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The story
A thread titled “Is Juice=Juice actually selling well?” popped up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. The trigger was Juice=Juice landing on the same magazine cover as HYDE and Anya. Some in the thread marveled, “It’s amazing they made it into this lineup,” while others debated the gap in treatment compared to Morning Musume and the group’s overall standing. As for real sales momentum, some pointed to the recent launch of solo and duo merchandise for members as a sign — but opinions remained split.
What people said
The "flagship" group, huh…?
Good for them, riding along as a package deal.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Within Hello! Project, Morning Musume — the flagship group since the earliest days — is often regarded as the de facto standard-bearer, and the exposure and treatment given to later groups tends to get measured against it. This time, the buzz stemmed from Juice=Juice joining a magazine cover lineup alongside well-known celebrities; some in the thread marveled at how impressive it was to be included in such company, while others took a more cautious view, noting that a magazine appearance alone doesn’t prove actual sales. One piece of evidence cited was the launch of solo and duo merchandise for individual members — in the idol industry, whether or not this kind of individual-level rollout happens is often treated as a barometer of popularity. That said, opinions in the thread were far from unanimous, and it’s worth noting how sharply views diverged on how to interpret this rise in exposure.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Is Juice=Juice Actually Selling Well?“.
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