Moving Into a New Era

With Morning Musume awash with new members and finding new popularity, the Hello!Project "Kids" having past the ten year mark, the revamped S/mileage really finding their feet and new group Juice=Juice entering on to the scene, I would say that it is appropriate to consider this as a new era for Hello!Project.

Starting with the addition of the 9th generation, or arguably the graduation of Eri, Junjun and Linlin, Morning Musume has overgone a huge member overhaul. Add to this a new music style, a focus on dance and an advertising campaign which focuses on 'The Current Morning Musume' and you have, pretty much, a reborn group. The only member who was part of the 'Platinum Era' is Michishige Sayumi, an idol so versatile and charming that she fits just as well into the current line-up as she did into that of the Platinum Era and indeed the 'Whatever came before the Platinum Era' Era. Since the graduation of Tanaka Reina, the group has shifted away from the usual two leads to having several members (namely, Sayumi herself, Fukumura Mizuki, Sayashi Riho, Ishida Ayumi, Sato Masaki and Oda Sakura) forming a sort of 'front row'. This formula worked brilliantly for their latest single 'Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke / Ai no Gundan' and is something I hope will be kept up. One thing that seems to being pushed as a talking point at the moment is Morning Musume's 'formation dance'. The choreography for recent singles is most definitely hitting the mark and is fascinating to watch. To accompany this fresh dance style is more electronic sounding music. I have always had a bit of a soft spot for this type of sound as so was thrilled when the group took on this style. Also, when the group are trying to re-introduce themselves to the current market, some sort of musical consistency isn't a bad thing to have.

Now as far as Berryz Koubou and C-ute are concerned. . . .
If I am completely honest, I don't see them lasting longer than a couple of years tops. There disbanding would however be a huge loss, so maybe I am wrong. Both groups sales have been rising as of late; C-ute's significantly, Berryz' less so. Both groups have become polished units and are a real asset to Hello!Project. Where their journey goes from here? It's difficult to tell.

When it comes to S/mileage I often feel I am one of few who are more interested by the current six member line up than the original four. The current six members are, I would say, a very diverse group of idols and this is probably one of the reasons why I am really enjoying their live performances at the moment. I honestly believe that on stage is where their strength lies, which is a bit odd considering they are not exactly stellar singers of dancers. Their sheer energy, however, is enough to completely hold my attention. Couple this with their latest album being one of the best Hello!Project albums of recent years, and it can be said that musically, they are succeeding. However, the group have been rather stagnant on the commercial side of things. Now, I am not a PR man. I don't know how to fix this. But what I do know is that S/mileage is a group with huge potential that people outside of the fanbase are not seeing.

Lastly we have the newest addition to the machine that is Hello!Project: Juice=Juice
Looking at their indie singles and their major label debut 'Romance no Tochuu' it appears that the sound Juice=Juice are going for is more of a funky, brassy, retro sound than that of their fellow H!P groups. When I first heard 'Romance no Tochuu' I thought of it as a more Tsunku version of Tokyo Girls' Style's brilliant track 'Unmei'. At the moment, I am really pleased with the direction of Juice=Juice and if it continues this same way I will be more than pleased.

Overall, I would say that it is clear that a change is going on at Hello!Project. 'Generation' is a word widely used in the idol business to refer to new members. Whether we agree with it or not, we are moving into a new generation of Hello!Project and in this context the word 'generation' refers to more than just new members. It is undeniably an exciting time to be Hello!Project fan.

After the disappointing 'Satoumi' single new Satoyama unit 'Jurin' save the day . . .

I never actually posted anything on the triple A-side Satoumi single but I think that the title of this post conveys my opinion fairly clearly. I honestly really wanted it to work. The combination of Airi and Risako sounded great but unfortunately the song they were given, while not being bad, never really seemed to go anywhere. The melody of HI-FIN's song was great and the music video was also pretty nice but the lyrics were cringe worthy even by Hello!Project standards. The other group (Mellow Quad?) left little impression on me.

Anyway. On to the proper subject of the post. When the unit 'Jurin' was first announced I thought to myself, "Don't we already have peaberry for this?". And, to be perfectly honest, that thought still crosses my mind occasionally. However, hearing the song, 'Hotaru Matsuri no Hi', I can't imagine it being sung by anyone other than Masaki and Karin.

The song in question definitely has similarities to Peaberry's 'Cabbage Hakusho'. In that they are both ballad-y, heartfelt and bear a certain sense of naivety. The mainly acoustic instrumentation works well and the girls' voices blend very well together. The lyrics are fairly non-ridiculous and the music video, while no 'Cabbage Hakusho ~Haru Hen~' is pretty nice.

All in all, I would say that 'Hotaru Matsuri no Hi' is one of my favourite songs to come from the Satoyama movement so far, along with 'Cabbage Hakusho' and to an extent 'Forest for Rest ~Fore Fore~'. I can't quite realise why it is only being released on a dvd single and will admit that it would make my day if a Satoyama compilation album was churned out some way down the line.

BREAKING NEWS! Blogger, Kath, finally gives in to her better senses and creates a Tumblr blog . . . .

. . . . . And it's called 'Mini Blogberry Pie'!

There have been several occasions recently when I have had an idea that while being decent, wasn't really expansive enough to justify an entire blog post. I thought this would just be one of these problems that I would just put up with and move on with my life.

But there was a very simple solution. And this is it: Mini Blogberry Pie

Tanaka Reina Graduates From Morning Musume

So, after the Higher maths exam from hell, I have finally sat down to write this post. And to be honest I don't really know where to start. The relationship between myself and 'Reina the Idol' has never been simple. When I became a fan of Morning Musume back in 2009, the platinum girls were still in full swing and the AiReina duo were at the forefront the whole time. These days, the 'platinum era' line-up are remembered for their performance skills and don't seem to get half as much stick as they did at the time. However, I'll admit that, I have never really got 'Reina the Performer'. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate 'Reina the Singer'; no-one can deny that throughout her time in the group she has given some incredible vocal performances. Even 'Reina the Dancer' is alright really. Yet, I always felt that the passion I am sure she has never really translated to me as a fan.

A duo not to be messed with!

Reina's solo on last year's '13 Colorful Character' was another vocal highlight.

Now, an area where my views are completely different is where 'Reina the Personality' is concerned. While I never really hit it off with on-stage Reina, I think off-stage Reina is brilliant. She is one of the members who can be talking to a camera backstage and yet you really feel as if she is talking to you. I also enjoy reading her blog because she is one of the girls who writes in exactly the same way as she speaks. Reina, to me, despite her (former?) lone wolf attitude, comes across as charming and funny.

Whether you like it or not, Tanaka Reina has been a huge part of Morning Musume history and leaves a large gap to be filled by the younger members (who I'm sure will step up to the challenge).

Reina's graduation was held at Nippon Budokan and the venue looked incredible, filled with light blue penlights. Personally, I feel that Reina's graduation concert was a very positive event. One which was celebrating her time in the group and looking towards the future of both Morning Musume and Tanaka Reina. I've got to admit that Reina has really outdone her self by graduating in an outfit which is basically just a huge bow. I now really look forward to graduation outfits as I feel that since Ai's t-shirt and jeans combo, they have felt more personal and not like the graduating girl has been shoved into some massive glittery dress just because "that's the way it should be". Reina's outfit was loud, bright and overall very Reina and it is a pleasure to see her standing out and shining brightly while performing the final song, Shabondama.

田中れいなさん、お卒業おめでとう！

Brainstorming and Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai

On Wednesday this week Morning Musume released their third double A-side single 'Brainstorming/Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai'. Continuing the electronic style of the groups recent releases and bidding farewell to veteran member Tanaka Reina, I had high hopes for this single from the start. And I was right to have those hopes because aside from a few things here and there this has been a very solid release.

The leading song, 'Brainstorming', pretty much follows the formula of recent songs in terms of style and line distribution but does it brilliantly. In general, the song goes at quite a pace. However, this relentlessness is broken up by the lines sang by Oda which, similarly to her lines in 'Help Me!', are very contrasting to the rest of the song. In my opinion this is a great thing and I love the variety of voices we have in the group at the moment. I think it will be interesting to see what happens with Oda from here on out. Her voice is the exact opposite of Riho's and I feel that they would make a great leading team for that reason. Staying on the topic of line distribution, it's nice to see Fuku-chan becoming more and more prominent as time goes on. As for the video, I am fairly content. The lighting is nice and the costumes work in the setting. One thing I do wish is that they had employed somebody to polish that shiny floor as in the opening shot it looks mega-scratched.

Onto A-side number two! 'Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai' is a little bit odd as far as songs go but I loved it from day one. Unfortunately not everyone felt the same way and a bit of a debate kicked of. So, here we go. . .
Reasons to love 'Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai'
1. "2000 PEOPLE ON THE DANCE FLOOR"
2. The super robotic verses make real sense when you read the lyrics at the same time.
3. The chorus melody is great.
4. Haruna's cute little hat.

Reasons not to love 'Kimi Sae Ireba Nani mo Iranai'
1. Awkward dance moves.
2. Overuse of the salute. "You've gotta fight, fight, fight, fight, fight for your . . . .
3. . . . Yellow Pepper Keibu costumes!"

So, in conclusion, I would say that the pros outweigh the cons.

And for a very brief reference to the countless b-sides . . . .
'ABCD E-cha E-cha Shitai' and 'Tokimeku Tokimeke' are great, 'Itsumo Onaji Seifuku de' is nice if you like that kind of thing and 'Rock no Teigi' is a bit disappointing really.

Juice=Juice : Hello!Project's Fresh New Group

When I first heard that Hello!Project would be debuting a new group filled with eggs (yes, I still call them eggs) and Miyazaki Yuka (who had previously came to my attention in Satoyama unit 'Green Fields') I thought it would be a bit like that 'Kanojo ni Naritai' song that was released a while back. In other words, a bit like a poor man's S/mileage. Thankfully, I was wrong. What we have got is a saxtastic song, 6 exciting newish girls, some cute casual-style costumes and a cheap music video that reuses the set for Manoeri's 'Onegai Dakara'! . . . Okay so that last one is less enthralling but overall things are going pretty well.

With a group name that is simple but stupid, Juice=Juice's indie single's name is more long but alright. "Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakeshimenakya ne". Seriously, I don't think the Tsunkster really thinks of the 16 year old Scottish girls who's Japanese is limited to things like "田中さんのお母さんの車は赤です。" when he comes up with these titles.

Anyway, the group consists of six members; Miyazaki Yuka, Miyamoto Karin, Takagi Sayuki, Uemura Akari, Otsuka Aina and Kanazawa Tomoko. I used to find that even number groups are a bit awkward in terms of formations and such but since I fell in love with 6 member S/mileage I'm more up for it. I think Tomoko is the only one I know absolutely nothing about but she looked great in this video so I look forward to getting to know her more.

Overall, I like the song. I mean, it's not going to go on any favourites lists but it does its job well and the sax hook is pretty neat. The dance is bold and full of energy, making a nice contrast to the girls' pouty faces in the close-ups. In general, while this release is nothing ground breaking, I find that it gives a good impression of the girls and I am looking forward to seeing the direction they take on the route to a major label debut.

Mano Erina: A True Idol

 From my point of view Mano Erina is a brilliant idol, if a 'safe' one. She managed to merge retro and modern, cuteness and beauty, charm and mystery.

Mano's debut as a soloist perhaps surprised people at the time, but she went on to achieve many things: 3 indie label singles, 13 major label singles, 3 studio albums, 1 compilation album, several acting roles, 5 solo photobooks . . .
All these things she achieved with a welcoming, girl next door aura that made her as an idol.

Manoeri's music releases have been varied, ranging from the piano balladry of 'Manopiano' and 'Otome no Inori', to the super cute 'Sekai wa Summer Party', to the electro-pop 'Onegai Dakara'. However, all of it comes together because of the way Mano chooses to perform it.

Today, Mano Erina graduated from Hello! Project. She hopes to become an actress and I am sure she will be able to fulfil that dream. Good luck Mano-chan and thank you for everything up until now, and of course everything still to come!

 Mano Erina in the short film 'Miyuki's Wind Bell'

Looking back on the year that was 2012

Personally I would say that Hello! Project has had another great year. One that included (right, here goes)

• 20 singles (not including egg/kenshuusei releases)
• 4 studio albums and 1 mini-album
• 2 compilation albums
• 1 new member
• 2 graduations
• 10,000,000 mad hairstyles courtesy of Sugaya Risako
• 2 handle-bar moustache style pigtails (Yurushite-nyan!)
• Tonnes of yellow material wasted on chicken outfits

Now, onto the real business!

Best Single

C-ute's classic ballad 'Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha de Kitaku' takes this one purely by ticking all the boxes: great song, good vocals, pretty outfits, nice choreo, good music video(s) . . .

Best Album

This year hasn't really been anything special in terms of albums but I will give this one to the Berryz in all their potato sack clad glory. All the singles from this cut were quality tracks and album songs such as 'Shy Boy' and 'Rennai Moyou' are well worth a listen.



Best Outfits

 

I actually think all the outfits for the 'Satoyama' units have been great. A bit less showy and a bit more just, nice.

 And another mention to C-ute! These outfits are just fantastic.

Best Music Video

Mano Erina's 'Song for the Date' wins this by a country mile. Remind me; why aren't all H!P music videos of this standard?

Members that have stood out well in 2012!

• Michishige Sayumi - In her first year as the leader of Morning Musume Sayumi has certainly shown why she's the perfect person for the job
• Sayashi Riho - Becoming an ever dominating lead, little Riho has stepped up to any challenge admirably.
• Iikubo Haruna - The originally awkward 10th generation member has found her niche as a spokesperson for the group.
• Tsugunaga Momoko - Another great year for Momochi as she continues her hard work and succeeds in becoming one of the best annoying people out there!
• Tokunaga Chinami - Okay, this one's a bit more shallow on my part . . . but isn't she just stunning! (and hilarious)
• Wada Ayaka - It seems this year that Dawa has finally become a great great leader!

Hopes for 2013

• Morning Musume. C-ute and S-mileage continue in their current style
• Berryz finally find a niche . . . please?
• Better quality album tracks for all
• Some more serious Buono! No more of the fluffy 'sherbet' nonsense.
• Less cheap looking concert costumes.
• A successful acting career for Mano
• More MVs shot outside?
• New photobooks for Risako and Miyabi