12th Auditions Winners Announced! "Golden Audition"

[JPope]

Wasn't there something about Tsunku having originally settled on Kaori the main focus of the group -- to the point of telling her that -- but changing it to Natsumi at the last minute? Did I just make this up in my head, or is that real?

[Anderei]

Kaori was the original lead for Morning Coffee is what I think you're thinking of (so yeah, she was probably the main focus before Tsunku changed his mind). I think there's a really old clip of them recording it on Asayan and you can see that she had a bigger role in it.

[Zoe]

That clip had them singing alternate songs too IIRC, but I don't know if they ever came back to them.

[yuzuriha]

I remember one of the alternate songs was Dou ni Kashite Doyoubi which was on .... the first album?  I don't remember what the other one was.
 
 
That Kaori story has always pissed me off.  ;_;

[Zoe]

Ultimately it was the right choice though. Kaori was awwwwwwkward as hell until Yuko left or so. I don't think the group would have survived.

[JPope]

Yup, and Natsumi had the back-story that almost ensured that people would pull for the group so that she might find personal happiness. It was a really shrewd decision, and one that I suspect was made over Tsunku's head.

[yuzuriha]

Wait...what was the back story?

[JPope]

Being bullied in middle school and feeling isolated and alone because of it. I wasn't around at the beginning of MM, but it's my understanding that this was brought up in many of their early interviews.

[Anderei]

She was bullied I think and while depressed she heard a Judy and Mary song that inspired her to become a singer.

[TicTacAnyone]

Couple more pics of the girls---
Link and:




C'mon, Haruna has to be the new leader. I will really be very surprised if she's not. And oddly enough I wouldn't be surprised if I was surprised.

[rob]

I think it's a 100% safe bet that she will be the new leader, Mizuki just isn't that interesting when she speaks whereas Haruna has the gift of the gab

[Elpis]

^ Out of the two of them, Haruna has more of a personality. She also has more TV experience.

[maxperkins84]

[quote="Shoujo Q"]
I kinda want to call Haruna, Haru-ni, ni being 二. Or Niharu.  maybe I'll just call her Haruni, it sounds cute.
[/quote]
 
I can't really recommend it, sounds too much like はる兄 which is something you might call your older brother, after the common pattern ○○兄e.g.幸太兄【こうたにい】／○○姉e.g.麻依姉【まいねえ】
 
I guess はる2号 is closer to what you're looking for.

[eri]

[quote="rob"]
well, that settles that. After watching a few videos it's obvious to see Nacchi was the center.
 
And after all these years... here's a video I'd never seen before - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNxs3lnggz0
 
Nacchi center ;)
[/quote]
I miss the 90s. 

[eri]

[quote="TicTacAnyone"]
Couple more pics of the girls---
Link and:




C'mon, Haruna has to be the new leader. I will really be very surprised if she's not. And oddly enough I wouldn't be surprised if I was surprised.
[/quote]
Who is who?! I can't tell looking at their profile pictures (on page 7). (Blah blah bad joke about idols all looking alike). 

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="eri"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TicTacAnyone" data-cid="180309" data-time="1412301327">
<div>
Couple more pics of the girls---
Link and:




C'mon, Haruna has to be the new leader. I will really be very surprised if she's not. And oddly enough I wouldn't be surprised if I was surprised.
[/quote]
Who is who?! I can't tell looking at their profile pictures (on page 7). (Blah blah bad joke about idols all looking alike). 
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
 
Left to right: Haga Akane, Ogata Haruna, Makino Maria, Nonaka Miki (Thanks Saya for the correction)

[momoirosaya]

^You've got Haruna and Miki switched

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="Saya"]
^You've got Haruna and Miki switched
[/quote]
 
Oh shit, really? You sure?!?! Hahaha wow oops, will edit with correction XD

[momoirosaya]

[quote="TicTacAnyone"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Saya" data-cid="180430" data-time="1412461494">
<div>
^You've got Haruna and Miki switched
[/quote]
 
Oh shit, really? You sure?!?! Hahaha wow oops, will edit with correction XD
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Yeah, you can tell it's her by the shape of her eyes and nose. Miki doesn't look very recognizable though.

 

[TicTacAnyone]

I would like to mention that Akane's KenEgg shirt is now being auctioned for $250-$2,000, and Maria's is going for about $200-$275 (That Akane one is probably a stretch on the poster's part lol)
 
 

[showraniy]

Maria has proven to be the only one I can tell apart from the rest pre-idol makeover, so she's fast emerging as the favorite. Miki's English is impressive, but I see it disappearing into the background without so much as a mention outside of maybe two variety show introductions for her character, which is a little sad.

[Ap2000]

[quote="TicTacAnyone"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="eri" data-cid="180426" data-time="1412459642">
<div>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TicTacAnyone" data-cid="180309" data-time="1412301327">
<div>
Couple more pics of the girls---
Link and:



C'mon, Haruna has to be the new leader. I will really be very surprised if she's not. And oddly enough I wouldn't be surprised if I was surprised.
[/quote]
Who is who?! I can't tell looking at their profile pictures (on page 7). (Blah blah bad joke about idols all looking alike). 
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
 
Left to right: Haga Akane, Ogata Haruna, Makino Maria, Nonaka Miki (Thanks Saya for the correction)
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
 
I could have sworn far left was "OG" Haruna and center Riho !

 

[momoirosaya]

^That is Harunan.

[Ap2000]

[quote="Saya"]
^That is Harunan.
[/quote]
 

I'm not sure what you mean.
 
I meant that when I looked at the photo, without having read any comments yet, those two were Iikubo Haruna and Sayashi Riho.

[Meikochi]

[quote="Ap2000"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Saya" data-cid="180467" data-time="1412493245">
<div>
^That is Harunan.
[/quote]
 
I'm not sure what you mean.
 
I meant that when I looked at the photo, without having read any comments yet, those two were Iikubo Haruna and Sayashi Riho.
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Far left is Iikubo Haruna, that's what she meant.

 

[Ap2000]

Ohhhh, now I understand. Oh man, I didn't notice TicTacAnyone wrote only four names.
Sorry for the confusion.

[TicTacAnyone]

Once again a picture of the 12ki



Bottom left-- Ogata Haruna, Top left-- Nonaka Miki, Top right-- Haga Akane, Bottom right-- Makino Maria

[TicTacAnyone]

12th gen already had a birthday--- Nonaka Miki. She's now 15.
 

[eri]

It is interesting how they are posing the girls, lining them up in photo ops.  Is it just me or are Maria and Ogata put in center/front already?  

[TicTacAnyone]

On this week's H!S, MM'14's comments on 12ki:
 
Everyone: They're cute and beautiful
Sayumi: (Has the girls introduce themselves. After, she mentions what prefecture they're from. Maria is from Aichi, same as Kanon. Maria makes a mention towards that... Sayumi asks how Kanon feels.)
Kanon: I feel like my allies have increased! We can talk together about stuff, right? :D Let's get along.
Sayumi: (Asks the girls if they have anything they want to say.)
Ayumi: Sayumi keeps saying these girls are sooo cute, and it makes me want to be cuter so she'll say it to us too. (Sayumi then goes "you're cute~~") Really? ("Yes, yes really.") Thank you very much.
Haruka: Well I used be the youngest in MM14, but now we have Akane. It used to be Maa-chan and I who were the youngest. Akane, you were born in 2001, right? (Akane corrects her, 2002. Everyone is surprised). What?!? 2002?
Sayumi: That's when I auditioned!! So you were born in the year I auditioned for Morning Musume....
Haruka: I've decided that I have to try my best to act more mature. (Sayumi then mentions to Sato.)
Maa-chan: Well I've been in for three years now.... (Kanon: So you've gotta shape up, right?) Nope!~ (Haruka: You should!) Huh? I won't. (Sayumi: You should try your best to get along with the 12th generation.) Mmm. Mmm. Uhu.
Mizuki: I'm a bit worried... Most of MM is short, and I can't meet their eyes. But now a tall girl has joined. 
Sakura: Maria and I auditioned for the 11th generation. At that time she was totally shorter than me. I'd go up to her and say "you're so small, huh, Maria?" But now I'll always have to look upwards to her.
Sayumi: You were small and cute when you joined the eggs and then over time you grew, huh? I also grew over the years. But Sakura these are also your first kouhais, huh?
Sakura: Yes, and I didn't think there'd be four of them! I thought it would stop after every announcement of the new girl. I thought "it'd definitely be two. But ah, there's another and another."
Haruna: Well now there's another Haruna... When Oda-chan calls "Haruna-chan" I keep thinking she's calling me, but she's not!