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| MNL48 Top 200 Reveal 01.20.2018 |
Two years ago, I wrote an entry about my worries for this group. However, it seems I was worried about the wrong things.
I won't lie, there has been a lot of negativity going on in the MNL48 "Fandom". With allegations of cheating (i.e. Boyfriend in MNL48 staff, vote-buying, like-for-like), allegations of management's manipulation of votes, and rule-breaking (i.e. Love Ban in particular), the group hasn't even debuted yet and the controversies are piling up.
It doesn't help that some "fans" of the group have resorted to bullying by making fun of contestants' appearances, English and inexperience. I have no desire at all to contribute to that. I think there is enough of that in Facebook.
That is why this post will focus on potential because there are girls that got in that I have my eye on and are why I can't say I completely give up on the group.
Of course, they have a long way to go with so many of them unable to dance or understand teamwork as many seem to be trying to out-do each other. With so many girls, I can't really blame them. However, it hasn't escaped my notice that their first performance was only the beginning, which is probably why I am going to try to be less critical. I will talk about my favourites among the Top 200 but I also talk about who among my picks made it to the Top 75.
This is a list of my personal choices, if you have an Oshi I didn't include here I encourage you to make up your own list because these girls need all the love and support they can get in these grueling auditions.
This is a list of my personal choices, if you have an Oshi I didn't include here I encourage you to make up your own list because these girls need all the love and support they can get in these grueling auditions.
Campaign
The campaign stage felt like it would go on forever. Only a few really caught my attention at this stage because very few had been very unique about it. Most of the campaigns I saw were girls posting a link of their profile and simply saying, "Support me in my journey, please like because this is my dream". There is absolutely nothing at all wrong with this, but this does not stand out at all if 1,000+ girls are saying the same thing.
There were a few standout girls during the campaign period, but I will only talk about the ones in the TOP 200.
Sakura Olay aka Tanchikon
There are girls whose dream of being in MNL48 is not necessarily to be an idol but a celebrity. The impression I got from Tanchikon the first time I saw her campaign was that she definitely wanted to be an idol.
She was brought to my attention when someone in my Facebook feed shared a video of her and her friend, Saachan, campaigning for support.
They are obviously knowledgeable about idols as both had prepared their own introductions that are very idol-like. They made my day and I couldn't help but think that the duo was the cutest thing.
Sakura's other efforts to make it include giving out fliers in conventions and opening a Showroom. What I like about her is that she knows what to expect from an idol and already has her 'idol persona' which is important to stand out especially in such a huge group. Her idol know-how would also be advantageous once they start trying to win Japanese fans and do collaborations with the actual AKB48.
Sakura's other efforts to make it include giving out fliers in conventions and opening a Showroom. What I like about her is that she knows what to expect from an idol and already has her 'idol persona' which is important to stand out especially in such a huge group. Her idol know-how would also be advantageous once they start trying to win Japanese fans and do collaborations with the actual AKB48.
Unfortunately, she didn't make it to the TOP 75. While most people felt nothing more but outrage by the results, her message for her fans spoke more about her wish to support her friends who are still in the running rather than bitterness. She admits disappointment, but was gracious nonetheless.
Aria Carino aka Ariaaa
Officially my oshi. A girl aiming to be an idol ... and a doctor.Since the beginning of the auditions, it has been stressed how important it is to have a video of yourself either singing or dancing. This is especially important to people like me during the campaigns since if I do not know you or what you are like, your voice or your dancing is probably the only thing I can go on.
If Aria makes it, I believe she could be the group's 'Uta-hime' (Translation: Song Princess). She caught my attention in the auditions due to her beautiful voice.
I became a fan when I watched her sing 'River'. It is one of my classic AKB48 songs and she gave it a lot of justice and looked like she was having fun singing it.
I actually wondered if she is a long-time fan since more recent fans know Koisuru Fortune Cookie or Heavy Rotation. In fact, those two songs were probably the most performed during the campaigns. However, she went with singing a song like 'River' and dancing to 'Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru' which is also a song I didn't often hear at the auditions.
I would love to see her sing a powerful song like 'Blue Rose' just to see how she can make it her own. As her fans say, "She is the queen and she know the 'wey'".
As of writing, Aria is still in the running and sits somewhere on the Top 7.
Reveal Performance
The performance video was released Saturday, January 20 2018. The angling and editing were pretty bad as they were not able to show off all of the girls. It was clear that the girls were given very little time to practice because the dance was really all over the place. There were a few who made the most of it and still looked like they were having fun.
Despite all that though, there were a few girls that stood out in my humble opinion.
Jennifer Villaruel aka Jaydee
The video had four batches of girls. The first group had performed 'Heavy Rotation' and she was all the way at the front of the batch and I can understand why. She is really one of the best dancers and is absolutely charming when she does.
I don't know enough about her to say if she is a fan of AKB48 but when she auditioned, I appreciated that she seemed to have done her research. She auditioned dancing to Heavy Rotation and sang Koisuru Fortune Cookie. I could also appreciate that her expressions and gestures in her performance were very idol-like.
I don't know enough about her to say if she is a fan of AKB48 but when she auditioned, I appreciated that she seemed to have done her research. She auditioned dancing to Heavy Rotation and sang Koisuru Fortune Cookie. I could also appreciate that her expressions and gestures in her performance were very idol-like.
Performance-wise, I think she is really the whole package and she made me want to see more of her.
One thing does worry me. A photo of herself with whom people believe had been her boyfriend is going around. To be honest, I had hoped the Philippines to be the first group to not have the Love Ban because I really do think it is outdated and it would feel less like the girls are being objectified. Unfortunately, this is not the case and it worries me a little what will happen if the management gets wind of this if this is true. I am sure it would cause a lot of outrage since a lot of girls were disqualified for having a boyfriend.
If she goes for the Yuko Ooshima route and goes for Yuko-type fans, she might be saved as Yuko's fans do not generally care that she dates (like me) as she is nevertheless an amazing idol. .
She is still in the running at this time, it seems news of her having a boyfriend didn't stop the judges from liking her. Also, she and her boyfriend could have already broken up already since she made it to the Top 75. So that is a possibility. Also, I think these girls will get better at hiding. Even actual AKB48 members can be pretty good at hiding.
Angela Marie Yukim aka Tenchiii
The second group had performed 'Kibouteki Refrain.'
She calls herself, the weeaboo idol. There is something about Angela that makes you want to take a second look. I just can't put my finger on it. She just stands out --- but in a good way. Because of that "something" that makes her stand out, you remember her in a group of 40+ girls.
I think it is because at first glance she bears a resemblance to someone who is already an idol. For me, it is Kaede Kaga from Morning Musume'18. Idol fans probably already know who Kaga is. I think it is their eyes.
However unlike Kaedii, she does seem a lot more feminine and has a much more cutesy image but like Kaedii I think she can pull off a cool image. I'd like to see her center a cool MV like UZA one day.
However, this is just speculation. I am not sure how she is going to package herself from the few appearances she made in that very short video. I am looking forward to her progress though.
She also made it to the Top 75, and I am glad for it. She is one of the big personalities. The girls left in the group lean more towards talent or looks and very few people left have big and eye-catching personalities.
She calls herself, the weeaboo idol. There is something about Angela that makes you want to take a second look. I just can't put my finger on it. She just stands out --- but in a good way. Because of that "something" that makes her stand out, you remember her in a group of 40+ girls.
I think it is because at first glance she bears a resemblance to someone who is already an idol. For me, it is Kaede Kaga from Morning Musume'18. Idol fans probably already know who Kaga is. I think it is their eyes.
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| Kaga Kaede Morning Musume'18 |
However, this is just speculation. I am not sure how she is going to package herself from the few appearances she made in that very short video. I am looking forward to her progress though.
She also made it to the Top 75, and I am glad for it. She is one of the big personalities. The girls left in the group lean more towards talent or looks and very few people left have big and eye-catching personalities.
Cheycelle Pareja aka Nam Chisul
The fourth group performed 'Aitakatta'.
This girl is absolutely fun to watch and she really stole the show for me in this group. She is neither the sexy or cute type, but she has a huge potential for entertaining. I love that she was grinning throughout the whole performance. She looked really happy to be there and not just happy to be seen on TV but sincerely happy. I feel that with a bit more time she might have the kawaii/comedic timing of Takamina.
Another thing I love about her is her profile introduction. I love the 48g/46g reference. Just from this, if she told me she was a fan, I would believe it. As someone following the idol genre for many years, even I did not know about this and I was quite impressed. There is something endearing about a fan being so close now to her dream.
Unfortunately, she did not make it either and it was heartbreaking because I was looking forward to seeing more of her.
This girl is absolutely fun to watch and she really stole the show for me in this group. She is neither the sexy or cute type, but she has a huge potential for entertaining. I love that she was grinning throughout the whole performance. She looked really happy to be there and not just happy to be seen on TV but sincerely happy. I feel that with a bit more time she might have the kawaii/comedic timing of Takamina.
Another thing I love about her is her profile introduction. I love the 48g/46g reference. Just from this, if she told me she was a fan, I would believe it. As someone following the idol genre for many years, even I did not know about this and I was quite impressed. There is something endearing about a fan being so close now to her dream.
Unfortunately, she did not make it either and it was heartbreaking because I was looking forward to seeing more of her.
Interviews
Sophia Ivy Hangaan aka Soufi
I have to admit that she was not at all in my radar before the interviews. She was part of Batch 2 of the MNL48 interviews. She was in the group with Sakura dubbed, "The Brainy Group" by fans and the hosts. I have to say that it was the best group of the night. It is very rare, even in Japan, that idols advertise their education at all because they are often criticised for where their actual priorities are. However, they are a group that shows off their intelligence like a crown and I loved that. This was the only group that didn't have a boring moment for me because like the actual AKB48, they came together as a group and that was great to watch.
She is a cosplayer and does dance covers from Love Live and Idolm@aster. However, she is also a fan of the 46g in particular Yurina Hirate aka Techi.
To be honest, I don't know much about her yet because as I mentioned she is new in my radar but maybe it is a good thing too. She will still have a lot of opportunities to surprise me.
To watch the 'Brainy Batch' aka her group's interview, click here.
Sadly, she too did not make it to the TOP 75 and her MNL journey ended. However, a girl with her personality and intelligence has unlimited potential.
We have twins and they are just adorable. They are from the 'Sisters' group which had them with the Trinidad sisters.
I want to adopt and spoil them. Obviously, I would be charged with kidnapping if I did that.
Seriously though, it is just hard not to love them. When they do something even a little cute, they make me go, "aww~". I am going to be extremely shocked if they separate them when they announce the final girls. It would be an absolute crime to separate the two. In fact, I might take to the streets and lead a mutiny.
To watch their interview, click here.
They both made it into the TOP 75 and are even ranked very high. Shaira is ranked 5th and Shaina is ranked 6th.
She had been part of my favourite group interviews which is the 'Cosplayer Group'.
During the interviews, she was so much fun to watch and so comfortable in front of the camera doing silly things. Overall, just very entertaining. It is watching girls like her, who are just having fun that I am reminded why idols are enjoyable to watch in the first place.
Truth be told, I think she is the epitome of the 'idol you can meet.' She is 'that girl you sit beside in class' or 'the girl who could be your bestfriend' or the 'girl you see on the street', which makes her incredibly relateable.
Unfortunately, the judges did not seem to see that since she did not make it to the TOP 75. A little strange because I did think that she looked very much like an AKB48 member, except with more personality.
Former member of the Kawaii5, a sort of Jpop-inspired girl group here in the Philippines. With the members of Kawaii5 having gone their separate ways, Alice auditioned for MNL48 to continue her dream of being an idol.
Alice is someone we could probably call a veteran in the world of idols which is probably why she would probably make a great leader. She is someone who appears understands idols and the idol industry.
She is a great singer, plays guitar and already knows how to present herself. With her experience, I feel that she is a must to have in the group. Someone has to keep the group of 50 or so girls in line. .
To my relief, she did make it to the next stage and as of writing ranked 10th.
Considering who my favourite idols are (Sayumi Michishige and Momoko Tsugunaga), it would be no stretch if I gravitated to this character. She also reminds me a little of Miori Ichikawa during her early days in the 48g so I imagine she could do sexy if necessary.
From the interviews, her personality doesn't seem like my type but from comments on Facebook, it already appears like she has fans from Japan.
I don't know much about her yet, but I look forward to. By the looks of it, there seems to be plenty more of chances as she made it to the Top 75.
Her sharp movements and precise timing, she is almost at par with Morning Musume'18 member and resident dance machine, Ayumi Ishida. I can see her centering songs with the more complicated dance moves, such as River, which she is said to have already perfected anyway.
Personality-wise, I think Ashley is still a blank slate which is probably a blessing because it is certainly something to look forward to.
She also made it to the Top 75 and doing very well indeed, ranking within the Top 7 as of writing.
As they said, "The talented Half-Filipino and Half-Japanese." I believe she has the potential to be a bridge between Japan and the Philippines as she is very familiar with both cultures.
I met Miyu last year in one of the many conventions I used to go to and she was absolutely adorable. We both spoke the same language with idols and she makes me believe that she really wants to be an idol. Not a celebrity, but an idol.
She loves idols and idolises Reina Tanaka from Morning Musume in particular. Who could blame her?
During our talk, MNL48 came up and she just lit up. She was so happy that she now had a chance to live her dream.
I am probably going to get comments that having her on my list is a biased opinion. Maybe you're wrong or maybe you're right. Right or wrong though, I have always been the fan that is happy with someone chasing their dream and that alone is enough.
Unfortunately, much to my surprise Miyu-pon didn't make it. It came as a shock to me since I really thought she was a shoe-in. She could sing and dance, had an interesting look and adorable personality.
Her message to her supporters was:
"First of all, I wanted to thank everyone that supported me since I first registered as an applicant (December 3, 2016) until now. This is how it is, there will be people who make it and people who have to go home in tears. I am having mixed emotions as this has always been my dream and not making it is sad but at the same time I am also feeling happy since I don't have to worry about how I am going to juggle MNL48 activities and school at the same time.
This is another girl that some people might think is here because I am biased since I also met her more than a year ago at the MNL48 Fanmeet. Back then, she had much shorter hair and had a J-Rock influence in her and in just a year she turned into a fairy princess.
I swear, this girl is a chameleon.
She was another contestant that I thought would be a shoe-in due to her uniqueness. She had a loud personality, while at the same time still a blank canvass.
I had no doubt she could bring something to the table. Unfortunately, the judges did not see it like this either. She was also cut off from the Top 75.
She seems to be alright though and is now aiming to be a rockstar. As talented as she is, I have no doubt of that.
She is a cosplayer and does dance covers from Love Live and Idolm@aster. However, she is also a fan of the 46g in particular Yurina Hirate aka Techi.
To be honest, I don't know much about her yet because as I mentioned she is new in my radar but maybe it is a good thing too. She will still have a lot of opportunities to surprise me.
To watch the 'Brainy Batch' aka her group's interview, click here.
Sadly, she too did not make it to the TOP 75 and her MNL journey ended. However, a girl with her personality and intelligence has unlimited potential.
Shaina Duran aka Shainachan (Left) and Shaira Duran aka Shaira (Right)
We have twins and they are just adorable. They are from the 'Sisters' group which had them with the Trinidad sisters.
I want to adopt and spoil them. Obviously, I would be charged with kidnapping if I did that.
Seriously though, it is just hard not to love them. When they do something even a little cute, they make me go, "aww~". I am going to be extremely shocked if they separate them when they announce the final girls. It would be an absolute crime to separate the two. In fact, I might take to the streets and lead a mutiny.
To watch their interview, click here.
They both made it into the TOP 75 and are even ranked very high. Shaira is ranked 5th and Shaina is ranked 6th.
Stacey Rigos aka Seushi
I love this girl. She is one of the reasons I love these interviews. Without them this girl would never have reached my radar.She had been part of my favourite group interviews which is the 'Cosplayer Group'.
During the interviews, she was so much fun to watch and so comfortable in front of the camera doing silly things. Overall, just very entertaining. It is watching girls like her, who are just having fun that I am reminded why idols are enjoyable to watch in the first place.
Truth be told, I think she is the epitome of the 'idol you can meet.' She is 'that girl you sit beside in class' or 'the girl who could be your bestfriend' or the 'girl you see on the street', which makes her incredibly relateable.
Unfortunately, the judges did not seem to see that since she did not make it to the TOP 75. A little strange because I did think that she looked very much like an AKB48 member, except with more personality.
Alice Deleon aka Alice Margarita
Alice was in the same group as Seushi and Aria.Former member of the Kawaii5, a sort of Jpop-inspired girl group here in the Philippines. With the members of Kawaii5 having gone their separate ways, Alice auditioned for MNL48 to continue her dream of being an idol.
Alice is someone we could probably call a veteran in the world of idols which is probably why she would probably make a great leader. She is someone who appears understands idols and the idol industry.
To my relief, she did make it to the next stage and as of writing ranked 10th.
Up-and-Coming
Sayaka Awane aka Yaky
Just from the dress, Sayaka is probably going to be a very fun character. You could also see it on her video in her profile dressed as a Cookie Monster that she is not afraid to be silly.Considering who my favourite idols are (Sayumi Michishige and Momoko Tsugunaga), it would be no stretch if I gravitated to this character. She also reminds me a little of Miori Ichikawa during her early days in the 48g so I imagine she could do sexy if necessary.
From the interviews, her personality doesn't seem like my type but from comments on Facebook, it already appears like she has fans from Japan.
I don't know much about her yet, but I look forward to. By the looks of it, there seems to be plenty more of chances as she made it to the Top 75.
Ashley Cloud Garcia aka Ash
Ashley is an amazing dancer, so I amazing in fact that I can't help thinking it would be a waste to have her dance simpler dances like Koisuru Fortune Cookie.Her sharp movements and precise timing, she is almost at par with Morning Musume'18 member and resident dance machine, Ayumi Ishida. I can see her centering songs with the more complicated dance moves, such as River, which she is said to have already perfected anyway.
Personality-wise, I think Ashley is still a blank slate which is probably a blessing because it is certainly something to look forward to.
She also made it to the Top 75 and doing very well indeed, ranking within the Top 7 as of writing.
The ones that got away
Mikka Mizumura aka Miyupon
As they said, "The talented Half-Filipino and Half-Japanese." I believe she has the potential to be a bridge between Japan and the Philippines as she is very familiar with both cultures.
I met Miyu last year in one of the many conventions I used to go to and she was absolutely adorable. We both spoke the same language with idols and she makes me believe that she really wants to be an idol. Not a celebrity, but an idol.
She loves idols and idolises Reina Tanaka from Morning Musume in particular. Who could blame her?
During our talk, MNL48 came up and she just lit up. She was so happy that she now had a chance to live her dream.
I am probably going to get comments that having her on my list is a biased opinion. Maybe you're wrong or maybe you're right. Right or wrong though, I have always been the fan that is happy with someone chasing their dream and that alone is enough.
Unfortunately, much to my surprise Miyu-pon didn't make it. It came as a shock to me since I really thought she was a shoe-in. She could sing and dance, had an interesting look and adorable personality.
Her message to her supporters was:
Translation:
"First of all, I wanted to thank everyone that supported me since I first registered as an applicant (December 3, 2016) until now. This is how it is, there will be people who make it and people who have to go home in tears. I am having mixed emotions as this has always been my dream and not making it is sad but at the same time I am also feeling happy since I don't have to worry about how I am going to juggle MNL48 activities and school at the same time.
I am crying because I could not fulfill my promise to Kamii (Jash) that if I make it I would dedicate it to her. I am crying because I didn't even get a chance to showcase my talent for singing J-pop songs. I am crying because so many deserving girls didn't make it to the Top 75.
Still, I can say this is also mixed with tears of joy since I know I am going to graduate without issues and focus on my OJT. I am happy for my friends that made it. Kaede, Riaa, Ashley, Riee and the Duran Twins. Congratulations!
Thank you everyone and thank you Mama for supporting me from the start of rehearsals up to the actual presentation. I promise that I am OKAY.
My MNL48 journey ends here but of course this isn't end. I will come back. YOSHAAAA GENKI DASHITE ...
P.S. I feel embarrassed being seen crying in television. HAHAHAHA ... did you see?"
Lourdes Mercado aka Vice
This is another girl that some people might think is here because I am biased since I also met her more than a year ago at the MNL48 Fanmeet. Back then, she had much shorter hair and had a J-Rock influence in her and in just a year she turned into a fairy princess.
I swear, this girl is a chameleon.
She was another contestant that I thought would be a shoe-in due to her uniqueness. She had a loud personality, while at the same time still a blank canvass.
I had no doubt she could bring something to the table. Unfortunately, the judges did not see it like this either. She was also cut off from the Top 75.
She seems to be alright though and is now aiming to be a rockstar. As talented as she is, I have no doubt of that.
Conclusion
I am happy for the girls that made it to the Top 75. I just can't help wondering why so many deserving girls were eliminated, girls that had more idol potential in one finger than some of the girls who made it. The girls on this list that didn't make it are girls with a dedicated following online, which makes their elimination even more puzzling.
In marketing perspective, I do understand. As this is a very new concept to the Philippines, they have to do everything in their power to make it work. That includes making the face of the group someone marketable to the masses. Choosing people for how interesting they are is a risk and a risk they most likely can't do right now. I have no doubt that the masses will love someone in the Top 75.
As understanding as I am about the marketability, they have very few of why I enjoy watching idols, which is an interesting personality. I want to support the handful that do have that personality, but at the same time can I hope to find them developing someone I can oshi in the future? And it so, how long do I have to wait?
I am not sure yet if I am going to continue following the group. While there are standing contestants who do have plenty of talent, I have always been more into the idols with the big, weird and silly personality and it worries as only a handful actually had the image I find interesting. At the moment, I think only time can tell.
I sincerely wish the remaining girls the best of luck and I will promise to still actively look for an Oshi in the group. Work hard and be cute~! .
In marketing perspective, I do understand. As this is a very new concept to the Philippines, they have to do everything in their power to make it work. That includes making the face of the group someone marketable to the masses. Choosing people for how interesting they are is a risk and a risk they most likely can't do right now. I have no doubt that the masses will love someone in the Top 75.
As understanding as I am about the marketability, they have very few of why I enjoy watching idols, which is an interesting personality. I want to support the handful that do have that personality, but at the same time can I hope to find them developing someone I can oshi in the future? And it so, how long do I have to wait?
I am not sure yet if I am going to continue following the group. While there are standing contestants who do have plenty of talent, I have always been more into the idols with the big, weird and silly personality and it worries as only a handful actually had the image I find interesting. At the moment, I think only time can tell.
I sincerely wish the remaining girls the best of luck and I will promise to still actively look for an Oshi in the group. Work hard and be cute~! .
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