At 18 o'clock, New Princesses-In-Training Shall Go To The Ball! HouPri YOUTH Introduce A New Generation!

With the recent withdrawal of both Horii Nina and Tanaka Asami on June 3rd this year, Houkago Princesses little sister unit, HouPri YOUTH, went defunct, thanks to its lack of members. This also meant that, at the time, there would be no new 'successors'coming into the main group, not until new trainees were found, of course.

Actually, it was quite surprising that management hadn't already sourced a few new girls before the withdrawal of Nina and Asami. Then again, it would have probably made the auditions they recently held contain a little less impact. Who knows?

So, it was then announced on June 16th via SHOWROOM LIVE that Houkago Princess would hold auditions, with the winners being announced towards the end of August or early September. Girls between the ages of 15 - 25 could audition to become a potential Princess in the running, and they could apply either on SHOWROOM LIVE, or through private documentation and screenings.

And given the date this is being posted, y'all can guess that a few girls made it! So, what are we waiting for? Let's discover just how many made it through, and who they are! Are ya ready to go on another little HouPri trip down member-lane?

Let's GO!

After receiving well over 1,000 applications for their nation-wide search, Houkago Princess finally introduced the faces of a new YOUTH generation to the public! On August 26th and August 28th respectively, 18 new members were unveiled to the public! August 26th saw the debut of the first twelve members, whilst August 28th introduced the final 6, creating one of Houkago Princesses largest generations yet, right after the 3rd generation (which totaled to 7 new members in the trainee programme).

And with all new members accounted for, Houkago Princess and YOUTH brings the Princess-themed unit to a total of 26 members! Someone, call Aki-P up! HouPri48's a-GO!

SIDE BIT: Does the first 12 members' introduction represent 12 o'clock, the time the magic wears off, and the final 6 members' intro represents the 6 is 16 o'clock, when the members become Princesses? >o> Or am I reading too deeply into this, as per usual?

Jokes aside, it's time we take a look at the new HouPri hopefuls! Who is who, and what will we make of them? Better yet, how long will they stay? It's all speculation at this point, but for now, let's celebrate the arrival of a new generation, and look forward to their developments as Idols!

Let's get those profiles up, and take a look!

New Year, New Members! Princess Training Begins for these Duo Houkago Princess Candidates!

A New Year, new news! It's 2017, and I hope that so far, everyone has been enjoying their time in this new chapter of their lives! Hopefully, for the New Year, you had a fun time, did the count down with your family, and drank a little bit of happiness. Hopefully, you were all safe, too, because I don't want anything happening to y'all. You're my buddies, so please, stay safe, otherwise it's not as fun of a New Year as one would hope.

And now, for the first post of the year! Of course it has to be HouPri, so... let the news commence!

On December 27th, 2016, it was revealed through Cute Black's Twitter that Nozomi Ota and Tanaka Asami of Heart x Strings affiliation would be leaving the group, in order to joined Houkago Princess as Apprentice / Candidate members. From January 1st, 2017, the duo have since been transferred, and are set to make their debut appearance as official HouPri Apprentice members come January 4th!

The two members join Morishita Rina - who has since been bestowed with the member colour, yellow-green - as one of HouPri's latest additions to the unit, as well as Horii Nina, who has been with the group since January 2016. Both have joined the group with aims to eventually debut as Regular members, where they will become full-fledged Princesses, and dress up in beautiful gowns and re-enact stories of old that we all know and love.

Both members have been active within Heart x Strings since its beginnings in Summer 2015, however Nozomi Ota has had a career prior to that, with one interesting resume to boot. Asami is a little less known, however, that matters very little, especially in this world of Idols. Still, it's interesting to find a few things out!

So, in order to get to know these two new Candidates for the HouPri Throne, let's delve into their profiles, and check out just who they are, in order for you to pick out your favourites! Let's go~

A Coronation of Smiles! Houkago Princess Crown A New Class of Royalty!

On September 22nd, Houkago Princess took to the stage at Zepp Diver City in Tokyo, perform two one-man lives titled ~Twinkle~ (day performance) and ~Miracle~ (evening) respectively. It was during these very performances that Nagasawa Marina, Sekine Sasara and Kojima Mayumi held their coronation ceremony, the final step in crowning them as 'princesses' of the Regular Lineup for Houkago Princess.

Throughout the ~Twinkle~ performance, members wore their seifuku uniform, as well as newly debuted sports costumes, whilst in the evening, the members transformed into their Idol and Princess costumes. It was close to the end of the ~Miracle~ performance that the three former Candidate members were crowned, and fully initiated into the Regular Lineup along with the senior members of Houkago Princess.

It was also during the ~Miracle~ performance that the four members of Houpriyusu, Nagasawa Marina, Sekine Sasara, Kojima Mayumi and Horii Nina held their final performance together, before the three latest members were crowned. It was a heartfelt moment for the three new princesses, who were taking their steps forward whilst leaving Horii Nina behind as the sole member of Houpriyusu.

Houkago Princess Ranking Time! - 2016 Member Ranking!

With these posts coming to a close, I wanted to celebrate my favourite groups 5th Anniversary with something I've been planning to do for a few years, yet never actually got around to creating, and that is my very first Houkago Princess Member Ranking! Awwww, yeah, took me long enough~

So, to finish off this small series and to show off the members I adore most, let's take a look at this member Ranking, Cadets and Apprentices included, and see just who Chiima adores, and who she likes, but not as much. Are you ready~?

Now just to give y'all a lovely heads up, yes, this post is completely subjective, and is going to revolve around my opinion entirely. Where I did try to take into account what others might like, and what is actually popular within Houkago Princess in the previous two posts (concerning music and video), the member ranking is all my opinion, and about who I like, and why. So, if your favourite member isn't on the very tippity top, please; don't get into a snit. It is the way it is, and I like what I like. THAT'S HOW IT GOES DOWN HERE IN OKAY! MUSUME LAND, BRUH!

And, just to be clear, this list in no way states who is better than who, and which members should be considered over others. It's a blooming list, y'all, and one that I have constructed for my own pleasure to share with everyone. These members, all a part of HouPri 2016, are amazing in their own ways and have distinct personalities and traits that stand above others. No girl is any less, any better, or even the same; they are all wonderful, amazing girls who make this group what it is. But, like you, I am a human, and I have my own shallow preferences; don't read into this too much and think 'wow, she hates so-and-so', because I don't. I just happened to feel attached to another girl over that one, and so on so forth.

LE FIN!

So, ya, this is is my 'favourites' list, if you will. The members I like, the ones I love, and the ones I think are great, but haven't exactly won me over, not yet. My preferences are my own, and my favourites... well, they're my babies, and I adore them. So, without further ado, let's take a look at my Idol preferences, shall we? Whee~

Favouritism: ON! Who will Reign supreme as my Number 1? Check it out!

An Introduction to The Houkago Princess Apprentice, Cadet and Youth Programme (Updated on June 29th, 2020)

*As of August 7th, 2016, the day this was posted, Kojima Mayumi, and possibly Nagasawa Marina and Sekine Sasara, were promoted to the Regular Lineup.

*As of May 25th, 2020, this post has finally been updated.

With Houkago Princesses 5th Anniversary happening this very month, as well as the first anniversary of their major debut, I thought it wise to create a small series of posts commemorating this beautiful groups latest accomplishment. Following the Introduction Post for the Regular lineup that makes up Houkago Princess, it is now time to introduce the newest group under the Princess name, HoupriYusu, otherwise known as HouPri Youth. If you would like to know more about this Model Generation, then stay tuned and take some notes!

You can find the Regular Member Profiles HERE, if you have not yet read it!

An integral part to Houkago Princesses system, HouPri Youth was formerly known as the 'Apprentice-Candidate system', and originally acted as a smaller but just as important branch within the main groups system. From 2011 up until 2015, Apprentices and Candidates would perform with members in the back of all performances, typically wear similar costumes - minus a few embellishments and frills - and would even appear in music videos and in songs with the Regular members.

The idea behind the Apprentice to Candidate system was that, in order to prove you were earnest in your plight to becoming an idol, you would do the graft and showcase your skills, or perhaps prove your popularity and capability to the staff members. For some promotion was easy, but for others it could take a year or two to be recognised. Regardless of how long it took, it should be noted that promotion within HouPri's first Indies period was far easier than it is now.

2015 saw a shift in how the trainee system worked for Houkago Princess. With the groups major debut in place, the Apprentice to Candidate system turned into what is now known as HouPri Youth. Introduced on February 18th 2015, Houpriyusu (or, HouPri Youth) became the groups official younger sister unit. Housing Apprentices and Candidates with a desire to become Regular members, HouPri Youth would hold separate performances from the Regular members to improve their skills as singers as dancers, whilst also being given the opportunity to perform as backing dancers and chorus for bigger live shows. There was also the odd opportunity for some Youth members to act as backups for absent Regular members, which would allow any given Youth member to prove their worth.

As it goes, most HouPri Youth members dabble in modelling work of some form, especially bikini gravure.

Since the dynamic changed in early 2015, HouPri Youth members will now have a timeline of a year or more before expecting to be promoted to the Regular lineup. With stricter rules in place and high expectations to match up to, the goal to become a Regular member is a lot farther than it was before. Because of how difficult it is to get to this point, it's common for Youth members to stop their activities at some point, especially if they have been told that they do not meet the standards set by the staff.

As of mid-2019, HouPri Youth is currently a one-idol show. Whether FORZA Records will continue to keep the group going or not is an uncertainty, however the remaining member is working hard alongside her seniors and supporting them as best she can.

In A Nutshell: HouPri Youth has had 3 phases so far. The first being the original Apprentice-Candidate system that had no unique name to define it, the second phase that began in 2015, and the third phase that started with a whole new lineup in 2017. The 3rd phase is slowly pattering out with its remaining member, and it looks unlikely that FORZA Records will continue implementing the Youth system as it currently stands.

With a desire to become Princesses and attain their own tiaras, HouPri Youth are the support that Houkago Princess needs. They may be backing dances and chorus singers, but the hard work and effort they put in will showcase their desire to become the best idols that they can be. So when the clock strikes 4pm, will these girls have a chance to turn into Princesses, or will they turn into Pumpkins instead?

Let's see if they can find the fairy tale ending they have been longing for~

Cadets! Gravure! Graduations and Covers! Updates from the Houkago Kingdom have Arrived!

Though I no longer do my Digests, I do try my best to constantly update on Houkago Princess whenever a bundle of news comes about, and considering I've been busy with essays and University, I have not yet had the time to update you all on the recent events all the way from the Houkago Kingdom!

So, without further ado, I will be updating y'all on what has happened since Ayase Miho, Kamiya Airi and Izumi Sakura's graduations from Houkago Princess and Houpri Youth right here, to keep everyone on track! So, let's dive in and see what our Princesses have given us these past two months in news~

Please jump over the cut to read the rest of the post!

Say Hello, Say Goodbye; Classmates Come and Go for Houpriyusu

Yoohoo, I am back~ A day after coming home from Hong Kong, and I am ready for some updates! And giv en that the world of HouPri has a few to talk about... well, we're going to talk about them! So, let's get updated, shall we? :D

These will go in chronological order, just for the ease of things! Let's get crackin'!

On February 7th 2016, staff revealed that Houpriyusu members Nagasawa Marina, Kamiya Airi, Sekine Sasara and Izumi Sakura would all leave the group and pursue different things. Both Marina and Sasara were revealed to begin a unit together after parting ways with Houpriyusu.

Kamiya Airi, who was originally supposed to be a part of the new unit with both Marina and Sasara, later declined it and chose to instead graduate.

Izumi Sakura also chose to graduate in order to pursue solo activities within the entertainment industry.

On March 9th 2016, Houpriyusu introduced their latest member, Makihara Yuyu (牧原ゆゆ). 19 years old and 153cm in height, Yuyu is a (possibly former) cosplay model who has previously cosplayed as Nico from Love Live! and Hashimoto Kanna from Rev. from DVL. She looks up to Nagasaw Marina of Houpriyusu the most.

There is not a lot else about Yuyu for now, however here are a few pictures of this cutie doing her cosplay thang~ Enjoy!

Next up;

On March 20th 2016, Kamiya Airi of Houpriyusu (Houpri Youth) graduated from the group. Though her original intention was to join both Marina and Sasara in a new unit outside of Houpriyusu, it was later revealed on March 19th that she had instead chosen to simply decline becoming a part of it, and to graduate Houpriyusu altogether.

Her reasons for declining a position within the new unit was because, compared to others, Airi felt that she was being half-hearted in her pursuit as an Idol, and that her interest in this career has waned for her since she first began last year. She felt this would be rude to the staff and other members if she could not put all of her effort in, and so, she chose to just graduate instead of pursuing a new unit.

(This is a real rough translation, just so you know. Google translate is not the most reliable, so take all of this with a grain of salt XD)

She apologiesed to her fans for betraying their expectations with this new unit, and thanked everyone for liking the clumsy girl that she is and for supporting her. She is thankful for what she has learned, and for all the experiences she has gained as a member of Houpriyusu.

Airi's blog will cease to update, whilst her Twitter profile will be deleted within a month.

On March 20th, Izumi Sakura of Houpriyusu also graduated from the group in order to pursue other activities within the entertainment industry. Whilst the activities she hopes to pursue are yet to be made clear, it can be assumed that she will head into the gravure career as Marina has done.

The DVD cover for her up-coming debut DVD was also released on March 24th, just so ya know~

Also on March 20th;

A signifigant announcement was made during Houpriyusu's performance by both Odagiri Nana and Yamaguchi Miran, who revealed that Kojima Mayumi had been promoted from an Apprentice to a Cadet! She is the first of the Houpriyusu group to be promoted.

Now after being promoted, Mayumi states that her goal is to receive a crown as a part of the Regular lineup.

.｡.:*☆*:.｡.☆.｡.:*☆*:.｡.

Regarding Mihotan's graduation, I will write a separate post for that. For now, though, I hope that these few updates regarding HouPri have sated you all, if this is what interests you! For now though, I will leave you be, and also wish you all a wonderful day!

Until I see you next, please do take care, live life to the fullest, stay happy and, of course, LOVE THEM IDOLS!!! <3

Much Love,

Chiima~

A New Princess Stands in Line for the Throne! Welcome, Horii Nina of Houpriyusu!

Hello, all! I apologise for my lack of updates and posts thus far, however University and life have taken priority, as well as some much needed mind-rest. I have also not neglected my contest, and have recently been able to look through all the entries. Hopefully a winner shall be announced soon, however I must look through my 3 finalists once again before making a solid decision!

For now, however, I shall be updating you all on the world of Houkago Princess! I wonder what they will have announced this joyous January?

On January 17th 2016, it was revealed during the Miss iD 2016 Grand Prix that contestant #87, Horii Nina, had been added Houkago Princesses little sister unit, Houpriyusu!

Both Nagasawa Marina, Houpriyusu's Gravure Queen and first member of the unit since its creation, and Horii Nina had participated in the annual Modelling competition where Idols, aspiring actresses, models, gravure models and singers all compete for the grand prize. Both girls made it to the semi-finals of the competitions, with Nagasawa Marina being crowned #1 during the CHEERZ voting portion of the contest back in November, though she did not win the overall crown at the Grand Prix.

Horii Nina, who had joined the competition in order to make her dream of becoming a singer and an idol come true, is 16 years old and from the Fukui Prefecture. A high schooler, Nina loves to sing and dance, and is a fan of both Uverworld and Momoiro Clover Z. For her, the ultimate idol is MomoClo Z's Tamai Shiori. Being 16 years old, Nina is now the youngest member of Houpriyusu, as all other members are the age of 20 years or over.

Regarding my own thoughts on Horii Nina, honestly, I find her charming. From some of her images, as well as her introduction video on the Miss iD youtube, she has this rather sweet awkwardness about her that is quite adorable, as well as endearing to see. Sure, her posture could use some work, and I feel that her confidence could be risen a tad, however everything else about her? I like it. I like her, because there is this quality of innocence about her that I think all the other members of Houkago Princess and Houpriyusu lack a little.

 Naive innocence. That's what Nina seems to have when I look at her, and I rather like that about her.

I also enjoy the persistence this girl seems to have; despite not being an Idol previously or even an entertainer (from what my own research has told me at least), she went ahead from Fukui to Tokyo in order to audition for the Miss iD competition, which is known for being a contest between the indie and unknown Idols of the Japanese entertainment world, with a dream of becoming a singer and an Idol after being a part of the contest. Despite any odds or the fact she might have had little to no experience prior to this, Nina had the get-up and go to follow her dream through a contest as opposed to an audition, and basically put her name and face out there for Japan to see, and heck, she made it to the semi-finals of Miss iD 2016!

 This girl has gumption, and she goes for what she wants. Despite her meek looks, she is hardly a wallflower, but indeed a fighter, it seems.

Honestly, this girl is adorable, and she is inspiring to boot. She chased a dream, and through that dream, she became a Princess and an Idol, conquering one of her aspirations by joining a contest that she hoped would give her a leg up in the career she wanted to pursue.

And, in the words of my friend Danielle, 'she gives me princess vibes', which is completely true. She has that HouPri vibe, and reminds me a little of Odagiri Nana when the group first debuted (though admittedly, a better singer by far)., what with her awkward stance and her cute look. She's adorable, but she dreams big and worked to get where she is now, and honestly, I am happy to see her in Houpriyusu, because even though they are small, I think that Nina will still be able to achieve a lot with them, as well as gain experience in singing, dancing and being an Idol in the long run.

Horii Nina is a cutie, and I can't wait to see her growth as a member of Houpriyusu, and maybe one day, Houkago Princess. A diamond in the rough, I do hope that this girl will become a polished gem whose dreams only continue to grow.

Congratulations, Horii Nina, and welcome to the Kingdom of Houkago Princess and Houpriyusu! I hope to see more of you in the future, and I anticipate your progress!

Until next time everyone, please stay happy, healthy and, of course, keep loving your Idols!

Much Love,

Chiima~

Source(s):

Miss iD Profile

Twitter