Jane Doe - Minami Takahashi REVIEW

After a flurry of my favorite AKB48 members being given solo careers, and after listening to Minami Takahashi's Jane Doe for the umpteenth time (and I will be ordering this single tomorrow!) I decided to finally review it. Before, I found difficulty to review it due to there being a lack of a PV online, however I luckily managed to find it on youtube.

Now Minami has to be my second favourite AKB member and when I found out she was having a solo career I was so excited to hear the single and the covers of the single pleased me so much and raised my expectations from this single. And for the first time in a long time I wasn't disappointed! The music video, the covers, the song were all amazing and gave me a fantastic package for what is an amazing solo debut for Minami!

Now the music video begins with many establishing shots of Minami as she is walking through what seems to be a church? And then suddenly her beautiful vocals are introduced and we have a variation of rotating shots of her face as she transforms from her red dress to her much more darker, and sexier, leather black outfit so it introduces two sides of Minami within the story line of the music video. I love the use of the mirrors too because it looks like she is looking at a different person through the reflection, and she is about to do something that she doesn't want to. She then starts into the song with pretty soft vocals over a soft piano playing in the background, allowing a light introduction before the full instrumentation of the song kicks into action and picks up the pace.

We are then introduced to two parallel goings on and these are separated with the two outfits that Minami wears. In her red dress, she walks onto a catwalk of a stage and throughout the rest of the music video she is stood there in a beautiful red dress where she is performing this song to an audience. Again, mirrors are re-introduced and in my opinion these mirrors are there to highlight the innocent side of Minami and showcase her innocent beauty through the mirrors and we're seeing the same image in all of these reflections which highlights how this is all we see to her when she is performing. We just see a performer, and there is no interest into what this girl is actually about.

Whereas, in contrast to the other scenes where Minami is wearing black, her stance is much more strong and she is much more empowered and has a stronger sight of what she wants to achieve. This allows us to identify to a much more truthful Minami, who is powerful and determined to achieve what she wants.She also has much more freedom in this field in comparison to how she has to carry herself as an admired doll on stage. This time Minami isn't on stage but it looks to be as if she is a kind of Robin Hood who is stealing from the rich to give to the poor, even though we aren't shown who is the poor. There are all of these rich people here, in what I think is a theatre, who are out to see a show but they are so dressed up that it looks kind of ridiculous. It's like me going to the cinema in my prom dress!!! However, Minami seems to have the same thoughts as me and in this she steals a silver necklace from a woman and manages to escape onto the rooftop of the theatre and in cheesy idol fashion throws it out into the sky to create a bright light of "heroic innocence". You get my drift with what I'm going with. Basically in a nutshell Minami is Robin Hood in the theatre and steals a necklace from a woman to teaches us that we should be happy with the better things in life and not base our happiness around materialistic things.

The music video was fantastic to me, and it ticked all of my boxes. When it comes to music videos I love a darker tone of it but with a moral undertone and this music video did just that. Minami does look like a villain in the black but her actions speak otherwise. I also loved all of the shots of the mirrors and the symbolism they carried, and I do love simple symbolism in a music video. H!P take note...sorry I had to go there!

Anyhow back on track, I was also impressed with the track because just like the music video, I love a dark rocky song that still upholds a positive message and gives it a bit of light so it isn't all depressing. It also showcased how amazing Minami is as a solo singer, and the dark tonality of the song also complimented Minami's lower voice as well. She was in her comfort zone and even though it didn't blow me away she did sound amazing! And I do hope the continues to release these kinds of singles. As I said, this whole release ticked a lot of boxes for me, and even though it's been in and out of the charts now, I'm still going to buy the single regardless! I want that music video in beautiful HD!

RATING: 9/10

Takahashi Ai due to undergo surgery for vocal nodules

It has been announced that lately Takahashi Ai, an ex-member of Morning Musume has recently been suffering from vocal nodules. She announced on her personal blog:

“I do not feel any pain, so no need to worry! When the surgery is over, and I recover completely, I will sing with all my heart in front of you guys again, and improve my acting skill as an actress as well.”

Now vocal nodules are usually found on the vocal chords and without surgery it can have leave permanent damage. And to be honest it isn't a surprise Ai has suddenly needed surgery for this. I keep track of her activities since her graduation and she has been a very busy bee with being in stage plays such as Dance of the Vampire, The Wedding Singer and Anne of Green Gables to name a few as well as television work. It seems like she is constantly working and maybe it is just taking it's toll in the form of nodules.

Luckily, she is undergoing surgery and should hopefully make an excellent recovery. I hope the surgery goes well, I don't want it to be the end of Ai's reign as an amazing singer! She has the gift and she shouldn't lose it!

Luckily her appearance at the reader theatre "Watashi no Atama no Naka no Kashigomu 5th letter" will be postponed from June 4th to the 12th.

Get well soon Ai-chan!!!!!

Itano Tomomi announces her graduation: my thoughts!

Way back in February of this year AKB48 announced another graduation of one of their 1st generation members, Itano Tomomi. Known as the cute style icon of AKB48, Itano has managed to charm a lot of fans with her doe eye look and her cute little tooth! You know what tooth I'm talking about! You can't deny the kawaiiness at all!

Now the graduation was announced through an interview Itano participated in in AKB48's documentary "DOCUMENTARY OF AKB48: NO FLOWER WITHOUT RAIN...". She announced:

“The interview for this documentary was supposed to be about the members of AKB48, their scandals last year, AKB48 in the future, and the graduation of (Maeda) Atsuko, but my feelings towards graduation became stronger. I decided to announce it like this.”

So I guess from Itano's graduation announcement it looks like she was influenced to graduate from Atsuko's graduation. Now we know AKB48 is a beginning platform for these girls to gain the experience of getting into the entertainment industry. Through Itano's eyes she feels like it is her time to graduate AKB48 and go into the future to new ventures, whether it be singing or acting!

The graduation date has not yet been confirmed but I do hope that it's towards the end of 2013 so I can get myself emotionally prepared for this graduation even though I know I'm going to be sobbing. I haven't been a fan of AKB48 as long as I have been a fan of MoMusu but in the duration of myself being an AKB fan Itano was always my favorite  Her beauty and cute innocence really pulled me in to take notice of her, and her style is also fantastic! She has a pretty good voice and she has sounded fantastic in her solo material so I do hope she continues to sing after graduating AKB48!

I am going to be very sad when Itano graduates from AKB48 and it will be difficult for me to keep listening to them if my favorite member has departed. But I am big fans of Takahashi Minami, Yuki Kashiwagi, Mariko Shinoda and Yuko Oshima. Fingers crossed Takahashi and Yuki don't decide to graduate anytime soon...they've just started their solo careers and I want to hear of them as much as possible!!!

But despite how saddened I am with Itano's graduation, I wish her all the best for the future! If she doesn't continue in performance I hope she has a career in fashion!!!

Morning Musume - Brainstorming/Kimi sae ireba nani mo iranai REVIEW! (Part 2)

Hello my lovely readers!
Today I will be continuing on from my last blog post and I will be reviewing the second A-side of Tanaka Reina's graduation single and Morning Musume's 53rd single release! Now this full single looks to be a promising release with two A-sides and three B-sides it looks to be another promising release for fans and wotas alike with a good assortment of songs.

Now my first listening to Kimi Sae was through a 30-second preview that was released and I have to admit I was very disappointed. However, due to it only being a short preview I thought I'd shrug my pessimism to one side and decide on what I thought of the song when I heard the full thing. When I saw the dance shot and heard the song fully for the first time, I liked it but didn't fall in love with it like I did Brainstorming.

Now I'm going to start this review with my thoughts on the song, now that I've listened to it a lot more. Now the first thing I heard in this song was 2000 people on the dance floor and even though it was such an odd addition to the song, I liked it and thought it was quite a catchy intro to draw you in. You then get the format of different verses where the lines are divided between pairs of members and then of course we get lead vocals from Reina, Riho and Sakura which isn't surprising. Then you get an uplifting chorus that gives you hope and if you know the English translation of the lyrics it emphasizes it more.

Now the thing I liked about this song better than Brainstorming is when I saw the English translations to each song. Brainstorming has the same old message of being empowered and living life to its full potential but I feel like this kind of message has been repeated a lot in the last few releases and it's getting a bit tedious for me to hear the same old kind of storyline through the lyrics. However in this it also bases itself on a lover and helping each other through life and being there for each other through thick and thin, which I think is a better message. I mean it's good to be independent but sometimes it's nice to have someone there to share the memories of success with. Oh, I'm going off on a tangent. Being a Performing Arts student I get into the habit of going through the meanings of things and reading between the lines. Now back on track.

I thought it was fantastic that the members had some good lines paired up, but the downside was that the use of auto tune didn't allow you to pick out who was singing and who wasn't. I love to hear the different sounds of the girls and they all just sounded the same apart from the solo lines that had less auto tune on them.

The only parts of the song I loved were the 2000 people on the dancefloor hooks (even though it's clearly only 11 members on the dancefloor) Oh Tsunku! Time to go back to school to learn to count haha! I also adored the chorus, because it was just so empowering and really made me want to sing out loud. I think this song will be a fantastic one for them to perform live.

Now of course, the PV is just another cheap UFP production with just a dance shot and close ups within the dance shot, which is a slight disappointment in the case that this is Reina's graduation single. However, just because it's cheap doesn't mean it can't be excellent creativity wise. The use of the rotating camera shots throughout the dance gave it variety and allowed different girls to stand out with their dance skill even if they weren't at the front in the spotlight. Sayumi stood out a lot to me even though she didn't have any singing lines, but her movements in the dance and expressions really stood out to me. Well done leader-sama!!! /bows/

I also really adored how happy Reina seemed in this PV, she seemed to enjoy herself and it's nice to see that in her last PV shooting as a Morning Musume member. And I am a big fan of her little beret with the cute little yellow bow, it wouldn't be the real Reina without some cute bows and accessories galore! Her vocals were stunning in Brainstorming but in Kimi Sae she didn't sound as good, she held a good tune but that was about it. The same with Sakura, her voice just didn't shine for me, and I am surprised to say that Riho sang better than them in my opinion in this song. A lot of people will disagree with me, but I, who hasn't always been a fan of Riho's voice, think she has improved loads and it does show in Kimi Sae and Brainstorming.

The set was simple with a stage and a white curtain that allowed the lighting to shine through and it gave it a good effect and it contrasted with the yellow well to make their costumes stand out. I also liked the contrast of when the lighting would dim at the right times of the song to really create tension with the lyrics and then the lights would burst in the chorus' to emphasize the hope that the lyrics showcase.

In terms of the costumes, I didn't like them when I first saw them, but when I saw the girls dancing in them, the looseness of the dresses allowed them to flow fantastically in the dance. And the girls were all so sharp in the dance and I love their thrusting moves within the chorus! Especially Mizuki she stood out to me the most in terms of that. And Haruna danced fantastically in this too, she has improved in leaps and bounds so much! Again Zukki didn't stand out to me at all which is a shame. When she first debuted in Maji Desu ka Ska she was fantastic and was a breath of fresh air to MoMusu but now she's kind of diminished to me a little and I don't like it. I still like the girl but she doesn't attract me to her as a fan in terms of girls like Reina and Mizuki.

The funny thing within this PV as well were the little errors. I didn't notice them until people pointed them out to me but there is a point in the PV where you can clearly see a staff member stood in the frame. And you can also see the studio ceiling. People make mistakes but when it comes to the flagship group of UFP it can't really be forgotten about. If mistakes like this appear in PVs it makes people wonder about the professionalism of the company.

Overall I enjoyed this song and I still love to listen to it now and again but it didn't have an impact on me like it did with Brainstorming.

RATING: 7/10

Morning Musume - Brainstorming/Kimi sae ireba nani mo iranai REVIEW! (Part 1)

Hello my lovely readers!

Today's post for this blog today will be a overall review of Morning Musume's upcoming single release Brainstorming/Kimi Sae Ireba Nari mo Iranai. Unforunately for some Morning Musume fans this also means sad news due to this single being Tanaka Reina's graduation single. But don't fret guys she will still be on the music scene with her latest rock project Lovendor!

BRAINSTORMING

Now let's start off this review with the fact that I loved this song from the first listen. A lot of people say that this song sounds like a mash up of Wakuteka Take a Chance and HELP ME! which I can agree with to some extent but at the same time I think it's a newer, fresher sound with MoMusu. Of course their last few singles have been the same but I think Tsunku is slowly and surely getting to grips with how to mix into this genre. One thing that stood out to me in this song was how everyone sounded fantastic! Even Riho who I admit at times hasn't impressed me with her vocals, but for once Morning Musume has a song that suits her vocal range. And it also showcases the other member's talents as well! Reina, Sakura and Mizuki sounded fantastic and really stood out to me in this song. I was also very happy with Ayumi and Haruna getting lines because it was huge surprise to hear their voices, and they sounded really good! It might have been due to the production of the song but I was impressed and I hope they continue to impress me. I also liked the rock flavour of the song as well with the samples of electric guitar, it gave it a good contrast with the main techno sound.

The dance routine was also very fantastic and again it did borrow some examples of the Wakuteka Take a Chance choreography but I don't mind. The twist to this dance was the little dance off between the dance aces Riho and Ayumi; they executed it so well! I definitely think it showcased the girls' talents very well and I am very glad they got to have a little dance off because you can't deny a lot of us have wanted it to happen for ages! The dance routine was also simple and fluent throughout, with a good contrast of smoother moves and sharper moves so it gave all of the girls good contrasts in their own little dancing clumps! I especially loved the beginning where Mizuki, Sakura, Riho and Ayumi were dancing together it really made me smile! I also like the use of levels too!

I also loved the outfits of this single and they're some of my favourite costumes since Renai Hunter. The outfits suit all of the girls well and it makes them look cool without having them to try and be sexy. Each girl suits their outfits and I like the divide of colour of red and blue, and I think even though it didn't get used to it's full potential in the dance they were still a good choice of colours. The nicely added touch with the use of accessories is also very effective and brings out the girls' individual personalities well (e.g. Reina with her typical big bow and Haruna with her cap to distinguish her being a tomboy of the group).

Again the PV for this was again another cheap UFP creation but despite the lack of funds they used it to their advantage and used creativity which always impresses me. I really like the use of the member colours being used in the background for the individual members solo shots and I feel like everyone got a good bit of facetime. Riho and Reina definitely got more screentime but it's too obvious to say why! I loved how they were no sparkles either! Thank the heavens that UFP didn't decide to use sparkles because they would have clashed so badly with the use of the screens. The use of the black stage was also very pleasing to the eye. It also showed more clarity of the girls faces and showed their natural beauty to its fullest potential. I just hope that the official morningmusumechannel uploads this PV in HD to maintain it but I guess that's a lot to ask for UFP. For me Reina, Riho, Mizuki and Sayu stood out to me the most in the solo shots, and for me right now they are the beauties of Morning Musume in my opinion for right now. And the other girls really knew how to work the camera too and they have gotten used to being in front of the camera now in comparison to their debuts.

RATING: 10/10

(Part 2 will be up soon and I will be reviewing Kimi Sae so stay tuned for that!)

And here is my lovely oishi Mizupon wishing you a lovely farewell!

And to please visit this blog again for our next review which will be posted this week of Kimi Sae!

Have a lovely week!

~~Kono Machi Review~~

Hey everyone!

How are you? Good? Then let's get cracking!

C-ute released their 20th single this week and it was a cover of Chisato Moritaka's Kono Machi. Unfortunately, it hasn't received a lot of sales and the latest update as I post this is that they have sold 19,000 copes approximately  Which is very low, even for H!P standards, and it is such a smack in the mouth for diehard C-ute fans like me who were so excited that their sales were increasing. And then we get given this single and everything goes downhill.

Now, Kono Machi is a lovely song but when I first heard it, it was one of those ballads that took me a long time to finally love it. Usually, with H!P songs they get me within the first few listens, but it took me days for me to like this song. The tune wasn't very memorable and I always forgot how the song went as soon as I finished listening to it. The only thing that made the song stand out for me was the spoken parts because they were so beautiful. The electric guitar interlude that plays in the last spoken parts also made me all sentimental...

What made me love it really was when I saw the English translation of the lyrics. The story of the song is about returning to your hometown to a past childhood love and reminiscing all of the memories you had with this person but also realizing how much home really means to you. The story of the song really made me connect to the song due to me living in a town by the sea and one of the lines mentions how the beach has disappeared now. There is also another line about how it's been two years since everything has passed and both me and my boyfriend live in seaside towns and have been dating two years so this song is just so perfect for me lyrically.

The vocal performances of the girls is also what entices me when I realize what they are actually singing about. And the spoken thoughts they have also makes it more emotionally connecting for all involved.

The PV was also just like the song, plain and not very memorable. Once again, H!P resorted back to the simple white background sets and green screen. The solo shots were also in plain backgrounds so it didn't add much to the video. However, I have to agree that even though the simplicity didn't make it a very memorable PV, if there was a lot more added it would take away from the song.

The pictures they used for the backgrounds were very pretty but they were out of proportion with the girls and I didn't know why they looked glitchy. I also wish they used simpler costumes to make them go with the music video more. I do like the use of red costumes and they are very pretty but I couldn't really use them for a ballad. I would have used the outfits for this PV for another H!P single altogether.

Now Airi looks effortless as always and her vocals were amazing as always. One thing that bothers me a little though and I must be nitpicking but I just wanna point it out. She has had the same hairstyle for PVs for a little while now and I do wish she could have a bit more variety with her hair. Just saying...please don't kill me!

Saki was also cute as always and she always makes me smile. Even though she isn't a lead vocalist I love how she always manages to look like she's having the time of her life in PVs.

Mai, what the hell happened to you? You look beautiful! Usually you were just cute and that was it and never stood out for me. In this PV however, you looked so flawless. I like this new grown up Mai!

Chisato, you blew me away! You were gorgeous and all I have to say is...eyes!!!!

And of course we end on an amazing note with my oishii Maimi! :D You really suited this song and your simple expressions really made me connect with the song. I loved your spoken lines in the best; they were just so flawless! And keep your hair long it looks so beautiful like that! Do not cut it! And one more word...legs!!!

Sorry for the mess up of how I wrote this post. I went from making it into a mature review to just a fangirling of the girls. I do apologize. Even though this song is a beautiful song it won't remain as a memorable C-ute release for me I'm afraid. And this is coming from someone who, apart from Morning Musume, C-ute is their Number 1 H!P group!

RATING: 7/10

(To be honest if I didn't have such a connection to the song I might have given it a lower rating :S Probably a 5...)

AKB48 ~~The Minegishi Minami scandal~~

Hey guys

I know this post is a little different to what I usually post on this blog, but this week I came across some news that made me a little shocked, upset and sympathetic, but I guess at the same time I should really understand this scandal a little more seeing as I know what the idol culture includes.

Now, if you've heard of idol culture of if you're a fan of idols then one of the groups you must have heard about are AKB48. They are an idol group that are also theatre performers and they were created in 2005 by their producer and founder Yasushi Akimoto (or Aki-P to the fans). One of the conditions for these girls (and is also used in many idol groups) is that they are not allowed to date whilst being a member of the group. The reason for this is that their image to fans is that they are pure, innocent girls so it creates a fantasy to their fans (which mainly consist of older males also known as wotas). And a part of their fantasy being maintained is that these girls are not allowed to date.

However, on various occasions this rule has been broken. Not just in AKB48 but other groups have also succumbed to this rule being broken. For example, in Morning Musume 2nd generation member Yaguchi Mari quit the group when she was discovered in a scandal and was caught having a boyfriend, and also 6th generation member Miki Fujimoto was also discovered to have a boyfriend but admitted publicly that these rumours were true, therefore concluding with her leaving the group of her own accord.

AKB48 has been in the Japanese tabloids last year for a various number of scandals that included their members but as we wade into 2013 AKB48 has already been involved in another scandal. But even though it was just the same as any other scandal, due to much more extreme measures being followed after the rule breaking, it has managed to make worldwide news. It has been broadcast on Australian television and British television broadcaster BBC.

The Scandal~~

Minegishi Minami, a founding and 1st generation member of AKB48, has been a member since a young age in 2006. She has gained a lot of popularity within her time of being a member and always came at a high number ranking in fan elections. However at the end of January it was revealed in a Japanese tabloid that Minegishi was caught in a picture leaving the home of male company. The identity of this male company was a boy band dancer Alan Shirahama who has not yet solely spoke to the public about his side of events, but his management did release a short statement.

Now after the revelation of this scandal, a few hours later, on the official AKB48 website, a video was broadcast with Minegishi Minami with her head shaved, and giving a four-minute-long apology. This included taking full responsibility for what she had done, and continued to apologise to the fans, the staff and fellow AKB48 members for the trouble she also caused to them.

From various sources, it has been established that the Minegishi solely chose to shave her own head as her own self-punishment, and in Japan it is also a sign of remorse. Not only did she punish herself, but the management also had to step in for her breaching her contract. Instead of them firing or removing her from AKB48, instead she was demoted to a member of the trainee team. This way she could continue her work within the AKB48 company, but she would have to go from the bottom up.

Now because of this news, and due to the fact that Minegishi shaved her own head and added more controversy than the usual AKB48 scandal, not only did this scandal make its way to Japanese tabloids, but it also made it's way to international news sources. And it has also created a lot of opinions from fans of AKB48, to idol fans, and to people who have discovered AKB48 and the idol culture through this piece of news (sadly). People believe what the management has done is right due to a contract being breached; there is speculation as to whether Minegishi shaved her own head and people also wonder if management made her do it for extra publicity. And then there are people who have sided with Minegishi and it has made them think that the whole "no-dating" rule should be thought twice about or boycotted.

What do you think about all of this?

What I think personally~~

Now, before you read the rest of this, this is just my sole opinion and if anything I say offends or annoys you then I apologise in advance. None of what I say will be demeaning or insulting any side of the argument.

Now, when I first came across the video I didn't know what had happened. I had come across youtube as I usually do and I saw the video uploaded onto the AKB48 youtube channel and I didn't think anything of it. From what I could see of the small thumbnail it looked oddly like Minegishi had tied her hair back, but I didn't watch the video. Then later that day, I came across the news on tokyohive and it shocked me so much when I read it.

From the instance of seeing the pictures, my instant reaction was "If the management have made her do this, then...I will be very angry and upset." Then I read the news and watched the video of her apology and I felt so much sympathy for the young girl and and I was crying when I watched the video. I hate this kind of stuff to be broadcast to the public because she could say whatever she wants on the screen but at the end of the day it might be much worse in her head than what she wants us to see from her words.

When I first got into AKB48 when I first saw Minegishi Minami the first reaction I had of her was "Oh my god she is so cute! She is so sweet and infectious I wanna pinch those cheeks!" and she did make me smile whenever I saw her in PVs.

Now this girl is only 19, the same age as me. And in my culture, in the UK, a lot of girls my age have boyfriends and go out dating. Now, this girl is under strict instruction not to break her contract, but there must be some days where you see a gorgeous guy and try your hardest not to approach them and flirt. So there is a part of me that understands why these idols break the rules, and I mean, how can the management not expect these kinds of things to happen. So, in case they have things like this happen, then they know the right ways to punish them.

In my opinion I think the "no-dating" rules are there for a reason and for business purposes so when these girls audition they know what they are signing up for. So they know what they get themselves into when their scandals are unveiled. Then again, I feel sympathy for these girls because they should be entitled to a life of their own. Yes, they sing and dance and release photobooks etc for their own fans, but out of work they have their own personal lives too, in which they should be entitled to. Their lives 24/7 shouldn't be under contract, just their working time.

The fact that Minegish shaved her own head really made me scared for the girl and I worried for her deeply. Is her mindset really okay for her to do this to herself? This scandal really did have a massive impact on this girl and made her think about her actions. And even though she did ask the management herself to broadcast the apology video, why did the management say yes? Yes, Minegishi wanted this, but if I was management I wouldn't have allowed it. I would have felt so bad for this young girl if the apology had a massive negative impact. I know how harsh the internet is so I wouldn't want to think about what people could say about her. So I think it is demeaning for the management to still continue to broadcast this video. However, I can see why the video was broadcast; so the public couldn't make rash and negative assumptions without knowing more details of what happened and from truthful sources.

Not only does this have a bad impact on the group, but it also showcases idol culture in a bad spotlight. Now that this scandal has been broadcast internationally, this might be the first link for a lot of people outside of Japan to come across AKB48 and idol culture. The idol culture, when I first came across it, I did raise my eyebrows a little when I found out about the "no-dating" rule but I've got used to it and I can understand why it happens and this kind of thing does make me think it would be best if this rule was dropped. I mean, who thought it would be a good rule to introduce in the first place? And I find it a little ill-natured how the worldwide media has caught onto this just because Minegishi shaved her head (and compare it to Britney Spears).

People I know from my university friends, boyfriend, close friends and family love songs by Morning Musume and AKB48 but don't know anything about their culture. So when people come across this piece of news and find out about idol culture, I don't want people to hate it and have a bad view on it. Because like everything, I admit it does have its bad points, but I think what these girls have done in regards to scandals, is actually nothing compared to what a lot of Western stars have done. For example, a couple of years ago Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna brutually, but to this day he still gets given a lot of success from his music (apart from the slight negative publicity from getting a tattoo of Rihanna's abused face etc). But if this kind of stuff happened in Japan the star who did this probably wouldn't be heard from again, or would have to work again from scratch, because the Japanese society places these kinds of things in a very bad and unforgivable light.

So that's what I think of the overall situation. I do hope Minegishi does learn from this and become stronger from this. And I wish her all the best for the rest of her AKB career, whichever path it takes.