8 posts tagged “abe natsumi”

Fan Club Exclusive merchandise is sort of a "double edged" sword.  If I were a fan club member, I would be happy that I have access to items that nobody else can get their hands on.  It makes it more valuable.  But being that I am an American fan, it is next to impossible for me to become a member.  Why is that?  I managed to become a member of the Manchester United FC fan club without much difficulty.  Whatever...the rules are what they are.  Maybe someday they will change.  Maybe one day I will be living in Japan, who knows?

That being said, I have no reservations about downloading the "lost" 2006 Hello! Project Winter DVD.  It has been three years since this show was performed.  But the release of it couldn't be more timely!  This was a time when the H!P Kids were still fledgling groups, and the stars of the show were the members who are now known as the Elder Club.  You know, the gals that will be saying goodbye to H!P in about four weeks time?  This is a great showcase of the tremendous talent H!P is about to lose...

I'm not going into a full TBT review of this show.  Instead I thought I would upload a few screencaps and reminisce about units of the past, and how great they were.  What really came up for me is 1) this concert could easily be the setlist to the February 2009 show.  It has so many classic songs and performers in it.  And 2) I think I may have made a mistake by opting not to go to the Elder Club graduation.  It is still four weeks away.  It isn't too late for me to change my mind, is it?

After an opening set of Morning Musume favorites came Ai ~Suite Room~ by v-u-den.  I know they graduated less than a year ago.  But they were such a sexy group.  I loved the acting work they did in Sukeban Deka,  And Erika Miyoshi is so irresistably hot!  I would love to see them perform one last time.  And Ai ~Suite Room~ would be a cool song to do.  Although my guess is they'll do their last single.

Now this moment really touched my heart.  Here is W performing just before the scandal that would end their run.  And it's really too bad.  Tsuji and Kago were so wonderful together.  But like Martin and Lewis before them, I doubt we will ever see them performing together again.  At least no time in the near future...but never say never!  I doubt this will really happen, but wouldn't it be amazing if Kago made a surprise appearance in Yokohama next month?  By the way, Juushichi no Natsu is one of my favorite W songs.  I didn't know they had ever done this live!

After W we get a Pucchi Moni All-Star team.  This concert was in 2006, and even a year ago we were talking about the Elder Club being washed up?  Underutilized is more like it.  This performance of Baby! Koi ni Knockout! is top notch!  And this is an excellent example of what a sensational performer Yasuda Kei is!  It's annoying that people give her crap about not being cute.  Whatever, Kei-chan is awesome!  Hell, I would date her!!!

Nacchi's performance of Koi no Hana is the moment that got me thinking about going back to Japan for this show.  I thought of never seeing Abe Natsumi perform live ever again really hurts.  She is absolutely beautiful, and so elegant!  And she is even more gorgeous now than when she was the "face" of Morning Musume.  I thought Nacchi would be in H!P forever.  Or, at least until she decided to leave.

One of my favorite performances of the show is Good Morning done by past and present members of Momusu.  If you have ever seen the DVD extras of Morning Cop, you probably remember this song being played as the girls are frolicking on the beach.  And that was in the days of Ishiguru Aya and Fukuda Asuka!  It was so bittersweet to hear.  I would love to hear them perform it again!

Ayaya, you are so amazing.  But I know your career will still be going strong long after you say goodbye to Hello! Project.  By the way, Aya was "all over" this concert!

The H!P Kids were so great in this show.  Ishimura Maiha had already left Berryz Kobo.  But it was really touching to watch Murakami Megumi and C-ute perform Wakkyanai (Z)  I really wonder what C-ute would be like if Megumi was still with them.  And I wonder what she looks like now?  And look how cute Airi was when she was younger (and shorter!)

Be All Right! is one of my favorite shuffle unit songs.  The song and PV were so much fun!  And everyone who was in it will be gone from H!P in a few weeks' time!  I am really going to miss Inaba Atsuko.  To me she was the best concert MC H!P ever had.  I'll always remember the "fro".

Hello Kimura Asami!  I wish I could have seen Country Musume perform.  Two of their songs were done on this night, Marui Taiyou and Uwaki na Honey Pie, which is the song they said farewell with exactly a year later.  By the way, if you don't have their "Mega Best", I highly recommend it.  Not only were they the "cutest" H!P unit ever, they have a really strong catalog of songs.  Especially in the early days when Toda Rinne was still there!

DEF DIVA.  Here is another amazing, albeit short-lived H!P Unit.  Wow, what a "supergroup" they were!  And this performance of Suke Sugite Baka Mitai was simply awesome!  Why did they only have one single?  Well, two if you count the best Rakuten Eagles song ever done!

ZYX's Shiroi Tokyo might be one of my favorite H!P songs.  And W's performance of Miss Love Tantai was probably their last time ever singing in public together, so sad.

And then you have Gocchin.  She and Fujimoto Miki had the foresight to know it was time to break from H!P.  Neither were my favorite performers.  But I will always remember Goto Maki and her wonderful performance in Pinch Runner.  And who could forget Mikitty and her "parents" in the Mechaike Sports Special?

In usual H!P concert fashion, the show ends with a series of Morning Musume numbers.  Beginning with a great version of Koi no Dance Site.  Well, great, except that Melon Kinenbi's Murata Megumi slaughtered Mari's famous "sexy beam" line!  And the semaphore version of Souda! We're Alive! is great.  I love when idols dance with flags!

This is one of the best H!P concerts I have ever seen.  And with the omnipresence of so many soon to be graduates it really made me long to see them perform live with Hello! Project one last time.  And, I would love to get my hands on a copy of this DVD.

I guess Yahoo! Japan Auctions is calling me...

CK in California

Another Christmas has come and gone.  This is my favorite time of the year.  I love the lights and music of the season.  I love the chill in the air.  I get to see my family around the holidays.  And of course I was born in December. 

But to be honest, I am past the point in my life where I wake up with tons of stuff under the tree with my name on it.  I enjoy getting gifts for the important people in my life, and I have fun watching my young nieces get excited about the pending arrival of Santa Claus.  My brother and I have made a tradition of getting drunk while putting toys together late on Christmas Eve.  That's my Christmas fun!

What I really enjoy is getting presents for myself while holiday shopping.  This year my birthday present to myself was an Iphone.  I love it!  It's great having access to myblogs and IW on my phone, and I have already loaded the ipod with hundreds of J-pop songs.  My old Motorola Razr was totally on the fritz anyway!  And for Christmas?

If you read my Japan travelogue posts, you might remember me talking about all of the great stuff I found at Book Off, which is a major used book/CD/DVD chain in Japan.  I later learned that they have four locations in California.  [US Location Site]  Since I was making my annual trip to Newport Beach to spend Christmas, I figured I would stop at the three L.A. Area Book Off locations to see if I could find a few random gems...

                                                      (Book Off, Near Gotanda Station-Tokyo)

1st Stop: Rolling Hills Location (Pacific Coast Highway and Crenshaw)

First rule, never take Crenshaw Blvd to the coast.  the street was packed all the way.  It took forever!  This store is in a huge outdoor mall.  Luckily the shop was located near the driveway I pulled into.  Now forgive me for sounding jaded, but the selection was fractional compared to the stores in Tokyo.  I did figure it would be like that, but it was still a little disappointing.  No AKB48, a few Momusu CD's, but they did have a decent selection of photobooks.  I saw a few Maki Horikita books (didn't buy them, bad move) and three from H!P.  Abe Natsumi's "Cam On" was the only one I didn't have, so I bought it...for $19.

2nd Stop: Gardena Location (Redondo Beach Blvd. and Western)

In a little strip mall, this was the busiest of the three stores I visited.  Sadly, it had the worst H!P collection of all the locations I went to.  Ironically, it was the largest of the three stores!  I didn't see any PB's there at all.  The only H!P CD they had that I didn't own a copy of was Ongaku Gatas' 1st Goodsal, for $30!!!  Forget it, I left this store emptyhanded.

3rd Stop: Costa Mesa Location (Harbor and Baker)

This is a mile away from my brothers house, lucky bastard!  Also in a little strip mall.  It is right across the street from a Kinokuniya Book Store, which usually has plenty of H!P stuff, but at double the price of what you would pay online. (Try $70 for a Berryz Kobo concert DVD!)  Of the three locations, this one had the best selection.  There were around 20 H!P photobooks, although they were all old.  Quite a few CD singles, and a few concert DVD's.  If you are in Southern California, this is the Book Off I would recommend.  So what did I get myself for Christmas?  A whole bunch of Ayaya...

Matsuura Aya First Photobook (2001)
Matsuura Aya 2003 Haru ~Matsu Ringu Pink~ DVD
Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2003 Aki ~Ayaya Hit Parade~ DVD
Aya no DNA, drama starring Matsuura Aya

They also had two copies of the Aijou Ippon Box Set, the TV series where Ayaya works in a dojo.  But it was pretty expensive, so I skipped it...for now!

I know it's pretty old stuff, but one can never have too much Ayaya.  So it was a decent haul.  By the way, the only AKB48 to be found at any of the stores was the Team B shirt I was wearing, which drew some curious looks from the staff!  I consoled myself by purchasing the History of AKB48 book online later that night!

Overall, not bad.  It just makes me look forward to my next trip to Japan.

CK in California

If you know my last name, you will get that joke.

 

We all should have been clued in when it was announced the 2009 Elder Club tour was titled Thank you for your LOVE!  The big announcement has been made.  The announcement that I have been "expecting" for a long time now.  The entire Hello! Project Elder Club will be graduating in March 2009.  Not to say I told you so, but I did "sort of" predict this back in April of this year... "Trusting The Hello! Process" 

In that post I said that H!P and UFA would most likely be doing a lot of "pruning away" of the elders in order to stay contemporary and profitable.  Specifically, I predicited the extinction of the Elder concept, and the graduation of most of the Elder members before the year end.  I didn't think it would be everyone, but the obvious move has been in the air for a long time now.  This is most likely going to be "the end" for many idols, though obviously not for all.  For some this is merely the long overdue next step in their careers...

 

Abe Natsumi, Nakazawa Yuko, and Yaguchi Mari have already been doing a lot of acting and television outside of H!P.  That will obviously continue.  And I'm sure we will see some singing in their futures as well.

 

Maeda Yuki always been a "fringe" H!P member at best anyway.  Will her enka career continue?  Probably.  I don't think the H!P banner helps or hurts her career either way.  As for Iida Kaori and Sugiura "Tsuji" Nozomi, they have already moved on to parenthood.

 

Matsuura Aya is beyond H!P, and has been for a while now.  I doubt her career will skip a beat!

 

Yoshizawa Hitomi and Ishikawa Rika.  We just got a glimpse of what's next for them, Hangry & Angry.  So obviously their careers are moving forward.  And I am sure this new unit won't be their swan song.

 

Fujimoto Miki has already moved on in a way, judging by the style and promotion of her most recent single.  Then again, that single didn't take the J-pop world by storm...

 

As far as the H!P Eggs that are also members of Ongaku Gatas, my guess is they will continue to be Eggs.  I would be really surprised to find out that Noto Arisa is part of the graduating class.  I know all of the reports are saying "all of Ongaku Gatas", but I still hold out hope since the Eggs weren't mentioned.

As for the rest, this may possibly be the last time we see many of them in a performance medium.  That's not to say all of their performance careers are over.  I am just saying that there is nothing presently on the horizon for any of them.  But I really don't know.  Only time will tell.

It's a sad and happy moment at the same time.  Now if I can be selfish for a minute...Now I am in a quandry about the Jan/Feb concert at Yokohama Arena.  As many of you know I will be in Japan next week to see Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo and Matsuura Aya.  And I was seriously considering returning for H!P Winter 2009.  This announcement definitely makes me want to go.  But now the tickets will be hard as hell to get a hold of!  What to do?

Only time will tell...

CK in California 

I was originally planning to do this as a continuation of my last post about AKB48.  Since I have now declared them my favorite J-pop group, it is time to begin my AKB collection.  I had finally reached the point where I had most all of the old H!P CD and DVD's I wanted, and now I could focus on just buying new releases.  It's not that I don't already have a few AKB48 items, I do!  This is going to be total hell on my wallet all over again.  But I am really excited about this "new beginning"!

Fly To High posted this What J-Pop Do You Buy post earlier this week.  To answer the questions on the post...

I buy "most" of my collection on EBay.

Most of my collection has come from Japan, although I do have a few overseas versions mixed in.  A few of my DVD's are Hong Kong bootlegs.  But after I bought an all-region DVD player I have only purchased Japan DVD's.

I have purchased quite a few items from Yes Asia.com, but now I am buying most of my stuff from HMV Online.  And for special items I almost always buy from the amazing Ohta!

As I begin to turn my attention to the girls of Akahibara, let's see what kind of damage has been done to my bank account so far.  Shall we?

 

Morning Musume

"First Time" CD

"Second Morning" CD

"3rd Love Paradise" CD

"4th Ikimasshoi" CD

"No. 5" CD

"Ai no Dai 6 Kan" CD

"Rainbow 7" CD

"7.5 Fuyu Fuyu Morning Musume Mini!" CD (LE)

"Sexy 8 Beat" CD

"Souda! We're Alive!" CD Single

"Aruiteru" CD Single

"Mikan" CD Single (LE)

"Resonant Blue" CD Single (LE A&B)

"Resonant Blue" Event V

"Morning Cop" OST CD

"Best Morning Musume 1" CD

"Best Morning Musume 2" CD

 

Melon Kinenbi

"1st Anniversary" CD

"Fruity Killer Tune" CD

"Kokuhaku Kinenbi" CD Single

"Akai Freesia" CD Single

 

Berryz Kobo

"1st Cho Berryz" CD

Dai 2 Seichouki" CD

"Special! Best Mini~2.5 Maime no Kare" CD

"3 Natsu Natsu Mini Berryz" CD

"Anata Nashi Dewa Ikita Yukenai" CD Single

"Fighting Pose wa Date Ja Nai" CD Single

"Happiness~Kofuku Kangei!" CD Single

"Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi" CD Single

 

C-ute

"2 Mini ~Ikiru to lu Chikara~" CD (LE)

"Sakura Chirari" CD Single (LE)

"Meguru Koi no Kisetsu" CD Single (LE)

"LALALA Shiawase no Uta" CD Single

"Edo no Temari Uta II" CD Single (LE)

 

Country Musume

"Daizenshuu 2" CD

 

W

"Duo U&U" CD

"2nd W" CD

"Koi no Fuga" CD Single

"Ai no Imi wo Oshiete" CD Single

"Miss Love Tantei" CD Single

 

Matsuura Aya

"First Kiss" CD

"T.W.O." CD

"X3" CD

"Double Rainbow" CD

"Matsuura Aya Best 1" CD

"Tropical Koishiteru" CD Single

"The Bigaku" CD Single

"Ne~e" CD single

"The Last Night" CD Single

"Kiseki no Kaori Dance" CD Single

 

MiniMoni

"MiniMoni Song Daihyakka 1 Kan" CD

"MiniMoni Songs 2" CD

"MiniMoni Telephone! Rin Rin Rin" CD Single

"MiniMoni Hinamatsuri" CD Single

"Lucky Cha Cha Cha" CD Single

"Kazoe Uta" DVD Single

 

Buono 

"Cafe Buono" CD (LE) 

"Gachinko de Ikou" CD Single (LE)

 

Athena & Robikerottsu

"Shouri no Big Wave" CD Single

"Seishun Love Lunch" CD Single

 

ZYX

"Shiroi Tokyo" CD Single

 

v-u-den

"Single Best 9 Vol. 1 Omaketsuki" CD

"Hitorijime" CD Single

 

Goto Maki

"Yaruki! It's Easy" CD Single

 

Abe Natsumi

"Hitoribocchi" CD

"Date Ikitekanakucha" CD Single

"Koi no Telephone Goal" CD Single

"Yuma Naraba" CD Single

 

Kusumi Koharu

"Mitsuboshi" CD

"Kirarin Land" CD

"Balalaika" CD Single

 

Fujimoto Miki

"Boogie Train '03" CD Single

 

Tanpopo

"All of Tanpopo" CD

 

Nochiura Natsumi

"Renai Sentai Shitsu Ranger" CD Single

 

High-King

Cinderella/Complex CD Single (LE)

 

Milky Way

"Anataboshi" CD Single

 

THE Possible

"Happy 15" CD Single

"Love Message" CD Single

 

Hello! Project

"Otome Gumi Ai no Sono" CD Single

"Otome Gumi Yuujou" CD Single

"2003 Shuffle Units" CD Single/PB

"H!P All-Stars 2004" CD Single/PB

"Pucchi Best 1" CD

"Pucchi best 2" CD

"Pucchi Best 3" CD

 

Photobooks

Matsuura Aya Alo-Hello (2003)

Matsuura Aya- Ma! Chura (2004)

Abe Natsumi- Nacchi (1999)

Abe Natsumi- Natsumi (2001)

Abe Natsumi- AloHello (2005) *DVD*

Takahashi Ai- Photobook (2002)

Yaguchi Mari- Yaguchi (2002)

Yaguchi Mari- Love Hello! (2003)

Iida Kaori- Kaori Kaori Kaori (2002)

Kago Ai- Go on the Journey (2003)

Kago Ai/Tsuji Nozomi- TsujiKago (2002)

Ishikawa Rika- Photobook (2001)

Ishikawa Rika- Photobook (2002)

Kamei Eri- 17 Sai (2006)

Tanaka Reina- Reina (2005)

Tanaka Reina- AloHello! (2007)

Konno Asami- Photobook (2004)

Konno Asami- AloHello! (2006) *DVD*

Tanpopo- Photobook (2001)

Morning Musume- AloHello! (2003)

Morning Musume- AloHello! (2004) *DVD*

 

Concert DVD's

Morning Musume First Live at Shibuya Kohkaido 1998

Morning Musume Memory Seishun no Hikari 1999  (Fukuda Asuka Graduation)

Morning Musume First Live at Budokan 2000  (Ichii Sayaka Graduation)

Morning Musume Live Revolution 21 Haru 2001  (Nakazawa Yuko Graduation)

Morning Musume Green Live 2001

Morning Musume Love is Alive! 2002 Haru

Morning Musume Love is Alive! 2002 Natsu  (Goto Maki Graduation)

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2003 Haru "Non-Stop!"  (Yasuda Kei Graduation)

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2003 15nin de "Non-Stop!"

Morning Musume Otome Gumi Concert Tour 2003-2004

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2004 Spring "The Best of Japan"  (Mika Todd Graduation)

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2004 "The Best of Japan Natsu~Aki"

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2005 Haru "Dai 6 kan Hit Mankai"  (Ishikawa Rika Graduation)

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2006 Aki Odore! Morning Curry

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2007 Spring Sexy 8 Beat  (Yoshizawa Hitomi Graduation)

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2007 Aki Bonkyu Bonkyu Bomb!

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2008 Single Daizenshuu

Hello! Project 2002 Kotoshi no Sugiozo

Hello! Project 2002 One Happy Summer Day

Hello! Project 2003 Winter Tanoshinjattemasu!

Hello! Project 2003 Natsu Yosha! Bikkuri Summer!!

Hello! Project 2004 Winter C'mon! Dance World  (Abe Natsumi Graduation)

Hello! Project 2004 Summer Natsu no Doon!  (Kago Ai/Tsuji Nozomi Graduation)

Hello! Project 2005 Winter All-Stars Dairanbu, A Happy New Power!  (Iida Kaori Graduation)

Hello! Project 2005 Natsu no Kayou Show '05 Selection Collection!

Hello! Project 2007 Winter Live DVD Box  (Country Musume Graduation)

Hello! Project 2007 Summer 10th Anniversary Dai Kanshasai

Hello! Project 2008 Winter Live DVD Box

Matsuura Aya First Concert Tour 2002 Haru "First Date"

Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2005 Haru 101 Kaime no Kiss

Matsuura Aya "Captain Koen" Hello Pro Party 2005

Matsuura Aya Live in Shanghai 2006

Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2007 Autumn

W "Standby!" Double U and Berryz Kobo 2004 Natsu

Berryz Kobo Live Tour 2005 Aki ~Switch On~  (Ishimura Maiha Graduation)

Berryz Kobo Concert Tour 2006 Haru, Nyoki Nyoki Champion

Berryz Kobo Concert Tour 2007 Sakura Mankai

Berryz Kamen/Cutie Ranger Nakayoshi Battle Concert 2008 Spring  (Berryz Version)

Melon Kinenbi 1st Anniversary Live Tour 2003

MiniMoni Special Live Dapyon! Haru 2003  (Yaguchi Mari Graduation)

 

Other DVD's

Morning Cop

Pinch Runner

Tokkaekko

Nama Tamago

Koinu Dan no Monogatari

The MiniMoni Movie

17 sai Tabidachi no Futari

Sukeban Deka, Codename: Asamiya Saki

Morning Musume Musical "Love Century"

Berryz Kobo Event V 2005

MiniMoni Single Clips 1

W no Eizo no Sekei Vol. 1 (Single Clips)

Hello! Project 2000 Shuffle Units DVD

Sakura/Otome Gumi Single DVD "Sakura/Yuujou"

 

Now for my Non-Tsunku related items...

 

AKB48

"Aitakatta" CD Single

"Bingo!" CD Single (LE)

"Set List" 2006-2007 CD (LE)

"Team K 2nd Stage" CD

"Team K 3rd Stage" CD

"Team A 4th Stage" DVD

"Set List, Live at Shibuya-AX 2008" DVD Box

 

Perfume

"Game" CD

"Electroworld" CD Single

 

Pipo Angels

"Luvly, Merry-Go-Round" CD Single

"100% Pure" CD Single

 

Ketchup Mania

"Everytime Music Freak" CD

"Greetings From Tokyo" CD

"U.R.G.E." CD

"L.O.V.E." CD

 

SCANDAL

"Hello Scandal" CD/EP

"Space Ranger" Single CD/DVD

 

Various Items

Andromedia DVD

Battle Royale DVD

Densha Otoko DVD Box

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon DVD Box

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon OST Vol. 1

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon "Dear My Friend" OST

 

T-Shirts

SCANDAL Concert T

Hello! Project 2008 Winter T-shirt plus sweatband

 

 

Oy!  That list was a total pain in the a$$ to put together!  If you add the cost of two trips to Japan plus concert tickets, that's a pretty big dent in the savings.  I'm not really into collecting rare items, instead I focus on CD's I want to listen to and DVD's I want to watch.  When I first started collecting I was enamored with the thought of watching Hello! Project on my big TV screen and cranking up Morning Musume in my car during the daily commute!

Now it's all about AKB48.  Let's see how much of their crap I can amass over the next year!

CK in California

I'm finally getting an opportunity to do the next episode in this series.

I really love watching all of the Hello! Project related films and doramas.  It's great to see how talented many of the artists are.  And to be honest, most of the movies they do are pretty damn good!  The two selections I will be speaking about today, LAST PRESENT and 17Sai Tabidachi no Futari, I would never had discovered had it not been for Andra.  This is one of my favorite things about International Wota and all of my fellow J-music bloggers.  If it weren't for them I probably would never got to find out about the history and great goings-on in the J-music world.  So a big Arigatou Gozaimasu to all of you.

By the way, my trusty feline friend Dexter was very unhappy that I reviewed VICTORY! Futto Girls no Seishun without him, and made it a point to watch these features.

１７才～旅立ちのふたり (2003)

17sai~Tabidachi no Futari ~ was a theatrically released film in the fall of 2003.  It starred Ishikawa Rika and Fujimoto Miki .  Kawamura Maiko (Rika) is one of five foster children who live with their adoptive parents in a "less than" glamourous part of Tokyo.  She is soon to be eighteen, and she is an aspiring artist and writer.  Also living with her is "Kota", a precocious and angry young boy with a habit of running away.  Through Kota, Maiko meets Izumi Risa (Mikitty), a pretty but lonely girl who helps her single mother run a small cafe.

Now at this point we have met the characters, but far into the story I was still waiting for some kind of plot to develop.  For more than half of the film we are seeing these characters experiencing life.  I kept asking myself "Where are they going with this?  This is only about an hour long, get with it!"

Ultimately it is about our two soon-to-be adults growing up and making important life decisions.  When Maiko's father returns to Japan after 13 years, she needs to decide what kind of relationship she is willing to have with him.  As for Risa, she is troubled by her mother's promiscuity and angered by all of the men who take advantage of her.

It's not that I didn't like the movie.  In fact, all of the performances were top notch.  The scene where Maiko finally meets her father is very powerful.  And I couldn't help get emotionally invested into the foster families' lives.  On the other hand, the story about Risa and her mother is less developed, and as a result less interesting.  Even with the surprising attempted rape scene.  I am always astounded by some of the subject matter that pops up in H!P films.  This is the same company that writes those "virginal clauses" in the girls' contracts, right?  But you have to see the entire movie to really appreciate it's message.  It wasn't until it ended that I really started to like it at all.

2 1/2 of five stars for me.  Dexter really liked Mikitty and Charmy, but felt the child who played the "Kato" character was pretty scary.  The kind of kid that would hold him against his will and stroke his fur backwards!  2/5 for him...

 

ラストプレセント (2003)

LAST PRESENT ~ In my last review I declared VICTORY! Futto Girls no Seishun to be my favorite H!P film of all time.  But this one comes pretty close.  It premiered on the NHK Television Network on Christmas Eve 2003.  It tells the story of Kyoko (Abe Natsumi) a young woman who works for the postal service.  It is the Winter holidays, and her boyfriend Yoshiro wants her to spend Christmas Eve with him in his hometown of Hokkaido.  Since it is the busy season at the post office she refuses, sparking a petty argument.  Fast forward to Yoshiro's wake!  It seems that he has been killed in an accident.  And his brother meets Kyoko in a cafe to give her a videotape he left for her before his death.  The trouble is there were two Kyoko's in Yoshiro's phonebook.  And the second Kyoko (Ishikawa Rika) shows up and claims it is her that Yoshiro loved, and the tape is for her.

Together the two Kyoko's watch the tape.  After it offers no clues as to who it was for, the girls individually decide to go to Hokkaido and hopefully find the truth about Yoshiro's "last present".  The rest of the story is about the girls' experience traveling to Hokkaido, and the truths they ultimately uncover.

 

First off, this is a beautifully shot movie.  The location shots in Hokkaido will have you wanting to jump on the next plane for a visit.  I really like a lot of the H!P films' cinematography.  Koinu Dan no Monogatari and Pinch Runner were shot in amazing locales as well.  Second, Nacchi and especially Charmy show why they are the two biggest powerhouse actresses in H!P.  Rika's Kyoko is a barrel of emotion.  She's an artist and a total primadonna.  She can shift from sweet to angry on a dime.  It's really fun to watch her in this.  Nacchi plays her usual level-headed character.  But she has some great acting moments late in the story as she comes to terms with her own anger and sadness.

It's just a really cute film and a total joy to watch.  And it's super sweet ending makes it a perfect Christmas movie.  I highly recommend it.  5/5 stars.  For Dexter, there was even a cat in the film for him to relate to.  As Robert Mitchum once suggested in the movie Scrooged, "Programming...for cats!"  Dexter thinks Robert Mitchum is a genius!

 

Both of these films were translated by DJ_Waffles, and have recently been uploaded to You Tube (in 10 minute segments).  But who knows how long that will last.  You can also download them both on the Veoh TV player.

 

Now after watching all of these movies I have concluded that Ishikawa Rika is the greatest actress in Hello! Project.  I haven't counted, but it seems like she is in more films than anyone else.  And the range of characters she plays is impressive.  The characters she played here were completely different.  When you also consider her performances in Tokkaekko and Sukeban Deka, Wow!  And don't get me started on how much I liked her in Ribbon no Kishi.  And she is just so incredibly cute!  Everytime I watch her I wonder why I don't consider her one of my favorite Hello! Project members.  If it weren't for her rumored "bad attitude" about the fans, she probably would be!

 

Abe Natsumi has probably played just as many major parts.  But she seems to usually play more level-headed characters.  I'm not saying I don't love her acting, I really do!  But I would love to see if she has the acting range that Charmy has.

I don't know if there will be a future episode in this series or not.  It will depend on what else I can find.  But hopefully the days of Hello! Project and UFA making movies aren't over!

And thanks to Dexter for all of his help.  Now I think he wants me to feed him!

CK in California

Here is another survey from the IW Blogosphere.  This is from Celestia of Bikkuri Project, who is lucky enough to be teaching English in Japan this year.  I am green with envy!  Well, here goes!

 

1. You have found a magical J-pop genie who will grant you one J-pop related wish (so no wishing for a million dollars or world peace or anything like that). It can be virtually anything as long as it’s directly related to J-pop, and don’t worry, because this is the nice sort of genie, not the kind who will try to find a loop-hole and screw up your wish. So, what do you wish for???

I would love to have the ability to attend every Hello! Project concert and event.  Perhaps even work for H!P, maybe I could be their accountant!!!

2. Is there any J-pop artist or group who seriously pisses you off? If yes, who, and why?

I can't think of anyone who "pisses me off".  Granted, there are some artists I don't particularly care for, but that's as bad as it gets.  Now if you asked me about American artists who annoy me, I'd need many pages for that list!

3. Who do you think is the sexiest japanese singer out there?

After watching those recent episodes of AKB０じ５９ふん, it has to be Team K's Ohori Megumi.  Koda Kumi is pretty hot too, but I am not a big fan of her material, so Megumi wins!

4. How about the cutest?

Tanaka Reina with a bullet!  And she almost wins the "sexy" category too!

5. Best personality?

Niigaki Risa, she has the most cheerful disposition!  And she is another "sexy" candidate!

6. If given the opportunity, would you rather date person 3, person 4, or person 5?

Total package-wise, if I could date any J-pop singer I would probably choose Abe Natsumi or Matsuura Aya.  But of the three choices above, I would pick #3, Ohori Megumi from AKB48 because 1) she's the oldest of the three, and 2) With Megumi I would probably have the best chance of getting to "first base"!  And yes, I am re-embedding the video from my last post because it was too damn sexy/funny!

7. You work for a Japanese music magazine, and you have the opportunity to interview your favorite artist or group. What are a couple of the questions you want to ask them?

I had almost abandoned the idea of going to Japan next month (for various reasons), then I read that Kago Ai is having some sort of interview/event in Osaka on August 10th!  And the tickets are for sale to the public???  Wow, I could attend that!!!  But Kago's life has been an open book lately, so I wouldn't know what to ask her that we don't seem to already know!  But I guess I would ask any idol "If you had the chance to go back in time, would you do it all again?"  "What would you do differently?"  And "If your own daughter came to you and said that she wanted to try and become an idol, what would you say and do"?  

8. What’s the best (J-pop) song to listen to when you are really sad?

W's "Shiroi Iro wa Koibito no Iro" is so beautiful, and it reminds me of the passing of my mother.

9. When you’re really happy?

W sweeps the category with Ai no Imi wo Oshiete!  Although ironically the first time I saw the PV and heard the song, I loved it so much I almost cried!

10. Do you often sing along to your favorite songs?

Sure, it helps me with my learning of the language!

11. How about dance?

If I am drinking while I am watching a DVD, I will practice my Wota-gei!!!

12. Artistic integrity question!! If someone offerrered to pay you for blogging, but they were allowed to censor some of your opinions or veto some of your blogging ideas, would you do it?

That depends on who is asking, and how much they are paying me.  If someone wanted to pay me as a writer, but wanted to have creative input on the content, I would probably do it.  But it also depends on the extent of the control.  Writing is a creative expression.  If I felt I was being suppressed too much, I would probably abandon it!

And Celestia, I would be happy to see a show with you when I (eventually) get to Japan, and that might be in October/November.

CK in California

Welcome to the second episode of CK (and his cat, Dexter) Go To The Movies.  I am so pleasantly surprised to hear such a positive response to the first part of this series.  Especially all of the love for "Tokkaekko"!  In this episode we will focus on the three "serious" Hello! Project films.  Frankly, I am more of a fan of their cute and funny entries.  But the three following films all have something nice to offer.  And they all give a really good look at the acting abilities of the girls in H!P.  First up...

仔犬ダンの物語 (2002)

Koinu Dan No Monogatari, (The Story of Puppy Dan) was the companion film to The Minimoni Movie.  I believe they both premiered December 14th, 2002 (which just happens to be my birthday, hah!)  The film is unique in that the main parts were mostly played by the H!P Kids.  It tells the story of Mao-chan (Tsugunaga Momoko), a young girl dealing with the pending divorce of her parents.  Angered by her parents decision, she decides to go and live with her Grandfather in Gunma.  Being the new kid at a new school, Mao-chan is a bit standoff-ish at first, until she meets Chika (Shimizu Saki), a schoolmate who is hiding from her mother a little blind puppy she found.  Because neither of them are allowed to keep a pet, they attempt to find a suitable home for him.  But as time goes by, Chika becomes more attached to the dog, and the girls are willing to do whatever it takes to enable Chika to keep him.

Although the members of Berryz Koubou and C-ute are the main focus of this film, what I love are all of the "bit parts" played by the girls of Morning Musume.  Abe Natsumi is very sweet as Chika's neighbor and daughter of the building superintendent.  I just loved the scene with her working at an AM/PM!  Konno Asami also has a wonderful cameo as a schoolgirl who helps Mao find her way.  It's a really cute and heartwarming story, and the kids all do a terrific job of acting.  Yajima Maimi is especially good as the leader of the clique that Mao doesn't get along with.  There is a touching moment toward the end when Mao leaves town to go and live with her father.  All of her classmates show up to bid "sayonara" to their friend.  It is so cute to see them all crying as they say goodbye.  The movie ends with two great PV's for Ganbacchae and Hey Mirai!.  And the DVD extras include "making of" and "premiere" footage.

Of the "serious" H!P movies, this one is probably my favorite.  However, Dexter vehemently disagrees, as evidenced by the constant hissing every time Puppy Dan appeared onscreen.  Dexter also pointed out that just because a dog chases it's tail, it doesn't mean that it is blind!  But we both agreed that Okai Chisato is so cute in the part of Chika's little sister!

CK gives it 4 out of 5 stars, Dexter gives it Zero out of 5 stars.

 

  ナマタマゴ (2002)

Nama Tamago (Raw Eggs) was released in 2002 as the companion film to Tokkaekko.  Both times Hello! Project released two feature films simultaneously, they did one funny film coupled with a serious film.  Now this movie is going to be a lot harder for me to review because I have never seen a subtitled version of it.  In fact, the only reason I bought it was because Ohta-san was selling it so cheap that I couldn't pass up at least giving the movie a try.  This is by far the most serious of all of the movies.  And at times it is downright depressing.  It stars Iida Kaori, Yaguchi Mari, Goto Maki, and Tsuji Nozomi.

Wiki describes this film as the story of four girls who want to make it as table tennis players.  But after none of them improve, they decide to make a wager on who will be the best, inspiring a big competition.  After watching the movie, I didn't really get that description at all!  Yes, they are playing table tennis.  But I had never seen people so depressed while playing a game.  It seems more like a story of four girls who are troubled in life, and the friends and family members who are affected by them.  You find out later in the movie that they are in some sort of incarceration.  I'm not sure what kind, it could be a jail, juvenile detention, or mental health center.  Table tennis seems like a way for them to merely pass the time (sybolized by a ticking metronome), and to think about the mistakes they have made in life.  Of course I could be completely off in my assessment of the plot, I am merely guessing based on what I could understand.

I can't really be fair in stating how much I liked the film.  Although it has a very pretty musical score (jazz piano), and the girls do some really good emotional acting toward the end when they meet with members of their respective families.  But overall the film is long on talking and short on action.  2 stars out of 5. 

Dexter took a nap for the entire movie.

 

ピンチランナー (2000)

Pinch Runner was the first H!P movie I ever saw.  I stumbled upon it accidentally when I first discoved Hello! Project.  Abe Natsumi is "Ayumi"  A new girl in school who keeps to herself and the lone member of the Track and Field Club.  Sanae (Goto Maki) wants to join the club, but finds Ayumi difficult to talk to.  One day a fire breaks out in the school supply shed, and Ayumi's schoolmates team up to help save her from succumbing to the fire.  Suddenly Ayumi has quite a few friends, and they all want to be members of the track and field club.  The girls all have various motives for joining the club, and it is these serious themes that make up the backstory of the movie.  The girls deal with child abuse (Ichii Sayaka), depression and suicide (Iida Kaori), terminal illness (Yasuda Kei), physical handicaps (Abe Natsumi) and unrequited love (Yaguchi Mari).  Soon "running" toward a goal becomes a metaphor for the girls to confront their personal demons.

I will always have a soft spot for Pinch Runner because it was the first H!P movie I found, and the first one I bought a copy of.  I really liked the setting of the film, I would love to know the name of the small coastal town it was filmed in.  I also enjoyed the musical score.  At times it has a retro, almost 60's euro quality to it.  I have never bought the OST, as the only Momusu song actually in the film is "Dance Suru no Da"...on vinyl!  Yaguchi Mari and Maki Goto played my favorite two characters.  Gocchin is the one "happy-go-lucky" girl in the group.  There are a couple of great scenes involving her and bicycles.  The first is a cute sequence on the back of her boyfriends' bike stealing a banana from a vendor, and the second involves her taking a boys bike in order to chase down a professional runner she wants to meet.  Marippe is just damn cute throughout the movie, especially when she is interacting the cute surfer guy she loves.  But Nacchi is the star of this movie, and she does a great job.  Even doing some of her scenes in sign language.  And then there is this famous scene...

I give this film 3 1/2 of 5 stars.  I really like the first half of the film, but it begins to drag toward the end.  And the whole long distance relay scene was really hokey.  Thousands of people maniacally cheering on a bunch of girls jogging?  And did they win?  I guess whether or not they won the race wasn't really the point, but why did it seem like the entire crowd was cheering on the interaction between Nacchi and her mother?  How did all of these people get emotionally invested into that drama?  I guess we'll chalk it up to "artistic license".

Dexter did a lot of "purring" during the movie, so I think he liked it.  Or it might have simply been because I was petting him the whole time.  Dexter also wants to remind everyone to watch for the cute cameo by Momusu 4th generation during the closing credits!

So there ya go, another three H!P films.  I also consider "Sukeban Deka, Codename: Asimiya Saki" an H!P movie too, but I'll review that as a seperate post.  ***And now that Andra has informed me that I am leaving out 2 H!P films (see her comment below) I guess there will be a third episode of CK at the Movies!!!  Until next time, The balcony is closed!

 

CK in California     

Installment #3, the Elder Club, with a few "not so elderly" elders.  This is going to be an interesting concert.  It is no accident that this is the third disc I am reviewing.  It is the one I was the least excited to see, compared with Wonderful Hearts and Haru Pro Award.  I sorta feel badly about that because I am one who always trumpets that the elders don't get enough respect, should be featured more, are more talented than they are given credit for, etcetera etcetera.  The cast of characters doesn't make it any easier to figure out...

Matsuura Aya, arguably the most talented singer in the history of Hello! Project.

Abe Natsumi, No one had a bigger fanbase at Haru Pro than Nacchi.

Morning Musume OG, haven't we all been clamoring for this?

Ongaku Gatas, judging by what I read on IW, they should be a big draw.

Melon Kinen-bi, I am a big fan (even if that is a lonely club) so that should be an enticement, at least for me.

So there are five good reasons why I would think more people would be interested.  I know I left a few out, but I am trying illustrate why they would be a good draw.  It is no reflection of how I personally feel about v-u-den, Yuki, Atsuko or Ayaka.  My point is "on paper", this looks like it should be a great show.  But if I go by last years' Elder Club show, I should expect a few great moments, surrounded by a bunch of the same performances we see at the H!P Big Show.  I'm going into this one "cold", let's see how it goes...

Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari ~ I've already seen (and commented on) this when it previewed on Dohhhup.  I love this song, so I was excited to see an "Elder" version.  Nice start to the show, my favorites were Yuko (very sexy and cool), MKB (very cute), and Kei-chan (also cute).  I was most disappointed by Ayaka (c'mon, give her a cooler "English" line than that!)  How about, "I wanna strive to have Tsunku know who I am"  or "I wanna bring back my old English Lessons"  Those would have been cooler lines.  Also, Gatas kinda ruin the mood at the end.   But I am still happy that they performed this, it was pretty cool!

The Peace! ~  To me, Ayaya and Yossie are the stars here.  Aya can make anything sound awesome, and Yossie just gets better with age.  I like the fact that they took someone who isn't known for this song and gave them a lead part.  I think it would've been even cooler to give a big part to someone unexpected, like Ayaka.  But it was another good performance.

So far the Elder Club has gotten off to a promising start

Yattarouze!/Narihajimeta Koi no BELL ~  I've already reviewed these for H!P Awards 2008.  On the first song we got a couple of closeups of Miki and Minami, that's nice.  Mika Mutou spent most of this performance dancing far "off-camera left"  Then why is Mika in this group if she barely gets a chance to participate?  Does she score a lot of goals?

Ai Ai Daiko ~ I loved how Gatas cleared a path for Yuki like she was an Empress.  After watching disc 3, I was excited to hear this again.  So kakkoii!  Yuki does not disappoint.  I am "this" close to buying my first Maeda Yuki CD!

Onegai Miwaku no Target ~  The main difference here is the use of stationary microphones.  Not as energetic as the other performance.  But I guess it's better than performing in a tent at the car show.  But look how excited the Wota are!  MKB seem well liked!

Jaja Uma Paradise ~  Watching this reminds me of "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" for obvious reasons. (Just trying to come up with an even more obscure Russ Meyer reference)  I've always liked v-u-den, so I'm sure I would've enjoyed this in person.  It is the same routine as the other show.

Progress report:  So far the show has been pretty good.  Not spectacular yet, but not bad at all!

HAPPY TO GO!/Watarasebashi ~  It is nice that Aya did completely different songs for the two different programs.  As much as I like Aya, I still don't own a copy of Double Rainbow.  So this is a new song to me.  Not bad, HAPPY is a very mature sounding song.  Kinda "jazzy".  My guess is that they adapted Aya's setlist to the program.  More mature for Elders, more fun "pop" songs with the younger groups.  She does both formats very well, which is why I think she is so special.  Even if I prefer her "less mature" material.

ENDLESS LOVE ~I Love You More~  This is the first of the four Elder "mashup" songs, which aren't as plentiful as in Wonderful Hearts.  Peeking down the setlist, Atsuko and Ayaka get to be in TWO songs apiece, WOW!  I hope Yui and Erika's future with H!P is more than an annual T&C Bomber cover every January.  Next...

WOW WOW WOW ~  Alright, it's an impromptu Pucchi Moni reunion!  I wonder if they would be interested in bringing this sub-unit back?  Ayaka, Kei-chan, and maybe Erika?  That might be cool.  It's nice to see Yasuda front and center for a change.  The three of them make for a strong trio!  Good performance, gives the energy a good shot in the arm!

Iki wo Kasanemashou/Datte Ikitekanakucha ~  Okay, I will give Kasanemashou another chance since Andra gave me a hard time about not liking it.  It's pretty, I'm just not running out to buy the single.  Believe it or not, I want to like Nacchi's work.  I am a fan!  I prefer the second song.  That "Thank You" at the end was adorable.  She is just too cute!

Danna Sama ~  Nothing remarkably different from the Haru Pro performance, which I liked alot.

Hitoshirezu Mune wo Kunaderu Yoru no Aki ~  Look out!  It's the attack of the Yasuda sub-units!  They did this song last year too.  The one part I really like is when Atsuko hits the high notes.  It's a pretty song, but...whatever.

Two-thirds of the way through, the show is losing steam.  I'm still hopeful for a big finish...

SEXY NIGHT ~   ROMANS are our final sub-unit of the night.  This does nothing for me either.  Lets call this one the "warmup" song for Mari and her appearance with Momusu OG.

Akai Freesia ~  As much as I love this song (it is one of the few I can actually sing along to), I had never heard a live version before.  So I was excited to see it on the setlist.  Ayumi looks very cute.  My favorite has always been Masae, but has she always been built like a Linebacker?  They are like the "Blue Collar Idols".  I actually like that about them.  Decent performance.

Koisuru Angel Heart ~  It's one of my favorites of theirs, as I've said on Haru Pro, and Bon Kyu! Bomb.  The version on Haru Pro is more like a tribute, with the entire cast singing in parts.  I prefer that version to this one.

Morning Musume OG Medley ~  They are wearing a less-revealing version of the Momusu's red "caped crusader" outfits that I love so much!  Now the Summer medley of The Peace! and Mr. Moonlight was excellent!  This one is not quite as exciting.  But it improved as it progressed.  Daite HOLD ON ME! is okay, they quickly get into Happy Summer Wedding.  This is much cuter.  And they all seem to be having alot of fun performing it!  There are so many cute parts to this song.  I love Nacchi's little "whisper" part near the end.  But my favorite part of the medley is Happy Night.  The song is so cool.  I remember how much I like it on Asuka's graduation DVD! 

Renai Revolution 21 ~   Once again I request giving someone other than Momusu and Ayaya a bigger part in these "chorus" songs.  I wonder how Ayaka, Yuki, and Atsuko feel about it?  You can't go wrong with this song.  I've never seen it not performed well.  And I will again sing the praises of Kei-chan!  She is more-talented AND sexier than many give her credit for.  She is just as exciting as Rika and Nacchi during this performance.

Final MC, I have to give props to Yuko and that sensational "kiss" the threw at the audience!!!

Michi Naru Mirai e ~  This is very cool for so many reasons.  First of all, it's a great tune.  And second, it's a new song to end the show with.  The middle of this setlist was pretty bumpy, but they ended the show as they started, with a bang! 

Overall the Elder Club is just missing some of the "fun" that the other two concerts possess.  Individually they are all great artists.  But it is just too big a concentration of mid to low tempo songs.  And the result is a show that sounds like it would be perfect for a Vegas dinner theater.  They probably need to be marketed differently, and completely seperate from C-ute/Berryz/Momusu.  But exactly what that would look like I am not sure of. 

There ya go!  All three discs reviewed.  I can't believe I spent my entire weekend doing this!  I haven't decided whether or not I will review the fourth disc.  How do you review 45 minutes of backstage footage?

CK in California