Bikkuri Project

Here’s last year’s video to give you an idea of what the results will look like.

First, I’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone who participated in the poll! And now, your top 25 songs of 2011, starting with #25 and working our way up to #1! Youtube won’t take it, so here are a couple alternates (they’re the same video)

Hello! Project Top Songs of 2011 Poll Results by Celestia414

Watch Hello! Project Top Songs of 2011 Poll Results in Music | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Since I know you’re curious, here’s a full breakdown of the results.

Overall

Top Single: Uchouten Love, S/mileage

2nd Place Single: Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterun da yo, Morning Musume

Top B-side: Jishin Motte Yume o Motte Tobidatsu Kara, Morning Musume (Takahashi Ai)

2nd Place B-side: Kachoii Uta, Mobekimasu

Top Album Song: Silver no Udedokei, Morning Musume

2nd Place Album Song: Midnight Temptation, C-ute

Bottom Single: Koi no Booing Bu, S/mileage

Bottom B-side: Panya-san no Arubaito, S/mileage

Bottom Album Song: (Tie) Asaasamba, Kusumi Koharu, and 3Ban Homu 3 Ryoumei, C-ute

Morning Musume

Top Single: Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa wo Honki de Negatterun da yo

Top B-side: Jishin Motte, Yume o Motte, Tobidatsu Kara

Top Album Song: Silver no Udedokei

Bottom Single: Majidesuka Suka

Bottom B-side: Yamete yo Sindbad

Bottom Album Song: Kaiketsu Positive A

Berryz Kobo

Top Single: Heroine ni Narou ka!

Top B-side: Omoide

Top Album Song: Icchoume Rock

Bottom Single: Aa yo ga Akeru

Bottom B-side: Otona ni wa Naritakunai, Hayaku Otona ni Naritai

Bottom Album Song: Masshiro Ano Kumo

C-ute

Top Single: Kiss Me Aishiteru

Top B-side: Faraway

Top Album Song: Midnight Temptation

Bottom Single: Momoiro Sparkling

Bottom B-side: Idai ni Chikara wo!

Bottom Album Song: 3Ban Homu 3 Ryoumei

Mano Erina

Top Single: My Days for You

Top B-side: 21 Seikiteki Renai Jijou

Bottom Single: Seishun no Serenade

Bottom B-side: 10 Karat Kirameki

S/Mileage

Top Single: Uchouten Love

Top B-side: Jitensha Chiririn

Bottom Single: Koi ni Booing Buu!

Bottom B-side: Panya-san no Arubaito

Buono

Top Single: Natsu Dakara

Top B-side: Juicy He@rt

Top Album Song: Frankincense

Bottom Single:Zassou no Uta

Bottom B-side: Runaway Train

Bottom Album Song: Kia Ora Gracias Arigato

Other

Top Single: Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku

Top B-side: Kachoii Uta

Bottom Single: Amazuppai Sakura Sake

Bottom B-side: Moshi mo

FULL RESULTS WITH POINTS

298 有頂天LOVE (Uchouten Love)

254 この地球の平和を本気で願ってるんだよ! (Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa o Honki de Negatterun da yo!)

235 Kiss me 愛してる (Kiss Me Aishiteru)

228 彼と一緒にお店がしたい! (Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!)

196 ブスにならない哲学 (Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku)

172 Only You

170 ヒロインになろうか！(Herione no Narou ka!)

132 まじですかスカ! (Maji Desu ka Ska!)

119 プリーズ ミニスカ ポストウーマン! (Please Miniskirt Post Woman!)

110 シルバーの腕時計 (Silver no Udedokei)

103 自信持って 夢を持って 飛び立つから (Jishin Motte Yume wo Motte Tobidatsu kara)

96 愛 の弾丸 (Ai no Dangan)

85 Midnight Temptation

81 世界一ＨＡＰＰＹな女の子 (Sekai Ichi Happy na Onna no Ko)

80 Ok Yeah!

79 夏ダカラ！ (Natsu Dakara!)

67 好きだな君が (Suki da na Kimi ga)

66 ああ、夜が明ける (Aa, Yo ga Akeru)

66 My Days for You

65 かっちょ良い歌 (Kacchoii Uta)

64 フランキンセンスΨ (FrankincenseΨ)

62 ショートカット (Shortcut)

59 いざ、進め！ Steady go! (Iza, Susume! Steady Go!)

58 Partenza ~Let’s Go!!!~

57 一丁目ロック! (Icchoume Rock!)

56 雑草のうた (Zassou no Uta)

55 Juicy He@rt

51 Give me 愛 (Give Me Love)

51 タチアガール (Tachiagaaru)

44 My Alright Sky

41 もっと愛してほしいの (Motto Aishite Hoshii no)

41 桃色スパークリング (Momoiro Sparkling)

38 思い出 (Omoide)

35 青春のセレナーデ (Seishun no Serenade)

31 1/3の純情な感情 (1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou)

29 自転車チリリン (Jitensha Chiririn)

26 この愛を重ねて (Kono Ai wo Kasanete)

24 Bomb Bomb Jump

23 負けるな わっしょい!) (Makeruna Wasshoi!)

20 女子会 The Night (Joshikai The Night)

18 Faraway

18 Ice Mermaid

16 ヒーロー現る！ (Hero Arawaru!)

16 ラナウェイトレイン (Runaway Train)

15 やめてよ！シンドバッド (Yamete yo! Sindbad)

14 乙女のタイミング (Otome no Timing)

14 甘酸っぱい春にサクラサク (Amazuppai Haru ni Sakura Sake)

13 超WONDERFUL！ (Chou Wonderful!)

13 嫌いで嫌いで嫌い (Kirai de Kirai de Kirai)

13 21世紀的恋愛事情 (21 Seikiteki Renai Jijou)

11 My Way ～女子校花道～ (My Way ~Joshikou Hanamichi~)

11 10カラットの煌めき (10 Karat Kirameki

10 二十歳前の女の子 (Hatachimae no Onna no Ko)

10 恋にBooing ブー! (Koi ni Booing Buu!)

8 ルルルルル (Rururururu)

8 キアオラ・グラシャス・ありがと (Kia Ora Gracias Arigato)

7 偉大な力を！ (Idai na Chikara wo!)

7 スマイル音丼 (Smile Ondon)

7 青春劇場 (Seishun Gekijou)

6 サークル (Circle)

5 初恋の貴方へ (Hatsukoi no Anata e)

4 ガールズタイムス (Girls Times)

4 女のプライド (Onna no Pride)

4 こんにちは, こんばんは (Konnichiwa , Konbanwa)

4 もしも・・・ (Moshi mo…)

3 怪傑ポジティブA (Kaiketsu Positive A)

3 大人にはなりたくない 早く大人になりたい (Otona ni wa Naritakunai, Hayaku Otona ni Naritai)

3 単純すぎなの私・・・ (Tanjun sugi na no Watashi)

3 別れたくない・・・(Wakaretakunai)

2 真っ白いあの雲 (Masshiroi Ano Kumo)

2 パン屋さんのアルバイト (Panya-san no Arubaito)

0 ３番ホーム ３両目 (3Ban Homu 3 Ryoumei)

0 アサアサンバ (Asaasamba), Kusumi Koharu

PLEASE VOTE IN MY TOP H!P SONGS OF 2011 FAN POLL/ VIDEO PROJECT! Response has been pretty good so far (we’re at 30+ people voting in about five days), but I really want to get as many votes as possible (at least 100 would be great) for the most meaningful results. I can say at this point that there are two songs that have been fighting it out for first place with another two being possible contenders. I’m so excited to see which song wins!

I thought I’d publicly post MY top 20 list of 2011, since I won’t be making a video of my personal list this year. Listing from #20 to #1.  (this isn’t by points for the poll, in other words. Don’t get confused! When voting, be sure your favorite song is marked +10, second favorite +9, and so on down the list)

20. Kachoii Uta, Mobekimasu- I especially like the C-ute version

19. Hatsukoi Anata e, S/mileage- S/mileage seems to get some pretty good B-sides

18. Jishin Motte, Yume o Motte Tobitatsu kara, Takahashi Ai- Really grew on my after the 10th gen auditions

17. Momoiro Sparkling, C-ute- Great summer song, and I love the dance

16. Natsu Dakara, Buono- Has some lovely harmonizing. Very relaxing song

15. Herione ni Narou ka, Berryz Kobo- Good musical hooks, and my favorite effort by Berryz in what was a disappointing year for them (IMHO)

14. Give Me Love, Morning Musume- Dramatic!

13. Majidesuka Ska, Morning Musume- A very joyful and energetic song, and a good welcome for 9th gen

12. Shortcut, S/mileage- Always gets stuck in my head

11. Motto Aishite Hoshii no, Morning Musume- I think this B-side is way under-rated!

10. Tachiagaaru, S/mileage- Another S/mileage song that always gets stuck in my head

9. 1/3 Junjou na Kanjo, Buono- Love hearing the girls use deeper voices since idol music is often so squeaky

8.  Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku, Mobekimasu- Do I just like it because I’ve watched it be performed so many times? I’m not sure, but I do like it quite a bit

7. Ok Yeah!, Morning Musume- Hope this becomes a concert staple (and I suspect it will)

6. Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa.. blah blah blah, Morning Musume- Long title is too long. Song is a nice tribute to classic MM style

5. Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai, Morning Musume- I’m surprised these two ended up so close together, but they did. Finally Sayu gets a chance to shine and MM gets their weirdest PV yet (possibly)

4. Silver no Udedokei, Morning Musume- Riho proves she deserves her new lead spot with her live performance of this song

3. Only You, Morning Musume- Love the chorus so much. Itoshi no kiiimiii eeeee

2. Kiss Me Aishiteru, C-ute- Fantastic dance, and amazing solo lines by Chisato

And my favorite song is…..

1. Uchouten Love, S/mileage- It’s just the most perfect S/mileage song. I could listen to it over and over again (and I did watching the live S/mileage auditions) Cute, catchy, and bitter sweet in that it’s the last for the original S/mileage lineup. Makes me long for the S/mileage that could have been

And that’s it! My top 20 of 2011. Stay tuned for other “favorite” and “least favorites” of 2011 including PVs, albums, dances, and costumes.

~Celestia~

An previously announced, I am creating a new h!p video of the top songs of 2011, and I need your help! Below is a list of every song released by Hello! Project in 2011. All you need to do is pick your top 10 songs, put them in order, and tell me your list. It should look something like this.

• +10 Song Name
• +9 Song Name
• +8 Song Name
• +7 Song Name
• +6 Song Name
• +5 Song Name
• +4 Song Name
• +3 Song Name
• +2 Song Name
• +1 Song Name

Except instead of “Song Name” fill in the song that you’d like to receive those points. The song you mark as +10 (your favorite song) will receive 10 points, the song you mark +9 will receive 9 points, etc. There are four voting options. I’d prefer you choose #1 or #2 to keep the results more of a surprise

1. Comment in this blog post (comments will be hidden)

2. Send choices to hpvote2011@gmail.com

3. Comment in THIS thread on Hello! Online

4. Vote in the comments section of the youtube announcement

PLEASE ONLY VOTE ONE TIME!!! Do not send votes to all four places. Just pick one. I’m counting on your guys to be honest here. Fans from any country are welcome to submit votes. Votes may be submitted in English or Japanese.

Note: I realize we have yet to hear S/mileage’s new B-side, so I will allow you to change your votes later to include that if you would like to. I do want to get voting started so there’s plenty of time.  However, no vote changes will be allowed OTHER than inserting that songs into your list, so choose carefully.

Song Options

Morning Musume

• まじですかスカ! (Maji Desu ka Ska!)
• もっと愛してほしいの (Motto Aishite Hoshii no)
• Only You
• やめてよ！シンドバッド (Yamete yo! Sindbad)
• この地球の平和を本気で願ってるんだよ! (Kono Chikyuu no Heiwa o Honki de Negatterun da yo!)
• 彼と一緒にお店がしたい! (Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!)
• 自信持って 夢を持って 飛び立つから (Jishin Motte Yume wo Motte Tobidatsu kara)
• Give me 愛 (Give Me Love)
• シルバーの腕時計 (Silver no Udedokei)
• 好きだな君が (Suki da na Kimi ga)
• 怪傑ポジティブA (Kaiketsu Positive A)
• この愛を重ねて (Kono Ai wo Kasanete)
• My Way ～女子校花道～ (My Way ~Joshikou Hanamichi~)
• 乙女のタイミング (Otome no Timing)
• Ok Yeah!

Berryz Kobo

• ヒロインになろうか！(Herione no Narou ka!)
• ヒーロー現る！ (Hero Arawaru!)
• 愛の弾丸 (Ai no Dangan)
• 思い出 (Omoide)
• ああ、夜が明ける (Aa, Yo ga Akeru)
• 大人にはなりたくない 早く大人になりたい (Otona ni wa Naritakunai, Hayaku Otona ni Naritai)
• 一丁目ロック! (Icchoumei Rock!)
• Bomb Bomb Jump
• 真っ白いあの雲 (Masshiroi Ano Kumo)
• 女子会 The Night (Joshikai The Night)
• ガールズタイムス (Girls Times)
• 女のプライド (Onna no Pride)
• 単純すぎなの私・・・ (Tanjun sugi na no Watashi)

C-ute

• Kiss me 愛してる (Kiss Me Aishiteru)
• 二十歳前の女の子 (Hatachimae no Onna no Ko)
• 桃色スパークリング (Momoiro Sparkling)
• Faraway
• 世界一ＨＡＰＰＹな女の子 (Sekai Ichi Happy na Onna no Ko)
• 偉大な力を！ (Idai na Chikara wo!)
• 超WONDERFUL！ (Chou Wonderful!)
• Midnight Temptation
• いざ、進め！ Steady go! (Iza, Susume! Steady Go!)
• ルルルルル (Rururururu)
• 別れたくない・・・(Wakaretakunai)
• サークル (Circle)
• ３番ホーム ３両目 (3Ban Homu 3 Ryoumei)
• 嫌いで嫌いで嫌い (Kirai de Kirai de Kirai)

Mano Erina

• 青春のセレナーデ (Seishun no Serenade)
• 21世紀的恋愛事情 (21 Seikiteki Renai Jijou)
• My Days for You
• 0カラットの煌めき (10 Karat Kirameki

S/mileage

• ショートカット (Shortcut)
• パン屋さんのアルバイト (Panya-san no Arubaito)
• 恋にBooing ブー! (Koi ni Booing Buu!)
• 初恋の貴方へ (Hatsukoi no Anata e)
• 有頂天LOVE (Uchouten Love)
• 自転車チリリン (Jitensha Chiririn)
• タチアガール (Tachiagaaru)
• スマイル音丼 (Smile Ondon)
• プリーズ ミニスカ ポストウーマン! (Please Miniskirt Post Woman!)
• こんにちは, こんばんは (Konnichiwa, Konbanwa)

Buono

• 雑草のうた (Zassou no Uta)
• ラナウェイトレイン (Runaway Train)
• Juicy He@rt
• 夏ダカラ！ (Natsu Dakara!)
• Ice Mermaid
• Partenza ~Let’s Go!!!~
• フランキンセンスΨ (FrankincenseΨ)
• My Alright Sky
• キアオラ・グラシャス・ありがと (Kia Ora Gracias Arigato)
• 1/3の純情な感情 (1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou)

Other

• ブスにならない哲学 (Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku), Mobekimasu
• もしも・・・ (Moshi mo…)
• かっちょ良い歌 (Kacchoii Uta)
• 負けるな わっしょい!) (Makeruna Wasshoi!), Bekimasu
• 甘酸っぱい春にサクラサク (Amazuppai Haru ni Sakura Sake), Berikyuu
• 青春劇場 (Seishun Gekijou), Berikyuu
• アサアサンバ (Asaasamba), Kusumi Koharu

Note: You may not vote for non-h!p songs such as those by Kikkawa Yuu or Kitahara Sayaka. You may not vote for singles that were first released in 2010 but then re-released on albums in 2011. You MAY vote for the cover songs on the Buono mini album (new to h!p), but you may not vote for S/mileage covers of previous h!p songs.

Please feel free to spread the word! The results will be better the more people vote. The deadline for voting is JANUARY 1ST. I will probably have the results video within a week.

~Celestia~

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?????

Well, S/mileage is officially f*cked.

Seriously. She’s BY FAR their most popular member, and the “new members” aren’t even close to being able to replace her. Combined, they might equal a Saki, but they’ll never equal a Yuuka. She was almost a perfect idol. Sad for Dawa and Kanon. The group had so much promise, and now it’s all falling apart.

My guess, and I’m sure others will agree, she wasn’t as happy with all the recent changes in S/mileage as they all have to pretend to be.

~Celestia~

Like the post title says, I know everyone is already done with this topic, but I felt like it’s significant enough that I need to comment.

So the results come in, and all four S/mileage sub-members have been promoted. Everybody pretty much saw this coming, but questions remain. Did management ever seriously consider kicking any of them out, or was it all a publicity stunt? And most importantly, was it the right choice?

I tried to keep an open mind at first. I was even optimistic. And after careful consideration/ watching the S/mileage live-streaming concert…

I think they made a mistake.

Somehow, it feels like a desperate attempt to stuff as many warm bodies in to the group as possible in hopes that someone would fill the hole left by Saki. The auditions were, as admitted by management (Tsunku I think) “rushed”. There was no application round, little time between the announcement and the actual audition, and only girls who were able to be in Tokyo on the appointed day and showed up were able to audition. The result? A much smaller field of girls to choose from. You can disagree if you’d like, but comparing the S/mileage audition finalists to the Morning Musume audition finalists, I believe that the overall “idol” quality was much lower in the S/mileage pool.  Sure there was Karin, but she is apparently needed elsewhere (TBA). Miyazaki Yuuka was cute, but too old and too tall. Yamaga was a good singer, but just not pretty enough to be an idol (sorry, but she wasn’t). Oda Sakura was too shy, a terrible dancer, and again, not pretty enough. Jang had zero energy and couldn’t remember the song to save her life.

Keep in mind, S/mileage is quite a high quality idol group. They were chosen as the best of the Eggs at a time when there were tons of Eggs running around. All three remaining girls are very pretty, good dancers, and two of them are good singers as well. I’ve come to expect a certain quality from S/mileage, and I believe that at the very least, Nakanishi Kana and Katsuta Rina aren’t up to par.

First, Kana. Didn’t stand out at the audition, and even now I’m not sure why she was picked other than that she had a nice smile and seems like a hard worker. Her singing, and especially her dancing just aren’t nearly good enough. Period. She’s going to drag the group down. This isn’t Morning Musume which, to a certain extent, celebrates having different types of girls. It’s S/mileage. They all got the same hair cut for goodness sake.  And did you ever notice how the S/mileage girls’ costumes are usually very very similar or exactly the same? (the other h!p groups almost always have variety from girl to girl). They’re supposed to kind of “match” when they’re performing.  And Kana does not match.

Next, Rina. Is she talented enough? Sure. She’s probably the most consistent singer of the new members. There’s two problems. 1. Her looks. I don’t think she’s “ugly” as some have said. She’s even cute in some photos, but she’s no where near the three original S/mileage members. And looks are so very important in the idol world. 2. The much bigger problem, in my mind, her personality. Or lack there off. She seems kind of sweet… but that’s about it. S/mileage is known for their energetic, playful personalities. Rina bores me.

I still have hope that Meimi and Akari could become worthy S/mileage members, and really, I think they should have been the only two picked in the end. Both are good dancers, and both are pretty cute (though still probably not as cute as the original S/mileage members). Meimi definitely has a perfect S/mileage personality, and while her vocals are squeaky, that fits in with the group’s style, and she does have a strong voice. Akari also has pretty good vocals, and at least she has an idol persona to distinguish herself (Sporty Spice Girl).

So yeah, the girls would be heart broken, but if they were truly looking to create the strongest overall S/mileage, I think they should have cut Kana and Rina (or never let them in in the first place). It looks like their plan is to use Yuuka’s recent popularity surge (her mixi numbers are climbing like crazy!) to carry the group despite some weak members, and it’ll probably work, but it makes me sad to think of the S/mileage that could have been. All I know is that I like S/mileage a lot less with the new members than I did without them, and it’s not because I hate the idea of adding new girls. It’s because I care about S/mileage and they deserved better than getting stuck with the results of this hasty audition.

~Celestia~

I’ve finished my most recent video project! I put a lot of work into this one, and I think it came out pretty well (though I still can’t seem to top my Eri/Jun/Lin graduation OPV). This time it’s my Top 20 Current H!p members. I had to get this finished before Ai-chan graduates, or she couldn’t be included. The song is “All for One and One for All” because that HAS to be the song for something like this.

Hope you like it! The old youtube channel surpassed 400,000 views a while ago, and I’m pretty excited about that. Big thanks to everyone who’s watched my videos!

~Celestia~

There’s a few things I want to talk about, so I figured I’d just cram them all into one post. Sound good? No? Well I’m doing it anyway!

1. Kosuga Fuyuka has to drop out of S/mileage sub members due to severe anemia. Not much that can be said here other than “That’s so sad for her”. I bet her anemia was connected to how very skinny she is. Her departure may be a blow for S/mileage as she was the sub member gaining fans most quickly and seemed to be featured in the center of the new girls. I’m sure the other sub members are sad but… do you think some are thinking “Now that she’s gone, I have a better chance of becoming a full member”?

2. Maybe an unpopular opinion? Not to pick on the cripple but, You know what, I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m just going to come out and say it. I don’t like Mitsui Aika anymore. She’s just not a very good idol. She seemed to have potential at first, little miss smiley, and as the only member of her generation (at first), I was so excited by her addition. I really wanted her to become a great idol,  but she has just failed to develop into anything special, and every year I lose interest more. Her singing got a little better, then flatlined, and now it’s infuriatingly inconsistant. She can sound quite good on a line or two (usually lower lines), but then she comes out and sings the entirety of “Sungoi My Birthday” in this annoying, breathy “little girl” voice.  It sounds just awful and weird in a way that’s hard to describe. And that’s the voice she uses most of the time. Her looks are nothing special, and her personality seems to become blander by the day. She’s failed spectacularly at gathering fan support (her mixi community has been surpassed by half of 9th gen already, and Eripon will likely beat her in another month or two as well) And don’t tell me she hasn’t been given a chance to shine!  She had every chance in the world when she first debuted. She was the only girl in her generation at first, so all the attention was on her. She had prominent solo lines in both Egao Yes Nude and Kanashimi Twilight and a strong presence in Onna ni Sachi Are and Mikan. But management realized that they couldn’t sell her, so she was gradually pushed back to where she is today. In summary: To everyone saying “Mittsi deserves to be in the spotlight more! She’s so under appreciated! She shouldn’t be pushed back in favor of 9th gen members!” I say “She’s getting exactly what she deserves based on her popularity, talent, and level of charisma. Every member of 9th gen is already a way better idol than she is.” Was it a mistake picking Aika above Kikkawa Yuu? Oh hell yes it was. Yuu might not have much personality either, but at least she has a pretty voice.

Whew. Some might hate me for that, but I’m glad I got it off my chest.

3. Morning Musume 10th Gen Audition Footage. This week we got a quick teaser of the 10 finalists. Although… I still think there’s a possibility that s/mileage finalists are in the running but they didn’t have to go to the camp since they’ve already done a camp and UFA has seen enough to judge them. Anyway, we only saw a tiny bit of each girl, but here are my initial impressions. Of course, this could all change after next week’s audition footage. Not going to include pictures here. Maybe in a later post.

Kudo Haruka- Absolutely adorable, well-spoken (based on egg footage), and she has a nice strong voice. I don’t just like her because she’s an egg either, because there are plenty of eggs I don’t want anywhere near Morning Musume. The one drawback is not so much that she’s young (11)  but that she LOOKS young.  My First Choice

Ikubo Haruna- Pretty, fashionable, and seems charismatic. Also the right age to fill in the “gap” between Mittsi and 9th gen. Singing sounds weak though. Apparently she’s the “most improved”, which probably means she’s the “project” girl. You know, the one who kind of sucks at everything but might make it through on looks and personality? There’s certainly room for that kind of girl in MM, but only if she’s added alongside someone with more talent. I think she’d be popular. My Fourth Choice (as long as she’s not the only girl added)

Sato Masaki- Just not feeling it on this one. Vocally weak, and I don’t think she’s very cute either. Then again, she could prove me wrong. No Thanks (for now)

Tashima Meru- She’s cute in a weird way? Her voice is okay, not great, but there’s some potential there. At least she’s very facially expressive when singing. There’s something about her I like so I’m going to say Maybe.

Oogami Hinako- Long hair, good dancer, pretty, but no footage of her singing yet, so it’s hard to form an opinion. Unsure, need to hear her sing

Miyagi Ayumi- Okay singer, but I just don’t think she’s very cute. Kind of has a pinched face? And looks are important for idols, so I dunno. Maybe.. leaning towards no.

Miwa Satsuki- Looks a little like Berryz Captain to me. Unconventionally cute. Seems okay at singing. I’m not crazy about her, but she looks like the kind of girl Tsuku goes for, and I don’t dislike her so far. Maybe

Ishida Ayumi- The other standout “all arounder” (besides Haruka). Very good dancer, pretty face (looks like Riho in a couple years), and seems to be at least decent at singing. It’s hard to tell because Naichau Kamo is kind of a brutal song.  My Third Choice

Tanaka Fuuka- Good dancer, maybe the worst singer in this audition group (and she said she’s been taking singing lesson, so she probably won’t get much better). Cute, but not stand-out cute enough to make up for her voice (example: Sayu can get away with her singing because of her looks) No thanks, unless she turns out to have a fantastic personality

Murakami Sara- Probably the best singer out of this audition group, and she hasn’t even had lessons! For that reason alone, I like her, but she also has a good face and there are hints she might be a “cool” character (she plays the drums and has a cool hairstyle). That’s something that’s been missing since Yossie and Mikitty left. One drawback is that initially she doesn’t seem to be as popular with the Japanese wota as a few of the other girls. My Second Choice

So far, it looks like there is a lot of potential in this pool of girls. The best part is that there isn’t anyone so far that I’m thinking “Oh God no! Please don’t pick her!!” *cough Mogi cough*. There isn’t too long until we find out who the 10ki’s are, but I still can’t wait!

4. Sporcle Games. Have you guys ever been to that site? Great time waster. I’ve made a couple h!p themed games. The first is naming all Momusu singles (similar games existed, but weren’t up to date with recent singles), and all Berryz singles. If you like it, you can search for other h!p games that various users have made.

http://www.sporcle.com/games/Celestia/all-morning-musume-singles-

http://www.sporcle.com/games/Celestia/all-berryz-kobo-singles

~Celestia~

PS. Working on a new video of my top h!p members, and it’s going really well so far. Taking a long time though…

Having closely watched the S/mileage auditions, I was very excited to find out the results today. Still, a part of me feels like, with regards to S/mileage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. I mean, they’ve just released their best selling single ever, outselling the first weeks of all but a couple Berryz and C-ute songs, and their chemistry as a group is really strong. On the other hand, S/mileage is a group with a very “youthful” image, and it may be that instead of letting their image mature, like Berryz, Tsunku wants the members of the group to remain young. I hate to say it, but where there’s auditions, there’s probably also graduations. Something tells me that the current S/mileage members don’t have more than 2-3 years left in the group, maybe a bit longer for Saki since she’s older.

Anyway, that unpleasantness aside let’s take a look at the new sort-of members!

Katsuta Rina

Her singing and dancing are both  polished and debut-ready. Maybe a bit weaker than the other two eggs, but certainly head and shoulders above the non-egg finalists. Of the three eggs who auditioned, I didn’t really expect her to make it, but she seems like a really sweet girl, and I’m glad she did. One of her eyes is shaped differently than the other, but I still think she’s cute.

Kosuga Fuyuka

6 kanji in her name! 6! Anyway, Fuyuka has a unique look, and apparently she’s smart? I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about her that makes her stand out, and I think the audition judges saw that. Her dancing was good, singing… not so much. Her voice is pretty nasally, but having a bad voice never stopped Dawa I guess. There’s enough good singers in the group to cover for her.

Tamura Meimi

Also known as the cute little girl from the Shugo Chara musical. Tamura brings lots of spunk, S/mileage-worthy personality, and energetic on-point dancing. She’s also adorable, though her teeth need some help. Then there’s her voice. It’s strong. I mean, she really knows how to project.  It’s even in tune, but it’s really really super high pitched. Like Momoko on helium. I don’t know if she’ll grow out of that. Honestly, it’s not a huge problem for me though. Her voice fits with S/mileage, and I might even kind of like it!

Nakanishi Kana

I was absolutely shocked that this girl got in. Out of everyone at the audition, I felt like she stood out the least. I mean, she wasn’t terrible at anything, but she wasn’t very good at anything either. She was just kind of… there. I suppose she’ll be trainable and her dancing and singing will improve, and she’s not bad-looking, but I really feel that some time as an Egg would have been the better option for Kana. Not sure there’s really anything special about this one, but I hope she proves me wrong!

Takeuchi Akari

Take-chan! She was my first choice for S/mileage. Excellent dancer, and a good singer too! She first impressed me in Shin Minimoni. Interesting fact, Takeuchi joined the Eggs in the same group (of three girls) as Fukumura Mizuki.  Anyway, I’m really happy for Akari, and I know she’ll be great in S/mileage. What I’m not happy about is that they gave her Fukuda Kanon’s old haircut from when S/mileage debuted. I HATE that haircut! (I used an old picture here just because I can’t stand it).

A couple fan-favorites from the audition were notably absent from the winners circle. First, Miyazaki Yuka, the girl who perpetually looked like she was going to cry. She reminded me of a cute puppy, and she just seemed so… earnest. I can see why she didn’t get in though. Too tall and probably too old (17) for being a new S/mileage member. I could really see a place for her in Morning Musume though, so it’s be interesting if she tried out for 10th gen. If h!p really lets her go, don’t be surprised if she turns up in an AKB group sometime soon.

Also absent, Miyamoto Karin, leading to much speculation that she will be added to Morning Musume 10th gen for sure. That wouldn’t surprise me one bit, but whatever happens, it’s clear that the reason Karin wasn’t chosen for S/mileage isn’t that she’s not talented or cute enough, because she has HEAPS of talent and cute. I’m not too worried, because I have no doubt that h!p has a plan for her. You don’t get natural star-power like that every day.

Another interesting point is how they are handling the new girls. Instead of becoming full-fledged members, they will be sub-members until after S/mileage’s tour in October at which point Tsunku will decide what to do with them. They could become full members, remain sub members, become eggs, or be dropped from h!p entirely. It’s like these next few months are still one long audition for them! I wonder if Tsunku will really follow through with this plan, because it’s going to be absolutely heart-breaking for any girl who doesn’t make it into the group. It’s an interesting idea though. I guess they want to be really sure they’re picking the right girl before they commit to her.

Well, I for one am looking forward to S/mileage’s next single and seeing all the newbies in action.

~Celestia~

PS. Does anyone think the new gimmick of showing live audition footage, the surprise concert announcements, and the sub-members being “sort of part of the group and sort of not and having to prove themselves” thing is a little…AKBesque?

I feel weird following S/mileage with a slash since it already has a slash in it. Anyway, it’s time for our next “Name That Song” game! 12 songs, 2 second clips, how many can you guess? All the songs this time come from either S/mileage or a Shugo Chara associated group (Buono, Shugo Chara Egg, Guardians 4). Singles, album songs, and B-sides are all included. Hint: It’s pretty Buono heavy since they have the most material. Should be easy if you’re familiar with those groups since there were less songs to choose from this time. Good luck!

Feel free to leave a comment telling me how you did.

Until Next Time,

~Celestia~

HIGHLIGHT BELOW FOR ANSWERS

1. Janakya Mottainai! (Renai Rider B-side, Buono)

2. Our Songs (Buono Single)

3. Shugo Shugo! (Shugo Chara Egg Single)

4. Hatsukoi no Anata e (Koi ni Booing Buu! B-side, S/mileage)

5. Lady Panther (Gachinko de Ikou! B-side, Buono)

6. Short Cut (S/mileage Single)

7. Over the Rainbow (Buono!2 Album)

8. Kataomoi (We Are Buono! Album)

9. Party Time (Guardians 4 Single)

10. Shooting Star (Warugaki 1 Album, S/mileage)

11. Internet Cupid (Cafe Buono Album)

12. Ama no Jaku (S/mileage Single)