TV / Radio Nemousu TV Season 25 (17/05/28 - 17/08/06)

^ dunno, you can try finding them on wiki or on this youtube channel, looks like it has all old episodes

 

Not sure about the others, but I can tell you there was no such episode for 12th gen. If that 2ch post isn't making things up, and these happened at all, they were most likely challenges only shown at HS events.

edit: Heh. 13th gen made their Nemousu debut before the first 12th gen members did.

edit2: Except Juri in a special episode in 2011.

 

This latest EP in Macau... I found at least this part 1 of 2, pretty bland...

None of the walkers actually fulfilled the challenge to the letter -- all of them just leaned back at the waist, instead of straightening their bodies and leaning at the ankle, so their entire bodies are supported off the edge only by the tether. They had solid cordura rappelling seats & gear with steel links and redundant lines -- and still couldn't do it. In basic training I had to get not only over the edge, but legs parallel to the ground, holding onto a rope held by my drill sergeant, in a seat made of rope I had to make myself, on a rickety wooden 60-ft tower that was swaying in the wind. And I had no means of not falling but my grip on the rope...

Disappointing. I feel esp for Megu... that she represents the present AKB -- not being exposed enough to an AKB that still needed achievement to gain fans -- and doesn't know how to sacrifice herself for the group she represents (this was very evident in the Thai boot camp EP as well). Kayoyon by comparison, is like a few of the successful draftees: she doesn't have a generation of doukis to close ranks with, so knows she has to perform / conform to be accepted, let alone elevate (done to perfection by OgiYuka). Plus, she isn't bothered by many things that Japanese girls / women tend to freeze solid with (wife and I are a big fan of that).

If Tomu balks... will have to demote her a bit in my mind. If anyone should know what it was like back in those days, it's her gen (Natssun's even more... but I'll bite tongue about that).

 

Just few days after Megu's talk about the lack of AKB next-gen push...

 

And a few weeks after yet another 4 episode Team 8 training camp.

She's getting there, but I do agree she seemed very pampered, probably more so by her family than by AKB. She definitely needs to be toughened up, and hopefully her experiences at the Thai boot camp and to a lesser degree this tower will help. Looking forward to how she does in Tofu Pro-Wrestling as well, as these practices seem to have been pretty hard on her.

Spoiler

If I had been there I'd have been torn between shielding her from the edge and throwing her over (in a 100% safe way)

I doubt any of them know this.

Yeah, this doesn't cloud your judgment at all. How many days into basic training was this? And did you miss that this tower is 1109 feet high?

I know Tomu can turn on the bravery when she needs to (cf. spelunking adventures) but she might also try to make it more interesting with some fretting (plus, that tower is bloody high, I'd probably be reduced to a shivering mess too, at least without someone to show off for... good thing Ponchan is there.) Of course the bungee jump is also the event Myao, Sayaka, and ... Kitarie? failed...

As for Nattsun, of the three I'm pretty sure her fear was the most feigned. Look when they're coming out on the walk, she's the one who jumps and spooks Ponchan and Megu. And then when her turn comes she easily composes herself and walks halfway off the edge.

At the end of the day this is a variety show, and reactions are required. None of the three in this segment are girls known for being brave vs. acting girly.

I enjoyed it, especially the girls safe inside half-encouraging half-teasing the walkers, and I'm proud Megu kept trying until she got it.

 

I feel both. But there is history of idols who debuted as basket cases and went on to become strong. Look at KonKon from H!P -- she was hopeless at the start but became one of my faves, esp after taking the 1500-meter run from super-runner Yajima Maimi at a Sports Fes. Look at Fujie Reina, a nakimushi in the beginning... but also got it together and became her present, grounded self. She mentioned at a immunization shot call at a handshake, that 'she's an adult that doesn't freak out about things anymore'.

When you fear heights, it doesn't matter if the height is 10000 ft or 20 ft. I can guarantee you they would all freak out and shut down (were that their base reaction -- props again to Kayoyon, she's a keeper) if they were on my rickety tower at Fort Jackson in '89 (look at Megu's freeze on the zipline in Thailand, that was only maybe 3 stories). And it was the third week of eight, btw. Add to the girls' challenge, of climbing up the outside of my tower -- with zero safety equipment -- hand over rung, six stories until you got to the top. I had to... was it scary? Hell yeah it was. Did I execute? I did... 舐めんなよ.

After the military, I had a Ranger bud of mine teach me Australian-style rappelling. Google that... and let me know if I'm being too hard on the girls for not leaning a measly 30 degs with gear a top agency would trust to protect their idols. There's no way any idol would be on that platform, if there were any risk of failure. That why I consider Macau Tower's bungee and skywalk more a tourist gimmick than anything really scary.

Myao, Sayaka, and Miichan failed. Kitarie, Haachan, Yuihan, and Suzuran executed.

I don't know... if Nattsun was faking, then why did she not straighten her body like she was supposed to? They all got a look at Sayaka do it, but none of them -- zero -- did it properly.

And true, none of them are particularly known for bravery... or SSK ranking, either.

Except she didn't. Kayoyon I know will breeze through this... Izuta may jump but will be quite loud until then and Tomu... I love my Tomu, and expect a kakkee take a breath, and step... rather than an Akimoto Sayaka -- let's hope she does. Used to love Sayaka but after that EP, I'd lost a measure of respect for her, letting a kouhai 7 generations behind jump because she couldn't get it together for one measly step, at night even.

It's all variety I know... but also about facing fear head-on, and not letting it define you. I know and respect this in others (hell I married the archetype ), and am doubly pleased to see it in my otherwise fluffy & adorable AKB idols. That's why my judgement is 'clouded'.

 

I don't need to google it to know you are. None of these girls have had anything close to your experience (no, that joke of a Thai military camp does not count lol). I don't mean the heights, I mean the psychological working over the military gives you in the first few weeks. And, "teach you rappelling". I imagine the first thing he did wasn't take you out on a rock with no information and hang you over the edge (not that it would have bothered you as much, given prior training). You knew enough to trust your harness.

I mean, I get respecting brave idols. I do too, one thing I loved about Yuko, and why I'm hoping Tomu wows us again next week. But I don't despise the weak ones, I want to see them grow.

She did

I mean it's not like we have anyone else besides Sayaka to compare to, she's literally the only one who did it of the senpai group (although a few of the girls did lean out over the edge, seemingly unfazed). Both she and Megu bent at the knees, not the waist. Sayaka's body is out a little farther but it's a minor quibble (and from her clothes it looks as though the wind is pushing Megu in toward the tower).

Sayaka


Megu


All four:
http://imgur.com/a/Wcifp

Talk to us again when the next gens get a 2-hour special in Macau (what the senpais they're pulling these clips from had). If this goes on for four episodes then it'll be close enough, but I'm expecting it to end with just 2. And that was on top of regular seasons just featuring the early gens.

 

Basic was tough, as I was anything but an athlete in HS. Knew it'd be absolute hell if I didn't... so ran six miles five times a week from Sep '88 to March '89, as running was my weakest area. Could only run about 1/4 mi at first, but ran the entire distance without struggling by entry. So my journey to face what terrified me (but was determined not to fail at) did not begin with brainwashing at basic. I killed basic, because of my attitude that there was no option but success. People grow furiously when they remove their internal limiters, blah-blah.

I could obviously go further but the gist is: all the idols make up their minds to face their fears and transcend them... from auditions, to learning to work with scary new staff, to handshakes to gravure shoots to understudying stage plays, etc. ad infinitum -- it's not new to them. A muchaburi challenge is exactly the same, just turned up a bit. So while I do find shrinking violets, hankouki, and gyakugire have their place... if they want to inspire a new generation of fans... they've got to resonate with something any junior kouhai in a crap job knows intimately -- that they must perform, despite their personal feelings... or they will be replaced. In Japan more than anywhere, it's sink or swim... there's very little coddling once you're in shakai.

I don't begrudge your tendency to want to spoil your faves if they're amaenbo... but OgiYuka did not crush records by being spoiled, or demanding she get her way. Peel away a butterfly's chrysalis for it... and it doesn't get the struggle it needs to inflate its wings with fluid and extend them. Hardship inspires growth... and my other point, this really isn't *that* bad a challenge for the girls to face, with all that gear (and none of them should be fooled into thinking it's actually risky by now, esp the older ones). People won't grow without some crisis, some test, to force it. And there's nothing less attractive in the idol world, than an amaenbo who shrinks from challenge. Tomu proved to us she realizes this and feels similarly, years ago. As does Orin (thank God).

 

@stormy
I edited in a bit more, in case you missed it while replying (sorry, bad habit).

 

So it looks like those 3 will be spared from actual highlight of the episodes series, bungee-jumping, eh?

 

@wlerin Sayaka is about 40 lbs more than Megu, but she also leans much further back per your screenshots. If you look at Megu from the front while she's reciting her line, she's barely tensioning the main line, which means most of her weight is still on her feet -- when the rear shot was taken, it was probably when she was leaning back the most.

In rappelling, you get as much weight on the line as possible because the rope must be tensioned to descend... which is why I spotted this. Sorry, looks like we both have bad habits.

If both were cut free, Megu's still way more likely to recover than Sayaka (they hazed the hell out of her during her career, and probably here too). That tailwind isn't likely to push Sayaka back on the deck. Not that this episode for Megu isn't a growth opportunity... but all I can say is 'ma ma, girigiri da', and not 'Megu igai ni dekita, sugokunai?' If I'm being generous. Not convinced, sorry...

Can't wait for next week's EP...

 

They'd almost certainly have failed to jump lol.

Definitely not randomly assigned.

... you know she volunteered for this, right?

 

Sorry, I should have made my point clear. I have the same opinion as stormy: the 3 girls including Megu did not do well in this Nemousu episode. There are some other evidences, such as an episode in AKBINGO (AKB vs. team 8), showing that many new-gen girls do not have good fighting spirit. They give up easier than the old-gen girls. I know it is just a variety show, but it is meh when all the girl did that bad. When Takamina/Mayu said about the new-gen weak spirit, I did not agree. However, the more I watch the new girls, the more I feel that point correct.

When Megu asked for more opportunities but did not show she was worthy, her discussion became invalid. I support AKB young generations; I want them to have chance in their own single. But they have to grow up, break their shell, and leave the comfort zone first.

 

lol?

All three of them did better on this than every single old gen except Sayaka, because they actually did it at all (granted for the older girls it was optional). The older gens also had about an hour of footage of walking around Macau eating, chatting, etc. (these girls did something like that too but it doesn't seem like it was filmed).

Could they have done better? Yes. Miyupon especially was barely inclined more than Megu on her first failed attempt. But Megu did better here than she did in Thailand (which, I agree, was a very disappointing performance especially after she complained about another girl taking too long), and this was filmed only a couple months later.

 

What a shitty way (from production team) to exclude the scaredy cats if it happened, I must say. lol.
(And a missed chance to see it happen.)

They already brought up there. Will be anticlimax if they didn't drop the spectacular way.

Edit: I'll make myself clear for next episode. They did(n't) jump, they will be branded that for a long time. Alongside it's streak of consequence.

 

As do all idols in muchaburi challenges. Doesn't mean she wasn't hazed as a half-Japanese / half-Filipina her entire time in the group. Yamashita Emiri can attest to this as well...

You did say she was the only one who had to lean off the edge... any analysis on why that might be?

As @antares commented about... the new gens have a history of not making the muchaburi challenges fun... but just awkward. Even the losers in the early-gen muchaburi were at least self-aware that they still needed to be entertaining, so amped up the reaction to get a laugh. Now, it seems less about entertaining the fans and more about them... which in the context of shows like AKBingo and here, seems even more out of place, being that this is basically a nostalgia revisit to a classic early-gen Nemousu (as was the 12th-gen + Chori spelunking trip, which to me was kind of short but still showcased my Tomu as a trooper, mission accomplished ).

Maybe we just need to agree to disagree, wlerin -- neither of us is going to change the others' mind, looks like. We both come from apparently quite different schools of thought on how to approach and overcome fear and the ego-barrier -- and how to get new fans as a new gen.

 

On rewatch, I'm partly mistaken. This was part of training for their bungee jump, so after they'd had time to acclimate you can see some of the members in the background leaning back against their tether too after Sayaka showed them how it was done. She's just the only one who did the full challenge, and did so by her own choice.

... I kinda wish they'd had everyone in the new group do both.

Eh, that's not the issue. I'd take a very different tone if I was talking directly to Megu. But I do think you're selling her short (maybe not so much the other two, sadly).

 

Agree... felt the same way about the spelunking EP... seemed a bit short compared to the original Mayu / Sasshi one. Probably because they have less cash than years ago for Nemousu, so the EPs are having to be stuffed into smaller timeslots?

Whew -- after all this dissection and debate... this upcoming EP better be good!

 

With this one especially, I think having one of the braver members do it first to show the timid ones they had nothing to be afraid of would have been a great help. Instead they had Ponchan go first, and further terrify the other too lol.

I think the length of the episodes are about the same as they have always been, we just haven't had a good 2-hour special in a few seasons :/

Heh.

...



You don't need all your fingers and thumbs in working condition to bungee jump, right?