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The story
The idol group Juice=Juice has increasingly been appearing on TV programs alongside popular idols from other talent agencies. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, this sparked discussion of why Juice=Juice is being booked instead of Morning Musume. or Angerme, the groups traditionally considered higher in Hello! Project’s internal pecking order. The thread saw a clash between those saying “the TV networks are the ones making the offers, so rank doesn’t matter” and those arguing “Morning Musume. and Angerme should be the ones appearing, in line with the pecking order.” Many posters argued that actual demand—popularity, name recognition, streaming numbers—should take priority over rank.
What people said
Nobody asked you, pal.
Thinking like yours is exactly why Hello! Project didn't sell for twenty years. Reflect on that.
Kawabe changed that.
If things had stayed the way they were, Juice=Juice would've been kept in lockstep with Morning Musume and never had this breakout.
Morning Musume right now is below BEYOOOOONDS. Source: the streaming numbers.
Ranking:
Morning Musume > Angerme > Juice=Juice
Demand:
Juice=Juice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Angerme >>>> Morning Musume
Morning Musume today ← no demand from anyone
That says it all.
And what the TV side wants right now is Juice=Juice.
They're on because Juice=Juice, who blew up thanks to Moremi, got the offer—what are you even talking about? Put Musume. on and the whole thing goes cold.
The demand gap between Juice=Juice and Angerme is even bigger than that.
Seriously, Angerme should leave right along with Wada.
It's scary how fast interest just disappears.
Are you out here chanting sutras trying to convert everyone?
Ranking = order of debut, earliest first.
Kusumi Koharu after "Kirari" outsold Morning Musume itself
Tsuji-chan dominating on Ameblo and YouTube
Juice=Juice after Moremi
Getting reshuffled like this is an everyday thing
Juice went from "idol" to full-blown "celebrity"
Morning Musume after Fukumura Mizuki—went from "idol" straight down to "underground idol," plain as day.
Background and Key Points of the Debate
Hello! Project has a long-standing custom known as the “pecking order,” based on each group’s history of activity, which has traditionally shown up in things like concert lineup order and the sequence of member introductions. However, this isn’t an official system set by the talent agency—it’s closer to an informal convention shared among fans and staff. The “Moremi” mentioned in the thread appears to refer to the TV program that sparked Juice=Juice’s rise in popularity, and posters repeatedly noted that the network itself is making direct offers to the group. At the same time, some brought up the sluggish streaming numbers for Morning Musume. and Angerme, making the gap between the traditional pecking order and actual popularity/demand the core of the debate. It’s easy to overlook that the pecking order is merely an internal reference point, not an official rule that determines who gets to appear on TV.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Juice=Juice has been appearing on TV lately alongside top idols from other agencies, but shouldn’t it really be Morning Musume or Angerme, in line with the pecking order?“
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