“Ya3” medley on HHS livestage

edit: stupid clubbox stopped and won't continue downloading, so I've uploaded to DailyMotion the bit I managed to download. It's just missing the end, which is the UMPteenth version of UMP, so who cares? (I'll upload the whole thing when I manage to download it completely, but if somebody wants to see this incomplete clip in HQ click here.

I’d read about this on the Japanese Ya3 BBS I visit, but they didn’t say which songs they sang, except for Ikujinashi, and that’s always been mostly a Yabu-Hikaru song, so I decided to wait to know more. I’m trying to download it from clubbox now (http://clubbox.co.kr/SayBEST), but as usual Clubbox is not helping. So damn slow. Anyway, the girl who posted the link at the Chinese forums I visit posted screencaps, so we can know what songs they sang in the medley: Itoshi no Playgirl, Ikujinashi, Baby Babe, and UMP.

This is Yabu and Hikaru, they are still Ya-Ya-yah for me, and I shouldn’t feel bad, but it’s just so weird to even think of them singing Itoshii no Playgirl and Baby Babe without Taiyô and Shoon. Admittedly they did sing Itoshi no Playgirl on their own at some concert I can’t remember now, but still... I guess it was rather naive of me to think they were not going to sing any Ya-Ya-yah songs anymore. As long as they don’t have enough new songs, it looks like the HHS show might resort again to them for the livestages.

And this is exactly what I meant when I said that for JE Ya-Ya-yah were Yabu and Hikaru. They will sing Ya-Ya-yah songs even if for JE they’re members of HSJ now, but it’s highly unlikely Shoon and Taiyô will ever sing again any Ya-Ya-yah songs on their own if they continue in JE. Yui and I were wondering a few days ago what songs will be sung at the HSJ debut concert as they have so very few songs. After this live stage I’m wondering if perhaps they won’t sing some Ya-Ya-yah songs too. It would be very ironical.

It must have been rather strange for Yabu and Hikaru to sing Baby Babe without Shoon and Taiyô too. I’ve watched a bit of the video with VLC (for those who don’t know you can watch unfinished video downloads with VLC) and they seemed rather serious to me, and Hikaru’s voice sounded a bit strained at a certain moment to me. Then again maybe I’m wrong and I’m just looking too much into it and they’re perfectly happy to be able to sing their old songs? I don’t know; I don’t understand anything anymore. I’ll have to wait and watch the whole live stage to judge. The only thing that’s clear for me right now is that everyday I like less and less the way JE works, or rather the fact that we fans grow so emotionally attached that even these things, that for other people are just unimportant details, hurt. Before becoming a fan somebody should warn you: “Careful, don’t involve yourself too much, and for your own sake, don’t try to understand”.

PS: I’ll edit this when the clip finishes downloading.
PS2: watched a longer bit - the bits of the Ya3 songs they sing are actually very short, and for UMP the rest of HSBEST joins them. It feels to me as if they're trying to say: "See? This was the past; this is the present".

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YabuHika scans and contests

I've uploaded to the album the Yabu-Hikaru scans from the December issues of Duet and Wink Up; the ones that were missing, and also from the January issue of 2008.

This time I've tried something different for all the small "please-love-us" pictures XD ... I made a collage with them instead of having to upload a dozen separate pics.

There's a picture I haven't included in the album because it's a group pic, but it amused me, so I just have to mention it here. *points to the picture below* "HSJ is very happy". It's just part of the photoshoot theme (there's also "HSBest is very cool", and "HSJ is very cute", etc), but it brought to my lips a wicked smile. I couldn't help it. It sounds like a subliminal message. LOL

Credits to ZANSANHANE for these scans. =]

2007.12 duet
2007.12 wink up
2008.01 myojo

On to other important things... It's Hikaru's birthday on Sunday! I've put two image links on the navigation bar. One will take you to a page where -if you have a microphone- you can record a b-day message for Hikaru. If enough people leave messages I'll put together all the clips (my own included) in one and post it here on Sunday. =]

The other image link will take you to the info page about Hikaru's birthday contest. I've updated just now the prizes section. There will be one prize, and it will be the following sets of Ya3 tear-outs: (for some reason I hadn't uploaded the 2007.02 Duet set to the album, so I did it today as well). Please take a look at the info page of the contest if you're interested. ^__^

2006.03 Duet + 2006.04 Wink Up + 2007.02 Duet (only the main Ya3 pages) + 2007.11 Duet

Also, please remember that the deadline for Shoon's b-day contest is December 14th at midnight GMT. ^^ Speaking of which a couple of days ago Akgla, who co-mods with me the Shoon LJ comm., posted another contest entry at 101 Reasons to Like Shoon. =]

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to be or not to be... ambitious

I was thinking of a reply for an interesting comment an anonymous reader (hi!) left on the previous entry, and realized my reply was going to be a bit long, so I’ve decided to turn it into a post.

There are some things that I have to disagree with after reading this post. But please correct me if I misunderstood anything. IMHO Shoon and Taiyo are not only hardworking but also ambitious. If you equate ambitious with "stealing the limelight", "camera hogging","attention grabbing actions", etc then maybe its right to say they are not ambitious. Otherwise, I just feel that they're trying to get there in a different way cause like what you said not everyone is the same.

Talent? Limits? Shoon & Taiyo's limits were set by JE! I mean how can you really shine if there is always a line that you're not allowed to cross? Who knows who could have been the leader or lead singer if everyone was given a truly fair chance. Like you mentioned, not all debuted seniors are great dancers/singers. Yabu and Hikaru are great, but they were pimped by JE from day one. From Ya3's early days I've always wondered why TaiSho never got much love cause I felt they were just as talented if not more talented.

I think Shoon and Taiyo have been put through a lot and have remained strong thus far.. but for how long must they be subjected to all this? and over and over again?

Please don’t worry about disagreeing with me on anything —this goes for everyone really. =] It’s perfectly okay if you have different views from mine. ^^v

It’s true that the word “ambitious” can have both good and bad connotations. I guess I used it meaning both senses. I didn’t want to say that being ambitious is a bad thing, because in the sense of wanting to improve and achieve a goal, it’s not a bad thing at all. However, yes, there’s the sense you mention of "stealing the limelight", "camera hogging"... etc., which I utterly dislike, and which is what I consider the opposite of “unassuming”.

And yes, absolutely, I’ve always thought that you can achieve a goal without having to resort to trying to make yourself noticed, stepping on other people, sucking up to your boss/teacher/whoever, and so on. I prefer people who work hard and act in an unassuming manner. So no, it wasn’t my intention to say that Taiyô and Shoon don’t have any ambitions, just that they’re not as anxious as others seem for being in the spotlight.

What I meant by “limits” was merely in what regards talent. Everybody has some kind of talent, but not everybody has the same kind of talent, obviously. I think it’s evident that Shoon and Taiyô cannot sing some of the lines Yabu and Hikaru sing in certain songs because their voice wouldn’t reach certain notes. I think that’s their only real limitation. In the dancing department, for example, I don’t think Hikaru’s skills are superior to Taiyô’s, and for me Shoon is a better dancer than Yabu.

I very much agree with you that Shoon’s and Taiyo's limits were set by JE, and that you can’t really shine if there is a line you're not allowed to cross. Until this year, Taiyô and Shoon have been mostly a pair of brackets in Ya-Ya-yah for JE. Yes, you read correctly: brackets. In my opinion this is the way JE saw Ya-Ya-yah: [YabuxHikaru]=Ya-Ya-yah. In that equation Shoon would be “[”and Taiyô would be “]” ... or the other way around; as you prefer.

For them Yabu and Hikaru were Ya-Ya-yah, as can be seen from the fact that in the Osaka SCs, Yabu and Hikaru were introduced as “Ya-Ya-yah” when they appeared on their own, while Taiyô and Shoon were introduced just as themselves when they too appeared on their own. In the Ya3 show, when Yabu and Hikaru were taking part in Takki’s Enbujô, life-size, cardboard cutouts of them were placed at the studio. I doubt they would have done the same if Shoon or Taiyô had been absent for some reason.

In the magazines photoshoots there’s far too often the pattern “Yabu and Hikaru at the center; Shoon on one side, Taiyô on the other”. Yes, I know that’s because they’re the leaders of the group, but if you browse Ya3 mag scans, in group pics Yabu and Hikaru are more often than not with their arm around each other, or hugging, or posing in a way that makes you think they’re non-identical twins (sometimes they’re even dressed in a similar fashion) or something. In those pics Shoon and Taiyô usually stand on either side, smiling, but look like a pair of brackets, left outside from the YabuxHikaru bond. Obviously that way of posing is something JE probably asks of the magazine photographers, just like when they are dressed in red, blue, green, and orange for those photos. Don’t you find it funny when two of the boys or the four of them get the wrong colour? XD I prefer the group pics in which they’re standing/sitting in no particular order, and in which they wear colours that have nothing to do with the colours assigned to each.

Either way, JE has always made every possible effort to stress that bond. In the 2003 magazines there was a whole series of YabuxHikaru pictures (apart from the Ya-Ya-yah pictures) when Hikaru joined the group “officially”. When I see the YuutoxYamada pics now I’m reminded of those pictures. One day JE decided to pair Yabu and Hikaru up, and it looks like they won’t ever break them apart. The fact that Shoon and Taiyô didn’t take part in Takki’s Enbujou in 2006 nor in 2007 is also very eloquent.

I’m not saying the YabuxHikaru bond is not real. It’s plain to see they’re great friends, but I’ve always felt that Yabu is actually closer to Taiyô than he is to Hikaru, and that Hikaru is closer to Shoon than he is to Yabu. It’s just that JE wants the fans to see only the YabuxHikaru bonding, as that’s the one they’ve been promoting.

A Yamabu fan fellow from the Chinese fandom called Liching (hi if you’re around! ^_^) told me once that she thinks JE probably cut most ShoonxYabu moments from the Ya3 show. Okay, maybe that sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, but it might not be that far-fetched. We know from Taiyô’s words that quite many bits got cut from what they filmed originally for each episode, so... who knows? Maybe they wanted to stress only the cute YabuxHikaru moments. I’ve always thought it strange to say the least that there’s so very little YabuxShoon interaction, and that there were only like 3 episodes with the YabuxShoon pair. We got YabuxHikaru, HikaruxShoon, ShoonxTaiyô, HikaruxTaiyô, and YabuxTaiyô too, but only 3 YabuxShoon episodes. Not to mention how so very few YabuxShoon we ever got in the magazines.

Anyway, leaving aside Yamabu conspiracy theories (LOL) and going back to what I was saying... yes, in a way I think Shoon’s and Taiyô’s limits have always been set by JE. They were given some important chances in the past (Stand by Me for both, Kinpachi Sensei 7 for Taiyô, and West Side Story and Satomi Hakkenden for Shoon), but apart from that there haven’t been many chances for them if you compare them with Yabu and Hikaru. Shoon has been a bit luckier than Taiyô: he has an original solo and he was a “producer” in an SC episode last year, but other than that they haven’t had that much spotlight if you take into account the fact that until late 2006 they had become mostly Yabu’s and Hikaru’s backdancers and backsingers. Sometimes they weren’t even on stage with them, and many times Yabu and Hikaru had duet or solo performances in their show livestage.

A friend of mine thinks Shoon has been given many chances and that he hasn’t made enough of them, that even Yamada managed to outshine him just with the Seishun Amigo performance on the Ya3 show —the hat one everybody was so impressed with. Am I alone in disagreeing with that? In my opinion Shoon was given very little screentime in his own produced SC, but I think he did great. Then again maybe I’m biased. I don’t need him to do anything special for me to take notice of him. ^^ Oh, well, as I’ve already said I don’t want Shoon to be in the spotlight all the time or to be a leader. I just think that he deserves his fair share of chances because he’s a hardworker and because he’s talented, just like Taiyô.

I too hope I’m not alone in thinking that in general Taiyô and Shoon have made the most of the chances (big or small) they’ve been given so far. I can’t judge how their performance was in Stand by Me, but Shoon’s crying certainly impressed me in the bits shown in the Ya3 show. Also, I think Taiyô was really good in Kinpachi Sensei and in my opinion so was Shoon in Satomi Hakkenden and West Side Story even though he just had a small role in both.

On the leader thing... As I said, Shoon stated once that he doesn’t want to be a leader. In fact, he seems quite content to be led —even though he’s pretty independent— as long as he gets his fair share (like getting some lines in a song), and I think the same can be said of Taiyô.

Yabu, on the contrary, is very much an inborn leader, I think, which was even more noticeable when he was younger: he was even a little bit of a tyrant! XD He also seems rather strict —particularly with himself.

About the lead singer... I really can’t decide whose voice is better —Yabu’s or Hikaru’s—, but JE certainly doesn’t necessarily follow the rule “leader/lead singer=best singer”. Yamapi is the leader of NEWS, but he’s not the best singer in the group.

The question “why is it that Taiyô and Shoon have never been as much pimped as Yabu and Hikaru have?” is something I’ll adress in another post, because there’s A LOT to be said on that. I’ll just say that I doubt it has anything to do with their being talented or not.

I’ll try to reply all the other comments later. ^^

PS: Almost forgot... The NTV poll is closed now. The site says there have been over 1 million votes!! @___@ and it seems we won’t know who has won until December 11th, when that person/group appears at Yokohama Arena. Thanks so much to everyone who voted!!

PS2: There’s a small Ya-Ya-yah picture in January’s Popolo... because it’s something like a ranking of the best photos of 2007. Well, good to know Ya-Ya-yah hasn’t been wiped out from the magazine’s history. Credits to Sora for the smaller pic and to yaya912 for the page scan.

PS3: Have you heard of Audiofic? You can listen to audio versions of great fics like Let the Sun Shine Through, by Aki, or Yugureden, and Tiny Roller Skates by Scribe, and also to an audio version of my fic Kotchan’s Story read by Aki. ^___^ Plus you can submit your own audiofics too. =]

PS4: I just had the greatest idea for Shoon’s b-day. XD Yui will know what this refers to. ;-)

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we're not sinking!

You know what? I’ve realized we’re not sinking at all. Ya-Ya-yah can never sink or die. Not with all the beautiful memories they’ve given to so many people, and certainly not with such awesome fans as they have.

Some things just deserve to live on, and they live on even after their moment has passed. Ya-Ya-yah deserves to live on and I’m sure it will live on.

Quoting my reply to one of the comments on the previous entry, I'm convinced that if the group has disbanded it hasn't been because they were not good enough for a debut, but rather because of a cold-hearted, pragmatic business decision based on the success of an experiment called HS7. In business, if something you try succeeds, you’ll want to repeat that success, and that’s what I think JE has done. I understand it, but leaving aside corporative interests, it’s a shame that so many years of loyalty and hard work on Taiyô’s and Shoon’s part seem to have meant so little for them.

And I will never agree with those who have said that they haven’t worked hard enough, or as hard as this or that boy in HSJ has. People have different limits and different strong points, and some people are not gifted in a particular way others are, and that has nothing to do with working hard or taking their work any less seriously than others do.

Taiyô may not have Hikaru’s confidence on stage, for instance, or his versatility, but along this year, after years of being little more than a backdancer and a backsinger, he has improved extraordinarly and gained much confidence. It’s a shame he was not given some more attention and chances earlier. JE is not about your singing or dancing skills. Some debuted johnnys don’t have exactly great singing or dancing skills, yet people love them and buy their CDs and go to their concerts.

Similarly, Shoon has not been gifted with Yabu’s vocal qualities, but in my opinion he manages to do a pretty decent job in handling his voice, and —though I really, really, really LOVE Yabu’s voice— I don’t think the same can be said of Yabu at all times.

Personally I believe that a person’s value should not be measured by the talents they possess, but rather by what they make of them. If anything, when somebody has a particular talent, more will be expected of them.

However, there’s also something called ambition, and yes, some of the HSJ boys have spades more of that than Shoon and Taiyô have, which is something JE seems to value as much as or perhaps even more than talent and hard work. I understand it, because in the world of showbusiness you need to be ambitious, so I think that a lack of ambition, of wanting to be in the limelight, is the only thing Taiyô and Shoon could ever be “accused” of.

But then, I’ve also said here that I prefer unassuming people to ambitious people. Being ambitious is not a bad thing, but for some reason I like unassuming people better. I never wanted for Shoon to become a leader —he wouldn’t have wanted to, either, according to an old article I was reading the other day—, just for him to be given more chances, like he has had this year, because everybody deserves to have chances to improve and grow and show what they're worth.

Actually, I didn’t even want that much a Ya-Ya-yah debut. I mean, it would have been awesome if they had, but I would have been more than happy if they were still together as a junior group, like ABC or KMF2 or Question are.

But as usual I’m digressing. ^^;;; Back to the topic of this entry, no, we’re not sinking. If I used that metaphor it was because I was feeling a bit down after facing some of the hard truths Scribe wrote in her post. And when I said I’d decided to “go down with this ship”, what I meant was that I don’t want nor need to move on. It was Ya-Ya-yah and Ya-Ya-yah only for me from the start, and for me Ya-Ya-yah is not over, or dead, or anything like that. It has taken residence in my heart and it will live on there and through this blog.

Also, my friend Yungboy left a comment on the previous entry that I found very moving, and that made me see things from a different perspective: I don't think your ship is sinking. Rather that your blog is a lighthouse and that you are the keeper who keeps the light burning so that we Ya-Ya-yah fans can be safe, safe from drowning in their own despair. Being able to come here and talk to you and other like-minded fans has certainly saved me from 'going under'. Knowing that there are others who are sharing my pain somehow eases that pain, although of course it doesn't go away.

I feel very glad to know this blog has been of some help, because you certainly have helped me immensely through this. Whenever I feel down you cheer me up and make me want to stand up again and keep on fighting. As I told Yungboy, I’d much rather be the keeper of a lighthouse than the captain of a sinking ship. =]

Also, there’s much to be done and much to share to waste any time on sinking. Yesterday I received another batch of Ya3 clippings I’d won through the Yahoo!Japan auctions. Among those there’s the December pages of Taiyô and Shoon, which I very much wanted to scan at a higher resolution, especially for this cute and funny picture of diva!Shoon, and all the other small pictures in the Potato article, which are so much love. ^.^* There’s also a couple of pages from the 2005.09 issue of Kindai, which has a report of the Pride Summer Grand Prix episode, and a page from the 2006.11 issue of Wink Up that is a report of that episode in which Shoon and Taiyô went to the kindergarten. Yui scanned that some time ago, and I posted it here, but I can’t remember which entry that was, and I thought those who didn’t follow my blog then might like to have it. =] There are some truly adorable pics in that one.

Comments are very much appreciated if you take them, even if it’s only a ^___^ or ♥♥♥. All image links below open in a new window. If you want to post them somewhere else it's okay as long as you credit me for the scanning. No need to credit if you want to make icons, graphics, or translations. And please no hotlinking. Thanks. =]

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the sinking ship

These days I have such mixed feelings. I added a couple of image links to the navigation bar just now; “support Ya-Ya-yah” links. I felt both proud and guilty when I refreshed the page and looked at the result. Proud because they represent the fans love and dedication; guilty because, after reading something my friend Scribe wrote a couple of days ago, I wonder if my obstination —or rather, the obstination of Japanese fans like me— might be hurting those I love —those we love.

You know, this is my ship, and it’s sinking, but I’ve decided to go down with it, like captains do. Soon it will be a ghost ship laying on the bottom of the sea, which doesn’t mean it will be boring, though. I’ll throw under-the-sea parties with Sebastian the crab, and Flounder, and brightly-coloured sea fish and we’ll watch old Ya3 shows and look at old pictures and talk and laugh until dawn. And on full-moon nights the ship will float back to surface and Yabu, Hikaru, Shoon, and I hope Taiyô too, will come to visit to tell us how they’re doing.

You don’t have to sink with me, though, of course. I’ll be here for those of you who need comfort, those of you who still need to “mourn” —because yes, for some people it takes longer to move on—, those who want to come now and then to remember, and those who want to come with me on full moon nights up to the surface. Scribe has written a post that I’d like you to read, because she says some things that I agree with, even though they hurt, but I don’t have the heart to acknowledge them openly here. It’s good to have other points of view. You may agree with them, you may not, but I think it’s good to take other points of view into account.

That said, I put up those support image links because, even though it may not change a thing, the obstinate part of me wants to protest against the way JE has done this. I just want to give that chance to those of you who need to do it too and want to show your support.

Please click here if you want to read Scribe’s post.

And to end this on a less gloomy note... here are some scans. =] *makes note to upload the other Yabu and Hikaru December scans* These are from the 2004.07 issue of Duet, and you can win this set if you take part in Shoon’s 19th b-day contest. ;-) This is one of my favourites. It has ShoonxYabu pics, which is a rare occurrence, it has the cutest HikaruxTaiyô pic ever [the small one], and the title of the article is very beautiful too: Bokura wa kyôdai ni natta! (“We’ve become brothers”). It refers to how they grew closer when they staged Stand by Me, but I’m sure that’s true for them. =]

Comments are very much appreciated if you take them, even if it’s only a ^___^ or ♥♥♥. All image links below open in a new window. If you want to post them somewhere else it's okay as long as you credit me for the scanning. No need to credit if you want to make icons, graphics, or translations.

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the cuffs have to go!

Some people thought it was an exaggeration on my part when I said that JE was going to try and erase Ya-Ya-yah from the fans minds. Well, they're actually trying so hard that it makes me laugh. JE is even more ridiculous than I thought, and they've also proved me right on another thing: how important the symbolism of colours is for them. I don't know if the Japanese fans will actually pick up on the idea of wearing coloured t-shirts to the recording of the January SCs after the banning of uchiwas and sign boards. I don't think this little speaker's corner has that much power. However, I do know that JE would get the message. Loud and clear. ;-) Why? Case in point: The live stage of Hi! Hey! Say! from November 10th.

Yabu and Hikaru sang UMP (Ultra Music Power). First time I managed to listen to that song without a fist squeezing my heart, first time I managed to actually enjoy the song. Only Yabu and Hikaru could work a miracle like that. =] When I write my letter to Santa this Xmas, I'm going to ask for many more Yabu-Hikaru live stages on the show. I've always loved how nicely their voices blend, and if my wild dream of Ya-Ya-yah reuniting one day proves impossible, they should re-debut as Y&H. I'd totally buy their CDs. ^_^v

Anyway, back to what I was saying... I didn't notice this when I watched the clip on Kamichan's blog, but Yui made a post about it on her blog and I couldn't believe my eyes when I downloaded the live stage and watched it again, because she was right! Remember the white Ya-Ya-yah outfits? The ones that are like the one Yabu wore every time he sang Arashi no Carnival? Well, Yabu and Hikaru sometimes wore theirs with the cuffs rolled up, and if you remember, the cuffs had white, red, and blue stripes. This is very important because those colours represented Ya-Ya-yah as a group, and it wasn't a coincidence that they were on the logo of their show. Actually that's the reason why my blog's layout is blue, red, and white - even the scrollbar. ;-) I think this might have something to do with the American flag since Mr.K. lived in the States for some time, and it might also explain why Yabu and Hikaru's colours are red (red=leadership/power - that's why JUMP's outfits are red) and blue (co-leadership). In fact the white-red-blue colour scheme is noticeable in many SC performances through the colours the different groups wear.

Shoon's and Taiyô's jackets were apparently identical to Yabu's and Hikaru's. You can see the lining of Shoon's jacket in this picture, and it too has white-blue-red stripes.

Interestingly though, Shoon and Taiyô have never worn the cuffs rolled up like Yabu and Hikaru, or rather they wore them rolled up sometimes, but never with the lining of the sleeves showing.

I don't know how to explain that, but I hope you know what I mean. I think that was so because Shoon and Taiyô were not the group leaders, so they were not "allowed" to wear the cuffs that way. JE are real control freaks; they don't leave out the smallest detail.

If you still think I'm exaggerating, look at the picture below. That's a screencap from the 2007.11.10 Hi! Hey! Say! livestage. Yabu and Hikaru are wearing the same white suit but the cuffs are no longer striped but silver.

Honestly, don't you think that's a bit too much? XD They were worried the cuffs of the jackets would remind people of Ya-Ya-yah!! It's kind of hilarious. If they go to these lengths, I don't think it's that far-fetched that they would actually "forbid" the boys to mention their former group name and many other things we can't even imagine because of how ridiculous they are. It's not going to happen, but if the fans went to the next SC recording wearing blue, white, and red t-shirts, I think poor Mr.K. would have a heart attack. LOL

I'm really late on posting this, but if somebody hasn't seen it yet, I've reuploaded Fiona's .vob version. =] I like Hikaru's rapping. He really is a versatile guy that isn't fazed at trying new things, which I think is great. He has to practice his backflips some more though, but the girls at the studio didn't seem to care, judging from their cheers. We fans are too easily won sometimes. XD And Yabu... well, Yabu is as annoyingly handsome as ever. =p I think out of the four he's the one that has changed the most from what he looked like as a kid.

2007.11.10 [Yabu_Hikaru] UMP.mp3
2007.11.10 [Yabu_Hikaru] UMP.vob.001
2007.11.10 [Yabu_Hikaru] UMP.vob.002

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voice post!

Thank you all so much for the comments in the previous entry. =D You've cheered me up a lot. What follows is... oh-my-God, a voice clip! XD My friend Scribe is to be blamed for it. I recorded something for her and was so appalled at the results -I sounded like a veritable idiot- that I felt the need to record something else to convince myself that I don't sound that bad, and came up with this. The clip starts with me introducing myself in German, English, Japanese and Spanish... because I always wanted to do that, like they do in those city bus tours! 8D *is silly* LOL I don't know if there are any other Germans around apart from Kamichan, but I love German, even though my German is more than a little rusty. I sound really serious in Japanese for some reason ^^? and I don't like how I sound in my mother tongue! XD At the end of the clip there's also a bit in Spanish for Sue and my other Spanish-speaking readers. =] *hides under her desk*

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thank you

Dear Shoon,

your Spanish nightingale doesn't feel like singing today. Somebody's thrown her red rose to the mud. It seems there's indeed no more place for roses in this world.

Dear friends,

some of you don't know what makes me write this, but it doesn't matter. I just wanted to thank you all for following this blog, for accepting me the way I am and for not judging me. It means the world to me.

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support Ya-Ya-yah [NTV Poll]

Prompted by my friend Yungboy and because I think it's a good idea, I've decided to promote through my blog this idea as another way of supporting Ya-Ya-yah and its members. Through Kamichan's blog, a few days ago we learned that the Japanese NTV site is holding an online poll to choose the best artist of 2007. The person/group that gets more votes will appear at a Yokohama concert on December 11th. We're aware that it will be very difficult to vote Ya-Ya-yah into the top place, but even if they reached the top 10 it would be awesome. It's another way to show JE that the fans still support them. Want to know how to vote?

(please click here)

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太陽くんとYa-Ya-yahを応援しよう！

こんにちは。

イレアです。
日本人ではない、日本語は下手ですから
何が間違えたら、申し訳ございません。

少クラでうちわは使用禁止の事について
私たちYa-Ya-yah担まだできる事があると思います
特に太陽担の皆、太陽にまだ応援していてを見せて欲しいでしょ？

提案は一つがあります。
白いｔーシャツで太陽の名前や太陽の絵をオレンジのペンキで書きます
翔央担の皆は緑のペンキで、藪担は赤い、光担は青い。
次の少クラ収録で友達４人と一緒の方はこれをやればいいと思います
うちわはダメですが、ｔ－シャツは平気とおもいます。
サポートはt-シャツで彼らに届いて行って！
我々の服を脱ぐよう頼みませんでしょ？

４人ではないの方は...一人でもいい
「Ya-Ya-yah不滅」とか「Ya-Ya-yah４ever」とか
t-シャツで書きもOKです！ぜひこの提案を考慮してください！
私たちは日本で住んでいないから～したいけどできません
日本に住んでいますの皆が我々を助けてください！　ｍ（＿）ｍ
宜しくお願いします。

イレアより

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feelings are forbidden

[letter from the Army JE&Associates to privates Yabu Kôta and Yaotome Hikaru; sent shortly after they were told about their debut]

Welcome to the elite military corps Hey!Say!JUMP! From now on you’ll enjoy certain privileges, but you will also be expected to observe the following rules:
#1 Mentioning the name of your former band or bandmates in magazine interviews is forbidden.
#2 Expressing any feelings of disappointment for not having debuted with your former band is forbidden. You are excited and grateful for this chance you’re being given.
#3 Until new orders are issued, you will act as if your former band never existed.
#4 Regardless how you’re feeling, you must smile and look cheerful at all times.

Best wishes,
JE&Associates

--------------------------------------------

[announced over the P.A. system at the lobby of the NHK Hall on November 12th]
“Shounen Club no okyakusan: we regret to inform you that no uchiwa or banners will be allowed inside the hall for today’s recording. Please kindly hand them over at the checkpoint. O-tanoshimi ni!

Shounen Club no okyakusan: Shounen Club audience; O-tanoshimi ni!: Enjoy (the show)!

--------------------------------------------

Those two bits above are obviously things I made up, but the sad truth is that they are true. It's the world turned upside down, it's absurd, it's unfair. What the hell, people have feelings, that's what makes us different from robots. JE, however, wants to turn the boys and their fans into robots or better, into obedient soldiers. The question is: shall we let them?

For the boys it's a job, so obviously they have to take things they don't like, unless they decide to try their wings like Moriuchi Takahiro did -and he's doing great. Frankly I think some of the JE boys are so talented they should tell JE they're not taking any more of their crap and quit. Many of them deserve so much more than they're getting.

The fans... Ah, the problem is that we've fallen into the trap. JE knows what fans like, and our little fan hearts belong to one or another of the boys. Who can resist them? They're good looking, talented and endearing each in their own way. JE knows how to choose their boys.

I love Shoon so much that I know I'll keep on supporting him no matter what. For that reason, I understand that if you are a fan of Yabu, Hikaru, Inoo, or any of the other HSJ members, you will support them all the way, even though you would have preferred for them to debut with their former groups. Had Shoon been chosen for HSJ, I'd still hate JE for disbanding Ya-Ya-yah, but I can't deny that I'd be watching each and every show HSJ appear in, just for the sake of seeing Shoon.

Unfortunately, though, not only has my favourite group disbanded, but also Shoon's future in JE is rather uncertain right now. Taiyô just happens to be sharing Shoon's luck -I still refuse to think he has quitted; I'm going to wait to the January magazines and SCs- so us Shoon fans feel closer than ever to Taiyô fans these days. Being in a similar situation makes it easier to put yourself in the other person's place, and I know how much it would have hurt me if Shoon hadn't appeared for 2 consecutive months on SC, so I understand how they're feeling. I've walked that path. When neither of them were in the December issue of Myojo, I feared for the worst, I feared JE had dumped them both, so yes, I understand very well what Taiyô fans are going through.

I'm not saying that the fans of Hikaru, Yabu, Takaki, Yamada... (insert your favourite johnny's name here) don't understand, but it's not the same. Also, it's not the same to be a fan of several groups/johnnys than being a 1 group/1 johnny fan. If you are a fan of several groups/johnnys, you'll still be okay -more or less- even if one of them is disbanded/dumped. For me, if Shoon left JE, I'd most likely stop watching SC and any other JE-related shows. That's why I'm being so stubborn about all this.

Back to the question of turning into obedient JE soldiers that accept JE's decisions and rules... Why should we? We have a brain, don't we? And we have a heart. And we have our pride. If someone tramples on what you love, do you have to bow your head and keep quiet? I won't. And if I lived in Japan, after the prohibition of uchiwas and banners at the recording of the December SCs, I'd go to the recording of the January SC wearing a t-shirt like one of these under my coat:

And if my Japanese wasn't so poor, I'd write a 太陽くんを応援しよう！post (support Taiyô! post) explaining this. ^^ I'd encourage the Japanese fans not to give up, to use their imagination against the tirany of JE. They won't let them take their uchiwas and banners? Well, wear t-shirts, or coloured t-shirts. They could wear orange t-shirts to show their support for Taiyô or red, blue, green, and orange t-shirts to support Ya-Ya-yah. I know Japanese fans are resourceful enough and don't need me to get ideas, though. Uchiwas and banners were not allowed at the recording of the December SCs, but I was very proud to read that when Shoon appeared on the stage they cheered louder everytime. Take that, you jerks!

PS: I meant to post about the December SCs, but this is long enough as it is, so I'll leave that for tomorrow.
PS2: The verses on the new header ("As long as shame and sorrow exist, I'd rather not see or hear, so speak softly and let me sleep") are some verses by Michelangelo -the best artist of all times- that expresses the way I'm feeling, and it's my way of protesting since I don't live in Japan and I can't go to SC. I'm saddened by what is happening, by many things I'm reading, because I can't stand the sorrow JE brings upon the boys and their fans, nor JE's shameful treatment of Taiyô, Shoon, Ya-Ya-yah, and the Ya-Ya-yah fans.
PS3: sorry there are so many comments I haven't answered yet. m(_ _)m These last days have been kind of chaotic. ^^;;;

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today's SC

edit 3: download links of the videos and mp3 rips of the streaming clips I posted, in case anyboy wants them:

2007.11.11 [SC] Wanna.avi :: 2007.11.11 [SC] Wanna.mp3

2007.11.11 [SC] Power medley.avi :: 2007.11.11 [SC] Power medley.mp3

2007.11.11 Vanilla - Burn it Up.avi :: 2007.11.11 [SC] Vanilla - Burn it Up.mp3

edit 2: Oh, God, the infamy of it! How could they do that to Shoon? I'm so ticked off right now I'd start punching like mad if I had a punching ball in front of me! I was excited when I read that Shoon would be taking part not just in the SC theme medley and the closing song, but also in Wanna, the opening song of this second November SC. That meant, I thought, a little more screentime for him than on the first one. I also wanted him to be on the stage even if just for a couple of minutes at the same time Yabu and/or Hikaru were there... but not with the whole damn HSJ!!

Please forgive my language if you are an HSJ fan, and again I swear I have nothing against them, but... How hard must that have been for him? First he had to sing in his Himawari outfit. I don't hate that one as much as I hate others Ya-Ya-yah have had to wear, but it's kind of clownish and old, and being unmatched with anybody else on the stage for sure had to give him a feeling of loneliness. Then they give him a couple of lines in the song, then the whole rap part is given to KMF2 and ABC. Why not include him in that? Was that too much to ask?

For God's sake, rapping is one of Shoon's strong points! He sang the whole rap part of this song in a Ya3 livestage! Instead, he had to remain dancing in the background, very much alone. And then the whole of HSJ barge in, like a tsunami, taking over most of the stage. The camera sweeps across the stage, but hmmm... how strange, Shoon is conveniently cut off from the shot. Then he has to step back to the background of the stage until at one point, finally, all the juniors have to leave the stage so that HSJ can shine properly, and, thank God, Shoon's ordeal comes to its end.

I'm not imagining things. Did you notice the look on his face during this performance? He looked like he was at his own funeral. My heart broke seeing that. But then, not even somebody as strong as Shoon can smile in a situation like that.

I'm actually amazed that he was able to gather the strength to pull the brave smiles he managed to pull for the other performances he took part in. And he gave his very best in them. Keep on fighting, Shoon! We're all with you.

edit: The theme medley of this SC: Power medley. Quite a lot of good songs, and quite a lot of Shoon. ^^BBB

This performance of Vanilla - Burn it Up was kind of chaotic. ^^;;; I was really happy to hear the audience squealing when the camera focused on Shoon and Nika. They didn't squeal at anybody else. ;-) Will update this entry, so check back again later.

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tired and confused

I know I said I wouldn't be updating till Wednesday at least but... I really need to vent out some of the thoughts going through my head. I feel so tired of the emotional rollercoaster this fandom has become for me in the last months.

I downloaded the first Hi!Hey!Say! show today and watched it. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because it was just Yabu and Hikaru in it, without the rest of HSJ. Perhaps because, since I'm not watching anything HSJ related, I miss Yabu and Hikaru - more than I ever thought I would. Perhaps just out of curiosity.

Whatever the reason, watching it made me sad and melancholic. "They've ditched Taiyô and Shoon for this?; they've ditched the Ya3 show for this?", was the bitter thought that crossed my mind. Admittedly the Ya3 show had some very boring and repetitive episodes -like those with the Teppan segment. If you compare the first episode of the HHS show to any of those you might conclude that, as we say in Spanish, it's the same dog with a different collar, meaning that it's the same thing under a different name.

However, it is not. Unless they change radically the format of the first episode, I'd describe it as a cheap and mediocre show. At least the Ya3 show -even though not always entertaining- was educational or curious. The preview of the second episode doesn't seem much more promising: a couple of ugly guys eating like pigs.

Yabu and Hikaru don't have that much protagonism either. Koyama even has a co-MC, a young woman. Yabu's and Hikaru's role is merely to read bits of text to introduce videos presented by vulgar comedians. The only things that made it worthwhile the download for me were watching Yabu talk in that boyish way of his, like he rules the world -which for some reason I adore- and Hikaru's cute and funny expressions.

I don't think I'll keep this episode, I'll probably edit it to leave only the Yabu-Hikaru parts, or delete it altogether, and I can't say I'm looking forward to the next one. And the livestage... I love Yabu and Hikaru, I like Daiki and Inoo, and I have nothing against Takaki even though he's not among my favourite juniors, but... I don't see that the five of them together are superior in any way to Ya-Ya-yah. Not better, not worse. I mean... when you change something you usually aim at something better, don't you? Are Daiki, Inoo, or Takaki more popular than Taiyô and Shoon? I don't think so. Do they have spectacular voices or amazing dancing skills that Taiyô and Shoon didn't have? If that's the case it certainly doesn't show. It looks to me as if with these changes JE is just aiming at... well, changing things for the sake of changing things. Perhaps that's the only reason for HSJ: we live in a society that demands constantly something new, that gets tired too soon of anything, and instead of trying to promote something that's good enough, something with solid foundations, JE prefers to come up with something new, something shiny to feed the ever demanding masses. After all, what's at stake? The feelings of the boys that work for them, the feelings of a handful of fans? They can't make money on those things.

I find it ironic that the show's logo has a train on it. In the last months I've been feeling like I'm on a train ride that never ends. I know what the next stops are, but I don't know what I'll find there, or rather, I don't know if the two people I'm hoping to find at the station, waiting for me, will be there.

Those two people are Shoon and Taiyô. The next stops are the December Shounen Club and the January mags. Will they be there? I want them to be there; I need them to be there. I want some definite sign that they're going to stay around, something more than three of the December mags giving them a couple of pages or a shared page, something more than Shoon appearing now and then on tomorrow's SC. I'm tired of being anxious for them, of worrying, of waiting, and yet, there's nothing else to do but wait and then wait some more... till the next stop.

I'm also tired of wondering if I'm being overemotional about this, if I'm being an idiot for worrying over the happiness of four people on the other end of the world I don't even know. But I just can't help it. When you're reading a novel and your favourite character is going through a hard time, you feel down with him/her. I guess you get emotionally involved in the story, even if it's fiction, so it can only be stronger when real, flesh and blood people with feelings are involved.

The thing is I feel so confused when I see Yabu and Hikaru smile or just looking happy these days. Of course I don't want them to be unhappy, and I know that the fact that they don't break down crying in public does not necessarily mean they're not having a hard time, but... It's just that I feel stupid being this down when I hear people around me say Ya3 disbanding is not such a big thing, or when I see the boys themselves are moving on. They just have to move on, I know, but still... I guess the stubborn part of me still wants to rebel against the unfairness of it all, even if there's no sense in it, even if it won't get me anywhere.

For some reason it seems like I always root for the loser team -which by no means is the same as a "team of losers"- but, what can I say? I'm proud of it. I think some things are just too good for the world we live in, and the masses and the people at the helm just don't value them for what they're worth. They don't deserve them.

PS: You can watch and download the HHS show at Kamichan's blog.

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Yabu and Hikaru

Until now I simply didn't have the heart to reply at the HSJ threads in the Chinese forums I visit to get Yabu and Hikaru pictures from the December mags. That meant having to see them with the rest of HSJ, and it still hurt too much. Today I've finally plucked the courage to do so. It still feels strange to look at those pictures, but it doesn't hurt as much.

Also, Yabu and Hikaru will always be Ya-Ya-yah for me, no matter what, and I'm going to keep on posting their pictures here, even if that means doing some cutting with Photoshop. I'm not of course going to be so extreme as to cut any other HSJ member that may appear with them on this or that picture, so you will find the odd Inoo, Daiki, Takaki or whoever posing with Yabu and Hikaru. Just no group pictures at all, even if Yabu and Hikaru are there, because this is not an HSJ blog. I don't feel bad at seeing the odd picture of Yabu with Takaki, or Hikaru with Okamoto, but HSJ group pictures are... well, too blatant a reminder to me of all that has happened and is happening. Credits to ZANSANHANE as always for all these pictures. =]

I don't have the time right now to post thumbnails, so it's just links this time. ^^ Also, other than replying e-mails and comments, I won't be able to update probably till Wednesday due to work, so have a nice weekend everyone and take care. ^^B

2007.12 Popolo :: 2007.12 Myojo :: 2007.12 Potato

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the 2nd Nov. SC and b-days

RE-EDIT: This is being a crazy evening, but in a great way. Why on earth didn't the Wink Up official site list Taiyô and Shoon in the December issue if they're there? ?___? Ah, who cares? I'm so happy! ^___^ Please scroll down again for another scan. =]

EDIT: Something told me I should wait a littl to make this post... and I didn't listen my inner voice. ^^;;; I've added A HUGE and MUCH AWAITED surprise at the end of this post, and the name starts with "Shoon" and ends with "Taiyô". *wink, wink*

I was replying to some comments just now, and I translated this for Yuuriki, so I thought I'd post it here as well for everyone else. It's part of an entry from the blog of a Japanese Shoon fan who went to the recording of the November SCs. Medetaikaru's report was more complete, but this one, being from a Shoon fan, mentions every moment in which Shoon was on the stage. So these are the moments he was on stage in what will be aired as the 2nd episode of the November Shônen Club:

◆「罠」は途中から登場。たぶんソロパートがありました！ダンスが美しくて感激 翔央のダンスって雰囲気ありますよね。
Here she says that Shoon took part in the performance of Wanna (罠) and that there were many solo parts. Not sure whether that means that Shoon had many solo lines, or that the song had many solo lines that were divided among the juniors in the performance, Shoon among them. She also says that his dancing was beautiful.

◆POWERメドレーではステージ前の段上で他のJr.3人（横尾くんしか覚えてません）と一緒「Tulurira」、その後ステージに移動して「Non STOP, Don't STOP」。 衣装は黒のキラキラスーツにチェンジ。この衣装好き～♪ 「Tulurira」を歌っているときの、ニッコニコ笑顔がすっごくかわいかったですー！ あぁ、翔央の笑顔が好きすぎる…
Here she says that he also took part in the Power medley. "Power" is the theme of the 2nd November SC episode, so that medley will open the show. She also says that Shoon sang Tulurira with other 3 juniors, but she can't remember who they were except for Yokoo (Wataru) from KMF2. She explains that the medley moved on, and if I understand correctly Shoon left the stage and came back to join with others in Non Stop, Don't Stop, because she says he had changed into his black suit (the Underworld one) which she says she loves - who doesn't? XD She also mentions that Shoon smiled very cutely in Tulurira. =]

◆エンディングには２回ともいました。「バニラ」ではニカちゃんとの２ショットがアップに♪ 今回の翔央くんは、色んなJr.との絡みがありましたよ。
And finally she says that he re-appeared for the ending song, Vanilla - Burn it Up, in which he sang two lines with Nika while standing up, with the rest of the juniors knelt down on the stage. Then she says that he mixed with the other juniors.

And on to a completely different thing... Yabu will turn 18 in January, and I want to organize a 10 day countdown to his b-day as Akgla and I did last year for Shoon's 18th b-day. You only turn 18 once in a lifetime, right? =] So the thing is after last year's experience I've realized it's a lot of work for two people, and even more for one, so I'd be crazy to do it on my own. Wonder if anybody would like to help? This is what I'd need:
+ 1 person who's good at making layouts(namely blogspot layouts)
+ 1 or 2 people who can translate from Japanese to English (it would be just a couple of pages)
+ 1 person who is good with Photoshop (this doesn't involve any creativity - just placing text on some images)
+ 1 or 2 subbers
+ 2 persons who are good at making graphics
+ 5 impartial judges for a contest
+ 1 fic writer
+ 1 person who is good at googling and composition writing

Akgla reposted yesterday another entry for Shoon's b-day contest at 101 Reasons to Like Shoon, and I'm also preparing a little big something for Taiyô's b-day with the help of Marz, but we're going to keep that hush-hush until Shoon's b-day passes, and I have an idea for Hikaru's b-day as well. Oh, and before I forget... I've added something to the rules and requirements of Shoon's 19th b-day contest, something we had forgotten:
When you post your entry at the Shoon community, you must put it under an LJ cut as you already know. Well, the default text for the LJ cut is “read more”. Please change that to the title you want your contest entry to have [example: (read more) => (he’s just adorkable)] That will help us a lot when we repost them at 101 RtlS. Thanks. ^__^ I'll post this too at the community later.

We were all waiting for this weren't we? ^____^ *squeals* Credits for the scanning as always to, who else, the wonderful ZANSANHANE, whom I love to bits. Somebody, build a shrine to this girl, please. =] In Duet Taiyô is back to sharing a page with other 2 tall guys, like he did a couple of times in 2005. Shoon and Reon's photoshoot couldn't be cuter, and wow, Reon looks like he's done a bit of growing since we last saw him on a mag! Potato's photoshoot is so much Shookawa love!! ^^BBB Oh, and... Taiyô's smile beats the sun. =]

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the lonely reed

EDIT: This morning I finished watching yesterday's SC. I always look for Shoon uchiwas when the camera focus on the audience. Yesterday I was looking for Taiyô and Shoon uchiwas, but didn't expect this at all. It made me so proud of the Ya-Ya-yah fandom, and I suddenly had this knot on my throat and couldn't help but start crying. Oh, God. Four Ya-Ya-yah fans, for grown up women (yay for us old fans!) holding heart-shaped homemade uchiwas of Hikaru, Yabu, Taiyô, and Shoon in their respective colours. T_____T They held them high for Yabu and Hikaru to see when they turned to the audience during the O-tegami itadakimasu segment.

And they did see them. Hikaru wiped a tear with his finger (at 0:00:27 on the clip below), and the second time, when Yabu turned back to the camera, he had the trail of a tear on his cheek (0:00:40). Oh, God. We had different opinions on what might happen if fans really sing Te wo tsunaide yukô at the HSJ debut concert in December. I think this gives us an idea of what might happen. I don't think they looked upset. The first time, when Yabu turned back to the camera, he looked like he was battling with his emotions, waving the microphone in his hand with that taut jaw expression. Hikaru looked grateful, searched for Yabu's eyes, and they held each other's eyes briefly. And I have a feeling the "arigatô"s they were shouting at the audience were not because of the white goat versus black goat segment. After seeing this I'm now convinced that, hard though these expressions of support must be for them in these moments, they also mean the world to them. It would be awful if right now, with all that has happened, the fandom accepted this quietly and didn't show they care. Sorry for the horrible analogy, but it would be like dying and having nobody cry for you.

You may need to download the clip because the streaming video won't let you see these things very clearly: Mediafire :: DivShare

An afterthought: as I was telling Yui on an e-mail right now, I think it's unlikely Yabu and Hikaru will wear any of their Ya3 outfits again as long as they're in HSJ. I believe it's not a coincidence they wore their HSJ red outfits when they sang their solos this time. It felt as if JE wants to brand on the fans minds that now they're no longer Ya3, even though they may still sing some of the songs they sang when they were Ya3.

Also, I uploaded the performances in which Shoon, Yabu, and Hikaru appeared as promised:
2007.11.04 [SC] BEST medley.avi.001 .002
2007.11.04 [SC] gentles + arashi no carnival.avi
2007.11.04 [SC] hurricane.avi

----end of edit-----

Even though it was full of juniors, as always, never had the stage of the the NHK Hall looked more empty at the Shônen Club opening, when the groups were introduced and it was just HSJ, ABC, and KMF2. No Taiyô and no Shoon -he appeared a bit later- around at the introductions was so strange.

And then, I haven't watched the whole SC (I'm downloading it in parts from Clubbox), but if the fan reports are true and Shoon appeared only at the beginning, during the SC theme song, and at the closing of the show, in the ending song... well, from what I've seen it looks like we're not going to see Yabu, Hikaru, Shoon, and Taiyô on stage at the same time for a while.

I mean, in the bits Shoon was there, when he entered the stage, Yabu and Hikaru had already left, and when Shoon left, Yabu and Hikaru entered. It's so pathetic that JE won't let us see them even a few feet apart on the stage in an effort to erase Ya-Ya-yah from our minds. Well, you won't, you mean jerks. Every time I see Yabu or Hikaru, even if they're wearing those red HSJ outfits with the HSJ sign, I think of Ya-Ya-yah. You can't make me forget; you can't erase my memories. You won't.

Shoon was a bit subdued at first, when he entered the stage in his Himawari outfit to join Yuuto and the others, but he gave a smile to the camera when it focused on him. It was an I-don't-really-feel-like-smiling-now smile, but it was a brave thing to do, something that shows how strong he is, and I'm very proud of him. I'm sure it was hard for him, being there without Taiyô by his side and Yabu and Hikaru as part of another group, but it was beautiful to see him show he is up for a fight, jumping up and down on the stage, smiling, giving his all, and how as the show progressed he was more relaxed.

I was really thankful to Yuuto, for making eye contact with him when they were singing Hoshi wo mezashite together. Okay, so perhaps he did it for no particular reason, but to me it meant the world, because I think that with that look he made Shoon feel part of what was happening on the stage when he was probably feeling like the odd one out.

I was very thankful too to Koyama, because I'm positive this gesture of encouragement was aimed at Shoon. I'm sure for all the four members of Ya-Ya-yah Koyama must be a bit like a big brother to lean on, so I'm glad too that he's with Yabu and Hikaru in the new show, Hi! Hey! Say! I'm sure having him around is making all this a bit easier for them.

I guess we fans sometimes worry too much for our idols. I don't mean that they're not having or have had a hard time with this -I'm convinced they've had a lot more time to come to grips with the disbandment, the new group and all than we have had-, but we often forget that on the backstage everything is still the same for them. JE can divide them into groups, but groups mean little on the backstage. In the mags, Yabu has been making mentions of things that show the close friendship between him and Tottsu since 2004 at least, and I'm sure the absurd JE politics and decisions will never break that friendship nor the bond between the Ya-Ya-yah members.

So yes, of course it must have been very hard for Shoon to appear on his own on the stage, stranded from those who have been his groupmates for almost six years, but from now on, whenever I start worrying for him, I'm going to remind myself that he's strong, and that he has a lot of friends around him that care for him and know and understand the way he's feeling, because they're all on the same boat.

Shoon's favourite actor is Tom Hanks, and watching this Shônen Club reminded me of a quotation from a movie he starred in, You've got Mail. It's something Frank tells Kathleen (Meg Ryan) when her little bookshop is starting to sell less and less becuase of the competition with Joe Fox's (Tom Hanks) family business, the chain of mega bookshops Fox Books: "You are a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce."

Well, so is Shoon. He's a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of showbiz. Also, I was googling for that quotation 'cause I didn't remember the exact words, and I came across some nice verses by an anonymous person called Duane Aiuppy that go perfectly with Shoon as well:

Finding hope where none existed,
Bringing joy to those in need
Something special among the ordinary
Standing strong, the lonely reed.

What follows is part of the SC theme medley. When Medetaiakaru posted a translation of a Japanese fan's report I misunderstood and thought Shoon was going to sing some lines with HSBEST in that medley. It's the medley that is called "BEST" because that too is the SC theme. ^^;;; Naive me. I'm sure they won't let Shoon near Yabu and Hikaru for a good while. Oh, well, it was still good that Shoon had a part in this SC, even though it wasn't big, and I loved seeing him jumping up and down when, together with Koyama and the yet unnamed group made up of Hasshi, Kamei, Kato and the others, he performed Weeeek (how many e's is that supposed to have? ^^?). He really needed fast paced songs more than ever, so it was great he got to sing in that one and in Hurricane at the end. =]

Hikaru and Yabu were great as always with their solo performances - oh, how I'd missed you!! T____T - and it was wonderful to see them so relaxed, enjoying themselves. However... I wish they'd let them change into the outfits they usually wear for those songs. Arashi no Carnival is not as sexy with the red HSJ outfit. =p I must say though, that all the thundering and ligthning before the song started was really cool. XDDD

The hurricane performance would have been nicer if Yabu and Hikaru hadn't fled from the stage before Shoon entered, but it was nice that Shoon got some screentime a couple of times - in the pre-HSJ SCs they hardly even let him sing a line. And I was so glad Hasshi and him were standing near each other. ^_^v Oh, and Shoon wore his black suit! That's my favourite outfit! And he wears it so little! *pouts* He looks awesomely handsome in that one. ^^B

Anyway, I'll leave you with the performance because my, look at the time, it's almost midnight and tomorrow it's Monday. @__@

Goodnight dear readers, goodnight Lonely Reed. ^^B

PS: Will upload all these clips tomorrow in case somebody wants to download them. =] And I'll reply unanswered comments too. ^^v
PS2: The first entry submitted for the Shoon b-day contest is up already at 101 Reasons to like Shoon. I'm ridiculously excited and I can't even take part in the contest as I'm the one organizing it. XD;;;

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I love Duet(s)... and Potato(es) too

EDIT: Checked the Wink Up site just now. Shoon and Taiyô are not in the December issue. <=( Oh, well, crossing fingers for the January issue then.

Potato is on our side too! ^___^ The Potato site has been updated with the content list of the December issue, and Taiyô and Shoon are there, this time together (yay!). The content list also has a short summary of each article. If I understood correctly, they talk about some photographs they are shown and, without meaning to, their conversation ends up turning a little emotional. =]

(from the content list of the 2007.12 issue published on the Potato site)
鮎川太陽、山下翔央
思い入れのある“写真”について教えてくれた2人。あたたかいエピソードに、思わずほっくりするかも。

Crossing my fingers for Wink Up now. ^__^b

Quin told me there was a problem with the MediaFire link of the 2007.02.18 livestage (A Hard Day's Night) posted at Mitsukai's site Singin' for You, so I've reuploaded it to DivShare. If anyone else was having troubles downloading that, here's the link:
http://www.divshare.com/download/2595231-4bc

Also, Geri asked me about the pic I've used for the image link of Shoon's 19th b-day contest). That pic is from the 2004.11 issue of Duet, which is among the scans that Yuantim generously donated to this site. So please leave a comment thanking Yuantim if you take them. =] I still have several to sort and upload, but since Geri asked for that one, here is the whole set, plus a single-page article scanned by me. It's from the 2002.05 issue of Myojo, and even though it says "Ya-Ya-yah" it should be YA-YA, because as you can see there's only Yabu, Shoon, Taiyô, and Akama in it.

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