Kitahara Sayaka – “Kanari Junjou” PV Released

The PV for Kitahara Sayaka’s 2nd single titled Kanari Junjou has been released.

For the most part, I was quite impressed by the PV since it’s really girly, cute and has a very soft aura that made me forget that the song is used as an ending theme for an anime for boys, which is something really amazing since this way, Sayaka won’t be compared only as the seiyu and the idol that provides the songs for the anime, but also be recognized as having her own solo career that until now, isn’t disappointing at all.

First of all, I wanted to note that I didn’t particularly like the song when I heard the radio preview, but the PV really made me like it a lot more since the wonderful scenes matched the song a lot better than seeing football animated characters running while the song was playing during the radio preview, and the simplicity and elegance of Sayaka in her 2 outfits as well as the variety of scenes is something that immediately catches the eye.

The PV features many interesting scenes that all combine to give a fresh feeling a variety that’s different from usual UFA PVs: the main scene seems to be the one featuring Sayaka in the red school uniform-like outfit where we see her either singing in a close-up next to a tree in the sunlight, or in an amazing setting sitting on the stairs of a colorful garden, surrounded by flowers, where the camera takes many angles zooming in and out, and the nice touch is that the camera is never still during this second scene since we sometimes see her in a close-up, or from far away taken from behind flowers, and this scenes really prove how easy it can be to add a nice setting into a PV to make it special.

The second batch of scenes features Sayaka in a yellow/beige outfit doing various things such as sleeping on grass, walking down stairs leading to an isle in a green garden, stopping near a fountain, wondering in another garden to find a box with a letter on top of it and writing one, and the nice touch is that they included something similar to a close-up version with this outfit that is really original since Sayaka constantly moves in it, does various expressions and doesn’t seem to be as still as in the main close-up, which is a really nice addition since we don’t usually get to see that sort of close-ups that added a special touch to the whole, and I was also impressed by the linking of the 2 scenes at the end of the video near 3:19 and afterwards.

Overall, I can’t express how impressed I am by the PV since the various original scenes, the 2 cute outfits, as well as the amazing range of expressions Sayaka managed to do through the whole PV managed to keep any boring feeling away, and I think that anyone who watches it will get a different vibe from the song itself since after the song finished playing, I completely forgot it is used for an anime and thought of it as a true single.

Hopefully everyone can take a moment and look at the PV since it’s really amazingly well done, and hopefully H!P’s future releases will be as well executed as this PV instead of the usual setting of a dance shot and close-up version…

The release date is set for 11/9.

Kikkawa Yuu 3rd Single Announced, Titled “Konna Watashi de Yokattara”

Kikkawa Yuu’s 3rd single titled Konna Watashi de Yokattara has been announced.

It will come in 3 different editions, Regular Edition (CD only) which will contain the A-side’s instrumental as well as a remix, and Limited Editions A and B (CD+DVD) which Limited Edition A will contain the MV of the single.

I was really excited when I saw the announcement since after releasing 2 great singles (with noticeable awesome B-sides), Kikka has been gathering a larger fanbase day by day, and I’m so happy to see that she is releasing singles on a regular basis since each one till now has had a fair amount of variety in it, weither it’s the PV, the B-sides, and the promotional campaign, so I have high hopes for this single too!

Since the single will be released shortly after Christmas, I wouldn’t be surprised if the main song or one of the B-sides contained something Christmas-related, which I would really like, but since the A-side doesn’t mention anything about winter or Christmas, it seems that we’ll have to wait for a preview and then judge, but from the title, I somewhat feel that this single will be a ballad with a strong feel to it to match winter, but it could also be a happy and energetic song like her past 2 releases, and I won’t hide the fact that I would love to see her singing a slow and strong song for a change, specially after hearing one of her 2nd single’s B-side LOVE YOU FOREVER that made me realize how well Kikka can sing ballads and soft beats.

Overall, I’m really excited to find out more information and details concerning this release as time goes by since this is set to be great news for all Kikka fans that are waiting to see what she’ll come up with next, and even though we don’t have any confirmation concerning the theme of the single, more info should be out soon.

Hopefully fans can reserve their copies soon to support Kikka and enjoy another release from her this year!

The release date is set fr 12/28.

Shuukan Yoro! Vol 115

Site: This post was done a bit earlier than normal due to an internet outage I had at my house (I’m currently at school) and since I have to be at home in a few minutes I had to bump it’s release a few hours earlier than usual before I left. This is a one time thing so the post will be done at the regular time next week.
Updates for the profile section were a bit delayed during the mid-week due to the internet outage, and unfortunately it seems that the problem won’t be solved until after the weekend so I’ll have to delay the complete section for a few more days. I’m currently about 90% done with the profiles (all finished work is on my computer which is why the profiles themselves aren’t updated) so I’ll just add the finishing touches once I get to school back again on Monday and it should be up around that time for sure.
In other updates the Links page is finally up!
It has been a long time since I first mentioned it and finally I have had a chance to add it so hopefully everyone likes how it came out. I decided to use the layout I had in mind when I first planned it, but it looks a bit cluttered for me, although I wanted to see what everyone thought of it before going ahead with some few changes.
Unfortunately comments on pages don’t seem to work (it’s not only Disqus, with the original WordPress comments it didn’t either) so if there is an error or if you would like to add your blog the list you’ll have to send us an e-mail through the contact us page. This goes as well for the profiles and basically every page on the site that isn’t a post, so sorry for the inconvenience since comments are a lot easier than an email.
I had in mind first to remove the links under the title of the sites but I left them in case anyone would like to know what the URL is before clicking, but clicking on the images of the sites, links, or titles will lead to the page. Apart from that I used a full width page (basically the sidebar won’t appear on that page only) since the sidebar made the layout a bit smaller than I would have liked, but it makes the section a bit more easier to navigate.
I also plan on adding a text only page with the links in case anyone wants to find a link the traditional way, and it should be up along with the Profile section on Monday.
Apart from that I hope many people like it since I focused more on a visual layout, and as expected the links page might be a bit out of date since I used a list I had from the old site, but if you updated your page or if there are any sites missing please let us know so we can fix it.
I have a few more ideas in mind for new pages (including one to replace the Vodpod widget for the H!P videos) but I’ll focus on finishing everything I have right now before getting those done. Like always if you have any more ideas for pages or something else you would like to see, please let us know through the contact us page.
Also thanks again to everyone who follows us on Twitter since we are close to 500 followers! I have made a note of all the suggestions everyone has mentioned and I will focus all updates that aren’t posted on the site either on Twitter or Facebook, so expect to see a bit more coverage in the next few weeks.
I’ll also focus on making the Facebook page a bit more lively by adding more videos of H!P events and similar stuff, but I encourage everyone to do so too. I just fixed the page and made the default show off everyone’s posts instead of only ours, so if you made a cover of an H!P song (singing or dancing), subbed a video, or if you find any other kind of H!P related video please share it with everyone.
Polls: The winner for this poll was Niigaki Risa with 570 votes (49%), congratulations Gaki! Okai Chisato came in second with 299 votes (26%), and Fukumura Mizuki came in third with 288 votes (25%).
There was a total of 1,157 votes for this poll.

Congratulations Gaki!

Since the name of the site is Hello! SayuNii it’s not surprising to see that most of the votes went towards Gaki (most of the people who do visit the site are usually Gaki fans since the focus when I made the site was on Gaki and Sayu, although the focus is on all UFA now) but I’m glad to see that Chisa and Mizuki ended in such a close result since they are both great members with catchy personalities.
Apart from Gaki getting almost half of the votes the main change I saw from the last time I looked at the poll was that Mizuki fell to third place, but like I mentioned before the difference wasn’t that big between her and Chisa so it doesn’t matter that much, but I expect to Fuku-chan get a higher result as time goes by since there have been plenty of praises for her after the many events thanks to her attention to her fans.
Congratulations to Gaki on winning yet another poll, and good luck to Chisa and Mizuki on their next poll!
As for the OG Poll, the winner was Kago Ai with 488 votes (35%), congratulations Kago! Goto Maki came in second with 454 votes (32%), Matsuura Aya came in third with 380 votes (27%), Ichii Sayaka came in fourth with 43 votes, and Ishiguro Aya came in fifth with 33 votes (2%).
There was a total of 1,398 votes for this poll.

Congratulations Kago!

For the most part the results didn’t change that much compared to last week, but I’m glad to see that Kago and Goto both got very close results since they both deserved to get first place. Kago winning is a great sign that there are many fans who are worried about her and support her so I’m glad to see that she still is remembered, despite her inactivity.
Maki almost got first but despite that I’m glad to see that she got a close second, and while the difference might be a bit bigger compared to Ayaya it’s still good to see that she got a large amount of votes. Ichii and Ishiguro getting fourth and fifth is not surprising since they haven’t been that active compared to the other members, but it’s still good to see that they did get a fair amount of votes since it shows that every member has fans that will support them even after they graduate.
Since it’s kind of difficult to get a recent image of Kago I had to use one from March, but despite that like all fans I wish her the best and hopefully she can get better.
Shuukan Hello: This week we will see episode 9 of Hello! Pro Time.
This is among the most interesting episodes since we get to see Maimi, Mai, and Chisa go to Iidibashi meat for lunch and have a normal conversation. Usually we only get to see that from time to time since the main focus is either on PVs, events or some other kind of focus, but it’s nice to see the H!P members act normal and talk about themselves.
Uploading of the videos will be done soon since I haven’t had a chance to upload them due to the outages but I’ll have them up as soon as possible.
I might add an Utaban episode next week so please keep a look for it (I already have it selected and it’s a really funny one), but for now enjoy this week’s HPT!
Here’s the brief list of what this episode contains:

• Yajima Maimi, Chisato Okai, Hagiwara Mai go out for lunch
• Mano Erina at the shooting of her single My Days For You
• S/mileage at an event

Hopefully everyone enjoys this week’s episode!
Episode 1
Episode 2

H!P Releases October 27

Only one release today, but Sayu fans will be very happy since it’s another PB release:

• Michishige Sayumi – Sayuminglandoll (PB)

Michishige Sayumi – Sayuminglandoll (PB)

Michishige Sayumi’s 8th PB release.
As a Sayu fan I’m always happy to see another release from her, and since she is among the most popular members we usually get to see quite a few PB releases from her, so it’s no surprise to see that another PB was announced. Her previous release “La” was similar to her past releases since we got a mix of bikini and casual pictures that did a perfect job of showing off her beauty, but this time we got a PB with a pretty unique theme.
Starting off with the title we know from the start that it’s not a normal release since it doesn’t have a short title or a memorable pun, instead we get a somewhat confusing title. “Sayuminglandoll” to me seems to be a mix of a cute nickname for Sayumi as well as “land” and “doll”, and for the most part it does make sense when you look at the cover since the PB seems to have a fantasy theme where Sayu is a doll.
The cover is the first thing many will notice and not surprisingly it’s either something you love or hate, and for me I liked it since it had a theme that really stands out. The main standout is the outfit that Sayu is wearing since it’s basically a sexy, fluffy, pink vest, mini skirt, and boots with an abstract hair style, and while it might seem a bit childish I really liked the way they combined the “innocent and playful” theme with a sexy theme since it looks really good. The title and colors of the rest of the cover are pretty eye catching and along with the image of Sayu it should be enough to grab anyone’s attention.
This PB has a very similar theme to Nakky’s since the colors and innocent but sexy style is present in every picture, but from what I understand the photographers were different for the releases, which is good to know since that means that we might see the same theme in future releases if we are lucky.

There were a few previews released a while ago on UTB, and like the cover they have a really unique theme that sets Sayu in a fantasy world, starting off with the image of Sayu in a blonde wig with white flowers and a soft white lighting setting. From the first look I immediately think of a fairy since the scene looks like it has a very pure theme.
The next preview shows Sayu in a very colorful setting with a ribbon covered yellow bikini, a reddish brown wig with a giant pink bow (and a smaller yellow bow), and it is among the most unique in the PB since the colors are really vibrant and make the picture visually impressive (thanks to Sayu’s pose and the colors).
The third preview above shows Sayu wearing a dominatrix themed outfit with a cute but really sexy theme of a white ballet-styled skirt with a black bow tie, bunny ears and many spiked accessories along with a whip, and it’s easy to see why this will be among the favorite of many (mostly male) fans since the outfit really match up with Sayu’s poison tongued personality and give us a view of a rough and dominating Sayu in a skirt that’s many times shorter than even S/mileage’s regular outfits.

The next shot reminds me of Nakky’s PB for many reasons, mostly because of the balloons that fill the room in an overwhelmingly pink room (even more pink thanks to a flamingo behind Sayu). The red and white bikini and the pose are done really well and focus attention where the photographer most likely wanted it to be, but it’s nice to see them use so much pink since it’s Sayu’s favorite color.
Apart from another preview with the same outfit from the cover, there is also another interesting preview in the same room, with Sayu in one of the sexiest outfit I have seen: a black bikini with white lining and a black hat with ponytails. This shot is definitely among my favorites (it would be my favorite, but the last picture in this post took that honor) since the pose and look on Sayu’s face along with the pink balloons really make a perfect picture where she doesn’t have to do any exaggerated pose and instead just sits and looks at the camera letting her natural beauty shine.

There are also a few shots with an “Alice in Wonderland” theme, as you can see above with the two shots of Sayu in the same dominatrix bunny outfit but with a playing card theme. The theme might not consist of much apart from a border around the picture and a giant “Q” for Queen or “J” for Joker, but I liked how the simple addition made for a very nice way of adding a bit more of a playful theme to the otherwise blank settings. The Alice outfit looks surprisingly good on Sayu and since I’m a big fan of dark themed fairy tales I immediately loved the way she looked since her blank expression and the spiked belt with the cards made the outfit complete.
Another preview of the pink ballon room with the flamingo reminds us of how great Sayu looks in bikinis by having Sayu pose outside of the bathtub (now we can see that they covered every inch of the room in balloons, even the cieling) and for the most part I have the same reaction as the other picture: it’s one of the best images I have seen and makes me want to buy a copy right now to see even more.
Overall the PB had a playful and slightly dark and sexy theme that gives us a look into Sayu’s two public characters: the overly narcissistic beauty that cares more about her looks than anything else as well as a poison tongued dark character. By combining both of those characters we get as a result a sexy but playful dark Sayu who lives in a fantasy world full of color and abstract objects.
At first I didn’t like the theme since it strayed from the tried and true formula of an idol PB: bikini shots and casual dresses, but looking at this PB as well as Nakky’s has really made me curious as to how it would look with Reina, Gaki, Momo, Maimi, Airi, or any other member since the playful and colorful look really grabs anyone’s attention while providing a base for any abstract setting the photographer can think of.
Now that I have seen these few previews I am really excited about this release since it’s like nothing we have seen before, and while the playful fantasy setting might turn away many fans I encourage them to check out the pictures since they are similar to previous releases but in an abstract Sayu themed world.
I will definitely get a copy (in fact I just ordered a copy a few minutes ago) and I encourage everyone else to do so as well since it’s not always that we get to see a fantasy themed PB with colorful settings, and for those of you who are still undecided I can sum up everything I just said with an image, and after seeing it many will probably agree with me that this is among the best PBs that Sayu has released:

This release gets a perfect 5 from me.

Yajima Maimi Will Be In A BS-TBS Drama Titled “Mannequin Girls”

Yajima Maimi will be in a BS-TBS drama titled Mannequin Girls.

As the title suggests the series will have a mannequin theme where Maimi will play one of the four mannequins who come to life after a store closes (correct me if I’m wrong), and from what I can see it’s a fairly interesting concept since not many series have that theme. Maimi has always been a favorite for dramas (along with Mano and Airi) so it’s not surprising to see that she was selected since she is pretty cute (fitting the stylish mannequin look) and has an athletic personality which the character also seems to have.
I’m not sure how long the series will run since the page only mentions the first two episodes, but it’s safe to say that there will be at least one season for fans to enjoy each month, so I highly recommend everyone check it out once it’s released so they can check out this fun themed drama.
The BS-TBS site has a lot of info about the series so if anyone is interested they can check out the site for more info about Maimi’s character as well as a synopsis of the first two episodes (I tried my best but I understood less with Google Translate), but it seems like an interesting series that all Maimi fans will enjoy.
The series will start on 11/7.
BS TBS Site
Oricon Site

UP UP GIRLS To Continue Regular Performances For November At LIVE GATE

The UP UP GIRLS along with Tokyo Cheer2 will continue their regular performances for November at the LIVE GATE venue due to the MAP Theater being permanently closed a week ago.
The news of MAP theater closing down was most likely met with disappointment from fans since it was one of the few places where they could enjoy a performance from the UP UP GIRLS regularly, and while it seems to be only for November it’s nice to see that they have found a temporary home where they will be able to perform.
I’m not sure if they will continue the regular performances by changing venues every month or if this is only a temporary venue while they find another place where they can perform permanently but I encourage fans in the area to check out the place and attend one of their shows since they are a pretty talented group.
Hopefully we can see them in a more permanent venue in the near future since they deserve to have a place where fans can check them out regularly, but for now I hope many fans are already making plans to visit the venue to support them.
The UP UP GIRLS will perform on 11/10, 17, and 24.

“Hello! Project 2011 Summer Concert Tour ~Nippon no Mirai wa YEAH YEAH Live~” DVD Cover Released

The DVD cover for the Hello! Project 2011 Summer Concert Tour ~Nippon no Mirai wa YEAH YEAH Live~ has been released.

Since I expected to see a similar pattern to the one used in the WOW WOW cover, this cover isn’t that much of a surprise, but it’s a great relief since it’s more colorful and full of happiness, unlike the somewhat dark cover WOW WOW Live had.

The members are separated all around the big title that is taking over the whole middle of the cover, but since the logo for this cover is mainly made of silver, I’m glad to see that they compensated the lack of colors with images from the girls performing with the stage behind them instead of erasing it since it really adds more life to this cover, and the girls are all wearing their different bugs outfits while their pictures were taken as groups, which makes this cover all more special.

Overall, I mist admit that I like this cover way more than the WOW WOW Live one since it’s more colorful and the girls all look more happy and energetic since the shots were taken spontaneously, so hopefully after seeing the 2 covers fans will be able to decide which edition to get.

The release date is set for 11/16.

Amazon official page about product

Teams For Mobekimasu’s Nationwide Handshake Event Announced

The teams for Mobekimasu’s handshake event for their single titled Busu ni Narinai Tetsugaku have been announced.

The teams are divided by region (thanks to Amped @ Jplop for the list):

Tokyo area :
Tsugunaga Momoko (Berryz Koubou)
Suzuki Airi (C-ute)
Fukumura Mizuki, Suzuki Kanon, Iikubo Haruna, Ishida Ayumi, Kudou Haruka (Morning Musume)
Takeuchi Akari, Katsuta Rina, Tamura Meimi (S/mileage)

http://www.helloproject.com/event/1110252100_event_mobekimas.html

Fukuoka area :
Michishige Sayumi, Ikuta Erina (Morning Musume)
Natsuyaki Miyabi (Berryz Koubou)
Nakajima Saki (C-ute)
Wada Ayaka (S/mileage)
http://www.helloproject.com/event/11102 … mas01.html
http://www.helloproject.com/event/11102 … mas02.html

Sapporo area :
Sudou Maasa (Berryz Koubou)
Yajima Maimi (C-ute)
Fukuda Kanon (S/mileage)
Sayashi Riho, Satou Masaki (Morning Musume)

Tokai area :
Niigaki Risa (Morning Musume)
Chinami, Risako (Berryz Koubou)
Chisato (C-ute)

Kansai area :
Tanaka Reina (Morning Musume)
Shimizu Saki, Kumai Yurina (Berryz Koubou)
Hagiwara Mai (C-ute)
Nakanishi Kana (S/mileage)

http://www.helloproject.com/event/11102 … kimas.html

- Maeda Yuuka, Mano Erina, and Mitsui Aika will not be present

Handshake events for singles are nothing new since there are always at least a few of them to promote the new single, and while the number of members in the group might be a bit too large for an area I am glad to see that they decided to split them up into teams since it will give them a chance to promote more effectively.

Yuuka will most likely be absent due to her recent graduation announcement and it’s understandable why she would decide to skip this event since many fans have expressed that they will try to encourage her to remain in the group, but she will still be part of promotion in other ways (for example shows on TV and radio). Mano is most likely busy with her stageplay so it’s understandable, while Mitsui is probably absent due to her injury.

Hopefully fans in the area can check out the events (most likely FC only) and buy a copy of the single to support Mobekimasu.

Lin Lin Will Be On A New Show

Lin Lin has recently blogged that she will be part of a new show titled Life’s Big Explosion.

Here is the translated blog entry (thanks to jellyman @H!O):

“Life’s Big Explosion” show
every Saturday and Sunday 7 pm at Huang Zhou TV broadcast for 5 ep. Internet live streaming at here: http://hztv.hoolo.tv/hzse/
The weather is getting colder, everyone please keep yourself warm and don’t catch a cold~

LinLin knew that everyone is missing me, I missed everyone a lot too~
Although we cannot meet frequently, although we are in different places, our hearts are tightly linked! The existent of the missing between us now must be for leading us to look more forward to our next meeting~
LinLin will always try my best, for the fate of meeting my forever family(you guys) again.

I love you all~

It has been a while since we last heard from Lin Lin, but it’s good to see that like Jun Jun, she is busy with work in the entertainment business by appearing on shows, and while it might not be singing related it’s still the next best thing since fans will be able to check out Lin Lin when she appears on TV.

While she doesn’t seem to mention it explicitly it seems that she will appear in all of the episodes, and since she mentions that there is internet streaming live during the broadcast fans around the world will be able to check it out (if the stream is available to everyone and not region locked). From what I can tell it will also be only 5 episodes long so it might be a small special broadcast or have a particular theme, although I would like to see Lin Lin be in more shows in the future once this show is over.

Hopefully more details are released of the show or at least some kind of reaction once it starts since I am really interested in finding out how it will look, and while Lin Lin might be busy with her new show I really hope we can hear her or Jun Jun try to make a comeback singing.

The show will air Saturdays and Sundays at 7 pm for 5 episodes.

Buono! 2012 Winter Concert Tour Announced

Buono!’s upcoming 2012 Winter Concert Tour, currently untitled, has been announced.

Since Buono! are now officially back after releasing a mini-album and a single with another on the way, I have high expectations for everything that they are going to do from now on, and specially after watching the Rock n’ Buono!4 stream on YouTube that prove me how aweome Buono! performances are and what amazing talents the girl can bring out during the concerts.

Even though we have absolutely no details concerning this upcoming concert tour, I’m impatiently waiting for a title and even for the logo since Rock n’ Buono!4′s title was kind of predicted to be the same as the previous ones, but hopefully this being a winter concert tour, they will give it an original idea since I can’t help but always think of the 2009 Winter concert tour that was amazing in all kind of ways…

Hopefully more details will be out soon so that we can start figuring out the theme of the concert tour, but having a confirmation of it is already amazing.

The concert tour will start on 1/28 after the H!P 2012 Winter concert tour ends.

SonyMusicShop official info page

Buono! – “DEEP MIND” Release Date Announced

The release date for Buono!’s confirmed 13th single titled DEEP MIND has been announced to be on 1/18.

After many speculations and thoughts about whether this song will be released as a single or not, due to the fact that the release date hasn’t been announced yet and that the song is used in a movie, we finally get the relief of a confirmed release date which should make everyone happy and relieved that the song we heard a preview of will indeed be a Buono! single, bringing back with it the rock sound and the great dance choreography Buono! made us used to.

Since we already got a radio preview of the song, I was kind of expecting the release date to be a little closer to late November-mid December, but instead, it seems that the song won’t be released until January which is like 3 months away from now, and even though I find this a little weird, I can’t help but think that this might have been made on purpose to promote the single well with the movie Oosama Game and at the H!P winter concert as well since Buono! are set with an amazing song that already made everyone excited to see the result.

Overall, I can’t wait until more details are released for this single even though it seems that we will have to wait a while until any new information is devulged due to the release date, but even though, this announcement should be a relief for all Buono! fans and for everyone who liked the song.

Hopefully fans can start reserving their copied of the single!

The release date is set for 1/18

S/mileage – “Please Miniskirt Postwoman!” Single V Announced

The Single V for S/mileage’s 8th single who will be the last for Maeda Yuuka and first to feature the new official members titled Please Miniskirt Postwoman! has been announced.

I usually never pay much attention to Single Vs announcements since they never reveal anything new apart from the fact that fans can expect a release of the PV of the single alone on a DVD, but since this will be Yuuka’s very last appearance in a S/mileage PV, I really see it as a special release for all of her fans that will want to enjoy seeing the last PV with Yuuka separately since I have a feeling that we won’t be disappointed with the result.

Even though the content hasn’t been confirmed, all Single Vs follow the same pattern which is why I assumed the content would include the main PV, but there isn’t much to say on it apart from the fact that it will be a great addition for all Yuuka and new member’s fans since this will not be included on the Single V Compilation that will be released later on, so a best way for fans who want to start purchasing Single Vs would be to get the compilation followed by the Single V of this special release.

Overall, this is the first time I get excited about the Single V announcement since this will be a great memory concerning the current formation of S/mileage, so hopefully everyone can consider purchasing a copy!

The release date is set for 1/11.

Takahashi Ai Graduation Concert Blu-ray Announced

A 2-disc Blu-ray release for Takahashi Ai’s graduation concert on 9/30 at the Nippon Budokan has been announced.

As mentionned, the release will be a 2-disc Blu-ray release which should please all of Ai-chan’s fans who have a Blu-ray player since they will be able to enjoy the amazing graduation concert and ceremony in HQ, and even though I find it strange that a lot of important new H!P releases are being announced only on Blu-ray which is sad for fans who only purchase DVDs usually, I still think it’s a great opportunity for all of her fans to provide themselves with a copy and enjoy the memorable graduation.

Even though no tracklist or information about the content has been released, I’m assuming that one disc will feature the concert’s full performance on 9/30 which many reported to have been spectacular (the 12, Smart album songs were performed with great energy and fans were amazed by the Kyuukie’s progress), and the second disc will probably feature the graduation ceremony including Ai-chan’s letter to the fans, the encores, the “Ai-chan” call as well as the messages from the other members which is everything that is needed for a perfect graduation concert Blu-ray release.

Overall, I can’t wait for more details to be released concerning this graduation concert release since it’s quite an amazing and unmissable release for everyone who wants to be commemorating Ai-chan’s last concert and graduation again and again in HQ.

Hopefully everyone who wants to provide themselves with a copy will be able to do so to support Ai-chan and just enjoy watching the concert and graduation over and over again since this will definitely stay as a souvenir later on of what Ai-chan brought to the world of H!P.

The release date is set for 12/28.

“Hello! Project 2011 Summer Concert Tour ~Nippon no Mirai wa WOW WOW Live~” DVD Cover Released

The DVD cover for the Hello! Project 2011 Summer Concert Tour ~Nippon no Mirai wa WOW WOW Live~ has been released.

When I first saw the cover, I couldn’t hide my disappointment since the main focus of the cover is the huge logo of the concert tour right in the middle of a total black background, and even though the concept of the logo was really nice, the focus of the cover for me should be the members more than the logo since here, the member’s images seem like mere additions to the “logo”.

Apart from that, the background of the cover is all black which is somewhat sad when we realize that this is the cover for the H!P Summer Concert Tour, and even though I would have liked a bright colorful background, I think that adding a flashy background with the flashy logo would have clashed a bit and made the members even less noticeable than they are here.

As for the member’s pictures, it seems that they used the same technique that they usually use which is of clipping images of the members alone singing in their microphones, but it seems that there are some members that couldn’t be captured while singing and that got still pictures instead like Momo, Chii, Maimi, Sayu who is in the middle of a dance or Sakitty, but even though the concept is nice while dividing each group into a corner of the cover, the overall looks a little plain since adding some sort of borders to separate the groups would have been nice.

Overall, even though I don’t like this cover as much as I liked the cute one of the winter concert tour, I still think that it won’t turn off fans who want to purchase the WOW WOW version to do so since the content is amazing to say the least, so hopefully everyone who hasn’t done so can reserve a copy soon!

Hopefully the cover of the YEAH YEAH Live concert will be out soon so that we get to see if they used the same concept or changed them a bit.

The release date is set for 11/16.

S/mileage site official info page about product

“S/mileage 2011 Fall Concert Tour ~Gakyushuu no Chou Miniskirt~” DVD Announced

The DVD release for S/mileage’s 2011 Fall Concert Tour ~Gakyushuu no Chou Miniskirt~ has been announced.

As expected, the DVD release for S/mileage’s 2nd concert tour was to be announced soon since the last performance was held some time ago, and this being the sub-member’s first concert tour, it must be a great addition for every S/mileage fan now that we know that they are permanent and official members, so this concert tour could be taken as the first test of the new members.

The whole concert was really amazing with all of the great songs, the nice additions, the members filling in as the 4th member in the 4nin songs as well as the live stream on YouTube, and they all showed us how amazing and memorable this concert tour was, alongside the members being happy as can be on stage specially with it being the first live performances of the new members, and even though the official tracklist hasn’t been confirmed yet, it probably shouldn’t be way too different from the one performed all along, so everyone who saw the concert on YouTube will have a clear idea of the songs performed.

Overall, I hope that everyone who’s interested will be able to reserve a copy to support S/mileage on their new path, and also to discover how well the sub-members did on their first concert tour alongside the main members.

The release date is set for 12/21.

Neowing official page about product

Mobekimasu Blu-ray PV Compilations Announced

PV Compilations for Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, C-ute, Mano Erina and S/mileage titled respectivelyMorning Musume, Berryz Koubou, C-ute-Mano Erina, S/mileage All Single Music Video Blu-ray File 2011 were announced to be released on Blu-ray.

The setlist will consist of all of their single’s PVs, from Morning Coffee till Kono Chikyuu/Kare to Issho for Morning Musume, from Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai till Aa, Yo ga Akeru for Berryz, from Massara Blue Jeans till Sekaiichi HAPPY na Onna no Ko, from Otome no Inori till My Days For You for Mano and from aMa no Jaku till Tachiagaaru for S/mileage.

Since I didn’t expect those releases, I am overjoyed to see that fans of all groups will get the chance to have in one release the PVs from the very first PV the group/artist has released up until the most recent one, and the most stunning news is the fact that Morning Musume’s release will be a 2-disc Blu-ray release with absolutely all of their PVs which add up to almost 50 videos (including 3,2,1 Breakin’ Out! and Kare to Ishho), which is very impressive since this kind of release wouldn’t have been expected right now, and judging by the price of these compilations for all groups, it seems that they are at a very abordable price, meaning that Morning Musume’s is for approximatively 5,000 Yen.

Apart from that, I’m extremely excited about those releases since in Berryz’s case, we will get to see their evolution from kids to teenagers through their songs, as well as the difference when Maiha left since they did debute 7 years ago when everything was different, same applied to C-ute who saw it’s member’s number shrink down from 8 to 5 members, as well as their transformation into beautiful young ladies with catchy songs and great dances through their single.

S/mileage also will somewhat have the history of their group being told in the PVs since they start with their first indie single, followed by their first debut single as a 4nin group, the last single to feature Sakitty and finish with the first to feature the sub-members which I find particularly touching and a mist-have for their fans. Mano on the other hand didn’t change much since her debut even though we are now witnessing her becoming a mature woman with strong songs like Onegai Dakara, while she used to sing happy and cute songs like Sekai wa Summer Party, which should please all of her fans that follow her discography.

Overall, I’m really glad that these releases were announced since it gives a great opportunity for their fans to get a compilation full of the PVs of their favorite group ever since they started until now (specially Momusu since fans who own this Blu-ray will jump from PV to PV that all feature different members and different themes), even though it seems kind of unfair that fans who rely on DVD releases won’t be able to purchase a copy…

Hopefully everyone will be able to reserve a copy to enjoy this amazing piece of history of H!P since it’s an opportunity for fans of each group to have all of the PVs from the start of the group till now and enjoying them in HQ.

The release date for Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, C-ute, Mano Erina and S/mileage’s Single V Compilations is set for 12/21.

http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=EPXE-5018

http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PKXP-5005

C-ute 2nd PB Announced, Titled “cutest”

C-ute had already announced the release of their 2nd PB at Berryz Koubou and C-ute’s first collaboration performance, and it has now been confirmed on H!P’s official site alongside the title which has been revealed to be cutest.

Since C-ute released an official PB back in 2007 that had a similar title (So C-ute!), I was expecting nothing less but something similar for fans and for everyone to relate the title to the artists, and I have to say that I’m a big fan of cute and easy PB titles so this one is truly great in my opinion since it’s as simple as can be while still matching the first PB’s title, and there seems to be more power put in this title since it sayscutest that probably could refer to being cutest than the previous one, or maybe just to say “more cute”, as in another release full of more content of the C-ute members.

Even though not many details are released, I can’t expect but great things from this PB since first of all, group PBs are always a lot more interesting than individual ones since we get to see the girls react together and strike cute/funny poses all together that pleases everyone, and secondly, judging by C-ute’s member’s individual releases lately, I was surprised with how well they turned out and how mature they have all become (specially Nakky in her last PB), so I can’t wait to find out about the content weither it will be a cute theme or a more mature one.

Overall, I’m really excited about this release since it will be an unmissable release for all C-ute fans that will give them a chance to see all of the members together in one single PB, and since many things changed from the 2007 PB till now, this will make it even more interesting.

Hopefully everyone can grab a copy soon to enjoy an amazing release by C-ute!

The release date is set for 12/7.

Shibata Ayumi – “Believe” PV Preview Released

A PV preview for Shibata Ayumi’s solo debut single titled Believe has been released.
From the 30 seconds that I saw I am already impressed by Ayumi’s debut single since it sounds pretty solid and catchy, despite it being a ballad. There are many lines where she can show off her voice and with a somewhat simple instrumental it really makes her voice shine, although I will wait for a full preview since the song seems to have the same style throughout the preview.
The PV itself matches the song pretty well since it has a country setting with Ayumi singing in the middle of a field with a white dress in front of a door (why the door, I have no idea), and along with that there is also a scene where she holds out her hands and a few animations were added, something which really made the PV unique and even more catchy and cute.
There are cover previews in the PV, although it’s somewhat hard to tell what they look like it seems that the limited edition will feature a dreamlike picture of Ayumi standing in the middle of a road along with the usual “look at the camera” cover for the regular edition. Both of them look really good and while I would lean towards the content of the Limited edition I would say that the Regular cover looks perfect for her debut as a solo artist since it shows off her cuteness really well.
For now I hope everyone can check out the short preview since it’s a great song, not the best song I’ve ever heard but still a pretty decent song as a debut solo release, and hopefully a full PV or full song is released soon since I’m excited to see just how it sounds.

The release date is set for 11/2.