Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

In which we chat about Hello! Project. And TNX. And Nice Girl Project. Yup.

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Shoujo Q
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Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by Shoujo Q »

Announced today, Inaba Manaka will graduate and leave Juice=Juice as well as Hello!Project.


:tears: :tears: :tears: :tears:

Now I understand why they made Manaka and Ruru duel leaders. I should have known this was going to happen.

And now it's even clearer now why they were doing another round of Juice auditions. The original was probably meant for Manaka and this new one is probably meant for Tomoko.
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kira
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by kira »

This is so sad to hear, I was really looking forward to more from the current lineup. Manakan really shines in the group too.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by JPope »

Not a huge shock based solely on her age. I wouldn't be surprised to see them make Rei a sub-leader after Manaka leaves. It sucks seeing so many of H!P's top talents graduate in such a short period of time. Manakan got a lot of deserved attention for her dancing, but she was a quite good singer, too -- probably in that next level down from the Sakura/Ruru/Sayubee tier of all-time greats -- and I don't know that she gets enough credit for that.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by DonJuan »

Manakan is a great performer. Energy, dance, singing - a perfect idol, with her cute yet sexy looks and idolish persona.

Yeah her age makes it less surprising, but also could we just stop for a moment with graduations? MM had a break so it makes sense that girls leave now, but Juice has been on fire since Karin left. I'm just glad that Anju hasn't announced a grad yet.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by Shoujo Q »

At the moment Angerme is the only group without a Budokan concert. Feels sad that they are being left out. I just don’t want a grad as a reason for a Budokan though.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by TicTacAnyone »

Noooooooo

She went from being a “meh” for me in her short time in CG, to being one of my top favorites in the company after re-joining H!P with JJ. This is a huge loss 😫
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by Elpis »

Not too surprised from an age standpoint but sad nonetheless. I enjoyed her in country girls and seeing her come back and join Juice Juice was nice
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by Madara »

The two best dancers in H!P, Manaka and Chisaki, leaving one right after the other. We've still got Rikako, Mao, Ayumi, but the dance club performances will feel the loss.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by Shoujo Q »

You forgot to as Kaga and Miyo to that list.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by JPope »

Time for some n00bs to step up.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by Madara »

Anyone watching? I managed to tune in 15 min. after it started. They're clapping in the break before the encore now--it's been going on for like 5 min.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by JPope »

Awesome concert start to finish. Killer setlist, and the girls brought it. Manakan's graduation dress is right up there with the best.

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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by Shoujo Q »

It’s been a long time since a graduation has brought a tear to my eye but this one got me. Manaka will greatly be missed.

But damn did the girls bring it today. I was holding my breath when they brought out Magic of Love. But they got through it like pros.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by DonJuan »

Huh. I wonder if it was because I was watching from my bed, but the first half of the concert wasn't for me. The girls performed well, I agree, but the songs were a mix of "stuff we need to get out", and I couldn't see a theme. For me it just became a great concert from the medley onwards. I also found it weirdly low energy until GIRLS BE AMBITIOUS... but then again I was also not a fan of the stage setup. I guess it just ticked several tiny boxes for me to not care for the first half.

The medley was cute, even though I had a short feeling of "ah, that again" lol. I still love the idea of the graduating member sharing a special moment with the other girls in duets or smaller groups, but it has been done since... Funakki's grad? Can't think of something better though, so I take it.

Surprisingly to me the best part of the concert was the album songs. I get that the new girls are still, well, new, so they would not take over much from the older songs. Tsubaki did this a lot better, as in Risamaru's lines went to the new members nearly by 100%. Juice has the problem that the free lines were sung by 3 of the 4 best singers in the group - Karin, Tomoko, and damn, Sayuki. You don't just give these lines to newbies. Risamaru is a nice singer, but her Tsubaki lines weren't the hard ones. Management did a good job of giving the OG lines to Rei and Riai (and partially Manakan and Ruru), but it did make the newer members look like backdancers for the most part. I only really started noticing them in the medley of course, and after that in their album song (the one with YumeRiai) and Watashi ga Iu.

For the most part of the concert I couldn't help but think that the classic Juice=Juice feeling was gone.
Which was to be expected, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for another group to lose their signature style.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by JPope »

This was the first time I've seen RuRu nail every part of MoL, which drives home just how great Sayubee was to do it so effortlessly on the regular. Risa and Ichika have both improved a lot since that last time I heard them, and Ebata looks to be progressing, too. Eba-chan is a baby-faced assassin, because she never came close to crying during her message to Manakan. Ichika's message was 150-proof Ichika from her opening line, which I think she wanted to say "Congratulations on graduating" but instead said "Thank you for graduating." :lol: Not to be outdone, Aarii started to wish her a happy birthday instead of a happy graduation, lol.

I'm going to miss Manaka a lot, because she was one of the most complete idols to come through H!P. A strong, distinctive voice; elite dance skills; natural effortless charm that was always entertaining; and as cute as they come. How many former H!P idols can claim an equal skill set?
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by JPope »

DonJuan wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 8:56 am
Surprisingly to me the best part of the concert was the album songs. I get that the new girls are still, well, new, so they would not take over much from the older songs. Tsubaki did this a lot better, as in Risamaru's lines went to the new members nearly by 100%. Juice has the problem that the free lines were sung by 3 of the 4 best singers in the group - Karin, Tomoko, and damn, Sayuki. You don't just give these lines to newbies. Risamaru is a nice singer, but her Tsubaki lines weren't the hard ones. Management did a good job of giving the OG lines to Rei and Riai (and partially Manakan and Ruru), but it did make the newer members look like backdancers for the most part. I only really started noticing them in the medley of course, and after that in their album song (the one with YumeRiai) and Watashi ga Iu.
I think they're going out of their way to bring the n00bs along slowly, which is a decision I support since none of them are elite singers. They're being set up for success, because while they don't get many lines, it keeps their voices fresh for the ones they do get, and all of them sounded really good today.
DonJuan wrote: Mon May 30, 2022 8:56 am
For the most part of the concert I couldn't help but think that the classic Juice=Juice feeling was gone.
Which was to be expected, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for another group to lose their signature style.
Yeah, that ship left port with Sayubee's firing, and it sailed into the sunset with Tomoko's graduation. We can only hope that this group can find their own magic, kind of like how MM has been able to do multiple times in their history. They'll probably announce new members sometime around Chii's graduation, and that will be a huge signal of how far from their original concept UF is willing to take J=J.
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Re: Inaba Manaka to graduate from Juice=Juice and Hello!Project May 30th @ Budokan

Post by JPope »

Translation of Manakan's post-graduation blog posts.
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