Hello! Project sadly announced that Kanna Arihara of C-ute has left both C-ute and the Hello! Project.  Around 4 months ago, she stopped C-ute and H!P activities while recovering from a pretty bad bunion on her foot.  Many fans agreed that this was a most probable truth when comparing pictures of her feet (because that’s not odd!).  Kanna has since decided that she no longer wants to be part of the idol world, and return to the life of a normal girl.

However, other sources have claimed that the bunion was not the only reason Kanna left the Hello! Project, and that a previous scandal which came to light almost a year ago involving her on a date with a Johnny’s Jr. member.  H!O has claimed that an inside source has told them that Kanna’s graduation (although no concert is set up for this) is linked to the boyfriend scandal, and new “evidence” being uncovered – pictures which apparently can’t be shown because Kanna is still a minor.  All in all, this sounds a lot more unsettling.

As fans cry out in an uproar, I actually think H!P have done the correct thing here.  Dragging Kanna through the same process Ai Kago was, when scandal erupted for her a few years ago, would probably be just as personally destructive to Kanna as it was for Kago.  Breaking her ties with the show business will also mean that the potentially damaging photos of her may not be published.  Let’s not forget, Kanna is only 16, pretty young by all accounts, with a life ahead of her.  H!P have to think of the business side of this too – wota don’t like their girl’s dating!  However, in the same breath, if this scandal involved Airi or Maimi, I do think it would have be handled very differently.

 We’ll all miss you Kanna, and hope you have a happy future outside of H!P.