Friday 30 September 2011

The Lovely Takahashi Ai graduates from Morning Musume

 Ten years ago Takahashi Ai joined Morning Musume as part of the wonderful fifth generation. Back then she was a young, shy girl with a strong accent. Now she leaves as an dynamic performer and a great idol. Aichan has been the centrepiece of Momusu for a long time now and hopefully she will now use her skills in a different way and be highly successful while doing so.

  Aichan has been my ultimate idol for a while now but she certainly wasn't the first idol who I began to like. I guess I didn't notice her at first because she didn't really stand out. I immediately lent towards idols with large TV personalities, such as Aibon, but after a period of floating around on the surface of the fandom I swam a bit deeper and found Ai. Ai has always been a good idol but in my opinion she really came into her own once she became leader. If you compare the Ai of 'Aruiteru' to the Ai of 'Onna ni Sachi Are' there is a huge difference. A sort of increase in power or 'oomph' as I like to call it.

I hope Ai can become more and more 'oomph' filled in her life post-musume.

I will leave you with Takahashi Ai's great performance of the stunning Goto Maki ballad 'Suppin to Namida'.

Thursday 29 September 2011

New Morning Musume 10th Generation Members!!

  The new 10th gen members have finally been announced and I have to say that I am fairly happy with the decision. I previously stated that I wanted Haruna and Sara to make it in. Since then Masaki has been added to my list of favourites. And now that the results have been announced I will say ,"2 out of 3, that's not bad". Even so, I really hope Sara does well for herself anyway (hopefully within H!P) because she certainly has the talent to do so. Haruna was one of my immediate favourites and I fully agree with Tsunku when he says, "She has a pure-like personality and I feel her singing will bloom over time". While she is not the best vocalist Haruna still has a lot of potential. Ayumi is a great dancer and seems determined to succeed. Her voice is a bit "meh" but I said that about Kanon and she is improving incredibly rapidly! Masaki is adorable. She has a very innocent and natural feel about her and I think she will do nothing but good for the group! What I am going to say now might shatter some hearts but . . . I don't really like Haruka all that much. I am hoping she will grow on me but at the moment she is not really doing anything for me, sorry. Hopefully she can prove me wrong (and all other disbelievers).

From left to right: Kudo Haruka, Satou Masaki, Ishida Ayumi and Iikubo Haruna

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Has liking idols changed my idea of good music? Part 2

    So, I have decided to try and chisel my way slightly deeper into the iceberg. This topic is probably not unheard of the the wotasphere and I am sure many others in the fandom have questioned their musical taste. Therefore,  I hope to raise some points that you can empathise with.

   Although I have listened to some odd stuff throughout my time on our planet I have believed for a long time now that The Beatles are the best band ever and have produced some of the most amazing songs of all time. I'm sure many of you feel similar, if not the same. And who is heavily influenced by The Beatles? That's right, everyone's favourite band member turned idol producer, Tsunku! Much of Tsunku's music is clearly influenced by the fab four. Listen to the opening few bars for Berryz Koubou's Rival and Tanpopo's Otome Pasta ni Kandou, the guitar solos from Tanpopo's Ouji Sama to Yuki no Yoru and Morning Musume's Otome no Shinrigaku, the english lyrics "All you need is love" in Petit Moni's Chokotto Love. I'm sure there are many more examples if you dig deeper. I personally believe that some of the songs that have come out of Hello! Project are pretty close to matching the quality of The Beatles. Anyway, back to the main purpose of this post. Basically, if I said to someone "I'm a Beatles fan" they would stay and talk to me. However, if I said "I'm a Hello! Project fan"  everyone would be at the other side of the country before I had even finished the sentence! (this is assuming they know what Hello! Project is of course)

   Just a few years ago I could have a relaxed conversation with friends about music. The closest I get to this now is talking about key signatures with my fellow music geeks. As soon as someone hears you listen to Japanese idol pop they will no longer trust your input in a conversation about music. Although this is a fair assumption to make it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I mean my friend is a fan of Slipknot (don't ask me why) but I try my best not to judge him for it!

   In conclusion, I think that my love of idols hasn't changed perception of good music but I now judge music purely on the quality of the music and not the way in which it is presented. I think many people today are far too concerned with the 'credibility' of an artist. Just because the songs weren't written by the performer that doesn't immediatly make them manufactured rubbish, they could be manufactured genius.

Don't underestimate the idols.

Monday 26 September 2011

Has liking idols changed my idea of good music?

Recently I have been saying things that surprise me (and everyone else around me). A few weeks ago I was listening to Maki Goto's great album 'How to Use Sexy' and on the track 'Glass no Pumps' I noticed a small sound effect and thought "I have heard that before". After a few days of brain-racking I figured out that it came from an Atomic Kitten track. I am hesitant to say this as it is now incredibly embarresing but when I was younger I was slightly obsessed with Atomic Kitten. Anyway, I dug out their cds and listened to the album 'Right Now' in order to find the mysterious sound. As I was listening I realised, "I still kinda like this. It's not that bad".

In other "what's happened to my musical taste" moments recently I declared that Girls Aloud had "a load of great songs thrown at them" and that Diana Vicker's 2010 single Once "wasn't half bad".

I have now got to the point at which I believe good music is good music and I am not rooted to one genre. I like all sorts of music such as classical, romantic, jazz, pop, rock, indie etc.
Although I don't plan to go around shouting it on the streets, that would damage what little reputation I have left, I have no problem with liking songs such as this:


Then again, I also like this:


Don't judge me!! XD

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Front Girl Fear

  With 9th generation Morning Musume member Sayashi Riho dividing opinion I began to think about the attitude we, as idol fans, have towards members who are lucky enough to be placed in the center.

  If you have read any of my blog before you may have gathered that I am a bit of an Aichan fan (haha, that rhymes). Therefore you may be thinking  , "This girl obviously doesn't have any sort of front girl fear!". I wouldn't go as far as saying you were wrong but I think we all, even me, have in the past felt some resentment towards a front girl of an idol group. While I love Ai now, if I had been a fan in Morning Musume's earlier years I might've been less keen on her being rapidly pushed to the front. Also, It took me a good while to come around to Nacchi but she is now one of my favourite idols ever! There are others such as Maki, Risako and Reina who I am not really a fan of but I can see the attraction and why they are/were centre members. A lot of people enjoying rooting for the underdog and I suppose this is why members like Sayu, Maasa and Eripon are fairly popular.

Konno Asami, Everyone's favourite underdog . . . well, almost everyone's.


   Going back to what I originally said it seems as if some people aren't too keen the amount of focus being placed on Riho. I understand wanting your favourite to be more in the limelight but sadly, some girls will almost be more pushed than others. Personally I feel it's good that Riho is getting a lot of attention. After all, Morning Musume needs a new front girl (or two). As long as it doesn't become the Reina/Riho show I am happy. If it was just those two the whole thing might be a bit whiny for my taste. Give some lines to Gaki and Kanon to balance things out.

"The shop's the way it is because it is the way it is. If it wasn't the way it is, it wouldn't be the way it is." Bernard Black

                 

Friday 16 September 2011

My Ideal Morning Musume 10th Gen

Today I watched the audition footage from Hello! Pro Time and found 2 girls that I would love to get into the group.

First off, Iikubo Haruna

 This may not be the best picture but believe me when I say, this girl is very pretty. Her singing voice is not great at the moment but there is definatly potential. As far as I can see her dancing is perfectly passable. Haruna is the oldest of the finalists but I don't see this as a bad thing. I'm sure her age will allow her to have a mature attitude to improving and she will fill the awkward gap between Aika and Mizuki.




Secondly we have Murakami Sara.

I'm not sure but I reckon this girl must already be fairly popular. She has a good voice and will surely be the 'star of the gen' if she passes. Her voice is different and would contrast well with Riho's if she ever got blessed with a centre position. Sara also has a certain calm energy about her (think Nacchi or Gaki-san).


  Take these two girls, though in one of the young ones (not too bothered as to who) and you have the perfect 10th generation.

Monday 12 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 30

After the sudden news of Kago Ai I decided to put this post off until today.

Day 30 - Why Kath Loves Hello! Project


There are many reasons why I love Hello! Project, such as  . . . .

The Music
For many people the musical element of idols doesn't even register as an important factor. For me it is one of the most important things. Before I got to know the girls in any detail it was the music that drew me in. I was amazed that your standard manufactured Japanese pop groups appeared to get some decent songs thrown at them. As someone who grew up listening to the charts in Britain, which were plagued with girl bands throughout the early-mid 2000s (when I was at primary school) I love that fun pop sound. That sound has been missing for a while over here (especially since Girls Aloud vanished) and I having been getting my (over)dose of pop music from Japan for the last couple of years. However a lot of Hello! Project's music not just fun but actually very good. Can anyone seriously tell me that Shouganai Yume Oibito and Shabondama are anything but pretty damn good? Tsunku has some epic skills in composition. (The arrangers usually do a good job too.)

The Girls
The girls in Hello! Project never fail to put a smile on my face. The antics and over the top reactions of the girls are always very entertaining and are very enjoyable to watch. The diverse personalities and characters of Hello! Project create something incredbile when put together, something you don't really see outside of the idol world.

Aswell as the personality side of things many of the girls are truely gifted performers. Recently I saw the performance of 'How do you Like Japan' from the 2010 Pika Pika tour and was astonished at the amount of sheer presense the girls had. Even the idols of Hello! Project who aren't techincally the best singers such as Risako, Captain or Sayu all have their own way of leaving an impression.

 

Sunday 11 September 2011

Kago Ai

I can't tell you how much of a shock the news of Kago Ai is to me. To see the first idol I really loved and someone who I admire in such a bad place to have attempted suicide is awful. There is nothing much I can say about the situation other than Kago needs her fans to support her. She needs to see that there are many people throughout the world who love her and that she is needed by a lot of people. To lose someone so young and with an entire life ahead of them would be a tradgedy. I sincerely wish that she can recover well.

Saturday 10 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 29

I am nearing the end of the challenge and today comes what feels like the hardest question so far.

Day 29 - Your favourite Morning Musume leader?


Every leader of Morning Musume has been great in their own way and deciding who was my favourite leader was an incredibly difficult choice to make. Each girl who has become leader has dealt with the task in a different way. There was Yuko's 'authority figure' to Kaori's 'big sister' to Ai's 'friend who happens to be leader'. In the end I picked Yuko because she seems to me someone who could deal with things efficiently and I like how she still retains her leader position in a way.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 28

Day 28 - The idol that brings special memories of something or someone to you?

 Aichan reminds me of my best friend. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's because they both have huge levels of talent, maybe it's beacuse they both have an ability to be really cool at the right time and slightly spastic and other times. Whatever it is, I see a lot of my friend in Aichan.

Morning Musume Release a Dazzling New Music Video

A few days ago the long music video for Morning Musume's new double A side single "Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa de Negatterun da yo!/ Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!". Along with 2 decent songs, a reeeaaaalllllyyy long title, some shiny gold costumes and some really weird covers Hello! Project has set out for this to be a single to remember. And quite rightly so.

(sorry the screenshots are not very good quality)

The pv starts off with the girls all doing that 'sleeping with a full face of make-up thing. Sayu shows us a fine example of how to look perfect while sleeping.

Aichan then gives us a great "what on earth is that" face.

She then walks through the door into 'bizarre sparkly land'.

There is far too much going on in this dance shot. The gold outfits blend into the background and some poor girl is being engulfed by a giant blue shiny thing.

Sayu just gets more and more beautiful. The background is pretty nice too.
I really like these 'through the door' scenes. It's like an entrance to a new Momusu.
Gaki looks mighty suspicious of someone. Probably Sayumi drooling all over the Kyuukies.
This dance move might actually look okay from a different angle. From here it just looks messy.
Reminds me slightly of Super Mario Galaxy. "You got a star!"
My precioussss . . .
 We are now into Kare to Issho.
This is not how I would like to be woken up in the morning!

Godzilla gets owned.
The cartoon scenes look very like Nacchi's 'Koi no Telephone Goal'.

As much as I hate to admit it, Reina is one of the few who really suits this mad get-up.

 Creepy Sayu puts in an appearance.

I knew the girls were midgets but this really puts it into perspective.

If Morning Musume Burger really existed I would be a whole lot fatter than I currently am.

What's a father in low!?

Fortunately this entire fiasco was nothing but a dream.

Overall this is a fun, imaginative pv, something H!P needs more of.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 27

Day 27 - The idol you have a special place in your heart for?





Erina is an idol I really want to succeed. Despite her occasional awkwardness Erina, to me, comes across as someone who is determined to improve and to catch up with her senpai. She is becoming more prominent as time goes on and I suspect that she will become very popular. Erina holds that special place in my heart because I feel that we are seeing her rapidly grow into a great idol.

Monday 5 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 26

I am getting worse and worse at keeping up with this! I was at my grandparent's house this weekend. I could have used their computer but they've got a mac. Now I shall sit back and watch the nerdwar commence.
Three days in one would be a bit too much (got french homework for tomorrow) so I shall just do the one. Sorry for falling so behind!!

Day 26 - The idol with the best personality?


Sayumi never fails to make me laugh. Some may find her cutesy image and devilish remarks very annoying but I find it very entertaining. Sayu has come a long way since she joined the group and her personality makes Momusu's tv appearances worth watchingSayu is not stupid and always knows what to say and when to say it. This is why she is a successful idol.
Stepping away from her tv persona Sayumi seems like a very nice girl and (from what we can see) gets on well with all the members.

Friday 2 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 25

Day 25 - Past group that you miss the most?


I became a Hello! Project fan a few years after W came to an unfortunate end but even so, they were the group that kick started my obsession. I am a proud owner of both their albums and one of the many people still itching (is that the right word?) for 'W3: Faithful'. The girls were only getting better, with 'Miss Love Tantei' being one of their best singles. I'm sure everyone is still wondering what happened to W3. Is it sitting collecting dust? Are the songs being used? If so, which ones?
I doubt any of these questions will ever be answered but hey, we can dream.

Thursday 1 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 24

Day 24 - The idol that is not one of your favourites but you think is really good?


Despite Airi not being one of my personal favourites I think she is a great idol. Her singing and dancing is top notch and she is a great front person for C-ute. She is also very easy on the eyes, something which stands you in good stead in the idol world.