Yocchan is not graduating but will not be at ~sacrifice~
 

Seems Japanese fans were abuzz about this after Yocchan updated his photoblog. Also I figure he of all the members also deserves a thread since... well... it's Yocchan.

http://www.pegmania.com/pg845.html

Basically, he says that a-nation '17 was his last stage with Ayu and that if he can find time, he will see the show. Also that "today" [when he posted the blog], the record of performing with Ayu since her debut stops here.

Edit:

Ayu has commented on the matter! He isn't leaving for good, yay!

I honestly can't believe he's left. Out of all of the staff until now he's kind of an institution in a different level within A Troupe...I can't even imagine it without him.

I hope it was amicable.

Hopefully whoever they get to replace him has as much charisma as he does!

I wonder if people are asking Ayu about what happened exactly and if she'll address it at all on a blog or on Twitter/IG.

I hope this is not true. :no

Sadly, I don't think this is false.

Yocchan said 今年最後, which means the last time this year.

http://i.imgur.com/0pzx1iB.jpg

It's like the end of the era

I guess this kind of explains the dramatic rehearsal pictures. Ayu knew he was leaving.
But he has been there for such a long time. Ayu has known him for a very long time now. Isn't it strange to not give him a proper farewell during a-nation if it was really his last appearance? It feels weird that he just won't appear again with no farewell.

Yes, but also "今日でストップであります", stopping today.
Who knows though, maybe he will come back at a later point?
Just like Shuya did.

The main concern though is this bit:
And not that line beforehand. Japanese fans are probably reading that bit about being the last of 51 different lives/shows and are wondering what is going on.

I do think it's possible he could come back however but for now, I think he won't be part of Just the beginning's ~sacrifice~ portion. Also I don't think her band has ever left and then returned later on.

Have to correct you a bit here though.
He's saying that from here on the current tour still has 51 dates and that people going should look forward to them.

Wow. Seriously One of Ayu's trademarks is Yo-chan :( :( :(

Lost my words, I wonder why he left?

After this we wont get to hear "Guitar, Yochan!" And seeinf Ayu leaning against him during Inspire or Hanabi or Evolution :no :no :( :(

https://twitter.com/miixx_xxx/status/903540728009076736

They did a pinky promise of sorts during the final in Osaka. Maybe to meet again after a temporary leave?

Just think that people would usually say "the last time ever" or simply "the last time" rather than specifically say "last time this year" if they meant a definitive end.

Yeah, he's very casual about it. But what seems certain is that he won't be part of the rest of the tour.

His schedule is also rather packed with other engagements during the rest of Just the beginning ~sacrifice~. He has his own acoustic guitar live that he's doing with a fellow guitarist along with some other things. Could possibly have been that the tour was far too long for him to commit to.

Similarly, Yusuke Miyazaki wasn't at the MADE IN JAPAN tour or anything after that, doing his own gigs with SPICY KICKIN'.

This is sad. I can't imagine a show without Yo-Chan. We just need to get adjusted to it, I guess. I will definetely miss him!

It's so sad that he will leave the troupe. :/ He has been on her tours for these past 19 years. Like Aderianu has stated, it's a end of an era. :weep
Anyway, I wish the best for Yocchan.

I think they did that in Yoyogi, too... But I wouldn't read too much into it, iirc this was during the 'pinky promise' line in SURREAL.

I am so sad...

Didn't Princess leave for a while and then come back? Maybe Yocchan will come back as well...

First Enrique and now Yo-chan, I feel like crying tbh but well, they have their own lives and personal projects, but is still really sad.

EDIT: OMG I just imagined a Boys & Girls performance without the public screaming "Yo-Chan!" during the band members presentation and it broke my heart.

Well, I'm sad about it but I'm not surprised.

Ayu's schedule is pretty gruesome. She performs so often that it leaves no free time.

It's impossible to keep up for people with families and side-projects.

For Ayu that crazy schedule is her everything. Her career, her life, her family. But not for the other people involved.

Surely wouldnt be the same without the "Yochan!" Screaming :( :(
I will be awkward and something is missing for me... well people come and go and her staffs couldnt stay forever with her, at one point people leave, find new environtment, new people, new place, still really sad for Yochan because he played an important part in her show too.

Oh the Emcee part with Yochan, will be missed too...

This is so sad. The end of an era, indeed.

Wonder is there a chance that he will not take part in only Just the beginning tour and return later. I hope ayu write something to explain more about it.
I think I read somewhere that band members wasn't around at TeamAyu tour. So maybe Yocchan decided to spend his time better.

Well... He might not be the only one not appearing during the 2nd act of the tour...

I wonder if yochan left because of her lives lately. The acrobats and the new dancers are so annoying and very often the focal point of everything. Some musicians sometimes feel strongly about those things. Yeah, I went there lol.

This is really sad. He was from the beggining in the team. But I hope he will return. If not, it will be really sad, he deserves a farewell from the fans in a live show...

Nooo, this is so sad. I hope it's just a break. He's been with her for so long, so I can understand if he wants to do something new.

I just wish he could have had a proper send off in a tour, feels like such a surprise coming after a-nation.

Just read Ayu's latest instagram post and it seems like he's not leaving the troupe permanently but that she won't be using a live band for the hall portion of her tour. (although when she said "band-less" maybe she was just referring to Yocchan)

Also, as pointed out above, he said "last time this year" So hopefully it's a temporary parting due to her lack of a band for the hall portion of the tour :yes It also might be because he's got other activities outside of her tours and her tour dates are clashing with his other commitments.

Oh sad, hope he comes back later. They truly have chemistry.

I think the possibility is always there. We've had people come back here and there but not exactly for band members. He could always be the exception!

Yeah, I think for TA Tour 2016 there was 0 band too. But in 2015 there was a band for half the set?

Gutted he's leaving, it won't be the same. Although after 19 years of touring with Ayu, he probably wants to go off and do his own thing which he probably doesn't get much of a chance to do between the tour, A Nation and CDL. Whoever replaces him has big shoes to fill and I look forward to seeing who it is.

Cool, I didn't know he did stuff outside of Ayu's tours.

I think they've been a duo for a while since they have tour merch, lol.

yoocan leaving is like Project Runway without Tim Gun ..

Honestly, not surprised. It is sad, though.

Ayu just tweeted that the hall tour will be the first time for her to tour with no band members. I think that explains everything... I don't think he's left for good.

:cry

Wow, that is sad to hear. But the fact that the next portion of the tour won't include the band members...hopefully this is just temporary.

(And, on an off-topic note, what about CDL plans post-Yoyogi as the Yoyogi gymnasium is closed for renovations ahead of the 2020 Olympics?)

Wow she must feels a bit different somehow. Wonder why she chose to do that. Budget? Or just to reduce the people on stage...since the stage is smaller

She had them for the halls in TA Tour though as well even if only briefly so... must be a lot more setpieces?

A tour without band and Yo-chan'll be odd. But it might be interesting too.

oh wow. this is really suprising, he has been with Ayu since the very beginning of Ayu's career.

Well, if that was the case he probably would have left far earlier, considering Ayu's tours were about props, special effects, dancers and performers since the beginning...

Now, that I've read the post, it sounds like this is just temporary. I won't be surprised if he pops up again next year.

He was already a semi-famous guitarist before his work with Ayu.

So Ayu just tweeted a bunch about how he's always been by her left hand side and then talking about the next part having no band. That could lend weight to the break with a view to return. I can't really read the whole thing but fan responses are largely variations of "thank goodness"and how hardworking Ayu is...time will tell, I guess.

https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/sta...49001099870208

relax! he's not graduating.
he meant he stopped for this year.

I'm not an expert at all, and I'm not sure, but in halls the sound could be a little more... loud? and live instruments would sound louder, and with Ayu's current condition, perhaps it could be worse for her hearing, idk maybe a recorded track is less "noisy" for her at that kind of venue, then again as I said, that's just me and a possible conclusion lol

I'm excited to see how the hall tour turns out, it will be very different from her previous concerts.

Phew... Looks like Yocchan will still stay after all - it's just that the upcoming part of the tour won't feature band members in the hall...

Maybe the halls that she will visit doesn't have sufficient room to fit the band, including Yocchan? Hmm...

I'm so happy to hear this! :)

What a relief!

I'm so happy to hear that he will stay on the troupe. :luv2

I was so reliefed when I saw Ayu's facebook post a few minutes ago. xD

Yaaay, I am so relieved!!!

No band members?? Ooo so im guessing more playback and also acoustic???

As a non-Japanese speaker, I'm intrigued by the use of the word "graduation" here - based on the context, I'm assuming people had at first misunderstood the original message to say he was retiring.

Thank god!!

I feel much better now. He must be feeling loved after seeing everyone get so upset at the idea of him leaving.:)