2 YesAsia shipments in and a Café Buono! Review

Today, the package I've been waiting for from YesAsia finally arrived! The estimated date of arrival was originally given as this past Friday, but alas, I was not lucky enough to receive it in time for the weekend.... But it's here now!



That's Buono!'s Café Buono! (LE) and A&R's Shouri no Big Wave (Photobook LE).

2 weeks ago, I also got another shipment in, which I hadn't posted here, so now's as good a time as any:



That has Buono!'s Renai Rider (LE), Yajima Maimi & Natsumi Abe's 16sai no Koinante (Photobook LE), and 2 oldschool Berryz singles (Koi no Jubaku and Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai).

Reasons for my purchases:
Café Buono!: I love Buono! Of course I was gonna get it! XD
A&R: Saw a photobook LE available, and I needed something to get me free shipping with YesAsia, so since I love Risa and Chisato, I added that onto my order.
Renai Rider: See comment for Café Buono! XD
16sai no Koinante: Another Photobook LE, and since I love Maimi, had to get that as well...
Koi no Jubaku: I LOVE that single. The end.
Anata Nashi de was Ikite Yukenai: I definitely like this single, but my real reason for getting this release was for the B-side Berry Fields. I don't know what it is about that song, but the weird sound to it completely wins me over!

Now, onto a review of Buono!'s new album, Café BUono!



I'd have to agree with Kawaiirrhea and say that this is one of the few albums I've listened to where I have enjoyed every single track. Prior to listening to this album, there had actually been only one for me, and that was Hanson's The Walk (2007). Since hearing Café Buono! I have another album to add to that: bury the bully's Life Death & Wonder (2007) [Didn't listen to it until just after listening to Café BUono!]. That's 3 albums in a lifetime (mind you, I'm not all that old, but 20+ years and only 3 albums... Then again, before last year, I was 20+ years with no albums...).

Anyway, onto a track by track review, along with scans from the album (since I haven't seen them on other blogs yet).



1. Café Buono!
This song is a nice start to the CD. It's got a feel-good, bouncy aspect, while also having a rock flavour, mainly due to the strong distorted guitar.

2. 泣き虫少年 (Nakimushi Shounen)
I think I'd have to say that this is my favourite song on the album. While Café Buono! had a slight rock flavour to it, this track really rocks it out, particularly in the chorus. I love the guitars and the drums. This would be a fun song for something like drum mania/guitar freaks or Rock Band... Well, maybe more drum mania. There's no amazing guitar solo in this one, but I just love the distortion.

3. 恋愛♥ライダー (Renai ♥ Rider)
I've commented on this song in my Renai Rider PV review. To paraphrase: I love this song. The contrasting styles which come in through different sections of the song (the ukelele, the acoustic guitar, etc.) give the song an interesting dimension that I really enjoy. I've almost got the dance down for this song... Pretty much just need to figure out the dance break.

4. ホントのじぶん (Honto no Jibun)
Buono!'s first single. This song is more mellow than their second single. I love the cheerful, upbeat melody of this song. Unlike Renai Rider, which I always want to start air guitaring to (or actually pulling out my guitar and rocking along), Honto no Jibun is a song that puts a smile on my face and I simply can't help but sing along with it.

5. バケツの水 (Baketsu no Mizu)
This track has a nice, feel-good melody and a catchy beat that makes me bob my head along to the music. The girls utilize their "cutesy" voices for this track, and it works well with the overall vibe of the song.

6. ガラクタノユメ (Garakuta no Yume)
I'm liking the bass and the filtered drum sound on this song. I also really like the vocals after the instrumental (would this be the bridge of the song?). It's already a mellow song, but this portion brings it to almost acapella with Miyabi (not really, but the instruments are softer, so you get my drift).

7. Internet Cupid
I was surprised to find that all lines are solo lines in this track. I don't know if I didn't listen to this song closely enough before, or if the voice manipulation in this song just threw me off a little bit. But I do highly enjoy this song. I love the old-school video game feel of it, but then again, I'm a gamer to a certain extent in addition to being an H!P fangirl. This song makes me picture bad graphics and linear side-scrolling VGA goodness. XD

8. Last Forever
I love the melody in this song. This may possibly be my second favourite song on the album... Still haven't quite sorted that out. For some reason, I'm having the hardest time articulating what it is about this melody that I love so much... So for now, I'll have to leave it at that, and hopefully clarify it when it becomes more clear to me.

9. こころのたまご (Kokoro no Tamago)
The B-side to Honto no Jibun, and opening theme to Shugo Chara! Initially I wasn't too keen on this song. But after a few listens, it definitely grew on me. I love the "Hop Step Jump, Drew Draw Drawn, Chips Syrup Hoippu" bits. Much like Honto no Jibun, it's another feel-good song, and it works really well as the anime's opening theme (and yes, I do watch Shugo Chara! I'm on episode 17).

10. 星の羊たち (Hoshi no Hitsuji Tachi)
Can I just simply say that I love the melody to pretty much every single song on this album? I like the stringed instrument used in the second verse (I have no idea what instrument it is). This one is another track completely filled with solo lines, but since the girls voices haven't put through some filter, it's more obvious.

11. ロックの神様 (Rock no Kamisama)
Like Last Forever, this track has a nice intro line, mainly vocal with only very light instruments in the background. This song gets into rock vibe once again. Not quite to the same caliber as Nakimushi Shounen, but still fun to listen to.

12. 君がいれば (Kimi ga Ireba)
This ballad has a simple and sweet melody. It starts with acoustic guitar and piano, with some bass added in halfway through the verse. Come the chorus, strings are added which then continue on throughout the song. I particularly love the strings at the start of the second verse.



So, like I said earlier, I simply LOVE this album. The girls are all amazing here. I can't even find fault with Momoko.



I realize Momoko is a lead in Berryz Koubou, but I don't think she is used to her full potential in that group. Mainly, I say it's because she has to put on too much of her "cutesy squeaky" voice in those singles, while in Buono!, her voice comes down to a pitch within the range of frequencies comfortable for human ears... XD Her voice is still distinctly Momoko, but it doesn't leave me with the urge to try and protect my ears from bleeding (okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but I think I'm getting my general point across).



Miyabi was fabulous, no surprise for me there. I think Miya really shines in Buono! She seems the most confident and comfortable with the image that the group is trying to pull off. She dances with the most ease in the videos - She makes it look effortless, but not in a such a way that it seems like she's not trying. And of course, I loved her vocals. :D



As for Airi, I thought her vocals were wonderfully fabulous. Her dancing... Well, let's just say with only 3 girls to watch in the dance shot versions and a stationary camera, you can see who the weakest dancer in the group is. I'm not saying she's terrible, but compared to Momoko who puts a lot of energy into her dancing, and Miyabi who looks so fluid and effortless, Airi looks a little bit awkward.





I did a quick tabulation of solo lines on this album, and the breakdown was as follows (n=212):
Suzuki Airi: 32% (68 solo lines)
Natsuyaki Miyabi: 32% (68 solo lines)
Tsugunaga Momoko: 36% (76 solo lines)

The leader takes it home, just inching out her two group members! Kinda makes you think of Renai Rider... Though to be true to the PV, Miyabi would have needed a line or two less than Airi.

And that just goes to show another reason why I love Buono! so much. All members get equal time to show their stuff. But then again, when you put 3 front liners like these girls into the same group, you can't really go about ignoring one of them, can you? Not utilizing such talent would be a sin, wouldn't it? *cough*CHISATO*cough* (Completely unrelated to Buono!, but was that subtle enough? XD)

To close this post out, a few more pics from the album:


The inside of the back cover.


The back cover.


One side of the trading card.


The other side of the trading card.

Official UFA Photo Shipment!! :D

I'm so happy!! My first batch of official UFA photos came in!! Mind you, these aren't my first official UFA photos - those came with my Miya and Chisa scarves... but I made those purchases for the scarves, not the photos. These photos were simply for the photos. Now that my random tangent is out of the way, I figured I'd share the photos, even though most of these have been around already.... You can never have enough H!P eye candy, right? :D )It also allowed me to test out my new scanner - my old one died on me, so had to get a new one.

To begin, I started my purchase off with my current favourite H!P group: Buono!


What can I say about Momoko? I'm really loving her in this group, but there just is no ground for her to move up within the member rankings for me... >_<


Osuzu looks kinda awkward dancing in the Renai Rider dance shot, but we still love her. XD


Miya just looks so cool in Buono! Her dancing, her movements, her style... It's all totally FOR THE WIN! :D

I have another set of UFA photos Buono! style coming in next month... Can't wait for those! :D

Up next, we have a group featuring 2 H!P members way up in my overall ranking: A&R (I really can't be bothered to spell out the entire name... I don't actually know the proper spelling of the "R" off the top of my head.. >_<)


Nakajima is cute, but man does her voice ever hurt my ears... She's fighting it out with Koha... Not a good thing to be fighting for. XD


Aika's still a work in progress for me. I'm fairly neutral to her.


I love Chisa so much! I just recently saw her sing Aa!'s First Kiss with Airi and Mai. I was afraid she would get Miya's lines at first (seeing as Miya has practically no lines in that song), but was very pleased when instead she sand Reina's. I thought she did wonderfully!


I love Risa so much too! She's adorable! And she's gorgeous... That may seem like a weird combination of adjectives, but it works for her. Her personality is absolutely adorable and she's got facial features that are adorable. But at the same time, I find her stunning. That makes sense, right? XD

Those two above sets were ordered directly from the UFA store, while the following pics came from the fabulous person who actually got all these pictures to me - these are pics she got from photo sets that she didn't want (lucky for me :D).


Old school Berryz Koubou. I love this single! And Maiha's still there! I love her dimples!!


Another wonderful Risa picture... Though now that I look at it, she's got the same pose in this picture as her A&R photo... LOL. XD


Miya and Airi in outfits from last year's (summer?) H!P concert. I actually really enjoyed these costumes... Which is a pretty impressive feat, seeing as H!P concert costumes are usually very.... o_O ... for lack of better words.


I really liked the outfits in this PV, and I thought Miya looked so pretty in this PV (along with Yurina and Chinami... However, Yurina's photo wasn't available for purchase).

So there are my purchases! I got 2 more photos with this order, but I'm not posting them yet... They shall be birthday presents for my brother, who is birthday twins with the shortest member of Buono! He knows what who they are (and had even seen them when I ordered them), but I have refused to let him look at them now that I own them until his birthday. One's of Kamei Eri, and the other is of Chinami in her Tsukiatteru outfit (Chinami is his fave Berryz member).

C-ute: LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA (x4)

Just before I post part 2 of my All Morning Musume Singles Ranking, my thoughts on C-ute's new PV.

So, the PV for C-ute's new single "LA LA LA Shiawase no Uta" is up on Dohhh UP! and I'm sad to say that I am nowhere near as enthusiastic about this PV as I was after watching Buono!'s "Renai Rider" for the first time.

It's an okay song. It's not terrible. I like Maimi in this single. But I find I'm not liking Airi's voice so much in this release. I feel like she's c-ute-syfing her voice too much. She's not singing badly per se, but I don't like the quality of her voice when she manipulates it in the way she does in this release.

The girls all look C-ute in this PV, though I could definitely do without all that fur... But hey, it's an H!P PV, and sometimes you just have to wonder what the stylist was thinking. >_< I thought Maimai stood out from the girls - and I'm thinking it was due to her hairstyle. I just really liked it here.



I was highly disappointed with the lack of Chisato solo lines. It's absolutely ridiculous how Chisa hasn't had one solo line in the 4 official singles released by C-ute, and only 1 solo line from the 4 indie singles. That's 1 line 8 singles. Erika and Kanna tie for the 2nd and 3rd least number of solo lines at 3, while Nakajima's had 6 lines and Maimai has had 8. I won't bother counting Airi and Maimi. We know who the leads are... All I can say is "Wow..." and "GIVE ME SOME CHISA!!!!"

Moving on... Do you notice the title for this entry? That's 31 "LA"s. Notice the (x4). 31 x 4 = 124. That's how many times the girls sing the word "LA" in the last 50 or so seconds of the song (starting at around the 3:24 mark in the PV). I just thought all those "LA"s really dragged on... and on... and on... It felt like the song would never end.

So, while I don't hate this song, I don't love it either. It's energetic and happy, but I think it's longer than it has to be. I won't be able to bring myself to buy this single, no matter how much I love C-ute. Therefore, I'll just sit back and hope their next release is more to my taste.

PV: C-ute - LA LA LA Shiawase no Uta

*EDIT: I'm sitting at work, and the LA LA LA's are running through my head... I can't recall the melody of the verses for the life of me, but can't forget the LA LA LA's. If this keeps getting stuck in my head like this, I think this song may drive me to insanity... Or rather, even deeper into the insanity that is my psyche.

Buono!'s Renai Rider PV is here!!

Buono!'s 2nd single PV, Renai Rider, is up on Dohhh UP! finally! I've been waiting impatiently to see how this PV looks for some time now. When the A&R Seishun LOVE Lunch PV came up, I thought Buono!'s would be up soon too, seeing as Renai Rider releases on 02/06, while Seishun LOVE Lunch comes out 02/14. Apparently I was mistaken.

But it's up now, and I'm very tickled by the PV. It's a cheesy PV with mini motorbikes, a tricycle (poor Momoko) and animated backgrounds, but what can I say? I LOVE CHEESE! :D

The outfits:
- I'm sorry Airi, but I'm afraid your outfit goes to the bottom of my list for this release. Not a big fan of polka dots, and skirts over shorts for me anyday.
- Momoko's outfit is great. I love the skirt, and do I see "Suicide" in red letters on her jacket?
- Miyabi gets 1st place in the outfit department for me due to her double belt and leather jacket.

The dance:
- Not quite sure about it yet. I want to see the dance version. Gotta wait for the LE 1st album for that. However, I definitely enjoy the dance break in the middle of the song. In addition to taking a break from singing, it also pauses on the cuteness of the PV and gives the PV a bit of edge to it.
- Not quite part of the dance, but during the dance break, I highly enjoy the closeups of the eyes/faces. I love the reflection of a heart in their eyes. IMO, Miya definitely has the most striking eyes in this group. Maybe it's due to the little mole right next to her left eye, but I just love her eyes.
- I'd have to say that I enjoy the dance of Honto no Jibun more, though.

The song:
- I only listened to the radio preview once, sorta. I was really waiting for the PV to come out to really listen to the entire song (I've head the cut version for the ending theme of Shugo Chara). I really like this song. The contrasting sounds through different parts of the song are very enjoyable and give the song a unique spin to it.
- The second verse where the guitars are taken out, giving a quiter background sound is nice as it puts more emphasis on the girls' voices, and Momoko playing the ukelele is just so cute. :)
- I also really like the change to acoustic guitar in the last pre-chours, right after the dance break. And this is totally biased on my part, but Miyabi FTW!! XD
- It is no secret that I adore both Miya and Airi to death, but I'm surprised to say that I highly enjoyed Momoko in this PV too. I didn't mind her too much in Honto no Jibun either. What is it about Buono!'s songs that makes her voice more bearable to my ears? And why is it that her lines in Berryz releases pain me so? If someone can explain the logic to me, I'd be greatly appreciative.

Overall:
I love this PV. It's cute and fun, while still having a bit of an edgy feel (particularly at the dance break). What I love so much about Buono! is how well balanced the screen time and lines are between the girls. No line hogs in this group!

I wonder how it is for Airi being in this group with 2 Berryz girls. At least in Honto no Jibun, she had reinforcements with the cameos of Maimi and Chisato (how I love that PV which has my top 4 H!P Kids). It's just interesting to think of the dynamics, because I remember watching a translated video of Hello Pro Hour episode 12, where Goto Maki and Matsuura Aya were discussing their time as Gomattou, and Maki saying that she felt like an outsider in the company of Aya and Fujimoto Miki (who we all know are best friends).

I don't know how to embed videos, so here's a link to the PV:
Renai Rider PV

And some screenshots (click on the pics for bigger versions):









Finally got around to watching Ribbon no Kishi recently, so am hoping to get a review of that up soon.

New scarves for the new year!

I just got home (yesterday) from a 2 week long trip to California to attend my cousin's wedding (where I was her maid of honour).

While I was in sunny California, one of my best friend's went to Japan for Christmas break (*jealous*). But she went with a big request from me... Please find me Miyabi and Chisato's 2008 H!P scarves!! I originally saw these scarves from a post Ray linked to from Hello!Blog on International Wota. I immediately wanted both Chisato & Miyabi's scarves, but I couldn't figure out the Hello Shop site (other than that the scarves were 2000 yen each) and Ohta's store was pretty expensive...

So, I implored my friend to get me these scarves when she went to visit. I gave her detailed instructions (and back up purchases in case she couldn't find an H!P store). But my friend pulled through! She was able to get directions to a store near her hotel from the internet (with picture landmarks... I was kinda worried, b/c my friend is notorious for having no sense of direction), and when she got to the store, she just pulled out my instructions and asked the sales lady where *points to description of the scarves in Japanese* these were and voila!




My friend who got these for me doesn't follow H!P, but when she bought the scarves, she also got a free pic. When she told me this, I asked her of who and she said:
"I had to draw some straws and she told me I could pick something from a bunch of different girls, and I was like....hmmm...they all look the same. so after 30 sec of looking totally confused, the saleslady pointed to one and pointed to the scarf i had just got. so i think it's one of the girls you like"
(Don't mind the punctuation. It's taken from our MSN chat).

LOL... My friend is so funny... The free pic she got was:

Yay! I'm so happy to have my scarves! And I got both of them for the price of one on Ohta's store.

So, while I was gone, I watched C-ute's fall concert (℃-ute ライブツアー2007秋　～放課後のエッセンス～ / C-ute Live Tour 2007 Aki ~Houkago no Essence~). The following are my thoughts on the concert, by member.

The set list:
1. 都会っ子 純情 (Tokaikko Junjou)
2. めぐる恋の季節 (Meguru Koi no Kisetsu)
3. MC 1
4. 桜チラリ (Sakura Chirari)
5. ENDLESS LOVE ~I Love You More~ (C-ute Ver)
6. タイムカプセル (Time Capsule) - Yajima Maimi & Nakajima Saki
7. MC 3 - Buono!
8. ホントのじぶん (Honto no Jibun) - Buono!
9. MC 2~ Sketch - Yajima Maimi & Hagiwara Mai
10. 通学ベクトル (Tsuugaku Vector) - Umeda Erika & Arihara Kanna
11. EVERYDAY　YEAH! 片想い (EVERYDAY YEAH! Kataomoi)
12. ディスコ　クイーン (Disco Queen)
13. 美少女心理 (Bishoujo Shinri)
14. まっさらブルージーンズ (Massara Blue Jeans)
15. ふたりはNS (Futari wa NS) - Okai Chisato & Hagiwara Mai
16. 夏ＤＯＫＩ リップスティック (Natsu DOKI Lipstick) - Yajima Maimi
17. MC 4 - Umeda Erika, Nakajima Saki, Okai Chisato & Arihara Kanna
18. That's the POWER
19. As ONE
20. YES! しあわせ (YES! Shiawase (C-ute Ver.))
21. 僕らの輝き (Bokura no Kagayaki)
22. JUMP

Encore

24. 大きな愛でもてなして (Ooki na Ai de Motenashite)
25. MC5
26. わっきゃない(Z) (Wakkyanai (Z))

*Note: The setlist is taken from wiki.theppn.org; Where'd #23 go?


Umeda Erika
Watching this concert confirmed that I'm not a big fan of the quality of her voice. Listening to her sing Tsuugaku Vector did absolutely nothing for me. I particularly didn't like her "woah woah"s. Don't really have that much to say about Erika for this concert, actually. She didn't really stand out to me.

Yajima Maimi
I thought she was a little bit off timing wise (a split second late) while singing her solo lines at the start of Tokaikko Junjou, but she picked it back up in Meguru Koi no Kisetsu. One thing to mention... She dances very well, but man does she sweat out there. She reminds me of Takahashi Ai in that respect. These two girls put so much energy into their dancing. You can see that they're not holding back on their performances. Maimi was strong through the rest of the concert, and I must say that she definitely did not disappoint in her performance of Natsu DOKI Lipstick. She hit her high notes well, and not in falsetto, as I thought she might. That was definitely some dance solo... That split kick on the ground definitely raised my eyebrows. And the expression on her face when she and Chisato pecked on the lips during YES! Shiawase (C-ute Ver.) was priceless. XD

Nakajima Saki
Saki was a little shaky at the start. She had a lot of energy and was very into the dance for Tokaikko, but come her solo lines... Woah.. had to take a step back (and not in a good way). Her singing improved after the opening number, but she definitely had shaky moments throughout the concert. I got this strange feeling that she wasn't really into the concert as it progressed. She went through the motions, but many times, her facial expression didn't match the mood of the songs. She definitely didn't keep the same energy level that she started the concert with. She wasn't outstanding in this concert.

Suzuki Airi
From the opening number, Airi shows what she can do. This girl so amazingly consistent, it boggles my mind. What can I say about her? She's a decent dancer, and she's a great singer. Not quite as high energy as Maimi or Chisato (then again, she sings so many solo lines, that she does a lot of the "muted" dance moves), but still fabulous.

Okai Chisato
Chisato definitely did not get enough solo lines in this concert. But the solo lines she did get were pretty awesome. I'd list all of them, but that'd get pretty repetitive. I highly enjoyed her lines in Bishoujo Shinri, and I really liked her performance in Futari wa NS with Mai. However, I was very upset with the changes made to Bokura no Kagayaki. Why in the world did Erika get to keep her lines, but Chisa didn't get one solo line in that song?!? I was very disgruntled watching that performance (no offense to Airi, who had Chisato's lines). However, even with only a limited number of solo lines, Chisato kept the energy level high throughout the concert.

Hagiwara Mai
Was very pleased with how Mai opened the concert. Where she usually is a little off tempo on her "Demo ne..." in Tokaikko, she was fairly well timed. She was pretty consistent throughout the concert, but still am not the biggest fan of her voice. Though I'd rank her voice higher than Erika's on my favourite list. She also had some lazy dance moments, not fully extending on movements (ex. Disco Queen).

Arihara Kanna
Kanna impressed me this concert. I thought she did very well performing Tsuugaku Vector. However, I don't think her voice blends well with Erika at all. She didn't look too awkward in this concert, which I enjoyed. This concert has definitely changed my C-ute favourites list. Her dancing was okay, but again, not quite reaching the level and energy of Maimi and Chisato.

Buono!
Yay for Buono performing at the concert! Momoko certainly wasn't in a bowing mood that night, though. She didn't bow when she introduced herself and she didn't bow when she did her ending speech. Though she did bow before they left the stage. The actual performance of Honto no Jibun was pretty good. Someone was going a little sharp at points during the chorus. But then again, it's a pretty bouncy dance, and with only the 3 of them in the group, it doesn't leave much room to cover up when someone's voice goes a little off. I have to say that it wasn't Miyabi's best performance. Her voice sounded a shaky for some reason. Definitely not normal for Miya. It was a little evident in Momoko as well. Maybe they didn't warm up enough piror to the performance (while Airi had already had 4 songs to really get her voice going). I highly enjoyed Miya and Momoko coming out at Ooki na Ai de Motenashite and doing some backup dancing. It was very cute. :D

So to end this post, I think I'll add my current C-ute favourite member list, for as I said, it has changed from my original list.

7. Umeda Erika
6. Nakajima Saki
5. Hagiwara Mai
4. Arihana Kanna
3. Sukuki Airi
2. Yajima Maimi
1. Okai Chisato

*GASP!* That's right, Airin has been dethroned by the ball of energy that is Chisa. I can't pick between Airi and Maimi right now.

EDIT: Okay, I won't cop out... No sharing spots... I still absolutely <3 Airi, but right now, I'm completely fascinated by Maimi (though not enough for her to take over Chisato). Never thought this would happen... Was so sure that Airi would stay my favourite C-ute member forever. I feel like my top 3 will be shifting possibly single to single or concert to concert. They're all very close to each other in my rankings.

I actually wrote up an appreciation post for Chisato (as well as Takahashi Ai and Ishimura Maiha) on the JPHiP forum. To salute Chisato moving to the #1 spot on my list, here's the link to the post (as well as Ai-chan and Maiha's).
NOTE: These links have lots of pics to load (other member appreciation posts are there too). If you load one of them, my 2 other posts are actually on the same page. [In order, Takahashi's closest to the top of the page, immediately followed by Maiha, and then the 9th one under Maiha is Chisato's post].

Okai Chisato appreciation post
Takahashi Ai appreciation post
Ishimura Maiha appreciation post

Wow... This turned into a freakin' long post.

C-ute's mini album; C-ute vs Berryz

Just recently got around to listening to C-ute's mini album （２）mini～生きるという力～ (after watching a live performance of Bokura no Kagayaki, and realizing I could hear some quality Chisato on this album).

Listening to this album definitely solidified my top 3 C-ute members. There really is a big gap between my affection for my top 3 and the other 4 girls in this group.

The opening song "That's the POWER" has a really carnivale feel to it. It's bouncy and upbeat, but I don't think it will get too many plays on my list.

The 3rd track "Disco Queen", unsurprisingly, isn't quite my fancy, seeing as it features Mai and Saki, neither of whom quite have the quality of voice that I enjoy.

Airi's song, "Tsuugaku Vector", is okay. Not much to rave about on my part, surprisingly. I definitely still <3 her (one song won't change that), but this song won't go down as one of my favourites.

I really enjoy Maimi's solo song "Natsu DOKI Lipstick". I really need to see this song live and see how well Maimi pulls it off. The chorus is so catchy, and I just love the high note that she hits at the end of each chorus (except the 2nd last one). I don't know if it's just me and my bad memory, but I feel like most H!P songs don't have a key change within a song. I think because of that, the key change within this song really stood out to me. It makes the end of the song much more potent (not quite the word I'm looking for in this situation, but I like the sound of it XD). I really like the quality of Maimi's voice. She's definitely the most mature sounding of C-ute at the moment.

*EDIT*: My brother tells me I do have a very bad memory and that many H!P songs do actually have a key change (ex. Koko ni Iruzee!). Hmm... seems I need to brush up on my old school H!P songs.

However, I'd have to say my favourite song on this album would have to be "Bokura no Kagayki" which features Chistao, Erika and Kanna. Can you guess which of the 3 I'm particularly enjoying in this song? In the live I saw, Chisato was definitely the strongest performer, IMO. I love the guitar in this song. It's not overly complicated... Makes me want to figure out the chords... Hmm... there's an idea. I also enjoy the drum pattern in this song. It makes me want to go out and play this song on Drum Mania (if it were on Drum Mania, that is... Unfortunately I can only play fake video game drums. My coordination isn't good enough to handle different beats between my hands and feet).


To go off on a tangent, I've been think a lot recently about the C-ute vs. Berryz debate and who's better. Thought I'd get my two cents in.

Berryz has been getting put down a lot from what I've been reading. While everyone's entitled to their own opinion, I don't think it's quite fair to compare C-ute at this stage to Berryz when they were at the equivalent stage in thier careers.

First, when Berryz released their 3rd major single "Piriri to Yukou!", the members were at an average age of roughly 11.75. Compared to C-ute's 3rd major single "Tokaikko Junjou", C-ute's average age is almost 2 years older, at roughly 13.57. C-ute also had 4 indie singles prior to their major releases, so they had the chance to build up a fanbase, as well as get more comfortable with their position/roles as idols than Berryz did initially.

As for the most recent releases, most people have either loved or hated Berryz newest, while many seemed to thoroughly enjoy C-ute's latest. Well, can't do much there. It's not Berryz choice on what song they're given, or the choreography that comes with it. But at the same time, I think people need to give Berryz more credit (though it's so ironic that with the bashing of "Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi" before it's release, it ended up outselling all of the most recent H!P releases, with the exception of Buono!'s "Honto no Jibun").

*EDIT #2*: Someone pointed out that "Tsukiatteru" outsold in first week sales, and not total sales. That's what I mean to say, it just didn't occur to me to specify that when I originally posted.

Look at what Berryz has done in the 3 (almost 4) years they've been a group. They are currently on their 15th single (almost 1 year earlier than Morning Musume in regards to time from 1st single release to 15th single release). In addition to the singles, Berryz has also released 4 albums (albeit one was a mini album), just like MM had released by their 15th single. MM did 3 movies, 2 musicals and 6 concerts, while Berryz did 2 stage plays (I think it's 2... They just completed one recently, if I'm thinking correctly) and 9 concerts. Keep in mind that Berryz got to this point 1 year faster than MM. I think that's just mind boggling.

I'm not saying this to bash on C-ute in anyway, 'cause I definitely love C-ute as well. Call me non-confrontational (heck, I'll be the first to admit that I'm non-confrontational), but I just don't get why we need to bash on one group to raise up our favourites. They're 2 different groups with 2 different sets of girls. C-ute's gotten off to a good start, but just because they got the supposedly better song (once again, I say different groups, different sounds), you can't totally throw out all that Berryz has accomplished over the years.


And finally, forget a tangent... I'm gonna take a complete 180, and return from Japan back to Toronto and make my first real mention of the Toronto Raptors in my blog.

Watched the game tonight against the Hawks. This was our first game back at full strength since having injury problems with Bargnani, Bosh and Ford starting Nov. 20. So what happens in this game? First Jason Kapono goes out with a wrist injury. Initial X-rays came up negative for damage, but no futher info. Then just before the start of the 4th, Jose Calderon goes to the locker room for what seemed to be a dislocated finger. Luckily, he was back on court within a few minutes.

But the major kicker happened with about 1:30 left in the 4th. TJ Ford made a steal, and as he's running down the floor going for a layup, Atlanta's Al Horford went for a block, but instead pulled on TJ's head. It took TJ off balance and he crashed into the ground, his head bouncing hard off the floor. He lay completely limp. It was terrifying to watch. A few years ago, Ford suffered an injury that required neck surgery and kept him off court for a year. It could very well have been a career ending injury. Since then, he's had a pretty sensitive neck/back and has suffered a few stingers from hard fouls. Tonight just left me with a terrible feeling inside, wondering how bad this injury is.

It was like watching the game against Boston last season where Jorge Garbajosa went to block a shot, but when he landed he broke his ankle (as in his food was 90 degrees/perpendicular to it's usual angle, with the bone sticking out). He has since come back to play, but ironically, he just had a second surgery on that ankle, I think it was tonight.... And then Ford gets this injury...

New shipment in!!

They have finally arrived!!!



I ordered this from yesasia way back on Nov 8 or something along those lines, and seeing as I didn't want to pay extra for shipping, I had to wait for "Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi" to release. And for some reason, it took forever to reach me. Usually it only takes 4-5 business days from shipment date. This time it took 7 days.... Hmm... I think I was just really impatient for this shipment, since I ordered it so long ago. It's only 2 days late, now that I think about it...

Anyway, I love them! I've obviously listened to all the songs before, but it just feels so nice to own them and have the wonderful pictures and CDs in one's hands.

I love Berryz's new single. The PV is growing on me, and I so enjoy doing the dance along with the girls as I watch. As for the CW for this single, not a favourite, but it's nice to hear the others get a chance to sing. Miya, Momo and Risako don't get one solo line in the CW. I found that quite fascinating. When I first heard the CW, I immediately thought of a superhero movie... But not I can't recall which superhero I thought of... Oh wells.

As I've said after reviewing the PV, I just love these outfits, and the girls all look so beautiful, with the exception of Momoko, who is still weirding me out with this single. Not to say she looks ugly or anything, just... odd... Which is strange, 'cause while her voice drives me nuts, her appearance doesn't tend to phase me. And I enjoyed her in Buono!'s "Honto no Jibun", even though I didn't like her hairstyle. Oh well.



I <3 Very Beauty! I love Miya's outfit in this song, as well as Yurina's, even though it makes her look even taller than she is (I think it's the vertical stripes in addition to the pants which make her legs look ridiculously long). Yay for the limited edition photobook! Not much else to say about the single. It's been out for a while, but I just got obsessed with Berryz recently, so just got it now. :)



Tokaikko Junjou!! This song is absolutely fabulous! I wish I could do this dance!! >_< Unforunately, my body is stiff and I can only handle dances of the "Para Para Paradise" variety, with basic arm movements and side stepping. Anything that requires more fluidity makes me look very stupid. Thus, I feel silly trying to dance along with them. I just recently saw a translation of the song, and I hadn't realized that this was basically a love song. A techno-vibed love song. Coolies! :)



Am really getting into C-ute now (but Berryz is still my fave). I watched them on Music Fighter, and their segment was very amusing. I particularly liked Chisato's rollercoaster roleplay. XD

Now that I've watched a little bit of C-ute's stuff, here's my initial feel on member ranking (I'll do it in the opposite order from what I've done before... More suspenseful that way... Or maybe not, since I've given away my favourite member in a previous post... Oh wells):


7. Arihara Kanna
I need some time to see how this girl develops. Right now, she seems very awkward on camera (at least in my eyes). My brother gets a freshly joined Takahashi Ai vibe from her, and I'd say I have to agree with him. I really wasn't a big fan of Ai when she first joined, but now she's one of my favourite H!P members... Maybe Kanna will surprise me in a similar way... But at the same time, I wouldn't put her in the same category vocally, so maybe not. Only time will tell.

6. Hagiwara Mai
She's cute, but I'm not a fan of her voice. And in the lives of Tokaikko Junjou, she's always been delayed in delivering her "Demo ne Demo ne Dakedo" line. I'll give her some time and see how it develops. I mean, she's only 11 years old. I'll let her go through puberty first and see if it matures nicely.

5. Umeda Erika
Also don't like her voice very much. In addition, I don't find her particularly attractive, and haven't been too taken by her live appearances. She just doesn't really catch my attention.

4. Nakajima Saki
She's very pretty. That's the main thing I've got down for her. Her voice is meh... Not one of my favourites.

3. Yajima Maimi
I think I'm becoming a little obessed with Maimi. I was on the road the other day, and there was this delivery truck that said "We deliver from Toronto to Miami", and my first thought was "Maimi? ... Why is Maimi's name on a truck...?" Did a double take and smacked myself for my dyslexia. >_< But really, I like her. I also find her to be very pretty and I like her voice.

2. Okai Chisato
As I said, above, I find her amusing. LOL with the rollercoaster and pretty scenery. :) I think her voice is absolutely fabulous, and she really needs to get some more lines. I hope that a trend starts in her favour, but I won't hold my breath. Talent doesn't seem to be a major factor when it comes to decision making regarding who gets lines in H!P (however unfortunate the truth is). She's also a very attractive girl. She has a subtle pretty, that doesn't jump out at you when you first see her, but there's just something about her.

And #1.... Suzuki Airi
The final 3rd of Aa! I have loved her since I saw that PV. At that point (I think she was 10), she already had a great voice, and she sang well live. That hasn't changed. I'd place her more into the "C-ute" XD pile rather than the pretty/beautiful pile in regards to looks. She's just so darn adorable.

I guess that's all for now, 'cause I have an early morning tomorrow (or should I say today) with lots of driving, so I should get rest...

Sukeban Deka Codename Asamiya Saki

Watched Ayaya's movie last night. I have wanted to watch it since I first heard it was coming out, but had to wait a long time (obviously) since I don't understand Japanese well at all (only a snippet here and there) and thus had to wait for someone to sub it. Thank goodness for the Hello!Online tracker.

Anyway, I enjoyed the movie immensely, though it may be because I kept getting into these crazy giggle fits as Ayaya and Rika-chan went into their "badass" modes. It was just so surreal to watch. Aya and Rika are both so freaking adorable, that watching them in these roles was definitely an experience. And to clarify, I wasn't giggling because they were acting badly, it was simply because it was like a polar opposite to the personalities they exude on a regular basis that it evoked giggles from me for some reason.

And so, with this mention of Ayaya, I shall discuss my favourite H!P artist (from the entire list of all H!P members, soloist or within a group)... *drum roll* ...

Matsuura Aya!!!
Why is Ayaya my favourite H!P artist, you ask? Well, I first saw her perform in the 2001 Haru MM concert. She was cute, and I think she only had her first single out at that time. It wasn't the most memorable performance I've seen. Her first 2 songs were okay, but then came "Love Namida Iro" and I was hooked. I love that song, and it hasn't wavered. That is one of my top listed H!P songs of all time. Reasons for loving Ayaya: a) her voice. I think it's fabulous. She can do cutesy (as seen from her first 2 releases and things like "Momoiro Kataomoi") but when she sings ballads, wow. Particularly "Zutto Suki De Ii Desu Ka". From the moment I heard that song, I loved it. I could listen to that song forever and not get tired of it. I am personally a really big fan of ballads (have enjoyed "VERY BEAUTY" and "Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba" from Berryz"). Actually, my favourite rendition of "Love Namida Iro" was an acoustic version in 2002.6.8 Final Secret Live in Factory Stage. b) she's consistent. She's amazing live. she's able to pull off an entire concert, and seeing as how she has some pretty energetic songs, she has the stamina to keep it strong until the final note. I can't recall a performance where she went terribly off pitch. There was one concert (can't remember which one) where she forgot the lines to "I Know" (kinda ironic, wouldn't you say?), but she was so cute as she hit her head trying to get the words back in. c) she dances well and very energetically (while still keeping pitch throughout her concerts). d) she's so pretty... I find her gorgeous when her hair's long (see the "Zutto Suki De Ii Desu Ka" PV/CD cover). I feel the same way with Takahashi Ai. They just both look so good with long hair.

Still need more time observing C-ute to get a proper opinion on the members. But I will say that I love Airi - this is mainly due to the fact that I loved Aa! and back in those days Reina was my least favourite member... And notice who my favourite Berryz member is... Coincidence, you ask? I think not.

The next challenge will be to order a top list of H!P members, mixing from any group. Haven't actually tried to do that yet, but may do so soon.

First H!P shipment in!

I have gone an H!P ordering spree (more like Berryz Koubou/related spree) on yesasia and CDJapan. My first order, (which arrived yesterday!!!) was for Buono!'s "Honto no Jibun" and Berryz 4th album.



I was able to get a first press limited edition of "Honto no Jibun" with the DVD. Yay for the first press trading card! I just love the energy of this song. And it doesn't hurt that it features Miyabi and Suzuki Airi from C-ute. I was a huge fan of the subgroup Aa! (though Miyabi definitely did not get enough lines). Airi was such a baby in that PV, when I saw her more recently ('cause I didn't really follow much of C-ute until their newest PV) I simply could not believe that she had grown so much. She was so short back in the Aa! days. :) And I enjoy the dance of this song. I'm very glad that the DVD has the dance shot version on it. I have learned the dance for the song. It's quite enjoyable to do. ^_^




I absolutely love Berryz's 4th album. I liked all 4 of the singles released from this album (particularly "VERY BEAUTY" and "Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba"... Which many people seem to not have enjoyed due to their more ballad-like feel). For the album songs, I really enjoyed "Sayonara Hageshiki Koi". It's a good high energy, intense song... And I just saw that it means "Goodbye Intense Love", so it's good that it's an intense song. :) This was also the limited edition with DVD, but not first press (no trading card).



Am waiting on the "Kokuhaku no Funsui no Hiroba" single from CDJapan, and then a shipment with Berryz new single "Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi" first press limited edition with DVD, "VERY BEAUTY" with limited edition photobook, and C-ute's "Tokkaiko Junjo (Don't stop Junjo)" regulard edition from yesasia.