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bmsgThe HANA girls were interviewed by model press a month after their group formation on January 11, 2025.
They were asked about their thoughts going through the various screenings of the audition, "No No Girls", how their mindset changed, and their messages to those who are chasing their dreams.
The interview series were published starting February 20 to February 23.
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502087
- Chika writes her lyrics as short essays first, since she's good at essays.
- Her lyrics are often her going, "If I put these words together it will convey my message with impact".
- In one of her original lyrics for Bijin, there was a line that goes "There was only my mother in the audience". It was an event in Fukuoka, and announcements were made about it, but not even people she knew went to it. Chika remembers that day very well because it was raining and her mother was holding an umbrella while recording her performance. She wanted to convey her frustrations that day has changed because there were 20K people in front of her on 1/11 with that one line.
- Chika had a different song in mind that she wanted to perform for 1/11 but after talking with Chanmina about her past, she changed her mind a little.
- Chika was concerned that her "Bijin" will seem like she is copying mina and felt anxious about it, but Chanmina reassured her that it won't, so she continued to practice. She also thought it's a rare chance for her to perform the song.
- Chika doesn't think she was denied by the people or places she auditioned before. She thinks she simply didn't fit what they were looking for. She said she got commented on her weight, but she thinks they didn't intend for it to hurt her. They said, "If you want us to accept you, you need to be a certain body type." But for Chika at the time, it was harsh, because she felt like there was nowhere else for her to go, "If I fail here, what am i going to do".
- Chika was glad she found NNG because she didn't pass previous auditions because of her weight / body type, she thought she had to lose weight. But the artist she admired aren't necessarily skinny either. She wanted to be a strong, female artist so she wondered why she had to lose weight, and what (kind of person) did she want to become. When she came across NNG, she thought she could become the artist she wants to be, so she applied
- Around NNG The Final, she started feeling anxious, to the point where the thought, “If I don’t make it, I might give up on my dream” came up for her. She knows this thought wasn’t serious and it wasn’t everything (that she had thought) but she was really serious about it, so she thought, “I am absolutely needed in the group.” Everyone wanted to go to the world, so they all had a strong resolve.
- The turning point for Chika during the audition was when NNG started being premiered on YT and Hulu. Seeing all the encouragement and support from fans in the YT comments really lifted her spirits. She used to be the type that would only see the negative comments and even got scared checking social media. In NNG she showed a really weak, and unconfident side of herself, but the fans and comments made her think she is fine the way she is. Chika thought she had to change in order to become more confident, she thinks it’s thanks to the fans that she can have confidence in herself and think, “I can be myself and convey music as I am and that’s good for me”
- Chika thinks being told that “you have confidence” means you must have confidence somewhere in you, but if you don’t think you have it from being told “NO” or you can’t find it within yourself somehow, then she will redirect the “NO” you’ve been told with her music and become someone people can depend on. Chika doesn’t want people to blame themselves. It might be hard, but she hopes for people to think, “Chika is here so it’s OK,” when they’re suffering from a lack of confidence.
- Some memorable quotes from Chanmina that stood up to Chika was “Iikagen ni shirou / Cut it out” because of just how straightforward she said it. And the other one is at NNG The Final when she said she wanted to thank the people that had let Chika go.
- In order to achieve one’s dreams, Chika thinks one has to work hard. Obviously, there may be things like your appearance, your body, your voice that you may not be confident in, but she believes that if you keep working hard, have the skills and you are being yourself, luck will come your way and you shouldn’t miss out on the luck when it comes. From NNG, she was glad she kept going. She thinks it’s important to work hard on what’s in front of you and what you can do, with the thought “I’m glad I did it” later instead of having regrets.
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502187
- Naoko knows that fans refer to themselves as “Naoko’s girl” and is really happy about it. She gets a lot of energy from reading supportive messages for her.
- Naoko thinks one of her good traits is she doesn’t really have an idea of “Oh I’m good at THIS thing”. In a good way, she doesn’t think of herself much. When people compliment her, she often thinks, “I can do more / do better.” She practices knowing that the more she practices, the better she gets and this can lead to her self-confidence. Because of that, when she receives praise, she thinks, in a good way, that, “This isn’t all there is to me” and “I can do more”.
Interviewer: “That’s amazing”
Naoko: Thank you.
- The seven of us all want to say “We’re amazing!”. I think the 30 girls who have been with us since Round 3 are amazing too. I think all of us thought, “No I can do more” than “Yes, I’m amazing”.
Naoko thinks she’s the type that enjoyed the audition. There wasn’t a time in the audition where she thought things were difficult. If she felt down, she gets over it quickly or forgets about it. Other times, she will wonder why she can’t do a particular part as something she will fix next time. In doing that, the less anxious she felt.
- In terms of managing herself though, she recently came to realise that she is the type of person that accumulates stress without realising and this can overexert her body physically. Naoko got a little sick before NNG The Final and she wondered, “Of all times, why now” and was anxious, so that was a little difficult.
- Naoko thinks people who watch NNG are people who are working hard and doing their best everyday. So she wants to tell viewers to give themselves the time to properly rest, because you don’t know your body’s limits until you’ve experienced it. She hopes to share happy times together.
She thinks NNG The Final came together because of everyone. She thinks a lot of things came together to make it happen. It was the first time they had all met in a while and Naoko was more clear about what he dream was, and because of meeting all the Top 30 girls again, she felt like she needed to work extra hard for their sake and, thought “Everyone’s looking forward to this” and got a little anxious. But when everyone said, “It’s OK” her anxiety disappeared. Naoko felt like she had a lot of feelings going into the final screening from talking to the girls about various things
- Although the girls have all shared their background, their NOs with each other and they are all comfortable with each other, the member who Naoko relies / depends on the most is Koharu. Naoko was actually hiding in the bathroom to cry during Round 3 screening but Koharu found her and asked her what’s wrong. Although Koharu was on a different team from then on, Naoko thought, “If Koharu is here, it’ll be OK”. Naoko says Koharu is very observant and can catch subtle changes in members quickly, so she is helped a lot by Koharu. Koharu is also the only member who is the same age as her so she is very grateful for Koharu’s presence.
Interviewer: What caused you to cry during Round 3?
- Naoko was comparing herself to the other girls in Team C (BURNINC GIRLS), because she was with girls she had known or admired before. Naoko knew / heard about Chika from the school she went to before, and knew about Momoka and Asha. She was comparing herself so much to the others that she wondered why she was here. No matter how much she practiced she didn't feel confident, so she didn't think she'd pass. Because Koharu found and reached out to her, it helped Naoko change her mindset to, "Let's look forward to what's to come".
Naoko is someone that can’t live without practicing. To keep working hard can be a painful and tiring thing, a lot of things can happen along the way – you might feel nervous or uncertainty, or that the goal is too far away or it won’t come true. She thinks none of this should hold you back, acknowledge the work and effort you have put in up to now, the feelings you have had, and be as you are because the most important thing is to take care of yourself. And then, it will come true, dreams come true.
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502177
- Rather than from when Jisoo started as a trainee, she thought she was losing confidence in herself and who she is when she started music. Although she was a trainee in a company she really looked up to, she felt like she was losing herself, and told the company she wanted to leave. She applied for other auditions after quitting the company but she felt like she didn’t really know who she was. She thought she didn’t have a chance to debut unless she had everything down perfectly and thought she wasn’t enough. This continued until 2023, where her mental state of mind was at its worst. She started talking to people around her and heard about NNG and applied, thinking that a new country would allow her to find a new self.
Jisoo slowly losing confidence in herself wasn’t because someone said something mean, but more of the perfectionist side of herself that wanted to be better that drove herself into a corner and she stopped enjoying music
- Jisoo overcame this when she took a solo trip to New York to see a friend (who is working there). Where before she would care a lot about what other people thought of her or overthink, she would be singing on the street as she walked and realised no one really cared about what she was doing. It made her realise, “Oh! No one cares! I can do what I want!” and this cheered her up a lot.
- [Interviewer said that Jisoo has a lot of drive – to audition for a girl group in Japan and to take a solo trip to NY] Jisoo said she has always liked this part of herself. She thinks no matter how many times she falls, she’s able to pick herself up. She’s a really positive person, when people around her praised her she always kept it in mind and did her best. She has times where she gets negative, but she is otherwise pretty positive.
- Before NNG THE FINAL, Jisoo was living alone in Japan for 3 months. She took lessons on her own and really confronted herself. She’d cry alone in her room but then cheer herself up by saying, “OK, let’s cheer up!”. Jisoo had a lot of ups and downs, as she got used to those ups and downs, she’d think, “Right, I should focus on what I should be doing right now. That’s the only thing I can do.” She was able to enjoy the things that she does after this.
- She was able to make the switch when she was rehearsing for the solo stage with ASUPI and the dancers. She received a lot of positive energy from ASUPI and the dancers complimented her a lot, Jisoo really enjoyed their practices and time together.
- The lyrics for “I’m Not OK” gave Jisoo a lot of strength when she sang it and practiced it. She thought the lyrics were about her feelings as it is, especially the chorus, she would say she’s OK when she actually wasn’t and that it’s OK to think / feel like she is “not OK”.
- In the 3 months when Jisoo was living alone, whenever she’s in her room for too long or thinking too much, Naoko would get her out of her thoughts by bringing something she made for Jisoo or inviting her to go to the beach. Both of them would say, “I’m glad I’m not alone” to each other during those times. Naoko gave Jisoo a lot of strength in those 3 months and is very grateful to her.
- Jisoo has always believed that, “If you do it until you can, you can do it”. Although she thought of quitting music in 2023, she is glad she didn’t because now her dream is in front of her. She still believes that “If you do it until you can, you can do it” and hopes that people believe in themselves and do their best.
- Jisoo hopes to be more confident than she is now, and create and sing music that remains in the hearts of people for a long time
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4496203
- When Yuri watched everyone’s solo performances at the rehearsal for NNG The Final in January, she was taken aback – in good and bad ways. It was bad in that it made her anxious, it was good in that she felt like if these girls were her nakama then they could do anything. It made her want to open up. Although her emotions had its ups and downs and she wondered if she’ll be OK since the performance is really soon, it was a good environment and time well-spent.
- [The interviewer asked how she changed her mindset from crying out of frustration in her vocal lesson to being able to say she’s confident] When Yuri watched the NNG episode where the line-up was announced, she thought about the other girls who had worked hard alongside her and thought, “Is it OK for me to have made it this far?”, the process led her to being able to say she’s confident.
- Yuri was definitely frustrated and going through a lot of emotions. At some point, she thought, “Why am I, the one who remained, feeling this down and losing confidence?” She thought it would be disrespectful to the girls who didn’t make it, and she would be denying the efforts and everything she worked hard for. She didn’t want that to happen so she decided to build up her confidence.
- She practiced her facial expressions in front of the mirror. She thought if she practiced or overdid it, it would seem “fake”, so she tried to stay in a good mental condition and not underestimate herself.
Chanmina was definitely someone who helped Yuri when she was feeling down during January rehearsals. She told Chanmina honestly that she doesn’t know why she’s still here. Chanmina told Yuri that she underestimated herself too much, that she has practiced enough already and she should stay strong mentally. Chanmina’s, “We’re all your allies” also helped Yuri.
- Yuri has hid and refrained from talking about the experience of losing her father until now, which is why people were saying her facial expressions don’t change much. Yuri also realised that continuing to hide and live life like that is going to break her one day – she thinks she doesn’t have to force herself to talk about it, but she should find people she wants to share it with, when she wants to.
- Yuri doesn’t usually write lyrics down in a notebook, she just lets her mind wander and think about them in her head before she goes to sleep. Since this was a part of her past that she had never really confronted before, she felt herself shrink emotionally, on instinct. She thought, “If I can express this in front of everyone at K-Arena, I’ll definitely become stronger” But she honestly didn’t want to think about it, scared even, but she forced herself to face it head-on and with a feeling of overcoming it.
- She’s sure there are many people who have experienced loss, even if in a different form or way. Even if she can’t understand that person’s feelings 100%, she can empathize. She hopes people are saved just by having someone who understands that a little, so she performed with the hope that she conveyed those feelings to the audience.
- Chanmina often praised Yuri for her “charisma” but she didn’t really know what that meant when mina would tell the other girls about their abilities or skills. When she was rehearsing the moment where she removes her veil, she thought “This is it?” and “Just removing this would create a picture” and so she gave it a shot (lol). The reason she didn’t use the hanamichi (runway) and only stayed on the stage was because she constantly thought about how mina said, “Yuri is amazing simply by just standing there.”
- Yuri couldn’t hear the cheers really well because she had in-ears, but she could hear a little bit and it really boosted her spirits. It reassured her that everyone was an ally from the volume of the cheers.
Yuri thinks one shouldn’t push too hard while chasing one’s dreams. If you keep trying to do it over and over again, you’ll definitely break down. She doesn’t think people are that strong, so it’s important to take a break and calm down even while still going after your dreams. There are times when it’s tough to keep looking forward, so she wants to tell people that it’s OK to pause.
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4496340
- [Interviewer wanted to hear about Momoka’s toughest / saddest experience] Momoka said it’s difficult to rank / choose just one, but she talked about getting hate on SNS post-PDJP. She said she was posting so that more people could find out about her, but people were telling her, “Just give up being an artist” which really hurt. She put in a lot of work and never gave up on being an artist outside of posting on SNS, so she couldn’t really accept it.
- Momoka left her regular high school after her second year and switched to a correspondence school for her third, final year of high school while being a trainee. Her siblings were busy in clubs part of a prestigious school while she spent a lot of time at home, which made her siblings wonder, “Are you really living your dream? 🤨” she was really frustrated at the time, so she created her solo stage looking back on that period of her life.
- [Second question was when was the turning point] Momoka said the turning point for her was Round 4 Creative Screening. Momoka felt like she was able to look back on all that she accomplished in life up to that point. There was proof that she had worked hard, so there was no need to dwell on the past or hold grudges. She was able to concentrate and by the time of the final screening, she was able to see her past as beautiful.
- [Interviewer said her consideration and care for the members really stood out] Momoka said she wasn’t really conscious about that, she was just being herself. Caring for others has always been what she usually does in her daily life, and she acted hoping that it makes for a better team and a better piece of work.
- Momoka has always been an optimistic person and the type that gives up pretty easily, she accepts things as they come with a “It’s like this, so it’s OK” or “It’ll work out somehow.” She found that easier to live with and that’s how she was until Chanmina told her she needed to push herself more / be more disciplined, she realized because she was optimistic, she tended to be a bit careless, or during an actual performance she’d regret not doing something differently. It would cause her mental state to hit a slump or cause her to get overly nervous. She doesn’t think she has fully refined all the details but compared to before she is more aware of following the proper steps and doing things properly. It’s helped kept her mental state stable and have a stronger mindset
- Momoka thinks her being “not disciplined” is both good and bad. From a positive standpoint, she is someone who accepts things as they come and can adapt to anyone, so she wasn’t dissatisfied or anything. When she looks at Jisoo and Naoko though, who put in the work, and decide what they want to do down to the finest detail to build their foundations, she realises they are who they are now because of the accumulation of all their hard work and effort, and steadily building that is probably the quickest way to improve her skills.
- Even if Momoka knew she had to do it, sometimes the feeling of “it’s a hassle” wins and she would prioritize other things. Since she was told to “be disciplined” she started doing core and muscle training little by little. Before NNG The Final, all of Team B of “Drop” were doing it. She told the members that she was running and they decided they should go for a run together. This started a “Team B jogging session” before lessons. They would run five full laps to “Drop”, take screenshots of the distance and share it with each other, send each other training videos, and they all gradually became more disciplined as they continued to help each other out.
- It may be a cliché, but in the process of chasing your dreams, there are times when things go well and times when they don't. Momoka thinks that everyone experiences times when they think, "I'll quit" and times when they think, "I want to do it after all". She thinks it's really rare for someone to continue to strongly think "I want to do it" for a long time. There were many times when Momoka seriously thought she’ll give up now and thought, "If I tried so hard and it's impossible, it's impossible." But when she has time away from music, there are times when she thinks, "I want to do it after all". She wants to tell people who are chasing their dreams that, "Giving up is not a bad thing". Sometimes you can find something else you want to do because you gave up, and that's not wrong, so if you give up and think "I want to do it after all" again, she wants you to cherish that feeling. Momoka also thought about giving up many times, but she was able to take on this audition because she still thought, "I want to do it." No matter how many times you feel like giving up, if you can still think, "I want to do this after all," then that's the dream you really want to do, and if you just keep working hard and don't compromise on that belief, Momoka’s sure it will come true someday.
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502088
- During round 3, Koharu was worried about the others that she didn’t have time to focus on herself. She thinks her lack of self-confidence factored into how much she focused more on the others. But the important thing is to look after herself first, so she’s glad Chanmina noticed that and grateful to mina giving her the feedback she did.
- It was starting from Chanmina’s feedback that helped Koharu to do something for herself first before looking out for others. Before she might’ve said, “That’s who I am” and probably never had the idea of looking after herself at all.
- It wasn’t easy for Koharu to look after herself first before looking after others. She was trying to be intentional and conscious of it in Round 4, “Right! Let’s think for myself first!” but she didn’t know where to start and felt like this wasn’t resolved. She still enjoyed Round 4 though.
- Koharu started understanding this in Round 5, but the moment it happened was the 5 months leading up to NNG The Final when she had a picnic with her sister. Koharu felt like she was able to love herself completely, and accept herself, “This is who I am” and a lot of thoughts and feelings came to her that day and she started to cry
- Chanmina commented that Koharu helped the team a lot in “Drop”, Koharu believes that unless she and the members open up their hearts and put teamwork first, they can’t put together a good performance, put their life on the line, nor can any of that be conveyed to the audience. It’s why she made an effort to get into the hearts of her group members. She respects that there are different types of people – some girls welcome it, but others don’t want to be intruded like that – but Koharu wants the girls to say what they think from the bottom of their hearts and lay themselves bare. She’s been working on this for a long time and thought she did a good job, so Koharu thinks that’s why she got the feedback she did from Chanmina.
- That said, Koharu thinks just because they’ve all worked together as a team, doesn’t mean you can understand or tell how someone is from being together like that. She thinks it’s up to the person whether they want to open up or not, so there were times when she was confused. Everyone had wonderful personalities and a strong sense of self, so it wasn’t like she struggled, she was just doing something unfamiliar, and it makes performing with others difficult given those challenges.
- [Interviewer asked her if there was one member that supported her or helped her] Koharu says the other nine girls helped her and supported her in very different ways. She doesn’t think she would be the person she is today if even one out of the nine were missing. She spent a lot of time with them and so she’s attached to each of them. If she had to pick one, it would be Naoko though, because they shared about their fears and worries even before they knew each other’s names, and she thinks she’s able to continue that relationship with Naoko because of how they met.
- Koharu retells the story of waiting for the round 3 interviews, with Naoko also waiting and they said hi to each other and Naoko confided in her. Naoko left for the bathroom and Koharu went to check on her to find that Naoko was crying. Koharu thinks that’s what started their relationship.
- [Interviewer compliments her on her communication skills] Koharu thinks her personality might have been a factor. She likes people. There are times when she can accept that, “Some people are like this” and move on, but as she was writing the lyrics for NG in Round 5, the thought of “I’ll shine even for you, who are jealous of me” came to her.
- [Interviewer says that during NNG people often bring up that she’s like the “sun” ☀️, and asks her where does her cheerfulness come from] Since Koharu was a kid, she has always liked people and want people to like her, so she’d often think, “If I do this, it’ll be funny,” or “If I do this, it’ll make people laugh.” It’s never an act, but her family often tells her, “You release all that energy when you’re outside, so when you’re home it’s like you go right into energy-saving mode.” wwww It’s why Koharu thinks she always has to be grateful for her family, although she might not have been able to do so until now, she tries.
- [Interviewer comments on the gap between her cheerfulness and when she said she lacks confidence] Koharu is observant of the people around her. She thinks she sees the good in people really well, because of that though she often compared herself to others. “Oh, but I don’t have this kind of charm…” and took it negatively; wanting to stop that thought, she’d process it all negatively too. The Koharu up to now at least. She still has moments where she is envious of other people’s charms, but she thinks she takes it optimistically these days. She thinks this change comes from her being aware of these thoughts but then stopping herself and going, “But I have this kind of thing,” or “If I don’t have x, then I can just do it like this instead.”
- Koharu thinks in order for your dreams to come true, it’s important to just take action first – even if you don’t know what to do, what will happen, just give it a shot and there will come a time where your attitude / actions will be rewarded. People around you may recognise you for it, or it may come back to haunt you, but taking action is the first important step. And then, if you just keep an eye on various things and the details, it might lead to big changes, as the saying goes, “Every little thing adds up”. So she thinks taking action is the start of making your dreams come true
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4501529
- Time between Round 3 and Round 3.5 – about a month
- Although Mahina never tried rap before, she had a strong desire to pass her 3.5 Screening, and that “I still have a chance.” Since mina created this chance for her, Mahina wanted to meet up to everyone / mina’s expectations of her and wanted to do her best no matter what.
- Mahina was a little nervous but there was no time to look back so she simply just had to keep pushing forward. She spent the month leading up to her 3.5 Screening facing herself, studying her expressions, thinking about what she can do right now in order to meet everyone’s expectations and respond accordingly. She was also looking for songs that would be suitable for her, and discovered many new songs (besides Uchira) that suited her, so she felt like she grew a lot in that respect too
- About “I believed in God” line from Round 4: She thought it’s a phrase you don’t often hear. When she was in elementary, she often asked / prayed in the form of, “God please! Kami-sama onegai!” so that’s how the word “God” came about. She was trying to be playful with her words and that’s how “I believed in God” came to her. It’s also from her past experiences when interacting and dealing with people and their opinions were at odds.
- This happened when Mahina was in elementary school, and there are still hurtful words from that time that remain in her heart. Rather than writing lyrics to those kids that hurt her, it’s more for the general public that says heartless things. Mahina felt like she relieved some stress when she was writing the lyrics.
- That being said, she thinks she doesn’t have a wealth of experiences of being told “NO” or being confronted compared to the other members. She still thinks she discovered and learned new things from the audition, like being involved in production and songwriting.
- Mahina in NNG THE FINAL: Mahina wanted to present herself as she is, so she didn’t want to hide anything. When she’s happy she’s happy and when she’s anxious, she’s anxious. So when mina said she looked relaxed in the final screening, Mahina went, “So that’s how I looked!” and was really happy to hear it.
- Mahina’s a person that’s not very good at trying new things. It takes her a long time to try something new, so she was really worried whether she was the right kind of person to partake in this audition. She’s learned and discovered a lot of new things through NNG, the 3.5 Screening also pushed her to be open to trying anything and everything, and she’s really enjoyed discovering new sides to herself. So she thinks it’s important to approach things with positivity, enjoyment, and doing your best.
- Mahina’s advice to those chasing their dreams: You never know what happens in life, so not giving up on yourself is important. Whether you’re chasing your dreams or about to give up. Although giving up is important, she thinks it’s also important to ask yourself “Is this really good for me?” and move forward.
- Mahina thinks there will be moments while you’re chasing your dreams where you get negative, “Why can’t I do this?” or “Why can’t I do something so simple?” In those moments, Mahina says it’s important to rely on the people around you. She thinks your dreams can come true if you don’t give up by thinking, “What can I do now?”
Hope you enjoyed!
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They were asked about their thoughts going through the various screenings of the audition, "No No Girls", how their mindset changed, and their messages to those who are chasing their dreams.
The interview series were published starting February 20 to February 23.
CHIKA
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502087
- Chika writes her lyrics as short essays first, since she's good at essays.
- Her lyrics are often her going, "If I put these words together it will convey my message with impact".
- In one of her original lyrics for Bijin, there was a line that goes "There was only my mother in the audience". It was an event in Fukuoka, and announcements were made about it, but not even people she knew went to it. Chika remembers that day very well because it was raining and her mother was holding an umbrella while recording her performance. She wanted to convey her frustrations that day has changed because there were 20K people in front of her on 1/11 with that one line.
- Chika had a different song in mind that she wanted to perform for 1/11 but after talking with Chanmina about her past, she changed her mind a little.
- Chika was concerned that her "Bijin" will seem like she is copying mina and felt anxious about it, but Chanmina reassured her that it won't, so she continued to practice. She also thought it's a rare chance for her to perform the song.
- Chika doesn't think she was denied by the people or places she auditioned before. She thinks she simply didn't fit what they were looking for. She said she got commented on her weight, but she thinks they didn't intend for it to hurt her. They said, "If you want us to accept you, you need to be a certain body type." But for Chika at the time, it was harsh, because she felt like there was nowhere else for her to go, "If I fail here, what am i going to do".
- Chika was glad she found NNG because she didn't pass previous auditions because of her weight / body type, she thought she had to lose weight. But the artist she admired aren't necessarily skinny either. She wanted to be a strong, female artist so she wondered why she had to lose weight, and what (kind of person) did she want to become. When she came across NNG, she thought she could become the artist she wants to be, so she applied
- Around NNG The Final, she started feeling anxious, to the point where the thought, “If I don’t make it, I might give up on my dream” came up for her. She knows this thought wasn’t serious and it wasn’t everything (that she had thought) but she was really serious about it, so she thought, “I am absolutely needed in the group.” Everyone wanted to go to the world, so they all had a strong resolve.
- The turning point for Chika during the audition was when NNG started being premiered on YT and Hulu. Seeing all the encouragement and support from fans in the YT comments really lifted her spirits. She used to be the type that would only see the negative comments and even got scared checking social media. In NNG she showed a really weak, and unconfident side of herself, but the fans and comments made her think she is fine the way she is. Chika thought she had to change in order to become more confident, she thinks it’s thanks to the fans that she can have confidence in herself and think, “I can be myself and convey music as I am and that’s good for me”
- Chika thinks being told that “you have confidence” means you must have confidence somewhere in you, but if you don’t think you have it from being told “NO” or you can’t find it within yourself somehow, then she will redirect the “NO” you’ve been told with her music and become someone people can depend on. Chika doesn’t want people to blame themselves. It might be hard, but she hopes for people to think, “Chika is here so it’s OK,” when they’re suffering from a lack of confidence.
- Some memorable quotes from Chanmina that stood up to Chika was “Iikagen ni shirou / Cut it out” because of just how straightforward she said it. And the other one is at NNG The Final when she said she wanted to thank the people that had let Chika go.
- In order to achieve one’s dreams, Chika thinks one has to work hard. Obviously, there may be things like your appearance, your body, your voice that you may not be confident in, but she believes that if you keep working hard, have the skills and you are being yourself, luck will come your way and you shouldn’t miss out on the luck when it comes. From NNG, she was glad she kept going. She thinks it’s important to work hard on what’s in front of you and what you can do, with the thought “I’m glad I did it” later instead of having regrets.
NAOKO
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502187
- Naoko knows that fans refer to themselves as “Naoko’s girl” and is really happy about it. She gets a lot of energy from reading supportive messages for her.
- Naoko thinks one of her good traits is she doesn’t really have an idea of “Oh I’m good at THIS thing”. In a good way, she doesn’t think of herself much. When people compliment her, she often thinks, “I can do more / do better.” She practices knowing that the more she practices, the better she gets and this can lead to her self-confidence. Because of that, when she receives praise, she thinks, in a good way, that, “This isn’t all there is to me” and “I can do more”.
Interviewer: “That’s amazing”
Naoko: Thank you.
- The seven of us all want to say “We’re amazing!”. I think the 30 girls who have been with us since Round 3 are amazing too. I think all of us thought, “No I can do more” than “Yes, I’m amazing”.
Naoko thinks she’s the type that enjoyed the audition. There wasn’t a time in the audition where she thought things were difficult. If she felt down, she gets over it quickly or forgets about it. Other times, she will wonder why she can’t do a particular part as something she will fix next time. In doing that, the less anxious she felt.
- In terms of managing herself though, she recently came to realise that she is the type of person that accumulates stress without realising and this can overexert her body physically. Naoko got a little sick before NNG The Final and she wondered, “Of all times, why now” and was anxious, so that was a little difficult.
- Naoko thinks people who watch NNG are people who are working hard and doing their best everyday. So she wants to tell viewers to give themselves the time to properly rest, because you don’t know your body’s limits until you’ve experienced it. She hopes to share happy times together.
She thinks NNG The Final came together because of everyone. She thinks a lot of things came together to make it happen. It was the first time they had all met in a while and Naoko was more clear about what he dream was, and because of meeting all the Top 30 girls again, she felt like she needed to work extra hard for their sake and, thought “Everyone’s looking forward to this” and got a little anxious. But when everyone said, “It’s OK” her anxiety disappeared. Naoko felt like she had a lot of feelings going into the final screening from talking to the girls about various things
- Although the girls have all shared their background, their NOs with each other and they are all comfortable with each other, the member who Naoko relies / depends on the most is Koharu. Naoko was actually hiding in the bathroom to cry during Round 3 screening but Koharu found her and asked her what’s wrong. Although Koharu was on a different team from then on, Naoko thought, “If Koharu is here, it’ll be OK”. Naoko says Koharu is very observant and can catch subtle changes in members quickly, so she is helped a lot by Koharu. Koharu is also the only member who is the same age as her so she is very grateful for Koharu’s presence.
Interviewer: What caused you to cry during Round 3?
- Naoko was comparing herself to the other girls in Team C (BURNINC GIRLS), because she was with girls she had known or admired before. Naoko knew / heard about Chika from the school she went to before, and knew about Momoka and Asha. She was comparing herself so much to the others that she wondered why she was here. No matter how much she practiced she didn't feel confident, so she didn't think she'd pass. Because Koharu found and reached out to her, it helped Naoko change her mindset to, "Let's look forward to what's to come".
Naoko is someone that can’t live without practicing. To keep working hard can be a painful and tiring thing, a lot of things can happen along the way – you might feel nervous or uncertainty, or that the goal is too far away or it won’t come true. She thinks none of this should hold you back, acknowledge the work and effort you have put in up to now, the feelings you have had, and be as you are because the most important thing is to take care of yourself. And then, it will come true, dreams come true.
JISOO
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502177
- Rather than from when Jisoo started as a trainee, she thought she was losing confidence in herself and who she is when she started music. Although she was a trainee in a company she really looked up to, she felt like she was losing herself, and told the company she wanted to leave. She applied for other auditions after quitting the company but she felt like she didn’t really know who she was. She thought she didn’t have a chance to debut unless she had everything down perfectly and thought she wasn’t enough. This continued until 2023, where her mental state of mind was at its worst. She started talking to people around her and heard about NNG and applied, thinking that a new country would allow her to find a new self.
Jisoo slowly losing confidence in herself wasn’t because someone said something mean, but more of the perfectionist side of herself that wanted to be better that drove herself into a corner and she stopped enjoying music
- Jisoo overcame this when she took a solo trip to New York to see a friend (who is working there). Where before she would care a lot about what other people thought of her or overthink, she would be singing on the street as she walked and realised no one really cared about what she was doing. It made her realise, “Oh! No one cares! I can do what I want!” and this cheered her up a lot.
- [Interviewer said that Jisoo has a lot of drive – to audition for a girl group in Japan and to take a solo trip to NY] Jisoo said she has always liked this part of herself. She thinks no matter how many times she falls, she’s able to pick herself up. She’s a really positive person, when people around her praised her she always kept it in mind and did her best. She has times where she gets negative, but she is otherwise pretty positive.
- Before NNG THE FINAL, Jisoo was living alone in Japan for 3 months. She took lessons on her own and really confronted herself. She’d cry alone in her room but then cheer herself up by saying, “OK, let’s cheer up!”. Jisoo had a lot of ups and downs, as she got used to those ups and downs, she’d think, “Right, I should focus on what I should be doing right now. That’s the only thing I can do.” She was able to enjoy the things that she does after this.
- She was able to make the switch when she was rehearsing for the solo stage with ASUPI and the dancers. She received a lot of positive energy from ASUPI and the dancers complimented her a lot, Jisoo really enjoyed their practices and time together.
- The lyrics for “I’m Not OK” gave Jisoo a lot of strength when she sang it and practiced it. She thought the lyrics were about her feelings as it is, especially the chorus, she would say she’s OK when she actually wasn’t and that it’s OK to think / feel like she is “not OK”.
- In the 3 months when Jisoo was living alone, whenever she’s in her room for too long or thinking too much, Naoko would get her out of her thoughts by bringing something she made for Jisoo or inviting her to go to the beach. Both of them would say, “I’m glad I’m not alone” to each other during those times. Naoko gave Jisoo a lot of strength in those 3 months and is very grateful to her.
- Jisoo has always believed that, “If you do it until you can, you can do it”. Although she thought of quitting music in 2023, she is glad she didn’t because now her dream is in front of her. She still believes that “If you do it until you can, you can do it” and hopes that people believe in themselves and do their best.
- Jisoo hopes to be more confident than she is now, and create and sing music that remains in the hearts of people for a long time
YURI
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4496203
- When Yuri watched everyone’s solo performances at the rehearsal for NNG The Final in January, she was taken aback – in good and bad ways. It was bad in that it made her anxious, it was good in that she felt like if these girls were her nakama then they could do anything. It made her want to open up. Although her emotions had its ups and downs and she wondered if she’ll be OK since the performance is really soon, it was a good environment and time well-spent.
- [The interviewer asked how she changed her mindset from crying out of frustration in her vocal lesson to being able to say she’s confident] When Yuri watched the NNG episode where the line-up was announced, she thought about the other girls who had worked hard alongside her and thought, “Is it OK for me to have made it this far?”, the process led her to being able to say she’s confident.
- Yuri was definitely frustrated and going through a lot of emotions. At some point, she thought, “Why am I, the one who remained, feeling this down and losing confidence?” She thought it would be disrespectful to the girls who didn’t make it, and she would be denying the efforts and everything she worked hard for. She didn’t want that to happen so she decided to build up her confidence.
- She practiced her facial expressions in front of the mirror. She thought if she practiced or overdid it, it would seem “fake”, so she tried to stay in a good mental condition and not underestimate herself.
Chanmina was definitely someone who helped Yuri when she was feeling down during January rehearsals. She told Chanmina honestly that she doesn’t know why she’s still here. Chanmina told Yuri that she underestimated herself too much, that she has practiced enough already and she should stay strong mentally. Chanmina’s, “We’re all your allies” also helped Yuri.
- Yuri has hid and refrained from talking about the experience of losing her father until now, which is why people were saying her facial expressions don’t change much. Yuri also realised that continuing to hide and live life like that is going to break her one day – she thinks she doesn’t have to force herself to talk about it, but she should find people she wants to share it with, when she wants to.
- Yuri doesn’t usually write lyrics down in a notebook, she just lets her mind wander and think about them in her head before she goes to sleep. Since this was a part of her past that she had never really confronted before, she felt herself shrink emotionally, on instinct. She thought, “If I can express this in front of everyone at K-Arena, I’ll definitely become stronger” But she honestly didn’t want to think about it, scared even, but she forced herself to face it head-on and with a feeling of overcoming it.
- She’s sure there are many people who have experienced loss, even if in a different form or way. Even if she can’t understand that person’s feelings 100%, she can empathize. She hopes people are saved just by having someone who understands that a little, so she performed with the hope that she conveyed those feelings to the audience.
- Chanmina often praised Yuri for her “charisma” but she didn’t really know what that meant when mina would tell the other girls about their abilities or skills. When she was rehearsing the moment where she removes her veil, she thought “This is it?” and “Just removing this would create a picture” and so she gave it a shot (lol). The reason she didn’t use the hanamichi (runway) and only stayed on the stage was because she constantly thought about how mina said, “Yuri is amazing simply by just standing there.”
- Yuri couldn’t hear the cheers really well because she had in-ears, but she could hear a little bit and it really boosted her spirits. It reassured her that everyone was an ally from the volume of the cheers.
Yuri thinks one shouldn’t push too hard while chasing one’s dreams. If you keep trying to do it over and over again, you’ll definitely break down. She doesn’t think people are that strong, so it’s important to take a break and calm down even while still going after your dreams. There are times when it’s tough to keep looking forward, so she wants to tell people that it’s OK to pause.
MOMOKA
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4496340
- [Interviewer wanted to hear about Momoka’s toughest / saddest experience] Momoka said it’s difficult to rank / choose just one, but she talked about getting hate on SNS post-PDJP. She said she was posting so that more people could find out about her, but people were telling her, “Just give up being an artist” which really hurt. She put in a lot of work and never gave up on being an artist outside of posting on SNS, so she couldn’t really accept it.
- Momoka left her regular high school after her second year and switched to a correspondence school for her third, final year of high school while being a trainee. Her siblings were busy in clubs part of a prestigious school while she spent a lot of time at home, which made her siblings wonder, “Are you really living your dream? 🤨” she was really frustrated at the time, so she created her solo stage looking back on that period of her life.
- [Second question was when was the turning point] Momoka said the turning point for her was Round 4 Creative Screening. Momoka felt like she was able to look back on all that she accomplished in life up to that point. There was proof that she had worked hard, so there was no need to dwell on the past or hold grudges. She was able to concentrate and by the time of the final screening, she was able to see her past as beautiful.
- [Interviewer said her consideration and care for the members really stood out] Momoka said she wasn’t really conscious about that, she was just being herself. Caring for others has always been what she usually does in her daily life, and she acted hoping that it makes for a better team and a better piece of work.
- Momoka has always been an optimistic person and the type that gives up pretty easily, she accepts things as they come with a “It’s like this, so it’s OK” or “It’ll work out somehow.” She found that easier to live with and that’s how she was until Chanmina told her she needed to push herself more / be more disciplined, she realized because she was optimistic, she tended to be a bit careless, or during an actual performance she’d regret not doing something differently. It would cause her mental state to hit a slump or cause her to get overly nervous. She doesn’t think she has fully refined all the details but compared to before she is more aware of following the proper steps and doing things properly. It’s helped kept her mental state stable and have a stronger mindset
- Momoka thinks her being “not disciplined” is both good and bad. From a positive standpoint, she is someone who accepts things as they come and can adapt to anyone, so she wasn’t dissatisfied or anything. When she looks at Jisoo and Naoko though, who put in the work, and decide what they want to do down to the finest detail to build their foundations, she realises they are who they are now because of the accumulation of all their hard work and effort, and steadily building that is probably the quickest way to improve her skills.
- Even if Momoka knew she had to do it, sometimes the feeling of “it’s a hassle” wins and she would prioritize other things. Since she was told to “be disciplined” she started doing core and muscle training little by little. Before NNG The Final, all of Team B of “Drop” were doing it. She told the members that she was running and they decided they should go for a run together. This started a “Team B jogging session” before lessons. They would run five full laps to “Drop”, take screenshots of the distance and share it with each other, send each other training videos, and they all gradually became more disciplined as they continued to help each other out.
- It may be a cliché, but in the process of chasing your dreams, there are times when things go well and times when they don't. Momoka thinks that everyone experiences times when they think, "I'll quit" and times when they think, "I want to do it after all". She thinks it's really rare for someone to continue to strongly think "I want to do it" for a long time. There were many times when Momoka seriously thought she’ll give up now and thought, "If I tried so hard and it's impossible, it's impossible." But when she has time away from music, there are times when she thinks, "I want to do it after all". She wants to tell people who are chasing their dreams that, "Giving up is not a bad thing". Sometimes you can find something else you want to do because you gave up, and that's not wrong, so if you give up and think "I want to do it after all" again, she wants you to cherish that feeling. Momoka also thought about giving up many times, but she was able to take on this audition because she still thought, "I want to do it." No matter how many times you feel like giving up, if you can still think, "I want to do this after all," then that's the dream you really want to do, and if you just keep working hard and don't compromise on that belief, Momoka’s sure it will come true someday.
KOHARU
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4502088
- During round 3, Koharu was worried about the others that she didn’t have time to focus on herself. She thinks her lack of self-confidence factored into how much she focused more on the others. But the important thing is to look after herself first, so she’s glad Chanmina noticed that and grateful to mina giving her the feedback she did.
- It was starting from Chanmina’s feedback that helped Koharu to do something for herself first before looking out for others. Before she might’ve said, “That’s who I am” and probably never had the idea of looking after herself at all.
- It wasn’t easy for Koharu to look after herself first before looking after others. She was trying to be intentional and conscious of it in Round 4, “Right! Let’s think for myself first!” but she didn’t know where to start and felt like this wasn’t resolved. She still enjoyed Round 4 though.
- Koharu started understanding this in Round 5, but the moment it happened was the 5 months leading up to NNG The Final when she had a picnic with her sister. Koharu felt like she was able to love herself completely, and accept herself, “This is who I am” and a lot of thoughts and feelings came to her that day and she started to cry
- Chanmina commented that Koharu helped the team a lot in “Drop”, Koharu believes that unless she and the members open up their hearts and put teamwork first, they can’t put together a good performance, put their life on the line, nor can any of that be conveyed to the audience. It’s why she made an effort to get into the hearts of her group members. She respects that there are different types of people – some girls welcome it, but others don’t want to be intruded like that – but Koharu wants the girls to say what they think from the bottom of their hearts and lay themselves bare. She’s been working on this for a long time and thought she did a good job, so Koharu thinks that’s why she got the feedback she did from Chanmina.
- That said, Koharu thinks just because they’ve all worked together as a team, doesn’t mean you can understand or tell how someone is from being together like that. She thinks it’s up to the person whether they want to open up or not, so there were times when she was confused. Everyone had wonderful personalities and a strong sense of self, so it wasn’t like she struggled, she was just doing something unfamiliar, and it makes performing with others difficult given those challenges.
- [Interviewer asked her if there was one member that supported her or helped her] Koharu says the other nine girls helped her and supported her in very different ways. She doesn’t think she would be the person she is today if even one out of the nine were missing. She spent a lot of time with them and so she’s attached to each of them. If she had to pick one, it would be Naoko though, because they shared about their fears and worries even before they knew each other’s names, and she thinks she’s able to continue that relationship with Naoko because of how they met.
- Koharu retells the story of waiting for the round 3 interviews, with Naoko also waiting and they said hi to each other and Naoko confided in her. Naoko left for the bathroom and Koharu went to check on her to find that Naoko was crying. Koharu thinks that’s what started their relationship.
- [Interviewer compliments her on her communication skills] Koharu thinks her personality might have been a factor. She likes people. There are times when she can accept that, “Some people are like this” and move on, but as she was writing the lyrics for NG in Round 5, the thought of “I’ll shine even for you, who are jealous of me” came to her.
- [Interviewer says that during NNG people often bring up that she’s like the “sun” ☀️, and asks her where does her cheerfulness come from] Since Koharu was a kid, she has always liked people and want people to like her, so she’d often think, “If I do this, it’ll be funny,” or “If I do this, it’ll make people laugh.” It’s never an act, but her family often tells her, “You release all that energy when you’re outside, so when you’re home it’s like you go right into energy-saving mode.” wwww It’s why Koharu thinks she always has to be grateful for her family, although she might not have been able to do so until now, she tries.
- [Interviewer comments on the gap between her cheerfulness and when she said she lacks confidence] Koharu is observant of the people around her. She thinks she sees the good in people really well, because of that though she often compared herself to others. “Oh, but I don’t have this kind of charm…” and took it negatively; wanting to stop that thought, she’d process it all negatively too. The Koharu up to now at least. She still has moments where she is envious of other people’s charms, but she thinks she takes it optimistically these days. She thinks this change comes from her being aware of these thoughts but then stopping herself and going, “But I have this kind of thing,” or “If I don’t have x, then I can just do it like this instead.”
- Koharu thinks in order for your dreams to come true, it’s important to just take action first – even if you don’t know what to do, what will happen, just give it a shot and there will come a time where your attitude / actions will be rewarded. People around you may recognise you for it, or it may come back to haunt you, but taking action is the first important step. And then, if you just keep an eye on various things and the details, it might lead to big changes, as the saying goes, “Every little thing adds up”. So she thinks taking action is the start of making your dreams come true
MAHINA
Interview link: https://mdpr.jp/interview/detail/4501529
- Time between Round 3 and Round 3.5 – about a month
- Although Mahina never tried rap before, she had a strong desire to pass her 3.5 Screening, and that “I still have a chance.” Since mina created this chance for her, Mahina wanted to meet up to everyone / mina’s expectations of her and wanted to do her best no matter what.
- Mahina was a little nervous but there was no time to look back so she simply just had to keep pushing forward. She spent the month leading up to her 3.5 Screening facing herself, studying her expressions, thinking about what she can do right now in order to meet everyone’s expectations and respond accordingly. She was also looking for songs that would be suitable for her, and discovered many new songs (besides Uchira) that suited her, so she felt like she grew a lot in that respect too
- About “I believed in God” line from Round 4: She thought it’s a phrase you don’t often hear. When she was in elementary, she often asked / prayed in the form of, “God please! Kami-sama onegai!” so that’s how the word “God” came about. She was trying to be playful with her words and that’s how “I believed in God” came to her. It’s also from her past experiences when interacting and dealing with people and their opinions were at odds.
- This happened when Mahina was in elementary school, and there are still hurtful words from that time that remain in her heart. Rather than writing lyrics to those kids that hurt her, it’s more for the general public that says heartless things. Mahina felt like she relieved some stress when she was writing the lyrics.
- That being said, she thinks she doesn’t have a wealth of experiences of being told “NO” or being confronted compared to the other members. She still thinks she discovered and learned new things from the audition, like being involved in production and songwriting.
- Mahina in NNG THE FINAL: Mahina wanted to present herself as she is, so she didn’t want to hide anything. When she’s happy she’s happy and when she’s anxious, she’s anxious. So when mina said she looked relaxed in the final screening, Mahina went, “So that’s how I looked!” and was really happy to hear it.
- Mahina’s a person that’s not very good at trying new things. It takes her a long time to try something new, so she was really worried whether she was the right kind of person to partake in this audition. She’s learned and discovered a lot of new things through NNG, the 3.5 Screening also pushed her to be open to trying anything and everything, and she’s really enjoyed discovering new sides to herself. So she thinks it’s important to approach things with positivity, enjoyment, and doing your best.
- Mahina’s advice to those chasing their dreams: You never know what happens in life, so not giving up on yourself is important. Whether you’re chasing your dreams or about to give up. Although giving up is important, she thinks it’s also important to ask yourself “Is this really good for me?” and move forward.
- Mahina thinks there will be moments while you’re chasing your dreams where you get negative, “Why can’t I do this?” or “Why can’t I do something so simple?” In those moments, Mahina says it’s important to rely on the people around you. She thinks your dreams can come true if you don’t give up by thinking, “What can I do now?”
Hope you enjoyed!
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