This year a lot happened in Hello!Project. From °C-ute disbanding to Kudo Haruka's graduation, Tsubaki Factories major debut and some other graduation and promotions. There have been a lot of single and album releases, concerts and events, even I could attend some of these.
So let's talk about all the groups individually, starting with the one group that doesn't exist anymore:
°C-ute
With this group having their last activities together it has been a quite nostalgic and sad beginning of the year. They released one last Best-Of album and their last single. Especially
Final Squall has been a really bittersweet goodbye song. I managed to go to two concerts, including their last concert, which ahs been awesome and sad at the same time. But I am really really happy I got the chance to see them live. I also went to Suzuki Airi's birthday event together with a friend who is Airi fan as well. I have some beautiful memories of this group and I'm so happy to see them all going their own way!
Forever °C-ute!!
Morning Musume '17
Momusu had an awesome year. With 13th gen finally participating in promotions and Chisaki (14th gen) being added in summer there have been a few new faces.They released two singles and an album with soem awesome music! I especially liked
BRAND NEW MORNING, Jealousy Jealousy,
Wakaindashi and some tracks from the album like
CHO DAI. One downside was Maachan being sick in the beginning of this year and not participating in single and concert promotions until march. Still, she came back as energetic as ever and the whole groups performance level was pretty high! The biggest shock was Kudo Haruka's graduation announcement and her actual graduation this month. That was really hard for me at first but now I just want her to be happy on her own. I'm just so glad I got to meet her in person and also see this group's concerts. Since I met almost every member at handshake events I feel really happy to be a fan of this group and despite my favourite member leaving, I'm looking forward to what they will be doing soon.
Angerme
Angerme released only two singles this year, both have been pretty solid with my favourite song being
Ai sae areba nan ni mo iranai. They had succesfull live tours and two members, Kawamura Aano and Funaki Musubu, were added to the group in summer. I also got to see them live in concert and they have been really amazing! After °C-ute disbanding, Angerme's leader Wada Ayaka has also been promoted to H!P leader. I think she is an awesome leader and I wish her all of luck for that and hope she won't be graduating soon. The only downside this year was not hearing about Aikawa Maho. She was one of my favourite members and I would be happy to see her back but of course her health is more important and I just hope she will be healthy and happy again.
Update: Maho now left the project and while I'm really sad about that I wish her all the best for her future!
Juice=Juice
This group made quite a big impact this year. Releasing their 9th single, some digital songs and their first digital single
Fiesta Fiesta, which is my absolute favourite of them, they have been doing quite weel. Danbara Ruru and Yanagawa Nanami were both added to this group and even though I didn't expect that at all, they make a great addition. Starting from September they also went on a World Tour and I got to see them live in Germany. That was a really nice experience and they are a really strong performance group. I got to like Danbara Ruru a lot this year, starting from her still being in Kenshuusei so I am looking forward to her growth in this group.
Country Girls
So Country Girls has been kinda confusing this year. Until Momochi's graduation in June they released only one single and I especially liked
Peanut Butter Jelly Love from it. The graduation was sad and togetehr with °C-ute she has been the last member of the Hello Project kids. From summer on, Country Girls have kind of been on anhiatus though, with Morito, Yanagawa and Funaki being added to other groups as well and Yamaki and Ozeki concentrating more on their school life. They still appeared on some concerts and released digital songs but haven't been active that much since summer.
Kobushi Factory
Unfortunately this group released only one single this year and had three members leaving, making it not a really good year for them. Fuji, Ogawa and Taguchi all kind of had scandals and the whole thing only happaned in the span of a few months so I feel like it's really strange. The remaining 5 members are giving their best though and it can only go up from now on and I'm looking forward to their next activities.
Tsubaki Factory
Tsubaki had the best year of all the groups in my opinion. they have been a rising group from the beginning of this year. With the major debut and awesome first single with all three songs being simply prefect to their second, also strong single and a lot of live performances and events. They even got to win two Best Newcomer awards with rounds up such a successfull year for this group. I couldn't be more happy and proud of them and I just hope they will continue like this!
Hello!Project Kenshuusei
With some promotions and the annoucement of a new group it has also been a good year for the Kenshuusei's. They got featured more in Hello Project Station, in concerts etc. The highlight of this year was definitely Inaba Manaka returning to the Kenshuusei's, being leader of The Hello Project Kenshuusei Hokkaido group. I'm really happy she's back! :D
As you can see this has been a roller-coaster year for the project with so many things going on. With a new year starting soon I'm excited for what's going to happen in the future.
Top 10 songs
10. Gobaku ~We can't go back~
Performed by Ichioka Reina, Danbara Ruru, Kawamura Ayano, Takase Kurumi and Kiyono Momohima. This song was first performed at H!P's Sumemr concert Tour and later released digitally. I really like this song and it's all about sending messages to the wrong person which is hilarious! I would love to see this line-up again even though it's unlikely since they are added to different groups.
9. Seishun Say A-HA
Another concert song which was then released on Morning Musume's 15th album. This song is literally pumping up the audience and I'm really happy I could listen to it live three times and now it's released. It's also special as it has no solo lines but that makes it sounds really different and I love the dance.
8. Peanuts Butter Jelly Love
My favourite Country Girls song because it's just so lovely and it's kind of like Momochi's goodbye song. I love the cutesy Idol sound of this group so much.
7. Uruwashi no Camellia
Part of Tsubaki Factory's first single, this song has a really nostalgic sound and I'm simply in love with it. The members are so charming and I also love the style of the video.
6. BRAND NEW MORNING
This is such a badass song and I'm just so happy about this epic debut song for Kaedy and Yokoyan. Everyone sounds and looks so cool, definitely a song to remember!
5. Final Squall
My favourite song of °C-ute's last single. This sond is really good and I love how they used different dances of their old songs for Final Squall. I also tried to dance it and even though it's quite hard it's still so much fun.
4. Hatsukoi Sunrise
Tsubaki's debut also had this amazing song that just makes every concert reall exciting!
3. Jealousy Jealousy
Most fun song of Momusu, a nice mix of a beautiful song with nice vocals and a fun rap part. Also my favourite Karaoke song!
2. Fiesta Fiesta
Best Juice=Juice song of the year! I'm so happy to see this live too, because this song is full of energy and amazing performance skills, topped by the best vocals of everyone.
1. Wakaindashi
Duu's graduation sing is also my favourite song of 2017. It's just such a happy and upbeat song and I simply love Duu's solo parts and the members all just having fun and loving each other. It warms my heart to listen to this song
Top 8 members
8. Makino Maria
Maria has really impressed me the last two years. She is getting better and better in singing, dancing and her energy in performances is top quality. It is just so nice to see her having fun and I also think has a great personality and great humour! Adding to that she is really tall and beautiful.
7. Danbara Ruru
Ever since the beginning of this year Ruru has caught my eye. When she was still a Kenshuusei she had awesome performance skills and seeing her with Juice=Juice just exceeded my expectations. She is so talented and fun to watch and on top of that she is an absolute cutie!
6. Kaga Kaede
Kaedy has been in Momusu only one year but I was already following her when she was still a Kenshuusei, and she was my favourite. She has a great voice, really fierce dancing and acting skills and I like my tall&short haired girls!!
5. Kishimoto Yumeno
Another short haired-beauty! Kishimon has also improved so much over this year. With Tsubaki's major debut and her getting more confidence it already feels like she is a real star!!
4. Oda Sakura
Queen of singing and performance. When she's on stage she is shining like a star and is an absolute diva. Off stage she is the sweetest and nicest human being possible and needs to be protected at all costs!
3. Wada Ayaka
Leader of H!P, leader of Angerme. Queen of Arts! Wada Ayaka herself is a piece of art and looking at her having fun on stage it just really makes me happy. She is also such a sweet person, being nice and welcoming to every member ad having simply a great personality.
2. Sato Masaki
Maachan is crazy.. but at the same time she is just normal, she has her own kind of system and she is really clever. I really like how she changed over the years, she not only improved her singing and performance skills.. she also created her own kind of style and it's so amazing to watch!
1. Kudo Haruka
Last time I will be able to include her in something like this. But I wanted to tell you again that Kudo Haruka is/ was my favourite Idol of H!P! She may have graduated now but she brought me so much joy over last few years and loved her as a performer, a singer and definitely as an actress. I really only wish the best for her!!
Special Mention:
Suzuki Airi
Maybe I told you how it was always hard for me to pick a favourite in °C-ute.. it always felt like the all belong together. But Suzuki Airi is just simply amazing and to me she was something like the perfect Idol.. maybe even more than that, because she really has everything: the voice, the performance skilly, the looks and the personality. She's so funny yet so fierce on stage and I really need to honour her for that.
So that's it for my Hello Pro rewind post! All the groups have been doing pretty good and even though there have been some sad events too, I'm really looking forward to 2018!!
Bye bye for now :)
