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.

Must Buy More Ayaya

With the announcement of the Elder Club graduation, Tom has realized something that I realized for my own blog a little while ago… There isn’t enough Aya coverage on his blog. He shares his discovery of Aya with us, and how one clip from Aya’s recent concert tour has convinced him to add to his small Aya concert DVD collection.

I’ve sung my praises on Aya’s concert DVD, and I hope Tom enjoys it as much as I did. I mean, how can you go wrong with Aya and a full length concert with a live band?

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.

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.

Yo Yo Girl Cop UK Advert

It’s been mentioned by a few bloggers before, but now it’s Paul’s turn to tell you what he thinks of Yo Yo Girl Cop’s DVD release in the UK. Paul awaits a film review in the entertainment magazines, but honestly I dont think anyone can objectively call it great. Still, it’s Ayaya kicking ass. Maybe that’s all that’s important.

Anyone For Hot Peppers? Part II  (Groove Music Life)
Pepper Keibu and other covers  (Resonant Blue)
Pepper Keibu Full PV  (Hello!Blog)

And the Pepper Keibu reviews keep-a-rollin’…

CJ is “knocked out” by the new song and PV.  And like me, he has no problem whatsoever with Reina being front and center.  CJ wonders if Cover Yuu is indeed MoMusu’s 9th Album, then will all of the post Sexy 8 Beat singles be left without a long-play CD?  More importantly, he sees the cover album as cementing Morning Musume’s place in Japanese music history.  Wow!  That’s a bold statement.

Indigo is usually very skeptical about song covers.  But she fell in love with the song, which is all the more incredible since she doesn’t like the original version by Pink Lady!  Indigo has already preordered the CD, and hopes we will see multiple versions of the PV.  Her only complaint is the lack of JunJun face time.  And I am beginning to agree.  JunJun is becoming so cute it’s going to be increasingly tough to keep her in the background forever.

Tom sees this song as a brilliant move by H!P, and an almost guaranteed #1 hit for Morning Musume.  He loves the feel of the PV, and is liking the outfits and dance routine.  Mittsi is the standout performer for Tom, and he loves Sayu’s little solo line toward the end.  He has posted both Pink Lady and Momusu’s version for a little side by side comparison.

So it seems like the consensus just loves this song.  I’m glad my little review didn’t make it on here as I wasn’t nearly as complimentary as everyone else.  I guess I’ll go back and rewatch the PV with a new set of eyes and ears.

Kohachan And C-ute Shirts

Paul shows off his latest H!P shirts - a C-ute and Koha one - and to find out more about these specific items check out the post. Thank’s again to Ohta for bringing the west a little closer to H!P merchandise, and also for taking all our money XD. So, it looks like I will have to keep my promise to Paul and get myself a Pink Koha shirt of my own. Although his one’s pretty much what I’d be looking for. I love the baseball design, and I remember wanting a similar styled Mikitty one a year or two back.

~Berikore!~ Tour Merchandise

Paul takes a look at some Berryz Koubou merchandise coinciding with the group’s Berryz Koubou ~Berikore!~ tour, and then decides they’re a bit too bland for his taste - the T-shirts at least. Still, Paul dispalys some of the items for sale and then links to Ohta, the middle man for getting H!P merchandise for those of us who are nowhere near the shores of Japan.

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.

UTB Vol.187

Paul gets his hands on the latest UTB, the third issue in it’s revamped state, and hes worried about the lack of limelight H!P seem to be getting in the magazine nowadays. Although they still get coverage, much of it is in black and white with a little less content. Some may feel the need to compare this to the current popularity of the H!P franchise right now, where others might take a more direct root towards the magazine itself.

Friday 9/5

Paul gets his hands on the latest Friday magazine, and this time the cover dons Aya Matsuura with a few pages dedicated to her. Scans are provided and Paul continues to muse over Friday, and how inparticular the magazine has dealt with Aibon’s scandal and what Paul thinks of it. The write-up never quite reaches the thinking-level some may want from it, but the passing nature of the post gives it an easy-to-read, almost light feel. Near the end Abe Natsume’s Nac”chu”ral DVD is talked about in brief, and it’s reasauring to know that I’m not the only one who can watch an idol do absolutely nothing and still be entranced by it. The video is also linked for your viewing pleasure.

Come Together Full PV

Paul takes a look at Ongaku Gatas’s latest PV,Come Together, and breaks it down for us. A nice flowing description followed by the video itself. As paul suggests, the song isn’t as riot-worthy - in pop terms - as their last two singles, but it’s still a catchy little number, and quite honestly I think Ongaku Gatas is the best unit in H!P right now. At least in a music sense.

Hello!Blog Turns 2 Years Old

Paul celebrates the second birthday of his very popular blog with a quick assessment of how Hello!Blog has come on from a year ago, and what he hopes for in the future. Congratulations buddy.

PB’s I’d Like To See

Every time it is announced that Sayumi or Ai-chan or Risako is getting yet another photobook, the clamoring for photobooks of the “forgotten” h!p members is kicked up another notch. Paul adds his voice to the ongoing protest with this post detailing certain h!p girls whom he feels are long overdue for a photobook along with some convincing reasons why. I definitely agree with all of his choices. If only higher ups at Hello Project did too.

~Wasuretakunai Natsu~ Tour Merchandise

Paul has the inventory of shirts, towels and DVD Mags from C-ute’s latest tour.  The shirts look pretty basic, except for the grey “group” shirt.  That one looks kinda cool.  But I’ve nver seen one of these towels before.  Are they beach towels?  Is the image really that clear?  So if anyone is interested in unloading a bunch of cash to Ohta and his EBay store, here’s a good opportunity.

Paul has a really nice H!P collection, and this is where he seems to get much of it.  Actually, I also use Ohta for hard to find stuff.  He is very professional.

Manopiano Live

How wonderful that Paul found this! I think that you really can’t judge a singers ability until you hear them live, and I know that a lot of us have been waiting to see what ManoEri really can do. I’ll let you decide how you think she does, but I will say that both Paul and I are impressed that she’s actually playing ALL of the piano part herself.

My First Sayu Tshirt

Paul finally a t-shirt promoting one of his favorite Hello! Project members, Michishige Sayumi. Paul had previously been unable to buy her shirts; they were overwhelmingly pink for his tastes. He shares a picture of the t-shirt.

However, he sadly does not share a picture of him modeling the t-shirt. Thus, I cannot, in good faith, mark this as Eyecandy.

Koha’s 3rd PB Nakki

Recommended reading and ogling. Tom of Hello!Blog take a look at Koharu’s 3rd photobook and he’s obviously enjoying it, seeing how much he loves Koha. He makes a very good point regarding the amount of discussion Koharu can generate. He goes in depth into the arguments people have made against the photobook and has some pretty good rebukes for those arguments. He ends off with embedded videos of the making of and the special edition of the making of.

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.

Cinderella Complex CD and Poster

Paul’s back from slaying dragons, and he returns with a post on High King - mainly going into interesting detail on the Cinderella Complex poster - and I cant wait to see what he has to say about Koha’s PB which should be written about soon. Anyway, the post ends with Paul wondering which CC PV is better. The Dance shot version, or the normal one.

My Life as a H!P Fans Friend

Whether or not this post is intended to be, at it’s zenith, hilarious is besides the point here, because Chris - Paul’s good friend - has some pressing issues to debate with H!P fans, mostly about certain aspects of the H!P fandom. The great thing is - if you didn’t already know - Chris isn’t a j-music fan, and it’s a lovely perspective to witness in writing because regardless of how defensive we’ll become, there’s a certain truth in what he’s suggesting simply for the fact that he’s judging things on gut reaction. There’s rarely a second or third thought that ‘fans’ will have nurtured over the years, and it’s certainly an interesting post because of all of this.

Chris manages to sound generally curious through his questions rather than taking the offense with an overly agressive tone, which should hopefully shield him from brash comments. Although he does jest at certain junctures, which you can either laugh or get angry at. The one draw back from this entry? it’s too short. Surely there was more to say.

Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, C-ute Results Revisited

Paul takes an interesting look at the latest Wonderful Hearts Tour merchandise towels, trying as best he can to link his recent H!P poll rankings with the design on the towels themselves, which actually look a lot like the member templates Paul used for the rankings. Ohhh~

Anyway, I’m not going to get too caught up with the member layouts on the towels with the member rankings, or even if the presentation of the towels represent the popularity of said member in the Japanese public eye, but it’s certainly food for thought. An enjoyable read.

UTB Vol.186

Tom has scans of various Hello! Project members and groups from a recent UTB magazine. There’s coverage of a whole range of H!P acts - Berryz Koubou and C-ute, Buono!, Milky Way, Manoeri, Kusumi Koharu and Suzuki Airi. I’m particularly loving the intro page for Buono!’s write up. Those ‘Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!’ outfits will never get old for me.

W.T.F.G. 須藤茉麻!!! (CK’s H!P Blog)
Do the Saru! (Berryz Kobo International)
Berryz Koubou Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance PV (Mayuge Beam!)
Berryz Kobo - Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance! (Wotaku Now!)
Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance PV (Let’s Laugh! Hello Project)
Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance Full PV (Hello!Blog)
I like monkeys too, Berryz! But.. (70%) (musical GAME)

Recommended reading. Berryz Koubou’s latest PV continues to be a hot topic as more bloggers chime in with their thoughts.

Chris of CK’s H!P Blog is concerned with the direction that Berryz Koubou seems to be taking. He associates this latest release with something that Koharu could do… That’s a scary thought for me. However, he takes solace in the fact that there are a lot of Maasa sightings in the PV. Though, if I were a big fan of a less ‘in the spotlight’ member, I’d be a little disgruntled that the PV she gets more screen time is one where she’s dressed up on a monkey costume. However, Chris finds Maasa cute in the monkey outfit, so I guess it’s working for him.

Our zush clues us into the fact (for those of us who didn’t know) that Risako’s favourite animal is a monkey. Do you think she enjoyed the theme of this single? zush is not at all impressed with the outfits for this PV, but he’s quite taken with the song itself.

James of Mayuge Beam! likes almost everything about this single… The one exception is the monkey outfits. In his eyes, Maasa and Chinami steal the show for this PV.

Shirow of Wotaku Now! is on the same wavelength as James, and also sees Maasa and Chinami as the stars of this PV. However, he is not in agreement regarding the monkey suits, for he LOVES them: “The monkey suits multiply the awesomeness by a thousand”.

Beth of Let’s Laugh! Hello Project is another fan who is enjoying this release. We seem to have quite a few bloggers in this batch who peg Maasa and Chinami as the top Berryz in this PV. Captain also caught her eye, possibly because of her “un-captain like-ness”. I’m not quite sure if that is something that should be taken as a compliment or an insult towards Captain… It really depends on how you feel like reading it. XD

Tom of Hello!Blog is loving the funny, laid-back feel of ‘Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance’, for he feels that H!P releases have been a tad too serious lately. Berryz is bringing back the fun to H!P in his eyes. Again, Maasa and Chinami are two of the standout performers for Tom, but he also sees Yurina sharing the spotlight in this PV.

Our freehummingbird of musical GAME is not quite impressed with the single, but I don’t quite get how this could rank in with 70% if the “PV is a stink bag”. The grading here was a little confusing to me because while the analysis of certain sections were almost completely negative (ex. fashion sense and choreography), they still got 70-75% grades.

Airi’s Hole in One
I ♥ C-ute

Recommended viewing. Tom at Hello! Blog has some video embeds to share today. First up is a clip from Airi’s recently released (as in released today, the 25th) golfing DVD. His interest in Airi has been increasing lately, and with all her activity recently, it’s not all that surprising. Airi is quite adorable in the clip, no surprise there.

In his second post, Tom has a live performance of one of the few songs I actually really enjoyed from C-ute’s 3rd album. The girls are in their album cover outfits (which are adorable/hot), and ahhhh! There’s so much Chisato… She really needs to get a line on an official single one of these days.

Gocchin joins Avex; Slasha not surprised (Slasha’s Tatami Mat)
Gomaki signed to Avex (Shanimuni Paradise)
Avex’s newest diva, Maki Goto (Update: Video) (HNPH)
Things Are Looking Up (Hello!Blog)
Well, I Guess I’m Back! (And so is Gocchin) (H!P Wonderland)
..::Goto+Avex=Vouge::.. (Eternal ~♥~)
[lol avex] Welcome back, Gomaki! (Pink Wota)

Slasha looks at the jump to Avex. It is tough to take her evidence (dancing and voice lessons?) as concrete proof that Maki was going to Avex, but it does appear that was a part of Maki’s plans.

Tsukiki at Shanimuni Paradise is another blogger who sees the next stage of Maki’s career being like Koda Kumi.

Anna from HNPH has pretty much accumulated all the images, videos and news links related to this story. If anyone was looking for the story in full, here is the place to find it.

Paul Thomas has a very thought-provoking response. Most of the reactions have assumed that Maki has made the move from H!P to Avex to work a more mature style. However, Paul points out that other H!P members have had mature songs in the past. Perhaps it was the potential of finding new audiences by leaving the stigma of H!P and joining Avex that motivated Maki? I don’t think that is something we can figure out by guessing, but it is worth considering.

HPObsession returns to H!P Wonderland to coincide with Maki’s return to the entertainment industry. I like the idea that HPO suggestions, that Maki had outgrown H!P by Suppin to Namida, and not Glass no Pumps as one would expect.

amyrulez doesn’t mind the switch from H!P to Avex, but is not thrilled with the appearance. At least around these parts, this is definitely not the most prevalent view. However, it is not too surprising that some would feel this way, as sexy first-cute second images are rare in H!P.

Vee says what we all know about Avex.

Latest Purchases

Paul Thomas goes over his thoughts on a few of his recent purchases, including photobooks from Niigaki Risa and Takahasi Ai and singles from Matsuura Aya, High-King and, yes, Wonder Girls.

Mako (Hello!Blog)
I’ve died and gone to heaven.(Renai☆Project)

Firstly we have Paul, who takes a pessimistic, or at least a reserved view on the return of Ogawa and the reasons behind it. Some of it actually makes for very interesting reading regarding the timing and the tie-ins with the recent Miyabi happenings. Whether all this conjecture is actually true or not is another matter. Regardless, though, its still interesting. The latter half of the post almost does a 360 in tone, as Paul disgards any misgivings he’s having and decides to talk about Ogawa on simple terms: that it’s just great to see her again. Recommended reading.

Charmy of Renai☆Project includes small fits and spurts of dialogue - excitment - to go along with a short clip of Ogawa appearing on the HM@ set. Enthusiasm which doesn’t delve into the realms of propaganda is always nice to bare witness to. So rock on, Charmy. Rock the f*** on.

Morning Musume, Berryz and V-u-den Visual Screens

Tom (I just realized I’ve been calling him Paul, when his nickname is Tom XD… Sorry about that Tom!) shares info about more H!P visual screens which are available for purchase. Looks like Berryz, C-ute and Morning Musume aren’t the only H!P groups to get the screens, for Biyuuden gets their turn in their final single outfits. It seems that there are also group visual screens out.