 ©YouTube, LLC If you’re a fan of various idols, you may have noticed the image above. Some of your favorite idols’ videos may not be viewable if you are in the US. Much to the dismay of all of us fans over here, these videos are blocked in our country now, due to a shift in YouTube policy. YouTube is preparing to launch a new program on the 28th of October called YouTube Red. This is a special paid subscription option that will be available for US viewers (the rest of the world to follow in 2016). This service offers viewers the opportunity to pay a monthly subscription in order to view YouTube videos without ads. This also provides the content creators higher revenue, and incentive to create YouTube Red exclusive videos (if they wish).  ©YouTube, LLC Why is it that we can’t see Hello! Project, AKB48 and some other idol groups on YouTube then? As is to be expected, this new service comes with an update to YouTube’s Terms of Service and their contract information pertaining to content creators. All content creators need to agree to these terms before being allowed to continue displaying their videos in the US. Many creators and providers accepted these terms with no issue, but for some reason many Japanese companies (especially with idols) are still taking time to review their options before buckling down and accepting the terms. As a result of this, these videos are being blocked from viewership in the US. The following is from an official e-mail sent to me regarding content I have uploaded that has Hello! Project assets in it: “We’re writing because one or more of your videos is no longer viewable in the United States, due to a pre-existing claim by a copyright owner. Before we get to the details, please be assured that this change does not affect your account standing on YouTube, nor does it put your channel at risk of termination. In other words, this is not a “copyright strike.” Keep in mind, this is an abridged version of the e-mail. While this is most definitely frustrating, especially since YouTube tends to be our main connection to a lot of the content and information for us, we need to be patient and see what happens. We can only wait and hope that these companies agree to the terms and that our time cut off from the things we love is only for a short time longer. In the meantime, I recommend checking out Dailymotion to fulfill your needs, since many overseas fans are trying to help bridge the gap until this (hopefully) tides over. The video quality isn’t always as good and the interface can be a bit more clunky, but it’s better than nothing.
Here’s hoping that the issues are resolved promptly, and our beloved idol groups can re-enter our lives through YouTube once again. ~Teepu For more information on YouTube Red: https://www.youtube.com/red Interview With Voice Actress/Anisong Singer/Character Designer Amatsu Uni At Japan Expo LA 201510/24/2015   Recently at Japan Expo LA, we were lucky enough to stop by the Best Jeanist booth where Amatsu Uni was promoting her upcoming anime "Tokyo Senhi". Amatsu Uni is a popular anime song singer, voice actress and recently worked on the character designs for Toyko Senhi. Hello! Thank you for your time with this interview. Let's get started. Well, you're in the US now promoting your upcoming anime, Toyko Senhi, how are you liking it here? It is such a nice place! I love American very much? What's your day-to-day life in Japan like? I like going to Akihabara very much. I usually go to Akihabara three times a week. Really? That's a lot! I'm sure you like anime then. What is your favorite anime? Sword Art Online! It is my favorite anime! Well, you're here to promote Tokyo Senhi. What can you tell us about it? It's a fighting girls anime and I made this anime with three main characters. I am also doing the voice acting for the three characters and I am singing the theme song. What are some of the challenges doing so many different things at once? Being a character designer, voice actress, singer, etc. It's actually my dream to be able to do everyhing. I want to be able to do all of it. I want to make anime, do voice acting, sing; everything. You've been in the US before. What are some of your favorite places? I love New York very much. I went to New York before and I want to go to New York Comic Con very much! I plan to go to Comic Con next year with this anime! So you have plans to come back to the US? Yes! I want to go to New York and perform! I want to perform this song [Tokyo Senhi opening theme] there! That's awesome! I'm sure it will be well-received! Maybe we'll see you there. Can you tell us about your favorite musical artists? I love the music of Motown. The Motown style is very awesome. So you mentioned you worked on the character design for Tokyo Senhi. Yes! I made this character. I also did all three of the main character designs. What were some of your inspirations behind the character designs? I really like Absolute Duo and Sword Art Online. The character designs from there are really cute. So are my characters. What are some of your upcoming goals in your music and anime? Hmmm...I don't know yet. Oh? You're still planning? Yes. I have plans. There is this anime of course and I have music, but other than that I am not sure. When will Tokyo Senhi be released? It's still in development. Maybe it will be released next year. Where would we go to find out more about you? I have a website where you can find out more about the anime, listen to my music and hear my voice acting. It's on PC only though. Your English is really good. Where did you study? Really? My English is not that good.... I went to New York though and I spent half a year studying singing and learning English in New York. Do you have any closing words to your fans? Yes! I have an Instagram account [@amatsuuni]. My followers are all my fans! My biggest fans! You can find out more about Amatsu Uni via her social media. Instragram: instagram.com/amatsuuni Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCnnbVmZYTXGPQ9zfu1Gkc4w And Tokyo Senhi at: makuake.com/en/project/amatsuuni The above interview was conducted by Manuel Figueroa with assistance and filming by Eunice Wang.  A while ago I wrote an article detailing the Franchise Four of the 48 Groups. Since we are still in baseball season, I am still thinking about “Franchise Fours” like crazy. It got me thinking… Who is on my Franchise Four? What I mean by this is the four artists or idols that really got you into J-Pop, or have done something special that kept you as a fan almost forever. The possibilities are endless if you’ve been a fan of J-Pop for years now, but if you had to narrow it down to just four individuals, who would it be and why? Let me tell you which four individuals I selected. I would have never enjoyed J-Pop if it weren’t for these four…
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Minegishi Minami, Wada Maaya, Rukawa Rina
Let me explain each one in detail. The reason why I chose Kyary Pamyu Pamyu as the first choice is because she remains the only person out of these three that I have seen perform live. I first heard of Pamyu through the Ebisu Muscats’ variety show way back in 2013. Some of the Muscats were covering her songs during one of the show’s segments, and the song “Tsukema Tsukeru” was covered. Curious, I did a little research on the song and found out that it was by an upcoming artist named Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. From then on, I became hooked. It took a while for me to get used to songs such as “PonPonPon” and “Candy Candy”, but eventually they grew on me and I could not stop playing them. Then I found out she was coming here. She was going to perform at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Of course, I could not let an opportunity like that slip by, so I bought a ticket, went to the concert 4 hours early, and met a lot of new friends there. I screamed my heart out when I saw her take the stage, and I thought to myself, “I have to do this again!” Lucky for me, she was performing in San Francisco the same year, so I traveled all the way up there to see her once again. While that concert was short (and not worth the 6 hour drives…), I was still rather thankful to watch her perform. The very next year, she came back to perform, and I once again did not let this opportunity slip by. I’ve seen her perform three times in my life, which is why I have her on my Franchise Four. If she ever comes back, I may get the VIP package to get myself a photo with her. I will admit this: Kyary has been my celebrity crush since 2013… I’ve already touched on Minegishi Minami and Wada Maaya before, but there’s no harm in reviewing! I found out about Minegishi Minami because of her scandal. I used to despise AKB48 (as was the case with most Ebisu Muscats fans), but when I found out she shaved her head due to a dating scandal, I got curious. I did a little research on who she was, what she’s done with AKB48, and so on. It did not take too long for me to drop the AKB48 hatred and call her my oshi. Yes, that scandal is what drove me to become a Minegishi Minami fan. She unlocked AKB48 and their sister groups for me, which is the main reason why she is on my Franchise Four. As for Wada Maaya, her story is a little bit different. When I found out the Ebisu Muscats disbanded in 2013, I had to find a new group to pay attention to. While AKB48 was an option, I saw a bunch of photos on Tumblr of this attractive lady named Shiraishi Mai. Turns out she was on an idol group called Nogizaka46. I grew curious of Nogizaka46 and their determination to be the first “rival group” of AKB48. I also became curious as to who the members were, who was cute, who was worth following, etc. Then this underrated girl at the bottom of the list showed up, and her name was Maaya. Like Minegishi Minami, I did a little research on Wada Maaya to see what kind of idol she was. I found…almost nothing. But to tell you the truth, the reason why I became a fan of Maaya was because she was vastly underrated. She has so much untapped potential as an idol, to the point where I believe she can be as popular as other idols her age, such as Murashige Anna, Komiyama Haruka, and dare I say, Miyawaki Sakura. Wada Maaya is funny, gives good handshakes, has a nice singing voice, and is cute with her short hair. While I know that a lot of idols are like that, in my opinion Maaya does these things better than most idols. This is why she is on my Franchise Four. The last spot goes to Rukawa Rina, who I’ve written about before. Since the Ebisu Muscats were the first J-Pop group I was ever interested in, I had to pick a favorite. It took a few tries (Asami Yuma, Rio, etc.), but eventually Rukawa Rina caught my eye. The things that I did like about her were that she was cute, she liked anime, and she was close to my age (the rest of the Muscats were 4+ years older than I was). Put all those factors in and thus she became my Ebisu Muscats oshi. She also was an adult video idol, but she was the first idol I called an oshi, so that explains why she is on my Franchise Four. That just about does it for my Franchise Four selections. These four individuals are the reason why I am a huge fan of J-Pop, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Who is on your Franchise Four? -Nathan (L4verra) 
With the impending release of °C-ute’s new single, ‘Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ / Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight!’, came some really exciting news. On the 7th of this month, it was announced via the official Hello! Project site that there would be a special limited release of a 12-inch record for the new single. Arigatou ~Mugen no Yell~ is designed to be the squad hymn, and “Arashi wo Okosunda Exciting Fight~ is meant to be a cheer song for the Japan Wrestling Federation. The normal single releases on the 28th of October (coming in 2 Regular Editions and 4 Limited Editions) while the vinyl is set to release near the end of November. If you want to snag one, they will be up for pre-order until October 26th (Japan Time) on e-LineUP! It requires a Japanese address, so you would need a secondary party to acquire the vinyl for you. You can work through private parties or various companies, or use the provided walkthrough to use tenso (the sponsored service for e-LineUP!). However you decide to get it, don’t miss your chance! ~ Teepu (Bowser05) °C-ute Are: ◆ Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美, Leader) ◆ Nakajima Saki (中島早貴) ◆ Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) ◆ Okai Chisato (岡井千聖) ◆ Hagiwara Mai (萩原舞) e-LineUP! Listing for the Vinyl: http://www.e-lineup.com/shopdetail/000000007226/ Walkthrough on Using tenso: Hello! Project Official Announcement: http://www.helloproject.com/news/3600/
Maimi’s Blog Post Announcing the Songs’ Purposes: http://ameblo.jp/c-ute-official/entry-12071743646.html 
More Info has been released about the WE ARE PERFUME World Tour 3rd Document screenings. A simultaneous release with the Japanese screening will be held in Los Angeles and New York on October 31st and November 1st. More dates to come soon. I highly encourage that if you are a fan of Perfume to please come out to these screenings!
New York screening Anthology Film Archives 32 2nd Avenue New York, NY 10003 Phone: 212-505-5181 Time: 12pm-2pm Los Angeles screening Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St. Los Angeles CA, 90012 Phone: 213-617-1033 Time: 3pm-5pm Ticket Price: 18$ To buy tickets to the Los Angeles Screening go here: perfumejpnla.brownpaperticket.com To buy tickets to the New York Screening go here: perfumejpnny.brownpaperticket.com Dont forget to like the Perfume Street Team page on Facebook and subscribe/RSVP to their events! facebook.com/PerfumeStreetTeam 
Image Source: natalie.mu
Guess who’s back. Back again. Muscats back. Tell a friend. After weeks of risqué teaser photos all over the main Ebisu Muscats site, the Ebisu Muscats of 2015 lineup has finally been revealed. For those of you who were fans of the original Muscats, featuring Yoshizawa Akiho, Hatsune Minori, Kishi Aino, and Rukawa Rina, unfortunately they are no longer in the lineup. This new lineup does continue the trend of consisting mainly of AV idols and gravure idols. I am real stoked to see the Muscats come back. What I like about this lineup is that some of the new members could have very well been Ebisu Muscats back in the early 2010s, while others are rather surprising additions. However, this article will focus on four members in particular. These four members caught my eye once I found out they made the Muscats ‘15 roster, and I am hyped to see what they’ll be able to do once the variety show starts airing. Basically, these are my personal choices for a top four. I’m writing about these four ladies because I believe they may do amazing things during their tenures as Muscats, and I may even compare these said four members with Muscats of the past. Like my previous articles regarding the Ebisu Muscats, I am not responsible for anything you see if you search any of the members on Google Images. You may see some NSFW images if you are curious about any of the members, so make sure you have Safe Search on if you are curious. Basically, this article can potentially be NSFW. You have been warned. Other than that, let’s begin, shall we? Here are my Top 4 Ebisu Muscats of 2015.  #4 Kana Yume Oh boy…this lovely lady. Let me just say that if the Muscats hadn’t broke up in 2013, Kana Yume would be a lock for the lineup. Since they brought the Muscats back, she’s a lock for the ‘15 lineup. There’s someone I am willing to compare Kana Yume to, and some people may not agree with it. She is the Muscats ‘15 version of Yoshizawa Akiho. I see a lot of traits that Acky had back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. First of all, she is just as drop dead gorgeous as Yoshizawa Akiho. Second, she is not afraid to show herself off, even if the way she does it is rather risqué. One can go on Kana Yume’s Instagram page just to find out what I am talking about. Third, she has the center vibe. I could see Kana Yume center an Ebisu Muscats ’15 single similar to how Acky did. The amount of potential that Kana Yume has with the Muscats is high; let’s see if she can capitalize on it.  #3: Kojima Minami This is one of the AV idols who I believe should have made the Ebisu Muscats roster a long, long time ago. Besides her high pitched voice, she fit the mold of the Muscats quite well I must say. I always thought Kojima Minami had that “girl next door” look that some idols do, such as Nishino Nanase of Nogizaka46 or Watanabe Miyuki of NMB48/AKB48. Maybe that’s just me. She was born in 1992, which was the same year as Shinohara Saemi and Mizuki Uruha. Those were two Muscats who were on the lineup in 2012. When I found out that the Muscats were going to come back, I was already contemplating who would make the lineup. Needless to say, she was one of my choices. I see Kojima Minami as a possible next-gen Kishi Aino. In my opinion, she looks like she can lead the new squad the same way Kishi Aino did for a couple of years. The new Ebisu Muscats will need a leader anyway, so why not have Kojimina step up? I believe she led a Sexy-J lineup, which was a J-Pop lineup similar to what the Muscats were doing. That definitely helps her case. Is Kojimina going to be her new nickname? I’m down with that.  #2: Ayano Nana The Muscats ’15 lineup has its fair share of surprises. Ayano Nana may be the biggest surprise of them all. No, I did not expect someone like her to make it on the lineup. I have seen her videos on YouTube where she is interviewed for some of her AV-based stuff, and I will honestly say that she has no personality. Besides being cute, I was kind of bored with her. To see that she made this lineup caught me off guard. I have this weird vibe that she will be a member stuck in the third row of promotional images for singles and what now. That is a spot I really don’t want her to settle in, because I know what happens to Muscats who get stuck in the third row, especially when they have no personality. The reason why Ayano Nana is so high on my Top 5 is because there’s one Muscat who I can compare her to. Basically, Ayano Nana is the Mizuki Uruha of the Muscats ’15. I’m guessing you’ve never really heard of Mizuki Uruha, but basically she was a Muscat who barely had enough screen time and didn’t exactly show off her personality. Yet, she was one of the cutest girls I’d ever seen. I was a fan of Uruha when she was around because of how much vast potential she has sitting in the third row. Unfortunately, she did not last very long, and was out of the lineup for less than 6 months. The last thing I want for Ayano Nana is to have the same fate Mizuki Uruha did. Come on Nana. Show me what you got.  #1: Sakura Yura
You should have seen this coming a mile away. Yes, my number one member of the Muscats ’15 is Sakura Yura. And yes, she now succeeds Rukawa Rina as my Ebisu Muscats oshimen. What more can I say about Sakura Yura that hasn’t been mentioned already? First of all, she looks like she can fit right in with HKT48, since she has the cute vibe that is rather rare among the Ebisu Muscats. Secondly, she has also done some J-Pop work before. She had a duo unit called P*cherry alongside former Ebisu Muscat Sakuragi Rin, as well as some solo work with musical artist PARKGOLF. Lastly, she has an AV career. She has a resume meant for the Ebisu Muscats. Once the Muscats were going to come back, I already knew Sakura Yura was going to clinch a spot. There’s no way an AV idol that cute would miss a spot on the Muscats. You already know that I am going to call her the Rukawa Rina of the Muscats ’15. Just think about how many similarities the two have: the super cute look, the fact that they both look really good in pigtails, and the fact that it’s rather surprising to see both Rukawa Rina and Sakura Yura as AV idols. I already imagine Sakura Yura as the lead for an Ebisu Muscats unit that resembles the Pretty Cure anime series, just like Rukawa Rina did a few years back. I was excited to see Sakura Yura on this lineup. I am already excited to see what she will bring to the table once the Muscats ’15 come into full swing. Also, this Sakura is better than the HKT48 one. Just sayin’. That ends my Top 4 Members of the Muscats ’15. There were a few members I may have missed, such as Uehara Ai, Okita Anri, Tia, Hoshino Nami, and Amatsuka Moe. Even some of the former Margarines are members of the new Muscats! Remember them? They were idol group formed to pay massive debts. The reason why I didn’t include them on this list is because I can’t say much about anybody else. I do not know much about anybody I missed on this countdown so I really can’t give an honest opinion on the others. I have known of the Top 4 I listed way before the roster reveal, especially Sakura Yura. I just want to start watching the variety show now and see what these ladies have to offer. There are some big shoes to fill, since the Ebisu Muscats of 2008-2013 nearly exceeded all expectations. Let us see if these Muscats, especially these four, can do just that. -Nathan (L4verra)  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. We walk around Mexico City together, with our phones out, trying to use GPS to locate the venue where Japanese idol group °C-ute will be performing. We are lost and confused. It is then that a Mexican fan with whom we had communicated with online happened to find us and helped guide us to the venue. That scenario is indicative of the concert experience as a whole: camaraderie, love and excitement. With some familiarity with the location, the next day we arrived at the venue at about 1000 and saw fans already lining up and getting excited. It wasn’t just enthusiastic Mexican fans, though; there were people from many places, including Canada, USA, Colombia and even Japan. As we heard the excited chatter within the line, we could see various vendors setting up a sort of market on the street. As we walked through the line, speaking to the fans, there was nothing but excitement. This was not only the first time °C-ute was performing in Mexico, and not only the first time any Hello! Project group was performing in Mexico, but it was the first time any idol group was performing there. Overseas performances are already a rarity, due to the tight Japanese tour schedules, so this was a pleasant honor for all the °C-ute fans in Mexico and North America as a whole.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Amongst those gathered outside the venue, there were some fans who dressed up in outfits from °C-ute’s singles. While there were several, the one that stood out the most was a group who were sporting the cute dresses from ‘Sekai ichi Happy na Onna no Ko’. They had taken a level of care and dedication in order to make sure that they reproduced the outfits almost perfectly. Meanwhile, across the street, there were fans performing dances from various Hello! Project songs in order to pass the time and get the energy flowing. They had a great time, and other fans would occasionally jump in to join them. As time went on, the excitement only kept building until about 1615, when the doors finally opened for VIP and we began shuffling through the doors and upstairs to where the goods table was located. There was an exclusive photo set, an exclusive T-shirt, a towel and wristband combo from their current tour and an exclusive CD which contained a special selection of songs selected by popularity as well as a handshake ticket.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. As the tension and excitement grew, °C-ute finally came out and the crowd exploded with excitement. Nothing could prepare us for the energy and spirit that the Mexican fans were able to exude. The cheering was deafening. The energy was invigorating. They were completely and totally contagious. It was at that moment that we truly understood why °C-ute had gone to Mexico for their first North American concert. From the giant grins on °C-ute’s faces, I think they felt the same way. Without further ado, °C-ute jumped right into the concert. They stepped out onto stage with black outfits with sparkling silver tones and a red undertone complete with red shoes. They started off strong with ‘Kanashiki Heaven’, which was a smart choice due to the heavy use of vocal skills for it. After finishing that song, and ‘Adam to Eve no Dilemma’, they jumped into their introductions. They did it all in Spanish, which was really impressive. For example, Maimi said she was looking forward to the day and Saki said “let’s have a blast.” Following that they jumped right back into performing with ‘Soku Dakishimete’. They then lead into ‘I miss you’. Of particular note was how effectively they were able to sing that song, which is a bit complex on the way the vocals are timed. As is to be expected with °C-ute, they did a fantastic job making sure they interacted with the crowd as much as possible. This included the side VIP area which wasn’t in direct line of sight. From little waves, to winks and to hearts, every member made sure that the crowd was given attention (much to the delight of the excited fans). The second section contained a total of 9 songs, all of which were high energy and covered a good time period of their musical library. Of particular note was ‘Ookina Ai de Motenashite’, which is a particular favorite of mine and doesn’t get performed much anymore (this also happened to be my introduction to °C-ute). About halfway through the performance of the second section, they did a quick wardrobe change on stage into a cute red outfit (ripping off the higher layers and setting them on the rear of the stage for the crew to quickly pick up) to continue straight on with little delay.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. With the close of the second section, Maimi and Saki were on stage while the others went to the back to rest and change. At this point, they had a lottery corner, which involved raffle numbers that were handed to us when we had entered the concert hall. As they called out the numbers to the glee of the lucky fans who won the merchandise, the appropriate member to whom the item was related signed the item on the spot. Maimi and Saki then went off-stage to rest and change while Airi and Mai came out to continue the lottery with their own items. It was shortly into this that Chisato came out wearing a gold luchador mask, claiming to be Mil Mascaras. It was one of the silliest and cutest highlights of the concert. Everybody chanted her name really loud. After flexing a little, she jokingly charged at Airi and Mai who reacted in appropriate fashion: by cutely acting scared. Chisato pulled off her mask to reveal that she was wearing a silver luchador mask underneath which matched their third outfits: a beautiful shiny silver with white lining. She eventually removed that mask too, which was undoubtedly hot to wear, and announced herself as Okai Chisato. After quickly fixing her hair, they continued to give out signed merchandise. Chisato signed the gold mask to raffle out. The merchandise included T-shirts, towels, a set of earrings from one of their outfits, the luchador mask, some clear files and even a plush of the Suu-san character created by Airi. These items were distributed to the lucky fans after the concert. Upon conclusion of the lottery corner, they quickly prepared for the opening of the third section with ‘Tokaikko Junjou’. The crowd went wild and were so loud that it caused °C-ute to initially miss their cue. With exceptional skill, they jumped straight into ‘Tokaikko Junjou’ with amazing energy that radiated throughout the whole concert hall. Much to our pleasure, they also performed ‘The Middle Management ~Josei Chuukan Kanrishoku~’, which was one of their strongest performances at the concert. They closed out the third section with ‘Dance de Bakoon!’ which arguably elicited the loudest response from the crowd. ‘Dance de Bakoon!’ has very energetic and positive themes, so performing that was a beautiful way to close out with a bang.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. After leaving the stage, the crowd went wild. They chanting various things hoping for them to come back for an encore, including a very unique chant that was entirely Mexican. They chanted ‘Olé Olé Olé! Kyuuto! Kyuuto!’ We were unaware of how long this went, since it was easy to get lost in the moment while cheering and chanting, though it was likely 10-15 minutes. They came out to thunderous cheers. They were sporting the concert’s T-shirts along with cute skirts with vehicles on it and frills matching their member colors. The encore kicked off with the cute classic ‘Sakura Chirari’. Messages from each individual member were then read to the crowd. Maimi thanked everybody for coming; Saki said that they had looked forward to meeting the fans; Airi expressed her happiness for being able to sing in Mexico finally; Chisato asked everybody to keep cheering for them so they could come back; Mai expressed her happiness with being able to connect with Mexican culture. They then told everybody that all the fans were also members of Team °C-ute and expressed much gratitude and love. Following this, they performed ‘Gamusha Life’ and closed out the concert with ‘JUMP’. These were especially fantastic choices because they allowed the girls to be a little more informal for the conclusion. The end was performed with a bit more interaction with the crowd, a very effective way to depart. It left the fans with awesome positive images.  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. As quickly as it felt the concert had begun, it was already over. The concert hall was then separated into two groups: VIP and non-VIP. The VIP members were allowed to have a quick handshake with each member followed by the non-VIP fans who had managed to snag the CD (which was the only other way to get the handshake ticket). The girls were extremely enthusiastic and kind as everyone proceeded through the handshake line. With really big and pleasant smiles, they gave everybody their heartfelt thanks. At the very end I managed to let Maimi know that I was from America and that they had lots of love from the American fans. Various fans had various messages for the °C-ute members, which they would similarly express to them as they went through the line. The VIP holders then grabbed their signed photos, CDs and handshake tickets (in case they wanted to keep it for the sake of collecting).
Exhausted, hot and with dissipated voices, we stood outside the concert hall and reflected on the experience. We had heard many amazing things about °C-ute being amazing performers. They not only lived up to this expectation, but went beyond it. Between the infectious positivity and energy of the Mexican fans, the extremely top-notch and enthusiastic performance from °C-ute and the amazing set list, we’d be hard-pressed to find something to complain about. As we walked off to grab a bite, we already knew that was going to be one concert we wouldn’t forget. A-To-J Connections was proud to be a part this momentous occasion. Here’s hoping that °C-ute will be able to travel abroad to give more fans the opportunity to experience them as well. °C-ute Are: ◆ Yajima Maimi (矢島舞美, Leader) ◆ Nakajima Saki (中島早貴) ◆ Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) ◆ Okai Chisato (岡井千聖) ◆ Hagiwara Mai (萩原舞) Concert Set-List 1. Kanashiki Heaven 2. Adam to Eve no Dilemma 3 MC (Introductions in Spanish) 4. Soku Dakishimete 5. I miss you 6. Forever Love 7. Massara Blue Jeans 8. Ookina Ai de Motenashite 9. Sekai ichi Happy na Onna no ko 10. Namida no Iro 11. Aitai Aitai Aitaina 12. Crazy Kanzen na Otona 13. MC (Lottery Corner) 14. Tokaikko Junjou 15. Love take it all 16. The Middle Management ~Josei Chuukan Kanrishoku~ 17. Midnight Temptation 18. Kiss Me Aishiteru 19. Dance de Bakoon! ENCORE 20. Sakura Chirari 21. MC (Messages) 22. Gamusha Life 23. JUMP -Teepu (Bowser05) For more information on °C-ute, UP-FRONT and Hello! Project please follow Up-Front Link At: Twitter: @UpFrontLink Facebook: facebook.com/upfrontlink All photos ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Used with permission. 
On September 8, Tsunku officially announced that he had resigned from his post as General Producer for Hello! Project. He said that Morning Musume '14's performance in New York last October was the last time he participated officially in H!P. This means he's actually stepped down since then. Most fans who have been following H!P in the last couple years or so likely already knew this. Tsunku had announced that he had laryngeal cancer and he had slowed down on his activities significantly. What was the catalyst that led to his resignation? 
The surgery. He had finally decided to go through with a surgery to remove his vocal cords, since the cancer (it seemed) had not spread beyond that quite yet. The fact that he waited until MM'14 performed in NYC is actually quite significant. MM is the reason H!P exists, and is his original idol concoction. He has a really close bond and emotional ties to MM. Being able to see his children, as he often refers to the girls in H!P, perform for their first time in a solo concert in the USA was the most loving sendoff he could have possibly given them (despite his growing illness, he saw it through). The way I see it, it was similar to how a parent watches their child go off to college, and essentially begins their lives as independent adults (or graduating from college and getting a career, whatever analogy is more culturally relevant to you). He got to see the fruits of his and their labors before stepping aside, and letting others take over for him. I mentioned that fans already knew this was happening, even if it wasn't officially announced until now. This was seen by the fact that almost all content produced out of H!P after October was not lead by him. In fact, seeing the 'Produced by Tsunku' stamp was hardly being seen on anything. That's not to say that fantastic talent hasn't been working in his stead, but the fact is that people started to freak out a little that he was slowly disappearing from H!P affairs. Now we know why. While the transition has been smooth and gentle, it doesn't hurt any less for long-time fans of Hello! Project. 
Tsunku began work as lead vocalist with his band: Sharam Q. He worked together with them for a long time and still does; though since he can't sing anymore his performances are nigh impossible. During his early days with Sharam Q, they sought a female vocalist for the group. Among the auditions, he was only allowed to pick one person. He had a handful of runner-ups though who were so amazing, that he felt it was an absolute shame to not give them a chance at some form of stardom. Instead, he challenged this group of girls to sell 50,000 copies of a song they recorded within a certain amount of time: Ai no Tane. If they were able to do this, Tsunku would help them form into a legitimate group. They managed to do this through their own promoting, and impressed him. From them, the first generation of Morning Musume was born. Having drawn his influence from previous idol groups like Pink Lady and The Peanuts, he had a grand game plan for turning Morning Musume into a brilliant modern idol sensation. Through hard work and perseverance (from him, the ladies and the staff he employed) they managed to pull it off. By the time they released Love Machine (the biggest hit from the group ever), Morning Musume had officially become a household name. Taking inspiration from concepts like the Jazz Messengers, he decided to have a cyclical unit. This concept continued, and expanded, and eventually he created a conglomeration of groups within a header of Hello! Project, containing groups like Berryz Kobo, C-ute and Melon Kinenbi (each representing its own style and theme). Since 1997 he kept at it, and molded Hello! Project into one of the most successful idol sets ever, alongside later groups like Stardust and 48G. So why did I tell this story, when most people who will read this will likely have known this already? To emphasize his importance. He's done a lot not just for Morning Musume, or for Hello! Project, but for the idol scene in general. How he was able to manage so many idols at the same time and produce so much music so often is beyond my comprehension (this goes for all Idol conglomeration managers), but he certainly pulled it off with flying colors. Whether some of his songs were hits or misses with you, there's no denying that he managed to cover a relatively wide variety of genres with the music he produced (within the confines of pop idol groups, of course).  His official announcement of stepping down comes as a difficult blow for Hello! Project fans to wrestle with. On the one hand, we all already knew this. On the other hand, it being official cements the whole thing and doesn't allow us to try to continue in denial of the facts right in front of us. That being said, he hasn't retired, exactly. He is still going to be working on projects, where he can. In fact, he's been working with some older stars lately, which is really nice. That being said, this means he can finally allow himself to spend some proper, quality time with his family, which is well-deserved considering how much of himself he has put into both Sharam Q and Hello! Project. 
Don't fret though! He's no fool, and has certainly left Hello! Project in good hands, which can be clearly seen through all the content that has been released since October from last year. While Tsunku will still produce some music here and there for H!P, for all intents and purposes he's not a real driving force behind it anymore. During all this, he's been working on a book called 'Dakara, Ikiru', which officially released on September 10. A lot of the information on his endeavors and his decisions are reportedly contained within. 
It's a pity that it took him losing his vocal cords to finally be able to slow down and focus on his family and other projects, but at least it wasn't worse. He’s been the inspiration and love of most of us H!P fans. Let's wish him the best in all his future endeavors, and may he have a healthy and fulfilling life with his family and any other future projects he decides to pursue. He certainly deserves it. 
This is the end of a beautiful era for Hello! Project, and the start of an exciting new one.
- Teepu (Bowser05) Tsunku’s Official Site: http://www.tsunku.net/ Tsunku’s Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/tsunku-blog Tsunku’s Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/boy.tsunku Tsunku’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tsunkuboy/ Tsunku’s Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/tsunkuboy/ Below is a link to information on his book: https://www.shinchosha.co.jp/order/339591/ Below is a link to a rough translation of Tsunku's post by 910 Percent, and below that is his actual post: https://www.facebook.com/910percent/photos/a.436091429738572.121154.253277044686679/1161508073863567/?&fref=nf&pnref=story 
Perfume's new single “Star Train” finally has a release date! It's going to be released October 28th with two editions, a regular edition and a limited edition. The limited edition will include instrumental versions of the songs on the single, a photo booklet and a DVD with a behind the scenes look at the recording of imitation world and an MV for Star Train. Be sure to pick it up! Track Listings: 1.*Star Train -The theme song to the WE ARE Perfume-World Tour 3rd Document 2.*Tokimeki Lights -Used in a chocoloa BB CM 3.Imitation World 4.Star Train -Original Instrumental- 5.Tokimeki Lights -Original Instrumental- 6. Imitation World -Original Instrumental-
Nathan (L4verra) and I have mainly bonded over two things: baseball and having underrated Nogizaka46 oshimen. He recently posted an appreciation article of his oshi, Wada Maaya, [It can be seen here] which made me decide that it was about time the world learns about my oshi. Kawamura Mahiro.  For a long time I didn’t really have an oshi. I always gravitated towards Kojima Haruna from AKB48, but that was really only because it was decided (by others) that she would be the one who I would cosplay from AKB0048 (which was my introduction to idols). I decided that I was going to go through every page on Stage48 (A 48G wiki for those that don’t know. It can be found here.) to find the one girl I liked best. This is not the best way to find an oshi… but it worked. [Editor’s Note: I actually found my 48G oshi in a similar manner!] As I was looking through the pages there were a lot of cute girls, many of them had interesting backgrounds, but then I saw a picture of a girl that completely caught my attention to the point where I couldn’t get it out of my head.  This is the picture I that made me fall in (platonic) love with Rottii. It’s not even the best picture of her but something about it kept it in my head. Ever since then I’ve been hooked. Everything I learned about Rottii just made me love her more and more. She is considered by many other Nogi members to be the best singer in the group [1]. As a singer myself, this solidified her spot in my heart. She even writes and composes her own songs! She has also been praised for her dancing skills, including being chosen as the best dancer/oshimen of a guest on an episode of "Nogizakatte, Doko?” [2]. I will always say she is the most underrated girl in the group talent wise, but I could be biased. Rottii is from the Kansai region of Japan (Osaka), which is where I studied when I was an exchange student back in high school (automatic brownie points!). She won an audition with the Up-Front Kansai Agency before becoming a member of Nogizaka, which just proves that she’s not someone who only succeeds in one audition. All of this and she’s still only been on 2 A-sides? I can’t even.  Game Face! As your reading this, you may be wondering where the nickname Rottii comes from. In all honesty, I’m not really sure. But I love it. I think ~technically~ it’s supposed to be the English name “Lotty" as she herself spells it “Rotty” when using romaji. For what I hope are obvious reasons, that is not my favorite way to spell her nickname, but she does it so I still support it 100%. I didn’t think I had maternal instincts until I became a Rottii oshi. I want her to succeed so bad sometimes it hurts. I get sad when she cries; I get happy when she smiles; if she were to get bullied in school I would call the bullies parents and have a stern talking with them. And for those that know me, you know that means she’s kind of a big deal <3. Peace out nerds! -marisuga Videos to prove my points! [1] Skip to 8:00 [2] Mahiro Dance from zannen shoujo on Vimeo. |
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