KAKKO-II.COM BLOG

I’m still talking about interaction between artists & their fans. There is a very good reason for that ‘cause Miyabi’s birthday is soon. She is celebrating her 15th birthday on 25th August.  On that very same day Berryz is going to have a concert in Osaka.

It’s a common thing that fans of popular H!P artists arrange a special surprise for their idols when they are graduating or having B-days. That’s the case also with Miya’s B-day. Japanese fans have launched a special web site where you can write Birthday greetings to Miya. Also this site is a communication & planning channel for Berryz & Miya fans who are going to that Osaka concert.

Fans already have a plan how to surprise Miya on her special day. Because red is Miya’s fave color, they are going to buy hundreds of red glow sticks and light & wave them during Berryz encore. I’m sure Miya is going to be very happy & touched when she sees that wavy red sea before her eyes.

You can also go to that fan site and post a B-day message to Miya. I already did it (not surprise I guess). First click pink navigation button and then on next page that violet banner.

Concert audience can be awesome. Best moments are those when it seems that the crowd and the performer(s) are surfing on a same emotional wave, feeling high & touched, supporting each others to the point that there is only that interactive experience, the ultimate shared trance, togetherness, or what ever you want to call it.

At the moment, when I’m writing this, I’m listening to a fan’s recording of Hello! Project’s Osaka concert held on 22nd July 2007. I have grabbed several this kind of recordings lately and they all show even more clearly than DVDs how dedicatelly fans in the audience are with the performers. They shout, they sing along, they clap and they stomp.

As said many times before, the great audience can boost those artists on stage to another level where they do their things even better than they thought they are ever able to do. Every time I listen these concert recordings I wonder how cool it is to be a Hello! Project artist. How cool it is to be a fan of those artists. I listen now Ai Araba It’s All right and I’m absolutely sure that if I some how had been there among that shouting crowd, I also had been singing, shouting names (like KonKon & Miya) and waving my glow sticks. Dream on Zush, dream on…

Now on Osaka Festival Hall’s stage it’s Berryz singing their song Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba. Berryz is a good example of how deeply audience can touch artist. When Berryz were doing their encore at Saitama Super Arena last spring, people took their pink glow sticks up and girls went crying when saw that: Hundreds and hundreds of pink lights waving before their tearful eyes. That must have been a very wonderful experience for all berries.

My experiences on H!P artist’s concerts so far are quite mild: watching DVDs & listening these not-so-good-quality recordings. But I’ve got a hint of how it could be. I can feel those emotions, I can enjoy, I can have tears, I can be happy. Yeah, I have a dream and I hope that this dream come’s true some time in the near future.

This is a true life story as far as I exist. And as it’s true I must warn you: Be carefull with sweet fresh berries!

Here’s the latest case of addiction: They sell now new transparent H!P Collector’s cards in Japan. Cards look absolutely cool and as there is also Berryz individual member cards available (thanks to Craig for tip) I got an urgent need to get at least Miyabi’s & Risako’s cards. So I asked my Japanese contact (who has got & sold me many Berryz items) if it’s possible to get those cards for me.

As cards are sealed in opaque packages you can’t be sure who’s cards are inside them. So this dealer told that he has bought about 100 card packages (one card in each package) and there has not been any Miya or Risako cards so far. The good thing is that if he is lucky and finds those my-wanted-cards, I’m the one who’s getting them then

Another thing. This my Japanese contact is going to H!P’s concert this weekend. And he is going to buy lot of H!P & Berryz stuff there. Maybe something limited Berryz also for me… I hope. And… he is getting for me Berryz new Fan Club DVD.

Still one aggravating thing. I already have Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba’s CDS+DVD edition but now I’m getting also it’s single DVD version. In same parcel comes Risako’s 2nd Photobook.

This is as it goes. Daily dose of berries keeps me happy. One question still remains to be answered. But what’s the question? And what will be the answer?

I published this blog entry first time at http://kakkoii.vox.com/ on July 17th with title “Collector’s Cards – If you are lucky”.

When I saw this fresh UFA official photo this morning I had tears. So sentimental I am. Still I am. This event does not need any more words.

So very happy!

Welcome back KonKon!

Foreword
I’ve been a MM fan since 1998/99.
Selfishly I can say that I have competence & perspective to comment Morning Musume’s new “Onna ni Sachi Are” single/song this way as I’m gonna do now.

Here we go then.

Emotion:
Sadness.

Pros:
Chinese girls are now in line-up.
Reina roxx again. Aika is learning to roxx.

Cons:
Stupid retarded pseudo trance pop song.
Boring and dull production & mix.
Un-inspired promo video [yawn].

Summary:
This is one of the worst songs MM has done during it’s 10 years long career.

Conclusion:
Despite of this I still believe in miracles.
I can’t believe that this song shows the entire style of “New & improved Morning Musume”.
But if it turns out to be so, I’m afraid it’s going to be the end of my MM fandom.

Side notes:
MM’s latest album is still on my playing list.
I enjoyed MM’s Sexy8 Beat concert dvd last night.

Yeah, Baka ne, baka ne, baka ne… (as girls say there).