A Rambling Review on News Zero Culture Spinoff (2015.07.30), featuring Ohno, Sho and Shige

In a relatively low-key, 20 minute program at the end of this July, News Zero gathered three ""unconventional" Johnny's idols for a laid-back heart-to-heart on why they chose to take professional detours from the traditional idol path of singing, dancing, variety shows and acting. The three idols were Ohno Satoshi of Arashi (for his art activities), Sakurai Sho of Arashi (for his role as a newscaster), and Kato Shigeaki of NEWS (for his work as a writer of fiction).

Now, I've admired all three of them for pushing the boundaries of idolhood (though I'll admit I didn't know much else about Shige as a person other than the fact that he liked to fish with Ohno), so I was naturally excited when I heard the announcement of this program. It just seemed like such a long overdue topic, and I feel like it's been quite a while since people were under the impression that idols (or at least, Johnny's idols) had to be strictly confined to the "conventional" idol activities, most of which are aimed at showcasing their physical appeal (whether that be the kawaii or kakkoii factor). I mean, sure, idoldom is still largely considered a field of shallow pleasures, but who really believes that an idol can have lasting appeal based solely on face value and a plastic public persona these days?

A Tiny Gesture of Leaderly Care from Ohno to Aiba

I just rewatched the 2007.06.11 episode of Arashi no Shukudai, featuring Ungirls as the guest, and I noticed this teensy detail between Ohno and Aiba that I never saw before!

Aiba mis-speaks, as usual, so naturally Nino (aka Aiba's primary first-line tsundere) steps up to give him a well-deserved smack to the head.

But then, right after Nino's smack, Oh-chan, who is standing just behind them, reaches out a gentle hand to fix a little tuft in Aiba's hair (which was presumable messed up from Nino's smack just now). Yasashii, Riidaa! <333

You can even see Aiba giving a tiny nod back at Leader, as if thanking him.

Nino is unforgiving though, and doesn't even blink twice before swiping at his best friend's hair again, this time going directly for the part that Ohno just fixed. Haha what a little devil!

Anyways, just thought I'd share this little moment because it made me smile today :-)

Arashi on Bullying - News Zero 2006.12.11

Everybody remember Kazoku Game and its shocking depiction of the malicious extents to which young teenagers (I'm talking like middle schoolers) can go to inflict pain and humiliation upon their peers? Perhaps the scenes in the drama were representative of the more extreme and violent forms of bullying, but there is no doubt that even if the bullying that occurs in most schools is not half as dramatic as Kazoku Game, it still leaves a powerful and lasting psychological wound on its victims, subjecting them to the torment of low self-esteem, social ostracization, depression, and in worst cases, suicidal tendencies.

Sho and Nino reading thank you letters from victims of bullying.

On the 2006.12.11 episode of News Zero, of which our beloved Sakurai Sho is a newscaster for, the program talked about how they had received lots of letters from victims of bullying on their homepage (I think they were doing some sort of special discussion about this topic at the time). Many of these letters were addressed to Arashi and talked about how Arashi's songs had given the writers strength to face life. One girl who was so afraid of her bullies that she developed a fear of going to school said that the lyrics "Dareka ga dareka wo sasaete ikite irun da" from Arashi's song Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi really gave her the courage to step into her classroom again. Other letters which were handed out personally to the five Arashi members spoke of how Arashi's music and their example encouraged victims of bullying to face their tormentors and some even said that Arashi saved them from suicide.

Arashi CM's - Gifspam!

I just binge-watched about three hours worth of Arashi CM's, from pre-debut to their 15th anniversary. And the amazing part is that I'm pretty sure there's still loads of stuff out there that I haven't even seen or heard of. I really, really enjoy CM's as a fan. They're so gorgeous they're practically like animated magazine shoots, full of glossiness and hilarity and positive energy.

Anyways, enjoy this gifspam into the shiny, plastic world of commercials!

*And yes, this is going to be a pure gifspam. Unadulterated by my rambling comments. It's loooong, so please allow a few minutes for your browser to load.

Aiba for Tongari Corn

Random Soubusen Moments ❤

These are in no particular order. Just random notes I jotted down over the last few months of little moments that caught my interest =D

1. Nino's answer to "If you were a girl, which Arashi member would you date?"

From the 2009.04.25 episode of Ousama no Brunch.

If you watched this episode, you might recall that before announcing his answer, Nino indicated that the gap between the fourth and fifth places was huge, pulling the chair for the fifth place far out to the end of the stage. Then, he names poor Aiba as the member he would least want to date.

"Do You Wanna Feel Like Dancing," anybody? - Chibi Aimiya Bromance

This is truly a blast from the past. I'm talking about the pre-debut 1990's here. And it's Aimiya, who are my current obsession. There's just something about this combi that gets me right in the heart; it's something that goes beyond happy bromance; it's a really deep kizuna. These two have known each other and gotten along since their tender teens. They've worked off of each other's personalities since their very first days on air, when they were still young, inexperienced and with undeveloped TV images. Here, remember this little clip?

*note: Japanese parts are all done by ear, and my Japanese sucks, so I may have transcribed or translated incorrectly. Please point out any mistake you see and I shall fix it.

Aiba (loudly): HELLO!!! This is Aiba Masaki! (どうも! 相葉雅紀です!)

Nino: Hello, good afternoon, this is Ninomiya Kazunari! (どうも，こんにちわ。二宮和也です。)

Aiba: Together, the two of us are... (二人合わせて...)

Nino (in cheesy voice): ...Masaki & Kazunari!!! (...マサキand カズナリです!)

Correction about Nino's Family Background in the Ninomiya Member Post

So you were probably redirected here from the note in the Ninomiya Member Post regarding my error about his family background. I had previously written that Nino came from a single parent family, growing up with his mother and older sister "on the wrong side of the tracks," implying that he was from a less wealthy background. Someone kindly commented and brought to my attention that there is no definitive proof out there to suggest any of these things.

So I am extremely sorry about any false rumors I have been helping to spread around the internet. I know that the Nino post is one of the most-viewed posts on my blog, so I can only hope that everyone who was misinformed will click back here and read this correction.

To set all your minds at ease, I will assure you that when I write anecdotes or facts about our five boys, I generally know or have a memory of obtaining such information from a first-hand source like an interview or a show where the information comes from either the members themselves or other celebrities who know them. In this case, I remembered reading a magazine translation where Arashi reminisced on what their first days as a Johnny's Jr were like and that's where I got the tidbit about Nino feeling uncomfortable about being poor. But because of my sloppiness (of course), I now cannot find this translation again. Which really teaches me a lesson. So I have resolved to be more principled about internet misinformation, especially in the English J-pop fandom where first hand sources are not always readily available.

So if there is a fact or something that you read in this blog and are curious or dubious about, please feel free to leave a comment (you can comment anonymously even if you don't have a blogger account so anyone can comment!) to ask me about it and I will gladly provide whatever sources I used to get at that fact. And if I can't come up with a first-hand source, I will remove the offending fact and post a correction. Fair enough?

Now onto the details about Nino's family background... (honestly, I don't even care that much for probing into his family background, but I feel like I owe it to you all to do my research extra-properly since I misled you all before).

Ninomiya Kazunari - Snarky Slacker with a Surprisingly Sensitive Side

Note from HK: Very sorry to all my readers, but a correction has been made to this post regarding the marital status of Nino's parents and his family background. I had previously written that his parents were divorced and that Nino lived with his mother and sister growing up "on the wrong side of the tracks." It has been brought to my attention that there are no first hand sources that state anything concrete about such things. So I have removed that part from this post. To read more about this clear-up in detail, please see this post. 

Now please enjoy the last of the member posts ^.^ Douzo!!


The big joke you'll hear over and over again about Ninomiya Kazunari is that he's looked like he's 17 since he was, well, 17.

Nino in Oct. 2013 (from the PARADOX PV)

See what I mean? Can you believe this guy is thirty? Physically, he's changed the least out of Arashi over the years. And really, Nino doesn't strike me as the type who would be really carefully taking care of his skin or body the way someone like Jun would. Yes, women over the world are green with jealousy at Nino's possession of the fountain of youth, but this is just such a typical Nino trait: to slack off and yet still achieve the best damn results in the end. We've learned to live with it. Sigh. But don't think for even a moment that Nino acts at all like a sweet teenage boy! He's Arashi's snarkiest sharp-tongued little brat, and will point out little mistakes or embarrassing moments of his bandmates on national TV quite frequently. And he gets away with it every time, too, because let's face it, the other Arashi members all know they'll never get the better of him in a battle of wits and therefore hold their peace. Naturally, Nino is very talented, and stands out in Arashi as a songwriter and a brilliant engiha actor. You know how sometimes people say Ohno sings way too well to be in an idol group? Well, you could also say that Nino acts way too well to be in an idol group! This is not to say that idols can't also be excellent singers or actors, but just that in Japan, where idols are expected to do so much (act, sing, dance, host, radio, etc.), it's almost expected that they should be more jack-of-all-trades than really good at one particular thing. But I'm glad that Arashi members are breaking the stereotype here. And Nino, boy, he sure is a character!

お誕生日おめでとう, 大ち ゃ ん (Happy Birthday, Oh-chan)

This is going to more visual than textual, so I hope you enjoy seeing Riida's pouty face over and over again!

Ohno Satoshi turns 33 today (since it is already Nov 26 in Japan), and I'm sure the other members have prepared a surprise for him at the LOVE tour. I'm hoping it's a cute prank :-) like when they gave MatsuJun that sparkling jacket as a gift. Who knows?

Riida debuted when he was 18, and he's certainly grown up a lot from the awkwardly reticent, long-haired teenager on that Hawaiian cruise ship back in 1999. For 14 years, he has been a part of fans' lives, singing us through difficult times with his powerful voice and offering us the rare word of wisdom in an odd magazine interview every now and then. He may be the quietest in Arashi, but his presence is like a warm blanket that covers the sets and stages; it envelopes us and reassures us. Everything's going to be all right; Riida has got your back.

Yoshi! On to the pictures!

Arashi - LOVE Album Review

I finally got my album in the mail from my trusty old cdjapan.com. I could only get the Regular Edition, because the Limited Edition sold out. Sigh. I kind of wanted that PV of P.A.R.A.D.O.X. but I suppose I'll just have to live with the short teaser version (which, by the way, is already heart-stoppingly smooth and dangerous) and the screencaps that any generous fans may post on the internet.

So now, on to the album.

Favorite Arashi Songs

It is always a daunting task to choose a top ten or even a top twenty when you're talking about artists as prolific and as variable in style as Arashi. So I'm not even going to try to limit the number of songs I talk about here. I'll just give some of my thoughts on the songs that particularly stick with me. They're not in any particular order.

But first, I'll digress a little by talking about some playlists I have on my iTunes, because I just need a reason to post pictures of these awfully good-looking boys.

I have a few Arashi playlists on my phone. They're named after members, of course.

Under Arashi Aiba, I have happy songs, things that make me nod my head and smile cheekily like SuperFresh and Everybody Zenshin and most of Aiba's solos. Arashi Aiba is like the boy-next-door who comes over all the time and wants to pick up your mood by making you appreciate all the little things until life is not mundane anymore. Everybody loves Aiba. I have such a soft spot for him, and this playlist is so dedicated. I play it a lot in the morning right after I get up, to remind me that the day is beautiful, and that Aiba is telling me Ganbatte!

Yes, that's right. Hidden inside this tender-faced shonen is a powerful voice that will take you far far away. 

Arashi Ohno is pure magic. It will transform me into a soaring bird. It's because his voice is just so suited to taking flight. It's got such clarity, such power, such precision, that you feel like you are a piercing ray of light shining out of a crystal and shooting straight into the clouds. In this playlist, I have all his solos and I also have songs where his voice picks it up to a different altitude (like movin' on and Monster).

Arashi Nino is a little melancholy, and a little sentimental. It's the perfect soundtrack for a night alone, with only a glass of wine and the distant voices of the streets for company. It's what you're feeling when you enter heartbreak hotel, but it's also what you feel deep down inside for every wasted day you spend hating yourself for not doing more with your life. It's got anguish, it's got sorrow, and it's got tons and tons of regret. Select Nino solos (and some Ohno solos!) and Arashi ballad numbers such as truth, refrain, Akashi and Your Eyes are included.

I was tempted to post the an an pictures, but that would have been "very, very danger."

Arashi Sho is manly, sexy, and full of swag. He wants to get into your face and really make you listen to him. He's the type of guy you want to be rapping in your ears when you need to rough it out in the gym or just when you're just feeling fly. His voice is husky and low but very distinct, and you can hear him chugging out his words with a gruffness that you wouldn't ever imagine to be in a person as polished as he is. But Arashi members surprise us at every turn, don't they? It's part of their charm. The playlist is upbeat with a bit of in-your-face conceit, the type of thing you want to cross your arms and wear your baseball caps sideways for. Think A.RA.SHI, a Day in our Life, Pikanchi, Jidai, and of course La Tormenta.

Arashi Jun is one fine beast. Where Sho is swagger, Jun is slick. Arashi Jun has a futuristic feel. Jun knows how to be smooth and sexy, and he likes to take you for a ride while he's at it. There's something about that nasal voice of his that, when flattened and treated, is the perfect vehicle for a ride into an alternate sci-fi universe. Arashi Jun is something to play when one is dressed in a sleek leather suit and strutting down the street, ignoring all the heads you turn, because, like Jun, we can be vain princesses ;) *smirk* Songs we princesses strut to include Come Back to Me, Face Down, Breathless, Intergalactic, Mada Minu Sekai E, Lotus, and a swoonworthy number called Tokei Jikake no Umbrella.

All right, on to my favorite songs!