Resonant Blue- Shit on the bottom of my shoe. (Negative: That is your warning…)

Long time no post- Gotta say, my interest in Jpop is waning. I still check on it, every once in a while, see what’s new, check Hello!Online, blogs, etc… Mostly in my *very* spare time. As I dabble more and more into much more beautiful music, move on with the next phase of my life, little spazzy Japanese chicks don’t really find much of a place in my life, anymore.

But I simply had to post about this.
Because I am heartily disappointed.

I didn’t realize how many people hadn’t, because I really liked Mikan. A fresh, bright song with just a little too much Koharu, cute, bright, eyecatching CG (which this girl really does not mind), nifty costumes, good amounts of screentime for everyone, lines split fairly well…

It didn’t sell well, poo. I really wonder why the fuck not, maybe it was poor marketing. Regardless, they went back to their old shit… And this is the worst I’ve seen since Ambitious.

GROSS.

The song itself is passable. It’s been said in various places on the ‘net (in various groupings and combinations of the following) that Resonant Blue sounds much like Egao YES Nude, Summer Night Town, Memory Seishun no Hikari, and I certainly agree with all of these. It doesn’t need to be said that T-man’s running out of ideas- Hell, he ran out of ideas like, four years ago. It really doesn’t need to be said anymore than it already has been, out there.

It’s cheap. It’s a SPEED ripoff. It’s a ripoff of his other songs of this genre. Did I mention it’s cheap?
At least it has a nice tune- An awful instrumental bridge, though.

Now though, moving onto the PV- Perhaps this is a Manpower, with first the Dance Shot released, then another… Not sure yet. All I can say is I’m, again, heartily disappointed, looking at the black set and seeing the girls in black, with only the girls with any solo lines at all in black with large poofs of white to really pop out.

That’s exactly what they’re doing.

This is a Reina and Ai duet, with splurts of Koharu here and there. (Hence, Koharu has some white, but the least amount of the three.) It was nice to see Sayumi at least ONCE – It was really refreshing, after bearing the overdone sight of the three camhogs. After watching this video, my eyes hurt from straining so much to see any other girl- Looking to see Aika, who I didn’t even see ONCE the entire time, nor did I see JunJun, I saw Linlin for maybe 1.5 seconds at the VERY fucking end, tiny bits of Risa and Eri which were often in Koharu’s shadow, and…
Arms. That’s it.
Behind Ai and Reina, of course.

And then they have some ridiculous seizures.

I hate this.
I hate this.
I fucking hate this.

Seing Sayumi’s face at least once, for the short time it was allotted, was like an oasis in a scorching desert. I almost think it’s cruel, to put the other girls in black on a fucking BLACK SET, stick them BEHIND the 3 ‘main’ girls like a fucking SHADOW, give them close to NO screentime, NO closeup shots, nearly NO solo lines, quite frankly, I’m DAMN pissed, so let down, and really freaking disappointed.

I really hope there’s another PV coming out. =[

My rankings…

Got these from Hello!Blog… Thought I’d add them.

From here on out, it’s an on-and-off hiatus… Short lived blogtime, huh? Japanese pop culture just…. Doesn’t interest me anymore.

But here are my rankings.

From last to first…

Kusumi Koharu- the girl I love to hate. She’s so fake. She’s so obnoxious. She can’t sing. Physically, she’s not very cute. Her high pitched voice, only due to the insufferably and nasally pitch she sticks it to, make listening to her unbearable- Not to mention she’s a total camwhore. I wouldn’t mind if it were someone more talented and bearable, but this ‘mircale’ (As in, rather, HOW did she pass auditions?) likes to make everythnig in MM about HER- and that bothers the fuck out of me.

Takahashi Ai is not bad. Just… Really boring. She has a good voice and can pose for photos well… (Gotta say, hate that haircut.) There is too much of her in MM, and aside from her voice, it seems like there’s no good reason for it- Her lackluster personality doesn’t help Momusu shine at all. ESPECIALLY not as leader.

Tanaka Reina has a good personality- though I enjoyed her more when she was rockin’ the yankee thing- and her voice is okay, not bad at all. (I’d rather hear it over say, Koharu’s. Though do note my least favorites are all 3 of the frontgirls…) She’s nothing special, a bit too flashy, and kind of annoying in HOW flashy and boisterous she gets, at times. Whatever. Just… Not a favorite.

Lin is really a blast from the past, I like her. A voice of Nacchi and an appearance almost like Ayaka’s, but still unique. Her smile, unlike most Momusu girls, is serene and seems genuine… I like it. She’s good, though I don’t know much about her to judge, I like her voice and her manners in performing as a Momusu Member.

Chun Is a total cutie, and 20 as of yesterday- Happy birthday, Junjun! Her voice is a bit rough, but Morning Musume NEEDED a deeper voice to balance out the group, and Jun was the girl to do it. I like her, and she’s seemed to have been through a ot since entering the group, and has tackled her obstacles beautifully- Learning Japanese, battling something as AWFUL as racism, learning about the whole way of the world in Momusu… That, and her smile is adorable. She has a real charm to her, and she’s new, but I like where she’s going. I’d like to learn more about her as time goes on. =]

Eririn Used to be one of my favorite Momusu girls. It’s not that I’ve found reasons to dislike her, but I find that others outshine her. This girl’s grown exponentially since her debut in the group, from the shy, withdrawn and very unsure-of-herself newbie to an outgoing, funny, and absolutely adorable member of Morning Musume. Her voice is adorable, high pitches and she handles it well (without sounding like a seven year old.) Really, it’s a shame she’s not featured more in songs, PVs, et cetera, but it’s good to see her getting a good amount of spotlight, I like the girl.

Niigaki used to annoy me, just a smidge. She tends to be the most disliked member of Momusu that I’ve seen across the western population of H!P fans, and I could understand why. But maybe it’s her perkiness, outgoing disposition, positive and energetic personality that I like about her- And the hint of such a thing I dislike in Reina, coincidentally. Her voice is nice. A little sharp around the edges, but it has a nice feel to it. Also, her recent work in Athena + Robikerottsu I do like, she is absolutely adorable and has such a cute little face that looks like it can be (and has proven to be in a recent haromoni@) stretchy and pinched and smushed. So cute… An uplifting, amusing and entertaining girl.

Mitsui Aika</b? is ADORABLE. For someone so new (crap, is it a year now?) she has really melded into Momusu well, she’s got a bit of an attitude and is 99% cute and funny otherwise… I enjoy her. Also, I like her voice quite a lot, she’s very good for a newcomer, especially in today’s Momusu. Unlike her direct predecessor, she has shone past her ‘newbie’ image, simply because she doesn’t rely on it so much- perhaps she won’t find the NEED to hog the camera, for lack of a reason to. (Past her little silliness, anyway.) One of the best new members in a good while. (And I love her haircut! ♥)

Sayumiiiiin is the cutest girl in the world. She can’t sing well, and though she’s improved worlds beyond her skill when entering Morning Musume, she DOES make up for this in many ways, she’s ENTERTAINING. She’s interesting to hear, listen to, see on TV, she does amazing photobooks, and something about her voice I like- It gives a sort of variety to the voices in MM. I also like the fact that she’s never cut her hair, many members do this as they change their image, but Sayu is confident enough in HERSELF not to resort to this… And I like that in her. Many can argue that she’s fake, pushing the cute thing too much… But I think she’s just a girl having fun and making people happy while doing so. A true idol.

Berryz Time!

Risako in one word: Wotafodder. Camerafodder. Thegirl is 1, for christsakes (14 soon?) and doesn’t need to be passed off as this little seductive bit of bait in her bikini photos… Of course, she is VERY pretty. But she can’t sing worth crap, never has been able to, and in the past, that was okay. She was the cute, pretty little girl who seemed to have her share of stagefright and uneasiness in front of the camera, which is okay. It’s actually kind of endearing. Oh, but today, she hasn’t really improved much at all. She’s still shouting into the damn microphone, she’s a TERRIBLE performer, and it shows in concert, watching her wobbble around with the dances and such while her bandmates are busting ass up there doing their BEST. Singing their BEST. Putting their all into it. I think at this point, she assumes she’s in the spotlight and loved by all (including her agency), so why put in the effort? …Did I mention what pedobait she is?

Yurina, the tall girl with an okay voice. She’s a front girl from time to time, which is, I suppose, good, but isn’t that how they ALL should be? She’s really not special… Not as a dancer, in my opinion, not as a singer, not as an idol. But she seems like a nice girl, and she seems to try. Go Yurina.

Miyabi. I’ve recently taken somewhat of a liking to her, though it’s nothing groundbreaking. I used to absolutely hate seeing this girl, but as I listen to her, her voice appeals a bit more than it used to- it’s kind of cute. I don’t mind her as a frontgirl as much, anymore… And I’d rather see ANYONE than Risako pushed far too far to the forefront. I suppose Miyabi balances her out? that’s good… And her work in Buono is kickass. She’s coming into her looks, instead of being the long chinned, rather masculine female… Hm. =]

Chinami Is a ray of sunlight in this group, barely noticed, but that girl screams of positivity and HAPPY! I can’t wait to see more of this personality, with BerryKyuu coming up… FINALLY. Her voice is nice, though nothing spectacular, and she’s growing her hair out- Hooray! There’s not a whole lot o dislike about her… (Though she’s had her share of looking srsly fug. Whatever.)

Maasa needs more attention. She has a nice voice. She’s a pretty girt. She has a soothing, gentle, genuine smile and the presence of a nice girl/woman… I wish we could see more of her. =[

At this point, I'd like to state that I miss Maiha, because this is where she would have been. She gave it her best, even if she was an AWFUL dancer (though that was always amusing). I'm really not sure what made her decide to leave... But her graduation was touching, it's so sad to see little girls cry over their friends. =[ Doubt we'll see her again. Oh well~

Saki! This girl is INTERESTING. Something about her just says 'Hikki' to me- Probably her appearance, and way of speaking. Her voice is NICE, it's just not been applied to many songs that fit her range well. She plays the piano so well, she really is musically talented. She likes pigs. =] I like this girl’s idiosyncrasies, she’s unique and adorable, if not a little too quiet for leader. (She’s the oldest, but it doesn’t seem she’s really cut out for leader…) She’s a great dancer, too. I really wish we could see more of her. Reallyreally.

Tsugunaga Momoko is one of the cutest things to walk the earth- She has a STRANGE voice. It’s an acquired taste, It’s high pitched and a bit raspy, but she hits notes well, and she has a cute face, and personality. She always seems like she’s having fun, be it performing, singing, being taped… I like that in her. She’s amusing and funny and cute and doesn’t really disappoint.

As for the Cuties…

Umeda Erika Doesn’t shine. She’s not too pretty, I guess she’s just ‘alright’, her voice is alright, and she seems so, so awkward in a group of beaming and adorable C-utie Kids. Maybe I’ll be misproven. Maybe not.

Arahira is pretty similar to what I had to say about Erika… Though a little less awkward. Although she’s an egg, she’s been absorbed pretty well… But I’m not crazy about her.

Mai is kind of annoying. She pushes her age a bit too much. Her voice isn’t very nice at all. I don’t like her as a frontgirl. Something about her bugs me, that’s all. I find her annoyoing.

Nakajima Saki rated pretty low here, because in actuality, I like her a lot. She’s cute as a button and her voice is CUTE, but can handle more mature lines and scenarios- Tokkaikou, anyone? She rocked her lines in that song, she was amazing. Her recent work in the Athena group is great for her, I like to see her get publicity and with that, slowly come out of her shy and somewhat exanimate persona and become an idol- Hooray!

Maimi is what an ACE looks like. Maimi is what an Ace SINGS like. As leader, she does a fine job, she has a great voice (for a kid, too,) and she’s beautiful, if not young, theyve got her in line to become the next Gocchin, or something. (Probably.) I enjoy her presense in C-ute.

Suzuki Airi Really shines in Buono. She’s talented, a born performer (auditions, anyone?) and she sings well- and she has the face of a baby animal. What’s not to like? It’s very obvious why she’s put up to the front, and really, I don’t mind her up there.

Chisato Okai is a FABULOUS singer, a FABULOUS dancer, and though she’s inexperienced, she does a helluva job. So what do they do with her? They stick her in the back. UGH. This really upsets me, because it’s such WASTED talent. =[ (Plz to be recording a single with ur sister!)

Thaaaaaaat’s all, folks.

Another new year, another review…

There are a few things to be said about 2007- It’s been a wild ride. More H!P scandals than probably any year prior, including Maki leaving H!P, Miki being virtually blacklisted, Tsuji getting preggers and giving birth to a baby that’s ‘cuter than an egg’, Kago getting fired once and for all, Kaori following Tsuji and getting preggers herself, Ongaku Gatas, Buono, More KiraRevo craziness… Too much to list. (And that’s just H!P.)
‘ll begin by jotting down a few things- Best groups, best song, most improved group, best PV, worst group, biggest disappointment… Etc.

Starting with Best group of 2007.

AKB48
This group rocked 2007, and while they debuted- Even majorly in 2006, the nature of their work has explored and taken on several genres within simple jpop, touching upon subjects many other groups- Especially in jpop- won’t dare touch, or won’t bother to touch, considered too controvertial or dark, or deep for idols in a llicon market. Not to mention these girls work HARD- Theater productions everyday, TWICE on some days, commercials, a photobook in the past year, and a whopping five singles as a group in 2007, not mentioning subgroups. With a heaping ~48 girls, it’s amazing they all fit and get a good part of the limelight. Some are ignored, but the ones with the most talent seem to shine, that’s how it SHOULD be. The ones who deserve to shine, do. I like that.
Runner Up: C-ute

Best PV of 2007.

Tokaikko Junjou
Wow. These little girls can shake it, especially in their Dance Shot. H!P hasn’t seen such good dancers since Gomaki, these kids can outdance quite a majority of the current H!P members (not mentioning names, of course.) That, and the PV is OUTSIDE. Holy Crap. It really is great, actually running in THE STREET, throwing Chisato’s ball into the REAL WIND, gorgeous. Good quality, refreshing in comparison to their previous PVs. Good to see them selling well! (Oh yeah, and the song rocked.) I also liked seeing each member get a good amount of screentime for themselves. Airi’s still up front with Maimi at her back, but everyone seems to get their own shot of attention, instead of Airi and the musume. You know?
Tie- Keibetsu Shiteita Aijou- AKB48

Most Improved Group of 2007.

I hate to say it. I really do.
Morning Musume. ::avoids gunfire::
But it’s true, really. There were many groups I could have listed- C-ute, THE Possible, SO many. But Momusu takes the cake, eve through the push and pull of scandals and changes this year. Mitsui Aika debuted in February of this year with Egao YES Nude, a disco/jazz tune, the first of the 4 singles released this year. Her voice, as well as her presence, especially for such a little kid, shone through and really added to the group. Kanashimi Twilight, the next single (And Yoshizawa Hitomi’s last) was a rock-based song, a genre we hadn’t seen in Momusu in a long, long time (Like, what, Souda! ? Maybe Roman, but that’s more Jazz than anything. I was getting pretty sick of poptechno like Ambitious and Sexy Boy, myself.) Yoshizawa Hitomi, the last of the Golden Era Members, graduation concert was one of the best since Yasuda’s, Pretty much EVERYONE cried and it was performed extraordinarily. Since then (skipping over Miki’s unfortunate removal from the group, making Takahashi leader) the two Chinese girls, ‘Junjun’ and ‘Linlin’ joined up as part of Momusu, shaking up much controvery among Japanese fans. both of them, Jun in particular, rose above this and grew exponentially in the group, improving as singers (and just Japanese citizens,) and they are both talented and gorgeous and have interesting personalities, both of them. Their debut, Onna ni Sachi Are, was back to the pop/techno pattern of typical modern-day Momusu, but considering it had been a while (Aruiteru, Egao YES Nude, Kanashimi Twilight), I myself excuse this- It was well pulled-off, anyway. Following this, Mikan was released, most unfortunately Momusu’s worst selling single in history. This is only so unfortunate because this single while technopop (minimally, I think,) is just what Momusu has been missing for the past few years, happy, uplifting pop music reminiscent of their earlier work. The PV was gorgeous (though while relevant, the baby pictures seemed somehow out of place,) and the lines were split well and fairly amongst the members. What sucks is, based on the sales, we probably won’t be seeing a single like this for quite a while. T.T
Runner Up: C-ute (Again.), THE Possible.

But what good work we got out of Momusu!2007 was a shakey, but in the end, very good year.

And now some fun. =]

Strangest PV of 2007.
WHITE CHOCO- LOVE (Ootsuka Ai)
The song’s cute and energetic, sure. Suki desu~ Suki desu~ Suki desu~ But to see some cute bunnies manufactured in a creepy factory, brought to life by machines, sent upon the world (that poor, poor house that had to neighbor such a factory,) their limbs stretched out from the mold they were born from… Yeek. Then they all melt into the giant bunny, who is then shortly after destoryed– This video was crazy. I was expecting something cuter, but I can CHU wasn’t much less creepy. (Bring back Kataomoi DIAL! ;o;)
Runner Up: Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi- Berryz Koubou

Worst artist of 2007.

Kusumi Koharu
Yeah. Her vocals have never been top notch, not nearly. Looking back at her Momusu debut in 2005 and then her Koi Kana debut as a soloist not much later, she was an insecure but hard working new girl who tried her best to catch up to the rest of the group. In 2007, something in her head clicked- Maybe it’s all that Rainbow Pink shit, or just praise from her fans, or realizing she’s becoming popular- Who knows. But the girl who originally started by watching the other members to decide what is and isn’t acceptable, claming to like ‘Cool’ idols like Yossi and Fujimoto, rather than cute, has suddenly become a fake, cam-whoring loudmouth with a giant ego- Makes me wonder if in her mind, she really does think she’s as fantastic as she acts like she does. Maybe she’s just pushing the cute thing too much, trying to outshine Aika, whom she was obviously not thrilled about when she joined. (Koharu was the new member, and was previously the youngest.) Somehow this girl has become a frontgirl in Momusu, in spite of her awful voice. This probably adds fuel to her fire. Thing is, I used to like this girl- she seemed like she was trying her best and the KiraRevo crap was a great opportunity to improve herself as an idol- Not become THIS.
And, if none of this adds up for you…
Behold, an eclipse of the sun.

Biggest Disappointment
Kago Ai’s firing from Hello!Project
There were so many of these. Goto Maki leaving H!P. GAM falling apart and getting Pucchimoni’d, Miki getting kicked out of pretty much everything to do with H!P, Harenchi Punch changing over to a meaningless name and losing Oozora Saya, but I’d leave it at this- I’m sure you were expecting it.
Sure, the idol work and lifestyle is notorious for being stressful and demanding on these young girls, but it was very unexpected when Kago Ai was reported to be caught smoking at a restaurant in 2006. Since then, she’d been on an unfairly long hiatus from W and other various Hello!Project duties, and had started living at home in Nara during her suspension. A whopping year later, Friday, the magazine which originally fleshed her out for smoking in the first place, holds an interview with her in which she claims she’s repented and sincerely wants to return to the idol scene and sing. Not much later, she was seen with a man in his thirties, almost 20 years older than Kago, and again, caught smoking. This really makes you wonder if Kago was ever intent on returning to the pop scene. If she’d truly repented, wouldn’t she have taken her work, suspension and comeback more seriously? And if not, why would she have led fans on like that, speaking of a return? It wasn’t fair to the people working so hard for her to be able to return, it wasn’t fair to Tsuji, struggling to find ANY work during Kago’s suspension, it wasn’t fair to fans. (Then again, what idol really cares about their fans.)
Diss~a~point~ment.

Most overplayed H!P girl of 2007.
Sugaya Risako
How annoying this girl is. During Berryz’ earlier days, none of them had much strength as far as vocals, but Berryz was pulled off as simply cute and fun, talent and judgments aside. They didn’t really have ‘frontgirls’, it was just a bunch of kids singing and dancing and having a good time. Nowadays, it’s not quite the same. Slowly but surely lines started favoring Miyabi, then Risako, then Momoko, and more and more, Yurina. In my opinion, Momoko is cute and has a fair amount of idol personality and charm, I like that. Her voice might not be the best, but it’s certainly unique. Miyabi has probably the best vocals out of most of them, and while not spectacular, something makes her popular- I have never been too find of her. Risako, in her earlier days, was the shy one with a cute, soft-looking face who ran off with the most panicked expression H!P had let slip to the public, whispering to her bandmate what was most likely how scared she was after the group’s first live performance. Time’s gone by, and Risako’s grown up into more of an adult image in a young teen’s body, With 2 revealing photobooks (for a girl so young) and the air that she’s been ‘around’ more than once. She’s been getting more and more lines in Berryz songs lately despite the fact that her voice really isn’t that fantastic, she hogged most of the spotlight in Berryz’ most recent PV for Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi (which while the song was alright, the PV was SO out of place,) and it has been made very evident that UFA holds a bias for her as well, sweeping incidents under the rug to save their favorite little Berry from getting plucked from the patch. Unfair? Oh yes. Not to mention her voice, it’s almost as bad as Koharu’s. So nasally, she can barely hit the notes in her songs. Guh.

If I think of anything else, I’ll add it. 2007 isn’t over for a couple of days. =]

Kirarin☆Land. (Fucking gag☆me…)

Mkay, I’ll pick at the cover image a bit first- Since dressing like an old lady is lately so big. (And the second one, I am 100% sure I have seen in my local Burdines/Macy’s. The other night, even. In the old ladie’s department. Mhm.)
I have nothing more to say about the cover. (But I think it surpasses each one of the linked comparison. XD)

Also, before I begin, keep in mind I am grading by what I consider the Koha Scale, Which when rated by any other artist, a 4/10 for them would be a 4/5 for her, because it’s common knowledge she just isn’t up there on the singing scale, or the cute scale (anymore), and she’s just plain flashy, overdone and obnoxious. Forgiveness we shall bear, just for Kussun. ♥

So, here we go, my review on this album, since it’s relatively new and I just got my hands on the songs.

1. Happy☆彡 Rock on. This chick’s voice seriously grates on me, but that’s a given. For Koharu, this isn’t terrible, at least she tries here. A happy, peppy song, can’t complain too much, the bridge is pretty good, up until the end– The pace suddenly changes, it’s bothersome. 3/5.

2. Chance! Cha-Cha Chance~! Latest single, in which Koharu disguises herself as a bleeding piano and a Snubble. It’s not too different from Happy, a bit faster tempo, But the feel is pretty similar. One more single like those two will get redundant. 3/5

3. Olala Mid-tempo song, begins with some annoying talking (in French, whoa!) in random tones Kussun uses to try to sound cute.  (And damn, this girl tries too hard. But it’s expected, because again, it’s Koharu.) The chorus has an AWESOME melody. Catchy and not bothersome at all. Ola~lala O la~lala La la Oh lala~ lala~ Very good how it changes pitch, and then transitions into a much cuter, well-pulled off melody to compliment. Koharu’s voice seems to belong in this song, unlike most where she strains to hit the notes that don’t match her range at all. 5/5

4. Himawari A pop-rock song that SCREAMS Ootsuka Ai (PEACH, Mousou Chop, PonPon, figure around those lines. And, I’d MUCH rather hear Aichin singing- and screaming! to this song over Kussun anyday. ANY DAY.) The chorus is bouncy and cute, and while it does and doesn’t sound like something Tsunku would even write, it seems to fit in the Kirarin Revolution ‘genre’ (at this point) without fitting the perfect mold too much. This song isn’t too bad. I’d just like to hear someone else sing it. 5/5- Only because it’s Kussun, vocals excused.

5. Konnichi-Pa! OH MY GOD GET IT OUT. Koharu’s voice is particularly AWFUL in this song. It seems so homemade, like a funniest drunken home videos thing. All you really need are lederhosen, lots of beer, a HORRIBLE accordion background, and crap, I was going to compare the voice to a strangled animal, but I can’t think of an animal that sounds QUITE THIS BAD right now. Seriously. At 1:50, it seems after a hard night of drinking with her yodeling buddies at the town pub, she fastens her primarily green and red plaid suspenders, unties her prized goat from the lamppost, and stumbles home intoxicated in the snow, beat drunk. I am not kidding. I am not exaggerating. (Well, maybe a little.) I never want to hear this again, my head hurts. This isn’t cute, this isn’t happy, this isn’t fun enough to be considered silly- This song is good pretty much ONLY as a background track for some freak wota porn, fantasizing about Kussun falling slowly to the date rape drug or something. 0/5. Nuthin’. NOTHING. This song makes me want to pull my hair out.

6. Very! Berry! Strawberry! Another Kirarin song. This means happy pop song with medium to faster tempo, slight rock flavor in the background, and heck, another song I could see Ootsuka pulling off WELL. (Wow, that girl is a miracle. Unlike the original artist, now that I think about it, haha.) The instrumental gets annoying, and it has that redundant KiraRevo feel, which I suppose one could argue that it IS a KiraRevo song. And to that I ask you, since it’s an anime about a girl and her music career, why must the general whole of the music involved be flat, redundant mid-tempo happier sounding songs with pretty much the same computer-generated instruments each time? Balalaika broke the mold, Balalaika is a 6/5 going by the Koha scale. This one, 2/5. I’m bored.

7. Hana wo Pu~n Long have I dreaded the day I’d pass judgment upon this infernal song. =[ I’d much rather have just ignored it forever~~ Well, that’s an exaggeration, but since I’m not fond of Hagiwara Mai, either- She’s always struck me as a bitchy little shit with a bughead and a mediocre voice, especially lately since she’s cusping upon puberty- This song doesn’t hold terribly much interest or liking for me. However, what I DO like is that this song breaks from the norm of KiraRevo, just a bit. Sure, the typical elements are present, but it’s another ‘grab your lederhosen’ number, yet not NEARLY as brain-grating as Konnichi-Pa. (Holy crap, not at all. And no drunk yodelers this time, or out of control accordions.) Not to mention how WEIRD this song is- Snub your nose! The song alone is crazy enough, not to mention the PV- This song makes me wonder exactly what kind of drugs Tsunku does. It’s weird. Not my taste in weird, but it serves it’s purpose and breaks from the norm. 4/5

8. Koi no Mahou wa Habibi no Bi! A poorly pulled off Happy Summer Wedding, not nearly Happy enough, unfitting of its original single. The vocals slow down and speed up often, the melody changes too drastically, the Mediterranean feel is much too forced, and I don’t like it much. 1.5/5, ’cause I’m nice. (And, you know, by the Koha scale.)

9. Futari wa NS Ah, I remember this one, the double Aside to the Hana wo Pu~n that serves as a quieter and much nicer ballad to compliment the insanity of its other side. Koharu and Mai harmonize well here, sound well together here, I have no issue with this song, aside from the chorus’ beat, which I feel distracts from the fact that it is a ballad. But, it’s nice. It’s soft, sweet, and the girls sound decent together. 5/5 but don’t expect any Grammys.

10. Ramutara. Ramuta~rantantan. Crap, this song is weird. Demented zombie parade led by Zombie Empress Koharu. Horrifying. 1/5.

11. Shiawase Clover For the last track of the CD, it better be good, right? This track doesn’t disappoint as far a the Koha scale, this song has a very soft rock feel while still maintaining for itself a spot in the pop genre. Think of this as a poppier DAI (sniffle ;O;) song of a much lower grade, but with a sudden drastic and awful change in the melody and arranged for someone with a range broader than Koha’s. But the song itself, it’s okay. Not bad. 3/5, if not for that horrible raise and drop of pitch, it would’ve been higher.

There you have it. Overall: 2.618181818181818~~~~~2. Err. 3. I really wouldn’t recommend this album to anyone, except maybe the Olala track and MAYBE Himawari, to compare to Aichin. Not too fond of it, but listen at your own leisure. (As for me, bedtime. My head hurts.)

Athena+KiddiePosse pwn y/n?

It seems H!P is on an anime kick, lately.

Not that it’s something big or new. It’s been done before, most notable with Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, featuring music by Tanpopo, SharanQ, Taiyou to Ciscomoon, Melon Kinenbi, and Chinatsu Miyoshi (if anyone even knows who she is, anymore. Not that she wasn’t good, she was.)

[Athena & Robikerottsu]

Originally announced as a Niigaki solo project, it seemed almost too good to be true. Here we have Gakisan, veteran hard-working 5th generation Morning Musume of over 6 years, with a little difficulty controlling the endless flow of words that tend to just fly out of that mouth, sometimes. (Not that we don’t love her anyway.) It wasn’t her big break to begin with- UFA’s judgment only served so much as to use her as a replacement, a substitute recipient of the fountain of youth they doused Nono with (and it was starting to wear off, at that.) But maybe this had finally worked towards something, Risa was finally getting what she deserved after serving as a classic, well-earned Musume at this point.

Nope.

Move over, Abe Natsumi. Aichan, you won’t be seeing much more solo activity for a whiiiile. Gone are the days where hard work paid off, where long periods, years, even, of effort and experience reigned over the newbies, just setting off to follow the same path and earn their accomplishments.

It’s not very fair, really. While it’s great to see Aika getting some spotlight (which is a major plus as far as her absorption into Hello!Project, and something going for Momusu, they really need it.) And I like Chisato and Saki, it’s kind of a shame to see Niigaki get stooped from what she was finally earning down to babysitting some relatively unexperienced kiddies who don’t really even know how to be idols, yet. (Not that I don’t love °c-ute, but I suppose their lack of skill doesn’t show as much without a much more learned and outgoing performer shining over them.) Niigaki Risa has the perfect smile and expression for this PV, she knows well by now (as she should) how to work a camera and be a decent performer in front of it. Aika, maybe it’s because of all the exposure she’s recieved as an 8thgen Momusu, all the Haromoni that the kids for the most part miss out on, but she’s pulling her weight. This girl’s got the most adorable smile here, and she just kicks ass. Supercute poses, silly faces, expressionate, not afraid to do what she’s supposed to do- Be an idol.

The kids… They kind of stare at the camera and hold fists or something. They look like they’re not sure what to do, but it’s a work of God if one of them cracks something past a timid half-smile or nods, just a bit.

°c-ute only debuted as a group January, 2006, and debuted majorly only this past February. Vocally, they’re worlds stronger than their counterparts, and while I like them, 2 years (or 1, if you count their major debut and experience) is NOTHING next to 6, or all the work Mitsui is doing to stand up to her older and much more experienced bandmates.

And, you know, figuring it was a Kira☆Pika thing that would die out by the next single, it would appear not.

Since this is becoming a staple group, I at least hope the kids get enough exposure so that they improve and don’t drag groups like this down, anymore than they are- Unfortunately for them, neither Saki nor Chisato had been frontgirl’d by either of their groups, so they have a ways to go unlike Buono. Next Mini Moni, perhaps?

It’s a girl~! ♥

[Tsuji Nozomi at Marriage Announcement Conference.]

Just a few days ago, it was announced that Tsuji Nozomi has given birth to a baby girl! Both mother and daughter are reportedly ‘doing fine’, the kid’s name is ‘Noa’.
(How cute, a pun on mommy and daddy’s names.)

It’d been brought up many times across the internet as well as in the announcement, but suppose Tsuji’s daughter DID try to pursue a position in Morning Musume, how would that fly among the public?

It’d been mentioned as well in the announcement that said daughter would not be permitted (by family) to audition until she’s graduated highschool. Looking briefly at the trends in Japan as far as who passes auditions nowadays (and sells!) It’s the twelve and thirteen-year-old Koharu’s and Aika’s that make it through the final rounds, the H!P kids who get placed into special units, the veteran Nacchi’s who get pushed into the wayside (And Momusu was pretty much Abe and the Musume pre-Love Machine), and the Maki’s– and what will probably be Tsuji, if she ever returns, if they decide to DO anything with her, singing ballads, maybe some easy listening, and some vexations about sexual frustration. By the time she graduates highschool, little Noa will have had a better chance of getting into Momusu a few months ago from now.

Anyway, we’ll speculate.

Say she did audition, somehow did make it into the final rounds of say, Generation 24′s auditions, what would that mean as far as marketing? Would they ever break away from the ‘Morning Granddaughter’ thing, or would she remain Nono the 2nd? Suppose she auditioned with (or against) a few other girls, could UFA be accused of bias? Would she be loved as the adorable mini-Nono, would fans constantly compare her (and highlight on her shortcomings) in the shadow of her mother? Or would she be able to stand on her own with her own image and identity by the time she’s that old?

Discuss.

On another note, by that time, MoMusu is likely to die completely and she could have already auditioned to that era’s equivalent of H!P Kids or Eggs, you know? Though really, that’d be a shame…

Dear Mother, how you multiply…

This video is off the wall nuts.

I just love the reference. When I first got around to watching the PV for Ootsuka Ai‘s LOVEのテーマ (I Can CHU♥) [Under stage/mascot name LOVE,] I wasn’t too crazy about it, the song was kind of bland, ‘sleepily sweet’, it was really lacking.
The PV… Bland. A bunch of bunnies appearing in patterns and some lit-up roofs. And in all honestly, it was kind of creepy.

In retrospect, I feel like an idiot for never spotting the similarity between the little Lovebunnies and JenovaDNA-spliced SOLDIER cronies myself. By gosh, what is wrong with me?

Seriously, this is pure genius. Still sort of bland, but the little black bunny floating silently at the end with many, many of his dark clones falling softly behind him into nothing, followed by the PO’ed looking little guy watching ove the world from a skyscraper just SCREAMS ‘Return to the LifeStream.’
[...Bunnyroth commands you.]

Kudos to the creator. ♥

SUPER☆MEW はじまりますよ~~!! ♥

So, I totally have a WordPress Blog now~♥

Sera here~~! Femwota extraordinaire, but less humiliating, one would say. Loves all things cute, silly, and sweet, each in the literal sense.

This little place is going to be used for my Japanophile obsessions, I suppose: Mostly Hello!Project, but surely other stuff (Ootsuka Ai, AKB48… You understand?)

Hope everyone enjoys~~♥