World Traveling

[brunoafh]

I'm more about getting to know my favorite member and supporting her, etc etc. The music is an excellent means to do that, and I love their releases, but the most important thing is undoubtedly her.

What exactly has you so intrigued by this person, anyway? Not to pry, but it's a little out of the ordinary for a person to continually travel across the globe for their favourite musician. Just curious.

[hashiriya1]

If there's any places you recommend, let me know~

I lived in Sendai, Tokyo, Maebashi (Gunma Pref), and Ichikawa (Chiba. Pref). I have been to 40 of the 47 prefectures. Of everywhere I have been, Touhoku is the best area of Japan, IMO. But you're not going to have much luck getting there anytime soon since the shinkansen is not operational at the moment.

I highly recommend obtaining a car and making a roadtrip starting in Tokyo and working your way up to Aomori through Ibaraki, Tochigi, Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, then finally Aormori. Work your way back down though Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Gunma, etc. With all the stops along the way (tourists traps, shrines, love hotels) and road-raged doped-up high truck drivers to tailgate you, you will see the real Japan this way. I've done this many times and it was a grand experience every time. Toss the rail pass and get in a car.

[CFFJR]

I've been to Italy and Canada. I'll add to that list one day, but it won't be anytime soon.

Flake, can I bother you to tell us about China? I'd love to go there one day.

[CatchFiveBats]

Apologies for the late response, work got crazy for a bit there.

What exactly has you so intrigued by this person, anyway? Not to pry, but it's a little out of the ordinary for a person to continually travel across the globe for their favourite musician. Just curious.

It's fine haha, I like talking about this stuff anyway so it's nice to meet someone who's curious.

First of all, Morning Musume is an idol group so they're really not "musicians" in the traditional sense at all. They sing and dance, of course, but they also do plays and musicals, act in TV shows and movies, release photobooks and image DVDs, and sometimes host or make guest appearances on TV variety shows. The whole appeal of an idol is how charming and dedicated she is...dedication coming from the fact that idols' schedules are so busy and strenuous from all the different things they're always doing. There's also the fact that idols are expected to project a "pure" image, and are as such not allowed to date (an unspoken rule, really). I honestly find that level of sacrifice, just for the entertainment of myself and fans like me, to be pretty amazing and inspiring. So as payback for that inspiration, I do everything I can to attend events in person and show my support face-to-face. It sounds a little crazy, I'm sure, but that's how it is.

And up until my first trip to see the group in person (Los Angeles, July 2009) I would have agreed with you on traveling around the world to meet them...not to say that I wouldn't have done it before then; if I had piles of money I'd have been all about traveling everywhere to see them (there's a lot of things I'd do if I had piles of money haha). But the fact is I don't have a lot of money, and I have to scrounge and save up all the time to afford these trips. LA was a cheap, easy trip for me, being inside the US, so I took the trip intending for a one-time thing to see a musician I like (I actually wasn't even a huge fan of Morning Musume itself at the time, I liked a former member of the group...only after AX did I come to choose one of the current members to support).
But meeting the girls in person and having the chance to see how much they really do care about their fans and love what they do was a real eye-opener for me...so from that point on I've taken every chance I could get to go see Morning Musume live. It's gotten to where Takahashi Ai recognizes me at events, actually haha
It's also cool to meet the people who come from other places to see Morning Musume, since I'm making friends from all over the world in the process.

Although not all idols are so perfect as to just not date, of course...sometimes it's revealed they ARE dating (usually via paparazzi) and depending on their managing agency's handling of the situation and the reaction of the fans that can be a career-killer. The member I support has an essentially spotless track record though, which is one of the reasons I support her so enthusiastically. She's also very sweet and takes her position as an idol quite seriously...along with being pretty talented (for an idol, at least). It also helps that she's easy on the eyes

I'm not sure if that will make sense to anybody here or not...most of the time people outside the idol fan community just give me a weird look or are outright offended by the whole idol thing (especially the "no dating" policy - sadly an integral part of what makes idols idols), but I've come to accept that as part of the "package deal" as it might be called. Hopefully this won't tarnish my image too much

Toss the rail pass and get in a car.

Man...if I could I would, but I'm gonna be on a skeleton budget as it is and my trips around Japan will have to be limited to the time in between Morning Musume concerts and events I'm attending. Might shoot for an adventure like that someday, but this time I'll be sticking to the train system and the southern half of Honshu.

[Jrecee]

I have no money and nobody I know has money, therefore I haven't been anywhere. Except Canada when I was 5.

I had the opportunity to go to Australia a few times but would have had to go with family . . . *shudder*

[Jrecee]

Apologies for the late response, work got crazy for a bit there.

What exactly has you so intrigued by this person, anyway? Not to pry, but it's a little out of the ordinary for a person to continually travel across the globe for their favourite musician. Just curious.

It's fine haha, I like talking about this stuff anyway so it's nice to meet someone who's curious.

First of all, Morning Musume is an idol group so they're really not "musicians" in the traditional sense at all. They sing and dance, of course, but they also do plays and musicals, act in TV shows and movies, release photobooks and image DVDs, and sometimes host or make guest appearances on TV variety shows. The whole appeal of an idol is how charming and dedicated she is...dedication coming from the fact that idols' schedules are so busy and strenuous from all the different things they're always doing. There's also the fact that idols are expected to project a "pure" image, and are as such not allowed to date (an unspoken rule, really). I honestly find that level of sacrifice, just for the entertainment of myself and fans like me, to be pretty amazing and inspiring. So as payback for that inspiration, I do everything I can to attend events in person and show my support face-to-face. It sounds a little crazy, I'm sure, but that's how it is.

And up until my first trip to see the group in person (Los Angeles, July 2009) I would have agreed with you on traveling around the world to meet them...not to say that I wouldn't have done it before then; if I had piles of money I'd have been all about traveling everywhere to see them (there's a lot of things I'd do if I had piles of money haha). But the fact is I don't have a lot of money, and I have to scrounge and save up all the time to afford these trips. LA was a cheap, easy trip for me, being inside the US, so I took the trip intending for a one-time thing to see a musician I like (I actually wasn't even a huge fan of Morning Musume itself at the time, I liked a former member of the group...only after AX did I come to choose one of the current members to support).
But meeting the girls in person and having the chance to see how much they really do care about their fans and love what they do was a real eye-opener for me...so from that point on I've taken every chance I could get to go see Morning Musume live. It's gotten to where Takahashi Ai recognizes me at events, actually haha
It's also cool to meet the people who come from other places to see Morning Musume, since I'm making friends from all over the world in the process.

Although not all idols are so perfect as to just not date, of course...sometimes it's revealed they ARE dating (usually via paparazzi) and depending on their managing agency's handling of the situation and the reaction of the fans that can be a career-killer. The member I support has an essentially spotless track record though, which is one of the reasons I support her so enthusiastically. She's also very sweet and takes her position as an idol quite seriously...along with being pretty talented (for an idol, at least). It also helps that she's easy on the eyes

I'm not sure if that will make sense to anybody here or not...most of the time people outside the idol fan community just give me a weird look or are outright offended by the whole idol thing (especially the "no dating" policy - sadly an integral part of what makes idols idols), but I've come to accept that as part of the "package deal" as it might be called. Hopefully this won't tarnish my image too much

Uh, so these people get paid a bunch of money to pretend to be some "perfect" person (which they're not) to appeal to a bunch of people who they can't/wouldn't date/form any sort of real relationship with? It sounds like their career description is real life attainable(but actually unattainable) masturbation fantasy.

[ZeroAX]

So basically, they are an Otaku's dream girl. Remember all those weeaboos who think that if they went to a Japanese high school, there'd be a bunch of girls like Haruhi Suzumiya? Well idols exist to sell that dream, and make money off of those people who will buy anything they release.

Agh, I'm pretty sure there's a feminist somewhere in the world committing suicide right now.

[CatchFiveBats]

This is exactly the kind of tangent I'd hoped we wouldn't go off on, but so be it...

a bunch of money

Not really, from what I understand only the absolute most popular members that were with the group in the beginning (as in, 1997-2003 or so) get paid anything decent. Morning Musume has dropped considerably in popularity over the last several years, so I believe most of them don't get paid too terribly well. Haven't looked closely at the exact numbers, though, so I can't tell you for sure.

to pretend to be some "perfect" person (which they're not)

Indeed they're not...but that doesn't mean they aren't sincere in their efforts or aren't deserving of the fans' support. Some members are, some members aren't. It's up to the individual to decide which members are worth supporting.

to appeal to a bunch of people who they can't/wouldn't date/form any sort of real relationship with?

For some people supporting the members is enough...

It sounds like their career description is real life attainable(but actually unattainable)

Sure, that's a reasonable way to describe it.

masturbation fantasy.

For some people, yes. For me, no.

So basically, they are an Otaku's dream girl.

Something like that, if you want to spin it that way.

[Inazuma]

So basically, they are an Otaku's dream girl.

I am an otaku and I would prefer a woman who actually has sex. >_>

[ZeroAX]

So basically, they are an Otaku's dream girl.

I am an otaku and I would prefer a woman who actually has sex. >_>

Aren't you gay