Henkka: Just to clarify: this thread is about the male fans in particular — in most cases the word “gay” in Japanese is only used for men. Sorry to disappoint any gay female fans!
1：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:14:46.31 ID:0
Why is it?
2：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:15:44.31 ID:0
More than Japan, it’s strange how many foreign gay H!P wota there are.
4：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:16:29.08 ID:0
There’s lots of gay fans even among foreigners? (laughs)
5：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:18:41.68 ID:0
Now that you mention it, AKB doesn’t have many gay fans. Instead they have plenty of young offenders.
8：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:21:53.61 ID:O
I’m bi myself and I do think H!P really has lots of gay fans. They’re easy to admire and look up to.
I want to be Sayu.
10：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:24:25.39 ID:0
Well? Why is it?
13：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:26:24.38 ID:0
Amuro-chan has lots of gay fans, too. Is it because of how orthodox they are?
29：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:45:17.91 ID:0
>>13
H!P has just so many gay fans, I don’t think it could be simply because of how that.
14：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:26:24.69 ID:0
I personally recognize that I have many gay characteristics, but I’m trying to hold back from turning gay all the way…
16：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:26:43.99 ID:0
Is it not just because of H!P’s traditional idol image?
22：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:31:32.75 ID:0
Could there be something about Tsunku’s songs that’s only conveyed to gay people?
23：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:33:50.75 ID:0
Ten years from now, this same topic is going to made about AKB. Gay people only follow fads, but once they get into something, they feel obligated to stick with it for a long time. With music that supported you when you were going through a rough patch of trying to figure out your sexual identity, you’re going to feel even more attached to it than you normally would.
26：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:37:42.86 ID:0
>>23
That just shows how you don’t understand gay people. Gay people don’t just follow fads — they wouldn’t even touch AKB because of their unique world view. Maybe this is something that straight people just can’t understand.
31：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:46:34.17 ID:0
It’s weird, right? I think so, too.
33：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:49:06.43 ID:0
They’re popular amongst Thai, French and Spanish gay people.
34：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:49:07.63 ID:0
You’d have to be gay to come to like H!P.
35：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:49:17.12 ID:0
Since there’s so many of them, could it be that those gay fans are actually Tsunku wota? Let’s hear it, fans of Tsunku music! (Well, there’s also surprisingly many who aren’t though.)
37：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:52:14.94 ID:0
It does feel like H!P has a lot of gay wota. (laughs)
41：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:54:49.87 ID:0
Haven’t popular idols always had lots of gay fans?
47：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 04:57:31.54 ID:0
>>41
No. Of course with increased popularity the amount of gay fans will increase, too, but that has nothing to do with percentages. I do think the ratio of gay H!P wota is high.
50：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:02:02.47 ID:0
Many of them are also surprisingly good dancers.
57：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:13:56.87 ID:0
http://hayabusa3.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1342332832/
“One・Two・Three made Morning Musume a lot of new fans in Japan, but overseas even more so (4th thread)”
I made a list of all the male dancers from the above thread. Foreigners:
Japanese:
60：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:22:42.69 ID:0
Tsunku’s music secretes pheromones that attract gay people.
61：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:24:48.73 ID:0
The world view in H!P lyrics fits gay people perfectly, down to the verbal expressions and everything. AKB lyrics to me have an image of being more for the everyday straight people, although these days you have people singing even their songs at Nichome‘s gay bars just because they get everyone fired up. But songs like Renai Hunter, Kimagure Princess or SEXY BOY are just really popular.
63：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:25:45.45 ID:0
The expressions are indeed really queer. (laughs)
65：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:27:06.77 ID:0
I like Suki Sugite Baka Mitai. Even now when I’m walking home at night I feel like copying those dance moves. I like the lyrics, too.
62：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:25:45.09 ID:0
Nowadays the only people who end their sentences with “～da wa” are either gay or in H!P.
102：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:00:54.68 ID:0
Nowadays the only people who can with a straight face say “suki sugite baka mitai” are either gay or in H!P.
66：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:27:44.78 ID:0
Why are there so many queer expressions in H!P lyrics?
74：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:31:47.84 ID:0
>>66
This is the man who writes those lyrics.
67：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:28:08.39 ID:0
Last year at ageHa Gay Night, everyone got super fired up the instant that Yume Miru 15sai was played. (laughs) Everyone had the choreography down, too! You would’ve thought it was a million seller judging by everyone’s reactions. (laughs)
69：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:28:50.47 ID:0
So basically what’s happening is that Tsunku’s writing songs with lyrics that should appeal to junior high girls, but now they’re getting the attention of all the gay guys instead? (laughs)
71：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:30:36.38 ID:0
Junior high girls? You must be thinking of some pretty old songs.
70：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:29:31.51 ID:0
H!P members have an exceptional quality about them that tickles the fancy of gay people.
They’re good at picking all the irresistible uglies.
73：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:31:24.84 ID:0
>>70
You don’t care about the cute or beautiful girls at all?
79：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:35:57.15 ID:0
>>73
Of course I like them. There are lots of gays who really liked Gomaki. There’s also many fans of Takahashi, Kamei as well as Michishige. But what’s best about H!P are the ugly supporting members who can never become center. That’s one thing that’s different from AKB and such.
72：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:30:41.93 ID:0
The lyrics of Yume 15 were meant for gay wota.
84：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:37:48.26 ID:0
Seiko, Akina, Ayu, Amuro and H!P. Those are some of the biggest draws for gay fans.
85：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:40:23.60 ID:0
I’m as gay as they come and I have to say, AKB’s stuff is so chock-full of cajolery towards men, I just can’t stomach it.
87：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:43:52.03 ID:P
I went to Nichome to see what it was like and it felt weird with Gaga, Madonna and H!P playing everywhere.
92：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:49:28.69 ID:0
Onyanko wasn’t popular with gay people either, even though the other early idols like Seiko, Akina and Momoe all have large gay fanbases. It feels like there’s something about Akimoto-produced idols that just doesn’t sit well with gay people.
95：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:56:14.87 ID:0
So gay people hate AKB. How come?
97：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 05:57:31.91 ID:0
>>95
It’s not just gay people. The whole country hates them.
104：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:02:28.94 ID:0
The people in the gay board are all “How can you be both gay and an AKB fan?! You have no style!”
109：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:05:21.45 ID:0
They still hold regular H!P Gay Nights.
114：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:08:18.07 ID:0
There’s many gays who like Kojiharu for her airhead personality. Those types of fans also mostly liked Kamei.
122：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:12:44.14 ID:0
H!P is so uncool in a good way that I can’t help but be drawn to them. More than parental love it just tickles my gay fancy. They’re cute and their songs are the kind that gay people love, but their clothes, hair and makeup are so uncool that I feel like I just have to give them my support.
123：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:13:49.15 ID:0
How popular are the new members among gay people? I’d think Suzuki, Iikubo, Ishida and Kudo might be well-liked. Ikuta and Sato, probably not. But I can’t imagine how they’d rate Sayashi or Fukumura.
132：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:18:13.97 ID:0
>>123
Well, for the most part your guess is pretty accurate. Lately everyone’s worried about Suzuki. (laughs)
127：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:15:45.90 ID:0
The cheapness of the PV’s is like Nichome itself in a nutshell.
133：p4201-ipbf2505funabasi.chiba.ocn.ne.jp：2012/07/16(月) 06:18:14.95 ID:0
My gay friend who likes Musume (or Kamei to be exact) says that Ookii Hitomi is his theme song.
144：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:32:04.57 ID:0
How come this board is now full of women, gays and lolicon? The swimsuit photobooks don’t have an audience anymore.
149：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:39:58.00 ID:0
I think the growing ratio of girl wota is directly related to the presence (or absence) of sex appeal. I mean, AKB spends the whole year in bikinis.
150：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:41:50.21 ID:O
Gays are tough: once they bite into something, they’ll follow them all the way to hell and back if need be. The fact that Seiko is still able to sell out Tokyo Dome is thanks to gay people and women with menopause.
158：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:51:19.14 ID:0
Tsunku’s lyrics feel like they’re from the point of view of a middle-aged man who’s turned into a 13-year-old girl.
Akimoto’s lyrics feel like they’re from the point of view of a middle-aged man who’s looking at a 15-year-old girl as a sex object.
163：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 06:59:27.66 ID:0
>>158
Yeah, true. The whole concept of AKB is Akimoto going “You guys want a taste of this 15-year-old idol, the girl of your desires? I’ll let you have it.“
179：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 10:17:43.22 ID:0
>>158
Indeed. Tsunku’s point of view is similar to that of gay people.
193：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 11:56:15.22 ID:0
>>158
You might be a genius.
167：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 07:19:58.01 ID:0
It feels like Gaga or Madonna don’t have many straight male fans either. You wouldn’t call them idols in Japan, but it feels like H!P is in the same kind of genre with them.
174：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 10:06:07.52 ID:0
Do you guys have gay wota friends? If the percentage is really that high, you might have some without even realizing it.
177：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 10:15:40.76 ID:0
>>174
I have around 20 of them. One time we went drinking after a concert as a group of 18 gay guys plus me as the only straight guy.
181：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 10:23:27.92 ID:0
>>177
Seems fun. (laughs)
176：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 10:13:31.15 ID:P
A gay friend once took me to Nichome.
189：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 10:55:48.38 ID:0
AKB’s excessive flirting is like how you’d be treated at a kyabakura.
218：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 14:45:58.19 ID:0
Is this person a lolicon, gay or straight?
235：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 17:42:58.01 ID:0
H!P’s lyrics are popular with gay people. Stuff like Onna ga Medatte or Kimagure Princess is like it was aimed at the gay audience. AKB has lots of songs like Kachuusha or Ponytail that are from a straight guy’s point of view. There’s no way that kinda thing would be a hit among gay people.
238：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 18:01:41.60 ID:0
Akimoto’s lyrics are all about middle-aged guys looking at young girls as sex objects. Skirt Hirari, Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru, or, going further back in time, Sailor Fuku wo Nugasanaide or Banana no Namida. It’s always been stuff like that. On the other hand there’s Tsunku who’s just genuinely writing about the feelings of young girls.
239：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 18:17:04.23 ID:0
>>238
That’s why gay people aren’t drawn in by Akimoto’s songs. The target audience are unpopular guys and jobless shut-ins.
256：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 21:35:45.59 ID:0
>>238
Terada’s trying to write not so much about the feelings of young women as he is about the feelings of adult women. But he fails at it, which leads to the members all going “I don’t get the girl in these lyrics…“
260：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 23:54:12.53 ID:0
>>256
Showa era girls are sure to identify with them, I’d think. (laughs) Stuff like Shouganai Yume Oibito must be incomprehensible to someone born in the Heisei era. (laughs)
240：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 18:21:19.50 ID:0
I honestly feel like wanting to sing Terada’s songs. There’s lots of songs where I just want to become the protagonist of the story in my mind as I sing them. I don’t feel that at all with Akimoto’s songs.
242：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 18:41:23.06 ID:0
Right now the most popular H!P song at gay bars is Please! Miniskirt Postwoman. The lyrics and sound of it are so perfectly girly, it’s just wildly popular.
243：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/16(月) 18:42:32.26 ID:0
I so get what you guys are saying. (laughs) Does this mean that I have the characteristics of a gay person? (laughs)
244：mcn-ud04087.miyazaki-catv.ne.jp：2012/07/16(月) 19:14:31.33 ID:0
I like how down to earth yet sophisticated H!P is, and I like how they do their thing in TV and other media. I don’t have an interest in amateurs just playing celebrities. Lately I’ve also finally come to appreciate Berikyuu and now I like them even more than Musume. Just a while ago I thought they were too loli for my taste, but now I think they’re interesting. I want to be held by Risako or Maasa.
261：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/17(火) 02:24:31.04 ID:0
If only Kudo was a boy…
264：名無し募集中。。。：2012/07/17(火) 03:10:14.21 ID:0
Akimoto may be able to stimulate the crotches of middle and high school boys, but he does nothing for the heartstrings of gay people.
名無しさん : 2012/07/28 (土) 05:24:18 (TL note: this is a comment from the source site)
I’m a girl but I hate AKB and like H!P for exactly the reasons everyone listed above.
It’s just gross how AKB is so flirty towards men. I can’t come to like them at all. For me, even the kyabakura girls who do their work with pride are cooler than AKB. Being an idol is supposed to be about chasing your dreams and doing your best, but all they’re doing is handshake events and cajolery towards wota. It’s disgusting. It’s like how it’d be fine if you tried to curry favor with your teacher as long as you were still studying properly, but in their case they’re studying nothing at all.
If you’re a girl, it’s so easy to tell what sort of type other girls are. AKB’s members — while maybe not quite all of them — for the most part there’s no one amongst them whose character or personality I could come to like. Even the environment is one that doesn’t make it any easier to become friends with anyone. I think the environment in AKB will even ruin girls who were originally nice. Their management doesn’t seem reliable either.
Compared to other idols, the environment in H!P seems good and it feels like many of its members are reliable. And as far as I can see, that seems to be the case, too. There are no obvious ill-natured personalities. I’m sure they have their bad sides, too, but on a human level none of them seem like the type who I wouldn’t want to become friends with. (I can’t speak for the newer members yet, though.) Their characters and personalities seem fascinating and genuine for the most part. They’re fun and interesting. Plus, the office are stupid: they probably couldn’t tell a proper lie to save their lives. That childlike innocence makes them trustworthy in my eyes.
I used to just have fun enjoying the performances of the Platinum Era, but that in turn has made me hopeful about Berryz, C-ute and S/mileage’s new members as well.
Henkka: Well then. If there’s one thing the H!P board of 2ch does well, it’s turning any and every thread into one about AKB bashing. In any case, while last time we heard from the fangirls, I think it’d be fun to hear the gay male fans’ views on H!P, too. (Though the gay females are of course free to respond as well.)
So let’s hear it: why are you gay folks fans of Morning Musume and Hello! Project? Is it the lyrics that are reportedly full of “queer expressions“? Is there some exquisite quality about the girls themselves that is only visible to gay males? Are there really “pheromones” in H!P’s music that do nothing for straight people? Or is it simply because Tsunku is just that damn handsome?
Let us know in the comments!
Source: http://oha2.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-314.html (jp)
i go for #23. it might be true…
i’m still at the rough part i think.
then i might then consider myself as a female-gay wota.
i like kimagure and shouganai… nanchatte… they are just so sad
i remember listening to it when i was so conflicted about my feelings for same sex XD
I’m a gay male and I personally relate to #150 a lot, but I can’t generalize that for the whole H!P gay fans.
But for the thing that made me a fan of H!P at the first place, is just how relate-able they seem to be, even before I knew about the TV shows and their idol persona. It’s as if I can go there and join them as their friends.
And Tsunku’s songs are just so cheerful, fun or/and uplifting, even some songs whichi are supposed to be ballads. :D
I think it has to do with the quality of the songs.
Gays tend to like catchy, happy, well produced music, sung by girls. Lady Gaga, Madonna, Abba, Cher, etc.
The music of AKB just isn’t all that. Why should they care about writing good music when they can sell millions by prancing around in bikini’s?
Today I learned the word ‘cajolery’.
Thank you very much for translating these awesome threads! I wonder if other people think I’m gay because I listen to H!P all day…
I’m happy you like them! Me, I’m more worried about >>34’s theory. The girlfriend is not going to be pleased with these news…
Well of course you’re going to get these kind of replies on the H!P board. I used to go to 2chome every weekend, and although H!P does have a HUGE following (especially compared to in general), AKB is still incredibly popular and not just cause the songs are well known or anything like that. I once spent a whole night debating AKB and recent changes and members etc. with seven Japanese gay guys I’d just met.
Indeed. I was thinking “the H!P board of 2ch” but it seems my brain left that part out. I’ll edit the post to reflect my original thought so as to not cause any misunderstanding. Thanks!
Oh I wasn’t trying to like criticize what you were doing or presenting it has. I like what you do here haha, keep up the good work!
Oh no worries, I didn’t think you were. I just felt like fixing the wording of that sentence. And thanks! I’ll try. :)
235:
H!P’s lyrics are popular with gay people. Stuff like Onna ga Medatte or Kimagure Princess is like it was aimed at the gay audience
no wonder I love those songs so much
I am gay.
Gay for Sayumi.
As mentioned in comments I read, I can realte a lot to the childlike innocence that H!P brings. Morning Musume has the genki ~ness that I’d want to bring to the world. The health of ‘I’m strong’ and ‘I can do this!’ and ‘I can be happy and dance’ are all things MM shows. Their songs are mostly geared towards the hope and protection of the planet and fulfilling happiness..which is something I focus on in my life as well.
It’s a like – like combination that my fandom to Morning Musume and H!P exists. I don’t think it’s really about being gay either.. but I feel a lot of gays and other people have been able to accept themselves more as who they are because of the genuine approach to being happy. We know the girls are not all goody goody in every single bit and way to pieces, but the goal is always to keep the peace and keep fighting by being happy with ourselves and making connections with the world. —-]
H!P is like my ALCOHOL.
I to much agree with you sir!
I’m a lesbian, H!P is fantastic! <3
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I think that people who like H!P as a whole are one of those people who would like the world to be a better place for, well any decent creature in our world. I don’t see that kind of thing to be in any way connected to sexuality.
why does H!P attract so many gay people? Because AKB48 already attracts most of the 30-40 year old straight male virgins. I’m not saying that sarcastically. There is truth in this and is statistically proven. A majority of their consumers are midlife crisis men who spank it to their photobooks and MVs. AKB’s producer knows what he’s doing. It’s just business and one can’t blame him for wanting to rake in the big buck$. And what better way to do that but by using the oldest trick in the book. Sell Sex. Sorry to offend any of their fans but that’s the initial observation of most people I’ve known at my college when they’ve looked at any of AKB ‘s MV’s or shows but especially magazines. The best response was when they looked at Mayu Watanabe’s perfect bubblicious ass. What gay male would comment let alone be drooling for that? Lesbians, i honestly don’t think or at least a majority of them, aren’t into JPop so i wouldn’t expect a lot of talk coming from them about AKB on internet forums.
H!P from its beginnings seem like your typical 90’s music genre but in Japanese. That changed overnight once 2000 hit. I think Refrigeeta2000’s, Dexter’s, and clover12’s comments pretty much sums up the gist of the root of what you’re asking for. It’s all about the happy vibe H!P and MM give off which they easily relate to.
as a straight male in college, i never knew of H!P when i was growing up just as MM was in its peak. I’m in the same age category as the 5th and 6th generation MM members but i never paid any attention to them cause i was more into Playstation, sports and girls at my school. This changed when i first saw Rika Ishikawa. I thought she was one of the most beautiful Japanese girls i ever saw. Then came Gaki and then Sayu and i was hooked. From then on i dated Asian girls in college who looked like Aichan, Mikitty, Reina or Sayumi. Until i found a serious gf who looks like Kamei with the personality and the body to boot (i consider myself lucky). I knew of AKB before i knew of MM. I listened to AKB’s stuff and thought it was alright. Mariko Shinoda reminded me of a girl i dated in the 10th grade–very model-esque but sort of high maintenance. And that was my initial “feeling” for AKB. They just seemed like a lot of girls i knew at my old high school who just seem too pretentious. Sure i liked the fact that they flaunt their bodies in bikinis. But i can get that here in the states. H!P girls, the ones that i crushed on not only are cute but they give off this persona about themselves that they’re not above anyone. And when they’re goofy, for me, it’s like one of the most irresistible things to see considering I never thought Japanese girls, let alone an idol, could let their hair down. ANd that was refreshing to me. When H!P wear bikinis, it’s for the right reason like when they’re on a trip to Hawaii or Guam. Not constantly used in MV’s variety shows or magazines. Modesty can be good especially when you’re an idol. I just don’t see that coming from AKB. ANd when they try it’s like they’re trying too hard to constantly look good on camera and it comes off unnatural. Perhaps gay people sense this too.
As a gay woman, I agree with some of the points that everyone has made, I am not sure as to “gays stick to it until the end” though it could be true when it comes to icons like Madonna. I laughed for 5 minutes when reading that thanks to gays and menopause ladies, Seiko Matsuda can still sell out Tokyo Dome.
More than “queer phrases” I think it brings out certain phrases or questions that are very felt if you listen closely. Lyric-wise, it has an innocent approach to things, without sounding immature and that’s why it’s enjoyable for anyone that could relate. Also the songs have always been catchy and danceable. I also want to try choreography everytime my iPod plays Songs, Suki sugite baka mitai or Souda! (though I’m terrible at dancing). I feel hard Nanchatte and Seishun no Hikari.
I have to say I stopped following MM after the platinum era though. But that doesn’t mean I have stopped supporting H!P.
I have met couple gay girls who are into AKB/SKE/you name it for the fanservice, then for the music, but mostly for the fan service. And when you’re a gay girl and get things like Oshibe to meshibe yoru no chou chou and Kataomoi Finally PV, of course you could be set to rejoice. But let’s not forget that lesbians are not their target market, but 40 year old virgins. The song, arrangements are standard, the lyrics could be/are sexual, KataFai PV could be interesting for infamous “lgbt issues”, although it is exaggerated, Oshibe is sex on stage, hence the huge downside of all of this is that it does sell sex between minors and you have to be blind not to see it.
There’s this interview made by CNN to Akimoto where he’s precisely asked about this (with Heavy Rotation as example), he answered “It’s an expression of art”, “It’s all in the viewers mind” and lol: opinions. He also states through the interview that “he doesn’t know what he is doing, because he is not a business person, so he doesn’t have a business plan. He only knows that if people like something, a chain reaction is due to happen”, heh.
There could be a huge debate of course as to what to prefer and why, but facts are facts.
Not gay, just female.
#79 – Gotta agree a bit, the supporting girls outshine the leads for me as well. They’re far more interesting and work very hard to get what little spotlight they can.
#87 – Wow, H!P music playing among those two’s, that’s impressive.
– #167 – Oh? I pretty much figured that but still, it looks great from my side of the pond.
#97 – Glad to see the country is finally getting over its AKB-fever. I wouldn’t mind if H!P never gets their golden-era fame back but it’d be nice if more people knew this agency a little bit better.
#149 – Might have very well hit the nail on the head. H!P is very girl-friendly, it’s definitely something foreign female fans notice right away. Even my mom’s noticed that while C-ute can be VERY sexy (Dance de Bakoon!/Kiss Me Aishiteru/Aitai Aitai Aitai na/Crazy Kanzen na Otona/Adam to Eve no Dilemma) they never go far enough to be raunchy, so they’ve never turned me away. If H!P started to go the AKB-route and catered to only men I’d have to stop being a loyal fan, I think.
#158 – 888888888888888 That’s a great comparison!
#242 – I would love to see the crowd reaction when that song comes on!
Someone take me down to 2chrome, it sounds fun!
Personally, I may not be gay and there’s only five H!P fans besides myself where I live but AKB has never really interested me. I like a couple of their songs but as a whole, they rely way too much on sexuality for me to truly enjoy them. I quite happen to enjoy the uplifting lyrics, positive messages in the songs that Tsunku writes. Besides, I would prefer to support a group of idols who know when to bring but still know how to be humble at the same time. I actually wrote a letter to H!P voicing some concerns about Suzuki Kanon and sent the link to them. I wasn’t expecting them to read it but I received a response from them a couple of days later. I don’t think that I’d get that if I did the same thing with AKB.
I really enjoy the fact that H!P is reaching out to their foreign fans and taking the time to communicate with us. I like this transparency in a company or idol groups and I hope that it remains.
I’m a bisexual female and I have plenty of gay male Friends wotas, why? Because deep inside them they feel like a girl and feel connected to their music, I can’t say all gays feel the same but I think the happines and genkiness of H!p make gay people feel refreshed and positive towards the hardships of life.
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I am a gay 16 years old male and I’ve been a big fan of H!P since 2 years now. For me (I am not speaking for all of the other gay fans), I really like H!P because, like most people said within the discussion, the girls are not presented as some sexy object meant for heterosexual men to play with. I just love how each idol has their own personality and how cute they all are.
I mean, Momochi is just too cute! And Sayumi Michishige is the cute / prestigious type which is adorable too. And even if they are sexy (for example: “Some Boys! Touch” by Maki Goto), they are still cute in some way. Furthermore, I can relate to them since most of H!P songs that talk about love are talking about a potential boyfriend or a male figure. So yes, the lyrics are pretty relatable too.
Also, I really like how there are so many sub groups and shuffle units, and I love discovering the older H!P groups and soloists such as Aya Matsuura, Maki Goto, Miki Fujimoto, Yuko Nakazawa, Yuko Ogura…
And also, the style of their songs differs a lot (especially in the early years of H!P). It just adds a lot of diversity and choice. For example: “Love like crazy” by Nochiura Natsumi sounds almost like rap / pop whilst “Watarasebashi” by Ayaya sounds very relaxing / nostalgic.
Oh and btw, my favourite songs from H!P are:
Ne-e? (Aya)
Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai (Berryz Kobo)
Yaruki! IT’S EASY (Maki Goto)
What is love? (MM)
To add to my previous comment, each song from H!P usually portrays a specific emotion such as happiness, sadness… I can just relate to each song in a way that it reminds me of my past.
Also, all of the members seem so friendly and I actually write my own stories where I meet my favourite H!P members, and we perform together and have an awesome sleep over with an epic pillow fight! XD Also, H!P really helped me when I felt lonely and sad before I came out, so I feel very strongly attached to the whole H!P. <3 And btw I am obsessed with Risako Sugaya right now, she is discrete and cool at the same time. Basically, H!P allows me to have girlfriends with no romance involved hahaha.
And finally, I forgot to say it but, I LOVE the choreographies of the songs. Like seriously, I’ve performed some dances from MM and Berryz Kobo at family events lol.
I’m a 21 year old gay American H!P fan. I’ve been a fan since 2014. I pretty much agree with everything that was said. I can’t speak for all gay people, but I think gays typically look up to inspirational girls/women. I think what makes H!P so appealing is that their girls are true to themselves, all at least moderately talented in some way, and they offer a variety of different personalities, voices and looks. I think that’s just why they have so much appeal in general. There’s a girl in H!P that fits everyone’s tastes. They’re so diverse and focused on appealing to everyone. My friend (also gay) said it perfectly, that they “want to make a product anyone can feel comfortable enjoying” and I think that’s perfectly put. They aren’t just focused on their domestic male wota. It’s more about the girls being the best they can be than about their market demographic. And I feel that gay people really see and appreciate that.