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."

Maeda Yuki's 10th single "Mianeyo ~Gomennasai~"

The PV for "Mianeyo ~Gomennasai~" has been released on Dohhh UP! This single will be released on April 7.



Link to video on Dohhh UP!


Wow, Maeda Yuki is just getting more and more beautiful as the years go on. At 30 years old she is more gorgeous than she was at her debut ten years ago.

The song is lovely as well. It sounds almost whispered at times, and so heartfelt. I feel like she's really apologizing to me for breaking my heart.

The PV is a truly mature one. All the settings are so beautiful and sensual. It's so sad at the end to see her drinking away her pain :(

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! ~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.

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.

S/mileage's 4th indie single "Otona ni Narutte Muzukashii!!!"

S/mileage's 4th indie single Otona ni Narutte Muzukashii!!! (オトナになるって難しい!!!) will be released on March 14.



WAO!!!~!

Wow. Ok. Whoa.

The Outfits

I wasn't a huge fan of the promo outfits for Suki-chan, but I really like these! I'm in love with the cardigan. I wish I had one just like it! Everything else is just so cute! The pink plaid fits their image really well, and of course I like the tiny hats :) I'll admit, I was a little uncomfortable with how good Kanon looks in the costume. She's really growing up fast!

The casual outfits are pretty boring though. I would even say DAWA's is ugly. It looks like she's wearing an acid-wash denim jacket. Boo, I say.

The Song

Well, it looks like someone figured out that the whisper chants in "Suki-chan" were a big hit. The "waku waku waku waku," "doki doki doki doki," etc. bits were very sweet and fun. The more I listen to the song the more I like it. The backing track is cute and youthful, just like the girls. I'm also a huge fan of the title. "Otona ni Narutte Muzukashii!!" translates to "becoming an adult is difficult!!!" Truer words were never spoken, my friends.

The Set

Well, the set is all green screened in, and I think it's wonderful! It's a similar style to Morning Musume's "3,2,1 BREAKIN' OUT!" but I think this PV is a better composition. Granted, it looks a bit amateur-ish in comparison, but I think that fits with the image of the group and song. On the other hand, we get two outfits. We get swings and bike riding. We get heads and torsos gliding across the screen (also seen in Minimoni's "Lucky Cha Cha Cha!"). We get adorable antics and dramatically sighing Kanon. It would be a lot more impressive without the "3,2,1 BREAKIN' OUT!" PV having preceded it, but I still give it two thumbs up.

The Dance

Well, since this isn't just a glorified dance shot, I can't make a lot of judgements about the dance. It looks pretty simple, but still energetic. There's a lot of follow-the-leader moves, which seems to be a fad in H!P right now.

The Cover



This cover is pure lol. Whoever put it together needs to fired. The composition is awful! At first glance Saki looks like a contortionist with enormous calves, but upon closer inspection those legs belong to Kanon, who is flying through the air with the aid of an electric fan. Saki also appears to be fending off the popcorn eruption that DAWA has an extremely contrived shock at. Meanwhile, Yuuka is sighing over a big a present that displays the "Produced by Tsunku." That box is probably full of old Sharam Q cassettes.

I really can't wait for S/mileage's first major release, which should be coming soon! Their debut concert is just 4 weeks away. After 4 great PVs I'm actually a little worried that the quality of their releases might actually go down with their major debut. Or that, like fellow graduated Egg Mano Erina before them, they will get a great debut song and then a trail of blah.

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

Hello! Café Morning Coffee tasting

Welcome to Hello! Café! You've come just in time for our special Morning Coffee tasting event. We have seven delicious blends and you're welcome to as many tastes as you can handle!

A Covert Operation - Mission 2: Double You

Tsuji Nozomi and Kago Ai graduated from Morning Musume on August 1, 2004, but during their last three months in the group they began activity as a cover unit: W!

Mission 2: Double You

W's first release was a cover of The Peanuts' "Koi no Vacance." The single included two couplings, which were also Peanuts covers. The Peanuts were identical twins, thus making them the perfect duo for the twinned Kago and Tsuji to emulate. W went on to release a cover album, another cover single, and a second album containing some cover tracks.

Namida no Taiyou: a cover for every decade

Lately I've been spending a lot of time reformatting the release pages for Melon Kinenbi over at wiki.JpopStop, and today I ran across an interesting tidbit that I was previously unaware of. Melon Kinenbi's twelfth single (Namida no Taiyou) is a cover. But it's not just a cover, it's song sort of ultimate debut song.



The song was originally released as Emy Jackson's debut single Namida no Taiyou (Crying in a Storm) back in 1965. It's in English and is a rockin' little track. It's credited to Emy Jackson to Smashmen, whoever the Smashmen are.


Eight years later Anzai Maria, who was a quarter European by birth, released her debut: Namida no Taiyou with Japanese lyrics! It's definitely got that '70s sound like early Pink Lady.


Tanaka Minako debuted in 1989, and guess what her first single was. Yep, a new version of Namida no Taiyou. This time we get both Japanese and English lyrics, and an '80s-tastic instrumental. Ah, the synths and the sound of breaking glass!


That same year Sandii & The Sunsetz released their own cover of Namida no Taiyou (with English lyrics) for a slim mentholated cigarette commericial. Fun fact: TV ads for cigarettes were outlawed in the U.S. in 1971 and in the U.K. in 1965 but are still legal in Japan.


After a 14-year lull the world saw the return of Namida no Taiyou on B'z guitarist Matsumoto Tak's cover album THE HIT PARADE with vocals by Aiuchi Rina. This version's got a hard guitar track and with a nice modern sound.


Of course 2004 brought the version we all know and love. Melon Kinenbi's twelfth single Namida no Taiyou. I believe this is their only cover released under Hello! Project aside from MEGA MELON's "GIVE ME UP."

Nearly every major group and soloist in Hello! Project has released at least one cover single. Don't believe me? Here's a list of H!P cover singles:

• Goto Maki - "San Toi Ma Mie" (originally by Salvatore Adamo)
• Matsuura Aya - "Watarasebashi" (originally by Moritaka Chisato)
• Morning Musume - "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" (originally by Maekawa Yoko & Young Fresh), "Pepper Keibu" (originally by Pink Lady)
• Berryz Koubou - "Dschinghis Khan" (originally by Dschinghis Khan)
• °C-ute - "Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu" (originally by Candies)
• Abe Natsumi - "The Stress" (originally by Moritaka Chisato)
• Minimoni - "Rock 'n' Roll Kenchoushozaichi" (originally by Moritaka Chisato)
• v-u-den - "Nanni mo Iwazu ni I LOVE YOU" (originally by Morning Musume)
• W - "Koi no Vacance" (originally by The Peanuts) and "Koi no Fuga" (originally by The Peanuts)
• Melon Kinenbi - "Namida no Taiyou"
  

I wonder when Mano Erina's first cover single will come :D

New single for Maeda Yuki

I didn't thing we'd see another release from her after her album last year, but Maeda Yuki's got a new single on the way! It's going to be a double A-side called Mianeyo ~Gomennasai~ / Eien (ミアネヨ 〜ごめんなさい〜 / 永縁).

Looks like the first is another Korean theme. Last time it was Kenchana ~Daijoubu~ (ケンチャナ〜大丈夫〜), with kenchana (괜찮아) and daijoubu (大丈夫) both meaning something like "it's alright" in English. With Mianeyo ~Gomennasai~, mianeyo (미안 해요) and gomennasai (ごめんなさい) both mean "I'm sorry" in English. The second A-side Eien means "eternity."

The single will be released April 7.

Guardians 4's 4th single "Going On!"

The PV for "Going On!" has been released on Dohhh UP! This single will be released on January 20 and the single V will be released on February 3.



Link to video on Dohhh UP!


It seems Guardians 4 is going a bit stale. I do not rate this release well. Hopefully the accompanying Shugo Chara Egg! song will be better. I'm excited to hear the new Amulet Diamond Tatabe Nanabi at least!

The song

Well, the girls voices are nice. Nakky seems to have really improved recently. Otherwise it's just super boring. And that "heart unlock" part is irritating.

The PV

This is a bizarre concept. Why is there a lion directing, a green elephant working the camera, and a purple thing doing... whatever it's doing? I like it that kooky aspect of it, but sadly it is poorly edited. The shots are much too long, which makes the whole thing sort of stagnate. There's far too much lens flare and arbitrary anime clips. I did enjoy the phallic vegetable scenes, especially Nakky's reluctance to take the leeks. Why did Yurina end up with a non-phallic fruit though? Well, when Scarface was edited for TV they replaced the word "pussy" with "pineapple." Coincidence? (...probably :P)

The outfits

I'll tell you what, I love these Guardians 4 outfits on Aika. Her bod is totally rockin' and these really show it off. Sadly the stylists always make her hair look awful. I just don't understand how all the others can look so perfectly coiffed while Aika looks like her straightening iron is tragically broken.

Overall, I'm not pleased. The PV concept was right up my alley, but poorly executed. The song couldn't be more forgettable. Well, better luck next time, ladies!

Kago Ai's 1st single "no hesitAtIon"

The PV for Kago Ai's debut solo single "no hesitAtIon" has been released. The single will be released on June 24. BUY IT!



Lord have mercy, this girl is too fabulous to exist. I just need to keep listening to and watching this a couple of times.

10 minutes later

Okay, seriously, this is good. When I first heard about this, my thought was that I would buy it no matter how bad it was, because I love Kago. When I heard the preview I thought, this might not be too bad.

But this PV has turned that all around.

I want to just sit and a room and watch and listen to this for a day. No eating, drinking, sleeping, blinking. Just Kago.

The song
I didn't know what to expect from the song itself. I've been of the opinion that while Tsuji's voice never really grew beyond her little girl "Nono" sound, Kago was really becoming quite the singer before she was fired.

This song just shows how well she can sing. The backup vocals are doing just that: backing her up. They add a little audio interest to the song without overpowering her beautiful voice during every chorus. The instrumentals are actually really nice, too. Very flowing, and with proper use of dynamics.

I won't begin to act like I can translate the lyrics, which she wrote herself, beyond the obvious "no hesitation" and some references to the sky and other simple nouns like that. It will be so nice to see what the lyrics mean.

Hearing this song makes me excited to hear the b-side!

The video
Okay, my main beef with it is "did we really need to see your panties, Kago?" But let's put that aside for now.

Is it just me or does she look somehow timeless in everything she's wearing? I feel like this video could have been release any time within the last 40 years or so and look fresh. I'm really impressed at how they managed to make her look her age. She really looks like a 21 year old woman, not a teenager trying to dress like an adult. And her hair looks terrific! If there's one thing Hello! Project stylists consistently got wrong it's Kago's hair outside of pig tails.

The camera work is so clean and bright, too. There's not a ton of bloom or lens flair, which are both very popular right now. They might have overused the unfocused lens thing a bit much, but other than that it's just perfect.

The lip syncing is a bit off and she occasionally looked at a loss for what to do with her hands. But other than that she just showed such beautiful spirit throughout the whole thing. She looks really genuinely happy in the whole thing, and when Kago's happy, I'm happy.

Also, way to be sustainable with your glass water bottle!

I might have to do a second review of this once I've heard the b-side. Also, because I love Kago two much.

Mano Erina's 3rd major single "Sekai wa Summer Party"

The PV for "Sekai wa Summer Party" has been released on Dohhh UP! This single will be released on July 29 and the single V will be released on August 5.



Link to video on Dohhh UP!

Overall, this track is like a glass of iced tea that's been sitting out a little too long: sweet and refreshing, but a little too watery.

The song

I love that there are real instruments and not just synth-crap for the backing. However, this is a little boring. I had the same problem with "Hajimete no Keiken." It's a cute song, but I probably won't be listening to it much. It doesn't sound terribly summery either :( Perhaps like "Nakimushi. Yowamushi" on her last single I'll end up finding the b-side "Jasmine Tea" to be an infinitely better track.

The set

This reminds me of old school Matsuura Aya. It's just her being generally adorable with sundry little props. Overall very sweet and fun to watch. The giant globe isn't my favorite, but at least it seems to be a physical object and not a green screen composition.

The dance

Oh, like everything else it's nothing terribly special. I like seeing S/mileage again as backup dancers.

The outfits

I don't care for the outfits. The plaid one isn't particularly summery, modern, or attractive and the yellow one is sort of age inappropriate. Neither of them look much like party clothes or vacation clothes. The little school girl outfits S/mileage has going on are just kind of boring.

Overall, this release seems a bit disappointing. I hope people who do like it don't a) get sick of it or b) get tired of it by the time it's released. Why did the PV come out so dang early?

°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.