HelloProject :: Morning Musume & Aya Matsuura News

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.

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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.

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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

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Popularity: 40% [?]

For the past few weeks, Nakazawa Yuko has been taking questions from all the readers of herblog. We thought they were pretty interesting, so here are all the Q&A’s she’s done from April 28 through today. If there are more in the future, we’ll try to bring them to you here.

Some of the subjects covered are her marriage plans (or lack thereof), her old-school Musume friends, her personal life, her “embarrassing” ringtones, her past jobs, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

Full Story

2009-04-28 13:15:28

Thank you again for all of your questions ☆

I’ll start by answering the most popular ones ☆☆

Q: Aren’t you ever going to get married?
Your juniors are getting married, what about you?
Don’t you think you’re at the right age?
There were a lot of questions like that (＾～＾)

A: Not yet.
Fate can strike at any time ♪
I’ll go at my own pace ☆☆☆

Q: Are you in contact with the former Musume members?
Who are you closest with?
What about the current Musume?
There were a lot of those questions.

A: I’m really close with all the old-school Musume.
We exchange emails all the time.
We go to see each other’s plays ♪
We go out to meals together.

Recently, I went out to eat with Nacchi.
A nice comfortable and relaxed way to spend some time ♥

A little while back, I got an email from Yossie.
“I like soy milk and boiled eggs too.”

Tsuji-chan emailed me, too.

Kao-tan called me suddenly in the middle of the night two days ago.
I was shocked and thought something was wrong.
“What is it?! Did something happen?!?!”
When I asked her that, she said…
“I’ve been thinking about taking up quilting.”
Well… She just responded so casually :*:・(￣∀￣)・:*:

I haven’t heard from Yaguchi in a while, but I think she’s doing well.
I think I’ll try to go somewhere with her when she has the time soon (*^o^*)

So, who is number one?
I think that… I can’t rank them.

The current members are all my cute little juniors.
But this year I think Reina is turning 20…
That’ll be fun.

☆ Continued in part 2…

2009-04-28 18:39:49

Let’s keep going today ♪

Continuing with the popular questions ☆

Q: What kind of shampoo do you use?

A: Different kinds.
Depending on how I feel on the day, I’ll use one of 2 or 3 different ones.
First, there’s this ♪

<< More…>>

Popularity: 100% [?]

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% [?]

AKB48 are to release their 13th single on 2009-06-24 titled 涙サプライズ！, Namida Surprise. There is apparently some disatisfaction amongst AKB48 fans as to the members chosen to participate in this single, as I’m not too familiar with any members in particular I’ll have to wait and see what I think after a preview!

C-ute are also due to release a single on the same day titled 暑中お見舞い申し上げます, Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu. This is a cover of the song of the same name by 70s J-Pop group, Candies. Incidently SweetS also covered this song. I’m a little dubious as to how this will turn out as covers are often a little disapointing from Hello! Project – I wasn’t a particular fan of COVER YOU. It’s rumored Kanna will return in June so she may participate in this single.

If you remember, Kago Ai is also releasing her debut single on the same day as these two, we have a Kago VS C-ute VS AKB48situation! While I’d like Kago to do the best I feel it may turn out this way; AKB48, C-ute, Kago. I can’t honestly see Kago charting too high though I’d like to be pleasntly surprised. I don’t imagine she’ll have great promotion as her label is a little unknown.

See the original post:
New Singles for AKB48 & C-ute (2009-06-24)

Popularity: 60% [?]

No, it’s not the theme song of an acne commercial, it’s the new B-side for Shouganai Yume Oibito. JapanFiles has just released the 40 second preview over at their page and at H!O, and like the Hangry&Angry preview I will post it here (JapanFiles, like the last time, if you want me to remove it contact me), mainly because I’m not sure if international fans can hear the preview, this is just for everyone to have a chance to hear the preview.

OK, on the the song, it’s extremely similar to SONGS, in a sense that they tried to give it a SALT5 sound mixed with techno, although it starts sounding like Morning Musume from the 28 second mark. I am somewhat mixed on the song, I like it but at the same time I am not sure about the starting part, which sounds a lot like SALT5, I am sure that the entire song is better, so I give it a thumbs up.

This song is also going to be used as the theme song for AX, which, according to JapanFiles, was written by Tsunku especially for AX. I appreciate the gesture and to anyone going to AX please thank him in the name of those who can’t go, I would have preferred something that sounded more like Morning Musume, but it does have some elements that remind us of them, thanks Tsunku!

Here is the preview from JapanFiles for the new B-Side of Shouganai Yume Oibito, you can read the entire article about this song being used as the theme song HERE or over at Hello! Online.

MP3 sample of “3,2,1 BREAKIN’ OUT!, courtesy of JapanFiles’ Myspace

Anaheim, California and Tokyo, Japan (April 20, 2009) — “3,2,1 Breakin’ Out!” by Anime Expo® 2009 Guests of Honor MORNING MUSUME, is announced as the official convention theme song for this year’s event held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

Written and produced by prolific music producer TSUNKU♂, this “3-2-1 Breakin’ Out!” will appear on all Anime Expo® 2009 media campaigns. “Hello, How do you do? I am TSUNKU♂！”, states the legendary producer, writer and musician, “I am a producer of MORNING MUSUME I am happy to hear that there are many anime fans in America. I think Anime culture is universal and I’m glad to hear American people are so into it. I believe good anime remains a masterpiece forever. At the same time, there is a very important element: music. I think music is a universal language, and music should be enjoyable from generation to generation. I am proud that MORNING MUSUMEhas made the theme song for Anime Expo® 2009. The concept of this song is positive power even during hard times.

I wrote this song just for Anime Expo® 2009. I imagined everybody’s smile when I wrote it, and I’m looking forward to seeing you guys at the MORNING MUSUME concert. I hope new great energy will be born at the convention from this collaboration between Japanese and US culture, and that it will last into the future.”

A :30 second preview sample of this song will be available on the Anime Expo® 2009 website and on JapanFiles.com’s MySpace page (www.myspace.com/japanfiles).

In connection with the MORNING MUSUME performance at Anime Expo® 2009, JapanFiles.com will produce physical and digital USA CD releases of both PLATINUM 9 DISC and “Shouganai Yumeoibito” (which includes “3,2,1 – Breakin’ Out!”). Both CDs will be identical to the regular Japanese releases, and PLATINUM 9 DISC will also include random member photo cards.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.AXBackstage.org and to register for the 2009 convention atwww.anime-expo.org.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California – Anime Expo®, the nation’s largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 – July 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property – Anime Expo®. More information can be found at its website (www.spja.org).

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This is one of the handful of new songs that comes with the soon to be released album Platinum 9 DISC, I’m not sure what number of track it is, I think it’s the first one, but the important thing is the sound. I found it to be extremely….not that impressing, I don’t particularly like the sound (it seems that Morning Musume is going along the rap plus hard “techno sound” road, with this song, plus another handful of songs that are techno heavy plus rap singing, it seems Tsunku is in a rap mood for some reason.)

It might be that the song hasn’t grown on me, but I don’t really like this song, it might be because it’s a radio rip, like Michishige’s song “It’s You”, I will probably form a better opinion when I get a higher quality rip. Those who liked the song “Take Off Is Now!” will probably like this song. If you like techno sounds you’ll probably like this as well, and it seems Lin Lin got some parts, not sure if it’s her though. I found the vocal effects not necessary, but it does make the song sound it like it’s been worked on for some time.

I hope that at least Mitsui’s song isn’t so rap oriented, or at least that it doesn’t have so heavy techno sounds, it’s almost aggrotech (an extremely annoying form of techno). If the song that she sung on the Resonant Live concert is the new one then I am happy that the song came out good, if not then please try to not go down that road UFA. Here is the song, judge for yourself:

See the rest here:

Morning Musume – “3,2,1 – BREAKIN’ OUT!” Preview

Popularity: 49% [?]

Thanks to JapanFiles.com and courtesy of Up-Front Agency, we’re excited to present our first exclusive interview with some of the girls our website was created for: Hangry (who might be Yoshizawa Hitomi) & Angry (who might be Ishikawa Rika).

Click through to read all the questions and answers, and check out our photos from Hangry&Angry’s performance that you wont find anywhere else!

Written by Kuno, H!O staff, JapanFiles.com staff.
Translation provided by JapanFiles.com
Photos taken exclusively for Hello!Online by René (aka roon on H!O).
Visit René’s website at http://monki.net

This past weekend, the duo Hangry&Angry made their first-ever appearance in the United States at the Sakura-Con convention in Seattle, Washington. They took some time out to answer a few questions from Hello!Online aimed toward their longtime western fans. 

The photos included in the article were taken at their live performance on Sunday, April 12. They had a great turnout, with an estimated 2,000 fans turning out to see their high-energy performance.

Hello!Online: Had you been considering doing live shows outside of Japan for a long time?

Hangry (who might be Yoshizawa Hitomi): We had no clue at all that we could.
Angry (who might be Ishikawa Rika): I had dreamt a bit about the possibility, but I never thought it would actually come true.

Hello!Online: Your music style up until now has been very different from Hangry&Angry. What did you think when you first heard about the different style of music that you would be doing?

Hangry: I was looking forward to it… I didn’t have any resistance to it at all. I thought that if we are going to do it, that I want to do it cool.
Angry: Yeah… Since I normally listen to rock music, I had a strong feeling about it.

(click to enlarge)

Hello!Online: What did you think when you found out that your music was being sold in America, and that everyone could buy it here?

Hangry: I thought, “Wow! They’ll buy it?”
Angry: If they’re selling it, I wanted to help them sell it in person.

Hello!Online: Do you want to sell Hangry&Angry in other countries besides America and Japan?

Hangry: Yes.
Angry: Yes.

(click to enlarge)

Hello!Online: Before you became Hangry&Angry, you were famous, and your careers were very well known on this website. Fans in other countries have translated and added subtitles to your past work. You might not know this, but you have many fans supporting you abroad, and many of them even very seriously try to learn the meanings behind the lyrics. Are you surprised about this?

Hangry: It’s amazing! I’m still really surprised about that.
Angry: It really is surprising, isn’t it?
Hangry: I’m very happy that they like us so much that they take the time to do things like research the lyrics, etc.
Angry: At the autograph sessions [at Sakura-con], it was very moving to have people asking me to sign photobooks from when I debuted, and to have DVDs of movies from Japan… I was very happy.

Hello!Online: Can you tell us three artists each that you’re currently listening to?

Angry: American?

Hello!Online: Anywhere is okay.

Angry: Can it be my own songs, too?

Hello!Online: Sure, that’s okay.

Angry: I’ve been listening to Hangry&Angry songs, and Ne-Yo songs, too. I also listen to Madonna a lot.
Hangry: I listen to Britney Spears, Nirvana and Morning Musume.

(click to enlarge)

Hello!Online: The Hangry&Angry live shows are very different image-wise and motion-wise from the Hello!Project live shows. How are these live shows different for you?

Hangry: The difference performance-wise is that there isn’t any dancing… there is freedom.
Angry: There’s a little bit of dance.
Hangry: Yeah, but we can move freely.
Angry: We don’t have to worry about where we’re positioned. With many more people, you can’t bump into them, and you have to line up at the right time. But since there are only two of us, if one of us wants to add something based on how we feel, we can just match up to the new move. It’s pretty free, and that’s totally different from Hello!Project.

Hello!Online: How have the other Hello!Project members reacted to the new look you have for Hangry&Angry?

Hangry: They tell us it’s really cool, and say, “I wish I could do that too.”
Angry: The members in Hello!Project that like rock music are really interested.
Hangry: But there was a poster of us in the company office, and they said they didn’t know it was us! They were like, “Oh that’s a new unit… WHAT?! That’s ISHIKAWA and YOSHIZAWA?!”
Angry: Nakazawa Yuko said, “That’s you guys?! I had no clue.” She totally just thought it was a new unit [not us] because the company does so many things. She said that she thought that the company was just producing two new girls.

(click to enlarge)

Hello!Online: Of course, your look is produced by H.Naoto, and there are other producers, but are there things that you’ve emulated from other Japanese or American artists?

Angry: For Angry, there aren’t any… I’m really becoming the character and wearing the loli fashion. I’m working solely off of the image of the character.
Hangry: For me, it’s the same, but you can’t move in a certain way without being affected by all the artists you have seen. So really, there are elements of many people included.
Angry: Also, the elements of Izamu-san are there.
Hangry: Yes, they are! The producer Izamu-san has done all the staging.

Hello!Online: Hello!Project members Yaguchi-san and Satoda-san have both started their own blogs. Do Hangry&Angry have any plans to start their own personal blogs?

Hangry: Right now, we just have the Oricon Video Blog.
Angry: We don’t have any plans for other blogs right now.

Hello!Online: Outside of Hangry&Angry, you have done things like start a futsal team. Do you have plans to start a league, or do other sports?

Hangry: Right now, we’re planning games and matches, and so many of the fans are wanting us to do a match. We want to do some, too!

(click to enlarge)

Hello!Online: You both graduated from Hello!Project just recently. After the graduation, what sort of activities will you be participating in for the UP-FRONT family?

Hangry: We want to continue doing music and sports.
Angry: I want to do plays and dramas.

Hello!Online: How did you feel when you were told you were going to graduate from Hello!Project?

Hangry: Honestly, when I heard about it, I was surprised. Since the graduation just happened, I really haven’t been able to think about it much, but I’m sad that I won’t be meeting up with everyone at Hello!Project.
Angry: [nods in agreement]

(click to enlarge)

Hello!Online: Please give a message to the Hangry&Angry fans living outside of Japan.

Hangry: We have new songs coming out, and we want to do more performances. Please support us.
Angry: It might be hard for us to actually meet, but through the music and the internet I think we have a connection, so please continue to support us.

Support Hangry&Angry at http://www.japanfiles.com/hangryangry

More:
Hello!Online’s exclusive Q&A with Hangry&Angry

Popularity: 35% [?]

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% [?]

Here is the original: 
Buono! “MY BOY” PV streaming video

Popularity: 35% [?]

Popularity: 35% [?]

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% [?]