Koda Kumi shocking interview on YouTube

[*Petit*]

Originally Posted by andre2907

^ Ai Otsuka is still selling very well and her singles have very consistent sales, with two since Sakuranbo going over 300k (SMILY and Planetarium).

Yes,indeed. But sales are still not higher than ayu's. If ayu's sales go down even more and ai's continue growing though, ai might surpass ayu, but as for now she hasen't. A year ago ai seemed like the strongest competitor to ayu, but now Koda is also.

[andre2907]

Originally Posted by Syphex

Is there a good picture of Kuu when she was younger? I'm curious to see how "fat" and "ugly" she really was (I'm betting she's not, and they're just being nitpicky though..)

No, because she burned all of them as she said in the SP ;D.

[shadow*puppet]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

In Japan, "fat" means you weigh more than 115 lbs. And people think that the west has impossible standards of beauty.

Err, maybe that's because most women in Japan are less than 5'5" and Western women are taller? It's proper height-weight proportions... And it's not just in Japan... it's in most of asia too, hong kong, singapore, malaysia, thailand, etc. etc... standards of beauty do somehow reflect cultural and physical realities...

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Ayu has had that effect and to a greater degree I think, but right now it is Koda's turn to shine. Also, Koda has not beaten the Kinki Kids. Sales from this week:

1 - Kinki Kids - 239.000
2 - Koda Kumi - 207.000

Bad news for Ayu though as that makes Koda's single the highest opening sales for a female artist this year and its total sales will likely surpass any female single released this year so far.

Very interesting video though. Thanks for the link. It helped me understand Koda better.

thanks for the sales numbers...I don't think it's bad news for ayu, because I don't think she has to prove anything anymore (she's been around for eight years - a lifetime in Jpop -, she's multi-award-winning and has sold more than enough). And she's only been releasing regular singles. but koda kumi... hottest artist of the moment, most hyped single of the year (well, along with Kat-tun's), and she didn't even get the weekly number 1 with a quadruple A-side. That's pretty bleak.

[shadow*puppet]

Originally Posted by *Petit*

Well, there were these pre-idol clips around, and she really was.... no all that, to put it nicely. That discription from max wasen't all off really. Compared to pre-idol clips of other idols they were really bad. Not because she was physically REALLY ugly because she obioulsy werent (she woulden't had been picked uo by avex if she was), but she had no charisma what so ever. She wasen't idol skinny either.

unfortunately, i agree.. I've never found koda kumi attractive, even now. but she look cleaner these days. Better-groomed she looked best in the "you" pv, i think.

[andre2907]

Originally Posted by shadow*puppet

thanks for the sales numbers...I don't think it's bad news for ayu, because I don't think she has to prove anything anymore (she's been around for eight years - a lifetime in Jpop -, she's multi-award-winning and has sold more than enough). And she's only been releasing regular singles. but koda kumi... hottest artist of the moment, most hyped single of the year (well, along with Kat-tun's), and she didn't even get the weekly number 1 with a quadruple A-side. That's pretty bleak.

Koda Kumi's first week sales are the biggest for a female artist since 2003. I think actual sales are much more important than positions, don't you?

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by shadow*puppet

Err, maybe that's because most women in Japan are less than 5'5" and Western women are taller? It's proper height-weight proportions... And it's not just in Japan... it's in most of asia too, hong kong, singapore, malaysia, thailand, etc. etc... standards of beauty do somehow reflect cultural and physical realities...

But even someone who was say around 5'3" or 5'4" and weighed more than maybe 115-120, would be considered fat, but wouldn't be in other cultures such as America is what I'm saying.

I've seen the early pics of Koda and I would have never classified her as "fat."

[Psychotic_X]

Big deal if she didn't get #1, coming so close to KinKi Kids is a major achievement already!!! If you look at the sales... its like

1. 239k
2. 207
3. 50k

that's a 150k+ gap... I think Kuu's proven herself don't you?! You guys have to take it into account... KinKi Kids have been around for like decades, Kuu's been around for 6 years, 5 of which were unnoticed and 1 year of being noticed. I think we should commend her for her hard work and for getting to this level...

Even Oricon was unsure, they worded the news article carefully saying "it is a matter of time before they get their 23rd consecutive single"... unlike with Ayu's BB and KAT-TUN where they said it will "definately" take the #1 spot.... Kuu posing such a threat to such a big name in Japan is already amazing, let's just be happy rather than saying it "bleak" for not selling as well because it was a 4-A Side single

[shadow*puppet]

Ah, the Koda kumi fans are out to get me haha, just kidding...

Originally Posted by Psychotic_X

Big deal if she didn't get #1, coming so close to KinKi Kids is a major achievement already!!!

i think it's definitely a big deal given the following things:

1. koda kumi is the hottest jpop artist right now (arguably)
2. the single is a quadruple a-side single. that's the equivalent of mr. children's four dimensions single and every little thing's untitled 4 ballads. almost all 4 a-side singles by reasonably very popular artists in the past have reached the weekly number one. plus, koda kumi's single has bonus intro, interlude, and outro tracks.
3. her main competition was a single with 2 b-sides (i think) from artists who aren't as big as she is now (especially with the success of second session)
4. the single was heavily promoted and marketed, almost to the point of insanity

in theory, koda kumi should have taken the top spot.

i can understand koi no tsubomi not taking the top spot (it had only one a-side and three tracks in total)... but not 4 hot wave's performance.

again I am not criticizing koda kumi. i am just trying to express why i'm surprised and why i think this is not a good thing for her career...

andre2907 - given all the above, i think the positions are more important especially since sales this year seem lower than previous years but we have to see how the single performs in the long run... if it sells as well as glamorous sky, then all is well...

[andre2907]

Originally Posted by shadow*puppet

Ah, the Koda kumi fans are out to get me haha, just kidding...



i think it's definitely a big deal given the following things:

1. koda kumi is the hottest jpop artist right now (arguably)
2. the single is a quadruple a-side single. that's the equivalent of mr. children's four dimensions single and every little thing's untitled 4 ballads. almost all 4 a-side singles by reasonably very popular artists in the past have reached the weekly number one. plus, koda kumi's single has bonus intro, interlude, and outro tracks.
3. her main competition was a single with 2 b-sides (i think) from artists who aren't as big as she is now (especially with the success of second session)
4. the single was heavily promoted and marketed, almost to the point of insanity

in theory, koda kumi should have taken the top spot.

i can understand koi no tsubomi not taking the top spot (it had only one a-side and three tracks in total)... but not 4 hot wave's performance.

again I am not criticizing koda kumi. i am just trying to express why i'm surprised and why i think this is not a good thing for her career...

andre2907 - given all the above, i think the positions are more important especially since sales this year seem lower than previous years but we have to see how the single performs in the long run... if it sells as well as glamorous sky, then all is well...

It's a cute explanation, but don't make any sense because in no way positions are more important than sales and you're wrong if you think it is. Sorry for sounding rude, but it's true. If Koda's first best album (that sold 1.7 million) didn't reach 1, it would still be a hit. AVEX don't care how much the album sold, they care for actual sales. After the initial week, do you think they were very desperate because Ayu's A BEST didn't reach Number in week one? I don't think so.

Originally Posted by shadow*puppet

given all the above, i think the positions are more important especially since sales this year seem lower than previous years

Taking that into consideration (the fact sales seems lower than previous years), Koda's sales are very very big.

Anyway, it doesn't matter if it's 1 or not. Sakuranbo never hit one. What really matter is how much it sold in the long run...

[Alessia_Tateno]

If someones want to see the old Kuu before debut go there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuAs0...ch=koda%20jeun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUhfo...ch=koda%20jeun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydcAV...ch=koda%20jeun

and the Morning Musume short one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaLNh...umi%20audition


dont ask me who is the girl who sing with Kuu bcs I dont know =( and its not Misono...

[*Petit*]

Originally Posted by shadow*puppet

Aherstand koi no tsubomi not taking the top spot (it had only one a-side and three tracks in total)... but not 4 hot wave's performance.

again I am not criticizing koda kumi. i am just trying to express why i'm surprised and why i think this is not a good thing for her career...

andre2907 - given all the above, i think the positions are more important especially since sales this year seem lower than previous years but we have to see how the single performs in the long run... if it sells as well as glamorous sky, then all is well...

You forget one thing though, when ayumi and a lot of other female artists had their primes (few females has that now..) the female solo artists were the its. Now they are in the background of the boys. She isen't the hottest right now, she's probably the hottest female solo singer. And the market for solo female singers isen't that good. From a sales point of view a lot of acts are "hotter" than her.

On a different note though, if this single has the staying power of the average morning musume single... It's not so good. I don't really knowabout how much wow-promotion it has gooten, because i'm not in japan, but it probably won't have the same staying power as koi no tsubomi if what everyone is writing is true.

Generally I agree with what you are saying though, I don't know how much the common japanese care for sales and details like that. This is koda's most anticipated single ever and it fails to hit number one, like shadowpuppet wrote.

Anyway, it doesn't matter if it's 1 or not. Sakuranbo never hit one. What really matter is how much it sold in the long run...

Well, there's a big difference. If you look at those they are sleeper hits. In addition to a good tie up=P a sleeper hit is probably the best way to secure your next release in the chart. 4 hot wave will probably not be a sleeper hit. Not many artists I can think of had many sleeper hits, it's usually one and then the next release sells well. A sleeper hit is noticed as the weeks progress and that's how many get to know it and the artist. 4 Hot wave if it turns out to not be a sleeper hit and stays in the top 20 for like 4 weeks will still be a single that debuted in 2 and stayed in the chart for 4 weeks (this is just a theoretical number, I have no clue at all how it will do, and I don't bother trying to predict it.) It will get some extra publicity for appearing in the yearly top chart, sure. But to take suki sugite baka mitai, the lowest seling number one in oricon history, it was still played at kouhaku, and was heard by as many people as the number one hit of the week as any other number one song would. So because just because it sells a lot doesen't mean it'll get a lot more attention before the yearly chart arrives.

Originally Posted by greggerz189

she really is the new icon. the way those girls reacted to seeing her, i doubt that ayu's had that kind of effect on people...and the Grand Taishou to top it all off. and now she's beaten KinKi Kids. i don't think it's the greatest thing in the world, and i wish she would cover up a bit more, but i must say that she has worked hard to get where she has and it's nice to see how happy she is. i have to say that i'm happy for her. she is such a nice person. it's just that ero kakkoi image that i really don't like. it's too bad, because i know she probably won't ever shed that image because it's what got her where she is now. but i do miss the old kuu back in the real Emotion/Cutey Honey days...

anyway. just to put it out there, I'm not a jealous ayu fan, and i don't dislike Koda Kumi. I'm not a fan of her ero kakkoi image, and I don't think her music is SPECTACULAR, but i do enjoy some of her songs. no hard feelings if i put off any kuu fans. thanks for posting this link.

-WHEW!-

I agree. I`m not a big fan of Kuu`s ero kakkoi style, but she`s natural and normal and she really has worked hard to get to where she is. Yeah and most likely she won`t let go of the whole ero kakkoi thing, but she`s very original and I do enjoy her music. I also enjoy her dance moves. They`re very unique. Yes I`m happy for Kuu too. She`s not ero kakkoi in real life. That`s just her "entertainment" image if you will.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Psychotic_X

Big deal if she didn't get #1, coming so close to KinKi Kids is a major achievement already!!! If you look at the sales... its like

1. 239k
2. 207
3. 50k

No one was saying that it wasn't an achievement I don't think. s

btw, Kinki has not been around for "decades."

Originally Posted by shadow*puppet

in theory, koda kumi should have taken the top spot.

Your not taking into account the power of Johnny's. Kinki Kids have never had a single that didn't debut at #1; they are actually in the Guinness Book of World Records - there's a reason for that.

I always thought the sales would be close, but in the end I was sure Kinki was going to get #1.

[ayu_fan929]

Originally Posted by shadow*puppet

i think it's definitely a big deal given the following things:

1. koda kumi is the hottest jpop artist right now (arguably)
2. the single is a quadruple a-side single. that's the equivalent of mr. children's four dimensions single and every little thing's untitled 4 ballads. almost all 4 a-side singles by reasonably very popular artists in the past have reached the weekly number one. plus, koda kumi's single has bonus intro, interlude, and outro tracks.
3. her main competition was a single with 2 b-sides (i think) from artists who aren't as big as she is now (especially with the success of second session)
4. the single was heavily promoted and marketed, almost to the point of insanity

in theory, koda kumi should have taken the top spot.

i can understand koi no tsubomi not taking the top spot (it had only one a-side and three tracks in total)... but not 4 hot wave's performance.

again I am not criticizing koda kumi. i am just trying to express why i'm surprised and why i think this is not a good thing for her career...

andre2907 - given all the above, i think the positions are more important especially since sales this year seem lower than previous years but we have to see how the single performs in the long run... if it sells as well as glamorous sky, then all is well...

1. Koda Kumi is definitely not the hottest artist in the Jpop scene. My senses tell me it's strongly KAT-TUN this year.

2. Yes, but these artists didn't have competition that Kuu had. Also, they were already well established in the industry, and labels already know that they have to avoid them.

3. No, her main commpetitor was not 'a single with 2 b-sides from artists who arn't as big as she is'. Her main competitor was a group that has been out at least 8-9 years, and all their singles have placed #1 since 1997. And not to mention, the word 'Johnny's'; that word alone boosts sales. I think you are really underestimating the power of a) fangirls, housewives b) KinKi Kids themselves and c) Johnny's Entertainment as a whole. There is a reason why Johnny's is by far the largest talent agency in Japan and a reason why Johnny Kitagawa is one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry.

4. Regardless of the promotion that '4 hot wave' had, KinKi (and other well established Johnny's like SMAP) fans still overpower anything and anyone when it comes down to singles. Plus, they perform in their own TV shows which are high rated itself.

Kuu was never the favourite to win. KinKi was always the favourite. So in theory, KinKi is supposed to win and they have.

I don't understand how her not getting #1 is not good for your career. Hikki has singles that haven't hit #1 and her career is doing just fine. BoA has only 1 #1 single and her career is doing well, Otuska Ai only has 2 and her popularity is growing basically with each single release.

Ranks arn't really all that important. STEP you/is this LOVE? placed 19th on the yearly charts, ranking lower than INSPIRE and ranked the same as CAROLS yet STEP you/is this LOVE? sold more than INSPIRE and CAROLS.
***
About the Otsuka Ai thing, I think her sales are growing by each release. So far she's matched/outsold Ayu twice. Sakuranbo>No way to say and Planetarium = fairyland.

[~Matt~]

wow i never knew kumi's mother created her stage name *o*

max matsuura doesn't seem to speak bad about Kumi... even she seems very happy when he talks about her...

i really would like to know what says the tv special.... >_<

[Psychotic_X]

Originally Posted by ayu_fan929

I don't understand how her not getting #1 is not good for your career. Hikki has singles that haven't hit #1 and her career is doing just fine. BoA has only 1 #1 single and her career is doing well, Otuska Ai only has 2 and her popularity is growing basically with each single release.

Excellently put!



Oh! And I got the line that Max Matsuura said from the video!!!!
I got my Japanese teacher as well as a Japanese friend of mine to translate the line and both got exact (or nearly) same translations.

歌はうまいけれど、ビジュアル的にどうなんだろうよいうくらい・・・　太っていたというか。

TRANSLATION
She sings well, but she is fat* that we can't say alot about her looks.

*the actual word is fat, but you would never say it in that manner, so it's interpreted as "chubby".

[Alessia_Tateno]

Me too...and in the special you see also Misono's debut...she is cute since debut thats good...and the pics of the baby Kuu and baby Misono are so cuuuuuuute ^^

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Psychotic_X

Excellently put!



Oh! And I got the line that Max Matsuura said from the video!!!!
I got my Japanese teacher as well as a Japanese friend of mine to translate the line and both got exact (or nearly) same translations.



TRANSLATION
She sings well, but she is fat* that we can't say alot about her looks.

*the actual word is fat, but you would never say it in that manner, so it's interpreted as "chubby".

I guess that when she laughed Max said the first words...so she laughed but I think she didnt want to laugh inside ^^

[Dustie]

Lol, she speaks so fast. Very clear, but still very fast. I think I will have serious trouble understanding Japanese.

[Kodayumi]

^^Yea yea lol..i heard this interview in HF too.=P

[Bazaa]

Well, I must say that this interview did change my opinion about Koda. I misjudged her because of her ero-kakkoi image - she's a nice girl after all. I feel bad that she was told that she was fat and ugly, when she was just average looking.

Avex can be quite harsh with their artists, isn't it? They were a bit with Ayumi on that "A Best" time...