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The story
In recent years, Juice=Juice’s name has come up repeatedly in year-end predictions for NHK’s ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’ (Red and White Song Battle). But making the prediction lists and actually getting picked are two different things, and on 5ch’s Hello!Project board, fans opened up about envying Morning Musume. and ANGERME — groups that have rarely had a Kohaku connection. Citing the case of One for All, once rumored as a lock for Kohaku only to be passed over, the agency’s cautious strategy of skipping a single release this year, and sluggish EP sales, the thread reveals a mix of hope and anxiety.
What people said
Being on the list doesn't mean much though — it's still an uphill battle, honestly…
but I can't help hoping anyway.
Was One for All really that big back then?
I wasn't around for it —
why'd they blow up?
but they only had TV exposure with no signature hit —
there was never a real shot.
Juice actually has the skill and a signature song, though…
ugh, this hurts 🥵
If they don't, they'll get mocked to death…
We haven't even done anything,
and there's just no upside here.
They were on TV more than Juice is now,
variety shows included though.
Why'd they suddenly start getting booked?
Unless they flop badly or Reiruru graduates, this'll get said every single year from now on.
It's gonna wear you down for a while.
I've heard plenty of tall tales from self-proclaimed 'insiders,' but none of it's verified.
Do you have any idea how far 'Moré' (fan nickname for one of their hit songs) alone has carried them?
feels like some big freeloader (lit. 'goldfish poop') would tag along for the ride.
Like Be-yan or Banban, for instance.
This year's first-timers are probably =LOVE and CUTIE STREET.
She was even allowed to skip group activities (like Lilium) sometimes.
???: 'We're coming along too.'
One for All was on the predictions too, back in the day.
These guys probably have no idea about Hello!Project's whole 'convoy system' (keeping every group moving in lockstep instead of letting one break out).
Feels like that timid gamble's about to end in a loss.
So timid.
Real on-brand move for a music agency that hasn't had a hit in decades.
This is peak dumb.
MVs are blowing up right now, the YouTube numbers would look great.
They'll probably just fob everyone off with something like the Kurakura MV,
and then it's back to cover-song hell.
There's no making it big at this agency.
They've got better odds than the other groups anyway.
Up Front's got that old-school Showa-era mentality, so Kohaku is a big deal to them.
A lot of the fanbase is older too, so they treat Kohaku as something special.
That's why there's a mountain of 'will they make Kohaku' threads popping up every summer.
The skill level across Hello!Project groups doesn't really differ that much.
They get TV spots, sure, but you can buy your way onto TV.
Exactly that.
The agency's just dumping its agency-quota slots onto Juice.
Still, there's some responsibility for getting fans' hopes up.
After being on TV this much, if they don't make Kohaku,
the fans are gonna lose it
and it'll expose that Juice's 'popularity' was fake.
Sure, it's an EP, but
this year's CD sales being this low is weak — way too weak.
That's exactly why they should've put out a single and posted a decent number.
With how fired up Juice fans are right now, I bet it could've hit around 200,000 —
but Pony Canyon probably just won't press that many.
Wait, what? lmaooo
You think Morning Musume. is on the same level as Juice? lol
No way, no way lol
Right?
Compared to the other Hello!Project groups, Juice's performance level is pretty low —
about on par with Rosy.
They can't put out a single —
it'd expose them as the lowest-selling, least popular group in Hello!Project.
Though apparently tour sales are already looking shaky, so the secret's kind of out already.
Are they out of their minds?
This right here.
'Moré-mi' wasn't nominated, but this year's song 'Vanilla' is actually nominated for Kohaku selection.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Juice=Juice is a Hello!Project group formed in 2020. In recent years their TV appearances have increased and they’ve become regulars on Kohaku prediction lists, but CD sales have stagnated, and the gap between actual sales figures and TV exposure became a key point of debate in the thread. Hello!Project reportedly has a practice known as the “convoy system,” which keeps a balance among groups rather than letting any one of them stand out, and the thread raised the view that this makes a solo Kohaku appearance a tall order. The precedent of One for All, once seen as a Kohaku lock that never materialized, is cited as evidence that TV exposure and Kohaku selection don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Note that the discussion of the agency’s promotional strategy and comparisons with past groups is largely personal speculation, not confirmed information.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello!Project board) thread “[Real Talk] I’m a Juice=Juice Fan, But I Envy Morning Musume. and ANGERME, Who Have Zero Shot at Kohaku.”
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