5 posts tagged “melon kinenbi”

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

Back in February when I started this blog, one feature I wanted to do was a concert DVD "retro review".  I have done five so far, but haven't posted one in quite a while.  The first of those reviews was of Hello! Project's Winter 2002 concert.  After that post I had promised Andra that I would do a review of a Matsuura Aya concert.  Here we are in mid-June, and I still haven't done one!

I've actually set out to do a review twice.  But I find analyzing an Ayaya concert much more challenging because it is "All-Ayaya all the time".  So most of the show is focused on one person.  The second challenge is that Aya is simply an incredible singer.  Part of the fun in reviewing a Hello! Project concert is poking fun at all of their shortcomings.  And as a performer, Ayaya simply doesn't have any!  Even when she occasionally screws up, she does it like a professional.  This brings me to my first point...

Matsuura Aya is the greatest talent in the history of Hello! Project!

By the way, that's not an opinion, it's a fact!  There was something obviously special about this girl that UFA would start her on a solo career immediately instead of placing her in a group.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading a recent post from Maize about a conversation she had with Second Blossoming.  Yes, Matsuura Aya has always been extremely mature for her age.  So it is understandable how SB could mistakingly think she is much older than she is.  Aya is an "old soul"

She was headlining her own tour before her sixteenth birthday.  And I have not seen one performance where she wasn't singing live.  She also has an amazing way of interacting with the crowd.  She speaks way up in her higher register, almost like she is speaking to children (Wota=children?).  And it's almost as if she is whispering.  But once in a while she cracks herself up, which is so cute! 

Aya also has a certain "grace" that not too many pop idols have.  She has always possessed this trait, but has really begun to embrace it as of late.  She has abandoned the short-shorts and halter tops of her earlier tours, and now usually wears more formal attire when performing live.  She has also seemingly ceased doing photobooks.  Not that she isn't as "sekushii" and "kyuuto" as ever, it just isn't her style.

 

Finally!  On To The DVD's.  Four "Quick Hit" Reviews!!!

I currently own four Aya Matsuura concert DVD's.  With a fifth one (Hello Pro Party! 2005) currently lost in the mail!  Two of those concerts had supporting acts (Melon Kinenbi), two of them didn't.  Two of them also had a live band, and two of them didn't.

 

First Concert 2002 Haru "First Date" is a decent show.  The most amazing thing about it is the quality of Ayaya's performance at such a young age.  Like Momusu's "Memory Seishun no Hikari", the DVD is shot on film giving it a theatrical feel.  Watching her sing Machiawase while on a swing is one of the cutest moments in any H!P event!  Sou Ieba is another reminder of why her "First Kiss" CD is so great!  I would love to hear her perform these songs today.  Both are so good, and they fit in with her current style perfectly.  Another moment I really liked was Aya, Michiyo Heike and Melon Kinenbi doing "Chu! Natsu Party"!  The DVD might be worth the purchase just to witness that!!! 

It is easy to forget Aya is so young when she performs with such confidence.  Even at fifteen she had the vibe of someone much older.  That was until Heike, who was acting as MC acknowledged her at the end.  It is such a cute moment watching Aya wanting to get vulnerable, but holding back.  It reminded me of her friendship with Fujimoto Miki.  Ayaya comes across to me as similar to Mikitty when it comes to personality.  The both seem "guarded" and "strong willed", but Aya does a better job of hiding her true personality in public.  Anyhow, enjoy this concert for the costumes.  I doubt we'll see Ayaya wear anything as skimpy as these ever again!!!

 

"Live in 上海 2006" is probably the most intimate concert you will see Ayaya do unless she performs in your living room!  The tiny venue is a blessing and a curse at the same time.  If I had to choose one of the four concert DVD's I own a copy of to actually see in person, it would be this one.  But even with the live band, the show lacks much of the energy that you get in the bigger arenas.  The music arrangements are quite different as well.  This show is sort of reminiscent of "Acoustic Nacchi".  Another cool aspect was that the male/female audience ratio was a lot more even.  And as a result there is a noticeable lack of moronic "wota-gei" going on!  What a relief!

I'm pretty sure this is her only concert performance of Norah Jones' Don't Know Why.  It's always fun to watch Japanese idols sing in English.  Especially after Aya was attempting to communicate in Chinese during the MC segment (xie xie!).  She does a really good job with this song!

Oshare! is just a great "jazzy" song that always sounds good live!  And my favorite part of the concert is during Kiseki no Kaori Dance, where she accidentally begins singing the lyrics to Momoiro Kataomoi...so cute!  She actually stops the band and has them start the song over...she does this again during Ki ga Tsukeba Anata which just added to the informality and intimacy.  She even screws up with dignity and grace!  Overall this is a cute concert, but there are better...

 

 

Concert Tour 2005 Haru 101 Kaime no Kiss ~HAND IN HAND~ is Matsuura Aya at her finest!  It is possibly the best tour she has ever done.  The energy is electric throughout the show, and the lighting is crazy!  This is the only time I have seen Aya sweaty during a performance!  It starts off with an amazing techno variation on Yeah! Meccha Holiday, and some of the better live performances of Good Bye Natsuo and Ne~e I've seen her do!

This was also a pretty good showcase for Melon Kinenbi.  They do a cool cover of Kiseki no Kaori Dance while Aya does an amazing cover of MKB's Akai Freesia.  Later they team up again for a rousing rendition Renai Sentai Shitsu Ranger.  I like this version much better than Wonderful Hearts 2008.  Melon Kinenbi are so good in this show!  It makes me sad that they haven't been successful.  Like Aya, the four of them are all very good singers.  They are a huge reason why this DVD is worth the buy.  A special moment was this rendition of Dokki Doki! Love Mail...

I love unexpected stuff like that!  Song selection is another reason why this is such a great DVD.  Aya hasn't performed "Ne~e" for a couple of years, and it's one of my favorites.  And Melon's doing This is Unmei is always great!  This concert was around the beginning of the turning point in Ayaya's career from pop idol to mature artist.  It is a terrific show, but one other Matsuura Aya concert DVD gives it a run for it's money...

By the way, did you ever hear the one about Ayaya's outfit falling off?

 Actually I'm talking about Matsuura Aya's most recent DVD...

2007 Aki ~Double Rainbow~

     

I originally wasn't going to purchase this DVD.  Like many, I haven't enjoyed Aya's latest work nearly as much as her early stuff.  But Morning Berryz has never steered me wrong.  And on MB's recommendation I had the chance to be pleasantly surprised!

The concert first caught my interest during Love Namida Iro when Aya's flowing dress comes flying off, revealing a cute cocktail outfit underneath...

Quite a few of the songs were brand new to me.  Uchuu de La Ta Ta is a lot of fun.  This is the c/w to "Kiseki no Kaori Dance".  That's funny, I have the CD but have never listened to the song!  Ayaya's backup dancers are both pretty hot too!  Especially the blond.  The one thing that bothered me on this DVD is that the Wota don't really react too much until she sings her old songs.  Then they act like idiots!  Like the concert in Shanghai, this concert featured a live band.  And they sound great!  But I can understand why Hello! Project doesn't use live music for most of their shows.  It's because the experience is mostly about the idols themselves.  And I am sure the Wota would hate it if there was a musical variation to some Berryz Koubou song that would cause their dance to be offbeat!  But with Ayaya, live music just adds to her credibility as a performer.

Since I still haven't purchased her latest album, the newer songs were totally unfamiliar to me.  My favorite songs from "Double Rainbow" are Hikkosenai Kimochi, which is intensely beautiful.  Happy To Go! which is upbeat and "H!P friendly".  And Bluebird is just a great song.  I also like the fun Onna Day by Day.  Maybe I should break down and finally buy the CD...

Ayaya rounds out the show with a series of "old favorites"  And they sound amazing with the live band behind her.  I was especially happy to hear her perform Zettai Tokeru Mondai X=<3, it is such a cool song!  For those of you who have "written off" Ayaya as boring and passe'.  Don't count her out just yet.  You owe it to yourself to buy this DVD!!!

 

Ayaya is as great as ever!

 

So there ya go Andra, FOUR "abridged" Ayaya concert reviews, not to mention 10 hours straight of watching and listening to the concerts.  I need a Tylenol!

CK in California

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CK in California    

 

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