Chapter 5

 
 Agnes had a solid position as a top idol singer, but of course she didn't shot to a top idol position overnight. The true topIdol at the time was 天地真理 Mari Amachi, who also belonged to the Watanabe Agency like her.
  In 1971, Mari was discovered at the audition for a TV drama "時間ですよ Jikan desuyo." Her popularity started with her appearing on that drama in the role of "二階のマリちゃん Nikai no Mari chan". She became a national
 idol as soon as she made a debut as a singer with "水色の恋 Mizuiro no  Koi" in the same year. Since then Pop singers have been called "aidoru" in Japan. "Aidoru" is a Japanese pronunciation for "idol." Before that they
were categorized as "star". Mari Amachi should be count as the top of subsequent "aidorus" (aidoru singers).
　

   Her popularity was among people of all ages and genders, particularly elementary and junior high school students. In addition, many of so-called "character products" were made and marketed under her name and feature her
character. As Agnes also admitted, her popularity was exceptional.
　

    Unfortunately, Mari's popularity was declined right after 1976. Many said that Agnes had a major impact on the fall of her popularity. According to a book published by Mr. 桑原稲敏 Inatoshi Kuwabara, a reporter, "Mari Amachi got a sever blow by the rise of Agnes Chan who belonged to the same agency as her, Watanabe. Young fans of Japanese pop music always want new idol. The newly-discovered Agnes had the quality which made these fans fulfills their dreams. Exoticism of her birth place such as Hong Kong, her small and pretty figure, and her sweet smile. As a result, the elementary and junior high school student fans who used to be at Mari Amachi camp were quickly move toward this new idol.

     Just like Mari, Agnes was particularly supported by young people. "I Think the majority of her fans were the fifth grade girl at Elementary school," says Mr. 尾木徹 Tooru Ogi, her ex-manager, who Agnes put the most
 her confidence in before her temporary retirement from the singing career. She also became an object of many commercial character products such as doll, bicycle, study desk and so on. she also appeared on many commercial.

Present project of a soft drink

In other word, it means that 580,000 people accepted her music. Mr.Masaaki Hirao, who composed many songs for her such as "Sougen noKagayaki," "星に願いを Hoshi ni Negai wo" and others, though who declined to compose her  debut song praise Agnes as "Not just an idol but is a girl with talent and musical ability." Some songs since her debut one were symbolic and poetic and she had a bit complaint about those because she started off as a folk singer. But by her claim, song became to change song by song to straightforward love song. Those were not her own works and for this reason, those included what were incompatible with her feeling she wanted to convey, but in its own way, she enjoyed the finding process of her own self who could sing such songs.

 This program was also aired in Hong Kong and many other countries, and she knew only this program among the Japan made ones. She appeared on this big
stage as a new face. It had not been even a year. None of the three of Chusan Trio had ever appeared on the program before. It should be note that it was a splendid achievement. Since then, she was continued to appear on the program in 1974 and 1975.

24thNHK's Kohaku Uta-gassen (1973)

the best new face of the year award in broadcasted
Music in Japan Kayo Grand Prix (1973)

 And now, Agnes' achievement in music is to have combined Japanese pop music with new music (pop music for young people based on folk song). In her 5th album "アグネスの小さな日記 Agnes no  Chiisana Nikki,"キャラメル・ママ Caramel Mama, 加藤和彦 Kazuhiko Kato and son were appointed and after that, ムーンライダーズ Moon Riders, ハイファイセット Hi-Fi Set 矢野顕子 Akiko Yano and so on were appointed as backup musician.
 

 In terms of only record sales, even Agnes boom completed the first Stage at her 8th single "愛の迷い子 Ai no Mayoigo" (1974). Including this, 5 songs of 8 songs which were released by 1974, appeared on the top 100 hit
chart for weeks which were nearly equal as or more than weeks between and release and the next release (in other words, more than one song appeared on the chart). Unfortunately after 1975, all of her song disappeared from
the top 100 chart without waiting for the next new song. Even after 1975; however, those sales were about from
100,000 copies to 190,000 copies, so generally speaking, those are enough to fall into the category of hit song.
　

 Another distinctive feature of Agnes' activity in show business in Japan was that she periodically went back to Hong Kong for renewal of her visa. She visited Japan using entertainer visa. This visa requires its holder to
return to his home country and to reapply it every six months. Of course, she was unexceptional too. Comings back and forth between Hong Kong  and Japan until her temporary retirement are summarized as follows.
　

Stay in From To Days
Japan	22-Dec-72 18-Jun-73	178
Hong Kong	18-Jun-73 09-Aug-73	52
Japan	09-Aug-73 04-Feb-74	179
Hong Kong	04-Feb-74 15-Mar-74	39
Japan	15-Mar-74 10-Sep-74	179
Hong Kong	10-Sep-74 28-Oct-74	48
Japan	28-Oct-74 25-Apr-75	179
Hong Kong	25-Apr-75 06-Jun-75	42
Japan	06-Jun-75 25-Nov-75	172
Hong Kong	25-Nov-75 19-Dec-75	24
Japan	19-Dec-75 15-Jun-76	179

　

 Agnes went and returned between Hong Kong and Japan six times in total. I don't know it's a accident or not, the time when she went back to Hong Kong did not coincide as such with the time of spring, summer and Winter
vacation in Japan. It is notable that she could keep her high popularity ranking with other popular singer despite of her such on-and-off activity in Japan. In addition, considering that her activity was limited, for example, her weekdays were dedicated to her study and in terms of this, the places for her concerts were restricted to big cities, it seems that her popularity was amazing.

 Her return to Hong Kong also meant her days off. But of course it was not become her holiday. She was still required the show business activity in Hong Kong and had to be interviewed by reporters who visited Hong Kong from
Japan. And she had to do her management by herself in Hong Kong, so it was rather hard. Even so, it was especially happy for her that she was able to see her beloved family again after six months and have a chance to freely n
Cantonese, her native language, with them.

Her first return to Hong Kong, 1973.

  For Agnes as an idol, singing was not all of her activities. Her own radio program was started at the end of 1973 and her own TV program was started at the beginning of 1974. Not only her songs but also her lovely character was supported by fans. Those went on the air and rushed through Japan. And in Japan too, she continued to appear on TV dramas and in movies. She released a collection of poems with illustrations.

 Agnes was steadily walking on the royal road of idol.
　

 On the other hand, as Agnes promised her father, she had not ignore her study in Japan too. She graduated from the American School and effortlessly got a transferred to as a highest-grade student , on June 15th, 1973.

With her diploma in her hand

Japanese art of archery club

At tennis club

Makeover carries some sort of risk. Who causes the risk despite of enough market research, is volatile general public who conclusively evaluates the makeover.

 In case of Agnes, because her cute looks were an important factor of her popularity, it must have been a difficult decision to change it.  Nonetheless, considering her age, she did not stayed in idol forever. She, herself, would have been most aware of it. It was her expression of it that she stopped putting on the mini-skirt and white knee-high socks since about second half of 1974. Also, she cut her forelock without permission from the agency when "愛の迷い子 Ai no Mayoigo."
　

 And entering in 1975, when she turned 20 years old, "白いくつ下は似合わない Shiroi Kutsushita wa Niawanai" appeared.

  When she sang this song, she changed the part in her hair from the center to the right side. It was so small change, but it caused a sensation among her fans. However, it favorably-received by them after all. Agnes could try
a next step.

  Thus, "Agnes Chan" was becoming the first "non-Japanese" idol who most succeeded in Japan.

For Agnes Chan as a "singer", song was not an objective, that is, it was not an object of her business, and it was no more than one of means for communication.

Of course, the environmental surrounding her dealt with her song as business, but it is question how far she herself was aware of it. Because she is sagacious, she must have well known what was happening around herself. But, at least for her, to sing a song and get people to listen to it must have been primary, and she must have been not so much conscious of the business side of song itself. It's because she was a minor in Japan at the time (minor in Japan is under 20 years old), and left all of the contracts with the agency and others, and her monthly income (estimated at two million yen just before her temporary retirement) to her father, and herself barely touched those. Herefrom, it's considered that she attached importance mostly to her music activity itself among her activities in Japan. She did not have a sense of working student who worked her way through college, but had a sense of ordinary student who continued study doing something of a part-time work.
　

For that matter, the reason why Agnes went to Japan is that she thought to try how far her thought got through or how far she was accepted in "miracle" Japan, rather than business. For this reason, at first she had a sense of amateur or its extension, folk singer.
　

But, her activities in Japan became completely far removed from her thinking. As soon as mass media knew the public had accepted her, it caught at her and began to drive her hard. The situation that her work and study cut her sleeping time severely immediately came to her.
　

The mass media required her not only song but also various things. It tried to deal her not only as a "singer" but also as an "idol." For Agnes, it was not her true intention. Some sort of friction was quickly produced between her and her staffs who brought her such jobs.
　

At the threshold of her visiting Japan, language was a barrier between them. Bad communication made her grow irritation. It was particularly painful for her that she had to follow the lead of the agency at its beck and call as one of the "product" of it in spite of the explanation not being done well. The problem of language was gradually cleared up after that, but the situation that the agency led her activities and her opinion was hardly accepted, was unchangeable.
When her irritation reached her limit, she exploded. Her anger was directed her manager or her entourage who were the contact points between her and her jobs. Her distinction between likes and dislikes was clear, so if she once came to dislike them, she could nothing about it. Her manager was changed seven times for three years and half to her temporary retirement.
　

Agnes was originally not good at making friends, so she could not have friends she could talk frankly with in an unusual circumstance of the show business world. She was out on a limb in Japan. "It's only myself who protects me." "I'm become a loser if I give even an inch." She strengthened her attitude of confrontation against people around her. Even if trouble or something happened, she did not yield an inch. If her staffs had had minds which tried to understand her surroundings or her opinions, they should have avoided most of conflicts. But unfortunately, they didn't. If anything, she was not good at asserting herself, so it was a tall order for her to argue with them in accustomed Japanese. As a result, she came to take an attitude like shutting herself away. Her such attitude gave the impression that she was difficult and somber to the people around her. Warmth became rare in the relationship between her and the staffs and the relationship became businesslike. This was not her intention and became one of the causes that increased her irritation.
　

Of course, there must have been a matter of partner's suitability. Actually, she put her trust in the manager, Mr.森裕平 Yuhei Mori or above-mentioned Mr.Ogi. It is controversial whether it's necessary for business to get further into personal relationship, or not. It would be necessary at one stage and unnecessary at other stage, depending on the situation or participants' personalities. In the case of the relationship between Agnes and her staffs, another situation might have developed if they had made concession of one step closer or even a half step. If there had been just a little more efforts… It was true for the staffs and, to tell the truth, for Agnes herself. It was really unfortunate that those efforts could have been done well due to various reasons.
　

Such Agnes, however, never boycotted her job on the spot. Whatever had happened, she returned to her job scene at the end. "… I think she is a very professional singer in that way. Even if she had strife with her staffs or something like that, once she stands in front of camera or on the stage, she goes the whole way until she satisfies herself. In my experience, such type of singer is 沢田研二 Kenji Sawada for man, and Agnes for woman." Mr. Ogi also evaluates her like this. Such her attitude was backed by her sense of responsibility for people who came to see her, and her personality could never betray them. Moreover, because she deemed that her fans were friends of hers who understood her, she was unable to do all the more.
　

For Agnes, who could not become familiar so well with people in accustomed show business world of Japan, who was tormented by loneliness in spite of being surrounded by many people, and who always had to suffer from melancholy, the contact with fans was the only occasion on which she could get herself together and take a breath. This was what she expected. She well knew that she was considered not only just as a singer but also as an idol. Even so, all fans, such as tender elementary school children who yearned her saying that "Agnes, Agnes," and youths who gave unstinted enthusiastic cheers, were equally her precious friends. Above all, she cherished the bonds between those fans and her, even though some of them came to her boss' house where she lodged with and disturbed her important sleep. She believed that only they understood her. Needless to say, the means of communication with them was song.
　

But her thought on song began to change. Business orientation became to come to the front as she got accustomed the work and got acquainted with it. It owed to the encounters with good music producers or directors, and she, herself, started thinking to develop her own musical talent and to be a full-scale musician or artist. At the same time, an entertainer orientation which tried to involve not only singing but also showing, came out. Of course, those were backed by her thoughts that she wanted to deliver good song or impressive music to more people, and it was all well and good. However, her pure feeling for song she had in the beginning hid behind that.
　

For Agnes, song should have not been a "work." And "singer" should have not been an objective of her life. Her dream, or the objective of her life, should have been to "be a elementary school's teacher or a counselor for young people, or open a kindergarten." For those reasons, she majored psychology at the Sophia University. And the reason that she had a hope to change her university from Sophia to Canada's university is that only the bachelorship which was received from English university like Canada's, were acceptable in Hong Kong. She did not forget those. But it was almost impossible to bring those into shape in her environment at the time. And this should have been one of he worries. But her thought was gradually changing.
　

It's rather natural that one's thinking changes as he gains experiences and this is not denied at all. But for Agnes, the problem is whether the change of her thought was a result of her mature reflection, or not. If the change of her thought was caused by the unconscious confirmation and self-justification of her situation due to her busyness, there is nothing so unhappy like this.
　

And there is another thing. The volunteer activities she had felt enthusiastic about. She had continued her activities regularly, but it got extremely fewer that she visited facilities publicly. It was reported at most that the visit to a Hong Kong's facility in 1974, her second return, the visit to a facility in Kyoto in December of the same year and the visit to Nagoya Public School for the Blind in Aichi in March, 1975. That should have been her grass roots and the starting point with song. Those thoughts must have flashed through her mind, but it was helpless for her. She no longer lived in the different world that they did. She had mixed feelings, but even those were being buried deep into her conscious mind. "Where do I go to at all? Who am I at all?" A woman, 陳美齢 was in agony. But, her precious time for speculation to make her self-clear by looking at and to become an individual human being, was already lost. "Agnes Chan," who was always at the center of people and was loved, was just a fictional present, or a well-made marionette. 陳美齢, the actual existence, lost her patience with her such situation. "I want to do on my own what I want to do. I want to do by myself common practices common woman does. I want to be myself." Those thoughts made her be in anguish.
　

But Agnes gradually became tending to lose herself in such life that every day was passing like being on a roller coaster because of her doubling as student and idol. She was not unaware of herself who sounded a warning that "No, no!" but, she already had no room to stop and think.
　

Agnes was too intellectual to live by the dictates of her sensitivity. At the same time, she was too rich in sensitivity to live intellectually. Agnes, who was born in Hong Kong, a contact point between East and West and learned Western way of thinking based on the traditional Chinese ideas. Agnes, who had the affection of her parents and grew to an earnest, single-minded and curious girl. When such Agnes appeared with pretty look in the years of 1970s, her destiny was decided. The Fates dragged her about whether she liked or not. The Fates take no notice of a girl's happiness or unhappiness, but it is a serious problem for the girl herself. But it was helpless for her even if she was aware of that. Her destiny washed her down like mighty river and showed no sign of slowing down.


Before long, her both school work and job became just routine works, even every day's busyness became the normal state, and another herself who had questions about that had gone away before she knew.
Smooth days were seemingly passing, but nobody knew where the stream headed.


In June 1975, Her father 陳燧棠, who visited Japan for his business, changed color looking at Agnes in such situation. He felt abnormal to her situation, but felt more abnormal to her remark that she had not felt abnormal to that on her own, than that. He would have thought "She will go wrong if nothing is done." And since then, he had made up his mind to retire her from show business sooner or later.
And a year later, June 1976, what waited for Agnes' sixth return to Hong Kong was 陳燧棠's advice of retirement.