Ya-Ya-yah Obseshoon · Ya-Ya-yahを忘れていない [山下翔央鮎川太陽薮宏太八乙女光]: 09.2007

September 30, 2007

project Yuuki 100%

Please click on the pic blow to learn more about this project. Let's support Ya-Ya-yah together!

September 29, 2007

reasons to smile

EDIT: for those who are having problems with the Mediafire links of the livestage, I've reuploaded it to YouSendIt: .001 .002 .003

In Limboland (credits to Yungboy for the name XD) there are reasons to smile too. =]

Reason #1: Yui sent me an e-mail just now to tell me about a project a Japanese fan has started to support Ya-Ya-yah by encouraging other fans to buy Ya-Ya-yah's 2002 single 勇気100％ (Yuuki 100%). The project is called 勇気100％計画 (Yuuki 100% keikaku - Yuuki 100% Project) and it's going reallt well according to Amazon.co.jp's ranking. And as medetaiakaru reported on Ya3's LJ comm, it's now #12... no wait: its #11 now!!! =O It ashames me to admit it, but I don't have that single ^^;;; ...and I think there won't be a better moment than this to buy it. =] In fact I think I'm going to join and promote this project through my blog. Let us show Ya-Ya-yah we care for them. ^___^

Reason #2: last Saturday's livestage -the solos medley-, which Fiona has uploaded to her clubbox in HQ, and which you can watch and download at Mitsukai's site, Singin' for You. ^__^ All four of them were absolutely great, and perhaps it's just me, but wasn't Shoon's backflip more amazing than usual? He jumped higher or something, I don't know, but it made me wow even though we're more than used to seeing him backflip.

Reason #3: another Ya3 episode with robots who glare and snarl when humans make them angry ~~and Yabu grinning like a Cheshire cat who knows why~~. XD

Reason #4: Taiyô having a good laugh on another Ya3 episode.

Reason #5: The cuteness of Shoon and Taiyô posing together on said episode, and realizing that Shoon's hands are as big as Taiyô's even though he's much shorter. =o

Reason #6: Hikaru and Yabu turned into tv-shop sellers complete with their ties and aprons in matching colours. Kawaii. ^o^

Reason #7: Shoon's wonderful, bright smile at one of the Daibouken concerts of this Summer.

Reason #8: A pic of Shoon and Reon from one of the Daibouken concerts too.

Reason #9: Taiyô's "hey, you!" pose in this other pic below from the Daibouken concert.

The pic on the right has nothing to do with the subject of this entry, but... isn't Nika wearing the outfit Yabu and Hikaru usually wear when they perform Ikujinashi? I thought the JE outfits were handed down from generation to generation not from members of one group to another. O_o And the yellow outfit... weren't Ya-Ya-yah wearing those not so long ago? O_o Either the chibis grow really quickly or those outfits have shrunk. XD

Anyway, all these pics are from the November issue of Kindai, which were scanned by HARUKA, a very nice Chinese fan who happens to be a big Taisho fan =] and can be downloaded here: 2007.11 Kindai.

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September 28, 2007

an apology

I think I owe a public apology to the friend whose comment I copied and pasted on the previous entry. It was part of a friends-only entry, and even though it was something that was not personal and I didn't mention her name, I had no right to do so. Please accept my apologies. I'm sorry if I've hurt you. It was not my intention at all. ._.

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Thanks for accepting my apologies. ♥♥♥ I do stupid things sometimes. ._.

winner takes it all

If you are happy about the Hey! Say! JUMP debut, don't read this. Seriously, don't read this. No, I mean it, there's absolutely no obligation for you to read this.

Are you still reading? Okay, you decided to read on. Don't blame me afterwards if this post annoys you, please. =/ I've given you fair warning.

To those in the fandom who want to shut up those of us who are not happy about HSJ, I want to ask you: do you know what it feels like to be left out? Have you felt left out at some point in your life? I have. It's not nice. It hurts. It's a dull ache that gives you a feeling of loneliness.

Let me tell you a story. I hated highschool with a passion. Every morning during the week I'd wake up with a sense of dread and think "I wish I could skip classes today". That's how much I hated it. Have you watched Spiderman? Well, I was a bit of a Peter Parker, only I was a girl, not a boy. I was one of those students people think of as "weirdoes", and of course there was the typical bunch of popular boys and girls in my class, those immature teens whose mission in life is to torture those different from them so they can feel powerful, important.

Now I'm happy with who I am, but back then I was an insecure girl who wanted nothing but the approval of those around her, to be accepted. At the end of my last highschool year our English teacher had the idea of organizing a sort of festival, in which we would stage different skits in English for the whole school. We were divided in pairs and small groups, and assigned one or two skits. I was paired up with one of the popular girls for a skit, and I was also in a group that would do a kind of trivia contest, though my part in that was really small: preparing the questions. In the skit, I had to play the part of an interviewer, and the other girl, whom I'll call M., the part of a famous pop singer. She was in another group as well, but I can't remember what their skit was about. Anyway. I was nervous about our skit because, being the shy person I am, I dreaded the idea of being on a stage in front of a lot of people. However, I was also kind of excited about it - I'm a bit of a contradictory person too. ^^;;; M. was not very enthusiastic that she'd been paired up with me, and she didn't seem sad in the least when our skit and another one were cancelled because there wouldn't be enough time for them all to be staged. I, on the other hand, was disappointed even though I told myself I was relieved I wouldn't have to face my stage fear after all.

On the day of the festival I was the only one in my class who had no part to be on the stage, so I sat next to our teacher in the audience during the whole thing. I must say that even though I hated highschool, I absolutely adored this teacher. She was a wonderful person, and a great teacher too. She asked me one day, in mid term, if I intended to go to University, and what I wanted to study. I told her I wanted to study English Philology, and she said with a smile: "then I'll be with you all the way till you get there". I was really moved by her answer, and she really helped me a lot. I graduated from high school and entered university. Many times I wanted to go back to the school to tell her I had achieved my goal, but I felt too shy to do so. In my second year of University I learned she'd died in a car crush, and felt really awful that I never got to tell her, nor to thank her for her support, so if you care for somebody, say it today; don't wait for tomorrow.

Anyway, back to my story... There I sat with my teacher, watching my classmates on the stage. At the end all of them stood up there, smiling while the audience clapped. Through the corner of my eye I saw my teacher glancing at me awkwardly while clapping, as if thinking that I too, should be up there, but she was a very discreet and perceptive person and, probably knowing how shy I was, decided it was better to say nothing. I thanked her immensely for that, because yes, I was feeling bad at that moment, I was feeling left out, I was feeling I was part of what was going on on the stage,but at the same time I was not.

I imagine that's probably how Shoon and Taiyô felt when they were little more than backdancers in their own group, and how they must have felt when Yabu and Hikaru were chosen for this new group and they were left behind. That's the way I've been feeling since the HSJ debut was announced too.

Some people were excited from the moment this debut was announced, and others seem to be accepting it little by little, pushing aside their initial confusion and disappointment because, well, the show must go on, and they don't want to be left behind in this gloomy limbo that is the Ya3 fandom right now, where nobody knows what's going to happen. Hey! Say! JUMP is all new and shiny, and the boys all smile when they perform and appear together. Who cares if they are truly happy or not? Even if they were not happy at first, they'll get over it, because that's the way JE works and they know it. The show must go on. And speaking of shows... two new shows are being prepared: one for Hey! Say! JUMP, and another for Hey! Say! BEST (ie. Yabu, Hikaru, Inoo, Daiki, and Takaki), called "Hi! Hey! Say!".

We still don't know what kind of shows these shows are going to be, but knowing JE they'll probably be weekly shows, and it makes me wonder again what's going to happen with the Ya3 show. I mean, Hi! Hey! Say! will have HSB in it and some juniors. Will those juniors include Shoon and Taiyô? And if they are included... what will their part be? Clearly not as big as the part the HSB members will play, so there we'd go again, pushing Shoon and Taiyô into the background, precisely now that they were staring to get some attention at last. And if they're not included... will the Ya3 show stay on air simultaneously with 2 other junior shows, one of which has both Yabu and Hikaru in it? It all depends on how much JE values Ya-Ya-yah as a group. Before the announcement of this debut I would have said Ya-Ya-yah was an important asset for JE. They have invested so much in them lately: plenty of new songs, plenty of new outfits, renewals of the show, bringing Shoon and Taiyô forward... Now I'm not so sure. We'll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime I'll stay in this limbo, where it's getting a bit cold and lonely, but that's okay. It's my choice. I just wish people would respect my right to be sad and anxious about the future of my favourite group. We live in a society in which everything moves too quickly, in which there's no space for mourning nor for feelings. You have to be happy, you have to move on. Things are the way they are, you shouldn't complain. After all, as that old ABBA song says, the winner takes it all and the loser... has to fall.

What follows is the lyrics of that song, and how they relate to the way I'm feeling as a Ya3 fan now.

I dont wanna talk / about the things we've gone through. / Though it's hurting me, / now its history.Some fans would rather just not talk about what's happening and what might happen. It hurts them, but they feel they must move on.

I've played all my cards / and that's what you've done too. / Nothing more to say. / No more ace to play.We've all had our say, so now stop ranting and shut up.

The winner takes it all / The loser standing small / Beside the victory /That's her destinyNow it's Hey! Say! JUMP. Accept it. Move on.

I was in your arms / Thinking I belonged there / I figured it made sense
Building me a fence / Building me a home / Thinking I'd be strong there / But I was a fool / Playing by the rulesI felt part of the fandom, I thought we all felt the same and hoped for the same, but clearly I was wrong hoping for a Ya3 debut because life is not fair.

The gods may throw a dice / Their minds as cold as ice / And someone way down here / Loses someone dear

JE is a business, it's not about people and feelings. You loved Ya-Ya-yah? Well, sorry for you.

The winner takes it all / The loser has to fall / Its simple and its plain / Why should I complain.So yes, it's HSJ time now. Get over it. Stop ranting and shut up.

But tell me does she kiss / Like I used to kiss you? / Does it feel the same / When she calls your name?What's behind HSJ?, do they have a history as Ya-Ya-yah has?

Somewhere deep inside / You must know I miss you / But what can I say / Rules must be obeyedDeep down you know this is wrong, but well, it's the old man who decides.

The judges will decide / The likes of me abide / Spectators of the show / Always staying lowWe Ya3 fans will just have to wait and see what Ya3's fate is

The game is on again / A lover or a friend / A big thing or a small / The winner takes it allThe show must go on. HSJ is the current thing. Get over it already.

I don't wanna talk / If it makes you feel sad / And I understand / You've come to shake my hand / I apologize / If it makes you feel bad / Seeing me so tense / No self-confidence /But you see / The winner takes it all / The winner takes it all...So I'm sorry if my posts make you feel depressed, but they express the way I'm feeling now.

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September 26, 2007

after the storm

I think by now most of us have vented our opinions on the Hey Say JUMP debut. I cross-posted yesterday's entry at the Ya3 LJ community and it got over 90 comments. Some people are annoyed by the ranting, but I think it's good for everyone to voice their feelings and fears. Also, it's nice to see the fandom active for a change. If we all had just smiled and nodded approvingly when this debut was announced or just said: "yay! I love this new group", there would have been no debates, no talking, no exchange of impressions, and that's boring.

However, I think we all need to regain a sense of normalcy - I for one need it, so I decided to make a post with some clips of highlights from the latest Ya3 show Fiona uploaded to her clubbox (2007.09.15). With all this debut frenzy I hadn't watched it till today.

Yesterday I wrote in a post at the Absolute Baka forums that I hoped in the future JE would buy robots to sing and dance, because robots don't have feelings, and they won't be hurt if they disband them. =p Then this morning I watch the Sept. 15th show and find that the idea has already crossed somebody's mind. Robots dancing to Daite Señorita.

They have to make the moves a bit smoother, but in 20 years, who knows. That would be a good investment, Johnny-san! =D

Okay, that was just a little sarcasm obviously, because, let's face it, no robot shall ever backflip the way Shoon does.
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...nor smile the way Yabu smiles.

Watching this show made me yearn again for Yabu starring in a dorama version of Gundam Wing in the role of Heero Yui even though his acting skills are lousy. Heero is most of the time just glaring at people and being silent, so Yabu would have it easier. *is mean XD* I love it when at the end he says: "Chikyuu wa ore ga mamotta" (I've protected the Earth) LOL

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Taiyô had his shot at piloting the mobile suit too, and though at first he had a bit of luck, after that he got the highest score. ^__^v Go Taiyô!! We all thought his voice had already broken, but it seems that... not quite. ^.^ That was really cute though. And his shy side resurfaces again too. Guess he'll always be the little brother in Ya-Ya-yah. =]

PS: I just realized I haven't shared with you yet the latest mag pages ZANSANHANE has scanned. If somebody has free time and feels like translating them, it would be great. These two issues have quite interesting articles: one about curious family facts and the other about their views on girls and stuff, which is always fun to read. [image links open all in a new window]

2007.11 Myojo: (don't the first two photos remind you of something? ;__; - jeez, remaining positive is hard)
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2007.11 Popolo: (this one has the best YabuxShoon photos I've ever seen. *__*)
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September 25, 2007

I want Ya-Ya-yah to go on

Feelings are universal. It doesn't matter if you're a 14 year old fan or a 32 year old fan. It doesn't matter if you live in the US, in Europe, or in Japan.

I've been browsing Japanese Ya-Ya-yah BBS (forums) lately, and it's funny how they say the same things you hear in the English speaking fandom.

At the Hey Say JUMP thread some fans express their concern for Shoon and Taiyô, others are just in shock...

翔央と太陽、今どんな気持ちなんだろ。今日、初めてジャニーさんを憎んだ。
How must Shoon and Taiyô be feeling now. Today for the first time I hate Johnny-san.

あー…ショック死しそう…
Ah... I think I died from the shock

others are sending support and complaint messages/letters to Johnny's web, the Ya3 show and the Johnny's net site

わたしはｼﾞｬﾆｰｽﾞｳｪﾌﾞとYa-Ya-yahの番組に送りました。ｼﾞｬﾆｰｽﾞﾈｯﾄも公式サイトなのでいいと思います。
I sent a message to Johnny's web and to the Ya-Ya-yah show. I think I might send one to the Johnny's net site too.

Others are confused as to why Ya-Ya-yah got a new song recently (Baby Babe) if they were not meant to debut.

Baby Babeはなんのためだったの？
What was the sense of Baby Babe then?

Others say they won't buy the CD even if Yabu are Hikaru are in HSJ.

薮光いるけど正直ＣＤほしくない
Even though Yabu and Hikaru are in it, I honestly don't want (to buy) the CD.

At the Johnny's Jr. Hey Say 08 concert thread people are just as confused as we are as to what kind of concert this is.

１名無しさん　 2007/09/25(Tue) 15:32 １２／２２（土）17:30～東京ドーム楽しみ～☆
1. anonymous Dec 22 (Saturday) 17: 30 at the Tokyo Dome. Enjoy!

5　名無しさん　 2007/09/25(Tue) 16:53 これはジュニア魂なんですか？
5. anonymous Is this a junior concert then?

6　名無しさん　 2007/09/25(Tue) 16:58 Ｊｒ．コンです
6. anonymous It IS a junior concert.

8　名無しさん　 2007/09/25(Tue) 17:10 Jr.魂じゃなくて平成ジャンプ初単独魂じゃないの？
8 anonymous It's not a junior concert. It's Hey Say JUMP's, isn't it?

9　名無しさん　 2007/09/25(Tue) 17:19 サイトには「ジャニーズJr.平成８」とか書いてある
9 anonymous On the official site it say "Johnny's Jr. Hey Say '08".

And then you can find looong comments at the 20-40 yrs. old fans thread (I wish my Japanese was better), much along the same lines.

悲しいかな. あの事務所はファンの気持ちなんて一切無視ですよ.
This is so sad, isn't it, how the jimusho (JE) disregards completely the fans feelings.

なんでジャニーさんはあんなひどいことすんでしょうか。
How could Johnny-san do something like this?

On this thread somebody proposes fans to send support postcards saying: Ya-Ya-yahを続けたい - I want Ya-Ya-yah to go on. I think I'm going to do that. *sighs and tries to cheer up*

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I wonder...

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong: medetaiakaru has just just posted about the Hey! Say! '08 concert announcement on the official JE site. Funny thing is the concert's name is not actually "Hey! Say! '08 Con", but ジャニーズJr. Hey Say '08 (Johnny's Jt. Hey Say '08). [As a matter of fact there's also a 関西ジャニーズJr.　Hey Say '08 West (Kansai Johnny's Jr. Hey Say '08 West), because for those who don't know, there's a Kansai version of the Tokyo new group, that is called Hey! Say! West.] Moreover, the recent Johnny's Jr. Yokohama Arena concert was called ジャニーズJr. Hey Say '07.
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Does this mean JE doesn't rely on the new unit enough to fill the Tokyo Dome, so other junior units will be performing with them? I mean, is this going to be something like the Daibouken concerts, only much bigger since it'll be hosted at the Tokyo Dome? Wonder if Ya-Ya-yah will perform as well. I guess we'll have to wait to know as it says:
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※ジャニーズJr.出演メンバーについては、公式発表をお待ちください。
(Concerning the Johnny's junior members that will perform, please wait for the formal announcement. )
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I don't want to get my hopes up, but perhaps as some fellow fans have said Hey! Say! Jump could be just JE's way to try and make Johnny's Juniors known to a wider public.

PS: Thanks a million to everyone who left comments on yesterday's entry to cheer me up. I love you all. ^^BBB

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September 24, 2007

I need a hug T__T

This entry is going to be depressing as hell, but I'm writing it with the hope that time will prove my fears wrong and Ya-Ya-yah is not going to disappear.

For those of you who haven't heard yet, the new group, Hey! Say! JUMP, is made up of two subgroups: one called Hey! Say! BEST (Yabu, Hikaru, Daiki, Takaki, Inoo), and another called Hey! Say! 7 with younger junior (Yûto, Yamada, Morimoto Ryutarô, Chinen, Keito).

They'll have a debut concert on Dec 22nd in Tokyo Dome.

It's not clear yet whether they'll be a permanent group or not, but the word "debut" coupled with Hikaru's tears on the picture below make me fear for the worst. ~~And no, don't give me the "he was excited they're going to debut", 'cause I can't believe that.~~

When I heard the news I felt so shocked at first, and then so... numb when I started imagining

all the possible scenarios of what might become of Ya-Ya-yah as a group and of Taiyô and Shoon.

I actually cried. I told myself: "this is ridiculous, it's just showbiz, for God's sake", but there I was, crying like an idiot in front of the computer screen. I was not howling, nor sobbing, or anything like that, it was just tears brimming up in my eyes, and then silently rolling down my cheeks. Does this mean Ya-Ya-yah will split?

I want to think that won't happen, that Ya-Ya-yah will stay and Yabu and Hikaru will be in both groups at the same time like Ryo is a part of NEWS and Kanjani8. *crosses her fingers for that*

But what if they don't and Ya-Ya-yah does split? ;___;

What will become of Taiyô and Shoon? Will they have to join another group? Will they leave JE and we'll never see them again? And how are they feeling now this has happened and they've been left out? And how are Yabu and Hikaru feeling now? And what about the Ya-Ya-yah show?

I love Yabu and Hikaru to bits, and I love Inoo and Daiki too -the others are not among my favourite juniors- but I couldn't care less about this new group as a whole. I'm not going to buy their CD, and I'm not going to support them in any way. I refuse to play along Johnny's whims.

I swear I don't understand the way the old man's mind works. Why has JE invested so much money and time on Ya-Ya-yah if in the end they're going to split them? It would be a stupid decision in terms of business, and a cruel one in terms of those involved. I don't want to believe this is happening.

I've been wondering why is it that I can't get myself to care about a group with Yabu and Hikaru in it, and I think I know why: because they don't have a history as Ya-Ya-yah has. Ya-Ya-yah have been together for five years, they've gone through so many things together...

More than 200 episodes of their show, 5 years of articles in JE magazines, Stand by Me, their concert, their performances on Shônen Club... It wouldn't be fair. I want to be wrong, I want somebody to tell me in a few days/weeks that I was making a mountain out of a molehill, so that's why I'm posting this.

Perhaps because I was feeling so emotional I took out my Ya3 tearouts and started browsing through them... which didn't help at all, and I don't know if this will cheer you up or make your as depressed as me, but I scanned some pages that belong to the 2005 May issue of Myojo, which has lots of lovely Ya3 pictures, and a beautiful photo of the boys sitting and looking at pics (see below). Comments are not needed, but if you could spare me a hug, I could use it right now. ;__;

[all pics open on a new window]

This song conveys exactly how I'm feeling right now: [Ya-Ya-yah, please don't leave me ;__;]

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September 23, 2007

solos for everyone

EDIT: julyeighth has left a comment to point out that what I thought was Taiyô's new solo is actually a solo of Arashi's Aiba called Yokaze. *is embarrassed XD;;;* I'll admit I'm a bit of a JE ignorant in much of what is not Ya-Ya-yah related. ^_^;;; I truly admire people who follow more than one JE group. I don't have the time nor the energies. XD How do you guys manage to watch so many shows and everything? I'm disappointed Taiyô still hasn't got a new solo of his own, but oh well, at least he got to sing solo. =] Everyone, please feel free to correct me when you spot some mistake or whatever in a post. ^__^

Taiyô as well!! o^o^o *flails* And not just a solo; his own solo!!! Let me say that again: his own solo!!! ^_____^ My only complaint is that they haven't let him have a livestage on his own to sing the full song first. Anyway Glowingmoon630 posted this at the Ya3 LJ comm. It's the livestage of yesterday's show, and Fiona hasn't even uploaded that one yet! ZOMG! I'm spazztic. It's such a great livestage. Hikaru sings Gentles, Shoon BadxNice (long time no hear), Taiyo sings ~~his~~ Aiba's song 夜風(Yokaze - Night Wind), and then Yabu sings Arashi no Carnival... and at the end they all sing the last lines of Yabu's song together. Sugoi!!! I always wanted to see Shoon dancing Arashi no Carnival XD Can't wait to see this in HQ. ^___^
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PS: Don't you love my new header? I do. XD
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VIDEO UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE BY SMILEYUYA

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September 21, 2007

duh, another Kitty

Quick post to let you all know that, as Fiona points out at her site, HappyTown, the new group will actually be a group to support the Women's Voleyball Cup. So duh, another Kitty. XD See? No reason for worrying. ^___^ *is happy*

Now make your bets! Who will be in this time? *hopes for Shoon, Yabu, or Taiyô* ;-) And then there are two other things I wonder about: who will be GYM this time? Perhaps T&T if this has anything to do with the Takki project (unlikely, ne?). And... shall we have another YOUtachi show afterwards? *hopes for Shoon to be in this time with all her might*

edit: learned from Kamichan just now that NEWS were supporters for the Voleyball Cup too, and then they didn't dissolve. Jeez, I had no idea. I'm not so sure now I want any Ya3 members to be in this. ;__; Let us hope it will be something like Kitty and not NEWS then.

edit 2: let's make bets =D Here's mine:
ABC - Kawai

Ya3 - Shoon and/or Yabu

JJE - Takaki

KMF2 - Fujigaya
Why? Same choices from the Kiss de tsutaete performance. ;-) I noticed that they are the 2nd most important members from their groups. They obviously didn't want anybody from Kitty that time. Perhaps Takaki was not an obvious choice because I see Daiki as the 2nd most important member in JJE, but I think they chose him and not Daiki because Daiki is really short. Why they chose Shoon is another mystery to me. Either it was because after Hikaru he's the next most important member in Ya3, or because he's a really good dancer. Yabu was probably included just because he's the junior leader.

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worries & daibouken reports

So, has everyone already heard the news about the impending announcement of a new Johnny's Group? I learned about it from someone who commented on it at Happytown's BBS, and I don't really know what to make of it. Am I excited, am I nervous, am I terrified? I don't want to dwell too much on the idea, but ever since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out, I'm prepared to stomach ALMOST anything. I was a ~~delusional~~ Harry/Hermione shipper, and since book 5 I'd been preparing to stomach that my ship was not going to sail. It still hurt when it didn't, but other than that I can say that I still like the Harry Potter books and was able to get over my shippy disappointment after a few days of emotional numbness. J.K. Rowling is a brilliant mystery writer, who cleverly sets clues and red-herrings here and there, but she can't write romance to save her life. -_-;;;

So what does Harry Potter got to do with this announcement of a new Johnny's group through a CD debut? Not much other than the fact that JKR threw away a chance to write what might have been a great romance, and JE might be about to make a huge mistake from this fan's point of view if in the end it's a NEWS type of group, a here-to-stay type of group made up of people from different groups, especially if some of said groups dissapear.

I don't care that I'm an only Ya-Ya-yah fan. It's not just Ya-Ya-yah I'm worried about. I'm worried about all the possible juniors concerned. Ya-Ya-yah is perfect as it is and shouldn't be dismembered. ABC too is perfect as it is; and so are Kis-My-Ft2, Question... and so would be JJE if they brought back into the group Asaka and Fukasawa. (What a fishy deal that is, both back around as backdancers, yet not back in their group O_o)

And yet... It's so damn tiring to worry about things over which you have no control whatsoever. @__@ The whole Spring debut announcement, that in the end was just Golf&Mike's debut was like an emotional rollercoaster that lasted several months. When I promoted the "let Ya-Ya-yah debut" campaign HappyTown started, it was mainly to thank Fiona, the webmistress, for sharing so much with the rest of us Ya3 fans, but in the end we found out we had fretted over nothing. The Ya3 show is still on air, YOU-tachi is ending (or has it ended already?), Hyakushiki was not a threat to the Ya3 show, and JE didn't pull another Kitty on us -later they pulled out Hey! Say! 7, but they seem to be something temporary, just like Kitty, so that's okay with me.

So, yes, that taught me not to fret before we know for sure. Fretting is bad for your health, and I don't want to die of a panic attack. =p Let us just hope for the best, or for the lesser ill at least.

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And to take your mind off things, here are scans of the Daibouken concerts reports from the October issues of Duet, Potato, and Wink Up, all scanned by Mimini. Click on the thumbnails to see the images in bigger sizes. All links open in a new window. =]
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2007.10 Duet Daibouken report:

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2007.10 Potato Daibouken report:

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2007.10 Wink Up Daibouken report + page with candid photos at Wink Up studio:

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September 15, 2007

Shoon's first love

important: my cute BBS has fallen under the attack of spammers T__T so I've decided to take it down. (you can still view it here if you left a comment lately and are expecting a reply from me though) I don't want to spend all day deletting spam messages. Since this blog has a LiveJournal version, from now on I'll add an LJ comment link at the end of each entry for those who want to leave comments. You can comment whether you are a member of Livejournal or not.

A few weeks ago I bought a few tearouts from a JE fellow fan, and among them, there was this wonderful, unexpected surprise: Ya-Ya-yah's article from the 2005 March issue of Duet, which has the cutest "Taisho" photoshoot. [I'm sure you'll be happy when you see this, Aki. ;-)] I haven't seen big scans of it elsewhere, so I thought I'd scan them and share them with you all. =]

The bad news is that there's one page missing: Hikaru's page. -_- If anybody has that pages and wants to share, send me an e-mail. ;-) Click on the thumbnails below to see the pages in a bigger size (all image links open in a new window)

The text of this article is as cute as the pics, because the guys talk about VD (Valentine's Day) and WD (White Day). Is White Day celebrated elsewhere apart from Japan? We certainly don't celebrate it here in Spain. ^^ Oh, and if you're not that familiar with Japanese traditions, you might be surprised to know that Valentine's Day is a bit... different in Japan. The clip below explains it all.

I've always thought it's curious that in Japan it's women who take the first step on VD. I mean, Japanese society is a bit of a male chauvinist society, and it seems strange that women should be the ones to take the lead on VD. Then again, perhaps some narrow-minded Japanese men thought it would be kind of humiliating for them to confess their love for a woman first? I wonder if WD was conceived in Japan as a way of evening things out (like Boys Day has become Children's Day there). However, I wonder how many guys actually remember to buy chocolates on WD. Guys tend to get forgetful about special occasions, like anniversaries and such. XD;;;

Anyway. In a recent Popolo's questionnaire Shoon said his first love had been in elementary school, a girl who gave him chocolates for VD and a letter that said "Want to walk back home together after school?". Well, in this article we learn the whole story about that girl. [Yui, you're gonna love this. ;-)].

I haven't translated the whole thing (my Japanese is only so-so and it would have taken me pretty long), but I'll sum up a bit Shoon and Taiyo's conversation. [Yabu and Hikaru's is not complete as Hikaru's page is missing]

Taiyô asks Shoon how many boxes of chocolates did he get on VD the year before. Shoon answers that unfortunately he didn't get any -that seems hard to believe. XD He then asks Taiyô is he got any. Taiyô replies he only received one from a girl at school. Shoon asks him whether he gave her chocolates in return, and Taiyô answers that yes, he did the right thing giving her chocolates on WD. Then I think Taiyô comments on how expensive it is when you have to give someone chocolates on that date and that it's better not to get chocolates from many girls. Then there's a bit I'm not very sure what they're talking about - about failing to remember WD I think. *ahem* And then comes the bit about Shoon's first love, which I've translated:

鮎川: ボクはチコをもらえたら、ふつうにうれしいな。でも、義理チコか本命チョコかわかんないんだよね。告自つきでもらったことは１回もないから。[Ayukawa: Boku wa choko wo moraetara, futsuu ni ureshii na. demo, giri choko ka honmei choko ka wakannainda yo ne. Kokuhaku tsuki de moratta koto wa ikkai mo nai kara.]

Taiyô: If I get chocolates (for Valentine's Day), normally I feel happy, but I never know if they are chocolates given out of compromise, or chocolates given as a heartfelt gift. I’ve never received chocolates from a girl who wanted to confess her love for me.

山下:　ボクはね、あるよ。小学校低学年のときだけど、つき合ってた彼女から。[Yamashita: Boku wa ne, aru yo. Shougakkou teigakunen no toki dakedo, tsukiatteta kanojo kara.]

Shoon: Actually... I have. It was during my earlier years in elementary though, from the girl I was going out with.

鮎川:　エーッ、マジで? さっきバレンタインに興味ない、みたいな話してたくせに、ズルイなあ（笑）。低学年って、何年生？[Ayukawa: Ee, maji de? Sakki barentain ni kyoumi nai, mitai na hanashiteta kuse ni, zurui naa (wara). Teigakunen-tte, nanseinen?]

Taiyô: Eh?! Really? A moment ago it seemed to me you thought there was nothing interesting about Valentine's Day, and now I can see why. You kept pretty quiet about it, eh? (laughs) So then, it was in your early years of elementary school. Which grade were you in?

山下:　小学校２年生。相手はシンガポールから日本に来たコ。そのコが転校してすぐバレンタインだったの。チョコいっしょうに手紙が入ってて「いっしょうに帰りましょう」って。家がメチャ近くて，徒歩２分くらいのとこだったから、もしかして[ご近所なんでよろしくね」的なものだったのかな(笑）。４年間中よしだったけど、６年生のとき、彼女祖国にへ帰って行ったんじゃー(笑）。[Yamashita: Shougakkou ninensei. Aite wa Shingapooru kara nihon ni kita ko. Sono ko ga tenkou shite sugu barentain datta no. Choko isshou ni tegami ga haittete "Isshou ni kaerimashou" 'tte. Ie ga mecha chikakute, toho nifun kurai no to ko datta kara, moshika shite "Go-kinjo nande yoroshiku ne" teki na mono datta no ka na (wara). Yonen kan juu yoshi datta kedo, rokunen no toki, kanojo sokoku ni e kaetteittanjaa (wara).]

Shoon: Second grade. It was a girl who had come from Singapore to Japan. Soon after she transferred to our school it was Valentine's Day. She gave me a box of chocolates and a letter that said: "Want to walk home together after school?". Our houses were so close it only took around 2 minutes to get to each other's house. Maybe that was like her way of saying "Since we live so close by, take care of me, okay?". For four years things went well for us, but in sixth grade she had to go back to her country, you see. (laughs)

Such a cute and sad story, isn't it? ;__; It's also pretty awesome that he went out with her for four years when they were so young. ^__^ After this bit Taiyô asks Shoon something I don't understand, and I'm not very sure about Shoon's reply either. ^^UUU Then they get back to the subject of VD, and Taiyô tells Shoon about his memories of VD from the past years. Girls would send him boxes of chocolates at home, but the letters that accompanied them didn't have their names, so he just sat there eating the chocolates while wondering "whom might these be from?". LOL And then, the next day, after eating so many chocolates, he spent all day paying visits to the bathroom. XDDDDDD This guy is so funny.

He then asks Shoon about the time when he got the most chocolate boxes, how many did he get. Taiyô says he got 4. Shoon says in 2nd year of junior high school he got 5 or 6. And I think he says that even though he got so many, it was the chocolates from one certain girl among the others that made him the happiest. Awwwww. *___* I'm not very sure about the rest of the conversation, so if someone more fluent in Japanese than I am feels like translating the whole thing, I'd be very grateful, because this is a very cute and funny talk. ^___^

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September 12, 2007

Shoon, the rakugoka

Yeah, I can hear you: "Shoon, the what?!" XD I myself had no idea what that was... until a few days ago. [Taken from Wikipedia] Rakugo (落語) is a Japanese form of verbal entertainment. The rakugoka (storyteller-comedian) sits on the stage, and depicts a long and complicated comical story. Rakugo has been described as "a sitcom with one person playing all the parts".

Internet is so amazing that I can even show you what a rakugo performance is like... and in English too! O_O

So, anyway, you'll be wondering what on earth all this has got to do with Shoon, right? ^^ Well, it seems Shoon is a bit of a rakugo fan! Our Koon-kun is so weird! XDDD I learned thanks to Princekira (who translated and subbed this clip for me) that he likes burning incense, like old ladies do LOL ... and now this. And you know what? That makes me love him even more ...if that's possible. ^___^

What follows is a rough -emphasis on rough XD- translation by me of a bit from the Ya-Ya-yah talk in the Daibouken concerts pamphlet. I'm not going to upload it to the album 'cause I've decided I'm only going to upload mag scans there, but if you don't have the scans (which were uploaded by Fiona to her clubbox) and want them, just leave a message and I'll upload them for you in a zipped file to MediaFire. =]

The boys are talking about the day trip they made to Hokkaidô recently for a Ya3 show special.

Yabu: Demo yuiitsu zannen datta no wa higaeri datta koto. Nannichi ka tomatte nonbiri... nante tabi, shitai yo ne. Demo shigoto ja muri ka. (wara)

Yabu : The only thing I regret is that it was just a day trip. When will be the day we can take some time off, just to relax? I’d like to go on a real vacation trip, but work makes that impossible. (laughs)

Yamashita: Da ne. Demo higaeri demo, sugoku juujitsu shita koi ichinichi datta na. Yappa tabi wa ii yo! Hikôki mo tanoshii shi. Ore, hikôki no naka de kanarazu rakugo kikunda yo ne. Sore ga meccha tanoshii yo.

Shoon: True. However... even though it was just a day trip, we got our batteries recharged and it was a great day, wasn’t it? After all, trips are always enjoyable. Also, travelling by plane is fun as well. I always listen to rakugo on the plane. It’s very amusing.

Yaotome: Sore, sôtô shibui yo ne.

Hikaru: That’s a bit stiff, isn’t it?

Yamashita: Iya, honto ni omoshiroindatte!

Shoon: Of course not; it’s really amusing!

Yaotome: Wakatta, jaa “Johnny’s Jr. no Daibôken!’07”, Shoon wa rakugo yarô. (wara)

Hikaru: Alright, alright. Then in the Johnny’s Jr. Great Adventure concerts of this year you can make a “rakugo” performance. (laughs)

Yabu: Ii ne! Orera wa sono ai da yukkuri kikaerutte iu ne. (wara)

Yabu : Good idea! That way, while he’s doing it, we won’t have to hurry to change clothes.

Ayukawa : Demo jissai, rakugo yaru notte muzuirashii yo. Itsuka Ya-Ya-yah con [concert] yaru toki wa, Shoon no soro koonaa [solo corner] wa rakugo ne.

Taiyô: But “rakugo” performing actually seems very difficult. When we (Ya-Ya-yah) have another concert, Shoon should have his own “rakugo” segment.

Yabu: “Tsuzuite wa Yamashita Shoon de Jugemu” (wara)

Yabu: (as if he were MC-ing at the concert) “And now, Shoon Yamashita will perform Jugemu!” [Jugemu is a popular rakugo story] (laughs)

Yamashita: Atarashii ne, sono pataan [pattern]. Demo shôjiki, concert de wa, ore mo utatte odoritai. (wara) [...]

Shoon: Well, that would be quite an innovation but, honestly, I’d like to sing and dance at the concert too. (laughs) [...]

I found this kind of funny and surprising because when I was reading the text and got to this part I didn't know how to read the kanji for rakugo and I was wondering what would that be. At first I thought it might be "crosswords", or something like that, because the second kanji means words, but this was totally unexpected! XD

Also, I love how the boys tease each other during the talk. ^___^ Oh, a little more about Jugemu, the rakugo story Yabu teases Shoon with: [taken from Wikipedia too] The folktale of Jugemu is one of the most famous rakugo in Japan. It has a simple story line with the funniest part being repeating of the ridiculously long name.

A couple could not think of a suitable name for their newborn baby boy, so the father went to the temple and asked the chief priest to think of an auspicious name. The priest suggested several names, beginning with Jugemu. The father could not decide which name he preferred, and therefore gave the baby all of the names. But one day, Jugemu falls into a lake and his parents arrive barely in time to save him as everyone had trouble reciting his name. Jugemu's full name is as follows:

Jugemu-jugemu Gokōnosurikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyōmatsu Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu Kūnerutokoroni-sumutokoro Yaburakōjino-burakōji Paipopaipo-paiponoshūringan Shūringanno-gūrindai Gūrindaino-ponpokopīno-ponpokonāno Chōkyūmeino-chōsuke.

The recitation from memory of these names is a feature of the NHK children's TV programme Nihongo de Asobou (Let's Play with Japanese Language) and it seems most Japanese people know it. This man explains it all and recites Jugemu's full name, though he can't beat the girl in the next video. She's so fast her little brother doesn't even have the time to blink. LOL

PS: To learn more about the art of rakugo, click here. And a couple of curious facts about Jugemu for videogames and anime fans like me: [from Wikipedia too] "Jugemu" (known as Lakitu in the U.S.) is also the name of an enemy character from the Super Mario Bros. series of games. Jugemu-jugemu Gokōnosurikire is also part of the chant Sasami says in the 'Pretty Sammy' OVA to transform into Pretty Sammy.

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