“Hi, my name is Herman Kobabowitz… and I’m a Doll☆Elements addict.”

I have no idea why, how, or why, but Doll☆Elements have become my favorite group.
[That’s great, but who the f-junk is Herman Kobabowitz?] Oh, he’s just someone I met at last week’s Doll☆Elements Addicts Anonymous meeting.
[Isn’t it supposed to be anonymous?]
Yeah, it is. We’re just really stupid. 

Incoherent Doll☆Elements Story
*brews a pot of chamomile tea* It all started last week when I was watching the Tokyo Idol Festival special that featured GEM. For some reason, instead of watching and re-watching GEM’s performance, I found myself watching and rewatching Doll☆Elements (who happened to be included in the same broadcast). I’ve known of them for a while, but only by name–technically I saw them at TIF 2012, but to say that I “saw” them is a total exaggeration. PASSPO and predia had just finished their night performance at Sky Stage and I was planning on getting out of there asap in order to bypass the queue that was guaranteed to form at the elevator. However, since I was in the front row (a fact I have to mention because evidently being in the front row for predia makes me a total pervert *sigh*), I couldn’t escape the stage area before someone affiliated with Doll☆Elements (maybe their manager?) handed me a flyer and frantically asked anyone who would listen to stick around for their performance. Back in 2012, they were still relatively new and I felt bad because all the PASSPO/predia fans were leaving. So I reluctantly went back to the stage. I had no intention of staying too long though–I’m nice, but I’m not that nice. So I watched them for a minute and then I very secretly moved further and further away from the stage until the next thing I knew I had gone down the lift and was at a completely different stage. [Wow, a whole minute] I also still have the flyer. [Well, that’s predictable considering you never buy goods, so stuff like concert streamers, promotional flyers, ticket stubs, and anything else that is handed out for free which most normal people either decline or promptly throw away become your souvenirs.] Please don’t tell my readers that the free stuff that everyone else throws away are my treasures!! [Umm, I didn’t use the word treasure.]
Anyway, *sips chamomile tea* for this year’s TIF I saw Doll☆Elements at Hot Stage and Smile Garden. I was pretty close to the stage for both performances (you can see me in the broadcast at both stages. But don’t look too closely because evidently being close to the stage makes me a total pervert! *sigh*). I thought they were good, but they didn’t leave a lasting impression. It wasn’t until the TIF footage that everything suddenly clicked and ever since I’ve been scouring the internet for new Doll☆Elements treasures. Unfortunately, they only have a few concert clips online, so I’ve been continually watching them on an endless loop. Which reminds me *checks watch* we should probably start watching them again, I’m experiencing withdrawals. [Sorry, but I don’t have time for that. I have like ten kids!] Ten kids? I thought you were just one of my sassy split personalities. [Hey, what I do with my free time is my business!]

Unfortunately, they really don’t have a lot of videos online, probably because they haven’t done that many one-mans (only six in their two year existence), and the few concerts they have done haven’t been released on dvd. Their official youtube channel has clips of most of their recent concerts though. The following video doesn’t include their best songs (imo), but the video quality is better than the others. The third song 空の向こうへ (Sora no Mukou he) is amazing though and even a blind brain surgeon would think the choreography is cute. I would literally kill to see it performed live. Oh, yeah you’re right. I would figuratively… and literally kill to see it performed live.

The key to becoming a hardcore fan of a group is finding a favorite member. Without an oshimen (or oshiGEM), I think it’s difficult to become more than just a casual fan of a group. The Doll☆Elements lineup is amazing and I dare anyone to get to know the group and not become obsessed with at least one of the members. Personally I like all six of them. More accurately though,  I like all the members equally, just some more equally than others.

Super-long kaawwaaiiiiiiiiiii

Form left to right: Natsumi Gonda, Rika Tonosaki, Haruka Koizumi, Runa Kojima, and Yukino Komori. (If you compare this current photo with the flyer from 2012, you’ll notice there’s been two lineup changes. In the flyer, the girls 3rd and 4th from the left graduated and were replaced by Haruka and Yukino).

If the world was going to end tomorrow and you had to choose an oshimen today:
Natsumi (Gonchan) – the leader and anime/otaku type. She also has perfect legs, I mean, if you’re into that. Which I am, because evidently I’m a total pervert.
Rika (Rikapyon) – the sophisticated member who does gravure.
Haruka (Izumi) – the super hot former member of YGA who is now the super hot current member of Doll☆Elements. She’s also the center.
Runa (Runapon) – the super-genki, super-long kawaaiiiii, adorably-funny miracle member.
Yukino (Yukinon) – the youngest and most-genki, who is also considered the “funny” member.
If they are awesome and perfect why are they so unpopular? (edit: I didn’t intend this “reason” to be controversial, so I rewrote it a little. But the idea is the same.)
Despite having an almost perfect lineup and great music (they recently released their first album which came in two versions, each with completely different tracks), Doll☆Elements literally has zero overseas fanbase (which is strange considering even fringe underground idol groups typically have a few fans). I think it’s mainly because they are the younger sister group of Lovely★Doll, who I consider to be mediocre. If fans aren’t interested in the flagship, then they probably aren’t going to be motivated to get to know the sister groups. I think this is a pretty common phenomena with agencies who manage multiple groups. Any feelings you have for a group like AKB48, SUPER☆GiRLS, or PASSPO, will either positively or negatively influence your perception of their sister groups. I think their affiliation with Lovely★Doll has unfortunately limited Doll☆Elements potential fanbase.

If only they could be sister groups with SUPER☆GiRLS and GEM!

Idol News Update #1
After a 20 year hiatus Misa is back!
The last time we heard from Misa she had just been rejected by PASSPO and was spending her summer at her grandma’s strawberry farm to recover. But that was two years ago, which is an eternity in idol years. On 8.31 Misa updated her blog and she announced she joined a new indie group called Stereo Tokyo. Reading some of her tweets they seem to have some sort of relationship with the group Yumemiru Adolescence. They haven’t released anything, but in simultaneously sad and hilarious news, one of the members graduated after just one week.

Idol News Update #2
After a 7 million year hiatus Nene is back!
Nene Sakuragi rejoined Houkago Princess on 9.17. She left the group earlier this year to focus on school, but she didn’t technically graduate, allowing for a potential return. This is relevant because she’s hot and probably the second most popular member. <Is hotness and popularity the only thing you care about? You disgust me!> No, an idol’s political ideology is also important!
Nene is in the middle row on the far right (above) and fifth from the left (below). Interestingly they let her participate in the promotional material for their latest single despite her not appearing in the video or performing at their 3rd anniversary concert last month. Looking at the above photo, the group would be a lot stronger as six members and dropping the trainees. But Houkago Princess has had more member turnover than any group I have ever followed (not counting AKB).

Street-sei Update
Sutorigu 3’s opening ceremony was on 10.11, so now I have an excuse for updating my Street-sei ranking.

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Predictions
Team champion Nagoya (runner up Sendai)
MVP Ruka
Concerts are streamed on showroom (or you can do what I do and subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/user/kchipmunk and https://www.youtube.com/user/nagelibre12 since these channels record the shows)
Fans can vote at the following website: https://map.pigoo.jp/  (please vote for Hazuiki)

Unfortunately, Sutorigu 3 is pretty much pointless since any potential iDOL Street group that will emerge from this Street-sei class is doomed. 

But even though the 4th group is doomed, everyone knows I’m still a huge Doll☆Elements fan.

Aww, Misa updated her blog

There has  been some interesting predia, SUPER☆GiRLS, and PASSPO news lately, but I’m too lazy to write about any of that. For some reason Misa updating her blog is news-worthy though. It’s kind of weird that she even has a blog, considering she isn’t an idol. So essentially I am visiting the blog of a 14-year-old girl. That’s pretty weird. The only way to make it not weird is for her to join a pop group. Any group. Immediately. Preferably a group that is made up of “super” “girls”.

Actually I don’t think she would be appropriate for SUPER☆GiRLS at all, I just thought it would be clever to write that. I have no idea what group she would fit in, but there are literally hundreds of groups, so there has to be a spot for her somewhere. As long as it’s not NEP She Stars. I wonder if it is even remotely PASSPOssible for her to still join PASSPO. They can say they found a box of “missing” balets in Mako-T’s locker and Misa ended up winning.

Anyway since PASSPO is releasing three concert dvds and I want to watch them all, here is what I propose. I’ll buy the Next Flight dvd, someone in… let’s say Iceland can buy the Wing dvd, and a third fan who is totally cool can buy the Natsusora Hanabi dvd. It’ll be like that one episode of the Simpsons when Bart, Milhouse, and Martin bought a comic book and split it three-ways. Actually it’s not like that all. And I’m not even sure how I would share it since my mediafire account got cancelled because a certain person uploaded the SUPER☆GiRLS concert and too many people downloaded it. January 30 is like six months away though, so we have plenty of time to figure this out.

I’m not updating my blog until Misa updates hers

Technically I’m just updating because there is important Maidoru news that has to be shared: The mobile site is undergoing maintenance and will be down on Monday for 12 hours.

SUPER☆GiRLS fans all over the world are like, “I’m not even going to bother waking up that day.”

Everyone knows the word “maintenance” is just a code-word for a massive, possibly SUPER, upgrade. I still log in everyday to vote for Reira, and then check out the random news, missions and quizzes, but I think there are several things they can do to take the concept to the next level. Hopefully their programmers can read my mind because I don’t feel like being a huge nerd and listing the improvements.

This week fans were allowed to vote on the photo that would be included with the group’s next single Puripuri Summer Kiss. You’re only allowed to vote for your favorite member, but that’s probably a good thing because it took me 73 hours to decide on photo “B”.

If you aren’t using Maidoru, just take a permanent marker and circle your choice on your monitor.

And for no particular reason here is a preview pic from their upcoming music video:

I guess that’s hot… if you’re into girls wearing bikinis. I’m more interested in the shopping cart! I think that’s the XQ 50 series. I wonder what’s in it? Probably just glow sticks and SUPER☆GiRLS cookies.

Hardcore  SUPER☆GiRLS fans are probably thinking, “SUPER☆GiRLS cookies? That is sooo last month. Right now it’s all about Puripuri Summer booty-shaking!”. They’re right though, this is old news. But it’s tasty, cookie-tastic news. No puns intended.

Each box of SUPER☆GiRLS cookies comes with eight individually wrapped cookies, two mini-trading cards, and a collectible box with trivia and fun facts. Six limited-edition boxes also contain a golden ticket to the SUPER☆GiRLS cookie factory.

You can purchase a box of your own at Avex’s online store:

http://shop.mu-mo.net/a/item1/?jsiteid=mumo&seq_exhibit_id=58110

There is only one review, but the guy gave it a perfect rating and commented “普通美味しかった”. I google translated that and got: “Usually was delicious”. I’m sold!

Unfortunately if you buy a box it isn’t guaranteed to include a cookie of your favorite member, since there are only eight per box. Theoretically you could buy a hundred boxes and not get the particular cookie you’re looking for. (I guess you could trade cookies with other fans to complete your collection. I can imagine fans taking their cookies to concerts or events and trading them. That seems like the kind of weird thing some fans would do). Even if you do get a cookie of your favorite member, would you eat it? Either way would be strange. What if they’re voodoo cookies and the moment you bite off the head, the same thing happens to your favorite member. I don’t want to live in a world where Reira can have her head bitten off. So the only other option is placing it in a vacuum sealed container and cryogenically freezing it. Of course if you’re a jerk and you change your favorite member every few months, you could unfreeze the non-“oshimen” cookie and then eat it. It would still be edible because the cookies are individually wrapped. And anything individually wrapped lasts forever.

I read a Japanese guy’s blog and he said the cookies were only “average” in taste, but were a “good deal at only 600 yen”. What a pragmatic assessment.

By the way, changing your favorite member every couple of months is perfectly normal behavior.

Speaking of SUPER☆GiRLS cookies, what’s up with the horrible quality of pics at Reiko’s blog. In February she was phone shopping and asked her readers for advice. I thought she would get an iphone because her best friends in the group, Akane and Rumina, have one, but she went with an android. I don’t necessarily care which phone she got, but ever since she did the quality of her photos has been really bad. It’s similar to when you read someones blog and you go back to their entries from several years ago and the pics are all small and low-res. That’s what her photos degraded to, for instance these are the new “style” of photos at her blog:

*Wait a sec… is this a rant? I’m outta here!*
*No it’s not, I’m going to write something hilarious in a second, just keep reading.*

In addition to being blurry and washed out, the photos are square-shaped. That’s crREIzy!I don’t know if it’s her phone’s camera or a new and horrible feature on ameblo, because I’ve seen the same style of photos on some other blogs. Anyway, I lied, this was a rant! It was just a mini-rant™ though. It’s not like I am going to write a 10,000 word entry on how big of a mistake PASSPO’s management made by not choosing Misa. Or how lame it was to then lie about the voting results.

Speaking of square-shaped photos, PASSPO is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of their major label debut on May 20. Predia is kind of operating one year behind them, so maybe they will finally upgrade to a major label. I think most predia fans would like this to happen, if only because this is probably something the members of the group want. I’m not really sure if it will happen though, or if being signed to a major label is actually a good thing. Honestly there are so many J-pop groups it seems like it’s only a matter of time until the whole idol group bubble bursts.

A very important message from Reira to her fans:

This was in my Maidoru message box. *puts on glasses to translate*

“Oshimen”… “very very Thank you”…  “ureshi desu”… “kite kudasai”… “SUPER☆GiRLS” … “kuru”… “ojisan”… “POWERFUL”… “korekara mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu”… “Reicheru”.

My Japanese is pretty bad but I’m pretty sure she just wrote that she loves me.

Last month I was ranked 549 out of the 1171 Reira fans.

Since then I’ve worked really hard and increased my rank to 245.

Maidoru Update: In a little over a month I’ve gone from a rank of #629 to #245. Since I’ve been stuck at this rank for a week, I think this implies that there are approximately 250 hardcore fans of hers using the site. There should be a Reira Festival for us! Reira could perform a mini-solo concert, followed by an autograph session! And there could be pony rides, face-painting,  a SUPER☆GiRLS cookie eating contest, and more!

“Reira Fes” will probably be announced when Maidoru upgrades on Monday.

Speaking of “Reira Fes”, I’m *kind of* thinking about going to”PASSPO Fes”, which is the free “Festival” that fans can attend if they purchase the DVD editions of their next single Next Flight. The concert is going to be held at Hibiya Outdoor Music Hall, which is a venue PASSPO has performed at before, and incidentally the location where SUPER☆GiRLS concluded their 1st tour a couple weeks ago.

This photo is from the SUPER☆GiRLS concert a few weeks ago. Even though the concert has been over for a while, all those fans in the photo are still there, patiently waiting for PASSPO Fes to begin! How lame is that?!