What’s in a review? That which by any other words would sound as sweet…

So, for the past week, my Internet decided to cop out on me. Also, WordPress ate this post several times over.

Okay, excuse for not posting over.

That doesn’t mean I’ve been entirely unproductive, though. (Insert kaomoji of any sort.) I have completed four decks for the 5×5 Arashi TCG. I have mixed 12 voices into a karaoke track mercilessly (though to no actual result) and attempted to record as many songs sung in a range too high. I have grinded my way through a number of casual games and leveled my characters’ jobs in Final Fantasy III after a long hiatus (no word on time for continuing NAMCOxCAPCOM or money for Persona 3: FES, unfortunately). I have been laughed at for failing to recognize a KinKi Kids song immediately (though it was warranted, seeing as I did buy the single). I have paid back a friend for ordering AAA’s ridiculous waste of money ATTACK ALL AROUND set, and am now currently hounding for Dream “A”live (If you don’t know, so much better for you, yes.) I have gone to see Cai Guo-Qiang’s exhibit at the Guggenheim and become facinated with the indoor river exhibit.

Oh, and I wrote a review or two, too.

But lately I’ve begun to wonder what’s the point of having them? Everyone’s going to have their own opinions on music, and they may not necessarily agree. (For example, there are certain virtues I could speak of on Matsumoto Jun’s Yabai-Yabai-Yabai – which, despite failing greatly as an example of good singing, still makes for a good cheer-up song. And an even better alarm when I’m late for class. YABAI. But his fans would probably kill me for even beginning to expound on that thought.) That’s a good thing – actually, no. That’s a great thing. Who cares if Raid doesn’t share tastes in mainstream pop with most people he comes across (actually, he does), or that some of my closest friends adore visual kei as much as or even more than I abhor it? (Really. I can only handle roars of “ONE DAY I WILL FUCK YOUR PARENTS” into my face at karaoke for so long. You try it, dear reader, and then you’ll see why I insist on my boyband pop more and more. It’s a self-defense mechanism.)

The variety in tastes is what gives us the variety in the music market. And really, no one should tell anyone else what to listen to unless the opinion is deliberately asked for. Which brings me to my point, I suppose. What’s the point of a review blog?

This isn’t to criticize such blogs – I enjoy reading review blogs, and in fact, I’ve joined various music communities on LiveJournal for the sole purpose of reading uploaders’ reviews, rather than pouncing on the downloads. If I listen as I read the review, sometimes I’ll come across elements that I’d skipped over or develop a newfound appreciation for a track because I’ve had the chance to see the other person’s opinion. And there’s the undeniable fact that they make for spectacular filler when I don’t post ramblings like this one.

But while it may seem like I’ve answered my own question, I haven’t. Or at least, not as far as I’m concerned. To me, a blog is for sharing information and ideas, to toss them up for discussion. It’s like a forum but with a focus on one person’s thoughts. Reviews consist mainly of opinions, and on top of that, there’s really no point on discussing them. You either agree or you don’t, whether by a lot or a little, and that’s all there is to it. By their very nature, they’re final – and while a person’s opinion can certainly change over time, you don’t edit a review. You just write a new one with the new opinion or you forget about it. Usually the latter. People are lazy, let it slide.

Or perhaps a better explanation – people just don’t care.

I mean, take a look at the focus of our blogosphere. Music – and Japanese, not the first language for most, if not all of us at that. While we have a variety of interesting writers who work reviews into their repertoire of posts in addition to blogs that focus solely on reviewing music – there’s little we can really type that isn’t a review – whether it’s criticism or praise; whether it’s about the composition, image, clothes, personality, marketing style – it’s usually going to be a look at some aspect of someone’s career and our opinion of it. As a potential market that just isn’t being paid attention to, we have little chance of actually affecting what’s being done or used. All we can offer is what we think. The Japanese companies, while keeping an eye out for download blogs with their copyrighted pieces of data, don’t give a damn about the content. (Though it’s rather nice to say avex is stalking blogs and just obstinately wearing down vocal fans into mindless money machines.) We’re not their intended market nor audience, though we have a chance at taking away their chances to earn money from said market and audience. But they’re not our intended audience for our reviews either. (Or so I’d hope.) Who is?

So to the… 8 readers total I have on this blog. (I guess we can up that number to 12 if I mention Arashi. Hi guys, 5×5 review will be coming soon eventually.) And anyone else who stops by from anywhere, regardless of the linking page. What do reviews do for you? Whether it’s over something that millions of bloggers will touch upon regardless of who cares or doesn’t (*ahem*Hello!ProjectorHamasakiAyumi*ahem* – thanks for offering, but I’ve got my own cough drops) or a review on something no one else seems to care about… do they actually affect you as the reader in any way? Or do you just get a personal ego kick in knowing someone has the same opinion and move on?

To the bloggers; why post a review? Is it just to get your words out, to make a name in what’s fast becoming a popular blogosphere? (Well, mostly H!P blogs.) To spite all those writers whose opinions you disagree with, or perhaps in spite of the fact that there are no opinions over the subject of your review? Perhaps to spread the name of an artist, or defame them. Do you just post because you want to? Do the same “what’s the point?” questions plaguing my mind ever bounce across yours?

Lastly, to those of you who think this post is a way to get out of posting yet another trite review as I return to fangirling without the analytical bullshit pretense I use here… you’re totally right we’ll pretend there’s not an ounce of truth to that statement.

So close to a career you could…

Sadly, most general knowledge of Japanese idol girl groups (outside of Japan – within the country’s boundaries is a subject I’m not qualified to touch on) is limited to two things. The avex image hipsters, SPEED (though you can replace this with other avex girl groups like dream, usually it’s limited to only one of them), and the doggedly persistent institution of Hello! Project. If you dig deeper, you’ll find people who know of AKB48 – but more for their sheer numbers (which Bishoujo Club 31 never quite accomplished) and for acknowledging their otaku fanbase. Which doesnt bode well for acts like Bright (who, despite tinging their act with gospel, still managed to have me find their debut mini-album on the $7 shelf at Book-off the same week it came out), nor assure us of the future of now disbanded SweetS. Never mind any recognition for much lesser-known groups like Earth and Pipo’s Angels. The age of the female idol in Japan is over -you have to be something, most preferably sexy, or be left aside. Considering how long female pop idols held court in Japan – and I think back to the days of Super Monkeys, never mind Pink Lady and Onyanko Club – and the constantly evolving image of the female ideal, it’s about time. It’s a sad truth for people like me who like girl groups but don’t like the music of H!P or AKB48. (On the bright side, the pretty boys are girly enough to be girl groups with additional “appendages”…)

So it’s been four years now since I first (and last) heard of AKINA, the former lead vocalist of girl group Folder 5. After Folder 5 disbanded, she had what seems like a short solo career – only three singles to her solo name. But it was one single a year up until 2004, when she shut up completely. Three years for only three singles (Touch me, which this post touches on; One wish; BEST OF LOVE) out of a girl who had pop singing and dancing chops, along with a gorgeous face, established fanbase (there was a reason they pushed her in front for Folder 5 though she was the youngest), slight creative capabilities before it became mandatory to have something to do with your music for popularity’s sake, and industry experience – was avex just wasting away the rest of her contract with them then? (Because after four years of musical silence – and a radioshow doesn’t count - it’s pretty moot now.)