Who's Next To Leave MM? -- 2019 Edition

[Anderei]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Farrah" data-cid="217861" data-time="1561408115"><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Anderei" data-cid="217860" data-time="1561407744">
It doesn’t mean anything if the only noteworthy personality is that way for the wrong reasons.
</blockquote>What has she done, though? For the most part she keeps her mouth shut nowadays. What, are we talking about the few times she was bratty to wota when she was like 13? Idk, if anything that made me like her more considering a lot of wota are creeps, LOL. I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. All I got from her 20th anniversary interview was the image of a girl who is really dedicated to performing and keeping people on their toes.</blockquote>
She’s probably less annoying now because she’s 20 and I don’t care enough about MK to research one member. But not charming is not charming and that’s just a personal preference for how people view another. Maybe it’s that I’ve never found her relatable? Maybe that’s also why I didn’t have a problem with how Sakura presented herself in her interview because my personal experiences are more in line with her comments. But I also would bet money that there is no way Masaki is so interesting that losing her would be a huge loss to a group that’s boring as hell with her in it. I mean they’re all dedicated to some degree since they’re still there. Not like they’re bound by a horrible contract that they can’t get out and are just waiting around for it to end.

[Farrah]

[quote="Anderei"]
But I also would bet money that there is no way Masaki is so interesting that losing her would be a huge loss to a group that’s boring as hell with her in it.
[/quote]
 
I mean, that's the thing - they could all be interesting for all we know, but a company forcing them to spend 2+ hours "correcting" personal blog posts isn't going to let us find out.  I appreciate the fact that Masaki at least makes an effort to buck up once in awhile instead of soundlessly accepting the new and ridiculously stringent expectations of management.  I for one really miss the days when they were allowed to be more uncensored... Masaki is at least attempting to capture some of the freedom previous members had.  Theoretically if she became leader someday, I feel like the whole group would loosen up a little (although she could go the route of some other members and completely shutdown after receiving the title lol that's possible too).

[JPope]

[quote="Anderei"]
They’re more at risk because of how big the group is. It’s obvious you’ve got until you’re 25 if there’s space.
 
[/quote]
 
Only two members have ever made it to 25, and Yuko was almost that old when the group was founded. Only Sayumi has made it to 25 outside of the founding members, so she's the outlier. 23 seems to be the hard-line, put-Oba-chan-in-a-home age for MM. 

[WonderBuono]

And they probably only kept Sayumi around because of how inexperienced the other members were. They just needed a leader/older member for the older fanboys tor a little longer.


Dang, I’m 22, guess I should grow out of my wanting to be an idol dream now.


On the actual topic: I just need Erina to leave. I haven’t liked her since 2011, only tolerated her sometimes. (Then I kinda forgot about her when Ogata took the spot of most hated member for me and I lucked out that THAT one didn’t stick around for 8+ years.) Time to go, Eripon!

[Zoe]

Uh oh, apparently Masaki started going to university this year.

I know the other groups have pulled it off, but has anyone in MM been able to do concurrent studies?

[DonJuan]

From what I've seen the bigger problem is someone following her and taking photos. There's been photographs with two (male) friends so far. Masaki has mentioned in that blog post that he was a senior from university, I guess it's the same with the person in the other photograph.

Personally I'd be annoyed as hell. Could influence her decision about graduation as well.

[Zoe]

Thing is they always let boy sightings slide for the more popular members.

[JPope]

Is it for the most popular, or just the older members?

[DonJuan]

Oh I doubt management will do something, not even her fans are buying into these "scandals". But at the moment it seems like someone is trying to force a scandal on her and that must be annoying to her. It's been some time since H!P girls have been followed and photographed.

[aine]

I picked all the names I don't recognize, that is everyone below Oda

[Shoujo Q]

I love how no one picked Sakura. Watch her be the one to leave. 
 
I picked mainly Ikuta because the girl is done. She's holding out but she's ready to hang it all up. I could really do without her negative energy seeping into the group. It's like a cloud hanging over the entire group.

As wild cards I picked Ayumi and Nonaka. Ayumi, I love the girl and she'll probably hang out ala Niigaki so I don't know why I even bother picking her but I mention her because she's one of the few doing TV work outside of the group. Nonaka I picked because she's clearly valuable with her english skills and is doing double duty outside the group with it. She can expand and do more with it. I wouldn't want to see her leave just yet. But she is almost at that point where she can go on and do great things outside the group. 
 
 
I didn't pick her, but Maria is another one that could branch out. Go into modeling.
Akane, she needs her chance to be a senior in the group so I wouldn't want her to leave till she's had her shot. Sayumi really changed for the better after she became a proper senior and I feel like Akane has that type of quality in her and I'd like to see what happens. 

[JPope]

Sakura is a lifer who will need to be told to leave. Everyone knows that MM needs her voice, and she knows that MM will always be her largest platform. 

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="Anderei"]
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="DonJuan" data-cid="217839" data-time="1561389872"> </blockquote>
Is fitness modeling big in Japan? It seems like it would be really niche and therefore hard to make a career out of.
 
[/quote]
 
She could be a go-to magazine girl..... And instagram model, with all the golfing she does. Lots of opportunities for pictures while traveling, golfing, eating, etc.

[DonJuan]

Alright, we're close to the third third of the year and nobody has announced her graduation so far. Will this be a year without graduation for Morning Musume? Stay tuned!


To be honest it really looks like nobody is going to graduate this year. While I would love for the group to become slimmer I also want a proper introduction concert tour for the new generation. The first tour after 13ki joined was probably one of the best in recent years, and they did a great job to give them a lot of spotlight.

[JPope]

I'm sticking to my prediction that Mizuki announces this year.

[Zoe]

They're all gonna stay because they want to take part in stuff for the Olympics.

[Anderei]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JPope" data-cid="218528" data-time="1567126868">
I'm sticking to my prediction that Mizuki announces this year.</blockquote>


I feel like she has all the makings of someone who sticks it out until they’re 25.

[Banana]

I really want her to stay for two more years, so I hope that’s true.

[Madara]

[quote="aine"]
I picked all the names I don't recognize, that is everyone below Oda
[/quote]
 
You don't even recognize this superstar?
 

[DonJuan]

I know I'm beating a dead horse, but remember how Ikuta said we should "support her until the Olympics"? Well, since the Olympics have been postponed...
 
Also: https://twitter.com/ainogundan/status/1245156463007449100
"I thought I shouldn't graduate before the Tokyo Olympics because I'd get some jobs related to that in a big group like Morning Musume, but not on my own."
 
Well, the girls know that they're basically not recognizable on their own. However, Ikuta has gotten that golf fashion deal some while ago. It's something.

[Zoe]

She walked those comments back (I think when K&K came out) and said she has no plans at all to graduate

[JPope]

It's gonna be interesting to see if any H!P girls announce their intentions to graduate for the rest of 2020, what with there being no guarantee they won't be graduating to an empty auditorium.

[DonJuan]

I'm really good at bad horses, so let's revive this thread. (I'm also bored, just another reason to dump my thoughts here!)
 
[quote="Shoujo Q"]
I picked mainly Ikuta because the girl is done. She's holding out but she's ready to hang it all up. I could really do without her negative energy seeping into the group. It's like a cloud hanging over the entire group.
[/quote]
 
This was posted more than a year ago and back then I absolutely agreed with the statement. Interestingly though I feel like Ikuta took a u-turn and suddenly bloomed a second time. (The first time was when she turned from the photo bomber into the pretty girl which I first realized around the time TokiSora was released.) She's doing really well with her kouhai - though to be fair it's been said that she's done so with every younger generation - and her looks are great (outstanding yet not sticking out too much).
 
[quote="JPope"]
Sakura is a lifer who will need to be told to leave. Everyone knows that MM needs her voice, and she knows that MM will always be her largest platform. 
[/quote]
 
They'll need Sakura for a bit longer since they couldn't get 15th gen performance-ready this year, but honestly? I'm ready to let her go. Everybody improved or at least healed during their time off, Sakura however still sounds as damaged as if she'd done the whole 4-concerts-in-one-weekend routine. I think her voice is just damaged. (I'm basing this mostly on the recent Furusato performance on TV https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ay4y1y7NF. Of course Karin being done with performing in general and getting worse at singing by the second adds to the fact that the girls simply can not harmonize - they sing against each other, not with each other, but uh. Ouch?)
The biggest fear I have is that once Sakura graduates most of her lines will go to Mizuki lmao.
 
[quote="Anderei"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JPope" data-cid="218528" data-time="1567126868">
I'm sticking to my prediction that Mizuki announces this year.
</blockquote>


I feel like she has all the makings of someone who sticks it out until they’re 25.[/quote]

Yeah. As tired as I am of her she doesn't seem to have any plans. She doesn't have any side businesses. I know Sakura said that when in MM you don't really have time for anything else because apparently they train so much (lol), but... there's really nothing Mizuki could be doing after her graduation. So yeah, if she doesn't suddenly fall in love she's gonna stick. She's also only 23, turning 24 in October, she'll be fine for at least another year.
 
However I'm almost certain that management had planned Ikuta's graduation for this year. Her starting a business and having a glow-up basically scream graduation.

[TicTacAnyone]

Once you start seeing new hair colors and styles on a person in MM, you can pretty much guarantee they're gonna graduate soon lmao
 
NO VARIETY ALLOWED.

[JPope]

I thought Sakura sounded fine in her recent videos. Vanilla, but strong and clear. I've been thinking of updating my all-time MM singers rankings from a four years ago, as things have changed a bit. I would definitely move Sakura up from 14, but how far?

[DonJuan]

^^ Absolutely.
 
^ Well, Sakura is good of course, she's Sakura after all. But that was definitely not the best that I've heard of her. But please post your ranking, I'd love to read it.

[Shoujo Q]

I feel a bit like Sakura holds herself back a bit when with other girls. Looking at her solo/duet with Sayuki kind of shows me that she can sing when she wants to sing. I didn’t even think she could sing that high.


I still think Ikuta is next to go, either her or Mizuki but they don’t want to leave till after the Olympics because they’ll want the attention for their graduation. I feel they want to pull the Takahashi/Niigaki move. But because of Covid all graduation are on hold. Once the bans are lifted on the concert venues I suspect we’re going to have a mass exodus.


First Funaki, then Karin and then I’m thinking Musume will have the third.

[Zoe]

I feel like Sakura's been falling back on her cutesy voice a lot lately (Sou Ieba from her birthday life is the biggest offender). If that's what she's gonna go for from now on, the group doesn't need her.


And yeah, that Furusato performance was not good.

[JPope]

I just watched that "Furusato" video, and it's not great, but I wasn't that put off by it. Their inconsistent harmonies could be due to a bad monitor mix or just a bad day, but it isn't a train-wreck in any event. I thought Karin sounded fine otherwise, tbh. Sakura's tone is a bit rough, but I gotta say, it gives her voice a bit of much needed personality, lol. Lack of personality has always the thing that has kept Sakura from being the GOAT in MM.

[momoirosaya]

I think Sakura can graduate and do solo activities. She doesn’t need MM anymore.