Pocket Morning Weekly Q&A (week of 09/26/2010)

Question: If a witch appeared before you and gave you the chance to become an anime character for one day, what would you choose?

Teinenpi Shoujo Haiji [Low-Budget Girl Heidi]!

Mickey or Donald! Definitely one of the Disney characters!

Flying Pegasus.

Tsukishima Kirari-chan. I want to wear that Balalaika～♪ outfit ↑↑

Wow, I can’t choose （＞ω＜） It’s hard to pick just one (sweats) Sailor Moon’s Usagi-chan ☆

Sana-chan from Kodomo no Omocha [Kid's Toy]! First, she is very cute, and even though her life is full of up and downs, she seems to have fun and seems to be happy. I’d really like to become like that!

Ayanami Rei.

Aw, what should I do…there are too many I’d like to become! Thinking, thinking…I want to become Card Captor Sakura! But I want to become Yuki from Vampire Kishi [Vampire Knight] as well… and also Lucy & Elsa from Fairy Tail…

Original Japanese text is here.

FujiTV “Mr. Sunday” analyzes SNSD’s popularity

Nikkei Entertainment’s editor, Sinada Hideo, recently credited SNSD’s popularity to three aspects on “Mr. Sunday“.

Hideo first credited the internet for the sensation SNSD is causing in Japan’s entertainment scene. When one person compliments SNSD, the whole nation has access to the comment, evoking their curiosity. While the previous generation of idols had to spread their image through TV and magazines, the new innovations created fan base in Japan even before their official debut.

Not to discredit the enormous amount of viewers around TV, Hiedo also credited the HDTV which allows the SNSD girls to exercise their appeal to the fullest. The previous screen ratio of 4:3 were barely enough for 4-5 member groups but the new 16:9 leaves plenty of room for the 9 muses.

Finally, Hideo credited the nine females attractive figure and performances. Specifically, he credited the “Genie” performance where they cross their arms and legs, emphasizing femininity. They also debuted with “Genie” in Japan where else SNSD earned their national idol title with “Gee”.

While the latter was cute and charming, “Genie” attracted a wide base of Japanese fans with qualities that Japanese fans believe stars should have, namely sexiness. Apparently, Japanese male fans find SNSD very attractive but find it difficult to openly adore them. On the other hand, the female fans can “idolize” the girls for their figure, sining, and dancing. Previous Japanese idols emphasized “friend” like appeal, and SNSD diverged from this norm by following up with their “ripen” image from Korea.

Hideo credited the fact that SNSD can be truly “idolized” as the de facto reason for their larger female fan base. What do you think of his indepth analysis?

Credits:allkpop

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I was very happy when I heard this. That means SNSD greatness recognized by Japanese. Good job, SNSD

Ah there’s Morning Musume. & AKB too xDD

SNSD JJANG !!

Pocket Morning Weekly Q&A (week of 09/19/2010)

Question: There is a big earthquake during a concert…Who will be the first to run out? And which member will be too scared to even move?

The one to run out would be Reina. The scared one would be JUNJUN.

First to run would be…Tanaka Reina. The scared one…probably Sayumin.

The one running out would be Reina. The one who couldn’t move…Reina as well.

The first to run out would be Tanakacchi ☆ The one scared and unable to move would be Aichan ☆ The one acting cool would be me, Sayumi ☆ (laughs)

The one to run out would be Aichan!! (I think she couldn’t think about others when things get serious). The one to be scared would be Aika probably （＞∀＜） (She’s actually quite a crybaby, and when things get scary, she’d probably cry and not move)

The one to run out would be Tanaka-san! (laughs) She even said that herself ☆ The one to be scared would be Kamei-san! She would probably sit down… （^^；）

The one to run would be me. The one being scared would be Kamei Eri.

Um…I don’t think anyone would be able to move!

Original Japanese text is here.

Why Japanese Girls Go Mad for Korean Girl Bands

Japanese fans in similar attire as the Girls’ Generation pose for a photo

Girls’ Generation perform at their first showcase in Japan on Aug. 25

Korean girl groups are attracting more fervent admirers among their own sex in Japan than from the young men they are ostensibly manufactured to appeal to. About 80 percent of the audience at the debut showcase of Girls’ Generation at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on Aug. 25 were female, from teenagers to women in their 30s. Plenty of them even sported Girls’ Generation outfits.

Things are much the same with other Korean girl groups like 4 Minute, Kara and Brown Eyed Girls. Management agencies admit that even though the bands were meant to target male fans, more than half of the fans are young girls. In Korea, girl bands have traditionally been popular among men of all ages, from teens to those in their 50s.

Differences in Image AKB 48 and Morning Musume. are the leading Japanese girl bands this year. Dressed in frilly princess dresses and much given to winsome smiles, they dance and sing to routines mainly choreographed with dainty movements of hands and feet. But Korean girl groups have a bolder, more dynamic image. They wear angular uniforms or tight skinny jeans, and dance to choreography that uses the whole body. On stage, they appear confident and charismatic.

Kim Young-min of agency SM Entertainment said, “Japanese girls who’ve had enough of Japanese girl bands that strictly appeal to men’s protective instincts seem to take bolder Korean girl groups as a role model.”

Japanese girl group AKB48

<span>Better Skills</span>Thanks to their notoriously grueling training, Korean girl groups tend to be better at dancing and singing than Japanese ones. Members of Korean girl bands go through an average of three to six years of training, while Japanese girls get just six months to a year. Japanese management agencies recently shifted from quality to quantity, on the assumption that anyone can become an “idol” with the right marketing support. AKB 48, as the name suggests, has 48 members who perform a daily gig for fans in a small theatre in Tokyo’s Akihabara. Often members are launched straight off the street and then learn on the job due to these schedules.

Filling a Boy-Band Shaped Hole Oricon, the Japanese equivalent to charts provider Billboard, recently said Japanese girls in their teens and 20s are taking to Korean girl bands during a lull for Korean boy bands. Bands such as TVXQ, Big Bang and Shinee turned Japanese girls on to K-pop, with the number of Japanese TVXQ fans estimated at over 300,000. That prompted Japanese management agencies to concentrate on the boy band market, according to Shin Sung-hee of Sony Music Entertainment. “They had no interest in girl groups whatsoever, so the current Korean girl band phenomenon took people in both Korea and Japan by surprise,” he said.

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Taken from: Daily Kpop

Pocket Morning Weekly Q&A (week of 09/12/2010)

Question: If you become lonely, what do you do to remedy the situation?

I’d do something I like!! Like my favorite DVD or listen to music… also, suddenly doing some house cleaning could be good, too!!

Chat with family☆

I’d mail Michishige.

Sleep!!! Eat!!! Sleep!!! Eat!!! Repeat.

Go play♪ When you’re having fun with friends, the loneliness just flies away!!

Hug!! (A person) (Lol) And also talk on the phone with my cousin♪

Go to Disney by myself. Go to the movies by myself. Chat on the phone with friends.

Eat or Sleep or talk on the phone with Papa Mama or read my fan letters

Original Japanese text is here.

Pocket Morning Weekly Q&A (week of 09/05/2010)

Question: Is there anything you would like to ask the other members, but you can’t, and it bothers you?

“What does Morning Musume mean to everyone???” Normally, we don’t talk about it （^^） I’d like to know.

There’s no such thing （―▽―）ノ

Do you like…apricot candies??

No, nothing.

“How do you spend your free time???” I only know the other members as my co-workers （－ω－）

“What’s your favorite scent?” When I’m buying birthday presents or such, I have a hard time deciding （^^；）

“Why is everyone so slim?”

Umm…I think there’s nothing, but maybe there is…

Original Japanese text is here.

Pocket Morning Weekly Q&A (week of 08/29/2010)

Question: I actually commute to school by bike, but could you let us know any ways to kill time on the train? （≧▽≦）

Listening to music, of course!! And while listening…observing people!! （＾＾）

Music…Wait!! I’m observing people!!

I’d be happy if you would read a book. I’m sure you can come across a really fantastic book.

I’m reading the extremely popular(!!!) Michishige Sayumi blog.

Checking my Otsukareena blog while listening to music.

I’m always listening to music! And observing people （^^）

Sleep!

[Note: She wrote that as an order, not a statement]

Sleep please. GussuRinrin.

[Note: GussuRinrin is a combination of "gussuri" (an onomatopoetic word for "deep sleep") and "Lin Lin"]

Muten Musume 1st Single – Appare Kaiten Zushi! [2010.10.27]

Morning Musume will promote the Kansai sushi using the name of the new unit, namely “Muten Musume” which was also represented in the form of cartoon characters. Their first single, Kaiten Zushi Appare! will release on October 27, 2010.

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/100829 … 014-n1.htm
http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/100829 … 014-n2.htm

Characters:

アイアイ（高橋愛）- AiAi (Tamago)

リサリサ（新垣里沙）- Risa Risa (Eel)

エリエリ（亀井絵理）- Eri Eri (Umeboshi)

サユサユ（道重さゆみ） Sayu Sayu (Mentaiko)

レイレイ（田中れいな） Rei Rei (Brocolli)

イカイカ（光井愛佳） Aika Aika/Ika Ika (squid)

ジェイジェイ（ジュンジュン） J.J. (Banana)

リリ（リンリン） LiLi (Watermelon)

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when I saw pictures of Morning Musume use the costume, I immediately thought of SNSD. Their costumes are a little like SNSD – Genie. The Korean version of course. Their hat is made similar to SNSD

Pocket Morning Weekly Q&A (week of 08/22/2010)

Question: There’s a little boy standing in the middle of a road, crying. How would you handle this situation?

I’d talk to him, give him some candy, then go to the police and ask policemen to handle him.

“What happened?! Just tell me your story… What happened to you?!” ← Yes, I’m this persistent.

I’d try to do a Kame-kame-ha for him.

I’d try to handle him with a smile. With my best one （〟＞＿＜〟）

I think I’d wonder what happened to him, but I probably wouldn’t try to talk to him and just vanish away from the place… (laughs)

I’d talk to him. Listen to his story.

What happened?!

It’s okay to cry.

[Note: LinLin wrote "Namidacchi ni nareba ii", the first line of Morning Musume's song "Namidacchi"]

Pocket Morning Weekly Q&A (week of 08/08/2010)

Question: The festival season is starting. What kind of food will you eat at the food stalls?

Apple candies （＾＾）

Character-shaped castella (＞▽＜)ノ

Anzu candies. Always cheers me up ↑↑

IKAgeso. I get bewitched by the smell and then… IKAshiteru (I’ll let loose)!!!! BalalaIKA～♪

I’d probably buy some potato-related foods ☆ Just hearing about festivals makes my tension go up ♪ So cool (laughs)

Strawberry candies ☆ I’ll definitely eat that!!! But it’s hard to find at Tokyo festivals, bad luck （；　；）

Soft-serve ice cream. Yoghurt flavor is especially good.

Roasted potatoes.