About one week later, I have returned to announce the poll results of the 8th Okay! Musume Time poll.
It's been a while, hasn't it? I apologise for that, I've just been stressed lately (still stressed, actually) and I haven't felt the creative flow of the blogger in me for a while. It actually depresses me a bit, since I really do enjoy blogging and having people read what I write, even if half of it is horribly written.
Anyways, let's get this sob story over with! Now, I will also update you on what I've basically changed on this blog. As you can probably tell, the banner has changed. In fact, I changed it twice in the past 2 days because the first new banner was something I thought was too boring, so I changed it to the one we have now. I'm happy with the banner, but then again... I'm a simple person to please :D
Lord, I love my new banner~
But I'll probably be bored of it in a week XD but that's just me :D
ANYWAYS ONTO THE RESULTS OF THE POLL!
This week's winner is the flagship group of UFA, Morning Musume, with 18 votes (69%, as a friend pointed out). So, congratulations to Morning Musume on beating the rest of the groups and rising to the top as the most loved group in UFA!
Coming in second is one of the newest permanent groups within Hello! Project and UFA, Buono!, with 9 votes. Running to third place is the ever so loveable C-ute, raking in 7 votes and taking away the crown from Berryz, who come in fourth place with 4 votes for their team. Next, in fifth place is the sekushii Mano Erina, taking two of the votes whilst last, but not least, is S/mileage, with only one vote. I guess the new members, the graduation of Saki and the impending DOOM of Yuukarin kinda lost a few fans, eh?
For this poll, I got a total of 26 votes. Thank you to everyone who participated in this poll and gave their truthful answers, I really appreciate it ;A; I love you all. Minna, arigatou!!!!
So that is the poll for this week! What will the next question be, who shall it involve? WHO WILL YOU VOTE FOR!?
... Find out now! :D
This weeks poll will be a question on groups outside of the UFA box, and it is: Which of these Groups do you like? I will be putting various groups there that I'm sure most of us know of, like Idoling!!!, Afilia Saga East, Momoiro Clover Z, AKB48 and more! There are 9 options for this poll, made up of groups that most of you may have heard of, or some you will be new to, so please check them all out and give them a try! This question is coming from the fact that I've actually been listening to more groups outside of Hello! Project lately rather than Morning Musume or C-ute. I've just felt that I needed the change of pace, and I am adoring quite a few songs. So! Have fun with this poll, and hope to see you in my next post!
All opinions are, coincidentally, my own. If you do not agree with my opinion, then that is your choice. I can't help but want to speak my mind about certain things regarding the JPop world :D If you want to vent your opinions, simply create a blog too.
Okay, so before I start rambling about this new song and PV and vent out my feelings, or whatever it is I do on here, I am going to apologise for the lack of updates. I've been busy with college and have since become stressed thanks to the amount of work I have been getting. However, I really enjoy writing essays - it's page layout design and Music Video editing that I hate doing. So yeah, that is what has been stressing me lately, and it is what has been keeping me away from blogging and also, it's made me feel moody. So I haven't wanted to blog thanks to college and stress and okay I am rambling now.
MARCH FORTH, READERS! MARCH FORTH TO THE REVIEW!
Watarirouka Hashiritai 7, or as I know them, Chinny & Co, charmed their way into my heart with their catchy and overly cute single Hetappi Winku, so when the news came about that they were making a new song, I was excited about it, because no matter how annoying their voices are put together, I actually like them as a group. And with the amount of love for Hetappi Winku and ValentineKiss that I have, I was really hoping that I would love this song just as much as the two I have since mentioned.
Yeah... not the case, is it?
Though quite disappointing, I have a feeling that this song will eventually (aka maybe in a year) grow on me and I will learn to appreciate it and love it as much as I do Hetappi Winku. Though I doubt I will be playing this song on a loop...
Anyway, let's get into the reminiscent PV that is Kibou Sanmyaku!
Kibou Sanmyaku!, like most AKB based groups and sub units, starts with a little act before the actual video itself starts. However, it's pretty short (thank fuck), and sounds more like a radio show rather than a TV program that is taking place back in the 1970's or 1980's. I guess it's because of the grainy microphone that is used in the beginning. However, I do like the effect, and it's a nice change from modern type PV's.
But the old-fashioned theme seems to remind me of that Not Yet's Perapera Perao time wise, and in a way, costume wise. Aki P's going old school.
What I like about the video is how it goes from a black and white screen to full on colour, whilst still maintaining a style that reminds me of something older. Maybe it's how drained the colours look on the walls, or how the wall paper is styled. Maybe it's those shapeless, but still kind of cute costumes, that give it a retro feeling. Maybe they used a filter to wash out the colours - you never know, but even so, the feel of the video maintains a feeling of the past which is still quite quirky and cute in its own way.
When I first watched this video, I was pretty convinced that there was no storyline to it at all - but after watching it a second time, I realised that, though it isn't really a big storyline, there is one that's quite obvious, but isn't really that exciting. The storyline portrays a popular girl group who sing in a small bar, and whilst they sing they grasp the attention of two rather depressed, sleepy or hopeless men and captivate them with their Chinny charm and their cuteness.
Speak of the chin, and Mayuyu shall appear!
...
Or Ishikawa Rika - whichever one you find more horrific!
Whilst I find the video to be quite boring in all (I wanted the guy at the bar to go over and propose to the girl in the picture above or something - I wanted him to fall in WUV!!!), the girls are quite endearing throughout the entire video. Their dainty dance moves and their cute faces make the video a little more enjoyable than what I originally thought when I first watched it, however, they're not doing so well that I will totally fall in love with the video just because they smile and wink at the camera.
Hey look, it's the drunk dude who wants a piece of Chinny & Co!
I'm gonna throw in that I absolutely adore the costume choices here - Okay, not so much the singers. In fact, it's their boots I adore more so, but the people in the crowd have some nice 70's-80's esque clothes that are really cute~ It makes me wish I lived in that period of time. (And this is when I realise... we're in the 60's era, I think!)
Derp face from the man on the right, courtesy of my stupidity!
Pardoning my idiocy regarding mixing up the dates (I think - I'm still unsure, really I am), I am really enjoying the fact that the crowd is more energetic than the actual group towards the end of the video. But then I remember that they are in a bar, and there is a good chance that about 90% of these people are drunk and there to have a good time, smoke some weed and get layed. The singers are there for entertainment, but the beer is there to make the joy flow! WHOO!
Wait... why aren't you on stage? o-O
Moving on from the video, the song itself is just as appealing as the video is... or at least, that's what I thought when I listened to it for the first 10 times. My first and honest impression was that the song was horrible, it wasn't the Chinny & Co that I was used to, and it was terribly bland beyond repair. Oh, and Mayuyu's voice kept hurting my ears every time she opened that big damned mouth of hers.
Believe it or not, I like Mayuyu, she just has a horrible voice, like Momoko, Mitsui and Reina! Oh,a nd Ri-Suck-OH!
That's a winy fail...
But after listening to the song more, I have found that I have started to like it. Why? Well, it's been on a loop. Even when I vow to never like a song, I end up liking it anyway because I constantly put them on loops in order to write blog posts about the song. It happened with Tachiagaaru, sadly, and it's happened with this song too. However, I do find that when all of the girls sing together it sounds horrible piercing to my ears. Weirdly enough, I don't find their voices too bad in Hetappi Winku, but I guess because this song is slower and less pitchy than Hetappi is, their horrible, squeaky voices really stand out.
And my ears hurt. URGH.
Actually, I can see this song becoming highly annoying in the near future...
So, I am going to conclude this (rather poorly written) post now with my final thoughts on the song:
Whilst I like Watarirouka Hashiritai 7, and yes I do count the two added members because it's when I became interested in the group, I find that this song is something that... isn't up to my standards. That doesn't mean that it's not up to your standards, but for me I find that I really just don't enjoy it as much as I do when I listen to Hetappi Winku. When I listen to a song, I want it to hook and engage me straight away, like Kare to Issho or Heavy Rotation or even that annoying song Valentine Kiss. Sadly, Kibou Sanmyaku! didn't hook me straight away - it took about 20 loops in order for me to get the tune stuck in my head, and that's not good in my books.
But the video itself is something that I am attracted to. From the costumes to the dainty dancing, to how the girls portray their sweet and innocent characters, I feel that the video is really well produced. Though it has a lack of a story line in there, I found it really fun to watch the people get into the song and act like drunks at a respectable tea party. I love the hue that is used to make the video seem so washed out colour wise, because it really does give the PV that vintage, old fashioned feeling that the producers were going for.
So, though the song isn't my favourite, the PV is something I really like. I think that it's a really nice way to take us out of the modern times and show us a few things of the past, like how crowded bars were, and how popular bar singers were back then. It was also fun to see the fashion from the 60's, 70's or 80's thrown in there too, as well as the black and white effect to start us off. It really throws you back into a time period that you've probably not been in before, but it's refreshing all the same, and Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 performed so well in this video.
So, that's all for now. What are your thoughts on the group and their new song?
Get the video before it disappears!
Chiima~
PS Just remembered that this song is for the Shin Chan movie - wow... ._. what a boring song for Shin Chan! XD
All opinions are my own, and I am entitled to these opinions. Don't agree with me? Then obviously that is your opinion. FREE WILL!
It's weird, writing about a male Jpop group on my blog. It really is, because I never intended to ever ever ever like boy groups - well, when it was suggested that I at least give them a try, maybe head over to the darkside where there's a little Ryosuke Yamada, maybe some Matsumoto Jun, and see what tickled my fancy, I took that chance and... well, here I am. The people who did this to me, feel giddy now. (Thanks Ray! Thanks Aim! Thanks Thennary! Thanks Phobos!)
And if you must know, Arashi was one of the groups which tickled my fancy. And it is their PV I have watched, and enjoyed, today~
Anyway, today Arashi came out with their newest PV to their song Meikyuu Love Song, which I had not previously heard until the video came out. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the group - I have only watched about three or four of their videos fully, and I've never really listened to their songs until my 3 day boy band challenge, so I'm very new to the group. Of course, I have seen their serious and fun side in the few videos that I have watched, and the group is very impressive, so I wondered what they would do for this video.
So, let's dive into my first full review for Arashi, and see how I squee over certain members. Mwahaha!
A board game? We're gonna play a game? GAME!!!
This set is seriously pretty <3
You are not my favourite D;
Hello handsome! Throw me, throw me! Into your arms, preferably ;D
Fuck you're cute, too :O
JUN-SAMA!!!!
Ew, who are you?
The Adventures of Puzzle Storm sounds like a really cool story that I would read, then get bored of :/
Sexy guy, and not so sexy guy <3
YAY FOR SEXINESS!
I loled at this part xD
I like the sitting on the dice effect. This scene is awesome
They look awkward, and I am not digging Jun's jacket.
Yeah, jacket fail. Urgh...
TEA PARTY! But there's no tea D;
Fuck. YES!!!!!!!!!! All of them!!!
Gimme a Three!
No... a one! One Chiima! You win a Chiima! <3 YAAAY
Oh, they've won the game!?
Where the hell did that come from?
Oh my gosh, it's still weird, writing for a boy group... but let's get over my silliness and get on with my conclusion of the video and the song. Yay times!~
In all honesty, I have been waiting for a PV by a boy group to come out, and when I saw on Tokyohive that Arashi were releasing a new single, I was like Yes, finally, I can start reviewing some boy band stuff and drool over Matsumoto Jun. But I had to wait... and then it came out! I am ridiculously happy with this PV right now, because it's the first PV I have truly appreciated from a Japanese boy group ever since getting off my high horse and listening to music by male groups. I never thought that would happen, honestly.
Anyway, I have really come to like Arashi - not because of this PV, but probably because of the other songs I have heard from them. They are a really good group from what I have seen, with great vocals and great presentation. Their is a lout of effort put into their songs, and they look like they mean every word they say, which makes me really like the guys and makes me eager to see what they come up with next.
Anyway, now that that is out of the way, let's get on with the actual conclusion/review for this video.
From the start of the PV, I wasn't overly keen on the darker tone it had going through it. However as I watched it more, I found that I didn't care - the members were enchanting enough, along with the cute board game storyline, to make me forget how dark the setting was and to just focus on the members and how they portrayed themselves throughout the entire video. As I watched it, I had a few giggles because of the scenes where they are on bicycles or trying to escape from invisible rope, whilst one of the members found a different way to escape and just passed the others without a care. Those parts really made me smile and made me like the group more.
I find that the video is extremely carefree and rather childish in its own way, whilst still trying to tie in a mature element with the darkness of the video and the maturity of the song. However, these elements all work together so well. The silly antics are extremely cute and charming and make you fall in love with the video. I honestly have no idea what Arashi's past videos have been like, but this video has just made me like the group even more. The shots really show the emotion that the group wants to portray, as well the carefree nature of the song and video. It is not something I expected, but I found that I really did enjoy the video - especially when mr Hawtness himself, Nino or Matsumoto Jun, pop up and grace us with their extreme yummyness.
SQUEE!
Fangirling time over, I like the song. I wasn't so sure what I thought about it at first, other than that it was rather nice and not as poppy and upbeat as the songs that I am currently listening to. But the voices are truly mesmerising all of them sound really wonderful and even beautiful at times. I love their solo lines, by far my most favourite parts of the entire song, and I love how they flow together as a group. I love how they sound together, but also how they sound when they aren't together, making this song a bit of a winner for me.
The feel of the song was something I anticipated - a nice, slower song, though a bit more upbeat than I thought it would be, with a relaxing tune that grabs you in when you eventually get into it, and totally captures you in the process.
I feel that the video fits the song well - with the mature sound, the darkness fits that, but with the silliness and carefree attitude thrown in there, we see a childish and wonderful side to these guys that I wouldn't have expected to see from a song like this. But, it strangely fits the style of the song.
I'm really starting to like Arashi, and this PV has just helped me to like them even more. I also love Nino, juuust saying!
Chiima~
Ps: Watch out! This might be taken down at some point! Dx
As always, all opinions are my own - if you do not like my opinions, then that is your choice. We won't always share the same opinion. Sorry~
After being a bit out of whack these past few days, and not updating with anything, I've finally sorted out my head and it's time for a review! One of my personal favourites, considering that this blog was made for reviews... Anyway, I have a group I recently discovered, and I am really liking what I am hearing!
Sakura Gakuin are a 10 member unit who debuted last year, and though they are still relatively new, their name popped up on Tokyohive and Pure Idol Heart, so it kinda got me interested in the girls. Currently they only have one single and an album, but their second single will be released this year. I find that a year is a rather long time to wait for their second single, however they released their album this year too. They are also only a year old, well nearly, and still rather unknown internationally (I think). I wouldn't expect a lot of releases from a new group who don't get a lot of promotion like Fairies
Much like indie group Houkago Princess, Sakura Gakuin is based around a school theme, however they seem to project it much better and are having a little more success with it. The leader of the group is called the student council president, and whilst they all wear the same uniform, their neck ties or bow ties distinguish what sort of student they are - bow ties indicate elementary school students, whilst neck ties show that the girls are in middle school. Once a girl is old enough to be a middle school student, she will 'graduate' and earn a neck tie instead. The girls also have 'Club activities', or as we know them, sub groups.
I find this concept really cute, as well as impressive, though it makes me wonder - what happens beyond middle school? Do the girls graduate to a High school status. If so, then what about after High school? Do they have to graduate all together? You need to remember, it is based on a school theme and they seem to follow it pretty well, so I am just questioning what happens afterwards.
Anyway, questioning away, let's get into the songs.
Yume ni Mukatte/Hello! Ivy is the debut single of Sakura Gakuin, featuring a double A-side plus a third song, titled School Days. All of the songs present in this single are quite catchy and up beat, with Hello! Ivy being a little bit softer than the other two songs. When I first listened to these songs, I wasn't sure what to expect, like with any other new group I am presented with, however with just this single I have been wowed by this girls - but really, it's the third song that caught me and tied me to a chair to keep me with the group, bobbing my head along happily and occasionally tapping my foot.
Yume ni Mukatte
Yume ni Mukatte is the opening song, and is an energetic, up beat and happy song that really gets you into the group. I think that, for a debut song, this is just perfect. It emphasises the youthful joy and energy that these girls have and just really makes me feel cheerful. After hearing the news of Maeda Yuuka's graduation that is to happen, I actually turned to Sakura Gakuin for comfort music wise. I had only just found them, but it was the music I needed, and it really energised me and made me smile. It's the sort of music that I definitely do like, and the kind that makes me want to dance to it, which is why I say that it energises me. I love the nature of the song, how joyful and playful it is, and how it has been presented.
Though I haven't watched the full PV, I have seen a 2 minute preview of it as well as some of their live performances. In the performances, you can see the energy that the girls put into their performance. Though I believe that they are lip synching during one of their performances, their dance and the way they move together is energetic and bright. During another performance, performed at the Tokyo Idol Festival, none of the girls lip synch and you can see how much they love what they are doing. Their smiles and how their faces light up as they sing. You can see that these girls are giving it their all, and it really makes the song so much more energetic and it makes me like it even more than I already do.
Hello! Ivy
Hello! Ivy, in a way, is a little more toned down when compared to Yume ni Mukatte, though during the beginning it is a fun and exciting upbeat tune which really gets the listener into the mood. The chorus is pretty calming, and quite repetitive too, unlike the beginning of the song, so it can be pretty misleading in its own but it is still a very happy and up beat song with a good instrumental and beautiful vocals to go with it.
Honestly, this is not my favourite song from the single - I do like to listen to it occasionally, because the girls sound so good in this, especially the one solo towards the end, however it just doesn't get stuck in my head as easily as Yume ni Mukatte or School Days. I find that the song's repetitive words can get annoying, however the girls' voices do really make up for it. The chorus, though I initially thought it would just be as up beat as the beginning, is rather calming still, but brings in an element of youthful fun and makes me rather cheerful. It may not be as up beat and fun as the other two songs it sits with, but the song does its job. If you like calmer songs, then you'll probably really like this one, but it doesn't do much for me.
Sadly, I can't find many videos with this song. It would have been nice to have seen a live performance of this song, to see how the girls looked. However, there is a 2 minute preview of the song and PV. It's rather simple, featuring the girls in group and close up shots with their cute and smiling faces, in both a natural and professional state. It's rather charming to watch, actually.
School Days
The third and final track of this single. The first time I heard it, I was like Fuck YEAH! A ballad!, because the opening is so peaceful and beautiful, and really reminded me of a school chorus - and THEN the energy kicked in and I was like Mind fuck, mind fuck, I LOVE IT! This has to be my favourite song from the single, and it is what made me go and download the album for this group. I didn't think that this group would have such a powerful impact on me with just this song, but they did.
From the misleading beginning to the very end, this song is my ideal song. It makes me really happy, and much like Yume ni Mukatte, energised and wanting to dance. In fact, I have danced to it in all my stupid glory, and I loved every second of it. I even shoot my hand into the air every time the little 'Sa's' pop up, and bob my head about giddily as I listen to this song. I have, sadly, not seen any live videos of this song, but if there are any roaming about I just really want to see what the dance is like, because I have a feeling that it is very upbeat and energetic, something I would love and something I would learn if I could.
Honestly, I don't know how the song had such an impact on me, but I love these kinds of songs - fun, energetic, makes you cheerful and happy, makes you want to dance yourself and even gets you dancing. I haven't really experienced that sort of energised feeling since listening to some Hinoi Team back when I was about 14 years old on a DDR machine. This group has really made me feel energetic, which has made me fall in love with them. This song is... my IDEAL!!!!!
There are really no videos of the girls singing this song, however someone kindly uploaded an OPV with subtitles, so YAAAAY!
So, with all of the songs reviewed, here is my conclusion of the single:
MY IDEAL!!!!
I really, really like this single - the three songs that these were given as a debut are quite possible the most perfect songs to be given to a group who are just coming out into the Idol world. The songs fit the youthful images of the girls as well as the style of the group, and though I'm disappointed that there is no ballad, the single has really impressed me. It is a wonderful introduction to this amazing group.
The girls all sound amazing together, and you can feel all of their energy and happiness through these songs. You can tell that these girls love singing, and though upon debut some of these girls had no prior experience to singing or dancing, I think this single shows the joy rather than the experience they have. These songs are genuine happy songs which make you smile and want to do silly things, like dancing as I stated before. And yes, these songs may not appeal to everyone, but they certainly appeal to me, and they will appeal to a much younger audience too.
In all honesty, I already adore this group - and it is this sound that they have, happy, energetic and distinguished, which is what I find is now lacking in current Morning Musume singles (barring that surprise attack of Kare to Issho, THAT was wonderful, kiddy bliss) and what may soon be lacking in S/mileage singles.
I honestly don't think I have loved a song this much since S/mileage's Shortcut, which is my favourite S/mileage song since it came out. This just goes to show the power of youth, uniforms and happy, energetic songs which mislead you with a ballad beginning.
Fuck yes, I love these girls - their music is awesome!
Time to listen to some Baby Metal and Twinklestars or Sleepiece - whichever Club Activity peaks my interest tonight...
Peace OUT, have fun falling in love! The girls surpass S/mileage now, in my eyes.
