Sakura Nao Deep Dive - Part 4

*I believe this was posted on OneHallyu in June 2018.

7/20 Blog Entry: Pics from the event

The day of the Festival has come and gone. Looking at the dates, Nao must have posted them out of order. She made her hair dying entry the day after this one which is about the actual Festival. Maybe she wanted to keep her hair color a secret.

Nao says she read through the comments about Her and Syachi's appearance. She's glad that the reception was so positive from Hide's fans. She's a Hide fan herself, so she would be really sad if fans didn't accept it, so it's good. Nao thanks everyone for their generous heart.

The majority of this blog is pictures of the people she met at the event. She met I.N.A, one of Hide's Producers, who was also a member of his final band, zilch. I think he was involved in X Japan's production as well, but his main focus was Hide.

With Kishidan. Of course, they have a long history with Momoiro Clover Z, Syachi's sister group, but I don't know if this is the first time Nao has met them. She says she was touched by Ayanokoji's MC about Hide (*Ayanokoji is the lead singer of Kishidan. He's the one in the middle with blonde hair). Nao's happy because now they can be friends has Hide fans. She goes on to add that she's looking forward to the upcoming Kishidan Expo.

Syachi with Jin-Machine. Nao said she spoke with 16, their vocalist who I believe is standing to her left. She said something to the effect that they talked about how much they love Hide, how he's like a Father to them, etc. about 100 times, lol.

With members of the band ZEPPET STORE who she collaborated with. She talks about being nervous and not saying much. The man on the left is Akabane Kenji. Nao said he gave off a Fatherly feel hich relieved her tension (*I think the man on the right, Kiyoshi, might have been in Hide's band Spread Beaver. Someone with the same name was in it, and they look similar, so I don't think it's a coincidence).

With ZEPPET STORE's Kimura Seizi. Nao was really happy to have the opportunity to collaborate on Misery. It's a memory she'll cherish throughout her lifetime.

With the well known Pierre Nakano. Drummer for the band Lin Toshite Shigure, but I believe he's also played with X Japan and Luna Sea which is probably why he's at the Festival. He's an Idol fan and has guested on various songs, including Momoiro Clover Z's 10th Single "Gouun". I remember he commented on Momoka's graduation in January 2018.

With Hide! She happy to me him! Basically thanking him for the Festival, lol.

Nao closes with some final thoughts. She says all the performers were warm and friendly. She met allot of lovely people. It's a little confusing, but it sounds like Nao used her own clothes for the costume and may have spent her own money to add the finishing touches. The suit is from 2 years ago. I think she incorporated Birthday presents from fans into the costume. She asked Syachi's Stylist to adjust the fit and make it look a little more like Hide's. I didn't even pick up on this, but Nao wore this for the perf of Misery which was a throwback to Hide's Rocket Dive period. It cost about $200. She thought of everything XD

Before she wraps it up, Nao says her next entry is the hair dying process. She must have gotten requests which is why it was the last MLJ related post she made.

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*And this concludes my in depth look into Team Syachihoko's Sakura Nao. This is one of my favorite parts of doing translations. I never know what I'll discover or where it will lead me. Not only did I get to learn more about Nao, but I became more familiar with Hide.

Sakura Nao Deep Dive - Part 3

*This was posted on OneHallyu in either May or June 2018. This is also mainly summaries of Nao's blogs and not full translations. This is less of a mess than the original version of Part 2. There's still pictures that have been deleted that I had to replace or omit.

7/17 Blog Entry: 21 hrs left!

21 hrs. before Mix Lemoned Jelly. Even though Nao's feeling very honored, she's still super tense. She says she's almost in tears because she will be collaborating with ZEPPETSTORE who was close with Hide.

Syachi re-arranged the Hide songs they're gong to perform with I.N.A, who was one of Hide's Producers and I think was also in zilch, Hide's final band. She's basically freaking out with excitement and nervousness. Nao feels like her heart's going to explode! Hide's songs helped Nao get through stressful time and push forward. It's not exaggeration to say she's couldn't have become an Idol without finding Hide.

Nao was listening right up to Syachi's performed at Budokan. She doesn't specifically say she was listening to Hide's music, but there are allot of things unsaid in Japanese, so that's probably what she meant. Nao closes by saying that tomorrow will be like dream where she can co-star with Hide She can't express these feelings with words anymore. She's going to have fun and do her best and hopes that her respect for Hide will be conveyed to fans. Nao says she's need to harden her tear ducts, lol.

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7/19 Blog Entry: Post MLJ thoughts

Here's Nao in all her Hide glory!

The event has come and gone and Nao doesn't know where to start talking about it. She ended up not feeling any tension during the event. she said something to the effect that she was so emotional, that her heart was stained all day. I take that as meaning the she was feeling the excitement the whole time.

First, she apologized to fans for dying her hair. She laughs saying she'll changed it back to black so everyone can relax. Nao goes on to say that it's kind of a heresy for an Idol to dye their hair, so it was shocking to people. She did it at the risk of losing fans. However, that's the kind of Idol that she is. She asks fans if they've ever done anything displeasing/edgy.

(*She says "tokatta" which could mean either "pointed, sharp, or displeasing". The best word for this might be "unpopular", but I went with displeasing/edgy since it's a more literal translation)

She thinks that some people will understand about this. Nao laughs and says she may have to do it again.

(*I'm guessing Nao made that Poll about what to do with her hair because of the response. I didn't expect it to be received so negatively. Idols have changed their hair color in the past, but there has been a focus on natural, black hair for over a decade now, so I guess it's not that popular nowadays.

Maybe it's more that she colored Pink which is too extreme for some people. I thought she looked great)

Nao wanted fans to understand her reasons and that she wasn't rebelling. She didn't want to wear a wig or use hairspray out of pride. It was important to do it this way because it was Hide's Festival. She likes what she likes, so she won't give it up. She didn't want that to get diluted. As and Idol and a girl, it changed her life, and she supported herself up to this point with that. That's the essence of Hide's music.

(*This was a little hard to translate, but I take it that she tries to be herself)

Starting with Hide, she discovered many different kinds of music. she didn't get hung up on his genre, and respects his curiosity and open-mindedness. She wants to be like Hide, to believe in herself and be an honest person.

(*Nao goes on a bit more, but I think this gets her point across so I'll move on)

The 1st day of the Festival was so chaotic, her eyes dried out from crying. Nao never cried so much in one day before this. She doesn't think any tears will come out for 10 yrs.

Because she's an Idol, through performing live in front of an audience, she was able to appreciate how great Hide is. Especially when doing a solo live. Through Hide's free way of thinking, she enjoys herself and has allot of affection for her fans. Nao thinks Hide's fans are wonderful. They received his love in the past, so they returned that love to her.

Nao mentions how it's been almost 20 yrs. since Hide died. She thinks it's amazing that he's been loved for so long and hasn't been forgotten. Even though the world has changed, the way she feels about Hide hasn't. The number of fans like her are increasing. Nao was honored to appear at the Festival of someone she admires so much. She also thanked the members of Syachi and their Staff for thinking it would be difficult for her to go out and perform on her own.

Nao wonders what else she should say. She's glad she could go to an event that was right up her alley, so to speak. That's it. She's glad that Hide's fans enjoyed it, and that those who weren't familiar with Syachi were able to get excited. It was a day she won't forget for as long as she lives.

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Perfs: Not Nao's best, but as she said, she was so overwhelmed with emotion, it was probably hard to perform well.

"Misery" collab with Zeppet Store (band):

"Ever Free" with Syachi:

This is a longer video of the same performance, but it includes Nao's CM:

I think the Syachi members costumes were inspired by this look from Hide and Spread Beaver:

Sakura Nao Deep Dive - Part 2

*This was posted on OneHallyu in May 2018. When going back to look at the original document, some pics have since been deleted, so I either had to substitute them or omit them completely. I've been working on an original piece, but I wanted to finish backing up the Sakura Nao project I made last year before posting it. This was my first in depth project, so I thought it would be a good idea to show what started it all.

The second installment of my Sakura Nao deep dive. While I looked for pics of Nao and Syachi relating to the Dragons, I found some other interesting pics. In the blog I translated the other day, Nao mentioned that she's a big fan of Hide. Well, She might like him a little too much.

After some more searching, I found a bunch of blogs she posted relating to the "Lemoned Mixed Jelly" Festival. On 5/2, the Anniversary of Hide's death, Nao announced that Syachi was invited to participate in 2016's event which will take place on 7/18. I'm familiar with the Hide Memorial Concerts, but I didn't know about this event. Some brief background:

"Lemoned" was the label that Hide started. In the mid-90's, Summer Festivals hadn't become a thing yet in Japan. "Mix Lemoned Jelly" was held in 1997 at 5 different clubs in Tokyo simultaneously. Hide's label was intended to gather artists from different genres, so the festival followed the same principle. The current incarnation mixes Music, Games, BMX, Fashion, etc. Not unlike some American Festivals.

Since there are multiple blogs about the event, I'm going to summarize them instead of doing full translations.

5/2 Blog Entry: (*She jumps around allot. I don't know if she was so excited that it was just a stream of consciousness post)

Nao writes that she appreciates being able to work with Rock and Metal, which she loves. Outside of her job, she adores Hide. When she found out Syachi was invited to the Festival, time stopped. She wants to show her love for Hide with the world. Of course she loves other Artists, but Hide is exceptional.

Nao goes onto to say that when she was watching X Japan live perfs on video, Hide's long red hair stood out to her. She was attracted be his charm and became a fan.

It's an honor and a privelage to be invited. Even thought she's looking forward to it, as it get's closer to the event, she's feeling the pressure, so it's difficult to talk about.

The first time Nao went to an X Japan concert, she was riding the Shinkansen and crying while watching final live video when they disbanded. At the concert, she held her Hide doll tightly from the beginning until the end. On the train ride home, she hit it off with an older girl who was cosplaying as Hide. She apologizes to people who might not understand how she feels.

(*Nao really, really likes Hide)

Nao brings up that it's the Anniversary of Hide's death. She was only 8 months old. when he died. Now, she's 19. Her favorite song of his is "Misery" and she cries every time she hears it.

When she turns 20, Nao plans to go to his grave. Because of school, she doess't have time right now.

While on her way to work, she plans to get off at Shin Yokohama without permission and go to Miura Cemetery (*Where Hide is buried). She's definitely going to dye her hair pink.

(*This part is a little confusing only because I don't know if her Birthday is coming up. Is she turning 20 soon and is there a school break coming up so she can go to the Cemetery? It's not clear enough)

During class, she was making a drawing of Hide's Mockingbird model guitar that he famously used (*It's a B.C. Rich Mockingbird). She'll lie to the Manager and hang out at the Lemonade Shop. She's going to take Hide with her to University for the Anniversary and wear a Hide t-shirt during gym class.

(*Does she mean taking her Hide Doll with her to school?)

BGM is Misery.

Addressing the Anniversary of Hide's death, Nao says the weather is nice in Nagoya. She jokes and laughs that it's ironic because Hide hated a Blue Sky. She wonders how the weather is in Yokosuka (*Where he was born).

(*I'm not sure what she meant by the Blue Sky joke. I don't know if she referencing the song "Blue Sky Heaven" which is either by X Japan or Yoshiki, or if it refers to an interview Hide gave.

I'm also not sure what's behind the pics she re-posted. I guess she had a party for her 17th Birthday, which would have been in 2014, and it was Hide themed, so someone made a cut out of his guitar, and he was a guest of sorts. I'm sure she made a blog entry, but I don't feel like backtracking to find it. Maybe some other time)

*7/21 Blog Post:

We jump ahead to right before the Festival. Nao is getting her hair dyed Pink like she said she would. She thinks about Hide doing this 18 yrs. ago. Nao jokes that it would be cool if her hair gets damaged and it looks like Pink Mozuku which is a type of seaweed used in various dishes.

This blog is mostly a bunch of pics of her going through the dying process. Nao explains that Hide didn't dye his hair all the way to scalp. It starts a few centimeters away from the scalp. Here's a sampling of the pics she posted on her blog documenting the process.

She ate Pizza while getting colored!

Nao mixes the color herself.

Now we're getting somewhere.

And Viola!

It's weird because the color changes depending on the light.

Nao said it took about 3 hrs. for the whole process. She going through with the proper treatments for it.

Nao wonders how long she'll keep it Pink. She's going to leave it up to fans to vote when it will change back to black. There probably won't be time to change it for the upcoming Girls Factory event.

(*Girl's Factory is the same event I posted about from 2015 when a bunch of Stardust Groups got together for one big show and they did collaborations like the Yellow Summit. Nao is referring to the 2016 event which must be coming up soon. I've seen pics from the 2016 event and she definitely keeps the Pink hair!)

She posts a list of options for fans to choose from:

1. Change it immediately after Girls Factory!
2. I don't care if it's black at Budokan.
3. Definitely Pink at Budokan!
4. 2 Shot with Pink!
(*I don't know what she means. Maybe she's referring to a fan meeting where they'd take pictures with her?)
5. Why aren't there other colors besides black? (Fans can request another color)
6. I'm not sure, but I think this option is "Pink forever".

Looking at comments, she thinks allot of people want to see her keep the Pink for a while, which is why she gave these options. Fans can pick 1 of the 6 options, but she think 5 and 6 would be fun. The deadline for voting is her next blog entry. Fans can just post the number.

She ends by saying it will be fun going on Music Station with Pink hair.

1st Anniversary Special: PandaMania feat. the "Oreo Pandance"!

I happen to notice the other week that's it's been a year since I made my first post on this blog. Since it's the 1st Anniversary, I thought I should do something special. I mainly translate interviews, blogs, and comments from 2ch/5ch, but I would like to create some original content as well. I've been working on several projects, and one is almost finished, but something came up while I was browsing last night that I though would be better suited for this occasion.

At times like this, people tend to share something personal about themselves. Well, I have a bit of an affinity for Pandas. There's just something about these big, furry, black and white creatures that appeals to me. It can probably be traced back to an old video game. During one particular winter when I was younger, I had a really bad cold. Instead of sitting around being miserable, I decided to do something to take my mind off it. I looked through my PS2 game collection and came across Onimusha.

Set in the Sengoku Era, it was intended to be a Ninja themed version of the Resident Evil franchise. I had bought it several years before, played it for a bit until I got stuck, and then gave up on it. I figured I might as well give it another shot and see if I could get any farther. I started over from the beginning and, after a couple weeks, was able to finally beat it. The relevant part of this story is that when you finish the game, you unlock alternate costumes for the two playable characters, Samurai Yamanosuke and Ninja Kaede. Yamanosuke has the stranger of the two options. He wears a panda suit, complete with a removable head sporting an evil grin.

As bizarre as it may seem, this left a lasting impression on me. Since then, I've taken a keen interest in anything Panda related. All you need to do is add these black and white critters to the mix, and you've got my attention. This Gaara fanart is a favorite of mine.

When my favorite Idols are paired with pandas, it brings a smile to my face.

When they dress as pandas, it's a little creepy, but I still find it adorable.

Just so long as they never go full Panda.

No, Kanako, just...no...

Which finally brings me to the item that inspired this post. Back in March, there were strange Panda sightings in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Fukuoka, and various other places in Japan. People were surprised to see one roaming around like this and went to investigate.

It turned out to be "Oreo Panda", the new mascot of the company.

Oreo Panda is the new panda mascot for Oreos in Japan. https://t.co/jsbtm75iu2 pic.twitter.com/ZEpFxLdgbQ

— Mondo Mascots (@mondomascots) March 22, 2019

It's all part of the new add campaign "Isshoni Asobo (Let’s play together)". The Panda was chosen as the brand ambassador because of people's desire to play with Pandas and touch them (If you aren't aware, the Japanese really love Pandas). Up to this point, Oreo Panda has been pretty laid back. All this would change with his appearance in Osaka where he debuted the "Oreo Pandance".

The culmination of the project is the Music Video that was released on May 20th. In this homage to 80's CMs, Oreo Panda is joined by Ryoko Onee-san, who helps round up the children for the dance. This is a collaboration with Tomioka Dance Club, who shot to stardom after their "Bubbly Dance" performance at the 2017 National Dance Off went viral (iirc, I was first introduced to them on NHK World's J-Melo program the year before, so I was happy to see them get their big break). I'm not sure about the girl who plays Ryoko Onee-san, but the older girls in the back of the formation are most likely the Tomioka Dance Club members who participated in the collab.

I don't know who composed the song, but the choreographer for the Oreo Pandance is none other than the Coach of Tomioka Dance Club, akane. She really outdid herself this time.

Oreo Panda will continue making appearances across Japan, so keep an eye out for him.

And this brings the 1st Anniversary Special to a close. I enjoyed sharing my love of pandas and offering a brief insight into my personality. I'll continue bringing my usual interview translations over the next year, as well as original projects covering various music related topics.