Updates to follow
There has been a distinct lack of updates around here lately, sorry about that. The university I go to in Tokyo has a crazy amount of classes per week and the homework is also pretty taxing!
I’ll try and get into posting at least a few updates a week!
Also, if anyone would like to try their hand at writing for this blog comment and I’ll contact you by email.
引っ越している〜
Just a quick note, I’m moving from the UK to Japan tomorrow for a year so I may not be able to update for a week or so! Next update will be from Japan!
Twitter anyone?
Well it’s a new trend and I can’t fall behind!
http://twitter.com/adamscottclark <— Follow me, I twitter in English, Japanese and occasionaly Mandarin~
The End of the Elder Club
We’ve known this day would come for some time but the day has finally arrived – the Elder Club members are no longer members of Hello! Project and the new leader from today onwards is Morning Musume’s Takahashi Ai. I’m hoping the Hello! Project website is updated to reflect these changes soon!
I became interested in Japanese music and subsequently Hello! Project around the end of 2005 and if these short four years there have been a LOT of changes! Some of the things that stick in my mind are; the disbandment and subsequent countless scandals of Kago Ai, Tsuji Nozomi falling pregnant and getting married, Murakami Megumi leaving Hello! Project and Ayaka getting married, amongst other things.
I actually first heard of Hello! Project in around 2003 through the video game Silent Hill 3 – there is a Morning Musume / Yaguchi Mari reference somewhere.
Enough reminiscing and sharing – bye Elder Club~! We’ll still see them do things through Up-Front hopefully!
Happy New Year~!
A Happy New Year from Totally Hello! Project – let’s hope 2009 brings lots of exciting news and some great music! I’ve heard the preview for Morning Musume’s upcoming single Naichau Kamo and I must say It’s better than their last single, a lot better! A good start to 2009!
Oh! Totally Hello! Project is around TWO years old now – I never thought I’d last this long haha!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope everyone gets lots of nice presents and has a great day~! Pictured above is Tsuji and Taiyou from Christmas 2007, aww~!
2009 Hopes / Predictions / Fears
Well it’s very nearly the end of the year again and I quite enjoying doing these lists so hear they are, my hopes, predictions and fears for Hello! Project, TNX and AKB48 in 2009! Like last year I’ll put likelihood in brackets.
Hopes
- Morning Musume release their 9th studio album, a Mandarin duet from JunLin would be lovely! (4)
- Fujimoto Miki releases her 7th single – Okitegami is pretty much done, it was nice but we’ve heard it enough already! (3)
- Mano Erina makes her major debut and manages to sell relatively well, (4)
- The Elder Club don’t stop making releases despite them no longer being members of Hello! Project, (2)
- SHIPS sell better! (Could this really be hard considering the sales of their last single?) (3)
- Ice Creamusume quickly release some original material, (3)
- Kago Ai releases her mini-album which is already supposed to be out! (3)
- Goto Maki finally gets a single from Avex,
- Tsuji Nozomi appears at the final Elder Club concert (this has already been semi-confirmed though not by Up-Front), (3)
- Ohori Meshibe releases a second single, (2)
- No more major graduations from AKB48, (2)
- We see more of SKE48, (4)
Predictions
- Ice Creamusume fails to make an impact in Japan, (3)
- Mano Erina becomes the “new Kusumi Koharu,” only more loveable, (3)
- Morning Musume graduation? (3)
- Berryz Koubou / C-ute graduation? (3)
- New Hello! Project groups, once again temporary, (4)
- Oogoe Diamond will be the high point of AKB48 sales, (3)
Fears
- More auditions, Up-Front needs to concentrate on the artists it has (3)
- Morning Musume graduation, the 9nin lineup is good! (3)
- Hello! Project keeps the Wonderful Hearts / Elder Club scheme and Morning Musume as well as some Eggs comrpise the Elder Club, (Please no!) (2)
- Scandal…(2)
