15 posts tagged “matsuura aya”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CK in California

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

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

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

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

                                                      (Book Off, Near Gotanda Station-Tokyo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CK in California

The flight back to the U.S. is always easier than the flight over to Japan.  It is around two hours shorter, and it is overnight, so it's easier to sleep.  But wouldn't you know it, the moment I get back from vacation I get sick.  I hope this flu passes quickly because I'm sure the boss won't be too pleased if I call in sick tomorrow!  I hadn't been back in the US for an hour, and already I am annoyed with being back here.  Slow/bad train service, horrible drivers, general inefficiency as a whole.  I wish I was going back to Tokyo tonight!

So I thought I would give a summary of what this trip generally cost me.  I know a lot of people reading this would love to go on a holiday to Japan, and do a lot of the things I did.  Obviously money is an issue for many people.  And also obviously my spending isn't law.  You can do this trip cheaper, or more expensively...

R/T Ticket from California: $940  Can it be done cheaper?  Maybe if you are in Hawaii (hint hint MB).  But from North America or Europe I don't think you will find much cheaper airfare than that these days.

Nine night stay at resort hotel: $1350.  Can it be done cheaper?  Absolutely.  I know there are hotels out there for less than $100 per night.  You also have hostels.  If you wanted to be really frugal you could surely do it for less than $500.  And if you have a friend with a couch?  Even better!

J-pop Concert Tickets: $500  Mind you, that was SEVEN shows.  AKB48 is the cheapest, $30 for males.  I believe females get in cheaper.  Could you do it cheaper, definitely.  I paid what I did because I used a bidding service for most of my tickets.  But you could come to Japan emptyhanded and try to buy tickets from a reseller.  The face value of my concert tickets was $375.  However, if you are a Johnny's fan you will probably pay a lot more as I hear those tickets are much more expensive than H!P  Keep in mind the chances to have so many shows coincide with each other is remote.  In January I went to four, and three of them were the same show! (H!P Winter)

Transportation Around Japan:  $350  Can it be done cheaper.  Yes, much cheaper!!!  I sort of "bricked" here as i paid for a Japan Rail Pass (which was great) but didn't use it to maximum value.  If you are going on multiple Shinkansen trips, it is definiely worth it.  But if you are staying around Tokyo, you could probably keep your transportation expenses in the $100 range.

Food:  Eating is actually really cheap here.  I really don't know what I specifically spent on food, but you could easily spend less than $20 per day on all sorts of different goodies like Rice Balls, Tokoyaki, Bento Boxes.  The cheap Japanese eats are endless.  And there is plenty of booze flowing.  I love Chu-hi!!!  Why don't they export THAT to the US?

CDs/DVD's/PB's/Gifts: The total of all of my spending money, which included food was around $1200.  Could you do it for less?  Of course!  But would you want to?  It depends on how "wild" you want to go.  I went to some nice dinners.  I went clubbing one night.  And I bought a lot of cool stuff from Tower, BookOff, Tsutaya and the AKB48 Theater.  Time to summarize my "booty"...

 

My first purchase, Scandal's new CD/DVD "Doll" which came with a sticker, The Ohori Meshibe CD, card and Poster, and the H!P Winter DVD.  This was my first purchase.  By the way, I'm glad I got the LE Scandal CD when I did.  It sold out very quickly in Japan.

Pornograffitti's new CD.  This was a total impulse buy.  I wanted to participate in the prize contest.  Too bad I got the lamest prize.  I still haven't listened to it yet.  I'll put it in my car tomorrow.

Five used PB's from Book Off, including the new Reina and the new Nacchi.  PB's were so cheap here.  I could have bought tons of them.  But that was the problem.  I stuffed all of them in my suitcase and it barely made weight!  I love that battle Royale Book too!

These were a great deal, again from Book Off.  They don't have too much AKB48 stuff, and each of these two concert CD's were selling for $45 less than what I would have to pay for them from an online retailer.  And I threw in a cheap copy of an old Momusu "Single Clips"

AKB48 Part 2.  The calendar was a "First Press" edition, so it came with five photocards.  And the H2 DVD is a theater only release!  I cannot wait to return to Akihabara to rejoin all the fun going on at that theater!

AKB48 Part 3.  Actually I got the two "Theater Version" Oogoe Diamond CD's and pics for free because the fans all have so many of them from buying them for handshake event tickets.  It's a genius move, to go to the handshake event, all you need to do is buy a CD from the theater, limit 5 per person.  They are having a third handshake event this weekend, which means the hardcore fans now have FIFTEEN copies of it!

The "Maasa" souvenir set from the Berryz show.  I got the keychain and t-shirt set.  (Bonus Yurina photo not pictured)

The "Tanaka" souvenir set from the Momusu shows with one extra picture.  I also got four "surprise" pics (shown on my last post).  They were only $5, and they have a message from the idol.  The mystery is you don't know who you are getting!

I finally decided to buy Berryz' "Five" after watching them live.  It's a really good album.  I bought the Manoeri mainly for the Tower exclusive bonus photo.  KissKissKiss was only $4 at Book Off (man that place is great!) and of course I had to buy Reina's DVD!  She works in a sausage factory in it and handles a lot of sausage...Priceless!!!  And finally...

Awww, Dexter was so happy to have me home!  Yes, I managed to find a copy of "Madayade" the day before it came out, but I had to go to three places to find it.  The ladies at Tsutaya opened the crate for me!  And my last J-pop purchase of all, "Aya the Witch".  I would never have forgiven myself if I had come home with Pornograffitti and no Ayaya!

So the total amount spent was somewhere between $4000-$4500.  You could probably do the trip for close to $2000-$2500, but that would be on a tight budget.  So I hope that helps.

Tokyo Fashion is Awesome!

It goes without saying that one of the things I will miss dearly about Japan is the endless parade of uber-cute girls in their hot fashions!  The look of the moment seems to be short skirt with knee-high boots and/or socks, and on some occasion fishnet stockings.  Jeez, half of the women in Japan look like they are straight out of a Tanaka Reina photobook.  I must have said "Kawaii!" under my breath at least 500 times while I was there!  That being said, I got an email from my little friend I met in Tokyo saying she wants to get skype so we can talk more often...Yatta!!!

See you again Ayaya!

So there ya go, my 8-part Japanese J-pop tour.  It was easily the best vacation I have EVER taken.  And I can't wait to make it back.  I'll leave you with the brand new single from a band they were promoting yesterday at Tower Records in Shibuya.  They are called Breakerz, and this is one track from their double A-side CD single...

Now back to work!!!

CK in California

 

Even though I have been in Japan before, I wasn't entirely familiar with the way the trains work.  Even now I am unsure about a few things, so a Japan Rail Pass was a great, albeit expensive way to learn and use the train system with ease.  However, if you plan to make at least two trips on the Shinkansen, it pretty much pays for itself.

There are many different train lines throughout Japan, and there are also multiple private companies operating public transportation, but the biggest is the JR Line.  Plus, JR also runs the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) throughout Japan.  I took the Shinkansen to see Berryz Kobo in Shizuoka Prefecture.  It was amazingly fast and smooth.  The nice thing about the Rail Pass is you can board most any JR train or bus just by showing your pass, you don't have to figure out what the fare is.  Although all stations have a well detailed map of destinations and corresponding fares.

The main train around Tokyo is the Yamanote Line (the green circle in the middle of the pic), it stops at most of the major tourist areas around Tokyo.  If you have ever been to London, it would be comparable to the "Circle Line".  Everything moves really fast with the trains.  You walk among a sea of people into the train station.  The ticket gates are designed you no one needs to pause as they insert their ticket into the slot.  And the trains come almost instantaneously.  The Yamanote stops every 3-4 minutes normally.  It reminded me of when the guys on Utaban asked Sayumi Michishige what she thought of Tokyo, and she remarked that she was amazed how the trains come so quickly.  By the way, they were putting new signs on the trains today.  here is one of the new ads on many of the cars...

Why yes Matsuura-san, I will gladly board your train!  I don't think we need to worry about Ayaya leaving the Elder Club.  She seems to be doing just fine.  In any case, one of the things foreigners (including myself) find so fascinating about the JR Lines is the "music" they play at each stop.  I have heard three different explanations on why they do it, and I believe every station's music is different!  It is just another "unique" thing about Tokyo.

 

A Quick Preview of Morning Musume

My next post will be my thoughts about seeing two Morning Musume shows this weekend at Tokyo Koseinenkin Kaikan in Shinjuku.  But suffice it to say that it was a great performance.  I went to the first show with Celestia of Bikkuri Project, and she has also done a preview.  But like me, she is waiting to see it a second time before giving a full review.  By the way, Celestia was very nice, and great company at the show!  Even there she was making selections for her "Costume Hall of Shame", sorry JunJun!

 

One Last Visit to the AKB48 Theater

I had a "Cancel Machi" reservation for the Sunday matinee Team B show.  And it would end just in time for me to dash across Tokyo and meet Celestia for Morning Musume.  So I went for it, and got in again.  That means I got to see all three teams (A, K, and B) while I was here.  And let me tell you, Team B's 3rd stage is just as good as Team K's fourth stage!

This is Team B's first stage with original material, and I think they did a great job with it.  Almost every song in it is upbeat and fun.  My favorite songs had to be Wasshoi B! and Kagami no Naka no Jean da Arc, which had all of my favorite members in it.  Watching this stage live also gave me an opportunity to pick some favorite Team B members.  I didn't even know who was popular on this team, although I do hear Noguchi Reina talked about a lot, and Watanabe Mayu is prominent in the Oogoe Diamond PV.  First off, Urano Kazumi is gorgeous!  She is the oldest member of B, and she reminds me A LOT of Abe Natsumi!  I can see why she is popular, great personality!  The girl who I made repeated eye contact with was Yonezawa Rumi.  She stared right at me throughout the show, so she gets a vote too.  Here's another sample of Team B's Third Stage...

But the one I was dying for was Tanabe Miku!  My god is she adorable!  She reminds me of a Japanese "Pippi Longstocking" for some reason, and she has sort of a smokey voice too.  I couldn't believe how young she was (almost 16, Saggitarius like me).  Sixteen going on Twenty-Five is more like it.  She is totally off the charts HAWT!!!

But I might be breaking a cardinal rule by naming more than one member as my favorite.  One of the first things an AKB48 fan asks you when you meet them is "Who do you support?"  What I noticed is everyone seems to have ONE person that they most like, just one!  Although they may be fond of multiple members.  Fans have so many different opportunities to meet the members, and I guess there is some jealousy that goes on when an idol sees you at events, and then sees you meeting another member.  They all want to be your #1 Idol...Funny!

I mentioned the opportunities to meet the members.  It blew my mind to find out about all of the goings on at that place!  At the end of every show there are a bunch of fans standing around the door with flowers and gifts.  They have won the opportunity to meet their favorite AKB48 Idol!  And it seems fairly common, Every time I stuck around there were 10-20 fans waiting.  The whole thing lasts about 2-3 minutes.  They call your number and you go to the theater doors, they open and there she is!  You go for a short walk to the stage where you can talk to them for a minute or two, then they take you to a camera and take your photo with her.  And then (there's more!) the girl personalizes a message for you on the photo!  Mind you, this is a prize you have to win.  But from what I was told it can be "bought" as well.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are tons of other "prizes" like that to get!  That and all of the handshake events, you can really get to know these girls!

This is why I have fallen in love with AKB48.  Sure, they have invented all sorts of ways for the fans to spend money.  But everything about the experience, from the tiny theater to the handshake events, to the "stage" concept, to all of these "prizes" that give you the opportunity to personally interact with the idols...it is just such an amazing concept!  And of course the AKB idols are adorable!  I'm going to miss the theater most of all when I leave, but when I return you can be sure I will be looking into that meet/photo-op prize...now who to pick?

Just look for this guy on the main drag in Akihabara just two blocks from the JR Station.  He is your ticket to AKB48 Heaven!

CK in California

So the trip is coming down to the home stretch.  I could seriously live here.  Obviously I am on vacation, and if I was living and working here instead it would be a different experience.  But Tokyo is such a great city!  It has really encouraged me to "step up" my Japanese lessons!

The Fate of the Elder Club

We have already seen some examples of what the Elders are going to be doing.  Melon Kinenbi will still perform, Yuko and Nacchi are continuing to act.  And of course I got an idea when I saw Ayaya perfprming at a jazz club the first night I was here.  The hotel I am staying at is huge, and it has many amenities, including a theater.  And who is on the bill this December?

Wow!!!  Yossie, Charmy and Sotoda Mai doing a Christmas dinner show.  And judging by the outfits, I don't think they will be doing any Hangry & Angry material!  Oh wait, someone else is doing a Christmas dinner show the next evening...

Oh, god, Ayaya is love!!!  Now before you even start thinking that I am going to plan a trip here in seven weeks, my vacation time for 2008 is all used up.  And my wallet needs a little rest before I head back over here again.  Those dinner shows ain't cheap!  $260 per person for Charmy and the gang, and $300 for Matsuura Aya...sheesh!!!

 

A Quick AKB48 Note

I got all of those for free from other AKB48 fans last night.  Two copies of the Theater Version of Oogoe Diamond, and a bunch of older photos, including three of the lovely Meetan!  I have Cancel Machi #61 for Team B matinee today.  If I get in, that will mean I got to see all three teams perform while I was here!  There are a bunch of crazy goings on with AKB48 this week.  And had I known about them this trip would've looked a bit different.  But I will explain that on a future post.  Suffice it to say, many more reasons to love AKB48!!!

New H!P Releases!!!

 

So while I have been here a bunch of new H!P releases have hit the shelves.  And sadly, a bunch more come out right after I leave.  As much as I like Milky Way, I don't love Tan Tan Taan, so I am skipping that one.  I'm torn on the Manoeri indie release.  Not because I like the song, but because the Tower Records version comes with a LE bonus photo!  I am definitely going to buy Berryz "Five" before I leave.  And the new ones from Berryz Kobo and Buono!  which sadly come out after I go home :(.  I absolutely love the song and PV for Madayade, and Rottara Rottara is growing on me with each listen!  I was really hoping Berryz played their new single when I saw them yesterday...

Berryz Kobo Live in the Shadow of Mt. Fuji!!!

Going to see Berryz Kobo in Shin-Fuji was a totally different experience.  It was my first concert here that took place outside of the general Tokyo area.  Fuji is about 100 miles south of Tokyo, and about a 70 minute ride on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train).  BTW, thank heavens for my Japan Rail Pass.  It made travel much easier here.  And the Shinkansen trips are pricey.  So it was well worth it!  From the JR Shinkansen stop it was about a mile and a half to the venue.  But I couldn't figure out the bus lines, so I decided to walk it.  I needed the excercise anyway.

I know the setlist from Wiki.theppn, and I was most excited about Suhada Pichipichi, Yuujou Junjou oh Seishun, and 21ji Made no Cinderella.  But I was also hoping that they would play their latest single, although they hadn't done as of yet on the tour, and this was the last stop!  I went in about 40 minutes before showtime.  I know a lot of people like to rush in right as the doors open.  But I don't see the reason for it.  I think everyone is afraid their favorite merchandise is going to sell out or something.  But when I went in there was only one sold out photo set, and everything else was available.  So I stocked up on my Maasa supplies!

T-shirt set and keychain, cool!  They also have this cool thing where you can buy a picture really cheap.  the only catch is you don't know which pic you are getting.  My favorite members in Berryz are Maasa, Captain, and Chinami.  My least favorites are Yurina and Risako.  So who did I get???

LOL, I think Yurina is meant to be my favorite because she ALSO was the one who did my birthday on that Berryz "Calendar" DVD!  Onto the show...

The other thing I was anticipating are the songs from the new CD.  To tell you the truth, I haven't really given them a good listen yet.  They opened with HAPPY! Stand Up, which is a nice upbeat number to open the show.  But the second song, Kono Yubi Tomare! was awesome!!!  I'll tell you right now that might be one of my favorite Berryz songs ever!  I also enjoyed CLAP and Yumi wo Hitotsubu...

The MC segments were great!  In the intro segment, Chinami and Miya got into a playful spat, with Chinami ultimately pointing at Miyabi and pouting.  Then Miyabi told Chinami she could sit on her knee, huh?  The MC with Chinami and Yurina just before "Cinderella" was also cute, with Chinami showing off her new manicure with little green studs around her cuticles to match her dress.  But the best was the little skit.  And Maasa again was the star of it.  This is why Maasa is my favorite member.  Not only is she adorable, but she is obviously their best actress!

After Yuujou, they left the stage.  But I already knew that BE and Special Generation (regular version, not the remix) were coming.  Finally the lights went dark, and the screen came on...

05/11/2008...

New Single...

Here We Go...

OMFG, My heart stopped, MADAYADE!!!  The first performance ever!!!  I loved it!  And no, they didn't sing it in the costumes from the PV, sorry.  But that would have been cool.  Overall it was a great show!  All of the girls did a great job.  there was some pitchiness here and there by a couple of people.  But that can be forgiven.  No one is perfect, and they all did their best.  So it was a great time for all!

Next Up, Morning Musume tonight!  I can't wait...

CK in California (or Tokyo)

(Berryz Performance Pics from Hello! Online)

 

My god, it feels like this is my first chance to breathe since I arrived in Tokyo about 29 hours ago.  Yes, 29 hours and this trip is already as cool, if not cooler than my visit this past January!

I am always in a quandry on how to minimize jetlag, especially since I knew I would be attending a concert (Matsuura Aya) a mere hours after my plane landed.  In fact, even getting to this concert was contingent on my plane being at least "close" to on time.  First obstacle, the plane left around 35 minutes late (Uggh!).  Second obstacle, it was a pretty bumpy flight, so I managed to pull off about 30 minutes of sleep!  I managed to get to my hotel, check in, shower, and pop over to Roppongi in plenty of time.  But I was friggin' exhausted!

 

Matsuura Aya ~Special Live 2008~ at STB-139

Man this was a cool show!  In some ways it was similar to Ayaya's concert in Shanghai DVD.  Albeit a much more mature version.  It's funny, when I reviewed that DVD I said that I would love to see her in a setting like that.  I guess I got my wish!  Actually I almost didn't!  When I first got there they said they had no record of my ticket at the booth.  But I was persistant, and the people were very nice.  So I eventually got in just fine!

But this was different.  STB-139 is a Jazz-club dinner theater.  And I am guessing it seats about 300 people tops!  So the fans were all sitting at tables eating and drinking.  You had waiters, and a full bar.  But I was afraid to eat because I was sure it would make me even more sleepy.  So I had my waiter keep bringing me coffee and ice water the whole night.  But enough about me...

This was an incredible show, and it was very different from any Ayaya experience we have ever seen before.  She looked beautiful, and so sophisticated.  Red satin suit with a black sleeveless top and a fedora.  Her hair was long and flowing.  I love Ayaya!  She had a three piece acoustic group behind her...piano, guitar and drums.  Aya spent most of the show sitting on a stool.  I can't remember all of the songs she did.  I am going to say she sang around 10-12, mostly her mellow stuff and a couple of songs I don't remember hearing before.  The songs I do remember were Love Namida Iro, 100 Kai no Kiss, Oshare!, and Toudai.  Keep in mind I was dead tired through this show.  And as awesome as it was, the whole time I was thinking about getting back to my hotel so I could sleep!  So I hope they do come out with a concert DVD.  There were cameras there.  But the show I was at was not the last one, so I guess they will film it in two weeks when she returns there.

She did a lot of talking between songs.  I know she spoke about the Elder club graduation, something about meeting with Ayaka, and about how nasally her singing voice was in the early days.  She kept singing Doki Doki Love Mail in this ultra-high and whiny voice,  It was pretty funny.  It was also funny when she asked the people in the balcony how the top of her head looked.  She also had a drink, and it looked alchoholic!!!  She led us in a toast to good fortune in the future.  It was very sweet.

All I can say is this moment alone made the entire trip worth it.  Ayaya is so amazing.  I am so glad I got to experience such an incredible show!

Day 2 to follow...

CK in California

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

Only time will tell...

CK in California 

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

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

I buy "most" of my collection on EBay.

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

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

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

 

Morning Musume

"First Time" CD

"Second Morning" CD

"3rd Love Paradise" CD

"4th Ikimasshoi" CD

"No. 5" CD

"Ai no Dai 6 Kan" CD

"Rainbow 7" CD

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

"Sexy 8 Beat" CD

"Souda! We're Alive!" CD Single

"Aruiteru" CD Single

"Mikan" CD Single (LE)

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

"Resonant Blue" Event V

"Morning Cop" OST CD

"Best Morning Musume 1" CD

"Best Morning Musume 2" CD

 

Melon Kinenbi

"1st Anniversary" CD

"Fruity Killer Tune" CD

"Kokuhaku Kinenbi" CD Single

"Akai Freesia" CD Single

 

Berryz Kobo

"1st Cho Berryz" CD

Dai 2 Seichouki" CD

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

"3 Natsu Natsu Mini Berryz" CD

"Anata Nashi Dewa Ikita Yukenai" CD Single

"Fighting Pose wa Date Ja Nai" CD Single

"Happiness~Kofuku Kangei!" CD Single

"Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi" CD Single

 

C-ute

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

"Sakura Chirari" CD Single (LE)

"Meguru Koi no Kisetsu" CD Single (LE)

"LALALA Shiawase no Uta" CD Single

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

 

Country Musume

"Daizenshuu 2" CD

 

W

"Duo U&U" CD

"2nd W" CD

"Koi no Fuga" CD Single

"Ai no Imi wo Oshiete" CD Single

"Miss Love Tantei" CD Single

 

Matsuura Aya

"First Kiss" CD

"T.W.O." CD

"X3" CD

"Double Rainbow" CD

"Matsuura Aya Best 1" CD

"Tropical Koishiteru" CD Single

"The Bigaku" CD Single

"Ne~e" CD single

"The Last Night" CD Single

"Kiseki no Kaori Dance" CD Single

 

MiniMoni

"MiniMoni Song Daihyakka 1 Kan" CD

"MiniMoni Songs 2" CD

"MiniMoni Telephone! Rin Rin Rin" CD Single

"MiniMoni Hinamatsuri" CD Single

"Lucky Cha Cha Cha" CD Single

"Kazoe Uta" DVD Single

 

Buono 

"Cafe Buono" CD (LE) 

"Gachinko de Ikou" CD Single (LE)

 

Athena & Robikerottsu

"Shouri no Big Wave" CD Single

"Seishun Love Lunch" CD Single

 

ZYX

"Shiroi Tokyo" CD Single

 

v-u-den

"Single Best 9 Vol. 1 Omaketsuki" CD

"Hitorijime" CD Single

 

Goto Maki

"Yaruki! It's Easy" CD Single

 

Abe Natsumi

"Hitoribocchi" CD

"Date Ikitekanakucha" CD Single

"Koi no Telephone Goal" CD Single

"Yuma Naraba" CD Single

 

Kusumi Koharu

"Mitsuboshi" CD

"Kirarin Land" CD

"Balalaika" CD Single

 

Fujimoto Miki

"Boogie Train '03" CD Single

 

Tanpopo

"All of Tanpopo" CD

 

Nochiura Natsumi

"Renai Sentai Shitsu Ranger" CD Single

 

High-King

Cinderella/Complex CD Single (LE)

 

Milky Way

"Anataboshi" CD Single

 

THE Possible

"Happy 15" CD Single

"Love Message" CD Single

 

Hello! Project

"Otome Gumi Ai no Sono" CD Single

"Otome Gumi Yuujou" CD Single

"2003 Shuffle Units" CD Single/PB

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

"Pucchi Best 1" CD

"Pucchi best 2" CD

"Pucchi Best 3" CD

 

Photobooks

Matsuura Aya Alo-Hello (2003)

Matsuura Aya- Ma! Chura (2004)

Abe Natsumi- Nacchi (1999)

Abe Natsumi- Natsumi (2001)

Abe Natsumi- AloHello (2005) *DVD*

Takahashi Ai- Photobook (2002)

Yaguchi Mari- Yaguchi (2002)

Yaguchi Mari- Love Hello! (2003)

Iida Kaori- Kaori Kaori Kaori (2002)

Kago Ai- Go on the Journey (2003)

Kago Ai/Tsuji Nozomi- TsujiKago (2002)

Ishikawa Rika- Photobook (2001)

Ishikawa Rika- Photobook (2002)

Kamei Eri- 17 Sai (2006)

Tanaka Reina- Reina (2005)

Tanaka Reina- AloHello! (2007)

Konno Asami- Photobook (2004)

Konno Asami- AloHello! (2006) *DVD*

Tanpopo- Photobook (2001)

Morning Musume- AloHello! (2003)

Morning Musume- AloHello! (2004) *DVD*

 

Concert DVD's

Morning Musume First Live at Shibuya Kohkaido 1998

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

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

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

Morning Musume Green Live 2001

Morning Musume Love is Alive! 2002 Haru

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

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

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

Morning Musume Otome Gumi Concert Tour 2003-2004

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

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

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

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2006 Aki Odore! Morning Curry

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

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2007 Aki Bonkyu Bonkyu Bomb!

Morning Musume Concert Tour 2008 Single Daizenshuu

Hello! Project 2002 Kotoshi no Sugiozo

Hello! Project 2002 One Happy Summer Day

Hello! Project 2003 Winter Tanoshinjattemasu!

Hello! Project 2003 Natsu Yosha! Bikkuri Summer!!

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

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

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

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

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

Hello! Project 2007 Summer 10th Anniversary Dai Kanshasai

Hello! Project 2008 Winter Live DVD Box

Matsuura Aya First Concert Tour 2002 Haru "First Date"

Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2005 Haru 101 Kaime no Kiss

Matsuura Aya "Captain Koen" Hello Pro Party 2005

Matsuura Aya Live in Shanghai 2006

Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2007 Autumn

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

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

Berryz Kobo Concert Tour 2006 Haru, Nyoki Nyoki Champion

Berryz Kobo Concert Tour 2007 Sakura Mankai

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

Melon Kinenbi 1st Anniversary Live Tour 2003

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

 

Other DVD's

Morning Cop

Pinch Runner

Tokkaekko

Nama Tamago

Koinu Dan no Monogatari

The MiniMoni Movie

17 sai Tabidachi no Futari

Sukeban Deka, Codename: Asamiya Saki

Morning Musume Musical "Love Century"

Berryz Kobo Event V 2005

MiniMoni Single Clips 1

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

Hello! Project 2000 Shuffle Units DVD

Sakura/Otome Gumi Single DVD "Sakura/Yuujou"

 

Now for my Non-Tsunku related items...

 

AKB48

"Aitakatta" CD Single

"Bingo!" CD Single (LE)

"Set List" 2006-2007 CD (LE)

"Team K 2nd Stage" CD

"Team K 3rd Stage" CD

"Team A 4th Stage" DVD

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

 

Perfume

"Game" CD

"Electroworld" CD Single

 

Pipo Angels

"Luvly, Merry-Go-Round" CD Single

"100% Pure" CD Single

 

Ketchup Mania

"Everytime Music Freak" CD

"Greetings From Tokyo" CD

"U.R.G.E." CD

"L.O.V.E." CD

 

SCANDAL

"Hello Scandal" CD/EP

"Space Ranger" Single CD/DVD

 

Various Items

Andromedia DVD

Battle Royale DVD

Densha Otoko DVD Box

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon DVD Box

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon OST Vol. 1

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon "Dear My Friend" OST

 

T-Shirts

SCANDAL Concert T

Hello! Project 2008 Winter T-shirt plus sweatband

 

 

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

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

CK in California

I 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

I really don't have much of an idea what my family, friends and co-workers really think about my Hello! Project and J-pop hobby.

Well, actually I do have an idea.  It's a wierd dynamic for a fan living in the west.  For someone like me, H!P is such an "out of left field" thing to be into that is causes many curious reactions.  When I bring my recent purchases to work with me, everyone seems to like the CD covers and especially the photobooks.  There is no argument that these girls are extremely cute.  The music itself is a much harder sell because of the language barrier.  But the few people that have actually given the music a chance have all found something to like about it.  However, getting someone else to really be "into it" is a much harder proposition.  I have done my best to turn as many people as possible onto the J-music scene, with a few moderate successes.

One friend really liked v-u-den enough to want a CD, which I purchased for her. 

Two of my family members at least occasionally read this blog.  Not so much for the subject matter, but because they say they like my writing.  At least that's good for my ego, although they may be a bit biased.

My biggest success is a friend who has become a fan of Ayaya.  I turned her onto Matsuura Aya by showing her a recent Ayaya article I wrote, coupled with a viewing of Sukeban Deka (AKA Yo-Yo Girl Cop).  She has now graduated to watching the latest Ayaya concert DVD, and unbelievably Pinch Runner (without the subs!).

 

But I've learned one universal truth, people dig violent action movies in any language!  And the one DVD that seems to win everyone over is the Fukasaku Kinji classic, Battle Royale!

Now I'm not going to bore all of you with a full length review of this film as most of you who read my blog have probably already seen it.  A bunch of kids get taken to an island and have to battle to the death.....it co-stars the girl who played Go-Go Yubari from Kill Bill and the dude from Most Extreme Elimination Challenge on Spike TV (Beat Takeshi).....Quentin Tarantino loves it.....The classroom scenes from the Hello! Project Mechaike specials were a total nod to the movie.....and so on and so forth.  But the fact is every time I have shown this film to a group of people they all love it and many people end up buying their own copy.  And I often get asked the question "Do you have any more movies like this?"  This question opens the conversation to Yo-Yo Girl Cop, which most all of them really like as well.

It seems like most of my friends who have come this far are then a lot more open to sampling the music, watching the PV's and DVD's and looking at the Photobooks.  And Battle Royale was the movie that originally spawned my interest in Japanese stuff which ultimately brought me to H!P.  So I'm sure the same could happen for someone else.  And I would be lying if I didn't admit my original motivation for watching BR was the "hot asian chicks in schoolgirl uniforms" factor.  So with that in mind, here are my top ten favorite Battle Royale babes...

CK's Battle Royale Ranker

(your gateway to j-pop fandom!)

 

10) Girl #14 Mayumi Tendou (played by: Nomiyama Haruka)  She's one of the first to get killed in the film.  But the last time I watched it I finally noticed that she was really cute.  And how funny is it that her death scene is like the old Steve Martin "arrow through the head" bit?  I guess she's a "wild and crazy" gal!

 

 

9) Girl #11 Mitsuko Soma (Shibasaki Kou)  Kou would probably have made it a lot higher on this list if it wasn't for the brutality of the character she played.  You hate her through most of the film, and it isn't until she gets shot by Kiriyama (Ando Masanobu) that you finally begin to feel any sympathy for her.

 

 

8) Girl #6 Yukiko Kitano (Kanasawa Yukari)  Ah, the girl who was secretly in love with Nanahara.  I love how she gets jealous when Noriko gives Nanahara the cookies on the bus.  Her death scene is hardcore, but she looks so cute in the preceding scene after she hears Nanahara screaming for her to run!

 

 

7) Girl #16 Nakagawa Yuka (Hanamura Satomi)  She is in the film for about 90 seconds, but she looks and acts so cute right up until the point where the poison she ingests takes affect.  And of course she ends up having one of the grossest death scenes in the movie.

 

 

6) Girl #10 Shimizu Hirono (Nagata Anna)  I love that she sounds like Stevie Nicks when she's angry.  And it was so hot hearing her scream at Mitsuko for having sex with her boyfriend.  And as she's gotten older, she has gotten even hotter!

 

 

5) Girl # 13 Chigusa Takako (Kiriyama Chiaki)  Damn she has the most penetrating eyes I have ever seen on a human being!  She has a very unique look, and is quite beautiful.  But that stare could cut glass!  Do not piss this girl off.  I can see what Tarantino saw in her!

 

 

4) Girl #4 Ogawa Sakura (Shimaki Tomomi)  I found her to be one of the more feminine girls in the film.  I really like her big moment when she throws the duffel bag at Kitano with tears in her eyes.  I just wanted to hug her!  She's petite and cute.  And I felt so bad for her when she jumped off the cliff.

 

 

3) Girl #15 Nakagawa Noriko (Maeda Aki)  The cute little bookworm.  That's the real reason why all the other girls bullied her.  They all knew she was the "princess" who could take all of their boyfriends away if she ever realized her beauty.  Maeda Aki is absolutely adorable!

 

 

2) Girl #2 Utsumi Yukie (Ishikawa Eri)  She is so great!  First she has that cute scene with Nanahara in the lightouse when she nurses him back to health.  Whe she confesses her crush on him and hides her face, I just melted.  She then does an about-face and has an amazingly intense scene during the famous lighthouse shootout.  And her last words are one of the greatest lines in the film..."We are such idiots, we might have all survived!"

And who tops my Battle Royale Ranker???

 

 

1) Training Video Girl (Miyamura Yuko)  Of course the video girl is going to be my favorite!  She is the one character who draws every viewer into this film.  Her dialogue is great.  Her delivery and expressions are hilarious.  And she is so damn cute I can't stand it.  When I first saw this movie I watched her scene over and over.  I just couldn't get enough!

Training Video Girl For The Win!!!

 

You can find eyecandy in the strangest places.

CK in California

(credit to www.battleroyalefilm.net for much of the photo content in this article)