2004–2007: Hello Pro Egg Maeda Yuuka joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Pro Egg in June 2004 following auditions of thirty-two other girls. The group aimed to prepare the young girls for their entertainment debut. Maeda received free dance and vocal training alongside the other Eggs. In October 2005, Maeda became one of the founding members of Hello! Pro Egg group Tomoiki Ki wo Uetai. They debuted at Morning Musume's environmental Culture Festival 2005. In 2006, Maeda continued her training and appeared at numerous Hello! Project concerts as a backing dancer, including "Country Musume LIVE2006 ~Shibuya des Date~". In March Tomoiki Ki wo Uetai's blog opened and in July their first song was announced, "Minna no ki". On August 22, Tomoiki participated volunteered at PLANT A TREE farm and herb garden in Yamanashiken. In September, Maeda performed "Minna no ki" with Tomoiki at Morning Musume's environmental Culture Festival 2006. She was a backing dancer to Morning Musume's Kusumi Koharu. She released a single in a group known as Paretto. In April 2007 Maeda received a role in the musical
Soto wa shiroi haru no kumo that was later released on DVD. In September, Maeda featured in Standardsong Entertainment's
Ekubo ~people song~. Maeda appeared in
Chao.TV (started 2007/09/02). Maeda appeared as a part of Tomoiki at Morning Musume's environmental Culture Festival 2007.
2008–2009: High-King, Shugo Chara Egg! Maeda received her first proper
Hello! Project role when she was selected to become part of
High-King, alongside
Hello! Project singers such as
Morning Musume's
Ai Takahashi and
Reina Tanaka, The group was created to promote
Morning Musume's upcoming rendition of
Rodgers and Hammerstein's
Cinderella, titled
Cinderella the Musical. The group's debut single, "C\C (Cinderella\Complex)" was released on June 11, 2008, and peaked at number 6. Maeda was selected as one of the four members for a new
Hello! Pro Egg unit alongside
Wada Ayaka,
Fukuda Kanon and
Saho Akari. The group was called
Shugo Chara Egg! and was formed to record the opening songs for the
anime that
Buono! sings for
Shugo Chara. She released two singles with the group until the line-up changed, and she was replaced by
Mizuki Fukumura.
2009–2011: S/mileage and retirement On April 4, 2009
Tsunku announced on his blog that a new group was in the works. The members listed were
Maeda Yuuka,
Fukuda Kanon,
Ogawa Saki, and
Wada Ayaka. He stated the lineup was subject to change, and that it would be their "major debut". On May 5, 2009, Tsunku revealed the group's name to be "
S/mileage" (smile of age). On August 15, 2009, she played her first musical drama titled Shugo Chara! Musical and took the main role of Amu Hinamori. Maeda and the rest of the
S/mileage members graduated from
Hello! Pro Egg in the
Hello! Project Spring Concert, They released their first major single titled
夢見る15歳 (
Yume Miru sai) on 2010-05-26, Yuuka, Kanon and Ayaka are cast as the main characters of
Hime Chen! Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri and eventually released singles as Lilpri. On October 25, Maeda announced she would graduate from
S/mileage and
Hello! Project. Her graduation was held on December 31. She stated she want to focus on her studies and university. She felt that it would be unfair to her fans and supporters to devote only half of her energy on stage. Her final single with
S/mileage was "Please Mini Skirt Post Woman!". == Musical groups ==