Wota in Translation

Translating Japanese Hello! Project fans' comments from 2ch

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The End

Posted by Henkka on December 31, 2019
Posted in: 2ch, Other. Tags: Tsunku♂. 79 comments

Hey,

This is a good place to stop.

If there is one thing about me that I’m sure readers of the site, both old and new, are aware of, it’s that I am and have always been an admirer of Tsunku♂ and his music.

I first got into Hello! Project in 2007. Now, looking back, I think it’s fair to say that my active fandom of it effectively ended back in late 2014 with the departure of its producer. Ever since then, I’ve felt that I have been running this site mainly as a kind of tribute to his legacy.

Now, five years later, I feel it’s finally time for me to call it a day.

Read more…

Best of Wota in Translation 2019

Posted by Henkka on December 31, 2019
Posted in: 2ch. Leave a Comment

2019 is nearly behind us, and thus it’s time to look back and see what the year had to offer. While you’re at it, feel free to check out the best of 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018!

Please note that this list is not in order of best to worst. It’s simply a list of what I thought were 10 of the best 2ch threads posted on Wota in Translation this year, in the order they were published.

Did I miss anything? What were your favorites from 2019?

Read more…

The Music of the Lennon-McCartney of Osaka

Posted by Henkka on December 30, 2019
Posted in: 2ch. Tags: Tsunku♂. 9 comments

What are some great lesser-known
Morning Musume songs?

1: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/03/14(木) 20:21:03.76 0.net
I went back and listened to stuff from a little bit before the Platinum Era and there seemed to be some pretty good songs in there. Give me some more good ones.

19: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/03/14(木) 20:33:50.59 0.net
Every song on the first album.

70: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/03/14(木) 21:11:10.91 0.net
If it’s a song they often perform live but that wasn’t a single, does that alone make it lesser-known? How well-known can a song be before it’s not “lesser-known” anymore?

16: 名無し募集中・・・ 2019/03/14(木) 20:32:21.01 0.net
Buy both of the coupling collections.
Seriously, like 80% of the songs on there are good.

21: 名無し募集中・・・ 2019/03/14(木) 20:34:01.64 0.net
>>16
This.

Read more…

Matsuura Aya “Aya & Ayaya” interview (Part Three)

Posted by Henkka on December 28, 2019
Posted in: Other. Tags: Matsuura Aya. 5 comments

Aya & Ayaya
Part Three: Future

A rather premature autobiography (2004)

Asking a girl who is only about to turn 18 about her ultimate goals in life — a rather pointless exercise perhaps, but that is just what we have done here. Some of her answers are what one might expect to hear from a teenage girl, being along the lines of, “I just want to live in the moment.” But some of her answers also hint at a concrete, proper plan for her own future… In addition, she reveals exactly what she was told by a fortune-teller!

Here, at the very end of the interview, she describes herself for us in a single word.

A Twentysomething Mother

— I understand you would like to be married by the age of 25, right?

Aya: Yes. But what I mean by that is, I want to still be in my twenties when my child enters elementary school. I want to be a mother in my twenties. Because my mom was the same.

— So whenever you had parents’ days at school, people would be going, “Aya-chan’s mom sure is young and pretty“?

Aya: Right! They were always saying that about my mom, and it made me so happy. I’d often go shopping with her and I felt that she had such good taste in things, so I could depend on her with things like that. That must also be because she’s so young. So when I become a mother myself, I’d like to build a relationship that’s like… “parents, but also friends.” So my goal is to be a mother by the age of 25.

Read more…

Matsuura Aya “Aya & Ayaya” interview (Part Two)

Posted by Henkka on December 26, 2019
Posted in: Other. Tags: Matsuura Aya. 2 comments

Aya & Ayaya
Part Two: Birth of Ayaya

A rather premature autobiography (2004)

Matsuura Aya had become “Ayaya.”

Her life in Tokyo had begun, and (according to the lyrics of her debut single) she had now gotten used to riding the subway — something she had never experienced back home.

With a demand for her to be an assertive vocalist, she achieved rapid growth thanks to her innate intuition and composure. Apart from singing, she went on to actively work in multiple other fields, such as in movies, TV dramas, and musicals. However, she could not bring herself to forget her initial resolve: that what she had always wanted to do was to sing…

That smile of hers — her trademark. Supported by her many fans, she has kept running up to the present moment.

Not Running Away

— Did life as an entertainer differ from what your idea of it had been prior to your debut?

Ayaya: When I was a student and I would be watching entertainers on TV, there was obviously no way I could know how they spent their private time, right? But experiencing it myself, I realized that outside of the concerts and TV appearances, there is just so much to do behind-the-scenes. So my first thought was: “wow, it sure is busy being an entertainer.” (laughs) It’s not that you just stand there and things simply happen. You have to actually work hard to get anything done. (laughs)

— You found out the truth.

Ayaya: Like… I kind of had this image that entertainers are all perfect in everything they do. But then I realized, “no, they all put in a great deal of hard work.” But I like that hard work, so I’m glad about it. Besides, I took part in an audition to become an entertainer because I actually wanted to become one, so I feel like I can’t just run away. Ultimately, I’m here because I wanted to be here. If I was to suddenly lose heart, it’d just be like… “what is wrong with you?!“

Read more…

Matsuura Aya “Aya & Ayaya” interview (Part One)

Posted by Henkka on December 24, 2019
Posted in: Other. Tags: Matsuura Aya. 3 comments

Aya & Ayaya
Part One: Childhood

A rather premature autobiography (2004)

Born in the city of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, she would often find herself lost — that was the sort of active girl she was. Throughout kindergarten and elementary school, she loved to stand out. Then, at the young age of 14, she found herself at a turning point in life. By a strange coincidence, she had stumbled upon an opportunity. Already you could see glimpses of her strong willpower in how she pulled this opportunity towards herself.

She made her way to Tokyo. Settling down, breathing in the air of this place that was all new to her… Before long, her singing permeated that same air as it found its way to us.

Choosing to Be the Protective Big Sister

— You are the eldest of three sisters (born June 25, 1986), right? Because you were the eldest, were you brought up always being told you had to have your act together?

Matsuura: I don’t remember if I was exactly told to “have my act together,” but up until the first couple of years of elementary school my little sisters would always say that I was in the wrong. I was always the one everyone would get mad at. But I didn’t like being constantly told, “it’s big sis’ fault!,” so I started thinking about what I could do to make it stop.

That’s when I realized: “I should just always take Mom’s side in everything!” (laughs) So before my mom even had a chance to get mad at me, I would say, “That’s right, Mom! It’s their fault for not doing as you told them! Right, Mom?!” I realized that when I did that, it wasn’t me she would get angry with.

— You had all kinds of strategies…

Matsuura: I did. (laughs)

Read more…

Never Forget Kamei Eri

Posted by Henkka on December 23, 2019
Posted in: 2ch, Morning Musume. Tags: Fukumura Mizuki, Kamei Eri. 10 comments

Sanma remembers Eririn!

1: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/11/04(月) 08:05:40.86 0
Even though it’s been years he still remembers her.

imuniy @samadoulovekr
22:53 – 2019年11月2日
Sanma (talking to Yokoyama): “You don’t look anything like Kamei.“

僕です! @moukattakatta
22:52 – 2019年11月2日
Akashiya Sanma remembers Kamei Eri-chan!!!!!!

18: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/11/04(月) 08:36:57.28 0
Well, I mean… Eririn is cute.

13: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/11/04(月) 08:24:26.16 0
Lots of people have even said that she looks like IMALU (Sanma’s daughter), so of course he remembers her.

Read more…

I’m a Morning Musume newbie. Where do I start?

Posted by Henkka on December 22, 2019
Posted in: 2ch, Morning Musume, Wota. 8 comments

1: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/08/19(月) 11:51:35.80 0
Someone help me out.

5: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/08/19(月) 11:54:45.10 0
Lurk for three years.

67: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/08/19(月) 14:30:59.04 0
Start working out.

8: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/08/19(月) 11:57:52.40 0
Watch videos and study their history.

16: 名無し募集中。。。 2019/08/19(月) 12:10:46.78 0
Get “Momusu Life” tattooed on your arm.

Read more…

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  • New H!P releases from CDJapan


    Morning Musume '20
    "KOKORO&KARADA / LOVEpedia /
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    "believe in oneself"



    Inoue Rei
    "You ~You make me~



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    "Ishiki Takai Otome no Dilemma /
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    "i"



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    "Momona"



    Fukumura Mizuki
    "Tasha!"
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