New Year, New Members! Princess Training Begins for these Duo Houkago Princess Candidates!

A New Year, new news! It's 2017, and I hope that so far, everyone has been enjoying their time in this new chapter of their lives! Hopefully, for the New Year, you had a fun time, did the count down with your family, and drank a little bit of happiness. Hopefully, you were all safe, too, because I don't want anything happening to y'all. You're my buddies, so please, stay safe, otherwise it's not as fun of a New Year as one would hope.

And now, for the first post of the year! Of course it has to be HouPri, so... let the news commence!

On December 27th, 2016, it was revealed through Cute Black's Twitter that Nozomi Ota and Tanaka Asami of Heart x Strings affiliation would be leaving the group, in order to joined Houkago Princess as Apprentice / Candidate members. From January 1st, 2017, the duo have since been transferred, and are set to make their debut appearance as official HouPri Apprentice members come January 4th!

The two members join Morishita Rina - who has since been bestowed with the member colour, yellow-green - as one of HouPri's latest additions to the unit, as well as Horii Nina, who has been with the group since January 2016. Both have joined the group with aims to eventually debut as Regular members, where they will become full-fledged Princesses, and dress up in beautiful gowns and re-enact stories of old that we all know and love.

Both members have been active within Heart x Strings since its beginnings in Summer 2015, however Nozomi Ota has had a career prior to that, with one interesting resume to boot. Asami is a little less known, however, that matters very little, especially in this world of Idols. Still, it's interesting to find a few things out!

So, in order to get to know these two new Candidates for the HouPri Throne, let's delve into their profiles, and check out just who they are, in order for you to pick out your favourites! Let's go~

What in the Fiddlesticks...? Country Girls Obtain New Members!

... Huh!?

Note: This is pretty much a post written straight after hearing this news, meaning that it contains all thoughts I had during this point in time. I apologise if the structure is mucked up, however if you find what is written here annoying, I will not apologise, because whilst my opinion may be annoying, it's not yours to change. Ta, duck.

After the sudden graduation announcement of Sayashi Riho from Morning Musume '15, I admit that I did not expect Hello! Pro to come out with anything else announcement-wise, or at least, anything that would be surprising or even unneeded. Then again, this is Hello! Project we're talking about! They like surprising us, especially with the unnecessary.

Le Sigh.

(Left: Funaki Musubu Right: Yanagawa Nanami)

It was announced mere hours ago that, for some reason, Country Girls now have two brand new members plucked from the Kenshuusei nest! Meet Funaki Musubu and Yanagawa Nanami, both 13 years of age and ready to bring some life and cheer to the clearly lifeless and stagnant 5nin Country Girls.
 If y'all haven't noticed, I'm dripping with sarcasm right now, and that's probably because I'm not really that enthralled by this new piece of news.

Seriously, why and how did this come about? I mean, it wasn't like UFP or H!P were hinting at these girls debuting, let alone giving us any inkling as to whether or not Country Girls as a whole would change. I mean, I thought they were doing fine as 5nin, unless this is some weird plan to change the roster with every single release? Who knows, that may be the aim for CG at this point.

Either way, this news is pretty sudden, and it definitely raised eyebrows, at least, it did mine.

That said, I am not saying that this is a bad thing, I'm just saying that it's not what I, maybe others too, expected to happen, especially not so close to Nyon's graduation or so soon after Riho's recent graduation announcement. Then again, UFP are the type to try and throw a good thing one way when a bad thing happens another way.
 Well, regardless, this isn't a bad thing, per say!

I'm pretty sure this news has made a lot of the fans happy, especially those who follow the Kenshuusei programme and wish for their girls to debut soon, and yeah, I am happy that these girls have debuted! It's just that I kinda wish UFP or H!P would notify a 'surprise' during the next concert, at least, because then we can be prepared before we're thrown a surprise bone of sorts.

No matter what though, this is a decision that seems to have made a lot of fans rather pleased, and one decision that I hope turns out good for H!P and Country Girls as a whole. For myself however, I'm still surprised and taken aback by it, but I guess I'll get used to the idea of 7-nin Country Girls once the next single rolls around.

... And now, for the conspiracy theories that Momoko is leaving! Which wouldn't be surprising really, cause, like, she's old! Plus her contract'll run out eventually, right~?

Anyway, that's all I have to say for now on this topic. If I have time, I may even write a follow-up post, who knows? Doubtful, yet possible.

Until next time however, please take care, love Idols and stay healthy and happy!

Much Love,
Chiima~

External Links:

Up-Front Link Article
Hello! Project Announcement
BARKS News

Is 3 the Magic Number!? Introducing the S/mileage 3ki!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it really wasn't too long ago that the new S/mileage generation was announced, right? I mean sure, we had to wait a bit after the new Morning Musume members were announced (read: a few days) in order to find out just which Kenshuusei members would be picked from the dwindling bunch to be placed into one of Hello! Project's little flop groups (which, admittedly, is beginning to season again. Cripes) in order to help said group grow even more.

Well... they have been picked. Finally.

Colour me surprised, Rikako is in there! And some midget as well, plus a Ponytail girl. Wow. Wow. This new generation of S/mileage...

I'm actually a little excited! Yeah. Me. Excited. For S/mileage. Or what is soon to be Not-S/mileage. They are apparently changing their name too. F/loppage, anyone?

Moving away from name-calling, I really am surprised! Not that the group has new members, I expected that at some point, given this group has that revolving door image similar to Morning Musume's own ever-changing roster, though this group is a tad more sporadic in when or how members come to be added, and already it has been around 3 years since the 2ki were added, so I suppose it was about damn time to add in some fresh blood to the mix. I mean, Nyon and Dawa are getting a little old now, they're getting on in their Idol years. Also, up until recently, this group has been one big mess of 'What the Fuck is going on here?'.

So yeah. I dig this bunch of newbies. I like this change of pace, actually, and I fully welcome the Kenshuusei on board as new S/mileage members. Why the heck not?

Of course, not everyone is in favour of this change of pace, or at least that is what I have speculated. That, or some are a tad too enthusiastic at the prospect of Rikako being a part of S/mileage. Again, speculation, observation... people-watching, if you will. I've just seen a mixed bag of reactions, both positive and negative, regarding the addition of Rikako. The other two? I don't think there is so much controversy, but Rikako is a big deal.

Okay, confession; I did want Rikako in Morning Musume, purely because she is the Golden Girl of the Kenshuusei right now... er, was the Golden Girl. Once Karin was added to the roster of Juice=Juice, it was clear that Rikako was one of the fan favourites for the Western community of Hello! Pro fandom when it came to the Kenshuusei, and why the heck not? She's cute. She can seem to sing quite well, even if she's not the best of the best yet (shoot me, I don't care, that's my opinion) and she has personality it seems. She's a crowd pleaser if anything, so of course, a lot of people wanted her to debut.

They just wanted her to debut in Morning Musume, like I did. So I have a feeling some fans are disappointed that she was added to S/mileage, because seriously, S/mileage? Yeah, my thoughts exactly. But, after finding out that she was instead added to one of the few groups in H!P I choose to ignore, I'm actually happier to see her in S/m than I am Morning Musume, simply because it makes a lot more sense. Well, it does to me at least, because Rikako may be talented in her own way, but I think in MoMusu she would be swamped... it's clear that she would be pushed in S/mileage, because much like C-ute now, and to a degree Juice=Juice, there is actually a fairer distribution in the amount of promotion the members get.

That, and all of the members of S/mileage are actually talented in either singing or dancing; not everyone is in MoMusu. In S/mileage, I feel like Rikako, Maho and Mizuki will actually be able to keep up with the girls, or be pushed to their limits. MoMusu, however amazing I find them, would probably force the girls to lag behind a bit, even if the girls of MoMusu have improved increasingly over the course of the past few years.

So yeah, I'm happy that Rikako, Maho and Mizuki are in S/mileage. In fact, I think their addition will boost the group up quite a bit more, image-wise or something like that. These girls, I hope for them to improve S/mileage, though the group has been improving already with these past few singles... I just hope that their image does not suffer again, because damn, that was a sucky time for S/m. They really were flopping around like Magikarp during their identity crisis.

Alright, enough about what I think, feel... all those emotional words, let's shun them! It's about time to meet the members! Let's GO!!!

Murota Mizuki

Name: Murota Mizuki
Nickname: Murotan
Age: 16
D.O.B: June 12th, 1998
Intriguing Facts: She won't lose to others in Pantomime or robot dancing. In the past, she believes she was a sloth.

Okay. Wait up. THIS KID IS 16!? How in the Hell is that possible, I mean... she's adorably tiny! In fact, she looks younger than Rikako who, is in fact, the youngest of the new S/mileage trio! Okay, I can't pin an age to someone just because they look like they're 10, I get it, but whoa... she's 16. That's weird. She is one of the most adorable 16 year old's I have seen, at least. Damn!

Actually, based on looks alone, I feel like Murotan (I've heard of her vaguely; she seems to be a crowd favourite) will become my precious one in S/mileage, alongside Kanananananananana. We're in the early stages though, my mind is set to change eventually, but based on how she presents herself in the images above, her adorable smile and also her adorable height of shortness, I rather like her. She's sweet looking, one of those girls who is set to shine with... well, her smile.

Also, those eyes. Those eyes sparkle like the 4th of July.

... And that is all I have to say regarding the cute little ball of eyes and shortness that is Murota Mizuki.

Murotan. I want her to inherit the colour Light Pink from Yuuka... ¬.¬

By the way; she looks a tad like Minegishi Minami. Just sayin'

Aikawa Maho

Name: Aikawa Maho
Nickname: Aiai
Age: 15
D.O.B: March 26th, 1999
Intriguing Facts:  She knows classical ballet. She was a Kenshuusei for five months before being added to S/mileage.

Maho. I have no clue about her, and that's because 1) I don't follow the Kenshuusei programme much, and 2) because she's fairly new and already, she has been added to a group! Like Tomato-chan of Juice=Juice (Kanazawa Tomoko, people!) she debuted rather quickly; there is promise there, it seems, because if there wasn't, she would not have been added. Maybe, for Tsunku, this is Project-chan; his underdog of S/mileage, because already, S/mileage is a pool of talent in the vocal area... the last project was possibly Kanananana, and she pretty much improved herself in leaps and bounds! So potential Project-chan, here we come!

From what I have seen of this one in images, and on youtube, she's pretty damn adorable! Actually, I have a feeling that Maho will become my favourite member of the 3ki in S/mileage, because I know that my opinions on members change like the seasons of the year, and I know I like Murotan right now... but Maho has something about her that I know will pull me in. Like... she's derpy-cute, similar to Akari, her smile is infectious... she is just adorable, actually.

Also. Dem Legs. Yowch!

I have a feeling this one will grow on me, and I do look forward to what she brings to the S/mileage pool! Maybe a ballet-based single, hm?

Maho, the girl I peg to be my favourite. Also the one I want to inherit a blue colour, but because Nyon is still around, I have to imagine her with Light Green, or even Teal.

Sasaki Rikako

Name: Sasaki Rikako
Nickname: Rikako
Age: 13
D.O.B: May 28th, 2001
Intriguing Facts: Originally a member of the group SCK GIRLS. She is Half Filipino. She is the first S/mileage member born in the 21st century.

And finally, Rikako, the leading-lady of this all-star cast of nooblets, and the one everyone is rooting for in S/mileage. She's the girl who people are going to have mixed feelings on, if anything, because she's clearly the girl everyone has wanted to debut for a while... albeit, in Morning Musume, not S/mileage. But I look forward to what she brings to S/mileage, in her vocals (dem husky tones) and also her mature looks. Seriously, for a 13 year old, she probably looks the most mature of all the members in S/mileage right now. So yeah... I am anticipating how they will adapt her image within the group, because she's cute, but mature looking.

Bitch, are you saying she looks old!?

As I said prior to this part of the post, I am glad Rikako is here rather than in Morning Musume; I think she will grow well in S/mileage, maybe even pick them up from their rut they are currently getting out of. I don't know the extent of this kids talent, other than that she seems to be a decent singer, but I look forward to seeing her in the group and watching her perform on-camera. I want to see her shine, I really do, and I have no doubt she will be handed the silver tray of spotlight that is set to come her way in her up-coming debut single and any other single after that. Yes, I want the other girls to have spotlight too, especially Maho now that I have fallen in love with her, but I have no doubt in my mind that Rikako will be pushed to high Heaven; she's the Golden Girl.

Everyone is rooting for her, well most people are, and all her fans from the Kenshuusei days have congregated to the S/mileage seats it seems, or are unhappy about it. Well, again, speculation. Let me reaffirm that this is speculation!

Rikako, the chick I want to inherit Orange, because she seems like an Orange kinda girl. I will actually cry if she is given any other colour!

Clearly, she is the one we have to look out for as the new centre! Ah, it will be so nice to see Nyon nowhere near the front... oh I could wish...

New members; always surprising, and always a mixed bag of reactions, even to the current members of S/mileage! Seriously, I am rather happy with this new lineup, though you can't say the same for the rest of the group (look at Nyon, she's fuming!) but yeah... I actually have some hope for S/mileage now! There is promise here, there truly is, in Rikako, Murotan and the barely-known Mahochi! They will bring something to the plate, surely, and yes, I really do anticipate it!

Nyon may not like this setup, or Akari or Dawa and possibly my Gorilla-chan, but to Hell with them! I love it, and I really do wonder what their debut will be like! I am EXCITED! ARE YOU EXCITED, TOO!?

... Now, when is Nyon announcing her Graduation?

Until next time! Chiima, over and out!

Chiima~

Bring on the Golden Girls! Meet Morning Musume '14's Latest Legesis Generation!

Hoo boy, it's been a while... so long, that I don't even know where to begin! EEP! It's scary, getting back into writing!

Okay, let's just GO! Break me in by jumping into the deep end, as per usual. Sounds about right...

Holy Heck New Generations Batman! Who expected four new toddlers to join the ever-growing collective that is Morning Musume!? Not a lot of us, that's for sure. In fact, I think a good chunk of us were praying for two girls, possibly three, but four? NOPE!

Well, they've gone from a one generation member to four... One Four... haha, get it, MoMusu '14... yeeeeeah okay, time to shut up now ¬.¬ I can't tell jokes...

But yeah! Four new girls!? Seriously, I'm happy with this number, though I didn't expect it really. It seemed like Tsunku would never really go over the number 12 at all, but once Sayu leaves the MoMusu ship, we're left with 13 members. Wow. Odd number, indeed. Good thing I like the number 13. For others, it is seriously unlucky! Hopefully 13 will be a good number for MoMusu, however!

Also, yes, I am indeed looking forward to what these kids have to offer towards Morning Musume in terms of performance, personality or just plain cuteness. Who knows? Maybe we have a hidden talent who can finally knock Riho off her pedastool, and actually give us good vocals in the front line in terms of high pitched songs! Seriously... we need someone who can sing those terrible high notes well. Leave the low songs to Riho, she actually can sing those ones.

Enough bitching about current members though! Let's take a looksy at the Nooblets! You know, the ones y'all have been fawning over since they were announced?

I am so late to this party...

FIRST UP!!!

Ogata Haruna

Name: Ogata Haruna

Age: 15

D.O.B: February 15th, 1999

Intriguing Facts: She competed in the 2013 Skating competition. She is the first member to come from Osaka.

I am not ashamed to say that, already, I feel like this one will become a favourite of me. Why? Firstly; Haruna. Duh. That name is a given, if anything, though I was surprised to see another Haruna come along into Morning Musume. Still, whatever. HARUNA! Now I have a Harunan and a Haruru. And, secondly; there is no second. She's just grown on me like a tree.

And just sayin', I may get confused with nicknames from now on. We're back to the Ai x Aibon thing in MM here, but with two Haruna's... yaaaay!

Anyways... Damn, this one is gorgeous! I'm surprised at how lovely this one looks, actually. Though truthfully speaking, I didn't actually care much for Haruna at first; I thought she was plain looking, a tad boring even, but I didn't dismiss her. I just preferred... well, someone else. And then Haruna grew on me like a surprise. That, I did not anticipate.

Then again, I never anticipated liking Zukki at all, either. She was my least favourite of the 9ki originally. I always thought I would be a Riho fan. Look at how well that turned out... These things surprise us, don't they?

But yeah. Haruna. She really has something about her. She looks so demure and sweet, plain and... well, bland, like Mizuki, but I can see the growing beauty of this girl! Also, them legs. Damn them legs!

Actually, whilst I'm on the leggy but of this topic, I must confess that I have a feeling this generation is the gen of Legs! Legesis! It's like S/mileage and their leggyness, but now in MoMusu! FINALLY!

But yeah... Haruna. I like her. She's kinda my favourite right now. Cute. Legs. Pretty smile. Potential to look less bored in the long run. That amazing name.

Also apparently she's fucking nuts. She has a Twitter. She's funny, trust me.

Ogata Haruna. The girl I imagine to have the colour peach. I will cry if she is not given peach as a colour.

Nonaka Miki

Name: Nonaka Miki
Age: 14
D.O.B: October 7th, 1999
Intriguing Facts: Miki lived in the United States for 8 years, and speaks both English and Japanese. She is the first member to come from the Shizuoka Prefecture.

This kid. This kid. I swear, she is the one the foreign fans, including myself here, are going to absolutely bloody adore because, gert damn, she speaks ENGLISH! We haven't had an English-speaking Hello! Project member for yonks, so this comes as a wonderful surprise to many of us, I am sure! Also, she's pretty darned cute, and I know that already quite a few people I talk to absolutely adore this girl. Yeah, I can see why.

Admittedly, at first, I thought 'meh'. I was a total sucker for Maria, but honestly? I think Miki could grow on me. She looks like she's going to be damn beautiful once she's properly polished with that Hello! Project magic. She's cute now, don't get me wrong, in fact she's the prettiest member so far of the Golden Generation, but damn, I think she's going to grow into something more and really shine when the time comes. Seriously. She's. Bloody. Gorgeous.

End of. Yeah right.

But yeah, this kid, she has charm to her, and the lovely perk that she can speak English. I think this brings a lot of hope to the foreign fans, because it means we have less of a barrier in a way now! I swear, this girl will become a fan favourite to the Western part of the fandom for obvious reasons, but also because she seems seriously endearing. I am excited for Miki, if anything, and I want to see what she can do!

Also; HI, LEGS!

Miki, the English Speaking one. The kid I want to harness the Power of the colour that is Light Blue. I like her.

Makino Maria

Name: Makino Maria
Age: 13
D.O.B: February 2nd, 2001
Intriguing Facts: She is one of the first MoMusu members to be born in the 21st century, along with Haga Akane. She wants to become an Idol like Michishige Sayumi.

Can I just say that I am seriously surprised that this kid is only 13? Like, seriously? 13, and already, you have legs like a sunflower stem! WOW! Once again, this reinforces the whole 'Legesis' Generation that is the 12ki.

Ahem... Maria, that chick that Shige seems to pine after from the trainees, or formerly of the training programme, now in Morning Musume. The kid who seems to be the 'pretty' one of her generation, and originally the girl I actually liked! She sure is cute, isn't she? And given that she is in the Kenshuusei, I am wondering what she's like as a performer, in both singing and dancing. Admittedly I have yet to hear her, but honestly, I hope she (or Akane) is good, or even one of the two Unknowns, because we need some more talent in Morning Musume, singing wise... well, we need more talent that is pushed, and I sure hope Maria is pushed, one way or another.

In fact, I hope they are all pushed but Miki is my bet for the one being pushed most.

But yeah, I can't say much else about Maria. She's adorable, her legs are long, and I look forward to what she brings to the plate! I just hope she isn't as boring as she is cute, like Mizuki. I would like some more intriguing members, thanks.

Maria, the girl waiting in line for Sayumi's Pink colour. I believe we are all hoping that she inherits it, to be honest.

Haga Akane

Name: Haga Akane
Age: 12
D.O.B: March 7th, 2002
Intriguing Facts: She is one of the first MoMusu members to be born in the 21st century, along with Makino Maria. She is the first MoMusu member to come from Nagano.

Now, Akane. The second Kenshuusei member to come into the Golden Generation, which is pretty surprising, if you ask me; we usually get one Kenshuusei member, not two, so Akane is a pleasant surprise because obviously, Tsunku saw promise in both her and Maria. Maybe he wanted them to grow in the group, who knows? Either way, I'm glad he's using the trainees. These girls kinda need to be shaped in groups, not the programme most seem to drop out of.

Anyway, back to Akane; she's the one I peg to be the boring one, the girl I won't look at. All the more reason to find her intriguing, because honestly, I thought that Masaki was someone to ignore, but she turned out rather intriguing. Same with Eripon, and Sakura actually. So yeah, because I want to overlook her, and from past experience with dull looking members, I'm probably going to have to watch out for this one, whether it is in personality or her talent, or how endearing she is. You never know; this girl could seriously be the diamond in the rough, the one who comes out on top in personality, looks or talent later on down the line. She could be the Masaki of the 12ki generation.
 Not that we need another Masaki, because Christ, we do not!

Anyway, Akane... she actually seems interesting, from her Trivia that is around the internet! She seems rather mature for a 12 year old (it's weird knowing that, for sure, Duu is no longer the baby of the group! GAH!) and she seems to be pretty level-headed from what I have read on the Hello! Project wikia. Seriously, this girl seems to know what she wants in her future; we need some maturity in the group, because whether you like it or not, I don't think that MoMusu actually has a true mature figure anywhere in the group mind-wise outside of Sayumi, and she graduates soon! So, if she is as mature as she seems to be, I actually look forward to seeing what Akane brings to the plate for MoMusu and its future!

She looks boring and plain, a little like the Underdog actually, but boy Akane could become an intriguing member!

Haga Akane, the member who I think would suit Dark Purple as an image colour! And also; LEGS!

These kids have better legs than I do... (cries)

Honestly, I am really excited for this new generation! I wasn't that excited when I first saw the news, but I put that down to the fact that I was still settling into University life at the time, but a day or so later, I really did feel like it was real. I felt happy for the group, and I was really delighted with the results; the girls they have picked, they were chosen for a reason. Every MoMusu member in the groups History has been fantastic, one way or another, and I have no doubt in my mind or my heart that the 12ki will also be amazing.

It's weird to think that the group will soon be at a magnificent 13, though right now it is at 14 (hello, MoMusu '14! I see what you did there, Tsunku!) but I honestly do look forward to the future these girls have with Morning Musume '15 next year when they debut (eep!), and I honestly can't wait to see them in action! It's great that we now have four new members to fawn over, fresh faces to become attached to and the like. It really does feel great, and whilst I am still getting over the fact that the group is creeping into bigger territory again, I am really... well, elated! Four new members! EEEEEEEEEP!!!

With our new members secured, Shige's graduation looming, and the end of 2014 nearing, a new era of Morning Musume is truly dawning! This is the Golden Generation, and it is time for a brand new chapter in the Morning Musume Legacy! Are you prepared for it, because I sure am! The group is refreshed, and they are raring to go! Bring on 2015, bring on the Golden Girls! I am ready for them, and yes, I am bloody excited!

 Now, let me ask you this; ARE YOU EXCITED, WORLD?

Until next time~ (and hopefully it won't be for too long, because, y'know... this was too long!)

Much Love,
Chiima~

READY to KISS Introduce a Fresh New set of Faces! Come and Meet them!!!

Lookit who gained members~~~~!!!

On March 16th the Idol group READY to KISS revealed four brand new members to the line-up, bringing the group to seven members! READY to KISS hopeful Toyota Serina finally made her debut with the group after being announced last December.

The four new members to the group have joined after the withdrawal of original members Nagafuji Aoi and Kobayashi Aoi.

Here are the New Members!!! Tada~

Name: Kawai Fuka
Nickname: Fuu-chan
Hometown: Tokyo
Born: February 25th, 1989
Age: 25
Blood Type: A
Occupation: Gravure Idol, Actress, Tarento
Info: She has released three gravure DVD's, and she is under the agency GRAVITY, she has been active as of 2006
Twitter
Ameblo

Name: Toyota Serina

Hometown: Tokyo

Age:

Info: She likes Kojima Haruna and Wrestling, she is under the agency GRAVITY as a model and her image colour is Light Blue.

Twitter

Name: Harukawa Momona

Nickname: Momochi

Hometown: Gunma

Born: March 20th, 1998

Age: 16

Info: She is 160cm tall, her image colour is Orange.

Twitter
Ameblo

Name: Uehara Ayuko
Nickname: Ayutan
Age: 15
Twitter

...

Admittedly I am intrigued by the new members, with Fuu-chan being the most intriguing of them all! Really, I didn't expect a 25 year old to enter the group, let alone a 25 year old who has been on the scene for 8 years nearly! She's practically a veteran in the entertainment field! Really though, it's amazing that READY to KISS have decided to add in two girls who are already familiar with the Media scene, as well as two new girls who are fresh faced and unfamiliar to the Idol scene. It creates a nice vibe I think, and I'm sure that Serina and Fuka will aid Momona and Ayuko in finding their footing.

Also, in random news regarding READY to KISS, the group is now under the agency GRAVITY. This is allegedly the same agency that Kamei Rina, sister to former Morning Musume member Kamei Eri, is a part of. This is also quite possibly why new members Fuka and Serina are debuting in the group, given adding in members under the same agency is quite common sometimes (the original lineup of HouPri consisted of quite a few members under the agency Office COLORS).

... That all said and done, here be some videos for you that include the newbs! I personally like the one where they are warming up before the live performance, and we see Ayuko posing before claiming she is making her Gravure Debut... I think I like this girl and her cheery personality!

Do you have any favourites from READY to KISS and their brand new line-up?

Chiima~

Sakurai Riho has been Kicked out of Class, Sakuragi Nene returns, and Shiraishi Rika auditions to become a Doll!

My time away from Idols and blogging means that I have missed out on a bit of news these past couple of weeks, so I'm going to get to some of the bigger topics of news (to me) in the Idol Universe and talk about them a bit, updating you on whatever may have happened that we do not know about, because goodness gracious me, Idols do like to pop out lots of news, right?

First up; Houkago Princess!!!

Sakurai Riho of Houkago Princess has officially been Dismissed from the group as of February/March this year, following her appearance in Young Jump's Idol Survival issue, where different Idols from various up-coming groups were featured. It was revealed that a personal Twitter account under the name Hiruma Riho (alleged to be her real name) had been found, and that through this account it was revealed via the profile picture that she has a boyfriend. Her withdrawal/dismissal from the group from the group had been announced on January 27th apparently.

Now, regarding this news, I'm firstly going to say that I am really not surprised that Riho has left the group; her last blog post had been in January on the 25th, and I wondered for a while if she had simply decided to leave Houkago Princess. Thing is, there was the issue that there was no notice of her withdrawal at all, and so I just thought she was studying a bit... well, that was until I saw that both her Twitter and Ameblo had been deleted. Then I started digging.

I eventually came across a 2ch thread (always reliable for this sort of information, though I get scared reading their comments...) which confirmed my fears from about two months ago, stating that she had left the group. However, I was surprised to learn that she had been dismissed from the group because of a boyfriend; at first I thought it was because she wasn't doing anything in HouPri, given how quiet this whole affair seemed to be, but nope. She was dating. I'm still a bit surprised, though I'm getting used to the idea that that is why Riho is now no longer a part of HouPri. Still...

After a bit more research, I found one more bit of information about Riho's 'scandal' in the form of a Twitter account which gives the reader enough information to let us know why she was suspended, and a rough estimate of when she was going to halt her performances. The account also gives us a picture of Riho with her supposed boyfriend, basically confirming that she breeched her contract.

Now I am surprised, but I'm also at the point where I've just come to terms with the fact that HouPri loses girls as quickly as the 48's do and in that respect. I'm sad, don't get me wrong, because I quite liked Riho and enjoyed the fact that she was getting exposure as a gravure model, however I have just grown accustomed to how many members HouPri seems to lose in such a short amount of time and I think it was just a matter of time before I found out that Riho had graduated anyway, because I already picked up on the fact that she wasn't updating her blog any more and so I was essentially preparing myself for when I did find out that she was gone... either way, she's been Dismissed, and I can't do anything about it.

I can whine and bitch about how it's unfair and how the no-boyfriend rule is bad, but I've said it before, and I will most likely say something about it again in a post for that specific topic, so I don't think I need to say it again. Either way, this sucks and yet another good member from HouPri is gone... but that's how HouPri works.

They are one gigantic revolving door, and really, you never know just who is going to step inside the building, and who is going to leave next.

As of March 24th, Sakuragi Nene has resumed her activities within Houkago Princess! It has been half a month since the Idol postponed her performance with the group to focus on her studies, and now that she is successfully graduating High school and awaiting confirmation for University, Nene is back! Right now, she is working alongside fellow HouPri member Hayamizu Rin on the stage play Hana yo... Cho yo... and is working hard in rehearsals!

... It's been over half a year since Nene went on her Hiatus, which is kind of crazy! I've actually missed her greatly, because Nene was a great addition to the group and is one of, if not the, strongest singer within Houkago Princess, so yeah, I missed her quite a bit, and I'm pretty sure that her fans did too!

Knowing that she has returned from hiatus after successfully graduating (or close to graduating) school is wonderful, because her hard work this past half a year has really paid off, and now she can focus on having a bit of fun with her fellow Houkago Princess members whilst also anticipating University!

From what her blog entry says, it seems that from her graduation until she begins University, she will basically be unemployed, and that when she returned to the stage for Yamaguchi Miran's birthday live, she felt the exhilaration of being back on stage again. She will also be practising daily from 1pm until 7pm for the stage play, so there is plenty of hard work ahead for Nene! Still, it's great to see that she has returned to HouPri after a successful exam period, and that she will be working 100% as always for the group and the stage play! Wahey!!!

In news outside of the Houkago Princess Universe (by barely a thread, of course) it has been uncovered that Shiraishi Rika has auditioned for the company Arc Jewel as a potential candidate for the agency's 3rd, new Doll-themed group! The agency is known for their Doll-like groups Doll☆Elements and Lovely★Doll.

For the audition process, the finalists for the new group will be voted on by the fans, with the final round of votes to be sent on March 29th.

Shiraishi Rika graduated from Houkago Princess in November 2013, citing her reason for leaving was to study for up-coming exams after she had taken a brief hiatus in order to focus on school work.

... I had a feeling you would return! Then again, I have a feeling that most HouPri members will return at some point, ready to debut somewhere else! I mean seriously, just how many of the former HouPri members have actually re-debuted somewhere else...?

Anyway, I'm happy to see Rika back on the scene, and it's understandable that she would come along about this time, because she would have graduated or be preparing for her graduation from school by now, so it seems logical that around the same time, she would decide to return to the Idol scene... Yaaaay!!!

Shiraishi Rika Twitter
Arc Jewel Audition Site

...

And that is all I have for Houkago Princess updates! Yeah, I know, not much in terms of updates, but I find them all rather exciting regardless! Well, except for the graduation... er, Dismissal... those are never exciting! >____<

Still, it's News, and this is some of the more exciting stuff to come out of HouPri as of late because we don't have new members announced yet BOO!!!!

So that is all for now, until next time! What do you think of the HouPri News you have been delivered today?

Chiima~