PSA: Arashi is Overworked, Oh NOOOOOOESSS~

[gimmick_game]

I'm not sure if it's adjusting to the new meds, frustration with things that are being a pain in the ass, or PMS, but I'm about two seconds from giving up on Arashi Fandom as a whole.

The new single has been announced. We....should not be surprised by this. In anyway. Nino has a drama, there will be a single. Um... Duh?

This makes single #6 for the year, and probably the last. They had 4 last year.

Artists like Koda Kumi and Ayumi Hamasaki FREQUENTLY release more than that in a year, plenty of artists do. Singles, while they look like they take a ton of work, don't reallly take much work for an artist if they're not the ones writing the music/lyrics.

In a recent interview, Nino mentioned about recording for the album during filming Ohoku. He'd have to record a song every day he was back. He ALSO had to record VSA, HNA and Shiyagare, plus promos and other things. And interviews. He had two days a week back.

It takes LESS than a day to record a song. You can record SEVERAL songs in a day, actually.

Jacket shootings, PVs? All done on the same sets as of late and again - take a day.

In perspective, this single should take them approximately um... well, 4 days to make. On the long end. Not even super long days. 10 hours, 12 tops. MAYBE 14-15 for the PV day.

Even then, during PV shootings, what do they do for the majority of them? Sit Around And BULLSHIT.

Yes, they work a lot. They also get PAID to do so. None of them are emaciated, sickly. Ohno had a cold and had to work through it. Big deal, do you know how many colds/flus/DEATHLY ILLNESSES us normal folks have to work through on a daily basis?

I love them. I want them happy and healthy. It KILLED me inside to see Nino on a cane, but he's still doing it right? If it was that bad, he'd be gone. It is not impossible to quit JE, plenty of people have done it.

These boys LOVE their jobs and that much is obvious. They're not being forced into anything they do.

For all you crusaders for justice, go worry about those normal schmucks who work 60+ hours a week and get paid peanuts for it.


ETA: I'm leaving this open because I want people to see it. Spread it, love it, pimp it I don't fucking care.

Comments

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

Pst, it's single number 6. :P

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

yeah i just got told that elsewhere. Thank you. I apparently cannot count after coding all day and dealing with flash action script...>>;;

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

It's understandable, I had to go to Johnny's net to double check. XD

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

I think last time I tried to figure out singles for 2008 I got a headache. Like...I thought truth was for 2009, but it was 2008.

W/E XD

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD THANK YOU

They do not have creative control. On anything (well...they have it on concerts and even then that's only Jun. XD).



....this was supposed to be down in reply to your other comment. Fail sho...Fail.

[sunnydreams416.livejournal.com]

At the moment I'm thinking more about my poor wallet ;__;

It was a bad year to decide I'd buy their singles/album/DVD (I can't finish the year... textbooks cost to much this quarter XP)

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

That's always an issue, yeah (and dooood, pharmacist, yeah you're allowed...poor thing ;o; *pats gently as to not disturb your brain with its crazy amount of knowledge), but...these bitches are bitching about ~QUALITY~ and shit.

AHHHH RAGE. >.>;;

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

Quality? They do realize that Arashi's not the one that's writing the singles, right? That there's a whole barn of composers/arrangers that pump these things out for a living?

*boggles*

[sunnydreams416.livejournal.com]

OMG THIS.

Sometimes I wonder what fandom deems are Arashi's songs with so-called 'quality'

[arashifanatic.livejournal.com]

apparently, according to my tlist, Arashi "quality" songs are ones full of "rainbows and ghei" like Happiness and especially Kitto Daijabou. To them, those are the types of songs Arashi should be singing and how their pvs should all be. When I responded to someone who said this, their response back was that it didn't matter what type of song it was, love/ballad/midtempo/etc, their pvs should be filled with random scenarios with "rainbows and ghei."

I then said on my twitter that arashi is going to be in thier 30s and not much of their work will call for these types of videos.

i defended their songs and pvs because in all honesty i do like them. But, I was soon flamed and called a butthurt/delusional fan.

So, apparently now, if you don't bash Arashi in fandom, you are a delusional fan. :T

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

....


wait. wait.


When did Arashi fandom become KAT-TUN fandom?

I thought we hated each other, not the group? I'm so lost...

(also jesus fucking h.christ, there is a good chance not a single one of those boys is gay. Get over it. Not everything will have rainbows. WAS LOVE RAINBOW, WITH ITS RAINBOWS NOT GOOD ENOUGH? Kitto Daijoubu was a ONE-OFF. Nothing previous to that was even close (okay...Lucky Man was pretty fabby fab but...it wasn't a single so we shall not count it).


Fucking....ARG.

[sunnydreams416.livejournal.com]

Didn't Arashi themselves say that they were growing up? That the songs of BNMF were of a more grown up sound/new direction than what they had done in the past?

H-how can a pv for a ballad be filled with "rainbows and ghei"? *is confused*

That is disappointing. Being critical is one thing, bashing is another.

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

Yes, can we have, like, a ranking? One of those stupid goo or Oricon polls will do nicely. "Rank your favorite Arashi songs from best to shitty."

[sunnydreams416.livejournal.com]

Oh Fandom, you're letting me down so often lately... -___-

(they say pharmacists make bank, but they don't know all the money that goes into school, I'll be paying back loans for a good long time)

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

ugh yeessssss....

(Same with doctors. Though you'll have a better chance of making bank. Just...stay away from EMS. For always.)

[sunnydreams416.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I think there are 2 fandoms.. one that's level-headed... and the other not so much...

(True. Student loans (+ interest) = black hole. Will try my best :)b)

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

You mean one that is older than 14 and one that is younger than 14? (I say 14 because I have met some 14 year olds that are actually pretty damned level headed).

I feel like an old crotchety lady yelling "GET OFF MY LAWN!"

(Oh dear god yes. I think mine - in default *sigh* is now ...double? What I borrowed? Oh well. They'll be getting a lump sum for the original amount + a little in a few years and they will fucking like it. God damned Sallie Mae.)

[sunnydreams416.livejournal.com]

Pretty much (Brain age doesn't always correspond to real age, I've found out)

haha, I'd be the old lady's friend egging her on from the porch.

(*sigh* I could have bought a really nice luxury car with what I borrowed first year - I was paying out of state - and could probably buy a small condo with what I think I'll be borrowing overall ;__;)

[arashifanatic.livejournal.com]

I agree with you so freaking much. People have taken this way out of proportion. I think the major reason why is that they do not understand what/how things work in the entertainment industry. This is what Arashi does as a living, this is how they make their money, this is how things are supposed to get when you have worked your asses off for 11 years. I don't get what people are thinking/complaining about.

Another is that everyone is saying that Arashi is overexposed but they are only overexposed to US. We are the ones that sit there and watch their shows constantly and listen to their music everyday, not all of Japan does this. Even their Japanese fans listen to other groups and have other interests so it does not seem that they are overexposed to them.

Fandom has been really pissing me off lately.

/endrant

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

UGH yes.

Foreign fandom DOES NOT EQUAL Japanese fandom in the leaast.

Korean fandom...perhaps. They're just batshit, but not even as bad as they used to be.

DEAR GOD WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? WE'RE MORE BATSHIT THAN KOREAN FANDOM?

*shoots self*

[aatash.livejournal.com]

Another is that everyone is saying that Arashi is overexposed but they are only overexposed to US. We are the ones that sit there and watch their shows constantly and listen to their music everyday, not all of Japan does this. Even their Japanese fans listen to other groups and have other interests so it does not seem that they are overexposed to them.

Just my two-cents as someone who's living in Japan: I think Arashi is rather overexposed in Japan, compared to other artistes. You're almost guaranteed to see an Arashi member in a CM/drama/variety show no matter when you switch on the TV. Even if they don't actually appear on screen, someone will mention them in passing on a variety show.

You'll also see Arashi billboards in every part of Japan, like the Kirin beer ads, Wii party, or Sho's Mitsuya Cider Ad. Aiba's curry poster and Nino's Okoge Soup poster is in my rural city supermarket. And of course, every AU shop also has Arashi in front of their store.

As a J-entertainment fan in general, I pay attention to other actors/artistes as well, and honestly, very few of them even come close to the amount of exposure Arashi has. Possibly the only group that rivals this amount of exposure in Japan is SMAP. I've also had students who are non-Arashi fans tell me that "Arashi is everywhere".

Of course, the fact that some fans are unhappy with this overexposure is another issue altogether lol.

[airairo.livejournal.com]

Omg THIS. I've been saying this about Johnny's boys for years. It's work. If it was such a horrible job they'd quit. Johnny's have quit before. As much as we make jokes about them signing their lives over in blood it's not exactly that way, lol. XD

Also they're YOUNG. They can do it. I'm sure they love it! XD (And yes surely they are very well compensated for it! XD)

[gimmick-game.livejournal.com]

Sure, you leave JE and you're not Kimura or Higashiyama and you probably won't have a job.

Unless of course you're Taka. Who is now probably making quite a bit more bank than he would have had the poor kid stayed in NEWS (....oh look at that train wreck, I can't look away!)

Fuck yes, they're young. Well... except for Ohno, he's such an ~old man~. Old man who's in better health than I am. *eyeroll*

(i'm sincerely sorry your introduction to the arashi fandom has been as such as of late. We're not all batshit, I swear!)

[muharami79.livejournal.com]

haha...finally...I think I'm not alone in these thoughts..

Yes...we groan and moan every time we noticed their super-busy schedule...but then again...the only time I hear any complain was when Ohno whined that he couldn't go fishing..haha..I guess it's obvious they love what they do...or otherwise Sho and Nino would have quit long before all this madness, ne? and the moolahs that they gain from all that work must be damn satisfying too..

yeah..I do agree a small part of the fandom is slowly changing to obsession..kinda weird to think that they are actually people who want Ohmiya to get married for real..yeah..it's fun on fanfics..but that's the purpose right? fun?? not to be confused with reality?? it's kinda funny coz recently I decided to read one of the hate memes because I never read one..it seems that Arashi fans are easy to identify with their rainbows n sparkles..*snort*

[astrangerenters.livejournal.com]

If I could get paid to do what they do, I probably wouldn't be that upset. They get to eat fancy food and play games and have their voices cleaned up for their CD and get their pictures taken and answer the same combination of 20 questions every interview. It sure beats sitting in an office all day. Or flipping burgers. Or cleaning toilets.

You know, I don't think we HAVE to like every song they put out. It doesn't make me a "bad" fan if I go "Oh, look, another PV where they stand around and look ~very serious~." It doesn't mean I like Arashi as PEOPLE any less because I don't like every single thing they do. I'm actually happy to see them maturing and trying out different styles (well, whatever they're handed, haha). Everyone's just getting way too entitled where Arashi's concerned. Kitto Daijoubu is Kitto Daijoubu and if that's what I want to hear, then I PLAY IT ON MY IPOD AND ENJOY IT.

I think the best thing to do is to just avoid most Arashi posts that turn into "discussion" aka whining. It's one of those 'love Jesus not his followers' type of things /offensiveness

[honeypuffed.livejournal.com]

This this this. To be honest, my brain is mostly on my wallet and selfishly HOW HARD IT IS TO KEEP UP. There's a few 'god they have a lot to do' thoughts in there, not going to lie, but I understand that's their job. From an Ordinary Citizen point of view, it's just that I cannot comprehend being so busy. But they obviously get paid fabulous amounts of money, and they always look like they're having fun, so good for them. Brain is still definitely on wallet though. Johnny's is an evil, evil money-making scheme, and they are too damn good at what they're doing.

All that said, I have no problem if they keep bringing out singles, it's just that ugh like, if they had decent PVs I'd be happier about it. But the PVs do look like they're like WE HAVE NO TIME and they stand around and do nothing and minimal thought is put into them. I want the PVs of the old days back. Then I'd be happy to have a single a week. Also, just, if maybe they had spaced the singles out over the year a little more idk, then it wouldn't feel so confronting, haha. Blah blah blah, what can you do. Nino drama song, do want.

[bubbly.livejournal.com]

I'm going to relate this to Shun, because that's what I do. A few months ago there was a report (false or not, who knows?) that Yamada Yuu (who I don't like ~anyway~) was all pissed off because he was working so much. Um, pardon? You kind of have to strike while the iron is hot. NOW is the time to get as much done as possible.

They're young, they're attractive, they're popular - why NOT do as much as they can? Yeah, it's kind of annoying that every.single.show has an Arashi song as a single (it would be better, IMO, if there was some musical variety, but hey, it's a formula that obviously works), but who am I to complain about NEW MUSIC? I'm not a big fan of Love Rainbow, but I LOVE Over. Life goes on. You don't always love every single song your favorite group puts out. THAT'S CALLED A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. HUMANS HAVE THEM.

/fandom rant

(Also, I think a large part of our ~fandom problems~ is that a) we're almost entirely girls and b) girls are bitches.)

[mynamelessname]

And not just that we're girls, but a lot of immature girls... who have the anonymity to the internet to hide behind when we're being btiches. "We" used loosely, of course. >.>

[karmade.livejournal.com]

I LOVE 'OVER' SO MUCH ;0;

s-sorry for comment stalking D:

[crystallekil.livejournal.com]

i actually read this entire post thinking that you were talking about the butthurt fans of other groups who don't get as much shiny to spend their money on... people are seriously worried about this? xD would they rather they didn't do anything together for almost two years? OR, YOU KNOW, LOSE A MEMBER?

i will never understand fandom. it is comforting to know that your people are just as crazy as mine, though. ♥

[mynamelessname]

I think people forget that this is a BUSINESS. Yes, the boys are doing it because they like to sing/dance/act/etc, but it's their JOB not a hobby, so they want to make money, management wants to make money and while Arashi is so popular, of course they're going to bank on Arashi's popularity while they can. I don't think that people realize that you can disagree with management's decisions while still liking the boys themselves. Personally, I think the jet and the textbook are a bit much, but that doesn't take away my love for the boys individually and the group as a whole. The boys =/= management.

[hontowa.livejournal.com]

I think the best thing to do is just...not pay attention to stuff that annoys you in fandom. I honestly had no idea what you were talking about when I read this post, which I assume means there's some comment wank somewhere that I didn't see. I've saved myself so much grief by just not looking at this kind of stuff, and if I do happen across it, just taking a deep breath, maybe ranting to a friend, and then just...move on.

Not every stupid/immature/silly thing that's said needs a response, you know? In the end, the stupid and/or immature people will go on thinking what they think, and you're the one that has to have the stress and "reputation" on you. There are some people at MM-BBS that I just have to restrain myself and not answer, because I know it's only going to result in them misconstruing everything I say and they'll be back next week to spout something crazy. I lose so much stress and enjoy my fandom so much more by just making it...my fandom. You should enjoy Arashi the way you want to enjoy Arashi, you know? You should never let any fandom stupidity ruin any fandom for you. :) Hell, if people did that no one would like Kpop! xD

But also, the part about Koda Kumi and Ayu isn't really...true. Both release about 3-4 singles a year (with the exception of 2006 for Kumi's stupid single-a-week thing) - which is pretty standard in Japan for a major pop artist. Six singles and an album is pretty crazy and unusual, especially with the last several being a month apart. Between dramas, movies, commercials, promotional apperances, recording, pv/jacket shootings, magazine shootings + interviews, weekly variety shows, and concerts...I'd say it's pretty fair to say Arashi is exceptionally busy and they are definitely getting an insane amount of exposure in Japan. None of fandom can really know how many hours all that really takes (especially with so much of it involving extra things we don't usually hear about), or how that truely effects each member, etc. But I could understand how some people could be worried, even if they choose to express that in an immature way. If people are actually hating on Arashi for all that...hey that's their choice. As long as no one goes all kpop-anti-fan style, they can sip the haterade in their corner xD

In conclusion, guuuurl at least Arashi fandom isn't composed of a bunch of 40+ year old dudes who whack it over their photobooks and post jizz photos on the internet. That's right, I'm going to go stand amongs those asshats, because my love for JunJun and Eri is that strong.

[mjlights.livejournal.com]

A word *BRAVO*

At last a post that has a logical point to it. The ARASHI as we know it are adults and have (as I said frequently) BRAINS. They know what they are getting into and are working because THAT IS WHAT THEY DO. And with their past experience I'm positive that they are, in a sense, happy that they're more recognized in their country compared to 4-5 years ago.

[karmade.livejournal.com]

I think about my wallet and that we might get another greenroom pv for it. Or might not xD But oh well, I dont read all the commenting on the news, so I dont really know how badly people reacted on it xD I am not into fandom lately, like, at all. I am just waiting for my long awaited nino dorama and that himitsu episode that Aoi Yu is going to appear on (And I am tottaly gonna go OMG OTP for every millisecond Aoi-chi and Nino will be on screen together) xD I am kinda... missing all the fandom drama. I dont even know where are those people who reacted that way.

Btw, was I only one who actually had read 'Hatenai Sora' as 'Hentai Sora'? I had to blink several times before I got title right xDDDDDDDDDDD