A list with the 200 most sold singles of this year (from 12.22.2008 – 12.14.2009) according to Oricon has been released. The following H!P singles were included on the list (the release dates are in “year.month.day” format):
Mano Erina -Otome no Inori (2009.03.18), Hajimete no Keiken (2009.05.20), Sekai wa Summer Party (2009.07.29), Kono Mune no Tokimeki wo (2009.09.30), Love&Peace=Paradise (2009.11.25)
For the most part the results are great news for Morning Musume since all of their singles placed into the top 150 (the only H!P group that did it), including the only top 100 H!P single. Even their 2nd worst selling single “Kimagure Princess” managed to sell enough to place into #142.
Berryz Koubou got the 2nd highest place in H!P by having two of their singles (both double a-side) in the list, and even though “Dakishimete Dakishimete” didn’t make it into the list their consistently improving sales might make it possible to have all of their singles in the list next year.
C-ute’s sales were somewhat disappointing since they only managed to get one single into the list, but the other two singles have somewhat consistent sales so hopefully they can place higher on the Oricon next year.
Mano didn’t get any singles on the list despite releasing 5 major singles throughout the year, which is kind of expected since she is a fairly new artist and it will take some more time for the public to get used to her.
Overall the sales were somewhat surprising but they have improved for two of the groups, Morning Musume and Berryz Koubou (who managed to turn around their 2008 declining sales). C-ute’s sales are somewhat lower than the previous year, but they can be improved if they are promoted correctly.
There will most likely be better sales since most of H!P’s groups are constantly improving, so hopefully we can see some more H!P singles in the top 100 next year.
Two releases today, Berryz Koubou’s DVD for their recent Gekidan Gekihalo play and Nakajima Saki’s 1st PB:
Berryz Koubou – Gekidan Gekihalo Dai 7 Kai Koen “Thank You Berry Berry”: A stage play directed by Shioda Taizo which features all of the members of Berryz Koubou as characters.
I have no idea what the play is about, but from the preview that was released on Dohhh-UP a few days ago we can get a general idea:
Even though I still have no idea what it’s about but one thing is for sure, all of the members of Berryz Koubou act really well. Momo’s cute character looked almost natural, and Maasa’s strong character really impressed me (and slightly frightened me).
Almost all of the characters lightly reflect the girl’s personality which is great for Berryz fans since they get to act like themselves and therefore guarantee a great performance.
I would recommend this DVD to fans of Berryz Koubou simply because it contains all of the members performing equally in a play.
Nakajima Saki – NACKY: Nakajima Saki’s 1st PB. The cover features a close-up of Nakajima’s face with a somewhat detailed description on the title (the biggest kanji is translated as “Nakajima Saki First PB”). For the most part the cover looks great, although the amount of kanji on the cover is somewhat overwhelming.
Like most PB’s there are a lot of bikini pictures, but they also added a bit of variety by adding in schoolgirl and cheerleader costumes, which was a nice touch. I was impressed at the quality of the bikini pictures since they manage to make most of them look stylish.
I had never taken the time to notice Saki that much before since she rarely got any lines in a C-ute song and she spent most of the time in the back doing choreography but this PB managed to make me a Nakajima fan.
When I looked at her smiling in a picture it was kind of hard to tell whether she was posing or if it was real, which kind of gives the PB a more natural feeling to it.
Cute Nakajima
The casual photos were impressive since we get to see Nakajima in a more normal setting instead of a posed bikini picture and for the most part they were my favorite part of the PB because she had a more natural smile and she looked like she was having fun.
Even the photographers shadow makes a small cameo appearance in the PB
The varied mix of pictures in the PB was one of the points that stood out for me the most, and also the great choice of costumes (especially the pink swimsuit and the casual clothes) which make this PB one of the best I have seen so far this year.
I was most impressed with the overall PB simply because we get a chance to see Nakajima as the spotlight instead of just a background dancer, and for the most part she manages to grab my attention with every image.
Overall I would recommend this PB to everyone who get’s a chance to check it out simply because they did a great job with it. This PB certainly made Nacky into one of my favorites in C-ute and hopefully the PB sells well so that she can get Tsunku’s attention for the next single (and get more solo lines as a result).
Next release date is 12/16 with Mano Erina’s 1st album “FRIENDS” and Buono’s 9th single “Bravo Bravo”.
6 releases today, Sugaya Risako’s 1st solo DVD, Berryz Koubou’s 4th PV collection, Hello! Project’s 10th Pucchi CD and DVD, Mano Erina’s Single V for her latest single, and Guardians 4 Single V for their 3rd single:
Sugaya Risako – Sugaya Risako in Hokkaido: Sugaya Risako’s 1st solo DVD which takes place in Hokkaido. Since I haven’t had a chance to watch the DVD I will base my opinion on the preview from Dohhh-UP:
For the most part we get to see Risako posing for her PB and eating (something which is normal for all solo DVD’s), and like the preview suggests we get to follow Risako as she shoots her PB and enjoy’s the sights of Hokkaido.
The preview is a great way to get to see Risako in a more personal level as she interacts one on one with the camera during her trip to Hokkaido. Most of the preview consists of posing and even though the DVD most likely includes more I think that the preview does a good job of showing us what to expect from the DVD.
Overall I would recommend this DVD for fans of Risako since it is a great way to get to know her a bit more, and since it is her first solo DVD it is a great item for any collection.
Berryz Koubou – Berryz Koubou Single V Clips 4: Berryz Koubou’s 4th PV collection which features all of the PV from Dschinghis Khan to their most recent singles Watashi no Mirai no Danna-Sama/Ryuusei Boy.
The cover features Berryz Koubou in their Watashi no Mirai no Danna-Sama costumes (since there wasn’t a Single V for that A-side), which is great since these costumes were one of their best, the title art also fits in perfectly with the costumes because of the white and red color.
The DVD also features the Dance Shot for the following songs:
Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance
MADAYADE
Dakishimete Dakishimete
Seishun Bus Guide
And along with those they also included a Close-Up Ver of Dschinghis Khan and Rival, and the Another versions of Watashi no Mirai no Danna-Sama/Ryuusei Boy.
I would definitely recommend this DVD to any Berryz Koubou fan because of the amount of PV’s included (16) and also because it makes a great addition to any Berryz Koubou collection.
Hello! Project – Pucchi Best 10: Hello! Project’s 10th album and DVD in the Pucchi Best series which features some of the best songs from H!P for the year. Since the album features many songs and PV’s that I have already reviewed I will only talk about the new shuffle songs.
There are 5 new songs on the album by the new shuffle groups: Pucchimoni V, Tanpopo#, Aa!, Shin Minimoni, and High-King. Pucchmoni V’s song “Pira! Otome no Negai” stood out more since it has an upbeat sound a catchy intro, and even though I strongly prefer the live version to the studio version (most likely because I haven’t gotten used to it) in my opinion it is the best song on the album.
Tanpopo#’s song “Umbrella” has the same sound Tanpopo has been known for (hard to describe the specific genre but it is different to what we commonly hear), and even though there seems to be a lot of effects in the voices and the song it still is a great song because of the catchy chorus.
Aa!’s song “Yume to Genjitu” strongly reminds me of their first single “First Kiss”, which is great since they don’t stray that much from their roots. When I heard the song I was impressed to hear that Saho fit in with the rest of original members, although the grunts and “Wahoo’s” seem to be added at the last minute to fill in the silence between the instrumental and the singing.
Shin Minimoni’s song “Pen Pen Kyoudai” is one of the few songs which somewhat annoy me and entertain me, and I say annoying only when I refer to the overuse of the word “Pen” since the rest of the song has the same great Minimoni feeling many fans are familiar with. For the most part the song is something I would have expected from the old Minimoni since they try to teach something with their songs, and even though I now hate the word “pen” I really liked the song.
High-King’s song “Destiny Love” has the same R&B sound we are used to, and even though there is a slight overpowering by Ai-chan and Tanaka it still has a great sound despite the ballad R&B beat.
Overall the album turned out pretty well, and despite having somewhat bad covers the songs included are definitely a must have for fans.
Mano Erina – LOVE&PEACE=Paradise (Single V): Mano Erina’s Single V for her 5th single which features the normal version, the Close-Up Ver, and the Making Of. Since I haven’t seen the Making Of I will only review the two PV’s included.
The normal PV was interesting since it features a winter theme with Mano in cute winter costumes dancing in front of a pink and white background. The amount of shots included in the PV was amazing, and even though UFA continues to rely heavily on Close-Up’s and Dance shots it was a nice change to see Mano in a swing or playing her piano.
The Close-Up ver of the PV features Mano singing to the camera while wearing (slightly awkward) big fluffy earmuffs, and even though the PV is dominated by Mano’s cuteness I can’t help but focus more on her earmuffs than on her.
Overall I would highly recommend this Single V to fans of Mano since both of the PV’s are a great addition to any collection.
Guardians 4 – PARTY TIME (Single-V): The Single V for Guardians 4 3rd single which includes the normal PV, the Dance shot Ver. and the Making Of. Like most of the Single V’s I haven’t had a chance to see the Making Of so I will only comment on the PV’s.
For the most part the normal version of the PV seems to have been made specifically for the anime Shugo Chara instead of being an actual PV because of the amount of scenes from the anime they included. Despite the overwhelming amount of anime the girls do get a chance to shine and I have to admit that they did a pretty good job.
Most of the PV involves the girls preparing for a party, and even though they seem to have used the idea a bit too much I’m glad to see that they included that since it was a great idea to have a loose storyline.
The Dance Shot version takes place in the backyard of the house where they are having the party. Like the normal PV there are a lot of bubbles and even though they get somewhat annoying I have to admit that the dance was great.
Overall I would recommend this Single V for fans of Guardians 4, mostly because of the Dance Shot ver since it will help fans learn the dance easier.
The next release date is set for 12/9 with Berryz Koubou’s Gekidan “Thank You Very Berry” DVD and Nakajima Saki’s first PB.
A preview of Sugaya Risako’s 1st solo DVD titled Sugaya Risako in Hokkaido has been released on Dohhh-UP.
The intro features Risako greeting everyone and introducing the preview (sometimes in a loud voice), and I have to admit that the preview made me excited to see her PB and the DVD.
Since I started to listen to Berryz some months ago I always thought Risako was cute and the DVD actually helped me confirm that many times (especially the scene where she is eating cotton candy).
For the most part the preview features some pretty interesting scenes, such as Risako at a festival, feeding some sheep, in a sunflower field (wearing something that looks like a circus tent of some sort at 2:00), and generally acting cute while eating.
Hopefully the DVD sells well enough, since it is her first solo DVD after all.
Sugaya Risako – Risou (PB): Sugaya Risako’s 4th PB. For the most part the PB was what we have come to expect from H!P, bikini pictures with some casual photos, but surprisingly there were a few differences when compared to her other PBs:
Modern art bikini? (picture from the “Making Of”)
The cover of the PB features a somewhat more calmed look at Risako since it simply features her holding a hat up while looking at the camera wearing a swimsuit. I really liked it because of the serious and grown up image of Risako sitting and also because of the simplicity of the white title on the picture.
The previews released until now have a pretty good balance of bikini and casual and I have to admit that the PB was a great success, even though some of the casual pictures were a bit more daring than we are used to (above picture).
In most of the pictures Risako looks older than she really is, and I say that as a compliment since she looks grown up and more serious than we are used to seeing her.
And despite having a serious feeling there are still the pictures were Risako acts her age and shows us that she had fun doing the PB (picture below). As a member of Berryz I always thought that Risako was kind of cute and after seeing the PB I have to admit that the statement still holds true.
Overall the PB was great, it did a good job of showing a more serious side of Risako while still keeping her bright and funny character. I would definitely recommend it to her fans and to any Berryz Koubou fans interested since UFA did a great job with this PB.
The next release date is set for 12/2 with Sugaya Risako’s 1st solo DVD, Berryz Koubou’s Single V Clips 4, Hello! Projects 10th Pucchi Best CD and DVD, Mano Erina and Guardians 4’s Solo DVD for their latest singles.
The DVD for Berryz Koubou’s concert tour titled 2009 Fall Concert Tour ~Medachitai!~ has been announced.
I’m excited to see that this DVD is going to be released, mostly because we get to see a live performance of their two latest singles (Seishun Bus Guide/Rival and Watashi no Mirai no Danna-Sama/Ryuusei Boy).
This concert tour also featured the debut of the sea bream costumes for the “Special Generation” performance, and here is a small preview of what to expect to see:
The tracklist for the DVD will most likely feature this tracklist:
1. Ryuusei Boy
2. Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi
Member Intro VTR (結婚式みたいな幼少からの写真とナレーション)
3. Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama
MC
4. MADAYADE
5. Munasawagi Scarlet
Skit
6. Ohiru No Kyuukei Jikan. / Chinami solo (Shimizu, Momoko, Maasa said the opening dialogue lines only)
7. Otoko no Ko / Miyabi, Kumai
8. Halation Summer / Shimizu, Momoko, Maasa, Risako
9. Seishun Oodoori
MC – Maasa solo MC – Question : あなたならこんな時どう目立つ？
10. Jingisukan (途中からボイパ) – beatboxing in the middle of the song.
11. Seishun Bus Guide
12. Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba / Maasa, Miyabi, Chinami
13. Baka ni Shinaide / Shimizu, Miyabi, Kumai, Risako
14. Very Beauty / Momoko solo
15. Special Generation / All except Momoko, Momoko enters in the middle of the song. – All members in Tai (Sea Bream) cosplay, Momoko cosplays as Sakanaya (fish store)
16. Nigiyaka na Fuyu
MC Shimizu, Momoko (メンバーの裏情報)
Special Medley Start
17. 21ji Made No Cinderella –> Omoitattara Kichi Desse –> Gag 100 –> Tekkin de Neko Fun Jyatta (鉄琴で猫踏んじゃった) / Maasa –> Higawari (日替わり) –> Kaccho ee! –> Warera! Berryz Kamen –> 21ji Made No Cinderella
End Medley
MC
18. Suhada Pichipichi
19. Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance
20. Rival
Encore
21. Happy Stand Up
MC
22. Clap
One thing I am not sure of is if they are going to film the planned 12/5 concert date or the 12/30 make-up date, we will most likely find out when it is released, so hopefully the cover comes out great and the DVD sells well.
The DVD for the 7th part of the Yorosen series has been announced. The cover was also released on the official H!P page and it features Morning Musume in their Kimagure Princess costumes, Berryz Koubou in their Ryuusei Boy costume, C-ute in their “C-ute Best Of” album costumes and Mano Erina in her “LOVE&PEACE=Paradise” costume.
The cover looks great, mostly because each members gets an equal chance to appear. The school desk theme isn’t that eye catching but for the most part it is school related and the addition of the school supplies is a nice touch.
This is most likely the last DVD for the Yorosen series (since an 8th part hasn’t been announced and they usually come in pairs) so fans who are collecting the series will be glad to see that their collection will be complete soon.
The PB cover for Sugaya Risako’s 4th PB titled Risou has been released on the E-hon page.
The cover is somewhat interesting since it only features Risako holding a hat while in front of a beach, and not in a bikini (like H!P is used to doing). I’m amazed at how mature Risako looks, and even though the PB probably features plenty of shots of her in a bikini it is nice to see that they decided to go with a simple cover.
The title art is also simple since it features a white “Risou” on the right with Risako’s name on the other side (which is somewhat hard to read).
I have to admit that I liked the cover since it looks simple and mature, Risako’s expression while looking at the camera is great and even though the hat looks like it is used to cover up (most likely on a “if you want to see more, buy it” theme) it was a nice touch.
Guardians 4 – PARTY TIME (Single+DVD) (Limited Edition) CDJapanYesAsiaHMV
5 releases today, Berryz Koubou’s Single V for “Ryuusei Boy”, C-ute’s first “Best Of” album, and Guardians 4 3rd single:
Berryz Koubou – Ryuusei Boy (Single V): The Single V to one half of Berryz Koubou’s 21st single titled “Watashi no Mirai no Danna-Sama/Ryuusei Boy”. This Single V features the normal PV, the Close-Up Ver, and the Making Of the Ryuusei Boy PV (the Making Of I won’t comment on since I haven’t seen it). This DVD debuted on the Oricon at #16.
The normal PV is basically a Dance Shot with many effects and camera angles, and even though it was not what I had in mind for a PV I was surprised that they managed to make it look more professional and somewhat distract from the fact that they used a few shots.
Most, if not all, of the PV features Berryz dancing on a light platform in space, and for the most part it fits in well with the theme of the song, although it would have been great to see more close-up’s.
The Close-Up Ver. was incredible, mainly because of the effects and backgrounds they used during the transition of the PV. When the members sang a solo line they were the only one’s on the screen, but when two or more members sang, for example Yurina and Chii, they appeared in boxes, which is a great advantage since it helps to easily identify who is singing in what line.
Overall this is a great addition to any Berryz collection, and a great DVD for fans who liked the PV for Ryuusei Boy.
C-ute – C-ute Nan Desu! Zen Single Atsumechaimashita! 1 (Album): C-ute’s first “Best Of” album featuring all of their singles from “Massara Blue Jeans” up to “EVERYDAY Zekkouchou!!”, a total of 14 tracks. This album debuted on the Oricon at #6.
I won’t go into much detail since the album features 14 tracks and also because I plan on doing a review of the album, but one thing that I can comment on is the booklet and the cover art. My favorite cover would have to be the Limited Edition mostly because the natural “look” of the cover makes it one of the best I have seen from H!P in a while.
The cover has an outside location background which fits well with the fall themed clothes they are wearing, and the pink title they used fits in better than I would have imagined with the rest of the cover. The regular cover, on the other hand, could have been a little bit better if they had chosen some other type of costume.
The white frilly dress looks somewhat strange when combined with the background they choose, and even though the costumes aren’t that bad I feel they could have chosen something better. The booklet that comes with the Limited Edition features both costumes so fans that liked both of them will be pleased. Here are some previews:
Each member gets to have two pages for each costume plus the group shots, so it is a great addition for limited version of their first “Best Of” album.
Overall I would recommend this album not only to C-ute fans but to everyone who hasn’t had a chance to listen to C-ute since, after all, this album features all of their singles.
Guardians 4 – PARTY TIME (Single): Guardians 4 3rd single featuring 4 tracks: the A-side titled “PARTY TIME” by Guardians 4, the B-side titled “Watashi no Tamago” by the new lineup of Shugo Chara Egg, and the instrumental to both songs. This single marks the first time Shugo Chara Egg performs a song that isn’t a cover of the A-side. This single debuted on the Oricon at #13.
The A-side “PARTY TIME” sung by Guardians 4 is an upbeat track which features almost equally distributed lines with a catchy rhythm. One of the main points of the song is how easily you will remember it since it has a really catchy chorus (I haven’t heard the song for a few days and I still remember the “Pa-pa-ya-pa-pa-pa-pia”), and that is an advantage since someone who goes to a CD store will probably remember the tune and buy the single if they liked the song.
The B-side is the first time Shugo Chara Egg, now reduced to three members (two of which are new: Fukumura Mizuki and Maeda Irori), sings their own song instead of doing a cover of the A-side. The song is upbeat with a somewhat calm tone and even though I somewhat miss hearing Maeda and Kanon the song sounds great with the two new members.
Overall I would recommend it to everyone mainly because of the quality of the song and the variety between the A and B side’s. Hopefully Shugo Chara Egg gets another chance to release singles on their own sometime in the future since the new member lineup and the promotion on the anime’s show will probably help out a lot.
Next release date is 11/23 with S/mileage’s 3rd Indie single titled “Suki-chan”.
Berryz Koubou’s 21st single titled Watashi no Mirai no Danna-Sama / Ryuusei Boy has sold a total of 30,517 copies in its first week managing to get a #5 position on the Oricon ranking.
The first week sales are greater than the one’s for “Seishun Bus Guide / Rival” (which were 29,169), and they were only 150 copies away from the first week sales for “Jingusikan” (which sold 30,667), which makes this the second time they have managed to reach more than 30,000 sales in their first week.
Even though they couldn’t reach a higher position on the Oricon they still managed to stay pretty stable despite big competitors (Arashi and EXILE are after all among the most popular groups in Japan right now). I’m glad that sales were that high and hopefully they can get a #1 position on the Oricon with their next single.
Congratulations Berryz on getting over 30,000 sales!
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