Forever Momochi! A Final Farewell - Tsugunaga Momoko ~The Last Graduation Appreciation Post~

*Apologies for the late Appreciation Post, however, due to being away and other Blog posts that needed to be posted, I decided to save writing this until now. Even though it's late, please be assured that I still want to appreciate and celebrate Tsugunaga Momoko, even after her Graduation from both Hello! Project and the Entertainment Industry. So, whether you like her or not, please celebrate all that Momoko has given us, and say our final goodbyes to her. Right here, right now, let's think about only Momochi, and the happiness she delivered to her fans, and everyone else!

Momochi!!!!

My original aim for celebrating Momoko's graduation was, of course, to write a bunch of posts about her. I wanted to do about three days' worth of reviews, because whilst there is so much to celebrate about this girl, I had already written about her beforehand. With Berryz Kobou's disbandment (it's not a hiatus) back in 2015, I'd already covered some PV's that included the former Idol. Also, I had written a post where I appreciated her before her graduation. So, there wasn't a lot I could do, anyway, plus I had time constraints.

So, I will only be doing this post, and it isn't because Momoko is not important. She is, hence why I'm doing this Appreciation Post (for the second time), even if it is a lot later than expected. I want to share my thoughts on Momoko, where she stands with me, and formally congratulate her in finally graduating this Idol world, and making her way in life as a regular woman, and a fantastic teacher.

So, without further ado, it's time to celebrate all that is Momochi, in words! For her 15 years of dedication, and her determination to become the perfect Idol, let's thank the wonderful Tsugunaga Momoko, and look back with fondness!

Everyone, it's time to be thankful and nostalgic. Let's remember Momochi forever, with fondness, smiles, and horrible pigtails I wish I could chop off!

Tsugunaga Momoko - The Graduation Appreciation Post

All thoughts and opinions within this post are my own, and no one else's. That is all... for now.

This post may be jumbled due to a raging headache, and my persistence to write this despite said headache killing me right now. Hopefully the garbage I have written will suffice. I apologise for terrible writing ;w;

Though I wonder if I should call this an 'Appreciation' post, let's appreciate one of the most annoying members of Berryz, but also the most respectable!

She's the second oldest, and someone we want to kick a little. It's Tsugunaga Momoko!

Tsugunaga Momoko is an anomaly, to me; of all the Idols I have ever experienced as a fan, she is one of those rarities that confuses me to high Heaven, even now. There are times where I like her, times where I am frustrated by her, and plenty of days where I respect and adore her.

Of all the Berryz members, she is the one who confuses me the most, and the one that I probably would have happily see go, right next to Miyabi and Risako... and yet, she's the one that I am glad will be continuing an Idol career, too.

This is Momoko, and holy heck, she confuses my feels!

The first time I was introduced to Momoko was back when Buono were still all shiny and new, and the only group bringing in the dough for H!P. In that group, she was this spunky little thing who was cute and all shades of adorable, as well as my favourite member and what I thought to be one of most adorable singers ever, right after Koharu. Seriously, I liked her.

Momoko was cute!

To me, she wasn't annoying at that point - she was just some Idol who looked like she was loving what she did, and who was having a blast in her little 3nin group, and I adored that about her at the time. She basically represented everything an Idol was meant to be, if you will; small, cute, innocent, energetic and sweet, a nice enough voice and the personality of a child... she was wonderful, and she was thoroughly entertaining. So yeah, I enjoyed the entertainment she provided. It was fun watching her.

I didn't seem to care much for her in Berryz, however. Still, in Buono, she was my little star.

It was around the time that Berryz became boring when my feelings for her got a little muddled. On the one hand, I really enjoyed her in Buono and how great she was in that group, but on the other hand, she did nothing for me in Berryz, and I found her dull.

That was before she put on the 'Momochi' act, mind. When that little character of annoyance came along, however, my feelings towards Momoko, or Momochi if you will, were definitely mixed.

Irritation. Frustration. Annoyance. Deep dislike. A wish to burn those fucking pigtails and yell at Momoko for her stupid character.

It all made me rage, and it made me feel differently towards Momoko for a while, though in a way, that was the point; Momochi was created to cause tension and discord, made to annoy and produced to frustrate. She created a persona that was, in many ways, an annoyance and distraction, but a character that also brought some life into Berryz. Yeah, they were boring, but there was only one girl who made them stand out with her stupid persona that managed to capture everyone's attention when on TV.

And, for that, I do think Momoko is a bit of a genius, though an annoying one. Oh, all these conflicted feelings...

Despite my absolute dislike for her at that time, though, I was also feeling something else for her; respect. Of all the members, I think that Momoko is the one I've learnt the most about, in terms of her Idol persona. Not only an Idol, she also went to school and University, and earned her degree. She had ambitions beyond her career within Hello! Project, such as wishing to work with kids when she left the industry, and I knew that she was juggling a lot of things all at once, whilst also managing to keep Berryz afloat off her back, knowing well that despite being an annoying character, she was still keeping her group and career alive.

For all of that, I really do respect her, because it showed her dedication and love for Berryz, as well as her own future.

Much like Michishige Sayumi, in that respect, Momoko did all she could to keep Berryz Kobou within the public eye through creating a pest of a persona, and letting her presence be known. She promoted and boasted about the group, allowed their name to be known and songs to be heard, despite the backlash she may have received from fans. She kept her head held high throughout the abuse she received, and smiled no matter what, always doing it not for herself, but for the group. Yeah, she may have seemed conceited and annoying, but it was something that got her noticed, and it allowed for Berryz to be known.

Where the others couldn't create something to attract attention, Momoko was the key to a dwindling Berryz' success. Through devotion, love and dedication, she was able to come out on top, and to show people that Berryz were still around, and that they were still pretty good Idols.

It's not just her dedication to Berryz or her University work that makes me like and respect Momoko, but also her talent; I won't deny that Momoko is one talented girl. Sure, her voice can get annoying, but that comes with her persona sometimes, but she does have good vocal pipes on her, and I like that. She's also fun to watch, being quite an energetic performer and all, so even with those atrocious pigtails (which seem to have disappeared... for now), she is still really entertaining to watch.

Of all the Berryz members, aside from Chinami, Momoko has to be one of the most charming and energetic of the lot - she has expression, a bundle of energy, and great charisma in front of the camera. She knows how to charm the viewer, whilst also slightly irking them, and brings the video to life.

Of all the members, I do think she is the one who can be called a 'True Idol'.

Though I find her annoying, and though I feel a little cheated with the fact that she's still going to be an Idol, even after Berryz have disbanded, there is a part of me that is really happy to see Momoko continue as an Idol, despite this change in her career. She's the only one who could do it, for one, and also, Momoko is far too young and talented to let go of right now, and is certainly a great benefit to Country Girls now that she is mentoring and watching over them as both a member and sorta-manager to the group. So, yeah, I am happy that she's staying, despite how annoying she can be.

She's someone who conflicts how I feel, an Idol who can rile me up and rub me the wrong way, but also someone who entertains and pleases me, too. I find her fun and appealing, but I find her annoying and stupid, too, but that is the strange appeal of Tsugunaga Momoko, I suppose - she's an Idol who can do so much to you, and still have you feel like you want to watch her, no matter what she does.

As an Idol, she's not done yet, and it may be a while before we get rid of this annoyance once and for all, however I don't mind so much, really; she's a respectable girl, one who has done a lot for Berryz and her own career, and will continue doing so, but with Country Girls instead.

She lead one group out of complete darkness, and now it's time for her to lead a new group into the shining Idol light. Sure, she may make me want to kick her in the face sometimes, but damn, I can't help but respect this girl and what she has done for Berryz Kobou, and H!P as a whole.

This song may annoy the fuck out of me, but because this is my 'Appreciation' post, let's add it here for old times sake.

She's not gone yet, but hey! So long as those pigtails don't resurface any time soon, we'll be okay!

Until next time...

Much Love,

Chiima~

Where Chiima shares her Scattered Scribblings on Country Musu--- Sorry, Country ・Girls!

And on the 7th day, Tsunku said 'Ah, fuck it' and so, he recycled Country Musume...

In an amazing turn of events, it turns out that Country Musume is still going to happen! Correction: Country ・Girls is going to happen! Didn't expect that news this week, did you? I sure didn't, if that helps!

According to a post on Facebook that I found, it turns out that after the failure of the auditions that took place to revive the group, Satoda Mai, the sole remaining member of Country Musume, still hoped for the group to make its comeback with such a passion that her wish was granted, and so two Trainee's were plucked up from the training programme as well as a few 12ki rejects, and the group was revived and re-named.

"I Am Scared of Certain Types of Fans" - Chiima Confesses and Shares her Thoughts on Certain Types of Fans

Please, do not get offended by this post. I am not aiming it at specific people, but at a certain type of fan which honestly scares me, and makes me dislike a fandom even more.

I'm going to start this post off with this: I was, at first, trying to reason with myself exactly why I should make this blog post, because in all honesty - I am scared about what people will say. I mean, coming out about how I feel about AKB was a hard (and brave) thing to do for me, because I honestly get scared about what people will say to me. In the end, I tell myself that it is my opinion, and I am allowed to have said opinion and speak out about my feelings. So, in the end, that was the reasoning I gave myself for doing this post.

Oh, and I talked to my sister about it - because she's the one who is more sensible.

Anyway, this is basically about a certain incident that recently happened in Japan, and it includes certain Berryz members...

Yeah, you guessed right - the drama with the K-pop fans.

Now, this post won't be all about just this topic, more so, it concerns a topic that I have wanted to talk about a lot, but kind of wigged out on because of my fear of people hating on me - and that is my opinion on the fanbase of most groups. No, not just one, but most groups. And honestly? These fans scare me and make me feel somewhat ashamed of being a fan of a certain Jpop group. But, let me just say this: THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL FANS!


Now, let's get back to the Berryz fiasco first - an article on Aramatheydidn't popped up concerning hate towards Momoko, Miyabi and Chinami - more so towards Momoko and Miyabi rather than Chinami, and it was all because of a scripted (read: scripted, meaning it was meant to happen) act that Momoko is well known for: Crashing in on someone else's gig and claiming how cute she is, and doing her usual annoying act on TV. Well, this didn't seem to go down too well with the fans of T-ara, who were also on the show, and they started to shout horrible things to Momo, like DIE and You're annoying, and even told Miyabi that she wasn't cute. My sister even dug up a little more info (from 2ch, no less) and found out that once Miyabi had gone off stage, Momoko started to yell, asking who had dared to say Miyabi wasn't cute at all.

If you want to read the article, you can find it HERE.

For a person who is pretty much on the fence with Berryz, but a Chinami and Miyabi fan, this was shocking, and it made me extremely angry. I mean, I don't really support Berryz - there are few songs of theirs I like, and I think it's pretty well known how much I dislike Momoko, but I do respect her as an Idol - and hearing this, it really just... riled me up. And it just makes me dislike the extreme fans even more - you know, the sort who go out of their way to defend an idol by telling you to go die, that their idol is the best, that your Idol sucks and that you are a shame to the fan community. You know - those fans.

Anyway, this, of course, annoyed a lot of aramatheydidn't writers - I mean, most of them are in love with Berryz and of course, they defended them - but honestly, some of these comments can be nasty. Which kind of proves my point with how I don't really like some fans of Jpop groups. And, I honestly have a feeling that at some point (actually, I am almost certain about this) that I was disliked greatly because I was a hater of AKB48. I won't deny it. Ever. However, I never wanted to wish death upon a person, fan or Idol, because that is far beneath me.

But, it's fans like this - who take everything one step too far by wishing death, or yelling it, at Idols or even other fans that make me ashamed of being in a fandom with people like this. I mean - how could they think, or say that? And, with these T-ara fans, it just makes me less and less interested in learning about T-ara, and it makes me even more disinterested in listening to Kpop turned Jpop. It really turns me off of the idea, because fans seem brutal and scary. And they said these words in real life - they are not hiding behind a computer screen, they really did tell Momo to die (it seems).

But, it's not just K-pop, as I stated - it's most fandoms. I mean, when I was dead-set against listening to AKB48, I thought that the Hello! Project fandom was one of the nicest, laid-back fandoms out there. Pfft, how wrong was I - I have actually found myself disliking the fandom a lot more now, because some people are just... well... horrible. So, when did I find this out?

During the release of PPU. During this time, the song (and costumes, more so) got a lot of hate - not just from AKB stans, but also from H!P stans. A lot of fans claimed to boycott MM because of how horrible the costumes were, or because of how different it was. It pissed me off, and I honestly wanted to bitch slap a lot of these people - one person even went as far to (stupidly) say PPU would have sounded better if the costumes were different. Yes, I am not kidding. Someone said that (on an MM confession blog, so they are anonymous - damnit!) - But it wasn't just PPU - it was stuff about the MM members, too.

I've come to realise that, whilst these girls are generally accepted in Japan, a lot of international fans don't like them - most notably, Eripon and Haruna. Two of my favourite members in MM, so of course I have quite an issue with those people. I've also come across the odd one or two Riho haters (who I have enjoyed fighting with), and honestly, I do respect her - I just don't care for her.

I had a (great) dislike for Riho during the period of Only You, as most of you would know, and I still don't care greatly for her - but when Only You came out, my main issue was the line distribution rather than Riho - and I bitched about it. A lot. On this blog, on a fourm I go to... and on that forum, I got a lot of hate from a few people that I knew quite well. These people were not happy with how a lot of us acted on the forum towards the single, and claimed that we weren't true fans of MM and that we didn't appreciate them or that we were all evil for hating on a little girl. Er, no - we were hating on the line distribution. But, because it was Riho who got the lines, obviously, these guys felt the need to turn it around and make it look like we were bitching on Riho. But, most of us were actually just explaining how we hated the line distribution, and how it was unfair that only Eripon, Fukuhikme and Zukki got no solo lines whilst Riho got a lot. We weren't exactly saying 'Riho should DIE'. We were just voicing our, gasp, opinions.

And this is an example of extreme fans - people who basically like to offend you, act mean towards you and try to make you feel bad about what you say. Even for the slightest criticism. And this is actually why I am on the verge of hating certain fans of music that I enjoy. Especially the fans who hate on members that I love - but that's a personal thing, because I obviously adore those members of a certain group, and I will want to defend them or cry for them.

I have actually seen people boycott MM or Jpop all together because of these fans - they hate the fan community, and how they act with certain members, and so they just stop listening. I doubt that I will go down that road, because I love MM, and I don't want to leave this fandom at all - I have met amazing people through blogging and listening to Jpop, but some people just go to the extreme lengths to hate on certain idols, or fans who are happy to like or dislike music or a video, but still be a fan.

The same goes for AKB48 when it comes to fans - as someone who once didn't like them, I am guilty of the odd few comments that talked about how bad their music was (and I still think it's meh, especially considering most are meant to be million sellers :/) as well as disliking certain members. But, even as a casual fan now, I still disagree with others about how amazing they are, and I still dislike Maeda Atsuko - but I will never ever go to extreme lengths to say that she should die. No, she should not. No Idol should. I may dislike Momoko and Maeda about the same, but they are Idols - they bring us entertainment (more so Momoko than Maeda) and they bring us music. They are both good singers, and they are Idols for a reason. They do not deserve to have death threats by fans or haters. That is wrong, and immoral on so many freakin' levels. It's downright nasty!

Honestly, these fans scare me. And I am scared that one day, I will turn away from Jpop because of these fans.

Ping!!! International Wota Recommended Reading: March 4th, 2012

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!!!!

Hello! Pro's Top 11 Creepy Ass Smiles ~According to Chiima~

Opinions = my own! ;D

Last night, as the cogs slowly whirred around in my head, I couldn't help but think 'Some Hello Pro members have pretty creepy smiles', which is when I thought 'Oh my... let's do a blog post on that!'. I like doing blog posts that don't totally revolve around PVs now, and there are quite a few members who have smiles that scare me xD So yes, I have a bit of a mixture, I guess, even including the members that I personally love, so I'm not totally biased on them because I ain't letting them off. Mwahahaha~

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the post! I aim to do a post about the cutest smiles according to me, so yeah~

Let's START ;D

11. Wada Ayaka, aka 'Dawa'

In all honesty, Dawa's smile sometimes scares me - I don't why, but it just does. She actually looks uber beautiful most of the time, but when she lets her crazy side out, she freakin' scares me with her smile! But this isn't all the time, and her smile isn't that creepy... which is why she's last in my list! XD

10. Suzuki Kanon, aka 'Afro-Girl'

Depending on how she is smiling, Zukki-pie can actually creep me out with her smile a little bit - how does someone who has a beautiful smile turn into something so soulless and demonic!? Okay, maybe it is her eyes, but the bearing of the teeth is freaky as well - I love Zukki and all, but her smile can get a bit hazardous... Luckily, she looks so beautiful 99.8% of the time, it's just that 2% that is bad...

This is her REAL smile, and it's not at all creepy <3

9. Koharu Kusumi, aka 'Perfection'

I absolutely adore Koharu, I really do - but when she sets her predators gaze on you, with that cunning and creeper smile set upon her delicate face, I can't help but feel a little out of place when staring at her pictures. Luckily, I have rarely found a picture where she looks so insanely creepy that it puts me off of staring at her.

8. Ogawa Saki, aka 'Sakkichy'

Another girl I adore is on the list, and it is Sakkichy. I started to notice how creepy her smile could be when she forced it during Bijin Mama and also Uchoten Love. There are just times when I'm like 'How scary...' when watching her (especially on the Uchoten Love 4 lip ver). Now, I adore you Sakkichy, but your smile is freaky when you fake it and quite frankly, I prefer your natural smile.

7. Kumai Yurina, aka 'That Tall One'

I think Kumai's smile has always kind of scared me... but it isn't so much the smiling of her mouth, but how she widens her freakin' eyes! It is creepy. Kumai is a very beautiful young woman, but her smile puts me off of her - it doesn't help that I think that she looks like this in every photo she has - like a possessed doll who wants to brain wash you. Thankfully, she doesn't look as creepy as some do in Hello! Project...

But she still scares me :<

6. Nakajima Saki, aka 'Nummy'

Now don't get me wrong - I think that Nakky is one of the most adorable Hello! Project members to walk the planet, but when she smiles... well, sometimes she looks like the Devils spawn. Take the picture above for examply - doesn't she look like she's ready to freakin' laser beam you with a giggle and a skip? Yeah, exactly...

5. Niigaki Risa, aka 'Lord Gaki'

Yeah... Niigaki - my shining Prince Charming. She's in the top 5 XD but honestly, her smile can creep me the  heck out! She may look extremely stunning and gorgeous all the time, but when she wants to, she can pull off the creep-factor behind her dazzling smile. It might be how she positions her hands, or how she lowers her face slightly, either way - I'm scared by my Prince sometimes D;

Gaki wants to fuckin' kill you!

Lord, this ones INSANELY scary D;

Have these pictures proven how creepy she can be?

4. Kikkawa Yuu, aka 'Beautiful'

This girl is the reason I started this blog post! Her smile creeps me the HELL out. My sister says it's because of how dead her eyes are, but her smile is still freaky to look at. I don't know why, because Kikkawa is a beauty, but really... she should smile with her mouth closed more, like Maimi should! Maybe then she'd look less possessed and a lot happier! Yikes!

She's a gonna eat yo' soul!

3. Ogawa Makoto, aka 'Possessed'

I actually never noticed how creepy Mako-chan's smile was until recently - and it really hinders her beauty in a way. I think she looks possessed/high most of the time anyway, but when she smiles like... well, like this:

It's unnerving, and really frightening as well. Mako-chan, you're damned beautiful - but your smile needs work :/

2. Tsugunaga Momoko, aka 'Gremlin'

Momoko is a cutie - until she smiles. Now, before I bash her smile, I don't like her - however I know that she is a good singer, one heck of a performer, and all around cute, but I really do not like her smile. I noticed this in Zassou no Uta. This girl has one creepy smile >.>

She honestly looks like a Demon possessed - that demonic smile, those dead-set eyes, aiming to kill you with her Cutie-Momoko-Beam thing. Some people may find it cute, but when I see this:

I am creeped out. Sorry Momoko, but your smile is freakin' creepy x2

SO, just who has won the crown of the Creepiest Smile in all of Hello! Project? Who will reign supreme and prance around with the creepiest, most hated smile in the wotasphere?

A lot of you may agree with me on this one (which is why it is number 1)

1. Mitsui Aika, aka 'Cutie!'

Mitsui is notorious in the Idol world for her awkard, kind of scary and creepy, smiley, and even though I love her, I just have to agree. There are times when I just think 'What the HELL Aika!?', and I have to leave the page sometimes. Most of the time, it's more like a desperate grimace, or she's had a gun held to her head, but her smile is just really spooky in its own way. I love Aika, I think she is adorable and I want to meet her one day, but her fake smile is not very appealing to look at. Examples:

Forced grins can be scary

No thumbs up for this smile, Aika

This is the one where the gun is being held to her head

Aika wonders 'Why?'

As I said, I love Aika, but her smile isn't the best. I wish that she would smile more naturally, because when she does, she does it well, and she looks farkin' adorable;

And hot, can't forget that

Aika is adorable - but sometimes, her smile is just too much, and climbs the creep-scale. So, Aika, you are the winner! Congratulations on owning Hello! Project's Creepiest Smile!

Let's celebrate with a pic-spam!

That's my girl! She has one of the worst forced smiles in the history of H!P, but she makes up for it with her rockin' body!

Okay guys, who's your creepiest smile of H!P? Have a think about it!

Chiima~


Ping!!!!! International Wota Recommended Reading: 16th September 2011