KYOKA - The Graduation Appreciation Post

For a lot of people, turning 21 means a turning point in their life. It means becoming an adult, perhaps settling down, or maybe finally figuring things out. For some it is just another day, but for KYOKA of LONDON BLUE it is both a celebration of her age and the day of her graduation.

Today on September 30th 2019, KYOKA stood on the stage as a member of LONDON BLUE for the last time to celebrate with her fans, and though her time with the group was shorter than former member KANA's, KYOKA has made her own impact within the group thanks to her energetic presence and kind persona.

Now she joins the other LONDON BLUE Alumni, but this does not mark the end for KYOKA. Like every graduation, there is a new beginning just around the corner. Whether her new pursuit is acting, singing, dancing or becoming a tarento, KYOKA is sure to continue her journey with an abundance of energy and positivity.

Before I say my goodbye to an Idol who created joy on stage, let's take a moment to appreciate KYOKA for all she has done. Sure, she was with the group for just a year and 3~4 months, but in such a short time she created so many members. So let's appreciate her together one more time as she leaves LONDON BLUE and the sparkling idol stage...

If you want an idol who is full of energy and delight, then look no further - that is KYOKA. The embodiment of joy and cuteness, KYOKA was initially one of the youngest and smallest members of LONDON BLUE back in June of 2018 when she debuted with the group, however she quickly came to be a prominent and treasured member of the group after the sudden graduations of her gen-mates, RINA and RINKA.

Yet still she persevered in showcasing a bright, energetic and bubbly personality to the fans and giving it her all on and off the stage. Whether she was singing and dancing, calling to the crowd or acting on another stage, KYOKA would always give 100% in everything she did. For someone who has a serious work ethic, it is pretty incredibly how easily KYOKA could put on a smile and create such a warm, fun environment for those who witnessed her performance.

She is a great Idol, and I am going to miss the KYOKA that I came to know.

Kenbishi Kunogi - The Graduation Appreciation Post

On September 28th 2019, Kenbishi Kunogi of NECRONOMIDOL celebrated a live show that brought together the joys of her birthday and the sorrow of her graduation. With 9 short months in the group, Kunogi fell into darkness alongside her peers and stunned the audience with her idol-like aura, but now she's ready to start anew with her solo activities and take a new path, one that is supported by her former management and group mates.

Though she only held a short tenure within NECRONOMIDOL, Kunogi had her own trials she faced during her time in NECRONOMIDOL and created lasting memories that she could not have captured if she had not been welcomed into the group earlier this year. Now she will move forwards, and though the decision for Kunogi to graduate was sudden for the fans - I can only guess that it's a different matter behind the scenes - it seems like Kunogi herself is confident in this new venture she is taking, but before her solo activities are fully in motion I want to take a moment to appreciate Kenbishi Kunogi.

Her time with NECROMA was short, but she will continue to be an idol. But for now, let's appreciate the Kenbishi Kunogi I knew, even though she has graduated and moved forward.

It's Graduation Appreciation time once more.

Kunogi is cute as a button, entertaining to watch and someone who has a true idol-aura on the stage, and perhaps a little shyness when she's off of it. A rather bewitching girl, I immediately clicked that Kunogi was the type of member I would like to follow when both she and Michelle joined NECRONOMIDOL back in January of this year, however that feeling flip-flopped a little before I eventually went on to meet the members in-person back in July of this same year when NECRONOMIDOL travelled to the UK. It was then that I realised how much I liked Kunogi and how she was my second favourite member within the group I had come to love since last year.

And then I learned of her graduation with the rest of the world, and I paused.

I saw the news on Twitter, a tweet sent from Kunogi's own account that I translated from Google, of course.

"I won't be able to meet you, and I will continue to do my best in solo and band activities..."

The comments below that told of the fans' sadness, as well as Kunogi's own English message herself apologising for making everyone sad was all I needed to know what this was about: Kunogi would leave NECRONOMIDOL despite still being so new within the group. I would be losing a member that I really liked, someone I wanted to see flourish in a group I adore. More than anything though, I wanted to watch her confidence grow.

So when I read the news, I cried.

The Support Behind 6 Years Of History: "Because It's LONDON BLUE" - An Interview with Kiyoshi Hayashi (Manager of LONDON BLUE) (19/08/2019)

I would like to begin this post with my gratitude towards Kiyoshi Hayashi for agreeing to do this interview with me via e-mail, and for patiently awaiting its translation. I would like to further my thanks towards him for continuing to work alongside me with these kinds of interviews, and also for his continued hard work as the groups producer, manager and also one of their lyricists.

Beginning their activities on September 11th, 2013, LONDON BLUE have been singing cool & cute songs together for 6 years. Now, with KANA graduated and ending  5 year history within the group, LONDON BLUE has transformed and stands with one member who will continue the groups history on her own shoulders until another member joins.

But behind this history there is Kiyoshi Hayashi, the brain behind the group that brings J-pop and British music together. Whether he is acting as their manager, teaching them how to play an instrument or penning lyrics for one of their songs, Kiyoshi is always doing something, and today he has allowed us to have a talk with him.

But first, let's learn a little more about him before we talk.

(Photo courtesy of @londonblue2013)

CEO, manager, producer, guitarist and the occasional lyricist, Kiyoshi Hayashi seems like he has a lot going on, and you are probably right in thinking that. As the creator of LONDON BLUE - the cool & cute girls unit who focus on music that fuses British pop, rock and R&R with Japanese bubblegum pop - Kiyoshi focuses a lot of his time on his project that has spanned 6 years, and can only see them going further now that they have completed their 6th Anniversary One-Man Live.

But with a new member continuing the future of LONDON BLUE, Kiyoshi continues to envision all he can do with LONDON BLUE. Though he may be a busy man, - what with being the CEO of Birdland Music Entertainment and Fine Promotion, Inc. - the passion he holds for LONDON BLUE is burning brightly, and with a new era beginning, I thought that it would be as good a time as any to ask him a few of the questions on my mind regarding LONDON BLUE, their future and whether or not he will teach the new era how to play a few instruments...

KANA - The Graduation Appreciation Post

On this day, September 18th 2019, KANA will graduate from LONDON BLUE amidst the celebrations of the groups sixth anniversary. With 5 years under her belt, a leadership that lasted well over a year and a boatload of memories from her time as an idol, KANA has experienced a lot in her time as an idol.

From the indies trials to holding a major debut in 2018, learning how to play the drums and choreographing the groups dances, KANA has fulfilled her time as an idol and created a lot of memories along the way. Now it's time to create her last few memories on the stage before walking behind the curtains and creating new memories with the future of LONDON BLUE. But before she graduates and takes a step back to teach a new generation, let's take a moment to appreciate an idol I adore.

It's time to sit back and talk about KANA, an Idol I appreciate. It's that time again, everyone. Let's appreciate the Idols that we love before they graduate from our world.

Are you ready?

I learned about KANA back in 2016, sometime after discovering LONDON BLUE and asking if I could review their latest album for JaME. At the time I didn't know much about them aside from their names, a little bit of background info and the fact that they were created to promote the joys of both Japanese and British music. By 2017 I was no longer following them.

And then Hyper Japan Festival 2018 happened. When the schedule for who was performing was officially released I recognised a group - LONDON BLUE, except the lineup was different. KANA was now the leader, and three new members would be joining, but that was all it took: One familiar group name and my intrigue was sparked once more, but this time I was in it for the long run. Thanks to Hyper Japan I was able to become a fan of LONDON BLUE.

Now five years after joining LONDON BLUE, KANA is ready to graduate on the groups own 6th anniversary. With this, she will join her fellow graduates and friends on the sidelines, supporting LONDON BLUE in front of the stage she once stood upon.

As a fan I couldn't be prouder.

Walking Down The Graduation Crosswalk - An Interview with LONDON BLUE (19/08/2019)

I would like to start this post with my gratitude towards LONDON BLUE's manager, Kiyoshi Hayashi - also known as Rin Say - for allowing me this opportunity once again, as well as for allowing me to use images from LONDON BLUE's live shows via their Twitter page. I also want to thank both KANA and KYOKA for their hard work and for answering these questions despite being busy with practice, performances and more.

I would also like to thank ジュンペイさん, ヤウユ and ふしあな for allowing me to use their images in this post. Full credit will be given via each photo used.

Inspired by British music, UK fashion, Japanese pop and a cool n' cute vibe, LONDON BLUE are a J-pop Idol duo filled with energy and packaged in a cute burberry or plaid design. Styling themselves around UK fashion prints, the groups love for Britain - London in particular - is undeniable in both their look and sound, and with each performance the girls will wave a towel of white and blue above their heads with pride.

Created 6 years ago, LONDON BLUE has faced their fair share of hurdles as an indies idol group before finally making their major debut under King Records in 2017. Now that their 6th Anniversary is on the horizon, the group faces their biggest hurdle yet - the graduation of their current lineup, KANA and KYOKA. With this, LONDON BLUE will restart with the introduction of new members, girls who are ready continue the groups legacy whilst finding their own path to walk down.

(Photo courtesy of ジュンペイさん via Twitter)

With their graduations announced back in early August, KANA and KYOKA have since been preparing for their last few performances together before LONDON BLUE's September 18th One Man Live, which will see former members MISAKI, KAORU, RIYO, KAYANO and 3510 return to the stage with KANA one last time before she graduates. This special One Man Live will also act as the penultimate performance for KYOKA, who will go on hiatus from the group until her final Birthday Live on September 30th. She will not be participating in any live shows or events with the new members.

Their future's seemingly set in stone - KYOKA potentially walking down the acting path whilst KANA aims to stay behind the scenes as the groups choreographer - both members have an exciting time ahead of them. With the hurdles of the idol world soon behind them, the excitement and the memories that this path has brought them down, it's time to have one final chat with the girls before they go their separate ways and create a new road for themselves.

Before they both take the crosswalk towards a new career, let's talk a little about graduations and instruments, memories and new era's with KANA and KYOKA, the energetic idol duo behind LONDON BLUE...

The Definition Of A Shoddily Promoted Single - 'Shin Jidai Princess / Princess no Teigi' by Houkago Princess (Single Review)

*Any and all mistakes made here are never intentional. If you find any mistakes, please let me know, because I try to own up to my mistakes and fix them if at all possible. Whether they are typos, fragmented sentences or terrible misspellings, any and all mistakes found and brought up are appreciation. Thank you.

**You can find the full single for your listening pleasure on Spotify.

In order to define a story, one must look back at the chapters already written. For Princesses who have come from a long line of royalty before them, it's time to walk down their own path and create their own tales without the help of their Queen, but before they can take those steps they must look back and understand those who stood before them.

With a new leader, a new lineup and a brand new single, Houkago Princess are ready to define their own era. It's time to step forward as we appreciate their past, so get ready for a new kind of magic. Are you ready?

Despite being around for 8 years now, Houkago Princess are ready to re-define themselves in Shin Jidai Princess / Princess no Teigi, a single that celebrates their past, present and future in this brand-new era of members!

And boy oh boy, was I excited for this single! After Kaguya ni Negai wo was released I couldn't help but feel ecstatic for what HouPri had up their new billowing sleeves now that a new generation had been introduced. Odagiri Nana is gone, Sekine Sasara is Leader and there are brand-spanking new members, so of course there had to be something amazing ready for the group to properly introduce everyone and showcase what this new lineup had to offer, right?

Right?

.... R.I.G.H.T?

I'm already using gifs. Make of that what you will, dear readers.

Well, I was excited for this single - as stated above - but when promotion didn't happen and a PV was never properly released, my confidence in this single waned considerably. I wanted to hear and experience it, but couldn't due to a lack of anything that wasn't a poorly constructed single cover. I wanted to sing along with the lyrics that were posted to the groups official website, but there were no songs to listen to because snippets weren't released, digital uploads were void and a PV wasn't readily available until weeks after the official single release.

It was getting a little frustrating, to say the least, and I was losing some form of hope until - thank the Lords - my friend managed to obtain her copy of the CD, meaning that I could finally sample the songs from this brand new release until my own versions came in the mail. I could finally listen to the songs for HouPri's new era, but was it all worth it?

A month after the single's official release and many listens later, it's time to finally sit down to listen to Shin Jidai Princess / Princess no Teigi, a single that is set to define HouPri's new era as a group. With a new generation, a new leader and a new chapter ready to begin, will this version of Houkago Princess live up to the standards set from past releases, or will it fall as quickly as the hype staff tried to create for this single, only for them to fail miserably with promotion?

Let's define Houkago Princesses latest release and listen to what this new era can deliver. Whether it's good or bad, generic or new, it's time to pass judgement on Shin Jidai Princess / Princess no Teigi in sound, style and tune.

So. Let's start~

Defining A Decade: First Time Idol Lover - The 10-Year Nostalgia Bomb That Is 'Nanchatte Ren'ai' by Morning Musume (Single Review)

*Any and all mistakes within this Review are indeed the error of a human, and therefore I hope to be forgiven. If mistakes are made, if mistakes are seen, please let me know as soon as they are spotted, for then I can erase and correct them. Though I can not erase the errors of my past, please allow me to erase the errors within my post. Thank you.

August 12th, 2009 marked the 40th single release for Morning Musume, and with that release came the birth of a fan. 10 years later a lot has changed, with new faces joining the group and older ones leaving. With all these changes and my own love for the group null and void, has the moving melody of Nanchatte Ren'ai been replaced by the bitter tones of dismay, or will the single hold up and bring me back to a better time?

Taking a leap back in time, let's take a look at the song that birthed my fandom and allowed the Platinum Era of Morning Musume to be recognised for the iconic girls that they are today. With style and maturity, will Nanchatte Ren'ai stand the test of time, or will it be left in the dust of the dilapidated building the group danced in so long ago? 

Let's wipe off the cobwebs, press play and find out.

Morning Musume need no introduction here, mostly because this group provided a lot of my main content back when I started out blogging. In general though, a lot of people know of Morning Musume, and a lot of people are aware of how great the Platinum Era was. In fact, it's the Platinum Era that created a whole host of new fans, people who loved the group for its maturity, their vocals and the interesting sound that Morning Musume had in plenty of their A-sides. They were cool, they didn't have a kiddish or youthful aura, and their music matched that style and tone. It was an interesting time for the group, and though their fans were far and few between at that point in Morning Musume's career, the Platinum Era has to be one of the most recognised lineups of all time.

2009 was the time I became a fan of Morning Musume, and though my love for the group began when it was closer to the tail-end of the Platinum Era, I can't help but recognise 2009 as a key year for me when it comes to the group itself. This was my starting point with idols I guess, even if it was Koharu who brought me to the attention of Morning Musume. But without this group I probably wouldn't have stayed around for too long. At that point in time, I was still heavily invested in anime and manga and only cared for anisong opening and ending tunes.

The Morning Musume of 2009 looked and felt cool, the vocals were mesmerising and the music spoke to me, I suppose. I didn't understand it, but the way it sounded was something that hooked me. I was only 16 at this point in time, so I was very much a moody teenager transitioning from secondary school to college, and seeing this group in their dark but elegant clothing, the way they sang and the prettiness of their choreography spoke to me. I liked it, and I loved how it contrasted with the typical cutesy, annoyingly generic idol songs that I absolutely adored way back when. 

Morning Musume stood out to me. At that time I hadn't experienced such a powerful, moving song like Nanchatte Ren'ai when it came to Japanese music. So it spoke to me, and after that I became hooked.

And with that memory in place I knew that I had to talk about this single. Nanchatte Ren'ai was essentially my gateway into the idol community, and with its 10 year Anniversary comes my own decade-long experience as an idol fan. Even though it feels like the song was released three years ago at most, Nanchatte Ren'ai is already 10 years old and creating its own landmark. It's unbelievable but true, and now I can't help but feel both nostalgic and overwhelmed. How has it been this long since the singles release?

Now it's time to take a look back at Nanchatte Ren'ai, a song that was released a decade ago. For myself and many others this single was a defining moment in our fandoms, and for plenty of us it was the start of something beautiful. So without further ado, let's pull out that dusty CD player and crack open that ancient CD case containing Nanchatte Ren'ai. It's time to see what defined our fandom one decade ago.

Are you ready to fall into a pit of nostalgia?