(no subject)
My first Momusu write up!
~Why Morning Musume, part one~
I decided to write this article type write up on Morning Musume and H!P because for one I want to explain my opinions on them and how they have evolved from the untrained but talented women to what they are today, and the groups that have branched out from their success. Truthfully though, I also want to explain why this world has sucked me in, maybe shine some light on a hobby of mine that so man of my friends and family are bewildered by.
I’ve tried to write this so someone who isn’t as submerged in this sub-culture as I am can still understand it, but if you don’t, feel free to ask me questions. I will provide links to all the videos I reference with links to the translated lyrics.
(A picture of Morning Musume’s first official single Morning Coffee from left to right: Ishiguro Aya, Asuka Fukuda, Natsumi Abe, Nakazawa Yuko, Iida Kaori)
History(cited from Wikipedia)
Japanese producer Tsunku started the group in 1997 through a female rock vocalist audition for his band Sharan Q held on the Japanese TV show Asayan. The winner of the audition was Heike Michiyo, later to become a soloist part of Hello! Project. Soon afterwards Tsunku decided to form a girl group consisting of five of the runners-up: Yuko Nakazawa, Natsumi Abe, Kaori Iida, Asuka Fukuda, and Aya Ishiguro. They were issued a challenge to sell 50,000 copies of their demo single, "Ai no Tane," within 5 days. They managed the feat in four days in a very grassroots manner, and Tsunku kept on with his mission to create one of the most famous all-girl groups in Japan, giving the girls dance and vocal lessons.
The original leader of Morning Musume was Nakazawa Yuko, simply because she was the oldest at 24 than the other women. I call first generation, second generation, and third generation women when the first joined, however I don’t call the later generations women but girls because-well they are just girls when they join in more ways than one. Anyway lets get back on track.
Right about this point while writing this I reached a point where I wasn’t sure what to write exactly, there is just so much to say about Morning Musume and how they have changed and evolved. When I went to go watch a H!P video out of boredom/ to get me out of my writer’s block like I often do I watched Osaka Koi no Uta (fansubbed video) for some reason this video really inspired me to write more about this group that to me is incredible, but causes quite different reactions from other people. Like many groups and singers from various countries Morning Musume’s golden era was in the beginning, their best selling single was Love Machine (fansubbed video), released not long after the only third generation member Goto Maki joined. When most people compare the golden age with the current lineup of Momusu Love Machine often comes up. Because of how different it is from the current singles, and how amazingly popular it was and still is.
Another age for Morning Musume that many people consider to have the best line up was the biggest - 15 nin musume.
This group consisted of (from upper left to the right etc.: Iida Kaori, Ogawa Makoto, Niigaki Risa, Asami Konno, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Tsuji Nozomi, Yaguchi Mari, Michishige Sayui, Natsumi Abe, Kamei Eri, Kago Ai, Fujimoto Miki, Takahashi Ai, Ishikawa Rika, Tanaka Reina)
From member of first generation all the way to sixth generation, the biggest Momusu has ever been and will ever be as quoted by Tsunku himself. You would think this would be a complete overload, and at times it was admittedly, but some of their best songs came from this era, their catchiest, cutest, most well sang and odd and interesting PVs came from this time.
The Golden Era women were different than the current line up in that as a whole they were normally more mature, and more raw talent, more confidence and often more personality.
Even casual Morning Musume fans could identify the early girls, even fourth generation, which many people think is the best and most successful generation - excluding the Kago Ai scandal, but that’s a different story for another time.
(Tanka Reina an Ogawa Makoto)
Wow this is not very well composed is it? Jeez.
Let me show you my top 5 Morning Musume videos as difficult as it is, along with what I think the video says about Momusu. Oh yeah, with 5 honorable mentions.
1. Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari (fansubbed video) was one of the first Morning Musume videos I ever saw, and one of the things that captured me was that they just seemed to genuinely be having so much fun. I mean I know its probably staged but I don’t care, and I don’t think its completely staged, you can just see how the girls are close, if you look closely at each member as the video goes on you can see the classic pairs of friends, and I don’t think Hitomi’s saying Makoto’s name was a coincidence ~_^ the little pointless things they say about the girls is endearing for some reason, and the dancing in a subway part shows that they can adapt to any situation. On a final note about this PV you have to love the tension in the beginning and end of the video, and how Hitomi mocks the idea of changing her image, and idols changing their image (http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i296/TemariNeko/Momusu/joshiyossie.jpg). And don’t you miss Reina when she was still a yankee? -sigh-
2. Love Machine (link above) -- With the sexy golden era women’s strong vocals, tempting clothing, odd self groping in the beginning, and the refrences to Japan’s economy Love Machine is one of the stranger Morning Musume videos. Just not at first glance. From here on out I have to warn you I’m going to cite from my favorite translation site Kiwi Musume(http://www.kiwi-musume.com/lyrics/lyrics.html). ANYWAY erm. In the beginning the girls say that they are better than the guy, they got a nice body, they’re a good catch aren’t they? The song is all about love being dynamite, love being a mystery and not knowing when it will light up. Plus saying that love will always be abundunt no matter the state of the economy, and even Morning Musume will want a job in Japan’s future.
3. Shabondama(fansubbed video) From the 15 nin musume this song is a bit confusing but is also phenominal - at least in my mind. It showcases some of Momusu’s best talents including Takahashi Ai, Tanaka Reina, Yaguchi Mari, and Natsumi Abe. Tanaka Reina was one of the few Musume to be a lead on … I think this was sixth generation’s first single actually.We get to see a lot of close ups on the girls faces, which is always nice, and we get to see them act dramatic and … morose? Not sure how to explain their mood or demenor exactly, but its not depressed. This once again shows Morning Musume’s adaptibility, they can do cute and ditzy or depressed and scourned by love. The video consists of a bunch of close up shots of the girls singing, and others of them sitting beside eachother in these uncomfortable looking dresses (I bet that’s why they don’t move in them) and leaning on each other, looking a bit scary. Then in the middle of the pv or so the girls start throwing tantrums in normal clothing in a recently flooded room (or so it seems). Of course there is Rika’s speech. Ishikawa Rika. Charmy. Cute, overdramatic, beautiful, and talented in her own right. This time she looks frantic and hurt in that ‘cheerleader who just got ditched by a jock’ type way, but I could get along with Rika I like to think. For those of you who aren’t Momusu/H!P fans let me point something out to you - These girls are not allowed to date. At all. So when these girls sing about love and it is believable, they deserve a extra round of applause. Except the Musume that joined when they were older, I can see them having experienced love before.
4. . The Peace!(fansubbed video) at this point in the curent Musume line up, there is only one girl left who was originally in The Peace!, hence the reason I refuse to watch in at concerts. This time the girls are performing mostly in a bathroom on a large ship in sailor outfits - but hey they are Morning Musume, they make it work. With a almost hitler like chant in the beginning we immediately hear something different as the song goes on. I’m going to disect this one a bit and look into what I know of the lineup at the time and what I know of the group. Whats with the convenience stores? Could this be a refrence to them not having normal lives anymore, and they miss simple quiet trips to the grocery store? Naw. English conversation school? Wasn’t this right about the time Hawaiian(I just know I’m not spelling that right damnit) member of Coconuts Musume Ayaka was giving her surprise english lessons? Is this a coincidence? At the same time I think it’s a show of arrogance for them, like saying they don’t need to go to english conversation school, I mean I can see a few of the members playing hooky, but not all of them, I mean jeez. Hometown? But they are all from different cities, ok Natsumi and Kaori are from the same one and I think a few of the other girlsa re from the same cities but still. Then the weird connection between pizza and voting? Ahh maybe there is nothing too it I guess.
5. Surprisingly, Kanashimi Twilight made it on here, the translated lyrics can be found . here, just scroll down a bit. Kanashimi Twilight is Morning Musume’s latest single, the last one to feature current leader Yoshizawa Hitomi, and to a big Yossie fan, this is a awesome send off! It makes us wonder if Yossie will do rock music when she graduates? Hmmm… Anway. As sad as the lyrics are the video is incredibly awesome, and the song gets the attention of people who don’t normally like Momusu because it as so different. I thought it odd that Sayumi had more solo lines in Egao YES Nude, but that’s not the point. All the girls look stunning in their surprising outfits, and they all keep with their personalities even though we’ve never seen them in such clothing. Now I don’t like Mitsui’s solo line in the beginning but eh whatever. The girls sing their hearts out, delivering solid powerful vocals, and their actions in the video show the seriousness of the lyrics. Its very clearly Yossie-centric though she doesn’t sing the most, and she totally looks baddass in the end. It may seem too simple to some people, but with the music and the outfits they don’t need flashiness, especially in this kind of song.
Honorable Mentions -
1. Chokkan 2 (most notable the close up version)
2. Go Girl Koi no Victory
3. Iroppoi Jirettai
4. Sexy Boy
5. Osaka Koi no Uta
----------------------------
I guess when you get to the heart of this, I’m trying to get across why I love Morning Musume so much. With its ever changing line up(someone graduates what, once a year almost?), and not all of them staying within H!P (Konno) whats to like when its hard to get attatched to people right? Morning Musume and Hello!Project in general revolves around taking diamonds in the ruff, or girls that aren’t conventionally talented and working their quirks and their talents to make them… well the best they can be. Take a girl you never thought could be a idol, and if she works hard she will be a good one under the Hello!Project umbrella. We’ve watched countless girls evolve from little skinny dorky girls that sometimes couldn’t even sing decently to beautiful young women. Like lets look at 4th gen, one of their first T.V appearances was on the popular variety show Utaban(http://www.veoh.com/videos/v337087kGP58tbg?searchId=1769836922203921349&rank=3). Those girls are all phenominal now, Rika is beautiful, and is the leader of her own group, Kago Ai and Tsuji Nozomi were their own duo until Kago Ai broke the rules and was fired… But that’s not the point now. Tsuji is in her own group now, and is doing a anime theme song among other things. Yossie is probably the most memorable member in the current line up, she is beautiful, talented, and we’re going insane trying to figure out what she is going to do after she graduates.
(Kamei Eri and Michishige Sayumi)
There is a place for every type of girl in H!P and Morning Musume, so there is someone for every type of fan. It shocks many people but my all time favorite member, the first one that caught my attention was and still is Michishige Sayumi. The weakest vocally of 6th gen, and possibly the current line up. Although she was the first of sixth gen to pick her persona and work it hard, she couldn’t sing very well at all (in her own words) but because of her cuteness, enthusiasm and determination she was picked to be put into Momusu. It surprises people that I would like someone who seems talentless and vain.
Early on Sayumi started saying that she believed she was the cutest member of Morning Musume, and she may have seemed narcisstic at the time, but before Reina had staked out the yankee image and long before Eri had figured out who she was Sayumi realized that she wasn’t very good at singing, nor dancing, but she is very pretty and cute - she would have to work with what she had.
Undoubtedly though she has worked really hard to get better at singing, and she even had a solo line during last year ( I believe it was last year)’s Kouhaku, and didn’t mess it up! She’s been getting more solo lines lately, she’s matured and knows when to act cutsey or when to show her beautiful elegant side. Koharu is her ‘rival in cuteness’ so some people say, but if Koharu is a untrained puppy trying for treats, Sayumi is a better trained puppy who knows what to do to get the treats she wants. In her latest photobook she shows that she has grown up, she is more mature and beautiful. More importantly about Sayumi is that she wasn’t content with just being cute, she wanted to be more than just the cute talentless girl. She’s worked her ass off to learn how to sing better, as seen in this , solo song on Hello! Pro Hour and a video that featured her and Asami Konno, another weaker singer Namida ga Tomaranai Houkago (she is the one in the picture below this and the one above this too)
I guess the thing I love about Morning Musume most is that here are these girls that don’t come from big families, or aren’t super rich, drop dead gorgeous, or weren’t incredible singers when they first joined. They were given the chance to shine though, polished, sharpened and everything. They put such passion into everything, half the time it seems like they aren’t really famous singers, like they are just some girls that don’t get embarassed doing silly things on Hello!Morning. You can see the friendships there too, on their most recent tour Takahashi twisted her ankle and had to sit through many performances, and several of the girls cried for her, but most importantly was Niigaki Risa, who hugged and sat with her friend good portions of the time.
One of the most successful and popular sub-groups ever was Mini Moni (Yaguchi Mari, Kago Ai, Nozomi Tsuji and Mika Todd originally until Mari left and Takahashi was added) were all about working to achieve your dream, they even had a song that said ‘Every little girl has a special cute dream and that gives them a bright excitement’ ‘I’ve got friendships that keep me warm even in the cold winter’ Most Morning Musume or Hello!Project songs talk about love (in a good way normally) friendships, or just living life to its fullest.
Hearing Metallica on the radio can make me crank it up so you can hear it 10 feet from the car and will get me sitting up and rocking too it, but hearing The Peace!, Chokkan, Go Girl! Koi No Victory will also fill me with a sudden happiness and optimism and getting up from wherever I am if possible and doing the dances.
Well that wasn’t as composed and as professional ish as I was hoping for in the beginning -_-
I'll do better for part two!
~Why Morning Musume, part one~
I decided to write this article type write up on Morning Musume and H!P because for one I want to explain my opinions on them and how they have evolved from the untrained but talented women to what they are today, and the groups that have branched out from their success. Truthfully though, I also want to explain why this world has sucked me in, maybe shine some light on a hobby of mine that so man of my friends and family are bewildered by.
I’ve tried to write this so someone who isn’t as submerged in this sub-culture as I am can still understand it, but if you don’t, feel free to ask me questions. I will provide links to all the videos I reference with links to the translated lyrics.
(A picture of Morning Musume’s first official single Morning Coffee from left to right: Ishiguro Aya, Asuka Fukuda, Natsumi Abe, Nakazawa Yuko, Iida Kaori)
History(cited from Wikipedia)
Japanese producer Tsunku started the group in 1997 through a female rock vocalist audition for his band Sharan Q held on the Japanese TV show Asayan. The winner of the audition was Heike Michiyo, later to become a soloist part of Hello! Project. Soon afterwards Tsunku decided to form a girl group consisting of five of the runners-up: Yuko Nakazawa, Natsumi Abe, Kaori Iida, Asuka Fukuda, and Aya Ishiguro. They were issued a challenge to sell 50,000 copies of their demo single, "Ai no Tane," within 5 days. They managed the feat in four days in a very grassroots manner, and Tsunku kept on with his mission to create one of the most famous all-girl groups in Japan, giving the girls dance and vocal lessons.
The original leader of Morning Musume was Nakazawa Yuko, simply because she was the oldest at 24 than the other women. I call first generation, second generation, and third generation women when the first joined, however I don’t call the later generations women but girls because-well they are just girls when they join in more ways than one. Anyway lets get back on track.
Right about this point while writing this I reached a point where I wasn’t sure what to write exactly, there is just so much to say about Morning Musume and how they have changed and evolved. When I went to go watch a H!P video out of boredom/ to get me out of my writer’s block like I often do I watched Osaka Koi no Uta (fansubbed video) for some reason this video really inspired me to write more about this group that to me is incredible, but causes quite different reactions from other people. Like many groups and singers from various countries Morning Musume’s golden era was in the beginning, their best selling single was Love Machine (fansubbed video), released not long after the only third generation member Goto Maki joined. When most people compare the golden age with the current lineup of Momusu Love Machine often comes up. Because of how different it is from the current singles, and how amazingly popular it was and still is.
Another age for Morning Musume that many people consider to have the best line up was the biggest - 15 nin musume.
This group consisted of (from upper left to the right etc.: Iida Kaori, Ogawa Makoto, Niigaki Risa, Asami Konno, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Tsuji Nozomi, Yaguchi Mari, Michishige Sayui, Natsumi Abe, Kamei Eri, Kago Ai, Fujimoto Miki, Takahashi Ai, Ishikawa Rika, Tanaka Reina)
From member of first generation all the way to sixth generation, the biggest Momusu has ever been and will ever be as quoted by Tsunku himself. You would think this would be a complete overload, and at times it was admittedly, but some of their best songs came from this era, their catchiest, cutest, most well sang and odd and interesting PVs came from this time.
The Golden Era women were different than the current line up in that as a whole they were normally more mature, and more raw talent, more confidence and often more personality.
Even casual Morning Musume fans could identify the early girls, even fourth generation, which many people think is the best and most successful generation - excluding the Kago Ai scandal, but that’s a different story for another time.
(Tanka Reina an Ogawa Makoto)
Wow this is not very well composed is it? Jeez.
Let me show you my top 5 Morning Musume videos as difficult as it is, along with what I think the video says about Momusu. Oh yeah, with 5 honorable mentions.
1. Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari (fansubbed video) was one of the first Morning Musume videos I ever saw, and one of the things that captured me was that they just seemed to genuinely be having so much fun. I mean I know its probably staged but I don’t care, and I don’t think its completely staged, you can just see how the girls are close, if you look closely at each member as the video goes on you can see the classic pairs of friends, and I don’t think Hitomi’s saying Makoto’s name was a coincidence ~_^ the little pointless things they say about the girls is endearing for some reason, and the dancing in a subway part shows that they can adapt to any situation. On a final note about this PV you have to love the tension in the beginning and end of the video, and how Hitomi mocks the idea of changing her image, and idols changing their image (http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i296/TemariNeko/Momusu/joshiyossie.jpg). And don’t you miss Reina when she was still a yankee? -sigh-
2. Love Machine (link above) -- With the sexy golden era women’s strong vocals, tempting clothing, odd self groping in the beginning, and the refrences to Japan’s economy Love Machine is one of the stranger Morning Musume videos. Just not at first glance. From here on out I have to warn you I’m going to cite from my favorite translation site Kiwi Musume(http://www.kiwi-musume.com/lyrics/lyrics.html). ANYWAY erm. In the beginning the girls say that they are better than the guy, they got a nice body, they’re a good catch aren’t they? The song is all about love being dynamite, love being a mystery and not knowing when it will light up. Plus saying that love will always be abundunt no matter the state of the economy, and even Morning Musume will want a job in Japan’s future.
3. Shabondama(fansubbed video) From the 15 nin musume this song is a bit confusing but is also phenominal - at least in my mind. It showcases some of Momusu’s best talents including Takahashi Ai, Tanaka Reina, Yaguchi Mari, and Natsumi Abe. Tanaka Reina was one of the few Musume to be a lead on … I think this was sixth generation’s first single actually.We get to see a lot of close ups on the girls faces, which is always nice, and we get to see them act dramatic and … morose? Not sure how to explain their mood or demenor exactly, but its not depressed. This once again shows Morning Musume’s adaptibility, they can do cute and ditzy or depressed and scourned by love. The video consists of a bunch of close up shots of the girls singing, and others of them sitting beside eachother in these uncomfortable looking dresses (I bet that’s why they don’t move in them) and leaning on each other, looking a bit scary. Then in the middle of the pv or so the girls start throwing tantrums in normal clothing in a recently flooded room (or so it seems). Of course there is Rika’s speech. Ishikawa Rika. Charmy. Cute, overdramatic, beautiful, and talented in her own right. This time she looks frantic and hurt in that ‘cheerleader who just got ditched by a jock’ type way, but I could get along with Rika I like to think. For those of you who aren’t Momusu/H!P fans let me point something out to you - These girls are not allowed to date. At all. So when these girls sing about love and it is believable, they deserve a extra round of applause. Except the Musume that joined when they were older, I can see them having experienced love before.
4. . The Peace!(fansubbed video) at this point in the curent Musume line up, there is only one girl left who was originally in The Peace!, hence the reason I refuse to watch in at concerts. This time the girls are performing mostly in a bathroom on a large ship in sailor outfits - but hey they are Morning Musume, they make it work. With a almost hitler like chant in the beginning we immediately hear something different as the song goes on. I’m going to disect this one a bit and look into what I know of the lineup at the time and what I know of the group. Whats with the convenience stores? Could this be a refrence to them not having normal lives anymore, and they miss simple quiet trips to the grocery store? Naw. English conversation school? Wasn’t this right about the time Hawaiian(I just know I’m not spelling that right damnit) member of Coconuts Musume Ayaka was giving her surprise english lessons? Is this a coincidence? At the same time I think it’s a show of arrogance for them, like saying they don’t need to go to english conversation school, I mean I can see a few of the members playing hooky, but not all of them, I mean jeez. Hometown? But they are all from different cities, ok Natsumi and Kaori are from the same one and I think a few of the other girlsa re from the same cities but still. Then the weird connection between pizza and voting? Ahh maybe there is nothing too it I guess.
5. Surprisingly, Kanashimi Twilight made it on here, the translated lyrics can be found . here, just scroll down a bit. Kanashimi Twilight is Morning Musume’s latest single, the last one to feature current leader Yoshizawa Hitomi, and to a big Yossie fan, this is a awesome send off! It makes us wonder if Yossie will do rock music when she graduates? Hmmm… Anway. As sad as the lyrics are the video is incredibly awesome, and the song gets the attention of people who don’t normally like Momusu because it as so different. I thought it odd that Sayumi had more solo lines in Egao YES Nude, but that’s not the point. All the girls look stunning in their surprising outfits, and they all keep with their personalities even though we’ve never seen them in such clothing. Now I don’t like Mitsui’s solo line in the beginning but eh whatever. The girls sing their hearts out, delivering solid powerful vocals, and their actions in the video show the seriousness of the lyrics. Its very clearly Yossie-centric though she doesn’t sing the most, and she totally looks baddass in the end. It may seem too simple to some people, but with the music and the outfits they don’t need flashiness, especially in this kind of song.
Honorable Mentions -
1. Chokkan 2 (most notable the close up version)
2. Go Girl Koi no Victory
3. Iroppoi Jirettai
4. Sexy Boy
5. Osaka Koi no Uta
----------------------------
I guess when you get to the heart of this, I’m trying to get across why I love Morning Musume so much. With its ever changing line up(someone graduates what, once a year almost?), and not all of them staying within H!P (Konno) whats to like when its hard to get attatched to people right? Morning Musume and Hello!Project in general revolves around taking diamonds in the ruff, or girls that aren’t conventionally talented and working their quirks and their talents to make them… well the best they can be. Take a girl you never thought could be a idol, and if she works hard she will be a good one under the Hello!Project umbrella. We’ve watched countless girls evolve from little skinny dorky girls that sometimes couldn’t even sing decently to beautiful young women. Like lets look at 4th gen, one of their first T.V appearances was on the popular variety show Utaban(http://www.veoh.com/videos/v337087kGP58tbg?searchId=1769836922203921349&rank=3). Those girls are all phenominal now, Rika is beautiful, and is the leader of her own group, Kago Ai and Tsuji Nozomi were their own duo until Kago Ai broke the rules and was fired… But that’s not the point now. Tsuji is in her own group now, and is doing a anime theme song among other things. Yossie is probably the most memorable member in the current line up, she is beautiful, talented, and we’re going insane trying to figure out what she is going to do after she graduates.
(Kamei Eri and Michishige Sayumi)
There is a place for every type of girl in H!P and Morning Musume, so there is someone for every type of fan. It shocks many people but my all time favorite member, the first one that caught my attention was and still is Michishige Sayumi. The weakest vocally of 6th gen, and possibly the current line up. Although she was the first of sixth gen to pick her persona and work it hard, she couldn’t sing very well at all (in her own words) but because of her cuteness, enthusiasm and determination she was picked to be put into Momusu. It surprises people that I would like someone who seems talentless and vain.
Early on Sayumi started saying that she believed she was the cutest member of Morning Musume, and she may have seemed narcisstic at the time, but before Reina had staked out the yankee image and long before Eri had figured out who she was Sayumi realized that she wasn’t very good at singing, nor dancing, but she is very pretty and cute - she would have to work with what she had.
Undoubtedly though she has worked really hard to get better at singing, and she even had a solo line during last year ( I believe it was last year)’s Kouhaku, and didn’t mess it up! She’s been getting more solo lines lately, she’s matured and knows when to act cutsey or when to show her beautiful elegant side. Koharu is her ‘rival in cuteness’ so some people say, but if Koharu is a untrained puppy trying for treats, Sayumi is a better trained puppy who knows what to do to get the treats she wants. In her latest photobook she shows that she has grown up, she is more mature and beautiful. More importantly about Sayumi is that she wasn’t content with just being cute, she wanted to be more than just the cute talentless girl. She’s worked her ass off to learn how to sing better, as seen in this , solo song on Hello! Pro Hour and a video that featured her and Asami Konno, another weaker singer Namida ga Tomaranai Houkago (she is the one in the picture below this and the one above this too)
I guess the thing I love about Morning Musume most is that here are these girls that don’t come from big families, or aren’t super rich, drop dead gorgeous, or weren’t incredible singers when they first joined. They were given the chance to shine though, polished, sharpened and everything. They put such passion into everything, half the time it seems like they aren’t really famous singers, like they are just some girls that don’t get embarassed doing silly things on Hello!Morning. You can see the friendships there too, on their most recent tour Takahashi twisted her ankle and had to sit through many performances, and several of the girls cried for her, but most importantly was Niigaki Risa, who hugged and sat with her friend good portions of the time.
One of the most successful and popular sub-groups ever was Mini Moni (Yaguchi Mari, Kago Ai, Nozomi Tsuji and Mika Todd originally until Mari left and Takahashi was added) were all about working to achieve your dream, they even had a song that said ‘Every little girl has a special cute dream and that gives them a bright excitement’ ‘I’ve got friendships that keep me warm even in the cold winter’ Most Morning Musume or Hello!Project songs talk about love (in a good way normally) friendships, or just living life to its fullest.
Hearing Metallica on the radio can make me crank it up so you can hear it 10 feet from the car and will get me sitting up and rocking too it, but hearing The Peace!, Chokkan, Go Girl! Koi No Victory will also fill me with a sudden happiness and optimism and getting up from wherever I am if possible and doing the dances.
Well that wasn’t as composed and as professional ish as I was hoping for in the beginning -_-
I'll do better for part two!