays. The manager never groups the girls together as back-up dancers for Miyamoto Karin without further implications.

[sukibeam]

^ Do we really need another new group in H!P though? I'd rather more songs go to current acts (ramp up that release schedule for the love of god) than to spread material even thinner. For the longest time since Elder Club graduated, H!P has really only had 5 major acts at any time:

1) Morning Musume

2) Berryz Kobo (void filled by Kobushi and now Beyooooonds)

3) C-ute (void filled by Tsubaki)

4) Mano (void filled by Juice=Juice)

5) S/mileage / ANGERME

 

Then Country Girls was a thing, competing for company resources. And now we have OchaNorma debuting soon. I really don't think yet another group would be wise unless UFP plans on hiring more song writers/arrangers/producers. There have been girls in the past who were debut-ready but simply didn't fit into any of the current H!P plans and - sadly - ended up leaving the agency. H!P is known for producing very high-quality trainees, so it really is anyone's guess who may get placed in this audition, but don't be surprised if some of the "shoe-ins" don't pass.

[Touki]

Of course in case the girls I mentioned are put into one group, they will not get debut this soon. There will be about 2-year gap between now and the time they will debut.

I made that assumption based on past patterns: The manager grouped Ichioka Reina, Takase Kurumi and Kiyono Momohime together, and about 1.5 years later, BEYOOOONDS was formed. In 2019, the manager grouped Yonemura Kirara, Ishiguri Kanami, Kubota Nanami and Saito Madoka together, and in 2022, OCHA NORMA will get debut.

 

In the history, there were "shoe-ins" who didn't get debut in MM: Miyamoto Karin, Danbara Ruru, Yonemura Kirara, Ishiguri Kanami, etc. Have you guys wondered how they decided to stay as KSS for a long time? I bet that the manager promised to give them good deals.

 

Also, I do think that H!P manager intends to become idols' "Mega factory", by expanding the number of groups exceeding 5. The company seems to have copied the strategy from 48's groups. Like in case the popularity of 48 groups cools down, there are still Sakamichi series helping the whole franchise. I don't know if this thing applies to you guys, but it seems like I still stick with H!P because of new groups like Tsubaki Factory, BEYOOONDS or OCHA NORMA. ANGERME seems to maintain their impression on me with songs like Aisare Route A or B, Oyogenai Mermaid, Ai mashou, even though it is an old group. However, I have started to lose interest in MM and J=J for 3 years, despite having prominent members like Kitagawa Rio, Danbara Ruru, Matsunaga Riai, etc.

 

I do think that H!P starts to lose its individuality, or what makes H!P groups different from other idol groups. Tsubaki Factory, BEYOOOONDS and OCHA NORMA don't inherit anything typical to a traditional H!P group. However, I'm fine with it.