Fukuda Kanon to Graduate from H!P and ANGERME.

[Shoujo Q]

Announced on this weeks hello!station. She'll be graduating this fall.


Her statement in English. <a class="bbc_url" href="https://m.facebook.com/notes/up-front-l ... 5070642</a>


<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">To all the people who have always supported me.


I, Kanon Fukuda, have decided to graduate this fall from ANGERME as well as from Hello! Project.


Now that I became a member of S/mileage around 6 years ago, after the 3rd generation members joined and the group changed its name in order to become more powerful, I oriented myself to the thought of graduating. So after my graduation, I trust and feel relieve that the group would become bigger and bigger.


Then, as well as graduating from ANGERME this fall, I have decided to take a new road.

All of this came from me.


The remaining time until my graduation is quite limited but in order to not waste one day, I took a break from the university I was going to. Now I devote myself and rush to ANGERME’s activities until the end.


After my graduation I will go back to the university, and I will firmly study to graduate from the university, as well as for the work, going through new challenges, so please continue to support me.


2015/05/20

ANGERME

Kanon Fukuda</blockquote>


Pardon me while I go cry in a corner for the rest of the day.

[Mukuro]

Well now I'm sad. :( Although I'm surprised Dawa isn't leaving first.


I'm still to tired to cry but it will come.

[Anderei]

That sucks. But her posts made it sound like she wasn't really happy with a new gen to compete with and she's been doing badly in school. I guess it was time to pick one or the other.


Oh and management treats this group like garbage. Not surprising anyone would want to leave.


It does suck that we're losing a good singer since only one of the new girls really has the potential to pick up that sort of slack.

[yuzuriha]

I love how these people KEEP LYING TO US.  But at the same time I can now say this is the first grad in H!P history I have successfully predicted.  They tricked me when they put Reina in Lovendor and were all BUT DON'T WORRY GUYS SHE ISN'T GRADUATING (although I was happy to be wrong there), but they couldn't fool me again.  I felt it a bit the second they announced ANGERME, then as soon as I saw the Taiki Bansei I knew that was it.  Now Maro and Riro can go run off and be happy together like I assume Sayu and Eri are.

[Banana]

I'm always surprised when someone announces that they're going to graduate (even when I shouldn't be), but not this time. If anything, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. She has been putting zero effort into performances for a very long time now. It's been frustrating for me because I do like her, but I think this is really for the best. There's no point in continuing to do something if your heart isn't in it. 

[Haru]

I've been expecting this for a while to be honest and I'm of the mind that first gen in S/mileage/ANGERME need to get out already. Like Banana said, she's been putting zero effort into performances for a while. Kanyon was one of my favourites as well but I'm proud of her for focusing on school rather than being an idol.

[eri]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Anderei" data-cid="188129">
Oh and management treats this group like garbage. Not surprising anyone would want to leave.


.</blockquote>


What do you mean?


Kanon was one of the cutest girls with great potential when she first popped up in Shugo Chara. Smileage itself was fabulous. Its such a shame but I feel relieved there is a cleaner separation between the "smileage" then and now. Wada will probably tough it out for a little while longer.


What a waste :(

[momoirosaya]

I knew it would be eventually, but I didn't think it would happen for another year or two. I'm sad to see Kanon go :/

S/mileage is really gone now :( in fact it's funny that S/mileage was the energetic group since now Ayacho and Kanon are am much more calm and reserved.

But I agree that she didn't really seem to be enjoying herself anymore anyways.

It's still weird for me in a way to see idols that I saw debut graduate. Before I knew it I've already been an H!P fan for almost 8-9 years now.


When Ayacho graduates they'll probably add a 4th gen.


Oh, and I reaaaaally hope they release one last album before she leaves :/

[Madara]

I don't get the "zero effort" put into performances comments. What are you guys referring to? Granted, the last S/mileage concert I saw was from last July, the Full Charge at Budokan one, and I've watched that three times already. It might be one of the best H!P concerts I've seen.  I just got their fall 2014 concert in the mail. Kanon's had a laid-back style lately (i.e. last few years, since the Meimi generation joined and Yuuka and Saki left) that has utterly charmed me. I think she's wonderful, one of my all-time favorite H!P performers. I'm not surprised she's graduating, though. I'm a little upset with the addition of new members to S/mileage, since the six of them were working so well together. I haven't seen anything with the new girls yet, so I can't comment, and I won't use the group's new name until I do. But I can see Fukuda wanting to leave. I'll miss her, though. As for Wada, she's actually been getting better and better, and seeming to enjoy it more, so I can see her staying.
 
 

[momoirosaya]

^ I wouldn't be surprised if they added 3rd gen because of Fukuda graduating (like with Saki and Yuuka)

[Banana]

[quote="Madara"]
I don't get the "zero effort" put into performances comments. What are you guys referring to? 
[/quote]
 
People can interpret facial expressions very differently. What looks "laidback" to you looks to me like someone who isn't really trying. She puts on a decent face when she has a solo line, but mostly she just looks bored and her dancing is pretty lifeless. This isn't a recent development. It has been going on for a least a couple years now. 
 
It's sad. I was really hoping that she would get her spark back or whatever because I certainly don't want a pretty good singer to leave (as they are becoming rarer and rarer these days). 

[momoirosaya]

<a class="bbc_url" href="http://wotaintranslation.com/2015/05/06 ... a-maro/</a>


Lol

[al kusanagi]

Good. She's always seemed so goddamn miserable for the last couple of years.

[Hotaru]

I was actually almost happy to hear this. Kanon was one of my favorites when she first rose to popularity within H!P, but recently its seemed more and more like she really doesn't enjoy performing anymore. When they announced part of the reason for adding the 3rd gen was because of "Kanon and Ayaka's eventual graduation" I thought they would both graduate this year. 
 
But, I'm happy Ayaka's staying, since she has improved so much recently. Kanon will most likely be happier returning to a non-idol life.

[Kalle]

I'll be sad for Ayacho and the other girls, but otherwise I am completely nonplussed about this.

[WonderBuono]

Wow, I'm shocked. Really, in hindsight, I should have seen it coming, but for whatever reason I didn't... I always kinda thought she and Ayaka would graduate together. It's a shame, too, because I just realized within the past few weeks that she's actually a pretty talented singer, she's just always been overshadowed by someone else (Yuuka, Saki, Meimi, Murotan...).

[MejraThea]

I've made no secret of Fukuda being my least favorite member. I'm not surprised or disappointed, but I am surprised the and Ayaka didn't go together, as WonderBuono said. I think Ayaka will definitely be going sometime next year at the latest. She's been looking rather dead on her feet as of late.

[Madara]

[quote="Banana"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Madara" data-cid="188136" data-time="1432135475">
<div>
I don't get the "zero effort" put into performances comments. What are you guys referring to? 
[/quote]
 
People can interpret facial expressions very differently. What looks "laidback" to you looks to me like someone who isn't really trying. She puts on a decent face when she has a solo line, but mostly she just looks bored and her dancing is pretty lifeless. This isn't a recent development. It has been going on for a least a couple years now. 
 
It's sad. I was really hoping that she would get her spark back or whatever because I certainly don't want a pretty good singer to leave (as they are becoming rarer and rarer these days). 
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
What strikes me as "effortless" strikes others as "zero effort." Interesting how perceptions differ.
 
But then I'm biased. Everything she does is gold to me.

[WonderBuono]

Translation of the Hello! Station announcement from Tokyo Girls Update: http://tokyogirlsupdate.com/kanon-fukuda-angerme-graduation-20150545909.html

[Elpis]

Honestly I'm not surprised. She hasn't seemed happy I'm the group recently. She definitely isn't my favorite member but I'll still miss her when she graduates.

[JPope]

I was never a S/mileage fan, but I'll be honest, I'm never shocked when an idol with 6 years in a group graduates. Some may be more surprising than others, but most groups don't last that long, let alone membership in groups.

[Derby]

<div>
 
"S/ - I have this feeling since they announced the name change that the S/mileage we all know will be gone, so I expect Dawa and Kanon graduating together"
</div>
 
As I said in the prediction thread I expected this to happen this year, but I thought Ayaka would want to graduate too :(
I could say she was my favorite member but to be honest I'm not really sad

[al kusanagi]

Dawa legitimately seems to enjoy what she's doing though, so I don't think she'll leave any time soon, especially with all the opportunities it's giving her to explore, write, and talk about her love of art.

[showraniy]

My very, very brief exposure to Kanon during the third gen promotions left me finding her extremely bratty and bitchy, so I'm not sad to see her go. Before that, her diet blog turned me off of her completely, so all in all, I view her as baggage that I'm happy S/milerme is losing.


I wish her the best with everything leading up to and beyond her graduation.

[Noa]

I've loved Kanon since the Shugo Chara days so this is a bit of a blow for me.

[kitaoji]

I'm going to miss the fresh-faced! star H!P egg!idol that was Kanyon back in 2006.  From her blog posts I think her mental work-life balance has been really off, compared to folks like Iikubo and Ayumi who are making that work-school to work-life transition with moderate success. Kanyon has been focused on work and I think this sudden explosion of Berryz graduation, new members, MORE new groups made her really rethink what she can (or want to) cover in her idol career.  And well, she's been in the business since 2004, so kudos to her to really making that brave move.
 
My bets are on Ayacho graduating by the end of next year at the very latest.  She's improved a lot and developed some good leadership for S/mileage-Angerme, but it's clear that her interests are really moving towards art critique and history rather than traditional "idol" job duties..  Kudos to UF willing to partner up for those opportunities, but if the girl wants to return to a more 'traditional' career of curator/art critic, my bet is that she wants to make that jump sooner than later, given Japan's strict career tracks.

[momoirosaya]

^I agree. I think Kanon needs a mental break.
 
Little Maro Photo Appreciation, I guess she used to be Kanyon back then
      
 

 
 

[yuzuriha]

OMFG I am dying at those wota in translation topics.  hahaha I had no idea they called her a seal.
 
This seems to be the graduation with the highest percentage of people just going like "meh".  But I do feel bad for the true fans.  I'm just...not surprised and this is like the third least upsetting grad announcement for me in all of H!P history.
 
(Off topic but speaking of which, two years Reina free today!!!!!!!)
(I'm a dick).

[Derby]

[quote="yuzu"]
OMFG I am dying at those wota in translation topics.  hahaha I had no idea they called her a seal.
 
This seems to be the graduation with the highest percentage of people just going like "meh".  But I do feel bad for the true fans.  I'm just...not surprised and this is like the third least upsetting grad announcement for me in all of H!P history.
 
(Off topic but speaking of which, two years Reina free today!!!!!!!)
(I'm a dick).
[/quote]
 
I also had an awesome time tonight reading those topics about MARO (+ Ayumin post about her clothing lol I felt even bad for her).
And as for the graduation, I don't usually know much about H!P Idols but now that I know she had these weird attidude I kind of want her to stay :( so those wota can still make fun of her actions

[Haru]

Eh, give it time for the personalities of the new girls to get out; I'm sure someone will be able to match her character.