So while this isn’t Takamina or AKB48 related (ok, well, sort of related to AKB48), I’d just like to interrupt our usually scheduled Takamina fangirl posts for this public service announcement.
Is anyone a fan of the fellow idol group Idoling!!!? This may come as a surprise to some people who don’t know me too well, but I am actually a rather huge fan of the group. I learned about them back in Feburary of 2008 when I stumbled upon their first album, “Daiji na Mono,” on a J-pop music sharing site I used to frequent back then, and ever since I have been smitten with them. I absolutely loved the whole concept of the group, their cute and beautiful songs with amazing lyrics, their hillarious TV show and mini dramas, everything. (And let’s not forget their awesome collaboration with AKB48 🙂 ). Unfortunately my Idoling!!! oshimen, Koizumi Rumi, graduated back in 2009, and while I feel my love for the group might never be as strong as it used to be before Rumi-hime departure, I still keep up with the group and cherish them as one of my favorite idol groups, despite the fact that after along 2 years, I still haven’t (and may never) find someone to replace the spot Rumi held in my heart.
But anyway, I digress. One main reason why my love for Idoling!!! has perservered over the years is because of an epic Idoling!!! fan who goes by the name of SilverBolt and his blog, Acchi Muite Pie!!! (http://acchimuitepie.blogspot.com/). Over the years Silverbolt has done an amazing job of sharing every single Idoling!!! episode that has ever been aired on each, as well as concerts, CDs, DVDs, news and information… essentially everything Idoling!!! related. I often feel as if Idoling!!! is very underappreciated and that the group doesn’t have too many English speaking fans (I actually almost had a huge bitchfit over this elitest ****wad on Stage48 who had the nerve to insult Idoling!!! by calling them an ‘inferior’ idol group when compared to AKB48), but whenever I felt like that I’d think of SilverBolt and Acchi Muite Pie!!! and yes, there were still some people out there who was just as big, probably even bigger, an Idoling!!! fan than me.
Anyway I went to check out Acchi Muite Pie!!! the other day, and I noticed that all of the blog’s content was deleted. When I returned later on in the day the only content was one blog post by SilverBolt saying that a representative of Fuji TV contacted him in regards to him sharing Idoling!!! episode and other content via BitTorrent. As a result he has decided to close Acchi Muite Pie!!! until the issue is resolved, but in the meantime he is also asking for help from fellow Idoling fans. He has created an online petition requesting that Fuji TV give overseas Idoling!!! fans a legitimate way to watch episodes of Idoling!!!’s TV show, which can be found here:
Allow Access for Overseas Idoling!!! Fans
The petition can be signed using your Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace account, or you can create an account with PetitionSpot. SilverBolt is also encouraging Idoling!!! fans to send messages to Fuji TV, the Idoling!!! staff, the Idoling!!! members, and even Masuno through as many means as possible. More information and links can be found on his blog.
So why am I posting about this here? I’m asking you, Idoling!!! fans, Takamina fans, AKB48 fans, to please help out and sign the petition. It would mean the world if you helped out – every signature counts. Even if you are not a fan of Idoling!!!, just think of it this way: What if the same were to happen to AKB48? What if all media content was erased from the Internet, leaving fans with virtually no access to content? No more AKBINGO!!!, no more dramas, no more singles or concerts or DVDs, nothing. While this is an extreme scenario, it’s something that no fan would wish for. Obviously being an overseas fan of many an idol group the thought of this upsets me greatly, and I was really upset when I found out that SilverBolt and his blog were being persecuted as a result.
Please, if you are a fan or care about Idoling!!!, or just want to simply help out the cause, please follow the link and sign the petition – it’ll only take a second. And remember – Takamina would want you to do it 🙂
/End un-Takamina related transmission.
Tottemo♥Takamina! 