Tag: Aya Matsuura
UFA media blackout Updated: Western sites denied from interviewing Morning Musume
by Aece McCloud on Jul.04, 2009, under Hello Project, Morning Musume
UFA staffs refused personnel from a number of western H!P fansites and blogs, include Hello!Online from interviewing Morning Musume at Anime Expo 2009 Press Junket.
UFA staffs refused personnel from a number of western H!P fansites and blogs, include Hello!Online from interviewing Morning Musume at Anime Expo 2009 Press Junket.
As many of you already know, Morning Musume appearing at Anime Expo 2009 is their premeire stage debut. Hello!Online being one of the major English Hello!Project fan community on the internet, would not miss this for the world.
Being a member of the press at AX (Anime Expo), we attended the Press Junket (A press only event which allow different media outlets to have one on one interviews with the AX Guests of Honors). We were overjoyed to have this once in a life time opportunity open up to us and we prepared a good number of question for Morning Musume that we think fans would be interesting in finding out the answers to. Seeing how important this meant, not only to us, but to all the western fans, we arrived early to ensure an interview with Morning Musume (We ended up being first in line).
After waiting three hours, the Press Junket organizers called our names but pulled us off to the side. To our surprise, they had bad news for us. We were then told that Morning Musume staff had looked over the interviewer sign up list and decided to refuse Hello!Online an interview with Morning Musume. This sudden revelation caught us completely off guard and dumbfounded. We pleaded with the Press Junket organizers to ask Morning Musume’s staff to reconsider their decision.
30 minute pass by and we were denied again. No explainations were ever given as to why Hello!Online was not allowed in. Needless to say, we left the Press Junket empty handed and disappointed.
———————————-
This unfortunate turn of event came as not only a shock, but an insult to Hello!Online and its members, and the western Hello!Project fandom we all embody.
The reason Morning Musume came all the way from Japan to LA is to break into the western world and improve their relationship with western fans. By preventing Hello!Online from the supposingly open opportunity for all press outlets, it is like slapping all western fans in the face and over-riding the efforts our nine beloved girls are giving.
We are not putting blame on anyone. The staff and organizers have been a great help and more than polite in this whole ordeal. And certainly, it was not up to Morning Musume to decide who gets to interview them.
I just can not comprehend why only we were denied without reason, while other western fansites and blogs were granted access.
I fully understand that UFA have all the rights to refuse anyone from interviewing their artist without giving any explaination. Personally, I have lost a great deal of (if not all) respect for UFA as a company.
———————————-
Updates
Paul from Hello!Blog, who also attended the Press Junket has reveiled that UFA refused interviewing opportunities for many fansites and blogs after rejecting Hello!Online.
Read more about it at: http://www.helloblog.co.uk/comment.php?commentID=476
turbos86
Hello!Online
Popularity: 40% [?]
Happy Birthday :: Aya Matsuura, June 25th
by Aece McCloud on Jun.25, 2009, under Aya Matsuura, Hello Project
Leave a Comment :Aya Matsuura, birthday more...Morning Musume scans
by Aece McCloud on May.03, 2009, under Hello Project, Morning Musume
Morning Musume – Mikan
This is the normal edition of Morning Musume’s 35th single, Mikan, released on 2007.11.21. The first press came with a photocard randomly selected from each of the members and a group one. I got Niigaki Risa, and the scan of that is included.
Download scans here!
Morning Musume – Mikan
This is the limited edition A version of Morning Musume’s 35th single Mikan, released on 2007.11.21. The limited edition comes with a bonus DVD and a photocard- again, randomly selected. For this one I got Kusumi Koharu, and I included the scan.
Download scans here!
Morning Musume – Mikan
Last but not least, the limited edition B version of Mikan. This limited edition comes with a mini-photobook and a randomly selected photocard. I got Michishige Sayumi for the photocard, and scans of both the photocard and the photobook are included.
Download scans here!
Go here to see the original:
Morning Musume scans
Popularity: 98% [?]
Tsunku♂ to appear at Anime Expo ‘09
by Aece McCloud on Apr.18, 2009, under Hello Project, Morning Musume
Anime Expo’s official press release brings word that Morning Musume’s creator will be making the trip to the USA along with them, as well as being a panel judge at the “AX Idol” event.
See the original post:
Tsunku♂ to appear at Anime Expo ‘09
Popularity: 38% [?]
Buono! “MY BOY” PV streaming video
by Aece McCloud on Apr.17, 2009, under Hello Project, Morning Musume
| The new promotion video for Buono!’s seventh single release “MY BOY” is now available. Check it out! | ||
| Buono! MY BOY Release Date: April 29, 2009
Buono!’s 7th single, MY BOY (composed by Tsunku♂), is the new end theme for the TV Tokyo animeShugo Chara! The first press editions come with an event lottery card and Buono! original trading cards. The Limited edition includes a DVD with footage from the CD jacket photoshoot. Tracklist: Promotion video, Hello!Online stream: Via dohhhup. |
|||
Here is the original:
Buono! “MY BOY” PV streaming video
Popularity: 35% [?]
New Single from HANGRY & ANGRY
by Aece McCloud on Apr.16, 2009, under Hello Project, Morning Musume
| “SadisticDance” is the title of Hangry&Angry’s brand-new single, available as a digital download only. |
| Full Story | |||
| In a surprise move, Hangry&Angry have suddenly released a brand-new single to commemorate their first performance in the USA at this weekend’s SakuraCon.
Here’s the official news, courtesy of JapanFiles. They’ve uploaded a pretty lengthy sample at their site (and of course, you can purchase it there as well):
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The single is available at the same time as Hangry&Angry’s appearance at Sakura-Con in Seattle, WA. The artists make their North American performance debut this weekend at the yearly Japanese cultural event, held April 10-12, 2009, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle. LINKS! |
|||
| MP3 sample, courtesy of JapanFIles.com |
||
| Article | ||
Popularity: 35% [?]
Kamei Eri to Voice Character in ‘Jewelpet’ Anime
by Aece McCloud on Apr.15, 2009, under Hello Project, Morning Musume
Morning Musume member Kamei Eri will take on her first voice acting role in the new anime “Jewelpet”.
View post:
Kamei Eri to Voice Character in Jewelpet Anime
Popularity: 39% [?]
Matsuura Aya di Mengisi Sebuah Dorama Baru “The Quiz Show”
by Aece McCloud on Apr.13, 2009, under Aya Matsuura
Matsuura Aya kembali berpartisipasi dalam sebuah dorama jepang yang berjudul “The Quiz Show”. Dorama ini akan mengudara pada tanggal 18 April Primetime pada pukul 9 malam waktu jepang di stasion NTV. Sepertinya cerita yang di suguhkan di dorama ini cukup nenarik, disini si peserta harus menjawab 8 pertanyaan yang diberikan, yang nantinya akan mengungkap kejahatan masa lalu si pererta.
Kita tungu saja dorama nya nanti.
View original post here:
Matsuura Aya di Mengisi Sebuah Dorama Baru “The Quiz Show”
Popularity: 47% [?]
J-Pop Producer Tsunku Perfects Music Games With Rhythm Heaven [Wired.com]
by Aece McCloud on Apr.11, 2009, under Aya Matsuura, Hello Project, Uncategorized
Rhythm Heaven, one of Japan’s hottest videogames, came from an unlikely collaboration between Nintendo and a high-profile Japanese music producer who set out on a quest to create a truly musical game. 
Mitsuo Terada, a 40-year-old J-pop producer who goes by the Prince-like moniker “Tsunku♂,” is involved in most every aspect of the Japanese pop music scene. As a producer, he created the immensely popular girl group Morning Musume. As a songwriter and vocalist, he has released several albums, including a CD of Beatles covers.
Recently, he worked with Nintendo to createRhythm Heaven, the Nintendo DS game released this month in the United States after selling more than 1.5 million copies in Japan.
The music game is a perfect blend of addictive gameplay and catchy music that breaks the mold set by the incredibly popular Guitar Hero. Ditching realism for wackiness, Rhythm Heaven’s songs are set to a series of 50 cartoon mini-games that can be devilishly difficult.
Wired.com had the opportunity to e-mail a few questions to Tsunku♂, who talks about videogame music hitting the charts, Japanese-American cultural crossovers and the challenge of creating a musically fulfilling game.
Wired.com: You started the group Morning Musume, which has been featured in several videogames. So you’ve had experience with games. Why did you decide to work on an original videogame with Nintendo?
Tsunku♂: My collaboration with Nintendo began with my submission of a game proposal. In Japan, with games that use rhythm and sound, it’s long been the case that the placement of accents and the timing of button-presses has had nothing to do with music. For someone like myself, whose work revolves around music, this has never seemed right, and I wrote up my proposal in hopes of doing away with this. I also felt that without Nintendo’s expertise, realizing my idea for a rhythm game would be impossible.
It wasn’t like I really knew anyone with Nintendo, either. It was a bit risky, but my staff just took our proposal and approached them directly. Then, after numerous meetings and dance classes, I was able to convey my idea to the software engineers, and slowly, it became a reality. Rhythm Tengoku for Game Boy Advance was completed as a result, and two years later we expanded the idea with Rhythm Heaven for Nintendo DS.
Wired.com: Tell me about the process of localizing Rhythm Heaven for an English-speaking audience. Many of the songs had to be changed. Were you involved in this process? What was the most challenging part of the game to localize?
Tsunku♂: I mainly work in producing and writing J-pop songs, but unfortunately, because the songs are in Japanese, even if an album sells 2 million copies in Japan, it would never make it to America. And that’s why the Grammys have never come calling [laughs]…. Rhythm games have always transcended nationality, though. Rhythm is something that can be learned without complex theories; it just takes practice and repetition. This is true for children, adults, men and women. This is why I thought a worldwide release of this title wasn’t just a pipe dream.
As for the changes to song lyrics in the American version, the staff in Japan translated the songs into English, staying as close as they could to the meaning of the Japanese. Then the staff at Nintendo of America localized them for an American audience, and the lyrics as they are now were completed. Our main concern, though, was maintaining the flow and emphasis in the songs that enable all of the game’s tapping and button-pressing. There would be no point in the game if we sacrificed the rhythmic gameplay just to make the meaning of the English and Japanese lyrics match, so we had the localizers take extra care with this.
Wired.com: There have been live performances of the “Fan Club” song from Rhythm Heaven in Japan. How did this come to be? The fans seem to really know the music and enjoy it — do you see this sort of crossover, of videogame music becoming popular outside the game, as something that will become more common in the future?
Tsunku♂: I’ve had one of the up-and-coming groups I’m producing perform the song live. Since the game’s release, when these girls perform the song at one of their concerts in Japan, the audience starts cheering and really gets into it, just like in the game. Things like this just happen naturally in Japan. Occasionally, a song or score from a game will become a hit, but there hasn’t been a truly nationwide hit from a game yet. Still, this song has been used in TV commercials, and it’s really gotten popular in Japan.
I think there will be increased potential for game music to cross over into the mainstream in the future, but avid fans usually don’t respond to gimmicks they feel are too contrived. The key is to start with as pure a game concept as possible, and give it the type of music that suits it best. If the fans respond well as a result, performing the song live in concert would be a natural next step. That sort of pattern seems ideal to me.
Wired.com: Are you surprised by how big a hit Rhythm Tengoku games have become in Japan?
Tsunku♂: It has been surprising, but I don’t think it was a coincidence. There’s a clear link between music, rhythm and play, and these things conspire together to draw the player into the game world naturally. This is what I think has made this game so enjoyable for people who don’t normally play games. That said, I never thought it would sell as well as it had. It’s been really overwhelming, in a good way.
Wired.com: Japanese pop music has not really breached the American consciousness in a way that Japanese games, comics and now movies have. Do you hope to make Japanese idol pop big in the United States? Does Rhythm Heaven play into that?
Tsunku♂: The barrier created by the Japanese language is a big one, and it’s very difficult to have a hit song in Japanese outside of Japan, even in places like China or any English-speaking country. There are melodies in J-pop that I feel are similar to the type of music European people are drawn to, sort of a “continental” type of melody. There are also songs with melodies featuring that bold lyrical style popularized by American Motown music.
I think there’s a real opportunity for J-pop to create a presence all its own using the recent trend in American R&B and pop music to drop the melody out of a chorus and feature a capella singing. J-pop can create the kind of rhythms and melodies Americans enjoy, so if we can get the word out, I think a hit wouldn’t be out of the question. After that, there’s just the problem of the lyrics. I’ll be happy if Rhythm Heaven can be a step toward making this a reality.
Photo: tsunku.net
Popularity: 55% [?]
Matsuura Aya di Maquia Magazine
by Aece McCloud on Apr.11, 2009, under Aya Matsuura, Hello Project
Gambar di bawah ini adalah gambar Matsuura Aya yang mengisi sebuah majalah bernama “Maquia”.
See original here:
Matsuura Aya di Maquia Magazine
Popularity: 45% [?]
-
Tsunku’s :: HelloProject - Morning Musume & Aya Matsuura news
HelloProject has been a star group of Japan representing caliber of several groups of girls. These groups are moderated by one of the Japan’s top artist Tsunku who has been writing and producing music for them. The purpose of the Blog is to dissect the events around HelloProject and analyze the strategies of UFA.
You can also subscribe by email by filling the field below:
MouTube!
Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou? (Chinese ver.) - Morning Musume
泣いちゃうかも- モーニング娘。 (fandub)![MM - muj4ck(Subtitled) [HD] p1](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BEBINyMdgGs/default.jpg)
MM - muj4ck(Subtitled) [HD] p1
Morning Musume - Resonant Blue Lesson Studio Ver. (PV Sub ITA)
Morning Musume - Resonant Blue Another Ver. (PV Sub ITA)
モーニング娘 short dance cover - Renai Revolution 21 & Sexy Boy
Morning Musume - Pepper Keibu (PV Sub ITA)
King Kong - Hinoi Team dance cover
Morning Musume - Onna ni Sachi are (PV Sub ITA)
Morning Musume - Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Sasenai Darou? (Chinese Version) (radio rip)
