Berryz to attend AnimeNEXT

Seriously? I can't believe it. Mere hours after I wrote "I'm still holding out for Berryz to get invited to Japan Expo" in my previous entry about Buono's concert in Paris this February, news broke that they have been invited to a tiny convention on the US' east coast by the name of AnimeNEXT.

My dreams for this year are shattered.

But maybe I can still put them back together.

While I wasn't too keen on the idea initially (and didn't even consider going to their Sakuracon performance for the same reason), I may find a way to attend. America has generally been in the realm of the darkest, most cob-webbed corners - and filed with a do not want sticker - of the "countries to visit" list that I'm sure everyone compiles at some point whether physically or mentally.

And yet, this time something appeals to me.

When I went to Japan Expo for Morning Musume, I had the time of my life, that is true. And much of what made it so was the people I was with. Team Awesome, as Lolli named us. But I still knew that I was a Berryz fan in a sea of Momusu freaks. I still feel guilty that JunJun thought I was wearing one of her concert shirts when it was a Maasa one. So what would happen if it had been a Berryz event?

I seemed to get recognised a great deal when I was at PJX. "You're Dran, right? I read your blog!" and so on. I also feel guilty that many of the people who said this to me, I didn't recognise either. Some of them I did know after they told me their name. But they put me at a disadvantage by recognising me by my awesome good looks. Well... you know.

Would I be more recognised in a crowd of Berryz fans? Would I recognise more people? Who knows. It's an experiment that sounds fun to try though.

And then there's the crowning moment. That which I would see Sudou Maasa for the first time in person. No thought has ever been so compelling to me. For 3 years now I've been referred to as Pope Dran of the Church of Maasa (a title I'm not all that fond of. Sounds too.... pope-y.) And yet, I've never so much as laid eyes on her. Does that make me qualified to be Church leader?

Oh well. The US is still very far indeed. A lot of money, which could be better spent saving for Japan. I have no idea yet if I can afford to go there, at any rate. But we'll see. If I can, it'll be just as tight-cut as it would be to go see Buono. More expensive, perhaps. But also further away. A bit like the sun and moon. The sun is 400 times larger than the moon, but also 400 times further away. So from our perspective, they appear to be the same size in the sky.

The convention will run in Somerset, New Jersey from the 8th of June to the 10th, I believe.

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Buono! Concert in Europe... again!

It has been 2 years now since Buono! announced their ill-fated trip to Stockholm to perform at the Japan Expo. Now, in early 2012, they're planning to make a second attempt at performing in Europe.

Back then I was pretty excited. It was to be the first time that any Hello! Project group was to perform outside of Asia. That was big news. Morning Musume were set to appear a few months later at Anime Expo, but the first would be Buono! And in Europe! I was determined to go.

Despite my parents insisting that I couldn't actually afford to go, I managed to convince them otherwise, and everything was booked. Flights, accomodation, Expo tickets. As time drew nearer, and our excitement grew exponentially with it, we were utterly distraught by the cancellation.

It didn't turn out too bad though. A group os us who had already paid for everything went anyway, and had a good time which became the first (and, unfortunately, only) Eurowota event. But even now that dejection in the wake of the cancellation announcement still haunts me.

And now that we have a second shot?

I... don't care.

It's not that I don't want to go. I do. But that sense of urgency that was there with the Stockholm visit just isn't there. I don't really feel like it's in any way imperative that I'm actually there.

So I'm not sure if I actually intend to go. With some pretty awesome book-keeping, I'm certain that I could pull it off. But I'm still holding out for Berryz to get invited to Japan Expo. It's a small hope, perhaps. But I know that if they do announce it after I've commited to going to see Buono, I won't have the money to see Berryz. And I'd be kicking myself from here to Calais if that happened.

Who knows. Maybe I'm holding out for something that will never happen. Maybe I'm a fool to do so.

It's still possible that I'll attend this concert. After all, I was initially very indifferent towards the idea of going to see Morning Musume at PJX. But when I did go I had a great time. Most fun I've ever had, if I'm honest. But at present, I'm very much sitting on the fence with this.

That said, for those of you who aren't sat on the fence, it's set to take place on the 12th of February, at Le Machine du Moulin Rouge, at the heart of Paris' entertainment districts.

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Berryz Koubou "Heroine ni Narou ka?" PV

Well, Berryz Koubou's new single "Heroine ni Narou ka?", to be released the first week of March, now has a PV which, it appears, has attracted very mixed reactions.

I guess I'll throw my own into the fray.

The PV is good. Like everyone else, I'm sure, my first reaction upon seeing it was "Holy crap, it's Lady Gaga." So let's get this out of the way first. 

The whole Lady Gaga controversy (does it count as a controversy?) seems unavoidable. The parallels between those solo close up shots and Lady Gaga's own music video run so closely that one might forgive you for actually thinking they came from the same place. I'm not sure what was going through UFW's mind when they created it, but I'm sure plaigerism wasn't it. Can anyone seriously expect them to be stupid enough to do something like that and expect everyone to not notice? No. Some people may give them a hard time for their apparant foolishness, but they are a business which has been going (in one form or another) for decades. It takes a certain degree of intelligence to run a business like that, and that certainly wouldn't be on par with the intelligence required. 

Anyway, that aside, the PV turned out to be pretty decent. The dance shot and story parts of the PV proved to be interesting, with sexy outfits all round - especially Maasa. There was a brief debate (or rather an exchange of views) on the dance shot earlier in #wotachat. It seems Magatsu17 didn't really like the PV because of the dance shot and his inability to see it. And I guess it sort of makes sense. They aren't very well lit, and they are all dressed in black. But it did give the dance shot an interesting vibe. And with the crazy light show going on in the background, it was like watching a rave inside TRON. I think it was also intended to contrast the close up version with the Lady Gaga wigs as it jumps from dark to light and back again.

The song itself is really catchy, though something I'd more expect from C-ute than I would from Berryz. There's a fairly decent distibution of lines for those that care about such things and each girl does a fantastic job performing it.

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Berryz to resume blogging!

For much of November and December the girls in Berryz Koubou began blogging to varying degrees of activity, which I reported at the time on the Church of Maasa. But come the end of the festive season and, more importantly, the Autumn-Winter concert tour, the blogs suddenly ended. Though they did remain online, no new posts were made.

But it's been reported that, beginning around Valentine's Day, and no doubt lasting for the length of the upcomming concert tour, the blogs will return.

For the first week or so, I translated Maasa's blog as best as I could, after promising to do so for the last year or so, and reiterating that promise as recent as 3 or 4 days before the blogs were announced. But it quickly became too much for me. She typically blogs 3-4 times per day, it seems, and I was having a lot of trouble with the writing style and trying to work out exactly what was being said. So, after a build up of a lot of stress over something so trivial, I dropped the translations and focused on the Light Novel no Tanoshii Kakikata blog. I probably won't be doing any translating of blogs this time around. But I'll still read my favourite members' blogs as best I can.

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Berryz Koubou to release 7th Anniversary PB

It was revealed today on the official Hello! Project site that, to mark 7 years since Berryz Koubou first debuted, they will be releasing a celebratory Photobook titled Berryz Koubou 7 Shuunen Kinen PHOTO BOOK 「7」.

The website hints at what the PB will include. It will feature pictures of each girl through the years, going back as far as their very first Photobook. A good chance to easily glance over how each member has chnaged in the past 7 years in a trip down memory lane for everyone. I have a feeling that seeing these pictures again will evoke just as many memories among us fans as it will among the girls themselves. 

That said, I hope we get to see the girls' reactions upon seeing the photobook for the first time. How they react to those old pictures of themselves and eachother will prove to be a very interesting watch. And I hope UFA have the foresight to have cameras on hand when it's first shown to the girls.

Aside from that, there will also be interviews where the girls will, presumably, talk about their 7 years in Berryz (and 9 in Hello! Project). Perhaps retelling an anecdote or two. It will also, assuredly, provide us with some information on where Berryz hope to be in the future. 

I think that this is a vital PB for Berryz fans, both new and old. But it probably won't hold much interest for anyone else. Judging from the information we have been provided already, it's unlikely to catch the attention of a random punter off the street.

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Buono!'s Zassou no Uta PV

Upon the creation of Buono!'s official YouTube channel, it seemed that the first order of business was the release of their newest PV, featured below.

The PV features the girls singing, dancing, and working, in a garage, surrounded by horribly "pimped" classic sportscars - complete with neon underlighting. It's a horrible mess. But at least it's pretty clear what they were trying to achieve. And, abominations against the world of automobiles aside, the PV is actually pretty decent.

The decision to set it in a garage was a weird one though. I guess there's something intricately sexy about girls who understand mechanics. Despite the stigma attatched to people who work in such places.

The song itself isn't the best that Buono! have ever released, and is by far one of the least memorable tunes. But at the same time, I've heard much worse come from H!P. So this song exists somewhere in the middleground between "interesting - awesome" and "interesting - rubbish".

All in all, a decent PV and a decent song, if slightly on the boring side.

Yet on a not-so-boring note... What is up with Miyabi's hair? She looks like Minni Mouse.

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Buono! on YouTube

Joining the ranks of Hello!Project artists who have gained their own YouTube channel are Buono!.

As with previous channels, it will no doubt become the main source of Buono! PVs on YouTube, as well as many other exclusive video bytes and promotional messages.

This is definitely a good sign. It shows us that Buono! are here to stay. But more importantly, it shows us that UP FRONT aren't as far off the ball as one might think at first glance. Piracy is a major problem for the music industry, and there was a time when any music videos posted on YouTube would be removed for copyright infringment, but the industy (UFW included) are beginning to turn their heads and realise that such draconian measures never work, and the best thing to do is to actually join in. By providing an official alternative to the dozens of PV uploaders already existing, they can still make money thanks to advertising. And, let's be honest, if you see two copies of the same PV on there, one uploaded by the official Buono! channel, and one uploaded by jimbob123, we're all more likely to go to the Buono! one, whether we realise it or not.

This is just one more step on the continuing road to embracing the internet, which was previously shunned. A trend that I feel will come to define the new decade.

Official Bouno! YouTube Channel

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Miyabi gets a Solo DVD!

The news broke yesterday that Miyabi will be releasing a new Solo DVD some time next month with the title『NATURAL & COOL』. 

It was only two or three days ago that I was saying in #wotachat that I predict they'll announce Miyabi's second photobook this week. Turns out that I was pretty darn close. Though I'll admit that I was mostly joking when I said it. The converstation had taken a down turn with everyone saying "after Ai-chan's announcement last week, I wonder what horrible news awaits us this week". I said, "They'll announce Miya's 2nd PB," mostly to lighten the tone of the conversation, and also because it was the potential news that I most wanted to hear.

The funny part is that, upon making the prediction, the others dismissed the idea almost immediately. "She probably doesn't want a PB," they said. That's reasoning I've heard before. The Captainists have been saying that for years in an attempt to explain why their Idol doesn't have a PB. And yet the announcement came then too, proving all of the naysayers wrong.

While there hasn't been a photobook announced this time yet, it's still a very real possibility. Captain's solo DVD was also announced prior to the photobook. It used to be the normal order of things. It's only fairly recently that they switched them up whereby photobooks were starting to get announced first. So, I'm pretty certain that the PB will be announced over the next week or two. And if it isn't, you can hold my words against me.

We have been gifted a brief preview the solo DVD, however. It's far shorter than anything we could have hoped for, but I know perfectly fine that for fans of an Idol, even the smallest of videos and news bytes become the most significant stories in the world. And I'm certain that this news deserves nothing less than such treatment.

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Berryz Koubou's 6th Album "6th Osakebi"

So the new Berryz album is here. What do I think of it? Well. Let's take a look, shall we?

First up, let's take a peek at the covers to the right. Regular being the top one, and Limited the bottom. The costumes are wonderfully bright and colourful. It's these colourful covers that make Berryz stick out so much next to Morning Musume and C-ute whose covers are usually pretty dark. I do like those dark covers, they look great. But they aren't eyecatching enough. Are these covers eyecatching? Pastel colours and cute girls? I suppose they could have done worse. In fact, this is one of those CDs where I find that I actually prefer the regular edition's cover. Which is a shame, because I never buy the regular. I always go for the limited edition where possible. Something about it being limited edition draws me to it. I just like the idea that in 10 years I'll have a copy and these will be difficult to find. Or they will in my mind anyway.

Is it just me, though, or does UFA insist on giving the girls those god-awful bows at every opportunity. They were something of a signiture of Tsuji Nozomi's before, and now they keep giving them out to everyone. Chinami and Miyabi this time around. Does anyone actually like those? Answers on a postcard.

Anyway, onto the music!

Otakebi Boy WAO! / Berryz Koubou

First song on the album just happens to be the first song from the new single. The best word to describe this song is "POWER". Everything about it reflects this theme. The singing, the guitars, the PV. Everyone sings at a low register, the one everyone seems to be talking about is Risako, who (and I hate to let this word become a cliché) sings powerfully throughout. In fact, the song reminds me alot of Morning Musume Otome-gumi. The songs are very different, but the feel of the songs are not too dissimiliar. But here, even Momoko manages to hit the low notes, which is no small feat, considering her normal voice. And the PV is simply epic. It has everything. Pink camoflauge, explosions, fire and lightning, Maasa roundhouse kicking AKB48's Atsuko Maeda (though I may have made one of those up). An epic video. An epic song. An epic start to an epic single and album.

Rival / Berryz Koubou

Rival. I'm in the minority with this one. It's a good song. But I'm from the small group who thought it wasn't as good as it's partner. More on that later though. This song, despite me preferring the other one, is still really good. The rock-ey guitar riffs and vocals make this one an incredibly catchy song. The PV is fine. But overall, the song is one of the more forgettable ones.

Ryuusei Boy / Berryz Koubou

This was an instant favourite. More recently Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama has become my preference from that single, but it took longer for Danna-sama to grow on me. I liked this one from first listen. Only trouble was that everyone else was talking about this single for 2 months before I finally got to hear it. I never listen to previews. I generally wait for the PVs to come out before giving singles a listen. But this time I had opted to save it. I felt it was a show of my own dedication as a fan to not only buy it without listening to it (which I've done a few times before), but to not listen to it until I had my copy and could stick it in my CD player. But due to extreme delays with the delivery (4 weeks after it shipped and I still hadn't gotten it) I didn't get to hear it til much later than the rest of the world. I picked a fine time to challenge myself. But it became like Lent or something. I managed to resist the urge to listen to it "early", which was at some points unbearable, and heard the single and loved it when it finally arrived. The dance shot version of the PV, which was included in my LE, looked so awesome that it tipped the scales and this became a new favourite song of mine. The dance, the costumes, the special effects. The catchy vocals. Every time I hear it I feel the need to get up and dance and sing along with it. 

Ai ni wa Ai desho / Momoko & Miyabi

Wonderful rock song. Miyabi and Momoko have had lots of practice at this kind of music with Buono! and I can't wait to see how this song looks in concert. I can already imagine some of the dance in my head. But I really want to see if it's anything like how I imagine. While their characters aren't quite as compatible, Momoko and Miyabi have voices that compliment eachother rather well as well as the guitar solos. In short, it's the perfect song for these two, and wouldn't have been anywhere near as good had it been given to anyone else.

Seishun Bus Guide / Berryz Koubou

This is the song I liked so much better than Rival. I've actually already blogged about this one before, so I'll keep this short. But the song was catchy. The costumes were awesome. And most importantly, I loved the video. I've heard alot of people claim that it was awful. But I don't think they could be more wrong. The video had a cute bus guide and the Berryz girls pretending to be schoolboys fawning over her? The whole thing was hillarious. Not to mention the fact that the bus somehow managed to achieve warp speed. 

Kimi no Tomodachi / Berryz Koubou

The first ballad of the album. It's a nice song. Risako seems to take point this time. What I find really interesting about this song is that during the chorus parts it kind of speeds up. The drum becomes more prominent and the singing speeds up, which then leads into a monologue by Risako. Also, is it just me, or has friendship been a reccuring theme recently? Ever since Dakishimete, I think.

Ground Demo Rouka Demo Medatsu Kimi / Maasa & Yurina

I must admit here, I'm inclined to love this song even before I hear it. Maasa and Yurina happen to be my two favourite Hello!Project members, and we haven't had the two of them singing together like this since Omoitattara Kichidesse! which also featured Chinami. This song lives up to expectations. It's split into two halves, where Yurina takes point at the start, and then halfway through it switches to Maasa. The two girls are a natural choice to put together. Maasa and Yurina are best friends, and they both have similiarly low voices. I love seeing them together, I love hearing them together. Admitadly, I doubt it will replace Omoitattara Kichidesse! as one of my top songs, but it's not trailing too far behind. It's just that that song was catchier and slightly funner.

Tomodachi wa Tomodachi Nanda / Berryz Koubou

Here we reach the epitomé of this "tomadachi" theme. The song itself isn't at all dissimiliar to Rival. It makes use of the same kind of rhythmic singing. Of course, this song is better than Rival. The song is catchier, the mere mention of the name causes me to start singing the chorus, and the lines are more even. All of the girls get a chance to sing a solo "section". The video reminds me somewhat of Buono!'s PVs like Kiss!Kiss!Kiss! and Take it Easy!. There's something of a plot to it. All of the girls are sitting having fun, but gradually all of them leave to do other things and Momoko is left on her own. But just as the loneliness kicks in, friendship wins out and everyone returns. Perhaps the most mainstream song Berryz have released ever. It combines a fresh, original PV with a great tune.

Kibou no Yoru / Berryz Koubou

Our second ballad. This one is a far more traditional ballad than Kimi no Tomodachi. It's somwhat akin to Sonosubete no Ai ni, and in my opinion, is a much more mainstream ballad. I doubt it'd sell very well as a single A-side. But as a song it's excellent, and would make an excellent VN theme. One of my favourites. It's not depressing, but a slow and uplifting love song. Once again, I feel like Risako takes point in this, but she's always been the best ballad singer in Berryz. If, like me, you are a fan of ballads I imagine you will love it. If not, I hope you give it a listen and find something to enjoy in it, because it's a wonderful track.

Dakishimete Dakishimete / Berryz Koubou

I believe this one took me slightly longer to get to really like than some of the other songs. I wasn't really sure about the dance music or the crazy techno video for it - in fact the video was my main problem at first. I didn't really like Maasa's costume (though Captain's was awesome), and this was around the time that Chinami started wearing her makeup alot thicker, which I still don't really like. But over time I've kind of accepted it as one of the better Berryz singles. Once you've heard it a few times, and tried to dance along, you quickly forget about whatever you didn't like about it and simply enjoy it. It's not exactly a musical masterpiece, but that's the key - it's one of the most fun songs on the album to listen to.

Yakimochi wo kudasai! / Saki, Chinami & Risako

This song starts off slightly boring, but by about halfway through you really start to enjoy it. It's kind of fun, and the tempo is just about right. Wonderful performances from all of the girls involved. And I am noticing that Captain gets her fair share of lines in this song, a feature that is unfortunately missing in most singles these days. Despite being the leader and the oldest (not to mention the best dancer), Captain is probably the most over-looked member of Berryz. She never really developed into a character the same way that the other girls did. So it's always great to hear her sing. I find myself clapping along the whole way through.

Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama / Berryz Koubou

Even though I originally preferred Ryuusei Boy, it wasn't long before this maturer, sexier song and it's video soon won me over. I'm not sure what it was about it. The PV is decent, and formulaic at best. It's like a Berryz single trying to be a Morning Musume single. And it's not really something that compells you to get up and dance along. It's as danceable as a ballad, without actually being a ballad. But despite it's shortcommings, I can't bring myself to hate it. The costumes, the sexy singing by Risako et al... There's nothing really to hate is there? Maybe it's just because songs like this are rare with Berryz. We've come to expect this sort of thing from Morning Musume, so it's become slightly more dull. But Berryz typically do genki songs, which makes this mature one something of a refresher. It proves to us that Berryz are capable of doing different styles when they need to.

So, my final verdict?

Due to the number of double A-sides released lately (mostly due to the fact that they are performing for an anime now, and they have the money to make 2 PVs) the amount of original content in this album has suffered. 7/12 songs we already own. That leaves us with 5 new tracks. The old tracks are great and the new tracks are decent enough, for the most part, that it makes it worth the buy, assuming you are a Berryz fan. If you only have a passing interest in Berryz or prefer C-ute or Morning Musume, I can't see you buying this album. Or perhaps you'll buy this album so you don't have to buy the singles. Unlike 5(FIVE) which had something for everyone, this album falls a little short of the standard set by the previous album. But is worth a listen anyway.

Buy it now on YesAsia
Limited Edition | Regular Edition

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Berryz Kobo Live in Bangkok

 

Well, I'm sure many of us are aware now that Berryz are playing a concert in Thailand. Bangkok, to be more precise. This, I'm sure, is great news for many of us. Great news for Berryz too. It makes the second time they have performed overseas. First Korea and now Thailand, they are well on their way to becoming the next internationaly-recognised H!P group, it seems. Or at least within Asia, anyhow. That fact evidenced by the fact that they are slated to perform at a 10,000-seating sports stadium.

As such, it would be wonderful to attend this historic concert. To support Berryz in their expansion into east Asia. And of course, to finally see Berryz live for the first time.

But this puts me in a bit of a predicament. A month before the concert I'm set to arrive in London for the 2010 Eurowota meet. However, that will prove so expensive that there's no way I'd be able to go to both. In fact, I'm not sure if I can really afford to go to London for the meet as I had set my goals on reaching Japan for a month around October. And I'm not sure if I can afford Japan after Eurowota, I definately can't afford it if I go to Thailand.

Thus, my predicament. On the Eurowota hand I get to see and meet some familiar faces from this year's meet again, as well as new faces. To this day I still think of the Eurowota 2009 meet in Stockholm as the best weekend of my life. So perhaps you understand why I want to go again. But by going to Thailand I'd get to see Berryz live, support them during their expansion and, as Cotton Cloth pointed out to me, get to see Maasa live! And then there's Japan... Well, that kind of speaks for itself. To live in Japan for a month, see concerts, experience the Japanese way of living, and hopefully learn to be a bit more independant in the process.

Then of course there is the travel itself. I love London, I've only been there a couple times in my life and it's a wonderful city. But it's still a very British way of life. By going to Thailand or Japan, I'd have the chance to see sights I've never seen before and experience a whole new culture first-hand.

Looks like I've got a bit of thinking to do, and alot of trying to balance how much money I have.

I'm trully torn.

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Berryz Koubou's Seishun Bus Guide... Damn right!

The full PV for Berryz Koubou's newest single Seishun Bus Guide is now available on DohhhUp! And I'm loving it.

The song itself is pretty decent, fast paced with lots of energy. It's a song you can dance to. And after a couple of listens it will stick in your head. I've heard people saying that the song isn't as good as previous ones like Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance or Dakishimete Dakishimete and I am inclinded to agree with them, but I'm pretty sure that opinion will change with a couple more listens and I'll be quoting RadicalPatriot with a "This is the best song ever written" kind of attitude. Just you wait, it'll make it's way into your psyche too and then you'll be loving it too. PUFFY sang Your Love is a Drug, but this song is better than love and the withdrawal symptoms all that much worse... See? I'm starting to think like Rad already, heh.

But the best part of this single isn't the song itself, no, it's the PV that goes with it.

First we open with a shot of the Berryz girls sitting on a bus in, wait, those aren't regular school uniforms... They are MALE school uniforms. Well, okay, that's unusual. Other than that the first thing I notice is Momoko's face, which cracks me up no matter how many times I watch the start of this video. Then the Bus Guide speaks, with a shot of her eyes and then her lips, leaving us desperate to know what her face looks like. But first, the director thought we'd like to see what Miyabi's face looks like in a great close-up which then turns into the dance shot. In this dance shot they appear to be standing in some sort of starship bridge, with some floating displays behind them showing a planet and satelite (perhaps the Earth and Moon) orbiting it.

...And then there's the costumes. I dunno how to describe those. They are like Space Age stewerdess uniforms... In hot pants. I like the future already.

Anyway, we get to see the Bus Guide's face and then the whole schoolboy outfit thing becomes clear. The bus scenes seem to be what the story in this PV is. The girls (or boys?) are all struck by the beauty of this random tour bus guide and spend the rest of the PV oggling her. This kinda reminds me of when my P.E class a couple years ago (note that for whatever reason girls and boys were normally segregated into different classes for P.E so it was a class of guys) got a pretty young (and hot) female teacher, we all acted in this way - I'm sure she abused this fact to make us work extra hard, damn that's an evil thing to do because it bloody worked. This PV is totally believable. Well, if you forget about the strange starship clips and the sexy space cadet uniforms.

But I started to notice one peculiar thing about the bus scenes. And that is how adorable the girls all look (particularly Maasa and Momoko) in those school uniforms. That shouldn't happen. They are supposed to be guys, why do I find them so attractive? And come to think about it, I used to say the same thing about Mr Moonlight. Hmm... It would appear that I am not quite so secure in my own sexuality as I'd previously thought.

So about 2:30 into the video, something really strange happens. The bus, er starship, goes to warp. The bus flys through the solar system in seconds and they pretty much treat it as if it were normal. If buses in Japan can do that, no wonder they pride themselves on a public transport system that is always on time. And it's here that something hits me...

Can you imagine a Berryz Koubou parody of Star Trek? Saki sitting on the bridge in her gold shirt, she says to Maasa, "Lieutenant, take us out, warp 6." Maasa would then respond, "Aye, Captain." And follow the orders. Why hasn't this been realised before? I hope this wasn't an idea they had to capitalise on the media attention that Star Trek XI has gotten. I'd never forgive them for such a thing. Okay, it's Berryz, so I probably would forgive them eventually, but my point still stands!

Well, I already bought my copy of this. I hadn't even heard it yet, but trusted my faith in Berryz to release something great. It was the same for MADAYADE and Monkey Dance, I bought both of those without ever hearing the songs, sometimes I don't even listen to a song until it arrives in the package. I've never been dissapointed yet by that tactic.

So, I definately reccomend that you buy this one if you haven't already. It's been great so far, and this is only one half of the single. It's a Double A-side, so it's gonna be good. I can't wait for my next YesAsia shipment to arrive.

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Stockholm Japan Expo

A few days ago a rumour surfaced that the Stockholm Japan Expo was going to be cancelled, and when the site went offline it made us all incredibly worried. Then the official confirmation arrived around mid-day yesterday.

Dear Customer,

Unfortunately we have to inform you that Stockholm Japan Expo 2009 is cancelled.

There are several reasons for this, the financial change in world economy, severe competition from other festivals/concerts as well as poor ticket sale.

This means you will get your ticket purchase back by www.ticnet.se. More info about this will be announced on our website (www.japanexpo.se) next week.

We deeply apologize for the inconvenience it may have caused and hope that Stockholm Japan Expo will be feasible in the near future.

With sincere apologies,

SJX-Crew

Needless to say, I was angry. Angry that after paying for it all and investing so much money and stress on the fact that I was going to see Buono! perform live. Angry after this had been snatched away from me. I felt like I, and thousands of other people, had been lied to by the Prime Minister himself.

Now, I've had a little time to think and clear my head though. I feel a little calmer, although the reality of it all still hasn't fully sunk in yet.

It's clear that Buono! and UFA have nothing to do with the decision, and it's trully a shame that we're sending such a message to them of the European fans. After this, I'd be reluctant to have the girls perform in Europe any time soon. I'm sure UFA are probably thinking the same. But I really doubt that the girls had any intention to perform here before this, they were invited by the SJX organisers (in collaboration with NewNippon, I believe) to perform at the expo. Much the same way I imagine Morning Musume were invited to Anime Expo. UFA were promised a sum of money, and they agreed to have the girls pay LA and Stockholm a visit. I guess the hope then was to have this kickstart a western expansion by the agency and the talents.

We Europeans haven't gained anything, nor have we lost anything short of an oppertunity. The Battle for Britain is clearly much further off than we had thought.

The biggest consolodation that I have found in the cancellation is that I will no longer have to perform wotagei for Buono! I said I wanted to learn and perform wotagei for them, and I still have that dream. But if there's one thing I've learned from my practice, it's that Buono! are a difficult group to learn the wotagei to. Their music isn't exactly traditional J-Pop, and I've had a little trouble differentiating between who is actually singing and when - particularly Miyabi and Airi, as when singing as part of Buono! the two have very similiar voices. I really don't think I'm ready for them.

Had the group been Berryz Koubou instead, I probably wouldn't have that sense of relief, as I'm much more confident when it comes to Berryz songs which are much more familiar to me, and the voices I can tell apart in an instant.

I had bought myself a happi coat specifically for this concert though, and I will regret that I won't be able to use it.

Despite this, I know many of us have still got money invested in visiting Stockholm as non-refundable and are still planning on visiting. I'm one of these people. And I look forward to meeting any fellow fans and wota who will make the pilgrimage, even if the prophets are gone. I'm confident that we will have a wonderful time regardless, after all... Stockholm is supposed to be a wonderful city and the Swedes a wonderful people.

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Buono! at the Stockholm Japan Expo!

Well, I'm sure everyone and their grandmother knows about this now. But I've been a little pre-occupied with college, and with Maasa's photobook news lately. And I wanted to talk about it myself.

So, it's been confirmed that everyone's favourite 3-nin Hello!Project group will be paying us Europe fans a little visit in May at the Stockholm Japan Expo. This will be the first time a Hello!Project group has performed in Europe. It'll also be the first time a Hello!Project group has performed in the west. Sure, there have been fanclub concerts in Hawaii by Morning Musume and Ayaya, but as those were fanclub-only (and you can't join the fanclub without a Japanese address) they don't count.

I was a tad annoyed when I heard Morning Musume would be attending Anime Expo in the US. How dare they visit the US before Europe! There's no way I would have been able to pay to fly to CA and see Morning Musume, it would probably end up cheaper for me to fly out to Japan and see them actually in concert. So there was no way I was attending that.

And then this came along! Buono! in Europe? I pretty much forgot all about AX, I'd much rather see Buono! than I would Morning Musume (keeping in mind that I got into H!P through MM and have been a fan for 2+ years). I'm very much looking forward to hearing about AX, but I'm also very much looking forward to telling you all about SJE. That's right. I plan to attend. My parents took a little convincing to let me fly abroad for the first time on my own, but hey! They're going to France and leaving me behind in June, so it's fair right? Except for my brother, who can't attend SJE because it happens to fall right in the middle of his exams.... Not that he could actually afford to go anyway.

But yeah, I'm in the process of booking my flights right now. I'll be there for about a week, I hope. So if anyone has any reccomendations on things to do while I'm there, or wants to meet up with some fellow wota at the Expo, then drop me a message. We can arrange something, right?

Praised be Maasa for delivering H!P to Europe before the US!

UPDATE: Expo Ticket and flights have been booked, accomodation to go. See you guys there!

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Jingisukan Tarutaru Mix - New PV

Earlier I was recommended a look at a new Jingisukan PV by a couple of people, including shwee who said "Maasa is center". My friends know me well. Anyway, I've checked it out, and I love it. The old PV we saw before with the dancing sheep was weird, and it may have been fun, but it was in no way a great PV - not in comparison to this one, anyway.

And indeed, just as I had been told, Maasa is the center of the PV as she takes the most prominant place at the top of the stairs, and with slight alterations to her costume to help match the original song by German pop-group Dschingis khan, she stands out the most in the video, despite being stuck at the back of the group.

What I love about this one is that it has a healthy combination of footage we have already seen from the various PVs (including the Mongolian Dance Shot ver. which happened to be my favourite version) of the original Berryz cover, as well as some performance footage from the original german Dschingis Khan versions. Also included is some brand-new footage which is very simple and mimics the 1980's style of the original song and performance.

The dancing sheep that baffled, confused, and terrified us all also makes a re-appearance in this version, but this time in cartoon-form, which is significantly less terrifying than the old photo-realistic looking sheep used in the previous remix PV.

As for the song itself, I've already cast my opinions on that in a previous entry, and readers of this blog will hopefully remember the positive entry I made on it. But I'll say this, almost a month has passed this the single was released, and the song is as catchy as ever, and watching this PV will only put the weirdness of the song and video in your head for another 3 weeks, but it is still hard to fault such a great remix.

And on that note, here is the new PV.

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Berryz Koubou go head to head!

I've just learned about something spectacular.

Something that will change my world forever.

Berryz Koubou will be appearing in a new Stage Play in November. A play that, interestingly, has been titled 「Berryz工房　VS　Berryz工房」. Clearly such a confrontation, Berryz clashing with none other than themselves, would be so sweet - triple coated in a thick layer of pure win - that it would melt the eyes of anyone to even look at it with the simplistic awesomeness.

Surely, anyone who goes to see this play live will return home a changed man. And I envy anyone lucky enough to be in Japan during the 12 days that it is being performed. Now the Video Games Live concert which I'll be going to see in London on the 24th of October (anyone else going? Drop me a letter) seems pointless, and I've been looking forward to it for about 3 months now. Anyone want to switch places? I'll even sell you my arm (just not the right one - I need that one). In fact, if there happens to be any form of Handshake event happening at the same time I'll throw in my leg too.

I hear you. "Dran. What are you talking about. No play, Berryz or not, will ever be awesome enough to warrant limb-selling." Well, I'm easily hyped about something I love. And I love Berryz. And if the play is anywhere near as good as their 2006 play then I have every reason to be as excited about it.

"Which is stronger?
Which is prettier?
Which is bitterer?
Which is more beautiful?
Which is right?
But
Who is who?"

And for those that haven't seen their previous stage-play (shame on you!), I've embedded it into this post for you (you'll need VeohTV to watch the full video)... Right here:

Watch [MMIF] Berryz Koubou - Edo Kara Chakushin ~Time Slip to Kengai~ (Subtitled).avi in Entertainment Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

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Jingisukan Tarutaru Mix

Well, it's been out for a while now. But I haven't posted in a while, and this is a good excuse to do so. As soon as I heard the remix, I fell in love with it. It was the last thing I expected. I expected something a little like the Special Generation remix, perhaps. And then it started and I was left in awe. That song wouldn't be at all out of place at some night-club/rave. It's also somewhat amusing listening to high-pitched (Yes, the pitch of the girl's voices now border on chipmunk) Berryz members singing, what is essentially a song aimed at kids, and then Dschinghis Khan come in with their significantly deeper voices and finish off a line, singing their own version which is essentially NOT a children's song.

Keep in mind that dance music isn't my preffered genre of choice. In fact, quite the opposite! I'm more of a Heavy Metal fan, to be honest with you.

And yet, I can't bring myself to hate this remix. Because it is probably even funner to listen to than both the original and the Berryz versions. And Jingisukan happens to be one of my favourite singles (I have a copy sitting on my desk beside me at all times.) I'm pretty sure alot of you are like that, hating dance music and the people who listen to it with a passion, but think this remix is great. Who-ever remixed this deserves commendation and should be given an honour by the Emperor himself - and yet at the same time, be locked away for crimes against humanity.

This is madness? Nay. This is Jingisukan.

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

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Berryz Koubou's 5(FIVE)

I'm a little slow making this entry, I know. But I've had my hands full with my other blog and college work. So just pretend you haven't heard any of this yet! (*smile*)

Anyway, Berryz Koubou's new album is out, and I've got it ordered (along with the new calendar - I was indecisive between the Berryz or the C-ute one - but I can't resist anything with Maasa on the cover). The album went up on the tracker a couple of days ago, and I downloaded it. After listening to it, it just moved up my wishlist. I planned to by it before I heard it. And I went and ordered it after listening.

The album is very different from most of Berryz usual work, in that most of the songs aren't as genki as Jingisukan or Monkey Dance. The songs are often much slower or maturer. There is still great genkiness in there, like CLAP! (which, by the way, is a perfect song for Yurina's voice. Love that song. Love that girl) But there are songs like BE which is a beautiful song, and definately my favourite song on the album - and probably near the top of my all-time favourite H!P songs list. It probably looks wierd up there with songs like Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance and Omoitattara Kichi Desse! but it's there.

And then we have the Special Generation remix at the end, which at first I didn't really like. I guess it's the natural reaction when a remix is made of a great song (I believe Special Generation is the highest-selling Berryz single to date). But after a couple listens I'm starting to get used to it. I do feel, however, that the intro and extro to the song are the best parts. The main body, while good and entertaining, has some very annoying parts to it. Don't expect an awesome remix to the already-awesome song, because you won't get it. But it is still fun to listen to it. So don't be hesitent to listen on my account.

These are song I look forward to seeing performed in the upcomming Berikore! concert DVD. Some more than others, but all of them are worthy of, and have the potential to be, great songs, great performances, and great fun!

I've uploaded 3 of my favourite songs from the album, ones that may best give some indication of what this will sound like to you, so please enjoy. And please support Berryz by purchasing the album.

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Berryz Koubou's 18th Single!

Regular Edition:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PKCP-5129
Limited Edition [w\ DVD]
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PKCP-5127
Single V
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PKBP-5103

New Berryz Koubou Single. The release date has been announced as the 22nd of October. The Title, however, is still to be determined. The Single V, will also be released on the 5th of November. There is little more information out at the moment than this, but I'll try to keep you up to date on it.

It seems that the Kids units have been really busy. We've had new Singles from Berryz, C-ute and Buono! as well as the new Berryz album, 5 [FIVE], being announced. There's also the Spring concert which was one of the best concerts to come from Hello! Project yet, in my opinion. Although I do still prefer Berryz Kyuuden. As well as the upcomming concerts, and Berryz performing in South Korea. These are good times to be a H!P fan.

I can't wait to see what kind of song the new Single will be. And I'll be sure to post about it when the radio previews are out. Keep an eye out for that!

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Buono! - Gachinko de Ikou

The PV for Buono!'s new single (that will make 4!) has been released on Dohhhup! So this post is dedicated to that video - which you can find at the top of this post.

The video starts out with the three girls sitting around a table in a darkened room wearing khaki-coloured suits. I guess this is supposed to create the look of a poker ring, and it does that just fine once you get past the fact that they are staring at a tower of Jenga blocks. The music finally begins with clips from that Dance Shot. And they've put away those old suits for something much more fitting to the Buono! image.

And it is here, for the first time, we get to see clearly Miyabi's new hair! I'm not sure if it was just for this PV, but I'd like to think that she'll keep it like this. Miyabi hasn't had her hair red since about 2004, and even then, it was closer to brown than it was to red. But this is a beautifuly redder colour. I'd even compare it with Kasumi from the Dead or Alive video game series, if they'd used a colour like that in the movie then the actress might have actually looked like Kasumi.

The song, itself, is fairly typical for this group. Very genki and catchy. When I heard the radio rips for the full song i listened to it all day, no joke. And those little yells in the background, "Sou da! Sou da!", really go a long way to making this a great song. You wouldn't believe it, but after you hear those you just think "This is a really fun song!"

I'll admit, I've liked all of Buono!'s songs from the moment I heard them, and it really doesn't end here as this was an instant favourite.

All I can really say is that if you enjoyed Buono!'s previous singles, then you'll like this. If you don't like them (shame on you!), then you probably won't like this much either.

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"Arihara Kanna Dating?" and "5 (FIVE)"!

The Japanese tabloud magazine, Bubka, has published an article (see pictures above) about C-ute member Arihara Kanna spotted going to the movies with Johnny's member Ryosuke Hashimoto. According to said article, they were spotted going to see Hana Yori Dango: Final together - a film starring fellow Johnny's member Matsumoto Jun.

The article does make clear, however that they only met for the movie. After the film ended, they went their seperate ways.

It seems it's C-ute's turn to get a bit of unwanted attention. I suspect that, like Miyabi's Scandal several weeks ago, this will be completely ignored by UpFront. This isn't the best way to go about it, but who can deny the fact that it worked? I have to say that following Miya's scandal, I did get that slightly betrayed feeling which I feel most of Berryz' fans got - even if they don't admit it. But after a while you just forget about it and move on. That's probably what will happen with Kanna too.

* * * * *

And on a slightly brighter note, Berryz Koubou's 5th full-length album has been confirmed!

The album, apropriately named 5 (FIVE), will be released on the 10th of September as Regular Edition and Limited Edition versions.

Like most Hello!Project releases, the Regular Edition will ship with a random Berryz photocard, and the Limited Edition will ship with a bonus DVD. This DVD will contain footage from the concert at Shinagawa Stella hall on July 21, 2008.

I'll try to keep you updated on these topics as best I can.

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