Nogizaka46 has had its share of solo photobooks. This privilege is usually given to some of the center-caliber members, such as Shiraishi Mai and Nishino Nanase. So why not give Ikuta Erika one? Yes, this is a review of Ikuta Erika’s recently released solo photobook, titled Tencho, or Modulation. The photobook was released this month, and of course since I am a big Nogizaka46 fan, and a big supporter of Ikuta Erika, I had to pick this one up. There’s a lot to like about Ikuta Erika. She loves udon, she is one of the biggest dorks in the Nogizaka lineup, she voiced Rue in the Japanese dub of The Hunger Games, and she is one of the most talented piano players I’ve seen in my life. But is her first photobook worth a purchase? Let’s find out. One thing to note in this photobook is that there is an awful lot of German in the book, ranging from sentences to chapter titles. That’s because Ikuta Erika was actually born in Germany and spent 5 years of her life there before moving to Japan. Speaking of Germany, the entire photobook takes place in Deutschland. When I open the photobook, I can imagine myself going on a vacation with Ikuta Erika to visit the area where she grew up. She first arrives in the airport, and then takes a bus to her hometown of Dusseldorf. In some photos, you can see her visit some areas that were still around when she was younger, evidenced by a “before and after” type of photo set. I personally find it pretty awesome that Ikuta Erika can remember the same places that were still around before she moved to Japan. Of course, because Nogizaka46 is known for conservative gravure, there are some shots in this photobook where Ikuta Erika is relaxing in her hotel room. It is classy, it isn’t lewd, and I have this feeling that I am just hanging out with her before we see the sights of Germany again.
I do like Ikuta Erika’s fashion sense. She wears a lot of cute casual outfits when touring around the city, such as a beanie, a sweater and short shorts. She can pull off this combination well. One thing I also want to point out are the shots where she is dressed in a pretty heavy dress. This made her look like a princess who escaped her lavish daily lifestyle. Then we get to one portion of the photobook, aptly titled Erster Verusch, translated in English, First Try. What is Ikuta Erika going to try for the first time? As mentioned earlier, Nogizaka46 is known for having conservative gravure shots. The most you would see is a tank top and short shorts on your favorite member, but nothing along the lines of swimsuits or bikinis. Only a few members have been seen in a bikini, such as Nishino Nanase, Shiraishi Mai, Eto Misa, and Hashimoto Nanami. Now it’s Ikuta Erika’s turn. Basically, Ikuta Erika is in a pool, in a white bikini. Moving right along, we get a few photos of Ikuta Erika practicing some Chopin on piano, as well as a few photos where she is eating dinner in a black dress. The dinner photos are pretty notable because she bears a very striking resemblance to someone on the AKB48 side. Basically, Ikuta Erika looks near identical to Maeda Atsuko in those photos, and sure enough, it is possible to mistake the two. One thing I do want to note is that, throughout the photobook, I could not stop staring into Ikuta Erika’s eyes. They’re really spellbinding, to be quite honest. Yes, they are listed as one of her charm points, but a photobook usually emphasized a charm point, and you’re able to see it in a few shots. I was looking into her eyes with every shot. No lie. Overall, this book is spectacular. There are a lot of things you discover about Ikuta Erika just with one run through of the photobook, and it’s sure to please fans of Ikuta Erika and Nogizaka46 alike. It feels like a trip to Germany with one of the most beautiful, yet dorky, members of the franchise. I loved this photobook, and I am glad that I purchased it. This was an experience, and I am glad it was with Ikuta Erika. Hopefully, you can enjoy the experience too! -Nathan (L4verra) With the recent waves of graduation announcements here and there, especially on the AKB48 side (Nagao Mariya, Iwata Karen), surely Nogizaka46 would not feel the same, right? That sadly is not the case. Fukagawa Mai has officially announced graduation. The former model will graduate from the group on March 26, after Nogizaka46 releases their 14th single. What makes this graduation announcement important? One simple reason: Nogizaka46 has not had a graduation announcement of this magnitude in their history. Sure, you could say that members such as Ito Nene and Hatanaka Seira were pretty big graduation announcements at the time, but this is the first time a perennial senbatsu member has announced graduation. Fukagawa Mai has not missed a senbatsu lineup since “Hashire! Bicycle” which was almost four years ago. One thing to note as well is that Maimai is one of the most supportive members in all of Nogizaka46. Whenever a member has a birthday, she would write them a card of sorts. I remember that she did this when my Nogizaka46 oshi, Wada Maaya, had her birthday celebration. Maimai is also a fan favorite among the Nogizaka46 faithful. Because of her calm, supportive, and otherwise “saint-like” demeanor, she was given the nickname “Holy Mother” among the fan base. She even announced her official leave after the release of the 14th single, giving her fans a little bit of time to support her as much as they can. We have had one pretty big graduation announcement with Nagashima Seira announcing her graduation last month. Now that Fukagawa Mai announced hers, it may take some time to get over the feeling that both are leaving by March. As for my opinion, yes I am saddened to see both of them go. Yes, I will admit that I did like Fukagawa Mai an awful lot and viewed her much like an older sister of sorts. She does have some big plans after her tenure in Nogizaka46, as do a lot of the members in the group, but I wholeheartedly support her and her future goals! Same thing with Nagashima Seira; while I did not exactly know her that well in the group, she has a clear path outside of Nogizaka46, and it is best to appreciate her presence in the group for as long as I, and many other fans, can. But I digress. Let us pray to the holy mother, for she can support us through the tough times. -Nathan (L4verra) I have an interesting story to tell. I have told this story to plenty of people, and if you know me, you’ve probably heard this story as well. But this story explains why I have been all about Miyawaki Sakura and the St. Louis Cardinals. I really love telling this story, so if you’d like to read on… Back in February of this year, I was still somewhat trying to find myself as a fan of Major League Baseball. I gave a trial run with the Oakland Athletics, but if anybody is familiar with the Oakland Athletics in the 2014 season, you would know that the season was the closest thing to a Greek tragedy. Simply put, I was kind of wondering whether or not I picked the right team to support. Keep in mind that I was someone who owned several MLB team’s hats just to try to find the right team (i.e. Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, Twins, Royals, Cubs, Mets, Pirates, etc.), and picked the A’s because they seemed like the safest option. Meaning that no one really hated them. I was in Las Vegas at the time, and I found a nice looking cap for like, $12. It was a St. Louis Cardinals cap with the 2013 World Series patch on it (which interestingly was a World Series they lost). I actually enjoyed wearing this cap while walking around the Las Vegas Strip. At the same time, I was catching up with Majisuka Gakuen 4, which had Miyawaki Sakura as the lead character that season. That was the most Sakura I had seen at the time. Keep in mind that I used to be real indifferent about Sakura, and honestly not care that much about her. But little did I know that both Miyawaki Sakura and the St. Louis Cardinals would define my entire 2015. From February until May, I was working as a dietary aide in a nursing home. Some of the responsibilities I had included preparing food on a tray line, washing dishes in pretty unsanitary conditions, and delivering carts of coffee and food for patients. Never in my life had I felt so alone and disrespected…the outfits we had to wear looked rather silly, no one followed the “English only” policy as 90% of the staff spoke Spanish, and I felt disrespected by everyone: nurses, patients, fellow dietary aides, etc. I worked long, painful hours, I got paid minimum wage despite owning a Bachelors degree, and I was motivated to get the hell out of there and work somewhere else. I felt not only physically drained, but also emotionally and mentally exhausted. What does this have to do with Sakura? Just listen. Because I was alone during my lunch break, I would pretend that there was a girl who always stopped by to visit her grandmother at the nursing home. This girl would usually visit at the time I had lunch. She noticed that I had an AKB48 member as my phone wallpaper when she was walking past (at the time it was a photo of Watanabe Mayu), and then told me how she was a fan of Mayuyu for a while now. We became good friends at the time. I told her all about the crap I had to go through working as a dietary aide on a regular basis, I told her about some of the friends I have who also like AKB48, and I told her about how I am trying to find a Major League Baseball team to really root for next season. What was this pretend girl’s name? Her name was Miyawaki Sakura. And she said she was a diehard Cardinals fan from Maplewood, MO. By June, not only did I pay attention to two the games and current rosters of two teams (Oakland/St. Louis), but I also paid a whole lot more attention to Miyawaki Sakura. I followed a Sakura fan page on Facebook, I had one of her mobame photos as a phone wallpaper, and every time I saw her perform in a concert or on AKBingo!, I would get hyped up. I did this because I pretended Sakura was my closest friend when I needed one the most. I paid a lot more attention to the St. Louis Cardinals at the time, more so than the Oakland Athletics. The A’s season was crumbling fast while the Cardinals were doing well. I still would pay attention to the A’s, but when I saw them live at Angel Stadium (Anaheim) and O.Co Coliseum (Oakland), they lost both games in blowout fashion. With the Cardinals, I only saw them live once this year, at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles). However, I was kind of timid to wear that Cardinals cap I bought in Las Vegas given that there was a lot of bad blood between the Cardinals and the Dodgers (the Cardinals eliminated the Dodgers in the playoffs two years in a row). Given the incidents of violence that occurred in Dodger Stadium, I did not want to put myself in what could have been a painful situation. Thus, I wore a Dodgers cap to the game even though I wanted to root for the Cardinals. That was a loss on my end, as 35-40% of that stadium was filled with Cardinals fans. The Cardinals won that game, and I was frustrated for not representing the team not only I truly wanted to root for, but the team Sakura was rooting for. I was mad for being scared. Because of this, I took the time and effort to really dig into the St. Louis Cardinals history. I researched the Cardinals teams of old, including the Gashouse Gang of the 30s and Whitey Ball of the 80s. I learned to embrace the hate rather than grow timid to the masses. I watched highlights on YouTube and I purchased Cardinals jerseys. I did all of this because I kept thinking about Sakura. Yes, I was pretending that an idol from Kagoshima was my closest friend, but I was happy doing this. I’m still doing this to this day, and I’m still happy! Every time I see the St. Louis Cardinals, I always think of Miyawaki Sakura, and vice-versa. The funny thing is, in August I went to visit Las Vegas once again. While walking around the Strip, I was rocking my good old St. Louis Cardinals cap I bought there in February, and some guy walks up to me trying to sell tickets for a show. This is how the conversation went: Guy: Hey, what’s up man? Cardinal Nation up in here! Me: That’s right bro! Guy: You from St. Louis? Me: Nah, but my girlfriend is. Guy: That’s what’s up. You have a photo? Me: Sure! This is what she looks like: Since then, I have gone with this story every time someone asks about how I rock a Cardinals cap. Even though I’ve done plenty of research on the team and all of the famous St. Louis Cardinals I would need to know to call myself a Cardinals fan (i.e. Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Dizzy Dean, etc.), I always seem to say “because my girl is from St. Louis” and then bring up a photo of Sakura. I want to have fun with this, since the Cardinals are not exactly well received where I am from. Thus, I think I may follow the St. Louis Cardinals for the rest of my life. I am already trying to plan a trip in June to St. Louis just to see them hit home runs and strike batters out in Busch Stadium. Don’t get me wrong: I still will root for the A’s as well, whether or not they win or lose 100 games. But I am much more hyped with the Cardinals, and don’t mind rooting for a team several other fan bases hate. I am willing to embrace the role of being hated, because who cares what those people think anyway? Look at me now. I quit my dietary aide job for an overall better one as a behavior interventionist. I am looking forward every day to St. Louis Cardinals baseball and whatever the hell the real life Miyawaki Sakura is up to. What a year 2015 has been. There were so many highs, a few lows, and yes, so many idol songs. I would say this was a year that I stood a little apart from the whole AKB48/Nogizaka46 line and went towards other idol groups, and boy were there a lot of idol groups. The main reason why I want to write this article is because there are five idol songs released this year that all share a special story. Each song defines my 2015, and I am willing to tell you exactly why. If you want you can give all five of these songs a listen! Just make sure you can find a way around YouTube’s prohibition on Japanese pop music, because one out of these five is unavailable. [Editor's Note: This may be worked out in the future] No, this is not a “Top Five” list. Let me lay one important thing about this article: this is an idols only set. Unfortunately, that means no Kyary Pamyu Pamyu or Perfume on this list, which is a shame because I would definitely include “KISEKAE” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and “STAR TRAIN” by Perfume easily on this list…but without further ado, here are five idol songs that shaped my 2015. “Akiba Romance” – Hiiragi Rio This year was the first time I visited the Japan Expo in Los Angeles. Despite the rather weak turnout, the event overall was a fun experience. The real star of the show was definitely the idol performances. From some up and coming acts (Linkstar’s, Roli Angels) to some more well known acts (Cheeky Parade), the idol performances as a whole were a sight to behold. Despite the variety, the best performance in my book was Hiiragi Rio. Let’s just say that she has an idol song that celebrates otaku and wota culture. The real hook behind the song is that it is one of the bounciest songs you will ever listen to. Even when Hiiragi Rio was performing this live, you couldn’t help but to rock back and forth during the chorus. Fortunately, this song was not blocked in the United States. Give it a try! “Halloween Night” – AKB48 Because I am an honest fan of AKB48, at least one of their singles had to be here. What better way than the Sousenkyo single for 2015? Let me tell you the story about this one. A few of my friends had a get together for the Sousenkyo election, as we counted down every member who ranked. Most of us wanted someone other than Sashihara Rino to take the crown, but she won in a completely dominating fashion. The night overall was fun and exciting, most especially due to the reactions we had over every entry. Fast forward to a few months later and the first performance of “Halloween Night” happens. At first it sounded a little weak and almost like a B-side, but like most AKB48 songs this one grew on me. This had a disco feel and I have a thing for 70’s disco. It even came with a dance routine! Of course, I jumped right on this and my friends and I filmed the routine to present to AKB48 management. It took several tries to get all of the steps, as this dance routine was not as easy as “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” or “Kokoro no Placard”. Unfortunately, the recent YouTube prohibition hit AKB48 the hardest, and nothing is available on AKB48’s official account to American fans. Looks like I may never see how the “Halloween Night” routine turned out… “Kimi ga Ite Boku ga Ita” – Rev. from DVL Throughout 2014 and 2015, I heard rumors of some idol who was one who showed up “every 1000 years”. Of course, I grew kind of curious as to who this “Idol of 1000 Years” was. I found out it was a girl named Hashimoto Kanna, and that one image can give you that title. This was the first year I have one of Rev. from DVL’s songs a listen. I did like what I was listening to, and I will admit that Hashimoto Kanna was able to stand out in the music video. Let me just say that I did jump on the Hashimoto Kanna bandwagon and am not ashamed to have done so. I feel like the more I talk about Hashimoto Kanna, the more I am doing a disservice to the other idols in the lineup…but really, the only person whose aura resonates in my book is Hashimoto Kanna. She is more of an idol cyborg than Watanabe Mayu, and that’s saying something. Surprisingly, Rev. from DVL is not blocked on YouTube, so take a look. “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” – Nogizaka46 With Nogizaka46 receiving one of the biggest snubs on the NHK Kouhaku the previous year, they had to make a statement. With three releases throughout the year, a baseball-based comedy/drama, and a slew of new shows, Nogizaka46 was a lock for NHK Kouhaku this year. No scandals even got in the way this time. There was a reason why I picked “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” over the other two singles. I would say “Inochi wa Utsukushii” sounded powerful and a tad dark, and “Taiyou Knock” was bright and energetic. Then we get to this single, and basically everything that this song is used for makes you cry. This song was used for the animated film, The Anthem of the Heart. Even watching the trailer of the film makes you want to tear up! Then there’s the music video, which makes you tear up even more than that. I swear that a good chunk of singles Nishino Nanase centered for will probably make you want to tear up. There was “Kidzuitara Kataomoi”, and now there is this. Unfortunately with Nogizaka46, all of their main channel videos are blocked, and this was before the big YouTube prohibition. The good thing is that Sony Music Taiwan has the music video available. “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪” – SUPER☆GiRLS 2015 was a year where I expanded my knowledge of J-Pop groups and idol groups. There were plenty of groups I discovered this year alone, with Musubizm, Cheeky Parade, FES☆TIVE, and Keyakizaka46 to name a few. Then there was this group, SUPER☆GiRLS. How I discovered SUPER☆GiRLS involves a web show that I wanted to be a part of. On the web show “Basugasubakuhatsu the TV”, I wanted to be a guest host and watch some idol videos while giving commentary. One of the videos was “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪”, and I got hooked to this song once I heard it. I also found a SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right off the bat in Tanaka Mirei. Perhaps it was her smile or perhaps it was because she was an amazing center in this song. Either way, she became my SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right away, and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. I mean, I spent a good few weeks trying to find her photobook, and only found out that it has been out of print for a year…but I digress. The song itself was joyful and gave a very bright summer vibe whenever I played it. It also helped that 90% of the video is of the members in bikinis, so of course that got my attention. Keep in mind that the video posted below is not exactly safe for work. Basically, since the theme of the year was spreading knowledge away from 48 and 46, and towards other groups, no other song epitomized the theme of the year better than this one. These are the five songs that defined my entire 2015. What idol songs defined your 2015? Let me know in the comments below.
-Nathan (L4verra) For those of you who are not familiar with the NHK annual Kouhaku, it is a concert that is meant to celebrate the New Year in Japan. This concert has some of the best musical acts in all of Japan, and this concert is meant to be a reward for a year’s worth of hard work. Some of the J-Pop groups that made it this year include AKB48, Nogizaka46, Perfume, and NMB48. But you might be asking yourself, who did not make it this year? Well, I am going to list a few J-Pop acts that may have been snubbed by NHK. Some of which for good reason, and some of which made absolutely no sense. Acts such as Momoiro Clover Z, Rev. from DVL, and Cheeky Parade, did not make the lineup, but I will focus on four acts in particular. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Harajuku’s finest did not make it into the NHK Kouhaku lineup this year. To be 100% honest, I can see why. Even though I am a huge fan of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, I, as well as thousands of her fans, have to agree that she did not go as hard as previous years, especially 2013 and 2014. She had two big releases the entire year in “Mondai Girl” and “Crazy Party Night”, and the general consensus is that “Crazy Party Night” is one of her weaker singles. This year there was no album release and Pamyu did not make it to the United States to perform (she was close to going to J-Pop Summit in San Francisco this year but management backed her out at the last minute). Basically, compared to what we have seen of her, this was not the best year for Pamyu, and thus she got snubbed off of this year’s NHK Kouhaku. But what I did like about this year was that this year was kind of a means to relax, especially given all she has done in previous years. She has gone hard as a mother since the debut of “PONPONPON” back in 2011. I will still be here to support her no matter what. If she wants in on NHK Kouhaku next year however, she may need to release more than two singles. HKT48 If you did not know this interesting tidbit of trivia, HKT48 was not supposed to be in the NHK Kouhaku last year. That spot was reserved for Nogizaka46, but after Yamato Rina had a scandal that involved breaking the law, Nogizaka46 was booted off of the lineup and subbed in with HKT48. Given that Nogizaka46 has done nothing wrong to get kicked off of the lineup this year, they have finally earned that long overdue NHK Kouhaku spot. Unfortunately for HKT48, that means they get the short end of the stick. While HKT48 had a few solid releases this year, such as “12 Byou” and “Shekarashika!”, those two singles alone were not enough to secure a spot. HKT48’s snub will not exactly affect members who have been on an AKB48 senbatsu, such as Miyawaki Sakura and Sashihara Rino. However, for the HKT48-centric members, such as Moriyasu Madoka, Murashige Anna, and Matsuoka Natsumi, this affects them a whole lot more. SKE48 This is probably the biggest snub on the 48G side of things. Yes, SKE48 is not in the NHK Kouhaku lineup this year, but the bigger question would be, why did they get snubbed? I would say the biggest reason had to be all of the members who graduated this year alone. Two members in particular had the most stopping power in the entire lineup, and both of those members (Matsui Rena and Furukawa Airi) have now graduated. Things are a little shaky in Sakae right now, to the point where Matsui Jurina had to cut her AKB48 kennin off. This is an idol unit that is somehow going through a “rebuilding phase”, and releasing only two singles this year did not help their cause (no, we are not counting the Love Crescendo single or any of the sub-unit singles). I am by no means insulting the lineup or any of the members; I do like Shibata Aya, Tani Marika, Kumazaki Haruka, and Takayanagi Akane. Unfortunately for all of them, SKE48 will have to regroup and wait until next year to secure a Kouhaku spot. Like most rebuilding teams in sports, just get through the present in order to focus on future goals. It may suck now, but it will be worth it in the future. I hope Matsui Jurina knows that… Ebisu Muscats lol In all honesty, there was no chance that the Ebisu Muscats, even during their revival, could make NHK Kouhaku. Speaking as a fan of the Muscats since 2010, even when they were in their prime (2012-2013), they had no chance. I cannot speak for NHK management, but if an idol group with av stars makes NHK Kouhaku, would that raise a few problems? The funny thing is, on the Ebisu Muscats’ variety show, they would throw a Kouhaku-style performance set, complete with costumes and parodies. This was the only time I saw my Ebisu Muscats oshimen, Rukawa Rina, perform “Aitakatta” by AKB48. That was one of the greatest moments I had seen of her on that entire show, ever. Basically, the Ebisu Muscats may never get into an NHK Kouhaku lineup for family-friendly reasons, and that is a-ok. Those are the entries that missed their spot on NHK Kouhaku. Did I miss anyone? Were there even bigger snubs? Let me know in the comments below. -Nathan (L4verra) Remember that official AKB48 rival group, named Nogizaka46? Yes, well, a few months ago the first sister group to Nogizaka46 was announced. This is Keyakizaka46. They seem like a good up and coming idol group, similar to what NGT48 is going through right now. However, Keyakizaka46 is running into a few problems, and the members have only been around for about three months now. What are those problems? For starters, some involve immediate resignations, a name change without warning, and illegal activity. I’ll do the best I can to explain these three problems in detail. Let’s begin. One: The Name Change When Keyakizaka46 was announced, they were not called Keyakizaka46. This group was originally named Toriizaka46, which references one of the steepest hills in Roppongi Hills. This is similar to how Nogizaka46 is a reference to the Sony Music Entertainment building (aptly named SME Nogizaka Building) as well as a reference to a subway station in Tokyo. While Keyakizaka46 is a reference to a street in Roppongi Hills, the name change was way too sudden to just happen like that. Yes, by now I, as well as plenty of other fans, are used to the new name, but Toriizaka46, in my opinion, had a bit of a better ring to it. I still think of Keyakizaka46 as “Kentucky46”. I’m guessing their first single will be called “Oide Fried Chicken”, huh? Two: The Resignation of Suzuki Mizuho When Keyakizaka46 was announced, there were 22 members who would take the stage as the 1st generation. A few days later, that number dropped to 21. For some unknown reason, according to AKB48 Daily, Suzuki Mizuho mysteriously graduated from Keyakizaka46. Why? There is so much mystery behind Suzuki Mizuho’s case that I may just reach for ridiculous reasons. Maybe the training to become an idol was too much to overcome. Maybe she had academic obligations. Maybe her family never wanted her to become an idol. Who knows? All I know is that, as a fan of Nogizaka46 and as someone trying to become a Keyakizaka46 fan, I wish her the best on her future endeavors, whatever they may be. Three: Harada Mayu The first two reasons that Keyakizaka46 is going through a rocky start are not exactly that major. It is easy to get used to the new name and it is easy to find a potential successor for Suzuki Mizuho. This last one, however, is not acceptable. According to Arama! Japan, Harada Mayu was revealed to be dating her middle school teacher. Not only does this violate the infamous “no dating” clause held strictly by management, there is a problem with the age difference. Specifically, Harada Mayu is a 17 year old girl, dating a 20-or-30-something grown man. What makes all of this worse is that there is one photo of the middle school teacher groping Harada Mayu in a purikura-like photo. If you feel like you will get nauseous after that sentence alone, look away now. Yes, that reads “boobs-“on the bottom if you aren’t familiar with hiragana. Of course, this makes me think of the same issues that got Yamato Rina kicked out of Nogizaka46: breaking the “no dating” clause, underage drinking, etc. Not only will Harada Mayu likely experience the same fate as Yamato Rina, her middle school teacher boyfriend is likely going to prison, especially for the groping photo. I don’t by any means hate on Harada Mayu nor do I wish any ill will on her. But her boyfriend deserves all the negative consequences he will likely experience. Isn’t it illegal to grope a minor? Even if Mayu was okay with it, she still wasn’t and isn’t of the legal age to consent without parent approval. Hell, what parent would be okay to see their 17-year-old daughter get groped by a grown adult male? Damn, we’re reaching Jared Fogle-level stuff here and this instance involved an underage idol. Let’s hope that Harada Mayu, and her boyfriend, don’t cause the Keyakizaka46 idol group to break down and disband. At least that’s what I hope. Keyakizaka46, as of now, is crumbling before anything is built. All these things have happened and this squad hasn’t even released a single yet. While things are not looking good so far, that does not mean I am giving up on this lineup. Even if we forget about Harada Mayu and the dating scandal, there is still untapped potential in this group. I still have faith in this group like I did with Nogizaka46, and I believe the remaining 20 members are going to do great things. They may possibly give Nogizaka46 a run for their money! Anything can happen, and while Keyakizaka46 may be stumbling out of the gate, there is still plenty, and I mean plenty of time for this group to recover. They get knocked down, but they’ll get back up again. Yes, Keyakizaka46 is making me think of Chumbawamba. They’ll be singing when they’re winning. -Nathan (L4verra) A while ago I wrote an article detailing the Franchise Four of the 48 Groups. Since we are still in baseball season, I am still thinking about “Franchise Fours” like crazy. It got me thinking… Who is on my Franchise Four? What I mean by this is the four artists or idols that really got you into J-Pop, or have done something special that kept you as a fan almost forever. The possibilities are endless if you’ve been a fan of J-Pop for years now, but if you had to narrow it down to just four individuals, who would it be and why? Let me tell you which four individuals I selected. I would have never enjoyed J-Pop if it weren’t for these four… Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Minegishi Minami, Wada Maaya, Rukawa Rina
Let me explain each one in detail. The reason why I chose Kyary Pamyu Pamyu as the first choice is because she remains the only person out of these three that I have seen perform live. I first heard of Pamyu through the Ebisu Muscats’ variety show way back in 2013. Some of the Muscats were covering her songs during one of the show’s segments, and the song “Tsukema Tsukeru” was covered. Curious, I did a little research on the song and found out that it was by an upcoming artist named Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. From then on, I became hooked. It took a while for me to get used to songs such as “PonPonPon” and “Candy Candy”, but eventually they grew on me and I could not stop playing them. Then I found out she was coming here. She was going to perform at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Of course, I could not let an opportunity like that slip by, so I bought a ticket, went to the concert 4 hours early, and met a lot of new friends there. I screamed my heart out when I saw her take the stage, and I thought to myself, “I have to do this again!” Lucky for me, she was performing in San Francisco the same year, so I traveled all the way up there to see her once again. While that concert was short (and not worth the 6 hour drives…), I was still rather thankful to watch her perform. The very next year, she came back to perform, and I once again did not let this opportunity slip by. I’ve seen her perform three times in my life, which is why I have her on my Franchise Four. If she ever comes back, I may get the VIP package to get myself a photo with her. I will admit this: Kyary has been my celebrity crush since 2013… I’ve already touched on Minegishi Minami and Wada Maaya before, but there’s no harm in reviewing! I found out about Minegishi Minami because of her scandal. I used to despise AKB48 (as was the case with most Ebisu Muscats fans), but when I found out she shaved her head due to a dating scandal, I got curious. I did a little research on who she was, what she’s done with AKB48, and so on. It did not take too long for me to drop the AKB48 hatred and call her my oshi. Yes, that scandal is what drove me to become a Minegishi Minami fan. She unlocked AKB48 and their sister groups for me, which is the main reason why she is on my Franchise Four. As for Wada Maaya, her story is a little bit different. When I found out the Ebisu Muscats disbanded in 2013, I had to find a new group to pay attention to. While AKB48 was an option, I saw a bunch of photos on Tumblr of this attractive lady named Shiraishi Mai. Turns out she was on an idol group called Nogizaka46. I grew curious of Nogizaka46 and their determination to be the first “rival group” of AKB48. I also became curious as to who the members were, who was cute, who was worth following, etc. Then this underrated girl at the bottom of the list showed up, and her name was Maaya. Like Minegishi Minami, I did a little research on Wada Maaya to see what kind of idol she was. I found…almost nothing. But to tell you the truth, the reason why I became a fan of Maaya was because she was vastly underrated. She has so much untapped potential as an idol, to the point where I believe she can be as popular as other idols her age, such as Murashige Anna, Komiyama Haruka, and dare I say, Miyawaki Sakura. Wada Maaya is funny, gives good handshakes, has a nice singing voice, and is cute with her short hair. While I know that a lot of idols are like that, in my opinion Maaya does these things better than most idols. This is why she is on my Franchise Four. The last spot goes to Rukawa Rina, who I’ve written about before. Since the Ebisu Muscats were the first J-Pop group I was ever interested in, I had to pick a favorite. It took a few tries (Asami Yuma, Rio, etc.), but eventually Rukawa Rina caught my eye. The things that I did like about her were that she was cute, she liked anime, and she was close to my age (the rest of the Muscats were 4+ years older than I was). Put all those factors in and thus she became my Ebisu Muscats oshi. She also was an adult video idol, but she was the first idol I called an oshi, so that explains why she is on my Franchise Four. That just about does it for my Franchise Four selections. These four individuals are the reason why I am a huge fan of J-Pop, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Who is on your Franchise Four? -Nathan (L4verra) Guess who’s back. Back again. Muscats back. Tell a friend. After weeks of risqué teaser photos all over the main Ebisu Muscats site, the Ebisu Muscats of 2015 lineup has finally been revealed. For those of you who were fans of the original Muscats, featuring Yoshizawa Akiho, Hatsune Minori, Kishi Aino, and Rukawa Rina, unfortunately they are no longer in the lineup. This new lineup does continue the trend of consisting mainly of AV idols and gravure idols. I am real stoked to see the Muscats come back. What I like about this lineup is that some of the new members could have very well been Ebisu Muscats back in the early 2010s, while others are rather surprising additions. However, this article will focus on four members in particular. These four members caught my eye once I found out they made the Muscats ‘15 roster, and I am hyped to see what they’ll be able to do once the variety show starts airing. Basically, these are my personal choices for a top four. I’m writing about these four ladies because I believe they may do amazing things during their tenures as Muscats, and I may even compare these said four members with Muscats of the past. Like my previous articles regarding the Ebisu Muscats, I am not responsible for anything you see if you search any of the members on Google Images. You may see some NSFW images if you are curious about any of the members, so make sure you have Safe Search on if you are curious. Basically, this article can potentially be NSFW. You have been warned. Other than that, let’s begin, shall we? Here are my Top 4 Ebisu Muscats of 2015. #4 Kana Yume Oh boy…this lovely lady. Let me just say that if the Muscats hadn’t broke up in 2013, Kana Yume would be a lock for the lineup. Since they brought the Muscats back, she’s a lock for the ‘15 lineup. There’s someone I am willing to compare Kana Yume to, and some people may not agree with it. She is the Muscats ‘15 version of Yoshizawa Akiho. I see a lot of traits that Acky had back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. First of all, she is just as drop dead gorgeous as Yoshizawa Akiho. Second, she is not afraid to show herself off, even if the way she does it is rather risqué. One can go on Kana Yume’s Instagram page just to find out what I am talking about. Third, she has the center vibe. I could see Kana Yume center an Ebisu Muscats ’15 single similar to how Acky did. The amount of potential that Kana Yume has with the Muscats is high; let’s see if she can capitalize on it. #3: Kojima Minami This is one of the AV idols who I believe should have made the Ebisu Muscats roster a long, long time ago. Besides her high pitched voice, she fit the mold of the Muscats quite well I must say. I always thought Kojima Minami had that “girl next door” look that some idols do, such as Nishino Nanase of Nogizaka46 or Watanabe Miyuki of NMB48/AKB48. Maybe that’s just me. She was born in 1992, which was the same year as Shinohara Saemi and Mizuki Uruha. Those were two Muscats who were on the lineup in 2012. When I found out that the Muscats were going to come back, I was already contemplating who would make the lineup. Needless to say, she was one of my choices. I see Kojima Minami as a possible next-gen Kishi Aino. In my opinion, she looks like she can lead the new squad the same way Kishi Aino did for a couple of years. The new Ebisu Muscats will need a leader anyway, so why not have Kojimina step up? I believe she led a Sexy-J lineup, which was a J-Pop lineup similar to what the Muscats were doing. That definitely helps her case. Is Kojimina going to be her new nickname? I’m down with that. #2: Ayano Nana The Muscats ’15 lineup has its fair share of surprises. Ayano Nana may be the biggest surprise of them all. No, I did not expect someone like her to make it on the lineup. I have seen her videos on YouTube where she is interviewed for some of her AV-based stuff, and I will honestly say that she has no personality. Besides being cute, I was kind of bored with her. To see that she made this lineup caught me off guard. I have this weird vibe that she will be a member stuck in the third row of promotional images for singles and what now. That is a spot I really don’t want her to settle in, because I know what happens to Muscats who get stuck in the third row, especially when they have no personality. The reason why Ayano Nana is so high on my Top 5 is because there’s one Muscat who I can compare her to. Basically, Ayano Nana is the Mizuki Uruha of the Muscats ’15. I’m guessing you’ve never really heard of Mizuki Uruha, but basically she was a Muscat who barely had enough screen time and didn’t exactly show off her personality. Yet, she was one of the cutest girls I’d ever seen. I was a fan of Uruha when she was around because of how much vast potential she has sitting in the third row. Unfortunately, she did not last very long, and was out of the lineup for less than 6 months. The last thing I want for Ayano Nana is to have the same fate Mizuki Uruha did. Come on Nana. Show me what you got. #1: Sakura Yura You should have seen this coming a mile away. Yes, my number one member of the Muscats ’15 is Sakura Yura. And yes, she now succeeds Rukawa Rina as my Ebisu Muscats oshimen. What more can I say about Sakura Yura that hasn’t been mentioned already? First of all, she looks like she can fit right in with HKT48, since she has the cute vibe that is rather rare among the Ebisu Muscats. Secondly, she has also done some J-Pop work before. She had a duo unit called P*cherry alongside former Ebisu Muscat Sakuragi Rin, as well as some solo work with musical artist PARKGOLF. Lastly, she has an AV career. She has a resume meant for the Ebisu Muscats. Once the Muscats were going to come back, I already knew Sakura Yura was going to clinch a spot. There’s no way an AV idol that cute would miss a spot on the Muscats. You already know that I am going to call her the Rukawa Rina of the Muscats ’15. Just think about how many similarities the two have: the super cute look, the fact that they both look really good in pigtails, and the fact that it’s rather surprising to see both Rukawa Rina and Sakura Yura as AV idols. I already imagine Sakura Yura as the lead for an Ebisu Muscats unit that resembles the Pretty Cure anime series, just like Rukawa Rina did a few years back. I was excited to see Sakura Yura on this lineup. I am already excited to see what she will bring to the table once the Muscats ’15 come into full swing. Also, this Sakura is better than the HKT48 one. Just sayin’. That ends my Top 4 Members of the Muscats ’15. There were a few members I may have missed, such as Uehara Ai, Okita Anri, Tia, Hoshino Nami, and Amatsuka Moe. Even some of the former Margarines are members of the new Muscats! Remember them? They were idol group formed to pay massive debts. The reason why I didn’t include them on this list is because I can’t say much about anybody else. I do not know much about anybody I missed on this countdown so I really can’t give an honest opinion on the others. I have known of the Top 4 I listed way before the roster reveal, especially Sakura Yura. I just want to start watching the variety show now and see what these ladies have to offer. There are some big shoes to fill, since the Ebisu Muscats of 2008-2013 nearly exceeded all expectations. Let us see if these Muscats, especially these four, can do just that. -Nathan (L4verra) So how did I come up with the idea of a Franchise Four? Well...I didn’t. During this year’s MLB All-Star Game, the Franchise Four of every team was revealed. The Franchise Four are the four best players of respective teams, and when you think of these players, you think of the franchise. For example, the San Francisco Giants have Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Buster Posey as their Franchise Four. Other sports fans tried to find their Franchise Four for teams in other sports, such as the NFL and NBA. But as both a sports fan and a fan of the 48 groups, who would be in the Franchise Four of AKB48 and their current sister groups? AKB48 and their sister groups have had their history throughout the years, and many, many members have came and went. But every group has those four members who set the foundation for their respective franchises. This article points out who I might think make the Franchise Four for 5 groups in particular: AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, and Nogizaka46. I won’t include groups such as SDN48, JKT48 or SNH48, as I am not too familiar with any of those groups. So if you are a fan of those respective groups, I am sorry. As for the newly announced NGT48 and Keyakizaka46, I cannot include a Franchise Four for any of those groups since they are both brand new and we don’t know a lot about all of the members and who would stand out (though Kitahara Rie would be a lock for NGT48’s Franchise Four). Also, keep in mind this is an opinion piece, so if you don’t feel right with my selections, my apologies in advance. Without further ado, here are my Franchise Four picks for AKB48 and their sister groups. AKB48: Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko, Takahashi Minami, Watanabe Mayu Maeda Atsuko and Oshima Yuko are locks for the Franchise Four if you ask any AKB48 fan. Both of them won Sousenkyo elections and were center selections for countless AKB48 singles before they graduated. Takahashi Minami is also a lock because of just how much work she put in to bring AKB48 to where it is now. If there was a heart and soul of the AKB48 franchise, it’s Takamina. As for the last spot, this decision was somewhat difficult but having Watanabe Mayu as the fourth member of the AKB48 Franchise Four makes sense. The idol cyborg herself was the 3rd member of AKB48 to win Sousenkyo and has never ranked less than 5th on the election. Once Takamina graduates, the face of the franchise may belong to Mayuyu. There were a lot of members who had the chance to make the AKB48 Franchise Four: Shinoda Mariko, Kojima Haruna, Itano Tomomi, Matsui Jurina, Shimazaki Haruka, Miyazawa Sae, Akimoto Sayaka, and especially Kashiwagi Yuki. Overall, the four members I selected seem about right, unless someone plans to edge Mayuyu in the next three or four years. SKE48: Matsui Jurina, Matsui Rena, Suda Akari, Takayanagi Akane Obviously the WMatsui duo of Matsui Jurina and Matsui Rena are a lock for the Franchise Four. These two members are the faces of the SKE48 franchise, which makes Rena’s graduation all that more painful…but hopefully the SKE48 franchise does well with Jurina as the lead. Either way, both have to be included on the SKE48 Franchise Four. I had to go with Suda Akari as a member of the Franchise Four for a few reasons. She is the first SKE48 member to make Sousenkyo senbatsu without the surname Matsui. Now that Rena is graduating, she’s the new face of Team E. And yes, I will point out that she did drop a little bit during this year’s Sousenkyo, but when I think of SKE48, usually Akarin’s name comes up. Same thing goes with Takayanagi Akane, who I am selecting as the fourth member of the Franchise Four. She made Sousenkyo senbatsu this year and has always ranked pretty high during elections. Plus, she was also granted a kennin with NMB48, which means management probably wants to push you. Honestly, deciding the last two spots for the SKE48 Franchise Four was challenging. There were so many other members who I could have selected for the last two spots: Kizaki Yuria, Oya Masana, Shibata Aya, Matsumura Kaori and Furukawa Airi just to name a few. Like AKB48, someone new could climb up the ranks and possibly make it on here. NMB48: Yamamoto Sayaka, Watanabe Miyuki, Yamada Nana, Shiroma Miru It was really easy to select three members for the NMB48 Franchise Four. Obviously, just like the WMatsui duo, Yamamoto Sayaka and Watanabe Miyuki are obvious choices. Both have centered several songs, both sell out handshake tickets like mad, and both have made Sousenkyo senbatsu. As for Yamada Nana, she was always the 3rd most popular member of NMB48 (at least according to Sousenkyo votes) before she graduated, which means she will make this list. She was also allowed her very own single in “Don’t Look Back”, so that helps her case. The last spot could be anybody: Jonishi Kei, Sutou Ririka, Kinoshita Momoka, Yagura Fuuko, Shibuya Nagisa, or even Jo Eriko. But I am selecting Shiroma Miru as the last member of the Franchise Four. The only reason why I am picking Shiroma Miru over everyone else is because she is getting pushed like crazy from management. All the gravure, the AKB48 kennin, and the center position for “Rashikunai” help her case. Her push hasn’t stopped yet, and NMB48 management may rely on her should Sayanee or Milky graduate (let’s hope that doesn’t happen soon!). That last spot is wide open for anybody, but as of now, I believe Shiroma Miru takes the spot. HKT48: Sashihara Rino, Miyawaki Sakura, Kodama Haruka, Tomonaga Mio Even though HKT48 has been around for a little over 4 years, there is already a solidified Franchise Four. You can’t go wrong with selecting Sashihara Rino, Miyawaki Sakura and Kodama Haruka as three members of the HKT48 Franchise Four. Look at the handshake numbers and Sousenkyo vote numbers for proof. As for the last spot, I was kind of torn between Tomonaga Mio and Tashima Meru. I went with Mio since she has the management push (she is also a member of AKB48 Team 4) and has been center for several HKT48 singles. You could say the same thing about Tashima Meru, since she too has a management push. But I am going to lean with Mio for now, unless Meru surprises us in the next few years. If this were a Franchise Five, both Mio and Meru would be here. But since this is the Franchise Four, one member got the short end of the stick. Sorry Meru… Nogizaka46: Ikoma Rina, Shiraishi Mai, Nishino Nanase, Ikuta Erika
No real challenge here. When you think of Nogizaka46, these four ladies come to mind. Every single member here has been center for at least one single and every member here has handshake results that sell out quickly (no idea about Ikoma Rina however). Even if I do have second thoughts about putting someone else here, like Hashimoto Nanami, Sakurai Reika, Hori Miona or Hoshino Minami, I don’t think any of them can edge this Franchise Four. There’s really nothing wrong with this selection. In closing, those are my selections for the Franchise Four of AKB48 and its sister/rival groups. I will admit that I am more knowledgeable with some groups over others, such as Nogizaka46 over SKE48. Thus, my picks may be a little problematic. If you disagree with my selections and have a more suitable Franchise Four, let me know in the comments below. -Nathan (L4Verra) Has there ever been a time where you submerged yourself into an idol group, and then you found someone who seems rather under-appreciated and underrated? That’s my oshi right there. Yes, this is a post that tells the world how awesome my oshi, Wada Maaya, really is. Before I get started, let me tell you the back story and how Maaya became my oshi in the first place. First of all, when I ran into some photos of some girls on Tumblr, namely Shiraishi Mai, Ikuta Erika, and Eto Misa, I found out all of them were from the group Nogizaka46. Since my other favorite idol group, the Ebisu Muscats, was disbanding, it became time to find another one to focus on. Keep in mind that I was on the fence about AKB48 and this was in the Fall of 2013. When I heard they were “AKB48’s First Rival Group”, I was curious. Then I found out about all sorts of personalities and characters among the members. You have the fashion-model-to-be Shiraishi Mai, the little sister-esqe Hoshino Minami, the older sister-esqe Fukagawa Mai, and the otaku-esqe Ikoma Rina. All of these idols seemed pretty awesome, and of course it was hard to pick an oshi. Usually when it comes to selecting an idol as your oshi, the first one who comes to mind is the one who got you into the group in the first place. By that definition, that means Shiraishi Mai technically should be my oshi. However, that would not be fair to the other members, especially since this was the first time I had seen every member of Nogizaka46. Then someone at the end of the list caught my eye. This girl at the very end of the member page with a Shinoda Mariko/Mankanshoku Mako/Coconut Head based haircut caught my attention. Her name was Wada Maaya. She changed my idol fandom life forever. Throughout 2013, I started to learn a bit more about whom Maaya was and where she came from. She was born in Hiroshima and was a cheerleader before she became an idol. She also moved from Hiroshima to Tokyo all by herself, despite still being a high school student. Keep in mind, when she started out with Nogizaka46, she didn’t have the hairstyle most of her fans know her by. Yes, she had long hair at one point in her life. Because I found out about her when her hair was cut shorter, there is no way I am going to get used to this look. I wasn’t there when Nogizaka46 first appeared in 2011 (I just started getting into Ebisu Muscats at the time). If she grew her hair this long today, it would take a whole lot of time for me to get used to it. But this was a few years ago, and if Maaya wants to grow her hair at this length, it is going to take a few years to do so. But besides talking about Maaya’s hair, let me tell you about how interesting Maaya is as an idol. There was one episode of Nogizakatte, Doko?, all of the members took an exam to determine who is the smartest member, as well as the #1 dumbest member of them all. While Maaya ranked higher than some members on this exam (she ranked higher than Shiraishi Mai, which of course, shocked everyone), that didn’t mean she was free from the competition to determine who was the #1 dumbest member of them all. In this competition, select members would answer questions in a game show-like setting, and those who could answer any of these questions correctly would escape the title of #1 dumbest member. Maaya was one of the contestants, and yes, she did not do so well in this competition. She answered each question with a cockiness that I had never seen before, and even though she got several questions wrong, I certainly appreciated this side of Maaya. I mean any footage of Maaya on Nogizakatte, Doko? was rare, given that she is not the most popular Nogizaka46 member. Eventually Maaya got so many questions wrong that she became the #1 dumbest member of Nogizaka46. She certainly had a lot of confidence in her abilities however. Even though this may just be a performance to woo new fans, Maaya’s act on Nogizakatte, Doko? was hilarious. I certainly don’t think that Maaya really is as dumb as she made herself look on the camera, She’s certainly a funny girl whom, if given an inch, she can go a mile. Among Nogizaka46 fans, many say that, despite her small handshake numbers, she has some amazing handshakes if you do stop by her lane during said event. Her singing voice is tremendous and very distinguishable amongst some Undergirls songs, namely Hatsukoi no Hito wo Ima Demo (one of my personal favorite Nogizaka46 tunes). Maybe this post is straight up oshi bias, but I really like Maaya and all that she has done on Nogizaka46 to make my stay as a fan worthwhile. I already mentioned that she is by no means the most popular member of the Nogizaka46 franchise. She is not at the level of a Shiraishi Mai, of an Ikuta Erika or of a Nishino Nanase. But you know what? That’s okay. She only has a small niche of fans and the fans that she has are incredibly supportive. Hell, I have seen one fan line up hundreds of single CDs to form the kanji of Wada Maaya’s name. That’s an overall impressive feat. But I digress; Maaya has a small yet very supportive fan base, and I do intend to meet some of the other people who picked Maaya as an oshi one day I fly to Japan for a handshake event. Maaya is still young (she is the same age as Miyawaki Sakura), so she has plenty of time to make a name for herself amongst fans and management (she did score a few gigs on Nogizaka46-based shows, NogiEigo and NogiGolf). I am proud to be the only Wada Maaya oshi, as I know no one else who is a Wada Maaya oshi (I am the only one among my friends who are into idols). I think I may be the only Wada Maaya oshi in all of North America, and yes I am going that route. Because honestly, if you too are a fan of Maaya and have called her your oshi, please stand up! We Maaya oshis need to stick together! That’s all I have to say. In short, Maaya is a very funny idol with a can-do attitude on things in life. If you see her on Nogizakatte, Doko?, you’re in for a lot of laughs. I hope this article sparked an interest in this amazing young lady, especially since she does not get a lot of chances to shine. Now it’s time for me to watch some NogiEigo, and cheer on my girl as she tries her best at English sentences. -Nathan (L4verra) |
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