Kokoro in Wota Land

[Icons] Spring Break Edition

2010-04-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't really posted here in a while, not since I put up my rankings, and before that it had been over a month since my list entry. xD So in a lame attempt to make it up to the fives of readers I have, here's a small batch of icons. ;D

I don't really feel like I have a theme to my batches, but I guess you could say that my first batch's theme was PHOTOBOOK. The last one might have been RANDOM CRAP IN MY H!O FOLDER. If I had to give a name to this particular batch, it would probably be FANSERVICE YAYYY.

This batch of icons includes: the lovely ladies of Melon Kinenbi, some of my personal OTPs, some Fujimoto Miki magazine scans, fierce Linlin, some shameless Junjun fanservice, and Yossie with the sexiest cohost ever. ;D

You may also be surprised to find some THE Possible here as well--WAT?! NICE GIRL IN MY H!P?!

My 2010 H!P Ranking

2010-03-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hahah, I haven't posted anything in such a long time, have I? I was planning on doing a 10 My Me review, but I haven't gotten around to it, and I was going to do a Melon's Not Dead review, but I don't care anymore, and I was going to do a 6th Otakebi review, but it sucked.

Anyway, Paul over at Hello! Blog recently posted his 2010 H!P ranking, and I filled out mine right away. It was hard to place a lot of people, mainly because I don't care about C-ute since Erika left and I don't know S/mileage.

1) Junjun - It's pretty basic knowledge that I worship Junjun. She's hilarious, gorgeous, quirky, and is one of the most exciting live performers that H!P has right now (I'm looking at you, ninja kick at Chanpuru concert). Her singing is getting steadily better and I only love her more and more. ;D

2) Linlin - Linlin has skyrocketed from her previous role as Junjun's less interesting counterpart. Now I find her appearance a treat, her voice a nice change from the norm, and she gets prettier everyday. <3

3) Maasa - Maasa is awesome. For a long time, she was the token "fat girl" and she was just a round face amongst the cuties. I really took notice of her with her photobook; she leapt straight to the top of my list of favorite Berryz'. I love her voice, too, and she deserves more attention than she gets.

4) Yurina - I love Yurina. She's almost as tall as I am, and how can you not like that? Us tall girls gotta stick together. ;D She's all arms and legs, and I find her awkwardness endearing. Plus, lately she's become a total hottie. <3

5) Gaki - Gaki probably would have been higher on my list if they hadn't killed her hair. D'= Granny haircut, do not want. But really, her greatest asset is her stage presence, and even though I find photos of her unbearable now, on stage she shines.

6) Kame - Kame and Gaki are always really close. xD I love Kame, I truly do, but after wowing me in 2008 and 2009, I feel like she needs to bring something new to the table before I start listing her in my top 5.

7) Risako - Risako, oh how I love you. She's the diva of Berryz, but I find that that she's oddly likable about it. She's a very stable singer and brings a mature, controlled edge to her group, and her speaking voice is flail for some reason. xD

8) Maimi - Maimiiiii~ Maimi has two things that I adore: her rough voice and her legs. She's really been rocking the short hair, even though now she has the same exact haircut as a boy in my Japanese class.

9) Captain - Captaiiin~ I love Captain, especially now that they've found a good hairstyle for her.... Only took them six years. She's a tiny girl, but an amazing dancer, and I appreciate her presence in the group almost every day.

10) Takahashi - Takahashi is up here because of her voice, of her looks, and the recent indications that she might be regaining her personality. She's a lot more comfortable in her own skin than she ever has been, and I find the new confidence a positive change.

11) Chisato - I don't know anyone who doesn't like Chisato. You can't hate her. She's just so awkward, with her eyebrows, and recently she's become a little hottie, hasn't she?

12) Chinami - Chinami was once one of my favorite members of Berryz, but her cuteness doesn't hold on as hard as it once did. She's adorable, and I love her, but she's been flying under the radar for a while.

13) Miyabi - Last year, I loved Miyabi. She's still my favorite member of Buono, but considering the other two choices are Airi and Momoko, she kinda wins by default. I like her better with the short hair; the recent extensions have been turning me off for some reason.

14) Tanaka - I really like Tanaka when she's being Tanaka, just camerawhoring and joking around with the other girls. When she opens her mouth to sing and steps on stage for a performance, my affection for her decreases exponentially.

15) Ogawa - I really don't know any of the S/mileage girls, but Ogawa stuck out to me when I was watching the Egg concerts. Also, she's HOT with the smoky eye makeup. OwO

16) Saki - C-ute's hard, because aside from Maimi, Erika, and Megumi I really don't care about any of them. Saki has become gorgeous lately, which is why she's relatively high up, but she needs to stop the fish mouth thing. D'=

17) Airi - Airi is Airi. She has the awful teeth that I find charming, and she's a steady singer, but I must be suffering from an Airi overload, because I see her too much to actually develop any real fondness for her.

18) Maeda - Maeda's up here so high because she's arguably the best singer of S/mileage and has the most experience in main H!P, and I respect a girl who can stand up in front of a packed stadium and sing a solo around talented seniors.

19) Mano - I have a love/hate relationship with Mano. She's okay when she's intruding the Egg concerts and helping the S/mileage girls with their inferiority complexes, but I hate her personality (or lack thereof) and most of her solo career. Haru no Arashi was okay.

20) Momoko - Momoko! I love Momoko in performances like Jiriri Kiteru at the Rock'n Buono 2 concert. I dislike her everywhere else.

21) Mai - Mai. I have never thought about Mai. She just ended up at the bottom because I actually have opinions about everyone else.

22) Wada - See above.

23) Kanon - Kanon irks me because it's obvious she's popular because resembles. Kago.. GET YOUR OWN FACE.

24) Shige - I'm starting to warm up to Shige as a person, but I still can't stand her self-centered-ness (it's been getting better lately; I'll take that as a sign of maturity) and her voice makes me want to cry. Still, she is no match to number 25...

25) Aika - Awful personality, awful voice, nonexistent stage presence or originality, unpleasant, the list goes on. Long story short, I'm not swayed by a cute face, and I won't let a cute face make up for lack of everything else.

And the groups: ;D

Why Can't Girls be Eyecatching? It Obviously Works for You...

2010-01-31T09:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to my Onna ga Medatte Naze Ikenai review spectacular. ;D

I was going to review the costumes and the covers and whatnot a while ago, but then I decided to throw that idea out the window and do it when the HQ PV was released. Which was this morning, by the way.

So I'm going to be reviewing everything about Onna ga Medatte Naze Ikenai, which I think it deserves. We've had a pretty disappointing run of singles since Pepper Keibu (which I thought was brilliant, once I got over the initial shock. Idol music in the 70's/80's was terrific but terribly underappreciated). Naichau Kamo was lame and boring and all of those kamo's were dreadfully annoying (but we had those gorgeous close-ups to keep us distracted). Shouganai Yume Oibito blew us away at first, what with the storyline? PV (It's not storyline, you gaiz, just because they're doing something doesn't mean it has a storyline) and everything, but after some time we all realized what a terrible song it was. Nanchatte Renai was a shining beacon of hope, and even though the PV was gorgeous, it was like SYO's evil twin sister (and the lame attempt to make it different -cough-the rap-cough- did not go unnoticed) and many of us were offended by recycled songs. Kimagure Princess had potential; the title sounded different, possibly upbeat, but it turned out that it was just another lame song with terrible chipmunk effects thrown in for no apparent reason... 'Cause, what, Tanaka and Kame's voices aren't high enough for you? Sure, the dance was awesome and random, and a poor lyrics translation set everyone off (which was hilarious), but it's already being looked back upon as a terrible song, even though it's only been out for a few months.

So there was a lot riding on this single to not only do well (because SYO did that, so that's not an indicator of anything) but to also keep the fans happy.

Let's get into the first thing a buyer sees: the covers.

Actually, before that, let me address the costumes.

I first saw these dresses when photos from the H!P Winter 2010 concert were released.

I was shocked and a little terrified.

But, like many people, I waved it off. They looked like typical concert dresses. Terrible concert dresses, but we all know how the concert costume designers over at H!P like to get really drunk when they're working. Some of the costumes they make are pretty and cool, but you also have your share of hat dresses and giant sombreros.

For every one of these:

We get one of these:

And trust me, I think we'd all rather see shorts and a T-shirt over weird nun ponchos.

Anyway, I was shocked when I found out that the dresses I saw in those photos were actually the OFFICIAL costumes for the single. Come on, H!P. You're allowed to hand us these horrific outfits in concerts not just because it makes us lawl, but because the singles are our one refuge. Give us normal, nice looking clothes for the singles, and then give us the frills and poof in concerts. It's when the line blurs between the two that you know that something is wrong.

Worst of all, it's the only outfit they wear!

The past PVs have been pretty crappy, but at least they have multiple outfits (with the exception of Kimagure Princess). Two, about. Normally something for the dance (which is the costume on the cover) and a different one for close-ups or some other shot. And I was really hoping for another costume in this...

It works, though. The song title is about why girls shouldn't be showy (literally, eyecatching), so why not wear the most eyecatching thing in the world?

Anyway, enough rambling. Here are the covers.

Here is the regular edition. It's pretty boring, and a lot of people are comparing it to the Shabondama set. xD The red satin is actually better than some green screen image. It would actually be a decent cover if everyone didn't have such WEIRD EXPRESSIONS. None of them look particularly happy, and it doesn't make me want to buy the single, not at all. And poor Linlin, she couldn't look flattering in this shot if she tried. Worst of all, they have that weird bad lighting thing that they had in Nanchatte Renai; everyone looks greasy and tired.

Limited Edition A. I admit, I'm a sucker for dark, contrast-y lighting. And the background fits it the best, I think. Junjun, Takahashi, and Gaki all look gorgeous, but Tanaka, Aika, and Kame have monster circles under their eyes, and Linlin looks like she's about to cry. This might have actually been my favorite cover if there wasn't such AWFUL PHOTOSHOPPING. This is almost as bad as that one Kimagure Princess cover... Takahashi's arm fades away about halfway through, and Aika's hair has turned into a black hole. Tanaka and Shige are surprisingly okay, but those behind them have become floating torsos. So this could have been a great cover, but halfassed photoshopping ruined it. They need to hire a new guy, for sure.

Limited Edition B. Okay, here are my problems with this cover. The background is ORANGE. Fucking ORANGE. ORANGE, of all colors, ORANGE. It's the second least flattering color for a cover, right after yellow (my god, Hello! Chanpuru, my eyesss). And the girls know it. Tanaka and Takahashi look pissed, Kame is giving the photographer the eye, and Linlin looks like she's about ready to cut a bitch. Gaki is giving us a tired mom look, Shige looks like an alien, and Junjun is VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU. Meanwhile, Aika is absorbing the others' misery as her lifesource, and is pleased to have such a delicious lunch. MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE GUY IN CHARGE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?!

Limited Edition C (I love that we have these now).
Uhm... what's with the random structure in the background...? What does that have to do with anything...?
This cover isn't actually that bad, albeit pretty boring. The front row is giving us their usual faces, so they pass, but they do get a warning for playing it safe. Junjun looks as good as she can with this lighting and hairstyle. Linlin has given up trying and has gone to her happy place. Kame's inner monologue is along the lines of "What the hell, you guys. What. The. Hell". And post-meal Aika has sprouted gloriously spiky anime hair. I don't get it, but because the other covers are so hideously crappy, this one wins best cover by default.

My final verdict?
Cover fail.
Major cover fail.

I hope you're all very disappointed in yourself, and I think you need to go think very hard about what you've done. Because I know I will.

...Let's change to a happier subject, shall we?

THE PV!

A LQ copy has been floating around YouTube for a while, and surprisingly, it hasn't been taken down yet! Normally I miss the LQ version, but this time I was able to watch it. ;D So I had a pretty good idea of what this PV would be.

Iiiii love it.

Because I'm lazy, here's what I said on a forum when I first saw the LQ PV (because nothing has really changed from then):

"OH MY GOD YOU GAIZ. I think they're channeling old MM again! ='D

And it's not just the Yuujou-esque catwalk thing. It's the lighting and the opening of doors and foot shots and profile shots and ghostly makeup hands and EVERYTHING.

And oh my god ARE THEY WALKING WHILE THEY'RE SINGING?!

My mind has been blown.

The dance is fun.

Best of all, they were handed such awful concert dresses (concert dresses stay in concerts, you gaiz. Give us something not-poofy or sparkly for the PVs), and they all rocked it. Especially Junjun. OH my god Junjun. Even Linlin did her best. Oh Linlin. Bless her heart. <3

Also, am I the only person who found the opening amazingly fierce? D'=

I love this PV. I love it so hard. See? Even freakishly low budget PVs can be good, when you're not following the basic DANCE SHOT/CLOSE-UP/ONE MORE SHOT FOR FUN, 'KAY formula that most of the PVs have been following.

Now, if only this were a double A-side, because I want a PV for the B-side right nao. D=<

Also, Koha would have rocked this so hard. Just sayin'."

Edit: For some reason, the rest of my post was deleted, but I can't remember everything I had said. So sorry, the handful of people who actually read this blog, it ends here. ;D

A Very Merry Picspam

2009-12-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

I spent much of today poking around and wondering what to do to show my Christmas spirit--it is, afterall, just the day after tomorrow and if I don't do it today I'll be too late. I attempted to record a few solo dubs for YouTube, but after realizing that I SUCK at Shiroi Tokyo and don't have the patience to attempt Pittari Shita X'mas, I decided to do something that everyone loves and appreciates: a good picspam. So here are fifty pictures that I liked this year. Happy Holidays.

Only Junjun can make a cow suit look sexy. ;D

Love the lolita-y outfit.

I miss long-hair Miyabi. But really, it does emphasize her long face, doesn't it?

This almost made me want to go and buy Ishikawa's new photobook right now. xD

This photo wins for obvious reasons.

Leading the Pack

2009-12-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

As far as I know, I'm the first one to post her rankings. If I'm wrong, then International Wota isn't doing its job. ;D Or the person who did it first is just as obscure and unknown as I am.

I last posted my ranking back in... July? Sometime in the summer. Before AX, so it must have been spring, even. Anyway, I posted it at an unorthodox time, but now I'm trying to back on track.

My favorites have changed a lot. Seeing Morning Musume live and in person really caused me to fall in love with some members. And of course, Koha graduating completely changed things. Ninth place became eighth, for example.

Anyway, here is my ranking, along with my reasons, and of course, the obligatory picspam.

#8 - Michishige Sayumi

I have never been a fan of Shige. I was never a huge fan of the sixth generation when I first joined the fandom. They were quiet (except for Miki), unwilling (except for Miki), and forgettable (except for Miki). I grew to love Kame and tolerate Tanaka, but... Shige. Oh, Shige. I am not a man nor a lesbian, so the cute card doesn't work on me. Sure, I love cuties. But a "hot" (apparently) photobook isn't going to win me over. Frankly, I don't think she's that cute. Her voice sounds like a cat in a blender, and I can't stand how vain she appears. Everyone says she's really smart, but I don't see it. I see her trying to sound smart, and failing. I have never felt warm and friendly towards her, even when she was signing my DVD case (I will be thankful that she did it, but I'm not going to like her for it). However, number seven is really giving her a run for her money...

#7 - Mitsui Aika

Green is the new black and Aika is the new Koha. As Koha's popularity grew, Aika's fan decreased. Why? Because she's fucking terrifying. The honeymoon is over. We gave her a few years to show her stuff, to grow, to become a valuable member of Morning Musume. She didn't deliver. She's the EXACT SAME as she was two, three years ago. She just got an unfortunately maintained haircut. "Oh, but she hasn't gotten any lines!" I've said this before. You don't need lines to improve. The pandas don't get any lines, and they've improved. You need to focus and be motivated and work hard BEHIND the scenes. They still get vocal lessons. You need to earn those lines.

I dislike Aika more and more every time I see her. She's not charming, she can't sing, and her personality is nasty. She's way too competitive to be a real group player and is way too aggressive. She's not a member of Morning Musume, she's just some girl who's there.

#6 - Tanaka Reina

(I love this picture too much not to use it. So what if she's sharing it.)

I have a love-hate relationship with Tanaka. As a person, I think she's cool. She's interesting enough, entertaining enough... Hell, when she's with Junjun she's downright hilarious. Her personality is pulled out around other people, and that's when I like her. I like her when she's acting grossed by Junjun during MC concerts. I like her when she's playing rock-paper-scissors with fanboys at panels. I DON'T like her, however, when she opens her mouth and sings. As a soloist, fine. But I have the same problem with her that I have with Airi and Momoko. Out of your group, go ahead, take lines. But when they're in their respective group, I can't stand to hear them sing.

# 5 - Takahashi Ai

I love this photo, by the way. I would make it my desktop wallpaper if I could.

Takahashi has had a good 2009. She became very personality-less back in 2008, but I think it's because she became leader. All of a sudden she had to be an authoritative figure for her peers and be a respectable role model for two new members who barely spoke Japanese. She didn't have the guide of Yossie or Fujimoto to help her. Hell, she hadn't even been sub-leader for an entire month before she was promoted. That's why, I think, her personality flew away for a while. But it's coming back! She's growing more comfortable in her role, more comfortable as the oldest. Her personality has always been my biggest complaint, so now that she's more relaxed, I like her more. Besides, Cosmos will forever be one of my favorite songs.

#4 - Kamei Eri

I struggled to decide where Kame should go, and I'm fairly content with this decision. I love Kame. She has really grown up and shown her talent this past year, and I love that she's become one of the leads in singles. Because her awesome dance skills and sweet, clear, straight-forward vocals are what we need. Also, we need another Hatachi-level photobook from her soon.

#3 - Niigaki Risa

I couldn't decide whether to put Gaki or Kame here, and I'll tell you why Gaki won. Her looks. I'm serious. If she still had that weird curly 2008 hairstyle, or any of the other hairstyles before that, she would be lower. But her hair! Her haiiir! She is easily one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. And she's so small! Takahashi is always thought of as the small one, but Gaki is tiny herself.

Gaki has always been a powerhouse vocalist, and her amazing voice has contributed a lot to H!P, but I feel like she's been faltering lately. Her voice just isn't impressing me like it was before. But that's okay, because she's human. Also, she is the sweetest person ever. I was really impressed at AX. She was energetic and sociable and goofy, but not too much. The perfect level and mixture. I remember being incredibly amazed by that. I love her. <3

#2 - Linlin

I never really paid much attention to Linlin. She was Junjun's less interesting half. She was too goofy, too energetic, too out-there. But I remember randomly clicking though YouTube and stumbling upon a fan rip of her solo at the Platinum 9 Disco concert... The 'Aozora' one. I was floored. She exploded into this amazing singer, and I would never look at her the same way. And then at AX, when we were getting autographs, she would light up at every single person and wave. One of the guys we were hanging out with, the one in front of me, had a conversation with her and Junjun in Chinese, and she was just so animated. She had probably talked to a lot of people in Chinese over the weekend, and yet she acted like he was the first one. And over time, I really fell for her. The girl is very photogenic you know, and has become very pretty.

#1 - Junjun

This should come as no surprise. I love Junjun. She's pretty and cute and funny and witty and sarcastic... And she has really tried hard to get here. Her singing has really improved and she's working to get better. She's truly doing her best. Ah ha ha ha, I remember, at AX, I shook her hand, and I blanked out and forgot to let go. xD She just kind of looked at me for a moment before the next person came over. Best moment of my life, right there.

And as always, here is a brief Junjun picspam for you all.

[Icons] Yayy, Procrastination

2009-11-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

Edited: November 29th

You know, I really should be doing my homework. It's not much, and it won't take very long, but I should really get started on that...

But I don't want to, so here are some icons~

=D

I'm feeling lazy today, so they're not in any particular order. Just in whatever order they were uploaded. xD

As always, you're welcome to take and use whatever you'd like.

Hello! Store USA, Marry Me?

2009-10-24T17:42:00.001-07:00

I logged onto the Hello! Store USA site a few weeks ago to find that they had not only restocked, but had put in the Nine Smile merch. I JUMPED on it. xD They were already sold out of the Nine Smile "all" T-shirts, but they still had the individual members.

So I made my very first purchase from the store!

Let me tell you, I was in a good mood for the rest of the day. It felt like I had won something. xD

There was some wait before it was shipped, but it got here in just a few days. I expected as much, as Nevada is right next to California. xD But I thought that my H!P calendars would arrive first, considering they had shipped two weeks before this. (I'm still waiting, by the way. If they don't come Monday, I have to email YesAsia. >.>)

Many of the other bloggers have been posting pictures of their first orders, so I'd like to do the same~

The picture's small, but Blogger doesn't give me much room. xD

As you can see, I ordered Junjun's Nine Smile T-shirt (It's HUGE!), which came with a wristband and two photocards. I also purchased Junjun's Nanchatte Renai set (2L is a great size for a photocard), and the ZYX-α photoset. I loved Zoku-Biyuuden, yes, and it has Junjun and Risako, but it has Shige. And ZYX-α has six people I love, plus Wada Ayaka and Momoko. xD

I'll definitely be ordering from them again. Especially since YesAsia has been crap lately.

Pick a Side, Any Side

2009-10-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's the question in the world of idol fans. You probably have or will run into it at some point. It's unavoidable, but really, in my opinion, it's one of the most stupid questions ever. Why do I have to pick a side?

Of course, I am talking about "Which do you like better, AKB48 or Morning Musume?"

I don't understand the rivalry between the two groups. Can't I like both? Are they really that alike that you HAVE to like one or the other more?

With the recent announcement of the 60th Kouhaku Uta Gassen invite list, everyone's been talking about two groups in general.

"Oh my god! AKB48 and Morning Musume, on the same stage!"

"They've got to hate that! It's going to be so awkward!"

"I wonder what's going to happen!"

They aren't rappers, for god's sake. Sure, if they were two American artists who obviously hated each other, you could expect SOMETHING to happen. But this is a formal New Year's special, not the MTV Music Video Awards. And have you all forgotten? They have performed on it together before. Two years ago, during the 58th. Morning Musume opened and AKB48 got MM's original spot. "Well, that's a reason for tension", you may say, but what does it matter? It's an honor enough to be invited.

I really hate the "rivalry" between the groups. Mainly because I believe there is no rivalry. Morning Musume probably doesn't see AKB48 as rivals any more than Hamasaki Ayumi, GACKT, Amuro Namie, the Johnny's boys, or any of the other high-selling artists out there. Hirai Ken and Morning Musume will be sharing a stage, it's gonna be a bloodbath! And why isn't there a supposed rivalry between Perfume and MM? It's because the rivalry is between the fans.

You have to like one or the other. You can't like both equally. Maybe I'm a bad example, because I care for Hello! Project more than AKB48, but at least I like some of their songs.

I remember reading a blog post a while back, I can't remember by whom (and I can't seem to find it) where the blogger compared AKB48 and Morning Musume by certain aspects (dancing ability, singing ability, personality, looks, and I think one or two more). Of course, seeing as that person was an AKB48 fan, they ranked higher. How biased is that?

I try not to say that one is better than the other, because it's all a matter of taste. They both have their redeeming qualities.

I find that AKB48 has idols. Their girls look like idols. They act like idols. They sound like idols. They are idols. Yes, there's probably more to them that I haven't seen, but they are idols in the end.

Tsunku has a habit of picking unusual girls. You know, girls who might not be as a pretty, or as good at singing. But they all have their own charisma, and therefore they appeal to different people differently. They seem human and unique.

I'm not saying that AKB48 are fabricated to be the stereotypical idols, but that's what I see when I see them. The school uniforms, the bikinis, the revealing clothes and mature poses... They're idols, through-and-through.

Morning Musume has Biyuuden, yes. AKB48 had Chocolove. They both have aspects that resemble each other. But really, when I think of Morning Musume, I think of hilarious episodes of Utaban, of Junjun's girl crush on Tanaka, of ridiculous, good-natured singles like Hyokkori Hyoutan-jima. AKB48 just seems sexual to me.

Let's compare the two most recent singles, shall we?

Morning Musume's Kimagure Princess. While many people complain that it is a mash-up of two many other singles, its sound is a refreshing change from the past three singles. It's random, but kind of creative in a strange way. With its suggestive lyrics and dance, it is a step in a different direction for Morning Musume. Many people have protested the less-than-innocent lyrics, it works.

AKB48's River. Everyone has been raving about this single, and so I had huge expectations going in. But really, I think it's crap. The rap is sloppy, uncharismatic, and ruins it. The whole song is noisy and disjointed and is a complete, utter mess. It does have some redeeming parts that I don't mind, but it's too much. I thought the same of Namida Surprise. It would have been a great song if there were better vocals and it stopped jumping all over the place. It's a barrage of sound, and it sounds like five songs are all playing at the same time. And worst of all, it's the stereotypical AKB48 song. Nothing unique about it at all.

But the point of this entry is not to voice my opinions on which group I like better, but to explain that opinions differ. This stupid rivalry between the two fandoms should stop, because it's just our taste in music. I think River is the worst thing to come out of the group in ages, and the rest of the internet loves it. There. My point is made.

[PV] Kimagure Princess

2009-10-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

My right hand is dead from some really intense homework, but I decided to post this anyway.

The Kimagure Princess PV has been floating around for some days now, not the whole thing, but enough to get a general glimpse of what it would be like. The PV preview showed just a close-up and a danceshot, as did the Rekochou version or whatever it was called that was available for download earlier in the weekend.

But today Dohhhup! uploaded the full PV.

So I'd like to show you some screencaps.

I have a lot of opinions on this PV, but instead of summarizing it up front, I'll just get to it with the pictures.

Nearly 70 pictures. Not the most I've ever had, but I stopped to eat dinner and watch Modern Family about halfway through, and when I got back I had sort of lost my motivation.

I really like this opening shot for some reason. The light is cool and I like the design of the roof.

The danceshot takes place in this hallway of sorts, with the large, intricate archways and lots of greens, oranges, and yellows.

I wasn't really expecting a 'gate shot', but I was really glad they had one--Takahashi looks gorgeous, as always.

This is probably the best Tanaka looks throughout the PV. Which isn't saying much.

...Aika?

She's really embracing her puppy-self. When I first saw this I thought of a dog waiting at the gate for its owners. Or at an animal shelter, looking at the prospective owners and saying "buy me?".

Not a flattering shot, Shige.

The dance is really cool. It has this Russian theme that I really like.

This could have been a really pretty shot if it weren't just GAKI'S NOSE.

I hate Junjun's hair. I really, truly do.

Hallo, Linlin.

Kame is absolutely gorgeous in this PV. I like this shot in particular; it reminds me of a ball jointed doll. xD I'd definitely buy one that looked like Kame. ;D

This was a very pretty shot, but I fail at screencapping, so I don't feel like I captured it correctly. Koha looked down and smiled, and then looked up again.

Random Linlin butt.

This PV is all about the butts.

Rogue scarf.

I'm not a huge fan of the costumes, but Takahashi rocks a cowboy hat like you've never seen. I thought so when she was running around a Long's or whatever in Hawaii during her Watashi making of.

She was mouthing her lines and making fish mouth.

Although, fish mouth can sometimes be charming.

They did this kind of Cossack-like dance a few times throughout the PV. Strange and random, but it fits.

Tanaka just isn't looking very nice this time around.

Aaaand we all focus in on their butts.

Sexy cowgirl Kame.

Junjun's looking kind of cat-like. I think if my cat Rai were a human, she'd look just like that.

El oh el Koha. Bless her heart.

Aika's eyes look different for some reason. Also, I prefer her hair straight.

It's all very swoopy, this PV. Now I understand the baggy clothes.

Looking a bit better, Shige.

The dance has a lot of arm movements, all very fluid and cool-looking (running out of adjectives here).

Here they are imitating a bird.

I don't know what this is.

And some panda butts.

I wonder if Takahashi ever didn't do this pose, would her arms would fall off?

Koha, fading away as we near her graduation.

(No, don't even JOKE about that!)

Gaki is finally liking me (I never get good pictures of her). She looks great in a cowboy hat, too.

Takahashi is looking particular HQ compared to the rest of the members.

The dance shot turns red a few times, and even though it's a simple change of lighting, it makes things interesting.

Morning Musume can also manipulate fire.

GRAH HAIR.

This shot would be amazingly beautiful if it weren't for THAT HAIR.

Linlin is amused by her new power.

Gaki goes the other way~

Kame~

Aika has long arms.

Tanaka is very forgettable in this song and the PV. I always forget that she has solos. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.

Shige does have very pretty hair.

Sexy Kame is sexy.

I like this part for some reason. It reminds me of the Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu dance. And is it just me, or does Kame sort of look like Konno?

The beautiful thing about this PV is that really, it's quite simple. But they do some small things, like change in lighting, that make it seem unique. They make the closeups more than just closeups by having them move.

Their movements blend into each others and it's very fluid, very clean.

I love this dance!

Gaki really is quite cute when she's having fun.

Lawl.

Ohh, Gaki. <3

Butt butt.

Takahashi really is amazingly sexy.

Junjun is, too~

And the queen, Gaki~

El. Oh. El. Suggestive dance moves.

I took this screencap thinking "Linlin really is catching my attention lately. She really covers all the bases, doesn't she? Good singer, funny, entertaining, and really pretty... She might end up tying with Junjun soon..."

... And then Junjun reminded me who is number one. ;D

TanaKICK.

Junjun is an assassin from China, you know.

I wish this was closer up. Linlin NAILED the facial expression.

Kame really is adorable. No wonder she's been so popular lately~

WAI HELLO GAKI-SAN.

Koha can spinnn~

Did I mention I love this dance?

Aaaaand it ends.

[Review] Why Today is Awesome Part II

2009-10-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

...I guess it should be more like.... Why Tuesday was Awesome Part II. xD

Anyway, Tuesday rocked. I already addressed the gorgeous Kimagure Princess costumes, so now I'll move onto the afternoon portion of Tuesday...

I preordered Goto Maki's Sweetblack mini-album back in August. I had also ordered the Platinum 9 Disco concert at the same time. For the first time, I used YesAsia's split order option. The CD was to be released in the middle of September, and I didn't want to wait that long for my DVD.

YesAsia and I have always been on good terms. I have spent hundreds of dollars with them over the past two years, and they have always had very good service. I normally get things under a week, sometimes even before the item has been scheduled to release.

But for some reason, this time was different.

I was expecting my CD to arrive in about five or six days, as "usual". So I waited. But when five days passed, then six, then seven, I began to become impatient. Every day I would check the mailbox (because recently YesAsia has switched from using UPS to using the post office) and everyday I would be disappointed. They said that an order could take up to FOURTEEN business days. I ended up waiting about twelve. That's about two weeks when you include weekends.

Well, I had a feeling that my CD would be there on Tuesday just because my day had been so crappy. And that's how those things work out, right?

And there it was.

H!O had said that the limited edition album came with a 60+ page photobook, so that's why I spent an extra ten dollars on the limited edition. It wasn't a photobook. It was a book, yes, but it contained no photos. Just a few excerpts from some books and a short, dirty josei manga. Apparently these three things were the inspiration for some of the songs that Goto Maki wrote.

Which is very impressive in my book, considering she was once an H!P idol. You'd think that a girl who grew up having her lyrics written for her would grow accustomed. Or maybe it would just strengthen her desire to write her own even more. I don't know.

Anyway, because the album is so perfect (well, the songs. The CD case got a little bit cracked in the mail. Damn customs) I'd like to review it.

Queen Bee-

I heard this song when H!O posted the PV for it on their site. I loved it immediately. It's cool and sexy, and the PV is one explosive nosebleed after another. I had listened to it so often that by the time the album actually arrived, it was losing its shine. Sort of like Take Off is Now! on Morning Musume's Platinum 9 Disc album. On its own, it's a good song, but I feel like the PV really completes it.

Lady-Rise-

Like Queen Bee, I've seen the PV so many times that I picture it in my mind whenever I listen to the song. This song shocked me when I had first heard it. It was so different from what Goto had been releasing under Hello! Project and showed a brand new side of her. It's actually quite a simple song in terms of instrumental and whatnot, but her voice really makes it interesting.

Candy-

This is probably the only one I don't care for too much... Vocally, it's one of her better ones. Goto really has a surprisingly gorgeous voice when she sings those deep notes. It's a very good song up until the chorus, and then I lose interest. The lyrics are a little strange, too. She has a very bad case of Engrish.

TEAR DROPS-

To sum it up? BEAUTIFUL. This song is a masterpiece. It's delicate and soft, and yet has this strong R&B beat that prevents it from being forgettable. KG's voice suits Goto's and the song very well. The emotion in the song also brings it all together. I really love it.

Mine-

The opening just makes you smile, doesn't it? Ken the 390 sounds just like most other Japanese rappers, which is probably why I like it, because it reminds me of all the J-urban songs that I like. Goto sounds great, very mature. This song is upbeat and fun. This is one of my favorites. Apparently this was the first song Goto had written and she had performed it when she first signed with avex? Is that right? And then the rap was added later. ;D

Fly away-

I kinda feel like this should have been the first track. It's a good intro to who Goto Maki is and what her Sweetblack music is like. It was this song that first caught my attention. Up until then, I wasn't sure what she was doing with avex and I didn't really care. But when I heard this, I started to pay more attention to her now as well as back when she was in H!P. It's really a great song. And the PV is amazingly gorgeous.

Plastic Lover-

I first heard this song when radio rips were floating around. It's very techno, and I didn't care for it at first, but it's a cool song. It's kind of unusual in its composition and sound, and that makes you stop and listen. Goto Maki is one of those singers who don't need to be autotuned, so she sounds very pure and clear considering there's such heavy music around her vocals.

with...-

I never really paid much attention to this song when it was first released (there should be a post about it around here somewhere) just because I was expecting something a little more powerful after her previous two singles. But really, it's a nice song. It's a little forgettable, but it's soft and cute and nice to listen to. The lyrics are also nice. It's just very... nice.

Brace Yourself, Tsunku

2009-10-01T13:44:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, a little under fourteen hours ago, Hello! Store USA opened.

As an American wota, I never thought I would be able to see it in my lifetime. The Hello! Store USA opening? It's not just a myth? JapanFiles isn't actually just playing a cruel early April's Fool joke? (Or is it late? I'm too tired to check a calendar)

When I woke up, the first I thing I did after getting ready was log onto the store and see what they have. It was around 6:30 AM. The store had only been open six and a half hours. And already, a good amount of the stuff there was already sold out. That pleased the hell out of me--hadn't JapanFiles advertised the store has having 250 items each with thousands in stock?

And they had sold out already?

Those of us at AX were incredibly disappointed that they weren't selling more merchandise. Yes, apparently there were bags of things, but those had sold out the moment the dealer's hall opened. We've been deprived of H!P stuff for a long time. We've had to resort to buying through Japanese wota, a kind thing for someone to do for the foreign fans, but at a much, much, MUCH higher cost.

There's something about western fans that I think the Japanese music industry forgets. We have tons of money. Well, I don't, because I'm a minor and have to rely on babysitting and birthday money to buy anything, but think of the guys who work full time. They have money to spare. And if they don't, they'd probably readjust their budget to fit in some photocards.

When I logged on after school, I was surprised to see that more than half of the items were sold out.

I wasn't disappointed. I don't have the money to go on a shopping frenzy just yet. I'm aiming for some Nine Smile T-shirts, which haven't been added yet. I was actually thrilled that they were making such enormous sales. They'll restock, they have to. Tsunku will probably look at the sales reports and think "Why didn't we tap into this sooner?"

Maybe with the added funds, we'll be able to see some more shuffles?

My only concern is that already I have hundreds of dollars worth of stuff in my wishlist. I was already having trouble affording DVDs and CDs. xD

Why Today is Awesome [Part I]

2009-09-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, this day didn't start off too well.

You see, this week is Homecoming week at my school, and today we were supposed to dress in all black and white to show our school spirit. It's a pretty easy one; which teenager doesn't have a black and white outfit? Anyway, I dressed in a blouse and jeans, like I normally would, and wore my pair of lolita shoes.

During second period, which is library TA, however, the ankle strap on my shoes broke off of the shoe.

This has happened once before, but I was at school. I couldn't go home and get a new pair of shoes. So I was stuck walking around in a broken shoe.

On top of that, there were various sucky school things. Like, I failed a Japanese quiz just because I can never remember comparisons, and so I have to push my testing schedule back a day. And I had a timed write on Siddhartha, and about 15 minutes was wasted when one of the school security guards came in to tell us a hilarious story about our teacher's house. I couldn't finish my essay.

But all of those became unimportant when I arrived home and found TWO wonderful things waiting for me.

And I shall talk about the first of those two things now.

Hello! Project updated Morning Musume's artist photos.

Normally, I'd shrug and say whatever, but this is our first HQ look at the Kimagure Princess costumes. Now, I've seen low quality pictures of the new single cover, but so far very little has been released, which is a little strange, considering the single comes out in less than a month. They were showing off Nanchatte Renai related things immediately after Shouganai Yume Oibito became old news.

First off...

Takahashi Ai!

The theme for this single, I assume, is 'princely cowboy'. Because that's how I perceive these costumes, especially with Takahashi's. She's sporting a lovely black cowboy hat, black boots, a long white overcoat thingie, and plenty of black accessories. MM has been pretty boring with their clothing, using very contrasting colors like black, white, and red. However, it does make a very startling, eye catching look that I like for Morning Musume.

Takahashi has been showing off some gorgeous hairstyles, with the only exception being whatever the hell that was back during the Platinum 9 Disco concert. You know what I'm talking about.

However, my only complaint is the pants. The holes are an interesting touch, but the clear plastic covering them...? It would have been better without. It's not like I've never seen Takahashi's bare legs before. (Wow, that sounded so much worse than it is)

Niigaki Risa

Gaki is looking radiant as always. I really love her hair at this length. Really, you just can't go wrong with the long hair and thick bangs.

I really like the criss-crossing belts and the lacy glove. It gives a very feminine yet princely look. Gaki is the queen of princes, considering she perfected the art of playing one back in Cinderella. And she looks cute in the hat~

Kamei Eri

I'm really a fan of Kame's new haircut. When the first pictures of her new color were released, it was shockingly orange, but it seems they've toned it down. The length is cute, too. The curls at the bottom suit her perfectly~

Kame's outfit is one of my favorites, simply because I like the gloves and there are less plastic-covered-bubble-holes. And the star necklace is cute.

Kame has been full of crazy eyes lately, but this isn't as bad.

Michishige Sayumi

Could it be? Could I actually find Shige pretty for once?

It's a very flattering length and hairstyle for her. They always insist on giving her these huge Rococo-era hairstyles. You'd think that as a lolita I'd like the big hair thing, but I'm just in it for the shoes. ANYWAY.

The hairband is cute and prevents her from looking too plain... She had a bit of that going on in SYO. I find that she looks better with something on her head, but it can be something as simple and understated as a headband.

Tanaka Reina

...Uhm, I'm not sure what she was thinking with these poses.

Tanaka has more of a shawl than a coat/robe thing. Which is interesting, but add that with the white, and I think "Oh my goodness EVERYDAY Zekkouchou?!" (Which I'm listening to right now, by the way). And what's that on her head? Feathers? I'm glad to see that they're trying different hairstyles, but this is just too much like the others. Why is the ponytail always on one side of the head? Can't you put her in a ponytail like normal people? I've seen Koha, I know you can do it.

I do like her arm warmer thingie with all of the bangles, and I am liking the heavy eye liner.

Kusumi Koharu

MY GOD KOHA WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?!

I'm sorry, this hair is ridiculous. It's almost an insult to graduate her like this. This is the last artist image she'll have in H!P.

At least she's covering up any possible holes in the pants so I have nothing to complain about from the forehead down.

Mitsui Aika

*boooo hisssss* ...What? =D

(We'll discuss my growing dislike for Aika later)

It looks like they're growing her hair out. Or maybe that's just what her hair looks like when it's not curled.

Looks like someone's foot is better! Welcome back to heels, Aika! No more flats for you, unfortunately!

She has a butterfly necklace, and therefore must die.

(I lose my ability to critique productively when it's around someone I really don't like at all)

Junjun

I REALLY can't stand this hair. It's just not flattering. It doesn't suit her head shape, it doesn't suit the costume, it doesn't suit HER.

...However, I do like how the necklace sort of looks like it could be her hair. I thought it was her hair for a moment. xD

I also like the pattern in which the holes are going along the pants (not the holes themselves!). It looks a little more planned, rather than lack of ideas.

Linlin

WOW Linlin is turning out to be quite the beauty. I think it's the one who looks the strangest starting out (Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa, Goto Maki, Yaguchi Mari) turn out to be the most beautiful. It probably has something to do with being at a disadvantage at first. I mean, you have to work a little harder at your photos than girls who are naturally photogenic.

But I digress.

Linlin's hair is generally hit or miss with me. I love the top of the hair, I really do. The little ponytail thingie is cute. I just HATE how the bottom parts look. They're too stiff, it looks unnatural. I understand that with hair as short as hers, it's hard to have successful complex hairstyles like that, but still.

Her outfit is my favorite. It's just very cool and I like how it's balanced.

Tsunku Hates Us.

2009-09-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

And by us I mean tall people.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Kusumi Koharu, the Ace of Morning Musume, the Miracle member, the sole winner of seventh gen auditions, is graduating.

But not just from Morning Musume. Nooo, that would be too fair. She's leaving Hello! Project. For good.

How can you get rid of this?!

I was definitely not expecting to hear that Koha, my beloved Koha, would be leaving us when I logged onto Twitter and saw the H!O announcement. I would have bet everything I had that Takahashi would be the first to graduate. I mean, she'd been getting countless solos at concerts and in albums and EVERYTHING. I was positive that Tsunku was prepping her for a solo career. Then Mano Erina's lack of talent could be counteracted and balance would once again be brought to the H!P soloists.

But no.

It's Koha.

The first thing I thought, of course, was that Tsunku hates tall people. Elder Club was full of tallies. Iida? Yossie? (Of course, these are relatively tall people. They are tiny compared to me.) Then Umeda Erika was graduated. I was JUST starting to recover from that shock when it was announced that Yuri-tan is graduating, too (I'm still pissed that she's not in the Eggs concert). And now, Koha? What's with all of the tall hate?

Tsunku claims he saw her improvement and wanted to give her a solo career. But wouldn't a solo career mean she stays in H!P? And if that's a solo career, then what the hell was that Kirarin thing she did for the majority of her time in Morning Musume?

Okay, I admit, she's had a pretty good run. She's had a brief solo career, voiced the main character of a hit anime character, and was in Morning Musume for four years. Back when there were fifteen or so members, four years was a long time to be in the group. People graduated after three, two, even one. But now we're in the age of endless lineups. Takahashi and Gaki have been the group for, what, six years now? Seven? The current lineup of MM has been like this for about two years. That's quite a feat.

And you know, I always sensed that Koha didn't get along with a lot of the other members. In backstage things or making of's, she tended to be alone. She has such a strong personality, like Linlin, that she comes off really strong in the generally personality-less Morning Musume. I mean, Linlin is a complete goof, and Junjun is no robot, but at least they were manageable. Sure, Linlin makes stupid jokes and is always laughing, and Junjun tends to be a bit of a camera whore and will speak her mind no matter what, but if you compare those traits to the eternally hyper and bubbly Koharu, the pandas seem like Takahashi. Seriously.

Yeah, Koha is amazingly photogenic and will make a good model (which she wants to do) and god knows she's better at modelling than singing, but she will still be missed. It's not like she's gonna appear in magazines next month. It'll probably be years before we see her again.

In the meantime, I can find comfort in the fact that I'll have all of her lasts: her last calendar, her last photobook, her last single, and her last concert. I mean, I have yet to preorder the MM 2009 fall concert and Kimagure Princess, but there's no way I'm missing out now.

This has been a terrible year for H!P fans (except for Takahashi fans, who are probably rejoicing that their beloved Ai-chan will be staying a little longer). I just pray that this trend of graduating the our beloved tall members doesn't continue.

YURINA, MAASA, JUNJUN.... DON'T GET ANY IDEAS.

[Icons] I Hate California Weather.

2009-09-03T16:50:00.001-07:00

It's really hot here in Cali, or at least, it is in my house. Unfortunately for me, the computer is placed in the warmest room ever. Nice in the winter, not so nice in the summer/fall.

Anyway, I don't know why I started, but all of a sudden I was going through my files and making icons of whatever picture jumped out at me. Needless to say, there was a lot of Junjun. xD

Before I even made it to the bulk of my pictures, I got bored, so there still is a lot I can work with. ;D

Junjun--

Actually, that red one was supposed to had Junjun facing the LEFT side of the icon, but it flipped when I uploaded it. It looked cool, so I kept it. xD

Linlin--

Murata Megumi--

Niigaki Risa--

Okada Yui--

Ootani Masae--

Saitou Hitomi--

Sengoku Minami-- (Yah, I know)

Shibata Ayumi--

[Concert Review] Platinum 9 Disco

2009-08-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

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?!

2009-08-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

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.

[PV] Nanchatte Renai

2009-07-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning to find that H!O had posted Morning Musume's brand new PV~ I had already seen the preview, so I knew the theme of the PV (it's Shouganai Yume Oibito's evil twiiiin!) but I still wanted to see if it had any surprises~

And since today is my birthday, I was definitely in the mood for a surprise or two. ;D

Weird squiggly title... I'm still not sure how Japanese people are able to read these weird fonts. xD Like, I would have no idea that the 'nan' in nanchatte was what it is, and the 'ai' in renai is completely weird. xD

It reminds me of Memory Seishun no Hikari. xD

The minions arrive.

Wow, I just noticed that Aika is wearing flats. xD She had foot problems recently, didn't she?

I was very pleased with the number of high quality Junjun eye candy. She SUCKED on the cover, but she's gorgeous in the PV. Especially once she gets that silly hat off.

The dance shot is a little too centric, but I like it when the PV has so many shots you can't tell if it's a good dance or not. ;D

GOD Linlin has gotten pretty. It was like Tsunku called her to his throne room, looked down at her from his high throne of wota with his Elder Club harem, and announced that now that she is getting a more noticeable role in H!P and will probably be inheriting the group vocally from 5th gen, she must stop being a Kemeko character and start looking cute.

I was disappointed that the costumes were the same as on the cover. What happened to having a completely different outfit on the cover than in the music video? It stopped somewhere around Resonant Blue.

This PV is all about the eyes. Or, at least, that's the body part I notice at 9:30 in the morning.

Aaaand the rap starts. =D It's pretty Aika/Koha heavy.

Aika did the same exact head move in SYO, didn't she? It's like her trademark.

Welcome to the lair of the Shige~

This looks so photoshopped for some reason. xD Just the lighting and everything.

Shadow-y Kame takes some getting used to...

Dammit, Junjun, why must you be so beautiful?

Damsel in distress Takahashi.

This shot was a pleasant surprise. I like the flow-y white outfits and the contrast between black and white.

Koha is not amused.

Why do I always think that Kame looks like a young housewife with this hair? xD Now she looks like a RICH young housewife. xD

Spin~

Um... I'm not sure what I think about this pose... And I'm not sure Aika knows either.

How come I can NEVER get a flattering shot of Gaki?

Bangs, please.

I paused the video, and this is what I got. xD Gaki looks like she just passed out on the pandas, and Linlin is giving us a great 'What do I do?!' expression. xDD

Aika. Non-armpit version.

Betteerrr...

Betteeeerrrrr....

And we're back to no. xD

GUESS THAT POKEMON!

Junjun owns this PV in terms of beautiful window shots. =D

That's a big couch. Oh, and look, Gaki's still out.

It's Tettekette-mon! =D

And it ends.

Is This How You'd Celebrate Your 40th Single?

2009-07-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

Most of us have probably heard the radio rips on Youtube of Morning Musume's 40th single, Nanchatte Renai. I know I have. In fact, I've been listening to it all day. xD We were all hoping that their 40th single would be catchy and upbeat, like their 30th, Ambitious, or 20th, Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~. Hell, I'd even like something with a nice message like their 10th, I Wish. But no. We get another sad song about heartbreak or whatever...

Not that I mind the songs about lost love, but considering all of their singles (with the exception of Mikan and Pepper Keibu) since Kanashimi Twilight have been angry or sad or whatever. That's five unhappy songs, right after each other. I like this song, it's good and the rap is cool. But is it 40th anniversary worthy? I don't think so.

But us Morning Musume fans have been requesting an upbeat, happy song for a while. There's not much we can do about it. And I think a lot of us are tired of talking about the song itself.

But what about the covers?

I stumbled upon the covers in the H!O picboard today, and I'd like to comment on them. Because, you know, they just don't feel like a celebration.

Normal Edition

It's simple. Frankly, I like it little bit better than their more recent normal edition covers, simply because you see their entire bodies. Sure, Takahashi is swallowed up, but I like seeing them head to toe. I like their outfits, too. The strappy shoes, the ruffly black dress with black belts, the different shirts, the hats.

Niigaki totally wins this cover. Is it just me, or is her new haircut amazing? I love the dark, shiny brown and the thick bangs. I request that she keeps it like this. It makes her look younger and (is it even possible?) more beautiful. She's just gotten so small! (Is it me or, does it look like she's grinning because her hand is touching Tanaka's chest? xD)

Linlin looks beautiful, and we don't get to say that about Linlin that often. I find my eyes drawn to her everytime. Anyone who still doesn't like her 'China' haircut can GTFO. I love her.

Aika looks nice, and her hat is the only one that isn't bothering me.

Tanaka's trying new hairstyles, and this one doesn't irk me as much as the one she had in the SYO PV. The black hair is a nice touch. I think it suits her better than brown and glitter.

Takahashi has her photo face. Pouty lips, sorta lifeless face, and uncomfortable pose. God, it must have sucked pausing for that photo. xD

Shige looks pretty. I know, I'm surprised too, I've never found her face THAT attractive. I think it's the eyebrows and the eyes and the nose and the mouth... Wait, that's just her face. xD But I actually like how she looks. I must admit, her pose is probably what made them choose this cover for the normal. It just screams 'buy this single~'

Kamei looks a little scary. I think it's just the eye makeup that does it, but it makes her eyes look a little too wide. It also looks like Shige is about to pinch her boob. Which would explain the 'HELP ME!' expression on her face.

Koha is... MY GOD, WHY DO YOU INSIST ON THESE HAIRSTYLES! I can deal with the weird flarey ponytail when she has some hair down in the front or bangs. But I hate, hate, hate her hair like this.

Junjun... Oh, Junjun... You make me cry sometimes. I honestly thought we were past 2007 and 2008. I thought you were finally getting used to the camera. I mean, look at your beautiful photo sets, Junjun! Spring 2009 was amazingly gorgeous! But this... It's like we're back to Resonant Blue with your awkward, mouth-breathy expression. Yes, you look sad, but this isn't Naichau Kamo anymore.

THE WINNERS: Linlin and Gaki
THE LOSERS: Koha, Kame, and Junjun
FINAL VERDICT: Boring. Some good looks, but generally not very interesting.

Limited Edition A

Now they're sitting. On a black bench that blends in with their dresses. I thought they were levitating at first. xD Okay. This is no way as amazing as the SYO Limited Edition A, where they were all on the golden pipe thing. But that was a masterpiece.

Onto the winners of the last round!

Gaki is looking just as gorgeous as before. She's working the new hair and costume, but still looks a little contemplative, like she's thinking about what to eat. Or why in the world Linlin's hand is on her shoulder.

Speaking of Linlin. I think it might be some sort of weird fetish thing or something, but I LOVE IT when girls' ears stick out in their hair. xD I love it when they tuck their hair behind their ears or when they have short hair like this and you can see their ears. So Linlin has that going for her. She still looks pretty, but not as startling pretty like before.

NOW Aika's hat is bothering me. She looked a little troubled. What's wrong Mittsi? Still bumbed from SYO? You seemed fine at AX...

Shige... Pfft. Shige. xD The beauty, the mystery is gone. She's trying to beat Maasa in the big puppy eyes contest. No thank you.

Kamei is feeling bad about what I said before, and now looks REALLY bummed. But I like it. I just wish her face wasn't so shadowy...

Junjun still looks awkward. Where is her leg sneaking off to?

Tanaka has her 'you trying to mess with me?' face on.

Takahashi's face looks weird, but I like her pose.

Koha's face is GORGEOUS in this pic. Her awful hair blends in with Junjun's dress, so you just see FACE. She is the queen of the big eyed, inquisitive look. She looks very uncomfortable, though...

THE WINNERS: Gaki, Kame, Koha
THE LOSERS: Everyone else
FINAL VERDICT: What the hell is with these awful expressions? You can see the circles under their eyes, too. 8th gen just looks tired.

Limited Edition B

It reminds me of the Limited Edition B for SYO, where they're all jumping. Now they're flouncing?

Gaki looks pretty, yes, but it just doesn't seem as perfect as her other ones. It looks like she got hit on or something by a guy she doesn't like and Shige, her bodyguard, stepped in to intervene.

Aika still has the same sad puppy face. And I don't want sad puppy Aika, I want happy puppy Aika!

Shige. Ahh, same old Shige face.

Linlin looks cute~ I like her flared out bouncy hair. And the hat thing is just so much more charming when she does it~

Kame still looks a little unstable... But cute, and that's what matters.

Junjun is getting better, but it still looks... Ugh. I think it's the placement of the hat on top of that hair. It's too much on that side of her head. I like her with full bangs.

Tanaka looks really pale. xD Like, her neck looks almost unhealthy. Not much to say about the pose or expression. It's Tanaka.

This has been the only Takahashi face that I don't mind. She has a very strange face, and she can be really beautiful with the right makeup and lighting.

Koha is looking good! She looks very youthful, and the pose might not be the most creative, but I like it.

THE WINNERS: Gaki, Linlin, Koha
THE LOSERS: Kame, Junjun
FINAL VERDICT: A little more interesting than the others, but still, I feel like I've seen it before.

Commemorative 40th single Edition

This one has a different B-side, I believe. It's the only cover without the red background, and a different angle.

Linlin looks like her normal self, but I love how she's standing, like she's about to push Takahashi out of the shot and take her rightful place as best vocalist of Morning Musume.

Come on, Aika, give us a smile...! Come on, Aika, I can see you starting to... Oh! come on, Aika~ xD It honestly looks like she's trying not to smile but the photographer is pleading her to.

I really can't stand Kame's eyes, which is a shame considering she has such beautiful eyes.

Tanaka... You bore me.

Shige is too busy admiring her reflection in the camera lens to notice that she's about to elbow Junjun in the neck.

Junjun would actually look quite nice if she didn't look so old and tired and had better hair. It's not her fault, though.

Gaki is stealing the shot AND the space. She's showing off the nice layering in her hair with a brilliant smile~

Koha is pretty, and looks very cute and sweet.

This is the best Takahashi has looked, I've decided. It's her signature look, afteall. ;D

THE WINNERS: Gaki, Takahashi (Runner-ups Linlin and Koha]
THE LOSERS: Tanaka and Shige, because they bore me.
FINAL VERDICT: The best out of the four, but it seems more like a backstage shot.

THERE. THAT IS THE THING ABOUT THESE COVERS!

The costumes is nice and all, but it really seems like a backstage photo. The lighting is awful and washes them out, and their skin looks shiny and greasy. You can see how tired they are and it's just not flattering. I know it sounds bad, but they airbrush for a reason.

It reminds me of the Sexy 8 Beat album cover. There, I said it.

I really, really hope they start being more creative with their covers. This was rather boring, I've got to admit.

My Life <3

2009-07-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

So I promised I would post pictures, and I finally got around to scanning the darn thing. Ohh, what am I saying? I love it! I love it like a child! It's my life, the proof of the most magical day of my seventeen years!

Yes, my autographed copy of Alo-hello! 3... ;D

<3333333333

[Review] H!P Chanpuru ~Happy Marriage Song Shuu~

2009-07-12T15:15:00.001-07:00

Thank god for preordering. ;D This album isn't supposed to be released for another three days, but there's always that one person who gets their copy a few days ahead... Sorta like how I got my H!P calendars two weeks before their release date. Woo-hoo!

I'm going to write down my comments as I listen to it for the first time. Since I've heard the songs before, I'll be mainly critiquing performances and voices, and how they blend. I must admit, I'm a little nervous as well. These are the new units, and I'm hoping they don't disappoint.

1. Diamonds - High-King

Holy geez this is too cute for High King. xD And is that a Saki solo?! Of course, Takahashi does amazingly with her lines. This is really different from the sound that High King had in C/C. It's sweeter, cuter. There's plenty of Tanaka, no surprise there. My god, I'm really loving this. xD It's Maimi and Saki and Takahashi... It's great! Little Yuuka is only heard during the group lines, but she blends well, so I'm not complaining. In fact, she and Tanaka sound great. Ahh, there's a solo, but it's short and isn't anything to brag about. She's pretty much overshadowed by the others. But they did a good job. I really like it. My only complaint is how Takahashi pronounces her 'o's. xD It's weird.

2. Ai wa Katsu - c-ute & Mano Erina

Oh look. Piano. I wonder who is playing? xD Mano fits in perfectly with c-ute. She could very well be Kanna's replacement... Oh no, I take it back. She started singing. Bad, Mano, very bad! Good save, Maimi. Help fix our bleeding ears! xD I'm serious. That was an awful solo. You know, it's probably just the song, but it's not grabbing me like Diamonds was. I mean, it helped that I love the song, but... You know, there's just nothing missing. STOP SINGING MANO! Where's Airi, by the way? Oh, singing with Maimi. It's hard to hear with Maimi's big voice. xD Ahh, it was cute. Totally forgettable, though.

3. YES-YES-YES - Aa!

Airi/Miyabi blending is probably my favorite thing ever. I'm just saying. Is that Akari singing? Holy geez the girl is good. Tsunku, good choice! I prefer Akari so much more than Tanaka. It just blends more! This is a very nice song, and all three girls do well. This is my favorite track so far. That last note was pretty, too. Good job, ladies.

4. Tentou Chuu no Sanba - Shin Minimoni

God, this is so Mini Moni sounding. xD THIS IS SO FREAKING CUTE! All of the Eggs sound adorable, and Linlin is so.... god, she can do anything. She can sing big songs with a huge voice but then she can also sing in an adorable voice to rival her Egg group mates. xD I love it. It's so cute and upbeat and.... I like Shin Minimoni already. xDDD This is one of those songs that you can't help but smile when you hear it. xD And I'm grinning. xD AHHH THAT WAS GREAT!

5. Kimi ga iru dake de - Pucchimoni V

It's cute. They blend well. Are they awesome like the first Pucchimoni was? Not. At. All. It's nice and cute. Mano needs to stop singing. Saki sounds great~ Mai, too. The c-ute girls have such deep voices compared to Mano. xD I like Saki and Mai in this, I HATE MANO. It's a nice song, and I think Saki does the best job with it. Mai does good, too, and Mano is... Well, by now you know how I feel about Mano in this album. xD

6. Heya to Y shirts to Watashi - Tanaka Reina

Every once in a while there will be a moment where I pause and think to myself, "Tanaka can kinda sing". Well, this is another one of those moments. Tanaka, like Koha and Kamei, are startling when they sing deep notes, because they sound so good. I also like Tanaka's slight vibrato. That's an unusual thing to have if you're an idol, and I really like it. It's a cute song, and she does a good job. I really started liking her at AX after seeing her at the panel and the concert and the autograph session, and I'm starting to like her vocals with this. The song is long as hell, though. xD

7. Mamotte Agetai - Niigaki Risa & Kamei Eri

From the first line I'm loving this. xD I've been looking forward to it, too. Gaki and Kame have lovely voices, and together... Ah~ They blend so well! Gaki's big voice and Kame's sweetness comes together and creates the perfect sound~ I could probably go on forever and ever about how much I love these girls together and in this song... My only complaint is that the song is a little boring, but just a little. Ah, but I love it.

8. Cosmos - Takahashi Ai

One word: Gorgeous. Come on, give this girl a solo career! It's hauntingly beautiful with flawless vocals and emotion... God, when she sings in that big, deep voice, I get goosebumps. And I don't get goosebumps easily with J-pop. I mean, the instrumental is no match to Takahashi. xD It probably would be more moving A Capella. I take it back, this is my favorite track so far. This blows me away. Takahashi is such an amazing singer when she's not in a group. Come on, Tsunku, graduate the girl and make her a soloist! If we could get more songs like this, H!P would be SO MUCH BETTER.

Whereas Tanaka's solo was too long, this was too short. xD

9. Mirai Yosouzu II - ZYX-α

This isn't like the ZYX I'm used to, it's too down to earth. xD And when they sing as a group... Ehh... Gaki really shines during the deep and big parts. In the chorus, they all sound so big. xD Maasa and Gaki must be a little louder than usual. ;D I wish they had solos, but maybe in the future... It's such a big group that solos would probably detract from the song. It's a nice song, but after Takahashi's solo, it just doesn't compare. xD

10. ONLY YOU - Zoku･Biyuuden

God, I was so nervous about this. xD Opening with a cool solo from Risako... Hell, even Shige sounds good with the instrumental. xDD They blend surprisingly well, too. Junjun sounds awesome~ GO JUNJUN! God, I love this song. xD This is the best Junjun has sounded in a while. When she's not being all cute-like, she really sounds awesome. She has a big, deep voice. She makes the song for me. Junjun especially rocks during the chorus. xD God, I love it so, so much! This is tied with Takahashi's solo. It's as cool and fun as Takahashi's was beautiful.

11. akai sweet pea - Tanpopo #

It's such a sweet song. God, they sound so great~ Even Aika. I've never really appreciated Chisato's voice until now. xD She sounds a bit like Risako. Kame really makes the song shine, though. She was the best. Yurina sounds a little detached at first, but she gets into it later. It's nice to listen to~ God, Kame's last solo... *goosebumps*

12. For You… - Linlin

This was what I was waiting for. xD She showed us she can be adorable in Mini Moni, and now is her big solo. Her voice is really gorgeous when it soft. And she does have amazing control. It's still a little nasally, but it's beautiful at the same time. She is another one of those emotional singers. It just comes together perfectly in the chorus. She has such a huge voice, it's amazing. To think that she was the same girl as the one two years ago... She's improved so much. This is an amazingly solo from Linlin. She really does deserve a larger part in Morning Musume. Both she and Junjun have proved that they belong in the music business.

13. Kanpaku Sengen - Berryz Koubou & Mano Erina

Surprisingly, this song suits Mano's voice better. xD It's something more her style, too. Hey look, solos. The song is kinda folksy, and Yurina sounds so cute. xD Maasa's solo was great, as was Risako's. Saki sounds a little strained and awkward, but I love her. Momoko sounds cute. Berryz as a group completely overpowers Mano. xD She's no match! Miyabi sounds pretty~ It's a weird song, though. xD I feel like it might be a little too easy for some of the girls, and a little too hard for the others. I have mixed feelings. And no Chinami solo? Poor thing.

14. Sekai wa futari no tame ni - Michishige Sayumi, Kusumi Koharu, Mitsui Aika, Junjun

I was dreading this one. xD Aika sounds really nice at the beginning, though. When she can sing softly, she sounds good. As a group they're not bad either. Koha sounds cute~ She's taking a step away from her Kirarin voice, which is good. Baby steps, but steps nonetheless. ;D Junjun's solo was my favorite part. xD The violins were great, and she sounds pretty. Not as great as in Only You, but good. Even Shige sounds okay. What is with her lately? She hasn't been killing my ears as much lately.

Ahh, that was great. It got off to a rocky start, but it really turned out great in the end. I recommend that everyone listens to it, especially Takahashi's solo, Linlin's solo, and Biyuuden's song. ;D

This Needs to be Done

2009-07-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

There are three issues that I find I must comment on.

Number one- Arihara Kanna leaving

Don't act like you didn't see it coming. Bunion surgery generally requires 8 weeks for recovery. Kanna had twice that. Sure, you can give her a little extra time because she's a dancer, but come on. You knew she would be getting the boot. I mean, it's the perfect excuse. She was injured and felt like she wanted to live a normal life. Good for her. But we all know that there's something going on under there. Like Fujimoto Miki and Yaguchi Mari resigning, or Maiha and Megumi returning to being normal students. Come on. Tsunku's working behind the scenes. But it's not like the group is losing anything. She never got solos. Now, if it were Airi or Maimi who was leaving, THAT would be a loss for c-ute. But to tell you the truth, I didn't notice the transition from seven members to six, except for the fact that their dances were symmetrical. Actually, I never even noticed Kanna when she WAS in c-ute.

However, I will give the Kanna fans something. She was one of the stronger singers, which I discovered by listening to their most recent album. So yes, it is a little sad that Hello! Project is losing even more talent.

Number two- The UNOFFICIAL casting for the new groups

Mind you, these are rumors. It has not been officially confirmed, but it's been pretty well circulated, so I might as well voice my opinions on them.

Aa!- Suzuki Airi, Natsuyaki Miyabi, Saho Akari

Everyone's wondering where Tanaka is. She's in HIGH KING. I'll be saying this a lot, so you might as well memorize it now.
Saho was cute in Shugo Chara Eggs, in a sort of awkward, "I don't really want to be here" way. She's gonna be completely crushed by Airi and Miyabi. Poor girl.

Shin Minimoni- Linlin, Fukuda Kanon, Takeuchi Akari, Miyamoto Karin

Linlin makes this group win. I don't care about the Eggs. xD Even though Kanon is very cute.

Pucchimoni V- Nakajima Saki, Mano Erina, Hagiwara Mai

UTTER, COMPLETE FAIL. I can't talk about this group. It's too sickening. xD

ZYX-a- Niigaki Risa, Kusumi Koharu, Tsugunaga Momoko, Sudou Maasa, Wada Ayaka, Umeda Erika, Ogawa Saki, Tokunaga Chinami

DID I TOTALLY CALL IT OR WHAT? I'm serious. When Gaki sang Shiroi Tokyo, I knew that she was total Yaguchi material. xD I really like this group. Everyone is all "Where's Maimi and Captain?" HIGH-KING. They're in HIGH-KING. Remember? HIGH-KING. They already have a group. But Maasa, Gaki, and Erika together in one group means that there will be strong vocals. Momoko and Koharu will offer the personality, and the Eggs and Chinami will be cute. =D

Zoku Biyuuden- Michishige Sayumi, Sugaya Risako, Junjun

I also guess this one. Shige is the Ishikawa of this generation. I was praying that she wouldn't be in the same group as Junjun. xD But I like Junjun being sexy. Risako will hold the group up vocally, and Junjun will be able to show what she's got. Shige will probably prevent the group from being great. Oh well. I hope they do okay.

Tanpopo#- Kamei Eri, Okai Chisato, Kumai Yurina, Mitsui Aika

Ehh... I only like Kamei. The rest of them are a little too kiddish and cutesy for Tanpopo. But I think they'll blend well.

Number Three- LEAVE SUGAYA RISAKO ALONE FOR TSUNKU'S SAKE!

I've been meaning to talk about this for a while.

I don't understand all the hatred for Risako.

I mean, I've encountered people who refer to her as 'Tubby' and insult her singing. My god? What's with the aggression?

I hate that an idol is attacked because she's gained a little weight or just has a round face. Gaki gained quite a bit of weight, but then she dropped it all. And actually, I preferred her when she was rounder. It's not obese. It's healthy. If you look at pictures, they're not overweight. They're just not SKINNY. So, for those of you who read this, I'd like to request--no, I DEMAND that you discourage people calling her fat.

I also hate it when people say she's a bad singer. When is she ever a bad singer? She's the strongest vocalist in Berryz. It may not be a cute, sweet voice like Miyabi's, but she has a huge range and is a good singer. Sometimes I feel like big, deep voices are under-appreciated. In most societies, you know, a deep voice is preferred over a helium voice. Like, there was a girl on Youtube who posted on one of my dubs "You have a man voice". I'm sorry. I'm a mezzo, so I'm NOWHERE close to having a man's voice. As I told her, not everyone can have cute, child-like voices. Just because we sound different doesn't mean you can attack us.

I'm a little worked up for no real apparent reason, but I'm totally serious. Leave her alone, you guys. It's hard to maintain a steady, perfect voice when you're dancing. Let's see you try. Also, she's only, what, fourteen? Fifteen? Her voice is still maturing. She's just hitting a rough patch.

Well, AX is practically over....

2009-07-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

How did it become 4:46 PM? It's only 1:50, silly computer!

I'm sitting in the Sheraton lobby after just experiencing the most amazing day of my life. Yes, I met Morning Musume. And I shall tell you all about it~

My friend Sarah came over Wednesday night. We went to bed around ten and woke up at 3 the next morning.

After six hours of driving, we arrived in LA. We found the convention center fairly quickly, and all three of us (Sarah, my mother, and myself) went in to get our badges.

Anime Expo is HUGE compared to Fanime. The convention center alone is massive. There are crowds everywhere. And it didn't help that the press was scurrying around the Staples Center, which was right next door.

Registration was quick and painless, even though they forgot to print Sarah's concert ticket voucher at first (we had to come back later).

We immediately got in line for the panel. We were close to the front, which was exciting. They moved us inside out of the sun, but that probably wasn't the greatest idea. The staff members didn't know about the change, and thought that we were in line for the Morikawa panel. So they brought us in by accident, and the line was lost.

The Morikawa panel was painful. All of these fangirls came up during Q&A and asked him to say "Will you marry me?" in Sephiroth's voice and the like.

After an hour, they all cleared out. Sarah and I had befriended two other teenagers, a girl cosplaying as Takahashi Ai in Resonant Blue and her friend, a guy who didn't really know who Morning Musume was. xD We seat jumped, but failed to get one in the front. We instead got one in the seventh row, close to the Q&A mic.

It was a little bit before 2 when Morning Musume came in.

They were surrounded by security guards and handlers, and quickly slipped through the front to go to the backroom, where they could change. Everyone leapt up when they came in, and we all cheered and screamed and cried. xD Well, I did.

We calmed down (except for the Japanese wota who had followed them from Japan) for a minute, but we got pumped up again when they played a 'history of MM' video. We sang along with the songs, and even did some wota-gei (the cheering and chanting that goes along with idol songs). Then the girls came out.

A girl I had met during the Morikawa had seen the girls at the airport on Wednesday, and she put the whole experience very eloquently. And it was true. These girls were so small, so fragile, like they could faint at any moment. These were people we idolized, and it was strange seeing them in person. Like the girl said, they were "so beautiful, yet they were very human and tangible." They whispered to one another, looked bored, everything. It was amazing.

They were still very small up on the panel platform. They introduced themselves, mostly in Japanese, but Linlin spoke in English. In fact, she spoke in mostly English the whole time.

After talking about their experiences and the like, Q&A opened up. A mass of people rushed to the middle aisle, including Desiree, the girl we had met. She couldn't decide on a question, so she pulled me up to help her. Our noise attracted the attention of Junjun, who looked at us curiously. Immediately I froze and returned to my seat. xD

The panel was fun. Most of the questions were fairly fanboyish, like asking members to do impressions. One guy even challenged Tanaka to a rock-paper-scissors match, and when he lost, he had to act like a cat.

Shige did usa-chan peace. Gaki did mayuge beam. The pandas spoke in Chinese to a Chinese fan. Kamei did the catchphrase from the anime series she's acting in. Koha freaked out over a Koharu cosplayer who asked a question. Aika was like the mother of the group. Takahashi was very leader-like.

Afterwards, we went out and stood in line to get our tickets for the concert. We met a group of high school friends and chatted with them. The Mana concert was going on, and so we made fun of the music, too. xD

Our seats were actually pretty good. We were in section F, which was the section right next to the center section. So, we were right in front of the screen and could see the stage well. We were in the 12th row.

The next morning, we got at the center around 10 or 11. We went immediately to the line in the back. It was really hot outside, and I had trouble breathing because of the smog. xD

Around 12:30, they let us in. We got a seat in the middle of the row. We cracked our glowsticks. I had red for Koha, orange for Kamei, green for Gaki, purple for Mittsi, aqua for Linlin, and dark blue for Junjun. The dark blue one turned out more blue, but I used it anyway. Sarah used my purple and aqua glowsticks. xD

The concert started on time (surprisingly), and we all went nuts. The girls all ran out. They were wearing costumes from their most recent concert. Now, I can't remember their complete setlist in order, but here's what I remember:

3.2.1. Breakin' Out!
Shouganai Yume Oibito
Resonant Blue
Mikan
Medley (from their Single Daizenshuu concert)- Happy Summer Wedding, The Peace!, Souda! We're Alive, etc
HOW DO YOU LIKE JAPAN?
Sono Bibiccha... whatever the Resonant Blue B-side is called. xD
And 3.2.1. Breakin' Out again.

We sang along and did the wota-gei. Wota-gei is really fun. You're jumping and waving your glowsticks and yelling 'oi!' in time with the music.

At the end, before the encore performance of 3.2.1., Yoshizawa Hitomi came out.

Yossie looked really cute. Her hair is getting long. It was bleached blonde, and the tips were dyed pink. She wore a sort of light punkish outfit, probably for her Hangry signing later.

Soon it was Yossie and Morning Musume, and then Tsunku came out. We were all dying. xD
Yossie hosted the MC, and Tsunku announced the winners. There were three winners. The winner of the Morning Musume award (the one MM liked the best) was in the audience. The grand prize winner really was amazing.

After some MC banter, Tsunku and Yossie left and Morning Musume performed 3.2.1. one more time. By then we were tired of it. xD

At the end, we all stood around and yelled 'Encore!' in Japanese until the con staff said "Seriously guys, they're gone" and shoved us out.

The concert was great. There weren't many MCs or breaks to give the girls resting periods. Every now and then, they'd run to the back of the stage and grab water bottles. xD They really did a great job.

They sang live, too, and were very good. Aika can really hold her own when live. Like, really live. Not concert DVD. You have to be there.

It was incredible. I really enjoyed it. And my love for Tanaka has increased. xD She has moved up in my list.

We went and bought copies of Platinum 9 Disc. Each CD came with a photo card. Coincidentally, I got Linlin and Sarah got Junjun. xD Since we had the other's favorite, we switched.

We went out to dinner in Little Tokyo and came back just in time for Hello! Party.

Hello! Party was not what I was expecting. It wasn't so much a party as it was a bunch of games. xD We sat and were separated into teams by favorite member.

It started off with an awful "medley" of songs by the dubbing group Sekai no Melody. They said medley. It was actually 3 songs in their entirety. Then we started the games.

First was the song guessing game. Sarah played. She totally guessed wrong. xD

After that was a trivia game. I didn't take part, even though Junjun's team was up. I should have, though. That trivia was pretty easy for the most part.

Then, after a break and a short dance performance (much better) we started a game that wasn't on the program but I was really excited about: The karaoke game!

Unfortunately, Junjun had already gone, but I really wanted to play, so I switched teams. xD I got a lot of boo's, but another Junjun team girl had done the same. We just wanted to play~ And so I joined the Koha team!

The game was really fun. We sang, around 3 lines each, before switching. My mic wasn't working with me, maybe because I was singing into it at an angle. So that was embarrassing.

We played twice, the same medley. I was the second to last singer the second time. xD I passed the mic to the girl behind me, who was on Gaki's team. But after singing the last line, she handed the mic off to a team Koha guy, and even though technically the Koha team won, we lost instead. And the guy got silly-stringed. xD

There were two more games after that, a drawing telephone game that Sarah played and the burabura thing, where you blindfold people and drop a mysterious object down on their head on a string, and they have to guess what it is.

We left after that.

We got up early this morning because we had an autograph session we had to try to catch! We arrived a little before 8, and wandered around before finding the line. After sorting the ticket-holders from the non-ticket holders, they moved us to a waiting room, where we were given place holders.

Sarah and I were behind a guy who had tried to make it to the first session, right after the panel, but they apparently only let in 150 people, and he was around 200th in line. He was nice, so we talked to him. There was also a teenage guy and a guy who had just gotten back from studying abroad in Japan in the line behind ours, so we talked with them.

We waited about 2-3 hours before they moved us into a larger room next to the autograph room.

The session started at 11. We didn't get in until noon.

Walking in was the strangest feeling. All nine girls sat behind a table. They were in normal street clothes, not their Shouganai Yume Oibito costumes like the panel. There was a short line before you could get your autographs.

I brought my Alo-hello! 3 DVD for them to sign.

First up was Takahashi. She took my DVD and asked me where I wanted to have my autograph. I said that anywhere was fine, and so she signed next to her face on the cover.

Gaki was listening, so she greeted me with a smile and signed her name. She's gotten really skinny...

Kamei was next. Her last pen had apparently died, so she grabbed another one and checked to see if it worked. I was nervous, so I laughed quietly and she grinned at me. After signing next to her face as well, she handed me the DVD back before reaching out and grabbing my hand. I was so stunned I let her shake my hand vigorously without saying anything.

Well, by then I was completely shocked and starstruck.

Shige greeted me softly, and signed her name.

Tanaka did the same, but as she saw the Alo-Hello! DVD, she let out a loud "Oh!". Tanaka's signature features a little doodle, so she took the longest. Koha, who was finished with Sarah, watched Tanaka with a bored expression on her face. She probably was tired of waiting.

Koha had big hair. xD She signed my name with a smile.

Aika was really excited. She greeted me with a "Hi hi hi!" and signed her name energetically.

Junjun was next, so my heart was pounding. She smiled slightly at me, with the small smile she normally had, and signed my DVD case. Then she held out her hand, and I shook it. It was a long handshake, mainly because I was too blissed out to move (xD).

Linlin said hello very loudly and energetically, and signed my DVD, handing it back with a bow.

I kinda stumbled out and collapsed on Sarah, who was talking to the guy in front of us from before. We stood around and looked at our signed products, talked about the girls, and waited for the others. All five of us walked down the stairs together, then said bye and went our separate ways.

I kinda wish I weren't so braindead during the whole thing. xD Sarah said that she told Tanaka that she thought her signature was cute, and Tanaka thanked her. The guy who had returned from Japan said that they complimented his Japanese. The teenage guy said that he said that Tanaka's black hair looked good, and she thanked him, and Kamei said that he had a nice smile. The guy in front of us had had a chat in Chinese with the pandas. I had gawked at them. xD

Sarah and I stumbled around to lunch with dazed looks on our faces. It really was incredibly. They looked just like they did in photos and on TV. But they were real people. Kamei kept on checking her makeup, and Junjun had some pimples covered up with makeup. And their hands were warm~

My DVD is amazing, too. I'll post photos soon~

Less than 18 Hours!

2009-07-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, ladies and.... Well, as far as I know, only girls read this blog. xD

I AM LEAVING FOR ANIME EXPO IN ROUGHLY EIGHTEEN HOURS!

After months and months of hyperventilating, stressing, studying, spazzing, and very little sleep the past week, D-Day is nearly upon us.

It didn't feel entirely real up until I read Paul's blog post about his first days in LA. Yes, I had packed up my clothes, meticulously planning each one. Yes, I had placed my glowsticks in my bag and an easily accessible spot for the CDs and DVDs (or even T-shirt) that I'm planning to get signed. But it didn't seem real until I saw that photo of a bunch of wotas standing in LAX holding a 'Welcome, Morning Musume' sign a day early. xD

I'm sure this will be the best week of my life, despite a few things here and there that have happened that have threatened to lessen the experience.

I'll be unable to update this blog, due to lack of laptop (xD) but I might be able to check in on stuff with my iTouch in the hotel. Regardless of how or when I do it, I will tell you all about it, and share photos~

So here's the game plan:

We will leave at, like, 4 AM. Maybe a little earlier, maybe a little later. But I'm aiming for 4.

We'll drive for six hours, and get at the convention center around 10 AM.

My mother will push me and Sarah from the car, and go off to a coffee shop or bookstore until she can check into the hotel.

Meanwhile, Sarah and I will get our passes, and depending on when we're supposed to pick up our concert tickets (I'm assuming the day of, though), get that done too. We'll have four hours until the panel, and I'm hoping that will give us enough time to get our passes and get in line to the panel, and maybe buy a few CDs if possible.

We'll go to the panel. Hopefully, we'll be able to go to the panel-only autograph session. If not, we'll have our tickets from buying CDs. ;D

On Friday, we'll get up early and wait in line for the concert as soon as possible. xD It might be that we'll have to pick up our tickets, but maybe not. That might be earlier.

Before the concert, we might try to meet up with our dubbing friend Momo and her friend.

Afterward, there will be an autograph session with Yoshizawa Hitomi. We may or may not go. I know Sarah is planning on buying a Hangry & Angry CD, but I don't know if that means we'll go. Personally, I love Yossie, but she's not signing as Yossie, she's signing as Hangry. And I'd rather meet Yossie. ;D

Then there's Hello! Party, which I'm really excited about. Mainly because it's just a huge geek out, and there'll be karaoke games. xD

On Saturday there are two autograph sessions, and we may or may not go to those, depending on how the Thursday autograph goes. Or how many autographs we can get. Because there are three autograph sessions, and I would love to get an autograph from Junjun, Linlin, and Kamei/Gaki. If we can get an autograph from all nine at one, that's even better. xD

That's about it for the H!P related stuff, but after that we'll be heading down to San Diego to look at colleges. >.>

And throughout the week we'll be doing stuff in the evening and morning and stuff. Like, going to Little Tokyo and looking around, doing the basic Hollywood tourist stuff, and finding Kathy Griffin's house. xD

[Icons] I was Bored~ ;D

2009-06-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with making icons for some time, but yesterday and today I got into a big icon-making frenzy. xD So I'll post the ones I have so far for your pleasure (and mine ;D).

I don't have a proper photoshop program, so I've been using whatever free programs I can find online. Paint.net has been working the best.

Some of these I really like, but some of them just didn't turn out the way I wanted once I made them 100 x 100. But that's just me.

Abe Natsumi-

Arihara Kanna-

Ayaka-

Biyuuden-

Fujimoto Miki-

Iida Kaori-

Ishiguro Aya-

Ishikawa Rika-

Kago Ai-

Kamei Eri-

Konno Asami-

Melon Kinenbi-

Michishige Sayumi-

Mika-

Mini Moni-

Miyoshi Erika-

Morning Musume-

Murata Megumi-

Niigaki Risa-

Ogawa Makoto-

Okada Yui-

Ootani Masae-

Saitou Hitomi-

Takahashi Ai-

Tanaka Reina-

Tsuji Nozomi-

Umeda Erika-

W-

Yaguchi Mari-

Yasuda Kei-

Yoshizawa Hitomi-

Please Tell Me it's Just a Horrible Dream?

2009-06-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

I am going to kill Tsunku if this is true. I swear. I mean, Hello! Online might not be the most reliable source since a lot of the time they're assuming things from ads and articles, but you know what? They're right about practically everything, except for Ishikawa being at AX and possibly the new Takahashi Ai photobook (They said that there was a photobook. How come I can't find anything but the making of video?)

But today it was an article/something that stated that Mano would be singing in Kimi ga iru dake de on the new H!P album. Sounds peachy, right? No. Because it turns out that that is Pucchimoni's song.

NO!

If this is Tsunku's twisted way of telling us that Mano is in Pucchimoni, I'm going to cry. What happened to officially announcing the groups at the summer concert? What happened to creating new, fresh groups that will bring the project back? Mano will NOT bring Pucchimoni back. She's freaking boring! Yes, I love her and all, but she's off key and wasn't even interesting in Ongaku Gatas!

This is the average Pucchimoni song:

They featured energetic beats and fairly difficult lines (they varied the pacing so much, it's a pain in the butt to dub).

This is the average Mano Erina song:

It's freaking elevator music.

Here is the Mano in Ongaku Gatas:

(her first solo is around 0:35)

Now, I must question Tsunku's judgment. You take a bunch of Eggs and put them into Ongaku Gatas. They have one thing in common: they're all on the H!P Futsal team. And they're some of the more popular and successful Eggs. Mano was in no way the most talented, and yet she got as many lines as, perhaps, Konno Asami, who had been in Morning Musume. We were all surprised when Tsunku gave her a solo career. But we shrugged, because Elder Club was graduating and they needed someone to fill the gap. And she was the only available one. And she could play the piano, so she had a gimmick.

But Pucchimoni? Come ON!

There's no way she can pull Pucchimoni off. She can't dance, she can't sing, she doesn't have a personality. Sure, she tries, but she fails. She's a cute smile, and that's it. I'm praying that she's just joining Pucchimoni, because if she's in the group for good, I'm going to beat Tsunku up.

He'd better find a damn good spot for Kamei, Junjun, and Maasa in order to make up for this.

Chanpuru Official Tracklist~

2009-06-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

H!O posted the official tracklist for the new Chanpuru wedding songs album. And there were definitely some surprises...

1. Diamonds - High-King
2. Ai wa Katsu - °C-ute & Erina Mano
3. YES-YES-YES - Aa! [Tanaka Reina, Natsuyaki Miyabi, Suzuki Airi]
4. Tentou Chuu no Sanba - Shin Minimoni (New Minimoni) [Linlin, Kanon Fukuda, ???]
5. Kimi ga iru dake de - Pucchimoni V
6. Heya to Y shirts to Watashi - Reina Tanaka
7. Mamotte Agetai - Risa Niigaki & Eri Kamei
8. Cosmos - Ai Takahashi
9. Mirai Yosouzu II - ZYX-α (ZYX alpha)
10. ONLY YOU - Zoku･Biyuuden (Sequel Biyuuden)
11. akai sweet pea - Tanpopo #
12. For You… - Linlin
13. Kanpaku Sengen - Berryz Koubou & Erina Mano
14. Sekai wa futari no tame ni - Sayumi Michishige, Koharu Kusumi, Aika Mitsui, Junjun

High-King makes a comeback for Diamonds, and although I'm not crazy about the Tanaka and Takahashi-ness of High-King, it does have Captain and Maimi. And I know the girls will do the song justice.

Mano joins c-ute for Ai wa Katsu. The song has the piano, so does that mean that Mano will be playing? xD

Aa also makes a comeback, which I'm kind of excited about. Miyabi and Airi have improved SO MUCH, so I'm sure they'll do a good job. The song is nice and kinda pretty, so I can see it being one of the better songs on the album.

The new Mini Moni unit will make their debut on this album. The song they're singing is cute and simple, and not too hard for the Eggs to sing. But I can see Linlin doing an awesome job.

Much to our surprise, Pucchimoni will be singing too? But Tsunku said that the new units wouldn't be announced until the concert later that month? Well, that explains the number of Eggs on the cover. Still, I'm crossing my fingers that he doesn't pack the unit with Eggs like Mini Moni. I like the song that they're singing, so I'm just hoping that I like the members.

Tanaka gets a solo on this album. Why is there so much Tanaka? xD She's in 3 songs so far. The song is cute. It's not too hard for her.

Gaki and Kame get a duet, which I'm excited about. I think they blend well. I'm sort of neutral about the song, but I think Gaki and Kame can take anything and make it sound good.

Takahashi Ai gets Cosmos as her solo. It's a ballad, and we all know how good Takahashi is at ballads.

ZYX is also getting a revamping. Could this be where the Eggs are going? The original ZYX was one Morning Musume member and a whole bunch of Kids (later to become c-ute and Berryz) so will it be an established member and a bunch of Eggs? I hope that's the case, because I want to keep the other groups Egg-free. But it's a big song, so I'm not sure how the Eggs will be able to keep up.

The new Biyuuden sings Only You, but H!O isn't able to find out which one. The first link they posted was to an Uchida Yuki song. It's cool, kinda hip-hoppish (it was the 90's) so I guess I could see Biyuuden singing it. The second one is by BOOWY, which is rock. I could see Biyuuden singing either one, but I'd prefer the latter.

The new Tanpopo singing Akai Sweet Pea, which is SUCH a first generation Tanpopo song, so it makes me excited to think about who they're going to choose.

Much to my surprise, LINLIN gets a solo. That shows how popular she is and how much she has improved. The song is very pretty, a ballad, and I think she'll do amazingly.

Mano joins Berryz for their song. It's a soft song, not what I'm used to for Berryz. I kinda would prefer that they sing something a little harder?

And then Shige, Koha, Mittsi, and Junjun finish it off with Sekai wa futari no tame ni. The weakest singers in Morning Musume in one song? xD And the casting, it's sort of ranking the members by "worst singer" to "best singer" of the four. It's a classic 60's love song, and it really feels like something you'd play at a wedding. So I think it's a good wrap-up song.

Possibly the Greatest Quest of All Time

2009-06-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Another title I considered for this post was "Yaguchi's Bringing Sexy Back", but then I slapped myself, hid under the computer desk, and cried in shame.

On that happy thought...

I really do love Yaguchi Mari's blog. Tied with Tsuji's, it is easily the most entertaining H!P blog out there. I love that the people of H!O are kind enough to provide us with translations, too. And I'm so glad that they include the large quantities of cellphone pictures that Yaguchi posts with every entry.

While I always enjoy her blog, today translations were posted of a two-day quest that Yaguchi did on Friday and Saturday.

This quest?

To photograph all of the Morning Musume members, past and present, doing her famous Sexy Beam.

You should know Sexy Beam. It was her solo during Koi no Dance Site, a simple "Sexy beeeeeeeaaaaam" while she moved her thumb and index finger away from her chest. Of course, she became famous for it, and it became her "thing". It was mentioned in Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari, in interviews, solos, whatever. Gaki had 'Mayuge beam' from the eyebrow, but Sexy Beam is a Yaguchi-only thing. And no matter how much Kamei may try in concerts, no one can recreate it the same way. It's like Yossie's solo in Kanashimi Twilight or Iida's "Nee waratte?" in Daite Hold on Me.

Got it? Good.

Because I appreciated this so much and loved seeing all of the members do it, I saved the 19 (sadly, she did not get photos of all 25 members) photos and I will now post them here~

It started off with Abe Natsumi. Nacchi really is very cute.

Then Yoshizawa Hitomi. I have no idea what Yossie is wearing, it's strange and very green. Yaguchi, of course, questioned why such a cute girl wears weird things, but it's why we love her.

The original leader, Nakazawa Yuko. This was taken backstage at her birthday event, so that explains the hat. Happy 36th, Nakazawa~

Tsuji Nozomi. I really love her more than I ever have before, and she's gotten so beautiful and I love her blog about her and little Noa. @-@ And whenever I see her, I giggled because of what one person said on H!O about her being a MILF. xD

Iida Kaori! *glomps* Iiiiiiiiiiidaaaaaaaaa! I love her so much, so, so, so, SO much. And she's looking beautiful with the new haircut, even if her hair was so amazingly gorgeous at the graduation concert.

Fujimoto Miki~ Just got her temporary license, I hear~

Ogawa Makoto~ She's gotten really skinny. Which is a little weird, because I'm so used to her being chunky.

Yasuda Kei. Honestly, I was surprised that she wasn't first, considering she and Yaguchi are incredibly close.

Ishikawa Rika. Her hairstyle is really cute~ This picture kind of reminds me of the Koi no Nukegara PV. xD

Takahashi Ai. Honestly, what is with that hairstyle? xD

Niigaki Risa. Holy geez, Gaki looks like Mai from c-ute. xD This is the skinniest I've seen her in a really long time, too. I guess she really liked the pigtails after the graduation concert...

Kamei Eri. xD I love how low she got to the ground. It looks so uncomfortable! According to Yaguchi, Kamei said that the distance between her legs and the floor was sexy...?

Michishige Sayumi. Shige beam? Why is she pulling up her skirt with her left hand?

Tanaka Reina taking it a tad bit far. xD I really hate her hair. I'd actually like her weird side ponytail thing.

Kusumi Koharu. Another uncomfortable pose. xD

Mitsui Aika. Her Sexy Beam is from her chin. xD It's a cross between "A~in" and "Sexy beam"

Linlin. Double sexy beam?!

Junjun. Of course, my favorite. I don't know why she's on the floor, but a few people suggested that maybe she was making fun of Yaguchi's height? xD I love the braids. Really do.

And, of course, the master. ;D Yaguchi herself.

Happy Summer Wedding

2009-06-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Shoukai shimasu
Shoukengaisha ni tsutometeru Sugimoto-san
Se wa maa hikui hou dakedo yasashii hito
Otousan to issho de tsuri ga shumi na no
Datte otousan ga
"Tsuri suki no hito ni wa warui hito wa nai" tte
Ittetashi...
Nee otousan~

That was the monologue from Morning Musume's Happy Summer Wedding. It was the first MM monologue I ever did and memorized, and I really like it. I can also translate it. xD I had to look up the meaning of shoukengaisha, though.

"I'd like to introduce
Mr. Sugimoto who works at a brokerage company
Well, he's a little short, but he's a kind person.
His hobby is fishing, like you, Dad
And you said that "Someone who likes to fish can't be a bad person"
Right, Dad?"

Of course, there are some things that I missed or misinterpreted...

But that doesn't matter! xD

BUT I DIGRESS!

Hello! Project will be releasing a compilation album next month. Coincidentally, on Koha's 17th birthday. ;D And five days before mine~

It will be titled "Chanpuru ~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~"

So in case you haven't guessed already, it's a cover album. Of songs that "should be played at weddings". Like, wedding classics. In Japan.

The album will feature 49 members of Hello! Project, including the new Mini Moni unit.

Like most of H!P covers, these are pretty much all songs from the 70's and 80's and 90's. I'm not sure if the full tracklist has been released, but we found some songs. These might be it, but I'm not sure.

I am excited about this, since it is technically a shuffle album. And we haven't had a shuffle since 2005.

The song "Diamond" by Princess Princess will also be on there, and it's one of the few old Japanese songs I know and like. xD

The album cover was released today, too, so I think I will make a few comments on it~

(Sorry the picture is so small)

So they're all wearing white and holding what looks like white roses. For those of us hoping to see some wedding dresses, hopefully we'll see something more feminine in the mini photobook.

Naturally, your eyes are drawn to Kamei in the center, mainly because she has the lightest hair in H!P at the moment. xD I mean, it's nothing close to Yaguchi or Yossie, but still.

From what I can see, Takahashi and Gaki look beautiful. I love this length on Takahashi, and Gaki's tilted head with the side ponytail? Gorgeous. Aika and Risako are the only two bad shots, I think. They must have tied Aika's hair back or something, because her hair looks weird, and Risako looks like she just sneezed. xD It's probably just because the photo is so small. When large, HQ photos are released, it'll be easier to see their faces.

What I really love is that they're placed by popularity. xD Pretty much. Takahashi and Tanaka in the first row, along with Maimi and Airi and Miyabi and Risako. These six dominate the singles that they're in. Then it's Captain and Momoko, Koha and Gaki, Saki and Mai. Well, if they switched Yurina with Captain, then we'd fully repeat the pattern. xD Behind them are Chinami, Linlin, Aika, Eri, Shige, Junjun, and Chisato. Then it's Yurina, Maasa, and Erika, and behind them are Mano and the Eggs.

I hope this doesn't represent the line distribution. xD

Here are some of the songs that they'll be covering~

Frankly, I'm kind of excited. And if there are plenty of Junjun lines, that's a good birthday present. ;D

[PV] 3. 2. 1. Breakin' Out!

2009-06-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

I really love this song. I really do. When they first announced that this would be the official theme song for Anime Expo 2009, I hated it. xD I thought it was awful and obnoxious. But now I might even like it better than Shouganai Yume Oibito.

Most, if not all of you, should know that Morning Musume has teamed up with Myspace and has been holding an OPV contest to make a short version of the PV. So as long as you have the time, have a decent background, and are able to work with green screens, you have a chance of making the PV for 3.2.1. Breakin' Out.

Or so we thought.

Today an official PV was released, a full version. It used basically the same clips, maybe a few extra. I. Love. It. It's done paper doll, origami style. Even if that's incredibly stereotypically Japanese, I really think it looks cool. A lot of people at H!O didn't like it, saying that the background was cheap and that it wasn't much better than submissions. Excuse me, but I'd like to see the person who can put this together without professional equipment. Besides, the dancing and different shots are so colorful and energetic, I didn't even notice the background.

So they're paper dolls. Just freshly cut. Out of three pieces of construction paper?

I mean, they may be the primary colors, but still. I don't think construction paper works like that.

They all flutter up one by one.

Junjun is looking particularly adorable.

All of them are in their best American-styled clothes (even if no one really wears leopard print or overalls anymore). Linlin always gets the bad stylist, though.

I love the effects they use.

Getting in their spots.

I really love the dance for this song. It's simple and easy and I bet I could have recreated it pretty easily in my PE dance class. xD It seems like something we'd do. But it suits the song well.

Takahashi is looking surprisingly animated, too.

That's an epic paper clip.

It's a cool dance.

Yayy~

I'm happy. x3

Quick, run, Tanaka and Junjun! Mittsi's gonna GET YOU.

Awesome.

Koha is pretty.

Buildings are popping up all around them.

I like this part in the dance.

Mass huddle?

THE HOUSE IS ALIIIIVE.

Tanaka looks so weird. xD

Migraine face.

(Migraine are no joke.)

Oh noes, Koha is falling~

Linlin-sama pushed Koha out of the way much like she has pushed her out of her solos. ;D

Gaki has big hair.

Mittsi's pose makes me laugh so hard. xD

KAMEI! xDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

This shot is priceless. xD Takahashi has a stomachache and Gaki smells something funny.

Kame is cute. x3

I love how Linlin looks like a completely different person and how Junjun always has such fun during the dances. xD

Falling away~

Gaki is singing melody but there are a billion Takahashi's. That's just how it works.

Again, I love how happy Junjun looks.

Running in circles~

xD

Every expression in this shot is great. xD

Ohhhh, more origami. =D

Awww. Cute. x3

Kokoro Does Some Single Reviews~

2009-06-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

A few singles have come out since I last did a full-blown PV review, but I haven't covered them simply because I have not cared enough. Or I have cared, I just haven't felt motivated. xD

I will review a handful of songs/singles and their respective PVs, if available, in this post starting with.... Guardian4!

Guardian4- Omakase Guardian!

Song: The song is cute. It features a fairly even distribution of lines between the four members, but, of course, Mitsui and Risako are the real focus of the song. I feel a little sorry for Yurina, actually. I don't feel like her voice suits this type of song. Risako does fine, and Saki and Aika seem perfectly comfortable. I still don't care for Aika's voice, can't she sing a whole line without her voice cracking? Really, the only person I remember from this song is Risako, but I'm not complaining.

B-side: The B-side to this song is Summer Has Come! I like it a lot better than the A-side, probably because it's a little more melodic and has a greater range in notes. The line distribution is perfectly divided, but that also means that the same people sing the same parts. I would have liked a little more variation. But for a song that's only three and a half minutes long, that's to be expected. It sounds a bit like an earlier Buono song, and I like that. But what I like the best about it is that everyone blends well, and there isn't one person standing out, like Risako was in Omakase. In my opinion, this should have been the A-side.

PV: God, the PV is AWFUL. It's incredibly low budget, and has that weird cloudiness that Mano's PVs are known for. It's boring, and really doesn't offer much. The girls are wearing their cosplays, but why are they in a baseball stadium? What does baseball have to do with Shugo Chara? It also includes clips from the anime, which I really hate. I really can't stand it. xD The only redeeming thing is that they all look cute. But I have a question: Why do you keep on insisting on putting Risako in these cute songs when she's obviously trying to take the more mature route?

Berryz Koubou- Rival

Song: God, I HATED it at first. xD I really did. But I started to listen to it even more, and I fell for it so hard. The emotion in their voices really makes it enjoyable to listen to. And I love it when they have little phrases in the background. xD Everyone rocks their solos, but I could have used maybe some Maasa? xD But it was fine with our normal line-up. Oh, and I LOVE how Risako sounds like a middle-aged woman during her second speaking line. xDDD But what really made the song for me? Risako's high note. Holy geez. The girl has a range. She's probably going to get a lot of criticism when she does that in concert, because I've noticed that people like to pick on Risako, calling her fatty and saying that she sounds like a dying cat in concert. But I like her, and I think she deserves all of the lines that she gets. In case you've forgotten, she is the youngest, and she can only get better.

B-side: Technically, this was the B-side. xD I love double A-sides, I really do.

PV: Rival is obviously the feminine side to Seishun Bus Guide, so the PV is very cute with light colors. It features lots of pinks and yellows and the girls making cute faces with sweets. Really, they all look incredibly pretty. Even Saki, who is infamous for looking awkward (when will you finally decide on a flattering hairstyle?) My only complaint is that I hate Miyabi's hair when it's straightened. The short hair is really flattering when it's curled. When it's straight, it looks strange. The winners are easily Chinami (never cut her hair ever again!), Maasa (she's gotten really pretty lately), and Yurina. Of course, Risako is gorgeous no matter what she does. Really, I just loved everything about this PV.

c-ute- Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu

Song: Okay, so Morning Musume has had their handful of covers. Berryz had their cover just last year. So it makes sense that c-ute would have theirs, right? It's a cute song, and they do it justice. There are certain parts that I really like. The chorus where they sing the "shochuu..." part with the harmonies. The cute little "mm-mm" parts in the background. Maimi and Airi's solos. But it's just those parts. It's like a movie review I just saw recently where they said that you could say that there were "good parts, but never a good movie". There were good parts in this song, but I wouldn't say it's a good song. It's growing on me, though.

B-side: N/A

PV: God, I HATE the PV. xD What is with that weird overexposure thing that Tsunku likes so much recently? It reminds me SO MUCH of Mano's recent single. xD Sure, the dresses and the dance are kinda cute, but that's not enough. I really don't care about them drawing or taking photos or smashing watermelons. I've heard people calling it a "real PV". No. Shouganai Yume Oibito was a "real PV". It had a plot and artistic shots. This was not a "real PV". This was a crappy PV. The only thing I like about the PV was how cute everyone looked in their close-ups. Their stylists have been doing a good job recently. That's about it.

s/mileage- aMa no Jaku

Song: It's cute. What else can you expect from the Eggs? The sexy Eggs went to Biyuuden. The more mature Eggs went to Ongaku. Kind of what's left are the cute Eggs. It's a cute song, and I don't hate it. But I'm not crazy about it yet. It's basically just Shugo Chara Eggs without Saho Akari.

B-side: N/A

PV: From what I can see, it's simple. Cute? I dunno.

Kago Ai- no hesitAtIon

Song: It's a cute song. I mean, it's Kago Ai. She's no Takahashi. She can sing anything and make it sound cute. I must admit, the high notes were nice, but I'm a little mad at her. I have little patience for Kago, so naturally, I'm a little critical of her. I probably would like the song if it weren't her singing it, but unfortunately, she is. I hope that the solo career can distract her from... other things. Anyway, the song is cute. It isn't all that memorable, and there wasn't really anything that stuck out.

B-side: It's called "Children of the Night". Oh boy.

PV: It's a little strange seeing Kago's voice coming out of her body. xD It's the same voice as when she was in H!P, but she's really gotten skinny and she's lost all of that baby fat. Well, smoking and cutting yourself can do that. So can FRIDAY constantly following you trying to report on yet another scandal. The PV is simple, featuring Kago just walking and standing and mouthing the words. She's hiking. Which is a little out of character, considering she was the least athletic out of Morning Musume. That's what you get when you live in LA and befriend celebrities. You go hiking? xD What really bothered me was in the beginning when she was packing her bags in her nightgown/slip/whatever. It reminded me of those awful photos she took when she just returned to Japan. She's welcome to show a different side of herself, but when you're used to the eternally innocent and cute Kago Ai, sexy and dark Kago Ai is just too much to take.

Vee is so Psychic

2009-06-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had those moments where you hear or read something, and all of the air in your lungs leaves in one big rush?

I'm not entirely sure what I'm talking about, but that's what happened to me when I read that Tsunku, yes, our Tsunku, Tsunku-male, in addition to Mini Moni, will be making...

NEW PUCCHIMONI AND TANPOPO GROUPS!

I LOVE Pucchimoni. It had Goto, Yasuda, Ichii-and-then-Yossie... Three voices that really worked. Their songs were really good, too. xD Especially Seishun Jidai 1.2.3. ;D

Tanpopo was great, too. The first generation was OMFG. Ishiguro (amazingly talented. How come she didn't get more solos?), Iida (looooove), and Yaguchi. Together, they made an uber sexy, gorgeous trio. And then Ayappe left and Ishikawa and Kago joined Johnson and Yaguchi, and they became a little cuter (but I still loved their songs). And then everyone but Ishikawa left and Gaki, Konno, and Shibata Ayumi joined, and they were even CUTER. xD

Normally I would call these groups sacred. I didn't even really like the idea of Ogawa and Ayaka joining Yossie when the other two graduated, even if they never released a single. But this? I'm excited, simply because of Vee's (of Pink Wota, of course) recasting back when Mini Moni was announced.

In a brief summary, Pucchimoni would consist of Umeda Erika, Sudou Maasa, and Niigaki Risa. Can you say epic win?

And then Tanpopo, based on the sexy first generation: Junjun, Takahashi Ai, and Kamei Eri. Hell yes.

Because, you know, Kamei and Junjun are nice and all when they're singing cute songs. Kame will always have that cute thing going for her. Junjun was adorable in the live performances of Guru Guru Jump. But really? They are SO MUCH BETTER when they are being sexy. Takahashi, too.

I would have subgroups for ALL of my favorite H!P members. Miyabi has Buono!. Yurina has Guardians4. Linlin has Mini Moni. Koha would have her Kirarin. Erika, Maasa, and Gaki would have Pucchimoni and Kamei and Junjun would have Tanpopo. I would CRY. I really would.

Maybe then they would be invited onto Utaban. The last time they were on it was after Mikan, and the pandas didn't have a large enough grasp of Japanese in order to convey their personalities. And Nakai even said that Morning Musume was BORING now in terms of personality. I would like the pandas to go back and rub it in their faces.

And I bet Taka-chan would like Junjun. ;D

Anywho, I digress.

Another plus to the Tanpopo trio? With Takahashi having a subgroup, Tsunku wouldn't feel as obliged to give her so many lines. Tanaka is the real problem, because she basically runs the Morning Musume show now, but still. We'd be able to hear voices that don't get heard all that often, and it would be amazing.

I'm crossing my fingers here. I really am.

I LOVE TODAY

2009-06-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Don't you love it when you randomly have really, really, REALLY great days?

I had ACTs this morning. Yeah, it kinda sucked having to get up at 6 on the first day of summer vacation. But at least I was still in the habit. xD

Anywho, I met up with a friend there, so we hung out and talked for a bit. The test wasn't painful. It wasn't too bad, actually. And there was one break. I really hate it when they have a bazillion breaks during the tests. I just want to get them over with, you know?

After the SATs, I had left the testing center completely dead. But I was fine after this. *shrug*

Then, afterwards, we got udon. I've been craving udon like crazy for the past few days. xD Which is weird, because I ate SO MUCH of it in Japan, I swore I would never eat it ever again.

I checked my grades on Schoolloop, and the good things kept coming. For the first time ever, I got a B on an APUSH (AP US History) test. And it was the final! @-@ I barely studied, too.

Then I checked my grades in math, my other big concern. I got a 105% on the final. Mainly because she curved it, but still. It bumped my grade from an 80 to an 88. xD So close...!

So I had done well with school, I had done well with the ACTs, and I had just had some really good udon~ It didn't seem like it could get any better until....

ANIME EXPO POSTED THEIR SCHEDULE!

See, I'm not used to this sort of organization. AX is too good. I'm used to Fanime, who doesn't update their website at all and doesn't release the schedule until a few days before.

But that's not the important part. The important part is that

MORNING MUSUME IS HAVING A PANEL!!!!!!!!

It's on Thursday, from 2-3. It's a guest of honor panel, so that pretty much means that MM will be there. Holy geez.

We're driving down on Thursday, but I managed to arrange something with my mother. Sarah will sleep over on Wednesday, and we'll leave at, like, 5 AM and head down to LA in order to make it at the convention center by 1 so we can pick up our badges. xD

And I am NOT going to miss this. Being in the same room as Junjun? *dies*

The only problem is that there will probably be an epic crowd waiting to get in. There will be people from all over the country, and the world, at AX just to see Morning Musume.

Sarah said we can kick people out of the way if we need to. ;D

But my goodness, everything is working out perfectly. I'm getting money for stuff at the convention, my glowsticks are in the mail, my Hello! Online T-shirt should be coming soon, we have a hotel room at the hotel where the Hello! Party is taking place, and we're less than 3 weeks away.

VICTORY!!!!!!!!

2009-06-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

My GOD this has been a good week. (You know, with the exception of a few things here and there).

Today Tsunku announced the second member AND LEADER of the new Mini Moni group....

Drumroll please...

*epic drumroll from the Fanime '09 Masquerade*

LINLIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES!

*does victory dance, which looks remarkably like the dance from Shiawase Kyouryuu Ondo*

Tsunku heard me! xD

Okay, so I'm no longer dreading the new Mini Moni. Sneaky, Tsunku. Announcing that Kanon who, although she looks a lot like Kago Ai, has not shown any shred of humor despite her freakishly cute singing voice, waiting until everyone was depressed about the selection, and then announcing that Linlin is the leader?

Yesssssss!

I'm really excited about this. Linlin is the Mika of the group, she's the international addition to the group, she has the best voice of the group (I love Mika's voice. I really do. Even when Takahashi joined I liked Mika the best) AND has a total goofy Mini Moni personality.

I'm excited. Unless they add Maasa, there's no way that you can make me more excited about Mini Moni than I am right now.

Now we just need a subgroup for Junjun. x3

And here is the Seishun Bus Guide bus, because I'm so generous. ;D

Picspamming-- PB Edition [Part Four]

2009-05-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

This will be a long one. Instead of doing four photobooks, I'm finishing it off with, like... six. xD

Don't worry, it has Mano's PB, so it's practically five. ;D

(Like most things about Mano, her photobook is very boring and ordinary.)

Sudou Maasa (Maasa):

All Berryz photobooks feature some sort of sport. Maasa is playing basketball. That orange thing, I just learned, is a ball. You throw it, and somehow it's supposed to go through a net very high up in the air. For some reason, whenever I try, it misses the net by several yards.

Dude, it's TACO BELL. It's probably Maasa's first time eating Mexican food, and she's eating TACO BELL. What is with Japanese people and Taco Bell?

RAWR MAASA HAS STRONG ARMS

Aww, how nice. Maasa is buying some souvenirs for Junjun.

Not only does she look a bit like Airi, she's also INCREDIBLY EXCITED about barbecuing things.

You probably can't tell, but she's reading The Girl's Guide to Fishing or something along those lines. Well, not reading. She no read the English.

Maasa looks giant compared to the other Berryz members, but she's really quite small... Or that's a humongous jet ski.

... I suddenly want to find our old hula hoop. Really badly.

Moments after this photo was taken, the giant-banana-looking-kayak-thing flipped over.

Isn't that a little dangerous?

Abe Natsumi (Scene):

...I'm not really sure what she is doing.

At first glance, it looks like she is simply being cute and playful. Then you look again, and realize she's just giving you a better look down her shirt.

Sugaya Risako (Risako Ring 3 ~Rin Rin Rin~):

My goodness. Look at those Risako legs.

She's really trying hard to beat Maimi in the freakishly-long-legs contest they're constantly having as lead singers of their groups. Yurina would most likely have won, but she doesn't get an obnoxiously large number of lines in each single.

Holy geez Risako is beautiful. How old was she when this photobook was taken? 2008?

She was THIRTEEN?! My GOD!

IT'S SOMETHING FLUFFY!

Fujimoto Miki (Coeur):

Isn't that where Kamei's PB was shot, too?

More idols and cars.

SUPER random. I love it.

You're too beautiful even when your mascara is running! *cries*

More fluffy~

Mano Erina (Mano Erina):

In the entire photobook, Mano is either wearing a school uniform or a swimsuit. Here is a school uniform.

Here is a swimsuit.

This is neither, but looks kinda school uniform-ish to me.

Mano, it's a little early to start practicing your Rakuten Eagles performance.

[Insert Goto Maki's Dear... PB when I'm not feeling so lazy.]

Picspamming-- PB Edition [Part Three]

2009-05-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Let the picspamming continue~

Abe Natsumi (Ecru):

I really like long-haired Abe. =3

I think Nacchi shows her cleavage more often than Goto or Ishikawa... And that's saying something. Or maybe it's because she's displaying it so blatantly, and the other two just happen to be wearing slightly revealing clothing... But Nacchi is one of the oldest members, so it makes sense that her photobooks wouldn't be as innocent as the others.

This is a very popular pose. Goto and Koha have had remarkably similar shots.

That's why you don't walk home in shoes like that!

Oh my god, it's a tiny turtle. =D

Hey, you can't see her boobs this time. =3

Um... Gross?

Now, read the first line of letters on that chart over there...

She looks like an alien. =3

This shot would be really pretty if she didn't have such stumpy legs. ;D

Goto Maki (Foxy Fungo):

Now THOSE are legs.

You can't see in this shot, but the train on the dress is twice as long than it looks. Eesh.

I have heard guys on H!O request more idols with cars. Here you go.

Pretty. =3

Surprisingly similar to the Abe shot above, ne?

Don't play with fire, kids.

Kamei Eri (Hatachi):

Hat attack~

Run, Kame! Run with everything you have~

Frolicking~

Aside from the ugly shoes, I really like this shot.

Kamei is here to tell you the importance of cleanliness. And washcloths.

Can you hit the ball from down there?

Awesome.

Boo~

Kame-sama.

Goto Maki (Goto Maki):

Ahh, innocent Goto Maki.... Sixteen years old and willing to wear weird scrunchie hoodies.

I love the huge ringlets.

Pillow love.

Blue Hawaii in Japan is actually what we would call fruit punch flavored. Fun fact for you all.

She doesn't make this face anymore. Or, she has, and immediately killed the photographer like the huge glamorous ninja that she is.

I like it, and I don't know why.

The many faces of Goto Maki. She only makes the bottom two now.

Picspamming-- PB Edition [Part Two]

2009-05-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing my self-gratifying picspam. ;D All while working on my English homework~

Takahashi Ai (ai):

I know Takahashi was trained in ballet and all, but it still looks funny.

This looks so freakishly uncomfortable.

Excuse me, but LEGS.

Iida Kaori (Kaori Kaori Kaori):

Alien leg.

She looks like Yamada from Honey and Clover. xD I thought that when I first saw the movie, too.

This is the most beautiful shot in the book.

I like megane Iida. =D

Ohhh, I love it.

Niigaki Risa (Isshun):

I love love love Gaki's hair.

Skipping~

Oh noes, she's being attacked by flowers~

I want. D=

Tanaka Reina (Very Reina):

Tanaka always gets the coolest outfits. Especially in this book.

Go Go Berryz Kamen?

Lacy earrings FTW?

Those are some ugly shoes.

The punkish styles really suit her.

Ooh, the fanservice.

That's quite the epic dress.

Morning Musume (Bromides):

Mr. Moonlight Yossie = love

That's something you never see anymore: Yossie with pigtails.

I'm actually quite a fan of Rika's Pippi braids.

I love how not-photogenic Yossie was.... (and still sort of is, if you think about it) Her head looks really big, too. xD

....And how did Gaki grow up to be so beautiful again? xD

[And speaking of gorgeous Gaki]

Niigaki Risa (Happy Girl):

[Warning, this is probably my favorite photobook evar, so expect lots of fangirl drooling.]

I love how she almost completely blends in with the snow.

Gaki-sama, suddenly feeling incredibly powerful... "With this, I could become leader...!"

Noooo. Niigaki would never do that.... ;D

Either Gaki was feeling hungry or that pile of snow has one great sense of humor.

Om nom nom?

She's so very cute. x3 Her feelers, too. ;D

(Those are some impressive strands of hair that are trying to get away.)

I love how natural this shot is.

Ikou!

Dental care is very important for Gaki. She doesn't want to end up like Airi.

Surprised by something.

Gaki has almost eaten a lot of things in this book.

Mm-mm, nothing like Risa's Homemade Cornflake Cookies.

I want her nails.

I love it when they reuse sets. =3

Fwump.

God, I love it.

NEW Mini Moni?!

2009-05-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

Say it ain't so!

Recently Tsunku announced that he would be recreating our beloved Mini Moni!

For those of you who don't know, Mini Moni was a group created by Morning Musume generation 2 member Yaguchi Mari. She recruited two fourth gen members, Tsuji Nozomi and Kago Ai and later Coconuts Musume member Mika Todd was odd. It was a group known for its cute, infectious, often child-like songs, and its one rule: all members must be 4'11" or shorter.

Here is their debut single:

Jankenpyon, AKA, best random song in the world. xD

Here is Mini Moni a few years later, after Takahashi Ai replaced Yaguchi Mari.

I really like this song, too. (Crazy About You)

Here is some Mini Moni/Mini Moni members video spamming. ;D

Yaguchi Mari's solo single

Kago Ai's soon-to-be released single.

Tsuji Nozomi's Furusato

Mika Todd (I love, love, love Mika more than ANYTHING)

Link, because I can't embed it~

Yes.

Anywho, Tsunku announced that there will be a whole new cast, starting with...

THAT'S RIGHT! The green one!

Fukuda Kanon will be the first member.

Ehh... Fukuda.

She is fourteen years old, and her favorite animal is the llama. Up until recently she was in H!P Eggs, and then switched over to Shugo Chara! Eggs. She is 142 cm, so she fits the rules.

Personally, I think Fukuda is boring. She's cute, yes, but.... She just doesn't have the funny thing going on that made Mini Moni awesome.

If I could have a perfect Mini Moni, it would include:

Linlin- I know she's not short enough. She's 5'2". But still. She is complete Mini Moni material, and she can really sing~

Don't believe me?

Maasa- Okay, she's waaaay too tall. But she's also awesome.

Chinami- She's short enough. And she's really cute. =D

And someone else.... Maybe Erika. xD I dunno.

I'm not too excited about Kanon being a member of Mini Moni, but it will be interesting to see how it turns out....

Picspamming-- PB Edition [Part One]

2009-05-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Iiiiiii love photobooks. I really do. They make my fangirl world go around. Most girls my age obsess over hot actors. I look at girls running around Guam or Hawaii or even Canada. I don't even mind the bikini shots all that much. I'm not ashamed of it. Everyone's entitled to what makes them happy. Cute girls make me happy. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Anywho, photobooks are lovely. There are some really gorgeous shots, some really sexy ones, some are cute, some are funny, and some are so bizarre that you question what the photographer was thinking.

I'm bored and exhausted from school, practicing my dance for PE over and over again, and studying for Japanese. Actually, I'm doing that now, too. ;D

Here are some of my favorite shots from the photobooks I have on my computer. This will be the ULTIMATE picspam, so I might break it up into several parts. =3

Takahashi Ai (19):

I love this set of photos. She's cute and doesn't look so much like a monkey and do I find it odd that she's wearing a 9/11 shirt? Not at all.

More happy.

(Shh, don't ruin it.)

Personally, I don't find that her profile-shots are the most flattering. She has a fairly flat face.

Sporting a lovely bikini and some hefty sideburns.

....Major see-through-skirt moment right here. Her face just screams "Hee, you silly wota, you can almost see my panties but not really! Focus as hard as you want, you won't see anything~"

Maybe it's because I'm completely Californian, so we don't use those mysterious heating contraptions down here, but... I don't think you're supposed to sit on them. Don't you get burned or something?

OM NOM NOM

AWESOMELY bad outfit. xD

Gotta love neon yellow dresses and cowboy boots. Heck yes.

Iida Kaori [And someone named Shoko] (The Aegean):

Oh noes Johnson, watch out for killer Greek caaaats

.... I want to know what that adorable creature-thing is so I can buy it. D=

Riding in style. =D

I am fascinated by her skirt. =D

HOLY GEEZ

*wheeze*

HOOOOO MY GOOOOOD

I'm back.

No roflcopter for sexy Iida.

This made the photobook for me. Iida's so amazingly beautiful. Her husband is a lucky guy.

I love the expression on her face.

Brace yourselves!

I LOVE how terrible the lighting is. xD

Ishikawa Rika (Hanabi):

Starting it off all sexy-like. =D Ahh, Ishikawa, why are you so beautiful?

AMAZINGLY awesome. Inner tubes should be used more often in photobooks.

I mean, it might be because I'm a girl, but I'm paying WAY more attention to the awesome purple inner tubes than I am her butt.

THIS IS THE BEST PHOTO EVAR.

I love sporty Charmy. She's very feminine, yes, but I like her tomboyish side. =3

Tsumetaaaaai~

I'll end this one post here. BUT MORE WILL COME! Look forward to it. ;D

From Otaku to Wota...

2009-05-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

A year ago, you could have asked me what my favorite thing in the world was, and I would have answered "manga". Now, if you ask me that same question, my answer will most definitely be "Morning Musume."

It's funny how our interests change over time. And I don't mean just likes and dislikes. I mean hobbies, obsessions. Something that you thought would never change suddenly changes.

I was an otaku for the longest time. Over six years, to be exact. By the time I started middle school I was thoroughly obsessed. It started my love for Japan, it prompted me to attend the high school that offered Japanese as a language choice, instead of the German, Spanish, or French that my home school had. I spent my time reading manga and watching anime and planning cosplays and saving my money up for Fanime.

Now, I still read manga, I still like it, but I haven't watched an anime in months. I haven't bought a single manga since the year started. I stopped lurking the anime news sites for signs of fillers ending or new releases. My attention was directed towards Morning Musume and Hello! Project. I initially became obsessed through groupdubbing. I listened to Sakura Mankai, fell in love with it, and joined my first dub. I monitored the person who first held that dub (my dubbing friend Momo) and auditioned for any new ones, just learning the songs as I went. Eventually it exploded into this full-blown obsession.

This weekend is Fanime. It is my third year. If it were like the other two years, I would have been saving up my money since Christmas, I wouldn't have been able to pay attention in class this entire week and I probably would be cosplaying now.

But instead, I spent all of my leftover Japan money on DVDs. I didn't care if I only had fifteen dollars to spend at Fanime. I didn't really care about Fanime until this morning, and even now I'm not as excited as I have been in the past. And today, when I walked through the Dealer's Hall, I was surprised to find that not a single thing appealed to me.

There wasn't a single plushie or hat or T-shirt or book that looked good. I even walked past the booths of manga and didn't even feel the slightest urge to dig through looking for the latest volumes. Unlike last year, there were more booths for hats and action figures, but not a single booth for music, which was what I was counting on. I walked around the hall with zero interest, like I was walking through American Eagle. In fact, nothing caught my interest except for the boy who was carrying around a poster covered with Junjun photos. For the first time I was really excited, I thought that he was advertising for a booth, but he wasn't. He was just like me, an avid Junjun fan.

Looking back, it's a little startling that I have become so detached from the group of people I once felt most comfortable with. I have no memory of ever switching, and it's a lonely feeling. I was walking around in an enormous crowd of people, but I had NO ONE to connect to. Maybe if my friend Sarah had been able to come, it would have been different. Maybe it was because I was with Leah, who rolls her eyes and complains every time I mention the anything wota-like, who claimed that Hello! Project is brainwashing me and that the members just act like how the producers want them to act, and that they're not "actual people". Yeah, this is coming from the girl who pretends to be in love with a video game character. At least my obsession actually exists.

I even found myself looking down on the people at the con. They are otaku, they are loud and obnoxious and fawn over yaoi couples and seem to be completely shameless. Now, I know this is hypocritical of me, but maybe it's my way of responding to the feeling of being all alone. Like... "It's okay if I don't belong. I'm better than them anyway." You know?

Maybe it's because I'm stressed and tired, and maybe because Friday is never fun, and the weekend may get better, but I don't even feel like I want to go anymore.

Let's hope a wota makes him/herself known to me soon. Otherwise, I will surely kill myself.

[PV] Seishun Bus Guide

2009-05-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

The PV for Berryz Koubou's new single can be summed up in one word: awesome.

Honestly, when I first watched it, I couldn't stop laughing the entire time. I actually had to pause the video and laugh even more. I couldn't sum up its awesomeness in photos, so I tried one of those real time audio reviews. But I spent the entire thing laughing.

So photos it is.

By the way, I was going to do a PV review for Guardian 4's single, but the PV was too boring. There's my review. =D

I wasn't very excited to see a dirty freeway. I don't think anyone is.

And then I was further confused by the boys' uniforms.

They all get their first look at their tour guide.

I like the costumes for the dance shot. You can't see all that well, but they all look really pretty.

Risako is looking particularly cute in the bus guide uniform.

Momoko and her stalker camera.

Bow?

Chinami is cute. I like her with the curled hair. But don't tell me they cut it again? Nooo, I liked her with the long hair...!

Nice dazed look courtesy of Maasa.

Yurina is excited.

Yay?

I love Risako's freaked out face. xD

She's the prettiest boy I've ever seen.

And she fell in love with her bus guide. xD

This is what made me laugh so hard. I just didn't understand why they were boys, and then I understood. xDD

I like Miyabi with the short hair, but I like it better when it's curled. It looks weird straight.

Miyabi.

Chinami and Miyabi are talking about how hawt the bus guide is. Boys.

Cheese~

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Momoko and that awful hair of hers make a pretty convincing boy. A girly boy, but a boy.

Awesome.

She winked and Maasa can't believe it.

Now she's embarrassed.

And there goes Yurina.

She's a bishie herself. =3 She looks kinda sad in this video. In every shot.

I really like the Berryz dances. Especially the recent ones.

Is it just me, or does Chinami look like she would be a playboy?

Poor Maasa.

Long hair on Chinami makes Kokoro happy. =D

She still looks like a boy.

Miyabi is a hot bus guide.

Yurina likes her flag very much.

Saki's in an awkward stage with her hair. She's always in an awkward stage. But this is pretty bad.

Ah-choo~

Sneaky Miyabi is sneaky. And Yurina and Captain look pissed. xD

Some sightseeing~

Wow~ They all squat down for someone OTHER than Risako?

I don't think they're paying attention to what she's saying.

Class photo.

Poor Saki is sad because she hasn't been getting any attention OR funny props.

Dude, I would TOTALLY date Maasa if she were a guy.

Sneaky Miyabi moment number two~

Busted~

REALLY busted.

That's a pretty feminine thing to do, Momoko.

Oh noes, she fell. Quick everyone, save her~

Cards~ And funny Momoko face.

They're... in... space...?

I like Yuri. =D

I can't seem to be able to capture the sheer bishiness of Momoko's lonely sigh, but my goodness. My heart skipped a beat.

Miyabi love letter? I want~

....Wut.

And Saki looks like Risako.

Stalker love.

Noess don't go~

A Bit of MM Cooking?

2009-05-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday my friend Sarah (AKA Hotaru in the dubbing world) came over to film our Japanese project. Our project, for some reason, included pancakes. So why not make them creative pancakes?

We made Junjun pancakes. =D

Here is our first Junjun pancake, before I decorated it.

This is after I decorated it. I am not the greatest artist in the world. xD

I tried to make another, the bottom one. But you can't really see. The pancake is too dark.

This was Sarah's Junjun pancake. She's a bit more creative with the strawberries and powder sugar.

And for the heck of it, here's some more pancakes she made~

Sailor Moon.

Melted pikachu.

They were good. =D

Reaching New Levels of Random is my Specialty

2009-05-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

So, as I was rolling back and forth in my chair listening to the Ichii Sayaka and Nakazawa Yuko Folk Songs album, I realized something... I have not yet posted my ranking of Morning Musume...!

Most bloggers, if not all of them, post their rankings at the beginning of the year, so they know that a full year has passed since they last sat down and thought about which members they like and why.

But screw that.

I realized that my preference could change drastically between now and December/January. I could end up going to the concert and fall in love with members I never thought I'd EVER fall in love with.

So I'll post it now.

It hasn't changed since the start of this year, so think of it as a belated ranking. ;D

9. Michishige Sayumi

Okay, this is an obvious one. I think I've made it quite clear in past posts that I cannot stand Shige. Yes, she's easily one of the cutest members of Morning Musume, but sheer cuteness cannot make up for personality. At least, not in my book. I hate, hate, HATE how she flaunts her cuteness, and how she always takes the "I'm the cutest" route. Her personality turns me off, definitely. And while I find her speaking voice interesting, she can't sing to save her life. People often compare her to Ishikawa as both are not strong singers and they were instead given speaking lines to make up for it. But at least Ishikawa was decent, and worked hard to make her lines sound good. Shige always sounds screechy, with the exception of maybe Shouganai Yume Oibito. But I'm not here to bash Shige. I just don't like her. She's probably the only member of H!P I don't like.

8. Tanaka Reina

Tanaka used to be my least favorite until I saw a video of her playing one of those UFO Catcher games, and crying when she won, even though she had been confident she would. That won me over, so I can't hate her... But I can't love her, either. She is just kinda... there. She doesn't make a big enough impression on me personality wise, and I don't really care for her voice very much. I don't think that she should have the lead so much in songs, but at least she puts in an effort. Her photobooks are cool, though. I like that she has the punkish style. Her new hairstyle makes her head look too big for some reason... Like her hair deflated.

7. Takahashi Ai

Leader, where has your personality gone? Takahashi can be summed up in one word: professional. She's probably the most work-oriented person in the group, and I respect her for that. But that's not enough for me to really like her. She needs to have a personality, some quirk that makes me look forward to her interviews or MCs or general involvement. But her voice makes up for it, and she really has gotten beautiful with her hair at this length.

6. Mitsui Aika

I've gotten in a lot of arguments over this choice. xD Mittsi is cute. She's cute. She's like a puppy. She's bubbly and energetic and is just cute. But she's still in those crucial years, where we NEED to see improvement. This is the time when the idols become stronger singers, better dancers, and really start to become more beautiful. But let's admit it. Aika blew us all away when she debuted in Egao YES Nude. This little girl, only thirteen at the time, had a huge voice and A LOT of promise. If she could develop her talents, she could easily be one of the strongest voices of Morning Musume. But she was never all that popular, and once the pandas joined, she was overshadowed by THEIR potential. All of the focus was put on Linlin and Junjun, and Mittsi just coasted by. Her solo on Platinum 9 Disc was awful, I have to say, and even though she tends to sound a bit better live, the Resonant Live version wasn't much better. She just doesn't stand out to me. Vocally and through her stage presence, I ALWAYS forget that she's in the group.

5. Kusumi Koharu

I really like Koha. Personality-wise, she's a very entertaining person. She acts her age when she's in Morning Musume. She's funny and charming, and I really, really like her. She doesn't try too hard to be cute, or sexy, or anything that she's not. She came off a little strong when she first joined, but she is way more relaxed now. However, Kirarin was a huge mistake for her. When she first joined, she actually had a fairly decent voice, but I think it was too much for her to separate her natural voice from her Kirarin voice, so it just became one thing... But there have been moments in albums and concerts where she has a very pretty voice. I hope to hear more of that.

(BTW, she reminds me SO MUCH of my home-stay sister when I went to Japan for some reason. xD)

4. Kamei Eri

I never paid much attention to Kame before this year, mainly because she was on the shy side and never stood out that much. But all of a sudden, this amazingly gorgeous woman stepped out of the crowd, and I fell in love with her. Her voice is soft, yet clear, and never has any sharp edges or rough notes. I really love it. She's also a very cute and funny person, and I enjoy watching her. She also has a cat mouth that I love. x3

3. Linlin

Ah, Linlin. You're so obnoxious. xD It's true, though. She's a little too hyper and laugh-y. Sometimes you just want her to calm down and be a normal human for once! But I like her. She's funny. =D She would have been lower on my list, but then I heard her performance of Aozora-blah-blah-blah-too-long-to-remember-or-type during their most recent concert, I was hooked. She is an amazing singer, and will definitely hold the group up once Takahashi graduates. She got a part in a movie, you know. Good for her! She's really talented, and she's steadily getting better.

2. Niigaki Risa

What isn't there to love about Gaki? She's beautiful and graceful, funny and cute, and her reactions.... *wipes away tear* She has a power-house voice, and is, in my opinion, the most beautiful member of Morning Musume at the moment, or even EVAR. I love her to pieces, and I hope to see her as leader someday.... (Please, please, Tsunku, don't graduate her at the same time as Takahashi!)

Because she is runner-up, here is some mini-pic spamming for you. =D

Gaki is blinding. =O

I want to eat okonomiyaki with Gaki-sama. =D

Either her dress is too tight or she's really annoyed with something. Either way, her face is priceless. xD

Is it just me, or has Gaki become like Saitou Hitomi, sorta chunky but really sexy at the same time?

1. Junjun

This should come as no surprise. I am madly in love with Junjun. I really am. She's adorable, way too cute for a twenty-one year old, and she's so funny! She holds the bulk of the personality of Morning Musume right now. She's gotten over the language barrier beautifully, and even Tsunku remarked that she "speaks Japanese like a pro". Whatever that means. I don't think you can be a professional Japanese-speaker. Unless you're an interpreter. But I digress.

I cannot sum up Junjun's awesomeness in just words, so here is the customary picspam for you all~

The Platinum 9 photoset is probably my favorite so far. That butterfly ring is really pretty.

Her deformed cupcake is so cute!

I hope they never cut her hair. =D

She's gotten really good at her photos, too. She used to look awkward in all of them.

I love these costumes, and Junjun looks great. =D

YAYZ.

I don't know what this is, but it certainly is cute.

The Platinum 9 Disc-o ball. ;D

Junjun sporting some lovely Engrish. ;D

Junjun avatar. She was a red panda on Haromono@. That's my favorite animal. =D

Le gasp.

The panda suit thing was random and had NOTHING to do with gourmet bentos, but it was awesomely cute. =D Those episodes of Yorosen were amazing.

Miracle*Revolution

2009-04-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

Kusumi Koharu is probably the most well-known member of Morning Musume member at the moment among younger fans. This is due in large part to her voicing the lead character in the anime Kirarin*Revolution.

The magazine Nakayoshi, in which Kirarin is published, also features Koha often, modeling costumes or just advertising. It's a lot like how Ayaya was the Nakayoshi idol back when I read it (about five years ago).

Anyway, today it was announced on H!O's Twitter feed that Nakayoshi will be publishing Miracle*Revolution, featuring Koharu as the lead.

Koha's nickname is Miracle, as she was the result of a long and laborious search for a seventh generation member, spanning over several auditions. She's also part of the reason why H!P has been able to keep its head above water in 2008.

I'm hoping it's like the Mini Moni manga, more biographical and (hopefully) featuring some of the other Morning Musume members. I got my serving of manga renditions of Morning Musume back in their 2004 manga, so I got to see the fifth and sixth gen, but I have yet to see a professional draw out the 8th gen.

And I bet Junjun would be freakishly cute.

Not much information is out yet, like if it's a one-shot or a full serial. But no matter what it is, I hope some scanlators get their hands on it and translate it for me. Because I'm not missing out.

It's a Love-Hate Relationship

2009-04-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

Goto Maki and I have never been the best of friends.

By the time I got into Morning Musume, she was a soloist. As much as I liked her, I never identified her as a member of Morning Musume, but a soloist who simply made her start in the group. She was always too big for Hello! Project. But her lovely smile and talent brightened up many a concert, music video, and TV interview.

But I'm not here to talk about the past. No, I'm here to talk about the current Goto Maki, the Goto Maki who blew us all away her amazing avex debut.

Most people who know this Goto Maki can agree that Koda Kumi has some major competition.

Let's look at some videos, shall we?

(Commercials, courtesy of avex itself. I can't emb PVs.)

Here we have her debut, Lady-Rise. Specifically designed to let the wota that she's no longer the idol they once adored, the PV also allows a few music fans to get whacked in the face with that pink-and-black cane of hers--She's no longer a Hello! Project girl.

I think the cutting-the-hair is a classy way to tell Japan that her image is changing, that she will no longer be the uncomfortably sexy soloist, the adult of Hello! Project. She now will be the incredibly, almost mind-blowingly, sexy singer who will give Leah Dizon and Koda Kumi a run for their money.

Then there was Fly Away. I actually love this song to death, I think it has a really cool beat. But that's not important. The important thing is the video. It's beautiful, as artistic as Goto's H!P photobooks, and oh-so-wrong.

Really, whenever I watch this I remember what my friend Colleen said about Koda Kumi's PVs being like softcore porn. Now, I wouldn't know what that looks like, but there's something about Goto blindfolded on a bed that just screams "YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO BE WATCHING THIS".

But maybe it's my conscience.

Goto Maki is an interesting woman.

I don't really know what to do about her.

She's fashionable.

She lulls you into a false sense of calm with her sweet, innocent smile.

And then BAM! Her amazing figure is revealed.

Her photobooks are amazingly beautiful. I suggest you check some of them out. The earlier ones are sweet and innocent, but eventually they transform into collections of shots that are simply artistic. She really is an impressive model.

One of my favorites.

With her lovely avex haircut and glamorous attire, she manages to make her senior performers look like amateurs, especially compared to the professional air she has.

...But then she shows up in something like this.

But that's not why I'm here. I'm writing this entry in order to discuss her newest single. It's another collaboration, this time tastefully (?) titled "with..."

Compared to the other SWEET BLACK feat. MAKI GOTO releases, this is like the quiet bookworm in a family of gorgeous cheerleaders. It's reminiscent of what she used to sing back in H!P, but with a... may I say, Ito Yuna feel to it?

Apparently she is letting her hair grow out, but I'm not entirely sure if this is a good look for her. I like her with the long, curled hair, or the short hair. Not somewhere in the middle.

The PV is simple, soft, and not too forceful. It's a soft, gentle, healing touch for all of those who passed out from nosebleeds after her past two PVs.

It features several shots, of Goto recording the song, Goto walking down a road... It looks like there's another of two girls I don't recognize... They look like Office Ladies. xD

Goto looks really young here. She took a more mature approach to her appearance, but this clean, soft look is VERY H!P.

The PV is also very soft. It's like a mixture between Morning Musume's Aruiteru and Otsuka Ai's Ai.

At least, that's what I think.

I Feel Like Spamming...

2009-04-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Every weekend I like to dig around the Hello! Online pic board. It makes me happy.

Today I'm bored, and I found some awesome photos, so I think I shall do a bit of spamming.

Shouganai Yume Oibito photos. =3

Everyone looks AMAZING, with maybe the exception of Tanaka, whose hair looks a little awkward, and Aika, whose extensions are half-assed. And Gaki and Kame don't look all that different. I LOVE Junjun's bangs like that.

Kago at the promotion of her new movie. She looks completely different. I didn't recognize her at first.

.... Momoko's head got eaten by one of Shige's headdresses...

As a lolita, I would like to burn that outfit.

Tanaka's hair has deflated.

I like that they're not putting her in the same hairstyles, and I like this cut, it just looks WEIRD.

Linlin, how old are you again? The pigtails are cute, though, I admit.

*head explodes*

GAKI!

That hair....!

I love Gaki's hair more than anything...!

Mai, finally looking her age.

I am LOVING the photos for this single.

Junjun is pure win.

I love this ad. Sides of Melon Kinenbi you don't see often.

Megumi and Saitou look AMAZING. Ayumi looks the same. I'm not used to seeing Ohtani in such girly clothes. xD

Mikiiiii....

Mikiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

I'm loving these ads.

Takahashi is apparently doing an impersonation of Kame. Awesome.

Nono is so cute. D= And she doesn't even look like she has a kid...!

Koha is getting crushed by a giant sombrero.

I thought it was the return of Shige-pink and Koha-pink, but it's really Koha-pink and... Jun-pink?

EPIC photoshoot.

This is my favorite Shouganai Yume Oibito cover. Everyone looks AMAZING. Especially Junjun and Gaki. I think I'll order this version JUST for the cover. xD

The words at the top say "Kowai kao", meaning "Scary face(s)". Yankii-Reina comes out, and Eri looks like she's going to kill someone.

Very cute. x3 I love cellphone pics.

Normally I'm not as blinded by legs as my fellow wotas, but there are three exceptions: Kashiyuka of PERFUME, Maimi, and Junjun.

If you will excuse me, I will now become like the majority of H!P bloggers.

HOLY GEEZ JUNJUN THIGHS!

I LOVE Junjun's bangs. I almost didn't recognize her. She's so pretty~

Obviously I'm not the Majority. =D

2009-04-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

Well, obviously.

The results of Paul's H!P ranking poll came out today, so I thought I'd share how my favorites matched up with the rest.

I wish I could have added Kame, Koha, Linlin, and Chinami, and Maasa and Erika, but I'm happy with my ranking. Ohh, and Yaguchi! And Mano!

*Note* These are all out of 60.

Kumai Yurina--
Kokoro Ranking: 10
Result: 20

I'm not surprised by this. Berryz is popular, and she is a popular member of Berryz. But she's not too popular, either.

Iida Kaori--
Kokoro Ranking: 9
Result: 36

She fell out of memory when she got married, but I'm glad some people still love her.

Sawada Yuri--
Kokoro Ranking: 8
Result: 59

Second to last... Ouch.

Yoshizawa Hitomi--
Kokoro Ranking: 7
Result: 14

You're a popular woman, Yossie. But I'm surprised she didn't make it to the top ten. Not her audience, I guess.

Yasuda Kei--
Kokoro Ranking: 6
Result: 41

Poor Kemeko. But I saw this coming.

Saitou Hitomi--
Kokoro Ranking: 5
Result: 52

Ouch! Taken out right away! In fact, all of Melon Kinenbi were unpopular.

Niigaki Risa--
Kokoro Ranking: 4
Result: 5

I thought she'd be at the top. She beat Shige, too. Good job, Gaki~

Ogawa Makoto--
Kokoro Ranking: 3
Result: 34

Just BARELY beat Iida! Again, most H!P fans don't remember her enough to care.

Matsuura Aya--
Kokoro Ranking: 2
Result: 15

Up there with Yossie? That's good.

Junjun--
Kokoro Ranking: 1
Result: 13

I was so surprised to find out that she beat Yossie. AND she's number 13, my favorite number. ;D

[PV] Shouganai Yume Oibito

2009-04-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

The PV for Morning Musume's newest single came out today.

That makes me happy. =D

I heard the radio rip a few days ago, and I was excited to hear a single that I actually really liked and could remember after listening to it once. Naichau Kamo was good, and I liked it, but I could not remember how it went to save my life. xD I think it's a good sign when a song is memorable like that. ;D

The song itself is a lot like a pop ballad, although I am not entirely sure how to classify it. It's yet another sad song, but it's beautifully done and catchy as hell. For the first time, every single person gets a solo. That's pretty good. And Aika doesn't get thrown under the panda bus!

The violins are a nice touch, too. And everyone sounds great. There's this one part, towards the end, when Reina is singing the "shouganai yume oibito" part, and when she hits the note on 'yu', her voice sounds so deep, like Gaki's... It makes me jump every time. xD

The PV itself is simple. At first, I was worried. But I really love it. It has multiple shots (good going, Tsunku!) and no over-the-top costumes or lights (especially after the other few H!P singles). It's like a mix between Aruiteru and Resonant Blue, PV-wise.

But you'll see that for yourself.

But before I jump in, a thought on the single cover...

GORGEOUS.

This is probably one of my favorite single covers.

Everyone looks beautiful, and SIMPLE. That's the key word. Simple. Morning Musume has very rarely been simple, not since Yossie left, and I LOVE that.

Aika looks AWESOME with the extensions. I think Tsunku is starting to rethink his decision to cut it.

Takahashi wins, definitely. I can't even put it into words how awesome she looks.

I love Linlin with curled/wavy hair. I'm probably the only person who likes her hair cut, and when it's curled, it really frames her face well.

I love, love, love this cover. I love it the more I look at it. ;D

But enough rambling. Onto the screenshots!

(This is a record for me. Over fifty shots!)

It starts off with the girls on a photoshoot set. Ai is looking lovely with her pulled back hair (reminiscent of her early days in MM) and a gingham dress.

Koharu's outfit is not my favorite. I HATE it when they tie her hair up like that, and the coat? Meh. Her legs look cold. xD

Eri is looking cute as always. She really is the girl-next-door character, and I like her hair like that.

Linlin normally doesn't strike me as a very feminine person, so it's a little strange to see her in such a girly dress. But she looks cute. The cut is a tad awkward, though...

MY FAVORITE. It fits Junjun so well, and it looks like something she'd wear! She looks so cute...!

Risa is the queen of lonely shots. xD She looks gorgeous as always, but the pose is a little weird to me... Her arms look too short.

I hate this hairstyle on Reina. But it's the one she wears most commonly, after the 'Reina-cut'. (How do you describe it other than the way Reina wears her hair?) The dress is kinda cute.

Sayumi's killing the wotas with the outfit. xD She's actually incredibly pretty when her hair is down, not curled, and not in one of those ridiculous bows.

What happened to puppy-Aika? She looks cute, yes, but the way her hair is parted kinda irks me...

So they're all reading. Well, Takahashi's not, at the moment. But then she pulls out a book and reads. Exciting stuff.

This kind of shows you what the girls would look like if they weren't idols. Takahashi, especially. Little to no makeup, and hair that is, dare I say, a little messy?

Aika can't even smile for the book? Is there anything written IN the book?

A solo for Aika? Le gasp! That's the first one since Mikan!

I guess she still hasn't recovered from shooting the Naichau Kamo PV...

Yes, yes, Reina, cute, cute.

Whyyyyy do you insist on these hairstyles? Do you remember Naichau Kamo? Do you remember how BEAUTIFUL Koha looked? Do you?

Because Koha does.

I don't think I got a truly flattering shot of Gaki in this entire thing. xD Maybe it's the hair. Yah. The hair.

Risa's face has really gotten round. Not that that's a bad thing, it makes her look her age, but I then think back to Happy Girl and I sigh...

Kame's pretty. =D She looks a bit like a young housewife like this. xD

Why read in a computer lab? Why not Google something? Have you Googled your name recently, Kame? Because I think you would be pleased.

Apparently it's interesting.

I really liked the alternative version of Resonant Blue, so I like this PV. Even if it's just filming the girls in various places in the H!P offices or whatever. xD

Shige shoulder.

And the pandas team up to smack you in the face.

BTW, I hate Linlin's hair in this shot. It looks so limp. At least flip it in or out!

And the pandas are together once again. I know they stick together because they came in at the same time and both speak the same language, but still. Don't they have other friends?

It kind of looks like they're on a date...

We see this face on Linlin a lot. She is a very happy person.

But we very rarely see Junjun laughing...! Smiling, yes, but laughing, no! I like it. x3 This is probably my favorite shot out of them all. It's just so genuine.

HEY LOOK A DANCE SHOT!

I paused the video randomly, and this is what I got. Pretty, Takahashi! This is such a flattering hairstyle!

Koha has spotted someone. Kame?

Koha is still sad. ;______;

A face we rarely see.

See? Koha is pretty with the hair down. =D

Well, maybe not in this shot. But she's singing.

Tanaka's head looks small when it's not puffed up with her side-ponytail-Reina-thing. She looks cute, though. I like the headband.

Is Reina the only one who has THREE outfits? One for the dance, one for the close up, and one for the random walk around?

Is Shige texting Linlin?

I bet I could do this dance. =D

I cought myself a Kame! And a Mame!

And Takahashi touching her face again.

JUNJUN NEEDS A PHOTOBOOK NOW!

She's so cute. x3

Finally! Junjun gets a closeup shot! And it's....

Err...

Power nap.

"Ne, Risa? Did you hear? That was a Junjun solo just now!"

"Junjun got a decent solo in a single? Imagine that!"

Kame's floating around everyone's shots. xD

"My turn to have a solo!"

See, she's not reading a book or a script or a notebook or a text. She's reading ads...?

It looks like where they took shot part of the Berryz Koubou calendar. xD

I like this shot. And they're placed by importance!

Takahashi the closest, and then Tanaka, and Koha, Kame, Risa, Shige, and the 8th gen in the back.

Finally, Gaki gets her solo.

This was a cool part. The violins took over and they danced.

So here they were showing the solo shots of all of the members. But Linlin isn't popular enough yet to be in her own shot. She needs Junjun's hand to be there, too.

WHY DID YOU CUT HER HAIIIIIIR?!

Another favorite.

God, Mittsi is depressing. She and Koha are bringing down the whole PV!

Run, Koha, run!

It's not too bad.

Aaaaand the PV ends with Takahashi staring at the camera.

I like this PV. It's cute, simple, and it can hold you attention.

But I'd like to request an upbeat single next, please. I want puppy Aika back.

[PV] MY BOY

2009-04-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some lovely screenshot spamming?

I KNOW I AM!

So I watched the PV for Buono's MY BOY today. And then I had to walk the dog. BUT THEN I came back and pulled out my favorite shots. ;D

What I love about Buono is that get better and better every time. I didn't think it could get better than Rottara Rottara, but then co.no.mi.chi came out. And even though I didn't care for the PV all that much, I really loved it. And then their album Buono 2 came out. And HOLY GEEZ it was great. How are they going to top Buono 2?

Then Tsunku released this wonderful thing.

I love that Buono has taken more a rockish/dance-y sound. They were cute and all, but Miyabi's too badass for that cutesy thing now.

This PV is probably one of my favorites now. It reminds me a lot of Gachinko de Ikou (similar outfits), Miss Love Tantei (the box thing and the lighting), Roman ~My Dear Boy~ (the lighting, too), and Cinderella Complex. And you'll see why.

It was funny and entertaining. I haven't been so interested in a PV since, I think, Mr. Moonlight. xD Momoko's expressions are pure win. Miyabi is GORGEOUS. And they have some of the best costumes I've seen in history of H!P. The giant, what appear to be fuzzy, rings are a little weird, though. But it matches the neon-y, decora look they have. =3

ONTO THE SHOTS!

It starts with a box. What's in the box? It looks like chocolates. For me? You shouldn't have. =D

But it's very important and there are guards.

It looks like the room they used for Cinderella Complex! Tsunku, stop reusing sets like that! And if you are, at least make it less obvious! If you're too cheap to get a new one, stick them outside like you did with Natsu no Yoru wa Danger!

That's the Miss Love Tantei moment. =D

Congrats, Momoko. You can fit in a box.

But how did she get in the box in the first place?

Airi, looking cute. =D How did she get in so easily?

See, a true spy-thing comes in through the balcony! Very classy, Miyabi.

Tsunku, you've gotten so old!

I don't know if that's Tsunku. But it would be funny if he were.

Don't you hate it when your fake gun goes off by accident? I know I do.

Momoko... *wipes away tear*

Miyabi is cooler than you.

"Hmm..."

You can do it Airi! You're thin as a twig anyway. ;D

Strike a pose. ;D

Miyabi's pretty. =D

"Eh? What's this?"

Momoko, where are you putting your hands...?

"Oh, shit!"

"Sorry Mr. Suit-of-armor! I didn't notice what I was doing!"

Surprisingly, she now looks her age. ;D

How come Momoko gets two earrings?

I guess it's one of those perks of being leader.

Airi has gotten really pretty, lately. And her hairstyles have been a lot better, too. She should wear blue more often, too.

Miyabi's rocking the short hair.

*Back to Momoko*

"Ohhhh, I'm so embarrassed... I think I'll disappear into the floor, now..."

How come Miyabi's the only serious one here? xD

An IDOL is crawling around on the FLOOR. That's something you don't see every day.

"What do you mean, AKB48 doesn't have to do anything like that!?"

"Momoko, what the hell are you doing? I'm not paying you to mess around with toy guns and suits of armor!"

She's gone from the floor to a dirty staircase. Good going, Airi.

"Why do I have to take the Elder Club entrance?"

"Oh ho? What's this? A door?"

ARMS.

"Oooh, I wonder what's inside~"

"God, Momoko, stop being such a spaz!"

"Momoko, be quiet or I'll do it myself. With this bottle."

I love Miyabi's pissed face. xD

HOLY GEEZ IT'S A NAZI!

Not only did Tsunku train his idols to be talented dancers, singers, and performers, but skilled assassins, too!

"Yay~ We did it! Now we'll get more lines!"

What's in the box, Momoko?

CAKE!!!!!!!

(But there are a few strawberries missing... I think the guards got a little hungry. ;D)

Because Momoko always carries around a knife with her...

I love Airi's face... xD

Snack time~

"Hey, don't you think it's a little strange that Tsunku has us do this everytime we ask for cake?"

"Nonsense~"

Yah.

This song rocks. ;D

Listen to it.

Nao.