The Official Unofficial Kenshuusei Guide + News Source

[Solarblade]

==Setlist from Hello Pro Kenshuusei Recital June 2025 "The Heat is On!" @ Zepp Namba==

1. Kimi no Toujou / KSS
2. Arubeki Kimi de Are / KSS
MC
3. Arigata-meiwaku Monogatari / Miyakoshi, Yoshida Hik, Sugihara, Hattori, Ishikawa, Miyazaki, Higuchi
4. Tadashii Seishun tte Nan Darou / Hayashi, Otsubo, Sugihara, Sakamoto, Suzuki, Nemoto, Someya
5. Gobaku ~We Can't Go Back~ / Nishimura, Otsubo, Hattori, Nagano, Ohno
6. Crying / KSS (minus Asano)
MC
7. Gao Gao Gao / Rosy Chronicle
8. 8bit Kataomoi / Rosy Chronicle
9. CHO Chokotto Rock'n'Roll / Rosy Chronicle
MC
10. Natsu no Inazuma / Rosy Chronicle
MC
11. Mistake / Sakamoto
12. Kiss me Aishiteru / Nagano
13. Come with me / Nishimura
MC
14. Onna no Sono / Yoshida Hin., Shimakawa, Kamimura, Soma, Hayashi, Otsubo, Yoshida Hik., Sugihara
15. Animal Land / Hashida, Onoda, Murakoshi, Uemura, Matsubara, Miyakoshi, Nishimura, Hattori
16. Upside down girl / Rosy Chronicle, Hayashi, Miyakoshi, Nishimura, Otsubo, Yoshida Hik., Sugihara, Hattori
17. Hello! Massara no Jibun / KSS
MC
18. Heirasshai ~Nippon de Aimashou~ / ALL

[Shoujo Q]

With Niina leaving Eggs, the 36th gen is now all gone.

Niina was the only one to debut from her generation.

I expect another audition to take place this fall with focus on Morning Musume and Angerme placement. I doubt Momoha and Itsuki will stay in the training program for long. And a new fresh batch of training eggs will appear next year.

[DonJuan]

They do have a lot of younger girls atm so I wouldn't be surprised if they added a few "older" ones again (like 14/15yos).

[JPope]

I expect Momoha to debut sometime this Winter, with Anju or MM the most likely destinations. You can make solid arguments for her going to either group.

Anju: They're a well-rounded group with no obvious looming graduations, but they've lost a lot of power and charisma over the last few years. It's a perfect fit for a n00b as fully-formed as Momoha, as Anju has always been the group most receptive to members adding their own spice to the stew. Momoha can be more herself as opposed to feeling the need to shape-shift to fit in.

Mo Musu: Pretty much the exact opposite of Anju, lol! A lot of long-tenured members inching toward graduation -- although in MM, 27 appears to be the new 24, and who knows what's up with KitaRio? -- and a strict code of conduct. There's no real horse outside of Oda, though, and Momoha would enter as one of the best singers in the group on day one. And Oda just turned 26.

In the end, I think she joins Angerme based on nothing more than the fact that they currently have only eight members. [Checks OCHA NORMA's lineup] Oh...

I predict new members for OCHA and Tsubaki next year: OCHA for obvious reasons, and TF to replace Ami, who I think will announce her graduation later this year. As the KSS are mostly pretty young, I can see multiple n00bs added via audition, with Itsuki and Yurika the most likely KSS promotions. Maybe Yoshida, who'll be 14 in October, but that's it.

[JPope]

This is adorable.

[JPope]

Momoha added to Anju, and Itsuki to Tsubaki. Revealed at the Haro!Con concert about a half hour ago.

[Shoujo Q]

Current Kenshuusei Lineup
as of August 2025

 

36th Generation (2024)



Miyakoshi Chihiro (宮越千尋) August 27, 2010 (15)
Ootsubo Mano (大坪茉乃) June 22, 2011 (14)
Yoshida Hikari (吉田光里) October 1, 2011 (14)
Sugihara Meisa (杉原明紗) December 20, 2011 (14)
Hattori Rua (服部琉愛) February 7, 2013 (12)

37th Generation (2025)


Sakamoto Aoi (坂本葵花) April 7, 2013 (12)
Suzuki Moa (鈴木もあ) April 12, 2013 (12)
Ishikawa Hanano (石川華望) September 9, 2013 (12)
Aoki Yuna (青木優奈) January 7, 2014 (11) (Joined in May 2025)
Nemoto Karin (根本花凛) March 22, 2014 (11)
Miyazaki Riho (宮﨑里帆) May 13, 2014 (11)
Oono Airi (大野愛莉) June 25, 2014 (11)
Higuchi Aika (樋口愛海) September 3, 2014 (11)
Someya Sara (染谷彩良) February 12, 2015 (10)



Hokkaido KSS; Established 2016
No Members Currently


The Hatched Egg List
The Google Doc of Eggkss

 

*All ages are set to 2025.

I forgot I never added Yuna to the gen 35 list.
So I took this opportunity with Itsuki and Momoha leaving to fix that. BUT it now seems that Asano Yurika has left training because she was removed from the website.

[DonJuan]

Confirmed on the recital test site, Yurika has ended her training.
I assume they told her she won't debut any time soon, now with the KSS having been added to other groups and probably even with the new audition. Considering she was the oldest atm that basically cut her off.

[JPope]

I was bullish on on Yurika, but apparently I was the only one, llol!

[Solarblade]

Catching up!!!

===Hello! Project Kenshuusei Recital September "It's Harvest Season!" Setlist===


*Suzuki Moa absent due school events

Setlist :
1. Arubeki Kimi de Are / KSS
2. Forest Time / KSS
MC
3. Shining Power / Otsubo, Yoshida, Hattori, Nemoto
4. Never Never know ~Kome-ha to Pan-ha no Love Wars / Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Yoshida, Sugihara Sakamoto, Higuchi
5. Bagel ni Ham & Cheese / Miyakoshi, Sugihara, Hattori, Miyazaki, Someya
6. HOW DO YOU LIKE JAPAN? ~Nihon wa Donna Kanji Dekka?~ / Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Yoshida, Sugihara Ishikawa, Aoki, Ohno
MC2 / Araken
7. Bara Yori Utsukushiii Jinsei / Rosy Chronicle
8. Ubu to Zuru / Rosy Chronicle
9. Daisuki Dakedo Tsukiaenai / Rosy Chronicle
MC3 / Araken
10. Secret Summer / Tsubaki Factory
11. My Days for You / Tsubaki Factory
MC4 / Tsubaki Factory
12. Konya Dake Ukaretakatta / Tsubaki Factory
13. Adrenaline Dame / Tsubaki Factory
MC5 / Araken
14. Unmei CHACHACHACHA~N / KSS
15. Yuugure Koi no Jikan / KSS
16. Say! Hello! / Tanimoto, Ono, Onoda, Akiyama, Yofu, Nishimura, Sakamoto, Ishikawa, Aoki, Nemoto, Miyazaki, Ohno, Higuchi, Someya
17. Mousou Dake Nara Freedom / Kasai, Fukuda, Ishii, Murata, Doi, Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Yoshida Sugihara, Hattori
18. PRIDE BRIGHT / Hello Pro Kenshuusei
19. Rainbow / Rosy Chronicle, KSS
MC6 / Araken
20. Dansha-ISM / All

End

[Solarblade]

===Hello! Project Kenshuusei Recital December 2025 "Winter Wonderland!" Setlist===

* Shimakawa Hana is absent

1. Shiroi TOKYO / KSS
2. Ice day Party / KSS
MC
3. Kirakira Fuyu no Shiny G / Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Ishikawa, Miyazaki
4. 21-ji Made no Cinderella / Hattori, Sakamoto, Nemoto, Ohno, Higuchi, Someya
5. Teion Yakedo / Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Yoshida, Sugihara, Hattori, Ishikawa, Nemoto, Aoki
6. Pittari Shitai X'mas! / Yoshida, Sugihara, Suzuki
MC
7. Kinenbi Miman / Rosy Chronicle
8. Warui Hito / Hashida, Murakoshi, Uemura, Soma, Otsubo, Yoshida, Sugihara, Hattori
9. Omotesandou A5 / KSS
10. Onna no Sono / KSS
11. Real Little Girl / Rosy Chronicle, KSS
MC
12. Vitamin ME / Miyakoshi, Hattori, Sakamoto, Miyazaki, Ohno, Someya
13. Eighteen Emotion / Miyakoshi, Yoshida, Hattori, Ishikawa, Ohno, Someya, Aoki
14. Bitansan / Otsubo, Sugihara, Sakamoto, Suzuki, Nemoto, Miyazaki
15. Uchuu Kibou de Daisuki Sengen! / KSS
16. Mirai e Tsunagu Yakusoku / KSS
MC
17. Mirai Hajimari / Rosy Chronicle, KSS

[Solarblade]

===Hello! Project Kenshuusei Recital March 2026 "Harukaze" Setlist===

1. Kanojo ni Naritai!!! / All
2. Sakura Chirari / All
MC
3. Babutterannai Yume ga Aru / All
4. Gao Gao Gao / Miyakoshi, Sugihara, Miyazaki, Ohno, Higuchi, Someya, Aoki
5. Kiiroi Jitensha to Sandwich / Otsubo, Yoshida, Sakamoto, Nemoto
6. Haru Beautiful Everyday / Yoshida, Hattori
7. Kaze ni Fukarete / Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Sugihara, Suzuki, Ishikawa
8. Go City Go / All
10. Wakatterutsu no! / OCHA NORMA
11. Onna no Aisou wa Buki ja nai / OCHA NORMA
12. Kimi no Toujou / Hiromoto, Nakayama, Nishizaki, Tsutsui, Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Sugihara, Ishikawa, Ohno, Someya
13. Animal Land / Saito, Yonemura, Kubota, Kitahara, Yoshida, Hattori, Sakamoto, Suzuki, Nemoto, Higuchi, Aoki
14. Souteinai! / OCHA NORMA
MC
15. Jealousy Jealousy / All
16. Sankaime no Date Shinwa / Otsubo, Yoshida, Sugihara, Hattori, Suzuki, Nemoto
17. Tsugitsugi Zokuzoku / Miyakoshi, Otsubo, Yoshida, Sugihara, Hattori, Ishikawa
18. Arubeki de Kimi Are / All
19. Irotoridori Nobi yo!! / All
MC
20. Gakkou de wa Oshiete Kurenai Koto / OCHA NORMA & KSS

[Shoujo Q]

KSS have been adding videos of all the girls singing a little acapella of their favorite KSS songs in conjunction with the KSS premium at HinaFest this weekend.

Here they all are in order.

Miyakoshi Chihiro (宮越千尋)


Ootsubo Mano (大坪茉乃)


Yoshida Hikari (吉田光里)


Sugihara Meisa (杉原明紗)


Hattori Rua (服部琉愛)


Sakamoto Aoi (坂本葵花)


Suzuki Moa (鈴木もあ)


Ishikawa Hanano (石川華望)


Aoki Yuna (青木優奈)


Nemoto Karin


Miyazaki Riho (宮﨑里帆)


Oono Airi (大野愛莉)


Higuchi Aika (樋口愛海)


Someya Sara (染谷彩良)

[Solarblade]

CONGRATS TO MEISA SUGIHARA FOR MAKING IT INTO MOMUSU!

[Shoujo Q]

Current Kenshuusei Lineup
as of March 2026

 

36th Generation (2024)


Miyakoshi Chihiro (宮越千尋) August 27, 2010 (16)
Ootsubo Mano (大坪茉乃) June 22, 2011 (15)
Yoshida Hikari (吉田光里) October 1, 2011 (15)
Hattori Rua (服部琉愛) February 7, 2013 (13)

37th Generation (2025)


Sakamoto Aoi (坂本葵花) April 7, 2013 (13)
Suzuki Moa (鈴木もあ) April 12, 2013 (13)
Ishikawa Hanano (石川華望) September 9, 2013 (13)
Aoki Yuna (青木優奈) January 7, 2014 (12) (Joined in May 2025)
Nemoto Karin (根本花凛) March 22, 2014 (12)
Miyazaki Riho (宮﨑里帆) May 13, 2014 (12)
Oono Airi (大野愛莉) June 25, 2014 (12)
Higuchi Aika (樋口愛海) September 3, 2014 (12)
Someya Sara (染谷彩良) February 12, 2015 (11)



Hokkaido KSS; Established 2016
No Members Currently


The Hatched Egg List
The Google Doc of Eggkss

 

*All ages are set to 2026.

Congrats to Meisa for joining Morning Musume! We haven't had a general KSS join Morning Musume since Kaga and Yokoyama. Mei came from Hokkaido. I'm glad it was Meisa, the group needed a good KSS girl to join that was GOOD, but not Niina good. They still like to hedge their bets with the off the street girls.

Speaking of which, I wonder if we'll see any Hokkaido KSS ever again? There's always a CHANCE since they haven't fully dumped the spot on their website and they do have auditions up north. But logistics, I can understand why they tend to not.

May 9th is the annual Trainee test so I expect this list to change again. And with the ongoing auditions, maybe even MORE KSS will join the ranks.

[Solarblade]

https://www.helloproject.com/helloprokenshusei/profile/

New Kenshuusei, finalists from the H!P Audition from last year. They will debut at the Shinden Test!

- Suzuki Kotomi (鈴木琴美; 14)
- Saito Yurika (斎藤ゆり夏; 13)
- Kishida Momoka (岸田桃果; 12)
- Tamura Nana (田村梛々; 11)
- Nagai Riina (長井莉依那; 11)
- Sakata Shiori (坂田しおり; 11)
- Sato Ayane (佐藤絢音; 11)
- Karibe Sara (苅部咲良; 11)
- Saeki Shiharu (佐伯詩春; 11)

[Shoujo Q]

Current Kenshuusei Lineup
as of April 2026

 

36th Generation (2024)


Miyakoshi Chihiro (宮越千尋) August 27, 2010 (16)*
Ootsubo Mano (大坪茉乃) June 22, 2011 (15)*
Yoshida Hikari (吉田光里) October 1, 2011 (15)*
Hattori Rua (服部琉愛) February 7, 2013 (13)*

37th Generation (2025)



Sakamoto Aoi (坂本葵花) April 7, 2013 (13)*
Suzuki Moa (鈴木もあ) April 12, 2013 (13)*
Ishikawa Hanano (石川華望) September 9, 2013 (13)*
Aoki Yuna (青木優奈) January 7, 2014 (12)* (Joined in May 2025)
Nemoto Karin (根本花凛) March 22, 2014 (12)*
Miyazaki Riho (宮﨑里帆) May 13, 2014 (12)*
Oono Airi (大野愛莉) June 25, 2014 (12)*
Higuchi Aika (樋口愛海) September 3, 2014 (12)*
Someya Sara (染谷彩良) February 12, 2015 (11)*

38th Generation (2026)




Suzuki Kotomi (鈴木琴美) May 9, 2011 (15)*
Saito Yurika (斎藤ゆり夏) July 5, 2012 (14)*
Kishida Momoka (岸田桃果) March 8, 2014 (12)*
Tamura Nana (田村梛々) July 3, 2014 (12)*
Nagai Riina (長井莉依那) September 18, 2014 (12)*
Sakata Shiori (坂田しおり) November 4, 2014 (12)*
Sato Ayane (佐藤絢音) February 12, 2015 (11)*
Karibe Sara (苅部咲良) March 16, 2015 (11)*
Saeki Shiharu (佐伯詩春) March 27, 2015 (11)*



Hokkaido KSS; Established 2016
No Members Currently


The Hatched Egg List
The Google Doc of Eggkss

 

*All ages are set to 2026.

Morning Update!

ALSO H!P Station with the intro of all the news girls and their audition footage.



Many are speculating that if there are any audition winners, they will be announced at a later date as that is what happened last time.

[Shoujo Q]

Added to the KSS page today.

[Solarblade]

Kenshuusei picked their placement and song choice for the upcoming Shindan Test

1. Rock no Teigi / Sakamoto
2. Yuugure Koi no Jikan / Karibe
3. Suki Sugite Baka Mitai / Suzuki K.
4. Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne / Miyazaki
5. Daisuki na no ni, Daisuki Dakara / Miyakoshi
6. Nanchatte Renai / Higuchi
7. Fiesta! Fiesta! / Otsubo
8. Help me!! / Sakata
9. Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi / Sato
10. BaBaBa Burning Love! / Tamura
11. Kisoku Tadashiku Utsukushiku / Kishida
12. Dakishimete Dakishimete / Nagai
13. Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke / Someya
14. Only you / Yoshida
15. Love take it all / Suzuki M.
16. Gashinshoutan / Aoki
17. Ooki na Ai de Motenashite / Saeki
18. BLOODY BULLET / Nemoto
19. Nen ni wa Nen (Nen'iri Ver.) / Saito
20. Ashite Tenki ni Naare / Ohno
21. Onna no Aisou wa Buki ja nai / Ishikawa
22. Ookii Hitomi / Hattori

[Farrah]

I've had my eye on Yoshida, very excited to see her take on Only you. Genuinely feel like we have a pretty good crop of kids right now, so I'm looking forward to this years Shindan Test.

[Solarblade]

===Setlist===

1-22 - TEST

MC
23. NEWAY / Inaba Manaka
24. Attouteki LOVE / Inaba
25. Heart Vision / Miyamoto Karin
26. Soliste Dance / Miyamoto
27. Babutterannai Yume ga Aru! / KSS w/o recent gen
28. Jounetsu Sparkle / KSS w/o recent gen
29. Arubeki Kimi de Are / KSS w/o recent gen
30. Nantoka Naru Desho / Rosy Chronicle
31. Daisuki Dakedo Tsukiaenai / Rosy Chronicle
MC
32. Misery ~Ai no Tenbin~ / Rosy Chronicle
33. Bara Yori Utsukushii Jinsei / Rosy Chronicle
34. 8bit Kataomoi / Rosy Chronicle




===WINNERS===
Inaba & Miyamoto Award: Miyazaki
Nakajima Award: Yoshida
Singing Award: Otsubo
Dancing Award: Suzuki M.

BEST PERFORMANCE: ISHIKAWA!!!!

===Overall Thoughts===

AWESOME

Otsubo
Kishida
Suzuki M.
Ishikawa

GREAT

Miyazaki
Tamura
Yoshida
Nemoto
Saito
Hattori

OK

Sakamoto
Karibe
Suzuki K.
Miyakoshi
Higuchi
Someya
Aoki
Ohno

MEH

Sakata
Sato
Nagai
Saeki

[DonJuan]

Ready to watch the test and give my impressions! (Scrolled past the results real fast not to get spoiled lol)

1. Sakamoto Aoi (13, 37th gen) - Rock no Teigi (Tanaka Reina)
Singing a Reina song if you're not Reina is always going be weird. But Aoi is doing well. Misses a few notes and her song is still baby, but hey, her expressions are good.

2. Karibe Sara (11, 38th gen) - Yuugure Koi no Jikan (S/mileage)
My first thoughts: Oh yeah she must be one of the newest gen, one of the youngest. Then she goes YAY and I'm amazed Very high pitched and not hitting all the notes, her singing is quite off. But! The way she moves on stage is great. If you turned off the sound she'd be debut ready. Also just realized this is the newest gen's DEBUT STAGE! Damn!

3. Suzuki Kotomi (15, 38th gen) - Suki Sugite Baka Mitai (DEF.DIVA)
Ah, that's the age when girls want to be seen as more mature than they are... Her visuals are amazing. Everything else... not so much lol. Deer in headlights expression, very emotionless dancing, and her singing is... flat. Her voice is not bad, but I think she was incredibly nervous.

4. Miyazaki Riho (11, 37th gen) - Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne (Juice=Juice)
Wow, that confidence! This was great. She still has a baby voice but her dancing is on par with Juice at that point. She is really fierce. I can definitely see her debut in 2-3 years - but it's funny to see how Karibe was extremely baby and Riho already more mature lol!

5. Miyakoshi Chihiro (15, 36th gen) - Daisuki na no ni, Daisuki Dakara (Tsubaki Factory)
Lots of power, but I'm not sure if I like it. I'm probably double critical bc I've seen people wanting her to debut, and hm. She probably will, but I'm not on track with her having to debut as soon as possible. She went for dance, but it was a bit messy. Her singing was okay. She is cute, but not exactly a visual. Not sure what to think.

6. Higuchi Aika (11, 37th gen) - Nanchatte Renai (Morning Musume)
Seeing this on paper, this could only go wrong lol. And yeah, an 11yo doing this song just doesn't do it justice. But hey, she acted it out quite well. Her dancing is good, her voice reminded me of Homare at times. She is just not ready yet lol.
-> LMAO, I already wrote that her voice reminds me of Homare last year. Back then she did Koi Kana, which was a much better choice, but she wasn't that bad this time either. In fact, she improved her overall expressions.

7. Otsubo Mano (14, 36th gen) - Fiesta Fiesta (Juice=Juice)
Great expressions. Not Ruru level, but absolutely solid. If you told me she already debuted I'd believe you.

8. Sakata Shiori (11, 38th gen) - Help me!! (Morning Musume)
This is a fetus on stage. But don't get me wrong - nothing was great, but *everything* had potential. You can see the focus in her eyes, but she's not scared. Her dancing isn't "fierce", but it's correct and not without emotion. She doesn't hit the notes, but her voice has great potential. Give her 3-4 years. I expect big things.

9. Sato Ayane (11, 38th gen) - Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi (Fujimoto Miki)
Her voice is quite off, but hey, Mikitty was just a great singer. Pretty good for 11 years, already a lot more grown than Shiori, but after all just 11 years old.

10. Tamura Nana (11, 38th gen) - BaBaBa Burning Love! (ANGERME)
I haven't even listened to this song yet and the girl already performs it lol. Pretty damn good. She nearly falls over at some points lol but her dancing is good. Her singing is the most stable out of the 11yos so far, not perfect (especially not with high notes) but rather controlled. Not sure how big her range is, though. She also seems to be the most fierce out of her age group (with Riho). It will be interesting to see her grow.

11. Kishida Momoka (12, 38th gen) - Kisokutadashiku Utsukushiku (ANGERME)
She started her dance and I thought. Wow. That's good! And then she started dancing and DAMN, THAT'S GOOD! Her voice is a bit deeper compared to the others (so far) and it's so smooth. Apparently she's also from ASH - you can definitely see it. I won't lie: she is debut ready. Just joined this year and could debut any second. My favourite so far.

12. Nagai Riina (11, 38th gen) - Dakishimete Dakishimete (Berryz Koubou)
Her dance started out a bit boring, but as soon as the beat drops she's already more energetic than Berryz was lol. Stone cold face tho lol. And her singing is pretty much a kid's. Not bad though! She's not even off that much! Also for her very first stage this was pretty stable. Just give me one (1) smile please

13. Someya Sara (11, 37th gen) - Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke (Morning Musume)
Again: On paper this is. Not working at all lol. BUT! Her dancing is great, probably on par with current MM. Her singing is cute and childlike, but not horrible. She doesn't hit every note but enough of them! So because I read her name and thought this would be bad I went back to read what I wrote last time - and apparently she was horrible last year??? She's pretty damn good now. She improved an incredible lot. There should be an award for this category lol!

14. Yoshida Hikari (14, 36th gen) - Only You (Morning Musume)
She's really good, but I think the pressure is very visible on her face. I think she also cried a bit. You could debut her tomorrow and she'd do well, but she wouldn't stick out.

15. Suzuki Moa (13, 37th gen) - Love take it all (°C-ute)
What was that intro... girl was probably nervous as well. Her dancing is great and she herself is very fierce. Her singing is pretty much ok. Her high notes are pretty good for some reason. I feel like her voice reminds me of Duu's, so I'm not sure of her overall range.

16. Aoki Yuna (12, 37th gen) - Gashin Shoutan (ANGERME)
ENERGY! CHARACTER! Oh this is great. Her dancing is good, her voice is nice. Nothing big, but definitely good, a bit shouty towards the end. Her expressions are great. This is also her first test on top of that. Give her a year or two and she will be great.

17. Saeki Shiharu (11, 38th gen) - Ooki na Ai de Motenashite (°C-ute)
The youngest current KSS. Cute little megane. She did basically no choreography and just held onto her mic like a lifebelt, she looked very nervous and focused, and her voice is incredibly childish. But god, she's so friggin cute! She wasn't even bad, just missed the rhythm a few times. I wonder how she will grow up. Things can go all ways, that wasn't much of a performance today Funny thing, as soon as the song stopped and she talked she was actually not nervous at all! God, she's cute!

18. Nemoto Karin (12, 37th gen) - Bloody Bullet (Juice=Juice)
She doesn't have a deep voice and the first few lines were too deep for her, but girl has a BIG voice. She could become amazing. She is already fierce, her dancing is amazing, her voice is just a bit too baby for now. Definitely a pick for debuting in the next few years. She has to debut, ngl.

19. Saito Yurika (13, 38th gen) - Nen ni wa nen (Kobushi Factory)
Her "NEN!" was already pretty good and then she kicked me with her first line (which was amazing). Damn! They really had a great bunch of girls in the newest gen, I'm going to mark the generation too just to make it obvious. I love her voice. Someone said she comes form theater and you can definitely hear it. She also is not really a stamina girl I have heard, so debuting her will be difficult since all groups have quite intense choreographies nowadays... But I just want to keep this voice in H!P. She's a bit lanky so her dancing looks a bit funny lol but she's great.

20. Ohno Airi (11, 37th gen) - Ashita Tenki ni Naare (Kobushi Factory)
GIRL IS FIERCE. Her voice is still young and a bit off at times, if she can control it, she will be great in the future. She loses it towards the end, but her confidence is already so much better than last year.

21. Ishikawa Hanano (12, 37th gen) - Onna no Aiso wa Buki ja nai (OCHA NORMA)
What a voice. Yeah, this one is a pick for debut, too. Great visuals as well, her dancing is good too. Her energy just gets better the longer the song goes. I hope they can keep her in the KSS, she's great.

22. Hattori Rua (13, 36th gen) - Ooki Hitomi (Morning Musume)
Her visuals scream debut, and her energy and dance are great. Her voice is a bit off, but only a bit. Nothing that should actually stand in way of her debuting, considering it's the high pitches she struggles with. At times her voice reminds me of Masaki, so yeah, not being perfect for now shouldn't be a problem.

My favourites, without looking at the results:
Singing: Ishikawa Hanano, Kishida Momoka, Saito Yurika
Dancing: Suzuki Moa, Nemoto Karin, Aoki Yuna
Exciting Performance: Kishida Momoka, Hattori Rua, Ishikawa Hanano, Otsubo Mano

I can understand why Hikari was nervous. A lot of the older girls have debuted lately, and the two new generations have some incredible talent. Since a new KSS unit or even a whole new H!P unit are unlikely for now she probably fears she'll be stuck in KSS until she's too old to debut. I mean she should learn from Kirara and Yulia, but still, I get it.
Unfortunately, as said, the current talent is super high. They're not in a situation like Tsubaki or OCHA where they just started to debut the oldest members because they've been sitting around for long enough. If they're going for a KSS unit they can always add the girls that are currently too young to debut normally (all the 11yos and younger), so just being old and having been around for some time won't do it anymore.

Spoiler: [+]

About the results:
KarinManakan award: Miyazaki Riho
YES! I think she was still too baby for one of the big awards, but her talent and performance should be rewarded!

Nakky award: Yoshida Hikari
Uh oh. When it hit her that she hasn't won any of the big awards she had real trouble hiding her disappointment. I feel for her, but she's simply not among the best.

Singing award: Otsubo Mano
Ooooohh... I mean sure, her singing was pretty damn good. Not a bad choice. I just thought her whole package was good enough for Best Performance.

Dancing award: Suzuki Moa
Thumps up emoji. Her dancing was great.

Best Performance award: Ishikawa Hanano
Yeah deserved. I kind of had her and Mano mixed up lol, but she was really great, too.
Considering BP usually means debut... where to put her? She's mature enough to do well in any group. Maybe, just maybe, if Ruru and Rei plan their graduation in the upcoming years...

[JPope]

My notes taken in real time while watching the peformances.

Sakamoto Aoi (13) – Rock no Tegi: She strikes a solid “cool idol” look, but her vocals are pretty rough, and she appears to be new-ish to dancing. On the positive side, she stayed composed this time, and has improved a lot from last year’s test.

Karibe Sara (11) - Yuugure Koi no Jikan – Pretty solid for an 11 year old. Nothing spectacular, but a decent base to build on, and she’s adorable.

Suzuki Kotomi (15) - Suki Sugite Baka Mitai: Pretty low energy overall for this song, and her voice and dancing aren’t great. I would excuse this if she was 12, but she’s already 15. At least she’s cute?

Miyazaki Riho (11) - Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne: Very energetic! Strong dancer. She has a very H!P face, lol. She’s the first one to make an impression on me.

Miyakoshi Chihiro (15) - Daisuki na no ni, Daisuki Dakara: She’s got everything except a strong voice, and even that isn’t horrible. She’s pretty close to being there.

Higuchi Aika (11) - Nanchatte Ren'ai: She’s a baby deer as a dancer, but she’s really trying, which is endearing. Pretty raw, but has a really long runway. Being ridiculously cute won’t hurt her cause, either.

Otsubo Mano (14) - Fiesta! Fiesta!: Pretty strong overall, although the performance loses a bit of steam as it goes on. Another who’s not far away.

Sakata Shiori (11) - Help me!!: Okay, I thought this was gonna be rough at first – she’s not a dancer, lol – but then she started singing, and wow. The natural power is pretty impressive. She needs to learn to harness it and develop her intonation, but she clearly knows *where* she needs to go. Super adorbs, too.

Sato Ayane (11) - Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi: She’s got a lot to get better at, and yet she doesn’t look out of place on the idol’s stage, and she’s still young af.


Tamura Nana (11) - BaBaBa Burning Love!: She definitely has dance training, because her moves are very sharp and intentional. Her voice is squeeky, but she sings in tune better than most of the others that came before her. Pretty impressive.

Kishida Momoka (12) - Kisokutadashiku Utsukushiku: This is the performance I’ve been waiting for! She’s the complete package: GREAT voice that sounds far more mature than she is, sharp dancing and massive stage presence. Will H!P debut a 12 year old? I kinda hope not, but she’s really damn good.

Nagai Riina (11) - Dakishimete Dakishimete: She’s raw, but that’s fine for an 11 y/o kid. I’d like to have seen more energy, though. Maybe crack a smile or two.

Someya Sara (11) - Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke: Great energy and stage presence. I don’t know if she’s had dance training or if she just likes to dance, but either way, she’s selling it, and at her age that’s 90% of the battle. Singing needs work, but eleven.

Yoshida Hikari (14) - Only you: A competent performance, but nothing stood out to me. Could just be an off night, because she seems like she’s better than this. Oh no… she’s blubbering in the interview. Does she know she kinda blew it?

Suzuki Moa (13) - Love take it all: Woah, what a recovery. From a frozen deer-in-the-headlights intro into one of the best, most engaging performances of the night lmfao! She’s really good at everything, and has infectious energy and stage presence. She literally just flipped the switch. Wild.

Aoki Yuna (12) - Gashin Shoutan: Super fun performance. She looks like she’s having a great time, which is what we want to see. Intense performer. If she improves her singing, she’ll be a great addition to pretty much any group in the future.

Saeki Shiharu (11) - Ooki na Ai de Motenashite: Great song choice for a girl who looks closer to 9 than 11, lol. She’s *really* raw, so it’s good that her runway is miles long. Crazy adorable.

Nemoto Karin (12) - BLOODY BULLET: I feel like she bit off more than she can chew with this song, but I like that she’s challenging herself, because she’s clearly one of the better singers in this group of KSS. AND NOW SHE’S CRYING TOO. You did good, Karin! Seriously, the overall performance was very strong.

Saito Yurika (13) - Nen ni wa Nen: Strong singer. Her performance faded a bit as it went on, but this was an exciting first Shindan performance for Yurika.

Ohno Airi (11) - Ashita Tenki ni Naare: This girl is *intense*, lol, and I love it. Like last year, she’s spent halfway through the chorus, but that’s just because she’s giving everything she has from her opening pose. She’s already a pretty good singer and natural performer, and she’s improving year-to-year.

Ishikawa Hanano (12) - Onna no Aiso wa Buki ja nai: Awesome. Very strong in every facet. She picked a song to show off her pipes, and well, mission accopmlished. This is a two-horse race with Momoka for best performance.

Hattori Rua (13) - Ookii Hitomi: This girl is VERY idol. I feel like she’d *really* excel in a different company, but outside of her squeeky voice, she’s fairly polished. H!P is pretty strong in vocals overall, so having a cute tin-ear who’s productive in other ways is fine. Not sure why she was crying during Karin’s question, though.

My Awards:
Best Singer: Kishida Momoka
Best Performance: Ishikawa Hanano

I feel bad for Kishida, because she really deserved recognition for her performance, which I though was just shy of Ishikawa’s. Otsubo winning the singing award over her is silly, lol. She did really well, but nowhere near as smooth or polished as Momoka, IMO.

[DonJuan]

^I'm also disappointed that Kishida didn't get anything, but I wonder if they just wanted to skip the youngest additions.
Personally I also wonder if she would have been a sure pick for MM's newest generation had she been a year or two older. I wouldn't mind them throwing her into the next generation, which is very likely coming next year.

[JPope]

Speaking of the next MM generation, we're still waiting on the the rest of the 18th, and I'll be honest, none of the performances from the 2024 KSS class screamed "DEBUT ME!" I know the Shindan test isn't the be all, end all determinant of who debuts, but I suspect it plays some part. If one of them had won, it’d probably be a foregone conclussion that they’d debut soon. Who knows, maybe some of them will, anyway. None of them sucked, but neither were any of them blow-me-away awesome. Otsubo is probably the best of the bunch, IMO. Rua could probably be the “cute” member of MM right now, but I hope they let her simmer in KSS a little longer.

I had to laugh reading DJ’s post after sending mine, and seeing many of the same reactions, lol.

10. Tamura Nana (11, 38th gen) - BaBaBa Burning Love! (ANGERME)
... Her singing is the most stable out of the 11yos so far

Tamura Nana (11) - BaBaBa Burning Love!: ... she sings in tune better than most of the others that came before her.

12. Nagai Riina (11, 38th gen) - Dakishimete Dakishimete (Berryz Koubou)
... Just give me one (1) smile please

Nagai Riina (11) - Dakishimete Dakishimete: ... Maybe crack a smile or two.

17. Saeki Shiharu (11, 38th gen) - Ooki na Ai de Motenashite (°C-ute)
... God, she's cute!

Saeki Shiharu (11) - Ooki na Ai de Motenashite: ... Crazy adorable.

20. Ohno Airi (11, 37th gen) - Ashita Tenki ni Naare (Kobushi Factory)
GIRL IS FIERCE ... her confidence is already so much better than last year.

Ohno Airi (11) - Ashita Tenki ni Naare: This girl is *intense* ... she’s improving year-to-year.

[Shoujo Q]

1. Sakamoto Aoi (13, 37th gen) - Rock no Teigi (Tanaka Reina)
Being the first is always the hardest. But she did pretty well. You can tell she's at least gotten training in. But the girl struggled because it was a Reina song and she's no Reina. A lot of flat notes. She's a middle of the road performer and I don't think she'll ever be more than that. (aka, a filler girl)

2. Karibe Sara (11, 38th gen) - Yuugure Koi no Jikan (S/mileage)
Oh she was adorable. But it was giving serious pageant vibes. She does have the bones to grow into a solid performer, if she stays in H!P anyway. She reminds me of Momohime when she started out in KSS. If that makes any sense?

3. Suzuki Kotomi (15, 38th gen) - Suki Sugite Baka Mitai (DEF.DIVA)
She's singing but she isn't feeling the song. It was a very karaoke performance? Either she's going to get another year in and get better or bounce.

4. Miyazaki Riho (11, 37th gen) - Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne (Juice=Juice)
Riho is good. She reminds me a bit of Momoko in the face. Give her another year or two and she'll be ready to debut.

5. Miyakoshi Chihiro (15, 36th gen) - Daisuki na no ni, Daisuki Dakara (Tsubaki Factory)
Poor Chihiro. She's never going to be anything more than a background girl. She's okay, but not great. Good for dancing, but singing ain't her thing.

6. Higuchi Aika (11, 37th gen) - Nanchatte Renai (Morning Musume)
Aika, is.... the weakest of the 37th gen overall. Her lanky body doesn't help her pulling some moves. But I will say, she's better than she was last year and not by much.

7. Otsubo Mano (14, 36th gen) - Fiesta Fiesta (Juice=Juice)
Mano, she's pretty descent and she's pretty. If Morning need a visual, I'd throw her in. She doesn't NEED to be a strong singer, not yet. But she can easily grow. She's not bad.

8. Sakata Shiori (11, 38th gen) - Help me!! (Morning Musume)
This was a hard song to do for a debut stage. She's cute, can't fault her for that. I look forward to next year and see some growth.

9. Sato Ayane (11, 38th gen) - Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi (Fujimoto Miki)
Not bad for a first stage, still need some work though.

10. Tamura Nana (11, 38th gen) - BaBaBa Burning Love! (ANGERME)
Okay, so I honed in on Nana the moment she joined the group. She just had a visual I like and was very different from the other girls. (I bet she loses the mole before debuting.) I was curious how she'd perform considering she's one of two girls singing a song that hasn't been released officially yet. She did SO well, I was very impressed. She's ready to debut for sure with that performance. And I was like, yes she's my top pick and then Momoka came on.

11. Kishida Momoka (12, 38th gen) - Kisokutadashiku Utsukushiku (ANGERME)
You can tell she's an ASH girl. She's got all the hallmarks of being one. If UF wanted another Riho for Morning Musume, I'd put her in right now. Yeah she's 12, but when has that stopped UF before?

12. Nagai Riina (11, 38th gen) - Dakishimete Dakishimete (Berryz Koubou)
After the last two stellar performances I was brought back down to earth to this. Girl needs to learn how to smile. But i'll blame it on the nerves.

13. Someya Sara (11, 37th gen) - Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke (Morning Musume)
Want to talk about someone who actually has shown some amazing growth? Someya. Go see her performance last year. She was tap dancing and barely singing. (but then she was also still only 10) This year, you can see the growth. I can only imagine what she'll be like next year.

14. Yoshida Hikari (14, 36th gen) - Only You (Morning Musume)
Poor Hikari, she's trying her best but she's not 100% confident in herself at all. It was okay but not BP worthy.

15. Suzuki Moa (13, 37th gen) - Love take it all (°C-ute)
Moa's opening sort of sealed her fate. And also showcases that she's still a little scared of the stage. She can pull off a performance no problem, but I have a feeling anxiety will get to her if she's not careful. (She also reminds me of Kanna with that hairstyle too btw)

16. Aoki Yuna (12, 37th gen) - Gashin Shoutan (ANGERME)
Yuna joined after the last KSS test, so this is her debut test. She's a former local idol, so she has experience and you can tell. But she's not 100% ready for debut. Her singing was a little hard.

17. Saeki Shiharu (11, 38th gen) - Ooki na Ai de Motenashite (°C-ute)
The youngest current KSS. She's just holding that mic like she knows the cost of it if she drops it. She was probably told, or knows she's gonna be able to do only one thing, Sing. she can't do both. (Someya proved that last year). She was adorable with her glasses and her outfit. I look forward to her growth, if Someya is anything to go by. Kids are like sponges at that age.

18. Nemoto Karin (12, 37th gen) - Bloody Bullet (Juice=Juice)
Another girl with another unreleased song. I liked her last year, and she's slowly turning into Okai Chisato to me, not longer got the front girl vibes, but a good girl for reliability. She sort of faltered a little this year, probably because of the song choice. Doing a Juice song is HARD. So I'll blame her for that. Overall she's a good performer.

19. Saito Yurika (13, 38th gen) - Nen ni wa nen (Kobushi Factory)
I liked the little bit that I saw of her when she debuted as a KSS during the auditions, so I was curious how she'd do performing. Her singing isn't bad, but definitely needs work to fit into the H!P mold.

20. Ohno Airi (11, 37th gen) - Ashita Tenki ni Naare (Kobushi Factory)
While a little better than last year, she really hasn't improved as much as some of her other gen mates.

21. Ishikawa Hanano (12, 37th gen) - Onna no Aiso wa Buki ja nai (OCHA NORMA)
That opening line really impressed me and overall she got the whole package going for her. I also was quite shocked to remember that she's still only 12! Looking back at last years comments, I'm apparently still shocked that she's as young as she is. She's definitely debut ready I think.

22. Hattori Rua (13, 36th gen) - Ooki Hitomi (Morning Musume) She's still young, but she's also been in the system for a few years. So I think she's near the level she's going to eventually stay at.

Here is who I liked overal.

Favorites!
Kishida Momoka
Tamura Nana
Ishikawa Hanano

Honerable Mention
Otsubo Mano
Someya Sara
Miyazaki Riho
Suzuki Moa
Saito Yurika

[DonJuan]

I had to laugh reading DJ’s post after sending mine, and seeing many of the same reactions, lol.

Great minds think alike! LOL

[Shoujo Q]

Miyakoshi Chihiro has completed her training and left the KSS.

[JPope]

Interesting. I thought she'd make for solid back-line filler at minimum, but I guess they felt otherwise.

[DonJuan]

I guess the groups don't really need back fillers at the moment. Bit sad to see her leave, but I also didn't need her to debut in any group.