5x20: amnos

amnos_love

5x20

Nov 03, 2019 00:40

Happy 20th anniversary 嵐, おめでとう! I'm so happy for you five dorks and how far you've come :)

It's honestly hard to put into words what Arashi has done for me and meant to me all these years, but I shall try.

Going all the way back to the start, I was 100% Jun-baited into Arashi. It was Sep 2008 and I was super into Hanadan. So I guess I was watching clips of Jun, which then led on to clips of Arashi. And like I wrote here previously, before I knew it, I was in real deep.

Over the last 11 years, I've had periods when I was a super enthu fan, and periods when they didn't really come into mind at all. But when they did and when I went to look up what's new with them, I would fall in deep all over again.

When I think about it, it makes me wonder what is it that makes me so drawn to them. To many people, being a fangirl of a boy idol group is like a rite of passage in their teenage phase which they eventually grow out of. And I've definitely changed too and am not the same rabid fangirl I used to be. But I'm undeniably still a huge fan.

Looking back at some key moments that brought me back to them, I think I could sum it up as the fact that they are a such a source of comfort and encouragement. I've realised that the times when I turn to Arashi are usually when I'm facing difficulties in life. Whether it's related to work, studies or people, when many thoughts are weighing me down, and when I lack strength to push ahead, I go back to them. I think about how hard they work, how they just kept trying even when things weren't going well and they were uncertain about their future, and how they stayed together and supported each other through it all. And I tell myself, if they can do it, I can keep going too. I can get up, get dressed, show up and try my best, and perhaps things won't be so bad after all. Step by step, I'd climb out of the hole I was wallowing in, and work things out.

Here's a relevant excerpt from a diary entry I wrote back in late 2008:

"I dunno when it was that I finally woke up from letting my insecurities rule my life but I'm really happy that I now have the courage to try new things without reservations and how I can just plunge into things and keep pushing myself forward. I don't want to let fear control me anymore and from now on, whenever I am presented with some awkward or difficult situation, I will just do my best and get through it."

and then I added an afternote:

"Now that I think of it, it may have been Arashi who started off this change. I guess it's like seeing how hard they work and how strong they are encourages me and that no matter how badly I do anything, there's always Arashi around at the end of the day. Yeah, I guess it's a feeling like whatever happens, I'll still have these five people to cheer me up and cheer me on. Their 'we can do this' spirit has really affected me and I'm just very happy that it did. To be honest, it may be one of the greatest steps I ever take in life."

And you know what, more than ten years later from then, I think I can say that I was right on the mark about that - it truly was a turning point in my life when I made such a decision to change myself.

Of course, there's also the simple fact that they are just so fun and lovable, that I can't help but laugh and be entertained by them. Their camaraderie, easy banter, individual personalities - all of it shines through when they are together, and it makes me so happy watching them. It's also heartwarming how considerate they are of each other, the people they work with and their fans. When they announced their hiatus, I was sad, but at the same time, I felt like this was really such an Arashi way to do it. No drama or shading, just honest conversations and a sense of how much they treasure each other and the entity that is Arashi.

Cheesy as this post has been, I do feel like it doesn't capture entirely what Arashi has been to me. That will be a treasure that I will keep in my heart forever and ever.

So thank you so much, my dear Arashi, for everything over all these years. Let's keep fighting on together day by day! Looking forward to your first ever Youtube livestream later today (so surreal to be saying that) and whatever else you bring us!

And finally, to commemorate 5x20, I've compiled all my Arashi-related photos and things below! What a journey it's been indeed :)

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Starting with my collection of Arashi goods!

Their first album was such a precious find!

Note the Jun VIDEO TAPE cover - really a product of its era

Waku Waku Gakkou 2014 is extra special beacause I got to see Arashi LIVE

The au by KDDI mag is another product of its time - most of the phones featured are flip phones. Actually, till today, I still want one of those..

Poporo mags were the besttt

I'm so proud of the uchiwa I made for WWG

And I remember being so impressed that Daiso had everything to DIY an uchiwa - even rainbow stickers!

Next up are all the related photos I took on my trips to Japan over the years.

2008