I’ve decided that I need to devote some time on this blog to mindless-yet-delightful gushing about the woman who made me love Momusu in the first place: Yoshizawa Hitomi.

Yossy. Yocchan. Yoshimi. Pimp of all. Riida. Ishikawa’s “dah-ring”. Michishige’s Prince Charming.

Mr FRIGGIN Moonlight.

I love this woman.

But that is nothing new. If you’re new to this blog, it might be. If you’ve read this blog for a bit, it’s a Legolas statement (ie. incredibly obvious… An example from The Two Towers “this forest is old…very old.”).

I think I will probably need to restrain myself from overloading you with a simple picspam, cause goodness knows there are too many good shots of her. I’ll try to actually write something coherent beneath all the inevitable keyboard-mashery that ensues when I see pics of her.

Try.
I promise nothing.

I wrote a leader-centric post last year, reflecting on why I thought Yossy made a great leader for Momusu. Some of the points I made there may repeat here, but stay with me. I’d like to state also, as ironic as this is, that this post was probably one of the hardest ones I’ve ever written.

YOSSYKAWAII*(#RGH#^FIDIQABHASDLFHP&WR*O!!!

It’s impossible to narrow down all the reasons why I adore this performer. My mind races when I try to think of an answer. There are so many clips, so many mp3s, so many pics, so many esoteric little moments…there’s just too damn much to go through. I’ll probably leave out a million important things and think of them a week after this is posted.

All I can do is my best.
More entries like this might be in store.
I’ll try to keep the keyboard-mashery to a minimum.

I think it’s interesting how people fall for the idols that they do. I have no idea what led me to notice Yossy in the first place. I’m fairly certain Mr Moonlight had something to do with it, so let’s start there.

Reason 1 : MR MOONLIGHT

Before I got into Japanese media, I was (and still am) very into British comedy. So seeing cross-dressing was always something just a little absurd and it was almost exclusively men-dressing-as-old-women. Monty Python’s pepper-pots could never prepare you for the absolute awesome that is Mr Moonlight.

When I watched it, I really thought for a moment that Yossy was a guy.
A very pretty guy, but still, a guy.

She’s just as pretty as a Johnny’s boy, ain’t she?

Abe and Goto are clearly just girls in suits singing in a lower register; Yossy absolutely embodies everything about that character: she swaggers, she struts, she flirts and she rocks out like freakin’ Elvis. She could have been embarrassed about it, being designated so early on as the “manly” Musume, but she decided to just have some fun.  Instead of it being something entirely funny, it became an outlet for both her boyish side and her mischievous side. She hits on pretty much everyone, new members and old members alike. Her confidence is so strong in that PV. You tend to forget it’s a girl and her ridiculous Host-like behaviour becomes charming.

Or, if you’re me, it makes you go: YOSSYKAKKOIIGHE&O*QFG#RQIWFKSDVBAFIU!!!

Another thing I adore about Yossy was how she never seemed to take herself too seriously. She really understands the concept of being an idol personality, rather than just something pretty or cute. Whenever she was playing a role, she’d throw herself into it, no matter how stupid she was going to look. The thing is, she really never seemed to look that bad. Sometimes the secret is to play it seriously, even if you’re not taking it seriously.

Let’s examine the storyline, shall we? I want you to see just how amazing her acting actually was when she was only a teenager.

Uh oh. They’ve seen this face before…

Mr Moonlight is in LURV…and sighing at the moon.

The girl in question:

A young Ogawa Makoto. She seems sweet and ready to be swept off her feet, ne?

But…

…Nothing seems to move her heart, even the ol’ Hollywood flourish.

“What’s wrong, baby?”
“Hmph. You’ll just break my heart.”

“Why, never, baby. I’m Mr Moonlight.”

“I’ve got the stars in my pocket, baby.”
“Ah, how pretty!”

“Come fly with me.”
(A ‘come hither’ look, if ever I saw one)

So off they go into the night, ala ‘A Whole new World’, without the magic carpet. All they need is the shimmer of Mr Moonlight.

M = Totally swept off her feet.

(Wouldn’t you be? Damn…)

MrM = Totally diggin’ this chick.

Pwned.

Unfortunately for our heroine, Mr Moonlight is fickle.

“You’re next, baby.”
“Moi?”
*everyone’s jealous*
(Notice Kei, always peeking out from behind someone.)

“Wanna come fly with me?”
“I’m…powerless…against…the awesome…”
(Notice Kei, once again.)

He just can’t help himself.

And anyway, all the ladies want some of that…and Mr Moonlight knows it.

Fin.

I’ve tried to explain why I like this to myself and to others, but I’ve discovered that the words aren’t there. I don’t really know what it is that appeals to me about Yossy’s little foray into the world of the Host. When I first saw the PV and found out the guy in the white suit was a girl, for some reason I just thought it was really cool. It’s funny because it’s a girl and it’s funny because it’s exaggerated, but the coolest part is how the girl disappears into the character. I know that it’s Yossy, but all I can see is a Host. She’s as goofy as she is kakkoii.

I was also really into swing music at the time, so that didn’t hurt anything. But really, I think it was seeing how she stole the video that cemented things for me. I started looking for her in all the other videos before I even knew how to pronounce her name. It’s all because she can be so many things at the same time.

Which brings us to…

Reason 2: Her Boyish Persona

I think her boyish/cool personality has always been the thing that appealed to me the most.

Look at this pic to your right for a moment. Could anyone else, aside from Nakazawa, pull off such a look? I don’t even just mean the leather-tough-girl style, I mean that look on her face. I mean her posture, the way her whole body screams “don’t mess with me”, but also, “I don’t care one way or the other”. Pictures like this make me want to climb inside her head. It doesn’t look like an idol pic. Clearly, she’s been posed, but you believe it just a little.

Ahem. If you’re me, that is.
And if you’re me, you’re also going YOSSYHWR78OTRGUYKSDTHRW&*Q#HRQB~~~!!

She started out just as cute as the rest of them. Check her out at her very first live:

She’s young and slightly unsure. She’s completely adorable, trying her best to be what she thinks an idol should be, but even then her personality would come out.

An example of this is what she says to the camera before going out. Everyone in the 4th gen, up to this point, has said variations of “I’ll do my best”. Yossy doesn’t say this. She says one word and one word only.

“GUTS!”

There were a few years in there where Yossy seemed to fade into the background, because there were so many girls, so much personality and so many changes in the line-up.I also think it was due to her gaining some weight randomly. A little disillusioned during that time, maybe? Whatever happened, they seemed to dress her in billowy costumes and put her at the back. For that few years she seemed to be kinda “rebellious”. She still did her job, of course, but moreso than anyone else, she seemed to do whatever she felt like during this time. She commented herself on this time, describing herself as rebellious. I’m not sure exactly what she meant, but it seemed like a free sort of time.

I recall distinctly the ‘FUN’ special, (when the RINGU lady scared the hell out of almost all of them; it’s an infamous clip now, thanks to youtube) when Iida was telling a scary story and she touched Niigaki startling her and of course, starting a screaming chain-reaction. She just snickered in this wicked, jolly way through the whole thing, even as everyone yelled at her. That whole special she just seems amused by all the scary stuff, while everyone else ends up in hysterics.

Some pictorial examples of her boyish/rebellious side:

I just like this look. Even Ishikawa is a little unnerved.

Yossy does a little (completely random) boxing.

Yossy explains that there is no one in Momusu that she is afraid of, ie She can beat up any of them if she has to. Tsuji tells a story just after this moment about how she stepped on and broke Yossy’s sunglasses in the car and Yossy just wordlessly pounded her fist into the door, presumably in rage.

Yossy glares at H!P Kids when they giggle at the fact that she could be crowned ‘Crap Girl’ during the MMI Sports Festival. You don’t mock this girl.

This is a bit later on, but during Chokkan2’s pv filming, Yossy enjoys deafening everyone with her powerful gong technique.

Don’t misunderstand. Yossy is quite girly in many ways. When she sees a snake, even a fake one, she squeals and flails as much any cutesy girl. She just plain can’t handle rollercoasters. She looks amazing in a dress and she has the cutest little impish smile I’ve ever seen. Even so, she’ll probably always be associated with a boyish personality.

I guess it’s because I’ve spent so much of my life as a tomboy, that I find it easier to identify with this sort of type. When you’re so influenced, some times you have to fight to define your own sense of femininity. I constantly do, because I cannot play the game of the poor-shy-unassuming-cutesy-girl who loves pink. I just can’t do it. I’d laugh at myself. Yossy seems the same. Let me clarify a bit here: it’s not that such a personality is necessarily “fake”, but if I were to act in such a way, it would be. I’d assume it’s the same for Yossy. I won’t act scared if I’m not scared, for example. It’s about being true to yourself, ne?

For instance, I’d never look as hawt as Yossy does as a guy.

Yoshizawa Hitomi = confusing my sexual orientation since 2005.
(This is a joke…;P)

As Yossy got older, she developed a confidence that I have yet to grasp myself. Sports has never been a part of who I am, but it’s hard to think of Yossy without seeing her in that Futsal uniform. I cannot comment as much on that side, because even with Yossy present, sports just don’t interest me in the least. What I will say, is that sports seemed to give her that confidence. It was another goal, aside from being a part of Momusu, to focus on. That was also the first venue (as far as I know anyway) in which she was a leader.

Reason 3: Yossy as Leader

Also, pimp of all.

Most of my leader comments would be in that post, but I’ll try to say something different here.

One of the most interesting things about following Morning Musume is seeing how the girls develop and slowly coming to recognize characteristics about your favourites. What I recognized in Yossy (as a leader, but also just in general) was how strong she seemed, but also how big sisterly she could be. She’s definitely a force to be reckoned with, as are all the girls in the 4th gen, but even with that slightly intimidating aloofness she can sometimes have, she’s always been the most likeable.

There are so many stories of her fellow members being scolded or making some embarrassing mistake or running off upset and Yossy quietly approaching her and soothing her in some way. Not in a motherly fashion of “there, there”, but by saying something like, “don’t even worry about it, ne?”

I’ve also seen her firmly scolding a very new, very ‘green’ Koharu on a Hello Morning episode (I miss those behind-the-scenes moments so much). At a break in the dance lesson for Iroppoi Jirettai, she takes Koharu aside and tells her that she expected more from the miracle member. Something like, “I really was shocked you couldn’t do anything. You need to work harder.” She isn’t mean exactly, but she’s severe enough to really convict her kouhai.

More than anyone in the fourth generation, Yossy felt like a personality that was distinct and likeable without being overwhelming. It seemed like all the members, regardless of age liked working with her, evidenced for example, by the amount of times she’s worked with Nakazawa in the past year (they went to Hawaii and even took part in a cross-country tandem bike trip). On that awesome trip H!P took to Hawaii back in 2001, she was first choice for every single team. They said things like, “she seems fast”, “she’s definitely the smartest” etc.

If I could ever be in the same room with her, without crying or dissolving into pwned mush, I think it would be really relaxing. I think once you get to know her, she’s probably someone you could hang out with without any pressure. She seems like someone who could go with the flow of things and keep you laughing and not taking things too seriously.

I personally could never hang out with her, because the thought of meeting her pretty much makes me dissolve into the aforementioned pile of pwned mush. Just the thought of it.

I’m such a fangirl.

Reason 4: Hangry Angry/Gothy-Punk-Emo Yossy

LOOK at her!

This is one of those things that I wouldn’t really care about one way or the other if it wasn’t Yossy. While I was sure I’d dislike the music, from the start I was intrigued by the concept of Hangry/Angry: IshiYoshi together again and sporting a look we’d never really seen from them before? Based on some clothing line with emo-kitties for mascots?

Why the hell not?

Even with spiked-out-insane-hair, Yossy is always a win.

To my pleasant surprise, I loved the music. The mini-album rocked. I loved every single track, especially ‘Angelia’, which is beautiful in a haunting way that just pwns every time I hear it. Their voices blend wonderfully, their harmonies are the kind that get under your skin and in each track, their solos are stronger and fuller than I’ve ever heard them in H!P.

I loved ‘Sadistic Dance’ and this Top Secret pv is very possibly the hottest thing ever.

What’s better than a slightly inappropriate cuddle in a limo?

Yossy, still pimps Rika after all this time.
Gif taken from -The Mr Moonlight Effect – (see my blogroll)

I’ve said most of it already: I love this experiment and I love that they are still enjoying working together after all this time. I have no idea how long this will go on for, but for now I’m just enjoying things.

I wish I could bombard you with caps from the new pv, but I don’t have a high quality version yet. That may have to be a separate post. Instead I will leave you with a final picspam of Yossy goodness.

Final Picspam: Kanashimi Twilight

What sort of gushy-fangirl entry would this be if I didn’t address her “graduation” single? Like I’ve said numerous times, even without the Yossy significance, which I’ll be the first to admit is difficult to ignore, this is a wonderful single. The image and the music was in perfect harmony for this one.

As for me, I was just satisfied they gave her a proper send-off. Not every member gets this awesome a good-bye single.

So I’ll end this part of my Yossy Love post with a small picspam.
I adore this woman…

From a performance on Music Station (I think). PWN!!!

PV cap! Intense and beautiful.

The rarely seen, but powerful Yossy-Hair-Toss.

Seriously, she’s been trying to kill me like this since 2005.

“Why yes, I AYM wearing two belts. Why? Because I CAN!”

“Yeah, you! You KNOW you want my belts!”

PWN!

The caption just writes itself, don’t it?

“Ugh! It’s so difficult being AMAZING…”

Look at that expression…she knows EXACTLY what she’s doing to me…

*dies*

Just a final note: if you hate/dislike/areindifferentto Yossy, you probably shouldn’t have read all that.

^_-

~Isilie

No wonder she is confused…

I really wish I wasn’t so obsessive about listening to radio rips of new singles and then playing them over and over again until the pv has much less impact than if I’d JUST WAITED…

But such is me. And now Kimagure Princess is getting the tiniest bit old. Which is odd because it was Resonant Blue style instant-love when I heard it. Considering all the slower stuff we’re getting lately from Momusu, I didn’t think that the new single would be this bouncy.

Is bouncy the word I’m looking for?

You wouldn’t really know it from the dance. Now I seem to end up loving whatever Momusu does now, call me tasteless or absurdly loyal, but no matter how much I like the single, their dances keep disappointing me. Every time I picture something athletic or flaily, I get the girls standing there POUTING at me and twirling around listlessly (I’m glaring at YOU Nanchatte…dance).

I guess the coreographers just don’t want to bother anymore. Where is the energy? If they are trying to modernize Momusu, turning them into pouting, expressionless pretty things is not the way to do it.

At best, they all just look smug. Which on some is charming.

Ok,  this is not so much smug as A-MAZING, but work with me. Kamei is hawt. With a ‘w’.

But on some is downright scary.

My word…GIVE HER SOME SUGAR AND SAVE US ALL!!

There are parts of the dance that I like. Ish. I’m mildly amused by the kicking. I love their random arm motions, like this one:

There are always a few nifty things in there. It’s not entirely a fail.

But mostly it feels like they are cheating. They should be (in my opinion) jumping around like in Go Girl Koi no Victory (for example) but instead they just HOP and turn and ass-grab.
Which, because we’re all maniacs, we don’t really mind.

Mame, the best of all the ass-grabbers. You gotta love how Winky can’t help but look for the camera, even though Mame clearly pwns the world in this moment.

I pictured so much movement and life in this moment. Instead they are smugly kicking away, like there isn’t an insane beat begging them to move a little more.

I like the set. At least they are attempting to give the usual green-screen studio set some depth with these camera angles. For some reason I like the orange lighting too.

Why though, do they keep giving them these black and white costumes? Yes, they look good in black and white, but who doesn’t? I don’t think they need to look like princesses (that might be disturbing, going with this song), but I don’t get the cowgirl bit. I’ve really wanted to see Momusu do a cowgirl thing, but this is just not the song for it.

Why not splash some colours around and really bring out the crazy in that Balalaika-esque melody? Was that the name of that Koharu song? It’s been said that this song is similar, if not completely ripped off.

Which is funny, as it is Nutjob’s exit single.

“I did that song when I was like THREE. Tsch. I am SO outta here.”

It’s also funny that there are so many similarities to her debut single.

I cannot wait to see a subbed version of this pv. All I keep hearing when I listen is, “big-chested sexy princess”, “sexy-ass princess”, “erotic tears” (supreme wtf), “sexy smile” etc and so on (ass grab!).

Ahem. My Japanese is limited; I could be completely off. Still. There is mature and then there is ENOUGH ALREADY. And anyway, if she is so sexy, why is she alone yet again? Because she is too whimsical to decide on someone? Because no one can put up with her constant ass-grabbing?

Or wait, is it that she’s not sexy and that’s why she’s always ass-grabbing, to get some attention already?

See? Need lyrics.

Once again though, the girls look good.

Riida. Always hot. But this time, not with a ‘w’.

Is it just me, or did she look pretty tired in this pv? She’s starting to look older. Either that or her face is a bit thinner. Maybe it’s the entire lack of colour? Love her in hats. Love her voice as always.

Meh. *grumble* Why doesn’t SHE graduate?

I love that Mitsui is not quite tall enough to see over the gate here. She looks scary but cool. She does that surprisingly well for a girl who so often puts me in a coma from all the unexpected cute.

I’m exaggerating ever so slightly…but man, that girl can be adorable.

See?

And then comes the impatient-cool. “Can we move this along, please?”

Sayu looks really vulnerable here. She doesn’t like being all caged. She’d rather put you in the cage…

Maybe it’s just cause she doesn’t really have any lines. Neither does Nutjob and it’s her last single. But they’ve done that many times before. Where exactly was Ichii in Happy Summer Wedding, huh?

She still manages to get her pwn on. さすが。Love those gloves.

Oh Gaki. How you’ve grown. It’s as if Niigaki is constantly telling the camera to eat its heart out. And then she’ll turn around a be adorable Mame-chan again.

She’s so delightful here. Notice the Gokkies grinning at eachother while Koharu glares at Winky to stop looking for the camera already.

And then there is Junjun.

She looks like a princess here. A bit of a dominatrix too, but certainly royal in her air. I don’t know what it is, but she looks mature, like she is not trying to be sexy, she just IS.

PWN!

LOOK at that! Where does that go when she’s onstage?? It’s like she suddenly becomes a sixteen year old, when in pvs like this she can suddenly just force you to notice her. She is virtually non-existant in the dance-shot, as far I could see, but she really knows how to present herself in her closeups.

Or in the extremely half-assed (grab!) “dance-break” where no one actually dances, they all just shake around in slow-mo. That would have worked so much better if it had been more of close-up. This wide-shot give it kind of a stagnant feel for me.

I only capped two of those moments and the best was Junjun:

Take that EVERYONE.

I just have to include Takahashi though, because it’s hilarious when you realize she’s actually doing something unfortunate.

Here’s mah AYSS!!

Linlin, baby, you are so unsung. She can be so beautiful in her own awkward way, but she’s always sort of cast aside. She is awkward a lot, but I think that will straighten out with age. She’s fairly young, isn’t she? Eighteen, maybe? She will find her way with a camera, but until then it feels like she’s experimenting and not quite sure she can pull it off.

But I like this smile. A lot.

Look, it’s the same pic, two seconds later…with a different background.
Hey, she’s trying.

I think Linlin would be fun to hang out with. She gives me a strong little sister feeling, like you’d want to take care of her, but also joke around with her. Like there is all this potential inside of her but she just doesn’t believe it is there.

*fans self* I’m getting choked up here…

EEEEEWWWW! Winky butt-grab! Ok, I’ll stop, I’ll stop.

Let’s move on.

Kamei pwns.

Kamei pwns in a hat.

Kamei is feelin’ lucky. How bout you, pilgrim?

I love that they finally used Kamei in the chorus and gave Takahashi a bit of a break. Her ‘ii jya nai’ is just high enough that you can tell it’s her, but not high enough that your ears bleed. Her voice is sweet.

I wonder if they’ll hand over the vocals to her and Winky when Takahashi finally leaves. I’d hope for Kamei and Niigaki as leads, because they blend beautifully, but since when does Tsunku ever utalize all the ranges he has at his disposal? Right now, you’ve got the grounded vocals of Riida, the sweetness of Kamei, Winky’s nasally inbetween and Niigaki’s awesome throaty low tones. He could do a lot with them. Let’s not forget the powerhouse that is Linlin. I’m sure the rest of them (not to sound too dismissive here) could harmonize in some way. I don’t really know their ranges because we only every really hear those five. Well, not so much Linlin, but still.

On Fire:

There is a good way and a silly way to do fire in a pv.

Junjun can’t even save this.

See, you could stand there, like a doof, and listlessly draw a circle of fire in the air, like you really couldn’t care less, OR you could pwn unbelievably by flashing your firey power at us as if you’re saying, “You KNOW you wish you were as AWESOME as me.”

Like you did in Iroppoi Jirettai.

This first way is frustrating for the audience, because it SUCKS.

They just stand there. With almost no expression.

Look at this one now:

There is life and colour and movement (not to mention Yossy who is KAKKOIIEIOW&*TR#G%RFVTDEIFVU!!!).

Think about it?

Gokkies = having a blast.
Junjun = pwn.
Winky = lookin’ for that blasted camera…

Kamei = pwn.
Shige = Wheeee!
Nutjob = still crazy after all these years…

I got nothing. I just like this shot.

It’s my own fault that this song needs to take a rest. It’s extremely fun to sing, which is always dangerous. It guarantees that Isilie will replay it too much and annoy everyone while simultaneously destroying the newness of the song. In my defense though, Momusu songs don’t usually get old for me. My oft cited example is Resonant Blue, which is just as repetitive as this song is, with way less variety, in terms of vocals. I was really excited about this song because of how bouncy it seemed. I’m trying not to be disappointed now that I know it’s not a happy song, despite all the ass-grabbery, and now that I know the coreography is nothing like what I pictured.

I want a danceshot. Maybe I’m just missing large chunks of it? Wouldn’t it be cool if the dance shot made use of the whole set, giving us depth and more than just front shots? Then we might actually see Linlin and Junjun, pwning away back there or Nutjob in her last cracktastic hurrah.

You gotta wonder what she thinks of this song.

~Isilie

This pic continues to be my favourite incarnation of Goto thus far. I love that minx hair style, that odd mix of overalls with a leopard-print jacket and the fact that she is outdoors, not draped over some velvet couch covered in pearls. This strikes me as down-to-earth sophisticated, which I much prefer.

Since her mini-album has been released I decided to watch her ‘Unrecorded’ segments on youtube (see her recording ‘Fly Away’, also personally my fave episode here). She wears this coat a lot during the shows.

What I expected to like about it was seeing her in real life, being like the Goto she was in H!P. Granted, I don’t know a whole lot about who she was in H!P because I had no interest in her when she was in Momusu, or when she was a soloist. Well, some interest, but very little. I’ve always been more interested in the person Goto than the idol Gocchin. So I was delighted to see that ‘Unrecorded’ was that kind of show. I liked just seeing her do the job. She got up early, slurped down her Starbucks treats and went about her day not as if she was “super delighted” to be there, but as if this was (is) her job and so she’ll keep going, even when she inevitably got tired. I did get a sense that she enjoyed it, but she didn’t have to pretend as though she did to entertain me. My Japanese is still in its infancy, but from the bits I understood, and what I observed, she seemed fulfilled and determined. I loved seeing her that way. Seeing her scribbling down lyrics and choosing the look she wanted to present in her photoshoots (as was my limited understanding) was so different than any backstage moment H!P has ever given me.

Avex is a bit of mysterious place for me, but my impression of it in regards to people like Koda Kumi has really made me think about the person Goto Maki.

I sorta feel like we all need to get to know her all over again.

I said in the first version of this post, but I’ll say it again: I don’t like, nor do I agree, with the assumption that Tsunku and H!P and all those associated with Momusu used the young Goto  to boost sales and then sucked her dry until she finally managed to claw her way to freedom. I don’t believe that her career can really start now and I think it’s naive and silly to assume that her idol days were only restraining and gave her no sense of self. If anything being forced to conform to a certain label can make one ever more certain of who one is NOT.Certain girls in H!P have always resisted the normal idol fall-back position of genki-cutesy, while still creating something special: Nakazawa, Yossy, Yaguchi and Mikitty, to name a few.

One thing I’ve noticed in the older generations of Momusu is that sense of responsibility to the job: they are selling themselves as a certain dream and it may not be what they expected or wanted to become, but if it makes people happy, then they will find a way to reconcile themselves with that expectation. The fans, their audience, are the point. Yes, Momusu is a dream and the chance of a lifetime, but it is a job. Like any job there are responsibilities and everyone in the group has to recognize them for the group to function. Takahashi has taken that lesson into her leadership: Junjun is apparently predisposed to be lazy and not really work on her dancing, so although it was awkward, Riida had to gently but firmly remind her that for the group to work, every one has to work hard.

I’m getting a bit off track here, but this sense of responsibility (and yes, the money, I do not forget about that, even if I sound all lovey-dovey and naive about the whole concept of Momusu) is probably what kept her in H!P for so long. Goto was always put to work, in dramas, in her solo ventures, in endless photobooks (how many does she have now? 20?) and dvds and shuffle units. She always had work she needed to do and she probably felt like the fans expected these things too. Maybe back in 2007, when they decided that the only way to market her was to stick her in push-up bustiers and have her writhing around on the floor, she finally felt like her fans could allow her to move on. I’m not sure how Goto fans felt about her ‘new’ direction back then. The explanation was that she had turned 20 and so was trying to be more ‘mature’, but those used to idol Gocchin might have been alittle wary. Was there really a segue between  ‘Ima ni Kitto…’ and then suddenly ‘Glass no Pumps’ (otherwise known as ‘here are my breasts, oh mirror darling’)? She clearly wasn’t a child anymore and either she didn’t want to be Gocchin anymore, or those in power felt she couldn’t be.

Also, I often forget, as most tend to, that she has a life outside of her work. Her brother’s arrest and all the trouble that came from that must have put more strain on an already overworked and exhausted girl. The family issues needed to be put first, before the needs of the company. Also Goto apparently didn’t like writhing around on the floor at the command of the company and she felt that she was ready to take the reigns from Tsunku in terms of what she wanted to sing about.

It seems those that choose to leave H!P do so swiftly. There have been a few girls that have left pretty abruptly, without graduation ceremonies or really any forewarning. I’d like to think I expect people to move on, but it’s always a bit of a shock to me. Goto made her decision, took some time to wind down and chose to study some things in America. I loved her blog when she was in America. I don’t even know why. But it’s that image of Goto as not “THE” Goto Maki, but just a young woman enjoying life and pursuing her own interests that attracts me.

So, a little while later, here she in in Avex, working her way up as she’s never had to do before. She was popular almost instantly in H!P and experienced what was probably a bewildering instant fame, but now (if you’ll forgive the cliche) she’s a little fish in a big pond. From what I’ve seen around various sites, she’s been doing a lot of random collaborations, like with Ravex, a song called ‘Golden LUV’ that I LOVE to death even though I have no interest in rave music. She’s been performing in tiny rave venues, with the audience right in front of her eyes, not hidden in the throng or hidden in the darkness. How terrifying and exhilarating for her, ne?

‘Fly Away’ is a wonderful song. I still really love it. As far as I know, she has penned the lyrics to that song and every song that followed under this Sweet Black project. Writing lyrics is a lot harder than most people think. Wait, let’s rephrase that: writing lyrics that aren’t AWFUL is harder than you’d think. I haven’t found any translations of her songs that haven’t been copied and pasted into a translation engine, so I really only know the gist of what she’s singing about, but what I can talk about with certainty is how good the music is.

Fly Away – Love it. Have already talked about it here.

Lady Rise – In a word: “meh”. This is what I was initially expecting when she signed onto Avex. It’s rather boring for me with the exception of her little “OW!” squeal at the end. The PV reminds me of Jaja Uma Paradise from Biyuuden (and for good reason), without the goofiness. If I wanted a Goto fashion show, I’d look at her photobooks.

With – Finally, the outdoor pv, with the awesome minx hair.  The song has the kind of lovely acoustic guitar that makes me want to close my eyes and smile. Her voice is wispy and there is a gentleness in it that has been missing for awhile (at least to a casual Goto fan, like myself). It is beautiful.

Tear Drops with KG – I think this one is lovely too. I haven’t really watched the pv that much, because I thought it was odd that this KG person is never seen at all. Why isn’t he in the video? It’s just Goto being sad and pretty…which is fine, but it’s a duet, isn’t it? I was hoping for something else. And I found his voice was nice on it’s own, but it didn’t really add anything to the song. It was like they were singing two different songs at the same time. Still, it’s pretty even so. The vocals are lovely. In its own way, it is also beautiful.

Queen Bee with Bigga Raiji – I think in this newest single she’s finally hit…it. The song is awesome and the pv is just as awesome. Yes, Mr Raiji is a little bit ridiculous (did he remind anyone else of a frog with that bandana around his entire-lack-of neck?), but his screaming eventually blends in beautifully to her honey sweet vocals. I love Goto in the honeycomb, because that outfit is just plain cool and because she’s able to do lots of weird little faces while playing chess against herself or watching herself on the hood of Raiji’s car with her opera glasses. When she’s on the hood of the car, I am tempted to roll my eyes at the typical-writing-on-floor moves that happen, but I’m distracted by how much I love the gold outfit. The dance is also awesome, even though, once again, she’s crawling across the floor. At least this time it’s kinda hot.

I realize it must be tiresome to hear me say how much I always like everything, but liking Goto’s music post H!P more than her music within H!P is a surprise to me. I usually don’t care for much of what Avex has to offer and Goto as an idol seemed bland to me. Cool with nothing behind it. My initial impression was that she was one of THOSE girls, the ones who can always do everything perfectly and sort of turn up their noses at anything less than what they feel like doing at the time. In other words, it seemed like she was cute and cool but really didn’t have the personality you need to be an H!P idol.

This is my impression. I’m a casual fan. I’ve not followed her very much, if at all, so I fully admit that I could be totally wrong. Maybe when she was being all bland to me, she was really just exhausted. What I’m trying to say is that when she was smiling automatically and trying to be excited when she probably wasn’t, I didn’t buy it and she didn’t appeal to me. Now that she is working hard for her career and in charge of things, she seems much more genuine. Watch the Unrecorded series. It’s not been subtitled, but if you’re trying to learn Japanese, it might be helpful to see what you can understand from it. Just seeing her interacting with people and not just running past a stationary camera during a concert is so refreshing.

I like her music right now, for whatever reason. Maybe this is because I’ve not followed her until now. I’m a new generation of Goto Maki fans. Like I said in the beginning maybe we all need to get to know her again. Goto the woman, not Gocchin the idol. I think those days served her well, but they are over.

~Isilie

Strangely, I’m not happy about this.
I’d describe it as rather a sinking feeling.

I’ve never hated Koharu, or as I’ve dubbed her forever ‘nut-job’. I don’t hate any of the H!P girls, even Winky who annoys the living hell out of me. I’ve just never been a fan of hers. I’ve never really thought she could sing very well, if at all, and I couldn’t stand any of her solo ventures. With all the crack-tastic concert behaviour, you’d think she would have become endearing to me, but not really, no.

This picture reminds me of her early days when she was simply adorable; those were the days when she’d sit on Yossy’s knee and piss off Miki with her excited bouncy innocence. Obviously, any idol has to grow up, but I never got as attached to her Kira….rin(???) persona.

I’m not sure singing and dancing is really even her thing. I think maybe she wanted to do it at first and now she needs a break. She’s been heavily promoted and very busy since her debut, much moreso than the poor neglected eighth generation. Considering her obedient, wide-eyed personality at the beginning there, it’s not hard to believe that she got swept  away on the ‘Miracle/Ace’ wave Tsunku was so adamant about.

Even with all my issues with her as performer etc, her leaving means that Morning Musume will change again. I’ve been raving on and on about their unity now. They’ve done so much as a nine-girl line-up, been through so much. Does this mean a new audition is in the works? I can’t imagine such a thing anymore. They’ve given Momusu its new face, so to speak. Can they actually find another girl who could add life to the group the way Koharu apparently does?

Do you think they’ve outgrown the concept of the audition/form-new-idols formula? It worked so well in the past because idols were more acceptable than they seem to be now in Japan and also because we had senpais who honestly knew what they were doing, who could really guide the younger girls and give them chances to create characters that weren’t overdone stereotypes (like genki/cutesy for example). I’m not sure that is the case anymore. If Reina’s attitude is any indication (she mentioned a while ago, I believe on her radio show, that her juniors annoyed her because they couldn’t cover her when she messed up her speech. She described it as them being ‘useless to her’. If I’m misquoting, let me know, but I believe that was gist.), that sense of responsibility to make sure Momusu is full of character has gone by the wayside in favour of self-promotion. Of course, it is the girl’s responsibility to find her own way, but I think the senpai effect could have much more impact than just teaching the new girls their manners.

Another problem is Tsunku’s tendency to take chances on people that aren’t necessarily a sure thing, like Mano. I still don’t get her appeal. Yes, she’s adorable, but she’s essentially lifeless. And I realize that his tendency to take a chance has given us people like Konkon and Shige, both of whom I adore, BUT I don’t think the time is right for that. We need another Goto to happen. For once, stop just looking for someone mildly interesting and look for someone who has the chops. They don’t have a variety program to goof around in anymore, so the emphasis CAN just be on singing and dancing prowess for the time being, can’t it? I think he was expecting a Goto-Maki effect with Koharu, but instead her solo stuff outsold the group she was supposed to be the ‘ace’ of.

WAS Koharu the ace? Why and how exactly?

I think unity was the key these last few years. Maybe in the past, the group could be pulled along by one or two personalities, like Miki and Yossy for that short while, but now I think unity serves them better. Momusu as a dream and a concept seems to have taken on new life for them now that everyone is in and around the same age and have gone through all these new experiences together. They’ve managed to create this new sound/image and still keep what (for me) is essentially Morning Musume. It’s different, but the roots remain.

The issue is not so much the loss of our beloved Nut-job but the loss of this stable Morning Musume. I will miss this particular lineup. It’s not perfect or ideal, I know, but I’ll miss it.

Koharu’s eighteen now (right?). If she wants to move on, then more power to her. Considering how much attention her jailbait pics STILL get on my site, I don’t think she’ll have any problem breaking into modeling.

Let’s just hope she retains at least a bit of that innocence that she seems to have…even whilst biting off Yossy’s ear.

~Isilie

Alright, my frisky kittens, from what I can observe in my stats here at Itsumo Genki, a great deal of what people search for is ‘jailbait’ and other such nonsense when they happen to find this place. While that is hilarious, if not terribly sad, that is not exactly what this place is about.

But since I’m feeling indulgent and a little bit frisky myself, I’ve decided to just give in to the maniacs out there who love this stuff (cause who doesn’t, let’s be honest here) and devote an entire pic spam to the dirty, dirty moments we get from those grope-y rascals in H!P.

Starting with Bunny-Ishikawa’s tush here.

Got a good look?

…

Ok. On we go.

I forget whose blog it was, but someone got a bit miffed that [hisorher] stats went up so much whenever [sheorhe] featured bikini-clad H!P in posts, so this person devoted an entire post to boobs.

Which is brilliant and hilarious and made me giggle endlessly.
So I’m blatantly copying that idea. I’d credit this person properly if I could remember who it was. This idea is not originally mine, but I will try and do it in my Isilie way.

Starting with:

Wow, Kanna. At least wait until you get into the dressing room! A little lower and we’d have to leave these two alone…

Even onstage…goin’ for the tush.

HEY! HANDS ABOVE WAIST…oh wait…maybe you should just keep your hands behind…oh wait….

Clearly Riida did not expect Shige was actually gonna do it.

Even onstage, Miki’s GOTTA HAVE SOME O’THAT!
Resisting Yossy…it just can’t be done.

Kanna’s got a partner this time…just wait till the cameras are off.
K&Y: She’s our bitch.
Chisato: Moi?

Happy-cute-genki-friendship hug, or mutual-public-butt-squeeze? You decide.

Clearly Airi was her main “squeeze.”
*rimshot*

Miki: “Let’s just make sure you’re wearing that thong I gave you-”
Aika: “Middle of the song! MIDDLE OF THE SONG!”

These two don’t even try to hide it.

M: “Miki, for crying out loud, wait till I’m done singing!”

The friendly frontal assault!
M: (patiently) “Middle of a shoot Miki-tan.”

Takahashi knows exactly what Miki’s goin for here…

Sometimes she doesn’t even know she’s doing it,

Yossy will not be out-pimped.

Shige and Eri – no hands!

All hands!
(Ok, this isn’t really grope-y, but it’s damn cute.)

Mari’s hand.
And even moreso, Kemeko’s hand.
And yet no one seems to mind…

Some times if you ask for it, you get it.

….And sometimes not.

This needs no caption. I shudder to think of what you’ll come up with, but use your imagination(s).

Shige is kinda happy…

Second gen looks just a smidge too happy.

Let’s end this off with what we all REALLY want to see…

Yossy. Pimp of all…

…even this maniac.

~Isilie

So we’ve reached the final installment (for the singles anyway) of my dance series.

[Part One]
[Part Two]

As I’ve mentioned, capping these old pvs is a real delight. And since we’re moving backwards here, I think towards the beginning of Momusu’s career, the dancing becomes just a fun addition to an already wonderful pv. Case and point: every single song I’ll be talking about in this post. With their member change-ups the image always evolved, but once they settled on optimistic-genki the trend continued for quite awhile, giving us some of the funnest (yes, I said funnest) and most addictive songs in their history.

Admittedly, since their older pvs focused more on (gasp!) a plot or a bunch of hilarious randomness from the girls, the dances aren’t so heavily featured. So if this reads more like pv reviews, you’ll have to excuse me. As with “Joshi…”, really any cap is gold.

So on we go.

I WISH

Ah, I Wish. The ideal graduation song. The joyful…est of the joyous dances. The EXTREME NOSTALGIA it evokes as it is (arguably) the quintessential 4th Gen song. This pv is mostly story, ala HaroMoni Theatre on Hello Morning. We do get some of the dance, but I think it’s best conveyed in concert. Even so, I did my best.

(Isilie Trivia: My favourite performance of this song is from TsujiKago’s grad concert. Something about everyone’s joy and tears during that number just makes me weep every time. When they all get into that giant line and dance their hearts out during the last chorus…damn how you pull my heart-strings, 4th gen!)

YEAAA!

There is something so wonderful about this moment, where they throw their coats into the air and begin the joy that is this song. The intro is a tad more melancholy, but pretty soon you’ve got the entire group totally convinced that life is pretty damn amazing anyway.

The two-top push each other around a lot in this one. Which just makes me smile because nobody affectionately slaps each other around in this group anymore. Does that make me a horrible person?

They run towards the camera a whole lot too.

And don’t forget to go “YEA!” as much as you can.
I LOVE this song, so much…

My favourite moment of this dance will always be the last chorus (or I suppose any moment when they sing the chorus) when they do this little leap to each foot that I can barely cap let alone describe. It makes me so happy and I don’t even know why. There’s a childlike innocence to it, that I’m pretty sure is the point. It fits with the lovely optimistic lyrics.

You sent me a silly email that made me laugh / For some reason my tears won’t stop / Ah, thank you…(Translation from here)

That line always gets me. I suppose that’s the point of this song. When lonliness is crushing, it’s the little things that get you through and make you grateful enough to cry. THAT is why life is wonderful, because no matter how much it sucks, those moments are always there if you know to look for them.

You gotta love songs that remind you to smile. This song and its dance are like that.

Koi no Dance Site

Tell me you hate this dance, in all its flail-y, head-bobbin’, chicken-dancin’ glory and I WON’T BELIEVE YOU!

Side to side crazy flail!

Punch, punch, punch!

AI YAH YAH *head jiggles* AI YAH YAH!

This video is unique in that it not only uses all green screen with costume changes, but it also uses lots of zooming and multiple-Momusu effects. It’s quite wonderful.

Macho Musume!

Annnnd one more time!

I love these white and blue costumes. And this move. They all go for it, even Kaori, who spends a lot of the video doing this:

Or variations of that. But she was fully into her “ne waratte”-communication phase, so it really can’t be helped. Besides she does vacant in an adorable way.

And before we had Shige to regale us with her “HELP MEEEE” we had Mari’s sexy beam. Sexy? Debatable. Awesome? YES!

I love how they start leaping into the chorus like this.

My favourite moments tend to be random, like right after the first chorus when they start dancing in and out of the line like this. There’s something delightful about the spastic way they shimmy around.

Another random moment of member love. Except for poor Goto.

Anybody know what the hell is going on in here? Believe it or not this is all a part of the dance.

As is this! I love the giant carpet that goes on forever. It’s such a simple effect and it’s an entire lack-of-set that manages to create the perfect setting. See what you can do with green-screen if you really get creative?

The aggressive “OOH! HAH!” base behind just about every line make for some great movements.

I forgot that this is the only track where Momusu members (what looks like only the second gen) got to participate in the backing track. It is only blowing whistles now and then, aside from all the delightful squealing that goes on, but still.

And we end with them pushing Goto forward. She trips a little, but it takes the edge off that final OOH HAH moment that might have otherwise made us forget how adorable they are.

One more: OOH~HAH!

Love Machine

Tell me you don’t love this dance. I WON’T BELIEVE YOU!

The dance is spread over so many sets/costumes/moments I can only give you small portions. Seriously, best capping experience I’ve had in a long time. It’s rare that basically every shot you get is pure win, but this video just kicks the arse of everything EVER (assuming you’re an uber-fan like myself).

Oh, the delightful slide from side-to-side.

Annnnd again!

I love how even the girls seem to know everything about this video is ridiculous, including this dance. It’s executed with absolute devotion, while at the same time, a great deal of crazy-smiles and smirking.

Nodody sells the “woah woah yeah yeah” chorus like these four. LOOK at them!

Hooray for pink!!

And we have the middle….

Adorable kick!

And we shuffle back and forth some more in insane fur-rimmed clothing.

This moment, if you’ll excuse the trite buzzword, is iconic. The costumes, the futuristic (if spun from pink candy-floss and Barbie’s dream-spaceship) setting and the final, “love machine”, beautifully delivered by Mari and horribly mangled by ANYONE ELSE, really resonate. I don’t know how it all fits together, but the girls had enough personality to make anything acceptable and or AWESOME.

Take THAT absolutely everyone EVER.

(GUSHGUSHGUSH!!!)

Now I’m going to do something I’ve never done on this blog before: fulfil a request. Well, I’m not sure it was a request, so much as an assumption, but since Mozenator  (please forgive me if I’ve spelled your name incorrectly) was kind enough to comment on the first part of this post, I’d like to address Berryz and C-ute.

Now, I don’t really follow either of them as closely as Momusu (duh), so I really cannot comment on anything before 2006 or so…even then, my interest goes in fits and starts and some times dwindles completely. That being said, I do have one dance for each of them that I capped and thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve capped them just for you Mozenator. And to a lesser extent, anyone else who was hoping for a kidz centric dancing post.

Berryz Koubou – Dakishimete x2
(Taken from Dance-Shot pv)

The song and the pv went a long way to convincing me that Berryz are capable of being sexy (with the exception of self-satisfied dead-fish Risako, who is just off-putting in this pv, for whatever reason). I love the song and this dance made me really happy because we’re getting way too many (in my eyes) slower dances that just don’t pop.

Look at that! Admittedly when they rotate slowly while moving their arms a lot it slows down a bit, but at least their being adorable about it and not just staring at the camera (I’m looking at YOU Nanchatte Renai….dance).

Inappropriate chest pumpin’ time! Woo!

This is the adorable moment I was mentioning. Captain in particular makes me happy because she has this weird old-man smirk on her face the entire time, even though she’s tiny and arguably the cutest thing on the planet. Also: more real hats please. They rule.

Best. Cap. Ever.

I loved everything about the moments leading up to the chorus, but particularly this one, where they knock their knees together a bit as Maasa pwns her arse off.

Hats. Rule. All.

What I love about this otherwise hilarious feel-ourselves-up-a-little moment, is the contrast between Risako and Miyabi’s attitute. Miyabi exudes confidence most times and perhaps a smidge of good-natured embarrassment at others. Risako, no matter what is happening, just smirks like she’s God’s gift to everyone.

Well…I love your voice kid, BUT YOU’RE NOT!

LOVE the punching. I guess I’m just a violent, violent girl.

And crazy arm throw!!

Virtually every moment is cap-able delight, at least for me. It was hard to choose which ones specifically to include.

I’ll end on an unexpected one that I think is gorgeous.

Kumai, tallest girl ever, centered and epic. Beautiful moment I thought.

It really is a great dance.

C-ute – Tokkaiko Junjou (you expected anything else?)
(Taken from Dance-shot pv)

They don’t let up for one second.

And they start with a bang.

Everybody seems to give it their all, but in unique ways. I’ll confess though, Maimi keeps my eye the most because she just goes freakin’ crazy when you get her dancing. She borders on Kemeko in her fierceness, but you get more of a sporty air than a Kei air.

Great hair-flippy moments.

And dudes, this is all before they even start singing.

Too much awesome-ness. I can’t stop watching Kanna in that awesome outfit…

The middle is where the dance really takes off though. The beat is pretty much merciless, but the girls go for it with cool/giddy abandon.

All limbs all the time!

Look at Kanna back there…she some how manages to give it her all while being completely laid back and uber-cool about it all.

*squee*

The side-to-side hair-flippy awesomeness of this moment makes me string together words incoherently, like soamazingIcan’tbelievekidslookatthemgowooooooooo etc. I love how Chisato still manages to look like an eleven year old boy with great legs.

When they do stop, which is rarely, they still manage epic-win.

I could cap this dance forever…

Airi looks amazing in this shot. At this point I need to physically restrain myself from including more caps, so I’ll end it and then duct-tape myself to my wall (oh, it CAN be done, my friend).

Coolest one? Kanna by far. LOOK at that last pose!
Which girl is your coolest one in this dance?

These choices might seem annoyingly current to some of you, but these two songs are songs that made me take these groups seriously. Specifically for the dances too.

Berryz wasn’t even on my radar before probably MadaYade; C-ute even less so, before this one. Perhaps it’s my age-bias. I admit it. I have a hard time seeing the now mostly sixteen-years-old Berryz as anything but children, even though they’ve obviously grown a hell of a lot. C-ute even less so. I don’t think that it’s as simple as “I’m a cranky age-biased freak” though. Their songs just don’t really capture me the way Momusu songs do.

However, these singles really kicked my ass. Seriously.
I had to grudgingly admit to myself, “FINE! I LOVE these singles, ok? I’ll have them on repeat until I know every line and probably watch the dance-shots until I DIE, OK??? OK!?? ARE YOU HAPPY!?”

I really hope they keep making music like this. I would love it if they became as captivating as Momusu for me. I definetly acknowledge how much they’ve grown as performers. I recognize that they’re older now. And I love these two pvs. The dances are awesome. So, if nothing else, I know that they are capable of pwning their arses off, when given the chance. It makes me look forward to the future.

Mari being gorgeous in ‘As for One Day’

And thus, endeth my dance cap-fest.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Go back and watch your fave pvs again. If you’re anything like me, it will make you unabashedly giddy.

~Isilie

So we arrive at part two of my cap-fest regarding Morning Musume’s dances (part one is here). I loved watching these pvs again. This dancing thing began as a top ten and then morphed into a gushing fest, but now it’s gone on to have two parts because there is too much that is completely awesome about Momusu dancing. These routines have been done so often that you forget how awesome they actually are. When you rewatch the old pvs and see them dancing their hearts out for (arguably) the first time, you get the coreography at its freshest. I’ve never seen some of these done better than in those original dance-shot moments. That’s why I am a fan of the dance pvs and I don’t mind a lack of close-ups. One thing I discovered in my capping frenzy is that you don’t need a whole lot of set to do something amazing with a pv you just need good editing, a couple costumes and girls who don’t take themselves too seriously.

I love this group…

Capping Love Machine has got to be one of the most interesting things I’ve done for this blog. Nobody can whine about green-screen when watching that one. Admittedly they had a hell of a lot more budget, in terms of costumes, but the green-screen allows for a lot of “locations” and the girls are goofy, as well as cool and genki. They pull out some of the most baffling faces I’ve ever seen in a H!P video. They do stupid things, like having an enormously tall Iida Kaori stomping on pedestrians in Shibuya.  The editing makes it seem like there are tons of sets, but it’s all one big green-screen. There is so much joy and humour in that pv that it’s no wonder that Japan fell in love with it. There is a lot of pink, but it makes you damn happy.

They’ve utilized green-screen a whole lot in their pvs and it’s only recently that they seem to have forgotten how to use it. If you look at Koi no Dance Site (which you should!) it’s all green-screen…and yet, it’s fun, it’s crazy, it’s joyous, it’s weird and it’s epic win.

I ended the last post on Do it Now because I love it so much, but this time I’ll go back in time slightly, because these next two just begged to be mentioned.

As for One Day
(Taken from pv)

Back when last singles rocked so hard you almost wept…LOOK at how gorgeous that is! Forget about how much I love blue and water, I just can’t believe how much they pulled off with nothin but that green-screen. Granted, it’s odd that they are basically in a giant fish-bowl (wut?), but you accept it because it’s freakin’ gorgeous.

When I first saw this pv, I remember being quite new to Momusu, so I didn’t know what to expect. My brother told me I’d probably like this song.

Oh, he was not only right…
Well, I can’t think of a more emphatic way to say HE WAS RIGHT!

They do a lot of spinning in this dance, which, due to the lighting and costumes, is lovely and makes everyone (even Kaori-all-limbs-all-the-time) look like a ballerina.

Ishikawa is in the center for a great deal of time, but that works so well here. She does the tear-stained-why’dyouhurtme stare perfect.

Why…WHY DID YOU HURT ME!?

AH! Don’t LOOK at me!

I love the little side dip during the “as for one day” line. Then their feet do something that I’ve never been able to figure out. Something I didn’t think fit, but it really does. There’s a sort of muted desperation to it that fits the song so well.

Overall, the dance is just beautiful. I wish they’d start singing this song again. As far as vocals, it doesn’t demand as much as some of the older singles. I don’t see why they can’t. Bring back the spin-shuffle dance!

I miss Mari and Kemeko…2nd was and is beautiful.

Koko ni Iruzee!
(Taken from pv)

This is another one of those dances that I can’t even get a handle on. Capping it was near impossible, but I got the best shots I could. A great deal of them involve the silhouettes of the audience and that makes it seems a bit creepy. The video, despite what my caps reveal, is amazingly bright and colourful. There is a lot of jumping, obviously. Lots of member love.

This might not be the best example of member-love, but there is lots of embracing along with this delightful little lean-on-my-back moment. I love watching them on the big circus stage here, but I think I should mention that Momusu is apparently searching for treasure and getting very muddy when they aren’t pwning it up with all this crazy leaping about.

Look the at the height they get when they really go for it! The backwards running-man is particularly delightful, but moves by so fast that I could not capture it properly.

I love when they start jumping as though a string is yanking them up by their necks. It looks a tad creepy with all the shadows and all the cheering silhouettes, but it’s a great spastic moment.

During the middle instrumental, it looks like they all just go nuts and start with the air-guitar. There is so much celebration and abashed joy. The rumpled plaid just makes it all work.

Then there is, of course, the line at the end. I love Yossy looking at Kei at the back there.
“Bring it ON Kemeko!”

MOONing TIME! Not to sound like a maniac, but you really can’t see their butts at all, so I’m not sure what they’re “tee-hee”ing about. Aw well. It’s damn adorable.

WOO! Notice Mari’s got the most height on that leap and Takahashi is just embracing the whole wide world.

This is the one dance that I don’t mind not having a straight dance-shot of, even though it’s epic. Everything about this pv is wonderful. I don’t mind that the dance is always split apart onstage by the stage itself. I always love this number, because the running-man will show up, the leaping will show up and the insane arm-waving that is so intense their feet almost leave the ground always shows up. Unless you’re just standing around, you pretty much can’t wreck this one.

PWN!

Souda! We are Alive!
(From pv)

FUCK yeah! I don’t care how overdone this song is (and it IS), the pv still kicks so much ass it’s unbelievable. From the moment it begins with the fist pumping, it basically never slows down for a moment. The costumes are pretty simple, involving purses and cellphones for some reason, but on this simple stage in front of the giant MM flag, it seems to fit.

This is one I would have loved a dance-shot for. Look at Mari and Kei go! They are particularly fierce in this one. I love this moment during the intro, with the kicking and…whatever the hell else goes on.

PWN! Ah, when Mari had the center, she HAD THE CENTER. Yossy just always rules. And I think Kei is on her phone back there. What else do you do when they give you a cell phone to dance with?

Souda is a particularly interesting song because there are so many changes. Tsunku really threw in anything he could think of. This middle instrumental part sort of comes out nowhere and becomes a dance-off. It’s not so much dancing as stomping, which Mari does amazingly well for someone so tiny. She pwns all.

LOVE! I love how the line is made up of seniors grinning at kouhai. Or in the case of Ishikawa, scaring them to death. You gotta love fourth gen.

This ending is awesome. You really do get the sense that they rule the world.
Or at least that stage.

The Peace!
(From pv)

Momusu-the-sailors dancing in a giant latrine…how did they get away with something like that?

When I first saw this, I almost couldn’t get past the initial wtf. I read somewhere, much MUCH later, that the concept was chosen to basically give the finger to some tabloid that had footage of some of the members using the bathroom. The footage was never released, as far as I know, but it was supposedly a nod to the story. So, some bizarre inside joke?

Whether you get the joke or not, you tend to get used to it all, because it’s such a delight. The sheer wtf-ness transfers to the dance also. Apparently Tsunku was going for a sort-of charleston. I’m not as familiar with swing dancing as I used to be, but I’m not sure what they do here is quite it.

I do know that it’s awesome and hilarious.

It must have been so nice to dance in sneakers. Just try and ignore the urinals behind them…

Kemeko slays me. She is so damn intense! Take note of those who get some air when they jump and those who don’t bother (I’m looking at YOU dead-fish…I mean GOTO). There are just way too many instances of everyone doing silly or crazy faces and Goto just kinda being…well, there.

This is my favourite moment of the dance and the moment when I stopped noticing the urinals. They stopped making me confused and just faded out with the absolute awesomeness of this little shuffle. Like I’ve said, watch Kemeko during this moment. She clearly loves it as much as we do.

Woahwoah woahwoah woahwoah PEACE PEACE! Damn, cleaning latrines is so much fun!

And then the sun goes down and we get this lovely little “charleston” heavy interlude after Ishikawa’s little speech. Clearly something has rocked the boat…probably Kemeko.

Shuffle, shuffle, spin, spin! I’d mention how adorable Yossy is in this pv or how much Ishikawa adores being in the center for the first time, but I think it goes without saying.

And then the most wtf moment of all: the urinals light up, a disco ball appears and it becomes the world’s first latrine-disco. They work hard, they play hard. Even with all the glitter they remain in formation…

…until even they can’t stop laughing at how awesome and insane this all is. I wonder why sparkling gold with feathers worked on these girls but not the current lineup. I guess we need the urinals in the background? I’m sorry I keep mentioning them, but it’s jarring to sort through your caps and find that a great deal of them are just LINES OF URINALS.

Anyway, the ending happens a couple of times, but when they finally do end the song, everyone has their own unique way of posing.

Ha, ha, HAH!

Renai Revolution 21
(From pv)

Is there any Momusu fan who isn’t familiar with this dance, considering they do it every chance they get?

This video is a joy to cap. The space theme gives a bunch of adorable/kakkoii moments that I capped, but will have to restrain myself from including. This isn’t a pv review, it’s a gush about the dance. Let’s try and remember that this dance is amazingly fun and forget how often they perform it.

LOVE these costumes. Again, I’ll sound like a maniac, but they just don’t do leather and hair-gel anymore! Come ON! If Nakazawa can do it…

If you watch Abe, during this little arm wave, you’ll see that somehow, her legs really don’t move. I can’t explain it, but her body just moves differently from everyone else. It’s really funny because she looks like she’s concentrating really hard.

There are so many transitions and single shots in this pv that I had to just focus on the moments where you can see everyone dancing. The best moment, as it tends to be, is the middle.

The “rap” part! Look at all that tummy! (sorry, maniac moment)

Actually, much of this pv utilizes odd camera angles. It’s like this camera is just on the ground. It’s nice though because we can see their feet in those awesome boots.

Morning Musume DROP IT!

So they drop it! And this little slow rise, while chanting “cho cho cho ii kanji” is the best build up ever.

They break back into the chorus, showing much attitude.

No words. Just LOOK!

PWN!

I love that the tallest and shortest are next to each other here. It doesn’t seem to matter because of the angle of the camera. Elsewhere in the pv they give attitude to a camera underneath a glass floor, a camera passing overhead and one pointing directly at them. They also worked with slow-mo and there are a lot of little inserts of oceans and storms and other epic sights.

Just give me the group.

I love that Kemeko has that huge hat. Only she could make that look cool. Yet another awesome ending. I never understand why they keep bouncing in these positions in concerts. It’s cool as it is, ne?

…

Ok, how about just a few little moments?

Bad ass Abe + TsujiKago = epic win.

Yossy KAWAIII)(U)U#Q$R&*HEF^GEFDSVHABDB!!!!!!!!

I need to go cap the living hell out of three more pvs and I can end this off. This is turning into a bigger job than I thought it would be. Part three is on its way!

HOI!

~Isilie

Go here.

Finally!

After watching so many of Morning Musume’s old pvs, I’ve become very interested in what she was like. Sayaka is beautiful and adorable from what I’ve seen, but since basically none of the Hello Mornings from her years in the group have been subbed (and my listening skills are still in the development stage), I have no idea what her personality was like.

I remember liking her acting in Pinchrunner, so it will be cool to see her act in other things.

Overall I can’t say much except “Sweet!” and “YAY!” and “I’m looking forward to it!” I don’t know if she’ll return to singing or not, but either way, I’m happy about this.

Chuu~~!

~Isilie

I’ve been watching a lot of concerts lately, some newer, quite a few older. I always forget how quickly a Momusu concert pulls me in and makes me happy within the first three numbers. There is something infectious about their energy, whether the OG members are present or not. Watching all these performances made me want to post about dances. Naturally I stuck to pvs only, so only the singles. And that is because if I even touched on my favourite concert performances, we’d be here all year.

I cap enough already.

It’s really something, going through all their 40 pvs. Have you ever actually sat down and watched all of those? There are some that I’d completely forgotten about.Even with those ones, watching/listening to/singing to them again made me feel so happy. Momusu just doesn’t get old for me. The fact that they have ten years of music behind them is fortunate from a fan perspective. There’s a lot to discover and alot to delight in. I don’t think it matters what generation you first got into. I couldn’t stand their older stuff when I first got into Momusu and now I can’t imagine how I ever listened to ‘I WISH’ without getting almost teary with joy.

Laugh at me for being a sap, but it’s true.
*deep dramatic sigh*

In the process of capping I uncovered some amazing shots, some funny, some unfortunate and some just downright gorgeous. Have you ever realized how beautiful some of these pvs actually were (are) from back when H!P just did whatever the hell they felt like? I also discovered trying to capture a dance in one frame is a bitch-and-a-half.

But I tried anyway.

I will do my best to actually say something about each dance that I liked, but I can only say so much. Basically all I can do is gush, as the title suggests.

This began as a top ten but I, being the obsessive fan that I am, couldn’t handle restricting myself any more than just sticking to the singles.

So I’ll just go backwards in time focusing on those dances that I particularly loved.

RESONANT BLUE
(Taken from the One Shot Dance Version)

There is something both ridiculous and addictive about this entire video. I think it’s because my three favourite colours happen to be white, black and blue. I just think they are gorgeous when blended in this way. The lighting adds a lot for me. Since we’ve already gone through the pros and cons of the song and all that, I’ll only say this once: I loved this song instantly. I still love it. And I think a straight dance-shot is awesome.

It’s because I personally can’t dance with any sort of coherence that I find coreography so interesting. This one is odd for Momusu, because with some exceptions the entire song is usually all covered. The girls in black at the back (*winces at the unintended rhyme*) tend to stick to specific movements, but if you look at the leads, there are times when they’re just moving to the music.

I particularly love Mame’s fist pumping and Kamei’s insane hair-flipping every five seconds. But like I said, the back is fairly uniform, while the leads seem to just go with it. And the instrumental part always makes me happy:

They seem to smooth their way into a perfect line…

Then this swirly effect…not sure how else to describe it. I’m so glad Takahashi is at the front. Her expression is just awesome during this moment.

Ah! So dramatic!

Biyuuden tribute, only done with some fluidity…and scary-ass expressions from Winky and riida.

This reaching for the sky moment makes me very happy in terms of drama and it’s a great segue back into the chorus.

I’ve said I don’t really care for this one in concert and that’s probably because of Mame and Kamei’s “dakedo, ne, ne, dakedo” lines. The layered echoing effect that it has in the recorded version just can’t translate the same way live and I love that moment. I love the way they leap into the center with giant mischievious smiles and kick and flip like there is no tomorrow. I don’t much care for their giant arm drop ( I couldn’t capture it…just watch the pv) during riida’s line, but there is so much joy in those moments they are in the center.

What is it with me and crazy hair flipping? Maybe that’s the real reason I love this dance so much.

No matter what the reason, there is a lot of drama and energy in this dance. I wish they were always this energetic.

Iroppoi Jirettai
(Taken from Dance-shot Version)

Back when clapping while staring down the camera wasn’t old news – I’m talking about YOU Naichau Kamo…dance.

This is one of those songs I always forget about, but I’ll remember the dance even before the tune of the song comes to mind. I didn’t like their skirts initially, but in the dance shot, they really work well. First of all, we’ve got this awesome sort of controlled flailing (don’t you love how I’m majoring in English Language and Lit and yet I can’t describe anything with any sort of flair?):

The long sleeves, the skirts and the lights illuminating from the back create a great effect. And once again, if there is even an indication of hair-flipping, I tend to be happy.

I don’t want to sound like a maniac fan, but there is a great deal of the girls sort of fawning over each other. Like at the very beginning or this moment, they slowly sink down, running their hands along Koharu (who at this point was still cute as a button) and Yossy, to hold them up.

And then, presenting Miki and Takahashi! Their hands always seem to be in the air or dangling teasingly in front of them.

I couldn’t capture the chorus well, the clapping and their little circles, but I got this moment before they go into the chorus. I love the line that the skirts, the curved arms and the tilted bodies make. I must sound like such a freak, but describing a dance when I have no proper terms for the moves is hard. Bear with me.

There is as always the awesome middle intrumental.

The floodlights come in again and Koharu and (Miki?) assemble everyone in pairs. This moment is kinda random but they make it work.

Annnnd presenting Momusu!

They then proceed with a lot of hip-shaking that can’t be captured without looking like a maniac. So, onto the only cap I could get near the end.

Why do I love drama so much? They sort of tip-toe back and forth in this wonderful way.

It probably has one of the best endings of all the dances. They all take a moment to spin and show themselves off and then turn away and then back to the camera. It’s a moment of awesome attitude. There is something very feminine in how they spend the dance twirling and teasing and posing. I mean that in a positive way. They’re enticing, which is exactly what the song calls for. After awhile you stop noticing how funny it is that they’re singing, “sex-y ISLAND”. The Latin (correct me if I’m wrong) flair suited them.

The Manpower
(Taken from the original pv)

As far as dances go, this one always struck me as a lot more complex than most. The original pv is this one: just a badly lit (it’s bloches of yellow light all over the place!! supreme wtf!) dance-shot, with barely enough camera to capture everyone. So capping it was really annoying. I have no idea how to describe the insanity…

I love the sort of marching-bowing things they do during the verses, because they just look so funny. Miki is posing her arse off and everyone around her is sort of miming wiping her face while they bow. Or like in this cap, where they…well I’m not certain what that hand thing is supposed to be. It doesn’t seem out of place, but it’s a funny moment.

“Miss-tea-re-us!”

They all sort of weave in and out of each other and seem to arrive in their positions out of nowhere.

Look! LOOK AT THE GALAXY!

We’re offering food to the galaxy. EAT! EAT!

This moment is my favourite. Before the second verse, they get into this line and Ishikawa, who is beginning to go insane (this is right before she graduated to sing about pudding in Biyuuden) does her ‘I’ll-eat-you-for-breakfast-but-I-love-you’ smile and horribly mangles the word, “homosapiens”.

Then they all tap their feet twice and jump back into the chorus.

This is probably the most recognizable and awesome part of this dance. All the fist raising and hip thrusting that goes on is about as manly as Momusu can really be (which is to say, not manly at all).

I love how lifeless Yossy is in this pv compared to her usual self. Half the time she seems to forget her to actually lipsynch her awesome lines. It feels like she knows there isn’t enough room for her to really dig into her lines the way Takahashi (bless her heart) really tries to, so she kinda gives up. Some of the time she leans out of the shot. They tried to squeeze a lot into their small amount of space.

Even so, I chose to cap from this one because it allows you to actually see the full coreography which is often split apart by huge stages and lack of members. The dance is interesting and at times bizarre. The whole Greek theme is definitely more apparent in the alternate version (the one most people associate with this song, and rightly so), but rarely does Momusu have a dance that is this difficult to get your head around. I’m sorry for my epic-fail in terms of description, but go watch it and see if you can do any better. *sticks tongue out*

Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari
(Taken from Panic-Train Version pv)

UWAaaaa! So many members, so little room, such a crazy song…best video ever?
I tend to think so.

Now admittedly most of the caps I have don’t contain the dance as much as I’d like. It’s harder to capture than you’d think. You have to look behind the delightful members in front to really see what’s happening in the dance. Those in front tend to do something adorable rather than follow the coreography. Who doesn’t know the arm-waving, jumping awesomeness that is this dance already anyway?

See? Shige being Shige. Takahashi being intense. Everyone in the back trying to dance without bursting into laughter every eight seconds.

WHEEEE!! I love that they’re singing about how noisy they are…think of the chaos inside this car…

Shige: Hai!! I’m cute without makeup!!
Kaori: wtf?!
Mari: Gaaaah, freakin’ kids!

Everyone at the back there is struggling to get in the shot without disturbing those singing.

Pimping Makoto. RABUUUUUU!!! Not sure what Winky’s doing…one-handed heart shape?

Yossy pwns all.

Niigaki has that look on her face for almost the entire video. Look at the leather on the other three. You gotta love it.

Kamei is adorable…so SO adorable in this pv. She just gets shaken around and giggles uncontrollably for her entire verse.

I chose the panic-train because even in the other version, the dance isn’t featured as much as their antics…ok, that’s probably a lie. I just love this version. This song leaves a hell of a lot of room for craziness and the chorus is catchy as hell. It’s the first song/dance by Momusu that captured me and I still love it. It’s very, very addictive. I’m not sure how it can’t inspire affection for each girl with a video like this.

Shige loves it when others are jealous of her…look behind them though…

Roman ~My Dear Boy~
(Taken from Dance-shot Version)

They look pretty calm and cool there, right?
But wait…

FWA!
Ok…that was a stupid sound and that cap doesn’t nearly capture the energy of the beginning of this dance, but man it’s really hard to capture.

From the moment they start to the moment they finish there is constant movement. There’s lots of pointing to the sky, lots of kicking and jumping and hair flipping and some great moments from everyone. Those are the things that make Isilie happy.

Forgetting for a second my bias for energetic routines, this song always screams energy and happiness to me. I said somewhere else on this blog that the song seems filled with hope and so it’s only natural that everyone should seem fired up. I really think everybody shines here. It seems like this dance is difficult, but I can’t recall one performance of it where someone seemed like they weren’t into it. Just like Koko ni Iruzee!, it seems impossible to just flail your way through without feeling anything.

“An endless passion called peace exists!” ~loose translation of a line

As always, I love the intrumental, where they suddenly march back and forth:

Ishikawa…always into it.

Then suddenly:

…dramatically throw up their arms!

And zoom back into a group again!

Does anybody else love these purple coats? They contrast beautifully with the stark factory set. The most we have in terms of colour there is the floodlights and the map at the top of the set. Everything leads your eyes to the girls.

And what girls they are…so much love for Yossy, Rika and Mari in this pv.

One of the best endings too. They just barely manage to reign in their energy. When Momusu tries to act tough it usually strikes me as impossibly cute, but there is something more believable about it here. Maybe it’s the coats…

Shabondama
(Taken from original pv)

What awesome costumes…what an awesome concept. Just stick them in a giant shallow pool and let them flail around dramatically. Oh, I’m sure there is some sort of coreography, some routine that we’ve probably seen on some performance or other, but in the pv, it’s beautiful chaos.

Ah! Kaori I see your tummy!

Look at them go! I can’t say anything here. Just LOOK at it!

WHY!? WHY IS LOVE LIKE SOAPBUBBLES!??

All, except Yossy: Dakishimete YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Yossy: Ugh. Get over it already!

Takahashi really steps up to present herself every chance she gets. When she gets a line she is absolutely fierce.

Here also…to the extent that she basically steps over Aibon to get in front again. It’s ok though. It seems Aibon finds it as funny as we do. Look at that ponytail go!

Like I’ve said: drama + hairflipping + individuals standing out = a happy Isilie.

And I’d like to end on a high note here, so I’ll close this post with a routine I particularly love.

Do it Now!
(Taken from pv)

I wish there was a dance-shot for this one, a dance-shot in which they wear these black costumes, rather than those red-plastic dresses that I can’t stand. I don’t know why I don’t like them. I guess I just like something more sleek.

I love these moments when it’s as though their feet are stuck to the floor but their bodies are reaching upwards. Takahashi in the center is always graceful and beautiful, particularly in the intrumental part when she lands almost on one foot, like a ballerina…you could really see that ballet influence here.

I love the suble lighting. Every girl looks amazing, even though there is a definite Resonant Blue tendency to only focus on those directly in front.

I miss cool Abe and tiny, tiny ballerina Takahashi. And Mari who always manages to catch my eye.

See? Abe =pwn. So much pwn-age. Konkon WILL kick your ass…

Momusu should do raps like this one a LOT more. In the direction they seem to be heading it wouldn’t be terribly out of place. The rap in the new single is incredibly weak compared to this one. But anyway, I’m talking about the dance…

It was impossible to capture the dance in the chorus, even though I tried. I really love something about it though. I think it’s the way their arms move, constantly circling and reaching and moving back and forth. Go and watch it if you aren’t familiar with it. The parts that I like best are the ones that I capped.

Such as the awesome moments in the rap.

Yasuda and Mari = fierce.

Kaori and Tsuji are such an odd combo, but it somehow works here.
And then there is Goto…who will eat you.

Ah, Ogawa! She shines so much in this moment. She has ONE line and since the entire rap consists of the 13 of them fighting for camera time while on a stairway, you don’t really see her until her moment. But she owns that line. I kinda like her with black hair.

Ah…pretty, isn’t it?

I’m sorry my descriptions are so haphazard, but I did warn you that this would be mostly gushing. If I knew anything about dancing, I’d be able to give you a better picture of why I love these. Go and watch (or rewatch) these pvs. See if there are any you like better. The fact that I left a lot of singles out of here doesn’t mean I don’t think they’re any good. I really like the dances for ‘Ambitious…’ and for Egao Yes Nude, but they don’t stick in my mind the same way.

Part two is coming up. I split it up because there are just too many. And this is only focusing on their singles.

There is definitely more to come. Look forward to it!

~Isilie

So long, Kanna and Erika. Live long and prosper.

I’m not entirely being facetious. I will miss these two…it’s always sad when a group that has been together for a long time (as far as I know) is broken apart.

Since Kanna’s been gone, C-ute has gotten really boring and now another one is leaving. I’m looking forward to when they will unexpectedly impress me, like they did back during Tokkaiko Junjou. That song hit me pretty hard and I know they can do better than they’ve been doing.

Even so, I think we’re really gonna be missing something.

Kanna…very, very kakkoii.

Erika…I know nothing about her, except she always looked damn good.

I miss cool C-ute.

~Isilie