14 posts tagged “buono!”
And I thought today would be a humdrum day. Boy was I wrong! the day started with my visit to Odaiba that I spoke about in the previous post. And for evening entertainment my AKB friends advised me that AKB48 Team K's Umeda Ayaka makes a weekly appearance at Tokyo Tower as a DJ. So after a short rest I headed to Hamamatsuchō, and my long walk to Tokyo Tower!
This was another excellent suggestion! I had been to Tokyo Tower before, but I had never gone up to the observatory. It costs about 800 yen, and you go up about 150 meters to a two-story panoramic observation deck, complete with a restaurant, gift shop, and Club 333. That is where Umechan would be appearing.
BTW, Christmas is in full force in Tokyo already. Ayaka, along with Kobayashi Kana and Oku Manami attended the official Tower holiday festival the other day. So like Akihabara and my hotel, the tower is already set for the holidays!
Umechan was just sitting at a table reading notes as the engineer spun songs. It was a really nice selection that fit the mood of the place really well. Sort of a romantic, but cool set of music. And Ayaka has an extremely soothing speaking voice. It created the perfect atmosphere for the romantic setting. Here are a couple of pics from the mid-span of Tokyo Tower...
What a romantic place. My favorite view was the one of Odaiba where you could see the ferris wheel there changing color in a carnival of lights. Unfortunately it was to far away to show in the picture. Oh I wish i had a girl with me. Well, I had Umechan. But that doesn't really count, does it? There were about 10-20 fans standing by the DJ table while I was there. At one point she kept glancing at me. I couldn't tell if she was thinking "This guy is an AKB fan?" or maybe it was "Who is this weirdo that is watching the show?" In either case, I had enough atmosphere for one night, so I headed to the elevators.
EDIT: I found out later that my friend Hiro had sent her a message on her blog that day to look for me at the event. And since I was the only non-Japanese I could see hanging out in the vicinity of Club 333, that must have been why she kept looking my way. Had I only known!
When you leave they don't let you all the way down, but instead let you off on the 4th floor. That way you have to pass through the mall and all of it's shops and restaurants to get out of the place. I was already thinking about food as I hadn't eaten a morsel since that "Jambalaya" I had in Odaiba. So when I turned the corner the answer to my hunger pangs were right in front of me...
After that i headed back to Shinagawa and my hotel. For a day that started out as nothing, I sure had an awesome time! I went to the land of Idoling!!! in the morning. Saw Umechan's live appearance at Tokyo Tower, And then topped it off with a slice from the restaurant chain that Buono! made famous to international fans!!!
Yes, it was awesome. Now I just need to rest up for my big day tomorrow. Seeing Infinity twice. Wish me luck!
CK in Tokyo
There has been much to keep up with in the idol world lately. And to tell you the truth I have been a little "out of it". Starting with work and then the trip to New York Anime Fest, I have been lacking in rest. It is something I hope to rectify in the coming weeks as my trip looming trip to Japan will surely be anything but restful.
Of all the singles coming out in the next few weeks, I find myself most attracted to the singles being released on Pony Canyon. To me it seems like all of their artists produce music that is a lot of fun while having a guitar-driven musical edge. I don't mind the similarities because I really like the style. On the surface, two of my favorite groups may seem completely different. But upon close listen you will hear a lot more similarities. They are both awesome in their own way. And they are Hello Project's Buono! and AKB48's Watarirouka Hashirtai.
They haven't announced the release date for Buono's Bravo ☆ Bravo, but a preview was featured on the most recent episode of Shugo Chara...
This is classic Buono! Listening to the music itself it is hard to believe this is idol music, let alone Hello! Project idols. But that is why I love them so much. It is the one group within the H!P collective that repeatedly pushes the envelope. This song is a perfect cross between My Boy and Kiss x3. And chicks with guitars always kick ass!
Then you have Watarirouka Hashirtai. It's easy to say that they are completely different from Buono! They are younger, and their music doesn't "rock out" quite as much as Buono! Both groups capitalize equally on their lolli cuteness. But ultimately it is the music that I find equally appealing because it has the same "fun" sound that Buono! possesses. And it should also be noted that Pony Canyon also produces Idoling!!! And a lot of their tracks have this same style. But back to WH...
Kanpeki Guu no ne is their third single. It releases while I am in Japan next month. I loved their first two releases, and to me this one is just as good. Like Buono!, none of the girls are among my favorites in their respective idol stables. But collectively they make a great unit. Although I am quickly growing an affection for Lovetan. She has the cutest dimples...
So this is really a message to the Buono! fans among the H!P faithful. I know some of you have this inexplicable fear/disdain/whatever of non-H!P idol acts. But I really think you will like Watarirouka Hashirtai (and Idoling!!! for that matter) if you give them a serious listen. They are as adorable as any idol ensemble out there right now.
And kudos to Pony Canyon! Keep doing what you're doing, and I'll keep breaking out the Visa card!!!
CK in California
As you walk down the main drag of Akihabara, there are endless sights/sounds/activities to get your attention. Most of them revolve around Otaku entertainment. Namely electronic gadgets, idol music and of course, Anime.
I have never really gotten into Anime personally. It's not that I dislike it, it just wasn't really around when I was growing up. I grew up on cartoons like Bugs Bunny, The Jetsons, The Flintstones. I think the closest I came to Anime were Speed Racer cartoons. Oh jeez, did I just give my age away? But back to Akihabara...
While walking down the street and taking in the culture, I often found myself taken by the sounds of music coming out of various stores. And most of the time as I peered inside, it turned out to be the soundtrack of an Anime show. Wow! This happened to me time and time again...
So maybe I am not so much into the cartoons, but I love the music they produce for it! Delving into this a little further. I thought about the groups that I like, and their association with Anime. Lets begin with Buono!
To me they are the best group presently in Hello! Project if for no other reason than the songs are great! Buono! is one group that has completely transcended the Anime they were originally associated with. They have put out two awesome albums in about a years' time. But the fact remains, their roots are their roots.
Keeping with H!P, last year saw Milky Way, Athena & Robbikerrotsu and Shugo Chara Egg! supporting anime programming. I really liked all three groups. The common theme in their music is quick paced and upbeat tunes. I love the integration of the cartoon characters into the PV. It almost makes me want to watch the shows...almost. Unfortunately I have tried watching them on numerous occasion. And it just isn't my thing.
This brings me to a couple of new songs set for release in the next few weeks. The first I mentioned in my last post, "First Love" by Ono Erena from AKB48.
Now my first question is why in the hell is Louis Vuitton doing Anime cartoons? It just seems kinda random to me. Can the Giorgio Armani Anime be far behind? That said, this song is just great. It doesn't really follow the pattern of the previous songs mentioned as it is more of a ballad. But it is a beautiful ballad. And it reminds me of another great anime-associated song done by AKB48, "Aisareru to iu Koto". I got to see Erepyon perform the new song twice last week. The second performance was recorded for AKB48's television show, AKBingo! My head would be just below the center camera!!!
The other song set for release is from Hello! Project sub-unit Guardians 4, "Omakase! Guardian". You can say what you want about the PV. Yes it does seem like a low-rent version of W's "Southpaw" video. But the song follows the same theme so many of the other songs I love in this genre. It is fun, upbeat and the churus is totally catchy!
So I guess I am going "the long route" in simply saying that I like Anime songs! And since the new single by Guardians 4 hasn't been getting the best feedback, I thought I would defend it a little. It's a cool song, I like it...
So sue me!
CK in California
After watching the new Buono! PV for "My Boy", all I can say is...
...
...
Jeez, I am speechless! Well, maybe not speechless. Then there would be no reason to post. Suffice it to say that this video AND song are freakin' incredible! It may only be a first impression, but I think this might be my favorite song by a Hello! Project artist of all time. Musically speaking, it is so fierce! Buono! has been consistently doing "hard rock" songs since their inception. But My Boy definitely tops them all, by a huge margin!
I love the guitar riffs throughout the song. This is total heavy metal. We are talking Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead fuckin' metal. Momoko does such a great job acting here. She is totally hawt in the dance shots, and completely comedic during the acting parts. All of the girls do a great job. But to me Momo is the star!
And how awesome is it that the entire operation was to have a piece of cake! Total win at the end! The video left me with only one question...
Morning Musume's new single previewed today. It is a nice song. But it just pales in comparison. I just wonder how big an impact it would have if MoMusu suddenly came out with a song like this. As great as the song is, it is what we come to expect from Buono! But Morning Musume? Perhaps they are tooling with a different style right now. But "My Boy" would be the kind of song that could cause the music industry to take notice. And i think MoMusu could pull it off if they so desired.
Just a thought. Anyhow...
Buono!..."My Boy"...Kick Ass!!!!!
Hellooo...Hellooo...Hellooo......HELLO! Buono's Three Stooges moment FTW!
CK in California
I was really excited about my latest purchase from HMV, which included Matsuura Aya's latest single and Girls' Generation's Mini Album. But my order was delayed over a week due to one item's backorder because of "high demand". And that was the second full length album from Buono!, Buono! 2
That is the first time I have received an email like that. "Due to high demand" I hope UFA is seeing what is going on here. Hey, maybe they already are! Morning Musume is coming to the U.S. By the way and a little off subject, I hope the J-music executives enjoy the free commercial I am giving them on the back of my car...
Anyhow, back to Buono! Jeez this album is far better than I expected it to be. And I dare say that it is even better than Cafe Buono! First of all the four singles are great, and yet they don't dominate the album. It solidifies Gachinko de Ikou as my favorite Buono! single, closely followed by Rottara Rottara. And Minna Daisuke is my favorite B-side on any Buono! single.
Then you have the album tracks...whoa boy! This is where Buono! 2 becomes superior to any H!P full length CD. Almost every song here is great. Hell, I even like Over the Rainbow. But it is the hard-rockin' tracks that really make this great. And it isn't a metal sound this time. These songs have more of a grunge-punk feel to them. There are three that really grab my attention..
I NEED YOU is totally off the charts! The guitar work on it is unbelievable. Beginning with the surf guitar on the verse. Actually, it sounds like the music they play when you get a spare in Pogo Bowling! But I love the slow to fast transitions in this song. It is reminiscent of the Surf Punks! But what really amazes me is the guitar and bass solo, which is so unmistakeably Primus! I had to check the liner notes because I was sure Les Claypool would be listed!
Goal is as "British Dream Pop" as they come. If you have ever heard The Stone Roses, or Blur...or Sonic Youth. The heavy distorted wall of sound guitar is precisely the kind of music I was into in the 90's. And the song is so pretty! It's a great final track.
Finally, Kira Kira was the first song I loved right at first listen! The chorus is pretty standard, but the flat ending on the verse is something I have never heard a J-pop artist do before. There is something about the singing styles of Airi and Momo over alt. rock that is simply amazing! It is time to applaud the songwriters associated with Pony Canyon for the awesome job they are doing here!
At this point, I don't think we can call what Buono! is doing "J-Pop" by any means. They are definitely a group with an edge. And just about every experiment Pony Canyon has done with them has worked. They are by far my favorite current act in H!P. And if you don't pick up this CD, you are truly missing out. That's a fact!
Oh yeah, for the collector card in the CD, I got Momo...Cool!!!
CK in California
UFA always seems to put out a huge amount of material in the early part of Spring. I am guessing it is because most of their artists do Spring tours, and what's a Spring tour without a single or album to promote? That said, I can't remember so many videos by Hello! Project artists being released this close together. PV's by Maeda Yuki, Manoeri and Shugo Chara Egg were released in rapid succession this week. And let's not forget Berryz Kobo's Dakishimete Dakishimete, which came out the week before. It seems like UFA is gearing up for a big 2009. If from what they have done so far, the material has been pretty damn good!
But this post is about one song in particular. Of all of the singles released in the past month, one has really captured my imagination. And that is Shugo! Shugo! by Shugo Chara Egg. The funny thing I didn't really care for their first single, Minna no Tamago. But I will give anything H!P puts out at least one chance. I am glad I gave the young Eggs a second chance. The song and PV are tremendous fun! And I find myself watching the PV over and over.
I make no apologies for the fact that I always prefer fun stuff to the pretty ballads. This is why I am not all that excited about Mano Erina's song, although I think she looks beautiful in her video. What first catches my attention in Shugo! Shugo! is the use of a Tuba under the verse. It gives the song an unmistakeable Polka feel to it! I have to admit I was laughing when I first heard it. But it was an affectionate laugh!
I really loved the use of the Shugo Chara animation in the PV, which is something Buono! (the other Shugo Chara theme singers) have stayed away from. That is probably for the best since Buono! has far transcended the cartoon they are associated with. However, it works perfectly here. And it is reminiscent of MiniMoni, which is a good thing! The MiniMoni association is also why I loved the short-lived Athena and Robbikerottsu.
These girls are far too young for me to really have a favorite. Although it is obvious that Maeda Yuuka (red) is the front girl. Ayaka (yellow) and Akari (blue) haven't really grabbed my attention yet. But Fukuda Kanon (green) is so much like Kago Ai it is scary. She even sings like her! If she has Kago's personality too, then I am sold!!!
To me Shugo! Shugo! has all of the makings of WIN. Catchy hook, great tempo, cute PV, and a melody that sounds like something "W" might have done. Yes, the song has anime written all over it. But there is something unique about it that I really love. Anyhow, enjoy the kawaii PV...
And yes, I will be buying this. I may even grab the Single V, which is unusual for me!
CK in California
The new PV from Buono! appeared today on Dohhhup! I have noticed that the last couple of singles released by Hello! Project groups have had their PV's premiere much closer to the actual CD release date. Gachinko de Ikou! is scheduled for release next week. This is a complete contrast to what was happening earlier this year. Case in point, the first PV for Morning Musume's Resonant Blue came out six weeks before the CD. It is probably wishful thinking on my part, but many of the "suggestions" made by IW bloggers with regard to H!P have actually come to fruition. (i.e. the many criticisms of Haromoni@) I have been saying for months that the PV releases should be closer to the CD release, and that releasing the PV too early probably has a negative effect on the sales numbers. Could they be listening to me? I guess we will see if they start shortening the songs!
The first time I watched this PV, I wasn't sure if I liked the song as much as the previous Buono! singles. But I kept replaying the video to catch little moments I missed. And ya know, by the third play I loved it! I had similar experiences with Resonant Blue and Cinderella/Complex. Sometimes you have to listen to a song a few times to really appreciate it.
The PV is fine, not really anything too special...for Buono! But any PV they do is going to be good, if only because they are all so cute. I'm not sure what I like better, the Prohibition-era suits or Airi's shorts (which are always a winner!) The girls do a great job of mugging for the camera!
**And when they were playing with the blocks, I thought Ayaka was going to run out and give them an English lesson!
But I find myself listening to the song more than watching the PV. To me this sounds more like an anime theme than any other Buono! release. And their voices compliment each other so well, especially when Momoko stays in her lower register. Airi's voice is so pretty, and Miyabi's singing keeps everything grounded. My favorite part of the song is the little spoken parts they do leading into each chorus.
How unfortunate would it have been if the Miya "non-scandal" had resulted in her leaving UFA? Buono! is far and away my favorite H!P group at the moment. And I hope they last for quite a while. I don't think they have had a bad single yet!
CK in California
(Photos from Hello! Online)
I have been anticipating seeing the setlist for the current Hello! Project summer tour for the last few weeks. Now that the setlist is out, the reality is sinking in for me that this is a show I will not be seeing in person. To be honest, this selection of songs didn't really "floor me". But the same could be said for the show I went to in January. And I loved that show!
After watching Haromoni@ this morning (kinda funny, I enjoyed the JunJun segment) I decided to put together my own version of the summer concert via You Tube. And after experiencing it that way, it's not a bad set at all. Not great, but not bad...
Hello! Project 2008 Summer Wonderful Hearts Kouen ~Hishochi de Date Itashima Show~ (CK's Version)
Natsu LOVE Romance ~ I had never heard this song before. I'm glad they are "mixing it up" a little and playing seldom, or in this case never heard songs. This actually sounds like a Melon Kinenbi song. I'll give this choice for an opener an "A" for effort! I really like the song, and the video above is great. Props to the YouTuber who made it!
Manatsu no Kousen ~ I am really excited that this song is undergoing a sort of renaissance. It hasn't been done live by Momusu or H!P in a few years. And all of a sudden Momusu, H!P, Nacchi, and Yuko are all singing it in their latest shows. It's a great song, so I don't have a problem with this at all.
Core Group Set One ~ The setlist follows a familiar format. The opener is full of surprises. Then you "bookend the show" with the core groups, and then do something new and original for the middle of the program. We start with the two latest each from C-ute, Berryz, Morning Musume, and Koharu. The song I am looking most forward to here is C-ute's newest single, Edo no Temari Uta II. It sounds so cool and hip. It's interesting that they separate the C-ute set from the Berryz Koubou set by placing Koharu and Milky Way in between. I still say I like Berryz better overall. But lately C-ute has gotten the far superior material. And I don't care if it is lip-synched, I would love to see Milky Way's Anataboshi done live! Now we go to my favorite point of the show, the mix-up of group members and songs.
This is as close as we get to Shuffle Units nowadays, so I guess I'll take it...
KoiING ~ I always give ballads a tough time, but KoiING is a very pretty song. Historically they've had strong singers singing the lead on it (Gocchin, Yossie). This is obviously going to be Takitty on the verse, with the eggs backing her up. Ai-chan is a superior singer, so I'm sure this years' version will be enjoyable.
Hajimete Kuchibiru wo Kasaneta Yoru ~ This is an interesting choice for a few reasons. First of all it's two "slow" numbers in a row. Although the song is more intense than KoiING. This has disaster written all over it, unless either 1) Airi carries the whole song, or 2) Ogawa Saki is an amazingly powerful performer. Maybe they'll surprise me, but I think they could have picked different singers to accompany Airi for this.
Chu! Natsu Party ~ The return of team Sayumi/Risako! They are really "bucking the odds" here. They both surprised us in January with a pretty good rendition of Robokiss. But this reminds me of an old South Park episode when the entire town bets every dollar they have on the roulette wheel at the Indian Gaming Casino, and when they miraculously win enough to save the town, they instead let it ride!!! This is one of my favorite Hello! Project songs, and it's been done by everyone from Heike Michiyo to Melon Kinenbi to the H!P Eggs. I am sorry I'm not getting to see this in person. But my only question is "Where is the third member?"
High King/Manoeri ~ Both High King songs, very cool! Kioku no Meiro is an excellent c/w track! But I really don't like Manopiano at all!
Tokonatsu Musume ~ Cool, back to the shuffle songs. I've never been into Coconuts Musume, but this is a pretty good song. Although I do prefer the ZYX version c/w the Shiroi Tokyo single. GakiKame and Mittsi should be pretty cute doing this. I have a feeling this is going to be a highlight of the concert.
Tropica~l Koishite~ru ~ This is a pretty huge cast for a song that has been traditionally done solo. And I am wondering why all of the H!P Eggs are getting equal billing in the performance credit. Does this mean that the rest of the Eggs are all going to begin forming permanent units? This is kind of how it started with Berryz and C-ute when the H!P Kids roles kept expanding at the live shows. There doesn't seem to be a true leader here (Maasa and JunJun?), so my guess is they are going to sing this as a big chorus, and split the lines relatively even. I will say that this might be the "cutest" shuffle group of the night (Maasa, JunJun, Nocchi, Kikkawa Yuu, Sayaka)
Kousui ~ I like Melon Kinenbi, just not this song so much. The only cool thing about this version is the lovely Tanaka on the lead.
Core Group Set Two ~ Overall this setlist has been a bit lackluster. But here's Buono! to save the day!!! Kiss Kiss Kiss is an awesome song, and the few seconds I've heard of Gachinko de Ikou! didn't disappoint me at all. Egao Yes Nude we've seen before, but I'm sure it will be good. Then C-ute and Berryz do a "Battle Concert" rehash. I would love for them to give Special Generation a rest already! Like Love Machine, SG is becoming the Stairway To Heaven of H!P. Extremely overplayed!
** In my opinion there hasn't been a "huge" moment in the show yet. My guess is in the Tokyo shows we could possibly see Morning Musume OG show up around this point**
The Big Finish??? ~ For a single B-side, Love & Peace! Hero ga Yattekita gets performed an awful lot at these shows. Don't get me wrong, I love the song. And who wouldn't enjoy watching Morning Musume kissing each other all through it? I just worry about it being too much of a good thing. I guess the big unknown commodity here is Ame no Furanai Hoshi de Aisenai Darou. No one seems to have ever heard this song before. I'll choose to be optimistic and say it might be one of the best H!P songs ever produced!
And how many times can they close the show with All For One & One for All or Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru anyway???
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
Tomorrow is going to be great!!! It is my best friend Dan's birthday, and we are renting a limousine and spending the day in Napa Valley cruising from winery to winery. Just one of the many cool things about living in Northern California. The tough part is picking the appropriate gift. I am very bad at gift giving, and always put it off until the last overly-stressful moment. On Wednesday I finally broke down and asked Dan what he wanted for his birthday. He plainly stated, "I want you to take me to see Iron Maiden tonight!" Little did I know...
Dan has always found my transformation into a J-pop fan a bit...comical??? Dan is strictly a Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Ozzy kind of guy. Dan also knows that I used to be a big fan of those groups many years ago. So in his mind this was going to be as much of an intervention for me as a birthday gift for him. Unfortunately for Dan I was the designated driver for the event, which meant one thing...
I control the CD player in the car!!!
Yes, the conversation during the car ride to the show was pretty interesting. It must have gone something like this...
CK:
Dan: Yeah Chris, But...
CK: I know Dan, I know, but...
Dan: Whatever Chris...
Okay Dan, fine. I'll continue to fantasize about Reina, Ayaya and Nacchi while you fantasize about Bruce Dickinson and Sammy Hagar. And anyway it's my car so Mr. "Metal for Life" gets to be the latest lab rat in the Western J-pop experiment. I honestly didn't hold out too much hope to convert him, but at least I would get a chance to share why I like these groups so much. I decided to ease him into it...
Ketchup Mania ~ I figured musically they would be pretty palatable for Dan. And I was correct, although it took a few songs for him to get used to Hiro's high pitched voice, which Dan compared to "Chip n' Dale". But overall he liked them, and thought the drummer kicked a$$.
The Possible ~ Of the two singles I have, I think he preferred "Happy 15", as he laughed everytime they screamed "HAPPY!!!" Plus he preferred the "slutty" (his quote) outfits on that CD to the cuter look in "Love Message". His best observation being that Kanami looks like she is "begging for it"
Buono! ~ He got a kick out of the cover, but that's about it. He thought they were just o.k.
Perfume ~ He hated!!! And I think he found AKB48 only slightly more tolerable, only because I was telling him what some of the lyrics meant.
Morning Musume ~ He seemed to find surprisingly listenable. As I mentioned before I didn't have high hopes, so anything he didn't hate was a victory! So much for the experiment, onto the show...
Now to be honest with you, this was actually the SIXTH time I had seen Iron Maiden live, although it was only the second time I had seen them in the last twenty years! Boy do I feel old, and boy do they look old! And the girls in the audience were probably pretty cute in 1985. And now...sheesh they all look old too! But it was really a great show! Musically speaking, Iron Maiden is an amazing band. They are all terrific musicians, and the songwriting is so creative! Their lyrics can best be described as "an evening watching the History Channel". There is no group quite like them. Then again, there is nothing quite like a Hello! Project concert either. But the motivations for seeing each respective show is quite different. Personally I'd rather stare at Charmy and Maimi than Jannick Gers and Nicko McBrain any day of the week! Then you have the fans...
Most of the fans of the 80's metal scene have grown up and gotten responsible jobs...MOST of them. Yeah, they bang their heads and flash the "Lucifer's Horns" hand signal, but it's all so "kitschy" now! The audience in general looked like stockbrokers in Halloween costumes, and many of them even brought their kids to the show! I found them a lot less scary than the rabid J-pop Wota-gei Otaku's. Now those guys are scary!
So I'm glad I have a varied musical taste. I can have as good of a time going to a concert like this as any J-pop group. But as for which one I prefer? My vote is for the "kawaii"...
Sorry Dan, the intervention didn't work. The biggest lesson learned here? Henkka aka H!P Metalhead is an amazing anomaly. Trying to convert a true hard rock fan to J-pop can be sort of fun, but it's mostly frustrating and painful.
Oh yeah...Happy Birthday Danny-Boy!!!
CK in California
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Japan lovers ... Updated: 6 days ago
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Hello! Project Updated: Sep 22, 2009
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Hello Project! Updated: Sep 22, 2009
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