In wota fashion, I was wearing orange shorts and had an assortment of orange glow sticks to support my dear Chinami. Not much, but gotta represent.

In the concert hall itself, at 3:00 my seat was all the way in the back. I thought this was going to be a problem, but even from there the view was great. With that said, at the 6:30 show, my seat was much closer and so I enjoyed it all the more. You’d be pretty hard pressed to get me excited about almost anything, but sit me down in front of a group of young laughing, dancing, singing Japanese girls and well, on my own, I’ll go crazy. And as wrong as that may sound, it is what it is, lol.

An interestingly mixed selection of H!P songs started the concert before the girls hit the stage. With the lights being put through their paces, the mix got you pumped for what was to come.

The opening song was my favorite from Morning Musume’s Platinum 9 DISC, Guru Guru JUMP, performed by the whole gang. When all of H!P is saying JUMP, how can one resist; much jumping did ensue. And with that done, sans S/milage, next up was Berryz Koubou’s Piriri to Yukou!. An oldie, but a goodie, and fun to dance to.

S/mileage was first after the Intro/MC with aMa no Jaku followed by Omakase Guardian by Guardians 4. These ones were a little bit harder to dance to, but still fun.

Minimoni Jankenpyon! Fun song and fun to dance to. I’ve not listened to a lot of minimoni but with this revamp, I’m really liking it. Jankenpyon is one I’ve heard before, but not really payed much attention to. Props to LinLin, and their outfits were pretty cool too.

On the first performance of Mano’s Sekai Wa Summer Party, I think Erina, messed up a little bit, but was alright on the second go round. There are a few points in the instrumental to this song that sounded a bit off, or maybe too strong. Anyway, with S/mileage dancing in the background, this was another that I could get into.

C-ute’s Shochuu Omimai Moshiagemasu, I wasn’t too much a fan of the song, nor the PV… but the live performance was great.

Seishun Bus Guide has a pretty cool dance, and so I feel pretty cool dancing along to Berryz Kobo’s latest single.

Nanchatte Renai and Shouganai Yume Oibito by Morning Musume; good stuff. With MM on the stage, I think I watched Koharu the most, she’s just fun and… I don’t know. One thing I did catch myself doing whenever Reina was on the big screen was checking out her eyes, they’re so captivating, or maybe amusing is a better word, haha. I don’t know, I like how they’re offset and crosseyed or whatever. Ehh…, LOL. I’m going to have to redo my MM rankings.

Aa! and Pucchimoni V’s new songs were great. In Aa!’s case, I’m definitely liking the sound after being disappointed by the on the Champloo album. In Pucchimoni V, Erina, I don’t know… I think she messes up again.

Moving on to Reina’s solo, she did a excellent job. She was followed Tanpopo#. Yurina seemed like she kinda didn’t fit with the sound of this group, dunno. My Boy was awesome, as is to be expected of Buono!. And then we get some more jumping with C-ute’s JUMP preformed by all.

Ai’s solo… I like the song, but… yawn? I would have liked to see LinLin do her thing, but whatever. Maybe the placement after JUMP and a MC made it seem dull. Again, I like the song and she has a great voice, it just didn’t fit.

v-u-den… Risako, Sayumi and JunJun carry out mic stands as they come onto the stage. There’s just something about their stage presence in this song that is so, bad… in a good way. Risako in her opening solo is really owning the mic and is very into it. Then when the additional instrumental comes in, you cannot help but be pumped. Later on you have JunJun on the ground doing some wicked air guitar, rushing back to the other side of the stage and jamming some more. This was my favorite song on the Champloo album and seeing it live is so much better. The first performance of the song, I could really tell that the crowd loved it, they were really into it.

ZYX-α and High-King do their thing, and then High-King comes on with Cinderella\Complex. That was a bit unexpected, but very much welcome. The dance is one you can really get into.

In the MC here, I just want to point out that Koharu is really fun to watch. Even if I have no idea what she’s saying, she is really playful in a very amusing way.

Special Generation plays and the crowd is really into it. Another Berryz oldie but a goodie. At the end here, Maimi steps out between the Berryz, decked out in white, saying her opening lines from Tokaikko Junjou. The contrast looks cool and is a great transition.

Resonant Blue finishes up the group songs and this one was again, really fun to dance to.

Ending things is Sono Bamen de Bibiccha Ikenai jan!, Koko ni Iruzee and after a quick MC, Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzuku Youna Mirai de Are! Tho I wasn’t familiar with the last song, it was a good end to an awesome concert.

So yeah, I definitely enjoyed doing the whole wota thing. Chants, claps, jumping, dancing, singing, the whole nine yards. Will really have to look into making this happen more often.

Are You a Shallow Wota

Imagine your favorite idol switched bodies with someone you don’t find “visually pleasing”, would it affect your love for that idol in any way/shape/form?

Umm, yes. Wait, that’s the answer to the second question, not the first. I’d be surprised to find anyone who could honestly say no to that. Though I guess “visually pleasing” can be left pretty open to interpretation. My idol, with the same personality, the same voice, the same dance moves, the same mannerisms… yet stuffed into an unsightly box, would definitely lose some appeal.

Would you still love me?

How much, well that is a hard one to quantify. I fell in love with the whole package, any drastic change such as a body swap would be jarring on some level. Knowing it was the same person underneath however, I wouldn’t be able to help but to continue loving them.

And at the same time, they’re idols, it’s pretty simple to draw a distinction between them and real people. That sounds a bit shallow doesn’t it? Or not. The idol relationship is a fantasy, a feux love, and so it it easy for me to differentiate between the two. When they start becoming more than idols to me, and I’ll admit there’s a fine line, then and only then will I begin putting a little more thought into it. Now, I’ll also recognize that they’re not “just idols” to me and a whole lotta wota out there, but still…

Ultimately, we’re talking our favorite idol here, the top of the crop. After growing so attached, all things the same outside of visual appreciation, they’d still have my love and support, but maybe I’d be more likely to pass on a photobook or something.

1. What was the first Japanese song that you ever listened to?
Back in 2002, Momoiro Kataomoi by Mattsura Aya.

Momoiro Kataomoi

2. Did it inspire you to like that group/singer, or did it turn you away?
I wasn’t really into any type of music at the time. I was probably looking for cute Japanese stuff or something (-_-);, and happened to stumble upon the adorable and bubbly video.  While I wasn’t inspired, it didn’t turn me away either. Years after the initial find, I rediscovered H!P and was greatly surprised to find Aya had sung the song. I remembered the catchy tune immediatly and I’d say that Aya has been a favorite of mine for a while, partly because of that.

Gag 100kaibun Aishite Kudasai

3. What is the one song that you have been listening to for the longest time?
Gag 100kaibun Aishite Kudasai gets credit for this one. I think I’ve mentioned this a quite a few times in various ways, but the opening melody grabbed me and I was hooked. Chinami killed me with her cuteness and the whole thing was an eye opening experience of sorts.

4. What group/singer have you liked the longest?
I guess there’s a bit of a tie between Tokyo Jihen, CHERRY LYDER, Berryz Koubou, Nakagawa Shouko, Angela Aki… but again, I’ll give this one to Berryz. They’ve been there since my intro into J-Pop.

Killer Tune

5. What is the song with the most plays on your itunes/media player?
Killer Tune by Tokyo Jihen at 252 plays has a pretty good lead over CHERRY LYDER’s NAMUKIN Girl and Omae wa Ushi ka!? which sit at 234 each.

6. Is that song your favorite?
It’s definently in my top picks, but I wouldn’t call it my favorite.

Rottara Rottara

7. If not, what is?
If I had to pick just one, I’d go with Rottara Rottara by Buono!. Buono! is awesome, the song is awesome, the awesome is awesome, awesome Buono! is awesome… sorry. There are a couple more that I’d say are favs (One’s LIFE by °C-ute, Kirin no Kubi Yori Nagaku Naru by CHERRY LYDER, Gunjou Biyori by Tokyo Jihen, Minna no Ki by Tomoiki Ki o Uetai) and then even more that I’d rate very highly.

8. Is there any one group that you can listen to all/most of the songs by? If so, who?

Kirin no Kubi Yori Nagaku Naru

CHERRY LYDER has a discography of 11 unique tracks, and I enjoy them all. She’s fun pop rocky, and can slow it down too. Then there’s Buono!, and well, they’re awesome. There are some songs that I like more than others but overall their stuff is tops.

9. What is your favorite agency?
Still don’t know, or care(?) about agencies all that much. Still, I’ll go with Up-Front Works cause they contain both Berryz Koubou and Buono!.

10. What is your favorite group/singer?
Berryz Koubou of course. So much to love. The girls are fun and the music is great.

H!P Poll 2009

My ten are packed with the Kids of course, with Berryz and °C-ute filling the top spots. I’ve got my thoughts on them detailed in my rankings posts if you’re interested.

Ne~e? Matsuura Aya has always been a favorite of mine. She was one of, if not the first H!P act that I had heard or seen. I’ve always enjoyed some of her earlier works, and while I believe that some of her more recent stuff isn’t as good, I love it all the same. Also, can’t forget GAM. The combo of Aya and Fujimoto Miki really worked.

Abe Natsumi, was introduced to me when she did the duet with Maimi early last year. Through a bit of searching I found Koi no Telephone Goal and a few others that I’ve enjoyed. Seeing her in some of the older Morning Musume songs and shows, she’s not only cute, but fun. With SALT5, DEF.DIVA and Nochiura Natsumi she’s also done some enjoyable work. She’s also one of the few in H!P who are around my age, haha.

Yoshizawa Hitomi was a hit during her English lessons. Really played up the tom boy role with the Musumes and has always been cool with Gatas and Hangry & Angry. Her personality has always stood out to me, and that earns her a spot in my tops.

“What do you Think About when Looking at Photobooks?“

It’s a question that on the surface brings forth a response of “because I like the pretty pictures.” But when you really think about it, perhaps you can glean a little bit of insight into yourself. What do these idols and entertainers really mean to you? What type of enjoyment do you get out of it? No matter how plain, bizarre or embarrassing.

As for me, happy people make me happy. Cute people make me happy. I guess the idol photo/photobook thing is a portal into that. The photos of happy, fun and cute bring out a little bit joy and excitement in me. Their smiles and playfulness just elicit a strong sense of glee. It does, as Jonas implied, require some sort of familiarity as well as realism; if not I can feel somewhat detached. But with the attachment, well, that’s all I need really.

And as I say that is all I need, they provide so much more. I’ve got a particular interest in idols from the Japanese music arena, whose music I also love. Then there are other avenues by way of doramas and even simple things like television game and variety shows. One gets the enjoyment of these photos that can otherwise be unrelated to the medium where the idol caught the eye in the first place. Or, the photos can be an introduction into the world of the idols’ other works. When viewing a photo, all of these thoughts, a conglomeration of the whole experience seems to be running through my head, albeit on a subconscious level.

I’m not much of a daydreamer, but I have thought once or twice about what it would be like to “be there.” I imagine it would be fun to partake in various activities, something we could do together that would continue to make the time with them exciting and cheerful. Like a father to a child, I like to think that I would be the kind of person to spoil them with love and support, and criticisms. And even with that, the photos are enough for me; I prefer to watch them have fun with little to no intervention. In the end, I don’t think much about anything when viewing photobooks, but an underlying thought is there. What a wonderful time they must be having, all captured in a single photograph, I hope their happiness continues from that moment and beyond.

15TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE ALBUM

Hot off the presses, the Judy and Mary 15th Anniversary Tribute Album, released March 18, 2009, was pretty awesome. Just as I had hoped. I really need to go back over the Judy and Mary discography, as so far I’ve fund some pretty cool stuff. I’ll keep this brief, but there are a few tracks that I wanted to give specific mention too.

The album starts off with Ikimono Gakari covering Classic. Ikimono Gakar’s sound is all over this one including their signature harmonica. One spot actually plays a bit like Kimagure ROMANTIC, intentionally I’m sure. Those little bits, plus an ever so slightly updated sound make this cover a really enjoyable one.

mihimaru GT takes a stab at Over Drive, and they do a great job. Thing’s start off simple and pick up a few more interesting sounds as things go on. True to form, mihimaru GT mixes in a little bit of their Hip-Hop thing. mihimaru GT is a group that I’ve heard about for quite a while, but have never looked much into their music. I’ll definitely be checking them out in more detail in the future.

The third track I’d like to mention is Lucky Pool, covered by HALCALI. I like HALCALI’s style and this song is another one where the group takes the original and adds just enough to make it their own. HALCALI of course, interjects a lil rap. It’s the same old song, but different enough that it’s fresh and new. Well, both versions are fairly new to me, but you get the point.

Ai Otsuka, HALCALI, Ikimono Gakari, Kimura Kaela, Midori, mihimaru GT, Nakagawa Shouko, Okuda Tamio, PUFFY, SCANDAL, school food punishment, SHIGI, SUNEOHAIR, Takeshi Hanzawa… whether or not you’re familiar with any one of the artists, I really recommend you check out this album. There’s not one track on here that I didn’t like to some extent.

Thanks to International Wota and the J-Music blogosphere for all the news, entertainment, and camaraderie over the past year. For someone relatively new to the Japanese music scene, it’s great having a plethora of wonderful resources out there. Here’s to another great year, oh and cake! Messy, messy cake (-_-) gomen… but hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?

The Cake - Strawberry cake for mah Berryz ♥

The Frosting - IW blue, kinda. Well it's blue anyway.

Pink Things - WTF?

intlwota 2009 - Frosting fail.

The Finished Product

Sankyuu

Berryz Koubou

My continued exploration into this group of 7 unearthed a wide variety of songs, all with equal parts cute and addictiveness. There’s something about the extremely adorable that just sits right with me. Eventually this lead me into my exploration of all of Hello! Project, of which I am a fairly big fan today.

A recent conversation came up while I was out one night in which the subject of Japanese music was stirred. It was then when I came to realize, well after being explicitly told, that Japanese music has literally changed my life. Around the time I started into Japanese music, I also started looking more and more into Japanese culture in general. It was something that I wanted to experience first hand but some of those experiences required, or rather, would be more easily attainable if I went through the education route. I somewhat chronicle that on my other blog. So I’m in school now, aiming for a Bachelors Degree in International Studies. More recently, I’ve left my job of five years, so that I can more easily focus on this.

Anyway, music was the catalyst. I’ve not really been into the music scene at all before I discovered Japanese music. Japanese music, culture, society, &c is one of the few things I’m really passionate about. Berryz is a big part of that.

Favorite Songs

Darling I LOVE YOU (Berryz Koubou ver.)
Kono Yubi Tomare!
CLAP!

Other Favorites (Singles)

21ji Made no Cinderella
Dakishimete Dakishimete
Dschinghis Khan
Gag 100kaibun Aishite Kudasai
MADAYADE
Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance

Honorable Mentions

Warera! Berryz Kamen
Special Generation (Eccentric Remix)

The Girls

Chinami

1. Chinami

Are there words to describe it? I’m not too sure, but I’ll give it my best shot. When she smiles I smile, a big grin flashes across my face. In general, when other people are happy, it makes me happy. Chii tho, has something special. There’s an extra bit of excitement that overcomes me whenever she is on screen.

When Chii speaks it strikes me with an overwhelming sense of cuteness. Her voice, the pitch, is high but not enough to be annoying. When she sings, the cuteness also radiates through, enticing what little bit of emotion that I do have, where as I’m otherwise in a fairly emotionless state. She’s not the best singer, but when she’s letting it out, it almost melts me.

On stage, Chii always seems to be genki and full of energy. Her moves are sharp and fun, always a great deal of fun to watch. Not the best dancer, but you can tell she puts the effort into making the group look good. She doesn’t get many lines in the songs, I guess she has to put that effort somewhere.

All of that, and I know it’s just a facade. The whole idol thing is really. But the prepped package is part of being a Wota, and that’s why I enjoy it so much.

She’s got the cute tomboy look with the short hair, and looks just as dazzling with it long. And… I guess I can’t go without saying something about her legs (-_-)’. Hmm, I just said all I’m going to say about that I think, lol. Chii is at the maximum of cute, what more needs to be said?

I realize I’m fanboing to a certain degree. But the adorableness that is Chii, it has inundated and captured me. Let me stop as this truly and surely could be, a most embarrassing idolization for the entire world to see.

Maasa

2. Maasa

Number two in the trio of Berryz underdogs. Massive Maasa ain’t so massive anymore, but she’s still the same Maasa down inside. Maasa has jumped up one spot in my rankings, and that’s partially due to her performance as Berryz Kamen Leader. Red for the win. She displays a lot pf personality so she’s cool to watch. She’s got a nice deepish singing voice as well. When she talks, she’s got an adorable lisp going on, tho it’s not as noticeable as perhaps it was early in the Berryz days. Also when talking, her mouth… it fascinates me. I’m not sure how to describe it exactly, but it’s very cute. It’s just one of things that makes her stand out.

Captain

3. Captain

Saki time, break it down. Do, do do, do doo. That was me doing a little jig if you couldn’t tell. Captain is so much fun with her energetic dance moves. It’s that and her position in High-King that really got me to notice her. Her forced looking smiles early on were a bit of a put off, but she has seemed to become more comfortable and natural now. She’s still a bit reserved but she makes up for that on the dance floor.

Momoko

4. Momoko

Momo is like, the perfect idol. A perfectness that creates a sense that you probably either love her or hate her for it. Her squeaky voice can be fun and entertaining, but she can also reel it in and produce something simply delightful. Her trademark pinkies up, and skipping around playfully, it’s amusing, just as an idol should be. As she furiously blinks her eyes when she’s mad or irritated, you really get to feel her emotion, without feeling threatened. It’s the little traits like these that make Momo so appealing.

Miyabi

5. Miyabi

Personally, I think she has the best voice among all of the Kids. I might even say that I enjoy her voice the most out of all of Hello! Project. Whenever she’s singing, her voice usually stands out, and I think it’s great. In addition to being a great singer, she can also dance. Miya is fairly well rounded and talented idol, but in a sea of Berryz, it takes a bit more than that to stand out for me.

Kumai

6. Kumai

Since my last Berryz ranking, Yurina has dropped quite considerably from where she was at first. From two, she is now in the sixth spot for the same reasons why Captain was here before, she’s gotten a bit boring. She’s tall… and that’s about it. Well, she does have one of the better voices in the group, but that doesn’t make up for it, to pass all of the other interesting personalities she’s competing with. It might have been her paring with Chinami that first got me to notice her, they’ve been put together quite a few times and I’ve found her often enjoyable when doing so. She’s just lost her spark. I will say tho, she does look good in the Dakishimete PV.

Risako

9. Risako

There aren’t any Wonderful Hearts that I activly dislike, but Risako is someone I don’t not like. Wait, did that make any sense… I’m sorry Rii, I know you mean well. (T_T). Of the Berryz, she is the one with the “I know you think I’m something and I know I’m something” thing. I’m just having a hard time figuring out what that something is. She is cute and she does have an alright voice sometimes, but there’s something to her that bugs me. Maybe it’s her little pouty faces and failed attempts at seriousness and cool that comes across in PVs and concerts. There also seems to be a lack of effort in about everything I see her do. Buhhhh, I know they’re pushing her hard and she’s under a lot of stress and pressure, and she is the youngest of the Berryz, but in the end she still manages to annoy me for whatever reason. I just feel bad for not not disliking her. Maybe it’s my love for Berryz as a whole that makes it so hard. And I mean, just look at that picture, what is that face… what is that something she’s trying to convey.

Buono!

Group together the best voices of the Kids along with some interesting personalities and you get the awesomeness that is Buono! And don’t forget the rockish aura. Buono!’s unique rock style on both the instrumental and somewhat in their clothing style is just great. It really adds an interesting dimension to the group while also giving them a grand stage presense.

Tied to the Shugo Chara anime, I’m wondering what their future holds. They’ve recently been pushed back a bit by Shugo Chara Egg!. Even so, that hasn’t affected their music, so I hope to see them stick around.

Favorite Songs

Rottara Rottara

Other Favorites (Singles)

co・no・mi・chi
Renai♥Rider

Honorable Mentions

Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!
Minna Daisuki
I NEED YOU
Gachinko de Ikou!
Goal
Lady Panther

The Girls

Momoko

1. Momoko

I’ve said before, there’s always one of them in a group. This time, it’s Momo who takes the ““I know you think I’m cute and I know I’m cute” role. In this case however, she’s won me over, yeah, she’s kinda cute. In Renai♥Rider she’s riding the little tricycle, while the others are on their nifty motorcycles. Also in Renai♥Rider, she’s go that little solo with the ukulele, awesomely cute. Then in Kiss!Kiss!Kiss! again with the kiddy stuff, she gets stuck reading a baby book, while the others are reading, uh, real books. I was apprehensive about being trapped by this little cuteness trick they were pulling, but in the end, I’ve fallen for it. The little Leader of Buono! has earned her position. Her drumming thing in the band also seems to fit. I get the picture of a spoiled brat who likes to smash and bang on stuff until she gets her way, totally fits.

Airi

2. Airi

Cute Airi is cute. Initially she felt a little out of place when interacting with the two Berryz members, was kind of weird at times. It didn’t take long for everything to click however, and now she just seems like one of the team. In Buono! as in °C-ute, Airi is really able to flex her idol muscle, by not only being a great singer, but being generally good or otherwise entertaining at whatever she’s doing.

Miyabi

3. Miyabi

So, Buono! is made up of two little girls and this woman. Woman, indeed. Even when acting childish and playful, she’s still got this air of womanness. Or, she’s motherly or something, haha. Because of that, she is fairly distinct in her mannerisms. It’s always fun to see how she’ll react in certain situations. Anyway, glad to have her here, Buono! wouldn’t be the same with any other combination of Kids.