Ishida Ayumi has graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project in Fall 2024.

[sukibeam]

Nakazawa graduated 34 days before her 28th birthday.
Therefore, Ishida would need to last until December 5 (i.e., 33 days before January 7) to be the oldest.

I actually looked at this recently and feel I jinxed things, but I double-checked because I remember early November being the big date.

Nakazawa was born 6/19/73 and graduated 4/15/2001 at the age of 27 years 9 months 27 days (2 months 4 days before turning 28th).

Ishida was born 1/7/1997 and will turn 27 years 9 months 28 days on 11/4/2024.

The most recent autumn graduation to happen before even mid-November was Takahashi way back in 2011, so I'm assuming it's a locked in deal that Ayumi will break the record.

[Celedam]

^ You're right, my mistake. I completely forgot that May comes between April and June, because it's the same time of the year right now and RL stuff already has my internal calendar scrambled.

So, Ishida will easily be the oldest at time of graduation.

[DJChisato1]

Kind of figured out either Ayumi or Sakura will say goodbye since if it would be Eripon, Morning Musume will do an ANGERME and place Ayumi to the leadership so they can prepare for Ikuta's graduation.

I guess it's a good way to say that Morning Musume will release a single in Q4 2024, and the release is finally set in stone because it's a graduation single.

BUT. Does UFP really need to justify that someone needs to graduate so Morning Musume can release something? Like really, we're now kind of back to normal after the pandemic, and we still get one single a year for Morning Musume? Everyone else seems to be on track to do two releases this year, only Morning Musume has not announced anything yet and it's already June in a few days.

I'd be willing to bet a New Single is announced at The Budokan.

[Zunu]

I knew she'd go before Eripon.

I'm really surprised. I thought she would try to hold out to be the longest tenured Morning member. Although being the oldest is certainly an amazing achievement.

This organization has been such a big factor in her life that I can't imagine she won't join M-line. But plenty of other former members have shocked me with their complete withdrawal from public life, so who knows.

[DJChisato1]

I knew she'd go before Eripon.

I'm really surprised. I thought she would try to hold out to be the longest tenured Morning member. Although being the oldest is certainly an amazing achievement.

This organization has been such a big factor in her life that I can't imagine she won't join M-line. But plenty of other former members have shocked me with their complete withdrawal from public life, so who knows.

Did you ever notice how all of 10th gen is in M-Line but none of 9th gen joined?(Fuku-chan did not join) It's possible we can get a 10th gen reunion at Ayumi's grad.

P.S. I called the new Single announcement at Budokan.

[Tobo_Junny135]

^Fuku is taking a hiatus but plans to join M-Line

[DJChisato1]

^I thought she was just waiting out her year cool down period.

Back on subject, Is there an obvious choice to replace her on the dance team? Shion is the obvious choice to replace Rikako but does such a person exist in MM?

[Tobo_Junny135]

They’ve been pushing Homare as a dancer lately

[Idol Tenshoku Ondo]

I manifested this graduation somehow, or maybe not depending on the timing, but I was at work the day it was announced being like "MM is the only group not in this graduation clump...maybe Ayumi is gonna graduate next...?"

I liked Ayumi a lot back in the colorful era. I'm kinda surprised she stayed so long. At 27 I wouldn't want to be an idol any more after doing it since mid-teens.

I know I'm not really manifesting anything tho. When H!P is 70 gosh-darn members and groups release 1-2 things a year we are never ever getting out of the graduation/addition march. Every group except the newest ones are going to be having at least every other single be lineup changes. I feel kinda bad for MM fans, it's been one grad single a year dragging on since...2021? A best album is like barely a gulp of water for a thirsty fan.

[Tobo_Junny135]

^it’s believed that because the newest single is a Double A coupled with lingering idea that Ayumi never specified or confirmed this would be her last single we may have another one on the way by November-December