With HM@ ratings down and the all new "Berikyuu" show on the horizon bringing the promise of something great, I've been trying to think of a few ways in which HM@ could improve their show! :P Starting with...
Please forward to UFA for evaluation and in use of upgrading their show or to help in getting me the right kind of strange obsessive fan counseling that I need! :P
Hello! Project loves coming to Hawaii and they often do for their special fan club events where fan club members in Japan purchase tour packages (which are quite expensive!!) for a chance to travel here and meet some of their favorite members in an up close and personal setting which typically includes a concert, special MC fan interaction events, individual picture taking with the group/artist!, lots of outdoor fun, and the coveted hand shake! ^-^ When Gomaki was here for her fan club event she even did aerobics with the fans atop the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center where the Hello! Project Information Village used to be located!
Groups
Ongaku Gatas (4 different sets)
Morning Musume
Melon Kinenbi
C-ute
Berryz Koubou
Biyuuden
Solo artists
Yaguchi Mari
Yasuda Kei
Inaba Atsuko
Nakazawa Yuko
Maeda Yuko
Ayaka (Coconuts Musume)
Matsuura Aya
Fujimoto Miki
Interestingly Mikitty's solo photo sets were the only set to be completely sold out by Sunday! And I think this provides some insight into the Mikitty love that fans have been starved of during her "hiatus" from H!P at least from the Japanese fan's point of view. It's great to have you back Mikitty!!! \(^o^)/
The rest of the merchandise included an Ongaku Gatas t-shirt, keychains, neckstrap ID holder with photo, water bottle holder, and a camera/phone holder. And it's a good thing that I wasn't allowed direct access to the store or I may have ended up spending an entire paycheck there! :P
The above 2 photos are 5x7 prints featuring the 7 OG members who were here for the fan club tour and doesn't Mikitty look wonderful! Sorry it's just I haven't seen a new official photo of her for such a long time it seems!
H!P's online digital photo books series rolls on offering off shots not used in members' past shashinshuu...lucky us get even more Kamei images because the world can never have enough Kamei ever! Complete photo books are comprised of four separate volumes and volume 4 has finally been made available. Here's the complete set of extra photo gems of Hello! Projects' most adorable!! Shots are from Kamei's "Maple" pb photoshoots....click on smaller thumbnails to enlarge. ^-^
With the economic crisis, upcoming election, and the entire Elder Club (minus the Ongaku Gatas Eggs) graduating in just 5 months, we all need something to make us feel warm and fuzzy. I found some cute Morning Musume pictures on Hello!Online, enjoy.
According to the recent article posted at the official H!P website on March 31st, 2009 something unprecedented will occur as members Nakazawa Yuko, Iida Kaori, Abe Natsumi, Yasuda Kei, Yaguchi Mari, Ishikawa Rika, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Tsuji Nozomi, Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto, Fujimoto Miki, Inaba Atsuko, Satoda Mai, the entire group Melon Kinenbi, Maeda Yuki, Matsuura Aya, Miyoshi Erika, Okada Yui and Ongaku Gatas will graduate all together on a single day. I'm hearing now that a final concert event for everyone mentioned in this graduation article will be held to commemorate the event and I imagine everything that these members have meant to H!P over the years spent there. The article is below:
拝啓
皆様にはますますご清栄のこととお喜び申し上げます。
さて、1998年2月の結成より活動してまいりましたハロー！プロジェクトですが、今年で10年が過ぎ、現在はエルダークラブとワンダフルハーツの2つのグループに分かれて活動し、ハロー！プロジェクト全体では総勢68名が所属しております。
この度、そのハロー！プロジェクト・エルダークラブに所属しているメンバー（以下）が、2009年3月31日をもちまして、「ハロー！プロジェクト」を卒業することになりました。
卒業後はそれぞれの活動を行っていきます。
今後も、ご支援の程何卒宜しくお願いします。
エルダークラブ所属メンバー
モーニング娘。OG（中澤裕子、飯田圭織、安倍なつみ、保田圭、矢口真里、石川梨華、吉澤ひとみ、辻希美、紺野あさ美、小川麻琴、藤本美貴）
・ 稲葉貴子・里田まい(カントリー娘。)・メロン記念日・前田有紀・松浦亜弥・三好絵梨香・岡田唯・音楽ガッタス
敬具
平成20年10月19日
株式会社アップフロントエージェンシー
代表取締役社長 持田 陽司
So many questions unanswered as of yet as to the reason(s) for this mass graduation all of the sudden but one can speculate that it was brought upon by perhaps an ever growing financial "burden" put upon UFA as it continually is expanding and adding artists at an almost alarming rate. New Eggs are entered into UFA all the time and with the recent Taiwan auditions UFA is seemingly heading into a new direction here. I guess some of those upcoming "Mega Best" CD collections may have been an early sign of things to come now looking at them in hindsight. So what does it all mean? Of course some of these members may still be under UFA label but may go on to other record companies and outside management to venture into new music possibilities. Hello! Project seems to be heading in the direction towards youth more than ever with this move although it's always been a prominent part of their image throughout the years. Eggs are the future and the usual graduations aren't keeping up with the new members being added giving H!P a ballooning effect...whether that be good or bad. And in so many cases, just looking at the names here on the upcoming graduation list you have to really consider that so many of these artists are grossly underused and some to a point of seemingly total inactivity. Yasuda Kei? Where's she been recently...filing papers in Tsunku's office? Marippe....has become a host of H!P events and makes only scarce appearances on various H!P fan club DVDs only it seems. Such a waste really. Iida Kaori.....???? I can't even guess as to what she's been doing in H!P as of late. Nono...is listed as back but what has UFA really given her recently? Even artists such as Nacchi, Maeda Yuki, and Yukosan to name just a few have seen so little music releases as of late. I mean getting your one single a year just doesn't seem right for someone listed as an official member don't you think. Inaba Atsuko....another member who's activity in H!P is next to non existent these days. Some groups have faded from their once successful standings as well. Melon Kinenbi for instance has seen both their release frequency and sales drop dramatically. LOL and UFA didn't even bother putting them into one of their latter pv releases. :O And this graduation is easily being bundled up as the graduation of the "Elders Club" so that in itself says it all. UFA is most likely indeed heading into a younger generation approach. Are then Aichan and Gakisan on the edge? I hope not.
Ayaya and Mikitty on the other hand could really possibly benefit from the change of address. Mikitty in particular whose been for the most part aside from an enka flavored single (which was great!!) been inactive on the music front could really use this new freedom to find other more promising venues to get back into the music arena and I think she could be very successful if given the right approach and right production team who know how to utilize her vocal prowess and image. Ayaya. I'm just boggled by this one. She's the most mainstream out of the entire H!P. Why they would want to part ways is puzzling but at the same time maybe it's for the best as well. UFA seems (looking at it in hindsight) to now be not only focused on the youth but perhaps their ability and capacity for producing talent and new talent has gone even beyond that....as to say that UFA is maybe only capable of producing the younger idol acts and not anything that occurs after 20 or so years of age...that being a generously high age number in this case. Gomaki got out not too long ago and her joining Avex really supports this thinking although entirely speculative. Avex is what H!P isn't and vice versa so perhaps it's just time to move on as these artists are doing. Some may not return...I don't have any doubts in that but along with that is the large hope that many of them will. Some haven't even been given a chance here...Biyuuden disbanded and since then Erika and Yui have gotten no new venues to carry them. So I guess this has maybe been in the works for some time now..but who knows when it comes to anything related to H!P. I've been part of their rollercoaster ride since it began commercially in early 1998 and then saw the sudden addition of three members...and the ongoing additions and graduations that ensued afterwards through the years. Sometimes surprising but really nothing and I mean nothing like this!! :O
So I'm trying to find the silver lining in all of this and what I can come up with is perhaps that the music writing will become less "diluted." With less artists/groups to tend to, the cream of the music compositions will see an easier less stretched distribution. There was a time when Tsunku's name would appear in just about every H!P related release in the lyrics & music writing credits and over time that has become less and less. No doubt he's super busy with all sorts of projects but it would truly be nice to see his name a lot more frequently. Solo artists in particular have seen the Tsunku name vanish from their music writing credits recently and for some time now and one can hope that with less songs needed the demands will become much easier for Tsunku to accomplish. Of course the outside writing is welcome as well but I just love Tsunku's diversity which he has displayed time and time again! And will this mean more kids units...only time will tell but one thing is for certain...Hello! Project has had more face lifts than Joan Rivers! Surely they'll survive this one as well.
So while some members will most likely benefit from this event, others will whether welcome or not be left on the outside looking in I'm afraid. Going solo isn't in the cards for everyone as it's just the hard truth no matter how much I wish it differently for everyone involved here. Ayaya's sales may have fallen off as her fan base in H!P is largely of her younger pop tune genre and many may have not taken well to her mature approach as of late. I for one think that she not only needs to appear her age in music but also that I can enjoy where she's been musically and where she's headed in this new phase of life. Idols no doubt can't keep singing "Momoiro kataomoi" (my upmost favorite Ayaya song of all time!) forever and they must move on musically and image wise so, Ayaya has. But perhaps her fan base to which H!P caters to isn't buying in on it. Not right or wrong...just difference in taste. If she does indeed plan to further her music career elsewhere after the split in March of next year then I do think that she can really embrace that new start and it will be with a venue which produces something much more suited to her at this stage in her career. Not to say that she can't sing any more fun and cute songs...not that at all but it probably needs to be done by a production team more suited to the mixing of genres that what H!P is capable of...or so it seems. Excel at what you're best at. H!P will always be H!P in that sense...great at it, while other labels such as Avex or Pony Canyon will go about it in their own best way. Rikachan &Yossi have their new gig "Hangry & Angry", I'd love to see Yukosan get back to regularly scheduled releases if that's what she chooses, Nono/Konkon/Makochan...it's just so hard to say what will happen with them as it's like they just got back and now this?, Shibata "bunny" Ayumi...I'd love to see her in a new group somewhere, Okada & Miyoshi....ditto!, and OMG Nocchi?!!...what will become of Nocchi?!!! I shutter to think but someone with her appeal, charm, talent, and charisma must not go unseen!
And then there's my beloved Nacchi. Hello! Project without Nacchi sounds so odd and it would be like Chocolate milk without chocolate or politics without lying. :P Seriously though....really saddened by this announcement the most. And it really can't be helped. After all Nacchi is and has always been my favorite member in all of Hello! Project. Some may have gotten close to toppling her top spot in my heart such as Aichan, Ayappe, and Kamei but none have ever succeeded. I will miss Nacchi as part of H!P. Sounds really eerie just to type those words together. Watching Nacchi grow up litererally in her time in H!P has been the most joy for me. She really symbolizes its beginning and now with her announced parting I'm feeling really depressed now....so I must stop typing and I bet some of you are thinking..."thank goodness!...I thought this would never end!" :P So whatever the outcome here I wish every single member the best in their future endeavors whatever their hearts so choose! But I will miss them all and most of all I will miss Nacchi, for Hello! Project is the house that Nacchi built.
I changed the blog's theme again xD This time I think I'll keep it. It reminds me of... well, Hangry & Angry AKA my new obsession.
AND SPEAKING OF H&A!
http://www.myspace.com/hangryandangryusa
Best.News.Of.The.Year
This is huge, H!P expanding into the US. I can't beleive just a week ago I was talking about how much it sucks to be a US H!P fan xD
After attending an anime convention over the summer, I was astonished at how many people liked J-rock and Visual Kei. I hope that the general public, not only the anime fans, will like this. My little sister hates me J-pop, but when I showed her Kill Me Kiss Me she loved it so much, she went and Googled Yossie and Rika :D
I'll be heading over to all the music stores Nobember 22 in the great search for Hangry & Angry :P (since the 19 is a school day x'D)
Thats all for now -- its 8am on a Saturday and I'm still a little loopy from sleep deprivation.
]]>The new duo made up of 4th gen Momusu members Yoshizawa Hitomi and Ishikawa Rika, Hangry & Angry.
The unit is a breath of fresh air (a very big breath of fresh air, no doubt) from H!P's usual cutesy stuff.
They're releasing an indie mini album titled Kill Me Kiss Me under the label GOTHUALL instead of H!P, which is odd.
But what I think is extremely odd (and odder than the hair O.o) is that they have an official MySpace. And you can actually hear the song Kill Me Kiss Me when you go there! Woot!
The song gives off a Melon Kinenbi feel, which is cool. Before MK started to fall, I really liked their style (This is Unmei especially).
I'm pretty sure I heard "Can you hear me now, can you see the bottom of h***." I can tell you right now that Tsunku did not write this song xDD
Its kinda generic rock, but I'm sure the other songs in the mini album will be better. And besides, even if it is generic rock, it is amazing! J-rock is totally Yossie's genre, its not wonder she sounded so natural in Kanashimi Twilight.
Rika, even though this seems impossible, looks cute in her outfit. How could that be? This is like... hardcore rock? OK, maybe not hardcore, but it sure isn't softcore.
Her and Yossie's voices compliment eachother really well, I can't wait for the rest of the mini album. SOLOS PLZ?
Hangry & Angry... can it get any more Engrish? No not really xD I had look it up, but hangry means to be so hungry that are you are, well, angry.
Hangry & Angry is a gothic clothing store located in Harajuku (I think they also have a store in Osaka?) that has Hangry & Angry plushies (which are totally ADORABLE! I want!) and comics. I was looking at the comics (obviously I couldn't read it, my kanji sucks).
What I noticed about the comics are that they are very gory, as is the H&A website, which scares me, because the image that this duo is giving off is very modern, their song rocks, and it'd be a shame if the entire awesomeness of this unit is spoiled by a gory, buckets-of-blood PV. If anyone has seen Dir en gray's Obscure PV (which I couldn't bare to watch through to the end), they might know what I'm afraid of. Of course this is only and indie group, there might be no PV for Kill Me Kiss Me.
I think I'm going to stop rambling now xD But one more thing to say:
I hope that the official MySpace brings more fans to H!P and J-music in general, and maybe UFA will realise that H!P has tons of fans overseas and will start to cater to us and the Japanese audiences at the same time.
Well, I think this has been my longest post in a very long time. Thats a personal best!
Reasons why it really does truely suck to be a fan of H!P in the U.S. I was thinking about this on the bus on the way home from school one day, as I was afraid someone would ask to listen to my iPod.
1) H!P's fanbase in America, or anywhere else overseas, is so little. No one has heard of them, so you can't really go up to someone and say "Morning Musume's new single was pretty cool.", but you could say "That new Linkin Park CD was awesome.".
2) Not-so open-minded people will no doubt tease and alienate you for listening to Japanese music. I know, because I've experienced it too many times before.
3) You get sterotyped into the "weeaboo" group. I do think that everyone who has been into anime or Japanese music do go through a "weeaboo" stage at least once, where they call all there friends ___-chan and say everything is kawaii. I acted like that, until I noticed weeaboos are at the bottom of the social ladder, right there next to dirt.
4) Shipping cost of CD's are so high, and they're going up due to gas prices. I still don't understand how some people can buy every single release, but of course I don't have a job so maybe thats why xD
5) There are no concerts here in the states, or anywhere else but Japan for that matter (yes, Berryz Kobo was in South Korea and Morning Musume went to China and South Korea as well) Every once and a while Morning Musume does have concerts in Hawaii, but they're fanclub-only. The only way for a majority of us fans to see Hello!Project live is to buy a ticket to Japan and then buy a hotel room and then a ticket to the concert, and then at the concert you'll want to buy T-shirts, photocards, posters, glowsticks, ect. Overall its extremely costly.
There are alot of other reasons it sucks to be an H!P fan, but I'm too lazy to list all of them and I don't feel well.
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