Friday 23 December 2011

Buono! PVs for Hastukoi Cider and DEEP MIND

Hatsukoi Cider


We start off with an Airi solo. While her voice is technically good I feel it lacks warmth, if that makes sense. (She could do with some more vibrato). There at lot of things in this that remind me of other music videos. For example, the set reminds me of Perfumes 'Nee', the section from 1.00-1.10 is reminiscent of The Ting Ting's 'Shut up and let me go' and there and 'see through floor' bits that make me think of Renai Revolution 21. The colour contrast between the pink outfits and the monochrome set make this PV simple and effective. Thumbs up!

DEEP MIND


The video for DEEP MIND is very simple and the girls basically just stand and sing. However the lighting and camerawork is infact very very good for a H!P music video. I much prefer this song to Hatsukoi Cider. There is something about the song that is very intruiging. While I'm listening all I can really think is "where are they going with this?" that is similar to what I thought when I heard songs like Morning Musume's 'THE Manpower' and Tanpopo's 'Motto' for the first time. Interestingly there doesn't seem to be any form of guitar solo, which is unusual for a Buono song. There is however, a section with a great use of autotune which acts as a great replacement for an intsrumental solo. Overall, two thumbs up!!

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Hello! Project - 2011 in Review

With many new members, the debut of monster unit Mobekimasu and releases full of something called creativity, 2011 has been a year of change for Hello! Project.


Best Group - Morning Musume


   2011 has been an exciting year for Momusu. 3 singles, I album, 2 concert tours, 1 graduation and no less than 8 new members. Morning Musume really have been hurtling forward at full speed this year. I find it odd to think that just last year every single member of the group was older than me but now 7 out of 12 are younger than me! The Kyuukies were a breath of fresh air at the beginning of the year, bringing a whole new wave of talent and energy. Their first single, while not exactly my cup of tea, had an element of fun and silliness that had been missing in the more recent singles.

   The 30th of September brought the much dreaded, in my case, graduation of leader Takahashi Ai. And what a great way to go. A concert held at Budokan, while plagued by old fashioned green lasers, really was something special. One of the most perfect setlists in years (in my opinion) also helped. During Ai's years as leader the group seemed to become much more tightly knit, with the senpai/kouhai system being less of a barrier. Morning Musume also became a bit of a performing machine, with choreography more in time than it had ever been. Ai seemed to really care about the group, as do Gaki, Sayu, Reina and Aika. Although the chances of it happening are practically nil, I would love to see all 4 of them become leaders one day.

   The 10th generation members, or Juukies, were announced on the 29th of September, just a day before Ai's graduation. I've got to admit that I was fairly surprised when the 10th generation auditions were announced. Even once I had come to terms with this I was only expecting one or two new members, not another four. That said, there was a lot of potential between all of the finalists and I am sure the four picked in the end will prove themselves to be great idols. My personal favourite of the four is Masaki but I am looking forward to seeing all 4 of the girls grow as idols.

   As far as musical output goes, this year Morning Musume have released 3 singles; 'Maji desu ka Ska!' (not half bad), 'Only you' (fantastic) and the double A side 'Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterun da yo!/ Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!' (very good indeed) and 1 album, '12 Smart' which was a huge step up from the slightly lacklustre 'Fantasy Juuichi'.

  I think we can conclude that 2011 has been a great year to be a Momusu fan. Here's to 2012!

Top 10 H!P Songs

10. Uchouten LOVE
Insanely catchy high energy fun!
9. Kiss me Aishiteru
Great when it was released in February, still great now.
8. Midnight Temptation
That guitar solo . . . . . Great chorus as well.
7. OK YEAH!
It's madness! The good kind of course.
6. Runaway Train
The best song on the Zassou no Uta single. Great lyrics too.
5. Aa Yo ga Akeru
Loved this from the moment I heard it. A great style for the Berryz. 
4. Suki da na Kimi ga
While some may say it was a Perfume rip-off, this style was new for H!P and that's what made the song so interesting.
3. Heroine ni Narou ka
Brilliant from start to finish. Stuck in my head almost constantly.
2. Silver no Udedokei
I love it when Momusu does r&b. I love it when Gaki raps. I love it when Reina sings with some kind of emotion. I love this song.
1. Only You
A powerful chorus, an odd yet effective rhythm in the verses, great use of vocoder, nice vocals. What more could you want?

Top Members of 2011




Takahashi Ai
Ai had a certain fire about her this year. It's like she wanted to give her all before graduation and it really showed. With her role in Dance of the Vampire she has shown us that she will have that "fire" for many years to come.



Michishige Sayumi
Another great year for Sayu. She really represents Morning Musume on tv now and I have to admire her for her ability to always come up with jokes and things to say right off the top of her head. She is far from stupid this girl. Her photobook 'Sayuminglandoll' really broke the mould and showed us that the bikini formula is not the way to go. Her involvement in the photobook really shows, I hope H!P girls can get more involved in things like this, it seems to work.



Ikuta Erina
When she first joined Eripon was the girl no-one was really sure about. Many people doubted her capabilities. She proved us wrong and over the course of the year has become a great entertainer and is a quickly improving performer.



Tsugunaga Momoko
Although some find her "kawaii" character very irritating it really has worked for her this year. Momo is to Berryz what Sayu is to Momusu.



Mano Erina
Manoeri is another who has really come into her own this year. Her voice is improving, 'My Days for You' showed us what kind of music she should be doing more of, and everyone noticed how attractive she is.

Bonus Awards!

Confusing hair of the year - Takahashi Ai
Nice vibrato of the year - Tanaka Reina
Growler of the year - Sugaya Risako
Cavity inducing sweetness of the year - S/mileage
Worst instrumentation of the year - Kono Ai wo Kasanete
Bad-ass idol rappers of the year - Niigaki Risa and Mitsui Aika
Successful annoyance of the year - Yurushite nyan!, Cinderella Revolution
Fashionista of the year - Hagiwara Mai
Insect impersonator of the year - Suzuki Kanon
Pervy Sayu of the year - Michishige Sayumi    (it's a given)
Legs of the year - Yajima Maimi

Sunday 4 December 2011

Have Idols changed the way I live my life?

 First of all I apologise for my absense. . . . Sorry folks. For the past couple of weeks the prelim exams have been killing me slowly but surely. Anyway, while I was "revising" my mind kept drifting off to other topics, one of which was how idols (H!P in particular) had changed my life. It is amazing what I will do to avoid studying. My house has never been more hoovered. XD

Like many people in the fandom anime was my way into Japanese pop culture. It was when I watched the series 'Clannad' that my outlook on life change. I learnt to appreciate what I had, and I began to value all the things that I had been taking for granted: the jokes I made with my friends and family, the great oppurtunity I had been given in the form of a piano, the town where I live. I guess you could say 'Clannad' made me more optimistic, even if I do still have that cynical sense of humour. Hello! Project took what 'Clannad' had given me and raised it up a few notches. From the moment I saw Kusumi Koharu's 'Koi Kana' back in 2008 I was amazed at how infectious and bouncy the song was and how happy it made me feel. Despite this I never really got into the whole thing at that stage and it wasn't until 2009, shortly after the release of 'Nanchatte Renai', that I really became a fan. It wasn't long before I watched 'Ayaka's Surprise English Lessons'. I remember thinking, "these must be some of the funniest girls on the planet". I wanted to have that same spark that the girls had and decided to try and be more "genki", for lack of a better word. Seeing all these girls who work so hard but always seem to be smiling made me feel like I was taking my easy life for granted. Their individuality made me feel that I didn't need to hide. I started to find talking to people, and socialising much easier and managed to find a great circle of friends.

There are so many idols that I have to thank.
Nacchi : Someone who worked hard to improve herself (singing mostly) and has inspired me to do the same.

Kago : She bounced back after things went wrong and showed herself as someone who has learned from her mistakes.

Tsuji : Managed to turn what was originally a slightly dodgy teenage pregnancy into a career. She's not as stupid as we were lead to believe. She makes me want to succeed.

Aichan : She lets me feel that it's okay to be shy at times and bold at others. Also it's nice to know that idols can be geeky too. XD

Sayumi : Showed me that you don't always have to be perfect, and that your own talents will shine through.

Koharu : My first idol and the idol with the magnificant smile. Thanks for cheering me up! ^__^

Tuesday 15 November 2011

A Wonky Change of Heart

You may remember that way back on day 2 of the '30 Hello! Project Idol Challenge' I selected Reina as an idol I disliked. Recently I have been unsure if this was the right decision. Sure, I still find Reina to be slightly powerless on stage but she has pretty much won me over as far as personality goes and her voice has improved a lot recently.

I often see people writing about how Reina's singing is whiny and how they wish she would go back to being the "old Reina". As far as I understand, Reina changed the way she sung around her joining to her later whiny tone because her style of singing was harmful to her throat. I think everyone can agree that her tone post Shabondama wasn't the most natural or pleasant. ("Sekushiiii Aiirann" anyone?) However, listening to new songs such as 'Silver no Udedokei', 'Kono Chikyuu blah blah blah' and the new Mobekimasu b-side 'Kacchoi Uta' I get the impression that Reina is finally figuring out how to use her voice to it's full potential. Its as if her voice has suddenly become more 3 dimensional. Her tone is warm and she has some nice vibrato going on. (Now if only Airi Suzuki would follow suit. Another great technical vocalist with an unfortunate lack of warmth.) In fact, I much prefer this Reina to the "Old Reina" everyone mourns.

It seems I will have to reconsider who my disliked idols are. Even Risako has won me over so I guess it all comes back to my original victim . . . . sorry Ayaya.

 Also, Reina is far overdue another photobook. Some of the shots in 'Very Reina' seem pretty interesting. Reina works well away from the bikini formula so I'd love to see a fashion orientated photobook from her soon.

Friday 4 November 2011

Hello! Project need some new groups.

I don't mean fresh faces, I mean they need to utilise the faces they have. Remember subgroups like Tanpopo, Petit Moni and Mini Moni. Random thrown together groups like Gomattou and Def. Diva. I reckon H!P would really benefit from a few new units (is that the word?). It would allow them to promote the girls as individuals rather than just one large shapeless entity. Now what is needed is ideas.

Recently I have been loving this.
Unfortunately I feel that Risako is the only one who really pulled this off. I then came accross a video of C-ute's Chisato singing the same song and loved it.
So here is new group idea number one :
3 members - Niigaki Risa, Sugaya Risako, Okai Chisato.
In my opinion, these are three members who are not technically the best singers but all have voices that are among the most unique and interesting in H!P. This is also a group that would have a lot of power or, for lack of a better word, "oomph".





New group idea number two:
4 members - Michishige Sayumi, Fukumura Mizuki, Nakajima Saki, Fukuda Kanon
After the great 'Suki da na kimi ga' I have wanted a group doing stuff in that cutesy electro-pop genre. I would also love to see this group do songs like 'Momoiro Sparkling' or even something like 'Otome Pasta ni Kandou'. Basically a sweet sugary group.

  I would want this group to have this kind of bold, colourful image.

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Maeda Yuuka to take a walk off down Obscurity Avenue

As far as S/mlieage goes I am a casual fan at best. However, this news screwed with my brain too you'll be glad to know. For a group that was on top of the world at the beggining of the year, really promising to be big, S/mileage is really no longer the same group. They are certainly progressing but at a mad pace. Like a car driving too fast down an uneven country road. (I should really stop using such ridiculous similes.) If I, a dedicated Hello! Project fan, can barely keep up then how are the general public expected to cope. Don't get me wrong. I am not blaming the girls. I just feel things could of been handled differently. Also, they are going to graduate Yuuka on Hogmany?! What a bum-note to leave the year on.

Back to Yuuka. During her years in Hello! Project she has really grown in to a great idol. Although she was never my favourite I can easily recognise her strenght as a S/mileage member. Although Sakitty still holds the vocal crown Yuuka is now the best singer in S/mileage (I think). I have always been impressed at how such a young girl held her own in High-King alongside 4 other amazing idols. I sincerely wish Yuuka the best of luck with her schooling and I hope she does well in her exams so that she can do the university course she is interested in, whatever that may be.  がんばて!!! 


Friday 21 October 2011

A Review of Morning Musume's new album '12 Smart'

It seems that I am unforgivably late with this review but in my defence I have been in London visiting relatives and taking advantage of their large house. I think the most simple way to do this in a track by track format and so that is what I shall do!!

For a start, the cover is actually fairly nice even though the angel theme seems slightly random. The girls look great (even if Gaki-san looks a bit moody compared to everyone else) and the photoshop people have done an alright job for once. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, Hello! Project covers have come a very long way since the sinister floating heads of Second Morning.

Now, to the music!!


1. Give me 愛
Overall, a good way to open the album. The song is fairly reminiscent of '09 emo-musume and some part of my brain wants to compare it to Naichau Kamo. In that comparison Give me Love comes out as the weaker contender but is still a pleasant song and the vocals are great, even if they are fairly AiReinaRiho dominated.

2. Only You
Still in my opinion one of the best Momusu tracks so far this year. It is interesting musically and I think the lyrics do their job well even if they are not the most innovative. 

3. シルバーの腕時計
I like the combination of Reina and Riho for this song because they both have the right attitude for this 'cool' sounding song. Also great rap sections from Gaki and Aika. Usually idol's rapping makes me cringe but this was well done. I normally don't think much of Reina's voice but she sounds great here. The use of piano is nice aswell.

4. 好きだな君が
Some may say this is a Perfume rip-off and maybe it is but within Morning Musume and maybe even Hello! Project as a whole it is a fresh sound. Sayumi and Mizuki do a great job with the sweet, sugary sound of the track and I look forward to seeing what the choreography will be like. Brillant song, thoumbs up!

5. 怪傑ポジティブA
Very fun song, every Morning Musume album needs one. The line distribution is fairly varied here and it is great hearing the kyuukies improve vocally. A energetic memorable song.

6. この愛を重ねて
This song is pleasant enough to the ear. However, it never really goes anywhere. I have got to say, I was hoping for something more exciting when I heard this album would have a Ai/Risa duet. That said, the girls sound beautiful and I hope Risa gets plenty of Ai's lines in future concerts, she never stops improving.


7. この地球の平和を本気で願ってるんだよ!
Catchy song, great vocals, a very Momusu sounding song. I don't actually have much to say on this one.

8. 彼と一緒にお店がしたい!
This song has given us a taste of what post-Ai Morning Musume might be like. Sayu and Reina are upfront for this number almost everyone gets a line or two. This track sounds different from other Momusu singles of recent years which is nice and refreshing.


9. My Way~女子校花道~Pop-rock in a similar vein to 'Buono!' I am not feeling this track too much at the moment but I reckon it will be amazing live.


10. 乙女のタイミング
Poor Aika always gets left with the dull songs doesn't she. This particular song sounds like a ending for a shoujo anime, not a Morning Musume track. Also, it's interesting that they have put the whole shunned circle (by this I mean in terms of lines) in one song.

11. OK YEAH!
I love this! This album's 'SONGS'. Highly recomended!


12. まじですかスカ!
The Kyuukie's debut single and an amazingly genki, ska inspired treat in the same vein as classic Momusu tune 'Koko ni Iruzee'. Won't it be wonderful to look back on this single in a few years time and see how the group has changed. Because I think it will have changed a lot.

12 Smart is a great album for any Morning Musume fan to own. It is rich with variety and a huge step up for 'Fantasy Juuichi'. It may not reach the heights of '10 MY ME' but it is pretty damn close!!!

The regular edition can be bought here:  12, smart / Morning Musume 

 And the limited here:  12, smart / Morning Musume

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Hello! Project : A (Semi-) Outsider's View

 This might sound a bit weird but every time I see a comment on a Hello! Project related YouTube video written by someone who has simply stumbled across the video and has no prior knowledge of H!P I feel slightly excited. "That person might be a new fan" is what I think to myself. (Only when it is a positive comment obviously.) Because of this I decided to find out what an outsider's view on Hello! Project would be. Naturally I went to someone I can trust (kind of), my younger sister. I should say that my sister is not a complete outsider to idol music. She has some knowledge of H!P and could name quite a few songs by Morning Musume and maybe a couple by other groups. However, she is still vague enough on the subject to give a realistic, honest viewpoint. So, wrote down on a sheet of paper the names of the main current H!P acts and asked her to write down a few words about each. Here are the results of this experiment!

Morning Musume
"Morning Musume’s music is usually quite up-beat and cheerful, and sometimes a wee bit strange."

This gives me the impression that it is the upbeat tunes like The Peace, Sexy Boy and Maji Desu ka Ska that people think of when they think of Momusu. I know for a face that my sister could hum along to most of the singles 2007 onwards but I suppose without knowing the lyrics even Naichau Kamo sounds fairly upbeat.



Berryz Koubou
"Berryz Koubou are usually more romantic. Their songs are more similar than Morning Musume’s."

When she says "romantic" I reckon my sister in refrencing more recent material but who knows maybe it's just the Risako pout that leads her to this conclusion.






C-ute
"C-ute is very up-beat, fast-pacing and dance-like."

I can agree here C-ute are famous for their dancing and that wouldn't be if it wasn't for upbeat songs like Kiss me Aishiteru. About a two years ago when my H!P fandom was still in it's early stages I had Tokkaiko Junjou on repeat quite a lot. My sister and I were (and still are!) very impressed with C-ute's dancing.





Buono!
"Buono’s songs are usually romantic and soft, or up-beat and cheerful."

I definately see where she is coming from here. Unfortunately I can't think of much to say on the matter.







S/mileage
"S/mileage are quite new to the world but so far their songs have been fast, happy and catchy."

I had "Ganbaranakutemo Eenende!!" stuck in my head the other day. She is right, most of S/mileage's songs are amazingly catchy. Sadly Tachiagaru has not really struck a note with me yet let alone a chord!





Mano Erina
Mano Erina sings very smiley, cheerful music usually. It is not always fast-paced but it is usually cheerful.

This makes me think. I like Manoeri's releases but I wish they'd give her a single with a bit more depth. I'm sure she could handle it.
Also, I like the use of the adjective smiley as a way to describe music. Nice.




I think this just goes to show, if you open your mind you can find something in everything.

Friday 30 September 2011

The Lovely Takahashi Ai graduates from Morning Musume

 Ten years ago Takahashi Ai joined Morning Musume as part of the wonderful fifth generation. Back then she was a young, shy girl with a strong accent. Now she leaves as an dynamic performer and a great idol. Aichan has been the centrepiece of Momusu for a long time now and hopefully she will now use her skills in a different way and be highly successful while doing so.

  Aichan has been my ultimate idol for a while now but she certainly wasn't the first idol who I began to like. I guess I didn't notice her at first because she didn't really stand out. I immediately lent towards idols with large TV personalities, such as Aibon, but after a period of floating around on the surface of the fandom I swam a bit deeper and found Ai. Ai has always been a good idol but in my opinion she really came into her own once she became leader. If you compare the Ai of 'Aruiteru' to the Ai of 'Onna ni Sachi Are' there is a huge difference. A sort of increase in power or 'oomph' as I like to call it.

I hope Ai can become more and more 'oomph' filled in her life post-musume.

I will leave you with Takahashi Ai's great performance of the stunning Goto Maki ballad 'Suppin to Namida'.

Thursday 29 September 2011

New Morning Musume 10th Generation Members!!

  The new 10th gen members have finally been announced and I have to say that I am fairly happy with the decision. I previously stated that I wanted Haruna and Sara to make it in. Since then Masaki has been added to my list of favourites. And now that the results have been announced I will say ,"2 out of 3, that's not bad". Even so, I really hope Sara does well for herself anyway (hopefully within H!P) because she certainly has the talent to do so. Haruna was one of my immediate favourites and I fully agree with Tsunku when he says, "She has a pure-like personality and I feel her singing will bloom over time". While she is not the best vocalist Haruna still has a lot of potential. Ayumi is a great dancer and seems determined to succeed. Her voice is a bit "meh" but I said that about Kanon and she is improving incredibly rapidly! Masaki is adorable. She has a very innocent and natural feel about her and I think she will do nothing but good for the group! What I am going to say now might shatter some hearts but . . . I don't really like Haruka all that much. I am hoping she will grow on me but at the moment she is not really doing anything for me, sorry. Hopefully she can prove me wrong (and all other disbelievers).

From left to right: Kudo Haruka, Satou Masaki, Ishida Ayumi and Iikubo Haruna

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Has liking idols changed my idea of good music? Part 2

    So, I have decided to try and chisel my way slightly deeper into the iceberg. This topic is probably not unheard of the the wotasphere and I am sure many others in the fandom have questioned their musical taste. Therefore,  I hope to raise some points that you can empathise with.

   Although I have listened to some odd stuff throughout my time on our planet I have believed for a long time now that The Beatles are the best band ever and have produced some of the most amazing songs of all time. I'm sure many of you feel similar, if not the same. And who is heavily influenced by The Beatles? That's right, everyone's favourite band member turned idol producer, Tsunku! Much of Tsunku's music is clearly influenced by the fab four. Listen to the opening few bars for Berryz Koubou's Rival and Tanpopo's Otome Pasta ni Kandou, the guitar solos from Tanpopo's Ouji Sama to Yuki no Yoru and Morning Musume's Otome no Shinrigaku, the english lyrics "All you need is love" in Petit Moni's Chokotto Love. I'm sure there are many more examples if you dig deeper. I personally believe that some of the songs that have come out of Hello! Project are pretty close to matching the quality of The Beatles. Anyway, back to the main purpose of this post. Basically, if I said to someone "I'm a Beatles fan" they would stay and talk to me. However, if I said "I'm a Hello! Project fan"  everyone would be at the other side of the country before I had even finished the sentence! (this is assuming they know what Hello! Project is of course)

   Just a few years ago I could have a relaxed conversation with friends about music. The closest I get to this now is talking about key signatures with my fellow music geeks. As soon as someone hears you listen to Japanese idol pop they will no longer trust your input in a conversation about music. Although this is a fair assumption to make it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I mean my friend is a fan of Slipknot (don't ask me why) but I try my best not to judge him for it!

   In conclusion, I think that my love of idols hasn't changed perception of good music but I now judge music purely on the quality of the music and not the way in which it is presented. I think many people today are far too concerned with the 'credibility' of an artist. Just because the songs weren't written by the performer that doesn't immediatly make them manufactured rubbish, they could be manufactured genius.

Don't underestimate the idols.

Monday 26 September 2011

Has liking idols changed my idea of good music?

Recently I have been saying things that surprise me (and everyone else around me). A few weeks ago I was listening to Maki Goto's great album 'How to Use Sexy' and on the track 'Glass no Pumps' I noticed a small sound effect and thought "I have heard that before". After a few days of brain-racking I figured out that it came from an Atomic Kitten track. I am hesitant to say this as it is now incredibly embarresing but when I was younger I was slightly obsessed with Atomic Kitten. Anyway, I dug out their cds and listened to the album 'Right Now' in order to find the mysterious sound. As I was listening I realised, "I still kinda like this. It's not that bad".

In other "what's happened to my musical taste" moments recently I declared that Girls Aloud had "a load of great songs thrown at them" and that Diana Vicker's 2010 single Once "wasn't half bad".

I have now got to the point at which I believe good music is good music and I am not rooted to one genre. I like all sorts of music such as classical, romantic, jazz, pop, rock, indie etc.
Although I don't plan to go around shouting it on the streets, that would damage what little reputation I have left, I have no problem with liking songs such as this:


Then again, I also like this:


Don't judge me!! XD

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Front Girl Fear

  With 9th generation Morning Musume member Sayashi Riho dividing opinion I began to think about the attitude we, as idol fans, have towards members who are lucky enough to be placed in the center.

  If you have read any of my blog before you may have gathered that I am a bit of an Aichan fan (haha, that rhymes). Therefore you may be thinking  , "This girl obviously doesn't have any sort of front girl fear!". I wouldn't go as far as saying you were wrong but I think we all, even me, have in the past felt some resentment towards a front girl of an idol group. While I love Ai now, if I had been a fan in Morning Musume's earlier years I might've been less keen on her being rapidly pushed to the front. Also, It took me a good while to come around to Nacchi but she is now one of my favourite idols ever! There are others such as Maki, Risako and Reina who I am not really a fan of but I can see the attraction and why they are/were centre members. A lot of people enjoying rooting for the underdog and I suppose this is why members like Sayu, Maasa and Eripon are fairly popular.

Konno Asami, Everyone's favourite underdog . . . well, almost everyone's.


   Going back to what I originally said it seems as if some people aren't too keen the amount of focus being placed on Riho. I understand wanting your favourite to be more in the limelight but sadly, some girls will almost be more pushed than others. Personally I feel it's good that Riho is getting a lot of attention. After all, Morning Musume needs a new front girl (or two). As long as it doesn't become the Reina/Riho show I am happy. If it was just those two the whole thing might be a bit whiny for my taste. Give some lines to Gaki and Kanon to balance things out.

"The shop's the way it is because it is the way it is. If it wasn't the way it is, it wouldn't be the way it is." Bernard Black

                 

Friday 16 September 2011

My Ideal Morning Musume 10th Gen

Today I watched the audition footage from Hello! Pro Time and found 2 girls that I would love to get into the group.

First off, Iikubo Haruna

 This may not be the best picture but believe me when I say, this girl is very pretty. Her singing voice is not great at the moment but there is definatly potential. As far as I can see her dancing is perfectly passable. Haruna is the oldest of the finalists but I don't see this as a bad thing. I'm sure her age will allow her to have a mature attitude to improving and she will fill the awkward gap between Aika and Mizuki.




Secondly we have Murakami Sara.

I'm not sure but I reckon this girl must already be fairly popular. She has a good voice and will surely be the 'star of the gen' if she passes. Her voice is different and would contrast well with Riho's if she ever got blessed with a centre position. Sara also has a certain calm energy about her (think Nacchi or Gaki-san).


  Take these two girls, though in one of the young ones (not too bothered as to who) and you have the perfect 10th generation.

Monday 12 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 30

After the sudden news of Kago Ai I decided to put this post off until today.

Day 30 - Why Kath Loves Hello! Project


There are many reasons why I love Hello! Project, such as  . . . .

The Music
For many people the musical element of idols doesn't even register as an important factor. For me it is one of the most important things. Before I got to know the girls in any detail it was the music that drew me in. I was amazed that your standard manufactured Japanese pop groups appeared to get some decent songs thrown at them. As someone who grew up listening to the charts in Britain, which were plagued with girl bands throughout the early-mid 2000s (when I was at primary school) I love that fun pop sound. That sound has been missing for a while over here (especially since Girls Aloud vanished) and I having been getting my (over)dose of pop music from Japan for the last couple of years. However a lot of Hello! Project's music not just fun but actually very good. Can anyone seriously tell me that Shouganai Yume Oibito and Shabondama are anything but pretty damn good? Tsunku has some epic skills in composition. (The arrangers usually do a good job too.)

The Girls
The girls in Hello! Project never fail to put a smile on my face. The antics and over the top reactions of the girls are always very entertaining and are very enjoyable to watch. The diverse personalities and characters of Hello! Project create something incredbile when put together, something you don't really see outside of the idol world.

Aswell as the personality side of things many of the girls are truely gifted performers. Recently I saw the performance of 'How do you Like Japan' from the 2010 Pika Pika tour and was astonished at the amount of sheer presense the girls had. Even the idols of Hello! Project who aren't techincally the best singers such as Risako, Captain or Sayu all have their own way of leaving an impression.

 

Sunday 11 September 2011

Kago Ai

I can't tell you how much of a shock the news of Kago Ai is to me. To see the first idol I really loved and someone who I admire in such a bad place to have attempted suicide is awful. There is nothing much I can say about the situation other than Kago needs her fans to support her. She needs to see that there are many people throughout the world who love her and that she is needed by a lot of people. To lose someone so young and with an entire life ahead of them would be a tradgedy. I sincerely wish that she can recover well.

Saturday 10 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 29

I am nearing the end of the challenge and today comes what feels like the hardest question so far.

Day 29 - Your favourite Morning Musume leader?


Every leader of Morning Musume has been great in their own way and deciding who was my favourite leader was an incredibly difficult choice to make. Each girl who has become leader has dealt with the task in a different way. There was Yuko's 'authority figure' to Kaori's 'big sister' to Ai's 'friend who happens to be leader'. In the end I picked Yuko because she seems to me someone who could deal with things efficiently and I like how she still retains her leader position in a way.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

30 Day Hello! Project Idol Challenge - Day 28

Day 28 - The idol that brings special memories of something or someone to you?

 Aichan reminds me of my best friend. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's because they both have huge levels of talent, maybe it's beacuse they both have an ability to be really cool at the right time and slightly spastic and other times. Whatever it is, I see a lot of my friend in Aichan.

Morning Musume Release a Dazzling New Music Video

A few days ago the long music video for Morning Musume's new double A side single "Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa de Negatterun da yo!/ Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!". Along with 2 decent songs, a reeeaaaalllllyyy long title, some shiny gold costumes and some really weird covers Hello! Project has set out for this to be a single to remember. And quite rightly so.

(sorry the screenshots are not very good quality)

The pv starts off with the girls all doing that 'sleeping with a full face of make-up thing. Sayu shows us a fine example of how to look perfect while sleeping.

Aichan then gives us a great "what on earth is that" face.

She then walks through the door into 'bizarre sparkly land'.

There is far too much going on in this dance shot. The gold outfits blend into the background and some poor girl is being engulfed by a giant blue shiny thing.

Sayu just gets more and more beautiful. The background is pretty nice too.
I really like these 'through the door' scenes. It's like an entrance to a new Momusu.
Gaki looks mighty suspicious of someone. Probably Sayumi drooling all over the Kyuukies.
This dance move might actually look okay from a different angle. From here it just looks messy.
Reminds me slightly of Super Mario Galaxy. "You got a star!"
My precioussss . . .
 We are now into Kare to Issho.
This is not how I would like to be woken up in the morning!

Godzilla gets owned.
The cartoon scenes look very like Nacchi's 'Koi no Telephone Goal'.

As much as I hate to admit it, Reina is one of the few who really suits this mad get-up.

 Creepy Sayu puts in an appearance.

I knew the girls were midgets but this really puts it into perspective.

If Morning Musume Burger really existed I would be a whole lot fatter than I currently am.

What's a father in low!?

Fortunately this entire fiasco was nothing but a dream.

Overall this is a fun, imaginative pv, something H!P needs more of.