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. !

Screen PV - Pex’s Thoughts

Pex takes a look at the new Abe. Like a lot of people (including me), he hasn’t been incredibly excited by Abe’s solo work, but finds the song and especially the video to be surprisingly high quality and mature. He adds her leaving H!P is “not much of a loss” and if he doesn’t mean that in a positive sense for her, then I will say it. The image in particular certainly doesn’t seem at all like H!P anymore, and if this is any indication of what the other girls might be more into, the idea of them volunteering rather than being forced to get out from under the H!P banner seems a lot less far-fetched.

Abe Natsumi “Screen” PV  (Love マシーン)
Screen PV!!  (Tricia’s H!P and TNX Blog)
Natsumi Abe - Screen Video  (Morningtime)
Nacchi’s Final SCREENing  (Stardust)

A few bloggers have posted Nacchi’s latest PV since it has been uploaded to Dohhhup.  Most of the enthusiasm is over how she looks, although the song gets a bit of praise as well.  The exception here is Mars, who didn’t dislike the song, but it didn’t leave as good of an impression on him as it did for the others.  Tricia and MarkusAntoine are both hopeful that Nacchi will continue to sing after her Elder Club graduation.  And Morningtime is ready to propose marriage, again…

M, you are so fickle!  Didn’t I just cover a post about you melting over Michishige Sayumi?

YELLOW CAB is going down!!!  LOL

Pizza-La is one of, if not the biggest pizza chain in Japan.  Their newest gimmick is to have members of Hello! Project shilling for their product, including television commercials and print media.  Junkang of HelloIsland has plenty of ad samples and commercial uploads for us to enjoy, complete with HI’s usual brand of snark.

I’ve heard a few folks be a bit critical about this.  But entertainers as spokespeople for commercial products are pretty common all over the world.  So I say, why not?  Although it does sort of remind me of Paris Hilton’s Carl’s Jr. $6 Burger ads!  Now I am more aware of Pizza-La than ever before.  So I guess the advert did it’s job, didn’t it?

Conflict Productions

Actually Siggy has been blogging on this site since February.  But around the time of the Miyabi non-scandal the focus of this blog seemed to switch from Wonder Girls more towards Hello! Project.  It seems Siggy is a big Gaki fan, as well as a fan of quite a few members of C-ute.  Siggy’s most recent posts have been on the Elder Club Graduation, and a nice picspam/writeup of the 2008 Summer Wonderful Hearts DVD.  Deeper in the archives you can find the Very Bikkuri Survey and Misa’s J-Music survey.

Welcome to Conflict Productions!!!  I am looking forward to reading more!

Morning Musume in the Future

Tricia has high hopes for Morning Musume in the coming year.  She gives a preliminary list, including her choices for photobooks, graduation, and new units.  A return of Koharu and Sayumi’s Rainbow Pinku unit?  Sheesh, I don’t know if the world is ready for that again.

But my favorite quip is how happy she is that the year went by “super fast”.  I can tell you Ray and I AREN’T thinking that.  Once you hit 30 the days of looking forward to your next birthday are long gone!

I’ve got a question.

Max has a survey, and it’s a simple one.  He wants to know who you think would be the best “date” in Hello! Project.  Max has also thankfully reminded us not to expect any “action” on these dates, and wants us to concentrate on who would be the most fun and possibly romantic.  He has picked his choice, and given us his reasons why.  And in this survey, everyone goes both ways.  So ladies AND gents feel free to respond.

I’m just glad Max put the “red light” on the sex part, because I was halfway out the door on my way to 7-11 to stock up on “supplies”!

Sweet Wind

Sweet Wind is a new H!P blog that has already managed to catch my attention. Their posts vary from reviews to screencap posts to a very nice post about Suzuki Airi, which is what originally caught my attention. This blog seems very promising, and it is one that I will be keeping my eye on!

Make Up Photos

Celestia has some make-up photos for the “terror” she caused in her previous Little Photoshop of Horrors post. Before she gets onto the eyecandy, though, she adds a closing thought about the Elders Club graduation. She has comment towards their fanbase which I completely agree with, and her speculating that the three eggs remaining with H!P could mean the end of Ongaku Gatas. I personally hope that is not the case, but I never really enjoyed their music much anyways. Oh well, at least there’s the awesome eyecandy to make us all feel better! Lookin’ good, Kanna!

“Melon Kinenbi isn’t breaking up!”

Hello-Online offers translations from Melon Kinenbi’s blog. Saito Hitomi and Ohtani Masae assure their fans that Melon Kinenbi will continue after graduation from Hello! Project.

This gives hope for fans of other Elder Club acts, at least in my opinion. Of course, I’m most excited about Melon Kinenbi’s continued existence.

Everybody’s gay for Ai.

Wendy of Renai Revolution 21 has some pretty funny pictures of Ai in comprising postitions, featuring various other members. There’s little writing and even fewer pictures, but in reading this post you are guarenteed a good laugh.

Yorosen! Week 2 Subbed

Before we get too far into week 3, Morningtime does a very funny going over of last week’s Yorosen! festivities, with Koharu “the Sumo Sensei” at the helm.  Koharu blows whistles, wrestles a bear (!), flashes LinLin, sentences JunJun to detention, and generally acts like her usual maniacal self.  Morningtime still isn’t in love with the format (which is continuing this week), but felt Koharu’s energy made the show more interesting.  It still seems like she is the only one really trying!  M’s narration is very funny and there are plenty of subtitled screencaps to check out.

BTW, I thought ALL of the groups were going to be on this show.

[Epic News] H!P Wota Mass Suicide Planned for March 2009  (Pink Wota)
Unprecedented mass Hello! Project graduations to occur in March of 2009. :O  (Morning Berryz)
This is the end  (H!P Fangirling like Nobody’s Business)
The End of The Golden Age  (Selective Hearing)
Entire H!P Elder Club Graduating in March 2009 (和菓子)

One more set, then it’s off to sleep…

Although Vee sees this as possibly a good thing, she can’t help but feel that the loss of these core members completely changes what H!P means to a lot of people.  Vee also gets the award for the funniest post title…I wouldn’t be surprised.

MB, who has been a fan since the early days has a well detailed post, going over the reasons for this happening at this point, how it affects the graduates, and how this could have a positive effect on Tsunku’s writing contributions.  And though MB notes H!P has had more “face lifts” than Joan Rivers, the loss of Abe Natsumi from “The House That Nacchi Built” is almost too much to take.

MaiMai felt the writing was on the wall with the announcement of the Mega Bests and Hangry & Angry, but she is still taking a wait and see approach.  She is another who is not sure Tsunku’s association with the graduates is over.

Greg was initially unsettled by this announcement, and saw H!P’s treatment of the Elders a total mismanagement of talent.  But after some thought sees this as an unlimited possibility.  We all were surprised by Hangry & Angry.  Who knows what else these ladies are capable of?

And Sakuramochi thinks this sounds more like a dismissal than a mutually agreed upon graduation.  But she is glad Yossie and Charmy have a new unit to immediately fall back on.

So what have we learned after 25+ posts?  a) The Elder Club is graduating in March 2009 and b) What will happen beyond that is anyone’s guess.  Enjoy the ride!

WHAT THE #$^% UFA?!  (Midori’s J-Pop Overanalyzations)
H!P Mass Graduate.  Doomsday or Revival?  (Sazaki’s H!P weblog)
What.  The Hell.  (Shanimuni Paradise)
Good bye to the Elder Club  (Slasha’s Tatami Mat)
Thank you for the LOVE!  (ChanceChanceBoogie)

Just keep em’ coming, I can do it…

Midori lists the upsides and downsides for the fans, and UFA.  She notes that we might finally get to see some of the grads in a more natural light now that they are free from H!P.  Midori also thinks (hopes?) this might not be the last time we see Tsunku working with some of these girls.

Sazaki also has pros and cons, but ultimately thinks it is mostly a positive move for everyone involved.  The only con being H!P losing the fans of the members they let go, but also having the opportunity to build a new fanbase.

Tsukiki sees this as the worst mistake Tsunku has ever made.  Sure, it was probably about time for some of them, but Tsukiki is floored by the graduation of Ayaya and Noto Arisa, and is disappointed by the loss of the 4th and 5th gen. Musumes.

Slasha feels this is the right decision, but wonders if the youth of H!P will run amok without the Elders to keep them in line?  That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard yet!

Max notes how with this change, H!P will resemble in size the H!P of 1999 when they were really hitting their stride popularity-wise.  But ironically he finds it strange that there are no members left from the Love Machine days.

It’s amazing how with so many posts there can be this many different observations.  And in the immortal words of Terry Jones in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, “There’s still more!”

The End of an Era: Elder Club Graduates  (Stardust)
Bye Bye HELL! Project  (Hello Island)
Here’s Something To Ruin Your DAY!!!!  (Tricia’s H!P and TNX Blog)
ELDER CLUB…GONE?  (fields of maize and berryz)
Change is good  (On Haku to Myaku)

It’s interesting how so many people are taking a pragmatic view of this situation.  Not everyone mind you, but quite a few…

Mars feels this is horrible news as many of the Elders rank among his favorites.  He just can’t picture Hello! Project without Morning Musume’s OG members.

hide-chan thinks this works out great for everyone involved.  The Elders are free of the bonds and rules of H!P  Or as hide-chan calls it, the Hell!  And when he says it is Something New, Fresh, and Amazing, he is talking about what could lie in the future for the graduating members.

Poor Tricia, she is devastated this happened on her birthday of all days.  She was looking forward to a return of Tsuji-chan, and a possible future 5th gen. group.  The emotional Tricia is also sad she will never get to see Melon Kinenbi.  Tricia, never say never.

Of the Elders, Maize is mainly a fan of Ayaya, and she hopes this will open up an opportunity for Aya to advance her career.  She also points out how amazingly “heavy” this graduation concert will be.  Usually we all giggle at the on-stage goings on of the graduations, especially since we know the girls are usually returning to H!P.  But not in this case.  I’m sure it will be a sad night in Yokohama.

Jim feels this will be a good move for everyone except for H!P themselves.  He also notes Kago Ai as an example of there being life after Hello! Project.

There are many different ways to look at this.  But we are merely the audience, and it will unfold as it unfolds.  I highly doubt this is the last surprise we will get in regards to this.  Still more to come…

OG To Graduate  (Bikkuri Project)
ding dong the Elder Club is dead  (Hajimete no ROCK CONCERT)
Elder Club To End - Everyone Graduates 1 March 2009  (Morningtime)
Dismantling the Love Machine  (The J-Pex)
Mass Graduation for H!P  (Sakuraichigo’s Weblog)

Obviously this is huge news, and most everbody is going to have a strong reaction to it.  We will try to get to everyone…

Celestia was initially shocked, but the more she thinks about it, the more she understands it from a business standpoint.  She also asks the question I have been wondering.  What happens to the Eggs that were in O.G., and does the futsal team disband as well?

Despite the title, pengie IS upset by the news.  She has posted initial reaction from last night’s wotachat.  And leaves us with this dreary thought…

“Hello! Project will be reduced to a writhing, snivelling mass of girls under the age of 25 who focus purely on cutesy bubblegum pop and not getting pregnant.”

Morningtime figures this is the end for just about everyone, save Charmy and Yossie who are just starting on Hangry & Angry.  He also wonders is Gatas’ graduation means the group is actually breaking up?  M figures UFA and H!P’s treatment of the Elders contributed to stagnation and a lack of popularity, causing this to be inevitable.

Pex saw the Mega Best Collections as a sign, and wonders why everyone graduating didn’t get a CD release.  Pex also wishes the girls good health and future success.

Sakuraichigo sees this as the biggest thing EVER to happen in H!P, and wonders if there are any new auditions on the horizon.

Many many more to come…

Hello! Project -Official Site-
Elder Club members to graduate from Hello! Project (Hello!Online)
Hello! Project’s Elder Club members to graduate (Tokyograph)

Wow.

As of March 31, 2009, all the members of the Hello! Project Elder Club–including popular soloists Matsuura Aya, Abe Natsumi, and Fujimoto Miki, as well as full groups like Melon Kinenbi and Ongaku Gatas–will graduate from the H!P umbrella. So if your favorite soloist isn’t in Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, or C-ute, or an H!P Egg, they’re probably leaving. H!O has a full translation of the list, Tokyograph brings the essentials to the table, and you can of course read the original announcement on the H!P website.

There’s no word yet on whether or not any of the graduating members will be moving to a new record label, TNX or otherwise, or even continuing their careers as idols. The lack of information is actually somewhat disheartening, and you have to wonder if this giant graduation is actually a giant firing. I’m certain that nearly everyone reading this has a favorite idol on this list, and you have to wonder what’s going to happen to them now that their future within H!P has gone from uncertain to … nonexistent. And even if you aren’t a fan of these idols… it is a sad day for them, not just their fans, and you have to wonder how they are taking it.

Take this whole thing as you will, but this is a startling announcement that leaves the future of many, many young women, as well as the entire body of Hello! Project, unclear. Obviously not all of these idols were getting a lot of attention, instead being constantly passed over in favor of the bigger flagship groups, but I don’t think many people really expected a mass departure like this to happen.

All I can say is wow. It’s a sad day for a lot of fans, and an even sadder day for a lot of idols.

I deny all !

Now, I don’t mean that zush has sexy legs, though I’m sure he’s a fine young gentleman. He brings us tons of eyecandy of Tokunaga Chinami! Namely, of her long and slender legs that leave all wota drooling. There’s not much to say about this, but I found zush’s denial at the beginning of this post very amusing. Every time I look over this post, I just want to scream, “OH MAN CHINAMI’S LEGS, DAYUM.” but I try to refrain from doing so in public. Oh man Chinami’s legs.

The amazing wonderful hearts summer preview!

Midori has a preview of the H!P 2008 Wonderful Hearts Concert! They’re performing Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou, and that’s quite a mouthful to say! I loved this performance, and Junjun and Linlin performed their solo lines amazingly. Midori brings us her usual review of the performance and finds nothing wrong with the song except for the ridiculous outfits. I personally liked C-ute’s outfits, but I agree with Midori when she says that Berryz Koubou had ridiculous outfits.

WOAH. CHISATO. (Picspam)

Wendy of Renai Revolution 21 stumbled across some particularily hot pictures of Chisato and decided to share them with us. These pictures are pretty recent, and I think every Chisa fan will love them! The little cutie is finally growing out her hair. She’s always had a cute face, but her short hair made her look like the spy from Johnny’s, so maybe having longer hair will make it easier for fans to take her more seriously as an idol. Looking fine, Chisato!

SCREEN

Tricia has uploaded a live version of Screen, Nacchi’s latest single, which is scheduled for release this December.  This is the first single release by Nacchi in over a year.  It’s not quite upbeat, not quite a ballad.  Just a nice, sophisticated sounding song.  But going forward I get the feeling we are going to see a lot more acting, and a lot less singing from the former face of Hello! Project.

My Latest Wonderful Hearts ratings: °C-ute
My Latest Wonderful Hearts ratings: Berryz Koubou
My Latest Wonderful Hearts ratings: Morning Musume.

Wendy of Renai Revolution 21 shows us a more updated list of her rankings among the Wonderful Hearts troupe of H!P. I think the most shocking development for everyone would be the placement of Linlin; with all the “jokes” she helped start, its suprising how high on the list Linlin actually is. I however find the rank of Sayumi most surprising; I can’t find anything to hate about dear Sayu, and plenty to like. To me, she is a crucial part of the group’s character. I guess this is one thing that Wendy and I disagree upon!

My top ten ^_^

Kayleigh from Thoughts from Keirii gives us her top ten favorites in Hello! Project. There’s little substance here, but its nice to get to know Kayleigh and her fandom through this post. A few of my favorites reached her top ten, and I cannot help but comment on her first favorite; Miyabi. I love Miyabi and her talent, but I have to admit she does not show much of a personality to me. Maybe its because I’m comparing her with Chinami and Maasa, who are definitely full of personality.

How do I Lin thee? Let me count the ways…

Recommended reading. Usa-chan of Aoi♥Usagi explains to us how Linlin has suddenly started to appeal to her. For a post lacking in the expected Linlin the baby-eater jokes, I find it is pretty well rounded up, and I find myself agreeing with pretty much everything that has been said here. A few of you may know that it was a conversation between Wendy and I that started the Linlin jokes, but I have to admit that recently I have been really warming up to Linlin; her singing voice is really quite spectacular, and her solo line gave me, and apparently Usa-chan, shivers.

Hangry & Angry…? (Shanimuni Paradise)
HARAJUKU FAIL (Morning☆Kuri)
HANGRY & ANGRY - new unit! (Resonant Blue)
Hangry & Angry New Unit! (Hello!Girl)
HANGRY & ANGRY! (SUPER HAPPY GENKI HYPERFORCE GO!)

Reactions are pouring in for Hello! Project’s newest unit, HANGRY&ANGRY, composed of fourth generation Morning Musume members Yoshizawa Hitomi and Ishikawa Rika! Some fans are shocked and dismayed at this new unit while others are ecstatic about their daring new style. While I personally have mixed feelings about this unit, I’m also interested in the way this unit has managed to immediately polarize our bloggers’ opinions!

First off, Tsukiki of Shanimuni Paradise and Kuri of Morning☆Kuri already don’t think this unit is a good idea! Tsukiki generally loves the parts of this unit (Yossie, lolita, and H!P), she doesn’t want to see them all mushed together. She doesn’t think this style will fit well with the rest of H!P’s style and doesn’t think HANGRY&ANGRY will be taken seriously. Kuri, on the other hand, was very excited for an IshiYoshi unit, but thinks their style is kind of fail. She likes their new song, Kill Me Kiss Me, and the fact that it’s Charmy and Yossie, but not much beside that.

Secondly, our supportive bloggers! IndigoSkies from Resonant Blue thinks this unit is really cool and quite different from anything else H!P has done, but in a good way. However, she does think some parts of this new unit (namely the clothing and hair) are going a bit overboard. Hello!Girl is pleasantly surprised at our new dynamic duo and absolutely loves the song and everything about it. She also explains to us the differences between HANGRY&ANGRY’s style and real goth-loli style, which I found interesting. Last but not least, superhappygenki thinks this new unit is awesome. She loves the song and style they’re portraying. She also wonders if we’ll be able to see another IshiYoshi kiss in their upcoming PV, based on some pictures we’ve seen of HANGRY&ANGRY, something I personally wouldn’t mind seeing!

H!P Turns to Visual Kei!  (Hello!Musume)
Say hello to Hangry & Angry  (Wotaku Now!)
Kill Me Kiss Me Thrills Me  (The J-Pex)
Kill Me, Kiss Me: HANGRY & ANGRY…grr  (Stardust)

This is unbelievably cool, and quite a different direction for UFA to be taking.  According to Nakane of Hello! Musume, Hangry & Angry are a new unit working in conjunction with a Harajuku fashion store of the same name.  Their first “mini-album” will be released mid-November.  And in what I believe is an unprecedented move by H!P, they have set up an official MySpace site featuring the first single!

Shirow finds this unit interesting, but wonders if this is going to be a long term group.  And as much as he likes Yossie and Rika, he doesn’t feel the “gothic-lolita” style really fits them.  Pex sees this as the closest UFA will ever get to Henkka’s Killer Bitch Unit!  And Mars really likes the new single!  Everyone has posted photos (which I think look awesome), the song, and a link to the offical MySpace site.

Personally, I really applaud them for making this type of move.  It a much more contemporary sound, and it shows that UFA is willing to take chances with their image in order to stay successful.  The songs kicks ass, and the girls look great!  Maybe it strays away from the “virgin-pure image” H!P likes to portray.  But what’s wrong with that?  I don’t have a problem with it.  I wonder what our own Pengie thinks of this group?

In praise of Suzuki Airi and the person she shouldn’t love

pengie of hajimete no ROCK CONCERT is smitten with Airi’s performance of Suki ni Naccha Ikenai Hito! Some of you might not know this, but I actually love Airi quite a bit, so hearing pengie talk about how much she likes Airi is great! Anyways, pengie embeds the performance for those of you who haven’t seen it. She also calls Airi “as cute as a button”, and I AGREE!

Member #9  (Yaguchi)
Member #8  (Ohtani)
Member #7  (Saito)
Member #6  (Abe)
Member #5  (Murata)

Okesuna’s latest eyecandy filled bios focus on members of Melon Kinenbi and H!P stalwarts Abe Natsumi and Yaguchi Mari.  Unfortunately Okesuna doesn’t pay any attention to MKB, so those profiles are fairly brief.  But “O” likes Ohtani Masae’s “edgy” look and suggests she would be a good fit for Ongaku Gatas.  Wow, that’s out of left field!  But I don’t necessarily disagree.

Okesuna sees Nacchi as a perfect cuddly mommy, and Marippe as just “cuddly”.  As much as he can’t picture H!P without them, he figures both are in the twilight of their idol careers.

So now Okesuna is down to the last four members, and I have no idea who they could be.  The countdown has been so random thus far I have forgotten who has been covered.  But surprises are a good thing!

Kirarin Revolution & Koharu’s voice- declining together

As much as I like Koharu, I’ll never get enough of people poking fun at her.  Midori has noticed that Koha’s vocal chops have declined at the exact same rate as the animation from Kirarin Revolution.  I have never paid too much attention to the anime, but I think it is hysterical that Koharu seemed born to play the lead role.  Midori goes single by single.  She finds both of them bearable at first, but by Tan Tan Taan she feels that the show can’t get much worse.  I dunno, the one video that Midori posts of the anime looks to me like the same type of animation from the original Speed Racer.  The problem is Speed Racer is a 40-year old cartoon!

Just keep reminding yourself “Koharu is a comedy act” and she becomes a lot more palatable.  At least that’s what I do!

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.

Was Haromoni@ Ever Worth Watching? 

Heavens, there are a lot of big changes going on in the J-Pop world lately.  Like me, is anyone going through Haromoni@ withdrawals this weekend?  This is the first Sunday in a long time without a weekly Hello! Project television program.  So in honor of that here are the thoughts of my personal favorite Haromoni@ reviewer…

Broomhead theorizes how the final episode was a metaphor for the entire series.  Like most GakiKame segments, it included lots and lots of failures before any success.  Additionally he goes through each member and how the show didn’t work for their personalities.  The funny thing is as much as Broom bashed this show, it was his posts that got me into Haromoni@ in the first place.  He gives the ultimate answer to the question he has been asking us for the last 7 months.  But as much as he says the show is a travesty, failure and contributor to the regression of Morning Musume, I think deep down there is a little soft spot in Broom’s heart that will miss the show.

As sad as I am about it’s end, obviously Haromoni@ was NOT working.  Otherwise it wouldn’t have been cancelled.  I would love to see H!P come out with a new weekly series.  But for that to be a success they will really need to think about what it takes to attract people to the show, and make them care about the people in the group.

Who are the NEW STARs?

Over at Stardust, Mars brings us videos of the winners of the Hello! Project NEW STAR auditions! For people (including me) who hadn’t been watching the New Star auditions, this is a great place to get to know the new additions to H!P. Personally, Lightbulb is the girl I’ll be watching out for; she’s very cute and has a lot of talent, vocally. Mars is impressed that she chose to sing a Japanese song by a H!P soloist, and I’m also impressed by her choice. Moving on, one line from Mars’ post that caught my attention was this:

I’m going to try to get past the fact a 12 year old is dancing and mouthing about her lovely lady lumps and just judge her on her dancing which is very good.

I, uh. Oh god, the possibilities for SecondBlossoming jokes are endless…I won’t say anything, I won’t say anything.

Manoeri’s Lucky Aura?

Cautious is the keyword here.  Mano Erina’s 2nd single, Lucky Aura is scheduled for release this weekend.  And Mars questions whether or not Manoeri has the “goods” to be a successful soloist within Hello! Project.

Now let me say that I wholly agree with Mars thoughts on Manoeri.  Manopiano was dreadful for so many reasons.  And it’s not that either of us dislike her.  But her personality calls for fun, cute and upbeat material.  At least in the beginning.  She needs something to grab our attention, and melancholy ballads just won’t work, especially when the vocal performance is so unpolished.  As Mars points out, all of the best soloists in H!P have had a dynamite stage presence and vocal ability in addition to being cute.

Speaking of cute, did I mention Mars also has a scan of the CD cover?  Maybe instead of singles, Erina should be doing lots and lots of photobooks.

Berryz in South Korea - part 2
Berryz in South Korea

Zush shares some fan-taken photos of Berryz Koubou arriving in South Korea, with the last three showing the gang rehearsing on stage. I love what Saki’s wearing in the second snapshot, and the smile she adorns on her face is only ever trouble. Just what is she up to? Lets hope it involves spaceships and love-rainbows and other ridiculously epic shit.

An earlier post is the prologue to the above one, linking to a blog with more BK photos at the Seoul Gimpo airport, and there’s a video at the bottom turning those pictures into live motion. I must admit though, the footage looks terrifying, espcially when the cameraman starts running. It was like Maasa let off this nuclear fart, and everyone had to flee for their lives.

Tan Tan Taan! Full PV

It’s Pauls turn to give his two cents on MilkyWay’s Tan Tan Taan! single, highlighting aspects of the PV to question, including props and costumes, and then giving his opinion on the song itself. Not a heavy read in the slightest, but its always satisfying to read up on Pauls thoughts because you get the feeling he knows what hes on about, something that must ring true considering he’s got a generous following.

My Hello! Project Top Ten (September 30, 2008)

Charmy lists her current top ten Hello! Project idols, and that’s quickly followed by a brief mention of why they rank so high. There’s not much to the write-up - as Charmy herself admits - but it’s always good to catch up with a familiar blogger and see where they’re at.

Blue Dress Picspam

Lots of Mikitty photos involving a nice blue dress. Is there really more to add to that? Either way Mikitty’s looking nice and yummy, as always.

Memorable Snippets: Part 11 - Morning Musume & Westlife “East Meets West”

MaiZe continues her Memorable Snippets segment with a clip of Westlife meeting Morning Musume on PopJam. This will please SB to no end, considering he has an undying passion for naff boybands. Anyway MaiZe describes the interaction between both groups to go along with the clip, and dont you just love how awkard the whole moment feels?

Chisato Okai: Holy Crap, She’s Even Better At Singing Than I Thought!!!

Celestia thinks that Chisato has what it takes to be a solo artist in H!P. The video on show - a singing segment from the FC DVD - aims to prove Celestia’s point. To me at least, it just sounds like average karaoke. I suppose by H!P/Idol standards you can get away with that. Anyway, I’m not as enthusiastic about this whole thing as Celestia is, but hey, you lot might be and I guess that’s the important thing.

Laura Vanamo Deserves Her Own Wota
Laura Vanamo on Finnish Idol

Recommended reading and viewing.  Who is Laura Vanamo you ask?  Well, she is the girl with the balls to go on Finland’s Pop Idol television program and sing Koharu Kusumi’s Koi Kana.  And the best part is, she made it through to the next round!  Ray has all the details on the audition, including screencaps and the link to her moment in front of the judges.  What struck Ray was Laura’s absolutely charming personality…

“What I love about her is that she’s an ordinary girl who happens to like Japanese music and wants to sing it to get on the show. She isn’t a freak show, she isn’t overly obsessed and - at least, sans translation - doesn’t strike me as delusional the way the joke contestants in American Idol are.”

I would love to see what would happen if someone tried to pull this on American Idol.  The amazing thing here was how open the Finnish judges were.  There is no way the American Idol judges would be open to a performance like this.  Paula would probably love it, but the rest of the judges would surely have mocked her.  Hey Morning Berryz, does Simon have any thoughts?

So I guess now we all have a reason to watch Finnish Idol!  GO VANAMO!!!

080923 Youth Acappella (Miki cuts)

Whenever life leaves me too tired to think about writing for IW - I have the odd days here and there - dorkiドキ will be one of those bastard sites that updates quicker than I can recover. It’s not a bad thing of course, being active, but it does mean that I must once again tell you to scroll through previous posts for lots of recent Miki-media goodies. Anyway, the latest post from dorkidoki has a link to an October episode of Youth Acappella where Mikitty is one of the guests to cast her evil-eyed jugement on whoever decided to turn up and sing.

So my collection begins…
HALP! The Sheep Will Eat Me!

A quick post from Charmy who has scanned in her first two Atsuka Inaba cards/photo, and theres news of more on the way.

An earlier entry has Charmy commenting briefly on the PV for Berryz Koubou’s remix for Dschinghis Khan. After declaring that her sense of humour is well suited for this stupidly bizarre video, Charmy goes onto praise the multiplying sheep.

シングルV「Come Together」:Ongaku Gatas & the art of suppressing the inevitable Nocchi rant.=D
Momusu returns!!!…time to go out and buy that disco ball you’ve always wanted! XD

MorningBerryz writes a nice flowing, enthusiastic post on Ongaku Gatas’s original and close-up version of the Come Together PV, and he also takes a look at the making of section. There’s plenty of screen captures involved to move the entry along, and it’s another H!P fan-pleasing effort from our MB.

An earlier post sees MB giving his thoughts on Morning Musume’s Pepper Keibu single, and the read is well-written, especially when dealing with the song as a period piece. I couldn’t follow or agree with some of the entusiasm on show here, but I enjoyed perving at all the jacket scans. Junjun will always be my sexy place in Morning Musume and I cant thank her enough for that, although if I did meet her in person I can try and show it XD.

Milky Way New Single!

Arashi’s loving MilkyWay’s Tan Tan Taan! single, and she explains how the single sounds to her, the use of product placement in the PV, and how good Yuu is in the song. There’s a mention of Koha using her high-squeel voice for this unit and indeed this song, but I’ve got to be honest with you, I dont care what pitch she uses, that voice will always make my penis tingle for all the wrong reasons. Anyway, there’s a metaphorical ending to the post about how songs sound or fit seasons. It’s not really explored but it’s worth mentioning, because anything abstract with a ring of truth to it will always raise my brows.

Sayumi’s Love Story Preview
Resonant Live Tour Merchandise

Paul talks about the prievew video for Sayumi Michishige’s Love Story Photobook, highlighting how in awe he is with Sayu’s sexiness in parts of the clip. After discussing what makes Sayu for him, Paul then links the preview at the bottom for your viewing pleasure.

Well, my promise to Paul to buy a pink Sayu or - as of recently - a pink Koha shirt may have to wait a little longer. As Paul says himself, the designs aren’t exactly great, but that’s not stopping him from finally opting for Sayu’s effort. I think that’s pretty awesome, and If I wasn’t going to America soon and if the patterns on the shirts didn’t suck, I’d be there with him no doubt. The towels look good though, and Paul’s eyeing up Koha’s. And there you have the story of the Resonant Blue Live merchandise.

AYA The Witch - Matsuura Aya 2008 Haru Concert Tour Review
Shine More

Recommended reading. Our own maiZe is focusing her attention towards one particular Hello! Project idol lately: Matsuura Aya. She kicks things off by reviewing Ayaya’s 2008 spring concert, which she calls “smoking!!” Her enthusiasm continues throughout the post as she makes notes on each song performed, adding the occasional picture and video along the way.

In a later post maiZe introduces Shine More, her brand new Ayaya “worship blog,” and I gotta say… yeah, why wasn’t there one before this? Anyway, maiZe starts the new blog off on the right foot with some pics of the singer in her younger days. That is… a huge teddy bear. Wow.

Yo-Yo Girl Cop dvd extras picspam

Morningtime is ecstatic about an H!P related product being released in the UK. So he has treated us to a whole bunch of stills from the DVD’s bonus features! I actually have a limited edition 2-disc version of this film, but mine doesn’t have any subtitles on the bonus features. From the looks of it, the UK versions’ extras are all subtitled. So this is probably the best version to be released to date.

Like Morningtime, I highly recommend this DVD. And if you can get the version with the bonus features (with or without subs) you are in for a real treat!

Lets compare: AKB to H!P
Mai Satoda scares the crap out of me.

Misa does a very quick job of comparing AKB48 with Hello! Project, using a few pictures to represent different aspects of both companies. There’s very little substance here, but the quick bursts of snark always help.

An earlier entry is full of screen captures from Ongaku Gatas’s Come Together close-up PV, and expect digs at everyone involved.

Costume Hall of Shame: Next Time, Hire a Professional
Resonant Live Set List
More Happy Egg News

Celestia brings back her Costume Hall of Shame segment - although it might be a one off - and it looks like the snark hasn’t failed on Celestia just yet. Whilst I actually like gomaki’s get-up, or just being able to make out gomaki’s hot figure, the others are worth Celestia’s cheeky-toned time.

An earlier entry sees Celestia giving us the setlist for Morning Musume’s upcoming Resonant Live concert, and it’s lovely to see Lemon Iro to Milk Tea in the mix. It’s one of my favourite H!P songs of all time, and the 6th gen shine in it, even beloved Sayu. It’s her song in my opinion. Celestia tags each song with some of her thoughts too.

And lastly we have Celestia’s thoughts on H!P’s new egg unit Shugo Chara Egg!, at least I think that’s the groups name - I dont keep up anymore. Anyway Celestia briefly goes over the members of the unit and what she thinks of them thus far, and what they have to offer.

5(Five) Limited Edition CD

From the tone of Paul’s recent post it looks like the lack of activity in the Momusu camp this year so far coupling with his growing attachment to the wonderful range of personalities BK has to offer, has him leaning perhaps slightly in the direction of the kid’s units above their seniors. While I’m not yet quite ready to declare a personal liking of one over the other no doubt there is an allure to speak of here. First Paul shares a brief prelude to his current growing feelings towards BK and then jumps right into an in depth look at their new album going over tracks he enjoys immensely and it often has him troubled finding song supremacy here which is a great thing to speak of as the album in his eyes just keeps getting better and better with just one fault to speak of coming from the track “Yume wo hitotsubu-Berryz Kamen Ending Theme.” “BE” is a noted standout and perhaps one of the albums’ best tracks and I have to agree there! And whether you’ve been on the fence regarding your love or distaste for Risakochan or have long jumped over to the side where it is void of her it seems that Paul has a strong feeling that there’s a solo gem  here to behold and perhaps have you crossing over to the other side. Packaging is noted to perhaps leave something to be desired but Paul has also scanned the entire accompanying liner notes booklet which quickly makes up for it and closes with an extremely cute “winking” clip from the included DVD extra where Chiichan rules them all…..and I wonder if there will be a changing of the guard atop Paul’s fave BK member list soon. ^-^

But like anything new there are side effects to speak of as is the case nowdays with any new FDA approved drug it seems and a couple to note as seen first hand by Paul himself include: Threats of harakiri by others may be brought on by too many plays of “Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance” and the excess of “Uuh! Haa!’s may cause discomfort to your girlfriend or significant other. So ask your doctor if listening to lots of Monkeys and exclamations are right for you. Please only use as directed.