[Graduation Special} Fukuda Kanon- The lost Cinderella

Guess I should let you guys know more about my feelings about this recent news. 

Fukuda Kanon announced her graduation from ANGERME and Hello!Project.

She will graduated from the group on the 29th of November in Nippon Budokan. 

Did this news suprise me?

To be honest; No. 

I hate to see her go, so in some way it's always a shock, but I was kinda waiting for it.

I knew sooner or later she would be going. I actually thought she was going to leave around Samui ne, but she stayed. When the 3rd gen was announced I knew she (or Dawa) would be leaving soon.

I was not suprised by the announcement, maybe more about the way she announced it. 

When I saw the news on H!Station I didn't really know what to think. I wasn't shock, not really sad, because I was already expecting it and waiting for it. It didn't hit me like a brick so to say. 

Kanon has always been a bit diffrent from most Idols. She is really pretty and cute, but for some reason she is really hard on herself. Always saying how the others are cutter or thinner and how she has to work harder. I guess it's always good to work hard, but Kanon took it too a whole new level. 

Kanon is a first gen Kenshuuse (egg at the time) and has been in H!P for more that 10 years. During her time in H!P Egg she has been part of a quite populair sub-unit called: Shugo Chara Egg. This was one of the groups I first got to know, because Shugo Chara was my gate way to H!P.
Kanon ended up graduating from Shugo Chara Egg and becoming a member of the unit S/mileage/ This group was fromed out of 4 H!P Egg members, who had to work really hard to achieve their dream of debutting. The 4 original members were really tight with eachother due to this. 

I followed them all the way from their first announcement to their debut and I love the group so much. Ama no Jaku is still one of my all time favorites. 

A lot of people say Kanon is or was their favorite now that she announced her graduation. For me it's diffrent. At first I loved Kanon and Yuuka the most. I remembered them well from Shugo Chare Egg and I thought both had very pleasant voices. Kanon was such an adorable kid with beautiful eyes and cute cheeks. I adored her.

That was until the moment came I realized how amazing Ogawa Saki was. I am not sorry to say Sakitty is my absolute S/mileage girl. She was perfect. But let's not get of topic ;).

4-nin S/mileage had everything for me and I followed them until the moment the Pig song arrived. Gosh I still can't stand that song. This song also markes the moment changes started to happen.

S/mileage announced their 2nd generation auditions and non of the girls seemed actually happy about it. I guess their group dynamic had been so good, they didn't understand why they needed more girls.

Second generation came along and suddenly Ogawa Saki announced her graduation. As we all know Kanon and Saki were really good friends, so during the graduation (which was only 3 days after Sakitty announcing it) Kanon cried her eyes out. This was the moment I felt Kanon really changed. She and the other two original members didn't really welcome the newbies and I believe they gave them quite a hard time. Kanon's facial expressions changed in the upcoming MV's and her power and energy seemed to go away.

Not long afterwards Kosuga Fuyuka had to leave the group due to her health and Maeda Yuuka also announced her graduation. The group had been getting 5 members extra and withing a few months 3 left. 

Kanon seemed to like being in S/mileage less and less. She looked annoyed, she lost her Cinderella character and she smiled less and less. This also ment I didn't really enjoy watching her preform that much. The 2nd gen was much more energetic and fun to watch. 

Around the time of Samui ne the 2nd gen was finally being accepted as members and they were actually all getting lines. Kanon looked in a crisis. She changed her hair from long, to short, to long again and she was struggeling with her weight and how she looked at herself.
Around Samui ne there were these video's released. In those video's the S/mileage members were being lectured about not doing their best and not Smiling more. This was the moment I actually thought they were going to do something with S/mileage: Getting a new generation, graduating people or even disbanding the group. Non of this happend. 

Kanon started to kind get her energy and position in the group back around Yatteru-chan and Ee ka!? She seemed happier and she finally became great friends with the second gen (I feel like she always looked kinda annoyed when they were talking to her or in her shot until now).
When their first Budokan was announced I really felt like the group had a perfect balance. All members seemed happy and got to actually sing in the songs. Kanon actually looked great again and she didn't feel like she hated what she was doing anymore.

Then quite suddenly they announced a 3rd generation. This was ofcourse the choose of Dawa and Kanon, and they even choose the girls. I was kinda of suprised. Did they forget the whole 2nd gen thing? But Suddenly they talked about wanting to change the group because it didn't feel like S/mileage anymore. I couldn't agree more. Ayaka was crying, but Kanon didn't seem to feel sad about it. They talked about how it was time for the second gen to kind get their own group instead of filling the shoes of the original 4 and I thought it was quite a good thought. 

They also talked about graduating and not wanting to leave S/mileage, because it was their thing (kinda selfish though xD). 

Eventhough Kanon helped choose the member she again started to look out of place. Like she didn't know what to do anymore. I was really sad to see her go back to that kinda girl. In the group profile pictures she actually looked like she was screaming for help on the inside..

This also ment I kinda saw her announcement coming. I was actually thinking she and Ayaka would graduated togheter and announce it during Budokan. But no. Kanaon announced her own graduation and it was done during H!Station where she couldn't see anyone react. 

To me she didn't even really seem sad, more relieved. During their Budokan concert she did look sad and lonely though. 

At least we have quite some time before she actually leaves. With Sakitty we only had three days before she was gone and with Yuuka only a month, maybe two. 

I hope Kanon will get the graduation she deserves. At least she is graduating in Budokan. I hope she will have a graduation song or a single she is absolute center in. And I hope Yuuka and Saki will be at the graduation. Ofcourse I want them on the podium, but that won't happen. 

Kanon wants to be a lyricist after she graduates and wouldn't it be awsome if she can write songs for ANGERME?! Whatever she will do, we fans get to enjoy her for a little long. So I hope Kanon will stay strong and get some more beautiful moments with ANGERME and Hello!Project.

Well that's it for now from me. Please remember this is my own observation of what has been going on. I am really sad to see Kanon leave and I hope she didn't actually feel like I think she did.