#500, and Still Counting! ~Chiima's Top Posts according to... well, Chiima~

I have now officially hit 500 Published posts her on Okay! Musume Time, and wow, I did not expect to ever see this amount of posts on a blog of my own... it truly is rather surreal, if you ask me.

... Now, would this be a bad time to say that I am closing this blog down?

I KID, I KID!!! Holy cow, I would not do that, at least, not now! I love blogging, and I like posting these heavy picture spams for you all to read (if you read them haha!), and sometimes I like the odd post which is thoughtful and written with some sort of intellect. I do like the random rant post every now and then, too... long story short, I love writing, and I am happy that I have written 500 posts for you all... well, kinda 500, but you know what I mean!

Anyway, with this being my big 500th post and all, I thought that I would look back and post my favourite posts that I have written on this blog... because I can! Heck, I even enlisted the help of some friends to choose their favourite posts, because it's nice to know what others like and what they remember from this blog! I also encourage anyone who is willing to comment to let me know what your favourite post is on here.

That all said and done, let's crack into my Top posts from my own blog, Okay! Musume Time! They are in no specific order, but hey, who cares? Let's take a look!

Chiima's Top Posts

• Naughtier than You Perceived? - Afilia Saga East

When I wrote this, I was really happy. I was getting to know a group by researching them as much as I could, and I was sharing it with everyone. I also loved looking at the PV's and trying to find different fetishes that were being shown in their videos, other than the obvious Maid outfit fetish. It was great fun looking into this group who, at the time, were still quite new to me, and as I learned about Afilia Saga East, I started to love them more. Ahh, Afilia... <3

• A Look into Tsunku's Decision - Tsunku and 5pb to Open an Idol Café

I remember just how proud I was of myself when I posted this... really, I was very proud, because I felt like I had accomplished something and given a lot of information. I don't know if I did, but I loved this post so much, and I felt great after writing it. I really think I did my best, however much that is blowing my own trumpet... but yeah, I was proud of it then, and I am still proud of it now!

• Bringing me Nostalgia - Sea☆A 'DELI-DELI☆DELICIOUS' PV Review

This is one of my favourite PV reviews ever, and I think it's because I pretty much went full-on nostalgic in the post and poured my heart out, because the PV itself was so reminiscent of my childhood... I think that Ray helped me to love the post more when he wrote about it on International Wota.

I am still very proud of this post, it means a lot to me. The PV and song are two things I still love from Sea*A as well, because it is just awesome, and wonderful to watch.

• Okay! Musume Digest #1

I don''t think that I anticipated my Digest to last long, but it has. I wanted a place to talk about small news articles that popped up that did not require a post of its own, and somewhere to originally put polls as well, because my Poll series died. I never anticipated that people would like it, though, and now it has become a reliable post for me to do weekly. Yeah, I will sometimes wait three days before the deadline to write up the news (whoops), but I seem to still manage to keep this going... and it amazes me! I usually have a hard time staying dedicated, but this has became a post I am dedicated too, and I think it's because you guys all like it a lot, and rely on it as well. It makes me happy that you enjoy it, so thank you!

• The Potato Idol

... Is there any reason to not like this post? XD I enjoyed writing it, and I think it is kind of humorous... especially the last part about Idols being close than you thik, in the form of a sack of potatoes, of course! I think it is one of my quirkier, weirder essays that I have done, and I do love it. So. MUCH! Hopefully you love it, too! -toots own horn loudly-

• [A Week with Winky] The First Wink... I Think? - Morning Musume's 'Shabondama!' PV Review

I wish I had done 'A Week With...' series for Risa, but I didn't have that idea back when she was graduating, however when it came to Winky... I wanted to see what had happened to her, from beginning to end, to see where she had fallen. Okay, so I didn't look at everything she was in, but I did have a beginning (debut), a middle (where she was growing up, getting her style, but not becoming Winky yet) and an end (Winky and Graduation), and I did enjoy doing the series. It allowed me to see why people became her fans, and it also allowed me to see why some people stopped being fans because of her transition into what I guess was a 'bad' thing.
 I enjoyed this series, it was fun to do and allowed me to become a fan of the old Reina in a week, and also allowed me to experience the different sides of Winky.

• A Look at Beckii Cruel: Independent Idol

This is one of my more recent posts, but honestly... I am rather proud of it. I think that I id an okay job on it, and I like that I took a rather neutral, unbiased ground towards the video and Beckii Cruel as a whole. I know I can be rash and cruel (pun not intended) towards Net Idols as a whole, but believe me, I do like them now (haha!), and seeing this video made me like them a bit more, and also made me want to try the writing form that is Journalism at least once. I don't know if this is a good review or not, that's up to you to decide, but I am happy with it. I guess that that is all that matters, really.

Now, let's take a dive into what the friendlings say, my Chimian Army, my minions... *ahem*. This one may be less in depth, because I can't burrow into their thoughts to as why they chose what they chose... so bear with me, kay? ;3

Nia's Top Posts

• The Potato Idol
• Where's My Pony?
• Being an Idol Blogger
• Tsunku's Answer to Crack - Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Sitai PV Review + Pic Spam!
• Get Out The Wine, Party Poppers and Balloons, cos Haturs' Gunna Celebrate...
• My Issue(s) With Line Distribution
• "I Am Scared of Certain Types of Fans" - Chiima Confesses and Shares her Thoughts on Certain Types of Fans
• Giving AKB48 a Chance: The 3 Day Challenge - Day 1

Nia gave me a rather extensive list here, which surprised me... I did not expect her to post this many 'memorable' posts after I asked her to list some. That said, when she listed off what she remembered, I remember thinking 'Why that one!?' toa few of them... especially the post where I ranted about One Two Three, and also the one where I kind of celebrated the graduation of Acchan when it was announced.

Other than the few surprises I did get from Nia's list, I am happy to see my Potato Idol post in there, and also the Giving AKB48 a Chance post, too... Actually, I like all of Nia's choices. She's picked a mixed bag... so it is nice :3

MambaPon's Top Posts

• Minegishi Minami, the No Dating Rule and my thoughts
• A Dummy's Guide To The Senbatsu: What It Is And Why It Is There

I don't think that my sister reads my blog that often (though she likes me to update her on my view count every so often so she can get excited... yup, I know, weird kid.) because when I asked her if I had memorable posts, she looked a little lost and then said the two that came off the top of her head, and then asked 'You were the one who wrote that post on Senbatsu and what it is... right?' and 'Did you write about that bald AKB member? I think you did.' which is quite funny. But, the most surprising thing about her two picks is not that she doesn't read my blog, because I don't blame her given the fact that I'm an idiot on here, is that she chose two AKB48 posts...

She's a H!P Wota, and very rarely follows AKB48, which is a funny thing to me. But, I do like her choices, because thinking about it... they are somewhat memorable. Especially the Minami one, because everyone was writing about it then, and everyone - and I mean everyone - was looking up this chick who had shaved her head for the sake of a group. Dedication at its scariest, I say!

Momo's Top Posts

• Subtitles - Yay or Nay?
• Grab Your Pitch Forks, Airi's now a Whore!!! BURN THE WITCH!!! [RANT TIME!!!!]

Not going to lie, but the minute I saw the link and what the post title was for Momo's picks, I laughed, because I really did not expect to see the post about Airi causing a 'scandal' (haha sure) in anyones links, but hey! I did kind of go off on a big rant for that one, and looking back at it now, I can see how humorous it can come across... especially with that gorgeous picture of YaguMari and her toyboy being caught rumpling sheets whilst hubby walks in... yeah...

I do like that Momo has also included my H!P Subtitles post too, because I think we are on the same wavelength of how we passionately hate them... or not... who knows? Either way, I actually like that post because I still feel that way... as in, I hate those bloody subtitles. NAAAY!

Ashley's Top Post

• Dream A Colourful Dream with Dream5 in their new PV 'We are Dreamer'!

The final person that I asked was Ashley, or Asupon (or Ashrii, Ashlet... I give her lots of names) and of course, I was prepared for what post she would pick, because she does love her Dream5 a lot... especially Mikoto, that cutie pie... so I was prepared for her choice, and of course, I was right! She did indeed choose one of my more recent PV reviews, and also the one that holds my biggest count of screen caps (107!!!) because... well, she loves the group! She also mentioned that she liked my mad, random storyline I threw in there for the laughs as well, so bonus points!!!

I love the PV too, and the group as well... I wouldn't have reviewed it otherwise!

...

Okay, so that is all ma peeps, the Chimian Army, who have given their Top Posts, memorable or favourites... and it was really nice to find out what they liked, to be honest. It's a pretty darned diverse list, in my opinion, and I do like that. There were a few surprises in there, some that make me quirk the eyebrows, and others that made me giggle because I did not expect them to be there.

Oh, and before I go, I guess I will post my (current) All Time Posts of Okay! Musume Time that hold the highest pageviews here! Wanna see? Do ya? Well, take a looksy!!!

Honestly, I do love this list, mostly because the SKE48 post is only there because people have searched for porn and found my blog... and the Goto Maki one is the most popular because I am pretty sure a lot of people are trying to figure out if that on-going rumour is true or not. They must be disappointed after reading what I wrote, though, because I swear I clarified nothing XD

The only post(s) I question are the Furby ones (though furbies did come back into 'fashion' and all) and the Hopes, Wishes, Dreams and whatever else post. Really, why them? xD Either way, this is a mixed bag, and I do like it... shows that I have a different amount of fans from different fandoms looking at my blog, ya know? Which is what I like!

Anyway, that's gonna be it for now... I had fun finding posts I loved writing and also finding out what others enjoyed reading! And if you have a post you enjoyed that is your Top O!MT post, be sure to tell me! It's fun knowing what people like to read, even if I am a weird, nonsense-filled writer!

Post #500 and still counting... here's to 500 more, Chimian Army! Thank you all for reading, commenting and, most of all, sticking by my weirdness and nonsense! I love you all! ;) KAMPAI!!!

Chiima~

PING!!! Recommended Community Reading: September 2013

And so the Cake Day begins...

Cake Day... that's a weird name, but I have seen many-a blogger use it when it comes to their blogs anniversary dates, or at least, the day they created it. I typically call it a Birthday, mainly because I want to be a selfish child and celebrate two birthdays a year, or maybe because I genuinely do see it as my Blog's birthday... either way, I am celebrating an Anniversary, Birthday or a Cake Day on this blog today.

Right now. Riiiiiiight here.

And you're celebrating it too, whether you like it or not. Thanks for coming, friends.

So weird creepiness aside, it is indeed my Blog's Birthday, or Cake Day, whichever one you prefer to use, I guess, but whatever it is, today is the day where I celebrate the birth of my blog, the day where I bow down to it and chant a song, the day where I look at it, allow myself to become nostalgic and look back at how it came to be, and ultimately, a day where I can just sit here and waffle on about the blog itself, or like last year, create one holy pic spam which seems never-ending, especially if you hate the members I like.

This is how smug I am feeling riiiight now, just because I know that you have to sit here and put up with this damn post.

This time around though, I just want to talk... you know, that thing where you sit there and just have a conversation? Well, we technically can't do that here, because I am behind one screen and you are behind another, but I'm going to pretend that we're all together, on one giant sofa with, oh I don't know, tea? Beer? I say beer, or maybe vodka, whichever is your preference I suppose. So, we're going to sit here, on our imaginary sofa, with our imaginary tea, beer or vodka (unless you actually have vodka and a sofa close by) and we will talk about this blog... at least, until I rattle on about something else, I guess.

Eripon: "She is not here, I am not here, I am a bubble... a Gaki-shaped bubble..."

So... two years, eh? Seems like a long time, in a way. I mean, it seems so long since I created this blog, but once again, another year has passed and here we are... Two years on, and I am still here, doing so much more than I ever thought I would. Reviews, rants, oogling at legs and butts and all the good stuff that Idols deliver. You know, the good stuff that comes with being an Idol blogger. Something which I never thought I would ever really do because, hey, blogging is never the easiest thing to keep. I've tried it before, and I've failed plenty of times, each time resulting in the age-old saying: "I will never blog again.", and look where that got me.

Here. It got me here, because I ignored the fact that I was shit at blogging, and because I eventually found something that I wanted to blog about, and for once, I've managed to keep it up and chug on forward.

All For the Love of Idols.

Eripon: "Shit she's going to get nostalgic... I can't handle all this sappy crap!"

I mean, two years... that's a long time for me personally. Hell, a year is a stretch for me when it comes to blogging, because I've never been able to manage it for so long! To know that I have kept this blog going for two years, it's a truly amazing and rather shocking feeling, an achievement, really. It's something which I didn't think would happen at any point in my life, because let's be truthful here, I was ready to stop blogging again. I wasn't bored of it, far from it, I just felt that I posted too little, and that I posted worthless entries that nobody would care about, let alone read. Yet I chugged on, because I wanted to, because I liked Idols and wanted to get my thoughts across. This blog became a place where I could talk about the girls I liked, the girls that I didn't care about as much, and state my overly bitchy opinion.

Hell, I still post worthless entries that people don't like to read. I also post entries that people hate to read because they don't like my opinion, but it doesn't really stop me now, does it? Well, I post a lot now, come to think of it. I review more, and I express my thoughts a lot more now, too, and not just on PV's or anything like that, but how I see things when it comes to Idols... you know, like Potato Idols and all that jazz. Yeah, that sort of expression of thought. Though admittedly, in just two years, I'll say that I've become a bit more adventurous with my posts, even going outside of Hello! Project and taking on other Idols and groups that I wouldn't have given a chance if it weren't for experimentation or attempting to be more open-minded towards the Idol world and what it has to offer.

Still drinking that Vodka? Good, because it's gonna get a little bit sappy in here...

Though how I have changed is mostly due to the fact that people have read my blog and commented, telling me to give certain groups or people a chance. The biggest player in my change, though, has to be Ray of Idolminded and formerly International Wota. He has been a great inspiration to me, and has always helped me along the way ever since he picked me up through my early days of blogging. He's basically stuck by me, like a father or an older brother in a sense. Weird as that may sound, I do feel that way because Ray has pretty much stuck by me since August 2011 and has seen my progress as a blogger. Of course, this progress is thanks to him through his feedback and encouragement, something which I will always be grateful to him for, because you know, you always need encouragement to continue doing something you think that you fail at...

Of course, I can't really forget to mention the people who inspired me to begin blogging. I have mentioned them before, and they are all wonderful people who have different personalities and writing styles. Some do not post as often as they used to or as much as I want them too but they are the ones who really stick in my mind and make me think of great bloggers who are basically my inspirations and heroes. Greg of Selective Hearing, who I see as 'The Boss Man', was one of my main inspirations due to his snarky posts and how he seemed to never fear the reaction of his readers. His review of Nanchatte Renai was the first review I have ever read, and it impressed me. His way of writing was funny, and I truly enjoyed it, and I find that he is one of the main reasons why I started blogging, and the person who helped to shape my way of writing. I wanted to be just like him, basically... except that I am a girl and he isn't. I think o-O

Isilie of ~Itsumo Genki~ is, of course, my next inspiration. I absolutely adore her blog, more than I will ever let on, I think. I always wait for a new post from Isilie, no matter how long it may take, because she is just a beautiful, fantastic and hilarious writer. I swear, I have never laughed so much in my life from a blog post, she's just so funny Even in her smaller posts, she manages to make me laugh. A lot. Even with posts I have already read, I still laugh. She's just that hilarious, and that amazing, to me. She actually introduced me to pic spams, something which is... er, quite apparent in my posts. So basically, I stole how she pic spammed the hell out of her posts. Sorry, Isilie.

And, despite how little she does post, she still lives!!! She actually comments on here sometimes, which surprises me and makes me incredibly, totally and stupidly happy. Why? Er, hi, I love her, whichiskindacreepybutwhocares, and she was one of the reasons why I started a blog. Dude, if the person who made you think 'I wanna start a blog because these people are totes FABULOOOOUS' comments on your blog, you are gonna be freakin' HAPPY! Seriously, the first time she commented on my blog, I was almost crying to my sister saying 'OHMAGAWDISILIECOMMENTEDOHMAGAWDOHMAGAWDILUFFHER!!!" or something just as creepy as that.

Is it at all creepy that I still read this and feel stupidly happy inside because Isilie is, laik, ma AIDORU?

Yup... I luff you, Isilie... Lol?

Next up is, of course, Aim of Janakya Mottainai, who is basically my long-lost twin in the Wota-Blogging World. She doesn't post nearly as much as she used to, but whenever Wherever! We're gonna be together she does post, I always look forward to it. She's just a fabulous writer, and I just love how she explains everything and expresses her opinion flawlessly. She's informative, and again, flawless. I actually wish that I could write as well as Aim does, because I am seriously jelly over how amazing she is when it comes to expressing her opinion and giving you a detailed look into her thoughts of the song, the video and, well, everything. She doesn't write nonsense like I do, and she can be funny and witty, too! I also adore her screen caps, because she expresses everything so clearly in just a simple sentence and allows you to know what she is thinking, and why she likes it.

Basically, I fangirl over her writing... and I also took on board how she comments on screen caps, because I love that aspect of her blog as well. I just don't do it as well as she does, because she is ah-may-ZIIIIIIIIIIING.

Another blogger who inspired me, and one I dearly miss because she has since, from what I know of, been inactive and hasn't posted for a long time, something which killed me a little, a lot, maybe a million times over, inside. Pink Wota (She Who Shall Not Be Named, for I don't know her name...) was one of the bloggers I liked for how blunt and hilarious she truly was. She was not afraid to speak her mind, and reminded me of... well, Morningtime, but in female form. Or a perverted woman. Yeah. That's what she reminded me of, and I liked that about her. She had no fear, and I loved, respect and adored that about Pink Wota, and I wanted to be just like that. Hence why I act like a perverted, drunken sailor on this blog... or something. Pink Wota made me appreciate the Idols and how beautiful they truly are, allowing me to be... well, me, because I didn't know whether I should express myself, or be tame. I love expressing how I think a certain Idol is sexy, cute or gorgeous, I like their butts and legs (yup, leggies...) and I like to talk about them and why I like them. Pink Wota is/was so amazing, and honestly, I miss her entries a lot...

-cries and downs some Vodka and Coke or whatever...-

And, of course, who could forget Morningtime? I have no idea what his name is, even though I may have him added somewhere on facebook FOUND HIM, but he's one awesome, hilarious man. One who I would probably like to go out and have a drink with, if I actually liked alcohol. His posts, crude and wonderful as they are, always make me laugh and always give me a nice dose of sexy Idols, or a nice dose of hilarity. His sense of humour is definitely different to mine I think, especially when it comes to Aika, but I always find what he does quite, er... innocent and inoffensive, though others may not see it that way, and I enjoy his posts. He doesn't post as much as he used to, but when he does post something, he really does deliver. He's very to-the-point, and his perverted, blunt nature in writing is truly wonderful and something which just inspires me to make fun of the Idols I love without being so offensive or bitchy... Oh wait, I'm always offensive and bitchy, oops.

He's comical, and I think that most, if not all, of his posts are basically genius. I always look forward to what he posts next, and if I see that he has updated, I pretty much race there to see what's going on in the world of Morningtime and Nakky-ful Idols...

Oh yeah, he also made me like Nakky a helluva lot more. Dude, why? Why?

You know you want some of this

I would also like to give a special mention to three other bloggers who have basically been beside me with this blog for a while now, three people who have given me continuous support of this blog ever since they found out about it.

Thennary Nak needs a special mention. Whilst I don't talk to her like I do the other two bloggers who have a special mention, I feel like she quietly cheers me on from the sidelines, supporting me with her cheerleader Pom Pom's whilst she blasts JE music around me, trying to make me fall for them... Again, I don't actively talk to her, but she has commented on my blog a few times and has basically helped me out in a few ways. From what I do know of her, she is a sweetheart, and such a fantastic writer. Please check out her blog >o<

Finally, there is Nia, who has also recently had a blog birthday. Nia is someone whom I am actively close to. I talk to her a lot, and honestly, I truly treasure her. She's the person I basically go to when I have a plan or when I want to rant and rave about Idols, and she's the one who I fangirl with and just basically babble to when I feel the need to gossip about the Idol world. We have pretty similar outlooks on what we do and don't like, even if our taste in music does differ ever so slightly, and I swear, we're psychic, or at least mentally in-tune with each other.
 I feel like Nia is one of my bigger supporters in a way, she always seems to be raring to go with whatever plan I have for my blog, and is so supportive of what I do. She's such an enthusiastic and positive girl, and really, I adore her.

Really, I do wonder why or how they put up with me, because c'mon... I'm insufferable.

Clearly, you have all passed out from drinking so much vodka due to the sap I have put you through. Oh, but it isn't over just yet...

So yeah... Five Eight bloggers and my blogging, er, 'father', have lead to this. Two years of blogging, or my second official Cake Day. It's been a journey, and a lot of readers have stuck by me throughout it, and without you guys I wouldn't have achieved the impossible, which is reaching 50,000 page views. Whilst I do have my inspirations and Ray to thank for helping me to create and maintain this blog, you guys are one of the major factors in why I continue to write, other than the fact that I bloody love it, as well as the reason why I continue to improve as a writer, blogger and Idol lover. I get great critiques and comments from you all, and whilst my opinion is quite apparent in this blog, the comments you send also help me to realise a few more things and allow me to learn something about an Idol, video or song, and I take into account what you think too, and I can see something differently afterwards because you have pointed out things I missed, or things that I really need to know. I love your opinions, and I love how you all share how you feel about something in a few simple words or sentences. So thank you for being my readers and for helping me continue to improve and become more open-minded towards Idols in general.

An amazing achievement, one which made me cry...

I have talked to some amazing people thanks to this blog, and I have become a part of a great community. I have friends within the blogging wota-world, and I have people whom I respect and those who I desire to meet one day, if I ever can get to that point in my life, of course.

I now have over 300 posts, more readers than I could ever ask for, and I am getting closer to 90,000 page views all time. This is what 2 years has amounted to, and for me, that's one massive achievement. In two years, this blog has changed and as a writer, so have I. I never thought that I would ever continue this blog, let alone have people read and enjoy what I write. For me, these two years have been absolutely amazing, and it's thanks to everyone who has supported, inspired and helped me within these past two years. It's been absolutely amazing, guys, and I couldn't have done it without you.

To another year, and may many more follow!

Quick, the escape is near! RUN AND CRAWL FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

KAMPAI!!!

Happy Cake Day, Okay! Musume Time~

Now, where is Isilie's facebook?

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: November 18th, 2012

Being an Idol Blogger

There have been quite a few posts going around the Wota-world recently to do with being a blogger, how you can get started and what being a blogger entails. There are a lot of useful tips in these posts, with the two most recent by Serenyty of Happy Disco who helps you along with two fantastic posts, Why You (Yes, you!) Should Become an Idol Blogger! and Why You (Yes, you!) Should Be An Idol Blogger, Part 2 and a series of posts, titled Selective Hearing's Blogging Manuals, by Greg of Selective Hearing who gives handy tips on the platforms you can choose, what to write about and more! So if you are new to blogging, then these are certainly the posts you could turn to for help if you are at all confused.

Now, reading these after having my blog for around 2 years, I began to think about what it is like being an Idol blogger and a general blogger, and what got me started as a blogger.

Here's a bit of back history concerning my days on the internet: I was never a blogger, and before now, I never saw myself as blogger material. I had always been active in other parts of the internet, especially in fanfiction writing and youtube. There are a lot of things I have done concerning youtube, such as make-up tutorials, a dance cover, fandubbing (singing), AMV's, fandubs for anime and more recently, I have begun Vlogging/reviewing about Idol PV's that I enjoy or dislike. However, the one thing that I have always been active in since my family recieved internet when I was a pre-teen was fanfiction.

Now, throughout all of these activities, I had tried blogging on various occasions, only to find that I never liked it. I had tried blogging about various things, such as make-up and fashion, anime and manga and even myself. It never worked out for me, and I never really enjoyed it. The only one that I thoroughly enjoyed and actually kept up for a while was a blog that reviewed shoujo anime and manga, and I actually really liked that blog, but I just stopped. After that, I really had no desire to start a blog again.

And then I got into Idols. Roll around mid-2009, I had just begun to like Morning Musume, and I was looking for reviews on their latest single at the time, Nanchatte Renai. I loved reviews, and I loved peoples opinions, and by looking for reviews, I stumbled upon Selective Hearing. After that, I found more blogs which I began to follow frequently, such as Pink Wota, Itsumo Genki and Janakya Mottainai. These were the four staple blogs which stuck out to me, and the blogs that I began to follow religiously. I loved how they wrote, I really enjoyed their opinions and how their blogs varied in style and taste. It isn't surprising that these four bloggers are the ones who inspired me to become an Idol blogger, and whilst they might not know that they are the reason I opened this blog in the first place, I have great respect for all of them, because they made me like Idols a lot more, and they pretty much shaped me into the Idol blogger that I am right now.

But the start of being an Idol Blogger was probably the hardest start I had blogging wise - I honestly had no idea what direction I would go in with blogging. At first, I was pretty much set on creating a rant blog, one where I could pretty much talk about videos that I absolutely detested, though I eventually found myself creating a few posts that weren't rant woorthy, such as my Top 8 members at the time, and a small review of Okai Chisato's 1st Solo DVD trailer. I wasn't overly active during the start of my blogging days, but that was probably because I really didn't know what direction I wanted to go in at the time. It wasn't until around May of 2011 that I began writing reviews more than anything.

And honestly, I love reviewing - it's something I just really like doing. I've always enjoyed writing, and to be able to write about something I love is extremely enjoyable and is worth the time I put into this blog. There are days where I don't write anything, granted, but on the days that I do write, I try to take my time thinking about what I want to say. Okay, so I'm not the most analytical person on the blogging planet, nor do I really make much sense sometimes, but I try to write how I seriously feel when I write my reviews. If I'm excited, I will try to write about my excitement, and if I am disappointed, I will write about my disappointment. It totally depends on the song or PV, really, and what sort of mood I am in - sometimes I will be sleepy, so I rant like a drunken sailor, and other days I will be wide awake. Sometimes, I can't think about what to say, and that really stumps me when I want to write about a PV I currently love or really dislike, but it happens, and when it does happen, I seriously hate it.

Of course blogging does take up a lot of my time, but sometimes I don't have enough time for it - not every blogger does! I have a job now which helps me to pay for my Idol hobby, and I also have a hobby outside of blogging, which is Amateur dramatics. I have other activities which I will do over the summer, as well as college which starts again in September, but for the most part, I find that blogging is the one thing that really takes up the most of my time, but that's because I really love doing it. I don't think that I would have it any other way.

But it isn't just writing about Idols which makes me love being a blogger, it's also reading everyone else's blogs and being able to form a whole new opinion because of another blogger. I have a select few blogs which I prefer to read, but I have read a good amount Idol blogs since becoming a blogger. I like to read everyone else's opinions and see how they differ from mine. I won't agree with every blog I read, but I enjoy finding out about another writers side of the story and basically getting their view, and taking it into account as well. I love realising something new about a PV which I hadn't seen before, such as little details that others pick up and point out.

I personally think that being an Idol Blogger is amazing because you get to state your opinion. Not everybody will agree with it, but it's something you have to accept. There will always be those comments on your blog where people call you out as a hater because you say something that they don't like, or their opinions don't match yours, but that's how Idol blogging, or any blogging is, in general. There will be people who enjoy what you write, and people who absolutely hate what you write, which is perfectly fine. We are all open to our own opinions, and that's why I love blogs - we all have an opinion, and we are all allowed to voice it, regardless of what others think about it.

You also get to meet some amazing people through blogging - there are fellow fans of a certain genre who will comment on your blog and talk to you, and you will be able to make friends with other bloggers. I've been able to talk to Greg, Ray and Aim through this blog as well as make friends with other bloggers such as Nia from Nia's Wonderland and Wotaku Mummy. I've also been able to experience other things through being a blogger, such as being a part of International Wota and Idolminded, as well as becoming a staff member of my beloved Selective Hearing. I am extremely thankful that I was able to talk to both Ray and Greg and become a part of the staff for their sites, as they have both helped me with my blog in their own way, such as Greg being an inspiration to me in terms of blogging, and Ray continuously helping to promote my blog through both IW and Idolminded. So for that, I am extremely tankful and happy that I am able to work with and to know the both of them.

Whilst this may not always happen, there are blogs out there which look for people to add for different opinions, updates and other things. Sites like Hello! SayuNii, Chuu! Sugoi! Idol! and Selective Hearing have staff members who update certain topics, whether they are review or news based, and other blogs such as Idolminded will sometimes bring in guest bloggers so that new or unknown writers can create an article which can help them gain more viewers and get them known in the Wota world. There are also the chances of roundtables and group chats with other bloggers which will help your readers to find out about a new blogger, and vice versa for the person you have blogged with. I love roundtables, and I made one a while ago with a friend of mine based on Fact or Fiction over certain questions or speculations regarding Hello! Project members. Basically, roundtables are fun, and you get different opinions from everyone and it can really shape a post and make your readers think, and it's something I would definitely like to do again in the future with other bloggers.

And those are only some of the reasons to as why I love Idol Blogging, and honestly speaking (or writing), I think that choosing to become an Idol Blogger is one of the best decisions I have made since I started using the Internet, with the other decision being becoming a fanfiction writer. These two hobbies are probably the two things that I have become the most proud of since being on the internet, and I wouldn't change anything about either of them - writing is something I really love, so I am glad that I am able to write about the things I love on this blog. One of my greatest joys since starting Okay! Musume Time is being able to get excited about writing a new review and getting to see comments on my blog.

Being an Idol Blogger is great, and I would advise anyone thinking about starting an Idol Blog to try it. You may want to try something different to what I have here, like a News blog, a translation based blog or something else, but whatever you want to do, give it a go, and if you want more exposure, ask others to advertise your blog on sites such as Idolminded or Hello! SayuNii, or ask friends to read your blog. Everything may go slow at first, but eventually everything picks up if you continue to write and enjoy what you do.

I may have started out as someone who never intended to pursue blogging, but now I am a blogger. I'm surprised that I chose to go down this path, but honestly? I wouldn't change anything about it, because I love writing here. It's enjoyable, and I hope that my readers enjoy what I write too, because they are the ones I am also writing for.

And one of the best things about being an Idol Blogger?...

I get to be an opinionated Wota, of course.

Chiima~


PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: July 8th, 2012