Now that I've had the opportunity read the whole thread, allow me to offer some thoughts. First of all, anyone who thinks this is random has obviously not been paying attention to h!p. Tsunku and UFA have been fostering the development of a fanbase in asia for years through special fanclub performances and cooperations with the Ministry of Tourism. If you think the h!p fanbase in china is anything like it is in the west (which is physically akin to a child with down syndrome) then you are sorely mistaken. It would take a good 20-50 more years of saturation before h!p would be able to make any overt moves in the west, but the environment in china is ripe for development and the seeds have already been sown. The youth of china, particularly in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tianjin, have grown up side-by-side with Japanese Anime, Manga, and Japanese-influenced music and the self-imposed embargo on chinese sales have only served to stimulate the potential fanbase.
With withering sales in Japan due to a combination of the internet, wota-aversion, and a general nationwide musical depression, h!p needs to do something drastically different in this, their 10th year, in order to survive. While idol music, and the music industry in general, is suffering and stuggling in Japan, the music industry in China is booming with a huge influx of talent and a major increase in production talent. The potential market in China is staggering, and Chinese youth are very receptive to anything Japanese. The addition of Chinese members to Morning Musume is a necessary step in h!p's expansion into China and the rest of Asia. This is not a sign that momusu will become an international group, though that -is- a possibility, what it does is show the Chinese that h!p is serious about expanding and that it is not something they will pursue half-heartedly or abuse as a gimmick. Of course, should this move backfire then the girls -will- be transformed into a gimmick and then shipped back home at the end of 2007. However, I don't think that result is likely. Instead, what we will probably see is Li Chun and Qian Lin act as ambassadors for h!p in China and for China in Japan, developing a connecting between existing fanbases and establishing avenues to new ones. Once this is done, I think they will leave momusu and spearhead h!p's full expansion into China. On the internet negative voices are always louder than positive ones and shouldn't be used to judge the reaction of Japanese Fans and the Chinese Market. Instead, we will have to wait to see how this plays out and trust that Tsunku and UFA will be devoting 110% to make certain this works. Is it a gamble? Yes, but the potential profits are too great to ignore.
Now to address some other concerns. First of all, I don't think you should worry about Li Chun's singing abilities. She does have some pitch instability problems and her ear could use a little work, but these are simple problems to fix and her natural tone is very promising. In regards to concerns that momusu will suddenly start singing in broken Chinese, this is unfounded as all foreign members of h!p have had to sing in Japanese and most have learned to speak Japanese as well, particularly Simmin and Ruru. It's already been stated that they won't be debuting on momusu's April release, so they will have plenty of time to develop their singing skills and japanese abilities. I doubt they'll be forced into a position where they'll be required to demonstrate a mastery of Japanese. Simple statements like "minna daisuki" and "ouenshite ne" will be enough to sate Japanese fans, and I sincerely doubt whether the majority of you would be able to distinguish between their accented Japanese and the standard Japanese that you've immersed yourself in despite complete and utter incomprehension.
Also, all this bullshit about Chinese and Japanese xenophobia is completely ridiculous. Are there people in Japan and China that hate each and want nothing to do with the other? Of course, but they're all relics of the 50s and 60s that don't have anything to do with the music industry or pop-culture of either nation. And if Irie Saaya is any indication, cute conquers racism.
And lastly, I imagine Simmin was a litmus test for this move to see how wota would react to a foreign h!p member. That she was 22 when she joined should've immediately signaled that she had as much chance at getting a solo debut as Yasuda Kei.
*EDIT* Just realized I forgot this. Quit bitching about Li Chun and Qian Li making their first public appearance during Yossi's graduation. Nearly every new morning musume member has debuted during another member's graduation. Goto did it right before Aya graduated, 4th gen did it during Sayaka's grad, 6th gen during Kei's grad, and Koharu during Rika's grad. They're only on stage long enough to say a quick introduction during what would normally be an MC and then they're gone. 4th gen performed the entire grad, but they were the exception. So you're upset that your favorite member won't get every possible second of attention during her graduation? Boo-friggin-hoo. Makoto had to share her graduation concert with Konno and it was even announced until the day of the concert! Besides, there's really no better time to introduce a new member than when an old one is leaving. It's the circle of life, idol-style. Get used to it or gtfo.
P.S.
China 4 Laif
Topic: [News] Two Chinese Girls To MORNING MUSUME! (Read 75415 times)