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V6 is Popular Around the World! (This isn't a translation persay. It's a horribly cheesy something that I wrote for a Japanese V6 fan book called V6 e Ikou!. To think that somewhere in Japan, V6 fangirls are reading a Japanese translation of MY opinion of V6. Scary. ^_^) Minako "Senshi Gakuen" (http://www.senshigakuen.com/) I first discovered V6 as an American exchange student in Tokyo. I knew nothing about V6 or most anyone else when I arrived, but after a while it was hard to get away from them. It seemed like every time you joined a corner, *BAM* there was a Johnny's. Still, I didn't think much of them. "Oh, they're just one of those Japanese boy bands," I thought to myself. "Nothing to get too excited about." That opinion was forever changed the first time I saw them perform on a music program. Their singing was blended and melodious; their dancing was sharp and energetic. That's when I realized that V6 wasn't just "some boy band", but a truly amazing group of performers. But it wasn't enough to respect their music. What truly made me a fan of V6 was learning a bit more about the guys themselves. I began watching "Gakkou he Ikou!" every week while in Japan, taping every episode. I didn't expect to like the show all that much at first, but as the weeks went by, the guys of V6 really started to grow on me. There's Sakamoto, willing to be brother, father, or leader to anyone he meets. Nagano is always there with a smile and never seems to get angry with anyone. Inocchi acts wild and funny, ready to turn anything into a laugh. There's Morita, who is the only guy I know of who can be so tough and such a kid at the same time. Miyake's always energetic and ready to fight for a win in any contest. And finally, Okada is the youngest and often quietest, but he's sharp, quick, and sometimes the most mature of the group. Since then I've fallen hard and fast to become a devoted fan. I hunted down as many V6 CDs as I could in an effort to own them all. I watch "Gakkou he Ikou!" and "Viva Viva V6" devotedly, which is a much harder task when you're living in America, believe me. I've taught everyone who'll listen about both V6, the performers, and V6, the guys. And that's just it. They do everything that a good Johnny's does: they sing, they dance, they flip, they do magic, they act, they cook, they host variety shows, they let Johnny's Junior tag along to their concerts... There's simply no end to their amazing Johnny's-like abilities. I'm always shocked at what new talents they can pull out of thin air to entertain the fans. But at the same time, they never seem to lose sense of themselves. When you see them on stage or on TV, you're not just seeing a polished group act; you're also seeing six funny guys with amazing jobs. And if they decide to come to America for another round of the "Doko ni iku no" game, I'll be waiting for them with an apple pie. |