30 Day Idol Challenge: Days 5 - 8

Sorry i missed a few days. I'm just gonna do the ones that i missed now along with today's one.

Day 5: Favourite Group?

I blame their music for that. It was their music that got me hooked. I liked what i heard and i loved what i saw and just became hooked on them.

Day 6: Favourite Unit?

High-King. This unit features my most loved and most disliked members of H!P. But i absolutely love this unit. It has the best dancers in H!P and the best vocalists as well, not to mention it was the second unit to feature an Egg who was/still is as cute as a button.

I love the songs given to this group, C/C (Cinderella Complex), Kioku no Meiro, Destiny Love and the cover song, Diamonds, i even love watching them perform them too.

I'm hoping that that Tsunku doesn't mess this group up now that Aichan and Yuukarin are gone (i know Yuuka hasn't left yet but she never going to get the chance to perform with them again now is she?!), I'm hoeing that if he does decide to being this group back, he'll add Meimei (just for the cute factor) and either Ishida or Haruka. Ishida for her dancing and Haruka for her vocals. I really don't want Riho there because i feel that she needs to learn to put some soul into her singing.........and this group only needs one attention seeking whore and Tanaka has that spot.

Day 7: Favourite couple/duo?

There are plenty of duos in H!P but i guess that i would go with AiGaki. I think it's because of how long they have been together that i choose them. They were like the big sister and mother of MM and when Aichan graduated, i could feel how hard it was for them to say goodbye. It was the most emotional Graduation I've seen since I've become a fan.

It's going to be weird not seeing Ai in MM and when Gaki decided that it's time for her to go (or when management tell her to go), it will be another hard graduation on Sayu.

Day 8:Favourite Voice?

I couldn't decide between Ai, Linlin, Miya, Chisa and Yuuka. All of them are different and i love them all. Granted 3/5 are not my favourite members but i have ranked them all high when it comes to vocals.

Aichan's vocals are amazing and will be sorely missed, linlin was extremely underused but when it was used, she blew me away, Miyabi is the voice of Berryz and the most consistent during lives, Chisato is finally being pushed for the powerhouse that she is and Yuuka has the most cutest vocals but is able to keep up with Ai and Tanaka i High-King. It would have been nice to of had these singers in a group together but I'm hoping that Chisa and Miya get to sing a duet together soon.

Tomorrow:

The Voice You Dislike?

Morning Musume – 9th and 10th Gen, Aichan’s long awaited Departure, Aika’s Injury

When 9th gen entered, I don’t think I mentioned my first impressions of them, so I’ll say it now and add my new thoughts on the girls.

 

Fukumura Mizuki, 4th gen egg (3 yrs experience) – pretty girl but I didn’t really know who she was. I knew she replaced Yuuka as Amulet Heart in Shugo Chara Egg but that was all I knew about her. Since joining, she carries herself really elegantly and is very soft spoken and respectful. Her voice is the best out of all 9th gen. I quite like her I just wish she would loosen up a bit more in interviews like when she’s on HPT with the other 9th gen members.

Ikuta Erina – The KY member and AKB fan. She looked so nervous and incredibly awkward when she joined. I did feel sorry for her from all the crap she was getting for being an AKB fan. Since joining, she’s lost her nervousness but still has her awkwardness which I find really endearing. But boy can this girl chat. I watched her E-Hello DVD and majority of the DVD was her chatting away. She’s a very pretty girl and I can see her and Sayu stalking the other members as time goes by.

Sayashi Riho – a pretty and very talented girl, was the obvious choice for 9th gen. I didn’t really take to her. Since joining, she’s still low on my rankings but that’s mainly due to my habit of refusing to like what is shoved in my face. I do feel that her promotion is a little over the top especially since the only thing she’s done to deserve it is just be there. Yes she is talented but singing wise, her voice gets on my nerves and she looks a little smug. Don’t get me wrong, I think that she works very hard and has improved quite a lot. She is a very talented dancer and MM needs strong dancers but vocally, she’s nowhere near ready to be getting solo’s. If anyone out of 9th gen is ready for solo’s its Mizuki.

Suzuki Kanon – the girl with the biggest smile. My initial reaction to her was that she was a happy child. Since joining, every time I see her or see a picture of her, I can’t help but smile. She has the most personality out of all MM and her bug impressions have me in stitches every time. Her vocals have developed greatly and I can see her having a lot of power in the future. The only thing I’m worried about is her weight. I’m not knocking her weight, I think she’s healthy but management are treating her like they treat Maasa and Risako, by covering her up more to hide the fact that she is a little bigger than the other girls. But I don’t see her losing it anytime soon, especially with the way she eats.

When 10th gen auditions were announce, I wasn’t really surprised. UFA knew that 9th gen wasn’t up to taking over Aichan vocally and that in order to start a proper come back to their original theme (the constant additions and graduations that the group is known for) they had to look for more girls ASAP.

The girls chosen to go through to training camp were incredibly talented and this audition had me on the edge of my seat wondering who Tsunku and UFA (come on now, who exactly still thinks that Tsunku has the final say on who joins?) were going to pick. So when the announcement finally came, I was very pleased for all the girls that made it.

Iikubo Haruna, The model – incredible beautiful young lady and her age bridges the gap between Aika and Fukuhime. I can already see her taking over as the fashionable Musume. I’m hoping that UFA will try to continue with her modelling as it is a good way for them to not only promote her but also MM.

Ishida Ayumi, Dorothy Little Happy back dancer – A ready-made idol. I think she is an amazing dancer, better than Riho. Her singing needs work but at this stage, she has more skill in singing then Riho did when she auditioned. She’s going to get pushed quite quickly. I hope that maybe UFA could get together with DLH’s agency and maybe do either a collaboration event or single as that could not only gain MM new fans but also promote DLH more.

Satou Masaki, No experience – The H!P fan. During the auditions she didn’t look very confident but she was the most improved girl in that audition and deserves to join for that reason. Having someone that actually listens to criticism and improves on weak point quickly is a really good thing as UFA can mould her into anything they want. She’s more nervous than Eripyon was and is so quite. Hopefully she can overcome this and shine as the only current member from Hokkaido, something she should be proud of as the other members who came from there did great in and out the group.

Kudo Haruka, 9th gen Egg (1 yr experience) – Officially THE youngest girl to join MM age the tender age of 11. Experience wise, Ayumi has it but vocally, Kuduu has it. Her voice is like velvet on the ear. Within a few years she should be at Aichan level IF UFA invests properly. She is the girl the MM needed to replace Aichan due to her vocals, all that’s left is for UFA to actually use her more than they use Riho.

Overall I think 9th gen had the right impact on MM giving them a renewed fight and some desperately need new blood, Talent wise, not that good in the vocal areas and dance could be strong. Personality wise, it’s the strongest since Koha. 10th gen has the talent but I still need to see them show their personalities. I’ll need a little more time to do a proper ranking because I really don’t like to rank girls that have just joined but right now I would say:

1. Zukki

2. Sayu

3. Gaki

4. Eripyon

5. Fukuhime

6. Kuduu

7. (Joint) Ishida, Iikubo, Satou

10. Riho

11. (Joint) Mitsu, Tanaka

On to Aichan’s graduation.

When she announced that she was leaving, I wasn’t very shocked but I was wondering if UFA really thought that the 9th gen were strong enough to fill the hole that Aichan would leave. I knew that she had to go in order for MM to start fighting again but I was hoping that it would be next year not this year. It still doesn’t feel right watching the new MoBeKiMaSu PV without Aichan taking lead. It feels wrong somehow having Tanaka being the lead in that single. It’s going to be so weird from now on.

Her final concert was a perfect tribute to her. Yes Mr Moonlight wasn’t the best choice to start the concert but it was the first ever song she released with the group and is a big crowd pleaser and the costumes were exquisite. Her ceremony was very emotional. I really felt for Risa, Sayu, most of 9th gen and the fans as she was a real jewel that deserved everything she got. She will be sorely missed.

Aika. Aika, Aika , Aika, Aika.

Poor girl. Never really stood out and now is off sick with a bum foot. This is not meant to sound mean but I really think she should graduate now. Taking nearly 7 months off is something not heard of for a member of an idol group. Most girls with serious injuries leave the group as to not hold them back. But to be honest, I haven’t really missed the girl.

If it was Reina than yeah I could see how UFA would be trying to keep her as she is a front girl. Same goes for Sayu as she is MM’s most popular member and I can’t see them getting rid of her for now. But Aika hasn’t done anything. She hasn’t shown us why Tsunku choose only her out of the 8th gen auditions. Both Koha and Konkon showed everyone why they deserved to have been chosen.

I wish Aika a speedy recovery but I’m waiting for her graduation announcement although i know that it will be Gaki next.



Another Blow

I turn on my computer.

Wait for that little funny internet icon to say that it’s connected.

Check my emails.

Go on to H!O and

Takahashi Ai

Leader of Morning Musume, Leader of Hello! Project, is graduating in the auturn Morning Musume concert.

"WHAT????????"

Was all i could think.

Yes, i was expecting her to announce that she was to graduate, but not this soon. Not so soon after Eri and JunLin's graduation and definately not 7 days after 9th Gen was announced.

Personally, i think that she (and the higher ups in H!P/UFA) should have waited till around MM's spring tour just so that it doesn't overshadow the attention that 9th gen is bringing to H!P at the moment.

And as for who is o be Sub-Leader, On offence to Reina fans but she can wait her turn. Leader and Sub-leader of MM has always been in this order

• Oldest Generation
• Oldest Member of said Generation

So by going in that order

1. 1st Gen - Leader Nakazawa Yuko, Sub-leader Ishiguro Aya
2. 1st Gen - Leader Nakazawa Yuko, Sub-leader Iida Kaori
3. 1st Gen - Leader Iida Kaori, Sub-leader Abe Natsumi
4. 1st Gen - Leader Iida Kaori, Sub-leader 2nd Gen Yasuda Kei
5. 1st Gen - Leader Iida Kaori, Sub-leader 2nd Gen Yaguchi Mari
6. 2nd Gen - Leader Yaguchi Mari, Sub-leader 4th Gen Yoshizawa Hitomi
7. 4th Gen - Leader Yoshizawa Hitomi, Sub leader 6th Gen Fujimoto Miki
8. 6th Gen - Leader Fujimoto Miki, Sub-leader 5th Gen Takahashi Ai
9. 5th Gen - Leader Takahashi Ai, Sub-leader Niigaki Risa

With the exception of Fujimoto, who joined H!P with the 4th generation, it has always gone in order od generation than age. So whether or not Reina is more qualified to be sub-leader, Sayu is older by 4 months and is more intitled to position as sub-leader than Reina is.

This month/year hasn't even reached it's third week yet and already H!P is keeping the buzz going. How this plays out is anyones guess.

My 2010 Rankings

First off i have to say that H!P has had an amazing couple of weeks, what with the gradustion of Eri, Junjun and Linlin on December 15th, S/Mileage's big win at the Japan Record Awards and the announcement of the new 9th generation members. 2011 seems like it's going to be the year H!P starts to fight back and i am so excited to see what UFA will do to keep this recent push going.

Now on to my rankings of H!P. I will include Eri and JunLin in this.

Top Members

I will try to be as unbias as i can with this.

Morning Musume

Takahashi Ai is still the top dog in H!P. It's kinda hard for me to find something from this year that was bad for her. She released another PB, solo DVD and remains the lead in MM. But it is getting tiring always hearing her vocals on every single. Hopefully this year, management will still keep her as the lead but distrbute the lines a bit more fairly.



For Berryz, it was hard for my to be completely unbias here. I just wanted to put Captain as top member. So instead i went for Momoworld. I feel that she's the most consistant member of BK right now. Dancing and vocal skills are as strong as ever, released a PB this year that fit her perfectly from the images that i've seen over on the Picture board at H!O.

Again, it was hard to find a top member for C-ute. I wanted to put Chisa here but i felt that it would be better to put Chisa in the most improved member than top member. So why did i Put Maimi here? Well because i can't stand Airi, Mai is annoying and Saki didn't really shine that much this year leaving Maimi. And if you know me, you'd know that i can not stand Maimi voice so me putting her here is completely unbias.

The overall winner for Top Member has to go to S/mileage as a whole. They have had an amazing year, gaining 16,000 smiles for them to debut, having all 3 of their singles enter the top ten, releasing an album, having their own concert, out shining Mano at their joint concert, declaring war on every female idol group including their senpais finally ending in them winning Best New Artist. Couldn't really give a single member this award but i feel that they really deserve everything that they are getting after all the hard work that they've been putting in all these years.

Most Improved Members

Kumai has improved a lot this year. She's taken to being center with easy and her dance and vocal skills are improving, all be it not that much in the vocal department.

Mano has improved this year, her singles weren't as depressing as her earlier singles were. Her vocals are improving, but not as fast as i would like considering that she is (for the moment) H!P's only soloist. Her new single sounds good, lets hope she learns to put out twice as much energy into her performances than she does now. Oh and i watched Death Game Park the other day, it was good, confusing but good. Her character was just annoying and i was laughing at the end when she finally died.

This award has to go to Okai Chisato. Going from back up dancer to front girl in 4 singles is quite an improvement. Her vocals rival that of Airi's if not better. She has her own Ustream channel, Okai Chan Sleep, she has over 2 million views on youtube with her dance covers, released a PB and solo DVD ans was the first current H!P member to release a digital single on iTunes with a cover of Matsuura Aya's LOVE Namida Iro. What does 2011 hold for Chisa? well this year is promising to be another great year for her. As i understand, she's not only in the center for C-ute's new single Kiss Me Aishiteru, but she has more lines than Maimi. Chisa is definately on a roll and it will be good to see how far UFA is willing to push her.

Bottom Members

Now this is my completely bias opinion.

And the award for worst member of H!P goes to.......

Tanaka Reina

For stealing Eri, Risa, Junjun, Linlin, Sayumi and Ai's concert and album solo's, lines and screen time.

As for mu personally rankings,

Knotice how Sayu has gone up above Ai, this is due to having to see her everytime i looked at this blog.

Love Like Crazy

While i was looking for something on youtube for a future post thats coming up, i thought to my self, "How many times have they done this song?"

So i looked it up

1. Takahashi Ai, Kamei Eri, Shimizu Saki 2009 Version


2.Abe Natsumi, Matsuura Aya, Goto Maki 2005 Version (Original Line-up)


3.Goto Maki 2006 Version


4.Goto Maki 2007 Version


Personally, i love the song so i'm not too fussed which version i like the best cos al the girls here can sing. Altho, the most recent version is lacking in the energy that the original line up has (and the line distrubution the the original has as well)

So i put it to you, Which version of LOVE LIKE CRAZY do you prefer?




 
Poll will stay up untill i take down the Album poll.

BIrthday Spam - Aichan

And now i have caught up. YAY 4 me!! Aichan is now a year younger than me.