Erina Ikuta’s Shock ‘Second Debut’? Teaming Up with the Muscle Squad for a New Song

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The story

Former Morning Musume。’26 member Erina Ikuta has reportedly begun working on a song with comedians following her move to Yoshimoto Kogyo, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. She’s been appointed a support ambassador for the “Geothermal Symposium” being held in Fukuoka City on November 21, and is said to be writing a theme song together with comedians Noda Crystal and Aoki Macho, as part of a group of four. According to an Oricon News article, she’s aiming for a “second debut,” with goals like appearing on Music Station and going viral on TikTok. On the thread, some users dredged up the old debate over her singing ability from her idol days, others praised her looks and voice, and still others compared SNS follower counts among 9th-generation members — producing more of a mixed, lukewarm reaction than a clean split between praise and criticism.

Former Morning Musume Erina Ikuta, Now with Yoshimoto, Shock “Second Debut”? Teaming Up with the Muscle Squad for a New Song | ORICON NEWS

Source: oricon.co.jp / Original article here

What people said

2AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:28
Erina Ikuta Shows Eagerness for Music Activities After Yoshimoto Move, Aiming for a "Second Debut" — Targeting a Music Station Appearance and TikTok Virality | ENCOUNT
https://encount.press/archives/1062546/

4AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:31
She was so bad at singing in Hello! Project that she was basically bottom-tier lol
6AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:32
Erina Ikuta in YOSHIMOTO-MACHO
8AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:33
No way
I literally just said something rude about her the other day
Like 'someone with zero interest in singing being Hello! Project's longest-serving member' is a joke, don't make me laugh
18AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:39
Re: #8
She once said she loves singing, even though singing doesn't love her back
She genuinely likes singing — she's just tone-deaf
10AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:34
Erina Ikuta is actually an incredible talent
The one that got away, huh
https://youtu.be/ByyXMFxt-XQ?t=4290

🌷 Can actually sing
🌷 Cute idol voice
🌷 Lovely looks
12AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:35
Re: #10
so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute
This one's gonna be a hit
57AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:38
Re: #10
Whether she can sing aside, her voice is cute and she looks good, so they could've used her more
Maybe it would've gone differently if she'd been better at greeting people properly
19AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:40
She's been hanging out with streamers lately, so I figured she was just going all in on YouTube
20AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:42
Re: #19
She's been in dramas and commercials too
21AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:44
With this, every 9th-gen member except the retired Zukki (Ayumi Ishida) has now debuted as a singer
22AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:45
Re: #1

X (Twitter) followers

Haruka Kudo 124,000

Yuka Nihei 79,000

Karin Miyamoto 73,000

Ayaka Wada 71,000

Meimi Tamura 69,000

Haruna Iikubo 69,000

Miyabi Natsuyaki 59,000

Manaka Inaba 48,000

Masaki Sato 47,000

Harumi Ogata 37,000

Akari Takeuchi 35,000

Kaede Kaga 34,000

Makoto Ogawa 34,000

Riho Sayashi 28,000

Risa Ogata 26,000

Kurumi Takase 25,000

Rikako Sasaki 21,000

Erina Ikuta 21,000

Rika Shimakura 19,000

Maria Makino 19,000

Ayumi Ishida 16,000
24AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:47
Hyadain (the songwriter) said this a while back — that even someone at Ikuta's level would be the lead vocalist in another group
27AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:52
> The 'geothermal theme song' the four of them are supposedly singing
What even is this, is it actually getting released?
31AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:55
Singing's great, but please buy stuff to support actress Eripon (Ikuta's nickname) too, seriously


Takahobiyori. Season 2
@takabiyori_fbs
We want to keep it going through Season 3, 4… #Takahobiyori
Merch sales are apparently one of the factors they weigh, so here's another plea.

Cutlery cases are on sale now. Purchase bonus: one of 5 kinds of off-shot #ErinaIkuta photo cards. Sometimes autographed ones too!

Please lend your support toward a sequel. We're begging you.
https://takahobiyori.base.shop
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2097294617003868160/vid/avc1/920×720/ID586gzmaEGdZDvL.mp4
http://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2097294617003868160/img/R7UCPsd3dpYRQRvD.jpg
34AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:58
Re: #1
Ikuta does music, Ishida does acting
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HNLXKTRaYAA4iAQ.jpg:orig#.jpg
35AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:58
Hyadain: "Erina Ikuta says she's bad at singing and can't sing well, but if she'd gone to another idol group she'd be at the level of their designated vocalist"
https://kako.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1511103757/
43AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:11
Re: #35
I saw her sing together with Fukumura and Sayashi at a bar event last year, and she could actually sing
36AnonymousSep 10, 2026 10:58
Did Yoshimoto sign Ikuta only to start realizing they don't know what to do with her?
39AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:03
If it's at the level of Noda Crystal or Aoki Macho, they're already successful and decent-looking, so why not
40AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:05
0
@ikuta_erina0707
Geothermal Symposium in Fukuoka 〜A Festival Where You Laugh and Learn Has Arrived!〜
I've been appointed as a support ambassador!

See you at Nishitetsu Hall in Fukuoka on Saturday, November 21 ♡

I heard the four of us — Noda-san, Shinya-san, Aoki Macho-san, and me — are making a song together!

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRwofT7aUAA-VCA.jpg:orig#.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRwofT9akAA5QBS.jpg:orig#.jpg
42AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:07
Didn't she say she wasn't going to pursue singing when she graduated?
44AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:13
More work coming in for the local area is a good thing
45AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:14
Eripon's whole life is like a manga, it's hilarious
47AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:17
Oh, this is tied to geothermal power?
She landed on an interesting niche
51AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:34
The usual antis never show up in Ikuta threads
54AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:36
Re: #51
That's because the usual antis are Ikuta fans themselves
64AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:41
She sang lead on 'Happy Summer Wedding' at a Yoshimoto stage show, right?
Wasn't that never released on video?
68AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:44
Re: #64
Apparently it wasn't included in the released version
Might be a rights issue
69AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:46
There are tons of drama auditions out there, she should just go try out for one
73AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:49
Re: #69
Even if she did, you think she'd pass? lol
74AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:50
Is Yoshimoto really that short on talent?
Or is this just the honeymoon period after her transfer?
76AnonymousSep 10, 2026 11:51
Re: #74
Because she's the cutest one at Yoshimoto

Background and Key Points of This Topic

Erina Ikuta is known as one of the longest-serving members in Hello! Project history, and her activities since moving to Yoshimoto Kogyo have been drawing reader interest. The “Muscle Squad” mentioned on the thread refers to a comedy unit made up of Noda Crystal, Aoki Macho, and Shinya — it’s easy to misread this as a collaboration with fighters or athletes, but it’s actually about joining them to write a song as a support ambassador for Fukuoka City’s Geothermal Symposium. Opinions on her singing ability were split: some recalled that she was seen as “bad at singing” during her Hello! Project days, while others cited an old comment from songwriter Hyadain that she’d be considered a lead vocalist if she’d joined a different group. Notably, the discussion unfolded less as simple mudslinging and more as a genuine debate over her actual skill level. There were also comments noting that footage of a song she performed on a Yoshimoto stage wasn’t included in the released version, hinting at some unevenness in how much exposure her activities are getting.

*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Erina Ikuta’s Shock “Second Debut”? Teaming Up with the Muscle Squad for a New Song.”

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