4 posts tagged “blog”

    In an age of blogs, comebacks, hiatuses, exterminations, scandals, rants, snark, and all sorts of things I can go on about, we experience a variety of subject matter and events in our lives as fans and as people. Of course, since they’re people too, our favorite stars, Eastern and Western, experience them too. As a person, I experience these twists in the plot of life. Will it continue? Yes. Will various bumps and pit stops along the road influence how we live our lives? Of course.

    This blog article, this entry is about that. Wait, scratch that, it’s actually about one of them: comebacks. Our cousin John coming back to family and society after being in rehab (ironically after he said “No, no, no!”). Our little sister Naomi coming back to America after studying abroad. Us coming back to work after debilitating illness. Comebacks are universal and never-ending.

    Which brings me to my comeback as a blogger. As you may or may not know, I have graduated from high school three days before v-u-den’s disbandment. Even before marching on that stage to “Pomp and Circumstance” played on a piano (read: keyboard), I have considered returning to my blog after I unconsciously abandoned it. With the support of my fans, along with anyone and everyone, I humbly thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    I had a lot of doubts about the direction my blog was taking but now I realize it was a case of emptiness, a deficiency of confidence as a blogger, and me being a perfectionist, especially at one… small… hobby…. People actually do this for a living and even if this is just a pet project on the side, I can’t abandon “Morning Meteora” (or “Magic Meteora” as it’s beginning to be called by some blogs. You can tell by the subtitle).

    Yes, I had uncertainties, I had things within and outside my own power and control that prevented me from being “Magi-Kat the Blogger” but the build-up of my feelings, the acknowledgement of my writing talent (I won awards for my writings), and knowing I’m appreciated is enough to make me want to “come back.” Thank you all for supporting me.

(I would like to also give a shout-out, albeit somewhat belated for him to notice, to Henkka for mentioning me in his blog. It made me bashful and honored to be named among other great bloggers (in fact, that's part of what led me to do this) and for someone as young as me, it says a lot so arigatou gozaimasu. Ganbare~!).

    Now that I have my comeback pretty much set up and known, it’s time to get into other comebacks as well.

• Goto Maki - the comeback of Maki Goto had officially come and for once, fan speculation really paid off! (In fact, it was on the dot). I have been only a recent “fan” of Gomaki and I was sad to she her leave. I mean, I love “Glass no Pumps” with a passion (who doesn’t?) and with her last album, her career with Avex can only go in one direction: upwards. Ganbare Gomaki! You have the pipes so go crack some glass in a good way! (Hey, you may even get me back into listening to Avex artists. I mean, among some of my first J-pop experiences was with hitomi and Ayumi Hamasaki).

• Tsuji Nozomi - Tsuji’s first post-pregnancy appearance was, albeit minor, like a dream come true. I was happy to hear about it when I first read it at Hell! Project. I was like, “Tsuji’s back in less than a year? She’s back? SHE’S BAAAAACK!” It was a bit odd to see her as “Nozomi Tsuji” and not just as “Nono” but it was worth it. She has grown up into a respectable woman. Sure, it wasn’t as crash-and-burn as her [possibly former] buddy Ai Kago but Nozomi has found life outside the idol light. Even if she is married with a kid and probably qualifies more as a talent than an idol, Nozomi Tsuji (along with Kago) will always be my #1 favorite Hello! Project member and I will support her no matter what. Even if we don’t see much of her, she will always remain my favorite (though I do admit I haven’t been rigorously checking Kago’s blog like a good fan should).

• Ogawa Makoto - Screw the Haromoni, we got Mako. (I doubt any of you would get that reference). Pardon the moment but let me get this off my chest first: Mako-cha~n! When I heard about her comeback on International Wota, I was excited! I… I… I… I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I looked forward to the Haromoni@ episode and while she didn’t really get to do much, it was nice to see her. (Besides, as a member of the Elder Club, she’s pretty much stock to UFA). Considering her high scores on those tests, she has a bright future ahead of her, maybe doing some translation work and possibly bridge the gap between English-speaking fans and H!P (but that’s just a fan’s speculation). I even imagined “Makoto Ogawa’s Surprise English Lessons”! (Trés impossible! C’est trés impossible, chacun). I look forward to your future, Makoto, and may great things come to you.

• Iida Kaori - Imagine my surprise. I mean, I always thought it’d be years before we’d hear from Kaori-san (if not, ever! Ditto to Nono). After all, didn’t she say it was her dream to be a happy mother? Well, dreams do come true after all. Good luck to her and Mini-Kenji. (However, I highly doubt her spectacularly unique “Euro-enka” releases are gonna continue, especially with the bia- er, preference towards the Wonderful Hearts by UFA. BTW happy [early] 27th, Kaorin!).

    To end this blog post, I would also like to mention the grand comebacks Paul-sama, Samantha, Kuri, Solitudity, and anyone else I might’ve missed on the Interwebs. They are all examples of the cycle of hiatus and comebacks and they are sure to continue, as we all know from our experiences in life and in fandom. From the reunion of a long-disbanded band to the return of a washed-up celebrity to popular view, it’s here, it’s there, it’s possible, it’s always forever. I’m Magi-Kat and this has been another edition of “Morning Meteora.”

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…

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:

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!

Instead of an essay on how kawaii Koharu Kusumi is (and how strangely "moe" Chester Bennington is - don't ask), I will instead write a little something congratulating a milestone in my career as a blogger. Ever since I started this blog, I have been planning, wanting, hoping to be featured in "International Wota" (of which I consider the best of the best blogs to be featured on).

After a month, I planned to recommend my humble little blog but then I decided to wait later, preparing to write the said essay on "Kohaii" (or "Kuwaii")/"Chesumoe" and posting the results of a related survey I took around my online circle via IM and a journal (of which four said the "Valley Boy-sounding singer," one said the "bad-sounding J-idol," and four said "both," five if you count me. I'm such a cheat. The ironic thing about it is that Chester appears to be losing that "accent" I kinda made fun of him for. He's still "moe" anyway).

I was also later considering posting an entry on my growing love for °C-ute or my mellowing towards Sayumi (I disliked her for some rather frivolous reasons, after all) instead of this one. I was having it all in my head, telling myself to be honest (blame watching "Shugo Chara!" for that). Instead, when I decided to look at International Wota this morning, I was in for a big surprise...

I know the clock reads "4:16 PM" but I was just too shocked to capture this great moment when I saw it this morning (plus, I was getting ready for school). Thank you for making this young, shy blogger happy with granting her wish (especially since she wasn't the one who recommended the site). I highly appreciate it!

 

On an unrelated note, as reported by Jin and Hello! Online, Tsuji-chan is the mother of a healthy baby girl named "Noa" (希空)! Congrats, Nono!

4 months ago, American Wota member raysmecallado asked a very important question in regards to blogging: What Basic Premises Inform Your Blog?

He also created a set of questions to answer (read: think about) when blogging (which I'll answer to the best of my ability):

• Do you treat Japanese music the same as other music you listen to? Why or why not?

Yes, I do. I judge not by the language of the musical work but by the quality of the music itself.

• What genres in Japanese music do you write about? Girl groups, hip hop, visual kei, rock, Johnny's? Are there any genres you enjoy but don't blog about? Why is that? (Aural Candy was originally going to blog about both Jrock and pop music, but narrowed it down - to her benefit, as it gave her blog a more distinct identity.)

I mainly write about girl groups (particularly the Hello! Project and its lead group). I also wish to write about Linkin Park (hence the naming of my blog, "Morning Meteora"), among other genres like dance music, Shibuya-kei, and Europop, but I've never really gotten to it. It's partially out of fear of scaring what little readers I'll get since Linkin Park is considered "uncool" to people (then again, Morning Musume isn't taken that seriously in Japanese pop culture nowadays anyway).

• What most appeals to you regarding Japanese music? Is it the music, the image, the actual idols, the marketing?

It's a subtle mix of all four but it's mainly the actual idols and (more importantly) the music!

• What aspects do you like to write about most? Is it the music, the videos, live performances, still images? Why do you think that's the case?

I try to write about as many aspects as possible but it's mainly about the music and the videos. Why? That's the reason I like a certain group. Heck, I'm a music lover.

• What writers or other creative people influence how you blog? What do they write about and how does that connect to what you blog about?

All bloggers in general really. They write about what they want while I do that. I regret I don't have merchandise and is not exactly a true "wota" (I consider myself borderline) but what connects me to their blogs is the pure fanlove and passion they put into their blogs.

• What other writing projects do you pursue or want to pursue? Does this influence your blogging in any way?

Hmmm... I write stories and sometimes poems that are posted on my deviantART page. I'm also taking a Creative Writing class at school (which will turn into Journalism later on in the year) but I dunno if it influences my style. I just write whatever comes to my mind and my opinion in terms of said subject really. I also write little somethings on a certain topic (like the voice and its role in wota society in "Voice of the Hello! Project Idol").

• If you inhabit a specific niche - a news-focused site like Some Boys! Blog, or download-focused blog like J-MuNet - how do you decide what to share? It's impossible to cover everything, so how do you sort through it?

How do I decide? I haven't really gotten to that. I hope to be news and opinion-based in my blogging.

• Who do you imagine your audience to be? What do you feel is your relationship with your audience? Do you always give what they want, or do you ever feel the need to throw curveballs or even antagonize your readers?

I imagine that my audience, due to my focus on Hello! Project and Morning Musume, would be fellow fans/wotas (hence my reluctance to put commentary on Linkin Park's latest video, even if only one person commented on a blog entry - and it's on a ranking!). However, I mainly and try to imagine my audience as loyal readers who will understand and respect my blogging, no matter what subject it is.

What I'd want with my audience in terms of relationship is good, civil, friendly terms. I hope to express what I want to express without antagonizing anyone - I'm a peaceful soul who wishes no trouble. After all, there's enough of it in the real world so why bring it on a blog? (Then again, I'm getting myself in trouble by even blogging in the first place! Blogging, no matter what subject, is a risky thing to do. Heck, being on the Internet is risky, especially if you're my age or younger!).

• Are there any specific writerly / bloggerly tropes you employ? I rely heavily on screencaps, and often tailor my blogging around them. YODC and The Mind both use eyecandy images with little text, though the tone is quite different. (YODC is more wink-wink nudge-nudge, The Mind is more respectful.) Most everyone uses YouTube or Veoh to varying degrees. (I don't, though I'll load up my own videos.) What brought you to that trope, what do you do to keep that technique lively?

I try to be informative with my entries and give my own spin. Unfortunately, as long as I've been on the Net, I've never had a really proper "blog" (the journal on my deviantART journal doesn't count) so it's going to take me a while to break out of my shell. Why do I keep thinking of Kamei Eri when I say this?

I also employ videos via YouTube. Why? That's what I've seen and I'm too much of a chicken to screencap everything =/.

And that's basically it for this edition of "Morning Meteora: Magi-Kat Theory Edition." That sounds nice! *jots it down* Maybe I'll use that for my personal opinions and such. Hmm...

Credit to the thread at the American Wota.com forums for the basis of this entry.