Yuka has admittedly not been on my radar for very long, but she has already shot up my list for one major reason. Yuka is one of the best singers in AKB. I mentioned in my last post that someone has to be really exceptional for me to take notice of them and Yuka fits that bill in spades. If you don't want to take the fans' word for it, maybe the opinions of other members of AKB will sway you.
That's the Team B vote for best singer. Note that Yuka garnered 15 out of 16 votes, meaning every other member voted for her. Still it's probably best to show rather than tell, so here's a short clip of her singing alone.
What I find most interesting about that clip in particular is the reaction from the other members of AKB. They are all clearly impressed by the power and range of Yuka's voice.
Yuka joined AKB in Generation 2. She was a member of Team K before a shuffle sent her to Team B where she now performs. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a private video like Sae (that I can find). However, I have found this clip in which she gives a brief introduction by way of impressions.
Because of her early entry into the group, Yuka is one of the few AKB members from Osaka. Nowadays, people auditioning from that region (or any region outside of Tokyo) would likely be encouraged to try out for their closest sister group. Consequently, some emphasis is given to her Osaka accent, which I find rather cute, but the real draw of her upbringing for me is her love for takoyaki. Takoyaki is a popular dish in Osaka and one that Yuka has a borderline obsession with. In fact, "Takoyaki" is one of her nicknames and her catchphrase (as translated in the video above) is "with my bright smile and full of energy, I damn love takoyaki." I've mentioned elsewhere that Ariake prided itself on octopus dishes and that I acquired a taste for it during my time there. It's a small connection to be sure, but it's another detail about her that I enjoy.
Lastly, I feel that Yuka is one of the most attractive members in AKB.
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| Easy on the eyes, one might say. |
I realize this is completely superficial, but look at that picture and tell me that AKB isn't selling sex on some level. This is yet another trait that is often pointed out by other members. One of Yuka's nicknames happens to be "Yuppai," an amalgamation of her name and the Japanese word for boobs. Yuka herself makes mention of her "dynamite body" in her ending for the second AKB 1/48 game, which I will no doubt talk about later.
Still, it was her voice that first attracted me to Yuka, so I feel it fitting to end this post with her most recent solo song "Stargazer." Enjoy!
So I came across this while randomly googling. I have had Yuka as my favourite member since I first found AKB. In fact I found AKB because I found her first of all!
ReplyDeleteI thought this link to a translated article would maybe interest you about some of Yuka's past.
http://48-family.tumblr.com/post/16891181092/masuda-yuka-interview-a-passing-point-called-cancer
So yeah! Please continue to love Yuka!
That was a very interesting article. I had heard of Yuka's battle with cancer before, but had never read anything with her perspective on it. Truly inspiring!
ReplyDeleteRandom googling get!
ReplyDeleteMasuda Yuka is my second favoritest also, just sliiiiiiiiightly (very slightly) below Sasshi. It's funny about that 15/16 votes over best singer of AKB. The only 1 vote that goes not to Yuka goes to Satou Natsuki, in which Yuka was the one who voted for her.It would've been a clear winning strike if only Yuka wasn't included to vote. Hahaha
It's sad how Stargazer in the past wasn't even included amongst 'solo' song since it wasn't created by Aki-P. :( I bet Yuka was so disappointed, however with it being in DiVA single I guess it's ok now, though I'm still mad at Aki-P.
She never get pushed. :( Perhaps she just doesn't need to be pushed, she's already too damn awesome. Most of new fans never recognized her because of that. They even mis-recognize her for newly promoted kenkyuusei while she's a 2nd gen. awgh
and I think you will find this article interesting, its about her and her mother. I remembered I found about her surviving the Hanshin Earthquake somewhere and her impressions of it, but I forget where.
http://melosnomichi.blogspot.com/2012/02/because-you-were-there-for-me-masuda.html
Oh my god. Sae is my number one and Yuka is my number two fav members. You have good taste.
ReplyDelete