Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Translation of Sakichy's graduation announcement

Some key excerpts:

Following the Uchouten LOVE Live Event on August 27th at Higashi Betsuin Hall in Nagoya, Ogawa Saki will be graduating from S/mileage and Hello! Project.

From Tsunku:

Early in May this year
“Earlier, I have been contemplated and consolidated with staffs, about returning to being a normal middle school student. I feel very strongly about this, please let me quit.”
she has made this request.

Even as a producer, it’s not in the best interest of the group and members to continue to force a member in doubt to endure more group activities, therefore Ogawa’s request has been accepted.
He also says,
It was officially announced at first that this unit’s member might increase or decrease,
it was due this is reason that an urgent S/mileage member audition was held in June this year.

Due to various conditions of the group, herself and other parties involved, as well as terms and conditions on contract, it was not until today that this information and her will can be reported, please accept my apologizes.

From Saki herself,

However, somewhere down in my heart, I felt there was a gap between myself and the S/mileage me. I have talked it over with the staff many times and have been constantly worrying about it, and with everyone working their hardest to move forward and myself still uncertain of things, I decided that it was not in the best interest of S/mileage and I will return to being just a normal girl.

Huge thanks Takamaruyo (formerly Hyakupa) for the very quick translation. Visit their blog to read the full thing.

This makes the news a lot more bearable and answers most of my questions that I originally had, though I'm still wondering what sort of term in a contract calls for a sudden announcement like this.

I'm just bitter that Saki won't get an elaborate graduation ceremony like (almost) all other members who have left on their own volition. She was a great Hello! Project member, an underrated singer and overall talent and she will be hard to replace. Good luck S/mileage second gen.

And, if Tsunku's statement is to be believed, then the auditions were as a reaction to Saki's impending graduation and not the other way around. Interesting.

16 comments:

  1. Everything suddenly makes sense. Even though Saki was my least favorite member, this doesn't make the news any less upsetting.

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  2. Kanyon just blogged: http://ameblo.jp/kanon-fukuda/entry-10995922077.html

    From what I understand (don't quote me, my Japanese sucks), she says that they had their eye on debuting together and they were close friends. At first, Kanyon felt really confused and lonely but because it's Saki's choice, she will get over it.

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  3. Seems like I was mostly right. Here is a translation of all three member's blog posts: http://www.takamaruyo.net/?p=426

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  4. And it looks like Ikuta is poised to take over her spot in Oha Star

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  5. I do understand that it is her decision to leave and i respect that but the thing that gets me is that they are rushing this graduation. Koharu and Eri's graduations were shocks but they didn't leave like 4 days after their announcements. Saki's leaving sounds like she been involved in a scandal and they are trying to push her out with out any fuss just like with Mari, Miki, Aibon, Megumi and Kanna.

    This is seriously going to hurt not only S/mileage but also Hello Project. S/mleage is the only H!P group to have increased their sales with their recent single.

    Maybe UFA are trying to get people to buy more copies of this single as it is the offical last 4nin S/mileage with Sakitty. All i know is no matter their explainations, this is really fishy.

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  6. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!111 I am really crying for this!!! why she but... I can not understand her because of I am not an Idol and don't know how she feels I only have to say u.u Saki..... I will be always with you! and you always will be in my heart....
    (Cries!)

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  7. *sighs* I'm still in shock. It'll take a very long time for me to absorb this in carefully.
    No wonder I got this kind of "vibe" when I watched her in the latest singles/PVs.

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  8. Terrible decision by UFA to get rid of her. I'm sure there is some truth to what Saki has blogged but I'm positive it doesn't tell the whole story of what happened leading up to that decision. Honestly i'm shocked at people swallowing the official explanation hook, line and sinker without even bothering to really think about it. Kira is spot on when she bought up the point that she's only being given 4 days to clear out. 4 days????

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  9. I gasped when I saw the title. I absolutely cannot believe this... she was my favorite S/mileage member!!!!!!! :'( We'll miss you Saki!!!!!!!!!!!! Take care!

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  10. It's really pissing me off that she's not getting a graduation ceremony at a concert or anything. I mean honestly.

    I am also starting to understand exactly why Tsunku added five members. Because he knew all along that there wouldn't be nine. Saki was leaving, S/mileage would still retain a balance of sorts

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  11. 2011 pisses me off...first Ai-chan then Saki...what next?

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  12. NO~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!! :(
    Sakichii don't go~~~~!!!!! *cries*
    I can't believe that my favorite S/mileage member is leaving...
    She has a really great talent...
    But now.... *sobs*
    I'll still continue supporting her....

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  13. She is such a great singer why would she suddenly want to leave?! Maybe she got in trouble for doing something. Because it's the same "I want to go back to being a normal girl" excuse that Megumi gave.

    I'm sorry but she seemed to be quite happy in S/mileage and I didn't sense anything wrong while watching her rehearse, perform or being with the members. There was no body language or anything that indicated she was unhappy or uncomfortable being in the spotlight. Quite the opposite. All the members seemed comfortable and happy until this whole new member thing started.

    Nobody works that hard for a long time only to give it all up just like that. She probably had to leave for other reasons that they are not telling us... How disappointing...

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  14. Remninds me of Fukuda Asuka. She was the same age when she to chose to leave Morning Musume "to live a normal live" only to find out years later she simple felt alone/friendless within the group. Obviously this isn't the case here having Fukuda Kanon as her best friend since the beginning 7 years ago in Eggs. We might here as well find out sometime later more about the "why". I think we all can agree that the founding members will need our support now more then ever having such mixed emotions between losing a member of thier own & being strong for the new sub-members.

    @anonymous#1 Don't Jinx it!

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  15. I'm only fairly new (well maybe about three years) to morning musume/H!P fandom. It seems that recently Tsunku is getting more daring in his role of producer. It seemed before every now and then a group would have an audition, a cute graduation, then that's that. Besides the few scandals, it seems what it is really like for these girls is coming to light.

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  16. Saki was never my favourite member, but I'm totally not happy about this!! >:( I really saw her as one of the best voices in the future of H!P. It's okay if it's her decision, but I'm still not totally convinced because it's so sudden.

    Sub members, give your best!

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