Hello! Project Shuffle Unit

The Hello! Project shuffle units (シャッフルユニット, shaffuru yunitto) were an annual event in the Japanese idol collective Hello! Project that started in 2000. The idea was to shuffle up the existing Hello! Project groups and soloists (e.g. Morning Musume, Country Musume, Aya Matsuura, Melon Kinenbi, and others) into one of three groups for a season-long collaboration to see which shuffle group can sell the most singles.

Overview and history

Each year's shuffle had a common theme: 2000's shuffle group theme, for example, was color and the groups were Akagumi (red) 4, Kiiro (yellow) 5, and Aoiro (blue) 7. Despite the commonality in theme and same B-side song, each group tends to sing a different style A-side song (details below).

Eventually, this became more of a tradition than a competition to outsell. In 2003 the three groups' songs were merged and sold as one single/mini-album. In the fall of 2004, only one unit was formed: The Hello! Project All-Stars, a collaboration of all 46 contemporary Hello! Project members to perform "All for One and One for All!".

The three shuffle units continued in 2005 with Sexy Otonajan (セクシーオトナジャン, Sekushii Otonajan), Puri Puri Pink (プリプリピンク, Puripuri Pinku), and Elegies (エレジーズ, Erejiizu). Unlike previous years, the majority of Hello! Project did not participate in 2005's shuffles (each of the three groups had 3 or 4 singers.) The 2005 shuffle units were also the first ones that ex-Morning Musume members participated in.

Groups

2000: The Color Groups

Kiiro 5
Aoiro 7
Akagumi 4
Winner: Akagumi 4
B-side song: "Hello! no Theme" - a pop song that was used as the opening title theme of the TV show "Hello! Morning"(now it is considered the "theme song" of the Hello! Project)
Notes: Due to disbanding of T&C Bomber and graduation of some members shortly following the shuffle releases, 4th generation Morning Musume members Rika Ishikawa, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Ai Kago, and Nozomi Tsuji (as well as soloist Yuki Maeda) filled in as alternates during concerts and performances.

Akagumi 4 (あか組4)

Members: Yuko Nakazawa and Maki Goto (Morning Musume); Danielle Delaunay (Coconuts Musume); Miho Shinoda (T&C Bomber)
Lead Singers: Maki Goto
Song & Style: "Akai Nikkichou" (Red Diary) - a pop ballad
Notes: Danielle did an English monologue introduction for the song. Yuko Nakazawa later recorded a solo version of the song, featuring a Japanese-language version of Delaunay's monologue; this version appears on the compilation album Together!. Maki Goto also recorded her own solo version for her first solo album Makking Gold 1. After many years, the song is covered again, this time by Ai Takahashi, which is available on iTunes (May 2011) as part of the Hello! Cover series.

Kiiro 5 (黄色5)

Members: Natsumi Abe and Kei Yasuda (Morning Musume); Ayaka Kimura (Coconuts Musume); Ruru Honda (T&C Bomber); soloist Michiyo Heike
Lead Singers: Abe Natsumi, Kei Yasuda
Song & Style: "Kiiroi Osora de BOOM BOOM BOOM" (Boom Boom Boom in the Yellow Sky) - an upbeat pop song
Notes: Natsumi Abe recorded a solo version of the song for her solo debut album Hitoribocchi.

Aoiro 7 (青色7)

Members: Kaori Iida, Mari Yaguchi, and Sayaka Ichii (Morning Musume); Mika Todd and Lehua Sandbo (Coconuts Musume); Miwa Kominato and Atsuko Inaba (T&C Bomber)
Lead Singer: Kaori Iida, Mari Yaguchi, Sayaka Ichii (center)
Song & Style: "Aoi Sports Car no Otoko" (The Man in the Blue Sports Car) - a girl punk-rock song
Notes: Atsuko Inaba stayed in Hello! Project after T&C Bomber disbanded, and thus didn't need a replacement member in this group (she later went on to sing various H!P compilations and emcee concerts).

2001: Party Groups

3-nin Matsuri
7-nin Matsuri
10-nin Matsuri
Winner: 3-nin Matsuri (3-person festival)
B-side song: "Hello! Mata Aou Ne" - a campfire song

3-nin Matsuri

Members: Rika Ishikawa and Ai Kago (Morning Musume); soloist Aya Matsuura
Lead Singer: None
Song & Style: "Chu! Natsu Party" (Kiss! Summer Party) - a hyper and cute pop song
Notes: Berryz Kobo covered the song in 2006 on their summer-themed EP 3 Natsu Natsu Mini Berryz. 5 years later, S/mileage covered their own version from this song being the B-side of their single Uchouten LOVE.

7-nin Matsuri

Members: Mari Yaguchi and Maki Goto (Morning Musume); Ayaka Kimura and Lehua Sandbo (Coconuts Musume); Asami Kimura (Country Musume); Ayumi Shibata (Melon Kinenbi); soloist Michiyo Heike
Lead Singers: Mari Yaguchi, Maki Goto
Song & Style: "Summer Reggae Rainbow" - a reggae-style pop song, with members sporting fake dreadlocks.

10-nin Matsuri

Members: Natsumi Abe, Kaori Iida, Kei Yasuda, Hitomi Yoshizawa, and Nozomi Tsuji (Morning Musume); Megumi Murata, Masae Ootani, and Hitomi Saito (Melon Kinenbi); Rinne Toda (Country Musume); Mika Todd (Coconuts Musume)
Lead Singers: Nozomi Tsuji, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Natsumi Abe
Song & Style: "Dancing! Natsu Matsuri" (Dancing! Summer Festival) - a pop take on a traditional matsuri songs, with members beating on drums during their dance routines.

2002: Happiness Groups

Happy 7
Sexy 8
Odoru 11
Winner: Sexy 8
B-side song: "Yoku Aru Oyako no Serenade" (Parent and Child's Serenade) - a ballad

Happy 7

Members: Ai Kago, Makoto Ogawa, Risa Niigaki, and Ai Takahashi (Morning Musume); Mika Todd (Coconuts Musume); Asami Kimura (Country Musume), and Hitomi Saito (Melon Kinenbi)
Lead Singers: Ai Kago, Ai Takahashi, Makoto Ogawa, and Risa Niigaki
Song & Style: "Shiawase Beam! Suki Suki Beam!" (Happy Beam! Love Love Beam!) - a hyper cutesy pop song

Sexy 8

Members: Mari Yaguchi, Maki Goto, Hitomi Yoshizawa, and Rika Ishikawa (Morning Musume); Ayaka Kimura (Coconuts Musume); Mai Satoda (Country Musume); Masae Ootani (Melon Kinenbi); soloist Michiyo Heike
Lead Singer: none
Song & Style: "Shiawase Desu Ka?" (Are You Happy?) - an R&B style song with a rap interlude
Notes:: Maki Goto later recorded a solo version of this song for her second solo album 2 Paint It Gold. An English-language cover ("If You're Happy") was recorded by Sheena Easton for the album Cover Morning Musume Hello! Project!.^[1]

Odoru 11

Members: Natsumi Abe, Kaori Iida, Kei Yasuda, Nozomi Tsuji, Asami Konno (Morning Musume); Rinne Toda (Country Musume); Megumi Murata and Ayumi Shibata (Melon Kinenbi); soloists Aya Matsuura, Rika Ishii, and Miki Fujimoto
Lead Singers: Natsumi Abe, Aya Matsuura, Kaori Iida
Song & Style: "Shiawase Kyouryuu Ondo" (Happy Dinosaur March) - a pop take on a traditional Ondo style song.

2003: Elemental Groups

Salt5
7Air
11Water
Winner: None. All 3 songs released on the same maxi-single/mini-album, so the sales for all 3 groups are the same.
B-side: "Oh! Be My Friend" - a chorusy pop song that all 3 groups sung together

Salt5

Members: Natsumi Abe, Ai Kago, and Makoto Ogawa (Morning Musume); soloists Aya Matsuura and Yuki Maeda
Lead Singers: Natsumi Abe, Aya Matsuura, and Ai Kago
Song & Style: "Get Up! Rapper" - a serious-toned rap with somewhat silly lyrics.
Notes: Aya Matsuura later cut a solo version of "Get Up! Rapper" for her third studio album X3.

7Air

Members: Rika Ishikawa, Ai Takahashi, Risa Niigaki (Morning Musume); Mika Todd (Coconuts Musume); Masae Ootani (Melon Kinenbi); Mai Satoda (Country Musume); soloist Atsuko Inaba
Lead Singers: Rika Ishikawa, Ai Takahashi, Masae Ootani, Mai Satoda
Song & Style: "Kowarenai Ai ga Hoshii no" (I Want An Unbreakable Love) - an R&B style song with Rika, Ai, Mai, and Masae doing the singing while Atsuko, Risa, and Mika do the raps.
Notes: As part of MiniMoni, Takahashi and Todd remade the song for the second MiniMoni album Minimoni Songs 2; all four members did the singing while Todd and Nozomi Tsuji did the raps; Inaba is also on this version as a backing vocalist.

11Water

Members: Kaori Iida, Mari Yaguchi, Nozomi Tsuji, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Asami Konno and Miki Fujimoto (Morning Musume); Ayaka Kimura (Coconuts Musume); Asami Kimura (Country Musume); Megumi Murata, Hitomi Saito, and Ayumi Shibata (Melon Kinenbi)
Lead Singers: Nozomi Tsuji, Mari Yaguchi, Miki Fujimoto, Hitomi Yoshizawa
Song & Style: "Be All Right!" - a Ska-style Pop song.
Notes: MiniMoni remade the song, also for MiniMoni Songs 2. Mika and Ayaka performed the song together at Mika's final Hello! Project performance.

2004: One School Group

H.P. All Stars
Winner: None. One single by all 46 members
B-side: There were two other songs in the single. One by Atsuko Inaba, Masae Ohtani, Ayumi Shibata and Aya Matsuura ("Sankaku Kankei"—Love Triangle), and the other by Reina Tanaka, Megumi Murakami and Airi Suzuki ("Suki ni Nacchaikenai Hito"--"The Person I Shouldn't Fall In Love With).

H.P. All Stars

Members: Morning Musume, Melon Kinenbi, Berryz Kobo, Cute, v-u-den, W, Country Musume,and soloists Yuko Nakazawa, Natsumi Abe, Kei Yasuda, Maki Goto, Atsuko Inaba, Yuki Maeda Aya Matsuura, and Ayaka Kimura.
Lead Singer: None, but Matsuura, Abe, Kago, Goto, Tsuji, Ishikawa, and Fujimoto all have solo lines in the bridge.
Song & Style: "All for One & One for All!" - a simple upbeat pop song.
Note: Everyone wore school uniforms befitting their group. In addition, lines were distributed according to seniority with the 1st Generation members of Morning Musume singing the opening lines.

2005: Elegance Groups

Elegies
Sexy Otonajan
Puripuri Pink
Winner: None. All 3 songs released on the same maxi-single/mini-album, so the sales for all 3 groups are the same.
B-side: None.

Elegies

Members: Ai Takahashi and Reina Tanaka (Morning Musume); Ayumi Shibata (Melon Kinenbi); Mai Satoda (Country Musume).
Lead Singers: None
Song & Style: "Inshouha Renoir no You ni" (Like the Impressionist Renoir) - a dance pop song.

Sexy Otonajan

Members: Miki Fujimoto (Morning Musume); Miyabi Natsuyaki (Berryz Kobo); Megumi Murakami (Cute).
Lead Singers: Miki Fujimoto
Song: "Onna, Kanashii, Otona" (Woman, Sadness, Adult) - a jazz inspired mid-tempo pop song. The song later appeared in the movie The Wolverine, where Logan and Yukio face Minister of Justice Noburo Mori in his bath with two girls.

Puripuri Pink

Members: Former Morning Musume members Yuko Nakazawa, Kaori Iida, Kei Yasuda, and former T&C Bomber member Atsuko Inaba.
Lead Singers: None, the song was sung in unison by all members.
Song: "Hitoshirezu Mune wo Kanaderu Yoru no Aki" (The Autumn of Night that Plays the Hidden Heart) - a pop ballad..