Berryz Kobo announces indefinite hiatus in 2015

[Solarblade]

Today at the summer concert, Berryz announced that in Spring of 2015, they will go into indefinite hiatus. 
 
Momochi stated that she didn't want to use the word disband either. 

[Anderei]

That really sucks. Right when things were starting to go uphill. H!P is about to get a lot less interesting for me.

[JPope]

Well shit, at least one of my predictions came through:
 
[quote="JPope"]
Prediction:
• No changes to MM for the entire calender year: no auditions, no graduations. UpFront will see how far this group can go for all of 2014, then announce Sayu's graduation late in the year or early in 2015.
• New Buono! song, not necessarily a single.
• New H!P soloist.
• More overseas appearances than ever (hello France, LA, Seattle, etc.)
 
Bold Assed Predictions:
• Berryz is mothballed or broken up and Momoko gets a new gig within H!P, one that is not a solo gig.
• Sayashi Riho solo single.
[/quote]
 
This shouldn't be a huge shock. Japanese idol groups that last more than a few years are rare, and those that continue virtually unchanged for over a decade are damn near unheard of. I imagine there will be auditions and new groups on the horizon, which is always good.

[momoirosaya]

I wonder what the members are each going to do...While it's sad, BK has been around for over 10 years and maybe they want to do other things.

[mrsross]

Wow. This was kinda expected, but this is still weird. It's going to be really weird not seeing them at the H!P Summer & Winter concerts. Are they not going to participate or are they all just going to be "soloists"?

[JPope]

I doubt any of them will be soloists. If UFA thought any of them had that kind of ability or cache, they would have been a soloist years ago.

[al kusanagi]

Not the hugest shock. At least C-ute is still going for the time being.
 
And with the whole hiatus thing, I imagine that they'll still get together at least once a year for the bigger HP concerts.
 
PS. So I guess Maimi is the big boss of HP now?

[pandapanda]

... ...

[smtmissin]

C-ute better lasts another 2 years or so or I will lose half of my interest in HP.
I can see the future in entertainment industry for Yurina and Momoko. I am not sure about the others.

[Shoujo Q]

Wow I wonder why they decided now to announce it. I thought they would at least wait till their Budokan in September. 
I'm going to be greedy and ask, please bring some Buono back? I'm also wondering what C-ute have to say about this? I can see them not disbanding, but not staying in H!P for much longer and going the Melon Kinenbi route. It's just going to be so weird not seeing Berryz and C-ute together. My H!P kids are growing up and leaving the nest. As much as I never cared for Berryz the group, their songs were the best.

I'm really sad about this since I feel like a mother seeing her kids leave home forever and never coming back. (Only on holidays and special occasions.) 

[Mukuro]

Awe it's sad how the group who introduced me to Hello project is leaving now. But I guess with JJ and soon Country Musume (if they're apart of h!p) this was pretty obvious.

[star]

No. Fuck it. I'm done for now.

[Meikochi]

[quote="Samantha"]
... ...
[/quote]
 
Same here.. I'm speechless..

[star]

I want a Maiha appearance at their last concert(or sooner), but I doubt that'll happen.

I do not want Berryz to die, but I dont know how I feel about a second generation.

[showraniy]

Hm, interesting.
 
I admit I never cared for Berryz so this news doesn't bother me at all, but when I consider that it might mean something for C-ute too... I worry. C-ute has been on a really hot streak the last few years, but maybe all the groups without member changes will feel this way over time, like they have to move on somehow.

[Kalle]

My first thought when I saw the news was 'NOBODY SHOW THIS TO YUZU'
 
But man, it's going to be super weird now without them and without Sayu as well. It really kind of feels like management is pushing for something new and putting the older H!P fixtures aside seems like it's part of that.

[Anderei]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Shoujo Q" data-cid="178201" data-time="1406979158">
Wow I wonder why they decided now to announce it. I thought they would at least wait till their Budokan in September.
I'm going to be greedy and ask, please bring some Buono back? I'm also wondering what C-ute have to say about this? I can see them not disbanding, but not staying in H!P for much longer and going the Melon Kinenbi route. It's just going to be so weird not seeing Berryz and C-ute together. My H!P kids are growing up and leaving the nest. As much as I never cared for Berryz the group, their songs were the best.

I'm really sad about this since I feel like a mother seeing her kids leave home forever and never coming back. (Only on holidays and special occasions.) </blockquote>


I don't see C-ute gong the MK route. As soon as they graduate H!P, most of their fans would ditch them for new idols.i see them making it to 10 years and then it'll be time for them to go too.

[rokun]

[quote="Shoujo Q"]
Wow I wonder why they decided now to announce it. I thought they would at least wait till their Budokan in September. 
I'm going to be greedy and ask, please bring some Buono back? I'm also wondering what C-ute have to say about this? I can see them not disbanding, but not staying in H!P for much longer and going the Melon Kinenbi route. It's just going to be so weird not seeing Berryz and C-ute together. My H!P kids are growing up and leaving the nest. As much as I never cared for Berryz the group, their songs were the best.

I'm really sad about this since I feel like a mother seeing her kids leave home forever and never coming back. (Only on holidays and special occasions.) 
[/quote]
 
Speaking of C-ute, I found it interesting how in Chissa's blog post about it, she really kind of pondered it from the perspective of her own self-reflection, and not just about Berryz going away. Nacky said she couldn't stop crying when they heard the announcement. Only those two have posted this evening as well (Maimi usually posts in the morning, so I'm sure she'll dutifully write something tomorrow morning). It also sounded like it was a surprise to C-ute when Berryz told everyone before the concert. I think it has hit them hard, though as expected...
 
P.S. I just read Nacky's short post for the first time when writing this, though I'm sure Skoban will translate it soon. I think the few words she said got to me the most of anyone so far. "Before my eyes seeing Berryz like adults. Though they've been right in front of me, I couldn't see it. I felt how they're really such precious friends and colleagues..."

[Madara]

[quote="rokun"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Shoujo Q" data-cid="178201" data-time="1406979158">
<div>
Wow I wonder why they decided now to announce it. I thought they would at least wait till their Budokan in September. 
I'm going to be greedy and ask, please bring some Buono back? I'm also wondering what C-ute have to say about this? I can see them not disbanding, but not staying in H!P for much longer and going the Melon Kinenbi route. It's just going to be so weird not seeing Berryz and C-ute together. My H!P kids are growing up and leaving the nest. As much as I never cared for Berryz the group, their songs were the best.

I'm really sad about this since I feel like a mother seeing her kids leave home forever and never coming back. (Only on holidays and special occasions.) 
[/quote]
 
Speaking of C-ute, I found it interesting how in Chissa's blog post about it, she really kind of pondered it from the perspective of her own self-reflection, and not just about Berryz going away. Nacky said she couldn't stop crying when they heard the announcement. Only those two have posted this evening as well (Maimi usually posts in the morning, so I'm sure she'll dutifully write something tomorrow morning). It also sounded like it was a surprise to C-ute when Berryz told everyone before the concert. I think it has hit them hard, though as expected...
 
P.S. I just read Nacky's short post for the first time when writing this, though I'm sure Skoban will translate it soon. I think the few words she said got to me the most of anyone so far. "Before my eyes seeing Berryz like adults. Though they've been right in front of me, I couldn't see it. I felt how they're really such precious friends and colleagues..."
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Which concert was that?

[rokun]

^ Just before the H!P concert yesterday when they gave the announcement.

[Meikochi]

[quote="Kalle"]
It really kind of feels like management is pushing for something new and putting the older H!P fixtures aside seems like it's part of that.
[/quote]
 
Didn't those who where fans in 2009 think the same as you do now, with the Elder Club graduation ? (just wonder)

[Kalle]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Meikochi" data-cid="178227" data-time="1407022633">Didn't those who where fans in 2009 think the same as you do now, with the Elder Club graduation ? (just wonder)</blockquote>
Probably, but idol culture in general seems very cyclical like that. It'll more than likely continue on like this if they want to, too. First the Elder Club, now Berryz ... Pretty soon we'll be living in a future where Juice=Juice will be the most senior H!P group, mark my words.

[al kusanagi]

[quote="Kalle"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Meikochi" data-cid="178227" data-time="1407022633">
Didn't those who where fans in 2009 think the same as you do now, with the Elder Club graduation ? (just wonder)
</blockquote>


Probably, but idol culture in general seems very cyclical like that. It'll more than likely continue on like this if they want to, too. First the Elder Club, now Berryz ... Pretty soon we'll be living in a future where Juice=Juice will be the most senior H!P group, mark my words.
 
[/quote]
 

S/mileage will outlast them all because HP management will have forgot they existed and just let them do their own thing.

[Purin-chama]

I imagine some of this is because Momo just finished school (was there anyone else who did?). I think some of the girls will participate solo in media (variety, modeling, concerts, etc). 

[yuzuriha]

[quote="Kalle"]
My first thought when I saw the news was 'NOBODY SHOW THIS TO YUZU'
 
But man, it's going to be super weird now without them and without Sayu as well. It really kind of feels like management is pushing for something new and putting the older H!P fixtures aside seems like it's part of that.
[/quote]
 
Yeah I saw the announcement at like 3AM saturday when I checked my phone to see what time it was.  And then I had all kinds of bad dreams.  Then later I saw a picture of them when they were making the announcement and I bawled hysterically as if someone died.
 
I still can't get over it.  I have just been having bad feelings non-stop since Saturday. I knew it was inevitable, I was just hoping I would get a chance to see them live before the end, and that is pretty much impossible right now.

[Banana]

Somehow this surprised me even though I should have been expecting it. I'm not the biggest Berryz fan, but I still feel very sad about it. But... can Miyabi like join C-ute now? Or can they just start up Buono again? That would be great. 

[Elpis]

Its unlikely, but I wish Buono! would do something before they all leave. They were an anime group at first, but I still want to hear more.

[NekoKaiSai]

I can't imagine Buono! will do something other than maybe a song in a concert.  I think Berryz might release another (mini) album after their next single, I can't imagine UF wouldn't want to milk them for all they're worth.
 
I watched the video of the announcement on Hello!Station and it was slightly emotional, but not too bad.  I've never been super attached to Berryz, but I imagine I'll still bawl my eyes out once their final concert video gets released.

[star]

I'm going to be a mes for days when it finally happens.

[yuzuriha]

I know...I am already planning on using a personal day for the day of/after the concert.