The results for the Country Musume New Member Audition came out today.
Finally, after six months of waiting and guessing and excitement (for me, anyway), the results are finally in.
And...
No winners. None.
We didn't even get to see any of the auditioning girls. No one even said if the finalists will get a chance at being Kenshuusei or not yet, either. No word on what's gonna happen to Country Musume from now on: Are they finished? Is another audition coming up? Will Satoda Mai remain the sole member of Country Musume? The world may never know!
I know Country Musume wasn't the most popular Hello! Project group, at least not without Ishikawa, Konno, and Fujimoto backing them up, so maybe it's just me, but I kind of feel betrayed. As a lover of all things 90s H!P, I was so excited to see such a great group make a comeback. I was eager to see new faces in Hello! Project.
But nothing happened and we didn't even get a good explanation why.
I guess I should have expected this after last year's aborted 12th generation audition. Those girls were apparently too good for Morning Musume and would have changed the image they have now. So maybe the Country Musume auditionees just didn't have the same image as the former members, and they didn't want CM's legacy to be tarnished.
It's also highly probable that UFP is just being difficult because they can and that's what they do.
Whatever. Let's all just pretend this never happened and enjoy this performance of a flamenco version of "Iroppoi Onna ~SEXY BABY~".
Yes, yes, I know this is old news now; forgive me, but I have to share my thoughts on this eventually.
Berryz Koubou announced on August 2 that they will be going on an "indefinite hiatus" after their spring 2015 tour.
While I'd like to say I'm happy they're not disbanding, I'm not sure how I feel about a hiatus either.
Truly I can see why they would not want to disband. I think they've grown so close these past ten years as a group that they're practically a family, and you don't just break up a family. If anything, when their time to quit really does come, I think they should "retire" Berryz Koubou, together. It seems so wrong to say that they would "break up".
But I'm getting ahead of myself; no one is disbanding yet, just going on hiatus. On one hand, some good could come out of this -- the members will have more time to try other things, take a break, or maybe even go to university if they haven't already.
The thing that stinks about a "hiatus" though is that constant state of uncertainty we're left with. No one really knows when or if they will ever come together again like they were before.
It reminds me too much of where the Wonder Girls are at right now -- they're a family, so they don't wanna just "disband". But some of us fans are left wondering if things will ever be the same again. And I hate it. I hate hiatuses.
The Civil Wars already broke my heart this week by announcing their split after nearly two years of a hiatus. Please don't do that to me in two years, BK!
I guess I should end this post with the cliché "I'll still support you!" comment to the girls. And it's true, I will follow and support you all until the day you retire for good.
Also, admittedly, my first thought when I saw the announcement my first thought was "This would be a great time for a Buono! comeback..." For real though, if y'all could make that happen, I would totally forgive this whole hiatus thing.
Now that I've finished writing down all my jumbled thoughts, I'll share with you the playlist of (nearly) all of Berryz Koubou's music videos. Watch them in order from the oldest, because it really is a delight watching them grow up from adorable kids to beautiful adults.
Juice=Juice released the full PV of their song "Black Butterfly" on Friday.
As with their last two singles, Juice=Juice continues the formula of having two A-sides: the first with a dark PV, the second with a light one. "Ijiwaru Shinai de…" was sort of jazzy, "Hadaka no KISS" had flamenco style dancing, and now "Black Butterfly" has tango.
I'm not really feeling this song to be honest. The tango style sounds great in the verses, especially on Karin's lines, but most of the song is pretty forgettable. Worst of all is those background vocals on the "black butterfly" line. It clashes with the soft sound of the song and just... sounds bad to me.
As for the music video, it's also lacking in memorability. Everything is black and dark, and the flowers on the ground remind me too much of "Onna to Otoko no Lullaby Game". One thing that did stand out to me, however, was the dance formation that looked like a butterfly, with Karin in the center of course.
As I always say, maybe it'll grow on me. "Ai wa Itsumo Kimi no Naka ni" was similar to "Black Butterfly" in that it didn't have a pop sound at all, but after initially not liking the Berryz' song, it grew on me and is now one of my favorites. So maybe "Black Butterfly" still has a chance?
If you like this song, you can buy it on July 30 as part of the single "Black Butterfly / Kaze ni Fukarete".
With my new blog name, I'm also trying to produce a nice balance of news and opinions in my posts. I'm kind of just experimenting here so we'll see how this goes!
On today's episode of Hello! Project Station, many high-quality performances from the Hello! Project concert at Nakano Sun Plaza were featured. Each of the groups, including Hello Pro Kenshuusei, sang a song from their latest single, and we finally got a preview of Berryz Koubou's next single song: "1 Oku 3 Senman Diet Oukoku" (which is one of two A-sides).
I really like this song. It's got that cool, almost-electronic-but-not-quite sound that I think fits them very well (see "Heroine ni Narou ka!" and "WANT!"). Tsunku has been having a lot of fun with these dance, electro songs lately, and I will bet you money that Okubo Kaoru arranged this one. Some people think it's repetitive, but I say if it works, the fans love it, and it's done well, then I love this kind of sound!
The choreography is great, too; I especially love the part where they do the wave!
I can't critique the song too much right now because we haven't heard the studio version yet, but so far I've got high expectations for this, and I'm very interested to hear how the vocals are mixed. Maybe we'll get a music video soon?
Berryz Koubou's 10th anniversary of their debut is March 3 (my birthday!) this year, so I hope this single and their compilation album are successful!
(If you like this song, please support Berryz and pre-order the single from YesAsia)
So today we're going to talk about SATOYAMA movement's newest unit, Jurin. This is a duo, similar to Peaberry, consisting of Sato Masaki (10th Gen Morning Musume member) and Miyamoto Karin (Kenshuusei/Juice=Juice member). Both members are very cute and I was hoping for something slow and sweet like Peaberry's music, and I got what I asked for! Yays!
They released their first single, not as a CD single, but a DVD single only. So if you don't have a region-free DVD player or a program to make your computer play it, then tough luck. And that is exactly why I haven't bought this. :(
So their first (DVD) single is called "Hotaru Matsuri no Hi", and it was released on September 4, 2013. The tracklist includes a music video for the song, a bonus version ("under the trees"), a karaoke version, and a making of video. Because I don't own this single, and I really don't care about the bonus features, I'll just be going over the song and music video.
This song is absolutely beautiful. I was barely able to keep from crying when I first heard it. The lyrics, which are subbed on the video for your convenience (and sometimes annoyance), are really sweet and I like how they refer to a specific event in a way that makes you feel like you were there. The music is very simple and kind of country, which fits so well with the emotions of the song.
Masaki and Karin's voices are very pretty, but I don't think they blend very well together. But in a way, the kind of whiny, childish vocals in the chorus add to the sweetness and innocence of the song; so I kind of like it. Of course, they sound their best when they're singing solo. Masaki's voice is super sweet and cute and I just love it! Karin, in my opinion, rules the song, though, and this kind of music fits her voice so well. Also they have a couple of harmonies in there which are really pretty, and even though I'm not a Karin fan I really think she sounds incredible.
I love the SATOYAMA music videos because they are all set outdoors, and even though Japan might be more well known for their cities, I must say that they have some beautiful nature out there. The whole setting is just so sweet, and it makes me want to go camping in Japan someday. There are also some scenes with CG fireflies, which obviously don't actually look like fireflies; but it's still pretty.
I really want this single and I really recommend buying it if you can play it. It's sweet, it's soft, it reminds me of the country where I live. Everything about it is really great.
As always, tell me what you think in the comments! Au revoir!
Earlier this year Hello! Project introduced their new Hello! Pro Kenshuusei indies group, Juice=Juice, featuring five trainees as well as one other member, Miyazaki Yuka. Now, seven months later and one member short, Juice=Juice is making their major debut with five members: Miyazaki Yuka (leader), Kanazawa Tomoko (sub-leader), Miyamoto Karin, Takagi Sayuki, and Uemura Akari.
Their debut single is a triple A-side, titled "Romance no Tochuu / Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne (MEMORIAL EDIT) / Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru (MEMORIAL EDIT)". The first song is brand new, while the latter two are remixes and re-recordings of Juice=Juice's first two indies singles. This single was released on September 11, 2013, and on it's first day sold 23,997 copies!
The single's tracklist consists of the three A-side songs as well as instrumentals for all of them. The limited edition copies contain bonus DVDs with music videos, dance shots, and close-ups.
Prepare yourself for Shayna's super spectacular track-by-track debut review!
1. Romance no Tochuu
This is a really really really great debut song! I think Tsunku has a solid concept in mind for this group's music and he is sticking to it very well.
The song starts out with a slow and cool intro and then all of a sudden bursts into a fun, jazzy dance song. There are some really interesting rhythms in the background music, and the use of real instruments is probably appreciated by people who aren't crazy about H!P's recent move towards electronic music. Still, the instrumental does use plenty of electronic sounds, but they blend really well and aren't over-the-top.
The melody and vocals in this song are really the best part. You cannot just hear this song and not want to sing to it. The harmonies are absolutely wonderful, especially the high one behind "Everybody clap your hands, everybody dance" (which is already the best line in the song). The low ones during "hajimaru ze" are a nice contrast, and when they combine both into the chorus, it's like magic.
The song is led by Karin, Sayuki, and Tomoko, who really get almost all the lines. I have no problem with this, as all are really exceptional singers, and deliver this song with such power and passion. You should also hear them perform this live; it's amazing how flawless they are for being a rookie group.
The dance isn't necessarily special, but I think it's very easy and memorable and just a blast to try dancing along to even if you don't know all the individual steps. The girls, especially Karin, look like they're having fun as well.
The music video is nice. The set for the dance shot is fairly simple but also elegant. I also love the round chairs they sit in for some of the close-ups. I really like the variety of outfits, from the beautiful white dresses, to the cool houndstooth gear, and finally the sporty caps and sneakers. It all combines to make the video fun, but pretty. The girls all look beautiful by themselves, anyway; they all have very different looks, but that's what makes them so unique and cool.
This is really a perfect song for a debut, and I actually wish it was a single A-side, but I suppose there's nothing I can do about that. Most people just refer to the single as "Romance no Tochuu" anyway because the rest is too long.
2. Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne (MEMORIAL EDIT)
This song, as previously mentioned, is a remix of Juice=Juice's first indies single. Therefore, my opinions will really only be on the remix itself, not the original song (as I might review that individually at a later time).
Thank goodness there wasn't too much different done to the song. I was honestly a bit scared when I saw these songs would be re-edited; I mean, they just came out, why should we need a remix now? There was an additional part in the intro, which added a few cool moves to the dance, but then it goes right into the original song. There are a few tweaks to the instrumental, but it's nothing too radical, so fans of the original shouldn't have to worry. I also really love the changes they made to the dance break.
Because of Otsuka Aina's departure from the group, some lines were re-arranged, and I think several (if not all, I can't really tell) lines had to be re-recorded. They still managed to pull it off and make it sound complete; nothing feels like it's missing.
I was quite surprised that these remixes got music videos. They're pretty cheap music videos, but still music videos. The backgrounds are really, really basic. However, I did like the outfits, which had lots of floral patterns, and also brought back the members colors/fruits which were absent from "Romance no Tochuu". I didn't like the obviously fake tear drops, though; as soon as I saw them I hated them. Blah.
3. Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru (MEMORIAL EDIT)
Here we have the remix of Juice=Juice's second indies single!
Like "Watashi ga Iu…", this one had a short intro before going back to the start of the original song. Also like "Watashi ga Iu…", this one had a few tweaks to the instrumental that didn't make it sound like a completely different song. I really enjoyed a few of the vocal effects (not autotune, I swear) and extra beats that were added to the remix. I found that most of the edits to this one improved it, making it less monotonous and giving it a much cooler sound.
The music video for this song was pretty good. I thought the bright red gloves to their outfits were a nice touch. The silhouette trumpet players were a bit odd, though; I found them quite unnecessary. But the black backgrounds and spotlights looked really cool.
I'd say this is definitely my favorite of the two remixes, even though I find both of them pretty useless. It's still pretty fun to listen to them and "spot the differences".
In summary, this is definitely a single worth buying, even though the memorial edits were totally useless. I would definitely recommend purchasing this, especially if you're into something a little different from many idol groups today. I predict that Juice=Juice will go far in the future!
Gosh I hate typing those stupidly long single names. Darn double A-sides.
For some reason I'm actually not super thrilled about reviewing this single. I have no idea why, but I kinda felt it was my duty to review it since I have consistently reviewed at least part of Morning Musume's singles since "Wakuteka Take a chance".
Let's talk real quick about how impressed I am with the success of this single. It was released August 28, and in just the first two days, it managed to sell a reported 105,414 copies. I absolutely cannot wait to see the week's sales. It's good to see that they're building their success back up with almost every single. Though of course double A-sides almost always sell more than normal singles, but whatever.
This is the group's first single without my favorite member Tanaka Reina. The group has proven with this single that they can carry on without her, even now that all the members, except the leader Michishige Sayumi, have only joined within the past two years. Also, this is the first single with Fukumura Mizuki (16) and Iikubo Haruna (18) as joint sub-leaders.
The single was released in two regular editions and five limited editions, which means two A-sides and three B-sides. Limited Editions A - C also come with bonus DVDs.
TRACK BY TRACK TIME!
1. Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke
So for this song I did something that I haven't done in a while with Morning Musume: I listened to the song for the first time and watched the music video at the same time. Something about hearing it on top of a brand new music video makes it that much cooler for me, so that may or may not have affected my opinion of this song.
Put quite simply: I love it. The combination of electronic sounds with those drums. I absolutely love the way it came out. The vocals are also great, and the "Aisaretai" line was just... whoa. I would really love to say something intelligent here about how great it sounds but I'm just too in awe of it, really. Not only the power behind that line, but the echo and just... the sound of it. Argh, I can't describe it, but I love every second of it.
Also, when the other members chant "aisaretai", and it's layered over those drums, it's just like the sound of heaven. Something about the chanting makes me feel the unity among those members. Like they're now a team cheering each other on through the song. That really fits, since they cheer right before Riho or Mizuki or Masaki does her big line.
I never really realized it until a comment discussion I had with Chiima (of Okay! Musume Time) that the members really have great chemistry now. Back when the 9th Generation first joined, the chemistry was absolutely awful to me. It's like the group was split, and the new generation just seemed like the annoying little sisters. Now that they've almost all got the same amount of experience, there's really no superiority thing going on here. It's just ten awesome girls doing what they love and doing it as a team. Sure, some members end up hogging the spotlight more than others, but they really blend well like this. I completely love it.
Now for the music video of this song: OMG, it has a real setting! It may not be anything extravagant, but it's not like some boxed in fantasy world that only our idols live in. It's a real place, where they just have fun singing and dancing on stage. That panning thing they do with like three members at a time is so cool.
My first reaction when watching this video was me just sitting there, mouth hanging open, and occasionally squealing "Oh my gosh, this is so cool!" It's likely the lighting that really did it for me. The darkness in the beginning set the mood of coolness for the song,
The dance, while a little weird, is super energetic and cool. Of course Momusu has been known recently for their unique formations, and it really shows in this dance. The moves really go with the sound of the music, especially in the parts in the chorus where it's like a battle between the two halves of the group.
Personally, as far as both song and video, this A-side is my favorite of the two. It's not perfect, nor my favorite ever, but I will never forget that first reaction. That feeling that I get when I realize that I'm a fan of one of the coolest girl groups in the world. That feeling I've been getting for every single since "Renai Hunter". It just makes me happy that the world has group like this. (Okay that was cheesy but whatever!)
2. Ai no Gundan
This song gave me less of an excited reaction than Wagamama Ki no Mama. I heard this one while watching the dance shot, and the song really didn't impress me that much. This single is really kind of parallel to my feelings toward "Brainstorming / Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai". I fangirled and replayed Brainstorming over and over, but Kimi Sae kind of bored me when I first heard. But there is a difference here: I eventually grew to like Kimi Sae, even better than Brainstorming. But I'm still not that impressed with Ai no Gundan.
I'm not a fan of the vocals. The only parts of it that sound good to me are "bonnou honnou" (especially by Sakura!) and that autotune bridge part before the last chorus. Those sounded really powerful and pretty to me, but something about the melody for the rest of the song just bores, and occasionally annoys, me.
And that main sound in between singing. Gosh I suck at describing it, but it's almost like a saxophone-like sound. Gosh I hate the way it sounds sometimes. (Which makes no sense when I compare it to the sax because I adore saxophones).
Okay, enough negativity, there are some things in this that I really do like, like the little Chinese sound in the background of the verses. And the "ao!" right before the chorus is so fun to do.
What really redeems this song is the dance. If you haven't seen it yet, you have to watch the dance shot for the full experience. The formations with the "hand salute" theme look incredible. It really shows another way that this group is like a team. This dance only looks good when all the members are doing it, because that's when you get the full effect, and the way they layer their moves to create the great formations. I truly love it and wish I had some Jpop-loving friends who would learn it with me. I also love the four-member dance break in the bridge; those girls are so talented!
The music video is good. It has some flaws and some beautiful points. Flaw: RETURN OF THE GLITTER! Why...? I have nothing else to say on that matter. But Riho and Sakura's beauty really makes up for it. Especially Sakura. I swear she looks exactly like a mini Ai-chan. And she sings like her, too! She wasn't impressing me much with her first two singles, but now she's really learning how to work the camera and she looks and sounds gorgeous. Speaking of working the camera: Riho. Rihoriho. She never. looks. bad. I dare you to find a shot in either of these music videos where she doesn't look her absolute best. Every angle. Every shot. How are you doing it, Riho? Tell me your secrets! I want to be as pretty as yoooouuuu!!!
The outfits in the music video are much better than the ones in Wagamama Ki no Mama. The red and black army-like outfits on top of the checkerboard -- holy chiz I just realized that they look like checkers! Really chess would be a better fit when you think about it, cuz of the whole army thing. But still I totally love the outfits. I really want those skirts, and if I could wear a hat (darn this curly hair), I would steal them too. They look really pretty in white, too, and the glitter in that scene actually works, like a beautiful fantasy world.
So in summary: not a fan of the song, love the dance, like the video.
3-1. Bouya
This is one of the two split-group songs of the single. The featured members are Michishige Sayumi, Fukumura Mizuki, Iikubo Haruna, Kudo Haruka, and Sato Masaki. This song is only on the Regular Edition A and Limited Edition D.
I like this song. The beat is nice and danceable, and it actually reminds me a bit of "Kanashiki Koi no Melody", one of my favorite Morning Musume's B-sides (from "Pyocopyoco Ultra"). I always enjoy video-game-like sounds in songs, and this song has a bit of that during the chorus.
The vocals are decent. Sayu's voice definitely isn't the best here. Of course she's never been the strongest singer, but normally they can disguise that with autotune or a cute song, but here it's very clear that, despite being the leader, she's still one of the weakest vocalists. I do like the melody of the song in the chorus, up until that last line ("bouya"). It's so... short and anticlimactic.
The song is nice, but it's missing something. I think it's actually doing better at showing the members' flaws instead of their talents. Still, it's easy and fun to listen to, so it wouldn't be a total waste of your time to play.
3-2. Funwari Koibito Ichinensei
This is the second split-group song. The featured members are Ishida Ayumi, Ikuta Erina, Sayashi Riho, Suzuki Kanon, and Oda Sakura. The song is only on Regular Edition B and Limited Edition E.
Okay, first of all: that "Yeah! C'mon" stuff at the beginning of the song -- I swear I have heard it before, but I cannot remember what song it was in. Does anyone else know?
So anyway, this song is kind of... boring. I really don't have that much to say about it. The vocals are very good, there are some parts of the music that I kind of like, and the rapping is cute. But the song is just so sleepy! So forgettable.
Maybe I'm just used to these upbeat dance numbers by now, but I really don't like this song. Moving on to the next!
3-3. Makeru Ki Shinai Konya no Shoubu
Finally, the group B-side! I really don't like split group B-sides. It's really not the same unless you have the whole group together, like I said -- acting as a team. This version is only on Limited Editions A - C, which of course are the versions with the DVD, so if you want this song (and don't use iTunes) then you'll have to pay extra for it. Boo.
I knew from the first five seconds of listening to this song that it would be my favorite of the B-sides. The intro sounds remind me a bit of C-ute's "Adam to Eve no Dilemma". Then the vocals start out with harmony. The melody is great for most of the song, and there are some really pretty intervals in there. There's a bit too much autotune in it for my taste, but some members still sang really well. Whoever did the last lines of the first and last chorus sounded amazing.
This song is a little slower than I expected, but I like it. It doesn't have to be super fast and all over the place to be a good song. Occasionally the vocals were a little whiny, but I really enjoyed the song as a whole.
Final thoughts on the single: This is not Morning Musume's best or most fun single they have released recently. I'm impressed with some songs, and I dislike others. I'm actually not that interested in buying it. But on a positive note, they are selling well, and even without Reina, they are doing very, very well, and I'm proud of them even if every single release isn't exactly perfect like I want it to be.
Well hello everyone! Are you glad to see me two days in a row? ;)
Today I am reviewing the latest single by the totally cute and fun seiyuu group StylipS! The group features former Hello! Pro Kenshuusei member Noto Arisa (my favorite), so I'm putting the Hello! Project label on this post.
StylipS' latest single is titled "Prism Sympathy", and it is the ending theme for the new anime Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya. I actually did watch the first episode of this anime, for the fact that it is magical girls and StylipS sings the ending song, but I dropped it because I know nothing of Fate/stay night nor do I have any desire to watch it.
This is also the first single to feature StylipS' new members Toyota Moe and Ito Miku.
The single consists of one A-side, two B-sides, and three instrumentals. I will only be covering the A-side and the first B-side, as the second is a re-recording of an older song of theirs. The Limited Edition of the single comes with a bonus DVD with a music video, dance video, two "making of" videos, and a CM.
1. Prism Sympathy
Obviously the first track on this single is the title song, "Prism Sympathy". My first impression of this song when I heard it in the anime was that I wanted to sing along to it already, even though I didn't know the melody! The song has a nice strong beat in it that is fun to dance to. The song is simple anime pop, with a bit of guitar in the bridge, that doesn't necessarily bring much new to StylipS disocgraphy, but I'm okay with that. As long as StylipS stays fun and happy, it's all right!
I have only seen the short version of the music video, but from what I've seen, it's very nice. I love the set, and the outfits are beautiful, especially the sparkly gloves. The new members blend in with the group very well. But of course Arisa is still the queen to me. My only complaint is Maho's hair. It just looks weird to me.
2. Tsunagu Kizuna Tsutsumu Kodoku
The main B-side of this single is amazing! I absolutely love this song! The song starts out with a beautiful piano; as a pianist, I always appreciate any bit of piano in the song. And to my delight, the piano didn't stop after the intro! It remained throughout the entire song, making the strong melody even more beautiful. The bridge of the song comes in and we get a guitar solo which reminds me of Buono!'s older songs.
The vocals in the song really are great, I think. Sure, they're idols; their voices aren't the best. But they really delivered a lot of strength and emotion in the song that just made me love it even more. I would absolutely love to see StylipS perform this live someday. I really hope they will!
Well, that's all for this review! I hope you enjoyed it and I definitely recommend purchasing the single to support StylipS! Let me know what you think in the comments!
I'm still writing about what I love, no matter how old the song is. This single is a little over a month old, which is pretty long in terms of blogging. Do I care? Heck no!
So today we're going to talk about my second favorite Japanese idol group (after Buono!, of course), Morning Musume. Regardless of whether or not you like their new style or members, you have to have respect for this group. They've been around for almost sixteen years, have released fifty-three singles (thirteen of which were #1 on the Oricon charts), have had a nice rotation of members, and despite their later dip in popularity have now risen back up to be one of Japan's favorite idol groups. Not to mention how many tours they've had. I would really love it if Morning Musume would just be around for the rest of my life. They'd be the oldest band ever! How cool would that be?
Anyway, today I'm talking about their most recent single, "Brainstorming/Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai". It's Tanaka Reina's graduation single (my favorite Momusu member of all time; I miss you already!), and it is awesome! It keeps with the electronic dance pop that they've been doing since "Renai Hunter", but every single they release seems to change it up just a little bit in the details, which to me is very noticeable and makes every single special.
This single contains six total songs: three by the full group, one by Tanaka Reina, one by the five oldest members of the group, and one by the five youngest members. And every song is special in it's own way.
Let's start with the first title track, "Brainstorming."
I first heard this song when the "Loose Shot Ver." was released on YouTube back in February, and I was in awe at how cool it was! The mechanical sound effects combined with the electronic music, with simple but totally cool vocals just made me like it. It's actually pretty hard to explain, but listening to it just gives me this feeling. And hello, is that Iikubo Haruna actually getting a real solo line? Heck yes!!!
The background in the dance shot makes it cool, too. The stage is huge and allows the members to spread out into their unique formations that they've been known for recently. And of course the best thing is the arm wave move in the dance that looks like brainwaves. How cool is that?
The full video didn't really add much to the dance shot, so I was quite disappointed with it. But the addition of subtitles made up for it just a little bit (though I wish they had just used the captions feature!).
Next up is the second A-side, "Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai"!
When I first heard this song, I honestly wasn't that impressed. I thought it couldn't possibly compare to "Brainstorming". But next thing I know, this is actually my favorite between the two!
The vocals are much stronger in this one, with an actual melody that really helps you to feel what they're singing about, even if it's not much more than your typical teenage love song. The music is also incredibly fun, and after watching the dance, you will most definitely want to be one of those two thousand people on the dance floor.
Like "Brainstorming", the dance shot for this came out first. It was obviously much cheaper due to the background simply being curtains. However, because I knew it was cheap, I actually expected less from the full music video than I did for "Brainstorming", and therefore I was not as disappointed. So in a way, I actually like this music video better because it was exactly what I expected. (Well, maybe not exactly; they did cut out the close-up shots.)
The best thing about the video though is their outfits! I wasn't sure what I thought about them at first, but I've grown to like the flapper dress with the cool hair accessories and gloves. Reina looks the best of all of them. They only thing that bothers me is Haruka wearing a cap. It just doesn't fit the dress at all. But Reina's and Riho's bows are sooo cute!
So while the dance isn't really anything special, it's so much fun to dance along to while singing at the top of your lungs. Seriously, if you haven't done this yet, I think something is wrong with you.
Now we have Tanaka Reina's graduation song, "Rock no Teigi".
The name of this song means "the definition of rock," and I'm honestly not sure why it is named that because I barely hear any rock in this song at all. At the same time, I think this might have been the goal: combine Reina's idol history with just a touch of rock and let her jump into her new career as the lead singer of LoVendoR, but still have one last pop song. At least, that's how I interpret it.
The song can be very interesting if you pay close attention. The melody does a great job of showing off her vocal ability and range. I love hearing just a little bit of her lower voice, while also hearing her flawlessly hit the high notes. She seems to have put all her focus into this song and delivered what I think is a very nice performance. (Then again, I could be biased.)
I've only seen the full video once, so I can't say much about it, but all that is officially uploaded is her close-up shot. Still, I don't mind this, since I get to see her lovely face for her last music video. Visually, it's not her best performance, as I think she has a tendency to lose focus in her close-ups. But I love seeing her look pretty in pink, wearing a leopard-print bow, and just being a pop idol for one last time.
Oh my gosh, guys, I think I'm about to cry now…
So it's no "Egao ni Namida", but it's still a nice graduation song. Congrats, Reina!
Now for the group B-side, "A B C D E-cha E-cha Shitai".
I can't read that title without singing it. This song is definitely the catchiest on the single. It's a little messy, with sounds and autotune going in all different directions, and not the best vocal performance from the members. Still, with the easy to pick up lyrics, and totally danceable music, it was not long until I started to love it. Next thing I know I'm singing the "uh-oh" parts (the best part to me), "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 *kiss*", and "L-O-V-E, love love love me do." I have a feeling this would be a blast to see in concert!
Also, the line distribution on this song is crazy. I have no idea who the lead vocals even are. But this just makes it more fun because everyone gets to participate and have fun. It's like one big party with all the Momusu girls! Yay!
This is my favorite song on the single, "Tokimeku Tokimeke".
The song features the five oldest members of Morning Musume: Sayumi, Haruna, Ayumi, Mizuki, and Erina.
There's something about this song that I just love. The vocals are just so cute yet are sung with feeling, too. There's nothing fake about it.
And of course, it has so much energy! Even now, as I'm listening to it and typing this, I can't stop dancing!
Man, it bothers me that even though this is my favorite song, I don't have much to say about it. I guess that just shows how I feel about songs. I hardly ever think, I just know when they're good when I feel it. Wow, that sounds really stupid.
Anyway, listen to it and maybe you'll see what I mean.
And finally we're at the end of this thing with "Itsumo to Onnaji Seifuku de".
This song is by the youngest members of Morning Musume: Haruka, Masaki, Sakura, Kanon, and Riho.
I suppose this is the song for those who aren't into the electronic sound, because this is as good as it's gonna get. Still, I can't recommend it because to me it's just a bit sleepy. I expected a more youthful, happy song, but instead it's just like a boring album filler song. Still, I love Masaki's cute voice and it definitely shines in this song.
I think there's a reason why this song was last, because to me it's the worst. I suppose there's nothing wrong with it, I just expected more. Where's the energy? Where's the fun? It's cute yes, but not what I expected.
I feel almost bad giving a negative review of this song, since the rest was praised so highly. I still encourage you to listen to it and form your own opinion on it.
Overall, it's a nice, well-rounded single that I really recommend buying, though you will have to buy several different versions if you want all the songs. Remember that it's on iTunes if you just want to buy the songs cheap.
And please tell me you enjoyed this review or found it helpful because it took me forever to write. :P
C-ute has officially released the music video for their new single "Kono Machi"! And I'm finally back from being ill and having loads of school to do! You know what that means? It's review time!
After Kimi wa Jitensha's huge success last year, it seems that they have decided to see if releasing a ballad will work a second time. I have no idea how well this will sell, but at least it's a decent song choice (originally by Moritaka Chisato). In fact, as I'm writing this I'm singing the song in my head. It's such a lovely melody that I can't help but to love it!
Now let's get to the music video, shall we?
This music video is very simple. It starts out with close-ups, which are actually really close-up! I somewhat have a hatred for those types of close-ups, where all you can see is their face. However, since C-ute is basically the prettiest group in Hello! Project, I think it's okay. :)
Airi's earrings are adorable; I want them!
A few shots of the town are shown, and soon the members are singing in front of them. It's pretty cheap (why couldn't they film on location like they did in Kimi wa Jitensha?), but I actually love the tiled effect on the image; at least it's unique! Each member has a different part of town that they sing in front of (and fake like their walking through).
That must be the train they catch to get home! *chuckles*
This was totally just an excuse to add another Airi picture.
Beautiful use of split screen here!
Besides these scenes, the only thing left in the video is a scene of them in the grey room sitting on boxes. I appreciate this scene because of the fact that a similar scene was taken out of a certain music video... Wakuteka Take a chance
How are you all so pretty???
Because this is yet another ballad, it's hard for me to do anything but compare it to the one from last year. I normally don't like to compare things, but it's impossible not to in this case.
I like the song much better. In fact, I didn't even like Kimi wa Jitensha when it first came out. I thought it was much too overdramatic and it just didn't fit my taste. This song, however, is more sentimental and lovely. It's easier to listen to and sing or just hum along with. The use of monologues was cute as well. Even though it's not their most spectacular single yet, it left a good impression from the moment I first heard it.
I love the outfits for the video as well. Last year's singles had rather boring costumes, but these are just so cute! The necklaces are beautiful, the skirts are adorable, and the shape is very flattering on all of them, especially Mai! Their hair is done simply but beautifully, and I really don't have any complaints for the entire ensemble.
So there you have it: a simple video for a simple song. Is it enough? I think so, and I'm glad it differs from their last ballad, but maybe to some it is too boring. Be sure to watch the video and let me know what you think!
Morning Musume has released the dance shot for their upcoming single "Help me!!", the debut of the 11th Generation.
This song combines the new electronic dance sound of Morning Musume with the more familiar sound that Hello! Project fans might recognize from album songs. Similar to their previous two singles, they have decided to release the dance shot before the regular music video. Personally I don't think this is a good idea as it tends to lower the views that the regular MV gets, but I'm sure many fans are happy to have a sneak peek. With Morning Musume having a stronger focus on choreography lately, releasing the dance shot is a good way to get fans excited.
While the choreography isn't as strong as something you'd see from a group like Fairies, it is pretty impressive as it's very eye-catching and makes you want to pay close attention to every move. The fast movements in the intro invite you to dance along, and the unique formations allow you to focus on all the members. Following the intro, the girls move low to the ground, which combined with the quiet vocals gives a bit of a sneaky and mysterious feel. Near the chorus, we get to see our new member, Oda Sakura, shine with great vocals and all the members dancing around her.
What really makes this dance shot is the backgrounds in the city. Though it starts out dark, with only the enormous moon lighting the area, the lights all burst out in neon colors to give an energetic start to the chorus.
The outfits are quite interesting as well. Leopard print on top of hot pink tutus, and every member has a unique hair piece, with Kudo Haruka's sideways cap probably being the most memorable.
The only thing I don't like about this dance shot is that it's clearly edited, and the random "jump" in footage can get pretty annoying. Of course, this is a minor complaint when you're enjoying everything the video has to offer.
Fans can only hope that this will not be another let-down like the overly-sparkly "One Two Three" or the finished "Wakuteka Take a chance" that was worse than the temporary version (which is exactly why I didn't review it). But if my observations are correct, I think we'll be getting a more fair line distribution and screen time in the future. 2013 will definitely be an interesting year for Morning Musume!
To start off this post, I would just like to make it clear how ugly blogger's new layout is. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it sucks when they don't give you a choice...
So, now it's time for my first full review (on this blog)! Huzzah!
WAKUTEKA TAKE A CHAAAAAANCE! (temporary ver.)
I've been watching the dance practice for this video almost every day lately, and have been anxiously awaiting the video. You have no idea how happy I was to see it! But then I was a little ticked off to see the word "仮" (temporary) on there (I only know what it means because of Up Up Girls, lol). But I suppose it's better than nothing, so I'll take it. (and then I was irritated that I couldn't get it to load on YouTube, and still can't, so I have to watch it embedded on H!P Wiki...)
I'm going to try to do this piece by piece so I don't lose what I'm about to say, because I have a lot to say about this!
I gasped when I saw these electric bed thingies. They're so epic looking!
Oh crud, it's return of the sparklies! They're so bright... so beautiful... so distracting.... oh, wait, I'm supposed to be watching a music video? I thought that was just a background for the cheap effects...
Seriously, though, whoever edited these -- cut it out. It's annoying. It's fake and distracts from the video itself.
I really love these light bars. For some reason I thought there was a name for them, and then I just ended up calling them fluorescent light bulbs. XD
The effect on these scenes are cool, too. It makes it darker so it contrasts from the light, and it gives off this cool, haunting, out-of-this-world kind of look.
Am I the only one who thinks Momusu is supposed to be aliens in this video? There's a picture in the background of earth (from space), and there's another one on the side that I think looks like a galaxy, and maybe on that looks like a UFO. So maybe they're aliens and that's where they abduct the humans and do those weird experiments or whatever those crazy people say they do. :D Or maybe it's the other way around and some humans found them and that's why they're behind those bars. Hmm...
No, no, wait... the other girls all trapped Ayumi in the cell because they're jealous of her dancing skills and won't let her in the dance shot. XD (jk, she's injured...)
Or maybe this video just has no plot whatsoever and just looks cool.
What the... SHE'S ON FIRE! How the heck did that happen?
Mizuki is considerably less boring in this video. Just look at that smile!
I really love the angles they do in this scene. It's so epic!
Other thoughts:
Sayu looked really pretty in this video. I couldn't get a good screenshot, but if you just watch the video you'll see.
I kind of hate and love Haruna's hairstyle at the same time. It looks a lot better than what she had in One Two Three, but her hair is just so much prettier when it's down...
I looooove the feathery black things they have on their costumes; it's so cute!
I love how the video kind of has a more mature feel to it, but some members (especially Masaki) keep it youthful as well. That's the variety I love about Morning Musume!
Obviously I love the song and the dance; pretty much every day I'll start doing the dance in the middle of the house, but of course I look ridiculous doing it. :D But they do it perfectly, and I love the "shake it up" move.
I liked that during the part where the members all get solo lines, they showed close-ups of all of them, instead of switching to a random scene during the least-liked members' parts. Though I wished they could have shown the dance shot at that part, too, but there would be a gap without Ayumi so it wouldn't work.
The last part of the dance where they turn their heads quickly... I feel like that's a key part of the dance, and I feel like the MV didn't show that. If I was editing it, I would have quickly cut to a close-up of Riho as they turned, then switched to black. Maybe I'm just being picky, but I always think of how I would've done it when I'm reviewing videos.
I think that's most of what I have to say. Overall I'd say I like the video, but if this is just the temporary version, then I cannot wait to see the real one!
I'm finally back with part 2 of my mini-reviews! Today we're doing 5 different videos -- two groups', and two soloists'!
Morning Musume - Morning Coffee
It's Morning Musume's official debut single!
I'm sure nobody knows this, but I love this song! It's actually one of my top Morning Musume songs. From a composition standpoint, this song is much, much, much better than "Ai no Tane"! The layering of harmonies is just beautiful, and the music is lovely as well! All of them have beautiful voices, but Abe Natsumi stands out far above the others in both vocal ability and stage presence (or... camera presence?).
The video continues the singing-in-the-town theme like Ai no Tane had, but it also has some lovely scenes in a dimly lit room, which I feel focus more on the members themselves and show us their beauty.
You can see that the members have gotten slightly more comfortable for their video this time! They are all smiling when needed and remaining serious when needed, and I feel like they conveyed the emotions of the song very well. There were some slightly awkward parts where they were just standing there like statues with nothing moving but their lips, but these moments were brief so I'm not even going to count that.
All together, I give this lovely song and video a 7/10. As you can see, I'm not being very lenient with my scores yet. :D
Heike Michiyo - Sotsugyou ~TOP OF THE WORLD~
Heike Michiyo follows up with her second single, a Japanese version of The Carpenters' song "Top of the World".
This is by far my favorite Michiyo song. The vocals are absolutely stunning, even with a fairly simple melody. The guitar in the background also adds a nice touch.
Okay, so Momusu gets a great PV, and then they give Heike Michiyo this? Sitting on a chair is hardly entertaining. "Okay, so let's switch it up; we'll have her sit on the stairs during this scene!" *facepalm* Alright, I'm slightly exaggerating, but really, there's hardly anything special about this. The only thing I liked was the random balloon thing (for some reason I find balloons to be fascinating).
One thing I have to point out is that despite having a lovely voice, I actually don't think she was ever fit to be a soloist. She entered a competition to be in a band; she won the competition to be in a band; she has the stage presence of a lead singer of a band, and suddenly she's made a soloist. To me she just has the kind of voice and presence that would better fit a band. Oh well, guess it's way to late to complain.
Overall, I give this PV a 4/10. The only reason it even got that high of a score is because the song is awesome.
Morning Musume - Summer Night Town
Double dosage of Momusu today, and now we have the 2nd generation's debut song!
Remember how I said how much I loved Morning Coffee? Well, I love this song 10x more! I can't tell you how many times I've blown out my voice jamming to this song. The first generation once again completely owns the vocals. All the second generation got to do was sing the background vocals on the pre-chorus bridge. I feel kinda bad for them, especially since they were in the back during the whole video. They're definitely the most unappreciated generation; in fact, they're the only generation in which I can't remember a single person's name (family or given).
Back to the video: this isn't their best video. The cool thing is that it's the first video in which they get to dance, but of course the dancing is mostly just side-stepping and arm-swinging. I loved the scenery of the city at night. I wish we would've gotten to see more of that in the video. The costumes were nothing special at all. The lighting in the video was so odd; I felt as if I could barely see anything.
So I guess this is yet another case of "amazing song, sucky music video". Go figure. I give it a 6/10, simply because the song is amazing.
Nakazawa Yuko - Karasu no Nyoubou
It's Nakazawa Yuko's solo debut single!
Okay, before I talk about the actual song, can someone tell me what genre this falls in? I don't know what to call it. Also, was the piano at the beginning and end supposed to sound like The Turtles' "Happy Together"? That's all I can think of whenever I hear this song. Anyway, other than that, I love Yuko's voice in this song! It's hauntingly beautiful.
I love seeing PVs that are outside (especially since it looks like Momusu will never go outside again...) and the scenery here is just too pretty! I especially love it when PVs have water in them (weird thing about me) so the little stream in the background just made me happy! Another thing I loved about this PV was Yuko's kimono! She looks absolutely lovely!
Overall, I really like this music video, although there doesn't seem to be much of a plot to it. I'll give it an 7/10. It might have gotten more if it wasn't so forgettable.
Tanpopo - Last Kiss
It's Morning Musume's first sub-group, Tanpopo!
Oh...Em...Gee! It's been forever since I've heard this song; I forgot how much I love it! The keyboard part gives me chills every time. The instrumental, melody, and harmonies are just so haunting and sad. It makes me feel like I'm a part of this song (or whatever, I don't know how to explain it). I mean... GOSH!
Okay, back to the PV. To be honest, I can barely even pay attention to it because I'm thinking about the song the whole time, but the music video was beautiful as well! Everything felt dark and cold, which helped project the feelings of the lyrics. I loved the parts where they kept fading in and out. It reminded me of the past, slowly fading away. You can remember it, but you can never go back.
Yeah, I'm making no sense. Whatever! This song is amazing, the music video is good, so I give it an 8/10.
FYI, I started writing this post a week ago and never finished it until now. Can you say "lazy"? I'm really sorry it took soooo long, but I hope it was worth it! Until next time! PEACE!
I'm starting a new series. I'm going to review every music video Hello! Project has ever released! Ambitious,I know. But I'm going to start from the beginning and work my way towards the current stuff. Most of these videos I have seen, but some of them I have not. Some of them I've seen but haven't paid close attention to, but either way you'll get a new perspective from me, and I may find out things that I never even knew!
I plan on doing several a day. Remember that I have a life, so I can't promise a steady schedule or anything. Anyway, enough talk, let's get started!
Morning Musume - Ai no Tane
Oh gosh, we're starting all the way back in the 90's! Morning Musume -- the girls who couldn't pass the audition to be the lead singer of Sharam Q, and were given a small opportunity to make their own group. Next thing you know, it's the greatest idol group in Japan of all time, and after 15 years, it's still around!
Granted, Momusu is not as popular nowadays as they were in their earlier days. The goal for this demo single was to sell 50,000 copies. They could have sold more if they had more copies available, I'm sure. These days, they sell around 40,000 on average. Sad, but at least their still around.
I love listening to this song. It gives me a happy, calming feeling. A feeling of new beginnings and peace or something cheesy like that.
The lyrics are a little hard to explain. It's basically about getting rid of all your worries, and looking toward your future with a positive attitude.
"I want to scatter the seeds of love"
The video basically consists of three things: 1.) Their singing in a field of flowers, 2.) singing at various places throughout the town, and 3.) blowing bubbles in an empty field.
The thing I didn't really like about this video is that even though the vocals and lyrics were so happy, the singers in the video just seemed... dull. There's pretty much no emotion coming from them whatsoever. This is a bit disappointing, but I'll cut them some slack since it was their first single.
Overall, it's a decent video for a 90's debut. I rate it 6/10.
Heike Michiyo - GET
This is the girl who actually won the previously mentioned contest. However, do to the fact that Tsunku (the mastermind behind H!P) focused more on Morning Musume, she never actually became the lead singer of Sharam Q. Instead, she became a soloist under Hello! Project. Sadly, despite her exceptional voice, she never became as famous as Momusu. However, there are still people like me that appreciate her voice and the songs she put out during her career.
This is one of my favorites of hers. Apparently, this was the song that all the finalists at to sing at the last round of the competition. It made a nice little single that showed off her talent.
There's not a lot to say about this video. She sings the song in different locations, the most prominent to me being 1.) she sings behind some weird wire fence, and 2.) in a white/blue room with a fuzzy boa around her neck.
This video to me is just meh. It's quality isn't very good so you can't really see what's going on, but even then there's not much to see. Great song, but very crappy video. I give it a 4/10.
