Morning Musume '14 - "Toki wo Koe Sora wo Koe" (MV)

Well it's been quite a fun week for my J-pop girl groups. Many new music videos have been released, one of which was the MV for Morning Musume's newest song. I was pleasantly surprised by this and have much to say about the song and video and more.

I absolutely adore the way this song was written. It's beautifully bittersweet, and the first time I heard it I felt like crying. The song, as I interpret it, is about a loved one who has passed away, or even a love that has just ended. It kind of reminds me of Selena Gomez's "Love Will Remember". Even when the love you have on earth is gone, somewhere deep down, beyond time and space, you still have that strong bond and a love that will never truly pass away. It's rather deep when you think about it, and it's something I don't normally see idols singing about; at least not in this way.

But... (why does there always have to be a "but"?) Tsunku is really the only one who gets any credit for making this single amazing. First of all, the arrangement; that dang repeating broken chord drives me nuts. If you're going to use piano in your song, make it sound pretty and not all disjointed and... unoriginal like that. I did hear a little bit more piano going on at the beginning but it was hard to hear because of the STUPID LOOPING CHORDS!

(Okay so I'm the only person on earth who's enraged by that but for real... it annoys me.)

The entire arrangement to me is just too staccato and broken. It's like someone just took a bunch of sounds that they think sound cool and threw them all in a pot with no though about how they would flow together, and this is what we got.

Oh yeah but throw in some violin and people will say it's beautiful.

It is definitely possible to make a song that sounds pretty and sad but still using electronic elements. I'm going to use another Selena Gomez example here and say "Forget Forever", which did have a different tone from "Toki wo Koe..." but still managed to make me rather sad during the main instrumental part by using only electronically created sounds.

I mean I'm honestly no musical expert or anything so maybe I'm just crazy, but in my opinion the arrangement for this could have and should have been much better.

The girls' voices could have also been a bit stronger, but they sound all right and I've ranted enough about this song already so I'll just leave it at that.

Going back to positives, I also love that they're mixing it up a little more with Morning Musume's singles. I think when "Ai no Gundan" was released was when I realized that their sound was starting to get a little stale. Immediately after that, though, they put a little twist on it by releasing the happier, more idol-like song "Egao no Kimi wa Taiyou sa", still keeping the EDM elements but making it stand out from the rest of their singles. Even beyond just the style they experimented with a unique rhythm for the vocals which took some getting used to but ultimately was awesome. (Because H!P is obsessed with multiple A-side singles they also included two other songs which are good but forgettable and I don't even want to talk about them.)

With this single they're doing their first ballad in a while, and I think many people are responding well not only because of the music but because of the variety. In the golden era, I believe Morning Musume was famous partially because of their variety. Their fluctuating line-up was the most obvious example, but they also were able to experiment with different styles of songs while still keeping the same energetic image that made them popular.

I think the key to keeping Momusu relevant is to grow with their new sound, instead of letting it hold them back as if they feel they have to do the same type of single every time in order to keep sales up. From what I've seen so far this year, I believe they are taking steps in the right direction.

(Now if only we can get rid of the double A-sides, because "Password is 0" is boring.)

The song is really the main focus for me, so I can't really say too much about the video. The outfits are pretty, and I like seeing the girls barefoot. The special effects are average. I did like the set for the dance shot, as it truly felt as though they were in space. To me, the whole setting and colors artistically reflected the beauty of the song, even if it was fairly simple.

The dance wasn't their best but it's not really a dance song so who really cares.

The first minute or so of the video did bother me at first because it seemed as if the girls were more focused on looking pretty instead of feeling the emotion of the song. But as the video went on I felt it a lot more from them.

Overall, the song and video give me mixed feelings, but the positive outweighs the negative. It's a beautiful song that can be interpreted in different ways, and I love that. Definitely worth purchasing for any Morning Musume fan.

Things that have happened in the past two months

You know that new Juice=Juice song about how "I want to do lots of things but I don't have enough time"? Yeah that song perfectly describes my life.

Now that I'm not sick, not lazy, AND not busy with school (most of this post was written on a Sunday), I think there are a few things that happened within the past couple of months that I need to catch up on. So here are my thoughts on news no one cares about anymore:

Country Musume Revival

Probably my favorites "news" of the moment is the announcement of auditions for new Country Musume members. A fun fact about me is that I'm actually a really big fan of 90s Hello! Project. Seeing one of my favorite groups from that era is now being revived makes me incredibly happy!

I only wish that Satoda Mai could still be a part of it, as she is one of my favorite H!P members, but her moving to the U.S. makes that impossible. However, I am definitely looking forward to seeing more fresh faces in Hello! Project.

I hope that they keep the line-up as being mostly members from Hokkaido, as that was part of their original concept. If that were a requirement, Inaba Manaka would be the only Kenshuusei eligible, leaving room for plenty of new members. Of course auditions are open to girls from all around Japan, so other Kenshuusei could join. But my dream line-up for this group is Inaba plus about three new girls. 

Though Inaba hasn't been in the trainee program for a full year yet, she does have some more experience under her belt as she was a member of the Hokkaido group PEACEFUL from 2011-2012. (This group was fantastic by the way.) Her voice is not the best, but her dancing is fantastic, and she has an adorable face. I, personally, think she'd be great for the group. But of course the exciting thing about these auditions is the thought of new members joining, and I'm super excited to see who will audition!

Most of all I am glad that Up-Front has started taking an interest in remembering and even reviving its OG acts. First there was the amazing New Years concert with the Taiyou to Ciscomoon and Melon Kinenbi reunions and the return of Heike Michiyo, and now they're reviving one of H!P's oldest groups. I hope that through all this fans of today will be interested in 90s H!P, and that that era will never be forgotten.

Shin Country Musume (Country Musume '14?), I will support you through everything! がんばれ！

Morning Musume 12th Gen Auditions

And speaking of auditions, Morning Musume is once again holding auditions for their 12th generation.

I can't say I'm extremely excited about this. Last year's audition with no results was a huge bummer, and I've grown used to their current lineup; but if my hopes for a spring 2015 graduation for Sayumi come true, then I realize Morning Musume is going to need more members to keep both the talent and variety of their rotational lineup alive.

I've been cheering for Cuca to make it into Momusu since the 11th generation auditions, and my cheering for her won't stop until she's either in the group or over 17. Aside from her, I don't have many people that I think should definitely be in Morning Musume. Danbara Ruru is an amazing singer, and for that I'm hoping and waiting for a solo debut for her. Some of my favorite Kenshuusei are Tanabe Nanami, Kaga Kaede, and Sasaki Rikako, and while I would love to see them all debut soon, I'm not sure if Morning Musume is the right fit for any of them.

I think I'll just wait to pick my favorites from the finalists. Until then, I probably won't comment on the auditions at all. I'm far more interested in Country Musume and Kago Ai's group at the moment.

Sailor Moon Crystal

Toei is finally giving us some info about the Sailor Moon reboot, with a teaser image for "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal", a plot summary, and a July 2014 release.

Admittedly I don't know much about Sailor Moon. I've seen about fifteen episodes of the English dub, six episodes of the Japanese version, and I own and have read the first volume of Codename: Sailor V. I know some of the basics of the characters but besides that, Sailor Moon is kind of a mystery to me.

With the announcement a while ago of a reboot, I wasn't sure if it would continue the story or start over. If it was the latter, I didn't want to know the whole story and then have no suspense or surprises or anything while watching the new version. If it ended up being the former, I would have very little time to rush my way through five seasons of the show before the premier. Thank GOODNESS it seems to be the latter (Usagi is still in her second year of middle school and Queen Beryl is the villain), and I was wise enough to wait it out and not watch the original. Now I can be really excited for the premier and be able to watch the series just as the original fans did back in 1992.

Moral of the story today, kids: the 90s actually weren't that bad.

Nickelodeon "Cancels" Winx Club

Many fans have erupted at Romi Dames' announcement that Nickelodeon has "cancelled" Winx Club; though it's really not a cancellation in the usual sense. Nickelodeon has simply decided not to renew their dubbing/co-producing deal after season 6 ends.

However, many many MANY people still can't seem to get the story straight, so let me give you the whole thing very clearly in a nutshell: Season 6 will continue airing as planned. Rainbow has already started preparation on season 7. Season 7 will be produced, but will not be dubbed in English by Nickelodeon. This means, as of now, no English-speaking country will get the show after this season, but Italy and others will. At the moment no other company has announced plans to dub the series after season 6. We do not know what will happen in the future; all we know is that once season 6 ends, the Nickelodeon dub will be dead.

Make sense now? Good, now show all your friends so people online will quit asking the same questions and potentially spreading misinformation. :P

My thoughts on this are mixed. There are petitions on the net to "save Winx Club" but I've refrained from signing any because I'm not sure what I want. On one hand, I love the current cast; particularly Romi Dames as Musa. I knew from the moment she was casted and every moment after that she was absolutely perfect for Musa. Morgan Decker and Amy Gross were other favorites of mine. On the other hand, I hate the way Nickelodeon has managed the series, and I'm partly relieved that their reign has ended.

I'm also really stumped on where to go from here. The series has already had three different English dubs and a fourth would just be overload. They could always go back to Cinélume but that likely wouldn't air in the States. And 4Kids Entertainment doesn't exist anymore (not that I'd want them back anyway, ew). 

So... what do we do now? Do we just accept that it has been a failure in the US compared to in Europe? That's a sad thing to have to say after ten years of effort...

If I could make everything go my way, I would have all the cast from Nick move to another dubbing company and have the series air on Cartoon Network (the channel it aired on when I first found the series). No co-production deals this time; just straight dubbing from the Italian. But alas, my goal of keeping the whole cast I think is probably unrealistic. And I don't see any "move Winx Club to Cartoon Network!" petitions anywhere.

All I can do right now, as a fan of what-used-to-be, is sit back and wait for something amazing (I guess....). I think I'm ready to move on if this is really the end of Winx Club in my country. If I have to watch all the episodes in Italian with subs from now on, so be it; I've always wanted to do that anyway.

Fairies "Run With U" music video released

After only releasing one single in 2013, Fairies is back with a new single! I'm sure many Fairies fans besides me hope that they have a much better year in 2014, so let's look at how Fairies is starting the year!

Fairies released the music video for their new song "Run With U" on their YouTube channel today. I'm having mixed feelings about this one. On my first watch, I thought it sounded very rough. For one, Momoka (basically the lead singer of the group) sounds very odd when she sings low. Secondly, the music does not have a very pleasant sound, and in the bridge it slightly overpowers the vocals. Finally, the dance in the chorus was unimpressive compared to the rest of the dance.

However, upon my second listening, as always happens, it began to grow on me. I can appreciate the song for being a fun dance song with a strong melody in the chorus, and Momoka does find one good line near the end of the song. While the song isn't technically the best, I wouldn't mind listening to it every now and then as background music for my day.

Though the music video is little more than a collection of dance shots, the girls show that they have fun with what they do, and I do enjoy the contrast between the vibrant highlighter-colored outfits and the beautiful black-and-white clothes they wear. The over-sized striped jackets aren't really my thing, though.

I wish Fairies had had a much stronger start to their year, and to be honest I haven't been wow-ed by them since "Beat Generation". But still I hold onto hope that I will adore them just as much as I did when they made their debut.

(If you like this song, please support Fairies and pre-order their single from CDJapan.)

Berryz Koubou's new song "1 Oku 3 Senman Diet Oukoku" performance on Hello! Project Station #49

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)

Finding the Magic

For a long time this blog has been basically nameless. At first I was fine with this, because the simple "Shayna" at the top pretty much described the theme of my blog. But now it's time for a change…

I started this blog over a year ago as just a place for me to vent and share whatever I felt like talking about. I knew that no one really cared much about what I had to say most of the time, so I just said whatever was on my mind. And then the impossible happened: people started reading it. Oh, it wasn't a lot, and it's still not, but it was enough to make me realize that maybe this blog could be something more if I really put some effort into it.

For the past several months I've been asking myself questions like, "What kind of blog do I want to run?" and "What do I want to achieve by blogging?" Because, while writing depending on my mood was fun for a while, I began to grow bored with the lack of theme. Despite all this soul-searching, I couldn't come up with a single name for my blog. Normally when I'm stuck, I can at least come up with something awkward and cheesy as a placeholder, but I had literally nothing.

In my room, I have a very large collection of notebooks that I've acquired throughout the years, big and small. I use them for things like story- and song-writing, journaling, or just scribbling a quick to-do list. A couple of years ago, I was given a simple pink spiral notebook. Nothing particularly special about it, but this notebook became my new diary, and while I had tried to keep a journal before, I normal quit doing it regularly after about a month or even less sometimes. However, last fall, a very bad time for me emotionally, this diary became the only thing I had to talk to. I would be here all day if I told the whole story, but in short, this diary now means a lot to me. It is my most prized possession and I don't know what I would do if I ever lost it.

On the front of that notebook are the words "Find the magic in everything."

One day, when I was just looking at it, I realized that's what it's all about. It may just be a silly phrase from a cheap notebook, but I think it describes me quite well. I want to look for the positive in everything and everyone. Not that I'm a total optimist, but I like to be happy, and I like to look at the big picture of things and see how magical it is that everything in life just fits together so perfectly.

I think it describes my blog, too, in a way. I like to search through different groups and songs and find what I like and share what I like. Plus, since part of my blog is focused on magical girls, well… there's the magic right there!

So today I am officially renaming my blog Finding the Magic. I think it's cute and girly and adventurous and almost everything I want my blog to be.

Also, today I want to make it clear that my main focuses will officially be girl groups (from all countries) and magical girls (ditto). There's a lot I want to do with these concepts, and a lot of ideas that I have in mind, but I'm reminding myself to take it one step at a time for now. Today's step is the name, and a new layout.

The URL will stay the same, because, well... I like it. It may move eventually, but for now you can always find me at himynameisshayna. ;)

I love you all!

<3 Shayna

Jurin - "Hotaru Matsuri no Hi" Single Review

I am on a roll with these single reviews! WOO!

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!

Juice=Juice - "Romance no Tochuu / Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne (MEMORIAL EDIT) / Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru (MEMORIAL EDIT)" Single Review

Oh my gosh that single title is way too long.

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!