J-MELO and Morning Musume

[Amped]

Interview Morning Musume。'15 Part 5: Haruna Iikubo
https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front ... 7890618795

Haruna Iikubo


Before performing for the first time their new song "One and Only" during the 10th Anniversary of the TV show "J-MELO", UP-FRONT LINK had the chance to ask some questions to each Morning Musume。'15 members in the backstage. The questions are almost the same for each member but the answers are really interesting, check it out!



UFL: The first time you have heard that Morning Musume。'15 new song would be in English, how did you feel?

Haruna Iikubo: It was such a shock! A song in English… All the lyrics in English! I really wondered if I was able to sing it. But I thought also at Nonaka-chan, a member who lived in the USA, so we would somehow surpass this difficulty. But here is an example of what was difficult. In the lyrics of the new song, there are the following words “Happy in life” and during the lessons at first I said those words really distinctly, but in fact it was too much (something like “HA-PPY-IN-LI-FE”, with a break after every syllable). I have been said it was strange, not natural. It was too much like a Japanese way of reading English. This is why the recording was not easy.



UFL: In Morning Musume。 history, there were several performances in the world so now that you have this new song in English, what is your new goal concerning overseas?

Haruna Iikubo: I want to do a world tour! I think about this everyday… Tsunku♂-san wants Morning Musume。 to become global and he made the 12th Generation members joined the group. And this is what I also want personally, performing all over the world and spreading our messages, exchanging with the fans.



UFL: Where do you absolutely want to go next time?

Haruna Iikubo: Our senpai get to France so I want to go to Japan Expo as well. After more personally, I want to go in countries where nobody knows about Hello! Project and idols. I want to show our songs and dances to the young girls. I think about Ethiopia for example, I am not sure there are fans of Morning Musume。 there but still, I want to go to a country like this and share things with those people.



UFL: On YouTube, you receive many comments in many languages from all over the world for each music video uploaded, how do you feel about it?

Haruna Iikubo: Of course YouTube is not only for Japanese people. And I like reading comments from Japanese but also foreigner people. There are some easy comments that I can understand so I feel happy reading them.



UFL: Do you have any specific message to foreigner fans?

Haruna Iikubo: I want to introduce more and more the Japanese idol culture to everyone and spread Morning Musume。 songs to the world!



Thank you Haruna!

[AyuHikaru]

It just sounds/looks/feels so Disney Channel to me (Though yeah Nayoko, probably not CURRENT since they've updated their sound, but Japan is always 5-10 years behind ).

Even the dance it's just...

So Disney.

Now I want Morning Musume on the Disney Channel.

Not that it's bad, it's not an insult at all. I think Disney Channel is the closest we have to "idols" here in the states anyway so it actually makes A WHOLE LOTTA SENSE.

[BerryzCelebration]

Yeah, except a majority of those idols go bat shit crazy because of who they end up getting influenced by or if they're just done with the media's bullshit.

I would love to see Morning Musume do something on Disney Channel, if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure Lilpri was on Disney Channel too.

[321BreakinOut]

Was this posted? If not oh well

[boinsie]

Interview Morning Musume。'15 Part 6: Ishida Ayumi
https://facebook.com/notes/up-front-lin ... 900618094/

Ayumi Ishida

Before performing for the first time their new song "One and Only" during the 10th Anniversary of the TV show "J-MELO", UP-FRONT LINK had the chance to ask some questions to each Morning Musume。'15 members in the backstage. The questions are almost the same for each member but the answers are really interesting, check it out!



UFL: The first time you have heard that Morning Musume。'15 new song would be in English, how did you feel?

Ayumi Ishida: So surprised! Until I joined the group, I did not think it would be possible and I did not imagine Morning Musume。 had such a power. This is only after I joined the group that I understood the support from overseas fans as well. As a normal student, it is not possible to reach like this foreigner people. And being able to spread our message directly to the foreign fans is like a dream for me, especially with a song in English. I hope they will like it.



UFL: How was the recording?

Ayumi Ishida: At first I was ashamed of speaking English. I used mainly the “katakana” (one of the Japanese syllabary, mostly used to transcribe foreign languages into Japanese) to pronounce English words. But our English teacher told us to have more confidence while singing in English; we would be able to make it so I somehow made it, always thinking I can do it, haha!



UFL: In Morning Musume。 history, there were several performances in the world so now that you have this new song in English, what is your new goal concerning overseas?

Ayumi Ishida: Singing in English in Japan is already something but this is still small. And once again, to be able to reach all the fans from Japan is difficult. So this time by singing in English I really worry about their feedbacks. But the best would be to sing in English facing the foreigner fans in their own country. For example, in New York, whatever the song we performed, the reaction was amazing, crazy! Just to think they knew all the songs, but also all the calls with the timing for each name, they should have studied our songs a lot. I felt so happy… I want the new generation to understand this feeling as well with the new Morning Musume。’15.



UFL: Where do you absolutely want to go next time?

Ayumi Ishida: Well, I think about Brazil because it is quite far from Japan. If the people from a country this far away from Japan can understand us, then I think we can spread our messages all over the world. So going really far from Japan is important. And I receive some comments from Brazilian fans on my blog’s posts. With all of this, I really want to go there!



UFL: On YouTube, you receive many comments in many languages from all over the world for each music video uploaded, how do you feel about it?

Ayumi Ishida: To be honest I cannot understand them. But still I can read “Ayumi” when it is written in the Roman alphabet and I am still surprised to see so many fans writing about me. I hope there will be more and more people interested in my performance, thinking I am cute or impressive while dancing, this is why I cannot stop trying my best. Another important point, when someone from Japan say “great” it is quite different when it is from overseas. I only wish the Japanese fans and the foreigner fans, from their own point of view think in the same way, despite their different vision.



Thank you Ayumi!

[Amped]

J-MELO 10th Anniversary part 2 (Japanese broadcast) - guests Mizuki, Ayumi, Kudo

favorite J-MELO project moments

[Amped]

Interview Morning Musume。'15 Part 7: Masaki Sato
https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front ... 0350617549

Masaki Sato

Before performing for the first time their new song "One and Only" during the 10th Anniversary of the TV show "J-MELO", UP-FRONT LINK had the chance to ask some questions to each Morning Musume。'15 members in the backstage. The questions are almost the same for each member but the answers are really interesting, check it out!


UFL: The first time you have heard that Morning Musume。'15 new song would be in English, how did you feel?

Masaki Sato: Everyone was like “Heyyyyyy, Really?”. I could not believe it at first. Almost all of us thought about Nonaka-chan, and wanted to ask her help.

I also think it was perfect timing and great for her being a Morning Musume。’s member now. Having a song in English looked funny and especially good for the 12th Generation.


UFL: How was the recording?

Masaki Sato: So tiring… Like the “th”, or with “sing a song”, I was really really bad at this kind of pronunciations. I still need to improve a lot. On the contrary, Oda Sakura-chan can for example copying the sound and intonation just by hearing. I was really impressed. I need to train again and again.

UFL: In Morning Musume。 history, there were several performances in the world so now that you have this new song in English, what is your new goal concerning overseas?

Masaki Sato: It is not only about our New York’s performance, because even for this live in the USA, the fans were not only from this country but also came from many countries, it was amazing!


UFL: Where do you absolutely want to go next time?

Masaki Sato: Definitely France, once again New York and China! And many others! But I have friends in Switzerland so privately I want to go there.



UFL: On YouTube, you receive many comments in many languages from all over the world for each music video uploaded, how do you feel about it?

Masaki Sato: I really think the comments from overseas are growing and growing. I thought: “Seriously, there are this much people not living in Japan, writing in English and following us?” It is really amazing! With this, I only want to go as soon as possible in many countries to thank all of them. I hope people can not only follow us through YouTube or other services, but I want them to see us performing with their own eyes.



Thank you Masaki!

[CaptainBerryzGiraffe]

So how long before UF* decides to give MM a "world tour" type of thing where they go to a bunch of countries in the span of a few months?
...It'd be difficult because of schooling, though, right?

[Amped]

Interview Morning Musume。'15 Part 8: Haruka Kudo
https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front ... 0980617486

Haruka Kudo


Before performing for the first time their new song "One and Only" during the 10th Anniversary of the TV show "J-MELO", UP-FRONT LINK had the chance to ask some questions to each Morning Musume。'15 members in the backstage. The questions are almost the same for each member but the answers are really interesting, check it out!


UFL: The first time you have heard that Morning Musume。'15 new song would be in English, how did you feel?

Haruka Kudo: Yes, this song “One and Only” is only in English but I am not this good in this language… I was really nervous, facing this huge challenge. I received many advice from Nonaka Miki-chan. I also learned from my parents and with their help I tried my best. Moreover, the song is not a simple one, like the alphabet song for children or a slow ballad. It is on the contrary quite amazing with all those lyrics and the theme of this song. So this is not only about succeeding in English but also be sure that the listeners will understand our feelings as well.



UFL: In Morning Musume。 history, there were several performances in the world so now that you have this new song in English, what is your new goal concerning overseas?

Haruka Kudo: Personally I did not go this much outside of Japan to perform but still last year there was this New York’s live concert. ℃-ute get to Mexico, Juice=Juice to Taiwan and Hong Kong, etc. I do not want to lose to them and any other group about the overseas carrier.


UFL: Where do you absolutely want to go next time?

Haruka Kudo: I definitely hope to go to Brazil and perform there! But with the new generation, I want to perform once again in New York!


UFL: On YouTube, you receive many comments in many languages from all over the world for each music video uploaded, how do you feel about it?

Haruka Kudo: I feel so happy, just to know there are people writing in English who can probably not understand everything we say in Japanese. I feel so bad for the ones who can only follow us through internet. I want to meet them, talk to them directly.



UFL: Do you have any specific message to foreigner fans?

Haruka Kudo: It looks like there are many fans waiting for us, following us and supporting us from many countries all over the world. Please continue to support us and who knows, perhaps one day we will go to your country to perform!



Thank you Haruka!

[boinsie]

Change that thing I said before about France to being about Brazil, jeeeez. Kikka must have really spread the word.