23 replies to this topic

[☆RisaReinaSayu☆]

Although the golden era of Hello! Project and its flagship group Morning Musume ended ages ago fans remain. As the project and Morning Musume have taken on an identity where every name in the project and its flagship group are virtually unknown to the public, more so than ever before fans who've been around for years are magically still here, the question seems eternal. Why are you still here? What's keeping you from moving on? That's what this thread is for. For all of us out there who are disappointed with the current state of H!P; Try pinpointing the reason(s) why you're still a fan on any level at all.

My Answer: I'm still here because I want to see certain girls to the end of their idol journeys. Those girls are Morning Musume's Fukumura Mizuki, ANGERME's Wada Ayaka, Juice=Juice's Miyamoto Karin, and of course there's the girls of C-ute who are leaving next year and Berryz Kobo's Momoko who joined Country Girls (who I incidentally only care about on a grand scale level because they have Momoko). Kobushi and Tsubaki Factory were formed out of a bunch of girls who I hardly can distinguish from one another and I only know their names because I looked them up on the hello project wikia, and when it comes to getting more familiar with them and getting to know what they're about and their sound I'm just completely unmotivated. So this is where I stand. Fuku-hime, Ayacho, Karin, and Momoko, four girls each spread across the groups in the project and one 5nin group of girls set to leave next year. After that, well...yeah, bye Felecia.
PS: I tried really hard to get into Sasaki Rikako, in fact I'm still trying, but the attachment just isn't growing and it doesn't help that I only cared about her to begin with because she looks like the love child of AKB48's Maeda Atsuko and Oshima Yuko.

[Mixi]

I would say it's the same for me at this point. I want to follow Ayacho, Harunan, Juice=Juice (mostly Yuka and Karin) and Momoko's last idol years. It's not that I'm losing interest in H!P, but it's hard enough keeping up with idols, let alone constantly investing yourself in new groups/girls when you're an adult who works 50 hours per week and is planning to have a family. Even if I still really love H!P music, I'll become a casual fan when those girls are gone because I simply have no time to find new oshimen. There are girls I like in every group, but I don't feel like investing a lot of time in them. The members I like are all nearly out of high school anyway so they're good candidates for graduation.

[cjkuma]

for me, it's because i really love watching talent grow. theres always going to be new girls coming in and out of h!p because of their dreams to be an idol, break into show business, get into modelling, etc. i follow h!p because i want to root them on whether they are kss or if they even get to make a major debut.

[sukibeam]

I've been a fan for a very long time. Sometimes it's the music, other times it's the members' personalities... As I get older, it's been more and more about the music. I also get into translating moods when things are super slow.

 

What about H!P is driving me away as a fan? Their promotional methods absolutely suck. It's hard to get too exited about any H!P group because they'll spend a couple weeks promoting when a release is coming up, then not spend much time on them until their next release... that said, releases are also getting fewer and further between so I'll have to wait 5 months before there's any new material from a group There's only so much you can do as a foreigner, so it's not like I can go to a show to keep my enthusiasm up (the Houston live helped for MM though). They have 7 groups + KSS to promote, and they need to learn how to focus on more than one or two groups at a time while the rest do regular busy work.

 

I'm even feeling 'meh' about the MM 13ki results coming soon because - frankly - I'm just over it since it's taking so long and the fans get nothing until the winners are revealed. H!P is back to doing the same-old-same for the most part, and only two releases per year per group isn't doing them any favors as far as I'm concerned. 

 

Hell, TVXQ have been on hiatus for the last year while they do their military obligation, and they've been regularly releasing things for fans.

 

What's keeping me going? I actually do like most of the music. There's not many other J-idols' music I like, so that's really what H!P as a whole has going for them: they have hardly any competition as far as my musical tastes go. Specific members I want to see through? Well, it was predominantly Sayu, and now it's down to C-ute, the 10kis, a spattering of KSS... There are members I like or support, but I'm not a true wota like I was for Sayu. I've become a DD, though I've been getting into Ju=Ju more and more, so we'll see where that takes me.

 

Mostly, it's the piddlefarting around I do with my Google Doc and the stats therein. It keeps me busy and up-to-date with parts of H!P I hadn't initially explored. I used to never pay attention to trainees, now I have to keep up with what they're doing. That kind of thing. I'm still learning about H!P members and groups, past and present.

 

Also, it almost feels like I'd be betraying them if I peace out when things get boring. 15 some odd years left behind because management can't promote properly, they need more songwriters, and choreographers recycle the same moves? Not the members' faults, ya know? Something doesn't sit right with me about being a fair-weather fan.

[megumibex]

That's a good question... I don't really know...

I guess I just want to know what happens next. I feel like if I left the fandom, I would miss something amazing that I've been wanting to see for ages (like Cuca getting into MM or the return of shuffle groups or Aika's solo debut) and I just don't wanna risk it.

[Sugaya Risako]

I still love morning musume, and i want to see what will happen next to them and h!p.

[Boota Pouncer]

I love H!P, but it is getting harder and harder for me to keep track of new faces and new groups. I was really focused on Morning Musume when it had girls in it close to my age ( born in '87 ), and because of that I adapted to the groups that were around at the time and now that the last few girls from that period, like C-ute , are phasing out there isn't a whole lot to grab my interest. The songs do continue to be top quality and there is talent to be had, along with a few in between members most of which have been mentioned above. I really want to get to know the newer faces better, but there isn't a solid platform for them to showcase their personalities as there was in the past including Hello! Morning, regular variety show appearances, sports competitions and shuffle/sub-groups ( god I miss those ). As many complaints as I have I will probably stick around mainly because I just hold H!P on a higher pedestal and I regard many of the members as artists and not just run of the mill idols and I hope to see the newer members whom I may not know now to continue to further their talents and uphold the legacy of those who came before them that made and maintained H!P to what it is today.

[Mizura]

I don't have much of an interest in H!P anymore. I discovered Alt-idols and Japanese metal music, and I've pretty much switched over to that. I do appreciate Angerme, C-ute and Tsubaki Factory but I don't follow them closely. 

 

The main thing that keeps me around is mm-bbs since I like the community over there. I stay on here to get information on the various idol and music groups I'm interested in that aren't H!P related.

 

I also kind of follow H!P because I hope they'll have something I'll like again and if I'm not really following them, I won't discover that.

[Cio'24]

I don't know anymore.

[Sky☆Dancer]

I think it's the music before anything else. Even when they release a song like Tiki Bun they make it up Utakata.  I also like them singing live (most times). Even though the performance presentation is much better when the singing sounds consistent, it's nothing compared to when you can tell they are singing live. It proves a singer's ability when they are singing live while still dancing at the same time. That's what makes J/K-pop idols impressive is the fact that they are dancing while still singing at the same time. Especially now that there aren't a whole lot of US singers that can also dance at the same time. I find the concerts boring when they are just meandering on stage or relying on back up dancers to make the concert impressive. Granted some of the live versions aren't live but most are. Yeah sometimes they don't sound the greatest but that's the trade off of wanting something live. 

 

The members help too. Watching them perform is fun because you can tell that generally love to be there performing.  The 12th gen is really the first gen where after almost 2 years, I still feel like I don't know them that well. Maybe that's because I don't understand Japanese and can't understand outlets like the DVD magazines. That's why I miss Hello!Morning because it gave fans a chance to see the members in a different light. Heck it helped Kamei come out of her shell. But at least the music is one thing I don't have to understand to like which I continue to find music from Musume that I like. 

[melonpan♪]

H!P music for sure. I only found 1 or 2 non h!p idol groups from japan with music that fits my taste, which sucks because I truly wanted to follow more. Also of course my favorite members Maachan, Kanana, and Harunan.
I dont know if I will be able to connect with anyone to the same extent once they graduate though. I tried to have more favorites last year, but somehow I always end up only following the favs ive had since 2011 when Im too busy. I'm coming to realize that I feel a special connection to the 2011 newbies since thats when I started following H!P this closely, plus they are also the ones around my age. But even when they graduate, I will always follow H!P even if I dont click with anyone like this again. I mean, still like most of the girls in h!p. They are fun to watch grow as performers and some of them are just plain adorable and quirky fun. Plus H!P itself has a lot of sentimental value for me, I couldn't see myself ever giving it up completely.

[Juandalyn]

What is keeping me? I honestly wonder.

 

More honestly, there are two things that keep me every time: It's either the members or the music.

My point of view might be different because I've already been "out" once. I basically rage-quitted when Miki jumped ship. Granted, at that time I was a silly emotional teenager and I've seen the group (MM) and H!P in a different light than I do now. In fact, the reason why I'm still here might be because I'm following H!P as a whole nowadays, not only MM anymore. If it was only MM it'd be very hard for me to stay.

 

I came back after watching some recent MVs shortly before 9th gen joined. I was surprised to see two 5ki and two 6ki still being in the group and since I've always liked Gaki I gave it a try again. Up to today I'm not too much into Platinum era's singles, but catching up with their albums made me appreciate the girls more. 9th gen started with a song that totally hit my interest since I was always more into the bubbly fun kind of music. (Yes, I considered dropping out after Only You again lol but then they released Kono Chikyuu.) I quickly came to like Zukki and that's it. As mentioned before, the songs around that time were really my taste (Maji de, Kono Chikyuu, later on also PPU (it's cute okay), Renai Hunter...). I hated OTT but it had The Matenrou Show at least, etc.

 

Also, as said, I became interested in other H!P groups. I knew about Berryz so following them a bit wasn't hard. I didn't care for °C-ute until 2011 but then I came to like their "new" sound. S/mileage was a mystery to me at first; I don't like high-pitched voices so 4nin S/m was meh, but I really loved 6nin S/m. Also, it became easier for me to follow them because I really like(d) Takechan and Meimi. That's where I say the members are rather important to me, too. I probably would've ditched MM if it wasn't for Zukki and Haruna. Once Haruna graduates (in 10 years or so lol) Akane might be ready to take over. I love all members of Kobushi and Country Girls, as well as their music. I feel like there will always be a girl that catches my interest.

[Mickey.]

I want to be there when it finally ends, i guess.

[Fall]

The spectacle and cult of personality is what keeps me hooked.  The most noteworthy data point that I can extract from seeing how other fans react is that unlike many, I've never had a negative opinion or word to say for any girl in H!P and look at each member as one part of a whole, not just for their group, but for H!P in general.  I pick favorites, of course, but the interwoven fabric of old and new H!P members across the years in its entirety has always supplied more members, more interactions, more personality, and more reasons to follow, one audition at a time.  That's not a level of interest that everyone has the time or desire to pursue, but its why I'm still as excited today for each new song, group, and member as I was any time I'd hear a new Morning Musume song in days past.

 

That, to me, makes up for all of the questionable promotion choices or aversion to risk that is occasionally frustrating.  If I have less free time, it limits how many members I can actively follow, but I'll always have at least one more career to follow and see through to its conclusion with all of the highlights that ensue.  So long as I have enough time to become familiar with even one new member before an old favorite graduates, that is enough to keep me around.

[IchVermisseDenSommer]

I never considered to leave. I feel like it only got better and better over the years (minus PE music, but I'm here for the concerts and members so pfff). After Aibons... well...everything Aibon (you know? it felt like and endless chewing gum) was my lowest point of interest but I had a hard girl crush on Yossi back then and when she left I had this intense phase of re-watched Aibons and Nonos I Wish graduation performance and Yossis graduation so many times and I knew that I didn't want to miss this sad feeling. When a member graduates you truely feel how amazing it was with her and how much she did for the group in her own way right? Also concerts... concerts are amazing.

 

Variety was somewhat fun back then but mostly I only appreciated the terror twins and looking back at it also how it got them lots of publicity.

[Eilantha]

As being said various times before me, I really wonder too, and I think it is as many of you said : basic curiosity and want to see where it is going, and if it will end (I don't know how long MM can last with boring new generations every time?!).

 

It is strange to continue keeping an eye on them but I don't know maybe it is a kind of routine!!

[callirae]

Music, PVs, members.

[denadel]

I am just hoping that some of the old stuff I have missed out on will pop up (photos, PVs, doramas, unreleased music). The CD+DVD release of Taiyuo to Ciscomoon's best-of album, 8 years after their disbandment, was a nice surprise. I doubt something like that will ever happen again, it looks like the agency has put the past in the past. 

[RihoZukki]

Right now the only thing that is keeping me staying, sorry to say, is girls announcing their graduations and watching all of the drama go down. I stopped taking H!P seriously when Zukki left. Other than Yossy, I realized even more how significant her presence is and/or was to the history of Morning Musume, I never liked another girl as much as I did for them even though I tried. I'll never get hooked to another girl group like I did Morning Musume either. 

 

I agree with some people that their way of promoting the groups suck.

 

 

H!P songs were never really the type of music I would listen to on a regular basis like on a playlist or something. 

[keaine]

mmm... the first reaction would be: "heck, I don't know". But then again, there really are reasons.

 

First, the music. That's not crucial, but that's a part of it. I welcomed the transition to One Two Three on the one hand and KimiChari on the other hand positively. Even after the end of Tsunku in H!P, the music is still great.

 

Second, the members. I think the lack of interest of some fans comes mainly from the poor management/production. I mean, Angerme and Country Girls have a great balance from a variety point of view.

 

Third, I'm so waiting for the 20 years of H!P. Nah, I'm half joking.