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The story
Former idol Risa Ogata has been going through her YouTube comments hitting the heart button one after another, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Fans reacted with confusion — “It’s been two years of radio silence, why suddenly now?” — while others voiced worry over ticket sales for her upcoming shows: September 20 at Ebisu Garden Hall in Tokyo and November 3 at Gorilla Hall in Osaka. Having left her agency to pursue an independent artist career, the episode highlights just how hard it is for her to hold onto her fanbase.
What people said
Maru-chan (fan nickname for Ogata)… thanks for hearting my YouTube comment 🥳🥳🥳
392 Anonymous 2026/09/02 (Wed) 17:49:48.08 ID:HqSIQXUZ0
502 Anonymous 2026/09/04 (Fri) 22:37:26.74 ID:Vt5J/pBY0
What suddenly got into her?
503 Anonymous 2026/09/04 (Fri) 22:39:11.55 ID:oOZp9m110
Maybe she's panicking because Ebisu isn't selling
☾ Ebisu Garden Hall (Tokyo)
☾ November 3, 2026 (Tue, holiday) 17:00～
☾ GORILLA HALL OSAKA (Osaka)
There's no way she fills those seats
Gorilla Hall Osaka holds about 1,300 for a standing show
Guess they'll space the folding chairs out nice and roomy
Feels almost crueler that way, honestly
Way too optimistic
Her self-assessment is way too high
I bet she's realizing she can't keep this going without them
Bold move
It'll be empty, for sure
Judging by her MV view counts too, she's clearly the type who likes to save face
That alone won't be enough to keep fans around
She block-and-unblocked all of them already, remember
let alone Garden Hall
There's no way she fills it
What exactly do you want from her?
She's the one who thinned out her own fanbase, so she should just accept it
Background and Key Points
Risa Ogata left the Hello! Project-affiliated group she once belonged to and now works independently as an artist without an agency. Unlike an agency-backed idol, going independent means she has to handle ticket sales and turnout herself, and this show is scheduled for Ebisu Garden Hall and Gorilla Hall Osaka. In the thread, some pointed out that the latter venue was previously used by another group for a standing-room show, raising concerns about turnout for a seated performance. It’s worth noting that whether the “likes” on her comments are really a countermeasure against fans drifting away has not been explained by Ogata herself — this remains pure speculation among fans.
※This article is compiled and summarized from a 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread titled “Risa Ogata Suddenly Starts Hearting Fan Comments — A Desperate Bid to Stop an Exodus?.”
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