Some rather amazing and important news…
One post per month, eh? So much for “taking a much more active approach to this blog moving forward.” But all my failures aside, I do have some rather important bits of news to report.
First and foremost, my Finnish compatriot Henkka has returned to the proverbial stage and has asked me to contribute to the next incarnation of his “H!P Opinions of a Metalhead” blog. Talk about a real honor! I’m pleased to accept and can’t wait to see what’s in store. For more on this (and Henkka in general): http://www.intlwota.com/metalhead/?p=1563
Just a little over a month until I see Momusu live in concert in L.A. at AnimeExpo. To say that I can’t wait is an understatement of epic proportions. I think this time I’m most excited about seeing Erien in effect. My last anime convention appearance in Seattle came off pretty creepy so I’m looking to top that this time around. I will have a wingman (or wing-woman, as it were) this time so hopefully things will be less … awkward. I wonder if I should dress up as Tsunku… Nah, he’ll be there.
The band (www.csmdp.com) recently decided to perform some covers. Each member is to decide on the song they’d like to cover and no matter what it is we HAVE to perform it as a band. My choice? MINIMONI JANKENPYON!!! If you’ve ever heard my band, you might think this is crazy at first. But, listen to the song. Now imagine it re-arranged for the instrumentation of CSMDP and performed with gusto! IT WILL TOTALLY WORK!!!
So to recap:
- All hail the return of the all mighty Henkka!
- One month left til Momusu magnificence!
- Come See My Dead Moni!
See ya next time (hopefully not another month)
An introduction to the syndicate …
A quick confession…
Part of the reason I started this blog was to have an outlet for a particular passion of mine. You see, I’m one of many fully grown, non-Japanese men who has a powerful (and potentially unhealthy) fascination with a particular subset of the human species known as the “Japanese Idol” (or アイドル). In my case there is a specific focus on members of the uber-syndicate Hello!Project. For those of you not in the know, Hello!Project, (or H!P as it will be referred to throughout this blog) is the Yakuza, or mafia, of Japanese idols (in fact, at least ONE member is reported to have ties to the Yakuza. wink wink).
H!P operates like any other syndicate; idols are recruited at a very young age, trained by their superiors, or senpai (先輩), to develop their skills, and then given larger responsibilities within the hierarchy as they mature. These responsibilities include training new junior recruits, branching off into other fields of entertainment, and managing solo careers as established figureheads of the organization.
The whole thing is headed by a single “boss” called Tsunku (つんく♂); a musician/composer and ex-idol himself whose character is that of a whimsical child-adult reminiscent of Willy Wonka only with a tan and sculpted hair. He is responsible for searching for and recruiting potential additions to the syndicate and writing/composing the music performed by the members. Incredibly prolific, he is the “godfather” of the organization.
The young ladies populating the bulk of the syndicate either function as solitary operatives or are arranged in a variety of groups (typically referred to among my demographic as “units”). Members often span multiple groups as well as maintain solo careers. Among the various groups, the flagship, legacy crew would be Morning Musume (モーニング娘。). Girls are recruited in to Momusu and hone their talents before “graduating” out of the group to become solo artists, actresses, etc. Leaders get appointed and the roster is ever changing as new and different “generations” are introduced with the passage of time. It is within Momusu that the hierarchical structure of the syndicate is most evident. Older generation members act as senpai training, scolding and inspiring the younger generations.
Aside from this mainstay group there are numerous sub groups, shuffle units, trios, duos, and soloists within H!P operating in tandem and/or entirely individually. Notable examples include Berryz Koubou (Berryz工房), C-ute, Yuki Maeda (前田 有紀), and Aya Matsuura (松浦 亜弥).
What this provides to the typical fan is a veritable smorgasbord of idols to select from each with a unique キャラ (character) and specific data. The statistics of past alumni and legendary figures throughout the history of the syndicate provide even more data for fans to obsess over. Fans develop favorites, monitor the maturation of recruits and contemplate “dream units” from among their favorite past and present members. It becomes an enriching pseudo-interactive experience that takes a long time to get old as there are so many different characters to consider; one always has new data to ponder since new material and characters are provided regularly. It’s really a pretty remarkable scheme. It’s kind of like Pokemon. Only with cute girls instead of ..whatever the fuck pokemons are.
So that’s my bare-bones crash course in Hello!Project. A primer, really, intended for those who have no idea what H!P is but know someone who has a ミニモニ (MiniMoni) sticker on their guitar case <raises hand>. The sources of the information in this post are many and will be cited to the best of my ability either by inclusion in my blogroll or by hyper-linking to specific locations on the interwebs within the post itself. Also, this work is subject to review from my peers (if I have any). I tried to keep this as simple and subjective as possible. It is meant to kindle the fire to learn more, not to be a definitive treatise on the subject. But, if I’ve made any glaring mistakes please let me know via comment.
Thanks for reading. Next post, I will discuss just why, exactly, any of this should interest you…
