Three's A Crowned - Houkago Princess Debut A New Generation!

Way back when on October 8th, 2018, Houkago Princess crowned three new princesses who aim to continue the legacy of Idols transforming into Royalty after 4pm. With the graduation of Leader Odagiri Nana, 3rd generation member Yamaguchi Miran and 4th generation member Kizuki Saori, these three girls will take on their seniors' responsibility and create a new type of Houkago Princess.

It is time for the second story to begin...

With Nana, Miran and Saori fully graduated from the group as of October 14th, members Kohinata Nanase (22), Yamamoto Natsumi (20) and Tani Nobara (17) were able to begin their activities within Houkago Princess from October 15th of this year. Though crowned 7 days earlier, the members were preparing for their full stage debut behind the scenes and have finally began their activities with the group who transform from idols into real princesses!

It's a fairy tale come true, especially for former trainee members Nanase and Natsumi, both of whom have been a part of Houkago Princess YOUTH since August 2017 when the little sister unit found itself being refreshed with all new members and candidates for the throne that is Houkago Princesses 'Regular' lineup.

For the youngest member to be crowned - in both her generation and within Houkago Princess - Nobara's own Princess dream came true through a once in a chance audition for the Regular title, no training needed. Though this type of audition has never happened before. Nobara was able to beat multiple candidates and become a part of the group, which typically has YOUTH members train for a year before they can completely debut within the group (even the original lineup of Houkago Princess trained for 9 months or more before they could debut on stage).

Though the site has not updated the members' details yet, it can be assumed that the girls will join the 8th generation alongs Yukino Yuria who debuted with Houkago Princess back in July of this year, alongside the re-promotion of Michishige Saho.

And with that said and done... let's take a look at the new members. Who will become your Princess?

First to Charm: Natchi!

The Road to Normality - Odagiri Nana, Yamaguchi Miran and Kizuki Saori Graduate from Houkago Princess!

After a final One-Man Live on October 8th, 2018 at Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo, as well as their final live performance on October 14th at the Odaiba Venus Fort church Plaza, Houkago Princess members Odagiri Nana, Yamaguchi Miran and Kizuki Saori successfully graduated from the group, marking one of the biggest lineup changes in the groups 7 year history.

With their graduation, Houkago Princess will lose its final veteran member Odagiri Nana, a first generation member who has acted as the groups leader since its inception in 2010, when the girls were in their training period before a 2011 debut. The group will also lose the last of the third and fourth generations - Yamaguchi Miran and Kizuki Saori - both of whom joined as trainees in 2012.

All three girls have been prominent members since becoming a part of the regular lineup, with Odagiri acting as a lead vocalist and visual, whilst Yamaguchi and Kizuki acted as lead dancers for almost all of the groups performances.

The End of An Era: Odagiri Nana, Yamguchi Miran and Kizuki Saori to Graduate Houkago Princess!

Way back when - August 20th, to be exact - Houkago Princess released an announcement that Odagiri Nana, Yamaguchi Miran and Kizuki Saori - arguably the three most popular members - would graduate the group in October, just shy of the upcoming single release. With this, a new leader will be appointed, and for the first time since the groups debut there will be a new face leading and representing Houkago Princess.

Odagiri Nana has been the groups leader since its inception way back in 2011. From 2010 she began her training with her fellow first generation members, initially made up of eight girls before dropping to seven just shy of their indies debut. Since then, she has watched other members come and go, seen the group through its highs and lows, grown a steady and dedicated fanbase and lead the group forward as its face, its lead singer and its main support. Eight years have gone by and it is undeniable that Odagiri is one piece of the groups main strength, not for her voice but for her leadership and popularity.

Become a Princess After 4pm! Houkago Princess ~Regular Member Auditions~ Awaits You!

From now until August 31st, Houkago Princess will be accepting auditions via mail to join the group. A website has been specially created for these auditions, so if there is anyone interested in auditioning to become a potential member, please follow this link HERE for all of the information needed regarding the process.

In this post I will break down the information given on the website, including the requirements for the audition and what girls need to do as a part of this audition process. I apologise for any mistakes that may happen throughout the post.

To start, the website has been laid out to create an easy navigation between topics:

- An Introduction to Houkago Princess
- About the New Member Audition
- About the Audition application
- FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

And with this in place, I will go through each topic individually, and briefly. Let's begin.

A Royal Invitation: Houkago Princess Announce Regular Member Promotions, An Audition and A New Single Release!

Lineup, lineup, there is news a-plenty in the world of Houkago Princess, and it's time to reveal all from the world of sparkling tiara's and school uniforms! From an up-coming single to new member additions, let's unveil the latest from Houkago Princess, the idols who transform into royalty once once the clock strikes 16:00...

First up, member promotions!

Despite happening all the way back in June, I wanted to report that both Michishige Saho and Yukino Yuria from HouPri YOUTH had been promoted to the Regular lineup. With their coronation held on July 12th (Maika's birthday), the two members are now fully integrated into the group, and will be a part of the up-coming single release.

The Finale of A Four Year Reign: Shirosaki Himari Graduates from Houkago Princess

Today on August 12th 2018, Shirosaki Himari graduated from Houkago Princess after a four year run. A 6th generation member, Himari joined HouPri as an Apprentice and then Candidate in June of 2014, before finally being promoted to the Regular lineup on June 21st, 2015.

Despite this being her final chapter however, Himari has lead a wonderful life as an idol. She has watched HouPri grow from a small indies group to something bigger, and though she has not held the limelight as much as other members, she has still had her time to shine and enjoyed every moment of it. There is no doubt in my mind that after this day, Himari will be remembered fondly by both her fans and the current, past and up-coming members.

The Story Ends Where It Began: Kojima Mayumi Graduates Houkago Princess on the TIF Dream Stage.

On August 5th 2018, Kojima Mayumi ended her very own fairy tale in the very place it began: Tokyo Idol Festival.

Three years ago she stood as a trainee member in HouPri YOUTH, but a year later at Tokyo Idol Festival 2016 Mayumi was promoted to the Regular Lineup. Now, two years later, it's this very event she delivers her final curtsey and last farewell as she writes her final chapter and closes the book. Today, she becomes alumni royalty.

And from today onwards I will miss her greatly.

Renouncing The Crown - Shirosaki Himari and Kojima Mayumi to Graduate Houkago Princess

On June 25th 2018, Houkago Princess members and staff made the announcement that 6ki member Shirosaki Himari and Kojima Mayumi from the 7th generation would graduate from the group in a double Graduation ceremony on August 12th this year.

Shirosaki Himari was first introduced as an Apprentice in June 2014, and was eventually promoted to Regular status in February 2015. She is a 6th generation member alongside Michishige Saho and Maika, as well as the youngest member within Houkago Princess.

In September 2015, Kojima Mayumi joined Houkago Princess as a member of their trainee programme, HouPri YOUTH Beforehand, Mayumi had been active gravure model. Since September 2016, Mayumi has been an active member of Houkago Princesses Regular lineup as a 7th generation member alongside her gen mate, Sekine Sasara. She will be the second member of her generation to graduate.