It is January 2nd, 2011. Morning Musume is starting to suffer from a severe lack of attention and love due to the reduced size of the group to 5 members with the recent graduation of Eri Kamei, Junjun and Linlin. But on this day, it is officially announced that Morning Musume has a new set of four members, a 9th generation: Mizuki Fukumura, Erina Ikuta, Riho Sayashi and Kanon Suzuki. These four girls would bring a new, youthful charm back to the group that had been missing since the more mature (commonly referred to as) Platinum Era had been the face of the group. They debuted with the single Maji Desu ka Ska! In the next couple years, the remnants of the Platinum Era slowly graduated from the group, while this new 9th generation started to change the face of the group. Riho Sayashi ended up being the face of these four girls, since she showed a lot of promise due to singing and dancing skills. She would henceforth be referred to as the 'ace' of the group. From then on, she only got better and better, much to the delight of her fans. She also brought her own brand of uniqueness and silliness to the group which is always welcome. Once Sayumi Michishige graduated last year, thus officially ending any connection with the Platinum Era, the whole group evolved into something new and exciting, with many thanks going to the talent and experience of the 9th generation. It came as a sudden shock, then, when she recently announced that she would be graduating from Morning Musume '15 at the end of this year. Since she's joined the group, she's participated in 19 singles, 12 albums (4 of them with new content, the rest compilations), 6 stage plays, 1 television drama, 1 movie and much more. While her official graduation date will be on December 31st, marking the end of Morning Musume '15 (and presumably the start of Morning Musume '16), the last performances she will be a part of will be on December 7th and 8th. This will be during the Countdown Live at the Budokan in Tokyo. For those of you who would like to go to see her off, I'd recommend you start working on getting tickets immediately, because they will be difficult to get a hold of. Maimi Yajima, leader of ℃-ute and leader of Hello! Project, made a very touching post regarding the announcement in her blog, which you can read at the bottom of this article. Her future goals are to study English abroad, and focus on perfecting her dancing skills. Something extremely interesting to note is that she is not graduating from Hello! Project, only from Morning Musume '15. She has every intention of coming back to Hello! Project once she's done studying abroad and studying dance to her satisfaction. This could mean that she could come back as a very unique dance-centric soloist, or that she might start a really cool dance unit within Hello! Project when she comes back. There are many possibilities, most of them extremely exciting. That being said, Morning Musume '15 has evolved into a very beautiful group thanks to all of its current members. It will be tough to see Morning Musume '15 without Riho, but they've all managed to create something really special, and I have full confidence that they will continue to do so moving forward. Let's continue to support the girls with all our hearts, and let's continue to support Riho in whatever she chooses to do from here on. An unhappy performer isn't a good performer in the idol world, so let's hope she comes back refreshed and fully satisfied, so she can continue her career with the same love and care that she's shown in her time within Morning Musume.
~Teepu Morning Musume '15 is: - Mizuki Fukumura (9th Generation – 譜久村聖) Leader - Erina Ikuta (9th Generation – 生田衣梨奈) Sub-leader - Riho Sayashi (9th Generation – 鞘師里保) - Kanon Suzuki (9th Generation – 鈴木香音) - Haruna Iikubo (10th Generation – 飯窪春奈) Sub-leader - Ayumi Ishida (10th Generation – 石田亜佑美) - Masaki Sato (10th Generation – 佐藤優樹) - Haruka Kudo (10th Generation – 工藤遙) - Sakura Oda (11th Generation – 小田さくら) - Haruna Ogata (12th Generation – 尾形春水) - Miki Nonaka (12th Generation – 野中美希) - Maria Makino (12th Generation – 牧野真莉愛) - Akane Haga (12th Generation – 羽賀朱音) You can read her official announcement on her blog here: http://s.ameblo.jp/morningmusume-9ki/entry-12089659596.html You can read an official translation and a short note about it on Up-Front Link here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-concerning-riho-sayashi/967417713317146 The official Hello! Project announcement is here: http://www.helloproject.com/news/3725/ You can read a message regarding the announcement on Maimi Yajima's blog here: http://s.ameblo.jp/c-ute-official/entry-12089611470.html You can read an unofficial translation of Maimi's post here: https://www.facebook.com/910percent/posts/1187891511225223 LoVendoR's PV for the song "Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!" was recently released and this video is just as much fun as one comes to expect from the four-member, all-girl group! The new PV is the second from the group's upcoming major debut single "Iin ja nai?/Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!". I previously covered the release of the first PV from this single (Can be found here) and just a few days later we are treated to the second! While the two songs differ in many ways, they both give the listener the solid, fun sound that is LoVendoR. First and foremost in the changes is the fact that this song has a different team behind it that "Iin ja nai?". While Takui Nakajima handled writing duties the first time around, this time Watanabe Miki provided the music and former Hello! Project mastermind, Tsunku, provides the lyrics. This latter point is interesting as it lends an element to the song that many have missed in the recent Hello! Project outings of late. The song's message is positive as one expects and has the catchy feel that both draws in first-time listeners and keeps them coming back again and again. Being that the song is written in a more pop feel than some of their more rock-oriented numbers don't expect too much in the way of shocking drum fills or blistering guitar solos. That said, the song will most definitely have you singing along by the second chorus! Let's look at the song performance for a minute. I usually rave about Tanaka Reina's singing when I talk about LoVendoR, but I have to say that I feel that Okada Marina stole the show on this one. While their vocal style works well together on this song, for some reason I felt that there were two completely different sounds in this song and Marina's was definitely the one that I preferred. Also I feel that her personality comes out in the video more so than Reina's and this only leads to one to want to pay even more attention to her. What about her "Samashii samashii deshou?" line in the final chorus? I'll admit that when I first heard that part I was taken out of the song, but it has since grown on me and I like that little touch. Back to the main point, her vocal style seems to suit this song like a glove and while I don't think that Reina is out of place, I do feel that she was overshadowed in this song greatly by Marina. This is not necessarily a bad thing as I think there are times when Reina receives just a little too much attention. Musically we get the twin guitar stylings of Marin and Yuki here and while their playing is not front and center as it is on some songs, the two do an awesome job showcasing their skills as well as laying down some nice shared melodies and solos. Moving onto the video itself. Simply put, it's playful, fun and colorful. That could be said about a lof of recent UFA PVs, but there is a bit more meat to this video that we usually get from Up-Front. I think this has to do with the subject matter at hand as there is a bit more to work with in terms of concept. Playing off the theme of the song, we see the girls engaging in various activities. These activities come about when they are inspired by a certain group they see on TV! We get some nice fortune telling by Miyazawa Marin, some random hobbies (That rabbit in the hat!) from Tanaka Reina, dress up from Marina and just some awesome partying and rocking out from Uozumi Yuki! The side scenes give the girls some time to have fun on screen, but it is these segments that I feel that Marina and Marin visually steal the show. They not only look great, but their quirks shine through here. Lots of fun was clearly had here and that feeling comes through in both song and video. While there are a few extra shots than one usually sees, it is important to not that the video is not too far removed from the general type that Up-Front commits to these days. Thankfully, it happens to be a good example of how the simple PV formula can be done well. On a final note, be sure to watch until the very end to see more funny bits from Marin... That's it for now! Check out the PV itself in full below and be sure to pick up the single, "Iin Ja Nai?/Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!" when it drops July 1st! Remember, be careful when playing with nunchaku! -alavic_222 LoVendoR Are: ◆ Tanaka Reina (田中麗奈) (Vocals) ◆ Okada Marina (岡田万里奈) (Vocals) ◆ Uozumi Yuki (魚住有希) (Guitar) ◆ Miyazawa Marin (宮澤茉凛) (Guitar) Official Website: http://lovendor.jp/ Hot on the announcement of their major label debut, LoVendoR releases the first PV from their double A-side single, "Iin Ja Nai?/Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!" The song featured in this first PV is "Iin Ja Nai?" which is not only the lead-off track of the single, but also composed by fellow Up-Front artist, Takui Nakajima. Nakajima has lent his talents to Hello! Project artists Abe Natsumi, Dia Lady and Mano Erina in the past. Most recently his songs "Taiki Bansei" and "Tsugi no Kado wo Magare" were concurrently recorded by ANGERME and C-ute respectively. Being that his style is far more rock than what one typically associates with idols, his work with LoVendoR (He has also written several of their songs in the past including their single "Ikujinashi") is something to take note of. The rock stylings of these four girls, led by former Morning Musume member, Tanaka Reina, is set to take the Japanese music scene by storm! The video opens with Reina coming out of a trunk, or a box if you will. This is fitting as this song is hard to put into any traditional genre and indeed goes outside the box of what one probably first expects. Clearly rocking but complete with an accessible pop feel, this song is the proper major debut they deserve. Tanaka Reina and Okada Marina trade off vocals perfectly here and harmonize as well as they have in all their past releases. I've always said that I feel that Reina's voice is more suited to this style than what she performed when she was in Morning Musume and that stands true now. Marina's vocals are awesome as well. That said, there is one odd moment in the second chorus where she is singing into an imaginary microphone that I couldn't help but notice. I don't know if this was intentional or a slight error that made it into the video, but it definitely drew my attention. I can recall fellow ex-Morning Musume member, Kusumi Koharu, talking about the many retakes that had to be done on Morning Musume's "Iroppoi Jiretai" because she did the exact same thing take after take. Back to the song itself, Uozumi Yuki and Miyazawa Marin do an amazing job on twin lead guitars and lay down an awesome solo to round out the musical package. Visually, the PV is very colorful both in location and in the outfits chosen for the girls. All is bright and cheerful matching the general theme of the song itself. There is the usual Up-Front simplicity present here (Group shots separarted by solo shots with little in between or much in way of "plot") but they always seem to know how to pull off simple well without it feeling plain. There is also a playfulness both within the song, and the interaction with the members, that make this song quite infectious. I defy anyone to not be singing along by song's end! There you have it! Check out the PV itself in full below and be sure to pick up the single, "Iin Ja Nai?/Futsuu no Watashi Ganbare!" when it drops July 1st! Remember "Those who have fun win!" Also, who is "Wilson"?.... -alavic_222 LoVendoR Are: ◆ Tanaka Reina (田中麗奈) (Vocals) ◆ Okada Marina (岡田万里奈) (Vocals) ◆ Uozumi Yuki (魚住有希) (Guitar) ◆ Miyazawa Marin (宮澤茉凛) (Guitar) Official Website: http://lovendor.jp/ One of the inevitable pains of being an idol fan is accepting the idea of graduations. This is when a member of a group retires from the group and pursues other goals, such as a solo career or a break from the public scene. Hello! Project has recently seen one of its most beloved groups go on an indefinite hiatus (graduate, for all intents and purposes). With this week’s episode of Hello! Project Station another graduation announcement was made: Fukuda Kanon of ANGERME (formerly known as S/mileage). Kanon began by announcing that after almost 11 years in Hello! Project (almost 6 years in S/mileage and ANGERME) she would be graduating from ANGERME and Hello! Project this coming fall. The addition of the 3rd Generation members last year (Murota Mizuki, Aikawa Maho and Sasaki Rikako) kicked off a major change and shift for the group, along with a name change. Kanon stated that it was at this time that she started to think about her own graduation. She was careful to mention that this was her own decision, and that she wants to walk a new path in life. She’ll be taking a break from university until her graduation so that she can put her whole heart and time into ANGERME until her graduation. She didn’t specify what she wants to do after she graduates, but she did mention that she wants to study hard and graduate from university. The precise date of her graduation is still to be determined. To all the fans out there who love Fukuda Kanon, don’t forget to support her through to the end. Graduations are in the very nature of the industry. This does not make it any easier for the fans, but it certainly is to be expected. She came to this conclusion on her own, and her decision should be respected. It’s been a tough year so far for Hello! Project fans, but we have received some good out of it too. Remember to always love and support the idols you enjoy, and never forget the good times either! Fukuda Kanon, born March 12, 1995, is one of two remaining 1st Generation members of Japanese pop idol group ANGERME. She began her career in Hello! Project as a Hello Pro Egg in 2004. After much practice and dedication she finally debuted into a major group in 2010: S/mileage (they officially started in 2009 as an indie group). Since then she has participated in various productions, many singles, survived S/mileage’s evolution into ANGERME and even voiced a character for an anime (Hime Chen! Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri). Below is a link to a translation of the announcement done by Up-Front Link and below that is a link to the segment from the Hello! Project Station. https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-comment-of-kanon-fukuda-concerning-her-graduation/883216095070642 NOTE: The announcement starts at 7:55 and ends at 13:10.
-Bowser05 In a surprise announcement last week, it was revealed that Morning Musume '15's first single with the new name and new line-up will be the theme song for the upcoming Precure movie 'Eiga Precure All Stars Haru no Carnival"! This comes as a big surprise to many fans as it is a departure from not only their normal style, but also from writer/producer Tsunku. Owing to Tsunku's battles with his health this comes as no surprise, but this author is more than a little sad that all the Hello! Project groups are taking outside penned songs for this round of singles. The new song, "Ima Koko Kara" will join a very small list of songs that are performed by the group, but written by outside producers. That said, this song will be a huge opportunity for Morning Musume to reach a wider audience, both within Japan and abroad. In addition to this news was the announcement that Morning Musume '15 members Iikubo Haruna, Oda Sakura and Ishida Ayumi will be voicing characters in the movie itself! The age of Helllo! Project's presence in anime might be returning in force! These big announcements come at the end of a long drought of proper Morning Musume news and it turns out the wait was worth it! A preview for the song can be found below, but it must be noted that this version of the song is not performed by Morning Musume '15. Stay tuned for more news and updates! The first PV from ANGERME dropped a couple days ago and it is one of the best Hello! Project songs in recent memory! This is the first single to be released under the new name (For those that don't know, they were formerly known as "S/mileage") and the first to feature the new members Murota Mizuki, Aikawa Maho, and Sasaki Rikako. I honestly didn't know what to expect from their new sound, but I wasn't expecting too much. Basically I was figuring this name change was going to be the beginning of the end for S/mileage as they're sales were steadily dropping the past few years. I am glad to say that I was wrong to think that the changes in Hello! Project (name changes, group disbandment, new group formations, Tsunku's sickness) were going to make every aspect, from music to promotion, take a turn for the worse. The song "Taikibansei", which is the first A-side from the single "Taikibansei/Otome no Gyakushuu" is a departure from the material that S/mileage has released before. That isn't necessarily a bad thing as there are some songs in their earlier catalog that I simply can not stand. For years there seemed to be an identity crisis at the Up-Front offices when it came to how to promote S/mileage. They were either super cutesy and upbeat ("Dot Bikini" and "Yattaruchan") or they were mature, both in sound and content ("Mystery Night!" and "Aa Susukino"). This song is the perfect mix of the two ideas. It is upbeat and catchy but does not have that unspecified quality that might turn off certain listeners with too much over-the-top antics and cutesy-ness. The video isn't going to win any awards, but it's well-edited and put together and the girls all look great here. That being said am I the only one who still can't get used to Meimi's new haircut? It seems to have gotten shorter. The song is where everything really shines though. The arrangement is amazing with one of the best mixes I've ever heard from Hello! Project. The song drives forward with a powerful beat and catchy chorus. I guarantee you that it will be stuck in your head long after you're done listening to it! The lyrical content is typical idol fare I will admit, but nothing too distracting. I'm looking your way, "Mystery Night!".... Everyone gets a chance to show off their vocal talent here too and this is refreshing as some of the bigger groups heavily favor only certain members. Have I mentioned that I have always thought that S/mileage/ANGERME has the best vocal talent in Hello! Project? I'll admit that I am not a fan of Wada Ayaka, but Takeuchi Akari, Fukuda Kanon and Tamura Meimei have amazing voices and the new girls seem to be living up well to the legacy. I am glad to see that their talents are not being squandered in this new single. All this said, I can't wait for the single to come out on February 4, and I encourage all you to check out the video and to mark your calendars for the eventual release date! ANGERME Are: ◆ Wada Ayaka ◆ Fukuda Kanon ◆ Nakanishi Kana ◆ Takeuchi Akari ◆ Katsuta Rina ◆ Tamura Meimi ◆ Murota Mizuki ◆ Aikawa Maho ◆ Sasaki Rikako Hello! Pro Station Episode #99 Contents MC: Yajima Maimi, Fujii Rio and Hirose Ayaka ◆ New Hello! Project Unit Message ◆ New Hello! Project Unit - "Onna no Sono" ◆ Country Girls Message ◆ Country Girls - "Itoshikutte Gomenne" ◆ Juice=Juice Message ◆ Juice=Juice - "Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne" ◆ ANGERME Message ◆ ANGERME - "Taiki Bansei" ◆ Juice=Juice - "J=J School For Girls" ◆ Morning Musume '15 New Year Resolutions ◆ Morning Musume '15 - "Tiki Bun" ◆ C-ute New Year's Resolutions ◆ C-ute - "I miss you" ◆ Berryz Koubou Message ◆ Berryz Koubou - "Love Together!" ◆ Maimi Yajima Announces New Unit This is a big episode as we get to see and hear the new Hello! Project units/members in action! The episode starts with member introductions of the as-yet-unnamed group performing the new song "Onna no Sono". This song is a nice upbeat track that is somewhat reminiscent of the early S/mileage songs. I can't wait to hear more from this group as they have a great sound and I'm sure they'll evolve into a cornerstone of Hello! Project. Especially with the upcoming departure of Berryz Koubou. Next up we get a message from Country Girls. This whole segment confused me as there is Momoko introducing them and acting like a member, but when they perform she's no where to be seen. I am seriously confused as to what her role really is in the group and whether she is actually needed if she isn't going o be performing with them. That being said the song "Itoshikutte Gomenne" is a good song and rather catchy, but I don't think it's going to fly off the shelves. It does have an classic feel to it reminiscent of Country Musume's "Shining Itoshiki Anata" and while it doesn't have the same exciting feel of the new unit's song, it does have me wondering what Country Girls' sound will eventually be. Moving on to Juice=Juice, we get a performance of "Watashi ga Iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne". This is somewhat standard so there isn't too much to say except that they're spot on in their performance as they should be since this is a staple song for them. Watch for Karin's solo in the final chorus and perhaps you'll laugh as much as I did with her over-the-top delivery. Next we get ANGERME (Still trying to get used to calling them that) with a message and performing their new song "Taiki Bansei". This is the best new song of the bunch. I was worried when I found out the song wasn't going to be a Tsunku composition, but that was unfounded as the song is amazing. It has a lively feel and dance and the new girls do an amazing job continuing the S/mileage legacy. I hope this is an indicator that good music will continue to come from them. Next up is Moring Musume '15. We get some New Year resolutions from the girls. Ikuta wants a show, Kudo wants to be cute and Nonaka wants a world tour. Their performance of "Tiki Bun" isn't too exciting except that it contains the 12th Gen members. It's a good performance, but I was hoping for a better track that showcased their post-Sayumi strengths. Not necessarily a new song, but a better choice of song to display the new line-up. Next we get C-ute's New Year resolutions. Maimi notes that it's the group's 10th Anniversary this year and hopes for a Yokohama Arena concert to mark this event. I second this, but I don't know how likely it is. Their performance of "I miss you" is as good as any other. Once again nothing ground-breaking here, but I really like this song so I'll allow a bit of rehashing in their case. That's not fair of course as I'll never tire of this song so it'll always seem fresh to me. Nice editing throughout some of the harmony segments adds a nice flair too. We get a message from Berryz Koubou and a performance of "Love Together!" to close out the series of performances. I love this song too and I am glad that they gave Berryz such a good song to graduate with. The lyrics are completely fitting and are the right hint of nostalgia that will stand the test of time rather than becoming stale. I hope we get to see lots of Berryz Koubou before their graduation. The show closes with Maimi announcing to the then-Kenshuusei that they are to be part of a new Hello! Project unit (the very same one we saw at the top of the episode. Tears flow and we get to see a small number of the Kenshuusei move forward in their Idol careers. That concludes the episode, but there was a lot to see here. From great performances to new songs, this was an episode that was filled to the brim. I should not here that this episode was hosted by Yajima Maimi (C-ute), Fujii Rio and Hirose Ayaka (Both New Hello! Project Unit) who do a good job with this extra long episode. Watch and enjoy! Hello! Pro Station Episode #98 Contents MC: Sayashi Riho & Sugaya Risako ◆ Berryz Koubou - "Love together! (Promotion Edit)" PV ◆ Berryz Koubou - "VERY BEAUTY" Live At COTTON CLUB ◆ S/mileage - "Yume Miru 15" Live At TATSUYA O-EAST ◆ Juice=Juice - "J=J School For Girls" ◆ Q & A Corner This week's episode of Hello! Pro Station starts with the Promotion Edit PV of Berryz Koubou's song, "Love together!". This song is sad, plain and simple. No other word properly describes it. I'll admit that I wasn't really feeling too nostalgic over Berryz's graduation, but this song made me realize how different Hello! Project will be without them. Saki Shimizu will never become Hello! Project leader, Momoko will still be around, but in a different capacity and we'll see little of Risako and Miyabi. A different Hello! Project indeed. Back on topic, the video and song are beautiful and it's a fitting farewell to the group. Few graduating groups, or members, get songs this well put together. I am glad they gave them such a fitting song to close with and didn't leave it with simply "Romance wo Katatte/Towa no Uta". The lyrics are completely fitting and I am more than a little sad that I didn't catch them both times they came to the US. I also wish I had given them more attention the past couple years, especially as I was often busy talking about how mediocre they were becoming. I'm sure that in retrospect I will realize they were an amazing group. Of course that realization will come too late. Onto our hosts. This episode is hosted by Sayashi Riho (Morning Musume '14) and Sugaya Risako (Berryz Koubou. Risako is very close to tears in the beginning and there are some sadly awkward moments at the start of this episode. This is of course understandable with the new video just being played and all of Hello! Project the eve of a series of major changes. Riho must feel it too as this is the close of Morning Musume '14. Very soon they will be Morning Musume '15, Sayumi's absence will become absolute and the new line-up will finally debut. Lots of changes are in store... The episode continues with a performance from Berryz's dinner show at The COTTON CLUB. The song chosen here is "VERY BEAUTY" a song that I never really cared for. I'm sure the set list was better and I wish they'd have chosen a better song for this episode. I'll refrain from bashing this choice though as I just stated earlier that I think I was too hard on Berryz Koubou recently. There are some comments following this and I hope that we get to see more Berryz in their final few months. Iikubo Haruna takes over the 4-kanji phrase segment on this episode. I still am not really sure who this segment is aimed at, but yet I watch it every week anyway... Onto...original S/mileage! At least non-third-gen S/mileage. Here we are given a clip of them performing Yume Miru 15 at a recent concert at TATSUYA O-EAST. One of their more popular songs and one of my favorites. Will we still get the loud "Earphone de" when they become ANGERME? Will they even still do this song? Either way, enjoy this performance of a S/mileage that we will never truly see again. The episode closes with footage from another Juice=Juice fashion event titled "J=J School For Girls" and the usual Q&A Corner with our MCs. Some discussion over the winter concerts and Morning Musume's latest photobook and we wrap up this show. This penultimate episode of 2014 is full of content from start to finish. Last week's episode felt like it had a bit of filler and this episode is the complete opposite. I can't wait to see what they have in store for next week's, which will be the last one of the year! As always, watch and enjoy! Hello! Pro Station Episode #95 Contents MC: Tokunaga Chinami, Oda Sakura ◆ S/mileage Live From Michishige Sayumi Graduation Concert. ◆ Michishige Sayumi Graduation Message ◆ Michishige Sayumi - "Akai Freesia" ◆ Morning Musume '14 - "Aruiteru" ◆ 4 Kanji Phrase: 天真爛漫 (Innocence) ◆ Berryz Selection: Tsugunaga Momoko & Sudo Maasa with Suzuki Airi ◆ Juice=Juice Harajuku Event ◆ Q & A Corner with Chinami & Oda This week's slightly late episode of Hello! Pro Station is hosted by Tokunaga Chinami (Berryz Kobo) and Oda Sakura (Moring Musume '14) Before I delve into the video proper let me say I love the girls' sweaters here. They are very random. Disco and comfortable sheep? Makes you wonder who makes these girls' wardrobe choices. Moving on... This episode is chock full of content and a lot of it centers around Sayumi Michishige's graduation concert. This is all well, good and proper since it is the most important Hello! Project event in recent memory and the first of many changes that are just around the corner. Speaking of the upcoming changes, this episode starts out with S/mileage, a group that will very soon cease to exist in its current form. In this clip we see the introduction of nine-member S/mileage perfoming "Eighteen Emotion". They opened the Morning Musume '14 concert at Yokohama Arena and I'm not sure if this was broadcast too as by the time I joined they were well past this point. Either way I guess I am seeing this for the first time and I'm not sure what to say about it. The new members seem to fit in well, but we don't get much out of them performance-wise as the song stays firmly with the original members. I'll reserve judgement on the direction of the group-formerly-known-as-S/mileage as their future unfolds. I will say that I hope they choose the name I suggested for them! I won't say what it is until the final decision is made, but I think I chose a good one. Did anyone else submit a possible name when the form was up? Oh, did I mention anything about Tamura Meimei's hair? Well, you'll be hard pressed to not realize that it's now quite short, though it is a good look on her if I do say so myself. Moving into the main segment of the episode, we get lots of footage from the actual graduation portion of the concert. We get Sayumi's graduation speech, her performance of "Akai Freesia" and the closing performance of "Aruiteru". I covered most of this is my previous post about the graduation concert's livestream so I won't go too much into it here. "Akai Freesia" may have shocked me initially (keeping in mind that I forgot that it was her audition song) but it has since grown on me again and I find myself listening to Melon Kinenbi for the first time in countless years. As for "Aruiteru" I must once again state that I am glad that we got the original version here and not the one that Sayumi recorded for the "BEST" album. Her graduation comments? They are as funny and touching as ever. If anyone is interested there are subs of all the graduation messages that can be found online without too much effort. Closing out that momentous occasion we move onto more mundane elements of the episode. Another 4-Kanji phrase that I can't begin to understand. This week's one is "天真爛漫" and is brought to us by Kanazawa Tomoko of Juice=Juice. Moving on we are treated to more Berryz Selections. This one features the Berryz Kobo x C-ute live so it features members of both groups, namely Momoko and Maasa (Berryz Kobo) and Suzuki Airi of C-ute. This one is a little more interesting than some of the previous ones as the members have good interactions, but I never really cared for this segment even prior to the announcement of Berryz's uncoming disbandment. Onwards, we go and we get footage of Juice=Juice's Harajuku event complete with backstage shots and interviews. We close with our hosts' Q & A segment and that wraps up another episode of Hello! Pro Station! Be sure to watch as this episode has lots to see, especially if you missed the graduation concert. As usual, if you wait a few days Up Front will put up Japanese captions which Youtube will translate for those that need rudimentary subs. Watch and enjoy! Chisato Moritaka is one of my favorite idols from years gone by. As a matter of fact, she's still performing and recording to this day! Yes! She is very active on her youtube channel (The video I am sharing is from said official channel so be sure to subscribe!) both re-recording old songs and uploading old PVs and performances! A little history about Chisato before you move onto the video. Japan was first introduced to its "Dance Queen" by way of the Pocari Sweat Image Girl contest in 1986. She won and debuted the next year with the single and album titled "New Season". By the way, those new to the idol world will see a pattern in how idols become....idols. They more often than not win contests and catapult into stardom! After her debut, she had many hit songs and albums right up until her brief retirement in the late nineties. Some of my personal favorite songs by her include: "The Stress", "17sai" "Kaze ni Fukarete", "Teriyaki Burger", "Rock 'N Omelette" and "Kono Machi". The latter song (which I share here in an amazing live version) was also covered by Hello! Project group, C-ute in 2013. Furthermore, as an Up Front artist, she has worked closely with artists amongst Hello! Project. She's worked alongside Mano Erina (who covered her "Rock 'N Omelette" live), Abe Natumi (who covered "The Stress") and wrote the lyrics to Country Musume's debut single, "Futari no Hokkaido" just to name a few. Beyond the normal idol activities, she's also unique in that she not only pens some of her songs, but also performs some of the instruments on the tracks themselves! Drums are most common and there are many videos on her youtube channel of her playing. Anyhow, I will revisit Chisato Moritaka another time down the road, but until then watch this video and travel back to the Golden Age of Idols.... |
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February 2024
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