Idol Blog Digest: Introduction & Overview

S’up, blog?! Well, now that I’ve introduced myself, I’m kind of trying to figure out where I want to go with this. There are several small segments I’d like to include, but as far as actual content goes, I feel like I might write too seriously compared to the rest of the blog. But what can you do? I wouldn’t have called this place “dekoboko” if it didn’t speak the truth.

I do know, however, that enjoying other people’s blogs is a good place to start! …Too bad I’ve been out of the Asian entertainment blogosphere for awhile. There are a few blogs that I read regularly and all of them are run by various Japanese idols. True, I’m not so fluent yet, but I thought it would be fun to try to give summaries of their posts here as a regular segment. After all, the only time idol blogs seem to be translated is when it’s a life or death situation (Goto Maki, Kago Ai?), and they’re all really entertaining reads.

The blogs I tend to read, in order of how often I check them, are Matsushima Hatsune’s, Imai Yu’s, Mizuno Manabi’s, Kaikawa Hitomi’s and a very new addition, Ishiguro Aya’s. Yes, that Ishiguro Aya. As well, Imai Yu is a graduated member of AKB48. Here’s a very quick, very short overview of each blog!

1. Matsushima Hatsune (blog) Hatsune won the Miss Magazine gravure competition in 2004, taking the Judge’s Special Award, and has since gone on to have a fairly successful career in the business. As well, she’s taken up acting, having landed a few roles (most notably in the drama Akihabara@DEEP, though she’s also been in the films Dear Friends and Haruko Update, in which she starred alongside Takayama Saki). Known for her offbeat, nerdy personality, she’s an otaku to the extreme and can usually be seen cosplaying, gaming or just hanging around Akihabara. Her blog posts are a frequent guessing game of What The Hell Is Hatsune Doing?, but to be honest, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Highly recommended, even if you don’t know who she is, because her posts are nothing short of weird, hilarious and endearing.

2. Imai Yu (blog) Yu, a former member of AKB48’s Team K, ICE from AKB48 and Crayon Friends from AKB48, graduated from the group in June 2007. At the time, she had plans to become an actress, and while it is unknown if she’s still pursuing this dream, she is currently living with her family and continuing her education. While not as amusing as Hatsune’s blog, she tends to post about her feelings and day-to-day life and often takes pictures of herself with her dogs or other AKB48 members (many of them still keep in touch with her). Occasionally, she’ll write about her experiences and thoughts about her former life as an idol, and while these kinds of entries are fairly rare occurences, they’re extremely insightful. At last check, she was learning Chinese.

3. Mizuno Manabi (blog) A semi-struggling voice actress and Akihabara idol, Manabi is turning thirty-one this year and she’s still going strong. She’s released a ton of albums and a smattering of singles, and though she seems to have given up on singing solo, she became a part of the seiyuu trio Plume along with Endo Aya and Kawaragi Shiho around last year. Many of the posts document the behind-the-scenes happenings of their performing lives, while others display the more normal side of her existence: dining out with friends, going to see movies and plays, etc. If only she got a better camera — she posts a lot of pictures, but sometimes, they’re barely discernable from all the pixelation and fuzz. Still, a really enjoyable and unique read, especially for those interested in seeing the perspective of an “older” woman by Japan’s standards as she lives her life and performs as an idol at the same time.

4. Kaikawa Hitomi (blog) Kaikawa Hitomi, gravure idol turned pro-wrestler after being invited into the ring during her stint as a race queen and kicking her opponent in the genitals, has a fairly straightforward blog. She mainly writes about her job, though it should be noted that she has a terrible weakness for anything having to do with the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, and every now and then, you’ll see several posts where she gives into it. As well, she’s recently become interested in the stock market, which… I don’t know, maybe some of you guys are into that, too! She does take a lot of pictures, though, and she totally abuses cutesy animated gifs all over her blog, so it’s a nice “guilty pleasure” kind of read with enough eyecandy to make you keep coming back.

5. Ishiguro Aya (blog) As I said before, I’ve only recently picked this one up, but the things I’ve seen are too cute not to share. Aya, a very dedicated mother, often posts about her kids and generally just the life of a housewife. Her cheery personality is infectious — I smile like crazy reading her posts. Interested in Life After Morning Musume™? Here’s a happy ending to the story, because she’s one of the rare, lucky ones who’s managed to move on and do something good with her life.

In upcoming posts, I’ll try to put together small round-ups of their updates, so if any of these piqued your interest, sit tight! As well, I may add more blogs as I go on, since I’m always looking for new and interesting things to read. Got a favorite? Rec it to me in the comments! ♥