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The story
Former Berryz Kobo and Buono! member Natsuyaki Miyabi posted a video of herself singing a Hello! Project song, and it set off a lively thread on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Alongside comments praising Natsuyaki’s vocal ability itself, posters kept comparing her singing style to that of fellow Buono! member Dambara Ruru, as well as Tanaka Reina and Suzuki Airi. Supportive takes (“Miyabi could just be the guide vocalist at this point”) appeared right alongside harsher ones about her popularity (“she’s not the type who can make it outside the ‘village’”), and the thread widened into a debate about how singing ability and commercial success don’t always go hand in hand.
What people said
Reina, Airi — a lot of Hello! Project singers do this.
Dambara really is something else.
Ignoring Moritaka Chisato, her big senior from their old agency?
Is the backing track for the Matsuura cover totally different?
Wasn't the original good enough?
It's Miyabi-chan we're talking about — no way she'd think that carefully about it.
Tanaka Reina could just sing it herself, no?
Tsunku♂ actually said on X a while back that Tanaka would be fine for it, but that she'd probably rather sing her own songs.
Wait, is Moemi still doing guide vocals these days??
Honestly I think she's more cut out for musicals
but she doesn't seem interested in that.
To Hello! Project fans, that style feels fresh.
She's basically just the top dog at her own school.
That's the biggest difference compared to Airi.
Still, I get why Airi ended up the bigger star.
Yeah, I know that.
In reality Natsuyaki's the nicer, more down-to-earth one.
But maybe that's exactly why she lacks star power.
Even to Hello! Project fans there's nothing fresh about it
— we've seen that style to death.
Come on, there are plenty of middle-aged guys in the fanbase — no way that's true.
No chance, since Goto and Nagano are favorites among the 'Ookami' crowd (regulars of a well-known old-school Hello! Project fan forum nicknamed "Wolf").
She's actually said before that she's self-conscious about having the lowest name recognition among the Buono! members.
That was all Sakuma's doing, not hers.
but nobody says anything about that one.
Airi's worked with and gotten close to countless guys, so that's a minor thing — wasn't it already settled that it's fine for OGs (veteran/graduated members) to do that?
They're cousins.
The one time the other side's fans really got upset was probably when Airi appeared as a guest at the FANTASTICS live show.
Suzuki Airi did a collab song with Da-iCE's Hanamura Souta two months ago,
and now she's got one with THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE's Yoshino Hokuto.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Natsuyaki Miyabi is a former member of Berryz Kobo and Buono!, and this thread started after she posted a video of herself singing a Hello! Project song. The “guide vocal” (仮歌) mentioned in the replies refers to a temporary vocal take recorded before the official version, and the question of who handles guide vocals is the kind of topic only fans familiar with Hello! Project’s behind-the-scenes workings would raise. The thread also brings up how fellow Buono! member Nihei recently drew attention online over an unrelated matter, reflecting shifting name recognition within the group. Opinions in the thread are split — some say she “has the vocal skill but lacks individuality” or “wouldn’t sell outside the ‘village’” — reflecting a debate common in the entertainment and idol world: that vocal talent and commercial success don’t always go together.
*This article is an excerpt and summary based on the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Natsuyaki Miyabi Apparently Still Has Unfinished Business With Singing.”
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