Why I Love Ayami

I had actually started to write this post long before Muto Ayami announced her decision to take a break from the entertainment world, but I kept putting it off - keeping it on the back burner as I worked on other more pressing things (or just goofed off instead of working). I guess this can be seen as another example of the classic "you don't really appreciate what you have until it's gone" syndrome.

There has been a lot of speculation about the meaning of Ayami's hiatus, or even if it is a hiatus at all...the worst fear is that Amuse has decided to cut ties with her, and this is Ayami's way of saving face. I know that often in Japanese business relationships, you cannot take everything said at face value, but I don't think this is the case this time. Ayami has been working almost continually since 2008 (not to mention attending school), so I find it perfectly natural if she wants to take a break and think about her future for a while. But anyway, here's why I love Ayami.

My admiration of Ayami is based on two things: First, her wonderful voice and personality, and second - and probably a bigger factor - is her strength of character and sense of dignity. I'll explain what I mean...

When Sakura Gakuin first began - in fact, even before it first began - it seems obvious to me that it was an Ayami vehicle. Well, that's probably too strong a way to put it, but it's clear Ayami was going to be the face and the voice that lead this plucky new upstart idol group. Twinklestars songs seemed crafted to highlight her vocal talents, and her outgoing personality and sense of humor made her a natural leader for SG. And then a funny thing happened.

Babymetal, started as a subunit of Sakura Gakuin, became more and more popular, to the point of eclipsing SG in terms of both devoted fans and media attention. It must have come as a bit of a shock to Ayami, finding goofy little Suzuka suddenly somewhat usurping her place in the hierarchy. The fact that they were friends, having previously worked together in Karen Girl's, must have made it especially confusing and frustrating. But maybe that's where she also found her strength of character.

It would have been easy for Ayami to become bitter and feel slighted (and for all I know there may have been some problems, but if so, they were kept in private), but instead she carried herself with a maturity far beyond her years. For someone so talented to have so much self-aware graciousness and dignity, as well as appreciation for what she has been able to accomplish, seems almost super-human given the level of maturity often displayed by stars even twice her age.

And that is also why I love Sakura Gakuin so much. In other idol groups, there seems to be a lot of jockeying (that's a little joke for the TA's) for position, and sometimes backbiting, whereas the SG girls seem to genuinely care about and support each other. SG has a unique atmosphere that I really appreciate.

I still think of Ayami as the best voice in Sakura Gakuin history. I expect she will take some time and get her head together, then craft an amazing re-entry into the music world. Or take up horse racing full time because why not. Or perhaps pursue her life-long dream to become the world's cutest burikko idol. Or join the competitive Pop-Up Pirate circuit. Her choices are limitless!

Funny girl

Good luck, Ayami, and come back as soon as you are ready!!!

Virtual Reality

Shy On Camera - Unboxing 3776

Irresponsible Speculation

Well, it's raining and I've had about a pot and a half of coffee. I'm all cooped up and bouncing off the walls, so what say we engage in a bit of prognostication? After all, I totally nailed Logica 1.2...

*Babymetal will release a new album in March 2016. It will have been two years since the release of their debut, so they've had plenty of time to come up with new material. And world awareness of them has grown enough that an exciting new release is sure to gain them lots of attention, just in time for the big Wembley show.

*The name of the next Babymetal album will be Kawaii Metal. Or something like that.

*2016 Nendo president will be Kurashima Sara. She will also read the farewell address for 2015 graduation. Over/under on Sara shedding tears is 90.5 seconds. I say over.

*Rinon will cry during her graduation speech.

*I will cry more than Rinon & Sara combined.

*Rinon will win the 2015 nendo test because she is a genius and has been gaming the system this whole time.

*The next surprise appearance on LoGiRL will be Horiuchi Marina and I will scream so loud I wake up my wife.

Please let me know how wrong you think I am in the comments!

Review - Message

Welcome to the first in my series of reviews Sakura Gakuin and related artists discography until like everything else it eventually peters out and I give up!

Today I will be reviewing Sakura Gakuin's first full-length album, Nendo 2010's Message. Seeing as how it has been out almost five years, it may seem strange to be reviewing it. That's something you'll get have to get over. I'll rate each song on a scale of 1-10, and then conclude with an overall album rating.

I've been hearing for years that "the album is dead" thanks to the resurgence of a single-driven industry facilitated by iTunes & the advent of downloading music. I still believe that a well-crafted album is more than just a random collection of songs, no matter how good, and offers the listener a transcendent experience.

So, diving in...

Su, you brought spatulas...what the hell?

FLY AWAY - The album opens with a soaring number ( just a little joke for the TA's in the room), and sort of a bold choice for the opening track of a debut album, sampling briefly from the tracks that come later. It's powerful and energetic, and really gets the listener pumped up for what's to come. FLY AWAY is a magnificent selection for an opening track, although in all honesty any of the first 3 songs would have been excellent choices. (9/10)

Hello! IVY - Lots of people have told me that this is the best song in the album. While it's so clearly not, it is absolutely an infectiously catchy song. I initially was not so taken with this track - I blame the guitar solo, which felt a little to studio-corporate (even for Japan) - but it has grown on me over time, no doubt to all the video of lives I've seen. (7/10)

Chime - This song is a little different from the first two, less traditional and with an unexpected sound. It's as powerful and inspiring as the album's opening track, but with a more mature and self-assured calmness to it. There's no denying that Chime has become one of the songs most ingrained into the institution of SG; the song's opening notes are the go-to sound track for introducing new members and merch at live shows. Chime is simply baked into Sakura Gakuin's DNA. (8/10)

Happy Birthday - This song is the first appearance on the album of an SG sub-unit. Let me just say this to get it out of the way: I Love Sub-units! What a great way for the individual girls to better showcase their unique charm points!! They are like the funnest thing ever!!! Okay, that said, Happy Birthday is one of the weaker sub-unit songs; it's great for when your friends on Facebook have a birthday and you can post the video on their wall, but for day-to-day listening, it gets a little repetitive. A good, not great, song. (6/10)

Princess a la Mode - I'm so glad they put two Mini-Pati songs on this album. This one is the obvious superior to Happy Birthday. The 8-bit effects are a bit stronger and more nuanced. It really hurt me bad in my soul to give an average rating to a Marina song, so I'm glad to give this an (8/10)

Brand New Day - Unfortunately, this is Scoopers only song. However, they went out on top. This song is amazing! It has a bit of an 80's Joe Jackson meets the Cars feel to it. But it's better than either of them. Way better. I would have thought that Ayaka's voice would overpower the soft-spoken Airi's, but it turns out they complement each other incredibly well. (9/10)

Dear Mr. Socrates - The Twinklestars sound has always seemed a little redolent of Ben Folds for some reason. Whatever, it works well. Upbeat as hell, it's impossible not to tap your foot along or drive aggressively but joyfully through the streets well above the posted speed limit while listening. (8/10)

Medaka No Kyoudai - Definitive Sleepiece masterpiece. Just try to keep your hands from moving during CHUNCHUN. (10/10)

Doki Doki Morning - By the end of the first chorus, it's obvious Suzuka has found her calling. Even if this wasn't an incredibly great song - which it totally is - it's game-changing importance to the landscape of modern music (especially the stagnant metal genre) as the beginning of BABYMETAL earns it an impossibly high rating. (11/10)

Yume ni Mukkate - Another uplifting song is the vein of Chime, but with more importance placed on all the girl's voices coming together in a stirring chorus. Good stuff! (8/10)

Message - Finally at the very end we get to the title track. If there was an official SG school song, this would be it. I don't usually go for ballads, but with this I cri evrtiem. (8/10)

Overall, I think you can make a pretty good case that Message is the best SG album ever. Hell, I certainly wouldn't argue with you. The tracklist almost plays out along the chronology of a nendo: the early excitement and energy towards the beginning, getting involved in clubs and academic life in the middle, and then finishing with a bit of weepy-eyed sentimentality and nostalgia at the end. Especially given that this is a debut album by a bunch of young and (for the most part) inexperienced singers, Message is close to perfect. (9/10)

Ibaraki Highschooler

I used to know this girl who has since seemed to drop out of facebook who was huge into [Ibaraki Highschooler]. I usually don't friend underage girls or boys because it's kind of really weird and creepy, but I will make an occasional exception if they are someone who seems mature, intelligent and also they never, ever message me or bother me in any way. This girl on facebook was 16 or 17, I think, but she was more articulate and witty than most college graduates I know, so I made an exception and accepted her friend request.

Anyway, this girl who has since dropped off the face of the earth (not unlike her oshimen) would always tell me that deep in her heart, what she really, truly believed is that [Ibaraki Highschooler] is life, [Ibaraki Highschooler] is love. I wish I could write it so that you might see it conveyed in its original, beautifully poetic form, but jackals at Amuse are so relentless.

Until she opened my eyes to the glory of [Ibaraki Highschooler], she held a place in my heart somewhere near Rau, basically right in the middle of the of the pack of the (at that time) 19 members.  I've discussed this before, but for a quick review:

• Oshimen: Marina, Yui, Megumi, Soyo, Mirena

• My queen: Suzuka

• The reason for my smile: Moa

• 2nd tier: Hinata, Rinon, Hana, Ooga Saki, Maaya, Ayaka, Kano, Sara, Ibaraki Highschooler

• Middle girls: Raura, Shirai Saki, Marin, Ayami, Airi, Momoko

• Not so crazy about (still love & support them, but whatever): Aiko, Yunano, Mariri

And before you ask, yes it's possible to have more than one oshimen. I totally looked it up online and everything. Don't worry if they don't seem to make sense: all of these categorizations are legit and ISO-9000 certified for your assurance.

Now for me, Mariri falls into the bottom category simply by the virtue of the brevity of her tenure. The 2012 nendo was before my time in this fandom, and there just isn't very much available recorded material to get to know her very well. Plus, she is the only member in SG history to quit - it seems almost like a rejection or betrayal on her part!

And so, somewhat ironically, one of he things that has endeared Nene-don - is Nene-don okay? -

*receives cease & desist letter from Amuse, Inc.*

- okay, one of the things that has endeared [Ibaraki Highschooler] to me is the fact that she herself came very, very close to quitting Sakura Gakuin in her second year as a middle schooler. You can read about it here; it's fascinating stuff if you've never heard about it before. Reading about it brought out another dimension in [Ibaraki Highschooler], and made me appreciate all her hard work and sacrifice - done especially for fukei like you and me - all the more.

It does make me wonder, though...what if she had joined Mariri and quit? How would I (and the rest of the fandom, for that matter) have seen her - would it have had that same sense of rejection or betrayal? Would it seem worse due to her long tenure in SG, and even before that, in Mini-Pati? The more I think about it, the more I feel that probably would not be the case. I think I'd see her as a tragic figure, maybe like a victim of the unforgiving idol machine that pushes these girls to such extremes. Plus, she would have been undefeated in the nendo tests, so there's that.

In any case, I admire her moxie in sticking it out and overcoming the adversity. And I support her decision to leave the industry on her own terms and go into the field of nursing. Can you imagine getting hit by a car in Ibaraki and ending up in her hospital? What a rush.

So yeah, maybe [Ibaraki Highschooler] is one of my second tier girls, but of course...

...each of the girls, no matter which tier, have their special and endearing charm points. They all deserve our appreciation and support. They are all our precious members.

Even Mariri.

Can't stay mad at u gurl

And especially [Ibaraki Highschooler]

Ichiban! ICHIBAN!!!

Iida Wowza

Okay, so this picture is the closest Sakura Gakuin has come to breaking the internet since Honjo Day (May 25, 2014 #NeverForget):

Wow, Rau...

Everyone is talking about this picture, so let's talk about it.

Actually, I don't want to talk abou tit. All I can say is that if Raura is comfortable and happy with her work, then I completely support her.  It's difficult to wrap my head around all this, because I still see her as the stern little ragamuffin who sang Mini-Pati songs and slapped people when they needed a good slapping.

For me, Sakura Gakuin-era Raura was not one of the girls who popped out at me and demanded attention. She was a wonderful member and remains a wonderful person and Super Lady. She was not one of my oshimen like Marina or Yui, but there is one thing about Raura that has endeared me to her...well, two things, actually: her 'BossPanda' mentality that helped provide a maternal influence to all the kouhai, and this wonderful sentiment she expressed:

I use this phrase like all the time

Ganbare, Rau!

*Sigh*

They grow up so fast...

Shy On Camera - LoGiRL Daisuki!

Shy on Camera - The 5 Stages of Fukei

The 5 Stages of Fukei

Each of us come from different backgrounds, and are in many ways vastly different from one another. And yet we are all following a similar path, one on which we've forged wonderful friendships and had amazing experiences that we just would not have had in the absence of Sakura Gakuin.

For those of you who are just beginning your first tentative steps on this well-worn path, let me offer you a little insight as to what you should expect. And remember, your experiences may vary and I might also just be making this all up as I go along...

Stage One: Denial

Credit to Pale-san

When a sneaking moment of clarity first finds you with your guard down, your temptation is to dismiss it out of hand - to give your head a quick shake to knock the thought loose and pretend it never happened. Yes, you like Babymetal or Mutou Ayami, but this whole Sakura Gakuin thing just isn't for you...

But make no mistake; there is no turning back. The more you struggle, the worse it will be for you. This is your life now, fukei-san.

Stage Two: Anger

I would not want to be Ooga Saki right now

Now, to be honest, with the girls now in our lives, anger is not as much of an issue as maybe it previously was. In fact, right now the only reason any anger might exist in you is that you are not yet in your final form - you are in a sense fighting your destiny.

There might also be some anger as you begin to learn the struggle. In the past, I listed some things that would make a person a "true fukei" (which is not A Thing!), but I just realized I left one off: being called a pedo. It's kind of a shock to hear it at first, but the pain recedes and eventually disappears as you become more confident in your life's work of supporting the girls. It is easy to bear the sting of these verbal attacks as you begin to notice how much joy the fukei life brings you. The feeling of pride in the girls as they take on challenges and succeed in their performances is so enriching and rejuvenating. The bittersweet graduations remind you of just how amazing and inspirational these young people are. They are all our precious members.

Stage Three: Bargaining

I wasn't sure whether to use this picture for 'Bargaining' or 'Denial'...

At this point, you are having some interesting internal discussions with yourself. Or in some cases, they are being played out in public, usually on social media. I remember myself, still not surrendered to my wonderful fate, posting videos of Mini-Pati on my Facebook wall, trying to convince everyone (or maybe just myself?) that I was in no danger of going full-fukei, full-otaku, full-weeabo, however you want to phrase it.

"Look," I would say, posting a video of 'Miracle Patiful Humberger', "this is like two-thirds of Babymetal, and I don't like this music at all. In fact, I can't even get through the whole video without turning it off."  But then I stumbled across a Sleepiece video, and then a couple from Logica?, and before I knew it I was deep into the sub-unit catalog, finding myself humming 'Acha! Tea! Curry!' in the shower. It was all so weird because I thought that I only liked Sakura Gakuin for the non-music videos - the nendo tests and tv interviews and stuff - but I could sense the hooks getting deeper into me.

Okay, I will like them and all, I told myself, but I'm certainly not going to buy any merch. I'll be done with SG once Yui & Moa are done...

And you keep making deals with yourself like that because for some dumb reason you can't admit your life revolves around Sakura Gakuin now. At this point, pretty much everyone knows it but you.

Stage Four: Depression 

The Kubler-Ross model postualtes that this stage should be present here, but honestly a lot of people never experience it. I suppose there may be a little bit of sadness if some non-understanding friends choose to cut ties with you as you're going through this metamorphosis, but if that's the case they were never really your friends to begin with. Besides, you have already made a bajillion new friends through SG anyway.

Stage Five: Acceptance

Congratualtions, you've made it. The struggle is real: embrace it.

Go Look At My Stuff Somewhere Else For A Change

Wow, I'm honored to be noticed by Babymetal Newswire-senpai!

.@ShyFukei unveils his Asmart package full of #SakuraGakuin items! #さくら学院 https://t.co/PBcz8QQfdk pic.twitter.com/wowPD3bHCx

— Babymetal Newswire (@babymetalnews_) October 3, 2015

NOTE: I have inflated the stats with 1 RT & 1 Favorite. Sorry, not sorry...

 

If you've never visited the site, you should drop everything, close this tab right now, and head on over. I really respect the amount of time and energy put into updating and maintaining it. Maik is a true fueki (which I know, not a thing, but still...). The amount of work it must be is staggering. I'm waaaaaay too busy to do something like that.

Okay...way too lazy.

Look, I'm just busy being lazy is all.

Anyways, as I was saying, check it out. Babymetal Newswire has anything you could want: a deep archive of photos and recorded interviews, extensive history and biographies, song lyrics, past and future tour dates, a Sakura Gakuin section, and even a guide on how to become one of The One.

Look, it's just a really great site, okay??? Go there now!

To Be A True Fukei...

Okay, I'm not about to try to come up a one thing that makes someone a "true" fukei, or even try to concoct some certain magic combination of things that will imbue you with Super Fukei powers. The fanbase of Babymetal/Sakura Gakuin is far too diverse, with people coming from all kinds of different means and backgrounds and corners of the world. We all do what we can. And of course some of us are just starting out and simply haven't had the opportunity to devote the time to do many of the things on an exhaustive list.

Okay, wait...I lied; there is probably one thing that everyone must conform to in order to be considered a true fukei, and that is to support our girls. That's why we are all here, after all.

That said, I've come up with a list of items that either I have done or know other people who have done them. If you have done at least some of them, you know the struggle and you can certainly be counted as a true fukei. Here goes:

1. You have devoted hours to learning all of the girl's names and can recognize them by face, or in some cases, just an ear or an arm

2. You've been confronted by worried family or friends about your interests

3. You've taken a job (or an extra job) to support your merch habit

4. You've sent merch or fan art to a friend you met through Babymetal/SG, but have never met IRL

5. You've met an online friend IRL specifically because of Babymetal/SG (concerts, conventions, etc.)

6. You still call Ooga Saki "Baby-chan"

7. You've started to learn Japanese

8. You've started a Facebook page, website, blog, or some other type of fansite


9. You've rearranged your work, school, or sleep schedule to watch LoGiRL

10. You've maxed out a drive or online storage account with Babymetal/SG videos & pictures

11. You've traveled to another country for a concert

12. You openly discuss your crying jags after watching RTGs

13. You've literally had to stay in bed the day after a Sakura Gakuin graduation

14. You've named a pet or child after one of the girls, or at least had a very loud argument about it

15. You know how many of the girls have never participated in Mezase Super Lady, and you can name all of them

16. You've turned off your Babymetal news alerts on Google because they only report stuff that you found out like a week ago

17. You have bootlegs of Chigau and Awadama Fever

18. You can talk to a stranger about the significance of the number 4 in Japan for at least 60 seconds non-stop

19. You've redecorated your room in a Babymetal/SG theme

20. You've had stickers, posters, or shirts custom printed

21. You've ever told someone "Tenso is so easy, I don't know what I was so worried about"

22. You refer to Shirai Saki as "one of us"

23. You can pick yourself or friends out of concert footage

24. You used to desperately want English subs and now you don't even care

25. You're already thinking about whether Sara or Mirena will be the next president (it will be Sara)

26. You read articles about Babymetal online and compose a mental list of glaring factual errors as you go along

27. You experienced the emotional rollercoaster of Honjo Day

28. You have Babymetal money

29. You've contracted carpal tunnel syndrome from non-stop kitsune-ing

30. You held serious discussions where you were seriously concerned about Moa's fitness for performing in a high altitude venue

31. You have ever offered a burnt sacrifice to Kitsune-sama or the Amuse Board of Directors

32. Your life has immeasurably improved since our girls danced into it

I'm sure I left out a ton of things. Let me know if you can think of any others...

Merch from Asmart, 25/09/2015

How To Not Wear A Shirt

Back when I fist became interested in Babymetal, merch pretty was hard to come by...mostly due to my inexperience with the Japanese e-commerce system. Navigating the Amuse/Tenso process would have been overwhelmingly disorienting, if I had even known about it - which I did not. With no English-language outlets such as we have today (such as mflstores.com, Hot Topic, GoMerch, etc.), the only place to turn was eBay. After a few days of searching out merch, it had become apparent that it would not come cheap.

The first shirt I ever got was the Red Moon T-shirt, sold only at the Makuhari Messe show on December 21, 2013. Cost me about 80 bucks American, because this was in March of 2014, just at the very beginning of the huge expansion in the fan base due to the 'Gimme Chokko' video; nowadays it will easily sell for more than twice that amount. That was a good time to be getting into the Babymetal game. (But remember: BABYMETAL IS NOT A FUCKING GAME!!!)

So of course I ended up ordering more - a lot more. Each time I received one of these authentic T-shirts, it was such an amazing and euphoric experience. I cherish each and every one. I tell people that I treat them the way that the Vatican treats the Shroud of Turin. I have literally used tweezers to remove dog hair from them at times, not wanting to cause excess wear on them by using a sticky hair removal roller thing. I've put a lot of thought into the obvious need to protect and preserve their integrity, but I still haven't found a perfect method. I'll run through my experiences on this subject quickly for you, dear reader:

HANGERS:  Using hangers to store your shirts has many advantages: it keeps the shirts flat so there is no folding/creasing of the printing; you can store a lot of shirts in very limited space; it is a fairly good method for their display, as you can quickly whisk through them as you show them off. This is probably the preferred storage method for most collectors.

But the problem I have with hangers is that they can disfigure the shoulders of the shirt, leaving it with pointy shoulders. I'm sure this sort of problem can probably be fixed with a little ironing or something, but that sort of maintenance isn't really in my wheelhouse. Plus I am scared of damaging the shirt with a hot iron.

FOLDING:  There is more than one way to fold a shirt, the most common being to fold them in half or in thirds.

 Looks great...until the ink starts to peel off :(

It's a very effective way of storing shirts. But the glaring problem with folding is that generally a folded shirt will have sharp creases; stacking them on top of each other will only sharpen the creases. And of course creases on printing will weaken the ink and eventually cause it to crack or even peel off. The pros would probably outweigh the cons more if this were an average shirt, but these Babymetal shirts are OUR PRECIOUSES!!! WE NEEDS TO PROTECTSES THEM!!!!!

So folding is a non-starter.

ROLLING:  Rolling is sort of similar to folding; it's a good solution if you will be storing your shirts in a drawer or on a shelf. Rolled shirts also have the advantage of taking up less space than folded shirts do - try it the next time you are packing for an extended trip. From my point of view, the main advantage of rolling vs. folding is that instead of a crease, you get only a gentle wide bend over the printing, so it is much easier on the ink.

The biggest problem I have with folding, though, is that it is the absolute worst in terms of display. On a rolled shirt, you can generally only see the top 6 inches of the printing.

Not particularly envy-enducing...

 

Personally, I have decided to sacrifice the quality of display and go with rolling in the interest of it being best for maintaining the integrity of both the cloth & printing.

 I do sometimes fold shirts if I have multiples of the same design

So, does anyone have any other methods for storing their T-shirts? I'd be very interested to know if anyone has a better way. Let me know in the comments!

How I Accepted Baby-chan Into My Life

My last post focused on the incredible amount of vitriol dedicated towards Notsu Yunano.  I mentioned that I was not innocent of some of this online ijime. I still do engage in some playful teasing every now and then, but my appreciation for her has deepened considerably as time has passed.

As I mentioned in my last video, Yunano is not the only SG girl to fall victim to the derision of the fukei; I've seen it also directed towards C-tan, Rinon, and Aiko. One person I mistakenly left of the list was the other Saki, Baby-chan. Which is an inexcuable omission on my part, because for a while there, she was my least favorite SG member.

I didn't really discover Sakura Gakuin until probably around May of 2014. I first learned of Babymetal on March 3 of that year, and my obsession with them inevitably led me to discovering their roots in SG. At that time, I was too awash in the abundant backlog of Sakura Gakuin videos (usually English-subbed) to pay much attention to the current 2014 nendo. At first, I focused only on material that contained Su, Yui & Moa. So Ooga Saki had long been a member by the time I was exposed to her - and I felt an immediate, visceral dislike towards her. I'm ashamed to admit that it was mostly prejudice based on her looks: she seemed too cloyingly saccharine, and I imagined her admittance into Sakura Gakuin was a cynical effort to find a replacement for Moi as they were growing older and maturing, AS IF THEY WERE REPLACEABLE!  There really wasn't any more to it than that.

Now, I didn't actually hate her or anything - I didn't even really spend any time at all considering why she was my least favorite member. It was just a feeling I always had in the back of my mind when she appeared on camera or in pictures. It certainly had nothing to do with either her talent or character, as she had done nothing I was aware of for me to disapprove of her on those grounds. She performed quite well, in fact. It's pretty embarrassing to look back on how I had such negative feelings for her - they were not strong feelings, but still - it seems pretty shallow of me.

Anyway, this whole thing was turned around in short order after I watched a couple of videos. The first one was Sakura Gakuin vs. Idoling (thanks for your work, Mr. Thomas Malone). The way she comes to the aid of her fellow members and beats up the mean announcer guy who was so mean to the other girls with his meanness pretty much forced me to do a 180. Seeing her leap to action, she melted my cold heart:

The other video, which I saw a little later, cemented my admiration for Baby-chan. In this MUJAK video, she tells of how she likes to do opposite-sex cosplay. It's adorable, and I love how she follows her passions wherever they lead her - that takes bravery!

And ever since then, she's been one of my favorites. I'm so glad I was able to come to my senses and see the true nature of Ooga Saki. I think her voice is one of the strongest in the current Sakura Gakuin lineup (which probably isn't really saying that much, but I'll get to that in another post). 

P.S.

As I spoke earlier of Yunano and my changing opinions of her, I would be remiss if I didn't advise everyone to watch her performance in this J-drama Hagane No Onna (Woman of Steel). She did a really, really good job...I'm so proud of her!!

Shy on Camera - We Need To Talk About Yunano

We Need To Talk About Yunano

One of the more interesting aspects of idol groups is how they are put together; assembled not with the goal of universal acceptance, but rather they are intentionally set up to be polarizing. This is true not only of the band/group itself, but also among the various members within the act. It is actually as very clever long-game being played by the management, the primary logic behind it goes like this:

If you are universally liked (i.e. 100% of the population loves you), you can probably count on a steady stream of sales, at least until the fans get bored with the group. However if, rather than enjoying a universal but ultimately un-fanatical support, a group can earn the rabid support of around 30% of the population, the enthusiasm of this minority will ensure far more sales.

Like, if everyone loves a band, most people will buy their album, perhaps see them in concert if they come to town, and maybe buy a T-shirt or other keepsake. People like us, though - we are different: we will buy each version of the CD put out, we will buy more than one of each style of shirt or other merch they put out (seriously, what is that Babymetal pyramid puzzle thing, even? I don't know, but I need one. Well, I need two, in case something happens to the first one. And maybe a third to keep in the original packaging...)

Even a group like Sakura Gakuin, where the girls are such good friends and the unity of the group is so often stressed (and is a big selling point for we fukeis), is not immune from this feature that is seemingly woven into the very fabric of the idol world. Despite them being all our precious members, we inevitably discover our oshimen, and sadly also find girls we are not so fond of. They are sometimes referred to as "cancer". Hey, idoling is a tough business.

For myself, for a while anyway, my least favorite SG member was Sugimoto Mariri. It was easy to hate on her (although 'hate' is obviously not being used in the dictionary definition sense of the word - more on that later). She left SG early - the only girl to ever do that. It seemed like she was almost a sort of traitor (the revelation that Nene-don very nearly quit had not come to light yet), and she was there so briefly that we hadn't ever really gotten a chance to know her that well anyway. But that unfamiliarity also had the effect that it was difficult to feel passionately about her one way or the other, support or oppose. And that is how Notsu Yunano backed into the role of most disliked member of Sakura Gakuin.

I am one of those who really did not care for Yunano - I'm not proud of it; I'm just acknowledging it. I first became familiar with her on the 2012 nendo test. She had the lowest score, and then cried. None of the girls cried over the test! Everyone else handled it in good humor and with appropriate dignity. This was my first impression of her, and like they say, it was a lasting one.

For whatever reason, the contempt and vitriol for Yunano seems to be felt in all corners of the fandom. Maybe it is her unconventional looks, maybe people don't understand or appreciate her self-deprecating humor...

My heart broke a little when I saw this on LoGiRL...

 

And maybe this is because, as she softly lamented in her graduation interview, the amount of live activities in the 2014 nendo were greatly limited due to Yui & Moa's outside commitments. Maybe it was her sharp tongue.

But I sort of feel that the real reason is maybe it's because we never really got to know Yunano. It seemed that the more subtle and demure aspects that make up the strengths of her personality couldn't compete with the outsize likes of Yui, Moa & Hana. Her personality just never really seemed to emerge - it was hard to form an enthusiastic attachment to the Notsu enigma. 

And then she went and changed her name! It probably got her more attention and interest than anything she ever did at SG, but many fukei were left feeling confused, aimless, even somewhat betrayed. But it really should not have come as any surprise...she was telling us we had her name wrong all along.

I'm not Yunano! I'm Yunano!!

I have since grown to - well, not really 'like' Yunano, but at least appreciate her. Again, I think it's important to stress that none of us really, truly, in the strict definition of the word, 'hate' her. She is just an easy target to pick on, in some ways a victim of the success of her self-deprecating sense of humor. I'm certain that if anyone from outside the fandom started talking all kinds of smack about her, we would step up an defend her. Yunano just fits that role of universal punching bag that is sometimes needed in groups of friends.

All this is yet another reason in the long list of reasons why I desperately hope that the girls never google themselves.

Shy On Camera - Dress Code

Dress Code Violation

I realize I've arrived a little late to the party, but I guess it's finally time to weigh in on the whole midriff controversy. I mean, every one lost their minds for a bit there, and a lot of people are still not over it. Some people, seeing photoshops like the one below, threatened to set themselves on fire if things ever came to that.

That was me. It was me who threatened to set himself on fire.

I loathe this picture with all my soul. I'm only including it out of obvious illustrative necessity. Once this post is published, I plan to rent a chipper/shredder and go all Fargo on my computer. This is just the worst effing thing ever. It pains me to look at it, or even remember that it is a thing that even exists. So I try to pretend it never happened, to just shut it completely out of my mind, but the more you try to avoid entertaining a thought, the more that thought finds clever ways to insinuate itself into your every mental process. It's like, brah... here I am now, entertain me.

Some people seem to think this whole brouhaha came out of nowhere but the fevered, craven mind of the internet, but it actually stems back to a comment Yui made about American fashion. She noticed that in America, women tended to show more skin than in her native Japan, and then expressed some interest (how serious she is, it's hard to tell...) in maybe performing in outfits that expressed their midriffs. Su and Moa seemed far less enthused about the possibility:

And of course Moa talked about food...

Without even realizing it, Yui set off a huge, panic-enducing, firestorm in the fandom. And then Pale (one of the coolest artists alive) poured gasoline on it like some kind of reverse Smoky the Bear asshole guy or something...

twitter.com/pale216

Obviously, for a lot of fukei out there, the key is just that: they identify as fukei, or older males supporting and looking out for their imotous. Yui's comments really strike a nerve by playing on the subconscious dread that many fukei have of the girls growing up.

But, obviously, the girls are growing up. They are continually developing both as ladies and as artists. If they ever were to decide that's the direction they want to go, I'll support them, at least initially. But I think part of what makes Babymetal work so perfectly is the juxtaposition of the darkness and maturity the genre of metal imbues with their innocent and effervescent personalities. But that's just me...

The larger problem is that this whole midriff thing has also coincided with a deluge of upskirt shots from their performance at the Leeds and Reading festivals. These types of photographs are of course going to happen given the high stage on which they perform, as well as the energetic nature of their performance. And it's not like we haven't seen shots like these for years - that's why they wear safety shorts. But to me it just seems like these types of pictures are being posted a disproportionate amount of the time that people post festival pics. So it's not so much that they exist, it's the sudden flood of them that seems a little exploitative to me, especially in conjunction with this whole belly matter.

TOO MUCH, TOO SOON, GUYS!!!

In Defense of Rinon - Straight to Video

In Defense of Rinon

...I got nothin'...

Just kidding! I was only joking, Rinon...don't cry!!

Seriously, though, Rinon has always been one of my favorite undervalued members of Sakura Gakuin - a category I'd also assign to Shirai Saki, Notsu/Honjo Yunano, Kurashima Sara, Yamaide Aiko & Matsui Airi.

She gets lots of static for her lack of emotion at graduations (including the famous scene at Su's graduation where she is seen laughing over Moa's shoulder while Moa is coming apart onstage), her poor test scores and her understated (bordering at times on robotic) behavior.

But I think hers has been a calming and steady influence on the girls of SG, especially so during the dramatic transition from 2014 to 2015 nendo. I was lobbying for her to be the next president since January 2015.  I figured she was both the steady hand on the rudder and the link to the past that SG needed going forward. Which is why it was so particularly disheartening for me when she fell to pieces at the 2015 orientation - first open class of the year.

If you aren't familiar with it, towards the end of the session (there were 2 sessions, 6 girls in each session), Rinon's team (consisting of Rinon and Mirena) lost a challenge and to drink a concoction of fruits and vegetables and junk mixed up by the other girls. It was apparently gross; right Mirena?

I mean, this was Rinon's first public appearance since being named president. Seeing her cry for the first time ever, over such a trivial thing...it seemed so undignified, so opposite of the traits you seek in a leader - I almost felt betrayed. I expected a strong leader. It was heartwarming to see how naturally the other girls stepped up to help her, to make her feel at ease. But I felt disillusioned to the core. I guess I forgot she was still a young girl.

 

I was unable to shake these ill feelings towards Rinon for quite a while. I wondered if things had been irreversibly torn asunder. I began to worry about the future of SG. I began to question everything I had learned as a fukei. Then this happened:

One of the greatest haircuts of all time. OF ALL TIME!!!

This haircut changed everything. This haircut is the elixir. This haircut turned my heart.

Oh what a fool I have been! Of course Rinon is a great president! As Moa said in a past LoGiRL, Rinon (as well as Hana) was the perfect transfer student at the perfect time; Sakura Gakuin may have fallen apart if not for Rinon! Rinon is wise and strong and perfect for us.

I mean...that haircut, tho-

I Got Worry - Leeds and Reading Festivals

I Got Worry

Hey guys. The Babymetal shows at Reading and Leeds are coming up this weekend. These festival shows always get my stomach in knots.

Why? you ask...

Because bottling, that's why. It seriously keeps me up nights as the weekend grows closer.

Reading Festival 2006

 

I know there will be no problems at their solo shows, but especially given the polarization they have caused in the metal community, I don't think I'm being overly paranoid here. 

I take some solace in the fact that if someone were to throw something at the stage, they would be descended upon like starving jackals and pounded into submission by all the fukei and Babymetalheads there to support them, but the damage may have already been done by that point.

I can't remember exactly where I read this (because drinking/age/internet/etc. have ruined my memory), but during their performance at the Golden Gods, some woman threw an empty beer cup at Yui. Luckily, it was empty and so impossible to aim or control, and it missed her by a wide margin. One of the fans turned on the woman and gave her a GTFO or else ultimatum, and the woman left with no further incident. 

So I guess I'll be holding my breath until Monday. LITERALLY.

May Kitsune-sama being watching over and protecting our girls throughout their tour!

Shy Gives ASMR a Shot

Autographs!!!

Sakura Gakuin Secret Service

So there's a segment in LoGiRL that I always find a little worrying...

...the part where they read the tweets. As a fukei, I naturally tend think of all these girls as my imoutos, leading to a stupid and ultimately impotent impulse to protect and shield them from undue harassment. I worry about this segment a lot; it's basically Russian Roulette. The stakes are that high for me. I don't even watch it, to be honest. This segment is when I usually tweet an update or post some screencaps or run to the toilet because of all the coffee I've been drinking because I have to get up before 5AM to watch LoGiRL for Christ sake.

I'm not even worried that someone will tweet them some obscene images - I don't think you can be reasonably shielded from things like that in Japan ...

My eyes...ze goggles do nothing!!!

...but even just trolling idiots calling them stupid, fat, ugly, untalented cancer to SG, or whatever.

And yes, I guess I'm worried about the pervy stuff too.

I just really, really hope someone is screening these tweets before the girls see them. Someone willing to take a cruel insult for them or jump in front and shield them from a stray diseased dick pic. There is enough that is wrong in this world - I want our girls to feel safe, happy and well-adjusted. I'm not ready to let their innocence slip away just yet.

So please, please let someone be watching out for them, screening those tweets.

Someone dependable, that is.

 

Trouble with Transfer-Ins

Rankingu

I think it would be fair to call myself a feminist. Like, in terms of the actual definition of the word (not the made-up definition bandied about in comment threads and on talk radio):

[fem-uh-nist]

adjective

1. advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.

noun

2. an advocate of such rights.

And this sometimes leads to an odd disconcert with my feelings towards Sakura Gakuin. This is one of those times. Women have historically been pitted against one another in competition for recognition and approval of a frankly male-dominated society at large - rather than encouraged to develop a sense of cooperation and teamwork.  I of course appreciate all of the girls each on their own unique merit, and I could never say that one is truly "better" than another.

But there is no denying the fact that fans find their oshimen. That's just the reality of the situation. And so inevitably we all engage in some form of ranking. It somehow seems kind of wrong to me to compose a list of the SG girls ranking them, but let's do it anyway. Here's my list, compiled about one month ago:

This list is still pretty representative of my feelings, though I think that if I were to take it again there would be some shuffling and rearrangement in the middle of the list.

While on this topic, I might as well bring up a discussion I had online a while ago with a very angry lady who did not like the fact that songs like 'Gimme Chokko' by Babymetal and 'Gokigen Mr. Toropikalory' by SG focus on girls worrying about their weight. She also had a problem with that one Meghan Trainer song about the bass or whatever, saying basically that songs should focus on appearance at all, but on the personality, intelligence, and other such qualities of females. And yeah, it would be great for society in general if people paid more attention to the inner workings and accomplishments of women and less to their superficial appearance.

But here's the thing: just because we wish for a world where girls are not unduly obsessed with their weight doesn't mean it is wrong to acknowledge that these thoughts/pressures are very real things they have to take into account in their lives, and that others can relate to. Just acknowledging - rather than sticking our heads in the sand and ignoring - the everyday experiences that women and girls feel is not necessarily an endorsement of the view that females should worry about their weight so much. It's wrong to downplay or devalue the feelings of others - what a cruel thing to do to another person - and it does nothing constructive to solve the problem they are so concerned about it the first place.

I used to be quite cynical about the world, seeing the wrong and the bad in every situation - not so different from that angry lady in the comments section. But Sakura Gakuin have really opened up a  long ago closed door to optimism and positivity and genuine happiness and the ability to see all the good in the world. I try not to let people put that heavy shroud of cynicism back on me. I can still see and recognize all the problems with the world we live in, but I'm no longer a slave to the idea that that is the only thing worth focusing on.

Shy's Sub-unit Speculation

There's something that's been on my mind for the past few months. It's the kind of thing that I can't talk about with my neighbors or my family or my workplace acquaintances because they generally just sit there and nod politely until you're done talking and they can go alert the authorities about you. But it is actually a very important thing: how will the sub-unit situation work out in the new Sakura Gakuin?

One of the greatest aspects of Sakura Gakuin is the sub-units. Clubs such as Sleepiece, Mini Pati and Babymetal add an extra dimension to the group, allowing them to showcase their individual talents in a way that doesn't get so easily lost within the swirling choreography of the full cast of girls. And also they get cute new outfits like every year, so win/win.

Last year was a weird year, though. With Yui and Moa having one foot in SG and another half way across the world with Babymetal for a good deal of the time, there didn't seem to be as much time to devote to the sub-units. They felt sort of tacked on - most notably the effort from the reboot of Twinklestars.

But putting the past aside for now, after weeks of speculation, we finally have some answers with the re-booted Mini Pati (Aiko, Momo, Marin),  Sleepiece (Mirena, Saki O. & Maaya) & Purchasing Club (C-tan & Soyoka). I'm totally psyched about Purchasing Club, and after a moment of incredulity, Sleepiece 2.0 convinced me it was a great idea. But that still leaves Rinon, Sara, Kano and Megu with no clubs.

The easy solution would be a Logica? reboot with Rinon, Sara, and Megumi, plus continue the Pro Wrestling club with Rinon and Kano (as alluded to by Rinon at the Transfer-In ceremony). But does continuing the Wrestling Club in Hana's absence even make sense? And what about Scoopers? A school newspaper club just totally makes sense in SG world. And my god, did you see C-tan last year?

I mean seriously...

My Scoopers dream team would have been Saki S. & Soyoka, but they are already working together as the Purchasing Club. There's probably no rules against them teaming up in another sub-unit, but it's never been done before. I worry Shirai and Soyo might start to become isolated and weird...

But all my sub-unit angst boiled down to basically one obsession: Logica? (yes, the question mark is pretty goddamned important!). I am desperate for them to regenerate. Logica? is my second favorite sub-unit after Babymetal (duh), so I almost had a heart attack when I first stumbled across pics this Monday morning from the latest open class:

AMUSE YOU CAN'T JUST TOY WITH ME LIKE THIS!!

Soyoka just looks like a natural for Logica? - but the choreography is pretty complicated (according to the girls), so she might not be ready for such a challenge. But then check out C-tan channeling the Hiichan hair here:

 

Also, Rinon looks like she aged about 15 years overnight

Gaaaah, this is killing me. KILLING. ME. Put Shirai Saki in all the groups! At any rate, a next gen Logica? needs to happen is all I'm saying.


And now on to the unpleasantness: the 3rd gen Mini Pati.

 Acha! Tea! Meh...

So...a lot of people are disappoint. I'm not overwhelmed myself. I haven't actually seen or heard their performance yet (just these Bigfoot-quality potato pics), so maybe that will change my opinion. I'm not even sure why I have such strong misgivings about this.

*cough*

Aiko

*cough, cough*

It might be something as simple and silly as there not being a handing down of the neckties ceremony. But I think it might be that the previous version was SO next-level that I just can't see these three girls measuring up. The fact that I can't find any footage makes me worry it was such a bad performance that Amuse confiscated it all and burned it. Some people think I over-estimate the scope and range of Amuse's powers. Maybe, maybe not. (probably not)

Regardless, I can at least find some solace in the fact that Aiko didn't get yellow.

YELLOW NECKTIE MASTER RACE OUT

Confession Time

Confession #1:

It was a source of shame for far too long, but now I am so proud: I can FINALLY identify all the new members of Sakura Gakuin. For the longest time I had trouble with Momoko, Maaya and Marin (the last two especially). All that waking up at 5AM to watch LoGiRL has finally paid off!

No longer necessary for reference

Confession #2:

The new SG song: I'm not that geeked up about it. It's not a bad song - I really like the bridge - but overall it's just not that exciting. Granted it isn't the entire song, but I'd guess it's a pretty good condensation of it. The outfit change in the video is a yuuuge plus.



I've never been all that into the "learning" songs, such as Wonderful Journey and especially Animal Rhythm, to be honest. And sometimes it takes a while for the songs to grow on me. I was one of those people who found SG through Babymetal, and I actually watched all the Nendo tests and related SUN episodes and stuff before I really even gave their songs a listen. Having that emotional attachment to the SG girls probably made the music more palatable to me; if I hadn't had that, I might not have dismissed the music as not being my style, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST TRAGEDY OF OUR TIMES!!

P.S. I listened to the song like 8 or 9 times as I was writing this and I already like it more than I did an hour or two ago. So, like...nevermind, I guess.