A Road Filled with Dreams and Hard Work Comes to its End! C-ute to Disband June 2017 at Saitama Super Arena!

Hitting newspaper headlines before it was announced live on the stage, Hello! Project's oldest and dearest group, C-ute, have announced that they will be disbanding in June of 2017 to follow their own individual dreams, and to take on that path called adulthood.

Announced on August 19th 2016, the group revealed their intentions for disbandment during the Hello! Project Nakano Sun Plaza live, noting that the idea has been in the works since the youngest member, Hagiwara Mai, turned 20 in February this year. With an up-coming performance at Saitama Super Arena, a stage which the girls have long dreamed of standing on, the girls will hold their final performance as the Idol group C-ute before parting ways and taking on their own individual paths.

It must also be said that the current Hello! Project tour will be the groups last, as they will not take part in the 2017 winter tour. In order to focus on their final tours together and their last activities, the group will dedicate their time to C-ute, and make memories for the fans and themselves that everyone shall treasure.

Since the announcement, Up-Front Link on Facebook has released statements from both management and C-ute regarding the announcement. Furthermore, comments from the members about their impending break-up have also been translated for the fans.

Goodbye, Berryz Kobou... (An Open Letter to Berryz Kobou)

Goodbye, Berryz Kobou.

For over 10 years, you have brought music and life to many. You have gained fans, you have lost fans, and you have kept fans, but no matter what, all of these fans loved you together, even if their time in loving you was short.

Together, you gave these fans joy and music, and you made them feel complete.

For myself, though I was never truly a fan, there was something there that I did like about you. Mostly, it would have been your music, but looking back these past two weeks at your older works, I also realised that I had come to like, enjoy, maybe even love, the community that you had together as kids, that sense of unity and closeness that was so evident and wonderful back in your childhood years. You were fun, and you made me wish that I had liked you more, that I had been a fan when you were so happy and carefree.
 Alas, it was never meant to be, so the way I came to know you was bittersweet.

I do not regret caring little for you, I admit that wholeheartedly, but I do wish that I had come to know you more. I wish that I loved the members of this group like I love the members of Morning Musume or Juice=Juice, that I cared so much that I researched and watched videos on all of you, and fell in love with the personality of the group, rather than the shallow aspect of your videos or how you looked and what you did. I wish, deep down, that I had spent more time wanting to get to know you, as members and characters, rather than watching what was on the surface.
 For ignoring you as individuals, truly, I am sorry.

For the past year or so, it is obvious that I wished you were gone, that you would disband and go away, and finally, this has happened. It has happened today, and whilst it is sad to know that the girls I like are going away from the Idol industry, I won't lie and say that I am sad; I am happy. I am happy that, finally, all of you will be able to go your separate ways and live your lives, to become the adults that you want to be, and to all pursue your own careers and activities that suit you. I am glad that you won't be held back, that you won't have to play a facade just to keep the fans satisfied.

I am glad that, finally, all of you are free. You do not have to put up a charade any more.

For a long time, it has been obvious that you were going your separate ways, that you had grown apart and had new ideas with what you wanted to do. It has been clear for a while that you didn't want to be Idols any more, and that you just wanted to grow up and be yourselves, or at least it was to me. That is fine, though, because now you don't have to play this Idol game, and you don't have to pretend. You can do what you want, and you can be free.

I honestly won't miss you, Berryz Kobou, because for these past few years, you have bored me. The enthusiasm and charm was lost long ago, your smiles became strained and your happiness became dull. I won't miss the sub-par music videos or your lack of emotions in the same videos, nor will I miss the sloppy choreography or terrible hair and costumes. There is a lot that I won't miss about you, and a lot I will be glad to see gone, but I will tell you this;

I will miss the girls. I will miss the funny, charming, energetic personas of Berryz that, somewhere deep down, are still there. I will miss the love the girls had for the group, and the dedication each and every one of them had to keep the group going for 10 years. Your music, I will really miss it, and I will miss the unity you once again showed within Towa no Uta.

Though it's not a lot, these are the things that I will miss about you, Berryz Kobou.

Though this is a somewhat bittersweet goodbye, I am happier to see you go than I am sad about it, but that's okay; you will be missed by far more people than you will be cheered at for leaving, and I am happy that all of these fans will miss you. You deserve these fans, and they deserve you.

In all of your futures, please, be happy. Pursue your dreams, and become the person you have always wanted to be, but forever and always, remember that you are Berryz Kobou, and that you have made so many people happy, even in your days of darkness.

For over 13 years, thank you. Even though I couldn't be your fan, and even though I said I wanted you to go away, I really do appreciate you and what you did for Hello! Project. No matter what, even when I say I am happy to see you go, I know that deep down I will miss you.

Berryz Kobou, omedetou! Thank you for being here for so long, and thank you for being our Idols!

Until the day where you all return to the stage hand-in-hand, please, be successful, and be happy!

Goodbye, Berryz Kobou.

Arigatou...
Chiima~

Bump.y to Disband this June, Time for the Feels to set in... (Grab the tissues for me ;w;)

Bump.y are set to disband this June... and now I am going to be listening to their songs on a loop.

My feels ;_______;

So it was decided that, due to their individual activities as actresses and the commitment they have to growing in that specific field, the girls would all graduate from the group and Bump.y would formally disband in late June. The decision was made by the staff, and for me, this is totally understandable, but also very obvious.

In a way, somewhere in the back of my mind, I guess I have always had a feeling that one day Bump.y would disband eventually, because I was always aware of the fact that their activities as actresses were a higher priority than their endeavours as Idols. That I completely understand, and it is a notion I fully support, because the girls of Bump.y are lovely actresses.

It doesn't mean I am any less sad, however. I am rather upset by this sudden turn of events, but also relieved; I would rather they did what they loved, just like any other fan. I think what has cushioned this blow however is the fact that I was expecting something like this to happen eventually - that realisation that their acting was more important has become a reality, so I am glad I had that feeling rather than the sudden, surprising announcement that could have ensued if it was another group, like say HouPri suddenly disbanding oh Christ, that would KILL ME or Fudanjuku losing another member I would be in bed with tissues, chocolate and possibly alcohol but with Bump.y, it was just... obvious. It was very obvious where their duties and preferences laid for a long time, and I can't blame them for wanting to do one activity over the other.

Of course, Bump.y are very important to me; I've been into this group just as long as I have Morning Musume, and introduced to them around the time I was introduced to Fudanjuku, so I'm going to feel surprised and saddened by this announcement regardless, because I hold Bump.y on such a high pedestal. There is no doubt I will grieve the decision, because I'm doing so now and wondering what my life will be like without the magic of Bump.y and what could have been wonderful future songs for the group. No matter what, no matter how much I understand and accept this decision, I am still going to feel at a loss for what will happen in late June.

It really feels just like yesterday that I was introduced to the group, which was back in 2010, yet even then I didn't really get into them until 2011 (2010 was the year of my introduction to Idols groups I supposed, because even then I was on the edge of the fence with H!P) but I found love for the group and their music, which seemed to have taken a bit of a step-back into the 80's with a K-pop flare at that point. It was then and there that I really delved into their music and started to follow them, eagerly anticipating what they would produce. I found a passion for Bump.y, and it became fun to watch this fresh and endearing young group grow in both their sound and their image.

And despite how much I had to wait, I don't think I ever gave up on Bump.y; I would always just wait it out, hoping for more news to come along soon, even if it did take a year or so for something to come up about them.

That wait was always worth it, though.

With every article that came out about a member and their latest acting gig, or if a new song and video came out, I was happy - it meant they were still there and still active, and knowing that was enough for me. Sure, it felt like I had to wait long periods of time for something small to pop up, but seeing that article had always been worth it; if my Digests are anything to go by, you will know how happy I am to just see that one of these girls is acting in or something, even if it's a small role - it makes me feel giddy knowing they are furthering their careers. Yes, it takes a long time to hear word about just one of these girls, let alone the group as a whole, but hearing that news was always always worth it in the end - Bump.y were worth it, and they still are, because no matter what they would impress me, and I knew that when I would eventually see a new video or song from this group I liked so much, there would be growth in there somewhere, and I would be impressed one way or another.

Bump.y are, and always were, the group that I would happily wait for when it came to news. Patience is not my virtue, however for some reason it felt natural to wait for Bump.y, even if I became worried at some points. It just felt like the longer I waited, the better the outcome no matter what. Yes, there would be something I wasn't over the moon with, but there would be something that would stun me and give me that urge to continue following them, and to further my desire to just wait for what they produced next.

They made me smile, I enjoyed their music, and I wanted to continue following them as a fan of their music and videos. They have always been able to pull me back, and I am glad that they were created, because it has truly been wonderful following and waiting for them.

This group was strong and impressive, full of life and just so wonderful to follow. I love them, I will for a long time, and whilst I am sure I won't get over the fact they are disbanding soon, I know that they are doing it with the intention of furthering and bettering their careers in the TV/Film industry, and honestly, I would rather they continue as actresses than Idols, because that is how they began, and that is what they are good at.

Their activities as Idols are ending, sure, but as Kira on Twitter informed me, they aren't leaving me or the fans; they are still here, and that does make me happy to know that.

From hopeful young actress-Idols to fully-fledged actresses, Bump.y will soon fly the nest, and whilst I will miss Bump.y as a whole greatly, I will continue to watch these girls as much as I can. Until that fateful day however, I want to continue supporting Bump.y, a group who can make me feel excited, happy and impressed no matter what.



Chiima~

Of Revivals and Disbandments

This may all be old news by now for everyone, but I have been taking days off from the internet again (only for like, a day or two... don't worry!) so I'm talking about the news a little later than everyone else is. But hey, who says I have to be on time? NOT ME!!!

Of course, given I was away there just had to be some big news buzzing around the Idol world that we all know and love so dearly, shocking or surprising the fans who read about it. Upon finding out one piece of 'big' news, I was pretty surprised by it but I can't say that I really jumped for joy either. The other piece of news came as shocking to some fans I think, but I was unfazed by it because I had read about it a week or two before.

... Let's get to the rather surprising news, shall we?

Country Musume is reviving? Whaaaaaaaaaat?

Okay, so Country Musume is basically coming back and they are holding auditions, as told by Satoda Mai, the last remaining member of the group. This was pretty big news on Facebook, with much excitement from the H!P fans because, well damn it's a revival of a very old unit! Why shouldn't we be excited?

Okay, so maybe I'm not as excited as everyone else is, but I will say that I am pretty damn stoked about Country Musume being brought back. That was an era of Hello! Project I was never a part of, and whilst I haven't really delved into Country Musume much (my sister adored them for a while, and tried to get me to like them too) I did find them good, though the better songs of the group were during the times Morning Musume members supported them in my opinion... but to know that new members will be reviving the group does make me a little more interested in Country Musume (2.0) and what it will have to offer for us.

Of course there is a little bit of scepticism about what this group will do and if they will produce new music or not; if they are anything like the current Satoyama and Satoumi units, then they may not do much other than produce one single, or if they are like the UFP acts, then they will merely perform instead of producing music videos and singles. Or they could be a part of the H!P boat and produce singles, videos, do concert venues and basically be Idols, which would be nice and is probably the option most fans are rooting for.

 But there is also the added kick that the new group members must be willing to do farming and other agricultural activities, which allows me to think that maybe this group will do a little bit of Satoyama? Who knows, and given the Satoyama show is dead we wouldn't see them do anything farm-like anyway, but it would be fun to see a group specifically catered to farming that would hopefully stay in the H!P family and show off their farm and land skills on TV, or heck, create their own show! Yeah I know, Satoyama 2.0 and all, but Tsunku's in a recycling mood right now so why the heck not?

To be honest, I find the idea of reviving a dead group more interesting than exciting. There are many ideas and opportunities to toy with here; Country Musume (2.0) could be a part of the soon-to-be-finished Satoyama project with H!P, they could do more in terms of working around and in the land of Japan and even hold fan events where they plant their own crops, till the land and so on so forth, and they could do farming music videos! That would be interesting, at least a little more fun than the cookie-cutter PV's H!P release all the time during this era (hi, MM'14!).

That all said and done, I am happy for Country Musume to revive, given it was still around but dead for a long time. It seems like Satoda Mai just wants to keep it going, even if it is for the sake of Media attention. What they will do is up to Tsunku or UFP management or even Satoda herself, but hopefully they will actually have activities rather than laying around dead for a while like the H!P Eggs before the revamp into Kenshuusei or laying like doormats waiting for things to happen like with Aika. I don't know, I'm not Tsunku or Mai or a UFP manager, but hopefully they will do something with this group and make them exciting.

It's a fun idea, and hopefully it will work. My only problem with these auditions is that the age range is once again fucking stupid, but I hope we'll get a few older girls in there to spice things up a bit. Imagine, 10 year olds doing some country labour for the sake of being Idols?

That all said and done, let's get onto the less-than-surprising piece of news, shall we?

BiS will disband this July. On the 8th. At Yokohama Arena. WHAT THE FUUUU----!!! -rage quits!-

Okay, so I actually found this out a week or so ago, and I was very shocked when I saw the post that said they would, at some point this year, disband and part their ways as members. It wasn't until a few days ago that the article popped up with the confirmed date and venue they would disband. Sure, it's not Budokan, but damn they are still going out big.

The thing is that I don't even watch BiS much or listen to their music, but they still manage to surprise and impress me like the Idols I love do. I am rather intrigued by them I believe, which is why I so shocked when I realised that at some point in 2014 they would disband. I didn't expect it, then again you really need to expect the unexpected with BiS, and this was extremely unexpected and I am pretty sure that many fans are extremely sad about this right now, because I know I am. And I don't even follow them as a dedicated fan, just a 3rd part person who sometimes sees something she likes. But damn, I am rather upset by their disbandment, and now that it's confirmed I have that date looming ahead.

This group is unique and they are strong, so it's a shame that they are going out so early on in their career, especially when they were just starting to get recognised and known more by the public for their weird but wonderful ways of performing. Their originality is their strongest factor for them, and they are a great group who have something so special about them, and they are so hard to place it's amazing... but they are going off on a high, which is a good thing as well. I would rather BiS leave on a high note than a low note, because they deserve that. They have met their success, and whilst they may not be going to Budokan to disband like they had originally planned, at least they have decided to disband at Yokohama together for whatever reasons they may have. They know what they want, and they know that this is the place for them to disband.

It is really sad to see them go, and in a way I am sad that I didn't pay more attention to them as a fan or a standard listener, but I am glad that I was able to find out about them and learn about them. They are a unique group who have made a stamp on gross and weird Idols, and I highly doubt that anyone will be able to outdo the weird and wonderful world that surrounded BiS.

...

That is pretty much all I have to say regarding the news for these two big announcements, and whilst I am leaving this short, I will be going now. I have not been sleeping well lately so I am basically going to go and rest... I hope I can bring you a Digest tomorrow, but really, I have been so tired lately I won't be doing it tonight XD Apologies >o< Lame excuse is lame, Chiima!!! GAWD!!!

Toodlepip and bye bye, take care and see you again!

Chiima~

Sea*A Have Officially Disbanded

On July 1st, 2013, Sea*A's official Facebook announced that the Singaporean Anime Idol group would officially disband. Since their debut in August 2011, the group has gone on to release four original singles, a mini-album and their first album. The girls have sung for anime, and have also performed live at Anime lives.

Here are the messages left from the Sea*A staff team and Valerie regarding the choice of disbanding the group.

Sea* Staff Message:

Notification of Sea*A disbandment 

As of today, 01 July 2013, the disbandment of Sea*A has been decided.We deeply apologise for the sudden notification. 

From their debut in August 2011, Sea*A was founded as the first Anisong Idol group from Singapore, consisting of members that love Japanese culture and strongly wish to be a part that culture. 

With many thanks to their fans, Sea*A was able to be active in a country foreign to them even though they were unable to speak Japanese when they first arrived in Japan. 

Once again, thank you very much for your support for Sea*A.While Sea*A has been disbanded as of today, Valerie will continue to be active in a solo capacity. We sincerely hope for your unwavering support. 

01 July 2013From all staff of Sea*A

Valerie's Message:

Dear TEAM Sea*A, 

This is perhaps the last time I will be calling you guys this. We have decided together to end our official activities as Sea*A. On behalf of the other girls, I sincerely apologize for our sudden decision. It has been a life changing two years with everyone and we will remember all of TEAM Sea*A dearly in our hearts. We will never forget all the memories we had together. We also want to thank the people that have supported us through and through, not only our fans but also the staff that worked hard and supported us in these 2 years for our activities as Sea*A.  

This decision was made together because each of us has decided to take a different path in each of our lives. And I only wish for your understanding and support for our individual decisions. As of 1st July, I will be continuing this journey as a solo artist and I hope that you will join me in my new journey. The four of us are still great friends and they support me in making this decision. 

I am sad but also grateful that I have met these girls and have crossed paths with them in my life. It has been a truly amazing experience to grow together with them in this short 2 years. It was a heartbreaking decision for all of us to make. But they say if you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello. We only part to meet again. 

Thank you for all the love and opportunities that all of you have given to us as Sea*A in these two years. 

Please continue to support us individually. 

Love, Valerie

  ...

To be honest, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to write... because I think that this is one of the worst things I could come across this year yet. I liked Sea*A, maybe not as much as Morning Musume, but I really liked them and enjoyed whatever they brought out. Heck, their songs and PV's have been a beacon of glory most of the time, and the girls are such a joy to watch as Idols... actually, it is hard to believe that they aren't Japanese sometimes, they are just so wonderful and professional about everything...

It was so sad and heartbreaking to see this news on my Facebook news feed and to realise that this is true, that they have disbanded... I'm still processing the idea that Sea*A, an amazing group made up of Singaporean and Malaysian girls, is not here any more. Seriously... they were so perfect together, and so dang talented... Why, why, why?

Of course I can't do anything, I am a fan and all I can do right now is sit back and wish them luck with what they want to do, but as a selfish fan, I just want them to stay together... Okay, their run has been a good one. Two years together, despite being a non-Japanese Idol group, is damn good! They have released four singles, a mini-album and a full album, and they have made a name for themselves. They have sang popular anime songs, made fans and sang for anime, and they have some damn good songs, too. They are an awesome group, and to be around for just two years and to have accomplished this much... yeah, it's amazing... but two years feels like it is too short.

I will miss them so much... they are an amazing group and I am so glad that I have been around as a J-Pop fan to see their run. They have brought me absolute joy with their songs and their bubbly personalities in their PV's. They are so talented and so wonderful, it is a shame that they are disbanding... but I can't stop it, no one can, because it has already been decided, and it has already happened. Sea*A is no more, and it saddens me so much.

Sea*A was such a good group, and I already miss them. I didn't realise how much I treasured them or their talent until now, when it is too late... goes to show that sometimes you may overlook something so great, for something that is nice, but not as good.

Goodbye, Sea*A. I loved you whilst you lasted. Maybe not as much as others, but I did treasure you. It hurts to know that you won't be around any more... now, let me cry in peace as I listen to the most beautiful song that you produced, Friendship Birthday ~Arashi no Yoru ni~.



Ja ne...

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: July 1st, 2013