#yumi watanabe

[fontanacollymore]

Daddy's Home Yakuza!Leader Aizawa x Original! Female Character

Notes: Oh, boy, it's been a while.

Firstly, I'm extremely nervous posting this. I usually write x reader fics, but I found that converting my oc fics into x readers was only beginning to hurt me creatively. Although my creativity has been affected by social and emotional factors, I think that not allowing myself to create my works the way I want to has been affecting my ability to write. I know that most people do not like oc fics, but this entire universe is so extremely personal to me. I would have began exploring this universe on my blog a long time ago, but I felt as though I would have to convert Scarlet Fever into a reader fic in order for people to enjoy it. I've reached a point in my life and in my writing that I want to write for me though. If people enjoy what I post great, if not, oh well.

This fic is part of my Yakuza Aizawa unvierse, and I would love to post the first installment known as Scarlet Fever here to tumblr. Please, please, please, hit me up on my ask box if you have any questions about it after reading the fic. I would love to discuss it.

That all being said, I hope to be back and I hope you enjoy this fic. As always MDNI

Warnings: this fic is mostly family fluff with a few sexual references.

She’s so much like him sometimes it unsettles Yumi. 

The way she looks at everything, taking in the world around her with beautiful silver eyes, so curious about everything yet so distrustful of her surroundings — it’s just like her father. Even in the mornings when Hitoshi plays with her, sitting on her blanket with her and waving one of her dolls in her face, she stares at her brother with wide, calculating eyes, estimating the proper time to snatch the doll away from him. Although she has his hair, the raven curls sprouting from her head only having a glossy sheen of Yumi’s own hair color, she doesn’t look like him in the face — her structure is entirely from Yumi’s own makeup — but her soul is undeniably ignited from her father’s flame. 

When Hitoshi was born, Yumi assumed he would grow up to be his father’s shadow, but, as Hitoshi grew, Yumi saw a personality similar to her own developing within him. While Hitoshi’s face is a near mirror reflection of Shouta’s, his personality is too soft, too educated, too trusting to be derived from Shouta’s own. No, Yumi sees herself in her little boy, in the way he clings to his father with only a few fingers in his tiny grip, the way he struggles to keep up with him even through such menial tasks such as walking, the way Shouta actually has to remind himself to stay gentle with Hitoshi. 

With Yuna, it’s not like that. It’s never been like that. 

Yumi remembers the night Shouta told her that he wanted another child, after having put Hitoshi to bed in his crib himself. Never able to be honest about his softer emotions, Shouta stated that Hitoshi was lonely and that having another child around would liven him up a bit, but Yumi knew even then that he was scheming. Ever since Hitoshi was born, Shouta had never been quiet about his regrets regarding her first pregnancy. He wanted to be there this time, he wanted the chance to be a better man, to show her that he could be a better man for her. 

And as usual in their dynamic, Yumi acquiesced to him, maybe out of pity for him and perhaps to stoke the fire of her own curiosity. 

He spilled himself multiple times inside her that night, refusing to remove himself until morning, and Shouta delivered a playful smack to her rear as he settled himself behind her to sleep, cupping both her breasts in one of his large hands and catching the shell of her ear in his teeth as he whispered his desires for another little boy into Yumi’s ear. Surely enough, Yumi fell pregnant again much to Shouta’s delight, and, much to his credit, Shouta was much more engaged in her pregnancy this time around. 

She’ll never forget the night Yuna was born though, the look of utter trepidation on her husband’s face when Nemuri passed him their second child, declaring that she was a girl. She’ll never forget the pallor in his cheeks, the way his eyes darted down to the infant gurgling from within her blanket, the panic in his calculating features as though he perhaps truly hadn’t considered the possibility their child wouldn’t be a boy. Yumi had initially worried that Yuna would get pushed to the side, brushed away as he would demand another child to fulfill the familial obligation should Hitoshi be unable to meet his expectations. 

She no longer worries about that though. 

Hitoshi has left to play on his own in his room when the shadowy figure appears down the road, a briefcase containing black market deals and probably every illegal substance known to man held in one hand while he holds a grocery bag in the other. To any passerby, he looks like an office worker coming home from a long day behind his cubicle answering phone calls he doesn’t care about, but Yumi knows what lurks beneath his suit, the intricate patterns his clothes are hiding. Even from a distance, he looks exhausted, the subtle slump of his broad shoulders and unshaven, tired face evident to Yumi from her place inside the house. 

Yuna senses him too, for her body darts from her assortment of pretty dolls, teddy bears, blocks, and whatever else her devilishly angelic face has enticed her father to lavish upon her over the years. Yumi continues to watch from her spot in the window as Shouta’s form materializes the more steps he takes towards their home. She turns to Yuna, her palms beating against the door as her chubby feet stomp and sway against the floor. The words “Papa’s home,” barely leave Yumi’s mouth before Yuna is pulling her small shoes from their place by the door, shoving her feet into their open mouths; and Yumi watches her daughter’s face contort with anger as she tries to adjust her shoes on her own. 

Unlike her father, Yuna is not graceful, but, just like her father, her impatience knows no bounds. When Yuna wants something, she wants it right then. So, when Yumi leaves her spot at the stove, going to help her daughter put on her shoes, Yuna darts out the door before she can reach her, evidently dissatisfied with her mother’s attention to keeping their house from burning to ash. The door squeaks open, and Yuna runs to the edge of the porch, causing Shouta’s face to light up when he sees his beloved daughter taking awkward steps to reach him. His body is barely through the gate as Yuna crosses the first step. 

The crash is loud. Yuna’s screaming is even louder as Yumi abandons the stove to tend to the inevitable consequence of her daughter’s impatience, and, when she races to the door, Yumi can only think about how Yuna’s wailing even sounds like her father’s. She doesn’t fully know what she expects, her daughter dirty and on the ground, blood pouring out of her knees and her face, snot and tears streaming down her cheeks — all of them viable pictures. 

Somehow though, Yumi never imagines Shouta beating her to their daughter. The gate is several meters away from the porch, while the kitchen is a mere room. Yumi moved as soon as their daughter fell, but somehow Shouta is by her side, their three year old’s body tightly nestled into his chest. 

The first thing Yumi notices is the discarded briefcase by the gate as her eyes trail the skid marks in the dirt before ultimately resting on her husband and daughter. Yuna is still wailing to the heavens, voicing her woes against the injustice of not knowing how to tie her shoes properly, but her shrieks are muffled by her father’s shoulder. One of Shouta’s large calloused hands is buried in his daughter’s hair, his opposite arm wrapped tightly around her small frame while one of Yuna’s shoes lays discarded at the bottom of the stairs. Dirt clings to Shouta’s business suit at his knees, but Yumi knows he doesn’t care — the look on his face is testament enough to his own devastation. He’s in even more pain than she is, his closed eyes squinting even more tightly shut when she wails out a high pitched “PAPA” into the air. 

Although Yumi has told him multiple times that simply brushing off the fall is better than immediately jumping into action, he’s never listened to her. If their daughter gets hurt, he automatically shoulders the blame for not protecting her better. Yumi only watches as he changes positions from his knees onto his rear, settling fully into the dirt as Yuna attempts to scale him, her chubby arms clinging to him in a chokehold. His hands begin rubbing her back, his lips moving as coos and other soft, soothing words leave his mouth in an attempt to calm her. “Oh, my baby, my poor little princess,” he half sobs into her hair, right as Yumi retreats back into the house to observe him in secret, “Daddy is so sorry.” 

It’s times like these that Yumi is most in love with her husband, when he’s being so gentle with their children. However, with that affection comes a deep sense of conflict, a burning caustic feeling that eats away deep inside of her whenever she thinks about their relationship for too long. Shouta has truly come a long way since their initial meeting, so long since the evening that changed the dynamic of their relationship forever. He’s nothing like he was years ago — a fully developed human being in comparison to the wasted potential Yumi originally knew him as. 

Yet, Yumi still wonders how the man sitting in the middle of their front yard, consoling their toddler whose fall was entirely due to her own impatience, was the same man who imprinted the brand into her chest all those years ago. 

Yuna has calmed down enough by now for Shouta to pull away from her just enough to look at her face, his voice gentle as he instructs her to let him look. “Daddy has to check for boo-boos, Yuna,” he urges, moving her dark hair with nimble fingers while she trembles and wheezes and sobs, her hands clinging to his shirt in a refusal to be detached from him. He examines her to the best of his ability, and Yumi realizes he must be unable to find any scrapes on her face when he takes her into his arms again, this time standing with her in tow.

 “Did the ground hurt you?” he questions as Yuna pulls away from his shoulder, oversized tears rolling down her plump cheeks as her fists come up to wipe her face. Her head bobs for a mere moment before Shouta delivers a harsh kick to the ground, cursing it as he continues to stamp against it with his foot. Yuna watches the display almost mesmerized, her sobs turning to mere sniffles as Shouta’s gaze meets hers again. “There. Daddy punished the ground for making you fall,” he says, bouncing her in his arm in an attempt to readjust her, “now there’s no need to cry anymore. Daddy handled it.” Yuna nods as Shouta presses a loud kiss to her cheek before setting her on the ground, and, as soon as her feet hit the earth, Yuna also begins stamping and kicking against the dust in her own attempt at retribution, breathy calls of “die,” exiting her lips as she wanders across the yard. 

Yumi sees Shouta smile, his eyes trailing after his daughter, the fall long forgotten in her attempts at revenge, and he walks over to his discarded briefcase and picks it up from the ground. Right as he turns back to the house, Yumi moves away from the window, almost fearful of being caught observing this almost sacred moment between her husband and their creation. She returns to the food bubbling away at the pot right as the door squeaks again, and Yumi turns to find Shouta standing in the doorway, his abrasive posture having returned as he holds Yuna’s little shoes by the mouths with two of his fingers. 

“Get rid of these,” he mutters, setting the briefcase down before passing the accessories into her hands, “Yuna fell wearing them.” Without another word, he presses a kiss to Yumi’s forehead before retreating into the shower to begin the nightly ritual that he always has whenever he returns home from business. Yumi looks down at the slippers, her own mind a flurry before she nods and curls her fingers around the material as a faint smile creeps onto her face. 

[katebushsbabushka]

Drew these for @oreozfox DragonBall inspired BNHA AU she's writing. I've already screamed once about my child.

[neverscreens]

— ONCE UPON A CRIME.

Part One, 492 Screencaps.

Part Two, 491 Screencaps.

Like or reblog if it was useful, every interaction shows us that we should keep making screencaps for y'all ♡

[almaadst]

Finished commission for @bokutowo ^ㅂ^  It’s gift for her siters! And these are their Haikyuu OCs: Yumi Kuroo and Kumi Watanabe - Nekoma and Fukurodani team managers! I had so much fun drawing this! 

Other: Commission info Haikyuu OC: Matt Emma and JJ PLEASE DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT MY or OWNER PERMISSION!

[vaniitas-store]

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Lucky peeps from Seattle, Mexico City and Taipei are going to be included for advanced screening events. Aaaahhhh!!!

It is nice that the male main cast members (Daisuke Ono, Toshiki Watanabe, Junya Enoki, Shunsuke Takeuchi, Ryumaru Tachibana) are invited to talk but how come that Maaya Sakamoto, who plays as the deuteragonist in the series, is missing in every event?

Anyway, as a commemoration, a mini coloured paper using the illustration drawn by Yumi Shimizu will be distributed.

[whitefang93]

I love shoujo manga. It's really written with a girls heart in mind.

One of the main reasons Sei stays back after avenging her family's murder is her love for Okita sensei. Does it seem childish? Does it seem like something a young girl who doesn't know consequences would do? The kind of questions that pop into one's mind when it comes to motives of young girls that isn't about "goals".

Say this was a shonen manga, nobody would question a boys' motive of joining the shinsengumi, all he needs to show is loyalty to their teacher, someone they are dedicated to follow and get better with sheer will power and gumption.

Thing is sei shows all that, she lost her family, is an orphan, and comes with a strong resolve of even shaving her head to play the part of a guy to join the mibu roshi. She puts her femininity on the line for a cause. Her admiration and love for Okita sensei isn't different because she's in love with him. It doesn't make her any less "noble". I like the early volumes show sei growing and understanding her way around the mibu roshi while in love with okita, if anything it makes her resolve strong and to understand why she wants to serve under him.

Ofcourse later the narrative is brought along the lines of how is this any different from Okita's dedication to Kondo san.

I just always feel how girls agency to fall in love is questioned as something immature of a goal to start with. Is it immature? We don't ask the same question to a boy, where we accept they are still too young and will come to experience things slowly but surely.

Sei's love for Okita is enough of a determination to stay after avenging her family. I like manga established that fact early on. For her it's go back to being a girl and get married. Finding a purpose in life can be something that revolves around love.

Reading Yumi Tamura's mystery to iunakare, something that totonou states abt feminism is also abt liberating men and it got me into thinking abt kaze hikaru.

Okita slowly let's himself experience this emotion called romantic love, it doesn't make him weak, it made him strong and he is liberating himself from society's expectations of patriarchy as he let's kamiya be by his side as his protector and to rely on her. He doesn't have to think that he needs to provide for her as a man then only he is capable of loving her, or that it means he lost his resolve in his swordsmanship. He sees her as an equal to compete!!!!

#for a bakumatsu manga abt pride and honour of a man kaze hikaru provides good insight with gender bends and misogyny

#the purpose of gender bends like even in ranma 1/2 as ranma comes to love being a girl

#doesnt mean its perfect manga

#i wish i could take away the pen from taeko watanabe and give it to yumi tamura at times lol

#places where Watanabe herself gives into the misogyny of the times

#kunou totonou i love you

[saotome-michi]

Today is the 4th anniversary of the Kyoto Animation Arson Attack, which killed 36 people and injured 33. Please spare a moment to think about the victims today.

Yasuhiro Takemoto, 47 (director of Lucky Star, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Hyouka)

Futoshi Nishiya, 37 (character designer and chief animation director on the Free! franchise, A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird; animation director on The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009), Kanon)

Yoshiji Kigami, 61 (mentor of Kyoto Animation; worked as a storyboard artist, unit director and animator on most Kyoto Animation works; key animator on Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, Space Adventure Cobra)

Junichi Uda, 34 (key animator on Hyouka and Nichijou — My Ordinary Life)

Sachie Tsuda, 41 (finish animation on Free! — Iwatobi Swim Club, Pokémon 3: The Movie: Entei — Spell of the Unown, Hyouka)

Mikiko Watanabe, 35 (art director on Amagi Brilliant Park, Beyond the Boundary; background artist on many Kyoto Animation productions)

Yuki Omura, 23 (new hire at the studio, no credits yet)

Yuka Kasama, 22 (new hire at the studio, no credits yet)

Ami Kuriki, 30 (key animator on Liz and the Blue Bird, Violet Evergarden, Myriad Colors Phantom World)

Keisuke Yokota, 34 (production manager over many Kyoto Animation works)

Nami Iwasaki, 31 (key animator on many of KyoAni's works such as K-On, Suzumiya Haruhi)

Atsushi Ishida, 31 (in-between animation on many KyoAni's works)

Norie Oto, 26 (Finish Animation)

Megumu Ono, 21 (new hire, no credits)

Yumi Kaneo, 22 (new hire, no credits)

Seiya Kawaguchi, 27 (in-between animation for Violet Evergarden the Movie and Sound! Euphonium the Movie)

Sumire Kusano, 32 (key animation for Liz and the Blue Bird, etc)

Aya Sato, 43 (in-between animation for many KyoAni works)

Kota Sato, 28 (animator on Free S2, Sound! Euphonium, Violet Evergarden)

Sana Suzuki, 30 (key animator for many of KyoAni's works)

Hiroyuki Takahashi, 48

Miho Takechi, 25

Tomoka Tokimori, 22

Maiko Nishikawa, 29

Takahisa Fujita, 27

Kana Matsuura, 24

Tatsunari Maruko, 31

Atsushi Miyaji, 32

Yuko Myoken, 29

Shiho Morisaki, 27

Sayaka Watanabe, 27

Chitose Murayama, 49

Kojiro Matsumoto, 25

[imasallstars]

The cover art for THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT MASTER PLATINUM NUMBER 09 さやけき花の生命に album has been released and the album is set to be released on the 20th of September 2023. Alongside the title song, it will also feature respective solo versions and a new solo song for Miyu Mifune

Tracklist:

Tr.01　Sayakeki Hana no Inochi ni (M@STER VERSION) 　Lyrics: Yuta Yashiro　Music&Arrange: Shunsuke Takizawa (TRYTONELABO) 　Singer(s): Kotoka Saionji, Yumi Aiba Tr.02　Little More 　Lyrics: Shio Watanabe　Music&Arrange: ESTi 　Singer(s): Miyu Mifune Tr.03　Sayakeki Hana no Inochi ni (M@STER VERSION) (off vocal) Tr.04　Little More (off vocal) BONUS TRACK Tr.05　Sayakeki Hana no Inochi ni (M@STER VERSION) ~Kotoka Saionji Solo Remix~ Tr.06　Sayakeki Hana no Inochi ni (M@STER VERSION) ~Yumi Aiba Solo Remix~ Tr.07　Sayakeki Hana no Inochi ni (GAME VERSION) 　Singer(s): Kotoka Saionji, Yumi Aiba

[orphic-execution]

sound byte!

kimura yumi [ 木村弓 ] she / her

leader, lyricist

yoshida mōmoku [ 吉田盲目 ] she / they (endgoal he / they)

choreographer

watanabe michi [ 渡辺道 ] he / him (endgoal she / her)

main vocalist

sasaki chūi [ 佐々木注意 ] they / it

composer

more yapping under the cut

yumi is the leader and the lyricist. she’s become so dedicated to being quiet like her mother wants that she hardly ever sings in their music, and when she does it’s almost always background vocals. her voice is soft like nene’s, but when she finally snaps i feel like it’ll deepen (like when she’s angry). yumi’s lyrics always hint that something is deeply wrong, even if she doesn’t notice it herself.

momoku is the choreographer. her performances were what inspired yumi to start writing lyrics again — she wanted something that could be portrayed to the world without being a direct for cry for help, which is exactly what momoku’s performances were for her. momoku’s voice is high, but not breathy — it’s similar to saki’s or ena’s. her expressions are best portrayed through her voice, but her full emotion comes through in the dances she makes. the rest of the group often struggles to keep up with her, but she doesn’t even seem to notice.

michi is the main vocalist. his voice is powerful — he sings with his chest, and even when it seems a bit too strained to be safe he doesn’t mention it. he’s the only one who can match momoku’s lightning-fast dances to her degree, even memorizing each intricacy of the hand movements or footwork. he practices relentlessly, to the point where sometimes he’s staggering around after rehearsal. he nearly left the group after fighting with yumi — he is notoriously stubborn on everything, and her saying he was singing wrong sparked their argument.

chui has a deeper voice — it’s low and always sounds ice-cold. they struggle to keep up more than anyone else, and their spotty attendance at school is indicative of how little energy they have available. they brought michi into the group after being invited by yumi, and were the one to talk some sense into him after he threatened to leave. when they have to be serious, which they try to avoid, people listen. they demand attention, but whether this is intentional or not remains indeterminate.

[fontanacollymore]

Excuse my line art as it's still in the works but I really wanted to get a sketch out. I've been obsessed with Yakuza!Aizawa lately and my OC Yumi.

[osharenippon]

'70s Japan Trends Through the Music Charts (Part 3)

During the 1970s, the Japanese music industry was in the process of forming its identity. In addition to mirroring the musical preferences of the nation, the charts also served as a reflection of the prevailing societal trends and ambitions of that era. In this series, we chronicle the most significant musical trends of the decade.

'70s Japan Trends Through the Music Charts (Part 1)

'70s Japan Trend Through the Music Charts (Part 2)

Trend #7: Back to Being a Normal Girl

In the 1970s, disbandments were common in the J-music world, and idol groups did not live through a drop in popularity. The decade began with the end of the group sound boom, meaning the dissolution of all bands that followed the style, and it closed with Johnny's boyband Four Leaves and Finger 5 announcing their separation in 1978. Meanwhile, split announcements from folk bands and duos were standard even for those at their peak. The folk duo Grape broke up in 1973, Kaguya-Hime in 1975, and Arisu in 1981. But, for most men, disbandment didn't mean retirement, as individual members usually remained active in the entertainment world. Instead, women were the ones with the showy retirement announcements. More specifically, female idols.

In 1975, the idol duo The Peanuts, formed by twin sisters Emi and Yumi Ito, announced they'd leave the entertainment world. The siblings debuted in 1959 as the first idols of the almighty Watanabe Pro agency, succeeding as singers, actresses, and hosts of variety shows. By the mid-70s, they were past their peak. Still, their senior position at Watanabe Production meant an extravagant closing act that included tributes from other stars at their agency, a TV special, and a small "sayonara" tour. Five years later, Momoe Yamaguchi announced her marriage and departure from showbiz. But while history made Momoe's goodbye a milestone moment and The Peanuts' retirement created a precedent for female idols to follow, in real-time, the retirement that truly captivated Japan at the time was the one involving the trio known as Candies.

Candies, consisting of Ran, Miki, and Sue, three classmates from Tokyo Music Academy, debuted in 1972 under Watanabe Pro. Initially, their sales were lackluster. But, in 1975, Sue, the most skilled vocalist, was replaced as the lead by Ran, who had more appeal with the male audience, and their popularity grew, carried mainly by fanboys, especially university students. But with their catchy songs and good comedic timing, they became fixtures on the variety show circuit and on music charts and endeared themselves to the broader public.

In the summer of 1977, the girls shocked the audience by announcing their retirement during one of their Tokyo concerts. Ran's statement, "I want to go back to being a normal girl," became headline news and a cultural buzzword. The idea of these beautiful and charismatic young women yearning for an ordinary life fascinated Japan, and their popularity soared. Initially planning to retire in September, they postponed it for over six months to maximize their celebrated farewell. The public demand for them was so huge that the Korakuen Stadium was chosen for their final concert, turning Candies into the first female act to headline a show there. Their last performance was broadcast live on TV, achieving a record-breaking 32.8% rating.

Thanks to the buzz around their retirement announcement, Candies became the first female act to headline a stadium concert in Japan.

These retirements had a ripple effect. Seeing their senpai at Watanabe Pro, The Peanuts, saying goodbye influenced the Candies girls. The excellent reception around Candies' farewell reportedly gave Momoe Yamaguchi the courage to leave public life. 

Still, Candies got bored of being ordinary girls pretty quickly. After a two-year break, Ran Ito and Yoshiko Tanaka (Sue) returned to the entertainment world as actresses. Miki made a brief comeback in 1983 but married soon after and left showbiz for good. They never reunited publically, keeping the mythology around the trio alive. Behind the scenes, however, they all remained close. Yoshiko passed away due to cancer in 2011, and both former group members were by her side in her final hours. Miki made her first public appearance in decades at Tanaka's wake. Alongside Ran, she made a brief speech, giving the Candies their second and definitive farewell moment 33 years after their legendary sayonara concert.

Trend #8: Pink Lady, The Ultimate 70s Icons

On the last day of March 1981, the idol duo Pink Lady took the stage of the biggest concert venue in Tokyo, the Korakuen Stadium, for their dissolution concert, a momentous event announced six months earlier. Expectations were for a sold-out, highly emotional farewell reminiscent of Candies' retirement show three years prior. Instead, ticket sales were poor and, aggravating the situation, the weather was terrible on the day, with a mix of snow and rain. Thus, the attendance fell way below expectations, with the TV staff broadcasting the event scrambling to get the right angles to avoid images of a half-empty stadium. It didn't seem like a fitting goodbye for the idol duo who, just a few years prior, were the most significant musical phenomenons Japan had ever witnessed. What had happened?

Mitsuko and Keiko were introduced to the general public six years earlier. Like many stars of the 1970s, they catapulted to stardom through the talent search NTV show "Star Tanjou!". On their first major TV appearance, the 18-year-old girls were an amalgamation of current trends: a folk-singing duo named Cookie with their name and aesthetic inspired by Candies. Record label Victor, along with the newly-established agency T&C Music, quickly scoped them up, completely reworked their image, and renamed them after a cocktail, "Pink Lady." Six months later, in August 1976, they officially debuted, presenting something hitherto unseen in the Japanese entertainment world: a disco-inspired duo with long legs, adorned in short, sequined attire and performing hip-shaking choreography.

That innovative style was the creation of several pairs of hands. Their flashy, sexy styling was the work of Yoko Noguchi. Yuu Aku was responsible for their lyrics, while Shunichi Tokura produced the songs. Famed choreographer Hajime Doi was in charge of their dance moves.

Initially, their pelvic movements were deemed a tad risqué for Japanese society, and the original plan was to introduce them as late-night T.V. sex symbols, following the path of stars like Linda Yamamoto. However, their debut single, "Pepper keibu" (Inspector Pepper), instantly captured the public's attention. Their second single, "S.O.S.," catapulted them to the top of the weekly charts for the first time. Their fourth single, "Nagisa no Sinbad," would surpass one million copies sold, becoming the best-selling single of 1977 and solidifying their status as the country's top stars. In fact, four of the ten biggest singles of the year belonged to the duo.

In 1978, their star shone even brighter. Pink Lady boasted three million-selling singles, monopolizing the top three spots on the annual singles chart. They became the first music act to achieve nine consecutive chart-topping songs. Their "Best Hit Album" became the year's number-one record, selling 700,000 copies and earning the title of the fastest-selling full-length album in Japanese history up to that point. In July, they made history by becoming the first act to sell out two consecutive shows at Korakuen Stadium. Their unprecedented success had never been seen before in the Japanese phonographic industry.

Their vibrant image and disco-pop sound foreshadowed global musical trends that would soon captivate Japan. For instance, in 1978, the major imported success was the movie "Saturday Night Fever" and its soundtrack. Abba had become the country's best-selling Western act by the following year.

Between 1977 and 1978, Pink Lady's popularity achieved heights never before seen by the Japanese mass culture industry.

But what boosted Pink Lady's historical popularity was their success with a particular segment: kids. The duo utterly transfixed this demographic with flashy clothes, catchy songs, and easy-to-copy choreographies. And children couldn't get enough of them, with their licensed products flooding the market. At their peak, they were simultaneously starring in over 26 TV spots, had more than 100 products bearing their name, had a radio program, and hosted 7 TV shows on various networks. They also starred in 3 movies. Between 1977 and 1978, Mii and Kei were ubiquitous presences, with a schedule so hectic that "as busy as Pink Lady" became a common expression. Years later, they'd confess they worked so much and had so many activities filling their days and nights that they had no time to grasp the actual dimension of their success.

By the end of 1978, their popularity had grown so immense that their management made a surprising decision: they declined an invitation to perform at the Kouhaku Uta Gassen, a prestigious year-end music show hosted by NHK and historically the highest-rated program of the year. For music stars, an invitation to the Kouhaku was the ultimate honor, and the girls had just appeared for the first time in the previous year. But they had become so prominent that their management believed they should host their year-end special on the private broadcaster NTV instead. Pink Lady would, by themselves, rival the whole glitterati of the music industry.

The network spared no expense for the extravagant variety show-like "Pink Lady ase to namida no oomisake 150 pun" (Pink Lady Sweat and Tears 150 Minutes New Year's Eve). It had a lot of publicity and A-list guests from various fields and achieved an 8.2% rating, an improvement over the previous year's NTV's year-end show (6.2%). Still, it ended way behind NHK's Kouhaku, which reached a 72.2% average audience rating.

Since Japan holds its hierarchies in high regard, the NTV special resulted in a barrage of negative publicity for Pink Lady. Their belief that they could rival the traditional Kouhaku, where all the music industry's A-listers congregated, made them a media target. After two years of record-breaking success, the backlash had begun. In March 1979, when they released their new single, "Zipang," it reached only the fourth position on the weekly charts, marking the end of their number-one streak. Their decline had commenced.

However, at that point, Pink Lady had already shattered every potential barrier in the Japanese industry. Next, they wanted to conquer the world. So, with their local popularity in decline, they boarded a plane to the US to officially start their American takeover. In January, the duo released their first English-language single, "Kiss in the Dark," which peaked at #37 on the Billboard charts. This achievement made them one of the only two Japanese acts to reach the American top 40, alongside Kyu Sakamoto's "Sukiyaki," which topped the charts in 1963. They subsequently released their self-titled English-language album, but it failed to make an impression. Still, they got a second chance to make it big when one of the major US networks, NBC, offered the duo their own variety show in 1980.

"Pink Lady," alternatively known as "Pink Lady & Jeff," featured the Japanese duo co-hosting alongside comedian Jeff Altman. The show's title initially sparked confusion as Altman believed he played an equally vital role and insisted on his inclusion in the title. Pink Lady's American manager objected and even threatened legal action, ultimately leading NBC to compromise. Consequently, the on-screen name became simply "Pink Lady." Notably, NBC executives mistakenly assumed that Mie and Kei were fluent in English, only discovering at the eleventh hour that the duo did not speak a word of the language. This necessitated phonetically memorizing both scripts and songs, creating a complex production process. The shooting schedule posed challenges as well, given their limited time for filming in California due to various promotional commitments in Japan. US producers sought to develop contrasting personas for each girl for marketing and narrative purposes. This concept, however, met with vehement opposition from Mie, Kei, and their Japanese handlers, as their signature unity in performance was a defining characteristic. To compound matters, the primetime celebrity-fronted variety show, once popular in the 1970s, was in decline. All things considered, the "Pink Lady" US show was a recipe for disaster. And it was, being canceled after five episodes.

In hindsight, Pink Lady's brief foray into the American market did achieve some remarkable milestones. The duo became the first and only Japanese stars to headline a primetime show, and they were among the few to secure a top 40 song in the country. However, during that period, their inability to replicate their domestic success and the unfavorable reception of their US show led the Japanese press to characterize their international endeavors as a monumental failure. Coupled with their waning popularity in Japan, Pink Lady's prospects seemed bleak.

Towering over all of this was Keiko's involvement with another top idol, Goro Noguchi. In 1979, the Japanese media frenzy surrounding their relationship reached a fever pitch. Since idols were expected to refrain from dating, both parties vehemently denied any romantic involvement, and despite numerous attempts, the media failed to produce photographic evidence of their romance. Nevertheless, their pairing became a national fixation. Tabloids reported that Pink Lady's faltering US career was due to Kei's fixation on Goro, suggesting that she longed to return to Japan and that marriage was on the horizon. According to this narrative, despite her agency's pleas, she would ultimately prioritize love over her career, as a female dol's romantic involvement could only mean one thing: retirement.

Keiko's marriage to Noguchi never materialized, and neither did her retirement. Instead, in September 1980, Mie and Kei convened a press conference at the Akasaka Prince Hotel to announce their disbandment within six months. The hope was that this dissolution announcement would lead to a resurgence in sales and popularity, akin to the "Candies' retirement effect." Yet, after years of overexposure, that ship had sailed. Their final single, "OH!," peaked at #46, an improvement over their previous release but far from their glory days. Their last concert drew an audience of 15,000—a respectable number but well below the stadium's maximum capacity, inviting unfavorable comparisons to the sold-out 1978 Candies "sayonara" show at the same venue.

Their agency, T&C Music, filed for bankruptcy nearly immediately after their disbandment. While many entertainment agencies in Japan had connections to the Yakuza, T&C stood out for its inadequacy in concealing its underworld ties, leading to many legal troubles. Furthermore, their financial management left much to be desired, and the consensus was that their investment in Pink Lady's US TV show left them in dire financial straits.

Despite the comparisons drawn between their farewell concerts and their simultaneous commercial peaks, there existed no genuine rivalry between Pink Lady (left) and the Candies girls right). Although Pink Lady's initial audition on Star Tanjou drew inspiration from the Candies' aesthetic, their post-debut image diverged significantly. Hisahiko Iida, one of the executives associated with Pink Lady, used central Tokyo districts to illustrate these distinctions: "For Candies, Sony envisioned a group akin to the youth-centric wards of Shibuya and Harajuku. In contrast, for Pink Lady, we had in mind the adult nightlife ambiance of Shinjuku and Ikebukuro." Despite their adult look, Pink Lady became a sensation with kids. Candies, on the other hand, were very popular with college boys. The fact that each group occupied its own unique lane prevented them from ever feeling like competitors, and they frequently made joint appearances on TV.

As for the girls, they embarked on careers as TV actresses and solo singers. Kei started using her real name, Keiko Masuda, while Mie capitalized her nickname (MIE) and adopted it as her stage name. Some of the biggest names in Japanese music worked as songwriters for their first songs. MIE had the husband and wife team, BOOGIE WOOGIE BAND's Ryudo Uzaki and Yoko Aki, as the composers of her first two singles. Meanwhile, Masuda worked with celebrated songstresses Miyuki Nakajima, Yumi Matsutoya, and rock legend Keisuke Kuwata.

Keiko achieved a significant hit with her debut single, "Suzume," released two months after Pink Lady's dissolution, peaking at #9 on the Oricon weekly charts. Meanwhile, MIE experienced her defining success in 1984 with "NEVER," a Japanese rendition of the Australian band Moving Picture's song, which reached #4, boosted by the success of the TBS TV drama "Furyou shoujo to yobareru," which used the song as its theme. 

Still, neither of the two would have lasting success as singers or actresses. What keeps them relevant today is Pink Lady's historical success, which, despite its anti-climax ending, made them symbols of late 70s culture.

Over the years, they have reunited on multiple occasions. In 1984, they released an album and held reunion concerts. In 1989 and 1990, they reunited for the NHK Kouhaku, marking their comeback to the traditional year-end gala after the highly publicized rivalry with the show a decade earlier. They released a compilation to celebrate their 20th anniversary in 1996 and took part in the end-of-year dinner show circuit in 1990 and 1996.

The early 2000s witnessed a peak in Pink Lady nostalgia. Their reunion for the 2000 Kouhaku became one of the show's highest-rated moments. In 2001, the TV Asahi variety show "Tantei! Night Scoop" noted how almost every Japanese woman in their 30s knew Pink Lady's choreographies. The following year, a Pink Lady-themed pachinko (a pinball gambling arcade game) machine generated substantial revenue, providing Mie and Keiko with significant royalties. This financial catalyst led to another nationwide reunion tour in 2003, with additional concerts in 2004 and 2005. Finally, in 2010, they announced their permanent reunion as Pink Lady. Since then, they've been making periodic appearances together. 

Their current career relies on nostalgia and their past glory. But it underscores that while nostalgia for the 70s exists, there will be demand for Pink Lady.

Trend #9: Nursery Rhymes and the Taiyaki-kun Obsession

In 70s Japan, kids were a critical force behind some of the biggest recording industry success stories, such as Mari Amachi and Pink Lady. But what happened in 1976 defied all odds as a nursery rhyme no one had big expectations for would go on to become the best-selling single in Japan's history, a record that remains unbroken to this day.

The genesis of this extraordinary success can be traced back to Fuji TV's preschool program, "Hirake! Ponkikki," which introduced the song "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" (Swim, Taiyaki-kun) in September 1976.

The song recounted the adventures of Taiyaki-kun, a taiyaki—a fish-shaped cake commonly sold as street food—who yearned to escape the daily ordeal of being fried on an iron plate. Eventually, he embarked on an unforgettable journey to the sea. Ultimately, he can't escape his destiny as a fisherman catches and eats him.

Initially, expectations for the song were minimal. A few months prior, the record label Pony Canyon had released another nursery rhyme from the same show, yielding unremarkable sales. However, the mere announcement of "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun's" release triggered an astonishing surge in pre-orders. The overwhelming demand prompted the label to bring forward the release from January 1976 to December. Upon its debut, "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" achieved a historic milestone as the first single to enter the Oricon weekly charts at the number one spot, where it remained for an astonishing 11 consecutive weeks. By the end of its chart run, this unassuming nursery rhyme had sold an unprecedented 4.5 million copies.

Pony Canyon's factory couldn't produce enough records to satisfy the demand, so the label had to mobilize its competitors and pay to use their plants. Because printing plants were overbooked, minor projects had their launch dates postponed. Among those affected was Japanese music legend Ryuchi Sakamoto. At the time, Sakamoto was an unknown, fresh out of the most prestigious music school in Tokyo, and his album only had a 500 copies initial pressing.

Other issues surfaced behind the scenes. A dispute emerged with the tax office in Tokyo's Shinagawa district, which claimed that Pony Canyon owed taxes. The label, however, cited a law exempting nursery rhymes from taxation, and ultimately, the National Audit Bureau ruled in favor of the company.

As the song's monumental success had been unforeseen, Shimon Masato, the voice behind "Oyoge Taiyaki-kun!," initially requested his customary fixed fee as a freelance vocalist—50,000 yen, equivalent to approximately 500 dollars. Subsequently, Pony Canyon awarded him a one-million-yen bonus, roughly 10,000 dollars. However, the fact that he did not negotiate for royalties resulted in him missing out on substantial earnings.

Similarly, Nagira Kenichi, responsible for the B-side song "Ippon demo ninjin" on the record, did not seek royalties. The company regarded his composition as inconsequential to the single's success, resulting in his receiving only his initial fee of 30,000 yen, around 300 dollars.

Nonetheless, "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" generated substantial profits for numerous parties involved, from the composer to the record label. The single financed the construction of a new building for Pony Canyon in Shinjuku, colloquially known as the "Taiyaki building." It also led to the creation of a best-selling picture book and a PVC doll, both of which were among the year's most sought-after products. The sales of taiyaki, the confection featured in the song, experienced a remarkable surge. Furthermore, it proved to be a boom for the entire nursery rhyme genre, triggering the success of other hit singles such as "Patapata Mama," another song from the "Hirake! Ponikki" show, and "Yamaguchi-san Chi no Tsutomu-kun," featured on NHK's "Minna no Uta."

For "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" to sell 4.5 million copies, it had to captivate audiences across all demographics, including teenagers and adults. Many have speculated as to why. Was it due to its fortuitous timing, coinciding with a major railway strike that left working parents at home exposed to the catchy tune? Or did Japanese salarymen empathize with Taiyaki-kun's yearning to escape a monotonous existence?

There is yet to be a specific answer as to what laid behind the phenomenon. But the melancholic story of the fish-shaped taiyaki who tasted freedom before succumbing to its tragic destiny resonated deeply with Japanese society, becoming the biggest single in the country's history.

’70s Japan Trend Through the Music Charts (Part 4)

[kokorohelps]

Oi, Kokoro! Eu também queria uma ajudinha com fcs japonesas numa vibe mais black cat person, de preferência com cabelo longo e acima de 26 anos. Você conseguiria me ajudar? 🥺 Um beijão!

Olá, coração! Tem várias meninas com cabelo longo nesta postagem, meu bem, mas procurei algumas com um pouco mais de idade para isso. Algumas estão com cabelo curto agora, mas tem várias fotos com cabelo mais longo. Espero que te ajudem!

Tao Okamoto (1985, modelo)

Kozue Akimoto (1987, modelo)

Aya Sato (1987, dançarina) - ela era noiva da Bambi Naka

Arai Kiko (1990, modelo)

Yuka Mannami (1991, modelo)

Bambi Naka (1992, atriz) - ela era noiva da Aya Sato

Mizusawa Erena (1992, modelo)

Aono Kaede (1992, atriz)

Yamada Nana (1992, ex-idol)

Kojima Fujiko (1993, atriz)

Watanabe Miyuki (1993, ex-idol)

Kinoyama Yuu (1994, modelo)

Fumika Baba (1995, atriz)

Yumi Lambert (1995, modelo, asc. branca)

Furuhata Seika (1996, atriz)

Nana Komatsu (1996, atriz)

Suzuki Yurino (1996, influencer e rapper)

[vaniitas-store]

A lot of Junya Watanabe's garments look like art pieces. These shoes and the garments of SS2015 could easily be confused with sculptures. Not surprising as we think Junya took inspiration from Futurism and Suprematism. Most pieces look almost like a three-dimensional realisation of the 1919 poster by El Lissitzky. As we post this side by side next to an editorial modeled by Yumi Lambert, the link between the colors and shapes definitely shines through. The flatness of the collection as well as the pop-art make up reminds us of the comic Ennio Marchetto. His stage garments weren't only poppy but two-dimensional and made of paper, much like the paper dolls which were the base for Rei's SS2012 collection. In the end fashion and art is all intertwined but hey, at least you'll have a good backstory when someone compliments you on your new Junya shoes. Because how could they not? Now online #junyawatanabe #commedesgarcons https://www.instagram.com/p/CjiSFicDdo6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dovesfm]

˙ ˖ ✶  𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲 . . . mw plus sized fcs?

yes yes !! since you didnt specify, i’ll throw in a mix of gender identities !!

i’d LOVE to see lydia okello, kaiit_isshe, squishyykins, ady del valle, naomi watanabe, jari jones, beanie feldstein, mimikickass, stella williams, yumi nu, jazz jennings, rico rodriguez, bradley hill, jacob batalon, itskaylajane, katelynsade, shayzanco_, lordenzo__, elotepreparado, joanna pincerato, igobyblu, & mayridts !!

[whitefang93]

Anyone wants to talk about the kaze hikaru ending 😅😭

Literally going through it 😂

GONNA RAMBLE.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

So the best I can think of with the similarity of ending is showa genroku rakugo shinjuu. The father of the baby prospects were disturbing to say the least.

Now kaze hikaru is a manga I'm well aware of, this is shinsengumi girls manga and no it won't be like yumi tamura's basara for it's revolutionary narrative of giving women the lime light and be open abt the misogyny in society. And i really appreciate Taeko watanabe for her openness in writing the series for a particular time period. I was well aware of souji's misogynistic views and him trying to change and accept Sei as a warrior was done well for the most part. Be it earning respect by being given important tasks from hijikata or kondo and Souji's struggle to see sei as a man and woman he loves and as an equal bushi or a samurai was realistic.

But half way through the manga there is stripping away of sei 's agency that irritated me the most. Sei's love interest is one of the reason to keep staying in shinsengumi, her desire to be a woman is connected to souji, and as he proposed she goes back to being a woman, and knowing how keep it real is taeko watanabe, after souji's death she sees no point in living. Her love of her life gone and decides to follow him through bushi way which souji himself stopped by renouncing his own vows of marriage and cutting his hair. It's a death as a samurai first. And i liked the parallels to sei having to cut her hair in the beginning to prove herself as samurai,..I therefore don't believe that souji is any less of a samurai. But his will was so bothering... Did he actually send her to hijikata to get pregnant against her own will? The baby looking like souji, and as a testament of shinsengumi living on through the kid, is .... I'm so sorry i just cannot get over how horrible the ending is...

Sei is a person of her own, doesn't need men to tell her choices. She picked up a sword by her choice against what her brother and even souji told to settle down and give birth or make family. So Am i supposed to celebrate this as motherhood? It literally makes zero sense. While it's a pipe dream to expect sei souji to have a regular life. The ending of her having to bear the brunt of shinsengumi collective loss by giving birth to a child as a kid born at the passing of souji hijikata and kondo and shinsengumi and bakumatsu end is... symbolic but I'm so against using a woman who you ended up enforcing by the end to be a woman and to not give her own choice. Is that all a role of woman in the story went about? Atleast a consent from her end ??

Ughhhhh anyways I don't expect much engagements with this but i wanted to rant out of hearts content.

#women aren't plot device