[2015.02.11] Morning Musume '14 Concert Tour Fall GIVE ME MORE LOVE ～Michishige Sayumi Special Commemoration Graduation～

[Madara]

I’ve had my Blu-ray of Sayumi’s graduation concert since Feb. 23 of this year. I was afraid to watch it, but I finally put it in last night and finished it this morning. I’d put it off for fear of getting depressed at it. And, yes, my fears were realized. It was sad and depressing. The end of an era. Amazing how it bookends my ten years of fandom which started with another major graduation, Nacchi’s, also at a concert taped at Yokohama Arena. And I also started watching that concert at night and finished the next morning. (That concert was on VHS, this one’s on Blu-ray.) Hard for me to imagine MM without Sayumi. She’s the one constant in all ten years of my fandom.
 
I must say I thought the staging of her graduation was brilliant. That runway walk in the kimono was priceless. Probably the most beautiful graduation in H!P history. A true spectacle of the type Sayumi richly deserved. H!P finally did something right. I’ll put up shots from it in my next blog entry. Amazing how Erina was the only dry-eyed one. She’s the Yossi/Miki of this bunch.
 
Questions:
 
1. Is there a translation in English of Sayumi’s graduation speech?
 
2. Were the flowers on her gown real?
 
3. Who picked Melon Kinenbi’s “Akai Freesia” as her final solo? I’m guessing they had to search far and wide for a song she’d be able to sing without difficulty. Or is that just a favorite of hers?
 
Thanks.

[Meikochi]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Madara" data-cid="191730" data-time="1443955266">3. Who picked Melon Kinenbi’s “Akai Freesia” as her final solo? I’m guessing they had to search far and wide for a song she’d be able to sing without difficulty. Or is that just a favorite of hers?

Thanks.</blockquote>


On the top of my head, I can only answer the last question. I'm pretty sure the girls pick themselves their graduation songs (at least, that's what I want to believe, or I'll be really mad at whoever chose Fuyu Shiny G for Reina). This one was pretty symbolical because Akai Freesia was 6kies audition song ; you can find a 23 secondes-long video on Youtube of Eri, Reina and Sayu singing it.

[WonderBuono]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Madara" data-cid="191730" data-time="1443955266">I’ve had my Blu-ray of Sayumi’s graduation concert since Feb. 23 of this year. I was afraid to watch it, but I finally put it in last night and finished it this morning. I’d put it off for fear of getting depressed at it. And, yes, my fears were realized. It was sad and depressing. The end of an era. Amazing how it bookends my ten years of fandom which started with another major graduation, Nacchi’s, also at a concert taped at Yokohama Arena. And I also started watching that concert at night and finished the next morning. (That concert was on VHS, this one’s on Blu-ray.) Hard for me to imagine MM without Sayumi. She’s the one constant in all ten years of my fandom.

I must say I thought the staging of her graduation was brilliant. That runway walk in the kimono was priceless. Probably the most beautiful graduation in H!P history. A true spectacle of the type Sayumi richly deserved. H!P finally did something right. I’ll put up shots from it in my next blog entry. Amazing how Erina was the only dry-eyed one. She’s the Yossi/Miki of this bunch.

Questions:

1. Is there a translation in English of Sayumi’s graduation speech?

2. Were the flowers on her gown real?

3. Who picked Melon Kinenbi’s “Akai Freesia” as her final solo? I’m guessing they had to search far and wide for a song she’d be able to sing without difficulty. Or is that just a favorite of hers?

Thanks.</blockquote>


Translation here: <a class="bbc_url" href="http://forum.jpopmusic.info/viewtopic.p ... p171447</a>

[MejraThea]

The flowers were more than likely fake. I had translated her Graduation speech and put it on my DailyMotion, but when I went to find it I found that DM had deleted it, along with 9 other of my videos.

[Madara]

[quote="Meikochi"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Madara" data-cid="191730" data-time="1443955266">
3. Who picked Melon Kinenbi’s “Akai Freesia” as her final solo? I’m guessing they had to search far and wide for a song she’d be able to sing without difficulty. Or is that just a favorite of hers?

Thanks.
</blockquote>


On the top of my head, I can only answer the last question. I'm pretty sure the girls pick themselves their graduation songs (at least, that's what I want to believe, or I'll be really mad at whoever chose Fuyu Shiny G for Reina). This one was pretty symbolical because Akai Freesia was 6kies audition song ; you can find a 23 secondes-long video on Youtube of Eri, Reina and Sayu singing it.
 
[/quote]
 
 
[quote="WonderBuono"]
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Madara" data-cid="191730" data-time="1443955266">
Questions:

1. Is there a translation in English of Sayumi’s graduation speech?


 
</blockquote>


Translation here: <a class="bbc_url" href="http://forum.jpopmusic.info/viewtopic.p ... p171447</a>
 
[/quote]
 
Thanks to all three of you. Sayumi does mention the song in her speech this way:
 
"Please listen to the song that started my life. I sang this song to become part of Morning Musume. I’ll put my heart into singing this song; “Akai Freesia.”"
 
...so it's clear that she chose it. I was unaware of her connection to the song.
 
What a moving and eloquent--and honest--speech. She didn't have any illusions about her abilities, but she sure learned to appreciate and play to her strengths. That counts for quite a bit in the world she chose to enter at such a young age. She must have had a solid grounding somewhere in her life early on. There are times in that concert, particularly when she comes out in the kimono, where she looks positively majestic. What a woman.

[aine]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Madara" data-cid="191743" data-time="1443990226">Sayumi does mention the song in her speech this way:
 
"Please listen to the song that started my life. I sang this song to become part of Morning Musume. I’ll put my heart into singing this song; “Akai Freesia.”"
 
...so it's clear that she chose it. I was unaware of her connection to the song.</blockquote>
Madara, for a much better idea of the start of Sayumi era you should definitely watch the 6th Generation Audition. You will also very clearly see why Akai Freesia is a special song to her.

I found it on dailymotion in 5 parts (other parts linked in description):

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x59lwd_mm-6th-generation-auditions-part-1_music

Unfortunately, it has never been released officially and the only TV recording in circulation is of very low quality, so you'll just have to put up with it.

I had an ambition of subbing it before but decided to wait for a better quality source. But maybe I should just give in and do it as it is. That is, if anyone was willing to translate it.

[TicTacAnyone]

After reading all this all I can think of are the endless "niaou"s, along with her sticking a pencil in her mouth, thanks to Taisei (right? O_O)

[Madara]

My blog entry on Sayumi's graduation concert is now up.