Berryz Koubou's Thrilling Kingdom :UPDATE:

I perviosuly stated on this post that Berryz Koubou would be getting their own shown called Thrilling! Berryz Kingdom, but it turns out it's not a TV show at all. Rather it's a radio show on SKY PerfecTV. I guess I just assumed it was a TV show because the station is called SKY PerfecTV. You know what they say about assuming, and having misleading radio station names.

I'm sorry to any Berryz fans who got their hopes up over this post. I'm just as dissapointed as you.

Morning Musume's Nanchatte Renai cover preview

With over a month until Momusu's 40th single Nanchatte Renai's release date, we already have a taste of what the new single will be like. In the form of small picture of the cover.

I'm really liking what I see so far. The girls are looking cute and happy, instead of somber. Which makes me think that we're getting a break from their last two slow singles. And I'm definitely looking forward to. But you can't really judge the song style too much on the covers. Shouganai Yume Oibito's cover are vibrant and happy, yet the song is slow.
Morning Musume is also dressed pretty hot. They're wearing amazing black dresses that look like a mix between Osaka Koi no Uta mixed and Shining Itoshiki Anata.

I expect a lot from this single. Even though Shouganai Yume Oibito was massively popular, I found it boring. I want this new single to have a pizzazz the last 3 singles were lacking. I'm also hoping to see LinLin up front in this single.
Since LinLin is part of the new Mini Moni group and has a solo song on Chanpuru 1~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~, I think it's finally going to be time for her to be featured more in Morning Musume. Maybe she'll actually get a solo line in the new single. She's already proved that she's an amazing singer. She's also already proved she has a lot of personality. LinLin is going to be getting a lot more popularity from Mini Moni, so why not promote her more now. Besides they are going to need some one to take Reina's place when Ai and Risa graduate, and Reina becomes the new leader. They haven't really been shoving anyone else up front lately. Sayumi doesn't have the vocal ability, and Eri will already be up front either because she's the new sub leader or because of seniority.

I kind of went off on a future of Momusu tangent there. So I'll stop before I get into the rest of the members.

A blast from H!P's past

Hello!Project's cover album Chanpuru 1~Happy Marriage Song Cover Shuu~ is being released on July 15th. Here's the full track list that was released recently.

1. Diamonds - High-King
2. Ai wa Katsu - °C-ute & Erina Mano
3. YES-YES-YES - Aa! [Tanaka Reina, Natsuyaki Miyabi, Suzuki Airi]
4. Tentou Chuu no Sanba - Shin Minimoni (New Minimoni) [Linlin, Kanon Fukuda, ???]
5. Kimi ga iru dake de - Pucchimoni V (Erina Mano, ???)
6. Heya to Y shirts to Watashi - Reina Tanaka
7. Mamotte Agetai - Risa Niigaki & Eri Kamei
8. Cosmos - Ai Takahashi
9. Mirai Yosouzu II - ZYX-α (ZYX alpha)
10. ONLY YOU - Zoku･Biyuuden (Sequel Biyuuden)
11. akai sweet pea - Tanpopo #
12. For You… - Linlin
13. Kanpaku Sengen - Berryz Koubou & Erina Mano
14. Sekai wa futari no tame ni - Sayumi Michishige, Koharu Kusumi, Aika Mitsui, Junjun


I'm sure most H!P fans were shocked by the track list. I definitely was. I was really surprised to see H!P reviving so many old groups. ZYX, Tanpopo, Mini Moni, V-U-DEN, Pucchimoni, Aa!, and High King are all making a comeback. H!P really seems to be pulling all the stops. There's even a LinLin solo! Which is beyond amazing.
I can't wait to see who's going to be in each group. The perfect Zoku V-U-DEN would be Ai, Risa, and Reina. Just look at Take Off Is Now, no one else could be that sexy. I think JunJun would be perfect for Pucchimoni. I also wonder if previous members are going to return to their groups. There's still time for Ai to be in the new Mini Moni.
I hate waiting for things like this.


Even though I'm mostly excited for this, there are some negatives I can't get over. Feel free to tell me if I'm over thinking too much.

Over the last couple of years Morning Musume has been declining in sales. They are not the powerhouse and phenomenon they were all those years ago. The H!P kids are growing in popularity, and yet that's still not enough for H!P to be on top. Sure Shouganai Yume Oibito ranked #1 and Seishun Bus Gus/Rival ranked #4. That's great and everything, but can this current spurt of popularity really last? Tsunku is trying to by bringing back Mini Moni and possibly these other groups.

Honestly this kind of looks like an act of desperation to me. He's trying to recapture H!P's glory days. Which is fine to do, but do it in the right way. Instead of copying the past so much Tsunku should worry about making the current H!P better. He should be making new groups and subgroups. Look how well Buono does. One shot groups like Guardians 4 and Milky Way just aren't cutting it. When need another S/milage group so it can be like Berryz Kobou and C-ute 2.0. And it's definitely time for new Momusu members. I think the current line up is great, but they haven't changed in 2 years. I'm getting impatient for new faces.

I am happy to see these groups revived. And even though they are more than likely only being revived for this CD, I don't really think they should be revived at all. Leave the past in the past. H!P needs to more on to move forward.

Spin the globe with Mano Erina

ManoEri's new song, Sekai wa Summer Party, is being released July 29th. And yet the PV was released already. I guess H!P is trying to keep the attention on her since she recently made her Music Station debut.

The PV itself a little boring and cheap looking. For her dance scene she dances in front of a giant globe in a plain white room. Which is one of the cheapest sets in all of H!P. Ice Creamusume has the cheapest. I understand that the title translates as The World is a Summer Party, but is it really necessary to have that big of an Earth in the background. It's just awkward looking and takes focous away from the Eggs Erina.
Then the other aspect of the PV is the room she plays piano in. And it's just styled as the typical H!P room. This room could have been used for the Chance PV or the Tropical Koishiteru PV. That's how generic the rooms usually are. The room actually reminds me of her Hajimete no Keiken video.
Throughout the PV there's also a lot of weird sparkles randomly placed, for no apparent reason. I sure hope the lyrics have something to do with sparkling, or that would just be stupid.
The upside to the PV is the outfits she wears. Her school looking dress couldn't get any cuter.


Cheap set :/

Dramatic close up of her fingers

I like that she has the Eggs in her video again.

And look at those insanely easy dance moves

I spot a Yuuka

A snorkel how practical

I think I liked this dance move a little more than I should have

And the pixie dust starts. It's makes her suitcase enchanted XD

Now there's a way to use sparkles!

It looks like she's doing the Charleston

I think Erina just got laid. It HAD to be said.

I spot a Kanon

The never ending suitcase leads you to a world of ominous

sparkles

Erina's staying alive. And somehow Yuuka made that move

look adorable

Yeah. That pose is really showing off her rabbit cheeks

What's over there? Is it more sparkles?

They're even doing tap dance moves.

Quick something useful, like a pineapple! LOL face.

Of course she winks stars

Doo kyacchi shiyou ka? oh wait wrong group.

You spin me right round

I've never loved the letter E more in my life

Now act like you've never seen bubbles before


I'm starting to really like ManoEri's songs. I really didn't like her indie singles or her first major single, but her last two singles were surprisingly good. I'm even starting to tolerate like her singing.

LinLin set to lead new Mini Moni

Tsunku announced on his blog the next member of the new Mini Moni will be 8th gen Morning Musume member LinLin. Not only will she be in the group she is also going to be the leader.

All I can say is YES! It's about time there's more LinLin love in Hello!Project. This is LinLin's first side project and she gets to lead it. That's just amazing. LinLin definatly has the personality to lead this group. She's one of the most entertaining members of the current Morning Musume. Word can not describe how happy I am about this!

It looks like Tsunku finally realizes just how amazing LinLin is. Let's hope this makes her shoot up in popularity. I look forward to seeing a lot more from LinLin now! Maybe even the first 8th gen member to get a photobook.

Morning Musume 40th single

Morning Musume's new single is being released on August 5th. The single is currently untitled and will be Morning Musume's 40th single to date.

Wow, another Morning Musume single already. It really seems like Momusu has been a single releasing machine this year. They've been releasing a new single every 3 months. They released Naichau Kamo in February, Shouganai Yume Obibito in May, and now this new single August. At this rate Momusu's 41st single should be released in November. How awesome would that be?

This news is very exciting. To have another single so quickly, makes me beyond happy. I just hope they break from the slow single theme they've had this year. I want to hear something happy, fun, and upbeat. Like Mikan was or at least like Onna ni Sachi Are. And please make it a better song than Shouganai Yume Oibito.

S/mileage first indie single Ama no Jaku

H!P's new Egg group debuting this fall S/mileage is releasing their first indie single entitled Ama no Jaku. Even thought the song doesn't have a release date the song will be played at June 7th's Hello! Pro Eggs concert Shinjin Kouen, and also on Takahashi Ai's radio show June 4th. We also have a short preview of the clip via a S/mileage Fan Club announcement.

I'm actually really excited for the full version now. The PV looks like something ManoEri would make. And the outfits look a bit like something AKB48 would wear. But, I really love the high school setting of the PV. It gives it that Shouganai Yume Oibito and Honto no Jibun feel. Everyone looks amazing in the PV too. I found myself focusing a lot on Saki rather than just Yuuka and Kanon. I never realized how adorable she is!
I also really love the song so far. It sounds really adorable. I kind of wish they would have played more than just the chorus though. I'm really curious to see how the lines were distributed. But it's still nice to hear how well their voices blend together.
I also loved after the preview how cute everyone pronounced S/mileage. I also wish I could see the picture of S/mileage that their holding up better. But I guess I'll have to wait for that.