It has only been 10 days since S/mileage announced the new members of the 2nd generation, Ogawa Saki made a surprise announcement that she is graduating from Hello!Project, shocking even for her teammates. Unlikely anyone would object when I say that the timing of the announcement is really unexpected and out-of-place. The official statement claims that her reason to quit is “returning to being a normal middle-school student”. However, not everyone (me included) buys that as the sole reason and feels there is something else leading to her decision. I gathered several popular theories with a few from 2ch regarding Sakichi’s reason of departure. I will examine and dissect each of their credibility, while trying to keep my rage to minimal.
Before analyzing the various theories, I want to first suggest and establish 2 crucial premises, as they will be critical in evaluating the theories later:
i. Sakichi is not leaving UFA on good terms.
With the 2nd S/mileage and the promotion/demotion system, it looks like UFA wants to turn S/mileage into something similar to Morning Musume where the line-up is consistently changing and occasionally members will graduate off. Right now, the lack of a proper graduation for Sakichi is strongly contradicting the direction UFA intends, as graduation should be a big celebration and Sakichi is the first. Let’s face it, graduations are great money-grabs, and for Sakichi to demand to leave S/mileage and H!P entirely before having a proper send-off in the coming fall tour, she must have had enough that she can’t even stand being in the agency any longer no matter how much UFA tries to ask her to stay or delay her departure. Instead of celebrating, both Sakichi and the agency has only been apologizing. To me, this is sufficient evidence that she is leaving on bad terms.
ii. Sakichi’s decision is last minute, but UFA has anticipated.
Although the announcement caught everyone off guard, we do have valid reasons to believe that UFA had prior knowledge of and had made preparations if Sakichi really was to quit. If we recall the uncomfortable moment on the last Nama Suma when Fukuda Kanon suggested that Sakichi and Katsuda Rina can become good buddies due to their similar fondness for food, Sakichi responded with an awkward silence. Very likely, “leaving UFA” was already on her mind at that time, and it is even more probable the moment Ikuta Erina replaced Ogawa Saki on Ohastar, the children morning show. When we realized how much her out-of-the-blue new haircut resembles Sakichi’s, plus the fact that she has acquired this new random talent of baton recently, it makes us suspect that Eripon was a safety valve UFA employed knowing that Sakichi may be quitting in the near future. By the time Sakichi made up her mind to quit, UFA has already anticipated it and started the damage-control.
With the premises in mind, we can then examine and evaluate a few popular theories that are being speculated around the internet and one by one judge their credibility:
1. “Normal-life theory”
Sakichi is leaving solely on her own will with the intention to return to a life of a normal school girl.
This is the official theory provided to us from UFA directly, so it should be the most credible source. Ishimura Maiha (ex-Berryz Koubou) and Murakami Megumi (ex-C-ute) both left H!P with the goal to pursue a normal life, so Sakichi isn’t the first. However, there are couple factors to hesitate us from accepting the official reason by default. First, the next school term doesn’t begin until April in Japan, so the timing is off if school is the central factor. And second, leaving for education/a normal life is a choice to be respected, even if it is regretful from a business stand point. There shouldn’t be any hard feelings between Sakichi and UFA if that really is the case, but they are in fact ending on bad terms as suggested above. “Returning to a normal life” should not be so urgent that Sakichi cannot even hang around until a proper graduation from her job. Therefore, even if this is a motive behind Sakichi’s decision, it probably isn’t the sole main reason. Essentially, there is something important that UFA isn’t letting us know and is trying to cover up with this as an excuse.
Overall likelihood: Take it with multiple grains of salt
2. “Ragequit theory”
Sakichi is leaving voluntarily to avoid certain things she cannot tolerate.
When I suggest this theory, the “certain things” I refer to is essentially the 2nd generation of S/mileage. Recounting the series of event, this theory follows perfectly. It would have originated back when Tsunku announced S/mileage 2nd generation audition at the 1 year anniversary event. Since the very moment of the announcement, Sakichi has shown more distress than any of the other 3 members. The following days, Sakichi was still obviously irritated by the whole scheme, mostly likely out of fear of changes that would essentially destroy the group’s perfect chemistry. Being the youngest in the group, I do not blame her to be visibly overstressed.
In fact, based on a presumed passion for any group member to hold, I can imagine that Sakichi and the agency got into a rather serious argument over the 2nd generation way before the audition ran far in it’s course, and I can also picture her at some point claiming that she would consider leaving the group if the results aren’t ideal to her. Perhaps she was calmed for a while before the reveal, but the results of having 5 new members into the group would have likely pushed her off the edge, particularly if her initial concern was the chemistry and bond among the original S/mileage. It is like having your mom forcefully make you guys include your sister, cousin, step-brother, neighbour’s kid and a family friend’s child into your best-friends-forever playgroup. This theory seems the most probable because it follows both premises: Sakichi left on bad-terms as she cannot tolerate the 2nd generation audition and results; UFA has noted the possibility of her departure since early on, and has utilized damage-control methods if she really decides to quit. The last minute decision indicates to me that it was based on something recent, i.e. the 2nd gen results, while the UFA preparations tells me that Sakichi’s thought to leave was rooted far back, which is the entire 2nd generation audition. To me, the timing is too perfect to be anything other than Sakichi ragequitting after the members reveal.
Overall likelihood: I would be very surprised if this is incorrect
3. “Friday’d theory”
Sakichi is leaving against her will due to certain scandalous events that forces her out of agency.
Seeing how rushed the announcement came, this is a popular theory found on 2ch. Since several ex-H!P members (Murakami Megumi, Yaguchi Mari, Fujimoto Miki, and Arihara Kanna) all left the agency in an urgent fashion due to scandals, the history causes fans to suspect that Sakichi is leaving understand similar circumstances. The easy answer regarding this theory is “time will eventually tell” as we wait for the scandal to appear. But as for now, I consider it low probability. My reason is that Sakichi’s idea of leaving UFA has sprouted for quite a while and UFA knows of it too, as established above. The reaction to a scandal would have been much more spontaneous and leave UFA no time to prepare for damage control than as they did now. In addition, we would have likely heard something by now if she was caught in a scandal, since there isn’t really a reason for a magazine to keep itself from publishing the story anyway. The lack of any news tells me that this is unlikely, though not entirely impossible. Again, only time will tell.
Overall likelihood: Low probability
4. “Demotion theory”
Sakichi is leaving voluntarily knowing that she will be soon be demoted.
Another theory generated from 2ch. It does make sense to a degree, but I don’t think this theory is all that feasible. Simply because I don’t believe that anyone from the original S/mileage would actually be demoted. H!P’s approach to promoting the girls is to make an emotional connection with the fans, and to demote a girl would be the biggest F U the management can give to the fans besides kicking the girl out. Unless Sakichi and UFA were on bad terms already, I wouldn’t picture that Sakichi (or any other members, for that matter) to ever be demoted, especially since she is still so young and talented with so much time and potential to expand her fan-base.
Nonetheless, there is one situation where demoting Sakichi might happen: the demotion system was introduced for Sakichi. For example, if Sakichi threatened UFA during 2nd generation audition that she will quit if the results aren’t ideal to her, and UFA counter-threatened Sakichi by introducing the possibility of demotion, so Sakichi was left with the choices to quit, take her words back, or be demoted. It sounds too extreme, but it would be crazy dramatic if that is actually accurate.
Overall likelihood: Doubtful (with one exceptional circumstance)
5. “Disgusted theory”
Sakichi is leaving voluntarily because she wants to leave the hell out of having to do handshakes with kimoi old guys.
Another 2ch theory, and well… there is probably some truth to this. However, it would not be more than being part of her reason, especially not with such an extraordinary timing of events. Whoever suggested it was probably trolling.
Overall likelihood: Trollololol
6. “Low Income theory”
Sakichi is leaving due being dissatisfied with her income.
This is a 2ch suggestion that we will never find out. Nonetheless, I hold doubts against it. It’s easier to imagine the mature girls like Takahashi Ai who are leaving H!P with income as a driving factor. But it’s difficult to say the same for a girl like Sakichi who is 14 and probably has her parents manage her income anyway. Being a middle-school student, we can assume that there aren’t any high-paying jobs waiting for her anyway, if any jobs at all. Then, to quit isn’t to increase end up but rather ending it completely. Not to mention, the group is still on a raise as Uchoten Love’s sales number would suggest, and she probably earns more than other S/mileage members already thanks to her daily Ohastar position. It appears to me quitting S/mileage contradicts the income reason as this theory suggests.
Overall likelihood: Highly doubtful because it makes no sense
7. “Internal Affair Theory”
Sakichi is leaving due to conflicts she’s been having with other S/mileage members.
This is another one of those 2ch theories that requires a lot more information than we could ever get to know. Words have that Sakichi is leaving the group because she and one or more members (particularly Maeda Yuuka) often get into arguments. It is possible, but the theory is rather unfounded. Over the past 7 years, they’ve came a long way to where they are now. And I strongly believe that Sakichi loves and cares about the group enough that their bond overcomes little fights, or else she wouldn’t be showing so much negative emotions when 2nd generation was first announced. Her fear to have the group’s bond broken by newcomers convinces me that she cares about S/mileage so much that there wouldn’t be internal affairs that cannot be resolved on themselves.
Overall likelihood: I wouldn’t underestimate S/mileage like that
The speculations are made with the essential factors as the main focuses while disregarding many smaller hints. There are many bits and pieces of clues that I haven’t included, and there will never be enough time and space to include all the information while not directing the speculation to move in an endless circle. For example, I decided not to cogitate into the wordings of the official announcement, as that would take me twice the length as I already have written. My analysis is obviously not definitive or authoritative in anyway, because we all lack many essential evidence that we will never see from our side of the fence. However, I hope the discussion have gathered and clarify certain scattered thoughts, and hopefully it has also shed some lights on the event from perspectives that you have never considered before.
If you have got any thoughts and ideas regarding the theories, analysis or anything else above, let me know at the comments below.
7 Theories Behind Ogawa Saki's Departure,
Wow, what an analysis.
I’m still of the mind that her leaving caused the auditions and not the other way around.
I highly doubt she was in a scandal: if the scandal isn’t publicised than UFA doesn’t graduate the affected member (we’ve had rumors and half-truths about this in the past).
Perhaps in time we’l figure out more.
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- To me it seemed like the auditions were a result of Saki wanting to quit. She was so upset because she thought or figured she was irreplaceable. I’d be mad, too, if I said “I’m out” and they’re like “Sure, fine. We’ll get one or two of these five girls to go in your place.”
- Why quit? Some girls just don’t like the life of an idol once they have it. She was an egg for 6 years and a full idol for 1. Having the same job for 7 years isn’t something a lot of people do. I guess I buy more into the “normal school girl” theory, but I don’t think she’s quitting to go back to school – pretty much for the reasons you mentioned – she doesn’t like the level of control the company has over her life and the ultra demanding schedule.
- I’m sure they would have given her a proper graduation, but it couldn’t have been the H!P concerts coming up (that’s Takahashi’s big time) and the winter concert will (I think) bring the first appearance of whatever girl(s) are chosen to be full S/mileage members. She’d probably have to wait until spring and she wanted out now. I think they were giving her a lot of time to reconsider. Kanon was trying to convince her to stay all the way up to the UStream broadcast.
Interesting point. What makes me doubt “the audition is to fill Sakichi” is mainly 2 things:
1, Sakichi’s emotional breakdown on stage during and after the announcement, that doesn’t look anything like someone who knows about having an audition, especially not for someone who isn’t going to be around anymore;
2, The lack of anything trying to milk the last out of Sakichi’s fans (not necessarily from a concert, but to announce it early then produce tons of goods) from UFA tells me that even the agency wasn’t confirmed on Sakichi quitting until the very last minute.
If the audition was to cover for Sakichi’s position then UFA would have confirmed her departure long ago, which I don’t believe is the case.
Perhaps this is something I should have included in the article, since a few people are thinking that as well. But I’ll leave it as it is instead because I dont want to insert new ideas into a published article. Thanks for sharing the idea.
But the audition announcement was in in June.
She made it known to UFA and Tsunku that she wanted to leave in May.
I honestly think her normal life reason is legitimate.
If it wasn’t, why would she quit Oha Star? If it were me and I wanted to simply high tail out of H!P, I would more than likely keep my spot on television if at all possible.
Plus, the girl has been with H!P since she was 7 years old. I wouldn’t blame her for wanting a break, or in this case, to quit. If you’ve grown up in idol status, it becomes your whole life. It could have been too stressful for her on top of school work.
I see some possibilities in some of these reasons, but others are a bit much.
“She made it known to UFA and Tsunku that she wanted to leave in May.” <– This is something said officially that I have doubts on. And the spot on Ohastar is very likely something given to H!P, which explains why Eripon was immediately chosen to replace the position. But yea I can work stress as part of her reason especially now that S/mileage is still on the raise.
I could see the auditions as being her absolute final decision maker, but even so, she probably was getting tired of it but was hesitant to leave. Then (I’m speaking hypothetically here) UFA made a scramble to form the auditions when she started to question her ability to continue. I think if anything the auditions were just the extra slap to the face. Like maybe she truly wanted to pursue her regular life and she tried to reason with them and they were basically like “Well, you can be replaced.”
Err…something along the lines of reason #4
I just know one thing, if she turns up on a different label sometime soon, I’m going to really question her judgement. I am pretty positive that she’s being honest, but in the event that that isn’t the case, it’s going to bother me if she jumped ship but Kanon, Yuuka, and Dawa are able to tough it out.
I feel like the announcement of a 2nd gen at Smileage’s 1st anniversary event (a really dick move imo) triggered a long chain of actions that led to a Sakichi ragequit. Shortly after the anniversary event you could see all 4 girls behave differently in tv apperances/public events/concerts. They lost their energy for a short bit of time. After a few months it seemed like everything went back to normal but I think the damage had been done. I think Tsunku’s introduction of the new girls was the final tipping point since that’s when it really hit Sakichi that Smileage was never going to be the close 4 girl group that it used to be.
I believe Tsunku when he says she started saying things back at May. It makes her appearance right when Tsunku’s VTR came on understandable. She knew something was coming, the others didn’t.
I am guessing Tsunku thought the auditions would give her some motivation to try to do better, but she has always been the least popular and probably was just tired of it. Actually this is perfect timing, while it isn’t the beginning of the school year, it is right before the beginning of the 2nd semester, so great time to cut ties. And the new single was announced as a 9 member, they shot the CD Jackets with 9 members, then Saki’s announcement came, making it seem like she finally brought it up strongly again that she wanted out. And like Tsunku said, it wouldn’t do any good for the group to force her to stay, even if this is very bad timing. It was selfish of her, but he knows that at her age she can’t help it. The more reasonable demand would have been to graduate at the end of the tour.
I like how you disseminated everything, Sanrio.
I also feel like she has ragequit, due to timing/circumstances, with the slight possibility of disgust. I think the shock of meeting me last year just took a long time to come to the surface. Once she knew I was coming back, she had to leave – and quickly!!
One thing, I’d like to comment on Faerirose’s reply;
“Having the same job for 7 years isn’t something a lot of people do.”
If S/mileage were in the West, then I’d agree, but in Japan, a job is normally for LIFE. Things are vastly different in the East to over here in the West. You normally start in a company straight from school/college/university, and stay in that company your whole life.
I’m also of the opinion that the auditions was the cause of Sakitty wanting to quit. We have to remember the 6 years that she was an Egg was to train her so that one day she could debut and be an idol, or whatever. So maybe she just felt that it wasn’t worth her while anymore considering she had to do so much to get to this point, whereas the other girls can just jump straight in.
I know the new members are not real “members” yet but they still carry the S/mileage name that they had fought so hard to build up.
Just my 2c.
If she’s truly leaving for school, I actually think the timing isn’t off at all. She wants to go back to a middle-school life, and this is her last year of middle school. She’s spent most of her middle school life in S/mileage (I’m assuming she went to a fairly normal school as an Egg) and she’ll need time to adjust for high school. Not to mention high-school entrance exams.
I agree, though, that she’s most likely leaving because of the 2nd generation. Though her low popularity relative to the other members and relationship with them might have had something to do with her graduation, too (I kind of agree with 2ch’s idea of Yuuka.) I keep thinking about the other three’s reaction to Meimi getting in. I think it supports your second theory.
Anyway, great article! I love reading conspiracy theories. XD
If I am right about theory 2, then perhaps Sakichi was thinking about quitting even during the members reveal, which would have been so painful for her as each member gets announced adding up to 5 new girls. Sakichi wouldn’t have been excited no matter who gets in if her initial concern is breaking the group’s chemistry. It may also explain why Sakichi lost her words and had an emotional breakdown on stage looking at the 5 members. It is because she knows and decided that she will be leaving the group. Thinking about it makes my heart ache lol T___T
Anyway, thanks and I’m glad you enjoyed the article!
Boy
Friend
/end
sorry bros
That’s a really interesting article! I didn’t know all the theories. I myself think that it could have to do with the 2nd generation and the changes S/mileage has to go through. Maybe she really cannot cope with. I also thought (and still hope) that she really only left because of wanting to be a normal middle-highschool-girl but… I can’t believe it… because of the reasons you mentioned: the announcment of her quitting was TOO sudden and that she does not get any graduation concert and stuff is just TOO strange. It makes no sense…
Do you think we will get to know the truth? What about japanese media? Maybe Saki-chan tells in an interview what really happend? But I guess it’s impossible, right? There must be some clause in their contracts with UFA that they do not tell any negative also when they leave or something…
I hope Saki-chan will get along with ther decision and keeps beeing friend with S/mileage, especially with Kanon who seems to be very close to her…
Saki-chan, why did you have to leave? =( I’m so sad… little vocal wonder is lost… hopefully S/mileage can cope with this loss >.<
I doubt she would ever come out to say anything. Whether or not she’s got grudges against UFA, speaking out would put way more damage for the other girls in S/mileage and H!P and she would know that. I dont think Sakichi wants that afterall because I assume she still cares a whole lot about everyone in the group.
Sakichi T_____T
i am not surprised if Saki appears when AKB’s 13th gen is announced (the auditions ended recently).
Don’t think so: switching agencies is considered quite negatively (may even lead to blacklisting)
I read through this and I think you’re right about theory 2, that’s the one that makes the most sense to me.
There was something different with Saki after the audition announcement, and now the sudden graduation…
I just can’t trust the fact that she left for school, I believe that she loves S/mileage too much for that, so it’s got to be the 2nd gen.
I think Saki leaving could be a way of UF getting rid of any potential problems that could arise from her expressing concern over the 2nd gen. Think about Morning Musume’s manager Stou, when Majidesuka Ska came out she tweeted that the cw song was better, then she was “replaced”. I think the same situation could have happened in this case.
That’s an interesting idea I didn’t think about. But I don’t think that is too plausible because making her leave right now (especially being a sudden announcement with no proper graduation) puts a fullstop on S/mileage’s growing momentum.
And unlike a manager who can be replaced and wouldn’t be angering the wota, taking a girl out just as a potential problem (not to mention a young one, so there is only so much damage she can do and there can be time and other ways to teach senses into her if she was to be constantly causing trouble) would piss off the fan base a whole lot. Looking at the way UFA works, I don’t think they would risk angering the fans and removing a good income-source plus damaging a growing group’s image and momentum just to eliminate potential problems.
Thanks for sharing your idea, that’s got me thinking quite a bit.
But couldn’t her speaking out about the new members, be like her questioning UF’s decisions? Could that be interpreted in a way as the same as her biting the hand that feeds her? Isn’t speaking out against your agency’s decisions frowned upon in Japan?
She never overtly spoke against UFA’s decision on the 2nd generation though. And right now she isn’t making complaints, she is quitting altogether. Speaking against your feeding hand while being fed is generally bad, but in her case, she is straight up rejecting the feeding hand. That is kinda different.
What an analysis! Fun to read and sometimes true xD
All signs point to “ragequit”. I don’t buy a single word from Tsunku when he says that this was planned since the spring time.
Look at all the other H!P members commenting on it (if it’s even them, could be staff doing damage control). Almost all of them mention how surprised they were at the “sudden” announcement. You’d think that within 4 months, SOMEONE would have heard something.
But let’s face it, Saki’s tears of anguish at those live events speak volumes.
Which events are we talking about here.
Thanks for compiling all these theories! I hadn’t heard of the ones floating on 2ch.
#2 was my own personal theory as well. ‘Specially since she wrote that quitting was something she’d been thinking of since May (the 2nd gen announcement). Though not so much about disturbing the current dynamics as to the new girls sipping on Sakitty’s Kool-Aid. Saki has been the baby of the group and as such hasn’t had to really fight for attention, with 5 new girls who are mostly younger than her she’d actually have to compete.
Definitely Ragequit. Only the gullible believe the sole reason she left was because she wanted to be a regular person again. Ah, to be young and naive again.
I just hope she told UFA/Tsunku to go f**** themselves as she walked out the door for the last time on the 27th.
Sakichy WAS involved in a scandal, though… In fact, I’m pretty surprised you didn’t know about it.
Proof?
Shut your ******* mouth you little pissant,
how dare you step foot in this place
so i thought i might give you the correct answer after some silly discussion.
she somehow fucked up and was forced into some decision regarding her career. kind of megumi/kanna situation. im not gonna pick the boyfriend+friday threat card because i find it stupid when there could be so much else you can do to fuck up and instead not go into what she exactly did any further.
the reason we got a big group of new members in smileage is to replace her. after losing sakichi, tsunku the madman decided to start over and he/up-front were also scared to replace sakichi with one or two girls. in fact replacements is not what they really want to call this. its just a fresh new smileage after losing a big part of the original lineup and also a way to make hype. plus you really wanna have more girls in an idol group. more hardcore oshiwota = higher turnover.
personally i like whats happened if losing sakichi was inevitable. however i dont agree with the picks of new girls and probably wont find much more interest in smileage in the future until they have fought their way up again in like half a year with the new members finding their roles in the group and etc. hopefully they will grow on me and i for once will be able to become a real smileage fan. (they are still mano’s backup dancers in my eyes lol)
Still Mano backup dancers? They’ve outsold basically every one of Mano’s singles
What scandals were megumi and kanna involved in. I know there were scandals, but what were they?
To put it simply, boyfriend scandals with pics involved.
Oh shut the **** up Gordo faggot
sorry for ruining your guessing game. my bad.
Next time please use the “reply” function for targeted comments. Thanks.
Thanks everyone for the feedback, I’m definitely glad to hear what you guys have in mind about the whole happening. Sleepless nights not wasted lol.
Although we will never find out the truth behind, it doesn’t hurt to examine what makes most sense to ourselves and believe in it.
I wonder if at some point in time Tsunku or some other management type told S/mileage that they’d be a stable group like C-ute and (for the most part) Berryz. Of course it wouldn’t be put into a contract, but it would be a huge slap to the face if auditions were announced out of the blue when you were under the assumption that it would be the 4 of you forever.
Ahh forgive me, it seems I’m suffering from an Aika-chan deficiency.
And toss in a Sakichy sudden departure leads to some very negative things.
And noting enrages me more than long winded Gordo speeches and dumb faggot Reinya appearances
So Gordo pretends to work for H!P now? He hasn’t even been in Japan in like 2 years hasn’t he? Get out, Gordo.
If you don’t know about the yakiniku scandal by now, you don’t really need to because it’s mostly irrelevant and it’s beyond me how you don’t know about at least the tiny important parts of it. Again, not saying this is the reason she is gone, I don’t even think it is, however it speaks for the author’s credibility to throw that theory out of the window without even knowing that she does have a history of scandal in H!P.
No offense, Sanrio, I have always sort of liked you
I know about the yakiniku happening, but I just considered that more as a troll and as a scandal caused by a group of guys against S/mileage as a whole instead of just Sakichi. Basically I think it was too far stretched and that the girls aren’t directly involved, so instead of having to explain the entire thing, I decided to leave it out.
Yakiniku happening? Do tell.
I think, it’s quite near from theory no.7.
I’m not a big fan of S/milage cause for me I don’t think it’s appropriate for a 31 year old to be a fan of a teenage girl. But if I was Saki I would have announced I would quit on the day of the concert and tell the actual reason of quitting instead of giving an excuse of wanting to try something else like solo or going back to a normal life. I know most Hello! Pro members don’t really graduate cause they want to. But knowing the members of Hello! Pro, they probably just use that excuse because they don’t want to cause trouble for the company or else they might get sued and that would ruin the member and the member’s family lives. Also it’s the Japanese culture in that they are a modest/polite? country. I could be wrong about my opinion though but I do hate Tsunku with his nappy hair. Comb your hair damn it!
I think it might have been a Reina-esque scandal, or her parents decided not to have her do this anymore. With the Reina scandal, it didn’t actually come out on friday, but UFA does know about it and probably made her choose. She just chose the boyfriend, and so they did Smileage auditions. Maybe someone was stalking her and she got frightened and wanted out.
You right, some journals discussed that and the conclusions go beyond tha just a leaving of a menber.
The problem started a long years ago when the income of Hello!Project decreased, until that time, Tsunku-san has all the control about every Hello!Project Idols. But the economic crisis brought a new situation and the individual managers of each idols started to took more and more control, with the excuse that it’ll be more easier for them to make contracts outside of H!P ( Magazines, Tv programs, radios etc) and in that way the paycheck at the end of he month, of the idols and of themselves, of course, would not be afected by de lack of H!P. All the the idol’s family agreed. In other words they sad ” If the geniality of Tsunku-san has gone, the Money of the idols cannot be afected”, well, at the time no one inside the agency could say nothing about that, so the insurgency of the managers succeed. And Since them all the year, all the months, all the weeks, all the days the confrontation between executive production and the managers has become a comum thing. Every little project, even a change of hair’s color cannot be approved if the managers not approved. And if the executive production not respect that the threat is clear ” We will take away the girls”. No one, believe me, no single soul in the agency thought that this threat would be executed. But they did.
One day Tsunku-san, despite the outstanding and increasing of popularity of S/mileage , created the project to call a new auditon for the group, of course to bring back the media eyes but because he saw potential to increase the range of voices and the quality of the song too ( like he did inside the Momusu in the past at the same conditions), but the managers said NO! At the meeting They justified saying that the money for the media rigths would no be enough to cover the loss of the salary that their “customers” would have with the adition of new girls. That discussion was big, because Tsunku wanted that audition to death. But the auditions was not approved, the managers won. ” Oddly” Someday after the decision Tsunku-san gave a interview to a radio show ( and not just there) and throw his last card smoothly like he like to do, saying ” I’m considering to graduate myself from the agency”.
The message was clear, its me or them.
New meeting, new decision. We cannot lose the “brain” right now, so the auditions stands”. Tsunku-san win.
Next week, after that meeting, Ogawa-san come to the studio recording, “Oddly” to talk with Tsunku-san ( that never happens before) and said directly, ” I dont want to continue anymore”. No explanations… nothing. At that moment all contracts to the auditions with TV, and all the merchandasing companies was already arranged and closed, No one could do anything to stop that. So the result, Tsunku-san win, Tsunku-san lose, S/mileage lose, fans lose, managers laughs because they have many others artist to rule. No one cares.
The S/mileage’s idols are just kids man, just kids. They have a dream, Ogawa-san has a dream, Maeda-san has a dream, Tsunku-san knows that because he himself has the same dream when founded Momusu. But the managers are just bankers.
Fukuda-san and Wada-san’s family were strong enough not to fall under that pressure..and look!! Fukuda-san are happy!, Wada-san are happy! of course the money is not the same, but who cares, they are kids and are happy, and thats why they need to be loved and suported more than never.
Right now Momusu is the only group that tsunku-san has a little more control. Of course he is not perfect, he made and makes huge mistakes, but believe,at none of them he was thinking just about money but how to make his pasion bring Smiles to the others face too. And its because he is an artist, , not a banker.
Its very sad to see a little girls like Maeda-san and Ogawa-san cry and break their friendship because they will not be able to do the thing that they love to do anymore.
I dont Like Dictatorship, but Hello! Project was huge and Happy when Tsunku-san’ s words was the law. The law of an artist not a banker’s law.
Sorry for my English’s mistakes. I juts needed to get it out of my heart. That loud and inocent cry was haunting me until now.