Hello! Project "ONLY YOU" Audition

Hello! Project "ONLY YOU" Audition (ハロー！プロジェクト“ONLY YOU”オーディション) was the audition for members to join two new Hello! Project groups that would begin activities in 2018: the first led by Ichioka Reina, and the second including Takase Kurumi and Kiyono Momohime in its line-up. The audition opened on May 11, 2018."ハロー！プロジェクト“ONLY YOU”オーディション開催のお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2018-05-11.
However, on October 19, 2018, when the group names were revealed as CHICA#TETSU and Ame no Mori Kawa Umi, it was also announced that they would be part of a combined group named BEYOOOOONDS which the audition winners would instead join."新グループ、グループ名決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2018-10-19."ハロー！プロジェクト新グループ、グループ名決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project Station (via YouTube). 2018-10-19.
The audition was searching for members who did not only love singing and dancing or Hello! Project, but had a special talent or skill they were confident they would not lose to anyone else.
==Audition Details==
*Application Requirements:
*#Female, living in Japan, from 10 to 21 years old as of May 11, 2018.
*#Must not currently be under contract with any agencies that run entertainment productions or other entertainment activities.
*#Minors must have consent from a legal guardian.
*Application Deadline: June 6, 2018
*Total Applicants: Unknown
*Dance Instructor: Mitsubachi Maki
*Singing Instructor: Sugiura Yoshimi
*Broadcast: Hello! Project Station
==Audition Process==
===First Round===
The application deadline was on June 6, 2018 (at 15:00 for web applications).
Afterwards, the applications were reviewed and those who passed would be contacted by letter.https://twitter.com/onlyyouaudition/status/1004244389957259264 It was announced on June 20, 2018 that the reviewing process was completed and all notification letters were mailed out.
===Second Round===
On July 1, 2018, second round screenings began taking place in "various locations".https://twitter.com/onlyyouaudition/status/1013247463103188992 All the candidates were interviewed. After the round was completed, those who successfully passed into the third round were mailed a notification letter as of July 5, 2018.https://twitter.com/onlyyouaudition/status/1014800458886418432
===Third Round===
On July 21, 2018, third round screenings began taking place in "various locations".https://twitter.com/onlyyouaudition/status/1020611866521948160 On August 3, 2018, third round was completed. They mailed out notices to applicants that passed.https://twitter.com/onlyyouaudition/status/1025287424648204289
Identified participants in this round are:
*(218) Hirai Miyo (平井美葉), 18
*(211) Kobayashi Honoka (小林萌花), 18
*(208) Satoyoshi Utano (里吉うたの), 18
*(Unknown) Saito Madoka (斉藤円香), 15
*(235) Ise Layla (伊勢鈴蘭), 14"アンジュルム新メンバーは、ハロプロファンと非ハロプロファン(!?)の対照的な2人！" (in Japanese). The Television. 2018-11-23."アンジュルム新メンバー決定!! 札幌編" (in Japanese). Hello! Project Station. 2018-11-30.
*(Unknown) Kusunoki Mei (楠萌生), 13
*(Unknown) Onoda Karin (小野田華凛), 10
===Final Round===
On October 19, 2018, it was announced that the audition had entered the final selection. The finalists had to learn to perform "46okunen LOVE" as a group for their final evaluation all in one day. Mitsubachi Maki was in charge of dance lessons, and Sugiura Yoshimi was in charge of singing lessons and dividing parts of the song to the girls."BEYOOOOONDS 第1章 vol.4" (in Japanese). Hello! Project Station (via YouTube). 2019-01-25.
The following three girls made it to the final round:
*Hirai Miyo (平井美葉), 18
*Kobayashi Honoka (小林萌花), 18
*Satoyoshi Utano (里吉うたの), 18
==Results==
The audition results were announced on December 3, 2018 at the BEYOOOOONDS Ouen Kikaku FC Event 2018 ~Fuyu no Jin ZIN~. All three finalists were revealed as the winners and additional BEYOOOOONDS members:"BEYOOOOONDS 加入メンバー決定！" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2018-12-03.
*Hirai Miyo (平井美葉), 18
*Kobayashi Honoka (小林萌花), 18
*Satoyoshi Utano (里吉うたの), 18
Prior to the event, one audition winner was selected from the third round to instead join ANGERME as a 7th generation member on November 23, 2018:"「ハロー！プロジェクト“ONLY YOU”オーディション」に関するお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. 2018-12-10.
*Ise Layla (伊勢鈴蘭), 14
==Trivia==
*This is the first audition to open its own promotional Twitter account.
**Staff announced on Twitter that they received many applications after the first weekend.https://twitter.com/onlyyouaudition/status/995968257134804992
*On May 10, 2018 the official Kobushi Factory Twitter account accidentally retweeted an international fan's reply to the audition's Twitter account saying "Debut Maeda Kokoro". The mistake was removed several hours later.https://twitter.com/neoculture_boy/status/994875631551832065
*On November 1, 2018, Saito Madoka, Kusunoki Mei, and Onoda Karin were added to Hello Pro Kenshuusei as 29th generation members.
**Kusunoki later on left Hello Pro Kenshuusei in April 2019.
**Saito debuted in OCHA NORMA in December 2021.
**Onoda debuted in Rosy Chronicle in June 2024.
*Arisawa Ichika and Tsutsui Roko participated in the audition.
**Arisawa Ichika joined Juice=Juice in July 2021.
**Tsutsui Roko debuted in OCHA NORMA in December 2021.
==Gallery==
IseReiraaudition.jpg|Ise Layla, 14
IseReiraaudition5454545.jpg|Ise Layla, 14
2YwBN85.jpg|Ise Layla, 14
Onlyyouaudition02.jpg|With Mitsubachi Maki
Onlyyouaudition03.jpg|Kobayashi Honoka, 18
Onlyyouaudition04.jpg|Satoyoshi Utano, 18
Onlyyouaudition05.jpg|Hirai Miyo, 18
Onlyyouaudition06.jpg
Onlyyouaudition07.jpg
Onlyyouaudition08.jpg|Final round (right to left: Kobayashi Honoka, Satoyoshi Utano, Hirai Miyo)
Onlyyouaudition09.jpg|Sugiura Yoshimi
Onlyyouaudition01.jpg|Finalists
==References==
==External Links==
*Official Announcement
*Audition Site
*Twitter
es:Hello! Project "ONLY YOU" Audition
Category:2018 Auditions
Category:Hello! Project Auditions