°C-ute 2010

°C-ute 2010 Ranking 2009 Ranking

The Airi feat. C-ute thing is kind of a joke, but all that’s happened with the group over the past year just has one wondering, where is this group headed. My interest in the group has weaned a bunch. It was the Cutie Rangers and their involvement and interaction with Berryz that kept my attention, with that and Berykyuu now long gone, it’s gone back to being about the music for the most part.

Favorite Songs

16sai no Koi Nante
One’s LIFE
Shochuu Omimai Moushiagemasu (H22 Remix)

Other Favorites (Singles)

Bye Bye Bye!
EVERYDAY Zekkouchou!!
FOREVER LOVE
Sakura Chirari

Honorable Mentions

Bokura no Kagayaki
Darling I LOVE YOU (°C-ute ver.)
JUMP

The Girls

Suzuki Airi

1. Airi

The star of the show manages to hold it at number one. Through no fault of her own, she’s perhaps had a little too much focus lately. I’m talking SHOCK of course. Really tho, I don’t care too much. It was a decent song, she’s got a good voice and while she’s always been the front girl, it doesn’t look like the oversaturation will last.

Hajimaru yo! Airi kicking off the summer concert she’s defiantly got a cute stage presence. The cute then transitions to a bit of rock and cool with Buono! and Aa!. She beings a bit of magic to whatever group she’s put into.

Off the stage, I did buy her latest photobook and there were some pretty fun shots in there. That said it was probably the least “entertaining” of the ones I flipped through last year, her personality didn’t really come through in a lot of the shots. But whatever, Airi just needs to keep on keeping on and she’s going to continue to do well.

Yajima Maimi

2. Maimi

The hair… I don’t know. Depends on how she wears it and what she’s wearing. Her solo on C-ute’s latest album… meh. Wasn’t bad, but didn’t impress me much. Maintaining her spot in C-ute for me tho simply cause I like her voice, she can dance and just stands out a bit more than the others. High-King being a major contributor to her popularity with me, seeing her perform live just reinforces her uniqueness.

Nakajima Saki

3. Saki (+2)

Level UP! Nacky grabbed my attention performing in Pucchimoni. She does a decent job within Guardians 4 as well. I always thought she was a decent dancer and seeing her on stage, she also brought a lot of energy with her. She got her first photobook recently, which also showcased a side of her that I hadn’t seen before. Her voice is becoming a bit more recognizable to me and that ain’t half bad either.

Okai Chisato

4. Chisa (-1)

She hasn’t done anything to redeem herself from that bratty image I have of her from a couple years ago. Still, she’s as cute as ever, has a killer smile, a decent voice and a distinct style that can’t be overlooked. Just look at them eyes… (^_^)

Hagiwara Mai

5. MaiMai (-1)

Hmm, she might be caught up in some sort of awkward transitioning phase maybe? Cute, but she’s lost a little something. I’ve not seen her photobook, but it’s nice that she got one. Her voice continues to be one that I enjoy but she hasn’t managed to impress me with anything else as of late.

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.

Buono!

Group together the best voices of the Kids along with some interesting personalities and you get the awesomeness that is Buono! And don’t forget the rockish aura. Buono!’s unique rock style on both the instrumental and somewhat in their clothing style is just great. It really adds an interesting dimension to the group while also giving them a grand stage presense.

Tied to the Shugo Chara anime, I’m wondering what their future holds. They’ve recently been pushed back a bit by Shugo Chara Egg!. Even so, that hasn’t affected their music, so I hope to see them stick around.

Favorite Songs

Rottara Rottara

Other Favorites (Singles)

co・no・mi・chi
Renai♥Rider

Honorable Mentions

Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!
Minna Daisuki
I NEED YOU
Gachinko de Ikou!
Goal
Lady Panther

The Girls

Momoko

1. Momoko

I’ve said before, there’s always one of them in a group. This time, it’s Momo who takes the ““I know you think I’m cute and I know I’m cute” role. In this case however, she’s won me over, yeah, she’s kinda cute. In Renai♥Rider she’s riding the little tricycle, while the others are on their nifty motorcycles. Also in Renai♥Rider, she’s go that little solo with the ukulele, awesomely cute. Then in Kiss!Kiss!Kiss! again with the kiddy stuff, she gets stuck reading a baby book, while the others are reading, uh, real books. I was apprehensive about being trapped by this little cuteness trick they were pulling, but in the end, I’ve fallen for it. The little Leader of Buono! has earned her position. Her drumming thing in the band also seems to fit. I get the picture of a spoiled brat who likes to smash and bang on stuff until she gets her way, totally fits.

Airi

2. Airi

Cute Airi is cute. Initially she felt a little out of place when interacting with the two Berryz members, was kind of weird at times. It didn’t take long for everything to click however, and now she just seems like one of the team. In Buono! as in °C-ute, Airi is really able to flex her idol muscle, by not only being a great singer, but being generally good or otherwise entertaining at whatever she’s doing.

Miyabi

3. Miyabi

So, Buono! is made up of two little girls and this woman. Woman, indeed. Even when acting childish and playful, she’s still got this air of womanness. Or, she’s motherly or something, haha. Because of that, she is fairly distinct in her mannerisms. It’s always fun to see how she’ll react in certain situations. Anyway, glad to have her here, Buono! wouldn’t be the same with any other combination of Kids.

Three of four in the Wonderful Hearts line up, °C-ute’s got an interesting discography that is quite enjoyable. I had just gotten into Hello! Project around the time that Tokaikko Junjou was released. The song was supposedly a cool, revolutionary-ish style for the group, one which didn’t really catch me. Followed up with LALALA and their third album, I’d say they were a bit of a disappointment, especially after high expectations from when they won the Best New Artist award.

°C-ute

All that said, I actually like most of their stuff, I just feel it’s nothing to get too enthused over. It’s a case tho, of enjoying their earlier releases more so than their more recent. Sakura Chirari was one of the first singles I picked up from then, followed a bit later by Ooki na Ai de Motenashite and Massara Blue Jeans. Sakura Chirari is a fairly simple song, and the video isn’t too complex either, but as I’m a simple guy, it’s one of my favorites. To this point, I’ve grabbed all of their discography from iTunes and will continue to follow them somewhat closely. What can I say, I love the Kids.

It wasn’t until after the Berryz Kamen vs Cutie Ranger concert that I really started looking into the members themselves, rather than just the music. The little Ranger skits and other promo materials were great. With Berikyuu and Yorosen, they got even more exposure and I’ve been able to pick out a few favorites based on personalities and such. I’ve not bought a lot of °C-ute merchandise outside of a couple of photosets and a poster. I don’t see that changing much, but for the joint concerts and other group events, I’ll keep an eye out.

Favorite Songs

Darling I LOVE YOU (°C-ute ver.)
One’s LIFE

Other Favorites (Singles)

FOREVER LOVE
Sakura Chirari

Honorable Mentions

Jump
Bokura no Kagayaki

The Girls

Airi

1. Airi

Okay, firstly, I’ll admit that I was passingly influenced by a certain someone to bump her up to the number one spot. But reflecting on it, she deserves to be there. One big reason, is because of her voice. Arguably, she has the best voice in °C-ute, she just sounds great no matter what she’s singing. I was a little bit underwhelmed by her solo song, Yes! all my family, on their latest album. Just a little. Whatever, Airi is Airi so it’s alright. She has the potential to go solo, but I don’t know, I’d rather she not be spread out too much if that makes sense.

Oh, but that’s not all. She’s got that golf thingy of hers. And she’s got great drawing skills. And she’s got, other stuff… It doesn’t hurt that she’s super cute too, mussed up teeth and all. Airi overall seems like she’d be a fun person to hang around with, you know?

Maimi

2. Maimi

Leader and a scatterbrain, all the while pulling off a big sister kind of role. She seems really mature when she needs to be, but also knows how to be laid back and play dumb when appropriate. She’s got a deepish voice, which stands out of all the members of °C-ute, which I quite like. She’s also got a unique appearance, an adult and womanly charm of sorts. I first took notice of her at the time she released that duet with Abe Natsume, 16sai no Koi Nante, back in early 2008. Loved the song, and gained a greater appreciation for both Maimi and Abe. It was a great pairing. Next up, she appeared in High-King. This really allowed her to showcase her dancing skill, she’s got some great moves.

Erika

3. Erika

She does seem loud and obnoxious a lot of the time. Perhaps that’s why I like her tho? I’m not completely sure. I do enjoy her Tension Ageko persona and other acts she puts on, but too much can be a tad annoying. Erika is the oldest of all the Kids, but for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem that way. She kind of reminds me of a mouse or some other rodent, haha, but she’s cute, lol. That nose, those lil bucked teeth. She’s really changed since her ZYX days anyway.

Kanna

4. Kanna

Leader of the Cutie Rangers, decked out in red. Kanna was an Egg, the only one in the Kids groups who’s not actually one of the Kids. That doesn’t take anything away from her tho. [insert lesbian joke here]. Her, um, overaffectionism is kinda cute at times. There’s nothing remarkable about her, but she is fun to watch. I hope her hiatus from the group doesn’t last too long.

Chisa

5. Chisa

Chisato was higher on my list at one point, but she ruined it by being a bad sport after loosing the Berryz vs °C-ute bowling game. Haha, I have to say, it feels kind of funny for demoting her for something like that. That aside, she’s an interesting character. Another one with a pretty good voice, and cute as well. She’s got that tomboyish appeal, but she can also pull off a variety of other looks as well.

Maimai

6. Maimai

What a cutie, and the youngest of all the Kids. I like her voice also. In One’s LIFE, I really enjoyed her solo lines. With that out of the way, she has that “I know you think I’m cute and I know I’m cute” vibe. There’s always one of them it seems.

Saki

7. Saki

In the case of °C-ute, being last isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just means I like the other members more, by whatever tiny margin. Saki is one of the better movers and shakers in the group, as evidenced by her dance off with Captain of Berryz . That was a great one.