Remember Bump.y? I Sure Do!

Look who's BAAAAACK!!!!

They're back, they're bad, and they mean business!

Remember that 5nin group that I began to adore after they released a Korean-esque song last summer? No? Well, I'm not surprised, because since then there was really no news regarding this group at all until they released their first album last month which, I will shamelessly admit, I completely forgot about - however I did continue to wonder just what the heck was happening with Bump.y, because I do like the group. They are very fresh, very good at what they do, and utterly wonderful to watch and listen to. Oh yes, it is safe to say that I am somewhat fascinated, or even besotted, with this group. I do like them a lot~

Anyway, it seems that during the time where nothing was said about the group, they went on a journey to Korea as well as created an album, and also filmed a new music video for a cover song - and, wouldn't you know it, it is a cover song from a Korean rap duo called Team H, though their version is more toned down and in Japanese. However, I do think that they made a really good cover.

But holy fucking Hell are they looking more Korean than Japanese in this - not in just the style, but also the hair. Currently, there is only one of them out of the entire five who looks purely Japanese as opposed to the rest of them. I mean, check out Matsuri, the youngest, for instance - she looks like she could join a pre-teen Korean boy-band with her new look!

Honest to Lord Gaki, I swear I thought that she had been repaced with a boy in Bump.y the first time I saw her like this.

But I do think that this style suits Bump.y quite well - when the Korean Idol boom hit in 2011, Bump.y was one of the few groups to jump on the bandwagon and get their music produced by one of the producers for a KARA song, and they even went to Korea. I think it would be awesome if Bump.y hit the Korean scene and brought their Japanese flare along with them, because they are such a good group, and it helps that their dancing and singing skills have polished since Kiss! was released. Seriously, they look, sound and are amazing in this video! It's like a whole new Bump.y that I am seeing.

This is a pretty cool and surprising release from Bump.y - I wasn't expecting it, and I really was not expecting this sudden change and makeover. But I love that they have vastly improved in their singing and dancing, and I like that they adopted the Korean style to their dancing and music and look. It seriously suits them and they should honestly keep it up.

Continuing with new releases, they also released their first official album this year, all the way back in March, actually. This album actually contains only two new songs (at least I think they are new, I've never heard them so...) and one cover song, with the rest being the songs from their previous singles, as well as narrated versions of three of their first songs - but I guess that is what we need to expect, considering Bump.y have not had an album out since their debut. However, it is nice to have these songs bundled together, because they are all really great songs. I love Bump.y's music, and that may be a personal preference, but it is true.

Anyway, the new songs are Smile Flower and Colors. They follow the usual style that Bump.y seems to have, which is rather calm and gentle. Smile Flower reminds me slightly of New Day, the B-side track to Kiss!. It's a sweet song, perfect for summer and those warm days. It's basically light and refreshing. Colors is a very nice song - it has a nice piano based melody going throughout it and calming vocals, making the song sweet and gentle, but with a lovely up-beat chorus which reminds me of the spring and graduations. It is a very nice song, one which compliments Bump.y's style very well.

The cover song on this album is Sotsugyo by the group ZONE. This song was a part of a tribute album to the group, and includes other groups such as Scandal, TGS and Stereopony singing other songs for the group. The album was released in 2011, but I do like that their cover was included on their album. Bump.y's cover is, of course, toned down from the original and more poppy and light rather than heavy like the original version. None the less, it is still a great cover, and it's great that Bump.y were given the chance to lend their vocals and cover a song for a tribute album.

Anyway, I guess that's all for now - definitely check out at least one of these two releases, because both are really good, especially the new video for Gotta Getcha. Bump.y have been gone a while, but they are back and now we know it! They may have gone quietly, but when they returned it was certainly with a bit of a boom!

... Or maybe that's just me and my fangirlishness for this group?

Chiima~


PING!!! Idol Minded Recommended Reading: May 17th, 2012

Fluffy Idols in Boxing Rings!? Let's Fight! - Erena Ono's 'Erepyon' PV Review!

All opinions concerning the Idol, her song and her PV are my own and no one else's, unless otherwise stated. I have the freedom of speech on my blog, as do you - however do not de-value my opinion just because you might not agree with it. If you respect my opinions, then I will in return respect yours. Respect everyone's opinions, regardless of how they feel towards an Idol or a song or a group you might love. We have the freedom to choose what we do and don't like~

I recently started to gain interest in a certain Idol and her solo debut that was coming up, the Idol being Erena Ono. Reading Tokyohive about her up-coming debut this June, I found out that she was once an AKB48 first generation member, and that intrigued me. In general I don't care for AKB, but I don't really know of any artists who were in AKB and have had a successful career since their graduation, so I was rather interested in this girl.

... That, and the song is called Erepyon - My favourite Morning Musume member is Eripon, so I'm going to be interested.

A while later, and her PV was released, though I was rather clueless about it until recently. However I did eventually find it by accident, and got to experience the song that is 'Erepyon' as well as the Idol Erena Ono.

Well, let's just say that if I was into AKB around the time she was in, she would have been my 'Oshi'. I don't know why, but she just appeals to me more than the other bags of bones in AKB right now. I guess it's cos she's fresh faced.

This warrants a Pic Spam!? Everything warrants a pic spam!!!

Oh, this is starting off kind of dark...

Erepyon: "Di 'Chuu~' miss me?"

Ah, there's that fluffy, glitter-infused Idol scenery we all know and love/hate~

... And we're back in darkness, though it's interesting to see a serious and an Idol side to this girl. The darkness also contrasts nicely with this bubblegum-sugar party we seem to be holding...

Kay, she's damn gorgeous - Something about chubby cheeks and well shaped lips always get me. Love her hair too <3

Erepyon: "Gonna beat up some AKBeyotches..."

Erena's getting ready for a round of 'Stop hitting yourself' with Maeda Atsuko and Oshima Yuko...

Oh my... aren't those two quite, erm... perky?

Especially the one on the left...

Seriously, that dancer on the left is too perky, but also rather entertaining and frightening to watch at the same time...

Are they in a pimped up Boxing ring!?

These are some nice touches to the video - it adds a more light hearted feel to the darker scenes, I think.

'Let's be BUNNIES!!!'

Isn't her dress absolutely adorable?

Erepyon is prepping for her match, and is oh so serious~

Seriously, how is she so damn gorgeous?

I do enjoy these training scenes, they're quite motivational.

... What move is this now? The Bunny hope, the Nyan Kitty Nyan Nyan?

The Puppy dog Crawl? I dunno, we'll just pretend that they think they are animals for now because I have no clue what they are doing.

-pinches cheeks-

Oh, that dancer on the left just gets perkier and freakier...

POW!!! Right in the kisser!

Oh no! Erena's out for the count!!!

No, Erena, DON'T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT! AKB IN BIKINI'S ARE THERE!!!

Oh lord, I am reminded of Manatsu no Sounds good

And we're returning to her earphones, where she is listening to some good ol' Aitakatta and then her own song~

... Well, at least it motivates her to get up before the count is at 0!

This is also my favourite part of the entire song and video! <3 Squee!~

Okay, get ready to eat Boxing gloves, bitches!

Oh, why so sweet?

I like how tough but delicate she seems in this shot~

Erepyon: "Let's fly!"

Perky and Perkier: "YEAH!!!"

Erepyon: "Oh look, there's my career~ Looks good."

She looks so adorable...

Erepyon: "Will you let me be your Oshi?"

Seriously, I could just sit here watching that very smile all day. It is so beautiful.

Erepyon: "Okay bitches, here I come!"

...

SHE GOT HER! The Idol is going down!!!

And what would an Idol PV about boxing be without comical falling to the ground?

And the Perky dancers go to help her as the screen fades to that bright, comic style that the editors seems to like.

Erepyon: "Fuck YEAH! Erepyon~"


And Erepyon basks in her success.

I think that Erepyon is an interesting first single. Whilst some felt that is was a rather generic Idol song, I found it to sound quite different to what other groups bring out. Yes, it has that up-beat sound to it which brings up your spirits, and it has that undeniable cuteness laced with autotune that seems to drag you in. I also found the PV to be something I never expected, especially when I watched a preview of this song and PV. I was very surprised with the full PV and song when I was finally able to watch it fully.

The PV is, in my opinion, quite motivational - you get a good amount of clips showing Erena training and preparing herself for a match in the ring with her Idol counterpart, and when she gets knocked down, she brings herself back up to win the fight. Now, if that doesn't yell motivational then I don't know what does, because watching this video made me think that I should motivate myself to do more. It is an interesting concept, and gives us a moral of to pick ourselves up even when we've been pushed down, or to simply not give up trying and to just keep going until you succeed. It's a nice message in a video, and I really liked that about it.

I did, however, find the darker boxing scenes mixed with the fluffy Idol goodness in this video a tad strange, much like I did in Manatsu no Sounds Good when edgy was mixed with generic fan service. However, I do honestly like how the video is for Erepyon - we get a serious and a quirky side, with the more serious side giving us a great message but still reminding us that Erena is an Idol with the cute dress and the blinged up boxing ring. All together, the video just makes me think that Erena is an Idol who is fighting on and continuing to make her way through the entertainment business, despite whatever may bring her down. It's these aspects that made me really appreciate and enjoy this video, especially when she sings as she gets up from the boxing ring floor.

The only thing that I really was a bit unsure of in this video was the dancers - Whilst they are quite entertaining to watch, especially the overly enthusiastic one on the left, they did scare me with their perkiness and their over-excitement for the dancing. However, it did add to the silly charm of the video despite how weird and freaky the dancers could be. It made the video a lot more light hearted and fun to watch, rather than keep the serious tone throughout. I enjoyed the playfulness that was added in here, from the dancers to Erena punching her own Idol counterpart. It was funny and cute, and made this Idol PV into something a bit more fun and quirky in its own way.

And honestly, it makes me wish that AKB would choose their senbatsu this way - throw a few punches in a boxing ring and see who can make the senbatsu. It'd be certainly interesting, or at least they could do it in a PV. It would certainly be interesting to watch Yuko beat the crap out of another member.

I'm going off topic here, so let's move onto the song before I start talking about nonsense.

This song is very auto-tune happy, I will say - but it suits it, and I like the auto-tune in this song. It compliments Erena's voice (or at least I think so) and it makes the song what it is. Okay, they didn't get Vocaloid happy with the auto-tune, but it is there and it is noticeable - but it adds to the charm of the song and makes it sweet.

This song is quite Idol like in how cute and fluffy it is, but when I first listened to it I was impressed by the composition and how motivational the song itself was, just like the video. The song really picks me up, and makes me think that I should work hard, and it makes me feel happy. Watching the video and watching Erena makes me happy, but I love how the song feels and sounds motivational. I didn't expect to like this song so much, but the cuteness, the motivational aura behind it and how it just pulls me really makes me like it so much much. That, and Erena's voice is adorable. I think I am falling for her voice, despite all of its sugary, cavity-inducing pleasure.

It's up-beat, energetic, happy and fun - it has a moment where it gets a little more serious and really pulls that motivational feeling forward. I like the song, I like how it sounds. It's adorable! In fact, out of the two soloists who debuted recently from the AKB branch (Mayuyu, Rino) and Erena herself, I really do prefer Eren'a song - all three of these songs are auto-tune happy, but I think that Erepyon's is the most well structured and the most creative. I also love that the lyrics were written by her, as opposed to a writer or composer, though I have no freakin' clue what they mean. But who cares? It sounds pretty, and that is all that matters to me.

It's a cute song, filled with that sugary-sweetness that most Idol songs are filled with, but I do think that it offers more than a regular Idol song. But that's just me. It's sweet, cute, and I do think that the motivational song and PV do fit together well, despite the darker themes of her training being a bit surprising for such a cutesy, pretty song. However, it is all enjoyable. I loved it all, and can't wait to hear the other songs that she has sung.

If you have the time, check it out and see if you like it or not. It won't be to everyone's tastes, but it is to the taste of others.



Chiima~


PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: May 15th, 2012

Chiima's ~Top 10 Morning Musume of 2012~ List!

It's that time once again, you know, the time where you need to pick out who your favourite members are of a group. Yeah, that time. However it seems that I am still only picking out Morning Musume members. Why is that, you ask? Because I can't be arsed to remember every AKB48 members name, that and I don't really like the group much, and also because all of the JE lot are still rather new to me. I think the only other group I could do a Top something of (that is outside of H!P) is Fudanjuku or Houkago Princess... but I can't be bothered, really, I can't.

That, and I have a deep love for Morning Musume that Fudanjuku and Houkago Princess can't really fight against.

Anyway, getting back on track, yes, this is my 'Top 10' post for the new and current Morning Musume members. All 10 of them. This post has been something I've wanted to do for a while now, but I've pretty much waited it out until a little before or after the graduation of Niigaki Risa and Mitsui Aika. Honestly, this was originally meant to be a Top 11 post, but hey ho, we've lost another one due to health issues. That's how H!P seems to roll right now~

Anyway, let's get stuck into this post and see who fares with my love!

10. Ishida Ayumi

I'm surprising myself by putting Ayumi so low, but honestly, I don't pay much attention to her. Ever since she has joined she has not really stood out to me at all, and I don't see her as an outstanding member. She's a great dancer, I will give her that, but I don't really see much about her that grasps me and wants to make me a fan. Anyway, I'm just glad that she's learnt to control her voice and not butcher her lines.

9. Sayashi Riho

This one won't come as a surprise, though honestly, I'm liking her more recently. She seems to have learnt how to sing and sound less whiny live, and she's also been a real eye-catcher in the Ultra Smart concert. I still can't really see her charm point other than the fact that she is Loli-bait and that she can dance really well, but yeah, she's slowly growing on me. However, I think that it's that constant expression she always has, and how she never changes the tone of her voice in songs, that keeps me from liking her more - She just looks the same, smug way in PV's all the time, and she always sounds the same. I would honestly love a change of pace. If that happens, she might climb my list!

8. Tanaka Reina

Oh hi thar, Reina! Looks like you climbed my list a little!

Reina is a member that I think I will constantly dislike for whatever reason I give at the time, but I admit, she's becoming more and more likeable lately, especially in recent PV's. There are times where she will be as bland and constant as always, but then there are times, such as Only You and Renai Hunter where she will stand out and make my jaw drop. It's those times where I wish I really did like her more, and it's where I see her appeal. Sadly, her appeal seems to drop for a few single before returning again. Anyway, I don't mind the girl - I just wish she would hog a few less songs, and up that enthusiasm and shine a bit more.

... Oh, and I also forgot about her in the Ultra Smart concert for a second, which was quite bad but also funny!

7. Fukumura Mizuki

What I am about to admit is really terrible, but when I was thinking up this list, I completely forgot about Fukuhime. When I did eventually remember her, I actually contemplated why I wasn't going to put her lower on my list, basically behind Tanaka - but then I remember how much I adore her voice. Sure, she's a rather forgettable member if you don't try hard to remember everyone, but when she sings you know it's her. She has this beautiful soft voice, and I love that about her. She also has this very shy personality and is a real beauty. But that's pretty much it about her. I like Fukuhime, but not a whole lot.

6. Sato Masaki

I wonder how the hell Sato got this far, honestly, but recently I've started to quite like her - not enough for her to break into my Top 5, but enough for her to get this far. Anyway, she's adorable, and also a surprisingly good singer. You would think with her horrible audition, she wouldn't be this good, but hell, she's improved! I think that Tsunku has found a real gem, and she will just keep on improving more and more. I don't like the girl like others do, but somehow, she's wriggling her way into my heart...

5. Michishige Sayumi

Sayu's moved up on my list - last time, she was Number 6, but she's now broken the Top 5. Whilst I am not completely in love with the last two of the Old Generations, I do like Sayumi a lot. She is a beautiful young woman, and I love her narcissistic personality. I used to like her mostly because of her cuteness, but I find that I like her more now because of how she treats the other members of Morning Musume and also because of how sensitive she really is despite her so called poison-tongue personality. Sayu is gorgeous, and I enjoy watching her interact with the newer members, especially Haruna. She's an interesting character.

4. Kudo Haruka

The Queen of Lollipops and Gum Drops herself has really climbed my list, going from one of the bottom spots to the Top 5! I never intended to like Kudo, I always thought of her as a brat - but somehow, her bossy and dominating character worked its way through my ice cold heart and thawed it out, because I now really like her. She's absolutely adorable, and her bossy nature works in her favour - it's charming, and her bossiness won me over. I also love how, despite this rather hard-up, leader-like appearence she has created has suddenly been broken down by her fear of ghosts. It reminds us that she is a child, though a rather grown-up one. Kudo is certainly a charming Loli.

3. Suzuki Kanon

In the begining, when 9th Gen first became members of Morning Musume, I wasn't overly keen on Kanon. In fact, I didn't want her to get in! But when the new members were announced I suddenly really started to like her. She's such an interesting and funny girl, with a wonderful personality. She makes everything a lot more fun, and when she wants to be, she is hilarious and is the real personality of her generation. I adore Kanon, and I am glad that she has stayed in 3rd place for my favourites. She is cute, charming and comedic gold in my eyes. I honestly just wish that this little beauty would be given more time to shine as a singer, because she has some powerful pipes on her!

2. Iikubo Haruna

Haruna is such a beautiful girl, and I am so happy that she got into Morning Musume, because she was my first 'favourite' to make it in during auditions. I like her personality above all else, she has such a sweet and innocent character that is just really likeable. She also praises people a lot, especially the people that she likes, such as Sayumi. I just love how sincere she is, and how she cried when she was able to hug Sayumi for the first time on Sayu's web show. I also really like her voice - whilst it is still weak and in need of a bit more improvement, she has such a calming and gentle tone to her voice, much more gentle than Fukumura's is. She is also very hard working, and overall, I find her endearing. She is wonderful to watch as a performer, and even more wonderful to watch on TV shows. She is certainly a variety sort of girl.

1. Ikuta Erina

I think that my Number 1 is a real no brainer, but that's only because I make it quite apparent how much I adore this girl. I absolutely love her. At first it was because of her awkward under dog nature, but then it was because she was a real beauty and had learned how to work that camera, and then it was because of her wonderful personalty. She is such a fun and cute girl, and is wonderful to watch now that she is comfortable in the idol environment. Another aspect about her personality which has won me over is her love of Idols - Yes, Sayumi also loves idols, and so does Haruna, but not the way that Eripon does. Eripon is a Wota, and that makes her stand out and it also makes her extremely likeable for me. I love it when I see other Idols show their wota side! Currently Eripon is the only one who has done this, and it seems to be a good and a bad thing on her part, but honestly, I adore this aspect about her. She may suck at singing, but Eripon is a wonderful Wota-Idol, and I absolutely adore and love her.

Here... have some Eripon GOODNESS! -throws pictures at you all-

Oh lord I am hyper...

Chiima~


PING!!! Idolminded Recommended Reading: May 11th, 2011