Monthly Archive: January 2020

Harowota: The Movie

Musician and manga writer Mikito Tsurugi has adapted his 2014 autobiographical essay Ano Koro: Danshi Kashimashi Monogatari for the big screen, with a screenplay by Tominaga Masanori and starring Tori Matsuzaka (The Blood of Wolves) in the lead role. The movie In Those Days will follow Tsurugi’s challenging and life-changing events after failing his grad school entrance exam. Poor and...

Generation XV

Morning Musume – “KOKORO&KARADA / LOVEpedia / Ningen Kankei No way way” The most anticipated Morning Musume singles for me these days are those that debut a new generation. I’ve been less interested in the H!P flagship than all other H!P groups since Sayumi graduated, and that saddens me a bit. MM is the group that made me a J-idol...

BEYOOOOONDS the Valley of the Idols

BEYOOOOOND1St Announced just one month after their debut single dropped, the production schedule for BEYOOOOOND1St broke with J-idol conventions by hewing more closely to the 70s-80s rock system of rolling out a single to promote an impending new album, usually a month or so before its release. In an era where new idol groups are expected to have at least...

What Do You Do With A Girl Like Rei Inoue?

Rei Inoue is the sole member of Kobushi Factory who will remain with Hello! Project after KF disbands, so the speculation surrounding her future role in H!P is lively. The three most likely scenarios are: 1. solo career; 2. lead a new unit; 3. join an existing unit. I’ll avoid speculating on what I think Up Front will do —...

Kobushi. RIP.

If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably already aware that Up Front has decided to pull the plug on Kobushi Factory. Their final single, “Seishun no Hana / Start Line,” will be released on March 4th, with their farewell performance set for March 30th. And as one would expect of KF, the announcement was released amid a fog of rumored...