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J-Pop collective Circle Lychee (サークルライチ) dropped a double-whammy of announcements this week that’s left fans a bit stunned.
First came the bittersweet news on April 1: all current members of the Circle Lychee trainee programme will officially graduate on 29 April 2025.
The final stage will take place at WOMB LIVE in Shibuya, marking the end of this chapter for the trainees.
After that, each of them will pursue their own paths—though details on what those paths are will be shared later.
But just when fans were processing that, another shocker came today: trainee Shisui Rua won’t be sticking around for the big send-off.
She’s withdrawn from Circle Lychee with immediate effect, following her own request.
There won’t be any graduation stage for her, and the management has politely asked fans not to probe other members about it.
Circle Lychee, under the creative umbrella of Mercuro, isn’t your average idol group. It’s a unique circle-style project—eight groups and one soloist all operating under one big brand.
Think of it as a musical multiverse.
The roster includes Verotica, Clara Magura, Galatia, Shirayuri to Ame, VILLAINS HOUSE, Kurai Sekai, Gimmick, and UtoYuni.
They’ve only been around since 2023, but the group quickly carved out a niche for edgy pop with visual flair.
Their trainee programme has been the entry point for many of the faces fans now follow across the Circle Lychee universe.
In a statement posted in Japanese, the management thanked fans for their continuous support and asked everyone to keep cheering on the trainees until the very end.
As for Rua’s departure, it was kept brief but respectful, with management expressing gratitude for the short time she was part of the team.
With the final live just weeks away, fans are likely to be emotional as they say goodbye—not just to the members, but to the whole trainee format that’s been such a huge part of Circle Lychee’s identity.
We’ll be watching closely to see what’s next for these girls post-graduation. New beginnings often start with a final curtain, after all.