10 posts tagged “elders club”
Hello!
I won't be doing a review of Morning Musume's new PV, because it's just so awesome, so I'll post it here, and from my Buono! PV review, I hope you can know what I think about it.
1. Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou?- This song just illustrated why the new H!P is so different from the old H!P. The newer girls sounded okay, but the second that the Elder Club started singing, it was appearent how much better singer singers they are. Their tone and their showmanship is amazing! The little dance that the eggs started off with was kinda cool, but essentially pointless. The camera work in this concert is just amazing! I love how they actually made an effort to get as many of the girls in close-up shots as possible, and the panning shots looked really good with how the girls were set up. Junlin sound amazing as usual, and they've only improved!
2. ManoPiano- Mano just frankly sucks. I'm sorry, but this song is really incredibally terrible and her vocal tone is really nasally and young. Is she really 17? 'Cause she sounds like she's 12. At most. Also, there are many parts where she seems to go quite flat. Why did they give her a solo carrer again?
3. Minna No Tamago- I didn't fully appreciate how short these girl were until seeing them standing on that stage. Yuuka is quite obviously the only one singing live. She manages to pull it off quite well, but you can tell even without looking that her microphone is on from the way that her voice sounds compared to the others. This was really cute, and because of the cutesy song, they have complete justification for sounding so young, but the 3 in the new unit have to sound much better to pull off any other song.
4. Come Together- The wotas seem really off beat in this song with their "OI's" for some reason. Maybe it's just me. When I saw the dance for this live, it's extremely obvious that it's way too easy for any of the girls. And while Misa is right (I admit defeat, Misa) that the majority of H!P aren't good dancers, this dance is still a piece of cake for them. Give them dances that challenge them, and they'll get better. The performance isn't really spectacular either. The wotas even seem to lose interest by the end. They sound about half as loud at the end as they did from the beginning.
5. Kenchana ~Daijoubu~- While I will admit she's talented in singing, and that she has a jazzy voice, her music isn't good for her voice, and the wotas can't get into it. It's too boring. It's too much of a difference from the loud dance music of the rest of H!P. And while the other elders sing soft songs, at least they come with some sort of beat.
6. Uwaki na Honey Pie- Now, that's better. I like how since they needed girls to harmonize behind her, they put in eggs, but still gave her all of the important stuff. The eggs match her well on stage for this situation. They really know how to back someone up! I can also appreciate the cowboy hat and boots, because weather it was intentional or not, they fit the whole country musume thing.
7. Kuyashi Namida Porori- Look at those wotas go! I really worship the light-stick wota who made light-sticks into the shape of her name! She looks really happy up there, and she looks happy to be retiring from idol-dom. It's long past time for her. I love her in H!P, and I just think she's a great entertainer, but I think she'll be much happier out of the idol bussiness. Even if she's just a TV personality, she won't be tied down by some of the harsher rules of it. She sings this song like the pro she is, and I love the way that she melts some of the notes at the end of the phrase. I highly doubt that if anyone else was doing this song, that I'd like it. It's also nice how she takes the ear things out at the end so she can hear the fans, not herself. That's a true idol.
8. Hapi Hapi Sunday- While Koharu was okay, as usual, she was totally outshined by those two little girls. They may not be quite good dancers or singers yet, they totally make up for it in their own way of just being energetic and cute! They seem so happy to be up there, that they totally outshine Koha who seems to just be doing her job. While these two aren't quite ready to do anything, I think they'll be very good if they take a few more years to devote to training with their new group, and then when all of those girls are 10 or so, and go through non-harsh but weekly or so training for 3 or 4 years, they're group could be very nice.
9. This Is Unmei- KICKS ASS! Not only is MK in the best shape ever, they also manage to get the wotas off their feet and screaming their hearts out for the first time in this concert. From the second they come out, I love how they really work the crowd as a whole, and some of the wotas wearing C-ute, Berryz, and Momusu shirts are just so into this throughout. This is why these girls deserved so much more than they've gotten, sales and music-wise. I also really like how the choreographer used the stage to have them yelling and pointing accross at eachother. It really looked very effective. The girls really looked like they were about to get into a major idol-argument. If there's one group that the H!P eggs and kids need to learn from, it's this one. I also like how when they said "jigoku" (hell) the whole place went black except for the bright red part of the stage they were standing on.
10. Forever Love- Even though I recognise that Berryz deserves more attention because they've been around longer, C-ute continually owns them. The lighting and their expressions work so well during this, but they still didn't steal the show. I think with time, they'll become a great group, but for now, they're doing just amazing!
11. Dakishimete x2- With this dance, it seems that Berryz is attempting to beat C-ute at their own game, and well, quite frankly it doesn't really work. While the singing is just fine, except for a certain Risako's, they don't put out the performance factor quite as well as C-ute does. They don't seem to be as confident, and they just don't own the stage like C-ute. They still do seem to be improving in both areas, though, so maybe having C-ute as a sort of rival is pushing them to do better.
12. Tanpopo- YAYS! More elders again! During this concert, I feel that I'm enjoying the elders 100x more than the younger girls. Maybe it's the vocal quality, or maybe it's their showmanship. First generation Tanpopo owns this. Their vocal quality is so nice. The second that the other 4 stepped on stage, you could feel that this song just wouldn't sound as good. And... as a side note, why is Risa holding her stomach like Kaorin did when she was pregnant? O.o
13. Baby ~KOI NI KNOCKOUT!~- Maybe it's the song, but the wotas are really pumped up for this one! The dance looks fantastic, and they all sound fantastic! I'm surprised that Kei can still dance like that! Yossie looks feirce in all of her close-ups. I really love this trio as pucchi moni. The energy just doesn't stop! Also, their voices fit this kind of music. Then again, Kei's voice fits all kinds of music. Speaking of Kei, her high note at the end was just great! And her face at the end... she must've been possesed by Yossie or something!
14. Chocolate Damashii- Ayaya sounds great here, as she always does and always will. It's kinda freaking me out how her earpiece is shiny. Are they trying to make it obvious or something? I hear no wotas chanting here, so it's either that the song is way too new, that the wotas are still in the process of finding a cheer, or she's just failing at working the wotas into a frenzy like she used to.
15. YEAH! Meccha Holiday- Does she really have a broken toe? The wotas here still aren't quite as worked up as if this had been 6 years ago, but they still are getting into it by this point. It's really funny that you can see some wotas doing the dance at points. She seems kinda boring at the beginning, but when the wotas start going nuts, you can hear her getting happier and more into it herself. She's very good at the dance now compared to when she did this when the single was released.
16. Egao ni Namida- I didn't really like this particular song. It just didn't really work for me. The dance and the way that it was sung just didn't seem good, instead they seemed kinda awkward at points. Anyways, why does she get 3 solo songs? -.-
17. Hare Ame Nochi Suki- This was a really good performance. While I still like the way that Aibon sings her parts, so I was sad that she wasn't there, it still was nice. By the way, why are they singing this song again? At this same concert two years ago they did exactly the same thing with this song: same people, same costumes, same song. They could've at least done Sakuragumi's other song, which they seem to like to forget exists at every recent oppourtunity to perform it. Also, the line changing with Aibon out would've been easier: you could've just stuck Nacchi into singing her part.
18. Ai No Sono ~Touch My Heart~- While I heavily perfer Otomegumi's 2nd single to this one, I still like this performance, but again, instead of a repeat of 2 years ago, could we have had their other single at least? Is it too much to ask? I liked the smooth transition between the groups, and the girls just started to pump the crowd up from the beginning. Nono's singing has improved slightly, but her dancing seems a little awkward, probably due to her long time off stage. (I wonder if her husband was there to see this?) They also manage to work the crowd quite well, but MK still owns everyone in that aspect.
19. Co.No.Mi.Chi.- Someone's slightly flat on the high note in the beginning. Otherwise, this is typical, cool Buono!. I love how quickly they move around the stage. Momoko sounds like she has a bit of a stuffy nose here, but she really seems to be doing her best to ignore it. She's probably the one who was flat. Still, they seemed to do very well here!
20. Debut! Lian Ai Deng Chang- I don't think that they were ready to debut this early, but I guess they did. They still seem quite awkward on stage, and their singing isn't the best. The dance really doesn't look very good either. With more practice, they might improve, but for now, they look like some kids at a school talent show.
21. Hitoshirezu Mune wo Kanaderu no Aki- This song is such a nice one. I love their singing on it. This is such a nice song for women about their age to sing. It's not extremely mature, but it's very slow and sophistocated piece. This song has such a nice melody, and the background music is made more to compliment it, not to match it. The chords at the end are so beautiful I could cry!
22. Magic of Love- These two look so great on stage together. Their personalities are good matches for eachother. This song fits so well with their voices. I think that both of them singing this song was meant to be. I love how they not only look like they love what they're doing, but how they also seem to be so into the song. They may be on the older end for H!P, but they're cetainly not on the end that seem disconnected to their music.
23. Screen- This was very similar to the version of this performed at the elders club concert, so just refer to that one.
24. Suki Na Sempai- This is the second time that they've sung this song and that they've said it's their last time performing together. With how they're always together, and their great chemistry on stage, somehow I doubt it. This song sounds so much better than it did 7 years ago when they first sung it together. They seem so happy to be together on stage and singing. This is the generation that seems to be the one most likely to reunite later.
25. Romantic Ukare Mode- Miki's improved so much since she first joined H!P, that I would usually have a problem with her singing this. Of course, She sounds great as usual, but she doesn't really seem to be as happy singing cute songs, for which the reason is quite obvious: she's older and probably knew that she would soon be a married woman.
26. Kachoiize Japan- While Biyuuden still sucks at singing, they seem to have gotten better here. I liked the starting set up for this. And while they didn't take the usual Biyuuden wears skimpy stuff route, they chose the show off their boobs one, which is equally effective. They make a great group, to the point where it just seems like they became inactive, not broke-up. I love the way that while the Kids are there, they're there to compliment, not take over.
27. Naichau Kamo- I don't really even want to comment on this since this was also a repeat and the members aren't graduating.
28. Resonant Blue- Resonant Blue sounds good when it's just Morning Musume. While adding other girls in doesn't change the sound, it's kind of really pointless on a song with line distribution like this one. This is a good performance, and I think by now the girls can do this in their sleep, and it looks like they're doing just that. It seems so rehearsed, and not in a good way. This song has to seem spontaneous and kind of like a fit, similar to Shabondama.
29. Namida no Iro- These costumes look just fabulous on stage. Also, Airi's hair appears to be channeling Tracy Turnblad's here. It's even puffier than earlier! The C-ute girls dance just wonderfully during the dance break and generally just own. They seem to be way more into this than Morning Musume, but I can see how considering that they are a lot younger than Morning Musume, and that this is the first song in a while.
30. MADAYADE- Berryz really shouldn't have sung this one instead of something else. I don't know why, but Madayade just doesn't look good the way that they performed it, and for some reason, they just don't seem on top of their game. I can't say that I don't like Berryz, but they were definately given the wrong songs and the wrong expectations for this show.
31. Morning Coffee- I love how the first generation is singing their exclusive 1st generation song. Their voices make such beautiful music in the harmonizing on this song. I love how they sing it. The harmonizing can't be done nearly as well by anyone except the first generation. They also seem like a very close generation. I think that they seem to enchant when they're singing, whereas the other H!P members pump them up. There's something to be said for good old performing, not just acting hyper on a stage.
32. Koko ni Iruzee- This is the other side of Morning Musume: Hyper and fun. The way that they all burst onto stage like that is surprising, and then they go straight into the song. I've always loved the lives of this song because of the enthusiasm that goes into it. While some Morning Musume songs are insanely hyper like this one, this one really seems to be the most fun of them to perform. They just look like they're having fun doing such a crazy dance! Also, when Makoto says "I'm here!", you can really tell how good she's gotten at english. She seems to be a pro at that line. It's also kinda funny how you can see Ai really quickly kick her leg over Makoto's head while she's singing! I can kick my leg over someone's head who's taller than me, but she seems to do it so effortlessly and fast that it's hard to notice!
33. Love Machine- JunLin own the "Oo's" at the beginning: they're the only two I've seen sing them where you can hear their voice over the back-up. Iida does her priceless "Deiyaa" face, and all of Morning Musume performs together one last time before their next anniversary rolls around. I love how they don't seem bored with this song, even after preforming it close to 500 times!
34. Michi Naru Mirai He- I skipped over this for no appearent reason.
MC: Graduation- This really made me cry! It was so emotional. I started bawling when Yuko and Ai traded letters! I think that it was just so emotional!
35. ALL FOR ONE & ONE FOR ALL- This is such a perfect ending, I can't describe it! I think that this song is such a great way to see how H!P has changed over the years. I love how they're singing the "H!P Anthem" one last time as it was meant to be sung, in the order that H!P was built up, before the moment has to be over.
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Your Bawling Blogger.
-Midori
Hello!
I've been telling wotachat that this concert owns the wonderful hearts one, and it's more true every time I watch it.
1. I WISH- Morning Musume OG- I loved the way that everyone entered- it looked amazing. Also, I LOVE how they started this concert with the girls who started it all- Morning Musume and H!P. It was such a fitting beginning of a last concert for them. Also, as a bonus, it's a perfectly fitting song to start the concert- a song with hopes for the future.
2. I Know- all- Another "I" song? Anyways, I really liked the opening, and I love this song to follow it. It gets the crowd going, and it's a fun song to do with all the girls together. I also like how they still had Ayaya as the lead, but got everyone involved elsewhere throughout it.
3. Junnen Ai- Kaorin, Yuko, Kei, Nacchi- While I wasn't too fond of Nacchi's dress, I really liked how this song showed off just how perfectly these fours' voices blend together. It also has 4/5 of MM's 1st two generations that's left in H!P, which is awesome. The dance goes well with the song, and everyone's solo lines are just... amazing.
4. Screen- Nacchi- Nacchi sounds great as usual. This was a great performance, and I really love how well the dance, music, lighting, vocals, and costume come together so nicely with this to set the mood. This really worked well for me, and it was a great song to start the soloists out with.
5. Koi no Telephone GOAL- Nacchi- It's great that even though Nacchi's gotten so much older from when she released this, she's still having so much fun with it that it seems she's a teen again. She sounds amazing as ever when she sings this. Does she ever loose any energy?
6. Lalala Sososo- ManoEri- Why the hell is she here again? I really don't care about her or her music at all, so I just skipped it.
7. GIVE ME UP- Melon Kinenbi- Melon Kinenbi is just so amazing!!! I'd never heard this before, and they made me love it! I hope that they find some major way of promoting themselves through variety show appearences or something, 'cause they deserve to sell really well. They're just so great. They even rock those rediculous hats!
8. Kenchana- Maeda yuki- Yuki is such a talented Enka singer, and I love to see her singing something jazzy, because her voice is just so perfect for it. She also needs more exposure. I feel that she'd work really well singing in a jazzy group, not enka, though.
9. BABY! Koi ni KNOCK OUT!- Kei, Yossie, Makoto- WOW! Kei can still do this dance? They all look and sound amazing. It seems that her time studing in New Zealand did nothing to slow Makoto down, and Yossie just owns this as usual. This is what ownage of this song is made of.
10. 100Kai no KISS- Ayaya- Her dress... wow. That print only looks good on minidresses these days. I really like this song better now that her voice is more developed. It sounds great, and I can never say how much Ayaya owns this, for it would be impossible.
11. YEAH! Mechha Holiday- Ayaya- Unlike Ayaya's previous piece, this song gets worse with a more developed verse. Only the verses sound good with her current voice, but they make up a lot of the song. This was fun, and did she really do this with a broken toe?!?!
By the way, Yuko pushing Kei and Makoto over was really funny!
12. Tanpopo- Kaorin, Mari, Rika, Konkon, Ayumi- Mari and Kaorin are just too good to be believed. While everyone else is good, but these two own this performance to no end. They are just so good. It's nice that they get most of the singing time, and they look good too. I can't believe that what happened to Kaorin did. She's just so amazing here!
13. Agekai ni Dakarete- Kaorin- Kaori seems like she's really grown since she was last on stage. She sounds great, looks great, and has so much emotion in her performance. She's just such an amazing Momusu girl.
14. This is UNMEI- Melon Kinenbi- This is exactly why Melon Kinenbi owns my soul in Elder Club concerts. They just rock the stage. They're great preformers, great singers, and they have so much personality all the time while they're up there, no matter what they're singing or doing. This is kind of like H!P's girl power group. They all seem like they'd make awesome sisters or mentors to have.
15. Ai ~Suite Room~- Biyuuden- Biyuuden is back, and wearing next to nothing again. Can they sing something besides this song at a major H!P concert? Also, when this was discussed about on wotachat, my new theory came into being:
Biyuuden's members were chosen by who had the biggest boobs and wasn't busy at the time with another H!P project.
16. Boogie Train '03- Miki Fujimoto- I didn't think she could get better, but she did! That dress is insanely puffy! How did she get through the doors? She sounds really good, but her energy brings up the point: Is she really getting married?! I know she's old enough, but she seems so young and energetic here!
17. Kuyashi Namida Porori- Yuko- Yuko is such an amazing woman in H!P, and I'm almost sad to see her leave. While she is getting a little too old to be an H!P member, I love her so much! She's such a great preformer, and this is just one song that she will always own in my mind. She sounds so good with the type of music. Is she really in her 30's?
18. Magic of Love- Yuki, Acchan- This is the perfect duet. They sound so good together. I love the way that their voices blend so well. They sound great on this song, and I LOVE the way that they interperet it. The costumes are mature and not too over-the-top, so it's just great! I can't praise this enough.
19. Aoi Sports Car no Otoko- Kaorin, Yui, Erika, Acchan, Melon Kinenbi, Mari- This. was. fierce. I loved it! If they took Yui and Erika out, and it was 7 people, it would've been even better! I liked how intense they kept this in spite of their age. The costumes and the "guitars" also looked great for the song! I think that this was one of the most fun songs in the set.
20. Thanks- GAM & others- I would've preferred this if it was just GAM, but some things just can't happen I guess... It was still great with GAM still leading it. GAM should reform after they graduate. They're so much fun to watch and listen to!
21. Kizuna- Ayaya & Miki and Aoi Sports Car no Otoko girls- This was a great song for this concert, and I like the way that they had everyone do it with Ayaya, because while Ayaya owns this, it's fitting for the other girls to sing it too.
22. Come Together- Ongaku Gatas- This was really nothing special. It might be my least favorite song in the entire setlist. It just didn't seem as good as the rest.
23. Narihajimeta Koi no bell- Ongaku Gatas- This is the only gatas song that I thoroughly enjoy, so it was nice to hear. I liked this performance. It wasn't over the top, but it wasn't to plain either.
24. Morning Coffee -> Manatsu no Kousen- Morning Musume 1st and 2nd generations- These girl will probably always be my favorite Momusu girls ever, so there's no denying that this was sad for me, but they sound better than ever. The harmonies are just perfectly balanced and blended. They're really showing why the first 2 generations of Morning Musume were so good, and why no other line-up can beat them.
25. Ai Araba IT'S ALL RIGHT-> The Peace -> Love Machine- Morning Musume OG- Again, Morning Musume's OG show why they're so great. I loved how the other MMOG slipped onstage so quietly, so it looked cool when you saw them pop out for the first song. They seem as energetic and happy as ever. These girls were all in MM's golden age, and they show us why.
26. Koisuru Angel Heart- All- This song is always so energetic, so it's fun to see all the girls all energetic together singing! They all sound great, and the dance is very well done. This sounds so much better than the version with Biyuuden and WH.
27. Never Forget- All- The perfect ending to the perfect concert. It almost almost made me cry, and this isn't even the gradation concert yet. It sounded so great!
A concert not to forget.
-Midori
Hihi~!
I'm finally back!
NONO'S BAAAAAAAAAACK!!! (And is opening a mommy blog like I predicted!)
(All photos were found on the H!O picboard)
First, links to the news reports:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=4JE3e2WLmEk&fmt=22
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=tT2GanQNvFU&fmt=22
Setlist:
MC (Makoto and Yaguchi Mari)- An MC right off the bat? >.< No way!!! I'll watch the MCs for this concert if someone subs it because it's a special concert.
01. Ame no Furanai Hoshi dewa Aisenaidarou? (Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, C-ute and Mano Erina -> Everyone)- YAYS!!! This song= LOVE!!! And the Elders Club will help sing it! And JunLin solos at such a big concert! *faints*
02. Manopiano (Mano Erina)- I'm probably going to skip this. I don't really like her solo stuff. If they had Ogawa Mana push her off stage and blast out Suppin Rock, my opinion might be different.
03. Shugo Chara Egg (Minna no Tamago!)- They're trying to promote while getting them out of the way early. Good thing I probably won't have to hear too much Wada Ayaka. Maybe.
04. Come Together (Ongaku Gatas)- No. Just no. Have them sing their 1st single. It's so much better!
MC (Makoto, Yaguchi Mari, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Ishikawa Rika and Mano Erina)- Again, I'll watch the MC's if they're subbed for this one.
05. Kenchana ~Daijoubu~ (Maeda Yuki)- I don't really like Enka, but since this is her last H!P concert, I'll watch it.
06. Uwaki na Honey Pie (Satoda Mai with Korenaga Miki, Noto Arisa, Sengoku Minami and Sawada Yuri)- Country Musume + Eggs= ? I don't really know what to expect with this, but the pictures posted make it seem like this song is all Mai with the eggs back-up dancing. (She's wearing pink while the eggs are all wearing silver, and are all behind her.)
07. Kuyashi Namida Porori (Nakazawa Yuko)- Same as Yuki, I don't like her music, but I'll listen to her in her last H!P concert.
08. Happy☆Happy Sunday (Tskishima Kirari feat. Kusumi Koharu with Kitahara Sayaka and Kikkawa Yuu)- Also, there are two very special guests as back-up dancers. Can you guess who they are? Scroll down to find out! I'm excited about this! Sayaka and Yuu helping Koha with her new solo single? YES! (Put those two in a group with that girl who sang with Linlin and Airi this summer already!)
09. This is Unmei (Melon Kinenbi)- My favorite Melon Kinenbi song because of how into it everyone gets! I can't wait to see this!
MC (Morning Musume)- Meh.
10. FOREVER LOVE (C-ute)- I love this song, but give them a new single to sing already! They kick ass!
11. Dakishimete Dakishimete (Berryz Koubou)- I can't wait to hear their new single, but somehow I can predict myself not liking it too much.
12. Tanpopo (Iida Karoi and Yaguchi Mari -> Iida Kaori, Yaguchi Mari, Shibata Ayumi, Ishikawa Rika, Konno Asami, Niigaki Risa)- This will be great! 1st gen. Tanpopo and other Tanpopo girls joining later! I love 1st generation Tanpopo, but since this is the Elder Club girls' last concert, wouldn't Last Kiss be more apropriate?
13. BABY! Koi ni KNOCK OUT! (Yasuda Kei, Yoshizawa Hitomi and Ogawa Makoto)- As close to old school Pucchi Moni as possible! This will be intense. (Watch out for Kei-chan surprising us with another totally unexpected kick-ass preformance!
MC (Makoto and Yaguchi Mari)- ...
14. Chocolate Tamashii (Matsuura Aya)- This is a song that I'm quickly warming up to. I can't wait to see it.
MC (Matsuura Aya)- Another MC so soon?
15. Yeah! Meccha Holiday (Matsuura Aya)- This will be really funny. The pictures show that she's still really into this dance!
16. Egao ni Namida ~THANK YOU! MY DEAR FRIENDS~ (Matsuura Aya with Melon Kinenbi, Ongaku Gatas Eggs, Berryz Koubou, C-ute, Hello! Project Eggs)- Ayaya gets 3 solos, and everyone else barely gets one or two shuffle groups?
MC (Shimizu Saki, Kumai Yurina and Sugaya Risako)- Not gonna watch this one...
17. Hare Ame Nochi Suki (Morning Musume Sakura Gumi)- Last time they reunited at one of these concerts they did this song. Can't they do Sakura Mankai?
18. Ai no Sono ~Touch My Heart~ (Morning Musume Otome Gumi)- Same as with Sakura Gumi. Why not their 2nd single for once?
19. co.no.mi.chi (Buono!)- L-O-V-E LOVELY Miyabi! Or something along those lines. I love Buono to death, so I'll really love this. Expect extreme fangirling when I see this.
MC (Makoto and Yaguchi Mari)- Another with just these two?
20. Debut! Koisuru Kado ni wa Fuku Kitaru (Ice-cream Musume)- I didn't know that they'd be here! I'm excited to see how they'll do compared to the rest!
MC (Ice-cream Musume and Linlin)- A must watch MC for me! Linlin and the new group! I love Linlin!
21. Hitoshirezu Mune wo Kanaderu Yoru no Aki (Puripuri Pink)- This was a very good choice to preform at this concert! I'm excited to see it.
22. Magic of Love (Inaba Atsuko and Maeda Yuki)- This will be really good! I can't wait to see some of the best singers in H!P do a duet of such a well-made song! I wish that Tsunku could still write songs as good as this one.
23. Screen (Abe Natsumi)- I like this song. I can't wait to see it live.
MC (Tsuji Nozomi and Abe Natsumi)- This MC is on almost every news clip. I want to see what Nono's saying!
24. Suki na Senpai (Morning Musume's 5th Generation)- Aww... A 5th gen. reunion with the 5th generation's song before half of them leave for good. These girls always seem to be such good friends. I'm sure this will be a sad preformance.
25. Romantic Ukare Mode (Fujimoto Miki)- The original wota-ing song. Good choice.
26. Kacchoii ze! JAPAN (Biyuuden with Berryz Koubou, C-ute and Hello! Project Eggs)- This is always fun when it's a big group effort! I hope the Makoto gets to play his awesome drum solo again!
MC
27. Naichau Kamo (Morning Musume)- <3. That is all.
28. Resonant Blue (Morning Musume)- Morning Musume is singing some good songs for this!
29. Namida no Iro (C-ute)- Not my favorite C-ute single by far. Will I watch it? I don't know.
30. MADAYADE (Berryz Koubou)- I'm going to watch this to see how the dance looks with new costumes on.
31. Morning Coffee (Morning Musume's 1st Generation)- A fitting end to such a somber concert. They're ending it with how it began: The first generation.
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Now for the pictospam!
I just love this picture. I don't know why, but I do.
Nono returns and she looks as good as ever! By the way, she now has her own mommy blog, which has a really cute photo of her and a sleeping Noa on it!
Her phone is really funny!!! I love it's insane over-rhinestoned look. XP She still looks really skinny, and she still looks good in a costume like this one! It's amazing!
I just had to write a comment like that with Reina's pose. She looks like she's about to throw a fit while Ai screams to the audience, the eggs look like they're crouching down to hide, and the other two girls are just there...
No, acutally what's going on is: The Wonderful Hearts leaders read notes that their groups wrote to the graduating Elders Club girls. This must have been such a sad moment for them. Some of Ai's friends are graduating, and the other two were probably mentored by the Elders Club.
This is most of the graduating girls. Again, the leaders read notes to the Wonderful Hearts girls and the audience.
Yuuko hands Ai a note. This is also the more ceremonial version of Ai becoming leader of Hello!Project.
And finally, the answer to my earlier question! The two girls who dressed as Kira*Pika and Koha for the new star auditions appeared! While they didn't pass, Tsunku said he had other plans for them, and I guess that this is the part of those new plans.
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-Midori
Hello!
Since Mic recordings of the Elder Club concert are starting to come out, I've decided to post them as I find them, so check for updates! Also, to show my undying love for Kei's awesomeness, there will be some random Kei videospam.
Tanpopo- Kaorin and Mari
Never Forget- Morning Musume OG- Individual and together mic recordings.
Now for the promised Kei videospam
-Midori
Hi!
I know everyone on wotachat knows this was coming, but you didn't know what it was, so here we go!
Oh, and...
IIDA'S BACK!
Edit: We have audio of her and a certain Mari yaguchi singing Tanpopo!
1. I WISH / Nakazawa Yuko, Abe Natsumi, Iida Kaori, Yaguchi Mari, Ishikawa RIka, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto, Fujimoto Miki- This will be really great: a great song to start a final concert off with! And it will be done with great singers too!
2. I Know / all- Where did this come from? I like it though. It's good to start off with an energetic song in any concert.
Opening Movie- Opening movie? This sounds interesting! I can't wait to see it. Maybe it's a history of H!P and the Elders Club members
MC
3. Juunen Ai / Nakazawa Yuko, Abe Natsumi, Iida Kaori, Yasuda Kei- The oldest, most well respected Momusu members minus Yaguchi singing one of the bad 10th anniversary b-sides? Why not Itoshiki Tomo e or Bokura ga Ikiru my Asia?
4. Screen / Abe Natsumi- I've heard that this was amazing, so I'll be looking forward to it.
5. Koi no Telephone GOAL / Abe Natsumi- It's great to hear that she'll be singing one of her older songs, so we can see how she's improved, how she's changed, and look back at when she first flew solo.
MC
6. Lalala•Sososo / Mano Erina- Why is she here? Does she transcend all concert unit boundaries?
7. Give Me Up / Melon Kinenbi- Give Me Up? I've never heard of this MKB song... maybe it will be a post-H!P single? Maybe it's just an album track...
8. Kenchana ~Daijoubu~ / Maeda Yuki- I don't really like enka thank you very much... (No matter how talented she is, I just don't like Enka.)
9. BABY! Koi ni KNOCK OUT! / Yasuda Kei, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Ogawa Makoto- 2 classic Pucchi Moni members, and a 3rd generation one! This will be really fun!
MC
10. 100kai no Kiss / Matsuura Aya- Ayaya doesn't get an old and a new, she gets an old and an old... for now.
11. Yeah! Meccha Holiday / Matsuura Aya- I want to see how this will go now that she's a lot older.
12. Tanpopo (Single version) / Iida Kaori, Yaguchi Mari, Ishikawa Rika, Shibata Ayumi, Konno Asami- Why couldn't they have just had Iida, Yaguchi, and Rika? The world may never know. (No matter how much I hate Rika's singing, I only like 1st and 2nd generation Tanpopo.)
13. Agekai ni Dakarete / Iida Kaori- KAORI~!!! I LOVE YOU!!! She actually gets a solo? I don't mind though, she's one of my favorite MM members, simple because of her hilarious personality. Also, it's great that she's able to perform! She'll always be one of the funniest Morning Musume members in my mind. (Along with W and Kei)
14. This is Unmei / Melon Kinenbi- I <3 this song! Thank god they're not singing Akai Freesia! "That's not Melon Kinenbi, that's a solo with back-up!" -Me listening to Akai Freesia for the first time
15. Ai ~Suite Room~ / Viyuden- Biyuuden temporarily reunites... for one song, anyways... and it's not exactly my favorite of their's either.
16. Boogie Train 03 / Fujimoto Miki- It's good to see that she's singing a fun song, not a ballad. The question is if the H!P kids back-up dancers will be there or not.
17. Kuyashi Namida Porori / Nakazawa Yuko- Yuko gets a solo too? This is turning out to be one awesome concert!
MC
18. Magic of Love / Inaba Atsuko, Maeda Yuki- Ooo! An old Taiyou to Ciscomoon song! I can't wait to hear it sung by these two! I'm really excited now...
19. Aoi Sports Car no Otoko / Iida Kaori, Yaguchi Mari, Inaba Atsuko, Melon Kinenbi, Miyoshi Erika, Okada Yui- Why are the 2 Biyuuden back-up girls in here? I want to see a 7-nin version of this again! Anyways, I hope that they do the original dance, 'cause it was funny to watch.
20. Thanks! / GAM (Chorus dancers: Inaba, Maeda, Melon, Miyoshi, Okada)- WOW! A GAM temporary-one-song-reunion too! COOL! I can't wait for this!
21. Kizuna / Matsuura Aya (Chorus: Fujimoto, Inaba, Melon, Miyoshi, Okada)- I'm a little excited for this. Otherwise, I don't really have any reaction to it.
MC
22. Come Together / Ongaku Gatas- NO. Just no. I don't really want them to sing this song. It seems like one of those songs that was meant to fail if preformed live.
23. Narihajimeta Koi no BELL / Ongaku Gatas- Now I'm liking it again.
24. Love Machine / all- I am so surprised. How did I know that this was going to be on the setlist?
Encore
25. MM OG Medley:
• Morning Coffee / Nakazawa, Abe, Iida, Yasuda, Yaguchi
• Manatsu no Kousen / Nakazawa, Abe, Iida, Yasuda, Yaguchi
• Ai Araba IT'S ALL RIGHT / MM OG
• The Peace! / MM OG
• LOVE Machine / MM OG
-First of all: I know LOVE Machine was a hit, and I know that Tsunku likes to make them sing it, but twice in one concert seems way too much. I'm not particularly fond of any of these songs, so I'm a little disappointed. I like the member line up for the first two songs though.
25. Koisuru Angel Heart / all, except Matsuura- That's right! She broke her toe... or maybe this was planned before that happened for no particular reason whatsoever. I don't know weather to be excited about this song or not.
MC
26. Never Forget / all- A perfect song to end a final concert tour. It's a great song, and it was written for Morning Musume's 1st graduate. It's rather fitting.
MC
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Overall, I'm much more excited for this than I am for the Wonderful Hearts concert.
The only thing I'm extremely pissed about is that Love Machine, the most over performed Momusu song in history, is perfromed, TWICE!
-Midori
Hello!
The evil laugh thing deals with the fact that when I say that statement, I feel that it would sound better if you put an evil laugh in for the UFA execs and those who didn't lose their position in H!P.
This may be sarcastic and weird predictions, but this is a compile of what others and I think about what should/will happen. I'll do it member-by-member.
- Nakazawa Yuuko- I could see her becoming an office lady again or more likely a TV personality. She certantly has enough spunk to do so. I'd like to see her become a TV personality. A lot.
- Iida Kaori- She's always seemed really motherly to me, and while I'd like to see her appear on TV or sing a little, I think it would be sweet if she became a full-time mommy. ^-^
- Abe Natsumi- The former face of Momusu will be gone, but I can still see her singing more.
- Yasuda Kei- She's an amazing singer, and is born to work in the music industry considering all the instruments she can play. I could see her being very successful in a jazz/pop group. I still think it would be great if she could get a permanent part on Utaban. Whatever she does, she'll be one to watch out for if she plays her cards right, and by that, I mean not towards a pop or solo carrer. She has so much talent in the jazz area, why waste it?
- Yaguchi Mari- I can see her doing the same things she's done since she left Momusu- be a TV personality.
- Yoshizawa Hitomi- She should continue to be badass generally act like she did for Mr. Moonlight. If she stays boyish and badass, she'll do well with her TV personality carrer.
- Ishikawa Rika- She shouldn't sing, with the exception of in Hangry and Angry. She could do well as a model or a photobook idol. (Not necissarily completely gravure though.)
- Tsuji Nozomi- I know it won't happen, but I'd love it if she and Kago did a talkshow together. What I hope for her is that she'll do something like Aya Ishiguro did, and become a TV personality, but put her family first. Also like Aya, she could open a parenting and general life blog. By the way, since there's going to be a graduation ceremony, presumably, she'll at least show up for that.
- Konno Asami- She's way to smart to waste her brains. She should either go on quiz shows, or do something with that intellegence of hers.
- Ogawa Makoto- She could easily be a TV personality. It would be great if she could further improve her english and rid herself of her accent and train in dance in LA. She would make a good hip-hop dancer. I have no real reason to believe that, but I do.
- Fujimoto Miki- I think that she should sing more, but she should find some other outlet incase that doesn't work out.
- Inaba Atsuko- I know she'll get work somewhere. She's a great singer, has a fun personality, and considering how long she's been in entertainment, she has to have good connections.
- Satoda Mai- She's one we really don't need to worry about. She's doing extremely well over at Quiz Hexagon.
- Melon Kinenbi- I really hope they stay together, but change their name and style. They have such good chemistry musically and personality-wise, and way too much talent to waste. I wish they could change labels to avex and redo their image. They just can't and never could work as an idol group, but they would do extremely well if they got someone who got to know how to sell them right: as a rock group with pre-recorded back-up tracks. (If that makes any sense to anyone)
- Maeda Yuuki- Again, she's very talented. I think that she could own the enka rankings if she got the right people behind her.
- Matsuura Aya- She should, and probably will continue singing. She could do very well under Avex- if they're willing to sign her with her recent sales.
- Gatas (and the eggs)- I won't even attempt to predict this, because I can see them doing absolutely nothing and either staying with the eggs or getting out of showbiz. Of course, there still may be surprises in store.
- Miyoshi Erika- Many bloggers have suggested in passing that she would do well to join Avex and just leave H!P. While it would be good, she works best in groups and as back-up. I hope she can excel in whatever she does, but if she joined Avex, it would be good for her.
- Okada Yui- I've heard differing opinions about her. Some think she has no talent, some think she has it. I really don't know and don't care, because she could probably have a good, respectable carrer as a TV personality and gravure idol. I know there's already wota lined up to buy a photobook from her.
Also, concerning the Morning Musume OG, UFA might have done this, because it's often preached that if a former member of a group does extremely well, it stirs intrest in the group, which would be good for Momusu and UFA as a whole, but who knows how this will work?
-Midori
Hello. I'm sure by now, we've all heard the sad news that the WHOLE elders club will be graduating. this has to be some sort of cruel publicitiy stunt, right?
I'll weigh the upsides and the downsides to determine why UFA did this. (Upsides and downsides for fans too)
Note- UFA includes the girls since they haven't technically graduated yet.
UFA- Upsides
- Less salaries to pay. UFA is paying these girls to do virtually nothing. (Probably their fault) This will save them tons of green.
- Even more green with less concerts and singles to plan and carry out.
- Big publicity from doing something so drastic.
- Tsunku is free to use them more freely in less idolish ways if he would like to. (Say as part of a new project?)
- The girls will be more free to do as they wish with their carrers and lives.
- The girls might get more oppourtunities to flourish and grow in acting and singing.
- A few of the girls already have talk show spots and radio shows, so they could continue doing those.
- Nono and her husband will be able to post pictures of her on their blog now. It would also give Nono more opportunity for a talk-show appearance reunion with Aibon. ^-^
- Even more money- it's an excuse to release MEGA-best albums.
UFA- Downsides
- Slightly less concert attendance: yes, you know there are some fans who only go to the concerts for the elder club.
- Loss of almost all the vocal firepower and talent in H!P. (Quite obvious)
- Less popularity- some fans might boycott
- Less products, less $
Now for the fans
Fans- Upsides
- We might be able to see the girls on more talk shows, going solo, the extraordinarily talented melons and MM old girls actually doing something, and maybe a new agency or new advocates for idol's rights to date. If they do do anything new and exciting I'll be sure to include it in my blog.
- We have a chance to see the girls in their natural state more. They might go on more talkshows and be able to say more about what they like and dislike honestly.
- We might get more awesome units like Hangry and Angry.
Fans- Downsides
- We may never see them again...
My Personal thoughts
I knew this would happen one day, but even Ayaya graduating? MY GOD! I really do think that Tsunku with the girls want to get out out of H!P. Tsunku probably still wants to work with them, but considering their talent and oppourtunities for them outside of the idol world, he realized that he could make more money by getting them out of H!P and out of the idol world. And, I hate to say this because I love seeing these girls sing and be in H!P, but when you're 20+ or even 30+, you probably want to be free to date, marry, and do crazy things, not being tied down by the (un)written rules of the idol world. Also, the younger, cuter sound is what sells, and the girls don't have to have talent anymore, so the older girls are completely out of the loop. They're talented and pretty, but too mature and womanly to even attempt to sell in Japan without some other outlet such as talk shows and acting jobs.
Also, along those lines, do you really think that they want to keep working with girls who are half as talented, half their age, and are selling 5x as good as they are right now?
I'm hoping Tsunku will create a group for them, where they can all preform together once or twice a year, but where they can be free to do what they want with their lives, free from the idol world.
-Midori
Hello! Weekends are good homework-wise, so I'll try to post most weekends. For now, I'll do a quick review of Gatas's new single PV, Come Together, in good old bullet form.
The good
- YOSSIE! She sings almost the entire song, and harmonizes all the solo lines, which makes Asami and Rika's much better than they had the potential to be. Also on the singing side, Mai sounds lovely when you consider her voice is much less annoying than the two other leads'. (Don't get me wrong, I like them both, but their voices are just so annoying.)
- The song overall is pretty good, not great, but at least good.
- The costumes are kinda cute, but they're not too unique, also the cowgirl boots are a fashion crime H!P is often guilty of committing.
- The dressing room scenes are kinda boring, but rather funny when you consider how rediculous it is for a music group to use the same dressing room more than a few times, definately not enough to decorate it. I still like these parts though, because they're mainly just big fooling around parts. I'm sure all the fanboys (and maybe a few girls) will go nuts over the IshiYoshi "make-out" scene.
- The "extras"- usually the typical H!P PV only features the girls in the group, and the extras are just random H!P girls, but not only in Gachinko de Ikou with the band members, but here with the people walking, it brings me more back to love machine and its PV extras.
The Bad
- The dance is really boring. It's simple and it's more like a soloist's dance in a bad way except with 8 people doing it as a line dance. It's too boring and simple. It's as if it was made to be one of those line dances that no one knows.
- Things happen that just don't make sense. Namely, the scene where they go into a recording studio to record the song, but instead of a recording studio, it's an empty room practically made for a low-budget dance shot.
- The dance shot takes up much more of the video than anything else, and the dance isn't even interesting.
- Random stupid self "sublimital" promotions. One of the worst things in this whole PV is maybe the stupid fake newspaper with a whole page and a half's worth of Gatas promoting. Now I don't know about you, but I personally believe that UFA's ad department is too cheap to even advertise their artists, particularly one whose last single sold less than 10,000 copies, in a half a page add, let alone a page and a half Gatas worshiping fiesta.
------------
-Midori
Hello! Usually I'd like to update exclusively on Wednesdays, but I found H!P on stage 2006, and it's great. It features the awesome english-speaking (She speaks some in it) Ayaka, the AMAZING Melons, Country Musume, and Abe Natsumi! All great singers, and all fun to watch! I'll write down the must-see highlights as they come. (Possibly videos if I can find them)
Ayaka & Mai- Inshouha Renoir no You ni
This is just pure awesomeness! Ayaka gettinging work, and some great dancing. I love this performance of this song.
Masae Ootani, with backup- Shining Itoshiki Anata-
Again, I can't describe how much talent the Melons have. Masae is definately not an exception to this. I've never heard her sing solo live in anything huge until this. And it's amazing. She's really a great singer. She needs to go solo with Avex or something that will get her talent recognized. now.
Hitomi Saitou- Shiawase Beam-
As I'm a girl, I didn't like the camerawork (too many boob shots) & I hated the choreography (the sexy parts), but I can't hate anything any Melon does because their singing just always blows me away. I love the WTF look on the other 2 girls' faces when she walks on and starts talking. >.<
The skit-
This is really funny even if you don't know what they're saying. Masae trys some English (only 2 words), Ayaka speaks English, and Saitou's entrance cracks me up for some reason.
Shiawase Beam (Reprise)-
More hilarious Hitomi, and now she's teaching others the contridictary to the music, sexy dance, while wearing a dress that looks great on her for some reason. It made me crack up. A sexy "Shiawase Beam" is so rediculous it's funny, but nevertheless, the singing is still great. Hitomi overdoes sexy so much here, it's parodying it. This is probably my favorite performance of this song because of the humor in it.
Dancing/Singing Battle-
This turns out to be rather interesting... Nacchi singing more mature songs in a fluffy, pink, party dress with flowers all over it.
Akai Freesia-
The outfit is horrible and the singing isn't her best, but this is still a fun performance, and I love the fact that this song is sung how it was meant to be- solo.
That's all for now, but I may write more on this later. OKEEDAY!
-Midori
Hello! >.< I've had a long day. I've decided to start this blog with a quick overview of how I think H!P is, and what I think of the different groups and people in H!P.
To me, Hello!Project is sort of a guilty pleasure, something I feel weird liking, but something I like nonetheless. I think it's heading in a new direction, as it often does, and I still feel that even though japanese sales are going down, H!P can still survive for at least another year. I'd like to say that because of my nature, I'm an optimistic person. I like H!P, but I like when the groups are given more mature songs, since they're getting more mature, particularly Morning Musume. Just so you know, I am an avid believer that Tsunku has less influence in the decision making process than UFA likes to let on.
Morning Musume- As an anime fan, Morning Musume was brought up every once in a while, after a few years of hearing about them, I saw Ayaka's Surprise English Lessons (Ayaka is still one of my favorites in H!P) and I found a cilp of the 2006 Elder Club's Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari, and I looked for the original version on Youtube, found it, and my H!P fandom expanded from there. Since I'm most familiar with MoMusu, I'll go over the current members in this post. (I might do a post about the OG's)
Ai Takahashi- I initially didn't really care about Ai, but after Yossie graduated and Miki left, I took a good look at her singing, and I must say, she's a great singer and she's well qualified to be in Momusu. She's one of my favorites, and I give her props for how much responsibility she's taken on lately.
Risa Niigaki- She's really impressed me lately too! She's grown up so much since she entered Momusu, and now I can see that she's a great asset to H!P as a whole.
Eri Kamei- When I get bored and I take a "Which Morning Musume Member are You?" quiz, I usually get her as a result. Otherwise, I don't really have an opinion on her.
Reina Tanaka- I love her voice in more mature songs, but I hate it when she goes all cutesy. I really liked the yankee Reina.
Sayumi Michishige- I originally hated her, but now I'm starting to like her. Her voice has vastly improved, and her on stage personality makes her a perfect idol.
Koharu Kusumi- I used to like her a lot, because she was the closest to my age. I've grown to find her rather annoying, but she is a good idol and she fits her anime role rather well: hyper.
Aika Mitsui- I didn't know what to think when she was picked: that was the first Momusu audition I got to watch and guess who'd win. She started off as a bad singer, but I'm becoming more and more impressed with her every time I hear her sing. ^^ I'm very happy that she's doing other stuff besides Momusu.
Linlin- I'm studying Mandarin, so I've always been interested in the pandas. Linlin hasn't grown on me, though I'd like to hear her sing more.
Junjun- She's the Momusu member who always cracks me up, and who I can't help but like. She and Linlin should be given more chances to shine.
C-ute- I didn't like Sakura Chirari or Meguru Koi no Kisetsu, maybe the B-sides, but not the songs. That all changed when Tokkaiko Junjyo came out, and I couldn't help liking C-ute. I love their more mature stuff, and I hope they'll continue making great, non-cutsie songs even if it's only to be contrary to their name.
Berryz Koubou- I like the individual berryz, but I don't like their last 2 singles as much as some from the past. Again, I think they should take on a cooler sound.
Elders Club- There's lots of underused talent here. Enough said.
Buono!- Had to put a section for them here as they're my No.1 H!P group at the moment. Pop-rock (Or Pop Rocks) is their genre, they do the themes for Shugo Chara! (a great anime), and they're all pure, raw talent. What more can I say?
That's it for now.
-midori
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