I love Morning Musume's All Singles Coupling Collection!

Following on from my post on Abe Natsumi's mini album '25 ~Vingt-Cinq~' is this overview style post all about Momusu's delightful b-sides collection.

The front of the box case shows each girl's first photo as a musume. The front of the actual cd case shows their last/most recent photo. Unfortunately I myself forgot to take a photo of this. Oops.

The back of the box has a rather cute picture of everyone's favourite super 9.

The track listing goes like this. From 'Ai no Tane' Morning Musume's demo single and the b-side to their debut 'Morning Coffee' right up to the second b-side of the 40th single 'Nanchatte Rennai', 'Subete wa Ai no Chikara'.

Disc 1

1. Ai no Tane (愛の種; Seeds of Love)
2. A MEMORY OF SUMMER '98
3. Tatoeba (例えば; If)
4. Happy Night
5. Never Forget
6. Koi no Shihatsu Ressha (恋の始発列車; Love's First Train)
7. Wasurerannai (忘れらんない; I Won't Be Able to Forget)
8. 21seiki (21世紀; 21st Century)
9. Koi wa Rock n' Roll (恋はロケンロ－; Love is Rock n' Roll)
10. Tsuugaku Ressha (通学列車; Commuter Train)
11. Akogare My Boy (あこがれ My Boy; My Admirable Boy)
12. Inspiration! (インスピレ－ション!)
13. Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru (でっかい宇宙に愛がある; There's Love in This Great Big World)
14. Popcorn Love! (ポップコーンラブ!)

Disc 2 

1. Morning Coffee (2002 version) (モーニングコーヒー (2002 version))
2. Chotto Ikashita PURE BOY (ちょっとイカした PURE BOY; Slightly Stylish Pure Boy)
3. Jun LOVER (純LOVER; Pure Lover)
4. Housekibako (宝石箱; Jewelry Box)
5. Never Forget (Rock Ver.)
6. Namida ni wa Shitakunai (涙にはしたくない; I Don't Want This to Cause Tears)
7. KoiING (恋ING; Loving)
8. Dekiru Onna (出来る女; Able Girl)
9. Fine Emotion! (ファインエモーション!)
10. Ganbare Nippon Soccer Fight! (がんばれ 日本 サッカー ファイト!; Good Luck, Japan Soccer Fight!)
11. Nebou Desu. Date na no ni... (寝坊です。デートなのに...; I Slept In. Even Though I Have a Date...)
12. Love & Pea~ce! HERO ga Yattekita. (ラヴ&ピィ~ス! HEROがやって来たっ。; Love & Peace! The Hero's Arrived.)
13. NATURE IS GOOD!
14. Ai to Taiyou ni Tsutsumarete (愛と太陽に包まれて; Enveloped by Love and the Sun)

Disc 3

1. Koi wa Hassou Do The Hustle! (恋は発想 Do The Hustle!; Love is an Idea, Do the Hustle!)
2. Chance Chance Boogie (チャンス チャンス ブギ)
3. Watashi ga Tsuiteru. (わたしがついてる。; I'm With You.)
4. Odore! Morning Curry (踊れ! モーニングカレー; Dance! Morning Curry)
5. Sayonara no Kawari ni (サヨナラのかわりに; Instead of Goodbye)
6. Hand made CITY
7. Please! Jiyuu no Tobira (Please! 自由の扉; Please! Freedom's Door)
8. Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! BOMB GIRL (ボン キュッ! ボン キュッ! BOMB GIRL)
9. Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai jan! (その場面でビビっちゃいけないじゃん!; You Can't Be Surprised Then!)
10. Romance (ロマンス)
11. Yowamushi (弱虫; Coward)
12. 3, 2, 1 BREAKIN' OUT!
13. Aki Urara (秋麗; Autumn Beauty)
14. Subete wa Ai no Chikara (すべては愛の力; The Power of Love is Everything) 

The 3 discs look like this. Sadly, due to the colours the 'B' pattern doesn't really stand out on disc 3

As some of you may already know, the limited edition of this release comes with a rather nice little hardback photobook.

Simple but tasteful cover. Sorry folks, this book was never going to go on the scanner right so you'll have to make do with photos featuring my (not so) lovely hands.

The opening pages inform us that this is 'The Story of Morning Musume.'

Some comprehensible English for once and a great expression courtesy of Koha.

Aichan looking dreamy~

Just to clarify, there is another couple of pics of each member but I am not going to photograph cover to cover.

Riding the train with the first gen.

Eri, Sayu be careful! Sayaka's looking like she might just push you in!

This feels like Goto's died or something.

All aboard H.M.S 4ki.

It surely can't take that much effort to push Renai and a cardboard Miki.

Everyone's together!

Not a great arrangement as far as height goes (putting Koharu in the centre is rather emphasising a certain someones lack of height) but I love these outfits a lot!

'Idols with Craft Knifes'. New horror anyone?

 Following this is a picture of every member in their last single's outfit with info telling us their name, D.O.B. and place of birth. I didn't bother taking any pics of this section.

Finally, the Morning Musume timeline. It's great to see all the member additions and graduations down on paper like this.

Now for Kath's recommended songs!!!

A MEMORY OF SUMMER '98 
The strings, oh the strings. This song is great for an orchestration junkie like myself. 1st gen fans will love this as well as they take all the solos.

Tatoeba 
Great arrangement, sincere melody, raw but pleasant delivery. What more could one want from an early Momusu b-side.

Wasurerannai 
Think a less ballady 'Memory Seishun no Hikari' but just as depressing. Criminally underrated track.

21 Seiki
A great song about dreams for the 21st Century, a perfect b-side for love machine. Most of the vocals are in unison and have a very full sound (I love you Ayappe). The instrumental break is almost eargasm worthy and the girl's dreams are really just too cute.

Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru
I assume most fans will know this one. It's a classic and never fails to put a smile of my face! :D

Never Forget (Rock Version)
This was sung originally by first gen Fukuda Asuka but this version is sung by Yasuda Kei. I apologize to any Asuka fans/first gen purists but I honestly feel Kei does the better job with this song. Asuka has a great voice but she always sounded much stronger in her lower register and so parts of this song were just a bit high for her. Kei has a very versatile voice and pulled this of brilliantly. And as a bonus the re-arrangement is amazing.

Koi ING
Everyting about this song is just to sweet. Read the lyrics if you can.
Anyway, the optimistic melody flows perfectly and Ai, Miki and Eri do a fine job in the vocals department. Also you should check out this version of the song from some AiGaki dinner show a while back. They are both top notch vocally.

Dekiru Onna
Morning Musume at their most Queen-esque. I love Rika's lines in this song. Even though her voice isn't technically great it always leaves my wanting more.

Odore! Morning Curry
This song is bonkers but in a really good way. And I can't be the only one to get a kick out of these lyrics.
"It's fun, but
kind of bitter
It feels good, but
it's definitely painful
Morning Curry (HI!)
Morning Curry (HI!)
Morning Curry Morning Curry
Morning Curry Morning Curry"

Hand Made City
More Queen influence here, this time in the 'We Will Rock You' Style beat. And you know, it's a concert staple this one. Although they might be a bit more challenged with the loss of Ai and her growl. 


Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! BOMB GIRL
I love this song far too much. It sounds like a cheesy old tv theme but the brass, guitar and general energy make it so much more.


Yowamushi
This song is sang by Gaki and Sayu. Odd combination but it kinda works. I was really hoping to hear the two of theme sing it live but I guess the chance is gone. *sigh* I love the old school Momusu song of this song.


3, 2, 1 BREAKIN' OUT 
I wish this could've been an a-side. The combo of that riff and the 8-bit sounds was just too flawless. Luckily, I did get a music video and was theme for the girl's trip to Anime Expo over in the States.


Aki Urara
I really dig the guitar intro and then the transfer into a more synthy sound. The vocal harmonies are pretty nice too.




Overall, I would say this is a must have for any Morning Musume fan. If you're worried about price then find an overseas version. I got the Taiwan version from Yesasia for about £18. Not half bad for 3 cds and a photobook. For the record, I much prefer the presentation of this to the A-sides collection with it's annoying dvd. Four performances of Do it! Now was 3 too many (and two of them were the same!!). If you've made it the far then thanks. Your award shall be in heaven. XD 

The regular edition can be bought here: 

Mitsui Aika set to graduate

It has been decided that 8th generation member Mitsui Aika will graduate Morning Musume due to health problems with her leg. The original announcement can be read here and a translation can be read here. Mitsui will graduate on the 18th alongside 5th generation member and leader Niigaki Risa.

Aika has never been my favourite Momusu member but I am fairly sure that she has always been in my top 5. The first morning musume music video that I happened to see was 'Nanchatte Renai' and despite not being prominently featured, Aika was captivating. I think most of it was that she was definitely the stand-out rapper in that song.

 

 Here's Aika's solo shot as a little treat.

Another memory I have of Aika is seeing her performing her solo song 'Watashi no Miryoku ni Kizukanai Donkan na Hito' at the 2009 Spring tour. With a huge bow in her hair and adorable choreography, Aika was the epitome of idol cuteness. With fellow 8th gen members as back-up dancers all three of them shine and you realise just how much of a pity it is that they all had to graduate before their time.

Throughout her time in Morning Musume and Hello! Project Mitsui Aika has proved to be talented and an incredibly hard worker. Unfortunately some 'fans' don't appear to see this and are instead still bitter about Aika getting into Momusu rather than their audition favourite. I am pleased to inform you that I honestly feel that Aika was the most deserving Auditionee. She demonstrated her ability well and never cracked under the pressure. Over the past few years we have seen Aika mature from a cute thirteen year old into an admirable young woman. Despite being disheartened to see Aika graduate at such short notice without any major part in her last single and without any of the typical graduation bonuses such as photobooks and dvds, I am looking forward to see what life brings her in the near future. She deserves a lot.

光井愛佳卒業おめでとう！！

New Review/Overview Idea

I found my last post 'I Love Vingt-Cinq!' fairly enjoyable to write and put together and I am interested in doing more reviews/overviews in a similar fashion.

I have taken a picture of my rather pitiful collection of Hello! Project CDs and I will replace the photo if and when said collection grows and edit it to score out items as we go along. This is where you come in. I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave a comment specifying which CD you would like me to feature.

Here is a photo and list to get you started.

(doing away with the picture for the moment as my camera's memory card is full and I am to feart to delete photos)

• Abe Natsumi - Hitoribocchi
• Goto Maki - Makking Gold
• Morning Musume - Zen Single Coupling Collection
• Morning Musume - Cover You
• Tanpopo - Tanpopo 1
• Abe Natsumi - 25 ~ Vingt-Cinq 
• Goto Maki - How to Use Sexy
• Morning Musume - All Singles Complete ~10th Anniversary~ 
• W (Double You) - 2nd W
• W (Double You) - Duo U&U
• Tanpopo - All of Tanpopo
• Abe Natsumi - ~Best Selection~ 15 Shoku no Nigaoe Tachi
• Morning Musume - Rainbow 7
• Goto Maki - Daite yo! PLEASE GO ON
• Morning Musume - Renai Hunter
• High King - Cinderella Complex

Comment away! ^__^

Searching for Idol Perfection - Morning Musume.

First of all, I shall say that my rating method is not exactly tried and tested so the scores do not really represent what I think of a girl. Secondly, I apologize for by horrible hand-drawn table.

So, Morning Musume scores . . . . .

(sorry, it seems you need to click on the image to get the animation)

Lucky 7th "era for Momusu?, Pyoko Pyoko Ultra PV

 The other day I was thinking about how many different "eras" Morning Musume has gone through as a group. I did this in reference to singles rather than albums (I have always thought the albums moved in pairs. For example, First Time and Second Morning, 3rd Love Paradise and 4th Ikimasshoi, and so on.). It would be interesting to know what other peoples view on this is.

So, what I was thinking was:

• Era no. 1 - Morning Coffee - Furusato
• Era no. 2 - Love Machine - Renai Revolution 21
• Era no. 3 - The Peace - As For One Day
• Era no. 4 - Shabondama - Namida ga Tomaranai Houkago
• Era no. 5 - The Manpower!!! - Kanashimi Twilight
• Era no. 6 - Onna ni Sachi Are - Kono Chikyuu blah blah blah
• Era no. 7 - Pyoko Pyoko Ultra - ???

Who knows, people always go on about lucky 7.

Pyoko Pyoko Ultra (PV)

In other, more relevant, news the Pyoko Pyoko Ultra music video has been uploaded to Morning Musume's official youtube channel.

I am still not the songs biggest fan but I'll admit that it is quite catchy and has the most bonkers arrangement since 'Guru Guru Jump'. The PV is very cutesy, showing us a morning musume that hasn't really been seen in a long time. The whole thing is insanely yellow (as if you didn't know that already!) and unfortunatly the costumes aren't to my taste. Still, the girls make it work (to an extent) and the PV is an entertaining watch. Everybody looks great despite the fact that Aika has been given a terrible hat. (I honestly feel sorry for the girl, she always seems to pull the short straw as far as costumes go.)
As another plus, the B-side ,'Kanashiki Koi no Melody', is great. The radio preview is well worth 1 minute and 54 seconds of your time!

Niigaki Risa to graduate at the end of the Spring tour

Wow. What a great way to start the new year. . . . . . not.

This announcement has hit me really hard. Much harder than Ai's graduation announcement but I suppose that was one we all saw coming. This one, not so much. (Or at least I didn't)

It feels the Morning Musume I knew is slipping away through my fingers. After Risa's graduation there will be only 3 members left out the 9 who were part of the line up back when I first came across the group in 2009. Risa was one of those members who I was just drawn to immediately. Her sheer amount of energy on stage is something I find incredibly impressive. She really "brings it" right from the get-go. 

Take, for example, this performance of Shabondama from 2007. Risa's performance really is incredibly captivating. When she sings I almost forget about the others, just for a moment. As cliched as it sounds, Niigaki Risa has "it".

One may say, "She wasn't always that great" and that's true, she certainly wasn't. It isn't until 2007, when she was included in that lengthy titled 10th anniversary unit, that I would have been able to really rate her as a singer. Risa improved a lot throughout 2007 and her role as the prince in the 2008 'Cinderella' musical seemed to really teach her how to utilise her voice. However, I feel that it was her love for Morning Musume that allowed her to develop into the great performer she is today. I am looking forward to seeing more of her acting (since that seems to be what she wants to focus on) in the future because from what I've seen she is not bad at all.

In the time she has left in the group I am sure that Risa will continue to be a great leader to the younger members and I hope they will grow to fill the rather large shoes that she, and indeed Aichan, have left behind. I am sure that Sayu will be a great leader and will have fantastic back-up in the form of Reina and Aika and I sincerely hope the three of them still have a few years (at least) in the group.

Also, 'Pyokopyoko Ultra' as a final single? She deserves so much more.

がんばって！

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:   

 And the limited here: 

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.

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'.

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

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