Hello. Once again – yesterday Hello!Project Official Site has announced yet another “greeeeat” news. Umeda Erika is to permanently leave ℃-ute and Hello!Project on 25th of October. Okay… I’m really frustrated right now, so I can’t really think logically right now.
Anyways – she said she wants to become a model. And I thought that Kanna will be the only one to leave ℃-ute, well I guess I was wrong. Who’s next? Chisato? Nakki? I hope they won’t consider disbanding the group, however 5nin ℃-ute is nothing, compared to what they were.
So there won’t be no more Tenshon Ageko and Tenshon Sageko(whoever watches ℃-ute concerts – and I’m sure you do if you’re reading this – would know what I’m talking about) – like I said – I wasn’t really a huge fan of Kanna back there, but her sudden(well… it wasn’t that of a sudden – but still…) graduation-less disappearance from Hello!Project did make me really sad and frustrated. But it was different with Erika! I liked her!! And now ℃-ute consists only of who? That’s not mentioning the fact, that usually it was only Maimi and Airi singing. Okay – I’m a fan of both of them, but still…
Well come to think of it – there’s probably nothing to be really frustrated about. If no scandals or something like that involved in this – Erika would probably be doing what she wants and at least this makes me happy for her. If that’s the case – then I really wish her luck in model business – especially since it’s in a no way easier than idol life. Anyhow – I’ll always remember Erika in ℃-ute and I hope we will still be able to see and hear her when she will become a model. I will miss her.
Oh and by the way – she will be graduating on the last day of ℃-ute tour, so at least she will get a graduation ceremony.
And last but not least – as of today, by Japanese time – Tsunku♂-san has posted a message in his blog and I’ll translate it for your convenience(though probably there will be nothing new said).
As was announced the other day, ℃-ute’s Umeda Erika will be graduating from ℃-ute and Hello!Project at the ℃-ute’s Autumn Tour.
Umeda started to be interested in the model’s work some time ago.
It wasn’t something that she told all of a sudden, the conversation about turning herself to becoming a model was already held some time ago.
She decided to make this tour to be the last one, before she faces another dream of hers, and from now on I think she should be in somehow or other ways to be warmly supported by all of us.
In any case, let’s all make this last tour, which will be on the first page* of her youth, the greatest tour of all for Umeda!!
Tour will start on 15th of August at Tokyo Kousei Nenkin Kaikan and will be held at 10 other places, 26 public perfomances total, country-wide.
(*Under first page he meant idol life – the second page would be model life I guess).
And just like Tsunku♂-san said, let’s continue to support her!
Good bye, Erika. And good luck!
えりかちゃん、さようなら。これからも、頑張って下さい!!

P.s. Even though I said good bye, we will still be able to enjoy seeing her up until October – that’s two months from now. I hope there will be lot of opportunities to see her until then.
Thanks for your time.