Morning Musume 12th Gen Member Audition ~Mirai Shoujo Audition~

[elgie]

^ The problem with the Platinum era Momusu was, I think, poor management decisions. If I'm not mistaken there was a huge change in UF's big wigs' chairs some years ago, a change that has taken a while to consolidate at all levels (big companies tend to be slow in that sense). So I think that this new business point of view has finally paid off: better promotions (get back to the Shibuya posters and TV ads) a great social media strategy, a change in the choreography team, even the MVs have been evolving gradually and the CD covers keep being quite a hit or miss matter but they've been getting good at it too.

In short, it's the management that has learned to read the new tendencies and to make good use of the new media conventions (just compare the HUGE amount of material released on youtube by UF, even super-old MVs, to the scarce material - if any - allowed by AKB48's agency).

That said, perhaps because of their age, these new generations are better atuned to the kind of dynamics that are required now. I don't know if the addition of a new girl would either hinder or help the group at this stage but they might not want to take unnecesary risks.

A new girl should've been like the new Goto Maki(*) to add something valuable to the group

(*)an incredible amount of talent, great poise, unique looks, huge charisma and the ability to automatically blend into the group so that she doesn't stick out like "the new one".

also maybe sakura's the mirai shoujo 

*COUGH* Sayashi Riho *COUGH* 

As much as I love Sakura's voice (and I really, really love it ) she isn't as well rounded as Maki was. Riho... well, ambition and a crowd of devoted wotas isn't enough either

[tru_harmony]

did he just say no one's getting in?

if he did, not happy.

Qualifying my initial reaction...

I didn't watch any of the footage so I don't even know how they were. But reading through other people's reactions, some of the girls seem talented. My fear there was that they've somewhat discovered these girls and they're free for the taking for other management agencies and girl groups and that they might have turned off some of the auditioning girls with this move. Now we can argue that if they're that easily picked up by other agencies or they start hating on Tsunku maybe they're not meant for the greatness that is Morning Musume.

And I would concede to that argument...

The last nashi audition just didn't leave a good taste in the mouth although this feels different from that audition.

I do agree that Morning Musume is in a good place and adding a new girl might set their balance off. I don't know anything about the internal workings of the company but I think from how they've been doing things with 今のモーニング娘。it appears that they're very confident with the girls now and they think that the time is right to put the group back in its rightful place as the National Idol Group (not that they were ever really dethroned)

On Platinum Era, they're like the real indies phase of Morning Musume where they were uber talented and really passionate about what they do and money wasn't a thing. It's a shame that management let that happen to them. Just looking at pictures of all the billboards they had put up in promotion of WaKiAinoJ/AinoG I sometimes wonder how differently things could have turned out with Platinum Era had they been promoted properly.

anyway, I agree with shirenu, the point is MORNING MUSUME FOREVER