Japanese, Mexican and American wota @ Hello! Party 2009 (05-07-2009). ^^
American Hello! Project Fans @ Anime Expo 2009 (07-07-2009). :P
"How to be wota" (12-12-2009). xD
For long time, Hello! wota has stated that "Americans are not wota!" based in the lack of evidence that demonstrates the true and real interest from the citizens of United States of America about wotagei and Idol otaku culture. -__-
But now, with the coming of a new otaku generation whose interests are more centered in Japanese Idols than in anime or manga, some American fans have started to explain to the rest of the English speaking community what is an Idol otaku, which are its characteristics, lifestyle, tastes and hobbies, and specially, what is called "wotagei":
Moreover, with the several Japanese Idol's performances in the United States' territory in the last months, some American fans have created wotagei related guides for support their favorite Idols in their concerts:
"Haru no arashi" basic chant guide (20-06-2010). :P
But the truth is that the American wota community is several years away from the Japanese wota community, the Thai wota community or the Mexican wota community, just to enlist some examples. :P
The cultural contacts that the American fans have had with Japanese and Mexican wota, specially in the Idol events of Anime Expo, had increase their knowledge about the real Idol otaku culture, but is not enough to reclaim a title that is reserved only for the most crazy and hardcore Japanese Idols' followers. ;)
CNN has a long history of criticism about the otaku way of life: they criticized everything from sexual themed adult video games to Idol otakus' maniac behavior. But the CNN reporters around the world have refused TO LEARN and to propagate to their viewers and readers how the real Japanese otaku culture works. -__-
Now, reporting from AX Anime Expo, they just uploaded a video clip from the red carpet where you can see AKB48's members and their producer, the music composer from Onyanko Club, Akimoto Yasushi:
But that's all. There was not even a mention of their names, ages or professions. There was not an explanation of what is AKB48 doing in AX Anime Expo, what is AKB48 in Japan, or even, that they are nowadays the most popular representatives of the Japanese Idol culture. -__-
Delores Williams, the reporter from CNN, just stated in the description of this video: "AKB48 is a popular music group among anime lovers". Anime lovers? AKB48? What the hell!!! O_O
Again, in the American social imaginary, the worlds of anime and manga are mixed with the world of Japanese Idols. -__-
This shitty media covering is different from Ayumi Hamasaki's interview. That's because Hamasaki's music and fashion styles are closer to the American music and fashion industry, and that confirms (symbolically) to the CNN's global audience that America is the top of the World. Bullshit! -__-
Hamasaki Ayumi, again, was in the middle of the international media attention but didn't talk or propagate the Japanese Idol culture's values, styles or ways of lives, as AKB48's members and their producer do. She only talk about one topic: herself, herself and herself. -__-
Of course, for contemporary Japanese teenagers is easier to imitate Hamasaki Ayumi than imitate AKB48's members, because of course, to be like "Ayu" is being childish, egoist and fashion compulsive. That's why Hamasaki has more female fans in Japan that AKB48. Not because their music and performances. -__-
For CNN was easier, also, to critic the Idol otaku culture but not to promote the real Japanese Idol culture. Once again, shame on you, America! -__-
Lo que me interesa es mostrar la posición creativa que algunos de los participantes en la escena Idol japonesa han ocupado. Empecemos por el caso que nos ocupa en esta entrega: el plagio de Glay a Sharan Q, y el plagio de Glay, nuevamente, a Tsunku (ex-Sharan Q).
En este caso, no hay nada extraordinario: Glay le copió descaradamente la melodía a la canción más famosa de Sharan Q, y nuevamente, Glay volvió a copiarle el título a una de las canciones de Tsunku (ex-Sharan Q) interpretada por Aya Matsuura.
Se ve que los integrantes de este grupito de rock no tienen creatividad alguna y que les gusta copiar las ideas de Tsunku, desde tiempos de Sharan Q.
Cualquier persona con un oído entrenado musicalmente y con un poco de conocimiento acerca del mundo de la música comercial japonesa, podría haber llegado a la misma conclusión que yo. Esto refuta la opinión de nuestro gringito pendejo:
Analyzing involves deconstructing the music within a cultural context, the Japanese culture is too far removed to do any of the analyzing unless you were born and raised within that culture.
Analizar implica deconstruir la música fuera de cualquier contexto, y la cultura japonesa está muy lejos como para analizarla, excepto si naciste y te criaste en esa cultura.
Yo no nací, ni me crié en Japón. Pero tengo el conocimiento, músical y académico, como para analizar cultural y semióticamente cualquier producción musical perteneciente a la cultura Idol.
Y no sólo yo, sino cualquiera de ustedes, siempre y cuando se interesen en el mundo de la música Idol de a deveras, y no sólo busquen ser "el fan número uno" de tal o cual cantante japonesa.
¿No adivinan quienes armaron todo este alboroto? Pues nada más ni nada menos que los miembros del Idol Stars Club que asistieron al concierto de Morning Musume. Es decir, wota mexicanos. Sí, ¡wota mexicanos! :D
La breve historia, contada por uno de los organizadores de la "Hello! Party" que se quedaron perplejos al ver, por primera vez en tierras gringas, una rutina de wotagei:
Mi respuesta, a este comentario, directa y sin miramientos:
En respuesta a algunos otaku que no creen que los miembros del Idol Stars Club México hallan sido los que iniciaron el wotagei en la Hello! Party de Los Ángeles, California, presentamos a todos ustedes el siguiente video:
"Koi no jubaku".
En este video se aprecia perfectamente que, en un inicio, sólo los miembros del Idol Stars Club México estaban haciendo wotagei:
Los fans estadounidenses los vieron, y se acercaron a ellos:
Y finalmente, se congregaron las demás personas que parecen en el resto de los videos:
Pésele a quien le pese, los mexicanos fueron quienes llevaron el wotagei a la Hello! Party y quienes mostraron a los estadounidenses cómo bailar, no sólo "Romantic ukare modo", sino otras canciones del Hello! Project. :)
La historia nos da la razón a todos los wotageishis latinoamericanos: con el primer concierto de Morning Musume en los Estados Unidos cada vez más cerca, los fans de lengua inglesa han comenzado a buscar la manera de coordinarse para aprender a hacer el wotagei de las canciones del grupo insignia del Hello! Project. :P
De esta manera, usuarios de Youtube como turbos86 han comenzado a crear las primeras guías de wotagei en lengua inglesa para orientar a los seguidores no japoneses que irán al concierto de la AX Anime Expo. :P
Sin embargo, de nuevo la gran ironía, turbos86 no es estadounidense ni mexico-estadounidense ni latino, es un chino anglo-parlante que vive en Hong Kong. :P
¿Por qué los chinos son quienes comienzan a crear las primeras guías de wotagei en lengua inglesa? O_O
La respuesta es muy simple: porque ellos han tenido un mayor acercamiento a la verdadera cultura wota, más allá de ser simples seguidores, coleccionistas o enamorados platónicos de sus Idols. :P
Ahora, que la AX Anime Expo se acerca, son ellos los que se han ocupado en instruir a la comunidad de seguidores anglo-parlantes sobre cómo hacer wotagei, sobre cuáles son los pasos y los gritos de apoyo para las Idols, y sobre qué hacer antes, durante y después de un concierto. ^^
Por supuesto que todos estos esfuerzos son solamente en pro del espectáculo: sería patético que el primer concierto de Morning Musume en los Estados Unidos fuera tan apagado como el primer concierto de Hirano Aya, Chihara Minori y Yuuko Gotou, acontecido también en la AX Anime Expo. :P
Ahora, la historia nos reivindica, y finalmente, la Wikipedia en inglés ha editado los artículos "wota" y "ota-gei", redireccionando el término "wota" directamente al nuevo y recién creado artículo "wotagei". :D
Atrás quedan las burlas de Craig, el sensacionalismo de Jinryuichi, y todas las demás críticas negativas que los estadounidenses habían hecho sobre el wotagei y los verdaderos wota.
Sin embargo, como en todo, nunca faltan los pendejos:
Achacarle a Yumeki-san la popularización del wotagei en América, en todo el continente, es reconocerlo públicamente y darle de manera justa el crédito. Pero culparlo injustificadamente de la apropiación de la palabra "wota" por todos los Idol otakus extranjeros me parece excesivo. -__-
Si bien es cierto que los japoneses más jóvenes utilizan la palabra "wota" para referirse a cualquier tipo de otaku, también es cierto, que los Idol otakus japoneses fueron quienes popularizaron dicha palabra en los medios de comunicación masiva de Japón. :P
De esta manera, el "wotagei" (literalmente, "el arte del wota") solamente comprende los pasos de baile, los movimientos, los gritos y las coreografías que los Idol otaku hacen para apoyar a sus Idols, sean de agencia o sean amateurs, tanto dentro como fuera de sus conciertos. ^^
Tal como ha dicho mi querido amigo Dran, antes de convertirme en un wota, yo también admiré con cierta repulsa y recelo a los wota japoneses. Me impresionaba la manera en que se movían, sudaban las camisetas y gritaban como poseídos, siempre al ritmo de una música que, de tan suave, melodiosa y pop, a veces me atosigaba. :P
Pero en el wotagei siempre hubo cierta magia: en contraste con las voces chillonas de las Idols y sus los ritmos musicales tan azucarados, se levantaba una pared de voces masculinas que gritaban energéticas. :P
Para un investigador de la cultura japonesa como yo, el fenómeno era único: la imagen del wota promedio contradecía enormemente la imagen del japonés difundida, desde las instituciones del gobierno japonés y los medios de comunicación masiva, proveniente de la tesis del Nihonjin-ron. :P
De esta increible contradicción cultural, surgió mi interés por aprender más de los wota, por adentrarme en su mundo, y por ayudarles, sobre todo a mis amigos otaku de Akihabara, a sentirse orgullosos de su cultura. ^^
Es por ello, que mejor los chinos (turbos86), los koreanos (Gakimon) o los escoseses (Dran) se han preocupado por transmitir adecuadamente el sentido del wotagei entre sus lectores de lengua inglesa más que los estadounidenses que nunca se han interesado por el wotagei pero que se denominan a sí mismos "wota". -__-
¿Algún día cambiará esta situación? ¿Algún día aparecerán los primeros estadounidenses wota? O_O
Monica: The Japanese pop music group Morning Musume, which translates to "Morning girls or daughters", is the most popular musical acts in Japan. Think Spice Girls but whit meat products on their heads. (Laughs). The group was created in 1997, its members, teenage girls, are chosen by the group’s producer, and like a modern day Menudo or Mickey Mouse Club, as they go older, members leave, they’re graduated and they’re replaced. They also have several spin-uppers: when they don’t have any boyfriends. These girls must maintain theirs virginal appearance with their fans (and for their agency, maybe).
Keith: Who are, who’re, who, who, who are the fans? They might ask...
Monica: (Laughs). Well, obviously, we know, teens, teens girls love the music and follow the band.
Keith: But it is worst than that, isn’t it?
Monica: Well, it is. First at all, we know that young men like this also... Two years ago they were part of a campaign by the Japanese Self Defense Agency helping to encourage 18 to 27 years old students to enlist in the military, so these girl-groups were in their posters trough all Japan.
Keith: 27s years olds with teenage girls...
Monica: Right. And, then, it gets a little more...
Keith: Worst, worst is the word.
Monica: OK. Worst is the word. Their concerts apparently are well attended by much older men during their 40s and 50s where they permanently like and trade their music and justify the merchandize...
Keith: And the merchandize will be what? (Laughs.)
Monica: Well, t-shirts, cds...
Keith: Oh, thanks God you said that! I just thought, “when they got too old for be in the group”, I thought, “they become merchandize.”
Morning Musume have recently been on a slow decline in terms of sales, and the group's revolving-door regeneration has had the negative effect that few consumers today recognize individual members. However, the girls' different personalities are highly apparent, and it's clear the management is keen to cultivate their individual abilities to reverse the slide.
[...]
At Morning Musume's inception, the group's fan base was diverse, attracting young girls, boys and parents. But another probable reason for their recent decline can be attributed to the resurgent otaku (obsessive fans). At a recent Hello! Project show in front of around 14,000 in Yokohama Arena, barely a single woman could be spotted among the dedicated and exuberant middle-age male crowd.
In April 2004, audio footage recorded backstage reportedly captured then-member Rika Ishikawa exclaiming: "Look at them. Grownups screaming like that! I can't believe it. So stupid!" Although such a scandal is rare in the micromanaged Musume life, standing in front of such frenzied supporters clearly affects the girls.
Hello! Wota has stated, from long time ago, that Americans are not wota. They are just fans, some of them real hardcore followers, but they unknown the steps and the calls to do wotagei in their beloved Idol's concerts. :P
When Haruko Momoi went to the AX Expo, my friend Osaka told me that several Japanese Momoists went with Haruko for teaching to the American fans how to cheer-up Haruko in her concert. Those Japanese Momoist distributed before the concert several English language translated Call Books that taught to the American fans how to do wotagei in Haruko's concert.
The English version of Wikipedia doesn't have any article about wotagei but it has an article for ouedan. What the hell? O_o
It seems that nobody in America, Canada, UK, Australia, India or any of those English speaking countries are interested in promoting the wotagei culture abroad. Why? Does wotagei looks ridiculous for those people? Do they hate Japanese otaku culture? Could they understand the real meaning of doing wotagei? O_O
On Internet, there are just few articles and entries in English language about wotagei, but numerous articles and entries about Japanese Idols that use the word "wota" in their contents. That seems that no one of those foreigner "wota" has noticed that the real wota do wotagei for cheer up their Idols in their concerts. :P
"Koi no Jubaku". Berryz Koubou. (Wotagei guide).
"Honto no Jibun". Buono! (Wotagei guide).
"Tokaikko Junjou". C-ute. (Wotagei guide).
To learn how to do those calls and steps is easy: you only need to practice with your favorite Idol's DVD concerts.
But between the American "wota" community, there is an absolutly indefference toward wotagei and its practice. Instead, Americans have look toward the Hello! Project Latin-American fan base just to mock or to be surprised. Let's check the next examples:
So, for those foreigner "wota", wotagei seems to be "ironic", "postmodern", "bizarre", "fun", "creepy", "delightful", "wonderful", "priceless"..., anything but not "normal". :P
In the other side, those English language speakers who had lived in Japan and experimented the real Idol-otaku culture have another point of view about the wotagei and other real wota matters:
Those experienced wota are the really last hope for spreading the real Idol-otaku culture into the English language community. If they fail in this communicational task, wotagei will never be a part of the world of the foreigner "wota". -__-
Worldwide, Latin-American, Asian and Japanese people are the only fans who keep doing wotagei in concerts, streets and public events. Americans haven't done wotagei until now.
The next Morning Musume's concert in the AX Expo could be the last chance for those American "wota" to show how they appreciate wotagei and how deep is their knowledge about the real Idol-otaku culture. :P
That's really a great concert but the concert hall looks pretty empty and the people who do wotagei just cover one side of the main scenery. :P
If you compare with the rest of the audience, the fans who do wotagei are few, but they never stop jumping and waving their glow-sticks for cheer up Haruko. ^-^
Also, there were the old and experienced Japanese Momoist who did wotagei in an aisle from the concert hall.
Most of the people who see this first concert are pretty impressed because the Momoists' wotagei, but also, because Haruko's beautifulness. Even the little girl who was there. ^-^
That was a really Idol experience after all, even for some Haruko Momoi's kimo-wota. ^-^u
Day 2. March 16th, 2008.
At the end of her second concert, Haruko Momoi invites her fans to climb the scenery and do wotagei as her backdancers. ^-^
Momoists and American fans do wotagei energetically, with passion and in an impressive sense of coordination. In other words, they do wotagei just marvelous. ^-^
Anyway, just for the record, and because this clip could be the beginning of the wotagei explosion in the United States, THAT WAS AN IDEA FROM HARUKO MOMOI not from any American fan. :P
Hello! Wota has stated in several occasions that "Americans are not wota", but thanks the unconditional love from Haruko Momoi, a semi-empty Hawaiian expo became the best wotagei concert made in United States by American citizens until this day. ^-^
I just could say thanks to all the American Momoist who have been the first wota who promoted wotagei in the United States. ^-^
Nobody of those "Hello! Project wota" who write blogs and shares piracy through Internet have had an idea like this until now. And, considering the fact that Morning Musume has been released concerts in Hawaii several times ago, this situation, for them, just could be ridiculous. :P
