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Morning Musume’s 50th single sets a new record for group
Morning Musume’s fiftieth single “One Two Three / The Matenrou Show” sold 101,000 units during its first week. Debuting at number three on the weekly single charts, they set a new record for the largest amount of top ten singles, at fifty overall for the beloved idol group.
With fifty top ten singles under their belt, Momusu now sits comfortably on top of the list of artists with the most top ten releases. They are followed by top artists such as Hamasaki Ayumi (48), B’z and SMAP (tied at 47), and THE ALFEE (46).
“One Two Three / The Matenrou Show” is Morning Musume’s first single since member Michishige Sayumi was inaugurated as the eighth leader of the group. Since the single sold 101,000 units in its first week, “One Two Three / The Matenrou Show” has effectively sold over twice the amount that their April single “Renai Hunter” sold in its first week (41,000 units). This is also the first time in about ten years that the group has sold 100,000 units during the first week, their last time being the 2002 single “Koko ni Iru Ze!” when Morning Musume’s second leader Iida Kaori still led the group.
Michishige confessed, “We were so happy (about reaching our fiftieth single), but there was a lot of pressure. I’m truly happy, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you everyone!” Since Momusu is quickly approaching its fifteenth anniversary this September, she also added in, “So that we can be a group that will still keep being loved by many after twenty or even thirty years after this, we’re taking the baton handed to us by the senior members, and we’re doing our best to keep making new history [for the group].”
The single was made available in multiple editions: Limited Editions A and B featuring the sixth generation (Michishige Sayumi and Tanaka Reina) song “Watashi no Jidai!“; Limited Editions C and D with the ninth generation (Fukumura Mizuki, Ikuta Erina, Sayashi Riho, and Sukuki Kanon) song “Ai Saretainoni…“, and Limited Editions E and F featuring the newly added tenth generation (Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi, Sato Masaki, and Kudou Haruka) in the song “Seishun Domannaka“.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/07 ... w-record-for-group/ |
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Two new Hello! Project units formed
Two new music units Peaberry and DIY♡ will be created from the ”SATOYAMA movement”, a project started up by Up-Front Group. The two units will debut at the Hello! Project 15th anniversary summer live concert tour that’s starting on July 21st.
“SATOYAMA movement” is a project introducing new lifestyle tips that aim to maintain the balance between man and nature. As part of the movement, program “Hello! SATOYAMA Life” has been airing on TV Tokyo’s BS Japan. In this show, Hello! Project members learn about agriculture, farming and other do-it-yourself information as new lifestyle tips are introduced to viewers of the program.
Peaberry is made up of Smileage’s Wada Ayaka and Morning Musume’s Sayashi Riho. Usually the fruit of the coffee plant develops as two halves. On rare occasions, only one of the two seeds develops and results in a round coffee bean known as the peaberry. The name for this unit signifies that Wada and Sayashi will grow and come to fruition as one entity.
DIY♡ comprises of Natsuyaki Miyabi and Tokunaga Chinami from Berryz Kobo, Yajima Maimi and Nakajima Saki from ℃-ute, and Iikubo Haruno from Morning Musume. DIY is usually an acronym for “Do-It-Yourself” but in this case, it also stands for “Dance In Your heart”. It indicates the strong spirit of the girls as they forge their own path, and represents a dance unit that will capture the hearts of its audience.
Peaberry will be performing “Cabbage Hakusho” at “Hello! Project Tanjou 15 Shuunen Kinen Live 2012 Natsu ~Ktkr Natsu no FAN Matsuri!~“, and DIY♡ will be performing “Foret Foret ~ Forest for Rest~” at “Hello! Project Tanjou 15 Shuunen Kinen Live 2012 Natsu ~Wkwk Natsu no FAN Matsuri!~“. Both songs incorporate the concept behind “SATOYAMA movement”.
Reportedly, both units will remain active after their debut at the summer concerts.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/07 ... oject-units-formed/ |
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Former Morning Musume member, Ichii Sayaka announces her re-marriage & pregnancy
On August 25th, it was reported that former Morning Musume member, Ichii Sayaka (28) got remarried to a hairdresser (37). According to the source, the couple registered their marriage on July 24th.
Back in May 2004, Ichii married Yoshizawa Naoki (36) who was the guitarist of “Ichii Sayaka in CUBIC-CROSS” that Ichii formed after she graduated from Morning Musume, but they divorced in May of 2011. Ichii has been raising two daughters alone since the divorce.
Reportedly, Ichii is pregnant, and will be a mother of a third child next spring. Ichii stated in an interview with Sponichi, “I’m still in the early stage of pregnancy. Including my daughters, we are all looking forward for the new family member who will be born next year. I am very happy. I would like to make a warm family that can overcome anything together, and that is full of smiles.”
She will continue her activities while taking into consideration her condition.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/08 ... marriage-pregnancy/ Last edited by whitedove on 2-10-2012 12:17 AM
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Morning Musume welcomes 11th generation member Oda Sakura
It was announced that Oda Sakura who is from Hello! Pro Kenkyuusei, has officially joined Morning Musume as an 11th generation member.
This announcement was made during the public rehearsal for “Morning Musume Tanjou 15 Shuunen Kinen Concert Tour 2012 Aki ~Colorful Character~“, held at Harmony Hall Zama on September 14th. After the members performed their new song “Wakuteka Take a Chance“, Tsunku♂ showed up on the stage, and announced that Oda Sakura would be the 11th generation member.
Oda is from Kanagawa, and is in the second year of junior high school. Though she was shortlisted for the S/mileage’s additional members audition, she could not make it. After that Oda had been participating in Hello! Project’s concerts as a Hello! Pro Kenkyuusei this past year. She then participated in the “Morning Musume 11th generation member ‘Suppin Uta Hime’ Audition”, and has now became a member among the 7,000 total applicants.
Oda commented, “All I can say now is that I am happy. Though I’m not sure what would happen in the future, I would like to try my own best.” When asked which senior she admired, she answered “For singing, Takahashi Ai-san and Niigaki Risa-san, and for dancing, C-ute’s Nakajima Saki-san.”
Leader Michishige Sayumi said to Oda, “There will be many tough things since you are the only 11th generation member, but feel free to ask me anything“, and fellow member Tanaka Reina also gave Oda advice, “I think you will be through times when you feel like failing, suffering, and even thinking of quitting, but try to make an effort for 2, 3 years. Good luck!”
Oda will accompany the group’s tour which will start on the 15th, and greet to the fans. Her activity as the member will begin in January 2013 with Hello! Project’s new year concert.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/09 ... -member-oda-sakura/ |
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Hello!Project to hold a worldwide handshake event for their 15th anniversary
To celebrate their 15th anniversary, Hello!Project plans to say thank you to fans around the world through various handshake events.
Morning Musume’s Michishige Sayumi and Tanaka Reina will be celebrating the group’s 15th anniversary by taking several new members with them to Taipei, Paris, and Bangkok.
Hereafter, Hello!Project members will be heading around the world, so make sure you ask for them.
==
[Morning Musume Worldwide Handshake Event in Taipei]
Date: October 15, 2012 (Monday)
Time: 19:00 (Ticket distribution begins at 18:00)
Venue: 誠品站前店K區地下街藝文西廣場(K12)台北市忠孝西路一段47號B1
Participating Members: Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina, Fukumura Mizuki, Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi
Details and the event ticket will be enclosed in the following: Morning Musume’s 13th Album “13 Colorful Character” Taiwan Edition (Sold though: Forward Music Co., Ltd)
http://www.forward.com.tw/
–
[Morning Musume Worldwide Handshake Event in Bangkok]
Date: October 17, 2012 (Wednesday)
Time: 17:00
Venue: Gateway Ekamai 982/22 Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong, Klong toey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. http://www.gatewayekamai.com/
Participating Members: Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina, Fukumura Mizuki, Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi
Details and event ticket will be enclosed in the following: Morning Musume’s 13th Album “13 Colorful Character” Thailand Edition (Sold through: GMM GRAMMY PCL.)
http://gmminter.gmember.com/
http://www.facebook.com/GMMGRAMMYINTER
–
[Morning Musume Worldwide Handshake Event in Paris]
Date: October 30, 2012 (Tuesday)
Time: 15:00
Venue: Hard Rock Café PARIS 14, Boulevard Montmartre, 75009, Paris, France.
www.hardrock.com/paris
Participating Members: Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina, Fukumura Mizuki, Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi
Details and event ticket will be enclosed in the following: Morning Musume’s 13th Album “13 Colorful Character” Europe Edition (Sold through: Ankama-Music)
http://www.ankama-music.com/fr
http://www.bishi-bishi.com/en
http://www.facebook.com/bishibishi
http://twitter.com/bishibishimusic
==
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/09 ... r-15th-anniversary/ |
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Morning Musume’s 9th and 10th generations release photobook
On September 18th, 9th and 10th generation Morning Musume members held a release event with 1,200 fans for their first official photobook “Morning Musume 9th & 10th Generation 1st Photo Book”.
Previously, the 9th and 10th generation members had a gravure scramble battle which was serialized on “UTB” magazine, but it ended in a draw. So in order to settle the dispute, an athletic meet was held. The photobook includes photos from the athletic meet as well as photos that weren’t used in the magazine. Since 10th generation won in the end, it was announced that their own serialization will start on UTB as the reward for the competition.
10th generation member Ishida Ayumi (15) said, “We hate losing, so even if there was no prize, we wouldn’t have lost.”
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/09 ... -release-photobook/ |
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Takahashi Ai and Niigaki Risa to hold fan meeting in Paris
J-MELO will be hosting a fan meeting with former Morning Musume members Takahashi Ai and Niigaki Risa in Paris on November 10 from 5pm to 7pm. The girls are both expected to talk with their fans and sing for them.
Tickets are free, so anyone who requests a ticket from September 24 through October 29 will get a spot. However, if there are more requests than tickets, a lottery will be held to choose the lucky fans. People chosen to attend will be notified via e-mail on October 31.
However, one ticket will allow for two additional guests, so three people are allowed to enter per ticket.
Lastly, people who attend may be featured on an episode of J-MELO, since they intend on showing the fan meeting on TV.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/09 ... n-meeting-in-paris/ |
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Tanaka Reina to graduate from Morning Musume and Hello! Project
It’s been announced that Morning Musume’s Tanaka Reina will be graduating from the group after their 2013 spring concert tour. She will also be kicking off her activities with a new unit next spring.
This was announced on November 18th during the Tokyo concert of Morning Musume’s concert tour, ‘Morning Musume. Tanjou 15 Shunen Kinen Concert Tour 2012 Fall ~Colorful Character~‘. After the introduction of 11th generation member Oda Sakura, Tanaka revealed, “Everyone, I think you know, but the band members I’ve been looking for since June has been decided!”
Back in June, Tanaka reported through her official blog that she would be starting up a band along with her activities as Morning Musume. At the same time, it was announced that she was looking for the band’s vocalist and guitarist. While she started accepting applications from the public from June 5th, there were no persons qualified. The second round started on August 1st, and she was successfully able to find her band mates.
As the crowd roared in excitement, Tanaka guided the successful candidates onto stage. She first introduced the vocalist, 19 year old Okada Marina from Tokyo. “My favorite artist is LADY GAGA. Please treat me well,” she said nervously. Then, guitarist Miyazawa Marin made her appearance. She’s also 19 years old and is from Miyazawa. “My favorite genre is hard rock and heavy metal. I’m also a Pokemon otaku!,” she shared. The last member on stage was another guitarist, 21 year old Uozumi Yuki from Tokyo. “My favorite band is MAROON 5. My favorite subject in school was history,” she appealed.
After introducing the band, Tanaka commented, “From now on, the 4 of us will pursue our band activities, but we don’t have a band name yet.” She revealed that they will also ask the public to help them name their band. The band will officially kick off their activities next spring with their main focus on lives.
Finally, Tanaka stated, “I have one more announcement,” and announced, “Next spring, I, Tanaka Reina will graduate!” She will be graduating from both Morning Musume and Hello! Project after their concert tour, ‘Morning Musume. Concert Tour 2013 Spring Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Graduation Special~‘.
Following the announcements, the girls of Morning Musume took the stage and showed a cheerful performance. Towards the end of the live, leader Michishige Sayumi said, “There was Reina’s graduation announcement, but we would like to finish this tour without any injuries, so everybody please support us until the very end!” Including the encore, the girls performed a total of 20 songs.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/11 ... -and-hello-project/ |
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Morning Musume reveals dates for Tanaka Reina’s graduation tour
Morning Musume will hold their nationwide tour, ‘Morning Musume. Concert Tour 2013 Spring Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Graduation Special~‘, starting in March 2013.
The girls are currently in the middle of their tour, ‘Morning Musume. Tanjou 15 Shunen Kinen Concert Tour 2012 Fall ~Colorful Character~‘. During their November 18th concert at Nakano Sun Plaza, the graduation of member Tanaka Reina was announced, and this upcoming tour will be her last. It will kick off on March 16th at Olympus Hall Hachiouji for a total of 32 shows at 12 locations.
After her graduation, Tanaka will officially start up her band with 3 girls who passed the auditions, Okada Marina, Miyazawa Marin, and Uozumi Yuki.
Check out the tour dates below!
===
<Morning Musume. Concert Tour 2013 Spring Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Graduation Special~>
Saturday, March 16th – Olympus Hall Hachiouji (Tokyo)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Sunday, March 17th – Olympus Hall Hachiouji (Tokyo)
First: OPEN 13:30 / START 14:30
Second: OPEN 17:00 / START 18:00
Wednesday, March 20th – Yokosuka Geijutsu Gekijou (Kanagawa)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Saturday, March 23rd – Harmony Hall Zama Dai Hall (Kanagawa)
First: OPEN 11:30 / START 12:30
Second: OPEN 15:00 / START 16:00
Sunday, March 24th – Shizuoka Shimin Bunka Kaikan Dai Hall (Shizuoka)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Saturday, April 6th – Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall (Hiroshima)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Sunday, April 7th – Fukuoka Sun Palace Hotel & Hall (Fukuoka)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Saturday, April 13th – Gamagori Shimin Kaikan (Aichi)
First: OPEN 13:00 / START 14:00
Second: OPEN 16:30 / START 17:30
Sunday, April 14th – Nagoya Kokaido (Aichi)
First: OPEN 14:30 / START 15:30
Second: OPEN 18:00 / START 19:00
Saturday, April 20th – Tochigi Sougou Bunka Center Main Hall (Tochigi)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Sunday, April 21st – Sendai Izumity21 Dai Hall (Miyagi)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Saturday, April 27th – NHK Osaka Hall (Osaka)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Sunday, April 28th – NHK Osaka Hall (Osaka)
First: OPEN 13:30 / START 14:30
Second: OPEN 17:00 / START 18:00
Friday, May 3rd – Nakano Sun Plaza (Tokyo)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Saturday, May 4th – Nakano Sun Plaza (Tokyo)
First: OPEN 13:30 / START 14:30
Second: OPEN 17:00 / START 18:00
Monday, May 6th – Nakano Sun Plaza (Tokyo)
First: OPEN 14:00 / START 15:00
Second: OPEN 17:30 / START 18:30
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/11 ... as-graduation-tour/ |
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Morning Musume to release their 52nd single “Help me!!”
Morning Musume announced that they would be releasing their 52nd single titled “Help me!!” on January 23rd. This will be their first single since 11th generation member Oda Sakura joined the group.
It’s already been revealed that there would be 8 different versions for the upcoming single.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2012/12 ... 2nd-single-help-me/ |
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Morning Musume announces Tanaka Reina’s graduation date
On January 23rd, popular idol group Morning Musume appeared at a release event for their new single “Help me!!“, and announced at a press conference held before the event, that member Tanaka Reina’s graduation concert would be on May 21 at Nippon Budokan. It also happens to be the final day of their upcoming nation-wide tour titled “Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~” that will start on March 16.
http://static.tokyohive.com/wp-c ... 01/2013123_mm2.jpeg
Tanaka announced her graduation from the group back in November of last year, and after the graduation, she will shift her band activities into full swing. “Though I have about 3 months left, I would like to enjoy my Morning Musume life until the end.” Tanaka said with a smile.
Regarding the group after she leaves, Tanaka commented, “I don’t feel insecure about the group itself, but I am worried that Sayu (Michishige Sayumi) will have to lead the group by herself. Up until now, I was the one who listened to her stories when she felt frustrated…“, but then she continued, “but they will be able to manage somehow, since that’s how Morning Musume is. They will be alright just like until now!”
The leader, Michishige also commented, “Reina is very important person for me, and for Morning Musume as well, but I want her to try her best to make her dream come true. We will also try our best as hard as Reina.”
Morning Musume’s new single “Help me!!” that was released on the same day, was the first single since the 11th generation member Oda Sakura joined the group. It topped the Oricon daily chart on the release day by selling 61,291 copies.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/01 ... as-graduation-date/ |
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ohh tidakk.. seme nyer da tak kenal  |
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^ Reina pun dah nak grad dah.
Morning Musume tops Oricon weekly single chart with “Help me!!”
Idol group Morning Musume’s latest single “Help me!!” (released on January 23rd) sold 93,000 copies in the first week, and topped Oricon’s weekly single chart. This marked the first time for their single to top the charts in 3 years and 8 months since they last accomplished it with “Shouganai Yume Oibito” (released in May of 2009).
This has also become their 52nd single overall to rank in the TOP 10, thus they updated their own record for “the total number of singles ranked in the TOP 10.”
“Help me!!” was their first single since 11th generation member Oda Sakura joined the group, and also the first No.1 single after Michishige Sayumi became their 8th leader. Michishige commented happily, “I am extremely happy that our first single in 2013 brought us this result! This is the first time topping the Oricon chart for our 9th, 10th and 11th generation members. I hope more people get to know about the current iteration of Morning Musume with this result.”
This single also allowed Morning Musume to be the 3rd female artist to have topped the chart in each of the past 3 decades. They accomplished this in the 1990s (with “Daite HOLD ON ME!” & “LOVE Machine”), in 2000s (with “Happy Summer Wedding” & “I WISH”), and 2010s (with “Help me!!”). The only other 2 female artists to accomplish this are Nakajima Miyuki and Hamasaki Ayumi.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/01 ... chart-with-help-me/ |
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Morning Musume to hold 12th generation member audition
On March 16th, producer Tsunku made a surprise appearance at Morning Musume’s live tour where he announced that he will be opening the group’s 12th generation member audition. The new audition will have the theme “future girl audition”. He declared, “I want to discover a natural, future girl that will make tomorrow’s generation for Morning Musume.”
The audition will be open to girls from ages 10 to 17 and applications are due on April 30th. 11th generation member Oda Sakura, who crouched down in surprise after hearing the announcement, said, “Before the show, I had a feeling that there would be an announcement like this.” Meanwhile, 10th generation member Kudo Haruka begged to Tsunku, “Eh, isn’t it too early? I don’t want someone too boyish to join. Leave that to me!”
Tanaka Reina, who will be graduating after this tour, showed anticipation for the new member(s), “I want a yankee to come. When I graduate, there won’t be a problem child anymore. It would be nice if someone self-assertive and energetic, someone who won’t lose to me would come.” Leader Michishige Sayumi added, “Right now, I’m the cutest. It’s no joke. For the 12th generation, I want someone that will make me a joke and surpass my cuteness to join.”
This tour marks Morning Musume’s first tour after 11th generation member Oda Sakura joined the group. The closing show on May 21st at Nippon Budokan will be held as Tanaka Rena’s graduation concert.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/03 ... on-member-audition/ |
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Tanaka Reina’s last concert as Morning Musume to be streamed live in movie theaters
On April 17th, Morning Musume held a release event for their new single “Brainstorming/Kimi sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai“, which was released that day, at Ikebukuro Sunshine City.
The girls appeared in front of a crowd of 2,000 and started the event with the performance of “Kimi sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai“. After the members’ introduction, there was also a talk segment. As the lyrics in “Brainstorming” says, “I’m the type of girl who gets compliment just by acting normal,” each member talked about the good sides of the other members.
Morning Musume then performed “One・Twe・Three” and “Help me!!“, which livened up the audience’s mood to the highest point, and the leader Michishige Sayumi made an announcement that Morning Musume’s live concert at Nippon Budokan on May 21st will be streamed live at the movie theaters nationwide. It will be the graduation concert for Tanaka Reina.
Michishige said, “You can watch it in movie theaters across Japan from as far north as Hokkaido where Sato’s hometown is and as far south as Fukuoka where Reina and Ikuta’s hometown is, so all of you who can’t come to the concert, please visit the theaters,” which caused the crowd to cheer.
After that, Tanaka revealed her thoughts on the latest single which is also the last single for her, “Since this was my last single, I was thinking that it would be something like ‘I will fly high’ kind of song, but it was actually a cool song in the recent style of Morning Musume. Also it’s special as double A-sides, so I am happy to be able to graduate with this single. Everybody, please listen to it many times!”
Lastly, they performed “Brainstorming” and ended their event, which was held for 45 minutes.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/04 ... -in-movie-theaters/ |
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Former Morning Musume member Yasuda Kei to get married in the end of May
It’s been reported that former Morning Musume member, Yasuda Kei (32) will be getting married to Italian food cooking researcher, Ozaki Yoichi (35) at the end of this month.
According to her agency, the couple met each other through mutual acquaintances, and started dating at the end of last year. As the relationship progressed, Yasuda was proposed to in March, and they have already exchanged betrothal gifts in April. Reportedly, they’re planning to register their marriage in the end of May.
Yasuda’s fiance is a cooking researcher who owns two restaurants in Minato ku, Tokyo. One of the restaurants also offers a cooking class and just a minute’s walk away from Yasuda’s agency.
Yasuda is not pregnant, and they have not decided regarding the schedule for the wedding ceremony at this moment. Yasuda released a comment through her agency, “I am really happy to be able to meet a wonderful person who I can think ‘I’ll be alright for the rest of my life if it’s with him!’!!”
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/05 ... -in-the-end-of-may/ |
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Former Morning Musume member Iida Kaori announces the birth of her baby boy
Former Morning Musume member Iida Kaori announced on her official blog that she gave birth to her second baby at 9:12 on May 13.
Through a blog post titled “Announcement”, she wrote, “I’m full of happiness as I am now able to hold my baby who I’ve wanted to see. Seeing him crying hard, but falling asleep when I or my husband hold him, make me realize that I’ve become a parent. I’m sure there will be many difficult times ahead, but together with this baby, I want to grow, and become a firm mother.”
Iida married Kenji, the vocalist of a rock band 7HOUSE (disbanded in 2002), back in July of 2007, and they were blessed with their first son in January of 2008, but he unfortunately passed away after 6 months due to chronic renal failure. Since then, Iida had refrained from her activities, but made a comeback with a concert in January of 2009. She also became a member of Dream Morning Musume in 2011.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/05 ... th-of-her-baby-boy/ |
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Can Morning Musume Be Number One Again ?
You’d be silly if you said that AKB48 isn’t in their declining state of stardom. Sure, they’re still top dogs and selling millions, but it’s no question that with so many vital members graduating from the group, they’ll end up dying off just as Morning Musume did back in the day. My question is… with how well Morning Musume is doing, could they be Japan’s number one girl group again ?
It’s true that 100,000 sales are nothing compared to one million sales. AKB48 are superior to Hello! Project when it comes to marketing and strategizing… Or so it seems. Nowadays, Morning Musume and other groups within Hello! Project are broadening their ways of marketing and approaching their audience. I’m sure–despite much lower sales than AKB48–Morning Musume isn’t an unknown group within Japan. I mean, come on! They were the biggest thing in Japan at one point !
If you don’t remember that time, then you’ve at least heard or learned about it. You know about LOVE Machine being the only MoMusu single to surpass one million sales. You know about Maki Goto being recognized as the thing that possibly blew Morning Musume up. You know about the massive number of 16 members. You know about the Ai Kago scandals. You know about the Minimoni and W success. All of it played a part in MoMusu’s ultimate success during the 1999-2005 time-frame. The group was a beast back then–releasing catchy and addicting tunes, having new and exciting members to keep the fans on their toes: it’s all what they were known for.
When the Platinum Era struck, things just weren’t the same. Majority of the extremely popular members of the Golden Era had graduated, there were hardly any new girls to come fill in the gaps, and a high percentage of the members were pushing 20. The line-up stayed the same for two-odd years, which was most likely a big no-no for them. With a group like Morning Musume and their ever-changing line-up, it was probably stale to most; the lack of new faces didn’t reel in any new fans either.
When AKB48 became a force to be reckoned with back in 2010, Morning Musume had already fizzled out. The spot of Japan’s number one girl group was up for grabs and AKB was there to seize it. We could come up with as many theories and hypotheses trying to figure out how or why AKB48 shot so quickly up to stardom, but at the end of the day, they’re there and nothing has really been dragging them down. After so many scandals, former members becoming AV idols, the sexualization accusations, losing top members, and conspiracy theories, this group is still selling millions and topping Oricon each year. What in the hell is their secret ?
I don’t think anyone will ever know. But it won’t stay like that forever. Sometimes it feels as though AKB48 will never surrender their number one spot, not even for a minute. And well, good for them! But just as Morning Musume fell from stardom, AKB48 will, too. Whether that’s in 5 years or 15 years, it’ll happen. Right now, these girls are strong. They’re exceptionally hard-workers despite being worked to the bone. Call it exploitation all you want, management is doing one hell of the job keeping AKB48 shoved in the faces of millions in Japan. Not to mention, they’re keeping us Westerners entertained as well.
Recently, Morning Musume has been putting in some serious work, too. Ever since summer 2012, the group’s musical style has taken a sharp turn, but it’s clearly worked for the better. Every single in 2013 has shot straight up to number one and has stayed put for at least one week–something that was unheard of back in the Platinum Era. The group’s focus has shifted towards dance and song appreciation. Comparing songs from 2013 to songs from 2003 would be like comparing rock to paper–there is no comparison. Electronic beats, dubstep breakdowns, choppy vocals, and serious dance numbers are all the rage with Morning Musume now. The girls are making an effort to prove that they can go back to being top dogs through hard work and dedication. The only thing I think that is holding them back is…
Vocals.
Yeah, they’re an idol group and idol groups don’t have to be amazing singers, but Morning Musume are a bit lacking in that department. Regardless of the shitty opinions people like to have about AKB48, a lot of the girls are actually very good singers. And luckily, they have the numbers to cover up anyone that might not quite have it yet. Morning Musume’s overall vocals are squeaky. Sure, they have autotune and effects to mask it, but it still doesn’t do it completely. In my humble opinion, if MoMusu create a more mature sounding vocal aesthetic, then they can definitely strut it out.
So, can Morning Musume top Japan again ? Is it possible ? Of course, we probably aren’t talking within the next year. Maybe in several years? How long will it take AKB48 to dissipate? Will the world be overrun by zombies by then? Will we ever know ?
Sources : http://kiokuchan.wordpress.com
Last edited by HangPC2 on 12-4-2014 03:43 PM
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Post time 6-8-2012 03:57 PM
