thoughts on the recent kanjani8 "graduating" announcements, recomen shows, valentines day, etc

[umechan]

So, I dunno what to think of the fact that in the next week or so Maru is leaving Recomen, and Hina is leaving Hirunandesu.  And both those spots are being replaced by Johnny’s WEST members.  It’s definitely worrisome for me as a kanjani8 fan. .__.  This all is probably not helped by the fact that I’m trolling for info at japanese sites/fans twitters/tumblrs/etc …and my japanese comprehension rate is probably at best 50-60%.  I really hope too that this is all prompted by new opportunities for them, but I haven’t heard anything yet.  I mean I know Maru is doing the Macbeth butai which should be a good opportunity for him to grow/learn.  But but but.  >___<  I dunno. it just makes me nervous this whole thing what with stuff happening so quickly in succession.  lol.

Anyways, thought snippets on Maru & Hina’s Recomen 2016.02.11 & 2016.02.18

I love listening to Recomen - but as mentioned, my comprehension is pretty bad as it is, and it takes a further hit when it’s audio only because that lacks the visual cues you get from body language and the helpful word/phrase emphasis that you get with variety shows.

I really liked the valentine related calls/emails they took.  In general, it’s just fun to hear their commentary and suggestions to the listeners.  Highlights:

- the girl (was her name Kaede? I forget) who called in about the guy she’d liked for a while who goes to a different school now, that kissed her when they were hanging out at his place with another friend. Hina-chan’s advice is actually really interesting - because he’s like laying out all these scenarios for what might happen and how she can proceed, etc.  ….I also like that she updated them in the later show about what happened.

- was it Yuri-chan?  …she was so cute! I think her situation was how to get the guy she liked alone to give him chocolates

- At one point Maru and Hina were talking about honmei chocolates (the ones you give to the person you really like) vs giri chocolates (obligatory ones) and Maru was like he didn’t get any this year (I think?)  …  but apparently Hina did. from some female talent whose name I forget (I should go back and figure out who this is - but apparently she’s said in the past that she likes Ryo-chan’s face/looks)   I have to confess that when Maru started digging into who it might be (on air even!) by asking more and more specific questions, I was like agh! I can’t believe you’re talking about this on air - I feel sorry for her! …but at the same time I was rabidly curious, you know?  Anyhow it sounds like she was really cute about it, like she put prettied herself up and handed them over all proper. <3

- I like how Maru tries to interpret what kind of person, the listener is when he reads the letter/talks to them on the phone - he has a lot of insights into what he thinks the person is like based on what is written/said or how they say it.  And so they can cater their advice based on that.

- They were asked to talk about a time when someone giving them chocolates gave them an exciting heart-pounding feeling.  That was cute/funny too.  Maru-chan’s was something along the lines of a treasure hunt thing where he got the key to a locker or something — I sadly couldn’t understand quite a bit of what he was talking about here.  >__<  And Hina-chan’s was when one of the staff passed the chocolates to him along with his microphone(?) or something?  …if anyone wants to take pity on me and explain this I would be ever so grateful.  XD;;

And thoughts on Japanese valentines day customs + the concept of kokuhaku

I’ve always thought that the whole chocolate-giving on valentines day and the corresponding white day gifts were a really fun custom.  And I’m a little sad to never have experienced it before, being not from Japan.  There’s this whole excitement and young fresh feeling to it that you don’t really get from valentines day over here.  YMMV, but even when I was younger valentines day never really seemed like much of a thing.  I associate it with having to pass out valentines day cards, etc to all the people in my class and talks from teachers about not excluding people (lol).  And as I got older - that changed to … well, obligatory gift/romantic gesture that I need to get for/do with who I was with if I was with someone at that time.  And if I wasn’t with anyone, then “oh, this day has really nothing to do with me or I wish I was with someone (depending on how I was feeling that day)”  ….and now my thoughts on it are like “this is an excuse for restaurants to charge you 2x the price and for businesses to sell flowers/chocolates” …which I know is pretty jaded, but my honest thoughts right?  XD;;

Maybe I’m just romanticizing it because it’s not my culture - and maybe if I was there, it’d be like “eh. just another way for them to sell chocolates, chocolate-making kits”

In the same way - I’ve always thought that the whole kokuhaku (i.e., declaration of love thingamabob) was kind of fun.  I watched some clip (possibly a k8 related variety show?) where they were interviewing couples on how it happened for them and whether they thought it was important to do, etc.  And it sounded like it happened as a progression of the relationship — like a formalized “ok, let’s be a couple” kind of DTR moment? i.e. a number of them already could tell they liked each other.  Which makes sense to me realistically, because I think it would be hard to actually form a relationship based on someone random (who you don’t really know yet) telling them they like you.  …granted, those are the situations I find the most heart-poundingly exciting and cute, but yeah.

Anyhow, just my 2 cents.