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Well, it's something I've noticed recently (well, I've been noticing this for a while), and pair numbers doesn't work for Hello Project. I mean, all groups always lose a member when the number of their members is pair.
The first and most clear example is Berryz Koubou:
They debuted with 8 members:
But then, just a year or so after their debut, Ishimura Maiha graduated from the group to focus on her studies and they group kept on with 7 members until the end:
http://vignette4.wik...=20141226124839
The most shivery case is ºC-ute's case. They were announced as a 7 members group in 2005:
Arihara Kanna was added to the group at the beginning of 2006, turning ºC-ute into a 8 members group (pair number) and then they started their indies debut.
Months after that, Murakami Megumi left the group, apparently to focus on her studies (it was rumoured that it was due to a pic took by a paparazzi that caught her with a boy holding hands and sharing an umbrella).
ºC-ute went back to be a 7 member's group but without one of the original members and debuted with Sakura Chirari in 2007:
In 2009, Arihara Kanna left due to a bunion in her toe (according to the official sources) but people think it was due to a scandal and C-ute turned into a 6 member's group (not for too long):
Months after Kanna left, Umeda Erika announced she was going to graduate to pursue a model career. She got a graduation concert and ceremony and graduate in October.
ºC-ute became a 5 members group and well, until the end (I hope)
http://vignette1.wik...&path-prefix=es
In the same year of Kanna and Erika withdrawal and graduation, respectively, S/mileage, a kenshuusei unit formed by 4 members, was announced
They were cute, perfect and had a very innovative style for Hello Project and they were expected to have a bright future.
Two years after, Ogawa Saki announced her sudden graduation right after the second generation was announced, turning the 4 members unit into a 3 members unit with 5 submembers.
Maeda Yuuka announced her graduation for December 31, 2011, and then, S/mileage started their journey as 6 members (a pair number of members again).
6 members S/mileage lasted 2 years, like 4 members S/mileage, and re-started as 9 members in 2015 after the addition 3rd generation with 3 members. That also ended with the pair number but, unlike the past cases, by adding members.
Now that Fukuda Kanon will be graduating, the group would be continuing as 8 members (a pair number) but an audition for a 4th generation was announced. If they add 1 or 3 members, it'll be a group with an odd number of members again. It could also happen that a par number of girls is added, but then someone else graduates.
Next case is Juice=Juice, announced in January, 2013 as a 6 members unit formed by kenshuusei and Miyazaki Yuka, from the Satoyama Movement.
http://vignette1.wik...=20130515055559
Before their major debut was released, 7 months or so after the unit was announced, Otsuka Aina left the group due to a disagreement with some parts of the contract.
Since then, no one left and Juice=Juice stays active and strong as a 5 member unit!!
The last and the most recent case is Country Girls.
An audition for a revival of Country Musume was announced. When the audition ended, it was announced that there weren't winners. Months after, it was announced the revival of Country Musume, renamed as Country Girls, with two kenshuusei, two girls from the 12ki audition, a girl that was scouted by the agency, and former Berryz Kobo member, Tsugunaga Momoko. 6 members in total, thought they started their activities with 5 members until Momochi activities with Berryz Kobo ended.
Country Girls, without releasing indies, due to the good receivement they got, debuted with their first single "Itooshikutte Gomen Ne / Koi Dorobou" as a 6 members unit in March 2015
Less than 3 months after their debut, the sudden withdrawal of Shimamura Uta, the center and face of the group, due to family disagreements with the agency, was announced.
Now, Country Girls is doing their best as a 5 members group.
Again, a pair number turned into a odd number.
Now we have two new units with a pair number of members, Kobushi Factory with 8 members
And Tsubaki Factory with 6 members
Will the curse of the pair numbers affect them?? Will a member from each unit leave?? I personally don't want that to happen to both groups... But from what we've seen... It's not a thing we can dismiss.
The first and most clear example is Berryz Koubou:
They debuted with 8 members:
But then, just a year or so after their debut, Ishimura Maiha graduated from the group to focus on her studies and they group kept on with 7 members until the end:
http://vignette4.wik...=20141226124839
The most shivery case is ºC-ute's case. They were announced as a 7 members group in 2005:
Arihara Kanna was added to the group at the beginning of 2006, turning ºC-ute into a 8 members group (pair number) and then they started their indies debut.
Months after that, Murakami Megumi left the group, apparently to focus on her studies (it was rumoured that it was due to a pic took by a paparazzi that caught her with a boy holding hands and sharing an umbrella).
ºC-ute went back to be a 7 member's group but without one of the original members and debuted with Sakura Chirari in 2007:
In 2009, Arihara Kanna left due to a bunion in her toe (according to the official sources) but people think it was due to a scandal and C-ute turned into a 6 member's group (not for too long):
Months after Kanna left, Umeda Erika announced she was going to graduate to pursue a model career. She got a graduation concert and ceremony and graduate in October.
ºC-ute became a 5 members group and well, until the end (I hope)
http://vignette1.wik...&path-prefix=es
In the same year of Kanna and Erika withdrawal and graduation, respectively, S/mileage, a kenshuusei unit formed by 4 members, was announced
They were cute, perfect and had a very innovative style for Hello Project and they were expected to have a bright future.
Two years after, Ogawa Saki announced her sudden graduation right after the second generation was announced, turning the 4 members unit into a 3 members unit with 5 submembers.
Maeda Yuuka announced her graduation for December 31, 2011, and then, S/mileage started their journey as 6 members (a pair number of members again).
6 members S/mileage lasted 2 years, like 4 members S/mileage, and re-started as 9 members in 2015 after the addition 3rd generation with 3 members. That also ended with the pair number but, unlike the past cases, by adding members.
Now that Fukuda Kanon will be graduating, the group would be continuing as 8 members (a pair number) but an audition for a 4th generation was announced. If they add 1 or 3 members, it'll be a group with an odd number of members again. It could also happen that a par number of girls is added, but then someone else graduates.
Next case is Juice=Juice, announced in January, 2013 as a 6 members unit formed by kenshuusei and Miyazaki Yuka, from the Satoyama Movement.
http://vignette1.wik...=20130515055559
Before their major debut was released, 7 months or so after the unit was announced, Otsuka Aina left the group due to a disagreement with some parts of the contract.
Since then, no one left and Juice=Juice stays active and strong as a 5 member unit!!
The last and the most recent case is Country Girls.
An audition for a revival of Country Musume was announced. When the audition ended, it was announced that there weren't winners. Months after, it was announced the revival of Country Musume, renamed as Country Girls, with two kenshuusei, two girls from the 12ki audition, a girl that was scouted by the agency, and former Berryz Kobo member, Tsugunaga Momoko. 6 members in total, thought they started their activities with 5 members until Momochi activities with Berryz Kobo ended.
Country Girls, without releasing indies, due to the good receivement they got, debuted with their first single "Itooshikutte Gomen Ne / Koi Dorobou" as a 6 members unit in March 2015
Less than 3 months after their debut, the sudden withdrawal of Shimamura Uta, the center and face of the group, due to family disagreements with the agency, was announced.
Now, Country Girls is doing their best as a 5 members group.
Again, a pair number turned into a odd number.
Now we have two new units with a pair number of members, Kobushi Factory with 8 members
And Tsubaki Factory with 6 members
Will the curse of the pair numbers affect them?? Will a member from each unit leave?? I personally don't want that to happen to both groups... But from what we've seen... It's not a thing we can dismiss.
