S/mileage's new name is ANGERME, 3rd gen members announced

[Starra]

http://helloproject.com/news/2047/
https://secure3.xross.jp/?key=3104daf72 ... e6ccf1c311

New members are: Aikawa Maho, Sasaki Rikako and Murota Mizuki!

[Mixi]

Ayakanon said they want to secure S/mileage's future (after their graduation) so they can become a group like Morning Musume. This means more member additions in the future.

[Celedam]

Which also implies that Ayaka and Kanon are graduating soon.

It's been ten years for them, including their time as Eggs, and they're at that age…

[forgetmenots]

Ayaka looks so nervous in the video. She must be really worried about everyone's reactions that, and then when she broke it to 2Ki man no one seems super happy about it, but I like their reasonings a lot and it seems like Ayaka and Kanon talked about it a lot beforehand probably with management...

I'm really glad the new members are coming from the Kenshuusei. And I personally am happy it's happening in general, I think it will be good for them. I'll be sad to see graduations though if that does happen soon...

[Starra]

Which also implies that Ayaka and Kanon are graduating soon.

It's been ten years for them, including their time as Eggs, and they're at that age…

It makes sense to me. They were kids back when they became Eggs, and now they've grown up and probably want to think about their futures.

Ten years is a really fucking long time.

[Mixi]

Ayacho said just last month that she wants to graduate around the age of 25, like Sayumi. Kanon seems to like idoling too much. I can't see her graduating until she turns 25 either.

[Jessi]

OH MY GOD!

What a year this is and we are just at the tip of it. New members for Morning Musume then Kenshuusei added to S/mileage?

And then if a new Kenshuusei group is added I can't even.......

Can I mention that I felt like S/mileage 2nd gen should have been only Kenshuusei. Only because it started as a Kenshuusei group and therefore it would have made sense. I wouldn't change it now though because... Well Meimei is my favorite member haha. But there is so many high quality Kenshuusei right now that I just want a ton of them to debut. Just throw a bunch of them into MM/S/mileage and then make a new group. I will be so happy!

I really enjoyed s/mileage last year, but this year it's sort of waned. That's mainly due to the shift from then genki type songs to the meloncholy platinum era type songs. But I think this new addition and name change will certainly shift my attention back to them. It's exactly what I think they need. Timing is perfect. 6nin lasted a good two years right? That's more than most Morning Musume gens (with the exception of 8ki).

I wonder if Tsunku looked at all the groups and said "what's working and what's not" and though Berryz needs to go and S/mileage who has the lowest sales right now needs of refreshen it's self. It seems like he has thrown all these challenges and stuff and s/mileage isn't keeping up. Even Berryz has done consistently better.

My other thought is perhaps Ayaka and Kanon or just one of them is going to graduate within the next year and approached Tsunku. He then may have found this a perfect opportunity to add members change the name.

[Celedam]

Ayacho said just last month that she wants to graduate around the age of 25, like Sayumi. Kanon seems to like idoling too much. I can't see her graduating until she turns 25 either.

We'll see. A lot happens in any person's life between 20 and 25.

[Starra]

Official site link:
http://helloproject.com/news/2047/

[Starra]

Member blog posts:
Ayaka
http://ameblo.jp/wadaayaka/entry-11929721855.html

Kanon
http://ameblo.jp/kanon-fukuda/entry-11929726580.html

Kana
http://ameblo.jp/smileage-submember/ent ... 36871.html

Takechan
http://ameblo.jp/smileage-submember/ent ... 35111.html

Rina
http://ameblo.jp/smileage-submember/ent ... 33128.html

Meimi
http://ameblo.jp/smileage-submember/ent ... 29378.html

EDIT: Even Tsunku was surprised.
http://ameblo.jp/tsunku-blog/entry-11929703991.html