Ryo-chan a plagiarist?!

There's a rumor going around that NEWS member Nishikido Ryo plagiarized his solo song, Ordinary, from NEWS' third album Color. Ryo claimed to have written, composed, and arranged this song himself. And yet it sounds strikingly similar to ACIDMAN's song Slow Rain. People also claimed it sounds like ACIDMAN's song Free Star, but it sounds nothing like it.

Now this news is pretty shocking to me. Mostly because he's my absolutely favorite JE member and I'm defiantly in love with him. It's also shocking because Color was released over two months ago. So why the rumor now? This news also makes me really disappointed in Ryo. I was really impressed that he did everything by himself. As much as I don't want to believe this, I can't pretend they don't sound similar. They sound 80% alike! Ryo is also an ACIDMAN fan so that proves that he really was "inspired" from Slow Rain. But this rumor isn't going to make me like Ryo less. I would stick by him even if he stole the words, the music, and copied the video!

What is also surprising about this is, it hasn't broke into Japan yet. If it did everything would have been blown way out of proportions. Ryo would have been sued and it would have been a huge scandal. Maybe he'd even be suspended from Johnny's. Who knows? That's defiantly a possibility. It's also possible that Johnny's could have taken care of all of this months ago. JE could have given ACIDMAN a cash payout that was sufficient enough for him not to take it to court. Or he could have given ACIDMAN full royalties to the song. Which are all possibilities. And who knows if they ever happened or will happen in the future.

Anyway, here's the two songs. Decide for yourself if they sound the same. Which they do.

Nishikido Ryo-Ordinary

ACIDMAN-Slow Rain

KAT-TUN PV preview

KAT-TUN has a 15 second preview of their new single One Drop, that's being released in February. It was for a Dwango commercial. I'm not really sure what Dwango is but I'm guessing it's a CD store or something.

Within those short 15 seconds a few things jumped out at me. First of all, JIN! I don't really need to say more than that. Another thing is I really love Ueda with that hair. But he defiantly looked better with his black hair. And I can barely make out anyone else. But I can kinda of see Koki. But it doesn't seem like he's changed at all. His hair is still back and slicked back.

And Kame, I kind of wish I couldn't see him. What's up with his hair? When I first saw him I honestly though, wait a minutes Jun Matsumoto isn't in KAT-TUN. I think I died a little inside when I noticed it was really him. What's happened to his sleek, straight, and sexy hair? It's all curly, flipped, and feathered. It's disgusting! Why must so many JE members make bad hair choices?

Anyway, I'm still looking forward to the rest of the PV because KAT-TUN in all black is just hot. And I'm glad that this song is faster paced then their last single, White Xmas.

Nono's back! Pinch me!

 

Former 4th gen member of Morning Musume, and the other U in W, Tsuji Nozomi is back in action with a snazzy new blog. It was only a matter of time before Tsunku let her out of the dark. She can finally show her face publicly again. So, maybe she can finally be seen on her husband's blog. And not just her hand randomly seen in a picture. But whatever Nono is finally back! And I thrilled for it! I would have liked to hear news about her a little sooner. Tsunku waited until the last minute. With the Elder Club concert coming up she'd be in the news eventually.

I am waiting to hear more news of her career, that seems to be back in full swing. But just how well will Nono sell without Aibon? That's what I've been asking myself since Aibon left. I mean she's been practically attached at the hip to Aibon her whole career. And after Aibon got suspended and fired she hasn't done anything. She voiced an anime character but didn't release any singles. Aside from singing the theme for it. She was also in Gyaruru for about 5 minutes before she got married and announced her pregnancy.

But this blog points in the direction of her starting a solo career or being part of a new group. Which is really exciting. The blog it's self is very cute and pink, just like you'd expect from Tsuji-chan. She has 2 posts and I'm not 100% sure what the blog says since I can speak really little Japanese and can't read any. Horrible translation sites say she has been busy taking care of Nao who turned 1 in November. She talks about cooking things and interest in fashion. She also mentions being nervous about returning to the stage for Elder Club concerts.


It's about time to have official Tsuji news. Tsuji fans, like myself, have been waiting a long time for this. And hopefully Nono has something big planned for the future.

Aya's chocolately treat

Aya Matsuura's 21st single, Chocolate Damashi, is being released on Feburary 11th. And it's meant to be a Valentine's Day present to her fans. Which kind of makes me laugh because it's like indirectly only meant for male fans because in Japan only guys receive gifts on Valentine's Day. Women receive gifts a month later on White Day. But I don't Aya even thought of it that way. This single will also be her last single as a part of H!P.

I'm not really a fan of Aya's more mature music, I only really liked her first few singles. But this song seems genuinely sweet and fun. And the music sounds like something Puffy would be doing, but just a dash more pop. Aya's voice and image are so mature it's really hard to believe she's in her early twenties. Her voice sounds really sweet in this song but that's not really enough to make me love this song. I think this song is mediocre at best. Even vocally Ayaya has sounded better. But I do love the playfulness of it but I prefer her older stuff. It was more cutesy and more over the top.

The first thing that really pops out about this video is her outfit. I mean it's practically clashing. A pink and with striped dress with blue polka dotted stockings. Tsk tsk didn't anyone teach Aya not mix patterns. Her shoes, as fabulous as they are, they just don't match. Well they almost do but it looks awkward. And what's up with her mini Lolita hat? If you're not wearing a puffy lolita dress, those hats are just never nice to wear. Even though her outfit is practically a fashion disaster. I really like it. It's put together so oddly enough that it just works.

I don't think this video could get any cheaper. She's covered wall to wall with boxes of chocolate. There's a random bed, lamp, and table but that's it. She doesn't do much more than just sit there. This song is a little fast paced couldn't she dance a little? Or do something? There's also not even close ups of her face. The closest it gets is her torso. Which fits more for this type of song, but still I'd like to see a little something special. I mean, it's her last official under H!P shouldn't she have gone out with a bang? This single should have made them regret the Elder Club graduations not prove it was a smart idea.

Ice Cream Revolution PV 2

Ice Creamusume's second video has come out some time around the 25th. I've been holding off my review until someone posted a better quality of the video. But it seems like the one they have on youtube is the best it's going to get. It really bugs me though, there's weather reports on the side and news scrolling on the bottom. But anyway on to my review.

After listening to the song a few more times I'm actually starting to like it. Though I would love to have heard the music sound a little different then the original. I'm not really a fan of how it's just a carbon copy of the original, music wise of course. But I'm happy that all the girls have solo lines in this song. I am finally able to start putting voices to faces. I was a bit surprised with some of the girls voices though.

ShenShen: Her voice is very adorable and cutesy. She is also the best singer within the group, in my opinion. She has a more mature look about her, so her cute voice is very unexpected.

PeiPei: I was really surprised by PeiPei's voice since she was one of the girls who really stood out to me. I was a little disappointed with her vocals. Her voice is awkward and a bit on the strange side. Her voice is forgettable to me, I can see myself paying attention to her singing less now.

Anchii: I didn't really expect her voice to be as deep as it is. I think her voice is nice, but it's also totally different than anyone else's in the group. In a way she's like the Niigaki Risa of Ice Creamusume.


As for the video it seems like they are going to ride this ice cream theme as long as they can. It's filled with lots of panda cuteness though. It seems the panda runs a popular ice cream stand. So it's filled with scenes of the girls ordering various flavors of ice cream. And just because that's not enough ice cream in the video, with a push of a button the stand magically turns into a ice cream factory. All the dance scenes are shot in the factory and randomly throughout the video there's scenes of ice cream being made. This over use of ice cream is really getting annoying and cliche. We get it your Ice Creamusume, now do something else.

The video isn't all bad though. There's some really cute close ups of the girls and the dance is really cute. It might even the same dance from the original Renai Revolution. But it's not like I can tell. The outfits they wear are really cute too, the turquoise ones especially. They kind of look like an ice cream shops uniform, which is probably what they were going for. But of course those ugly winter boots had to make a comeback. I think they should hang them up after this video, I mean how many times can you wear the same pair of boots?

It also looks like this video took a lot more time and a lot more money. This video had a clear theme and story. Their were even two outfits for it. And it wasn't a plain white background. My best guess as to why this is, they are probably expecting this single to be more popular than the first.

Morning Musume Fall tour preivew

Morning Musume's DVD for their Fall 2008 tour will be released soon, I'm not exactly sure on the date. So Dohhhup posted a video for their performance of Sono Bamen de Bibicha Ikenai jan. I'm pretty excited that, they picked this song to show because this is one of my favorite Morning Musume B-sides. It's in my Morning Musume B-side top 5.

The first thing I notice about the performance is it seems like the group parts might be lip synced. The JA~N parts, and the group verses as a whole sound way to similar to the original recording. But the solo parts are actually sung live. I'm ok with them lip syncing, they have to get a break from singing some where. I might as well be group parts instead of an entire song.

Another thing I noticed singing wise is some of the member seems out of breath. Aika, JunJun, and even one of Risa's lines are forced out for the most part. My only problem with that is, I think this is the first or second song of the concert. They're usually not that out of breath that early on in the concert.

And of course I hate the outfits! I really hate the color yellow. And color aside, they're not even nice dresses. Koharu's and Aika's dresses are pretty, but that's obviously just a fluke. But I do love their glittery silver boots. They match the outfit nicely.

Overall I think the performance is really fun. The choreography is very simple and cute. And everyone looks great as usual. I can't wait until the DVD is out.

KAT-TUN's 10th single

 
KAT-TUN has announced their 10th single, Rescue, will be released March 11th. The song is being used as the opening theme for the TBS drama Rescue. The drama stars KAT-TUN member Nakamaru Yuichi and NEWS member Masuda Takahisa.

I honestly think this is a little fast since their 9th single, One Drop, hasn't been released yet. And doesn't even have a PV yet. Coincidently, their 9th single is also a drama opening theme. It's the opening from the upcoming drama Kami no Shizuku, which stars KAT-TUN member Kazuya Kamenashi.

Anyway, you can hear a small clip of their new song in the commercial for Rescue. But the song is very low and I can only make out Kame's voice and the lyrics I don't wanna cry.

Nami news

On January 15, Nami Tamaki's official website announced the release of her next single, Give Me Up. This will be Nami's 16th single and her first single with her new label Universal-J. It's scheduled to be released on March 25th. It will also be a positive up-beat pop song. This will also be Nami's first release in over a year.

Now I've been a Nami fan since I heard her song Shining Star. Greeting was also the first Japanese CD I ever got. And since so much time had passed in between her singles, I actually thought that was it for Nami Tamaki. Much like Hinoi Team's year of inactivity, there has yet to be an official announcement that they broke up. You have no idea how much that annoyed me. I thought Nami was doing the same thing. Since her last album was her lowest selling album yet, only reaching a peak at number 14. And two out of three singles from that album didn't even reach the top 15.

I also remember being really disappointed when Cross Season came out. The song failed to impress me and the PV and outfits she wore were terrible. I did really like Brightdown though. But honestly, if it wasn't an opening theme to an anime it wouldn't have been as high on the charts.

I'm expecting a lot from this new single. The bar to me is set really high, she's had a lot of time to prepare for this. And I can really care less what number it is on the charts. Since most of my favorite Nami songs didn't sell so well. Heart & Soul peaked at number 13. And My Way only made it to number 18. Nami and her fans have waited a year for this. So I'm expecting something incredible

Maki's new single flys in

 
Maki Goto's first single, Fly Away, is being released January 21st. But only as a digital single. The song is a collaboration wit Sweet Black. Who I'm not familiar with at all. But since Maki is the only one singing, I'm guessing he mixed the song.

The first thing I notice about the full version of the song, is the music is very reparative. The clap sounding parts actually give me a headache. But I love the Ahhh parts added into the music. They blend in really well. But overall, I'm really in love with the song. It has some hip hop elements to it, but she sings it really softly. And as usual her vocals are top notch.

The video is very sultry. Her videos always had the sex appeal to them, but this one is even more so because it's Avex. Even the dance is sexy. It's not noticeably, in your face sexy like Kumi's dances. But it's sexy in that sultry, enchantress kind of way.She starts out the video by rolling around in bed. Then she sits on the bed in nothing but a white sheet, giving off the innocent vibe. But the random mask scenes throw off the pace a bit.

Maki looks absolutely gorgeous in this video. This really is the prettiest she's ever looked. Her new short hair gives her a more mature, confident, and sexy vibe. I think her charcoal/black jacket outfit is the best in the whole video. The sparkly dress she wear under it is really cute.

I think Koda Kumi could have some real competition for sexiest Avex artist now that Maki's debuted.

It's raining Momusu!

Morning Musume's new single, Naichau Kamo, will be released on February 18. And so the PV came out today. It's finally out! It came out much quicker then I thought it would though.
 
I've been a big fan of this song as soon as it came out. I think it's amazing.
I'm really impressed with Eri's parts. She sounds fabulous, I would have liked to see her get a bigger part though. Line distribution is almost fair but not quite. Of course the spotlight goes to Ai and Reina, exactly like it has been for the last two singles. Eri, Risa, and Sayumi get two solo lines. And that's it! Not a peep from Koharu or 8th gen. Except for chorus parts.

And it's sad because Aika and Jun Jun have lower voices, which is perfect for this song. Since it's relatively low, with only a handful of high parts. And what I can barely make out of Lin Lin's voice sounds really nice. And I honestly can't tell when Koharu is singing. Besides the kamo parts, I just can't tell. And Sayumi's solos sound nice. Considering how her voice can sound, she got the perfect lines so she wouldn't over do them. But in the chorus it sounds a little pushed.

But lately it seems like Momusu has been hail marying it. Throwing Ai and Reina up front and hoping it sells well. And that really makes me frustrated. Why even have the other members if you're not going to use them? I mean we haven't heard from Lin Lin and Jun Jun in a single since they debuted! And that's really sad. How are they supposed to progress into better singers if they aren't given the opportunity to show what they can do?

Anyway, if I continue on that subject this whole post will turn in a rant. As for the PV, I really like it. It feels more like a PV, and it's a lot better than anything they've had recently. You have the dance scenes, then close up scenes, and the rain scenes. I really like the dancing scene backgrounds. Everything is put in the perfect place to complement the theme of the video. Even the floor. The marble floor gives a nice reflection of the dance will having that dark, gloomy feel.

I think the rain scenes were a nice touch also. It certainty got the point across. Personally I think a rain version would be cool, but also kind of cliche. And having nothing but rain would get tiring really fast. It's really nice to see everyone crying in the video. But Ai's defiantly looks the saddest and is the most natural. Reina's crying scenes in a way are sadder but they seem fake. She over did it too much. But some of them don't even look like they are trying. Sayumi and Lin Lin look like they are just bothered by the rain, rather than being upset.

I absolutely love the dance outfits for this. It adds a subtle sexy feel to the PV. And Momusu in fishnets is pretty epic on it's own. The skirts are a little reminiscent of Buono's but they are cute none the less. Aside from the outfits being perfect, everyone's hair is incredible. Everyone's hair has a different styling and almost everyone's is gorgeous. Aika's is looking very Momoko-ish. She had very similar hair in the Honto no Jibun PV.

Another surprise from this video is how much Jun Jun stands out. Even though she contributes very little singing wise, my eyes were drawn to her in the dance scenes. The way they styled her hair is just incredible on her. She looks very gorgeous in the video. Good for her. But Lin Lin really fades to the back. I only noticed her twice in the whole video. And those were her close up shots.


As always here's the video. Enjoy.

I know half of H!P

The answer key to the H!P 100 question quiz was posted on H!P yesterday. And I scored 49/100. O_O

I'm a little shocked, I thought I would have done better than that. So I roughly know half of everything H!P related. Which would be cool, if I didn't guess on almost half of them. But some of these questions were really hard. How many people wore a school uniform on the cover of Egao Yes Nude? I mean come on, who knows that off hand! Certainty not me. I kinda feel like the baka girl now. XD

About 2,000 people took the quiz and 50 got perfect scores. That's a hardcore fan right there. I'm not sure if I'm impressed by that or scared. I think it's a little of both.

Momusu cellphone preview

 
Morning Musume's PV became available for cell phone download yesterday. So you know what that means, grainy cell phone quality preview of the PV! Bad quality or not you get 1:40 preview. That's 1/3 of the PV! I really love the video and the song. I'm feeling a hit for Momusu. At least in the top 5. It would be amazing if this went to number one!

The PV isn't that bad of quality if you watch it smaller. And evidently those outfits that have HQ pictures are their second outfits for the PV. Which is awesome because Pepper Keibu only had one.

Instant fangirl just add water

I was reading the blog Wotaku Now recently, and he has a post about how he started idoling. And that made me think of how I became a fangirl. So I am going to shamelessly copy his idea. But it's not stealing if I credit it. XD http://wotakunow.blogspot.com/

Age 7: Yeah I started young. There was a show called Big Wolf on Campus. It was about werewolves and such. There was a pseudo goth character named Merton J. Dingle and I was pretty much in love with him. I thought he was the hottest guy ever. As for today, not so much. But I still listen to his band The City Drive.

Age 9, 10, or 11?: I'm not exactly sure when this fangirling started but it was around then. I became obsessed with Frankie Muniz. I wrote I heart Frankie on everything, put a poster on my wall, and even wrote a song about him. Which I have the lyrics for but it's too embarrassing. As for today, he's still ok looking in my book. Just not as much as I used to think he was. He also has this weird beard thing going on currently.

Age 13: Miyavi! As soon as I heard Jibun Kakumei on random person's myspace I was sold. I started following his career closely and learning everything I could about him. You know you're obsessed with someone when you know things he claims to be. As for today, I still love him. I consider him to be one of the hottest people alive.

Age 14: Once I got into 8th grade I started to listen to more Jrock bands and follow the ones I already listned to more closely. Which made a few people look at me weird. My history teacher also used to call me Ms. Japanese cause I knew a lot about Japan. And could write Japanese words on the board. XD Anyway, I started obsessing over Jrockers, anyone I found attractive. Which is too many to name. As for today, I still love them all. 

Age 15: There was a little show on NBC called Heroes. Which I became obsessed with on it's own. I fell in love with Peter Petrelli. It's because of the emo bangs! I didn't really do too much fangirly stuff over him. Just set him as the wallpaper on my phone and would kyaaa when ever I saw him. As for today, Milo is still hot!

Age 16: Or currently. I'd have to say my current obsession is Nishikido Ryo. I love everything about him. His voice, his body, and the way he can make Shige do whatever he says. I don't know I guess I really just love the cool image that he portrays.

Johnny's Shuffle Groups?

There's a big rumor going around in the JE fandom. That allegedly Johnny's is taking different members from 
each group and forming several Dream Units, much like H!P's Shuffle Groups. Now much like Shuffle Groups these Dream Units are only temporary. On New Year's Eve there will be an event where all the new units are gathered together then put back into their original groups. Supposedly, NTV and Fuji are battling it out for the television rights. It's supposedly happening sometime in April, but who's to say it's not happening tomorrow. It's not like there's an official announcement about this.

I think I'm the only fangirl out there who didn't have a heart attack over this news. I'm actually excited for this, if it is true at all. But since there are mixed opinions on the whole situation I'm going to list my pros and cons of these alleged Dream Units.

Reason 1: It works at Johnny's Countdown. Every year at Johnny's Countdown members are mixed up and thrown together singing other group's songs. It seems to work fine then, and I'm sure it's ratings gold. But this time Johnny's is getting more bang for his buck. Massive amounts of fangirls paying for what they see free on TV every year.

Reason 2: Uchi and Kusano comeback! These shuffle units would be perfect for Uchi's and Kusano's comeback. It can test the waters for a comeback, much like Uchi's solo concerts. It can be a trial period to see if they are good enough to be put back into NEWS. And if they fail it has no repercussion to NEWS at all because it wasn't NEWS they made look bad. No, it was this brand new Dream Unit.

Reason 3: This could slowly destroy a certain Johnny's group. What if this Dream Unit consists of the elite of the elite within Johnny's? If it's a good enough song and if promoted right the single could potentially outsell Arashi's single. So what if they decide to focus mainly on this super group and only giving the respected groups their in one or two singles the entire year? This would never happen but it's a jumbled possibility running through my head.

Reason 4: Just how close are Dream Units to Shuffle Groups? We all know that H!P Shuffle groups went on and main groups still continued to make music. But, Shuffle Groups lasted for the summer and only had one or two singles. Johnny's is doing this all year! So they could put JE singles on hold and just focus on the Dream Units. Which doesn't seem very smart and is also unlikely to happen.

Reason 5: Less popular members can be in the spotlight more. Now many idol fans will argue that their idol isn't unpopular because they are perfect in their eyes. But we all now that's not true and some idols outsell their group mates by substantial amounts. Now some members can be in the spotlight more than they already are. Rather then "Oh I think I can see him but Yamapi or Jun is in the way." And I mean really how many solo lines do Shige or Koki really get? Not enough.

Reason 6: It's easy to juggle two groups, Ryo does it. There's actually nothing to explain on this one. Ryo is in both NEWS and Kanjani8 and does just fine.

Reason 7: It's Johnny's they know what they're doing. Johnny's has been around since he 60's. And practically every single and album they release shoots to number one. If anyone could make it work it would be Johnny's.

Reason 8: We're nothing without our leader. Kei-chan said it himself, NEWS is nothing without Yamapi. What if the popularity with his current group mixed with the popularity of this dream units finally gives them the nudge to go solo? Whether they decide it themselves or Johnny's "suggests" it.


All and all, I'm pretty excited by this. The group possibilities are endless.

You could have Jin and Koki from KAT-TUN, Kusano formerly from NEWS, and Sho from Arashi to make a hip-hop/rap group.
You could have Yamapi and Tegoshi from NEWS, Kame from KAT-TUN, Jun from Arashi and Subaru from Kanjani8 to make an elite vocal group.
You could have TegoMass and Yuri Chinen from Hey! Say! Jump form and cute group.
And so on.

Test your H!P knowledge

On January 12, H!P fans were given a 100 question quiz to prove their obsession with all things H!P. The event was held in both Osaka and Tokyo. The Tokyo event was hosted by Shimizu Saki, Momoko Tsugunaga, Chinami Tokunaga, and Natsuyaki Miyabi. Risako was too ill to appear. And the Osaka event was hosted by Ishikawa Rika and Konno Asami.

So I thought it would be fun to test my H!P knowledge. So you are warned this is going to be a long post. I'm not sure how well I'm going to do because I know nothing about Maeda Yuki's, Iida Kaori's, or Nakazawa Yuko's solo careers. And very little about Aya Matsuura. So, feel free to laugh at my noobness because I am by no means getting a perfect score. You can take the quiz yourself, Hello-Online has the complete translated quiz.

-The Haroten Certification Exam-

First Stage: Discography Questions

1: Morning Musume's big hit "Love Machine" was which number single after their major debut?B. 7th

2: Maeda Yuki's third single was "Tokyo _____." What word goes in the blank?

A. Yoimachigusa

I have no idea. XD

3: Morning Musume's celebrated major debut single "Morning Coffee" went on sale on what date?

A. 1998-1-28

A guess. >_>

4: Iida Kaori's first single was "_____kai ni Dakarete" What word goes in the blank?

C. Kasupi

5: What was the coupling song with Buono!'s single "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"?

B. Minna Daisuki

Yay the first one I knew! Besides the first one. XD

6: Nakazawa's single "Odaiba Moonlight Serenade" was a duet, but who did she sing it with?

C. Takayama Gen

7: What was the title of the single released by Morning Musume on 1998-9-9?

A. Daite Hold on Me!

8: What was the title of the Christmas song sung by Yaguchi Mari, Matsuura Aya and others as the first track on the 2001 album "The Doyou Pops (1) Christmas and Winter Song Collection"?B. Jingle Bells

9: Mano Erina's indie debut CD was called "Mano ____" What word goes in the blank?

A. Piano

10: What was the title of Fujimoto Miki's solo debut song?

C. Aenai Nagai Nichiyoubi

11: How many members were wearing school uniforms on the cover photo of Morning Musume's single "Egao Yes Nude"?

A. 2

12: What is Okai Chisato eating in the "Okai Chisato in Fukuoka" part of "C-ute Cutie Circuit 2007 - Magical Cutie Tour - Photobook "Full Country Tour! 2007 Summer C-ute Travel Diary""?

B. Udon

Even if I cared about Chisato, I have no idea what soba is to even know if she was eating it o_O

13: On the cover of Ongaku Gatas' "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell", who is fifth from the left?

A. Yoshizawa Hitomi

Are you serious? Who knows that?

14: What does Matsuura Aya's album title "T.W.O." stand for?

A. This Wonderful One


15: On Berryz Koubou's second album "Dai 2 Seichouki", there is a song called "Joshi _____bu ~Asaren Atta Hi no Kamigata~". What sport goes in the blank?

A. Rikujou (Track and field)

16: In the choreography to Biyuuden's "Kacchoiize! Japan", each member forms a letter. Which is the correct combination?

A. J=Miyoshi, P=Ishikawa, N=Okada

I love that song and video, but I didn't even notice they formed a J!

17: On the cover of Satoda Mai's photobook "my life", what colour swimsuit is she wearing?

A. Red

18: What animal appeared in Ogawa Makoto's first solo photobook, "Ogawa Makoto Photobook"?B. Elephant

19: On the cover photo of Melon Kinenbi's single "Natsu no Yoru wa Danger!", who is wearing sunglasses on her head?

B. Murata Megumi

I don't follow Melon Kinebi at all.

20: What was the title of Morning Musume Tanjou 10-nen Kinentai's first single?

B. Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia

Second Stage: Concert / Event Questions21:

What was the title of Melon Kinenbi's 2007 winter tour?

C. 100% Melon Juice

22: Who played the part of Cutie Pink in "Berryz Koubou & C-ute Nakayoshi Battle Concert Tour 2008 Spring - Berryz Kamen vs Cutie Ranger -"?

B. Hagiwara Mai

23: What was the title of the opening song in "Biyuuden First Concert Tour 2005 Spring - Biyuudensetsu -"?

A. Bi - Hit Parade

24: Where was "Yuko Nakazawa Birthday Live 2008 Celebrate 35 Years Y-Powerful Stage - Minasan no Request ni Okotae Shimasu!" held?

B. Shibuya-AX

25: In April 2007, Berryz Koubou had a solo performance ot Saitama Super Arena, setting a record for the youngest performance. What was the average age of its members at the time?

B. 12.8

26: In 2004, Abe Natsumi starred in her first musical, "Okaeri". What was written on the apron she wore?

A. Do Re Mi

27: What was the name of the school in Morning Musume's 2004 musical "HELP! Acchii Chikyuu o Samasunda"?

A. Shiritsu Morning Gakuen (Private Morning Academy)

28: What was the national project that Hello! Project members took part in to stop global warming?

A. Team -6%

29: What was the title of the Gekidan Geki Hello Dai 2 Kai Koen, running from 2007-6-15 to 2007-6-24?

B. Edo kara Chakushin!? Taimusurippu to Kengai! (Arriving from Edo!? Time Slip to Beyond Range!)

30: What was the title of Matsuura Aya's February 2003 first musical?

B. Sougen no Hito

31: Who was the MVP of the 2006 Sports Festival?

B. Konno Asami

32: The subtitle of the 2003 Sports Festival was "Nippon no Onna no Ko wa Ongaku to _____ desu (Music and _____ for the Girls of Japan)" What word goes in the blank?

B. Supootsu (Sports)

33: Who won the vaulting competition in the 2006 Sports Festival?

A. Yoshizawa Hitomi

34: Iida Kaori designed the official mascot for the 2002 World Figure Skating Competition in Nagano, but what was the name of the character?

B. Yuki-chan

35: In addition to Matsuura Aya's "Boss T-shirts" sold at "Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2008 Spring - Aya the Witch -", there were also "____ T-shirts" What were they?

C. Jikishachou T-shirts (Next-in-line Boss T-shirts)

36: There were a lot of Gatas goods sold with "_____" for the "Ongaku Gatas First Concert Tour 2008 Spring - Mizaru Iwazaru Goodsal!" What word goes in the blank?

C. Whistles

37: What colour clothes did the Wonderful Hearts members wear in the "Hello! Project 2007 Winter - Wonderful Hearts Otome Gocoro-" goods?

A. Red

38: Where was the "Morning Musume Spring Concert Tour 2000 "Dancing Love Site"" held?

C. Yokohama Arena

39: What number was on the back of the tour t-shirts sold for the "Fujimoto Miki First Live Tour 2003 Spring - MIKI1 -" tour?

B. 26

40: What colours were the logos on the tour regular edition t-shirts sold for the "Abe Natsumi First Concert Tour 2004 - Anata Iro -" tour?

A. Pink and red

Third Stage: Fanclub Questions

41: In which year did the annual "Valentine Gifts" first appear for sale in the fanclub store?

B. 2001

42: Who was missing from the cover of the 1st issue of the official bulletin?

A. Heike Michiyo

43: In the 26th issue, what did Shimizu Saki write as her special skill in the "Hello! We are Berryz Koubou" segment?

B. Dance

44: Who was on the cover of the 37th issue?

A. Morning Musume

45: In the 28th issue, what did Iida Kaori write as her wish to do in 2005 during the "Hello! Project New Year's Wishes" segment?

A. Cooking

46: During the "Dokkidoki Ayaya News" commercial report in the 21th issue, what coulour was Matsuura Aya wearing?

C. Blue

47: What song was debuted at the 2006 fanclub event "C-ute Ouen Kikaku Dai 4 Sen!"?

B. Soku Dakishimete

48: In the 14th issue, what was everybody eating during a break in filming the PV for "The Peace"?

C. Okonomiyaki

49: In which issue were the Hello Project Kids first introduced?

A. 18

50: Which member was in charge of the first even "Hello! Diary" segment, which began in issue 33?

C. Yaguchi Mari

51: Who sang "Furusato" in the fanclub DVD "Morning Musume - Best Shot - vol.4"?

A. Niigaki Risa

52: What song did Nakazawa Yuko sing on the February 2001 fanclub release "Morning Musume Member Solo CD"?

C. Anata no Kami no Kaori

53: The fanclub release "Hello! Days vol.1" featured four events. They were for Country Musume, Melon Kinenbi, Biyuuden, and who else?

C. Maeda Yuki

54: Which unit was featured in the fanclub DVD "Hello! Days vol.5"?

B. Berryz Koubou

55: Ishikawa Rika sang a song in the May 2008 "Biyuuden Final Fanclub Bus Tour in Enshuu" that she said she'd wanted to sing for a long time. What song was it?

A. 22-sai no Watashi

56: Which song was sung in the 2003 "Morning Musume 6th Generation Member Fanclub Members Only! Handshake Event part 2"?

C. Koko ni Iruzee!

57: During the special Morning Musume interview from issue 1, what did Abe Natsumi say she did regularly to make her major debut?

C. Jump rope

58: The July 2006 fanclub one-day bus tour was called "Iida Kaori Maeda Yuki no "_____ no Nouryou Matsuri" (Iida Kaori and Maeda Yuki's '____ Cool Evening Festival')" What word goes in the blank

A. Manatsu (Midsummer)

59: Which animal outfit has Okai Chisato not worn at a fanclub event?A. Kappa60: What colour was Otani Masae's hair during the September 2005 "Melon Kinenbi Fanclub Bus Tour in Nagano"?

A. Blue

Fourth Stage: Profile Questions61:

Which was the correct composition of Tanpopo at the time 2002's "Be Happy Koi no Yajirobee" came out?

B. Ishikawa, Shibata, Konno, Niigaki

62: There were two members of Berryz Koubou in Yaguchi Mari's group ZYX. Who were they?A. Shimizu Saki, Tsugunaga Momoko

63: 2003's group Aa! was made up of Tanaka Reina, Suzuki Airi, and who else?

B. Natsuyaki Miyabi

64: What was the name of the 2003 shuffle group made up of Ishikawa Rika, Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa, Inaba Atsuko, Mika, Satoda Mai, and Otani Masai?

B. 7AIR

65: In May 2007, Satoda Mai released a CD collaboration with another singer. Who was that singer?

C. Makoto (Sharam-Q)

66: Who is the June-born Hello! Project member who is not a Gemini?

A. Matsuura Aya

67: What was the name of the group made up of Abe Natsumi, Goto Maki, Ishikawa Rika, and Matsuura Aya?

A. DEF.DIVA

68: Which direction is the girl on the Gatas Brilhantes H.P. emblem facing?

B. Forwards

69: Apart from Abe Natsumi, who is the only member who was in Kiiro5, 10-nin Matsuri, and Odoru11?

C. Yasuda Kei

70: Each member of Melon Kinenbi has a specialty. Saito Hitomi is the sexy leader, Murata Megumi is the fantastic leader, Otani Masae is the boyish leader. What is Shibata Ayumi the leader of?

C. Beauty leader

71: What was the name of the Sapporo futsal team that Satoda Mai acted as captain of?

A. Sapporo Cerbies

72: In 2000, Taiyo & Ciscomoon were given a new name. Which is the correct name for them after the change?

A. T&C Bomber

73: There are five Berryz Koubou members with blood type O. Shimizu Saki, Tsugunaga Momoko, Tokunaga Chinami, Natsuyaki Miyabi, and who else?

A. Kumai Yurina

74: Which of these Hello! Project members is from Hokkaidou?

C. Miyoshi Erika

75: What prize did Maeda Yuki win in grade five when she took part in the Amateur Kayou{folk ballad - not quite enka} National Competition?

B. Runner up

76: What Morning Musume generation was Konno Asami part of?

A. 5th

77: What was the name of the group that took on the spirit of MiniMoni and was made up of three pugs and a French bulldog?

A. WanMoni

78: There are two current members of Morning Musume who were in Morning Musume Otome Gumi, Tanaka Reina and who else?

A. Michishige Sayumi

79: Which is the correct hometown of Lin Lin?

B. Guǎngdōng, China

80: Which is the correct order for Abe Natsumi, Hagiwara Mai, and Lin Lin's birthdays (starting from January)?

A. Hagiwara Mai, Lin Lin, Abe Natsumi

Fifth Stage: Media Questions81:

On the December 2002 "Music Station" end of year concert "Super Live 2002" on TV Asahi, what did Matsuura Aya appear riding?

B. White horse

82: Who was the other part of the "Sachi Usuko, Usue" combo on "Hello Morning Theatre, Third District by the Park" on TV Tokyo's "Hello Morning"?

B. Kamei Eri

83: On Fuji TV's "Nekketsu! Heisei Kyouiku Gakuin", what answer did Satoda Mai give when shown a picture of the National Diet Building?

B. Waseda University84

On the December 2006 TV Asahi show "Sing the Greatest Mega Hits Karaoke Best 100 Perfectly to Win 10 Million Yen!", who sang "Cutie Honey" without looking at the lyrics and won 2 million yen?

B. Ishikawa Rika

85: Who played the main role of Hanamura Benio in the January 2002 TBS drama "Haikara-san ga Tooru"?

B. Nakazawa Yuko

86: Who appeared in the 2004 TBS Love Theatre drama "Homemaker"?

C. Abe Natsumi

87: In the TV Tokyo anime "Kirarin Revolution" starring Kusumi Koharu, Yoshizawa Hitomi had an appearance playing herself. In which episode did this happen?

A. 15

88: In the "Hello Morning Theatre, Story of the Station Police Box" on TV Tokyo's "Hello Morning", who played the part of "Panda", owner of the Third District Chinese Restaurant?

A. Tanaka Reina

89: Who played the part of the mother of Yuri, Kumai Yurina's character on the minidrama "Little Hospital" on TV Tokyo's "Bishoujo Nikki III"?

B. Inaba Atsuko

90: On the 18th episode of the internet TV GyaO "Hello Project Hour", who sang "Koi no Telephone Goal"?

B. Tokunaga Chinami

91: Who came up with the design the enemy cat (a new character) of "Na-san" on "Kirarin Revolution", during an October 2007 episode of TV Tokyo's "Haromoni@"?

B. Michishige Sayumi

92: What nickname did Ishibashi Takaaki give to Iida Kaori on the TBS program "Utaban"?

A. Kaorin

93: Who provides the voice of Hanasaki Cobeni on "Kirarin Revolution"?

A. Kitahara Sayaka (Hello! Project Egg)

94: What was the name of the character played by Sugaya Risako in the minidrama "Shounan Kawarayane Monogatari"?

B. Sugaya Taeko

95: What was the anime whose theme song Berryz Koubou's Tsugunaga and Natsuyaki Miyabi and C-ute's Suzuki Airi formed Buono! to sing?

C. Shugo Chara!

96: What was the title of Yaguchi Mari's drama that aired on NTV from 2006-4-15 to 2006-6-24?

A. Sentou no Musume!?

97: What song did Morning Musume sing on the 49th NHK Kouhaku Utagassen?

B. Daite Hold On Me!

98: What was the name of the variety program from which ROMANS, consisting of Yaguchi Mari, Ishikawa Rika, Ayaka, Satoda Mai, and Saito Hitomi, was created?

C. Sexy Onna Juku

99: On the 2001 NTV program "24 Hour TV - Ai wa Chikyuu o Sukuu -", Yaguchi acted as the "Commander of ______" What was she the commander of?

B. Handshakes

100: In the animated movie "Tottoko Hamtarou", what was the name of the fictional idol group created for the movie?

B. MiniHams

Wow, that was alot harder than I expected. XD H!O is going to post the answers tomorrow, then I'll post how I did.

Puffy Princess

Puffy AmiYumi's new single, Hiyori Hime, is being released on February 25th. It will be used as the opening theme for the anime Genji Sennenki. The song is also written and produced by Shiina Ringo.

This song sounds noticeably different then the songs they've been doing lately. Maybe it's because it's written by someone who usually doesn't write for them. I personally don't like how the music sounds. There's this weird almost bell sound in the background, that I can't help but focus on and can't really get passed. This song is also missing the more rockish element that their songs usually have. I don't even hear guitar in this song just bass. It's a little more mellow music wise then their past singles. But I do like how the song is sung. The beginning of the song has a slow pace singing wise, but it picks up very quickly. But to me the song doesn't sound really good until the end of the song when their practically screaming. I'm really on the fence about this song. Perhaps I'll like it more after I listen to it a couple more times.

The video is a huge step above their last video. They look really pretty in the video, especially Ami. I'm in love with the kimono they wear. And it looks like it might have taken longer than a day to shoot it unlike their last single my story. In the video they appear to be rival yakuza bosses or something similar. So the whole video they are indirectly fighting each other until the end of the PV when they come face to face. But I have to give it to Ami, hands down she makes a cooler boss.

Fly Away with Maki

As many of you know a few months back former Morning Musume member Maki Goto singed with Avex. Looking back on it, that was a perfect move by Maki at the perfect time. Considering what happened to Elder Club. Anyway a few days ago Maki's Avex page was updated with a snazzy new look and a behind the scenes video which gives a preview of her new song Fly Away. http://rhythmzone.net/maki/index.html

Now I'm not a big Maki fan, and didn't really follow her career when she was part of H!P. But I did love her songs Glass no Pumps and Sayonara Love Song. And Maki has always been a fantastic singer. In the beginning of the video, her acapella of the song sounds really pretty. But when the music starts it sounds even better. I'm really excited for this song it sounds like something I would listen to. The music itself is reason enough, it's really awesome sounding.

There's also new pictures of her on her official site. She looks gorgeous in them. And she looks really great with her short hair. She's one of those people that look better with short hair. Like Ai Takahashi and Kanna Arihana look better with short hair too.

A taste of Momusu's new PV

GakiKame were on a show recently promoting Morning Musume's new single Nai Chau Kamo. You literally get to see 5 seconds of the video. But in that short time you get a lovely close up of Risa. And you get to see how amazing Koharu's, Aika's, and Sayumi's hair look. Risa's hair is looking very Princess like. And apparently the outfits from the Winter Concert are the official PV outfits. I really love them. They're very rockerish.

And there is finally high quality pictures of, I'm guessing the cover outfits. At first glance Koharu blows me away. She looks super pretty. And Aika's outfit is still looking very Aibon like. I defiantly approve of that. As far as Eri goes her outfit is a miss. There's just too much going on. With her wicked witch stripped hood and her sparkling elbow length gloves. It's just awful. I'm impressed with JunJun's outfit, it's very chic. This outfit looks like something a fashionista in New York would wear. Yeah I said fashionista. XD Sayumi's clothes are really great too. She turns her rocker jacket into something sweet when she pairs it with her necklace and hat. Those are the outfits that really jump out to me everyone else's kind of just blend in.

And that's it for my style portion. >_<

Shugo Chara Egg 2nd single preview

Shugo Chara Egg's second single, Shugo! Shugo! will be released mid February. A preview of the song popped up a few days ago. Since it's the new opening for Shugo Chara starting with episode 65. The song sounds really cute, even cuter than the first single. I can't wait to hear the full song. And the PV of course. I know my girl Kanon will look adorable.

But until then here's the preview. It even has English subs.

Bu.o.no.- Co.no.mi.chi.

Buono's 6th single, co.no.mi.chi. is being released on January 21st. I always thought the word was konomichi. So now I'm a little confused.

I absolutely love the music for this song. They have really rockish parts and then totally cute parts you'd expect from H!P. But does anyone else notice in the middle of the song the random guy saying yeah a few times? That make me laugh the first time I heard it. I'm really happy though, because this song is 150 times better than Rottara Rottara. This song has that cool rock feel that drew me into Buono to begin with. I'd say this song is my 2nd favorite Buono single. It's gonna be tough to dethronmy top Buono song, Gachinko de Ikou.

I don't think words can describe how much I'm in love with the outfits for the PV. They are amazing and really cute. As for the video it's pretty cute. They walk all over the world and switch outfits accordingly. And that's basically it, but the dance is really cute. Another good thing about this PV is it's pretty Momoko centered which is epic! I love that actually did something with her hair this time. Her hair is starting to get long again, but I think it looks perfect at this length. I'll be really sad if she continues to let it grow.

Watching the PV I noticed similarities with other H!P PVs.

1. W- Aa Ii na

Not only did they copy the entire just walking concept, they also walked in a similar safari setting.


2. Morning Musume Hawaiian Single Medley.

Ok, it's not 100% the same but it is similar even the rainbow part.


3. Buono-Kiss Kiss Kiss

Why do they always drink in their videos?

Shiawase Nichiyobi

Koharu Kusumi's 6th single, Hapi☆Hapi Sunday, is set to be released on February 4th. So of course the PV is out. And all I can say is, Amy=uber excited!

The song did start out a little awkward to me. With the slow, semi rapping robot speak. But after that it jumps right into the cuteness! I am pretty happy that in this song she is singing normally and not over doing it like she did in Papancake, trying to phone in the cuteness. This song seems more natural and effortless. The chorus is very catchy and I love how she says Happy Sunday. And like most of Koharu's songs this one is very addicting. I just love everything Koharu does.

The video itself reminds me a lot of the Chance video. As soon as I got a look at the room it reminded me of Chance. She's also dancing and moving in a lot of animated backgrounds and has and outfit change just like in the Chance video. Her outfits are a little strange though. Her first out reminds me of a hotel bellboy's outfit with magic wings. And her second outfits looks like something an old woman would wear, and yet she pulls them both off. She looks so adorable in this PV. And she really does look her cutest when her hair is in curly pigtails.

And Koharu videos make the best screen caps. But mine are actually more of print screens. XD

Koharu is not amused

Koha is inside my heart. XD

Koharu and the Amazing Pinkucolored Dreamcape

Haato

It's like I'm wearing glasses but I'm not 

Ba ba ba ba BAN

Icecreamusume is dai-jou-bu

The PV for Icecreamusume's first Japanese song came out a few days ago. And I'm actually surprised by how much I like it.

The song is pretty simple, but it's really cute. It's amazing how well their Japanese is in such a short amount of time. I also would have liked to hear everyone get a solo line, because I'm not really familiar with everyone's voice yet. I really liked ShenShen's solo lines though. She sounded really good and her voice is cute. But it's also different than anyone's voice in H!P currently. It kind of sounds like a mix between Ai Takahashi and Yuu Kikkawa. But it's unquie none the less.

As far as the video goes it's nothing special because they are basically starting from nowhere. It's literally just them on a white background. That's boring. I mean, how expensive could a pink or ice cream backdrop really be? And I'm kind of upset that's it's a complete mirror image of the video for the Chinese version of the song, Lian Ai Deng Chang. The only main difference between the 2 is you never see them lip synch and there are Chinese lyrics on the bottom.

I think my favorite part of the whole video is how they really incorporated ice cream into it. They sing into ice cream cones, which is really cute. And they even have ice cream cones embroidered into their hoodies. As for my least favorite part of the video, it's hands down the outfits. I guess they are supposed to be bundled up because ice cream is cold or something. But there's really no excuse to wear furry boots ever. They're just plain hideous.

Another cute aspect of the video is each girl has, essentially, their own purikura pictures. Which is cute and also helped me remember all of their names. In this video PeiPei, ReiRei, and Youko really grabbed my attention.

Who told Hizumi this looks good?

 So I just watched D'espairsRay's video for their new song Horizon, even though it came out over a month ago. I'm not really a big D'espairsRay fan but I do listen to them from time to time. After I got over thinking aww Hizumi's singing in English, they zoomed in for a close up of him. And I was a little bit surprised by what I saw. Apparently Hizumi's sporting a new hair style and it's disgusting. At first glance it's not really much of a change. But he has pretty much had the same hairstyle for years. Straight, so it's a little suprising to see something different on him. It also looks like it might be pulled back. Similar to the hairstyle Aoi from Gazette had a few months back, which was equally gross. But he keeps swinging his head around in the video which makes it hard to tell about the whole Aoi-esque aspect of it.

It's not a perfect mirror image but it's pretty similar. But I'd have to say Hizumi wears it better though. I basically cried inside when I saw Aoi with that hair. I hate it on Aoi.

I'm not even really sure why I care about his hair at all. I've never really thought Hizumi was attractive nor hideous. But recently I've been noticing him more. Mainly because of D'espairsRay's Spiral Staicase DVD. Hizumi without a shirt, I don't really need to say anymore. But it's not really a full on obsession like all of my other celebrity crushes. No, it's really more of he's hot in an odd way. Like Jun Matsumoto and Mao from Sadie.

Anyway here's D'espairsRay's PV for Horizon. Enjoy the epic scream at the end.