I voted!

I voted in this year's Hello! Blog poll, and so can you!

Click here to vote

Hello! Café Ice Cream Parlour

Welcome to Hello! Café! Wouldn't a sweet frozen treat be delightful right now?

A Covert Operation - Mission 8: Cover Yourself

Taiyou to Ciscomoon / T&C Bomber was active for only a year and a half, but they managed to release eight singes and two albums during that time. Since then they have been covered SIX times by other Hello! Project acts. Aside from Morning Musume, which has been active for more than 12 years and has more than five times as much material, it is the most covered unit.

Mission 8: Cover Yourself (Taiyou to Ciscomoon / T&C Bomber

Hello! Café Drag Show

Welcome to Hello! Café! We were just about to start our after hours drag show!

A Covert Operation - Mission 7: Til Death

Nine years after the release of Morning Musume's ninth single "Happy Summer Wedding" (ハッピーサマーウェディング) Hello! Project returned to the theme with the compilation album Champloo① ~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~ (チャンプル① ~ハッピーマリッジソングカバー集~). So let's get ready to say "til death do us part."

Mission 7: Til Death

Countdown to Spring! ~Roku~

Welcome to spring! Today as a special treat you get three songs instead of two AND some sweet downloads. That's right, I've got my own Hello! Project Spring Collection for you along with The Douyou Pops 2 Haru no Uta Shuu (a collection of spring-themed children's songs).

Download links:
The Douyou Pops 2 Haru no Uta Shuu
Spring Collection

Haru da yo (春だよ)
Heike Michiyo



Haru no Uta (春の歌)
Iida Kaori, Yaguchi Mari, Ishikawa Rika, Yoshizawa Hitomi



Haru Beautiful Everyday (春 ビューティフル エブリディ)
Kamei Eri, Mitsui Aika

Countdown to Spring! ~Go~

It's Spring Eve, folks! Tomorrow is the first day of spring, so make sure you stop by to see the last entry and to get your special spring surprise.

Hokkaido Shalala (北海道シャララ)
Country Musume



Zukyun LOVE (ズキュンLOVE)
Minimoni

Countdown to Spring! ~Yon~

Today we celebrate the breeze of spring time.

I walk at least a mile outside every day, and I've been noticing lately how much sweeter the air is starting to smell. There are flowers blooming and trees budding, and the grass is starting to get green. And thankfully Tsunku has supplied us with some songs about the winds of spring!

Haru no Arashi (春の嵐)
Mano Erina



Purple Wind (パープルウィンド)
Morning Musume



Please enjoy the songs, and the spring breeze!

Countdown to Spring! ~San~

Berryz Koubou's fourth album 4th Ai no Nanchara Shisuu (4th 愛のなんちゃら指数) was an outstanding release full of really great tracks, and the last two were no exception. "Sakura wa Raku Sa" and "Sakura→Nyuugakushiki" are about as different as Hello! Project tracks get, but they shared a common theme: cherry blossoms, the Japanese image of spring time. Thus I bring you sweet springtime cherry Berryz.

Sakura wa Raku Sa (サクラハラクサ)
Berryz Koubou



Sakura→Nyuugakushiki (桜→入学式)
Berryz Koubou



Come back tomorrow for more spriiiiiing time songs.

Morning Musume's 10th album "10 MY ME"

Morning Musume's 10th album ⑩ MY ME was released today, March 16, 2010. You can buy it right now at JapanFiles.

I'm going to start out by talking about the worst part of the release: the cover! Risa looks middle-aged, Aika looks like she's about to cry, Linlin looks pissed, Sayumi looks lost, and everyone else looks bored. I know that Ai-chan, Aika, and Linlin look smoking in the outfits, but this cover doesn't do any one justice.

Now let's get down to business. The album blows the pants off of Shocking 5, hands down. Starting with the opening track

1. Moonlight night ~Tsukiyo no Ban da yo~
Moonlight night ~月夜の晩だよ~

Holy fucking god DAMN. This. Is. The. Best. Thing. From. Morning. Musume. In. Years. This is EXACTLY what I've been wanting to hear from them. It starts out so crazy and just stays that way. The electroconvulsive therapy. The instrumental moment of enlightenment. The falsetto. The shouting in the chorus. The ethereal dance break. Sayumi's distorted "let's dance." Oh god, it's perfection. I could listen to this forever. I've already listened to it six times I think. I credit all of this awesomeness to the arranger, Tanaka Nao. He has arranged most of my favorite recent H!P songs (Google 田中直 site:projecthello.com).

2. Kimagure Princess
気まぐれプリンセス

After "Moonlight night" "Kimagure Princess" sounds so tame. I can see where they were trying to go with song, it just didn't quite make it. Still, I like the song. I just think it maybe should have switched places with "Shouganai Yume Oibito" on this album.

3. Genki Pikappika!
元気ピカッピカッ!

At this point I started to lose faith, because this song kind of sucks. Had all of the awesome been packed into the opening track? That's what happened with SEXY 8 BEAT after all.

4. Namidacchi
涙ッチ

I wasn't sure about this song at first. On the one hand, it started out with some nice Linlin vocals, but it was also a little boring. But then it picked up and got super fun! The driving beat in the chorus is a nice contrast to the saccharine piano-ful verse. And then the little rap break just put it over the edge. My final verdict: cute and fun!

5. Onna ga Medatte Naze Ikenai
女が目立って なぜイケナイ

Well, I just don't know what to make of this single. The guitar and the real violin are interesting, but I just can't bring myself to like the song. Maybe I just need more time.

6. Ookii Hitomi
大きい瞳
Kamei Eri, Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina

They've finally found a way to make Sayumi's voice palettable! Just AutoTune the dickens out of it. But seriously, this is a fun song. I enjoyed it, especially the Sayumi parts.

7. Ano Hi ni Modoritai
あの日に戻りたい
Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa

*yawn* This song is booooring.

8. Nanchatte Renai
なんちゃって恋愛

Love it. Loved it since the beginning. Still needs more Linlin.

9. Osaka Oishiinen
大阪 美味しいねん
Mitsui Aika, Junjun, Linlin

Waaaaaaaaaa~~~!!!!! TOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUTE. If this song doesn't turn you into an absolute Linlinatic then you are hopeless. She's just so unbelievably fabulous. Junjun and Aika really slathered on the awesome (Chinese mutterings and rolled Rs!), but there's no competition with my Lin-chan. Would I like this as well if it wasn't an 8th-gen thing? Probably not. But I love it anyway.

10. Loving you forever

WHAT A SNOOZEFEST.

11. Shouganai Yume Oibito
しょうがない 夢追い人

Not my favorite single on this album, but a good track nonetheless.

12. Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou? (Chinese Ver.)
雨の降らない星では愛せないだろう? (中国語Ver.)

Good lord, Linlin. That note was the best thing I've ever heard. I ADORE this arrangement. I almost wish it was just a Linlin solo thought! Still, an absolutely breath-taking song.

Over all a very book-ended album: the first and last tracks were by far the best. And we got to hear quite a bit of 8th-gen, which is always nice. Now I'm really looking forward to 6th Otakebi Album!!

Countdown to Spring! ~Ni~

It's the second day of spring celebration. I'm apologize to anyone in the southern hemisphere, but in Japan at least there are only 4 more days of winter!

Today we're celebrating spring as berry season. Enjoy these springtime Berryz Koubou singles!

VERY BEAUTY
Berryz Koubou



Munasawagi Scarlet (胸さわぎスカーレット)
Berryz Koubou



Come back tomorrow for more spring celebration. There will also be a special treat on March 20, so stay tuned!

Countdown to Spring! ~Ichi~

The vernal equinox is on March 20 this year, so let's have a countdown to spring!

Urara (うらら)
Nakazawa Yuko



A very sentimental song of spring time and Yuu-chan's penultimate single.

Sakurairo no Yakusoku (サクラ色の約束)
Melon Kinenbi



The theme here is casting off winter and donning spring.

Come back tomorrow for more spring time celebration.

Microblogging

Well, I've added something new to my blog: a microblog!

I'm already a frequent tweeter, but not about Hello! Project. That's now going to change.

5 Days of Linlin! (Day V)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LINLIN!

And even though she's the one turning 19 years old, she's got some things "for you..."

5 Days of Linlin! (Day IV)

Oh just one more day! Today let's celebrate with something cute.

Day 4: Heart in Hand



I swear, Linlin does more heart hands than anyone else! It's super cute ^__^

5 Days of Linlin! (Day III)

So we've seen that Linlin is a beauty, sings like an angel, and looks decent in a bikini. Today we're going to celebrate her great energy.

Day 3: Genkilin!

5 Days of Linlin! (Day II)

I think it is now pretty widely accepted that Linlin's only competition for best vocalist in Morning Musume is Ai-chan, who has been in the business for many years longer. Today we celebrate Linlin's "fat" vocals.

Day 2: Vocalista

22sai no Watashi

Happy Birthday to me! Today I turn 22, and Tsunku wrote a song perfectly suited to the occasion. I bring you Abe Natsumi's debut single, "22sai no Watashi."

5 Days of Linlin! (Day I)

Linlin is turning 19 on March 11! As my #1 H!P girl currently I thought I would do a little celebration.

Day 1: Solo Shots

Hello! Café Lunch Specials

Welcome to Hello! Café! Would you like to see our lunch specials?

Hello! Café Breakfast Treats

Ohayo!! Welcome back to Hello! Café! We're now serving breakfast.