Site Updates: I still have plans to update the Upcoming Releases section and I’m thinking about the different layouts I could do, so even though there are no changes on the page I am still working on it.

Polls: Since Koha is graduating in one day she is the special “H!P Member” for the week (something I plan to do for all members graduating from H!P from now on). So Koha we will miss you and we hope to see you again in the future (I will do a proper goodbye after her graduation concert ends with a special post).

This poll will go on for another week:

Please vote for your favorite!

Reviews: I updated the review section with some better graphics to replace the text I had, and overall I think it came out great. The sections are easily divided and overall I think it is pretty straight forward and easy to understand.

I haven’t started working on any reviews since the Kimagure Princess review because of some final tests I have to take next week, so after the following week I will be free to work on them.

Shuukan Yoro: It’s the 1st and 2nd day in Koharu’s week.

Since Koharu is graduating I decided on finishing her Yorosen week in 3 weeks (two this week, two the following and her final episode on 12/18), so that on Christmas I can continue with Umeda’s Christmas week (the following weeks will feature a lot of Yorosens, lucky you).

Since there are two episodes this week I won’t go into the summaries that much, but all that you need to know is that Koha likes Sumo Wrestling…a lot.

The two episodes can be summarized with the following sentence: high pitched, “My Bear” throwing, Lin Lin choking, Genki Musume.

So hopefully you enjoy the episodes, and Koha once again I hope your graduation goes as you wanted it to go – as Genki as your personality. We will miss you Koha!

1st Day

2nd Day

The preview for the c/w of C-ute’s 11th single titled Ikiyouze! has been released.

For the most part I like how the song sounds, since the lyrics distribution is more spread out than the Airi-dominated A-side. The instrumental and beat of the song sounds a bit weird at first but after a few listens I liked how the song came out.

I would describe the sound as upbeat but slightly more calmed since the song has a steady beat, but it also has some guitars added in which give the song a unique sound.

All that is left to be released is the PV which will most likely be released in a few weeks.

The release date for the single is set for 1/6.

The title for Ishikawa Rika’s 3rd solo DVD has been revealed to be RIKA, the cover has also been released on the UFA profile page for the DVD.

The title is somewhat simple, although it is expected since most of the titles for UFA DVD’s have also been simple. The cover makes up for it since it looks great and it gives us a good look at what to expect in the DVD, a lot of Rika in bikini.

The yellow bikini looks great on Rika (the flowers were a great touch), and I like how they took a picture of her with her hair somewhat wet since it suggests that we will get to see pictures of Rika on a beach. The title art is another story since it is really strange and simple (it looks like the A’s right leg is being stolen by the K), apart from the strange letters it has a simple black font which is kind of a disappointment.

We will most likely get a preview sometime near the beginning of next year, so I will update when it is released.

The release date is set for 1/6.

UFA Profile Page For Ishikawa Rika’s “RIKA”

Morning Musume members Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa, Lin Lin and Jun Jun will go on a 4 night, 5 day trip to China.

The announcement was somewhat unexpected since the event will happen in one week, but if you had to choose which members to send to China it was expected that they would send the Leader and subleader along with the two Chinese members Jun Jun and Lin Lin as guides.

Hopefully we get a chance to see a DVD of what they did while they were in China, although some picture would be great.

I will update with more information as it is released.

The trip will occur from 12/9 to 12/13.

Official Chinese H!P Site Announcement (Look for ”純純琳琳 中國始動！！” on the left side)

The cover for Matsuura Aya’s DVD for her Concert Tour ~Omoi Afurete~ has been released on the UFA site.

For the most part the cover is somewhat simple since it features Ayaya on a dark background with the title of the concert in the corner, and although it’s a little bit too dark and empty I like how they used an image of Ayaya looking at a light (possible Christmas reference?).

A preview will most likely appear on Dohhh-UP in some weeks so I will update when it is released.

The release date is set for 12/23.

UFA Page For Matsuura Aya’s Omoi Afurete DVD

• 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.

The cover for Mano Erina’s 2nd concert performance (after her Prologue ~Otome no Inori~ concert) titled First Concert Tour Introduction ~Hajimete no Kandou~ has been released on Amazon.

For the most part the cover has a somewhat interesting theme since it is basically a picture of Mano playing the piano with a simple old fashioned title at the bottom, and even though it is somewhat simple I like it for that reason.

The picture they used for Mano could have been a slightly better one (probably one where she is in the center and not half winking) but I have to admit that she looks really cute.

The title is the most interesting part since it has an old newspaper look to it with her name on one side of the cover, and this is probably what makes the cover stand out more because it somehow makes the DVD feel like it’s the start of a great story for Mano.

Overall UFA did a great job with the cover, and hopefully when the DVD is released I can say the same about the concert.

The release date is set for 12/22.

Amazon.jp Page For Mano Erina’s “Hajimete no Kandou” Concert DVD

A preview of Melon Kinenbi’s 5th collaborative single with GOING UNDER GROUND titled Melon Tea has been released.

The song is an upbeat punkish rock single with a really catchy intro, and because of that it is probably among my favorites from the collaborative single series.

There are some weird parts during the song that seem not to fit when you first hear it, such as the “Melon Tea”, but for the most part the song turned out great.

There are only a few indications that this was a collaborative single since GOING UNDER GROUND seems to only do some chorus vocals and a slightly annoying sound during some parts of the song (1:18 to 1:23 and near the end of the song).

Overall the song has been one of the best of the series, and even though it has a few minor details it could easily turn out to be their best selling out of the 5 collaborative singles.

The PV will probably be a live performance again so that will most likely be released a few weeks after the single.

The release date is set for 12/30.

(Left – Limited Edition, Right – Regular Edition)

01.ＳＨＯＣＫ！
02.生きようぜ！ (Ikiyouze!)
03.ＳＨＯＣＫ！(Instrumental)

The covers and tracklist for C-ute’s 11th single titled SHOCK! have been released.

I’m amazed at how well the covers came out, even though Airi dominates both covers pretty well. The art they used for the title is somewhat expected (“SHOCK!” with a lightning bolt through it), but it really fits in with the dark and light colors they used for both covers.

The Limited edition cover looks great but it also was one of the covers that concentrated more on Suzuki than everyone else, mostly because they moved Chisato and Maimai to the far back and put Suzuki in the middle of everyone.

The regular edition has a somewhat more normal cover with everyone posing while being surrounded by a white mist, and even though I like to see covers where everyone appears equally I have to admit that the Limited edition cover is my favorite (somewhat biased since my favorite member is Suzuki).

The Single V cover was also released:

The cover for the most part doesn’t feature any fancy lights, just C-ute in front of a background that any photographer has, and like the single covers Suzuki is in the middle with everyone else around her.

Even though the covers are somewhat disappointing for fans of Chisato and Maimai they look incredible, mostly because the costumes look great with the black and white theme they used for the covers and they because they are easily distinguishable (Regular – darker, Limited – clearer, Single V – in between).

The release date is set for 1/6.

Official H!P Profile Page For C-ute’s 11th Single

Official H!P Profile Page For C-ute’s 11th Single V

The DVD for C-ute’s Cutie Circuit ~FIVE~ Best Of Album release event at YOMIURI LAND has been announced. Here is the setlist (Source: Amped-Echoz @ H!O):

MC
Member Intro
#10. Tsuugaku Vector – Airi was the main singer while the other members were singing in unison
#9. JUMP
#8. Forever Love
#7. Bishoujo Shinri
#6. Namida no Iro
MC – Yajima Maimi, Nakajima Saki
MC – DJ Maimai, MC Chisa – Airi, Mai, Chisato —> Maimi, and Nakky join them

1. Wakkyanai Z
2. SHOCK!
3. Big Dreams

I’m glad to see that they will release this event in a DVD since the set list is made up of some of the fan’s favorite selected songs from the Best Of album and because it features the first performance of “SHOCK!”.

This event is somewhat different since it has C-ute performing only the chorus of some of the top 11-20 songs that were chosen, which should be interesting to hear.

The cover will most likely be released near January so I will update when it is released.

The release date is set for 2/17.

E-Hon Page For C-ute’s Cutie Circuit ~FIVE~ DVD