H!P Releases December 2

• Sugaya Risako – Sugaya Risako in Hokkaido (DVD)  YesAsia HMV
• Berryz Koubou – Berryz Koubou Single V Clips 4    CDJapan YesAsia HMV
• Hello! Project – Pucchi Best 10 (Album)   CDJapan YesAsia
• Hello! Project – Pucchi Best 10 (DVD)   CDJapan YesAsia
• Mano Erina – LOVE&PEACE=Paradise (Single V)   CDJapan YesAsia HMV
• Guardians 4 – PARTY TIME (Single-V)  CDJapan YesAsia HMV

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.

Sugaya Risako in Hokkaido DVD Preview Released

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.

The release date is set for 12/2.

Dohhh-UP Link To Sugaya Risako In Hokkaido Preview

H!P Releases November 27

• Sugaya Risako – Risou (PB)   HMV

One release today, Sugaya Risako’s 4th solo PB:

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.

Sugaya Risako – “Risou” PB Cover Released

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.

The release date is set for 11/27.

E-Hon page For Sugaya Risako’s PB Risou

Sugaya Risako – “Sugaya Risako In Hokkaido” DVD Cover Released

The DVD cover for Sugaya Risako’s 1st solo DVD titled Sugaya Risako In Hokkaido has been released on the official H!P site.

I actually didn’t recognize Sugaya when I first saw the cover since I was distracted by the wreath of flowers on her head, but after taking some time to look at the cover well I have to admit that Sugaya looks great.

She didn’t try a difficult pose, she simply looked at the camera from an angle and acted natural (what’s more natural than flowers on your head) which, for the most part, makes the DVD cover look better.

We should be getting a preview sometime in the following two weeks, so hopefully it turned out well.

The release date is set for 12/2.

Official H!P Site For Sugaya’s 1st Solo DVD

Sugaya Risako’s 1st Solo DVD Titled “Sugaya Risako in Hokkaido”

Sugaya Risako’s 1st solo DVD has officially been titled Sugaya Risako in Hokkaido. The name sounds similar to Hagiwara Mai’s solo DVD, titled “Hagiwara Mai in Hachijo-jima”, which is probably due to this being her first solo DVD.

The title is self explanatory: Risako is in Hokkaido for a PB shoot, and even though the name isn’t that exciting I still have great expectations for the DVD.

We will most likely be getting a preview some days before the release (which means around 2-3 weeks), so hopefully they include fun challenges for her.

The release date is set for 12/2.

Official H!P Page For Sugaya Risako’s 1st Solo DVD

Sugaya Risako’s 4th PB Title Released, “Risou”

The title for Sugaya Risako’s 4th PB has been revealed to be Risou (In English “Dream” or “Ideal”, the “Ri” Kanji in the title is the one used in “Risako”).

The name is kind of interesting, and hopefully the PB has some pictures that relate to the title. There were also some previews of the PB released in the latest Up To Boy:

I really like how the PB is coming along so far, especially the first picture with Risako in the field. The second preview looks somewhat strange because of Risako’s facial expression, but they at least gave us a good preview of a bikini shot and a casual shot instead of two bikini previews.

The cover will probably be released soon, probably in a few weeks so I will update when that is released.

The release date is set for 11/27.

Wani-Books Page For Sugaya Risako’s 4th PB

Sugaya Risako’s 4th Solo PB Announced

Sugaya Risako’s 4th solo PB has been announced, the title is currently unknown. After the announcement of the solo DVD for Risako it was somewhat expected for a PB release to follow, but it took quite some time for the PB to be confirmed so I’m glad to see that there are still plans to release a Risako PB.

This brings the grand total of Berryz Koubou PB’s for the year (that I remember) to 5: Sugaya, Momo, Chii, Maasa, and Kuma. I’m glad to see that the PB will be released soon after the single since it could somewhat help with promotion.

PB previews will probably appear sometime in November, and we should probably get a cover by then too.

The release date is set for 11/27.

Wanibooks Page For Sugaya’s 4th solo PB

Maasa and Risako Have The Flu Also, This Week’s Berryz Koubou Concert Canceled

Sudou Maasa and Sugaya Risako also have the flu, this after the official announcement that Miyabi and Momo were sick also. As a result the Berryz Koubou concert on 10/17 is canceled and will seemingly be rescheduled for 12/30.

The concert being canceled was somewhat expected since 4 members will be missing (especially 3 of the key members), but at least I am glad they rescheduled it instead of just canceling. The flu virus really seems to be spreading rapidly, so hopefully the girls get well soon and rest to be ready for the promotion of the new single (and hopefully Captain, Chii and Kuma don’t get sick also).

Hope you get well soon Maasa, Risako, Miyabi and Momo!

Official H!P Announcement Regarding Sudou Maasa and Risako’s Flu

Sugaya Risako Solo DVD Announced

It has been announced that Sugaya Risako will release a solo DVD in December, title currently unknown.

The solo DVD will be her first (correct me if I am wrong), and in the description of the DVD it mentions that buying it with the PB will give you a chance to enter a lottery, so a PB release will probably be announced soon.

The PB, which will probably be released near the release of the solo DVD, will be her 4th PB (and will continue the “one PB a year” release schedule she has had since 2006).

I’m glad to see that they managed to announce another Berryz Koubou member PB (especially Risako who has a great personality) before the year ended, and hopefully the solo DVD includes a fun theme.

The release date is set for 12/2.

Neowing Page For Sugaya Risako’s Solo DVD