Bikkuri Project

As we look to 2008, the question of whether or not Berryz and/or Cute can surpass Morning Musume, or even if that has already happened, is being asked more often than ever. I’ll be the first to admit that I favor Morning Musume over the other two groups, though I enjoy them all. Even so, I do believe that, at least for now, Morning Musume has the clear upper hand, both talent-wise and popularity-wise.

There are some who are proudly touting that C-ute, or even Berryz have now surpassed Morning Musume in terms of popularity. This is primarily based on the fact that C-ute’s latest single sold more than Morning Musume’s latest (though if you look at the final sales figures, the difference is very small, like 500 copies). Also factoring in is that Berryz and C-ute both performed with Morning Musume at Kohaku this year for the first, and hopefully not the last time. As for the single sales, I’m sorry, but Cute’s one single barely outselling one of Morning Musume’s singles does not count as surpassing them. Every single other song by Morning Musume has outsold every single other song by either kids group. I honestly think that it comes down to Tokaikko Junjou being a much better song than Mikan, or at least one that would appeal to the general public more. I know there are some hardcore Mikan fans, but if you asked someone on the street who knew nothing about either group to listen to both singles andthenasked them to name their favorite, I would bet money that 9 times out of 10 they would pick Tokaikko. I’m not ruling out the possibility that Cute or Berryz could surpass Morning Musume in terms of popularity as measured by sales figures at some point in the future, but until I see a few more singles repeating the results of the Tokaikko vs Mikan matchup or Cute and Berryz start getting invited to Kohaku without Morning Musume, I’m not ready to declare Momusu beaten in terms of popularity.

Even if C-ute and/or Berryz do start to consistently outsell Morning Musume, and that’s a big if, I still think thatneither Berryz nor C-ute is a better group than Morning Musume. I’ve watched all three of these groups perform many many times, and Morning Musume outshines both of the kids groups in terms of pure stage presence. They’re just a more polished, charismatic, and confident unit. They’ve got Ai-chan, Reina, and Risa who (controversial time) are better singers than any given member of the kids groups. They’ve got Sayumi, who is prettier than any given member of the kids groups. They’ve got Koharu who, due to her anime, is more popular with little girls than any given member of the kids groups (FACT). Eri, and potentially Aika, JunJun, and LinLin are all better singers than most of the kids, maybe excluding a couple of the best singers among them. There’s no lack of dancing talent among the Momusu either.

The kids sometimes look like they’re trying to act like idols. Despite their years of experience, they still sometimes have a certain “wait, am I doing this right?” look about them when they’re performing. I’d attribute this to them all joining at a young age, at the same time, and therefore not having as much of a chance to work with more experienced idols. Most of the Momusu seem to genuinely be idols, because they got to spend every day observing and learning from girls who had been doing it for years before they became leads in the group, and it shows. Watch all 3 groups perform on-stage during Kohaku. None of them look bad or anything, but it’s Morning Musume who grabs your attention with their energy. The kids tend to not take any risks onstage. For example, in Love Machine at Kohaku, there are certain parts where the girls get a bit of freedom with their dance moves. The kids all seem to play it safe, choosing moves that work, but don’t stand out. Then you’ve got Ai-chan doing some kind of crazy backbend during the beginning. I just don’t see any of the kids trying that one. I’m not only talking about Kohaku either. Watching the group’s individual concerts and you’ll find that Morning Musume really does put on a better show.

You’ve also got to consider the manner of their selection. The Morning Musume members were mostly selected as young teens, or at least pre-teens. Most of the kids were in the single digits, age-wise, when they were selected. The harsh truth is thatjust because they were cute kids doesn’t make them great idols today. Honestly ask yourself, if the h!p Kids had first auditioned for an idol group today, how many of them would have been picked? I do think that some of them do have special talent, and probably would be scooped up if they auditioned today. Others, I won’t name any names, just wouldn’t stand out in a crowd of idol hopefuls.When they were Berryz/Cute’s age, ALL of the current Morning Musume members stood out enough, in one way or another, to be picked for the group. I don’t say this to bash any members of Berryz or Cute. I do like all of the girls, and I’m glad they are where they are today. I only mean to be realistic about things.

In conclusion, to answer the question in the opening paragraph, it depends on what you mean by “supass”. Could Berryz and/or Cute soon surpass Morning Musume in terms of sales? Ummm, maybe, I guess. Can they surpass them in terms of becoming the superior group? Not any time soon. Hey, aren’tthey all one big happy h!p family anyway? If one group gains popularity, that serves to draw attention to the rest of them. Group hug!