At J.P ROOM, the agency representing Hello! Project graduates, word spread on 5ch that Ishida and Sasaki — both known as dance specialists — reportedly won’t appear in M-line Special (M-Spe) and have no music activities planned. The thread noted that M-line Special has traditionally centered on members known for their singing, which fueled questions about what the point of staying with the agency is if there’s no music activity involved. While some praised the pair’s dance skills, the discussion ranged widely — from the gap in post-graduation opportunities between singing-focused and dance-focused members, to proposals for a new unit pairing the two.
What people said
1AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:02
Isn't J.P ROOM supposed to be an agency for doing music activities?
4AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:11
6AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:14
Re: #4
Yeah, it literally says 'artist' right there.
5AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:12
Up-Front and J.P might just have different pay structures, too.
7AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:15
You're the one who started this thread, so watch — they'll probably end up in M-line Special eventually.
9AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:15
Did Takeuchi get cut from M-line Special?
11AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:16
Re: #9
She's genuinely busy with calligraphy.
10AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:16
I mean, both Ishida and Sasaki are dance specialists, after all~
They're not really singing members~
12AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:16
Apparently Sasaki is leaving the agency as Jokoryo comes in, like some kind of swap.
13AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:17
M-line Special runs on a razor-thin budget, so it's pretty harsh — Sato got cut, and even Miyamoto barely shows up anymore.
14AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:17
Re: #2
M-line Special 2023 ~Magical Wish~
Akari Takeuchi
Masaki Sato
Yuka Miyazaki
Karin Miyamoto
Manaka Inaba
Mai Koseki
Juju Asakura
19AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:19
Re: #14
There was actually a time when there were seven of them?
15AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:17
Singing members really do have it better, huh
Having solid vocals keeps you in demand even after graduation
Dance members, on the other hand, have it rough
16AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:18
Kudo was also an M-line member but barely ever got to perform
If you're not going to appear, better not to sign with the agency in the first place
18AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:18
Some girls aren't great at either one, so just being specialized in a single thing is already impressive.
20AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:19
I mean come on, who actually wants to watch a stage that's just dancing? There's zero demand for that lol
What people want to see is them singing. Singing. Live vocals. Watching your favorite idol sing — that's the whole point
Because you get to enjoy it with your ears too
21AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:20
You need either popularity or singing ability to get a spot — without one of those, you're not getting picked
I think Ishida could make it, but Sasaki's iffy
23AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:21
Re: #21
But Ishida has neither?
22AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:20
For M-line Special, they could have the M-line members who are good singers handle the vocals and make Ishida and Sasaki backup dancers — that'd make for a pretty lavish unit.
24AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:21
Re: #22
Why don't they just do that, I wonder
25AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:21
I'll at least give these two credit for their dance skills.
26AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:22
Re: #23
In terms of popularity, they'd probably rank near the top even among the current M-line Special members.
27AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:23
Have Manakan and Karin-chan handle the singing, with Ishida and Sasaki as backup dancers —
that'd be nice, wouldn't it.
29AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:25
If people like Jokoryo or Oda come in, these two would probably be the first ones shown the door, though.
30AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:25
Being praised for dancing well while in an idol group has real value — but once you're judged as just 'a dancer' on your own, there are tons of people who are good at that.
32AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:26
M-line Special's current ticket draw relies on Sato and Inaba, so it might be worth giving these two a shot once.
33AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:26
Put Moe Jokoryo up on Rikako Sasaki's shoulders and have her sing —
the former Angerme 'Togoro Brothers' (a nod to the fused brother duo from the anime Yu Yu Hakusho, where a big body carries a smaller one piggyback)
34AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:26
Ishida was at last year's Thanksgiving Festival (Kanshasai, Hello! Project's annual fan event), though?
35AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:27
Let's form a dance unit with Ishida, Sasaki, and Akiyama.
36AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:27
Rikako has actually given Kamiko a piggyback ride before lol
Rikako's famous line at the time: 'Am I her dad or something?'
37AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:29
Are Sasaki's own fans even satisfied with how things are now?
43AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:42
Didn't Sasaki say something about wanting to be an idol again?
'Being an idol is my true calling. My graduation concert was definitely fulfilling, but starting the very next day I found myself thinking, "I want to become an even greater idol." So even if the form changes, I want to keep being an idol for as long as I can.'
'So if I'm allowed to, I want to keep doing both singing and dancing.'
51AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:51
Who would Ishida pair up with?
54AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:53
At the end of the day, it's all just collecting money from fans, isn't it
Nothing about that really changes even after graduating
56AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:54
Re: #54
Can't help it, they're basically unknown to the general public.
60AnonymousNov 3, 2026 09:58
Re: #54
This agency raises them specifically for that kind of thing, after all.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
M-line Special (M-Spe) is a unit formed mainly around Hello! Project graduates with strong vocal ability, with singing-focused members like Karin Miyamoto and Masaki Sato serving as its core. J.P ROOM, meanwhile, is the agency that supports graduates’ post-idol activities, and is described as a window that handles not just music but stage and event appearances as well. What divided the thread was this single point: if dance specialists Ishida and Sasaki really aren’t going to appear in M-line Special, what’s the point of staying with the agency? Opinions split between those defending the situation given M-line Special’s emphasis on vocal ability, and skeptics who argued that staying signed is pointless without any actual appearances. This article excludes some posts that amounted to personal attacks on real individuals’ abilities, as well as mocking remarks based on specific livestream viewer counts.
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