No, guys, I'm not obsessed with Japanese girls.

A few weeks ago, I heard some news about a music group I really like. SweetS, a Japanese pop group consisting of five teenaged girls, who I’d only found out about last summer just hours before a long car ride to Otakon, was disbanding after a good three years of working. Now, honestly? I only really got into the group in January. The friend that told me about SweetS put a few of the songs she had, along with a bunch of other radom Japanese songs and one extremely odd Chinese song, onto a CD for Christmas. I was curious about the lyrics, so I did a search and found that their first song was called LolitA * Strawberry in Summer. Quite a… catchy title, for lack of a better word. Now, don’t get me wrong. While the song was a wee bit suggestive, I can tell you that it was quite smart. Stereotypical Japanese men a suckers four young, under-aged girls. SweetS, in all reality, was just selling the product of their lustful youth to teen girls and horny men all over Japan. Yowza.



After a while, I did I search on YouTube, wonder if the group had any music videos. Um, it’s safe to say that, yeah, they do. Fans on YouTube have uploaded every single music video SweetS has released. Plus, some fansubbed versions for, say, karaoke parties. I also just found this cute little video of them on some Disney program. Pretty cute, for a bunch of jailbate.

Now, one thing’s confused me for a while. One of the older girls, Aki, is known as the ‘leader’. I… didn’t quite get this. I mean, she didn’t sing that much. Maybe she was, like, a dance captain for the group. We had those in show choir, and… well, it always involved drama. But, unlike the dance captains of my past, Aki was never at the front, really, struttin’ her stuff. What did this girl do that gave her this leadership position.

Well, in that video, Aki is doing pretty much all the talking. And in one of the music videos on YouTube, Aki’s handing out posters and thanking fans for the group at a live event (at a mall, just like Tiffany!). The girl acts like the social mouth for the group, really. I’m guessing she’s probably the oldest member, and while I could confirm it, doing so would require using math, which I detest at such an hour.

These five girls, I must admit, are extremely talented. While I can’t really choose a favorite member, I have to admit that Aya and Mai have really grown on me. Mai’s just a big cutie, with these gorgeous eyes and smile. Aya has a beautiful voice. She’s easily the most mature sounding of the group, and has been since they started. (I originally thought LolitA was sung by a 17-year-old.) In all honesty, though, they all have a place in my heart, and always will.

So, readers, before they release their final single, I encourage everyone to check these kids out. They’ve got such great potential, and I hope they all do well in their lives. If you’re interested in hearing these guys, either look for them on YouTube or check out Mienai Tsubasa, one of the best fansites around. They’ve got loads of pictures, songs and music videos, plus some LJ icons that are very well made. But, please remember, if you download anything from there, right-click and save and above all, do not hotlink. It is forbidden by me. Adam. Got it? Good.

Enjoy. And, girls, I hope you all grow into the shining stars you’re destined to.