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I wasn't planning to talk about this. But I haven't heard anybody else voice the same opinion as me.
Kanna knew the rules. It doesn't matter how stupid we think they are, they're still rules. Even if they aren't as strongly enfored by H!P, they're still rules. Kanna broke those rules and it's a bit hard for me to have sympathy for her.
This is on the whole "these girls should be allowed to date!" kind of thing... I'm their age. I don't know if I'd be considered a normal girl or not, but I really don't feel an intense need to date. What's all this "These girls are so suppressed! I don't blame Miyabi/Kanna/whoever for wanting to be with a guy. H!P is so evil for depriving them from this."
I have plenty of girl friends who don't date. I know plenty of girls period who don't date. Of the girls who do date, I can't imagine they'd be very very upset to give up dating for something valuable. And I can't imagine that the need to be with a guy is so strong that the H!P girls would risk their jobs as idols (which is not just a job, but an important thing to fans) just to go to the movies or kiss a little. To me, this doesn't say "These girls need to be able to date!", it says they don't value their position as idols enough. I mean, they have to know the no dating rules right?
Maybe this is the "I want to be an idol!" person in me talking. But it's a real turn-off to me to see one of these girls do something like this. I want to ask, "Do you know how lucky you are? Do you know how many girls want to do what you do? Why would you even think about risking throwing what you have away?".
As a disclaimer, just because I personally don't want to date do I think it's a horrible thing or something. It's an important part of growing up and having the experience. Though not important enough I think to risk your job. There are a lot of things celebrities have to give up such as privacy. For the H!P girls, dating is one of those things they have to be willing to give up to be an idol.
Also, this not only affects their own job. It could affect the entire group. Kanna wasn't the most popular, but if it was a front member, sales could drop. And it certaintly doesn't help public opinion of the group if they hear in the news, "So-and-so was seen with this guy! Kissing!/Seen leaving their house!/Going to the movies with!" Like when we hear on the news "Britney shaved her head!". For someone who has no opinion on Britney (though by this point, who doesn't? That was a bit of a bad example) they sure aren't going to have a good one after that. I don't know much about Japan, but maybe Britney shaving her head (or other equally crazy things like doing drugs or drinking and driving) is as intense to us as a H!P girl seen dating is to the wota.
I wasn't planning to talk about this. But I haven't heard anybody else voice the same opinion as me.
Kanna knew the rules. It doesn't matter how stupid we think they are, they're still rules. Even if they aren't as strongly enfored by H!P, they're still rules. Kanna broke those rules and it's a bit hard for me to have sympathy for her.
This is on the whole "these girls should be allowed to date!" kind of thing... I'm their age. I don't know if I'd be considered a normal girl or not, but I really don't feel an intense need to date. What's all this "These girls are so suppressed! I don't blame Miyabi/Kanna/whoever for wanting to be with a guy. H!P is so evil for depriving them from this."
I have plenty of girl friends who don't date. I know plenty of girls period who don't date. Of the girls who do date, I can't imagine they'd be very very upset to give up dating for something valuable. And I can't imagine that the need to be with a guy is so strong that the H!P girls would risk their jobs as idols (which is not just a job, but an important thing to fans) just to go to the movies or kiss a little. To me, this doesn't say "These girls need to be able to date!", it says they don't value their position as idols enough. I mean, they have to know the no dating rules right?
Maybe this is the "I want to be an idol!" person in me talking. But it's a real turn-off to me to see one of these girls do something like this. I want to ask, "Do you know how lucky you are? Do you know how many girls want to do what you do? Why would you even think about risking throwing what you have away?".
As a disclaimer, just because I personally don't want to date do I think it's a horrible thing or something. It's an important part of growing up and having the experience. Though not important enough I think to risk your job. There are a lot of things celebrities have to give up such as privacy. For the H!P girls, dating is one of those things they have to be willing to give up to be an idol.
It's been about 5 months since I last wrote something. Why? It could be that I'm lazy (Ha! isn't everyone?), or it could be that I just forget. I'm not quite sure. But I've been thinking about it alot and came up with this:
I don't have anything interesting to say. I really don't. It's not even that what I want to say is the same exact thing as what everybody else has already said five times over.
I have discovered I'm the perfect fan*. I can't say anything interesting because I love everything. I don't know how this happened. Mikan? Love it! Resonant Blue and it's lack of anybody but Ai and Reina? Well that sucks for the rest, but Ai and Reina look awesome and the dance is really cool. Aya Matsuura's Kizuna? Relaxing. My god, I even love all of Koharu's songs. Sayumi's voice is adorable to me. LinLin is my favorite in Morning Musume. And how cute are those monkey outfits in Berryz Koubou's new PV? They're so goofy.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people who have no personality at all. I have opinions and dislike towards things like everybody else. I don't like to listen to some AKB48 songs and some THE Possible songs don't exactly float my boat. But H!P? If Morning Musume replaced all their vocals with computerized noises I'd chuckle and enjoy whatever song they made with that.
It's not even that I think, "Well this is H!P... I must like them." I genuinely like the music. If you told me to listen to a song and I had no clue it was H!P (and I couldn't recognize voices or Tsunku-ness), I'd probably still like it. There are some songs I like more then others but there's no songs I dislike.
(*disclaimer- I say I'm the perfect fan for loving all of H!P in a bit of a jest. I'm sure you love H!P just as much as I do even if you have more opinions on the music and stuff then me. Just consider yourself more cultured and smarter then I am!)
I was bothered by this for awhile. Questioning myself- do I truely like this song? Or am I lying to myself and liking it just because of the artist? Then I realized...
There's no disappointment.
I've read tons of blogs complainging about Mikan. Complaints about Berryz Koubou's Dschinghis Khan. Disappointment that this girl isn't shown in the PV, or that girl doesn't have any solos- again. None of that hits me. I only feel that giggly feeling of "Oh, I like this song!" when you find a song that really makes you feel good. I don't notice things like stupid outfits or strange sounding solos until someone points it out.
I have a very hard time finding my favorite in any group. LinLin of Morning Musume- but I really do love everybody else for different reasons. Berryz Koubou and Cute? Forget it. I'll pick one girl then go, "Oh, no! But that girl! I remember when she said that thing in that interview, or that one adorable picture, or that solo in a concert." There are too many variables. And I can't bring myself to dislike someone I don't even know. So many people hate LinLin. Maybe in real life she's very sweet and is just trying too hard to be the idol she thinks people want. We'll never know. It makes me uncomfortable to categorize people I don't know for real. In the idol industry I'm sure there's so much acting. Who knows what's real.
That sort of brings me to another topic. Girl H!P fans. I'm one of them, I know quite a few and I'm sure you do too. For some (most?) of us girl fans we're interested in H!P for a different reason then guys. Our favorites are our favorites because maybe we think "I just like to music" or "oh, I want to be best girl friends with that girl and hang out with her, she looks nice and cute." rather then "I want to bang her" or some kind of guy thought (was that a bit crude?).
((Not that I think all guy H!P fans are in it just for the girls. I know if I don't say this someone will come crying to me in the comments saying "HEY! *offended* I'm a guy fan and I like H!P for the music.". But you have to admit... The guy percentage of H!P fans are in for the pretty girls more so then girl fans.))
But another reason us girls might like H!P so much is we want to be up there with Morning Musume or Berryz Koubou, or C-ute. I'd give anything to even be a H!P egg. I think I'd be good at it. I'm cute (there are pictures out there if you care enough to find them. I try not to sound too big. Just what everybody has said many many times. I have a cute face. My clarinet teacher thinks I'm 12. I'm 16. I still get kids menues at resturants. Etc.), I'm nice, I have a good personality, I can sing and dance (videos coming soon to a youtube near you. Haha possibly), I'd be able to adapt to harsh schedules. I could do it. (I do have faults, but let's not talk abou those here. ;p)
This sort of connects to what I said above, about liking all that is H!P. I hear other H!P girl fans say that they want to join H!P... and in a few blog posts say that she hates Tanaka Reina and calls her a whore or she says the latest MM PV sucks. Not just simple dislikes, harshly worded hatred. Wouldn't that be sort of turn-off of what an idol needs to be? You sort of need to like the group you're in. I don't know. (I know Tanaka Reina auditioned to see if she could meet a member of another band. But then again, maybe she's not the perfect example of an idol) I just hate it when people insult any part of H!P so much and then turns around and proclaims they'll give their soul to be apart of it.
That's all I have to say. Sorry for not blogging often or if you're offended by anything I say here. I'm not trying to judge you. ;p
It's so often that I hear people bash a H!P member because of their vocal- or lack thereof. You know, all those who have blood coming out of their ears. "Listening to _____ makes my ears bleed!" (Drama queens and complaining whores in my opinion).
This post is going to be about why I think everybody is important to the group. Sayumi and Koharu included; the two who apparently induce the most bleeding ears, from what I've seen people say. These are my ideas on why these not-as-talented-as-the-others girls auditioned and made it in- and why it was a good decision.
First off is the popular excuse of the eyecandy. Take Sayumi: the queen of photobooks, Usagi Peace!, and being the self-proclaimed cutest. We all know she isn't in Morning Musume for her singing talents. Take another "eyecandy" girl, Konno. Her singing isn't bad you could argue. But it is weak and not up to par with the "good" singers of H!P. But Konno is adorable! Ishikawa Rika is similar in that way. (Charmy!)
I see that explanation as an obvious one. That Morning Musume isn't just a singing group, they're idols. They need the girls who look good and can sell photobooks and PVs. But I think there is a more hidden reason why they were chosen by Tsunku.
I don't think Morning Musume would be the same if it didn't have the "bad" singers that have been members over the years. I'll even go as far as to say it wouldn't sound as good. Now that doesn't make sense, does it? You'd think good singers = better group, bad singers = bad group.
Morning Musume seems to have this balance of good singers and bad singers (I use the terms "good" and "bad" loosely. They are of course relative to the individual person, this is all in general). Let's imagine that Morning Musume consisted of all amazing singers- think Ayumi Hamasaki or someone high up like that. Wouldn't you feel overwhelmed? There would be no depth to the song, only powerful and strong singing. Which isn't a bad thing, per say. It just is... boring to me.
The combination of weak vocals and strong vocals is what makes Morning Musume sound like it does. Side by side in the same song you can have Fujimoto Miki vocals and Koharu Kusumi vocals, or even a mature familiar sound with a new member's voice. Sayumi sounds grating on her solo lines, but when she's paired up with Miki like in Kanashimi Twilight it brings a whole /new/ sound to the song. Also what makes Morning Musume sound so fun is it's endless combinations of vocal duets/trios/quartets (whether it be for one line or a whole stanza).
Just choose a song and open projecthello.com to look at who's singing with whom. You start to notice things. Like when Ai (Takahashi) is paired with Reina, Ai sounds cuter then if she was paired with Risa (where she'd sound stronger). This brings me to another point:
We all admit that Morning Musume just doesn't sound like it used to "back in the day". When that day was for you is different for everybody. But we all know it's just different. This is especially noticeable with their recent single, Mikan. I personally love the song, so this isn't an insult to it. But it doesn't sound as good as the past songs. And I don't mean the melody. I mean the general sound to it. For one, the arrangement is different. We're missing the fun and silly style that MM used to have. The patterns like group part-short solo-group part-duet-solo-everybody part. You know what I mean, right? Now it seems like the pattern has gotten a bit boring. Onna ni Sachi Are was mainly solo parts. I honestly like both ways of arranging things. But maybe this is a reason that some others don't like the new stuff as much. And a second reason for sounding different might be that all the girls sound similar. We don't have that wide range of vocal types that we used to. Yossi and Miki held up the tough and strong part of the group. Now no one is there to fill in her gap.
I think Aika was a perfect choice for Tsunku to add to Morning Musume. Now? With Miki and Yossi gone, plus the pandas, it feels like Aika isn't a perfect choice anymore. She's just adding to the higher pitched cute voices that everybody else in Morning Musume has. I love her so much and she's one of my favorite members. But unless we get a new generation with some strong singers I don't hold much hope for Morning Musume to bring back at least some of the popular sound they used to have.
This is the end, but in another post I'll explain more about my thoughts on auditions and new members. Why each girl was chosen when the auditioned (and how it improved Morning Musume in some way), and who I want to see become 9th gen.
P.S. This is my first time actually writing something that's not a short worded review. I hope my writing is understandable? As for the semi-random pictures throughout... well, I know I'm more likely to read a post if there are pictures. ;)
-Soli
So what else would I do but get their opinion on H!P? I asked my sister and her friend to sit down with me and just watch different H!P PVs. My younger sister is 11, and her friend is 12. They like all the normal artists for girls that age: Hannah Montana, Aly & AJ, High School Musical, etc. My sister has seen some H!P things, but not enough to really know a lot.
Kanashimi Twilight
- Sayumi is pretty
- They're clothes are weird
- Too many ties
- Yoshizawa is too tall
Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari
- Didn't like Kaori
- Rika is prety
- Risa looks like a cheerleader
- Didn't like Miki
- Ogawa's hair fits her face and she looks pretty
- Aibon is cute
- Takahashi and Reina are pretty
- Didn't like Yossi's hair
- Konno needs to look happier
- Really didn't like Yaguchi ("she's 20?!"), her eyers are too big
Morning Musume no Hyokkori Hyoutan-jima
- Pirates!
- The animation was funny
- Weird dance
Mikan
- Weird outfits
- Eri is pretty
- Didn't like Koharu or LinLin
- Sayumi, Reina, and Aika are pretty
- Cute baby picture
Love Machine
- Really didn't like Sayaka's hair
- Kaori is pretty
- Maki is okay
- Abe is pretty but has bad hair
- Some outfits were bad! (Though they understood that this was made in 1999)
Tokaikko Junjou
- Liked Maimi and Erika
- Kanna is really pretty
- Didn't like Airi, too pale and strange teeth
- Didn't like Chisato
- The clothes were cool, but didn't like Maimi's shorts (too short!!)
21ji Made no Cinderella
- Weird outfits, but colorful
- Didn't like girls with high voices
- My sister's friend actually jumped back at Momoko's first solo in suprise
- Don't like the high pitched voices
Renai Rider
- Airi's pigtails are cute
- The outfits are cool
- Miyabi is okay
- The heart eyes are creepy but cool
- Liked the circle and arrow background
- "Yellow" (Momoko) sings really high, but liked her better here
- The dance isn't as fun as the others
In general, they didn't like any of the girls with short hair. They really hated Yaguchi. They didn't like Eri in Kanashimi Twilight, but loved her in Mikan. While watching Mikan they tried to guess who was Chinese and guessed everybody except JunJun and LinLin. They were really suprised that Mai was their age (11). This seemed to please them a lot. The songs were fun and they liked them well enough and didn't really mind it was in a different language.
I'm sure the two of them wouldn't mind doing this again if anybody has any PVs they really want to get opinions on. I think I might even record their voices as they say when they do and don't like. So I'll take requests! (and no worres about the girls, they're being paid in candy so they aren't working without pay).
-Soli
Along with Koharu's Chance!, I got the limited B edition of Mikan. This will mostly be a picture dump.
I won't put much more then that because these pictures are other places and I don't need to use up tons of space and put them here. But here are closeups of some of my favorite shots:
And as you know, each of the editions come with a card!
*drumroll*
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Takana Reina!
I'm disappointed, I'll admit. Reina is my least favorite. I'd rather get Aika or even Risa. But you won't see me spending money for another copy! I guess I'm stuck with her. ;p
I recieved my order from YesAsia, Chance! and Mikan (Limited B).
I'll start with Chance! This is the normal edition. I like the closeup! She has a nice hairstyle for this single.
When I went to take off the obi I was suprised to find it extended all the way across the back! How strange! As I held it the feeling of it was heavier then normal. Then I realized! There were stickers! This was a very pleasent suprise because I was beginning to regret not getting the limited edition for the special card. For right now I have no plans to put the stickers anywhere but am very excited for the possibilities.
Under the obi was the real cover. This is her second outfit, the more elegant one. I like all the pink! It's very cute and fits the song well. When you open the case you get the CD:
More pink! The inside looks like this:
Close up of the bubbles!
The lyrics insert was a full page and showed off her second dress. The pose is very cute and sort of dreamy.
I'm happy I got this single. It's my first Koharu item!
A lot of people have been talking about H!P and the American market: If it'd be possible, other Japanese artists who have tried, and if it'd work.
I honestly don't know much of anything about the stuff that goes one behind the scenes of the music industry. A lot of people say things like "That PV was so cheap, they don't have enough money to do anything or have proper sets." I don't really understand that kind of thing. If a PV looks good, who cares how much it costed to make it? I'm sure there could be really expensive PVs that look horrible.
And people who talk about the decline of Morning Musume. *shrugs* Morning Musume is changing, it does alot. The current MM we know today is nothing like what it was back in the "Golden Age". But how could it be the same? All of those girls have grown up. I think we need to also. Accept the changes. The music style is different. But who says we can't like both styles? I like the old stuff, but also enjoy the newer things.
Anyways! H!P in America. A lot of people have been discussing how it would happen/if it'd work and be successful. A more interesting and fun thing to talk about is what you'd do if they did come to America. Assume that they're maybe not as big as they are in Japan, but close to it. Things I'd do differently then I do now.
- Go to concerts! I'm only 16 and there's no way I can fly to Japan to go to one. But I could manage driving a few hours to go to a few.
- Going into a store and buying a CD. I get all my CDs through YesAsia. How nice would it be to get the CD without all the wait and shipping?
- Join H!P. Hey, it's possible! I'm around the age and am not horrible looking or a bad singer/dancer. Isn't that was all female fans want at least a tiny bit? Hey, I'd drop out of high school to spend my time making money while hanging with Sayumi and Tanaka or even Risako and Miyabi.
- English H!P Imagine the possibilities: American exchange students in Berryz or C-ute, English groups that rival the main groups (as opposed to Coconuts Musume which was full of fail), and English covers of songs. I like H!P because of the cuteness and uniqueness that I don't see in American artists.
- Fanclub activities. Isn't there a fanclub you can join in Japan? I'd join that in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the fact that I don't live in Japan. I can imagine there'd be handshake events and special V!P performances you can win.
- Fans in real life. I haven't met anybody in real life who's a H!P fan, or even knows who they are. Only people on the internet. But if H!P was in American I'm sure I wouldn't have trouble gathering a few friends for some karaoke parties or something like that.
- Younger fans. I can see a different fan market for H!P- younger girls! Japan is different from America and I don't think it'd be very accepted for 35-year-old men going to concerts and hanging 16-year-old girls pictures on their wall.
But I know there's also things I like about being a fan of a Japanese artist that would be taken away if they came to America.
- It motivates me to learn a language. I can honestly say I've learned most of the Japanese I know from H!P songs. And that's not entirely a horrible thing! Singing helps greatly with pronunciation. Having a debut in America would make them start to produce songs in English with English writing on the covers and translations.
- Unique. This is sort of a double edges sword. It'd be nice to know other H!P fans, but it's also pretty cool to say "My favorite artist? Morning Musume of course. Oh, they're Japanese. Yes I can sing Japanese. *rattles off Shabondama monologue*" I'd wouldn't feel unique to say that I was a fan of H!P when there are billions of others who are too.
Takahashi Ai isn't really my favorite member. I've never been able to rank my favorite MM members, though there are some I don't quite like. But anyways, here's a few reasons why I like her.
She actually likes what she does. I always see a smile on her face when she's on HaroMoni, at a concert, or even in the PVs. Singing and dancing is what she likes to do. She doesn't seem to care about the fame as much as she does having fun. And unlike Ishikawa Rika (and probably many others in H!P) she seems to like her fans. The smiles and energy from her seen in concerts is from the fact that she's flattered that all these fans chant her name after solos and waver her colored glowstick. She puts passion in her singing and dancing for the fans out there who enjoy watching her. And she just gets the greatest grins. There's the normal idol, pose for photos smile. Then there's that grin.
I do the same thing when I am really happy. I hate how I look because my eyes get all squinty, but it's genuine. I can't help it! You don't see this smile in Ai when she poses for pictures. You see it during preformances and any filmed clips like making-of videos. I'm sure she likes her posed smile better, but I prefer the candid one.
You also have to admit she's a pretty good singer. She can handle the lines shes given and sing them well. You may not like her voice, but she does hit all the pitchs and can carry a tune.
What attracts me most to an idol isn't how they look or how they sing. It's how happy they look when they work. I don't want to watch someone who hates their job. It makes me feel sort of guilty for enjoying something they didn't like doing.
Takahashi Ai may not be the most interesting member of H!P and Morning Musume. But I think there's more to look for in an idol then how entertaining they are. ;p
