[02/15] DMM - Shining Butterfly (1st single)

[riversong]

I think things would be so much better if they weren't branded as DMM. Heck they could have even stuck with the Elder Club name. That way it's not rivaling MM, nor replacing -- it's simply coexisting alongside MM.

[Starra]

But they kind of are doing just that anyway...? At least in my opinion.

Idk, I think fan rivalry between groups (MM。vs AKB, MM。vs DMM。etc) is really stupid tbh. Why can't people enjoy both/all?

[Zunu]

I agree with Starra. Some of you guys have it backwards. The girls in DMM made the MM name. It forever belongs to them in the eyes of the public and will never belong to the current group that nobody knows about. If anything, the current fresh MM should change its name to Milky Musume, or whatever, relaunch with an all new songbook and a 2012 image, and let the aunties in Dusty Mothballs Musume go back to simply "Morning Musume," performing their oldies for the midlife otaku crowd.

[boinsie]

It just seems sad that they can't find anything else to do with themselves.

[AyuHikaru]

Koharu and Mari seem to have really good television careers and Tsuji is super popular (Whenever she comes back) Maybe they just wanted to be a part of a group again.

[Zunu]

It happens to a lot of formerly successful pop groups. Around 6-8 years ago, my mom dragged me and my brother to a "Chicago/Earth Wind and Fire" joint concert event. (Can't remember how my sis escaped but I'm thinking she had fled the country again perhaps.) These are two groups that were popular in the ~ 1970's and 1980's that as far as I could tell, had nothing to do with each other except for the fact that their fans were around the same age, i.e. "close to retirement age." And wouldn't you know, it wasn't too bad, they played and sang competently. I'm pretty sure though, they didn't sing anything less than 25 years old. No wait, there was like this one weird draggy song toward the end that had the feel of that excruciating album cut that you always skip -- which served as the signal for a massive bathroom break exodus for all the people on high blood pressure medication. My mom hasn't seen them again, but there were definitely lots of people in that audience who had been serial offenders. They were like oldies tour experts, they knew exactly which seats were nearest the parking lot, how to minimize their time in the souvenir and refreshment lines, etc. But whatever, they and the other 10,000 fans were happy, the artists got paid, the songwriters got a royalty check, management raked in bucks without having to do anything creative or daring. There are worse ways to get a paycheck.

A lot of ex-idols have a poor education, and most, unlike Mari and Tsuji, aren't really up to being a tarento. I'd rather Kaori performing oldies (and the occasional pointless attempt at a comeback like Shining Butterfly) on stage for a living, than having to resort to humiliating borderline ecchi gravure like ex-AKB Risa Narita to make ends meet. Let's not even mention Rina N*k*nishi.

[Starra]

It just seems sad that they can't find anything else to do with themselves.

But they have? I mean, they're on TV quite a bit and some of them host radio shows and whatnot. It's not like DMM。is the only thing these girls are doing .

[Zunu]

^ Also those ancillary things serve to pique interest in their group. And vice-versa.

[boinsie]

It's true, and I understand that reunion tours happen. And of course I wouldn't rather that they do AV.
I guess it's just a little weird since the original group (albeit comprised of almost entirely new people) still exists, is all. It feels a little like an affront to them.
Granted, if the same group of OG debuted as "Elder Cub" or "Afternoon Musume" they would probably lose some of their marketing power, too, so I guess I understand the naming from that viewpoint. It just seems kinda sucky for current MM.
But I suppose that, at least from all outward appearances, current MM don't seem to mind it at all. So maybe I should just shut up about all of this.

[Zunu]

^ No not at all, your feelings probably reflect those of a lot of fans. It's not so much an affront to the girls, I think, as it is to loyal fans, such as you, who have seen their girls graduate over the years, learned to cope with the loss, have dutifully supported Momusu throughout all the new generations coming in, only to be told, in effect, PSYCH!