Sadly, I woke up when I was buying tickets, so I never got to see them. >__>;;

Even worse, I was woken up by my dad so he could check my skin and see if I needed to go to the dermatologist today. That sucks so much. My skin was starting to get better, too, and suddenly BAM! I LOOK LIKE AN EFFING MONSTER. I hate my skin.

In the end, he dragged me to some Chinese doctor. >__>;; Previously I had seen American dermatologists who all prescribed applicable medicine, none of which worked.

But now, every day, I have to drink disgusting, bitter Chinese herbal medicine... Life sucks.

I'm actually pretty annoyed right now.

Last year, around the last couple weeks of school [June 2007], an issue came up regarding me and four of my friends, that, well, caused a lot of drama within my huge group of friends...

Everybody really hated us, and everybody blamed everything on us... and thought we were trying to exclude people. We weren't. The whole thing was misunderstood from the start.

But nobody even listened or understood. When I tried to explain, everything was just denied. Everybody just blamed the five of us for the fact that our huge group was starting to separate into little groups. We didn't try to seclude ourselves. It really, really sucked. ^^; I cried and screamed a lot.

To be honest, out of the five of us who were blamed, I had to deal with the issue the most. Because I was close friends with some people who were ESPECIALLY offended by this issue. So it was really hard on me...

Last night, the issue was brought up again. -_____-; Seriously, sht. Wtf... Are you kidding me?!

Bringing back an issue that happened OVER A YEAR AGO? It was completely forgotten/dissolved within this past school year, and you're bringing this up?!

And this whole goddamn thing was misunderstood from the start, and I REALLY HATE dealing with this. I hate dealing with things. I'm not good at handling things like this. I just get really pissed off and start crying. I don't even want to argue back anymore.

Aghhhhh, I'm just really pissed off right now.

</rant>

And I'm really sorry to everyone I owe lines to. =[ Especially 7nin Tengoku. </3 I'm kind of mad at myself too..

Btw, happy 16th birthday to Sudou Maasa.

Well we already heard of Song Selections 3 coming out later this month but a big surprise happen when 4th was just announce to release one month later on August 27. The limited edition will include a DVD with Papancake anime version and SHIPS PV. The first press of the regular will include a larger sticker. Song Selections 4 will include SHIPS newests song along with Anataboshi and San San GOGO solo version from MilkyWay.

Poster

Morning Musume

Cinderella the Musical (シンデレラ the ミュージカル) akan bermula pada 6 - 25 Ogos 2008 di Shinjuku Koma Stadium

=O Happy birthday to Super Junior's leader, the teuk ee teuk ee angel, Eeteuk!

~

Original Vid Description:

Natsumi Abe- Lulu/japeysan
Yajima Maimi- Eva/ex-waterpixie

Mixing- Eva

*This video is dedicated to Eva.
Her account was waterpixie and a lot of you probably know her, she was like the best tsubasa chronicle amv maker! and had a great voice~~

But she got suspended a few days ago, because youtube was being stupid.
I suck in this dub, but eva sounds really pretty, hope you enjoy it!

~We own nothing but out voices~

This is "Watashi no Koibito na no ni" duet I did with Lulu!
[yt/wp]

Gahh, it's finally finished after so long! It turned really nice. =3 Or at least Lulu's part did. I think I sound annoying. Lol. Like, my high notes are screamed while her's are smooth, see? And when I try to soften my voice, it turns out all airy. I loathe my first two solos. >] Lulu sounds so pretty. *____*

The harmony turned out great! x3 Especially at "yasashiku shite".

But anyway, gahhhh..! >___< Lulu... thank you so much... -touched- Thank you for writing that on the video description and "dedicating it to me". <3

And also, the video. xD TSUBASA CHRONICLE OMG! <3 Totally loooove it. :DDDD And the Miyabi-ness? Yay! She's so pretty. Hahah, and there's even W at the end! Kago! Tsuji!

But what REALLY surprised me was the Super Junior. xDDDD <33
Love love love! But too random! xD

HENRYYYYYYYYY! -diiiiies-

Syaoran, who I was obsessed with for a couple years, and Henry, who I'm practically obsessed with now... Seeing them both in one video is too much for me. Dx

Thank you. =] This video will make me smile every time I watch.
[Please leave a comment here? =3]

You are most like Tanaka Reina! She joined Momusu in the 6th generation. She has a reputation for being the "rebel" of the group, due to her yankee fashion style and somewhat sassy personality.

Which member of C-ute are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Suzuki Airi You are most like Suzuki Airi! Suzuki Airi 75% Okai Chisato 56% Umeda Erika 56% Yajima Maimi 50% Hagiwara Mai 44% Nakajima Saki 38% Murakami Megumi 38% Arihana Kanna 31%

Which member of Berryz Koubou are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Shimizu Saki You are most like Shimizu Saki! Shimizu Saki 81% Tokunaga Chinami 63% Sudou Maasa 56% Sugaya Risako 56% Tsugunaga Momoko 44% Natsuyaki Miyabi 38% Ishimura Maiha 31% Kumai Yurina 31%

I can't belive i got those 2 for MM and C-ute those 2 people are at
the bottom of my rating list. Oh well at least I got Captain! :]]

It's official, the legend of V-u-den is finally over and H!P has updated their website (and quickly) to three separate profiles. There is still one more v-u-den release and it's their final concert. Purchase link to CD Japan is listed below.

Concert DVD: CD Japan

The title to C-ute's 6th single has been revealed: Edo no Temari Uta II. The purchase links are down below. The limited edition will include different jackets.

Regular: CD Japan

Limited: CD Japan

Single V: CD Japan

Song: Tsuugaku Vector☂
Original Artist: C-ute (Suzuki Airi)
Video: Performance from C-ute Concert Tour 2007 Haru ~Golden Hatsu Date~

Cast:

Suzuki Airi: Mierna

Mixing: Mierna
Karaoke: Made with Audacity
Bloopers: You can tell I can't reach those high notes so well. And plus you can tell I'm running out of breath. It is a hard song to sing, I'm telling you!!

Watch and comment, please! ^_^

~Mierna

Girls singing LALALA SHIAWASE NO UTA in MANDARIN.

LOLLLLL. It was really Lalala Shiawase no Uta, C-ute's song. And they rewrote it in Mandarin?! And played it on a Mandarin show? That's awesome/funny. xD

[EDIT;; OH MY EFFING GOD!

I heard Mikan playing so I ran outside, and I SEE TSUNKU'S FACE.

WHAT. THE. EFF. IS GOING ON?!

Is this H!P related?! Is this like another H!P Eggs Taiwanese audition or whatever? I don't know anymore! GAHHHH. T.T My dad tried to explain, but he only made it worse.
"This is like American Idol, except it's Taiwanese. This show is copying a Tsunku-produced Japanese show which is exactly like it."]

Are you sick of me blogging almost everyday, yet? =3
[Nyarr, 'cause I don't caree! :D]

x_____X Last night...in my dream... I made a 'new' Youtube account and was able to keep the username "waterpixie" and my channel, but the only catch was all my videos were deleted.

That's how sad my life is. xD
But, ah, if only it were like that. T.T I can't really think of a new username where I can still keep the 'waterpixie'-ness... And 'waterpixiee' was already taken...T.T;
[Plus the fact that that person hasn't signed in for two years really ticks me off, 'cause I really want that username, dangit!]

Blah... yesterday I spent approximately 5 hours sitting here on my ass, mixing Kare no Kitchen, the LAST song of the J-unior SWEET Team S mini-album that needed to be completed.

Today I spent about 2 hours, and I FINALLY FINISHED IT! -beams-

x3 It was a paaaaaaaaaaain in the ass though, because there were so many choruses... =___=;; The song hardly had any solos... and in every chorus ALL 10 girls sang together at every part. That. Really. Sucked. For. Me.

Mixing is a real pain in the arss, especially if you do what I do.

After importing all the tracks+instrumental in, the first thing I did was line them all up so that the first lines were all matched up and in time.

Then I went through every track for quality control. Silencing and deleting all the parts where the person didn't sing, leaving the mic buzz or background sounds or sometimes even the instrumental because they didn't record with earphones, which they should have. D: Also, I delete all the little clicks that're made in your mouth.

Then volume. Trying to make sure there's about an equal amount of everyone at every part?

After, I listen to every track and silence out all the parts that are out of tune. One bruised apple can ruin a bunch.

Then the reaaaaally time-consuming part starts. x____X This part drives me nuts. Timing.
I find a person's track where I think they're probably pretty close in time and I time it with the music.

And one by one, I time every single other track to match exactly with the first-timed track. Every single syllable. That takes up so much time.

Gives me a headache too, when there are lots of tracks, AND there are lots of parts where everyone sings together.

I've seen other people mix and heard other peoples' mixings, and most people don't do what I do. .___. Sometimes I'm too much of a perfectionist.. It's a pain for me...

But I think.. even if the singing is OUTSTANDING, and the mixing is off..? It kills it. Especially if the timing is off. Quality is important, so I try to put in at least a little effort when I do this... Maybe it's just me...

Last night, I finally watched the last episode of First Kiss, a Japanese drama. xD I cried once and almost cried another time. Nyar.

Honestly, I liked this series. =3 Lots of people think it's "okay" because it's not heart-throbbing or hardcore and doesn't have a totally complicated and deep plot.

But I really liked it. It was light and cute, and Mio's personality was interesting and refreshing.

I started watching Proposal Daisakusen. :D I love it so far.

YAMAPI[Yamashita Tomohisa] from NEWS is the main character. OMGG! <33 He's not my favorite member of NEWS, but I really like him anyway! :DDD Even if the plot sucked, I might have just watched it for him. He was suuuper cute/hot and rocks at his character, Iwase Ken.

And OMG Hiraoka Yuuta is in it, too! <3 The cute Yuki-sensei from First Kiss! :D Yaay.

i wanna see the version of irarin Revolution passes, What do u think? i'm going neutral on this PV, 'cause i like Kusumi as a Girl, but as a singer... i'm having my doubts, but i guess i'm going to like this PV anyway...

[Audio http://www.box.net/shared/8mmnknjsw8]
 
Nice isn't it? u also can download the file there. i hope u all like this single, as u have known already, she plays the piano hahaha, anyway, this is nice for a debut, but i hope she improves her singing and that tsunku improves his song writing.

Dohhh UP has uploaded the PV to Kusumi Koharu's 5th single: Papancake. The purchase links are down below.

Regular: CD Japan

Limited: CD Japan

Single V: CD Japan

Abertura + Resonant Blue

Ambitious

MC + Kanashimi Twilight

Do it Now

• Saiu uma prévia da música Papancake da Koharu Kusumi, quem quiser baixar para ouvir é só clicar aqui e quem não quiser baixar, é só ouvir pelo Youtube, logo abaixo:

• E ainda falando sobre prévias de novos singles, também saiu a prévia do single Mano Piano da Mano Erina, a nova solista do Hello! Project. Quem quiser conferir é só ouvir pelo Youtube logo abaixo ou clicar aqui.

(como eu não estou conseguindo ouvir o áudio, não sei se peguei o vídeo certo com a música, mas se estiver errado, mas tarde eu arrumo.)

Áudio do live para os fãs

Neste link aqui, é possível assistir a uma vídeo-mensagem da Mano Erina para os fãs.

• Seguem os vídeos de mais um capítulo da audição para novas integrantes do Hello! Project que está acontecendo em Taiwan:

Vídeo 1

Vídeo 2

Vídeo 3

Vídeo 4

Vídeo 5

• Abaixo, os vídeos do Haromoni@ do dia 29/06:

• Segue o setilist de dois shows, o "Abe Natsumi Special Live 2008 -Acoustic Nacchi-" e o "Biyudensetsu 5"

Abe Natsumi Special Live 2008 -Acoustic Nacchi-

01 - Sweet Holic
02 - Koishita Onna no Ko Dosue
MC1
03 - Hare Ame Nochi Suki
04 - Elevator Futaripocchi
MC2
05 - Takaramono
06 - piece of my wish Imai Miki
MC3
07 - Umi wo Miteita Gogo YUUMIN
08 - Watashi no Aozora IRUKA
MC4
09 - Manatsu no Kousen
10 - Shousetsu no Naka no Futari
MC5
11 - Iki wo Kasanemashou
12 - I'm in Love
MC6
13 - Ai Hitohira
14 - Amasugita Kajitsu ~ Datte Ikitekanakucha
MC7
15 - Itoshiki Hito
Encore
MC8
16 - Toumorokoshi to Sora to Kaze
MC9
17 - Ude Kunde Kaeritai

Biyudensetsu 5

01 - Koi no Nukegara
02 - Ai ~Suite Room~
MC
03 - Issai Gassai Anata ni A.ge.ru
04 - Naishin Kyaakyaa da wa!
05 - Hitorijime
MC
06 - Jajauma Paradise
07 - Seishun THE NIPPON
08 - Ichou ~Aki no Sora to Watashi no Kokoro~
09 - Magokoro no Michi
MC (Ishikawa)
10 - Saigo no Natsuyasumi (Okada Solo)
11 - Ano Natsu no Yoru (Miyoshi Solo)
MC (Miyoshi, Okada)
12 - Omoide wa Kanata (Ishikawa Solo)
13 - Kuchibiru Kara Ai wo Choudai
14 - Aimai Me MIND
15 - Kacchoii ze! JAPAN
puppet show
16 - Aisu Kuriimu to My Purin
17 - Kurenai no Kisetsu
18 - Ajisai AI Ai Monogatari
MC
19 - Bi ~Hit Parade~
20 - Koisuru Angel Heart
MC
21 - Nanni mo Iwazu ni I LOVE YOU
EN1 - LET'S LIVE
MC
EN2 - Owaranai Yoru to Yume
EN3 - FANTASY

final night only
EN4 - Ai ~Suite Room~

E abaixo, uma foto do show do Biyuuden:

• Segue a imagem do poster oficial do musical Cinderella que terá a participação do Morning Musume:

• A Maki Goto já tem novo site. Quem quiser conferi-lo é só clicar aqui.
• Seguem dois vídeos do "Melon Greeting" com o Melon Kinenbi:

Vídeo 1

Vídeo 2

• Segue um scan da revista "Famitsu" de Taiwan onde saiu uma matéria sobre a unit Milky Way:

I don't know how many of you realize this, but today is the last day Hello! Project trio v-u-den will be together.  In fact, considering the time changes, they're probably already disbanded.  While they were never really successful, they tried hard and stayed really active.  It never seemed to get them down until this year. 

I always loved their music, too.  If only the public would have realized it before they called it quits.  Too bad.  I'm not an extremely sentimental person, but I thought I would at least give a small tribute post to them as we will never see them together again.  That's a sad thought. 

Out of the three of them, I dislike Ishikawa Rika the most.  I've always disliked Rika, ever since I became an H!P fan.  I hated her at one point, but I got over it eventually and now I can tolerate her if I have to.  Which happens a lot because I love the other people of all the units she's been in, so it's a win-lose situation for me. 

Also out of the three girls of v-u-den, Rika has the most solid future.  Who knows what they'll do to Erika and Okada, they might make more Yaguchi Mari's out of them, but we know for sure that Rika will always be in the spotlight some way or another.  She has Gatas right now, and another rumored unit?  We'll see about that. 

Miyoshi Erika was without doubt the best vocalist in Biyuuden.  I'd go as far to say she's one of the best in H!P right now period.  It's a real shame that all they'll probably do is stick her in that same box that they stuck Ayaka and Marippe and all those other "soloists" (who never released any solo work) so she can do nothing for the rest of her career.  I wish she would switch to Avex, too, because she has such a good voice that she could make it far. 

Or put her in a permanent duo with Takahashi Ai.  They both have amazing voices and would make such a good pair.  And then Gaki-san would be leader~! 

Life sucks for Okada Yui.  I don't see her doing anything else in Hello! Project.  She can't sing very well, but she has a pretty face and the biggest boobs in H!P.  She'll probably get thrown into that box with Erika and maybe release a few photobooks, but that's it.  I can see her leaving H!P to become an AV idol. 

Anyway, Yui has and always will be my favorite member of v-u-den.  I love her to death and I really wish she would get put into another unit (because there's no way she's going solo).  One can always hope, right? 

I wish v-u-den the best in whatever Tsunku decides to do with them. 

Ai ~Suite Room~

Kaccho Iize!  JAPAN

Issai Gassai Anata ni A-Ge-Ru

Aisu Kurimu to My Purin

Koisuru Angel Heart:

Hitorijime [Miyoshi Erika Solo]

Group Version:

Ajisai Ai Ai Monogatari

Okada Yui, Ne~e?

Ishikawa Rika, Suki Sugite Baka Mitai

The last concert by Biyuuden was Today at 6:00 pm (Tokyo Time) in the Tokyo Welfare Pension Hall.

My best wishes to all the girls, specially to Miyoshi Erika, who i think is the most talented, just see her version of Hitorijime

Cinderella: Takahashi Ai
Prince: Niigaki Risa
Sister Portia: Kamei Eri
Fairy: Michishige Sayumi
Elder Sister Joy: Tanaka Reina
The Herald: Kusumi Koharu
Fairy: Mitsui Aika
Page: Junjun
Page: Linlin

Plus other characters played by Takarazuka. Two big starring roles there for Junjun & Linlin.  Can't say it surprises me. I'm sure there will be a dvd release at some stage so hopefully eventually some kind soul will do a translation.

But why don't I feel surprised about it?

Are birthdays really something to make a big deal about? I guess no one's really content with that self-satisfaction of finally reaching teen status or adult status, they have to go brag about it to the world...

Anyhow, before you start bringing out the cake, I ask that you pay your respects to a certain trio who disbanded yesterday (June 29, 2008, JST)...

v-u-den, Biyuuden, or Viyuden, whatever you call them. Ishikawa Rika, Miyoshi Erika, Okada Yui.

We will miss you greatly.

Now then! I don't really celebrate my birthday on my blog, so here was something I did to celebrate this little occasion...

Song: FIRST KISS
Original Artist: Aa!
Video: Performance from C-ute Live Tour 2007 Aki ~Houkago no Essence~

Cast:

Suzuki Airi: Mierna

Mixing: Mierna
Karaoke: Made with Audacity
Bloopers: My voice cracks sort of... And I kinda mess up on the "Whoa"'s near the end. Plus I kinda maxed my mic during the high notes. Mind my rather quiet "Arigatou" message as well. ^^

Watch and comment, please! ^^

~Mierna

Download MP3

If one follows the development and output of Hello! Project, one is likely well acquainted with Tsunku, the Producer:

Of course, Tsunku does not produce everything in Hello! Project, nor is his work limited only to production. A prolific lyricist and composer, he is also responsible for writing most of Hello! Project’s songs. One need only scan any recent (Tsunku-produced) Hello! Project release to see Tsunku’s name emblazoned across the front cover, acknowledging his role in producing the record. In addition, on the interior of the liner notes, one may often see both the lyrics and composition of the tracks attributed to Tsunku, his name rising elegantly above the very words he has penned.

Indeed, let us journey together, dear reader, through the experience of gazing upon Tsunku’s name as it appears on the Berryz Koubou single “VERY BEAUTY”, selected arbitrarily as a typical example of a Tsunku production.

Observe in particular how the three simple hiragana strokes (つんく) are embellished with a Mars symbol (♂), prominently displayed yet not intended to be pronounced. An interesting touch, otherwise attributable to Tsunku’s idiosyncratic whims but for the fact that this name appears differently on the interior:

Here the Mars symbol is noticeably absent. One might dismiss this as a mere typographical error, but closer examination of other recent Tsunku productions reveals that the Mars symbol is consistently missing from the lyrics and composition credits while present on the cover production credits.

One might fancy the notion that behind the “Tsunku” nom de plume lies a team of two individuals, one a producer and the other a lyricist and composer, differentiated only by the presence or absence of the Mars symbol. While there is some merit to this possibility, one must consider the history of this peculiar symbol as it is displayed on the covers of Tsunku-produced releases over the ages. In particular, one must note that early Hello! Project releases credit Tsunku as producer without the Mars symbol.

Immediately some pertinent questions arise: At which point did Tsunku the producer begin adopting the Mars symbol as an essential feature of his pseudonym? Did he consistently omit the symbol prior to this point, and has he consistently included it since then? And perhaps most importantly, why are there two Tsunkus now when once there was but one?

Speculation about Tsunku’s gender identity and/or sexual orientation aside (to be addressed in due time), let us examine in detail, dear reader, the evolution of this name, in hopes that such an endeavour may uncover heretofore unacknowledged clues to illuminate this enigmatic figure and to guide us in dissecting this mystery.

II. The Evolution of a Mystery

Let us proceed by scrutinising the covers of Hello! Project recordings that bear Tsunku’s name, beginning with Morning Musume.’s second single, “Summer Night Town” (the group’s debut single does not have a production credit on the cover), and examining each release in turn:

Title	Artist	Release Date	Production Credit
Summer Night Town	Morning Musume.	1998.05.27		Produced by つんく
Daite HOLD ON ME!	Morning Musume.	1998.07.08		Produced by つんく
Last Kiss	Tanpopo	1998.11.18		Produced by つんく
Odaiba Moonlight Serenade	Nakazawa Yuuko & Takayama Gen	1998.12.02		Produced by つんく
Dai Isshou	Nakazawa Yuuko	1998.12.12		Produced by つんく
Memory Seishun no Hikari	Morning Musume.	1999.02.10		Produced by つんく
Motto	Tanpopo	1999.03.10		Produced by つんく
Tsuki to Yaiyou	Taiyou to Ciscomoon	1999.04.21		PRODUCED BY つんく
Manatsu no Kousen	Morning Musume.	1999.05.12		Produced by つんく
Tanpopo	Tanpopo	1999.06.16		Produced by つんく
Gatamekira	Taiyou to Ciscomoon	1999.06.23		Produced by つんく
Furusato	Morning Musume.	1999.07.14		Produced by つんく
Futari no Hokkaido	Country Musume.	1999.07.23		サウンドプロデュース　つんく
Halation Summer / Summer Night Town (English Version)	Coconuts Musume.	1999.07.23		Produced by つんく
Uchuu de La Ta Ta	Taiyou to Ciscomoon	1999.07.28		Produced by つんく TSUNKU
Everyday Everywhere	Taiyou to Ciscomoon	1999.08.25		Produced by つんく TSUNKU
DANCE & CHANCE	Coconuts Musume.	1999.08.25		Produced by TSUNKU つんく
LOVE Machine	Morning Musume.	1999.09.09		Produced by つんく
Magic of Love	Taiyou to Ciscomoon	1999.09.29		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Seinaru Kane ga Hibiku Yoru	Tanpopo	1999.10.20		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Chokotto LOVE	Pucchi Moni	1999.11.25		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Yukigeshiki	Country Musume.	1999.11.30		サウンドプロデュース　つんく
Marui Taiyou ~winter ver~	Taiyou to Ciscomoon	1999.12.08		Produced by つんく TSUNKU
Koi no Dance Site	Morning Musume.	2000.01.26		Produced by つんく TSUNKU
Amai Anata no Aji	Melon Kinenbi	2000.02.19		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Akai Nikkichou	Akagumi 4	2000.03.08		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Kiiroi Osora de BOOM BOOM BOOM	Kiiro 5	2000.03.08		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Aoi Sportscar no Otoko	Aoiro 7	2000.03.08		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
3rd-LOVE Paradise	Morning Musume.	2000.03.29		Produced by つんく TSUNKU
DON’T STOP Renaichuu	T&C Bomber	2000.04.19		Produced by つんく “TSUNKU”
Hokkaido Shalala	Country Musume.	2000.04.27		サウンドプロデュース　つんく
Happy Summer Wedding	Morning Musume.	2000.05.17		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
One Room Natsu no Koi Monogatari	Heike Michiyo	2000.05.17		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Tokonatsu Musume	Coconuts Musume.	2000.05.17		Produced by つんく TSUNKU
Kokuhaku Kinenbi	Melon Kinenbi	2000.06.28		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Otome Pasta ni Kandou	Tanpopo	2000.07.05		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Shanghai no Kaze	Nakazawa Yuuko	2000.07.12		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
HEY! Mahiru no Shinkirou	T&C Bomber	2000.07.19		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Seishun Jidai 1.2.3! / Baisekou Daiseikou!	Pucchi Moni	2000.07.26		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Watashi mo “I LOVE YOU”	Coconuts Musume.	2000.07.26		Produced by つんく TSUNKU
Koi ga Suteki na Kisetsu	Country Musume.	2000.07.31		サウンドプロデュース　つんく
Ai no Chikara	Heike Michiyo	2000.08.09		produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
I WISH	Morning Musume.	2000.09.06		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
2nd STAGE	T&C Bomber	2000.09.27		produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Kokoro no Pheromone	Sheki-Dol	2000.11.01		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Renai Revolution 21	Morning Musume.	2000.12.13		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Mini Moni. Jankenpyon! / Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu Daisukki!	Mini Moni.	2001.01.17		つんく プロデュース TSUNKU PRODUCE
Kekkyoku Bye Bye Bye	Heike Michiyo	2001.02.07		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Kuyashi Namida Porori	Nakazawa Yuuko	2001.02.15		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Koi wo Shichaimashita!	Tanpopo	2001.02.21		Produced By Tsunku
BABY! Koi ni KNOCK OUT!	Pucchi Moni	2001.02.28		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Denwa Matteimasu	Melon Kinenbi	2001.03.07		Produced by つんく ‘TSUNKU’
Ai no Bakayarou	Goto Maki	2001.03.28		Produced by つんく
Tetteiteki Unmei	Sheki-Dol	2001.04.13		Produced by つんく♂
Hajimete no Happy Birthday!	Country Musume. ni Ishikawa Rika	2001.04.18		サウンドプロデュス：つんく♂
Tropica~l Koishite~ru	Matsuura Aya	2001.06.13		Produced by つんく♂
Zentaiteki ni Daisuki Desu.	Sheki-Dol	2001.06.27		Produced by つんく♂
Chu! Natsu Party	3nin Matsuri	2001.07.04		Produced by つんく♂
Summer Reggae! Rainbow	7nin Matsuri	2001.07.04		Produced by つんく♂
Dancing! Natsu Matsuri	10nin Matsuri	2001.07.04		Produced by つんく♂
The☆Peace!	Morning Musume.	2001.07.25		PRODUCED BY つんく♂
Jounetsu Yuki Miraisen	Coconuts Musume.	2001.08.22		Produced by つんく♂
LOVE Namida Iro	Matsuura Aya	2001.09.05		Produced by つんく♂
Mini Moni. Telephone! Rin Rin Rin / Mini Moni. Bus Guide	Mini Moni.	2001.09.12		つんく♂プロデュース
Afurechau… BE IN LOVE	Goto Maki	2001.09.19		PRODUCED BY つんく♂
This is Unmei	Melon Kinenbi	2001.10.11		produced by つんく♂
Koibito wa Kokoro no Ouendan	Country Musume. ni Ishikawa Rika	2001.10.17		sound produced by つんく♂
Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~	Morning Musume.	2001.10.31		PRODUCED BY つんく♂
Propose	Heike Michiyo	2001.11.07		Produced by つんく♂
Pittari Shitai X’mas!	Pucchi Moni	2001.11.14		Produced by つんく♂
Oujisama to Yuki no Yoru	Tanpopo	2001.11.21		Produced by つんく♂
100kai no KISS	Matsuura Aya	2001.11.28		Produced by つんく♂
Minihamuzu no Ai no Uta	Minihamuzu	2001.12.05		つんく♂プロデュース
Ai wa Muteki ~Hatachi no Yoru no Chikai~	Sheki-Dol	2001.12.05		produced by つんく♂
Country Musume. Daizenshuu 1	Country Musume.	2001.12.12		Sound Produced by つんく♂
First Kiss	Matsuura Aya	2002.01.01		Produced by つんく♂
Mini Moni. Hinamatsuri! / Mini. Strawberry Pie	Mini Moni.	2002.01.30		つんく♂プロデュース
♡Momoiro Kataomoi♡	Matsuura Aya	2002.02.06		Produced by つんく♂
Saa! Koibito ni Narou	Melon Kinenbi	2002.02.14		PRODUCED BY つんく♂
Souda! We’re ALIVE	Morning Musume.	2002.02.20		PRODUCED BY つんく♂
Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi	Fujimoto Miki	2002.03.13		produced by つんく♂
4th “Ikimasshoi!”	Morning Musume.	2002.03.27		PRODUCED BY つんく♂

From the above evidence, we can trace the evolution of the Tsunku name as it transforms from a simple “つんく” in 1998 to a composite appending the hiragana spelling to the romaji spelling “TSUNKU” circa July 1999, which usually positions the Latin letters below the kana, sometimes to the right of the kana, and once above the kana, often enclosing the letters within a pair of single quotes and once in double quotes.

A few notable exceptions are also introduced: the Country Musume. releases credit Tsunku with “Sound Produced by” after a general production credit given to another individual; Mini Moni. eschews the “Produced by” format and opts for the unorthodox “Tsunku Produce” (which brings to mind images of Farmer Tsunku at the market selling fruits and vegetables packaged as audio recordings); and Tanpopo’s “Koi wo Shichaimashita!” drops the hiragana altogether in favour of a design resembling a shoddily constructed bootleg edition.

These anomalies aside, however, we find that the general “Produced by つんく” line returns to its original version with Goto Maki’s “Ai no Bakayarou” in late March 2001, after which the Latin rendering of “TSUNKU” never again emerges. Shortly thereafter, the Mars symbol makes its first appearance on Sheki-Dol’s “Tetteiteki Unmei” and remains on every subsequent release, including the alternatively styled Country Musume. and Mini Moni. releases. This pattern has continued until the present date, so it is not particularly fruitful to examine the covers of later recordings.

III. Curiouser and Curiouser

Having determined the point at which Tsunku the producer first adopted the Mars symbol and demonstrated the consistency both of its absence prior to April 2001 and of its presence after April 2001, we may now attempt to answer the question of what prompted Tsunku’s momentous name change.

Our first step in this direction is the realisation that one Hello! Project single, Matsuura Aya’s “Dokki Doki! LOVE Mail”, was released on 2001.04.11—after “Ai no Bakayarou” but before “Tetteiteki Unmei”—precisely during the period in which Tsunku undergoes his transformation. Indeed, both tracks are credited to Tsunku the lyricist-composer, and from this we may suppose that Tsunku the producer is responsible for the production … were it not for the fact that no such production credit appears on the cover:

Clearly we have a Conspiracy at hand! This is no coincidence, dear reader. One does not innocently append a Mars symbol to one’s name at the exact same time one produces the debut single of a solo artist while atypically choosing not to give oneself credit for doing so. Tsunku is obviously trying to cover up a most devious scheme of truly epic proportions, and having ascertained its existence, we must now strike deeper to uncover the heart of this infernal plot—quickly and silently, lest Tsunku and his minions catch wind of our enterprise and initiate a counterattack against us.

At this point, much remains unclear, but we may construct one or more hypotheses regarding the nature of this Conspiracy. Given the association of the Mars symbol with the male sex and masculinity, we may suppose that つんく♂ is actually the masculine component of the original つんく, whose gender was a superposition of feminine and masculine eigengenders, and that a decisive Decoherence Event occurred at the beginning of April 2001, one that forcibly tore Tsunku apart, giving rise to two independent entities, the masculine つんく♂ and the feminine Matsuura, whose true origin has been concealed behind a façade presented to the public. For Matsuura was no innocent singer launching her solo career with a debut single; she is in fact half of the original Tsunku, separated from his masculine half through a quantum bifurcation of incomprehensible magnitude. In support of this hypothesis is the preponderance of rockets in the “Dokki Doki! LOVE Mail” music video; such overt Freudian imagery does not escape our observant lens.

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This nefarious scheme has been laid before our eyes, and lest any disbelievers dismiss it as pure confabulation on the part of a hyperactive imagination, allow me to remind you of the compelling evidence brought forth in the preceding sections. That such unlikely coincidences could arise naturally is inconceivable. This masterful diversion has been orchestrated by forces beyond our immediate comprehension, forces that will stop at nothing to thwart our steady and determined advances. For we have seized upon the crux of this mystery, and it is a foul beast that has remained hidden for far too long. Now is the time to unearth this elusive leviathan for once and for all. We must embark upon a voyage fraught with dangers lurking behind every corner, in order to shatter the endless walls of mirrors that shield the darkest secrets of this Conspiracy from view. The Truth shall be revealed!