Okay! Musume Digest! #12

I nearly forgot to update this! My bad guys, so sorry!

Anyway, let's get into the post! It's DIGEST TIME!

The week has honestly been a bit of a hit and miss for me, with some days slower than others and some days which had news that I liked, but I didn't exactly think was exciting either. I was, however, surprised by the good amount of Takahashi Ai based news, because she's been reported to be in a few more stage plays, so that's cool!

Anyway, before I get into the news part of the post, let's look at the poll results for the question I set last week, asking Which Hello! Project Egg would you like to see make it into Morning Musume?

And who woulda funk it? Of course, it's Miyamato Karin! From the get go, I knew that she would win the poll because she's a popular choice for everyone. Fans have wanted her to join Morning Musume or S/mileage since 9th/10th gen auditions began, and it never happened, so of course, people are still wishing, hoping and waiting for it to happen! Anyway, out of the 39 votes given, Karin recieved 51% of all your votes! WOW!

So, what did the other girls get?

Tanabe Nanami 23%

Kosuga Fuyuka 15%

Takagi Sayuki 7%

Kaneko Rie 2%

So yeah... I'm honestly not surprised, but I will also say that she wouldn't be my vote either, because I feel like Karin, no matter how good she is, would be pushed to the back of the group like everyone else, because honestly, Morning Musume right now is the Riho show. and I wouldn't want Karin to be shunned away like the other girls have a little. She deserves to sing, she really does.

Anyway, now that the poll is done with, let's move onto the news!

There's a nice variety of news for this week, I think, so hopefully there will be something that will interest everyone, so let's get into the...

NEWS OF THE WEEK

This week's episode of Hello! Satoyama Life starts off with Yajima Maimi working alone with a farmer, helping to plant a tree (or plant). We also get to see Aika, Chinami, Maasa and a few Hello! Pro Kenshuusei  (Miyamato Karin, Kaneko Rie and Taguchi Natsumi) go to a Natsu Matsuri(?) together.

It's great that the Kenshuusei members were able to take part in this episode, because it means that the fan of Kenshuusei members will take more interest in the episode as well as the fact that the girls are being promoted too, because we learn more about the girls, and we get to see how the girls interact with their senpai's during the show.

I won't ruin the rest of the episode for you, but I do think that it's a really great episode, one of the best actually. It was entertaining to watch, and seeing the kenshuusei there was surprising and refreshing. I hope that the Kenshuusei will be used in future episodes too, because I think that the girls were a great addition to the episode.

Definitely give this episode a go guys :D

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Takashi Ai will be starring in a stage play called High School Uta Gekidan ☆ Otoko-gumi. She will be taking on the role of the lead male.

That... is some shitty photoshop. For realz, guiz.

Erm... that aside, it's nice to know that Ai-chan is continuing to find work in stage plays, movies and drama's. She has been very active lately, and as this will be her first role as a boy (I won't count Ribbon no Kishi, she was half and half) it will certainly be a new take for her, as she will need to learn a few new mannerisms as well as how to talk to a boy. The play (depsite the awkwardly photoshopped flyer) will certainly be interesting. Let's just hope their heads aren't that big or attached so awkwardly in real life...

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AKB48's youtube channel has released a Digest for their up-coming music video, Gingham Check, which was directed by Joseph Kahn. This video centers around Oshima Yuko, who won the senbatsu election this year.

So, Yuko dressed as Hard Gay, Diner Girl costumes, some... weird chicken scratching the floor dance moves, and movie scenes thrown in there? It's amazing how a video can make a lack-luster, generic song sound pretty darn good, isn't it?

The video looks great - I was surprised to see the movie references in there, but Kahn did say that he wanted to give the video a 'Japanese feel', and what better way than to use iconic movies that everyone knows about? I mean, Japan's movies are nearly always being adapted, so it was nice to see the use of those films in this video. Once again, another amazing music video from AKB will be anticipated. Too bad about the song, though.

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12 artists will provide theme songs for the upcoming live-action movie Kyo, Koi wo Hajimemasu. These artists include SCANDAL, Perfum, bomi, LGMonkees, Tamurapan, SEKAI NO OWARI, MAY'S, Sayonara Ponytail, back number, Nakashima Mika, Negoto and 7!!.

The news about the film adaptation of the manga was announced a while ago, and at that time, I was incredibly happy, because I absolutely loved Kyo, Koi wo Hajimemasu, but at one point there were no releases, so I kind of... stopped reading it, as nothing was updated. However, now that I know it's being adapted into a movie, I am extremely happy, because I really liked the manga itself and the storyline.

Regarding the artists, I am happy to see that artists I've never heard of or rarely pay attention to are on the list, because it will get their songs out there, and I don't really like hearing popular or over-used groups' songs in movies, as I like new things to listen to and new groups to gain an interest in. So, I hope everyone is looking forward to this movie, and I hope that someone's favourite group is in there, lending a song for the film!

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Takahashi Ai will be holding a fanclub tour in Shizuoka on October 13th and 14th.

Takahashi Ai is in a roll, people! With a new stage play coming out and a musical (as well as that drama she is in too), why not throw in an FC tour for all her fans? This will be a great opportunity to catch up with the actress and to spend some time with her, as well as probably hear her sing a few songs (Which will be good, because she's a great singer) and just have a nice time. Hopefully all fans will be able to attend the event, and oooh, pretty flyer!

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Station♪ have been featured on IDOL SUMMIT Vol. 5, singing their first two songs, Let's Go Tetsudo Idol and Susume.

Yes! My favourite Station Idols are back, and even though I have heard these two songs a few times already (they are always played at lives, then again... they don't have many songs) it is nice to see more performances from the girls, because it means more coverage.

I like this performance because, whilst the girls are singing to the backing track (with the vocals in it) you can actually hear the girls singing live too, so it's nice to hear that. The performance is really cute, and I love how the girls are really happy throughout the performance.

Hopefully everyone can take a look and see if they enjoy the performance ^^

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Station♪ will be releasing a new single on September 10th, titled LOVE Happy Station♪. This will be their 4th Indies single release, and will be available in 6 editions: One each for the members, and a regular 'station' edition.

A new single? Really? Oh, Station♪, I love you! Ah, so happy... xD

I feel like Station♪ are steaming ahead (pun intended) with their releases, because since they debuted, this group really haven't stopped, and they keep releasing new stuff for their fans. They recently brought out their first indies album, which must have been such a wonderful thing for the girls, and now they are recording a new song. This will also be the first single to feature Nene, as she only recently came into Station♪ as a candidate member.

I am looking forward to this release, and can't wait to hear the song itself!

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A trailer for Dragon Ball Z's 2013 film has been released. An official English and Japanese website has been created as well. The film will take place between the 517th and 518th instalments of the original manga. The film will open throughout Japan on March 30th, 2013.

Oh my god oh my god oh my GOD!!!

I grew up with Dragon Ball Z on the TV as a child (along with other anime which was popular in the 1990's and available on Cartoon Network) and even though I don't watch it now, I do still have that part of me which gets excited about anything to do with the anime itself, because it's nostalgic, and it is what I remember enjoying during my childhood, so when I saw this trailer up on Arama, I mentally screamed in my head and cried tears of happiness. My inner child has found happiness.

It's also wonderful to know that the story is not a spin off, either, like that American made movie that stole the name of this wonderful anime and manga. This itself is great news, as DBZ fans can rest assured that the movie will be a story stemming from the manga, and not some terrible plot made up for the sake of Hollywood... or something.

I'm looking forward to this. Heck, I will even go watch it if it ever gets dubbed and released in English cinema's... or on DVD. I dunno how the cinema's here work any more (seeing as Pokemon is never shown on the big screen these days)  but either way... I will watch this!

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Tsunku has released the track-list for Morning Musume's upcoming album, ⑬ Colorful Character, as well as a few comments on the songs.


1. One・Two・Three
2. What’s Up? Ai wa Dou na no yo~
3. Be Alive
4. Lalala no Bibibi (Michishige Sayumi)
5. Dokkaan Capriccio
6. The Matenrou Show
7. Zero Kara Hajimaru Seishun
8. Renai Hunter
9. Chikyuu ga Naiteiru
10. Namida Itteki (Tanaka Reina)
11. Waratte! YOU (9th & 10th gen)
12. Pyoco Pyoco Ultra

Tsunku commented on the album on his blog, stating that the theme of the album is 'The Earth's Yell' and that each song defines the different characters of Morning Musume, allowing them to unveil themselves with the different styles of songs that we will find in the album. He has also given soe comments regarding the songs (taken from Hello! SayuNii):

• Sayumi’s solo song is technopop and its lyrics are mostly about Sayu’s current condition within the group and in her personal life

• Dokkan Capriccio is rock song made for concerts

• Zero Kara Hajimaru Seishun is a thankful soft song

• Chikyuu ga Naiteru (The Earth Is Crying) is a Reina/Riho lead since the vocals needed are really hard for this “serious rock number”

• Reina’s solo is a song sung in minor, and even though its melody is simple, the song is quite hard, which allowed Tsunku to notice how much Reina has improved

• Waratte! YOU is a disco song

I would honestly say that I am not looking forward to Chikyuu ga Naiteru, because I don't think that Riho has a voice that will suit a rock number. In all honesty, louder, more mature voices are needed for a song like that... like Ayumi, Haruka and maybe even Zukki. A rock number is fine and dandy, but Riho... is not that great sometimes, in my opinion. But, she might surprise me. You never know.

Anyway, there is a great variety of songs here, and hopefully not all of the new songs are a Reina/Riho-festival, because I don't like Riho's voice, and whilst I like Reina's, it gets boring.

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The Hello! Project Kenshuusei will be holding fanclub events on September 20th and 21st.

For fans of the Hello! Project trainee's, we have good news, because the girls will be holding fanclub events! This means handshakes (I think), pictures, goods and songs and maybe even some talking and games, which is great for any group, whether they are trainee's or main Hello! Project group members. I'm glad that the girls are all getting great exposure, because sometimes trainee's can be left out of the mix, but with their own concertsn and FC tours, the girls are going to get recognised more and have a higher chance of debuting.

Hopefully all fans within the area will be able to attend, and see their favourite trainee!

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Fudanjuku will be releasing a new album, titled Otoko (the title is a pun: The kanji means drum sound, but is said as 'man'). There are three editions available to buy. The album will be released on the 29th of this month, and will include the winners song from the Lyrics Senbatsu.

Here is the track listing:

1. Kaze ikki
2. Love Spider
3. Noraneko Maria
4. Se~ no de don’t mind !
5. Kaze ni notte
6. Konsa du waniina
7. Tobitate ! Fūranger (Winning Lyrics Senbatsu. Winner: Momotaro)
8. Mugen no procyon
9. Tanada mai
10. my home town
11. Kanjite yuke
12. Ame tokidoki hare nochi niji

Each edition will come with a bonus, The regular edition contains bonus tracks:

13. Onaji jidai ni umareta wakamonotachi / from the Shibuya O-EAST live of the 30/06/12
14. Ii otoko / from the Shibuya O-EAST live of the 30/06/12

Limited A will include a bonus DVD, a Zenkoku Tour Document/Off shot of Tabi sugata! Fudanjuku and a documentary/backstage footage from their last tour.

Limited B will include a bonus DVD that will contain the Lyrics Senbatsu, videos and the lyrics. The cover is also designed by Arina Tanemura, so manga fans will probably love this copy.

When I saw this update on the Fudanjuku forums I visit, I was extremely happy, because Fudanjuku are such a fun group. Looking at the songs, I am pleased to see that Kaze Ikki, a very heavy and cool song, is first, and Ame Tokidoki Hare nochi Niji is last, giving the album an energetic, but almost calm (big contrast, Chii) send off. Also, I was happy to see that Momotaro was the Lyrics Senbatsu winner - I know that a few International fans wished for Uramasa to win, but honestly, I would have voted for Momo. His song was the most energetic, he put a lot of thought into it (it was a song made for Fudanjuku, and not himself - he loves that group xD) and I loved how he sang it when he performed. It's a nice, energy filled song that is cute and quirky, much like that ranger PV from MomoClo, but less annoying. So, I am really happy that Momo won.

Hopefully fans can pick up a copy of the album. I know the artwork isn't everyone's favourite, but I love the 'lawyer' like look it has.

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A Radio rip of Cat's Eye 7's theme song has been released for fans to listen to, so check it out HERE!

Okay, so let's be honest here - the song is cool, I don't mind the amount of stupid auto-tune used, but it's horrible to know that Risako (oh, and Yurina, but she sings decently enough), who's character was made up for the play has main vocals as opposed to the three girls playing main characters (and existing) for the play. Mai, Maimi and Maasa (not the right order but meh) in the play - why? Oh yeah... she doesn't get enough lines in Berryz, right? Geez, Maasa, stop hogging the lines in Cha Cha Sing...

Okay, that's petty (mwahaha) but honestly, it's unfair - these girls are the main cast, so I think that they should get top priority when it comes to main vocals and lines, and not some made up character who was given to Berryz Kobou's front member. The focus is supposed to be on all the members, yeah, but main characters = primary focus, not a member who has not been cast as a lead.

I like the song though, but Risako still warbles. She needs to go to the plumbers and get her pipes fixed.

Nakky sounds awesome, Mai sounds awesome, Risako sucks even with auto tune, Yurina's okay and YAY SAKI RAPPING! Maasa is god damn gorgeous and knows it, and she needed to lead the song, and Maimi is okay.

Bitchiness aside, this song is pretty awesome and I think that most of the vocals (mostly Maasa, Captain and Nakky) all worked for the song. I can't wait for the apparent PV to come out, and RAPPING! YES! I love it when Captain raps, because she's the best in H!P as a rapper right now~ can't stop listening to this song

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Takahashi Ai will be starring in the musical Joshikousei Chiyo this December. The stage play has been adapted from a manga titled Joshikousei Chiyo (64) by Satoru Hiura, and is about a 64 year old Highschooler... wait, what?

Another stage play for Takahashi Ai! She really is keeping busy as a performer, and it's great to know that she is getting a lot of work. For all of her fans, this will please many, but as for her role, it's a little vague right now, though she is one of the main characters.

Now, onto the actual play: It is indeed about a 64 year old, and is a comedy which displays the life of an active senior and showing the varying generations. This concept is strange, but appealing too, and will draw quite a bit of attention. Hopefully it will be a hit and any fans within the area will go to see it!

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Ishida Ayumi will make her first appearence on Young Town Radio on August 18th.

Whilst I am not a fan of radio myself, for radio lovers (and Morning Musume fans), this is great news, because radio is a great way to promote an Idol and to also get her personality out there. Plenty of Morning Musume members are on radio, such as Haruka, Riho, Sayumi and many others. This is fantastic news for Ayumi, who is being pushed a decent amount, as she will be able to show off more of her personality and establish herself. Hopefully all fans will be able to tune in and listen to Ayumi and hear any stories she has to tell!

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Sashihara Rino performed at Avex's annual summer a-nation as both a part of HKT48 and as a soloist.

I was extremely happy to see this little gem of news on my Twitter feed, and on Tokyohive, because it means that Rino is still considered a 'soloist', I guess. Whether or not she brings out another single is debatable, but to know that she was able to perform as a solo act is great news for all her fans! Hearing this, my sister was really happy, because she really likes Sasshi as a performer. This is incredible, ad hopefully Sasshi will be able to make her way up the 48 ladder once again and come out on top!

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Sayashi Riho and Kusumi Koharu have some fun at an amusement park together on the show Entame Tsuushin!

Nutjob! RiDOS!!! mTwo of the 'Aces' together!!! Well, I'm ecstaticabout one of them, because I love Koharu, and actually, I am surprisingly happy that Riho is able to appear on a show with her and I was really eager to see how they interacted on the show, because Koharu can be pretty crazy sometimes, whilst Riho can be rather relaxed and shy, so it was interesting to watch them together. Actually, Riho was really cute in this episode (yeah, don't get used to my praise), showing a lot more personality than normal. Of course the highlight had to be the Haunted House scene, as both girls were scared to the point where at first they refused to go in, as well as the scene where Koharu had to go on a ride by herself which she obviously was too scared to go on.

All in all, a good episode to watch for the fun Morning Musume and OG member interactions and to see them in fear. Definitely worth the watch for Koharu and Riho fans.

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A radio rip for Buono!'s FEVER has been released for everyone to listen to!

Buono! are giving us a great taste of their upcoming mini-album Sherbet with all these sweet radio rips and their recent PV, so another one is always welcome! FEVER! is a nice song, one which I could really learn to love if I listened it to enough. There are great vocals (no shrieks so far!) and a great instrumental with a lot of guitar rifts and some drums in the background, and a beat which sounds fun and energetic. Luckily the radio rip is the full song, so we get a good listen of the song, but until the HQ mp3 is out, we won't know the full force of this song.

It's nice, so give it a listen, or two, and see what you think! Very Buono!, and very nice.

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Erena Ono is set to release her second single, titled Erenyan, on October 3rd, and will also be releasing a DVD tittled Erepyon the Movie on August 29th. The movie will be a documentary about Erena's road to her debut with footage from recordings, fan events and photoshoots. For her 2nd single, there will be five editions available.

I'm happy - I like Erena Ono quite a bit, so when I saw this news I was extremely excited, because Erepyon was a good song (Sentimental Girl was a lot better, though) and so I was anticipating her second single release. Like Erepyon, the sog for Erenyan might be quite cute, but something to look forward to, as once again, Erena will be writing her own lyrics!

This is something I will definitely look forward to... roll on the PV and previews!

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Yajima Maimi and Tokunaga Chinami will both appear in a stage play titled Sugar Spot from November 2nd until December 2nd.

BerriKyuu are on quite the roll with their stage plays, and it's nice to see that Chinami is getting more to do now thanks to the amount of promotion she did for Cha Cha SING in Thailand. This is great news for stage play and Berrikyuu fans anyway, and as a Chinami fan, I am extremely happy that she was able to land a role in a play with one of BerriKyuu's more popular members, Maimi, who is one of the more experienced actresses within Hello! Project. Hopefully this will get everyone excited, and let's anticipate more news in the future!

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UpFrontChannel have uploaded a 30 second spot for Cat's Eye 7, titled Kyattsu ♥ ai (Cat's Eye), which shows the girls dancing on a roof at night.

I was surprised to see this, and whilst the 30 second spot shows us very little, it's still exciting to know that this group will (hopefully) get a PV for all the fans to watch! The night scene looks really cool, something I am really anticipating, but with the lack of footage and scenes we get in this short preview, I will say that I am not holding my breath for a spectacular PV. I won't expect a storyline... I actually only expect a dance shot and solo shots. That's it.

Anyway, this is still a nice little preview for the fans, so enjoy watching it guys!

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Dokkan Capriccio Preview

Previews for Morning Musume's Waratte YOU! and Dokkan Capriccio have been released for everyone to listen to!

Okay, so I was excited before for Morning Musume's 13th album, Colorful Character, but after hearing snippets from a few of the songs, I really am even more excited about the release, because both of these songs sound amazing. The first song is performed by the 9th and 10th generation, and is a Riho-Fukumura dominated song, something which I really am not pleased about, because we hear enough of Riho... but oh well. It is a refreshing kind of song, one that is rather summery and gentle, something which compliments all of the girls' voices quite nicely.

Dokkan Capriccio is definitely a concert song - it has that sort of Morning Musume concert vibe that Moonlight Night and Kanashiki koi no Melody have, as well as a lot of energy and high tension kind of moments. Whilst it is a Riho-Reina dominated song, it's quite good, and gets me excited about future performances with this song.

So right now, this new Morning Musume is looking (and sounding) really good. I think that this album will be much anticipated, what with some amazing songs on the list and great singers as well, I feel like this album will be better than 12 Smart.

Then again, that's my opinion~

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So, that's all the news for the week! Hopefully there was something in there to tickle your fancy. Let's wait for more news next week! Please be patient~

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: August 14th, 2012

Okay! Musume Digest! #11

It's.... DIGEST TIME!!!

The week has gone by once again, and we are back with more news! What is in store for everyone? Well, some Morning Musume, a bit of Cat's Eye 7, a few up-coming magazine appearences and a bit of other stuff thrown in there...

Most of this post is made up of videos, because a few previews have come out which was nice, and some live footage of Morning Musume too, so plenty of videos for you all to watch in this digest if that is what you like! Regarding the week, it's been pretty damn good, and I'm happy with the amount of news that has popped up - especially the amount of promotion that Morning Musume seem to be doing right now!

In other news, I've been lazy xD I guess...

Anyway, I do have a present for y'all, in the form of the sexiest gif EVER!!!

Picture of Le Week!

Oh... you know it's sexy! And here's a lil' challenge for you all: You guys should try to pelvic thrust your way through your favourite Morning Musume song! MUAHAHAHAHA!

Seriously... do it!

And also a new poll for you guys to have a go at. Wanna know what the question is?

Which Hello! Project Egg would you like to see make it into Morning Musume?

Currently, Tanabe Nanami, Miyamato Karin, Kosuga Fuyuka, Takagi Sayuki and Kaneko Rie have made it into the finals for Morning Musume's 11th Generation auditions. This was apparently made official last month, and considering Eggs do pass to the final round quicker than others, it's safe to say that this is (probably) legitimate.

So... who would you choose? And yeah, I already know who's going to win...

Anyway... onto the...

NEWS OF THE WEEK

The latest episode of Hello! Pro Time features Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi, Nakajima Saki, Yajima Maimi, Fukuda Kanon and Wada Ayaka helping out on the farm and land again, giving viewers another look into agricultural life and how it all works.

Whilst not the most interesting episode, I like that this show takes on that informative approach and allows fans to take a look into how farming works in Japan and also, we get to see the Idols do something different and also get involved in the farming of their country, something that most singers or performers don't really do. It's a nice episode to watch, not as boring as others but also not as interesting, however it is nice to see the intrigue the girls have and how much they get into this.

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UpFrontChannel has uploaded a video showing footage on Cat's Eye 7, including rehearsals and footage from the press conference as well as a short performance of the girls singing their new song.

Is it bad that I think Risako's voice sounds better under heavy auto-tune, and that you can barely recognise that horrible warble she always does? Just me? Okay, thought so~

Anyway, aside from dislike of Risako's warbles, the song sounds alright. I like the tone, but the heavy auto-tune is less desirable, for me. However, Nakky and Yurina still sound lucious, and Saki rapping? Yep, my life is complete, because she looks gorgeous when she raps. Just sayin'. Anyway, this is a nice little video for Cat's Eye 7 fans, even though we've seen most of this footage already. Hopefully everyone will take a chance to watch it and see how their favourite girls perform!

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Space Shower TV will air a Morning Musume Special in September. Fans can send in questions. The current lineup will also be able to ask OG members questions on the show.

These days, it seems that Morning Musume is garnering a lot more attention due to the sudden image change they have taken on, as well as hitting their 15th year as a group and releasing their mile-stone 50th single. Of course, it makes me, as a fan, incredibly happy that the group is able to appear on TV shows and show the public their bubbly personalities whilst also showing off the new members so that people can become familiar with them, and we all know how good the new generation of MM on TV shows - Black Variety is a great example of this!

Amazing news for Morning Musume and their fans! I can't wait for the episode to be leaked, if it ever is.

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Auditions for Tanaka Reina's band have been opened again, with the deadline being Spetember 2nd. If all goes well, Tsunku aims for the band to be revealed during Hello! Project's New Year Concert.

Now, for these auditions, there could be two reasons why they have once again been opened: 1) There has been a lot of interest, so more auditions ave been added, or 2) Tsunku and the other judges have not found enough people that they think are right for the band, so they are opening auditions once again to see if they can find anyone again.

Regardless of those reasons, it's great that Tsunku aims for the group to be unveiled during the New Year concert as well as the fact that there is once again an audition open. This gives girls the chance to try again, or to try if they couldn't (maybe because of their age) as well as for the judges to see what girls catch their eyes, as well as to bring in new possible Trainees for Hello! Project too. The prospects are endless, really, and this audition could bring in a lot of talent for H!P and UFA itself, especially with Reina as the main vocalist. Hopefully, all auditions go well, and I can't wait for the unveiling!

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Morning Musume made an appearence on the show Waratte Iitomo. There is no performance, however the girls talk quite a bit and we get a good look at Reina's new hair!

This was a pretty nice segment to watch, because once again we get a chance to see Morning Musume on a talk show where they all show off their individual personalities and basically promoting themselves and the 50th single more.

Honestly, I love seeing Morning Musume on talk shows because all of the girls are entertaining to watch. Everyone has a unique way of acting and presenting themselves when in front of the camera, and none of the girls are exactly boring. There is always a lot of energy with the girls on TV shows, even when they aren't doing much. It's also great that the girls are continuing to promote the 50th single even after it has been released. Other than what I have said, there really isn't much else to say on the show other than the fact that hopefully, all fans will watch it and enjoy.

Hopefully, everyone will be able to take a look at the show and see what they think!

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Girl group Juliet will be releasing their 14th single, titled Daisuki, on August 15th. A PV preview (above) has also been released for everyone to see on Juliet's official channel.

I'm pretty new to Juliet, but from the few songs I have listened to (I have a particular liking for Haru Love it seems) this is a girl group worth listening to. Juliet is made up of three Gyaru models, and they are classed as a Japanese Pop-R&B group. That said, I am looking forward to this release - the PV looks good, and I really like all of the girls' voices as well as their sound. The song is lovely, quite slow but it picks up a bit towards the end of the PV preview.

Basically, if you are a sucker for slow songs (like me) then give this a go. I can't guarentee that you will like it, but it's nice.

Here is the tracklist for those interested:

1. Daisuki

2. Michi Surube

2. Daisuki (Instrumental)

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Berryz Kobou and C-ute will perform at FujiTV's Odaiba Live on August 9th and 10th respectively.

As always, news regarding live events or handshakes - or just about anything to do with a group I like promoting themselves more - is always great news, and considering it is both Berryz and C-ute who will be performing (on seperate days, though) this is a good bit of news for their fans, as it means more promotion for the girls and their new or upcoming singles. There is the chance that during this performance, C-ute will sing their upcoming single Aitai Aitai Aitai na, which I am sure a lot of fans are anticipating after the radio rip was leaked.

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Sayashi Riho of Morning Musume and Suzuki Airi of C-ute will both be gracing the covers of Top Yell magazine for the upcoming issue.

For any fan of these two, it's great to see them on the covers - for a fan of Hello! Project, C-ute or Morning Musume, it's even better news because it means promotion and getting the name of the group out there... even if only one member is being shown. Whilst I am not a massive fan of either these two Idols, I do like that they are being promoted and shown off, because it just means that there will be more interest in where the girls are from, and what groups they are in. Also, I like the covers - the outfits are really nice, and quite eye catching.

Sometimes, I wish that I could buy these magazines... -cries-

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The covers to Buono's upcoming album have been released on CDJapan. There is a Limited and Regular Edition available.

These covers. SO. CUTE! Though the one thing I noticed almost immediately was the recycled Devil Horns hair that UFA seem to like using on the H!P Idols right now. Really, when will they stop getting so horny happy with the horns? Though they look cute on Airi...

Another thing I noticed: Momoko looks presentable, which means those horrible, stupid pigtails aren't there. Seriously, I am relieved! Those ugly things aren't disgracing the cover! She looks so cute, and Miya... well, we all know that Miya's perfect.

I like it. It's cute, but not overbearing. They all look nice, and it's so sweet and candy like!

I'm craving sugar, be right back...

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Suzuki Airi, Sayashi Riho and Kusumi Koharu will be on Entame Tsuushin on August 11th.

I'm honestly not familiar with Entame Tsuushin, however it is a TV show which Koharu has been on before, as well as Airi and the other C-ute members when they were promoting their single Kimi wa Jitensha, so it will be interesting to once again see Airi on the show with Koharu, as well as to see a current Morning Musume member, who is the next 'Ace' after Koharu (as well as being the member who inherited her member colour) on the show with her senpai. Hopefulyl the show will be available online at some point for all fans to watch.

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Michishige Sayumi and Ishida Ayumi will be attendting the August 14th Rakuten Eagles baseball game.

As most Morning Musume fans will know, Morning Musume (and other Hello! Project acts such as GAM, DEF Diva and C-ute) performed a song made for the Rakuten Eagles, The MANPOWER, which became the baseball teams official Cheer song, so it's great to hear that Morning Musume are continuing to support the team, even after it has been so long since The MANPOWER came out. Hopefully the game will be exciting for both Sayumi and Ayumi, and hopefully some footage will be released on the game for fans to see if it features the two MoMusu members.

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Footage from Morning Musume's Mezamashi TV Live at Odaiba has been released, showing a performance from Morning Musume.

With all performances on TV, we get the girls opening up with a song as well as member introductions (with a lot of Sayumin love from the members) and a few more performances, with the song Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari being a surprising add into the mix, but completely understandable as it helps newer fans get to know who the members are more. There are also some cute skits for the girls, like Zukki doing her little bug impressions, and PonPon returning for our enjoyment, as well as Riho doing a tongue twister (I think).

Songs performed:

One Two Three (Short ver.)

Joshi kashimashi Monogatari

The Matenrou Show

Renai Hunter

Love Machine (Encore)

One Two Three (Encore) (Full performance)

As you can see from the list, there is a nice mix of songs, though the biggest disappointment would have to be Renai Hunter, as it was divided between simply Reina and Riho... I know that Riho is the Ace within her generation, but it would be nice to give the other girls some lines, especially as Riho is currently sounded strained during performances (her once good concert voice has become quite strained and pitchy), but Love Machine was the surprisingly good performance, with a better line distribution and a nice surprise opening from Iikubo who happened to do the DEIA! for this performance.

Overall, it was quite nice to watch, with my beloved Renai Hunter being the biggest disappointment out of all the songs. Anyway, I was surprised that Joshi was included, but I raised an eyebrow when Love Machine started, because that's pretty typical and predictable.

Anywhoo, I suggest that all fans take a look! It's a nice watch, and I liked the performance.

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A very (very) short radio rip for C-ute's next single release, titled Aitai Aitai Aitai na has been released for fans to listen to.

Honestly, it's actually quite annoying just how little of a preview we get, because 1) There is a woman talking over the damn instrumental and 2) We don't hear anything until around 39 seconds, but, regardless, at least we get a good amount of song to decipher just what we will be getting with this single, and honestly? I'm looking forward to the PV, because I have no idea what the hell they could do with this song video wise. Now, from the preview I do hear some snippets of instrumental which remind me of Cha Cha SING (surprisingly) as well as quite a bit of Mai, and a lot of Chisato, which I always like to hear, but in terms of line distribution, this seems to be promising. Currently I am unsure about the song, but we will see what I think when the entire thing comes out with a video...

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A radio rip for Buono's song BELIEVE★★★, which will be released on their upcoming mini album titled Sherbert has been released for fans to listen to.

As many have said, this is your typical Buono! affair, and nothing special. It's a standard tone, and doesn't really offer much. Oh, and Momo is shrill once again, and doesn't offer us the pleasure of her decent voice, and only gives us that horrible shriek she calls a singing voice. Honestly, Momo, bring back the Buono! side of yourself and leave the infuriating childish side to Berryz, that way I can at least like a little bit of you!

As you can tell, I am not overly keen on this song already, but it's a personal preference. Hopefully the other songs deliver a better performance than this one, and better vocals from the worst singer of the sub-group.

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Morning Musume's 9th and 10th Generation members will release a photobook on September 10th.

Photobook, which isn't all about Riho? Big chance it will be though... Oh boy, I'm totally there!...

Well, not completely, but honestly, this is exciting news for all 9th and 10th generation fans, because these girls certainly deserve the photobook together, and considering it has been a long time since there have been new girls in MM, and with the heavy promotion they have all been getting since they all joined, it isn't surprising that they will have a photobook together to show their closeness to each other. Hopefully, this will also bring a few other members to popularity and prepare them for their own future solo PB's!

Wishing for a Zukki, Eripon and Chokubo Honey one!

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Morning Musume have released a preview of one of their new songs from their latest album, Colourful Character, which will also be used as the audition dance song for the 11th Generation training camp. The song is titled What's Up? Ai wa Dou nan da~ and features a rap, dance-style sound to it which is new to Morning Musume... or at least the Morning Musume I know.

This song is incredible, and when my sister and I first saw this in the youtube feed, we were excited at just the video being there to give us a glimpse of an upcoming song from the group. Of course we hoped that this would be the 51st single, but hey, it's amazing - so it has to be an album song, because we know that Tsunku keeps the best songs under lock and key for albums... Cry for no PV D;

I also like the fact that this will be the song that the 11th generation potentials will be dancing to - it's up-beat and energetic, so hopefully everyone can keep up, and hopefully more song previews will appear very soon!

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C-ute's official youtube channel have released a digest for the group's 2012 Spring Concert Tour, giving us a nice view into what we can expect for the DVD!

Watching the Digest made me excited for the actual performance, because it looks amazing - as always, C-ute are polished and great performers with wonderful dancing skills, as they have some of the best dancers in all of Hello! Project, and of course five great singers. I liked the songs that were used for the digest, and it makes me anticipate the whole performance when it comes out.

The only thing I thought was a bit off was their Momoiro Clover-esque costumes, the maid-like outfits with hearts - it reminded me so much of MomoClo and Tokyo Mew Mew, but regardless, the girls look great!

Hopefully everyone can take a look at the digest and see if it is worth buying the whole DVD!

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Recently, HouPri's website was updated, and it is now official: Nene Sakuragi is currently the only Generation 3 member of HouPri. The other 6 candidates are still in their training period, waiting to see if they have made it into the group as official members.

It's been quite some time now since I last updated on HouPri and their new brood of trainee Candidates, but FINALLY the staff decided to update their site (for crying out loud, took long enough!) and I have found that currently, only one of the candidates has become a full member.

Though I'm not surprised, because Nene seems to be the most popular girl out of them all, and its great to know that HouPri have added a new member after losing quite a few... and honestly, seeing how many members from the first gen was left on the site update was a little upsetting, as only three original HouPri members remain, but oh well...

Hopefully more news on HouPri will be out soon.

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Sayashi Riho, Suzuki Kanon and Sato Masaki will appear in MacPeople magazine, which will be out on August 29th.

I'm not surprised by the fact that Riho is in the magazine at all, but I am stunned that Kanon is, because she is the least promoted member of the new generations... actually, she's the least promoted out of all of Morning Musume right now, so to see that she will appear in the magazine with Riho and Masaki is great news for her fans! I am honestly ecstatic that she will get the opportunity to be promoted a little bit!

As I said in the description of the news, the magazine will be released on the 29th August.

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Morning Musume's youtube channel recently uploaded the recent Ustream featuring the Juukies, which focused on the change of Haruna's member colour from Chocolate to Honey.

For fans who missed out on the Ustream, and wanted to watch a decent quality version, there is finally one available. It is just over an hour long, so be sure to sit tight and enjoy what the Juukies have in store for us all! As far as I know, there are a few games involved and a lot of talking. I don't know about songs at all, but I don't think that there are any (I would have loved to have seen a performance for Seishun Domannaka from the girls) but what we do get is probably extremely fun! So far, I have seen snippets of the actual Ustream.

Hopefully all fans can take a peak and enjoy!

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Tokunaga Chinami will be releasing a new Solo DVD, and will be a part of the e-LineUP. Filming is set for August until September.

This is wonderful news for Chinami fans, and as a fan of Chinami myself, I think that a solo DVD or a photobook was going to come around anyway due to the immense amount of promotion she has been getting lately, so this is some amazing news! Hopefully all fans are looking forward to the release as well as a digest of the DVD. Let's hope and wait with patience, guys!

The picture above was attached to the tweet, so here is a little sample for us all ;)

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Sayashi Riho, Ishida Ayumi and Kudo Haruka will appear in girls! magazine, which will be out on September 22nd.

It seems that UFA are on fire with promotions for their new generation girls some more than others and are streaming ahead with magazine photoshoots for their girls, and it isn't surprising that these three will be appearing in a magazine together, as they seem to be the most popular and more promoted members of the new generations. Hopefully UFA will keep up with these promotions, because it's doing Morning Musume a whole lot of good.

Hopefully the release of this magazine will bring a lot more awareness to this fresh, reborn Morning Musume and get them  few more fans!

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And that is this weeks news all wrapped up! Hopefully there was something interesting for you all, and let's hope that next week brings more news for everyone! Yay!

Chiima~

PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: August 7th, 2012

Okay! Musume Digest! #8

Another week has gone by, which can only mean...

It's Digest Taimu!~

This week has been semi-okay for news, but it's also been a week where I've been pretty lazy and I've procrastinated to the max because of a game my sister introduced me to, so I've actually just been playing that and getting nothing on my days off... Dx Thankfully I have somewhat gotten off my butt and done other things so that I don't waste all of my time on the game. Why are they so addicting!?

Oh well, c'es la vie...

In other news... I got my first contet entry for The 50,000 views Contest I am holding! I am happy >3< So, before I go onto the poll... if you want to enter, enter! I don't mind where you live~ I will try to get that prize to the winner >3<

Muahaha shameless advertisement D8

Okay, onto the poll...

Who is Momoko's Baby Daddy!?

The results are in, and the paternity test has spoken. The father is...

Shimizu Saki! Captain, the paternity test has spoken! YOU are the father to Momoko's child! Congratulations!

... In all honesty, I thought that it would be Maasa! But hey, the paternity test has spoken! Wheee~ And now, onto the rest of the results!

Sudou Maasa 24%

Kumai Yurina 17%

Sugaya Risako 13%

Natsuyaki Miyabi 10%

Tokunaga Chinami 6%

... Chinami is the least likely to be the father? But she's like... the most fatherly member? I could see her being a dad, I seriously could! xD Oh well... Congrats Captain! Say goodbye to your moolah! :D

Anyway, it's time for...

Le News of Le Week!

Once again, it seems that my readers have been searching for my blog with... strange keywords in Google search engine...

Is there something y'all not telling me, guys? Like... what your preferences are...?

I kid, I kid... but sometimes these things are too hilarious to hide, and honestly, I find the one I put in a pink box hilarious xD

Iikubo Haruna gets a little... antsy when her fellow MoMusu members insist that her colour is brown...

And Tsunku gets his sexy on for you!

Okay, joking over... it's time for the real...

NEWS OF THE WEEK

Takahashi Ai will be playing the lead role in a horror drama series, Juhou 2405 Watashi ga Shinu Wake as a news reporter.

It's always great to hear news concerning former Morning Musume members, and as Takahashi Ai is now an actress, it's great to find out that she has landed herself a lead role in a drama series. Whilst Takahashi Ai doesn't really appeal to me as an actress, I am happy that she was able to gain the lead title!

A clip for the drama series is also available, so check it out if you can!

The drama series has already aired its first episode, so check out the series when and if you can~

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Indies Idol unit, Station♪, recently held a press conference and live for the debut of their 1st official album. The conference as been uploaded to youtube, where the girls comment about the album.

Whilst I can't understand what the girls are saying, I am glad that they are able to get coverage for their 1st album. As far as I know, the original four have been together for around a year, which means that they have trained together and debuted together this year, so to be able to create an album with each other and their newest member is a big thing for the girls, and I'm glad that 2012 is going well for them all.

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Mano Erina will take part in a new stage play titled Itamu Hito from October 19th until December 9th.

When it comes to acting, whether it is a stage play, a drama or a movie, it isn't surprising that a Hello! Project member is involved, because H!P are pretty active when it comes to acting - especially Mano Erina. So I'm glad to see that she is still keeping up with her acting activities in a new stage play. Whilst I don't have much more information, there is a lot to read for those who understand Japanese, and hopefully more news will come out later on.

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The full Miku Miku Dance version of Kikkawa Yuu's song, Koko Kara Hajimarunda! has been released!

As all Kikka fans would know, this song has a vocaloid effect attached to it, so I don't think it's a surprise that a PV has been released with Kikka in a computer generated form. I was surprised by how cute and refreshing the PV was, and I liked it as much as I enjoyed the original. Okay, so her vocaloid character looks a little scary - but in general, I don't like Vocaloid, so that could just be me.

Anyway, if you're a fan of Kikka, then take a look at the PV and see what you think!

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Mano Erina has cut her hair short!

Whilst this isn't exactly 'news', I do think that hair cuts themselves are big changes - and this new short cut shows off a more mature and sophisticated side to ManoEri. It's surprisingly refreshing to see her with shorter hair, and the style really suits her - this short cut is much better than Chisato's and Eripon's, though I think that Chissa's short cut itself was a terrible mistake (it has its good and bad days Dx) Anyway, I am loving this new style that ManoEri is sporting! She looks good, and it's great to see how mature she is becoming.

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S/mileage and Morning Musume's 10th generation members have been invited to perform live at Nihon TV's Summer even 'Shiohaku 2012'. The date has yet to be announced.

It's no surprise that S/mileage have been invited to yet another event, but it is a surprise to see that only the 10th generation members of Morning Musume have also been invited to perform. This is going to be great exposure for the girls, and fans will be able to see them perform without the other members of MoMusu. Of course this is amazing news for fans of both groups, so to those who can make it; Go! Go and see the girls perform!

Hopefully more information concerning the event itself will be released later on.

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AKB48 member, Kashiwagi Yuki, will be debuting as a soloist. Whilst Akimoto Yasushi was not present, Nagura Jun announced the news to the AKB and French Kiss member. More news to be released.

Honestly? When I saw this piece of news, my first thoughts were '... Seriously? Another one?' and wondered what the need there was for another soloist who within AKB48. In general, they only really choose the popular members, though I can only think of two who are pretty active right now, such as Mayuyu and Tomichin (though I actually forgot that she was a soloist), as well as one who had a rather short-lived career, unless her apparent 'scandal' has left her solo career unharmed.

Anyway, if Yuki is going to do ballads (which Aki P is apparently entranced by) then I suppose I will look forward to the girls debut, though I'm preparing myself for not caring about this soloist, because the only AKB solo act I care about now is that Creeper gimmick...

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A preview of Tsugunaga Momoko's Momochi! Yurushite Nyan = Taiso has been put up on the official Berryz youtube channel for the world to see.

Honestly, this is one release I could do without, because I'm honestly not a fan of Momoko Tsugunaga. Her voice is quite... irritating, and it kind of shows in this, though it suits the type of song, because this is a children's song - and that's not surprising. However, I can't deny the cuteness of the song and also, I really like her dress, but I'm not going to say I love the song when I clearly don't. However, I think that it's kind of clever of H!P to make a song out of an annoying little catchphrase for kids, and given Momoko's popularity, it's a good idea to give her a solo... though I would have preferred that solo go to Miyabi and given a more mature feel, but that's just me~

Regarding the PV itself... what PV? It's a dance video that looks like UFA couldn't be bothered to spend anything on... not even the graphics. But it's only a B-side song and I don't think that it's really meant to a have PV anyway...

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AKB48 have performed their 27th single, Gingham Check, which will be released on the 29th of August. This will be their election single, with Oshima Yuko at the centre.

... Is it just me, or does this sound like another generic AKB48 single? Because it sounds vaguely like a mix of Heavy Rotation, Everyday Kachuusha, Ue Kara Mariko and probably a bunch of their other singles.

... But I still like it, because I like the cute, generic stuff, and this is a pretty cute song, however I am disappointed that they didn't try harder with the songs composition. But, other than that, I am kind of liking it, and I am also really anticipating the PV because I love Gingham! It's one of my favourite patterns. The dresses in this are really cute, though almost a carbon (but nicer) copy of Nogizaka46's GuruGuru Fail dresses, as well as something that Dorothy Gale puked up when she was in Oz, though of course Yuko's dress stands out the most and is probably the most 'original' in style out of the rest of the dresses, as it features the least amount of Gingham.

Long story short, I am anticipating the PV release of this single. It might be really fun and cute, and I really want to see what Aki P will do with it~

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Tokunaga Chinami has opened her official Twitter account! For a limited time, Chinami will tweet away.

When I found out about this news, I immediately went to follow Chinami - she is one of my favourite Berryz members, so of course I was going to follow the girl! She has been tweeting about Thailand, as she has been given the chance to go there alone to promote Berryz' up-coming single, Cha Cha Sing, and so her tweets have pretty much been about what she's been doing - which is seriously great! Hopefully everyone can follow Chinami as she tweets away until she stops. Hopefully she won't, because come on, she's so wonderful!

Source | Twitter

Tokunaga Chinami is in Thailand to promote Berryz Kobo's up-coming single, Cha Cha SING!


As previously mentioned, Chinami was able to open her Twitter account earlier this week, and she has been tweeting about her adventures in Thailand! Chinami has gone to the country by herself (well... with a manager I guess) and has been able to dance to Cha Cha Sing with other people, (apparently) launched her own smile campaign to make Thai friends and to learn how to speak Thai, tried to meet BIRD (she hasn't as of yet I think) and has basically done a few activities to promote the Cha Cha SING single in Thailand!

Honestly it's so amazing to see a member of Berryz get this opportunity, and I'm so happy that it's Chinami, because whilst she isn't one of the most popular members of Berryz, she is the funniest and has the best personality out of them all in my opinion! It's great that she is able to go to Thailand and promote not just her group and their single, but also herself. Hopefully everyone can get their Twitter on and follow the girl and her adventures in Thailand!

Kikkawa Yuu will once again be a guest performer at the Hello! Project summer concerts.

For fans this is great news because it's not just where Kikka grew and became the performer that she is today, but it is also where a vast majority of her fans originated, so it'll be great for all Hello! Project fans who are able to attend the concert, as they will get to experience Kikka live and to see how much she has grown since her debut as a soloist.

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This week's episode of Hello! SATOYAMA Life includes a DIY Café where Ayumi, Maasa, Chinami and Maimi learn about some of the items in the Café and even have a go at making something themselves, as well as showing the agriculture side to the video with Haruna, Fukuda Kanon and Nakky once again helping out on the farm asking about peanuts, and another part with Aika, Dawa and Ayumi learning a bit more about potatoes, and a small segment on Morning Musume's trip to the shrine before the release of their 50tth single, a bit on their live performance.

This weeks episode has certainly been a lot more entertaining than the other episodes so far, giving us a look into the girls doing DIY as well as a few clips on Morning Musume's recent activities to help promote their 50th single. It's great to see that the show is going in this direction, and I hope that we get to see the girls do more than just agriculture next time. Hopefully we will continue from where we left off in this episode next week, and see how the girls fare in their DIY!

So that's all for this week folks! Hopefully next week will bring us more news and joy! Until next time, kyu~n

Chiima~


PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: July 17th, 2012