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The story
Hello! Project members took part in a TV segment where they named their “idol senpai,” and Juice=Juice’s Ria Matsunaga named Ayumi Matsuura. Other members also named senpai symbolic of their own generation — Ruru Danbara picked Riho Sayashi, Haruka Inoue picked ℃-ute, and Miu Kudo picked Philosophy no Dance, among others. On 5ch, discussion centered on the fact that only Matsunaga and Ebata explained their reasons, as well as the gap in how well-known each named senpai actually is to the general public.
That’s Mitorizu! (the comedy duo hosting the segment)
#TVer
Source: tver.jp / original article here
What people said
Well, saying Airi Suzuki's name on a show hosted by Fuma Kikuchi is a bit awkward… (the two have long-running dating rumors)
Danbara → Riho Sayashi
Inoue → ℃-ute
Kudo → Philosophy no Dance
Matsunaga → Ayumi Matsuura
Arisawa → S/mileage
Irie → S/mileage
Ebata → Seiko Matsuda
Ishiyama → Dream5
Endo → Miu Kudo
Kawashima → Reina Tanaka
Hayashi → Girls²
Back in their more guarded phase, even Mifuu wouldn't have answered like this.
Back when the 9th and 10th generation members went on TV, they obviously lied through their teeth saying stuff like "I'm not interested in anything outside Hello! Project."
Haven't watched the show, but was there an explanation like that on air?
No particular explanation.
Matsunaga and Ebata were the only ones who actually explained why they liked their pick.
Was it "Oshare"? (an Ayumi Matsuura song)
I remember thinking she was surprisingly good at it.
Because the wota (fans) were so on edge back then.
Matsunaga's sharp — she can actually keep the conversation going too.
To begin with, she's just material for impression bits aimed at Hello Project wota — not someone they actually admire or like.
Out of all the Hello! Project members, Michishige might be the last one even the older "ossan" generation would still recognize.
Background and Talking Points
Hello! Project is a large idol agency built around Morning Musume, formed in 1998, and now home to multiple groups including S/mileage (now ANGERME) and Juice=Juice, with each generation having its own iconic senpai. Ayumi Matsuura debuted as a solo artist around the same time as Morning Musume and built an era-defining career with hits like “Otoko wa Dokyou Onna wa Aikyou,” remaining an idol that later generations still look up to. In the thread, Ria Matsunaga was praised for explaining on air why she picked Matsuura, while attention also went to the fact that the other members gave no such explanation. There was also discussion of how members like Masaki Sato are barely known outside dedicated fans, with some suggesting Sayumi Michishige may be the last Hello! Project member recognizable even to the older “ossan” crowd — feeding into a broader question of how far the group’s name recognition reaches beyond its own fanbase.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Juice=Juice’s Ria Matsunaga’s idol senpai turned out to be “Ayumi Matsuura”!.”
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