This is a rather poor attempt at raising awareness. I’m not one for politics or the sort, and I usually tend to keep my opinions regarding anything politics to myself. However, when the government starts saying things like “internet” and “censorship” in one sentence, it makes life pretty difficult, and thus, makes me not want to keep my mouth shut any longer. For those of you not in the know, here are some current articles regarding the bills that the US government would like to pass, or something along those ridiculous lines:

http://www.suntimes.com/business/10111729-420/wikipedia-sopa-blackout-seems-to-get-results-in-senate.html

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9223551/Anti_SOPA_PIPA_protests_to_continue?taxonomyId=144

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/google-says-7-million-signed-petition-against-anti-piracy-bills/2012/01/19/gIQAJ2MiBQ_story.html?tid=pm_business_pop

http://www.dailytech.com/Some+SOPAPIPA+Supporters+Vow+to+Fight+for+Big+Media+to+the+Bitter+End/article23831.htm

http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/19/sopa-opponents-supporters/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57362433-93/mozilla-reaches-40-million-people-in-anti-sopa-campaign/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57362152-261/fbi-charges-megaupload-operators-with-piracy-crimes/?tag=mncol;txt

As a firm believer of my personal rights, I sort of regret not raising awareness regarding this matter earlier. But now you know. Please help us raise awareness of this matter by calling your senators and spreading word to local authorities! The future of various Asian Entertainment news sites and blogs, as well as other countries’ entertainment sites/blogs, are on the line here. Hell, if this all comes to pass, I might not even be able to blog anymore! What would I ever do with my opinions? Probably keep them inside and let them eat me alive or something like that. But in all seriousness, folks, please help the cause! This is no longer a matter of man v. government; it’s more along the lines of the lifestyle, the way of the people, the means of communication between fans and their fandom, everything that makes this blog and many other sites like it possible…it’s all that versus the government. Help us out!!! Click the following link to write to Congress: http://americancensorship.org/

Whether you have been nervously anticipating or utterly dreading the moment, the time has finally come for Morning Musume‘s latest PV release for their 48th single “Pyoko Pyoko Ultra“! Take a deep breath in and let it out nice and slowly. Everything will be alright, folks.

Ever since 2010 or whenever I decided to start re-blogging here, I made a vow to remain as objective with my editorials as possible. Really, that’s quite a daunting task, especially when one is trying to cater to a wide variety of fans with all sorts of backgrounds and personal preferences. Hopefully I haven’t honest-to-god offended a soul out there so blatantly that it would stop them from coming here to give me a penny for their thoughts and whatnot, but I probably have and I would like to sincerely apologize, but you really, really cannot save this PV nor the song.  But before you automatically assume that I’ve thrown in the towel and rage-quit this fandom, guess again. Gently place those torches and pitchforks slowly to the ground…yeah, that’s it. And walk slowly away.

From the moment the track was released and the outfits were unveiled, all hell just broke loose. Certain fans were bitching left and right about how this was the end of the fandom as they knew it; others were complaining about how the group has regressed from the cool and mature image they had had for several singles; and then there were those select few that just had nothing positive to say, and even fewer fans that chose to staunchly support the single like it was a freakin’ gift from the high heavens. I chose to wait it out before I came to any concrete conclusions, and I hope I made the correct decision. One thing’s for sure: it doesn’t make writing this any easier.

The single undoubtedly keeps the typical jpop idol flavor, but takes it down several notches to an almost childish quality, like something off a soundtrack for a children’s cartoon show you often see on weekends or some such. There’s quite a bit of auto-tune used in the single, which makes it rather difficult to distinguish different members’ voices. I honestly had to watch the PV to determine who was singing when, and by the looks of things, the line distribution was more or less fair. Reina and Riho had quiet a few lines (as expected) but neither totally dominated the vocals altogether. I’m not too crazy about the instrumentals, and personally speaking, it’s this part of the song that kind of turns me off from it. There’s just something about the composition and how it was presented that just makes it even more childish than it already seems. The vocals and how those were done indeed have a childish quality about them, but I think the instrumentals just highlighted that quality even more than necessary…if that made any sense at all.

As for the dance, well it’s not Resonant Blue that’s for sure. There’s nothing too painfully intricate about it and it generally seems rather simple. Coming from someone as uncoordinated as myself, I can say that I’ve already managed to memorize the dancing portions that were featured in the PV and if I was asked, I would probably be able to dance it on a whim. I’m sure Ayumi and Riho (the newbie members that are often noted for their sharp dance moves and skills) were bored out of their whits learning the song, but who am I to say such a thing, right? Actually, the dance routines for the group’s previous double A-side singles weren’t exactly difficult either. And to be completely honest, as simple as the routines were for all three songs, the girls did seem like they were at least having fun performing impromptu flapping of their feathers and hopping about.

I suppose I should address the costumes. Well…Big Bird called. He wants his costume back. Thanks. But seriously, I believe that this single portion of the PV was what turned off a significant amount of fans. Even before the release of the full single, once the costumes were unveiled, that was the final straw for a select few of fans…which is kind of unfortunate, but can you honestly blame them? I mean, just look at these costumes. LOOK. AT. THEM. The older members have freakin’ fuzzy garter things for christ’ sake!!! A friend and I had been joking around when some behind the scene shots were released for the PV on HPT as well as the member profile pictures were unveiled for the single. We were just wondering how much the older members (this is including 10th gen member Haruna) were silently hating themselves wearing the outfits. Mind you, this is just a joking opinion and is a personally conversations that shouldn’t be taken seriously, but I would like to throw out some food for thought before I somehow get stabbed via the internet: If you were a 20-something or a late teen like Haruna, would you be able to swallow any sense of your pride and dignity and put on that chicken/bird/canary/whatever outfit proudly? Just think about that seriously.

The PV itself wasn’t horrendous, or as horrendous as some people make it out to be. It was actually quite cute and adorable, but admittedly, some portions made me cringe. Due to time constraints, I can’t provide screenshots for now, but maybe if I have time in the near future I will edit the post and get some up. No promises though. So we’ve got the general PV formula of a group dance shot, close up shots, and group shots. The director(s) did think out of the box, quite literally I might add. Outside the tree trunk tv set where we see the girls doing their group dance shots, the members walk out and are featured in a pop-up story book sort of scenario. My single beef with the entire PV direction is directed to the videographer that doesn’t know how to properly combine videos and use his effects effectively. When the members are walking out of the tree trunk TV set and onto the outside set, there’s a really horrible video effect used on the girls as they walk out that makes them look incredibly washed out, horribly blended, and hyper-saturated in contrast to the set. It’s painfully horrible.

So what does it all mean? Is this really the end of the Morning Musume world as we know it? I’ll also ask you if Santa Claus is real. Short answer: no. For a group like Morning Musume, a group that has quite an extensive history, it’s easy to forget the whole concept behind them, especially after the stand-still that was what some fans dubbed the “Shouga-nine” era. With hardly so much as a member addition and maybe Koharu‘s sudden departure from the group, the line-up remained generally stable and unchanged for some time. Fans were assimilating to a mature sound and image, which matched nicely to the age-range of the members. But what some fans have forgotten along the way was that the purpose of the group was change. UFA had made a mistake, in my opinion, by keeping such a constant for too long a time period and now they are paying the price with graduating members back-to-back, and holding auditions for new generations. This was the formula before that stand-still period, and we’re rolling right back into it.

Admittedly, change is a difficult thing to deal with. This is particularly evident with the large amounts of harsh criticisms floating around the online community regarding this single. Do I dislike the fact that this single is painfully childish in its look and sound? I would be lying if I said no. Yes, the group has had a few singles that had genki themes, but definitely nothing close to childish. Maybe Hyokkori Hyoutanjima, but at least that had more direction than this single. There’s a distinct and fine line between genki and childish, and I would say that that line has been crossed. Had the single been given more direction and less of a blatant push towards the childish side, it would have worked.

There are some people in the fandom the enjoy stating the obvious. For example, “EVERYONE IS SO YOUNG NOW OMGOSH!!! WHY IS EVERYONE LIKE 11?” or something along those lines. Well thanks for the newsflash, I would never have honestly guessed.  But seriously, don’t preach to me and bitch about how young some of the new members are. Don’t act like your favorite wasn’t in their same situation once, or was that age a few years ago. Get over it. Personally, I believe that the whole “age” argument just came out full swing because of the childish tone of this song. It just made EVERYONE look childish, and that obviously just highlights how some of the members are barely even considered teenagers. As I said before, if the single wasn’t formulated to sound and look so childish, I’m sure the UFA would have gotten away with it, but they chose instead to just make the sheer childishness of it all as the thing to be highlighted and flaunted.

Maybe it’s just that whole negative vibe that’s floating around that’s turning people off. What with the sudden influx of new, young members, as well as the constant wondering and worrying revolving around who’s graduating next, it’s easy to lose any sense of appreciation. But before we cry over Gaki‘s upcoming graduation and complain about how childish the new members are, we need to remember that this is just part of the process. It’s about evolution and a metamorphosis if you will. Pardon my science geek coming out, but if we decide to quit now, we won’t see what will happen next. And for all we know, what happens next just might be the single most wonderful thing on the freakin’ planet, but we would never know because we chose to rage-quit the fandom because some freakin’ KFC-promoting chicken costumes turned us off. I say that’s your loss.

That being said, I do believe I’ve made myself clear in that I will not, by any means, “rage-quit” the fandom. I’ll be sticking around long enough to see how this goes. I might not like the single, and I might believe that it won’t sell very well at all, but I’ll stick around. Personal feelings up front, however, if the next single follows this trend of childishness, I just might peace-out and hit up retirement earlier than I expected. That is of course, unless the direction is more toward the genki and less geared towards Sesame Street or something along those lines.

One last thing before you throw all your garbage at my face or give me a pat on the back (either is fine), I try to make my articles as accessible as possible by posting them on facebook, twitter, H!O, JPH!P, etc. but if you want even faster access to my stuff, feel free to follow this blog or “like” posts and whatnot. Yes, yes. Shameless plugging on my part, but I’m just trying to reach out to everyone! I promise I don’t bite!

EDIT: If any single thing helped win me over this single it was this video. It’s the introductory sequence to the Hello Project girls’ latest drama that started airing today, “Suugaku Joshi Gakuen.” Conveniently enough, this single is featured as the intro song for the drama, so be sure to enjoy it! But seriously, how adorable is this intro?

As always, be sure to support our girls by purchasing the single off of iTunes and by purchasing the hard copies on CDJapan and YesAsia!

Just when I thought I lost any will to fangirl over anything UFA-related, those bastards decide to do me in and release Dream Morning Musume‘s “Shining Butterfly” PV! It might be playing dirty or just pure coincidence, but I’ll be damned to admit that I haven’t actually fangirled this hard (recently) in a while. Ok, well, that’s a lie…So without further ado…

[Sorry about this guys, but it seems as though the UFA Youtube police already took down the PV from Youtube! If I can find another video, or if you guys happen to find a link, please let me know so I can replace the PV here ASAP! For now, I'm sorry, but you'll have to rely on my poorly taken screenshots >__<]  SCRATCH THAT: VIDEO IS UP!!!

DMM – Shining Butterfly

Take a deep breath and let it out, nice and slow. I’ve expressed my feelings regarding the single already, based off teasers and whatnot released to the press a few weeks ago. So rather than delving into that twice, let’s go through a play-by-play, shall we?

Takahashi Ai kicks off the PV with her mysterious appearance

The PV kicks off with a fade-in of Takahashi Ai walking into presumably the hostess club that the PV is set. There’s hardly any explanation as to why she’s there, as the PV quickly transitions into the Onna ni Sacchi Are-esque dance setting where out DMM ladies begin their opening vocal sequences. Truthfully, I just marveled over Nacchi; the woman seriously hasn’t aged a day past 18. Yuko is also looking rather stunning (despite her age; another drinker of the fountain of youth, it seems) and sounds fantastic! Yaguchi Mari also sounds  a lot better here than she ever did in that cover album the group released earlier last year, and Fujimoto Miki…oh Miki. I think I speak for everyone when I say how we’ve missed her husky voice!

We then get smashed head-on to the full chorus, where all the women’s vocals come together and the PV transitions into the main dance sequence, albeit there’s more impromptu hip shaking and running-hands-through-hair motions than actual dancing, but come on, it’s DMM! All is obviously forgiven. Sarcasm aside, from the little dancing choreography that we do see, it seems that most of it is just hand motions for the most part and nothing too particularly extravagant. Though a little on the bland side, it adds nicely to the feel of the song.

Intro sequence

Dorama STAATO! Now we get a glimpse of the main plot of the PV. You heard right, folks. Plot. This isn’t your cookie-cutter close up/dance shot/group shot PV, anymore! I don’t even recall the last time (if ever) there was a plot in a UFA/H!P PV, but my memory has been a bit rusty as of late. We’re introduced to hostesses Rika and Mari, both looking a wee bit under the weather, in the company of barkeeper Yuko. Further into the PV, we find that Rika seems to have some relationship with a man far too old for her clear on her iPhone screen. Though her dress isn’t exactly what I would have chosen for her, it suits the whole “hostess” theme rather well.

After many face shots of the three women, as well as some sparkling wine shots thrown randomly in the mix for aesthetic purposes, hostesses Koharu and Kei come bursting into the scene with Rika’s playboy man wrapped conveniently in between. Cue the obligatory SHOKKU faces from our main girls as well as some more dance sequences, and the plot continues to unfold. These scenes should be familiar to many of you, as they were the scenes initially released from the PV previews.

Here comes drama! Fans are rejoicing over the plotline, I'm sure!

As Rika cries beautifully over her *presumable* lover’s infidelity, the rest of the DMM ladies come to her comfort. In her lonely daze, Rika pictures her man coming to her aid, ready to comfort her with a helping hand, but to her dismay, it’s just the baby-faced Nacchi. In her angry disappointment, Rika shoves away Nacchi’s kindness, which is rewarded with a bitchslap to the cheek from Yossi that brings Rika back into another state of SHOKKU. Cue Iida Kaori‘s SHOKKU-face as well. Though the cold and bitter feelings seem to end with Yossi’s much-needed slap, as the women once again are ready to comfort an emotionally hurt Rika.

Dorama continues to unfold...

Fans are then treated to a lovely sequence of face-shots from our dream team. As we all fawn over their beauty, I’d like to point out just how wonderful the line-distribution is for the single. Take the time to watch/listen to who is singing certain lines at different times! It’s really great!

Flawless Face Shots of the Flawless 10

As the song breaks down to the bridge sequence, we finally see why Ai makes an appearance. As she stands on the walkway stage in her High King-esque wardrobe, she struts her stuff on that catwalk and eventually, swoosh camera transition effect, and Rika magically appears in her stead as she continues the catwalk strut. It’s safe to conclude that Ai was randomly placed in the PV to act as Rika’s younger counterpart. Oh, UFA…

Past to present; it all makes sense now

After another set of wonderful vocals at the closing portion of the bridge, we come full circle back into the chorus full-blast. As for the plot, it seems as though Rika is back to being bubbly and happy, in good company with the likes of Miki, Mako, and Yuko. But no plot would be truly complete without tying loose ends, so Rika’s hubby decides to pop back in and ruin the mood with his presence. After failing to get some loving from the ladies present (note: gotta love Miki’s bitch-face reactions!!!), he presents Rika with a modest (and poorly wrapped, I might add) gift. With a look of utter disgust, Rika pours her drink over the present and leaves the club with her companions, leaving her man with the company of a smugly smirking Yuko at the bar. Final note: Gotta love Miki’s smirk and not to mention, Yuko’s “I’m such a proud mama/I raised my girls right” smile at the end! LOVE IT!

Rika finally finds it in herself to dump the loser!

I’ve shared my spiel about the dresses/outfits in the previous article, so no need to reiterate. I would love to elaborate on my opinion of the song though. It kind of follows the same set up as Morning Musume‘s Shouganai Yume Oibito, especially with that electric guitar riff providing a nice contrast to the other subtle instrumentals going on in the background. The vocals were wonderful, as expected from this fantastic line-up! The line distribution was incredibly fair and even all throughout! Every single member was able to sing at least two lines and was featured in not only their solo face-time shot, but in the dance sequences and plotline as well! That in and of itself just blew my mind. Endless claps for you, DMM/UFA for getting it right for once!

The plot tied up nicely, though relatively shallow and predictable. But as I sort of implied at the beginning, it’s a freakin’ plot in a PV for once! Who am I to care/complain about the actual substance of the damn thing, because it’s a plot for christ’ sake!!!! I will comment on Ai’s cameo. I  recall reading somewhere that (I believe it was on HO…) Yuko that was thought to have said something about DMM not really disbanding. With Miki’s leave of absence due to her pregnancy (CONGRATS ON THE BABY BOY!!!…soon anyway), the group is merely getting members to come and take her place. Well, gee. Does this mean that Ai is coming back? What about Tsuji? The woman did say she’d like to delve back into work this year! And what about Gaki?

We’re all well-aware of how the UFA likes to take advantage of their cash cows (i.e. Ai). Wasn’t Takahashi’s (relatively random and somewhat useless) cameo in this PV point enough? We all know why they did it, but if you’d like to refresh your minds, feel free to read the previous article. It’ll be interesting to see how exactly the group’s fate turns out. With their final concert being on March 10th at the Budokan alongside Morning Musume, it seems as though that’s the first and last time we’ll have just about all the past and present members together, sharing one stage. It would not surprise me if they decided to announce something then, but I won’t hold my breath for it.

For now, I’ll just sit back and watch the PV, listen to the song, and smile over the final product. Considering how I’m absolutely not looking forward to the new Morning Musume single in the least (but I will still support, don’t worry ), this will have to soften the blow of disappointment for when the time actually comes. Just sit back and let these divas show you just why they are the cream of the freakin’ H!P crop.

 According to the news and fan accounts regarding the announcement, Gaki was scheduled to graduate alongside her fellow gokki, Takahashi Ai; however, due to the influx of fresh members, her graduation was post-poned, giving (what I personally feel) fans a false sense of comfort, giving them the sort of idea that Gaki would be staying for a sufficient amount of time to lead the group and all that. More on my thoughts later.

With the ever-reliable Niigaki leaving, this means Berryz Koubou‘s lovable “captain” Shimizu Saki will bequeath the title as leader of Hello! Project, while Michishige Sayumi becomes the leader of Morning Musume, and Tanaka Reina presumably takes on the role of sub-leader.  Furthermore, for those fretting over Gaki’s departure, Gaki has expressed her desire to remain in the entertainment industry by pursuing a career in acting.

So what do I think? Well first off, what a freakin’ wake up call for me. It was barely 7AM when I first got the message and you can only imagine how wide my eyes got immediately when I first received the news. Mind you, I saw it coming. Was I surprised to learn of Gaki’s intentions of graduating alongside Ai? Of course not. In fact, that’s exactly how I wanted things to happen. Not to discredit Ai or anything, but these two were a team of epic proportions; you could hardly ever see one without the other, and in my eyes, a dual graduation (although slightly more of an arrow to the knee a knife to the heart) would have been more meaningful. That being said, regarding the rokkie duo that’s left, if neither of those two decide to graduate at different periods of their reign, I do hope they have a dual graduation for the same reason as the aforementioned. Yeah, it’s gonna sting and burn, but I’d rather have them both go together, than one leaving the other behind. Birds of the same feather stick together (horrible horrible pun, bad me, I’m not quite sure where I’m going with this one. PYOKO PYOKO ULTRA, ANYONE?!?!)

You know, it’s funny. I always manage to think up these crazy scenarios on my head. I can only imagine how the meeting with Gaki and Tsunku or some UFA official regarding her graduation would have been like:

Gaki: I would like to graduate with Ai-chan in the fall, please.

Tsunku/UFA official: Yeah, that’s cool. But oh no…what ever shall we do with the kyuukies? And what about the 10th gen members? Sayu and Reina are so frightfully busy with their dramas, and Aika is still in the process of recovery! What kind soul will guide them and teach them the ways of being a Hello! Project idol?!? OH WOE, OH WOE~ *grovels in a corner*

Gaki:…fine I’ll stay…

Do I also think that Gaki’s chance to shine was cut short? Keep in mind, my idea of the “golden” generation/line-up has been gone for years now, but when one thinks of Gaki, one cannot help but think “Man, there goes the final taste of what was.” When 4th generation member Yoshizawa Hitomi graduated from the group, Gaki had said something along the lines of “the Morning Musume I know is now dead.” Well, ma’am, that’s exactly how I feel about you. With Gaki leaving, the group that I had come to know and love is pretty much gone. For me, Gaki’s graduation marks the end. So I suppose, although I personally would have liked to see Gaki and Ai do it together, I think that by having a solo graduation, the girl better get the damn recognition she’s deserved all these years. Being overshadowed by the former leader (and not just Gaki, but I mean, you can’t deny that she overshadowed pretty much everyone), it was hard to just be recognized, so I think this graduation better be everything the girl hoped for and more.

While many say that they shared the same feelings when Ai left, well, I say that everyone says that when their bias leaves. And who really knows when the group really “died” or if they’re anywhere near grasp of a still heart-rate. As far as many others are concerned, the group is still very much alive and kicking, revitalized even! With all these fresh new faces, it’s the beginning of a new age. I’ve said that so many times, that’s what I’ll be spewing when I’m senile. But in all seriousness, Morning Musume is all about change, transformation, evolution, and all that wonderful metamorphosis stuff. I’m glad Gaki is leaving (as bittersweet the feeling is). The girl was cheated out of her first plans to leave, and now is a better time than any for her. Having to remain in the group, dancing in horrendous chicken costumes for an equally ridiculous (but fun and adorable, I will admit) 48th single Pyoko Pyoko Ultra, was quite a slap in the face, if you ask me. Coming from the cool, emo-Musume songs to something that should be played during daytime kids’ cartoons, well…wouldn’t you be rather annoyed?

But does this mean I’ll stop supporting the group? Ah, this is always such a touchy topic for many fans. My favorite member graduated several years ago, and yet here I am still supporting. Does that answer the question in a roundabout way? Yes. Unless the group continues to release singles that should be soundtracks to kindergarten television shows, you’ll be seeing me around.

I’m jumping all over the place, but that’s not making my morning coffee sink in any faster at this point. From what we’ve seen thus far, Gaki has been a competent and great leader, as many had already foreseen she’d be. Unlike the ever glorified Takahashi, Gaki may not have gotten as many lines and all that crazy center shit that fans constantly bitch and moan about, but neither did the other leaders. As it will be repeated for years and years, Ai was just an exception to the rule. Regardless, I’ve heard fans comparing Gaki’s leadership tactics to that of Iida Kaori’s, and I can see that. Great for her, I loved Kaori! I think it’s a shame we can’t see a longer leadership from Gaki, but for the time she has remaining, I believe she will do an excellent job. As I’ve mentioned before in previous entries and articles, while Ai was in the group and was the face/center/everything (lol) I believe that Gaki was the more reliable, more leader-like member of that carried everyone behind the scenes. So props to you, Gaki. My only wish is for her to have a damn good graduation single, and it sure as hell better not be the KFC-promoting Pyoko Pyoko Ultra. Just kidding; I really enjoy that single, I swear! It’s just too easy to rip on it, though!

One more thing: It’s been only a few hours since the announcement, and go figure every forum/social media site has members talking and all that! Much like with several other former members, fans are curious and worried to see how the current member-to-graduate will fare post-Momusu. Members have come and gone, and only a handful have managed to keep in the public eye while several have turned to a life of practical obscurity. For some, it was a personal choice, but for others that wanted to pursue similar goals as Gaki, lady luck just had it in for them, so it seems. No one needs to be reminded that the entertainment industry isn’t exactly a walk in the park, and only time will tell what will happen. With Dream Morning Musume also ending their nostalgic stint, it can be safe to say that Gaki won’t be joining their ranks any time soon, either. Dream Morning Musume, in my opinion, was something of a life preserver, an opportunity for certain members that were swimming that gray area straddling the lines of being relevant and irrelevant to finally shine after all these years. I for one wouldn’t want Gaki to have to resort to that sort of thing to be in the public eye, but one can never tell with these things. Hopefully the company will make an effort with her and we will be seeing her more often than not.

Best wishes to Gaki! I think this graduation has been long overdue, and as much as I don’t want to dwell on it, I know that the rokkies have a graduation date in the near future as well. Although the 9th and 10th gen members are young, they’ve done a decent job of keeping me interested, so it’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for the group. Hopefully, nothing but positive things, but this is the UFA we’re talking about. I’ll remain optimistic (or as optimistic as one can get) and just cherish what remains of the original line-up that I had come to appreciate, while of course, appreciating the efforts of the new girls as well. I hope to see a crapton of DVDs, a new photobook (or two), and the works for this girl, but who ever really knows with the UFA? Hopefully they’re selfish enough to want to make bank with this girl, but I don’t think we’ll see as much of her as we did with Ai. Meh, I’ll remain hopefully anyway. You can bet you’ll be reading another novel for Gaki’s graduation come springtime, folks!

EDIT: For those interested, Takamaruyo has provided Gaki and Tsunku’s personal messages regarding the graduation.

Tsunku’s statement:

Thank you for always supporting us.
On this day we have an announcement regarding Morning Musume。 ５th generation member “Niigaki Risa”.

Niigaki Risa, on the final performance for the spring tour beginning on 2012/2/18, “Morning Musume。 Concert Tour 2012 Spring ～Ultra Smart～”, will be graduating from Morning Musume。.

As an elementary schooler who loved Morning Musume。 she passed the 5th generation, “Morning Musume。 LOVE Audition ２１”, she was welcomed in her first single released in October of 2001,”Mr.Moonlight～Ai no Big Band～”.
Since then, with constant smiles and cheerfulness, and her never changing “I love Morning Musume。！” title, she’s been a part of them up until now.
As subleader since June of ２００７, she’s supported Takahashi Ai and the group, and after Takahashi’s graduation, she’s continued to support the continuing addition of new members into Morning Musume。 as leader.

For this girl as well, as far back as a year ago, I’ve considered this path at the same time I was considering the timing of Takahashi’s graduation.

Being challenged with songs and ＲＡＰ as well, for several years Niigaki has carried the heart of the groups songs. Our mission was also to be able to pass the torch to Niigaki.
Certainly, there are times when we’ve relied on this girls vitality as well; we entrusted into her leadership the new members who had just joined as well, and so, I’ve searched for the right timing for her graduation.
However, we couldn’t hold back her growth forever and so, even though she herself greatly expressed her sadness over graduating from the Morning Musume。 she loves, with the honor of “Longest enrolled member of Morning Musume。”, and with great significance firming our resolve, we decided that she would graduate on the final day of this year’s Spring tour.

After graduation she hopes to focus on being a singer, being on stage, and acting, including variety work, being able to do a multitude of different activities.

For now, she’ll be making this New Year’s Hello！Project Performancea success, from there until the final day of the Morning Musume。 tour starting after that.
Everyone, until the very end, we wish that you’d please support Niigaki Risa！

And, those of you who are supporting Morning Musume。 as well as all of Hello！Project, please support us as well！

２０１２/１/２
Morning Musume。 Producer
Tsunku♂

Niigaki Risa’s Statement:

I, Niigaki Risa,
will be graduating from Morning Musume。 and Hello！Project with this years Spring tour.
I had been thinking about graduation myself, for about a year, I had thought about graduating with Takahashi Aichan・・・, but with the new members joining and everything, I postponed it just a little bit.

After my Morning Musume。 graduation, I’ll be studying full force in acting; I feel like I want to challenge myself with experiences in theater and dramas that I couldn’t have experienced while I was doing group activities.
But, with these months I have left in Morning Musume。, I’ll be giving it my very best as leader！

２０１２/１/２
Morning Musume。 Leader
Niigaki Risa

EDIT: I keep editing this thing. This is what I get for publishing before reading everything, but things just keep popping up left and right. I read a comment somewhere stating that this person was happy that Gaki was graduating because ever since Ai’s graduation, something just hasn’t been right with her, that she just seemed less happier. Maybe part of it had to do with Gaki not being able to graduate with her bff, or maybe because she had to be the leader and wear that leader “pokerface” of professionalism. Who knows? I kind of got that vibe from this week’s HPT when Aika went to visit Gaki in the dressing room while they were filming the PV for their new single. Maybe it was just weariness, but to me, Gaki did seem kind of “off” for lack of a better word. No one can say for sure, but hopefully she will graduate with a genuine smile, eat more, and go back to a healthier figure. She’s rather ghastly skinny these days.

For anyone curious, this is the episode I’m referring to:

Sources:

http://www.helloproject.com/news/1201022100_musume.html

http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/f-et-tp0-20120102-884272.html

Recently speaking, these fine ladies were invited to perform at the 2011 FNS Kayousai, along with Morning Musume‘s current line-up. Unfortunately, all the youtube videos of the said performance have been taken down, but I’m sure if ya’ll look hard enough, you can stumble upon it via tudou or some other video site. You didn’t miss much if you failed to catch it the first time, however.  While we were all grunting and grumbling silent curses at the sound of that dreaded YOU-KNEW-IT-WAS-COMING medley, a few more fans decided to be a wee bit more vocal about their discontent with having the current line-up play second fiddle to the entertainment veterans.

And while that argument can go on for ages, hopefully the news of Dream Morning Musume’s first AND last single “Shining Butterfly” can put some of that to rest. You read correctly folks: first AND last. I suppose we could add DMM’s retro-hits compilation album to the graveyard of UFA artist albums that never made it past 1. No one’s probably surprised, however.

But moving on. Today, fans were treated to a triple whammy of surprises from the UFA and the girls, all of which can be summed up in a single video:

So first we have the most obvious treat: a PV/audio preview of DMM’s upcoming single “Shining Butterfly.” I read some comments somewhere (probably from arama) that tickled me pink.  Someone said something along the lines of how DMM was what SDN48 could have been, and as much as I’d love to comment on that, the subject matter is a wee bit hairy and I’d rather not delve into that at this moment. But for the most part, I’m definitely getting those vibes: older, sexier, classier. Triple win, if you ask me.

From what I can hear of the song, it’s definitely something produced by the folks at UFA; it just has that sound. I’m sure long-time fans know what I’m talking about. Nothing sincerely mind-blowing, but it’s not making my ears bleed like the usual medley these women are forced to perform. The setting of the PV seems to be similar, if not exactly the same, as Morning Musume’s “Onna ni Sachi are” PV. Score another one for the folks at UFA. The outfits are…eh. I’m glad they kind of drifted away from blatant idol wear, but these dresses do seem to be random colors of fabric tapered onto plain white dresses. Artistic originality is what they would call it, right? Few off-comments: good to see a not pregnant Miki in the mix!!!!

Second treat: a lot of what’s incorporated into the actual PV seems to be bits and pieces of Ishikawa Rika and Nakazawa Yuko‘s upcoming movie, “Atsuhime Number 1.” This is pure speculation on my part, but the outfits worn in certain clips harken back to similar ones worn by the two members at certain promotional events. If this speculation holds true, it seems as though some of the rest of the members of DMM will be featured in the movie as well, as other hostess ladies. I, for one, would love to see that Rika-Koharu-Kei confrontation/bitch-fight over some sleazy man at the club. And simply judging from the hair, some more off-comments: this had to be filmed a long time ago (Mari’s hair was still long and Rika’s was still short).

Final treat that some might consider bittersweet: Takahashi Ai makes an appearance! SAY WHAT? Ah yes, the recently graduated leader of Morning Musume makes a brief appearance in the PV preview and immediately the net-wota go wild with speculation. “Is she joining DMM or is she not? What is she doing there? Is this a one-time go?” Well, all things considered, what’s the point of adding Ms. Takahashi to the crew if the group is supposedly disbanding after the release of this single? Wasn’t it mentioned once or twice before that DMM would only be a temporary unit? It would be kind of fruitless to add her to the line-up. Besides, I’m sure Ai would love to pass up on the opportunity to perform those damn songs that I’m sure even she’s happy to have graduated from performing.

My guess? Why not just add a current cash-cow like Ai to guarantee some decent sales for the single? She doesn’t have to sing, dance, or talk; just look pretty and walk up and down that cat-walk in a cute little outfit to make her wota fans, that undoubtedly miss her terribly, happy to see her and buy the single as well. Har har har, I see what you did there, UFA.

Alas, this is but a small taste of what’s to come. The single drops 2/15 of next year, and that’s quite a bit of time away from now.  At least that’s still 2 months prior to the release of Rika and Yuko’s movie, so fans will get a nice treat of more movie spoilers (maybe). It’ll be interesting to see how it all works out. With a good bit of their line-up marrying (Nakazawa), taking care of a family (Tsuji Nozomi), or getting ready to welcome a new member into the family (Fujimoto Miki), I could imagine that regardless of the success the group faces with this single (if at all) that this unit would remain a one-time unit.

So should one consider this a wasted potential, or that final silent agreement to let these women move on from the shadows of their glorious past and onto a future outside of that damn Love Machine/RR21 medley? It’s a question we’re all wondering, and I suppose it’ll only be a matter of time until we find out for sure. To be completely honest, I’d rather this whole unit end sooner than later. As much as the girls must enjoy being on stage again, they must be tearing at their hair and eyeballs at the sheer thought of having to perform the same damn songs/medley over and over again. So while I wish the group success, I want them to officially graduate from the positions that first gave them their fame. It’s for the best, I swear.

Here’s another short preview, with different dance angles, a different Ai scene, and a continuation of Rika’s heart-broken scene.

As sure as the sun rising, fangirls have been enthusiastically following Jin Akanishi as he works hard at making a name for himself here in the wide entertainment world in the U.S. It’s scary and rather intimidating, especially for foreign acts, and it doesn’t help in the slightest that few have even managed to get their names and works played on the airwaves. I could only imagine the frustration, but no one ever said it would be easy.

After leaving jpop Johnny’s sensation KAT-TUN (and breaking fangirls’ hearts across the world), Jin immediately delved into his solo American project. Utilizing the wonderful world of YouTube, Jin’s essentially expressed his reasons for leaving and provided his fans and potential new fans a little insight into his upcoming project with American R&B sensation Jason Derulo. In case you missed it, here are those two “Takeover” videos:

While the first video heavily focused on some necessary background information on Jin, the latter gave fans a sneak peak of sorts into the music video of his upcoming debut single with Mr. Derulo “Test Drive.” Along with the club beats and silky smooth vocals of the two male artists, fans can look forward to a testosterone-driven MV filled with sexy girls and sexy cars. As the director stated, “It’s kind of like a guy’s fantasy.” Yeah…not like that’s been beaten over the head multiple times before or anything.

Now that I know there’s really nothing to look forward to in the video, I suppose I have the single to actually enjoy. “Test Drive” actually drops TODAY on iTunes and Amazon! Support him by clicking this link here! And here for iTunes!

The lyrics seem to have a typically vapid feel to them, which is to be expected with most mainstream sounds from America these days. I like the beat and the melody and Jin’s english isn’t excruciatingly painful to listen to (singing, nor speaking). Although I’m not exactly freaking the fuck out of my pants like most fangirls of his probably are, I think Jin is going about this U.S. debut of his the right way compared to his other fellow Asian artists that have tried to break through the scene.

Take for example Jin’s close friend BoA. Do I really need to explain this atrocity again? Please don’t make me. It seems like the Best of Asia just wasn’t quite good enough for America.

Anyone else remember this masterpiece by Se7en and Lil Kim? While Se7en did manage to score a key collaboration with an American artist, Lil Kim isn’t exactly selling out concerts left and right like Jason Derulo. I won’t lie though, the puns and lame lyrical shout-outs to MJ, Mariah Carey, and Google were absolute highlights.

But I digress. Since Jin’s going about this whole collaborative effort correctly (bagging himself a key artist instead of a D-list nobody), rocking the English language remotely well, and rocking the hipster flyboy chic, let’s hope his career here in the states isn’t as short-lived as his predecessors. I do hope he gets rid of those beanies/fedora hats and hipster glasses though; the hipster look doesn’t exactly want me to rip my clothes off and worship the guy. Maybe it’s just strange for me not seeing his signature bishie hair flowing everywhere. Anyway, support the man, buy the single, and check out this interview he had with Pacific Rim Video at the “Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas” K-Town Premiere!

EDIT: Here’s the official MV! Yes, his hair finally makes a guest appearance! Haha~ Nothing mind-blowing, that’s for sure. But the quality difference between this and the two other MVs is quite obvious.

And what a comeback indeed! From the hard image and sexy rock sounds that came with their teasers to the Single Ladies-esque MV just released, the Wonder Girls seem to be armed and ready to take on the kpop scene once again!

Granted, I haven’t written much about kpop, much less the Wonder Girls, in a long, long, LONG time. For personal beefs I have with kpop…er I just won’t get into that. But personal beefs aside, I can’t help but write about the single group that reeled me in to modern kpop. At least for old times’ sake.

So wonderfuls/kpop fans were treated to 2 very tantalizing MV teasers prior to the release of the MV for their comeback single “Be My Baby,” and boy did they tease. From the very beginning of the first teaser, we were treated to a rock-heavy inspired image of the girls that we hardly ever saw outside of magazine photoshoot spreads and the like. Imagine the look on my face when I first stumbled upon the teaser! Aside from the achingly irritating and repetitive “Right now” chant that lasted the duration of the teaser, the girls more than made up for it by upping that sexy ante and shaking their stuff like no tomorrow. This ain’t the Wonder Girls you grew up with, that’s for sure.

I don’t know about you, but that was definitely a teaser that was hard to swallow. Not because it was too sexy or anything (you can never be too sexy LOL), but simply because all I had running through my mind was “Are these really the same girls that released Nobody and 2 Different Tears?” All that cute and girl-next-door pop was kind of just thrashed to the ground and tossed aside with the release of the teasers, and to be honest, I could just be out of the loop regarding kpop (and I definitely am), but my God was that just hard to swallow! That’s not to say it’s a bad thing; just different. Something I’m definitely not used to, and it just made me feel slightly uncomfortable as a former/closet fan.

The second teaser really did not stray that much further from the first. More shots of a sexed up Wonder Girls, along with really brief scenes from the full MV for “Be My Baby,” as well as an audio teaser for the track as well.

And today, the full MV for their comeback single was released and the teasing stopped here. If the setting/overall art direction for the MV seemed oddly familiar to you, well it should. The girls enlisted the help of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” choreographer Jonte to help coordinate the dance for the song. And it just so happened the MV setting and outfits were a more tasteful version of the aforementioned song’s. Coincidence, I suppose.

There’s really not much to say about the video. The girls seem have to strayed from the almost-expected comical MV plots that have always managed to be featured in their MVs. I guess that was to be expected as soon as those “mature” teasers were released. A new route for the Wonder Girls, the road most taken by many a kpop act so it seems. Though I for one and happy that they’ve decided to mature as artists and moved on, those silly plotlines will be missed.

The song “Be My Baby” doesn’t stray too far from their hyper-repetitive chorus recipe, but it’s not exactly typically kpop either. With a tinge of retro-pop, the song is almost laced with a hint of jpop flavor. It could just be me, but the song does have the potential to be released as a Japanese single, though lord knows I will be screaming “NAY” at the top of my lungs if that possibility were to ever happen.  It’s cute, it’s sweet, it’s also got some holiday sounds to it, but I’m not fawning over it like other fans that have been patiently waiting the girls’ comeback. Maybe I’m still bitter, but whatever the reason, I don’t really care all that much. I’ll support the girls from where I stand.

Needless to say, I do like the comeback single. It’s not retro and it’s not so cute that it’s a turn off. It’s a great combination of catchy, cute, and sexy, and the single/girls can safely reach out to an audience that isn’t strictly limited to their fanbase and those kpop fans that are just in it for the cuteness. Without having to resort to any off-putting promotional schemes, and without having to sacrifice the image that was uniquely theirs, the Wonder Girls have made quite the comeback. While I’m still hoping for those two teasers to secretly be a MV waiting to be released, I guess the MV for “Be My Baby” will have to suffice for the time being, and I’m perfectly alright with that.

That being said, do support the girls by purchasing their single/2nd album tracks off of iTunes and purchase their CDs as well!

Before I continue, do support the girls by actually purchasing their album or tracks via iTunes.

1. G.N.O. (Girls Night Out)

So here’s Yeeun’s self-composed track. It’s got a hefty club beat vibe to it, and it’s definitely different from the cute and generally pop stuff we’ve been exposed to before. This isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I’ve got to hand it to the girl for improving her composition skills since we’ve last heard an original work from her. Though the auto-tune is plentiful, and though the beats are slightly distracting, the girls manage to show off their vocals pretty well in this song. Definitely something I’d love to hear in the clubs.

2. Be My Baby

I’ve already said my piece about this track.

3. Girls Girls

I love that guitar intro. The Hye Lim monologue at the beginning was cute as well. The guitar composition definitely became the single winning factor in this song; the girls vocals were just the cherry on top. The verses work up wonderfully to a grasping chorus, and wind down to even more instrumental additions that further add to the composition. I love everything about this track. I’d love for them to pull an unplugged version of this along the lines of their “Nothing on U” cover they did for Billboard.

4. Me, In

Here’s that track featured in the initial MV teasers dropped by the Wonder Girls. Fierce and rock-edge, this is the image I wanted the girls to come back with. It’s different, it’s edgy, it would have broken the damn kpop pavement. But I never get what I want, which is a damn shame. I’ll still hold out for a surprise MV release for this song, but I’ll die waiting most likely. I love the edge of this song, and it had the potential to really show fans a different side of the girls. Perhaps the management didn’t think fans would be ready for this side of the girls. Such a shame, really. Yubin’s rap with Yeeun and Sunye’s soulful voices were definitely a wonderful highlight. Just goes to show, one shouldn’t limit the girls to just typical pop tunes when they’re fully capable of things outside that spectrum.

5. Sweet Dreams 

I’m getting a kind of modernized old school vibe to this song. Not particularly elated listening to it, but the girls once again show vocal improvement, once we get past the whole auto-tune quality. Though, I’m not all too surprised that Sohee is once again auto-tuned. But I will admit she has improved since we’ve last heard from her.

6. Stop!

The intro synth beats build up slowly to a verse line from Yeeun that manages to hypnotize me to listen to the rest of the song like a mindless idiot. I can’t tell if it’s a good thing at first, but the chorus quickly releases any doubt I have and I can’t help but jam to the tune. The girls show off their English skills in the chorus and it’s great. From a minor to major key, the girls transition into and out of the chorus beautifully. Yeeun and Sunye once again show that they weren’t wasting their time while the group wasn’t actively promoting.

7. Dear, Boy

Yubin singing? No your ears are definitely not deceiving you. That is indeed the rapper supreme taking on the first lines. It’s wonderful hearing her deep voice; a lovely contrast to the rest of the girls. Sohee is once again, and unsurprisingly, auto-tuned. Though laced with beats left and right, the song is a lot less intense and a lot more laid back in comparison to the previous songs. Nothing too special about the song’s composition and overall delivery though.

8. Do Go Do Go (두고두고)

Gotta love it when Yeeun and Sunye collaborate. T his R&B duet features the group’s two prominent lead vocalists. The two voices come together rather beautifully, and I sincerely wish the background vocals were toned down a wee bit so we could appreciate their voices a lot more. For once, I’m slightly annoyed by the accompaniment.

9. Super B

We’ve got the Yubin and Sohee collaboration up next! Dying for a little more funk and urban? Sohee and Yubin got what you need with this track. It’s finally their turn to show off that Yeeun, Hyelim, and Sunye weren’t the only ones receiving ace vocal training during their time away from the scene. Though nothing extremely awe-inspiring, you can’t help but admire the improvement. The girls have come a long way since ’08. Love this track, definitely something I’d jam to if they played this sort of thing at the clubs I go to.

10. Act Cool (feat. San E)

Here is Lim’s solo track with JYPE’s resident rapper San E. I love anything involving San E, so I definitely had a little bias seeping through while I listened to this song. We all know Lim’s got some rapper swag in her, so I really squealed a bit when I heard this track. Bits of singing, rapping, and English-speaking, it’s hard to not like this song. Definitely different from the rest of the tracks, and if you get past the cringe-worthy English lyrics of the song, you might enjoy it as well. Lim proves just how versatile she is, and I love it.

11. Be My Baby (RaD Remix)

This album wouldn’t be complete unless there was a remix of the title track in it. I quite like this remix, actually. The instrumentals definitely accentuated the old school flair of the song. Dare I say it, but I might like this version a lot more than the original. Surprise, surprise. It’s a wonderful composition. Only complaint is that Yeeun sounds rather subdued during the chorus.

12. Nu Shoes

Well, this was interesting that’s for sure. I’m not really crazy about this song, but I guess fans will eat it up regardless. Oh, and another surprise, it’s a track that’s totally in English! It’s cute and the vocals are nothing to scoff at, but it’s nothing mind-blowing.

Overall, I can say one thing and one thing only: Wonder Girls and the rest of the JYPE artists prove time and time again that they are not merely “singles-only” artists. What I mean by that is the girls (and everyone else) have songs beyond their title tracks that have the potential to be stand-alone tracks, or other title tracks as well. Whenever I listen to a Wonder Girls/2PM/2AM/miss A/etc. album, I feel like the majority of their tracks are wonderfully composed and have the potential to be something more. I rarely get this same vibe/feeling when I listen to artists of other companies. Big Bang, maybe, but only if we’re referring to the old school.  I enjoyed that each of the girls were able to stand out in their respective solo/duet tracks, rocking a style that they feel most comfortable in. That was definitely a treat.

To hear Yeeun is still hard at work on composing stuff of her own is also good to know. The noticeable improvements in the girls’ vocals were also an expected, but still pleasant surprise. The amount of English lyrics in their songs, though also expected, were a nice touch. Once again, the improvement was very much appreciated. It’s always relieving to hear that the girls didn’t exactly waste time while they weren’t featured heavily in the kpop scene spotlight.

Do I feel that this album was worth that wait that many a Wonderful had to painfully endure? I suppose they’ll take anything they can get at this point, but as someone that isn’t quite a fan anymore, I don’t think this album was worth the wait. While it’s good, I feel as though it had the potential to be something even greater, something more mind-blowing. But beggars can’t be choosers, and I’ll just be content with what’s given.

I know it’s been a painfully long while since I’ve come here and written anything. Pardon life; it gets a bit crazy. So for October’s artist plug, we’re featuring the first Taiwanese artist ever (on this blog) – Yen-J!

I won’t even lie. I can’t understand any lick of Cantonese/Mandarin/anything Chinese to save my life, save for the cliche “Ni hao” greeting, and even that’s stretching it. I stumbled upon this guy by total and utter chance (as I do with most of my musical obsessions these days).

Yen-J is a relatively new face on the Mandopop scene. Born in Taiwan, raised in the states, this man was practically groomed for a career in medicine. Mind you, it helps when he came from a family of doctors. After a whopping single semester at the highly acclaimed University of Southern California, Yen-J had withdrawn from the college and returned to Taiwan to pursue a career in music. Naturally, his decision did not come without repercussions. Though his father reluctantly agreed to his son’s decision to withdraw from his studies, he had given his son an ultimatum of sorts to kick start his music career in 2 years. However, after witnessing first-hand how successful his son was, he has since extended that deadline to 10 years.

One could say it’s pure and natural talent, or some such, but from the very beginning Yen-J had quite the interest in music, despite his family background. At the ripe young age of 11, the boy already began composing his own music, and went on to expand his musical horizons through jazz (on his trusty piano, of course). Fast-forward to 3 months after his return to Taiwan, Yen-J was able to land a record contract with Bin music. And it was all uphill from there.

In 2010, he released his first EP entitled “Trapped in Taipei/困在台北/Kùn Zài Táibě .’ That same year, he released his first album “Thanks to your Greatness/谢谢你的美好/Xièxiè Nǐ De Měihǎo,” which met with impressive success. After winning a string of newcomer awards and being able to contribute to a variety of dramas and movies, the artist released his 2nd album in 2011 titled “Good Things/好的事情/Hǎo De Shìqíng.”

With an impressive resume like that, it’s no wonder this guy is quickly stealing hearts all over Asia. His musical style is very easy to listen to, with hints of jazz, folk guitar, and classical piano melodies to add some flavor to his musical pieces. Since I can’t understand a word he’s saying, I can only focus on the music he plays. The melodies introduce a sense of familiarity upon the first listen, but he manages to add some sort of twist that makes it uniquely his own. From what I can manage to find online, his lyrics seem to fall into the typical love/break up song spectrum, so I suppose I’m not missing much.

That being said, here are some choice works from Yen-J! Hope you guys enjoyed something a little different, outside of the kpop/jpop world I’ve constantly trashed upon your heads!

While reading those articles myself, it got me to thinking about how I perceive my idols and just how deep into my fandomI am. *cue Bee Gees music* Assuming that you all read those articles like I suggested, I’m curious to hear how our seemingly carefree fangirl/boyisms dictate our sexuality/sexual preferences, if at all.

As both aforementioned articles clearly stated, what one finds sexually appealing and aesthetically attractive is purely subjective. Does that girl-next-door type get you each and every time? What about that androgynous girl that could be a guy that could be a girl that could be a guy? Are you more likely to fall for that effeminate and “sensitive” or rock-hard, cool, masculine male idol? I guess it doesn’t really matter until one’s preferences begin to dictate one’s sexual preferences. With the plethora of idols out and about these days, it’s easy for us to find one that strikes our particular fancy, even if it’s in the most unexpected ways.

Do I think it’s wrong for a girl to find a female idol incredibly beautiful and sexually attractive, while gushing on and on about said idol’s wonderful personality? Do I find it offensive or weird that a guy can get hard over another guy flashing his abs while performing an undulated dance motion? Is water wet? Of course I don’t find anything wrong with any of that, but again it’s all subjective.

We’re all familiar with the concept of sex sells. Though two entirely different entities, jpop and kpop (and all sorts of pop, really) totally take advantage of their good looking pawns and shove them in our faces, looking as attractive as they possibly can, fully clothed or scantily clad, dancing and strutting their stuff like professional pole dancers that have their eyes solely on you. It’s almost like they’re forcing you to look at them in a certain sort of light, indirectly sucker-punching you to question “God, am I really into this?” Sex sells, and it sells damn well. While it makes the whole fandom portion a lot more enjoyable for those of age, it definitely opens up an entirely new realm of fandom, allowing us to delve into the deepest recesses of our mind and think outside the box of societal norms.

Are you really into that sort of thing? Do you really like it when SNSD members show off their endlessly long legs, or when AKB48 members release their saucy photobook spreads? What about when Taeyang gets hot and heavy on that floor, with his abs glistening against the stage lights as he rolls ‘em wave after wave? I don’t know about anyone else, but regardless the sex of the idol, I would probably get hot and bothered just because that’s the entire point. The question is, is it enough to make you wonder which way you really sway?

I believe that a lot of this “questioning of sexual preferences” thing is heavily driven by idol obsession. Do we fall so deeply under that idol spell (their perfect hair/wardrobe/smile, lovable personality, etc.) that we allow them to dictate every bit of our lives, all the way down to the socks that we wear, all the way to our sexual preferences? The over-expression of idol sexuality might indeed be the catalyst that sheds the light upon some people’s sexual identity/preferences, but (pardon my science nerd coming out) do people follow through with this reaction? I guess what I’m trying to say is, do we only question ourselves under certain exceptional circumstances (i.e. with idols) or can this hesitance transcend to life outside the fandom? Do you really sway that way, or do you just love that idol so much that they become an exception? Are you just afraid to admit it to yourself, or are you afraid of what your friends/society might think of you? Does finding topless 2PM members sexy make you any less masculine than you were before you found them? Are Miyazawa Sae and Akimoto Sayaka‘s masculine charms enough to make you wish they were your prince charmings? Oh the possibilities are endless!

So if idol obsession dictates your sexual preferences, what does that do for reality? Ray’s delivery on the matter of para-relationships was far more superb than anything I could crunch out, so despite having already linked IW’s article, I’ll just leave you all to your own devices.

And slightly off-topic while we’re all in our happy cloud 9 of sorts, happily contemplating our sexual preferences and whatnot, I’ve noticed that some fans are rather vocal about this sort of thing: when they fawn over their idol crushes, fans often say things along the line of “If only she was lesbian…” or some such. It kind of makes one wonder sometimes. What if your idol crush forever decided to come out of the closet and say they were bi/gay/lesbian/whatever, would that make you more inclined to come out as well? There are those idols that have this vibe about them, that have some fans convinced that they sway in other ways, but I won’t name any names since my gay-dar is just about as efficient as a Tom Tom. This is just some dessert for thought, I suppose.

Personally speaking, the two articles that I linked above are too true in their respective viewpoints on the matter. It’s kind of crazy that I never thought about this before! I’ll admit to falling victim to a variety of female kpop/jpop idols’ charms and hotness; I’m only human after all. But with time I found something funny about myself: With kpop, the women just seemed so cookie-cutter perfect that rather than being lesbian over them, they just made me want to live off lettuce and water for the rest of my damn life. The buff and somewhat self-absorbed kpop guys, on the other hand, were definitely more of my cup of tea as opposed to the scrawny and self-absorbed jpop guys, though I would never oppose to getting caught in a crowded bus with KAT-TUN‘s Junnosuke. And if anything at all, it’s those damn female jpop idols that not only make me wonder where all my cuteness went while growing up, but also manage to make me question myself on a near daily basis, although more on a light-hearted joking manner.

But at the end of the day, the girls are girls and the guys are guys, and I will probably stick to my straight identity while living in that wonderful fantasy idol world of “what if’s.” And no matter how much I wished Guychan were really a guy, it doesn’t change the fact that “he” is actually a she. Sad times. Anyway, hopefully I went about this the right way. In all my years of blogging, I’ve never once tackled one of the more hot and iffy topics that several other bloggers tackle on the daily. And really, to each his own. I’ve got nothing but respect for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or preferences. Love and all that jazz all around. I really would love to hear from everyone about this topic, so please leave some input/comments!