This following dialog is a recent forum conversation between me ♂ and my friend Jam ♀. This whole exchange of words started just after Eri’s, Junjun’s and Linlin’s graduation announcement news and interestingly it went to quite a surprising direction.
zush:
…and when I just came back home THAT graduation news hit me like a lightning.
To be honest I’ve never cared so much about Eri. And Linlin was always there at the bottom of my rankings… but Junjun. This is worse than Koha’s graduation. Koha is still there but Junjun goes away. Guess who’s gonna cry when grad concert DVD and all that stuff comes out?
Jam:
I feel so complicated about this. I luff mah Eri, but really I’m happy she’s going since it’s good for her. I won’t exactly miss JunLin but I feel awful for their fans. No idol should be let go that early!
But then on the other hand. Thinking this the management-kind-of-way, it’s logical. I mean I liked the pandas too, they were like a good spice on a good food, but they weren’t that essential for MM as a product. I hope you know what I mean. All in all, I wish all 3 good luck.
But what I do NOT understand is how Tsunku thinks that it’s a good idea to add members. At least he better be doing a damn hard work on picking the girls. One more failure on that and MM is down. Since Koharu, there hasn’t been even one addition to whole H!P that made them more succesful. I’m not mocking any members, just thinking it the management’s way. I hope Tsunku picks them darn carefully or else it’s just more useless girls that won’t give Morning Musume anything spicy and new. What they need is shiny personalities, not just another.. Aika.
zush:
Heh he, yeah, Aika… what a shiny wonderful star Actually when I’m talkin about the girls of MM I’m talkin about my personal tastes on girls Koha for example was always more or less outsider in MM but something on her got me wild as you know. Konkon then… She either hadn’t a star quality but I like(d) her personality so very much as is the case also with Junjun. Ai-chan is too clean for me and I think you know what I mean.
We almost forgot what graduation is because MM was so long in that status quo. No shock for me, This is so normal move from Tsunku. But what kind of new girls he is seeking now? 12-15 years olds? Feels quite strange combination if next version of MM has very young and then these over 20 girls. Again… it would be interesting to know what’s going on in Tsunkuboy’s head. And is the solution for getting back the lost popularity in new girls or does it need something else/more? New style of music? New strategy in business? Tsunkuboy, what you’re chasing after?
Jam:
I know what you mean. I really like most of the members (all the time) and most of all the not-so-shiny ones, but it’s only true that there’s no room for them right now. We need at least one more Sayu, one more Ai and then maybe one Konkon to spice it up.
I’m not that shaken up either. I haven’t seen that many graduations, TsujiKago was my first one, but I’m used to it. And, it’s business.
It would be amazing if they started to show the girls personalities on singles too, like on “Souda! We’re Alive” kind of a things. That was one an epic PV. These days I find it pretty much so that all the girls are dressed in similiar ways and styled to look pretty much the same. It’d rock so hard if they gave each one a completely different outfit, hairstyle and lines to bring out their personalities.
zush:
Now you are getting to the point. Recent MM style/image has really been: Girls from the same “cake mould” and that makes the outcome a bit boring. Hmm, take “bit” out from that sentence. In the past there was much more diversity amongst girls. At least I see it this way. As we look back for example the period when Aibon & Nono were still there the whole group was way much more interesting than today.
When these three girls who has more edge in their characters… (hah ha, Eri is something else, I’ve never denied it and some goes with Junjun) …are leaving soon, MM really needs new girls which don’t come from that mould. Now when I’ve been thinkig about this age gap thing I’ve changed my mind. I mean maybe it could be refreshing to bring young girls in to MM. Young, not yet so polished girls who still have lot of fresh passion & characteristic roughness. It’s always interesting and fun to watch how girls grow up. The charm of Berryz Kobo for example has always been wathing those girls growing up.
Jam:
I really wouldn’t care for three 19 year olds who will just make the group more mature, not that it’s not mature enough already. I want that cute young sillyness again into Morning Musume!
zush:
Maybe this “cute young sillyness” is also the ultimate reason why I’ve been following S/mileage lately.
Jam:
Same here. Four lovely fools Saki’s insane laugh, Kanon’s stupid faces and jokes, Yuuka being slow and Dawa being so cutely awrkward that it hurts.
zush:
Yeah. That kind of sillyness is so heartwarming & fun to watch. Risako has it still. Of course Momo and sometimes also Chinami. Airi sure has it. But I’m afraid that Miya is loosing it fast now when she’s soon 18. She is getting herself more and more into that “Cool Lady Style”. And in Morning Musume I think Sayu will keep her sillyness no matter how old she is. But are there any other really positively silly girls in MM today besides Sayu?
Jam:
Partly the reason I love Socko so much is her own special Rii-Sillyness. So sweet. And that’s Airi’s charm also. But as for Miya, really, I don’t even miss her childlike jokes and silly nasal voice and stuff. I feel like she suits this sekushii thing a lot better. She seems to be more comfortable on stage too. And well simply put I just love Miyabi’s personality, how she’s so calm and “boring” at times. I like it a lot indeed.
zush:
Boring Miya is as cool as hot ice! When she is bored and looks at other girls she has this “Oh my god how those gals can be so fuckin stupid” facial expression. At those moments she looks so incredulous and almost surprised. Hah, it happens all the time when she is with Momo & Airi.
I’ve been wondering how much this sillyness could be a conscious behavior. I mean, when I watch for example Sayu being silly, I can’t believe she could be that much “stupid” she is acting. I just can’t imagine sweet Sayu being silly in her private life when she is off from her idol spotlight. There must be some kind of agreement between her and Up-Front Agency about her idol character & image. Kids and younger teens are naturally silly (hah ha, don’t take this too seriously) but when you grow up your behavior changes and you are more self-conscious and start thinking what you are going to say and do.
Jam:
I know what you mean. And (well as I recall it) Kago mentioned somewhere that idols actually do have certain images/roles that they have to stick with. I don’t know if it goes for all of them, but I’d imagine at least the most popular and typical characteric (I mean that they really have a certain image that they are known for) ones do have that in their contracts even. Momoko with her ridiculously cute anime character, Sayumi being narsistic and Mai-the-awfully-exhausting-yet-lovely-brat at least really come to my mind quickly.
You called me silly? Oh I’ll get you, I’ll get you for that one. No wait it’s completely true.
zush:
I guess the truth is that there is a little silly stupido living in every human being. No, it wasn’t my original phrase at all. Yes, I hate milk! I drink it only in cafe latte.
Jam:
Yes, I hate milk too! Only with coffee it’s fine! DOWN MILK, DOWN!
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