Thursday 30 April 2015

Morning Musume。´15 Nationwide Simultaneous Handshake Events: Ayumin in Aomori and Sendai

Promoting their new single 'Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru / Yuugure ha Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara', Morning Musume。 have once again held nationwide handshake events on the 16th and 17th of April. Their journeys were covered on Twitter, and I've compiled them by member, with accompanying translations.

Ayumin visits Aomori and Sendai, making use of apples and 'stick-your-face-in-this-hole' panels.

Day 1 - Aomori

Arrived at Aomori! The weather's really good! I want to eat lots of apples…♥

I ate Nokke-don for lunch!
…Oh my、 Aomori's gotten a bit cold。 The seafood was delicious!!

Which is Daaishi? lol

Tuesday 28 April 2015

MaaDuu interviews MaiMai - Top Yell July 2013

Excerpts from Sato Masaki and Kudo Haruka's interview of Hagiwara Mai in the 12th instalment of their serialisation 'Maachan Kuduu no HaroPuro Senpai Tanboudan' in the magazine 'Top Yell'.


Kudo: There's a legend that Maachan called Hagiwara-san 'Mai-chan'. Should I believe that? Even as a joke, this was in regards to a great-senpai, right?

Hagiwara: Well, Mai-chan would have been more preferable! The time I couldn't believe my ears the most was when my name got messed up. All of Hello! were gathered for a goods photo shoot, but it seemed that Maachan still didn't know everyone's names and faces at the time. While pointing at the members that were there, she was giving names to each and every one. 'That person is XX-san, that person is XX-san'. It's just that, most of them didn't fit (laughs).

Kudo: What a horrible story...... (bitter smile).

Hagiwara: And, as Maachan was giving out names, she gradually got closer to my name, it was then when I heard her half-give up, 'At any rate, I can't memorise them at all'... I was called 'Akihabara' (laughs). At that moment, I was crushed, 'It's not~'. Akihabara... even if you were to get it wrong, I would at least have wanted a person's name (laughs).

Sunday 26 April 2015

Morning Musume。´15 Nationwide Simultaneous Handshake Events: Harunan in Saitama and Tokyo

Promoting their new single 'Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru / Yuugure ha Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara', Morning Musume。 have once again held nationwide handshake events on the 16th and 17th of April. Their journeys were covered on Twitter, and I've compiled them by member, with accompanying translations.

While Harunan doesn't stray far from the Kanto region, but makes up for it by kabe-don-ing and messing around before her events.

Day 1 - Saitama

Today there'll be a handshake event at Ario Kawaguchi-san from 7 p.m. (#^.^#)
We'll be waiting for lotsーーーーー of people ♡!
Kuduu comes from Saitama prefecture〜♡
That said, I'm doing a kabe-don ( ^ω^ )

Saturday 25 April 2015

The New World that Maachan saw (Top Yell May 2015)

Excerpts from Sato Masaki's interview from the May 2015 edition of Top Yell. You know you're in for quite the ride when the interviewer is already asking for clarification when you're not even halfway through the first page of the interview. Enjoy.

Speech bubble: 'Morning Musume。´15 Sato Masaki solo long interview
(Without interpretations by Kudo-reporter)'
♫♫♫

Sato: Without Minishige-san around...... At the opening day of our concert, the tears suddenly flowed. That's never happened before. How should I say this...... I have no idea about Leader, but the tears that were spilling over from Masaki, they were tears with the thought  'Minishige-san isn't around, I wonder if the fans will still come joyously?

--- It was a different anxiety than what you'd had before?

Sato: At any rate, we got huge roses from Minishige-san! We inherited one flower each. Among those, Fukumura-san holds and treasures one of those flowers, sprinkling gold powder on those lovely red roses, and making a new rose from them, wrapping us in it. Boldly being like 'This is now our Morning Musume。Any objections?' At the moment, I think I'd like to craft that sort of Morning Musume。´15.

--- Another abstraction (laughs). This might be a rude question, but are you talking about roses as in the flower?

Sato: Roses are red.

--- I know that the rose is a plant (laughs). Is it an allegory?

Sato: For Masaki, the rose is there for the sake of erasing bad things.

♫♫♫

--- Fukumura-san's name came up just now, what is Masaki-san's view of her?

Sato: I wish that she wouldn't keep things to herself. I wish she would consult with the rest of us, the 10th gen and 11th gen...... even just her contemporaries would be all right. Everyone wants to raise them, the roses. Instead of letting things pile up in her and breaking down, I'd like it if we discussed lots of things, since we're a team.

Friday 24 April 2015

Morning Musume。´15 Nationwide Simultaneous Handshake Events: Zukki in Gifu, Aichi, and Shizuoka

Promoting their new single 'Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru / Yuugure ha Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara', Morning Musume。 have once again held nationwide handshake event on the 16th and 17th of April. Their journeys were covered on Twitter, and I've compiled them by member, with accompanying translations.

Zukki does a bit extra and goes to 3 places, though all in the Chubu region.

Day 1 - Gifu

Everyone! Suzuki's firing off a Tweet!
After this at 1 p.m.、 I'll be making a live appearance on a radio show by Gifu Housou-san ☆  To the people who can listen locally or listening nationwide through Radiko、 please do!
Rightー! I'll do my best for the whole day!

The promotions in Gidu have ended、 going to Aichi!
It's a relief to just be in the Tokai region ( ´ ▽ ` )
We'll be waiting at the handshake event!!!

Wednesday 22 April 2015

Morning Musume。´15 Nationwide Simultaneous Handshake Events: RihoRiho in Hiroshima & Tokyo

Promoting their new single 'Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru / Yuugure ha Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara', Morning Musume。 have once again held nationwide handshake event on the 16th and 17th of April. Their journeys were covered on Twitter, and I've compiled them by member, with accompanying translations.

RihoRiho disappoints this time around - she didn't spill any food, unlike the last two times.

Day 1 - Hiroshima

Arrived at Hiroshima!…Though that's done、 we didn't take any photos to show that was the case。

Brothers 5-san  will be coming to Hiroshima too、 next month⁉︎

1. Pointing out the location of 『♪ Saigo ha Kimi no〜』!
2. Mo。'15's 『5』starts the 58th's 『5』!
3. It's easy for others to know who you are!
4.Z.D.A→『Zenkoku: Nationwide』『Douji: Simultaneous』『Akushukai: Handshake event』!

{Trans: I think the 2nd and 4th are mixed up.}

Tuesday 21 April 2015

MaaDuu interviews Maasa - Top Yell May 2013

Excerpts from Sato Masaki and Kudo Haruka's interview of Sudo Maasa in the 11th instalment for their serialisation 'Maachan Kuduu no HaroPuro Senpai Tanboudan' in the magazine 'Top Yell'.


Sudo: I know about this serialisation! Our Sugaya (Risako) worked together with these 2... She was in an uproar, going 'They asked nothing but weird questions!' (laughs)

--- It truly is a corner that brought nothing but trouble to the H!P senpais (bitter smile). 

Morning Musume。´15 Nationwide Simultaneous Handshake Events: Eripon in Nagasaki & Fukuoka

Promoting their new single 'Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru / Yuugure ha Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara', Morning Musume。 have once again held nationwide handshake event on the 16th and 17th of April. Their journeys were covered on Twitter, and I've compiled them by member, with accompanying translations.

While Eripon was a Twitter user in a previous life, the wording of some tweets suggest that they could have come from her manager rather than from Ikuta herself. Japanese can be ambiguous like that. As a default, I assume that the tweets are from Ikuta herself, but just keep in mind that it could be the words of her manager while you read.

Day 1 - Nagasaki

Arrived at Nagasakiー ❤
Ate cha-cha-chanpon ( ¨̮ )
(In the style of cho-choto mate onii-san)
Are any of you coming to the handshake event???

I'll notify you of Ikuta-san's live broadcasts again later


Went to the arched bridgeー( ¨̮ )
From now on, I'll be at a live broadcast of 「Yojimaru」ー!

Everyone, watch it ok (*˘︶˘*).。.:*♡

A live radio broadcast from now!
FM Nagasaki-san's 「Spicy voxxx」 ( ¨̮ )

You can listen to it on Radiko, so listen to it ( ˃ ⌑ ˂ഃ )
Open-to-public radio has me nervous-nya!

We'll be holding a handshake event at Kamome plaza in front of JR Nagasaki station ٩(๑òωó๑)۶
You guys, comeーーーー( ˃ ⌑ ˂ഃ )

Holding the handshake event opposite where I did the radio show lol
Already on standby。。。

Monday 20 April 2015

Morning Musume。´15 Nationwide Simultaneous Handshake Events: Fuku-chan in Tokyo & Ishikawa

Promoting their new single 'Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru / Yuugure ha Ameagari / Ima Koko Kara', Morning Musume。 have once again held a nationwide handshake event.

For Fuku-chan, the first day was her 'home town' event, and conveniently being in Tokyo, her coverage got off to a late start. The second day seemed more eventful, with Fuku-chan getting to ride the new Hokuriku Shinkansen and make some local TV and radio appearances.

Day 1 - Tokyo
This is Fukumura Mizuki (*´∀`*)ノ
Today we'll be holding a handshake event at Tower Records' Shibuya store ♪
Since there's the Shibuya billboard and our new songs playing at Center Gai、 please make sure to give it a look and a listen, okay!

Which CD cover does Mizuki recommend、、、?!

Fukumura Mizuki、 from Tower Records Shibuya store。

Sunday 19 April 2015

'The fans spoil the belles too much!' Tsugunaga Momoko talks about ℃-ute's Suzuki Airi 「Since at the end of the day、 I'll be the victor!」

℃-ute・ Suzuki Airi adorning the
top of the 
「Spring H!P Belle Festival」 feature
 in 
『Weekly Playboy』 that's currently on sale
2015、 Spring…。 Along with the graduation of Michishige Sayumi from Morning Musume。 and Berryz Kobo entering their indefinite hiatusHello! Project has entered a new configuration。 
Published in issue 17 of 『Weekly Playboy』 that's currently on sale、 we have a gravure feature on H!P's 9 belles entitled 「Spring H!P belle festival」! What's more、 from the most prominent prospect for  “Oldest H!P Beauty”、 we attach commentary by 「Momochi」 Tsugunaga Momoko
And thus、 at ShuuPure NEWS、 we'll gradually be making public the “Momochi commentary” that wasn't conveyed in the magazine itself! This time、 she'll tell us about the charms of ℃-ute・ Suzuki Airi-san who adorns the top of the feature!
 * * *
― In the 『Weekly Playboy』 that's now on sale、 for the 「Spring H!P belle festival」、 Suzuki Airi-san (℃-ute)、 Sayashi Riho-san、 Kudo Haruka-san、 Makino Maria-san (Morning Musume。’15)、 Sasaki Rikako-san (ANGERME)、 Miyamoto Karin-san、 Uemura Akari-san (Juice=Juice)、 Hamaura Ayano-san (Kobushi Factory)、 and Shimamura Uta-san from Country Girls, for which Tsugunaga Momoko-san acts as Playing Manager, these 9 exquisite belles make an appearance。
Tsugunaga You can feel how serious it is、 given the selection of people! No doubts about it、 the current H!P is nothing but cuties~!
― Even Tsugunaga-san is giving her stamp of approval! Well then、 this time we'd like to ask about your contemporary ℃-ute・ Suzuki Airi-san, who passed the same 2002 Hello! Project ・ Kids audition as Tsugunaga-san
Tsugunaga That's right、 when it comes to singing and dancing and gravure、 Airi's almighty and can do anything。 Just about the only thing she's bad at is speaking smoothly (laughs)。 Wanting H!P's history to continue on from now on、 there are really a lot of girls who look up to members like Airi、 and apply for auditions because 「I want to join H!P」 。
― I see、 she stands at “the forefront of aspiration”。 Well then、 what's something about her that you'd say 「Have a look at this!」 when she's on-stage?
Tsugunaga As mentioned just now、 her dancing and singing are at a high level。 What's more、 each and every gesture of hers is really feminine。 And so、 the number of female fans has been on the rise recently。 She's an ace who even gets support from the girls!

Tuesday 14 April 2015

MaaDuu interviews Chii - Top Yell March 2013

Excerpts from Sato Masaki and Kudo Haruka's interview of Tokunaga Chinami  in the 10th instalment of their serialisation 'Maachan Kuduu no HaroPuro Senpai Tanboudan' in the magazine 'Top Yell'.


♦♦♦

Tokunaga: Maachan, you're good at English, aren't you? Chinami's been studying English, so I've really got an interest. How much can you speak?

Sato: Now, nothing at all. Even though I used to speak English normally ages ago.

--- Eh? The members of your family are Japanese, aren't they?

Sato: My family is all made up of Japanese people living in Japan. It seemed that it was just the education policy of the Sato household, where we'd just converse normally in English at home.

Tokunaga: So, you'd refer to your mother as 'mother' (in English)?

Sato: 'Mummy'. Like, 'I love you. Good night, mummy!' (in English)

Sunday 12 April 2015

[2ch] Tsugunaga Momoko-PM 「Uta-chan, your blusher is too thick。 It's still too early for you, Uta-chan。」


1 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:19:39.06 0.net
℃-ute Nagano Naruchika。
Momoko-PM episode。
Okai 「The other day、 Uta-chan's blusher was thick」
Nakajima 「Because she's at the age where she wants to use make-up」
Okai 「And then Momo-chan went 『Your rogue is thick!』 and used her fingers to wipe off her cheeks。」

℃-ute Nagano Naruchika。
Okai 「Momo-chan's amazing。 She's grown used to Country Girls。」
Maimi 「When my father saw Country Girls with Momo in it、 he said 『That girl is formidable』」

2 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:20:58.19 0.net
It would've been good if she had done it to Sugaya too

6 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:21:32.94 0.net
>>2
Indeed lololol

7 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:22:13.21 0.net
>>2
That's such a good argument lol

75 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:40:29.98 0.net
>>2
She did say that it would have been cuter if it was lighter

175 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:59:02.30 0.net
>>2
It might be that it's due to Sugaya that she's contemplated on the issue

3 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:20:58.77 0.net
Momochi's just too capable

5 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:21:31.80 0.net
Her ability as a producer isn't half-assed

9 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:22:43.81 0.net
She's acting as a proper playing manager

10 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:23:18.27 0.net
Momochi, more capable than anyone at the office

14 :名無し募集中。。。@\(^o^)/:2015/03/25(水) 22:24:25.85 0.net
You'd expect no less from Momochi
She understands the heart of the wota

Tuesday 7 April 2015

The Girls Live #51(Summary)

Aired on the 11th of January 2015, this first broadcast of the year has ℃-ute's Suzuki Airi dressing up her fellow H!P members in furisode, formal long-sleeved kimonos. One ceremony where furisodes are usually worn are coming-of-age ceremonies, and Airi will be dressing up the 7 H!P girls who will be celebrating their coming-of-age this year: Juice=Juice's Miyazaki Yuka, Morning Musume。´15's Iikubo Haruna, ANGERME's Wada Ayaka and Fukuda Kanon, ℃-ute's Okai Chisato and Suzuki Airi, and Berryz Kobo's Sugaya Risako.

Airi's dress-up dolls for this broadcast

Wednesday 1 April 2015

2ch does not represent the Japanese fandom

Today's post isn't my usual fare of translated content. Instead, I'm writing an editorial post where I get very meta and analyse the reaction to a translation of a 2ch thread talking about the English-speaking fandom's comments about the recent Morning Musume video.

The other day, a translation of a 2ch thread entitled 'Zukki is not in the new Morning Musume MVs' was posted on Jicchan. Despite what the title suggests, it actually focuses more on the reactions of the Japanese fans on 2ch to what they perceive as the English-speaking fandom's dislike of the heavy representation of Miyamoto Karin in the video. Among the allegations these 2ch posters had were that the English-speaking fandom were mad because there wasn't enough Zukki in the video, and that we shouldn't be running our mouths because we don't spend money on H!P idols. This lead to quite the uproar in the English-speaking fandom, upset over these allegations.