now it may not make much sense to for those who have not seen her but for those people who have, you'll know what i mean when i talk about that peerless "feel" of her: the air that encircled her almost seemed like an aura; and that absolutely heart-stopping look she had before she entered her teenage. in this short reflection i'm not going to provide back ups or rebutments to the general opinion that risako is no longer as charming as she once was; rather i'm going to see her life from a different pov, i'm trying to imagine the struggles she must have faced as she went from, an adorable angel who practically outshined anyone, to a pretty but ordianry idol/singer who finds it almost impossible to reach the sort of height she once so easily reached.
i should think that most fans of risako, like myself, were attracted to her from seeing her performance in her early days (2003-2006) at BK. and indeed, many of us are still loyal fans to her today, just because she is whom the girl we saw became. if today's risako were not the same person as the young girl in 2003, if she had only became a singer in recent years, there probably wouldn't be so much supporters or fans. but we've seen her days. we know how amazing she was. and i guess even though we don't find the same "feel" in today's risako when she sings or talks, the majority of us are nevertheless grabbing on to the hopeless illusion that somehow, someday, we would once again be striken by that extrordianry angel in her when we look at her smile, that one day she would regain the breath-taking beauty she once had.
is risako having the same illusion as us? i would have no clue. but i'd imagine words of criticism and public opinion would by one form or another reach her ear, and she would be quite unhappy to hear about them. risako's teenage life sees a huge step forward in her performing techniques and the seriousness about her work. these improvement i know, being a bit of a musician myself, must have come from thousands of hours of practice, of sacrifices and devotion. thousands of hours. and yet her appraisals have dropped because of something she can't control. most people care more about how she looks than how she sings and dances. she was no.1 because of how she looked. and that's the sad thing, isn't it, because if the look can take you up, it can also bring you down. when that look is gone, no matter how hard risako tries to catch up, there's tons of talented singer whom she just isn't good enough to surpass.
and we are not talking about the top j-pop singers here. we are talking about risako's BK friends, such as miyabi and momoko who, once lived in the shadow of risako, are now going further than her because of their singing skills. this gives risako a lot of pressure that in an '09 interview where she sobbed and said she almost thought of quiting her singing career because she just couldn't keep up with the pace that the whole BK members are getting better at; that she couldn't progress quickly enough. but she thought of the support from her fans and decided to hang on.


i deeply sympathesise risako predicaments and my thoughts on her is that she is probably confused about how her efforts and thousands of hours of sweat and practise not only did not yield her improvements but seem to drive her popularity down the hill. i know it must feel sad when your devotion is paid with punishment. and i would attempt to offer an explanation to the situation.
i believe that risako's "peak" in her pre-teenage days and her current "trough" both have nothing to do with her own efforts. peak or trough, they originate from her appearance, in other words, it's innate, it's nature's gift. the nature's gift can get you high and it get you down, and that's fair either way because you can't control it. therefore don't worry too much about the peak and trough of your career because no one can influence that.
but what you can control is your own endeavors. and risako if you've really put in that effort trust me it will goddamn show in your performance. no bull. it might take 3 months or more than 1 year for that extra work or practise you've done to sink in inside you and show itself, but sooner or later it's going to show. forget about the past. the past is built on your natural gifts. whatever you did, it won't change. but your future when you hit your twenties? the future is built on your effort! it's in your hands. the gifts don't matter much anymore. you can control it this time. i swear if you discpline yourself to practise, there will be results. to me, i'm a fan of sugaya risako the person, not photos of sugaya risako in 2003. my dream? i don't expect to see in you the same beauty that your younger self had, because that belongs to the past. but i would love to see you regain that confidence in the future and walk on to a unique path and be a very special singer. look, even if you quit singing, i would never blame you. 17, that's a stage in life when you just don't know what to do. but trust your instincts. risako hwighting!
20/4/11


"Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss.... But every once in a while you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare"
how true. because who could imagine there can be such intense brilliance, such dazzling refulgence in this world, before we are captivated and amazed by you? "every once in a while you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare". nothing will ever compare.