The Power of Momusu

Recently I have found myself watching through all the old subtitled Utaban episodes I could find that feature Morning Musume. I became a fan a the start of the platinum era but back then it was a right of passage to also delve into the history of Momusu using Utaban and Hello! Morning. Watching back through these episodes has really brought home how each line-up, each generation has it’s own charms and strengths. Momusu now is very different to then and probably has stronger singers (and definitely stronger dancers) but back then they had such stand-out personalities. I’ve found it so rewarding reminding myself of this so this post is to spread some OG love for my favourite members from each generation.

Generation 1

Nakazawa Yuko really came across as a strong leader and personality. A sharp tongue and good looks coupled with her seniority within the group meant she really left an impression. Her solo career wasn’t necessarily going to be of great help in making her a huge star and recording enka music probably just emphasised her seniority by making her seem about 20 years older than she was. Even so She had a powerful presence within the group especially on tv shows.

Iida Kaori starts off a bit of a baby on Utaban but once she starts to get that being picked on is actually getting her attention she starts to warm to it. Even so she is much more likeable after a few years. She becomes someone who physically stands out. Tall and pretty and with her own clothing style as often seen in Hello! Morning episodes. Her personality seemed to be on a different plane to others which just made her seem even more interesting and attractive. Her debut solo album Osavurio: Ai wa Matte Kurenai is perfect Sunday afternoon chill-out listening. I think she is one of the most striking and unique idols H!P had.

Abe Natsumi has a feeling of being a country girl and seemingly really really hates that. Even so she can be both charming and cute and then a little more serious and probably a little scary. I like her but a bit like with Ishikawa Rika I have never been too sure what to make of her as a person but I have her solo albums and would still put her in the top half of members past and present. Ah happy Nacchi is a very uplifting thing.

Ishiguro Aya could be easily overlooked by a fan who came along several years after she left if it wasn’t for those early Utaban appearances. Actually watching them makes me wish there was more of her around. She had the most infectious smile and a damn cool nose piercing. Her aura is a huge contrast to what was to come with Kago and Tsuji and co. I liked this more adult, confident feeling. She was nevertheless only 21 when she graduated. It feels like she was older then than Kago is even now.

Generation 2

Yaguchi BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Sorry. Couldn’t resist it. Is there anybody that doesn’t like the gooch (okay that sounds like some kind of euphemism but anyway). Her energy is about perfect really. She is the kind of person anyone can get behind. Funny but also smart. She has had a good post-Momusu career on tv too. You don’t get that without knowing what you are doing.

Yasuda Kei is probably thought of as the scary one with the ugly doll from Utaban. The wink, the cgi it all was quite insulting and she loved it. Yet she is in no way unattractive. She did have a great sense of humour about it all though and humour is a big part of being an idol. In some ways if Utaban was still going now I think Eripon has a similar “smell”. The forced performance aspect is certainly similar as witnessed by Eripon’s interaction with Ishibashi last year (something that also showed the dangers of social media being able to take a clip with no context and blow things out of proportion). Anyway for Kei Utaban was a big thing. She has even tweeted that her parent’s still have one of the dolls that they keep on their mantelpiece. It helped establish a persona for her in the eyes of the public and that good humour makes her fondly remembered even now.

Generation 4

Ishikawa Rika is the stand-out 4th gen member to me. One of the prettiest members ever and also very able to do comedic characters well. Plus Hangry&Angry were cool as anything. I love their album and wish they’d done a lot more. I have never been able to fully cast aside suspicions that she is at the very least a little uncomfortable with fans but at the same time I think her personality is a little on the quiet side so that could be the reason. I was never into Kago and Tsuji during their Momusu days (although Kago now really shines on social media at least) and Yossie was cool but not really my type (I hope she is doing well though. People make mistakes but if they can’t be forgiven then humanity is going to be pretty brutal. Actually what do I mean “going to be”). Rika was someone who grabbed my attention during the early days of my interest in H!P and if she was still singing I’d still be listening. Also meeting her when she was doing a signing as H&A was a nice experience. She was different to how I expected. Yossie seemed the slightly colder one that day so what do I know anyway. Rika was very professional and left a good impression.

Generation 5

I have written about Konno and Ai-chan a lot over the years. Ai-chan especially as she is my no.1 in Momusu’s history. I want to say something about Niigaki though. During the platinum era I loved Ai-chan and also Junjun. Then sixth gen were so strong as a triple-pronged attack. Niigaki got overlooked a bit because of that. At the same time listening to golden generation singles it was Renai Revolution 21 that got me into Momusu and I loved songs like The☆Pea~ce! too. So here is the power of an idol. In 2008 Momusu did their ‘Concert Tour 2008 Haru ~Single Daizenshuu!!~’. It was a great idea. Do every single released up to that point (if they tried that now they’d need at least 4 concerts). Risa performed Manatsu no Kousen with Ai, Sayu, Reina and Eri as backing singers. It is probably my favourite live performance ever. An idol I’d have ranked probably 6th of 9 and a song I would have barely remembered and yet from that moment forward I loved that song (it works so well as a solo) and I can only think of Niigaki with so much respect and love. Her performance is so feelgood it could be prescribed as, if not a cure for depression, at least an antidote in some measure. The happiness in her delivery of it is so endearing. Risa just seems like such a lovely person. It was great she became leader one day. Meeting her in Paris in 2010 she, after Ai-chan shone the most. I just wish I could speak Japanese as she definitely asked me a question during the signing but I couldn’t hear well as the record store was noisy and I probably wouldn’t have understood her anyway. She left such a positive impression though.

I think in a way this is where my blog came in. Platinum era. Love for Ai-chan and Junjun, the sixth gen and then forward. Plus C-ute, S/mileage, Mano and the rest. I won’t then go into Ai-chan, Junjun, the 6th gen hooligans and beyond. The point of this post was mainly to say Momusu and Hello! Project in general has such a strong history. There have always been great idols, great songs and great laughs. It changes and now there are some impressive members who can sing, dance, play instruments and even write songs. If anything the talent is stronger. Yet each generation owes a debt to the last. There is so much to love in the past too. This history is part of what makes H!P so enjoyable. Long may they keep adding chapters to the story.