H!P Profiles: °C-ute

Back Row L to R: Erika Umeda, Mai Hagiwara, Chisato Okai, Saki Nakajima
Front Row L to R: Maimi Yajima, Megumi Murakami, Airi Suzuki, Kanna Arihara

Back in 2004 more than half of the H!P Kids had become Berryz Koubou and left the other 7 to continue a bit more training until in 2005 when they were finally announced to be finally an official group together.  They started performing a bit here and there until the beginning of 2006 where they gained the final piece of the group, Kanna Arihara who was brought in as a Hello! Pro Egg when she joined Hello! Project.  They started out as an indies group and then their debut album hit before Megumi Murakami just left Hello! Project stating she wanted to have education and a private life.

L to R: Kanna Arihara, Chisato Okai, Maimi Yajima, Airi Suzuki, Saki Nakajima, Mai Hagiwara, Erika Umeda

Time would continue on as a 7-nin group for quite a while before things started to get shaky.  Right around the release of “Bye Bye Bye!” it was announced that Kanna Arihara was not going to be involved with the PV simply because she had bunions, acceptable reason I’d say, but shortly after was announced that she left H!P which meant the previous single, “FOREVER LOVE” would be the last she would be involved with.

L to R: Chisato Okai, Mai Hagiwara, Airi Suzuki, Maimi Yajima, Saki Nakajima, Erika Umeda

Though it wouldn’t stop because only three singles later, Erika Umeda would announce her graduation to focus on a modeling career and left on “EVERYDAY Zekkouchou!!”…a lot of fans were wondering how the group would continue on after losing two of its member a year apart.

L to R: Maimi Yajima, Airi Suzuki, Mai Hagiwara, Chisato Okai, Saki Nakajima

After the 3 members departures, the group had to really find themselves after some rather ungrateful albums, but ever since the 5 have charged on and suddenly in recent times have become popular (even moreso than any other H!P group, cept Momusu).  Though as big as they had become for H!P, in 2016, it was announced that this would be the final line-up as they announced their disbandment in the following year…

Style of Music: Even though the name of the group is °C-ute, they don’t just do cutesy music…actually they’ve been doing more danceable music with electro being tossed in recently.  Though they are renowned as the dancers of H!P (though Momusu is quickly coming forward).

Discography

SINGLES

• Massara Blue Jeans (indies)
• Soku Dakishimete (indies)
• Ooki na Ai de Motenashite (indies)
• Wakkyanai (Z) (indies and Megumi’s final single)
• Sakura Chirari
• Meguru Koi no Kisetsu
• Tokkaiko Junjou
• LALALA Shiawase no Uta
• Koero! Rakuten Eagles (indies)
• Namida no Iro
• Edo no Temari Uta II
• FOREVER LOVE (Kanna’s final single)
• Bye Bye Bye!
• Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu
• EVERYDAY Zekkouchou!! (Erika’s final single)
• SHOCK!
• Campus Life ~Umarete Kite Yokatta~
• Dance de Bakoon!
• Akuma de Cute na Seishun Graffiti (indies)
• Aitai Lonely Christmas
• Kiss me Aishiteru
• Momoiro Sparkling
• Sekaiichi HAPPY na Onna no Ko
• Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha de Kitaku
• Aitai Aitai Aitai na
• Kono Machi
• Crazy Kanzen na Otona
• Kanashiki Amefuri / Adam to Eve no Dilemma
• Tokai no Hitorigurashi / Aitte Motto Zanshin
• Kokoro no Sakebi wo Uta ni Shitemita / Love take it all
• The Power / Kanashiki Heaven (Single Version)
• I miss you / THE FUTURE
• The Middle Management ~Josei Chuukan Kanrishoku~ / GamushaLIFE / Tsugi no Kado wo Magare
• Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!
• Naze Hito wa Arasou Darou? / Summer Wind / Jinsei wa STEP!
• Mugen Climax / Ai wa Maru de Seidenki / Singing ~Ano Koro no You ni~
• To Tomorrow / Final Squall / The Curtain Rises

ALBUMS

• Cutie Queen VOL. 1
• 2 mini ~Ikiru to Iu Chikara~ (mini-album)
• 3rd ~LOVE Escalation!~
• ④ Akogare My STAR
• °C-ute nan desu! Zen Single Atsumechaimashita! ① (best album)
• Shocking 5
• Chou! WONDERFUL⑥
• Dainana Shou “Utsukushikutte Gomen ne”
• ② °C-ute Shin Seinaru Album (self-cover album)
• Cutie Selection ~A nos Amis de France~ (French best album)
• 8 Queen of J-POP
• SUPPECIAL CUTIE BEST ALBUM ~Japan Expo 15th Year Anniversary Fans Selection Songs~ (French best album with Berryz Koubou)
• Cutie Seleccion Por los Fans Mexicanos (Mexico best album)
• °Cmaj9
• °COMPLETE SINGLE COLLECTION (best album)

This is Massara Blue Jeans, the group’s debut and 1 of 3 PVs that included Megumi 0.o (yeah Wakkyanai (Z) never got a PV)

Ahhh, FOREVER LOVE, this is where °C-ute was starting to slightly lose their footing, as this was Kanna’s final appearance in PVs

And finally, this is Adam to Eve no Dilemma, one of their more recent PVs (I can’t say most because “Bagel ni Ham & Cheese” exists)

Top 10 Favorite Songs

• Kiss me Aishiteru
• Massara Blue Jeans
• Adam to Eve no Dilemma
• Midnight Temptation (album song from “Chou! WONDERFUL⑥”)
• Crazy Kanzen na Otona
• Seishun Song (2012 Shin Seinaru Ver)
• Tachiagare Otome-tachi (B-side from Campus Life ~Umarete Kite Yokatta~)
• Bye Bye Bye!
• FOREVER LOVE
• SHINES (album song from ④ Akogare My STAR)

Overall: It’s definitely been a hard road for °C-ute since their debut going from not-so-good sales to losing 3 members but from the last couple of years…the group has been climbing ever so steadily and each single keeps becoming their best selling which is so amazing to see!  I love that they are known as the powerhouse dancers and the can show it off so much.  With them disbanding, like Berryz had left quite a legacy behind and they’ll be quite missed (especially Airi x.x)