Blog Hiatus

I just wanted to take this time to announce to everyone that I will be taking a hiatus from blogging for an undisclosed amount of time. I say undisclosed because it could be a couple of weeks or it could be a couple of months, I don't know right now.
The reason for my hiatus is because my mother has suffered a mild stroke on Monday. And while she is fine I still have no idea when she is getting out of the hospital. First it was just until Wednesday, then it was Thursday, and now she might have to stay for rehabilitation for 3 weeks. And when she does get out of the hospital she will need help with everything. Cooking, cleaning, and even help walking. This is just a completely stressful time for me right now. I am completely not mentally prepared for something like this. I've been so anxious the past few days, I've barely eaten or drank anything.

And one of the things that has helped me be sane this few days, believe it or not, is Morning Musume. You can say that Momusu is just an idol group for 40 year wota, and that they don't make legit music. But when I was waiting for the phone call to see if she was ok or not, I kept repeating Furusato over and over again. Even though it's about moving to Tokyo it's got a few lines that really resonant with me. Like, "scold me like you used to my Mother." And "I'm sorry I'm such a selfish daughter."



Even though I won't be blogging for a while, I will still try to return all of my comments. And when I start blogging again I'm going to have to play catch up to everything I missed. I hope you guys don't mind. Even now there's like 3 blog posts I planned on making that have to be put on hold. So, yeah. I hope you guys will wait for my blog to be back, and won't worry to much about me.

9th generation auditions announced

You know when they say, "careful what you wish for," I completely understand what they mean.
Well it finally happened 9th generation auditions have officially been announced. But at what price. I lost 3 of my favorite Morning Musume members for this to happen. Koharu, Eri, and LinLin. But that's what happens with a swinging door idol group. You recycle old members, and new ones come. It's just an inevitability being in this fandom. One day your favorite is going to leave. Having said that, it doesn't really ease the pain or make it easier to take.

But that's not what this post is about. I already whined enough in my previous post. This post is all about the upcoming 9th generation Morning Musume auditions! Tsunku has announced that Morning Musume will be auditioning for the 9th gen. You can view the official website here or read about it in his blog here. The girls participating in the audition must be ages 10-17.

Even though I am extremely sad that 3 members are leaving I am still super excited to finally get some new Monring Musume members. This will be my first Morning Musume audition since becoming a fan. I can't wait for it to happen and wait with baited breathe for the new members to be picked.

I am a little disappointed with about the age though. 10-17 seems really young. Even if Morning Musume did have international auditions it sucks that I'm too old for it now. TOT But what also is pretty cool everything I said I wanted to happen with 9th gen seems to be happening. Ok I said the 9th gen auditions would be announced in February and it's August, but that's still pretty close. I also said that Morning Musume also needs some young girls thrown into the mix, about 12 years old. And what do you know. This generation is accepting the youngest girls any generation has ever accepted. Then I also said Ai-chan will most likely pull a Yossie. Be around just long enough to train the new member(s) before graduating herself. I hope that actually happens. Ai-chan has been a member long enough. And so has Risa for that matter.

The world seems to stop as Morning Musume loses 3 members

Tsunku has announced at today's H!P Summer Concert that 3 members will be graduating from Morning Musume. Those members will be: 6th generation member Kamei Eri, and 8th generation members LinLin and JunJun. Eri will be graduation because she has been a long time sufferer of the skin disease atopic dermatitis. There is also no official plans for her activities after graduating from Morning Musume. LinLin and JunJun are graduating because they have honed their skills as singers, and are now grown up women. After graduating from Morning Musume LinLin and JunJun will be going back to China to focus on a career there. You can read Tsunku's full statement in Japanese and English here on Morning Musume's myspace blog.

I am in such a state of shock now that I can barely speak. It has literally taken me 15 minutes to start to write this. I am so speechless now. This news is so unexpected I'm at a loss for words. But let's just start from the beginning. When I first read 3 members were graduating I thought I was getting my dream. Ai, Risa, and Sayumi are finally going to graduate. But when I clicked on who was leaving I was flabbergasted. I read Eri and I was like "Oh no! That's horrible," but I could honestly take that. I mean she's 6th gen I could see it happening. But then when I read LinLin and JunJun I had to do a double take. I mean really, LinLin and JunJun? They are 8th gen for god's sake!

And right now that's where I am. I am officially over being on the verge of tears and I am in full on rant mode!
First off, and pardon my French, but are you fucking kidding me? The 8th generation is graduating but the 5th is safe for a another year or so! Ai and Risa have been in Morning Musume for 9 years. Nine years! Let them go already! Enough is enough! I know Ai-chan is the current vocal powerhouse of Momusu, but that's not my problem. If Tsunku would just spread the lines more he wouldn't be in this crippling co-dependency with Ai! He has made it so Morning Musume will fall apart without her, so she escapes another graduation! Well guess what, he's also now running the risk of Morning Musume falling apart with Ai-chan in it.
And why is that? Well I will tell you. Only 5 members of Morning Musume can actually sing. And those are Ai, Risa, Reina, Eri, and LinLin. Aika is a good singer too, but I'm talking about good enough to lead songs. And now 2 of those girls are leaving. Leaving Momusu basically an empty shell, for the time being of course. But I highly doubt any of the new 9th gen will be so spectacular that they lead their debut single. Let's be realistic here, we're most likely not going to have another Shabondama situation. Not only that, but who is going to take over Eri's lines during concerts? They made here such a big part of the singles!
And according to seniority Sayumi will most likely be taking over Eri's lines! Well I hope people remind me to bring my ear plugs every time I watch a Morning Musume concert from now on. Because Sayumi is garbage, absolute garbage. Don't feed me the, "well Sayumi has improved greatly," either because the girl can not sing. She can't. She's narcissistic and whiny. Bottom line, the only reason she is still a member of Morning Musume is because she's cute, looks good in a bikini, and the wota have a hard on for her. And it's just completely sad. And I know she's an idol, and idols aren't the best singers. But if you don't want to lose her profit have her go solo, put her in a group. Anything! But just get her out of Morning Musume.
She is taking up LinLin's spot! Listen to LinLin sing and tell me she wasn't robbed! You listen to LinLin's solo in Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuku you na Mirai de Are from the Platinum 9 Disco concert and tell me that LinLin didn't deserve to be the sub-leader of Morning Musume one day. Just try to because you can't! Listen to her Chinese version of Watarasebashi on Bijou Houdan and tell me it wasn't so beautiful it didn't almost bring you to tears!

I just can not fathom what Tsunku was possibly thinking! This has got to be one of the worst decisions Tsunku has ever made. I understand the line up hasn't been changed in years, but to graduate 4 members in less than a year, is just too much! Especially 3 of my favorite members of Morning Musume! So until the 9th gen joins Morning Musume will be 3 members I hate, and 2 that I love. Not really the best odds there. And there's no way I will ever instantly love a 9th generation member. It took me 2 years to realize I love LinLin. Aika was just a fluke.

This is just too much bad news for me to possibly bare. I mean, I don't really follow Chinese music. So you might as well say I will never hear from LinLin again. And who's to say she will even have a career? Ice Creamusume have been MIA for like 2 years now. I can't even express how I am feeling in words. It's a mix between sadness and anger.

Ryo shows off his air guitar skills in new CM

Nishikido Ryo is staring in a new solo CM for 7-up Clear Dry. Which was just released a few hours ago.

First off, I am 100% sure that they don't make this product here in the US. And if they do I have never seen it or heard about it. The bottle even has the label used for 7-up products sold outside the US. But I don't see why they don't make it here. According to the bottle it's a zero calorie 7-up. Coke zero is really popular here, you'd think we'd have 70up Clear Dry too. But now I'm just rambling. XD

About the commercial itself, I like it. It's really adorable. I always love when Ryo shows his dorky side. And Ryo rocking on air guitar is pretty dorky. And apparently he was really shy while he was filming the commercial. Which just adds to the cute factor of it. And I must say I completely approve of a Ryo solo commercial. Yamapi is usually the one getting all the CMs. It's about time my beloved Ryo got another one.

NEWS to release 4th album, Live

Johnny's Entertainment groups NEWS is going to release their 4th studio album entitled Live. And that is literally all I can say about this. I can not find any information about this anywhere! All I am sure of so far is that a release date hasn't be announced yet.

Even though the facts surrounding this piece of news are sketchy, to say the least, it doesn't make me less excited for this. As some of you may know NEWS is my favorite JE group and I've been feeling NEWS deprived lately. A new CD is just the kind of thing that makes me happy. And breath a sigh of relief at my paranoid they're breaking up thoughts.

Even though I am overjoyed at the thought of a new NEWS CD, I really doubt I'll be able to buy it. Miyavi's first CD in a year and half is being released in October. And there's no way I'll be able to buy both. I'm going to have to think long and hard about which CD I decide to get. I hate decisions like this, I'll be disappointed either way. :/

Oh and also, please have NEWS pull a No More Pain. Give them a PV from th new album! I'm dying for a new PV!

Kan Kan to release first photobook and image DVD

Everyone's favorite, well maybe not everyone's but certainty my favorite, ex-Hello!Project member Arihara Kanna announced recently that she will be coming out with a photobook and image DVD in November. You can read the post yourself here.

I gotta say this completely took me off guard, I wasn't expecting this at all. Of course I knew Kan Kan was back in the entertainment business when she made her blog. But a photobook and image DVD, is the complete opposite of what I thought she was up too. Kanna made a few blog posts that she was filming something, and had to keep hush hush about it for the time being. But I just assumed she was filming a scene for a drama or commercial. I was convinced that she was becoming an actress. But apparently I was wrong, you know what they say about assuming. On the front page there's a link for contact at bluserosemodel. So apparently she's just going to be a model. Which makes me a little bit sad. I really want her to sing again! But she's still young so there's still hope for that.

But all of that aside, I am completely thrilled about her first photobook. Because let's me honest she probably never would have released one if she stayed in C-ute. So in a way leaving C-ute was the best thing Kanna ever did. She can completely live her life the way she wants to and have a better career than before. In a sense that all of the focus will finally be with her. I don't know, I'm starting to like her not being in C-ute more and more.

Momoiro Clover Koko Natsu preview

Momoiro Clover previewed their 2nd major single, Koko Natsu, on their live USTREAM broadcast a few days ago.

First off I am incredibly stupid. The song Koko Natsu is supposed to mean Coconuts, but my first reaction to the title was "why the hell is it called here summer?" I was obviously taking the title a little too literally. XD

I am completely in love with this song though. It now replaces Ikuze! Kaitou Shoujo as my favorite Momoiro Clover song. The song is just so upbeat and happy that you can't hate it. It's a very tropical themed song, so I'm pretty interested in what the PV will look like. But for some reason I can't imagine them in bikinis. I'm like 80% it will be beach themed, but bikini free.
I also think Ayaka and Kanako are leading the single. But I'm not 100% sure of that. Because the quality is a little bad and I don't really recognize their voices by ear 100% yet. I can only recognize half of them.

The video from the USTREAM show is incredibly cute. They are so energetic you can tell that they love every minute of being part of Momoiro Clover. Which is incredibly sweet. I also wish my favorites, Akari and Momoka, were in the center more so I could see them better.