Kudo Haruka - The Graduation Appreciation Post

In my final post for my Duupreciation series, it's time to talk about the girl you love and adore. No reviews, no songs. Just our memories, and beautiful pictures of Kudo Haruka. It's time to appreciate the Idol we will all surely miss...

On September 29th, 2011, Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi, Sato Masaki and Kudo Haruka were revealed to be the 10th generation. At the time, I was a huge fan of Morning Musume, anticipating the newest generation who would become a part of a group I enjoyed the most. I was excited to see these girls join the group, and to have Kudo Haruka - an egg with some experience under her belt, a husky voice and charm to boot - seemed to be a dream come true for some. From Egg to Morning Musume, Duu was a fan favourite, and even until the day she leaves the entertainment industry, she will continue to hold a place in many people's hearts.

It's hard to think that now, a few days on, she has officially graduated from Morning Musume '17 and Hello! Project, and will forge a new path for herself hereon. Until the next single and music videos come along, I don't think I'll be able to process the fact she is well and truly gone from a group so many people adore.

[This Is Duu!] Her Final Journey. Goodbye, Duu... 'Wakain da shi!' (Music Video Review)

[This Is Duu!], also known as [A Week with Duu], is a series of posts dedicated to Kudo Haruka and her impending graduation on December 11th 2017. It is a series that will look at the wonders of Duu, whether it is in the form of a music video, sketches, live performances or even her photo books!

To celebrate all that is Duu, let's take a look back at everything she has given us, and remember the joy that she has delivered since debuting in Morning Musume, all those years ago! Are you ready to celebrate all that is Duu?

It's the end of the road, dear readers. Today I post my final review that features Kudo Haruka as a member of Morning Musume. All other reviews from past singles hereafter will include a graduated member, someone that many of you have cherished all these years. Somehow, this day has caught up with us far too fast.

Knowing that by tomorrow, Kudo Haruka will have graduated Morning Musume and Hello! Project, brings about a feeling of great sadness and despair. Though I have told myself countless times that this is the right thing for Duu to do, pursuing a dream of hers that I have no doubt she will do well in, I still have a melancholy feeling about it all. After all, Duu is an incredible Idol. She was never my Oshimem, but I liked her a lot. I always found her to be a bright, talented girl, someone who was worthy of the title 'Idol'.

This road of hers is coming to its end, though, and that path of 'Idol' will become a path for an actress. I do look forward to watching Duu grow in that area, but I wish she could stay in Morning Musume, too. I know, I know - Idols have a limited shelf life, and Duu is only doing what many other Idols have done before her. Still, I wish we would have had more time with her.

Today marks my final review for [This Is Duu!], and after a week of posts and thinking about Duu, dedicating my time and energy into all of these posts, I know now that I am going to miss this girl greatly. Kudo Haruka is amazing, and I feel like Wakain da shi!, the final music video that was specifically crafted for Duu, is a perfect representation of why we all love this girl, and why she is such a cherished member of Morning Musume.

It's time to say our goodbyes, everyone. Though she is only at the height of her youth, it's time for Kudo Haruka to walk a new direction, and become a person more incredible than the one that stands before us.

As we stand behind her and wave, Duu will walk towards a bright future, but she knows we're there. She knows that we will always cheer her on from behind...

[This Is Duu!] The Endless Sky is Duu's - 'ENDLESS SKY' (Music Video Review)

[This Is Duu!], also known as [A Week with Duu], is a series of posts dedicated to Kudo Haruka and her impending graduation on December 11th 2017. It is a series that will look at the wonders of Duu, whether it is in the form of a music video, sketches, live performances or even her photo books!

To celebrate all that is Duu, let's take a look back at everything she has given us, and remember the joy that she has delivered since debuting in Morning Musume, all those years ago! Are you ready to celebrate all that is Duu?

When looking back at the glory of Duu in music videos, I wondered which video I would use for the penultimate music video review. It had to capture aspects of Duu that made her so lovable and sweet, a moment that displays her humanity. As many fans already know, Kudo Haruka is a compassionate and honest person, a girl who will not hide her feelings and will always run forward with her emotions present at all times.

I know that there are a lot of videos out there that show the cool and mature side to Duu, but it is that delicate, girlish side of hers that I adore most, and that is the Duu I wish to capture. So, after looking back at some videos - The Vision and ENDLESS SKY especially - I finally decided which one I would review, and of course, it has to be ENDLESS SKY.

Because Duu cries, and Duu's tears are a precious embodiment of her character. She is one of the only members who has really cried during any graduation single, not for herself, but for the members she will no longer be performing beside.

It's time to continue our road towards Kudo Haruka's graduation date, but before we get to that crossroads and part ways, let's enjoy the little time we have left with her.

Even though this world has an endless sky, it is an ever-changing canvas. Soon, Duu's own canvas will change, and she will look up to see a sky that is different from the one her peers are watching. That is when she knows her own Endless Sky is no longer theirs...

[This Is Duu!] LILIUM ~The Falsehood of Duu~ (Stage Play Recap & Review)

[This Is Duu!], also known as [A Week with Duu], is a series of posts dedicated to Kudo Haruka and her impending graduation on December 11th 2017. It is a series that will look at the wonders of Duu, whether it is in the form of a music video, sketches, live performances or even her photo books!

To celebrate all that is Duu, let's take a look back at everything she has given us, and remember the joy that she has delivered since debuting in Morning Musume, all those years ago! Are you ready to celebrate all that is Duu?

hOLY SHIT, HOW HAVE I NOT WATCH THIS UNTIL NOW? HOW!?!?!?!?

Seriously, this shit would put Shakespeare to shame. What the heck, it took me well over three years to finally watch LILIUM -Lilium Shoujo Junketsu Kageki- in its entirety? I'm either lazy (check), or just ignorant of the great things in life (check again), because holy shit... Holy shit, this is amazing.

Good thing I decided to talk about a play that Duu had a key role in, because damn, if I didn't (and it hadn't been suggested to review Lilium) then I wouldn't have taken a look at this. In all honesty, the sole reason I did watch this one over Pharaoh no Haka, is because this one actually has a subtitled version, thanks to the dedicated fans.

And yes, I am wallowing in my own self loathing, because I dared to neglect this stage play for this long. Still, it's a damn good thing Duu is worth a whole day on this play, otherwise we wouldn't be here, and I would have continued to neglect Lilium for another three or more years. That's just the way this cinnamon rolls.

Oh, and once again, this Duu-related review comes at an oddly convenient time, as I am reviewing it just a day after the latest Magnolia Factory departure. Though no members of the group make an appearance here, I think that the heavy metaphor regarding flowers and how all flowers will eventually wilt, is quite significant to the current state of the group. It's horribly fitting, given the circumstance of these woeful times in HaroPromageddon.

That thought about Kobushi ran through my mind as the story of Lilium progressed, but it's also a truth that we acknowledge as human beings. Eventually, we will all die, for there is no eternity. Despite its fictional setting, Lilium hits home with the truth that death is an unstoppable act, and that loneliness comes with the loss of your loved ones, and that loneliness can even come with age . The symbolism of flowers only makes these things feel a tad bittersweet, if not a little romantic, in its weird and twisted way.

Because like flowers, even the most beautiful will eventually wither and die.

Today we are taking a look at LILIUM -Lilium Shoujo Junketsu Kageki-. Sometimes, we will cling to that moment of forever when the ones we love most disappear...

[This Is Duu!] Dreamin' of Triple Duu - 'Dream Last Train' (Music Video Review)

[This Is Duu!], also known as [A Week with Duu], is a series of posts dedicated to Kudo Haruka and her impending graduation on December 11th 2017. It is a series that will look at the wonders of Duu, whether it is in the form of a music video, sketches, live performances or even her photo books!

To celebrate all that is Duu, let's take a look back at everything she has given us, and remember the joy that she has delivered since debuting in Morning Musume, all those years ago! Are you ready to celebrate all that is Duu?

I never intended for it to be this way, but somehow, Triplet happened to be my third review for Duu's Graduuation Week. How convenient, blogger-girl. Actually, I wanted to review Kimi no Kawai wa Iyashinai, but due to a lack of Duu (similar to PPU), I could not justify the review itself. Yes, she has awesome hair in that video, but she's also not in it as much as I'd like.

And then I saw one friend suggest Dream Last Train for one of their favoured Duu-related releases, 

and because I wanted something to review in the 2014-2015 era, this song video was the most fitting. Plus, it comes with bonus Duu, something many MoMusu PV's lack, for some freakin' reason. And seriously, how can I deny a glorious amount of Duu? I can't, I just can't, especially when this week is all about her.

That, and I needed something to review before the day was up. I'm trying to keep to a schedule, here.

I know that Dream Last Train is a bit of a fan favourite, because it's a great song, and it brought together three of H!P's more underrated vocalists. A mix of husky and powerful vocals, Triplet was a true power-house unit, mixing three of the best that the company had to offer. I'm honestly surprised they never released anything past this, because let's be real; these girls were awesome together.

It's a freakin' crime, actually, especially when H!P denied us more Duu!

Anyway, we're gonna check out the (Another version.) PV for Dream Last Train, in all of its cookie-cutter glory. There will be Duu, and we will be trippin' over all the glorious moments of Duu to come. So much so, we might see... TRIPLE DUU! >o>

DUU ME, BABY!

(Wait, wait, Chiima, that sounds creepy and wrong, don't say that, for fucks sake!)

[This Is Duu!] The Sounds Of Duu (Kudo Haruka Song Selection)

[This Is Duu!], also known as [A Week with Duu], is a series of posts dedicated to Kudo Haruka and her impending graduation on December 11th 2017. It is a series that will look at the wonders of Duu, whether it is in the form of a music video, sketches, live performances or even her photo books!

To celebrate all that is Duu, let's take a look back at everything she has given us, and remember the joy that she has delivered since debuting in Morning Musume, all those years ago! Are you ready to celebrate all that is Duu?

The HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLS are aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive, with the sound of DUU-SONG!

(It had to be done, PS, that image is from Harukaze, Duu's 3rd photo book)

Due to my difficulty with time, I was a tad stumped about what to duu (kekeke) for my second Duu-themed post. I knew it wouldn't be a PV review - I like to interchange between MV reviews and other kinds of reviews for these types of series - so, I wondered.... What Can I Duu? (DUU!), and decided it would be a toss-up between various vieos of Duu being her charming, cute self on various variety segments, or a bunch of Duu-centric songs.

Of course, the songs won out, because I am basic, and also because I want a little more time to find good variety videos of Duu, if that post ever does arise. Plus, I find it easier to talk about Duu's performance skillz and singing chops when I'm in a pinch.

Oh, and I found some nice songs. A lot of them are from 2016, but who cares? If they feature Duu, then I am delighted already. I know she's an amazing performer, so no matter what she does, it's a win/win situation, amiright?

Thankfully, I have found 9 videos to share with you all that depict the delight of Duu. One such video contains two songs, rounding the number to 10 tracks for your listening pleasure, a beautiful amount for this delightful 10th generation member. That feels right, doesn't it?

Yep. It feels absolutely freakin'-right, Chiima!

Now, because I've added all of these tracks in on the day I post this, I've actually never heard a good chunk of them performed by Duu. Some tracks, I didn't even know existed! So, it's a surprise for me what comes up here, as well as you, though there are a few I was aware of in my time as a MoMusu fan. So, yeah; it's a review as I go kinda thing, though I doubt I'll hate them all. It's freakin' DUU, after all.

And with that thought in mind - DUU! - let's get on with this second post for my Week with Duu series. This Is Duu, people, and these are The Sounds of Duu. I hope your ears will feel delighted after this adventure.

Are you ready to press Play? ▶ Let's go~

[This Is Duu!] The Debut of Ultra Duu! - 'Pyoko Pyoko Ultra' [MV Review]

[This Is Duu!], also known as [A Week with Duu], is a series of posts dedicated to Kudo Haruka and her impending graduation on December 11th 2017. It is a series that will look at the wonders of Duu, whether it is in the form of a music video, sketches, live performances or even her photo books!

To celebrate all that is Duu, let's take a look back at everything she has given us, and remember the joy that she has delivered since debuting in Morning Musume, all those years ago! Are you ready to celebrate all that is Duu?

Okay, so this post might be a tad rushed, and that's because I have no time right now. December in general is a busy month, and by throwing in the Graduuation posts, I've only made it harder on myself. So, if I only do about three-four of these posts, (and not my usual seven) I duu apologise.

Kick-starting these posts is, of course, Duu's Debut. I was at war with myself about whether or not I should do Pyoko Pyoko Ultra for the first review, because whilst I love the song and video, it doesn't contain much of our dear Duu. In fact, it's a pretty shit debut for the freshly hatched 10ki, a thought I had even when the song came out. They get barely any lines, very little screen time, and Haruka herself isn't as present as I would like her to be. So, yeah. Shitty debut, for what is a pretty solid generation.

Then again, this was the Reina-Riho era of MM. You should kinda expect them > everyone else.

Well, it's good to look back at the origins of a member (even if Duu's origins were as an egg, but whatever) and returning to the debut of the 10th gen is always fun! After all, it's one of the last bright, energetic, childish endeavors the group did before becoming cool, awkward and mature. Sigh, those were the days.

It's time to look back, and it's time to remember Duu before she got tall, and before she cut her hair to the iconic hair-duu we know now. Let's reminisce, and take a good look at the cutest version of Duu. Are ya ready, kids?