It's H!P !

OMG, OMG, OMG! Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏー☆

I just found an idol shop! And there were Morning Musume,Mini Moni, W, Otsuka Ai and Hamasaki Ayumi pictures and goods galore! I bought lots of pictures of Mini Moni and W, things you'll have a hard time finding now that the groups have disbanded. My inner H!P fangirl is squealing with joy.

Nevermind that I cane up to the counter twice with large piles of folders pointing out different pictures I wanted. The guy there had to write down like a gazillion different numbers, haha! 。o@(^-^)@o。

Cover You

Morning Musume's newest album is out - "Cover You"! I bought it today while shopping (mainly) for some warmer clothes. On Hello!Online it says it'll be out tomorrow... but I have it now! XD I feel so cool: It's the limited first-press edition.

The CD's a tribute album to Yu Aku, famous for writing many popular hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the songs, "Dou ni mo tomaranai" was supposed to be W's 7th single... but it was cancelled when Kago Ai was caught smoking. I wish I could have heard W's version too, but now I guess that'll never happen. *sigh*

On the other hand, Aibon's back and her DVD, "Kago Channel" will be released soon! And then, in 2009, her mini albums! Can't wait for those! It'll be fun to see how she's developed since W.

And then there's photobooks and DVDs... @_@ Little by little. :)

PS: Oh, and I found "Breaking Dawn", the fourth book in the Twilight series! And Gyakuten Saiban manga! I'm happy~!

Location: Japan
Mood: tired
Listening to: Wild World - Cat Stevens :)

H!P is doing what?!

I just took a look at Hello! Online today, to see if there were any news... and I must say I'm kind of shocked. Suddenly, out of the blue.. H!P announces a mass graduation! What?!

"It was announced on the Hello Project website today (October 19th) that as of March 31st, 2009, all of the members of Elder Club will be leaving Hello! Project."
- Hello! Online

Well, I guess I can't say it's totally unexpected. These girls have been on stage since they were teenagers. Some joined H!P when they were still just 12 years old. I think many of them are still stuck with the same image now, maybe because fans remember them a certain way and expect them to behave according to that. It's only natural that these idols would move on after a while. But still, to have so many members graduating (or being fired?) at the same time, and with no previous warning... that took me by surprise.

I'm disappointed too. I'd been eagerly awaiting Tsuji Nozomi's comeback to H!P ever since it was announced that she was pregnant and engaged to actor Taio Sugiura back in May in 2007. She went on maternity leave sometime later, saying she'd return to the entertainment industry when things calmed down after child birth. Apparently, she's planning a comeback in the fall this year. (OK, so apparently she's appeared on stage on stage on "YUKO NAKAZAWA BIRTHDAY LIVE 2008" with a cake for Nakazawa Yuko on 19 June 2008... but I'd hardly call that a comeback! XD) There's still time, but I had hoped she'd stay a part of H!P for a while longer. Still, it'll be interesting to see what she'll chose to do now.

Kago Ai is working hard on her solo career, and has announced that she'll be releasing around four mini-albums consisting of self-written songs. And they'll be released while I'm in Japan! I'm buying those... finally we get to hear Aibon sing again! :D

Other people I'll miss are Yaguchi Mari (Morning Musume, Mini Moni) and Yoshizawa Hitomi (Morning Musume). Elder Club consists mostly of graduated members from Morning Musume - it goes without saying that I'll miss them being a part og H!P. Although some of them (Yaguchi included) apparently will remain part of Up-Front Agency. I could do with more information - it's all pretty confusing.

Yoshizama Hitomi and Ishikawa Rika have just started a new unit too, "Hangry & Angry". (Apparently they're collaborating with a Harajuku fashion store with the same name.) Their debut mini-album will be entitled "Kill Me Kiss Me", the same as their debut single. It is scheduled for release in November 19th. Depending on how I like it, I might buy a copy. Hmmm...

My next post will be more exchange-related and less about H!P. :P I still haven't posted any posts or pictures from my trip to the park with Francesco. And that deserves to be mentioned!

Next time, promise.

Location: Japan

Edit...

OK, since kaa-san is leaving for England tomorrow (I don't get everything happening around here :P) I am now in the grandparent's house where I'll be living for roughly about a week. They do have internet, although I don't think I'll be updating my blog so frequently this week. I've got a Rotary orientation camp too...

I had today off from school since we had the taiikusai yesterday, when it was a holiday. I went shopping with kaa-san, and... well, I'm extremely pleased with my purchases! ^^ I'll make a post about it later, but for now... let's just say they include "Otsuka Ai" and "Kago Ai". <3

Edit: I've updated the two last blog entries with pictures! Take a look! :D

Location: Japan! ...in the grandparent's house for the time being. :P
Listening to: Sakuranbo - Otsuka Ai
Eating: -
Drinking: -

Hello! Kago Ai

Okay, so I was going to write this, like, totally cool post about how I got to see the opening of the new opera house yesterday. I was going to tell you all how I got to see the opening ceremony before even the king did, because my dad's made of awesome. But I, like, failed.
/Ini Miney

Soo... I thought I'd share with you all the news I found on the internet that made me so fangirlishly happy! Kago Ai is planning a comeback! You hear me!? Aibon is back! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! ><

Kago Ai (加護 亜依),

Profile:
Name: Kago Ai (Kago being her family name)
Nickname: Aibon
Age: 20 (1988-02-07)
Birth place: Nara-ken, Japan
Blood type: AB
Height: 155 cm
Hello! Project groups:
Morning Musume (2000 - 2004)
W (2004 - 2006)
Subgroups:
Tanpopo (2000 - 2002)
MiniMoni (2000 - 2004)
Morning Musume Sakura Gumi (2003 - 2004)
Shuffle Units:
2000: Kiiro 5 (Second Generation)
2001: 3nin Matsuri
2002: Happy 7
2003: SLAT5
2004: H.P. All Stars


Ai Kago is a former member of the Japanese all-girl pop group Morning Musume, part of the Hello! Project. She auditioned for Morning Musume at the age of twelve, and was accepted along with Tsuji Nozomi as 4th generation members in 2000. After graduating from Morning Musume in 2004, Kago and Tsuji went on to form a group of their own, called W.

After the gossip magazine Friday published pictures of Kago smoking while underage, she was suspended from Hello! Project for a year, and went back to her hometown of Nara to live with her family. In January 2007 she returned to Tokyo and began working as a receptionist in the Up-Front Agency's office while the details of her comeback were decided.

24 March 2007, Weekly Gandai (also a gossip magazine) published photos showing Kago holding hands and visiting a hot springs resort with Ishimoto Yasuyuki, a man many years her senior and the owner of the popular SOMA café. There were also pictures showing her smoking in his car. Two days later Up-Front Agency confirmed the story and terminated Kago's contract, thus disbanding W. (Nozomi Tsuji became a member of a new group called Gyaruru, but 2 weeks after she joined it announced that she was pregnant and engaged. She's now on maternal leave.)

But Aibon is back, and it's all sunshine, roses and fluffy pink clouds! Although she's not coming back to Hello! Project, I'm glad to hear from her again. Hisashiburi, Aibon!


It's time for me to stop fangirling now. I need to work on my history assignment. ><

PS: If you want more information about Aibon, go here. It's my source for most things J-pop/J-rock. =P