Friday, July 6, 2018

Abema Producer Battle E3 5ch Comments


- Samu Samu was a huge topic of conversation. They talked allot about the discrepancy between Samu Samu's popularity vote in the 2nd Season and the Abema viewer vote this season. Allot of people chalk up Samu Samu's large amount of votes in the Poll to the timing. When the vote was held, LaLuce was 2-0 and Samu Samu was 0-2.

- Samu Samu still doesn't seem to be very popular despite the focus on their losing streak last Season. Only Rio has a decent number of fans coming to her line at Handshake meetings and even then, she can't really sell out. Their twitter followers haven't increased much either.

* I have my own theory to explain Samu Samu's low amount of votes in the Viewer Poll. Samu Samu got allot of votes in the 2nd Season because it was open to the general public, so allot of Casual fans voted for them. In the Abema Gold format, only the Hardcore fans are voting, so this is when true popularity among the fanbase comes through. The Hardcore fans are the ones going to Handshake Meetings, bulk buying Singles, and going to concerts. LaLuce winning the Viewer Vote almost 3-1 is a good indicator of this. Abe and Midori are very popular among the fans and I don't think Rio alone can compete with them.

- Sashihara is calling for NMB fans to vote for Love Cocchi.

- There seems to be a small, but vocal contingent of LaLuce Antis.

- People brought up "floating votes". When any 2 groups Battle, who will the Wotas of other 3 groups vote for? This is also a good reason why Samu Samu's votes were so slow. The other fandoms like LaLuce better.

- A few people want there to be 5 votes instead of 3. They want to include a Venue vote. There's, like, 20 people in the audience, lol.

* I can't believe some people think Abe is untalented. She has to be the best all around talent in LIF. I think her antis are mostly Majima Wotas who hate her for taking the Center spot in the 1st Season.

- I didn't see a consensus about which is the most popular song, but Good Tear's was mentioned several times.

----

(*The first batch of comments is before the episode aired on Sunday)

6. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 00:59:58.21ID:wjTPqX970

You already have the next Title Track. It's "He, So?" by Good Tear's isn't it?
It's Chikada's masterpiece, right?

(*I have no idea if they're being serious or sarcastic, lol)

10. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:27:19.47ID:/CJ/KdvC0>>24

The chance that LaLuce prevails without Yoshizaki and Koga is about 5%.

14. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:37:07.83ID:/CJ/KdvC0

LaLuce's performance points are all the lowest. This is a reality.
Bandwagon would have sold more if Majima sang it.

(*Wakana Wota right here, lol. When they're talking about performance points, they're referring to Fan Polls made on other sites like Showroom)

15. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:42:45.99ID:9UhOI3Pr0

They got 25,000 votes.
There are not that many fans on the field (They must mean the Abema TV format).
They don't even have that many Twitter Followers.
The strength of the Net voting is one of the Seven Wonders.

16. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:45:28.36ID:JWnP16TD0

There was a mistake in last weeks Abema vote.
The buttons under Good Tears and Love Cocchi were in the wrong place.
Some people who wanted to vote for Good Tears may have voted for Love Cocchi.

21. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:49:49.58ID:buiElrjR0

The popular members are in LaLuce, but the popular song will be Samu Samu.
It's consistent with the level of Title Songs, and has the best chance for repeated MV views.

22. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:52:12.65ID:mHBxNyZF0>>24

Number of views.
Showroom.
The singing battle is also first place, it's not a music evaluation.
Net popularity.

(*Basically listing what they consider to be important factors when choosing the Title Song)

23. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:53:51.81ID:BcjkrC070

Sashihara Wota aren't interested in Last Idol.
There are only hundreds of true Sashihara Ota.
=LOVE has become Owakon.

(*Owakon is a fad that no longer fits the era. They're saying the group has been abandoned)

24. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 01:55:34.05ID:lryP06H40

>>10
>>22
By the way, Showroom is a different index. It's totally meaningless.
Besides, not every member in LaLuce uses it (Showroom).

(*They use "Shihyou" which translates to index. The best explanation I could find is that Shihyou refers to a thing that is used to measure or judge something. I'm not sure if there's a better word than that)

36. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 03:59:12.69ID:Z0qXpM6u0

LaLuce Wota had a very low showing last time (*2nd Season).
Yoshizaki and Koga's Wota will eventually give their support to LaLuce.
Nagatsuki's votes won't break away.
>>32
As you stated, there are "floating" votes from the other 3 Units.
I don't think Samu Samu has as much of an advantage as you say.

43. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 06:23:55.86ID:/CHO9/190

Regarding the Title Song, 2 consecutive victories by CCR is unlikely because it's not newsworthy.
I'm afraid to say it won't be the most unpopular Good Tears either.
It will be chosen from 1 of the other 3 Units.
Akimoto won't easily give the title to his disciple Sashihara, so Love Cocchi is out.
That's why LaLuce or Samu Samu will get the title this time.

46. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 06:38:08.26ID:DUOrySDV0

>>38
Twin Planet is a former Entertainment Company.
The individual members have a sub-contract with them.
Adjusting schedules with the office, event appointments, etc.,
they handle what's difficult for TV Asahi to do and is charge of all the management.
This is the manager/promoter of Last Idol Family.
I'll write down what I've figured out.

(*This was a little hard to translate, but Twin Plant is the company handling Last Idol's promotions. This is the first I've read about the company that handles the promotional side of things. It's been around since 2006, but I don't know when they made the switch to promoting Artists)

49. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 07:00:42.98ID:hWxTxftQO>>50

I'd like the Producer's popularity and influence not to effect the judgement.
The leading role is not the Producer, but the girls.
The Producer should be hidden.

(*This is an interesting idea. To keep the identities of each Producer hidden until the Title Song is chosen. Unfortunately, this doesn't help promote the show, and they need all the attention they can get)

50. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 08:06:29.68ID:odCV5a380

>>49
When Aki-P was made the Producer of Samu Samu, he said to them that
winning is important, but more important than that is teaching the world about Last Idol Family.
Therefore, the 2nd Producer Battle is different from the first one.
Created by Aki-P and TV Asahi, and managed by Twin Planet,
Last Idol Family has not been recognized by the world yet.

57. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:07:09.65ID:pE4mwDgt0

Samu Samu received votes because people were sympathetic.

59. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:11:42.25ID:Mgf65PFv0

>>55
The 2nd Season viewer vote was all about timing.
The notification for the start of voting was sent out after Samu Samu vs. CCR in the 6th round.
(Thats when Kenji voted for CCR because he thought sneezing was funny)
Around that time, Samu Samu had 2 consecutive defeats, and there was criticism towards the Judges decisions.
On the other hand, it was thought LaLuce could go to the finals regardless of voting and at the time,
they had 2 consecutive wins.

61. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:19:07.30ID:Sz5CQksU0

>>55
Last time, Sashihara and AKB Wota supported Samu Samu.
Now, we're seeing their support decreasing.

63. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:21:35.79ID:cZkRX7Bf0

>>52
Wind Blowing was the lowest in the poll at the beginning despite LaLuce having 2 consecutive victories.
Also, the short arrangement was outrageous.
However, it's pretty good when you listen to the full version.
The lyrics and MV are subtle.
I can't really listen to any of the other songs.

71. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:37:12.47ID:hHTxMVk40>>113

Although the Top 2 beauties in the Family have left,
LaLuce has the most variety in facial features.

Last year, Suzuki (Haruka) was the only weak visual.
However, she made a great effort to diet in a short period of time, so there's currently no hole in LaLuce.

The contrast between Pretty/Cute Nagatsuki and Ugly Nagatsuki is extreme, but if she stabilizes, she'll be strong.
(*When talking about Midori (Nagatsuki) I think they're referring to the way she smiles really wide which can distort her features. It doesn't bother me, so whatever)

Within the other groups, each one only has 1 or 2 strong visuals, but most of them are ugly.
Compared to LaLuce, they look like they belong in an Underground Idol group.

74. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:45:49.32ID:5vR2GGX50>>101

At handshake meetings, where there's been a depopulation of Samu Samu fans except for Rio's lane,
The amount of votes in the Popularity Poll are brought up.
I don't think the handshake popularity is equal. Why can't they sell out even at the reservation stage?
The number of Twitter followers hasn't increased much.
There's no wonder that some people see this as a mystery.

76. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:49:54.96ID:/CHO9/190

It's a mystery as to what kind of music different people like.
It's the same when some people give rave reviews to Chikada's song, while others criticize it.
It's not a good idead to sell it because it's a good song.
There have been good songs that haven't sold in the past.
Songs that don't agree with my personal tastes that I don't want to hear may be sold.

77. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 10:54:20.62ID:5vR2GGX50

Good Tears is overwhelmingly unpopular, but they were 3rd in the 2nd Season's Viewer's Poll.
The other day, they achieved a viewer vote of 45% against Love Cocchi which is also a mystery.
In other words, there various factors in the audience voting other than popularity.
A song that suits your taste and the impact of the performance can both effect the vote.

91. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 11:54:41.88ID:y6R+V7670

The impression of Samu Samu is already bad.
I thought Kobe would come often (*Fans from the City of Kobe).
The fans from Kiyohara's lane.

92. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 11:56:48.45ID:Mgf65PFv0

>>89
This time, the respective Wotas for LaLuce and Samu Samu will definitly vote for them.
Therefore, victory or defeat depends on the vote of the other 3 Team's floating votes.

96. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 12:07:38.79ID:WVEk7Hfm0

In TwiPla, the impression of Samu Samu on the net is black. (*TwiPla is tool used for sending Twitter updates)
On Sunday, I look forward to seeing who will be in the Center for LaLuce and Samu Samu,
and to see what kind of performances we'll see.
At the moment, I want Good Tears to have the Title Song.

100. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 12:22:15.26ID:OBKc+acz0

Thinking about it, was Love Cocchi vs Good Tears that exciting?
At least Samu Samu and Love Cocchi seem to be popular on 5ch.

102. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 12:47:52.26ID:pE4mwDgt0

The vote was held when Samu Samu had 2 consecutive defeats and LaLuce had 2 consecutive wins.
The result was that the votes of most of Last Idol's Wotas went to Samu Samu.

(*There talking again about the huge amount of votes Samu Samu got in the 2nd Season)

114. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 16:07:16.57ID:Lu1q+qXf0

Last Idol has 5 Units. AKB also has 5 Units
Last Idol disappeared as soon as they were renamed to LaLuce.
They were considered the same as all the other Units.

After the change from Last Idol to LaLuce, Yoshizaki and Koga,
2 of the most popular members who had style and beauty, left the group,
and the group no longer seemed exceptional.

There's nothing special about them compared to the other groups.
The tall girl in charge of the Center was too plain and the group was buried.
(*Says something about Good Tear's Center, Takahashi Mayu, that I don't understand)
How can there still be people who think LaLuce is treated differently.

117. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 16:30:00.74ID:rKV0JGCi0>>125

>>114
For those saying that the Center is too plain and they wanted Mahim to
The resentment of Majima's defeat has been forgotten.

128. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/16(土) 18:43:58.88ID:+qOqNR530

Majima Wotas vs Abe Wotas.
Majima makes a strong impact, but is ugly.
Abe makes a weak impact, but is pretty.

----

(*Now we get into the actual show)

352. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:12:30.59ID:f0c8PD6T0

Samu Samu's costumes are boring.
They're the same as "Again and Again".

354. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:20:39.99ID:zq13zujX0

Goto and Chikada are really good Producers.

359. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:26:23.18ID:VByZBsAS0

What are these costumes?

363. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:28:03.29ID:LgftWSbQ0

This is better than "Wind Blows".

364. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:28:54.39ID:gvNlmJXg0

What kind of costume is this?

370. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:36:38.52ID:Q6b5UgxT0

Nothing has come out that has surpassed Bandwagon.

375. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:40:19.06ID:zq13zujX0

Both are better than the last two songs.

376. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:40:20.33ID:yNiTOM9D0

It's hard to sing live.
It would have been better if they (Samu Samu) hadn't performed after LaLuce.

377. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:40:27.58ID:OcIv1UEZ0

Samu Samu's song today is unfortunate and it seems like they'll lose.

379. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:41:32.57ID:yNiTOM9D0

Both Samu Samu's song and costumes are the same as their first. They must like them.

380. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:41:57.58ID:/eOqILhG0

Samu Samu's song is 100 times better.

382. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:42:19.27ID:LgftWSbQ0

Even though the song is good, it gives me the same impression as "Again and Again".

383. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:43:49.22ID:DE9shfDi0

Although they can't sing, the dance seems difficult.

384. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:44:25.78ID:66L6AgVb0

Samu Samu! It's only a matter of time!
The title song has probably been decided since they're wearing the same costumes as when they debuted.
I don't think it's anyone elses program.

387. 名無しでいいとも！＠放送中は実況板で2018/06/17(日) 19:47:09.27ID:VByZBsAS0

It's been terribly tone deaf up to this point.
You might as well listen to Nogizaka instead.

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Last Idol Abema Producer Battle E2 - Good Tears vs Love Cocchi

Time to break down the first Battle of the Abema Producer Battle! Because the show is so long and there's allot of new information, I didn't know quite how to format it. It's a mix of my own opinions and observations from Japanese fans.

Looks like they're sticking with the 1hr. format. That's fine by me. It doesn't feel as rushed. The setting is more informal than the show on TV Asahi. Just a basic stage with a live audience standing only a few feet away. The atmosphere is closer to that of a small live house.
Our MCs are Cunning Takeyama, who's pulling double duty along with his gig on the 2nd Gen's Survival Show, and Mitani Tsumugi (三谷紬), a TV Asahi Announcer. Here's how the rules for the Battle work:

There are 3 Votes: A Viewer Vote and 2 Judges Votes. Whichever groups gets the majority vote, wins.

This finally brings and end to the nonsense of 1 Judge deciding the winner. I thought it was going to be decided entirely by the Viewer vote, but I'm glad Judges are involved so it doesn't end up as a popularity contest. Which group goes first is decided by Jyankenpyon. This week's Judges are Last Idol staple Yoshida and Tekanaka Natsumi.

The Costumes

Love Cocchi's aren't nearly as nice as the ones Sashihara made for Samu Samu and are allot less elaborate. I'm not sure what look they're going for. It's looks like traditional clothing from Switzerland. Not feeling it. There was no VTR to explain the concept, so that might come in a later episode.


I actually like Good Tear's costumes. They're simple, but the colors really pop and the gold embroidery adds a nice touch. I thought the corsets they were wearing looked odd, until Producer Chikada explained that the concept is Belly Dancing and they're supposed to remove them to expose their stomachs.





Time to get the big announcement out of the way. On June 3rd, Staff went to an AKB48 Hand Shake Meeting. There, they surprised NMB48's Kusaka Konomi with a letter from Sashihara. Sashihara asked Konomi to handle the choreography for Love Cocchi.




Later, Konomi said the choreo is a little unusual and she wanted to make an impact by having the members sit down during the chorus. I question why Honoka was made the new Center. I get that Honoka's pretty, but she's not a strong performer, and is more of a Variety Talent. Airi is one of the best all around performers in the 1st Gen. Konomi really should have kept her as the Center.



Performances

These were bad. Really bad. Especially Love Cocchi. Their whole performance was off. Some of the members of Love Cocchi were out of position when their song started playing, so it had to be restarted. It looked like they hadn't practiced the choreography enough. There was allot going on in the routine and I didn't think it came together very well. It looked like they were just flailing around on stage. On top of this, the vocals were really bad and the microphones were too sensitive so you heard allot of heavy breathing throughout the performance.

There were comments in the chat that it felt more like the performance of an Underground Idol group and that they had already lost.

Apparently, the choreo was supposed to convey the image of an Angel and a Devil, but no one really got that impression. MC Natsumi said something to the effect that the Otaku are happy because they like feet, lol. She also lied and said that the comments in the chat were positive, that "The song got better" and "The perf was pretty and cute", but there were no such comments. Fans were actually saying it was "Borokuso (ボロクソ)" which, as you can probably guess, is really bad, lol.


I'm really surprised. Love Cocchi's first performance in the 1st Producer Battle was allot better, but the choreo was allot simpler. I think most of them aren't used to such a complicated dance routine. On the plus side, they can only improve from here, and I hope that Konomi tweaks the choreo a bit.

Good Tear's perf was a bit better. They seemed more comfortable with the routine and their presentation was better than Love Cocchi's. However, for the most part, their vocals were equally as bad. Fans seemed to be uncomfortable with the erotic nature of the dance.

Love Cocchi's Airi and Good Tear's Kana were the only ones who brought decent vocals to the performances. The other members really need to get some more vocal training.

Songs

What are these songs?! Both feel like a step down from the 1st Producer Battle. "Love Docchi (ラブドッチ)" by Love Cocchi sounds even more generic than Samu Samu's. It's referred to as a "Dajyare (ダジャレ)" which is a comical type of word play that's out of style.

 "Hey, So? (へぇ、そーお？)" by Good Tear's sounds a bit dated. The lyrics are supposed to be very unusual and something you don't typically hear in an Idol song.


Chikada explained how to approach the vocals when they were recording, but it was strange and difficult to translate. He says something to the effect of:

"When you speak, your mouth should be comfortable. The sound the mouth makes should be something fun. I would like you to convey a feeling where the vocals move together with the dancing."

I think Chikada is going to be an interesting character throughout the Season, lol.

Throughout the song there's allot of random words and phrases that fans didn't understand the significance of:

「おっととい」 The day before yesterday.
「あ、別チャン」 Oh, another one.
「コーマンタレブー！」 French for "How are you?"
「HOOKだ、さぁ！」 ???
「おっぺそ」 ???
「やべー、あべー、あ、キレちゃんたらもう」 Yabe, Abe, Ah, pretty already.

There was allot of attention given to the lyrics by fans. My favorite Blogger gave their interpretation:

「HOOK（フック）だ、さぁ」→ Fukuda
「あ、そーお」→ Aso
「あ、別チャン」「AB」→ Abe

They think the word play could be talking about politics sarcastically. The repeated use of "398" might be a reference to the increase in the consumption tax.

Fans were drawing comparisons to old Morning Musume. I definitely got some "Happy Summer Wedding" vibes from it.

Judging

MC Natsumi was called out as a lier for making a dumb comment which I did'nt quite understand. She's not making a good impression so far. In the Judging, Love Cocchi got 54.4% of the Viewer vote, so it was very close. Obviously, both Judges voted for Good Tears, so they are the winners of the first Battle.


Judges comments:

Yoshida: It was interesting because they completely changed their direction. He felt the energy of Momusu, and it was amusing so he voted for Good Tears.

Takenaka: She didn't think Love Cocchi's presentation was good and they looked cramped on the stage.
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Thursday, June 28, 2018

LADYBABY Natalie Interview Part 2 and 3

"What kind of image do you get when you look at Kaneko Rie"

--I heard Kaneko's opinion of the new members during their self introduction, but I'd like to ask what kind of impression the new members got from Kaneko.

Arima: When an Artist stands on stage, I think the best part of them comes out. When Rie is standing on stage, She's super cool. However, even off stage, Rie's normal state is also cool.

Karasawa: I can't do many things without someone's help, so Rie is always helping me, like setting my hair.

Kaneko: I'd rather take care of it myself. I'm like an overattentive Grandma (laughs).


Ikeda: Rie will say even my negative aspects are good and she won't hesitate to listen when I'm troubled. She gives of the feeling of a Sister you can depend on. Lately, we've been together everyday, so I can see how down to earth she is. I can depend on her, so from this point on, I want to give her my support.

"No matter the structure, there were people who cared"

--As soon as the new members joined, The Live Tour in the Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo areas,
"Ladybaby 'Tour 2018 Sadame'" was organized.

Kaneko: When I sang the songs from the previous Era, I thought "this feels completely different". I don't know what fans think of singing the old songs with new members. It's strange that I was feeling so nostalgic. In the past, whether the group consisted of 3 people or 2 people, I thought it would work. However, I started worrying "what if I didn't feel like I could continue as 4 members". But when the 4 of us performed live, the feeling that "this is completely different" was born. It left a lasting impression. I got a strong feeling that "it can work with these 4 people". Up til this point, Ladybaby was special, but I think it's getting better.

(*This paragraph was a little difficult. The 3 new members speak very plainly and are easy to understand, but Kaneko tends to be very philosophical when she speaks, so it's not always easy to figure out what she's getting at. My original translation of the previous paragraph was a little confusing so I restructured it and now I think it gets her point across better)

--So that was your mental state.

Kaneko: I think the way new line up expresses itself is different. More emotional and intense parts can come out on stage. We've stored up allot of emotions up to this point and the performances have made use of these. I've noticed that the type of live performance has matured.

--How have the live performances been for you, Ikeda?

Ikeda: I was very nervous when we performed in Osaka and Nagoya. Of course, there were some doubts and criticism when the new members were decided. The first Live was really scary. I had been taking lessons and got frustrated because I wasn't getting it. Up till now, when I had Modeled, I never had any fear when I went out on stage, but I started to think about what kind of expressions the fans would have, and what the mood would be like waiting for the show to start, so I was about to cry before the concert started and my legs were trembling.

However, when I stood on stage, everyone was waiting with a smile and when we started the performance, I got excited and I had so much fun. I thought "so this is what it's like singing and dancing at a Ladybaby Live stage". More than the feeling of an achievement, I just kept think about how much fun it was. I'm thankful to the fans of Ladybaby for coming, and I'm really glad I decided to joining the group.


Arima: I had to memorize more than 12 songs in about 3 weeks, which was really difficult. A few times I thought "I won't go tomorrow!" However, everyone was kind to me, especially Rie who was polite when teaching me the dances. Without that, I would have been garbage.

--I did't think you would be so hard on yourself (laughs).

Arima: At the Osaka One Man I was thinking "If I forget the dance or the lyrics, what should I do?", so I had allot of anxiety about whether I could do my performance properly. But as I did more Lives, the choreography became ingrained in my body. I also got a good feeling doing the Death Voice at the venues, so by the time of the final performance in Tokyo, I felt really comfortable.

Karasawa: I was used to Singing and Dancing, but at the first performance in Osaka, I was uneasy and my voice had a hard time coming out. However, in Nagoya, it was a mixture of anxiety and enjoyment, and when we got to Tokyo, it was more like 80% fun. I gradually became able to enjoy performing,  and felt like "I'm ready for today's live, yahoo!".

--Did the feeling of the Live itself change?

Kaneko: In the past, I felt like the Stage and the Floor were separate. Now, the instant I stand on Stage, I feel like the boundaries have disappeared. At that moment, the light illuminates the face of the fans and they become visible, and it's a new feeling.

--Previously, you had said "I want to see who will win if Ladybaby collides with the fans", so this is a big change.

Kaneko: I can feel the atmosphere from the fans at the venue. It's not something born naturally, and I feel like I've gotten used to it. Only at a Live when Listeners are in front of you can you feel like they are enjoying the music. At the Osaka One Man, I thought "no matter what shape Ladybaby might take, people will accept it", and I was overwhelmed with emotion.

(*I don't know what the Interview is referring to when they brought up who would win between Ladybaby and the fans. I'm guessing it's from a previous interview. I'm not that familiar with the group's history)

"Because of these 4 people, it can be sung"

--And on May 30th, the 1st Single under the new system "Hoshino Nai Sora" will be released.

Kaneko: Since this Single involved people who are connected to the 3 member Era, it's a work that feels very special. Up till now, Hoshino Nai Sora is a song that you wouldn't find Ladybaby releasing, and I think it's a song with music and lyrics that can only be sung by these 4 people.

Arima: Because the lyrics work so well with the Scream and Death Voice, it feels really good to sing.

--What about the Coupling Songs, "Bit Me" and "Biri Biri Money feat. Ladybeard"?

Kaneko: Bite Me is a song I could write only because I'm continuing with Ladybaby and I understand Omori Seiko.

Arima: Each members personality comes out, and the style of the lyrics is like the way Rie writes on SNS. I got the feeling Omori was watching over Rie.


Kaneko: Biri Biri Money feat. Ladybeard is produced by Asano Takashi who also made "Nippon Manju".

Arima: The lyrics are like JPop, but they're expressed through screaming. The difference in feeling is interesting.

Kaneko: Through this Single, I'm really looking forward to what things we can break down in the future.

Karasawa: All 3 songs have a different tone, and I think the lyrics are looking forward to the image Ladybaby will take from this point on.

Ikeda: The first time I heard our voices over top of the music, I was touched. During my first recording session, I was confused about allot of things, but accepted that I was just starting out. After listening positively to the music that had been assembled for the Single, I was really looking forward to tackling these 3 songs.

"For the group to be loved by all Earthlings"

--In addition to this Single release event, the national tour "Tour 2018 -Encounter-Revenge-" will
start on 6/10.

Kaneko: It's the Lives that really makes us feel close. It expresses the feeling that "This is Ladybaby right now". I want to create a Live that can express the feeling that "This is Ladybaby after all" and "This is Ladbaby now"  both at the same time.

(*I think what Kaneko means is that the group can remain familiar to fans, while at the same time, become something new)

Ikeda: I want to go to places I've never been to before, and make each show as fun as possible, without letting anyone down.

Karasawa: I think there are lots of people who've never seen us perform live, so I'd be happy if I could express the charm of this Ladybaby.


Arima: Since the performance anxiety is a little lighter after finishing the Osaka One Man, I want to make a live that takes us to the next level.

--In conclusion, what kind of things do you want to show with these 4 people?

Kaneko: I'd would be happy if we could transcend the genre and structure/boundaries of Idols and Artists. The bigger a group gets, the more you see them instead of the genre. I want to become like One OK Rock, BiSH, and X Japan. I would like to do this moving forward with Ladybaby.

Ikeda: Obviously, we're a group, but each person has a strong personality, so I would like to make good use of that.

Arima: I want the 4 of us to become 1 when we stand on stage. I really want to make a Live that leaves a strong memory of the 4 of us standing on stage.

Karasawa: I don't want to be caught up in Genre or Race. I want to be loved by all Earthlings (laughs).


(From L to R: Arima Emiri, Ikeda Nana, Kaneko Rie, & Karasawa Fuka)


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Tuesday, June 19, 2018

2018 Is Shaping Up To Be A Big Year For WACK

*I originally posted this in May 2018. I'm reposting it for archiving purposes.


The "Watanabe Artistic Creative Kabushiki Gaisha", or WACK for short, was founded by BiS's Manager and Producer Watanabe Junnosuke in 2014 after the group disbanded. Over the past 4 yrs, the company has come to include 4 groups: BiSH, the reformed BiS, GANG PARADE, and most recently EMPiRE. 2018 is turning into a year full of changes and growth for the company.

It's flagship group, BiSH, continues to rise and is landing deals left and right: Anime Openings, CM's, Drama Themes, etc. They even have their own guitar. 





To top it off, BiSH just performed in front of their largest audience to date, approximately 12,000 fans, at their solo show at Yokohoma Arena. 


Meanwhile, the current incarnation of BiS recently went Major for the second time and is now operating under the J League System. This means they will be holding their own Senbatsu's for every Single. The 10 member group is split into 2 Teams, BiS1st and BiS2nd. Whichever members rank in the top 6 of the Popularity Poll will be in BiS1st. I've read that WACK was intended to be a parody of the 48Gs, so this plays into that.


WACK also created it's own Indie sub-label, WcDonald Records, which will release the first solo single for GANG PARADE member Yui Ga Dokuson in June. The MV is out now! 


Regarding the business side of things, a few weeks ago Watanabe, the WACK Founder and Manager we all love to hate, announced the company was hiring more staff for Artist Management. That was a good sign the company is growing.

Just the other day, the full picture was revealed when it was announced that WACK will start it's first ever Kenkyuusei Trainee Program, called WAgg. Girls age 12 - 17 can receive training with the possibility of eventually joining BiSH, BiS, or other WACK groups. 

It's Hello Pro Egg, WACK style 0u0plz.png Even though WACK was intended to mirror 48Gs, it's structure feels more similar to Hello Project (they even did Shuffle Units last year), so the name is fitting, especially considering so many WACK members are big H!P fans. Previously, Applicants went through an arduous, week long Training Camp to get into WACK. I can only assume WAgg will incorporate some of these elements as well as some new ones that we probably can't imagine.
All this has happened in just the first half of 2018. It's going to be exciting to see what happens in the second half and for the years to come as WACK continues to grow.

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LADYBABY Natalie Interview Part 1

I tend to translate articles and interviews from the same groups, so I was looking for something different. I've become more interested in LADYBABY with the new lineup, so when I saw this Interview on Natalie last month, I thought it would be a nice change of pace.


"The new system will transcend genre and structure"

Ladybaby will release their new single "Hoshino nai Sora" on May 30th.

In February of this year, 3 new members joined the group: Ikeda Nana (Nana Chyamu), Arima Emiri, and Karasawa Fuka. The group also changed it's name from "The Idol Formerly Known as Ladybaby" back to "Ladybaby", as they were originally known. After announcing the new 4 member system, they embarked on their One Man Tour "LadyBaby - Tour 2018 Sadame", and recorded the Single "Hoshino nai Sora". The Reborn LadyBaby spoke with Natalie about how the new members joined, the activities under the new system, and the future goals of the group.

"Rather than saying I wanted to become an Idol, I wanted to be in Ladybaby"

--In Feb. of this year, in addition to kaneko Rie, 3 members joined the group to create a new 4 member system. first, I'd like to ask the new members how they joined the group. Arima, you went to the audition didn't you?

Arima (Emiri): I like Metal and had listened to Ladybaby's music, so I knew there was an audition in January. I'm from Hyogo, but moved to Tokyo the month before, so it was very good timing.

--Have you gone to other auditions?

Arima: Not at all. I went to the audition because it was for Ladybaby. Rather than saying I wanted to be an Idol, I wanted to be in Ladybaby. About 3 years ago, I was a Vocalist in a metal band doing the Death Voice and Screams, so it would be great if I could make use of that experience.

Kaneko (Rie): At the time of the audition, I saw videos of Emiri singing with the Death Voice. I was so captivated, it was like love at first sight.

--Then after you joined, a costume with shoulder pads and thrones/spikes, like something out of Mad Max of Hokuto no Ken, was made (laughs).

Arima: It looks like a Gundam.

--Did you think you would wear something like this?

Arima: I never thought about it (laughs). But it's a nice feeling. It's allot of fun.


--So, Kaneko, what was your impression after watching Arima?

Kaneko: Aside from the Death Voice, Emiri's vocals have a high level of expression, and they're indespensible to Ladybaby. On top of that, she's necessary for Ladybaby's humanity.

--Can you explain a bit more?

Kaneko: I'm not very straightforward. Up until now, Ladybaby wasn't stoic. I realized that a stoic quality is necessary for the current Ladybaby.

"I don't dream about the future"

--Karasawa also went to the Audition.

Karasawa (Fuka): (nods and smiles)

--Since this is an interview, why don't you say something (laughs). Why did you take part in the Audition?

Karasawa: I don't dream about the future.

--It's suddenly gotten very serious (laughs).

Karasawa: I'm concurrent in the Idol Group "Wareraga Pawa Pawa Pawa Pawa" which started activities two years ago. After becoming active, I became more interested in the Entertainment Industry, so I knew about the Audition for Ladybaby. I want to have various experiences while I'm at the age when you can do anything, so I undertook the Ladybaby Audition.


--Were you familiar with Ladybaby?

Karasawa: Yes, I was. The group was cool. I enjoyed myself, and felt like I was enjoying life. It made me feel more human.

--However, Wareraga PPPP feels very Idol-like, while the atmosphere of Ladybaby is very different.

Karasawa: I think it's interesting because I feel like I can explore different sides of myself.

--Is it difficult to hold a concurrent position?

Karasawa: You said you thought I was serious, but I've never thought about it.

--So, what does it feel like starting activities with Ladybaby?

Karasawa: Everyday is fun. Live performances are very intense. I always wanted to do a live like this.

--Kaneko, what kind of impression do you get from Karasawa?

Kaneko: Recently, I've started doing Fortune Telling using Tarot Cards. The first card, the Magician, has the symbol of Infinity on top of it's head. That kind of image comes to mind with Karasawa. There's no limit to what she can do.

--I see.

Kaneko: I think Karasawa is someone who can break down her experiences, absorb them, and use them to open up many different possibilities. At the time of the Audition, there were other girls that appealed to the cool aspect of Ladybaby. Of course, I was glad that they knew about Ladybaby, but Karasawa came to the Audition with her pigtails and gave off a strong impression of an Idol. At first, she was nervous speaking at the Audition, but when she started to sing and dance, she shined very brightly. It was then that I felt like I was back in Middle School watching all the shining Idols and thought "this girl is amazing!". I think she can accomplish what I couldn't with Ladybaby up till now, so I wanted to go down this path.

--She was someone who gave off the feeling of potential/possibility.

Kaneko: She has guts too. I'm also concurrent with Trolleattroll (Kaneko's solo project). It's enough just to be in 1 group, but I'm in 2 at the age of 16 and trying to balance it with my studies, so I think this new method is wonderful.
 
Karasawa: I'm glad! It's a new type that is growing and receiving praise.

Kaneko: It seems to be increasing (laughs).


"Losing the [JK] Brand"

--Ikeda, you were scouted, weren't you?

Ikeda (Nana): I'd been working as a Model for a long time, but after graduating from Highschool, the JK Brand was no longer available to me, so I was wondering how to proceed. Self branding as a model is the most important, so when I lost the JK title, I did my best to create a new brand as a model. I also became interested in what goes on behind the scenes in the Fashion Industry, so I was considering this when Rie contacted me.

(*The JK Brand isn't actually a clothing brand, but refers to High School age girls who model. I guess once you graduate from High School, you fall out of that category)
 
--So the idea of becoming an Artist and an Idol wasn't spontaneous?

Ikeda: That's right. Since I was little, I liked to stand in front of people, and there was a time when I wanted to
become an Idol. I wrote these feelings on SNS, and Rie read it and that led to me joining Ladybaby.

Kaneko: I was actually doing an Ego Search and discovered that Nana wrote that "Kaneko Rie is cute". From there, I went back through her tweets and saw that she wrote about wanting to become an Idol.

Ikeda: This gave me the opportunity to speak with Rie. As we talked, I learned various things, and about Rie's way of thinking, and I thought I might be able to work with her in the Entertainment World from now on. I took a risk on this opportunity. The timing was perfect and it felt like destiny to be able to work together. I might never have this opportunity again. After meeting Rie, allot has changed.


--Were the two of you acquainted before you made the offer?
 
Kaneko: We had both gone to the "Super Teens - Ultra Teens Fes" Fashion Event, so I knew about Nana then. At that event, when I passed by Nana, I felt like something was there, and it stuck with me. So when I thought about what do about the new members, I remembered the tweet I mentioned earlier and invited Nana to join. After making the offer, I said "If you really don't want to do it, you can refuse". But Nana said she wanted to do it, and her determination was so firm that I thought we could do good activities and she officially joined.

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Peri Ubu - 2You Magazine Interview

*This interview was published on 2020.3.24. Peri Ubu has gone in an entirely different direction. After BiS disbanded in May 2019, sh...