Former Artists and Groups
To leave Hello! Project is referred to as a graduation (卒業, sotsugyō?). There is also the possibility of a singer graduating from a subgroup and remaining in Hello! Project as a soloist.
A graduation is a member's final performance either with Morning Musume or one of its many subgroups or associated acts, in which case they are either beginning a solo career or new group within Hello! Project— or, rarely, leaving the Hello! Project umbrella entirely. These departures are usually voluntary and amicable.
The magazine Friday has, on three occasions, published photographs of Morning Musume members that has caused them either to quit the group or be fired. These members are Mari Yaguchi, Miki Fujimoto and Ai Kago. Because of these "scandals", and their subsequent sudden departures from the group, Mari Yaguchi and Miki Fujimoto are the only members of Morning Musume to have not undergone a "graduation ceremony" from the band before starting or resuming a solo career. Yaguchi was photographed with her then-boyfriend Shun Oguri in 2005, and although 22 at the time left voluntarily, stating that she could not maintain the "idol" image required to stay in the group. Yaguchi did have a graduation ceremony three years earlier when she departed MiniMoni, the subgroup she co-founded, in 2002, but did not receive another. Fujimoto was photographed with boyfriend Shōji Tomoharu (whom she later married) in 2007. Ai Kago, although having a graduation ceremony from Morning Musume, did not have a ceremony for leaving Hello! Project, since her repeated scandals resulted in her contract being dissolved and later fired from the agency.
All four of the main groups in Hello! Project (Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo, C-ute and S/mileage) have all had at least one graduation within the group.
Conversely, Melon Kinenbi is the only group in the history of Hello! Project to not undergo a graduation or other personnel change in its entire existence.
On March 31, 2009, the entire 'Elder Club' Hello! Project Concert unit graduated from Hello! Project. This included group Melon Kinenbi and soloists such as Natsumi Abe and Aya Matsuura.
Read more about this topic: Hello! Project Famous quotes containing the words artists and/or groups:“Critics are more committed to the rules of art than artists are.” “... until both employers’ and workers’ groups assume responsibility for chastising their own recalcitrant children, they can vainly bay the moon about “ignorant” and “unfair” public criticism. Moreover, their failure to impose voluntarily upon their own groups codes of decency and honor will result in more and more necessity for government control.” |