Jae Milkowski comments

This is just bad lighting. I've seen all of the images from this event and she looks fine.

I'll never understand why so many JapanToday users just feel the need to bash an artist. Every artist gets bashed on here - no matter who they are. Koda Kumi's a sweet, caring young woman. Just because she's famous and your not doesn't mean you need to spout negative things. She worked hard for her fame.

If you don't like her, then don't click on a link to bring you to a page ABOUT her.

Koda Kumi has enough money even if she doesnt work for ten years or so. This is the most important time when baby needs his/her parents to cuddle, to love him. Oh.. she is a star and stardom is more important than baby....she could give a year to baby if her fans are really loyal, but she may be so worried of her Diva status! After some time when she is no more a Diva and will be replaced by another teenage girl then she may realize that she should have spent more time with family.

The Japanese are very different from us. A mother won't just dump her baby off on someone. She will take care of the baby, why do people think she won't? Besides. Koda Kumi's been around for over a decade. Her status has been made and can never be ruined. So it's not for that - she's showing her thanks to her fans. And who knows! While she's away, Kenji's probably going to take care of the child and vice versa. It's stupid to think that she'll neglect her child.

Oh! I can't wait! Such an amazing woman. I still wanna know what their baby boy looks like, though. xD With the sexy looks of Koda Kumi and cute looks of Kenji, that's gonna be one cute baby.

Plus, she's doing a performance at Music Station the same day her single drops, so it'll be her first return to the stage since the pregnancy. SO. MUCH. EXCITEMENT/

Considering his age and his sudden popularity

That's why they hate him - because he's famous and they're not. He became famous by doing what everyone else does: posting videos on YouTube and hoping someone worthwhile sees them.

When I went to Japan, I met with locals. They told me that the reason English is spoken so poorly is because, though they are taught English, they are never taught how to pronounce letters and syllables.

Good for them. It would have cost more to house 3 murderers than to execute them, anyway. If the only crime deterrence is "oh, we're going to put you in this cell for a few years, then you're free to do whatever," it's no wonder crime rates are so high in many countries.

Pro-Capital Punishment, here.

O.K., but I will bet you that their "mocking" wasn't what you thought it was and you were reading way too much into something that was probably minor.

No, it was. When I met up with my friend in Osaka and told her about it, she laughed said they were probably laughing at how many times I had said it, because it is such an informal term. I was laughing about it after it had happened and the initial embarrassment wore off. It taught me a lesson in customs, though. So, I can't really complain.

I understand the last one. Before I had gone to Japan, I had been studying the languagefor 10 years, dialect and all. On the plane to Osaka, a girl from Kyoto said I had the dialect of someone from Osaka. We laughed at how convenient it was. When I was getting myself and my mother around the country (my mother does not know any Japanese), it was easier for me to communicate with others in Japanese. I understood them and they understood me, though they said I spoke extremely formal for a foreigner.

There were a few people that wanted to speak English - the police officers more than anyone, I noticed. Unfortunately, when we switched to English, my formality went out the window. I said "okay" five times in less than a minute when they were showing us directions and, as we were walking away, I heard them mocking me saying "okay". I forgot how informal that word is over there and it would not have happened if they would have just spoken in their native tongue. Instead, I wound up feeling rather embarrassed.

Anyway. Point of story: please speak Japanese to us foreigners! Chances are, we've studied Japanese much more than they've studied English - to prepare to be respectful in the country.