Falling Out of Love

This was the Morning Musume I fell in love with.  

It was late 2008, December I believe.  Momusu had just released Pepper Keibu and previews for Naichau Kamo were out.  These nine ladies had completely enamored me and I was in love.  I remember I thought I was so lucky that I had found them.  They were my nine Jpop princesses, just as Girls' Generation were my nine Kpop princesses.  

Girls' Generation are still my girl group love of Kpop.  Morning Musume....not so much anymore.  

This is Morning Musume now.  They still look fierce...they're still a group.  They're still here. 

So why don't I care?

I honestly thought I would be a Morning Musume fan for life.  It's been about five years since I first became a fan...but something was lost over that five years.  

I hear fans who were fans during the "Golden Age" complain about how the Platinum Era was boring and how they missed the old days.  I can finally understand how they feel, but the Platinum Era was my Golden Age, and this "Colorful Era" is what is frustrating me.  

I still like the music, Tsunku is still doing a good job.  Their choreography is still good...but after watching countless videos and reading over their blog posts, I finally found it. 

The heart is completely gone.

Let me explain.  Whenever I watched the Platinum Era Musumes, I always was so amazed by how much heart they put into their performances.  They were a unit, an ensemble, and they were all giving the same energy and it's like they were healing me.  I was filled with so much passion I felt like something great was bubbling up inside of me.  Now, whenever I watch a performance, they're still a great ensemble, but I feel as though they aren't connected in their spirits.  They're like machines.  They're in synch and they dance really well, but that's all they can do.  

If I want machine precision performance, that's when I go over to Kpop.  Jpop idols for me are all about the girls, all about the heart and the energy they give back to their audience, and I feel that Morning Musume doesn't give me that energy anymore.  

People may argue with me that they're more commercially successful now than in the Platinum Era, and yes, they are selling more.  But so are the majority of idols in the market right now.  It's an idol boom in the music industry in Japan, and they're riding the wave.  Japan wants idols, and they're one of the groups to cater to the market.  

Honestly I feel like the only reason I'm still paying attention to them anymore is because Sayumi is still there.  When she leaves...will I stay with the group?  I honestly don't know.  

I've been feeling this way about Hello!Project in general recently, and it's scaring me.  H!P used to be my ultimate number one.  Now I feel like the only group that's really getting it is C-ute.  They're the ones who give me the energy and the passion that I'm looking for.  The Berryz girls are going in different directions, S/mileage is cute, but I still feel a split between Dawa and Kanon and the rest of the girls, and while Juice=Juice is good, I still get the machine vibe from them.  

Aside from C-ute, I don't think I like this direction that H!P is going in.  Like I said, I still like the music.  Tsunku is a good musician and I will listen to his work.  But now I can get that with Backstage and Afilia Saga.

There are more and more idols (and artists in general) that are catching my attention better than the H!P sphere right now, and I'm giving them my love and support.  

I feel like I'm mourning over a dead person right now.  I've been listening to all of the H!P music from 2007-2010 and staying in nostalgia mode.  

I seriously listened to all of the Mano Erina singles and felt like I was gonna cry.

I may sound like a butthurt fan right now, but I really do miss that time in H!P.  

We'll see how the future in H!P unfolds, and I'll keep tabs on it, but it's clear to me that they won't be my main focus anymore...

Does anyone else feel this way?  What do you think of the state of H!P right now?  Let me know!