Okay, this one will be a little stressful. Sorry about that since it's been so long.
Let's see... Have I told you about Akagmui 4 before? Let me check... No, only vaguely. So I'll tell you about it. Well, let me give you the "Answers" speal first.
H!P Summer Shuffles
History/Background
Hello! Project Summer Shuffles (シャッフルユニット) is an annual event in the Japanese idol group, Hello! Project that started in 2000. The idea was to shuffle up the existing H!P groups and soloists (e.g. Morning Musume, Country Musume, Aya Matsuura, Melon Kinenbi, and others) into one of three groups for a season-long collaboration to see which shuffle group can sell the most singles.
Each year's shuffle have a common theme: 2000's shuffle group theme, for example, was color and the groups were Akagumi (red) 4, Kiiro (yellow) 5, and Aoiro (blue) 7. Despite the commonality in theme and same B-side song, each group tends to sing a different style A-side song (details below).
Eventually, this became more of a tradition than a competition to outsell; in 2003 the 3 groups' songs were merged and sold as one single/mini-album.
The summer of 2004 had no summer shuffles, instead all 46 current H!P singers collaborated to sing the song "All for One & One for All".
The summer shuffles continues in 2005--the announced group names are Sexy Otonajan (セクシーオトナジャン), Puri Puri Pink (プリプリピンク), and Elegies (エレジーズ). Unlike previous years, the majority of Hello!Project will not be participating in this year's shuffles (each of the three groups has 3 or 4 singers.) The 2005 Summer Shuffles are also the first ones that ex-Morning Musume members will participate in.
Shuffle Years & Groups
2000: The Color Groups
Winner: Akagumi 4
B-side song: "Hello! no Theme" - a pop song
Notes: Due to disbanding of T&C Bomber and graduation of some members shortly following the shuffle releases, 4th generation Morning Musume members Rika Ishikawa, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Ai Kago, and Nozomi Tsuji (as well as soloist Yuki Maeda) filled in as alternates during concerts and performances.
Akagumi 4
Members: Yuko Nakazawa and Maki Goto from Morning Musume, Danielle Delaunay from Coconuts Musume, and Shinoda Miho from T&C Bomber
Lead Singer: Maki Goto
Song & Style: "Akai Nikkichou" (Red Diary) - a pop ballad
Notes: Danielle, who is from Hawaii and knows very limited Japanese, was given very little lines in the song itself but did an English monologue intro.
Kiiro 5
Members: Natsumi Abe and Kei Yasuda from Morning Musume, Ayaka Kimura from Coconuts Musume, Ruru Honda from T&C Bomber, and soloist Michiyo Heike
Lead Singer: Michiyo Heike
Song & Style: "Kiiro Osora de BOOM BOOM BOOM" (Boom Boom Boom in the Yellow Sky) - an upbeat pop song
Notes: After T&C Bomber disbanded, Ruru went to China, her homeland, and pursued a solo singing career.
Aoiro 7
Members: Sayaka Ichii, Kaori Iida, and Mari Yaguchi from Morning Musume, Mika Todd and Lehua Sandbo from Coconuts Musume, Miwa Komamoto and Atsuko Inaba from T&C Bomber
Lead Singers: Miwa Komamoto and Sayaka Ichii
Song & Style: "Aoi Sports Car no Otoko" (The Man in the Blue Sports Car) - a girl punk-rock song
Notes: Atsuko Inaba stayed in Hello!Project after T&C Bomber disbanded, and thus didn't need a replacement member in this group (she later went on to sing various H!P compilations and emcee concerts).
Us, the BLTS were all excited and planning on preforming at Akagumi 4 with Akai Nikkichou and also creating a promotional video. However, in an earlier entry I put down a convo between me and another member which didn't end so nicely. Things like this have constantly gone on since then.
We've been brought to a conclusion though. Since the two other members have made absolutely no effort to contact the "director" with their commitments, or come to practice, or done any sort of solo practice, we've had no choice but to continue without them with replacement members. For at least three months now only me and the other Aka member have done any practicing together which makes things quite hard to have gaps in the area and not be able to work with your partner. They'd fallen so far behind.
You don't know how positive and enthusiastic I was being about this until now.
This makes me get so many harsh feelings in my chest. They would have been so perfect for the roles... everything we prepared was fitted perfectly to them. Everything we visualised was according to our members. But because they neglected it, us, we all have to suffer for their poor choices.
It makes me feel sick. How can they ignore things like this?
But it was really today that broke the rope. Group practice was today. They didn't bother to tell us if they could come or not. We asked several times. "Yeah.. well, maybe." There wasn't even a reason or excuse. But no, I called to be rejected. That was it. You're done. I'm sorry. You would have been great. We'll miss you.
" if i wasn't enthusiastic about any creative sense, I would be dull and shallow just like the rest of my friends and study all the time and have no fun in life. But I woulnd't be so stressed."
So now,after a brief period of being Akagumi 2, we are now Aka 3. Soon to be Akagumi 4 again. Jiggs is going to fill in for the lead, and hopefully Shannon will accept and if she does, I know she would be the most devoted of them all.
Let's look at the pros and cons.
Jiggs is good at being a solo singer, but being in a group might be difficult. But she does seem to be a fast learner when it comes to music. She's been involved in musicals and such and seems to do well.
However, she is is a little stiff and this song consists of a good amount of hip movement. I'm sure she'll loosen up after a while.
I honestly don't know how Shannon is with dancing... I know she like that type of thing, but she really isn't comfortable with camera work, which is what will be going on for the majority of the time. I don't know... but what other options do we have?
I feel like I'm judging people. I don't mean to, but I am the director and I have to consider how the video will look... Hm, that doesn't sound good either.
But I want it to be good.
There's also the costumes that we have to take into consideration. Jiggs and Shannon and built differently than B and T. Fortunately, the costumes have not been started yet, but on the plans we will have to change a few things...
This is really a bummer. But don't tell Shannon or Jiggs. They might feel like I really don't want them. I do. But... when plans change... when friends are unreliable... it makes my vision of everything really blurry. It's like I can't trust anyone.
-Lisa
