How Good Are the Buono! Girls at Making Faces?

Recommended reading. Amy of Merry Go Round takes a look at the limited edition cover of Buono!’s latest release and turns it into a competition! There are 4 photos of each girl on the cover, which translates into 4 rounds in this fight.

Who will win? Will Amy’s bias towards our favourite kappa-loving yellow bowed C-ute member tip the scales? Will Miya’s blue-bowed awesomeness steal the spotlight? Will Momoko’s lonesome headband turn things in her favour? … It’s so exciting!! XD

50!!

DJ K-Sno has a couple new mixes. They’re slightly more experimental with the backing tracks, not using instrumentals but just reducing the vocals. RoboVector ☂ sounds odd at first, like two songs simply playing at once. But the time is really locked. I like that effect of the song parts contrasting, but the background vocal might be too distracting for some people. VERY BEAUTY no Hitsujitachi almost doesn’t sound like a mashup, with the vocal in the background acting more like melodic counterpoint. It’s her 50th remix. Nice!

Buono! “Rottara Rottara”…and why Airiin + phonebook = Wota fun! =)
Favorite Final Fantasy themes…

Recommended reading (especially the second one). I’m a little delayed on writing up this first post, but here it is! MorningBerryz has received their copy of quite a few H!P releases, and goes into a lovely review of Buono!’s latest single. As with all other Buono! releases, MB is loving Rottara Rottara and shares screen caps, scans, audio and video galore.

Up next MorningBerryz goes over their favourite Final Fantasy themes. I am a diehard Final Fantasy fan myself, and have impatiently been waiting for the release of FFXIII. I definitely have to agree wit MB’s pick for favourite Final Fantasy song. However, I was a little surprised that Rikki’s “Suteki Da Ne” from FFX wasn’t on this list. That is definitely one of my favourties… But maybe that’s just because I thought Tidus and Yuna were adorable, thus giving their song a higher ranking for me.

Ito Yuna Can’t Vogue, Fukuhara Miho is a Hippie and CHEMISTRY Doesn’t Deserve a Mention
More Video Talk: Buono, capsule, GIRL NEXT DOOR (Where A Sane Person Exists!)
No Sleeves and HANGRY & ANGRY: When New isn’t New and when New is WTF

Recommended reading. broomhead continues to cover some recent videos in a style that can only be described as “painfully honest.” If the titles of the posts don’t give it away, you will be able to make no mistake about his opinion on these videos once you start reading the reviews. He keeps it simple when necessary (on CHEMISTRY):

This video is so boring.

… focuses on the minor details occasionally (Buono!):

To go all K on this, I counted 50 Rottaras. That is a lotta love.

… and sometimes manages to drop a line that will have you giggling at its honesty (HANGRY & ANGRY):

She bangs the guitar like a tambourine.

If you are keeping up with recent PVs, you should be reading these reviews. Some of it may just be telling you what you already know, but broomhead often manages to make observations that aren’t going to necessarily enter the mind of your average jpop fan, and that is why these posts are worth reading.

Buonissimo!
The K!☆Mix Kollection

Recommend! DJ K-Snow has some new Buono!-based mash-ups. Aruiterottararotteru wins new best title, topping previous winner Balalaikattarouze!

It’s a open-ended contest, within my own mind, yes. Until now!

But forget even that! The next post collects ALL of the remixes so far (not including the non-mash up ones, that were also fun, I thought), even a few new ones. It’s probably remix overload and many will probably wait for the best of. But any of the ones that have a clean vocal rip and didn’t have to be stretched are pretty great, even the earliest which are some of my favorite, like Namida ga Iruzee! In fact, I only listened to most of the ones with songs I knew before, for the novelty, but it’s a great way to discover songs you never heard or liked. A few I like better than either original, like Kazoeboshi. !

Tan Tan Taaaaaaaaaaaannnnnn!!!!!

DJ K-Sno has three new Tan Tan Taan-based remixes. I didn’t think this instrumental was anything special myself, especially after Anataboshi, but I like it remixed. Maybe I just need an excuse to enjoy stuff with Koha anymore. Oh, it’s fun.

Miya was Destined to be in Buono!

Our maiZe draws a straight line between Miya’s early BK days outfit and the punk style costume our dazzling Buono! lady was wearing some time ago. It’s interesting to see that in her younger age Miya was wearing almost the same style top than she had on her in those earlier Buono! publicity photos.

I guess those both tops could be from Hangry&Angry collection. And let me remind you that Miya has always been attached to skull designs & punky style.

Another remark: In BK’s Switch ON! concert tour in 2005 one of the BK’s costume sets were punky ones. So from the past you’ll find even more links to Buono! and Miya’s wardrobe.

Rottara Rottara PV (Midori’s J-pop Overanalyzations)
Lotta Love Lotta Love for Buono!’s Rottara Rottara (H!P Fangirling like Nobody’s Business)
Lotta Love Lotta Love ! BUONO! Rock Way ! (hello!musume)
Lotta Love, Lotta Love Full PV (Hello!Blog)
Buono - Rottara Rottara video (Morningtime)
It’s Buono! … but not as we know it (Wotaku Now!)

Corny title, I know, but I HAD to do it… XD Anyway, the PV for Buono!’s upcoming single has been out for about a week now, and lots of reaction have already surfaced.

Midori goes over the amazing and the not so amazing. It looks like Midori’s a big fan of the song… The PV, not so much. She goes into quite the rant touching on various aspects of why this was a “terror of a PV”.

DJ_MaiMai of H!P Fangirling is a little confused with how to write out the song title, but that doesn’t stop her from loving the song. Though, like Midori, DJ_MaiMai has quite a few issues with the PV.

On the opposite end, Nakane of hello!musume loves the song, as well as the PV. She’s loving Miya’s hairstyle, and I have to agree! “That girl is so HAWT !”

Tom of Hello!Blog is a little disappointed in the low budget of the PV, but finds that the trio of Buono! can pretty much do no wrong. Being a hardcore Miyabi fan (obviously) I’m a little disappointed in her placing for his favourite for this PV, but if you’re going on a cute factor… Well, Miya’s hot in this PV (as mentioned by Nakane). Enough said. XD Tom mentions that he originally wasn’t that taken with this song, and I have to agree. But man, is this song ever addictive. Like Tom, I’m now in love with this single.

morningtime makes a comparison between Buono!’s pv and the new group Twe’lv’s PV for Seishun Oden. morningtime hopes for Buono!’s continued success in sales, for they like the way Buono! is able to pull off their style without looking like a “manga cartoon gone wrong or just a wota’s wet dream”. morningtime goes over why they think Buono!’s the best group in H!P at the moment, comparing their singles to the recent releases of other H!P groups… But I must ask - what happened to C-ute in these comparisons?

Shirow of Wotaku now is loving the new song, but is wondering where the edginess of Buono!’s style went with this PV. Unlike the other posts, who all just have the PV embedded, Shirow goes a step further and includes quite a few screen caps, showcasing how lovely the girls are looking in the PV.

So it looks like Buono!’s latest song it getting a lotta love, while the PV is evoking a little less enthusiasm.

Monkeys, a giant and that sweet lovely girl
Buono! by fans

zush shares more fanart with us and it’s quite lovely. I was particularly tickled by the one titled “The Gentle Giant”. Can you guess who’s featured in that piece?

Mano Erina-Lucky Aura (preview)
Buono!- Rottara Rottara (preview)

A full version rip of Manoeri’s upcoming second indie single release is already circulating and Wotaku Now! has it embedded for your listening pleasure. Although it’s an early rip the quality is surprisingly good and it’s of the entire track! Shirow is beyond himself excited as I am about too about her continuing career and like many others this being an upbeat song versus a ballad is most welcome and may possibly tap into Manoeri’s persona much better this time around. ^-^ Not being down on ballads though as I have the upmost ♥love♥ of them always but it just seems that at this early stage of a young idol’s career wouldn’t it just suit her so much better to have something lively to perform? The cover artwork is also included an I have to say it’s pure\(^o^)/!

On another note I’m beginning to ponder the vocal coaching that may be going on with Manoeri or perhaps is this actually what her vocals entail at this point?  Just seems so different from anything she produced while in Ongaku Gatas and dare I say “robotic” in some way. The notes are being hit but the nuances and vocal touches that usually go with it seem to be missing in some ways and I know she’s capable of them.  But just to be sure that you know which side I’m on…these are the most adorable robotic vocals ever! ^-^ In time I think Manoeri will continue to develop and as a huge supporter of hers I’ll be cheering her on all the way! Just one odd thing though…that little blurb at the very end of the recording after the track has ended.

In an earlier post Shirow takes a peek at Buono!’s upcoming single release “Rottara Rottara” which serves as the ending theme for Shugo Chara Doki, ripped directly from the anime the quality is perfect although it’s only a minute 30 seconds in length. But it’s definitely enough to give fans a good idea of what to expect with Buono!’s 5the single effort…lively, rockin’, and incredibly catchy! At this rate Buono! may be destined to become Hello! Project’s best unit ever and I say that with only slight caution as we’re talking some pretty stout competition when you look back at the entire body of work outside of H!P’s mainstays Momusu, BK, and C-ute.  No visual promotional material has yet surfaced for this release but I’m sure that will be remidied very soon as is the case in the world of UFA and getting the word out. Ah is it just me or do those ensemble vocals chanting “Rottara Rottara” remind you of Puffy for some reason…or maybe I’ve just lost my mind.

H!P FC Releases

It looks like the 2006 H!P Winter Concert DVD that never released is finally going to be released, but only for FC members. However, what really caught my attention here was the announcement of Buono!’s FC Concert from their 1 year anniversary! A regular concert release as well as 3 solo DVDs? This is a Buono! fan’s dream come true!! I can’t wait!

Lotta Love Lotta Love and Minna no Tamago Previews (「☆☆☆」)
Shugo Chara!! Doki Previews (Stardust)

The first episode of season 2 of Shugo Chara aired today in Japan, and with it, previews for Buono!’s upcoming 5th single and Shugo Chara Egg!’s first single.

Bri of 「☆☆☆」 is liking this latest single of Buono!’s best of all previous releases, and Mars of Stardust definitely feels it’s one of the best. Both Bri and Mars say the Shugo Chara Egg! single is very cute… There’s nothing to compare it to yet, though, so I guess there’s not too much to say about it at the moment.

Helium + Power + Finesse…Hello! Project’s J-Pop utopia rolls on! XD

Recommended reading. MorningBerryz is catching up on all the recent J-pop releases that have been piling up. In this review, we get MB’s view on Buono!’s latest single (and my favourite one thus far) - ‘Gachinko de Ikou!’

Before getting into the single itself, MB shares his thoughts on the new Shugo Chara Egg unit, and what that may mean for Buono! as a group. While I have no problems with the type of music Buono! has been releasing and I’ve never really felt like the anime tie-in has held them back, I certainly wouldn’t be complaining to see another side of Buono!, for the possibilities are endless with this powerhouse trio.

However, I do have a question about MB’s breakdown of Buono: “Helium + Power + Finesse = Buono!” I get who the helium is (that one’s a no brainer) but who’s the power and who’s the finesse? I’d say both Airi and Miyabi have a good amount of both, though I’d probably give Miya the edge in the power department.

MB goes back in time and shares another group under the Pony Canyon label who enjoyed success in the late 80’s to mid 90’s - Ribbon. He draws comparisions between the two groups and shares some audio files to give us a taste of the similarities.

MB takes a detailed look into the Single and Single V, sharing screen caps, scans, audio and video of pretty much every thing included on the CDs and DVDs. As always, MB keeps a wonderful running commentary as he shares each piece with us. The girls are looking absolutely gorgeous, and I totally agree with MB. It would be a dream come true if the girls actually took up instruments… <3

Finally, I just have to say that I never figured out what the name of that one game the girls play in the PV is (the one where the Buono! character’s head flies off the barrel). But, I think MB’s description suits me just fine: “pop goes the tennis ball head thing…”

With a spring in our step, let’s go!

Objectivity is not the most relevant adjective to describe my approach to Buono! So it’s kind of refreshing to see also some criticism that’s focused on music Buono! performs. I find P-chu’s latest comments on “Gachinko de Ikou!” actually quite interesting. He has done his usual re-arrangement of this song and plays it then with his electric piano. Partly P-chu’s version is like from some Broadway musical score, partly from any classical piano lesson. And he doesn’t like “Gachinko” at all.

As I don’t know (almost) nothing about the theory of music and can’t analyse structures of songs etc. I can’t do nothing but trust that P-chu’s criticism is relevant. And I’m sure it is.

From P-chu’s point of view “Gachinko” is annoying and badly put together. But not all is so messy in this song:

The one thing I DO like about it is the “Sekai ni hitori no jibun no tame ni / Daisuki na koto wo kitto kitto mitsukete yare,” which adds an interesting tail end to the chorus with the eighth-note pairs. In fact, it’s almost like how appogiaturas work in 17th and 18th-century music, with an anticipatory note that slides in from above into the correct note of the chord.

What?! [goes listening "Gachinko" once again]

Miyabi Makes a Fierce Cooking Comeback

I love watching Buono!’s PV’s  Their songs are great, and they are so cute together.  But there is always one burning question in the back of my mind…

“Yeah, but who cooks the best eggs?”

Maize has brought us the answer via some sort of DVD magazine.  She has screencapped AND embedded the action, which is judged by Maimi and Captain Saki.  My favorite moment is the little “nod” to Iron Chef  toward the end.  And no one needs to guess who the victor is when Maize does the post.  Miya for the Win!

Somebody call Chairman Kaga, Miyabi just might be ready for Chef Sakai!

H!P/TNX single reviews Jul 2008
H!P/TNX single reviews Aug 2008

Henkka has this obsession with long posts. He says this himself in the beginning to “H!P/TNX single reviews Jul 2008.” There is no problem with this obsession if he is talking about that which he enjoys. But what about when he is discussing music that doesn’t have strong appeal? How can he write a lot about that? Well, Henkka solves the problem by reviewing a bunch of releases in a single post.

As a tangent, and this has nothing to do with these entries by Henkka, the length of a blog entry means little to me. It’s possible to write an entry with a lot of words that says nothing at all and it’s possible to write a short entry that says a whole hell of a lot.

Anyways, back to Henkka, he reviews the July releases of Berryz Koubou (Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance), Canaria Club (Hitomi ga Kirakirara), Kusumi Koharu (Papancake), °C-ute - (Edo no Temari Uta II) and Aladdin (Hi wa, Mata Noboru). Ok, sorry to bring up this “short and sweet” argument, but the review for Papancake is less than 50 words and says everything you need to understand how Henkka feels. In fact, had he expanded on it, it may have lost its impact. He also talks about how he hopes Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance will keep him alive through the Finnish winter and recommends the Canaria Club single, and TNX in general, to anyone who is bored of Hello! Project as of late.

In August, he reviews THE Possible’s Ijiwaru Crazy Love and Buono!’s Gachinko de Ikou!. A lot less material then there was for July. Henkka really enjoys the Ijiwaru Craz Love and considers it a massive upgrade over previous releases from THE Possible. As for Buono!, he points out that there is a formula that most Buono! songs follow and Gachinko de Ikou! doesn’t stray too far from the model. I get the feeling from Henkka that he values diversity in a discography.

My most precious Buono!

Zush is savouring his autograhped Buono! poster that recently came in the mail, taking pictures of each member’s signiture design. Momo’s is pretty stellar, what with her big face and beady eyed little drawing covering poster space.

Too Long Have I Been Neglecting Buono

Recommended reading. After putting it aside for some time, Celestia finally gets around to taking a good look at Buono! and sets out to determine which of Buono!’s 4 singles is the “Buonoest” of them all.

This is quite an enjoyable read with some very amusing categories, for example: “Category 2: Largeness of Miyabi’s hair (PV)”. It’s quite sad that Miya failed Celestia in Gachinko’s PV. I realize it’s not big hair… But… Man was Miya looking gorgeous in that PV, large hair or not. The hotness factor should outweight largeness of hair… But that’s just me, and I’m slightly biased. XD

Celestia goes through a total of 10 categories and through thorough analysis comes to her final conclusion… Which single do you think is the Buonoest, and do you agree with Celestia’s results?

Kindai Oct 2008

If anyone remembers Paul’s last post about the recent UTB magazine and the lack of H!P love adorned in it, this lastest entry will come as great news for you - if you’re a H!P fan. It looks like Kindai still has no problems with showing your favourite H!P idols in full colour and in good measure. Paul screen captures a host of lovely pages featuring Buono!, Ongaku Gatas and Mano Erina. A recommended read for all concerning fans, even if it’s just for the scans. However, Paul does a lovely walkthrough of the pictures, too.

Super Happy Genki Hyperforce Go!

Recommended reading. The blog’s name may seem daunting, but Super Happy Genki Hyperforce Go! is a promising looking new H!P blog. This blog has been around for about a month, and superhappygenki already has quite a few interesting posts.

There is the obligatory introductory post which outlines superhappygenki’s likes and dislikes within Hello! Project’s groups. It looks like she’s not too into the soloists.

She has also written up 2 posts highlighting specific members of Hello! Project. Up first was Berryz Koubou’s Captain, Shimizu Saki and with superhappygenki’s enthusiasm for Captain, I think she and SecondBlossoming would get along quite nicely. She follows that up with some musings on Morning Musume’s leader, Takahashi Ai, which definitely give you something to think about.

However, this is not solely a H!P blog, for superhappygenki also has a post on doramas. She also notes that some anime/manga posts may pop up every now and then. This is definitely a blog I’ll keep my eye on.

Rockin’ Queen of Stage

Zush has some Miya photos from Buono!’s last fan club event. Expect the usual amount of stunning.

An Earnest Competition Keeps Buono! #1

MaiZe’s latest entry is heavily screen captured, detailing in depth Buono!’s latest single Gachinko de Ikou!, and the headers that split the write-up give a nice structure to the read. Both the tracks and the PV are discussed, and maiZe’s eye for song arrangement certainly helps paint an image of how the songs are meant to flow. Simply though, it’s just nice to see our maiZe put out her opinions. She’s liking both tracks a lot, and I have to admit, on aesthetics alone Buono! are the cool cats of H!P

Slam that bass Baby!

Recommended ogling. zush shares screencaps from Part 2 of Buono!’s Making of Gachinko Ikou! from their latest Single V. I must say that Miya’s looing smashing in all of them. Also, where did this hat of Airi’s come from and why wasn’t she wearing it in the PV?

Buono!’s 5th Single (Hello! C-ute)
Buono! 5th Single (Strawberrie)
Buono! 5th Single (「☆☆☆」)
Buono! To Release 5th Single (2008-11-12) (Totally Hello! Project)

Buono! has a 5th single on the way, which will be the first ending theme for Shugo Chara’s second season. I think the announcement of this single has allowed many Buono! fans to breathe a sigh of relief in regards to the possibility of the group breaking up. I wasn’t particularly worried, particuarly since I saw links to merchandise to celebrate Buono!’s 1 year anniversary a few days ago… If you’re celebrating 1 year, I don’t think you’re gonna kill the group the next day. XD

Girls browsing The Web

The girls of Buono! take a break from a “Gachinko de Ikou!” photoshoot to browse a very special blog. But how in the world did they get Internet Explorer 7 working on their MacBook?

Buono! And Their New Kick-Ass Single, Gachinko de Ikou!” (CK’s H!P Blog)
..::Is This the End of Buono!::.. (Eternal ~♥~)
Gachinko de Ikou! (Shanimuni Paradise)

Recommended reading. CK has noticed that recently, H!P PVs have been appearing much closer to the actual release date of the single than they had been earlier in the year. I had actually been wondering what was taking the PV so long to come out before it appeared on Dohhhup! CK wasn’t originally too taken to this PV, but after a few plays, it grew on him, though he definitely seems to enjoy the song itself much more than the PV.

amyrulez of Eternal ~♥~ is liking the single, though he is does miss the mellow interlude found in previous Buono! releases. He enjoys the PV quite a bit, loving the more serious side of Airi, the constant bubbly Momoko and the perfection that is Miya (got that right! XD). However, I must say that I’m quite jealous that amyrulez can’t remember the last time he was bitten by a moqsuito. I was bitten more than 5 times just yesterday…

Tsukiki of Shanimuni Paraside has a new favourite Buono! PV. She likes the games, the dance and that there’s an actual band in this one. I understand that in ‘Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!’ they were just pretending to play, the ‘Honto no Jibun’ PV had a live band… The live band has been mentioned in a few of these reviews, and it just seems like ‘Honto no Jibun’ just keeps being overlooked. Tsukiki goes on to compliment how amazing the girls look in this video and how Momoko is acceptable to her in this video. I’d have to agree with her and say that it is Berryz that is keeping Momoko filled with helium. I don’t quite understand why they won’t let her sing normally in Berryz releases.

和菓子
Gachinko de Ikou PV - Buono
Saki Love
Maasa Love
Erika Love

和菓子 (Can I just call it Wagashi?) is a blog run by Sakuramochi that has many entries on the Hello! Project Kids. Looking through this blog, I noticed that Sakuramochi is a big SweetS. It’s nice to see SweetS getting at least some form of attention.

Sakuramochi looks at the PV for “Gachinko de Ikou.” They find that Suzuki Airi stands out the most and end up being disappointed with the haircut that Natsuyaki Miyabi sports.

The ____ Love entries are dedicated to some of Sakuramochi’s favorite H!P members, which are Sudou Maasa, Shimizu Saki and Umeda Erika so far. In these entries, Sakuramochi shares some photos and brief thoughts on what is appealing about these members.

ANNOUNCEMENT
Ai no Fune

Nekuromenchi of Epitome of Ignorance has decided to split her Hello! Project blogging from her personal blogging, to make it more accessible for people who visit her blog mainly for H!P. Her new blog, Ai no Fune, is appropriately titled after a GAM song. To kick off the start of her new blog, Nekuromenchi has started a new series, Shinguru Marathon, which is a series of reviews of the recent singles that have been released, but which she had not made reviews of them yet.

She kicks off her series with a satisfying review of Buono!’s Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!, and goes into detail of what works and what doesn’t work for her in the song and the PV. I have to agree with her comment on the monotone aspect of the song; it does flow too well together, but as the song is made for Shugo Chara, I guess this is the way it has to be. I’m definitely not complaining!

Gachinko de Ikou! PV (H!P Fangirling like Nobody’s Business)
Buono! - Gachinko de Ikou PV (Mayuge Beam!)
Gachinko de Ikou! Full PV by Buono! (Love マシーン)
Gachinko de Ikou! PV (「☆☆☆」)
I wasn’t gonna do this, but… (Aoi♥Usagi)
The Shifty World of ‘Buono!’ (itsumo genki)

Recommended reading. The PV for Buono!’s upcoming single has been up for a few days now, and many bloggers have something to say about it.

DJ_MaiMai at H!P Fangirling is absolutely loving the PV, though I got a little bit confused with the reference to a having non-H!P people being featured as a first… Has Buono!’s first single already been forgotten? XD As for a girl swooning when she sees a hot girl dress like a guy and pull it off, I had a male friend who was gay swoon over a female friend dressed as a male greaser… Opposite genders, but same principle. XD

James at Mayuge Beam! is worried about Buono! breaking up with the 1st season of Shugo Chara! coming to an end, but as mentioned in an earlier post here, Shugo Chara!’s going for a second season. He takes a look at the new arrangement of the girls in this PV (ie. Miya’s not in the middle here) and uses her role in previous PVs to explain her movement to front and centre, goes into a synopsis of the PV and takes a look at each of the girls. I was a little confused in his talk about Momoko… “She can NOT look cute EVER.” Is a word missing in this sentence? o_O And yes, Miya is totally hot in this PV…

markusantoine of Love マシーン has the PV embedded, and is amused by Momoko proclaiming herself as the leader of Buono! However, I have seen an interview with Buono! somewhere where Miyabi and Airi both said that Momoko was the leader (even though Airi jokingly [I think] said that Miya should really be the leader).

Bri of 「☆☆☆」 likes the mellow rock feel of the song, and proclaims it her new favourite Buono! single. She gives a list of what was written on the dart board and what each girl landed on during the dart throwing. I don’t quite see what she saw in regards to Miyabi’s attitude in the PV, but she’s loving Airi here (and in Buono! in general).

Usa-chan of Aoi♥Usagi feels obliged to review Buono!’s PV, for in the reviews she had read prior to her post, no one had mentioned a specific section that stood out to her. She looks at each of the girls and explains the role each girl plays to become the cohesive awesomeness that is Buono! She also goes over the dance and concept of the PV before giving us a screencap of why she wrote this review… I must say it’s a very cute screenshot.

isilwentari of itsumo genki loves the PV and the nonsensical pseudoplot. Buono! has not been a constant winner for isilwentari, but it looks like everything done in this release was done right. However, can you really blame them for mentioning “Kokoro no tamago” in multiple songs? If you’ve watched any Shugo Chara!, I don’t think anyone would question it. I mean, they’re a group that was made to sing for this anime… You need to make the references in the songs for it to stay relevant.

Bringing the members of C-ute a little bit closer…

Recommended reading/ogling. MorningBerryz goes in depth to describe one of his recent purchases: an autographed Edo no Temari Uta II promotion poster. Having been a proud envier of MorningBerryz collection for quite some time now, I think this poster just throws the ball out of the park. I love this style of C-ute, and though the sales were pretty low considering Berryz Koubou’s and Buono!’s sales, I really do hope they continue in this direction.

Hirano Aya to Work With Morning Musume Producer Tsunku (hashihime 橋姫)
Ogawa Mana to Release Debut Solo (Stardust)

First of all, hashihime 橋姫 is run by hashihime appears to be primarily an anime blog. However, many entries seem to be dedicated to Hirano Aya, and that is more than enough for me to put it on IW.

And what is the news from hashihime and Stardust? Tsunku, Hirano Aya and Ogawa Mana will be involved, in some fashion, with the OP/ED releases for the anime Hyakko. The reports conflict each other though. hashihime says that Hirano Aya will be singing the ED and Ogawa Mana will be singing the OP. Stardust’s entry has it the other way around, with Ogawa Mana doing the ED and Hirano Aya doing the OP. Either way, it looks like Tsunku will be producing both songs (and writing Ogawa Mana’s).

On Anime News Network’s page for Hyakko, it lists Ogawa Mana for the opening theme and Hirano Aya for the ending theme.

Semantics aside, this is good news for Tsunku, Ogawa Mana and TNX in general. While Buono and Kusumi Koharu - and to a lesser extent, Athena & Robikerottsu - have been releasing music attached to anime, Tsunku has not been directly involved in these releases; or if he has, it has been uncredited.

Ok, I am not fact-checking every single H!P/TNX-related release ever to see if they have been used as anime OP/ED themes. So just leave the generalization that Tsunku has not had much involvement with the anime OP/ED releases as is.

Either way, It would mean for a bigger profile for TNX if this is a direction it takes.

Then again, there was Sentimental Generation by Tokito Ami, which was written by Tsunku and used for School Rumble Nigakki, and Ami did not become a fixture in anime openings/endings after that release.

Gachinko de Ikou PV

Wendy of Renai Revolution 21 uses her loveable comedic touch to review the Gachinko de Ikou PV. She starts off by showing us how far Buono! has come in such a short amount of time, and I must say I am shocked having not thought about it that much. She moves on to explain how she feels about the PV in a short but effective way. I, personally, am really enjoying Buono’s switch from punk/pop to a more simple pop-style. It really does suit them better.

Shugo Chara! Magical Girl Anime’s 2nd Year Green-Lit

Obviously, most H!P fans know that Buono!’s latest PV is available for viewing, and multiple PV reactions have been posted. One thing I’ve noticed is that many people are fearing the end of Buono! because the anime’s supposedly coming to an end. That made me look in the archives of IW, and it seems this topic was never covered (this was announced on July 20) but…

Shugo Chara! has been given the green light for a second year. I haven’t heard any word of a new group being brought in to do the music for series, so I’d have to assume that Buono! will continue on doing their thing. Hope that helps to reassure Buono! fans.

Gachinko de Ikou! Full PV  (Hello! Blog)

Buono! - Gachinko de Ikou!  (Wotaku Now!)

I would play Buono! Pop-up Pirate  (ChanceChanceBoogie)

The full version of Buono!’s new single, Gachinko de Ikou! premiered yesterday.  While there hasn’t been an avalanche of blog reviews, the initial reaction has been positive overall.

Paul of Hello! Blog feels that Buono!’s perfect combination of fun, humour, cuteness and sexiness sets them apart from the other H!P units.  He also notices a comedic dynamic that totally had me thinking of the Three Stooges (Miyabi-Moe, Airi-Larry, Momo-Curly, or Shempf)  After giving it a few listens he feels this might be their best release to date.

Shirow feels the PV sticks to the usual Buono! formula.  Highlights for him include Airi’s hotpants, Miyabi’s hotness in general, and Momoko’s dance routine which he titles the “special butt bash attack”

Max loves the song and the PV, but is troubled by the possible symbolism of the chalkboards at the end of the video.  Could the coming end of the anime Buono! is associated with possibly mark the end of the group as well?

Personally I love the song and PV  But Max’s “buzzkill” at the end of his post now has me worried.  If UFA and Pony Canyon are smart, Buono! will be sticking around for a while.

Sora to Kujira

As the blog’s header states, Sora to Kujira is a blog focusing on “up to date j-pop reviews.” True to its word, the posts focus on reviews of recent single and album releases, including (but certainly not limited to!) alan, Buono!, Perfume, Kalafina, and misono. Releases are given a rating at the end of the post, and the wide range of artists covered makes this one worth checking out.

Morning Musume new single (Cutie Party!)
New H!P Releases!! (What Kio Says: Hello Project Much?)
[09/24] Morning Musume 37th single (JPH!P post by tiny)
[03/12] 「Jingisukan」 Berryz Koubou 16th single (preview p.3) (JPH!P post by tiny)

Morning Musume will getting another single this year. It will be released on September 24. Misa of Cutie Party has the news and also delivers some early hopes for the single. Kiokiou of What Kio Says has this news in addition to looking at other future releases for Hello!Project, including Berryz Koubou, Buono! and Ongaku Gatas. There is also a JPH!P post that has this news.

Regarding the Berryz Koubou Khan Remix, an earlier entry today at IW had stated the release date was going to be September 10. This appears to be be wrong and it looks like September 17 is the release date. The second post at JPH!P links to an official page that has September 17 as the release date. At least this remix will not infect the album

Buono! - Gachinko do Ikou! (radio preview) (Wotaku Now!)
Buono! 4th Single : Gachinko de Ikou! (Full Rip) (hello!musume)
Gachinko de Ikou! Radio Rip (Stardust)

A radio rip of Buono!’s 4th single “Gachinko do Ikou!” is up for your listening pleasure. I personally haven’t listened to it yet, but that’s because I don’t want to taint the lovely Miya’s voice with 64 kbps quality sound… That just won’t do. However, for those who are impatient and can’t wait for better quality, the blogs that have posted these songs seem to be enjoying it. I know I liked what I heard from the Shugo Chara ending theme.

And yay! Larger versions of the covers! I just have to say that Miya’s hair and outfit are awesome!

Gachinko de Ikou! Covers/C-ute and Makoto Ogawa official pics
jpop fans and Hello! Project.

Misa’s lastest entry shares the cover jackets to Buono!’s Gachinko de Ikou! single, a UFA photo to C-ute’s Edo no Temari Uta II, and then my favourite: a recent Makoto UFA photo.

A slightly earlier entry shows Misa in defensive mode, standing by Morning Musume and going up against their haters. In general she makes a good point, that Momusu do have talent, and their songs can reach out to wider audiences. But then I couldn’t honestly speak so highly of them from a musical standpoint like Misa does. I actually think half of their music catalogue is off base, and that a good chunk of members and ex-members are actually weak singers, at least individually. Not to loose focus on the idol format of course, and with that you cant really dent Momusu in the right contexts. Misa throws in an example of Ayu Hamisaki and Aichan singing the same song live, and she reports rightly that Aichan actually does a better job. On this example alone I agree. In fact Aichan’s pretty much brilliant, which is to be expected considering she can hold a note well, and that she’s not pulling a daft dance routine at the same time. Still, she keeps wanting to grope her face. Typical

Gachinko de Ikou! Covers (「☆☆☆」)
New Single Covers for Gachinko de Ikou - Buono! (°Absol-ute °C-ute)
Gachinko de Ikou! Covers (Stardust)
Gachinko de Ikou! Covers (Strawberrie)
Gachinko de Ikou! Infozzzz (What Kio Says: Hello Project Much?)

The covers to Buono’s Gachinko de Ikou! are being passed around. The Limited Edition shows the girls playing strip poker and the Regular Edition has them playing strip Jenga.

Bri of 「☆☆☆」 thinks the Limited Edition is just “gross.” Her reasoning makes sense as the background is pretty ugly. However, they are playing strip poker, so all is forgiven. Also, is Bri’s blog now named “「☆☆☆」” officially? I could have sworn it was I WISH;; not too long ago…

Mars from Stardust has the images in a smaller resolution. The covers look significantly better when they aren’t blown up.

Strawberrie is another blogger who likes the Regular Edition better. But… but… strip poker!

Kiokiou of What Kio Says has the covers as well.

Amy of °Absol-ute °C-ute has the covers as well as an obnoxious conversation with a certain blogger. The two of them have way too much enthusiasm for Jenga… I like seeing someone post a chat log with CFB on the other end though. A little “turnabout is fair play” on his style of blogging.

They Have Really Big Earrings…! - Buono! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Review

Hotaru gives her thoughts on Buono!’s Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! single, and after the first paragraph the write-up shifts into the PV, where Hotaru focuses on each individual member’s role and appearence in the video. It’s a welcome change of pace to see an analysis put together this way, and although the writing doesn’t delve into great depths, Hotaru’s simply-driven thoughts towards the visual theme of the PV and the girls in general is enough to keep the reader entertained and genuinely curious about the single and the group.

Gachinko de Ikou! Preview

Today, the new Shugo Chara opening theme played, and Strawberrie has a rip of the OP theme version. I think it sounds pretty awesome. I can’t wait to hear the whole thing, and see what the PV looks like!

Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! - Buono! Review!

Amimi is very thorough in this review, covering absolutely every aspect that I can think of. I think Amimi could do good by using more puns. She complains about how Tsugunaga Momoko loses appeal when there are explicit jokes about her being short - and then goes on to say she is tired of Momo getting the “short end of the stick.” Sometimes, little (Ha! See I did it!) things like this are all it takes to make me laugh.

The short Momoko stuff… I groan a bit when the jokes are so explicit too. But then I realize that Buono is appealing to kids, who need it to be obvious.

Basket full of berries
Kiss me! Kiss me! Kiss me!

Recommended ogling. First up, our zush has wonderful photos of the Berryz girls lounging and hanging out. Lots of peace signs to be found here.

In the second post, zush promotes Buono!’s ‘Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!’ Single V. He gets around to posting screencaps before I had the chance to even get screencaps… But if you’re a fan of either Momoko, Miyabi or Airi, this Single V may just be your cup of tea. I nearly died of a Miya overload as I watched through the 4 - yes, 4! (lol… what’s with the number 4 tonight?) - versions of the PV… Not that I could ever get enough of Miya…

[Album] Cafe Buono! - Buono!

Recommended reading. Second Blossoming has discovered the Café Buono! album and was pleasantly surprised at the variety this album brings to the table. He sees the potential of Buono! being something huge within the H!P universe, though I worry about the future of Buono! what with Shugo Chara ending soon.

One thing that I want to clarify for Second Blossoming: the group was formed to do the opening and ending themes for the anime, rather than them having formed the group and subsequently being chosen by the anime producers.

He goes through each song and they all get a thumbs up, with the exception of Internet Cupid, which seems to throw him off. I think his love for ‘Last Forever may be influenced by his love for Miya’s heels in ‘Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!’, but who am I to talk about being partial to something Miya-related, right? XD

Recommending reading. ºAbsol-ute ºC-ute is a new H!P blog by Amimi. She started it less than a week ago and already there’s a nice mix of news stories with commentary, a review on C-ute’s ‘Namida no Iro’ and an eyecandy post featuring Buono!.

Her latest entry is on Buono!’s  fourth single and I agree with Amimi in wishing for something along the lines of ‘Janakya Mottainai’.

Buono! 4th Single - Gachinko de Ikou! (2008-08-20) (Totally Hello! Project)
Buono! 4th Single: Gachinko de Ikou! (★Strawberrie★)
Gachinko de Ikou! (Hello!°C-ute)

Reports bring word of Buono!’s upcoming 4th single, “Gachinko de Ikou!”, which will be Shugo Chara’s new ending theme, to be released in August. It’s great to see Buono! continuing to dominate the landscape, Natsuyaki’s non-scandal notwithstanding.

Two Album Reviews In One Post! (I’m not dead…)

Hotaru reviews Buono!’s Café Buono! as well as C-ute’s 3rd Love Escalation.

For Café Buono! Hotaru isn’t too impressed with the song order of the album, but finds it to be okay overall. However, to say there were some “down right icky songs” was a shocker to me, but I’m biased and love this album to death. What I like in this review are the categories that Hotaru has. She breaks it down into Most fun song, most amusing song, prettiest song, most boring song (though this one almost killed me…) and worst song.

For 3rd Love Escalation, Hotaru is loving the Chisato moments, and I totally agree with her there. For categories here, she’s got best song, most fun son, most boring song and the strangest song.