Takahashi Ai's Graduation: Bye Bye Aibutt

Even though I wrote a post on my thoughts of the graduation, I still haven't written a goodbye to her. I was venting the last time, but because today is officially her graduation day where I live, I will give my final goodbyes to Aibutt.

Ah, Aibutt. I remember when I first remembered your name... I didn't like you at all. Yes, those were the days, back when I hated everyone who got more lines than my favourites, back when I was a naive, selfish young fan aged only15/16... Those were the days...

Well, as you can guess my opinions have changed since the year of '09 when I first came to listen to Morning Musume's music, and even though she is not my favourite member, I like her quite a bit and I think that she has a fantastic voice and a lovely face. Oh, and a nice butt. Can't forget the Aibutt.

So, when I heard about her graduation just after the then-new 9th gen members had joined, you can guess that I was shocked. Actually, I was more shocked that Ai-chan was going to get coverage when the 9th Gen were supposed to, so I was both angry and surprised, but then I became happy. If Takitty was leaving, then the new members and the rest of Morning Musume would be able to breathe a little more without her taking the spotlight front and centre fold. So, I was happy (and a little sad, I guess) that this graduation was going to happen.

Now, I don't think that I will cry like I did when Koharu graduated, considering Koharu back then was my Number 1 and Takahashi is something like my Number 6 now (wait, I can't even put her as a rank any more, she's not in the group :P). Well, whatever, I won't weep over her loss, but I will miss her. After all, she was the first Morning Musume leader that I experienced, so seeing no Takahashi in any of the new singles will be like an alien playing hop-scotch on the road outside of my house. I guess it's because I have become so accustomed to seeing her slapped in the centre so much, with her vocals whipping and dominating the rest that I'll be surprised not to see or hear her in Morning Musume again.

Yeah, it's gonna be weird Dx

But, I am still happy that she has graduated, and graduated in such a way, though I do wonder if Winky's graduation will be just as extravagant as this, or even Lord Gaki's I don't actually hold much hope for the other members to get such extravagant goodbyes like Ai has, because come on, nearly everyone in Japan loved Ai. She was the longest leader, has been in the group 10 years (with Niigaki surpassing now by a few hours or a day bwahaha) and has been centre in most of the singles she has been in. Of course she would get an extravagant send off back into space.

So yeah... I'm glad to see her go, and sad as well, but it is the best thing right now. Morning Musume is surely changing, and I think it is for the better, and with Ai gone now it has left a big impression. She's had the greatest send off, and the concert hall was filled with yellow as her fans said goodbye to her. Takahashi Ai has  made Morning Musume the way it is since she took hold of the leadership reigns, but now that everything is changing, she passes them on to Niigaki Risa, the new leader of Morning Musume.

It's the dawn of the new Morning Musume. So, goodbye Takahashi Ai, and hello to the new members!

Continue to prosper as an actress, even if you suck at it! (I seriously think she's not a good actress, but that's my opinion ;D)

Long Live Lord Gaki, the NEW QUEEN OF H!P 8U

Chiima~


PING! International Wota Recommended Reading Spetember 30th

~My Thoughts on Takahashi Ai's Graduation~

Opinions are my own, and you may hate my opinion VERY soon...


PS there was a post on facebook about Takahashi's graduation being an April Fools, and it really annoyed me - Yeah, I get that it's meant to be a joke, but then again... I should remind myself not to step onto facebook when I am cranky, already vented once and ready to kill...


Ah, Graduation - the day that we Wota dread when it comes to our Idol. This is the day where we weep, sigh and wish that it never happened...

Well, that's just tough, isn't it? Because no matter what we do, no matter how much we whine and bitch and moan about it, our Idols aren't going to suddenly stop halfway through their graduation ceremony and put up their hand to say "Now wait a minute, I don't want to do this. I'm going to stay right here.", because if that kept happening, then we would probably still have Koharu, or maybe even JunJun and LinLin. Not that I'd complain, I loved all three of them girls (and Kamei, but she was ill, so it's understandable why she left.)

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is that no matter how much you love that certain Idol, she's going to go, because in the Idol business, especially if you're from a group like Morning Musume or AKB, you need to keep with the times, and that means 'Out with the Old, and in with the New' - which is what applies to Takahashi Ai in this case regarding her position in Morning Musume.

She has been in the group for 10 years, and yes, so has Niigaki, but really, how many times more has Niigaki been featured as a centre or main vocalist in a single when compared to Ai? Wait, what? Not as much as Ai? Yeah, you see - this is why Takahashi is 'Old', whilst Niigaki, who has been in the group for the same amount of time Takahashi has, still hasn't been milked as Takahashi Ai the cash cow has. Admit it, that's what Takahashi Ai is, because she's the most popular member.

PS, this is Riho's future if Ayumi doesn't steal the spotlight! -cackles-

And this is why I'm really glad to see the back of Ai, and really annoyed by the amount of comments people make about how it should all be a lie or a joke that she's graduating - er, seriously? If I found out that she wasn't graduating, I'd be more pissed off that the Wota spent so much bloody money on Takahashi Ai goods in preparation for the concert, or spent so many nights weeping over her photo books, remembering the good ol' days and wondering how she will fare without Morning Musume. Seriously, it would anger me A LOT if she were to suddenly turn around and say 'SURPRISE, I'm not leaving!', because the Wota and her fans have been preparing for this day like the day you prepare to sacrifice a virgin to the overlord, only to find out she had slept with someone a moment prior to the sacrifice.

Yeah, it's a bitch slap, right?

She's graduating - get over it. You'll find a new favourite soon enough, or leave Morning Musume all together. It depends how faithful you are to the group. Don't give me the bull shit that Takahashi is the one who is keeping it all together, because even before she was leader they managed it, and I'm pretty sure that Niigaki has actually been the one who has kept everyone in order since she became a sub leader, because that girl does a lot.

Then again, this is just my speculation - I love Niigaki and worship the ground she walks on. Lord, she could stomp on me in stilettos and I would cry from happiness because she made me bleed.

Anyway, regarding the graduation that happens today in Japan, I am honestly happy. I liked Ai as a leader, and yes, she's the first one I have experienced - but because of her, Morning Musume hasn't been able to breathe. Okay, Reina plays a role in this too, but Ai is front and centre on ever single, hogging all that spotlight with Reina. I'm just glad that we will get to see Riho in the front a bit more, and maybe even some Sayummy. I mean, Kare to Issho Blah Blah showed us what life without Ai could be like: More Sayumi front-centre, and it was so bloody refreshing to see Ai pushed to the back and watching everyone from behind.

So yeah! I am glad that she's leaving, because without her, the group will be subject to some more members gaining a few more lines... or maybe Riho just whoring a bit more, who knows. But Takahashi Ai has been the dark overlord of the group for a while now, and she's grown stagnant. The girls past her sell-by date, and I fully accept that.

So... to those guys who now hate my guts for this post - so what? She's graduating, you can't really do much about it. You've been weeping about it and getting ill over it, but really, if she turned around and said 'I'm staying', a little part of you would wonder 'Why the FUCK did I cry over nothing?', and you would be angry. So, I hope I got my point across!

I look forward to the future of Morning Musume - it'll be weird as heck to see no Ai, but really, I can't wait. It'll be nice to see 4 new faces, and one less OG. So yeah. Out with the old, in with the new peeps.

When's 11th Gen coming along? -sips wine-

Chiima~


PING! International Wota: Out With the Old, in with the New... Post

Let's Vent! - The Issues of Morning Musume's Junky/Jyuukie Generation

Opinions are opinions - and these are mine! Prepare for a major BITCH FIT!


I've just posted about the 10th Gen and my thoughts, but really, what makes me come back to have a lovely little bitch fit/rant?

Er, how everyone's been reacting towards the whole Sara/Karin not getting into the group matter, of course. What else? This makes me want to fly off the handle! ^_^

So, starting off - I don't give a flying fuck if Sara or Karin didn't get in. I'm over the point where I care, because:

1) I don't remember hearing/seeing Karin audition for Morning Musume, so I see no need for a 'SURPRISE!' like Fukumura's.
2) If anything, Sara did not improve at all during the auditions - she stayed the same. Good vocals, good dancing. If she did improve, it was only a little bit. Anyway, she didn't connect with the other girls - so that makes her soloist material in my eyes.

Anyway, I guess you can kinda guess why I have become so pissed off by this - yes, the amount of comments that are popping up around different forums or on fan-based news sites for H!P. OKAY, some of these people are like 'I feel so sad, but...' and just accept it, however others take it one step further. So I'm gonna add my fuel to the fire and set it alight once again. I feel like trolling and burning shit up.

Anyway, other than the whole bitching over who didn't get in, I'm also equally annoyed by the amount of hate towards Haruna and Masaki - yeah, I initially wasn't keen on Masaki and she was my pet dislike for the finalists, but I can see why she got in - she improved, much more than some of the others - and don't say she didn't, because she did. She improved far more than Sara did, which is why she got in, and she has a certain spark to her and a potential that Tsunku claims he sees. There is a bloody damned reason that she was chosen - we need to wait and see what that reason is, okay?

And the Haruna side of it all - no, her vocals aren't the best, and no, she isn't good at dancing - but she is going to be an Idol, and one of the key images for an Idol is:

Looks.

This means that she will be more likely to be shown on TV shows, radio shows, magazine shoots etc because she is a pretty Idol who the Wota want to wank drool over. Even Tsunku says that he chose her for her looks, so accept it. She may make some good money for Morning Musume in the future with her body.

Okay, so I'm gonna stop venting - it's too warm and I am not in the mood to be cranky, so I will leave this post with this:

Karin and Sara won't get in, unless there is some "Miracle" surprise that Karin actually did audition, and Tsunku just forgot to say her name, or that Satou was mistaken for Sara (highly doubtful), so he quickly adds Sara again. Again, I don't think they're in, no matter how much you want them to get in.

And oh, why do I see myself getting a lot of hate for this? Oh yeah, I crushed your dreams >.>

Wait, Tsunku did that by not adding them in.

Say hi to the Jyuukie Generation!

Chiima~


PING! http://www.intlwota.com/2011/09/morning-musume-tenth-gen-roundup-part-one/

It's the Dawn of the Junkies, I mean Jyuukies! - Morning Musume's 10th Generation!

Expect a tyraid of these sorts of posts from many other blogs - 10th Gen is one of the biggest things to happen to MoMusu since 9th Gen auditions. This is only my opinion of the new members. If you want different opinions aside from mine, find different blogs and broaden your view points, because that's what I'm gonna do!!!!!

Last night I was really excited, and I set my alarm early so that I would wake up in time to hear about the news - well, I woke up way before my alarm, having a miraculous and disappointing 4 hours of sleep in total (thanks to my screwing up the sleep pattern again, lol), so I turned on my computer, realised the concert hadn't even started and began to troll on H!O - then  I went back to bed, woke up an hour later and returned to H!O and awaited the fate that was the 10th Generation...

And after a lot of debating about if the members who were announced were actually official, because we were getting information from 2ch, we finally found out who the members were. And after feeling a lot of sickness, excitement and fear, I shed tears of joy and cries of woe.

Anyway, do you guys remember this?

Well, it turns out that I might have some rare, one-day only prediction skillz going on for me, because two of the three that I predicted would get in are actually in, and one of the question marks is in as well - oh, and one of the crosses. So, care to gander a guess as to whom I might be talking about?

Oh look, Sayumi's already trying to get in on the 10th Gen despite having Riho to prey upon...

Well tough, I've already spoilt it for you ^o^

The new 10th Generation is made up of these girls:

Iikubou Haruna (16) from Tokyo! Iikubou is the oldest of the new 10th Generation, as well as a former Actress and Model - That's one with a former agency down (note: Ikuta Erina was also a model prior to MoMusu)

Ishida Ayumi (14) from Miyagi. Ishida is the second oldest and now a former member of DLH's backing dancers. Her skill lies in dancing, and whilst her personality still has yet to make an appearance, she is another professional add in to Morning Musume. That's another with a former Agency/professional training down (Note: Riho Sayashi also had dancing experience before coming into MoMusu)

Satou Masaki (12) from Hokkaido. Masaki is pretty much the underdog of the group, improving quite nicely in the final judging part of the auditions as well as surprising many people with her sudden hair style change when she was getting ready to prove herself to Tsunku and shake 'dat Hokkaido booty. So far, Satou is the only 10th Gen member without prior experience. (Note: Zukki was the same)

and finally, Kudou Haruka (11) from Saitama Prefecture. Kudou was indeed a fan favourite, being a talented and cute egg already, but has now turned into a Morning Musume member. With her dancing and singing experience, she is somewhat superior to the rest of her generation, despite being the youngest. She is the third member outside of Morning Musume to be added from H!P to the main group. (Note: Fukumura Mizuki was also an egg and was then added)

Okay, so seriously don't tell me you can't see a bloody pattern here - it's the same as 9th Gen! Beauty (Ikuta/modelling), dancing skillz (Riho), experience (Fukumura) and Noobage (Zukki) is ALL THERE, just like 9th Gen! Except these girls did better in the auditions, and impressed me a lot more.

EDIT: Apparently, Satou Masaki might have been a model previously. I dunno - whatever, she seems unpolished to me still. I still class her as the least prepped of her generation.

So yes! A 4nin generation again made up of the girls that I pretty much expected to get in - By the way, I'm enjoying the Predators (Ayumi's) gaze as she stares upon that audience...

Anyway, as you can see, fan favourite Kudou Haruka managed to make it in and has officially become Morning Musume's youngest member. So for those of you who were cheering for her to get through, congratulations, because she really did make it! In all honesty, I wouldn't have cared if she made it or not - if she did, all her fans would be more inclined to attend concerts just to see her, whilst if she didn't - well, meh.

But seeing these pictures, it's also sad news for Murakami Sara fans - don't worry, guys, I'm pretty sure you'll see her soon. Maybe in the next AKB48 video? I have no idea if I'm joking or being serious...

Well, I understand how you feel somewhat - even though I wasn't exactly a big fan of her, I wanted her in the group purely for her natural talent and the way she shined when she sang. She was mesmerising, just like Takahashi Ai is when you watch her perform and sing. So it's a little sad to see her not there, but really I won't shed any tears for her, because I wasn't really watching her as much as I perved watched Haruna during the audition videos. But it is rather regrettable, and on the H!O forums, I was enjoying the chaos and the hate that was going out towards Tsunku for not putting her into the group.

Which leads me onto the next thing: Miyamato Karin not getting into Morning Musume.

Lol, so many people were pissed off by this - why, I don't know, considering we didn't even have any confirmation of her even auditioning for the group. Seriously, so many knickers are getting twisted over this. If she had auditioned, but didn't get to the final round, I would understand the cause for ruckus over Tsunku not adding her in a way like he did with Fukumura, but because we don't know, we can't hate him or curse him for not putting her in. Please guys, give it a rest!

In all honesty, I don't care if Karin is in Morning Musume or not - I'd rather her be a soloist or something.

Okay, I'm diving out of the 10th Gen topic - so let's get back into it, shall we?

So, before I start rambling about the new Morning Musume members, I'm going to let you in on a dream I had last night. Before I woke up, I dreamed about the 10th Gen results. One of them was Iikubo Haruna, another Kudou Haruka and the other two were fuzzy, but I had a second dream where I was shown Satou Masaki. There was no Sara, and I woke up wondering if Sara would actually make it.

Lord, my dreams predict some scary shit Dx

Okay, out of my head and into the comments:

Okay, so I will start with my thoughts on Iikubo Haruna:

Do you know how hard it is to contain a girlish squeal of a scream so late in the morning, as well as trying not to burst into tears of absolute happiness and excitement and sickness? Seriously, I was deliriously happy when I found out that my number 1 Audition favourite had made it! I was shaking and grinning and bouncing and crying - there was so much going on that I didn't know what the fuck I was doing any more. All I cared about was the fact that she was in! HARUNA!!!!!! IN!!!!!

I don't give a flying fuck if she bridges an age gap - Morning Musume needs another beautiful girl to replace Sayumi when she eventually leaves, kicking and screaming, Morning Musume. Just because she's closer in age to Aika than everyone else doesn't exactly mean that they will get all buddy buddy. I just think that someone like Haruna will be good for the group with her looks and tall-ness. (YAY!)

Pleased as punch is me ;D

Okay, so next up we have the dancing manic that is Ishida Ayumi:

When I first saw Ayumi, I really did like her, even if she had the smile of a baby predator. I still like her, though my like of her slacked when I began to love Meruru and then Miwa. Well, I'm unsure about her right now, and have wondered what she would like in group pictures with the other members - she'll probably look really good, and anyway, I am glad that she made it. Her dancing skills are brilliant, and her voice has a really strong power to it that can outmatch the rest of 10th Gen. I think that she has a really positive future ahead of her, and as a backing dancer, she already has a good sense of stage presence and rhythm, so I can't wait to see this girl in action!

Right, let's see what I now think of Satou Masaki:

As you know, I wasn't a fan of this one - I initially didn't think that she should have passed to the final judging round of the auditions, because she fucking sucked. HOWEVER, after her sudden change of style and the amount she improved, I can see why Tsunku kept her in and then chose her. This girl is a diamond in the rough, with no talent whatsoever, but a hidden beauty beneath that rocky texture. Seriously, when you see her Before and After picture, you'd be amazed by how pretty she is with the right sort of hair cut to flatter her face (and hide her eyebrows). I think that in time, Masaki will just continue to impress me more with her ability. Initially, I didn't want to admit it, but I thought that she looked like a Morning Musume sort of girl.

And finally, last but not least, the experienced one, Kudou Haruka:

Honestly, I didn't care if she made it or not, because if she doesn't stand out to me like she doesn't right now, then I'll see her like I do Miki: I forget she is even there. Now, please don't take this as 'Everyone sees her that way', because they don't - it's just me. I saw Miki as a whole separate thing from Morning Musume, but for Kudou... I actually get this Ishikawa Rika vibe from her. She has the looks, the vocal talent, and currently I don't about her personality, so I won't go there yet. I think that Haruka could probably bring significant success to Morning Musume with a certain will power that she radiates. Her vocals help a lot, too, and she's really a cutie.

Who's ready for her first PB in 2012? I expect this to happen, I seriously do XD

Anyway, now that I have made some comments, I will share with you a translated version of what Tsunku had to say about the girls who passed and why. I would like to thank Celestia414 for translating this, because it really does help!

From Tsunku's Blog Post: 

Iikubo Haruna- Has a surprising "pure" personality. And her looks (face) are gorgeous. I believe she has the determination to bring her singing to a suitable level. That is why she passed. 

Ishida Ayumi- Her singing and dancing were outstanding. Also, her personality is as firm as a stone (a play on the "ishi" in her last name). I believe the history of Morning Musume can be passed on to her from here on out. That is why she passed. (Sounds like he has really high expectations of Ayumi! Based on this, I expect her to pick up some of Ai-chan's old lines) 

Sato Masaki- The level of her dancing and singing is below the other three now, but she has a potential (literally raw ore) that she has yet to realize herself. Also, her skill level rose considerably during the audition. That is why she passed.

Kudo Haruka- She has experience as an egg, and she really loves singing. Also, the "gap" between her face and her husky voice is interesting (basically, she looks tiny and cute, but she has a deep voice, and that's unusual). I hope that she can help to bring together the 10th generation members and the current members as soon as possible. (I guess because she's in 10th gen, and she's worked with current MM in the stage play) That is why she passed.

 And yeah - I agree with everything Big Daddy says!

So all in all, I am extremely happy with the results - two of the girls that I thought would get in actually got into the group, and I am pretty sure I will grow to love both Haruka and Masaki in time.

The only disappointment for me personally would be that Miwa didn't get in - my sister and I were both rooting for her, because she was such a sweet, goofy looking thing. However, she didn't make it, but we have to accept that - I couldn't exactly accept it when Mogi didn't make it, but I have gotten over it, and actually, I am over the fact that Miwa didn't make it in. Tsunku and the rest of UFA have their reasons, so I will respect that.

Obviously, the biggest shock is that Sara didn't make it in - everyone made it seem like it was a sure sign that Sara would get in, praising her and saying she was surely going to get Aibutt's lines. Well... that ain't happening, is it? I'm sorry to say this to the Sara fans, but I don't really care. If she got in, then I would be happy, but if she didn't, so what? There is a reason why she didn't get in - maybe she's too much of a soloist than a group member, considering how little she talked to the others during the audition process.

Yes, she's good in both dancing and singing, but if there are other plans for her, then we will just have to wait and see, right?

Or maybe just wait for her to pop up in AKB ;D There's always that! XD

So, let's clear this post up with this: ^HAPPY, ^HAPPY, ^HAPPY, ^BDJBEFJEB FUCK YES!!!!

So, let's just say I'm happy, right? ^^

I wonder how much my opinions will change over time... ^_^

PS lotsa people are hoping for a dance off between Riho and Ayumi - any thoughts on that?

Links:

- Tsunku's Post on New Members
- Oricon post
- Hello! Sayunii Post
- Celestia's Blog: Tsunku's Comments (Translated)

Chiima~


PING! International Wota: Morning Musume Tenth Gen Roundup, Part One

Okay! Musume Time: 3rd Poll ~Winner~

YEAH! It's time for the 3rd Poll Winner of Okay! Musume Time's new weekly poll to be announced, and yes, it is 2 days early - why? Because the winners for Morning Musume's 10th Generation will be announced tomorrow, so I thought that instead of having the results of this poll up for Friday, I had better get it up and onto a post for today instead, because it would be more logical.

So the next poll will actually be up and running tomorrow, because the question will be: Who is your favourite 10th Gen Finalist? or maybe Who are you sad about not getting in?


Anyway, with 25 wonderful votes, we have our winner for this weeks poll!

Congratulations to Murakami Sara! The fan favourite overtook the poll with 22 votes (88%), whilst the delectable and cute Iikubo Haruna came in second place with 12 votes (48%). In third place, the Egg favourite Kudou Haruka followed up with 9 votes, whilst Masaki Sato and the talented Ishida Ayumi both came in with 6 votes each, securing a joint fourth place. Next, in fifth place, came Ohgami Hinako with 3 votes, and last but not least, Miwa Satsuki and Tanaka Fuuka both had 2 votes each.

And those are the results! Thank you to everyone who participated in this poll! I will create the next poll tomorrow, when the results have been released to my favourite news sites, Hello! Sayunii and Tokyohive, I will make a post about it and put the poll up as soon as I wake up at like 3pm in the afternoon... okay, that's a joke - I'm actually probably not gonna sleep at all tonight (lol)

Okay! Thanks again everyone, and please have a good day!

Chiima~

Diving Into Life - Miscarriage

Today I have decided to dive into something that has affected me in my life since August. It isn't Idol related in any way, so it could be totally unrelated to this blog, however I want to get this off my chest, because I know that something like this could have happened to any one of you. Also, I would like to tell you how hard it is to write a post like this - so if I am a bit sappy in any way, I apologise.

Last month, on August 16th 20ll, my older sister lost her baby. She was 3 months (or 18 weeks) pregnant, but something went wrong, and she gave birth to her baby. She went through a miscarriage, despite giving birth. This hasn't happened before in my family, so all of us were really shocked by it and it's really hurt us all in some way. I never imagined that my older sister would go through that - honestly, she doesn't deserve it, especially since she went through cancer before she had the miscarriage, but it happened, and it really did hurt her as you can imagine.

Today the baby was cremated. He was a little boy named Peter Dennis, and even though I only knew him as a baby bump, he was my nephew, and I really did love him despite not knowing him. Luckily, my sister has both her family, her son and her loving fiancé to support her through this. However we've all had a hard time coping with it - no child should die so young, that's not how it should be, but as we all know, it happens, and we all need to accept this.

I love my sister, and I support her no matter what. She wants to try again for a baby, but she doesn't know if she can carry children any more due to the chemotherapy she had when she had cancer. I would love for her to have another child - her oldest son is 13 years old now, but she has begun to want a second child for a while, so when she became pregnant she was ecstatic.

However, we haven't been deterred from anticipating the birth of my other sisters baby - my younger sister, who is 18 years old now, is pregnant with her first child. She and my older sister were actually a week apart in pregnancy before the miscarriage, and she is expecting a little girl. She revealed that she was relieved when she found out that her baby would be a girl, because when our sister miscarried her son, my younger sister was worried that if she had a boy, then our older sister would get upset because she would see how Peter would have grown up. But my older sister is happy - she wants my younger sister to become a mother, and to bring her child up with love no matter what gender it is. She doesn't hold jealousy towards our younger sister, because she is not like that at all - we're all just looking forward to the future of my baby niece.

So, to everyone who has had a family member suffer through miscarriage or the loss of a child, or even cancer, I know what you're feeling - it hurts a lot, and it's painful to go through, but we mustn't give up on our lives. We need to live on, still thinking of that baby or child and how much we still love them. My nephew, though I didn't know him, I really did love him, and I wanted to hold him so much. Sadly, that day will never come, but for my niece who will be born soon, I can't wait to hold her in my arms and spoil her rotten, just like I would have done with Peter.

So, live your life to the fullest everyone, and don't look back on what life might have been like. Just keep walking forward and fulfil your life, no matter what happens.

Chiima

Cheerleaders, Soccar and good old School Girls! - Chiima Reviews NMB48's 'Oh My God!'

As always, my opinions are my own - you are entitled to your opinion whilst I am entitled to mine, so if you don't like my opinion, that is your choice - just don't get mad at me for the opinion!

Right, so starting off, I would like to welcome those who read my blog to my very first review blog post that will revolve around one of the groups within the '48 family. As you probably know, I am a Hello! Project fan more than anything, heck, the banner tells you what this blog was initially meant to be about! However, I have somewhat grown fond of the '48 family ever since I started to force myself to listen to more of their music, which is why I am sitting here now, ready to type up my first official review for one of the newest songs that has come out for the '48 family.

Oh My God!

And no, I wasn't just saying that for comic effect to the fact that I am writing this post - that is actually the title of the song I shall be attempting to tear apart in this review, however it does fit nicely with how I'm feeling right now towards this post...

My '48 review virginity is about to be had...

Oh wait, I kinda reviewed Pareo wa Emerald... but I won't count that. That was mere foreplay.

Now, I will give you a warning before I begin this post: The captions I have are utter crap, because the video quality was so damned low, so if they bother you, then I'm sorry, but I can't help the video quality. I wish it was better, then I could enjoy the video in sparkling HD - oh well, c'est la VIE.

NMB48, as far as I know, is one of the newest groups to enter the '48 family, and when I listened to their first single I was less than impressed - it wasn't interesting, it bored me and I was hoping to never hear from them again - then again, I still wanted nothing to do with AKB48 or its many other groups because I was completely H!P biased and really getting into Bump.y and 9nine - however, this song has changed my opinion of the group. Though I feel that their debut was horrible, this song is better, more energetic and youthful sounding.

Well, me likey.

However, I can't help but notice how generic and AKB-like this song is - the moment I heard it via the radio rip, my instant thought was 'Everyday Kachuusha', one song which I quite like from AKB, even if I do find it overly generic and so like their recent singles that they have produced. But then I remember that this is AKB and their little sister groups - Akimoto has been mincing money from the media because of how generic these songs are, but also because of how he presents them. It's not really the song that grasps the viewers - it is the video, and he really does portray it so well (see Heavy Rotation as an example. Song = Generic, Video = Gold mine)

But the generic sound to this song doesn't actually take away from it - it's the tune and sound of it that made me like it, not the video. The moment I heard this song I was set on writing about it, regardless of how bad or good the video paired with it was. The song has somehow sucked me in, just like Everyday Kachuusha did when I finally got off my high horse and listened to it a month after its release, and even now this song intrigues me in a way - well done, Akimoto, for actually getting me to fully acknowledge your skills and capabilities of grasping the Wota.

I guess it's the composition that somewhat draws me in, but also how the girls' voices flow throughout the song as they sing together - they all sound really good, and we get to hear all of them together and not have to bitch over how our favourite isn't getting any solo lines, a terrible feat that Hello! Project has yet to improve, and can fully enjoy the girls' talent as they all sing together for their audience with energy and a sweetness that I really am starting to like about NMB48. They sound so innocent and lovely...

Now moving onto the video - from the preview that we received, I was wondering just how the video would come out - 2 minutes of the video were shown in the preview, spoiling a whole lot of it - but did it really?

No, it didn't - because the video we saw was cleverly put together to show only the dance and the close up shots. Once the real thing came out, many would be surprised to find that there actually was some form of a story line put into the video and not just a dance shot and close up shots of the cute members. Whilst we sat and awaited a rather boring PV, we actually find that we have been given an extra piece of happiness. Nice trick, Akimoto. You know how to catch your consumers, don't you?

Now I guess I have one thing to complain about the PV, and that's the rather predictable story line that all '48 PVs seem to formulate, no matter what the group is. Whether it be the failure of one of the girls fitting in with other girls (Paraeo wa Emerald, Everday Kachuusha - it has quite a few of the other PVs as references in there, too, but I dunno which ones) or one of them saving the day after some try and fail to do it themselves (Beginner, Flying Get), this is a formula I have seen AKB and the other groups use a lot, and something that can incidentally bore me quite quickly. And it seems that NMB48 are no exception to this structure, seeing as when they are on the point of breakdown due to failure, one of them swoops in and saves the day, giving them hope and satisfaction.

Oh wait, did I spoil the rest of the video for you? Oops.

So the main plot line actually follows the girls as they play a friendly game of football, or in American terms, Soccar, where they are getting a good ol' thrashing from the other team who will be sure to thrust their opponents' faces into the dirt once they have won. So as the girls try with all their might, they fail to even score a goal and their goalee fails to save their pride and lets the ball get in a few times, whilst the other team ruthlessly push down the girls to the ground.

Of course, the heroine pops up and saves the day - however it isn't this heroine who actually saves them - I guess she just gives them hope, because after she's shown as the saviour, she isn't really used much more, because the true front girl (I assume that the one who is shown with the ball at the end is the front girl) is actually the one who ends the video, and not her. Oh well... gives this girl some sort of publicity, right?

Now, to go with the story line of this video, we are shown two cute dance shots and some close up shots of the girls. Much like the song itself, the dance is an energetic and happy affair with the girls dancing around a school field in their school uniforms, jumping around and smiling as they playfully flail their arms about and entertain you with their cuteness and energetic dance.

The other dance shot is displayed as a night scene, where we see the girls in dark cheerleader outfits, giving their all as they dance, showing the cheerleader like quality that the dance has to it. Though I prefer the dance shot where they are in their school uniforms, I can see how appealing the cheerleader shot would be to some people - not only does it create a youthful illusion towards the group, but it also appeals athletically - we see the girls playing soccar, but also as cheerleaders, showing how sporty they are and how school-activity orientated they are. So this will obviously appeal to both boys and girls.

Oh gosh, I'm bringing my homework into my bloody blog...

Now I will honestly say that there is no more to say about this video, so I will actually just go right to my final conclusion now, okay?

As a second single, I think that NMB48 have really hit the nail on the head - a youthful, fun and energetic song for a youthful group is what I had initially expected from this group as a debut single, but when that didn't happen I was somewhat disappointed, however with this song, I have found a new interest in them. I find their cuteness and youthfulness endearing, and it makes me want to watch them more after seeing their performance in this video. The girls really look like they are having fun and like they want to keep doing this forever. The way they dance and show their expressions is wonderful, and really attracts me to the girls right away - something which AKB failed to do for me when I first heard about them.

Even though I find the song to be generic to the '48 family and nothing special, I really do like it - it gets stuck in my head quickly, the up-beat tune makes me want to it and I even found myself singing along to some of my favourite parts, even if I don't know the lyrics to it at all. The song is extremely catchy, and I absolutely adore it. The girls sound wonderful together, and they have made the song really stand out from their debut single. Really, what a change!

Okay, did anyone else find this part extremely cute? It's definitely my favourite part!

To be honest, I was actually waiting to be bored to death by this video, since the preview showed just the dance shots and close ups, however I am very happy that the video we were given is this. The video flows so well with all these different clips, and we get to see the different sides of all of these girls - their serious sides as they play soccar, their defeat, the hope and happiness they have when seeing the heroine appear, and then their fun, energetic and youthful sides as they dance and also their playfulness that we see through the choreography.

I think that this video is really great. It may not contain many scenes, and may be just as simple as most of the H!P videos are, but what NMB48 have here is something that will really attract different sorts of people - their energetic youthfulness will gain fans from both the Wotas and the school girls, and the up-beat, friendly tune will attract those who like modern day pop, whilst the athletic element will begin to attract athletes, or maybe those who have a cheerleader fetish.

What Akimoto has done is a great, but probably a scary, thing - he has made a staple group throughout Japan and America, and many other places in the world, through not just their voices, but also how they present themselves. By using the sex appeal of these young girls (and some of the older ones) as well as the youthful and innocent natures that NMB48 hold right now, Akimoto has attracted so many potential consumers and fans just by how these girls look and act. He is truly a smart man...

And he caught me in his net. Nice one, Akimoto. You scored a GOAL!

And so I end this review, and also this little take on how Akimoto is so smart with how he creates everything the group does. I hope you enjoyed my stupid babbling and had a good read!

I doubt this will be the last post for the '48 family, so if I do make more, EXPECT MORE!!!

I turned my blog into a place where I can put my essay writing skillz to the test
I also called Akimoto Aki P - why, I dunno... I always used to think it was Aki P...




Chiima~


PING! International Wota Recommended Reading 24th September 2011

Okay! Musume Time 2nd Poll ~Winner!~

Okay! Musume Time's second Poll was put up last week, with the winner being Tekeuchi Akari as your favourite S/mileage sub-member! This time, I created a poll based on a post that I had made titled 'H!P's Top 11 Creepiest Smiles', and from that post I took some of the girls of H!P and created a poll to see who agreed with certain H!P candidates that had creepy smiles according to me.

Well, the results are in, and with a surprising amount of 36 votes, I will announce the overall winner!

The Demon herself, with 18 votes, Momoko Tsugunaga is this polls winner! Coming in a close second place was Mitsui Aika with 15 votes, whilst Niigaki Risa scared one voter with her creepy smile, and in last place, with the least creepy smiles, are Kikkawa Yuu and Kumai Yurina with a total of 0 Votes! So really, they are the winners, right?

Wrong - Momoko is. She has a creepy ass smile, and it will always be that way.

So thank you to everyone who voted on the poll for the creepiest smile in Hello! Project! The next poll that will take place is also based on a post, and that is Which Finalist do you want in Morning Musume? I have also set it so that the poll is multiple votes, so if you want more than one girl in, go ahead and choose!

Have fun polling and reading kids!

Chiima~


PS: WE CROWNED THE CREEPER!!!!

2 Down, More to Go... - 10th Gen Finalists Training Camp: The Judgement

You know the drill - I am entitled to my overall opinions ;D Yaay!

Is this classed as the final? Because we see who has made it next week, right? Lord, I hope at least ONE of the girls I want to get in actually gets in.

Anyway, I am pretty damned sure that throughout this post, you'll realise who I want to get in through the pictures that I have screen-capped, so enjoy my bias towards certain members! :D

So from the Get-Go of this episode, we have a recap of last weeks judging process and see how the girls tried, failed, cried and improved themselves. After that, we get the picture above.

Noticed anything different? Yeah, me too...

MERURU T^T

Oh... and that other one... Ayumi M, right?

So yeah... these two were kicked out of the long run and went back home, possibly crying and picking up AKB CDs on the way to spite Tsunku and his bitchiness. But in all honesty, I wasn't expecting Meruru out of all the finalists to leave - out of the weaker ones, she had improved the most and proven that she could work hard and make herself better, so yeah, I don't quite understand Tsunku's reasoning... (apparently nobody does, actually!)

And Ayumi M? I dunno - she was shown so little throughout the first part of the training camp that I didn't care for her. Plus she looks like AKB bait, so Tsunku, you have one finalist thrown into the van if Aki P really cares to get another member to put into the back...

After that, we get to see who has made it, and for favouritism purposes (oh, and one rage purpose), I am only screen capping the girls I actually want to get into Morning Musume. So of course, who else than Iikubo Haruna? She is obviously a blatant favourite for me, because of how beautiful she is and how much she looks like a Morning Musume girl. I also love that adorable smile - and her awkward smile, too.

Oh, look... it's her >.>

I don't like Sato - I actually think that she should have been kicked out. She's bland, doesn't show nearly enough emotion, and she doesn't look like a Morning Musume member right now. If she is added, though, then I guess I could adapt to her...

At least her smile is pretty >.>

-rage-

Next up is Miwa, who I initially couldn't care for, but after learning that my darling Meruru (T^T) was out of the race, and also after seeing the above cap, I fell in love. Why?

Fuckin' LEGS!

Seriously, this girl has some bloody good pins on her! She's also really cute in an underdog kind of way, and has the most adorable smile! If Big Daddy (Tsunku) doesn't let her in, Ima scream.

Or just sob into my pillow. Meh.

Next up: Tanaka Fuuka, who has to be the most adorably dressed finalist there. Seriously, that outfit = cuteness, and kinda Lolita, too. I'm really happy that Fuuka got in, because she wasn't shown a lot in the last episode, meaning that there was a strong chance she would be kicked out (like Ayumi M, who was kicked out), BUT it seems that she impressed Tsunku with her dancing skillz and hypnotised him into putting her back in for the second instalment of pain, tears and sweat!

And finally, the Wotasphere fan favourite, Sara. I'm glad that Sara has come back for more, because she is a seriously talented girl and very very pretty. Sadly, the bloody program likes to screen cap her with horrible shots - she has that sort of misfortune like Aika has with her hair, or like Reina has with her bow. Oh well.

I really hope that Sara does get in, because if she doesn't, I have a feeling that Tsunku will be getting some major rage/hate mail...

After that, we see the 8 finalists locked in a room together, forced to bond it out and laugh and play or whatever it is Tsunku wants them to do.

We're also shown clips of the girls practising at home. Now, for the sake of my love towards certain members, I am only screen capping the ones I like. Yes, Biased. <3

Anyway, Miwa is first up, and has really improved from the short clip that we see. So damned cute <3

Next is Sara, who has such a strong and powerful voice. I also really like her fringe clipped back - No more bangs! YAY

And then there's Haruna, who seriously made me LOL with how she dances - work it girl, work it! But don't work it that way in front of the Big Daddy Tsunku!

And finally, the adorable Fuuka (apparently spelt Fuka), who even graces us with a cute finger to cheek pose as she sings. Lord, this girl is adorable x a kajillion.

Next up is make-up and wardrobe, where we see the girls getting all made up so that they look pretty for Tsunku. Of course, Haruka and Haruna don't need the make-up - they're already pretty enough!

Same with Sara and Fuuka... but whatever, it's nice to see them get all dolled up just for Tsunku to perv on them :D

Speak of the Devil, and he shall rise...

BIG DADDY! aka Tsunku-man xD

Okay, if you don't like Haruna after seeing this, you have no soul!!!

Joke joke...

PS anyone notice Sara's little 'Mufufufu' look there? XD

I am liking these outfits very much <3 and DUDE, Sato be tan (ps, I like her hair like this - short suits her)

and Miwa is TALL!!!!!!!! Lol check out the height difference that goes from Miwa straigth down to Haruna - nicely done

Tsunku checks out what he wants to tap... I mean add into Morning Musume.

No tapping that Kimagure ass, Tsunku

Lookin' FIERCE, Haruna <3

Anyway, from the dance scenes, we see a lot of Ayumi I (Predators Smile), some Haruna (Adorable Love Love) and Sara (Wota Love)

Is that a sign? PLEASE be a fucking sign!

All of the girls who needed improvement have vastly improved from before, especially Miwa, who looks really happy dancing to this song. You go, legs!

Sara is happy <3

Blatant Sara and Fuuka ass shots - now I KNOW that Tsunku wants to tap that!

Tsunku, the lucky douches, gets to check out Haruna and Sara's butts up front. He sits there, and thinks 'Mmmmmm~'. Perv.

Why do I suddenly get the feeling that both Miwa and Sato might be out of the race...? I dunno, considering they are the only two who have had their comments shown, it can be a good or a bad thing - my gut feeling tells me 'Out'. ;A; MIWA!!!! </3 (please stay, please be in Morning Musume...)

Okay, so next up is the singing - and first off, we have my least favourite, Sato. For this, she actually remembers the song! OH MY!!! But whilst she sings it, she also surprises us with some pain-filled expressions to show that maybe she does have some emotion in there when she sings and when she dances. Oh well, you're still not saved in my rankings, Sato.

Then we have the cute and pitchy Miwa, who gives Tsunku the 'Loser' sign. Even though she is pretty pitchy as she sings, and is shouting into that microphone, she sounds confident and happy. Miwa, you suck at singing right now, but I still like you lots <3

Next up is Hinako, who has a pretty decent singing voice. She has good control, and I can actually listen to her without wanting to plug my ears. Sadly, her nose scares me, BUT I think that if she was to get into Morning Musume, I would certainly welcome her because she is actually quite cute, and I see a sisterly image there around her.

We then have Fuuka, who sadly isn't that great at singing or giving expression. She seems to have little control over her voice, and looks (and sounds) extremely worried. Okay, Tsunku, add her in for the charm of 'Worrisome member' ;D

Then we get two of the best singers out of all the finalists - Haruka and Sara. Both of them sing the song really well, especially Haruka. She has the most control and is extremely confident in her husky voice, whilst Sara belts it out like she was born to own it. Look at that face. It's saying 'I own this song, and I ownthe Wotasphere's Love'. She knows she owns it <3

Onto Ayumi I and Haruna - Whilst Ayumi sings the song well, I think that she kind of butchers it a little with the amount of force she puts into it. Whilst she may be one of the fiercest dancers out of all the finalists, her singing voice is not so great... I mean, I like Ayumi and all, but her voice isn't that great, and she just killed the song.

 Now, onto Haruna - from last weeks episode, she has vastly improved. She sounds more confident, she remembered the lyrics and looks just simply gorgeous when she sings. Okay, she has a few pitching problems and a little lack of control over her voice, but that's what singing lessons are there for, right Tsunku?

Then Tsunku comes out of the room, ready to strip (see above picture) as he comments about what has happened. Sadly, I don't understand what he is saying - if I did, I would have happily given a translation, but alas... Anyway, whatever he says, it has to be good. Does he already know who he wants? Does he know who he wants OUT?

Well, we find out next week, but from the footage that we have been shown via HelloPro Time, I have a good idea just WHO might be in, and who won't. So don't get mad at me for my speculations.

This is based purely on the footage shown - In this, Ayumi has been shown a lot, alongside Haruna and Sara, who were both featured throughout the dance scenes prominently - also, if you look back at last weeks footage, both Haruna and Sara were shown frequently for the critical comments towards their singing. 

For Haruka and Miwa, I'm not so sure - They weren't shown as much as the three who were dominant throughout the show, however both these girls were dominant in the last episode due to Haruka's skills in both singing and dancing, whilst Miwa was shown for her lack of skills, so I'm still unsure about the both of them.

For the rest, I just don't think that they will make it - Hinako, though a good dancer, might not have the appeal that Tsunku wants, and throughout the first episode featuring the finalists she wasn't shown much, just like Fuuka wasn't. These two have been shown the least throughout both episodes, so they just might now make the cut. Then there is Sato, my pet of utter dislike. I'm actually unsure about her, but because of how little she was featured in this episode, I have room to think that she might not make it. However, her sudden new hairstyle might be a sign - why? I dunno - new hairstyles always mean it's a sign for me. That's cos I'm weird. Maybe it's her change into Morning Musume.

Because it certainly made her more attractive, IMO.

Anyway,t hose are my speculations. Please feel free to doubt my choices ;D

SO who do you think will make it into Morning Musume? Feel free to reply

Chiima~

PING! International Wota Recommended Reading September 23rd 2011