Elders’ fate inevitable for Tsunku♂, Hello! Project

What are other J-music blogs saying?

Yuko, left, watches as Abe crumbles at the conclusion of the Hello! Project Winter 2008 concert at Yokohama Arena.

When Yuko made a remark to Abe at the end of the Hello! Project Winter 2008 concert at Yokohama Arena on Jan. 27, 2008, Abe started to break down. Maybe she knew something the rest of us didn’t at the time, like the announced mass graduation of Yuko, Abe and the entire Elder Club (primarily former Morning Musume members) of Hello! Project as of March 2009.

Abe then slipped into of her quiet, introspective speeches, and all the performers hung on every word. After all, if Tsunku♂ is the dad of Hello! Project, Abe is most certainly the mom. Yossie’s expression was odd and distant, and many of the current Morning Musume lineup appeared somber, almost sad. My Japanese isn’t great, but it just sounded like Abe was just giving some standard “thanks-for-the-memories” speech, perhaps already seeing the handwriting on the wall.

Rika, on the block with the rest of the Elder Club, looked almost tearful while listening to Abe, winter 2008.

That V-u-den announced that weekend they were graduating was but a small part of what will now really happen – a drastic streamlining of a hugely successful music company. Then, only two weeks later, Manoeri of Ongaku Gatas was moved into a “solo career.” Note that Mano remains with the core group of Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo, °C-ute and some select Eggs. Whether the remaining former Eggs now with Gatas will be reassigned is yet to be determined.

Tsunku♂ has brilliantly kept alive the Morning Musume concept with piecemeal graduations of a member or two at a time, but that is a limited methodology. Mass graduation will likely become the rule. Junior groups Berryz Kobo and °C-ute will almost certainly be graduated all at once, like the Elders, when their time comes.

From left, Aichan, Reina and JunJun appeared apprehensive at the end of the Hello! Project Winter 2008 concert.

Enjoy these fantastic performers while you still can.

It is not surprising that so many original members of Morning Musume are finally graduating out as the Elder Club. It is stunning, though, that they are all going at the same time, in March 2009. Abe and her cohorts started this revolution in 1997, and it is time for a large-scale changing of the guard.

This also explains the beautiful, but bittersweet, tone of the Hello! Project Summer Summer 2008 concert that will soon be released on DVD – especially the final anthem which sounded so wonderful, yet lacking, with the conspicuous absence of the Elders. Mano was there, though, so all is not lost.

Long-time Morning Musume member Eri, left, seemed a lot more down than newcomer Aika on Jan. 27, 2008.

The best four of the Elder Club – Ayaya, Yossie, Rika and Abe – might have some future as singers, but the company that gave them the exposure, support and creative impetus will no longer be available to them. Their futures are dubious at best.

The downside is obvious. Could this trigger the collapse of the entire Tsunku♂ empire? He does have plenty of irons in the fire, but who knows what market forces are at work to shut the door on Japanese idol music. AKB48 is looking like it’s starting to crumble, too.

Just enjoy the ride while it lasts, and be thankful for the greatness that has been Morning Musume and Hello! Project.

This is Rad signing off – for now.