UFP/OG Spam Thread :: All things non-Hello!Project Related!

[JPope]

[quote="Anderei"]
I kind of agree with Haru that some of the complaining about it (especially so many years later) feels a lot like bitterness. That audition was nearly a decade ago and Aika graduated nearly three years ago. It feels like an even odder complaint now that H!P is full of Aikas that get fawned over. If Aika is a liability so are nearly entire groups. 
[/quote]
 
The reason Aika (and Koharu) are singled out for frustration is because they diluted an otherwise fairly talented group at the time each one joined. Standards have since been lowered. A lot. Not just for MM, but for the Jpop idol industry in general, Aika-level talent is the standard now, not the exception. 
 
I also think the fact that both Aika and Koharu were solo audition winners is why there is more fan frustration that neither was very talented compared to other past hacks (I'm looking in Konno's general direction.) Had Aika been a knock-out beauty as opposed to merely cute, some of the disappointment in her talent level would likely be tempered and less cutting. But we're talking about idols here, which is not the most objective interest most will hold.

[momoirosaya]

Is there frustration over Koharu with Japanese fans? Koharu had the whole KiraRevo thing which helped to promote MM. I know a lot of girls were always saying that's how they became fans of H!P is by watching that show when they were younger (me too).

[JPope]

I guess I'm referring to fans I see online. I have no idea what Japanese fans think about them, outside of reading translations of 2-chan threads at places like Wota In Translation and such.

[momoirosaya]

Well I know Aika wasn't popular in Japan either. But Koharu had to have a good level of popularity to be featured so much in singles.

[aine]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="eri" data-cid="188407" data-time="1433086128">Oh man, take your own damn advice and calm your own tits. Way to project into my TWO SENTENCE comment with a mini novel about the great potential ( ) of the popular and beloved artist Aika.</blockquote><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Haru" data-cid="188408" data-time="1433086821">Excuse me for having a different opinion and believing in everybody's potential rather than being bitter that Kikka didn't get it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</blockquote>
Two of my favourite BBS girls having a catfight? I don't know if I should be concerned or aroused.
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="showraniy" data-cid="188420" data-time="1433158735">The value she added to the group was behind the scenes, and it never really blossomed on screen for anyone to see. The most I remember her seniors in MM saying about her was that she never caused any problems because she learned the dances well, but that's a hard thing to sell on stage since it's only an advantage backstage.</blockquote>Aika bored me to tears as a member, but I completely agree with the above. Seeing her act as the group's support during their visit in Paris was really something else and it instantly warmed me up to her and honestly made me respect her a lot. Unfortunately, being an amazing backstage guardian spirit does not necessarily translate into a persona that would work in front of the audience.

[Madara]

[quote="Saya"]
Well I know Aika wasn't popular in Japan either. But Koharu had to have a good level of popularity to be featured so much in singles.
[/quote]
 
 
Was Koharu ever actually popular in Japan? I know she was never popular on MM-BBS. But did she ever have a fan base there? I mean separate from her Kirarin Revolution fans. I'm not sure if this was ever discussed here. Did she ever do solo Fan Club events and the like? Solo TV appearances like Sayumi and Momochi? I just don't remember. It all seems like it was ten years ago. 

[Anderei]

She was a regular on Oha Star which continued for a number of years post-grad, which is far longer than any other H!P member remained on the show. Even most popular girls don't just have random FC events. They're almost always connected to a birthday or graduation unless it's a dinner show.

[kira]

Koharu always struck me as a love her or hate her member. I never saw any in between.
 
I know people used to track shop photo sales and stuff and if I recall correctly Koharu was up there in the MM ranks, like right behind Ai/Reina/Sayu.
 
She also had a decent number of PBs if I recall correctly.

[Noa]

I am actually incredibly neutral on Koharu. I was a little sad when she left, mostly because it was the first graduation I experienced.

[momoirosaya]

Koharu is still able to work in the entertainment industry today because she was well known enough in MM.

[JPope]

All of Koharu's success -- photobooks, anime, modeling -- derives from her looks. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, just pointing it out. If Aika was as comely as Koharu, she'd be nearly universally loved by the global MM fanbase, because she's not the bitch that Koharu is. 

[Vikitty]

Kago's husband has been arrested for domestic abuse. She called the police on him after he kicked her repeatedly. She did the right thing and I really hope she and her kid find a safe place. This is really scary.
 
http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/1489822.html

[showraniy]

Fuck. I really hope the day will come when Kago gets it right. If it was just her and her own life, it'd be different, but she's got a kid to look after now and, fucking ugh. I'm getting upset just thinking about this, but I believe she may be a lost cause at this point, and it's the saddest thing in the world to watch her take her child down with her.

[WonderBuono]

That's terrible... what's really sad is that I saw this coming. Like, the whole thing where she said she was gonna divorce him and then backed out all of a sudden... I just knew he had to be manipulating her and I suspected abuse. I swear my heart breaks for Kago every day. I hope the police are doing something to make sure she and her daughter are safe.

[Anderei]

I hope he goes to jail. It's so hard for domestic abuse victims to walk away on their own so there's a good chance she might never totally break away unless they're at a point where he physically can't be in her life.

[Farrah]

Aibon is a textbook example of the exact type of person that often gets wrapped up in the cycle of abuse.  I get the feeling that she doesn't have a very good support system either, so I worry for her mental health.  I hope she stays safe.  I'm sure there has always been a darkness there - she had a very unstable home life growing up so it's kind of a given.  But it's kind of amazing how something as silly as an underage smoking scandal has seemingly pummeled her into a nearly decade long downward spiral.  Not one shred of good news about her ever since she got busted lighting up just weeks before her birthday.

[yuzuriha]

This is so heartbreaking, and also makes me sick to my stomach.  I am glad she made a step in the right direction by calling the police though.

[WonderBuono]

THE Possible is changing their name to Ciao Bella Cinquetti. Apparently "cinquetti" isn't even a real word... what the heck, I'm so tired of all these pointless name changes.


Source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-new-name-for-the-possible-ciao-bella-cinquetti/896354237090161

[Elpis]

That's the stupidest name change ever. I thought it was a joke when I first read that. I didn't think anything could beat the '14 and '15 that's been tacked onto the end of morning musume.

[momoirosaya]

Actually I've come to realize the number tacked onto the end of MM was a pretty smart move. MM is an old group, and having the year shows people they're still active. A lot of people thought that they had already broken up, so now when they hear "'15" they realize they're still active and then they might be interested in what kind of a group they are now.

[star]

I didn't get the point of the 'xx at the end of MM at first, but its actually a pretty smart idea. It grew on me as well.

[aine]

I'm only slowly starting to work through the pictures from our trip now, but here's an easy one - these three ladies were plastered all over the local JR trains in Tokyo:

IMG_0609s.jpg

This is only one of the many versions of the poster with different poses. Usually the trains were too crowded or myself too tired to think so I don't have photos of the other ones. I also have no idea what they're advertising. I didn't even notice them at first until Berry pointed them out to me and I was like "uh one of them kinda looks like Takahashi". I don't know if that's my memory fading, or if they actually do change that much once they graduate from idol-ness. But looking back at this picture now, damn, they look good.
 

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Valerie" data-cid="188609" data-time="1433904049">Kago's husband has been arrested for domestic abuse. She called the police on him after he kicked her repeatedly. She did the right thing and I really hope she and her kid find a safe place. This is really scary.</blockquote>
Double-U, an idols you can kick. Purposely poor joke with purposely poor grammar. Give this kid young woman some rest already, damn it.
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="WonderBuono" data-cid="188626" data-time="1433951313">THE Possible is changing their name to Ciao Bella Cinquetti. Apparently "cinquetti" isn't even a real word... what the heck, I'm so tired of all these pointless name changes.</blockquote>
I don't even care about The Possible at all, but this is patently retarded. I suppose they are referring to Gigliola Cinquetti, so, "Good bye, beautiful Cinquetti"? But why the heck Gigliola Cinquetti (I never heard of her before)? Does she have any ties to Japan at all? She's not even dead yet to name a band after her. :wut:

And I still think the "new" Morning Musume name is gimmicky and stupid.

[Madara]

Is Kaori Iida in a new movie? Check out the trailer for "And the Mud Ship Sails Away" in this link. The blurb and cast list says "Kaori Iida," but I didn't see anyone who looked like her in the trailer. Is there another Kaori Iida acting in Japan?
 
http://www.japansociety.org/event/and-the-mud-ship-sails-away
 
IMDB says it's her, but they're often wrong when two performers have the same name. 

[arcobaleno]

It's a different Iida Kaori! A guy, at that. I looked up the movie, and the kanji for his first name is different. IMDB actually got it wrong, too, his first name is KaoRU, not KaoRI.

[momoirosaya]

Plus the roles name is Shohei, which is a guys name.

[eri]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="aine" data-cid="188637" data-time="1433961119">
I'm only slowly starting to work through the pictures from our trip now, but here's an easy one - these three ladies were plastered all over the local JR trains in Tokyo:

<a class="bbc_url" href="http://mm-bbs.org/index.php?app=core&mo ... 09s.jpg</a>


This is only one of the many versions of the poster with different poses. Usually the trains were too crowded or myself too tired to think so I don't have photos of the other ones. I also have no idea what they're advertising. I didn't even notice them at first until Berry pointed them out to me and I was like "uh one of them kinda looks like Takahashi". I don't know if that's my memory fading, or if they actually do change that much once they graduate from idol-ness. But looking back at this picture now, damn, they look good.


<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Valerie" data-cid="188609" data-time="1433904049">
Kago's husband has been arrested for domestic abuse. She called the police on him after he kicked her repeatedly. She did the right thing and I really hope she and her kid find a safe place. This is really scary.</blockquote>
Double-U, an idols you can kick. Purposely poor joke with purposely poor grammar. Give this <del>kid</del> young woman some rest already, damn it.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="WonderBuono" data-cid="188626" data-time="1433951313">
THE Possible is changing their name to Ciao Bella Cinquetti. Apparently "cinquetti" isn't even a real word... what the heck, I'm so tired of all these pointless name changes.</blockquote>
I don't even care about The Possible at all, but this is patently retarded. I suppose they are referring to <a class="bbc_url" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigliola_C ... ">Gigliola Cinquetti</a>, so, "Good bye, beautiful Cinquetti"? But why the heck Gigliola Cinquetti (I never heard of her before)? Does she have any ties to Japan at all? She's not even dead yet to name a band after her. :wut:


And I still think the "new" Morning Musume name is gimmicky and stupid. </blockquote>


Thanks for the photo aine. The three (yaguchi, tsuji, takahashi) are in a group Datsumo Musume as a peomotion for Datsu aesthetic salons I think. Sorry on mobile and cant look up any more right now.

[Anderei]

Maki's having a baby:

http://s.ameblo.jp/gotomaki-923/entry-12039506929.html

[Noa]

Oh my god I'm so happy for her!

[yuzuriha]

Yay!

[star]

That is such great news!