[A Week with Sayu] Michishige Sayumi - The Graduation Appreciation Post

This post contains my own thoughts and views. Please respect them, and thank you.

*This is the final post in my [A Week with Sayu] series, and it is an Appreciation post, so I mostly reflect on thoughts and feelings for Sayumi that I have here. Thank you for being a part of this series with me, and for being a fan of Sayumi!

In 2009 when I came into the Morning Musume fandom I remember looking at Sayumi once and thinking to myself "Oh, she's cute! Maybe one day she'll become my favourite!". With Koharu's impending graduation coming up at the time, I believed in that thought.

Of course, Sayumi never did become my favourite. Instead I fell for Gaki, but no matter what I always found myself looking at Sayumi.

I never thought she was amazing or anything, because she wasn't; Michishige Sayumi was a weak singer who could never perform as well as others and, though she was cute, never really seemed to have any other qualities I cared much about. Once I started to watch subtitled videos however, I quickly came to realise how much Sayumi's personality stood out above the rest.

[A Week with Sayu] A Final Merci with Sayu's Shaba-Daba-Toodle-oo! - 'Shaba Daba Do~' PV Review!

All thoughts and opinions within this post are my own completely and no one else's. You do not have to agree with me, nor do you have to even read this post, but please respect what I have to say; no two opinions are ever alike! I will respect what you believe as long as you respect what I have to say. Thank you!

*About this Series: [A Week with Sayu] is a week-long series dedicated to Michishige Sayumi on her impending graduation from the group Morning Musume. The intention with this series is to focus on Sayumi as an Idol, personality and member of the group she loves dearly, allowing for me to take a closer look at how she has grown as an Idol since her debut up until her graduation. To do this I will be looking at both past and present forms of work that she has done in her 11 year career, some I have previously loved and some I may have ignored. By the end of this series, I hope to have had a better look at Sayumi as well as seen how she has evolved and progressed as the Idol we know today called Michishige Sayumi. Thank you.

11 years, 38+ singles, 11 solo photobooks and the longest tenure in Morning Musume to date, we have finally come to the end of an era; Michishige Sayumi is about to graduate, reaching her final destination as an Idol with her last single, the final goodbye. With her career coming to a close all too soon, I will take a look at her final PV as a member of Morning Musume '14 and the last solo song that she will have sung as a part of a group that she joined all those years ago, wanting to become a part of something she dearly loved with all of her heart. Now she is leaving it, a group she has helped to grow since becoming a leader, a group that she still dearly loves even today.

From a young girl who debuted in Shabondama with no experience to a young woman who has become a true Idol in Shaba Daba Do~, this is the final song and dance of Michishige Sayumi, Morning Musume's cutest Idol! Her last hurrah, will it do her justice?

[A Week with Sayu] The Penultimate Look: Blue Rose - Photobook Review

Please NOTE: This is a Photobook review. If photobooks of any kind make you feel uncomfortable, whether Idol is under or of age, then this is your warning. Do not read if you will be or feel offended by the images posted here. Thank you.

All thoughts and opinions within this post are completely my own and no one else's. Please appreciate that what I say is not fact, simply what I think. Thank you.

*Credit to Ryan for stocking me with these photobook scans! It is very much appreciated and this post would not have happened without your help!

*About this Series: [A Week with Sayu] is a week-long series dedicated to Michishige Sayumi on her impending graduation from the group Morning Musume. The intention with this series is to focus on Sayumi as an Idol, personality and member of the group she loves dearly, allowing for me to take a closer look at how she has grown as an Idol since her debut up until her graduation. To do this I will be looking at both past and present forms of work that she has done in her 11 year career, some I have previously loved and some I may have ignored. By the end of this series, I hope to have had a better look at Sayumi as well as seen how she has evolved and progressed as the Idol we know today called Michishige Sayumi. Thank you.

Michishige Sayumi has truly grown into a beautiful young woman, one who has been appreciated in visual form since her debut. When looking back at her debut photobook, Michishige Sayumi (2004) I knew that I would want to look at another one during this week dedicated to Sayumi before her impending graduation, but not an earlier photobook; I want to look at a more recent one, a book that can represent the Sayumi of today.

And so, because this is the penultimate review post and also because I could not find the full photobook for YOUR LOVE (2014), I will instead be taking a look at Sayumi's penultimate photobook as a member of Morning Musume '14. Let's take a look at Blue Rose (2013).

(Blue Rose released on October 27th 2013)

[A Week with Sayu] The Tale of A Looking Back Beauty - 'Mikaeri Bijin' PV Review

All thoughts and opinions within this post are my own. If you do not agree with what is said, then so be it; that is your issue, not mine. Just respect what I say, thank you.

*About this Series: [A Week with Sayu] is a week-long series dedicated to Michishige Sayumi on her impending graduation from the group Morning Musume. The intention with this series is to focus on Sayumi as an Idol, personality and member of the group she loves dearly, allowing for me to take a closer look at how she has grown as an Idol since her debut up until her graduation. To do this I will be looking at both past and present forms of work that she has done in her 11 year career, some I have previously loved and some I may have ignored. By the end of this series, I hope to have had a better look at Sayumi as well as seen how she has evolved and progressed as the Idol we know today called Michishige Sayumi. Thank you.

The parting of Michishige Sayumi will soon be here, and whilst I have been looking back, the Idol we all love so dearly has also been looking back as well. So of course, it is fitting to look at her final appearance in a Music Video with the group she has loved so dearly these past 11 years, even if she isn't necessarily a part of the song itself...

[A Week with Sayu] Platinum Sayumi - A Voice Unheard, A Presence Made Known

With this post I will be taking a look at Michishige Sayumi as a personality and what she brought to a certain era in time as a member of Morning Musume. You do not have to agree with what is said, nor do you have to believe what is written here; this is purely speculation on my part and also theory. I can be very wrong, or I can be a little bit right. Either way, take this post as you will, but remember that my opinion is my own. Thank you.

*About this Series: [A Week with Sayu] is a week-long series dedicated to Michishige Sayumi on her impending graduation from the group Morning Musume. The intention with this series is to focus on Sayumi as an Idol, personality and member of the group she loves dearly, allowing for me to take a closer look at how she has grown as an Idol since her debut up until her graduation. To do this I will be looking at both past and present forms of work that she has done in her 11 year career, some I have previously loved and some I may have ignored. By the end of this series, I hope to have had a better look at Sayumi as well as seen how she has evolved and progressed as the Idol we know today called Michishige Sayumi. Thank you.

When looking back on Michishige Sayumi and her 11 year career within Morning Musume, I can't help but notice that, unlike Tanaka Reina, there is one giant gap where Sayu does literally nothing of note because she is just... there.

Hello, Platinum Era.

[A Week with Sayu] The First Look: Michishige Sayumi - Photobook Review

Please NOTE: This is a Photobook review. If photobooks of any kind make you feel uncomfortable, whether Idol is under or of age, then this is your warning. Do not read if you will be or feel offended by the images posted here. Thank you.

All thoughts and opinions within this post are completely my own and no one else's. I appreciate that we all have our own thoughts and voices, so please consider my opinions as well. If you do not like what I read or disagree, then that is for you to decide. Thank you.

*Credit to Ryan for stocking me with these photobook scans! It is very much appreciated and this post would not have happened without your help!

*About this Series: [A Week with Sayu] is a week-long series dedicated to Michishige Sayumi on her impending graduation from the group Morning Musume. The intention with this series is to focus on Sayumi as an Idol, personality and member of the group she loves dearly, allowing for me to take a closer look at how she has grown as an Idol since her debut up until her graduation. To do this I will be looking at both past and present forms of work that she has done in her 11 year career, some I have previously loved and some I may have ignored. By the end of this series, I hope to have had a better look at Sayumi as well as seen how she has evolved and progressed as the Idol we know today called Michishige Sayumi. Thank you.

One aspect of Sayumi that has always been evident since the beginnings of her career in Hello! Project is that she is a visual artist. Her presence, though not always shown as much as others, is undeniable, her look is appealing and her charisma is pretty damn high. So, taking all that into account, I realised pretty early on that in this series I would need to take Sayumi's visual aspect into account, rather than her singing. Where Reina was a vocal presence as an Idol, Sayumi is certainly more focused on the visual aspect of being an Idol - no wonder those two worked so well together.

So it seemed the obvious decision to do a Photobook review. I have not done one of these in a while!

(Michishige Sayumi released October 29th 2004)

[A Week with Sayu] Sayu ~Kokoro no Busu ni Naranee!~ - Otome Gumi's 'Yuujou ~Kokoro no Busu ni Naranee!~' PV Review!

Regarding thoughts and opinions, and all of that other drab stuff, within this post are those of my own and mine alone. If you don't agree with me, then good for you! I'd rather you have your own opinion than take mine and allow it to warp your mind. FREEDOM TO THE BRAIN!!!

*The Overview/Review that you will read is a post created with Michishige Sayumi in mind, as opposed to other members featured in the video that I will be looking at. Whilst I will try to point out other small factors of what has been watched, please do keep in mind that main focus is Sayumi and Sayumi alone. Thank you.

*About this Series: I originally debuted this series in 2013, with the impending graduation of Tanaka Reina at the time as my inspiration. My intention with this serious is very much written in the same vein, with Sayumi as a focus in various PV's so that I can take a closer look at how she has grown as an Idol from way back when up until this point in time. With this in mind, I will be looking at past and present works featuring Sayumi that I may have ignored, never known about or loved before now. I do hope that for this series, there will be a mixture that will allow me to see the progress of Sayumi as an Idol.

Okay, so it's time for Part 2 in this mini-series titled [A Week with Sayu], and thankfully the video for this one was easier to find than the Do it! NOW best shot was, so for that I am rather thankful! I actually wanted to talk about this PV as a point of Sayu's career when I thought about returning to this kind of series because I felt that, for her early days in Morning Musume especially, this is one of those songs that held a bit more focus on Michishige Sayumi and her singing, whilst in most of the main-group songs she was drowned out and given smaller lines in favour of the bigger names, the girls that they clearly did want to push Reina, Miki, Ai-butt, and so I decided that today I would take a look at another 2004 song (though I think the Do it! NOW best shot was done in 2003. Dem hairstyles.), one where I knew her presence was pretty strong.

Bring on the Otome, if you dare!!!

[A Week with Sayu] Emote! NOW - Morning Musume's Best Shot Vol. 1 'Do it! NOW' PV Review

All thoughts and opinions within this post are completely my own. You do not have to agree with me, I do not expect that of anyone, so disagree with me if you please, just don't be a snarky arse in the comments and act self-righteous. Ta.

It has been a while, and I apologise. I won't go into full explanation mode because 1) that would be boring and 2) this is not the time or place for that, so for now just accept the apology given if you wish, and we shall begin~

*The Overview/Review that you will read is a post created with Michishige Sayumi in mind, as opposed to other members featured in the video that I will be looking at. Whilst I will try to point out other small factors of what has been watched, please do keep in mind that main focus is Sayumi and Sayumi alone. Thank you.

*About this Series: I originally debuted this series in 2013, with the impending graduation of Tanaka Reina at the time as my inspiration. My intention with this serious is very much written in the same vein, with Sayumi as a focus in various PV's so that I can take a closer look at how she has grown as an Idol from way back when up until this point in time. With this in mind, I will be looking at past and present works featuring Sayumi that I may have ignored, never known about or loved before now. I do hope that for this series, there will be a mixture that will allow me to see the progress of Sayumi as an Idol.

The End of the World as we know it is drawing near, dears, or at least for a good chunk of the fandom that we are a part of. Why is that, you ask? Well, because a certain someone, a leader of a group I rather enjoy, is graduating, and given her popularity within said fandom, it does somewhat feel like the world is ending, though that won't be the case.

Well, I hope it won't. The most I expect is a lot of crying (even on my part) and some posts on Facebook. Oh and praise for her. Lots and lots of praise, all from her h8rs... praising that she's left, that is. The latter, I know will happen. DON'T DENY IT!!!

Anyway, when I realised that Dooms Day was pretty much smacking itself in my face, I knew what I had to do - in fact, I planned to do this about two months ago, but never got around to writing any of it due to the issues of settling into University and then assignments throwing themselves at me, so alas I waited until days before - and so, I have returned to write for Chayu/Sayu, whatever you may call her, with a week of Appreciation. I am excited, it has to be said! What else can you expect from a blogger who has not blogged for so long?

So yes, I'm back to doing [A Week with...], much like I did for Winky last year (holy cow, it's been that long!?) but this time, it's SAYU!!! And seriously, why not do this? I enjoyed it thoroughly with Winky last year, it allowed me to appreciate her a lot more actually, so I'm going to do it with Sayu as well! I have a few things in mind review-wise, but honestly, it was hard to find a starting point for this series, because I've done Shabondama already, right? Seriously, what can I do?