Get your Hangry & Angry lunch box before it’s too late!

MB is excited about the debut release of Hangry & Angry, and has preview photos of the extravagant packaging of the limited edition.  And I agree, it looks a lot like those metal lunch boxes that were popular around…jeez, I’m guessing thirty years ago???  Yeah, I remember those.  I think my favorite was my Land of the Lost lunch box!

But seriously, I’m glad everyone is getting excited about this release.  And I guess to a lot of collectors it is cool to have special packaging.  Frankly, I find it annoying mainly because it causes a storage problem.  The most annoying CD in my rack is Ayaya’s Kiseki no Kaori Dance in that weird metal can.  And there is nothing more frustrating than trying to take a CD out of a can while driving!

But I guess if you are decorating the mantel or something this will be pretty cool.  Anyhow, the CD releases next week.  So if you are looking to get this edition, you might want to preorder it soon!

[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!

Still shopping for a 2009 H!P calendar for next year?…this may help.

It looks like CDJapan loves MorningBerryz, seeing as the Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou and C-ute calendars which were scheduled for release in Japan on October 11 arrived in HAWAII for MB to enjoy on that same release date. AND, MB was kind enough to share in his good fortune and took pictures immediately to help out those who may still be trying to decide on which H!P calendar to buy.

MB has pictures of each page of each calendar, and I have to say after seeing these three calendars, I went and ordered Berryz Koubou’s release for myself. MB has links to CDJapan and yesasia for anyone interested, and while CDJapan has cheaper calendar prices, the cost of shipping easily matches the prices offered at yesasia (for shipping to Canada at least…). Yesasia, on the other hand, has free shipping on orders over a certain amount depending on where you’re shipping to. Definitely something to keep in mind.

Sayumin “Love Story” in Guam DVD

MB gives a narration of Michishige Sayumi’s latest DVD photobook, and in fine Morning Berryz fashion has screencapped the hell out if it!  It’s the usual DVD/PB fare, eating, skimpy bathing suits, frolicking around the pool and…baseball???  But this is Michishige-san we are talking about.  So you know it’s going to be cute.  Sayumi could stare at a wall for four hours and it would still be hawt!  Anyhow, MB’s “cute” play by play and eyecandy galore make this one a winner.

Olivia’s “Trinka trinka” finally surfaces.
Big guns, Harukachan, and…hmm “Hyoten” isn’t a 2 parter after all.

MorningBerryz gets his hands on Olivia’s mini album Trinka Trinka, and included in the post are all the songs for your listening pleasure. The dialogue details each track and how they sound on the ears, but the main focus is actually on Olivia’s vocal delivery. A well-rounded write-up that both informs and gets the reader interested. I don’t even like one track on Trinka Trinka, but I was engaged with the writing regardless. Recommended reading.

An earlier entry sees MB talking about Japanese idol Suenaga Haruka, and after a mention - a misunderstanding of sorts - of the Hyoten drama Haru stars in, we’re given some pictures, some taken from the drama itself.

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.

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…”

団扇！

What?! MB is getting into AAA?! Zdorama, I am truly jealous. I wanted to be that guy who converted him. But all of that aside it’s lovely to see MB falling for the group’s charm. Maybe I’ll be able to finally share my gay complex for Nissy with someone. Or maybe not. Anyway, after MB breaks my heart, he moves onto the main topic of the post, which is to do with Hello! Project hand fans. He’s recently purchased a Mano Erina one, and the picture adorning the face side is typical Manoeri stunning. The post also delves into some older Hello! Project Merchandise as MB continues down his train of thought.

“井上真央十五の夏に”…art, salt, sweat and the occasional right hook.

MB is on a Inoue Mao high at the moment, what with another dedicated post, this time focusing on a 2002 DVD release back when she was purely an Idol. Plenty of lovely screen captures to go along with a few captions from MB. The pictures are quite brilliant really, which is to be expected when you’re filming an Idol who is as equally cute as she is pretty, along with that menacing grin she often has in Dramas. And on a self-related note - because I can - so this is where those Mao baseball backgrounds came from that were dressing up my laptop for so long.

Inoue Mao…so adorable it hurts.

The Inoue Mao love continues over at MB’s place, and this time we’re treated to some lovely pictures from a G The Television magazine issue. Also included are some Konno Asami and Yui Okada pictures, as they also got a feature in this issue. The magazine itself is also detailed by MB for anyone wondering how the content works.

27 reasons why I ♥ Hana yori dango…

MorningBerryz gives us 27 reasons why he loves the j-drama Hana Yori Dango, featuring Matsujun of Arashi fame and the ever so cute Mao Inoue. Hana Yori Dango has been my number one favorite ever since I started watching Japanese drama, and for a fan of this series, these reasons MB gives us are a true pleasure to read! And if you haven’t seen the series yet… well, like someone said in the comments, if you read these you will be inclined to watch the it too. So go ahead, read ‘em already!

Morning Musume in Hawaii Fan Club Tour merchandise…

MB finally posts up his purchased items from the latest H!P Hawaii Fan Club Tour, and to say there’s a lot of merchandise would be a gross understatement. There’s a store of eye candy for you to filter through, and JunJun and Sayu look absolutely stunning. Is it me, or do they look close to being sisters with every new photoset? Anyone sense a new unit? Granted, the vocal output would be terrible, but on aesthetics alone it would be a f****** hot time. Anyway, I have to wonder where MB gets all his money to purchase all these lovely UFA photos. Damn him!

Smap X Smap 3/24/08-”The one with Ikewaki Chizuru, Tanaka Rena and lots of cheese.” =)

MB heavily screen captures a recent SMAP X SMAP episode, walking us through it’s length with a few coupling captions. I cant quite figure out what issue Nakkai is working through this time around - see what he’s wearing in the live performance - but I’m loving the two songs uploaded for listening by MB. Both songs are from their latest single, and if more SMAP tunes sounded like the upbeat, vibrant Two of us, I’d surely get into the group with a little more enthusiasm. The two cute guests in this SMAP X SMAP episode are, well, very yummy. Just thought I’d let my horny side out for a sentence. Ha!

And look who’s coming to town next…
The “Tsunku for a day” experiment results…

MorningBerryz informs us that Rika Ishikawa will be in Hawaii in late November, suggesting that it could mean another Hawaii-inspired DVD realise for the ex-momusu and Biyuuden idol. A scan of the flier is also included for you to scrutinise over.

An earlier post has the poll results for MorningBerryz’s so you wake up one morning and you’re Tsunku for a day segment, and anyone who’s been following it will be eager to see the results of the dream units created through reader’s votes. MB gives us some details about the poll results - a popularity contest of sorts - and then goes on to tell us what he thinks of the units, and how they’d work or not work. I’m in love with the dream girl unit where some of my favourite Idols are all bunched together. Move over Momusu! And yes, I’m being deadly serious. Recommended reading for all you H!P fans out there.

A little bit of J-Pop for your Monday afternoon…
From Korea to Hawaii…Morning Musume to arrive on Oahu this week.

MorningBerryz’s latest post is a short profile on The Gardens, and from listening to the two tracks uploaded they’re not half bad. It looks like they swing from solid guitar songs to compositions focusing more on a small band and brass accompaniment. Both styles sound quite good, and Morningberryz has uploaded two songs to show them off.

An earlier entry sees MB talking about Morning Musume’s next event in Hawaii, which is set for 2nd of September. MB goes through the details of what to expect, and how he hopes to wait around on the last day or two to sweep up some merchandise. Some member pictures to go along with the event are included, and JunJun and Sayu look stunning. The sexy things that are going on in my head right now. I personally think Sayu’s shirt ends with the word ’sex’, but I’ll let you come up with your own conclusions.

Christmas sets from Morning Musume Sakuragumi/ Otomegumi.

MorningBerryz recently got some holiday sets from Yahoo Japan Auctions, and I think these new sets are quite fitting seeing as he recently did a post on the amazing Morning Musume subgroup Sakura Gumi. Here, he has the 2003 holiday sets of both Sakura and Otome Gumi.

Like MB, I’m loving these photos to death because of the Hello! snowperson. I loved the H!P Kids snowperson photos and there are almost as awesome (really, how can you beat the cuteness of the H!P kids when they first joined H!P? XD). However, I must say that I am highly amused with a few of these shots because the angle at which the some of the girls hold the snowperson hides the “o” in Hello! making it look like they’re holding stuffed toys with the word “Hell!” sprawled across the front (ie. Gaki [slightly], Eri, Ayaka, Tsuji [slightly], Sayumi [slightly] and Reina).

Berryz工房 "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" Event V delivers…an all Monkey Version

In MB’s latest entry in the “I’m mortgaging the house for my H!P collection” series, we are treated to a plethora of pics from this new DVD, which is not too easy to get a hold of.  But that’s the best thing about reading MB’s blog…you almost don’t need to buy anything anymore.

In addition to the “all-monkey” version of the PV mentioned in the title, MB has also uploaded seven close-up versions, which feature each individual member.  Just pick your favorite Berry, and enjoy five minutes of PV bliss!

Berikyuu! 8/6/08- Maimichan & Momo perform Watanabe Misato’s “My Revolution.”

The format change of Berikyuu! into what is essentially Uta Doki! Pop Classics has MorningBerryz writing about the show. In this episode, Yajima Maimi and Tsugunaga Momoko combine to cover Watanabe Misato’s “My Revolution”. MorningBerryz notes that it is a challenge for Maimi and Momoko to cover this song, but end up working well together in the performance.

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.

Morning Musume calendar 2001…a look back. (continued)
久住小春最新写真集。。。小春日記。(PB WARS ep. III..Has Koha joined the darkside?!)
Morning Musume calendar 2002…a look back. (continued)

Recommended ogling. MorningBerryz continues his look at some old Morning Musume calendars. The 2001 calendar featured the 4th generation members for the first time. I’d have to say that my favourite shot from this calendar is the January photo with Yuko and Rika. They look the most relaxed and happy in their photo. The warmth in their expressions is definitely heart warming for the winter months.

Up next, MB goes through Koha’s latest photobook, and he was also surprised with the sexy Koharu portrayed here. Though, he gives some evidence of Koharu heading in this direction from back in 2006… Thong shot on Musume Dokyu, anyone? .. XD Going through this post was my first time going through her whole photobook, and I still have to say I’m amazed that this PB goes from the sexy black outfit to the pink, balloons and puffy hair…

And finally, MB has Momusu’s 2002 calendar to share. Here we have a café themed calendar, and the 5th generation’s introduction in Momusu calendars. I’d have to say the gokkie page would have to be my favourite one within these photos.. They’re such cute little newbies, I can’t help it!

Got Natsumilk?

MorningBerryz talks about a lovely piece of Nacchi merchandise which consists of a Natsumilk carton box with various little bits and bobs, and after that, MB goes onto discuss the Special Live 2007 Autumn Acoustic Nacchi DVD. He notes the need for more H!P concerts to make use a live band, the reasons why, and the post ends with a clip of one of the performances.

スーパーアイドル末永遥　に。。。はるかーど
嵐 と タッキ－＆翼 in duet “super idol magazine” August 2008.

MorningBerryz’s latest entry features Seunaga Haruka. Include a nice dose of pictures and detailed descriptions of the photobooks and cards on show, and you have an enjoyble read perfect for discovering or finding out more about this gravure idol. Seunaga Haruka also starred as the pink ranger in Go! Go Sentai Boukenger, and I think thats pretty damn awesome. Recommended reading and ogling.

An earlier post sees MorningBerryz sharing some Arashi scans from duet - a music and idol magazine. I’m glad to see that Matsujun still looks like a tarted up dork, and I still want to be his best friend. Always. Anyway, there’s some Tacky & Tsubasa scans in there, too, just for good measure.

Berikyuu! Idol The Final Results! ^-^

MorningBerryz closes out the Berikyuu! Idol contest and announces both the winning idol and the lucky participant who correctly guessed both the finalists and the eventual winner. Am I surprised at who won? Yes, and no… But you know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever got around to voting. The final two performances really left me torn on who to vote for… XD

Some Berry ♥ C-ute visual screens!…and a gift from Ohta. ^-^
It’s Aloha Friday! Hello! Project Style!…(hmm just how well does your favorite H!P girl flirt?!)

Recommended reading/ogling. First up, MorningBerryz has received a shipment from Ohta and man, oh man, MB got some C-ute and Berryz Koubou visual screens. I’m partial to the Maimi one, but 4 visual screens is impressive. He can have a mini H!P Kids party. In addition to the screens, Ohta also sent along a few UFA photos as a gift.

In the second post, MorningBerryz takes us back to the summer of 2002 and the Morning Musume Hawaiian releases. The Hawaiian versions of Morning Musume songs are so summery and so relaxing that reading this article makes me want to pull them out and really get into the mood of summer with some Hawaiian-flavoured sounds. MB closes out the post with screencaps from the Morning Musume Single Medley~Hawaiian~ pv. Which H!P girl has the best flirting ability? Who can sweep the ukelele playing Boo Takagi off his feet?

[Survey] Cutie Party’s Music Questionnaire (Pink Wota)
J-Music Survey…J-Riff Style! (J-Riff)
A Music Survey, 夏の歌。 (Amasugita Kajitsu)
Dear Cutie Party’s Misa…my answers to your J-Music Survey. (MorningBerryz)
George Wendt Eating Bean Paste? (The J-Pex)
So, I figured I just do this… (H!P Wonderland)
Lol I’m late D: (Chance Chance Boogie~)

Plenty of good responses to the Cutie Party survey are still being made. Pink Wota, J-Riff, Amasugita Kajitsu, MorningBerryz, The J-Pex, H!P Wonderland and Chance Chance Boogie~ send their answers.

But I say we need more!

Olivia delivers an edgier shade of J-Pop.

MorningBerryz writes an enthusiastic profile on the artist Olivia. After going through some clutter in his closet, MB stumbles upon some gems kept from his working in a music store days, and apparently there’s a lot of supposed diamonds amongst the junk, like these Olivia records. Admittedly, the artist’s brand of pop-rock - or whatever you want to call it - isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s a nice media driven advert into what to expect. I think Olivia’s voice isn’t as dazzling as MB proclaims, however, and I’ll admit that much right now. Still, you can decide for yourselves.