I purposefully used an awful image of her. It didn’t take much searching. Ok, that was the last Mika Mutou joke, I swear.

I never thought I’d be writing this. I never thought I’d care that about Mika Mutou graduating. I never thought that I’d be upset that Mika Mutou was leaving. But, here we are.

some boys! blog has the report that Mika Mutou is graduating from Ongaku Gakas and Hello!Project.

And I am actually wish that Mika Mutou, OF ALL PEOPLE, would be staying.

It is an industry where looks matter. Yes, personality, singing, dancing, hard work, all of these matter as well. But looks matter.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This is also true. Just because the industry dictates who is pretty and who isn’t doesn’t mean you should listen to it. Make your own decisions on who you think is attractive and ugly. It doesn’t have to be based on looks. Your own personal reasons for calling someone beautiful can be based on personality. But for the industry, looks matter.

She may have good photos of her. But almost everything we see is a bad photo - whether it is due to the angle, lighting, her face, whatever. She may even look better than other girls if none of them wore makeup. The fact is that, as an idol, Mika Mutou was not pleasant on my eyes.

But she stood out. Oh boy, did she stand out.

Now, I don’t know the business plans that UFA/H!P both have for each girl. But is it possible that the promotion of Mika Mukou was intentional? That the fan reactions - both in Japan and overseas - were intended? That’s a stretch to say without any real evidence. But it wouldn’t be the first time an idol has been promoted as an ugly puppy. I don’t know every single girl of Onyanko Club and AKB48. While my brain thanks me for this, it prevents me from citing specific examples. However, with so many girls, and ones that I have seen that were ugly, I’m sure it is plausible that creating an “ugly” idol has, and possibly will, be done.

If Mika Mutou was supposed to be an ugly puppy, it worked. People have stood up for her. I’m sure if she stayed with Ongaku Gatas longer and the group got more promotion, there’d be even more supporters.

I’ve actually grown to appreciate Mika Mutou, in some weird, backwards way.

You see, I am somewhat dismayed as a Hello!Project fan. Sure, there are some moments where everything is gravy. The decisions being made do not sit well with me though. I am powerless to stop or change the directions that the groups are going. I can only sit back and watch. And in a way, Mika Mutou has been the outlet of my frustrations over H!P. I could always count on something that I could compare to Mika or say “well, at least is isn’t Mutou on TV.”

When I see a walrus on Haromoni, what am I supposed to think? Great TV? No, it’s not. When Risako Sugaya sings or Aika Mitsui is part of the background in music videos… Great entertainment? No. But putting Mika Mutou on display and allowing me to get a cheap giggle in, I’m all for it. It become a rare constant in today’s H!P. I actually started to look forward to it. She was a walking punchline, but I could always count on it.

And, for whatever reference one may desire, here are all the horrible, awful things that I’ve called her over the last few months:

• Walrus
• The Hulk
• Elephant
• 
• An ox in the Oregon Trail
• A pig/boar/whatever that thing was
• A train
• Another walrus

I’m gonna miss her.

Tags: Graduation, Haromoni, Hello!Project, Mika Mutou, Ongaku Gatas

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Tags: Graduation, Haromoni, Hello!Project, Mika Mutou, Ongaku Gatas

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