AW’s nexus: Say it ain’t so, Ray

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Without the American Wota declaring his abiding love for the likes of, from left, Chinami, Saki, Risako and Yurina, life just won’t be the same in the blogosphere.

“I will not be covering H!P for the most part. Actually, this is already the case. With the exception of breaking-news stuff that we want to get on top of right away, I find I’m covering less and less H!P.” – American Wota, April 9, 2008.

Bullcorn!

Just the fact that American Wota/International Wota founder Ray Mescallado has announced he is backing off covering Hello Project is enough of a shock. The idol-music universe is a little too green to have its foremost expert and critic drift into the nether-world of soap-opera doramas and Asian fiction. He’s not getting away this easily, if Radicalpatriot, Radicalipton and now YankeeOtaku have anything to say about it.

To have this kind of step-down is like … having Michael Jordan quit professional basketball and try and play minor-league baseball. We all know how that turned out.

Who will promote the latest Morning Musume photobooks by, from left, the likes of Miki, Sayu, Eri, Risa and Aichan if not the American Wota?

To write that “we have several people in our stable who handle that [Hello Project] very well” sounds unconvincing. Nobody knows Hello Project like the American Wota himself, the original. If anything, the reverse should be true – Ray should be delving even more into the H!P universe, which is increasing in complexity, interest and enjoyment just as AW and IW appear to be cooling their jets. And, no, none of the current list of contributors – and they are excellent writers and editors all – can carry the H!P banner in place of the original American Wota.

We need the American Wota now more than ever.

Yes, it will even be missed if the American Wota uses the “P” word to describe the likes of °C-ute and preteen sensation Hagiwara, in front.

If AW and IW continue their turn into more J-rock, less J-pop; more soloists, fewer ensemble groups like Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo and °C-ute; more doramas and fewer concerts … it will diminish the cultural clout this site has created. AW and IW are originals and simply should not be tampered with, at least for now. There is a sense of resignation, even fatigue, being reflected here, and it does not bode well.

If it weren’t for American Wota there would be no Radicalipton. Being compared to James Lipton by an earlier Ray comment was a high honor Rad will always value. Inspiration is in short supply in this world. We need more, not less. And Rad is not the only one who has been so affected. Indeed, the crew that now runs AW and IW has grown in some pretty profound ways – journalistically, analytically and otherwise. It has, to this point, been a fun ride.

And, tragically, Buono! and the American Wota’s beloved Momoko, right, will be abandoned just as they are on their way up.

That Rad seldom gains any notice or reviews by AW in recent weeks is disappointing, but unfortunately deserving, because for some reason Rad has lost his way, and that will worsen without Ray, the American Wota, continuing full-bore commentary on Hello Project-related subjects. It was out of a dream that YankeeOtaku has come into being, because someone has to carry the H!P standard into the blogging battleground, and if it isn’t Amercian Wota it might as well be YankeeOtaku or somebody else crazy enough to try.

In any event, I hope this is just a temporary setback. As for Ray saying, “I think I’ll post later about my faults as a blogger,” forget it. You don’t have any. Just reconsider and remain the one and only American Wota.

This is Radicalipton signing off – for now.