Arashi is the ideal team management

Watched this HanaDan bansen where they showed vintage pics and footage of Kaga Mariko (Domyoji's mom), and O.O Had no idea she used to be such a babe (like a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot *_*):

Kaga Mariko

☆ Came across this interesting read while searching for something else (somehow this happens a lot...). It's written by a guy who is aspiring to put up his own company in five years. For someone who's not a core fan and probably hasn't read/watched most of their interviews, he sure has got Arashi down pat:

I've been thinking a lot about Arashi of Johnny's lately.
In a good way of course.

I've tried to think about why:

* First...their individual strengths are amazing for such young people.
Idols were usually folks who are older than or the same age as me ---
there was Tanokin trio and Hikaru GENJI in the past,
and now there's SMAP, TOKIO, kinki etc.

I think Arashi is the first male idol group
where all the members are younger than me.

I watch each of these younger guys,
with their strong personalities, doing their thing,
and I go, "Wow~".

Receiving high praise in Hollywood, being a great singer,
being highly-educated and serving as a news commentator,
having the lead role in a drama series, excelling in variety shows.
I think this is the first group since SMAP
where each member is getting to show off his individual talents.

Second...they're also exhibiting their strength as a group!
While having impressive abilities as individuals, they're also showing amazing power as a group.
Arashi no shukudai-kun on NTV is an extremely funny late-night show.
And their songs are really good, especially lately.
They have a lot of great songs, and not ones simply about love or romance or whatnot.
And in my opinion, their singing ability is the best compared with the other groups.

Conclusion:
I am probably greatly impressed by the fact that:

For guys who are younger than me, each of them are fully showcasing their personal talents,
and as a group they unleash a power that amplifies those individual strengths many times over.

The members of other young groups have impressive abilities too,
but Arashi is different in how they use theirs.

I think Arashi makes full use of their individual talents for the benefit of the group.
In other words, I get the strong feeling that all of them consciously bear in mind
that each of their strengths ultimately serve to empower their group to the fullest.
I think each of them clearly understands his role in the group,
and in their given positions show off their individual abilities,
such that 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 is not 5, but becomes 10, even 20.

On the other hand, there is a strong feeling of "Me! Me!"
among the other young groups.
The members' respective roles in the group are unclear,
and it truly feels like they're not getting to achieve their true potential.

Arashi represents the ideal team management for me.

Comments

[nuriko]

huwaaa!!! my exact same sentiments.. only i did not put it in words.. T_T..
i knw what he means. Yes. Arashi knows what a "group" means. They help the "group" by using their individual talents and knowldge without colliding into one another. ^___^ nicely wriiten ne.. Thanks for sharing.. AHH!! im so proud of them .. ^___^

ps. i also love the fact that no matter what they have achieved they can stil be dorky and lovely and funny .. ^^

[zekeshocks]

Thanks so much for sharing!  That's why I love reading your entries. *hugs*

I am impressed with his analysis.  Because he got it down to pat!  I couldn't have said it better.  Arashi's individual strengths make up the group that they are now.  Each member represents a different field thus, when combined together makes them a powerhouse group.  And it clearly shows now and as a fan, I couldn't be more proud of them.  Their friendship and camaraderie enabled them to attain the success they now. :)  

[K.]

[this is good] Huxley! You always come across cool things! This reminds me of when they were asked who's #1 they all said "No" and Jun said it's a good team and Riida commenting them five together is #1 =) none of them appear to have this self-important ego and they gel well as a whole to shine through <3

I really like that shot of Kaga Mariko! Very stylish chic =)

[nuriko]

ps. ehh?!! is that nino on your profile pic?? i love that picture!! =O so classy.

[aiLaMarie]

[this is good] there you go again with your fanhunt...OMG!!! i'm almost in tears reading....
every word he wrote is true....ARASHI = greatness!!!
they're perfect as a group...that's why we love them and so many people who are non- fans recognizing their strength as idols...as as a group...
thanks huxley!!!! btw, your address is still the same right? the one that you pmed me?

[aishoni]

CAN I LIKE. PIMP THIS TO THE WHOLE WORLD?! CAN I? CAN I? 8D

*if you are freaked out by the capitalization, please be informed that the user is currently insane. thank you for your cooperation.

[matsuzy]

hai she's a real babe!! i saw this commercial of her on youtube.. she somehow reminds me of christina aguillera.. lol.. anyway thanks for translating!! what the guy wrote was really exact.. uhmm.. would you mind if i add you to my neighborhood? ^^;;

[katz08]

[this is good]

this is really great!

thanks for translating~~

i think Arashi as invidual members and as a group is the reason why many people likes them. cause they are really not that "Me! Me!"

theyre such a great group and im happy im in this fandom~~

♥. thanks for this!

[xin]

It's ridiculous how proud I am that the greatness of Arashi that we love is seen by others. It's almost like we are vindicated in our love. ;D

Thanks for sharing!

[VampyrRep]

[いいですね]

uwah!! >_< this is high praise for AMNOS ne?!

thanks so much for sharing this huxley-chan!

 

[Crew]

ahhh, he captured Arashi really well with what he wrote..<3

Wow...Kaga Mariko looks hot..o.o I guess it's the Dom's mum's hairstyle (looks like some nest! or even hive..xDD) that took away "stylish" or "used to be hot" kinda elegance from my image of her. Now it's changed slightly ^^

[盧家宜]

its awesome seeing how non-fans see Arashi-- of course they are not particularly blinded by Arashi's good looks like we tend to be time from time.. XD but Arashi surely is the best!

Thank you for finding such cool things!

[サミ]

Interesting! It's been a year since he wrote this entry - I wonder how he feels about them right now.

 

:)

[yygall]

[this is good]

Arashi is definitely more than just an idol group. Definitely. It'd sure be interesting to see what he thinks of them a year on. Aah, this reminds me of all the management strategies I learned a few years back. Arashi=synergy=great esprit de corps...

thanks for sharing this!

[Asou]

thanks for sharing ne...this is so wonderful, the article...so say my thought ^^

[M-chan]

Thanks for this post! very encouraging!

Felt proud as their loyal fan supporter! :)

[Gwen]

[this is good] It's awesome to know that the very points that make Arashi such a wonderful group to us are evident to even non-fans out there. :)

[Oreiji]

wow i love his deffinition of arashi.

Thank you so much for posting and translating! ^__^

[ayisse]

I just read~ Ah thank you so much for sharing!!!

I felt really good reading this and seeing how Arashi really gets through to a lot of people, even if they are not fans, it warms my heart to know that they are being appreciated. :)

[eian]

Thanks again huxley for picking through the dross of the internet and finding such gems for our reading pleasure. The boys are really very adult in the way they support one another and always consciously work as a team, funny how they are often "marketed-lite" as "merely" a cheerful or uplifting group when their underlying message is really one that can have quite a heavy impact.

Never knew that Kaga Mariko used to be such a babe... I had thought her amazingly asymmetrical eyebrows in HYD were part of her "evil mother makeup" but turns out it's really part of her actual face. That must really have looked like a super sexy come-hither arch look when she was younger!

[Dúnadan]

Kaga Mariko: Gorgeous pic. Really has the mark of a classic beauty. Though I should stop comparing her walk to a duck :P

Arashi: I love it when male non-fans observe and notice the very same thing that makes us fans fall for the whole group. And he didn't have to mention names for us to recognise which member he is talking about. The fact that he recognised each member's talent is another huge achievement and the 5 members adds up to more than that. Bottomline, this is <333!!!

[Zinnie]

Ah I remember watching a Hanadan clip and they showed clips of Domyouji's mom when she was in twenties (i believe)...

that guy put down exactly what makes Arashi so appealing to me...and I always noticed during SCP when younger groups guested, they had a sense of wanting to be the lead role in their group...hence I prefer Arashi with their out-of-this-world camaraderie~

[pink dragon]

why do i feel like one lucky fan in heaven right now?
this gives me one more reason to get an arashi tattoo!
kyaaaaaaa~
<3

[ryusa]

all I can say...

ARASHI saikou!!!!!!^O^

*thanks Domyouji mama*^^

[fujikidane]

[いいですね] O M G~!!! i'm almost in tears too!
this articles make me wanna cry with happiness

ARASHI is arashi but

ARASHI are ohno satoshi sakurai sho aiba masaki ninomiya kazunari and matsumoto jun as well,

be the group but also be theirselves too

that's why i love them so much ^___^

[Marysol]

Thank you for this! things like this make me proud of being arasick, Arashi is the best group ever! the best fandom ever! i lov them for that!

[zashi]

I love what he said. He hit the nail on the head. That is what makes Arashi so appealing and different from other groups. That is why they are reaping so much success...because they sowed good feelings even from the start. Thanks for this one!

[Abyssinian]

woah! nice blog... coming from a non-Arashi fanatic... such a praise is really dedicated for Arashi... they are really SUGOI ne~

[lois]

aahhhh....i love arashi more and more.... they are great as performer, as a singer, as a group, being such a good friend to each other, and also they like being stupid and goofy in TV shows.thank you....

[bambeee]

wow! another great find.^^ galing mo talaga. XD

it fills my heart with pride whenever i read this kind of entries from non-fans. It makes you see Arashi's true worth. ^_____^

[inuhariko]

Wow, Kaga Mariko was a babe!  And I truly love this blurb on Arashi's group dynamic.  Thanks so much for sharing it!

[Zai' Dayz]

I feel like crying. SO SO TRUE. I wanna hug this guy.

[さとし]

Whoa, Kaga Mariko = HOT! :O

And that post was really awesome. It's really touching to hear when Arashi reaches out to normal people who have nothing to do with entertainment... And wow, I really feel like he really nailed down the core of Arashi. Arashi is such an amazing group! I'm so glad more and more people are figuring that out!

Thank you as always for posting such great information! 

[Kytana]

WOW! *hugs* Thanks for sharing this. I love how they're described and I will totally agree! hehehehee I think that's why Arashi is so popular... they're strong also as individuals. KYAAAAAAAA!!!

[charurei]

[this is good] wala akong masabi, ang galing mo mag-research! =)

tulad ng sabi nila, v. v. nice read. makes me a super proud fan. Sinabi lang niya yung nasa isip ko (natin)-- dami ngang idol groups sa japan, yung iba pwedeng mas sikat pa sa individual members ng arashi or mas 'mabenta' sa cd sales. pero looking at all the current groups, tingin ko walang may potential na maging powerhouse tulad nila :D

[genki]

Thanks for lovely translate and sharing for ours always ^^

U makes me other arashi's fans that have many surprise for me and warmth for their loves ^^

[Huxley]

Yup it's Nino, circa 2002. Here's the entire pic: ◦

[Huxley]

Hi Sheryl, yup it's still the same :D

[Huxley]

Pimp away ;D

[Huxley]

Hi matsuzy, thanks for dropping by. Of course it's okay, yoroshiku :D

[nuriko]

thanks  .. ^^

[Huxley]

I'd like to think he's watching Maou right now (and if he saw Freestyle in the news, then "Hey that Leader guy can draw too as well as sing and act") XD

[Huxley]

I just learned a new word from you: dross; thanks for expanding my vocabulary :D Found a close-up of Kaga Mariko's come-hither look: *_* Seems she lived quite the life --- she used to hang out with the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Francois Truffaut, was breakfast buddies with Kawabata Yasunari, and has a nude photobook (!).

[Huxley]

That also reminds me of that Utaban totalizer where the question was something like, "Arashi is popular because of me" and none of them pushed his button. I was half-expecting at the very least MatsuJun to push his (but gathering from his recent interview with Ogu-san it's unlikely he ever will).

Kaga Mariko looks like she just stepped out of a classic Jean-Luc Godard film  in that pic *_* I think I now have a girl crush on her lols.

[redchemistry]

大変面白い is NOT something i would use to describe shukudai but its reassuring to know someone thinks its interesting lol

という点に、大いなる好感を持っているということでしょう。

he's a guy right? didnt read anywhere if he was....but i noticed alot of male fans nowadays! somehow i just got the feeling that arashi is getting popular with guys. they're not the 'come on, i'm smexy' kinda group (ok, except when nino decides to lick his fingers and drag them across his neck XD) and they're more natural (unless we're talking about takaXyuji kissing on stage). 

plus, i agree with the SMAP statement. everyone takes central stage at one time or another. besides SMAP, they're the only group to have done so. it makes me more comfy that no one is left out (i mean, look at kat-tun! its akame all the time...)

long comment :D 

[Huxley]

Yup he's a guy; it says so on his profile: male, born 1978. Excluding duos, I think no one is left out in TOKIO too, come to think of it...I don't follow them, but I think all of them have had lead roles in several movies and dramas, except their leader (who hosts his own variety show anyway; Taichi too). Plus they've got variety shows on primetime. Guess the only thing is that their CDs don't sell well (and they're old).

[redchemistry]

can't say much about tokio as well, except FANTASTIC BOY lol sorry, i'm lame

i think the comparison with SMAP comes in when we're talking about them taking centerstage for various stuff that rly shows who they are as a person. perhaps its not rly about being casted as the main in a dorama/movie. but rather....hmmmmmm........

for e.g. nino's acting, mj's 王子様 thingy, ohno's art, aiba on tensai (while others might think that this is small compared to the others, tensai is afterall, a primetime variety show that has been running since 2004 and the only regulars left in it are shimura (duh!), yamase and aiba. not bad at all~ :D) and sho as a newscaster. everyone has a very strong and clear image of what they are good at. the only other group (at least in johnny's since i'm not huge on j-ent in general) i can think of who works like this too is SMAP.

or perhaps i'm just too ignorant :)

[Huxley]

No I'm the too ignorant one --- I know SMAP is big, but other than that all five of them are 主演class, I don't know much about their individual special talents since I don't follow them. (Does wearing a dress as Shingo Mama count? lols)

[Leiyah]

If there's anyone who knows great teamwork, it's Arashi.. Actually, it's one of their strong points and one reason why I'm totally hooked on them.. Though each one of them have different personalities, excels on one certain task, they make use of such talent, brainstorms and use the result into their shows or further ideas ^^ Arashi really is grand, neh?

[kei621]

Thank you for the translation! It's so nice to know that Arashi is recognised, by someone who isn't a fan, not for their pretty faces but for their abilities.

This is my first time commenting. Hope you don't mind that I added you.

[thesidulus]

so true. just like how they keep plugging arashi in some way in their personal works and understand that they are where they are not only because of what they have done on their own but because of what they've done as arashi, as well. love to them!

[dolphin]

[this is good]

[lydia]

thanks for sharing this. i really appreciated it. ;)