Sudou Maasa - The Graduation Appreciation Post

Opinions are my own, as are the thoughts. Y'all don't have to agree with me or accept what I say, just tolerate it. Thanks~

The Appreciation Posts keep coming, and before I even dare to go to sleep tonight, I'll write one more so that I can keep on schedule a little! For this post, let's take a look at a member who was once an Idol I barely noticed, to someone I eventually fell in love with, though I rarely boast this love!

Of course, it only has to be the Cool but Cute and Expressionless Sudou Maasa!

When I look back at my brief history with Berryz and think of Maasa, I admit that up until recently, I actually payed little to no attention to her. For a long time, she kind of went under my radar, though I did get brief glimpses of her personality. She likes cosplay, that I know of, and she was a sweet looking thing. Aside from that, though, I didn't really think much about her, and just saw as another member of Berryz.

Recently, however, I kind of really like her. Heck, I might even say she's my #2, because dang, this girl!

During the early years of being a Hello! Pro fan, I think that my reason for not caring much for Maasa, or noticing her for that matter, is because there was nothing about her that really caught my attention. Her vocals were below average (still are) and whilst she was and is a beautiful specimen of loveliness, she didn't have anything unique about her that made me think 'Yeah, I like you!', so for a long time, I just didn't think much to her. Yes, I thought she was attractive, and no, I didn't ignore her presence, but she wasn't like some of the other members - she didn't exactly stand out. The only time I took notice was when, on the off-chance I watched anything, I saw her personality through clips on youtube.

Then, when Berryz became seriously boring, I realised that I was starting to notice Maasa more, because she looked bored.

I find it really ironic that, what pissed me off about Risako and Miyabi looking bored in PV's, was the reason why I began to notice and enjoy Maasa more - for some reason, her bored face was really appealing to me, like she really was not just bored out of her mind, but completely done with Hello! Project and Berryz. The fact that she seemed to look like she was full of contempt... I found it funny, in a way, and that became appealing to me. It wasn't like she was trying to hide her feelings, either - it really felt like she was showing her disdain, and I loved it!

Where others faked their happiness, Maasa was one of a few who looked like she wasn't faking it, like she was showing exactly how she felt through her expression. I know, I know; this is her 'cool' persona, apparently, but I'm going to beg to differ and pretend that, really, she is just bored and hating her time in Berryz. Why? Because it makes things funnier, to me at least.

It was that, and also, I realised quite suddenly how much of a babe Maasa was. Despite her so-called 'cool' expression, she is seriously gorgeous, one of the nicest looking members of Berryz if you ask me, aside from Yurina and Risako (when her hair isn't a mess or she isn't trying to look sexy). Honestly, if I was to go after one of the members for a wife, it would probably be Maasa - she looks like solid wife material, and yeah, I would love her unto the day I die.

That said, if she wants to go all Ikemen on me, which is her most recent pursuits of absolute hotness, I swear, then I won't complain either! If anything, Maasa is great at being both girly and boyish; she suits both, and she looks good no matter what!

Actually, I really am happy that I found an appeal in Maasa, even if it is pretty recent and also pretty late, considering she'll be graduating soon; she's a stunner, and whilst I won't consider her in my Top Voices of H!P any time soon, I do think she's a fun performer, too. I know this moreso now, because I took on the [A Week with Berryz] posts, and I saw what a lively, energetic bundle of joy this girl could be, so when I saw it in later MV's, it truly was a treat, because dangit, a Happy Maasa is a freakin' ADORABLE Maasa!

I mean, I love her Resting Bitch Face and all, but seriously? The cutest thing is when Maasa smiles, because that girl can light up an entire room with just her expression.

She takes my breath and heart away every time <3

I think of all the girls, I will actually miss Maasa the most, if only for the fact that she truly did look like she hated her last year or so in Berryz. I know, it's a weird thing to miss someone by, but that's how I came to know and love Maasa; her lack of expression was appealing to me, and it was what made me look at and appreciate her more as a member. Without this supposed 'cool' facade, I would probably still be thinking of her as more of a background member, which she isn't, because Maasa is amazing.

Much like the others, Maasa has already chosen her path to go down now that she is free to spread her wings, and I am honestly really happy with her decision to take on acting - I don't know how good Maasa is at it, I admit, but I do hope for her to be successful in what she does, and to basically have fun with it. Given she likes cosplay, and can pull the coolest case of Resting Bitch Face I have ever seen, I think she will do pretty well. I hope that, in the long run, she can eventually do movies and the like, because it would be wonderful to see Maasa on the big screen at one point.

She's a little bit cool, a little bit cute, but also a helluva lot wonderful. It may have taken me time to find something to enjoy about her, and whilst it was a little later than I would have desired, I am glad that I came to find love in Maasa, in one of the most unexpected ways.

Through her 'bored' and 'expressionless' face, I became entertained by this Idol, however fell further in love with her as a performer when I realised just how lively and happy she could be, too. It is her smile and liveliness that I have come to treasure when watching videos, but this expressionless doll that allows me to enjoy her boredom, too. It's a complex thing, to love an Idol for both boredom and happiness, but hey? It's Maasa, and that's all that matters.

In her future, I really do wish Maasa great success. I want her to prosper, because within Berryz, she must have a hard time, but she still had some fun with it I believe. Yeah, she looked bored, but I doubt she ever stopped loving Berryz... none of them did. She just grew up, and wanted to find a different path I think. Now, she can take that different path and become someone even greater.

The next time we meet, please be happy! I hope that you achieve everything you had hoped for, and live your life to the fullest!

From the bottom to the top, Maasa is my babe in Berryz! She may have left me with little impression in the beginning, but eventually, she really did win my heart.

Until next time...

Much Love,
Chiima~

Natsuyaki Miyabi - The Graduation Appreciation Post

Opinions are my own. Ballsy Blogger be Ballsy. Let me be the Raving Wota Bitch I am. CHIIMA = OUT!

I apologise for not writing or posting this Appreciation piece yesterday or last night; I pulled an all nighter in order to finish my essay, and was really sleepy and just needed that time to relax, so writing was off the cards in general. Now however, I am well rested! So, let's get on with this series, shall we?

To keep this series going, we're moving onto the next Berryz of the bunch, and one of the members I've known about the longest I think! From the title of this post, I suspect you all know who I'm talking about, anyway!

Coming up next, it's our sub-Captain of the Berry Tree, Natsuyaki Miyabi! Let's get this Pony Show on the road ;)

I got into Buono first, way before Berryz and way before Morning Musume, and that's because of Shugo Chara. I didn't actually know at the time that Buono were a branch off of the Hello! Project tree, nor did I particularly care, to be honest - I just liked the music Buono did, and the cute dances. I never really payed much attention beyond that, not even to the members.
 Still, I found the girls pretty cute. How could I not?

Miyabi was the one member I thought beautiful, though. She was call, taller than the other two, and had one of the best voices of the trio at the time, and she was eye-catching, too. Did that make her my favourite? No, but I couldn't deny that she was pretty. I liked her enough, though.

Come the Berryz era that I was actually a part of, I actually really liked Miyabi pretty early on. I think this had to do with the fact that she was in Buono as well, and that I recognised her, but it was also to do with her singing ability; of the bunch, she was one of the best, and I liked that about her.
 Also, she was easy on the eyes. We can't deny that, now can we?

Undeniably, to me at the time at least, Miyabi was also one of the hottest Berryz members... Hey, I have eyes, too, ya know!

Seriously though, her vocals and her face, it was almost like a match made in heaven for me as a new fan to J-pop, and I found my liking for Miyabi growing rather quickly, especially when my love for Risako began to falter once we were past the 2010 mark. She was never going to be my absolute favourite, Miyabi, but she was always safe from being at the bottom of my ranks because of her voice and her, pardon the blunt phrase about to come up, undeniable hotness.

Seriously. She was gorgeous, and that was mostly why I liked her. Personalities be damned!

Come 2013-2014, I was beginning to get royally bored of Miyabi. A lot seemed off about her when it came to PV's and pictures, and I thought it was due to her career with Berryz; though a stellar singer, and again, hot to trot (neigh!), Miyabi looked bored and stiff, as if she would rather do something else than perform with Berryz again. So, I started to get bored with her, and slowly, Miyabi fell down in my ranks.

As of 2015, before they graduate, Miyabi is actually at the bottom of the Berryz list for me right now. Once, she had that safety net thanks to her vocal ability and her looks, however as of late not even that has managed to save her, simply because she looks like she doesn't care any more, and that she doesn't seem to have fun. I don't really care that she's one of the Idols lowest on my list, period, but it is weird to see her there, when once upon a time I might have put her on a pedastool for her ability as a performer. Ah, well, can't win all the time, can we?

Still, watching Love together! has allowed me to think better of her, because she did look genuinely sad in that video. Paired with her past boredom and terrible hair choices, however, she still hasn't managed to clamber up the ranks to keep her afloat.

Speaking of her hair; recently, I have really hated it, and yes that puts a dampner on how I view Miyabi, even if it is shallow to say so. For the past year, Miyabi and Risako have both had really bad hair choices, and I've found it rather off-putting for some reason. I suppose because I focus on the visual aspect most when it comes to the Idols in terms of videos and performance, I take note a little more. So, yeah, her hair; it's god-awful as of late, and paired with her 'I can't give two flying fucks' face, I feel put off a little.

Her hair may also have been a big factor in her downgrade in my personal Love List of H!P members. Oops.

Still, hair aside, I do still think that Miyabi is one of the most, if not most, talented members in Berryz Kobou - she has a wonderful singing voice, and I know she enjoys performing, but I don't think she necessarily enjoys performing with Berryz still. This is just speculation, however, but yeah, she is great, I just think that, sans Berryz, she could be a lot better and become a lot more creative.

I think that Miyabi could easily become an Artist, in fact she's the most likely to of all the members. So I hope that being a solo artist is in her future, I really do.

By no means is she my favourite member, singer or performer, but I do think that Miyabi is one heck of a talented girl, and one who could go far. She may bore me and look like an awkward duck at times, but she's one of the only members of Berryz that could go far in a solo career, and one who could pursue the title of 'artist' rather than 'Idol'. That said, whatever she chooses to do, I am sure her fans will support her, because at the end of the day that is all we can do, especially if she goes down a path that she loves.

I know that recently, we found out that Miyabi was going to take a break and then pursue possibly fashion and maybe singing once her break was over. Whilst the break part surprised me, I am happy that Miyabi knows she wants to continue singing, and I think it has given fans a lot of hope that she'll be back. Back with H!P? Who knows, but it has allowed us some peace of mind. And yeah, I would like to see her come back to singing at some point, especially if she becomes a soloist. I seriously do think she would rock that scene.

Though she bores me at times, and though her hair choices have been questionable, I do think Miyabi is a star, despite the fact that she is my least favourite member of Berryz right now. She is truly a talented girl, and one who could have a bright future ahead of her if she continues to work hard at what she does. She will do well in whatever she chooses to pursue, I'm sure, and I look forward to seeing what she does in the future, even if it isn't singing.

For now, though, whilst she is on her hiatus, I will continue to dream of her joining Flower... seriously, the girl looks like she could be a part of the group! But, whilst that may never happen, at least I have an imagination to make it somewhat real, right?

One heck of a singer, and one heck of a girl too, I'm sure. She may not be as hot in my eyes as she once was, but damn! This girl is a looker, a stunner, and I will miss her presence in Hello! Project, you can be sure of that! For now though, let's allow her to run off back to that boyfriend of hers who got her into trouble way back when, aye? ;)

It's been nice knowing you, Miya. Thank you for over 10 years of your voice, and thank you for all of the Horse jokes you have provided unto us all! For now, though, it's time to giddy up, and say goodbye!

You will truly be missed.

Until next time...

Much Love,

Chiima~

Kumai Yurina - The Graduation Appreciation Post

All thoughts contained within this post are my own... even if they are a muddled mess.

Continuing this series of Appreciation posts, I will be going onto my next Berryz member to talk about whilst I take a short break from essay writing. For those who are unaware about what this series is all about, I am writing out posts for each member of Berryz Kobou before they leave, and talking about them in an appreciative way. At least, that's the idea - I may throw in little comments that seem less than sweet, but all the same, these posts are about what I think of them, and what I hope for them in the future. So, without further ado, let's get cracking.

Next up, it 's our resident tree, Kumai Yurina!

I think that I have always liked Yurina, not for her voice, but always for her looks; she's really beautiful, and always seemed to remind me of Gaki in a way when it came to her facial structure. No matter what though, I liked Yurina's presence, especially in the later years of Berryz. Of them all, she seemed to be one of the few who truly enjoyed being an Idol.

Slowly, she grew on me. Kind of like a tree, if you think about, though she was never my absolute favourite. Still, I liked her, and until the end of Berryz, she will remain one of my favoured members.

Yurina was not an immediate favourite, but she's consistently been one of those members that my eyes are drawn to. Maybe it's because she's a giant compared to the rest of the group, or because she's simply lovely, or something else, but no matter what, I thought she was a cool kid, and I think I made that apparent - I appreciated her, especially those lovely legs, and I enjoyed watching her in the music video's.
 Seriously, I don't think that I could actually get bored of this girl. She's my dynamite!

I think another thing that drew me to her, especially after I started to find a dislike for Risako, was the maturity Yurina exuded; her features were a lot more womanly than most of the girls in Berryz, her look quite appealing, and she had this aura of a grownup around her that the others lacked at one point. I think that difference between herself and the members, them looking like regular tweens and Yurina towering over them as a friendly Green Giant, made me look at her a lot more closely, and made me see how much of a grownup she was really was... even if she was the second youngest.
 Still, it wowed me, and around the time Shining Power came out, I was pretty much a fan of hers. I kinda liked this girl.

Her voice, however, sucked. But whatever, I liked her face, right?

As I've mentioned, I liked Yurina for a few reasons; the fact that she's beautiful, her legs, and that she actually looked happy in a PV compared to the others. There is a lot to like about her, but honestly? It ends there for me, because personality wise, I actually don't know much about Yurina.

Aside from a pretty face, she is merely a blank canvas to me, a doll to look at. But I suppose I've never been that interested in learning about her, not like I was with other Hello! Project members, and that's pretty sad I think. I've seen her more as a model these past few years, less so an Idol.

I don't think there's any shame in admitting that Yurina's my personal eye candy, because I'm sure that's what Risako is for most people, but other than seeming interesting in videos and songs, I never thought to look up anything about her. I've seen videos here and there, yes, but nothing that struck me as intriguing about her, but again, I don't mind too much, though others may have something to say about that.

At the end of the day, as an entertainer, she has indeed entertained me, and she's done it very well. As a performer, I think she's a star.

Speaking of performance, one of the first things I ever saw Yurina in was actually Guardians 4, which is where I first properly noticed her, more-so because it was a smaller group and easier to pin-point the members. I remember her being the tall one, and though I took more notice of either Risako or Aika at that point in time, I did like Yurina. (In general, I liked all of Guardians 4.) She wasn't squeaky or high pitched, but she wasn't necessarily the best singer, either. Her performance within the group, too, was real cute.

And she was absolutely adorable in that costume, too! Gaaaah!!!

She was really fun back then. Heck, she's fun even today, and I love that she had a lot of enthusiasm even in her younger years, never letting anything get to her or have her falter in her performance. That is actually what I respect about Yurina the most; the fact that, in each PV she did, in each song she sung, she enjoyed and loved what she did, and never let things get her down. She was an Idol, first and foremost, and nothing could stop her from looking like she was invested in what she did.

I may not know much about her personality, but how she looks in PV's... well, that has left an impression on me, and I think it shows just how serious Yurina is about the job she has, and the things that she loves. It's really inspiring.

She's a spectacular young woman, one who I hope has a shining career ahead of her. I know that she recently updated about taking a break to finish her studies, with the hopes of a modelling career in the works too, and I honestly hope that she gets what she wants, because Yurina is a hard worker. I'm not saying that the other members of Berryz aren't, but of them all, Yurina is one of the few who showed her ambition and passion no matter what, constantly giving her all during a performance, and never once backing down.

Though I see her as just a pretty face, I know that she is more than that; Yurina is someone to be admired, someone who works because she enjoys it, not because she has to endure it. She became an Idol and stayed an Idol because it's what she liked doing I believe, and I don't think she has ever felt bored by it once. Though she never improved singing wise, she did prove to the fans that this is what she worked hard for, and that she loved every single minute of it despite all of the hardships the group has faced.

I know I'm going to miss Yurina when she's gone, not only because she's my sexy eye candy, but also because I will miss her performance ability and how invested she looked when in front of the camera. She is a beautiful person, one who I hope pursues modelling and succeeds in her studies. I want her to do well, and to prosper in life, much like I want for any Idol who leaves a group or the Entertainment industry.

It's sad to think that she will be gone soon, away from the spotlight and gone from Hello! Project, but I do think Yurina will be happy no matter what. She will do what she wants now, and focus on things without the restriction of a contract or the binds of being an Idol. She can live her life, she can create her own future, and she can finally step forward and become Kumai Yurina, not Kumai Yurina of Berryz Kobou. Finally, she can be independent, and I honestly can't wait to see what she does with that independence.

Kumai Yurina is like a saint to me; when Berryz was in darkness, she managed to light up the whole room with a smile and show us all that, hey, there is still some life left in a group that was going downhill. There was still an Idol there who cared.

Though she can't sing for toffee, she was truly one heck of a performer.

She is my Tree, and she has truly rooted herself into my heart. My eye candy, beautiful Yurina, goodbye came far too soon.

I really will miss your beautiful face and your shining aura.

Until next time...

Much Love,

Chiima~

Sugaya Risako - The Graduation Appreciation Post

Any thoughts and opinions within this post, they are mine, and I don't care what others think, because hey! Opinions are subject to what you think! Sorry to burst that bubble for ya.

A while ago, I asked the readers via my Facebook page for my blog what they would like me to do for our final week with Berryz Kobou, and one of the suggestions was this: to do one week where I reviewed Berryz, and then the next week, I write Appreciation Posts for each member. I really liked the idea, because it meant I didn't have to focus on all of Berryz in one post at the end of the week, and also, I can say my goodbyes to the girls in turn. So, this is what I am doing, and this will be the first Appreciation post during the last week we have of Berryz Kobou.

First up we have the youngest of the bunch, Sugaya Risako!

I don't know how much of this post will be an 'Appreciation', per say, because we all know what I think about Risako; half-arsed, a pouting pigeon that looks constipated, warbling away like a whale... basically, I'm a bitch about her, and I don't seem to appreciate her very much.

It makes it all the more funny when I look back, and remember that she used to be my favourite. Yikes.

I got into Hello! Project in 2009, during their anime era, and that was one of my first run-ins with Risako, and I fell in love with her. I thought she was really beautiful, and for some reason, I really liked her voice, whale calling and all. I especially liked her when she released her solo song, Elegant Girl, and thought it was really great, and that she was so damn lovely in it.

Basically, I thought she was great, and I had a girl crush on her. Not as much of a girl crush as I had with Koharu, but it was there, and for a while Risako was my favourite girl in Berryz Kobou. Sweet looking, innocent and pretty much a doll, I was a tad infatuated with her very presence. I was her fangirl!

Okay, so she wasn't my favourite in all of Hello! Project; that right was handed over to Gaki at the time, and whilst I was still learning about the project itself all the way into 2010, Risako was someone that I really enjoyed looking at, because I thought of her as eye candy. I liked her in the anime groups, too, I thought she was great in them - definitely the prettiest of the bunch at the time - and she charmed me so many times. Her adorable look, the aura of an Idol that she had, and her cute happiness made me enjoy what she did.

And then I stopped liking her.

Even I don't know what happened to make me stop liking her, but I have a feeling it has something to do with how I felt about Berryz as a whole, though I know it started around 2011-2012. Something put me off of her, especially her voice, and I just watched her fall from the top of my Berryz list to the very bottom. At one point, she had been the only member I looked at; I didn't even bother learning any of the other members' names at that point, and then she was the member I couldn't stand. It was like she had contracted a really bad case of herpes, or something.

This went on up until recently, my great dislike of her. I won't say I really hated her, because I didin't and I don't, but she frustrated me. Her vocals were Hell on Earth, the failure of her 'sexy' character put me off greatly, and then there was her lack of energy, too - a lot about Risako annoyed me, and I just wanted to ignore her. A lot.

Eventually, she started to change her hair, and that only served to gripe me even more than before, because I found the hair changes weird and, for lack of a better word, pretty damn ugly. Where was this pure, but subtly sexy, Risako I had once liked? Where was the sweetness surrounding her that had charmed my pants off? Why was she pouting like a deranged pigeon? There were a lot of 'why's' surrounding Risako, and I think this further fueled how I felt towards her.

Still, there was one thing I couldn't deny, though I never openly said or even admitted it; I still sorta had that girl crush on Risako, and holy heck, did I hide it well.

Recently however, since late 2014 at least, I've come to realise something: I actually quite like Risako. The idea of that surprised me, because I hadn't expect that realisation to hit any time soon, but it happened, somehow. Risako's growing on me once again, though I highly doubt she'll be on as high a pedastool as she once was in my mind.

I think it's because I started watching a few backstage clips or looking at off-shot images of her, and realised how cute she was still. Behind that really shitty sexy act, and her constipated pigeon face, she was quite funny and sweet, and surprisingly, had a shy speaking voice that contrasted greatly with her whale mating call. Colour me surprised, but that was darned cute! I hadn't realised just how precious this girl could be, let alone imagined it. I liked that Risako, a lot.
 So, I started to like Risako again, more-so how she was outside of PV's and imagery, because I still thought she sucked royally there.

So yeah, I've come to terms with the fact that I like her a little, and that she's no longer at the bottom of my Berryz or H!P list. I don't think she should sing still, granted, but I still like her and find her adorable - it's her post-2010 PV persona, however, that pisses me off still.

Risako herself though, she's a little treasure.

Behind all of her terrible hair choices and her whale calling, I do like this girl, it's just taken me a long time to realise that. There's that part of me, the new fan who really loved her way back when, that still really adores Risako and wishes that the me of today loved her as much as I did back then, but deep down in my heart, I can't innocently love Risako like I once did. It's harsh and a hard reality, but I've come to accept that; I've watched her turn into such a boring PV persona, and I'm at the point where I know I can never look at her the way I used to.

The fact that I remember how much I loved her, though, is good I think; it reminds me of how good she used to be in my eyes, and though it did leave me to compare her from back then to how she is now, it has also allowed me to think fondly of her during these past few months.

Risako truly is a sweet girl, it just took a long time for me to see it. I don't think she's a wholly talented Idol, but I do think she is very likable and has an innocent factor about her that is truly appealing, if only she would show it more than her 'sexy' character that does nothing for her. She's cute, and whilst I'm unsure of what she'll do after Berryz Kobou disband, I do hope that she goes onto something she really enjoys, and I wish for her success in it.

Personally, I would love to see her go into modelling, but who knows?

I anticipated that I would not miss Risako when she was gone, that I would cheer her disappearance from the Idol scene with mirth and merriment, however in a way, I am sad - I'm sad that the member I once loved will be gone, and that I will only have the memory of how she used to be in my mind to keep my idea of her positive. It's sad too that I never got to see that Risako ever again in my time as an Idol fan, but honestly, what can I do?

Soon, Risako and the rest of Berryz Kobou will have left the group as well as their days as Idols, sans Momoko, and she will take on a different path in life, one where I do hope she is successful. I hope that she will find true happiness, and live life to the fullest, to experience the things she never could as an Idol. Ever since she was a kid, this is the only life that she has lead. At 8 years old, she became an Idol, and she has been under the spotlight ever since.

Now is the time for Saugaya Risako to live, and to become a true adult. All I hope for is that she lives her life to the fullest now, and does all of the things she couldn't have done under Hello! Project.

A little part of me will certainly miss Risako when the time comes for her to leave, however I know that the biggest feeling I have right now is happiness; happy in the fact that she is leaving, happy because she won't hurt my ears any more, but also happy because, finally, Risako and the rest of Berryz Kobou don't have to put up a farce any more.

Now this little bird will be set free...

It's a bittersweet goodbye, but so long, Risako! I will remember you, with both fondness and sadness, but there is one thing that is certain;

Your voice, it will not be missed or longed for. Not by me, at least.

Until next time...

Much Love,

Chiima~

[A Week with Berryz] A Song for Eternity, A Song to Love Together. This is Berryz Kobou, in your Hearts, Forever... 'Towa no Uta' vs 'Love Together' PV Comparison Review

Opinions are my own. Don't damn me for what is mine!

Cheesy title be damned, I wanted to at least end this series somewhat sweetly, especially considering these decade-long Idols will be gone pretty soon, never to be seen again together,. That is, until they start a reunion.

 You can count me as one of the few who won't be cheering that on. Unless I'm drunk. Really drunk.

I'm ready to let them go, guys. I have been for about two years now, and knowing that they'll be gone soon... yes, it makes me happy, because their moody-ass shit got really old, really fast. So yeah, it's about damn time to cut them loose, and to let their sour-puss faces go.

 Adios, Berryz!

... Okay, what happened to me being sweet!? Ahhh, fuck it!

 VS

So, this is it; this is my final review for Berryz, as well as the closing post my [A Week with Berryz] series. In the end, it's a little bittersweet, I think; I've had a lot of fun, but there has been frustration as well - in the end though, it does feel sad that this is goodbye, the end.

Sayonara, Adios, Byebye, Chacha and all that jazz, you know?

So, for my final post, I wondered what I was going to do; originally I wanted to end with a review for Towa no Uta, because I like that song, I enjoyed the PV, and I thought Love together! was a pile of crap. However, I was asked by my friend, Vivian, if I was going to review the final PV from one of my least favourite Hello! Project groups and, heck, why not? It's their final hurrah, the last song and video we'll get from them, if we can help it. So yeah, I'll review it.

But I'll review Towa no Uta as well, and make a comparison out of it. Because hell, comparisons are fun, and I barely every do a 'vs' review. So, here's my chance! And really, what better PV's to compare, than the final two from Berryz Kobou? It was meant to be!

So without further ado, I will start this comparison piece, and try my best at it. I apologise if I suck.

For a Song of Eternity, for Love when together, we're going to get this goodbye party started! Are you ready? Let's GO!

[A Week with Berryz] Berryz Kobou, The 10 Year Idols - 'Futsuu, Idol 10nen Yatterannai Deshou!' MV Overview

All thoughts and opinions, no matter how harsh or unkind or otherwise, are indeed my own. I'm unleashing my inner frustration here, and if you can't handle it... well, it really would be better to turn away. The Raving Wota Bitch has been unleashed! Changing my blog name to that, fo' SURE!
 Please note, however, that just because I say what is on my mind here, I do NOT expect you to agree with me, nor do I expect you to think I am right - I'm just stating what I simply think and feel, not what YOU think or feel. Disagree with me. Hate me for what I say. Think I am wrong and think I am unjust, but DO NOT think for a second that I will succumb to peer pressure to simply appease people. I'm not changing how I feel just to please others - I may be a people pleaser, but not when it comes to my opinion. Nuff. Said!

NOTE: This post contains some of my harsher comments, making it one of my more unabashed reviews. If you don't like it when I get really opinionated, then honestly, this is not the review for you I swear, I hit Bitch Level #10 here, so if you can't tolerate it when I get into Angry-Review mode, then turn away, because y'all might just want to hit me by the end of this. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Being an Idol for 10 years is no easy feat, especially when the shelf life of an Idol is around the 2~5 years mark. It's not a long-lived career choice, so of course, very few actually make it to the decade mark, fewer surpassing it. You will find that, in general, you get more girls dropping out than staying put, and if a group does manage to make it this long... well, usually it's the name that has stayed, the faces that have changed.

And yet somehow, Berryz Kobou have managed to defy all odds and do just that; Idols for 10 years. A group that has barely changed since their formation, with only one graduation and no additions, the same faces constant. The only change in them would be the fact that time happened, thanks to puberty hitting (and missing some of) the girls. Where other groups have dropped or lost their members, Berryz have stayed as constant as the tide.
 This is a group that people actually got to see grow.

It's an amazing feat, to become Idols at such a young age, and to end their career as Idols in adulthood. No other group can brag about this; it's something very few can hope to achieve in the ever-changing Idol world, and Berryz managed it.

For over a decade, these girls have been the Wota's Idols.

10 years. A decade. Over a decade, actually, but still. That's amazing, for an Idol group, at least; for a decade these girls have been watched over by their fans, seen both success and decline in their long career, grown up on and off a stage, all the while undertaking the hardships of a Japanese Idol. They have watched Hello! Project change since their debut, too, seeing members come and go, slowly gaining seniority and recognition among their peers. For 10 years, Berryz Kobou have been around, and a lot has happened to them.

10 years is a long fucking time, you guys. Even I have to respect their ability to stay together, even during the times where they looked like they couldn't give a rats arse about what they were doing; I respect that they managed to do this for so long, even if they wanted to be somewhere else at the time they were doing their Idol shindig.
 It's impressive, to say the least.

So when the song and title came out last year for this track, Futsuu, Idol 10nen Yatterannai Deshou!, I was actually excited - this was a song celebrating the girls and their 10 years as Idols, a celebration of sorts, a paying of respect to their time in Hello! Project. At the same time, I was hoping this would be one of their last songs too, (turns out, it was, being a part of their penultimate single) only because they were getting really boring at this point in time, too. Still, I hoped this would be an interesting song and video, because hey, 10 years is a big thing, right? It'd be nice to see some homage payed to the group.

... Well, we kinda get that, but not in the way I would have liked. Then again, I'm picky with my MV's and their quality, so when this came out, I was disappointed, to say the least.

Actually, I downright hated it. I was disgusted by it. This was a cheap-ass PV, in my eyes. And now, after a year of successfully ignoring it, I'm finally watching it again, because these 10 year Idols are finally hitting the hay and disbanding, and I have a series to write. And what better way to celebrate this week than to review one of their final hurrahs, right? No less, a 'homage' styled hurrah, if you could call it that.
 Don't worry though, I still have two more of these PV Reviews up my sleeve before I can finally part ways with this series, at least for the music side of it all, so you'll still have time to hear me lament over them for a day or so. It'll be fun. Promise.

Not.

So, talking all done until the rest of the review at the end of the picture spam, let's get into this pile of horse shite that I've been avoiding all year.  My hooves are out, claws as well, and I'm not going to go easy on these girls, just because of their 10 year history; this is the Berryz I don't like, and heck no am I gonna be nice just because they're gonna be gone soon!

This is Futsuu, Idol 10nen Yatterannai Deshou!, and no, I don't like it, but I'll bear with it for all of you, and because ranting is fun. Let's get it ON!!!

[A Week with Berryz] When Whales Call, Risako Comes a Warblin'... 'Aa, yo ga Akeru' [Quick Review]

My opinions are my own, screw the rest of my philosophical spiel I usually cough up. OPINIONS BE MINE!!!

This is a bit of an impromptu review, I admit, because I was supposed to write out a post on that 10 year Idol PV Berryz did last year, however after being requested to do this song, for a great reason, I thought 'why the heck not?'. I can try and do three PV reviews for the price of one tomorrow, or attempt to get a second one out at some point tonight. Key word being try here.

So yeah, very last-minute decision, this review, because I honestly wasn't going to talk about this song. I mean, I had thought about it, but chose not to in favour of Ai no Dangan, however in the end, I'm going to do it. I'll do it quickly, sure, but I'll still do it!

So major thanks to Atsuke Akiyama, who asked for the review - you called for the Whales, so I brought them to you! I apologise if it's short, but with the time limit I have, this is all I can pretty much do right now.

This is the Whale Calling of all Callings, andas a song, it is a piece of trash to my ears. Behold, Aa, yo ga Akeru.

Holy Heck, I hate this song. When it came out, I hated it with a passion, and I still resent it now. It's not a great song, though I admit, it is catchy. The thing that pissed me off the most about it, however, was Risako's god-awful vocals in it.

Seriously, they're terrible. It's like she's trying to Free Willy here via her voice, except she's failing terribly, so just keeps on going on, sacrificing my ears to the Devil himself in the process.

That said, the song isn't as bad as I remember; the opening chords and chorus are actually pretty catchy, it's just those auto-tuned lines and Risako's warbles of horror that are terrible - still, if it's somewhat catchy, I can get past the really bad parts that could give me nightmares, and I like the chorus enough to forgive it right now.
 This is still the worst song on their discography to my ears, however. Hey, can I burn it!?

Luckily, the PV is actually really pretty. Back when Aa, yo ga Akeru first came out, I didn't like it. Why? I don't know - I was dumb back then, less impressed by videos and their prettiness, but now that I've learnt more about film and grown with my reviews, I actually think that this is a very nice looking video, even a little sexy, but not stupidly uncomfortable like some of Berryz' videos can be.

In fact, it's rather ero-kawaii, a little demure, a bit sultry. Yurina, especially, is sultry.

I suppose it's because of the way it has been directed, where the girls are pretty much sitting like dolls in a doll house, that makes this video less awkward than other 'sexy' videos by various Idol groups. They're not forced into trying to turn the audience on, nor are they expected to be flirty or adult - they're just meant to be looked at, like pretty dolls, and honestly? They are very pretty, and this is a very nice video. It has seriously good production value, great camerawork, the outfits are nice, and the girls all look great.

The only issue is the song, but whatever. I can silence the video and put something better on. Maybe I can exchange this terrible wannabe ballad for Omoide? That would work!

For such a shitty song though, the PV is surprisingly good quality, so there is some form of light at the end of the tunnel. Again, though; the song isn't all bad, at least not in the way I used to think it was. It has its moments where it's really catchy and fun to listen to, with promises of being great, but at the end of the day, it still falls flat for me, and yes, that is mostly because of Risako and her really horrible Whale Calling Warbles. Urgh. 

Point in case, Aa, yo ga Akeru as a song does nothing to entertain me the way I want it to.  The video, however, can entertain me everyday. Especially Yurina. Yum.

Until my next Tear-It-Up Post, take care!

Much Love,

Chiima~

[A Week with Berryz] Lodge A Bullet Between My Eyes... 'Ai no Dangan' Single Review!

All thoughts and opinions are my own, completely. Don't like what I have to say? That's fine, because you're entitled to YOUR opinion - don't take mine as fact, but don't expect me to change my opinion to appease yours, either. That's not how opinions work. My mind is my own, my thoughts fluent, and here I word them, and make them known. If y'all have such an issue with said thoughts and opinions, find the door. Or the 'x' button. You don't *have* to stay.

This is the era I dread, but also an era that we are currently experiencing, if you ask me. An era that, very soon, will end, thus taking away my misery at having to watch Berryz and their half-assed performances in their PV's. Yes, my dears, we have now entered the territory of 'shit-ass-Berryz'.

Kill me now, please.

I think this was the era where I stopped giving two fucks about Berryz. At least, that's what I told myself; I still liked their music. Their image, however, put me off of them completely. Case in point: Ai no Dangan.

Like S/mileage, Berryz trying to be sexy was the biggest failure known to man, and Ai no Dangan is a great example of how not to try and be sexy, because really? You don't get more awkward than this... well, you couldn't get more awkward than this, until Mystery Night happened. This video is still just as bad, if not on par with how horrible it is, and all shades of fucking awkward.

Good thing I'm not going to talk about the video much today, because thankfully this is a single review. That said, I'll be sure not to refrain from voicing my disdain over the video, how giant their asses look in their red condom suits (A friends words on the condom suits, not mine, I swear) or how painfully shit that choreography was. Still, I'll try to keep focus on the songs at hand here, rather than the craptastrophy that is the video for Ai no Dangan.

So, with that said and done, I have given you a glimpse of how I feel about this release, but my tirade is only just beginning. I wonder, will there be some light at the end of the tunnel, or is this bullet just waiting to kill me now, before I can even find goodness to counteract the tack? We shall have to wait and see to find out...

[A Week with Berryz] A Rival for my Affections! A Rival for my Love! It's time for 'Rival's' Music Video!

All thoughts and opinions are my own, even if they aren't fully formed or sound like garbage. I own my garbage thoughts! Let opinionated, sleepy people lie! HUZZAH!

I shouldn't write reviews when sleepy. Urgh...

I swear, if there was one song that was requested more times than I could imagine, it would be this one.

I didn't even think to review this one, because the original plan was to review Otakebi boy WAO in its place. Still, the public has spoken, and as I wanted to try and review some requests for this week long series anyway, I will be giving in and looking at the song that so many people wanted, because dang, y'all love this one quite a bit.

There's no question about it; there is no Rival for how loved this song is...

Let's look back to 2009. 2009 was a good year for H!P, probably the last really good year they had in terms of budgeting, creative videos and some kick-assia until they got their shit together some years later. I suppose this was because, at the time, they were doing well with tie-in songs for anime, especially Berryz, who were prevalent in the anime scene at the time. Seriously, they knocked out some wonderful anime-infused tunes, songs that were catchy and all around fun.

 The times were good.

This is also one of the first PV's from the group that I saw once upon a time before I wota'd, viewed some time after VERY BEAUTY, and at the time, a favourite song of mine. Seriously, I loved Rival a lot, and why not? It's a catchy tune, and the video is really fun to watch! I remember how, back in the early days of Idol fandom, I would copy their dances rather poorly, and match their moves as I watched the video.

 I actually still do that now, but worse than when I was 16. My bones ain't what they used to be.

Thinking about it, I'm not surprised at the fact that people wanted me to review this video when I asked for suggestions; I mean, it's awesome, and it's cute as heck. Also, everyone else probably loves Rival for the reasons that I enjoy it, so of course they would want to see it reviewed before Berryz bow out, right? That, or they want to see if I flame it to the ground and deem it cheap and poorly done.

 Which it is not. This is a damn good music video, no matter what my captions may say ¬.¬

Okay, I'm rambling, so it's time to shut up. Let's just say, I do enjoy what this video offers for now, and I hope you all do to. Rival is, in so many ways, a gem in the Berryz discography, and we're going to look at that gem a little more in captions, because dangit, I love it, and it was fun to caption the heck out of! So, without further ado, let's take a look at the Rival in BK's soon-to-stall discography, and enjoy a little piece of history we all adore.

Let's Rival for the affections of the Wota! With cuteness and cardboard, Berryz will surely win you over! Are you ready to be overwhelmed? LET'S GO!

Musings & Mutterings Episode 7: Where Sleepy Chiima Chitters On

This weeks episode of my Podcast series can be found HERE. Listen to it if you wish~

Despite not having slept since yesterday (pulling all nighters once again; such a great example...) I remembered that today was Podcast day, otherwise, I miss my two-week deadline I have set for myself. Amazingly, I feel like this podcast is really animated (as animated as speech can be) and one of my more confident ones. I suppose it takes bringing Zombie Chiima out to make the podcast lively, huh?

For Episode 7 though, I decided to keep things light-hearted and nice - last weeks episode was not the easiest of topics, so I wanted to make sure that today, this podcast would be a little fun. That said, I do bring up the topic of panic attacks briefly; when I talk about my week, I like to do so in full, and I even try to give some advice! Wow.
 I still feel like I am not qualified to give advice, but it was nice to give it. So there. xD

Honestly though, for these past two weeks, it does feel like I have been busy one way or another, and it does feel like my world has collided with Idols, once again. I sometimes feel distant, like my personal life and my world of Idols are very separate, so this week or so has felt like they are more-or-less together and ramming into each other, which, in a way, is nice; I haven't felt like my personal life and Idol world have come together much lately, so now that it has, it feels great to me. Hence the title of my podcast, once you see it.

This was a really fun podcast to record actually, and one of the easiest to do as well. I had a lot to say this week and very little editing actually occurred here - I didn't do a lot of pausing, which I usually do, so I feel like this is a successful podcast today! Even if people don't like it, the fact that it went so smoothly for me makes it feel successful. So, yeah. Don't like it? Chiima dun' care! All that matters is that the ease of it all has made me feel proud of myself, somehow. How vain! xD

Seriously though, the past two weeks have been fun, but a bit of a roller-coaster ride to. There is lots to look forward to though, and I honestly hope that the next two weeks are just as good, because hey! It's nice to have stuff to talk about, right?

Also, if you have any topics you would like me to touch upon, please let me know. Otherwise, I will find something to ramble about anyways xD

Until next time~
Chiima~

[A Week with Berryz] It's a Freakin' MONKEY DANCE! Get yo jig on! 'Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance' MV Review!

All thoughts and opinions within this post are my own. Don't whine because you disagree with me, otherwise, I might add some cheese and then whine myself. Ta~

I should probably be in bed right about now, however I have a video uploading on youtube (which is taking its own darned sweet time) plus, I never did complete that second post I was supposed to do for this series... so, as I sit and wait, trying not to fall asleep, I'm going to complete what I intended to do way earlier, and also continue this series.

There's no point in wasting precious time by reading fanfiction, which is what I would be doing, if I didn't push myself to do this review. Actually, I want to do this review, because holy heck, I've avoided this song and video long enough.

It's time to do the Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance. Wanna have a jig with me?

If it wasn't for the fact that people seem to really like this song, at least that's the feeling I got when people suggested it when I asked for help on what songs to review for this series, then I would have probably ignored this song and video a little longer, because from what I can remember of it, Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance freaks me the fuck out. Seriously, it's weird, and we know how I am with the really weird Idol stuff sometimes.

 Why do y'all think I ignore MomoClo Z and Kyary as much as I do? They're trippy, and they unsettle me. The same goes for this video.

I have to admit though, once you get into it, much like Yurina and her height... it grows on you. Monkey Dance I mean, not Yurina. She grows on me anyway, though.

Still, despite my initial desire to ignore this piece of Berryz history, I'm glad I did look at it, because this is a part of the era where Berryz were, in my mind, at their best. As in, they all look amazing. Puberty treated them well here, and no longer were they awkward, nor were they experimenting with their hair or making it rancid. Yes, this was a time where Berryz were darned beautiful.

 It was around this period that I actually didn't mind Berryz, because y'know, they were still fun, and they all looked helluva cute and relate-able. Even Momoko, in all of her Gremlin glory, was sweet as pie to look at.

The video still freaks me out though, no matter how cute/beautiful they all look. I'll bear with it though, because I love you guys, and because I have actually grown to enjoy the song a lot. Also, it's a fun PV to screencap... the personality!

So, without further ado, let's take a hop and a jump, and do our own little Monkey dance! Tiki Tiki Tiki, who will become your favourite Monkey? Let's find out!

[A Week with Berryz] Going Back to the Classics, it can only be 'Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND' the Single!

All thoughts and opinions within this post regarding the song(s) reviewed, as well as the video and group, are completely my own and are not to be taken as fact - this is simply how I feel, and if you feel that you do not agree with me, then that's good. Opinions are what they are; opinions. Don't get affected by what others think or feel, when you know full well how YOU feel. Thank you.

I've since missed a day of my [A Week with Berryz] series in favour of homework that I had to do, and whilst I am unhappy that I missed a day of this series, I won't apologise for placing my personal life over blogging; I love what I do, however University takes place before my blog series.

I still aim to write two blog posts today to compensate, however. We have a lot of Berryz to get through, after all!

And with that said and done, let's take a look at the first single review of the series, as well as one of my favourite Berryz songs from their current single collection. Of course, it has to be Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND!

Back in 2006 when Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND was released, I was 13 years old and getting into Anime and Manga. I had also opened up my first ever youtube channel that year (holy cow) and also just getting into the internet, because I had never really experienced it before. The one thing I was not experiencing during this pivotal time in my life, however, was Berryz Kobo - I didn't find out about Hello! Project until 3 years later, so the group was still an unknown entity in my mind.

Still, the Lord named Tsunku decided to bless us with this song, even though I was completely unaware of its existence. So really, thank you Tsunku.

I won't go and say that this is my favourite track of theirs of all time, because there are a few songs from Berryz that I really enjoy a bit more than this one, but in general, Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND may just be my favourite Baby-Berryz track, because it's just so darned cute and addictive! I mean seriously, how can one hate this song!? It's awesome!

Before I go into cuteness overload however, I will actually start looking at the songs and, you know, reviewing them as best I can. So, without further ado, let's take a little peak into the sweet innocence that was Berryz Kobo back in 2006, and listen to the delight that happens to be their 11th single, Waracchaou yo BOYFRIEND. Are you ready for an abundance of cuteness?

[A Week with Berryz] 100 Ears to Love, and about 500 Chinami's to Hug! It's got to be 'Gag 100 Kaibun Aishite Kudasai'!

The thoughts and opinions within this post, whether it is about the group, song or video, are completely my own. This review is written for fun, and this is a place of jest, though at times I can be serious, but honestly, if you feel offended, you do not have to read it. Still, please, respect my opinion - we have different ways of thinking, and you may not agree with me, likewise I may not agree with you, but at the end of the day, we are all opinionated one way or another. We just need to be open-minded and accepting of other opinions, so please, be open-minded towards me, and I shall return the favour. Thank you.

Berryz Kobou are going to be gone soon, and honestly? I look forward to it, not only because they don't interest me in any way possible, but also because this means Hello! Project is heading towards a true fresh start. I know a lot of fans are, right now, mourning a group they love dearly before they go, and whilst I'm not the biggest fan of Berryz, I do respect the joy that they have brought many fans.

And, so that I can grasp even a little bit of what mesmirised the fans about them, I wanted to do this [A Week with Berryz] series and go back in time, back to the days where things were simple but cheerful, when the group wasn't so run-down or disheartened, before they fell down that rabbit hole of decline.

I think, to really see the Berryz that everyone fell in love with, I have to dig up a certain gem that captured quite a few fans. I suppose that has to be Gag 100 Kaibun Aishite Kudasai, right?