Legendary

They had it all and they blew it, completely. One got caught smoking, the other one got knocked up. For a mere 630 days or so, these two gals brought the wotas to their knees. For anyone who doesn't already know, this duo was called 'W'.

For a couple of little shits, they had some serious talent. It's hard not to look back at all their television appearances and music videos and see anything other than a couple of rambunctious little girls whose ambitions were to be their downfall.

In Tsuji's defense, she handled her pregnancy/shotgun wedding in the classiest way possible, and up until the graduation of the H!P Elder Club in March, was still a part of the organization.

Kago, my preference of the two, cocked-up royally and has paid a big price for it. She's made her own comeback of sorts, but it just doesn't live up to the hypothetical success she would have been had she stayed on the straight-and-narrow. It's nice to know she's alive and well (and, as expected, looking better by the day) but even if this comes off as harsh: she had TWO chances and she just couldn't cut it.

I've been over it many times in my own mind and as I've said, I'm glad they're doing well; unsurprisingly, I'm really not paying attention to either of them these days. Oh well, we'll still have W.

I don't think W would be quite as impressive, though, if they had stuck with it and were still around today. The fact that they no longer exist as a duo lends some sort of Jim Morrison/Kurt Cobain mystique to the group's works. Yeah, they're not dead, but quite the living example of the old adage 'you can't go home again'. While the girls live on and the image that was captured in that short time may linger on in the memories of fans, the group and its music are now legendary.

So, listening back to those short-lived memories is pleasurable and at the same time very melancholy. Because a lot of the group's music is either ultra-peppy or breathtakingly gorgeous, it's more properly categorized as an experience than just simply music or image.

Bottom line is, whatever they've done since as individuals, the demise of the group has only solidified their place as a force to be reckoned with. Kago and Tsuji just compliment each other, like cheese and wine, Lennon and McCartney, or fire and ice.

The end of W also meant the end of Mini Moni, as that group fell apart and left only these two standing. After which, they grew up at light-speed and left us all behind. Maybe someday they'll get back together and shock the world again, but it probably won't be the same. We've moved on from it out of sheer necessity and can only be left wondering 'what if?'

Does anybody know whether there are any W recordings beyond the two albums and seven singles they released under the group name? I'd like to know that either: my collection is complete, or there's more out there.

Confirmed!

I won't get too smug about it, but y'all should be happy that I do this.  I'm putting valuable time back in the hands of Kayo Aiko fans, so you don't have to spend the hours I've spent finding and presenting little tidbits like this.  Remember this picture?

Without a doubt, from left to right: Kago Ai, Ms. Kayo Aiko herself, and Takahashi Ai.  Hence, 'aiaiai.jpg'.  Also, Tanaka Reina is the person to their right.  So my status as an Aiko expert is upheld, ID'ing Reina gets me more points, and the result is not only confirmation that this is a picture of Aiko, but confirmation that she stood between Kago and Takahashi for this picture well after the Morning Musume audition.

The full image (albeit very small) is this:

And the guide to it (with similar family name sounds circled) is this:

How lame is it that the guide is a better resolution than the actual picture?  I've never seen any other pictures of this occasion;  you'd think they're out there somewhere.

Here is the page where I found it with description in Japanese.  I tried my hand at translating it, but could not do it coherently.  The most I can decipher is "on one hand, some of them won the audition, on the other hand, some lost.  I imagine they had quite a conversation.  Do you suppose the order was intentionally based on the sounds in their surnames, or is it coincidence?"

This blogger is one I can identify with.  It looks like he (or she) is an avid photographer of places and structures used in H!P photobooks.  If I lived in Japan and had the time, I'd do it, too.  So let's go get some Nicola pizza and have Blue Seal for dessert.

Also posing with Ms. Kayo Aiko are some Musume greats:

Iida Kaori, Yaguchi Mari, Tsuji Nozomi, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Ishikawa Rika, Kamei Eri, Michishige Sayumi, and Fujimoto Miki, at least.  The entire second gen of Tanpopo is there, for those counting.