NEWS 10th Anniversary - My story & 10 reasons to love NEWS
I'm so bad at expressing myself, but today is a special day and there's no way I'm missing this chance to show my love and my gratitute to NEWS. So I summed up my story in the fandom for the last years and focusing on the 4 members, I wrote about 10 features that definte NEWS the best, and those are, at the same time, the 10 main reasons why I love them ♥ :)
All of my life I've liked Japanese culture. Since I was a kid I watched anime and I started collecting manga at the age of 12. Before turning 18 something got my attention on the internet. Hana Yori Dango was one of my favorite mangas, and I heard there was a japanese live action currently broadcasting (2nd season). I had no idea of what it was about and I thought it was going to ruin the original story, nevertheless I gave it a chance. So I searched for info and downloaded the series, getting completely hooked! and that's how my passion for dramas began.
I became MatsuJun's fan right away. Then I started downloading other doramas, my second one was Nobuta wo Produce, and I fell for Yamapi and Kame thanks to it. That's when I found out that all these boys were japanese idols of this JE agency. Obviously I searched for more and more info about them. Firstly I became Arashi's fan, but after some months I switched to KAT-TUN because I liked their music more.
But in the end, it was NEWS.
At that moment I heard this group was back from a hiatus so I read more about their history and I got curious, so I decided to follow them right when they were back. Somehow they started anew, and I liked the idea.
And that's how, with NEWS I didn't switch anymore. I felt I was fated to be their fan. I guess it was because it was a fresh group and there was a special bond among the members, they always made me laugh a lot. At first I thought my addiction to them would be temporary, that someday I would find another group and totally forget about them like many other fans did. But that never happened, and after 6 years I keep loving them more and more everyday.
And now, to commemorate NEWS 10th Anniversary I'm going to expose 10 things that might define NEWS best and how those things have changed through these past 10 years:
#1. MUSIC: every group in JE has their own style of music, and NEWS' always had the happy-party feeling to their songs. That's been changing slightly and eventually, adding new possibilities to their works: rock, angsty ballads, ero songs, and especially songs about strong bonds, dreams and hope. They also have very different voices which allow them to harmonize perfectly and create really amazing songs. Shige's the pretty low and hoarse voice, Koyama's voice is soft and sweet, Massu's voice is so flexible, switching from low when he speaks to very nice, smooth and sometimes loud when he sings, and finally Tegoshi's loud, high pitched and breathy voice with vibrato. They all improved a lot through these 10 years in their singing skills, and that allowed them to compose and sing really precious and unique songs.
#2. TALENT: the members have their own individuality which can be defined as "talent". There's the MC, newscaster, leader: Koyama Keiichito; the writer, photographer, brain prodigy: Kato Shigeaki; the dancer, idea man and fashion designer: Masuda Takahisa; and the sporty guy, entertainer, singer: Tegoshi Yuya. They are like stars shinning on their own, but when you put them together they become dazzling, right? Their talents are so varied and they can work perfectly on their own during those times they're not in NEWS :)
#3. PERSONALITY: apart from their different skills, they also have different personalities. I once read a fanfiction where it was said they could form a human body with their qualities, and I liked that idea so much cause it was so accurate, like : Kei is the heart, Kato is the brain, Massu is the body and Yuya is the soul. Kei-chan is the gentle heart, the one who put the members together and cares about them. Kato, the genius, the mature guy who has an objetive view of the group. Massu, the strong pillar they can rely on, the guy with a childish personality which makes eveybody laugh and a contagious sunny smile; and Tegoshi, the spoiled brat who makes jokes and plays prank all the time, but also the confident guy who pushes the group forward and protects it and fans the most.
#4. FAMILY: this is probably one of their strongest features. The members get along so well to the point they don't even consider each other as friends, but a family. They don't see each other as simply workmates anymore. There's no pressure, no fears among them. They always act naturally. When I see them talking and having fun, going out for dinner together, I know it is real, that they never fake it. It's something really wonderful that changed a lot since they became 4. Without that bond, they wouldn't have got this far, I guess.
#5. FANS: no other JE group loves and cares more for the fans like they do. There is a special bond between them and us since their comeback 2 years ago. They love us and depend on us so much they want to do anything to make us happy. I think there's nothing more important for a fan than feeling the honest affection from their idols, rather than us just adoring cold and heartless figures beyond reach. They take our pressence into account and we're always in their minds for future activities.
#6. FUN: this is totally associated with #4 XD their familiarity is the reason that NEWS is a fun and funny group. They are all about to reach their 30s but they still look like kids, in fact they are big kids. Years ago we barely got to see it in the group, at least in a way they'd stand out from other groups in that sense. But now they make pranks and they tease each other on a daily basis. They have the power to make me smile and laugh countless times, even and especially in the hardest times :)
#7. MEMBER-AI: imporant fact. Normally JE groups are kinda obliged to do this to keep fans delighted?. Of course NEWS isn't a different case. Before their comeback everybody could see how in certain moments, they felt a little bit forced. We appreciated it anyway, but now in comparison those moments feel much more real. When they do it now, everybody can see how much they enjoy it. Because there's that familiarity among them. Whenever they hug, kiss, lay on each other, etc, they do it because they feel like doing it. No doubt they love each other so much and I'm sure they never feel uncomfortable during those moments. In addition, there's also a lot member-ai backstage we never get to see but they let us know thanks to the interviews xD.
#8. HOTNESS: undeniable. I mean, how hot they've become with the passing years, and still I get amazed everytime I see a sexy shoot of them. Koyama got much muscular, tall and handsome, Shige probably has the most mature and manly looks in NEWS, Tegoshi is the ero prince, sinfully sexy and pretty even as a girl. And Massu, (wait, let me be a bit biased here XD) It's hard to believe how many fans I know changed their bias to Massu, because when he said he'd switch to his mature being, oh gosh, he indeed did 8D. He's probably the member who became the hottest in a very short period. There's a big gap between cute and hot Massu, and it's amazing how easily he can switch from one to another. My bb <3 XD
#9. TRUST: this has changed so much in us, the fans. NEWS is probably to only group that make me put all my faith in them, and with the passing years this feeling has increased. We believe in them because they always do what they promise. If they say they'll bring us good news soon, they will, when they asks us for a bit more patience, we do so, and when they hope to do something special in the future but they're unsure about it, we just share the same hopes and dreams with them. It's a reliable group, and we just trust their words because we know for sure they won't let us down. They never did.
#10. STRENGTH: it's their strongest feature. NEWS is a group that suffered too much since they debuted. They lost members in 2 moments of their careers. First when Uchi and Kusano were suspended in 2005 and 2006 respectively and NEWS went on an undefined hiatus. Then in 2011 when Yamapi and Ryo left the group. NEWS can't be considered a lucky group in that sense. But all those bad times made them grew stronger every time they came back, and that was really something. They never gave up because they knew fans were waiting for them no matter what. There's nothing that can beat them at this moment, they are stronger than ever.
I don't know what will happen in the future, but if someday I change my mind and decide to leave, this will be the written proof that I've loved NEWS with all my heart for so many years.
But on this day, I want to thank NEWS for these awesome 10 years of happiness, and I hope to keep walking their path to a bright future with them, for many many years more. I'm proud to be a chankapaana, and proud to be part of this wonderful fandom which has the best friends I've ever met.
THANK YOU NEWS!!
