Sakura no Hanabiratachi...A Lesson in Success

I enjoy reading "Aitakatta! an AKB48 Blog".  Even though quite often the many screencaps jam my computer.  What's up with that?  Or better yet, what's up with my computer?  Anyhow, I didn't know they were rereleasing this single until I saw it on International Wota.  I really love this PV.  It's well acted, and it's well produced.  It also feels like the right way to rerelease an indie single.  Only three PV's have ever gotten me teary-eyed.  The long version of I WISH, W's Shiroi Iro wa Koibito no Iro, and now this one.  All of this got me thinking (uh oh)...

Quite often I get bummed out when I read negative reviews of Hello! Project singles, PV's, concerts, Haromoni@, etc.  I only discovered the J-pop and idol phenomenon a year ago, so it's all fresh to me.  It has impacted my life and my heart so profoundly in that one year that I take any mention that they are stale, passe', or producing uninspired material personally.  Jeez, I flew to Japan for cryin' out loud!

But maybe it is because the truth hurts.

Let's start with the video above.  How many videos in the past, I dunno, two years have Hello! Project put out that have the production value of Hanabiratachi?  I can't think of any...maybe Tokaikko Junjou comes close.  Then I find this on You Tube...

 Is this an AKB48 television program?  I didn't even know one existed.  As True Life Seek says on his Haromoni@ reviews, this is the kind of stuff Morning Musume should be doing, and I believe once did.  I love when our idols are the butt of the jokes, and it gives us an opportunity to get to know them without having to buy a DVD Magazine.  Appearances in films like Pinch Runner, Ayaka's Surprise English Lessons, Utaban, and especially Meccha Meccha Iketeru are what had me fall in love with Morning Musume in the first place.  We want to know these girls intimately.  And as much as I enjoy haromoni@, watching MouTube videos just doesn't get it done.

I remember a recent post (forgive me but I don't remember who it was) who said that you can't judge the group's success based on album and single sales, and the whole female J-pop genre is in a slump.  That may be true.  But it troubles me to see Morning Musume performing at Tokyo Welfare Meeting Hall which seats...I dunno, five thousand people.  When not long ago they were booking Saitama Super Arena, a much bigger venue.  Even the concerts last month in Yokohama, Sunday night was definitely sold out, but Saturday night had quite a few empty seats.

My point is this...When I was in Japan, I got a chance to see a lot of Japanese TV.  How many mentions of AKB48 did I see?  Three.  All on the morning shows, with live shots of the concert at Shibuya AX and even an interview with Atsuko Maeda.  How many of Hello! Project?  NONE!  I only saw the Yattarouze PV on a video show (at 5am!), Uta Doki Pop Classics (late at night) and haromoni@.  The producers of AKB48 seem to be doing all the right things to promote this group and build a fan base.  While the producers of Hello! Project seem to be comparably limping along.  And it isn't the fault of any of the performers.  Maybe it's time for the folks at UFA to add some fresh blood to the creativity department.  I want to see Momusu, Berryz, C-ute, Gatas, ALL OF H!P enjoy great success so WE can enjoy them for a long time.

Now I've only known any of these groups for a year now, so I don't consider myself an expert by any means.  It's just something I noticed.

Congratulations to AKB48 for what I think is a stellar promotional video!  I'm so happy that I got to see them at Shibuya AX, I just wish I hadn't been so jetlagged at the time!  I'll leave you with a video from my favorite AKB48 member, the adorably funny Ohe Tomomi.

OH-YAY!!!