From our other sites
The story
A thread claiming AKB48’s Ito Momoka might be “the cutest idol in the industry right now” popped up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board (the “Ookami” board) and drew a wave of responses. Some posters pushed back, arguing she’s only popular because she’s in AKB48 and wouldn’t get this much attention in a Sakamichi group (the Nogizaka46/Sakurazaka46/Hinatazaka46 family of idol groups), while others compared her looks to Juice=Juice members and past fan favorites using photos. The thread also brought up the story that the wish Ito wrote on a daruma doll was “I hope AKB48 gets to perform at Tokyo Dome,” and the discussion spread into casual chatter involving fans outside the AKB fanbase.
What people said
If she were in a Sakamichi group, she wouldn't be getting this much attention
Honestly, Japanese people just judge talents and works by what agency or group they belong to — that's why the entertainment industry has gone downhill
it checks out that this girl is cute too since she looks like Satoyoshi
But Satoyoshi has zero popularity even within Hello! Project
This girl was born a "heavenly being" (idol slang for someone on an untouchable tier) from the start
She was languishing in Stardust Promotion's actress division though
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GnfrUC8bAAAEtsL.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G5uAT-yawAAmAsP.jpg
They look so alike it's like the same person
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2069022813990588416/vid/avc1/1280×720/Fwz69dzkOrBVT-0U.mp4
Let's start by filling K-Arena up to level 7 first
lolololololol
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G9QfaBNa8AAt9El.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQopBQ6aUAA2PTb?format=webp&name=medium
She's beautiful enough to rank in AKB48's all-time top 10
She can go toe-to-toe with Kojima Haruna, Mitsumune Kaoru, Takamatsu Eri (Tachibana Risa), Owada Nana, Hiwatashi Yui, Iriyama Anna, Kato Rena, and Ichikawa Miori
The one who made the World's 100 Most Beautiful Faces list was Gyoten
came from "orangutan,"
but that's not it, right? It's from her name "Utana," right?
Same deal as Juice=Juice's Endo being called "A-tan" — it's just based on the sound of her name
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQuZr_YaoAAX0eH.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQuZr_DaUAA3UXH.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQuZr-4bMAAGhTV.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQuZr_BaoAIk7rS.jpg
Even at this level, Juice=Juice members still get work, but in AKB, nobody gives the low-tier members work unless they're one of the "heavenly beings"
So she can pack a solo live show with 530,000 people?
People even know her personality? I've never seen her talked about for anything besides her face
Is this the "hamburgers and cola are the world's tastiest food" theory?
Fine, then I guess whichever idol is on TV the most must be the cutest
Unless you're the type who leaves the TV on mindlessly, you only watch the shows your favorite actually appears on
https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20190322/21/beyooooonds/69/88/j/o0640085214376978874.jpg
https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20260919/22/beyooooonds/b1/3f/j/o1080081015823561287.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTErYIx1qiq_4lfGlIKTb4cr1b7bdU7NJQYfIEnqyxd1se2I0iRAxU_gyE&s=10
I think she's a good-looking woman, but something's missing
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
This thread was started on a Hello! Project-focused board (commonly known as the “Ookami” board) that discusses AKB48 member popularity — as the thread itself notes, this reflects the fact that AKB48’s own board has gone fairly quiet, with even things like underground sales discussions losing steam there. As a result, AKB-related topics often end up spilling over into boards where fans of other groups gather. The thread’s main point of disagreement was whether the praise for Ito Momoka comes down to her actual looks or simply to AKB48’s name recognition and group affiliation, with some arguing she wouldn’t get the same treatment in a Sakamichi group. The comparisons drawn with Satoyoshi and Juice=Juice members are also a recurring pattern in 5ch idol debates — how closely looks-based evaluations track with how much exposure and work a group’s members actually get. It’s worth noting that none of this is backed by concrete popularity figures or official agency statements; it’s all subjective opinion from individual posters.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Ito Momoka-chan is seriously the cutest in the idol world right now, isn’t she.”
Leave a Reply