[GENERAL] The Hinatazaka46 Thread

This thread is for general discussion of activities of Hiragana Keyaki members,
particularly group activities such as songs, TV appearances and events,
much like Nogizaka46's 2nd and 3rd gen threads,
and the "research student" threads in each 48G forum.

I was thinking of creating this thread for a long time but I wasn't sure if it would be useful,
however, seeing the activity in Nogizaka's 3rd gen thread, their upcoming One Man Live,
the current series of group appearances on Keyakake, and particularly,
@ukifune's wonderfully informative report on reactions to the recent Keyakake appearance,
I was convinced it would be worth having a place to discuss Hiragana Keyaki as a team,
both for long term fans and those trying to get to know the relatively new members.


Background of Hiragana Keyaki
Hiragana Keyaki was officially formed in November 2015 when the Keyakizaka46 auditionee Nagahama Neru, whose parents forced her to withdraw from the final stage of the auditions, was allowed to join the group months after the original members.To distinguish between Nagahama and the original members, a new "Keyakizaka46" was formed within Keyakizaka, where "Keyaki" was spelled with hiragana (けやき坂46) instead of kanji (欅坂46). It was also announced Keyakizaka would be recruiting more members to join "Hiragana Keyaki"along with Nagahama.

The auditions for the new Hiragana members were held in May 2016. The final audition involved the members interacting with fans for one week using the streaming service "Showroom". 12 auditionees streamed, of which 9 were selected. Two auditionees who could not stream (Ushio Sarina and Takase Mana) were also selected. Including Nagahama, Hiragana Keyaki totals 12 members.

They had their B-side debut in August 2016 on Sekai ni wa Ai shika nai, with "Hiragana Keyaki", held their first event, an "omitatekai" that October, and will have their first solo concert on 21st March 2017 (and a second show on the 22nd).

Spoiler: list of members

Iguchi Mao (Mao, Mao-chan)

Ushio Sarina (Sarina, Ushio-chan, Naccho, Sarimakashi, Sarii, Makashii)

Kakizaki Memi (Memii, Memitan, Memichan)

Kageyama Yuuka (Kagechan, Yuuka-chan, Kage)

Kato Shiho (Katoshi, Toshi-chan, Shihorin)

Saito Kyoko (Kyonko, Kyoko)

Sasaki Kumi (Kumi, Kumi-chan, Kiku-chan, Gumi)

Sasaki Mirei (Miipan, Mirei, Mirei-chan)

Takase Mana (Manafii, Fii)

Takamoto Ayaka (Takamoto, Takemoto, Aya, Take-chan)

Nagahama Neru (Neru, Neruko, Neru-chan, Neruson, Neruneru)

Higashimura Mei (Meimei, Meitan)


CD participation *as group
Hiragana Keyaki (Sekai ni wa Ai shika nai)
Dare yori mo Takaku Tobe (Futari Saison)
W-Keyakizaka no Uta with Kanji Keyaki (Fukyouwaon)

 

Finally! Thanks, kanjo!

I sure hope this thread can be filled with many news starting from this year.

 

nice idea for Hirakeyaki thread

video of HiraKeyaki recruitment CM : here

video from Time of Keyakizaka46 (8-13-2016)



video of all HiraKeyaki members short introduction : here



here is the episode when Hirakeyaki on Keyakake for their 1st appearance (episode 47)


if the video does not show watch the video here

video of Hirakeyaki from Xmas Live

Hiragana Keyaki : here
Dare yori mo Takaku Tobe : here



group photo






video of Hiragana Keyaki Omotenashikai (90min version on 11-26-2016)

http://www.bilibili.com/video/av7307147/

extra 30 mins footage from the 120min version : here

showroom video on revealing Dare Yori mo Takaku Tobe MV (11-23-2016)



Kanji + Hirakeyaki (WKeyakizaka no Uta)



Hiragana Keyaki


HiraKeyaki on AKB48 show episode 135 (12-10-2016)

start@12:00
http://www.bilibili.com/video/av7480516/


FNS - Seifuku no Mannequin by 46G (12-24-2016)

http://www.bilibili.com/video/av7526044/


HiraKeyaki also appeared in episode 63 of Keyakake : here

edit :

Neru is the 1st member of Hiragana Keyaki and here is her first appearance on Keyakake (episode 9) : here

fanart of Hiragana Keyaki's uniforms



https://twitter.com/tv_rakugaki/status/816570670960128000

 

Hiragana Keyaki aka International Keyaki

@CutePanda they also appeared on the recent keyakake (ep 72 2017-03-12) alongside with kanji member

 

Thanks so much @CutePanda for that wealth of videos and photos! And thanks, @kanjo, for creating the thread -- although now I have to figure out where to post what, lol.

I really recommend to everyone who hasn't seen it -- or hasn't seen it recently -- to look at the link there to Neru's first appearance in KeyaKake ep9, which was broadcast on 29 November 2015. There's so much in it that is still working itself out.

Spoiler: running commentary on the video of Neru's introduction

The two members whose faces are blurred out in the photo of the introduction of the original group in August are Suzuki Mizuho, who dropped out within a month or two, and Harada Mayu, whose current romantic relationship with her former middle school teacher was discovered, and who was forced to quit in October/November.

Then we see the line-up of auditionees at the final judging, lined up with #17 missing: #17 was Neru, whose mother had flown from Nagasaki to tell her she had to quit and to take her home. Her parents gave permission for her to enter the judging never dreaming that she could be selected. When she was, her mother went into action. Neru sits by the river in Nagasaki and tells us that despite her mother having told her to quit if she happened to get through to the final judging, she just couldn't bear to lose the chance. Her mother says Neru promised to quit. I think Neru saw it as her mother's demand, which she just vaguely acquiesced in. But when her mother came, she quietly followed her home. Neru's father tells us that when Neru arrived home she just went straight to her room and kept bawling. They had never seen her like that. Eventually, papa phoned management and asked for another chance. (Papa is apparently a teacher, and I think mama may be one, too.)

By this point, Management needed at least one member, to replace the two who were gone. So they were receptive to the idea. They arranged for Neru and her parents to go to a Nogizaka show in Fukuoka. Neru's mother says that when she saw the Nogis shining there on stage and working so hard, she softened to the idea, and thought she could support her daughter if she wanted to do that. Neru's father says that in the film they played at the event, fathers of Nogizaka members talked about their own hesitations and difficulties, and he felt it might be okay.

Neru walks into the studio hesitantly, but with a smile. Apparently she had been weeping much of the time she was waiting backstage, and they had to keep fixing her makeup. They make fun of her name, Neru, which sounds like the word for "sleep." She describes how she was the lunch monitor, taking orders and collecting money. Tsuchida says: "Bullying? That's like Inoue-kun at my school."

When they go on to announce Hiragana it seems as if Neru may not have known she would be in some different group. The way she twists her lips is both cute and worrying. When Tsuchida says that letting Neru in without taking the audition might cause bad feeling among the members who did, Yone-san nods in agreement. When Tsuchida says the new group will be "unders," Yone-san nods enthusiastically.

What the members react to so strongly at 8:54 is the announcement of recruiting for the new group. Tsuchida points out the strong reaction and says it's natural, since new members are being recruited before they have even made their debut. And the members are pretty depressed when the hosts say there could be switching up and down between the two groups. You see Yone (15) and Sugai (20) holding hands in the back row.

I can understand why they wanted at least one new member. But why recruit a new group? I can think of two reasons: one, there had already been rumours (and/or photos) about other members having had boyfriends, and who knew where that could lead? (Habu, Suzumoto, Fuu-chan -- eventually a photo would show up of Neru, too.) Although previous boyfriends were no problem, they needed replacements on hand in case of future scandal. But I've often felt that they were beginning to wonder if the group they had recruited would really be good enough to do the job. They seem to have recruited the original group in part for their "normal-girl" personalities, and as they saw them not acting very idol-like, they may have wondered if they had the ability to become idols. They might have got cold feet and decided they needed some more idolish, or more talented candidates.

Little did they know how tremendously successful this group of misfits would become. (I only dare to call them "misfits" because of the lines in The Song of Double Keyakizaka: "But one day all around me were others who saw with the same eyes: comrades who were not good at life.")

 

@genjitsu they will appear in next week episode lol

@ukifune that was an interesting theory about the timing of recruitment of Hiragana Keyaki. when they announced the recruitment of Hiragana Keyaki, i think it was in dec 2015 which was only few months after Keyakizaka46 was formed (before debut single). so i really dont know exactly the purpose of forming Hirakeyaki in this situation......

if i have to guess, they probably planning ahead to expand the group by getting new members to sell more handshake tickets to boost their overall cd sales in the 2nd singles. Also they underestimate how big of a success of Silent Majority with the 1st gen members.

 

As seen in Memi's blogspot translated by @ukifune , Hiraganas just recently went out together!

 

Hiragana Keyaki was formed because management was panicking at the time with the Harada Mayu issue. It was a way to divert attention from that mess. Instead of the scandal to talk about there was the recruitment and assembly of Hiragana to discuss.

The hasty formation of Hiragana had repercussions in how they've been utilized which, almost a year later, still is somewhat mysterious. Also, when Silent Majority became a big hit, the need for a second set of members was less critical. Management probably wanted to push as hard and fast to make Kanji successful and placed less thought to the growth of Hiragana.

 

@Generic_User -- Makes sense to me. Another example of the dark side of the industry, where the girls are pawns in management's game, and their lives and interests are of secondary importance. Neru's nine months of purgatory. The other Hiraganas (so far) nine months of limbo.

At least management is trying to do something about integrating them, with W_Keyakizaka no Uta and the new one-man live. But if they ever get really integrated, and the senbatsu is changed, it could be a kind of hell for the Kanjis, and a shuraba (bloody battlefield) all round. Not desirable.

I'm even coming around to the idea of two (linked) groups. Are double A-sides possible some day? (I have that much confidence in the Hiraganas.)

 

9 months of limbo sound like a bad situation for HiraKeyaki WKeyakizaka no Uta and 1man live are good method of promoting HiraKeyaki.
with the recent appearance in Keyakake, i hope we will get a chance to see them more on Keyakake. Maybe they could do an episode similar from Bingo when
each Hiragana members could pick any available challenge for any Kanji member on 1 vs 1 battle (bingo season1 ep2).

i think they should do a dokkiri episode on the Hirakeyaki members.

@ukifune double A-side sound cool to me but i dont think they will do that anytime soon....

group photo of HiraKeyaki


http://www.shonenmagazine.com/gravure

 

If they do promote hiragana member to senbatsu who do you guys think that will get promoted 1st? (except neru ofc)
My guess is kakizaki memi bcs shes alr a center with neru in hiragana

 

I think Kato Shiho. Her HS is as good as a Kanji so that would be the best choice. But that's true they are pushing Memi as the Hiragana co-center so I don't know.

 

My bet is Katoshiho-Memi-Kyoko

 

Keyaki's Official Goods Store

 

For anyone who is still having trouble telling who's who in Hiragana, I hope my Keyakizaka46 Members Page can help. It's a chart including photos and a little info about all 32 members, with the Hiraganas the final 11 at the bottom of the chart. I use whatever official member photos are current, so the photos will change again fairly soon. The link is always in my sig. There's also the Wiki48 Hiragana Keyaki section.

I agree with that, and think Takamoto Ayaka may now be next in line, because of her rising handshake results and popularity with fans who know her. I'm not expecting Hiraganas in the senbatsu soon, however. It's just too complicated. Despite that, I still would not be totally shocked if management did make a move for the 5th or 6th single, depending on fan reaction to the one-man live, their song(s) on the new release, more TV appearances, and handshake events. Three members seems a lot, however, so I don't know.

I'm a big fan of Memi, who has been management's choice from the start, but she has yet to get an opportunity to show much to fans who don't follow her closely, read the blogs, etc. Now she and the other out-of-town members have been living in Tokyo for a few weeks and the group is practicing a lot together, and getting used to things, so I expect them all to show more from here on, both as performers and as personalities.

I think the group photo posted by @CutePanda gives some indication of who management is favoring: Memi-Neru-Takamoto up front, with Katoshi-Kyonko-Kumi right behind them. But the truth is that with only 12 members, every one of them shows up fairly prominently in a group photo. I'm surprised to see Kage-chan in the back, but she is at least in the middle there. My long-term expectation has always been for Memi and Kage-chan, the two youngest members, to be the most prominent members. But time will tell. And the best singers may be in the 1-3-5 positions across the second row (Sarina-Kyonko-Mirei).

In the goods photos posted by @Hamacchi, I can't say I'm thrilled with the stylized hiragana on the towels, but they look great on the front of the T-shirts. The backs I'm still trying to figure out, lol.

EDIT: Saitou Kyouko continues to fill her blog with amazing photos. This time, off-shots from a six-page feature on Hiragana in weekly Shonen Magazine. She starts with nice group shots, but goes on to some less-fully-clad shots of Kyonko (Saitou Kyouko), Manafi (Takase Mana) and MeiMei (Higashimura Mei). Caution is advised, lol.

 

Couldn't help but to notice that they got their own color scheme now, tosca green



EDIT scans by @keyakizaka46ID

 

fanart of the new Hirakeyaki color & font



https://twitter.com/sansuke46/status/842007943583162368

 

I've been reading around and it seems that the gravure in Weekly Shonen Magazine is a huge deal. That manga magazine has the second-highest circulation of any magazine in Japan, at just over a million copies distributed a week. #1 is Weekly Shonen Jump, at about double that....

 

In new news, Kageyama Yuuka of Hiragana will be the new bookseller in the Tower Books and Records Keyakizaka Bookstore series. Her feature will go online Friday. Previous members who have appeared with their recommendations in this series are: Oda, Sugai, Shida, Satou, Ozeki, Koike, and Moriya.

EDIT: Yuuka's feature is now online. She recommends two books:

Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo (The Japanese that Japanese Don't Know) is a series of manga books about quirks of the Japanese language that has become a best-seller (over 2.3 million volumes sold of the series). She says she has always loved Japanese and been good at writing and reading, and started reading this series when she was in elementary school.

Sekai Onchi (Tone-Deaf to the World) is a humorous and touching memoir by a singer who even at 39 was living unmarried with his parents. He sets out to investigate himself objectively in order to become a "wonderful person."

 

photo from Sarina blog of the new Hirakeyaki outfit



Type D cover



https://twitter.com/oricon/status/842781537082859520

fanart