It's been a while since I've had a good long talk with Souki about H!P stuff, so this was a nice surprise. Anyway, like the title says, this is Souki and I talking about Ray's latest Berikyuu snark (or, in this case, anti-snark) blog.
May 19th, 2008CatchFiveBats:
http://www.americanwota.com/2008/05/berikyuu-episode-17-the-high-stakes-of-being-c-ute/CatchFiveBats:
Excellent essay on the appeal of idol groups.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Ehhhhh.....I can't defend idol music at all, it's 100% pandering XDCatchFiveBats:
READCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I know, I'm a third of the way!CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
It's a good essay, for sure.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I think...well, not think, KNOW...that I'm not the right person to read thisCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
because I'm not like "THATS SO DUMB"CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I'm just like "T___T all this for cute girls."CatchFiveBats:
XDDDCatchFiveBats:
He makes a good argument though.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Oh for sure.CatchFiveBats:
About how it's not all about the looks or whatever.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
He's absolutely right.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
It's not all about any one given aspect.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
If the looks are too emphasized, the idols feel shallowCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
if the music is too emphasized, and the visuals aren't, then they look bland and boring.CatchFiveBats:
There's a very deep, committed aspect of being a wota that most people would never understand.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Essentially, it's a huge fucking obsession, what the hardcore wota have. There's no need to color it.CatchFiveBats:
The part where he talks about casual fans vs true-wota fans...whether to stick with a group or not...CatchFiveBats:
That's not even a consideration for me.CatchFiveBats:
I like Berryz, I like every song they've released, if they release a new song and I don't like it, I learn to like it because they're singing it.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Basically, again, complete and utter name loyalty.CatchFiveBats:
It's really broadened my horizons as to what I do and don't like musically.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Oh, I bet it has, for sure.CatchFiveBats:
Maybe for better, maybe for worse.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
It's never for worseCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
if you like more, that's always good.CatchFiveBats:
But it's exciting for me.CatchFiveBats:
Wotadom is an unbelievably exciting hobby, especially with H!P, because it's always moving.CatchFiveBats:
I'm never thinking "Man, what's going on with [insert H!P group here]?"CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Yeah, you're always on top of itCatchFiveBats:
I can't help but be.CatchFiveBats:
There's always so much going on.CatchFiveBats:
Once you start to like more than one or two H!P groups, you've got something you can dedicate pretty much all your time to.CatchFiveBats:
Keeping up with TV appearances, new singles, photobooks, concerts, DVDs, etc.CatchFiveBats:
It's a never-ending cycle.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
and it only gets bigger.CatchFiveBats:
mhmmCatchFiveBats:
I'm trying not to expand myself too much into other H!P groups right now.CatchFiveBats:
I've got too much to listen to as it is.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
yeah, totallyCatchFiveBats:
Too much to keep track of.CatchFiveBats:
I would love to buy some Nakazawa Yuuko stuff, or try out a Goto Maki album, or whatever.CatchFiveBats:
But right now I've got Ayaya and Momusu that I haven't even begun to touch on their full library of releases.CatchFiveBats:
Berryz, C-ute, Mikitty, and GAM are the only H!P groups I have complete discographies of.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
AaaaahCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Man, maybe it's just how I'm reading it, but it just feels so weird from the outside looking in.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Like, because I know you, I see past your blogCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
but when I read say, that articleCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I just feel like...jeez, most wotas color their hobby with huge, ambitious words like "majestic" and, as you stated earlier, a "deep, committed aspect"CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
and in my mind, that translates to "fucking obsessed."CatchFiveBats:
It's an obsession.CatchFiveBats:
Undoubtedly.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
no one wants to call it that, it seems XDCatchFiveBats:
But behind every wota there's a normal person who has a job and friends and a family, and they live their life just fine (at least among English-speaking wotas).CatchFiveBats:
I mean, I tend to be anti-social.CatchFiveBats:
But I hang out with my friends on the weekend, I have a job, I go to school.CatchFiveBats:
I live a normal life.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I just thought it was interesting, that it seems that no one that you've shown me has ever said it's an obsession. They use a lot of huge words, but never obsession.CatchFiveBats:
mmmCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
like, obsession has a bad connotation to it or something.CatchFiveBats:
Because it does?CatchFiveBats:
XDCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
No, it's honest.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I'm obsessed with games.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I'm not unhealthy, but I'm happily obsessed.CatchFiveBats:
Yeah.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
It seems so fakeCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
all those huge wordsCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
is what I'm getting atCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Call them "fucking cute," like that guy did once. Or call yourself a big obsessed pedo from time to time.CatchFiveBats:
Have you seen some of his other articles?CatchFiveBats:
They're nothing like this one.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
No, who is this guy?CatchFiveBats:
He's the huge pedo.CatchFiveBats:
He writes the articles about Berikyuu where he talks about makeout parties and such.CatchFiveBats:
And Kanna is a dominatrix.CatchFiveBats:
And etc etc.CatchFiveBats:
Lots of awful, blatant sex jokes.CatchFiveBats:
He also runs International Wota.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
XDD aka, he's awesome.CatchFiveBats:
Yes, he is.CatchFiveBats:
But he's also a really serious, dedicated wota.CatchFiveBats:
He's proof that you can be a huge wota and still function normally.CatchFiveBats:
And have a good sense of humor about your idols.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
MmmmmCatchFiveBats:
He's married and has a daughter and everything.CatchFiveBats:
He talks about his daughter as much as he talks about idols.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
AaaaahCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
That's cool, I like thatCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
Like, I didn't wanna have the impression that these blogs meant that idols = serious fucking ass businessCatchFiveBats:
It goes to show that you can't judge a wota by their blog.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
XDCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
There's a saying about books and covers in there.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
somewhere.CatchFiveBats:
XDCatchFiveBats:
Everyone I've talked to in wotachat is a perfectly normal person.CatchFiveBats:
They're not these crazy, obsessed uber-serious wota stalkers like most people would probably view them if they saw the PVs and photobooks and CDs and Single Vs and etc etc...CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
XDCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I'd be sick of my hobby if all I talked to were crazed fanboys.CatchFiveBats:
Yeah.CatchFiveBats:
That's why I didn't join a forum.CatchFiveBats:
I've never looked into a wota forum, but I'm sure it's no different from any other.CatchFiveBats:
With the same kind of heated arguments as any other forum.CatchFiveBats:
And I'm sure I'd be sick of H!P in no time if I joined one.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
yeah. Blogs, since they depend on readership, mean that you probably get people who are mostly civilized.CatchFiveBats:
mhmmCatchFiveBats:
But we've talked about that already.CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
yeahCatchFiveBats:
Anyway, there's more to wotadom than you would think.CatchFiveBats:
DICK.CatchFiveBats:
XDCatchFiveBats:
YOU DON'T UNDERSTANDCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
XDDCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
I'm a lot more accepting of itCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
But I still shot your Berryz calendar with a nerf gunCatchFiveBats:
nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuCantSpellShotaWithoutHOT:
XD
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