Category: Idols

Gravure idol and cosplayer Awa Minami updated her official X account on September 23, reporting that despite appearing at an in-store event, not a single fan approached her. Alongside an apology, she self-deprecatingly analyzed the cause, writing that she “can’t rule out the possibility of some discrepancy between the poster and the real thing” — a comment that’s since gone viral. On 5ch, many found the gap between her promotional photos and her actual appearance amusing, while others took a cooler view, suggesting the whole thing was a deliberate publicity stunt, and some pointed out that this kind of “packaging-photo scam” isn’t unusual in the gravure or adult-entertainment industries.

Awa Minami, a talent working as both a cosplayer and gravure idol, updated her official X account on the 23rd. She revealed that although she appeared at an in-store event, the “gap” between her and her promotional poster was so big that no one recognized her — and the revelation is drawing a big reaction.

Awa reported: “Today, even though the store was kind enough to prepare a large poster for me, I currently find myself in the harsh situation of having been approached by zero fans…”

She apologized, saying, “I deeply apologize to the store and everyone involved for the great concern I’ve caused,” and went on: “After thinking it over in my own way, I’ve reached the conclusion that I can’t rule out the possibility of some discrepancy between the poster and the real thing.”

Source: sirabee.com / Original article here

*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Gravure idol looks so different from her promo photo that fans don’t recognize her… “I’m the one standing right here” / “There may be some discrepancy between the poster and the real thing…” — claim goes viral“.

A “Sakamichi Joint Selection” unit gathering selected members from all three groups — Nogizaka46, Sakurazaka46, and Hinatazaka46 — has been announced, with Inoue Nagi chosen as center. On 5ch reaction threads, some users pointed to a past joint project from the Keyakizaka46 era that put Hirate Yurina at center and flopped, while others questioned the criteria used to pick members. Some speculated the move is aimed at securing a slot for the year-end Kohaku Uta Gassen singing contest, and opinions were split over the overall brand strength of the Sakamichi franchise and how far this kind of cross-group project can reach beyond its core fanbase.

※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Nogizaka46, Sakurazaka46, and Hinatazaka46 Announce Joint Sakamichi Selection! Center Is Inoue Nagi.”

A casual chat thread on 5ch turned into a full-blown debate over turnout for the Hello! Project group Rosy Chronicle. It started with the claim that “the members don’t sell because they’re short,” but as the discussion went on, it shifted to more concrete territory — the scale of their live house tour, whether a solo Budokan show is realistic, and the fading engagement of “DD” (fans who split their support across multiple groups). Posters also worried that forming a new group would drain resources from existing ones, and no consensus was reached.

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Is Rosy Chronicle not selling because the members are short?“

A thread on 5ch’s Hello! Project board asking posters to name “the most entertaining Hello! Project scandal of all time” took off. Names piled up one after another — Hitomi Yoshizawa’s drunk hit-and-run, Mari Yaguchi’s exposed romance, Maki Goto’s “shotgun marriage” reports — some dating back nearly 20 years. Several posters noted that how shocking an incident was and how funny it is as a story don’t always line up, producing lines like “Yoshizawa’s got the impact, but Oda’s the funny one.” The thread ranged across generations of Hello! Project groups, pulling out anecdotes only longtime fans would remember.

※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “The Most Entertaining Hello Pro Scandal Ever, lolololololololololololol.”

A thread titled “Let’s Just Air All Our Grievances About the Hello! Project Empire” went up on 5ch, drawing a flood of complaints about Hello! Project’s management and how its groups are run. The gripes ranged widely — a sluggish release schedule, criticism of the Nishiguchi regime, resentment that Juice=Juice alone gets preferential treatment, and claims that the agency is turning a blind eye to slander aimed at members. At the same time, more pragmatic voices pointed out that “Juice=Juice is the group carrying the company financially, so shutting it down or disbanding it just isn’t realistic,” exposing the gap in the thread between idealistic wishes and the harsh realities of running the business.

10AnonymousSep 24, 2026 11:46

The moment they swept this under the rug, they proved they're a bunch of garbage

11AnonymousSep 24, 2026 11:47

Re: #10
That's obviously because it's an order from Nishiguchi
And in the end they just dumped all the blame on Kishimoto over something from her private life

35AnonymousSep 24, 2026 11:59

They practice way too little
Make them all live in a dorm like in Korea and train morning to night, every single day

37AnonymousSep 24, 2026 12:00

Re: #35
That's way less practice than some random junior high girls' basketball team lol
No way that counts as "professional"

38AnonymousSep 24, 2026 12:00

Re: #35
Why don't you go to Korea then

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Let’s Just Air All Our Grievances About the Hello! Project Empire.”

Juice=Juice’s TikTok posts have started consistently pulling in tens of thousands of likes, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. One thread floated the standard that “going viral” means hitting 100,000 likes, and posted a ranking of female idols by TikTok likes — with NiziU in 1st, =LOVE in 2nd, and iLiFE in 3rd, Juice=Juice came in 9th. Posters also noted that collaboration videos with outside talent have been steadily gaining views, sparking a broader debate about how these numbers are climbing.

3AnonymousSep 24, 2026 10:56

Going viral starts at 100,000 likes.

9AnonymousSep 24, 2026 10:59

Re: #3
Ah, I see

12AnonymousSep 24, 2026 11:02

Re: #9
So they started covering up their underwear now?

※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Urgent] Juice=Juice’s TikTok likes going viral at the 10,000+ level is now an everyday thing wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww“.

A thread on 5ch’s Love Live! board reported that the 2nd special album from Hasunosora Girls’ School Idol Club, “Oideyo! Ishikawa Dai-Kanko II” (Come On Over! Ishikawa Grand Tour II), sold 9,265 copies in its opening tally. Since this comparison pits two mini-albums that both come bundled with serial codes, debate over how to read the numbers dragged on, with some pointing out that this figure covers only the first three days after release, and that whether a release includes event-attendance or meet-and-greet perks affects sales figures. Opinions were split on whether a straight comparison with other groups’ releases even makes sense. Posters also weighed in on whether they’d actually travel to Ishikawa Prefecture for the related event, and some admitted to switching which project they support.

*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Love Live!) thread “Hasunosora Girls’ School Idol Club 2nd SPECIAL Album “Oideyo! Ishikawa Dai-Kanko II” — 9,265 Copies.”

In its “Oshi Katsu” (fan-support culture) feature in the October 2026 issue, Nikkei Entertainment presented fan data for Juice=Juice: roughly 46,000 fans, an average age of 37, and a gender split of 39% male to 61% female. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, these numbers touched off comparisons with other groups like Nogizaka46 (average age 40.2) and AKB48 (average age 42), along with threads questioning the survey methodology and expressing surprise at how the once male-dominated fanbase has shifted toward women in recent years.

25AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:26

That's probably because they're even counting the broke, stay-at-home types who don't really "oshi katsu" at all.

26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:26

If AKB really had this many otaku, filling K Arena would be a breeze.

30AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:28

Juice is playing a show in Kyoto anyway, so they couldn't have been on it regardless.

33AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:31

Juice=Juice's venue
Seriously packed with young women

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Nikkei Entertainment: ‘Juice=Juice’s Fanbase Is 46,000 Strong, Average Age 37, 39% Male / 61% Female’.”

On September 23, at Nippon Gaishi Hall Forest Hall, the venue for a Morning Musume。’26 concert, a female fan in her 20s posted on X (formerly Twitter) that while she was standing alone outside the venue looking at her phone, a gray-haired man in a checked shirt who appeared to be in his 50s or older approached her, saying, “This is a pickup attempt! I thought you were lovely!” The post was picked up by a Hello! Project-related 5ch thread and spread as a cautionary tale for women attending solo — but opinions split, with some defending the man and others questioning the poster herself.

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “An old man in his 50s or older hit on a woman in her 20s at a Morning Musume。’26 concert venue lol.”

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.

32AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:11

This is what a beautiful woman's nose looks like

34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:11

Re: #32
lolololololol

※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.”