Kago Ai to release DVD through Avex

Ok, it’s not a recording contract, but Kago Ai announced on her blog that she will be releasing a DVD through Avex. Hello! Online provides a little more information, including a website on Avex to promote the DVD. It’ll be interesting to see if she officially signs with Avex to release music sometime in the future.

(Oh, and Misa says she called it.)

Details of Ai Kago’s solo plans revealed (Tokyograph)
Kago Ai Official Blog: Translations 2008.10.10 - 2008.10.15 (+ bonus) (Hello!Online)

Former Morning Musume and W member Kago Ai is officially going for a solo singing career, working on either a single mini album with four tracks or as many as four separate mini albums, depending on which source you read. Tokyograph has the basic news, mentioning Kago’s involvement with penning the lyrics, while Hello!Online offers a translated interview originally published on Daily Sports Online (here). The interview is pretty interesting, and it’s mentioned that she was asked directly about the possibility of reforming W, to which she replied with a cheerful “no” and cute pun. So it looks like the possibility of a Tsuji-Kago duo is gone, for now, but it seems that Kago is confident enough to stand on her own two feet… and that seems to be for the best.

I wish her the best of luck and can’t wait to hear her sing again!

Morning Musume’s “Pepper Keibu” interview

I’m a bit meh on the idea of the Musumes doing covers, but they seem to be quite into it so what so I know? Then it gets random with some others questions, as usual there’s the occasional bizarre or hilarious answer among the surprisingly mundane. And I continue to fall for Shige. Hopeless!

Goto Maki is back on stage A-Nation 2008

Hello!Online has a bootleg of Gocchin’s brief appearance at A-Nation. She performed a cover of Diane King’s “Shy Guy”, a minor 90s R&B hit, and a song of her own. I think she sounds a little nervous and forgets her recent vocal re-training already, so I’d like to her the studio version of her song before deciding on that. But I like her choice of cover. I think this shows she will be keeping people guessing and she can make it at Avex. But…Recommended for your own rabid over-analysis!

Haromoni@ Cancelled

Hello!Online reports that Haromoni@ will be ending soon. The show received unsatisfactory ratings and not many are surprised at its end. While I was not a fan of Haromoni@, I fear this might be a blow to Morning Musume and other H!P units sales. Haromoni@ was used to perform new singles and promote the girls. If they don’t get a new show to replace it, who knows what could happen to Hello! Project? Oh, who am I kidding, only wotas that would already buy any H!P single would watch that show.

Ayaka Marries! (Totally Hello! Project)
Hello! Online Forums
JPH!P Forums

It was brought to my attention by our own Charmy Renai that former Hello! Project and Coconuts Musume member, Ayaka has gotten married to professional golfer Tanihara Hideto. Totally Hello! Project is on the ball and already has the news up, congratulations, as well as a little bit of pondering on why Ayaka really left H!P.

Links are also provided to the H!O and JPH!P forums where a picture of the article is available. I’m sure those threads will soon be filling up with lots of thoughts, congratulations and reactions to the news.

Goto Maki signs with Avex (Hello!Online)
Sanspo

Goto Maki is now officially part of Avex. She will be a part of Rhythm Zone. There are new pictures of her to go along with the announcement.

Certainly this will provoke reactions as the rumors of Gocchin joining Avex have been around for some time. There have been posts in the past speculating what would happen if she joined Avex. It will be interesting to see what style her music and image will take, although I think it is assumed by most that it will be similar to Koda Kumi. We look forward to whatever reactions, ideas or theories any blogs post about this news.