Restarting the Old Rusty Engine
(For the 2nd Time too)


Click here to read more



Friday, January 26, 2007

Kikkawa Yuu - Ayaya v2.0

Lately, while examining at my site stats, I looked at the top searches that lead to this blog. Thank you all the readers here who have been coming back to visit, and spare a bit of your time with Hello Non-Pro Hour. (^_^)v

Have lots of eye-brow raising search keywords that are along the lines of "Yossie's boyfriend", "Goto Maki boobs", "Takahashi Ai lookalike"... etc. I wonder what prompted them to search for it. Of course one of the top searches have to be about Yossie's plight this month. (T.T) And of course the recurring "When is Aibon coming back?" (T^T)

Anyways, there's this one particular search keyword that surprised me - "Kikkawa Yuu"


There's got to be a reason for it.

It's been months after the Morning Musume Happy 8 Audition for the 8th addition to Momusu, and people haven't gotten over her yet?
Note that Tsunku had have high praises for her, I personally, thought that even though she may not be ready, doesn't perform well under pressure... she gave one of the best performances on the final day, and is looking darn pretty at it.

So after strolling around for information, found that there's been a buzz among the Morning Musume fans -> Kikkawa Yuu may be the next Ayaya.

Matsuura Aya had auditioned for 4th Audition Morning Musume audition and the Heike Michiyo Protegee audition. Though she did not enter Morning Musume, the agency saw a great potential in her, and drafted her in anyway to be a solo artist. And they were right about her. After Iida Kaori coined her with a nickname "Ayaya", the rest is history. Ayaya went on to become the top solo girl in Hello! Project.

On the side note: There were rumours that during the 6th generation intake, about Ishikawa Rika was instrumental in objecting the entry of Ayaya along with the 6th gens, therefore the agency chose Fujimoto Miki instead. But no matter, Ayaya is still successful anyway as a soloist.

Apparently, some fans feel that Kikkawa Yuu, which garnered one of the best comments from Tsunku like "unexpectedly photogenic", "good potential", "an image that can be easily built on", "good singing, she sings with her own personality"... this gave those Kikkawa fans some bit of hope, that history may be repeated where a dropout become a Hello! Project soloist, and in time may be the next "Ayaya".

It's still currently in debate. With many commenting that Kikkawa is a perfect "pure girl" stock character, compared her with Ayaya, and that 14 years old is a great age to debut.

What I think is that Kikkawa had one of the best exposure on TV, lots of air time during the audition proceedings (more than Mitsui Aika if I'm not wrong), she is very recognisable already. Building on top of that will be great but.... I don't know.

I mean, we have Berryz Koubou and C-ute already. Will UFA spare that extra attention for pushing a new young soloist? If so, how will this affect Kusumi "Kirarin" Koharu?
How much consideration did they put on Kikkawa Yuu, if any at all, with regards to joining Morning Musume, or recruiting her as a soloist?

What do you think?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

These are all excellent points. When Tsuku dragged his feet on the 8th gen choice, he made a comment along the lines of looking for that "ace" that would be a blockbuster pick. At the time he was taking that position (and delaying 8th gen), Kusumi was just taking off. I think Tsunku backed up, concluded he already had his "ace" when he picked up Kusumi on the 7th gen, and just went with the average selection for 8th gen. Remember, he's looking for a certain mix. He doesn't want a group full of Gotos, Ayas or Abes. Look at the recent 10th anniversary single; Kusumi is the young up-and-comer, Risa the stable 5th gen, then you have the senior members incuding Abe. Kusumi is the superstar-in-training, the shining diamond of the future for Morning Musume. And now that he's got TNX, he has yet another front, another training ground, for some of these Eggs who have waited patiently (some are already 18, including members of The Possible in the TNX loop). It will all work out in the end.

Aqua ~アクア~ said...

I was hopinf Kikkawa would win she's so cute.

Xacur said...

Wasn't she recalled for another company?
The one she auditioned for?
Maybe I'm out of touch but, was she recalled by H!P after the audition? I didn't know anything of this.

Anonymous said...

About the "Goto Maki boobs" search -- there was a posting on JPM forums (forget which thread) that had screen shots of scars under Maki's arms, to back up a claim that she had some kind of cosmetic breast surgery. This was posted in January at some time but cannot find it again because their forum search does not always find a result. Not saying I believe this story! Just guessing how the search originated.

Mick a.k.a. jinryuichi said...

xacur... are you referring to Masuda Ayami?

radicalpatriot... good point. but i don't think Tsunku chose an "average selection". that's a bad move if it makes the company lose money, yes?

UPDATE:
I found out later from WHG that some dude heard from a ... err... insider "acquaintance", that Kikkawa has been set for a solo debut at SSA (Saitama Super Arena)... and we know when and what is the next H!P event that shows up there, right...?


Shocking indeed, but it's still a hearsay story at the mo. But if it's true, your dreams have come true, Aqua. :)

Will keep an open ear for more info on this one. Sounds like an interesting development following up here.... ^_^

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.