Arashi
Some thoughts…
I have been a fan of many other artists in the past (I have lived the golden era of boy bands in my early teen years - BSB/N’Sync/Westlife/Blue) but I’ve never reached the point to cry over a hiatus/disband. And here I am, 30 years old, having cried tens of times today. Today’s news has caught me unprepared? Unguarded? Name it however you want. From 2020, I expected them to slow down. I expected them to not have new album/concerts every single year. I expected them to announce marriage/children (if that was what they wanted). I even half-expected them to stop variety shows such as VS Arashi for physical reasons but I didn’t expect this.
Back in 2012, I was living in a 10 m2 student room in Paris, trying to follow my dreams as a post-graduate student and later as a PhD candidate. For the first time in my life, I was away from my family and friends in another country. Many times, I felt lonely. Studies were difficult. But then I came across Arashi. It was thanks to the dramas and the funny thing is, I was never into Japan/anime/manga. I was simply tired of the American series and wanted to see sth different. Fate? Maybe. What made me really get into them wasn’t the songs (honestly never liked the first Arashi songs I ever heard of -HYD- ><”) but THEM. I accidentally discovered Arashi no Shukundai-kun clips. The way they interacted with one another, the easiness I could sense between them, all the vibes of true emotions, I could get, made me smile and laugh even when I felt really down. They became a part of my everyday life. They became something like a different type of family? Friends? My mom calls them ‘my friends’ anyway, and maybe she has a point. In a very unique way they were. They are.
Thanks to them, not only did I discover new things; from sites and technology stuff (yes, I was an obaa-chan who for months couldn’t figure out how to become a community member on Lj and how to download/unzip files) to the Japanese language (elementary level xP). I also discovered new sides of myself. Fanfiction. Having Arashi as inspiration, I managed to think of stories, plots, to create characters and write; something I’d never considered possible before. But above all, I got to know people from around the world. I felt closer to the notion of ‘citizen of the world’ in the most beautiful way. Different cultures, time-zones, habits, wants, but all with the same love: our five men. But Arashi themselves have said it, haven’t they? We’re all under the same sky… Over the years, I got closer to some, I lost contact with others. With a few I was able to open up and even made a very good friend in rl, my Medium-chan! I’m grateful to each one of the Arashians I have ever gotten to know/speak/meet! It’s a fandom that I’m proud to be a member of.
In the last year, the truth is that I stopped following Arashi as closely as I used to for many personal reasons, but somehow, I knew that they would be there for me to catch up. Today, I realized, soon they won’t, and it hit me hard. I want to hope that it won’t be forever but that only time will tell. In the same time, I don’t want to feel sad because it’s like mourning over someone who’s still alive. Because Arashi are still active and will be for two more years.
I need time to digest it but I have faith in them.
I want Riidaa to be happy. I want all of them to be happy the same way they’ve made me in the past.
I can only say one thing:
嵐 ありがとう.
Andy
*hugs all Arashians*
I have been a fan of many other artists in the past (I have lived the golden era of boy bands in my early teen years - BSB/N’Sync/Westlife/Blue) but I’ve never reached the point to cry over a hiatus/disband. And here I am, 30 years old, having cried tens of times today. Today’s news has caught me unprepared? Unguarded? Name it however you want. From 2020, I expected them to slow down. I expected them to not have new album/concerts every single year. I expected them to announce marriage/children (if that was what they wanted). I even half-expected them to stop variety shows such as VS Arashi for physical reasons but I didn’t expect this.
Back in 2012, I was living in a 10 m2 student room in Paris, trying to follow my dreams as a post-graduate student and later as a PhD candidate. For the first time in my life, I was away from my family and friends in another country. Many times, I felt lonely. Studies were difficult. But then I came across Arashi. It was thanks to the dramas and the funny thing is, I was never into Japan/anime/manga. I was simply tired of the American series and wanted to see sth different. Fate? Maybe. What made me really get into them wasn’t the songs (honestly never liked the first Arashi songs I ever heard of -HYD- ><”) but THEM. I accidentally discovered Arashi no Shukundai-kun clips. The way they interacted with one another, the easiness I could sense between them, all the vibes of true emotions, I could get, made me smile and laugh even when I felt really down. They became a part of my everyday life. They became something like a different type of family? Friends? My mom calls them ‘my friends’ anyway, and maybe she has a point. In a very unique way they were. They are.
Thanks to them, not only did I discover new things; from sites and technology stuff (yes, I was an obaa-chan who for months couldn’t figure out how to become a community member on Lj and how to download/unzip files) to the Japanese language (elementary level xP). I also discovered new sides of myself. Fanfiction. Having Arashi as inspiration, I managed to think of stories, plots, to create characters and write; something I’d never considered possible before. But above all, I got to know people from around the world. I felt closer to the notion of ‘citizen of the world’ in the most beautiful way. Different cultures, time-zones, habits, wants, but all with the same love: our five men. But Arashi themselves have said it, haven’t they? We’re all under the same sky… Over the years, I got closer to some, I lost contact with others. With a few I was able to open up and even made a very good friend in rl, my Medium-chan! I’m grateful to each one of the Arashians I have ever gotten to know/speak/meet! It’s a fandom that I’m proud to be a member of.
In the last year, the truth is that I stopped following Arashi as closely as I used to for many personal reasons, but somehow, I knew that they would be there for me to catch up. Today, I realized, soon they won’t, and it hit me hard. I want to hope that it won’t be forever but that only time will tell. In the same time, I don’t want to feel sad because it’s like mourning over someone who’s still alive. Because Arashi are still active and will be for two more years.
I need time to digest it but I have faith in them.
I want Riidaa to be happy. I want all of them to be happy the same way they’ve made me in the past.
I can only say one thing:
嵐 ありがとう.
Andy
*hugs all Arashians*