Produce 101 Japan The Girls (; stylized in all caps) is the third season of the reality competition show Produce 101 Japan, the Japanese version of Produce 101. The show brings together 101 contestants with the intention of producing a permanent eleven-member girl group.
The show premiered on October 5, 2023, and is broadcast on Lemino every Thursday at 21:00 JST (GMT+9). Each episode is rerun on YouTube with English subtitles the following Monday at 21:00 JST (GMT+9) and each episode will be available for a week before being switched to private and replaced with the next episode. Additionally, the final episode aired on TBS.
The top 11 winners debuted under the name Me:I in 2024.
Promotion and broadcast On April 20, 2023, it was announced that Produce 101 Japan would be renewed for a third season, this time featuring all female contestants. The show is being produced by NTT Docomo Studio & Live, Inc., a newly-formed joint venture between NTT Docomo and Yoshimoto Kogyo. The show is being exclusively distributed by NTT Docomo's streaming service Lemino, with exception of the final episode, which will also be broadcast by TBS. The episodes are receiving a limited overseas distribution with English subtitles through Produce 101 Japan's official YouTube channel, where they will stay available until a week after their release.
Applications were open from April 24 to May 24, 2023. Any female aspirants aged 15 and up who had no current ties to a talent agency and completed compulsory education were eligible. There were no restrictions regarding nationality or country of residence. Approximately 14,000 candidates applied, more than twice the amount as for the first season. Two rounds of auditions were held for successful applicants from June 3 to June 25, 2023. Individuals who passed the second round were allowed to participate in the show.
On September 2, 2023, this season's theme song was released. The following day, the profiles of 96 out of the 101 contestants were revealed. The remaining five trainees had already withdrawn from the program and their identities were not disclosed. On September 26, a press conference was held with the contestants, trainers, National Producer Representative Kaela Kimura, the show's ambassador actress and former singer Nako Yabuki, and MC Moemi Kushiro.
Cast The show is being presented by singer Kaela Kimura as the National Producer Representative. Actress and former IZ*ONE and HKT48 member Nako Yabuki serves as the show's ambassador. Chanmina appeared as a guest on Episode 7 to mentor the trainees performing her song "Bijin" (). Former IZ*ONE members and soloists Choi Ye-na and Jo Yu-ri appeared as surprise guests on Episode 10 to give the trainees advice.
Vocal trainers Thelma Aoyama Lee Hong-gi
Dance trainers Rino Nakasone Yumeki
Rap trainer Ken the 390
Contestants
Color key Final debut members of Me:I Contestants eliminated in the finale Contestants eliminated in the third elimination round Contestants eliminated in the second elimination round Contestants eliminated in the first elimination round Contestants left the show 101 Contestants Unknown Unknown
Rankings Top 11 The top 11 contestants are chosen through popularity online voting through the Produce 101 Japan voting page on Lemino's website and audience live voting. Furthermore, National Producers can receive an additional vote per day by downloading the Lemino app. The results were shown at the end of each episode.
New Top 11 Comeback to Top 11 # Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 8 Episode 10 Episode 11 1 Suzu Yamamoto Kokoro Kato(1) Momona Kasahara(1) Ran Ishii(2) Ran Ishii() Momona Kasahara(2) Momona Kasahara() 2 Kokoro Kato Momona Kasahara(2) Kokoro Kato(1) Kokoro Kato() Kokoro Kato() Miu Sakurai(2) Rinon Murakami(1) 3 Tsuzumi Ebihara Suzu Yamamoto(2) Ran Ishii(4) Momona Kasahara(2) Momona Kasahara() Rinon Murakami(14) Ayane Takami(2) 4 Momona Kasahara Miu Sakurai(1) Miu Sakurai() Miu Sakurai() Miu Sakurai() Ran Ishii(3) Miu Sakurai(2) 5 Miu Sakurai Tsuzumi Ebihara(2) Suzu Yamamoto(2) Suzu Yamamoto() Suzu Yamamoto() Ayane Takami(1) Suzu Yamamoto(9) 6 Kokona Sasaki Kokona Sasaki() Tsuzumi Ebihara(1) Nano Kenmotsu(2) Ayane Takami(2) Tsuzumi Ebihara(1) Kokona Sasaki(1) 7 Ran Ishii Ran Ishii() Kokona Sasaki(1) Rin Aita(4) Tsuzumi Ebihara(2) Kokona Sasaki(4) Shizuku Iida(3) 8 Rio Kitazato Nano Kenmotsu(6) Nano Kenmotsu() Ayane Takami(1) Keiko Shimizu(3) Kokoro Kato(6) Keiko Shimizu(3) 9 Ayane Takami Koto Tanaka(4) Ayane Takami(1) Tzusumi Ebihara(3) Nano Kenmotsu(3) Rin Aita(1) Ran Ishii(5) 10 Kagura Kato Ayane Takami(1) Koto Tanaka(1) Kokona Sasaki(3) Rin Aita(3) Shizuku Iida(10) Tsuzumi Ebihara(4) 11 Sakura Kitazume Rio Kitazato(3) Rin Aita(24) Keiko Shimizu(1) Kokona Sasaki(1) Keiko Shimizu(3) Kokoro Kato(3)
First voting period The first voting period took place from October 5, 2023, at 21:00 JST (GMT+9), to October 26 at 23:59 JST. National Producers were allowed to vote for eleven girls a day. Eliminations were based on individual total points. In total, 34,141,349 votes were cast for the 1st Ranking Announcement Ceremony.
+ 1st Voting Period results Rank Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Name Votes Name Votes 1 Suzu Yamamoto Kokoro Kato Tsuzumi Ebihara 3,172 Momona Kasahara 1,768,859 2 Kokoro Kato Momona Kasahara Ayane Takami 3,151 Kokoro Kato 1,746,344 3 Tsuzumi Ebihara Suzu Yamamoto Sakura Kitazume 3,139 Ran Ishii 1,694,183 4 Momona Kasahara Miu Sakurai Ran Ishii 3,123 Miu Sakurai 1,592,191 5 Miu Sakurai Tsuzumi Ebihara Momona Kasahara 3,093 Suzu Yamamoto 1,572,508 6 Kokona Sasaki Kokona Sasaki Tsukushi SasakiKokona Nakano 3,084 Tsuzumi Ebihara 1,429,741 7 Ran Ishii Ran Ishii Kokona Sasaki 1,414,136 8 Rio Kitazato Nano Kenmotsu Hina Takahashi 3,082 Nano Kenmotsu 1,305,332 9 Ayane Takami Koto Tanaka Momoka Takabatake 3,073 Ayane Takami 1,076,012 10 Kagura Kato Ayane Takami Yuka Aoki 3,071 Koto Tanaka 980,811 11 Sakura Kitazume Rio Kitazato Honoka Nakayama 3,068 Rin Aita 916,711
Second voting period The second voting period has started on November 2, 2023, after the broadcast for Episode 5 had finished, and will end on November 16 at 23:59 JST (GMT+9). National Producers can vote for eleven girls a day. Eliminations are based on individual total points.
In Episode 6, only the names, not the ranks of the top 11 contestants were shown. The top 11 for the episode included Rin Aita, Ran Ishii, Tsuzumi Ebihara, Momona Kasahara, Kokoro Kato, Nano Kenmotsu, Miu Sakurai, Kokona Sasaki, Keiko Shimizu, Ayane Takami, and Suzu Yamamoto. The results of Episode 6 were shown in Episode 8.
# Episode 7 Episode 6 Episode 8 Name Votes Name Votes 1 Ran Ishii 110,509 Ran Ishii Ran Ishii 2,449,217 2 Momoka Takabatake 110,492 Kokoro Kato Kokoro Kato 2,130,005 3 Keiko Shimizu 110,479 Momona Kasahara Momona Kasahara 1,985,944 4 Rino Sakaguchi 10,489 Miu Sakurai Miu Sakurai 1,963,368 5 Yui Ando 10,479 Suzu Yamamoto Suzu Yamamoto 1,719,091 6 Momona Kasahara 10,473 Nano Kenmotsu Ayane Takami 1,616,533 7 Hina Takahashi 10,470 Rin Aita Tsuzumi Ebihara 1,599,394 8 Ranka Kawabata 10,467 Ayane Takami Keiko Shimizu 1,513,323 9 Nano Kenmotsu 10,462 Tsuzumi Ebihara Nano Kenmotsu 1,463,867 10 Nagomi Abe 477 Kokona Sasaki Rin Aita 1,439,966 11 Tsuzumi EbiharaAyane Takami 475 Keiko Shimizu Kokona Sasaki 1,435,067
Third voting period The third voting period took place from November 23, 2023, after the broadcast for Episode 8 had finished, and will end on November 30 at 23:59 JST (GMT+9). National Producers can vote for two girls a day. Eliminations are based on individual total points.
Between Episodes 8 and 9, an interim ranking was published alongside a preview video of the Concept Evaluation performances, revealing the current ranking for six trainees. Ayano Kamio ranked 26th, Kagura Kato ranked 25th, Joa Aramaki ranked 24th, Serina Saito ranked 23rd, Yuuki Tanaka ranked 18th, and Nano Kenmotsu ranked 17th.
# Episode 9 Episode 10 Name Votes Name Votes 1 Tsuzumi Ebihara 100,036 Momona Kasahara 650,828 2 Miu Sakurai 50,035 Miu Sakurai 481,838 3 Momona Kasahara 40,032 Rinon Murakami 481,635 4 Kokoro KatoSuzu Yamamoto 25,018 Ran Ishii 400,320 5 Ayane Takami 396,945 6 Rin Aita 10,007 Tsuzumi Ebihara 371,393 7 Ayane Takami 36 Kokona Sasaki 341,153 8 Ran Ishii 35 Kokoro Kato 292,933 9 Yuuki Tanaka 27 Rin Aita 283,766 10 Sakura Kitazume 24 Shizuku Iida 273,263 11 Kokona Sasaki 22 Keiko Shimizu 265,607
Result #Episode 11 Name VotesPrefectureAudition Name 1 Momona Kasahara1,116,716Kanagawarebloom 2 Rinon Murakami700,305OkayamaVitamin Bomb 3 Ayane Takami686,868IwateCool Girls 4 Miu Sakurai655,210AichiWing Bell Moon 5 Suzu Yamamoto631,708TokyoWing Bell Moon 6 Kokona Sasaki599,913MieTeam NANA 7 Shizuku Iida593,457TokyoLittle Heroines 8 Keiko Shimizu591,650AichiVitamin Bomb 9 Ran Ishii588,173SaitamaEYE Catcher 10 Tsuzumi Ebihara577,903KanagawaBlue Spring 11 Kokoro Kato552,603Aichirebloom
Episodes
Discography Studio albums Title Details Peak chart positions Sales JPNPeak positions for albums on Oricon Albums Chart: JPNComb.Peak positions for albums on Oricon Combined Albums: JPNHotPeak positions for albums on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums: Produce 101 Japan The Girls Released: December 18, 2023 Label: Lapone Formats: CD, digital download 2 2 3 JPN: 68,749
Extended plays Title Details Peak chart positions Sales JPNComb.Peaks positions for albums on Oricon Combined Albums: JPNHotPeak positions for albums on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 35 Girls 5 Concepts Released: December 1, 2023 Label: Lapone Formats: Digital download, streaming 9 17 JPN: 1,739Total digital downloads for 35 Girls 5 Concepts:
Final Released: December 17, 2023 Label: Lapone Formats: Digital download, streaming — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.
Singles Title Year Peaks Certifications AlbumJPNComb.Peaks positions for albums on Oricon Combined Singles:
JPNHotPeak positions for albums on the Japan Hot 100:
"Leap High!" 2023 46 49 RIAJ: Gold Produce 101 Japan The Girls "AtoZ" 28 27 "Baddie" — 56 "Popcorn" — 53 "Toxic" 18 18 "&Me" 15 19 "Choppy Choppy" — 37 "Sōzōijō" — 32 "Fly Up So High — 75 "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.
Post-Competition Me:I released their debut single "Mirai" on April 17, 2024. Kokona Sasaki (6th), Shizuku Iida (7th), Ran Ishii (9th), and Kokoro Kato (11th) left the group on December 31, 2025, after terminating their contracts.
Some trainees formed/joined groups: Rino Sakaguchi (12th), Rin Aita (13th), Yuuki Tanaka (15th), and Nano Kenmotsu (16th) signed with Lapone Entertainment as trainees and were revealed in March 2024; it was then announced that the girls will debut as Is:sue under Lapone Girls and will have their debut performance at KCON Japan. Is:sue debuted with their first single "1st Is:sue", on June 19, 2024. Koto Tanaka (17th) and Yui Ando (25th) debuted in new girl group MYERA with their first single "Lie Lie Lie Lie / Be Naked", on January 1, 2025. Haruka Sakuraba (19th) signed with ASOBISYSTEM and was revealed as a member of Kawaii Lab.'s girl group Cutie Street in July 2024. Cutie Street debuted with their first single "Kawaii Dake ja Dame Desu ka?", on November 13, 2024. Serina Saito (21st) and Nagomi Abe (23rd) signed with 143 Entertainment as trainees and were revealed in May 2024; the girls debuted in Madein with their first mini album Rise, on September 3, 2024. Joa Aramaki (22nd) signed with Pony Canyon and was revealed as a member of the girl group UN1CON in August 2024. UN1CON debuted with their first single “A.R.T.”, on October 30, 2024. Ayano Kamio (24th) and Hana Yoshida (30th) signed with NTT Docomo Studio & Live and debuted in new girl group Cosmosy with their first single "zigy=zigy~", on December 31, 2024.