I have an interesting story to tell. I have told this story to plenty of people, and if you know me, you’ve probably heard this story as well. But this story explains why I have been all about Miyawaki Sakura and the St. Louis Cardinals. I really love telling this story, so if you’d like to read on… Back in February of this year, I was still somewhat trying to find myself as a fan of Major League Baseball. I gave a trial run with the Oakland Athletics, but if anybody is familiar with the Oakland Athletics in the 2014 season, you would know that the season was the closest thing to a Greek tragedy. Simply put, I was kind of wondering whether or not I picked the right team to support. Keep in mind that I was someone who owned several MLB team’s hats just to try to find the right team (i.e. Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, Twins, Royals, Cubs, Mets, Pirates, etc.), and picked the A’s because they seemed like the safest option. Meaning that no one really hated them. I was in Las Vegas at the time, and I found a nice looking cap for like, $12. It was a St. Louis Cardinals cap with the 2013 World Series patch on it (which interestingly was a World Series they lost). I actually enjoyed wearing this cap while walking around the Las Vegas Strip.  At the same time, I was catching up with Majisuka Gakuen 4, which had Miyawaki Sakura as the lead character that season. That was the most Sakura I had seen at the time. Keep in mind that I used to be real indifferent about Sakura, and honestly not care that much about her. But little did I know that both Miyawaki Sakura and the St. Louis Cardinals would define my entire 2015. From February until May, I was working as a dietary aide in a nursing home. Some of the responsibilities I had included preparing food on a tray line, washing dishes in pretty unsanitary conditions, and delivering carts of coffee and food for patients. Never in my life had I felt so alone and disrespected…the outfits we had to wear looked rather silly, no one followed the “English only” policy as 90% of the staff spoke Spanish, and I felt disrespected by everyone: nurses, patients, fellow dietary aides, etc. I worked long, painful hours, I got paid minimum wage despite owning a Bachelors degree, and I was motivated to get the hell out of there and work somewhere else. I felt not only physically drained, but also emotionally and mentally exhausted. What does this have to do with Sakura? Just listen. Because I was alone during my lunch break, I would pretend that there was a girl who always stopped by to visit her grandmother at the nursing home. This girl would usually visit at the time I had lunch. She noticed that I had an AKB48 member as my phone wallpaper when she was walking past (at the time it was a photo of Watanabe Mayu), and then told me how she was a fan of Mayuyu for a while now. We became good friends at the time. I told her all about the crap I had to go through working as a dietary aide on a regular basis, I told her about some of the friends I have who also like AKB48, and I told her about how I am trying to find a Major League Baseball team to really root for next season. What was this pretend girl’s name?  Her name was Miyawaki Sakura. And she said she was a diehard Cardinals fan from Maplewood, MO. By June, not only did I pay attention to two the games and current rosters of two teams (Oakland/St. Louis), but I also paid a whole lot more attention to Miyawaki Sakura. I followed a Sakura fan page on Facebook, I had one of her mobame photos as a phone wallpaper, and every time I saw her perform in a concert or on AKBingo!, I would get hyped up. I did this because I pretended Sakura was my closest friend when I needed one the most. I paid a lot more attention to the St. Louis Cardinals at the time, more so than the Oakland Athletics. The A’s season was crumbling fast while the Cardinals were doing well. I still would pay attention to the A’s, but when I saw them live at Angel Stadium (Anaheim) and O.Co Coliseum (Oakland), they lost both games in blowout fashion. With the Cardinals, I only saw them live once this year, at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles). However, I was kind of timid to wear that Cardinals cap I bought in Las Vegas given that there was a lot of bad blood between the Cardinals and the Dodgers (the Cardinals eliminated the Dodgers in the playoffs two years in a row). Given the incidents of violence that occurred in Dodger Stadium, I did not want to put myself in what could have been a painful situation. Thus, I wore a Dodgers cap to the game even though I wanted to root for the Cardinals. That was a loss on my end, as 35-40% of that stadium was filled with Cardinals fans. The Cardinals won that game, and I was frustrated for not representing the team not only I truly wanted to root for, but the team Sakura was rooting for. I was mad for being scared. Because of this, I took the time and effort to really dig into the St. Louis Cardinals history. I researched the Cardinals teams of old, including the Gashouse Gang of the 30s and Whitey Ball of the 80s. I learned to embrace the hate rather than grow timid to the masses. I watched highlights on YouTube and I purchased Cardinals jerseys. I did all of this because I kept thinking about Sakura. Yes, I was pretending that an idol from Kagoshima was my closest friend, but I was happy doing this. I’m still doing this to this day, and I’m still happy! Every time I see the St. Louis Cardinals, I always think of Miyawaki Sakura, and vice-versa. The funny thing is, in August I went to visit Las Vegas once again. While walking around the Strip, I was rocking my good old St. Louis Cardinals cap I bought there in February, and some guy walks up to me trying to sell tickets for a show. This is how the conversation went: Guy: Hey, what’s up man? Cardinal Nation up in here! Me: That’s right bro! Guy: You from St. Louis? Me: Nah, but my girlfriend is. Guy: That’s what’s up. You have a photo? Me: Sure! This is what she looks like:   Since then, I have gone with this story every time someone asks about how I rock a Cardinals cap. Even though I’ve done plenty of research on the team and all of the famous St. Louis Cardinals I would need to know to call myself a Cardinals fan (i.e. Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Dizzy Dean, etc.), I always seem to say “because my girl is from St. Louis” and then bring up a photo of Sakura. I want to have fun with this, since the Cardinals are not exactly well received where I am from. Thus, I think I may follow the St. Louis Cardinals for the rest of my life. I am already trying to plan a trip in June to St. Louis just to see them hit home runs and strike batters out in Busch Stadium. Don’t get me wrong: I still will root for the A’s as well, whether or not they win or lose 100 games. But I am much more hyped with the Cardinals, and don’t mind rooting for a team several other fan bases hate. I am willing to embrace the role of being hated, because who cares what those people think anyway? Look at me now. I quit my dietary aide job for an overall better one as a behavior interventionist. I am looking forward every day to St. Louis Cardinals baseball and whatever the hell the real life Miyawaki Sakura is up to.
Hello friends! Today, I will be doing a review of the awesome indie idol group LinkSTAR’s’ fourth single, LinkSTAR, and all the great songs that come with it! All together there are six songs within this single release (across the two editions), they are all pretty great in their own respective ways and I will see if I can do them justice in talking about them. The order in which I’ll be talking about the songs is as follows: LinkSTAR, Sapphire Tears, STRIDE (these two are both from Type-A), Darling, Himitsu Kichi, (these two are from Type-B) then finally Kaku Thunder ~Sekai ni Hirogare!~ Without any further ado, let us jump right into the music! First up, we have “LinkSTAR” which starts with a solid instrumental intro seemingly performed by a legitimate band. Right off the bat this song has a fast paced, up beat feel to it. Lyrically, LinkSTAR is simple yet affective! With various uses of the members echoing each other while singing (one of my personal favorites), as well as various build ups to high notes. This song feels like it will be super popular in karaoke places everywhere, I’m already singing along throughout the whole thing!  LinkSTAR (Type-A) Next on our list is “Sapphire Tears”, a song that starts with a bit of a slower paced guitar intro. However, even though the intro is on the slower side, once the girls start singing the pace actually picks up and almost doubles from then on out. The tempo switches back and forth a couple times throughout the course of the song, making it fun to follow and sing along with! Another great point about this song is the way the group harmonizes with each other, making it an awesome song to sing together with a bunch of friends! Third we have “STRIDE”, another moderate tempo song with, arguably one of my favorite guitar solos of recent and maybe even the year! STRIDE would definitely have to be one of the songs that I hope to see performed live one day as it feels like the perfect mix of the idol and rock styles of music, making for an awesome live song. While the song is a great balance of idol and rock feel, it is still very easy to listen to and even somewhat of a softer song as well. This one may very well end up being my favorite song of the bunch! I would definitely recommend checking this one out if you get the chance!  LinkSTAR (Type-B) Similar to STRIDE, “Darling” also contains a handful of epic instrumental solos that complement the girls’ singing abilities splendidly! Darling is also another soft and easy to listen to and would also be a great choice to sing with friends at karaoke. Darling in specific seems to feel like the most idol-esque song out of the bunch, very cutesy, bubbly and happy with adorable lyrics and the sorts. Overall a pretty great happy fun song with just the right amount of cute. Next up we have “Himitsu Kichi” which, unlike the previous songs, instead of having a rock feel to the song with guitars dominating the track, mainly has a piano playing in the background with only the occasional guitar thrown in. This song would most likely strike well with those who are fond of the ballad type, even though it is slightly fast paced for a ballad. It would even appeal to those who enjoy singing along with their music as this song is fairly easy to follow along with.  Finally, we come to “Kaku Thunder ~Sekai ni Hirogare!~” the last song of the groups fourth single bundle. This one definitely makes you want to jump up out of your seat and dance along! Just like STRIDE, this is a face paced, exciting rock idol song that seems like it would be a blast to experience live. The way the girls are able to sing along with the faster more intense style of music is without a doubt more than enough to make me dance all around my house every time I hear this song and I’m sure it would have the same effect on many others as well! I have a strong feeling that this song will end up being one of LinkSTAR’s’ best and most reliable hype songs at their concerts in the future! Overall, this single release is jam-packed with a whole lot of great, idol-y awesomeness that will make you want to get up, dance, and sing along as you listen repeatedly to the entire selection! Since there are six different songs, you basically get a song for every occasion, whether it be music with an upbeat rock feel, a singalong feel or even a slower somewhat quieter feel, you will be greatly satisfied with the songs available with this single release! I definitely highly recommend checking out this single as soon as you can, if you haven’t already, you’re sure to love every bit of it! -Eric (BerryzGenius) 
LinkSTAR's Is: Hinano Haru Arisa Mana Yuisa (Graduated, but present on this release) (Photos: Twitter & Official Site) For More Info: LinkSTAR’s Official Site: http://www.linkstar-s.com/ Official Blog: http://lineblog.me/linkstars/ Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/LINKS_OnAir LinkSTAR's - LinkSTAR PV 
The 3 person idol group known as AyumiKurikaMaki, was involved in a car accident the other night on December 27th. While the girls are OK and are currently recovering from the crash, their injuries are severe enough so that the girls are unable to perform any activities for the time being. According to reports, as the vehicle was driving the rear tire was punctured, causing the vehicle to roll. Thankfully though the girls are all safe and sound, but the injuries did range from bruising to cervical sprain (whiplash). Due to their injuries and in order to recover quickly and correctly, the group has since cancelled all of their upcoming events and year-end program appearances. The members and the staff expressed their sadness and frustrations about not being able to perform, as they were all so looking forward to the events, and even apologized to their fans for having to cancel. AyumiKurikaMaki plans on starting up their activities again on January 23rd, when their next tour is scheduled to take place. Hopefully this gives the members and anyone else involved more than enough time to recover and become healthy again.
-Eric (BerryzGenius) Official Site: http://ayumikurikamaki.com/ Official Site Post: http://ayumikurikamaki.com/7454 JpopAsia Post: http://www.jpopasia.com/news/ayumikurikamaki-members-injured-after-vehicle-flips-over::18833.html  L-To-R: KOUMI, MIMORI, RUUNA We here at A-To-J Connections had the distinct pleasure of interviewing the brand new group callme. When we were presented with the opportunity to review their debut album, “Who is callme?”, we knew absolutely nothing about them. Needless to say, we were swept away by how amazing their album was. Being given the opportunity to interview them shortly after that was an immense honor. We hope that you enjoy the interview as much as we did. They are a very fun and unique group who we suspect you can expect great things out of. callme debuted January of this year and consists of three members who were previously in Dorothy Little Happy: Ruuna Akimoto, Mimori Tominaga and Koumi Hayasaka. They first appeared as callme at JAM the Field vol. 7 at Tsutaya O-East in February this year and performed for the first time in April at the same location. Since then they have performed multiple times and held multiple events. Their first album (which released in October) is a testament to their talent, and shows us that they have a very bright future. A-To-J: What are some of your favorite music artists? KOUMI: I like Fall Out Boy! MIMORI: I really like Miley Cyrus ever since I was in elementary school when I was watching her TV show and was listening to her songs. RUUNA: I like Maroon 5 a lot, when we saw them live in Japan, my love for them grew even more and they’re an artist that I respect a lot. A-To-J: Are there any groups or artists you’d particularly like to collaborate with? KOUMI: I want to collaborate with Becky G. since we’re the same age. I’ve very interested to see what would happen if an idol group and artist of the same age collaborated. A-To-J: Are there any other idol groups you look up to and respect? RUUNA: Within Japan, we think greatly of Perfume. They’re also 3 person group so we learn a lot from especially their staging. A-To-J: Are there any other music groups that you look up to and respect in a similar fashion? MIMORI: I play piano currently and there’s someone I imitate while playing… There are quite a few but I specifically imitate John Lennon a lot of the times. A-To-J: Are there any other genres you might want to try in the future? MIMORI: Right now we’re trying out many genres but we haven’t tried country or country pop yet. I listen to country so I want to do it with callme as well. A-To-J: Which countries do you feel would appreciate your sound the most? KOUMI: We would like to go to places that do Japanese festivals/events such as the US and specifically Los Angeles, as well as the UK. We would like to spread our music to not just places like America but to other parts of Asia as well. A-To-J: If you had to choose one foreign country to go to first, which one would it be? MIMORI: This is an easy answer right? RUUNA and KOUMI: Yes, of course! callme: AMERICA! A-To-J: Is there any venue where you would like to perform? MIMORI: We research a lot of festivals because we want to perform at them… but one of them that seemed fun was South by Southwest. RUUNA: We heard it’s done in the middle of the city and music is flowing in the streets so we want to participate in such American festivals. We also want to perform at Japan Expo where they celebrate Japanese culture. A-To-J: What can your US fans do to help you? MIMORI: The number one thing is to listen to music. We put a lot of hard work into the album and I think it can be enjoyed all over the world. I want them to listen to our songs and have fun with us at lives. RUUNA: We just recently released our album and we wanted overseas fans to also enjoy the songs so we titled them all in English. We have Japanese lyrics of course but we also mixed in English lyrics. Even though the Japanese may be difficult, we made it so overseas fans can enjoy the album as well.
A-To-J: Is there anything you’d like to do with overseas fans outside of performing? MIMORI: Yes, I have something! From when I was little, I loved comedy dramas. I watched dramas such as the one Miley Cyrus starred in and laughed at them a lot so I want to make comedy dramas with our fans and laugh together. KOUMI: Hannah Montana right? MIMORI: Yes, “Secret Life of Hannah Montana”! Also I like “Austin & Ally”! RUUNA: I want to introduce our fans to Japanese culture at our fan meetings by wearing kimono and doing Japanese tea. MIMORI: Or eating “nagashi somen”! (Or Flowing Somen. More information can be found here.) A-To-J: Besides performing is there anything else you’d want to do while in the US? KOUMI: I want to go to Hollywood where that one thing is… (Gestures a wide rectangular object) A-To-J: The Hollywood sign? MIMORI: Yeah, we want to go there and… “Photo!” KOUMI: I also want to go to Universal Studio Hollywood! MIMORI: If anything, I really want to go to the festivals we’ve been talking about. I want us to enjoy music there as well. KOUMI and RUUNA: Yes, definitely! RUUNA: I want to conquer all of the food in America. MIMORI: Ah, steak! A-To-J: Is there any other American food you like? MIMORI: Hamburger! RUUNA: Yes, hamburger! MIMORI: The three of us has gone to eat hamburgers before and it was delicious so we want to know the taste from the home of hamburgers. RUUNA: “Big burger!” A-To-J: Out of Japanese foods is there anything you would recommend foreigners try? MIMORI: Sukiyaki! RUUNA: Sukiyaki! KOUMI: Unagi!! “Do you know Unagi?” RUUNA: Maybe “yuba”? (tofu skin) KOUMI and MIMORI: Yuba?? (Laughs) MIMORI: There is something called “harakomeshi” from the Miyagi prefecture we come from. A well-known dish there is “harakomeshi” and its rice cooked with some salmon and roe. It’s very well-known and delicious. RUUNA: It’s a type of “takikomi gohan” (rice cooked with seasonings and different ingredients) A-To-J: Can you tell us any funny stories from when you were performing? MIMORI: There is something funny that happened! During our release event, my shoe fell off and broke. For 3 songs after that I danced with one shoe missing! A-To-J: Did you change your shoe after that? MIMORI: We couldn’t fix that shoe so we bought new shoes afterwards! (Laughs) A-To-J: Have you had any challenging experiences while performing? MIMORI: Out of our dances, we tried out doing Latin Pop style. It was a “groove” that we didn’t experience before so the dance was hard and it was hard to be synchronized.
A-To-J: You mentioned liking video games and anime, what is your favorite video game? MIMORI: I like a lot of different games right now but… the game I thought of when composing “just trust” was Final Fantasy! Recently I’ve been playing a lot of Sengoku Basara. I also like playing Mario Kart and Smash Brothers so I want to play with people overseas! A-To-J: We like games so we play those games often as well! MIMORI: We might be going against each other in one of those games! Please be gentle if that happens (Laughs) KOUMI: I like Metal Gear Solid! RUUNA: I like Taiko no Tatsujin, I play those kinds of games often. A-To-J: It’s not a game that is in the US so we have to import it to play it. MIMORI: So we need to bring it from Japan if we want to play it with overseas fans! We have a lot of these games so we’ll bring them over! A-To-J: What are some of your favorite anime? MIMORI: I have a lot of favorite anime... I’ve been watching CLAMP’s “xxxHolic” as well as “Inu x Boku SS”, it’s kind of a minor anime… but an anime I loved from when I was little is “Ojamajo Doremi” and it’s been the center of me. Do you know those anime? A-To-J (Teepu and Manuel): Not those specific ones… A-To-J (Tiffany): I know of them and I have many friends that love anime as well. MIMORI: Maybe everyone knows Gundam or Evangelion more? Because I love those anime too as well as “Sousei no Aquarion”! I also like the iDOLM@STER. RUUNA: We have all watched “Precure” as well as kids. A-To-J: What are some of your favorite fashion brands? KOUMI: I like “OPENING CEREMONY” and “Marc Jacobs”! A-To-J: What is your ultimate goal in Japan? You ultimate accomplishment? MIMORI: Like a dome tour? RUUNA: In Japan, the “dome tour” has to be the biggest ultimate goal and we would like a lot of people in Japan to listen to our music. A-To-J: Moving forward, what are your goals for next year? RUUNA: Next year’s goal for callme has to be performing overseas. Like we said, we want to go to places like Japan Expo or South by Southwest to deliver our music to people overseas. A-To-J: Please give us a message for your overseas fans. RUUNA: callme hasn’t done any overseas lives yet but we want to make opportunities where overseas fans such as ones in Los Angeles, can listen and watch us perform live. We also just released our new album, “who is callme”, and we would like to convey our thoughts to as many people so please give it a listen! A-To-J: Lastly is there anything that A-To-J can do to help promote callme? RUUNA: We would like you to recommend it to others! MIMORI: We want you to share your opinions and review the album so you can share it with other people, whether it is good or bad. [Editor’s Note: Our review of their album can be found here] RUUNA: Lastly, please love this album a lot! The first half of our interview with callme can be found here! Keep an eye out for other news about callme! The video for the newest single and relevant links can be found below! The above interview was conducted by Teepu Khan with direction by Manuel Figueroa. On-site and post translation by Tiffany Fujii. Official photos courtesy of avex. callme is: - Akimoto Ruuna (秋元瑠海) - Tominaga Mimori (富永美杜) - Hayasaka Koumi (早坂香美) For More Information: callme’s Official Site: http://avex.jp/callme/ callme’s Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/callme_official callme’s Official Instagram: https://instagram.com/callme_official/ callme on mumo Shop: http://shop.mu-mo.net/avx/sv/list1?jsiteid=MSW&artist_id=CALLM callme on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/callme/id968272102 callme on cdjapan: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/person/700706365 callme - step by step  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Recently a friend asked me if there were any original Japanese Christmas songs I could recommend since they had never heard of any. I was shocked since I could easily think of several dozen off the top of my head and assumed they could too seeing as they were also a fan of Japanese music. See, Christmas music is something I really enjoy and Japanese Christmas music holds a special place too. So with that in mind I set out to make a list of my favorite Japanese Christmas songs both for my friend and for everyone else! Well, when I started that list I realized that it was LONG and that it was all over the place genre-wise. Also, it's worth noting that there are a lot of "winter" songs in Japan that have that Christmas feel, but really aren't Christmas songs in the traditional sense. So compiling a list like this turned out to be harder than I first thought. After some deliberation I decided to narrow the focus to Japanese idol Christmas songs. So here is my list! A few notes though. First, while this list has the "Top 10" feel it isn't so much a ranking as much as just a collection of my ten favorite idol Christmas songs. You can get a slight feel for my favorites depending on where the song is placed in the list, but for the most part I did not try to rank them and as you can see I didn't number them. Also, this list is by no means comprehensive. There are many more songs I didn't include for various reasons; mainly space. Also, I only included original songs so you won't find any covers of English Christmas songs here. (There are a LOT of those by the way) Make sure to check them out and build your own idol Christmas playlist! e-girls - Merry x Merry XMase-girls have a new Christmas song this year! The production values are high, the outfits and sets are beautiful and the girls all look amazing. Why don't I place this higher on the list you ask? Well, I have to admit that it's a great song, but I personally prefer Mr.Snowman to this one. That is a matter of personal preference though and I'm sure many out there will disagree with me on this one. That said, this song isn't a bad one I just feel that the whole package was presented just a little better last year. Don't let my opinion keep this one from your Christmas playlist though! It's already on mine! Shige-pink & Kohappink - Wa~ MERRY Pin X'Mas!Kusumi Koharu was always my Morning Musume oshi so I had to add this one here. I am not a huge fan of the cuteness overload that you hear in this song, but it's cute and catchy so we'll just leave it here nonetheless! Besides Kusumi you also get Sayumi in her earlier years, so there's that as an added bonus though I personally feel that Shige-pink and Kohappink borderlined on cringe-worthiness at times. Once again, personal preference here. Mild criticism aside, this is a standard for every holiday season in my opinion. Whether this is your preferred style or not, it's one that you should check out! Petit Moni - Pittari Shitai X'Mas!More Hello! Project songs! This time it's Petit Moni, which was a group that had my first Hello! Project/Morning Musume oshi, Goto Maki. This was a single for Petit Moni and while I always found it weird when seasonal songs are released as singles (Since they can only be played at one time of the year) I think this one stands out. It has the old-school Tsunku-vibe to it and has been covered countless times by other Hello! Project artists over the years in concert. Seeing as this comes from the height of the Morning Musume boom, the production values are high and this song stands the test of time without sounding too dated. A great addition! SCANDAL - Koibito ga Santa Claus "Koibito ga Santa Claus" is one of the Japanese Christmas songs that you can't get away from. Originally recorded by Yumi Matsutoya it has been covered more times than I can possibly think of. It's a Christmas standard in Japan and the version here is from all-girl rock band Scandal. Not quite an idol cover, but it's the best I could find on short notice! That said, it's a classic for a reason. This is an amazing song that can lend itself to many different musical styles not just its original pop or even the rock you see here. If you're making a Japanese holiday playlist just throw in a half dozen of versions of this and you're halfway there! Vanilla Mood - X'Mas Melody Vanilla Mood is an odd one. They were a four piece band (currently three) that played their own instruments (piano, flute, violin, and cello) but they were marketed as idols circa their debut. We at A-To-J have worked with other artists that are marketed as idols even though we feel they belong in more mature categories so we're no stranger to this, but it was still an odd choice of marketing for the group at the time. That being said this song is an amazingly beautiful song that you should check out! Vanilla Mood was never too popular either so there is a very good chance that this is the first time you're hearing of them. Also it's worth noting that this version of the song is actually a re-recording as vocalist/pianist, Keiko, recorded this song solo prior to this group version. Keiko's solo version was originally released on a Christmas compilation of other original Japanese Christmas songs, but that's for another article. This one is just a little fuller with the other girls performing as well. Buono! - -Winter story- Want an idol Christmas song with just a hint of rock? Then look no further than Buono!'s "Winter Story"! I am a huge fan of all things Buono so this was kind of a given. It was actually this song that really inspired me to track down other idol Christmas songs. Buono might have dissolved with the graduation of Berryz Koubou, but thanks to recent announcements I think it's safe to assume that those watching the Hello! Countdown live this year will most likely have the joy of seeing this song performed live! The English is the chorus just a little off (something that can make or break a song in my opinion) but it never feels too jarring and taken in its entirety it is a very upbeat song that is hard to dislike no matter what your preference is. The rock stylings, complete with the occasional live instruments, help set this one apart from the rest. Definitely one to check out! ZYX - Shiroi Tokyo Okay in case you haven't noticed there is a lot of Hello! Project love on this list. While there is a certain bias towards them there is also the fact that they have put out an amazing number of Christmas songs over the years! Many of them were singles too which is even less common. This was the second (and ultimately last) single for the group ZYX and they went out with a bang! One of the catchiest Christmas songs, this song would become one of the most covered songs in concerts during the holiday season. Also owing to when it was released, it has that fun early 2000s idol vibe that you just don't see in music today. A great addition to your holiday music collection! e-girls - Mr.SnowmanUp now is another one from avex idol supergroup e-girls with "Mr.Snowman"! This song has it all, a catchy melody, uplifting lyrics and beat and an amazingly colorful video to go along with it! If you want a fun song to share with loved ones this year then look no further! Being as e-girls is made up of several smaller idol groups, the video has a refreshing feel as each group/girl take center stage. Being that they're avex they also have some of the greatest songwriters at their disposal to write what is sure to become a Japanese Christmas standard. At the rate e-girls are going they might just overtake Hello! Project in the number of Christmas songs in their catalog. While I love Hello! Project Christmas songs, this is something I'd be really happy to see! C-ute - Aitai Lonely Christmas Most of the other songs on this list are upbeat ones, well now we have C-ute's "Aitai Lonely Christmas". Other songs on this list actually have lyrics that lean more towards sad, but this song is different in that you can actually feel it in the music and video whether or not you know the lyrics themselves. This has to be my favorite idol Christmas song period. The song is well-written and arranged, the track is powerful and different than your typical Christmas song and the girls look great in a video that had decent production values for contemporary Hello! Project. It is also worth noting that we at A-To-J have a certain bias to C-ute these days and love to mention them whenever we can! That said, you should really check this song out. Great vocal performances and the song's message of longing can add a different feel to any holiday playlist. SOLIDEMO - Christmas Eve Okay, this is the other song-every-Japanese-artist-covers-on-Christmas song! There are countless covers of this song, both official and unofficial. Why is this you ask? Well, this song is just so perfect! Tatsuro Yamashita recorded this song in the early 90s in both Japanese and English. The Japanese version has been featured in countless movies and dramas and was recently re-recorded last year. There have been all sorts of covers too over the years. Instrumental, jazz, rock, versions in other languages, it is safe to say that this is Japan's most popular Christmas song. The version here is one by avex group, SOLIDEMO. This video was literally just uploaded Christmas Eve 2015 (yesterday at the time of writing) and is one of the best performances of this song I've ever heard. We at A-To-J were lucky enough to interview SOLIDEMO earlier this year too and they are the friendliest group you could ever hope to meet! Also, since this is an idol Christmas music playlist, I figured it'd be best to find one of the many idol covers of this song. So, if you're putting together that holiday playlist, be sure to throw in a few versions of Christmas Eve! Also....just for fun and because we at A-To-J also cover visual kei, here is my favorite visual kei Christmas song! Yes those exist! Mix Speaker's Inc. - My wish [Horror] X'MasWant some visual kei on Christmas? Well, there are actually lots of Christmas songs by visual kei artists, both original and otherwise. Perhaps this is a list I will compile for next year, we shall see. In the meantime here is my personal favorite, Mix Speaker's Inc.'s "My wish [Horror] X'Mas". While Mix Speaker's Inc. have recently gone through a significant change in vocalists after the departure of Yuki, I think they were a special band in the early days and had a chemistry you don't see too often in visual kei. While this song is something of a departure for the group at the time (also worth noting that this was a single release) it has all the hallmarks of a Christmas classic. It rocks at just the right levels without being too heavy and has the timeless feel that ensure that this is a future classic in the making. If you haven't heard it yet then check it out! There you have it, my picks for an idol Christmas playlist. I repeat that this list is in no way comprehensive. There are countless other idol Christmas songs out there that I know of and there are probably far more that I am unaware of, but this should be enough to get you into the holiday feeling! 'Til next year! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
-Manuel (alavic_222)  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. As we all know, Tamura Meimi of Hello! Project’s ANGERME will be graduating from the group, as well as Hello! Project as a whole in spring of 2016. She is doing this in order to start anew and refocus her training on becoming a musical actress. While Tamura is arguably the best vocalist in ANGERME, it can also be said that she is among the top vocalists in all of H!P as well. On top of her being a very talented singer, she is also one of the most capable actresses in the company as well. Put these two factors together and you get the phenomenon that is Tamura Meimi. Taking a brief look at Tamura’s family background, and her own personal experiences, one would not be surprised that she has both an interest in, as well as a skill in singing and performing in musicals. Her mother was a troupe organizer who also acted in Gunma Prefecture in Japan. Her elder sister is also an actress who had graduated from a music academy in early 2015 and joined Toho Ent. Tamura’s first public performance  ©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd. Tamura’s first noted public performance, was when she was just a mere 5 years old and a member of the Dodonpa Kids on March 27th 2004. This performance was during the concert tour of Japanese Enka singer Hikawa Kiyoshi, on the stage of the Okinawa Convention Center. Just 5 years later in 2009, Tamura was cast as Yuiki Yaya in the Shugo Chara musical. This would later prove to be what sparked Tamura’s interest in S/mileage (now ANGERME) and would lead to her audition in the future. Tamura would later become a member of S/mileage in 2011. Since her becoming a member, she has been part of a handful of stage plays and musicals through Hello! Project. One of the most notable musicals being LILIUM, as well as a solo musical put on by S/mileage called SMILE FANTASY. Tamura was given the opportunity to perform a solo number in each of these two musicals and was able to tackle the challenge tremendously! Although it is sad to see her go, there is no doubt in my mind that Tamura will be incredibly successful in her path to becoming a musical vocalist and actress. What kind of musicals would you like to see her perform in? Action? Romance? Comedy? She has the ability for them all so take your pick! Official Announcement: http://www.helloproject.com/news/4010/ Translation of Announcement via Up-Front Link: https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-announcement-concerning-meimi-tamura/991425097583074 Tamura Karen Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamurakaren Notable Performances By Tamura Meimi |
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A-To-J: What is your favorite song on the album “Who is callme?”
KOUMI: I like the song “Precious”. I rap in English in the song. I wrote the lyrics for it. It was my first song that had a lot of English in it. I think it made a great opportunity for people outside of Japan, such as people in Los Angeles and other overseas countries, to listen to the song. So that’s why I enjoy the song!
MIMORI: My favorite song is “Just Trust”. This song was inspired by games. I composed the song when I was thinking how its ilke playing an RPG. The theme of the song is “new beginning from an ending” so I think people that like games will understand the song.
RUUNA: My favorite song is the title song, “step by step”. The lyric “step by step” is repeated throughout the song so I think people overseas will be able to remember it easier so I will love for them listen to it!
A-To-J: If you had to describe your sound of the song “Precious” to someone who hadn’t heard it before, how would you describe it?
KOUMI: I want them to pay attention to the theme of the song which is the warmth or love from people and its romantic lyrics
A-To-J: Which song was the most fun to work on?
MIMORI: Song that was most fun to work on… Well there’s a song called “I’m Alone” and it was fun in different ways. This song is a breakup song but we have never experienced a breakup before… We were thinking how to understand the feelings of a breakup so we simulated breakups within the members. (Laughs) We pretended to be girlfriend and boyfriend and broke up…
RUUNA: We made situations as if we were in a drama and made the song so it was pretty fun.
A-To-J: What is your favorite song to perform live?
MIMORI: This has to be the title song, “step by step” because it gets hyped up. When the audience cheers for us, they sing a part of the song that goes “Oh-eh-oh oh oh~” with us. I feel the unity and it makes it very fun!
A-To-J: Which song was the most challenging to work on?
RUUNA: We have a song called “Be Myself” and it was the hardest song of the album. We hadn’t worked on the lyrics all together since the debut single. The theme of the song was “life” and it was such a grand theme. We couldn’t agree with one thing and so it took the most time to write the lyrics. Till the very end there were many different ideas and we worked hard on the song.
A-To-J: As leader, are there any challenges that you never expected, Ruuna-san?
RUUNA: All of us in callme are O blood type. Same age and O blood type so we’re a bunch of free spirited people. It’s great that we’re all different but our opinions don’t get together well often… So it’s hard to gather all the good parts from each of us, every time. But we do try to make it up by working hard to make something great, so I think its fine.
A-To-J: Mimori-san, where did you learn to compose music?
MIMORI: I started composing as a hobby and at the time I was imitating my favorite songwriter as I was composing my music. There were a lot of things I didn’t know about composing when I started doing it for callme. Our arranger taught me a lot of things such as DTM (Desktop Music) and I’m using that knowledge for composing.
A-To-J: Did you ever think that you’d be able consistently compose your own music when you first entered into the industry?
MIMORI: I didn’t think I would be composing in the beginning. However, as I entered this industry, I started love music more and felt that it was really fun. Then I started wanting to make my own music and started composing so I didn’t think I would be doing this when I first entered into the industry.
A-To-J: Koumi-san, the choreography you do flows really nicely. What kinds of styles or people inspire you?
KOUMI: Specifically, there’s a Korean group called “2NE1” and they really enjoy their lives. Instead of trying to only synchronize with the rest of the members, I can feel that that each member enjoys performing and that makes their fans enjoy the live as well. That is what I felt when I went to go see their live and it made me feel how important that is so I use it as reference.
KOUMI: I like the song “Precious”. I rap in English in the song. I wrote the lyrics for it. It was my first song that had a lot of English in it. I think it made a great opportunity for people outside of Japan, such as people in Los Angeles and other overseas countries, to listen to the song. So that’s why I enjoy the song!
MIMORI: My favorite song is “Just Trust”. This song was inspired by games. I composed the song when I was thinking how its ilke playing an RPG. The theme of the song is “new beginning from an ending” so I think people that like games will understand the song.
RUUNA: My favorite song is the title song, “step by step”. The lyric “step by step” is repeated throughout the song so I think people overseas will be able to remember it easier so I will love for them listen to it!
A-To-J: If you had to describe your sound of the song “Precious” to someone who hadn’t heard it before, how would you describe it?
KOUMI: I want them to pay attention to the theme of the song which is the warmth or love from people and its romantic lyrics
A-To-J: Which song was the most fun to work on?
MIMORI: Song that was most fun to work on… Well there’s a song called “I’m Alone” and it was fun in different ways. This song is a breakup song but we have never experienced a breakup before… We were thinking how to understand the feelings of a breakup so we simulated breakups within the members. (Laughs) We pretended to be girlfriend and boyfriend and broke up…
RUUNA: We made situations as if we were in a drama and made the song so it was pretty fun.
A-To-J: What is your favorite song to perform live?
MIMORI: This has to be the title song, “step by step” because it gets hyped up. When the audience cheers for us, they sing a part of the song that goes “Oh-eh-oh oh oh~” with us. I feel the unity and it makes it very fun!
A-To-J: Which song was the most challenging to work on?
RUUNA: We have a song called “Be Myself” and it was the hardest song of the album. We hadn’t worked on the lyrics all together since the debut single. The theme of the song was “life” and it was such a grand theme. We couldn’t agree with one thing and so it took the most time to write the lyrics. Till the very end there were many different ideas and we worked hard on the song.
A-To-J: As leader, are there any challenges that you never expected, Ruuna-san?
RUUNA: All of us in callme are O blood type. Same age and O blood type so we’re a bunch of free spirited people. It’s great that we’re all different but our opinions don’t get together well often… So it’s hard to gather all the good parts from each of us, every time. But we do try to make it up by working hard to make something great, so I think its fine.
A-To-J: Mimori-san, where did you learn to compose music?
MIMORI: I started composing as a hobby and at the time I was imitating my favorite songwriter as I was composing my music. There were a lot of things I didn’t know about composing when I started doing it for callme. Our arranger taught me a lot of things such as DTM (Desktop Music) and I’m using that knowledge for composing.
A-To-J: Did you ever think that you’d be able consistently compose your own music when you first entered into the industry?
MIMORI: I didn’t think I would be composing in the beginning. However, as I entered this industry, I started love music more and felt that it was really fun. Then I started wanting to make my own music and started composing so I didn’t think I would be doing this when I first entered into the industry.
A-To-J: Koumi-san, the choreography you do flows really nicely. What kinds of styles or people inspire you?
KOUMI: Specifically, there’s a Korean group called “2NE1” and they really enjoy their lives. Instead of trying to only synchronize with the rest of the members, I can feel that that each member enjoys performing and that makes their fans enjoy the live as well. That is what I felt when I went to go see their live and it made me feel how important that is so I use it as reference.
A-To-J: You’re also pretty skilled in English. Why did you decide to learn English, of all the language choices you had?
KOUMI: I liked songs in English and also movies in English so I wanted to understand English. I also wanted to communicate with many people overseas and wanted to share our cultures so I decided to study English.
A-To-J: Are there any specific languages the members of callme would want to learn besides English?
KOUMI: I want to learn Spanish. I think Spanish is spoken in many countries so I wanted to expand in countries that don’t just speak English but Spanish as well.
MIMORI: I want to learn French. I can’t speak much English yet but I want to learn many things before going overseas.
RUUNA: I want to learn Chinese. I really like fried rice and I heard there are Chinatowns all over the world so I want to visit them. I feel like I need to learn Chinese in order to do so, so I want to learn the language.
A-To-J: Have you ever thought about singing in any of these other languages?
RUUNA: We want to make a song with many different languages and sing it at many different countries.
A-To-J: Being self-produced is very uncommon, especially from people who come from idol groups. How do you feel like this unique feature will interest more people?
MIMORI: Since we make things on our own, we share the feelings we put into our songs and I think we can convey that from our hearts, therefore I think we can also reach their heart with our music.
A-To-J: What kinds of challenges do you face, being completely self-produced?
RUUNA: Since we make our music, we get attached to each song so it’s hard to see the song objectively. We try to work this out with the three of us; for example if I, RUUNA, make the lyrics for a song, I have the other two look at it objectively for me and get advice.
The second half of our interview with callme will be posted soon! Keep an eye out for it and for other news on callme! The video for the newest single and relevant links can be found below!
The above interview was conducted by Teepu Khan with direction by Manuel Figueroa. On-site and post translation by Tiffany Fujii.
Official pictures courtesy of avex
KOUMI: I liked songs in English and also movies in English so I wanted to understand English. I also wanted to communicate with many people overseas and wanted to share our cultures so I decided to study English.
A-To-J: Are there any specific languages the members of callme would want to learn besides English?
KOUMI: I want to learn Spanish. I think Spanish is spoken in many countries so I wanted to expand in countries that don’t just speak English but Spanish as well.
MIMORI: I want to learn French. I can’t speak much English yet but I want to learn many things before going overseas.
RUUNA: I want to learn Chinese. I really like fried rice and I heard there are Chinatowns all over the world so I want to visit them. I feel like I need to learn Chinese in order to do so, so I want to learn the language.
A-To-J: Have you ever thought about singing in any of these other languages?
RUUNA: We want to make a song with many different languages and sing it at many different countries.
A-To-J: Being self-produced is very uncommon, especially from people who come from idol groups. How do you feel like this unique feature will interest more people?
MIMORI: Since we make things on our own, we share the feelings we put into our songs and I think we can convey that from our hearts, therefore I think we can also reach their heart with our music.
A-To-J: What kinds of challenges do you face, being completely self-produced?
RUUNA: Since we make our music, we get attached to each song so it’s hard to see the song objectively. We try to work this out with the three of us; for example if I, RUUNA, make the lyrics for a song, I have the other two look at it objectively for me and get advice.
The second half of our interview with callme will be posted soon! Keep an eye out for it and for other news on callme! The video for the newest single and relevant links can be found below!
The above interview was conducted by Teepu Khan with direction by Manuel Figueroa. On-site and post translation by Tiffany Fujii.
Official pictures courtesy of avex
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callme - step by step
callme is:
- Akimoto Ruuna (秋元瑠海)
- Tominaga Mimori (富永美杜)
- Hayasaka Koumi (早坂香美)
For More Information:
callme’s Official Site: http://avex.jp/callme/
callme’s Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/callme_official
callme’s Official Instagram: https://instagram.com/callme_official/
callme on mumo Shop: http://shop.mu-mo.net/avx/sv/list1?jsiteid=MSW&artist_id=CALLM
callme on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/callme/id968272102
callme on cdjapan: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/person/700706365
- Akimoto Ruuna (秋元瑠海)
- Tominaga Mimori (富永美杜)
- Hayasaka Koumi (早坂香美)
For More Information:
callme’s Official Site: http://avex.jp/callme/
callme’s Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/callme_official
callme’s Official Instagram: https://instagram.com/callme_official/
callme on mumo Shop: http://shop.mu-mo.net/avx/sv/list1?jsiteid=MSW&artist_id=CALLM
callme on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/callme/id968272102
callme on cdjapan: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/person/700706365
©UP-FRONT PROMOTION Co., Ltd.
Meimi Tamura, 2nd generation member of ANGERME, has just announced that she will be graduating this coming spring of 2016. She said that she wants to pursue a career as a musical actress. Meimi has oftentimes been referred to as the strongest singer in ANGERME, so this goal suits her perfectly. No official date or information for the graduation has been released yet.
Meimi joined S/mileage (later rebranded as ANGERME) on August 14, 2011 alongside Kana Nakanishi, Akari Takeuchi and Rina Katsuta. Since then, she has grown as an entertainer and especially as a singer. She’s oftentimes been the heart of the musicals she’s performed in, with her (arguably) best performance in the musical ‘Lilium’.
With the recent departure of beloved member Kanon Fukuda, this most certainly comes as tough news to stomach for ANGERME fans. That being said, she will likely have a very promising future. We should all do our best to support her and also continue to support ANGERME as they hopefully continue their stride of success.
Here’s to Meimi!
-Teepu
ANGERME is:
- Wada Ayaka (和田彩花; 1st Generation) Leader
- Nakanishi Kana (中西香菜; 2nd Generation) Sub-Leader
- Takeuchi Akari (竹内朱莉; 2nd Generation) Sub-Leader
- Katsuta Rina (勝田里奈; 2nd Generation)
- Tamura Meimi (田村芽実; 2nd Generation)
- Murota Mizuki (室田瑞希; 3rd Generation)
- Aikawa Maho (相川茉穂; 3rd Generation)
- Sasaki Rikako (佐々木莉佳子; 3rd Generation)
- Kamikokuryo Moe (上國料萌衣; 4th Generation)
Official Announcement: http://www.helloproject.com/news/4010/
Translation of Announcement by Up-Front Link: https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-announcement-concerning-meimi-tamura/991425097583074
Meimi joined S/mileage (later rebranded as ANGERME) on August 14, 2011 alongside Kana Nakanishi, Akari Takeuchi and Rina Katsuta. Since then, she has grown as an entertainer and especially as a singer. She’s oftentimes been the heart of the musicals she’s performed in, with her (arguably) best performance in the musical ‘Lilium’.
With the recent departure of beloved member Kanon Fukuda, this most certainly comes as tough news to stomach for ANGERME fans. That being said, she will likely have a very promising future. We should all do our best to support her and also continue to support ANGERME as they hopefully continue their stride of success.
Here’s to Meimi!
-Teepu
ANGERME is:
- Wada Ayaka (和田彩花; 1st Generation) Leader
- Nakanishi Kana (中西香菜; 2nd Generation) Sub-Leader
- Takeuchi Akari (竹内朱莉; 2nd Generation) Sub-Leader
- Katsuta Rina (勝田里奈; 2nd Generation)
- Tamura Meimi (田村芽実; 2nd Generation)
- Murota Mizuki (室田瑞希; 3rd Generation)
- Aikawa Maho (相川茉穂; 3rd Generation)
- Sasaki Rikako (佐々木莉佳子; 3rd Generation)
- Kamikokuryo Moe (上國料萌衣; 4th Generation)
Official Announcement: http://www.helloproject.com/news/4010/
Translation of Announcement by Up-Front Link: https://www.facebook.com/notes/up-front-link/en-announcement-concerning-meimi-tamura/991425097583074
While at Japan Expo A-To-J Connections was lucky enough to sit down with Linkstar's at Japan Expo LA and talk about their experiences in the US and their unique take on the idol music genre.
Linkstar's is an idol group that debuted in 2013 and currently has four members. They specialize in strong performances that get their crowds hyped with their high energy singing and dancing!! Besides their activities as music artists, they also participate in various projects such as TV, film, and magazine appearances, both as a group and as individuals. Their performances at Japan Expo LA mark their first overseas debut. Their recent single "Linkstar" is available through various outlets in two versions. More links can be found at the end of the article.
A-To-J: Thank you for the opportunity for the interview! Please introduce yourselves.
Haru: I’m Linkstar’s oldest member, Haru Ootomo and my emblem is a ribbon! Nice to meet you.
Arisa: I’m Arisa Matsunaga and my emblem is a star! Nice to meet you.
Hinano: I’m Linkstar’s leader, Hinano Ayakawa. My emblem is a strawberry! My throat is a little hoarse but nice to meet you!
Mana: My emblem is wings and I’m the youngest of the group, Mana Haneda! Nice to meet you.
Linkstar's: We are Linkstar's!
A-To-J: How are you liking it in America so far?
Hinano: It's really cool!
Haru: We've been enjoying ourselves!
A-To-J: What did you like most about it here?
Hinano: Everything!
Haru: The food was really big! All of it was really tasty and yummy too!
A-To-J: What is your favorite food here?
Haru: We really liked the candy!
A-To-J: Are there any music artists, Japanese or otherwise, you would like to collaborate with?
Hinano: Taylor Swift!
A-To-J: Can you tell us a little bit about your name “Linkstar’s” and the theme of Linkstar’s?
Arisa: Its very free!
Hinano: “Freestyle”!
Arisa: Yes, “Freestyle”! (Nods)
A-To-J: Can you tell us about your most recent work, music-wise? Such as your recent single or song?
Arisa: We released our new single, “Linkstar” in June! Our group name is “Linkstar’s” and the CD title is “Linkstar”
Hinano: A-type and B-type… theres two types!
A-To-J: What is your favorite song in “Linkstar”?
Hinano: “Linkstar”! (the title song)
Arisa: It’s a masterpiece! The lyrics are great and you get happy and get positive power listening to this song.
Linkstar's is an idol group that debuted in 2013 and currently has four members. They specialize in strong performances that get their crowds hyped with their high energy singing and dancing!! Besides their activities as music artists, they also participate in various projects such as TV, film, and magazine appearances, both as a group and as individuals. Their performances at Japan Expo LA mark their first overseas debut. Their recent single "Linkstar" is available through various outlets in two versions. More links can be found at the end of the article.
A-To-J: Thank you for the opportunity for the interview! Please introduce yourselves.
Haru: I’m Linkstar’s oldest member, Haru Ootomo and my emblem is a ribbon! Nice to meet you.
Arisa: I’m Arisa Matsunaga and my emblem is a star! Nice to meet you.
Hinano: I’m Linkstar’s leader, Hinano Ayakawa. My emblem is a strawberry! My throat is a little hoarse but nice to meet you!
Mana: My emblem is wings and I’m the youngest of the group, Mana Haneda! Nice to meet you.
Linkstar's: We are Linkstar's!
A-To-J: How are you liking it in America so far?
Hinano: It's really cool!
Haru: We've been enjoying ourselves!
A-To-J: What did you like most about it here?
Hinano: Everything!
Haru: The food was really big! All of it was really tasty and yummy too!
A-To-J: What is your favorite food here?
Haru: We really liked the candy!
A-To-J: Are there any music artists, Japanese or otherwise, you would like to collaborate with?
Hinano: Taylor Swift!
A-To-J: Can you tell us a little bit about your name “Linkstar’s” and the theme of Linkstar’s?
Arisa: Its very free!
Hinano: “Freestyle”!
Arisa: Yes, “Freestyle”! (Nods)
A-To-J: Can you tell us about your most recent work, music-wise? Such as your recent single or song?
Arisa: We released our new single, “Linkstar” in June! Our group name is “Linkstar’s” and the CD title is “Linkstar”
Hinano: A-type and B-type… theres two types!
A-To-J: What is your favorite song in “Linkstar”?
Hinano: “Linkstar”! (the title song)
Arisa: It’s a masterpiece! The lyrics are great and you get happy and get positive power listening to this song.
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A-To-J: What are your thoughts about performing here in the US?
Haru: We were worried at first because of the language barrier… but we used body language and our smiles. It was very fun!
Arisa: Everyone gets hyped easily, so if she say “fuu~!” everyone also says “fuu~!” It was a very fun first overseas live.
Linkstar’s: Thank you very much! [For the fun live]
A-To-J: Can you tell us how all of you came to become Linkstar’s?
Haru: We formed 3 years ago… and she (Mana) is the newest member!
Arisa: She joined in March and we kind of ended up together… yea! (Laughs)
Hinano: We were brought together [by others]. We’re the chosen ones! (Points finger to the sky)
A-To-J: Are you guys fans of anime?
Hinano: (Raises hand) “Me”!
A-To-J: Whats your favorite anime?
Hinano: Rozen Maiden!
A-To-J: Can you tell us more about your time here in LA?
Arisa: Since the language is here is very different from Japan, we gesture a lot and it’s kind of exciting!
A-To-J: What about the fans? How are they different than those in Japan?
Haru: They are all very friendly!
Hinano: Yes! They also all had a lot of energy and moved a lot!
Haru: Yeah, in general all the US fans were very nice and we hope to be able to come back!
A-To-J: Are you fans of any other idol groups?
Arisa: Yea!
A-To-J: Which ones?
Arisa: Momoiro Clover Z!
Haru: I like Passpo.
Hinano: Me? I like myself! (Gestures a thumbs up)
Mana: I like Morning Musume.
A-To-J: Do you have any funny stories of when you were performing?
Hinano: I was trying to do a somersault like move but…
Haru: But she tripped! Bam!
Hinano: Not really tripped, but I fell on my butt!
Haru: We’ve also had times where we bumped into each other.
A-To-J: Were you still able to perform okay after falling?
Hinano: It hurt a lot!
Arisa: Also, when we were performing, my mic flew out of my hands!
Haru: And then her shoe flew off too!
Arisa: It did!
Haru: We were worried at first because of the language barrier… but we used body language and our smiles. It was very fun!
Arisa: Everyone gets hyped easily, so if she say “fuu~!” everyone also says “fuu~!” It was a very fun first overseas live.
Linkstar’s: Thank you very much! [For the fun live]
A-To-J: Can you tell us how all of you came to become Linkstar’s?
Haru: We formed 3 years ago… and she (Mana) is the newest member!
Arisa: She joined in March and we kind of ended up together… yea! (Laughs)
Hinano: We were brought together [by others]. We’re the chosen ones! (Points finger to the sky)
A-To-J: Are you guys fans of anime?
Hinano: (Raises hand) “Me”!
A-To-J: Whats your favorite anime?
Hinano: Rozen Maiden!
A-To-J: Can you tell us more about your time here in LA?
Arisa: Since the language is here is very different from Japan, we gesture a lot and it’s kind of exciting!
A-To-J: What about the fans? How are they different than those in Japan?
Haru: They are all very friendly!
Hinano: Yes! They also all had a lot of energy and moved a lot!
Haru: Yeah, in general all the US fans were very nice and we hope to be able to come back!
A-To-J: Are you fans of any other idol groups?
Arisa: Yea!
A-To-J: Which ones?
Arisa: Momoiro Clover Z!
Haru: I like Passpo.
Hinano: Me? I like myself! (Gestures a thumbs up)
Mana: I like Morning Musume.
A-To-J: Do you have any funny stories of when you were performing?
Hinano: I was trying to do a somersault like move but…
Haru: But she tripped! Bam!
Hinano: Not really tripped, but I fell on my butt!
Haru: We’ve also had times where we bumped into each other.
A-To-J: Were you still able to perform okay after falling?
Hinano: It hurt a lot!
Arisa: Also, when we were performing, my mic flew out of my hands!
Haru: And then her shoe flew off too!
Arisa: It did!
 |  |
A-To-J: Have you performed in other countries?
Linkstar’s: No!
A-To-J: Where would you like to perform overseas?
Haru: France!
Hinano: Yes!
Haru: And… world tour!!
Linkstar’s: Fuuu!!
A-To-J: Where can we find more information about Linkstar’s?
Hinano: Twitter!
Arisa: We have an official Twitter account, please “follow me”!
Hinano: @LINKS_OnAir! We also have LINE account, so you can message us!
A-To-J: Can we message you and you’ll reply back?
Haru: Yes!
A-To-J: What are you plans after this?
Haru: Since we'll still be here, we plan to go shopping and other fun things!
Arisa: We'll also eat!
A-To-J: Lastly, can you please give us a closing message.
Haru: I’m very happy we were able to come to LA for the first time. We’re going to try hard to be able to come back, so please keep an eye on us!
Arisa: We’ve never done lives outside of Japan but we were able to perform overseas for the first time. I’m very happy that we were able to come here to LA and do our first overseas live, it was fun! Thank you!
Hinano: This was our first overseas live and we got to do it in LA! I was excited before we came here but I ended up with this voice (from her hoarse throat) and I’m disappointed! However, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed it here! “Very happy!” Thank you very much!
Mana: We got to do our first overseas live in LA and I now love LA! Thank you very much!
To find out more about Linstar's visit them at:
Website: linkstar-s.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LINKS_OnAir
Blog: lineblog.me/linkstars
The above interview was conducted by Manuel Figueroa with assistance by Molly Ring and filming by Eunice Wang. Post translation by Tiffany Fujii.
Linkstar’s: No!
A-To-J: Where would you like to perform overseas?
Haru: France!
Hinano: Yes!
Haru: And… world tour!!
Linkstar’s: Fuuu!!
A-To-J: Where can we find more information about Linkstar’s?
Hinano: Twitter!
Arisa: We have an official Twitter account, please “follow me”!
Hinano: @LINKS_OnAir! We also have LINE account, so you can message us!
A-To-J: Can we message you and you’ll reply back?
Haru: Yes!
A-To-J: What are you plans after this?
Haru: Since we'll still be here, we plan to go shopping and other fun things!
Arisa: We'll also eat!
A-To-J: Lastly, can you please give us a closing message.
Haru: I’m very happy we were able to come to LA for the first time. We’re going to try hard to be able to come back, so please keep an eye on us!
Arisa: We’ve never done lives outside of Japan but we were able to perform overseas for the first time. I’m very happy that we were able to come here to LA and do our first overseas live, it was fun! Thank you!
Hinano: This was our first overseas live and we got to do it in LA! I was excited before we came here but I ended up with this voice (from her hoarse throat) and I’m disappointed! However, I had a lot of fun and enjoyed it here! “Very happy!” Thank you very much!
Mana: We got to do our first overseas live in LA and I now love LA! Thank you very much!
To find out more about Linstar's visit them at:
Website: linkstar-s.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LINKS_OnAir
Blog: lineblog.me/linkstars
The above interview was conducted by Manuel Figueroa with assistance by Molly Ring and filming by Eunice Wang. Post translation by Tiffany Fujii.
Linkstar 's- Linkstar
What a year 2015 has been. There were so many highs, a few lows, and yes, so many idol songs. I would say this was a year that I stood a little apart from the whole AKB48/Nogizaka46 line and went towards other idol groups, and boy were there a lot of idol groups.
The main reason why I want to write this article is because there are five idol songs released this year that all share a special story. Each song defines my 2015, and I am willing to tell you exactly why. If you want you can give all five of these songs a listen! Just make sure you can find a way around YouTube’s prohibition on Japanese pop music, because one out of these five is unavailable. [Editor's Note: This may be worked out in the future]
No, this is not a “Top Five” list.
Let me lay one important thing about this article: this is an idols only set. Unfortunately, that means no Kyary Pamyu Pamyu or Perfume on this list, which is a shame because I would definitely include “KISEKAE” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and “STAR TRAIN” by Perfume easily on this list…but without further ado, here are five idol songs that shaped my 2015.
The main reason why I want to write this article is because there are five idol songs released this year that all share a special story. Each song defines my 2015, and I am willing to tell you exactly why. If you want you can give all five of these songs a listen! Just make sure you can find a way around YouTube’s prohibition on Japanese pop music, because one out of these five is unavailable. [Editor's Note: This may be worked out in the future]
No, this is not a “Top Five” list.
Let me lay one important thing about this article: this is an idols only set. Unfortunately, that means no Kyary Pamyu Pamyu or Perfume on this list, which is a shame because I would definitely include “KISEKAE” by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and “STAR TRAIN” by Perfume easily on this list…but without further ado, here are five idol songs that shaped my 2015.
“Akiba Romance” – Hiiragi Rio
This year was the first time I visited the Japan Expo in Los Angeles. Despite the rather weak turnout, the event overall was a fun experience. The real star of the show was definitely the idol performances. From some up and coming acts (Linkstar’s, Roli Angels) to some more well known acts (Cheeky Parade), the idol performances as a whole were a sight to behold. Despite the variety, the best performance in my book was Hiiragi Rio. Let’s just say that she has an idol song that celebrates otaku and wota culture. The real hook behind the song is that it is one of the bounciest songs you will ever listen to. Even when Hiiragi Rio was performing this live, you couldn’t help but to rock back and forth during the chorus.
Fortunately, this song was not blocked in the United States. Give it a try!
Fortunately, this song was not blocked in the United States. Give it a try!
“Halloween Night” – AKB48
Because I am an honest fan of AKB48, at least one of their singles had to be here. What better way than the Sousenkyo single for 2015?
Let me tell you the story about this one. A few of my friends had a get together for the Sousenkyo election, as we counted down every member who ranked. Most of us wanted someone other than Sashihara Rino to take the crown, but she won in a completely dominating fashion. The night overall was fun and exciting, most especially due to the reactions we had over every entry.
Fast forward to a few months later and the first performance of “Halloween Night” happens. At first it sounded a little weak and almost like a B-side, but like most AKB48 songs this one grew on me. This had a disco feel and I have a thing for 70’s disco. It even came with a dance routine! Of course, I jumped right on this and my friends and I filmed the routine to present to AKB48 management. It took several tries to get all of the steps, as this dance routine was not as easy as “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” or “Kokoro no Placard”.
Unfortunately, the recent YouTube prohibition hit AKB48 the hardest, and nothing is available on AKB48’s official account to American fans. Looks like I may never see how the “Halloween Night” routine turned out…
Let me tell you the story about this one. A few of my friends had a get together for the Sousenkyo election, as we counted down every member who ranked. Most of us wanted someone other than Sashihara Rino to take the crown, but she won in a completely dominating fashion. The night overall was fun and exciting, most especially due to the reactions we had over every entry.
Fast forward to a few months later and the first performance of “Halloween Night” happens. At first it sounded a little weak and almost like a B-side, but like most AKB48 songs this one grew on me. This had a disco feel and I have a thing for 70’s disco. It even came with a dance routine! Of course, I jumped right on this and my friends and I filmed the routine to present to AKB48 management. It took several tries to get all of the steps, as this dance routine was not as easy as “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” or “Kokoro no Placard”.
Unfortunately, the recent YouTube prohibition hit AKB48 the hardest, and nothing is available on AKB48’s official account to American fans. Looks like I may never see how the “Halloween Night” routine turned out…
“Kimi ga Ite Boku ga Ita” – Rev. from DVL
Throughout 2014 and 2015, I heard rumors of some idol who was one who showed up “every 1000 years”. Of course, I grew kind of curious as to who this “Idol of 1000 Years” was. I found out it was a girl named Hashimoto Kanna, and that one image can give you that title.
This was the first year I have one of Rev. from DVL’s songs a listen. I did like what I was listening to, and I will admit that Hashimoto Kanna was able to stand out in the music video. Let me just say that I did jump on the Hashimoto Kanna bandwagon and am not ashamed to have done so.
I feel like the more I talk about Hashimoto Kanna, the more I am doing a disservice to the other idols in the lineup…but really, the only person whose aura resonates in my book is Hashimoto Kanna. She is more of an idol cyborg than Watanabe Mayu, and that’s saying something.
Surprisingly, Rev. from DVL is not blocked on YouTube, so take a look.
This was the first year I have one of Rev. from DVL’s songs a listen. I did like what I was listening to, and I will admit that Hashimoto Kanna was able to stand out in the music video. Let me just say that I did jump on the Hashimoto Kanna bandwagon and am not ashamed to have done so.
I feel like the more I talk about Hashimoto Kanna, the more I am doing a disservice to the other idols in the lineup…but really, the only person whose aura resonates in my book is Hashimoto Kanna. She is more of an idol cyborg than Watanabe Mayu, and that’s saying something.
Surprisingly, Rev. from DVL is not blocked on YouTube, so take a look.
“Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” – Nogizaka46
With Nogizaka46 receiving one of the biggest snubs on the NHK Kouhaku the previous year, they had to make a statement. With three releases throughout the year, a baseball-based comedy/drama, and a slew of new shows, Nogizaka46 was a lock for NHK Kouhaku this year. No scandals even got in the way this time.
There was a reason why I picked “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” over the other two singles. I would say “Inochi wa Utsukushii” sounded powerful and a tad dark, and “Taiyou Knock” was bright and energetic. Then we get to this single, and basically everything that this song is used for makes you cry. This song was used for the animated film, The Anthem of the Heart. Even watching the trailer of the film makes you want to tear up! Then there’s the music video, which makes you tear up even more than that.
I swear that a good chunk of singles Nishino Nanase centered for will probably make you want to tear up. There was “Kidzuitara Kataomoi”, and now there is this.
Unfortunately with Nogizaka46, all of their main channel videos are blocked, and this was before the big YouTube prohibition. The good thing is that Sony Music Taiwan has the music video available.
There was a reason why I picked “Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru” over the other two singles. I would say “Inochi wa Utsukushii” sounded powerful and a tad dark, and “Taiyou Knock” was bright and energetic. Then we get to this single, and basically everything that this song is used for makes you cry. This song was used for the animated film, The Anthem of the Heart. Even watching the trailer of the film makes you want to tear up! Then there’s the music video, which makes you tear up even more than that.
I swear that a good chunk of singles Nishino Nanase centered for will probably make you want to tear up. There was “Kidzuitara Kataomoi”, and now there is this.
Unfortunately with Nogizaka46, all of their main channel videos are blocked, and this was before the big YouTube prohibition. The good thing is that Sony Music Taiwan has the music video available.
“Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪” – SUPER☆GiRLS
2015 was a year where I expanded my knowledge of J-Pop groups and idol groups. There were plenty of groups I discovered this year alone, with Musubizm, Cheeky Parade, FES☆TIVE, and Keyakizaka46 to name a few. Then there was this group, SUPER☆GiRLS.
How I discovered SUPER☆GiRLS involves a web show that I wanted to be a part of. On the web show “Basugasubakuhatsu the TV”, I wanted to be a guest host and watch some idol videos while giving commentary. One of the videos was “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪”, and I got hooked to this song once I heard it. I also found a SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right off the bat in Tanaka Mirei. Perhaps it was her smile or perhaps it was because she was an amazing center in this song. Either way, she became my SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right away, and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. I mean, I spent a good few weeks trying to find her photobook, and only found out that it has been out of print for a year…but I digress.
The song itself was joyful and gave a very bright summer vibe whenever I played it. It also helped that 90% of the video is of the members in bikinis, so of course that got my attention. Keep in mind that the video posted below is not exactly safe for work.
Basically, since the theme of the year was spreading knowledge away from 48 and 46, and towards other groups, no other song epitomized the theme of the year better than this one.
How I discovered SUPER☆GiRLS involves a web show that I wanted to be a part of. On the web show “Basugasubakuhatsu the TV”, I wanted to be a guest host and watch some idol videos while giving commentary. One of the videos was “Icchatte♪Yacchatte♪”, and I got hooked to this song once I heard it. I also found a SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right off the bat in Tanaka Mirei. Perhaps it was her smile or perhaps it was because she was an amazing center in this song. Either way, she became my SUPER☆GiRLS oshi right away, and it does not look like that will change anytime soon. I mean, I spent a good few weeks trying to find her photobook, and only found out that it has been out of print for a year…but I digress.
The song itself was joyful and gave a very bright summer vibe whenever I played it. It also helped that 90% of the video is of the members in bikinis, so of course that got my attention. Keep in mind that the video posted below is not exactly safe for work.
Basically, since the theme of the year was spreading knowledge away from 48 and 46, and towards other groups, no other song epitomized the theme of the year better than this one.
These are the five songs that defined my entire 2015. What idol songs defined your 2015? Let me know in the comments below.
-Nathan (L4verra)
-Nathan (L4verra)
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