Morning Musume
Morning Musume (モーニング娘。) is a j-pop girl group that began in 1997, and is still active today. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, a group of female musical groups and soloists under the Up Front Agency, and who are run by Tsunku, who started Morning Musume from five losers of a competition to find a female rock vocalist (of which he was one of the judges). Tsunku challenged these girls to record a single and sell 50,000 copies of it in 5 days, and they managed the feat in 4. Momusu (モー娘。) as they are often referred to (sometimes "Momusume" in tabloids) are well known to have numerous lineup changes, classified by new "generations" of members being added, and older members "graduating" when they leave the group. The group has always had a leader and a sub-leader, based upon age (though Miki Fujimoto being sub-leader to the slightly younger Hitomi Yoshizawa, from spring 2005 to the present, has been an exception, due to Yoshizawa's seniority in the group). Their first big hit and break into mainstream success was "LOVE Machine" in 1999. They now have 30 singles and 7 original albums. Their music is released under the label zetima, which is owned by UFA.
There have been many spinoff groups, called sub-groups, that members have participated in, and some have participated in various other H!P units. The current sub-leader is a former H!P soloist. There are also summer shuffle groups that most, if not all, members of Hello! Project (2005 was an exception) participate in each summer, where 3 groups will release different singles (in the past it was a competition to sell the most; now it's tradition). In 2004, all of the H!P collective at the time did a single together as the H!P All Stars. Also notable is that in 2003, Momusu split temporarily into half, into two sub-groups (Morning Musume Sakuragumi and Morning Musume Otomegumi). This was so they could perform in smaller venues and whatnot. Each group released 2 singles, and both have been inactive since spring 2004.
Morning Musume members and other Hello! Project groups have also released movies, starred in their own musicals, and participated in a futsal (indoor soccer) team (Gatas Brillhantes H!P), a kickball team (H!P Metro Rabbits), and a volleyball team (which there is little info on the members and the name of). In addition to all this, there is the weekly TV show Hello! Morning (sometimes called Haromoni), which primarily is hosted by and stars Momusu members (though other H!P members participate, as well), which features skits the girls star in, performances of H!P acts, and talk show-like segments. There's also a slew of other TV and radio shows, some interview-oriented and some depicting fictional stories starring the girls.
The Girls of Momusu
Hitomi Yoshizawa
Nickname: Yossi
Date of Birth: April 12, 1985
Status: Leader, last remaining 4th generation member, captain of Gatas Brillhantes
Sub-groups and other H!P units: Petitmoni [aka Pucchi Moni] (2nd gen.)
Momusu-gumi: Sakuragumi
Shuffle groups: Akagumi 4 (temp. 2nd gen.), 10nin Matsuri, Sexy 8, 11WATER, H!P All Stars
Miki Fujimoto
Nickname: Mikitty
Date of Birth: February 26, 1985
Status: Sub-leader, 6th generation member, former Hello! Project soloist, player in Gatas Brillhantes, a regular lead singer
Sub-groups and other H!P units: Gomattou, Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto, GAM
Momusu-gumi: Otomegumi
Shuffle groups: Odoru 11, 11WATER, H!P All Stars, Sexy Otonajan
Ai Takahashi
Nickname: Ai-chan, Tettekette (possibly a relative of the nickname fans call her, Takitty)
Date of Birth: September 14, 1986
Status: 5th generation member, player in H!P Metro Rabbits, a regular lead singer
Sub-groups and other H!P units: Mini Moni (2nd gen.)
Momusu-gumi: Sakuragumi
Shuffle groups: Happy 7, 7AIR, H!P All Stars, Elegies
Risa Niigaki
Nickname: Gaki-san, Omame-chan, Mame
Date of Birth: October 20, 1988
Status: 5th generation member, player in H!P Metro Rabbits
Sub-groups and other H!P units: Tanpopo (3rd gen.)
Momusu-gumi: Sakuragumi
Shuffle groups: Happy 7, 7AIR, H!P All Stars
Makoto Ogawa
Nickname: Mako-chan
Date of Birth: October 29, 1987
Status: 5th generation member, player in H!P Metro Rabbits, to graduate on August 27, 2006 to study abroad
Sub-groups and other H!P units: Petitmoni [aka Pucchi Moni] (3rd gen.)
Momusu-gumi: Otomegumi
Shuffle groups: Happy 7, SALT5, H!P All Stars
Eri Kamei
Nickname: Eririn, Kameko, Kamei-chan (Elizabeth Kyamei, Eric Kamezou, and the like are characters she played on Hello! Morning, not nicknames)
Date of Birth: December 22, 1988
Status: 6th generation member, player in H!P Metro Rabbits
Sub-groups and other H!P units: N/A
Momusu-gumi: Sakuragumi
Shuffle groups: H!P All Stars
Sayumi Michishige
Nickname: Sayu, Shige-san
Date of Birth: July 13, 1989
Status: 6th generation member, player in H!P Metro Rabbits
Sub-groups and other H!P units: Ecomoni
Momusu-gumi: Otomegumi
Shuffle groups: H!P All Stars
Reina Tanaka
Nickname: Tanakacchi (May not be used very much though)
Date of Birth: November 11, 1989
Status: 6th generation member, player in H!P Metro Rabbits, a regular lead singer
Sub-groups and other H!P units: Aa!
Momusu-gumi: Otomegumi
Shuffle groups: H!P All Stars, Elegies
Koharu Kusumi
Nickname: Koha, Kussun
Date of Birth: July 15, 1992
Status: Sole member of the 7th generation (the Miracle Ace, as named by Tsunku), player in H!P Metro Rabbits, voice of Kirari Tsukishima in the anime "Kirarin*Revolution," singer of the opening and end themes of "Kirarin*Revolution" (which will be released as a single)
Sub-groups and other H!P units: N/A
Momusu-gumi: N/A
Shuffle groups: N/A
Former Members (Info on them to be added)
Yuko Nakazawa (graduated in April 2001)
Aya Ishiguro (graduated in January 2000)
Kaori Iida (graduated in January 2005)
Natsumi Abe (graduated in January 2004)
Asuka Fukuda (graduated in April 1999)
Kei Yasuda (graduated in May 2003)
Mari Yaguchi ("retired" on April 14, 2005, received no graduation ceremony due to a scandal)
Sayaka Ichii (graduated in May 2000)
Maki Goto (graduated in September 2002)
Rika Ishikawa (graduated in May 2005)
Nozomi Tsuji (graduated in August 2004, with Ai Kago)
Ai Kago (graduated in August 2004, with Nozomi Tsuji)
Asami Konno (graduated on July 23, 2006)
Generations & Auditions
First Gen : Yuko Nakazawa, Aya Ishiguro, Kaori Iida, Natsumi Abe, Asuka Fukuda
Joined in: late 1997 (start of group)
Audition: Talent show to pick a female rock vocalist on the TV show Asayan (the winner was Heike Michiyo; the first gen of Momusu was made up of girls who lost in that competition). No training camp or theme song.
Second Gen : Kei Yasuda, Mari Yaguchi, Sayaka Ichii
Joined in: 1998
Audition: Morning Musume Tsuika Auditon. It was broadcast on Asayan, and had no training camp or theme song.
Third Gen : Maki Goto
Joined in: 1999
Audition: Morning Musume 2nd Tsuika Audition. It was broadcast on Asayan, had a training camp, and the theme song was "Summer Night Town," Momusu's second single. (Note: Kumi Koda, currently popular singer on the Avex Trax label, participated in this audition.)
Fourth Gen : Rika Ishikawa, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Nozomi Tsuji, Ai Kago
Joined in: 2000
Audition: Morning Musume 3rd Tsuika Audition. It was broadcast on Asayan, had a training camp, and the theme song was "Akai nikkichou," the single of the summer shuffle group Akagumi 4. (Note: Miki Fujimoto [former H!P soloist and now a 6th generation member] and Mai Satoda [now a member of H!P group Country Musume] participated in this auditon.)
Fifth Gen : Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno, Makoto Ogawa, Risa Niigaki
Joined in: late 2001
Audition: Morning Musume Love Audition 21. It was broadcast on muSix!, it had a training camp, and the theme song was "LOVE Namida Iro," Aya Matsuura's third single.
Sixth Gen : Miki Fujimoto, Eri Kamei, Sayumi Michishige, Reina Tanaka
Joined in: early-mid 2003
Audition: Morning Musume Love Audition 2002. It was broadcast on muSix!, it had a training camp, and the theme song was "Akai Freesia," Melon Kinenbi's eighth single. (Note: Of course, Miki Fujimoto was already an H!P soloist, having auditioned in the 3rd Tsuika Audition [that found the 4th generation] and not been selected, but having been called back a year later to be a soloist. She released five singles and one original album before Tsunku added her to Momusu with the sixth gen.)
Seventh Gen : Koharu Kusumi
Joined in: mid 2005
Audition: Interestingly, Koharu is the product of the second of two 7th generation auditions. The first auditon, Morning Musume Lucky 7 Audition, was broadcast on Hello! Morning in January 2005, had a training camp, and the theme song was "Haru no Uta," a song from Momusu's sixth album "Ai no Dai 6 Kan." No new members were added in this audition. The second round of 7th generation auditions was called Morning Musume Audition 2005. It was broadcast on Hello! Morning, and had no training camp or theme song. Tsunku had voiced before the Lucky 7 auditions that he was looking for an ace (a "miracle ace"), and decided after the 2005 auditions that Koharu Kusumi was it. Instead of a more conventional way of informing her, he had Momusu go to her hometown and surprise her at school.
Discography
Singles (click for cover pictures)
0) Ai no Tane, released on November 3, 1997 (This was the single that Tsunku challenged them to sell 50,000 copies of in five days if they were to become a new group, thus it is considered their 0th single. It also became the B-side song on their first official single, Morning Coffee.)
1) Morning Coffee, released on January 28, 1998.
2) Summer Night Town, released on May 27, 1998.
3) Daite HOLD ON ME!, released on September 9, 1998.
4) Memory Seishun no Hikari, released on February 10, 1999.
5) Manatsu no Kousen, released on May 12, 1999.
6) Furusato, released on July 14, 1999.
7) LOVE Machine, released on October 14, 1999.
8) Koi no Dance Site, released on January 26, 2000.
9) Happy Summer Wedding, released on May 17, 2000.
10) I WISH, released on August 6, 2000.
11) Renai Revolution 21, released on January 24, 2001.
12) The Peace!, released on July 25, 2001.
13) Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~, released on October 31, 2001. (Halloween! =O)
14) Souda! We're ALIVE!, released on February 20, 2002.
15) Do it! Now, released on July 24, 2002.
16) Koko ni Iruzee!, released on October 30, 2002. (Day before Halloween! =O Yeah it's less shocking)
17) Morning Musume no Hyokkori Hyoutan-jima, released on February 19, 2003.
18) AS FOR ONE DAY, released on April 23, 2003.
19) Shabondama, released on July 30, 2003.
20) Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~, released on November 6, 2003.
21) Ai Araba IT'S ALL RIGHT, released on February 21, 2004.
22) Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~, released on May 12, 2004.
23) Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari, released on July 22, 2004.
24) Namida ga Tomaranai Houkago, released on November 3, 2004.
25) THE Manpower!!!, released on January 19, 2005. (Former official cheer song of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles baseball team, a team regularly affiliating with Hello! Project.)
26) Osaka Koi no Uta, released on April 27, 2005.
27) Iroppoi Jirettai, released on July 27, 2005.
28) Chokkan 2 ~Nogashita Sakana wa Ookiizo!~, released on October 26, 2005.
29) SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~, released on March 15, 2006.
30) Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii jan, to be released on June 21, 2006.
Albums (click for cover pictures)
Original albums
1) First Time
5) No.5
7) Rainbow 7
Best of/Other Albums
Things to be added: Filmography, info on musicals, links to other H!P pages, and generally more info.
This page was made and edited by asoueaddict
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