Wota in Translation

1：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 22:49:05.76 ID:0
If it continues as it is with the excessive amounts of handshake events, sooner or later the whole idol industry is going to go bankrupt.

7：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 22:59:25.99 ID:0
I do think idols belong on the stage. Maybe do an occasional signing session if anything. This is coming from a new fan.

8：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:01:26.52 ID:0
I liked the era of just feeling satisfied with the concerts.

9：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:01:31.57 ID:0
Aren’t handshake events for photobooks already losing popularity? Once the fans get tired of handshakes, it’s relapse right back to the Eclipse Era. Well, I personally oppose the handshake events so that’d be desirable for me.

10：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:02:08.41 ID:0
It’s the idols who approached the fans first though.

11：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:02:39.03 ID:0
It’s all because of AKB’s fans.

12：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:03:18.34 ID:0
For better or for worse, AKB changed the idol industry.

20：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:15:14.51 ID:0
I don’t mind if they also come to the concerts and listen to the songs, but I don’t like the ones whose only objective is to touch them.

22：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:16:24.80 ID:0
They can’t stop once they’ve started on that path. You look at the other threads and you see it’s all poisoned already.

26：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:19:34.79 ID:0
For AKB wota, they think the “idols you can meet” tagline actually means “idols you can eventually fuck.” Just like what happened with Sashihara. At any rate, you’re able to talk to them directly several times a month, so it’s easy to get personal or exchange contact information. And that’s how H!P has now become, too.

33：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:27:39.38 ID:0
I was asking someone in another thread how they can afford all that and they said “400,000 yen [US$4,500] isn’t all that much.” They’re all mad.

40：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:30:57.25 ID:O
I became a fan two years ago and was aiming for 100 handshakes with my oshi, but I realized how meaningless it was and forgot about it. It’s best to cheer them on at your own pace. It’s a hobby after all.

53：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:38:39.45 ID:O
Sure, looking at the photo event and individual handshake event threads, I can’t help but feel envious. But if I went, I’d lose my current, comfortable way of enjoying idols and come to dislike the whole thing. Even doing the high-speed handshake events too many times already led to me losing that original feeling of excitement.

58：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:41:06.45 ID:0
If I wanted to touch girls, I’d go look for one I like at a sex establishment.
I want to hear the songs, you know.

70：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:47:08.80 ID:0
A two-shot picture with my oshi turns me on more than sex.

71：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/30(日) 23:47:23.93 ID:0
Back in the days with release events, I was like “I’ll be able to shake hands with the members! Okay, I need to cut my hair and nails, and what am I going to wear?! What am I going to say?! *nervous*“

↑ I’ve lost all feelings of excitement like that… orz

91：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:00:43.73 ID:0
Using cute girls to rip off money is what idols are all about. Making them sing, dance, taking photographs of them, making them do all kinds of things, it all makes for a nice sound of “ka-ching!” ♪

94：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:04:58.24 ID:0
There’s not many replies, but this thread sure is pretty one-sided.

96：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:11:08.73 ID:0
>>94
It’s the main thread so it’s biased. Obviously it’s only the poor guys chiming in.
Still, it does go to show that not everyone likes the current way of things.

105：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:30:26.80 ID:0
I want to go once but I don’t see why they’d be happy to hear an old man telling them he’s cheering them on.

108：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:36:15.70 ID:0
>>105
And the staff are so strict, too, even though they know it’s the old man fans who are important.

109：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:37:48.47 ID:0
>>108
From a business point of view, yeah. In reality they probably don’t feel that way.

114：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:43:41.56 ID:0
>>108
It makes me sad to think that I’m only thought of as a financial supporter.

111：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:40:12.19 ID:0
>>105
They probably don’t feel truly grateful unless they’re told so by female fans or good-looking guys.

116：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 00:46:04.08 ID:0
Even being thought of by idols as a mere financial supporter turns me on!

232：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 21:57:57.14 ID:0
Back when there weren’t handshake events let alone blogs, the fact that the fans’ thoughts were able to reach them at all, I’d say the Tanpopo matsuri* sure was incredible. That miracle was able to take place exactly because of that feeling of distance.

(* TL note: the final performance of 2nd generation Tanpopo. See video below.)

237：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 22:06:09.28 ID:0
>>232
This?

Looking back on it, that was pretty amazing.

239：名無し募集中。。。：2012/12/31(月) 22:13:04.98 ID:0
>>237
The words of gratitude from the members back then were something else. I went to the Ueno H!P store and borrowed one of the audio guides (you know those things they have at museums, you press a button to hear the commentary). I went to the section with Tanpopo’s outfits, hit “play” there and listened to those speeches. Back then, the normal MC’s at concerts were scripted so those were pretty much the only times the members were able to speak freely.

And of course, I listened to it again and again as I cried.

Henkka: Some interesting views here, although as noted it’s pretty one-sided. I would’ve liked hearing the pro-handshake arguments more.

Source: http://oha2.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-620.html (jp)