A History of the Top Tier Cutest in Hello! Project

This post is a look back at members who have defined ‘kawaii’ in Hello! Project, and some suggestions for who might take the throne in the future. These are members who have enjoyed popularity and career success not only for their talent, but also almost super-humanly cute looks, and you might say primarily for those looks. The list is biased in the sense that all humans are biased, but these are not my favourite members. These are members who were or are especially known for their cuteness; members whose cuteness would attract the attention of casual passers-by, members who are cute enough to receive compliments from people who are not interested in idols in the least. They are the opposite of ‘acquired taste’, having features that are generally valued in Japan; the small faces with symmetric features, likely big eyes (although as you will see, there are exceptions to that rule), a kitten-like quality that melts the hearts of all but the most dedicated haters.