Risako Loves Fantasy…

Our Yorosen! reviewer of the week is Shirow!  He feels that the recent week of the program, the one with Risako dressed as a witch has turned the show to a better direction.  He focuses mostly on the antics of Risako herself, and on the subtle messages on everyone’s shoes.  Which I hadn’t noticed until he posted it.

Ya know, I have always considered Risako one of my lesser favorite idols.  I don’t hate her, but I’ve just never gotten excited about her.  However, I must admit she looks rather fetching in that outfit she wore on the show.  And Shirow found some very cute expressions on her face to screencap.  Some nice eyecandy included.

Delicious Maimi pic spam

Recommended ogling. Shirow of Wotaku Now! and I Love My Maimi has decided to spam us all with some impressively hot pictures of Maimi. Much to our enjoyment, he did not hold back on how many pictures he decided to post. Whats even better is that not a single one of them is lacking in hotness. So, what are the bets that our Cydol is going to get any hotter? I certainly hope so, but I don’t think its possible.

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.

Berryz welcome the elder graduations with Happiness!

Shirow found this video on YouTube with an interesting translation of the lyrics of Happiness ~Koufuku Kangei!~.  BTW, I know I am on vacation in Japan right now, but I found the video so hilarious I had to cover Shirow’s article.

Just watch!

idol battle! - Maimi VS Risa

It looks like Shirow is starting a series of idol battles, and opens it up with C-ute’s leader, Yajima Maimi against Morning Musume’s subleader, Niigaki Risa. I love both these girls so much… I’m actually quite torn over this decision. XD

I dunno though… Although Shirow says “lets try and keep things fun and clean unlike a certain republicans campaign…”, he has started a bashing campaign against poor Gaki-san: “… also Risa is a terrorist or something.” Don’t worry Risa, I know you’re not a terrorist! Don’t mind Shirow… I’m sure your hotness is just worrying him. XD

Momoko ♥ mouse

Shirow discovered a video clip featuring Tsugunaga Momoko and Kumai Yurina of Berryz Koubou. It’s definitely an amusing clip, but at the same time, it’s hard to believe that these girls would be so amused by a mighty mouse… Have they never seen a wireless mouse before? o_O

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?

Yurina gets owned by a tomato
Berryz are bigger than Jesus

In an older post, Shirow takes a look an episode of Berikyuu where Berryz Koubou members Shimizu Saki and Kumai Yurina have to eat some food that they randomly choose out of a box. The Berryz Caption does quiet well with her challenge, but the gentle giant of Hello! Project doesn’t fair quite as well. I just have to say, I’m with Yurina on this one. Tomatoes do not sit well with me. I probably wouldn’t cry eating one, but I’d most likely be “recoil[ing] in pure disgust” like Yurina…

In this more recent post, Shirow posts photos and a video of Berryz Koubou arriving in Korea for the Asia Song Festival. I’ve watched a few videos of their arrival, and boy did they ever get a massive welcome from their Korean fans. The girls are all looking lovely, but Shirow singles one girl out, and I have to agree with him… “just LOOK how stunningly radiant Miyabi is looking …”

Shugo Chara Eggs Revealed [Update]  (Stardust)
Minna no Tamago  (Tricia’s H!P and TNX Blog)
Shugo Chara Egg unit debut live.  Sanspo article translation.  (Sazaki’s H!P weblog)
New unit - Shugo Chara Egg!!!  (Wotaku Now!)
New Shugo Chara Unit Announced!  (Merry Go Round)

Gee, I wonder if anyone is enthusiastic about this new H!P Egg unit?  Let’s see…

(CK reads articles)

Whadda ya know!  It looks like just about everyone is blown away by the cuteness of this group as we have plenty of great screencaps on all of the reports.  Mars explains to the uninitiated how the character(s) are based on the suits in a deck of cards, he has also included a link to the official site.  Tricia reports the new single, Minna no Tamago will be released December 10th, and the new season of the anime will be called Shugo Chara Dokki.   Sazaki has translated the articles from Sanspo, which contain a few quotes from Maeda Yuuka.  Shirow loves the outfits, which he describes as “super hyper über genki”.

I saved Amy for last because she had the most detailed opinions on the event.  Amy sees this as an opportunity for Buono! to branch away from the anime and start doing other things.  She explains that the four girls in the unit aren’t representing different characters, but the one main character in various transformations (I think).  She also speculates that Maeda Yuuka is probably the lead girl since she is wearing the “heart outfit”.  Whatever that means.

So, are they a “one hit wonder”, or a new H!P force?  I’ll admit they are very cute, but I’d like to hear the song first.  And I have a feeling we are going to see more “Egg” units in the very near future.

What would you do? (Wotaku now response)

Oh it scares the living daylights out of me if someone were to find themselves in a jam and actually ask themselves, “WWWD?”

Anyways, Midori responds to Wotaku Now’s Freaky Friday Situation. Instead of just limiting it to one idol though, Midori goes over what they’d do as each member of Morning Musume. As Tanaka Reina, Midori says, “If I were Reina, I’d eat.” I laughed.

What would you do? (picture related)

Shirow presents a situation that can let some wota imaginations run wild. Basically, he asks what someone would do if they woke up in the body of a Hello! Project member, a la Freaky Friday. Shirow… well, let’s just say Shirow would take full advantage of this. I wonder if if there’d be some who would want to play pattycake with Ogawa Saki.

Maybe its just me …

Shirow shares a photo of Sudou Maasa holding a certain piece of fruit and wishes she’d be doing different pose with it.

I highly doubt Shirow is the only one that thinks this.

Also, Junjun pics are included; this should give away - to some people - what pose Shirows wishes to see.

PV Keibu  (Bikkuri Project)
You got Pink Lady in my Momusu  (Slasha’s Tatami Mat)
Peepaaaaa KEIBUU !!!  (Wotaku Now!)
[Review] I review PV’s so you don’t have to  (Pink Wota)
Morning Musume - Pepper Keibu (or OMGAHSKJDJLSKAJDOSIADJLSKADJLASKO)  (Shanimuni Paradise)

Lots of opinions about Morning Musume’s new single and PV, here we go…

Celestia gives her plus/minuses for the PV.  She likes the costumes, and is happy with the overall line distribution.  But she finds the song repetitive and the dancing somewhat cheesy.  And since this seems as if it is a “dance shot”, Celestia wonders if there will be a few more versions.

Slasha has posted the covers and a link to the PV, and figures that H!P is going to milk the Aku Yuu thing for all it’s worth.  Slasha is waiting to hear the consensus before deciding whether or not to purchase the single.

Shirow didn’t care for the song at first, but now he can’t get the hook out of his head!  He has screencapped the PV, paying special attention to certain parts of the body that many of us enjoy looking at.  Funny what a few beers does to your enthusiasm.  Shirow must be a “happy drunk”.

Vee goes over four important aspects of the PV that makes it a WIN for her.  She questions the legality of Mittsi being so sexy, and wonders when Koharu turned into Kumai Yurina.  Ultimately Vee likes this “minimalist rendition” of the PV.

Being a huge fan of Pink Lady, Tsukiki is really excited about Morning Musume covering them.  She calls this her “favorite MoMusu song since Yossie left”.  Tsukiki is also really happy about who stood out for her in the PV, and just as importantly who didn’t.

More opinions to come…

A question to the readers of Wotaku now!

It looks like C-ute’s latest single has another version for the PV. Shirow has watched it and is left with a very interesting and valid question…

is the dancer in the video male or female?

He’s set up a poll at the end of the post. Help Shirow out and give him your feedback! Also, like Shirow, I find this PV version creepy… There’s just something about this dancer all by its lonesome with the facepaint and the lack of lyrics… Creepy.

Ongaku Gatas Come Togther Outfits and PV  (Tricia’s H!P and TNX Blog)

ongaku gatas “come together” pv  (Love マシーン)

Ongaku Gatas - Come Together  (The J-Pex)

Come Together PV  (Stardust)

Ongaku Gatas Come Together pv  (Morningtime)

Ongaku Gatas- Come Together PV  (Midori’s J-pop Overanalyzations)

Ongaku Gatas - Come Together (unfortunately)  (Wotaku Now!)

Sorry for the delay on this one.  Here is what people are saying about “Come Together” by Ongaku Gatas…

Tricia quite simply says the PV and outfits are “super cute” and has screencapped the promotional photos

Markusantoine is happy that Konno, Rika, Yossie and Sotoda Mai are fronting a PV, noting it feels like the past H!P.  He also digs the outfits.

J-Pex really likes the rock feel to the song, and notes that this is the most “western” style PV Hello! Project has ever done.  JP also likes the behind the scenes footage.

Mars also likes the “documentary” style of the PV, but is concerned about the “pushing to the back” of the Eggs in the group.  Overall he is still not sold on the song.

Morningtime has a screencap bonanza!  And also hopes the song does well.

Midori bulletpoints the good and bad of the PV, although most of the good points seem to be critical of the PV too!  She is not crazy about the dance or the costumes, and is offended by the “fake” promotional newspaper they are reading.  But she feels Yossie carries the song with her vocals.

And then there’s Shirow.  Shirow gives us some well-detailed reasons why he doesn’t like the song or PV, which can be summarized by his title line…

“The PV Sucks”

So there ya have it.  Not a glaring endorsement.  Maybe I’m crazy, but I think it’s the best song Gatas has done.  But then again, I also like Koharu’s “Konnichi Pa”.  So consider the source.

Hello! project 2009 calenders (Wotaku Now!)
2009 Calendar Covers (「☆☆☆」)
2009 H!P Calendars: WHICH ONE WILL CFB BUY!? (Obnoxious Wota)
2009 Calendars (Morningtime)

The time has come to choose your Calendar! The covers for the 2009 Morning Musumue, Berryz Koubou, C-ute, Matsuura Aya and Abe Natsumi calendars are up and ready to get you thinking about which calendar you want to buy for next year.

C-ute’s mish-mash of outfits leaves me intrigued to see what the heck will be within the calendar. Shirow of Wotaku Now! has some amusing commentary on that cover.

Bri at 「☆☆☆」 loves Momusu’s cover, is a little disgruntled at Berryz Koubou’s, and is not impressed with C-ute’s at all. She’s got a thumbs down for Nacchi and a thumbs up for Aya (go Aya!).

CatchFiveBats of Obnoxious Wota is torn between Berryz Koubou and Morning Musume’s calendars… He’s taking suggestions in his comments… I wonder if he needs a suggestion from me, or if my vote is predictable…

Morningtime just looks at Momusu’s and Nacchi’s covers… There is some amusing commentary on Morning’s, while Nacchi’s smile doesn’t seem to be up to snuff this time around.

Risako gets dirty

Recommended viewing. Shirow of Wotaku Now! shows us the surprising twist in Risako’s version of “Memorable Summer Experience” performed recently on Berikyuu. I’m sure the experience she explained in the song was very memorable for her. Shirow shows us the lyrics and a subbed version of her performance, and the mature aspects of the song will definitely shock you, considering Risako’s age and idol image. Hopefully this is foreshadowing a potential scandal…

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.

Angry Fans Make a 15 year-old Singer Cry (Road to the Deep East)

What to do with a girl like Kanna? (Wotaku Now!)

So once again we have another example of the wota and their complete and utter ridiculousness.  At a recent C-ute handshake event a bunch of “fans” chose to ignore Arihara Kanna and instead only shake hands with the other six members.  Apparently one fan in attendance said that he felt betrayed by Kanna’s recent “date” photos with a Johnny’s Jr. member. 

Santos goes into great detail on why he feels this is such a childish act.  Especially in light of the fact that many of these fans were much older than the girls in C-ute.  Shirow has embedded a video of one of the wota “in action”, also noting the sadness of this turn of events.

Have the wota completely lost their minds?  (That’s a rhetorical question)

The looming tower Yurina Kumai

Shirow takes a look at Berryz Koubou member, Kumai Yurina, and explains what it is about her that has caught his attention. However, his opening line amused me to no end…

When I first got into berryz kobo Yurina was probably one of the last girls that I noticed which is quite a feat considering her looming height.

Unlike Shirow, Yurina was one of the first BK girls I noticed BECAUSE of her height. One of the first things I did after seeing Yurina was run over to theppn and check to see if she was taller than Kaori… She was. XD

[Retro review] - Sexy Otonajan

Recommended reading. Shirow has just recently come to the realization that the 2005 summer shuffle group, Sexy Otonajan is quite awesome. And much like myself, he discovered the awesomeness of this group because of Miyabi. All the girls are stunning in this release, but Miyabi completely wows me…

Shirow’s got a nice breakdown of the song and PV, as well as links/embeds to listen and view this gem from the H!P vaults.

Suzuki Airi to star in TV drama

It turns out Takahashi Ai and Niigaki Risa portraying Pink Lady is not the only H!P connection to the new drama Aku Yuu Monogatari, which I believe airs this Friday night.  Suzuki Airi will also be playing a role in the show as Sakurada Junko, a young J-pop singer who debuted in the early 1970’s.  Shirow has also embedded video of Airi’s performance alongside a clip of Junko herself.  Airi with short hair initially surprised me.  But actually she looks quite cute!

This is great news for many reasons.  H!P often gets accused of being past their prime.  So it’s nice to see multiple members cast to be in what I am sure will be a well-watched program.  It’s a true testament to their talent.  I can’t wait to see this show! Recommended.

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!

Edo no Temari Uta II PV (Strawberrie)
Edo no Temari Uta II (The J-Pex)
°C-ute : Edo No Temari Uta II Clip (Hello!Musume)
C-utes latest single - Edo no Temari Uta II (Wotaku Now!)
Edo no Temari Uta II First Thoughts (Shanimuni Paradise)
This. Is. AWESOME. (Aoi♥Usagi)
C-ute plays handball (hajimete no ROCK CONCERT)

Recommended reading. C-ute’s latest PV is up, and bloggers have lots to say about it already!

Strawberrie doesn’t have much in terms of commentary, but has a lot of screencaps and a link to the video on DohhhUP!

Pex is liking the new PV, what with the bright colours and interesting costumes. I agree with Pex in loving Chisato’s outfit the best. What’s fun with this post is that we get to see the beginnings of a new fan coming in the C-ute fandom!

Hello!Musume finds that there is only one downfall to this single/PV… And that’s it length. Also, a few subliminal advertising messages are pointed out… I didn’t notice those before.. But then again, I’ve only watched this PV once so far.. I need to rectify that.

Shirow of Wotaku Now! got a nice surprise when he woke up. Shirow’s got a different standpoint from most others that I’ve heard. While he wouldn’t mind if the track were a bit longer, he still thinks “that every second of this is pure quality, like most things in life I prefare them to be short and sweet as opposed to drawn out and medicore affair.” However, Shirow does not agree with mine and Pex’s opinion regarding Chisato’s outfit. XD

Our Tsukiki is unsure of how she feels about the PV. She lists off the pros and cons that she’s noticed, but in the end, she can’t quite figure out if she likes it or not.

Usa-chan of Aoi♥Usagi I absolutely loving this PV. She’s got screen caps of the girls, and gives a run down of each girl within the PV. Heck, she’s even liking NakaSaki! My favourite part of this post had to do with Chisato (surprise surprise)…

Ah, Chiisan. With your voice that sounds like a 80-year old woman who has smoked a pack a day her whole life… and still just happens to be a kick-ass singer.

Our pengie has screencaps and snark mixed in with her review, which is always great fun! She’s liking the unique sound this single has, and the girls are all looking pretty good… The only negative comment on that front is directed at little Maimai, who pengie feels looks like a six-year-old. I’m sure there’s someone out there who would enjoy that… HEY SEC… Nah, I won’t go there… XD

A peek into Koharu’s diary

Shirow has posted a few preview images and video of Kusumi Koharu’s upcoming photobook. Shirow is very excited for this photobook. Err, maybe excited isn’t the best way to describe this… Or maybe it is the perfect word…

My latest gets!

Shirow has so much new H!P stuff it pisses me off! Honestly I don’t even know why I read these kind of blog posts, I only end up getting jealous. Nah, but seriously, see what kind of cool stuff Shirow has managed to acquire. Especially like the full signature set of Berryz, the magic tambourine and of course that pin badge!

Happy Birthday Massa Sudo! (Wotaku Now!)
Happy Awesome Day! (Shiny Days)
..::Sneaked In for A Birthday Wish::.. (Eternal ~♥~)
Happy Sweet 16, Maasa! (Aoi♥Usagi)

Today (well, it’s already passed in Japan, but in some parts of the world, it’s still today) is Sudou Maasa’s birthday and she’s got a lot of people wishing her well for the big One-Six.

THere’s Maasa eyecandy galore (and awesome silly Maasa in Charmy of Shiny Days’ post) in each of these posts, and Shirow of Wotaku Now! even got Maasa a cake! It looks so tasty! Now I want some cake… XD

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 Classic in 60 seconds!

Recommended viewing. Shirow is highly tickled with Airi’s latest DVD release, Airi’s Classic. For the enjoyment of other fans who don’t have the time to sit down and watch Airi mini-golf for 50 minutes, he’s very kindly created an OPV (not to be mistaken for the blog Our Pleasant Vista XD) giving you the highlights of the DVD in a little over 60 seconds. It’s a fun watch, and the background music is just so wonderfully amusing.

..::The Beauty is Echoing::.. (Eternal ~♥~)
Mano Piano (H!P Fangirling like Nobody’s Business)
真野恵里菜　ファーストソロシングルリリース！！=) (MorningBerryz)
Tsunku shows us his cute pianist (Wotaku Now!)

amyrulez had never heard of Manoeri! How is that possible? Well, this problem has been solved and amyrulez looks towards her single.

Dj_MaiMai goes over the news.

When I saw the entry title for this MorningBerryz’s entry in my RSS Feeds, I really didn’t know what to expect. Well ok, I saw in the preview that it was going to be about Manoeri. But a part of me was hoping that I’d open it and see Jimmy Johnson in some sort of Engrish t-shirts. Instead, MorningBerryz has an enthusiastic entry about Manoeri’s future.

Meanwhile, Shirow’s entry title is sure to make all of us dirty minds giggle. But Shirow also wonders what route Manoeri is gonna take. Will she be more like Koharu or more like Risako? I always love bringing up the past, where the question that Shirow asked would have been “will she be more like Ayaya or Gocchin?” There’s also videos of Junjun in this entry. Hear that? Videos of Junjun, so go.

Another post about High King?! (Wotaku Now!)
It’s a Complex (Shanimuni Paradise)
High King - C\C (Cinderella Complex) (Wayside Wanderings)
Review of C/C (Cinderella Complex) - High-King (Hello! Guu)

Recommended reading. A few blogs have something to say about Hello! Project’s latest mix-and-match group, High King, and it looks like this group is a hit.

Shirow of Wotaku Now! is highly enjoying this release, with Maimi stealing the limelight in his eyes. He’s got some animated gifs from the “sexy version” of the PV, highlighting Maimi’s ownage of the dance. He also recommends the single’s b-side (as do I) and has an embed of it for your listening pleasure.

Tsukiki of Shainimuni Paradise is not too impressed with the a-side (though she can’t deny the hotness of the girls in the PV), but like Shirow, she is loving the b-side. She reviews the b-side, going over line distribution and is highly impressed with both Captain Saki and Yuuka.

shizuka_junko of Wayside Wanderings is smitten by Aichan and Captain in the dance shot of C\C. This post has a fairly detailed breakdown for each of the girls’ dancing performances from the PV, but my favourite part was shizuka_junko’s reaction to the PV with each viewing.

Guu of Hello! Guu has a breakdown of the single by song, PV, dance and their outfits. Again, High-King passes through another blogger’s scrutiny with flying colours. However, I wonder if Guu has checked out the c/w for this single…

A babble about Suzuki Airi

Shirow muses over C-ute’s front girl and how she has grown over her nearly 6 years in Hello! Project. While not quite overtaking Maimi within his C-ute ranking, he is quite taken with the adorable Osuzu and has gone so far as blocking a friend on MSN for a week for insulting her. Some nice Airi eyecandy accompanies his thoughts.