Amazon Limited Edition: Here
Amazon Standard Edition: Here HMV: Here Wani Books Listing: https://www.wani.co.jp/event.php?id=5067 No Country For Tall Men Page: https://www.facebook.com/NoCountryForTallMenExports/ Sakura’s Official Blog Post: http://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12151567014.html Nogizaka46 has had its share of solo photobooks. This privilege is usually given to some of the center-caliber members, such as Shiraishi Mai and Nishino Nanase. So why not give Ikuta Erika one? Yes, this is a review of Ikuta Erika’s recently released solo photobook, titled Tencho, or Modulation. The photobook was released this month, and of course since I am a big Nogizaka46 fan, and a big supporter of Ikuta Erika, I had to pick this one up. There’s a lot to like about Ikuta Erika. She loves udon, she is one of the biggest dorks in the Nogizaka lineup, she voiced Rue in the Japanese dub of The Hunger Games, and she is one of the most talented piano players I’ve seen in my life. But is her first photobook worth a purchase? Let’s find out. One thing to note in this photobook is that there is an awful lot of German in the book, ranging from sentences to chapter titles. That’s because Ikuta Erika was actually born in Germany and spent 5 years of her life there before moving to Japan. Speaking of Germany, the entire photobook takes place in Deutschland. When I open the photobook, I can imagine myself going on a vacation with Ikuta Erika to visit the area where she grew up. She first arrives in the airport, and then takes a bus to her hometown of Dusseldorf. In some photos, you can see her visit some areas that were still around when she was younger, evidenced by a “before and after” type of photo set. I personally find it pretty awesome that Ikuta Erika can remember the same places that were still around before she moved to Japan. Of course, because Nogizaka46 is known for conservative gravure, there are some shots in this photobook where Ikuta Erika is relaxing in her hotel room. It is classy, it isn’t lewd, and I have this feeling that I am just hanging out with her before we see the sights of Germany again.
I do like Ikuta Erika’s fashion sense. She wears a lot of cute casual outfits when touring around the city, such as a beanie, a sweater and short shorts. She can pull off this combination well. One thing I also want to point out are the shots where she is dressed in a pretty heavy dress. This made her look like a princess who escaped her lavish daily lifestyle. Then we get to one portion of the photobook, aptly titled Erster Verusch, translated in English, First Try. What is Ikuta Erika going to try for the first time? As mentioned earlier, Nogizaka46 is known for having conservative gravure shots. The most you would see is a tank top and short shorts on your favorite member, but nothing along the lines of swimsuits or bikinis. Only a few members have been seen in a bikini, such as Nishino Nanase, Shiraishi Mai, Eto Misa, and Hashimoto Nanami. Now it’s Ikuta Erika’s turn. Basically, Ikuta Erika is in a pool, in a white bikini. Moving right along, we get a few photos of Ikuta Erika practicing some Chopin on piano, as well as a few photos where she is eating dinner in a black dress. The dinner photos are pretty notable because she bears a very striking resemblance to someone on the AKB48 side. Basically, Ikuta Erika looks near identical to Maeda Atsuko in those photos, and sure enough, it is possible to mistake the two. One thing I do want to note is that, throughout the photobook, I could not stop staring into Ikuta Erika’s eyes. They’re really spellbinding, to be quite honest. Yes, they are listed as one of her charm points, but a photobook usually emphasized a charm point, and you’re able to see it in a few shots. I was looking into her eyes with every shot. No lie. Overall, this book is spectacular. There are a lot of things you discover about Ikuta Erika just with one run through of the photobook, and it’s sure to please fans of Ikuta Erika and Nogizaka46 alike. It feels like a trip to Germany with one of the most beautiful, yet dorky, members of the franchise. I loved this photobook, and I am glad that I purchased it. This was an experience, and I am glad it was with Ikuta Erika. Hopefully, you can enjoy the experience too! -Nathan (L4verra) The months of August and September will introduce a wave of photobooks coming your way. Takayanagi Akane out of SKE48 has one coming up, Kotani Riho of NMB48 has some sort of photobook coming up, and Hashimoto Nanami has one out at the end of this month. Get them while they’re hot! As you’ve noticed, I do have a fancy for photobooks when it comes to the 48G and Nogizaka46ers. I’ve been a fan of collecting photobooks since I received my first one: Nogizaka Ha, the first group photobook of Nogizaka46. Since then, I have solo photobooks from members such as Kizaki Yuria, Yamamoto Sayaka, Watanabe Miyuki, Shiraishi Mai, Nishino Nanase, Yamada Nana, and Miyawaki Sakura. And yes, there are some photobooks I would like to pick up in my life, such as ones from Minegishi Minami, Sashihara Rino, Kojima Haruna, Shimazaki Haruka, and Tanaka Mirei. But then I was wondering this question: who has not released a photobook yet? This is a Top 10 opinion-based piece where I decide on 10 members, either from 48G or Nogizaka46, who should have a photobook released. I take all the gravure photos I’ve seen from as many 48/46 members as possible, and give reason as to why they should have a solo photobook. The rules for this list are: · If the 48/46 member already had a solo photobook released, they are not on this countdown. · This is about potential solo photobooks, not UTB or Young Animal cover shots. · All of these members have to had had at least one gravure photo released somewhere. · If members were somehow rumored to have a gravure book in the works, they are not counted (e.g. Jonishi Kei, etc.). · If members had photobooks that were never released, then they may be on this countdown. I will give my sincerest apologies for sounding a tad too lewd when making this countdown. Yes, there will be times where I explain why a certain member should have a solo photobook and the reasons may be too lewd for a PG-13 rating. So, if you do get offended or uncomfortable with what I may write, then a thousand apologies in advance. You ready? Here are my picks for the Top 10 48/46 girls who should release a solo photobook. #10 Kojima Natsuki Let me point this out there: when someone makes it on the AKB Shirabe list for “Top 10 Breasts”, you probably should have a solo photobook. Is it going to sell because of breasts alone? I would say possibly. But Kojima Natsuki has some pretty stellar gravure shots around the interwebs, and I must say she does have the body for it when it comes to gravure. If the entire photobook is going to be filled with Nattsun in two-piece swimsuits, I still may consider buying it. The only reason why Nattsun ranks so low is because she isn’t the most popular member among the many, many girls and women of AKB48. She has not ranked in any of the elections she participated in, but I would still pick up her photobook if she released one. I also know a certain someone who would love to pick up a Kojima Natsuki photobook (maybe even 3 or 4) but that’s a story for another day. #9 Yoshida Akari I don’t know about you, but Yoshida Akari has all of the makings of a model. She may not have the biggest breasts among her NMB48 colleagues, but she still has legs that can challenge that of Sashihara Rino. Excuse me for sounding too lewd. But I think if Yoshida Akari were to release a photobook, it may as well consist of half bikini photos, if not three-quarters of the book bikini or lingerie gravure photos. If you have seen her gravure photos, she looks really, really stunning in them. Yeah, it’s mostly because she is half naked in most of them, but hey, she does have that model look and model legs. A solo photobook by Yoshida Akari will turn out great. No, it won’t sell as much as Yamamoto Sayaka’s SY (Yoshida Akari is not at that level of popularity), but it will still sell, and I would gladly pick one up. #8 Shibata Aya This might seem like a strange choice, but the reason why I’m putting Shibata Aya on here is because, should she release a solo photobook, it may sell well since she made Sousenkyo senbatsu two years in a row. Only three members of SKE48 (Matsui Rena, Miyazawa Sae, and Takayanagi Akane) have photobooks released or will release one in the future. As for Shibata Aya, she does have the popularity to release one and she does have some pretty nice gravure photos here and there I must say. She looks primed to release one now if she wanted to. There is no guarantee if it will sell as well as Matsui Rena’s Hemeretto (37,000+ copies) or Miyazawa Sae’s Namida no Yukue (7,000+ copies), but when you make Senbatsu sousenkyo for consecutive years, fans are bound to pick up your solo photobook. Yes, I would be one of those fans who picked up a potential Shibata Aya solo photobook. I will admit that I do tend to stare at her eyes more so than anything else, whether she is wearing a bikini, if she is wearing a costume for a performance, or she is wearing casual attire. Her eyes are mesmerizing; don’t stare into them too long… #7 Eto Misa Yes, Nogizaka46’s most underrated senbatsu member should have a solo photobook released. If you didn’t know about Eto Misa’s career before the Nogizaka46 days, she had a lot of bikini gravure. I would go as far to say more than Shiraishi Mai and Nishino Nanase combined. The last time we saw Eto Misa in a bikini was with Nogizaka Ha, and she looked rather stunning in those photos. Look, as a Nogizaka46 fan, I do appreciate the conservative gravure touch that the franchise is known for. But I will admit that I would like to see a few members in a bikini once in a while. The only time we would see bikini gravure among Nogizaka46 members is when they have photobooks. Since most fans are familiar with the bikini gravure Eto Misa has out there, why not give a solo photobook a shot? I have no idea if it will sell as well as, say, Shiraishi Mai’s Seijun na Otona. But I am pretty certain that this photobook will be picked up by Nogizaka46 fans far and wide (possibly even some CHIMO fans if you’re into them). I too would gladly pick this one up. #6 Nagao Mariya Remember when I gave a thousand apologies for being too lewd regarding my reasoning? Well…if you have seen some of the photos that Nagao Mariya has when she’s modeling for Peach John underwear, you’d wonder why she hasn’t released a solo photobook yet. I will say this: she looks drop dead gorgeous. Like, when I see her bikini or lingerie photos, I’m taken aback for how stunning she is. Like, she is giving Kojima Haruna a run for her money. Why she doesn’t have a solo photobook yet is beyond me, but if she does manage to get one, it may be one of the best photobooks we’ve seen since Kojima Haruna’s Dosuru? Yes, I would imagine a mix of conservative gravure and bikini gravure, but I think the focus for Nagao Mariya’s solo photobook, should she release one, would be on lingerie. she does have a sizable fanbase among AKB48 fans, so I, as well as her fanbase, would gladly pick a solo photobook up if she ever wanted to release one. The Peach John photos she has are enough to make your heart palpitate. Imagine a photobook filled with them. #5 Ikuta Erika I never said that a solo photobook had to be filled with bikini gravure shots. As mentioned earlier, Nogizaka46 is not known for the bikini gravure shots, but rather a very conservative style of gravure that’s more or less family friendly. I could possibly imagine Ikuta Erika’s solo photobook to be filled with some shots of her practicing piano, relaxing on a train looking at the countryside, or burning food she’s trying to cook. A mix of all that plus the impromptu bikini gravy shot for the fanservice may make for a good photobook. Just look at Nishino Nanase with her photobook, Fudangi. It was filled with a lot of conservative gravure shots, but also had a very small handful of bikini gravure photos. Perhaps if Ikuta Erika wants to release a solo photobook, she should wait until 2016 or later to do so. If she does release one, I’ll be glad to pick one up since I’m a pretty big Ikuta Erika fan (she’s second on my Nogizaka46 favorites list behind only Wada Maaya). #4 Kodama Haruka The reason why I put Kodama Haruka on this list is because it’s not if she will have a photobook, but when. Just look at the last two members of HKT48 who have had photobooks released recently: Sashihara Rino and Miyawaki Sakura. You could argue that both of them are the respective aces of HKT48, but what about Kodama Haruka? She has been center in more HKT48 singles than Miyawaki Sakura, and was only one spot away from cracking senbatsu for the first time in her career during the last Sousenkyo election. Thus, the time is ripe for Kodama Haruka to release some sort of solo photobook. It’s going to be a quick seller just like Miyawaki Sakura’s self titled Sakura. Also, if Haruppi were to have the same risqué shots that Miyawaki Sakura had in her photobook, it would honestly be acceptable. Why? It’s because Haruppi is 18 years old. #3 Kitahara Rie Something I never noticed is that Kitahara Rie does not have a solo photobook released. Why? Why single out the new face of Niigata’s 48G team? I think Kitahara Rie is long, long overdue for a solo photobook. She doesn’t have to release one if she isn’t comfortable with gravure (as is the case for anybody on this countdown), but if she did, now would be a good time to get one. Kitahara Rie’s popularity has skyrocketed since the move to NGT48. No longer is she stuck among the high undergirls: the #11 spot during this year’s Sousenkyo election was the highest spot Kitarie has clinched, ever. You strike when the iron is hot. If Kitahara Rie would like to release a solo photobook, now would be the perfect time. I, as well as thousands of other fans, would love to pick one up. #2 Matsui Jurina If you look on CDJapan, you’d notice that there’s a photobook released July 2010: “SKE48 Jurina Matsui First Photobook”. This $30 USD photobook does not exist on Stage48 and you can’t even buy this photobook on CDJapan (it says “release postponed” on availability). Thus, the first Matsui Jurina solo photobook does not exist… …yet. Yes, Matsui Jurina is primed to release some kind of photobook in the near future. She essentially has the keys to the SKE48 franchise and no longer has to share the car with Matsui Rena. She’s in the driver’s seat now, and if Jurina wants to release a solo photobook, she can. No longer is she at the U-18 age where some risqué shots are too risqué for CDJapan to handle (I am looking at you, Miyawaki Sakura!), so everything is set up for her to release a solo photobook. I will admit that her gravure is pretty good, but she has the popularity to back up a potential solo photobook. I have no idea if I would pick one up, but I’m sure her first photobook would sell like hotcakes. #1 Shiroma Miru If you’re familiar with some of my articles, or you know who my NMB48 oshi is, you knew this was coming. Yes, if I’m going to put anybody at the top of the list for potential photobooks, it’s Shiroma Miru. Let me start things off by saying her gravure is some of the most risqué stuff I’ve seen in my entire life. She has matured in looks and body to the point where she looks like she’s in her early 20s if you put her next to Ichikawa Miori. She is somewhat of an internet meme among 48G fans simply from a segment of the “Durian Shonen” PV alone. If you search up Shiroma Miru on Google Images, you’re going to find so many bikini or lingerie photos that it may seem overwhelming. Basically, Shiroma Miru has some ridiculously risqué gravure photos left, right and center, and I will admit that she looks good in said photos. Really good, like Nagao-Mariya-modeling-Peach-John-underwear good. I say risqué a lot because she is not 18 yet. She turns 18 on October 14th of this year. So, if she is going to release a solo photobook filled with some risqué gravure photos, she probably should do it sometime in 2016. That way, she can go as risqué as she wants to and not a lot of people will bat an eye (I am still looking at you, Miyawaki Sakura!). Miru may not be the most popular among NMB48 members, since Yamamoto Sayaka and Watanabe Miyuki made sure of that. But since Yamada Nana graduated, the face of Team M can be Shiroma Miru if she plays her cards right. And yes, she is getting there faster than you think. Maybe this is just me boasting about how fantastic my NMB48 oshi really is, and how fantastic her gravure photos really are. But honestly, if Shiroma Miru would release a solo photobook, I would preorder and buy 2 copies without even thinking about it. And honestly, I am 100% certain Shiroma Miru will have a photobook in the future, filled with all sorts of lingerie photos, bikini photos, and the occasional silly stuff to show off Miru’s personality. Prepare yourselves, ladies and gentlemen. A Shiroma Miru photobook is coming. ~ So what did y’all think? Did you like this article? Is there a 48/46 member you would like to see release a solo photobook? Would you buy any one of the potential solo photobooks I mentioned? Let me know in the comments below. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to create a fund for idol photobooks…my poor wallet… -Nathan (L4verra) If you didn’t know already, Miyawaki Sakura, of HKT48 and AKB48, released a photobook this month. The self-titled Sakura photobook was so good that it sold over 60,000 copies, which means it’s sold out in Japan. Fortunately, the local Kinokuniya Bookstore in Los Angeles managed to have two copies for sale, so of course I did not hesitate to pick one up. But how good is it? Is the first Miyawaki Sakura photobook worth the price (1,500 yen in Japan and about $23 at Kinokuniya before tax)? Let’s take a look. Some photobooks can come with either a photo you can trade with others or even a two-sided poster. This one comes with different posters depending on which one you buy. You won’t know which poster you get until you take off the plastic wrapping. The one I have is of Sakura in a bikini in the forest. Yeah, I’m not taping that poster in my room mind you. As soon as you open the photobook, it’s a photo of Sakura sitting on a cherry blossom tree. Throughout the book, you see Sakura in normal casual clothes (or sometimes a seifuku) in various settings: sleeping inside a bus, relaxing on a boat, fishing in a harbor, running in a park, and playing at a playground. Of course, you get your fair share of bikini gravure shots, which are commonplace in 48G-related photobooks. Honestly, you see more bikini gravure in standard issues of Young Animal or Weekly Playboy, so if you expected a book filled with Sakura bikini shots, that’s not the case here. She’s still cute regardless, and you have an entire book filled with the cuteness that is Miyawaki Sakura! Who needs bikini shots anyway? One thing that bothers me about the photobook is just how much it skips from setting to setting. The pacing goes like this: two pages with Sakura in a Japanese metropolitan bus, then two pages with Sakura next to a cherry tree. Some photobooks, such Kizaki Yuria’s Peace and Shiraishi Mai’s Seijun na Otona, keep it consistent with the photo settings. For example, you get ten or so pages of Shiraishi Mai at the beach but they aren’t scattered throughout the photobook. Rather, they are all in one section. Miyawaki Sakura’s photobook doesn’t do that. All the photos seem to be shuffled around, so you get a new setting once you turn the page. This takes away from the experience the photobook is giving you. Other things you see in this photobook include a few shots of Miyawaki Sakura during concerts (such as the Young Member Zenkoku Tour), Sakura backstage, and Sakura in rehearsal with other HKT48 members. You also get a few pages that talk about Sakura’s life story, including pictures of her when she was younger. It’s a nice thing to read at the end of a photo collection. That is if you can read Japanese. There is also one part of the photobook that puts it in the “risqué” category, more so than anything in Weekly Playboy or Young Animal. There are some five or six shots in this photobook that consist of Sakura in a bed. The only problem with this is that Sakura is possibly not wearing any clothes and is covered with a white blanket. I say possibly because there are photos where Sakura’s back is exposed and it does not look like she is wearing a bra. To some this would be all fine and dandy, but the issue that arises here is that Miyawaki Sakura is only 17 years old. This issue was addressed on CDJapan (a popular import website) with Sakura’s photobook was pulled from the site. How you look at the photos is based on your own moral judgments as to whether or not it’s okay for Miyawaki Sakura to have photos like that. I will not post the photos on this review since that will spoil the “surprise”. But in my opinion, I can understand why CDJapan pulled the photobook. I can also understand why some people may find the photos too risqué for a 17-year-old. I wish Sakura waited until possibly April of 2016 to take photos like this so it would be a non-issue, but the photos are there. If you buy the photobook, all you have to do is just skip over those few pages. Overall, Sakura is a pretty decent photobook. This is not the best photobook released this year (so far I have to give that title to Yamamoto Sayaka’s SY), but this is still a good photobook for all you Miyawaki Sakura fans. I would put this photobook higher than Nishino Nanase’s Fudangi, but not higher than Kizaki Yuria’s Peace. Obviously for the Miyawaki Sakura oshi, it’s a must buy. For the individual who put Sakura in their Top 5 or maybe Top 10, it’s still worth a buy if you can find one. But for everyone else out there, your best bet would be to sit this photobook out and possibly purchase Mizugi Surprise 2015 once that comes out. I have a very strong feeling this is not going to be the last Miyawaki Sakura photobook. Give it at least five years and she’ll have a new one ready. -Nathan (L4verra) If you have followed AKB48, their sister groups, and/or Nogizaka46, you know that several members have their own photobooks. The photobooks consists of several photos of the idol featured, in all sorts of backgrounds and outfits, from the sleek shots in the evening to a day at the beach in a bikini. Members such as Watanabe Miyuki, Kuramochi Asuka, Yokoyama Yui, Miyazaki Miho and Minegishi Minami all have their own photobooks. There are also a few members who have more than one photobook, such as Kojima Haruna, Sashihara Rino and Miyazawa Sae. Because of the recent flurry of photobooks released the past two months (releases from Yokoyama Yui, Kizaki Yuria, Nishino Nanase, Shiraishi Mai, Miyazawa Sae, Yamamoto Sayaka, and later Kojima Haruna), I decided to take a look at two photobooks I recently purchased of two of them: Nishino Nanase and Kizaki Yuria. Basically I am going to describe them as best as I can without showing any actual pictures (if I show you pictures other than the cover photo, that’s technically spoiling the experience!). I am doing this in order to warrant whether or not the photobook is worth a purchase at CDJapan, Amazon Japan or your local Kinokuniya bookstore. The first book I’m going to take a look at is Nishino Nanase’s very first photobook, Fudangi. Nishino Nanase is the 3rd member of Nogizaka46 who has her own photobook released, with the other two being Shiraishi Mai and (technically) Matsui Rena. Will Nanase’s photobook experience rival that of Maiyan’s? The first few shots seem like you are hanging out with Nanase on a date or what not, from walking around the city to sitting and reading manga. Some of these have grey lighting while the glare of the sun provides a more intimate effect. Some shots need two pages to use while others, for some reason, use less than half the page per shot. Case in point with the bikini shots (yes there are some). A few of them are shots that take less than half the page to cover. Given how rare the bikini gravure shots are (we ARE talking about Nogizaka46 here; they’re known for conservative gravure), it’s a bit of a disappointment how half of the already few bikini shots take up less than half a page. There are some shots here that have just the right amount of swimsuit gravure: not too conservative yet not too revealing. A few shots are of Nanase in a playground where she is technically wearing a shirt over her bikini. For some odd reason, I really like these shots. It feels like you are hanging out with Nanase in a park only a few steps away from the beach. Possibly the most fanservice-based shot of the entire photobook is of Nanase lying on the beach in a blue bikini. This takes up two pages to do, and shows a level of sex appeal that only comes with swimsuit gravure photos. But the bikini gravure stops right here; a quarter into the photobook and you’ve had all your bikini fanservice. Shots switch from black and white to color every now and then, but for some reason it takes away from the ambiance of the photobook. One minute Nanase is standing next to a wall in a grayscale photo, and the next she is licking an ice cream cone in a color shot. The grayscale shots would work if an entire section of the photobook is in grayscale with the next entire section in color, but that is not the case. There are plenty of shots showcasing Nanase’s legs. She wears pants in like, one or two photos, while the rest are of her in short shorts, a dress, or a bikini. Sometimes you may even see a photo or three of her butt (one shot takes up two whole pages and it is literally of her butt). Another set of photos I like include Nanase in a red dress, shining in the night of the city. I think she looks stunning in this round of photos, and of course, you see how nice her legs are. However, there are shots that don’t necessarily work, per se. There are some shots where you have to flip the book 90 degrees clockwise to look at properly, and there are some 2-page photos that are hard to see (one of them makes Nanase’s face look strange). I am also not a fan of the constant color to grayscale transitions. Overall, this is a pretty decent photobook with some fantastic shots of Nanase and just the right amount of fanservice. It is by no means a perfect photobook as there are a handful of problems with the shots and the color transitions, but by all means it is worth a pick up if you support Nishino Nanase and Nogizaka46. It is not better than Shiraishi Mai’s photobook, but it’s still solid for what it’s worth. Next up is AKB48 member Kizaki Yuria’s first photobook, Peace. This photobook was released on Kizaki Yuria’s 19th birthday, shot all over the beautiful island of Guam.
I do not know about you, but throughout this photobook, it feels as if Kizaki Yuria actually wrote in it. I know that is just printed ink, but I like how it is added so it seems as if Yuria is talking to you as you stroll along the photobook. Like the Nanase photobook, I have this vibe that you are hanging out with Yuria as you look through the book. You have a few shots of her in a school uniform, and then you’re with her helping her decide what bikini she should buy. From there you are on the beach and Yuria is on a swing. Next thing you know, you are sitting near the tide and Yuria is writing in the sand. Basically, there are plenty, and I mean PLENTY, of beach swimsuit gravure photos. It is definitely a colorful photobook, since Yuria’s bikinis keep changing every 3-4 pages…but the strengths of color are not just found in bikini gravure photos. One of my favorite set of photos includes Yuria in a graffiti-covered skatepark wearing a Dodgers tanktop. This showcases the bright and colorful nature of the photobook without Yuria in a colorful bikini. This photobook does what the Nanase photobook should have, and that’s utilize the smaller shots that take up less than half a page and put two photos in one page. Nanase’s photobook has these smaller shots but they take up one page and leave you with half a page of white space, whereas Yuria’s photobook puts two of these smaller shots in one page. I think the fanservice gets a little more, explicit, towards the half of the photobook. You have Yuria not in a bikini, but in lingerie, and it’s enough to give you a nosebleed! Even when there are smaller shots that take up about half the page, the white page blends well with the white of the sun, making Yuria seem like she is some sort of divine angel. There is even a shot of her with her covering her breasts with her back bare. For some odd reason, photos like those get me every time. Just like the photo found on the cover, why Yuria would pose like that on a weight scale is beyond me…but the beginning of the second half consists of honestly the best Yuria gravure photos I have ever seen in my lifetime. They make her look seductive while being cute at the same time with her round baby face and doll eyes and what now. There are also shots of her with a friend. I honestly do not know who it is given how her face is never shown, but it looks like Yuria is having fun with this friend of hers. It is good to see that in this photobook because you are literally with Yuria throughout the entire experience, so bringing one of her friends along is pretty cool too. Like the Nanase photobook, there are some pretty classy photos of Yuria in the night of Guam. They make her look absolutely stunning, and they are not bikini gravure shots, since you may need a break from them every so often. And yes, you do need a break from the bikini gravure every so often. For starters, the amount of bikini gravure fanservice is a little too high for some people and may turn off the female Kizaki Yuria fans (the Nanase photobook does not necessarily have this problem). The fanservice also can get a little tiresome by the end of the photobook, because you’ve seen Yuria in a bikini so many times that you won’t be taken aback by it anymore. Overall, this is a photobook that is very bright, colorful, and chock full of fanservice. A least a good 70% of the book is of Yuria in a bikini or lingerie. It is worth a purchase if you’re a fan of Kizaki Yuria or if you find her to be extremely attractive (like I do, at least somewhat). This photobook shows how stunning and cute she is. If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably go with the Yuria over Nanase. Yeah, the gravure in Yuria’s photobook did get me at times, but I think I have a thing for bright colors, since Yuria’s photobook was full of bright color photos. Nanase’s photobook was great too, but the color to grayscale transitions irked me more times than it should have. Don’t get me wrong; they are both spectacular photobooks and both of them were worth the purchase price. But if I had only enough for one book, I am probably sticking with Yuria on this one. There are plenty of photobooks I would like to take a look at. Usually I collect group photobooks such as the AKB48 Mizugi Surprise for 2014 and Nogizaka Ha, but I’m starting to look for photobooks of a single member, such as Watanabe Miyuki, Yamamoto Sayaka and Kasai Tomomi. Hopefully I can pick up a few along the way, since I heard Sayanee has a new photobook that makes her look drop dead gorgeous…but that’s a story for another day. -Nathan (L4verra) |
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February 2024
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