[Concert Review] Platinum 9 Disco

I know that this concert has been out for some time, but I finally got mine in the mail. And I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't watch it on YT beforehand... It worked well for the Elder Club concerts. It sucks watching a concert that you've already seen. I like to be surprised. =D

This really was an incredible concert, so I think I'll do my first ever concert review.

Opening-

The concert stage is very flashy. They really put a lot into this, didn't they? xD This concert has a much funkier feeling than their last.

Songs-

I love the transitions in this concert. xD It flowed perfectly from opening to their first number. The wota were getting into it a lot.

I loved it when they turned the spotlight on each girl and they posed. It got me really excited. xD

These were probably my favorite costumes out of the whole thing. The shiny military ones, you know? It fit the song perfectly. Junjun's solo really impressed me; she's been getting a lot better lately. All of the Shige close-ups amused me for some reason. xD It was so intense, her "yes" moments. It was so close, you could see bumps on her face. xD

However, I felt like the dance was a little lackluster compared to the song, the costumes, the solos, and the stage. A hard-edged song like this requires a harder dance, I think. Koha saved it for me, simply because she throws herself in every dance she does and she wasn't stiff like the other girls.

Naichau Kamo-

I'm sick of this song. It was okay when it first came out, and now... Ugh. I think the dance has become second nature for them, because it seemed a little robotic, like they were kinda bored. Kame's solos were great, but the rest... Ehh. Koha looked like she was having a blast during the dance-only moment. xD

VTR-

This is the same VTR as the concert at AX, and it brings back memories. xD I love this VTR; the costumes for this tour were great and I like the photos of them smiling or laughing. Takahashi really has a charming laugh, when she scrunches her nose like that. It's so not pretty, it's pretty. xD

Mikan-

Even while watching this again and intending to critique it, I zoned out.

MC-

I appreciated that Takahashi asked how many women there were (they were there, they were just quiet), but I found it strange that when she asked if there were any 'chibiko' (little girls? Little kids? Slang. xD) mostly men cheered. They all looked a little confused. xDD Junjun was bouncy. And we should shoot Shige. Seriously.

Shouganai Yume Oibito-

I am officially tired of this song. I'm done. The dance is nice, though. And these costumes were used at AX, so I can't help but feel happy. xD Gaki sounded like she was having some trouble, though.

Jounetsu no Kisu wo Hitotsu-

Something about the costumes, the chair, and the song made this performance incredibly sexy. @-@ I felt uncomfortable watching it in the living room with my parents in the other room. xD Gaki was killer in this performance. Seriously. New subgroup, please. Tanaka went awfully off-key at one point, and that's when I skipped the first time. xD This was probably one of my favorite performances. (But what is with that one line? Takahashi went off-key, too! xDD)

Kataomoi no Owari ni-

I love Kame. She's so sweet. Even singing about an unrequited love, she looks so happy and cute. She really did great in this song. I almost like it more live than recorded. I'm glad she finally got a solo song of her own. And she looks like it, too. xD

MC-

I was not pleased to see that Tanaka was hosting this MC. I like her better around other people backstage.

Fine Emotion-

My parents talked through the whole thing of this before. xD I love a pandas song. They both sound great. An energetic, but not overly cute, song really suits them both. While Linlin rocks a ballad like you've never seen, she really is suited for upbeat songs. And Junjun was adorable and held her own. And you know, no one blends better than the pandas. It reminds me a little bit of when they performed Suki na Senpai two years ago... Ahh, how far they've come. =w=

Watashi no Miryoku ni Kizukanai Donkan na Hito-

I still hate this song. But I love anything that has the pandas dancing backup that I can focus on. Aika tends to be better live, but you can't hear that difference on DVDs. So it sounds too much like the original recording for me to like it. Pandas were cute, though. ;D

Yowamushi-

The original song should have been a solo (but the harmonies at the end were a nice touch) so I was glad to see that Gaki got it by herself. I don't even want to think about what it would sound like if Shige sang it live, too. This was around the time Gaki had dropped all that weight, wasn't it? It wasn't as bad as at AX, but she was still looking pretty small in this. You know, I've been feeling like Gaki's been having some vocal problems, just with her control and range and whatnot. Her voice just doesn't sound as clear as before.

It's You-

Shige was a little too diva in this for me. xD Takahashi and Kame were amazing doing backup dancing, but Shige was just too... Shige. xD She was trying too hard to be 'sexy', which she has a lot of trouble doing naturally. Her dance was terrible. She's never been the strongest dancer, so she got an easy version of what the other two got (which was AMAZING, by the way). But it was really bad. Both the choreography and how she did it. And the singing was awful. She made an effort, though.

MC-

I was disappointed they didn't include any Junjun/Koha MCs, but Junjun/Tanaka is good, too. Just because Junjun has such a girl crush on Tanaka. xD In this one, she talks about English (I can tell that much). Her Japanese really in amazing. I loved her voice when she said she wanted to go to Tanaka's house, and Tanaka expression. And when she said that Tanaka didn't need to pay... xD I love Tanaka with the pandas. They bring out her funny side. And Junjun's "Suki da yo!" made me all melty. xDD

Disco Medley-

This really is one of the best medleys in H!P history. The transitions and dances... *foams at the mouth* And the special effects made it seem less like a compilation of random songs and more like an actual medley. It seemed like one song. And the song choices were great. You can't go wrong with Love Machine, RR21, Sexy Boy, and Manpower. xD I loved how many people slipped or tripped while maneuvering those stairs. Of course, I love the second half. Sexy Boy and Manpower, too underappreciated singles.

But the real great part about this is Linlin's rendition of Aozora ga...whatever it's called. xD She truly has a beautiful voice, and she blows away anything Gaki has to offer. With a little more polishing, she could be even better than Takahashi. The first time I heard this, which was a live concert rip back in May, I couldn't believe. It made Linlin skyrocket up to third place in my personal ranking, and seeing her face while singing it made her move up to number two. ;D

It was just a very touching performance.

MC-

Really, nothing can beat the last MC. xD But it's Linlin and Kame, so I watched anyway. Linlin taught us how to say 'Please eat' in Chinese. Kame was cute. I miss MM acting. D=

Kousui-

This is my favorite Melon Kinenbi song, so I was really nervous about it. But both girls held their own. It's a really hard song. Koha has had to start over in her vocal training, now that Kirarin Revolution is over and she doesn't need to sing in that ridiculous voice. And Junjun did great. She sang a lot of the high notes an octave lower, which was disappointing, because I'd love to hear her high notes. Junjun really suits this song better. Koha's harmonies stood out too much. But her high notes sounded beautiful.

The Bigaku-

For some reason, Tanaka's voice suits Ayaya songs well. This was enjoyable, but just because you can't help but feel pumped watching this song live.

MC-

Gaki talked about her nails. She really does love her nail art.

Yume Kara Samete-

Would you believe that I've never heard this song before? xD I've never gotten around to listening to it. It's a nice song.

Take off is now!-

THIS IS SO OVERSUNG. I'm sorry. I loved it when it first came out. Now I can't stand it. They perform it every concert. And each time it feels like they're losing their enthusiasm.

Guru Guru Jump-

I love the Junjun in this concert. xD It's a cute song, but they perform it a lot. But MY GOD, these costumes! It's like a hat box threw up on a dress! (And yet, it fit the song so much)

HOW DO YOU LIKE JAPAN-

This is one of the best songs in Hello! Project history. I can listen to it over and over again probably forever. Gaki's opening is awesome every time, and it's just an amazing song.

Resonant Blue-

I really hate it when they perform this in concert. I'm sorry, but it's true. But it seemed like they got pumped up from the last song, because they were back to their normal selves.

MC-

Love & Peace! Hero ga Yattekita-

They had just finished two high-energy songs (for some, three or four). And yet, they still managed to do this amazing performance. To tell you the truth, this may be one of the best performances of Love & Peace I've ever seen. They were just so full of energy, running around and glomping each other. xD I love Takahashi's expression each time someone tried to kiss her. Watching this, I realized that Morning Musume really are incredible entertainers. I was glad to be a fan. Especially when you compare it to the bland dancing at the beginning, it seems even more dynamic.


I didn't watch the encore performances because I wanted the concert to end on such a good note. And I didn't want it to be ruined by two ehh songs. However, the sombreros... They put that huge one on Koha on purpose.

Mass Graduation... Again?!

Yes, yes, this is old news. But I haven't had a chance to formally voice my opinions on it.

EVERYONE IS LEAVING AGAIN!

Elder Club's graduation in March (was it really March? It feels so long ago) was a huge loss to us Morning Musume fans. But we reassured ourselves that everything would be fine. Afterall, we still have our favorite current H!P members to love.

But it seems like Tsunku is doing some late spring cleaning yet again!

I personally thought that Kanna's resignation would be the last "graduation" of the year, considering the enormous loss that H!P had at the beginning. I probably would have bet quite a lot of money that the next person to graduate from a group would be Takahashi or one of the Eggs. But I was wrong.

It's probably some sort of retribution for me laughing at the Kanna fans when she left, because Umeda Erika announced her impending graduation a short while ago.

Sure, c-ute could probably graduate most of its members and become an Airi/Maimi duo, the new GAM, and function well. But I really love Erika. She's tall and awkward and GORGEOUS. She's a good singer and has only done things that endear her to me. She gets a lot of crap for being the "ugly one" but lately that criticism has shifted to other members (*cough*Mai*cough*). Is it me, or are H!P Kids fans awfully hateful? You rarely read a comment or blog post these days without someone mocking Airi or Maimi or Mai or Risako or ANY of those girls... Well, Chisato is pretty beloved. xD

But I digress.

Thanks to Erika, I can now tell the c-ute members apart and I was just starting to give a crap about their singles and albums. But now she is leaving to become a model. It's an appropriate occupation, yes. I'd buy whatever outfit she's trying to sell. Hell, she could sell cardboard boxes and I'd buy one. I just hope we see her again soon.

I may buy C-ute's new concert when it comes out on DVD, depending on if they include a graduation ceremony.

You know, I love that I always find these things out first thing in the morning. I wake up, turn on my iPod, check Facebook, my manga sites, and Twitter. And news like this is ALWAYS posted by the time I wake up. xD


I was just starting to get used to the idea of Erika leaving (okay, I lie. I'll never get used to it) when H!O posted that my two favorite Eggs, Noto Arisa and Sawada Yuri, will be graduating already.

My first thought was NOOOO NOT YURI-TAAAAAN! And then my second thought was "Wait, didn't they already graduate?"

I thought they had graduated with Ongaku Gatas and Elder Club... They were there. They sang. Were they the exceptions?

I love the Gatas Eggs. I really do. Noto is a great idol. She may not be the prettiest, but she's very talented and entertaining. And Yuri-tan... Anyone who reads this blog should know how much I love her. The fact that I call her Yuri-TAN is an indication. I don't normally use honorifics.

Noto will be becoming an Up-Front egg and will be aiming on making her debut as... something. Actress, idol, or talento.

On the other hand, Yuri-tan will be starting college. That makes me sad, sort of, because she's very professional and could do very well as a performer, but at the same time, she doesn't strike me entirely as idol material.

Whatever these three do with their lives from now on, I wish them the best and hope to see them again sometime.


Now if you need me, I'll be over here crying.