Sakura Mankai

Today it was announced that Buono! will have a Budokan concert of the 25th of August! They will be joined by C-ute (Airi's group), Country Girls (Momoko's group) and Miyabi's new unit. Omg, jeez, OMG! Buono! is totally making a comeback! How amazing is this? I hope they will release a single!! I need more Buono in my life!

It's fast, but with the end of 2015, the end of Morning Musume with Ace Sayashi Riho has come.  Morning Musume updated their profile picture with their new 12 member line-up.

Tsubaki Factory updated their profile pictures to match their second indies single! Don't they look great? I love the soft theme they are getting and hope they hold on to it.  The individual pictures are under the break!

Finally we get to see official pictures of the 2nd generation Country Girls members!  And do they look adorable. Country Girls will start 2016 as a 7 member group. Their site was also update with individual profile pictures which you can find under the break!

Today the Ace of Morning Musume graduated. Sayashi Riho, 9th generation member, graduated at today's countdown live. A tearful goodbye with a lot of meaningful songs.  I wish Sayashi the best and hope she can make her dreams come true.  Last picture of Morning Musume '15.

More great news form the Kobushi Factory front! They announced their second major single at today's countdown concert!  The single will be released on the 17th of Febuary and will be another triple a-side single. One of the songs will be a cover of Sakura Night Fever, which the whole H!P gang covered at this years Hinafest.  Great news for Kobushi Factory and it was about time! Edit: The full title for the single was release, but the order of the songs can still change: Sakura Night Fever / Chotto Guchoku ni! Chototsu Moushin / Osu! Kobushi Tamashii

At yesterday's 57th Japan Record Awards, it was announced that Kobushi Factory won the Beste Newcomer Award of 2015!  Congratulations girls! Before Kobushi Factory, Morning Musume, C-ute and S/mileage already won this award in the years of their debuts!  Amazing news for Kobushi! Winning such an important award is really amazing and I hope they will keep proving they deserved it! A good start of 2016 for them!

Tsubaki Factory will be releasing their second indies single during the Hello!Project Countdown.  Today they released the details for this single! The title was already announced to be Kedakaku Sakihokore! The cover was one of the things released today: Tracklist: 1. Kedakaku Sakihokore! 2. Kedakaku Sakihokore! (Instrumental) The cd will (for now) only be sold at the countdown concert, but it will be released online and in stores in 2016.  The cover looks kinda weird to me. The girls look shopped, which makes the cover strange. I do really love the whole sweet style they are going for. 

ANGERME's second gen member Tamura Meimi announced her graduation at today's ANGERME fanclub event.  Meimi will be graduating in the spring of 2016, although an exact date was not given.  Tamura wants to try and become a musical actress, which has been her dream since she was very little.  What a suprise and what sad news. Another member leaving ANGERME and so soon.. Meimi is the youngest of the 2nd gen and will be leaving first... Sad times.. http://helloproject.com/news/4010/

Morning Musume '15 released the covers for their long awaited 60th single! There are 6 versions in total, so let's have a look at them! Limited A This cover is for Tsumetai Kaze to Kataomoi and is it beautiful! This single is Riho's graduation single, so it was to be expected for her to center. The cover is super pretty and they all look super fab! For me Zukki, Harunan and Kudo really steal the show. I adore how simple this cover is, but still showcases the girls soooo well. Limited B The second cover is for Endless sky. This song will be focused on Riho, but for some reason Kudo is center and infront (not that I am complaining). The outfits are now a bit meh to me, but I like the use of purple and blue. Quite a simple cover but I adore the lettering and how they look into the camera.  Limited C The cover for One and Only and it's so fun. Everyone is looking so cute and happy. It is kinda weird to see them inside the letters of Momusu, beca

Tsubaki Factory announced their second indies single! During today's UP-FRONT RECOMMEND it was announced that their second indies single will be released during the H!P Countdownparty 2015 event.  The indies single is called: Kedakaku Sakihokore! Let's hope for another great release of Tsubaki Factory!

It was announced today that Morning Musume '16 will be going to Houston, Texas next year! They are the main guest of Anime Matsuri. The festival will take place from the 26th of febuary till the 28th of febuary. Great news for Momusu fans in the USA! And Yeah for a new picture! Sad to see them without Riho though...

Incredibly sad news today, Takamasa Sakurai passed away this morning.  He fell from a trainplatform at Nishi-Nippori Station and was hit by an uncoming train.  Takamasa was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead at arrival.  Takamasa is well known in the foreign idol community for all his work with japanese idols.  He has been posting a lot of interviews with idols and was present at a lot of foreign Japan events.  He did a lot of interviews with H!P members. I could not believe the news. I have been following Takamasa-san's interviews for quite a while now. He always had great articles and seemed such an amazing guy.  I hope he will be resting in peace now.  Here are some pictures of Takamasa-san with H!P members,  Some H!P members posted about Takamasa-san and were really sad about his sudden passing. 

Girls Beat!! announced their new member! A few weeks ago it was announced that Kago Ai would be returning to the group and that there would be an audition for new members.  The winner was announced today! Momose Yui Color: Yellow Birthday: 22 June Yui and Ryona are both listed as Kenkyuusei, which makes Kago the only full member. 

Yesterday Fukuda Kanon hold her graduation live at Budokan.  She graduated ANGERME and Hello!Project. She sang Watashi no Kokoro as her graduation solo and wrote a letter to her fans.  She will now return to university and study to be a lyricist.  Her first song will be for Ciao Bella Cinquetti called: Doushiyou, Watashi Congratulations on your graduation Kanon-chan.  I hope you will have a beautiful life.

During yesterday's concert ANGERME announced their two new sub-leaders. Nakanishi Kana and Takeuchi Akari are now sub-leaders. Congratulations to both girls!

It has been some time ago, but Juice=Juice announced their first single as NEXT YOU.  NEXT YOU is a group they formed for their upcoming tv series Budokan.  Their first single will release on the third of febuary and it will be an double a-side: Next is you!/Karada dake ga otona ni nattan ja nai For now this is the only information we have!

Morning Musume '15 revealed the title of their 60th single!! ENDLESS SKY / One and Only / Tsumetai Kaze to Kataomoi There is no furtur news about the tracklist, so we don't know if there are any b-sides or if one of the songs is a solo song by Riho. But for now we finally have an official title!

  At today's release event, ANGERME revealed their 4th generation! The 4th generation consists of one member called: Kamikokuryou Moe Date of Birth: October 24, 1999 Height: 150cm Blood type: O Hobby: karaoke Specialty: jump rope, spinning pens, drums Favorite colors: white and pink Moe auditioned for the Morning Musume, but failed. She is the only winner out of 1800 applicants.  Congratulations to Moe and ANGERME!

It was announced that Okamoto Honoka finished her Kenshuusei Training and left the program. Okamoto joined H!P in April of this year, but has been missing from the events for a month or two. It's really sad to see another Kenshuusei leave and so soon.  I hope the best for her. 

Morning Musume '15 announced during their concert today that they will be releasing their 60th single! The single is planned to release on the 29th of december, just two days before Riho graduates. For now all we know is that it will be a triple a-side single with One and Only as second A-side and a solo for Riho as third A-side. But the titles of the two songs still have to be announced. For now let's celebrate the 60th single of Morning Musume and enjoy Riho for these two upcoming months!

Today is the first anniversary of Country Girls and it was announced that two kenshuusei will be joining them. The new members are Funaki Musubu and Yanagawa Nanami! Comgratulations to these girls and to Country Girls! I am really happy for these girls! I adore Musubu. I do wonder how the other members feel and if this is a warning for Momoko's grad.

It was announced that Kago Ai returned to Girls Beat!!! It was announced quite some time ago she left Girls Beat!!! to focus on her family. Kago Ai will join Himeno Ryona again and they will hold their first event in December in Taiwan.  Sadly there is no news of Remi rejoining the group, nor if there were any winners for their auditions. 

ANGERME will release their first best of album on the 25th of November.  The album will have songs from their time as S/mileage as well as ANGERME.  And now we have some covers to look at! Regular This is the cover of the regular album. It's really pretty and simple. I love the outfits and the girls look fab. I love that Ayaka and Kanon have a longer back on their dresses, which kinda sets them apart as 1st gen. I really love the dresses and how simple the cover is. And ofcourse we have some beautiful legs, which is their trademark. I have to be honest with you guys, It feels sooo good to see the name S/mileage again.  Limited A This is the cover of limited A, which will also have a dvd with Mv's and video's choosen by the girls. At first I didn't like this cover. I hated the background and the way their name and everything was at the bottem. But after a few times, I actually like it. I really love that they have the covers on the background (S

Hello!Project announced their winter tour! The tour will be held from the 2nd of january until the 20th of febuary and the name is: Hello!Project 2016 WINTER ~ DANCING! SINGING! EXCITING! ~ The groups that will be partcipating are: C-ute Morning Musume '16 ANGERME Juice=Juice Country Girls Kobushi Factory Tsubaki Factory  H!P Kenshuusei This will be the first tour without Fukuda Kanon and the first for Morning Musume without Sayashi Riho. 

9th generation member Sayashi Riho announced her graduation from Morning Musume today.  She will be graduating on the last day of 2015, along with the name Morning Musume '15.  Riho will stay in Hello!Project and focus on studing abroad and dancing.  Omg. OMG. This isn't happening... Well it is. The Ace of Morning Musume will be graduating after almost 5 years.  This is so sad. And what's even more sad: I knew this was coming. I have been saying for about a year, a bit more, that Riho wasn't happy and that she wanted to dance more. And now she is graduating...  Oh gosh. Who will be the ultimate center? What will happen to RihoRiho?!! And she won't be graduating during a Momusu concert, but during the countdown to 2016.. So sad... I hope she will be happy.. Up- Front link translation: https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-concerning-riho-sayashi/967417713317146

ANGERME announced their new single some time ago and today we got the covers! There are six editions, with 3 limited and 3 regular.  Let's have a look at them! Limited A Regular A has the outfits for Desugita Kui wa Utarenai. I don't really like the outfits, but this cover is pretty fab. I really love how everyone looks, although Take looks kinda meh. Maro and Rikako look absolutly beautiful. I quite like the red and black bar, it makes the cover interesting.  Limited B It might suprise you this cover is for Dondengaeshi. Just joking. This cover needs only two words to describe it: Blue and Legs. The outfits are quite nice and they look really pretty. Their legs, gosh those legs. I want such legs. Kanon does look extremly small next to Aya and Rikako, which makes her look squized in. The cover is really nice. Limited C How cute is this cover. Kanon's solo Watashi is the main track on this one. I really adore the colors and she looks so sweet.