Have you ever felt what I’m referring to as “idol guilt”? My definition for this is when you like a particular group or idol a lot, but due to the sheer amount of competing forces vying for that idol/group’s attentions, you never really put forth the full support and backing the idol/group deserves? And then a terrible feeling sets in when this idol/group calls it quits because you feel like you failed them? Anyway, welcome to my relationship with PASSPO☆…

https://twitter.com/passpo_staff/status/1043504632713043968

While it was announced months ago, PASSPO☆ didn’t have their final concert (flight) until this weekend. Now perhaps they weren’t strictly “Homicidols” material, they were well-regarded on this site, and they most certainly literally rocked, at times performing some crunchy-good guitar driven pop tunes, often with a full band backing them, and occasionally as a band themselves. PASSPO☆ were terrific, and at times I felt like I slept on them more than I really should.I was discussing this with TEAM HOMICIDOLS and looks like we all share in this feeling a little bit, (sigh) so myself and Daemon each wanted to offer to some parting words. I’ll start…

Let’s get one thing right, PASSPO☆ was wonderful. Their songs were absolute sugary-pop candy goodness with long-lasting flavor. The members were all charming and charismatic . They wore flight-attendant  uniforms, for goodness sake! They referred to their concerts as “flights” and the audience as “passengers”. Everything about them was fantastic and I always kept meaning to delve more deeply into their catalog and take a fuller step beyond being a “I like those girls” casual fan and become more active in their fandom, and I probably took it for granted they’d always be around. It’s a tough lesson in this fickle idol world that I’m painfully aware of but yet still needed to be reminded about: Idols are fleeting blips on the radar and you can’t sleep through the flight or you’ll miss the experience.

My favorite  PASSPO☆ song was this rockin’ bubblegum gem, “Love Diary”…

Handing the boarding pass over to you, Daemon:

 

Thank you.  I’ll try to get through this.

The thing about it is, you know, you always think that you have more time. I mean, I remember when I first saw PASSPO☆ in band formation and I thought, if only they had the chance to get better. If they could dedicate the time to rehearse more and get to the point where they could do a full set on their instruments. If they brought that to the U.S., they could hit the Billboard Top 40 for sure!

But now they’ll never have that time. And they’ll never get that chance.

And do you remember when there was that uproar because Akimoto said AKB48 would perform at the Olympics and Japan recoiled in revulsion?  (I do indeed, and I for one, share that revulsion!)

When asked who would be a more appropriate idol group to perform at Tokyo 2020, PASSPO☆ came in near the top of the list so much so that they created PUCHI PASSPO☆ and trained a sister group specifically with that goal in mind. Now what?  What happens to the little ones? Think of the sister groups! Why doesn’t anyone think of the sister groups?!!

 

I’m sorry…  I can’t.  I can’t go on….

Daemon, it’s okay man. (Hands the man a hankie.) 

So I always wonder, will any of these ladies show up in new groups? Will they get into into television work or become radio personalities? Get respecatable day jobs? Whatever the future may hold, let’s wish them the very best, because they most certainly gave their best to us.

Thank you for the music, PASSPO☆, and please enjoy your next destinations.