Nagahama Neru (Neru) / Keyakizaka46 1st Generation

@CutePanda -- There are definitely five members in Nijika's column, too -- which is unavoidable, since there is an even number of members other than Techi. The 4th member in Nijika's column is a bit obscured by the third member. The original formation is unbalanced when they are in this vertical column part of the performance. And the original opening formation's 5-6-9 is no better balanced than the Kouhaku opening formation of 5-6-10. Ten seconds of better balance may be no big deal, but it is at least better balance at some point and not, as was claimed by some Japanese posters early in December, a violation of the original balance of the MV.

I do not accept it as yet having been proven that Neru in SaiMajo was a one-time thing. Only one performance (besides mini-lives) clearly performed after New Year's, and that's the unusual situation of the HKT competition, which comes in the middle of Neru madly preparing for the Hiragana live. Kouhaku may have been a one-time thing, but I simply don't know that yet. Maybe she'll do it all the time from now on. Maybe never. Maybe only for important shows like Kouhaku and the anniversary live. If she doesn't do it in the anniversary live in a month's time, I'll accept that it was a one-time thing. If she does, I still won't know if it is an every-time thing.

Now, to argue against myself (lol), my approach here is mainly because I see Neru as an inherent part of Kanji Keyaki, whatever the official situation is supposed to be, and all 32 members as part of one group. However, in Katoshi's most recent blog post, after saying how nice all the Hiraganas are, and how much she loves them, she makes a point of saying she wants Hiragana to become a better and better group. She is thinking of it as its own entity. And other Hiraganas have said similar things. This may just be what's happening now, as opposed to anything permanent. But it could be that management sees some benefit in continuing with two groups. What management needs is more handshake sessions with more members who are so popular they sell out. Maybe a separate group will accomplish that -- maybe not. For Katoshi to sell 18 slots and now have the full 24 to sell is an amazing accomplishment, considering how little exposure she and the other Hiraganas have had, compared to the Kanjis.

For a clearer view of the five people in Nijika's column, check this screenshot:



I think #4 is Aoi.

 

Hiragana was never officially announced as unders. When they were announced it was really vague what Hiragana's purpose was (still kind of is) and the "unders" role was more like speculation on the part of Keyakake's MCs (I think it was Tsuchida who said it). Besides that instance I can't think of any time where Hiragana were officially referred to as unders.

Basically Hiragana is Keyaki second gen. However one thing about the 46 groups that's different about the 48 groups is that membership is more stable and members don't graduate as often and they don't get shuffled around. The main members of Nogi have been mostly the same since the beginning. They also don't have a theater so there isn't a need to have large numbers of girls available for theater shows and they don't have teams where they can feature different groups of girls. What this has meant for Nogi is that 2nd gen has kind of been relegated to the background for most of their existence with the exception of a few members (namely Hori and Kiichan and recently Ranze has gotten some spotlight).

So basically for Keyaki 2nd gen, by giving them a unique identity, sort of like a group within a group, it helps keep them from being "just background characters" and makes them more marketable and identifiable on their own while still being part of Keyakizaka46.

However, IMO, I think that when they brought in Neru management felt the need to define Neru's role in the group and they kind of jumped the gun on 2nd gen's/Hiragana's announcement without properly defining a plan for what their role would actually be and what it would mean to the group. So that's why Hiragana's role has seem somewhat undefined.

 

Very interesting points of view from @Macron48. Makes a lot of sense. Makes me feel badly for the Hiraganas, whom I like so much, but they have so much talent and appeal that I think they can make something out of a separate existence, too. But Neru will still work with the Kanjis, too, unless Hiragana starts to get singles of its own.

This wonderful screencap/crop just (re?)appeared on 2channel:



And there's another lovely video collection of Neru sequences from KeyaKake here. Probably better if you understand a bit of Japanese, but still good.

There's some talk right now about which university Neru might go to -- but no actual info. Aoyama (Protestant university with lots of international connections, Shibuya), Sacred Heart (Catholic women's college in Shibuya), Sophia (good Catholic university near the Sony building they use), Gakushuin Women's (Sugai's aristocratic school).... She did once recently mention enjoying her year in a girls' high school in Tokyo and not being eager to go back to a co-ed school. And she has also mentioned the idea of not going to university at all. But it seems likely she will go, and to the best school she can handle, co-ed or not. We may or may not ever find out. One poster expected her to announce on the Miracle 9 quiz show at the end of March that she is going to be a university student, and where she will go.

 

who's the lucky fans that got this Neru personal calligraphy



https://twitter.com/sabinosuke/status/838355827710840832

 

indeed, officially there is no announcement have been made about hiragana is UG of k46, so do the 2rd gen, for me, it is also just opinions and personal views, at least there is announcement from tsuchi and sawabe on keyakitte when neru firstly introduced, but called them 2rd gen, sound more nonsense than mine

you probably use the theory that kanji is 1gen, neru 1.5, hiragana is 2rd gen. but if you use this, i wanna calls them hiragana 2rd gen, a group within a group

also all group of 48 and 46 are almost similar, either, choreo, music, show, even in management, even they are came from a different company because all of it came from Yasushi Akimoto

that's why i said it was complicated, the status is unclear, so we just wait their next single announcement

 

Neru's latest blog post: about croquettes (sort of). I love Neru's weird but wonderful posts.

 

Fuyuuka blog to

 

sorry if it is out of topic, but just in that photo i honestly think moriya's beauty is off the chart

 

Neru's perfections multiply. Now her beautiful calligraphy is again on display in the April Brody magazine. But this time she is writing her own haiku poems, and so writing both kanji and kana. The poems are good, too. Here's a blog post with four off-shots and translations of the poems. I just shake my head at the breadth and depth of her abilities.

When you see it, you have to say it. How can Nen's beauty be off-topic?

 

well because it is neru thread

 

her beauty transcends threads


...

 

Neru is set to appear in "The Time Shock! New Quiz King Decided Spring Special 2017!" show on 31st March

https://twitter.com/kykzk46_matomex/status/841511197077782528

Will she take the crown for Keyakizaka??

also management, push the other Intelligent test winner too please?

 

So I guess this means that Neru will be in two quiz shows in the next little while? This new show (revived after three years) and Miracle 9.

I think you're right: it's time for Yone-san to make her appearance, now that she is (a) 17, (b) in third year, and (c) in the front line. I'm a huge Neru fan, but having watched the IntelliQueen show several times, I think Yone might easily have won if she were more at ease with how to use the button, as Neru was from her time in such contests in Nagasaki.

I admired Neru for her performance in KeyaKake Sunday night, and especially for one thing that seemed to be an ad lib: when she characterized Kanji Keyaki as being like older men, compared to Hiragana being like girls, the hosts asked her who in Kanji was the most like an older man. She thought for a second and then said: "Maybe it's me." She got out of insulting them by insulting herself, lol:



"Maybe it's me?"

 

the appearance of neru on the quiz show are not necessarily decided by their own staff, some are selected via request and some are came from offer by other company productions

neru probably was selected by their own management staff for her first time appearance on miracle quiz 9, but her appearance after that probably requested personally by the miracle quiz 9 own production crew,
she probably done a good job on her first time appearance, so why wouldn't they select her again, right?
her anti look desperately trying to make neru popularity collapsed

29 & 31 are indeed a festival for me, plus one man live, cannot get a great day like this often

 

Obviously, because the show is not owned by Sony. By 'push' i mean that management, or their managers, could promote the girls to the staff as an 'alternative' to Neru or interesting choice as Neru's teammate if she ever join a team-based quiz. Imagine Neru-Yone-Oda 3 man team working together in a show like TORE

 

Neru yo ne should be great

 

I heard that this show will actually broadcast in 30st March, not 31st. So 29 and 30 is Neru Festival for Neru fans, i guess?

EDIT:
https://twitter.com/kykzk46_matomex/status/842372549145116672
So in Weekly Shonen Magazine Neru was asked what animal resembled her the most. She answered "Tanuki".
Fans reponses: "Perfect answer!", "So you know it yourself!"

 

fanart of Neru (Fukyouwaon version)



https://twitter.com/kudarannn46/status/842703042680180736

Type D cover with Hirakeyaki



Type B cover



here is the shooting location of Blt graph vol 16

http://blog.livedoor.jp/fumichen2/archives/49639246.html

 

well, i can feels people will start comparing the duo song between techineru and yuiyui later

 

I'm one of the very few who will go in with a prejudice in favour of Techi-Neru. I have to make an effort to like the polished abilities of the Yui-chans, lol. I look forward to hearing/seeing my favorite pair in the group -- and to hearing how good the engineers make Neru sound, lol.

Here's Neru's most recent blog post, talking about graduation, about how comfortable she felt in her (girls') school in Tokyo, and with something like a revelation about her life in elementary and middle school in Nagasaki.

We got to hear Neru more, in her natural voice, on Hirate's Kochi Hoshi radio show a few hours ago, than I can ever remember hearing her. She was mainly talking about the current drama Quartet, which she loves and I like. They revealed the new single for the first time on this radio show. Here's the show, with Neru talking but without the single:


if the video does not show watch the video here