Make Believe Mailer 90: Top Ten Girls From "Produce 101 Japan The Girls"

Just when I think I'm out...

I like to think of myself as a reasonable person, who is open to having my thoughts change when presented with compelling evidence to the contrary. Yet there’s one opinion I’ll cling to stubbornly until I’m dead — Produce 48 is the single most important musical reality show of the 21st century, and should be examined in the same way people study Ulysses.

I’d be lying if I said I’ve been recently thinking about the 2018 South Korean survival show which cast aspiring Korean trainees alongside members of Japan’s sprawling AKB48 family alongside one another to create a new group mixing both. That’s because I’m always thinking about Produce 48. It’s an early indicator of the “everything is AKB48” theory that only grows stronger by the day, for one. But specifically, it jumped to the front of my mental line after reading Tamar Herman’s recent dispatch about rumblings of a “fifth generation” of K-pop, which does a great job of laying out where we are at now, especially with the “fourth generation.”

The reports of K-pop's fifth generation arrival are greatly exaggerated

She offers a good overview, but I’m here to go more crackpot and say…I think the “fourth generation” as we know it today starts with Produce 48 and groups emerging from this epoch most closely resemble the outfit that came out of that show…IZ*ONE. Part of that is literal — prominent names from that show and subsequent unit now litter popular groups, with LE SSERAFIM being the most prominent example — but just as important is what that show established about how K-pop would look like in an ever-more-international marketplace. It would be more global, with a greater number of non-Korean individuals filtering into the system (but with a special focus on Japan…the industry’s most important and lucrative foreign market). It would be young, almost alarmingly so…the top vote getter on Produce 48 was 14 years old…but that would kind of play into the journey-like adventure people took with these performers, watching them go from fledgling performers to world-conquering superstars¹.

To that last point, survival shows became and kind of still are one of the most surefire ways to get fans invested early in a new group, with the Produce series truly cementing this (starting with the two seasons prior to 48, but truly turning global with this 2018 installment). Korea still pumps these out, as does Japan and surrounding Asian countries, at least until certain governments ban them. JYP is airing a whole America-centric one…inspired by Nizi Project, the Japanese JYP audition show that birthed NiziU…right now, on YouTube. Hell, groups that were traditionally put together in-house share documentary-like things that pretend they are like one of these shows to build that connection…YG’s BABYMONSTER, a group pushing the idea of youth to the front to the extreme, has one, as does borderless pop group XG. They were determined and prepped long ago, so all of this is just fugazi², but the allure is powerful.

To be frank, I burned out on these sorts of shows a few years ago. Specifically, midway through Girls Planet 999, which added China, a dippy app and goofy sci-fi talk (“CELLS”), but somehow felt exhausted by episode five. I haven’t committed to one since, checking in on a few (Nizi Project, the BMSG ones they promoted on morning shows, the VTuber monstrosity) but never sticking around. I honestly keep waiting for this trend to die…until now! Because Produce 101 Japan The Girls is right around the corner, and it finds talents from across the J-pop sphere trying to land in a Korean-monitored group…including a lot of idol-y idols, the sort you would think wouldn’t mesh with this system³. It has potential to be compelling and/or a mess, which is all I ask from these shows in the end…but uhhh, also maybe teaching us something about pop along the way.

As is Produce tradition, all 101 participants vying for a spot in the final group have shred a one minute introduction video, allowing them to make a strong first impression with viewers by showcasing their charm. The only way to win this game is by leaving a mark. And as I try to do, I’ve watched them all (or at least a bit of them all, bailing on the boring ones) and highlight the best of the bunch. Because this is pop in the 2020s…a chance for a performer to look at you, state why you should care about them, and then karate-chop a balloon. That’s why I love this stupid, important series, and feel like I’m being pulled back in.

General notes: The most popular talent across all 101 videos appears to be “jump rope.” The one-minute intro is always a chance to flex cultural power, explaining the presence of shogo (Japanese calligraphy), ikebana (flower arrangement), tea ceremony and more, though I don’t find many of them compelling. Continuing a tradition present in all versions of this, contestants continue to think wearing a silly costume constitutes a personality, but if you don’t do something else while dressed as a rabbit, you’re just a future first round elimination dressed as a rabbit. I pruned my list down to 30 contenders, and narrowed it down from there.

10. Iida Shizuku

There’s many worthy contenders for the top ten, but Iida Shizuku manages something rarely seen in the one-minute intro of the Produce series. She makes what should be a boring talent when it comes to a musical competition show — drawing — pop, thanks to her original character “panda ghost.”

Fantastic work and, when coupled with her overly chipper attitude throughout, pushes this one past the borderline into the top ten.

9. Tanaka Koto

To be a jack of all trades…but master of none…carries a whiff of negative connotation. But what if the falling short of perfection in so many areas leads to a more well-rounded existence? Tanaka Koto offers a case study in this with her high-concept introduction. She gets points right out the gate for attempting a theme in the first place — in English, she welcomes us to “Produce 101 Japan airlines” though this bit does not last too long. Once the neck wrap comes off, she offers a proper introduction…showcasing her beatboxing⁴ and breakdancing abilities which…need some work.

It’s the just-go-for-it spirit (and ending the whole thing with a bow turned into a headstand) that makes it more than usual idol storytelling — sure, she might become a great singer and dancer if we follow along on her journey, but she probably won’t get better at beatboxing. Yet she went for it anyways! That’s gumption.

8. Kato Kokoro

Oh, hey, sorry, can we go back to the whole “what survival shows really mean” part of the post? I forgot to mention…they’ve become a sort of last-chance lane for certain groups and performers seeking greater recognition, and also a kind of purgatory for other talents. In the past, you expected to see relative unknowns vying for a spot in a new group. In the last few years, though, that changed to also making room for members of groups that you swore were popular but in reality…were just stuck in the middle.

Kato Kokoro, the woman strumming the Hello Kitty ukulele above, was a member of K-pop group Cherry Bullet, an outfit caught in survival show limbo. Kokoro might be one of the lucky ones — other members of the group keep entering reality shows like Girls Planet 999 or Queendom Puzzle, seeking career advancement but always falling short (singer Bora might very well be addicted to the thrill of survival shows, like soldiers who can’t adjust to regular life after combat and keep re-enlisting). Instead, Kokoro is just trying to rebound, and she lets her musical talents come through…and does so immediately, always a plus.

7. Fujimoto Ayaka

The longer a participant can go in these videos before introducing themselves, the better. Fujimoto Ayaka spends over half of her time tossing a baton around the stage…so high that she actually forces the camera to reveal the darkness surrounding the stage, like a video game glitch…before getting around to the whole “this is who I am bit.” Honestly, could have lost the snack toss at the end and added 10 more seconds of baton.

6. Akiyama Ema

If someone gave me a minute to introduce myself to a potential audience of millions, with the intent of having to leave some kind of impression also underlining some kind of skill I supposedly possessed…I truly don’t know what I would do. I respect the hell out of Akiyama Ema here, who avoids cliche displays of ability like “dancing” and “singing” for a trio of abilities growing in absurdity. First she showcases her French skills developed in college (bonus points for beret), then she hits us with her ability to…make her face look like that of a chimpanzee. Then the coup de grace…I almost don’t want to spoil it, it’s so good, but she imitates a bird, though it sounds closer to Marge Simpson cawing than anything else. Feels very impromptu…but absolutely hooked me in.

5. Kasahara Momona

What makes this particular version of Produce so intriguing is seeing corners of J-pop idol-dom rarely featured on these sort of shows bleeding over into what is a K-pop production. In the crossover event of the season…Hello! Project, more like Hello! Produce. OK, former Hello! Project, but still interesting.

Easily the most viewed introduction, former ANGERME member Kasahara Momona has emerged as the Sakura of her season, in that she already feels like a lock for the group that will come out of this show. Most of those views are from name recognition — rightfully so — but her upload is actually a highlight of the bunch on its own. She keeps doing handsprings and walking like a reverse spider, all the time introducing herself at the same time. Other people attempting gymnastics in this space can’t flip around and talk, so she’s a pro. Docked a bit for kind of stopping halfway through and pivoting to straight-ahead camera talk. Then again, she doesn’t have to work too hard.

4. Yamamoto Suzu

Fuck you smiley face balloon!

Love the intensity she unloads on that inflatable chump. Turns a bit too talkey after the smackdown, but adds an exclamation point at the end by punching towards the camera for one of the better “time’s up!” freeze frames.

OK, before we get to the top three, a few honorable mentions: if Sakurai Miu had eaten like four more grapes she makes the top ten; Iyota Hana is the first contestant I can remember pretending to be a fast-food worker; Yamazaki Mitsui is doing a lot; Murakami Rinon’s ability to identify brands of green tea isn’t great video but fascinating all the same; it’s not high-octane, but Kobayashi Sae’s ability to introduce herself while hitting a volleyball is worthy of praise.

3. Kato Konomi

A performance done so frantically I start getting worried for her in the end.

Self-introductions on Produce can be many things, but rarely do they feel panicked. Which means…Kato Konomi nailed it by choosing to do just that, presented as her rushing to put makeup on. She delivers on the premise too — her voice gets weird when she applies pink lip polish as she tries to smooth it out, and she genuinely sounds frazzled in the home stretch. Credit the cameras, zooming in to capture the details (and how much she is caking on to her face).

2. Nakano Kokona

Nakano Kokona tells a story with her introduction. Dressed as Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service, she does not simply jam her talents together, but weaves them together. She showcases her rap by suddenly busting into rhyme seconds into her intro…before apologizing for it and slapping herself. She sings and shares her drawing (a risk)…but then smacks herself with a page full of anime-style eyes. It’s all made better by her steely stare towards the camera, serious in a way that sells the absurdity underneath. Also I like how she chants her name.

1. Shimizu Keiko

I really did not want the very first one-minute introduction uploaded to the Produce 101 Japan The Girls channel to take the top spot…but 100 clips later and it isn’t even close.

It’s the details of Shimizu Keiko’s introduction, which find her near Brando-like in how she can make a scene all her own. You can see it in her facial expressions, the subtle shifts in her eyes, the way the plastic crown on her head flings to the floor and she just smiles through it, her hair covering her eyes because she didn’t really flip it the right way. Then, like those famous masks we all know and love, she reveals the depth of her artistry, showcasing “kawaii style” before channeling “dark style.”

It’s the final 10 seconds that solidify this as reality-singing-competition-bonus-content perfection. Seemingly with time left over, Shimizu just starts making noises and twisting her head around, making different faces along the way. Urgent yet in control, while wearing a silly hat, she makes the ultimate impression. “In a close-up, the audience is only inches away, and your face becomes the stage,” Marlon Brando once said, if I’m to trust QuoteFancy.com. Here, the spotlight shines directly on Shimizu.

Written by Patrick St. Michel (patrickstmichel@gmail.com)
Twitter — @mbmelodies

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1. Save this thought for the eventual spiritual sequel to this post…but the group most clearly underlining most of these points? NewJeans…one of my thoughts watching them at their first Japanese show at Summer Sonic last month was “oh, they are a lot like AKB48, huh.”

2. I mean….that’s true of the Produce groups too, but at least they let you vote, even if it meant nothing.

3. Just from watching these silly one-minute intro videos…very clear divide between “cute” idols and “sexy” idols.

4. Somehow, multiple contestants showcase beatboxing abilities in these videos, and none of them are good at it.