…And farewell our longest running Momusu lineup ever. It’s sad, but kind of exciting to see what the future holds. Go here for translations and full-details. From what I read it was one of the funniest, sweetest graduations ever.

Cheers, everybody.
Let’s be excited.

~Isilie

So 2009 is coming to a close, eh? I realize it’s not technically over, but there are times when I’m not very patient.

I’ve decided that being lame is ok for a moment and am therefore ready to spring this end-of-the-year post on ya. I think that 2009 was an interesting year, plus this will give me a chance to comment on things I didn’t formally write about for whatever reason. I might repeat words a lot, like ‘beautiful’, because I’m writing mostly about what I liked and that makes me excited and unable to think of more creative adjectives.

I begin with this shot of (arguably) the three most adorable of the Musumes. Mame and Mitsui should be in there too, but we can’t always get what we want, can we? Linlin has the most wonderful smile. In case you can’t tell, they are making a strawberry shortcake. In mid-air. Which is apparently hilarious.

Hey, whatever. Since when has any photo set made sense? I love this one, personally, but I’m not sure why they don’t just use a table.

Man, cute pics are distracting.

Favourite Singles of 2009:

Momusu’s Shouganai Yume Oibito + Kimagure Princess

I’m not sure exactly how many people cared that this was their first number one on the Oricon charts since Aruiteru, but it was another milestone in their long history. Yes, a milestone. Not because it sold spectacularly well, but because this number one made it so that every single generation of Momusu has experienced a number one single (at least on that infernal, yes I said infernal, chart), even for a day.

Every single generation. I think that’s pretty cool.

Besides that, this song is beautiful. The harmonies are amazing, although it’s somewhat drowned out by the backing track. I wish Tsunku would have showcased these harmonies more, rather than focusing so much on solos. I have no idea how, but someone had uploaded an mp3 of the track with only vocals (I cannot remember where I found this though) – I was floored. Even though the harmonies are slightly drowned out, they are there for once and beyond that, the solos are slightly softer than normal. It felt like everyone held back a little and rightly so. The pv had a story for once and a location rather than a set. University seems like a perfect setting for that song. And I love the costumes. The dance is a little odd, but I love it anyway.

See what a little promotion can do for ya?

Kimagure is a little different for Momusu, but also not so much. It reminds a lot of people, including Nutjob herself, of Balalaika and it reminded me of Odore Morning Curry, just in the sheer craziness of those first few moments before they start singing. There’s been a lot of fuss about the chipmunk vocals and of the random cowgirl costumes covered in holes (-the hell? I remember when I was really young blue jeans with giant holes in the knees were fashionable. I thought holes in your pants were stupid then, and I still think they are now).This was an odd choice for the cowgirl theme, but they’re all so pretty/cute/etc that you stop caring (if you’re me). I don’t care about the chipmunk moments, because they go by quickly and the ‘ii janai’s more than make up for them.

The lyrics seem tongue-in-cheek to me, which I like. I think Momusu needs to stop taking themselves so seriously for a moment. They’ve not had a simple, fun, random pop single in awhile. This feels like one of those songs that Tsunku just felt like writing, because he’s completely insane and operates on whim. I love that he sat there writing lyrics like, “look at the charm of this ass”. Remember the “sexy island” lines in IJ? I could see him writing those lines and then giggling to himself. Perhaps he was trying to sound sexy, but it comes across as the song equivalent of a wink.

Give us another Yowamushi when you wanna be sexy, Tsunku. Don’t give us chipmunks, Russian dancing and random butt-grabs (can’t wait to see the new concert on dvd for that performance).

It might seem like I’m complaining, but I’m not. The vocals are great, the dance is fun and the backing track is pop-y goodness. I love this song – mostly because it’s pop that doesn’t care what you think. It isn’t trying to be anything but its cracked out self. It’s fitting grad song for Koharu. I find it quite catchy, even though I’ll always giggle at the “sexy princess” (grab!) line.

Guardians 4 – Omakase Guardian + Party Time

I didn’t expect to like this group at all. I don’t watch this anime and I usually can’t really be bothered keeping up with all the random, anime-related groups that seem to pop up and then disappear. Some times they are cute and some times they are just a resounding meh. Since I am always looking for new music, I decided to give their first single a listen and I fell in love with it. First of all, it’s hilarious Engrish at its finest: “rakki” (lucky), “bu-i sa-i-un (V sign)” etc. Second, the pv, with its entire lack of set and the rocking back and forth with that banner to the music? Want some cheese with that cheese? Then the dance, which is just so cutesy it makes me laugh… It’s all good here. I really think Mitsui comes into her own in groups like this. She can pull off pretty much whatever you throw her way, but I think she is happiest in these sorts of songs. Cuteness radiates from her, but somehow maturity. She reminded me of Mame’s presence in Athena&Robikerottsu – cute and youthful but with a big-sister air. Love her vocals here. This song just always cheers me up because it’s so…well, cheery.
And ridiculous. How can you watch them rocking back and forth with that banner and not start giggling?

Party Time just plain delights me. It reminds me vaguely of the opening song for the anime Chobits. The ‘pa-pa-pa-pi-ah’ could get old fast, but for me it doesn’t. I’m addicted to those little things. There’s something refresing about the arrangement. The accompanying pv is a lot more elaborate than Omakase. They get a set, a LOT of bubbles and their customary tea. Kumai (SO tall), Nakajima and Mitsui run around being adorable, but Risako always seems like she’s out of the loop a bit. They all must be tired of looking up into those enormous nostrils of hers (HA!). I love that they’re always having some sort of celebration, too. It’s always, “yay, let’s have cake cause we’re friends!” That’s a good philosophy.

Buono – My Boy

Is there really anyone who hated this single? Buono has been consistently good since they debuted, even though I thought they wouldn’t last a year (in my defense, anime units don’t seem to stay around for too long). If I don’t like their singles initially, I go back to them later and realize how epic they really are. This happened recently with Rottara. How did I not love that song? The thing with this trio is their vocals – they’re strong but very sweet. Often with strong vocalists, at least for me, listening to them gets tiring and singing along becomes impossible (not always, but with certain artists). Buono is singable, enjoyable pop with just enough rock thrown in to be a little different.Their voices are all similar so they blend perfectly and individually they are all capable of gorgeous things.

My Boy is nothing short of epic, right down to the insane quest-for-cake pv (yes it was a cake, sorry for that spoiler – Really, it must be the best cake in the world for them to go to all that fuss). Gachinko de Ikou will always be my favourite, but this one came really close to knocking it down. I love that often Buono lyrics consist of the girls berating someone for being a wuss. In My Boy, it seems that they’re giving someone a good-natured nudge, saying, if you change your perspective just a little, you might find there isn’t anything holding you back. Some of the lines really get to me: Because it’s a digital world, people are careless and forget their true selves / What would you do if it was all here for you? (translation here) Throw in those costumes, the smooth, firm vocals and the squealing guitars and you’ve got some truly epic win.

Berryz Koubou – Dakishimete Dakishimete + Rival

Ever since Madayade, Berryz has forced me to pay attention to them. And I do mean forced. I try really hard to ignore them, but then they give me THIS single, with the awesome costumes, the awesome vocals, adorable Captain and everyone’s ‘I’ll-KILL-you-with-my-pwning’ eyes (as always, dead-fish-Risako is the exception).I was wishing for something like this from Momusu, but it was given to Berryz.

It’s difficult for me not to see them as the kids, but this really made me feel like they were growing up, just like Mada made me recognize that they’d developed their own sound. I love the energy in the dance and I even love the cheesy disco pv. They look like grown ups and they look like individuals, which is something I’d really not seen previously. I’ve liked some of their stuff in the past, but I’d never really taken them seriously.

Rival took me by surprise. When I watched the pv the first time, I started to cringe and think, “oh no, we’re back to kids stuff”, but despite the cardboard, which makes me cringe still, I really liked the song. I miss songs where Tsunku would throw in some spoken lines. Even though Risako so often repulses me, I do love her vocals, especially in this song. Kumai pwns too. Honestly, I don’t know why I like it. I usually don’t have the patience for mid-tempo songs (I have to be in the right mood), but it really grew on me. I particularly love the chorus. I figured I’d like the faster A-side, Seishun Bus Guide, but not as much as this one.

What’s going on with me, this year?? I’d mention how much I adore their newest double-A, particularly Watashi no Mirai no Dannasama, but screw it, I’m not giving into this any more than I already have. I’m thinking 2010 will be the year I start featuring them in this blog with the same attention I give to Momusu. Man, it really is a new year, isn’t it?

Sweet Black feat. Goto Maki – Fly Away

Because I first listened to this song outside at sunset, in the winter, I will always associate it with that scenery and the feelings it brought to me there. There’s power and vulnerability threaded through every line and it’s perfectly suited to Goto’s voice. This is the song that made me want to follow her avex career. I end up loving much of what I listen to, but loving a song as much as I love this one doesn’t happen as often as you’d think. It’s funny, but I never associate it with the pv, it’s always that image of the sunset reflecting off the snow.

Favourite Albums:

• Morning Musume – Platinum 9

I’ve read so many reviews of this album that said it was boring or a disappointment. I cannot understand that logic at all. At all. Firstly, most of it blew my mind with how catchy, aggressive and different each song (singles not included) sounded. They went choral on ‘Ame no…’ which showcases the kind of harmonies that they just don’t seem to do anymore. They went into deep, dark territory for ‘Jounestsu no…’ and let Riida wail her heart out (with beautiful effect). There were a few too many solo songs, but since each one has its own charm, I stop minding so much. Guruguru was created for lives; You can tell about five seconds into the song. Songs was like a punch in the face: beautiful piano intro, then brass for no reason, then the drums and bass and that outro that…I just…there aren’t words for how hard that hit me the first time I heard it. Maybe you think I’m exaggerating, especially if you don’t personally like this song, but it really hit me hard. Their songs don’t usually go into aggressive dance territory, but man… Ditto Take off is Now. I love the lyrics for that one. Actually, there isn’t much about it that I don’t love. If an album absolutely punches me in the face the moment it starts and holds my attention no matter who is singing (even if it’s Shige), that is basically a pwn. The sound is different, but still them. I don’t really understand why people hated it. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but it’s pretty damn enjoyable.

[Random: There seemed to be many comments to the effect of, "why is Momusu so emo lately?" I'd like to direct your attention to a little song called 'Night of Tokyo City' from their second album. This song has an awesome rap, whispery and lovely vocals and a very SummerNightTown-esque beat. This song , while epic-win, is also quite depressing. A lot of their songs from early on deal with that sort of loneliness. Their genki-ness is always cited as their main point, but Momusu has had their fair share of emo moments in the past eleven years. The Golden Era needed to be happy and genki because that is what people wanted back then. That era was so explosive that it seems to overshadow every song in the past that dealt with so-called "emo" angst. NofTC is just one example. What about Usotsuki Anata? Or two of their famous ones: Memory or Daite? Samishii Hi anyone?]

• Hangry & Angry – Sadistic Dance

Every time I set out to talk about a Yossy-related thing, I get nervous because anyone reading this who is familiar with me knows my extreme bias. I am likely to adore anything she does, because it’s her. In my defense though, is there anyone who hates her? At best people can be indifferent to Yossy, but as far as I’ve seen, she’s pretty much universally respected, if not adored. So yeah. It’s her fault I’m like this. Not mine. *cough* Surprisingly, I did NOT adore every single track. Nevertheless, I must admit that with the exception of that hideous evisceration of The Peace (dude, WHY!?) and some song elements that annoyed me (like in Lady Madonna), I was surprised how much I loved it. For example, Mr Monkey and Doubt are fantastic. A lot of the tracks are remixes of the songs on the mini album and most are improvements on the originals.

The best thing about these two musically is their contrast. They harmonize well, but individually Yossy’s low tones contrast sharply with Ishikawa’s girly, sometimes pouty vocals. It might not be as edgy as it could be, but couple that contrast with some smooth harmonies and their obvious chemistry and you’ve got some epic win.  They were never the strongest singers, but they’ve always had an adventurous spirit between them. It must be so refreshing to sing songs that are this different. Regarding their pvs, I still don’t think Ishikawa can pull off ‘Angry’ but she certainly has that creepy-eternally-staring-doll look down pat. Yossy’s attempts at anger come across as campy, but I love that she’s still throwing herself into every second of performing. Whenever she stares into the camera with that Yossy-smirk, I get the sense that she knows EXACTLY what she’s doing to me – and likely, to everyone else.

Regarding their similarity to GAM…other than the fact that it’s a duo of best friends who don’t mind getting cozy with each other (*winkwink*), I don’t see that many. This album is nothing that I’ve heard before and I loved it.

• Sweet Black feat. Goto Maki – Sweet Black

Ah, Goto. I’ve talked about her a bit already, so I’ll be brief. I loved every single track, which is rare. This is also the first time I’ve encountered Goto’s voice and felt it was beautiful. It’s always been good, but I’ve never listened to a song of hers and thought, “wow” Stand-outs include…well, everything, but my personal favourite, aside from Fly Away is Mine with Ken the 390 (what does that even mean, anyway? 390??). Even now, I can’t stop listening to that one. I wish that rap went on a little longer. Albums like this satisfy my need for constant energy (as I always listen to music while walking or at the gym). More releases, Goto! MORE!

• Maeda Yuki – Zenkyouku Shuu ~ Kenchana

I doubt any blog devoted more than a line to this album, from this underrated, underappreciated powerhouse of a singer. I do understand. Enka is a tad esoteric, especially if you’re expecting H!P pop.”Boring” is a one word for it. Most of the time, even I don’t have the patience to sit and listen to it without something to look at. Call it what you want, but H!P is a visual thing as much as it is a music thing. That isn’t to say that Maeda herself isn’t gorgeous, but finding her pvs is damn near impossible.

Even without the aid of pvs, I’d describe this LONG-OVERDUE album as the musical equivalent of a gorgeous photobook. Maeda’s vocals are deeply resonant and then devestatingly pretty (trite word, true sentiment). The way she digs deeply into some notes and gently glides over others creates something that no other artist in H!P could possibly create. The only one I could compare her to would be Iida Kaori, but only in the atmospheric music. Some favourites: Naki Usagi, Sarasara no Kawa, Tokyo Yoimachigusa and Ai Ai Daiko. I know, all of those are singles, but they’re epic. If nothing else, you should give this album a chance because her vocals are just that beautiful. I wish I could tell you some flaw. Either I don’t know enough about music, or that voice really is perfect.

• Hello!Project Champloo – Happy Marriage Song Shuu

I was skeptical. Very skeptical. Saying you’re going to remake any of these beloved Golden Age groups is bound to make at least a few people raise their eyebrows (or their torches). However, even though I have no idea who any of the Eggs are and don’t care for Mano at all, each of the remade groups managed to capture the same energy as their originals. Well, as closely as they are ever likely to get. The Champloo concert was fantastic. Seeing Mini Moni again, even though I didn’t know any of them except Linlin, gave me so much joy. Even the new Pucchi Moni with Mano had wonderful crackling energy when I expected bland, shy attempts. Getting back to the album itself, even those who don’t have the strongest voices seem shuffled to just the right place. I don’t know who would actually play this at her wedding, but it’s a sweet album with that sort of wedding-reception atmosphere. There are some songs that I can’t manage to listen to (you can probably guess which ones), but there are few spectacular tunes here that I didn’t expect.And just a note, I’m surprised how many of them I recognized from Uta Doki episodes or from random J-dramas.

Linlin’s solo is hands down the best solo I’ve heard this year. Argue with me. I dare you. She’s amazing. I love the way she digs into that note at the end of the chorus. I wish she had performed it in the concert. I also loved the new Mini Moni. Perfect song.Takahashi always nails her solo, but this one is particularly pretty because she’s singing in a much lower register than she usually does. I felt bored with the prospect of YET ANOTHER solo from her, but her voice always seems to move me. The lyrics are beautiful. I realize I’m using that word a lot, but it’s true.

I didn’t expect to love Diamonds by High King, but it’s an addictive, catchy song. Akai Sweet Pea is perfect for Tanpopo and I think all the girls placed here, especially Kamei, pretty much murder it. The GakiKame solo is just plain beautiful. Niigaki needs to go solo. Seriously. I’ve thought so since 2007. And am I the only one who loved Only You by the new Biyuuden? That song rocks in an album with pretty much exclusively midtempo ballad-type songs. Feels like one of those 80’s power songs that they’d play during a montage. Watch the concert. It’s worth it, even just for the performance of this one, with Junjun’s spastic air guitar and Risako’s smug self-satisfaction that for ONCE isn’t out of place. I was skeptical, but the album pwns.

Honourable Mention: Morning Musume All Singles Coupling Collection. Finally we can have all the b-sides. It’s about time! I’ve really loved all the b-sides sinces Yowamushi. What’s better is that in these b-sides the girls that got no lines in the single suddenly get to sing. Aishite Aishite Ato Ippun is hard to get out of my head once it gets in there.

Good Ol’ Fashioned Musume Ranking for 2009:

Usually I hate rankings. First of all, I’m very indecisive and so will change my mind the second I make a statement like, “Wonderwall is my favourite song of all time”. Also, ranking nine women from most favourite to least seems a tad demeaning. I’m snarky enough without saying things like, “I like THIS ONE THE BEST and this one can BITE ME!” and giving reasons like “because this one is CUTE and this one can BITE ME!” (Plus, who talks like that?) But this will give me a chance to talk about each girl and since I love Momusu far too much for someone who is not Japanese, I’ll enjoy that aspect of it. Going from 1 – 9, most favourite to least.

I wanted to use a pic in which she’s smiling that ‘I look exactly like Ayaka’ smile, but this picture completely blew me away. She looks gorgeous.

1. Linlin. Quite simply, she’s grown on me this year.
I love that she still has an accent when she speaks Japanese. I love that she’s so talented, but seems not to notice. I love that she’s so delighted to be performing that she’ll hit herself in the face with her mic (resonant live concert reference). I love that she’s so little-sisterly and that she has the ability to look both gorgeous and awkward when she bursts out laughing. I love that she adores everyone, but seems to be particularly close to Takahashi. I also love how down-to-earth she seems. I’ve not had that sort of vibe from any Musume for a long while. I want to go to Japan and kidnap Linlin, just so I can give her a hug for being so endearing. Cause, somehow, she IS. Also, her English is pretty awesome, too. She’d be able to say, “who are you and why are you squealing and hugging me?” I would love to see her in a Hello!Morning skit. I think she’d be hilarious, without even meaning to be. As far as dancing, she still doesn’t stand out a whole lot, but her singing is distinctive enough that you always know it is her. Nevermind the fact that her voice is awesome. It’s like her talent is being kept under wraps. I could write an Insanity Series piece on that: why does Tsunku shoot himself in the foot by squashing such talent when he doesn’t have to? Granted, there are times when Linlin can come on a little strong, but hey, teach her some more control and you’ve got yourself a main vocalist. Giving her that solo in the marriage album was such a good decision. Linlin murders ‘For You’ and pwn-ed everyone who might have thought her solo lines in ‘Ame…’ were just a fluke and overrated. She needs more solos.

Plus LOOK HOW ADORABLE!!!
*dies from cute*

2. Mame. Niigaki. I can’t decide what I should call her. She’s still so delighted to be in Momusu that her smile sometimes seems like it will break her face, but at the same time she can look so mature and beautiful that I feel like she’s outgrown that nickname. She absolutely blew me away in the Platinum 9 concert and in all the singles released this year. It makes me so happy that she changes it up from the ‘touch own face, then kiss own finger, then touch own face again‘ pattern the others seem to be stuck in during closeups. She’s finally gotten out of the background (well, to a certain extent) and Tsunku is using her voice, which is quite versatile, if you think about it. Her voice is deep and distinctive on its own, while still managing to be pretty (“pretty” is such a trite word, but that’s what it is). You give her harmonies and she blends with and enhances the main vocals in a way that reminds me of the 2nd Gen. The 2nd Gen were only brought in originally to give Momusu’s sound depth and their harmonies are gorgeous (Memory Seishun no Hikari is a wonderfully crafted example). They don’t use harmony as much anymore, at least not so that one can hear it over the backing track, but the point I am trying to make is that Niigaki is capable. Perhaps more so than most of the girls. I’m also loving that her sub-leader style seems to be very papa-like. She seems reliable and teasing, but gentle. The only thing that gets me about her is how tiny she is. Just…wow.

3. Riida. Takahashi Ai. I love how much she is rocking those hats this year. I’ve always had a soft spot for Takahashi. As I’ve mentioned, hers is one of my favourite voices in all of H!P. There is a reason why she is always a lead and nearly always in the center. I don’t think she’s ever quite let go of her “I’m lucky to be here so I’ll work harder than anyone” attitude. No matter how much she is praised, she never seems to understand just how talented a performer she is. There is something both refreshing and frustrating about that. If Konno is the Cinderella of the Gokkies, then Takahashi seems like the girl-next-door: she’s painfully shy and humble, but once you get to know her, she’s a sweet, stubborn, weirdo (see her Futarigoto with Niigaki). I love that instead of shrinking from her leader role, she’s worked it out so that she can lead in her own way. I can relate to her being her own harshest critic and I can relate to her not being able to take compliments very well. I can definitely relate to how she honestly just loves to sing.

I watched a dvd where she went to Hawaii and participated in an English acting class. I was really touched by her tears and determination to read the scene. It must have been terrifying. She’s just not the personality to enjoy having all eyes on her, so it’s pretty amazing that she decides to do these things and sees them through. I guess being stubborn once you’ve decided is important, ne?

Takahashi’s  sheepish I-totally-just-cried-for-an-hour face, lovingly patted by the prof. She cried a lot, but she did a five minute scene in English. I love how vulnerable she allows herself to be, sometimes.

I read a description of her on another blog (tell me if this is you, and I’ll quote ya) that said she seemed like “a nice, normal girl who got her dream”. That definitely feels like the case. That is why I can forgive her for being “boring”. The concept of Momusu is for girls like this: girls who want to transform themselves, who want to sing, dance and perform despite of and through their limitations. If you watch older concerts, Takahashi oftens holds the mic with two hands in front of her face, like she is trying to hide. Nowadays, she cannot be stopped onstage. I really respect her because it seems like she is always working despite her insecurity. It doesn’t hurt that she is absolutely adorable.

4. Kamei Eri is a weird case for me. I bought one of her photobooks when I was in Japan on a whim and was surprised how beautiful yet sweet she looked in it. Kamei has always been cute, but I’d never really taken notice of her. I pretty much didn’t give a flying toss about any of the sixth gen until the middle of 2007 or so, but Kamei has always been very pretty. I’ll come right out and say it (maniacal as it may sound): I enjoy looking at her. Then she pwned my socks off with her dancing in RB and in 2009 she’s been getting some actual vocals.

Her voice is not always my favourite, because it has a tendency to be so high-pitched at times that it borders on tinny. When she sings a song like her solo, or Akai Sweet Pea in the marriage-album, that is in a comfortable range, it becomes soothing. I can’t explain it. If anyone other than Kamei had sung Kataomoi no Owari ni, it would have bored me to death, but that soothing tone got me. This isn’t always the case, but it’s the case enough that I’ve started to watch her.

I also never really noticed how weird she is. That is because I never followed her Kamezou (?) corner on Hello!Morning with Nakazawa, where she did completely random things to promote new releases. I understand this was where she really grew, because she was so shy everywhere else. Nowadays if you watch her in backstage clips she seems so carefree and ridiculous that it’s endearing. Watch her in the Nanchatte making of, when she starts composing songs to Takahashi, who has no idea what is going on at all (but is loving every minute) or babbling about absolutely nothing because her tension is inexplicably high. If you’ll excuse this pun, she’s really come out of her shell (*wince*) . What I like about her is that while she did transform in Momusu, in dancing, singing and posing (her photos are always great). she still seems like the easy-going weirdo she’s always been – the shyness has just dissapated.

And can I be shallow and comment once more on how gorgeous she is? In terms of beauty, she’s the only H!P girl other than Nakazawa or Yossy who makes me “fan-gurl” on her photobooks. This shot of her sitting on a bale of hay (because really, who doesn’t feel like sittin’ in the hay when she’s wearing her best dress?) is one of my favourite shots of her.

5. Ah, little Aika. If Yossy is trying to murder me with ‘Kakkoii’ then she is trying to do it with cuteness. Some times she is still so weird and granny-like, with her nasal tone of voice and her crescent-moon-eyes smile, but when she wants to, she really becomes adorable. Despite this murderous cuteness, that seems to come out of nowhere, the thing I always get from her is maturity. It’s a maturity that seems ingrained in her character, rather than something she’s developed. Her confidence has exploded. When Yossy was still leader, she really seemed too shy to talk to anyone, let alone step forward and present herself. The fact that the group has been together steadily for these two years is probably a big factor in how bubbly she now seems. Her dancing doesn’t catch my eye, but she’s proven (at least to me) that she can sing and that she can do the kakkoii thing just as much as the cute. I think she’d shine a lot more in a smaller group with kids her own age though – like her Guardians group. When I watched the making of School Days, she really seemed in her element. I thought it was funny because she was working with three girls who have been in the agency way longer than she has and they were happily following her anyway. I was happy with her growth this year, but I hope next year she’ll be able to step forward more. I really think her random cuteness is going to kill me…

6. I still think that Junjun is beautiful. Her self-described ‘dumpling’ face is something that we’ve not really had in Momusu since Konno. I love how she can pimp on anyone in the group (watch dvd mag.23 to see many examples).I love how she murdered the Naichau dance routine and how she works the camera in every pv. Mostly, I love that she held her own whenever I saw her on variety shows this year. Thought it was hilarious.

She still seems like an enigma to me. I think it was Shige who said that she seemed like she never showed her true character is front of the members. In one of the radio shows (cannot remember which) she was teased about copying Shige, which I’ve noticed a few times this year, but she claims not to know she’s doing it. It’s natural to mimic those you admire, isn’t it? I can relate to that, because I think everyone does it, to a certain degree. Some times you aren’t conscious of it. It made me feel a bit sorry for Junjun. That is always a frustrating situation. There are only so many character types in idol-dom and there are only so many hairstyles – if you like one that is already monopolized, what’s an idol to do? I think she might be holding back. It seems like her personality was coming out a bit and then she reverted to this Shige mimicking. I want her to become more like Yossy. I can see it in her. She might be a bit more of a crybaby, she might be more inclined to cuteness, but I can see Yossy in her – even just in the deeper tones of her voice. Watch AlloHello3. So many Yossy moments, at least to my eyes. Goodluck next year JJ. Please, PLEASE Yossy it up.

7. Shige is one of those girls who I didn’t take any notice of until this year. Even before she started making the rounds on all kinds of random variety shows (hide-and-seek-supreme-wtf, anyone?), I was forced to take notice of her because of her solo in the Platinum 9 concert. She approaches minx territory in that performance. ‘It’s You’ could only be sung by this girl.That and when she poses for photos, you feel like she was born to be in front of a camera. This is not just because she is beautiful, but also because she never seems to run out of poses/faces.

If you look at Shige in another light than just ‘that one in Momusu who says she’s cute all the time’, she’s the most consistent member I’ve ever seen. Even her hair has never really changed. Yes, it grew a little, but it’s basically the same as when she first joined. And this “I’m cute” thing isn’t just something she was kidding around about – she honestly believes she’s the cutest, even today. Her singing is basically the same. Lots more control, but it’s still that whispery, spun sugar it’s always been.Usually it bothers me when a member doesn’t change at all, but that is because very few members seem to have this sense of self. She knows exactly what she wants to be and that hasn’t changed, no matter what people have said to her.

Fans of hers have always noticed her Dark Sayu side, but we’re just recently getting to really see it. Her London Hearts appearances were always hilarious. She surprised everyone with how many times she could attack unflinchingly. The fact that she holds back this part of herself only because she wants to be seen as cute is exasperating (I mean, think about that for a second!), but like everything she does, it’s so very Michishige that I can’t even stay angry. Eventually you just have to throw up your hands and give in. Shige is so totally convinced that cute is the best thing to be that I’m not sure she could talk herself out of it if she wanted to.

The worst thing is, she IS cute.
I can’t place her any higher than this cause she doesn’t need anymore self-satisfaction. *shakes fist*

8. Nutjob. I don’t know, I just barely noticed her this year, unless she was warbling her way through a solo line (Yes, I said warbling, and before you start defending her, I do acknowledge that her singing has improved, I just still don’t care for it). I didn’t notice her much during her cracked-out-anime phase either. After being so annoyed by her in the past, it’s interesting that my reaction to her now is a resounding, “meh”. Or an “oh yeah, her.” There are many ways in which I am sorry to see her go, but sadly, they have very little to do with her and more with Momusu itself. I know, I know. I suck. Apparently Koharu is the light of the group, or something like that. I just never noticed, I guess. She’ll be great at modeling. She already seems to love the camera and she can be quite beautiful, especially in photos like this one. Goodluck to you, Nutjob.

9. Winky. Really, to expect anyone else would be silly. She hasn’t stopped getting on my nerves. I think her singing has improved a lot and it’s pretty much flawless in concert, but I just don’t care for it. There was a brief shining moment in which I thought she might be cool to hang out with at least (after viewing her antics in their dvd magazine), but it passed. I’m not sure I even like her personality type, let alone her as a performer. Let’s just leave it there.

Since I’ve linked to them so much in this entry here are two of the lyric sites I frequent:

• Project Hello – Colour coded romanji for people like me who feel physically ill if they can’t sing along well to their favourite.
• Kiwi Musume – an amazing amount of translations (and not just from H!P) for people like me, who want to know exactly what they’re singing along to.

Again, I realize that 2009 is still about a month away from being over, but since this year-end post was getting far too large, I thought I’d split it up. That is, if I decide to continue it. This was such a big year for H!P. There are a few things I haven’t talked about.

Nevertheless.

Let me leave you with my favourite headers (yeah, I made these; I make all my own headers. It’s just fun.) Click on the pic if you want to see the full-size:

Epic-shot Maimi. Also, the first official header for this site.

Yossy being gorgeous in the Egao Yes Nude pv.
Took me forever to cap her with her hand over her face like that.

Nakazawa is class. And is gorgeous. Easiest header I ever made.

Takahashi and the four best caps ever. This began quite simply as the four photos, but after a lot of fiddling it ended up like this. This version is much better than the original.

Abe has been conspicuously absent from this blog, something I plan to change in 2010. I love all of her photobooks. I should use them more. She will get her own gush post.

Also, I will continue the  Gokkie Series.
Because you can never have enough Gokkie love.
Part Two (may or may not) be coming soon. -_^

Cheers!

~Isilie

Sometimes you have to be grateful that fandom is so  loyal in Japan that when we get concert photos, we get photos of every possible moment – even the ones that make you cringe for the girls. Even the most gorgeous of the H!P girls have their days. I like what that says about this particular fandom. The girls are so loved that we love them just as much when they look ridiculous as when they look great.

So much of this picspam will be devoted to such moments. I always hesitate to stick to a theme, but most of these pics are those delightful moments where I just think, “Eh??”

This first photo though is merely adorable Linlin sleeping. I wish I could sleep in that position. I’m not sure I’d be half that cute though. Those three are dangerously cute, ne?

As for some of these other ones…
I honestly can’t believe some of these.

First of all, Risako. A supreme wtf.

First problem: Could you look any more miserable?
Second: Why the hell are you in a swamp, oh swamp-diva?
Third: Seriously, what the hell is the matter???
Fourth: Look at those nostrils. Wow.

Pure WHAT?? Swamp diva?
She’s pouring liquid OUT OF A SHOE!!! Even she thinks it’s disgusting!
Is this supposed to be some emo-drama concept that I just don’t get?

Miki accepted Eri’s love.

…Yossy did not want.

Aibon: GIVE ME BACK MA CHAAAAAAAAIR!
Iida: WHEEEE!
2nd Gen: Dude!!

Crazy-flying-backwards-butt-attack….some times you miss your target a bit.

Yummy face!

Yummy face!

NOM NOM NOM NOM…

Beware my wrath. It’s a really big wrath…

M: Naaaah, seriously, she’s just a marionette, see? Ya really think a human could be that skinny?

Ogawa’s gun pose. Makes me afraid.

This chick is ayl’aboutda blingbling!
(I kinda want to punch myself, just for typing that.)

Eri: “Isn’t that nice.”
Junjun: “Hrm. Don’t really get it.”
Linlin: “Holy freakin’ crap, did you SEE that!??” (she’s too adorable)

1st Gen Tanpopo Kaori. She’ll kill you…silently.

Neither of these two knows why they hell they are there.
I wonder if she turns around and starts screaming, “GIANT KITTY!! NOOOOOOOOoooo-”

I think Kamei knows exactly what’s happening.
Mame, it’ll take more than a giant lamp…

This pic sums up all three of these girls.
Ai= melting. Clearly she’s been crying steadily.
Risa= Mame. “I respect you so much…*sob**sob*”
Yossy= Prince. “Oh, come ere’ and gimme a hug, you.”

Takahashi: “Dude, what’s that face?”
Linlin: “I am busy right now. Being AWESOME. Don’t get in my way.”

L: “Now, if you’ll just point me in the right direction…”

And now for something completely different…

Adventures in Costuming.
Beginning with Kimagure Princess Fail.

T: “Yeah, sorry. You’ll have to use your imaginations…”

Nutjob: “Tee hee, oops! Nothin!”

M: “I’m FINE! WHEEE!”

L: “FWA! Take THAT!”

T: “Gaaaah, this is getting awkward.”

N: “Yeah? Well CHECK DIS OWT!!”

K: *growl*
(Is pointing really necessary in those pants?)

Takahashi is inspired and tries the chest thing again

(…oh dear.)

Eri is intensely hitting herself in the face…?
It’s that awkward.

*Jaws theme*
The bow is biding its time.

I can’t wait to see what the hell this is all about…

T; Guhuhuh, I don’t have laces on these shoes.

Giant invisible sandwich time!

Sometimes the giant invisible sandwich is hard to balance.

L: Love this song, or I’ll punch ya!

You know, Gaki makes me so happy…but when did she get eaten by a cow?

And when did Berryz get eaten by fish?

That costume seems terrifying. The giant fish head at the top keeps staring at you as you step into its mouth…

Ah well…they had a lot of plastic garbage bags lying around.

Annnnd we have another giant invisible sandwich…not sure what’s happening with her legs.

Crack – it’s never a good idea.

Michishige is there. The Force is with her.

Junjun: still a ninja.

Junjun: has you right where she wants you.

Let’s churn some butta’!!

And now…

Ishiguro and Ichii show us how its done.

Why yes, Abe IS in da house.
And da girls ARE goin’ wild.

…Or they’re just plain running away.

Mame tries to seduce from afar.

Aibon does not want.

K: HOUWA!!!

Iida’s normal face for about fours years.

And the 2nd Gen circa Summer Night Town.
Miss them so.

DUDE, NO WAY!!

Goto hasn’t masted the art of seduction yet.

Abe clearly has.
Well…except for Konno. She looks pretty unsure.

2nd Gen: Heeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Takahashi!
T: Ahhhh, doooooomoooooo!

Iida is tall. Very tall.

So is Ichii…but she doesn’t know why.

Ichii: And then we’ll put your statue over here and it will shine like the SUN.
Nakazawa: Yes, yes. That’s right.

I: You a LOSE-A!

I: But I lub ya!

N: Eh? What was that?

N: You want some’a this!?

I: Oh noes!

Iida: Duuuuude, that’s a hell of a statue.
N: I know! I’m AMAZING!
Y: I don’t know about this…

Yossy gets saucy when she’s about to punch you.
Also: TUMMY!

R; Do ya think yo betta than me?

A beautiful moment in JKM when Yossy humours Mame about her hair.
(Icon by Garlix)

That’s a good place to stop.
I could keep going.

~Isilie

I’ve decided that I need to devote some time on this blog to mindless-yet-delightful gushing about the woman who made me love Momusu in the first place: Yoshizawa Hitomi.

Yossy. Yocchan. Yoshimi. Pimp of all. Riida. Ishikawa’s “dah-ring”. Michishige’s Prince Charming.

Mr FRIGGIN Moonlight.

I love this woman.

But that is nothing new. If you’re new to this blog, it might be. If you’ve read this blog for a bit, it’s a Legolas statement (ie. incredibly obvious… An example from The Two Towers “this forest is old…very old.”).

I think I will probably need to restrain myself from overloading you with a simple picspam, cause goodness knows there are too many good shots of her. I’ll try to actually write something coherent beneath all the inevitable keyboard-mashery that ensues when I see pics of her.

Try.
I promise nothing.

I wrote a leader-centric post last year, reflecting on why I thought Yossy made a great leader for Momusu. Some of the points I made there may repeat here, but stay with me. I’d like to state also, as ironic as this is, that this post was probably one of the hardest ones I’ve ever written.

YOSSYKAWAII*(#RGH#^FIDIQABHASDLFHP&WR*O!!!

It’s impossible to narrow down all the reasons why I adore this performer. My mind races when I try to think of an answer. There are so many clips, so many mp3s, so many pics, so many esoteric little moments…there’s just too damn much to go through. I’ll probably leave out a million important things and think of them a week after this is posted.

All I can do is my best.
More entries like this might be in store.
I’ll try to keep the keyboard-mashery to a minimum.

I think it’s interesting how people fall for the idols that they do. I have no idea what led me to notice Yossy in the first place. I’m fairly certain Mr Moonlight had something to do with it, so let’s start there.

Reason 1 : MR MOONLIGHT

Before I got into Japanese media, I was (and still am) very into British comedy. So seeing cross-dressing was always something just a little absurd and it was almost exclusively men-dressing-as-old-women. Monty Python’s pepper-pots could never prepare you for the absolute awesome that is Mr Moonlight.

When I watched it, I really thought for a moment that Yossy was a guy.
A very pretty guy, but still, a guy.

She’s just as pretty as a Johnny’s boy, ain’t she?

Abe and Goto are clearly just girls in suits singing in a lower register; Yossy absolutely embodies everything about that character: she swaggers, she struts, she flirts and she rocks out like freakin’ Elvis. She could have been embarrassed about it, being designated so early on as the “manly” Musume, but she decided to just have some fun.  Instead of it being something entirely funny, it became an outlet for both her boyish side and her mischievous side. She hits on pretty much everyone, new members and old members alike. Her confidence is so strong in that PV. You tend to forget it’s a girl and her ridiculous Host-like behaviour becomes charming.

Or, if you’re me, it makes you go: YOSSYKAKKOIIGHE&O*QFG#RQIWFKSDVBAFIU!!!

Another thing I adore about Yossy was how she never seemed to take herself too seriously. She really understands the concept of being an idol personality, rather than just something pretty or cute. Whenever she was playing a role, she’d throw herself into it, no matter how stupid she was going to look. The thing is, she really never seemed to look that bad. Sometimes the secret is to play it seriously, even if you’re not taking it seriously.

Let’s examine the storyline, shall we? I want you to see just how amazing her acting actually was when she was only a teenager.

Uh oh. They’ve seen this face before…

Mr Moonlight is in LURV…and sighing at the moon.

The girl in question:

A young Ogawa Makoto. She seems sweet and ready to be swept off her feet, ne?

But…

…Nothing seems to move her heart, even the ol’ Hollywood flourish.

“What’s wrong, baby?”
“Hmph. You’ll just break my heart.”

“Why, never, baby. I’m Mr Moonlight.”

“I’ve got the stars in my pocket, baby.”
“Ah, how pretty!”

“Come fly with me.”
(A ‘come hither’ look, if ever I saw one)

So off they go into the night, ala ‘A Whole new World’, without the magic carpet. All they need is the shimmer of Mr Moonlight.

M = Totally swept off her feet.

(Wouldn’t you be? Damn…)

MrM = Totally diggin’ this chick.

Pwned.

Unfortunately for our heroine, Mr Moonlight is fickle.

“You’re next, baby.”
“Moi?”
*everyone’s jealous*
(Notice Kei, always peeking out from behind someone.)

“Wanna come fly with me?”
“I’m…powerless…against…the awesome…”
(Notice Kei, once again.)

He just can’t help himself.

And anyway, all the ladies want some of that…and Mr Moonlight knows it.

Fin.

I’ve tried to explain why I like this to myself and to others, but I’ve discovered that the words aren’t there. I don’t really know what it is that appeals to me about Yossy’s little foray into the world of the Host. When I first saw the PV and found out the guy in the white suit was a girl, for some reason I just thought it was really cool. It’s funny because it’s a girl and it’s funny because it’s exaggerated, but the coolest part is how the girl disappears into the character. I know that it’s Yossy, but all I can see is a Host. She’s as goofy as she is kakkoii.

I was also really into swing music at the time, so that didn’t hurt anything. But really, I think it was seeing how she stole the video that cemented things for me. I started looking for her in all the other videos before I even knew how to pronounce her name. It’s all because she can be so many things at the same time.

Which brings us to…

Reason 2: Her Boyish Persona

I think her boyish/cool personality has always been the thing that appealed to me the most.

Look at this pic to your right for a moment. Could anyone else, aside from Nakazawa, pull off such a look? I don’t even just mean the leather-tough-girl style, I mean that look on her face. I mean her posture, the way her whole body screams “don’t mess with me”, but also, “I don’t care one way or the other”. Pictures like this make me want to climb inside her head. It doesn’t look like an idol pic. Clearly, she’s been posed, but you believe it just a little.

Ahem. If you’re me, that is.
And if you’re me, you’re also going YOSSYHWR78OTRGUYKSDTHRW&*Q#HRQB~~~!!

She started out just as cute as the rest of them. Check her out at her very first live:

She’s young and slightly unsure. She’s completely adorable, trying her best to be what she thinks an idol should be, but even then her personality would come out.

An example of this is what she says to the camera before going out. Everyone in the 4th gen, up to this point, has said variations of “I’ll do my best”. Yossy doesn’t say this. She says one word and one word only.

“GUTS!”

There were a few years in there where Yossy seemed to fade into the background, because there were so many girls, so much personality and so many changes in the line-up.I also think it was due to her gaining some weight randomly. A little disillusioned during that time, maybe? Whatever happened, they seemed to dress her in billowy costumes and put her at the back. For that few years she seemed to be kinda “rebellious”. She still did her job, of course, but moreso than anyone else, she seemed to do whatever she felt like during this time. She commented herself on this time, describing herself as rebellious. I’m not sure exactly what she meant, but it seemed like a free sort of time.

I recall distinctly the ‘FUN’ special, (when the RINGU lady scared the hell out of almost all of them; it’s an infamous clip now, thanks to youtube) when Iida was telling a scary story and she touched Niigaki startling her and of course, starting a screaming chain-reaction. She just snickered in this wicked, jolly way through the whole thing, even as everyone yelled at her. That whole special she just seems amused by all the scary stuff, while everyone else ends up in hysterics.

Some pictorial examples of her boyish/rebellious side:

I just like this look. Even Ishikawa is a little unnerved.

Yossy does a little (completely random) boxing.

Yossy explains that there is no one in Momusu that she is afraid of, ie She can beat up any of them if she has to. Tsuji tells a story just after this moment about how she stepped on and broke Yossy’s sunglasses in the car and Yossy just wordlessly pounded her fist into the door, presumably in rage.

Yossy glares at H!P Kids when they giggle at the fact that she could be crowned ‘Crap Girl’ during the MMI Sports Festival. You don’t mock this girl.

This is a bit later on, but during Chokkan2’s pv filming, Yossy enjoys deafening everyone with her powerful gong technique.

Don’t misunderstand. Yossy is quite girly in many ways. When she sees a snake, even a fake one, she squeals and flails as much any cutesy girl. She just plain can’t handle rollercoasters. She looks amazing in a dress and she has the cutest little impish smile I’ve ever seen. Even so, she’ll probably always be associated with a boyish personality.

I guess it’s because I’ve spent so much of my life as a tomboy, that I find it easier to identify with this sort of type. When you’re so influenced, some times you have to fight to define your own sense of femininity. I constantly do, because I cannot play the game of the poor-shy-unassuming-cutesy-girl who loves pink. I just can’t do it. I’d laugh at myself. Yossy seems the same. Let me clarify a bit here: it’s not that such a personality is necessarily “fake”, but if I were to act in such a way, it would be. I’d assume it’s the same for Yossy. I won’t act scared if I’m not scared, for example. It’s about being true to yourself, ne?

For instance, I’d never look as hawt as Yossy does as a guy.

Yoshizawa Hitomi = confusing my sexual orientation since 2005.
(This is a joke…;P)

As Yossy got older, she developed a confidence that I have yet to grasp myself. Sports has never been a part of who I am, but it’s hard to think of Yossy without seeing her in that Futsal uniform. I cannot comment as much on that side, because even with Yossy present, sports just don’t interest me in the least. What I will say, is that sports seemed to give her that confidence. It was another goal, aside from being a part of Momusu, to focus on. That was also the first venue (as far as I know anyway) in which she was a leader.

Reason 3: Yossy as Leader

Also, pimp of all.

Most of my leader comments would be in that post, but I’ll try to say something different here.

One of the most interesting things about following Morning Musume is seeing how the girls develop and slowly coming to recognize characteristics about your favourites. What I recognized in Yossy (as a leader, but also just in general) was how strong she seemed, but also how big sisterly she could be. She’s definitely a force to be reckoned with, as are all the girls in the 4th gen, but even with that slightly intimidating aloofness she can sometimes have, she’s always been the most likeable.

There are so many stories of her fellow members being scolded or making some embarrassing mistake or running off upset and Yossy quietly approaching her and soothing her in some way. Not in a motherly fashion of “there, there”, but by saying something like, “don’t even worry about it, ne?”

I’ve also seen her firmly scolding a very new, very ‘green’ Koharu on a Hello Morning episode (I miss those behind-the-scenes moments so much). At a break in the dance lesson for Iroppoi Jirettai, she takes Koharu aside and tells her that she expected more from the miracle member. Something like, “I really was shocked you couldn’t do anything. You need to work harder.” She isn’t mean exactly, but she’s severe enough to really convict her kouhai.

More than anyone in the fourth generation, Yossy felt like a personality that was distinct and likeable without being overwhelming. It seemed like all the members, regardless of age liked working with her, evidenced for example, by the amount of times she’s worked with Nakazawa in the past year (they went to Hawaii and even took part in a cross-country tandem bike trip). On that awesome trip H!P took to Hawaii back in 2001, she was first choice for every single team. They said things like, “she seems fast”, “she’s definitely the smartest” etc.

If I could ever be in the same room with her, without crying or dissolving into pwned mush, I think it would be really relaxing. I think once you get to know her, she’s probably someone you could hang out with without any pressure. She seems like someone who could go with the flow of things and keep you laughing and not taking things too seriously.

I personally could never hang out with her, because the thought of meeting her pretty much makes me dissolve into the aforementioned pile of pwned mush. Just the thought of it.

I’m such a fangirl.

Reason 4: Hangry Angry/Gothy-Punk-Emo Yossy

LOOK at her!

This is one of those things that I wouldn’t really care about one way or the other if it wasn’t Yossy. While I was sure I’d dislike the music, from the start I was intrigued by the concept of Hangry/Angry: IshiYoshi together again and sporting a look we’d never really seen from them before? Based on some clothing line with emo-kitties for mascots?

Why the hell not?

Even with spiked-out-insane-hair, Yossy is always a win.

To my pleasant surprise, I loved the music. The mini-album rocked. I loved every single track, especially ‘Angelia’, which is beautiful in a haunting way that just pwns every time I hear it. Their voices blend wonderfully, their harmonies are the kind that get under your skin and in each track, their solos are stronger and fuller than I’ve ever heard them in H!P.

I loved ‘Sadistic Dance’ and this Top Secret pv is very possibly the hottest thing ever.

What’s better than a slightly inappropriate cuddle in a limo?

Yossy, still pimps Rika after all this time.
Gif taken from -The Mr Moonlight Effect – (see my blogroll)

I’ve said most of it already: I love this experiment and I love that they are still enjoying working together after all this time. I have no idea how long this will go on for, but for now I’m just enjoying things.

I wish I could bombard you with caps from the new pv, but I don’t have a high quality version yet. That may have to be a separate post. Instead I will leave you with a final picspam of Yossy goodness.

Final Picspam: Kanashimi Twilight

What sort of gushy-fangirl entry would this be if I didn’t address her “graduation” single? Like I’ve said numerous times, even without the Yossy significance, which I’ll be the first to admit is difficult to ignore, this is a wonderful single. The image and the music was in perfect harmony for this one.

As for me, I was just satisfied they gave her a proper send-off. Not every member gets this awesome a good-bye single.

So I’ll end this part of my Yossy Love post with a small picspam.
I adore this woman…

From a performance on Music Station (I think). PWN!!!

PV cap! Intense and beautiful.

The rarely seen, but powerful Yossy-Hair-Toss.

Seriously, she’s been trying to kill me like this since 2005.

“Why yes, I AYM wearing two belts. Why? Because I CAN!”

“Yeah, you! You KNOW you want my belts!”

PWN!

The caption just writes itself, don’t it?

“Ugh! It’s so difficult being AMAZING…”

Look at that expression…she knows EXACTLY what she’s doing to me…

*dies*

Just a final note: if you hate/dislike/areindifferentto Yossy, you probably shouldn’t have read all that.

^_-

~Isilie

No wonder she is confused…

I really wish I wasn’t so obsessive about listening to radio rips of new singles and then playing them over and over again until the pv has much less impact than if I’d JUST WAITED…

But such is me. And now Kimagure Princess is getting the tiniest bit old. Which is odd because it was Resonant Blue style instant-love when I heard it. Considering all the slower stuff we’re getting lately from Momusu, I didn’t think that the new single would be this bouncy.

Is bouncy the word I’m looking for?

You wouldn’t really know it from the dance. Now I seem to end up loving whatever Momusu does now, call me tasteless or absurdly loyal, but no matter how much I like the single, their dances keep disappointing me. Every time I picture something athletic or flaily, I get the girls standing there POUTING at me and twirling around listlessly (I’m glaring at YOU Nanchatte…dance).

I guess the coreographers just don’t want to bother anymore. Where is the energy? If they are trying to modernize Momusu, turning them into pouting, expressionless pretty things is not the way to do it.

At best, they all just look smug. Which on some is charming.

Ok,  this is not so much smug as A-MAZING, but work with me. Kamei is hawt. With a ‘w’.

But on some is downright scary.

My word…GIVE HER SOME SUGAR AND SAVE US ALL!!

There are parts of the dance that I like. Ish. I’m mildly amused by the kicking. I love their random arm motions, like this one:

There are always a few nifty things in there. It’s not entirely a fail.

But mostly it feels like they are cheating. They should be (in my opinion) jumping around like in Go Girl Koi no Victory (for example) but instead they just HOP and turn and ass-grab.
Which, because we’re all maniacs, we don’t really mind.

Mame, the best of all the ass-grabbers. You gotta love how Winky can’t help but look for the camera, even though Mame clearly pwns the world in this moment.

I pictured so much movement and life in this moment. Instead they are smugly kicking away, like there isn’t an insane beat begging them to move a little more.

I like the set. At least they are attempting to give the usual green-screen studio set some depth with these camera angles. For some reason I like the orange lighting too.

Why though, do they keep giving them these black and white costumes? Yes, they look good in black and white, but who doesn’t? I don’t think they need to look like princesses (that might be disturbing, going with this song), but I don’t get the cowgirl bit. I’ve really wanted to see Momusu do a cowgirl thing, but this is just not the song for it.

Why not splash some colours around and really bring out the crazy in that Balalaika-esque melody? Was that the name of that Koharu song? It’s been said that this song is similar, if not completely ripped off.

Which is funny, as it is Nutjob’s exit single.

“I did that song when I was like THREE. Tsch. I am SO outta here.”

It’s also funny that there are so many similarities to her debut single.

I cannot wait to see a subbed version of this pv. All I keep hearing when I listen is, “big-chested sexy princess”, “sexy-ass princess”, “erotic tears” (supreme wtf), “sexy smile” etc and so on (ass grab!).

Ahem. My Japanese is limited; I could be completely off. Still. There is mature and then there is ENOUGH ALREADY. And anyway, if she is so sexy, why is she alone yet again? Because she is too whimsical to decide on someone? Because no one can put up with her constant ass-grabbing?

Or wait, is it that she’s not sexy and that’s why she’s always ass-grabbing, to get some attention already?

See? Need lyrics.

Once again though, the girls look good.

Riida. Always hot. But this time, not with a ‘w’.

Is it just me, or did she look pretty tired in this pv? She’s starting to look older. Either that or her face is a bit thinner. Maybe it’s the entire lack of colour? Love her in hats. Love her voice as always.

Meh. *grumble* Why doesn’t SHE graduate?

I love that Mitsui is not quite tall enough to see over the gate here. She looks scary but cool. She does that surprisingly well for a girl who so often puts me in a coma from all the unexpected cute.

I’m exaggerating ever so slightly…but man, that girl can be adorable.

See?

And then comes the impatient-cool. “Can we move this along, please?”

Sayu looks really vulnerable here. She doesn’t like being all caged. She’d rather put you in the cage…

Maybe it’s just cause she doesn’t really have any lines. Neither does Nutjob and it’s her last single. But they’ve done that many times before. Where exactly was Ichii in Happy Summer Wedding, huh?

She still manages to get her pwn on. さすが。Love those gloves.

Oh Gaki. How you’ve grown. It’s as if Niigaki is constantly telling the camera to eat its heart out. And then she’ll turn around a be adorable Mame-chan again.

She’s so delightful here. Notice the Gokkies grinning at eachother while Koharu glares at Winky to stop looking for the camera already.

And then there is Junjun.

She looks like a princess here. A bit of a dominatrix too, but certainly royal in her air. I don’t know what it is, but she looks mature, like she is not trying to be sexy, she just IS.

PWN!

LOOK at that! Where does that go when she’s onstage?? It’s like she suddenly becomes a sixteen year old, when in pvs like this she can suddenly just force you to notice her. She is virtually non-existant in the dance-shot, as far I could see, but she really knows how to present herself in her closeups.

Or in the extremely half-assed (grab!) “dance-break” where no one actually dances, they all just shake around in slow-mo. That would have worked so much better if it had been more of close-up. This wide-shot give it kind of a stagnant feel for me.

I only capped two of those moments and the best was Junjun:

Take that EVERYONE.

I just have to include Takahashi though, because it’s hilarious when you realize she’s actually doing something unfortunate.

Here’s mah AYSS!!

Linlin, baby, you are so unsung. She can be so beautiful in her own awkward way, but she’s always sort of cast aside. She is awkward a lot, but I think that will straighten out with age. She’s fairly young, isn’t she? Eighteen, maybe? She will find her way with a camera, but until then it feels like she’s experimenting and not quite sure she can pull it off.

But I like this smile. A lot.

Look, it’s the same pic, two seconds later…with a different background.
Hey, she’s trying.

I think Linlin would be fun to hang out with. She gives me a strong little sister feeling, like you’d want to take care of her, but also joke around with her. Like there is all this potential inside of her but she just doesn’t believe it is there.

*fans self* I’m getting choked up here…

EEEEEWWWW! Winky butt-grab! Ok, I’ll stop, I’ll stop.

Let’s move on.

Kamei pwns.

Kamei pwns in a hat.

Kamei is feelin’ lucky. How bout you, pilgrim?

I love that they finally used Kamei in the chorus and gave Takahashi a bit of a break. Her ‘ii jya nai’ is just high enough that you can tell it’s her, but not high enough that your ears bleed. Her voice is sweet.

I wonder if they’ll hand over the vocals to her and Winky when Takahashi finally leaves. I’d hope for Kamei and Niigaki as leads, because they blend beautifully, but since when does Tsunku ever utalize all the ranges he has at his disposal? Right now, you’ve got the grounded vocals of Riida, the sweetness of Kamei, Winky’s nasally inbetween and Niigaki’s awesome throaty low tones. He could do a lot with them. Let’s not forget the powerhouse that is Linlin. I’m sure the rest of them (not to sound too dismissive here) could harmonize in some way. I don’t really know their ranges because we only every really hear those five. Well, not so much Linlin, but still.

On Fire:

There is a good way and a silly way to do fire in a pv.

Junjun can’t even save this.

See, you could stand there, like a doof, and listlessly draw a circle of fire in the air, like you really couldn’t care less, OR you could pwn unbelievably by flashing your firey power at us as if you’re saying, “You KNOW you wish you were as AWESOME as me.”

Like you did in Iroppoi Jirettai.

This first way is frustrating for the audience, because it SUCKS.

They just stand there. With almost no expression.

Look at this one now:

There is life and colour and movement (not to mention Yossy who is KAKKOIIEIOW&*TR#G%RFVTDEIFVU!!!).

Think about it?

Gokkies = having a blast.
Junjun = pwn.
Winky = lookin’ for that blasted camera…

Kamei = pwn.
Shige = Wheeee!
Nutjob = still crazy after all these years…

I got nothing. I just like this shot.

It’s my own fault that this song needs to take a rest. It’s extremely fun to sing, which is always dangerous. It guarantees that Isilie will replay it too much and annoy everyone while simultaneously destroying the newness of the song. In my defense though, Momusu songs don’t usually get old for me. My oft cited example is Resonant Blue, which is just as repetitive as this song is, with way less variety, in terms of vocals. I was really excited about this song because of how bouncy it seemed. I’m trying not to be disappointed now that I know it’s not a happy song, despite all the ass-grabbery, and now that I know the coreography is nothing like what I pictured.

I want a danceshot. Maybe I’m just missing large chunks of it? Wouldn’t it be cool if the dance shot made use of the whole set, giving us depth and more than just front shots? Then we might actually see Linlin and Junjun, pwning away back there or Nutjob in her last cracktastic hurrah.

You gotta wonder what she thinks of this song.

~Isilie

This pic continues to be my favourite incarnation of Goto thus far. I love that minx hair style, that odd mix of overalls with a leopard-print jacket and the fact that she is outdoors, not draped over some velvet couch covered in pearls. This strikes me as down-to-earth sophisticated, which I much prefer.

Since her mini-album has been released I decided to watch her ‘Unrecorded’ segments on youtube (see her recording ‘Fly Away’, also personally my fave episode here). She wears this coat a lot during the shows.

What I expected to like about it was seeing her in real life, being like the Goto she was in H!P. Granted, I don’t know a whole lot about who she was in H!P because I had no interest in her when she was in Momusu, or when she was a soloist. Well, some interest, but very little. I’ve always been more interested in the person Goto than the idol Gocchin. So I was delighted to see that ‘Unrecorded’ was that kind of show. I liked just seeing her do the job. She got up early, slurped down her Starbucks treats and went about her day not as if she was “super delighted” to be there, but as if this was (is) her job and so she’ll keep going, even when she inevitably got tired. I did get a sense that she enjoyed it, but she didn’t have to pretend as though she did to entertain me. My Japanese is still in its infancy, but from the bits I understood, and what I observed, she seemed fulfilled and determined. I loved seeing her that way. Seeing her scribbling down lyrics and choosing the look she wanted to present in her photoshoots (as was my limited understanding) was so different than any backstage moment H!P has ever given me.

Avex is a bit of mysterious place for me, but my impression of it in regards to people like Koda Kumi has really made me think about the person Goto Maki.

I sorta feel like we all need to get to know her all over again.

I said in the first version of this post, but I’ll say it again: I don’t like, nor do I agree, with the assumption that Tsunku and H!P and all those associated with Momusu used the young Goto  to boost sales and then sucked her dry until she finally managed to claw her way to freedom. I don’t believe that her career can really start now and I think it’s naive and silly to assume that her idol days were only restraining and gave her no sense of self. If anything being forced to conform to a certain label can make one ever more certain of who one is NOT.Certain girls in H!P have always resisted the normal idol fall-back position of genki-cutesy, while still creating something special: Nakazawa, Yossy, Yaguchi and Mikitty, to name a few.

One thing I’ve noticed in the older generations of Momusu is that sense of responsibility to the job: they are selling themselves as a certain dream and it may not be what they expected or wanted to become, but if it makes people happy, then they will find a way to reconcile themselves with that expectation. The fans, their audience, are the point. Yes, Momusu is a dream and the chance of a lifetime, but it is a job. Like any job there are responsibilities and everyone in the group has to recognize them for the group to function. Takahashi has taken that lesson into her leadership: Junjun is apparently predisposed to be lazy and not really work on her dancing, so although it was awkward, Riida had to gently but firmly remind her that for the group to work, every one has to work hard.

I’m getting a bit off track here, but this sense of responsibility (and yes, the money, I do not forget about that, even if I sound all lovey-dovey and naive about the whole concept of Momusu) is probably what kept her in H!P for so long. Goto was always put to work, in dramas, in her solo ventures, in endless photobooks (how many does she have now? 20?) and dvds and shuffle units. She always had work she needed to do and she probably felt like the fans expected these things too. Maybe back in 2007, when they decided that the only way to market her was to stick her in push-up bustiers and have her writhing around on the floor, she finally felt like her fans could allow her to move on. I’m not sure how Goto fans felt about her ‘new’ direction back then. The explanation was that she had turned 20 and so was trying to be more ‘mature’, but those used to idol Gocchin might have been alittle wary. Was there really a segue between  ‘Ima ni Kitto…’ and then suddenly ‘Glass no Pumps’ (otherwise known as ‘here are my breasts, oh mirror darling’)? She clearly wasn’t a child anymore and either she didn’t want to be Gocchin anymore, or those in power felt she couldn’t be.

Also, I often forget, as most tend to, that she has a life outside of her work. Her brother’s arrest and all the trouble that came from that must have put more strain on an already overworked and exhausted girl. The family issues needed to be put first, before the needs of the company. Also Goto apparently didn’t like writhing around on the floor at the command of the company and she felt that she was ready to take the reigns from Tsunku in terms of what she wanted to sing about.

It seems those that choose to leave H!P do so swiftly. There have been a few girls that have left pretty abruptly, without graduation ceremonies or really any forewarning. I’d like to think I expect people to move on, but it’s always a bit of a shock to me. Goto made her decision, took some time to wind down and chose to study some things in America. I loved her blog when she was in America. I don’t even know why. But it’s that image of Goto as not “THE” Goto Maki, but just a young woman enjoying life and pursuing her own interests that attracts me.

So, a little while later, here she in in Avex, working her way up as she’s never had to do before. She was popular almost instantly in H!P and experienced what was probably a bewildering instant fame, but now (if you’ll forgive the cliche) she’s a little fish in a big pond. From what I’ve seen around various sites, she’s been doing a lot of random collaborations, like with Ravex, a song called ‘Golden LUV’ that I LOVE to death even though I have no interest in rave music. She’s been performing in tiny rave venues, with the audience right in front of her eyes, not hidden in the throng or hidden in the darkness. How terrifying and exhilarating for her, ne?

‘Fly Away’ is a wonderful song. I still really love it. As far as I know, she has penned the lyrics to that song and every song that followed under this Sweet Black project. Writing lyrics is a lot harder than most people think. Wait, let’s rephrase that: writing lyrics that aren’t AWFUL is harder than you’d think. I haven’t found any translations of her songs that haven’t been copied and pasted into a translation engine, so I really only know the gist of what she’s singing about, but what I can talk about with certainty is how good the music is.

Fly Away – Love it. Have already talked about it here.

Lady Rise – In a word: “meh”. This is what I was initially expecting when she signed onto Avex. It’s rather boring for me with the exception of her little “OW!” squeal at the end. The PV reminds me of Jaja Uma Paradise from Biyuuden (and for good reason), without the goofiness. If I wanted a Goto fashion show, I’d look at her photobooks.

With – Finally, the outdoor pv, with the awesome minx hair.  The song has the kind of lovely acoustic guitar that makes me want to close my eyes and smile. Her voice is wispy and there is a gentleness in it that has been missing for awhile (at least to a casual Goto fan, like myself). It is beautiful.

Tear Drops with KG – I think this one is lovely too. I haven’t really watched the pv that much, because I thought it was odd that this KG person is never seen at all. Why isn’t he in the video? It’s just Goto being sad and pretty…which is fine, but it’s a duet, isn’t it? I was hoping for something else. And I found his voice was nice on it’s own, but it didn’t really add anything to the song. It was like they were singing two different songs at the same time. Still, it’s pretty even so. The vocals are lovely. In its own way, it is also beautiful.

Queen Bee with Bigga Raiji – I think in this newest single she’s finally hit…it. The song is awesome and the pv is just as awesome. Yes, Mr Raiji is a little bit ridiculous (did he remind anyone else of a frog with that bandana around his entire-lack-of neck?), but his screaming eventually blends in beautifully to her honey sweet vocals. I love Goto in the honeycomb, because that outfit is just plain cool and because she’s able to do lots of weird little faces while playing chess against herself or watching herself on the hood of Raiji’s car with her opera glasses. When she’s on the hood of the car, I am tempted to roll my eyes at the typical-writing-on-floor moves that happen, but I’m distracted by how much I love the gold outfit. The dance is also awesome, even though, once again, she’s crawling across the floor. At least this time it’s kinda hot.

I realize it must be tiresome to hear me say how much I always like everything, but liking Goto’s music post H!P more than her music within H!P is a surprise to me. I usually don’t care for much of what Avex has to offer and Goto as an idol seemed bland to me. Cool with nothing behind it. My initial impression was that she was one of THOSE girls, the ones who can always do everything perfectly and sort of turn up their noses at anything less than what they feel like doing at the time. In other words, it seemed like she was cute and cool but really didn’t have the personality you need to be an H!P idol.

This is my impression. I’m a casual fan. I’ve not followed her very much, if at all, so I fully admit that I could be totally wrong. Maybe when she was being all bland to me, she was really just exhausted. What I’m trying to say is that when she was smiling automatically and trying to be excited when she probably wasn’t, I didn’t buy it and she didn’t appeal to me. Now that she is working hard for her career and in charge of things, she seems much more genuine. Watch the Unrecorded series. It’s not been subtitled, but if you’re trying to learn Japanese, it might be helpful to see what you can understand from it. Just seeing her interacting with people and not just running past a stationary camera during a concert is so refreshing.

I like her music right now, for whatever reason. Maybe this is because I’ve not followed her until now. I’m a new generation of Goto Maki fans. Like I said in the beginning maybe we all need to get to know her again. Goto the woman, not Gocchin the idol. I think those days served her well, but they are over.

~Isilie

Strangely, I’m not happy about this.
I’d describe it as rather a sinking feeling.

I’ve never hated Koharu, or as I’ve dubbed her forever ‘nut-job’. I don’t hate any of the H!P girls, even Winky who annoys the living hell out of me. I’ve just never been a fan of hers. I’ve never really thought she could sing very well, if at all, and I couldn’t stand any of her solo ventures. With all the crack-tastic concert behaviour, you’d think she would have become endearing to me, but not really, no.

This picture reminds me of her early days when she was simply adorable; those were the days when she’d sit on Yossy’s knee and piss off Miki with her excited bouncy innocence. Obviously, any idol has to grow up, but I never got as attached to her Kira….rin(???) persona.

I’m not sure singing and dancing is really even her thing. I think maybe she wanted to do it at first and now she needs a break. She’s been heavily promoted and very busy since her debut, much moreso than the poor neglected eighth generation. Considering her obedient, wide-eyed personality at the beginning there, it’s not hard to believe that she got swept  away on the ‘Miracle/Ace’ wave Tsunku was so adamant about.

Even with all my issues with her as performer etc, her leaving means that Morning Musume will change again. I’ve been raving on and on about their unity now. They’ve done so much as a nine-girl line-up, been through so much. Does this mean a new audition is in the works? I can’t imagine such a thing anymore. They’ve given Momusu its new face, so to speak. Can they actually find another girl who could add life to the group the way Koharu apparently does?

Do you think they’ve outgrown the concept of the audition/form-new-idols formula? It worked so well in the past because idols were more acceptable than they seem to be now in Japan and also because we had senpais who honestly knew what they were doing, who could really guide the younger girls and give them chances to create characters that weren’t overdone stereotypes (like genki/cutesy for example). I’m not sure that is the case anymore. If Reina’s attitude is any indication (she mentioned a while ago, I believe on her radio show, that her juniors annoyed her because they couldn’t cover her when she messed up her speech. She described it as them being ‘useless to her’. If I’m misquoting, let me know, but I believe that was gist.), that sense of responsibility to make sure Momusu is full of character has gone by the wayside in favour of self-promotion. Of course, it is the girl’s responsibility to find her own way, but I think the senpai effect could have much more impact than just teaching the new girls their manners.

Another problem is Tsunku’s tendency to take chances on people that aren’t necessarily a sure thing, like Mano. I still don’t get her appeal. Yes, she’s adorable, but she’s essentially lifeless. And I realize that his tendency to take a chance has given us people like Konkon and Shige, both of whom I adore, BUT I don’t think the time is right for that. We need another Goto to happen. For once, stop just looking for someone mildly interesting and look for someone who has the chops. They don’t have a variety program to goof around in anymore, so the emphasis CAN just be on singing and dancing prowess for the time being, can’t it? I think he was expecting a Goto-Maki effect with Koharu, but instead her solo stuff outsold the group she was supposed to be the ‘ace’ of.

WAS Koharu the ace? Why and how exactly?

I think unity was the key these last few years. Maybe in the past, the group could be pulled along by one or two personalities, like Miki and Yossy for that short while, but now I think unity serves them better. Momusu as a dream and a concept seems to have taken on new life for them now that everyone is in and around the same age and have gone through all these new experiences together. They’ve managed to create this new sound/image and still keep what (for me) is essentially Morning Musume. It’s different, but the roots remain.

The issue is not so much the loss of our beloved Nut-job but the loss of this stable Morning Musume. I will miss this particular lineup. It’s not perfect or ideal, I know, but I’ll miss it.

Koharu’s eighteen now (right?). If she wants to move on, then more power to her. Considering how much attention her jailbait pics STILL get on my site, I don’t think she’ll have any problem breaking into modeling.

Let’s just hope she retains at least a bit of that innocence that she seems to have…even whilst biting off Yossy’s ear.

~Isilie

Alright, my frisky kittens, from what I can observe in my stats here at Itsumo Genki, a great deal of what people search for is ‘jailbait’ and other such nonsense when they happen to find this place. While that is hilarious, if not terribly sad, that is not exactly what this place is about.

But since I’m feeling indulgent and a little bit frisky myself, I’ve decided to just give in to the maniacs out there who love this stuff (cause who doesn’t, let’s be honest here) and devote an entire pic spam to the dirty, dirty moments we get from those grope-y rascals in H!P.

Starting with Bunny-Ishikawa’s tush here.

Got a good look?

…

Ok. On we go.

I forget whose blog it was, but someone got a bit miffed that [hisorher] stats went up so much whenever [sheorhe] featured bikini-clad H!P in posts, so this person devoted an entire post to boobs.

Which is brilliant and hilarious and made me giggle endlessly.
So I’m blatantly copying that idea. I’d credit this person properly if I could remember who it was. This idea is not originally mine, but I will try and do it in my Isilie way.

Starting with:

Wow, Kanna. At least wait until you get into the dressing room! A little lower and we’d have to leave these two alone…

Even onstage…goin’ for the tush.

HEY! HANDS ABOVE WAIST…oh wait…maybe you should just keep your hands behind…oh wait….

Clearly Riida did not expect Shige was actually gonna do it.

Even onstage, Miki’s GOTTA HAVE SOME O’THAT!
Resisting Yossy…it just can’t be done.

Kanna’s got a partner this time…just wait till the cameras are off.
K&Y: She’s our bitch.
Chisato: Moi?

Happy-cute-genki-friendship hug, or mutual-public-butt-squeeze? You decide.

Clearly Airi was her main “squeeze.”
*rimshot*

Miki: “Let’s just make sure you’re wearing that thong I gave you-”
Aika: “Middle of the song! MIDDLE OF THE SONG!”

These two don’t even try to hide it.

M: “Miki, for crying out loud, wait till I’m done singing!”

The friendly frontal assault!
M: (patiently) “Middle of a shoot Miki-tan.”

Takahashi knows exactly what Miki’s goin for here…

Sometimes she doesn’t even know she’s doing it,

Yossy will not be out-pimped.

Shige and Eri – no hands!

All hands!
(Ok, this isn’t really grope-y, but it’s damn cute.)

Mari’s hand.
And even moreso, Kemeko’s hand.
And yet no one seems to mind…

Some times if you ask for it, you get it.

….And sometimes not.

This needs no caption. I shudder to think of what you’ll come up with, but use your imagination(s).

Shige is kinda happy…

Second gen looks just a smidge too happy.

Let’s end this off with what we all REALLY want to see…

Yossy. Pimp of all…

…even this maniac.

~Isilie

So we’ve reached the final installment (for the singles anyway) of my dance series.

[Part One]
[Part Two]

As I’ve mentioned, capping these old pvs is a real delight. And since we’re moving backwards here, I think towards the beginning of Momusu’s career, the dancing becomes just a fun addition to an already wonderful pv. Case and point: every single song I’ll be talking about in this post. With their member change-ups the image always evolved, but once they settled on optimistic-genki the trend continued for quite awhile, giving us some of the funnest (yes, I said funnest) and most addictive songs in their history.

Admittedly, since their older pvs focused more on (gasp!) a plot or a bunch of hilarious randomness from the girls, the dances aren’t so heavily featured. So if this reads more like pv reviews, you’ll have to excuse me. As with “Joshi…”, really any cap is gold.

So on we go.

I WISH

Ah, I Wish. The ideal graduation song. The joyful…est of the joyous dances. The EXTREME NOSTALGIA it evokes as it is (arguably) the quintessential 4th Gen song. This pv is mostly story, ala HaroMoni Theatre on Hello Morning. We do get some of the dance, but I think it’s best conveyed in concert. Even so, I did my best.

(Isilie Trivia: My favourite performance of this song is from TsujiKago’s grad concert. Something about everyone’s joy and tears during that number just makes me weep every time. When they all get into that giant line and dance their hearts out during the last chorus…damn how you pull my heart-strings, 4th gen!)

YEAAA!

There is something so wonderful about this moment, where they throw their coats into the air and begin the joy that is this song. The intro is a tad more melancholy, but pretty soon you’ve got the entire group totally convinced that life is pretty damn amazing anyway.

The two-top push each other around a lot in this one. Which just makes me smile because nobody affectionately slaps each other around in this group anymore. Does that make me a horrible person?

They run towards the camera a whole lot too.

And don’t forget to go “YEA!” as much as you can.
I LOVE this song, so much…

My favourite moment of this dance will always be the last chorus (or I suppose any moment when they sing the chorus) when they do this little leap to each foot that I can barely cap let alone describe. It makes me so happy and I don’t even know why. There’s a childlike innocence to it, that I’m pretty sure is the point. It fits with the lovely optimistic lyrics.

You sent me a silly email that made me laugh / For some reason my tears won’t stop / Ah, thank you…(Translation from here)

That line always gets me. I suppose that’s the point of this song. When lonliness is crushing, it’s the little things that get you through and make you grateful enough to cry. THAT is why life is wonderful, because no matter how much it sucks, those moments are always there if you know to look for them.

You gotta love songs that remind you to smile. This song and its dance are like that.

Koi no Dance Site

Tell me you hate this dance, in all its flail-y, head-bobbin’, chicken-dancin’ glory and I WON’T BELIEVE YOU!

Side to side crazy flail!

Punch, punch, punch!

AI YAH YAH *head jiggles* AI YAH YAH!

This video is unique in that it not only uses all green screen with costume changes, but it also uses lots of zooming and multiple-Momusu effects. It’s quite wonderful.

Macho Musume!

Annnnd one more time!

I love these white and blue costumes. And this move. They all go for it, even Kaori, who spends a lot of the video doing this:

Or variations of that. But she was fully into her “ne waratte”-communication phase, so it really can’t be helped. Besides she does vacant in an adorable way.

And before we had Shige to regale us with her “HELP MEEEE” we had Mari’s sexy beam. Sexy? Debatable. Awesome? YES!

I love how they start leaping into the chorus like this.

My favourite moments tend to be random, like right after the first chorus when they start dancing in and out of the line like this. There’s something delightful about the spastic way they shimmy around.

Another random moment of member love. Except for poor Goto.

Anybody know what the hell is going on in here? Believe it or not this is all a part of the dance.

As is this! I love the giant carpet that goes on forever. It’s such a simple effect and it’s an entire lack-of-set that manages to create the perfect setting. See what you can do with green-screen if you really get creative?

The aggressive “OOH! HAH!” base behind just about every line make for some great movements.

I forgot that this is the only track where Momusu members (what looks like only the second gen) got to participate in the backing track. It is only blowing whistles now and then, aside from all the delightful squealing that goes on, but still.

And we end with them pushing Goto forward. She trips a little, but it takes the edge off that final OOH HAH moment that might have otherwise made us forget how adorable they are.

One more: OOH~HAH!

Love Machine

Tell me you don’t love this dance. I WON’T BELIEVE YOU!

The dance is spread over so many sets/costumes/moments I can only give you small portions. Seriously, best capping experience I’ve had in a long time. It’s rare that basically every shot you get is pure win, but this video just kicks the arse of everything EVER (assuming you’re an uber-fan like myself).

Oh, the delightful slide from side-to-side.

Annnnd again!

I love how even the girls seem to know everything about this video is ridiculous, including this dance. It’s executed with absolute devotion, while at the same time, a great deal of crazy-smiles and smirking.

Nodody sells the “woah woah yeah yeah” chorus like these four. LOOK at them!

Hooray for pink!!

And we have the middle….

Adorable kick!

And we shuffle back and forth some more in insane fur-rimmed clothing.

This moment, if you’ll excuse the trite buzzword, is iconic. The costumes, the futuristic (if spun from pink candy-floss and Barbie’s dream-spaceship) setting and the final, “love machine”, beautifully delivered by Mari and horribly mangled by ANYONE ELSE, really resonate. I don’t know how it all fits together, but the girls had enough personality to make anything acceptable and or AWESOME.

Take THAT absolutely everyone EVER.

(GUSHGUSHGUSH!!!)

Now I’m going to do something I’ve never done on this blog before: fulfil a request. Well, I’m not sure it was a request, so much as an assumption, but since Mozenator  (please forgive me if I’ve spelled your name incorrectly) was kind enough to comment on the first part of this post, I’d like to address Berryz and C-ute.

Now, I don’t really follow either of them as closely as Momusu (duh), so I really cannot comment on anything before 2006 or so…even then, my interest goes in fits and starts and some times dwindles completely. That being said, I do have one dance for each of them that I capped and thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve capped them just for you Mozenator. And to a lesser extent, anyone else who was hoping for a kidz centric dancing post.

Berryz Koubou – Dakishimete x2
(Taken from Dance-Shot pv)

The song and the pv went a long way to convincing me that Berryz are capable of being sexy (with the exception of self-satisfied dead-fish Risako, who is just off-putting in this pv, for whatever reason). I love the song and this dance made me really happy because we’re getting way too many (in my eyes) slower dances that just don’t pop.

Look at that! Admittedly when they rotate slowly while moving their arms a lot it slows down a bit, but at least their being adorable about it and not just staring at the camera (I’m looking at YOU Nanchatte Renai….dance).

Inappropriate chest pumpin’ time! Woo!

This is the adorable moment I was mentioning. Captain in particular makes me happy because she has this weird old-man smirk on her face the entire time, even though she’s tiny and arguably the cutest thing on the planet. Also: more real hats please. They rule.

Best. Cap. Ever.

I loved everything about the moments leading up to the chorus, but particularly this one, where they knock their knees together a bit as Maasa pwns her arse off.

Hats. Rule. All.

What I love about this otherwise hilarious feel-ourselves-up-a-little moment, is the contrast between Risako and Miyabi’s attitute. Miyabi exudes confidence most times and perhaps a smidge of good-natured embarrassment at others. Risako, no matter what is happening, just smirks like she’s God’s gift to everyone.

Well…I love your voice kid, BUT YOU’RE NOT!

LOVE the punching. I guess I’m just a violent, violent girl.

And crazy arm throw!!

Virtually every moment is cap-able delight, at least for me. It was hard to choose which ones specifically to include.

I’ll end on an unexpected one that I think is gorgeous.

Kumai, tallest girl ever, centered and epic. Beautiful moment I thought.

It really is a great dance.

C-ute – Tokkaiko Junjou (you expected anything else?)
(Taken from Dance-shot pv)

They don’t let up for one second.

And they start with a bang.

Everybody seems to give it their all, but in unique ways. I’ll confess though, Maimi keeps my eye the most because she just goes freakin’ crazy when you get her dancing. She borders on Kemeko in her fierceness, but you get more of a sporty air than a Kei air.

Great hair-flippy moments.

And dudes, this is all before they even start singing.

Too much awesome-ness. I can’t stop watching Kanna in that awesome outfit…

The middle is where the dance really takes off though. The beat is pretty much merciless, but the girls go for it with cool/giddy abandon.

All limbs all the time!

Look at Kanna back there…she some how manages to give it her all while being completely laid back and uber-cool about it all.

*squee*

The side-to-side hair-flippy awesomeness of this moment makes me string together words incoherently, like soamazingIcan’tbelievekidslookatthemgowooooooooo etc. I love how Chisato still manages to look like an eleven year old boy with great legs.

When they do stop, which is rarely, they still manage epic-win.

I could cap this dance forever…

Airi looks amazing in this shot. At this point I need to physically restrain myself from including more caps, so I’ll end it and then duct-tape myself to my wall (oh, it CAN be done, my friend).

Coolest one? Kanna by far. LOOK at that last pose!
Which girl is your coolest one in this dance?

These choices might seem annoyingly current to some of you, but these two songs are songs that made me take these groups seriously. Specifically for the dances too.

Berryz wasn’t even on my radar before probably MadaYade; C-ute even less so, before this one. Perhaps it’s my age-bias. I admit it. I have a hard time seeing the now mostly sixteen-years-old Berryz as anything but children, even though they’ve obviously grown a hell of a lot. C-ute even less so. I don’t think that it’s as simple as “I’m a cranky age-biased freak” though. Their songs just don’t really capture me the way Momusu songs do.

However, these singles really kicked my ass. Seriously.
I had to grudgingly admit to myself, “FINE! I LOVE these singles, ok? I’ll have them on repeat until I know every line and probably watch the dance-shots until I DIE, OK??? OK!?? ARE YOU HAPPY!?”

I really hope they keep making music like this. I would love it if they became as captivating as Momusu for me. I definetly acknowledge how much they’ve grown as performers. I recognize that they’re older now. And I love these two pvs. The dances are awesome. So, if nothing else, I know that they are capable of pwning their arses off, when given the chance. It makes me look forward to the future.

Mari being gorgeous in ‘As for One Day’

And thus, endeth my dance cap-fest.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Go back and watch your fave pvs again. If you’re anything like me, it will make you unabashedly giddy.

~Isilie

So we arrive at part two of my cap-fest regarding Morning Musume’s dances (part one is here). I loved watching these pvs again. This dancing thing began as a top ten and then morphed into a gushing fest, but now it’s gone on to have two parts because there is too much that is completely awesome about Momusu dancing. These routines have been done so often that you forget how awesome they actually are. When you rewatch the old pvs and see them dancing their hearts out for (arguably) the first time, you get the coreography at its freshest. I’ve never seen some of these done better than in those original dance-shot moments. That’s why I am a fan of the dance pvs and I don’t mind a lack of close-ups. One thing I discovered in my capping frenzy is that you don’t need a whole lot of set to do something amazing with a pv you just need good editing, a couple costumes and girls who don’t take themselves too seriously.

I love this group…

Capping Love Machine has got to be one of the most interesting things I’ve done for this blog. Nobody can whine about green-screen when watching that one. Admittedly they had a hell of a lot more budget, in terms of costumes, but the green-screen allows for a lot of “locations” and the girls are goofy, as well as cool and genki. They pull out some of the most baffling faces I’ve ever seen in a H!P video. They do stupid things, like having an enormously tall Iida Kaori stomping on pedestrians in Shibuya.  The editing makes it seem like there are tons of sets, but it’s all one big green-screen. There is so much joy and humour in that pv that it’s no wonder that Japan fell in love with it. There is a lot of pink, but it makes you damn happy.

They’ve utilized green-screen a whole lot in their pvs and it’s only recently that they seem to have forgotten how to use it. If you look at Koi no Dance Site (which you should!) it’s all green-screen…and yet, it’s fun, it’s crazy, it’s joyous, it’s weird and it’s epic win.

I ended the last post on Do it Now because I love it so much, but this time I’ll go back in time slightly, because these next two just begged to be mentioned.

As for One Day
(Taken from pv)

Back when last singles rocked so hard you almost wept…LOOK at how gorgeous that is! Forget about how much I love blue and water, I just can’t believe how much they pulled off with nothin but that green-screen. Granted, it’s odd that they are basically in a giant fish-bowl (wut?), but you accept it because it’s freakin’ gorgeous.

When I first saw this pv, I remember being quite new to Momusu, so I didn’t know what to expect. My brother told me I’d probably like this song.

Oh, he was not only right…
Well, I can’t think of a more emphatic way to say HE WAS RIGHT!

They do a lot of spinning in this dance, which, due to the lighting and costumes, is lovely and makes everyone (even Kaori-all-limbs-all-the-time) look like a ballerina.

Ishikawa is in the center for a great deal of time, but that works so well here. She does the tear-stained-why’dyouhurtme stare perfect.

Why…WHY DID YOU HURT ME!?

AH! Don’t LOOK at me!

I love the little side dip during the “as for one day” line. Then their feet do something that I’ve never been able to figure out. Something I didn’t think fit, but it really does. There’s a sort of muted desperation to it that fits the song so well.

Overall, the dance is just beautiful. I wish they’d start singing this song again. As far as vocals, it doesn’t demand as much as some of the older singles. I don’t see why they can’t. Bring back the spin-shuffle dance!

I miss Mari and Kemeko…2nd was and is beautiful.

Koko ni Iruzee!
(Taken from pv)

This is another one of those dances that I can’t even get a handle on. Capping it was near impossible, but I got the best shots I could. A great deal of them involve the silhouettes of the audience and that makes it seems a bit creepy. The video, despite what my caps reveal, is amazingly bright and colourful. There is a lot of jumping, obviously. Lots of member love.

This might not be the best example of member-love, but there is lots of embracing along with this delightful little lean-on-my-back moment. I love watching them on the big circus stage here, but I think I should mention that Momusu is apparently searching for treasure and getting very muddy when they aren’t pwning it up with all this crazy leaping about.

Look the at the height they get when they really go for it! The backwards running-man is particularly delightful, but moves by so fast that I could not capture it properly.

I love when they start jumping as though a string is yanking them up by their necks. It looks a tad creepy with all the shadows and all the cheering silhouettes, but it’s a great spastic moment.

During the middle instrumental, it looks like they all just go nuts and start with the air-guitar. There is so much celebration and abashed joy. The rumpled plaid just makes it all work.

Then there is, of course, the line at the end. I love Yossy looking at Kei at the back there.
“Bring it ON Kemeko!”

MOONing TIME! Not to sound like a maniac, but you really can’t see their butts at all, so I’m not sure what they’re “tee-hee”ing about. Aw well. It’s damn adorable.

WOO! Notice Mari’s got the most height on that leap and Takahashi is just embracing the whole wide world.

This is the one dance that I don’t mind not having a straight dance-shot of, even though it’s epic. Everything about this pv is wonderful. I don’t mind that the dance is always split apart onstage by the stage itself. I always love this number, because the running-man will show up, the leaping will show up and the insane arm-waving that is so intense their feet almost leave the ground always shows up. Unless you’re just standing around, you pretty much can’t wreck this one.

PWN!

Souda! We are Alive!
(From pv)

FUCK yeah! I don’t care how overdone this song is (and it IS), the pv still kicks so much ass it’s unbelievable. From the moment it begins with the fist pumping, it basically never slows down for a moment. The costumes are pretty simple, involving purses and cellphones for some reason, but on this simple stage in front of the giant MM flag, it seems to fit.

This is one I would have loved a dance-shot for. Look at Mari and Kei go! They are particularly fierce in this one. I love this moment during the intro, with the kicking and…whatever the hell else goes on.

PWN! Ah, when Mari had the center, she HAD THE CENTER. Yossy just always rules. And I think Kei is on her phone back there. What else do you do when they give you a cell phone to dance with?

Souda is a particularly interesting song because there are so many changes. Tsunku really threw in anything he could think of. This middle instrumental part sort of comes out nowhere and becomes a dance-off. It’s not so much dancing as stomping, which Mari does amazingly well for someone so tiny. She pwns all.

LOVE! I love how the line is made up of seniors grinning at kouhai. Or in the case of Ishikawa, scaring them to death. You gotta love fourth gen.

This ending is awesome. You really do get the sense that they rule the world.
Or at least that stage.

The Peace!
(From pv)

Momusu-the-sailors dancing in a giant latrine…how did they get away with something like that?

When I first saw this, I almost couldn’t get past the initial wtf. I read somewhere, much MUCH later, that the concept was chosen to basically give the finger to some tabloid that had footage of some of the members using the bathroom. The footage was never released, as far as I know, but it was supposedly a nod to the story. So, some bizarre inside joke?

Whether you get the joke or not, you tend to get used to it all, because it’s such a delight. The sheer wtf-ness transfers to the dance also. Apparently Tsunku was going for a sort-of charleston. I’m not as familiar with swing dancing as I used to be, but I’m not sure what they do here is quite it.

I do know that it’s awesome and hilarious.

It must have been so nice to dance in sneakers. Just try and ignore the urinals behind them…

Kemeko slays me. She is so damn intense! Take note of those who get some air when they jump and those who don’t bother (I’m looking at YOU dead-fish…I mean GOTO). There are just way too many instances of everyone doing silly or crazy faces and Goto just kinda being…well, there.

This is my favourite moment of the dance and the moment when I stopped noticing the urinals. They stopped making me confused and just faded out with the absolute awesomeness of this little shuffle. Like I’ve said, watch Kemeko during this moment. She clearly loves it as much as we do.

Woahwoah woahwoah woahwoah PEACE PEACE! Damn, cleaning latrines is so much fun!

And then the sun goes down and we get this lovely little “charleston” heavy interlude after Ishikawa’s little speech. Clearly something has rocked the boat…probably Kemeko.

Shuffle, shuffle, spin, spin! I’d mention how adorable Yossy is in this pv or how much Ishikawa adores being in the center for the first time, but I think it goes without saying.

And then the most wtf moment of all: the urinals light up, a disco ball appears and it becomes the world’s first latrine-disco. They work hard, they play hard. Even with all the glitter they remain in formation…

…until even they can’t stop laughing at how awesome and insane this all is. I wonder why sparkling gold with feathers worked on these girls but not the current lineup. I guess we need the urinals in the background? I’m sorry I keep mentioning them, but it’s jarring to sort through your caps and find that a great deal of them are just LINES OF URINALS.

Anyway, the ending happens a couple of times, but when they finally do end the song, everyone has their own unique way of posing.

Ha, ha, HAH!

Renai Revolution 21
(From pv)

Is there any Momusu fan who isn’t familiar with this dance, considering they do it every chance they get?

This video is a joy to cap. The space theme gives a bunch of adorable/kakkoii moments that I capped, but will have to restrain myself from including. This isn’t a pv review, it’s a gush about the dance. Let’s try and remember that this dance is amazingly fun and forget how often they perform it.

LOVE these costumes. Again, I’ll sound like a maniac, but they just don’t do leather and hair-gel anymore! Come ON! If Nakazawa can do it…

If you watch Abe, during this little arm wave, you’ll see that somehow, her legs really don’t move. I can’t explain it, but her body just moves differently from everyone else. It’s really funny because she looks like she’s concentrating really hard.

There are so many transitions and single shots in this pv that I had to just focus on the moments where you can see everyone dancing. The best moment, as it tends to be, is the middle.

The “rap” part! Look at all that tummy! (sorry, maniac moment)

Actually, much of this pv utilizes odd camera angles. It’s like this camera is just on the ground. It’s nice though because we can see their feet in those awesome boots.

Morning Musume DROP IT!

So they drop it! And this little slow rise, while chanting “cho cho cho ii kanji” is the best build up ever.

They break back into the chorus, showing much attitude.

No words. Just LOOK!

PWN!

I love that the tallest and shortest are next to each other here. It doesn’t seem to matter because of the angle of the camera. Elsewhere in the pv they give attitude to a camera underneath a glass floor, a camera passing overhead and one pointing directly at them. They also worked with slow-mo and there are a lot of little inserts of oceans and storms and other epic sights.

Just give me the group.

I love that Kemeko has that huge hat. Only she could make that look cool. Yet another awesome ending. I never understand why they keep bouncing in these positions in concerts. It’s cool as it is, ne?

…

Ok, how about just a few little moments?

Bad ass Abe + TsujiKago = epic win.

Yossy KAWAIII)(U)U#Q$R&*HEF^GEFDSVHABDB!!!!!!!!

I need to go cap the living hell out of three more pvs and I can end this off. This is turning into a bigger job than I thought it would be. Part three is on its way!

HOI!

~Isilie