強気で行こうぜ！

Oh Gaki, my Gaki.

She’s graduating. I thought… I thought she’d be here for a lot longer. When she became leader, I was so happy for her. But she has been in MM for at least 11 years. Longest tenure anyone is sure to have. No one will beat her in that. An amazing leader, a role model. There’s no one who can beat Gaki-san. And I mean it.

Her message to fans about her graduation speaks volumes. About her spirit and strong personality and motivation. Guh, I love this woman, like no other, I don’t think you understand.

私、新垣里沙は、
今年の春ツアーをもって、モーニング娘。及びハロー！プロジェクトを卒業します。
卒業は私自身、１年くらい前から考えていたことで、高橋愛ちゃんと共に・・・という事も考えていましたが、新メンバーの加入などもあり、少し時期をずらしました。

モーニング娘。卒業後は、本格的にお芝居の勉強をして、舞台やドラマを今まで以上に、そしてグループでの活動の中では経験出来なかったことなどにもチャレンジしていきたいと思っています。
でも、モーニング娘。でいる残り数ヶ月、リーダーとして精一杯頑張っていきたいと思います！

２０１２年１月２日
モーニング娘。リーダー
新垣里沙

Translated: “I, Niigaki Risa, will graduate from Morning Musume, as well as Hello! Project, after this year’s spring tour. I, myself, thought about graduating since a year ago, “along with Takahashi Ai…” I thought, but with the entry of the new members, that time was pushed back.

“After graduating Morning Musume, I’ll be studying plays full time, doing more plays and drama than I have done up to now. I’ll also challenge doing things that I was unable to do due to living as a member of a group. But, for my time remaining in Morning Musume, as leader, I’ll do my very best!

January 2nd, 2012
Morning Musume, Leader
Niigaki Risa”

The translation might be a little clumsy, and for that, I apologize. But she’s so determined in her message, it would’ve been wrong not to have written something about. To put aside her own graduation, to put aside the possibility of graduating with Ai-chan, just so that the new members got the RIGHT leadership, the best she could give them? That is one of many reasons I love Niigaki Risa.

I cannot imagine an MM without her presence. And very much doubt that whoever succeeds her will be able to have the impact that she will. This does not mean that I will stop listening to them, because I very much love Tsunku’s music, but it will definitely be a change.

To my once and always Leader, thing are only going to get better from now.

-Murr.

It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged. Right now, I’m sitting on a plane that might bring me to my connecting flight about half an hour later. Here’s hoping that I don’t miss it (through circumstances out of my control…)

So, what has brought me out of… an unannounced hiatus? (I guess one could call it that. I’ve been far busier with other things.) At the moment, I’m watching C-ute’s and S/mileage’s collaboration concert (comments regarding this performance may be mixed into this post). And this is something I’ve noticed before, but I just don’t like S/mileage. Really and seriously. I’m finding it hard to like anything they’ve been releasing recently and couldn’t care less about the auditions for their second generation (though… Dayeon? It’d be interesting…).

My current ranking of the groups within the Hello!Project umbrella are モーニング娘。, Berryz工房, C-ute, Kikkawa Yuu, and then S/mileage. (Mano Erina doesn’t even register on my H!P radar.) I had been interested in S/mileage pre-debut. I loved their indie singles and I’m finding that I now like their singles only when sung by other groups. Suki-chan? Adorable when they all sang it at the end of the winter concerts. Bijin Mama? C-ute’s added vocals made the song much more palatable.

So what is it about S/mileage? (I’m getting tired of putting that damn forward slash in there.) Is it that they all sound screechy? That their voices have no substance to them? Is it that everytime Wada opens her mouth to sing, I’m reminded of the time that she doesn’t like foreigners? I don’t know. Do I dedicate the time to digging deep and figuring out why I can’t stand them? …. I’m not inclined to dedicate my precious, precious time to that. Someone should give me reasons to listen to them….

That being said, I’m really surprised to find that I like C-ute a LOT more than I used to. All of them are really growing into their looks and their voices are a lot more mature lately. Especially Chisato, holy shit. Have you seen the legs on that girl? The voice coming from that mouth? What the hell happened that this transition came about? Ahem. I’m sorry. I’ve fallen for her recently. (what the hell is the purpose of those towels? … Omg, TSUKATTA TOWEL.)

Their recent singles, Kiss Me Aishiteru, Momoiro Sparkling (a song directly influenced by that cover song they did last summer, Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu), Dance de Bakoon, and their last album have greatly improved in my opinion. Chou Wonderful was VERY listenable! The one before that? Shit. Absolute and utter shit. (I’m sorry, I’m so amused with the two men sitting on either side of me, completely unaware of what the hell I’m watching… I like the song with the towels. Can someone tell what it is? I know it’s an album track.) Oh, oh, shush. MC time.

… Maybe I shouldn’t have taken that break. I kinda, sorta, maybe lost my train of thought. Uh. Where was I… Ah, right! C-ute! I like them more now! And have an active interest in what they put out! Though not as much I have an interest in what Arashi or MoMusu puts out.

I guess I’ll end it there. It was nice blogging again. Maybe I’ll do more after this. I have several things planned. Mostly collaborations, so those will be started on.

~Murr, who dislikes S/mileage.

Damn right. One of my FAVORITE BLOGGERS EVER OMG has coming baaaaaaaaaack from the dead (m’kay, not really (about the dead part)).

Penpen, okaeri~! ♥

Hi. New home. With hopefully new content. Hopefully this host (I love you) will keep me longer. Otherwise, it’s back to WordPress.com.

~ Murr

Hi guys!

I’ve decided to add a romanization and translation part to the blog. I’m pretty bored nowadays, and many of the posts that I’ve written and want to write just… haven’t been working out completely for me. I’m just at a block in the road, and I was hoping that translating and romanizing would help clear that.

*noms*

Parts one, two, three, and four. Let’s get right into it. Read the rest of this entry »

From the looks of it, this is the penultimate part. Writing this is a lot of fun, guys. Sometimes, you don’t really notice how much is going on behind your idols, or what makes them idols in the first place. Keep in mind that this is all conjecture. I’ve never met an idol, or have spoken to one. (Though I have seen on- seve- 16 up close! ) Read the rest of this entry »

The first two parts to this essay can be found here. This was supposed to be done way earlier this year, but college kicked my ass this semester. But seeing as I’ve now graduated college (Bachelor of Arts, go me!), I fully intend to finish this within the next two weeks. I really want this blog to pick up! よろしく～ Read the rest of this entry »

What. It is what it is, and that’s all there is to it. *EDIT: Poll here.*

Right? As is probably obvious, I’ve moved. I’m still trying to put the boxes in the right place, but some things… I just don’t know what to do with them. Let’s see… If I shuffle this over here… and stick that right there… *steps back to look at it* There’s still something off…　Ah! I’ve figured it out! *changes the name* Yes! There! That’s what was bothering me!

I’ve moved. Does it look pretty now? Nicole, formerly known as pengie, offered to host me, and how could I say no (regardless of extenuating circumstances)? But yes. This is the second time I’ve moved, this is my third home. So hopefully, this home will be mine for a long amount of time! And yesterday, IW celebrated their third Cake Day! It’s been two years since I’ve come to know of IW and their staff, and almost a year since I’ve become staff for IW! Unfortunately, I have no cake since I have no monies ;__;. Therefore, my idols will have to sing happy cake day to IW for me.

- This has always been my favorite performance of Country Musume’s Happy Birthday. Don’t get me wrong, I love the original, but Gaki and Eri are just so damn adorable!

-Though NEWS is not my favorite Johnny’s group, I do love their singles (for the most part) and this song is so catchy! (Listen for Massu’s solo, which I love!)

So, IW, happy cake day. And I wish for MANY MANY MOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR.

<3