10 posts tagged “morning”
I buy far too much stuff on Ebay and YesAsia.com!!!
Every day when I come home I check my mailbox in anticipation of seeing one or two packages of the plethora of orders I've made. In fact, I can't remember the last time I wasn't expecting anything. Today??? Nope, just an invitation to come back to Netflix, RATS! I didn't know the package I hadn't been expecting was waiting for me on my PC, the new Morning Musume PV...
Here is something to ponder...How does releasing the PV of a single that isn't due to be released for SIX WEEKS effect sales? To me, this is another major malfunction in the promotions department over at Hello! Project. So now we have over 40 days to listen, watch and get burned out on this song weeks before it ever gets released. I just don't get this promotional tactic. And they do this again and again, with every group.
Second, I am now requesting a moratorium on 5+ minute pop songs. I didn't dislike Morning Musume's last single, Mikan. But the song seems to go on repetitiously forever, and that song is 4 1/2 minutes long. Resonant Blue comes in at a whopping 5 minutes.
Now to the video. Let me start by saying I haven't fallen in love with this song...yet. Yes, it's catchy. Yes, it sounds mature and hip. What is missing for me is a memorable hook, and that makes the song seem all that much longer.
~ I like the atmosphere of the PV. The dark theme adds to the maturity, and it reminds me of the edginess of PV's like Shabondama and especially Osaka Koi no Uta.
~ It seems Morning Musume is going the Berryz/C-ute route by featuring (arguably) the strongest and most popular singers, Takahashi and Tanaka, in every song and PV. This is probably a good move if you are trying to catch the attention of the casual fan. But to the major Hello! Project fanatics, it is a tremendous "miscarriage of justice" for the other members.
~ Continuing that theme, can someone tell me when Jun Jun, Lin Lin, and Michishige-san graduated from Morning Musume? Or did I just blink and miss them here?
~ Costumes, I think they look pretty cool. Reina and Ai-chan look incredible in the "ripped-up" versions. I find it funny that Hello! Project dresses the "perceived sexless" Musumes as total sex objects! Overall, I think they all, or at least the girls I can see, look great! I am extremely impressed with Koharu!
~ The more I watch this "Dance Shot", the more it reminds of the dancing parts of Shabondama. It is very sexy, very intense, and both have Reina in the front. I normally don't pay too much attention to the dancing, but it is the focal point of this PV.
Overall, I like the PV better than the song. It's not that I don't like the song. It just hasn't "wowed" me yet.
***On a related note, I noticed something while watching the H!P Summer 2007 DVD yesterday. Watch the last minute of the entire concert as Morning Musume is the last to leave the stage. Now pay attention to the dynamic between Ai and Risa as they leave, and tell me who the "real" leader is...
Here is the Resonant Blue PV, enjoy. CK in California...
Some previews to the Hello! Project Winter DVD Box are up at the various video stream sites. You could say I am "fairly" excited about this...
Who am I kidding? First we have the Elders Club...
I was wondering what an Elder Club version of Joshi Kashimashi Monogotari would be like. Love the maid outfits. And I was really hoping Ayaka would sing her line in English. But could they have given her a lamer line? It even sounded like she hated singing it. The underappreciated Melon Kinenbi was my favorite of the bunch. Yuko a close second.
Then we have Wonderful Hearts...
I've always found this song hauntingly pretty. I'm looking for Paul from Hello! Blog. They did this song at Haru Pro Award at Yokohama too. I was down on the floor "Whoo-ing" with the rest of the Wotas. What a feeling! The outfits are a bit much, but I like the Eggs' costumes. Very cute!
Speaking of C-ute, this is from Haru Pro Award 2008...
Someone must have an advance copy of 3rd ~LOVE Escalation~! Finally a scene from the show I went to. I was sitting next to Radicalpatriot. 14th Row, 12 seats to the right of the center runway (if you're facing the stage). Like Paul, I get butterflies in my stomach just watching this. Some of my souvenirs from the trip...
It's fair to say I am counting the days until this DVD is released.
CK in California
A.K.A an attempt not to be pidgeonholed into the "oldies but goodies" category.
There has been quite a bit of activity around Hello! Project (and International Wota) over the past couple of weeks. Generally speaking, it has me excited because most of us believe some "stirring of the pot" is in order to create some new buzz around these groups.
Cinderella: The Musical ~ This has me very excited. Morning Musume doing Rodgers and Hammerstein feels like the making of something very special. I'm sure this will be released to DVD. But I think a movie version would be even better. I've always felt staying in the "big screen" medium is a great way to keep the exposure going at Hello! Project. As far as who will play who, I have no idea. But Koha and Sayu as the wicked stepsisters sound perfect to me. I could also see Reina and Risa in those roles too. This is a great move! I just wonder how it will affect an H!P Summer Tour
Milky Way ~ Raise your hand if, like me, you were slightly let down when they revealed who Milky Way would be. I'm sort of in the middle on this one. On the positive side, I am glad to see more H!P Eggs get a chance to expand their roles. Many have been clamoring for Kikkawa Yuu to get a break after just missing in 8th generation. She has a very "fresh" look and usually stands out when backdancing at the shows. On the other hand, another Koha unit? Tied into Kirarin Revolution? Koharu seems to be doing quite well on her own, so I'm not sure why they keep experimenting with her and other singers. So until we see what this really looks like, to me it seems like "Kirarin Revolution, starring Koharu Kusumi, costarring two H!P Eggs". Lets see a shuffle unit with some new people that haven't been shuffled in a while. I can think of a couple of Berryz...
Manoeri goes solo ~ For starters, congratulations to Erina-san! Tsunku and UFA must see something in her that makes them feel she is ready for this step in her career. And they would know alot better than I would. That being said, two things concern me...I wonder why it was necessary for her to graduate from the Eggs AND Ongaku Gatas? Gatas is still a fresh group in the stable, and Manoeri seems to be one of the big reasons for their popularity! There are many who are Soloists or in Shuffle Units AND also in a Core group. As Radicalpatriot questioned on his blog, does this mean she is going the way of The Possible and joining the "Nice Girl Project"? I don't know if I like that idea. Second, becoming a solo artist in Hello! Project seems to be very hard to make a success of. How many solo artists have had any longevity of major success and record sales? With the exception of a privileged few, it's more of a recipe for two concert appearances a year, H!P Winter and H!P Summer. Or, she could reveal herself as an amazing singer and Tsunku will write her some sensational material. I hope the latter is true. This brings me to my next topic...
Niigaki Risa on Uta Doki Pop Classics ~ I have to admit that I have never given this show a proper chance. There is so much audio/video/print out there to enjoy, I simply skipped it. But I did watch the recent episode with Gaki-san after reading Metalhead griping about her hairstyle. What an electric performance!!! I thought she looked and sounded amazing. Not only did it make me think of her being the next to graduate Morning Musume and go solo. I also thought (I hope I don't cause a shutdown of International Wota) she could be a gateway for Hello! Project to a wider western audience. Watch it yourself and see if you agree...
...kickass!!! I think an American audience might like that. (hmmm?)
Goodbye Uta Doki, hello Berrikyuu ~ I am very excited about the prospect of a television show for Berryz and C-ute, it will be a great chance for us to see more of their personalities. But 7 MINUTES??? What kind of a show is that? How much can you do in 7 minutes? Lets see, 1-2 two minutes of opening/closing credits, a minute of setup, which leaves us no more than 240 seconds of content? I could go to the toilet and miss the whole show! Anyway, I hope it's good. As far as Uta Doki is concerned, I'm sorry to see any H!P show get cancelled. But I wouldn't mind seeing Uta Doki become part of Haromoni@. All we would need is a couple less jugglers/gymnasts/banana-eating-ex-pornstars and it would fit in quite nicely. And enough MouTube!!! Lets mix that show up a bit too, and throw in more scavenger hunts, neighborhood visits, restaurant tours. They can still wear the ears and tails, I don't mind that at all!
The Return of Miki Fujimoto ~ Has anyone else noticed that there hasn't been any buzz about this beyond the first announcement. That doesn't bode well for Mikitty. I hope I'm wrong.
The Woes of the Elders ~ I am highly concerned for the girls who made Hello! Project what it is today. Melon Kinenbi is proverbially drowning, most of the older idols are grossly underused, and where the heck is Ayaya? Her single was cancelled, she has no tour or album in the works. I hope she is off filming Yo-Yo Girl Cop 2!!! I wouldn't be surprised if we see more than one of the Elders part ways with Hello! Project in the next year. And that would be too bad. I really hope Nacchi doesn't leave. First of all, I love her. Second, I think she and H!P need each other. She still has a good fanbase, and is the orginal face of the flagship! She's also had a decent solo career.
I hope all of these changes pan out for our idols, and I also hope we are treated to alot more excitement in the months to come.
BTW, I am also excited about two things going on at International Wota...
American Wota Roundtable ~ Ray, what a great idea. And Henkka, Celestia, and Broomhead took on the topic in fine style. I read all of their points of view. I enjoyed and for the most part agreed with every one of them. As for my two cents on the topic... I agree that it is a matter of semantics as Morning Musume will always be the flagship group. But at this point Berryz and C-ute have more of a buzz around them. They have been around for what...six years now? So they have definitely paid their dues. So I see Berryz and C-ute and standing along side Momusu in the limelight, rather than a few steps behind. They have achieved enough to be considered their own flagships, and stand in their own spotlight. Lets keep 'em in the big venues like the upcoming battle concert at Yokohama Arena. I personally feel that most of the issues lie in the songwriting and production. The talent is there, it is up to the people upstairs to utilize it properly. The PV's need upgrading, and they need to continue to find ways to cross promote the talent. Cinderella: The Musical is a good start. BTW, sorry for crashing the party.
Stuck in a Pagoda's Multi-Parter on H!P's US Marketability ~ Let me first state I am not here to contribute to the war. It is obvious that CJ doesn't like Gerald. Okay, we get it! With regards to that, I would like to say that we would all love to see Morning Musume come to our own hometown. Nothing would excite me more. But from the standpoint of how likely it is to happen, I just don't see it. I can't fathom Hello! Project being treated as anything other than a novelty with a niche audience. And who are they marketed to? Kids? 20-40 year old men? From a financial standpoint, and I do work in the financial sector, I don't see it as a profitable venture. I also wonder if UFA has any interest in this idea at all. Is this even a goal of theirs? Who knows? I'm not an expert in the music industry, and I don't have a finger on the pulse of what sells here in the US as I hate just about everything on the American Billboard chart! So what do I know?
But after all that is said, I thought Stuck in a Pagoda's first part was an amazing post. Personally, I want to believe that there is a reason for Hello! Project to try their hand in the US market. So I am interested in any data or ideas that would make that a reality. I can't wait for the next part!
CK in California
I was going back and forth on which concert to review next, Berryz Koubou or Aya Matsuura. Then I got two shipments in the mail this week to add to my collection. A bunch of older stuff. But two items struck me in such a way that the next post was obvious. So this review will be a CD/DVD combo.
I'm sure most of you have seen Morning Cop. It's a gritty little movie made on a small budget made to promote Morning Musume and (seemingly) more importantly Michiyo Heike. It has some great setpieces. Some of my favorites being Michiyo being sprayed with fake blood, the "fight" scene, and our girls being chased around a spooky, desolated house by a crazed Otaku stalker. There is a great line by the "darth vader" character that many should take note of..."Idols should be supported from afar". But enough about the movie...
The CD/OST is a nice little collection of mostly seldom heard songs that are fun to listen to. It also has a very 70's quality to it. Now I know why many around International Wota accuse Tsunku of being "stuck in the past", composition-wise.
Dakedo Aishisugite ~ Michiyo Heike Michiyo's style was definitely more in the rock genre than anywhere else. This song has an 80's metal feel to it, highlighted in the movie by Michiyo gunning down the Musume's with an uzi under the opening credits.
Onegai Nail ~ Morning Musume Musume and Michiyo with a "Stevie Wonder" style. 70's R&B with a horn section, and harmonica solo!
Yoroshiku! ~ Morning Musume Fun song with more of an 80's surf-Devo sound to it, if that makes any sense. This song is played over a montage of Momusu's "vigorous" training to take on the stalker.
Koi no ABC ~ Morning Musume This is the only song on the OST, other than "Daite, Hold On Me" , that I know of that they have ever performed live. I'll review that performance below.
Tsuyoku naranakucha...ne ~ Michiyo Heike This is it! This is the song that hooked me for this CD. An amazing power ballad that starts soft and builds momentum as it goes. The chord pregressions sound like something Paul Williams would have written in the mid 70's. It is also reminiscent of late 80's hard rock ballads, beautifully sung by Heike, and with a legit guitar solo!!! If Takitty insists on soloing on ballads at every concert, I highly recommend this one. It suits her too.
Daite HOLD ON ME! ~Sexy Long Version~ Dance remix of the classic. Same cool song, with a few twists. Has a great "Emerson Lake and Palmer" style sequence at the end. I'd like to hear this segued into "Karn Evil 9"
If you haven't already, check out the film and OST. Now onto the DVD...
Morning Musume Memory Seishun no Hikari
(1999)
(The granddaddy of all cryfests!)
You only need to watch the first 5 minutes of this DVD to get an idea of what awaits. One by one, each member of Morning Musume, with tears flowing, walks offstage into the awaiting arms of her crying groupmates. I don't think I have ever seen Morning Musume cry this hard as a group. I mean every single one of them was practically hysterical! Finally our girl of the hour makes her way offstage. This is the graduation concert of Fukuda Asuka. Which means it is time for my next love confession. Asuka is so damn cute! She is especially adorable throughout this concert. A point I'm sure I will bring up repeatedly throughout this review! Now if I could only find that bar she works at!
Although this is a concert DVD, it is shot in documentary style, and we are starting the DVD at the end of the concert ala Quentin Tarantino. I think it is also shot on film as opposed to the usual "live video" style most of the concert DVD's are formatted in today. Was this released in theaters? This is also the concert that they employed a live band for the music, which was something I was apprehensive about.
We are treated to some pre-show rehearsal footage, including the building of the set, testing of effects etc. The girls show up in a van with the windows draped over. Now that I think of it, I saw a few of those vans in the arena lot friday before the concert at Yokohama! I had a feeling they were rehearsing the show that day. Then Sayaka and Mari arrive seperately by Taxi...TAXI??? What, did they miss the bus? I guess Mari was honing her "usually late" character. I thought it was neat to see them rehearse in their street clothes.
Summer Night Town ~ I first saw this performance on Dohhhup. Asuka is a great singer. She has the lead on this song, along with Nacchi, and they look like sisters with the same hairstyle and face shape! This is my all-time favorite performance of this song...
Koi no ABC ~ Catchy song with Bond-esque music and a slight rap style. I also like that each girl takes a solo line in the verse. So everyone gets their moment. The girls look collectively sexy in those long royal blue skirts and jackets, eh? This also the cutest I've ever seen Sayaka as well. We then cut to more backstage footage, with everyone individually talking about Asuka.
Junjou Koushinkyoku ~ Yuko doing an enka song. The song sounds very traditional, and she's a natural at it. Short and sweet!
Last Kiss ~ "Some early Tanpopo for ya!" (repeat in pukey DJ style) Tight red leather, very cool! Good song, Aya doesn't sound as good as Kaorin and Marippe. BTW, the band sounds great! I thought that would take away from the concert. But they are reproducing the original songs very well, and bringing an exciting feel to the show! There is a cute little backstage moment here, and Asuka looks amazingly cute! But we are kicked out so Yuko can change costume. (Bummer)
Memory Seishun no Hikari ~ I just found the "Mikan" costumes! And why does Kaori always have that spacey look on her face? She looks like Leslie Van Houten! Asuka sings the lead, again with Nacchi. Here is another question for the experts...did Asuka get this many solos on record, or is this just because she is graduating? I'm not complaining, I like it.
Happy Night ~ This is a fun live performance. I like the sexy outfits they were wearing under the "Mikan" jackets...
Mirai no Tobira ~ I know I said I would be cooing over Asuka all night, but Sayaka looks cute as hell as she revs up the crowd over this intro. I was combing through my DVD's to see where I had seen/heard this song before. It was in last year's Elder's Club concert. Great Song! And Asuka is adorable! (There, I said it! Again!)
Daite HOLD ON ME! ~ I'm trying to figure out if this is lip synched or not. The verse isn't for sure, as I've heard a couple of "flat" lines. But the chorus sounds perfect. If this is live, they sound great! After the song, we cut to backstage and girls getting ready for their final set. Here is where things get good!
Morning Coffee ~ Starts in their usual "bowling pin" formation. Jeez Nacchi!, you're already crying? We haven't even started the graduation ceremony yet! But this is a mere preview to the waterworks that are about to begin. It is really neat to get a chance to see all five of the original girls perform this song. It has been done so many times, with so many lineups!
Never Forget ~ Asuka's graduation song. Asuka is in her own little world out there as one by one all of the other girls "lose it" on stage...
It is interesting to see all of the different ways in which thay have done "graduations". This one is kind of a two parter sandwiched around the last song. First the girls give their message to Asuka while standing in a straight line. Nacchi, Mari and Kaori get especially emotional. Then Yuko loses it...what is this world coming to? The amazing thing is with all of this emotion pouring out of everyone, Asuka is a "rock" up there. Just smiling and enjoying the moment. It is pretty clear to me that she was "ready" to graduate, and had already graduated in her mind long before this concert. This DVD is worth the buy, if only to see Kaori blubbering behind Asuka during her speech. "Samishii Hi" is not the greatest performance, but watching the emotional spectacle makes it worthwhile. The final moment on stage, as the girls give Asuka a flower one by one, is great! The piano accompaniment is beautiful.
Words cannot properly describe the following footage! Crying backstage, Crying in the dressing room, Crying at the press conference. It is an incredible sequence. This is the biggest emotional outpouring I have ever seen by Morning Musume.
This DVD is definitely worth the money. As a concert, it is pretty good. Although it doesn't have alot of the glitz and pageantry we have come to get used to at an H!P show. But as a concert/documentary it is very good. This is Morning Musume with the whole world in front of them. All of the tv shows, movies, concerts, graduations, and scandals were just a glimmer in their eyes!
CK in California
I enjoy reading "Aitakatta! an AKB48 Blog". Even though quite often the many screencaps jam my computer. What's up with that? Or better yet, what's up with my computer? Anyhow, I didn't know they were rereleasing this single until I saw it on International Wota. I really love this PV. It's well acted, and it's well produced. It also feels like the right way to rerelease an indie single. Only three PV's have ever gotten me teary-eyed. The long version of I WISH, W's Shiroi Iro wa Koibito no Iro, and now this one. All of this got me thinking (uh oh)...
Quite often I get bummed out when I read negative reviews of Hello! Project singles, PV's, concerts, Haromoni@, etc. I only discovered the J-pop and idol phenomenon a year ago, so it's all fresh to me. It has impacted my life and my heart so profoundly in that one year that I take any mention that they are stale, passe', or producing uninspired material personally. Jeez, I flew to Japan for cryin' out loud!
But maybe it is because the truth hurts.
Let's start with the video above. How many videos in the past, I dunno, two years have Hello! Project put out that have the production value of Hanabiratachi? I can't think of any...maybe Tokaikko Junjou comes close. Then I find this on You Tube...
Is this an AKB48 television program? I didn't even know one existed. As True Life Seek says on his Haromoni@ reviews, this is the kind of stuff Morning Musume should be doing, and I believe once did. I love when our idols are the butt of the jokes, and it gives us an opportunity to get to know them without having to buy a DVD Magazine. Appearances in films like Pinch Runner, Ayaka's Surprise English Lessons, Utaban, and especially Meccha Meccha Iketeru are what had me fall in love with Morning Musume in the first place. We want to know these girls intimately. And as much as I enjoy haromoni@, watching MouTube videos just doesn't get it done.
I remember a recent post (forgive me but I don't remember who it was) who said that you can't judge the group's success based on album and single sales, and the whole female J-pop genre is in a slump. That may be true. But it troubles me to see Morning Musume performing at Tokyo Welfare Meeting Hall which seats...I dunno, five thousand people. When not long ago they were booking Saitama Super Arena, a much bigger venue. Even the concerts last month in Yokohama, Sunday night was definitely sold out, but Saturday night had quite a few empty seats.
My point is this...When I was in Japan, I got a chance to see a lot of Japanese TV. How many mentions of AKB48 did I see? Three. All on the morning shows, with live shots of the concert at Shibuya AX and even an interview with Atsuko Maeda. How many of Hello! Project? NONE! I only saw the Yattarouze PV on a video show (at 5am!), Uta Doki Pop Classics (late at night) and haromoni@. The producers of AKB48 seem to be doing all the right things to promote this group and build a fan base. While the producers of Hello! Project seem to be comparably limping along. And it isn't the fault of any of the performers. Maybe it's time for the folks at UFA to add some fresh blood to the creativity department. I want to see Momusu, Berryz, C-ute, Gatas, ALL OF H!P enjoy great success so WE can enjoy them for a long time.
Now I've only known any of these groups for a year now, so I don't consider myself an expert by any means. It's just something I noticed.
Congratulations to AKB48 for what I think is a stellar promotional video! I'm so happy that I got to see them at Shibuya AX, I just wish I hadn't been so jetlagged at the time! I'll leave you with a video from my favorite AKB48 member, the adorably funny Ohe Tomomi.
OH-YAY!!!
Morning Musume Concert Tour 2003 Spring "NON STOP!"
One of my first priorites when I started collecting these concert DVD's was to get all of the graduation concerts. I still have a few to get (Kago/Tsuji being my "holy grail"). I thought Nacchi's would be the one I would talk about first, as it was the one I wanted the most. But I found Kei-chan's to be a far more exciting show overall. And if you are a fan of #5, you'll love this show!
Opening Set: Now the recording engineer may have had something to do with it, but this is the most excited I've seen the crowd on any DVD. Cool opening credits, an "aquarium" theme surrounded by 6 angle shots of the stage. The girls sound great on AS FOR ONE DAY. I love the serious looks as well, especially from Aibon and Charmy. TOP! has that cool computerized intro of all of them. Same as on the CD. Gaki-san snarls at the crowd, priceless! So far a great opening set, the outfits are the red versions of their "Sgt. Pepper" collection. Finish the set with "Suggoi Nakama", a song I really like. One two three four...
The first MC segment is the intro portion, highlighted by Ishikawa and Takahashi's "Super Cutie" chants...Ai-chan was great!
Second Set: More Momusu, the costume change fits the first song, Hyokkori Hyoutanjima. Tartan skirts with red knee-hi's, cute! Alot of people dislike this song...I don't. Although I've always felt it would've been a better fit for MiniMoni. You can tell they are feeling the crowd's energy. The initial "Jump, Jump" line was over the top! Renai Revolution 21, I'm looking for Okamura Takashi! The next song is one of my all time Morning Musume favs, Tsuyoki de Yokouze!!! Not as clean as the CD, but still great...
Hello! Project Set: The next few songs are from other H!P groups. After all the energy expenditure so far, the Musume's need a rest. Coconuts Musume, okay next...Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika. I like Hajimete no Happy Birthday! And I love Country Musume. That said, I've seen them do better. I prefer this song with Rinne. Osavurio ~Ai wa Matte Kurenai~, Kaori Iida. I couldn't help laughing, the crowd is waving their glowstick in slow motion. I kept thinking of Yossie's imitation of Kaorin's singing style on Utaban, perfect! Pucchimoni 3rd gen. brings the energy back with WOW WOW WOW. Very good, and I'm happy I like something with Ayaka! MiniMoni are great, even though I'm pretty sure this one was lip-synched. The dancing was good, Rock n' Roll Kenchoushozaichi is a fun song, and we are all spared the goofy opening from the PV.
Raincoat Set: Love Machine done in rain slickers? This must have been done to give Kago, Tsuji, and Takahashi something easy to throw on since there wasn't much time between this song and the last. "Sugoko Suki na no ni...ne" Once again, if you like #5, you'll like this concert. I'm noticing that on all of the concerts from this period Morning Musume's singing is stellar, and usually perfect. Ahh, the good old days. Of the two "commercials" on #5, I prefer POCKY GIRLS. Once again, the crowd is on fire, and the girls seem to be feeding off of it. Megami ~Mousse na Yasashisa~...more raincoats? Green satin? Okaaaay. The next MC is the Charmy Game Show. Nobody's laughing.
Last Set: Souda! We're Alive is a great "group" song, and we get the Yaguchi dance...excellent! I WISH (abridged version) It's just not the same without the opening. But again, it's good to see it with most of the original performers. I always love the graduation versions where everyone is crying through it. We finish the main set with The Peace! and Koko ni Iruzee! Look at Nacchi pumping up the crowd! Man, this show leads the league in songs with exclamation points in the title!!! I am extremely impressed with the energy they maintained throughout this performance.
Encore/Graduation Set: The outfits are from the "Partridge Family Tour Bus Collection" I love it! The graduations, or cry fests as I like to call them, are my favorites. This one does not disappoint. Sotsugyou Ryouku, from the 5th album, was a very special moment...
We get to meet the 6th generation here...KAWAII!!! But it's a wierd dynamic. The sixth gen. is up there smiling, just happy to be there, and all the veterans are whimpering behind them. It's fun watching Sayu, Eririn, and Tanaka trying to keep up with the dance on Do it Now! Kei-chan was obviously very well liked among her peers, as this was an emotional ceremony, especially for the gokkies. The show ends with Yasuda glowing through Never Forget.
Which brings me to my rant of the day. It always bothers me when I hear Yasuda referred to as ugly or homely. I think she is a beautiful woman. Maybe she isn't as "cute" as Nacchi or Yaguchi, but she's a very classy girl, and she can blow a mean saxaphone!!!
DVD Extras: Backstage with the rokkies, and four (FOUR!) jankenpyon tournaments!
I highly recommend this concert for the overall energy of the performances. Morning Musume AND the Wotas were in top form during this period.
CK in California
Morning Musume Concert Tour 2007 Aki ~Bon Kyu! Bon Kyu! BOMB~
Okay, I know I said I would be doing retro reviews. But after reading True Life Seek's lambasting of this concert, my initial reaction was "NOOOOOOOO, say it ain't so!" Luckily, YesAsia.com delivered today, so I get to have my own take on it. I'll do another retro review this weekend as well, probably Kei-chan's graduation.
This was the concert I had originally planned on flying to Japan for. But alas, it wasn't to be.
Opening/Bonkyu Bonkyu Bomb Girl: Whats up with the somber/grand version of Onna ni Sachi Are, segued into the uptempo Bonkyu Bomb Girl? I used to work as a radio dj. We had a name for that kind of transition...TRAINWRECK. I liked this song at Yokohama, it was pretty much the same here. Fun song, Ai-chan stands out with alot of the solo lines.
Mikan: I like this song alot better live than on CD/PV. It seems tighter here. Two things I noticed, 1) Sayu had the cuteness on overdrive, and 2) Koharu does the EXACT same facial expression on her first solo line as the PV. Geez, these girls have their parts down!
Hand Made City: Those video screen intros in the background looked pretty cool! First time I've heard this song. I've never seen Momusu do a song in Semaphore before! Perfect fit for the uptempo opening to get the crowd going.
Kacchoii ze! JAPAN: I really hope they have something new for Charmy after v-u-den splits up. She plays a very secondary role to Yossie in Gatas, and she deserves to be a headliner. Any chance we can bring back Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika? Or is Asami too busy with the "dog-thing"? This is a pretty tight performance.
Please! Jiyuu no Tobira: Cute outfits. Kamei is beginning to stand out to me. Her tan complexion and long hair has her looking "beachy", and a bit more mature (or I could just be thinking of the scandal) This is a great look for her. Catchy tune, and I like the "Pete Townshend-esque" song intro...
Kanashimi Twilight: Fine, but not one of my favs. Everyone seems to be talking about the next MC segment, Sayu terrorizing Tanaka and Eririn, with JunJun and LinLin looking on in horror. Cute segment, alot better than the weird puppet show that came later.
Chance: Now I know how Koharu changed the costume! She did the same song with the same outfit at Yokohama, but I never had a good angle of it. Once again, great material. I wish she could do it live.
Suki na Senpai: Cool, a song from my favorite Momusu period. I love the 4th album. I'll admit, JunJun needs some work, especially with confidence and projection. LinLin is clean, but a little high-pitched. I'm just glad they got to lead on a song. The polish will come with experience.
Shanimuni Paradise: Ahhhh, my favorite part of the show. I thought the four of them were all great here. Ai-chan's little facial expressions, Gaki-san being Gaki-san, Eri looking beautiful, and Tanaka's winking etc...all great. I think Tanaka is the greatest in this group right now. I love every wink, blink, peace sign, pouty look. So cute!...
Ikamasshoi!: Cool, another song from the 4th album. Good performance, Eri looking and sounding great again. More cute Reina facial-ticks, and Sayumi starting to show en edge...I like it.
v-u-den: It is a Morning Musume concert, so I'll keep it brief here. I like v-u-den alot, and am sorry they have become a "lame duck". I love the red mini-skirts with the tight black top and black boots. Very sexy! They are very strong singers, and good performers overall. I liked Bi ~Hit Parade~ the best because they seem to do the other 3 songs ALOT! I'll always have fond memories of seeing them perform Koisuru Angel Heart in person, a very pretty song.
Otoko Tomodachi: Yay, Mittsi gets to headline...good for her! I think it was very brave of her to solo on a song that is so identified with Nacchi.
Puppet Show/Gyutto Dakishimete: Uhhh...Well....Ummm...I guess if I understood more Japanese the puppet show would've been "hysterical". At least the girls got a chance to rest. Oh, Ai-chan...I love you so. But if these are the kinds of songs we can expect if you go solo, Nostradamus predicts around 4,000 copies per single. However, I'll still buy the photobooks.
HOW DO YOU LIKE JAPAN?: I've never been a fan of this song. It's not very melodic, and it reminds me of why I hated Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" when it came out. But I'll save my Nirvana/Kurt Cobain rant for another time. I don't buy Morning Musume as "tough and edgy"
Shabondama: A Tanaka headliner...I'm happy. Gaki-san does a great job with her expanded role. Perfect song for her. Wow, an angry Kamei taking over Charmy's solo...I'd hate to be that ex-boyfriend about now! Alot to like about this performance!
NATURE IS GOOD!: Another song with a live version far superior to the recorded version. I like the melody, and the girls sound good doing it. One of the highlight performances of the show, despite the dumb title...
Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan: Good, but the 2006 Wonderful Hearts performance on Dohhhup is a lot better.
Go Girl ~Koi no Victory~: I always enjoy this song, makes me think of the PV's, which I love!
Love & Peace! HERO ga Yattekita: This was one of my favorite moments of Haru Pro Award '08. This song is alot of fun to see, and that one part in the chorus where everyone jumps in unison was exhilarating. This version seems on par with January's performance. Cool finish to the main set.
ENCORE: First off, what's up with all of the fur? Now I understand why an American performance wouldn't work. With those outfits, some nut would douse them in fake blood for sure! I like HELLO TO YOU!, but it seems a little late in the concert for that. I always think of it as an Eggs song, as they were the first I ever heard perform it. Onna ni Sachi Are...fine, but not one of my favs. Bonkyu Bomb: First Tsunku borrows a Berryz song from Eurovision, now he is taking set list advice from James Joyce? Ya know, I am fine with them finishing with the same song they started with, but they could've changed up the singing order and choreography.
I did like this concert...a lot. We'll see how it's "shelf life" holds up. I did notice that it is very much the Ai/Risa/Reina/Eri show. To be honest, that's fine with me. For now, they are the group's four strongest performers.
CK in California
Now that I've started this blog, what the heck am I going to do with it. Ranking members? Covered. All-Time favorite songs? Not too original. Then I remembered my new toy!
I had been thinking of buying an all-region DVD player for a long time now. After the concert in January, there was no way I was going to wait for a Hong Kong bootleg of Haru Pro Award '08 to cross my path, so I made the purchase. Now I have a plethora of old Morning Musume/Aya/Hello! Project/Berryz DVD's with more on the way, including Bonkyu Bomb. Why don't I start a "Classic Review" series? So without further adieu...
Hello! Project 2002 ~Kotoshi mo Sugoizo!~
The opening begins with english subtitles. Starting in space? I thought I had put in my Densha Otoko DVD in by mistake! One by one they introduce all of the participants in a montage reminiscent of the celebrity gag portion of "Dick and Ed's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" I didn't smell the 70's theme coming until they introduced Atsuko wearing a disco-era Donna Summer wig.
Cute opening with the newest members, Ishii Rika, Fujimoto Miki and Sotoda Mai "looking" for Atsuko. Atsuko makes her appearance and does a pretty good 70's disco club-dj impression. If you translate her monologue, it must have been something like "10-4 good buddy, 10nin Matsuri delivering a whole convoy of sexy!"
First set, 2001 summer shuffles. Summer Reggae Rainbow! is much better live than on CD, but my favorite thing here was the crowd reaction. The moment 7nin Matsuri finished the wotas went crazy because they knew what was coming...Chu! Natsu Party. Someone once said that half of the audience leaves to "go to the bathroom" after 3nin Matsuri...funny.
On every concert, there as at least one part I would classify as "special". For me the next song, "Hana" was that moment...
The beginning when they warm up their voices is cut off, but you get the idea. I thought this was fabulous.
Next up is Heike and Yuki. Yuki's usual enka material. But I've never given Michiyo-san a good listen before. I like "Propose", and she's cute too. I discovered it on "Morning Cop", and again on (The soon to be reviewed) Aya Matsuura 2002 "First Date" DVD. Great (sigh), more to add the the "CD want" list. Onto Country Musume...
I've never mentioned it, but I think Country Musume is the cutest H!P group ever, and I'm secretly in love with Kimura Asami. I like every performance I've ever seen, and have worn out my Daizenshuu 2 CD. I'm sorry I missed them. Koibito wa Kokoro no Ouendan w/Charmy, great.
You could tell Maki was early in her solo career, she didn't have the confidence I've seen more recently. I love MiniMoni, just not Hinamatsuri. The Rika/Miki/Mai/Atsuko tune was kind of like "Hana" above, I wish I had found this video. Very cute...liked it alot. At this point I'm thinking Atsuko is a great MC! Why can't we "ix-ne" "akoto-me" and have Atsuko co-host the big shows with Mari? It would give Atsuko more to do.
Fujimoto does her B-side, but I can see why Tsunku thought she could go straight to soloist like Ayaya, she has a great voice, with great control. Yuko next, wota nap-time. The Coconuts answer the question "Why don't I have any Coconuts CD's?" I jest, the song is alright. Then two strong performances Pucchimoni "Pittari Shitai X'mas!" and Tanpopo "Ouijisama" The next MC is very cute, sort of like "school time" and Atsuko is the teacher.
Now one of the biggest reasons I bought this DVD was because of MK's, or rather Hello! Project's performance of "This is Unmei" on 05' Selection! Collection! I like Melon Kinenbi. Pretty good, but this song can kick some serious butt, and this performance came up a little short. In all fairness, 2005 was a chorus version, but I like it a lot more...
We finish the show with an Ayaya medley. She's incredible...as usual. And I don't think she was even 15 yet...even more incredible. Then about 15 minutes of Morning Musume classics. All good, but nothing we haven't seen before. Although this "Mr. Moonlight" is Gaki-san's favorite peformance on "All-Singles Complete".
What caught my attention throughout the show were the "gokkies". Risa seemed to be the most confident, KonKon looked thrilled to be there, Ogawa....well she had the same expression on her face as always, so I don't know. But Ai-chan looked so "lost" out there. I swear you almost never saw her throughout the show, until she almost ran over the cameraman at the very end. She should try that for Mou Tube!
Overall I would recommend this concert as one of the better choices of this period. One DVD extra, Yuko and Morning Musume thanking me for purchasing their DVD, and introducing the backstage footage. Cool backstage stuff, the highlight being Country Musume "barking" at the camera. See what I mean? Cute!
"Someone told me there are girls out there with love in their eyes and flowers in their hair.
Took my chances on a big jet plane, never let them tell you that they're all the same." ~ Led Zep
This is my second ever blog attempt. I am inspired by the many excellent writers over at International Wota. My favorites are...
1. MiniMoniMania, aka Kawaiirrhea. Everything MMM has done so far has been a masterpiece to me. I like the style for the same reason I love Dennis Miller's "The Rants". My favorite humor is material very few get, even I don't get a lot of it, but I'm still laughing.
2. True Life Seek. Broomhead's Haromoni@ reviews...comedy. For me, it's a total "buy".
3. Hello! Blog. One of the first H!P blogs I ever read. I love that Paul lets the reader into his life a lot more than many other J-pop bloggers.
This is a (not so) brief report on my trip to Japan. One caveat, composition was never my strongest subject (I'm a math guy), so I will never compare to the writing abilities of the above mentioned people. That being said, I am treating these posts as an audition of sorts. I hope they are at the very least slightly enjoyable.
As stated in my previous post, I had decided that it was my life mission to attend a Hello! Project or Morning Musume concert last summer. My first intention was to go to the Bonkyu Bomb concert in October, but my vacation schedule wasn't working out. I love the H!P 2007 Winter Box, so the 2008 version was the next logical choice. Here are some tips as a first time visitor of Japan.
Although I studied Japanese steadily for the 6 months leading up to the trip, I forgot most of it when I arrived. This made the trip alot more challenging as I was by myself for the first three days I was there. The more Japanese you know, the better off you'll be. Either that, or hire a guide. The Japanese I remembered was extremely helpful...Duh!
The JR line is very convenient, and easy to use. It didn't take me long to figure it out. The station agents are very helpful. Just tell them the stop you want and they will get you on the correct train, even with very limited English. I highly recommend downloading a JR line map. I carried my local neighborhood maps and JR line map everywhere I went (all printed from the web). Made things a lot easier.
Food was not nearly as expensive as I thought it would be. Every ramen shop has a special, and most sushi was about half the price of what I pay in California. The hardest part was ordering as you can't count on the waiter to know any English, so I stuck to restaurants with pictures. BTW, the vending machines (located everywhere) were a godsend.
I highly recommend obtaining your show tickets before you get to Japan, just one less thing to worry about. I did locate the ticket reseller on Takeshita Dori I had heard good things about. It is upstairs in the LOVX building, with an H!P store nearby.
OK, now the review...
The doors opened about 45 minutes before the show, and most people jammed the entrance. The seating is reserved, so there is no reason to rush in. I went in with about 20 minutes to showtime each time. I spent those 20 minutes entranced by the stage (sort of a Barbie Dream Castle theme), and frozen with anticipation that within minutes I will be within mere feet of these young ladies whom I've built up in my mind as legendary.
Lights do down, and there are Makoto and Yaguchi...OMG! YAGUCHI! IN PERSON! I am in awe, although I am surprised by the "cold" start to the show. Don't they usually show up after the first couple of songs? This is different.
The lights slowly come up on the stage as Love Machine begins, ofcourse it's the Eggs. Now I know everyone is sick of the endless Love Machine performances, especially after Kouhaku. But this is my first H!P concert ever. Even if it was The Manpower (my least favorite Momusu single), I still would've been ecstatic. Just get me to the second verse! Second verse, here they come...Maid outfits? AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Second song: Aozora ga Itsumademo. They seem to do this song alot at the big shows as it has an "anthemy" quality to it. Pretty song, standard big-scale H!P performance.
The format of the show was Haru Pro Award 2008. Basically that meant they would introduce the next artists to come in each set, and some accomplishment they had recently achieved (i.e. C-ute best new artist award, Berryz the youngest to perform at Saitama). Here is a rundown by group (I'm saving the best for last)
Morning Musume: Best song, Bonkyu Bonkyu Bomb Girl...great live. In fact all three songs they lead on were uptempo. Love & Peace was great as well, two high energy songs in a row for them, cool!
H!P Kids: Renai Rider was great. I was slightly disappointed by Seishun Love Lunch as it seemed to be slightly lacking in energy (and was lipsynced, I think) I liked LALALA as the song is fun and energetic, and really got the crowd going early in the show. Berryz recreated the Kataomoi video, and pleased the crowd with Special Generation. But the winner here was Wonderful Hearts - Yuujou Kokoro no Busu, which I thought was even better than last year's performance of Berryz' "Oh Seishun", and I love that performance.
Elders: Yuko, Nacchi and Yuki did their "latest" songs, fine. Gives the crowd a chance to rest. Although Ai Ai Daiko is a beautiful song. I was surprised most of the Wotas knew the lyrics. Great song choice for Ayaka, Atsuko et.al. "Renoir" is very sexy and very catchy. The winner here was Kei-chan and Yaguchi's Otome no Shinrigaku. It's one of those songs I had forgotten I liked. Another sexy performance. BTW, Nacchi's fans have got to be the most rabid in the arena!
Melon Kinenbi: Onegai Miwaku no Target, a real crowd-pleaser. I thought it was great in 2007, and it was great here too. I don't know why they seem to be so ignored. They are a great group with a great catalogue, and the crowd seems to like them. So what's the problem?
v-u-den: Jaja Uma Paradise was fine. With the knowledge of their break-up coming, Koisuru Angel Heart was a fun and (for me) touching performance. Even though they shared the singing with Morning Musume. Charmy looked great, as usual! BTW, on Sunday v-u-den's break up announcement came after Jaja Uma Paradise. Only on Saturday night did they do it before the final number, All For One & One For All. I guess they (correctly) felt that ending the show on a "downer" wasn't the best idea, so they switched it.
Gatas/Kirarin/Abe-Maimi: Gatas were fine, I love Noto Arisa. Nacchi and Maimi were adorable on stage together, even if I don't love the song. I wish Koharu was a better singer, I am always let down by her lip-synching. She is cute up there on her own, and the costume change mid song was great! (the same as the Bonkyu version)
Aya Matsuura: I was so worried. I love Ayaya so much, but don't care much for her recent stuff. I figured I'd be hearing two songs from Double Rainbow. I was so happy to hear "I Know" begin, it's my favorite song of hers. I loved when the microphone fell apart in her hand on Saturday night. I wish that made it to the DVD! If that wasn't enough, Yeah! Meccha Holiday later on. Two classics! I'm in heaven. Ayaya is amazing live (uh oh, my next quest, an Aya Matsuura concert). To me, she was the highlight of the show!
This was an experience I'll treasure for the rest of my life. I sat in different spots for each show. My 14th row floor seats Sunday night were the best. The energy down there is quite different from the energy further up. Being that close, and being caucasian, I caught the eyes of alot of the girls. What a feeling to know that for 30 seconds someone like Reina Tanaka knows I exist! The show was absolutely amazing. I cannot wait for the DVD. If you are a fan, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO! SOON! Before your favorites graduate! I am making this a personal annual event. Hope to see you there!
CK in California (Chris)
P.S. My next challenge in the blogosphere is to learn how to add screencaps, wish me luck!