Written by B.Slade & Kuno, updated: 16:29, 19-Sep 2009
Seventh-generation member Kusumi Koharu (17), will be graduating from Morning Musume and Hello!Project this December. She's been a member of Morning Musume ever since winning the 7th gen audition back in 2005.
There are official comments on the Hello!Project website from both Tsunku & Kusumi, and we have full translations inside.
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tsunku's statement...
Regarding 7th Generation Morning Musume Member "Kusumi Koharu"
At the final performance of of the "Morning Musume Concert Tour 2009 Autumn ~ Nine Smile ~" (Dec 6), 7th generation Morning Musume member Kusumi Koharu will be graduating from Morning Musume, and from Hello!Project. During the 4 years and 4 months she was in Morning Musume, she has learnt the basics as a singer and a talent. And next year, she will turn 18. She's come to learn the base of what it takes to work in a group. And at the same time, she's been working as "Tsukishima Kirari". Based on seeing all of her work so far, as a producer, I felt I wanted to let her have a solo career, so decided to have her graduate. Having said that, she won't be making a singing debut or any other kind of debut right away, and some of the plans are still a bit rough, but Kusumi will continue to work hard for now, while privately taking various lessons. Her own hope is to be a model, so I think she'll be aiming towards a new direction, and taking new steps. So everybody who has supported her so far, please continue to give your support to Kusumi Koharu, and to Morning Musume. Thank you very much!
Manoeri stars in "Hanbun Esper" with other Hello! Project members
Fri, October 23, 2009 (3:56am EDT)
Hello! Project's Erina Mano will star in a drama series next year on the pay channel Fuji TV TWO. The show is titled "Hanbun ESPer" and is scheduled to start in January.
Mano plays the role of an esper (someone with psychic powers) in training within a secret organization called Kokueken, established by the government to protect the daily lives of the nation's people. Due to her inability to properly control her powers, she ends up causing trouble around her.
The drama's cast includes the four young members of the Hello! Project unit S/mileage, as well as many popular young comedians. Morning Musume members will also make special guest appearances on the show.
"Hanbun ESPer" will air weekly at 11:00pm on Friday nights. The exact date of the first episode has not yet been scheduled.
Kusumi Koharu graduates from Hello!Project
Written by Kuno & turbos86, updated: 1:54, 7-Dec 2009
Seventh-generation Morning Musume member Kusumi Koharu has graduated from Morning Musume and Hello!Project today, on the last stop on Morning Musume's NINE SMILE tour. Read on for news & photos from the event, as well as a full translation of the members' graduation messages for Koharu, courtesy of turbos86.
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Morning Musume is a group whose members had traditionally changed constantly year over year, but the recent nine-member configuration was the longest-lasting lineup in the group's history, lasting roughly 2 years, 8 months with no changes. That all came to an end last night with the graduation of seventh-generation member Kusumi Koharu (17) at the final stop on the 17-city "NINE SMILE" tour.
Over 2,000 fans filled Tokyo Kousei Nenkin Kaikan to capacity to cheer Koharu on as she left Hello!Project, where she's been since 2005. The final show's venue was chosen before Koharu's graduation had been decided, so given the venue's capacity, tickets for the show were probably quite a hot commodity. Morning Musume's producer Tsunku was at the show, as well as MM graduates Nakazawa Yuko and Iida Kaori, and they've all blogged about the event (Yuko / Tsunku / Kaori). It's also been reported that Yoshizawa Hitomi attended the concert as well.
The crowd was flooded in red penlights, Koharu's color, as they chanted for her at the end of the concert. Her final solo song was "Furusato", the song she sang on the episode of Hello!Morning where she was chosen as the sole member of 7th gen. After that performance, the full nine-member group appeared again and performed "SONGS" and "LOVE Machine" to close the show.
Hello!Project idol group Morning Musume。 are releasing a new live DVD, called Morning Musume。 Concert Tour 2009 Aki ~Nine Smile~, on February 24th.
The DVD will feature overall footage of Morning Musume。's final tour with former member Kusumi Koharu, held throughout September and December last year. Two discs are expected to be included in the release, though further information is yet to be revealed.
As reported previously, Morning Musume。 also have a new single coming out in the same month: Onna ga medatte naze ikenai, the group's 42nd single release, will hit stores on February 10th. A new album - their tenth original full-length CD - called 10 MY ME, is also in the works.
Hello!Project idol group Morning Musume。 are releasing a new live DVD, called Morning Musume。 Concert Tour 2009 Aki ~Nine Smile~, o ...
Kittie Post at 21-1-2010 21:39
Post time 20-9-2009 01:59 PM
