Daburuyuu Joshi Koutou Gakkou Special Edition: °C-ute's 12th major single "Campus Life ~Umarete Kite Yokatta~"

The PV for °C-ute's 12th major single "Campus Life ~Umarete Kite Yokatta~" was released today on the UP FRONT YouTube channel. The single will be released on April 28 and the Single V on May 12.



This is a really outstanding PV! Firstly, the girls are looking GREAT! Everyone looked so wan in the "SHOCK!" PV. Here everyone looks healthy and pretty and happy. Well, I'll do the regular break down.

The Outfits

So, for the dance and close-up shots we get the cover outfits:



And they're pretty rockin'. Especially those shoes! They're like a much more wearable version of the "SHOCK!" boots. They look sexy as hell, but they would be good for summer because they are so open. The rest of the the look is very cute. It fits their image well. I especially like the ties.

For the rest of the PV we get to see casual looks.



Maimi and Saki are looking sweet and feminine. I can't tell if Saki's got on a romper or a really short dress.



The second grouping is Airi, Mai, and Chisato. I think Airi's hair is a little ridiculous, and her outfit is definitely my least favorite. Mai and Chisato both look cute as BUTTONS. I don't think Chisato has ever looked that good before and Mai actually looks her age.

The Song

I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the song. It reminds me a lot of "Ai no Suki Suki Shisuu Joushou Chuu," the opening track on Berryz Koubou's fourth album 4th Ai no Nanchara Shisuu. Obviously the "suki suki" hook is a big part of that. I'm just not a fan of this style of song, not even live. At least it's not another glorified solo for Airi?

The Dance

We don't get to see a lot of it, which is fine by me. The only part that really stuck out to me was during Maimi's "suki suki suki."



It's like she's saying, "I like you, but it's a secret ;)" Oh Maimi, I like you, too! Lets not keep it a secret...

The Rest

So like everyone else I will mention the iPod Touches that are so prominent.



Are iPods as ubiquitous in Japan as they are in the US? I don't know. But the image of girlfriends sharing songs on a portable music device isn't so strange to me.

What sticks out more to me is the softball. In the US softball is often associated with lesbians. Is that the case in Japan? Once again, I don't know. But Mai and Chisato were definitely paired in this video more than the other girls, and their looks are not as femmy.





And I hate to say this, because I feel like everyone else is in love with her, but I don't understand Nakajima Saki's appeal.



I find her mouth unsettling, like she might at any moment open it obscenely wide and eat a person whole. I think it's the fact that her teeth are big compared to the rest of her face. Her voice does seem to be improving though.

I'll let Maimi have the last word here.



"Call me, bitches."

Hello! Café Sweet Shop

Welcome to Hello! Café! If you have a bit of sweet tooth then you've come to the right place.

Daburuyuu Joshi Koutou Gakkou: Art

Here at Daburuyuu Joshi Koutou Gakkou we want to cultivate the artistic tastes and talents of our youth. Art education improves students' performance in all areas because it exercises their brains' right hemispheres and delateralizes their thinking.

Now, don't be late to class! Look for the door marked 芸 (gei).

Daburuyuu Joshi Koutou Gakkou: Art

Daburuyuu Joshi Koutou Gakkou: Orientation

Welcome to Daburuyuu Joshi Koutou Gakkou! As you surely already know we are Japan's #1 all girls school. Now that you are about to join our illustrious student body you'll need to go through student orientation.

Daburuyuu Joshi Koutou Gakkou: Orientation

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

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

°C-ute's 5th album "Shocking 5"

°C-ute's fifth album Shocking 5 was released yesterday, February 25, 2010.

My first thoughts: it's a bland, mushy, boring, pitiful excuse for an album. Shocking 5? More like Sucking 5.

1. EVERYDAY Zekkouchou!! (EVERYDAY 絶好調!!)

Why did the album title Shocking 5 not start with the song "SHOCK!"? Instead it gets off to a boring start with this single, which isn't my favorite one from the group by far. Even though it's Erika's final single she doesn't get even one solo line! It's just a mess of the sappy "SEISHUN!!!!"-ful diarrhea Tsunku has been excreting on us lately.

2. The Party!

Worst. Party. Ever. That exclamation point in the title: completely unwarranted. This is like the very first part of the party where a small handful of people have taken the start time literally and it's just them and hosts. Every one is getting a little antsy and thinking of maybe going somewhere else. And then some more people show up and everyone gets trashed. Except in this song, that last part never happens. The guests do go home and we're left with a lone crooning Airi.

3. Aa Koi (嗚呼 恋) / Suzuki Airi

This kind of sound's like the inside of one of Bowser's castles. It's an alright track, I suppose. Certainly one of the best one's on this album at least. I don't think it's as strong as Airi's previous album tracks though.

4. Bye Bye Bye!

Compared to the rest of this album I almost like "Bye Bye Bye!" Wait... nope, I still hate it. It probably doesn't help that it's sandwiched between the best two tracks on the album. Maimi's little climax is still the best part of the song.

5. Lonely girl's night / Yajima Maimi

Well, I wasn't expecting anything that would rival "Natsu DOKI Lipstick," but I was hoping for something a little upbeat. The track is still is pretty good, it just could be stronger. Still, Maimi could probably make anything sound like solid gold.

6. Kimi no Senpou (君の戦法) / Nakajima Saki, Okai Chisato, Hagiwara Mai

Oh, I have a great idea! Let's put all the weakest vocalists on a track together, and while we're at it we'll just give them a boring backing track with minimal chorus behind them! Seriously, this is a real trash pile of a song.

7. SHOCK!

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I like "SHOCK!" Of course I hate the line distribution, but that doesn't stop it from being a fun track.

8. Shigatsu Sengen (四月宣言)

You know, who ever they hired to do the guitar on this album was really trying his/her hardest to make the songs good. Everything else on this track: AWFUL. Even the PV they made for it is boring.

9. "Zansho Omimai Moushiagemasu." (「残暑 お見舞い 申し上げます。」) / Suzuki Airi

So Airi basically gets three solo songs. I do not approve. This song is okay, but I would have left it a B-side. I guess Tsunku wanted something of his own work from their summer single on the album since he had no hand in what made "Shochuu Omomai Moushiagemasu" awesome.

10. Yume ga Aru Kara (夢があるから)

Aw, and now we get to the heart-warming group ballad song at the end of the album. Except that's what the rest of the album has been. Of course the song is sweet and pretty, just like the countless sound-alikes that came before it. And this time we only get five girls, three of whom are weak singers, to provide that full vocal sound.

11. Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu (H22 Remix) (暑中お見舞い申し上げます (H22 Remix))

How did they manage the make the best thing °C-ute released in the last year into something just as balls-rific as the rest of this album? Do people actually like remixes, ever? The only one's I've ever cared for are "Koibito wa Kokoro no Ouendan (Hyper Dance Version)," "Ai~n! Dance no Uta (MORE TRANCE REMIX)," and "Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix." This one sounds like °C-ute stuck in a Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix nightmare.


Final verdict: DO NOT WANT. Also, I miss Kanna and Erika :'(

A Covert Operation - Mission 4: Singled Out

For five years Tsunku wrote nearly every single released by Hello! Project, but in late 2002 Goto Maki released the double A-side Sans Toi Ma Mie / Kimi to Itsumademo. "Sans Toi Ma Mie" was a cover of a Salvatore Adamo song that Tsunku had translated into Japanese. Two months later Morning Musume released a cover of "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima," the theme song of an old children's show of the same name. It was the first true Hello! Project cover single, and seven H!P acts have gone on to release cover singles as well.

Edit: A new discovery! Heike Michiyo's second single, "Sotsugyou ~TOP OF THE WORLD~" (卒業 〜TOP OF THE WORLD〜), is a cover of The Carpenters' 1973 hit single "Top of the World." Former Sharam Q member Makoto wrote the Japanese lyrics for Michiyo's version.

Mission 4: Singled Out

New album for °C-ute!

°C-ute's fifth studio album ショッキング5 ("Shocking 5") has been announced! It is set for release on 24.02.2010 in regular and limited editions.

Here's the announcement that has been floating around:

Tracklisting (I'm guessing this is not the final order)

1. Bye Bye Bye!
2. Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu (暑中お見舞い申し上げます; Express a Midsummer Greeting Card)
3. EVERYDAY Zekkouchou!! (EVERYDAY 絶好調!!; Everyday in Perfect Form)
4. SHOCK!
5. "Zansho Omimai Moushiagemasu (「残暑 お見舞い 申し上げます。」; Express a Late Summer Greeting Card)
6. Aa Koi (嗚呼 恋; '"Alas, Love")
   
7. The Party!
8. Shigatsu Sengen (四月宣言; April Proclamation)
9. Yume ga Aru kara (夢があるから; From a Dream)
10. Kimi no Senpou (君の戦法; Your Tactics)
11. Lonely girl's night

The DVD will have a PV and making of for "Shigatsu Sengen."

I'm actually sort of disappointed. I wanted a new album for Berryz Koubou!

Kako to Mirai: 2009 retrospective and 2010

Oh hello, world. Well, this has been one hell of a year. I for one have been a total stress mess! I had a very rough summer, lost about 40 lbs. (~20 kg), struggled through a difficult and economically lean semester, and graduated university. Through it all I kept up with Hello! Project, but not this blog, clearly.

I thought an end-of-year post with rankings, reviews and resolutions would be a nice way to get back into things. First up, my perennial favorite.

Morning Musume


A year ago Berryz Koubou had temporarily become my main squeeze, but Morning Musume is back on top as my favorite group. This is mostly like due to my new-found love for Linlin! Her "HI, I'M LINLIN!" at the Anime Expa Q&A this summer absolutely melted my heart.

As for releases this year, Naichou Kamo was not a strong kick-off. The A-side is pretty forgettable, the PV is the worst yet, and the B-side has waaa~y to much Sayumi.

On the other hand, I couldn't have asked for much more with Platinum 9 DISC. Morning Musume's best album in years! Their next single was also a stand-out, though "3,2,1 BREAKIN' OUT" outshines "Shouganai Yume Oibito." It was great to see a Morning Musume single reach number 1 again, too.

The Platinum 9 DISCO concert DVD had performance that just blows all the others away: Linlin's solo in "Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuku You na Mirai de Are!" That little girl's got a huge voice. Love her!

With all the promotion for Nanchatte Renai it was bound to do well, and it really really did. It was the best-selling single for the group in four years, and the second-best-selling one in the last five years. The A-side and PV really are standouts, maybe even the best of the 9-nin line-up. Biggest disappointment was too little Linlin in the PV!

The B-side collection wasn't something I was too interested in. The girls looked great in the booklet though! And it was nice to Kago on a cover of a Hello! Project release again :D.

I loved Kimagure Princess, but it didn't fair well being their second-worst selling single ever! The song is super cute, but the promotion was nonexistent and the PV was absolutely nothing special. I would have liked to see more Koharu in this, as it was her last single!

Speaking of Koharu, I'm really sad to see her go. I was on the anti-Koha boat in the beginning, but she really grew on me. What presence! What charisma! What energy! She was a like a Mari 2.0 for me, and she would do well to follow in Yaguchi's footsteps I think.

My first hope for the coming year is to see/hear more Linlin in singles! My second hope is for an audition! With Koharu gone it's time to find ninth gen! I'd like to see a really smart girl already graduated from high school. Tsunku can even put her in glasses since he seems to have a bit of a fetish for megadols.

Berryz Koubou


At the beginning of the year I was obsessed with Berryz, but their recent singles have left them with less luster in my eyes.

They kicked off the year pretty well. Their best-of album sold pretty well and "Otoko no Ko" was a bitchin' track. I couldn't have loved Dakishimete Dakishimete more, and I went on at length about it on this blog.

The double A-side singles are fine, I suppose. They tracks are really nice and the PVs are more okay, but there's something about the girls' image now that seems a little dull and empty. They always look too made-up or something. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but hopefully once they finish acting like an anime unit they'll bounce back.

My hope for next year: an album! 5 (FIVE) was really outstanding, and I want something just as good for this next year.

°C-ute


°C-ute has never been my favorite group, and they haven't grown on me any more this year. ④ Akogare My STAR was pretty good, BYE BYE BYE was terrible, Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu was cute and had a great PV, EVERYDAY Zekkouchou!! was fairly forgettable, and the best-of album was a huge disappointment with no new tracks! I suppose my favorite release of the year was Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu. It parallels my favorite °C-ute release of 2008, Edo no Temari Uta II in that it was a summertime cover song. I'm not sure what Tsunku's doing with SHOCK!'s Airi saturation. Maybe he's hoping for another Furusato→LOVE Machine situation.

Mano Erina

Manoeri's debut single held so much promise! I had a lot of hope for her career after hearing "Otome no Inori" and seeing its PV. Sadly everything sort of went downhill from there for me. The only other single she has released that I even remotely like is Kono Mune no Tokimeki wo, and if that I don't love. Her album was a bit of a snooze too. Really an all around disappointing year from her!

S/mileage

I'm excited about their immanent debut! The girls have such a fresh, sweet image and strong vocals. I think "aMa no jaku" is a super boring track, but "Suki-chan" is super cute with a great PV and "Asu wa Date na no ni, Ima Sugu Koe ga Kikitai" is one of my favorite releases of the year.

Year's Best/Worst

Best albums
Platinum 9 DISC, Champloo 1 ~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~

Worst albums
FRIENDS

Best singles
Berryz Koubou: Dakishimete Dakishimete
Buono!: MY BOY
°C-ute: Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu
Guardians 4: Omakase♪Guardian
Mano Erina: Otome no Inori
Morning Musume: Nanchatte Renai
S/mileage: Asu wa Date na no ni, Ima Sugu Koe ga Kikitai

Worst singles
Berryz Koubou: Seishun Bus Guide/Rival
Buono!: Take It Easy!
°C-ute: Bye! Bye! Bye!
Guardians 4: PARTY TIME
Mano Erina: Love&Peace=Paradise
Morning Musume: Naichau Kamo
S/mileage: aMa no Jaku

Best shuffle units
High-King, Shin Minimoni

Worst shuffle units
Petitmoni V

The year ahead

Well, I'm looking forward to this next year. I hope all the groups do well and have great releases. As for myself, Here are a couple of things I have in the works for the blog this year:

• A collection of Morning Musume essays: Theseus' SHIP! TO THE FUTURE, Swan Songs, and Asahi Musume
• Berries for Berryz
• An exploration of shuffle units and subgroups

°C-ute's 9th major single "Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu"

The PV for "Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu" has been released on Dohhh UP! This single will be released on July 1 and the single V will be released on July 8.



Link to video on Dohhh UP!

Like "Edo no Temari Uta II," last year's °C-ute summer cover track, "Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu" is near perfection!

The song

As you may know, this tune is a cover of the popular Showa-period female trio Candies' 14th single. (Bonus fun fact: the first three guardians in Shugo Chara! are named after the members of Candies). The arrangement of the °C-ute version is very similar. The modern vocals are clearer, but not as rich, because that's the modern style. I can't wait to hear this live to see if the girls are doing that pretty harmonization during the chorus themselves or not. If so, kudos! The instrumentation in this new version is synth-y but dynamic. I like it a lot!

The outfits

The red and white outfits are very cute! I'm sure it's hard to find a single style that looks good on six different girls, but they did a great job. It would have been nice to have a little more variation in the outfits so that the girls are more easily distinguishable, but over all a very sweet little throwback to the original song.

The outfits from the cover are even better! The girls all look beautiful and sophisticated yet youthful and summery. They look like they are ready for a fun night out on the town. Chisato's hair looks a little funny here though. Those stylists need to find a style that actually works for her with longer hair!

The beach outfits are... not as good. I realize they were going for a everygirl look, but they all look kind of sloppy. Chisato looks straight up dumb, in fact. The only ones that I would actually say look good with this styling are Maimi and Mai, but honestly it's hard to make either of those girls look bad. Still, they looked good for running around on a beach in.

The dance

Not a lot to say about it, I don't think they changed the choreography at all. I'm still having a hard time getting used to 6nin °C-ute. I hope Kanna gets better soon :(

The set

What a cute beach house! It looks like a really nice place to go on vacation, and I think it was the perfect setting for this PV. It's just so refreshing to see a Hello! Project PV without a completely computer-generated or made-of-cardboard set. Could we maybe see some more of that in the next Berryz Koubou PV, please?

Over all I think this is shaping up to be a great release! I can't wait to hear the b-side "Zansho Omimai Moshiagemasu," as it is an interesting concept. Hopefully Tsunku wrote a really good song if he's going to give it a title that similar to a super hit like the original a-side.

°C-ute's 8th major single "Bye Bye Bye!"

The PV for "Bye Bye Bye!" has been released on Dohhh UP! This single will be released on April 15 and the single V will be released on April 22.



Link to video on Dohhh UP!

After "LA LA LA Shiawase no Uta" I didn't think °C-ute's releases could get any worse. Good gracious was I wrong. "Bye Bye Bye!" looks and sounds like it is missing some essence. Let's break it down, shall we?

The clothes
Those shiny tracksuits that they are also wearing on the cover remind of "DANCE suru no da!" in a really awful way. The color and the shininess and the style are a little too turn of the century for me. It's also upsetting that they couldn't do a little more differentiation between the outfits. Everyone looks so similar in the PV. And why the hell does Maimi have a popped collar?

As much as I dislike the main costumes, the casual wear is even worse. First off, you can't actually tell what the girls are wearing because they only show them from the shoulders up. I'd like to imagine that they couldn't afford pants for them so the girls are all just wearing the sweats they showed to the set in. The parts we can see are all mismatched: Maimi is wearing a t-shirt, Airi and Chisato are wearing peasant tops, Saki and Mai look like middle-aged women at the office, and Erika is wearing a scarf and presumably a shirt.

The set
Set? What set? Oh, you mean that bizarre industrial room with a light display in the background that might have been cool before LCD screen came about. Or do you mean that worst-Hello!-Project-CG-background-yet "set" during the closeups?

But really, the screen that says the name of the song and flashes pretty animated colors is no substitute for a real set. And some stupid pastel interpretation of abstract art is even worse.

The dance
I think the dance itself is alright, but it seems to have been shot very poorly. During the dance break everyone looks like they are in the wrong place even when they are not moving across the floor. Perhaps it was originally choreographed for seven and the translation to six didn't work well.

The girls also look really bored and unenergetic, which is a cardinal sin in the world of idols. Even Risako manages to pull out some semblance of energy for PVs (I wish she would for concerts as well), but the °C-ute members (even the normally dance-tastic Maimi!) look like they aren't aware that they are performing.

The song
First off, it sounds like it should have been released about twenty years ago. Those backing vocals are ridiculous! They just don't fit with these girls' thin teenage voices. I do kind of like the "take control" bit though. It's very empowering.

The thing that really bothers me, and I mean really bothers me especially after they did it on the opening track of Platinum 9 DISC as well, is the vocal distortion. I wish I could say that I'm fine with them doing the distortion on Saki as I can't stand her voice, but the distortion sounds so harsh and jagged. Distortion like that is what they used on pop singers who couldn't sing before Auto Tune was invented. I also really hate those hiccups at 3:40. They sound like they aren't supposed to be there!

Now, I don't absolutely hate this song. I really appreciate that Mai started it out. With the hiatus of Kanna Mai has moved up my third-place °C-ute member. It was nice to see her featured so much in the song!

Maimi's belting at 3:50 was a seriously delicious climax. In fact, I really loved the last 20 seconds of the track. It seems like the girls gained some energy in the dance and the backing vocals changed to something more appropriate.

Overall, this is my least favorite °C-ute single so far. I was really hoping they'd get another great release like "Edo no Temari Uta II" or "Tokaikko Junjou," but this falls back into the ranks of the other major singles. I'm really hoping we get Kanna back before their next release!

Bad news round-up, with a touch of sexy bea~m

First off, I am sick :( I've had a fever all day, and after performing a nasal swab (most unpleasant thing ever), the doctor at the health center determined I have a virus, but not the flu. My roommate and his fiancée have been weening me back to health with orange juice, ice cream, and Rooster Booster Lite.

As for the news that you folks really care about: Kanna is out of °C-ute indefinitely and Kirarin☆Revolution is ending next month!

Kanna

According to a news piece on Stardust Kanna has severe bunions and won't be participating in °C-ute until she is feeling better, which will be a while. According to the article, "The statement from H!P says that they expect her to be out of the upcoming °C-ute concert tour and promotional activities for °C-ute’s single 'Bye Bye Bye!'"

Kanna is one of my favorite members of °C-ute, in fact I think she's the "cutest" member. I really hope that she feels better soon! Th embedded video below is a slideshow I made as a get well wish.



Kirarin☆Revolution

According to ★Strawberrie★'s blog, the anime Kirarin☆Revolution that gave us Tsukishima Kirari starring Kusumi Koharu (Morning Musume), Kira☆Pika, Milky Way, and SHIPS will be ending March 27 after a 5-year-long run.

Suddenly the best-of album and live show makes a lot more sense. I've never seen an episode of Kirarin☆Revolution but I've loved the music it has spawned. Milky Way got two amazing singles, and I can only hope that Kikkawa Yuu will get another project. Will this be the end of Koha's solo career? I certainly hope not. Her releases were selling like hot cakes, and as she got older and her personality developed I really grew to love her solo work.

And now, a bit of good news

Yaguchi Mari performed her upcoming single "Seishun Boku" on Quiz! Hexagon II! You can watch it in the video embedded below.

Sheer Hat Attack

There's something about Hello! Project Kids and tiny hats! Over the last several years we've seen them in miniature versions of berets, top hats, cowboy hats, garrison caps, tiaras, pillbox hats, and diner hats. I've spent the last week raiding the Hello! Online Picboard for instances of these delightful little pieces of headwear, and I kindly compiled them into a categorized Picassa album. If I've left out any note-worthy tiny hats, please tell me so I can complete my collection.




For your convenience, I've added some side-by-side comparisons of regular-sized and tiny hats!

Beret


Top Hat


Cowboy Hat


Garrison Cap


Tiara


Pillbox Hat


Diner Hat


So what's next on the H!P Kids + Tiny Hats agenda? I have a few suggestions (as always)...

Sombrero

For the upcoming "Berryachi" single featuring Herb Alpert. ¡Olé!

Witch Hat

Tiny version needed now!

Mortarboard

For when Nakajima Saki graduates to concentrate on her studies (in my dreams).

Chef Hat

Let's make a Berry tart!

Bowler

Á la modestly hot Homsar:



Fez

For some reason I can really see Buono! in tiny fezzes.

°C-ute's 4th album "④Akogare My STAR"

°C-ute's fourth album ④Akogare My STAR dropped last Wednesday. I've listened to it several times in the last week (which says something in itself) to allow myself to get a really good idea of how I feel about the tracks. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much of this album because a) °C-ute is far from my favorite group and b) their last album was pretty pitiful. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. So, here goes the review.

1. ★Akogare My STAR★ (*****)
This song is a really catchy first tune. Great instrumentals and some pretty harmonies and rhythms in the vocals. I also love the constant reassurance that I can dance.

2. One's LIFE / Umeda Erika, Okai Chisato, Hagiwara Mai (***--)
This has a sort of bland sound to it. I feel like I've heard the chorus parts on a Morning Musume B-side or something. I really enjoyed the rapping parts though and it had just the right amount of Mai. Not a song I would queue up outside of the context of this album though.

3. Yes! all my family / Suzuki Airi (****-)
I'm not a big fan of Airi, but I liked this track. I've found myself humming it to myself quite a bit over the last few days. There's something really wonderful about the "oh yes my dreams" bit that attracts me to the song. The persistent synth drums and Airi's freestyling are pretty irritating though.

4. Namida no Iro (***--)
I really liked this song when it first was released. It was an infinitely better single than "LA LA LA Shiawase no Uta," after all. It also helped that Maimi looked bad ass dancing in the PV. There's also harmonization, clapping, and some actual instruments in the instrumentation going for it. On the other hand there's still way too much synthesized filler sound. Please, UFA, hire a drummer and a string section instead of faking it!

5. Aishiteru Aishiteru / Nakajima Saki, Arihara Kanna (**---)
This song is so simple that I could probably sound good singing it, and yet Nakajima doesn't have the pipes for even this. At least Kanna sings decently well and quite cutely in it.

6. Seishun Song / Yajima Maimi (****-)
"Natsu DOKI Lipstick" is probably one of the top 10 songs in H!P history and Maimi is my #1 °C-ute girl, so I was really excited to hear this track. Maimi sounds amazing, of course, but the song is still pretty boring. I imagine this song will be fantastic in concert though.

7. Bｉg dreams (*----)
Absolute filler trash.

8. SHINES (****-)
I actually really like this song. It has a really different sound for H!P. Reminds me a lot of Persian pop. The song somehow sounds very distinctly °C-ute, and I can't imagine any other group singing it.

9. Yakusoku wa toku ni shinai wa (**---)
Frankly, most of °C-ute don't have the chops for a song like this. I can really hear the whiny straining in the chorus, and it is painful. Just listen to Berryz' "BE" for really well done ballad vocals. The song gets an extra star for theoretically being a decent song if someone more talented was singing it.

10. FOREVER LOVE (****-)
I didn't care for this song until I heard it on the album. I still don't think it's a great choice for a single, but I love it as an album track. It's really a breath of fresh air after "Yakusoku wa toki ni shinai wa."

11. Edo no Temari Uta II (*****)
One of the best releases of 2008, and absolutely °C-ute's best single. Everything about this track is just right, and I think it's a great way to end an album.

Overall this album exceeded my expectations, but's no 5(FIVE). Maybe their next single "Bye Bye Bye!" will make me see the light of °C-ute, but it's highly doubtful considering how irritating I find Nakajima.