Takahashi Ai vs Kobe Bryant: There Can Only Be ONE
(http://picroda.jphip.com/misc/jphip00634.jpg)
A Crackhead Theory By daigong
This is a revision on a theory "Rika is Kobe" (before tama shot me down LOL). As I explored their careers further, I realized Kobe Bryant IS actually a lot like Takahashi Ai:
(http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/2369/aiangry.jpg)(http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/7076/kobeangry.jpg)
fierce competitior
Thanks to Fenrir, I acutally included this theory in my letter in our giant scrapbook of messages to Morning Musume, delivered to them at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 4, 2009.
Early Expectations
Early in Ai-chan's career, she was thrust in as "The Next One" - she had already appeared as a kid belting out tunes on TV. Her dancing prowess was great with the ballet background. Quickly, she appeared in the Mini Moni movie and eventually replaced Mari Yaguchi in the line-up as the group went in a more bling bling direction.
(http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6409/ait067.jpg)(http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9907/979c.jpg)
Kobe was a star in high school, with comparisons to Grant Hill and Michael Jordan, his flashy play vaulted him into early success, with a Slam Dunk title at the All-Star Game. When Eddie Jones were traded, Kobe gained more minutes and ended up being the only one with the guts to shoot the final shot in the playoff game vs the Utah Jazz, his airballs spelled quick Playoff Exit.
Sidekick
Ai-chan was cast in the "Lovely" role opposite "Charmy" Ishikawa Rika, one of Morning Musume's most popular members at the time, on the Hello! Morning News corner. They would face off in a comedic struggle for caster Nakazawa Yuko's affections.
(http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3337/vlcsnap78687.jpg)(http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/4646/shaqandkobe.jpg)
Kobe and superstar Most Dominant Ever, Shaquille O'Neal established the most lethal 1-2 combos in the league, expectations were high to win it all. Early playoff struggles strained the relationship as Kobe got more skilled.
eta: fixed pic link!
Dammit, I hate you...I was planning on dedicating my 100th post to my own crazy comparisons between Morning Musume and sports, but I think this one just blows my idea out of the water, especially since I was gonna go for football analogies and I actually like basketball a lot more. :bow:
Plus it's like you read my mind, because it was just recently that a similar notion crossed my mind about how the success of Momusu reminded me of the Kobe-era Lakers. After all, both teams made a name for themselves winning championships at the beginning of the decade, stayed prominent until a few key figures jumped ship, then returned to making an impact last year as their once innocent rookie blossomed properly into his/her leadership role while weathering criticisms from old-school purists.
Ai-chan is obviously Kobe, and Risa can be Derek Fisher...after all, just like the Lakers duo, Ai and Risa were drafted at the same time to a hot team, saw things gradually go downhill, and are now the team's most experienced players and the only ones remaining from the earlier good times, while still serving under the same coach. Ai is known for scoring all the points and being the face of the team (as well as making the color yellow look good), and just like her counterpart Risa is the veteran who helps run the plays and, although not necessarily serving as the team's second or third option, still makes her presence known when needed.
Of course my comparison runs into rough ground when you realize D-Fish left the Lakers for a while. :lol: Plus Tsunku reminds me less of Phil Jackson and more of Don Nelson, taking in people who don't necessarily seem all that great at first and then having them succeed in an unorthodox, uptempo system that favors undersized players...and like with Nellie, I've noticed lots of people wondering if Tsunku's lost his touch in recent years due to their respective teams not succeeding as well as they probably should (I'm showing a bit of my Warriors bias here). :P
Anyway, definitely an awesome topic to bring up. I'm gonna quote this just because it's a great pic:(http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/6763/0copycopy.jpg)
Waiting for someone to crack a tasteless joke about Ai-chan in Colorado... :sweatdrop: