radeblunner

I too think that it's not (only) about the popularity of the acts, but it's about power and connections as well. 

 

I mean, in 2013/14, MM were close to Do it now/Koko ni Iruzee concerning first week sales, and on a level with Shabondama concerning total sales. I'd consider the time when 5ki/6ki entered still a very popular time for them TV-wise. And even though they've reached those sales again, they got nothing special out of it from television. Even with open declarations like "Our goal is to go to Kohaku this year!", Kohaku ignored them. So it's definitely not about sales.

 

IIRC, the whole thing about them not being invited is that they did have a huge argument for being invited up until the release of the The Best! ~Updated Morning Musume~ album. It sold a little over 16,000 copies and came in at #6 first week in comparison to Wagamama selling 140,000+ copies first week even though the best album was released only a month later, which called into question their popularity and the ~legitimacy of idol sales~. I still think releasing that album killed their chances of going on that year.

 

Besides Kouhaku while still a prestigious show it's not as big of a deal as it used to be. Shunkan Bunshun, a popular tabloid, did a poll last month and asked their readers who they wanted to see on Kouhaku and who they didn't want to see. A majority of acts people DO want to see are either retiring/retired/declined the Kouhaku invitation and a majority of the acts people don't want to see are...actually on the list lol.

It was Kamiko's birthday!
 

https://ameblo.jp/an...2322543461.html
 


https://ameblo.jp/ke...2322538843.html

Some summaries of ANGERME + Tanimoto Ami's entries about Kamiko's birthdays. Kawamuu really, really loves Kamiko.

The birthday girl herself talks about her birthday event. She chose Eighteen Emotion because it's a song she absolutely wanted to sing, I & YOU & I & YOU because she wanted to try singing it by herself after the H!P tour, Are Kore Shitai! was actually chosen by Kawamuu, Tenshinranman and Shooting Star because it was part of the medley during the Kyuui Ittai tour (her first tour), LOVE Namidairo because she sang it at Hina Fes and KOI-ING because she wanted to sing it for her Hina Fes solo. She says she wants to sing them again when she becomes better at singing.
https://ameblo.jp/an...2322543461.html

Kamiko's birthday event goods.







 

http://ameblo.jp/ang...2322674176.html
 
From the the Rinapuu/Kamiko MC at the Yamagata concert...
 

Rinapuu: I'd like for you to get taller. It's a shame, your face is mature but when you look at your whole body...
 
Kamiko: I'm really getting taller. I've become taller than my mom. My mom and dad are small.
 
Rinapuu: How do you want to be when you turn 18?
 
Kamiko: A driver's license isn't necessary but on the other hand I want to become a woman who suits driving. My sister who's a year older goes driving in a car.

 

Kassa says Kamiko might be tiny, but she's very strong and solid as a person. And she says she respects her even though she can't tell her directly.

 
In BLT's 20th anniversary issue, Kamiko says when she turns 20 she'd like to become a woman like Yajima Maimi. Tall, stylish, smooth hair, doing things properly...she thinks that would be the "ideal" model of what a woman should be like. She says she's the opposite of that right now.


ANGERME's Fukuoka concert on September 24th was Kamiko's 100th concert. The fans did a "100th concert call" for her. She said she'd like to do her best 100 times over and thanked the fans. She shared an MC with Funakki where she practiced Kansai-ben with her...apparently it was pretty cute.

 
Rikako talked about Kamiko's 100th concert. She says she's happy to have spent the time so far with Kamiko. She says Kamiko is small and cute (which makes her jealous lol) and although Kamiko is small, she's a very emotionally strong girl. She jokes that she sounds like a parent when talking about Kamiko and thanks her for being her first kouhai in the group.

https://ameblo.jp/an...2313637694.html
 
Kawamuu also talks about Kamiko's 100th concert. She says that's amazing and that she's happy she was able to perform with Kamiko on her that day. She says Kamiko's Kansai-ben was really cute and that she'd like to hear it again.

https://ameblo.jp/an...2313652285.html
 
Kamiko thanks fans for the 100th concert call. She shares pictures from her first ANGERME concert, from the 2016 spring tour. She actually says the staff records some of the concerts and even though this tour is her 4th tour she watches herself in those videos for practice and to study. She says at first although she wasn't used to being on stage, she felt nervous, she would flail around when she made mistakes, etc., it was all very fun. She says she's seen senpai graduate and has seen kouhai join and has even changed since that time but she'll never forget the happy feelings from her first tour. She says she's pointed toward her 200th and 300th concerts and wants to grow as a person. 
 
She also writes at the bottom she saw Momona's blog about how she respects her but can't say it. When she told Kassa she read it Kassa got angry and asked why she read it lol.
https://ameblo.jp/an...2313691856.html
 
On Kamiki Biyori Kamiko was asked what kind of part-time job or work she'd like to try. She begins by talking about how she'd like to try being a babysitter, but as far as a part-time job maybe a cashier. She talks about how technology in Japan is advancing quickly and the fact that jobs may be lost to this increase in technology. She thinks that robot development recently is amazing and talks about self serve registers, etc. She wonders about what Japan will be like decades from now, how there might not be any train station staff in the future. This was something she's actually talked about with Take recently. 




https://ameblo.jp/an...2313990080.html
 


https://ameblo.jp/an...2314574424.html
 

http://ameblo.jp/ang...2314875393.html
 

http://ameblo.jp/ang...2314880796.html
 


http://ameblo.jp/ang...2314885774.html
 

 
Some cute footage of Kamiko from the ANGERME DVD Magazine.
https://twitter.com/...396837251375105

More of Kamiko and Kassa's funny senpai-kouhai relationship. Kassa calls her "that small person" and Kamiko jokes she's disrespectful lol.
https://twitter.com/...433443476611073
 
Remember Kamiko showing off the fact that a fan said she looked like Emma Stone? Makoto called her the Emma Stone of H!P lol.



More official shop/tour photos under the spoiler.

Lots more Kamiko candids from the H!P summer tour.

 

 

 

Kamiko talks about the ANGERME x UUG live. She says UUG's songs are great songs to get energetic with and they're great at firing up the crowd. She was pretty moved by UUG's fans. She shares a pic of her with the UUG members but says she couldn't get one with Saho Akari. She notes that Sengoku Minami and Sato Ayano are graduating soon so she's happy she was able to stand on the same stage as them before they did. She says tomorrow she'll be going into play mode as rehearsals for the ANGERME play starts tomorrow. She says if she doesn't have confidence in her acting she won't be able to get into her role, so she'd like to throw away any embarrassment and do her best.

https://ameblo.jp/an...2310255253.html

 

Kamiko wrote quite a bit about the Osaka concert and about her kouhai and her feelings as a senpai. She brings up how during the MC Ayacho mentioned that she had hoped that the two new members would become more familiar and more adjusted, but those worries were unnecessary with how well they've been adjusting. Kamiko herself was concerned with how Funakki would adjust with her coming from a different group, but with the way she teases her senpai, Kamiko is quite happy that she's been fitting in. She says Kawamuu is a wonderfully kind girl who is attentive to others. She says when she wanted to talk about Kumamoto with her, and show her friend's photos, Kawamuu said she'll look at any number of photos Kamiko wants to share with her. She wants to become good friends with her and thinks by the end of this tour they'll be great friends. She also notes that in the MC Kananan joked that they should talk about her but Momona said they should talk about the two members. She says she couldn't help but think that part of Momona shows that she's really become like a senpai. Kamiko herself says she's happy that her own number of kouhai are increasing too. She says when she joined ANGERME she wondered when she'll become a senpai and have her own kouhai, so she's happy that new members have joined after her. She says every day is fun. 

https://ameblo.jp/an...2311394905.html

 

 

https://twitter.com/...347951147184128

 

https://twitter.com/...591966531117056

 

http://radio-neo.com...te=201709151800

 

Kamiko's web talk show Kamiko Biyori...is getting a DVD release (for fanclub members only, sadly) on the 28th! It'll also include footage from the Kamiko Biyori event in Nagoya from back in July.

 

Happy September everybody.
 

 

http://ameblo.jp/mm-...2307072412.html

 

https://ameblo.jp/an...2309264094.html
 
Some MuroKami from the Tomo yo performance.
 

 
 


 
Kassa talks about how she and Kamiko went out for udon after recording Hello!Drive. Lately she thinks she and Kamiko can talk with each other quite easily even though they were shy with each other (in the beginning). Now she doesn't worry and they can easily talk about all kinds of things. She also loves how Kamiko absolutely loves her cats. She also mentions how Kamiko looks like a little kid in the first photo and how cute she is. 
https://ameblo.jp/an...2306823640.html
 
Kamiko tells us she really isn't a fan of bell peppers. Buuuut she bought them, made them with some kelp and found it to be delicious. She finds it mysterious that she doesn't like them usually but can eat them with kelp. Also, they all had their first meeting for the new ANGERME play and Kamiko had a first read of the script. She says she was nervous the entire time and during her line reads she says she was sweating...but when she looked at Funakki she looked the same.
https://ameblo.jp/an...0094584095.html
 
So...Kamiko and Funakki went shopping after rehearsals the other day. First they went to the kids' section at ZARA lol. She says she rarely gets pants because it's difficult to find her size. She was surprised that it isn't just shorter people who shop at the kids' section either. She says usually when she buys skirts they fit a little too loose so she has to always wear a belt, but the kids' section has adjustable hem so she was thankful for that lol. She says she'll be shopping at the kids section at ZARA from now on and thanks Funakki. She also mentions she went out to eat with Funakki and Yanamin.
https://ameblo.jp/an...0094584095.html
 
Kamiko talks about being excited for ANGERME's fall tour (that started today). She was amazed by Funakki during rehearsals. During break time they all had fun together, which made Kamiko think about how funny her senpai are. She also announces the date of her birthday event which will be on the 24th, the day after Kassa's birthday event. The big 18! She says she kiiinda doesn't want to become an adult yet but she's happy that she's becoming an adult lol. So she's going toward her birthday with those feelings. 
https://ameblo.jp/an...0094584095.html
 
In the latest ANGERME DVD Magazine. Kamiko accidentally elbows Take in the nose and feels really bad about it.

 

 

From UTB magazine...

 

 

 

Kamiko cheki.