Thanks to CJ Marsicano for alerting me to this picture from Japan’s Weekly Playboy. It’s a great shot but there’s something… I don’t know… off about it. It doesn’t seem right.
Maybe make a minor adjustment… along the left side…
Hey! There we go. Perfect.
I’m just kidding, of course. I know there are a lot of Takitty fans out there, and that Risa and Eri had made strong headway wota-wise in recent years. What the heck, I loved Eri back when she dressed up as Eric Kamezou. But for some reason, they’ve been at the bottom of my ranking - of current Musume, as well as of all Musume past and present - and would be perfectly happy to see them go. (For those who want to try to rank their Musumes, you can do so here.)
Besides, time is on my side. The disappearance of that trio on the left is going to happen sooner or later, as it will for all of them. Takitty and Risa are the most senior members now: Takitty’s about due for a solo career while Risa’s certainly being groomed for one as well. Eri is the oldest of the sixth gen, so she is likely to follow after. Admittedly, the departure of the first of fifth gen before the last of fourth gen makes such speculation iffy at best, but just humor me a while longer on this…
So in a matter of a year or two, could these six be the leading lights of Morning Musume? (This assumes that the Pandas as “exchange students” don’t return to China early. Again, humor me…) That could mean Sayu becomes leader and Reina as sub-leader… For some reason, that gives me tingles all over. Forced usagi-peace poses for everyone!
When I look at the current 9-nin line-up, I feel less than thrilled. I like it okay, but just okay. I find myself thinking about other idol groups - not just Berryz and C-ute, but also Perfume and the non-idol Bennie K. But when I look at my truncated 6-nin line-up, I feel excited about Morning Musume all over again. This is what I want to see! This is a line-up that I can compare favorably to the Golden Age, and whose videos I’d want to watch way-too-often. LinLin doesn’t particularly thrill me yet - though being the first Egg to join the flagship unit must be encouraging to the five dozen other Eggs waiting in the wings - and I wish Reina would go Yankee again… but those are minor concerns at best. What we have here is what I like most about Morning Musume now, a killer combination of looks and talents and personalities.
I also realized that this split feeds into another bias of mine: I absolutely love Otome Gumi and detest Sakura Gumi. The three I cut out were all Sakura, while the remaining Otome - Reina and Sayu - remain in. What the heck, let that lead into the kind of songs I’d want to hear from 6-nin Morning Musume - energetic rockers with lots of style and sensuality and not a hint of cherry blossoms anywhere.
To rain on my own parade, I doubt the membership numbers would ever sink this low again… after all, the closest they came after the original 5-nin line-up was the 7-member line-up for “Koi no Dance Site”. What the fuck, we all think nine members is way small for Morning Musume!
But this exercise in wishful thinking is a good way to remind me that Morning Musume is still worth getting excited over, a mental note that all the Takitty-centric songs will eventually give way to line distributions favoring at least some of these six (most likely Reina and maybe Koharu). Aika’s the true Miracle Girl for me right now - she’s the best thing about Momusu as it stands, and I’m still waiting for a bikini photobook of her to be released! She’s already done three singles - four if you count “Mikan” - so time’s a-wasting!
I’m sure most everyone wouldn’t mind chopping out a member or two or three in the current line-up. Mention it in the comments if you like. But for me, this is about as good as it gets right now. It may not be the reality, but since when did wota have to face reality too much?
Nahh, I wouldn’t cut anyone out. Takitty has one of the best voices in the band, and Risa and Eri are no slouches either. At least six or eight months from now there’ll be a ninth generation and that should fatten things up a little, even if they only add one or two members.
And Reina doesn’t need to go back to Yanki - she’s already past that (save for that one outfit in her new PB) and is rapidly approaching sexy.
[…] What’s Wrong With This Picture? […]
This one’s a pretty good alternative in my opinion:
http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/6/10/30/f_momusugoodm_0629eaf.png
I wouldn’t mind seeing Risa graduate ASAP and go the way of the many MoMusu-cum-emcee-grads (Marippe, Yuko, Kei-chan for a while…). She’s got a great stage presence, but I have to agree that something about her weighs things down.
I’m not an Eririn fan, so I’m not touchin’ that one. Everyone knows what I think.
Takitty can sing, but she sort of kills the “fun” for me sometimes. This happened when she joined Mini Moni, too. Way to ruin things, Takitty.
I have yet to be thrilled by either Panda, though they are gorgeous and energetic, which is what MM needs. And 100000+ points to you for the Aika love. And I don’t care about what I’ve said before right now - I’m about to shoot myself in the credibility foot - I want bikini pics, too.
I would be excited about a Ai/Gaki/Eri sub-group. What happened to sub-groups? I love the Sakuras and the Otomes. (Oh I lean Sakura, I guess.) The pandas really stand out as not fitting in this pic. Junjun is huge! (relatively) I thought she was tiny. I dunno. Aika still scares me a little in a killer doll way, but I think she will get better. And I have hope for a new members. As much as I love Ai, I still think Gaki is getting the shaft–she’s gotten better and better without more lines. She should get Miki’s lines! I still miss Miki! There should be 10 for the 10th anniversary! Gaaah.
Bumping up Berryz would be a good idea. Where’s the cross promotion and crap? They were so good at that before.
Take out Koha-pinku (for some reason I can’t explain, she’s easily my least favorite member of H!P), and Ai “I the lead singer in every freaking song” Takahashi (incredible singing and dancing talent, but a personality that puts me to sleep), and the group has my real interest again.
I think I can understand that “thrill” you were talking about. It gave me chills imagining it.
Like Jim, I’d be VERY excited about a Ai/Gaki/Eri sub-group (I wouldn’t mind adding Sayu either). Even better, put them in a new H!P group after graduation.. But I can’t really see it happening because it all seems too ideal lol.
I’ve been a fan since the 90s so the notion of a six-member Musume group is almost surreal.
I remember trying to explain things to a non-believer during the Shabondama-Koi no Victory era when fifteen of them were bouncing around on stage at the ‘93 NHK Kohaku. Took some time but was ultimately worth it.
http://i19.tinypic.com/6ba6n44.png
Worst photoshop ever, but yes plz!
I shake my fist at you for omitting my Risa!
I agree that Eri has lost some firepower, but I wouldn’t want to see her leave anytime soon. She gives off of a presence that she never really hates what she does, Yoshizawa had this too. Liking your job doesn’t make you a good idol, but it is nice.
Ai and Risa I’ll agree on. It’s not a surprise that Takahashi was so much better when her personality didn’t HAVE to be that interesting. I don’t think she’s changed all that much since being leader and wow is that a bad thing. I doubt she will ever change from the nice but bland type. Risa just has a lot of excitement, but not a lot of charm to go with it.
Completely off-topic, but I was just wondering if there’s a way to view your older entries before you revamped. I really enjoyed reading the rumors that were here before ^_^.
Also, I was wondering if you would have any information about the recent Reina and Chiba Ryohei from w-inds. rumor. Thanks~!
Hi Jean:
Links to past iterations of my blogs can be found at the top of the page: Cult of Pop 1.0 and 2.0, and Ame Wota 1.0. Eventually I’ll get around to a new index linking to highlights from all three. I hadn’t heard anything about Reina and Ryohei - but if you got any rumors, I’d love to hear it!
I agree with Ai - she’s no longer the awesome singing, cute, all-round lead that she used to be - she’s the leader now, and she seems to be getting too much spotlight. It just seems wrong that she gets all the lines AND leadership.
That being said, Risa should have been leader this whole time. >.>
But I also agree on Aika, she served as a Kusumi-counter, balancing her out as well as much added youth.
[…] I’ve been thinking of ways to improve the current Morning Musume lineup. This post in particular sparked an idea in me, but I have some idealogies slightly differing from our dear […]
I like both full and trimmed versions. Hey the full one is 16:9 aspect ratio and the trimmed one is 4:3, right? Maybe HDTV has already infected my brain to the point I’m starting to lose it. And, anyway, I thought AKB48 was the group that liked all the sleazy ‘zines, or am I missing something?
I want to see Kusumi go ASAP. I cannot stand the girl, and I don’t think she’s that talented.
I think Reina might leave before the other 6th-Gen, just because she’s got the potential for something on the side to become popular, and Eri and Sayu don’t really have that. Well, Sayu is very popular, but she can’t sing =/ and apparently Eri isn’t that popular T__T
I like JunJun, but I’m not too thrilled with LinLin, yet, but I’m willing to give her a chance. And I LOVE Aika.
I also think Ai needs to go. Just because it’s Morning Musume, not Takahashi Ai and Morning Musume. And I like Gaki, but I’m not to bothered about whether I see more or less of her in the future.