Japan Women's NT 2023

Quote from sitenoise

I know. I just couldn't resist She was mostly before my time so I can't reliably speak to your question

HAHA thanks anyway

Quote from Genius of the Sky

not that 😂😂😂 I was asking of how huge she was in terms of star power & popularity because that was topic on the page before 😂😂😂

Saori was very popular because she was on the national team while in high school.

she also had a natural quirkiness which also endured herself to people as well. However, her play was also really good.

Saori had lots of interviews even during her time in Turkey, and even got onto the cartoon show Sazae-san. Additionally performed with the team in some of the game shows before World Cups or championships. Current team has not done that type of stuff, but also Japanese tv has slightly changed.

Quote from brahmin

Saori was very popular because she was on the national team while in high school.

she also had a natural quirkiness which also endured herself to people as well. However, her play was also really good.

Saori had lots of interviews even during her time in Turkey, and even got onto the cartoon show Sazae-san. Additionally performed with the team in some of the game shows before World Cups or championships. Current team has not done that type of stuff, but also Japanese tv has slightly changed.

Thank you.

Quote from Genius of the Sky

not that 😂😂😂 I was asking of how huge she was in terms of star power & popularity because that was topic on the page before 😂😂😂

Saori did not reach her stardom up until they won bronze during London that was her very peak. It catapulted her not only as one of history's best Japanese volleyball player but also one of the most beautiful women in Japan. Before all that, Megumi Kurihara was one of the "kisekis" was more popular than Saori hence her nickname "Princess Meg" but this would only be in Japan as she was never a player that had global impact.

TV shows haven't changed all that much but these days the ones that hold the most power are coming from influencers/social media. The women's team just got less popular following Saori's departure and the Haikyuu mania that took over. There also isn't a single ace that became successful in a major league in Italy or Turkey which makes them even more inferior to the men's team. Japanese media likes to focus on athletes that represent Japan in bigger leagues overseas Naomi Osaka, Shohei Ohtani, Yuzuru Hanyu, Yu Darvish, that Japanese F1 racer etc. as long as the women's team don't have that and they don't get a medal at the Olympics they will never truly be known.

My favorite player Momii seems to have vanished. A rare lefty setter with good defense. It's a shame they dropped her.

They're an awkward and quirky bunch for sure. Except for Matsui, Koga, Mayu and Nagaoka who are all used to it. Matsui would make a great leader someday. Nothing like Miyashita very stable, confident and mature.

Yamada is literally a big baby with a deep voice lmao

Article about Sarina Koga's change in jump and movements

https://number.bunshun.jp/articles/-/857695

and look what we were just talking about.

Quote from Karl

Saori did not reach her stardom up until they won bronze during London that was her very peak. It catapulted her not only as one of history's best Japanese volleyball player but also one of the most beautiful women in Japan. Before all that, Megumi Kurihara was one of the "kisekis" was more popular than Saori hence her nickname "Princess Meg" but this would only be in Japan as she was never a player that had global impact.

Saori’s stardom was at the world champs in 2010. It was not like she was not already on the national team for 6 years at that point, but getting bronze there and the team played well, let alone having to go five in the semifinal and then in the bronze to bring home long lost medals, basically made her an immediate household name.

Takeshita was probably more recognized because of her size and massive media criticism for failing to qualify for Sydney Olympics with her as the setter. She has always been guarded and knows that having gone through hell previously. Of course with two massive medals because of her efforts, she kind of can say FU because she got everything out of her little frame.

Still Meg and Kana were both good looking youngsters (on and off court) and had played in the Haruko finals against each other. Media had a field day with them.

Kana’s body betrayed her, while Meg went overseas before hers did the same.

venue looking empty again

It does defly help the team's popularity if there're several eye candies in the squad like Princess Kaoru, Princess Meg, Saori, Oyama, Sugiyama during Yanagimoto's era or Kano, Princess Meg, Saori, Hamaguchi during Manabe's 2009 era. JPN team in 2000s was a disaster in term of achievement but remained relevant in media for so long partly thanks to those beauties.

What's with the delays