#hello!project

Color Coded outfit for every Haropro group:

- MM: Red 🔴

- Anju: Blue 🔵

- Juice=Juice: Purple 🟣

- Tsubaki Factory: Pink 🩷

- Biyo: Green 🟢

- Ocha Norma: Orange 🟠

Long confession:

I've seen a lot of Japanese wota (and some English-speaking fans!) hoping for some super talented 12-13-year-old to show up and become the next ace, but I don't think that's happening anytime soon. That was more of a Tsunku thing. Tsunku was a huge fan of the group SPEED, and you can really feel their influence in Morning Musume songs back when he was the main producer: like having two main vocalists while everyone else does backup and speaking parts/monologues. SPEED debuted when they were just 12-14, all from Okinawa Actors School, and their two lead singers were talented at both singing and dancing. Even while Tsunku was busy with his own band who was successful at the time, he wouldn't stop talking about them and promoting them as a fan would. When their debut song was first aired on the radio, he was hyping them up on the radio as future mega stars. In 2021, he said if he could produce a group from scratch again it would be a modern version of SPEED with 11-13 year olds. So it makes sense why he gravitated toward members like 12 year old Asuka, 13 year old Maki, 13 year old Reina, and 12 year old Riho. He loved those insanely talented but still full of potential very young members because their evolution was faster than an older girl debut.

But SPEED disbanded when they were only 15-18, even though they were selling millions of albums because the youngest member who was 15 felt too sheltered and wanted to experience life outside the group. It was a huge shock to the industry and a nightmare for their agency who went nearly bankrupt. Same kind of thing happened in MM: Asuka wanted to quit right after their first Kouhaku performance because it was too much, and Tsunku said it caused him and UFA so much grief that they literally begged her to stay. Maki has admitted she threw tantrums at 16-17 and hated the music Tsunku gave her. Someone even leaked an audio recording from her grad concert where she's snapping at him the whole time. Reina was a long hauler but she suddenly texted Tsunku that she wanted to quit when she was bored of the group and he had to talk her down. And Riho left young because she felt like staying in MM wouldn't help her grow into a decent adult.

Erina Ikuta visiting "Atelier Renard", an Afternoon Tea Cafe in Harajuku. A striking evolution for the former Morning Musume ace, showcasing a sophisticated look that blends Classic Lolita and Maid style aesthetics. A look that feels miles away from her famously goofy persona during her time in the group.