Hajimete no Berryz Concert

I don’t think I need to say that I love Berryz Koubou, that’s pretty obvious isn’t it? I also don’t think I need explain how much I love~ Tokunaga Chinami. Those two things however, do setup the rest of the post. On October 11, the setlist for Berryz Koubou’s latest concert was revealed; on that setlist, was “Ohiru no Kyuukei Jikan.” What’s the big deal? Well, what made this special, was that the song was to be sung alone, by Chinami. To the point, the day I heard that Chinami would be getting a solo at the concert, on October 11, I bought a plane ticket to Japan. I just had to be there.

So anyway, after a few delays in my flight, I made it to Japan on Thanksgiving Day. The concert wouldn’t be for a few days, so I filled my time doing a little bit of shopping, eating and visiting a couple places that I missed during my first trip to Tokyo. I could only stay for a few days, with work and school keeping me busy, but I tried to make the most out of my time.

One thing I wanted to try, was to go to a maid cafe. I ended up going to @home cafe in Akihabara. That sure was an interesting experience. They served me some juice and some interestingly designed cakes, we did a little chant, played some games and I got my picture taken with one of the maids. It was a unique experience, one that I was glad to try. The atmosphere, and the moe~ oozing throughout the place was a nice sight.

With the visit to the cafe, and to a few places someone I know recommended that I check out, I was able to keep myself pretty busy. Now, on to the concert…

First, I had wanted to get some really good seats, 1-3 row, center. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get them. But that’s okay, because it turns out that rows 1 and 2 weren’t even available. They were taken out to setup camera equipment and such. I ended up getting 4th row tickets in the center for both the afternoon and evening concerts. With the missing seats, that put me right in front of the stage!

I’ll skip a full concert review, but I will just summarize it and say that I had an awesome time! Honestly, during the train ride over, the walk to the concert hall, and while waiting for the concert to start, I could not stop smiling. And afterwards, the smile lingered, I had so much fun. Chinami’s solo was awesome; the Dschinghis Khan beat-boxing was awesome; the girls in fish costumes while Momoko chased them around the stage with a net; the girls did an awesome job of standing out in their own unique ways; it was all awesome!

And too add to the awesome, being in the 4th row I was able to get the attention of the girls. I mean, I’m there jumping around, dancing and such, waving my bright orange glow sticks and strobe light, and they’re there looking straight at me. I don’t mean they were just looking in my general direction, or just turning my way and giving me a quick glance, I mean looking -at- me. A big, tall, black guy kinda stands out, right, lol. During the two concerts I was able to catch everyone’s eye at least once. Near the end of the second concert, I waved and smiled at Risako and she waved and smiled back. Right after that, Chinami gave me the smile treatment as well. Every time they looked my way, my smile would broaden and I’d wave frantically. I know that sounds all fangirlish and what not, but well, I’m a fangirl yeah, lol. Fangirl? Fanboy? Wota!!! God, I love this stuff.

For the second concert I sat with some big time wota. They were really into it. Before the concert we had talked a bit in mixed Japanese/English where I told them about how long I had been listening to Berryz, the first song of theirs I heard, my favorite member and that it was my first Berryz Concert. Anyway, they were really chummy and such throughout the concert.

Headed back home in about 12 hours. Another great trip to Japan, I’m looking forward to doing it again someday.

Champloo

I went to the Hello! Project summer concert in Nagoya yesterday, and let me say, I had a blast. My first H!P concerts, I saw both the 3:00 and the 6:30 shows and really enjoyed them. Before the first show, I just hung around outside, observing what people were selling and trading. Was going to get in line for some goods, but decided to wait until I got inside. And once inside, I bought a bit more than I probably should have, but hey, why not.

In wota fashion, I was wearing orange shorts and had an assortment of orange glow sticks to support my dear Chinami. Not much, but gotta represent.

In the concert hall itself, at 3:00 my seat was all the way in the back. I thought this was going to be a problem, but even from there the view was great. With that said, at the 6:30 show, my seat was much closer and so I enjoyed it all the more. You’d be pretty hard pressed to get me excited about almost anything, but sit me down in front of a group of young laughing, dancing, singing Japanese girls and well, on my own, I’ll go crazy. And as wrong as that may sound, it is what it is, lol.

An interestingly mixed selection of H!P songs started the concert before the girls hit the stage. With the lights being put through their paces, the mix got you pumped for what was to come.

The opening song was my favorite from Morning Musume’s Platinum 9 DISC, Guru Guru JUMP, performed by the whole gang. When all of H!P is saying JUMP, how can one resist; much jumping did ensue. And with that done, sans S/milage, next up was Berryz Koubou’s Piriri to Yukou!. An oldie, but a goodie, and fun to dance to.

S/mileage was first after the Intro/MC with aMa no Jaku followed by Omakase Guardian by Guardians 4. These ones were a little bit harder to dance to, but still fun.

Minimoni Jankenpyon! Fun song and fun to dance to. I’ve not listened to a lot of minimoni but with this revamp, I’m really liking it. Jankenpyon is one I’ve heard before, but not really payed much attention to. Props to LinLin, and their outfits were pretty cool too.

On the first performance of Mano’s Sekai Wa Summer Party, I think Erina, messed up a little bit, but was alright on the second go round. There are a few points in the instrumental to this song that sounded a bit off, or maybe too strong. Anyway, with S/mileage dancing in the background, this was another that I could get into.

C-ute’s Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu, I wasn’t too much a fan of the song, nor the PV… but the live performance was great.

Seishun Bus Guide has a pretty cool dance, and so I feel pretty cool dancing along to Berryz Kobo’s latest single.

Nanchatte Renai and Shouganai Yume Oibito by Morning Musume; good stuff. With MM on the stage, I think I watched Koharu the most, she’s just fun and… I don’t know. One thing I did catch myself doing whenever Reina was on the big screen was checking out her eyes, they’re so captivating, or maybe amusing is a better word, haha. I don’t know, I like how they’re offset and crosseyed or whatever. Ehh…, LOL. I’m going to have to redo my MM rankings.

Aa! and Pucchimoni V’s new songs were great. In Aa!’s case, I’m definitely liking the sound after being disappointed by the on the Champloo album. In Pucchimoni V, Erina, I don’t know… I think she messes up again.

Moving on to Reina’s solo, she did a excellent job. She was followed Tanpopo#. Yurina seemed like she kinda didn’t fit with the sound of this group, dunno. My Boy was awesome, as is to be expected of Buono!. And then we get some more jumping with C-ute’s JUMP preformed by all.

Ai’s solo… I like the song, but… yawn? I would have liked to see LinLin do her thing, but whatever. Maybe the placement after JUMP and a MC made it seem dull. Again, I like the song and she has a great voice, it just didn’t fit.

v-u-den… Risako, Sayumi and JunJun carry out mic stands as they come onto the stage. There’s just something about their stage presence in this song that is so, bad… in a good way. Risako in her opening solo is really owning the mic and is very into it. Then when the additional instrumental comes in, you cannot help but be pumped. Later on you have JunJun on the ground doing some wicked air guitar, rushing back to the other side of the stage and jamming some more. This was my favorite song on the Champloo album and seeing it live is so much better. The first performance of the song, I could really tell that the crowd loved it, they were really into it.

ZYX-α and High-King do their thing, and then High-King comes on with Cinderella\Complex. That was a bit unexpected, but very much welcome. The dance is one you can really get into.

In the MC here, I just want to point out that Koharu is really fun to watch. Even if I have no idea what she’s saying, she is really playful in a very amusing way.

Special Generation plays and the crowd is really into it. Another Berryz oldie but a goodie. At the end here, Maimi steps out between the Berryz, decked out in white, saying her opening lines from Tokaikko Junjou. The contrast looks cool and is a great transition.

Resonant Blue finishes up the group songs and this one was again, really fun to dance to.

Ending things is Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai jan!, Koko ni Iruzee and after a quick MC, Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuku Youna Mirai de Are! Tho I wasn’t familiar with the last song, it was a good end to an awesome concert.

So yeah, I definitely enjoyed doing the whole wota thing. Chants, claps, jumping, dancing, singing, the whole nine yards. Will really have to look into making this happen more often.

A J-Music Survey: Redux

It’s been almost a year since misa put up the questions asking the community about our J-Music tastes. Now, she’s asking again. While some of my responses have stayed the same, I figured they’ve changed enough to give it a go again.

1. What was the first Japanese song that you ever listened to?
Back in 2002, Momoiro Kataomoi by Mattsura Aya.

Momoiro Kataomoi

2. Did it inspire you to like that group/singer, or did it turn you away?
I wasn’t really into any type of music at the time. I was probably looking for cute Japanese stuff or something (-_-);, and happened to stumble upon the adorable and bubbly video.  While I wasn’t inspired, it didn’t turn me away either. Years after the initial find, I rediscovered H!P and was greatly surprised to find Aya had sung the song. I remembered the catchy tune immediatly and I’d say that Aya has been a favorite of mine for a while, partly because of that.

Gag 100kaibun Aishite Kudasai

3. What is the one song that you have been listening to for the longest time?
Gag 100kaibun Aishite Kudasai gets credit for this one. I think I’ve mentioned this a quite a few times in various ways, but the opening melody grabbed me and I was hooked. Chinami killed me with her cuteness and the whole thing was an eye opening experience of sorts.

4. What group/singer have you liked the longest?
I guess there’s a bit of a tie between Tokyo Jihen, CHERRY LYDER, Berryz Koubou, Nakagawa Shouko, Angela Aki… but again, I’ll give this one to Berryz. They’ve been there since my intro into J-Pop.

Killer Tune

5. What is the song with the most plays on your itunes/media player?
Killer Tune by Tokyo Jihen at 252 plays has a pretty good lead over CHERRY LYDER’s NAMUKIN Girl and Omae wa Ushi ka!? which sit at 234 each.

6. Is that song your favorite?
It’s definently in my top picks, but I wouldn’t call it my favorite.

Rottara Rottara

7. If not, what is?
If I had to pick just one, I’d go with Rottara Rottara by Buono!. Buono! is awesome, the song is awesome, the awesome is awesome, awesome Buono! is awesome… sorry. There are a couple more that I’d say are favs (One’s LIFE by °C-ute, Kirin no Kubi Yori Nagaku Naru by CHERRY LYDER, Gunjou Biyori by Tokyo Jihen, Minna no Ki by Tomoiki Ki o Uetai) and then even more that I’d rate very highly.

8. Is there any one group that you can listen to all/most of the songs by? If so, who?

Kirin no Kubi Yori Nagaku Naru

CHERRY LYDER has a discography of 11 unique tracks, and I enjoy them all. She’s fun pop rocky, and can slow it down too. Then there’s Buono!, and well, they’re awesome. There are some songs that I like more than others but overall their stuff is tops.

9. What is your favorite agency?
Still don’t know, or care(?) about agencies all that much. Still, I’ll go with Up-Front Works cause they contain both Berryz Koubou and Buono!.

10. What is your favorite group/singer?
Berryz Koubou of course. So much to love. The girls are fun and the music is great.

Hello!Project “Cuddle” List

What exactly is a “cuddle” list? Hmm, I’ll let you use your imagination… I shan’t elaborate other than to provide a link to this post.

H!P "Cuddle" List

Hello!Project Poll – Top 10

Paul over at Hello!Blog has put up his latest incarnation of the Hello!Project Poll. This time around, you get to pick your top ten out of all of the current H!P girls. I remember doing the poll around this time last year and found the results to be pretty interesting; now with the inclusion of the soon departing Elder Club and some Eggs, this one will surely be even more so.

H!P Poll 2009

My ten are packed with the Kids of course, with Berryz and °C-ute filling the top spots. I’ve got my thoughts on them detailed in my rankings posts if you’re interested.

Ne~e? Matsuura Aya has always been a favorite of mine. She was one of, if not the first H!P act that I had heard or seen. I’ve always enjoyed some of her earlier works, and while I believe that some of her more recent stuff isn’t as good, I love it all the same. Also, can’t forget GAM. The combo of Aya and Fujimoto Miki really worked.

Abe Natsumi, was introduced to me when she did the duet with Maimi early last year. Through a bit of searching I found Koi no Telephone Goal and a few others that I’ve enjoyed. Seeing her in some of the older Morning Musume songs and shows, she’s not only cute, but fun. With SALT5, DEF.DIVA and Nochiura Natsumi she’s also done some enjoyable work. She’s also one of the few in H!P who are around my age, haha.

Yoshizawa Hitomi was a hit during her English lessons. Really played up the tom boy role with the Musumes and has always been cool with Gatas and Hangry & Angry. Her personality has always stood out to me, and that earns her a spot in my tops.

It’s Cake Day 2.0

So I made a cake. Happy 2 Years International Wota.

Thanks to International Wota and the J-Music blogosphere for all the news, entertainment, and camaraderie over the past year. For someone relatively new to the Japanese music scene, it’s great having a plethora of wonderful resources out there. Here’s to another great year, oh and cake! Messy, messy cake (-_-) gomen… but hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?

The Cake - Strawberry cake for mah Berryz ♥

The Frosting - IW blue, kinda. Well it's blue anyway.

Pink Things - WTF?

intlwota 2009 - Frosting fail.

The Finished Product

Sankyuu

Berryz Ranking

2010 Update » Berryz工房ランキング

Mmm Berryz. Please excuse any ramblings, incoherentness or the like, but man, I love me some Berryz if you couldn’t tell. My reintroduction to Hello! Project was at the hands of Berryz Koubou. Gag 100kaibun Aishite Kudasai specifically had me hooked with the cute upbeat sound. Then the dance shot version of the song, something I had never really seen before. As I was watching, I was overloaded with cute.

Berryz Koubou

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Buono! Ranking

Buono! desu! *pokes cheeks* *drinks milk*. As with °C-ute, Buono! had just released a single around the time I first started getting into Japanese music. Also similarly, their first single, Honto no Jibun, didn’t really wow me. That’s where the similarities end however, everything since I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and given time, even Honto no Jibun has earned a spot. There’s really not a song of theirs that I don’t like, and a whole lot that I just love. There are a couple of reasons why Buono! didn’t make the top spot in my Wonderful Hearts listings. But I’ll just leave that alone by saying “Berryz.”

Buono!

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20,000 and an iTunes Survey

Well, it’s been 4 months and 5,000 plays since I did my last iTunes Survey and my music library has grown quite significantly since then. I’ve picked up a lot of new artists from the wotasphere, iTunes and last.fm recommendations. 9mm Parabellum Bullet, Base Ball Bear, Ikimono Gakari, Rei Okamoto, SCHADARAPARR, Tomoiki Ki o Uetai,  and W just to name a few. Even with that doubling of the size of my music library, I still feel, and I know that there is so much more out there that I have yet to discover. Survey starto!
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Wota Wonderings 2

I love you. Did you say you loved me? Tell me if you love me.
You won’t say it. You won’t say it to me? I want you to say it!
Please love me as much as 100 jokes!

All you need is love!

I challenge you to find the best example of idol love. Showcase this “love” as your post for Wota Wonderings #2.

That first little bit of nagaliciousness was brought to you in part by Berryz Koubou’s Gag 100kaibun Aishite Kudasai. The song that introduced me to Berryz, and remains one of my favorites to this day.

My original plan to sing a few love songs has failed. And well, this is by no means the best example of idol love, but it is my love, and it’s all I could come up with with all of life’s other goings on. If I had the time, perhaps I could learn a few dances. Oh what fun that could have been. In the end, I’ve decided to string together a few hiaku to show my “love” and support for Berryz Koubou.
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