I really want to love s/mileage, specially since I shouldn't care about OGs and stuff (I follow MM since 2001, and Aichan is my all time fave, but I like current MM the best), but that old chemistry of 1st gen just seems irreplaceable, they were so fun together (and ironically, that chemistry is what made management look for auditions... they wanted rivalry) and it just felt right.
Also, I find Yuukarin a unique girl, which had almost everything, her looks unmatched, the same as her cuteness (praised by many H!P members), a fan favorite, she was a decent singer, a great dancer, and she was really fun in TV. OFC many western fans didn't care about her (the undergod syndrome
), but she was the face of S/mileage....
Sakichi was much less popular, but her singing was very good, she had a great smile, and was having lots of fun before the grads were announced.
Now we see barely anything of them on TV, and when they were shown, they were boring. I'm really sorry to say this, but it's the truth, 1st gen was hillarious on TV
The new gen 's charm points (kanana's gorilla stuff, takechan's boyish, tv freak persona, Meimi's crazyness, Rina's... ? no idea
) just aren't interesting yet. They have to find something to cling on that gets into fans.
It's been more than a year already, and they're just not there. Also, you can see that Ayacho and Kanyon aren't really glad about the new members, they're not bonding, and they're not even trying harder, because only meimi is getting some center love. 2nd gen isn't competition... yet.
There's still hope, and I'd really want a 3rd gen soon. That'd stir things up and 2nd gen would feel the pressure. They really need that.