Hello ! Project (girl bands)

+fumi, it's time to open a topic dedicated for girls bands from this production group.
let's present theses bands here.

Hello ! Project

Le Hello! Project ou H!P est le projet musical de Tsunku, un japonais anciennement chanteur du groupe Sharan Q qui est ainsi devenu producteur. Le Hello! Project est composé d'une multitude de groupes, uniquement composés de filles. Le groupe le plus célèbre est Morning Musume. C'est ce premier groupe qui est à l'origine de tout le reste. En effet, un système de "graduation" (ou sotsugyou ; voir ci-dessous) a permis aux membres originels des Morning Musume de partir vers une carrière dans un autre groupe et/ou en solo. Du fait de la structure évolutive des Morning Musume, et de ce fait, des groupes attenants, le Hello! Project compte aujourd'hui une soixantaine de membres environ. Chaque artiste ou groupe du Hello! Project s'autorise à toucher à tous les genres musicaux, avec une certaine préférence pour la pop cependant.(source Wiki)

I start by the easiest girl band :

Def Diva

Staff:
Natsumi Abe
Maki Goto
Rika Ishikawa
Aya Matsuura

Releases:
2005.10.19 Suki Sugite Baka Mitai (好きすぎてバカみたい) - Single
2006.03.25 Let's Go Rakuten Eagles (Let's Go 楽天イーグルス) - Single

External biography:
Wikitheppn

Biyuuden

Staff:
Rika Ishikawa (leader)
Erika Miyoshi
Yui Okada

Releases:
2004.09.23 Koi no Nukegara (恋のヌケガラ) - Single
2005.03.02 Kacchoii ze! JAPAN (カッチョイイゼ! JAPAN) - Single
2005.05.25 Ajisai Ai Ai Monogatari (紫陽花アイ愛物語) - Single
2005.08.10 Hitorijime (ひとりじめ) - Single
2005.10.05 Kurenai no Kisetsu (クレナイの季節) - Single
2005.10.26 Suite Room Number 1 (スイートルームナンバー1) - Album
2006.05.10 Issai Gassai Anata ni A-Ge-Ru (一切合切　あなたにあ・げ・る♪) - Single
2006.11.22 Aisu Kuriimu to My Purin (愛すクリームとＭｙプリン) - Single

External biography:
Wikitheppn

GAM

Staff:
Aya Matsuura
Miki Fujimoto

Releases:
2006.09.13 "Thanks!" - Single
2006.10.25 "Melodies" (メロディーズ) - Single

2006.09.20 "Thanks!" - Single V
2006.11.02 "Melodies" (メロディーズ) - Single V

External biography:
Answer.com

Gomattou

Staff:
Goto Maki
Aya Matsuura
Miki Fujimoto

Releases:
2002.11.20 Shall we love ? - Single

External biography:
Wikitheppn

Here is latest news about Hello!Project bands!

First, some of H!P bands appeared on famous Japan New Year Eve TV show Kohaku uta gassen, this show is singing competition between women's team (Red Team) and men's team (White Team). Japan public television station NHK made this show for over 50 years! it is very famous. We can watch this show on Japanese TV in Los Angeles but of course 17 hours later time zone. Anyway: Morning Musume, C-ute, Berryz and GAM appeared on Kohaku this year, here are pictures:

Here is cute GAM pictures of Matsuura and Fujimoto:

Also important news: Hitomi Yoshizawa who is current leader of Morning Musume will graduate in May! Miki Fujimoto is assistant leader now and she will become new MM leader, Ai Takahashi will become new assistant leader. Here is Yoshizawa and Fujimoto picture from Kohaku, also picture of Yoshizawa, Matsuura and Fujimoto fashion show during Kohaku!

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Fumiko

fumiko, lovely fresh pictures you've posted here. I was trying to prepare more replies about H!P bands, but I've meet some difficulties due to the instability of these bands, staff is changing all time. I had in plan to speak about the Country musume band (because they were guest in Aya's concert we got). but there is not only one, but three Country musume bands, depending who is joining the fun.

Hi, best chemistry! You are so right, Country Musume has changed members many times, sometimes this was very sad! I will help, I do not know so much about this band but I reproduce history from Wikipedia:

Anyway this band started in 1999 and was called "Country Girls from Hokkaido" which is most northern island of Japan, very much rural area! First members were Rinne Toda, Azusa Kobayashi, and Hiromi Yanagihara. But sad! after first single was released in 1999 Yanagihara was died in car crash! Kobayashi left band too and Toda was recording two singles alone! but still called Country Musume. (This is similar to current day, Ayaka Kimura is only person left from Coconuts Musume band but Tsunku still calls her by band name. He is strange guy.)

First class of Country Musume:

In summer 2000, Asami Kimura joined band and they released new single. Then Morning Musume's Rika Ishikawa came into this band and they became more popular, Ishikawa is not from Hokkaido though but that's okay. This band released 2 singles and one album.

Country Musume with Rika Ishikawa:

In 2002 Mai Satoda auditioned for Morning Musume but she was recruited into Country Musume instead, they all really like her! They made one single before Toda left the band, she was last original member, yes? So only Kimura, Ishikawa and Satoda were in band, and they released one more single. Then 2003 Miuna Saito from Shizuoka joined band. Ishikawa returned to Morning Musume, but Asami Konno and Miki Fujimoto came from Morning Musume to Country Musume, they are both from Hokkaido anyway. This band released three singles and also participated in Hello!Project's Folk Songs CD.

Third class of Country Musume:

Konno and Fujimoto returned to Morning Musume and Konno graduated in 2006, she is attending Keio University which is very best private university in Japan! many famous Japanese political leaders graduated from there! Fujimoto will become new leader of Morning Musume in May 2006 when Hitomi Yoshizawa graduates.

Current class of Country Musume:

But Saito and Kimura will graduate from Country Musume and Hello!Project after 10th anniversary concert on January 28, 2007. Satoda will be alone, but she is very close friend with Ayaka Kimura who also does not have a band to be with, so I don't know what will happen.
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Fumiko

+fumi, you are right. staff fluctuations are obvious in the Country musume band. too bad that the young Hiromi Yanagihara had this tragic car accident. I didn't really undertand Tsunku's logic (if there are any) about bands names. seen from where we are, it looks better than a constant reorganisation of all his "employes", mixing existing talents and often add new ones. I've read that he should have about 60 girls ! (lucky guy).
regarding the tragic issue of the first Country musume mixture, I understand a bit more now.

a word about Gomattou and GAM (sorta gossip) :

The Evil Mikitty Does: Sapphic Seduction and Gomatto

Now, everybody knows that Mikitty and Ayaya are a romantic item. Okay, maybe just really good friends. But we like to think they’re secret lovers, in the grand Hello! Project tradition of projecting similar lesbianic fantasies on Tsuji and Kago, as well as Rika and Yossi… Hm. Maybe it’s a fourth gen thing, since Mikitty also considers herself fourth gen?

Anyway, what some may not realize is that H!P’s first - and to my mind, greatest - “solo group”, Gomatto, was a chance for Ayaya and Mikitty to gain a third lover in their circle. As was kindly pointed out to me in my noob-ier days (most likely by one of the cannier observers of all things H!P at mm-bbs.org), the PV for “Shall We Love?” is a tale of three roommates: two are lovers, Ayaya and Mikitty, while Gocchin is a breeder running into boyfriend problems. So Matto decide to team up against Go and convince her to switch sides.

Source

it's a bit farfetched in my opinion. I still think that the sapphic looking orientation of these songs is just plain commercial.

a little word concerning this famous song Shall We Love?, I have found the clip of the band Gomattou and each of the three solo interpretation of it. I prefer Aya Matsuura's version, but Maki Goto's and Miki Fujimoto's version are quite correct.

Very sadness for Hitomi Yoshizawa who is current leader of Morning Musume: her younger brother age 16 was killed Jan 11 when he was struck by a speeding car! drunk driver!

Yoshizawa did not participate in tour for last few days, but she returned to tour on Jan 14 in Osaka, she is very sad but she said she will sing and dance very strong on stage so that her brother can see her and hear her in the Heaven, and he will know that she loves him. Namae Amida Butsu.
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Fumiko

let's continue with a more optimist view, here's a picture from a live performance of the sweet band Biyuuden.

I like Biyuden! I have their album called Suite Room, this theme is three girls stay in hotel together for vacation! Very fun! I would like to go for vacation with my friend too!

Biyuden is Rika Ishikawa, Erika Miyoshi, and Yui Okada.

Ishikawa is leader, she was first a member of Morning Musume, then she was sent to Country Musume for a while to help that band, this is kind of strange because she is not a country girl, she is from Kanagawa. Then she returned to MM and finally she graduated and became leader of Biyuden.

Ishikawa is (my opinion) a most hard working H!P member! She is always practicing her skills, she is singing with Biyuden and also host of Hello! Morning TV show every week, and weekly radio shows alone and with her band mates. I think she wants to be close friends with Miyoshi and Okada, not like boss, this is her nature! Anyway I respect her very much, she has a true Japanese attitude!
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Fumiko

fumi, wonderful additionnal pictures. the last one with the three portraits on the commercial truck is so... how could I say simply lovely. I love this band and have found all their songs and video now. from what I know about Hello ! Project bands, Biyuuden is the most mature composition because of the girls and the music too. about lyrics I can't say anything, I've just followed the first words from the song "Aisu Cream to My Purin" that should be translated as Ice cream to my pudding (??). I gess it's one other metaphoric lyric or plain soft erotic which is in phase with their Bunny costumes on the official video.

that's also what I think, Rika is a hardworker girl it's so easy to measure her progression in all her actual skills. a few times ago I've seen fragments a TV program named 100% Rika and she was doing a kind of question/answer with her fans. one of the most dazzling replies of her was to say "I want the world envy Japan". what a nice perspective for a young women. there is a long trip done since she done her first smiles on TV, especially the "scarred-by-all-kind-of-chiken" period, really hilarious.

Hi, best chemistry! I have heard this story: that when Ishikawa was young her family kept animals at their house including chickens, and when Ishikawa did not obey her mother chased her with holding a big chicken! so she became very afraid of birds, because if some person holds chicken, it makes lots of loud noise! and struggles and scratches! I know this from experience! LOL! Anyway I have seen many times the men of Hello! Morning and other TV shows, they put Ishikawa together with chicken or other bird, and sometimes she runs and sometimes she cannot escape so she becomes very cry! I am sad to see this, because I like her and her fear cannot be helped. She is not afraid of other animals, like snake.
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Fumiko

Hello Fumiko,

I have a live performance concert from Biyuden Live tour 2005 now.

Actumn Biyu Densetsu II Kurenai no Kisetsu

we have not seen it yet, I've just overviewed the 100 minutes show. there are beautiful dresses, short dresses, really short short costumes too. girls are singing together and some songs are done as soloist.

there is also some talk with fans, and I can add there are many glowsticks in the audience. the poor dears are sweating all possible in some songs, very physical song and dance show.

I've not seen some guest singers as in Aya Matsuura's concert.

Hi, best chemistry! I have just yesterday returned from over one week working in Texas, I am sorry I have not visited our site until now! I would like to see your Biyuden concert! these girls have very much energy and work hard to entertain their fans!

Another H!P girl band will soon be together again! Ai Kago was suspended from H!P activities last year because she was caught smoking in public, which is very much illegal for below age 20 and anyway not healthy for anyone, especially singer! But maybe her punishment is complete! she will return soon to H!P and to her band mate Nozomi Tsuji, they are together as cute band W!

Kago and Tsuji:

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Fumiko

Hello Fumiko,

yes sure, if you have oportunity to watch this live performance, don't hesitate, it's fun.

I heard about this suspension story within the Hello ! Project girls, I didn't know who she was exactly. huh, I can say smoking is really unfair, as you wrote especially for young popular singer. I've heard about the other girl Nozomi Tsuji with Ai Kago on your picture, she's the "victim" in a short silly-but-so-funny video I found last week. it's a Ayaka surprise english lessons and the theme was about how many members are in Morning musume. well, this reminds me when I came in France with my mum, I didn't understand a single french word. in the clip, the sweet heart Nozomi understood almost nothing but she replied randomly. it's cruel but we've laugh so much on this video, funny but not nasty. I love that.

yes it is true that biyuden is nice and works well but I find that Dev diva had a better constitution Like a Star @ heaven

pix I have

PS - I think that I should not spread too much but I want to say that the clip live of Suki Sugite Baka Mitai is better than the official one! thanks for having to think of making known it Exclamation