27 comments on “So tell me: just how popular is Sato Masaki really?

  1. When she first joined I couldn’t stand her. But I’ve mellowed a lot toward her over the last couple of years as it seems to me she has matured a bit. Some of her fans really are annoying though.

  2. It is not about her abilities in performing, nor her looks, that make her famous. It is that she projects a different aura from the rest, not just in Momusu, but of the entire idols industry.

    Some already mentioned things being funny as well as philosophical without trying, or things like chaning choreography in each performances. Overall, for me at least, watching her is like taking a trip to unknown territory, but yet somehow familiar. It is very unique experience for me for these past 4-5 years, eventhough I have been idols fan since the dawn of this millennium.

    You can find a perfect girl to be the next Suzuki Airi, but you will never find the next Maachan

    • I think she also has some W (douvle you) vibes. Just like you said it is difficult to find thr next maachan. I agree with you. And i want to add that it is also as difficult to find perdect two aibon and nono, but maachan somehow gives off their aura…i I don’t knos..is it just me?

  3. One day, I was just browsing some H!P clips on YouTube, and the next thing I knew, I was watching only clips of Maa-chan.

  4. It’s refreshing in this day and age with so much crap going down to be confronted by somebody who (on the outside at least) is just having fun. She’s an island of irreverence and joy in a sea of seriousness and wall to wall unplesentness that has been the news across the past years. At least for me.

  5. Thanks for the thread!

    Small slip-up though. 162 should be: “and she has the air of someone who wouldn’t”

  6. Her normal behaviour towards the other members may be perceived as annoying to people watching her, but it doesn’t look like the other members are annoyed, so I don’t think it should matter to anyone. In fact, she seems pretty well-liked by the H!P members (or at least she seems to be able to get along with most of them). But hey, if you wanna feel annoyed on behalf of the members, then uhh… go ahead?

    What I like about Maa-chan is that she focuses a lot on her performance on stage, and really looks up to her seniors (to the point of imitating them sometimes). Plus her little ad-libs on her solo parts on stage are really fun to watch. You can tell she has a good feel for music.

  7. I’m a Maafan.. I wonder how I got interested in her..
    Definitely her character.. she was so awkward at first..
    I was like ‘what the hell is this girl doing in MM’..
    Then she suddenly became loud & crazy, she became super close with the lone wolf Reina, which surprised me.. She was like building a bridge btwn senior & junior of the group.. She became the group’s moodmaker..I got interested with her..
    Then seeing her improve with each single & she shine on stage, it felt like an achievement following her as a fan..
    It is true that sometimes she may appear rude.. But I always believe that she didnt mean to be rude.. But still, as a fan, I always scared that people might think that she’s a rude girl when she was just being herself..
    Now, no doubt that she’s feeling the responsibility to drive the group forward now that Sayashi is gone.. She mention it on a few occasion.. She’s worried about the 12ki too like a proper senior.. not to mention she was one of their mentor..

  8. oh crap… I have to be careful not to write a novel about my beloved Maa-chan… she’s the reason that I’m still an H!P fan… I was pretty much done with this world (H!P… not the real world XD I wasn’t suicidal…) when Kame-chan graduated… but after a few months of pure sadness I looked into these eyes and couldn’t stop smiling… why do I like Sato Masaki? everything that’s written above… plus she never fails to impress me… yes, she has her flaws… and I have to agree with the last comment… Maa-chan wota need to chill out when someone is attacking her… every extrovert or special character drags lovers and haters… and there are those, who are not affected at all… I totally get it… I simply choose to not like Maa-chan haters and won’t talk to them ^^

    in the end I always see a hard working girl who never brags… she always aims at perfection and is never satisfied with her own performance… she still needs to grow in confidence… she always puts others first (especially 12ki) and never complains… that’s part of her character as well as her general love for music… and of course her explosions in front of the camera… but that’s just the way she is… she doesn’t even like to be in the focus… she often stated, that standing in front of the camera is weird and she’d never get used to it… she even hated it at times… people who don’t see this side of her haven’t paid attention…

    if you want to know her better, I’d recommend you watching DVD Magazine 76 and 80… and this is Maa-chan in a nutshell:

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ipf0a_engsub-dvd-magazine-vol-75-morning-musume-sato-masaki-cut_fun

  9. Heck, she even seems to be the most popular right now. Wasn’t her birthday event held in a bigger venue like Riho used to have? Her celeb fans are helluva popular as well. Stage director and music teachers are so impressed by her. She’s not a typical idol, that’s why many people find her interesting. She’s pretty, funny, exciting, and a great performer. A complete package, man. Her kouhais look up to her. They made her the center in singles. Still asking why she gets many fans? Whew. If some people still don’t get why she could be the most popular, they’re just denials. They think their standards are what supposed to be the basis of popularity and what of type of idol is supposed to be likable and marketable. They are annoyed at fans bragging about Maa’s traits, because their favorites doesn’t have those. Probably they’re just jealous, and feel righteous because they got annoyed by the fact that other people deem Maa as a better idol..yet she’s doesn’t behave like a generic ideal one. Isn’t it super interesting?

    Just like the #40 said: “Once you do so, it’s no wonder you’re labelled an anti. Sure, Maa can be annoying sometimes, but you and your desire to press your own cause is just as annoying.”

  10. Sorry Ikuta but i have officially oshihened to Maa-chan over the last year.. Maa-chan is a special kind of idol that seems to have no limitations on what shes really capable of.. I can see why she is becoming the most popular member of Morning if she isnt that already..

  11. She’s my oishi. I like her cause she just doesn’t give a damn and does what she does. No one’s really ever been a “my pace” chara to such a level. I’ve never been a fan of the whole seniority level things, so it’s refreshing to see the mold being broken a bit. It’s always fun to see the reactions of others when she just blurts out whatever.

    She also fulfills all the performance traits of an idol. Sings, dances, etc on an exceptionally high level. Want to keep seeing how she’ll do in the future.

    It also makes me wonder how much she’s contributed to getting the different groups interacting together. I don’t think I’ve seen the groups being friendly with each other on this level since like mid 2000s. I don’t think she’s the sole reason of course, as many of these groups have old Kenshuusei members.

  12. She is the heart of Morning Musume, since at least the colorful era. I pretty much agree with all the other comments, but also in interviews and pictures she does little gestures that help her stand out from the group. She definitely cares for her juniors, from Sakura to the juunikkies.

  13. Is this a Japanese thread? Could have happened in some western forum lol.

    I’m in a love-hate relationship with Masaki. On the one hand, I agree that she gives off a completely different aura than the other girls in MM. She’s got character, and it actually looks real to me, not over the top like Ikuta or Maria (though I like them for their character as well). She knows music, she knows how music works, and as has already been mentioned her feel for rhythm is great. I do think she’s somewhat of a genius, or at least more than what you might see on first look.

    On the other hand, I can absolutely not stand her voice, neither while talking nor singing, and I agree that some things she said or did were just no-gos. Crying on stage because she got scolded, in general giving off some weird remarks, etc. However, I think she’s gotten calmer this year and more serious. I remember I was really annoyed that she acted like a 6yo while she was, in fact, 16.

    • well honestly id rather choose a 16 year old whine rather than someone who will have sex behind her husband’s back because sure whining is annoying but it only last for hours but when you cheat with your husband the effect is long term since you bring shame not only to the 2 of you but also to your families.

  14. It’s like Maa-chan is Tsuji and a genius philosopher merged in one. If Tsuji was added to Morning Musume by herself. She had the talent imo (as proven by her solo performances in her later H!P career, she was near perfection), but she was always very childish and immature, cried a lot. It’s just that Maa-chan stands out because she doesn’t have someone like her in the group and there’s no real tsukkomi in Morning Musume like Mikitty or Yaguchi, so her actions stand out and go ‘unchecked.’

  15. I like Maachan’s singing and dancing alot, and I think shes got an interesting idol persona- the thing is, in my opinion, shes got highs and lows, and the lows are really too low for me personally. Sometimes she seems like shes trying too hard… and regardless of their friendships, on stage sometimes she seems awkward with the others, and not in a good way for me (her childishness comes to mind)

  16. Help please!

    One of the commenters above said Maachan makes immoral remarks. Is this one of those “lost in translation” things? I know Sato Masaki is pretty fast and loose with Japanese etiquette, but has she ever said something immoral that would be understood as such in a Western context?

  17. I adore Maa. Not only is she good looking and strong on stage, she’s cut from a completely different cloth.

    But what really makes her special? She’s /fearless/. Completely. Not afraid to act like a 6 year old on camera backstage, not afraid to sing her guts on on stage, not afraid to rub people the wrong way, fans or fellow H!P-mates alike. In this aspect I never want her to change.

    Name another idol anywhere with the same qualities this side of Miley Cyrus. Bet you can’t.

  18. Pingback: Shine On, You Radiant Emerald, One Day At A Time: MaaGrad – Magi-Kat presents "Magic Morning Meteora"

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