Mina's Photobook Wishlist, Idols & Dubstep, Provocative Dancing, and the Masterminds Behind J-Idols

Hello ladies, I feel like I refer to readers to much as 'guys' not that I actually think the majority of followers are males but in the modern-sense guys can be used as gender neutral.  WOAH.  I'm sorry it seems I went off on a tangent sooner than expected.  I'm sorry.  [What do you ladies think of the font size?  I was thinking the old size was a bit too small and this is the next size up.]


Photobook Wishlist [The Part Where You All Discover I'm a Perv]:

The news of Acchan releasing another photobook got me super excited; I almost bought it immediately.  I'm planning on going to Japan next year so I've concluded it is best to wait and just go on a shopping splurge.  AKB48 fans have likely heard this news by now.  Acchan's PB sales tend to amazing.  I personally adore her previous releases.  On that topic, the photobooks that I currently own are the following: Myao's Shining Sky, Watarirouka Hashiritai's Akkanbe, both travel diary PBs from AKB48, the third volume of TomoCawaii, AKB48 x Bijo Saishu, Acchan, and ATSUKO.  So if you are keeping track I own two of her PBs.  One was taken in Hawaii, the other in New York City.  The concept for this release is her clumsy side, which is very true.  Plus, it was shot in Paris.  I enjoy PBs shot in different countries because you see them play around more than if they were just held up in a room.  Now moving onto my current wishlist.  [They are in no particular order.]

1. Maeda Atsuko (AKB) - Bukiyou
2. Maeda Atsuko (AKB) - Hai
3. Michishige Sayumi (Morning Musume) - La
4. Ishikawa Rika (Dream Morning Musume) - hanagocoro
5. AKB48 - AKB48 Twenty-Four Hours
6. Matsui Rena (SKE) - Kingyo
7. Asami Konno (ex Morning Musume member) - Alo-Hello!
8. Kojima Haruna (AKB) - Haruna Kojima
9. Oshima Yuko (AKB) - Yuko Oshima L.A.
10. Itano Tomomi (AKB) - TomoCawaii Vol. 2
11. Eri Kamei (ex Morning Musume) - 20
12. Fujimoto Miki (Dream Morning Musume) - Cheri
13. Abe Natsumi (Dream Morning Musume) - ecru [or whatever I love Nacchi] 


Idols and Dubstep:
There are people who love or hate dubstep, similar to the reaction received by to auto-tune.  I fell in love with dubstep thanks to the UK hit TV show Skins which is known for their music selection.  If you watch the sixth season which is currently airing you'll likely hear it.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about or what it sounds like, here is a link.  If you frequent YouTube, you've probably have noticed popular songs being remixed with dubstep.  It is basically good party/ club music.  Just like how not long after auto-tune went mainstream in the US that it went mainstream in Asia, dubstep has followed.  I've yet to see it gain the popularity it has in the United States, but that may be due to (at least in Japan) the clubscene is different when compared to the west.  


My interest in discussing this topic was due to the preview of Morning Musume's upcoming single which features auto-tuning and the use of dubstep.  Personally I've hated most instances of auto-tune by Morning Musume, and Hello Project in general.  It doesn't make Shige's voice sound better but pitchier.  It tends to ruin singles for me, like with Niigaki's lines in Only You.  I'm waiting till I see the PV for this song before laying final judgement on the use of dubstep.  At the moment it sounds a bit like they just added it in there to try to be cool.  The rest of the song sounds like their past singles.  It is only featured heavily in two segments: the beginning and presumedly in a dance section.  While other songs I've heard from the west integrate it more into the beat.   

Now K-Pop isn't excluded from the practice either.  However, I only recently noticed it.  There was one song in particular that it jumped out at me but I've forgotten which.  However, when I tried to figure out what it was I found out that it was used in Hyuna's Bubble Pop.  [face palm]  I've listened to that song so many times, why have I never noticed it!  So when I was listening to it I was like 'where is it?' because the most noticeable time is in the dance section.  [I was probably too distracted by the infamous butt-to-vagina wipe she does.]  A strong beat isn't uncommon for K-Pop, but if you notice they use a small dubstep part used as a beat in the verses.  I had to listen for it to notice.  I do like the approach because it is not too overpowering, so the song doesn't sound like a remix.  But that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind dubstep being more highlighted.  Songs like Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, and Ke$ha's Till the World Ends I think feature it well without making the only noticeable element.  [although that song is technically a remix.]  

Provocative Dancing:

I would like to focus on the example of the rookie K-Pop group ChoColat and their recent music video, One More Day, that has been getting some heat.  I want to start off with saying that I completely understand why people are upset.  The last thing I approve of is sexualization of children.  It is unhealthy.  I am in favor of banning child beauty pageants.  What the PV Guru Guru Curtain did I thought was distasteful which was sad because I did like relatively everything else.  


After stating that little disclaimer I now want to get into the fact that I don't mind the dancing in the MV.  The youngest members are basically freshmen in high school if that helps give you an idea of their age.  I don't know about you guys but this is nothing by my freshmen standards.  At mixers, dance parties held above a local bowling alley after home football games, it was basically a mass of grinding teens.  Does everybody here know what grinding is?  [I know that it was odd for my friends in Japan.]  It is basically a lap dance standing up, or the person in front bending over.  One of my favorite things at mixers was establishing a grinding train which is about four or more people in a line grinding against each other.  Now when watching it, it looks like sex with clothes on = dry humping.  However, I usually did this with friends and I never had the intention of sleeping with any of them.  Another story to give you perspective on my outlook is that I was dropping it like it's hot since 6th grade (first year of middle school = 11).  It is just the style of dancing that is popular.  Britney Spears was 16 when Baby Hit Me One More Time was released.  


So when I look at what they did I'm not too concerned.  If they were wearing something more risque then I would have a problem, but at the moment it only looks like the dancing is suggestive.  I think the moves people are most bothered by are ones relating to the chairs.  Personally, it makes sense if you think choreography.  I tend to be unimpressed by dancing with chairs, but they did a good job of it.  Then there is the camera shots, like of their butts.  I've tried to think of a better shot that would be better to highlight the move, but I don't have any better ideas.  Plus, it is not gratuitous shots.  So, nope.  I do not think this is inappropriate.  


[I've bashed Miley Cyrus because I think the situation is different.  If you are a Disney star then your music is targeted at young children.  Britney Spears had a break after the kids TV show before debuting as a solo artist.  You can't help who your fans are, but if part of your target audience is children you must take extra responsibility.  I don't care if you all of a sudden want to act your age.  You need to handle a careful transition, preferably a break period.]


The Masterminds Behind J-Idols:
This was spurred by my discovery that I'll likely never purchase a Johnny's good ever (well maybe with the exception of a concert ticket).  Why is that?  Because the man behind JE, Johnny Kitagawa, is a pedophile.  Now this especially pisses me off consider the strict code idols themselves follow.  It also disturbs me because the media tends to avoid the topic because he basically owns all the popular males stars in Japan.  This is disappointing because when I was considering doing a comparison of the three main idol-production groups I was planning on praising them.  JE has the most long-term success not only for the groups themselves but as a organization as a whole.  They've been successful for a while.  Plus, older units like SMAP and Arashi, who is heading into their 30s, are still standing strong.

Let's compare this to Hello Project.  Their production style, PV-wise, is similar.  You tend to see a lot of low budget, formulaic music videos.  However the main difference is the success topic.  I think everyone is aware that Hello Project has plateaued.  I thought they were coming back with S/mileage but they fizzled out due to bad management on Tsunku's part.  The whole member change element did it in for Morning Musume too.  At first it worked extremely well, but now the biggest factor is no one knows the current members.  The question is what will he do with Dream Morning Musume.  The group could become like SMAP or Arashi with longterm success, but only if he tries to do more than make money.  Both Johnny and Kitagawa, to me, seem only out there for the bottom line.  

I think the topic isn't 100% true when it comes to Akimoto Yasushi.  They've been employing amazing film directors to film their PVs.  He has also used controversial subject matter.  For example, a verse in Beginner isn't performed on TV because it criticizes parents.  They've had singles on sexuality, bullying, and SKE48 just released a PV featuring homosexual behavior.  SDN48's singles consistently were in the Top 3 of the Oricon charts, but he is disbanding them.  It isn't like he isn't making money off of them.  While he hasn't made long term success for a single group.  He has had multiple periods of success.  He formed Onyanko Club in 1985.  Onyanko Club debuted at #5, but the following single hit at #2.  They had six consecutive #1 singles.  If you wonder why AKB48 songs have strong sexual undertones it is likely due to Akimoto.  Onyanko Club was known for their playful, un-preachy, songs about taboo subjects.  I think Akimoto is more of an creative guy, but the record company and likely business-minded folk contribute to their marketing.  [Fun side note for Morning Musume fans.  While he was in high school he produced episodes of Utaban.] 

Watching this interview is very enlightening for a fan.  I've always tried to defend AKB48 talent-wise, so hearing the concept makes me appreciate AKB48 more.  I do think there are members who are talented, but there is variation.  I do agree that as a whole they could not compete against western artists.  This is where I see a difference between Tsunku and Akimoto's selection of talent.