Have Idols changed the way I live my life?

 First of all I apologise for my absense. . . . Sorry folks. For the past couple of weeks the prelim exams have been killing me slowly but surely. Anyway, while I was "revising" my mind kept drifting off to other topics, one of which was how idols (H!P in particular) had changed my life. It is amazing what I will do to avoid studying. My house has never been more hoovered. XD

Like many people in the fandom anime was my way into Japanese pop culture. It was when I watched the series 'Clannad' that my outlook on life change. I learnt to appreciate what I had, and I began to value all the things that I had been taking for granted: the jokes I made with my friends and family, the great oppurtunity I had been given in the form of a piano, the town where I live. I guess you could say 'Clannad' made me more optimistic, even if I do still have that cynical sense of humour. Hello! Project took what 'Clannad' had given me and raised it up a few notches. From the moment I saw Kusumi Koharu's 'Koi Kana' back in 2008 I was amazed at how infectious and bouncy the song was and how happy it made me feel. Despite this I never really got into the whole thing at that stage and it wasn't until 2009, shortly after the release of 'Nanchatte Renai', that I really became a fan. It wasn't long before I watched 'Ayaka's Surprise English Lessons'. I remember thinking, "these must be some of the funniest girls on the planet". I wanted to have that same spark that the girls had and decided to try and be more "genki", for lack of a better word. Seeing all these girls who work so hard but always seem to be smiling made me feel like I was taking my easy life for granted. Their individuality made me feel that I didn't need to hide. I started to find talking to people, and socialising much easier and managed to find a great circle of friends.

There are so many idols that I have to thank.

 

Nacchi : Someone who worked hard to improve herself (singing mostly) and has inspired me to do the same.

Kago : She bounced back after things went wrong and showed herself as someone who has learned from her mistakes.

Tsuji : Managed to turn what was originally a slightly dodgy teenage pregnancy into a career. She's not as stupid as we were lead to believe. She makes me want to succeed.

Aichan : She lets me feel that it's okay to be shy at times and bold at others. Also it's nice to know that idols can be geeky too. XD

Sayumi : Showed me that you don't always have to be perfect, and that your own talents will shine through.

Koharu : My first idol and the idol with the magnificant smile. Thanks for cheering me up! ^__^

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.

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.

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 23

Day 23 - The past H!P member that you miss the most?

Is there any real answer other than Aibon? She was a great idol but I find her much more interesting now. She has learned a lot through her experiences. I still try and keep up with her activites and recently her version of 'Blue Moon' has managed to convice me that song isn't as annoying as I originally thought it was (even though she never seems to hit that note at the end). Unfortunatly she has made more mistakes recently such as leaving her agency. Even if their style of management wasn't entirely her cup of tea it must have been better than nothing?

On a bit of a sideline, I love this photo. It is actually taken well unlike her post H!P photobooks.