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PASSPO☆ – Kiss = Suki January 28, 2012

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Jpop, Other Idols.
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Today I wanted to talk about a Passpo, a group I’ve never covered here before on Nights4Blogging!

I’ve listened to a few of their songs previously, but I never was all that impressed. Then about mid-December (yeah, I’ve been meaning to make this post for quite a while now… ^^;) I saw the PV for their newest songs “Kiss = Suki,” and I must say I was reasonably impressed.

Everything about the song is just fun. The melody is fun (not to mention how catchy the chorus is), the choreography is fun, and I love the visual presentation!

Passpo’s gimmick, so to speak, is the airline theme. This is pretty obvious in the PV with the cute stewardess uniforms and the airport background. This theme goes far beyond that, though. For example, instead of having a leader and sub-leader they have a “Captain” and “Cheif Purser” (aka: head stewardess), events are referred to as “Flights,” and the multiple versions of their singles are split into Business, First and Economy classes.

It’s a neat idea, and I certainly appreciate the cute uniforms that it entails itself to. I have to say I imagine that it could potentially get a little stale after a while. Still, from what I have seen of them,I can’t complain.

Iwamura Natsumi obviously graduated from the "Michishige School of Trying Way Too Hard to be Cute and Succeeding"

Generally speaking, I couldn’t call these girls quite as talented as maybe some of the other larger idol groups. Their dancing isn’t as tight, and I can’t say I noticed any really strong vocalists in the group. Though, to discount them because of that would be completely unfair. The fact of the matter is that for what they are trying to accomplish, here cute idol pop, they are all competent, and work together perfectly well. The final product here is more than solid in fact. Also, who is to say that they won’t grow in talent in the future? This will definitely be a group I’ll keep an eye on.

Out of the whole group one girl did catch my eye. Negishi Ai (on the far right above) is the Captain of the group, and really quite beautiful.

She also provided the perfect way to end this post :D

Niigaki Risa to Graduate From Morning Musume January 14, 2012

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Jpop, Morning Musume, Hello! Project, Niigaki Risa.
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Well, I’ve certainly put off writing this post for long enough.

I admit that when I first heard the news of her graduation I wasn’t livid like I had been at the last two graduation announcements. No, frankly, I was broken. Risa is the last member of Morning Musume I really like. When I listen to a Morning Musume song it’s her voice I listen for. When I watch on of their performances, it’s her dancing that I keep an eye on. Sure, I enjoy the work of the other girls, but they aren’t the main attraction for me.

Like Ai’s graduation this certainly wasn’t that big of a surprise. She’s been a member of the group for well over ten years, and frankly after the addition of the last two generations it’s fairly obvious that there is a conscious effort to lower the age of the group.

I am rather relieved that Risa was at least allowed to graduate on her own after Ai (you can read about that, and translated versions of the official statements here). A double graduation of both Ai and Risa would have been really quite traumatic. Risa is the last link the current Morning Musume has to their “Golden Age” so to speak. If the graduation of Ai signified the end of an era, so will Risa’s graduation, albeit a bit more subtly.

I’m also rather glad she was at least allowed to be leader, even if just for these few short months. She always seemed like she would make a perfect leader when she was second-in-command, and combined with the fact that she was charged with breaking-in the brand new tenth gen I am happy that she was given some important tasks to accomplish during her last few months.

I’m not quite so thrilled that she’s graduating on April 1st, though. Since I’ve finally been able to put some money aside I made up my mind that I’d finally make the pilgrimage, so to speak, to Japan this fall. If she was graduating in the Fall I would have gone to that concert. Absolutely no question. But May? There’s no way I can take off that much time so soon.

Also, it’s not like I just wouldn’t mind seeing her stick around a little bit longer, especially considering that PyocoPyoco Ultra (Risa’s probable graduation single) is the first Momusu single in quite a while that I rather dislike. Tsunku has tweeted a few snippets that there might be a new single with a “cool” image, so I certainly hope that that does come to be. Well, comes to be before May that is.

Something else that bothers me a bit is how the leadership of Hello! Project as a whole will shift from Morning Musume to Berryz Kobo, Shimizu Saki to be specific. I have nothing against Shimizu, but it still seems like an odd turn of events. Is MM losing their flagship status in Hello! Project? Or is there so little faith in Sayumi as a leader that they won’t give her that responsibility? That last question would somewhat address the reason as to why the position of sub-leader seemed to be abolished once tradition would have dictated that Sayu would have been given the position.

So after Risa leaves I’m certainly not going to lose interest in Morning Musume. The sixth gen are still enjoyable to watch. The ninth gen is solid, and I’m still looking forward to what the tenth gen can bring to the table. My main draw, Risa’s fierce delivery of nearly everything she did, will be gone though, and I’m not going to lie when I say that I can’t help but imagine that it will diminish my enthusiasm a bit.

Molson Musume? December 29, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Hello! Project.
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While reading Isilwentari’s wonderful post about Dream Morning Musume’s new single Shining Butterfly I couldn’t help but think that the costumes that the girls were wearing looked awfully familiar.

Sure, they weren’t anything too crazy, just white with red and blue accents. Then today while idly day dreaming it finally hit me. They resemble giant dancing bottles (or the labels, more specifically) of Molson Canadian Beer:

:-|

Yeah, I don’t really know what to think of that…

And on that bombshell, I hope you all have a good new year!

Merry Christmas! December 25, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Kikkawa You.
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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope everybody has a very pleasant Holiday season filled with their friends and loved ones (and possibly a few idols too…) :D

Matsuura Aya – Subject: Sayonara “10TH ANNIVERSARY BEST” SPECIAL LIVE December 20, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Matsuura Aya.
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Not too long ago Aya celebrated the tenth anniversary of her debut with a special performance at the Cotton Club in Tokyo. There we got the first unveiling of Subject: Sayonara, the sole new song to appear on her 10th Anniversary Best album due out tomorrow.

Previously, we only had a rough fanrecording of the song to go by, but this morning UpFrontTunes released the entire performance on Youtube:

Written by Takeuchi Mariya (someone who Matsuura fans should recognize, as her 2008 musical Mariya – Honki de Only You was based entirely on Takeuchi’s music) Subject: Sayonara is certainly a haunting and beautiful ballad, helped in no little part by Aya’s fantastic voice. The amount of emotion she is able convey through merely the inflections in her voice is absolutely wondrous.

Also, I know I’ve said it before, but she really does work fantastically with a live band. It just adds that inexplicable organic element, and just helps everything feel just that much more alive.

Edit: Through the magic of time, what was once tomorrow is now today and Aya’s 10th Anniversary Best is now available for purchase! I’ve updated the appropriate links over in the side-pane. This album really is perfect for all Ayaya fans. Don’t care much for her newer, non idol-styled work? No problem as it’s filled mostly with her classics. Or do you simply yearn for more new work from her? Well this is all your gonna get for the time being so you better just smile and take what you can get! :D

Takahashi Ai Featured in The Wall Street Journal December 9, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Takahashi Ai.
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Yup, you can even read the article for yourself, entitled “A J-Pop Star Goes From Music to Musicals,” here.

Sure, that may not be The Wall Street Journal proper, and the chances of this article ever actually appearing in print are nill to none; it still is a pretty surprising piece in an unheard of location.

What really impresses me most about the article is its rather serious nature and intended audience. Japanese pop idols aren’t treated as a strange curiosity, but in a matter of fact manner as a legitimate staple of the Japanese entertainment industry. On top of that, the article is specifically about Ai’s new play and her transition away from Morning Musume, something I can’t help but think would go over the heads of most casual readers. Sure, people like us eat this kind of stuff up, but those poor regular folk who don’t know who Takahashi Ai is would probably find it a little too specific for their tastes.

So what it all boils down to is that we have an article from The Wall Street Journal about Takahashi Ai written to appeal to Jpop fans. I approve. :D

Kikkawa You – Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ November 26, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Jpop, Kikkawa You.
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Well this has certainly been a long time coming, huh?

Motivated by the recent preview of Kikka’s third single Konna Watashi de Yokattara (which is looking fantastic by the way) I thought that this would be as good of a time as ever to do far too thorough overview of Hapirapi ~Sunrise~:

Regular Edition:


Tracklist:

  1. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~
  2. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ Remix
  3. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ (Instrumental)

Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ is undeniably upbeat and genki, but unfortunately is also a little mundane. I think the song is primarily hurt by a lack of a great hook. The primary “hapirapi sunrise…” chorus attempts to serve as this, but you probably won’t find yourself humming it afterward. Vocally, Kikka is in fine form with a rather saccharine tone through the majority of the song, but she is certainly capable of more.

The song is a bit more interesting instrumentally. A synthesizer is the primary instrument, but with a bit more careful listen you can make out a faint but ever present backing acoustic guitar, which I thought was a neat touch. Also during the chorus and extending into the instrumental a horn is added to the mix which adds a huge boost to the “genki” feeling of the song.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the remix of Kikkake wa YOU!, and the story isn’t any different here. It’s okay I guess, but nothing I would really listen to normally. I really would have preferred another unique coupling track, or one less version I had to buy.

Limited Edition A:


Tracklist:

  1. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~
  2. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ Remix
  3. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ (Instrumental)

CD-wise this version is identical to the regular version. The difference lies in the fact that it includes a DVD of the PV for Hapirapi ~Sunrise~. The short version below should give you a good idea of what to expect:

First things first: I have no idea why, but I’m absolutely smitten with the little dance move where she dusts off her shoulder… ><

I've said it a few times before, but I really do love PVs that are shot outdoors as they just have a special natural feeling to them, and here that feeling definitely adds to the happy and warm tone of the song. The shot where she walks her dog in front of the yellow Volkswagen is also notable for its fantastic color composition.

As a note, I'm pretty sure they had to shoot the outdoor shots in Okinawa during the same time period they shot her image DVD and photobook as I can't imagine there are too many Econoline conversions and F-series work trucks on the mainland.

Limited Edition B:


Tracklist:

  1. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~
  2. LOVE YOU FOREVER
  3. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ (Instrumental)
  4. LOVE YOU FOREVER (Instrumental)

Now were finally getting into the multiple coupling tracks!

LOVE YOU FOREVER sounds to me like a bit of a mix between a traditional R&B song and a ballad. The instrumental and about half of the vocals are done in an R&B style, where the other half of the vocals sound more like a normal ballad. The song is certainly unique, and Kikka sounds great in the ballad portions.

Limited Edition C:


Tracklist:

  1. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~
  2. Mizuiro
  3. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ (Instrumental)
  4. Mizuiro (Instrumental)

Mizuiro is a fun pop track that starts off strong but tapers off quickly once Kikka starts singing, and unfortunately never quite regains that same level of aggression again. The song is certainly faster and more aggressive than anything else she has done before, but kind of leaves me wishing that it would have continued with that initial level of energy and been something “harder,” possibly something along the lines of hitomi’s MARIA. Still, I don’t want to give the impression that I’m selling the song short, as it really is quite good. It’s high energy and several key changes make the song interesting and fun to listen to.

Also, this is easily my favorite cover out of all of the versions (to be honest, they’re all pretty good except for LE D, she just looks a little awkward in that shot).

Limited Edition D:


Tracklist:

  1. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~
  2. Sweetie
  3. Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ (Instrumental)
  4. Sweetie (Instrumental)

Sweetie is another fun high energy pop entry from Kikka. The song jumps pretty rapidly between faster and slower sections and makes for an engaging listen. Unlike Hapirapi ~Sunrise~ I think Sweetie succeeds in creating a pretty catchy hook, as this is the only song from this release that I found to really stick with me. Also, when listening to the instrumental an interesting techno-ish synthesizer beat is clearly distinguishable; something that I hadn’t noticed in the regular version.

Dokki Doki! Love Mail Covered in an Anime! November 1, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Hello! Project, Jpop, Matsuura Aya.
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The anime in question seems to be Katte ni Kaizō (do correct me if I’m wrong about that), and well, the title pretty much sets this piece up pretty well. Check it out below!

Sure, halfway through it transitions from nice and sweet to more than a little demented, but I’m too enthralled by all the allusions to the original PV to really care!

Here are a handful of my favorites:

My absolute favorite allusion has to be to the little punching scene at about two minutes into the embedded video:

I love it because it’s just so darn subtle. If you didn’t know to look for it you would completely miss it. The people who made this either really loved the original PV, or just spent a whole heck of a lot of time watching it when making this! :D

Oh Sayu… October 27, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Hello! Project, Morning Musume.
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6 comments

That’s an awful, awful cover.

I think they were going for a “bunny” look there with that costume and her hair like that, but to me the whole thing just comes across as goofy. While her hair looks silly like that, I can’t complain too much about the costume as it shows plenty of skin and a bit of cleavage, and well, that’s certainly no different than the bikinis you normally see (albeit fuzzier). What I find truly appalling is that title font and the choice of background. I get that they were going for a kind of “playful sexy,” but how they present it here just doesn’t work for me.

Some previews of the actual contents of the book have surfaced, and luckily they’re quite a bit better than the cover. A lot better actually.

Well, I’ve complained enough about what I think is a bad photobook cover, so how about one that I think is great? I present Fujimoto Miki’s cheri:

Now, those of you familiar with cheri may not recognize that cover, and that’s because I’m actually cheating a little bit. The image most people are familiar with as the cover exists only on the dust jacket, and the image I have above is what’s actually printed on the hardcover of the book.

While being the near polar opposite of Sayuminglandoll in terms of design and presentation, cheri‘s cover is still incredibly sexy while keeping a demure air about it. There’s obviously a lot of exposed skin, but nothing one couldn’t show everyday on the street, it’s just that it is presented in such bold and prominent way with the black and white photography that it carries a significant impact, but what really hammers it home for me though, are Miki’s slightly parted lips. When taken altogether the emphasis is simply on Miki’s beauty, and it’s absolutely stunning.

So how about you guys, what’s your favorite photobook cover?

Mobekimasu – Busu ni Narinai Tetsugaku October 20, 2011

Posted by Nights4Saturn in Berryz Kobo, C-ute, Hello! Project, Jpop, Mano Erina, Morning Musume.
8 comments

Mobekimasu, made up of Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo, C-ute, Mano Erina and S/mileage (aka: pretty much all of Hello! Project), the spiritual successor of the Wonderful Hearts, and a staple of an annual Summer and Winter concert series have finally released their own single entitled Busu ni Narinai Tetsugaku:

The obvious comparison is to H.P. All Stars and 2004′s All for One & One for All!. Now, I’m not one of those guys that believes that everything was better back in the “Golden Age” of Morning Musume and Hello! Project, but in this case I do think I would have to agree.

The song and PV unfortunately fall flat in a few areas. The first, and most glaring of which, is the general tone of the song. What should be an energetic, uplifting celebration of the splendor of Hello! Project is instead a broody and angst ridden hymn about how I apparently know something, except not. I admit that when I first heard the preview of the song I rather disliked it, though I have warmed up to “meh” after listening to it quite a few more times. In style it reminds a bit of Naichau Kamo, and I think it would have worked reasonably well as a Morning Musume song. Having all of Hello! Project come together to sing this just feels like a wasted opportunity.

Sayu Says: No up-skirt for you!

The second issue I have with this release is the lack of scale. There’s no getting around the fact that Hello! Project is simply smaller than what it was back in 2004, but the song seems far too focused on pairs of singers rather than larger groups. The effect of this is that the cast just feels small. What’s the point of having around 30 girls perform at once if it doesn’t convey through?

Still on the issue of scale, I can’t help but find the black background in the PV to be incredibly boring. It’s black. And then there’s some lights. And that’s it. It so plain that it’s boring. I can’t even say anything else to describe my displeasure with it because there literally isn’t anything else about it to complain about.

All is not woe though, as I can still see a few positives in this release. I was really surprised at how much I liked the pairing of Niigaki and Maeda here. Maeda’s higher-pitched voice works really quite well with Niigaki’s lower-pitch. I can’t imagine we’ll see the two of them sing anything together any time again soon (if ever, for that matter), but it was neat to see if even for this once.

I’ve also finally accepted the fact that Sayashi is one of the “promoted” members. Watching her perform with all those other groups you could never tell that she’s one of the newest additions. The girl has the talent to stand in the front, it’s as simple as that.

On a bit of a tangent, did anyone else notice a surprising lack of Mano Erina here? Sure you see her in a few shots but she never gets any solo or paired singing time in the song itself. A little surprising considering she makes up the MA in MobekiMAsu.

So, which do you prefer?

I’d also like to take this opportunity to wish Niigaki Risa, the new leader of not only Morning Musume, but Hello! Project as a whole, a happy 23rd birthday!

Such mature poise from the leader! =D

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