Half Year Roundup! 2023 Edition!

It’s that time of the year, we hit the halfway point (well, near it, but I’m doing it now before I head to vacation for the 4th) and we have stuffs to talk about from H!P thus far!  So let’s check it out!!!

Morning Musume ’23

Y’know, I would argue to say that Morning Musume has literally done nothing musically in this first half of the year and that’s quite the shame considering Mizuki Fukumura‘s graduation is coming up soon in the Fall.  Though we did get 2 new members in June with Haruka Inoue & Ako Yumigeta joining the group and towards the end of the month, FINALLY announcing new music, a song called HEAVY GATE which is going to be promoting an upcoming best album.  I think this is the slowest Momusu has ever been when it comes to releasing music, so they really had no appearance so far this year.

ANGERME

On the other hand, ANGERME had the busiest year of all the groups thus far in the year.  Not only kicking things off with an album in March with BIG LOVE and the single in June, Ai no Kedamono / Dousousei.  This was in the field for Akari Takeuchi‘s graduation later in that month.  Throw in two new members with Hana Goto & Yukiho Shimoitani joining the group and you can see that it was a packed 6 months with the group.

Juice=Juice

Things for Juice=Juice, like Morning Musume has been quiet mostly in the first 6 months what with them not releasing anything.  Though they are next up for a single release with Pride Bright / FUNKY FLUSHIN’ coming out in July.  They too also gained a new member in Mifu Kawashima.  Beyond that, nothing much else happened.

Tsubaki Factory

Well since we knew last year that Kiki Asakura was graduating, Tsubaki Factory was the first group to release a single in the new year with Machigai ja nai Naitari Shitai / Skip Skip Skip / Kimi to Boku no Kizuna feat. KIKI released in February before Kiki left in April.  That unfortunately didn’t stop the graduation train though as both Riko Yamagishi & Yumeno Kishimoto both announced their graduations for later in the Fall.  Kind of shocking the OG are dropping like flies right now and such, but I hope they recover well from it.

BEYOOOOONDS

Oddly enough, BEYOOOOONDS released one single so far in the year, Motomeyo…Unmei no Tabibitozan / Yume Sae Egakenai Yozora ni wa in April and that’s pretty much been it for them (also all these groups performed at least one song that hasn’t been released yet (except for Juice=Juice & ANGERME).  Nothing has been announced since from them, but here’s hoping to another single this year.

OCHA NORMA

H!P’s new group did release anything in this first half of the year, but they are going to be releasing a new single for the end of July, Chotto Jousho Fuantei?…Natsu / Ocha no ma Mahoroba Ikoinoba ~Showa mo Reiwa wa Watchawacha~ / Shekenaare / Yoridori ME DREAM as they’re the first group to release a Quad A-side single under H!P.  Beyond that not much else happened.

Hello Pro Kenshuusei Unit ’23

Well the unit did perform a new unreleased track as the 5-nin so far adding up to two, but that changed when in May, Hinoha Yoshida & Rena Kamimura were announced to be joining the 5 on top of the big news that they’ll be debuting as a group in 2024!  Very curious to see what it’ll be about.

Hello Pro Kenshuusei

The KSS started their year in March with the announcement of 3 new members joining; Toa Makino, Niina Hayashi, and Soara Kawano.  Then of course they had their annual Test where Hana Goto was the winner and Mifu Kawashima was runner-up.  Then throw in the May madness when 3 of the KSS were added to existing groups and two went into the KSS Unit and now all we have left unattended is the 3 new members that joined this year.  Definitely the lowest the Kenshuusei has been since inception.

So yeah, that’s everything H!P has done so far in the year….kind of quiet all things considered, so I hope the rest of the year has some fun things going on!!!!

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