Ichigo ichie 7/16 pt 2 - Michishige guest appearance

By: Zabel

Takahashi Ai and Michishige Sayumi continue their discussion about traveling to L.A. to perform at Anime Expo.


Ichigo ichie 7/16 continued


Ai asks Sayumi how she would rate their first performance in America. Sayu gives it a 90, and she explains the reason for deducting 10 points. During rehearsal she was told that her English was weak, so she spent time practicing with Eri to the point where her pronunciation was so good that she wondered if maybe she had been raised overseas. But when the time came to deliver her MC lines at the concert, her English came out weak after all.

Aichan rates it 100 points! She usually rates concerts 70, but everyone gave it their best for their first performance in America. Sayu remarks on how well Aichan spoke English. Aichan says she was memorizing the script every day in the bath. Since the topic she had to speak on (warming) was so important she wanted to be sure she spoke precisely.

The two of them note how the atmosphere is different from when they perform in Japan. For instance, the 'oooh's and 'aaah's they hear from the audience when a song is starting. They thought the city of Los Angeles was pretty and cool in a retro kind of way.

Sayu talks about an incident on the plane ride over when she spilled the entire contents of maple syrup onto her T-shirt, the blanket, and into her bag. She's glad she was sitting next to Mitsui who helped her with the mess while Kamei, one seat over, was like "Whatcha up to?" as she went on eating her in-flight meal.

Another Kamei story. Sayu is accustomed to seeing Eri's messy rooms...or so she thought. When they go to Hawaii she usually shares a room with Eri, and cleans up after her. On this trip they each had their own room. One time when Eri called Sayu over, Sayu received a big shock upon entered Eri's room. The place was in such a state of disorder that it was like someone had lived there for 10 years. Sayu tried opening the bathroom door but shut it immediately. Aichan doesn't have trouble picturing the scene Sayu describes, and tells Sayu to give Eri a spanking. But it's all good if that's what's comfortable for Eri...as long as Sayu isn't sharing a room with her.

Asked where she would like to go to perform a concert if she had the chance, Sayu answers that she'd like to go to France. The fact is, Sayu used to believe she was half-French. Why? Because her mom told her so. In elementary school the conversation came up with older kids, and when Sayu asked her mom again, her mom told her again that she (her mom) was French XD So Sayu believed that she was half-French. It was through a classmate of her older brother that she learned the truth.

In place of the Tettekete corner, they talk about Sayu's past week when she turned 20. Besides rehearsing for the Hello! Project concert, Sayu has been recording for a TV entertainment show where guests say bad things about each other. She was too tired that day to think about her birthday, so it wasn't until the next day when the musume members gave her gifts that she thought about having turned 20. She's gonna try to stop biting her nails by buying a nail clipper when her nails get long, reasoning that it is when you have just bought a new nail clipper that you're most inclined to use it.

The English phrase today "What's a mess!" (should be "What a mess!") makes them think of Eri.

Aichan asks Sayu to give advice to people who are bad at math (multiplication specifically). She says do your drills. Sayu has been enjoying learning simultaneous equations.

In closing, Aichan says that she was more nervous having Sayu as a guest that any of the guests she has had so far because Sayu is such a good talker.

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Ichigo ichie 7/16 pt 1 - Michishige guest appearance

By: Zabel

Here's an Ichigo I've been looking forward to ever since Aichan started having guests on the show--AiSayu! They talk about their experience in Los Angeles, celebrate Sayumi's 20th birthday, and tell funny anecdotes about Kamei. It's another long one so I'll be doing two segments.


Ichigo ichie 7/16

Aichan's summer goal is to be careful because she seems to think her skin is becoming dark. Sayumi would like to become an 'unstandardized woman'.

Aichan: Unstandard...season?
Sayu: No. Um, Aichan you're tripping on words right from the start.
Aichan: It's true.
Sayu: Probably 5 minutes can't go by without you tripping up around 5 times.
Aichan: No, it's 'cause I'm nervous.
Sayu: You're kidding!
Aichan: Really.
Sayu: Really?
Aichan: Yes, whenever I have a guest on I get nervous and trip.
Sayu: Is that so? But even when you're not nervous you trip.
Aichan: Oh, is that so. (sheepish laughter)

That's the standardized Aichan, Sayumi says, but what she means by a standardized Sayumi is that she relies on established gags doing concert MC's or on her radio show, such as saying "All right, today I'm cute too!" She would like to become less predictable.

Aichan wishes Sayu a happy birthday and presents her with a gift from Ichigo ichie, something delicious with strawberries in it. They tell how Eri surprised not just Sayu but everyone for Sayumi's birthday. They were finishing a photo shoot when suddenly the lights went out. Eri was more talkative than usual, and kept assuring them that it'll be okay. In the end she brought out a cake. It was a surprise birthday present, but Eri wasn't very good at it, Sayumi says. As for Aichan, she got Sayumi pink chocolate-shaped speakers and earphones. She went shopping with Gaki, and it took her an hour and a half to decide on what to buy for Sayumi.

Sayu: Really? I'm so happy. That means you were thinking about me for an hour and a half.
Aichan: Well, I was also shopping for myself. (laugh)
Sayu: Ohhh, so that's how it was.

About Nanchatte Ren'ai, Sayumi says to pay attention to how you can distinctly hear each member's voice.

For her recommendation today, Aichan pushes the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In this installment in the series, a certain character dies which made Aichan cry when she read it in the book. Aichan says that the author herself was depressed about killing off this character, which was moving to read about in the afterword. Sayumi likes reading afterwords. When she is in a bookstore and doesn't know what book to get, she decides which books are interesting by reading the afterwords. Aichan says that Sayumi reads a lot and is always lending books to the other members. She especially likes mysteries. Aichan, by the way, is on the 6th book in the Harry Potter series, which Sayumi, who has read some of the series, hadn't even heard of.

Sayumi is not a big filmgoer, but she recommends Titanic and The Green Mile.

Then the promised backstage recording in L.A. after the concert at Anime Expo is played, which includes Eri spilling her food, Risa praising Aichan's use of English, and "Hello! My name is Koharu Kusumi. Nice to meet you. I like umeboshi." After the recording, they talk about L.A. and Sayumi has some amusing stories to tell.

To be continued.

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Iiza Ee-Day 7/13

By: Zabel

Last week Aichan went around to random places in Fukui to sample food. This week the theme is 'yumeoibito" (夢追い人) or people chasing dreams, drawn of course from Morning Musume's recent hit single Shouganai Yumeoibito. Aichan gets to meet various people in Fukui who are following their own dreams.



In the vicinity of Fukui station, Aichan visits a new shop on its opening day, part of the "Challenge Shop" project. It is the 'Cherry Forest' and the proprietor is a woman who calls herself 'Cherry', which she can get away with because the character for 'cherry blossom' is actually in her name (桜里). She sells custom-made trinkets. Aichan becomes her first customer.

At Echizen, she makes a surprise visit to Tamamura Akiko, a person who was featured on a television show two months ago, for which Aichan did the narration. Aichan had wanted to meet her in person.　She shows Aichan how to make Echizen paper (越前和紙).



Then at a gym the host tells Aichan that she has something in common with the woman she is about to meet -- they both have 'Ai' for a first name. But the similarities end there. Takei Ai is the world bronze medalist in power lifting. Aichan participates in a curious muscle traning exercise that I'm not gonna attempt to describe. Somewhere along the way she changed into a blue shirt with a skull on it. Afterwards, Takei, who wants to become an action actress, asks advice from Aichan about acting.



The host wraps up with a hint that he was trying to impress Aichan just a little bit as they went around to all those places. Aichan roars in laughter, but says that her mom thinks the host is cool. Here and in other segments of the show, the Fukui dialect flies fast and hard!

Finally she returns to Tokyo to unveil gifts from the people she visited, together with two musume associates.



(in English)
Ai: Hello everyone! I am Ai.
Lin: I am Linlin.
Sayu: I am sorry. (?!)

We can always count on Sayu for a laugh, can we not? Don't forget to check in this weekend when I'll be writing about this week's Ichigo. Sayumi will be a guest so it should be lots of fun!

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Ichigo ichie 7/9 - MM's 40th single

By: Zabel

Another day to learn more about the lovely creature called Takahashi Ai.


Ichigo ichie 7/9


Aichan really does like the ocean. It's just that when she was young she almost drowned, so her body reacts against it.

Today she gives her thoughts on Morning Musume's 40th single, Nanchatte Ren'ai. The song includes a rap part in the style of Do it Now! that Junlin get to do. The gist of the lyrics is that love can be painful even when it is fake. She says that there are people who find this song more mature than Shouganai Yumeoibito. The single will be released 8/12.

For the Ainote corner, Aichan talks about Matsutoya Yumi's concert tour 2009 "Transit", which she saw with her manager. It included a disappearing act, a story, travel-like atmosphere, amusing MC segments. Aichan had the chance to talk with her afterwards. It was a learning experience to see such a performance.

Ai talks about her own upcoming H!P concert, about how new units will be announced, and new Eggs introduced. She wants the new members to know the awesomeness of MM, Berryz, and C-ute.

The English lesson is "You can find it in the house". (Useful for when you want to know where otaku can be found)

A listener asks how to improve one's singing. Aichan says listen over and over to a song you like and try to imitate the vocalist. Aichan would try to imitate Tsunku's singing when he taught her.

Another listener is exhausted being in a school club and wants advice on how to get rid of the tiredness. Aichan can relate, having been in a very demanding choir--it was always the last club to go home, and was active even during summer vacation. She would cope by going out to play after the club finished its morning activities each sunday. (she mentions taking print clubs as one of the things she did for fun)　Her strategy these days is to jump in the bathtub. No matter how late she gets home, she must have her bath.

Lastly, Aichan talks about how great Gaki-san is at calming Koharu down XD

Michishige Sayumi is the guest next week!!

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Iiza Ee-Day 7/6

By: Zabel

Aichan returns to her birthplace of Fukui to appear on this recent program, and if appearances can be believed (which they usually can when it comes to Lovely), she has a great time!

Driving up in a 'taxi', as the host calls it, she is introduced in front of Fukui TV and its staff. The host asks her if she recognizes a certain man. It was the man who answered her telephone call when she was seeking information on how to apply for the audition which ultimately got her into Morning Musume, the deadline for which she was barely able to meet. The host also returns to her an engraving set thingie she had used in middle school which her sister had used after her and forgotten at school. Her teacher had been waiting all this time to return it to her.



From there they go around to different places in Fukui sampling food and fun. First stop is to the famous restaurant Yoroppaken where sauce katsudon originated. It's a dish she has been missing since living in Tokyo. When she tries to order katsudon in Tokyo they put eggs in it and she's like, this ain't what I wanted.



The next stop is to Satsukigase where crackers are made. She is given the opportunity to go in the factory, make a few herself, and eat the fruits of her labor. Satsukigase is home of the product 'ai' which we've heard Aichan talk about before. Ai eating ai may sound like self-cannibalism, but she quite likes them. Aichan is surprised to learn that on the day after a concert at which she had introduced ai, the product was all sold out at the Fukui market!



Then she visits a couple who runs a fresh juice vendor to have watermelon juice made. The man upon seeing Aichan says, "Is she the real thing?" (You better believe it, lucky fellow!) She is asked to pick a watermelon that she thinks looks tasty, and does so by banging on it to listen to the sound.



Finally, Aichan is made to enter a room where three old school buddies are waiting to surprise her! Aichan is taken completely by surprise, and looks genuinely ecstatic to see them.

Host: You guys probably know Aichan better than anyone does.
Aichan: They do.
Host: What do you usually call her?
Friends: 'Takahashi'.
Host: So you call her Takahashi! What was Aichan like in elementary and middle school?
Friends: She was cute.
Aichan: You're lying!
Friends: We'd do weird things together.
Host: Let's hear about those weird things.
Friends: Is it okay to say?
Host: For an idol it might be saying too much.



There's more next week!

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Ichigo ichie 7/2 - Junjun guest appearance

By: Zabel

Ichigo ichie 7/2


What the hell fukui speak did Aichan just open with? Don't ask me.

Well, Junjun is today's guest. Aichan reads a letter from a listener asking which member she thinks has grown the most. Aichan says she can't answer when the member in question is right in front of her! So it's Junjun and Linlin, of course; their Japanese has really improved. Junjun says she still speaks weird Japanese, and Aichan doesn't argue with that. Junjun gets embarrassed seeing early footage of herself as a musume. She appears to herself like a nikuman bouncing around on stage. But at last she has become a human.

Nanchatte Ren'ai is to be released 8/12. Junjun likes the intricate dance moves, and how the word 'nanchatte' itself shows up in the lyrics.

Aichan, Aika, and Linlin saw Ogawa Makoto perform in Komorebi no naka de 2009 (こもれびの中で２００９), today's recommendation in the 'Ainote' corner. Jun heard from Lin that it's a tearjerker, and Aichan tells that she cried from beginning to end. Jun: "But you always seem to be crying." Ai: "Hey!" Both Ogawa's strong efforts and the content of the story itself were the cause. Although she tried to hide it by letting the tears roll down to her chin before wiping them, Aika found her out.

Lovely has an anecdote to tell about her 5th gen buddy. One night well before the performance, she was staying over at Makoto's house and Makoto showed her video of the dances she would be doing. Makoto was worried about the difficulty of the material, but when Aichan saw the actual performance, Makoto did an impressive job.

Junjun's recommendation is the Korean film A Moment to Remember. An interested Aichan asks to borrow the DVD from her. Junjun, it turns out, is something of a movie junkie who used to go to the theater every sunday.

Next week is the Tanabata festival (Aichan mispronounces the word), which Junjun says is also celebrated in China. That makes today the "Pre-Tanabata Special", Aichan announces. Which amounts to the two of them each stating a small wish and a big wish. Aichan's "small" wish is to grow taller. Jun insists that such a wish is impossible, that she should wish for something that has even a remote possibility of coming true. Way to stomp all over a girl's dreams, Jun! But good-hearted Jun offers up as her small wish the hope that Aichan's impossible wish can come a little bit true.

Jun's big wish is that everyone around her can live healthily. Aichan's big wish is that she can be healthy every day. Their answers are very similar. "After all, we're both in our twenties", explains Jun XD. Then Aichan has them both at the same time state a wish for Morning Musume. Aichan's wish, "世界進出", is for the world to know of Morning Musume. Junjun's wish is simply "everybody". "Everybody what?", asks Aichan. "That everybody can live healthily every day." The exact same thing as before, but by framing it in terms of being a necessary condition for Aichan's wish, Jun is able to tie the two wishes of theirs together, thus facilitating the return of the joke from earlier: "It's similar! After all, we're in our twenties!"

In the Tettekete corner, the first question comes from a person who has trouble saying what he is feeling to people. Specifically, he got nervous and didn't say what he intended to when he met Aichan at a handshake event recently. Aichan can relate. She cried and was unable to speak when she met a Takaraduka star she was a big fan of back in grade school. That you can express yourself through your face and emotions becomes their advice to the listener.

The second listener asks for advice on how to learn dances quckly. Jun, according to herself, is neither fast nor slow but 中途半端 -- 'half-hearted' (or 'half-assed'). I am not sure this is the word she was looking for. They both think Tanaka and Kamei learn dance quickly. Junjun thinks Aichan is fast too, but Aichan denies it, insisting that she was always the slowest among the gokkies. But she would go home and learn the moves on her own and the next day she would have it all down. Jun has heard Gakisan relate the same tale about Aichan. Ai: "Oh, Gakisan talked about me!" (yep, all the time ^^) As they channel this into advice they can present to the listener, Aichan and Jun find themselves saying similar things. Once again: "After all, we're in our twenties!"

The English phrase we are taught today is "I'm looking forward to see you." At Aichan's request Jun teaches us a Chinese phrase. She picks the equivalent of "I love Morning Musume".

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The Curious Case of Mano Erina

By: The Incredible He-Hulk

Despite her Egg status, Mano Erina was immediatley given a prominent role in Ongaku Gatas. She quickly showed why she was allowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the veteran idols in the group, and in doing so hinted at bigger and better things to come. And so, it came as a suprise to no one when, a short time later, she debuted as a full-blown solo artist. What was surprising, however, was the way in which H!P chose to market Mano Erina. Three specific facets of her marketing stand out as highly unusual and are quite possibly destructive to the girl’s long-term success: The framing of her character, her availability to the fans, and the deployment of her wares.

Mano Erina can play piano. This in itself is not unusual. Humans possessing a modicum of talent that manifests itself in specific endeavors is nothing new. But, for the most part, when an idol shows talents, these gifts are presented as adjunct personal characteristics not as a part of her career, whether musical or not. They are things reserved for fan club events and are used as bullet points on some Wiki at the ends of the internet. They flesh out a girl’s personality and nothing more. But, in Mano’s case, her piano playing was used, at least early on, as the fundamental thrust of her promotion. An idol that can sit down and accompany herself on an instrument well enough to do so live is highly unusual, and so it was no surprise that all her Indy singles we’re piano heavy mid-tempo pieces. When something unusual is presented to us, often the reason we take notice is simply because it is an oddity. It becomes our focus, and so, piano became her gimmick.
Now, this is highly unusual. Most idols’ artifices are entirely based on their personalities. Tsugunaga Momoko’s idol persona, for instance, is a punch to the gut. She’s manic and emotional; because at her core she is those things, really and truly. In contrast, Mano is presented as a gentle caress of the face; reserved, but positive; warm and gentle. Her wardrobe is an outward reflection of this style and of her music; pastel, flower-patterned skirts, scarves, and conservative school uniforms. It is protective clothing; flattering, but unrevealing. She occasionally will appear in traditional idol garb, at concerts and in photo shoots where H!P doesn’t control what she wears, but when she is shot for promotion of one of her personal commodities (Singles, Albums, etc) she is most often the gentle, smiling girl. So, the question is whether or not her idol personality, as presented, is simply the only choice for a girl who plays mid-tempo piano pop, or whether it is truly who the girl really is? Is it a match made in heaven, the perfect joining of girl, musical style, and talent, or is it the end result of promoting the uniqueness of one specific talent ahead of the uniqueness of the girl and then finding yourself boxed in?

This style of promotion is called further into question when comparing it to the larger milieu of idol music. I don’t have to tell you, idol aficionado that you are, that this style of presentation is highly unusual, especially for a brand new idol. Frenzied and unerringly cute is where the money’s at. Explosive, up-tempo pop is what drives the wota to spend their filthy lucre. They want to lose themselves at concerts. They want to dance, and sing, and chant and flip out. They don’t want to sit there while a girl plays piano. Thus, no matter how great she is, her promotion has already trimmed off a large portion of the fanbase. There is a large segment of H!P fans that will never be moved by Mano. Their money will remain firmly entrenched in pocket.

Idol music is never about contrasts. They are simply too subtle, and the idol business has all the subtly of a hammer to the head. Yet, Mano further surprises by being the most accessible, visible, and hard-working idol in H!P’s stable. The 7-11 of idols, Mano is always open for business. Check your watch, it’s highly probable that she has two handshake events, a mini-live, and a TV show scheduled during the next 15 minutes. If you want to meet a Musume, shake her hand, and say a few words, good luck with that. You’ll have grandkids before you get to go to one of the handful of meet and greets they hold. But, if there’s anyone left on the planet that hasn’t spent an hour, or more, talking to Mano, I don’t know him. At first glance, this seems like a fantastic thing, I mean, who doesn’t want that? But, wota-ism has one axiom that its tenets hold above all: "support your idol absolutely and completely in every endeavor." Thus, constant promotion of this sort is actually a deadly error. It’s Chinese water torture for the fans, exhausting them with a constant barrage of places they have to be and things they have to buy. Mano’s outstretched hand is no longer a rare opportunity to greet your idol, it’s a demand for tribute.
I have talked to more than one Mano wota who has become disheartened by the constant amount of events she has and things she is doing. Gold is beautiful not because it sparkles, but because it sparkles for only a few. Its rarity is half of its appeal. Just as absence makes the heart grow fonder, constant availability bores and fatigues it.

And, just as the heart and mind may become immune to the siren song of a wota’s favorite idol, so too may his wallet be exhausted by the unfair demands of her management company. Since Mano transitioned to major label status she has had two releases since the end of March and her third single is less than a month away. Berryz has averaged 3 singles a year over the last few years, Mano is currently on pace for double that. That in itself would be a joy for any fan; to always have her idol working, but each single arrives with an unethical twist. As we all know, an idol fan is forced to buy every single version of his idol’s single, conditioned in the Pavlovian method as they are. Each Mano Erina release comes in no less than 5 different versions. Each slightly unique, each required to complete the wota’s vast collection. It is shameless beyond measure.

When all of this is considered, it seems clear that H!P has segmented her market, they have made it so many H!P wota will simply never be interested in her. What’s more, her constant availability has already created a degree of lethargy amongst the fans and even an apathy toward her events and appearances. Combine that with a vast over-saturation of her commercial goods –goods wota feel forced to buy—and in some circles this apathy begins to turn into hostility.

It will be truly interesting to see if H!P realizes what it is doing with Mano, and whether or not they have any interest in avoiding its inevitable result. A slight shift in her image is begining to be felt. Hopefully it will measure high enough on the Richter Scale to make a difference.

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Ichigo ichie 6/25 - Going to L.A.

By: Zabel

Welcome to a short 17-minute installment of the Loveliest show on earth :)


Ichigo ichie 6/26


MM's new single will be titled Nanchatte ren'ai. I think most of us already knew that.

Aichan listed her 'Best 3' for the first half of the year on last week's episode, and today she tells us that her goal for the second half of the year is...can anyone guess? Yep, she wants to be able to speak English. She admits that she says this all the time but never actually improves because she doesn't have the opportunity to speak it. July 1st she'll be in L.A. so she hopes to make some progress then. Frankly one week isn't enough time to make any noticeable progress in a foreign language if you ask me, but it can't hurt.

Risa and Eri had talked on their radio show about Aichan being stubborn. A listener asks if it's true. It's true, admits Aichan ^^

Another listener asks what shots in her new PB Watashi she likes. This reminds me that I still haven't looked at Watashi. What's up with me? I'm gonna have a look right now. Be back in a moment... Okay, I'm back. It's awesome. I especially like the lounging-around-at-home pics. I usually do. As for Aichan herself, she likes this tiny supermarket pic:












In the Ainote corner Ai recommends P.S. I love you, which she saw with her mom and sister on a whim, and which made her cry buckets. Her mom, who is married of course, was less impressed, saying things like, "Hey, marriage isn't that great." lol

The first advice topic today deals with what to do when your feet get sore wearing shoes. When she's together with her sister, exchanging shoes is one of the strategies Aichan employs. The second topic deals with how to choose the right clothes for the occasion, so that you're not too cold or too warm.

Junjun will be a guest next week. Also, there will be a couple public recordings of Ichigo ichie. 噛まないように頑張ってください、愛ちゃん！

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Nostalgia vs. New Ideas vs. No Ideas.

By: The Incredible He-Hulk


Today, in a bit of shocking news, pandering teen network The-N revealed that the cast of Degrassi would play the roles of Saved By The Bell’s iconic characters in a remake of the hit series Beverly Hills 90210...
In other less shocking (but slightly realer) news, H!P has recently announced the release of Chanpuru 1~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~, a new album that features their current idol groups pantomiming the roles of slightly older and more iconic H!P groups while they sing cover versions of even older non-H!P J-pop songs.

Now, I’m all for nostalgia. Who doesn’t love Mini Moni, Pucchimoni, Decamoni, Insta-moni, and Vodka Moni On The Rocks? Nobody, that’s who. H!P has a fantastic past that is worth exploring and remembering. But, I have to wonder just who this album is supposed to be for...
Is this album to acquaint newer fans with H!P's past that weren’t around during these older groups’s heyday? If so, why have them sing covers of song’s that these groups never sang in the first place? Or, is the album for current fans who have been fans long enough that they fondly remember H!P’s glory days? If that’s the case, why not just have the girls sing songs from the groups that they are actually reforming?

If this was simply a one-time deal, then I don’t think anyone would mind a cover album. Cover albums can be fun. But what we’ve seen over the last year is H!P releasing cover after cover after cover. It’s as if H!P has their own "Hits from the 70's, 80's and 90's!" radio station now.
Cover You, Pepper Keibu, Dschinghis Khan, Edo no Temari Uta II, Shochū Omimai Mōshiagemasu; the list of covers done in the last calendar year is long and not so distinguished, Ice Man. Couple those tracks with this newest release and H!P artists doing covers has become a habitual trend.

Now, having old ideas that worked before shoved in our faces in place of new ideas is nothing new. That’s Transformers the movie; that’s Rocky VI. But, what H!P is doing with Chanpuru 1~Happy is twice as garish and twice as lazy. They’re taking their old ideas that worked once and then merging them with old ideas somebody else had that worked once. And, what’s worse, through this process they’re telling us they don’t have any new ideas of their own. They’re telling us they don’t want to pay anyone else enough money to come up with new ideas, either. And, most importantly, they’re telling us that they know we’re too dedicated to these girls to even care. They know we're caught in the catch-22 of the idol fan. Do you buy a crappy, boring CD to support the idols you enjoy so much? Or, do you refuse to buy terrible products and in doing so hurt the idols you want so badly to see succeed?

Like Pavlov’s dogs, the bell rings and we are fed. It matters not the food. We will always be hungry again when the bell tolls anew...

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Ichigo ichie 6/18 pt 2 - Kusumi guest appearance

By: Zabel


I often get asked where one can go to listen to Ichigo ichie. The show is up for 24 hours every thursday-friday on the official fan club site, but you need to be a member in order to access the page. For the rest of us, a kind person, usually H!O member lovemusic, uploads the show in mp3 format weekly. You can get it by regularly checking the Takahashi thread at H!O, or the H!P's TV appearances, radio shows, magazine thread at Jpopmusic might be easier.

Ichigo ichie 6/18 continued

With the year half over, Aichan lists her "Best 3":

#3. Ojigi de shape up!
#2. The Platinum 9 disk spring tour
#1. Anime Expo

They talk about the upcoming 11.5 hour flight to Los Angeles, about eating, sleeping, talking, and watching movies on planes.

And here's Koharu's "Best 3":

#3. She learned how to make sweets.
#2. She grew in height.
#1. She grew inside.

According to Koharu, she noticed that she had grown in height today lol. Not because she measured herself or anything, but when she looked in the mirror that day her clothes seemed smaller. This could be because her clothes shrunk, thinks Aichan. Koharu blames that on her mom who washes her clothes. XD She calls her mom 'baka' (idiot) over this, but Aichan chides her that if she did her own laundry she would realize how easy it is to get items mixed up.

Aichan gives Koha an even harder time about that claim about growing inside.

Aichan: "You lie! That's your #1 lie."
Koharu: "What? You can see for yourself."
Aichan: "I can't tell at all."
Koharu: "Really? Haven't I become more like an adult?"
Aichan: "Wait until after you've had a few more birthdays to say that."
Koharu: "I'm already 17."
Aichan: (pronouncing '17' in english) "17. You think that's okay?"
Koharu: "Totally! Inside I feel like I'm 20."
Aichan: "You lie!"

But Aichan admits that Koharu acts like an adult when they go out to eat together. Koha insists that she is always an adult but Aichan isn't buying it. Koharu wants to be 18 so she can drive. She wants to drive with passengers.

It's time for the Tettekete advice corner. "Oh, is that what 'tettekete' means?", asks Koharu. A listener with a friend going to study abroad in Australia wants to give a gift to help him remember Japan. Aichan suggests soy sauce (in English). Koharu spaces out here, asking to have the question repeated to her, and more than once muttering New Zealand instead of Australia as she brainstorms. She tries to think of what she would like to have if she were going overseas, and among the ideas she comes up with are hamburgers, dried plums, seaweed, cuttlefish, clothing, her big sister, a blanket, a futon. She could go on forever. Aichan does her best to wrap up the segment.

Ichigo ichie has a new sticker that Aichan will be signing and giving away to each person whose mail she reads on the show, as well as to one person randomly selected. Just when I was about to give up trying to get my message read. And, next week she will announce Morning Musume's new single.

Lastly, Aichan always signs off saying, "This has been Takahashi Ai who wants to ___." and has her guests do likewise. How does Koharu sign off? "This has been Kusumi Koharu who wants to run a marathon!"

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