Hello!Spam :: 2017 ~Dancing Mode~

[Madara]

Thanks TicTac. I'm not sure it needs subtitling since it's so action-oriented and most of what they say is pretty repetitive, but there's one line Rikako says in Disc 2 after she's run a race that makes everybody laugh and I'm curious to know what she says.
 
MIP - Most Important Person. That certainly fits Momoko.

[JPope]

[quote="TicTacAnyone"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JPope" data-cid="208042" data-time="1496628766">
<div>
Maybe she's just on vacay?
[/quote]
 
That's one expensive vacation... Wouldn't she rather just fly back to Japan during the American school summer vacation?
 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Not if she wanted to visit NZ. I imagine she can afford it easier than most people.

[momoirosaya]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JPope" data-cid="208050" data-time="1496644323"><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TicTacAnyone" data-cid="208044" data-time="1496631777"><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JPope" data-cid="208042" data-time="1496628766">
Maybe she's just on vacay?</blockquote>


That's one expensive vacation... Wouldn't she rather just fly back to Japan during the American school summer vacation?
</blockquote>


Not if she wanted to visit NZ. I imagine she can afford it easier than most people.</blockquote>
Let's not forget most H!P girls come from pretty well off families.

[showraniy]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Meikochi" data-cid="208022" data-time="1496567574">
A japanese C-ute fan I helped in Paris gave me tickets for C-ute today shows (last day of their tour). Day show : 1st row, right in the middle. Airi waved at me at the end when I was crying because Maimi and Nakky shed tears. I'm dead.

Also, Ruru is really cute.</blockquote>


Aw, congratulations, that's so awesome!! I would be ecstatic if that happened to me, and that's great you got to see them before they disbanded. :)

[Anderei]

Nakanishi Kana 20th Birthday Event at TFM Hall
 
Event 1
1. Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi (Fujimoto Miki)
2. Namida no Hoshi (Goto Maki)
3. Furusato (MM)
4. Kaccho Ii Uta (Mobekimasu)
5. Yattaruchan (S/mileage)
 
Event 2
1. NEXT MY SELF (Mano Erina)
2. Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi
3. Namida no Hoshi
4. Jishin Motte Yume wo Motte Tobitatsu Kara (MM/Takahashi)
5. Choto Mate Kudasai! (S/mileage)
 

[Madara]

Despairing of ever seeing another new MM album again, I went over their list of singles and identified seven singles, containing approx. 16 songs, released from 2012 to 2017, that I don't already have. (The oldest are "Wakuteka Take a Chance" and "Help Me!!" and the newest is "Brand New Morning.") The total cost on CDJapan, minus shipping, would be about $70. I don't know if they'd all fit in one package that would fit in my mailbox (and an oversized package would require a trip to the nearest post office a mile or so away), so I'd have to break up the shipment or just include a single or two with every future order of concert DVDs that I make. The whole cost would probably be close to $100, give or take a few bucks, for what is essentially an album's worth of material.
 
So, is there a cheaper way of acquiring these songs? I've never ordered any music digitally. My iTunes simply consists of all the music I've transferred there from CDs. Is it possible to order all these songs from iTunes? Or another source that would deposit the songs digitally to my iTunes account?
 
Thanks.

[Shoujo Q]

Have you ever tried Book Off in NYC? They might have the singles.

[Meikochi]

YAJ could be a good way as well, singles can go for only 50¥ after events.

[Madara]

Re: Book Off. I rarely see recent singles there, although I should check the store again before I make a CDJapan order.
 
Yahoo Auction Japan? Never tried it. It looks intimidating. And complicated. I need things to be simple.
 
Thanks.

[al kusanagi]

[quote="Madara"]
Despairing of ever seeing another new MM album again, I went over their list of singles and identified seven singles, containing approx. 16 songs, released from 2012 to 2017, that I don't already have. (The oldest are "Wakuteka Take a Chance" and "Help Me!!" and the newest is "Brand New Morning.") The total cost on CDJapan, minus shipping, would be about $70. I don't know if they'd all fit in one package that would fit in my mailbox (and an oversized package would require a trip to the nearest post office a mile or so away), so I'd have to break up the shipment or just include a single or two with every future order of concert DVDs that I make. The whole cost would probably be close to $100, give or take a few bucks, for what is essentially an album's worth of material.
 
So, is there a cheaper way of acquiring these songs? I've never ordered any music digitally. My iTunes simply consists of all the music I've transferred there from CDs. Is it possible to order all these songs from iTunes? Or another source that would deposit the songs digitally to my iTunes account?
 
Thanks.
[/quote]
 
I want to say most of their stuff is on itunes. Every so often there will be songs that don't get on there because of cross promotions or licensing issues, but most get released. Even the MaaDuu duet they did a couple of weeks ago got a US itunes release. Finding them can be a pain though since sometimes it's listed in English and sometimes in Japanese.
 
I was a die hard CD buyer but importing on top of the already dumb Japanese pricing got way too expensive and I just download all the new HP stuff off itunes. You can download 4 albums for the price of one import.

[yuzuriha]

I know I have most of those from iTunes except the newer ones (I didn't even think to check on the last couple...oops) so I'd say check there and then buy the rest of CDJ.  I know one or two songs are missing from some of them ever since Tsunku stopped being the sole producer in which case I'd say those are the ones to just buy the physical copy of.

[Derby]

I saw this on my feed because I still watch the sekapaka video every now and then.
But I just post it so you can look at Sakura's long hair being moved by the wind, she spent such a long time with short hair.

[JPope]

Geez, I get Ogata representing my Tigers. 
 
EDIT:
 
Here's more footage. It's mostly Mizuki talking about something or other, and Ogata and Sato saying a bit, each representing one of the playing teams (Ogata for Hansin Tigers, and Sato for Chiba Lotte Marines). The best part is around 4:15, though, as Maria throws a ceremonial pitch, and appears to have made it all the way to the plate. (Hard to tell as the camera doesn't really follow the pitch). It's super adorbs.
 
EDIT 2, Electric Boogaloo:
 
<div>And here's the post-performance media interview, where I have no idea what's being said, although I'm pretty sure that Maria confirms that the pitch she threw was in fact a four-seam fast ball, and not a knuckle-ball, lol.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>EDIT 3 (Yes, I'm a MM and a baseball geek): Not only did Maria's pitch make it to home plate on the fly, but it was a legitimate strike. Sure, it was lobbed in there, but I've seen grown men bounce it or throw it over the catcher's head (coughObamacough) from the back of the mound. Hanshin's Shun Takayama was good sport and swung, missing it on purpose, lol. Here's video from a different angle. </div>

[al kusanagi]

I seem to remember her getting to throw out a pitch a year or so ago and not reaching the plate, so this one was her revenge.

[Madara]

Did Up-Front ever consider taking Airi out of C-ute and making her a solo artist?  Let's say, hypothetically, that they had done just that around, say, 2010 or 2011. How long would C-ute have lasted without her? How long would her solo career have lasted? I suspect that we got to see C-ute as long as we did and Airi as long as we did precisely because she stayed in C-ute.
 
Thoughts?

[JPope]

I don't think they ever considered it because by the time she would have been ready for it, C-ute had settled into a positive group dynamic and the era of the solo idol had mostly passed. There's also the idea that her singing, while perfect for a group, might not have had enough personality to sustain a solo career. In the "Hello! Project COMPLETE ALBUM BOOK Roundtables," recording producers Yamao Masato and Hashimoto Shin mention that, despite Suzuki's precision, they both wish her singing had more personality.
 
There would have been way too much to lose and not nearly enough to gain by having her go solo. 

[TicTacAnyone]

Imo, C-ute would have fell into pieces shortly after Airi left the group. Not only for the loss of her singing, but her overall performance, fanbase, general public popularity (or potential for it, earlier on), and goofy personality. C-ute's stages would have been flat with just the 4 girls that are left.... And while Maimi and Chisato would have been able to handle a majority of the lines, Maimai would have snapped. And Chisato would have had her vocal nodule surgery probably a year earlier than she did lol. 
 
I can' say for sure how Airi would have done solo. We will be able to see how she does solo now, years later, though.

[Madara]

Thanks, that pretty much confirms what I thought. It also helps that Airi was in Buono! during this period, so I doubt the issue of making her a solo act ever came up. She was thriving in both groups.
 
My other contention is that Airi thrived in C-ute because it was so uncompetitive. Everyone recognized her strengths and no one fought over lines or staging with her. Everyone knew their strengths in the group and shined when the song played to them and deferred to Airi when it was obvious she would enhance the song. There was teamwork and cooperation. At least that's how it has always seemed to me.
 
Nacky and MaiMai seemed to get less attention in later years, and fewer lines and featured spots, whereas they each got to do a lot more in the group's first five to six years. I contend that they peaked in their adolescence (MaiMai) and teens (Nacky) and better served the group in backup roles in recent years, while the other three just kept getting better and better.

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="Madara"]
Thanks, that pretty much confirms what I thought. It also helps that Airi was in Buono! during this period, so I doubt the issue of making her a solo act ever came up. She was thriving in both groups.
 
My other contention is that Airi thrived in C-ute because it was so uncompetitive. Everyone recognized her strengths and no one fought over lines or staging with her. Everyone knew their strengths in the group and shined when the song played to them and deferred to Airi when it was obvious she would enhance the song. There was teamwork and cooperation. At least that's how it has always seemed to me.
 
Nacky and MaiMai seemed to get less attention in later years, and fewer lines and featured spots, whereas they each got to do a lot more in the group's first five to six years. I contend that they peaked in their adolescence (MaiMai) and teens (Nacky) and better served the group in backup roles in recent years, while the other three just kept getting better and better.
[/quote]
 
I mean, over the years Chisato had to--more or less--fight for spot as a lead vocalist. Airi seems to be the kind of singer that is personally invested in her performance and technique.... We know she didn't learn her skills from any vocal coaches at H!P. So I think even if there was another amazing singer in C-ute (which Chisato is somewhat close), she would strive to better herself. 
 
Personally I think Nakky was underutilized... But you can't really just have one girl you give the background solos too, right? That'd be too cruel. So they put Nakky back there when I think she could have handled more. She didn't seem particularly crazy about singing, but I think she would have made a few small strides if they had let her.

[Madara]

I wonder how that dynamic would have worked behind the scenes, i.e. Chisato pushing for more lead vocals. Did management simply recognize her talent as a belter and give her more leads or did she have to assert herself in some way? She certainly doesn't seem like the type to hold back. Did she petition management in private? I wonder how that played out. Don't know if this can be answered.

[TicTacAnyone]

[quote="Madara"]
I wonder how that dynamic would have worked behind the scenes, i.e. Chisato pushing for more lead vocals. Did management simply recognize her talent as a belter and give her more leads or did she have to assert herself in some way? She certainly doesn't seem like the type to hold back. Did she petition management in private? I wonder how that played out. Don't know if this can be answered.
[/quote]
 
I think she just worked really hard at her vocals and was recognized for it in the recording booth/mixing. Ever since Erika left Chisato began slowly nudging her way into the top singers of the group... Eventually beating out Maimi with her killer vibrato :)

[JPope]

Chisato, from my perspective, has soul in a way that very few H!P singers have ever had, which actually works against her in the context of J-idol pop. She's less predictable, but more passionate. Airi has a more conventional and technically-sound voice for the genre, so it makes sense that she was given the lead. I prefer Chisato, but I understand why she never eclipsed Airi in the pecking order.

[MejraThea]

I think now's a good time to watch this, with this in mind. I've always loved this, but you all reminded me of it haha.

[Purin-chama]

Chisato, even in her HPK audition, had talent. I remember her being one of the best of the kids. Just no one ever noticed! Part of the problem early on with her not getting solos was her work ethic and confidence, if I remember correctly. She didn't work at getting there and goofed off with Mai. Management didn't take her seriously. They probably learned from TsujiKago's early days

[Madara]

Thanks for that clip, Thea. It's from the Queen of J-pop 2013 concert at Budokan. I've got it on Blu-ray. I'd forgotten about it and need to see that concert again. Thanks.
 
(You've got a lot of good stuff uploaded to Dailymotion. I must explore it in greater detail. Next up: Sayashi Riho Special Live. )

[freezingkiss]

Did anyone else feel like the C-ute disbandment was so much more...positive than the Berryz one? It's been a few days and they are already still always hanging out together. It's so, so awesome they're such good friends and hopefully we see them pop up in each others work (like Airi releasing a solo single and getting to be on a variety show where Chisato is a regular). 
 
Berryz man, they all went their separate ways and that was that. Were any of them truly close within that group? If they weren't it really explains why their performance quality was eventually easily eclipsed by C-ute in the later years (even as a Berryz stan I saw them both in 2012 and C-ute blew BK out of the water). 

[TheParuProject]

Maasa and Yurina spend time together a lot, and did that FC event together. I imagine Miya and Momo are on good terms too, though it's hard to really gauge the level of Momo's personal relationships with anybody.

[Purin-chama]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TheParuProject" data-cid="208292" data-time="1497718580">
Maasa and Yurina spend time together a lot, and did that FC event together. I imagine Miya and Momo are on good terms too, though it's hard to really gauge the level of Momo's personal relationships with anybody.</blockquote>
Unsure how long Captain was in New Zealand, but you could argue her and Chinami spend a lot of time together


Honestly, I think the Berryz girls are just too busy with their own jobs to see one another as often. They still seem chummy. Technically C-ute is probably in between jobs or going to take a vacation before starting anything new. They probably have a bit more time right now.

[Derby]

THEY MADE MORE SEKAPAKA COMERCIALS Y'ALL!!! THIS TIME FEATURING THE OTHER MEMBERS TOO

[Anderei]

[quote="Myst"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TheParuProject" data-cid="208292" data-time="1497718580">
Maasa and Yurina spend time together a lot, and did that FC event together. I imagine Miya and Momo are on good terms too, though it's hard to really gauge the level of Momo's personal relationships with anybody.
</blockquote>
Unsure how long Captain was in New Zealand, but you could argue her and Chinami spend a lot of time together


Honestly, I think the Berryz girls are just too busy with their own jobs to see one another as often. They still seem chummy. Technically C-ute is probably in between jobs or going to take a vacation before starting anything new. They probably have a bit more time right now.
 
[/quote]
 
 
Yeah, things could be totally different in a year when they're off doing their own things.