2929 replies to this topic

[Solarbladepsy]

^^

Hamaura and Hiroses page is gone now

[KABTX]

Neither one planned on staying, so I'm not sure why the got a page in the first place.

 

Anyway, in good news, they both have Twitter accounts now.

https://twitter.com/hamaura0426

https://twitter.com/ayaka_hirose

 

And Hamachan has also started Instagram.

https://www.instagra.../ayano_hamaura/

[Pyo-Kiyo]

Probably the last time we get some Kobushi stuff on H!S:

[KABTX]

One month. 

 

At least we've been able to keep up with Ayapan and Hamachan through social media. And we'll see plenty of Rei soon enough.

I wonder how Sakurako and Minami are doing?

[KABTX]

Happy Kobushi no Hi. #こぶしの日

 

In a perfect world, this would have been the day of their final live. (In an actual perfect world there would have been no final live, but you know what I meant.)

 

https://www.instagra.../p/CAjWbc_gnxz/

[Pyo-Kiyo]

Happy belated Kobushi no Hi to you as well~

Let's us enjoy some nostalgia...

[rinafest'19]

If anyone has been on twitter theres been a bunch of fan polls going around, I made one just for Kobushi if anyone is interested!

https://t.co/OyMLJ3Qeep?amp=1

[rurupedia]

ooh i voted! be sure to share the results here :0

[KABTX]

Finally got to watch the behind-the-scenes video about the final live.

 

Spoiler

I wasn't surprised to see them crying before the last live, but I was surprised they were all doing it less than 10 minutes before going on stage.

Sako was happy she wasn't the only one crying  (see below) They recovered quickly.

 

Hamachan said at one point that Sako was crying too much. (Not in a mean way, though. They were laughing about it.)

Sako seemed to cry every time they went through Kobushi no Hana: the last dress rehearsal in the practice space, the dress rehearsal on the stage, and again during the actual final live. It was still sweet that Ayaka patted her on the head each time. Leader until the very end.

 

I miss them.

We see the other three and know they are staying busy, but I wonder how Minami and Sako are doing.

I think Ayapan mentioned on IG that she was going to visit Sako, but she never posted anything else about it. (I assumed that was the Wada she meant, maybe not.)

And I kind of felt bad for Minami. She seemed all ready to continue college and pursue acting, then suddenly announced that after discussing it with her parents (which I took to mean they told her), they all decided it would be better if she studied abroad, which she couldn't do at that point because of COVID.

Maybe they'll pop up somewhere and let us know.

 

Kobushi Gumi Forever

[ItsudemoAibon]

Kobushi Factory broke up too soon, they could have been the official Jpop idol group of Mississippi.

https://www.wsj.com/...066608?mod=e2fb

[rurupedia]

lmao that would've been quite the title to disband with

[Pyo-Kiyo]

Today makes it six years that Kobushi was announced as new group andlines performed Onna no Sono at HaroCon.
https://www.dailymot...m/video/x2ido7w

While it's rather bitter-sweet I am somewhat glad that Kobushi's disbandment was voted as most impactful topic of 2020 in HP Fan Vote http://www.hello-onl...-fan-vote-2020/

Their peformance of GIRL ZONE came second losing only to Sakura/Sayuki cover duet. And as group they ranked there over Tsubaki Factory and just behind BEYOOOOONDS.

As far as General Election on our very own Hello Online is considered, Kobushi even managed to rank third in groups vote.

So while these are just minor things, they actually make me happy.

[mizukingdom1]

^Yes  All I hope is that they will remain legendary like other previous H!P groups

[KABTX]

1 year ago today we said goodbye to Kobushi Factory. 

 

I realize in the grand scheme of COVID-impacted events, an idol concert being performed in an empty hall is a very minor one. But I still hate that these 5 women didn't get to walk off the stage together for the final time to echoes of fans chanting "Kobushi! Kobushi! Kobushi!" Hoping that one day they get that chance.

 

 

＃こぶし３３０　＃こぶし伝説

[Pyo-Kiyo]

Recently I've been listening to some of the Kobushi songs again, and it made me glad I was able to follow such an amazing group. They were special among H!P groups because I could tell that they were really singing about what they have been living through - be it the power of youth or the struggles of a person to get up after being down. That I shall always value over idols singing about falling in love or being dumped when it's technically something they are "not allowed to do", not matter the greatness of such song... I've always wondered why it's such a trend though... as it just feeds the idea behind wotas thinking they are those who pay attention to these "poor girls", which can lead to this strange "possession" feeling connected to the "no dating rule".

Anyway, seeing ReiRei do great in Juice=Juice makes me happy, and getting to know something new about Hama-chan and Ayapan is great, but I rather miss Minamina's voice as I wonder if she's coming back to public eye (part of me would love her to join M-line club at least). I also hope Sako is doing good too, but with her retiring from the industry it's highly unprobable we'll hear about her.

Is it a crime to get excited each time a H!P act performs a Kobushi song?  Cause that's what's happening to me, lol.

[ItsudemoAibon]

^
It's been reported that MinaMina is now studying overseas.

[Hidders]

I know it's been a long time and no one probably looks here anymore but...
Does anyone know if those Kobushi Factory reflection meetings that were on H!P Station every week when they lived in the same apartment for a month ever get subtitled into English or transcribed?

[Pyo-Kiyo]

I still look here now and then, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to help you.

I'm just trying to remember if those reflection meetings are those from the time after the departures of Rio, Rena and Natsumi... If yes, then I can say that I haven't come across such translations, but at the same time I haven't really put much effort in trying to find it either.

[Hidders]

I'm just trying to remember if those reflection meetings are those from the time after the departures of Rio, Rena and Natsumi...

Yeah, that's the exact happening I'm curious about.

There wasn't anyone translating it in the moment and I forgot to ever look it up after ample time went by.

It will always feel like such a shame that the remaining girls spent so much time trying to atone for the members who left and that period of atonement killed what little remaining momentum the group had after the movie's release. Sure, 3 members leaving amidst scandals would have definitely hurt the group as a whole massively but I feel like Up-Front themselves were the ones who dealt the actual blows that kept the group from recovering. It was so unfair for the remaining girls to be punished as if they are each other's keepers and failed to look after the ones who left. I think back on the incident with Oota Haruka and wonder why she was the only one punished if they expect their talents to babysit each other.

[Pyo-Kiyo]

Actually... I don't think that the purpose of such reflections was to "atone for the members who have left", nor do I see it as punishment...  girls like Oota Haruka and Ogata Risa got this time to reflect on what they had done, but in Kobushi Factory's case it was more of the case to reflect on what had happened to them as group.

The way I see it that Up-Front has dealt with the group's situation extremely well... maybe not from the POV of keeping the momentum in the eyes of public, but surely in the way of helping the girls to heal the wounds and get on their feet again.

Even in the group's first year, it made me feel like their chemistry was something special - they have all been very close in age (youngest and oldest member being only 2 years appart - I don't think any other group can compete with that), which has been pointed out by various MCs (e.g. during the release event of their debut single) and the members themselves (comparing the group to schoolmates rather then a group of girls just working together). However, the closer the relationships are, the deeper are the wounds when they're broken. When you genuinely care about someone, then when something bad happens involving them, it's quite natural that you start wondering if there isn't something you could have done better to prevent that, and there are people (myself included), who can in a sense start blaming themselves for at least indirectly adding up burden to the cause. In this case reflection can be helpful to get over such self-criticism and self-acusation by understanding and coming to the terms with what happened and how everyone is responsible for their own actions.

 

Keeping that in mind, not adding the members to the group at such point has been an excellent decision because the group didn't need to cover the wounds beacause it was too deep for it to work properly. The wounds needed to be healed, and that is where Up-Front has succeeded in providing for the girls by giving them this time together to figure things up, and changing their repertoar to corespond with what the girls were going through. (As much as I loved the youth and carefree spirit of early Kobushi Factory songs, in the end it were the songs from the second half of their "lifespan" that impacted me the most, one of the reason beeing that the lyrics resonated with my soul, and another one being that I could clearly see the authenticity as they knew quite exactly what they were signing about simply beause they were or had been in such situation.)

 

Sales-wise it may not seem that way, but Kobushi Factory had finished their journey at its peak. They have found themselves through their struggles and managed to stand strong again and pass that onto their fans through the power of music and being genuine. Their second album was a proof of that, and their final single had been the cherry on the top. I am extremely grateful to the management for giving the group this chance and listening to their wishes.