[4/11] Morning Musume。49th Single「Ren'ai Hunter」DAILY no. 1!

[Panic Nancy]

This is her mixi community thing for December of 2010 (the other girls are included for comparison).

Reina: 4283
Ai: 4115
Sayumi: 3802
Eri: 3275
Risa: 1671

She wasn't as popular as the other three, but she was a lot more popular than Risa, and was in the top 5 of H!P. Anyway, this is only one measure of popularity.

Then everyone was like "oh nooooo eriiiii i like her nowwww!"

This is sort of true since she's gained about a thousand fans since she graduated (she has 4248 now).

[iceymoon]

Eri was medium-popular. less popular than Reina and Aichan, about on-par with Sayu before she started her TV career, but more popular than members like Yossi, Mako and she's always been more popular than Risa.

the graduation fascination happens with everyone, happened with Aichan and now with Gaki too.

[wotakubrandon]

but more popular than members like Yossi, Mako

Are Yossy and Mako really comparable in popularity? I always thought Yossy was well liked and Mako well hated.

[iceymoon]

i don't actually know Mako's popularity, but i know it must have been lower than at least Aichan and KonKon's within her own generation. Yossi was indeed liked, but i think her tomboy chara limited her popularity with wota, probably more comparable to Gaki's popularity (although with Yossi being more popular than Risa just by default because MM had more fans when 4th gen joined).

[rikkikow]

Didn’t Eri get a big boost in popularity right after she was teamed with Koharu in Hawaii on the ‘A Team’. That was in 2007. I noticed Eri was being featured more on the TV after that.

[kyuu]

I think she was always very popular, at least since she came out her shell. Her beauty+her character were really fit for an idol

[Daisuki Daiiyo]

but more popular than members like Yossi

lmao, no.

[iceymoon]

i realize Yossi was more popular than Eri, but i think if Eri (and Sayu and Reina for that matter) had joined in 2000 they would have been more popular than her, based on MM popularity at the time (kind of like adjusting for inflation when talking about what sells more). her character just didn't get her the type of fan support (in numbers, certainly the people that were Yossi fans were pretty much die hard) that the rest of 4th gen, and the other golden era popular Musume got. which is why i compare her to Risa. Risa has plenty of love among today's fans, but will never be in the same "popular" category as Aichan, Eri, Sayu and Reina during the same era.

[iceymoon]

gonna elaborate with an "adjusting for inflation" impression of who is popular in their respective eras:

1. Aichan = Nacchi (pretty much undisputed at the top, their natural sweetness made them popular with both men and women)
2. Mikitty = Maki (one was so popular she became a soloist and the other was a popular soloist that Tsunku thought the group needed.. just goes to show how the tide had changed by the time 6th gen joined)
3. Koharu = Rika (considered one of the most popular in the group despite their lack of talent, they rose in the ranks thanks to their personalities, charm, looks and being pushed to the forefront by UF)
4. Reina/Sayu/Eri = Mari/Kago/Tsuji (just grouping them cuz it's hard to figure out who's most comparable to whom.. Sayu and Eri were almost equal in popularity until later, then Sayu even started equalling Reina.. maybe Sayu is like Kago? initially grouped with Tsuji/Eri, but then soared above her and eventually even over old favorite Mari/Reina?)
7. Risa = Yossi (mood makers and a staple in the groups fans of their eras could hardly imagine leaving the group, but never pushed as a member and fanbase never seemed to equal the others even though most people would rank them in their top 5)
8. KonKon = Kaori (about equal to Risa/Yossi, might even be the other way around.. hard to tell in retrospect)
9. Mako = Keichan (generally the laughing stock of the group, but they serve their purpose as comedic relief and so were liked and respected, but there was a cap to their popularity)

not including Aika cuz she's in a category of her own. i don't think there's ever been a member that remains at the bottom in popularity even with new members and so many years in the group (9th gen all passed her, and 10th gen are on their way to).. i can't categorize Jun/Lin here, because them being Chinese kind of put them in their own category as well).

Last edited by iceymoon on Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Zunu]

I don't know what was happening "on the street" in Japan but my impression always was that as soon as she joined, Gomaki was almost immediately the most popular girl in the group.