Kobushigeddon 2017

[Anderei]

 
 
Timeline:
 
May 12: Fujii Rio announces that she has decided to graduate from Kobushi Factory and Hello!Project. Says she wants to focus on becoming a teacher or a nurse. Was meant to graduate at the end of the H!P Summer tour, which ran from July 15 to September 2.
 
July 6: Up Front announces on the website that they have decided to end Fujii's contract early as a result of noncompliance with the rules. Stated that they had talked with her and her family and tried to resolve the issue first. Magazine reported that it was behavior issues and was having an effect on other members. Fans speculated she wasn't showing up to practice and events because she was absent for a lot of promotional activities for their 4th single.
 
July 13: H!P website announces that Ogawa Rena has been diagnosed with anxiety neurosis and will go on hiatus until mid-August. Rena posts on her blog telling fans not to worry about her.
 
July 20: Purikura of Rena with a boy are posted on twitter. Text on photos makes it clear he's a boyfriend. Photos on Kobushi's blog of the exact same outfit make it clear it's her. Up Front makes no statement. Photos in question:

Spoiler: [+]

 
August 4: Photo is leaked of a girl fans believe to be Hamaura Ayano, because of a  backpack. Girl isn't able to be clearly seen, but is with a boy and using the charger station on his bike. No statement is released nor is any action taken against Hamaura. Photo in question:

Spoiler: [+]

 
August 16: Up Front states that there is no sign of recovery for Ogawa and that her physical condition is still unstable. Hiatus will continue.
 
September 6: It's announced that Ogawa Rena has decided to graduate from both Kobushi Factory and Hello!Project. Her final blog post hints that Up Front gave her an ultimatum and she decided to leave on her own. Joins Twitter soon after. Her twitter has recently been locked and is not public. Has also streamed on Line Live and showed Taguchi's face to prove she was the real Rena.
 
November 9: Photos are leaked on twitter of Taguchi Natsumi in bed with a boy. Photos in question. Up Front makes no statement, Taguchi continues blogging and performing with the group as normal. 
 
December 6: Up Front announces that the contract with Taguchi Natsumi has been terminated. A TV reporter who is a fan of hers says that he knows Up Front Staff and that Taguchi decided to end it herself, had planned to do so at the end of the year but pushed it forward for an unknown reason, and that Ogawa leaving was a big influence on her decision. 
 
December 9: Photos of Hirose Ayaka are leaked on twitter with a man. The twitter account in question is brand new, is writing as if it's from her point of view and is tagging everything #kobushi_bus. Kobushi just started a bus tour.
 
December 9: Totsugeki Mou Icchou (a show Taguchi has been on before) got word of her leaving and talked about her for a bit. Man from the show named Nakajima sums up what happened and states that the Line Live hurt her more than the actual relationship did. Says she felt guilty, and asked to be withdrawn. Told him to come to the Kobushi Shinjuku ReNy stage or he might regret it, and was not acting her usual self while he was there.
 
December: 
December: someone created a Twitter account under the name Sasuke (さすけ) the other day to leak a purikura of Taguchi and Rena (wearing the same clothes as their infamous LINE LIVE), and talk about "Hirose Hate", "Drinking Factory", "Hirose's ex-boyfriend" and "Wada-Hirose-Taguchi are slutty bitches". Screenshots in question:

Spoiler: [+]

Edit by aine: See these two threads for more background.

[TicTacAnyone]

This is wild.... At first I was like, "wow Rio, way to hurt the group" and then Rena left and was obviously influencing Taguchi still. Then Taguchi left and the two of them are raising hell--my point being normally I would think "I feel bad for the girls still in the group" but honestly any one of them could be the next Regucchi. Definitely not as innocent or oblivious as they may seem.
 
PS--Thanks for sharing the Ayano photo, I didn't go out of my way to look for it so I hadn't seen it yet. I doubt the Sasuke account is Rena or Taguchi, but I question where some of these other up-close and personal photos came from of Ayano and Hirose. They were obviously taken by a friend/someone they trusted.
 
 
The real red herring would be if this was another H!P member releasing these photos all along lol. But the photo leakage itself definitely strikes me as a member.

[Anderei]

I can't think of a reason that any current H!P member, especially from another group, would do this to them. They gain nothing from it. A lot of people think it's Rio, because Rena has no real reason to bring Taguchi down since they're very obviously still friends. 

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="Anderei"]
I can't think of a reason that any current H!P member, especially from another group, would do this to them. They gain nothing from it. A lot of people think it's Rio, because Rena has no real reason to bring Taguchi down since they're very obviously still friends. 
[/quote]
 
I agree, I don't think anyone else in the company is willing to take the risk of being found out, at the very least.

[arcobaleno]

Thank you for making a comprehensive thread on this, Anderei! Lots of craziness abound, but this is by far the most interesting thing happening in H!P right now. (...Which is sad.)
 
To expand on the Twitter writing as Ayaka, the tweets posted, translated, are:
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
1
I'm Hirose Ayaka
</blockquote>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
2
The Bus Tour is fun
</blockquote>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
3
I wonder if I'll call my boyfriend~?
</blockquote>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
4
I'd be happy if I could drink some sake~
</blockquote>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
5
Togepii is so kind!
</blockquote>
(Honestly, no clue about what this refers to. Searching とげぴぃ lands me on some YT channel with wota chants/dances from 2 years ago. Simplest reasoning, it's the wota she's dating referenced in the next tweet.)
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
6
I'm dating a wota hehehehe
</blockquote>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
7
Editing photos for my blog
</blockquote>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
8
[My boyfriend and I] Also share yakiniku together hehe
</blockquote>
(Apparently, in Japanese dating culture, this means they've had sex or are fairly intimate.)
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
9
Good night
</blockquote>
 
Lots of bad (by quite a few Japanese and of course Uber!Wota standards) allegations with that account.

[Anderei]

There's someone on twitter who is a MM wota and is claiming that the guy in the photo is his friend and they're contemplating legal action. Not necessarily true, but if it is, it does support that sixth tweet about her dating a fan. Which just makes it all the more obvious that this is someone who knows them. Especially since it's all on social media. Tabloids would put it in magazines and articles if they knew who the girls were.

[TicTacAnyone]

Togepi?
 

 
 
Also I'm sure we'll know within the next few days what's going on. I doubt staff is playing any more games with these Kobushi girls. But it really makes you think how probably 80% of H!P girls have boyfriends... Unless Kobushi is just super confident they'd never be caught and other groups aren't that confident. I doubt you could be in MM and get away with casually meeting boys.

[Anderei]

Nah, I bet the older girls in MM are just as guilty of what we've seen in all these photos. It's not the early 2000s anymore, they're not as huge a story as they used to be if one of them gets caught. Someone would still write about it if they knew it was them but I don't think they're high on the list of people you follow for a scoop.

[Purin-chama]

I wonder if it really is Rio spiting the entire group. Kind of makes sense... Curious to see how this all plays out

[aine]

How sad that this is the most interesting thing to happen in Hellopro in a long time.

If it really turns out it's one of the former members wouldn't that be the first, an idol fucking over her fellow other idols in such a public way? Also another proof that social media ruined everything. Like Anderei said, if it was a tabloid with paparazzi scoop pictures then they would just publish it, unless paid off by the agency to keep a lid on it.

On the other hand after one day that Ayaka tweet only has some 300-odd likes/retweets which is like the smallest time "scandal" the entertainment industry has ever seen.

Yet I still feel that if it really in an inside job then it might have some industry-wide consequences in the long run. Small time as it is, it's the ugliest thing that we've seen to date I blame K-pop for this shit.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="arcobaleno" data-cid="211551" data-time="1512868228">Looking at that, yeah, pretty undeniable it's your standard male school uniform.</blockquote>My first thought was and still is a salaryman. Especially with that watch, it's not something I imagine a high school kid would wear, though there could be exceptions or I just plain don't know.

[Meikochi]

Here is the translation of the last post from that "Sasuke" account : "Kobushi Factory who love being connected (/ tied / related) to their wotas".

Obviously that person / some people really hate them, poor girls.


I didn't understand though why that Rena - Tagucchi Line Live hurt Tagguchi : she is not responsible of Rena's behaviour and they didn't do illegal things so..?

[DonJuan]

Maybe it's because some wota are mad at Rena for showing her boyfriend and stuff and think she's just doing it to anger them. Maybe she's seen as a scandalous person by H!P. Maybe they also forbid Taguchi to meet up with her - idk, some companies pull scary shit.


If Hirose was dating a wota though that'd be bad. And that twitter person also pulled Sako into it? Damn. HamaMinaReirei Factory coming soon?

[Anderei]

They're probably not supposed to be seen on certain social media.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="aine" data-cid="211571" data-time="1512898418">
How sad that this is the most interesting thing to happen in Hellopro in a long time.If it really turns out it's one of the former members wouldn't that be the first, an idol fucking over her fellow other idols in such a public way? Also another proof that social media ruined everything. Like Anderei said, if it was a tabloid with paparazzi scoop pictures then they would just publish it, unless paid off by the agency to keep a lid on it.On the other hand after one day that Ayaka tweet only has some 300-odd likes/retweets which is like the smallest time "scandal" the entertainment industry has ever seen. :lol:Yet I still feel that if it really in an inside job then it might have some industry-wide consequences in the long run. Small time as it is, it's the ugliest thing that we've seen to date I blame K-pop for this shit.<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="arcobaleno" data-cid="211551" data-time="1512868228">
Looking at that, yeah, pretty undeniable it's your standard male school uniform.</blockquote>My first thought was and still is a <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://c8.alamy.com/comp/C6858T/tokyo-j ... C6858T.jpg' class="bbc_url" title="External link">salaryman</a>. Especially with that watch, it's not something I imagine a high school kid would wear, though there could be exceptions or I just plain don't know.</blockquote>
Kobushi are a small time group which is why the tweets aren't blowing up. Especially because they're on a twitter account made obviously just to post the photos. It wouldn't have gained much traction if it was most of the other groups either.


I think the most interesting thing is that it appears they were actually gonna let Taguchi stay. Rena possibly as well. Rio feels like the only one who was just plain kicked out because her contract ending suddenly wasn't precedented by anything that could be labeled a scandal.

[Farrah]

[quote="aine"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="arcobaleno" data-cid="211551" data-time="1512868228">
Looking at that, yeah, pretty undeniable it's your standard male school uniform.
</blockquote>
My first thought was and still is a salaryman. Especially with that watch, it's not something I imagine a high school kid would wear, though there could be exceptions or I just plain don't know.
 
[/quote]
 
Honestly, you can tell just by looking at the hands / arms that it's not a teenager.  Looks more like someone in their late 20s or early 30s based off the skin.  I'm really hoping he's not as old as his arms look since Hirose is still a teenager and that'd be kind of sleazy to me lol.

The vibe I get from all of this is that Kobushi may have had kind of a party girl group culture - going out a lot with enough people and eventually one of your "party friends" is going to sell you out, especially if you piss them off or slight them in any way.  I wouldn't be surprised if this were some guy friend of theirs that one of them jilted or something, that's the vibe I get from the "She's a dirty slut who does the sex!" tone of the tweets. 

I feel like most girls in H!P are probably dating or doing other, normal teenager stuff like all of this, but they don't get caught because they keep their inner circle small and/or vetted.  This much stuff coming out is basically a byproduct of sloppiness.  I mean, everyone knows the 48 girls are constantly goukoning, but only a few have been dumb or irresponsible enough to do it with people who take pictures.
 
I find theories that it's Rio to be incredibly unlikely.  I mean, it'd be juicy af and I'm a slut for drama so I'd love it, but I really doubt it.  I'd actually wager a guess she was probably in Taguchi / Rena's circle and that she was just the first to get caught behaving rebelliously - like maybe showing up for rehearsal hungover or something, or blowing off practice.  I can't see a girl get immediately removed from the group simply for dating, I think it's much more likely she was a party girl (especially since Rena seems to be lol) or something.

 

[Mukuro]

I wonder if the girls know who leaked all these photos. Hirose must know who took the pictures at least if she remember who sat in that spot when hanging out. 

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="Farrah"]
and I'm a slut for drama
[/quote]
 
Me me me me me me me
 
[quote="Mukuro"]
I wonder if the girls know who leaked all these photos. Hirose must know who took the pictures at least if she remember who sat in that spot when hanging out. 
[/quote]
 
Those who have photos leaked of them out and about in public (Hirose/Hamaura) have gottt to know who leaked them. For Hamaura, the person was right behind her. And it doesn't seem like from a stranger's distance. And like you said, in Hirose's case the person was literally sitting across from her on what looks to be a double date. Neither of the pictures themselves strike me as "omg take this as evidence" but more as like "D'aww look how cute my friend and her boyfriend/his girlfriend are together." So from what I can tell the photos were taken secretly on good terms but then leaked with malicious intent.
 
Also I think Hirose's dude does look a bit older than a high schooler. Call me crazy but when I saw hit blurred out eyebrows in the second pic my thought was "how old is he?" lolol He has a nice smile in the first pic tho :(

[Elpis]

In reply to an earlier comment that I’m having a hard tome quoting. If this was Morning Musume, then this would’ve blown up a lot more. While they aren’t big like they used to be, they’re still the biggest in H!P right now.


And from what I know, a lot of idols do Date. There are some who definitely don’t but others do. It later came out that Matsuura Aya was dating the person who became her husband for most of her career. And Maeda Yuuka dated her boyfriend before graduating S/mileage. Plus there are idols who have gotten busted for dating a lot. And while some agencies are okay with dating (as long as it’s not a fan) a lot seem to have the “you can do it as long as you don’t get caught or jeopardize your work”.

[Purin-chama]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Farrah" data-cid="211575" data-time="1512918470">
I find theories that it's Rio to be incredibly unlikely. I mean, it'd be juicy af and I'm a slut for drama so I'd love it, but I really doubt it. I'd actually wager a guess she was probably in Taguchi / Rena's circle and that she was just the first to get caught behaving rebelliously - like maybe showing up for rehearsal hungover or something, or blowing off practice. I can't see a girl get immediately removed from the group simply for dating, I think it's much more likely she was a party girl (especially since Rena seems to be lol) or something.
</blockquote>Maybe she wasn't dating and got caught. Maybe her crazy girl claws came out.

[momoirosaya]

If anyone in Momusu is dating my bets are on Eripon.

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="Saya"]
If anyone in Momusu is dating my bets are on Eripon.
[/quote]
 
Eripon, Ayumi and Ogata were the first people who popped in my mind for that lmao.
 
Also Mizura, that was my quote and I agree... It would definitely be bigger than this. Not as big as 10 years ago but it'd still be tabloid news. Honestly I think if the tabloids themselves had snapped these pics they'd be published... it's just that they didn't take them so they're not in the know.

[DonJuan]

I hope they can stop the person who leaked the photos soon and maybe take legal action (in case of Hamachan and Ayaka they probably took and published photos of them against their will so that seems like it could be illegal). 
Who is it? That's the juicy part. I can think of several culprits, some definitely being on the crack theory side though.
 
Outsiders:
- ex-boyfriends (very likely in the case of Rena and Taguchi, not impossible for Ayaka, considering one tweet did mention her ex)
- dudes who were into them but they gave them the cold shoulder (considering the language of some tweets - "slutty bitches" - this is quite likely as well, it sounds like something a rejected dude would say)
- "friends". yeah. 
- some weird hacker. it'd be quite surprising for someone to hack into their phones without suspicion though.
 
Insiders (aka let the crack flow):
- Rio. She has always been bitter because they made Ayaka leader over her. Since she's still friends with Taguchi (and probably Rena) it's probably easy for her to get private selfies and copies of purikura - they might have sent them to her themselves. For the Ayaka picture - what if they were out partying as a group and she took the picture? It was easy for her to stand behind Hamachan to take the picture for her leak, too, since Hamachan probably never thought of Rio doing any harm. In fact my crack theory is that Rio and Rena (and maybe Taguchi) teamed up, against the other 5. If there were some fights in the group, that is.
- Rena. Same as Rio, and her tweets that might throw shade at Ayaka sound quite petty. The comment by that moderator about her being the main reason why Taguchi left as well also puts her in bad light.
- Someone from management. There's always cases of mgmt not getting along with their idols and I wouldn't be surprised if some did actually harm to them. Stupid, but not impossible imo.
- Some Kenshuusei/Eggs that weren't picked and had to leave, probably right before Up-Front went on that new-group-wave. Since some are still friends with current or former Kenshuusei the pictures might have spread. 
- Someone from Tsubaki to make sure they are the superior factory.
- Someone from Country Girls because they were pissed that they were put on hiatus while Kobushi, who also was on decline, could go on like nothing happened.
- Ichioka Reina to get rid of rivals once her group debutes.
- Aikawa Maho because she was bored. Her being a possible culprit is also the reason why they haven't made an announcement about her comeback at today's last concert.
- Momohime/Kurumi because they don't want to be theater girls, they want to join the rebranded Kobushi.
- Tsunku, because Kobushi were the first group to be formed in H!P without his consent.

[momoirosaya]

Let’s not get too crazy with our speculations. On a serious note, someone is really out to being the girls down and it isn’t over yet. Kind of sad that someone is so devoted to messing with others peoples lives like this.

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="DonJuan"]
Outsiders:
- ex-boyfriends (very likely in the case of Rena and Taguchi, not impossible for Ayaka, considering one tweet did mention her ex)
[/quote]
 
I doubt it since Rena still seems to be with her man. And I don't see why an ex would take a whole group down instead of only his ex-girlfriend, you know? I can't see how anyone not involved in the group in some capacity would have that much anger that they'd ruin a whole unit. Usually getting back at your ex is good enough.
 
That's why I think it would be a member/fan--These two options would be personally invested in the entire group and would have a reason to want to see the whole group fail and not just a single person.

[al kusanagi]

If they are in fact dating wota, then literally any other wota could be behind it. Idols are supposed to be unobtainable, so if they are not only dating a wota, but not THEM, burn it all to the ground!

[Anderei]

I don't think Rena and Taguchi were dating wota.

[yuzuriha]

I blame Minami.

[B8067HC]

Interesting, so many speculation. Now Rena (@Renashi0307) told "she want to meet Riko"


https://twitter.com/matsuokun39/status/940103141952954369


Some Japanese wota already speculated like crazy.

[DonJuan]

It's weird for her to drop names of strangers so maybe it's Yamagishi... didn't know they were close.

[TicTacAnyone]

Yeah it's definitely odd of her to just say any "Riko" but I also can't imagine why she'd go to meet Yamagishi, or why Yamagishi would accept that invitation lol.

[Ap2000]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Anderei" data-cid="211561" data-time="1512884609">
December: someone created a Twitter account under the name Sasuke (さすけ) the other day to leak a purikura of Taguchi and Rena (wearing the same clothes as their infamous LINE LIVE), and talk about "Hirose Hate", "Drinking Factory", "Hirose's ex-boyfriend" and "Wada-Hirose-Taguchi are slutty bitches".
</blockquote>

What the fuck.