23094 replies to this topic

[Kuraudo17]

For Asians, Airi is probably the top among only 3 or 4 standouts in H!P in terms of beauty alone. The rest are average to above average.

[WanThePlatypus]

Her personality shines through too, so she makes cute facial expressions and it adds on to her beauty!

I've seen people talk about meeting C-ute for the first time and being surprised that Chisa is actually gorgeous when you face her (not that she's ugly imo), because her face is really small and delicate.

[thegabriel]

[sheikhyerbutay]

 

Wow, C-ute is a lot more popular than I thought. I'm kind of disappointed I don't see Chissa up there, though. Oh well, here's some Airi for your thoughts. 

 

Yes, I was very disappointed Chisato didn't make the list at all.   Chissa is a dynamo in everyway, and beautiful, too!

Great shot of Airi, btw!

[hanawopun]

Koharu Kusumi at the BOTTOM! Pathetic -.-
Probably because she's too "old" now. Bleh.

[Ares13]

So far we have been talking about older male fans ..
and also her popularity with young female fans .. which shows in the survey ..

Anyway .. I can tell you how does it feel like to be an older fan.
The problem is their culture; they are all taught to respect their elders or people more senior than them.
So when they see an older fan, they tend to move towards being respectful and not giving a bad impression on the older fan.
It is sad because it is like a wall and it feel very distant. While with younger fans, they tend to be more causal and close.

For the popularity with young female, Airi actually uses a tactic use by many idols which is to put female fans first ..

Airi was my first idol, the one who started it all for me 9 years ago
The thing is 2 years ago she went my country to shoot her PB and DVD.
We the fans waited for her at the airport for many nights. we know the airline and the flights are all range from evening to late night. we dunno when she is going back so we just wait every evening to past midnight for a few days.
Finally, she turns up but sadly she did the female fans > younger fans > older fans

I was the oldest there and feel totally diss as she just concentrated on the other fans. Basically she focus on the female fans..
While it is ok if everyone there are fans, but here is my problem. I know all the fans there.
There was only 3 Airi fans there and I am the only one there who ever main supported her.
The rest are H!P fans and AKB48 fans .. many don't even know who she is ..except they heard of her..
They are there just to meet up with as we seldom got to meet up ever since AKB48 pull out of my country.
They are just there because she is an idol and she gave them her attention..

At the end it .. now .. I think the 3 Airi fans including myself is still Airi fans .. but no one else became her fan ..
and some in that group even quit H!P already ..

I felt very let down and totally stupid there. I mean after 7 years of hoping for her to see her at my country and I got diss. It totally suck.
So now, I actually totally stop supporting C-ute and I am not interested in Buono!
But her being my first idol will always get my support.
I still buy her individual stuff like PB and goods. My last purchase was her photo set when I was at 2015 Summer HelloCon.

But honestly, my support for her diminish a lot after that. Supporting her is less of I want to but more of I had to.
She has change my fandom totally. Ever since that day, I no longer have loyalty to my idols. My rule is, as long as I don't feel good about them I drop them even if they are my number 1 idol.

I already taste the bitterness of being disappointed because of her and I am never going to taste that again.
Surprisingly, it works as I no longer hold on to bitterness and negativity and move on to the happy things whenever it is necessary.
The simple reasoning is idols is about happiness. So I no longer dwell in unhappiness, I will just move on.

[hanawopun]

^ I don't understand your decision to denounce the band just because you didn't have a good meet & greet experience. She's a CELEBRITY, not a friend. Most Hollywood actors are jerks but it doesn't stop me from liking and supporting their films. I respect that you went through a lot and were disappointed but quite frankly I wouldn't blame her for choosing to associate with people closer to her age and desired demographic.

[WanThePlatypus]

Finally, she turns up but sadly she did the female fans > younger fans > older fans

 

Actually, I was in the SG forum when you posted about this. I remember the photoshoot was recently after she had the scandal of being photographed sitting next to her male classmate on the bus. I think that not only was it her "tactic" to associate with female fans first (I think it's more that she's comfortable with young females just like her), but she already felt guilty for damaging C-ute's reputation before their first Budokan performance. I bet she steered clear of any males after that scandal to avoid any misunderstandings - even male fans.

[Ares13]

^ guess it is just tough luck ..
I got accept that 7 years of hope got crashed by some scandal ..

[sheikhyerbutay]

Finally, she turns up but sadly she did the female fans > younger fans > older fans

I was the oldest there and feel totally diss as she just concentrated on the other fans. Basically she focus on the female fans..

This really sucks.  I am sorry you were treated poorly.  I would never have dreamed this would have happened.

[Greyface]

Keep in mind, it's possible that it was purely business. H!P knows that Suzuki is especially important to maintaining ℃-ute's female fanbase, she might have specific instructions to maintain more eye contact with the girls, etc.
Just throwing it out there as a possibility...

[Kuraudo17]

Unless you're like 70, isn't it normal that women and children (young people) first? Did she look as good in person?

[sheikhyerbutay]

"Women & Children first" was used on the Titanic as it was sinking.  They only allowed women and children onto the lifeboats (for the most part).

It is from a different era.  The Age of Chivalry.  This has been rejected by modern women.  This is the Age of Equality now.  Everyone is suppose to be treated the same. 

What irks me about this is I thought H!P was all about bringing Japanese women into the modern age of equality, not discriminating against people over gender, or age.

How about it Ares13?  Is Airi as pretty in person?

[Greyface]

^
H!P is about bringing young Japanese girls out of the countryside (and Tokyo) and putting them on stage and on camera for entertainment. I have no idea where you read your fluffy mission statement.

[Kinjiru]

Er...management is not going to give her instructions on which fans to give preferential treatment in a foreign country. In Japan it could be part of a domestic market strategy, but they are not managing foreign fan bases, just throwing them a bone every now and then. I wouldn't take it too harsh either way, Ares. Getting less attention as a hardcore fan than people who might not even know her simply because they are girls must be incredibly disappointing but Airi doesn't know how big of a fan everyone is. Should idols treat everyone the same regardless of age and gender? Of course (except toddlers, they deserve some extra for not even being able to attend concerts, lol), and if I were an idol I would definitely spread my love to all the fans equally, but not everyone is the same and they likely don't even know what kind of affect they have on fans. The beautiful thing is that we can choose who to support and there are plenty of others who are just as nice to everyone they see, but even with Airi it might have just been that she was responding to the fans nearest to her or the ones screaming the loudest (fangirls have some impressive vocal chords ). 

[sheikhyerbutay]

^
H!P is about bringing young Japanese girls out of the countryside (and Tokyo) and putting them on stage and on camera for entertainment. I have no idea where you read your fluffy mission statement.

Just some lyrics from some songs.  My mistake. 

[Kuraudo17]

Was there even a plan to engage fans at the airport? Was everyone in the same circle and Airi just ignored the old male fans at first, or it just so happened that the women and young people positioned themselves in front?

 

This is interesting:

 

Suzuki: I wonder why (laughs). Had I replied to your messages, would we have been even closer? Risako would send me messages now and then, but as a whole, I don't really reply to messages

Sugaya: You don't reply at all (laughs)! There are times when I've sent something with a question mark added to the end, but you still wouldn't reply. Even when I sent birthday messages, there would be no reply.

Suzuki: I didn't reply (laughs)? Ah, I don't even reply to the members (Okai Chisato-chan who was nearby pointed out 'Even though I sent one when the clock struck midnight, it was ignored (laughs)'. I probably don't reply to birthday messages either. I'll do it from now on.

 

http://icejiggly.blo...alk-sugaya.html

[WanThePlatypus]

^ Speaking of that blog, there's a particular post about Airi that I really like from there but isn't very popular. 910percent mentioned it before too but his translations can be difficult to understand.

 

Mixed in a throng of younger people, an elderly lady came to shake hands with Airi.

'On my daily morning route, I pass by [Suzunoya's] storefront, and I see your billboard (life-sized cardboard cutout).
Your smile always lifts my spirits.
Because of that, I looked up all sorts of things about you,
And today, I came for your handshake event'.

Tears came unbidden to Airi's eyes.

By the way, C-ute will be performing in Budokan again on June 20th. Congratulations

[thegabriel]

[Skoban]

Translated a November 2014 interview Airi did about the transition to becoming one of the most senior members of H!P.

http://icejiggly.blo...ri-gravure.html

 

An excerpt:

Recently, even other idols have been saying that 'Suzuki Airi-san is the one who shines the greatest amongst the idols of the present', so I'm sure that this is the period when you're in your prime {lit. filled with fat, i.e. when a fish is at its most delicious}.

Like I'm a yummy fish (laughs). While I feel I had the strongest awareness as an idol when I had short bangs, I feel like I've become stereotypical once I grew my bangs out. I feel like my mood changes with my bangs. Age-wise, one's prime would be when they're 18, but I'd like to do my best to continue on sparkling (laughs). So as I take in the opinions of the fans, I want to try the things I want to do while opening up a 'Suzuki Airi World'!