Makino Maria to graduate end of sprint tour from Morning Musume and H!P

[AquaChan]

https://www.helloproject.com/news/20303/

We need more members stat!

[JPope]

Well, this is unexpected. I wonder what happened to push her ahead of Sakura? Either way, I've been done with Maria for a minute, so this is good news for me. We'll get a few months of charged-up Oda sans Maria to close out the year -- and this era of Morning Musume -- which should be awesome if HinaFes was any indication. Tiny Musume was really, really good.

I wonder what this means for the ultimate size of the 18th gen, although that might not matter so much, as they're almost certainly gonna run another round of auditions next year.

[Shoujo Q]

Well I wasn’t expecting this news today.

So my theory is that Maria is leaving because she always stated she never wanted to overshadow Sayumi’s tenure. Which is a silly theory but perhaps there is some truth to it. She’s been checked out for a while as far as group participation. She’s all about the gravure side and less about the singing side of the idol sphere. Maria is unique in that she does what she wants. (See her solofest performance and pretty much any graduation speech to other members that she’s made) So this type of sudden announcement tracks for her.

Of course if she’s leaving now that really puts into perspective the reason Oda’s original plan of having a Spring graduation and gets moved to the winter. Oda was getting pushed out maybe because of her mini scandal or maybe because she’s aging out, I donno but Maria wasn’t, not really. She could have stayed or maybe she just didn’t want the leader role. So Oda gets to stay because Miki’s on bed rest and can’t function as a leader. They need Oda to stay because you can’t just dump an entire legacy group on Homa and Mei, plus a new generation and is totally going to be put in this summer. Add the fact you have their anniversary coming up, it’s such a hot mess.

But thanks to Maria (sorry Maria fans) I get another few months with my oshi so I’m happy.

[DonJuan]

Huh. Huh?
Maria announcing her graduation is not surprising, but announcing it for this spring is. Apparently even Oda was surprised that she'd have to say goodbye to Maria instead of the other way around, so it was not part of a long time plan (like Akane or a somewhat-planned-health-related-early-grad like Yoko).
I do agree that she probably didn't want to take over Sayumi's tenure, but on the other hand... they could have planned/announced it better? lol

I fear she got bad burnout. As you guys have said, she hasn't been game for the group for some time now, and while she does mention new dreams and stuff I bet she'll go on hiatus first. I also can't see her doing solo releases or even theater stuff. Well.

Also, at this rate we'll get 19th gen next year (additionally to the rest of 18th gen later this year) lol

[Shoujo Q]

18th gen just gonna be another version of 9th gen. Shove girls in there and just SURVIVE until the next audition. (Which I find funny because 1+8=9....)

[DonJuan]

I'll be fine with it if 18th gen becomes as legendary as 9th gen.

[Zoe]

So which baseball player is she dating?

j/k (... maybe)

[JPope]

So which baseball player is she dating?

j/k (... maybe)

I mean, it's not that far fetched.

[Tsukiki]

This is so sudden of an announcement! Like I expected her to announce it, but actually leaving this soon?! Kinda shocked. Maybe threat of a scandal and nipping it in the bud? It feels really rushed.

I really hope to see more members for the 18th gen, since we're losing so many members lately ^^; I'd love a repeat of gen 9, I liked all of them - same for 10ki tbh.

[DonJuan]

Apparently the members also learned about Maria's grad no earlier than this April - just a few days before us. She's going to graduate at Budokan, but they basically always do Budokan nowadays, so it's nothing planned.
I do wonder I she'll get a center song, considering how rushed this is.

[Tsukiki]

I really don't love how rushed it is, while she's not my favourite member, I like seeing Maria in the group. I'd love a center song as a send off for her, but severely doubt there's enough time for it now. Maybe they'll pull something for her really quickly, rearrange some lines or the visuals of the PV, but I don't think so...

[Shoujo Q]

It depends on how UF feels about her departure. Throw her a bone and have her IN a single but not actually be around anymore for the release.

Because it’s very clear they aren’t going to release anything before June. The same can be said for Beyooooonds.

I feel like a digital release that may end up as a b-side or a throw away song on a future album, will be the most we get.

[Farrah]

I'll admit, I never really feel for Maria's the way many others did. Obviously a very pretty girl, and certainly an energetic performer, but otherwise not that memorable to me (honestly, this description is how I feel about nearly everyone they've added in the last decade or so, lol). That said, from a capitalist standpoint, this is a big loss for the group. One of their only members with a little bit of mainstream presence, definitely their gravure queen as well.

In an ideal world, where everything makes sense and the company cares about upholding the group's legacy, they'll add at least two really strong vocalists to the upcoming generation, and someone with the looks and personality to fill Maria's slot, preferably someone outgoing or funny enough for television, but lbr, they barely try to book these girl's gigs... they're basically concert slaves.

Either way, feels like we're in the middle of some sort of mass exodus of sorts. I'm really curious to see what the next step will be, as I strongly suspect many of these recent grads snuck up on management to some degree (yeah, Maria and Sakura are in their late 20s, but that really doesn't matter as much as it used to, and it feels like no existing member was really being primed to replace them).

A small Momusu was kinda fun back in 2010, but I don't really think the current group is in a good position for that anymore. Too many filler ingredients, not enough meat, as it were. I hope the higher ups have enough sense to make this upcoming generation a strong one. Quality over quantity, I beg.

[JPope]

Maria had a stage presence that most of her contemporaries other than Maa couldn't match consistently. There was a point around 202-ish where I though she was going to become a solid singer, but that passed along with covid, lol! In terms of personality, I found her to be mostly annoying, but I'm probably not her target audience, either. So yeah, I'm not gonna miss her, and honestly the rush job makes me happy because it means we'll get a few months of Sakura fronting a pretty strong small MM that absolutely killed it at HinaFes.

[Farrah]

Yeah, I think my entire outlook on the the current tiny Musume would be a lot less doomsday if the last couple gens had gotten us even one other singer strong enough to help Sakura carry the vocal burden, lol. People keep telling me that's Miki, but... I don't see her that way, sadly, and I don't expect her to remain in the group for that much longer. Sugihara Meisa is a very energetic performer, so with more practice she might help soften the blow of losing Maria at least for concerts (although I think her "concept"/image will be very different).

[JPope]

Mei, Ako and Haruka are all better than Miki, and Homa is better than people think. I don't need a singer on the level of Sakura if the overall group is strong, and once Maria leaves, Rio will be their weakest singer, which ain't bad. I'd prefer they have a real utahime, but a strong and versatile lineup is more important to me personally.

[Shoujo Q]

There’s enough songs in the Musume archives that the can pull out to showcase other girls when the utahime wasn’t Oda or even Takahashi.

[DonJuan]

People keep telling me that's Miki, but... I don't see her that way, sadly, and I don't expect her to remain in the group for that much longer.

Mei, Ako and Haruka are all better than Miki, and Homa is better than people think.

This. I feel like most of the fandom has realized that Miki will always be a good singer but not an utahime. I do think Mei has to watch her screechiness, though. Masaki grew out of it with time, I'm not seeing it with Mei yet.
I feel like 2015 Musume was unluckier, regarding that Sakura was their only really good singer, Mizuki was probably at a level where I'd consider Miki now, and Masaki was *just* about to get good lol. It would be nice to get a fullblood singer again just because, and some songs need some really good pipes, but MM can hold its own for a few months. A smaller group does mean they have to watch their income, though. Probably gonna need a new photobook and public girl.

[Solarblade]

===Setlist for Morning Musume. '26 Spring Concert Tour - Rays Of Light - Final ~Makino Maria Graduation Special~===

MC
0. Mirai Hajimari / Rosy Chronicle
MC

Opening
1. THE Manpower!!! (updated)
2. One Two Three
3. Sou Janai
MC / New Member Introductions
4. Nanchatte Renai
5. Kimagure Princess
6. 3, 2, 1 BREAKIN' OUT
7. Hey! Unfair Baby
8. Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke
9. MEDLEY
- The Peace! (updated)
- LOVE Machine (updated)
- Souda! We're ALIVE (updated)
- Renai Revolution 21 (updated)
MC
10. Style of my love / Oda, Makino
11. Bicycle Daisenkou! / Sakurai, Inoue, Yumigeta
12. CRAZY ABOUT YOU / Okamura, Yamazaki
VTR
13. Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou?
14. MEDLEY
- Chu Chu Chu Bokura no Mirai
- Yoshi Yoshi Shite Hoshii no
- Watashi no Nanni mo Wakacchanai
- Yuukan na Dance
- Wake-up Call ~Mezameru Toki~
- What is LOVE?
MC
15. Fantasy ga Hajimaru
16. Watashi no Lamentazione
17. Are you Happy?
18. Akaruku Ii Ko
MC
19. Lonely...But not Alone
MC
20. ENDLESS SKY

ENCORE
-Graduation Ceremony
21. Atto Odoroku Mirai ga Yatterkuru! / Makino (graduation song)
22. Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuku You na Mirai de Are!
MC
23. Bravo!

END

[JPope]

Maria was more endearing in this concert than she's been in years, lol! Johnson bringing her flowers before her graduation speech was very unexpected, and I hope someone translates her message to Maria. I didn't recognize Iida when she walked out, and it was only when Maria gasped "Iida-san!" that knew, because she's really changed a lot in the face since the last time I saw her.