Jump to content


Photo

How much of H!P is Tsunku today?

Tsunku

  • Please log in to reply
28 replies to this topic

#1 hanawopun

hanawopun

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 2116 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 02:07 PM

I figure he's now like the high end executive producer who loosely oversees multiple projects versus hands-on creating songs for every group, etc...

He's not getting younger so if he were to die tomorrow (I don't mean to be morbid), would the H!P machine keep running without a glitch?


angermes_finest_hour.jpg


#2 Juandalyn

Juandalyn

    止まらない!

  • Senpai
  • 5295 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 03:22 PM

Now, yes. He doesn't do anything anymore besides writing a few songs.

If you ask people who've been into H!P for a longer time, especially those who came to love Tsunku, you'll hear that a lot has changed since he took time off for therapy and when he had to leave completely.
H!P isn't as wacky anymore. Before he was the most prominent face of it despite not being a member on his own, now he writes some songs (that are rather serious, too).

But yeah, H!P isn't ending anytime soon without Tsunku.

Edit: To clarify, he's not the producer of H!P anymore since October 2014.

VKnn8U2.png

I, for one, welcome our new 15ki overlords.

Hello! Project Photobook Overview

Hello! Project Ages Overview


#3 hanawopun

hanawopun

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 2116 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 06:12 PM

Thanks for the feedback and insight!  I wasn't aware of any therapy... was that physical therapy or psychological?

Either way I agree on things not sounding like they used to.   In fact many of the earlier Berryz Kobo & C-ute stuff sounded interchangeable.

At any rate, he created an awesome empire, and I'm glad to know it will keep moving forward.

 

Can anyone share the last few songs he wrote and for which idol group?  Thanks


angermes_finest_hour.jpg


#4 rinafest'19

rinafest'19

    slow release schedule apologist

  • Senpai
  • 1848 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 07:20 PM

He writes all of the Morning Musume songs except

-Mikaeri Bijin

-Ima Koko Kara

-Imasugu Tobikomu Yuuki

-Utakata Saturday Night

-Mukidashi de Mukiatte

 

===================

Since 2015 for the other groups he has written

C-ute

-Summer Wind

-Singing ~Ano Koru you ni~

 

ANGERME

-Koi Nara Tokku ni Hajimatteru

 

Juice=Juice

-Next is You

-Karada Dake ga Otona ni Nattan ja nai

-Otona ni Jijou

-Dream Road ~Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru~

 

Tsubaki Factory

-Hitorijime

-JUST TRY! (technically hasn't been confirmed but Ogata Risa said he did)

 

He writes songs for other idol groups nowadays but I don't know anything or care about those groups


MizukiRina

Twitter


#5 ☆RisaReinaSayu☆

☆RisaReinaSayu☆

    Graduated member

  • Banned
  • 1748 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 07:22 PM

Tsunku's presence may be significantly faded now, but he's still one of Up Front's go to lyricists. 



#6 ★pandapple★

★pandapple★

    H!P Lifer

  • Senpai
  • 1531 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 08:09 PM

  I wasn't aware of any therapy... was that physical therapy or psychological?

 

 

I assume Juandalyn meant cancer therapy (treatment). He had laryngeal cancer and had his vocal cords removed.



#7 hanawopun

hanawopun

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 2116 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 08:20 PM

^

Oh wow... he did sound quite raspy in the last video I saw him, unless that had nothing to do with it.  So sad.

 

@ rinafest'16 - thanks for that list!!  Cool about Angerme's Koi Nara Tokku ni Hajimatteru, because if you dig deep enough you can sense a bit of C-ute's Tokaikko Junjou in it... just a hint, or at least his formula from years ago.


angermes_finest_hour.jpg


#8 Mixi

Mixi

    5th gen member

  • Kouhai
  • 121 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 10:04 PM

He writes all of the Morning Musume songs except

-Mikaeri Bijin

-Ima Koko Kara

-Imasugu Tobikomu Yuuki

-Utakata Saturday Night

-Mukidashi de Mukiatte

 

Just to clarify: He was the sound producer for Ima sugu, which was composed by Taisei, his Sharan Q bandmate. Although Mikaeri wasn't written or composed by Tsunku, it was at least produced by him as it was released just before his hiatus (he even handpicked the lyricist). Ima Koko Kara was actually the first MM song without any involvement from Tsunku whatsoever, and it was a cover with an anime tie-up anyway so it's understandable.

 

The fact that Utakata was such a huge success without Tsunku is an indication of the direction MM will follow from now on. They tried making a MM song without Tsunku, it worked fantastically well, which is probably what got us Mukidashi on the new single. Mukidashi is also really popular among fans. They might experiment with two non-Tsunku a-sides next time instead of just one.

 

As far as other groups go, the last single Tsunku had complete control over was Juice=Juice/NEXT YOU's Next is you! and it was a one-time deal. It's entirely possible that °C-ute's final single will get special treatment too. He does nothing but a few songs unless specified.

 

After °C-ute and Momoko graduate, H!P will have more members and groups who were not chosen by Tsunku than the opposite. MM's 12th gen are the last H!P members who were selected before his hiatus and knowing how bad his condition was at the time, he might have not even chosen them himself. Honestly, I only expect his involvement to decrease as "his" girls move on to other things.



#9 RenaiDestiny。

RenaiDestiny。

    ♥ Gorilla-kun ♥

  • Senpai
  • 3347 posts

Posted 26 November 2016 - 10:29 PM

Actually, Pepper Keibu's the first MM song to not have any Tsunku involvement (and it's b-side Romance) but that's because it was a special cover song of Pink Lady.

I think Tsunku's about a solid 10% of H!P now. Tsunku was kind of the face of H!P like Park Jin-young with JYP Entertainment. Tsunku was basically seen as the cause of all H!P's problems: If a new member was added that people didn't like, it was his fault, if a group wasn't promoted enough, it was his fault (even though it's actually the complete opposite of that). I'm kinda glad Tsunku has somewhat parted ways with H!P though. While UFP would never fully get rid of him, which they shouldn't because like I said he is a prominent part of H!P history, I feel like his musical genius wasn't there anymore. A lot of the songs he wrote in 2014 were just uninspired and boring, which wasn't really good since we just came out of 2012-13 which were like the two years with fantastic releases for H!P with a new sound for most groups (like Morning Musume's EDM). Now that he's really just been limiting himself to writing a song here and there for all of the other H!P groups and still a big part of MM (since he's their sound producer), a lot of the music he's been making recently sounds better. I feel like it's that way mainly because he doesn't have like 8 other Triple A side singles to worry about and gain inspiration for once he already writes a single.

2DCV7Kc.jpg


#10 Juandalyn

Juandalyn

    止まらない!

  • Senpai
  • 5295 posts

Posted 27 November 2016 - 02:08 AM

  I wasn't aware of any therapy... was that physical therapy or psychological?

I assume Juandalyn meant cancer therapy (treatment). He had laryngeal cancer and had his vocal cords removed.

 

Yupp that's what I meant :good: Was on my phone so I didn't take the time to look for the right word, sorry.

 

I mean yeah Tsunku is still involved in music, of course. While he's still involved with every MM single it feels like it's much less than before, because he "only" writes the songs. Also, nowadays management tells him what to do with the songs - writing a Maria lead was a wish from management. That's different from, let's say, Morning Coffee where Tsunku himself decided to change the lead from Iida to Abe. In general over the years Tsunku's involvement with H!P has gotten less, even before the cancer. I'd say it went from probably 90% in the late 90ies to 5-10% now.

As someone has mentioned in the most recent MM audition thread it wasn't him that picked the winners of auditions (at least in the later auditions), he was the one that picked the finalists and suggested members to management. It's arguable that 12th had Tsunku involvement at all since he got treatment throughout all of 2014 (the time of 12th gen auditions). 13th gen will be the first one that's definitely completely chosen without Tsunku.


VKnn8U2.png

I, for one, welcome our new 15ki overlords.

Hello! Project Photobook Overview

Hello! Project Ages Overview


#11 Solarbladepsy

Solarbladepsy

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 1195 posts

Posted 28 November 2016 - 09:03 AM

^^

 

Hyokkori Hyoutanjima was also a cover song too, so that might be as early as it got.



#12 Obsidian

Obsidian

    不思議

  • Senpai
  • 7210 posts

Posted 29 November 2016 - 01:44 PM

It's also worth saying he doesn't even live in Japan any more he moved to Hawaii, so his personal influence is minimal. Even when he's back in Japan he still has interests in things like Backstage Pass that divide his time. He was already becoming more involved in other projects long before his illness and he admitted that management asked him if he wanted to step back from producing H!P even before that. So him and the company were moving in this direction anyway despite what unfortunately happened to him.

 

That said, most of the people that have taken over at H!P have strong connections with him. Obviously Taisei is the best example but Hashimoto Shin and Yamao Masato the other directors we've seen have had long involvements with the company and worked with Tsunku. A lot of the song writers that have filled the gap are ones that have been used before at the fringes of H!P previously. Look at Mano Erina's first album for example (I have been listening to it a lot recently XD ) KAN wrote a lot of the songs now Kobushi just covered his Sakura Night Fever. Miura Yoshiko wrote a lot of the lyrics and has now done the lyrics for a lot of Country Girls songs, and Taisei arranged (and also wrote a bit of) the album. Then you obviously have people like Hyadain who worked briefly in the past but is clearly a big fan of Tsunku's H!P work is being used and plenty of the other writers and lyricists either worked for UF or H!P songs via things like the Satoyama shuffles like Nakajima Takui (who also did Mano stuff).

 

So tldr his direct influence is minimal his indirect influence is still very very strong.... and ManoEri is now the future ;)


lMLRUvE.png


モーニング娘。


#13 hanawopun

hanawopun

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 2116 posts

Posted 30 November 2016 - 02:40 AM

^ wow - cool info!  I had no idea of his abandoning Japan nor involvement with other projects.  Very interesting.  I guess its all for the better anyway, as H!P is much better as a melting pot involving other producers, etc.  

It's also nice to know his footprint will still exist even by proxy.


angermes_finest_hour.jpg


#14 TheAnna18

TheAnna18

    Yes

  • Senpai
  • 1818 posts

Posted 06 December 2016 - 01:58 AM

I know that Tsunku is still technically involved in writing H!P music, but at this point even the songs are so lackluster that personally it feels like there is absolutely no involvement from Tsunku. The small contributions from Tsunku musically are nothing more than the melodies of a few songs, which feel like fragments of songs that he puked up one day and sent over to up front. At this point, the only thing that keeps me mildly interested in Hello Project's music is Ookubo Kaoru's arrangements, because they manage to save the song, like most recently Sexy Cat no Enzetsu. But even with good arrangements, when the melodies are so boring they have no lasting appeal, and are quickly diminished to cheap and fast songs that plague the pop industry.

I would say that the true Tsunku flavor started to diminish around 2011, and then Tiki Bun was the last nail in the coffin. Perhaps after the news of his throat cancer, he completely lost his passion for music, and understood that more than his musical contributions, H!P just wanted to put his name on their products still and didn't care about what he sent in. If he doesn't care to write music anymore, I'd rather he just take a hiatus until inspiration hits him again and save his legacy.

As for being a producer, and this is just my speculation, I think that Tsunku had much more involvement with the girls around the formation of H!P, especially with groups like Taiyou to Ciscomoon and Morning Musume until around 6th gen. I think that Tsunku's dream with Hello Project has always been to have polished performers with solid music, but I think that especially with the choices for 6th gen. (and consequently 7th/8th) it showed that Tsunku had virtually no say in what happens with H!P. Don't get me wrong, I think that Tsunku has always cared deeply about all of the girls of H!P and appreciates them even if they're not what his vision was, but that can only go so far when it comes to nurturing his artistic soul.

I was excited when they started including Hyadain, but I'm disappointed that he only did the lyrics and composition, since I think he only shines when he has full reign over the creative process. I think that if they had Hyadain in a role similar to Tsunku in early H!P, it could bring back a lot of the charm that H!P used to have, but it seems that up front is dead set on making a quick buck over anything, so I don't have much hope for the future of H!P.

So yeah, I would say that I feel that Tsunku's participation is virtually nothing.


siggie_zps6431208e.jpg
 


#15 AitorKamei

AitorKamei

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 5940 posts

Posted 10 December 2016 - 06:53 PM

I wish Tsunku was still the producer of Hello Project as a whole. I prefered the concerts the way he produced them and before Cool Hello started being a thing. When I rewatched the first concert DVD I watched (Hello Project 2011 Winter), I remember what Hello Project actually was and how it has to be and why I like it. Recently they're so focused on acrobatics and unnecessary things that they're loosing their original and unique flavor.

 

As for the music, I like songs from other composers, but they lack that appeal Hello Pro songs have always had and they feel kind of dull and boring... I won't stop being a fan because I like the members and Tsunku still writes songs for them from time to time, so I can't stop, but I feel that Hello Project has lost completely its own essence since Tsunku started moving away due to his illness.

 

For example, as much as I like Angerme, I still prefer S/mileage 100% because they were special and unique and they had a power to become bigger and bigger that, honesly, ANGERME hasn't. And S/mileage with Tsunku was great and still love when they sing those incredible songs he composed for them back then.

 

This is my honest opinion.


32ziadw.jpg

 

MM: Sato Masaki, Ogata Haruna, Kudo Haruka, Oda Sakura ; ºC: Okai Chisato;

A: Sasaki Rikako,Wada Ayaka, Katsuta Rina ; J=J: Uemura Akari & Kanazawa Tomoko. CGs: Shimamura Uta; KF: Hirose Ayaka, Taguchi Natsumi; TF: Tanimoto Ami, Kishimoto Yumeno

 


#16 hanawopun

hanawopun

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 2116 posts

Posted 11 December 2016 - 02:33 AM

^ I appreciate that opinion and agree with much of it.  The only part I'll disagree on via personal idol bias is Angerme.  Though their most recent triple didn't do much for me, they have some songs/vids that are mind blowing amazing and I don't think I even have to name them, but to each his own... and yes, of course S/mileage was really special, but those girls couldn't keep doing the cutesy early teen style forever.  But yes, Tsunku is responsible for my iconic H!P favorites so of course I will miss him and his influence.  Either way I never have the time to follow all H!P idol groups so I'll just stick with ones that I like, and currently of the 'newer' ones I still follow Angerme, Juice=Juice and Kobushi Factory.  Otherwise I constantly relive the golden days of H!P (2000-2008 for me really)...  


angermes_finest_hour.jpg


#17 hallowen

hallowen

    5th gen member

  • Kouhai
  • 156 posts

Posted 14 December 2016 - 02:45 AM

other idol that have tsunku song is

 idol from 5pb (afilia saga, idolcollage, and some anime op or ed that 5pb produce)

 

backstage sotokande ,erabareshi (u can see them at TNX channel at youtube)

 

latest is anime idol memories opening and anime clasicaloid



#18 Obsidian

Obsidian

    不思議

  • Senpai
  • 7210 posts

Posted 21 December 2016 - 08:40 PM

This discussion between some of the people I mentioned, puts a lot of flesh on the bones of what happened in H!P a long time ago basically since they went from MM + some soloists to MM and lots of other groups. Tsunku couldn't do the overseeing and recording of everything and a lot of people we see now, moved into the directors positions working with Tsunku but overseeing different groups. So Yamao was director for both kids groups for example. But one interesting thing here is how the directors deliberately wanted to continue the impression Tsunku was hands on things and didn't want to be filmed in vocal recording sessions. They actually still don't do that much, though Taisei I think has been seen doing it a few times. Basically it proves the point that the idea that Tsunku controlled the whole process in some way was an useful illusion that meant it wasn't so hard at all to transition to what they're doing now. All that really happened is Hashimoto moved back from a label manager to be the chief Director and give the creative cabal a head boss, Tsunku isn't part of that process like he was but continues as one of the song writers... obviously one that everyone involved knows very well and has huge respect for.

 

http://wotaintransla...ding-directors/


lMLRUvE.png


モーニング娘。


#19 hanawopun

hanawopun

    Graduated member

  • Senpai
  • 2116 posts

Posted 21 December 2016 - 10:22 PM

^ omg... Obsidian almost randomly dropped that link that is a gold mine of information!!  I encourage everyone to read it... I was going to quote some highlights but the list of highlights just kept getting longer as I kept reading.  Perhaps because of my interest in Berryz, C-ute, Angerme and Koharu but there's just so many great things in there, even a discussion on B-sides and the industry formula of which I remember chatting with people about in this forum before... even how singer lines are distributed, and an amazing story about Risako Sugaya -- thank you!!!!

 

I will share this one that cracked me up :lol:

 
"... so he’d be in one room recording his “shake it do it do it” bits while recording the instrumental in another."  Make it sound like its actually his voice doing those parts.
 
I would die to hear some of the early versions of songs with Tsunku's voice.

angermes_finest_hour.jpg


#20 JennyInTokyo

JennyInTokyo

    Takahashi Ai wota! ♥

  • Senpai
  • 3451 posts

Posted 11 January 2017 - 12:40 AM

Sounds morbid as well but Tsunku isn't immortal and he isn't going to live forever, so there was always going to be a time when he would have to step down with his involvement with H!P. It is a sad reality because I always felt he was the bones of H!P and it's creation. So it is a little sad he isn't as involved but it would have to happen sooner or later. It's just the circumstances with his cancer causing him to step down wasn't a good thing. H!P is always changing and it's going to keep going for a long time :) Plus it is known that Tsunku didn't have as much involvement as people would like to think. He might have had ideas for songs and members for groups but the final word was always with the company.


<3NECRONOMIDOL <3PASSCODE <3BABYMETAL <3ZOMBIE POWDER <3MANACLE <3





0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users