This is my happy video
Click to viewThis is Kiyoe-chan singing a DA PUMP rap/song with a HILARIOUS running commentary between lines. Every time I want to get impressed and cheer myself up at the same time, I listen to this. TOKIO and Arashi don't cut it for me. XD
I think it's important for us Johnny's fangirls who are learning Japanese to listen to how women speak. We're so immersed in testosterone-charged language all the time that our sensitivity towards the appropriateness of our speech is compromised. I like listening to Kiyoe for a number of reasons:
1) She was born and raised in Kanagawa, which means she speaks mostly Standard Japanese (except for the occasional joke where she adds a べ to the end of her speech). My favourite girl on earth is Ueno Juri and while I love her so so so so much, Juri-chan is from Kansai so her Standard Japanese has this cute edge to it. For Kiyoe, her diction is very clear. I really like Kiyoe's voice too.
2) Kiyoe's not a prim-and-proper kind of person (think Nakama Yukie) and therefore her speech reflects that. It's not that she's not polite, of course. It's just more casual and fun to hear Kiyoe speak.
3) Kiyoe is just a really fun person and she's very natural on stage. I feel really comfortable just watching her. Someone with this kind of aura would be Angela Aki. It's like a lack of pretentiousness. I really like that. Juri is pretty self-conscious when she's doing variety and all that so I guess it's a musician versus actor kind of thing.
When I watched this my body broke out in goosebumps when Kiyoe started singing. Hahahaha. The transition from the MC to the song was slightly magical, I must say.
I think the thing about Ikimono that draws me to them is their talent. しかも信念があるひとじゃないかしら? Like, they know what they want and what they believe in. I really have a lot of faith in this group. They aren't like Johnny's in a sense that they don't have that 'idolness' - if they did they will have an expiry date. I think idols need to have something to fall back on because their careers are so transient. Sometimes I worry about what Perfume or AKB48 will do once they get to be like, 40.
Okay I have to get some rest. -_-