Karin Miyamoto to graduate Juice=Juice and Hello! Project. Juice=Juice ace Karin Miyamoto has announced her intention to graduate from the group and Hello! Project following completion of J=J's Spring tour. Reasons given for wishing to leave the group were many and varied, including the desire to be a solo artist, interests in DIY craft-work and … Continue reading Grape Leaves
Always Bet on PINK
PINK CRES. - "Roulette" PINK CRES has finally grown up. I know it seems odd to say that a pop group consisting of 24 to 27 year old women has "grown up," but that's how I feel listening to "Roulette," the A-side of PINK CRES's major label debut single. Whereas "Tokyo Confusion" was an inspired … Continue reading Always Bet on PINK
Angermegeddon
Here we go again. Mizuki Murota's sudden announcement to graduate from Angerme after the group's March 22 Hina Fes Premium concert has left fans stunned and confused, and wondering how many more important members the group can lose without losing their identity and high level of performance. Murota's and Funaki's departures will be the fourth … Continue reading Angermegeddon
Harowota: The Movie
Musician and manga writer Mikito Tsurugi has adapted his 2014 autobiographical essay Ano Koro: Danshi Kashimashi Monogatari for the big screen, with a screenplay by Tominaga Masanori and starring Tori Matsuzaka (The Blood of Wolves) in the lead role. The movie In Those Days will follow Tsurugi's challenging and life-changing events after failing his grad … Continue reading Harowota: The Movie
Top 20 Morning Musume Singles Cover Art
As we near the 22nd anniversary of Morning Musume's debut single, "Morning Coffee" (1/28/1998), I went through all of their single covers and ranked my top 20(+1). Only covers for audio editions that were available for purchase to the general public through normal channels are considered, so no Single V's, and no event, promo or … Continue reading Top 20 Morning Musume Singles Cover Art
Generation XV
Morning Musume - "KOKORO&KARADA / LOVEpedia / Ningen Kankei No way way" The most anticipated Morning Musume singles for me these days are those that debut a new generation. I've been less interested in the H!P flagship than all other H!P groups since Sayumi graduated, and that saddens me a bit. MM is the group … Continue reading Generation XV
BEYOOOOONDS the Valley of the Idols
BEYOOOOOND1St Announced just one month after their debut single dropped, the production schedule for BEYOOOOOND1St broke with J-idol conventions by hewing more closely to the 70s-80s rock system of rolling out a single to promote an impending new album, usually a month or so before its release. In an era where new idol groups are … Continue reading BEYOOOOONDS the Valley of the Idols
What Do You Do With A Girl Like Rei Inoue?
Rei Inoue is the sole member of Kobushi Factory who will remain with Hello! Project after KF disbands, so the speculation surrounding her future role in H!P is lively. The three most likely scenarios are: 1. solo career; 2. lead a new unit; 3. join an existing unit. I'll avoid speculating on what I think … Continue reading What Do You Do With A Girl Like Rei Inoue?
Kobushi. RIP.
If you're reading this blog, you're probably already aware that Up Front has decided to pull the plug on Kobushi Factory. Their final single, "Seishun no Hana / Start Line," will be released on March 4th, with their farewell performance set for March 30th. And as one would expect of KF, the announcement was released … Continue reading Kobushi. RIP.
Did “One•Two•Three” Save H!P?
I saw this pop up in my Twitter feed a few days ago: https://twitter.com/ainogundan/status/1208394441142292481 This is an interesting theory. There's no question that "One•Two•Three" (OTT) returned Morning Musume to relevance in the J-idol world, but it's effect on the Hello! Project itself is something I'd never considered. I did some research using data from the … Continue reading Did “One•Two•Three” Save H!P?