The Official Momoiro Clover Z & Stardust Planet Thread

[abra]

Casually throwing the fastest pitch in the world

My disappointment when I saw the actual thorw... which still was good
But it makes their reactions a lot more fun

 

[Sasori]

My write up for Momoclo to Iku is finished! If you have any feedback, it would be appreciated. Blogger can be a bit glitchy, so sometimes the spacing and alignment can look a little off when I do something like this. There's not much improvement even after messing with the html, but this turned out better than some posts.

I pretty much have my Halloween playlist finalized. Just need to decide the order. I should have it posted in time for the 31st.

 

[abra]

My write up for Momoclo to Iku is finished! If you have any feedback, it would be appreciated. Blogger can be a bit glitchy, so sometimes the spacing and alignment can look a little off when I do something like this. There's not much improvement even after messing with the html, but this turned out better than some posts.

I pretty much have my Halloween playlist finalized. Just need to decide the order. I should have it posted in time for the 31st.

It was very well written and I enjoyed reading it!
One small note:

Spoiler

You wrote that they had a small item that they weren't sure if it counted as a Shirasu or not. This was confusing since you never wrote that/when/how they managed to get their hands on a small item.

 

[Sasori]

The JPop MV Playlist is finished! You can watch it here. I ended up settling on 12 videos with a couple flavor clips included for good measure.

BOLT announced their first limited single, "Koko Kara"!

The release event will be Hirase Misato's last.

It will contain 3 new songs as well as two songs that have only been released digitally before.


I'm looking forward to the update, please post a link here when it's done! The same also goes for the Halloween post.
The 800$ stamp set makes very little sense to me. It's way too expensive to be of interest to most fans and I'm assuming will be limited, so it's not like it's actually going to make any money either. Maybe there's a connection to the show that I'm missing, in which case it can sort of make sense as an exclusive item but I think it's mostly unnecessary. Momoclo's goods are usually very fairly priced but iirc I've seen some premium priced goods that came from special collaborations before too, although not as expensive as this (discounting stuff like Suzuki cars... but that's another matter).
Also about the bold part it's not like Stardust groups don't have handshake events. Tacoyaki Rainbow's latest single had release events which consisted of:
- mini live
- handshake/fansign/twoshot/group photo event

Afaik all SDP groups have handshake events except Momoclo, and they had it in the beginning of their career.
But Momoclo would be one of the idol groups that provide fans with the least direct access. They mostly compensate this with public appearances or letting in smaller groups of fans to some recordings or other events. There's no 1-on-1 interaction with members though.
As for signatures they sign stuff for AE members at random, and sometimes tickets for events.

I was half asleep when I posted that, so when I wrote Stardust groups, I meant Momoclo It's strange to think how they started their careers as street performers, but they don't interact with fans in quite the same way anymore. They do hold those photo shoots with fans before/after concerts and make surprise appearances like when they worked as train conductors. Considering that their concerts are still big attractions, the strategy seems to work. Keep them just out of reach so they're close, yet still unattainable.

These stamp sets seem like a cash grab. Even the price for the cheaper one is too much. However, each member has their hardcore fans, so I'm sure someone will buy them. This might be the final contract renewal for Momoclo, so Stardust is probably trying to milk them for all their worth. Kind of like how they tried to force fans to buy the 5th album in order to attend that concert earlier in the year. I can't remember if they ended up relaxing that restriction due to complaints.

It was very well written and I enjoyed reading it!
One small note:

Spoiler

You wrote that they had a small item that they weren't sure if it counted as a Shirasu or not. This was confusing since you never wrote that/when/how they managed to get their hands on a small item.

Thanks for the feedback!

Spoiler

I'll take a look at that section again. Some rules are a bit vague so I'm not sure how to convey them. For example, I get that the team is supposed to be looking for clues around town, but why did they go inside the bakery? It seemed scripted for them to do that so they could get the hint. The show is in it's early stages, so I'm sure they will refine it over time.

 

[Sasori]

I couldn't resist making this real quick.

​

Taken from this video. There's nothing else particularly interesting besides the magic trick.

 

[abra]

The trailer for AYAKA Nation 2018 was just released



The DVD/BluRay for AYAKA Nation 2019 will contain a digest of the 2018 Ayaka Nation concert.
But the Angel Eyes edition of AYAKA NATION 2019 will contain the full 2018 concert (if I understood things correctly).


Also I believe I forgot to mention this, but Momoiro Uta Gassen 2019 will be held at Yokohama Arena. The previous years it's been held at a much smaller venue. This seems to indicate that they have something bigger in store this time around. Kawakami also spoke about putting the Momoclo members in different teams this year, in order to actually make the vote interesting.

The JPop MV Playlist is finished! You can watch it here. I ended up settling on 12 videos with a couple flavor clips included for good measure.



I was half asleep when I posted that, so when I wrote Stardust groups, I meant Momoclo It's strange to think how they started their careers as street performers, but they don't interact with fans in quite the same way anymore. They do hold those photo shoots with fans before/after concerts and make surprise appearances like when they worked as train conductors. Considering that their concerts are still big attractions, the strategy seems to work. Keep them just out of reach so they're close, yet still unattainable.

These stamp sets seem like a cash grab. Even the price for the cheaper one is too much. However, each member has their hardcore fans, so I'm sure someone will buy them. This might be the final contract renewal for Momoclo, so Stardust is probably trying to milk them for all their worth. Kind of like how they tried to force fans to buy the 5th album in order to attend that concert earlier in the year. I can't remember if they ended up relaxing that restriction due to complaints.



Thanks for the feedback!

Spoiler

I'll take a look at that section again. Some rules are a bit vague so I'm not sure how to convey them. For example, I get that the team is supposed to be looking for clues around town, but why did they go inside the bakery? It seemed scripted for them to do that so they could get the hint. The show is in it's early stages, so I'm sure they will refine it over time.

I'll check out the playlist!
So far I like the REOL song in particular.

With what I've seen from the 48/46groups (and heard about other idols) I'm very relieved that fans are kept at a professional distance. There are so many issues with those systems, including: creating delusional fans, ripping the fans off, endangering the idols and wasting tons of resources as fans buy dozens of singles to meet the idols.

Sure, it means Stardust/Evil Line misses out on a ton of income (Momoclo's singles are among the lowest-selling in SDP now) but if you can prioritize a safe environment without exploitation, then that's much more important.

Even though I can see the advantages of holding handshake events etc, I wish the other groups would also have the opportunity to stop holding them. I will say though that Stardust seem to be handling events for their other groups pretty well, with what seems to be very strict rules and safety precautions.

------------------------------------
I have hopes that Momoclo will be extending their contracts again and continue for a while more, but it's rare to see female idols who are still active when they're about to reach their 30s. I'd love to see them have longevity like Perfume or some male idol groups, but there are many obstacles they'd have to overcome. Given all this I understand why Stardust wants to cross-promote their younger groups, and also why they/Evil Live would try to sell these premium items but I have issues with the latter, even if I can see their reason for doing so.

 

[Sasori]

Just wanted to post this real quick. I vaguely recall seeing some pics relating to this, but I could be mistaken. Someone managed to sneak a fancam of Shiori and Reni at Universal Studios Japan in Sept. They're just there as customers dancing along to the "Zombie de Dance" street attraction. It must have popped up in my recommendations now because of all the searches for my Halloween playlist. The fan spots them at the 40 sec. mark. You can see a camera man and a boom mic next to them, so it was probably filmed for some show, maybe Momoclo-chan.

Edit: Yup, they were there shooting for Momoclo-chan. I remembered I found a site that posts all the episodes. You can watch one of the episodes here from their trip to Universal Studios, but be prepared to deal with allot of popups before the video plays (I don't remember there being so many last time I checked).

 

[abra]

Some news, and with news I mostly mean photos!

The Stay Gold artist visual has been released


Larger photo:

Spoiler

Apart from that there's some activity from Hustle Press.
First off, Kanako Zero:

ももっと、百田夏菜子 zero | HUSTLE PRESS OFFICIAL WEB SITE

hustlepress.co.jp

HP also announced the calendar for 2020, which features some cute photos of Momoclo in cat ears playing with rats (because year of the rat)

Ok but in actual, activity news:
Momoclo were at Yokohama Sound Festival, some orchestral, music event thing



Speaking of signing stuff, here's Kanako doing that at the festival



Since it's more of a classical/orchestral music event I saw mononofu on twitter warning fans not to enter in some of the official gear (most notably kawakami's off-shoulder nipple shirt)

Just wanted to post this real quick. I vaguely recall seeing some pics relating to this, but I could be mistaken. Someone managed to sneak a fancam of Shiori and Reni at Universal Studios Japan in Sept. They're just there as customers dancing along to the "Zombie de Dance" street attraction. It must have popped up in my recommendations now because of all the searches for my Halloween playlist. The fan spots them at the 40 sec. mark. You can see a camera man and a boom mic next to them, so it was probably filmed for some show, maybe Momoclo-chan.

Edit: Yup, they were there shooting for Momoclo-chan. I remembered I found a site that posts all the episodes. You can watch one of the episodes here from their trip to Universal Studios, but be prepared to deal with allot of popups before the video plays (I don't remember there being so many last time I checked).

Yes, they filmed several episodes at USJ! It seemed fun. I realized the zombie dance must've been the same thing they went to when I saw the ad from your playlist!

 

[abra]

idk why that A-rin photo is so off-center... fixed

 

[Sasori]

This is an, um, unusual pic. Momomessiah? I can't find a higher res version at the moment.

ももクロChan[82509087] | 完全無料画像検索のプリ画像 byGMO

ももクロChan[82509087]の画像。見やすい!探しやすい!待受,デコメ,お宝画像も必ず見つかるプリ画像

prcm.jp

Edit: I had my suspicions, and the pic is from their show at the Kinema Club. Here's a better version.

ももいろクローバーZ、5thアルバム発売記念プレミアムライブが待望のパッケージ化＆5thアルバムのアナログ盤を同日発売が決定 | SPICE - エンタメ特化型情報メディア スパイス

ももいろクローバーZ、5thアルバム発売記念プレミアムライブが待望のパッケージ化＆5thアルバムのアナログ盤を同日発売が決定

spice.eplus.jp

Hachimitsu Rocket's 5th Single "Rocket Future" will be released on 11/20, so we can expect an MV very soon.

​

 

[abra]

Ohira Hikaru is leaving Amefurasshi and Stardust with a live on the 14th of December

アメフラっシ 公式サイト - AMEFURASSHI OFFICIAL WEBSITE -

アメフラっシの公式サイトです。

www.amefurashi.jp

So many idols have left Stardust recently.

 

[Sasori]

I had an interesting dream last night. I dreamt that Team Shachi were trick or treating in my neighborhood on Halloween. It was only Honoka, Nao, and Yuzuki. I guess Haruna must have had Visa problems, lol. They weren't wearing any costumes, just regular clothes. Nao's Mother came along to chaperon them. I've never seen her Mother, so my mind must have created a facsimile to play the part. What's even stranger is that I was aware that Nao was living close by in my neighborhood! On top of that, Honoka was considering moving here too. If only!!!

The trailer for AYAKA Nation 2018 was just released



The DVD/BluRay for AYAKA Nation 2019 will contain a digest of the 2018 Ayaka Nation concert.
But the Angel Eyes edition of AYAKA NATION 2019 will contain the full 2018 concert (if I understood things correctly).


Also I believe I forgot to mention this, but Momoiro Uta Gassen 2019 will be held at Yokohama Arena. The previous years it's been held at a much smaller venue. This seems to indicate that they have something bigger in store this time around. Kawakami also spoke about putting the Momoclo members in different teams this year, in order to actually make the vote interesting.



I'll check out the playlist!
So far I like the REOL song in particular.

With what I've seen from the 48/46groups (and heard about other idols) I'm very relieved that fans are kept at a professional distance. There are so many issues with those systems, including: creating delusional fans, ripping the fans off, endangering the idols and wasting tons of resources as fans buy dozens of singles to meet the idols.

Sure, it means Stardust/Evil Line misses out on a ton of income (Momoclo's singles are among the lowest-selling in SDP now) but if you can prioritize a safe environment without exploitation, then that's much more important.

Even though I can see the advantages of holding handshake events etc, I wish the other groups would also have the opportunity to stop holding them. I will say though that Stardust seem to be handling events for their other groups pretty well, with what seems to be very strict rules and safety precautions.

------------------------------------
I have hopes that Momoclo will be extending their contracts again and continue for a while more, but it's rare to see female idols who are still active when they're about to reach their 30s. I'd love to see them have longevity like Perfume or some male idol groups, but there are many obstacles they'd have to overcome. Given all this I understand why Stardust wants to cross-promote their younger groups, and also why they/Evil Live would try to sell these premium items but I have issues with the latter, even if I can see their reason for doing so.

That would be great if each member of Momoclo was the captain of their own team. Their Uta Gassen needs a unique hook, and this would go a long way towards creating more excitement.

Unfortunately, with the way the music industry is going, I think Idols are going to need to rely on handshake meetings more than ever before. Album sales continue going down and with most Idol groups being niche, it's going to be hard for them to survive without using CDs as a form of currency. Luckily for Momoclo, they got around this by prioritizing concerts, Blu-rays, merch, and endorsements. I've never really heard about any incidents at fan events for the other SDP groups, so I agree that Stardust does a good job keeping the members safe.

I'd love to see Momoclo join Perfume and continue into their 30's. They have broad appeal and maintaining a consistent lineup has helped establish a strong brand. Considering they've topped the Nikkei Entertainment survey for most popular Idol group every year since 2013, I think the decision to still be Idols in their 30's would be well received by allot of people. The more Idols that challenge the system, the easier it will be for others in the future.

Some news, and with news I mostly mean photos!

The Stay Gold artist visual has been released


Larger photo:

Spoiler

Apart from that there's some activity from Hustle Press.
First off, Kanako Zero:

ももっと、百田夏菜子 zero | HUSTLE PRESS OFFICIAL WEB SITE

hustlepress.co.jp

HP also announced the calendar for 2020, which features some cute photos of Momoclo in cat ears playing with rats (because year of the rat)

Ok but in actual, activity news:
Momoclo were at Yokohama Sound Festival, some orchestral, music event thing



Speaking of signing stuff, here's Kanako doing that at the festival



Since it's more of a classical/orchestral music event I saw mononofu on twitter warning fans not to enter in some of the official gear (most notably kawakami's off-shoulder nipple shirt)


Yes, they filmed several episodes at USJ! It seemed fun. I realized the zombie dance must've been the same thing they went to when I saw the ad from your playlist!

Those half and half costumes are so weird, lol. Suitable for both the office and the club.

I just saw the new calendar. Those pics of Shiori with the cat ears and mouse finally make sense!

Ohira Hikaru is leaving Amefurasshi and Stardust with a live on the 14th of December

アメフラっシ 公式サイト - AMEFURASSHI OFFICIAL WEBSITE -

アメフラっシの公式サイトです。

www.amefurashi.jp

So many idols have left Stardust recently.

As you know, prior to Stardust Planet becoming a thing, many of these groups existed for years before we knew anything about them. It's easy to forget that these girls have already been Idols for 5+ yrs. by the time they get noticed. It's sad, but only the most devoted members are going to continue.

 

[Sasori]

Okay, something like this really should have been the MV for Road Show.

 

[abra]

I had an interesting dream last night. I dreamt that Team Shachi were trick or treating in my neighborhood on Halloween. It was only Honoka, Nao, and Yuzuki. I guess Haruna must have had Visa problems, lol. They weren't wearing any costumes, just regular clothes. Nao's Mother came along to chaperon them. I've never seen her Mother, so my mind must have created a facsimile to play the part. What's even stranger is that I was aware that Nao was living close by in my neighborhood! On top of that, Honoka was considering moving here too. If only!!!



That would be great if each member of Momoclo was the captain of their own team. Their Uta Gassen needs a unique hook, and this would go a long way towards creating more excitement.

Unfortunately, with the way the music industry is going, I think Idols are going to need to rely on handshake meetings more than ever before. Album sales continue going down and with most Idol groups being niche, it's going to be hard for them to survive without using CDs as a form of currency. Luckily for Momoclo, they got around this by prioritizing concerts, Blu-rays, merch, and endorsements. I've never really heard about any incidents at fan events for the other SDP groups, so I agree that Stardust does a good job keeping the members safe.

I'd love to see Momoclo join Perfume and continue into their 30's. They have broad appeal and maintaining a consistent lineup has helped establish a strong brand. Considering they've topped the Nikkei Entertainment survey for most popular Idol group every year since 2013, I think the decision to still be Idols in their 30's would be well received by allot of people. The more Idols that challenge the system, the easier it will be for others in the future.


Those half and half costumes are so weird, lol. Suitable for both the office and the club.

I just saw the new calendar. Those pics of Shiori with the cat ears and mouse finally make sense!


As you know, prior to Stardust Planet becoming a thing, many of these groups existed for years before we knew anything about them. It's easy to forget that these girls have already been Idols for 5+ yrs. by the time they get noticed. It's sad, but only the most devoted members are going to continue.

What a dream
And yes, the unfortunate reality is that it's difficult for any act to survive these days without handshakes events or similar. Even more so for idols.
Well to some extent it does provide a valuable connection and camraderie for many idol fans, so it's not all bad. As long as it's done safely I'm not fully against it.

I'll continue by following up on what you said regarding Amefurasshi since it's somewhat related. Hikaru has apparently been with Stardust for 10 years. It must have been exciting to finally make a full debut in Amefurasshi but maybe she found out that it wasn't all that different to life in 3B Jr.
It's also difficult for these groups to make it big, especially when Stardust has so many groups that they manage. Hikaru was also about to enter her late teens so she might have felt that there were different things for her to focus on.

Between Momoclo and some of the senior members of AKBG there are more examples of high-profile "older" idols these days. Considering how heavily the industry promotes youthfulness I hope this will balance things out a bit and show that there's a role for more veteran groups/idols as well.

Okay, something like this really should have been the MV for Road Show.

0:30 kind of blew my mind
Even by Momoclo standards this was a totally unexpected performance.
I already appreciated Roadshow more when I'm not watching the MV, and this is a big upgrade on just listening to the song.
Roadshow also seems like one of the best live songs from MCZ (the album). The main thing it has going against it is that there isn't that much crowd participation.

 

[abra]

stay gold limited and regular version covers are out and they are beautiful!


Limited edition:

Regular edition:

As a pasttime one can try to figure out what body parts belong to which member... I can get all the eyes/lips etc but the hair and the side of the neck are difficult.

 

[abra]

How old is Kanako again?

 

[Sasori]

What a dream
And yes, the unfortunate reality is that it's difficult for any act to survive these days without handshakes events or similar. Even more so for idols.
Well to some extent it does provide a valuable connection and camraderie for many idol fans, so it's not all bad. As long as it's done safely I'm not fully against it.

I'll continue by following up on what you said regarding Amefurasshi since it's somewhat related. Hikaru has apparently been with Stardust for 10 years. It must have been exciting to finally make a full debut in Amefurasshi but maybe she found out that it wasn't all that different to life in 3B Jr.
It's also difficult for these groups to make it big, especially when Stardust has so many groups that they manage. Hikaru was also about to enter her late teens so she might have felt that there were different things for her to focus on.

Between Momoclo and some of the senior members of AKBG there are more examples of high-profile "older" idols these days. Considering how heavily the industry promotes youthfulness I hope this will balance things out a bit and show that there's a role for more veteran groups/idols as well.



0:30 kind of blew my mind
Even by Momoclo standards this was a totally unexpected performance.
I already appreciated Roadshow more when I'm not watching the MV, and this is a big upgrade on just listening to the song.
Roadshow also seems like one of the best live songs from MCZ (the album). The main thing it has going against it is that there isn't that much crowd participation.

Wow, 10 yrs. is a long time. I'm sure Hikaru was re-evaluating her life and decided it was time to move on to something else.

As far as Momoclo continuing into their 30's, I think it all comes down to desire. If the members are still committed and Stardust is on board, then I think it's possible. All 4 members would have to agree though. Momoclo just won't work as a trio.

That perf from the Kinema Club is a wasted opportunity. The Diamond Four isn't a bad MV, but they didn't put allot of thought into the concept. It's just something they shot while Momoclo were on vacation. However, they must spent allot of money on the MVs for the monthly digital single project, so they probably wanted to keep TDF simple and cheap.

stay gold limited and regular version covers are out and they are beautiful!


Limited edition:

Regular edition:

As a pasttime one can try to figure out what body parts belong to which member... I can get all the eyes/lips etc but the hair and the side of the neck are difficult.

This concept has so much potential. I hope they really embrace the reality altering possibilities and have them walking sideways down walls. Something like the famous Escher painting.

It's interesting to note in the jacket photo with the piece of each member's face, the sections with the nose/mouth still follow the left to right positions of Arin, Kanako, Shiori, and Reni, lol.

How old is Kanako again?

I don't know about her age, but she's clearly too big to still be carried by her mom

 

[Sasori]

This is a fun performance from Ebichu's recent "5th Anniversary of our gakugeeeekai" concert where Iginari Tohoku San were guests. Iginari collaborated with Ebichu's Hinata on this song.

Just a few Halloween posts I came across. Costumes for TokiSen and Team Shachi.





I guess TokiSen got into a cat fight, lol.

Shachi are detectives?

 

[abra]

Shachi released a Rocket Queen live video!



Momoclo will be appearing on Utatube

Wow, 10 yrs. is a long time. I'm sure Hikaru was re-evaluating her life and decided it was time to move on to something else.

As far as Momoclo continuing into their 30's, I think it all comes down to desire. If the members are still committed and Stardust is on board, then I think it's possible. All 4 members would have to agree though. Momoclo just won't work as a trio.

That perf from the Kinema Club is a wasted opportunity. The Diamond Four isn't a bad MV, but they didn't put allot of thought into the concept. It's just something they shot while Momoclo were on vacation. However, they must spent allot of money on the MVs for the monthly digital single project, so they probably wanted to keep TDF simple and cheap.



This concept has so much potential. I hope they really embrace the reality altering possibilities and have them walking sideways down walls. Something like the famous Escher painting.

It's interesting to note in the jacket photo with the piece of each member's face, the sections with the nose/mouth still follow the left to right positions of Arin, Kanako, Shiori, and Reni, lol.

I don't know about her age, but she's clearly too big to still be carried by her mom

Speaking of the Kinema club performance, here's a teaser/trailer video



Yeah I wonder what we'll get from the mv, although oftentimes the mv and album covers aren't all that related

This is a fun performance from Ebichu's recent "5th Anniversary of our gakugeeeekai" concert where Iginari Tohoku San were guests. Iginari collaborated with Ebichu's Hinata on this song.

Just a few Halloween posts I came across. Costumes for TokiSen and Team Shachi.





I guess TokiSen got into a cat fight, lol.

Shachi are detectives?

It's a pillow fight

 

[abra]

Arin updated her blog but had to split it into two posts because she posted so many photos

ももいろクローバーZ　佐々木彩夏『☆あーりん写真館です。あーりんです。☆』

はーい🙋‍♀️遡って写真あげまーす♡まず、前のブログの続き！明治座の写真から〜え、ちょっと待って。笑枚数オーバー。笑笑また次のブログで！！！🍔ささきあやか🍒…

ameblo.jp

ももいろクローバーZ　佐々木彩夏『☆あーりん写真館2です。あーりんです。☆』

明治座の写真が絞りきれなかった、、、。笑思い出がありすぎるーー！！そして、明治座のお次は🙋‍♀️こないだお披露目になったstay goldのジャケ写のオフショ…

ameblo.jp

First blog post is only Meiji-za photos, second one is more interesting! The contents are more mixed, from the best Meiji-za photos via Stay Gold off-shots to Kishidan expo off-shots. She also confirms a stay gold MV!

Some photos in the spoiler below:

Spoiler

Hustle Press also revealed what I assume are individual member "benefits" from buying the 2020 calendar (I guess you get to choose one?).
Tweet links:
Reni. Kanako. Shiori. A-rin.
Photos:

Spoiler