This is a rather long article (sorry!). You can read the full one or soldier on through my snipped version, which is still long, but full of snips! I was attacked by the quote monster. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />
[center]"Morning Musume not ready to graduate yet"
[/center]Three members of the Japanese pop phenomenon (and their manager) insist their mornings are far from numbered
Sitting squeezed together on a cafe sofa in central Tokyo, wide-eyed and eager, are "band leader" Ai Takahashi, age 22, "subleader" Risa Niigaki, 20, and one of the group's two Chinese members, Lin Lin, 17. One might think the members of this chart-happy Japanese institution would be run off their feet, but they show no signs of it. "We get winter, summer and New Year holidays for five days each, though it depends on the situation," explains Niigaki. Exuding self-confidence, Takahashi bursts out, "I went to New York! I saw Blue Man Group and Broadway musicals like 'Phantom of the Opera,' 'The Producers' and 'Chicago!' "
Everything is produced by one man: the all-controlling Tsunku. "He decides everything," explains the group's manager since September 2008, Kouichi Nishikata. "Usually an artist is controlled by their management, but this group is formed by the producer. It is a rare case."
Nishikata admits, "I think that the group could never survive without him. Tsunku really produces the songs, concepts, costumes, makeup, live shows, CD-sleeve designs — you name it! I had thought there was a stand-in or something to do all that."
"Recently, the songs Mr. Tsunku gives us are kind of mature and lonesome," says Niigaki. Asked how they may differ if they were in control, Niigaki replies: "If I could write a song, I'd like to write a little funny and jolly tune!"
"(I'd do) something cool. A danceable tune!" says Takahashi. "Like Destiny's Child."
Revealing their very different personalities, the perky Lin Lin suggests "rock music! A very crazy song! And the lyrics would be written in Chinese, Japanese and English!"
Morning Musume have recently been on a slow decline in terms of sales, and the group's revolving-door regeneration has had the negative effect that few consumers today recognize individual members. However, the girls' different personalities are highly apparent, and it's clear the management is keen to cultivate their individual abilities to reverse the slide.
"Each one should be recognized as being in Morning Musume in her prime," says Nishikata. "It used be like that. Morning Musume were well known, but also (original member) Natsumi Abe was well known (in her own right). But nobody knows who is in Morning Musume anymore."
Each member's forced "graduation" as they are deemed too old or mature, or the group need a fresh face, is the point by which they must have established themselves enough to go it alone. The inevitability of their young retirement from the group, though, is something the current crop barely consider as a limitation.
"I can't think of my graduation at all," says an animated Niigaki, before conceding, "I think of it a little now that I'm one of the longest-serving of the group, but when I first joined, never! I only thought about how to catch up with the other girls."
"I'd really like to make sure each one of them continues to work after their graduation," explains Nishikata. "We have promoted them as a group so far, but from now on, we'd like to promote them one by one, so I hope they can do more personal work after this summer."
Takahashi's willingness to answer quickly and authoritatively, supported by the considered approach of Niigaki, reflects in their older-sisterly roles as leader and subleader. In reality, they admit that the titles translate to little extra work.
"We sometimes form a circle before a live show or something. And we shout for self-encouragement, like, 'Ganbatte-ikemasu!' ('Let's go do our best!') " says Takahashi.Niigaki continues, "There is nothing I have to do as a subleader, but I want to support Ai when she's got a problem. So I have no pressure!"
Meanwhile, the other members of the group seem to be as diverse as Takahashi, Niigaki and Lin Lin. "The naughty one is Mitsy (Aika Mitsui, age 16). She won't let us sleep on a plane!" reveals Niigaki. "The funniest is Koharu Kusumi" (16) — the only girl selected in the audition for the seventh generation. "So her nickname was 'Miracle Koharu.' Eri Kamei, 20, is the messy one. She can't put things in order!"
Despite spending so much time together, the girls admit that even in their free time, they are rarely separated. They are rather coy, though, on the topic of seemingly inevitable group in-fighting.
"We always discuss a problem all together," says Niigaki.
"Sometimes one of our staff advises us to discuss a problem," adds Takahashi. "We are doing fine!"
At Morning Musume's inception, the group's fan base was diverse, attracting young girls, boys and parents. But another probable reason for their recent decline can be attributed to the resurgent otaku (obsessive fans). At a recent Hello! Project show in front of around 14,000 in Yokohama Arena, barely a single woman could be spotted among the dedicated and exuberant middle-age male crowd.
In April 2004, audio footage recorded backstage reportedly captured then-member Rika Ishikawa exclaiming: "Look at them. Grownups screaming like that! I can't believe it. So stupid!" Although such a scandal is rare in the micromanaged Musume life, standing in front of such frenzied supporters clearly affects the girls.
"I've been doing this for eight years but I still get as nervous as I did the first time," says Takahashi.
"I get a little nervous," states Niigaki, "but I love live shows so much, and being able to see the joyful faces of the fans." Lin Lin, meanwhile, finds it "too enjoyable to stay nervous!"
"The fans know about us in great detail," continues Niigaki, "and they can perform all our dance moves perfectly at the live shows!" Nevertheless, all the girls surprisingly admit that they walk comfortably on the streets without a disguise.
Morning Musume's move into China has been seen as the next logical step for the group. However, all has not gone according to plan. "The attempt to launch Morning Musume into China hasn't gone very well," admits Nishikata. "CDs don't sell well, because they are soon pirated. Two years ago, when Lin Lin and Jun Jun (22) joined, we tried to push them hard to China, but it didn't go so well. We are still trying to find a way."
The future of succeeding generations of Morning Musume is clearly something Nishikata is working hard to secure. And a move to the West is a definite possibility.
"In Europe and the U.S., there are many fans of Morning Musume and Japanese idoru (manufactured entertainers), thanks to the Internet," says Nishikata. "(We) were invited to an event in L.A. called A.X. (Anime Expo) as a music guest this July. There are already a lot of fans of Japanese animation (in the U.S.), so it might be easy to get in through that."
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I hope you're all still with me after that. I tried to keep the original article intact. I suck at paraphrasing stuff so I just chopped instead. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... iggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />
I guess I really can blame Tsunku for everything, especially the covers. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' /> And this is a MUCH better interview then that horrible one in the Anime Insider Magazine. (They remembered Aika and correctly identified Takahashi!)
