Hello Project Station #98

Hello! Pro Station Episode #98 Contents
MC: Sayashi Riho & Sugaya Risako
◆ Berryz Koubou - "Love together! (Promotion Edit)" PV
◆ Berryz Koubou - "VERY BEAUTY" Live At COTTON CLUB
◆ S/mileage - "Yume Miru 15" Live At TATSUYA O-EAST
◆ Juice=Juice - "J=J School For Girls"
◆ Q & A Corner

    This week's episode of Hello! Pro Station starts with the Promotion Edit PV of Berryz Koubou's song, "Love together!". This song is sad, plain and simple. No other word properly describes it. I'll admit that I wasn't really feeling too nostalgic over Berryz's graduation, but this song made me realize how different Hello! Project will be without them. Saki Shimizu will never become Hello! Project leader, Momoko will still be around, but in a different capacity and we'll see little of Risako and Miyabi. A different Hello! Project indeed. Back on topic, the video and song are beautiful and it's a fitting farewell to the group. Few graduating groups, or members, get songs this well put together. I am glad they gave them such a fitting song to close with and didn't leave it with simply "Romance wo Katatte/Towa no Uta". The lyrics are completely fitting and I am more than a little sad that I didn't catch them both times they came to the US. I also wish I had given them more attention the past couple years, especially as I was often busy talking about how mediocre they were becoming. I'm sure that in retrospect I will realize they were an amazing group. Of course that realization will come too late.

    Onto our hosts. This episode is hosted by Sayashi Riho (Morning Musume '14) and Sugaya Risako (Berryz Koubou. Risako is very close to tears in the beginning and there are some sadly awkward moments at the start of this episode. This is of course understandable with the new video just being played and all of Hello! Project the eve of a series of major changes. Riho must feel it too as this is the close of Morning Musume '14. Very soon they will be Morning Musume '15, Sayumi's absence will become absolute and the new line-up will finally debut. Lots of changes are in store...

    The episode continues with a performance from Berryz's dinner show at The COTTON CLUB. The song chosen here is "VERY BEAUTY" a song that I never really cared for. I'm sure the set list was better and I wish they'd have chosen a better song for this episode. I'll refrain from bashing this choice though as I just stated earlier that I think I was too hard on Berryz Koubou recently. There are some comments following this and I hope that we get to see more Berryz in their final few months.

    Iikubo Haruna takes over the 4-kanji phrase segment on this episode. I still am not really sure who this segment is aimed at, but yet I watch it every week anyway...

    Onto...original S/mileage! At least non-third-gen S/mileage. Here we are given a clip of them performing Yume Miru 15 at a recent concert at TATSUYA O-EAST. One of their more popular songs and one of my favorites. Will we still get the loud "Earphone de" when they become ANGERME? Will they even still do this song? Either way, enjoy this performance of a S/mileage that we will never truly see again.

    The episode closes with footage from another Juice=Juice fashion event titled "J=J School For Girls" and the usual Q&A Corner with our MCs. Some discussion over the winter concerts and Morning Musume's latest photobook and we wrap up this show. This penultimate episode of 2014 is full of content from start to finish. Last week's episode felt like it had a bit of filler and this episode is the complete opposite. I can't wait to see what they have in store for next week's, which will be the last one of the year! As always, watch and enjoy!