Sunday, December 6, 2009

London Hearts 12-01-09

By: Zabel

I feel a bit bad that I haven't blogged anything about Aichan in awhile. Will the Love Goddess forgive me while I blog about Sayu again instead? The evil bunny appeared on London Hearts with Yasuda Kei for another round of Women Ranking Each Other this week. I'll summarize the parts where either or both of them spoke. As always, please forgive any faults in the translation.

The host, Atsushi, after first introducing Nishikawa, who has been away from the show for half a year, introduces Sayumi observing that her hat is cute. Sayu replies, "Yes, ridiculously cute." Then Yasuda is introduced and Atsushi is curious how well they know each other.

Atsushi: Was there any overlap? (in the time you spent in Momusu)
Yasuda: She joined just when I was graduating.
Michishige: Yes.
Atsushi: So there wasn't.
Michishige: I pretty much just know her face.
(laughter)
Yasuda: I'm your senior!
Ryou: Dr. Nishikawa looks a bit surprised.
Nishikawa: So this is how she is?
(laughter)
Atsushi: Recently we've had this kind of girl join us.
Nishikawa: This should be fun!
(laughter)
Atsushi: Should be fun. What'll happen? Prepare yourself.



The theme is 知れば知るほどいい女 or "Women who are better the more you get to know them." Suzanne is selected by lottery to give her rankings, and her #1 pick is Dark Lord Sugita of all people! Atsushi will be making fun of her for that.

On Misono's turn, the hosts recall how when they were eating out together (from the episode two weeks ago when they stalked Hamada Brittney) Misono announced, "I'm going to take a poop." You didn't need to tell us that, they say. (Thereafter Atsushi refers to her as 'Miss Poop') Misono laughs saying her true friends and fans accept her knowing everything about her. This is where Sayu chimes in coldly, "I don't think I wanna know any more about her." Misono replies that it's about time Sayu accept reality and the results of the surveys. Misono put Sayu at #10.

Atsushi: So putting her at #10 means you definitely won't lose to her?
Misono: If I lose to her I don't wanna come on this show again.
(laughter)
Atsushi: Michishige, you won't lose to Misono?
Michishige: Lately my cuteness has been escalating.
(laughter)
Atsushi: Your cuteness is escalating?
Michishige: Inside of me I think it should be maintaining the status quo, but it's not stopping.
(laughter)
Atsushi: Not stopping. Your cuteness is not stopping.
Aoki: Wow.



Suzanne ranks Yasuda at #7. Yasuda is relieved because last time she was on the show, Suzanne was chosen to give rankings that time too, and she and everyone wrote things like, "Yasuda is more or less...[negative reasons]." Atsushi says, this time Suzanne has a decent reason, right? Suzanne says yes, Yasuda is a very good person, but I don't know much more about her image beyond that. (laughter) Same situation as last time.

Yasuda tries to defend herself but boy oh boy does she choose the wrong words to say!

Yasuda: My juniors really adore me, and my peers really like me.
Atsushi: Your juniors adore you?
Yamada: They do!
Atsushi: Michishige, where did you rank Yasuda?
Michishige: #10.
(laughter)
Yasuda: Ehh?!
Atsushi: The more you know her...but don't you know her the best out of everyone here?
Yasuda: She knows me the best!
Michishige: I may know her the best, but I've never thought of her as a good woman.
(laughter)
Yasuda: Ehh?! Hey!
Ryou: That girl.
Yasuda: I know how to support a man, and I'm really good at keeping peace among the members.
Michishige: Is that a good woman...or a useful woman?
(laughter)
Yasuda: Hey. (slapping Michishige on the shoulder)
Atsushi: Useful?
Yasuda: How mean.



Suzanne's #10 rank is Michishige. She says that from seeing Sayu in the past she thought of her as a considerate person, but since her TV image is so extreme most viewers are probably thinking, "Is she okay??" Even Suzanne's mother phoned Suzanne to ask what's wrong with Michishige lol. Atsushi says, so even your parents are worried about her. Sayu says, there's no need to worry at all.

Also, continues Suzanne, because Sayu keeps calling herself cute it has the reverse effect on her image. Dr. Nishikawa chimes in.

Nishikawa: It's a gag, right? Calling herself cute.
(laughter)
Michishige: It's not a gag. It's not a gag.
Atsushi: Do you think it's a gag?
Nishikawa: It's to make us laugh. She tells rather funny jokes.
(laughter)
Michishige: No, that's wrong!
Nishikawa: They're funny, they're funny.

Suzanne's rankings:

1. Sugita Kaoru
2. Kokushou Sayuri
3. Aoki Sayaka
4. Suzanne
5. Misono
6. Torii Miyuki
7. Yasuda Kei
8. Haruna Ai.
9. Nishikawa Ayako
10. Michishige Sayumi

The actual rankings are announced. Yasuda is excited to rank as high as #5, but Sayumi is surprised. When Atsushi remarks on her surprise Sayu explains using the expression もう大概にしてほしいですね, which translates to something like "I want them to stay within reason" or "Let's not get carried away now." While everyone laughs Yasuda can be heard saying, "I want you to stay within reason." Atsushi says he never used such an expression when he was 20.

Yasuda has both a positive reason and a negative reason read on her behalf:

- Positive reason: In spite of having been a national idol, she is well-liked among the masses.
- Negative reason: Although she was a Morning Musume, the things in her room and the things that she buys reek of poverty.

Misono beats Sayumi after all. Sayumi's response: "This has become tiresome." (laughter)



It comes down to a contest between Michishige and Sugita for worst position. Sugita says that perhaps Michishige and herself are similar types. Perhaps she, Sugita, herself is extremely cute. (laughter) Atsushi says that you can't attach the nickname 魔王 (Dark Lord; Demon Lord) to a person who is extremely cute.

While Michishige faces the possiblity of a double-whammy, Suzanne faces the possiblity of a penalty of 30,000 yen for her ranking being so far off! Suzanne had predicted Sugita at #1 but Sugita is in danger of getting #10... And does! Sugita offers to pay half of the penalty slapped on Suzanne.

Reasons for Michishige at #9:
- She hasn't yet got anything to show for as a woman.
- The more you get to know her you'd realize she is a woman who can love nobody but herself.
- Somewhere in her heart she thinks of her Hello! Projects seniors as fools.

To that second reason Sayumi says that she would return love to a guy who loved her, but that she has so far never experienced giving love, an admission which draws muffled laughs from the other women.

To the third reason Yasuda nods and adds that it's not just in her heart; she goes right out and says it! Sayumi says, "I'm not thinking fools of them. I just speak the truth."

Then Nishikawa tells how she was recently reading a weekly publication that had a survey of women most hated by women in 2009. Sayumi was listed there which made her curious. Now meeting Sayu for the first time she understands why. Of course she was reading it in the first place because she, Nishikawa herself, was on the list.

Actual rankings:

1. Kokushou Sayuri
2. Suzanne
3. Torii Miyuki
4. Aoki Sayaka
5. Yasuda Kei
6. Misono
7. Haruna Ai
8. Nishikawa Ayako
9. Michishige Sayumi
10. Sugita Kaoru

Well that's the show, or the Sayumi and Yasuda parts anyhow. Hope ya enjoyed the read! I kinda wanted to sub it so you could enjoy the nonstop funniness in its entirety, but for various reasons this episode wasn't a good candidate for subbing; there were numerous references in it to past shows and missing contexts that are difficult to deal with in a fansub aimed at non-regular viewers. (Also, my typesetting/encoding partner in crime has been busy lately)

As we have seen, Sayumi's notoriety continues to escalate right along with her cuteness. On Quiz All For One we saw her make dodgy comments about Nakazawa Yuko, and on this show she was downright mean to Yasuda Kei, her senior by 9 years. She is, however, just the right sort for a show like London Hearts. Nearly every utterance out of her mouth has the host and everyone laughing.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

H!P Qu!ck H!ts

By: The Incredible He-Hulk



I am hopeful I'll be able to turn this into a weekly post if not starting with this post, then with the next. I'm swamped with subtitling stuff, at the moment, and I only have so much time to dedicate to H!P.



Guardians 4’s New Single, Party Time, released today
Guardians 4 probably has the best lineup of any H!P group right now, but they also happen to be getting the worst songs to sing. Party Time rectifies that slightly by being a modestly catchy affair and makes me hopeful for the first time that this group will outlast the anime it supports.

Sugaya Risako’s 4th photobook (Risou) announced. Will be released November 27th
Let’s face it, H!P is not the Butterfly Lounge. Skinny as possible is the order of the day where most of the girls are concerned—which is why our yearly Risako photobook is the only reoccurring book to really look forward to. She of the supple curves and sanguine countenance; Risako makes a photobook interesting.

Nakajima Saki’s first photobook (Nacky) announced. Release date December 12th
It’s easy to tell how much confidence H!P has in a photobook—The earlier the book is announced, the more promotion it will get and the more copies H!P thinks it has a chance to sell. Maasa’s first PB was announced 2 weeks before release; Chinami’s was announced 2 weeks after it’s release, but Nakajimi Saki is getting an entire month of anticipation. There is no doubt H!P knows she’s a bombshell waiting to go off.

Yajima Maimi cuts her long hair short
In other news, Niigaki Risa washes her face. Oh! Hot rumor! Hagiwara gets nails done, and I don’t want to speculate but there’s talk Abe Natsumi has indigestion…
Seriously. This isn’t news…

The Tanaka Reina Manga “Kaito Reinya” is now being turned into an anime series. Reina will provide the voice for, uhh, herself
Based on my research (which consisted of looking at one article), the character appears to be some kind of idol/cat hybrid who is a burglar. Oh, apparently Noto Arisa will voice a “stupid” police woman. Personally, I love when children’s TV glorifies theft and belittles law enforcement, so this is probably going to be awesome…

Proving that, as I speculated, Berryz Koubou is not busy enough, they will perform for the first time in Bangkok Thailand in March of next year
H!P idol shows are, generally speaking, always the same. Therefore, this concert is only of interest if you live in Bangkok or somehow live in a country where traveling to Thailand is cheaper than Traveling to Japan. Otherwise, this is of very little note. Playing a sold out concert on the moon, however...
Tsuki Girls just has a better ring to it than Ryuusei Boy.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

No more regular summaries

Yeah, I've run out of steam doing Ichigo ichie for now so I won't be posting weekly summaries. Sorry. HOWEVER I am not quitting blogging completely as I may have Aichan or MM-related stuff to write about from time to time.

P.S. If you want something to blame, blame Little Big Planet as most of my time goes to it :P


P.S.S. An unnamed member of Berryz will be a guest on her show next week.

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Monday, November 2, 2009

H!P Qu!ck H!ts

By: The Incredible He-Hulk


With the goal of posting more often in mind, I’ve decided to steal an idea from my sports writer buddies and begin doing a semi-regular post of my initial gut reactions to pieces of recent H!P news. Please keep in mind that I will always write down the very first thing I think of when I am made aware of these topics, so blunt and slightly crass will likely be the order of the day…



Umeda Erika retired from H!P October 25th.
No graduation. No surprise. Did anyone think H!P would do an actual graduation concert in a 1500 seat dance hall in Osaka with zero promotion? Girls who played by the rules always got graduations before, now there will always be speculation, rumor and innuendo as to why Erika didn’t get one.
To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, "All tyrannical management needs to gain a foothold is for wota of good conscience to remain silent." Why don’t we ever stand up to them when they pull b*llshit like this? Why don’t we ever demand to know?


Morning Musume’s 41st single, Kimagure Princess, rolls out this week and next.
The backing track returns to the cliche "ethnic" feel of golden era Momuso hits, but it’s a been there done that song that isn’t here and doesn’t do that. It would have been immensely improved by the girls whispering “TOP SHHHHECRET” every 10 seconds, or so. If you don’t get that reference then you’re a terrible fan. *wink*


Inaba Atsuko announced her departure from Up-Front October 30th.
A girl whose work behind the scenes was always more important to H!P’s success than what she did in front of the camera, she will be missed by approximately 10 people. Those 10 people are individuals of sound mine and discerning tastes, however.
If she had chosen to leave 5 of 6 years ago she would have at least gotten acknowledged with a bouquet of flowers and a final solo song at a H!P Winter concert.


Sale of a new Fujimoto Miki Photobook (Jibunkon) centering on her wedding has been announced. It will be released in November.
Why? Because coveting another man’s wife is awesome! It’s sin-a-licious. Now that I know this is coming, I’ve already begun saving up for her eventual pregnancy photobook. Why? Because the only thing sexier than photos of Miki’s wedding will be photos of her Caesarean section…


Upcoming dual-side single (Like my future husband / Meteor Boy) release for Berryz Koubou marks second time this year they have released two singles over a two week period.
Is Berryz Koubou just not busy enough, or something? And could there possibly be a worse song topic for teenage idols than their future husbands? We fans tend to think no one is good enough for our idols, but the truth is most of our idols will end up with Manzai comedians, people who dress up as superheroes on childen's TV, or Ishimoto Yasuyuki.


It was recently announced that Sudou Maasa has obtained the starring role in the movie adaptation of the Japanese light novel “Light Novel no Tanoshii Kakikata.”
Probably quite good for her career. Very few H!P girls have ever had the starring role in a television series or movie, and it’s usually only the agencies top girls that get these opportunities. But I’m not going to be able to bring myself to watch this. Every piece of fiction H!P girls are in is always so freaking terrible. Do you remember “Last Present”? If there was ever a movie that made H!P fans feel "not so fresh" that was it.
There are at least a few ICU members who will demand we subtitle this Maasa movie, though…
Sigh… Extra Mild Vinegar or Extra Cleansing Farm-Fresh Flowers? I have a feeling we’ll all need farm-fresh flowers after this one.

More qu!ck h!ts next week.

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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Idol Replacement Therapy: A Series in Three Parts.

By: The Incredible He-Hulk


Apologies to any who have been anticipating the third part to this series. While I had the frame of all three articles written before posting the first, circumstances led to an inability to flesh it out until now. The time I can dedicate to my H!P hobby is mostly used up by managing our sub group. That is simply the reality of things. Now, on to part three...


Part 3: Judgments in Decision Making

The theories have been discussed. The facts have been considered. Now, what direction will management take? How will they handle these graduations? And, more importantly, how should they be handled?

Should C-ute add a new member?
No, they shouldn’t.

Will they add a new member?
No, they won’t. There’s too much risk and too little reward.

I will always personally believe that Kanna was added to C-ute in order to balance the unit out with Berryz Koubou before C-ute’s first single debuted—Eight girls apiece to ensure symmetry between the groups. Sadly, the decision to add Kanna to C-ute was made before management knew Maiha wanted to leave Berryz. And since Kanna had already been training for months to be prepared to join C-ute, management really had no choice but to continue with the plan, despite the fact that it would mean C-ute would have one more member than Berryz.
This assumption, when considered with the fact that UFA has never added another girl to the H!P Kids, or later to either Berryz or C-ute, indicates managements reservation in shaking these groups up.
And sadly, when it comes to Erika, there is the simple the fact that she has never really been central to the group’s success. She will be greatly missed, but nothing really changes with her departure. One could argue that the removal of someone like Airi would force H!P to either replace her with an idol capable of diminishing the loss of such a important member or simply sack the group altogether. The loss of a back row girl like Erika allows them to simply continue on as if nothing has happened. H!P has a very good idea of how popular each girl is. Erika’s leaving is a sad event for most, but not a deal breaker for 95% of C-ute’s wota.

These points make a strong case for H!P’s reservation to mess with the “idol gang” chemistry of these groups, but there is an additional factor at work beyond H!P simply adhering to this rule. It is a belief that while Morning Musume may be eternal, all of H!P’s other groups are transient and fleeting. Such has always been the case with H!P’s other acts. Country Musume, Coconuts Musume, T&C Bomber, etc. All of these served H!P to varying degrees of success, but beyond a few changes to the lineups during the first year, or so, none of these groups were artificially boosted by new talent regardless of what talent left the groups. Once they had outlived their usefulness they were all left to rot. In business terms, Momuso would be referred to as H!P’s “core product.” They are central to the survival of their entire company and make the money that sustains the business. The H!P Kids groups cannot be considered core products, at best they are very profitable side-projects. The distinction not only lies in sales, but in the fact that Morning Musume holds a position in Japanese popular culture that H!P’s other groups simply do not and will not possess. Momuso fuels H!P’s other acts. This was truer in years past than today, but it is still fundamental.
Now, C-ute and Berryz are both popular enough that they probably won’t ever just go the way of H!P’s neglected groups, but I can imagine with little difficulty an eventual end similar to that of Mini Moni. Over time, enough girls will leave each group that management will simply dissolve them rather then let them continue on so short handed. As for the fate of any H!P Kids that remain after this dissolution, that topic is one best reserved for other discussions…

Will Morning Musume add a new member?
Yes, they certainly will.

Should they add a new member?
There is no other choice.

All the reasons why C-ute won’t replace Erika apply to Morning Musume’s situation, only in reverse. As mentioned, they are the flagship group. They must always exist for H!P to have any chance of remaining a successful idol house. They are the rock on which Tsunku has built his idol church.
They also have never had group stability, so the entirety of the fans have never really thought of a particular lineup as the only lineup that is truly Morning Musume. Because the expectation of lineup changes has always existed, it’s much easier to perpetrate this act upon the fanbase.

Additionally, it is my belief that Tsunku is constantly chasing Goto Maki (I may do a future article entirely on this point). Goto Maki’s arrival in the group marked the beginning of Momuso’s golden age of massive sales and mass-market fame. H!P has been trying to recapture that magic with a fresh new face that would push millions of CD’s ever since. Kusumi Koharu was supposed to be that girl—Tsunku said as much. It turned out she wasn’t, and Tsunku has jumped ship. But he will apparently try again.
As I said last time, this strategy seemingly flies in the face of new management’s decision to break this “too many cooks” cycle and try to make Momuso a group defined by strong, recognizable personalities. Since the pandas arrived, there have been no line-up changes of any kind. This is by far the longest period of group stability we have ever seen. Based on this fact, and the statements of their current manager, I believed we might see several more years with the same lineup. If anyone would have graduated, it would have been Ai, but only when she decided she was ready to leave.
Deciding to graduate Koharu (a 17 year old, still in the early stage of her idol prime) flies in the face of all of that. However, it is very much in keeping with the willy-nilly, gut decisions Tsunku has made for years concerning the group. Tsunku was always the man behind the decision to graduate old members and bring in new girls. Is a power struggle happening behind the scenes between a management that now wants group stability and a producer whose whim has for so long prevented it? Do they each have different goals for the group? I won’t pretend to know. But I do know that Koharu’s graduation does show us that, despite any talk to the contrary, very little will actually change in how Momuso is run. It certainly puts the fear of God back into the wota. At any moment your favorite Momuso member could just blink out of existence. Gather ye idols while ye may…

If graduations are making a comeback, then auditions cannot be far behind. If staple girls must be plucked form the group then new girls must take their places. It will happen, and I cannot imagine us going any longer than another calendar year from Koharu’s graduation date before we get a new member, or two, or three.

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Berryz Koubou First Fan Club Tour in Hawaii 2009 Subtitled Release


**** Please read my comments before downloading. This is a very unique release and requires specific instructions on how to watch it in order for it to be enjoyed to it’s fullest. ****

What do we want from our idols? For them to make us smile? Sure. For them to make us forget our troubles? Absolutely. But somewhere between the realistic and the foolish there are things we want much more. Things we don’t readily admit to. We want them to be honest. We want them to be authentic. Selfishly, we want to see joy in their eyes and on their faces, and for once know that it was put their by us. And, most importantly of all, we want to be told by them, that we, the fans, matter—not just to the business, but to the idols themselves.

Berryz Koubou First Fan Club Tour in Hawaii is a very special video. In it, the Berryz are filled with a remarkable amount of love—for each other, for being idols, and for their fans. Whether it’s how they always feel and just aren’t ever quite confident enough to express it, or there was just something in the tropical air that weekend, during this two day trip with their most hardcore fans the Berryz Koubou are nearly blissful.
Every event during the trip was planned by the girls themselves, so everything you’ll see here is a “thank you” of sorts. They play embarrassing games, play games with the fans, make fun of each other, perform a concert of classics, they even rank themselves. And then there are the letters…

You see, for this event each member wrote a letter. It’s a letter addressed to the other members and to the fans, and it represents our idol’s true feelings. If you’ve watched this video raw, you’ve seen that H!P, in their infinite wisdom, told you that girls wrote these letters, showed video of the girls reading them, but decided not to allow fans who weren’t in attendance that day to hear what the girl’s actually said and did not include the recitations of the letters in the video.
But once a secret is known by more than one person, it will never stay hidden. In attendance that day was an ICU-Spy. With pen and paper in hand, he recorded everything each girl wrote in her letter, word for word. ICU-Subs has taken these letters, translated them, and put them into finely crafted, mock-hand written letters from the girls, and made these letters a part of this release.
Yes, that’s right, our English translation includes things the original DVD does not, and is actually a more complete experience than the original DVD release that the Japanese Fanclub got. I believe this to be a first for any fansub of anything, ever. (Don’t hold me to that.)

I won’t spoil anything that’s in the letters—except to say, bring tissues—but to maximize your enjoyment of this release, I ask you not to read the letters until you are instructed to do so by the video. Just watch the video as normal and when the time is right an Editor’s Note will pop up and tell you to go read the letters. Read them, cry, and then return to the video and hit play. Trust me when I say that the letters are more impactful when read in the moment.
Additionally, I want to reiterate that these letters ARE authentic. Everything that is in them was written down by a fan in attendance. Nothing has been added to them and nothing has been altered. Only what the girls said when reading their letters is found in our letters, and they are accurate transcripts of what the girl’s told the fans that day.

I consider this to be our most accomplished, thorough, and complete release, and I am very proud of it. We spent lots of time on the aesthetic of the video and the letters to make them look and feel just right—to be something special. And, we spent lots of time crafting the translation of the video and letters to convey not just the brute language, but the essence of the girl’s personalities and the emotion in their words. Because of all that hard work and the results of it, this release is a very special one and makes it my favorite ICU-Subs release so far. I hope you will find this to be so, as well.

click here to grab the release.

This release is the sister release of our Berryz Alo-Hello. These two releases combine to form a complete set of the girls experiences in Hawaii. You can find the Alo-Hello on the tracker, as well.

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C-ute Alo-Hello! Preview Subtitled Release


A translated teaser for all the C-ute fans anticipating this release. After seeing this, I know I’m excited!

Anyhow, this preview also serves as notice that ICU-Subs are going to subtitle this C-ute Alo-Hello. The H!P Kids are, after all, ICU-Subs’ domaine d'expertise. We will begin working on it when it hits. We learned a lot of valuable lessons doing our release of the Berryz Alo-Hello, so releasing something of the same valeur should only take a few weeks this time.

Look forward to it.

click here to grab the release.

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Monday, October 26, 2009

London Hearts 09-10-20 (part 3/3)

By: Zabel

A summary of the most recent London Hearts continued. Apologies if any of my translations are off.












Misono doesn't cheat herself, but she has an unusual attitude about being cheated on. It's not the being cheated on that she dislikes, but when a man tries to hide it. She gives an example of a boyfriend who cheated on her and said nothing about it for 6 months when she knew all along. Fundamentally, she doesn't mind her man having another girlfriend. In her own words, she doesn't mind being "number two".

Misono's way of thinking is hard for the others to swallow, especially Tsuji and Suzanne. There aren't many women who are okay with being number two. "That's why when I write it in lyrics I don't get a response", she laments. "That's why my songs aren't selling." XD Sugita wonders, but isn't that cruel to the woman who is his number one? Misono's response? It's best when all three of us get along.

Here, Aota jumps in with one of a number of bizarre analogies she tries to make throughout the evening. Something about how you can't divide up a pizza while making a pizza delivery. Even the host is scratching his head. "This is your most confusing example yet!" Then Brittney starts talking about how Misono's is the PM system. Misono protests Brittney trying to make any comparisons with her.

But the big shocker comes when Michishige suddenly announces that she totally understand what Misono is saying and that she wants to be cheated on herself! You read that right. Sayumi says that she wants to be cheated on. She says she wants to feel sad being alone and imagining her guy being with another girl. Not quite the same thing Misono was saying though.

Sugimoto suggests that the two of them are cut out to be mistresses. They only see what they want to see and ignore the rest. Sugita adds that they love themselves the most. Atsushi: "So you like to picture yourself worrying that the man might be cheating?" Michishige: "Yes. I would be cute doing that."



















Sayu doesn't speak again until her name comes up at #3. There's a lot of funniness in between which I'm gonna skip, but the ranking for Sugimoto is particularly amusing. She gets #4, so only negative reasons:

"She would say something clever like, 'Cheating is the spice by which one comes to know true love', while doing it." Which is in fact close to what she actually said! Except she used the word 'essence'.
"If the man were to start cheating she would reply with a big grin, 'So that's how it is.'"

Next comes Sayumi. Reasons:

"She would do it without malice saying, 'He likes me so it can't be helped.'" (translation might be bad)
"She would be fine with cheating herself but would never allow her boyfriend to cheat." They got it backwards, Sayu says.
"She would think it's natural for many men to be serving her."

That last one makes the host think of Kano Kyoko. And then:

Atsushi: So they think you'd find it natural to have men serving you?
Michishige: But I've been called cute all the time since I was little. Everyone around me has called me cute. It's really everyday stuff.
Atsushi: It's common.
Michishige: Yes, so I thought how nice it would be to some day find one of them who I love.
Sugita: While you go on thinking that, you'll stop being cute, and then after everyone distances themselves from you you'll feel betrayed.
(laughter)
Atsushi: What do you think of that idea? (directed at Michishige)
Michishige: It's twisted.
(laughter)
Sugita: I speak from experience.
(laughter)
Atsushi: From experience.
Sugita: It's not twisted.
Tsuji: But my opinion is that if she keeps being called cute, she'll become un-cute instead.
Atsushi: What do you mean?
Tsuji: Like, you're probably cutest when your love is unrequited. So you set that person as a goal and you become pretty instead, and you keep getting called cute, and then when you've become a princess you're not cute anymore.
Atsushi: Your senior is telling you that it's bad to just keep being told you're cute.
Michishige: But I am told.
(laughter)












Finally, the worst two are Hamada and Aota. Brittney keeps denying that she's a cheater. Aota doesn't even try lol. The host concludes by observing that London Hearts increasingly has people on who he can't understand.

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

London Hearts 09-10-20 (part 2/3)

By: Zabel

Sayu did say that her judgements are precise, but it occurred to me that her rankings of the other women really have been close to the mark. Perhaps if Sayu is ever called up to the front she could have a decent chance at winning the 1,000,000 yen =D It's just her rankings of herself that are the problem lol.

Okay, I decided to continue writing about Michishige's 3rd and Tsuji's 1st appearance on London Hearts.

Continuing with her rankings, Brittney places Misono at #5. Atsushi asks, but doesn't Misono have the image of being dedicated? Yes, Brittney says, it's the women who say they are dedicated who would be weak to the advances of men. Sugita points out that Brittney claimed earlier to be dedicated herself. "But I'm dedicated for real", answers Brittney. (ガチで一途なんですよ)

Misono defends herself saying that 1. She doesn't tell lies, 2. She has never once dated a man who pursued her; she does the pursuing herself, and 3. When she is dating a man she will live together with him, making cheating impossible. Brittney: "That IS impossible!" Atsushi: "Hey, you would cheat after all! You'd cheat for real." (ガチで浮気するんだよ) It's a pretty funny exchange in which Brittney appears as if to be taking advice on how to cheat on men (including from Sugita) while insisting that she never would.

Skipping ahead to Brittney's pick for #1 most likely to cheat...Michishige.












Hamada: When she gets told she is very cute, Michishige would happily cheat.
Michishige: But I've gotten used to hearing that I'm cute since I was little; it's everyday stuff. So that--
Atsushi: That's no big deal?
Michishige: That isn't enough to sway my heart.
Sugita: But cute girls like her--I was cute when I was young so I know--after they stop being cute they're in a hurry to cheat.
(laughter)
Michishige: Yuck.
Sugita: She may go around cheating to try to confirm for herself that she is still cute and that she has still 'got it'.
Sugimoto: That happens a lot, huh.
Atsushi: Ah, I see. Getting with men to confirm it.
Michishige: What a twisted way of thinking.
(laughter)
(Mo-musu bomb)
Atsushi: Yeah, you don't want to be like that.
Michishige: I don't want to be like that.
Atsushi: You would just keep getting cuter, right?
Michishige: Right, I've had confidence that I am cute, and recently that confidence has turned to conviction.
(laughter)
Atsushi
: Wow, conviction?
Michishige: Yes, conviction.
Atsushi: What do you think, Tsuji?
Tsuji: Well she's always gone around calling herself cute, but after today I might have to apologize to everyone for her.
(laughter)

In the second half of the program the host gives the actual results of a survey taken by 100 men and reads some of the comments men wrote about the women. These were the results:

#10 Aoki Sayaka
#9 Tsuji Nozomi
#8 Misono
#7 Torii Miyuki
#6 Suzanne
#5 Sugita Kaoru
#4 Sugimoto Aya
#3 Michishige Sayumi
#2 Hamada Brittney
#1 Aota Noriko

Aoki gets #10 just as Sayumi predicted. What Sayu said about her being at level 0 in womanliness is still bothering her. "Am I even lower than Brittney?", she asks Sayumi.

Tsuji is ranked #9. Reasons:

"She is fixated on her husband so no one else could distract her."
"She wouldn't do anything to ruin how happy she seems to be."
"Having established a 'Mama Doll' image she couldn't cheat even if she wanted to."

Brittney tries to insist again that Tsuji would cheat in order to make her man jealous, using the word パコル again. Atsushi wants her to stop using that dirty word.

Misono gets #8. She is so elated that she throws her paper in the flowers. XD There's a lot that happens during Misono's turn so I'll cover it next time.

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Friday, October 23, 2009

London Hearts 09-10-20 (pt 1?)

By: Zabel

As some of you may know, I'm a fan of Michishige Sayumi, and also a fan of the TV show London Hearts, so when the the one is a guest on the other I don't miss it. The last time Sayu appeared on Women Ranking Each Other I subbed it to English, but since I don't feel like doing so this time a blog post will do.

Tsuji Nozomi (who I've always been a fan of as well) was a guest for the first time this week. Tsuji says that she watched Sayu's previous appearances on the show and was surprised because Sayu isn't normally like that. She's not normally so poison-tongued because she doesn't want to be hated, Sayu explains. Then why be hated here? "Here is where I get back", she replies. (get back at the world for the stresses in her life). Non and Sayu both say that they didn't talk much when they were in Morning Musume together because they didn't get along well.

Do they get along well today? Sort of, although we never do find out where they ranked each other.












The theme is "Women likely to cheat on a man". Homeless comic artist, Hamada Brittney, is selected to give her rankings, and immediately reaches for the 1,000,000 yen. (if her rankings accurately predict how men rank the women, she wins the cash) She says she has confidence in her rankings because この面子ググってきたんです-- she's been researching everyone on Google (literally "I've been Googling these faces").

Brittney is funny because she is so unconvincing. She puts herself at #10 claiming that Gyaru don't cheat, it's the girls who look cute and pure who do, according to Brittney. No one believes her after that talk about PM's (playmates) from last time. The word パコル (screw; sleep with), another Brittney memo from last time, comes up several times today too. Well, asks Atsushi, what does the public think? If they try going out with me they'll know, answers Brittney. No way, replies Atsushi. Who wants to end up in Friday magazine with a picture of himself next to you? XD

Brittney's rankings:

10. Hamada Brittney
9. Sugita Kaoru
8. Sugimoto Aya
7. Aoki Sayaka
6. Tsuji Nozomi
5. Misono
4. Torii Miyuki
3. Aota Noriko
2. Suzanne
1. Michishige Sayumi

Some of the women's views on cheating are surprising to say the least. Sugimoto shocks and confuses everyone when she says that cheating is a play or "essence" that cultivates love between the man she really loves. Her ultimate hope is to be held by another man in front of the man she loves. In order to reach the heights of eroticism. Atsushi makes a joke here about climbing...not Everest but 'Ero-best'.

When Atsushi asks if any of the younger ladies feel this way, Misono raises her hand declaring that she is okay with cheating; how else does the man have a basis of comparison for realizing her good points? More on that from Misono later...

Tsuji understands where Misono is coming from BUT she isn't ok with cheating at all. She doesn't even like her man putting heart marks in phone mail to anyone but herself, and she cried when he performed a kissing scene in a play (her husband is an actor). Sugimoto says that she used to be like Tsuji when she was younger, and maybe Tsuji will become like her when she gets older. (yikes, let's hope not) "Will Tsuji climb Ero-best too?", Atsushi asks.

There's a consensus with negative spin that Aoki isn't capable of cheating. Sugimoto says that Aoki can't understand the world of pleasure until she seeks it. Aota Noriko says that Aoki has never had it (a sexual climax), leaving Atsushi rubbing his eyes at how unfit for TV Aota is. Michishige put Aoki at #10 because she's not at the level in womanliness where she even can cheat. What level in terms of Dragon Quest would that be? Level 0, says Sayumi. (Dragon Quest music plays) Aoki asserts that she is at level 42. (Dragon Quest level-up music)

Sayumi continues to dis Aoki after having given her the best ranking, and Tsuji remarks that Sayu sure has grown. Sayu's judgement is cool, Atsushi says. My judgement is precise, Sayu says :D












Brittney on Tsuji...She thinks that Tsuji is the type who would retaliate by cheating herself if she were to find out that her husband is cheating, or if he's being cold to her. Tsuji says there's no way he would cheat; he turned her down 3 times before they started dating. Also, she has him come home every evening to ask what to make for dinner. Sayu chimes in saying that Tsuji isn't capable of doing two things at the same time very well; if she were to cheat she wouldn't be able to hide it. Has Sayu always felt that way about Tsuji? Yes, answers Sayu, and she feels refreshed to have said it.

Shoot, this is starting to get long. And the most shocking revelation that comes out of Sayu's mouth is later on in the program! What should I do? Break this up into parts, or just get back to Ichigo?

In case I don't continue, I won't leave you in suspense about the outcome. Non will get ranked #9, Sayu #3. Not that these rankings mean a whole lot, as many of the women have clearly had far more experience in such matters than the bunny, yet somehow ranked better. Even Sugita, who admits on the show to having cheated many times, got a better ranking.

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Sunday, October 18, 2009

Ichigo ichie 10/15

By: Zabel

There is one thing that has not changed in 6 years -- I love Aichan.

Here's a rundown of her show this week.


Ichigo ichie 10/15


- Aichan read the Circle of Magic series in a week, one volume every two days. Then lent it to Mitsui.

- For this concert tour and its rehearsals, Aichan has been sweating literally. They don't turn the air conditioning on during the fall or else the audience is too cold, so it has been hot for the girls, especially the ones wearing hats.

- Aichan's recommendation is Sendai Shirou Monogatari (仙台四郎物語), starring Korokke, and also Fujimoto Miki, who sings two musical numbers. If she thought that Sanma play she talked about last week was long, this one was four and a half hours including breaks. Mitsui, Linlin, and a manager watched with her. The story is about a historical figure, and the spoken accents were hard enough for Aichan to follow, but for Linlin more or less impossible, to say nothing of the impersonations that the lead is famous for.

- A listener recommends Takaraduka's rendition of the opera Aida, by Kimura Shinji who produced Ribon no Kishi the Musical, and Kai Masato who wrote the music. Aichan has seen it but can't remember it.

- Lovely has been listening to a lot of 30H!3 lately.

- Last time she got together with her, Ishikawa Rika asked, "Was I scary?", to which Aichan replied, "Yes, you were scary."

- Aichan doesn't do karaoke often, but recently she went with her sister and mom. She tried to sing BoA featuring Crystal Kay and VERBAL. The three of them (not the Takahashi's) can sing English very well, which makes Aichan want to improve her own English.

- When she was in L.A. it made her happy whenever she saw 3,2,1 Breakin' Out playing on the Anime Expo TV channel.

- In the "Teach me, Aichan" (教えて愛ちゃん) corner Aichan is asked how she relaxes on her days off. She likes to read magazine with aroma burning, but mostly she likes to go out to see plays. If she can't get a ticket for a play, she goes shopping instead.

- English lesson review: "Would you say that more slowly, please?"

- Asked to name something she can boast about, Aichan answers (half-jokingly since it isn't much of a boast) that she has tons of clothes, so many that she can't stuff any more into her sister's closet.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Tsugunaga Momoko "Momo Only" Subtitle Release


Tsugnaga Momoko is a very special idol. In a sea of unique personalities and styles Momoko is H!P’s Lion Fish—Even when compared to the menagerie, she remains highly unusual, and thus oddly fascinating.

Momoko combines the usual button cuteness and constant pleasantness of your average idol with something more; Momoko is actually a Momoko wota. She aspires to be the personification of the idol fantasy. To be the only idol any wota could ever need. And if she occasionally descends into self-parody because of it, so much the better. In fact, it’s clearly intentional. Watch as Momoko claims every failure as victory. Watch as she turns embarrassment into personal achievement. Watch as she denies all her vices. And know that it is all part of the show.

No H!P idol works as hard as Momoko to fascinate or entertain. So, even though Momoko is not my favorite idol ever, or even my favorite current idol, there’s no other girl I’d rather watch in a solo DVD. If you give this release a try, I think you’ll agree.

Release includes both the main video and the extra "making of" track from the same DVD that chronicles the shooting of her Momo no Mi photobook.
========================================

This release is a bit of a format experiment for the group. Normally our releases are encoded at 720x400 just to simplify things and ensure that everyone viewing it gets the same experience. However, this release has been encoded at 720x480 with the anamorphic tags left intact. This means it will display at 853x480 when you view it.

So basically, I’d like to know if people would prefer this format for future releases or if they’d rather just keep rocking at 720x400. Feedback on this specific subject would be welcome.

click here to grab the release.

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Saturday, October 10, 2009

Ichigo roundup: 10-1 & 10-8

By: Zabel

I've been feeling better :) Still having some trouble staying motivated, though, and also I started fansubbing again, which is a new demand on my attention. Anyway, here's a selective rundown of the last two Ichigo ichie shows.


Ichigo ichie 10/1


- Aichan has been eating bread in the morning. Ideally, she would eat scrambled eggs, sausage, and yogurt.

- The theme of Kimagure Princess is "butt". Tsunku came up with that when he was looking at his own kid's butt.

- Aichan became a fan of Takaraduka star, Mizu Natsuki, when she saw her cool performance in Hououden (鳳凰伝), a dramatic role in which she dies in a climactic fight scene.

- When a listener recommends Evangelion, Aichan says that her sister and even her father is a fan. Her sister is into boys' anime such as Gundam.

- Aichan has been collecting candles lately. Traditionally she has always collected Takaraduka merchandise.

- Hokushou Kairi, a Takaraduka member who came to see her in Ribon no Kishi, became friendly with her and has given her lots of pictures.

- Aichan watches foreign dramas on TV with the intent to study English. If what's on the channel is dubbed rather than subbed she'll change the channel until she finds one with subtitles.


Ichigo ichie 10/8


- Sanma's advice to Aichan as to how not to stumble when speaking, when the topic was raised by a listener on Youngtown, was to act. Aichan stumbles because she is nervous.

- Aichan went with Sayumi and a manager to see Sanma perform in Warushawa no Hana, a long 3 1/2 hour play without a break. She was impressed with how the dialogue seemed real as if unscripted, and the story had her in tears by the end. When she talked with Sanma afterwards, he asked her, apparently joking, to send a long e-mail of her impressions, and Aichan complied.

- A listener recommends The Nightmare Before Christmas, which she has already seen, and which Ogawa Makoto loves. Aichan likes the song sung by the three little prankster kids.

- Aichan always acquires Halloween goods around Halloween. She still has a pumpkin she got last year.

- On the Morning Musume All Single Coupling Collection, Aichan particularly likes Popcorn Rap, Koi ha Rock & Roll, Wasurerannai, Housekibako, KoiING, Nebou Desu Deeto nanoni, Yowamushi, 3-2-1 Breakin' Out, Akiurara, Subete ha Ai no Chikara. Basically all of them.

- When they were learning Popcorn Rap 5th gen was new and everyone was unfamiliar with their voices, so when Iida heard the part Aichan sang she was like, "Who is that?" Aichan was shocked and worried that her voice may be weird at the time, but now she can laugh at the memory.

- A listener wishes her body was as flexible as Aichan's. Aichan says that since her hip joints are stiff, she puts her feet together to do a stretch that resembles a Yoga pose. ("Yoga Teleport!" lol)

- There will be a new corner on Ichigo ichie, "Teach me, Aichan". She'll be answering questions about herself and other members.

- Aichan re-reads her fan letters in the bath. Recently Aichan was moved by a divorced fan who was cheered up by her singing.

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Idol Replacement Therapy: A Series in Three Parts.

By: The Incredible He-Hulk

Part 2: The Circumstances of Dilemma

Whenever a group loses an idol, that group risks losing some, or all, of the wota that were primarily fans of that girl. If the remaining idols can’t fill the vacuum, then the group will decline. To ameliorate this issue, idol groups often add new members. But, if the replacement isn’t a strong personality with a lot of appeal, she’ll end up being little more than dead weight for the girls already in the group—someone to drag along with them who contributes very little individually. Conversely, a new girl cannot be too forceful or too talented. A new girl thrust to the forefront of a long existing group is often met with hostility by existing fans that have existing favorite members. When a new girl is featured over a group of veteran members, hard feelings are inevitable and the new girl is demonized by many. And, what’s worse, even beyond these general hurdles all idol groups face when their line-ups change, C-ute and Morning Musume face additional, exclusive challenges when it comes to finding new members—Challenges based on each group’s unique founding, history, and standing in the idol world.

The H!P Kids groups should be categorized as idol ”street gangs”. Each born from a common collection of girls raised to be idols since adolescence. These girls have common experiences that have forged them into cohesive idoling units of one mind and one purpose. These girls have strived for years to get where they are today. They’ve succeeded and failed together. They’ve laughed and cried together. They’ve known heartache and joy together. And it’s because of this unified history that many fans of these groups cannot see them as revolving door units. They are fixed member acts that are made up of only the girls who deserve to be a part of them—the girl’s whose blood, sweat and tears forged their success and name recognition in the first place.

H!P has largely held to this “street gang” principle when handling C-ute and Berryz Koubou. In all the years since the H!P Kids were chosen, only one girl was ever added to the mix after the fact. Because of this, for a lot of fans, Arihara Kanna never really fit. I liked her (I like all the idols), but Kanna was never able to amass much of a following, and she never really looked like she was 100% comfortable being the new girl in a collection of idols that had existed for years prior to her involvement. It was no wonder then, that after much subterfuge and idol machinations, Kanna retired from H!P with no fanfare or eulogization. She simply ceased to exist. Kanna represents a lesson learned. Don’t mess with the H!P Kids group’s lineups if you can avoid it.

And yet, with the eminent departure of Umeda Erika, C-ute will soon find itself a five member group, three members short of their largest lineup. So, what will H!P choose to do? Will they be tempted to pull the trigger on a new girl simply because C-ute was formally an 8 member act? The desire to maintain original intentions and the status quo is often a strong one. Or, will they choose to stay the course with the 5 remaining members? A 5 member idol group can be successful as long as the personalities are strong enough, and C-ute’s two most important members remain intact. Both possibilities offer positive and negative outcomes.

Meanwhile, Morning Musume faces a similar situation, albeit one with its own set of particular challenges. In their case, they are losing a girl who is very popular, and, although she isn’t the lead, Kusumi Koharu occupies a place of prominence in the group. Because of this, any new girl that is added to the group won’t be able to, at least in the short term, replace Koharu’s popularity. She will be the new low-rung on the idol totem pole, and will be starting in a similar place to where the pandas began their careers. In a lot of senses, today’s Momuso is a group with few stars, and the last thing a group like that needs is another girl without star power.
But even though Momuso is losing a much more valuable member than C-ute is, they also have several advantages unique to their group that make adding replacement idols much easier, and, frankly, expected. For much of its history, Momuso was a “Growth or Death” idol group. In fact, they didn’t even reach the height of their fame until after they had replaced some of the original members and added new ones beyond those. Because there is an expectation of new members amongst fans, there will be very few rumbling against such a thing.

Additionally, despite the group’s age (and all the warts that come with it), Morning Musume is Morning Musume. The group’s former status as a pop culture phenomenon has caused it to be a name known to all of Japan. So, even though the group no longer sells nearly what it once sold, many prospective idols who would not be interested in trying out to be a member of C-ute or Berryz would want to be in Morning Musume. Morning Musume auditions receive thousands more applicants than H!P Egg auditions, and that fact alone increases the odds of finding a highly qualified replacement. Finding someone who is capable of replacing both Koharu’s important role and reaching her level of popularity is possible if not exactly likely.

A final simply interesting fact is that this graduation flies in the face of management’s recent openly acknowledged attempts to turn Momuso into a “too many cooks” idol group. Momuso’s manager has admitted in interviews that today’s group is largely unknown as individuals and that they recognize this as a problem. Few Japanese know any of the girls, or would even recognize that these girl’s are in Momuso unless you pointed it out. One of the goals of this new era was to reacquaint the girls, as individuals, with the nation. A graduation and then an audition flies in the face of this new approach. It’s a return to the same old, same old revolving door idol group.

Tomorrow, what to do.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Idol Replacement Therapy: A Series in Three Parts.

By: The Incredible He-Hulk

The daily idol grind has claimed two new victims. By the end of the year, both C-ute’s Umeda Erika and Morning Musume’s Kusumi Koharu will move on from their idol careers into the nebulous career of “modeling.” But while I personally believe these girls want to be models mostly because being a model isn’t being an idol, the how or why of it isn’t of any particular significance. Graduated idols are spilled milk, and there’s no use crying (or speculating) over spilled milk. The real—and much more fun—question is whether or not H!P will bother to replace these fallen soldiers with fresh faced idol recruits.

I will be tackling this issue in a series of posts over the next few days. Today’s post will concern itself with the mechanics of idol replacement—the blueprints used to build the temples at which we worship. Tomorrow’s post will focus on the particular situations each group faces when considering adding new members, as well as the obstacles associated with those situations. Finally, the last article will discuss the pros and cons of adding members to each group and whether or not they should.

Part 1: A Conflict of Visions.

The first decision an idol house must make is simply whether or not a group needs an infusion of idol talent. C-ute and Momuso both have specific considerations to make, unique to each of them, when considering adding new girls. But before we deal with specifics, there are a few general schools of thought on what I’ll refer to here as the numerology of idol groupings, and many of these theories (all given names, now, by me) have been used for years by idol fans—whether they realize it or not—to argue for and against adding members to their favorite groups. At the very least, each has some interesting points to make:

- First, there is the “Growth or Death” school of thought. This theory postulates that an idol group that isn’t constantly replacing old idols, and occasionally simply adding new idols, is an idol group on the decline. In recent years, new groups such as AKB48 have made this theory the basis for their entire marketing strategy. The more idols you have in your group, the better chance that fans will find an idol in your group worth following.

- Next, there is the “Too Many Cooks” theory. This theory postulates that having too many idols in a group prevents idols from creating strong personal identities and building name recognition as individuals. An idol group is only as strong as it’s most famous idol. This is the primary theory used by “bandol” groups like ZONE, and other fixed number idol acts. By keeping the roster small, you put increased emphasis on each girl. Additionally, this increased emphasis creates increased pressure on the group’s idols to be appealing across a wide array of wota demographics.

- Lastly, there is the “Street Gang” theory of idol group creation which puts forth the position that there is an important bonding experience idols all go through when they are the founding members of a group. Their struggle to earn success unites them in a way that nothing else can, and so the close ties formed during this period give an idol group its personal identity. Thusly, any members added to the group after this period dilute the group’s power and further distance the act from its roots.

These three principles are helpful, but flawed, and are rarely universally applicable. This is partially because each principle argues against the others on some level, but also because the nature of an idol group’s formation is so often unique. Morning Musume, for example, ceased to be an idol “street gang” the moment the second generation showed up. So, whether or not you believe in this theory as an important element of a successful group is rather irrelevant when considering current Momuso. Meanwhile, the two H!P Kids groups are very much still “street gang” groups.
However, the fact remains that, regardless of their imperfections, these 3 theories form the basis for the formation and development of nearly every idol group, and therefore will be used to form the basis for this discussion about the current H!P idol group’s future membership.

Finally, once you get beyond these three theories for idol group formulation, there is one last guideline that applies specifically, not to idol group creation, but to idol group maintenance. This is the “Rock and a Hard Place” rule. This theory primarily concerns itself with the effect a specific idol’s departure has on the group and whether or not new idols can mitigate these effects, ameliorate them, or even improve the group in some way. A new idol must be an eventual gain, if not for the group and its chemistry, than at least because she can recoup, at least partially, the financial loss a departing idol creates.
A new idol is expensive, both to train and to promote, and whether or not she will eventually replace the lost sales of the departing idol cannot be easily predicted. So, the question becomes, will you replace the lost revenues created by a departing idol by spending more money to find, train, and promote a new idol who may, in the end, never be nearly as popular (and profitable) as the departing idol was? It is a difficult question to answer for a business that operates on narrow margins already.

Continued tomorrow.

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Gomen

By: Zabel

I just can't find the will to do Ichigo this week. Not just a problem of will, but I've got other things to do lately, and to make things worse my health has been quite poor ><

I did listen to it. Aichan talks about the new MM single Kimagure Princess, recommends another play Ogawa Makoto starred in, gives advice on how to study English, and talks about how she never thought she would still be in Morning Musume at age 23 (but is glad to still be). If anyone wants to write about the show in more detail, they're welcome to.

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Ichigo ichie 9/17 - Aichan's birthday

By: Zabel

Here's a quickie summary of this week's show.


Ichigo ichie 9/17


As Aichan starts talking about her 23rd birthday she suddenly lets out a super cute scream なんだ~! They brought her a cake in the studio. She talks about memorable birthdays, and how she paid back Gakisan for surprising her on her own birthday with a surprise on Gakisan's birthday; they hid in the dressing room for her.

Her recommendation today is Shugo Chara, which starred Maeda Yuuka. Also, Fukuda Kanon and Saho Akari, and Aichan has words of praise for the three of them. Yuuka saw Aichan perform in Ojigi de Shape up!, so Aichan thought she would go see Yuuka perform in this musical. Aichan is an anime fan herself, and when a listener recommends the Sailor Moon musical to her, Aichan explains that she has already seen it. Her dad, apparently a fan himself, went to see it with her.

The Morning Musume fall concert tour "Nine Smiles" starts on the 19th. The keywords for this concert, she says, will be "smile" (笑顔) and "happy" (元気). Speaking of smile and happy, the dinner show she recently performed in with Gakisan made her happy. Being that close to the fans, she can see their faces; some are nervous, some are in tears, other are smiling brightly, and others try to avoid eye contact out of embarrassment. Gakisan showed off some big smiles of her own due to the incident of Aichan running around in red tights, which they talked about last week. It had been awhile since Aichan had seen her laugh that hard. Reading fan letters is another thing that makes Aichan happy.

English lesson: "Thanks for inviting me."

In the Tettekete corner today Aichan gives advice on how to overcome nervousness. One thing their manager has told them is to speak in a loud voice. As for Aichan herself, talking makes her more nervous than singing or dancing. For instance, when she must talk about Morning Musume in front of people.

Lastly, Aichan tells how she is the type who can fall asleep on the plane, the bullet train, or anywhere.

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Saturday, September 12, 2009

Ichigo ichie 9/10 - Niigaki 3rd guest appearance

By: Zabel

Takahashi Ai's Ichigo Ichie this week is another fun show with Niigaki Risa as a guest.

Ichigo ichie 9/10

Risa makes her entrance speaking in a princely voice words from Cinderella. But both of them have trouble remembering what the name of the prince was; not 'Franz', not 'Crystal', but 'Christopher'. Then Aichan introduces her as Morning Musume sub-leader 'G-A-K-I-san'. Aichan was late to the studio today because of traffic. She caused management a bit of worry because they weren't able to contact her. She had forgotten to bring her cell phone. Risa says she often does.

When Aichan asks Risa what she's into lately, Risa reveals that she has a song stuck in her head which Aichan had playing in the dressing room at the dinner show. It has lyrics that go "Po-po-po-poker face-po-po-poker face". Poker Face by Lady Gaga, Aichan explains. As for Aichan, she's into Korea... They'll leave it at that for now.

On the plane ride to L.A. Aichan watched 17 Again, a story about a man who, wanting to relive his youth, becomes 17 and ends up going to the same high school that his son and daughter go to. Aichan gives a full synopsis of the plot. Forget what I said last week; Aichan has no qualms about spoiling movie plots too it seems. Risa can't help busting out laughing.

Risa: Is it okay to be taking 2 hours? You're telling everything that happens.
Aichan: I have to tell what happens. This...this is the corner where I tell what happens.

So Aichan continues talking on and on about the plot of the movie. It gets to where Risa bangs her microphone in exasperation.

Aichan: ...Then because of that his son gets good at basketball too. So then Mike's wife--Mike is the guy's name...
Risa: I don't care! I haven't seen it.
Aichan: That's why I'm explaining it. So then they dance to the song they used to listen to...
Risa: (laughing) You're the worst!

But Aichan has no intention of stopping until she reaches the very end. The Ainote corner is so much fun when Aichan has a guest whose patience she can obliviously test XD They conclude.

Risa: But now, everyone watch this...what was it?...this 17 Again. It'd be best if people watched it.
Aichan: Yes, please watch it.
Risa: It'd be best if they watched it.
Aichan: Yes. Then they ought to understand what I've said.
Risa: (mumbling) They ought to.

At last Aichan involves Risa by asking her to recommend something, and she picks the Japanese equivalent of Disney & Pixar's Up, which she really liked. Aichan agrees to go see it with her. Risa admits that she is the annoying type who while watching a movie or play sometimes doesn't get what's going on, so she asks the person sitting next to her--Aichan--who answers with "something", not shifting her gaze from the screen.

They talk about the Takahashi Niigaki premium dinner show. A listener who was there thinks it would be great if they released a DVD or CD of the event. Ai and Risa and even Risa's mom were thinking the same thing, and it seems management did film them. Another listener writes that it was neat to see Aichan helping Risa along where Risa was the one who was nervous, not having performed at a dinner show before, and Risa confirms this. When they talked casually about doing it again, Aichan had already decided for herself which songs they will sing next time XD Also, Risa got a big laugh out of seeing Aichan running around in red tights in the dressing room. 

Now the Tettekete advice corner... A listener working at a bread shop seeks advice on creating an original bread or cake. Aichan says how about a combination of maple syrup and strawberries. Risa says how about something with the taste of edamame (枝豆).

The second question is from Aichan herself to Risa. What would be a good autumn theme for Morning Musume? Risa would like to fans to get to know those interesting personality features each member of MM has that we don't get to see just by looking at the covers of their singles.

The English phrase is "Thanks for coming." While teaching this, Aichan twice mistakenly says "Thanks for waiting".

Risa teaches the Korean phrase "ggakka juseyo" (깎아 주세요), meaning "Discount please." She used it much during the 3-day vacation in Korea that the two of them recently took together. They had a fun time there. Did lots of walking. Shopping, no doubt. Next time they go to Korea they'd like it to be more leisurely.

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Friday, September 11, 2009

Beritsuu! Radio Show Translation: August 14th, 2009

By: Xie

090814 

Sudou Maasa - I am Himiko. My charm point is my pig-tails♪
Tokunaga Chinami - I am....XAVIER~ (*Francisco de Xavier)
Captain Saki & Sudou Maasa - (lol)...
Captain Saki - I think I'll seize a territory now~
All Three - 「Beritsuu!」 (lol)

Tokunaga Chinami - Yes. The 19th 「Beritsuu!」 began with Berryz name <Enjoy Life>-san's request “An impersonation of a historical figure."
Tokunaga Chinami - That was funny
Sudou Maasa - It was funny?
Tokunaga Chinami - It was
Captain Saki - It was
Tokunaga Chinami - Mine was, Xavier
Captain Saki - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - What?
Captain Saki - Some, um, information has been brought to my attention, It seems Momo predicted "Chinami only knows (Matthew C.) Perry and Xavier, so she'll probably do one of them"
Tokunaga Chinami - Eh-!? haha
Sudou Maasa - Oh~ Momo did? Oh~
Tokunaga Chinami - Eh, did she say that? Momo
Captain Saki - Apparently (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Eh~
Sudou Maasa - I guess she was right
Captain Saki - She was right
Sudou Maasa - (lol)
Captain Saki - Amazingly
Sudou Maasa - mhm (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - That's right~ But, um,
Sudou Maasa - “That's right" (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - We said our favorite historical figures (lol) when we introduced ourselves at an event, right
Sudou Maasa - mhm
Captain Saki - We did
Tokunaga Chinami - I said Xavier then, too
Sudou Maasa - Because you only know Perry and Xavier, right? (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - No, I like Xavier
Sudou Maasa - What do you like about him? Xavier's..
Tokunaga Chinami - His beard
Sudou Maasa - Ah- his beard (lol)
Captain Saki - His beard (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - hahaha
Sudou Maasa - His bea~rd (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah
Sudou Maasa - Right. I see
Tokunaga Chinami - Who did you imitate?
Captain Saki - Tokugawa Ieyasu (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Eh?
Tokunaga Chinami - Thank youーー
Sudou Maasa & Captain Saki - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - haha
---
Tokunaga Chinami - So then, the mood got a little sketchy
Sudou Maasa - (lol)
Captain Saki - Sorry (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Ah~ (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - But let's continue energetically!
---
Captain Saki - “Berryz News Headline”~!
Sudou Maasa - We have some Miyabi-like news about the known scatter-brain, Natsuyaki Miyabi-san. It seems Natsuyaki Miyabi-san forgot to zip the zipper on the "Seishun bus guide" costume and went on stage, and zipped it while she was dancing. Shimizu-san, who witnessed this, was quite shocked it seems. Continuing, there's something that's popular amongst Berryz members. At the moment, there's something that's popular amongst Berryz, and that is... mouth ulcers. Shimizu-san and Tokunaga-san are dealing with them at the moment, and Kumai-san seems to be getting the same thing. By the way, I, Sudou Maasa, am fine. That's all from Sudou Maasa in the report center.

Sudou Maasa - First, Miya.. the zipper?
Captain Saki - Yeah. Um...
Sudou Maasa - The area was, not her shorts..
Captain Saki - Not her shorts, (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Right, yeah (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - The one near our hands, right
Captain Saki - Yeah, there's a zipper on the arm of the "Seishun bus guide" costumes, right? It seems she forgot to zip that, and, I'm next to Miya, when we start dancing, And, like, in terms of my steps, there's a part where I can see Miya for a second.. When I glanced at her, like, while she was dancing she faked it really well and zipped it like with full force
Sudou Maasa - Oh~
Captain Saki - I was like, "Woah~!" She was making a face like nothing happened (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - haha
Sudou Maasa - Oh~ (lol)
Captain Saki - And sang.. (lol) That, really surprised me
Tokunaga Chinami - Momo, too, when she messes up she acts like she didn't know
Captain Saki - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - “acts like she didn't know”(lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Doesn't she? (lol)
Sudou Maasa - She isn't pretending she didn't know, she acts like nothing happened, right?
Captain Saki - Like, she fixes it on her own
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah
Sudou Maasa - Ah~
Tokunaga Chinami - I wanted to see~ Her face
Captain Saki & Sudou Maasa - Her face!
Captain Saki - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Her face? (lol) Not the action, her face?
Captain Saki - (lol) Her face was just normal, though
---
Sudou Maasa - You've got mouth ulcers?
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah!
Sudou Maasa - Oh~
Tokunaga Chinami - Look
Captain Saki - haha!
Sudou Maasa - Tokunaga-san just showed me
Captain Saki - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - She opened her mouth
Tokunaga Chinami - It really hurts (lol)
Captain Saki - It does (lol) Mouth ulcers
Tokunaga Chinami - Really
Sudou Maasa - I don't think I've ever gotten them. I've probably had them... but, nothing that stings like everyone says...
Tokunaga Chinami - It really hurts
Captain Saki - It's really..
Sudou Maasa - I really don't know.. I'm an air-head so I don't think I would've known if I did
Captain Saki - Nah~ it really hurts
Sudou Maasa - I really don't know, if I've ever had them
Captain Saki - ...
Tokunaga Chinami - The mood's gotten sketchy again~
All Three - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Mouth ulcers, right... I see~
Tokunaga Chinami - Right, well everyone, if you have any healing methods..
Captain Saki - Right
Sudou Maasa - Okay, everyone, for Saki-chan and Chinami, we'll be waiting for mouth ulcer letters (lol)
Captain Saki - We're waiting (lol)
---
Tokunaga Chinami - 【...Out of Berryz Kobo's songs... When in the car, to make us feel energetic, etc., If there are any you'd like us to listen to at particular times, please let us know.】
---
Tokunaga Chinami - Are there?
Captain Saki - Songs~
Sudou Maasa - In the car...
Tokunaga Chinami - For me, Um.. I'd like them to listen to "Maji Natsu Sugiru" if they're in Okinawa
Sudou Maasa - Okinawa, huh~
Captain Saki - Ah~
Sudou Maasa - For Maa that song has a Shounan image. 'Cause Shounan.. "Shounan" is in the lyrics, right
Tokunaga Chinami - Ah, is it? (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Right? (lol)
Captain Saki - Yeah~ (lol)♪"Shounan ni ki~ta~ke~do~"
Sudou Maasa - Right, right, right (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - But Okinawa has bright sunshine
---
Tokunaga Chinami - I - I just thought of this, but, sometimes there's traffic right, on the highway. What about like "MADAYADE" ? (lol)
Captain Saki & Sudou Maasa - haha
Sudou Maasa - "MADAYADE"(lol)
Captain Saki - ♪"Mada mada madayade" ("there's still time") (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Right, right, right (lol)
Sudou Maasa - That's right
Tokunaga Chinami - When you're stuck..
---
Tokunaga Chinami - This is from <Sudou Myouou>-san. Thank you
Sudou Maasa - Yup, that's right. Alright. Thank you (lol)
Captain Saki - Thank you (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - The staff wrote it in Hiragana for me (lol)
Captain Saki & Sudou Maasa - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - 【I watched the newest live DVD, "Sono Subete no Ai ni." (...) Maasa-chan was cool as always.】
Sudou Maasa - Thank you
Tokunaga Chinami - 【Your expressions when you're dancing are so commanding, it knocks me out.】
Sudou Maasa - Thank you♪
Tokunaga Chinami - 【Next time as well, I'll be sure to follow Maasa's example. Thank you, Berryz Kobo for all the love!!】
Sudou Maasa - Yay! (*clap*)
Captain Saki - Thank you!!
Tokunaga Chinami - Yay! (*clap*) Send in your opinions about me, TOOー!
Captain Saki - (lol) Me, TOOー!
---
Sudou Maasa - Thank you <Meimyou>san... "Meimyou-san" ?
Tokunaga Chinami - It's "Myouou"
Sudou Maasa - haha
Captain Saki - haha
Tokunaga Chinami - Why'd you say that? It's read, “Myouou”
Sudou Maasa - "Meiou"...(lol) Sorry, Myouou-san? Thank youー(lol)
---
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah, I mean Maa.. your face, during cool songs, is sharp.. there's a lot of intensity
Captain Saki - mhm
Sudou Maasa - Really?
Tokunaga Chinami - You convey a lot with your eyes
Captain Saki - Yeah, I know what you mean
Sudou Maasa - Oh~
Tokunaga Chinami - Well, it seems they'll 【Follow Maasa】
Sudou Maasa - Please follow me. From now on
Tokunaga Chinami - Yes.
Sudou Maasa - "Yes" (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - You just moved it along, (lol) "Yes"...You just go with the flow (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - I wasn't just going with it, (lol) There was a lot of power in it
Sudou Maasa - Ah, right
---
Tokunaga Chinami - 【...If there's anything you're fussy or particular about, please tell us.】
---
Captain Saki - Yes. I was the only one they called by my family name "Shimizu-san" (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Yeah, that was surprising (lol)
Captain Saki - That surprised me (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Is there anything?
Captain Saki - Like.. I take my shoes off and put them on from the left one. My whole body's like that, from my left foot, my left hand...
Sudou Maasa - Heh~ Your left?~
Captain Saki - Yeah. Like, if I don't start from the left I feel like I can't go on well
Sudou Maasa - Yeah...
Tokunaga Chinami - Eh, you're just putting your shoes on but, you can't go on well..(lol)
Captain Saki - (lol) Well, I just feel that way
Tokunaga Chinami - mhm
Sudou Maasa - For Maa, in my bag, the first thing's a mirror, etc.
Captain Saki - Ahー, you have everything in order
Sudou Maasa - All organized, yeah
Tokunaga Chinami - Heh~ Chinami, when I have days off, when I'm at home, I go in the bath before 6
Sudou Maasa - Ah~
Captain Saki - You're particular about it?
Tokunaga Chinami - I'm definitely particular about it
Captain Saki - Heh~
Sudou Maasa - Maa does too
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah, if I don't go in before 6, my whole schedule will be thrown off
Captain Saki - Heh~
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah
Sudou Maasa - There are a lot of fun shows on starting at 7
Captain Saki - There are, there are
Tokunaga Chinami - And from 7 o'clock, um, I'm in front of the TV all night
Captain Saki & Sudou Maasa - Mhm
Tokunaga Chinami - That's how I always spend my time (lol)
---
Tokunaga Chinami - 【...those】...times,【is there anything to report?】
Sudou Maasa - (lol) Those "details"
Tokunaga Chinami - So that's that
Sudou Maasa - Yes (lol)
Captain Saki - Could you maybe stop changing Kanji you don't know to different words?
Tokunaga Chinami - But the staff (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Sometimes the staff butts in, in the middle of it
Captain Saki - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah

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Beritsuu! Radio Show Translation: August 7th, 2009

By: Xie

090807

Captain Saki - Happy Birthday! You're almost 16, right. 16 year-old Kumai-chan, stay healthy and cheerful
Sudou Maasa - Happy birthday, Kumai-chan! 16, you're so young~. Make this year an amazing one~
Tokunaga Chinami - Happy birthday Kumai-chan! Let's continue to age together!
All Three - 「Beritsuu!」
---
Tokunaga Chinami - Yes, uh, the 18th 「Beritsuu!」 began with Berryz name <chinamiyukiyurina>-san's request,【Birthday messages to Kumai-chan who turned 16】~
Captain Saki - “Let's age together” (lol)
Sudou Maasa - That surprised me when you said that (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Right. Um, I sent her mail on her birthday, like "Let's age together," And she wrote "Okay~" (lol) Kumai-chan's been getting prettier and prettier lately
Sudou Maasa - Yeah~
Captain Saki - “Getting prettier” (lol)
Sudou Maasa - "Getting prettier" (lol) Yes, she is
Tokunaga Chinami - Have you seen Kumai-chan's photobook cover?
Sudou Maasa - I did, I did~
Captain Saki - I did (x4)!
Tokunaga Chinami - Right? Isn't it pretty!?
Sudou Maasa - 「FLOWERAGE」?
Tokunaga Chinami - Let me say that!
Sudou Maasa - Ah, Sorry, sorry, sorry (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Chinami will say that
Captain Saki - You wanted to say that, huh (lol)
Sudou Maasa - (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - 「FLOWERAGE」! Rurr...
Captain Saki - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - 'Rur' (lol) Not "Rurrently"
Tokunaga Chinami - Currently (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Currently
Tokunaga Chinami - It's currently doing well on sale
Sudou Maasa - I want to see it~
Tokunaga Chinami - Me too!
Captain Saki - I want to see it
---
Tokunaga Chinami - “Berryz News Headline”!
Captain Saki - At the August 2nd concert in Osaka, Kumai Yurina-san's 16th birthday was celebrated a day in advance. Upon seeing the arena lit up all around in gree- green colored glow sticks, Kumai-chan - Kumaigo - was moved. At the end of the night, she was unable to say a message, but I'm letting you know on her behalf she was incredibly happy. In other news, Sudou Maasa returned from her Nagasaki trip. She brought the Berryz members souvenir sponge cake, but on-ly Chinami had 2 pieces. I do not know where Chinami's appetite ends. That's all from Shimizu Saki in the report center~

Tokunaga Chinami - You were in pretty bad shape today (lol)
Sudou Maasa - You did pretty bad (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - You fumbled "Green" (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol) That was pretty bad, but
Sudou Maasa - Yes (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Ah~
Captain Saki - Yes, right..
Tokunaga Chinami - What was it?
Sudou Maasa - Kumai-chan
Captain Saki - Kumai-chan's green glow sticks
Sudou Maasa - Yeah
Tokunaga Chinami - That was so pretty~!
Sudou Maasa - It wasー
Captain Saki - Super pretty
Sudou Maasa - It felt like we were in a field~
Captain Saki - Yeah, it did (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - I thought I'd be absorbed in it
---
Tokunaga Chinami - But, Kumai-chan as well, backstage, said, “I wanted to say something~!”
Captain Saki - Yeah, she did. But at the end, right.. When we were leaving the stage, She said, "I'm happy! Thank you!” Kumai-chan
Tokunaga Chinami - In a loud voice?
Captain Saki - Ah, No, no, I mean like they (the audience) didn't know (lol)
Sudou Maasa - (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol) Right, right, right (lol) She did say it then
Tokunaga Chinami - Oh~
---
(M29号)<Captain's kind of out of it today
Captain Saki - Really?
Tokunaga Chinami - You're kind of.. floating
(M29号)<Oh no, Oh no, it's dangerous when Captain's like this
All Three - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Alright, let's do our best (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - We have to do our best!
---
(M29号)<【At the Pacific Heaven on February of 2007, Chinami-chan and Kumai-chan had their events. During the challenge that happened on that day, everyone who participated were given things that all of the members hand-made】
Tokunaga Chinami - Ah, bingo!
(M29号)<【What was that?】 Bingo...?
Tokunaga Chinami - Cards!
(correct)
Sudou Maasa - Oh~
---
(M29号)<【During the game corner at the "Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND" release event in Yomiuri Land, Momoko-chan felt responsible because of her mistake, and cried. What was Chinami-chan's nice comment that alleviated the heavy mood?】
Tokunaga Chinami - Ah! You're pinkies are still up, huh - even when you cry
(correct)
Sudou Maasa - Oh~ (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - You really remembered (lol)
---
(M29号)<【This is a question from the "Alo Hello! Berryz Kobo DVD." What nickname did Maasa-chan write on Momo-chan's pants?】
Sudou Maasa - "futomomo" (thigh)
(correct)
Sudou Maasa - Alright (lol)
(M29号)<【In a scene from the "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" Single V making, Maasa-chan filmed Saki-chan, Chinami-chan, and Miyabi-chan communicating in a cryptic Monkey-language. What was her final angry comment?】
Sudou Maasa - Eh~? (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - “Hurry up and do it!”
Captain Saki - “Say something!" (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - She was the boss, right (lol)
Sudou Maasa - (lol)
Captain Saki - (lol) What was it..?
(*time up*)
(M29号)<...The answer to that was, "You're ticking me off~"
Sudou Maasa - Ah! That's right! It was "You're ticking me off" (lol)
(*clap*)
All Three - (lol)
Sudou Maasa - I said "You're ticking me off" (lol)
---
(M29号)<What I think should be further explained for the Berryz beginners is, at the "Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND" release event
Tokunaga Chinami - Ah, Ah, Ahー
(M29号)<Chinami-chan said "Momo's pinkies are up even when you're crying," Do you remember?
Tokunaga Chinami - During the game, they lost because of her, so she cried
Captain Saki - You really remembered~
Tokunaga Chinami - Yeah. Momo's pinkies are always up, but I thought, “Ah, even when she's crying her pinkies are up," so I said that.
(M29号)<Even when she's not conscious of it, they're up. Right, right, right. And then, do you remember the poems? What kind of poems you wrote?
Captain Saki - I don't remember...
Sudou Maasa - I don't remember at all...
(M29号)<For those who are just getting to know Berryz Kobo, um~ since they don't know about it, Let's read the poems you wrote, with love. Okay, first from Captain,
Sudou Maasa - Eh-!? We're reading them now? Ehー?(lol)
(M29号)<Go ahead and read it
Captain Saki - Eh? What?
---
Captain Saki - Here I go, okay. 【Someday, I want to give you hand-made chocolate With sweet~ sweet words attached】
Sudou Maasa - Oh~!
Captain Saki - The second- I did a second one, 【I'll get my feelings across to that person February 14th...I really love you】...What is this? (lol)
Sudou Maasa - Ah~(lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - You did that with love
Captain Saki - Yes (lol) This is impossible
(M29号)<We'll save Chinami-chan's for last, Um, Maasa-chan
Sudou Maasa - Save Chinami for last..(lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - Yes, right~ What did I write..
Sudou Maasa - What'd you write? Chinami (lol)
Tokunaga Chinami - I don't know (lol)
---
Sudou Maasa - 【Girls get nervous about Valentines, I'll send my love to the person I love】
Captain Saki - Oh~
Sudou Maasa - Eh, I wrote that kind of thing, huh
---
Sudou Maasa - 【I'll send you my sweet heart. I'm happy, are you happy?】
Captain Saki - Oh~
Tokunaga Chinami - Ohー!
Sudou Maasa - Etc. etc.
Captain Saki - That's cute
Tokunaga Chinami - That's goodー!
Sudou Maasa - I wrote this kind of thing~
(M29号)<She won with that. Okay, Chinami-chan as well..
Captain Saki - Cute
Sudou Maasa - Yes, Chinami
---
Tokunaga Chinami - 【I made this for you, the one I love. I'll always love you, eat it like it's delicious】
Sudou Maasa - There's that aggression (lol)
Captain Saki & Tokunaga Chinami - (lol)
Captain Saki - She said it, she said it (lol)
Sudou Maasa - She did, (lol) "Eat it like it's delicious"
Captain Saki - That was kind of aggressive
---

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