Spoiler: show
Going off of what you said, but adding a bit of my own two cents (not combating you!)
I think, like you wrote, they need to try being more themselves and not try to be 'Tsunku'... but where I think they make sense is that they are trying to keep H!P more "different" and in that sense, they try to be Tsunku, which is obviously impossible. At least for me, when I say that the new songs sound "tsunku", it usually means that they just... don't have the same sound as generic J-pop songs, which means they are trying to be different and H!P-like.
The only problem I see is that to get more sales, they are trying to push more in a generic direction, hence why I think C-ute is doing much better. They're songs recently have been sounding too generic for H!P-like groups imo.
But besides that, I'm sure Tsunku isn't leaving H!P forever, it's like with everything out there: When someone resigns, retires, etc etc, they usually come back from time to time and give a speech or talk or give pointers, something like that. Like my principles in high school or teachers, etc, they would come back occasionally. And since Tsunku had such a close connection to all the H!P girls, there's no way he's just gonna disappear; he's just not going to produce. But that doesn't mean he can't do anything anymore!
I think, like you wrote, they need to try being more themselves and not try to be 'Tsunku'... but where I think they make sense is that they are trying to keep H!P more "different" and in that sense, they try to be Tsunku, which is obviously impossible. At least for me, when I say that the new songs sound "tsunku", it usually means that they just... don't have the same sound as generic J-pop songs, which means they are trying to be different and H!P-like.
The only problem I see is that to get more sales, they are trying to push more in a generic direction, hence why I think C-ute is doing much better. They're songs recently have been sounding too generic for H!P-like groups imo.
But besides that, I'm sure Tsunku isn't leaving H!P forever, it's like with everything out there: When someone resigns, retires, etc etc, they usually come back from time to time and give a speech or talk or give pointers, something like that. Like my principles in high school or teachers, etc, they would come back occasionally. And since Tsunku had such a close connection to all the H!P girls, there's no way he's just gonna disappear; he's just not going to produce. But that doesn't mean he can't do anything anymore!