Bikkuri Project

It’s summer refreshment time! So please, kick back and enjoy looking at this picture of my refreshment provided by International Wota. I bought ingredients and stuff to make a blueberry crisp with icecream! Here you can see the crisp editing a video. (Fun fact: All my videos are edited by baked goods)

Within the idol sub-genre of the Jpop genre, there are several sub-sub-genres, mostly seasonally based. There’s the “songs about spending (or not spending) Christmas with that special someone” genre (i.e. Aitai Lonely Christmas, Pittari Shitai Xmas). There’s the “it’s spring so we are mandated by Japanese law to sing about sakura” genre (i.e. Sakura Mankai, Sakura Chirari) But perhaps no idol genre is quite as prolific as the “summer song” genre.

So what constitutes a “summer song”? I put forth the following three qualifiers:

1. The song must be released within the time period of May through August.

2. The song must be light, upbeat, and cheerful. Preferably with a “refreshing” feel

3. The word “summer” or “natsu” doesn’t have to be in the title, but the lyrics and/or the PV must contain Japanese “summer” imagery which may include any of the following:

Use of the word “summer” or “natsu”, watermelon, yukata, festivals, fireworks, beaches, bikinis, bright colored beachwear, surfboards, beach balls, squirt guns, excessively sunny outdoor scenes, bubbles, ice cream, and shaved ice. Let me know if you think I missed any important ones.

Using these criteria, we can definitely say that not every song released during the summer is actually a “summer” song. I would also argue that many songs that include the word “summer” are not songs in the “summer” genre. For example, S/mileage’s “Yume Miru 15sai”  meets qualification numbers 1and 3 with a May release date, many uses of the word “natsu”, and mention of festivals and fireworks, but I wouldn’t consider it to be a true summer song because it fails qualification number 2. The overall feel is just too dark to really be in the summer genre. Morning Musume’s “Summer Night Town” and Berryz Kobo’s “Natsu Remember You” would be excluded for the same reason.

So, for your refreshment and viewing pleasure, here’s a compilation of some of H!p’s summeriest.

~Celestia~

Last month, I asked Hello Project fans to send me ten votes, to be distributed however they chose among H!p’s considerable song catalog.

Nowvoting has come to an end, and I’m very pleased to show you Part 1 of the results. Don’t get too excited though. I’m saving the best for Part 2.

First, some info on the voters.

Total Number of Participants: 124 (and 1,240 votes)

Countries Represented: USA, Australia, Canada, Philippines, Switzerland, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Finland, Poland, Norway, Netherlands, Brazil, China, Peru, Denmark, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Lithuania, Mexico, Sweden, and Japan.

If you participated and you don’t see your country listed, it’s probably because you didn’t tell me what country you are from, but if you let me know, I’ll add it to the list.

Gender Breakdown: 55 Females, 31 Males, 38 Not Reported

% of Votes By Category: I tried to make a graph, but it looked too messy with so many categories.

• Morning Musume 45.9%
• Berryz Kobo 10.7%
• Buono 7.4%
• C-ute 6.9%
• Other (one-shot units, etc.) 3.3%
• Summer Shuffles 3.1%
• Matsuura Aya 3.0%
• Gumis (Sakura and Otome) 2.6%
• New Shuffles (revived groups and High King) 2.5%
• W 1.9%
• MiniMoni 1.7%
• Melon Kinenbi 1.4%
• Tanpopo 1.2%
• S/Mileage 1.2%
• Goto Maki 1.0%
• Guardians 4/Shugo Chara Egg 1.0%
• Kirari (and Milky Way) 0.8%
• Fujimoto Miki 0.7%
• VUDen 0.6%
• PucchiMoni 0.6%
• Mano Erina 0.6%
• GAM 0.5%
• Country Musume 0.5%
• Nakazawa Yuko 0.2%
• T&C Bomber 0.2%
• Coconuts Musume 0.2%
• Abe Natsumi 0.1%
• Iida Kaori 0.1%

As you can see, Morning Musume wins it by a large margin. However, keep in mind that those votes are spread out over a lot more songs than the other artists have.

For the song ranking, I have decided to make two videos showcasing the Top 40 songs. Where there were ties in pure number of votes, the song with more people voting for it (as opposed to less people using multiple votes) was ranked ahead. For a couple cases in the Top 40, two songs still had the same score, so I just left it as a tie.

So here is part 1 of the results! Numbers 40-21. I used different clips than I did in my own countdown. I’ll have the video for 20-1 as well as the full results in my next post. Enjoy!

What do you think?

~Celestia~

EDIT: Ack! I can’t believe it, but I made a small mistake in the numbering. Very Beauty and Yume to Genjitsu should be tied for #32.

I couldn’t resist making one last video for my top 100 series. This is 20 songs that I really wanted to include, but I just didn’t have room for. It’s shorter clips, but more songs, and they’re in no particular order. It’s the also rans. I just know there’s going to be someone out there who’s all, “Those are all my favorite songs! How dare you not include them!”. I really do like these songs, and a bunch that aren’t going to be featured at all, but there’s just too much competition.

I didn’t use the VUDen version of “Nanimo Iwazu ni” because I think that song is really best with a large choral arrangement, not just 3 girls.

Have I really made 8 of these already? Looks like it.

#30- Oh Gaki. Everyone is like “Angst!” and she’s all, “I’m so thrilled to be here!”

#29- Surprise pick maybe? Hey, I even timed the pictures to the music.

#28-27- Nice transition right?

#27- I’ve always wondered: why do the “other” girls pretend to sing the background vocals? It sounds nothing like them and it just looks silly. Adults did those vocals, not a bunch of little girls.

#23- Why is this so small? Sorry about that.

#22- Yes! I got in both moments of Momo “specialness”.

#21- Moved up quite a few spots on the list since MM’s latest concert tour. So fun!

~Celestia~

Here already are numbers 90-81! First appearance by Berryz and C-ute, plus, a sure sign that the world has gone mad, a Kirari solo.

~Celestia~

If you can’t tell from the title, I’ve decided to start a new project! See, I finally bought some good video editing software for my computer. I was sick of “Movie Maker” which seems to crash and freeze at the slightest provocation, not to mention that it won’t accept any but the crappiest quality of video.

And with my new software I plan to make a 10 part video series. That’s right, 10! My top 100 favorite H!p songs to be precise. And considering that each video takes roughly 5 hours to complete between getting the files, editing them, and uploading the video, this is no small undertaking.

The actual top 100 list itself is done though. Today I was supposed to teach 5th graders, but 3/4 of their classes were given the day off due to the high number of students who have the flu, so I was pretty much free all day. I started by writing down all the songs I wanted to include, in no particular order. Then I realized that there were 130 songs and only 100 spots, so I had to spend the next hour pulling out my hair and deciding which I could bear to leave out. Then I cut up apart all the titles and set about arranging them in order, one by one. “Hmm? Do I like this song better than this one? No? How about this one? The next one?” and so on. Then I recopied the complete and ordered list, praying that a strong breeze didn’t come up before I finished.

All in all, a productive afternoon.

So here’s the first video, numbers 100-91! Enjoy.

Note: For this and future videos, I tend to like group songs more than solo artists, so don’t be surprised that there aren’t very many solos in here.

~Celestia~

I had so much fun with my last little contest that I’ve created another. This time the name of the game is identifying which PV the following images were taken from. Give it a try! What have you got to lose?

RULES/INSTRUCTIONS

1. Entries must be submitted via numbered list in the comments section.

2. You may add things/change you submission ONE time so make it count

3. Only the title of the song needs to be submitted, not group, version, or what exactly you’re looking at

4. All images come from h!p single PVs, this means NO ‘Best Shots’ or PVs that were made for album songs of B-sides, but any version of the A-side PV may be used

5. If the single is a double A-side, either PV might be used

6. All images have their number in the file name, so double check that before submitting in case your browser misaligns them

7. Deadline for submissions is June 30th, or whenever someone answers all 30 of them correctly

8. The person with the most correct answers wins

9. PRIZE IS $20 TO YESASIA.COM, IF ALL ARE CORRECT: $30

10. An important hint. Images are from PVs by the following groups: Morning Musume (including Gumis), C-ute, Berryz, Buono, W, Kirari/Kirari-related groups, Matsuura Aya, GAM, Summer shuffle units, Country Musume (any variation), Tanpopo, Minimoni, VUDen, Pucchimoni, Goto Maki, Fujimoto Miki, and Abe Natsumi. If you don’t see a unit or soloist on this list, they are not included. Every unit here appears in the answers at least once. It might seem like a long list, but I’ve actually eliminated quite a few.

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Alternately, if you’re having trouble viewing the images you can download the full set HERE 

Play Ball!

~Celestia~ 

My recent graduation has me feeling thankful to be a h!p fan. There just aren’t many American songs that are suitable for musing on graduation. There’s that Vitamin C thing from forever ago, and I could always listen to the “doooooo dododo doo doo” graduation march over and over again, but thanks to h!p’s frequent graduations, I have lots of songs that are well suited to a graduation state of mind. Here’s my top 6. Mostly MM, but they have the most graduating going on, so that makes sense. They’re not all songs that have been used to for graduations, but there are some other songs that just seemed appropriate.

6. Hey! Mirai- MM- Future-focused songs are always good for graduation. This one is all about dreams for your future life. It’s fitting for the graduate who isn’t quite sure where they’re heading next and needs some encouragement. Lyric Sample: Hey! Kono machi wa. Watashitachi o sodatete. Hey! Kono saki wa. Watashitachi ga tsukuru mirai. Translation: Hey! This town is the place that raised us. Hey! Right before us is the future that we’re going to make.
5. Hyacinth- Ayaya- Pretty song right? It expresses appreciation for the people who supported you, now that it’s time for you to set out on your own. Appreciation for the people who helped you get there is an important thing to remember at graduation-time. Lyric Sample: Arigatou. Watashi ga itsuka watarashi rashii kaze ni naru. Arigatou anata ga kureta subete ni arigatou. Translation: Thank you. One day I will become my own wind. Thank you for everything you gave me.

4. I Wish- MM- It’s the graduation song, right? This song is so very hopeful. The message, “there are both good times and bad in life, but overall, life is wonderful!” is just what a new graduate needs to hear. Lyric Sample: Hare no hi ga aru kara. Sono uchi ame mo furu. Subete itsuka nattoku dekiru sa! Jinsei tte subarashii. Translation: Because there are sunny days, there are rainy days too. Someday, you’ll understand it all. Life is wonderful.

3. Never Forget- MM- This is one of MM’s songs that’s tailor-made for graduation. The lyrics are about reminiscing about the past with friends while you reluctantly say goodbye. I know I’ll never forget my time in college and the people I met there. Lyric Sample: Wasurenai wa anata no koto. Zutto soba ni itai kedo nee shikata nai yo ne. aa nakidashisou. Translation: I’ll never forget you. I want to stay by your side always, but I guess there’s nothing I can do. Aa, it seems that I’m starting to cry.

2. ByeBye Matta ne- Berryz- Sometimes you want to feel optimistic and excited about where you’re going. Sometimes you want to cry your heart out over leaving where you have been. This is the song for that second occasion. Saying goodbye to my best friends, quite possibly never to see them again, is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The lyrics and the tone of this song express that feeling perfectly. Lyric Sample: Bye Bye kyou to iu suteki na jikan. Bye Bye watashi na zeitaku na anata to no jikan. Translation: Bye bye. Today was really a wonderful time. Bye bye. The time I spent with you was precious.

1. Aruiteru-MM, Maybe a surprising choice for number 1? I swear though, this one is just waiting to be someone’s graduation song. Maybe Sayumi’s. She seems rather attached to it. I like the image of “walking forward into the unknown future”. There’s the feeling that we’ve got to keep walking, keep progressing. It’s encouraging, especially since the song reminds us that we’re not alone. Lyric Sample: Aruiteru. Sono saki no sora he. Mada minu mirai he. Translation: Walking. Towards that sky ahead. Towards the future we cannot yet see.

To the future! Cheers,

~Celestia~

Welcome to Bikkuri Project’s new home! It’s just so professional-looking that I almost don’t know what to do with myself. I was torn as to what to write about for the inaugural entry here. I’ve been wanting to do a new costume hall of shame feature for a while (the bad costumes are piling up!), but then I was worried that if I wrote something and people hated it, I’d lose votes for the International Wota awards. I’ve realized that that’s rather silly(because it’s not like anyone would vote for me anyway, lol), and I think it’d be a good way to kick off the blog, so without further ado…

Today’s costume hall of shame is full of costumes that were vomited on by a drunken rainbow. Bikkuri Project is not accountable for any retinal damage that results from viewing these images.

Koharu’s amazing Technicolor dreamcoat!! Papa Tsunku gave the gift of a marvelous coat of many colors to his youngest daughter (this was pre-aika), Kusumi, for she was his favorite. And lo! The other daughters were sorely jealous and so they threw her in a pit and sold her into slavery. What a nice story. It’ll never work though, because I don’t see how any of the Musume could be jealous of this clashing, raggedy homage to a circus tent.

There are so many strange and terrible things going on here; I almost don’t know where to begin. The furry vest, the fingerless shiny gold gloves, the zebra striped cowboy hat, the skirt of polka-dotted multi-colored handkerchiefs… Each item alone is offensive, but together… At my elementary school, every year we’d have spirit week, and one of the days was always “clash day”. The person who came to school clashing the most would win a prize. Congratulations Miss Matsuura, because you just kicked the ass of every kid in my elementary school.

Lastly, say ‘Hello’ to Hello Project’s newest solo artist, ManoEri. I’m trying to come up with something clever to say about the costume, but the only thing that keeps running through my head is “clownclownclownclownclown”. I don’t like clowns. This is not an auspicious start for Erina.

~Celestia~