I’ve always thought HALCALI’s name was HALICALI. I was pretty disappointed when I finally noticed the error of my ways. HALICALI just has a better ring to it, whereas HALCALI is boring. I’m trying to not let this disappointment cloud my impeccable judgment, but it is very difficult.

I’m not a huge HALCALI fan and I should point that out before going further. They’ve always been this quirky group. That’s fine, but I wasn’t feeling it. “Long Kiss Good Bye” is a little more relaxed and I’m enjoying it.

The video itself still shows HALCALI retains a bit of their quirkiness. But the clothes and their clashing colors and the camera effects seem more effective when the gimmick of the group isn’t “look how wacky we can be.”

Tommy heavenly6 - PAPERMOON

I’m fed up with Kawase Tomoko. I still haven’t heard anything about the brilliant green. Was I right about the b-side of “Ash Like Snow” being their swan song?

PAPERMOON is pretty much the same release as the last tommy heavenly6 single, “Ash Like Snow.”

They don’t sound that different.

There’s the red eye effect from “Ash Like Snow.”

There’s Tommy riding the motorcycle from “Ash Like Snow.”

The video is memorable, but not for the right reasons. The best parts are Elec making some suspect facial gestures and the tin man wailing away at his guitar during a drum solo.

I’m not sure if using the Wizard Of Oz characters means anything or if this was just another tommy quirk. I hope it means that Tomoko is at the end of her Tommy dream and is returning home soon. But there was no symbolic clicking of the shoes at the end of this video, so the nightmare continues!

Why am I so down on Tommy heavenly6? I mean, she’s trying something different, right? Except she’s been trying something different for years now, and I don’t think it’s working anymore. Tommy heavenly6 was better as the counterpart to Tommy february6, not her own persona. They were both characters of a pop and rock star. I’m not reading Tommy heavenly6 as a character anymore, but what Tomoko actually wants to be. If that’s the case, I’d rather she just declare the brilliant green dead once and for all. And definitely not use the brilliant green for Tommy heavenly6 releases.

So if that happens in the next few days, don’t say I didn’t warn you…

I’ve been watching just about every music posted at jpopsuki and have been keeping my eye on Yahoo! Music for any new videos posted. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up in posting about them. I’m going to be very behind for a while though.

That said, there are a lot of bad music videos. I like a music video when it either tells a story or looks cool. It doesn’t even have to tell a story well; if I can make up an interpretation, I’m happy. But a lot of music videos are 3 or 4 minutes of nothing that is easily forgettable.

MiChi – Promise

The video for “Promise” doesn’t tell a story, unless you want to read it as what goes on in MiChi’s chest (watch the first minute). And after we zoom in on MiChi’s chest, we get a bunch of balloons popping, neon lights flashing everywhere and MiChi holding a giant ball. It’s all pretty confusing but it looks cool and pretty much what I imagined happens around woman’s chest.

The single Promise is fantastic. “Promise” isn’t a bad song, but the real attraction is the third and fourth songs off of the single. She covers Avril Lavigne’s “sk8er boi” and has a remix of her song “Fuck You And Your Money.” Ok, the songs themselves aren’t very good, but that’s not the point.

Hidemi Uematsu – Trauma

The only trauma I felt was sitting through this whole video

Ok this video isn’t bad but I needed to drop that line. The video is really chaotic, filled with fast scenes and distorted images. Whenever I can see something, it is usually exaggerated body movements by Hidemi. Because of this, it’s tough to say what is going besides chaos; but that is appropriate for the song. Still, I don’t think I’ll be watching it that much in the future. It’s intriguing, but I’ll end up with a headache if I watch it too much.

Aira Mitsuki – Robot Honey

Just like “Promise,” “Robot Honey” is about nothing. Aira does a robot dance around a bunch of drawings and CGI graphics. I have no idea what is going on but I keep watching it to try to figure it out. It doesn’t hurt that I like the song.

I was thrown back by the close-ups of Aira though. I can’t recall getting a good look at Aira’s face in a video before. tranquilla once pointed out this strategy with STEPHANIE. Her face has been hidden as much as possible. I think I see why… She even looks like STEPHANIE a bit. Then again, I remember an entry at Radiant Dawn (unfortunately the photo is dead now) that had a really good picture of Aira, so I’m guessing this is more of a makeup/haircut issue.

I never tried used a Yahoo video; so if it doesn’t work, watch it on youtube.

In this video, Beyoncé plays role reversal. I think it is well done as it isn’t over-the-top. If you saw this video under “normal” circumstances – which, for Beyoncé, would mean the guy being the guy and Beyoncé being the girl – you probably wouldn’t blink twice. That’s good for a song like this. The single difference is that Beyoncé is playing “the guy” and the guy is playing “the girl.”

And yes, this release does imply that there are gender-specific roles that we are all following, but it’s not annoying in the way that Katy Perry does it.

I read about Beyoncé describing the video as a Freaky Friday situation. I don’t think that that is the best way to describe it. It’s more a dream sequence. There is no indication that either side is aware of the roles being reversed. After the roles are brought back to “normal,” the guy is unaware of the previous events. It’s for the best. By the end of the video, the guy is exactly the prototype that is described in the lyrics of the song.

It’s not a strict role reversal. In body, Beyoncé is still a woman in this video. There are no stereotypical changes to indicate otherwise; we even get a bra shot of Beyoncé to drive this point home. In personality, she is the “man” of the relationship. I like that this is the route that was taken. I just feel that Beyoncé dressing up like a man and acting out some of the lyrics (”Drink beer with the guys/And chase after girls”) would carry less weight and come off as a joke. That’s not to say that a woman pretending to be a man and behaving like one can’t present the double standard. In this video and under the circumstance of it being a Beyoncé video, it makes more sense for the situation to be a woman being a woman and behaving like a man. Who would ever be able to suspend their disbelief and pretend Beyoncé is a man? I saw Dreamgirls, she ain’t that good of an actress!

The video is not really that adventurous. It may be out of the ordinary for Beyoncé, but it’s still pretty tame. In fact, Ciara had “Like A Boy” last year and that was a lot more in-your-face than this. Both condemn the double standard and aren’t really condoning the role reversal. For me, the video for Beyoncé’s single stands out a lot more as it establishes a tragic relationship between two people.

It’s nice to see Beyoncé try something new. But I hope she doesn’t go crazy and start trying this type of video/music exclusively. She’s not going to make another “Crazy In Love” because there just can’t be another “Crazy In Love,” but another “Irreplaceable” is doable.

There is another direction that I hope Beyoncé doesn’t take. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” was released alongside of “If I Were A Boy” and it is rubbish without its video. The video for that isn’t that great either. Dance shots are pretty boring to me; that said, the dance is crazy. But without the video, “Single Ladies” is entirely forgettable.

Anyways, let’s play “Make A Statement!”

Mutou Mika is a genius.

True! Think about it. Remember when Mutou graduated and people actually cared. They wrote entries about it! Do you think her individual graduation would have mattered as much if she was lumped in with big names like Ishikawa Rika and Tsuji Nozomi?

I’m so happy that there are still opportunities to talk about Mutou.

Everything else is gonna be a lie. Cause I feel like lying tonight.

There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think about all the girls that are graduating from Hello! Project.

Ok, that’s a lie.

Before today, I can’t tell you the last time that the name “Iida Kaori” popped into my head. I haven’t given thought to Miyosh Erikai and Okada Yui since v-u-den broke up. I didn’t know Yasuda Kei was still working. I can’t even do an entry contemplating on the future for all of these girls; I don’t even know what the hell they are doing in the present.

It’s not that I don’t care about them. Or is it…

I’m as big of a fan of all of those idols as I ever was.

Ok, that’s a lie.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying The Peace sucks. I still listen to the old music - although Miley Cyrus gets more play these days…

I’m devastated by the news.

My nose is growing.

I don’t give a damn about them graduating.

Even if TLS can venture into “omgz non-stop insulting of H!P,” this is a lie.

I love attempting analogies or anecdotes. I really do suck at them. So I need to keep making shitty analogies in the hopes that, one day, I’ll make a good one.

When I was growing up, one of my friends was Chuck. Chuck and I spent a lot of time together. We’d always look for each other when we had free time. But kids drift away from each other and that is what me and Chuck did.

Every now and then, I like to know what Chuck is up to. It’s not like it is a daily ritual for me to sit around and think, “I wonder what Chuck is doing right now…” But you still like to know what your old friends are doing, and hope that they are doing well.

I spent a lot of time watching Abe Natsumi, Ishikawa Rika, Yoshizawa Hitomi and the rest of them. I don’t now though. And I’d be lying if I said their departure from Hello! Project is breaking my heart. I am indifferent to it. I really don’t know what’s different today that from a few days ago, when they were all employed under the H!P umbrella. A few concerts a year that I didn’t watch get canceled? How many Elder Club concerts were there?

Chuck and I shared a past; we don’t share a present or a future.

And that’s just how it is with me and most of the former Elder Club girls.

These are the covers to Koda Kumi’s TABOO and I LOVE the middle one.

I mean it is awful. It is rotten. It is an acceptable black dress thrown off by frills that just don’t quite fit. It is fabric hanging off of bling and not the other way around. It is an unflattering and sexual facial expression that is anything - and everything - but pretty. It’s got elbows bending all sorts of ways but correctly. It’s just generally uncomfortable to look at.

And those are exactly the reasons why I’m loving Koda.

Leah Dizon followed Koda Kumi’s advice and is pregnant and getting married. Of course this has to be a big shock and scandal.

Leah is was an underdog. It may not seem like a Japanese pop star is an underdog, but her story fits it. From my top notch investigative reporting, Leah was doing odd jobs and modeling gigs until she made it big via the Internet. I don’t believe that there are many Japanese pop stars who used to work in American go go bars - or at least started off in the go go bar and not the other way around. She got into the industry at age 20, which is, absurdly, a shockingly late start.

Granted, Leah Dizon’s talents are were questionable. Based on what I’ve seen and reactions from other bloggers reviewing her singles: she’s not a great vocalist, she can’t dance and her personality is not that particularly interesting. For me, Leah is was noteworthy because of her underdog status. She shouldn’t be an idol. Every time she moved and opened her mouth, those suspicions were confirmed.

We love underdogs. I think that it is safe to say that most people consider themselves underdogs in one aspect of their lives. I also think most people have been told at lease once that they can’t succeed. It’s easy to sympathize with characters who famously overcome these hurdles.

Underdogs also try things that most people are afraid to. I think this is why they get respected by ordinary people. I think that most people don’t put themselves in a situation to fail. This means that most people won’t be put in a situation to succeed either.

Did Leah have connections that gave her an edge over others? Sure that’s possible, who knows? That’s all speculation. All I can tell is that Leah worked hard to get to a position that was very unlikely.

Now I’m not saying Leah Dizon’s career is over. You just never know with these things. How long Leah Dizon was going to stick around is debatable anyways. She was pretty much a novelty act. No one was expecting her to go on and release 40 singles or top the charts anytime soon. I’d say two albums, five singles and four photobooks is pretty good for someone who was dancing in bars three or four years ago.

Anyways, I wanna see where I stand next to Raid. So let’s see whether or not I like or dislike the things that Raid dislikes about jpop.

Convoluted, isn’t it?

1. I dislike Hamasaki Ayumi (most of the time).

I don’t really care for Ayumi, but the key here “most of the time.” I think it is impossible for someone to be sincere and be unable to find least one Ayumi single, album, remix, hairstyle or face that they don’t like. She has to have over 100 music releases and at least 3 different faces that she’s rocked.

I’m assuming the problem is that Ayumi’s label as the “queen of jpop” somehow makes her invulnerable to criticism or making a bad single. This is rubbish though. Of course she can do stuff that sucks.

2. I dislike artistes with no personality.

I agree with Raid here. I love a strong and well-defined personality in the entertainment industry. It does bother me when a celebrity sticks with one personality throughout their career though.

3. I dislike Tamori’s hosting style.

I don’t pay attention to Music Station.

4. I dislike virginal idol figures.

Definitely! I dislike that all idols have to be virginal figures. Like Raid, I roll my eyes at the responses idols give when it comes to relationships. Lots of idol personalities are unrealistic, so it’s not the insincerity of it all that bothers me. It just bothers me that eliminating openly skanky behavior limits the fun.

5. I dislike media politics.

Raid’s problem was that stars get blacklisted for making “inappropriate comments.” I agree that the media backlash is stupid and needs to stop. Eliminating controversial and stupid comments makes the entertainment world boring. Idols making inappropriate comments is funny. Blacklisting and boycotting them prevents more of this fun.

6. I dislike Nakashima Mika.

She scares me too.

7. I dislike the JE monopolization of Music Station.

Again, I don’t pay attention to Music Station. However, I can easily understand Raid’s frustration. I see the problem as not being that Music Station is all about JE boy bands but that they don’t admit that they are a Johnny’s commercial.

8. I dislike fans who can’t take criticism of their favorite stars.

Well of course I’m with Raid here, although the proper thing to say would be “I dislike when fans can’t take criticism of their favorite stars.” Doesn’t perfectionism set standards way too high for these stars? Look, they are going to do stuff that sucks. I think that criticizing makes you appreciate what you do like all the more. If you “like everything,” then I’m assuming that you are deceiving yourself.

9. I dislike OS (overseas) versions and their buyers.

Whatever.

10. I dislike fans who claim to be a certain artiste’s “NUMBER ONE FAN!!1!!!” and then NOT BUY ANYTHING from said artiste.

I think it is perfectly acceptable for someone to be a “true fan” of anything without actually purchasing goods from the source. There is a lot of elitism that goes around in fandoms - and showing off your merchandise and knowledge is a good example of it.

Buying shit doesn’t make you a “true fan.” What the hell is a “true fan?” Calling yourself the “number one fan” of anything screams of self-importance. Comparing how “real” of a fan you are against how “real” someone else is is pretty much bullshit. What exactly would define someone as more of a fan than someone else? Goods purchased? Knowledge? Public affection?

Knowledge? Please. That’s a joke. It’s not like we are taking exams here.

Public affection? Perhaps. But what if your fandom is a very personal experience? What if you are shy? Hooting and hollering about your fandom says a lot about your personality, but not how “real” of fan you are.

I have one DVD boxset of the TV shows The Shield and of The Office respectively. I love The Shield a hell of a lot more than I care for The Office. But since I own one copy of the Shield and one copy of The Office, does this mean that I am an equal fan of The Shield as I am of The Office? Goods purchased doesn’t define a “real” fan.

There is an emotional attachment that has nothing to do with items being purchased. I see no way to quantify this attachment. If it is there, it’s there.

Now, to come clean. I am guilty of having an account at dvdaf.com. I have shown off my goods. I never said that I’m not infallible though - even if it is a well-known fact. I understand the feeling behind showing off your goods. I understand how good it feels to make someone jealous that you have something they want. But just because I bought goods doesn’t mean that I am a better fan than someone else. It just means that I decided to buy something.

At the end of the day, if you want to buy something, buy it. Just don’t act like you are special because you bought something. Unless you bought Berryz Koubou’s Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance. Then you are special.

No really. Idols don’t live long lives in the spotlight. Rika is 23. Hitomi is 23. They are getting UP THERE.

At least Haromoni is only 4 minutes now!

If that were the case, her bottom wouldn’t be white.

This is the PV to “Planetarium” from ikimono gakari. Raid has told me it is a good song. pengie has written up an entry on it, calling it “beautiful.”

I’m not really taken by the song.

But the PV. The PV has that right mix of seeming normal while being absolutely absurd. That is beautiful.

Damn it must be a full moon. That window is way too bright.

We start out with a sweet mother-daughter moment. Wait, this isn’t sweet at all.

Ashley: Mommy, can you talk with me, please?
Mother (awkwardly): It’s time to go to bed Ashley. Do you remember? You must clean up all your toys tomorrow from the morning. Okay?
Ashley: Ok…

Ashley just got shut down. What a ruthless, cold-hearted mother. Look at the emotion in Ashley’s eyes. Don’t see any? Me neither.

Forget that though, what the hell did she even say? “Clean up all your toys tomorrow from the morning?”
That is actually a smart technique to parenting. Instead of trying to reason with or beat your kids, just confuse them until they can’t muster up a response.

Poor, dejected Ashley. The human world has shunned her, so she turns to her doll - and does an awful job at voicing said doll. Don’t become a ventriloquist dear.

Ashley: We’re gonna move again.
Doll: Hurry up and sleep or your mom is going to get mad at you.
Ashley: Do you think I’m going to get friends at Next Town?
Doll: You’re gonna be ok Ashley. I’m going to be your best friend forever.

I wonder what population of Next Town is?

That doll is lying. Oh, it may say that it will be Ashley’s BFF. Once some Yamapi doll comes along - poorly voiced by Ashley - this doll will be ditching Ashley. We all know how that goes.

Wait a second… What is that light in the window? Aww how cute. Our little Ashley has her very own creepy stalker hanging by her window. And she was afraid of not being able to make friends!

Well, now it’s time to go to sleep, end the story and watch the band sing their son… wait…

Ahh! The doll is alive!

I hate it when dolls come alive just after you fall asleep. Why is that??

Ahh, it’s so creepy watching them walk. What kind of PV is this?

Ashley wakes up to see the dolls throwing a concert for her. Inexplicably, she doesn’t get the hell out of there. If I woke up and saw my dolls rocking the acoustic guitar, I’d scream bloody murder.

I guess it doesn’t matter if she – like a sane, rational person – ran out. We all know how this story goes. The dolls come alive and kill everyone. Nobody believes Ashley that the dolls are alive. Some rogue doll tells Ashley that she needs to read a spell to return the cursed dolls to their pre-murderous rage state.

Why is it that dolls can sing songs but never wake up the parents?

Oh, that’s right. Because Ashley is insane and the dolls aren’t singing at all…

Oh ha ha, he’s catching stars. How cute! How inspirational! The PV doesn’t show the other half of it. The part where the ultra-hot star burns straight the catcher, the doll holding it, the entire house and tri-state area.

That’s a good way to get a tan…

The star gets a little brighter in her hands. Ashley is amazed. Will she be amazed when it burns through her? Find out!

Does she have a freaking galaxy in her hands? I gotta say, if the Milky Way is in the palms of some insecure little girl - who thinks that talking dolls is a perfectly normal and sane occurrence - well, we are all screwed.

Ashley, who believes dolls perform concerts in her bedroom, opens the window. Here is where the real hero of the story, our mysterious stalker with a flashlight, pops out and runs away with Ashley. Oh please, like Ashley’s mom would even notice.

Ashley opens her hands and the star floats away. Look, if the Earth’s gravity can let a star escape its pull, then Ashley should be flying into deep space like a feather. Sure, Ashley’s death as she burns up through the atmosphere will be painful. But think of this way: she always wanted to fly.

Ok, after all we learned about Ashley - she talks to dolls, she thinks dolls talk back to her, she’s not adverse to running off with some stalker with a flashlight, she wants to burn up through the atmosphere - isn’t this smile really freaking creepy?

Diva!!

She looks like she is on the hunt for some flies to pull wings off of.

A HA! It’s a medicine cabinet right by her bed. So this PV wasn’t all a dream to make Ashley feel better. She was tripping the fuck out.

And after that trip, Ashley, who believes inanimate, wooden dolls sing to her, finally gets a good night’s sleep.

So, in the end, there was some benefit to Mutou Mika’s presence.

There was no saving grace with Haromoni. And now that it is dead, I can only come to one conclusion.

It wasn’t worth watching.

That said, it was an interesting final episode. Intentional or not, I understand the premise behind this episode - the entire show comprised of GakiKame segments - as a metaphor (I’d say microcosm but I don’t like that word) for the show’s run.

We start the last episode away from that wretched studio. A good idea. They are on location at some restaurant and are dressed up as cooks/servers - apparently planning for their future post-Haromoni careers.

It still was boring. Like most GakiKame segments, they throw stuff around and screw up a lot. Well, these are mildly more interesting than your usual GakiKame segment, but the association of being the last Haromoni episode may be warping my mind here.

I guess Niigaki and Kamei are best described as consummate professionals. They have to do a lot of takes, but they suck it up to do their job. They probably just learned to deal with this crap a long time ago. Junjun and Linlin screw up their take by reacting way before the director cuts the scene. Sayumi and Koha quickly grow sick of their shit and wanted out.

It was nice to see the girls so happy when they finally succeeded. It brings back memories of the Morning Musume jump rope segment (again with the comparing idols, I’m telling you). Even if these reactions are nice to see, I can’t forget that it took 80, 150, 300 failures to get this.

And that is sort of how Haromoni, as a whole, went. Lots and lots of bad segments and non-entertainment. There were a few gems, but even those were largely forgettable.

What are your memories of Haromoni? Do you have any good ones? Without reading any of my old Haromoni reviews, I can only count the good times on one hand. There was Kusumi Koharu dressing up as Superman (with the theme to go with it). There were plenty of stupid animal tricks (but barely any stupid idol tricks). Mitsui Aika was the Queen Bee of the show and one of the few to show any real, interesting personality. One time Koharu smacked that stupid baby upside the head.

But what I will remember the most about Haromoni is how truly awful the show was.

I am not as big of a fan of Morning Musume as I was when I started watching Haromoni. This shouldn’t be possible after watching them on television for nearly a year. I started this entry by saying that it is easier to remember idols by comparing them and contrasting them to other idols. What is the single, most-defining difference between Generations 1-4 of Morning Musume and Generations 5-8? The personality is gone.

Takahashi Ai? I feel for Ai (a bit) because I think she tries. She can’t let go though. When she eases up a bit, she is embarassed. I don’t quite understand it. You are on a low-rated idol television show and you are pretending like you have some dignity about yourself? You shouldn’t have to worry about making yourself look stupid because you inherently look stupid by being a part of the show.

Tanaka Reina? Someone’s idea of entertainment is blinking.

Niigaki Risa? They say that everything needs to big on the small screen. Reactions need to be over-the-top. Risa does this. Unfortunately, that is also the problem. That’s all she does. None of her over-the-top reactions are memorable because all of her reactions are over-the-top.

Kamei Eri and Michishige Sayumi? I’m lumping them together because they both share the same problem. They don’t have the cast around them to play their parts efficiently. There needs to a straight man to Eri’s weirdness (she is still weird) and Sayumi’s vanity. Otherwise Eri is just weird and Sayumi is just vain. Where is the charm in that?

Kusumi Koharu? She was probably best suited for this show because it’s obvious that she just doesn’t give a what. The crackhead routine can cause fan reactions to go two routes if that is all she does - and that is all Koha does. Annoyance at the repetition or astonishment at it all.

Junjun and Linlin? I’m lumping these two together because they just never really stood out. They had some chances, but nothing effective. What have we learned about Junjun? She likes bananas and likes to cry. She’s been in Morning Musume since May 2007 and that’s all I can tell you about her. Linlin? She eats babies.

Mitsui Aika? Aika is the only one who benefited from Haromoni. I’ve learned she is the Queen Bee of this group. She doesn’t give a what if she leaves you crying or looking stupid. That personality may not sit well with some, but at least she was able to stand out due to Haromoni.

In the end, Morning Musume regressed because of Haromoni. I’ve learned reasons not to enjoy Morning Musume that I never would have found out had I never watched the show, or had it never existed. Going forward - if they stay together - maybe I will start to enjoy them again. I already start to like them more now that they are no longer associated with that travesty of a show.

maiZe of fields of maiZe and berryZ linked me this (dated?) picture of Matsuura Aya yesterday and I have to point this out. This dress is similar to one that I saw this drag queen once wearing. The style is dramatically different. The drag queen I saw had less fabric and more rainbow pom-poms. But it is close enough!

I had to try to find more idols looking drag-queenish, so naturally I went to Bikkuri Project’s Costume Hall of Shame. Lo and behold, Celestia wrote about this very Ayaya dress before:

Multiple choice quiz time. Ayaya is….
A.The victim of a tragic arts and crafts accident that involved her being doused in glue and dropped into a vat of pom-poms
B.Trying to be more fluffy than all of MorningMusume in the Bonkyu Bomb tour encore combined, because she’s just that good
C.Paying for losing a bet with Mikitty (she would make someone wear this, wouldn’t she?)
D.The Queen of the Rainbow Tribbles! All hail the queen!!!!!

I don’t think she meant the same type of queen, but it works so well doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, Aya’s drag queen days are over. She is now a “serious” J-pop artist and I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t be caught dead wearing something like this anymore. But that doesn’t mean the other girls can’t pick up the slack. I’m keeping my eyes open for it!

This started off as a review for Koda Kumi’s “TABOO” PV. I’ll have to get into that review another day. The focus shifted more towards the prevalence, or lack thereof, of LGBT personalities in the Japanese entertainment world. I can’t think of many LGBT idols/celebrities or situations where the intent wasn’t exploitation, be it fanservice or for comedic effect. The sincerity behind Goto Maki starring in Yubi (2006) was legit, but that movie had plenty of problems (which I’ll save for another day). I’m willing to claim ignorance as I haven’t seen enough or don’t know enough Japanese pop culture history, even after all these years, to fully understand the situation here. I am just reacting to what I have seen so far, perhaps for reference. And for now, I’m saying that it is not “normal,” or acceptable, for idols to be LGBT.

And that doesn’t sit very well with me.

Fanservice and exploitation go hand-in-hand for me. I have nothing against fanservice. Some people may not like it, claiming it is illegitimate or immoral. I can only say that I have a different perspective of this world than these people. I have heard that it takes no talent or it is easy to exploit one’s sex. I find this argument to be completely ridiculous. If it was easy to be good at selling sex, no one would stand out amongst the crowd for it. I think the likes of Koda Kumi prove that there is an art to selling sex.

I need to clarify “selling sex,” as I think there are preconceived notions when one uses that phrase. I don’t think that “selling sex” is simply showing off one’s body. I think celebrities and idols who explicitly say that they are modest and will not show off their body are selling sex. They are selling a conservative sexual identity. To that effect, does everyone sell sex? It all depends on your (the fan) interest in a personality. If you have an interest in whether someone has a free, closed or no sexual identity, they are “selling sex” to you. I consider sexual identity to be an integral part of a person’s, not just celebrities, personality. Again, a sexual identity can be anything - free, closed, none, whatever – but it is something that I find interesting when learning about people. So to me, everyone sells sex.

Back to the fanservice, I have no problem with it. When AKB48 or the Wonder Girls feel up each others’ legs, I find this to be entertaining. When Hey! Say! Jump! members tease at grabbing each others’ private parts, I think it is engaging. That are hinting and teasing at a taboo action. The appeal is not wanting to see them make out with each other – well – but being, or at least hinting at being, deviant.

Let me stop for a moment to talk about Arihara Kanna. I have never gone over why I think it’d be so great for Kanna to be a lesbian. This deviant behavior is exactly why. Uniformity is big in the idol world, so for one to drastically against the grain is very appealing to me. What would be more against the grain than a lesbian idol?

Is being a LGBT idol deviant behavior? You betcha! Sure there is some leeway in the appearance and personalities of idols, but they all fall under very formulaic guidelines. For the most part, they have to look and act a certain way, both on and off the stage. One of the major restrictions regards the idol’s sexual identity. There is a “pure” image that idols are expected to adhere to, and I’m assuming many of these idols have to repress or hide their sexual identities because of it. The consequences of not doing this, even by doing something as harmless as dating, can end up in suspensions or firings. There is an underlining assumption behind all of this, one that I find a little bothersome.

Idols are expected to be straight.

I am basing this on interviews that idols take. After all, my concern here is with idol personalities, not whether or not the idols are actually LGBT. Is this a cultural thing? I guess so, but it’s certainly not limited to Japan if it is. Let’s look an example of this. The questions may seem innocent enough, but I think that often the things that are “innocent” or the things that we take for granted are very telling.

In this interview that I jacked from veoh, Aoki Sayaka and THAT GUY of Music Fighter talk to Sugaya Risako about boys in her school. Please ignore Risako’s stunning lack of personality. Take what you will from this, but notice that the hosts are the ones that bring up boys. The hosts are the ones that ask Risako if she has been been approached by any boys. The hosts are the ones that ask if any boys have asked Risako out. I’m not saying that the hosts were wrong in these assumptions. The problem is that this assumption occurs with both male and female idols and the answers are all expected to be the same. Interviews like this are not uncommon.

Imagine what their reactions would have been had Risako said “no, no boys have asked me out, but a female classmate has asked me out.”

As idols get older, many are questioned about finding a husband, and subsequently get teased if they cannot find one. Nakazawa Yuko gets this treatment a lot. So let’s play this out. Imagine Morning Musume were to visit Utaban for an interview where they get to talk (I know that it is hard to imagine that, but try). Imagine the following scenario play out:

Nakai Masahiro: Takahashi Ai, you are now 22 and pretty old for idol standards. Your career has to be coming to an end soon. What are your plans after you graduate Morning Musume?

Takahashi Ai: I hope to find a husband and settle down to experience family life!

No one would be taken aback if this happened.

Now, imagine this:

Nakai Masahiro: Takahashi Ai, you are now 22 and pretty old for idol standards. Your career has to be coming to an end soon. What are your plans after you graduate Morning Musume?

Takahashi Ai: I hope to find a female partner and settle down to experience family life!

Well, that changes everything. What would the reaction be? Shock? Anger? Acceptance? I’m sure there are some fans who would accept this. How many are there that would though? More importantly, what would be her company’s reaction to this? In the first case, it’d be a regular interview. In the second case, would people not go apeshit?

I have to bring up a dated entry by Vulpi at DEKOBOKO17, one where she talks about the Arihara Kanna lesbian rumors in here. The focus of the entry is more about how Kanna appeals to Vulpi due to these rumors, but a part of it talks about some Interweb reactions that she read. She links to the following video:

Click here to view the embedded video.
What is interesting here is the reaction of her fellow °C-ute members to Kanna saying she “likes girls.” They made a big deal about her comment. Would the reaction have been the same had Kanna said she “likes boys”?

These are all very hypothetical situations and rhetorical questions; I haven’t proven much by bringing them up. We’d have to see them play out to get any real answers from them. Since that is impossible, I can only assume. And I assume that idols are expected to fit the pure idol image, which would mean that they have to be, or pretend to be, straight.

Why does this matter? If idols are supposed to embody, as I’ve learned, “ideal” traits, both in appearance and personality, is this not worrisome? Is it merely a marketability problem? That is to say: the pure image of idols is what sells, so that is why it exists. In that case, I’d ask why is it that the pure idol image sells? I have to learn more to properly answer these questions. But for now, what do you think?

I told you that I’d give you all a reason for blogging eventually. I just needed to figure it out.

Creating my own perspective of the pop world is the reasoning behind True Life Seek.

I stopped blogging at TLS because I felt like I strayed off course. There is a problem when I am deleting drafts because I think that no one will read it. I’m not creating a unique voice in that situation. I’m just writing what people want to read.

Another problem was imitation. Imitation can be a good thing – if you imitate something and make it your own. If my goal is to speak my voice, it is insincere to imitate something just to meet the standard that what you are imitating has created. This is the problem that I find myself in concerning Ray and Santos. At times, I tried to make TLS too much like Cult of Pop and Idolizing St. Anna, because I felt that they were the standard to live up to. That may not be a problem for some. But for me, it didn’t sit well. I don’t want TLS to become a Cult of Pop or Idolizing St. Anna clone.

Why is it so important that TLS be unique? We could theorize on that all day. Is it a product of the medium (blogging), which says write about topics like yourself, your job, your interests or anything that makes you different from the next person? Is it a product of my society (America) that emphasizes individualism? Is it an outlet for me to talk about topics that I am not as outspoken about in other situations? Am I bullshitting here? Probably a combination of all four and more. I don’t want to focus on this.

I am not going to be talking about idols exclusively from now on. Ok, TLS was never exclusively about idols; but for the most part, it was.

I have fun trying to figure out the reasons for why I enjoy what the pop world gives. I have fun trying to figure out the reasons why I don’t enjoy something. I also like trying to figure out what other people enjoy and don’t enjoy and why. There is a logic behind these decisions and, for the most part, it is left unstated. That is what I’d like most TLS entries to be focused on, understanding why myself and others are willing to give up a part of our own lives to watching the lives of others.

And other times, I am going to want to just post pictures. The archives of all my old entries will be up eventually. I’m still working out a few kinks in this layout.

If I have to write an entry like this again, I may just quit blogging.

Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Everlasting Love

Build Me Up Buttercup

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Good for him. Even if “everybody already knew,” I still imagine it is hard to go public. Can’t wait for whatthebuck’s reaction.

Furthermore, the proficiency of any one idol depends on who is watching. For example, some enjoy the singing of Berryz Koubou’s Risako Sugaya while others cannot stand it. We hear and see what we choose to.

It doesn’t bother me that the first impressions of Idoling!!! for CK and Celestia were negative. They can enjoy what they want to.

But I don’t want to sit around and not put in a good word for Idoling!!!.

As if this isn’t enough

The vocal performances of an idol group may be very important to you. You may think that Idoling!!! is of a lesser quality in that department. If that is the case, feel free to walk away. I would argue that fans of Hello! Project fans should be accustomed to poor vocal performances though.

Ok, well, maybe not. Only because I don’t want to get into an argument of who sings well and who doesn’t, who dances well and who has no rhythm (me), who can tell a joke and who falls flat every time (Ai Takahashi), etc. etc. blah blah blah.

So what do I want from idols? I would say they have to be good-looking (more on that on another day, cause there was a fantastic comment someone posted on TLS that I need to respond to). I can’t stand watching idols that bore me. Lastly, I enjoy the more absurd idols, or at least idols that find themselves in the more absurd situations (both “on and off the field,” lol Nacchi)

So what is appealing about Idoling!!!? The entire group is ridiculous. At times, it feels as if every member is Kei Yasuda on an episode of Utaban. They are made fun of and their flaws are exposed.

When I am asked why I like Idoling!!!, I always bring up the same moment. It is from 1st Live “Motto Ganbare Otome (Warai)”. They group is about to celebrate Fonchi’s birthday. She is touched; thankful to be receiving such affection. In fact, Fonchi is almost moved to tears. She even gets a present - some pretty boss shades. There she is, in all her glory, the center of attention.

Then, disaster strikes.

They convince Fonchi to go over to the cake, presumably to blow out the candles. Anyone who has any idea of what makes physical comedy work should know what happens.

So if you found that funny, know that there is more of the same.

Plus, she gets over it

I am still learning the members of Idoling!!! myself. I only know Maria Eto and Rumi Koizumi without any assistance. Truthfully, Idoling!!! the show has too many episodes for me to keep up with. It is definitely a lot of fun whenever I do watch their show. Maybe I should review some Idoling!!! episodes here on TLS. I’ll have the time to if any of the rumors about Haromoni@ getting canned are true.

So, if I’ve convinced you to learn more, here are some Idoling!!! links:

• Acchi Muite Pie - A blog that is a collection to download Idoling!!! episodes or other media. Run by Silverbolt, who pretty much uploads all of Idoling!!! to our Interwebs.
• Idoling!!! wiki.theppn page
• Forever… Idoling!!! - A site/message board run by seek (I think?). I just found this place myself, but it exists.

Here’s a picture of Maria Eto to close on a good note:

I know that many in the IW community use Sitemeter. The only solution that I can suggest is to temporarily remove the Sitemeter script from your blog.

This happened on True Life Seek and my other blogs. This also happened on International Wota. It was also happening on other blogs using Sitemeter.

Using the Google Blog Search, I see that there have been bloggers - of different subjects of course - reporting this issue as well.

So for now, I’ve taken the Sitemeter script off of TLS (and IW). I’ve left the script on the Kanna Arihara Picblog so that I will know when the script is compatible again. If you are using IE6/7, this blog will not work.

This error only occured with IE, which is still used by a large portion of web users. You could try using the HTML-only code - I did not try this. I’m just going to wait until the Javascript version works with IE6/7 again until I put it back up.

Edit (2008.08.02 4:30PM EST): I’m assuming that this was solved some time earlier, but the script is working again. It is back on TLS and IW.

Here is a video of Ai Takahashi and Risa Niigaki preparing for their roles as Pink Lady in the upcoming drama “Hitmaker Aku Yuu Monogatari“. It would appear that they are trying to put forth a “quality” performance.

Fail.

The following video is Pink Lady. I’ve linked it on TLS before. There is no “quality” about it - and that is why it is so perfect.

YouTube - ピンクレディー Pink Lady “ピンク・タイフーン”.

I should have just posted my initial reaction.

There wasn’t and still isn’t much to post about though, at least not until an official decision is handed down. It may well end up being like the recent Miyabi Natsuyaki scandal - a bunch of hot air. Even if this is not the scandal to break Kanna’s back, it reminds me to enjoy what is in front of my face at this moment.

One day, Kanna’s career is going to come to an end. It may be in glory or it may be in disgrace. Either way, all careers do see an end. I shouldn’t be dropping any knowledge on anyone by saying this.

Besides the end of Kanna, C-ute, H!P, Perfume or any other act does not mean that I couldn’t live in the past for the rest of my days. I could grow old, deteriorating in a rocking chair while listening to Tokaikko Junjou. I would probably be drooling over myself and muttering “Tru..True Life Seek! Agh! Kanna!” Of course, I’d be listening to it on my iPod instead of a record player - actually an iPod will eventually be what a record player is today. Aw hell, I don’t even think my iPod could survive that long.

The point is that the old media isn’t going to just disappear like Kanna would.

So for now, Kanna is still in Hello!Project and everything is cool. The scandal did have some good consequences. It motivated me to put the finishing touches on another TLS blog. Yes, a Kanna Arihara picture blog. Like Nocchi Drives Me Wild, the sole purpose of this blog is just to post Kanna Arihara photos. Hopefully, there will be more to come in the future.

This will open a chat directly between you and me. If you want to tell me that I am an awful blogger without exposing yourself to anyone else, now is your chance!

So if I am online and you want to chat, this should be an incredibly easy way to do it. If you want to talk about TLS, blogging, Hello!Project, Perfume, how I am slowly falling into the Arashi trap or anything else, I’m game for it. The only thing I ask is that you introduce yourself in the first message. Something like “Hi broomhead, this is Al.” Otherwise, I will have no idea who is chatting with me.

But if you want to remain anonymous and tell me that I am awful blogger, you can do that too. If I find out who you are though, I will expose you to the Interwebs!