AstroBaby

Yeah I think it would be weird for a model to have so little face shots and it be mostly dancing. She's definitely a trainee somewhere even if she's not a SM trainee

Yeah but that's just because SM is sexist like most companies and willing to manage multiple boy groups but not girl groups (at least not successfully) like...SM only debuts a new girl group to: A. appeal to sub market their other group doesn't: f(x) B. after a previous group disbanded/something messy happened: Red Velvet when the Sulli issue was starting the reason sm didn't debut sr16g, sr17g, etc. Is because Red Velvet has miraculously managed to be successful with their duel concept and appeal to both the general public with the quality of their pop releases in general as well as to appeal to sub markets (old school rnb/girl crush fans) essentially becoming their own f(x) to their snsd. Obviously I know Red Velvet's concept doesn't cover everything but they hit a large portion of the market and there wasn't really a convenient gap in the market. Cute/pure? Twice + Gfriend, Girl Crush? Blackpink, Sexy? The Velvet side, also the girls were/are underage. Sure, SM is SM and they could very well compete with any of those groups but SM doesn't really like competition for competitions sake the same way YG and JYP do, or anything that makes them seem like they are trying to copy someone. Especially when the gg they do have is only going up in terms of popularity/money. Now. Does that mean that it's Red Velvet fault that srg isn't debuting? NO. NCT obviously plays a huge role in terms of the monetary investment of having so many members and the time investment of having multiple units, and than there's the remaining snsd members and the fact the f(x) still exists... so yeah while NCT definitely is a very large factor I feel like if SM had really felt that they had the perfect opportunity/needed to debut a gg previously they would have. I hope this year they'll realize the need with the 4th gen debuting, the girls getting older (by debut standards) and next year they'll take the opportunity to debut them.

If Lily goes solo I hope she gets something like this: or this: https://youtu.be/XNy9bJgsaeQ both have a cute nations daughter feel that would suit her age but also show off vocally (this type of feel would also match with the possible Lily/Haewon vocal group idea)

Unless you mean Nizi (the Japanese girl group) there is no solid proof that JYP is debuting another gg in 2020. The original financial analyses that said that also said Nizi would debut late 2019/early 2020 but obviously they got pushed back to November 2020. With jyp's schedule being: Itzy debut -> Nizi debut -> ngg debut it follows that they've also been pushed back to 2021 unless they debuted in December or something which would be way to late to compete for ROTY

Some Hope for Mako: apparently Zeyu joined Boystory after training 2 years with JYPE despite all the other members being cast in an audition tour

Idk I think Fromis_9 is a pretty good group. I think/hope that some of the girls will be former trainees at other companies like a lot of the Fromis girls are (I hope he casts that Ravi girl assuming she rly is Japanese + former sm trainee)

I don't think so...at least not with a second tier company like Pledis, there are of course groups from really tiny companies that disappear after debut

Also if SM wanting their money back is the whole reason than WayV ALONE has the potential to make it back in the Chinese Market this year...so let's be a little less pessimistic as silly as that might sound

I feel like this is much more accurate to the reason rather than blaming everything on one (admittedly v big) group...

Also I am certain that Denimalz is either some product JYPE is trying to sell or the new Chinese boy group...like no way is it a girl group name especially for a group that is almost certainly not gonna be girl crush

Since Itzy is pronounced Ichi if this theory was true the other group would be pronounced.... yeah it's a no from me

I think that's v likely even if Yuna A doesn't participate. Half (white) ppl at least are mostly accepted and there are lots of white/japanese celebs, and mixed Japanese of other races are also gaining visibility with groups like Bananalemon and Gloss + the three most recent seasons of Terrace House

Yeah SM cares more about groups building a strong (female) fanbase so in that sense I can see them waiting until NCT Dream and Nct 127 (bc they appeal to different audiences) both got their first win but considering that happened in 2017 and they've gotten somewhat steady wins since I really don't think that's the reason. If sm had wanted nct to be the nations boy group they wouldn't of done the concept in the first place, they aren't stupid enough to think that the average person (who often thinks 9 members are to much, likes brighter/predictable concepts) is gonna stan a group with potentially infinite members and a v experimental concept...the concept was meant to appeal to hardcore sm stans, young people, and foreign fans which it has done successfully

How many members do y'all think this group will have? The "Japanese Twice/16 Japan" thing made me think it would be 9 but the whole Rainbow thing now makes me think it might be 7

hmmm...I can see them getting individual (most likely faceless) sm station songs MAYBE. But, in general big 3 companies don't really like doing a ton of predebut promotion bc ppl will pay attention to them regardless and they don't want to risk "using up their image". I could also see a '04 liner debuting in 2020 bc they'll be past the curfew law but I just have a feeling that Lami will stay the maknae ...I feel like all these rumors of them having a Loona like concept r probably just based on the Shining Star space pop sound and the popular belief that they'll have 12 members

ok, that makes sense! ty for clarifying

Hello! Long time lurker, first time poster here. Someone said we don't really have any solid rumored trainees but didn't Ningning confirm that she knew Deyi/whoever this chick in the photo is? http://goo.gl/images/nDtX2a

I really hope so I think so too.. but part of me really loves the idea of both the Japanese group and Itzy having a Yuna as the maknae~

Also, idk if any of y'all keep up with the JPNNGG thread but we might want to start talking more about Mako again on here bc it looks like the survival will be all new recruits rather than long term Japanese trainees rn :/

Nizi is cute! it makes them totally sound like Itzy's sister group! but...November 2020 huh... Hmmmm...idk about this.... I feel like the whole "Japanese ppl like to see idols grow" is a bit of a generalization considering the growing popularity of kpop among young people. Nayeon is the most popular Twice member in Japan and she's basically a idol golden child. I feel like it's a waste to save Mako as the token Japanese member in the nkrgg when she's perfect for this fusion concept (dance skills of a long-term trainee + jpop visuals). I understand not having enough trainees and casting/training new ones, but I don't get not including current trainees who already have hype + skill. I mean, Natty and Tzuyu only had a few months of training to compare with Jihyo's ten so...Also I feel like JYP has been getting other promising jpn trainees thrown at him during auditions and he's just not done anything (a mixed former sm trainee like hello??). If I had to make a Japanese 16 I would probably cast any Japanese trainee in the right age range and start them training together asap. I really hope not...again 48 type groups are not a universally popular in Japan as people think and they appeal to a more niche market. If they combined unskilled trainees + plus giant group size it would just be stereotypical jpop group and ruin the fusion concept and global market appeal.

He'd have to pry Wonyoung from Starships cold dead hands lol no way are they letting her go. Besides the big 3 don't really like casting already famous trainees (can't force a image on someone who already has one). I can see JYP casting some lower ranked p48 trainees, but not anyone who made the finals. Personally I'd like to see: -Dahye (Yuna would have jp/kr mixed buddy) -any of the HOW trainees (that've got that classic JYP confidence in being silly) EDIT -Cho Ahyeong would also be amazing! (still don't understand why she left fnc) -the CNC girls are in the right age range and extremely talented as well

I don't want to be That Guy on my very first post but if this group debuts in 2020 I don't think they'll be the cutesy/nations girl group/6+ member type group that we all crave... I mean Twice is still on the top of the world basically and is still going up. Sure, they'll have less comebacks this year w Itzy but I think the absence will only make Once heart grow founder and I don't forsee any significant drop in popularity that would provoke jyp into debuting another cute gg. Frankly, even if Twice were to disband in 2019 I don't think jyp would do it because it would feel cheap and immediately start the girls off on the wrong side of much of their potential fanbase. I think 2021 for a cute gg would be ideal/most likely with Izone disbanding and Twice's concept shifted sufficiently/solo debuts starting. If they do debut in 2020 (which is def possible given the financial reports) I think it's likely they'll be a vocal/rnb group since they happened to save the 2 highest voted vocalists at the showcase (Lily M + Haewon) and it's something JYP himself says he's always wanted to do but never could follow through on. So I could see Lily, Haewon, hidden trainee, and possibly Yunjin (I mean...ppl say she's loud which is worth a lot even if her technique isn't there yet) debuting as a baby Sistar/Red Velvet in 2020