Idolism

Today I would like to ramble about idolism....

When looking at my own fandom in regards to idol culture I always wonder if there is a thing as 'too much' sometimes I ask myself if spending hundreds upon hundreds of pounds on merchandise is a good idea or if its totally pointless and a waste.
When I was young boy (around 11) I developed a huge crush on Gillian Anderson from the X-files, I amassed a huge amount of X-files related material including videos watches magazines and cd's.
I can remember Gillian featured in mens magazines like FHM and Esquire, the local newsagents wouldn't sell me these magazines because I was too young for such material ... thankfully I asked my mother to buy the magazines for me, which she did.



I still have this magazine somewhere in a box and it remains as a relic of when my idol complex started, apparently this magazine is now a collectors item and worth a fair bit of cash ... but unfortunately I cut the magazine up so I could add pictures to my Gillian Anderson scrapbook ... I wish I had a picture of my old bedroom because the walls were littered with posters of her, to some people it might of seemed creepy but that's how I rolled.
Getting a little older (around 13) I then developed another mild obsession with the violin player Vanessa Mae



Just like with Gillian I started buying anything I could relating to Vanessa, mostly music tapes and magazines that featured interviews with her.
I then took up learning to play the violin which I got pretty good at, then I progressed to learning the viola which is kinda the same but a little bigger .
I still listen to her music from time to time, it reminds me alot of my past, the good times and the not so good times.
Here is a performance that I've always loved, I did have this on VHS back in the day and the tape got so worn down it was virtually unplayable.



And getting a little older (15+) I became slightly taken taken with the bass player Talena Atfield from the metal band 'kittie'



I made a website when I was around 16 dedicated to her, I can no longer remember what was on the site, it was probably total garbage but I thought it was cool at the time, the site might still exist somewhere ... who knows?
My fandom didn't make me take up the bass guitar but I did end up dating a girl that looked almost like her, the relationship wasn't that great so I dumped the girl lol.

The next girl that became victim to my fanboyism is none other than Kago Aibon



She is the key reason why I am here now blogging everywhere and spending countless amounts on H!P photos, cd's, posters, dvd's etc etc.
My fandom has kind of died in regards to Aibon, this was mostly due to the repeated 'scandals' that happened.
Life after Aibon was no problem because there was another idol to take her place ...
Kusumi Koharu



Kusumi is my number 1 Musume, yet she also shares the podium with my other number 1's thus being Yajima Maimi, Chinami Tokunaga and Maasa Sudo.
I always wonder if my love for Japanese idols will die one day, of course I have no idea but I highly doubt it, I enjoy too many aspects of idol culture for it to disappear.
Personally if I wasn't a wota I have no idea what I would do online ... maybe I would go outside more and walk my dogs?
Not bloody likely.

What would you do? (picture related)

Can you remember that film called 'freaky friday' when the mother and daughter awoke one day to find themselves in each others body? the film was complete garbage but it got me thinking.
I have a question to you all ...

Lets get hypothetical for a moment ...

You wake up in the morning at the hello project apartments to find out that you have turned into your favorite idol ... you are still yourself inside ... but your outside is that of an idol ... the burning question is ... what would be the first 2 things you did?
Its a question that could fuel numerous erotic fan-fics no doubt, I would really like to know what people would do ...

My answer ...

I wake up in the morning only to find out that I've turned in to Yajima Maimi ...
The first thing I would do is take a loooooooong shower ... maybe about 8 hours long to make sure I'm really really really clean...
The second thing I would do is go through my phone and arrange a big hello project hot springs visit ... girls under the age of consent are excluded of course*.
While at the hot springs I would find out all the inside gossip about who's dating who and what the girls really think of those fat 50 year old wotas jumping up and down screaming out prepubescent girls names.


What would you do? explicit details not necessary ... but encouraged :D




*Risako Sugaya is permitted to join in.

1000 yen for a squeeze!

The following blue text is lifted from Tokyo reporter

TOKYO - It is a recent Sunday afternoon inside the offices of adult video broadcaster Paradise TV. Two enthusiastic female voices can be heard counting from behind a pair of covered booths: “Ichi, ni, san, shi, go!”

The entry flap of one booth is labeled with the kanji character pronounced ushiro (behind) and colored pink, the other is yellow and marked oppai (breast). Outside is a line of five men, each of whom is eagerly awaiting his turn to grab (with both hands) the bare buttocks and breasts of two adult video (AV) actresses five times for 1,000 yen - with all the proceeds being used for research to prevent the spread of the HIV virus and AIDS.

“I am so proud to have been selected for such a worthy cause,” says the curvy Aya Natsuki, 25, a veteran of roughly 50 AV films who ceded each of her buns for 100 yen per squeeze. “As well, this is an opportunity for me to communicate much more directly with my fans.”

Each year Paradise TV, a channel which specializes in wacky porn programming, holds its annual “24-Hour TV: Eroticism Saves the Earth” fund drive to raise money for the prevention of AIDS, a condition that continues to be a worsening problem in Japan.

Last year, donations totaled 2 million yen. Paradise expects this year to see a 50% increase in pledges, which have come from as far as away as North Carolina. Satellite provider SKY PerfecTV, which hosts Paradise broadcasts, and the Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention are supporters.

In February, the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare reported that the number of new infections of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, reached a record high of 1,048 in 2007. The ministry’s AIDS Surveillance Committee revealed that the number of cases of AIDS over the same period reached 400. The total number of 1,448 represented an increase over the year before for the fifth consecutive year.

Considering all of this lewd activity is for a really good cause its hard to find fault with this.
In my opinion everybody wins, I would no doubt do my part for charity ...
Follow the link above for more on the story and some boobie pictures ... I would post them here but I wanna keep Wotaku Now! a nipple free zone (for now).

Nose bleeds Ahoy!

I just cant seem to get enough of Airi Suzuki at the moment, maybe my interest has spiked because of her silly antics dressed as Kappa?



Or maybe its because I just downloaded her latest photobook 'Rokugatsu no Kajitsu'.
After a long shift at work I've just settled down with a few beers, so my eyes were in serious need of visual candy, and quite predictibly ... the photobook didnt disapoint ... not one bit.
Each page just overflows with adorable Airi, theres Seifukus, swimwear, silky nightwear, and even a cute beret, did I mention swimwear? oh good!
At the moment I have yet to place an order for her photobook due to financial reasons which I will chat about in a future post, but its definitely on my 'to buy list' amongst a zillion other h!p related things.
Below are a selection of shots to wet your appetite.
If you wanna download the scans then do so here, or if you wish to show your appreciation then please support her and purchase the photobook from here.

Super Cute Koahru strikes again!

Maybe I'm a little biased towards talking about Koharu since she is my favorite idol within Morning Musume, yet I cant help but sing her praises when she brings something out.
The track of 'Papan Cake' at first didnt make much of an impression me, I thought it didnt contain any hooks or memorable moments, yet thankfully after much continious listening I can safely say I'm a big fan of the song ... yet I can also say its far from being one of her best, I was hoping its genki levels would surpass the legendary 'Konichipa!' ... it didnt.
The PV is a typical koharu video, its good to see she hasnt dropped her air guitar.
The 'set' is fairly low bugget, its just a room littered with various props, toys, instrumensts and what not, yet who cares when you have Koharu flailing her arms and legs around like its going out of fashion?
Her outfit is a beautiful colour purple with splashes of honey yellow, she really looks adorable (as always).
A moment that really makes me love this is when Koharu belts out the lyric 'HAI!!!!!' ... I could listen to that forever.
The one thing (and one thing only) that annoys me about the video is that she dosent even eat the bloody pancake, throughout the video she flirts with it, pouring over the maple syrup ... looking at it wantingly ... she even cuts into it with her fork ... and then the PV ends! what an anti-climax!!!!
I seriously hope I get to see Koharu NOM on some pancakes in the 'making of' or I'll never have closure :(
All in all its a typical Koharu affair, lovers of Koharu will love it and the haters will hate it.


Online Videos by Veoh.com

Pa! Pa! Pancake!!!

Super idol Koharu's latest single 'Papancake!' has finally been played on radio.
Below is a radio rip for your listening pleasure.
I'll hold my review (for now) until I hear a better version and see the PV.
Download the rip here.

A babble about Suzuki Airi

Suzuki Airi has always been one of my favorite idols within C-ute, she's probably second in line to the goddess Maimi.
Its recently been quite hard to ignore the girl as she has been alot more prominent in PV's and vocal shares, if you were to call her a 'line whore' you would be quite within your rights to do so ... considering she has such a adorable voice who cares if she hogs the lines?.
Airi started her idol career at the tender age of 9, now she is 14 years old so she has a good 5 years of 'idoldom' under her belt, its great to see her grow and develop her skills, it will be very interesting to see what direction she takes in the future, as I hate to say it ... one day C-ute will cease to exist ... and the girls that stand a strong chance of becoming solo vocalists are understandably Maimi and Airi ... with the chance of Nakajima Saki and Okai Chisato becoming a duo unit (how cool would that be?).
The past month Airi seems to of totally consumed me, it's probably to do with the fact of her antics on Berikyuu and the anticipation of her 3rd photobook entitled '6gatsu no Kajitsu' ... I intend to buy this photobook and her two previous books very shortly, I'm just looking forward to seeing some preview shots first.
An internet friend of mine made an off hand remark saying that she looked like an 'alien' and that she was 'freaky' ... that individual was promptly blocked from my MSN list for a good week or so.
Below you will find 2 download links for her 2 previous photobooks 'Airi' and 'Clear'.
Also a solo video of her performing the song 'Sayonara no love song' ... it really is quite beautiful indeed.



1st photobook - Airi.




2nd photobook - Clear.

Charmy's charms

With V-u-den now pretty much dead and buried, its quite a curiosity as to what Rika Ishikawa will be doing with herself next.
Undoubtly she will be flaunting her fruits in one way or another, she's recently just been hired by Fanta to 'promote' their soft drink, which basicly involves dressing Rika in skimpy orange hot pants and making her bounce around the stage shaking the can up and down vigoursly (yes I'm thinking the same thoughts also).
At the moment there is no clue at all which direction her idol career will take, either Tsunku and the UFA will push her to become a full solo artist or she will slowly fade into obscurity and star in the sleazy world of JAV ... either way its win win.
It's quite clear that Rika still is a hot commodity in regards to the top brass at UFA, so its good to see them pumping out more lovely photobooks, her eighth solo photobook which has just been released is entitled 'Kazahana' and is a lovely yet dare I say ... predictable photobook,
dont get me wrong ... I love looking at pretty Japanese girls in bikinis (who doesnt?) ... but theres nothing in this PB that I havent seen before ... its just the usual run around acting dorky ... laying on the floor staring wantingly into the camera lens, theres a fair amount of chest and arse close ups which are always welcome yet still a little 'yawn'.
I must admit though my fandom for Rika has slowly been fading over the years, I think I liked her more when she was younger and still in Morning Musume, ever since she was placed into V-u-den her increasingly 'whorey' image has put me off her.
Regardless, below are a few choice shots from the photobook ... feel free to download it here. and let me know what your thoughts are.

Rakuten Eaglesuu !!!

Now personally I dont care for baseball at all, infact I dont care for any sports whatsoever ... unless its womens singles at wimbledon or volleyball (is that a sport?) but anyway ... I guess I just like watching girls getting competitive and sweaty ... where was I?
Yes, the new C-ute video!
The video itself follows a very basic formula, singing, dancing, close up, baseball bat.
I dont like the parts with the dudes, they kinda get in the way of the girls singing and jumping about, the dance itself is pretty funky, they do a cool move where they all point to the sky and do a lovely leg wiggle ^_^
The clothing they wear is kinda cool, red and white baseball style outfits with skimpy white short shorts (oh my).
The girl that really stood out for me in this video is Maimi, that girl just drips with confidence and win, infact .... shes so awesome I just did this
Anyway heres the video! enjoy!!


Online Videos by Veoh.com

AKB48 WTF?

According to AKB48's official blog any person who collects 44 special edition posters that come with their new cd will be selected to attend a 'special gig'.
If it didnt sound bad already the posters that come with the cd are totally random, so even if you bought 44 of the singles which would cost about £380 ($752) ... you still dont have much chance of 'winning'.
With the nature of Wotas I'm sure they will buy this cd in the masses, personally I see this as a rather bizzare and cruel market research experiment on the obsessiveness of idol merchandise.
I do spend alot of money on hello! project, but I would never consider buying 44 copies of the same single ... unless the prize was a cruise holiday around the world with berryz Kobo ... but thats different story.
I have not been a fan of AKB48 for long, but I think I have a good grasp of what they are about, and what strikes me is that they seem to be promoted as a fairly sexualized idol unit ... I'm not saying its a bad thing but there seems to be a mixed age range within the units which would suggest its aiming to reach a wider demographic ... I guess my main concern is about the younger girls singing about underage prostitution.
But enough rant already, recently I got my hands on an AKB48 photobook which is called 'Jump & Cry' ... and supprisingly enough its filled with pictures of the girls 'jumping' and 'crying'.
Heres some examples to show you how odd it is ...






*UPDATE*

DefSTAR Records recently announced a promotional campaign for "Sakura no Hanabiratachi 2008," the new single from idol unit AKB48. Those buying the single received a poster, randomly selected from 44 different ones, each featuring a member of the group. Any fan who collected all 44 posters would be able to attend a special AKB48 concert.

The campaign attracted a lot of criticism from fans, with some likening the campaign to a scam. On Thursday, DefSTAR updated its website to announce that the special concert has been canceled, due to concerns that the campaign may actually be in violation of laws regarding fair business practices.

The label apologized to fans and stated that they will be accepting returns, starting on Monday.

Link

A new day kicking

Welcome to 'Wotaku Now!' my first ever serious atempt at blogging.
Considering I spend an unholy amount of hours on the net ... I thought it would be a wise choice to vent and express my various opinions and passions through the medium of furious typing.
As the name of my blog suggests it will be a mix of devout idol fanboyism and random remarks about Japanese culture.
Please bear with me as the page design and layout will probably change a few times before I am happy with it, questions and suggestions will be appreciated (maybe).
Below is a pie chart of what to expect in the future ...



And thats the Shirow guarantee©