Thursday, 23 January 2014
Another Reason Why DAWA is Now (For the Second Time in Her Idol Career) My Least Favourite Member of S/mileage
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Juicy Juice Time
This is really gonna test my memory now.
So last year while I was being a lazy git, Tsunku announced a new unit.
Yay new blood. Just what the doctor ordered.
Didn't really care at that point that who was going to be in the group but just excited that a new group was being formed.
Got even more excited to hear that Miyamoto Karin, Otsuka Aina and Takagi Sayuki were going to be in it.
Karin has got to be the most talked about KSS after Meada Yuuka and Sayubee was this bubbly ball of energy on stage. They were among my favourites in the KSS programme. Aina, I remember from the 9th gen auditions. I wasn't in the group who wanted her in (I wanted either Mogi or all of them in) but I was glad that she got her chance to debut. A chance to show what she had learned from her time with the KSS.
As for the other three, Miyazaki Yuka, was a bit strange to me. She has a good voice but I hadn't seen her dancing skills to fully judge her. Uemura Akari and Kanazawa Tomoko were complete mysteries to me. They were newbies, especially Kanatomo.
When I heard their name and the reason behind it, I immediately thought about what I read about Berryz Koubou and how Miyabi had given each girl her own fruit (Saki - Strawberry, Momoko - Peach, Chinami - Orange, Maasa - Watermelon, Miyabi - Cherry, Yurina - Pink Grapefruit, Risako - Chinese Pear). Made me think that they were going to replace them soon. Not a good feeling.
When their first indie single was announced and performed, I actually liked what I heard. It was mature and very different from what the rest of H!P was doing. It established Karin and Aina as the front girls with Sayubee and Kanatomo as the middle and Yuka and Akari as backups.
I was quite impressed with them until I heard Aina's vocals. Live, she was fine, but recorded, she hurt my ears. I couldn't take her vocals. While Kanatomo was like chocolate to my ears. Where the hell did Tsunku find this girl?
Second indie single and I felt that this group was strong. I was waiting for Tsunku to trun around and say that he was adding/subtracting members but it didn't happen. This song confirmed how strong in terms of talent this group is. Even though Yuka is the worst dancer in the group while Akari is the most nervous singer, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of their performances.
Ten Made Nobure! Not a fan of this song....for the group. But for the KSS's, its perfect. This didn't fit in with their image and to this day, they don't really perform it with out the KSS.
soon after the release of the KSS song, they get the news of their major debut.
Seriously?!? You made C-ute, Mano Erina and S/mileage wait 4 singles and you give these girls only 2 (not including Ten Made Nobure) singles? Although it didn't seem fair, they were ready.
Then Tsunku also announces a big FUCK YOU to Sayubee's leadership and gives it to her Kohai, Yuka, just cos Yuka is older, then another massive FUCK YOU to being sub-leader to her and gives it again to her kohai, Kanatomo. I felt bad for the girl as up until that point, she was acting as leader and everyone in the group was looking up to her for guidance. You could see her face drop for a second when that announcement was made.
Then Aina's parents pulled the plug on her career with H!P. Personally, I think she either wasn't doing good at school, her parents thought UFP was AKS or they wanted Aina to be more featured in the group then Karin. Although Tsunku has said that the group will carry on as a 5nin, I was, and still am, afraid that Tsunku will add more girls to this group and do a S/milage on us.
Now for their major debut. A triple A-side. First H!P group to do this. Shame the other two songs were just edits of their first two Indies but boy am I glad they did that. Didn't think I could listen to Aina's voice anymore. As sad as I am to see her go, my ears are happy about not having to hear her in single versions. (Sorry Aina fans, I like the girl just not her vocals)
These girls are going from strength to strength. Their sales a excellent for a rookie group. Over 40,000 for their debut!?! Ranking at #3 on the Oricon weekly chart for their debut!?! (I know Passport did the same and got a #1 on their major Debut so this is nothing but I'm not a Passport fan (can't seem to get into them))
I would say that my favourite member is Takagi Sayuki followed by Kanazawa Tomoko. Miyanoto Karin was never my favourite favourite KSS, but I do rate her quite high. Its just I've fallen in love with Kanatomo's vocals and can't seem to drag myself away from them.
Akari is my least favourite member just cos I like Yuka's vocals better. It was really hard to rank these girls as they all have something unique about them. I like all of them, which is really weird for me. The only other group like that is Dream5.
So to clarify,
1. Takagi Sayuki
2. Kanazawa Tomoko
3. Miyamoto Karin
4. Miyazaki Yuka
5. Uemura Akari
I'm looking forward to seeing that this group does in the future.
Just to let you know
While I am blogging again, I'll be using bloggers mobile app for most of my posts. This is due to the computer I use being piss takingly slow no matter what I do to speed it up.
Please forgive me for the lack of pics/vids in my future posts.
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
My 2014 Predictions.
Happy new year everyone.
Sorry for completely ignoring the blog. Been having a hard time trying to stay awake after working double shifts for months on end.
So I've decided to do this predictions post to get me back into the swing of things.
Morning Musume '14
They will perform on Kohaku!!
I was disappointed that they didn't get invited to perform but as the saying goes "when one door closes, another opens".
They appear more on TV.
And not just for promotion of singles/albums, but for just being them.
Sayumi doesn't announce her graduation.
Like hell she can. She wants to perform at Kohaku again so she has to stay until she's 27.
#kanon2014
If you follow me on twitter, you'll know that I started using this hash tag for Zukki. THIS IS HER YEAR TO SHINE!!!!! She's defending her weight on TV, her vocals ate beautiful and she (finally) got a line in a single that's in the section that will be performed. THIS IS HER YEAR!!!!!
Berryz Koubou
They actually get a budget.
Bigger budget means better PV.
They make an album that's not boring.
I was very disappointed in their last 2 albums. 6th Otakebi Album was the first album I got from them back when I first started getting into Hello! Project. So for me that is their greatest album.
Make it the Berryz Koubou show not the miyabi/Risako show featuring Berryz Koubou.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything wrong with having the two best singers in the group lead but when they sung 3/4 of the song but themselves for majority of the single releases, it does get borning......quickly.
They remind people that they do have great group chemistry.
This relates to their budget. Remember when they had good PVs and their group chemistry was showing more? Didn't they have a better budget then?
No-one graduates.
I've been reading that a lot of people think that someone (namely Captain) or all are going to graduate this year. Please don't.
C-ute
No-one graduates.
They've got a good thing going at the moment. Having a member graduate now will hurt the group, especially with the tabloid media trying to get Airi fired for having a (non existent) relationship.
S/milage
They continue to get happy, smiley songs.
Yatteruchan was the best thing to happen to them this year. They need more songs like that.
They step up their game and have a chance to perform at Budokan in 2015.
With J=J in the screen, the girls need to step up and show that they are not another Berryz Koubou.
Katsuta Rina becomes interesting.
The girl needs to act like she wants to be there. Right now, I feel it would be best if she gtfo. She got picked over Kanoko Rie who just left H!PK after 5 years. A girl who always showed us just how much she wants to be an idol. A girl who never got the chance to debut, but this girl did and she looks like she doesn't want to be there.
Nakanishi and Takeuchi get a Photo book.
Kana is beautiful and Akari has this tomboy coolness going on. Wouldn't a pb with just them in it acting like lover be great? Especially if Sayumi or Fukuda puts in the ideas.
Juice=Juice
They perform on music station.
They're good enough and hungry enough to do this.
They announce that their going Budokan before S/milage.
It happened to C-ute, it could happen to them.
They release an album and have their first nation wide tour.
Nuff said.
Hello! Project Kenshuusei
A new unit is announced.
I like the idea of having the girls from the 12th gen audition forming their own unit. Also Sasaki Rikako, Hamaura Ayano, Kosuga Fuyuka and Tanabe Nanami need to debut. So that's two new units I would like to see announced.
On a side note, it would be nice to see another group achieve that #1 on or icon. I think that either C-ute or Juice=Juice might get that what with their sales and promotions.