8 posts tagged “berryz koubou”

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 just noticed I haven't posted here in over a week.  It's not that I'm not being active in the blogging community.  In fact you can find my regular contributions over at International Wota.  Here is my bio with a link to my contributions so far.  What else is going on you ask???

 

Japan 10/25-11/4

Yes, I am making my return trip to Japan in about seven weeks.  And there is plenty going on in the world of H!P at that time.  Matsuura Aya will be playing a small venue in Roppongi on 10/26.  I originally planned on purchasing these tickets.  But Ohta and I had a little mixup, which resulted in the show selling out before we could get them.  But not to worry.  I am still confident I can get tickets through Yahoo Japan auctions, but it might cost a bit more.  Berryz Koubou will be in Shizuoka on 11/1.  I DID get my tickets to this, family seating in the front of the balcony.  It isn't up front, but the Vin Rose is not a big venue, so I should have a great view.  Morning Musume is in Tokyo that same weekend, and today Ohta and I have successfully obtained seats to two of the six shows (11/3 matinee and evening).  I'm not sure where the seats are, but they are Fan Club seats, so they should be decent.  And I might try to get a ticket for the evening show on 11/2 when I get to Japan.  As far as AKB48 is concerned, we'll have to wait and see.  But regardless I plan to visit the theater and pick up something at the souvenir shop.  I want to do some traveling around the country too.

Some Recent Purchases (other than event tix)

I just received the LE singles of Edo no Temari Uta II and Gachinko de Ikou.  Plus C-ute's 2nd mini-album, which I bought after loving the performance of "That's The Power" during the Battle Concert.  I also got the Konno Asami Alo Hello DVD.  That package was also supposed to have the Berryz "Switch On" Concert DVD, but for some reason "Dora" forgot to put it in the package.  So I wait!  But what I am most excited about is the AKB48 Shibuya AX Box Set!!!  Now I still don't have my hands on it since customs decided to hold onto it for FOUR DAYS!!!  Why?  I have no idea.  But it is at the post office waiting for me as we speak.  I will be first in line tomorrow morning.  I cannot wait!  It was so hard to obtain, and US Customs didn't make it any easier!  Don't bother asking me what I paid for it.  I will post some sort of review as soon as I get the chance.

Henkka and Beatlemania

Some of you may have read Henkka's new blog, The H!P Opinions of a Metalhead.  It used to be here at VOX, but he has recently switched over to Wordpress.  Anyhow, he has started a roundtable feature on his blog about the Beatles and Hello! Project with himself, Wu-san of Our Pleasant Vista and Yours Truly.  It's kind of an interesting subject.  I'm not sure if I have any idea where the hell we are going with it, but I should have my contribution up sometime this weekend.  I think I will post it here as well as on the new Metalhead blog.  I hope it's interesting.

That's it for the moment.  Now I don't have to lament why I haven't posted in a week.  I guess it's back to the Beatle/Musume blog for me!

CK in California

Berryz工房＆℃-ute 仲良しバトルコンサートツアー2008春

My Berryz Kamen vs. Cutie Ranger DVD finally showed up in my mailbox yesterday.  I had a tough time deciding which version of this concert to purchase.  If I had to choose one member of the H!P Kids that I would want to see more footage of, it would be Yajima Maimi.  Maimi is in my opinion the most perfect Musume to ever be in Hello! Project.  But overall I like more members of Berryz Koubou.  So I chose the Berryz version.  After watching all of the bonus footage for both DVD's, I would've been fine with either one.  It is the concert itself that I am most interested in anyway.

Now that this judge has watched the concert on a virtual endless loop for the the last 24 hours, I am ready to make a decision on who the winner of the Nakayoshi Battle is.  I've said all along that overall I prefer Berryz as a group over C-ute.  Is that a giveaway for the final tally?  We'll see...

Round One

"A New Classic" ~ Man I miss Yokohama Arena!  Very pretty dresses, but Kanna and Captain's cowboy hats seem a little out of place.  I mentioned before in a previous post that I really liked Darling I LOVE YOU for the opener.  Especially the chorus and it's cool guitar work.  And I feel it has the potential to be an H!P event standard for years to come!  They basically sing this as a chorus, and it's one of my favorite performances of the night!  Berryz brings the fan fave but (in my opinion) overdone Special Generation.  One of the fun things to watch here is the line distribution when they do each others' songs.  For some reason I felt some of C-ute (namely Mai Mai and Chisato) seemed a little out of place singing this.  It was like the song is too mature for them or something.  On the other hand, Airi and Erika owned it.  Ooki na Ai de Motenashite is probably my favorite C-ute song.  It's a shorter song than SG, but all of Berryz seemed right at home with it.  Yurina sang Maimi's part perfectly.  Hmmm, I like the C-ute song better.  But performance wise, I give it to Berryz. First round MVP goes to Yurina!  (Berryz 1, C-ute 0)

 

Round Two

"70's Cop Drama VTR" ~ Actually everyone wins here.  What an excellent sequence!  And Maasa is fronting Berryz tonight?  I am in heaven!  Man does she look hot holding that...what the hell is that?  Berryz has more cool poses while C-ute goes for goofy and strange.  But I love the focus on all of their eyes.  Very cute!  I prefer Maasa over Kanna, and Berryz weapons were cooler.  (Berryz 2, C-ute 0)

Round Three

"The Obligatory Hits" ~   C-ute definitely has an edge in the dancing department!  They look and sound great doing Namida no Iro!  And I love the casual outfits, especially on Maimi and Mai Mai!  C-ute won last years' "Best New Artist Award" for good reason.  The way they have grown as performers in just the last two years is impressive!    Checking out the Berryz' attire for Munasawagi Scarlet.  My biased opinion says Maasa looks totally hot in the "Mary Anne from Gilligan's Island" outfit.  I also love the way Momo's shirt cuts her across the chest. It makes it look like she almost has a chest!   And Miyabi's "Got What You Need" t-shirt is great!  It's funny how LaLaLA Shiawase No Uta becomes a much better song when C-ute isn't wearing those pink and purple frilly monstrosities!  But I think Dschinghis Khan loses something without the costumes from the PV.  Each group does three songs, and they all performed flawlessly.  Bottom Line, this segment comes down to who's latest singles you like best.  C-ute has been getting the better songs lately and thus dominated this part of the show.  Maimi leads the way!  (Berryz 2, C-ute 1)

Round Four

"David vs. Goliath" ~ Is this really even a contest?  Everyone had to know that Airi would blow Risako away on Very Beauty.  One of Riichan's biggest problems is she doesn't know how to project.  As a result she sounds shaky and whiny.  She needs to put more power behind her voice!  But I'm really starting to feel sorry for Risako.  She gets bashed a lot on the posts.  A lot more criticism than she deserves.  Jeez, she's just fourteen years old for cripes sake!  Give her a break.  By the way, Airi was just amazing on this song!!!  (Berryz 2, C-ute 2)

Round Five

"The Shuffles" ~  I've never watched a concert without becoming a fan of at least one song I've never given a chance to before.  Bokuga no Kagayaki (and That's The POWER later on) had me going right to EBay to find a copy of C-ute's second indie CD!  Chisato is a great singer!  She and Kanna dominate here.  Watch for the moment Chisa almost gets crushed in between Maasa and Yurina, too funny!  I'm not a huge fan of Sayonara Hageshiki Koi.  Maimi was very good singing alongside Momo and Miyabi!  But I had to play the track about five times because it kept losing my attention.  MVP: Chisato (C-ute 3, Berryz 2)

 

Round Six

"C-ute Takes Over" ~ Let me start by saying that Erika has historically been my least favorite H!P Kid.  But that just changed!  The next few songs are my favorite part of the concert by far!  That's The POWER is a great song.  I love the calypso sound to it.  And Do Don Ga Don Ondou was my favorite performance of the night.  Erika just blew me away with how good she was.  Not only is she having a great time singing the song, but you can tell everyone else is having fun doing the "Do Don Ga Don" parts.  Who is the Egg with the glasses on?  Kawaii!  Erika is obviously the MVP here.  "Solo Artist" kept coming to my mind as I was watching her!  (C-ute 4, Berryz 2)

Round Seven

"A Quick Appearance By Buono!" ~ I love Buono!  And I am looking forward to seeing their new songs performed on the Summer DVD.  Honto no Jibun was less than 90 seconds long.  That's too bad.  They went a little longer on Renai Rider.  I really like these outfits.  And I know I'm going to hell for this, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Airi's caboose the whole time.  Momoko's thighs aren't too shabby either.  Hey, the wardrobe department knows what they are doing when they put Airi in a pair of shorts like that.  It is meant to titillate.  Round seven winner?  Airi's arse steals the show! (C-ute 5, Berryz 2)

Round Eight

"They Shoot Saki's, Don't They?" ~ As much as I love Maimi, I've never really liked Natsu Doki Lipstick.  But this is as much about the dancing as the song itself.  We all knew Maimi and especially Captain Saki were superior dancers.  But I never knew Nakajima Saki was as good as this.  She is a bit lanky which makes her seem like she's all "arms and legs".  But she moves with great energy and passion.  The Captain is simply amazing, and her dance moves took all the attention away from Maimi.  I'll bet this part drove the DVD editors crazy.  Who should they focus on?  The Captain for the win! (C-ute 5, Berryz 3)

Round Nine

"It's Just Wrong" ~ I feel sorry for Saki and Maimi.  They just finished an extremely energetic performance and then they have to immediately do another strenuous dance.  So far the outfits throughout the entire show have been really impressive.  I can't imagine any of them making it into Celestia's "Costume Hall of Shame"  Sexy silver (C-ute) and copper (Berryz) skirts and matching tops that show off their midriffs when they dance.  Massara Blue Jeans and Jiriri Kiteru are two songs that benefit from powerful live performances.  And watching C-ute gyrating their hips on the "Love Me x4" line really surprised me.  Is it legal for them to be dancing like that?  NakaSaki really gets into it too!  They do some hip gyrations during the Berryz song as well, but you can tell they were all starting to get a little tired at that point.  Nakajima Saki's hips for the win! (C-ute 6, Berryz 3)

Round Ten

"Dueling Crowd-Pleasers" ~  There has never been a bad performance of Jump or Yuujou Junjou oh Seishun.  They are both phenomenally good songs in concert!  Both of these renditions are on par with the Hello! Project chorus versions done in 2007.  "Yuujou" in the Winter and "Jump" in the Summer.  But of the two songs, I prefer Yuujou.  While Jump is really fun, Yuujou just rocks out!  This rounds' winner?  Chinami working the crowd.  This rounds' loser?  The two jerkoffs in the "family seats" apparently sleeping behind Maasa!  (C-ute 6, Berryz 4)

Round Eleven

"Paging Tom Cruise" ~ I am so happy Maasa is getting a bigger role in Berryz Koubou.  First Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance, and now this.  I guess she is considered a pretty good actress.  She is just too adorable.  This is the MC portion of the show where they all "take on" that robot from the opening VTR that looks like a rejected idea from the War of the Worlds remake!  On the Cutie Ranger side, I love that little grin Airi gives when she introduces herself as "Cutie White"  But Berryz, and especially Maasa Sudou are the stars here.  But did they defeat the robot?  Will we ever find out! (C-ute 6, Berryz 5)

Round Twelve (Final Round)

"All Good Things (and Robots) Must Come To an End" ~ Ohhhhh.   So for some reason singing Warera! Berryz Kamen was so offensive to the monsters' ears that it just exploded?  This is a really cute sequence with the monster antagonizing them in the middle of the song.  And the "Power Ranger" uniforms are another winner.  The final song is Sakura Chirari?  Interesting choice to close the show.  I noticed they were playing Ganbacchae! in the background as the girls left the stage.  Now that would be a cool song to close a Hello! Project concert with!  Berryz takes the final round because their song destroyed the enemy.  "Sakura Chirari" couldn't hurt a fly!  So the winner is...

 

A TIE???

Uggh! Just like kissing your sister.  Actually there is a winner here.  And no, it isn't Airi's butt (although it should be).  The actual winner is...

 

Anyone who bought either version of this DVD!

CK in California 

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about my disappointment with the latest Hello! Project releases from Koharu, Berryz Koubou and especially Manoeri.  In some ways I felt bad about not liking these songs because I want to support my favorite J-pop artists in any way possible...and I often do.  (I grimace every time I look at my Visa bill!)  But there are limits to my devotion.  I postponed my August trip to Japan because I couldn't justify the exorbitant price of an overseas plane ticket in August.  And that especially hurt after Kago's announcement of her fan event in Osaka.  The same goes for CD and DVD releases.  I don't automatically hit the preorder button just because it's a Hello! Project release.  If I think it's crappy, I'm not going to buy it.

I'm happy to say that this isn't always the case, and the next set of releases coming our way have me much more excited.  And thank you to DJ MaiMai for turning me onto a couple of these!  MaiMai, I know this post is a lot like the one you did the other day.  Think of it as an homage!

 

Berryz Kamen vs. Cutie Ranger DVD ~ Okay, I cheated!  I promised myself I would wait until I received my DVD in the mail (My Berryz version was shipped today).  But curiosity got the best of me and I decided to upload and watch the show over the weekend.  And I didn't feel guilty because I had already bought the DVD.  This is a superior concert!  It's the biggest concert C-ute has ever done and for Berryz it is on par with the Saitama Super Arena show.  I will do a proper review after I receive my copy, but I want to start by saying that the opening song Darling I LOVE YOU is one of the greatest numbers I have ever heard either group do.  The song itself is so beautiful and has such a synergetic quality to it that I feel it will become a Hello! Project standard for years to come!  And to my surprise, another great performance was Erika's Do Don Ga Don Ondou.  In fact, the middle of the show was electrifying.  There are many performances here that I am excited to talk about.  I can't wait to get the DVD!

 

C-ute - Edo no Temari Uta II ~ I go back and forth on how much I like C-ute.  And I still haven't "pulled the trigger" on "3rd Love Escalation".  But they really have come out with some interesting releases over the last year or so.  If you forget LaLaLa for a second, every release over the past year has had quite an edge to it.  And that is quite a contrast to their original image, which was simply...cute!  I know it's just a first reaction, and I haven't heard the entire song yet.  But I think this is my favorite song they have ever come out with.  The traditional sound of the song and the singing are both so sophisticated.

I'm sure I'll purchase the limited edition, but I like that you can see their legs on the regular version.  And here is the "Cutie Party" preview...

 

Morning Musume ~Single Daizenshuu~ DVD ~  I could be building myself up for big disappointment, but I feel that this is going to be the quintessential Morning Musume concert.  The only thing missing from it is Ai No Tane.  How I wish they would've done that song too!  But other than that I can't wait to hear some of the new versions of the songs we haven't heard done live in a while like Koi no Dance Site, Manatsu no Kousen and Summer Night Town.  This DVD should be a blast!  Now what I would really like to see is a show strictly of some of their best "B-sides"  Quite often I watch the old concerts and hear a song that has been done live maybe once or twice, and hasn't been heard for the last five years or so.  That said, this release is a "must have".  And I have finally fallen in love with Resonant Blue after buying the "Single Event V" on Morning Berryz recommendation...

Now that is three absolute BUYS, and I am sure that I will love and purchase Gachinko de Ikou, the new Buono! single as well since they seem to be the strongest act UFA has going right now, and I have loved everything they have put out.  Although ironically I still haven't purchased "Kiss Kiss Kiss", but I will eventuially get it.  No hurry!

I am still sort of sad I won't be making it to Japan next month since I will be missing out on seeing Hello! Project, Cinderella, AND Perfume! (who are also playing in Tokyo that week)  But I am happy to say that I am now finalizing plans to be in Japan in late October/early November for the Morning Musume concert in Tokyo.  This time I also plan on doing some traveling to Osaka and Kyoto.  And Ohta just informed me that Berryz will also be playing that week in Shizuoka!  So that is something else to get excited about.  Berryz on Saturday, Morning Musume on Sunday and/or Monday.

Man I love the Shinkansen!

CK in California

So Berryz Koubou's new single, "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" has been previewed on Dohhhup...

I could say that the song is way too long (5:01)  Jeez, I thought the song was ending, then realized it wasn't halfway done yet!

I could also say that the song is really repetitive.  It is essentially the same verse over and over again.

I could even say that I am highly concerned about Berryz becoming a "novelty act".  What is up with these stupid songs?  "YYMD" has Koharu written all over it.  And I don't like they way they seem to "Americanize" their pronunciation of "Dance". 

But my main inspiration for this post is...

I Count Thirteen Closeups!!!

And Maasa Sudou is all over the chorus of this song!.  I'll also add that she and Chinami are the two cutest little monkeys I have ever seen!  And the main outfit on the PV make her thighs look incredible!  Maasa-chan finally got a chance to be featured in a PV, I think she did a great job with it...

And that's good enough for me!

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     

Here we go, Disc 1 of the box set.  The way I see it, there are pros and cons when choosing to see the Elders/Wonderful Hearts seperately versus seeing the big extravaganza of Haru Pro Award.  First, you have the size of the production and Arena.  Seeing everyone at Yokohama Arena seems like a much bigger deal, and the large crowd creates alot of synergy.  On the other hand, it doesn't seem as if there is a bad seat in the house at Nakano Sunplaza, which creates a far more intimate experience.  Second you get to see more of your favorite seldom used idols in the smaller venue.  Maasa is a perfect example...She is barely seen at Haru Pro Award, but she is all over the place in this show!  Next you have lip-synching.  For better or worse there is far less of it in Elders/Hearts.  Finally you have the song selection.  At the "big" show there are so many artists with current hits, it takes most of the setlist just to accommodate those singles.  Elders/Hearts has alot more room for set list "surprises" and mixing of the units.  This gives you an opportunity to see something more unique.  Watching this performance is a perfect example.

Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuka You na Mirai de Are! ~ Obviously there will be some duplication from the last review.  But since they don't have a "track" to run around, the performance itself is slightly different.  I've said many times that I like this song live.  Captain immediately caught my eye...there is something very cute about her short stature and that purple tutu.  I love that they put her up front with the other two leaders.  And Momo always looks as if she is having the greatest time when she performs live.

Renai Revolution 21 ~ I love this dance, it always reminds me of the Mechaike "Chorus Club"!  Gaki-san really shines here, she really gets into the hip-hop aspect of the song.  My first question of the night goes to Paul Thomas if he is reading this...How hot was it in there, temperature wise?  I know on one hand the younger groups put much energy into the dancing.  But the girls seem overly sweaty and tired throughout this show.  I have a feeling the spotlights at the Sunplaza are very strong.

LALALA Shiawase no Uta ~ After watching both versions of this in the set, I prefer C-ute doing this song by themselves.  If for no other reason than we get alot more Maimi.  Of all of the Berryz that could've gotten a solo line here, ofcourse it's Risako.  But in all fairness I think her singing is improving.  Lots of closeups of Jun Jun, she has great legs!

Tokaikko Junjou ~   Of the three core groups in Wonderful Hearts, C-ute are collectively the best dancers.  Or at least they get the best dance routines.  This is so sassy and energetic.  They do a great job singing this live as well.  Another great performance of this is the one they did at Yokohama Blitz!

Chance!/Happy ~  Great, we get to see Koha and the magic dress...again!  Same performance as Haru Pro, except more facial expressions and less skipping around.  She should wear that "prom dress" the whole time, as it is much more attractive than the plastic thing it is hiding under.  This is why I like "Happy" a whole lot more.  Koharu doesn't have a huge catalog, so they are limited in song choices.  Hopefully we will get to hear something different this summer, like Milky Way!

Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi ~  Wow, this performance is an EXACT replica of the PV!  Another cool thing about Wonderful Hearts/Elders is we get the second verses of songs.  Again I will give Risako props for much improved singing ability.  Now as far as the costumes go...

Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba ~  The long white dresses seem perfect for this!  They should have worn these outfits for this PV, and the 50's diner waitress outfits for Kataomoi.  My favorite part of this song is the bridge, I love the sad "key" it is written in.  Is it me, or is Risako crying during this?  Every time they show her she has a distressed look on her face.  It could be my "hot spotlight" theory at work.

Mikan ~  Like Berryz, the costumes and stage setup make this performance very similar to the routine on the PV.  Sayumi sounded like she was choking on her first solo line.  Aside from that they do a good job of singing.  Koharu dances very well, and Aika looks cute in every closeup.  And Momusu got the best costumes for this tour!

SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~  The good news is it's a lesser performed song, although it isn't a favorite of mine.  The music reminds me of Reina's Alo-Hello! DVD, which is an absolute gem!  Koharu always makes a goofy face when she knows the camera is focused on her.  My favorite moment is the quick shot of Yurina sitting off to the side looking bored out of her skull!

Odore! Morning Curry ~   The first thing I noticed is what an asset Yossie was to this song.  Forget about Reina's facial ticks, what the heck is Gaki-san up to???  Was that a "bitter-beer" face she gave us?  Even better is the psychedelia going on the background screen...is this an Iron Butterfly concert?  And if that isn't enough, Koharu turns the entire song into a parody of itself with her solo line at the end!  A lot of "wackiness" going  on here.  Then again, it's a wacky song!

Renai Rider ~  I'm glad we get the chance to hear the entire song.  Momo isn't projecting as well as she can.  But I am glad to hear a "live" performance.  Overall, the live singing makes the song sound slightly more sedate, but that's okay.  I would have really liked to hear "Honto no Jibun" too!

Seishun! LOVE Luinch ~  Now this is a performance that I feel benefits from being live versus lip-synched.  Chisato's strong voice really overpowers everyone else, except for Gaki.  Chisato is really good.  Saki does a good job, but Aika was a tad slow-going.  She was too soft early in the song, but got better later on.  Sometimes I wonder if Aika is trying too hard to be cute at the expense of being a stronger singer.  Overall they did a much better job "live" than I thought they would, so kudos!

** At this point we get a series of "surpise" songs and "mash-up" units, which to me is the best part of this concert.  The song selection here is great!

Robokiss ~  This had the potential to be a total disaster!  But I don't think it was at all.  The biggest mistake would have been trying to imitate TsujiKago.  But while Michishige sounded like she would fit into "W" perfectly, Risako did her own thing in her own style.  And that was a good idea.  But Risako, you have to turn Sayu's crank "harder" if you want to wind her up!  Surprisingly good!

Ai~n! Dance no Uta ~  What a great unit!  Kamei, Maasa and the Pandas!  Lin Lin does the best Ai~n! face.  I'm glad the focus wasn't just on Eri, so the other three really got a moment to shine here!

Chokkan 2 ~  Many people have a problem with the original PV of this song, but the closeup version is one of my all time favorites.  It is a series of wacky facial expressions, in many ways not unlike Berryz' Khan PV.  Reina stands out here with the song that marked the beginning of her mugging for the camera.

**The next MC segment is very strange.  I am now sure the hot spotlights are getting the best of them.  First, Mari loses her train of thought.  And look at Sayumi, she looks like she's about to pass out!  Then Makoto fades out when Maasa tries to talk to him.  Quick!  Someone call a Medevac Helicopter!!!

Everyday Everywhere ~  Wow, they did some serious digging to pull out the old T&C Bomber song!  Reina and Takitty are very good together singing these slower ballads.  Their version of the Country Musume song last summer was a hit, and this one is just as good.  Could this be a sign of a future unit?  The style seems to fit Ai-chan more than Tanaka, but I think Reina's fanbase would stay with her no matter what she did.  My request for their next collaboration is Michiyo's "Tsuyoku naranakucha...ne"  By the way, Reina looks incredible!  How she lost to Kikkawa in the second round of Broomhead's "March Madness" I will never know.  I suspect some questionable officiating.

EVERYDAY YEAH! Kataomoi ~  This is definitely Hagitty's song!  I love C-ute's performance of it from the 2007 Spring DVD!  Mai, Saki and Kanna make a very cute unit.  And all three of them sing very well.  I love Saki's voice, and relish the opportunity to hear more of her.

Oujisama to Yuki no Yoru ~  I like Tanpopo, and I love Maimi and Chinami.  But this isn't one of my favorite performances.  It just seems kinda boring.  That said, the four of them did a fine job with the material they were given.

Renai Sentai Shitsu Ranger ~ When I saw the setlist, this was the song I was most looking forward to see.  Nochiura Natsumi was another great short-lived unit.  In fact, I think this would have been cool at the Elders' Club too.  Even with the quick tempo, I don't think it works as well with such a big group.  It sounds better as a trio.

Meguru Koi no Kisetsu ~   Another great dance routine.  This song is alot of fun.  But here is where I think C-ute gets a great "deal", and Berryz Koubou sort of gets the "shaft".  Look at these costumes...cute and flattering in all of right ways.  As for Berryz...

Omoitattara Kichi desse! ~  I refrained from mentioning it in my H!P review, but what the hell are those???  Are they supposed to be dressed as Christmas trees?  They look like maternity dresses!  What a horrible costume.  However, this is a great song!  I don't have Berryz' fourth CD, so this is my first time hearing it.  Another cool aspect is that it features Chinami,  Maasa and Yurina on lead.  Excellent!

Special Generation ~ Berryz and C-ute getting all chummy.  Isn't this fraternizing with the enemy?  Don't they have a big "Battle" going on this Spring?  Even with C-ute, it sounds like every other version of this song.

Bon kyu! Bon kyu! BOMB Girl ~  The "Sexy Caped Crusaders" are back!  I've seen this song so much lately that each performance is beginning to feel like a blur!  Let's see...Takitty squeaks her first "Yeah!" while flashing a peace sign?...check.  Air guitar?...check.  Gaki's wierd sound at the end of her line?...check.  Sayu "soft shoe's" across the stage?...check.  Jun Jun and Lin Lin barely seen?...check, check!  I really liked this song, but I'm starting to hate it now...WAAAA!

Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~  This is the first time I noticed those red rose-like things on their arms.  For some reason they remind me of the moment in "Tommy" when Roger Daltrey gets treated by the "Acid Queen".  I know, kind of a random thought.  This is a pretty standard performance of a Momusu classic.  No one stands out too much as there are no solo lines.

Hand made CITY ~   I always enjoy when they do songs in Semaphore.  I would love to hear them do one in Morse Code.  And why are the flags yellow?  They look like they're about to call "Pass Interference"!  But this is another example of the virtues of Elders and Hearts.  Every song doesn't have to be a top hit.  They can take a B-side and make it into a pretty good production number.  All jokes aside, the choreography with the flags is very good.  Takitty owns this song!

Nanni mo Imazu ni I LOVE YOU ~  Stealing the thunder from v-u-den's final single.  I know they end shows with this song quite a bit.  Maybe if they had known this would be v-u-den's farewell song they would have picked something else.  But it's a sweet song to end with.  This version sounds even sadder than v-u-den's

The best part of this show was the chance to hear some songs from the vault, especially that little Tsuji/Kago tribute in the middle of the show!  Although the energy is slightly more sedate than Yokohama, they all seem collectively more "loose" here.  I would love an opportunity to see this version of the Winter tour!  Now, onto the Elders...

CK in California

     

 

Yeah...I'm on the friggin' box!!!

Ever since I walked out of Yokohama Arena, I knew the first thing I would do was order this DVD the moment I had the chance.  I pre-ordered it about a month ago...I wasn't going to take any chances of having a hard time finding the box-set later.  I knew it came out on Wednesday.  And since that day I have become increasingly anxious every day the package hasn't arrived.  Saturday it finally showed up.  Seeing Hello! Project in person was such a profound moment in my life.  Whatever anyone says about this DVD Box Set, positive or negative, I will always hold this particular performance dear to my heart.

I opened my package at work.  And I am not lying when I say I am on the box (the inner box that is)  When you fold out the inner box there is a good shot of the lower bowl of the arena.  Everyone I work with says it is easy to pick me out because they recognize my posture (lol!)  I remember being next to a security guard for most of the show, and I can see him perfectly!  I am just to his left, looking toward the rear stage. 

I will be reviewing this entire box-set this weekend, disc by disc.  I felt it was appropriate to start with Disc 3, since this was the show I went to...three times no less!

LOVE Machine ~ I really like the Eggs' outfits in this show.  Not too frilly with the cute blue neckerchiefs.  Kitahara Sayaka gets some nice close-ups (pre Milky-way), very cute!  But the cameras seem to focus on Manoeri and Nocchi.  I don't have a problem with this.  I love that Aika gets a good solo line here, and Nacchi gets her famous "Dancing All of the Night!" part.  I was mesmerized by the Elders' maid outfits the first time I saw them!  Wonderful Hearts' are wearing the outfits featured in Paul's Hello! Blog poll.

Auzora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuku You na Marai de Are! ~ I always enjoy the live versions of this song, and they usually do it as a chorus.  Not much else to say, it is a standard "good" performance of this song.  There was a quick pan near where I was sitting.  Arigatou Ohta-san for assisting me in getting those GREAT seats!  Fourteenth row, near the middle red aisle...AWESOME!

LALALA Shiawase no Uta ~ I've always liked this song, even the Kouhaku performance.  Even with the lame outfits (I agree with Paul at Hello! Blog), Maimi looks adorable.  There is a lot of "lip-synching" throughout this show.  It is very noticeable on DVD, but not so much in the Arena.  I was still "in the ether" at the show, so I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Tsukiattero no ni Kataomoi ~ Another song I enjoy alot more than the flak it gets on the blogs.  Yeah yeah, I know, the outfits don't match the song, but I think they all look sexy.  And it's a fun song nonetheless.  This doesn't sound lip-synched, and Risako hits all of her lines...good for her!  At the show they had their backs to me for most of this.

Jaja Uma Paradise ~ I swear v-u-den is Hello! Project's version of a Russ Meyer film!  Nothing but T&A for 3+ minutes!  This is not my favorite v-u-den song (The one I love is coming later)  But the "sexy" camerawork is nonstop in this sequence.  Hey, the three of them can pull it off!  After this song the girls announce their impending breakup.  It was anti-climactic, as everyone already knew the news by this time.  I was looking for the moment where Makoto "double-taked" at me, but they were focused on Rika at that time.  The strangest part about it was in all three shows the reaction to their break-up announcement sounded like a "Bronx Cheer"!

CK's resolve to attend next year's show just rose one level...

Ai Ai Daiko ~ Maeda Yuki seems so out of place in this concert.  I am not being critical of her talent either.  She is an amazing singer.  And of all of the performances I have seen her do, this might be the best one.  There is a certain "edginess" to this song that is very cool.  I remember thinking how "cool" this was at the time.  Excellent song!

16 sai no Koi Nante ~ I really like this performance, even if I don't really like the song all that much.  It had just been released when I was in Japan, but I never felt the desire to buy the single.  Maimi and Nacchi on stage together???  I adore both of them, and they both look irresistably cute.  I could watch this performance all day.

Onegai Miwaku no Target ~ It's been a year since last Winter's concert, and Melon Kinen-bi are still promoting the same single?  It's a good song and a good performance.  It's just too bad that they don't get more love and respect, which they totally deserve!  They really revved up the crowd in a major way!  Masae is my favorite in the group, but Megumi has never looked cuter!

Yattarouze! ~  I am trying to recognize the "soloist" potential in Manoeri.  The Egg that stands to me here is Sawada Yuri.  I think she is just as cute as Mano, and almost as cute as Nocchi, but nobody can be as "cute" as Noto Arisa, she has that market cornered!  Of the two Gatas singles at the time, I prefer this one.  BTW, Charmy seems "hidden" in Gatas.  I really hope H!P has something bigger for her in the near future.

Chance! ~  This is the exact same performance Koharu did during the Bon Kyu! Bomb concert.  I had not seen that performance when I saw this, so I enjoyed this at the arena, and the costume change "bit" was amazing to me.  But with the benefit of hindsight, I feel slightly ripped-off.  I really like Koharu and all of her goofiness.  But she should have had a new song to perform by this time.  So I guess I blame Tsunku.

Seishun! LOVE Lunch ~ I love both of Athena and Robikerottsu's singles, especially this one.  I was so excited to hear this song.  But it seems "sped-up".  I noticed it in the arena, and it is obvoius here.  Slightly disappointing, but I still hope we hear more from this unit.  They are extremely cute.

I Know ~ I was so happy to hear this song!  It is one my H!P favorites.  I still wish they had filmed the Saturday version where the microphone "disintegrated" in Aya's hands!  I adore Ayaya so much!  She is such a wonderful singer...a consummate professional...at 21 years old!!!  And I "had a ball" doing the "Oh Yeah" parts in the audience!  By the way, Ayaya looks incredibly sexy...is she wearing a Wonderbra???  And we get more of Ayaya's sexiness during the next MC segment.

CK's desire to attend next year's performance just rose another ten levels!

Danna Sama ~  This is who I should be drooling over, as I am close to Yuko in age.  Actually, Yuko looks like she could be related to me (she looks alot like my mother when she was younger)  She looks beautiful, and it's a nice song.

Iki wo Kasanemashou ~  As much as I love Abe Natsumi (she makes my top three in Ray's ranker), this song doesn't do too much for me.  Even at the concert, I was waiting for this song to end!  But her eyes are unbelievably pretty!!!  Another song I'll watch with the sound turned down.

Mikan ~ It's been over an hour, and finally we get Morning Musume!  The best thing about this song is the sexy outfits from the PV (which we will get to see again later).  Since the song is upbeat, it seems much shorter live than on the PV/Single.  BTW, it became obvious to me who I am most "in love with" in H!P.  I couldn't take my eyes off of Reina whenever she was on stage.  Aika and Eri stood out alot more than I noticed when I was there.  I am starting to gain alot more respect for Aika's talent.

In every MC segment, I am wondering if Mari is putting on weight...

Renai Rider ~   You only need to read my Cafe Buono! review to know how much I love this!  Nobody fills a pair of "short-shorts" quite like Airi!  And I love Momo's tartan skirt and badass jacket as well.  The only disappointing thing is that they skip the second verse, which is my favorite part of the song.

Inshouha Renoir no You ni ~ I really like this Elegies single.  Take a good look, bacause this is the only good look we will get of Ayaka and Atsuko.  They do a great job with this song too.  I look forward to the Elder's Club disc where hopefully they will get more attention.  This is part one of the elder's segment, followed by...

Otome no Shinrigaku ~  Shaking the cobwebs off of "2nd Morning"  Kei-chan and Marippe are very sexy here.  What a great "forgotten" song!  The last two song are concrete evidence the elders are still a great part of Hello! Project.  Give these girls more work for cryin' out loud!!!

Yuujou ~Kokoro no Busu niwa Naranee! ~ This is my favorite song of the night, and might be my all time favorite song period!  I can't describe the energy in the arena for this performance, it rivals Berryz' Yuujou Junjou oh Seishun! from last year.  And it come complete with a Takahashi crotch-shot closeup.  AWESOME!...

CK's desire to be at next years' performance just hit fever pitch! 

MC ~ I don't know what the whole "ukii" bit was all about, but it was much funnier watching them screw up the same bit on Saturday night.  The "what the hell are you doing?" look Risa gave Ai that night was priceless!

Tokaikko Junjou ~  Jeez, is Hagitty becoming the pre-teen Diva!  They all seem to be enjoying themselves, especially Maimi.  Is this song supposed to be this cheerful?  C-ute really seems to be feeding off the crowd here, and "we" were really energetic for this!  I really like this song, so I enjoyed it alot.  The only thing that would've been cooler was if they did this in the outfits from the PV.

Special Generation ~  This is not one my favorite Berryz' songs, but I do get that it is a big fan favorite.  Like on "Kataomoi", Risako sounds much better than I have heard her in the past.  But I still don't believe that she should be one of the lead singers.  Yurina sounds much improved too.  Poor Maasa, I almost never saw her!  I'm glad she danced near me a couple of times at the show.

Narihajimeta Koi no BELL ~   It's interesting who the cameras focus on during this song.  We start with Yossie (the most important member), then to Konno (fan favorite), then Nocchi and Manoeri (the most important Eggs), then Charmy.  Thay Nocchi "fist-pump" was adorable, my heart is melting!  The rest of the members of Gatas seem like "extras" here.  In fact I don't think I have seen a closeup of Mika Mutou all night!  I still think Yuri is the underrated Gatas girl.  Watching Yossie here proves she could be a soloist.

Yeah! Meccha Holiday ~  "I @ yume dotto dotto surassho!...SURASSHO!!!"  That is all I need to say to tell you how awesome this is to see live!  Till the day I die I will sing the praises of how great Ayaya is.  I am relieved that she didn't sing Ne~e, only because if she had, I'm sure I would have dropped dead from RAPTURE in the middle of the arena!  MY GOD DO I ADORE HER!!!

Love & Peace! HERO ga Yattekita ~   This is the best Momusu performance of the night.  And do I love these costumes!  I've never seen Morning Musume wear outfits that showed off their posteriors as well as these!  I enjoyed the little kiss Sayu threw at Ai-chan.  In fact, Sayu performed very well in this entire show!  I forgot to mention how well Risa works the crowd during Mikan, she is up to her same antics here.  She wasn't one of my favorite Musumes at all until I went to Japan.  seeing her live totally changed my opinion of her!

Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! BOMB Girl ~ I've already seen two versions of this on the fall tour DVD, so I'll just spend this song staring at the girls bottoms...Sorry, but these outfits are Uber-Sexy!

Koisuru Angel Heart ~   I love their chorus songs.  And Momusu, Berryz, C-ute, and v-u-den all sound great here.  This is a very sweet, almost tribute-style version of this song.  One of my favorites of v-u-den..."HAPPY!"...

Renai Revolution 21 ~   Another excessively played hit for the big Winter show.  As this was my first H!P concert ever, I was glad to hear some of Morning Musume's classics live, so I didn't mind at all.  Anyway, this is always a fun song to hear.  In my opinion it is sung alot for good reason.  It was obvious at this point the show was winding to a close.

**Now in the beginning of the final MC segment, Mari and Yuko say something that makes Nacchi cry, but I don't know what it was.  When I was there I thought Yuko was saying something about leaving H!P as well.  But on the DVD it sounds like it was something complimentary for Nacchi...I don't know.  Anyone???

ALL FOR ONE & ONE FOR ALL! ~ I was hoping they would end with this!  I figured I had a 50/50 shot, as they seem to end with this quite often.  The most painful thing to me is watching Yossie and Rika do the 4th gen. line without Kago and Tsuji.  Any why did 7th and 8th generation get skipped?  I know they didn't sing on the original.  But they have made many alterations to this song for the departed members.  Koharu, Aika, Jun Jun and Lin Lin deserve their moment too!

Quick summary:  I may be biased because I was there, but I love this show!  The cameras panned over where I was standing many times, and I'll depend on Rad to isolate the scenes where he can see us.  Now I have another three discs to watch.  Up next...Wonderful Hearts.

CK is shopping for his flight and hotel as we speak!             

CK in California