Babymetal Announces Official Yuimetal's Exit

It looks like things aren't looking so good for one of Japan's most infamous J-pop acts. After a few months of speculation, new reports have confirmed a founding member of Babymetal is leaving the group for good.

Recently, the official website for Babymetal made the announcement. Yuimetal has chosen to leave the three-piece group officially after being absent from activities for nearly a year.

Yuimetal, known also as Yui Mizuno, posted a message for fans details her decision to leave the band. Shared via her agency, Mizuno confirmed she would like to return to the stage, but her health is not at 100% and has not been for some time. During her time off, Mizuno decided she wanted to pursue her dreams outside of Babymetal, and she apologized to anyone disappointed by her leave. However, she did make sure to thank fans for supporting her over the years and said she will always cherish her time in Babymetal. (via ANN)

Mizuno was one of three idols fronting the Babymetal ensemble. She was removed from the band's schedule last December, but the group said Mizuno was still part of the band. Reports went live crediting the singer's break to health concerns, but they also stressed that Mizuno planned to return to Babymetal.

Now, it seems the idol is ready to move on, leaving her former bandmates to carry on the Babymetal banner. On Friday, the group released their new single "Starlight" with just Su-Metal and Moametal fronting the pop/metal track.

So far, there is no word on whether Babymetal will bring in another singer to restore the vocal line. Fans are also curious as to how Yuimetal's leave could affect the band's digital series which Warner Bros. announced back in 2016. No updates have been given on the hybrid animation since it was made public, but Warner Bros. was said to be working on it with Blue Ribbon Content and Amuse USA.

Sam Register, the president of Warner Bros. Animation, described the group as "a mind-blowing, fun combination of pop vocals, heavy metal music and dance choreography brought to life by three incredibly talented teenage stars."

"We are huge fans here at Blue Ribbon Content and are extremely excited to help bring the Babymetal phenomenon to U.S. audiences through this upcoming digital series."

If you haven't heard of Babymetal, then it might be time you gave the band a shot. The group recently finished a world tour which saw them performing in dozens of countries and ended in front of 100,000+ fans at the Tokyo Dome. Babymetal's first studio album landed at #1 on the Billboard's World Album Chart, and their sophomore debut made them the first Japanese act to reach the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 Chart in more than fifty years.

Are you sad to hear this star's exit is official now? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!