24 posts tagged “morning musume”

So. First of all, I realize it's December hey look it's almost February isn't Chiakii lame?, and I'm late as hell. I've got really no inspiration as of late. It's not that I don't have any real opinion or that I'm losing interest...I just can't seem to spew out entries. Oh well.

But anyway. I'm stepping over my review of Ongaku Gatas and Berryz and Buono! and C-ute, because no matter what you all say, Momusu is the fucking flagship group of H!P and the Kids are never going to be greater than them. Do you hear me?

...well, anyway.

I love "Mikan" so much. It's not that this is a piece of musical brilliance - it actually sounds very close to several Momusu b-sides that I don't bother listening to (which is probably why Tsunku and Up-Front thought they could get away with it). But listening to it brings a smile to my face, and watching the PV fills me with this indescribable feeling of warmth and fuzziness. For a Momusu fan, this is a back-to-the-start, and it's like with that Enchanted movie Disney put out - the idea of a much-loved and now-classic phenomenon returning to their roots gives you the warm fuzzies.

But is that really what they need?

With this single, it feels like Morning Musume's returning to their roots. While this gives longtime fans like you and me (or just me, depending on who you are - you know, it's way creepy realizing that I don't know who the hell is reading this) the warm fuzzies, most Japanese people don't bother to know every Momusu girl and the whole history behind the epic journey of Morning Musume. It's less that Momusu is a fad that's out but won't go away - it's more that it loses and gains its fanbase with every audition and graduation. As I once read on I believe it was Pink Wota - if you joined the Momusu fandom because you thought Goto Maki was just the greatest thing ever and never got much farther than that, you probably jumped ship around "Koko ni Iruzee!" or "AS FOR ONE DAY" after realizing you could never, ever love another Momusu girl the way you did Gocchin.

Then, you have fans like me: I joined up because I thought the music was catchy and Tanaka Reina was pretty. Now? Music is still catchy, very much so...but Tanaka Reina is my least favorite member. Longtime Momusu fans are the ones that have multiple favorite members (though maybe still in a pecking order) and find new ones with every graduation and audition. Which isn't to say that the above fan is less of a fan - just someone that really only had one Momusu love, and no one else. It's almost a crappy romance story.

And "Mikan" really only caters to the second type of fan who will recognize this is as a back-to-the-start kind of song. To anyone else, this is generic pop. It can easily be passed over in favor of something a little more creative.

Morning Musume shouldn't be going back to their old stuff. The sense of nostalgia is only there for well-known songs like "Love Machine", but you know what?
 

Fuck "Love Machine." (Yes, I just said that.) It's a classic, it's got the beat that never gets old...and it's keeping Momusu from moving forward. There comes a time when songs like "Chokkan 2" and "Onna ni Sachi Are" need to become staple performances. "Love Machine" is great, but all these performances of it just highlights the OGs - 30-year-old idols that barely work anymore. "Mikan" has the ability to send chills down my back with the Live positively line as well as "Love Machine" ever could.

And now that that rambly piece is over (and I really don't feel I explained myself very well with it...maybe this should be another entry in itself), let's get superficial.

SAYUMI IS FUCKING GORGEOUS. I really don't feel Sayu is Rika 2.0. She's really a new kind of kawaii all by herself. She's very flirty and coy in a way that makes you feel like she's got this hidden agenda. For all her frills and rainbow-pinkus, Sayumi's got this undercurrent of complete evil intelligence, and I think that is what makes me love her so very much. Evil kawaii. Usa-chan will RULE THE FUCKING WORLD.

Still, she was quite an adorable kid, wasn't she? (She's still adorable now, actually.) Look at that, throwing us off the scent at the age of what, three? I can see her plotting world domination, and peeking out from under that hat to make sure no one's coming to usurp her throne...

And you know, she looks mildly demonic here. "Look into my eyes..."

*coughs* Anyway.

Linlin was the CUTEST THING EVER WHEN SHE WAS LITTLE. Seriously. Those braids! The fans! The whatever-it-is she's wearing! LINLIN!!

Actually, I was very pleasantly surprised by all the screentime Linlin nabbed in this PV. Not as much as the other girls, but Junjun didn't even show up until well into the second verse, while Linlin weaseled her way into the pre-chorus. Atta girl.
 

And you can never have too much Linlin, amirite?

Though I think she'd benefit from a different hairstyle. The one she has right now doesn't sit well with her face shape and features.

Linlin actually seems to have a pretty strong voice. I can actually hear her voice distinctly in the chorus. That makes me happy.

Junjun...looks like Chisato, y/n?

It's hard to say what I dislike about Junjun. Rather, she doesn't interest me half as much. Cute? Sure. Of course. Funny? She's got her moments. The banana with Eri, the "Araaa?" when she didn't get a question on Utaban...I'm sure there are more. But I can't put my finger on anything extraordinary about her, other than her Internet fame and extreme kawaii. Junjun should be the perfect idol. She's pretty, she's got talent, and she seems to be very intelligent - and that's my problem with her. I can't find anything wrong with her. My favorite idols all have flaws, from being not traditionally pretty to bad singing to no personality to being extraordinarily clumsy...Junjun doesn't have any of that. Morning Musume is supposed to give hope to all those offbeat, off-rhythm, klutzy girls out there that one day, they too can be lusted after by salarymen. Or you know, something like that.

Junjun wants YOU to join the Panda Army.

(Just some obligatory PANDA LOVE.)

LOLOLOL Reina's got an afro. It was really hard to hate her when I saw this picture.

She seems a little more badass in this video, even more so than in "Onna." Which is strange, considering how much more cutesy "Mikan" is. But her performance in "Onna" felt so...fake, in a way. Maybe we should all accept that Reina just isn't a badass yankii. In the cutesy setting of "Mikan", Reina feels a lot more genuine. She's still winking like crazy, but I think that's becoming a Reina trademark.
 

Wink, Reina! Wink like there's no tomorrow!

You know what? I don't care what you all say. Takahashi Ai is doing a fantastic job as a leader. Everyone says so - how helpful she is in getting everyone to fit in and work together. Yeah. Oh, and Aichan was a cute kid.

I mean, just look at this. Miki and Yossie might've been stronger, more brusque leaders, but Aichan seems like the kind of leader they could be comfortable with. She's not overwhelmingly senior like Kaori (the other girls seemed scared out of their mind - OMG, original member right there!) but she's not downright frightening like Miki. She might not be the perfect idol, but if she sticks around (no graduations plz, no graduations plz) I think Aichan might go down as one of the best leaders in Momusu history.

(But no one can beat Yuko - and yes, I'm using this opportunity to post some OG hotness.)

In a way, it feels like a fate kinda thing that Miki left. Miki/Ai felt disjointed in a way...Takagaki was a natural duo that's been growing and strengthening since 2001. There are just some leader/sub-leader duos that work, and Takagaki is one of them.

Koharu...has a cold sore. I didn't even notice until Cassie pointed it out to me.

amythystjewl (8:47:20 PM): I love how Koharu has a cold sore in Mikan
tinytantrum (8:47:24 PM): She does?
tinytantrum (8:47:27 PM): O_O
amythystjewl (8:47:29 PM): yesh
amythystjewl (8:47:35 PM): watch her in close ups
tinytantrum (8:47:38 PM): Oh. XD I still only have the DohhhUP version.
amythystjewl (8:47:49 PM): yeah I see it in the DohhhhUP version
tinytantrum (8:47:54 PM): O_O
amythystjewl (8:47:56 PM): it's blaring
tinytantrum (8:47:59 PM): I hafta find my glasses then.
amythystjewl (8:48:02 PM): rofl
tinytantrum (8:48:54 PM): Where is it on her face? I really want to see now. XD
tinytantrum (8:49:07 PM): OH
amythystjewl (8:49:08 PM): it's like right above the left center of her lip
tinytantrum (8:49:10 PM): On her lip, yeah?
tinytantrum (8:49:11 PM): I SEE IT!
amythystjewl (8:49:13 PM): yeah
amythystjewl (8:49:14 PM): rofl!
tinytantrum (8:49:16 PM): Oh, wow.
amythystjewl (8:49:21 PM): it's horrid isn't it
tinytantrum (8:49:25 PM): I am never going to be able to watch this the same way again.
amythystjewl (8:49:28 PM): ROFL
tinytantrum (8:49:33 PM): I am going to be totally distracted by Koharu's cold sore.
amythystjewl (8:49:44 PM): and in things where it isn't
amythystjewl (8:49:49 PM): it's still gonna be there
amythystjewl (8:49:52 PM): we'll all imagine it
tinytantrum (8:49:53 PM): WAITING FOR ME!
tinytantrum (8:49:58 PM): *hides under bed*

I love Koharu so much, but that coldsore pretty much haunted me forever. Oh well. Koharu was quite adorable as a kid (though look at that picture! I think Koharu was just born to be an idol, really), so I'll forgive her. And coldsore aside, she's gorgeous in "Mikan."

I don't have much to say about Koharu, really. I kind of exhausted my more serious opinions a while back, and she hasn't really changed much.
 

I do love her little pointing things that she does on the "Chance!" parts. Like, "YOU'VE got a chance! You, specifically! Hey you, you rakkii guy!" Or something like that. (I was just listening to the GAM album, can you tell?)

You know, I'm not sure what everyone loves about Aika. Junjun I can now understand (that quote she gave in TIME completely rocked)...but Aika just hasn't been pulling me in. Not too fond of her voice either. I'll give her another year to grow on me, 'cause despite all this, I just can't bring myself to dislike her. Maybe that's her secret idol weapon. And I love how she taps Koharu's hand, and Koha grins. It's so cute.
 

And she was fucking adorable as a kid. Though I think that the effect would be diminished somewhat if that dog wasn't in there.

Gaki looks like my Aunty Susan yay! I'm really glad that Risa's been getting more lines and screentime. Some say she'd be better as the leader, but if anything, I think Gaki's not ready for that yet, and that she's best right now as supporting Aichan. And Aichan is ready, she's shown it.
 

It's funny how Risa's voice went from being not-so-good to being one of the better ones in the group. It's not like the standards went down - her voice has just gotten better. I absolutely loved her performance of "Koi no Hana", though there were some iffy parts. And ever since that performance of "Love Machine" at the 2007 Winter Concert, it's
just been getting better.

Eri...bores me. I mentioned this before, but it really feels like she's been regressing. She was very shy initially, then she broke out to be rather humorous around 2005. And then now, she's grown out her hair again (a major mistake in my opinion) and...now what? She's kind of Gaki's partner in crime, but they feel unbalanced. Eri just isn't interesting anymore. She's stopped playing up her oddities, and people have stopped making comments about them. It's like they don't exist. So where does that leave Kamei? People have said that she's become hotter, cuter, etc - but that doesn't mean crap for me. She's just not as entertaining as she was a few years ago, and all I want to know is what the hell happened? Eri was one of my first Musume loves, and I hate not being able to like her. D:

Though hey, bonus points for bringing back Kameshige. What happened to their friendship? Eri suing Sayu for eating her cookies was one of my favorite Momusu moments - and it was just a hint of what Kameshige were capable of if you tossed them together. So why aren't they being tossed together? Kamemame (Gaki*Kame to some) just doesn't have that Kameshige spice. They get along a little too well, it's boring. They won't offend each other or get in fights. Friends get in fights, it's a fact of life. If they're trying to play up Kamemame as an ideal friendship...well, it just doesn't work. Tsujikago rarely fought, but they stirred up trouble. There's no trouble at all in the realm of Kamemame. No fun at all.

And Eri was a cute kid, etc etc etc. She looks like she's wearing a pot on her head.

A lot of people have mentioned their total hatred for the "cheap green screen" but in my opinion, it at least looks more high-budget than the "dancing on a dark stage *insert closeup here*" kind of PVs H!P has been putting out lately. For God's sake, if it's low-budget, at least try to make it look high-budget.

And besides, that gigantic mikan in the background makes up for all of it. Seriously

"Mikan" is both a step forward and backward. The single is good, the sales were not, the Golden Age relation is definitely not good...but maybe now Up-Front will realize that they need to move forward. Japan doesn't need to hear about getting a chance anymore. I don't know very much about their economy, but they seem to be doing well enough that lines like "this is an Earth with quite a history" don't have the same effect on the Japanese public anymore. They need to start singing what people will listen to. "I don't trust men" seemed like a bit much to some of us, but to a teenage girl who just got her heart stomped on? "Kanashimi Twilight" would probably be her single of choice.

That's all I can think of for why "Mikan" didn't sell, besides the fact that it's not traditionally catchy. But I love it, and that's what's important here!

By the way, I very much like Takahashi Ai's hair. Maybe I'm the only one. It has a very, "Fuck yes, I am the leader now" kind of feel to me. And hey, she doesn't look too bad. If anything, the choppy style gives a little edge to her Blahkitty persona.

The b-side, "Bonkyu! Bonkyu! BOMB GIRL" is...um, I didn't actually bother to listen to it. I tried, I really did, but...I can't really figure out what everyone loves about "Bonkyu." It's okay, but I'd really rather listen to the cheerful "Life is one time!" of Mikan. And it didn't show off the swing style nearly as well as "Mr. Moonlight" or "Popcorn Love!" I fucking love Popcorn Love.

Is "Mikan"'s not-so-stellar sales the reason for the 36th single being pushed back? I doubt it, and I hope not. More importantly, will not the not-so-stellar sales convince Tsunku to stop writing songs like this for them? Or will they be shunted aside even more?

For now, let's just bask in the glory of Linlin and not ask any questions about it.

With only seven minutes left to go until the 26th (for me, anyway, and by the time I'm done it'll be the 26th anyway...who cares?) I figured I would post my Christmas pictures and things now.

A few things you should keep in mind:

1) My cell phone doesn't take the greatest pictures
2) There are many, many purchases made throughout 2007 and that will be made with Christmas money that are not pictured here
3) The All Singles Complete is my precious.

Alright, then let us get this very short show on the road!

EDIT: Picture removed at the request of my mommy. <3. Here, have a picture of The Precious:

This is the love of my life, otherwise known as the All Singles Complete CD. The bookstore I go to strangely only carried the limited "Morning Coffee" one...but I'm not complaining. I bought it with my own money, wrapped it, and gave it to myself on Christmas morning.

So I have all these drafts from like October that I'm working on - and I'm really trying to get them out before the New Year, in addition to all the shit H!P's releasing now + end of the year posts.

But this is more important.

Okay. So. I am seriously one of the last people to ever cover anything in the blogosphere, because I'm shit lazy, and I've got all these drafts to finish and homework to do, but I'm taking some valuable time to say...

What the fuck?

It's not that I'm really, truly upset that she's leaving - after all, Gocchin is way talented and we'll definitely see more of her - it's more, I can't believe it. Or I can believe it, but I'm really trying my best not to right now.

There'll be a day when I get over this and think, "Good for her." That day, however, is not today. Probably not tomorrow, either.

If anything, it's like when I found out Aibon got fired. Or when I graduated eighth grade. It happened, but the part of my brain that's in denial isn't actually sure it happened.

Everyone seems certain that Gocchin will find another label, something really big like avex...but I'm not sure that'll happen. She was an H!P idol. While that would've been a surefire way to get the spotlight in 2000, seven years later, people are more like, "You were an H!P idol? You were one of the girls that got paid to dance around and sing about telephones? Um, yeah, let us get back to you..." It's not that Gocchin is untalented. But she was one of H!P's biggest stars, and there's a stigma attached to her that isn't there with Ayu or Amuro Namie.

And at the same time, is this the huge loss we all think it is? After all, much as it hurts the souls of many H!P fans out there, Gocchin wasn't H!P's highest selling solo artist in 2006. Kusumi was. Does that say anything? I think it does, and I don't think many fans like it...but it's the truth.

Anyway, so. Past the event itself, and onto the myriad of excuses UFA is feeding us! (Really, do they have some guy sitting in a room somewhere making up excuses for these events? "Education. Check. Different creative ideas. Check. Brother is a criminal. Check.)

I do believe Gocchin and H!P had different ideas for her career. We don't really get insights into the lives of idols often (even their biographies are really just a narrative timeline of their careers), which is probably why we're all crazed conspiracy theorists. And even though this is Japan, where 11-year-old girls are encouraged to flaunt their boobs by their parents (and don't even get crap about it from their friends), something tells me that rolling around on the stage making erotic noises into a microphone wasn't really what Gocchin had in mind when she joined Momusu on that fateful day in 1999. And yes, ideals change (look at Ayaya) but it's one thing to be sexy. It's another to be molesting a microphone stand in front of a crowd of 40-year-old men.

I also believe that this is because of her brother. Everything about an idol's life is strictly dictated, so that nothing from the outside can get in. And despite the fact that Maki had no involvement whatsoever, her brother has once again tarnished her good reputuation. Much as it pisses us off, in the idol world, this is enough.

So what don't I buy? Well...I'm not sure. Something about this feels very off. While I do believe the thing with her brother played some part, it feels like so much less. It feels more like they were waiting for something like this to happen so they had an excuse to put up if all else failed.

But really. Enough of my pessimissim...ism...pessimisticenessism...MY GOD I CAN'T SPELL TODAY. WHATEVER. Believe it or not, I am actually a Gocchin fan...I'm just horribly pessimisstic...stic? Fish? Muffins? Something? Why can't I spell today?

Anyway, I do wish Gocchin luck in whatever she decides to do. 

Oh, how they grow up...

So about two days ago, it was Makoto Ogawa's birthday. If you know what a huge Makocchan fangirl I am, you might've wondered, "Where is Chiakii on this most holy of days?" Well, I will tell you: I was at school. I am on tech crew for the theater, and it has been eating up a whole ton of my schedule. So, that's my excuse for my absence. I hope to return to bitching about H!P as always. However! This is not about me. (Wait, that's a lie. It's all about me, bitch.)

Anyway, so Makoto is now twenty, which is the legal age in Japan. This brings up two extremely important questions:

1. When is she coming back?
2. So is this the green light for all things pervy?

I hope Mako will return this year...if not this year, then the year after that. She's 20 now, she can do whatever the fuck she wants. <3. Happy birthday, Makocchan!

Moving on to the other Mak of the two...

If Tsunku is the God of H!P, then Nacchi is Jesus. I mean, she's walking on water, man!

I don't find myself listening to H!P ballads very often because they're not often done well. H!P is known for turning out hyper, upbeat pop songs and one gets the sense that when they do slower songs, they're not entirely sure what they're doing. So instead of coming out as something very simple and beautiful, it's more...boring. Of course, if you manage to stay awake past the verses, it's well worth it - but most people can't. If it weren't for the fact that I really want to write about this, I probably wouldn't be able to either.

Koharu is so pretty. Man. It takes the other girls like three years to grow into their looks, but she managed to grow into them really fast, and now she's just getting prettier.
 

Wow. For a second there, I thought Maki was Mari. From that angle, she just looks so very Mari-ish.

The PV is what saves slower H!P songs for me every time, if only because I have something to look at and think about if the song is on the sleep-inducing side. And this really is a beautiful PV. The set is beatiful, the girls look great (Koharu. Oh. My God.) and Nacchi walking on water is just...this is just a good PV, you know?

I'm starting to wonder how long the 10th Anniversary Unit will last. I thought it would just be a one-shot group to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Momusu and one of UFA's less crack-induced ideas, but they have another single, they're having a tour...is Tanjou 10nen Kinentai here to stay? While I do really like them, I'm hoping that they either disband at the beginning of 2008, or change their name when 2007 is over. Because I love this lineup, I really do, and I'd love to see more stuff from them. But if they keep making me type out Morning Musume Tanjou 10nen Kinentai...my love for them will diminish. Greatly. Especially if I'm still typing it well into 2008.

Is it just me, or is this the same house/hotel place that the v-u-den was in for "Koisuru Angel Heart" and that Ayaya is in for "Egao"? (I didn't watch the full thing for "Egao" though, so I could be mistaken on that part.)

Gaki also shines. This unit does a great job showcasing the members. Iida looks very grown up and mature, as does  the usually childish Nacchi.

Gocchin...seems a little younger here, actually. Like a teenager, really. She's shown with more makeup than the other girls and is the only one with an entirely different mirror to examine her reflection in, like she's preparing for her first date or something. (I wouldn't know. I turned all the boys in my class off after I beat up one of them.)

I'm assuming by the flashes and the background that they were putting on makeup for their photoshoot in the middle of the house, or something along those lines. I don't know if that's true or not, but it's the only thing I can think of that ties the two together.

Maybe I am (once again) reading too much into this, but one gets a small idea of the hierarchy by looking at the way they're lined up: Gaki and Iida on either side, backing the frontgirls. Koharu and Nacchi sit in the center with Gocchin right next to Nacchi - close enough to be considered at the front. Perhaps it's because she was the accidental Miracle? Koharu was touted as the Miracle Girl from the moment she won the audition, and Nacchi became the center of Morning Musume practically from the start.

Then again, shots like this show who the two original Momusu frontgirls were. Man, I really hate when they do this. The Golden Era is over. Get over it or get out. Is even Up-Front hung up on that as well? Berryz and everything are great and all, but letting go of Momusu's past is the best way to ensure that Momusu will have a future at all. (*chants* Berryz will not surpass Momusu, Berryz will not surpass Momusu...and neither will C-ute...)

I really like their dresses. The colors are beautiful and they've got the appropriate amount of ruffles. They also show nice amounts of leg, which works very well for Iida. (If you ask me, it's a crime not to look at Iida's legs on the very rare occasion that she shows them off.)

Maki uses her superpowers to stop time. I don't know what this has to do with anything, actually. Since I haven't found a translation anywhere, I'm taking it just for visual effect.

Koharu is the only one not shown dabbing makeup onto herself. There's just this one shot where she holds a brush and looks like she's thinking. I beg you not to use that brush, Miracle Girl. Your hair in this PV is a Miracle unto itself.

I've been viewing this PV repeatedly, and I still can't make sense of it. Where does it tie into the title, "Itoshiki Tomo e"? That's supposed to mean, "For a Beloved Bad Friend" (from the translations I've found), but others say it simply means "To a Beloved Friend." Which one is right? Though to be honest, I've thought about both titles and the PV makes sense with neither. Is it just more visual effects? Pretty idols dabbing on makeup and acting elegant instead of cute? Does it have anything to do with anything at all?

Nacchi can walk on water and Gocchin can stop time. They are two of the most prominent Momusu members, past or present, and both have probably seen the most favor in staying with their idol careers. Iida and Gaki simply stand there and look pretty, Koharu clutches a brush and does generally nothing. Does that say anything? I'd like to think it doesn't, but a year of reading Cult of Pop and/or American Wota has convinced me that there are always messages in H!P PVs that I'm missing, whether it's true or not.

The b-side, "Michi Naru Mirai e" is a more upbeat song. Something about it actually reminds me of Ayaya's "Kiseki no Kaori Dance", though how I can hear this I can't really explain. I really like it, possibly more than the A-side. It certainly beats out "Junen Ai"...for me, anyway. It's catchy, it's also bringing back the slight rock noise of the latest H!P releases, and I can actually stay awake through it. (Amazing.) So now I have another song to add to H!P B-sides that I can listen to without cringing. That brings the list up to...eight? Yeah, that's it so far.

This is actually a fairly strong single. The A-side is okay bordering on good, and the b-side is just awesome. I'd like to say that "Michi Naru Mirai e" should've been the A-side, but it just doesn't strike me as being very A-sideish. I don't know. It's good, but it's just so very typical H!P. As Tanjou 10nen is the 10th Anniversary Unit, they should stand out from the other units, remind us which group is H!P's mothership (hint: it ain't the Berryz - fuck, it's not C-ute either, you perv!...and I say that with love) and which H!P group we've been bowing down to for ten years.

Also, since I've got a lot that I want to say, some of which is slightly outdated, I will post what I hope will be my catch up schedule:
Part III: Hana wo Pu~n / Futari wa NS
Part IV: Glitter / Fated
Part V: BINGO!
Part VI: Berryz 4th Ai Something Something

I might also get around to the other AKB48 single (you know, the one that they released like two hours after their last one) but I heard it kind of sucks, and I don't love AKB48 enough to waste my time on that.

There's also the members' birthdays: Happy belated birthday to Nacchi and Kaorin, both of whom are in this unit. Also happy belated to birthday to...I'm sure there was some Berryz or C-ute member that had a birthday earlier that I forgot. (Maasa, I forgot a while ago so I'll stick that in here now...but who was the other one? *hits head*)

Originally drafted around July 10th, because Chiakii is lazy and lost her Internets and is speaking in third person, which is a good excuse!

Um. Wow. That's really all I can say right now. I'm starting to get a better semblance of what this title means. I mean, all the baka at the beginning...the evil glares...Morning Musume really seems to be heading in a way different direction. "I don't trust men" from Kanashimi...and now this. Man, I remember back when the lyrics went along the lines of, "Whenever I'm with my boyfriend, I feel really happy" or "The person I liked was kind today! Happy happenings happened!" Not that those lyrics were that good....I still raise an eyebrow at "He's really good at enka" from Go Girl. Are they trying to appeal to a female fanbase here? If they are, I don't blame them. The fact that I actually pause the video and rewind to the frame whenever I see girls at a Momusu concert unfortunately says a lot about our perceptions of the H!P fanbase.

And wow that is one horrific closeup. Tsuji's fangs got nothing on Reina's bottom teeth. Guess her eye isn't the only wonky thing she's got...haven't these girls ever heard of dental care? I mean, I've seen more teeth problems in the Momusu crop than I have in my entire school.

Observe the Koharu, quite obviously the face of this pack. Please note the larger headdress, frontmost position, and Tsunku calling her "Miracle" every fucking time he mentions her.

The group begins to rather aggressively move forward, perhaps in an attempt to attack their prey: the unsuspecting Japanese public.

And by the way, I hate that mirror, I really do. It makes the whole thing so much more yellow than it needs to be.

You know, Koharu wouldn't look so bad if it weren't for her headdress. I mean it. She looks so gorgeous here, and she looked great in Kanashimi...but really. The other girls look pretty nice, since theirs sort of fall over their shoulders...but Koharu's just stands straight up. D:

Also, of all the members, which one of them took over Yossie's position as the pimp of Momusu? Aichan. I mean, just look at her! Who would've thought? All we need is a "Mr. Moonlight" role and Aichan can become the next Yossie. I mean, she can do that owning look really well. It's kinda of creepy, actually. *goggles*

This move looks great in motion. Now that I've screencapped it, it actually looks really awkward, but I swear, it is awesome.

Honestly, I haven't seen this strong a lineup vocally since perhaps...God. I'm thinking back over the past lineups, and the last lineup with very few weak points was probably the "Love Machine" one. The fourth gen was a mass of cuteness that couldn't really sing...the fifth gen was great but Konno didn't do much and Gaki's really only growing into herself until now...the sixth gen brought Sayu...and Koharu is only just turning into a strong point. Yup. This lineup actually probably is one of the most talented ones from the Momusu pool. The only girl that probably won't turn into a real asset here is Sayu, but we all knew that and actually, as long as she's not given a solo line, she'll do fine. But Aichan and Gaki have really blossomed, Reina's always been a powerhouse, Eri's not getting as much attention as she did back in her big breakthrough but she carries it well, Koharu's really turning into a beautiful, talented young lady...and the eighth gen is still growing, but from what we've seen thus far, after some time in the group, they'll turn out great.

The girls do their various bakas...Koharu really spits hers out, while Kamei looks kind of like a tribal woman - I swear to God I didn't mean to screencap her that horrifically, but with all those feathers and somehow her face looks very weathered...and Sayu doesn't look very into it at all. She kinda ruined the way the other girls were like "BAKA! BAKA! BAKA, DAMMIT!" She looks more like, "Baka" than "BAKA!"

After seeing Reina's teeth in high-quality, I don't think I'll ever look at her the same way again. Pretty much every kid in my class has had braces, but none of them ever needed them as bad as the Great Wonky One.

The song reminds me of a mix between "The Peace!", "Iroppoi Jirettai", and "Ambitious." People have said that before, so moving on...

Sayumi sounds like crap as usual, but somehow it's not so bad when she's matched up with Aichan. Really, all you need to do is never give Sayu a solo line, pair her up with a better singer, and it's all good. She's still gorgeous though...never stop being cute, Sayu. It's the only thing you've got going for you.

And excuse me for a moment but OHMYGOD the Pandas. They're easily my two favorite members right now, even beating out Koharu. Linlin's definitely number one, Junjun maybe tying with Koharu for the number two spot. And shit they both look gorgeous, even cheekbonetastic Linlin.

That said, not enough love for Risa.

Aika...has yet to grow on me. I'm just not really that interested in her yet. She's definitely cute, and I'm glad she won the auditions...but yeah, just not too drawn in by her so far.

I'm really liking the barefoot thing. Strangely enough. Mostly because the only shoes I can imagine going with this are the gold "Peace!" boots, and that is just too much gold in one place for me. The headdresses, the clothes...the mirror on the ceiling isn't helping much. Which isn't to say I don't like the PV, because I do. But it's so damn yellow. I like the closeups a lot better than the dance shot, if only because it rests my eyes for a little. Though, this is a really cool dance. It reminds me a lot of "Ambitious", like I already said.

I do like that green/blue light, though. It sort of balances out the yellow and adds a nice contrast (especially during Eri's line.) It makes the PV look like a big, moving Livejournal icon, now that I think about it. At least, a decent Livejournal icon. (As opposed to AAA's "CRAZY GONNA CRAZY", which I saw screencapped at unchained and cried for...)

A lot of people seem to be upset at how much Takahashi seems to be dominating this song. But I think if there's one thing that's a step in the right direction, it's getting a "face" of Momusu. Someone people can recognize, someone that can pull the casual listeners in by thinking, "Oh, hey, I've seen her before" without them having to see the Momusu logo and begin backing away slowly. And I'm still not liking the haircut on her, but at least it's a change from the hairstyle she's had since what, 2002? 2003 if we stretch it a bit...yeah. Also, I read some people saying, "This just proves that it's now Ai Takahashi and Morning Musume." But hey, how come no one complains about Natsumi Abe and Morning Musume? "Furusato", anyone?

Reina threatens to bite us with her wonky teeth, several fanboys go willingly.

The girls were all absolutely impressive in this song. Junjun and Linlin, definitely. They have deep voices, which is something I really love and that I was missing after the departures of Yossie and Mako and before they starting giving Risa more lines. It's not that I don't like high-pitched voices (if I didn't, W would not receive the love it did from me) but I miss having deep, more mature-sounding voices. There have been too many girls in Momusu's history that have voices like three-year-olds.

A quick screencap to make up for old-lady!Eri in the beginning.

This song really is addictive. It took a few listens to get used to, but now once I listen to it, it won't get out of my head. It's kind of like "Ambitious!" in the way that it always makes me want to move. Not dancing (God knows I can't dance) but running, jumping around while shouting "Baka ne!", etc. It's got a lot of energy. Not to mention, "Ambitious" was pretty yellow as well...and hey, I actually kinda liked the costumes for Ambitious. Am I the only one?

I'm glad they let Junjun and Linlin do the "Onna ni sachi are" lines. It sounds really good and they're really just my favorite members right now, so yeah. Their voices actually go together very well. Hey, maybe if they're only in Momusu temporarily, they could form an H!P unit together. That would be so awesome. For me, at least.

Eri also kicks ass here. Holy crap. Now I really want to hear more from her.

The pandas also rock their solo lines, and someone pointed out that Junjun sounds a little like Mako. I can kind of hear it...vaguely.

Thus far, I really think great things can come from this lineup. I'm not going to hold out for another "LOVE MACHINE" or bemoan the fact that they may not hit #1 again for a very long time...but we have to remember, Morning Musume is an idol group. Idol groups are generally on the decline in Japan and hey, the fact that Morning Musume even lasted ten years is a Big Damn Achievement. (Sorry, Firefly moment.) "Onna ni Sachi Are" reached #2, and if it manages to hang onto the charts, then that'll be even better. And they took the daily #1, so that's something, right?

The b-side "Please! Jiyuu no Tobira" is one of the few Momusu b-sides I'm really fond of. I mean, it's not that I don't like the b-sides, but the list of b-sides that I actually listen to is very short, and the list of ones that I like better than the A-sides has maybe two songs on it. ("Love & Peace" from The Manpower!!! single...and that's it, actually) - but "Please! Jiyuu no Tobira" definitely makes it onto the first list. I haven't listened to it more than I have "Onna" but I've listened to it more than twice and I've made it past the 30-second mark without changing the song about six times, and that's a Big Damn Achievement considering how bored I normally get with H!P b-sides. They always sound like so much less effort was put into them than into the A-side, which is probably true...but for the love of God, at least try to cover it up.

So. On the whole, how is this single? I'd have to say that it's definitely a better one. I'm mourning the loss of the very obvious guitar in "Kanashimi", but the song is so good I can forgive it.

Anyway, I'm going off to continue my started drafts. I will continue playing J-pop catch up after these words from our sponsors...

Oh, who am I kidding, I'm a procrastinating bitch. *distracts you with a picture of killer Junjun and runs*

And the amount of knocked-up H!P members just grows and grows! Ayappe, Sayaka, Heike Michiyo, Tsuji...and now Iida! I woke up this morning on and on my early morning Internet check I discovered this little tidbit of news from Hello!Online. But I had school and therefore had to refrain from falling over in shock until now. Should we call her Knocked-Up Kaorin? I don't know, it doesn't have the same ring as Knocked-Up Nono.

Kaorin has released her official statement, but it's not known yet if she's coming back to H!P or music at all after this. I think she might, especially because of the 10 anniversary unit now...which reminds me, what are they going to do about that? I think they're going to go the Tsuji route, but who's going to replace her? I mean, isn't the point of the 10th anniversary unit to show how the group was at its start? I'd love to see them toss Yuko and Kei in there, but they're too old now, right? Because it's supposed to have members representing the original five, from 13 - 24. Then again, that idea is kinda shot since I think Koharu's 14 now and I know Kaorin's 25. I would LOVE to see some more of Yuko or Kei-chan. They need more exposure, dammit.

 

I am going to cruelly and shamelessly yank this screencap from Cult of Pop to illustrate. "Morning Granddaughters"...damn, haven't the H!P girls ever heard of birth control? Condoms? Anything? I mean, I'm very excited for Kaorin and all but...God. And we thought Gocchin was the horny one. I can understand if they were married and were planning to have kids...but man. I guess it must be hard to keep your, er, needs under control if you're in such an occupation, but come on, Iida, you're 25 years old. Don't say you don't know what a condom is.

So when I took the poll over at Hello!Blog I didn't really think about my answers until I was riding in the car on a particularly long ride from Haleiwa back to Honolulu. I always seem to think of my better entries (I swear, I had this very in-depth post written out in my head) when I have no way of writing it down. And sure enough, by the time I had gotten my shave ice and was happily eating it back in the car on the return trip to my grandmother's house in Honolulu, I had pretty much forgotten about whatever point I was trying to make in my extremely well-thought-out (it took us like an hour to get there, considering the traffic and all the breaks we had to take for my brother's particularly small bladder) post.

Until I opened my computer and was trying to close all my excess windows when I saw my little H!B ranking chart. And I remembered, "Hey, I was gonna write about who I like and why!"

This post is probably not as in-depth or as well-thought-out as the one in my head (GOD! DAMN IT!) but it gets the point across.

01. Koharu Kusumi
Truthfully, Koharu is really only number one because she repulses me the least out of the current lineup. Well, okay, I like Koha. I really like her. She's truly a Miracle Girl. But if I ranked her with all of the members of Morning Musume (past and present), she wouldn't come out as high as she does here. She might scrape herself into the top ten, maybe even the top five if Iida doesn't put something out soon (Kaoriiiin, don't let me forget youuuuu - Tsunkuuuu, don't let us forget Kaoriiiiiin). Of all the H!P members past and present, Koharu definitely lands in my Top 20, but probably not in the Top 10. Then again, there are so many people in H!P that I just don't give a damn about that Koha could probably make it...where was I? Oh, right. Well, if you've read my ramble about Happy, you'll know why she's at the top. Moving on...

02. Eri Kamei
Eeeeh?! How did Eririn get up there? I mean, I like her and everything, but she's dropped down in my ranks lately. Now that I think about it, I should've put Sayu in number two because I like her more. (Interestingly enough, I can't stand the Pinkugumi songs.) But, I still love Eri so I guess she's okay up here. It's not that I like her less, I've just been paying her less attention. I don't know why. Lately she's just been less interesting to me - it seems to me like she's regressing back into her little turtley shell after her big breakthrough back in 2005. I haven't watched much of the newer TV appearances, but from what I have seen, Eri's getting kind of...boring. I mean, even her previous weirdness would be better than this...Takittiness she's fallen into. (Yes, I just invoked Takahashi Ai's good name as a synonym for talented but boring. If you're going to throw fruit, at least make it fresh.)

03. Sayumi Michishige
Oh, Sayu. Sayu, Sayu, Sayu. I originally started out not liking this girl because I read on Wikipedia (when I was first trying to connect names to faces) that she says her cuteness overwhelms her bad singing voice. To which I rolled my eyes, and made up my mind that Sayumi sucked. First impression. That, of course, was before I actually started watching her on shows and realizing that it was just all an act. And even though she's not one of the more talented members, I really enjoy watching Sayumi just because she really works hard. Not the best singer, and she hasn't been given the oppurtunity to figure out how to work within her limits the way Ishikawa had, because everyone loved Ishikawa so she was allowed to expand more. But Sayu hasn't had that chance, and so instead just has to work harder. And okay, so sometimes her ichiban kawaii act does kind of annoy me. I love her, but she can occasionally grate my nerves. Maybe that's why I dropped her at number three...hmm. But wow. Sayu is very cute, I'll give her that. So maybe she's entitled to a bit (or a lot) of narcissim.

04. Ai Takahashi
Hmmm...Takitty. You know, I'm never quite sure what to do with her. I really like her voice, but I have a tendency to lean towards the girls that don't get as much attention (hence my love of fifth gen and my dislike of fourth). So I sometimes wonder why I like Aichan - why she isn't a competitor for my bottom spot. And I think that reason is because she's still got that touch of shyness, of blandness - things that, if you think about it, actually make Aichan...well, Aichan. Her lack of personality is essentially her personality. It's different, but it's still a sharp drawback for her. And I probably wouldn't like her as much as I do if she didn't have that drawback.

05. Risa Niigaki
For a long while, actually, Gakisan was one of my favorite members. And it's not that I don't like her. I just...don't pay as much attention to her as I used to. It's not because she's becoming a more solid lead - I was absolutely thrilled that she got so many lines in "Egao YES Nude." But I don't know, she's just been losing some ground with me. At first I wondered if that was just because she was becoming more popular, and I generally favor the underdogs - but I was so glad when she started to become a major player that that couldn't be it. Finally, it's just that my love for Gaki-san has remained about the same. On the other hand, my love for Koharu and Aichan and Eri and Sayu has just grown and grown and grown...watching past stuff, I think, "Ah, yes, that's why I love Gaki!" but then at the same time I'm thinking, "Damn, Koha's actually kind of awesome..." My love for Gaki just hasn't grown the way my love for the others have. It's grown a little - especially after "Isshun" but if she doesn't start being awesome again, my love for Reina (...of which I have very, very little) might just grow to surpass her.

06. Aika Mitsui
From what I've seen of Aika, I really like her. She's sweet and cute and a little spacey. But she hasn't been around long enough to make me love her the way I love the other girls. Give her a few more months and she'll probably be higher. Unless she turns out to not amaze me. In which Aika, you may be stuck in the second-to-last place forever. (Linlin is already really high on my list, and Junjun is not far after her. So don't try to use the Chinese girls as an escape!)

07. Reina Tanaka
If Miki was still here, Reina might not be in such a sad position. Oh, yes. I don't like the most popular members. Reina just...bugs me. I don't particularly like her high-pitched voice (though, she can hold a note, so that earns her a few points) and the fact that she gets so many solo lines means that every time I listen to a post-sixth gen MM song (which is most of the songs I like...screw you, Golden Era! I love me some gorokkies!), I have to listen to her. Which I wouldn't mind so much if I liked Reina's character as well. (After all, I can tolerate listening to Sayu and I could tolerate Konno, because I love them both.) But she just seems kind of...stuck up? How do I put this. She's not like Takitty, who was all humble even though she got so many lines. (This is why I didn't like Miki, as well.) Reina seems to believe that she deserves it. I mean, acting a bitchy character is one thing, but seeming to be a real bitch is another. She has this sort of rudeness and bitchiness that at some points is "yankii" and at most is just...rude. Of course, I don't really know Reina and there are times when I actually don't mind her, but overall, she earns the last place here.

So that's the current lineup. But truthfully, I don't care much for any of the girls here. So maybe we should move on to who I do and don't like of the Musumes past and present. Keep watching for part II - I'm currently working on it because it's coming out a little too not-nice. (Man, Rika really knows how to bring out my inner bitch...uh, not that it was ever really hiding, but anyway.)

(After seeing the headline on IntlWota, The Gokkies Strike Back, I had to make a Star Wars reference. Perhaps this year could be, A New Hope For Fifth Gen.)

According to H!O, Konno Asami will be making her return to H!P, at least for a little while.

Konkon had mentioned before that she wanted to balance both H!P and her studies if possible. Apparently there have been a few conversations between her and UFA about it on several occasions, and so, she will return to the Gatas team. Gatas is also recording a single for Cirque de Soleil. I don't know whether or not she's going to fully return to H!P, or just Gatas. She's going to give her time to school, though, if conflicts arise - so even if she does fully return, we probably won't see that much of her. But hey, enough pessimism. This is a happy time!

She'll be appearing on stage on July 17th, during the H!P Summer tour. (Hey, that's my birthday! Good timing!)

...so, Mako, are you done studying English yet? Rumors have been circulating for a while that she's back in Japan and popped up at Yossie's grad concert. That would make my year, I swear. 2007 seems to be fifth gen's year, and I am enjoying it fully. Not enough love goes to them. <3.

(Image from J-pop CD Art - oh, and Ray: I do like Hawaii. It's just the humidity that bugs me. The heat is fine. And don't worry, I'll be back. Your Momoko money is safe! XD)