🌈👑 We are WithU! The Official NiziU Thread | ♪ #Heartris ♪ 👑🌈

[mengxiang]

ayaka already debut???
well we can finally see some glipms what ayaka glow up will be like if she able to debut....this girl kinda look like ayakka

 

[지우____]

Spoiler: Thoughts on episode 5

It is so weird having Nizikake air before the second Sukkiri spotlight. But I guess this whole setup is weird. Anywho.

This matchup really highlighted how the teams were not balanced well. Also it was like complete opposite energies from both teams. Team Heart Maker had this super gloomy aura while team Matunnie had this kind of professional and driven air to them. I guess it's hard to see it unless you watch everything like we get to and JYP staff really didn't get that until the show was entirely edited. Not even sure if they got the whole picture because editing was probably entirely done by the production team that is most likely provided by Nihon TV. I feel like all 3 of the girls in Heart Shaker team kind of get overwhelmed by their situation, but Riku manages to power through it unlike the other two.

I feel bad for Yuna specifically because we've seen her skills, she has been training for a long time and what is holding her back is something mental. I get the feeling that after trying to encourage her early on JYP himself and the company staff got to a point in which they don't know how else to get her out of her rut and are starting to show frustration with her. It's always a sad moment when a teacher gives up on their student, but it seems to me this is the case. Unlike the other Japanese girls she was already training at JYPE and was there after the first audition so my guess this isn't something they are trying to deal with that sprouted then but something ongoing since August last year. Having said that her body language and overall demeanor are not encouraging. I'm assuming here that the editing team didn't leave out major behavior differences, which is a big jump to make, but I haven't felt they tried to hide anything so I'll still make it. I wondered in the first challenge what her reaction to the bad feedback meant and it seems she is resigned to doing poorly which bodes extremely poorly for her future in the show. I just feel like she is very lethargic and defeated from the way she looks not only when JYP is giving her criticism but also during practice and training. It's a huge shame. Her performance was better here than previously but still not inspiring. She danced ok but missed the beat at one part. Her singing was very shaky. She worked hard on her stage presence but you could see she was deflated in all of it which took the appeal out of it. I always wondered if she joined this show 100% in to it or if she felt more comfortable trying for a Korean debut with the Korean trainees. Regardless of the reason I just feel like at this point she gave up on herself and it's very disheartening. I'm not sure if she drops from the show if she stays in JYPE. She is still young so it is definitely possible for her to wait a few years for a Korean GG, but from what we've seen from past survival shows the girls usually leave even if they are young enough to not have urgency to debut. It isn't always immediate but only 1 girl from Sixteen managed to debut with JYP outside of Twice. She can still make it in the show but it is going to take a major change in her posture. I feel like if she was showing the same performance but being more proactive during training she would rank higher. I also wonder how she would have done in a group with Mako. Maybe the same but maybe Mako's methodical approach would help her get over her own insecurities. A real tough situation for sure.

Momoka's ranking to me is entirely on her reaction. It looks like she already accepted being last and kind of expects it. I don't think she performed that poorly honestly. It wasn't perfect but I felt like her vocals were decent and even showed a bit of promise. She had some pretty decent stage presence too. Her dancing also didn't stand out poorly. The issue is while JYP was giving her his assessment it felt like she was not really taking it in and didn't think she herself could improve. I wonder if she wants to drop out because she feels like a fish out of water. Maybe this just isn't the thing for her. Much like Yuna her body language isn't inspiring. I was surprised when JYP announced Momoka for the Korean training so maybe she was also and kind of went in halfheartedly. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I don't have a good feeling for her future with the show. It's also a shame because even though she is in the bottom as far as starting skill is I don't think she did too horribly and can definitely improve. This is why I wanted more girls to be invited, you never know how girls will respond to training and not everyone has the personality to take to it. It's a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice and not everyone can do it.

I'm still surprised how much Riku gets absorbed into a lull. She seems like such a silly kid that likes to mess around you'd think these things wouldn't get to her but it's very clear how much they affect her. Despite it all though she manages to take to training with discipline. I think it was very nice to see her manage to lead her team and try to improve their training and practice even though she was definitely taken by the somber mood. Her vocal once again showed promise but she was still off pitch to me in bits. Her voice was very clear though. She did better with the dance this time, but it is also a simpler choreo. She had good stage presence but I think it was not to the level of Who's Your Mama. Maybe the overall spirit of her team made it harder for her to go show a completely cheerful stage, along with the pressure of facing Mako's team. It was a bit heartbreaking to see her conflicted with happiness of her personal results and sadness over her teammates.

Overall I agree with JYP this was the weakest performance. They didn't really ever look like a team especially vocally. Even though I dance wise they did a good job to me. It was a bit disjointed with how one person seemed very worried, one seemed fine and the other seemed like they were straining a lot.

Swing Baby team was really interesting to watch and as a song choice. Being limited by JYPE's catalogue presents a very unique challenge and I believe the staff had a very clear goal with each team. My guess is they decided to put the more mature girls and with decent performance level and test just how far they can go. Mako always does something different every stage and does it well with good preparation. Maya showed a great stage and some nice skill. Rio was the wildcard. While she did a good job dancing in a style she was not familiar with at all her vocal skill is still lagging behind and this song is one with an energetic choreography on top of singing. This was probably the hardest song but also the most skilled team overall.

It was great seeing a little bit more of their personalities with Mako being a bit silly but still very straightforward. Wanting to cook for her team to bond is a very nice way to show you care and to build up goodwill with the people you will team with. I wouldn't quite say she is has a serious personality, but she gives me slight Naachan(akb48/stu48) vibes. She isn't as serious or as silly as her, but a more milder kind of mixture of both. It feels like whoever teams up with her will do well. I think she did great as usual performing. One of the most solid and consistent girls on the show. I think she danced very well. The girls are clearly not used to this kind of rhythm and song and it was apparent, so I'm not saying she was perfect, but considering the situation she did a great job. The moves were smooth and fluid even if less energetic than the original. I think she sang well too. The song kind of needed a bit more of a higher pitch at times and they didn't have someone that could do it, but that isn't really her range and that is fine. Her stage presence was great and she lead the team very well.

Maya also showed a bit of her personality again. A very silly girl that seems to be at high spirits at all times. Did a great job performing too. Her stage presence shined throughout the song. Very expressive, with lots of detailed moves to add to her image. I think she danced very well too. In her previous performances there were a few moves that looked a bit awkward, while in this one I didn't notice any. It has been really great seeing her blossom and polish her skills in the show. Once again she found a tone that really suited her and added a lot to the music. Very impressive performance.

Along the same lines Rio is also one of the silly kids in the group. Her little dance of excitement along with Maya when Mako was cooking them hamburgers is really the mark of their playfulness. She did a good job with singing. Still not 100% perfect but more stable. I don't think she will be able to showcase incredible range during the show, but that is fine. Her dance was really exactly what I expected. She fit in very well even with a style she probably has 0 experience with and didn't look out of place at all. She also had amazing stage presence not missing a beat along with the other two.

This team was easily the most impressive. They got the hardest song and nailed it. I think the staff must be elated. They wanted to challenge these girls and they answered in kind. They had the best stage presence put out a great show and all of that in a genre none of them know anything about. I feel like this really shows how far the future group can go with Mako leading them

I genuinely have a hard time ranking the girls this challenge. They really improved and are mostly all at a similar level imo. Aside from the very top and the very bottom I don't have much argument against anything. I personally would have put Miihi first, but it's not that big of a difference. I feel like her, Mako, Maya are at the top for sure. After that I would put in any order Riku, Rio, Akari, Rima, Nina and Riria. Then Ayaka. After that Mayuka, Momoka and Yuna in this order. If we are talking about merely skill I would put Momoka ahead of Ayaka and Mayuka, but I don't think I can do that given how we saw her during the episode. It's hard to tell how invested she is and how she feels at the moment. I understand JYP and the staff are taking a lot into consideration when ranking the girls. Not only their skill, but in a greater level of importance their stage presence and training aptitude. I still can't put Ayaka ahead of Rio, Nina and Riria though. She did fine dancing but poorly singing. Had good stage presence but so did all the other girls I mentioned. Had Riria performed poorly and looked as awkward as she did in the first challenge I can see it but she didn't. I don't think there needs to be vitriol about her ranking though. JYP likes her stage presence a lot and is definitely biased towards her, but that is always the case in any judgement. Rima is the other disagreement I have with JYP. I think she did well, but had some spots in which I saw needed more work while I think Mako and Miihi had a more cohesive showing.

It is going to be fun seeing the girls do some fun games next episode. I hope it's not a bait and switch situation and we get only 5 mins of games. I will be happy with 10-15 mins. I think 20% of the show is a good enough chunk to give to some variety skill developing and minor personality showcase.

I wonder if they are gonna do a new individual challenge and do one more team one. We have already seen a team that hasn't performed yet train so we know there will be one more team challenge just don't know when it will be. If they go straight back to individual I have a bad feeling for Momoka, Yuna and Riria. Momoka and Yuna don't seem to have the confidence to carry out a solo stage and Riria and Momoka don't seem to have the knowhow on how to train and improve for it.

Right now I feel like Momoka and Yuna are on a thin line. Riria improved but seeing how JYP still ranked her low and didn't give her a cube I fear for her future in the show. Mayuka is a toss up. JYP likes her and her stage presence but I feel like her skills are still behind most of the other girls. I don't quite agree with JYP that it's because she still thinks of herself as an amateur I just feel like she started from a lower point than the others and is gonna need more work than them to catch up. Outside of that I still feel the same way I did since episode 4 about everyone's chances. Am glad and feeling better that Akari managed to comeback with a better stage. Hope she continues to improve and reaches her potential. It's also nice seeing the show continue to garner attention in Japan. It took a little while but they are slowly getting there. The show is ranking second in the Hulu weekly ranking and the girls are trending in Yahoo JP when the Sukkiri spotlights happen, which is very used in Japan rivaling google. Things are looking very positive for their success when they debut.

It is sad that a 13 person debut is less likely by the episode but I don't think there is much that can be done. I don't think it's particularly unfair if the show eliminates girls because there has clearly been a difference in performance. There might even be voluntary walkouts by the mood. We'll see what ends up happening. In the end I'm a softy and wanted everyone to achieve their dreams, but JYPE has more to consider. Not to mention it isn't necessarily a good thing to debut someone if they themselves aren't sure this is what they want.

She did poorly last year on the February and August show case too. It was sad to hear that since she did great on the he previous showcases .

 

[BPiperDude]

Spoiler: Mission 2 (ep 4-5) thoughts

Nina
So after careful evaluation I’ve changed my mind on her in the dancing. In many places she shined more than others. She had nice big moves and in the most part they were sharper than the others surprisingly Big improvement. It seems weird to me but I actually think I’d give Nina best dancer in this group.



Akari
Voice got better. Dancing was consistent but some sluggishness here and there. Some of her hopping on single legs wasn’t as dynamic as others. Voice got better actually as the performance went on. It was quite enjoyable. Physically her movements were sometimes very nice but sometimes just there. I think I’ll give her second in dancing



Mayaka
Nice voice was a bit on the weak side in contrast to the others which made it stand out more. Dancing wise she performed all the moves with but seemed to just kind of be there. She did probably better moves than Akari but body mechanics seemed kind of off from her. Hard to explain but they just seemed mechanical in nature. She did seem to slow down quite a bit as the performance went on as she was becoming tired and was running out of breath by the end of the show and facial expressions sometimes lapsed into concentration mode instead having the (I’m happy) vibe.



Riria
Fairly good vocals but some of her dance moves lacked a lot of energy. Her facial expressions were quite good as were most of the group. Just a shame about her energy. Vocals were the biggest improvement here with some decent projection and tone was fairly good.



Ayaka.
Nice dancing and facial expressions were fairly good. Good hand movement and lower body movements. Some slight deadpan looks just before she does her smile ending in her parts but nothing severe. Singing is week link but since she didn’t sing nearly as much as the others it didn’t detract that much from the performance.



Rima.
Dancing and facial expressions fairly good. Some lower body movements were a bit under expressed or timing slightly off. Singing was good if a bit on the quiet side. Rap was superbly done both vocally and physically.



Miihi.
Dancing and physical expressions were excellent. Even when only small movements are required, she nailed them. Vocal wise she had volume issues when the she hit the high notes but otherwise, she was very good.

Riku.
Good vocals especially in the upper registers with strong and clear vocals. Think she moves into second place for possible main vocals for me. Dancing was good and fun with excellent energy. Good facial expressions. Probably the only criticism vocally I’d have is she was too good. Her strong vocals stood out from the rest of the team causing the overall performance for me to be a bit lacking as the others couldn’t keep up



Yuna.
Vocals were quite a bit better than previously but some issues with consistency. Sometimes kind of breathy. Her head voice was so much better than her normal low pitch voice it is a bit distracting. Dancing was also inconsistent with generally good movements but some lackluster moves as well.



Momoka.
Better than I expected actually. Facial expressions were quite good. To me her smile seemed natural even if others didn’t find it so. Vocal wise she was fine but she only did very low notes. It seems to me she has a very narrow range that can hurt her. Dancing wise was kind of the same as Yuna but with even more sluggishness than her. But still much better than the previous one.



Mako
Nice performance a best blend of all three traits. Very nice blend of vocal and dancing. Vocals could be stronger but there was no out of pitch parts. Dancing wise she was good as always but some of the movements seemed under done slightly.



Rio
Rios dancing in the intro was perfect. For my taste I liked her dancing actually the best of the 3. Had a more Jazz feel about it. Vocals could be a bit more projection but no bad singing in it.



Maya
Her vocals were the best in girl in this group. Best facial expressions of the group. Nothing to complain about here. Dancing sometimes seemed more elegant than the snap and pop of Jazz which is why I have Rio first.



---
Group wise.

Swing Baby
For me this was the best of the four groups. Very good synchronicity in dancing and fairly good vocals. Vocals could have been better with a bit more projection and a bit more snap and hold to get that swing/jazz vibe for me but still this was way and above the best overall performance of all 4 groups. Dancing nothing really to complain at all. Just all of this performance was gold. Good vocalists with top ranked dancers. It is as to be expected.

Heartshaker.
Had a pretty decent vibe on it. Dancing isn’t as difficult as Swing Baby but still their unison was pretty good. This is a vocal heavy tune and Riku didn’t disappoint. The overall vibe of the performance suffered a bit from the other two though but not as much as I feared. I think the main issue for Yuna, and Momoka was the ability disparity. You had Riku who is one of the top vocalists and dancers join with two much lower ranked girls. While I think Yuna and Momoka did raise their standards a bit so did Riku especially in singing and her singing completely dominated the others. This was a bit of a discountenance in the performance causing Momoka and Yuna to fall behind.

DTNA
I liked this performance because even though they had weaker people Nina’s vocals did NOT overpower others to a great degree. That was primarily because Akari and Riria pushed out their vocals much more than normal. It was needed in a song like this to have strong and energetic singing and they did that. Dancing wise it could have been better. The unison wasn’t there and to me that is the biggest detractor of the show. This to me is because of the makeup of the scene. Nina should not have been put in charge as she is a week dancer with no experience in not just team dancing but personal dancing. The team leader is in charge of that and while the all do have trainers, they are there for only a small percentage of the time you are training. Most of it is on your own with your team mates. However, since no one stood out this actually made the performance quite enjoyable as there was no one to distract from team cohesion.

Very Very Very
Dance wise and cuteness wise this was a great team. Weakest dancer seemed to me to be Rima. Her movements seemed a bit forced instead of just natural. Synchronicity was quite good and while Ayaka’s voice was a bit annoying for some reason to me it actually blended in for me in a weird way. When they were all singing in unison it didn’t seem to be there but when it was individual it gave an interesting contrast in a good way with the other girls. Overall, since there was good teamwork, I had them ahead of DTNA. Helps a bit with having to active trainees with about 9 months of continuous training.

---

Other thoughts

Team results vs team member expectations.
For me the quality of the performances matched exactly how the quality of the members were matched. I pretty much laughed every time JYP would say he couldn’t see how the match-up would turnout. I mean if he really believes that he should be fired as an incompetent. While there is room for surprises and upsets to not realize a loaded deck when it is so blatantly obvious is nonsense. I don’t think he is that at all so think his words are just fluff for the TV viewer to try and build suspense when there really isn’t any. On an individual basis the only real breakout was Riku who demonstrated she is probably the #2 candidate for main vocal and climbing fast.

The reason I think the teams were divided in the way they were was to see if the lower trainees would rise to the occasion of being an underdog to push themselves harder or just give in. It seemed like Yuna, and Momoka kind of gave in more so than the others which is why I think they were placed last. It also serves as a test though for the upper ranked girls. That test is to see if they would become lax knowing that their team was a clear cut choice to win based on the numbers. That can also happen and I didn't really see any of the ranked teams or contestants coasting.

---

My Rank

1. Rima.
2. Rio.
3. Riku
4. Maya.
5. Maku.
6. Miihi
7. Nina
8. Ayaka
9. Akari.
10. Riria
11. Yuna
12. Mayuka
13. Momoka

(Top 6 were pretty close, 7-9 were also close and 10-13 as well for me.)

 

[BPiperDude]

episode 7? wheres 6?

There are 3 types of shows being done right now. The first one and most important one is the "Nizi Project" itself on Hulu. That shows airs Friday evenings in Japan. But there are also two other shows as well. One of them is a program called Sukkiri. This is a kind of a news/talk-show highlight show that airs all through the week or NTV japan. Sometimes that show does a highlight of the upcoming or past official "Nizi Project" episodes. In particular it sometimes give spoilers about the upcoming Nizi Project episode. Then there is a third program which is a discussion showcase of the Nizi Project in general that is hosted by one of the JYP, Pikataro (of PPAP fame) and one of the Sukkiri presenters (sorry can't remember his name). This show is called Nizikaki. What lusobr is talking about is Nizikake program not the actual Nizi Project episode. This show also sometimes give spoilers and brief highlights of the last episode but also sometime the next episode that hasn't aired similar to the Sukkiri episode but is geared as more of a discussion of the show with JYP himself. If you don't want potential spoilers then avoid the Sukkiri and Nizikake episodes. For a number of days here we try and put spoilers up for those episodes if we discuss them at least until probably the day after the regular "Nizi Project" episodes air if not sometimes longer. Some people here watch the other shows some don't.

Also seems you are new here so welcome to the forum.

 

[BPiperDude]

why would miihi be last place?

This was all done in fun. The truth is there will be no losers or last place people in the next episode only winners. It's a chance for us to see them enjoying themselves and to learn what kind of person they are and to laugh along side them.

 

[grandmajudy]

200522 Nizi Project S2 Ep5 ENG SUB (hard) by Nizi Project English Subtitles

 

[BPiperDude]

200522 Nizi Project S2 Ep5 ENG SUB (hard) by Nizi Project English Subtitles

What happened to the days it took us until thursday to get the ENG subs. Now we have multiple out in 2 days.

 

[grandmajudy]

What happened to the days it took us until thursday to get the ENG subs. Now we have multiple out in 2 days.

it’s just that popular these days.

it finally took #1 weekly on Hulu japan.

200522 Nizi Project S2 Ep5 ENG SUB by Let's KCulture

 

[BPiperDude]

Mid point official heartthrob pole. Today's vote is officially the mid point vote assuming a 9 week pole (not counting last day) and 10 episode show.
Early favorite Miihi still retains the top position but Ayaka is coming up fast and has been the lead person as of her performance a week and a half ago. Prior to that she was in a consistent 5th place average with Nina and Mako ahead of her. But because of her strong showing the past week or more she has moved to third with Rima making a consistent second with a strong showing in the third week. I won't post the entire 4.5 weeks but here is the average for the current to date time.

	Evaluation Rank	Current Average	Worst Rank	# of worst ranks	Best Rank	# of Best ranks
Miihi	2	2.63	6	2	1	9
Rima	4	3.00	7	1	1	7
Ayaka	13	3.88	8	1	1	8
Nina	7	4.03	11	1	1	5
Mako	1	4.31	7	5	1	1
Maya	3	7.06	11	4	3	3
Mayuka	12	7.41	11	4	1	2
Akari	10	8.31	13	1	2	1
Yuna	6	8.75	11	2	2	1
Rio	9	8.81	12	5	6	6
Riku	5	9.13	12	2	5	1
Riria	11	11.06	13	6	2	1
Momoka	8	12.53	13	25	4	1

 

[lusobr]

 

[BPiperDude]

Sukkiri episode 5/26
Note this is more of a JYP episode not a Nizi episode but it does reference briefly the nizi project.

 

[grandmajudy]

Riku was featured in a 2019 MV

 

[cereus bunny]

Riku was featured in a 2019 MV

It's cool she got to act in an indie rock m/v! Riku's little "ni hao" as this "Chu Li" character sends me

 

[BPiperDude]

Riku was featured in a 2019 MV

That's a great find. Something tells me that she might become slightly bigger than this fairly soon.

 

[itzy]

​

 

[grandmajudy]

​

the rest may be in the orange pit crew outfits

 

[WonderfulOnce]

13 crew members, and there are 13 Nizi Project contestants. Mako, Rima, Rio, Maya, and Ayaka are easily there. And possibly Miihi(?). The rest are wearing helmets probably.

 

[grandmajudy]

13 crew members, and there are 13 Nizi Project contestants. Mako, Rima, Rio, Maya, and Ayaka are easily there. And possibly Miihi(?). The rest are wearing helmets probably.

my guess:
3 rima
5 maya
6 mako
7 ayaka
12 miihi
13 rio



I thought I would be able to identify at least Nina in the pit crew but not too sure.

 

[HerefortheThrone]

The rest are wearing helmets probably.

Omg please be the rest of the girls!!

 

[WonderfulOnce]

I think the deciding factor of whether the final nizi lineup was included in the mv or if it was them before, would be for us to know the nizi filming date and the skz mv filming date. Unfortunately, all we have is our own speculation, but if you have a clue as to how much earlier to the release a kpop mv if filmed, I'd love to hear it

Brought the convo here since it's off-topic in jype trainees

Based on the Stray Kids live vilves and member hair colors, the trailer was filmed in early May. More specifically around May 11 or 12th when all the SKZ members changed their hair matching the trailer. Only Lee Know's hasn't changed yet. Either Lee Know dyed his hair after May 11/12, it was a temporary dye, or he changed his hair back. I personally think he dyed his hair after May 11/12, and filmed the trailer after so that would mean the trailer was filmed after May 11/12.