Archives for the ‘Avex Trax’ Category
Otsuka Ai - Rocket Sneaker/One x Time
oroitsme has been anticipating this new single from Ai-chin, but finds herself disappointed by the overall package.
Ray • May 14th, 2008
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To be or NOT to be - That is the QUESTION! ~Updated~
Recommended reading. Apparently, the attempt to break into the United States has been placed on hold. Strawberrie breaks the news and opines that BoA can at least go back to Korea for a while.
Ray • May 13th, 2008
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ayu-mi-x 6 - Casserole remixes anyone?
Rift doesn’t like what’s done to some favorite Hamasaki Ayumi songs on these two albums, with some notable exceptions.
Ray • May 13th, 2008
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[News] If You Don’t Buy One Concert DVD This Year…
Our own Vee discourages you from buying Ayu’s ‘Countdown Live 2007-2008 10th Anniversary’ DVD, and there’s good reason to listen to her, apparently. I’ll take Vee’s word for it, of course, as she’s certainly well-versed when it comes to Ayu, and the case she makes is a simple but good enough one - the vocals were off. Some credit must go the the ear debacle however, which Vee mentions. It’s a good read that keeps me interested in an artist I’m not too interested in. Maybe I should just read Vee’s ayu posts over and over until I start obsessing. I’ll consider it.
wu-san • May 12th, 2008
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J-Music Clip of the Week..Double Shot Edition
Come on! You had to have seen this coming! Langdon Alger chooses the hot new “Black Diamond” PV for this week’s clip and includes some nice screencaps too.
Ray • May 11th, 2008
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They are the BLACK DIAMOND. (97%)
There’s a review of the Double / Amuro Namie song, then a review of the PV. The word “hot” and “sexy” comes up many times, but I’m thinking it could have been used even more.
Ray • May 10th, 2008
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Recommended reading. I never watched the 8th generation auditions for Morning Musume, but from what I can gather from anna’s article, Ayami Masuda was a fan favourite. Well, for those of you who routed for her, it looks like you’ll be seeing a bit more of her for anna reports that she has signed on with Avex.
anna makes an interesting comparison of Koda Kumi and Goto Maki from the 3rd generation auditions. In a few years, it’d be interesting to take a look at where Aika’s career is in comparison to Ayami’s.
maiZe • May 9th, 2008
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DOUBLE & Namie Amuro - BLACK DIAMOND PV (溝のヒロイン)
DOUBLE Featuring 安室奈美恵 “BLACK DIAMOND” (PV). (生きのいい.)
Recommended viewing. Another solid effort from Amuro, this time for Double’s collaboration album. Our own AnyGroove shares the clip, as does Allen, who also has some comments on the video.
Ray • May 9th, 2008
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BoA to release “concept single”
So I’m guessing this is like a concept album but not so long. And I’m also guessing that theme of “Vivid” will not be tied into the famous American adult video company… which is a shame, but wouldn’t THAT be great way to crack the American market?
Ray • May 9th, 2008
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Koda Kumi - Ai No Uta [37th Single]
Corny isn’t always a bad thing, as blackmager points out in this track-by-track review of the very traditional ballad from Kuu-chin.
Ray • May 9th, 2008
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“Cherry Girl / Unmei” Front Covers
Not one of Kuu-chin’s prettier covers, but still worth a peek.
Ray • May 8th, 2008
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Kumi Koda safe for commercials again
Gillette has signed the Avex diva to her first TV commercial since that whole “rotten womb” scandal broke out. So I guess we can place this behind us now, except whenever a tasteless joke is needed at Kuu-chin’s expense.
oroitsme points to three other Chinese singers besides the Panda Musumes who are currently aiming for the Japanese market. alan is already growing familiar to overseas fans, but Maki Chang and Tiana Xiao less so. oroitsme points out that this group is actually quite diverse, and that they’re not being marketed based on ethnicity, which I think is a step in the right direction.
Ray • May 6th, 2008
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Hitomi Shimatani - Dragonfly [24th Single]
blackmager notes how this release was a completely unexpected sound from Shimatani, but that’s a good thing in this case - though the B side doesn’t match up to the title track.
Ray • May 6th, 2008
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GUILTY
Mirrorcle World -YOU Version-
Track-by-track reviews of Hamasaki Ayumi’s most recent album and single, both receiving very favorable ratings.
Ray • May 5th, 2008
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Our own Raid finds a little time to post up his latest J-magazine purchases, and along the way he shares some nice photos of them all. Expect lots of Hirai Ken - of course - plus others, like one half of AAA. The wrong half if you ask me.
wu-san • May 5th, 2008
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DOUBLE, Namie Amuro collaborate (Tokyograph)
DOUBLE x Amuro Namie - BLACK DIAMOND (Marc’s JPOP Blog)
J-Music Clip of the Week…Classic Edition (YODC)
Recommended reading. Rapper Double is working on a collaboration album and one of her partners is none other than the Queen of Hip Pop herself. Tokyograph has the details, Marc shares the YouTube preview, and YODC’s Langdon Alger shares an earlier Double collaboration, this with De La Soul.
Ray • May 1st, 2008
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Koda Kumi - BUT/Aishou [35th Single]
blackmager has a track-by-track review of this 2007 release, declaring “BUT” one of the best singles from the Kingdom album, though the other tracks on the single don’t fare as well.
Ray • Apr 30th, 2008
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Hitomi Shimatani - Pasio [23rd Single]
blackmager goes back to this Prima Rosa single from 2006 for a track-by-track review, finding the lead song enjoyable but the the c/w songs less so.
Ray • Apr 29th, 2008
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[CHIAKI] Today is.
[SHUTA] Congratulations AAA Osaka School Opening!
[SHIN] w: (*v_v)
The lates translations of AAA blog entries from our own Raid-kun, where they go to the opening of the Avex Artist Academy. I actually like the stories of Chiaki buying cheap toilet covers and the AAA guys playing Nintendo DS… It grounds them and makes them seem more accessible.
Ray • Apr 29th, 2008
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Vivid (Kissing you, Sparkling)
I thought she was secretly recording an English album? Maybe she still is, who knows with this girl? Strawberrie lets us know that BoA has another Japanese single coming out in June.
broomhead • Apr 27th, 2008
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[Article] Collab Creation Dreams…Ran’s Ver.
Ran of Pink Wota is inspired by fellow PW blogger Vee to come up with her own J-Pop/Western Pop dream collaborations. Her tastes are very different than Vee’s, but she still explains her choices thoroughly. While I’m not crazy about all of the artists, I love the idea of MoMusu with Ashley Tisdale- I’ve always thought of the High School Musical kids as the Disney equivalent of MoMusu, and Ashley in particular reminds me of Charmy. The last dream collaboration is very interesting as well, since she selects an artist that doesn’t fit with her previous choices.
hanachan01 • Apr 26th, 2008
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Our own Raid translates the latest AAA blog entry, this time dealing with family matters.
Ray • Apr 24th, 2008
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Urata’s (and AAA’s) 1st ever solo album?
Raid shares what little info is out at this moment, which should excite AAA fans.
Ray • Apr 23rd, 2008
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Tamaki, Shimatani’s relationship already over
She’s back on the market, boys! Break out the chocolates and bouquets!
Ray • Apr 22nd, 2008
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Courtesy of our own Raid, as always, and this time a AAA member talks about movies instead of food.
Ray • Apr 22nd, 2008
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Knowing Raid, this could easily be a fad at his place, and dont be suprised if this is the first and last ever podcast he does. Regardless, he sounds a lot more alive than he did on skype - I guess he got some sleep - and for me personaly, a blogger who likes to figure out the minds of his favourite writers, I’m all for hearing about Raid and Singapore.
Even though the topics of talk are semi-personal, it’s got a nice counterbalance of J-pop yapping, and I like the blend to be honest. Anyway, if you’re getting high off of listening to these casts which have been popping up with more reverance recently, this is worth the listen. Recommended.
wu-san • Apr 22nd, 2008
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[Single] Ayumi Hamasaki - Mirrorcle World
A track-by-track review of the new single from Hamasaki Ayumi, noting differences in the title song from the first track in Guilty.
Ray • Apr 21st, 2008
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Tohoshinki - Beautiful you / 千年恋歌 [22nd Single]
A track-by-track review that emphasizes the difference between the two ballads on this release, with the first song more mature-sounding while the second is more traditional.
Ray • Apr 21st, 2008
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[CHIAKI] AVEX in TAIWAN
[SHUTA] Today.
Recommended reading, mostly for Chiaki “singing in Beijing language” and eating bird soup. The translation’s courtesy of our own Raid-kun, and while Chiaki looks cute in her picture, the best thing in these posts is Raid’s snarky commentary.
Ray • Apr 21st, 2008
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Hitomi Shimatani - Destiny -Taiyou no Hana- / Koimizu -Tears of Love- [22nd Single]
blackmager goes back to 2006 for what is declared to be the best of the Prima Rosa era singles in this track-by-track review.
Ray • Apr 21st, 2008
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Completely unrelated to H!P (well, almost)
This blog from a fictional member of Morning Musume continues and I must confess I’m still not sure if I get it. Is this supposed to be a stand-in for the actual author’s opinion and tastes (which would explain the interest in Otsuka Ai better)? Is it supposed to provide different insights on Morning Musume by imagining an inside perspective? (And okay, that’d involve some heavy conceptual lifting, but is quite possible.) Is it supposed to be fanfic posing as a blog? (Which for some odd reason strikes me as the most compelling choice, though I could grow tired of that.)
I guess for me as a reader, I’d want this to feel less like a throwaway gimmick and find some raison d’etre that would justify this interesting fictional conceit. There’s potential here, but potential for what isn’t clear. I was taking a wait-and-see attitude when this debuted and I’m still in that mode now.
Ray • Apr 20th, 2008
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An extra decade of age can do wonders.
Recommended reading. Kimitsu finally steps in and gives her own opinion on this much-lauded release from the Queen of Hip Pop, finding the 60s track disturbing but loving the 90s track a great deal. Solid Minna Star writing, though I’m not sure about this idea that the concept was being held back for a while…
Ray • Apr 19th, 2008
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Courtesy of our own Raid-kun, but Urata is boring compared to chatty Misako’s wisdom teeth and Nissy’s brain vibrator.
Ray • Apr 19th, 2008
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Ayumi Hamasaki - Mirrorcle World
Recommended reading. Lex is very impressed with the title track, especially how it works from the original track from the Guilty album, though the c/w material doesn’t fare as well.
Ray • Apr 18th, 2008
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Brain vibrator, that is. Though from the looks of it, if Nissy can, you know, make it work the other way, he may just have a new fan over here. Oh, and as always, this is courtesy of our own Raid-kun, who (unsurprisingly) has his own dirty thoughts about this matter.
Ray • Apr 17th, 2008
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“Puzzle” theme sung by Kumi Koda
Courtesy of Tokyograph: Kuu-chin is back at work and her next single is slated to be the theme for a mystery drama.Even more intriguing, the c/w song will feature Fergie. Yes, that Black Eyed-Peas Fergie, not the ex-wife of royalty Fergie.
Ray • Apr 17th, 2008
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The TRUTH behind the Avex scandals
Raid puts on the detective gear and figures out what really happened in a select number of Avex scandals. The snark is in full effect. The Koda Kumi one is plausible - she needed a good scandal to spice things up.
broomhead • Apr 17th, 2008
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Of course, I’m posting about this!
Recommended reading. JJ finds himself underwhelmed (as a matter of fact, that’s his One Word this time around) by the overall package for this single. On the one hand, he finds the title track excellent; on the other, everything else doesn’t match what he thinks Ayu should deliver.
Ray • Apr 16th, 2008
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BEYOND~Kanada no Karata Profile Pictures
[MISAKO] Wisdom tooth
If our own Raid went to the trouble of translating Misako’s rambling ramblings about her wisdom teeth and some cartoon icon and what clothes she’s wearing, we should all suffer with him and also slog through this tedious post from the lovely AAA member. The lovely, annoyingly boring, AAA member. Oh, and Raid snarks through the new profile photos. Myself, I wouldn’t mind seeing whatever freaky movie Chiaki is in. Bow-chicka-bow-bow and all.
Ray • Apr 16th, 2008
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First look: Tanimura Nana - JUNGLE DANCE
Recommended reading and ogling. Our own pengie has mixed feelings about the new video from the talented singer, loving her voice and seeing great potential - but hampered by a lot of boobalicious pandering and a very poor song.
Ray • Apr 16th, 2008
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This well-detailed piece starts with an overview of the album, goes on to a track-by track review, and ends with a look at the PVs from the album. The judgment overall is quite positive, despite the lack of Latin-influenced songs this time around.
Ray • Apr 15th, 2008
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BEYOND~Karada no Kanata Covers
[HIDAKA] The office at night
Recommended ogling. Our own Raid-kun has the latest info and pictures for AAA’s next single, but more interesting to me are some shots taken by Hidaka of an office where the group met recently (management, Avex Trax?). To me, it’s a nice reminder that their lives aren’t all glamour and screaming wota who want to touch them all over especially Nissy and Misako and maybe Urata, but also mundane events in mundane settings. Though even in such settings, I’m sure Nissy and Misako and maybe Urata would still be quite smexy.
Ray • Apr 15th, 2008
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diegwa does an in depth review of the various tracks of Ayumi’s latest single, having much praise for her 10th Anniversary effort. Praises include the single being “one of Ayumi’s best singles in years and puts Talkin’2 Myself to shame” as well as “a memorable way to begin her 10th Anniversary and new Era”.
And then the picture at the end made me laugh for reasons I shall not re-discuss. xD
Raid • Apr 15th, 2008
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I know what I know and that’s all that I know
Celestia has written up an impressive rebuttal to Kimitsu’s post that was covered yesterday. The points she makes are strong contentions, and is essentially saying that a relationship with an idol is pretty much the same relationship you would establish with a friend.
While in parts I find that the rebuttal is dealing with the wrong issues (or has misunderstood Kimitsu’s side of things), but when read side by side, you’d get a real balanced view on the topic as a whole.
Now this is the kind of discussion and interaction I think we Wota-bloggers should have amongst ourselves. A prime example of smart and civilized “arguments”, the two posts are a must read for everyone. All of us should learn from our dear Celestia! Great job girls! (Hohoho, I feel like Charlie on Charlie’s Angels.)
Raid • Apr 14th, 2008
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Arashi poll results and a couple of live clips for your Sunday afternoon! ^-^
Berryz koubou “Dschinghis Khan” Event V DVD & a special ice cream moment!
Matsumoto Jun triumphs over the rest of his Arashi pals in a recent Arashi poll over at MB’s. Who whould’ve guessed eh? Okay, so I’m led to believe MatsuJun is pretty damn popular within the right circles, so, am I the only one shocked by that? probably. Anyway, he won, and he’s still my dream best friend. Included in the post are the statistics of the poll and some live performance videos at the end.
An earlier entry reveals - for those of us who didn’t know - that the “Dschinghis Khan” (Mongolian Dance Shot Ver.) actually originated from a tie-in event DVD. Some useful infomation on how MB went about purchasing the DVD might come in handy for those also seaking out this item. The post includes a host of uploads, including member close-up PVs. Recommended reading and viewing for all Berryz Koubou fans.
wu-san • Apr 14th, 2008
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[SHIN] ＼(▼∠▼)／
[URATA] Day of relaxation
Our own Raid continues to pass along AAA’s posts. I must confess, the picture of the little kid made me go, “What an adorable little girl!” Then I saw that it’s a little boy.
Ray • Apr 14th, 2008
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Kimitsu writes up an article on how she and her sister tells various members of certain idol groups apart from each other. Look out for fascinating labels such as “the other buttsex boy” (I’ll leave you to find out who that is). Extra points for being in denial about Nino.
She then goes on to ponder the different types of fans there are out there, and whether it is wrong to be a “shallow fan” that only knows their idols through different dramas or various “achievements”.
Truth be told, I never did like people who tell me things like “OH YOU LIKE HANAZAWA REI TOO?” (Hana Yori Dango, for those who don’t watch J-dramas). He’s called Oguri Shun for goodness’s sakes. In my opinion, if you’re going to decide to “like” someone, it’s best you learn their real names too. Otherwise, it simply means the person doesn’t matter all that much to you in the first place, but that’s just my opinion.
Her concluding paragraph sums up the topic nicely, and may (because I’m stubborn) force me to reconsider my view on these “shallow fans”. Worth reading and pondering over. How shallow a fan are you?
Raid • Apr 13th, 2008
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Kingdom [DVD 1]
Kingdom [DVD 2]
Ali brings in a guest blogger - her sister - as they provide a commentary on each track in these two DVDs. A fun read overall.
Ray • Apr 13th, 2008
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A track-by-track review of BoA’s second - and so far, bestselling - Japanese album, which receives high marks overall.
Ray • Apr 13th, 2008
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