Magi-Kat presents "Morning Meteora"

A sandwiched farewell to Biyuuden (OH NOES! Magi-Kat's rambling again!)

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:58:19 -0400

I’ve been away from this blog for so long that it’s probably forgotten (or is it?). I thank TLS’s survey for giving me a reason to post a new subject, along with Henkka’s comment for giving me the confidence to blog.

See, I’ve somewhat lost the want, the confidence to blog with how gimmicky the subject matter was becoming, along with how my blog appears to be “not as good” as the others covered on IW. My attempts at blogging for other subjects is proving somewhat difficult because there are so many to choose from. The fact my computer broke down mid-May further made me away from the blogging board (the survey was posted from my mom’s computer). I mean, it was at the point I was making a post with the following paragraphs:

It’s time to sit down here again. April 23rd was the 6-month anniversary of the day “Morning Meteora” hit the cyber airwaves. I had a few things planned: a revised version of that disgraceful essay comparing Koharu Kusumi and Chester Bennington, a long essay about my past, or a list of things a la Pagoda. One idea was one asking “What’s wrong with Morning Meteora?” and “How I can improve as a blogger?”

How can I improve as a blogger? I may not have had the same “blogging fire” as I did back in late 2007 (most likely induced by school and the fact I grew new interests and somewhat moved away from H!P and Linkin Park) but part of me doesn’t want this blog to die so easily. This was such a great hobby for me and a good way for me to express my feelings and share them with those who share them. Isn’t that the point of blogging anyway?

However, while it’s nice to be back like my favorite idols (Mako-chan, Aibon, Kaorin, Tsuji-chan, Gomaki) and express my desires of writing on new subject matter, that’s not what this post is about (though I’d like to cover all of these comebacks and other current events at a later date). This post is about…

V-u-den_Fleur_de_Fleur

…them.

February 2008

Farewell, Biyuuden, for you have joined the cover crowd. No wonder nobody likes H!P anymore (save for the Gatas and the Hannah Montana of Morning Musume).

I mean, seriously, I don’t even like the song they’re covering but now I’ll force myself to like it for Biyuuden’s sake. I was expecting a single that closes the great (to the fans and the jerk-off wota) Biyuuden catalog but instead, it’s an ode to Rika’s Musume days. I guess it won’t be that bad after all. Goodbye, Biyuuden, goodbye. Reminds me of a Spice Girls song but I’ll get to that when they’re disbanding. (I just hope that the PV isn’t as bad as for “Jaja Uma Paradise,” which I doubt considering Biyuuden’s “Some Boys’ Shrew in Touch ‘n Catch Screw Paradise” image). *Loses points for the lame Maki Goto reference*.

April 2008

V-u-den’s new song hits the airwaves and it’s rather good. It nearly brought tears to my eyes (and listening to “Leave Out All the Rest,” which will be Linkin Park’s next single, isn’t helping). Well… I wish I could write more about it but that’s for another entry. I will say this though: the b-side being solo songs for each member was a nice touch. Kudos to Tsunku, his posse, and UFA!

The covers looks heavenly also, though I’d think the regular edition would’ve been the purple cover (since the limited edition covers are supposed to be somewhat “better” and “more marketable” since they’ll be here for a short time). I mean, they look as though they could spread their wings and fly into Hello! Heaven. Either way, they look lovely.
The PV is a fine tribute to the friendship the group had (and yay! No “Jaja Uma Paradise Part 2”!). Sales were declining since their debut single and it brings great closure to the Biyuuden PV collection. The white background in one scene reminds me of the “Itoshiki Tomo e” PV from more than half a year ago. The scenes with them on the beach only amplify the sentiment of the single. (Either way, the PV and it being a better one than “Jaja Uma” was a dream come true)

Now, I wish Biyuuden the very best and this was the perfect ending song. May seem cheap but it’s the thought that counts (and indeed, it has the same sentiment). Now… let’s try to speculate the futures for the legends:

Rika Ishikawa would continue as a member of Ongaku Gatas, no doubt. Why should we even worry about that?

Erika Miyoshi, originally selected to be in a “new unit,” goes into a solo career. Either that or: form a group with some people or 2. Form a group with Yui. Since the latter hasn’t materialized, it appears that Erika-chan will be a soloist.

Yui Okada joins a unit of her fellow Eggs. Why am I also thinking of Yui going solo also? Can’t she go into modeling and let her assets do the talking? Then again, why waste someone like her? She has fans, a good appeal to wota. Knowing UFA, she’ll be put somewhere. As of now, however, it appears that she is a soloist like her former bandmates.

Well, farewell fellow graduates (I graduated from high school three days ago so I often consider myself "graduating" alongside these three). Let’s go towards the future!

Let’s brighten up the future with the latest fruit to bloom in the Field of Berryz:

Berryz Koubou - Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance

Kawaii, silly, very Berryz-ish, it’s just a good song! Why?

A cool dance that I know fans will be dancing to. (If I can grow the guts to dance to an idol song, I would. I mean, I tried to dance to “Anataboshi” but I kept chickening out).
A rockin’ song that is a reminiscent of their earlier releases.
I knew it was going to have a silly side judging by the title itself. Personally, I’d never think I’ll like the song but I’ve proven myself wrong. I like this song even more than “Dschingus Khan” even!
I heard a lot of praise for more even line distribution. Now, I’m not as familiar with the “voices” and the faces as much as other fans so I’ll take their word for it.
I can sense that the lyrics, despite its silliness, has a “Go for it! Chance!” message. It’s just intuition and I’ll save it for when translations come out.

Now that the Berryz have lightened things up a bit, I’ll be signing out now!

The Rambling Magi-Kat
(Yuke Yuke! Banza~i!)

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Help a Blogger Out: A TLS Survey, MorniMete Style

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:44:31 -0400

This was a survey that True Life Seek has put out there for bloggers to try called "Help a Blogger Out: A TLS Survey." I felt it was interesting so I gave it a shot.

It also made me think about the goals I had for "Morning Meteora" and what I had in mind for this space in the blogosphere, along with its place. For a long time, I was asking myself these questions: "What's wrong with Morning Meteora?" "How can I improve it?" I've been trying for ages to get these feelings, these inquiries into an entry but circumstances kept me from doing so. Now, I've decided to vent out these emotions into this survey since they made me go inside myself, become introverted about what I did, what I do, and what I will do.

Goals:

Why do you blog?

I blogged to share my ideas. It started as a hobby out of a desire to start a blog, inspired by the many great blogs at IW. IroIro Aru Sa, HNPH, the big blogs, the ones we read the most and look up to the most.

What long-term goals do you hope to accomplish, if any at all?

I've already achieved "Get noticed on International Wota" so I rarely have any "long-term" goals. Become a better blogger perhaps?

Where does your blog fail to meet your goals?

It's too stagnant (it's mostly my fault for being "lazy" and pre-occupied with life atm), not to mention somewhat "closed." I want to expand my horizons and show that I'm more than "Hello! Project and Linkin Park." After all, "Morning Meteora" is just a name.

If you do have goals, what will accomplishing them do for yourself?

It'll help me establish a sense of expansion and share my thoughts with fellow fans. Besides, isn't it good to keep your mind (and blogging palette) open?

What do you want to gain out of blogging? A creative outlet? Praise from others? Personal satisfaction? Money?

Mostly personal satisfaction, a creative outlet, and praise from others. However, I've grown to accept that not everyone is going to like my blog (as we all have our detractors) so I'd might as well expect less praise.

Do you feel that your blog should meet a requirement for amount of entries? Do you feel any particular entry should be a certain length?

One per day. If I make any more, I feel like I'm bombarding you. I want to space out my posts because everyone doesn't have as much free time as I do.

As for entries, if it's short like the one for Milky Way and Iida Kaori's baby boy, it's too short for me, too "drop of candy." Then again, it's good to have a variety of lengths to keep yourself flexible.

For any particular entry, what motivates you to start and finish blog posts?

Any ideas that pop into my head and current events.

Do you actively consider long term goals for each individual post?

Rarely. I've even stopped expecting every entry to be covered because, compared to other blogs, it's pretty low on the totem pole.

Subject Material:

What do you blog about?

At first, it was about Hello! Project and Linkin Park (hence the name "Morning Meteora," stemming from H!P's flagship group and LP's second album). Right now, I'm considering making an entry about Polysics (because I love the song "Rocket" and it's high time I spotlighted my love for the group) and another about the various versions of "Computer Obaachan."

Would you be keep a blog even if it wasn’t about the subjects you tend to cover?

Maybe, maybe not.

Do you write about the material to promote it to others?

At times, yeah. The "Linkin Berryz" entry served the purpose of attempting to bridge the two worlds, along with the Chester Bennington Birthday post that took a look at H!P members born in his decade.

Readership:

How much do you care about readership?

Used to care a lot but now I don't. I've come to realize that, while I need to advertise more, my blog may not be as popular as the blogs that inspired it.

Does it satisfy you to know people are reading, even if they don’t comment?

Yeah. Blogs are meant to be read after all.

What effect does receiving a comment have on you?

Gives me a sense of well-being. It makes me feel that someone is still supporting this blog.

Do you write with a particular audience in mind or an unspecified general audience? Why?

At first, I tried to cater to the Hello! Project fan because H!P was something I truly knew about (even with the LP fanlove). The Linkin Park thing came later because I was showing to other people and they're more likely to know about Mike Shinoda than Miho Shinoda. Right now, I want to expand even beyond that because I'm more than just out-of-style idols and a rock band.

If you write for a particular audience, is it International Wota? If yes, why?

At first, it was the International Wota crowd because it was the crowd that inspired my blogging. Now I realize that I may have fallen out of favor of the crowd with how out-there and rambling my posts tend to be. Plus, some of my most thought-out posts are ignored nowadays =P.

Community: (The International Wota section)

If International Wota didn’t exist, would you blog?

IW was what led me to blogging in the first place so no.

When IW covers an entry of yours, are you encouraged to blog more or less?

Yes, because it's exciting to know someone's reading and reviewing. However, after a while, I just wrote entries just so they can be covered (hence the decrease in quality).

When IW does not cover an entry, are you encouraged to blog more or less?

Yes, because I had a hope that the next entry would be covered. Now I've come to the conclusion that I may never be covered on IW again. Would I still blog? Maybe (as soon as I get the motivation and inspiration).

How often do you read other blogs?

I check IW every day but now I have little motivation to read every entry (partially due to current circumstances I'd rather not share).

How often do you comment on other blogs?

Not much... I have little to say, despite being wowed by the words. Also, the pressure of commenting and the self-promotion sorta takes away from my motivation (even if the lack of comments is probably why I don't get that many comments on my own blog).

If another blog covers a topic that you wanted or wished to cover, do you still blog about that specific topic? Why or why not?

Yes and no, because we share the same interest so there's a chance that we'd think the same thing. "Great minds think alike," ya know? At the same time, what's the point? It's covered.

Commitment:

How serious is your attitude towards blogging? Do you consider it just as something to do for fun?

Half serious, half fun. I do want to put in more quality work into this quaint little blog.

How often do you blog? How often would you like to blog?

In the beginning, very often. Why? Because I wanted it to be covered by International Wota and I wanted to see it covered more. Then, after a while, I grew lazy and somewhat mentally fatigued. The "attention" aspect of the blogging left me and when I tried to be more creative, my blog was left alone. Some of the etnries were rushed and the quality of my blog suffered because of it.

Now, I'll blog for as long as I can because I've just stopped caring about "attention" and "How fast can I get the scoop so I can be covered (read: ignored)?" somewhat (my blog is low on the totem pole, I want to make it better, and sitting around is not going to solve anything).

What priorities do you or have you put aside in order to blog? Why?

Quality, creativity, presentation are the priorities I put in blogging.

What I put aside is my schoolwork but I try to blog when I have free time.

Do you see yourself blogging in 6 months? Why or why not

Maybe, maybe not. Why? I have other commitments in my real life perpaining to my future and blogging is just a hobby, a side-project if you wish.

Personal:

Would you say you blog for yourself?

In some ways, yeah. My thoughts, my feelings, myself is in this little blog. In all of my thoughts of abandoning it, I just couldn't because it's like a baby to me.

What is your feeling after posting an entry? Is it relative to the time and effort you put in an entry?

I feel a sense of well-being, along with a bit of nervousness as to the reaction. Plus, in some of the lesser-quality ones, I feel somewhat ashamed at putting junk like that on my blog. As for stuff I put real thought into (like the French-laced review of "Seishun! LOVE Lunch") I feel a sense of happiness (though I was somewhat dismayed that my Linkin Berryz post wasn't covered. Then again, I don't think Morning Meteora's covered anymore anyway).

What needs does blogging fulfill?

The sharing of ideas and feelings, getting the news out there and stuff like that.

Do you consider yourself a writer?

Yes. I'm a bit more of an artist than a writer but writing is one of my talents.

Do you consider yourself good at writing? Good at blogging?

Yes. In fact, I know I'm a good writer. I don't really consider myself good at blogging though. Sure, I've gotten better with time and experience but there are better bloggers out there to inspire me.

Or maybe... I've just lost the will to blog (blame school and the fact I have to spend more time getting ready for graduation and college than looking up idols).

How much of your personal life do you share on your blog? If none, why do you leave this out?

No, because I really don't feel comfortable putting all of my business out there. Plus, it's a blog about my interests, not my life. As much as you know about me is my country of origin, gender, and that I'm in high school. That's it. Besides, it's good to leave an air of mystery.

So that's that. One thing though: If this survey replied gets covered, I'm going to laugh on the floor and smile because that's a miracle.

- Magi-Kat

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Hey There Ayaka (and Mika) or "What the Effing Heck?!"

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:25:54 -0400

Hey there, Ayaka. Belated aloha, Ayaka.

Ayaka_1500

When I heard the news that you were graduating from H!P, I couldn’t believe it. In fact, after trying to have it soak in, I had a conversation with a friend on MSN (who knows a lot more about Touhou and Dodonpachi than H!P):

Kathryn says:
Great...
Kathryn says:
More shocking news from H!P
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
Nani?
Kathryn says:
http://www.intlwota.com/2008/04/news-coconuts-musume-ayaka-graduating-from-hello-project/#comments
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
Awwww, she's leaving?
Kathryn says:
"On April 30, 2008, Ayaka suddenly left Hello! Project in order to become an actress."
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
Wow.
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
I wonder why?
Kathryn says:
It's been a week of graduations
Kathryn says:
http://www.intlwota.com/2008/04/blogs-some-boys-blog-reports-another-loss-for-ongaku-gatas/ Recieved this news on Monday
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
Dang
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
And we keep jumping between windows
Kathryn says:
I mean, what the efffin' hell?! Ayaka (as "inactive" as she was in H!P) was among the H!P members I actually liked.
Kathryn says:
Sure, Mutou Mika's graduation made little an impact on me (she had a cute, unique face and the shock with her announcement was that Ongaku Gatas was losing another member after losing one other member) but Ayaka's gradaution is hitting me like a ton of bricks
Kathryn says:
I never really payed attention to her until I discovered her English Lessons ("Ayaka no Totsugeki Eikaiwa." You can see them on the Hell! Project site) and that's when I grew to like her. To this day, I often thought about scenes from the series.
Kathryn says:
Ayaka may be inactive and in her 20s, no "real" age to be a "good" H!P idol in UFA's eyes but she was one face I was looking forward to. Hell, I was actually hoping she was put in Ongaku Gatas and this just killed it!
Kathryn says:
Killed it, I tell you, killed! It's dead, Jim, dead! Ayaka... Mutou Mika (she shares a name with her former bandmate, one of my favorite members)... you will surely be missed.
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
Ah, yes
Kathryn says:
I just can't believe this! Unfortunately, I have to since there's no denying the truth.
Kathryn says:
Has the Hello! Project become THAT bad for its talent, either prospective or retrospective, to jump the ship? I dunno. Maybe it has with some of the crappy marketing that's been going on. I may not keep track of C-ute or Berryz Koubou and whatnot but that's just it
Kathryn says:
Then again, Milky Way's "Anataboshi" was what was saving H!P from being obscured with my growing interest in Western rock, indie, and electronica.
Kathryn says:
(And I've been dying to take the focus off of H!P AND LP for a while on my blog since I'm somewhat... going away from it).
Kathryn says:
*panting* I thank you for sitting through my little rant about Ayaka's graduation. Hehe... it's kinda funny.
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
It's fine
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDAHk80L3Ls I was watching this
Kathryn says:
The day I graduate from high school, I plan to make a post about graduations within H!P. The youngest graduate, the oldest graduate, the most controversial graduations, etc.
Kathryn says:
After all, v-u-den's disbandment is near my high school graduation.
Kathryn says:
So I thank you for sitting through my little... venting session
Kathryn says:
BTW may I use this in my blog?
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
What, this log?
Kathryn says:
This little conversation
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
Sure, sure
Kathryn says:
About Ayaka
Kathryn says:
Thanks
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
I don't mind
Lem_Gambino (bulldozer) says:
I don't know much about them anyway, so you'd have an unbiased opinion

As you saw from this conversation, I’ve also let my heart out about Mutou Mika. I’ve never seen much of any live footage featuring the Eggs or the Gatas so I don’t know what to make of Mucchi’s talent. Even so, one member is still a member, one less Gata. Could it be because of the online hatred of her unique face? Possibly. Maybe. (And I’m guilty of somewhat viewing Mika differently but I like the unique faces like Yasuda and Makoto). Even so, you will be missed, Mika-chan (the more I talk about Mutou on a first name basis, the more I think about another Mika that left H!P, one that is close to my heart to this day…).

Anyway, Ayaka (and Mutou-san), you have lived your time in H!P and spent it with a smile. I dunno what kind of acting you want to go into (drama, movie, etc) but I wish you the best. Ganbare, Nagate Ayaka!

Same to you, Mutou Mika-chan. Ganbare~! (And you know it’s bad when the only bit of H!P you want to listen to is Kirarin Revolution stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a Musume person but I guess it’s beginning to wane on me as I discover new music. In that aspect, Koharu really was a miracle because, besides the 8th Gen and Takitty to a smaller extent, she’s the only person who I care about in the entire group!). That’s for a different entry since I seem to have a “rambling” problem. (You know what this means…).

Sincerely,
Magi-Kat

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Dreams Can (and Do) Come True

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:08:29 -0400

(Possibly big post ahead)
Dreams do come true in Hello! Land. They all may not be in ways that we want (Kikkawa Yuu getting a larger role, a new soloist who isn’t involved in anime) but with a little magic and wishing, we can make it happen:

Gocchin is back! Imagine my happiness at the news that Goto Maki has reopened her blog, presently staying in LA no less. Dance lessons? Vocal training? I smell a comeback. Well, after getting hooked on “Genshoku GAL wa Hade ni Yukube!” I guess I don’t really have a choice but to see how she’s doing.

Although one can’t help but wonder why is she in LA.? Is she planning a comeback? (Duh). If so (duh), is it going to be in Japan or is she going to try to break into the American market? Is she signed to an agency, which arranged the LA trip or is she doing this by her own accord? Hmmm… who knows?
(I'm not exactly sure if I'll be able to participate in "Gomaki Ganbare" Day, partially due to my age and my dedication to my studies).

Tsunku is going to be a daddy! Personally, I am rather surprised he didn’t have any children until now at his age. Now to believe in a similar thing with Nakazawa (though part of me is telling me she’ll be a childless woman… even a spinster). I know one thing Tsunku will have that neither Iida, Tsuji, or Nakazawa won't: twins.

Well, how this even might affect his songwriting is anyone’s question. Will we hear songs of happy praise or continue to write breakup and loneliness songs? While that’s the norm and what we want… we will never know. Hmm…

Buono is getting a new single called “Kiss Kiss Kiss.” It’s not necessarily a dream come true since we were anticipating this after “Honto no Jibun” and “Renai Rider” single, along with their “Café Buono” album.

This has also gotten me wondering: if Shugo Chara was to end, does this mean the end of Buono? I know it’s an anime unit but as me and a few bloggers has openly stated, Buono might have a future outside of Shugo Chara. Maybe they’ll have another anime to cling on to or this will be the beginning of Buono as a music group? Maybe this’ll give its members carte blanches (whatever UFA gives them) to gain recognition and maybe even graduate from their respective groups.

Reina fans were delighted to hear the Queen is going to be a voice actress on a Sanrio anime. Now, will this mean an anime-oriented solo career a la Koharu? An anime unit a la Athena & Friends? We are not sure at the moment. (Although, the name of her character, “Kirara,” reminds me of her fellow bandmate, Kusumi Kirari. Plus, imo, she looks a bit like Nono to me).

V-u-den’s new song hits the airwaves and it’s rather good. It nearly brought tears to my eyes (and listening to “Leave Out All the Rest,” which will be Linkin Park’s next single, isn’t helping). Well… I wish I could write more about it but that’s for another entry. I will say this though: the b-side being solo songs for each member was a nice touch. Kudos to Tsunku, his posse, and UFA!

The covers looks heavenly also, though I’d think the regular edition would’ve been the purple cover (since the limited edition covers are supposed to be somewhat “better” and “more marketable” since they’ll be here for a short time). I mean, they look as though they could spread their wings and fly into Hello! Heaven. Either way, they look lovely.

The PV is a fine tribute to the friendship the group had (and yay! No “Jaja Uma Paradise Part 2”!). Sales were declining since their debut single and it brings great closure to the Biyuuden PV collection. The white background in one scene reminds me of the “Itoshiki Tomo e” PV from more than half a year ago. The scenes with them on the beach only amplify the sentiment of the single. (Either way, the PV and it being a better one than “Jaja Uma” was a dream come true)

美勇伝 - なんにも言わずに　Ｉ　ＬＯＶＥ　ＹＯＵ(PV)

More Eggs get the spotlight as Happy! Style takes the stage in a recent announcement. Lead by Ongaku Gata Noto Arisa (or “Nocchi” to her fans and wota), the group also features the members of Hello! Project Kansai alongside Aoi and Yui (rookie trainees). It is unknown whether they’ll be part of H!P or TNX but they are a part of “Up-Front Style.”

One final dream I’ll mention is Milky Way’s “Anataboshi.” You have no idea how addictive this song is. I mean, it’s like they made this song to my particular taste (I’m a nut for international sounds). While in other blogs, I’ve seen favorable reviews towards Sayaka, I’m actually a fan of all three. (Then again, I’m not as familiar with [most of] the Eggs than some of you are, though I have some minor favorites). As soon as the single comes out, I… must… have it! (It’s the J-pop equivalent of moondust-sprinkled cupcakes with lemonade under a starry night).

Anataboshi (PV) Milky Way

Since we’re on the topic of “dreams,” let’s talk about other dreams.

I recently took that Musume quiz and here’s my result:

Niigaki

Might explain why I’m slowly getting into this girl. Nii Nii has a recognizable face but I wasn’t really into her (and I didn’t get a “favorite Musume” until Kusumi joined and starting twinkling like a moon island).

Took yet another quiz and it turns out the Musume I’m most like is… Ai Takahashi. Now that is a big surprise. Then again, I put most questions in the “middle” sections of the priority bar. Plus, Takitty is my third favorite Musume (after Mittsi and Kussun). The other Musume I'm supposedly like are:

#2 Kaori Iida
#3 Asami Konno
#4 Eri Kamei
#5 Sayaka Ichii
#6 Aya Ishiguro
#7 Sayumi Michishige
#8 Ai Kago
#9 Natsumi Abe
#10 Rika Ishikawa
#11 Asuka Fukuda
#12 Mari Yaguchi
#13 Miki Fujimoto
#14 Kei Yasuda
#15 Yuko Nakazawa
#16 Maki Goto
#17 Nozomi Tsuji
#18 Risa Niigaki
#19 Makoto Ogawa
#20 Reina Tanaka
#21 Hitomi Yoshizawa

Now, I’m not surprised Iida-san is in there. When I saw the Eikaiwa moments of her spacing out, I immediately thought of myself (I sometimes space out and daydream). Probably why I grew to like Kaori after a while.

Either way, if Ai was to graduate from Momusu at any time (not necessarily now), I would support her. She has a talented voice, great looks, and a nice personality (so says the one who hasn’t watched a full ep of Hello! Morning and Haromoni@. You should be ashamed, Magi-Kat) so she’ll go far. (About the personality thing, it might not be much of a bad thing since I’m like Lovely Ai-chan, according to this quiz).

God Save the Queen! Speaking of going solo, while listening to music the other day, I thought of Reina as a soloist. What style of music could she go for? (Hopefully something not boring like Yuko-san’s “Danna-sama”). Well, I never really could get into that Kira Fuyu song she sang (it was too sweet for me) and I feel that style is just… too “shiny shiny girl” for me. Then again, I’m no Reina expert. Her Kirara role, if we’re lucky, would see us some solo releases (but they’d be “Kira Fuyu” songs most likely!).

However, Reina-sama as a yankii rocker will only be a dream… just a dream. (Ugh, that is almost exactly like what I said before).

After the 9th Gen auditions, if Tanaka-san doesn’t go solo, Takitty will. A graduation at this point is hazardous to the health of Morning Musume since, as “Resonant Blue” proved, she and Tanakacchi are the “faces” of Musume nowadays (Koharu is also a front but only because of Kira☆Revo). With the 9th Gen auditions, if they select more than one person (2-4 is fine) and at least one great singer, either one of the present “aces” are cleared for graduation. (They can go soloist, form a unit, or leave H!P to pursue other opportunities. Heck, they might even join the other Musume in in the Japanese population!).

*crosses fingers on more Eggs debuting in groups* I know that’s a possibility but it doesn’t hurt to dream. Hey, I hoped Kikkawa Yuu gets a second chance since she’s popular with the fans and lookie what we have here! Milky Way! After Milky Way, hopefully, Kikkawa-san gets put into a group or, better yet, a solo career (what’s with me and solo artists?).

I guess I milked myself out of dreams. I’m pretty sure you can come up with a few dreams of your own (like Risako graduating from Berryz, a huge reunion with every graduated Musume, the Hello! Project getting a new producer and songwriter after Tsunku retires, etc) because as long as we dream, we can hope for the best. Plus, as we’ve seen, dreams can really come true.

I’m Magi-Kat, wishing you sweet dreams.

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Happy bday, Chester the Jester (aka "Everyone Lived at 4:20, man")

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:25:42 -0400

Happy 32nd birthday, Chester Bennington!

MTVAsiaAid_20

Let’s see… I did some idol searching in the Hello! Project Idol Database at Hell! Project and the Hello! Project member born in the same year as you is…

RuRu_231

RuRu Honda of Taiyo & Ciscomoon (T&C Bomber)

Present Age: 32
(Wait… didn’t she graduate from H!P ages ago? BTW her bday was Cake Day!)

The only H!P members older than you are Inaba Atsuko (34), Nakazawa Yuko (34), and Miho Shinoda (ironic since a member of Linkin Park shares the last name). Shinoda-san (35) is also the only member who is not remaining within the Hello! Project at this time (though she, Ruru, and Atsuko were group mates at one time).

Now that we know the Hello! Project members older than you, time to find out the members who were born in the same decade that are younger than you:
Kobayashi Azusa (Country Musume) - January 30, 1977
Present age: 31

Kominato Miwa (Taiyo to Ciscomoon) - February 15, 1977
Present age: 31

Arai Saki (Sheki-dol) - March 8, 1978
Present age: 30

Aya Ishiguro (Morning Musume) - May 12, 1978
Present age: 29

Heike Michiyo (Soloist) - April 6, 1979
Present age: 28

Miyoshi Chinatsu (Soloist) - August 14, 1979
Present age: 28

Maeda Yuki (Soloist) - August 28, 1979
Present age: 28

Now, Chester, you are the second oldest in Linkin Park (and the “clown” of the group) but what about the other members?:

Rob Bourdon was born in the same year as Miyoshi, Maeda, and Michiyo but his birthday was in earlier (January 20), making him older than all three.

Brad “Big Bad Brad” Delson was born in 1977, along with Azusa and Miwa. He is younger than them since his birthday is December 1.

Dave “Phoenix” Farrell was also born in 1977 but with a birthday of February 8, he is younger than Azusa while older than Miwa.

Joe Hahn is another ‘77 baby. He is younger than all of the mentioned members with a birthday of March 15 (three days before Cake Day).

Mike Shinoda was (of course) born in the same year that popped up, his birthday being February 11. He is younger than Azusa while older than Brad, Dave, Joe, and Miwa.

So, this actually makes Chester the oldest in Linkin Park (yikes! It’s fitting that he’s one of the front men). I knew you were an elder but I did know you were that old. Okay, okay, I’ll stop.

But I have good news (that doesn’t involve saving money on car insurance by switching to Geico): a new year comes a new age. Hopefully, less stalkers harass you and more fans and good karma continue to rain on you.

Now for some randomness: Can you believe that I, at one point, fantasized that Michiyo Heike rejoined the music business as a member of Linkin Park (making her the band’s first -and, so far, only- female member)? (I even thought Tanaka Reina would be a better choice but Michiyo would better fit the chemistry of the group). She might get in the way due to the “singer” position being filled by you but I’ll leave the rest of the rock-loving wota who are reading this entry (besides, I doubt Michi-chan’s doing much “rock”-oriented music but I haven’t really heard much outside of Teenage Dream, a few singles, and some post-H!P stuff). Heck, I'll even leave the same wota to imagine what it'd be like if H!P members (past and present) joined the ranks of American bands and groups (not in their respective groups, I might add, a la the "Michiyo in LP" thing. Man, that'd be a new blog entry, if not for the fact it's similar to the explosive "H!P in the West" controversy and my desire to leave it to interpretation and the imagination of more experienced wota and fans).

Now, in tribute to you, here’s some videos that fans uploaded as a testament to you and your glory (Along with some additional comments from moi!

Chester Bennington's Best Moments

The above (the popper stopper) inspired a pic I planned to use in a "Koharu vs. Chester" post that I had never gotten around to make.

Chester Bennington playing ping-pong

As cheesy as that would be, wouldn't it be cool if Morning Musume did that on Haromoni@ or whatnot?

Funny Chester Bennington

More funniness from Chester. No comment.

Chester on the xylophone

Anything happy? We wota and fans can think of all sorts of things to add that sound effect to.

(He also has a blog, though I linked to the posts marked "Chester" since the rest are just from his label: http://www.cbennington.com/search/label/chester)

So, happy birthday, Chester and thanks for reading, my public.

- Magi-Kat
(Remember, everyone died at 4:20, man!)

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Happy Cake Day, IW!

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:13:44 -0400

International Wota Cupcake

In tribute to International Wota's one-year anniversary (which happens to fall on my thee-year netiversary), I made this delicious little cupcake (on Photoshop since I don't have a camera to take a picture of a cake). You can read more here: http://www.intlwota.com/2008/03/announcement-cake-day-is-coming/

I owe a lot to International Wota for it gained me some exposure and I want to humbly repay the good people there. Besides, everyone featured and working there have been busting their bottoms for what they've done so they deserved it!

~~Like anyone is going to notice this *mdr*.~~ Anyway, happy anniversary!

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Blue Resonance (HELP ME x3 - Part 2)

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:16:50 -0400

Morning Musume - Resonant Blue

You know… while I like this song very much (and heard so much praise from the International Wota comminuty at large), I’m somewhat disappointed at what I find. Don’t get me wrong - “Resonant Blue” is a grr-reat single Well, I don’t really feel like pinpointing everything:
Pros

I didn’t recognize you, Kussun! You’ve improved so much from the last time we saw you (and the last time those Kirari songs somewhat strain your voice). Then again, someone at YouTube said your voice in this song was edited (which I’m not afraid to believe somewhat since I heard your solo in “HOW DO YOU LIKE JAPAN?” on the Bon Kyu Bon Kyu Bomb Tour).

Love the background the “blue” theme. Whoever said this song was one of the more “cool” ones was spot-on (the ice at the bottom did/did not exactly help the case also).

The dance on the break. Sexy, snaky, seductive-y, *insert -y adjective here*.

Major bonus points for the fashion - kakkoii desu ne~! (Sure, let the lead singers be identified with their outfits as well ;P).

Cons

If you didn’t like Takitty and/or Reina, you might not like the song since it’s basically “GAR & Takatanattsu (featuring Tsukishima Kirari).” I personally thought the lines were distributed more evenly but looking at the PV, I saw the truth. I don’t know what kind of ears I had XP. (OMG! I forgot Niigaki had gotten a line or two. Well, with TakaTanaka hogging handling most of the lines).

I was somewhat bored throughout the PV - it was almost like one big dance shot.

Just because we have a closer view on the dancing Musume doesn’t mean that it’s a “close-up.” Well, a “close-up” in the truest/most common sense of the word.

Other

Sayumi’s “HELP ME!” at the end reminds me of “Shabondama.” (Others have spoken on that so...).

Now, let me go back to when it was just a radio rip, okay? read more

I’m sure you’ve heard the Resonant Blue preview. I must say this is my kind of song and it’s almost exactly like the kind of song I wanted the Musume Team to release.
If you’re a fan of Reina and/or Ai (~~I don’t even consider Koharu as a “lead” because all she does is say “Help me.” I’m sorry, Kussun but that’s the truth.~~ Watched the PV again. You have some lines but you‘re still a guest singer. Wait… for some reason, after the third or fourth listen, you sound like Michishige! Either that guy was right about your voice being edited or UFA is unfairly having Koharu take credit for Sayumi’s lines! Let the former be true, please).

The night’s become hot and groovy, baby so let’s groove tonight!
You mean “steaming cold,” Magi-Kat, “steaming cold.” Don’t forget the ice that ~~Morning Musume’s~~ GAR & Takatanattsu featuring Tsukishima Kirari’s hotness (at least either in the mind of the wota or the wota themselves) have melted, leaving a little space for them to dance.

I actually don’t mind the single being pushed back because it doesn’t need to compete with their Hello! Project Kid Rivals. Berryz and C-ute already have releases that are guaranteed to battle each other for #1 position like shark fetuses in their mother’s womb (even if the Melons’ juicy new single is about the only “cool” musical release this month).
Yup, GAR & Takatanattsu featuring Tsukishima Kirari don’t need to compete with the Hello Kiddies - as popular GAR is, they’ll do just fine.

Time to check it off!
Now, a few questions and hopes to hopefully resonate in the heads of the Powers That be (which I doubt with UFA since it’s all about face, wota/sex appeal, and the Yen-jamins, baby) and not leave me blue (doesn’t hurt to be hopeful):

~~Let the PV be kick-butt awesome! (At first, due to the “Egao” comparisons, I imagined a vid like that. Now, I imagine a sexy nightclub/nighttime city PV).~~ Don’t get me wrong - the PV kicks major derriere (though I do admit that the slight lack of varied shots made it a bit bland). It’s just that it left me somewhat cold and blue (no pun intended). The focus on GAR made me somewhat let down (I wanted more 8th Gen since I was getting more into them and I don’t mind the minimal role Kussun plays also).

Have the outfits in the album cover be consistent (even if some PV outfits appear deep In the album liner). (TBD)

Have it go #1 in the Oricon charts (or within the Top 5). (TBD)

Of course, the single covers and (of course) the single hasn’t come out so I can’t exactly say for sure right now. However, I will keep track and pay attention. Now that the PV is out (and I’ve seen it), it’s only a matter of time before the covers come out so please, UFA, you’re starting off smooth but still rocky. Don’t spoil it for the Musume (I also hope the b-side has more even line distribution. If they wanted a unit made up of Ai and Reina, they should just get off of their butts and make one instead of shafting, like the other six members!).

It’s antics like this that makes people want to GTFO of the Hello! Project fandom but something makes me want to stay (like being optimistic about 8th Gen and the overall future of GAR & Takata- er, Morning Musume and the rest of H!P). (For some reason, after watching this PV, I was like “Takahashi, graduate already! You too, Tanaka!” Don’t ask me why. Maybe either can have a solo career or take my “form a unit” advice -like they follow through with what fans wish-. Maybe they can do it after the 9th Gen come or whenever Lovely and the Queen feel like leaving their background singers/dancers behind).

I'll make myself (and hopefully you) feel better with a version with subtitles (and the background actually makes sense now!).

[subtitled] Morning Musume - Resonant Blue PV

"My sadness is resonant." I'm sure a lot of people would relate to that line.

This is (a disenchanted) Magi-Kat, telling you to stay resonant (take a hint from GAR).

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Happy Sweet 17th, Linlin!

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:13:48 -0400

Linlin_1850

Happy 17th, Qian Lin (or Linlin as we like to call her). May this year be a prosperous one for you (and how funny that we're the same age now until August).

Hopefully, this'll be my last entry as it seems that people are having trouble keeping up with the flow of my blog. I mean, who posts 3-4 entries in the course of 5 days? What sick person would do that?

Anyway, joyeux anniversaire, tanjoubi omedetou, shēngrìkuàilè [1], and happy birthday, Linlin!

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Linkin Berryz and Cutie Park: LP meets the Hello! Kiddies

nobody@vox.com(Magi-Kat) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:04:49 -0400

Special thanks to Radicalipton in advance for the inspiration of this entry’s topic:

Speaking of Linkin Park, you might want to check out Chinamist's fine remixes on YouTube (formerly of the extinct but excellent Stage6 site), in which he interfaces Linkin Park songs (3 to be exact) with Berryz Kobo PV footage. Crazy? Yes, but it really works!

I decided to check out the videos (turns out there’s actually five Hello! Park videos instead of three but how was Big Bad Rad supposed to know? Only the Berryz had straightforward names and you’d have to be a LP fan to know that the two C-ute videos were of the same caliber as well).

First vid
Video Name: C-ute A Peace of My Head
Hello Kiddie Group: C-ute
Linkin Park Song: “A Place for My Head” from Hybrid Theory (2000)
My Two Cents: Putting aside obvious errors in the name, this is an example of the footage blends about almost exactly to the song. For example, the first few seconds blend almost as though they were made to “A Place for My Head” (considering it wasn’t released as a single). While the “You tried to take the best me. Go away” part was a little questionable (the first few seconds was rather energetic, unless you consider the rhythm of Chester’s vocals. When he starts screaming and the music goes on again, the dancing becomes slow but again, it’s okay if you consider the constant flow of the music). I also likes the small breaks near the end. The choreography provides a nice fusion of rock and little idol kids.

It was also interesting to see Cuties “rapping” and “singing”/“screaming” Mike and Chester’s respective parts (I think it was Saki was appeared to be doing Mike’s lines for the most part, though she also “does” Chester’s lines at some parts. Maimi also joins in some parts).

One additional little highlight from me is Maimi in the beginning. There are no words spoken in the beginning so the vid (the footage provided for said part) gives the impression that she is imitating the bass.

One last thing from me is that the lyrics, when put into the perspective of the Hello! Project, could be descriptive of the feelings of the harshness of the idol industry and the fans/wotas involved from the idol’s point of view (i.e. Maki Goto).

C-ute A Peace of My Head

Second vid
Video Name: C-ute What I've Done
Hello Kiddie Group: C-ute
Linkin Park Song: “What I’ve Done” from Minutes to Midnight (2007)
My Two Cents: This little vid incorporates not only concert footage but also behind the scenes footage and clips from the “Tokaikko Junjou” PV as well, making it a well-rounded piece.

The black-and-white outtakes show their funny side, adding some sentimentality to the work. It was like watching an episode of LPTV (think the backstage footage you see on Single Vs), only with C-ute.

Now comes my little critique of the PV footage used. Chinamist was right to use “Tokaikko Junjou” for the mood and the setting blends well with the LP, almost like watching a C-ute cover of “What I’ve Done” (you’d have to often remind yourself that it’s not -it would be considered an OPV-). For example, when Chisato bounces the baseball, showing her hand at “…with the hands of uncertainty” and when Maimi takes the baseball and chucks it towards a river, almost symbolic of the song’s “moving on from the past” message. The choreography also fit with the song (I’ve overused this phrase. I apologize).

I also admire the ending, also using the “Tokaikko Junjou” PV, with a closeup of the face and then fading into a background.
When put into Hello! Perpsective: The song itself is about accepting your faults and moving on with the past (duh. I said that before). We can interpret this as C-ute moving on from their past as background dancers and “indies” singers into a future as full-fledged idols, competing against “oneesan” Berryz and “oneesama” Morning Musume. Then again, this “accept what’s yesterday, move on with tomorrow” attitude can be applied to any Haropro group or any music act in the world (like the Mikan Controversy and the present issue with “LALALA”).

C-ute What I've Done

First vid for the Berryz.
Video Name: Linkin Berryz Part1
Hello Kiddie Group: Berryz Koubou
Linkin Park Song: “Numb” from Meteora (2003)
My Two Cents: Using slowed-down footage from a Haromoni@ (that is where it’s from, right?) performance of the Berryz Single Everyone Hates Nowadays (aka “Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi”), this Meteora gem of a closer (it’s the last song on the album) is Berryfied in the best way possible. Choreography and timing praise is abound.
When put into Hello! Perpsective: The song talks about the strain coming from the pressure to live up to someone’s standards. We’ve seen it all before in our lives as wota - idols “letting us down” when they “do something wrong” or out of what we’d expect them to be. Some wota even believe that an idol should stay within what we think of them forever. It could be a message from the idol to the wota (and idol management because they play a role too) about this issue.

Linkin Berryz Part1

Second for the Berryz.
Video Name: [Linkin Berryz] Part2
Hello Kiddie Group: Berryz Koubou
Linkin Park Song: “Breaking the Habit” from Meteora (2003)
My Two Cents: The Dance Shot version of the “Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi” PV is the primary source of footage for this OPV. However, unlike the slowed-down live performance, this is sped-up.

The blending of Hello! Choreography and Linkin Lyrics are practically spot on (much like “Cutie Park”’s “A Place for My Head”). In fact, this is probably the video that has the most precise timing of the Berryz with the Linkin (except with the ending; I think it should have been slower. Although, that’s going with the music. If you go with the sound effects and whatnot, you can say they’re on-key. Plus, the ending effect certainly makes up for it.

(BTW this was my first Linkin Park song).
When put into Hello! Perpsective: The name of the song says it all - breaking a bad habit that tears you life apart from limb to limb. When Mike Shinoda wrote this song, it was dedicated to a friend of his who was terribly addicted to drugs yet was unable to quit. While the Hello! Project at large aren’t for the most part drug junkies (then again, we have smokers and leg-spreaders within H!P, along with blogger-made accusations of Kusumi Koharu -and even Tsunku- being on drugs), the “break a bad habit” theme can be seen within idol culture. One example is the scandals (Aibon anyone?). In fact… we all have bad habits that we wish to break, don’t we? I’m sure that our idols have some too under those smiles and smirks.

Part2

Third for the Berryz.
Video Name: Linkin Berryz Part3
Hello Kiddie Group: Berryz Koubou
Linkin Park Song: “Faint” from Meteora (2003)
My Two Cents: Like Part 2, the Dance Shot version of the “Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi” PV is the primary source of footage for this OPV. However, unlike its predecessor, it’s at normal speed.

It’s like the Berryz are getting accurately timed videos (not that C-ute has off videos - they’re pretty good) because it’s almost like the dance was designed for this song! (Okay, there’s an obvious effect near the end but still). I don’t really have anything to highlight other than it being 100% “Linkin Berryz.” (If Chinamist was practicing his transitions and his timing in the other vids, I’d say he has gotten it down pact with this one. Five stars! Two thumbs up! Two “rock on” horns up as well!).
When put into Hello! Perpsective: The lyrics suggest a want (or need) to be noticed after circumstances and that attention will be given, “like or not.” Another expression of the idol and their life, their circumstances, their “need for attention” to not only the wota and the idol management but also the world at large. The song also expresses a need for whoever they’re talking to “don’t turn their back on them” for “they won’t be ignored.”

Linkin Berryz Part3

This makes a nice finale to the series (along it being one of my favorite Linkin Park songs).

Now, the videos overall were pretty well-done imho. While in some videos, things were a little off, Chinamist provided a fascinating bridge between the alternativeness that is Linkin Park and the idolicious goodness that is the Hello! Project (using the Kiddies as examples). Also in Chinamist’s channel are videos featuring Buono! and Lucky Star (along with more Berryz and C-ute videos) combined with a variety of artists like TM Revolution, Judy & Mary, and even those guys who did “YATTA!” so feel free to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=chinamist

This is Magi-Kat saying that when you’re a Hello! Project fan (or wota), there are those little things that give you away, you know?

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