Hotaru’s blog

Before I start my review, I must tell a story. It is a story of my run-in with Hello! Project in a place where Hello! Project generally would not be found at (not the actual members...like their music.)...this place being MSU (Michigan State University). I was there for the "World Language Day". It was fun, but I'm positive I learned more about Korea than Japan...I already knew everything in the Japanese classes >___< The best part about my Japanese classes was that the lady decided to play some more "Hip and Popular" music...so..what does she play? No, not Morning Musume...she plays Chokotto Love by Pucchimoni...I was really disappointed that I didn't learn anything that day, so her playing Pucchimoni made me really happy XD.

Jinguskhan

Song: This is an incredily fun song! It appropriate for spring, in my opinion. I think its a bit high for a lot of the members...but they still end up making it sound fun/good. This has defintely been said before by others...but this sounds very simliar to Koi no Dance Site. I like Koi no Dance Site (I own the single, woooo), so clearly I would like this song, right? Well, I do...haha >_< The bass really stands out to me. Its more of a "moving" bass...a much more interesting thing to play for the bass-player. Yay real instruments! ...As you can probably tell, I generally have a lot more to say about the PV and the girls than the song. I like the song, its fun, moving on!!

The PV: my love for this PV runs deep XD. Once you get past the Risako (who doesn't totally dominate this PV! she's a big part, but she doesn't totally piss me off). the 'lesser' berryz actually get decent screen time!!!) I like the way/screen/editing they used/made for this PV. It makes it look 'vintage'. My favorite part (mostly everyones favorite part..) is the 'riding on a cart through the halls of a school' scene. The girls all look like they're having fun filming it...so does the audience in the gym-stage-scene! You can tell that they're just kids. It seems as though the setting is that of when Morning Musume visited Kusumi Koharu's school...or maybe its just me? Well....this PV is very well put together. I really like it!

The Dance- Man, I love this dance. Its very easy and very fun...Its mostly just "oo-haa" movements and silly other arm movements. Seriously, if you are going to learn a H!P dance, this is the one to learn. Its very easy and very fun.

Darling I LOVE YOU (Berryz Ver.) - When I first heard this song I got really confused when I picked out Hagiwara Mai's voice out... "What!? Since when has she been in Berryz?" Then I looked up the lyrics at projecthello.com and realized that all of the Hello! Project Kids sing this! This is most likely one of those songs that will be inserted randomly at concerts as a "Look Hello! Project Kidz are singing together yay!" thing. So, while its a fun song, it'll probably never be very notable for me.

Member Review!

Shimizu Saki: One thing is for sure, this PV brings out the Lesser-Known-Berryz a great deal. Saki is really stunning and plays a great role! She is unfortunately demoted to the keytar, though...But she makes up for it with her awesome arm movements (You know what I'm talking about!). Saki is quite possibly the most underrated member of Berryz...Maasa seems to have more fans than her, even! Saki probably would been great to get a solo line in this song since she has a lower voice...but she of course didn't get this opportunity D: I'm really hoping UFA/Tsunku decide to actually give her GOOD ammounts of attention in the future..she has so much potential!

Tsugunaga Momoko: As I watch this PV...Momoko isn't really in this PV much...is she? Other than the dance-shots, we don't get to see her a whole lot. Well, maybe she has the even ammount of screen time as everyone else...it just doesn't seem like it because she doesn't have very many interesting shots...oh well. Momoko really shines on her solo line, showing that she can sing without her 'baby' voice to her. Thats a good thing! Another thing to note is that she sports an acoustic guitar with a heart shaped...sound cavity (is that what its called? I am unfamiliar with guitars). She also has some pretty awesome sun glasses. she definitely got into the "80's" feel to the PV/Song :D

Tokunaga Chinami: She seems to be having the most fun in this PV. She's the one truly enjoying herself, not having to be any serious character. I love her pseudo 'gangsta' moves...unfortunately, that is completely something I would do when 'dancing'. <_<. Her other highlight was her hand-jig thing...before Saki's cool arm wavy thing..These things don't have names! Give me a break! Welllll, anyway, Chinami's props are maracas..and in my opinion, they totally fit her. Maracas are generally considered percussion instruments...in my band, the members who play the maracas if needed are generally the people who are just "here for the rid eand to have some fun". I don't mean this in a negative way at all, Chinami handles her role with perfection! I love it! She definitely has charisma!

Sudou Maasa: Woo! She got the bass! The cool member always gets plays, or in this instance gets, the bass. Her "I am rocking the bass" parts are very amusing. She seems to know that the bass is awesome...Perhaps this is a sign that we will see more Maasa! Maasa is truly wonderful, and UFA/Tsunku must know the meaning of the bass guitar...the member with the bass guitar is generally (I know not all bands are this way AKA The Pillows) awesome and is considered the most attractive of the group. This may or may not declare the future for Maasa....Will she get more lines!? Probably not, but we can wish.

Natsuyaki Miyabi- It is hard for me to have anything to say. She was one of the few girls to get a solo line, woo? Rightfully so, she sings quite nicely, in my opinion. Miyabi is not seen much throughout the PV...she's there at the beginning, and then a bit towards the end. And...then....where does she go? It is unfortunate that she seems to have slipped into the cracks for this PV, but its probably better, so members like Maasa, Chinami and Saki can shine. *nods*. Her props raise some questions about Miyabi. They are a tamborine and little-kid-yellow-heart-sunglasses. Generally the tamborine is a useless instrument to a band (Partridge Family...). I certainly do not think that Miyabi is a useless asset to Berryz Koubou...but maybe she was for this PV. She doesn't do anything super-supesharu...so perhaps this prop, if only for this PV seem correct. Her sunglasses portry her as childish. Maybe Miya is? I wouldn't know...I don't follow Berryz Koubou very well. Maybe I will learn in the future.

Kumai Yurina- She seems to have fallen into the cracks of Berryz Koubou more than any other member in this single...In my opinion, I think her voice would have been great for this single, but of course they gave the fourth solo to Risako again >_<. Yurina is definitely visible, since she is much taller than the other Berryz and sticks out, but she simply doesn't have as much 'unique' funess as the other Berryz seem to have. Her props are little silver pompoms. This probably fits her fairly well...being the "Happy Cheerleader Yay!" style seems to fit her well...although I do not know a whole lot about her, honestly. Well, hopefully Yurina will play a more prominent role next time!

Sugaya Risako-  Goodness, I wish she had not set up this obnoxious persona for herself (or I wish no one had, if she didn't do it). She is constantly begging for attention, and her prop totally fits this. A pink megaphone? Perfect for Risako. More "Mee!" time for her. Although she is certainly not dominant in this PV,although she is a bigger part of it. All of her close-ups and 'running through hallway' scene make me want to smack her. Unlike the rest of the girls, she looks like shes just doing it because someone told her to, not because she likes it. If she doesn't like it, she should leave...I want to not dislike her, I feel as though she was forced into this position...but at the same time, its really hard not to dislike her.... D:

And so...with a fun song, a great PV (and dance!) and a nice C/W, I'll have to give this and A-...lost a few points for making Saki bad with a keytar....

As a closing note, both Mutou Mika and Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project this week. I am happy for both of them. Mutou never seemed to be the idol-type...it seemed as though she was only in it for the Futsal...and she probably was. She will be happier without a time-consuming schedule. Ayaka...it was about time! I felt so bad for her, just sitting in the back while all of her friends got attention. She's definitely loyal to Hello! Project (or maybe she just didn't know where to go) but it was about time she got up and moved on XD. I  hope she's happy with her decision!

Until next time!
-Hotaru
(I can't wait till summer break, then I can have more timely posts)

I'm back from my trip to Hawaii! I made two trips to the internet this past week, saw that several new things were introduced, uploaded, etc, and just turned of the computer....it was so much to take in. I was on vacation! Sometimes I even need a break from Hello! Project Craziness. But, I am back to Michigan and have caught up with all of the Hello! Project News.

Before I start the actual quick-review-comments, I would like to thank Morningberryz for his big help on ideas of where

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A few things I shall comment on..
Kago's Interview: Its good to see Kago back! Its good that she's apologizing and explaining what happened and their effects. To clear things up! It was really depressing to hear the she was so depressed she cut her self and had thoughts of suicide. I'm glad that she seems better. Hopefully we'll have some sort of a comeback!

Reina getting a role in an anime: A hello kitty-style anime? *sigh* Hello! Project needs to get involved in anime more than just kiddie anime. That way they can get a few more older fans, not just the 1-10 year olds.

Hello! Style (that is what its called, right?): Hm, new group. A way to use the Kansai Girls? And with Arisa <3! Hopefully they'll come out with a single or two.

Namida no Iro PV = C-ute Godzilla.
'Nuff said on that for now.

I have an extra copy of the Morning Musume 10th Anniversary All Singles Complete Album. It was given to me by my parents for Christmas, but my boyfriend had given me my copy a day earlier XD. My extra copy has never been opened, and I'm interested in selling it..My guess is a lot of people already have it, so I would like to have a contest/drawing and give it away, but my parents aren't too fond of the idea. So for now (I might have a contest anyway) I don't have a price. If you are interested in receiving it, leave a comment or email me at ketsuekitsubasa@gmail.com! Thanks :D

-Hotaru <3

Hello! I finally got this up! This was meant for last week, but unfortunately major homework assignments came up (which includes writing a 131 Poem and reading 45 pages of history)! I'm glad their over now (mostly), so I have a few hours to actually finish this!

Before I start though: Happy Birthday to International Wota :D

Most people have been comparing this song to Berryz Koubou's "Munasawagi Scarlet" because...well, the PV certainly is similar to it. I also have found similiarities in a Morning Musume song. I'm sure you can guess which one.

601px-Lalala_Shiawase_no_Uta_limited

The Song-
How come its always the songs that you don't really like that always get stuck in your head? Probably because they're always so catchy!! Shiawase no Uta is diffently not my favorite single C-ute has come out with (this is including indie singles...) but its much more composed than Sakura Chirari or Meguru Koi no Kisetsu. The group sounds much more confident and the group sounds more developed. Which is great, but doesn't make me like the song itself much more. A good thing would be...instead of having Maimai and Saki having the "minor solo lines", it could Okai, Erika, or Kanna. seriously...those two girls may be super cute, but their voices grate on my ears (and I'm positive they grate on others). Not even in a Koharu, way. I can handle Koharu, her voice can be fine a lot of the time, but Saki...I can feel my ears shudder when she sings...But really, other than my Saki/Maimai problem the song isn't bad. The whole minute of La's gets annoying, but reminds me of Aruiteru...which grew on me considerably.  Its definitely fun. I think it would have been a better song to release in the summer, but hey, C-ute's also releasing another single towards the end of April. Its like Tsunku/UFA were saying "JK!!!! We're going to have C-ute release a real single soon, lawlz." *sigh*

The PV- It definitely owns Munasawagi Scarlet budget-wise...The make-up is much more fitting of a younger girl to be putting on/playing with. Theres lots of shiny things, too! Like necklaces and probaly some bracelets. Its a lot more like "dress up" then "Lets do each others make up, yays!" (the later being Munasawagi Scarlet). The whole set looks much less cheap, even the hideous costumes/outfits are less hideous than Berryz. The background, which is an off-whiteish-gray, makes the outfits fit, at least I think so. The dance which is...most of the PV, is very cheerleader-esque and very simple to dance to...which makes me happy. So, while that song isn't great, the PV is at least pretty good.

The C/W: Saikoukyuu no Enjoy GIRLS
I love the Tenor Sax XD It just fits the song perfectly. I honestly think this should have been the A-side. Have the original song on the A-side, a cover of a song should always = Coupling With song. But thats just my opinion...It also has a much more even ammount of solo lines...which always desirable. This song is very fun, like LALALA, but its not as catchy. I still like it better, though!

Member Review!

Umeda Erika- Like most/all of the girls gipped out of solo lines, she looks very bored throughout the PV. When dancing, putting on makeup, or trying on a necklace, she looks bored. "I wish this song was more interesting." is what her face reads. Really, I love Erika, and for her sake, I wish she played more of a role in the PV! "Gawd, please make it end!"-Erika

Yajima Maimi- I've been enjoying her much more since Tokkaikou Junjou. She seems to be having a pretty good time throughout the PV. Well, she can...she actually gets camera time! She also gets to wear the pink dress, which is less hideous, in my opinion. She has every right to look happy...She's arguably the most popular member of C-ute right now (part of this is based on Paul's Hello! Project Poll), therefore she gets a lot of screen time. I'm not saying this is bad. Maimi seems like she puts her heart into everything she does. That says a lot for me...idols actually caring about what they do...(yeah, she's gone up in my list)

Arihara Kanna- Similar to Erika, Kanna looks bored. Unlike Erika, Kanna looks like shes actuallly trying to look like she's having fun. Throughout the PV her 'happy' look goes downhill, eventually forming into "Wow, I'm really bored." This can be seen when the song starts its "LALALA's!" toward the end. She looks as though she is about to laugh and say "This is completely worthless, I'm only going to get like 3 close ups." Her next close up, she looks completely bored. Its kind of amusing, but depressing at the same time..

Nakajima Saki - Ah! This girls voice is terrible >_<. Its good that other members are getting lines, they all deserve them, but come on...Erika has a kind of squeaky voice, but sounds more developed...They could have used her instead (and maybe Erika wouldn't be so bored out of her mind)! This PV shows that Saki may be a good person to talk to maybe, but please don't ask her to sing! The part that really bothers me (more like creeps me out!) is that in a close up of her in the "Lalala" part of the song, her veins in her neck bulge...maybe its just me. That has always creeped me out. *shudders* This isn't to say I truly dislike Saki, I don't. I don't know much about her...but....from what I know, I don't like her much.....

Suzuki Airi- It looks like C-ute is becoming more and more Maimi centered. I like Maimi, but I like a lot of the other members more...Airi being one of them. I prefer her voice over Maimi's (Maimi used to sound really strange to me). Both girls are deserving of solo lines (but this still doesn't make me wish other girls had solo lines)...I suppose I'm just naturally drawn to Airi more. I feel as though she got less screen time than Maimi, but thats not really bad either, since she dominated Tokkaiko Junjou...I'm really neutral towards Airi, if you can't tell! She's c-ute and has a good voice...I like her better in Buono! (maybe the trio just go better together), though. I feel as though I can't make a proper review of her because of my neutrality! Maybe I'll have more of an opinion with her next single ._.

Okai Chisato- Frst things first: Has anyone noticed that it looks like Hagiwara Mai has surpassed Chisato in height? This is very strange for me...but it makes Chisato an adorable shorty? Haha. Unlike Kanna or Umeda, she looks like she's having fun most of the time. Maybe, like Chinami from Berryz, she can have fun no matter what. Thats a really good quality, really...I wish I had it. Or maybe she's just a good actor. Eh, whatever the reason is, I still love her :D. It sort of surprises me that she just...doesn't get any lines...ever. I can understand why she would be unpopular, she's adorable in a different way from most of the girls in C-ute, making her sort of an aquired taste. Her voice is amazing, but I've seen people say "I don't like her because her voice is too mature for C-ute." This sort of baffles me, but hey, its their opinion. Even if she never gets a solo line in an A-side of a single (from C-ute), she will still get lines on the the C/W..which I guess is good....

Hagiwara Mai- "Stop looking like a dead fish!" is what I want to tell her. She looks...emotionless for most of the PV. Or she has shy-ish reactions. She's still young and has time to develop, but really now...what kind of a persona is 'dead fish'? *sigh* She has the potential to be a pretty good singer and a decent dancer, but it really just seems like she's along for the ride XD. Her voice teeters between bad and good quality, which she could improve on if she tried...I guess she just seems like she has a lot of potential, but she just doesn't really care. It sort of bothers me. Perhaps this will change throughout time!

Overall, this single was only...okay. Even a lot of the girls seemed bored with it. I did like the C/W, though...so, this single will be graded as a C.
Just a straight C, like 75%.

As a closing note, I will be gone starting on Wednesday to...next friday? I think? I'm going to Hawaii for spring break! I will hopefully have less of a homework load afterward...

Bye for now :D
-Hotaru <3

Yay! I finished this before the end of the week! I was worried I wasn't going to be able to..with all the craziness going on in my life (Test, Essays, Musicals).

Reinai

The Song: The first time I heard this, and I think quite a few people thought this, it was okay, but it wasn't as good as Honto no Jibun. It doesn't flow as well as Honto no Jibun...but after hearing it a few more times, I fell in love with it. I might like it more than Honto no Jibun. Its definitely catchy. I'm also humming it! P-chu at "P-chu Piano Labs" said that this song was probably originally in the key of G...I totally agree. It probably was. (Yeah...I can be called a band geek.) I can't really see the song being as catchy in G for some reason though...the girls probably couldn't sing that low either XD. Anyway. This song is ridiculously fun. The verses could have been boring, but whoever arranged this made them fun with the "Hawaiinish" Style and the like. I love the concept of the "real instruments" being used in this group. I think that this group is closest to what "The People" want right now...they've got it :D

The PV: Simple, but not cheap looking. Its great. The colors bursting out in circles and splashes gives it a great retro feel, something that the song seems to be portraying a bit. The three girls quickly take their vehicles, leaving poor Momo with a tricycle (which she later simply gives up and just starts running.) Its creative, while still being on the simple side. Which is a great improvement for Hello! Project PV's!! The only point where the PV looks icky is the interlude-part with the black screen and the circle-y-colors flying out with the girls dancing in front...You can really tell its a green (or blue? as seen in the making-of) screen. The little hearts popping out was a bit cheesy, and would have been cooler if the hearts weren't the same...but its still better than the black-scene...other than those slight problems, this is a really good PV!!

The C/W: Janakyamottainai!
Amazing. This is good stuff right here, I tell you. Would this have done better as the A-side? Maybe...maybe even a double-A side...both songs are so good! More on Janakyamottainai...it sounds much more mature and "hard core" (I can't think of any other word D:) than pretty much...anything in Hello! Project. Its pure genius. Each girl gets a pretty even ammount of solos...and each girl shines individually. If you haven't heard this, go listen to it right now!!!

Member Reviews:

Natsuyaki Miyabi - She has such a nice voice...its very good for this group in my opinon. She fits being that more 'level-minded' of the three...at least...thats how it seems! She gets a mini red motorcyce (Which matches her scarf) and rides off! Lucky her, she didn't get gipped into getting the tricycle.....On a last note: Miyabi's Hair and Clothes. Her clothes? Great, much better than the ones in Honto no Jibun. Her hair? Nonono...a bigger hairstyle + a longer face = no. But other than that, yay Miyabi :D

Suzuki Airi - The best thing about Airi being in Buono! is that she gets solo lines and doesn't end up being the only member who gets solo lines...eheh. Really now...I love Airi, but UFA/Tsunku need to give other members in C-ute their proper solo lines. Airi also picks a green mini motorcycle to match her scarf (color coordination is very important!) and rides off! For her hair and clothes:  Her clothes are probably my least favorite...the mesh-looking jacket just looks strange on her. But its not terrible! Her hair is the cutest out of three...the pig tails match her perfectly!

Tsugunaga Momoko - In my opinion, she's the most impressive out of the three. Her voice seems very developed into her role in Buono!...something that is very impressive! She's also the most interesting role throughout the PV...getting gipped out of a yellow mini motorcycle and having to ride a Tricycle. She looks very confident when pointing at it though! "I choose you!" The way she sings in Janakyamottanai is great...she's not being the happy squeaky familiar Momo...which proves that she can be a really good singer <_<. For her Hair and Clothes? I loved her clothes the most...they were the most fun. I forgot what her jacket said..but it was something amusing....her hair was similar to Miyabi's, but it worked on her :D.

Overall, Renai Rider is a solid good single :D

A+!!!

-Hotaru <3

I was confused when I first heard that Maimi and Nacchi were being put together! It seemed odd to me. But, being optimistic as I usually am, I hoped they would be given something good. I was right, being optimistic, for they came out with a really fun duet!

The Song: This is such a great song! The casual-conversation like song always catches my heart easily XD. I didn't understand the Yajima Abe pairing until I realized that the two girls had a ten year difference between them. I wish that there would have been more emotion in the lyrics, that would have made the song more conversation-like and fun. I was surprised that Nacchi and Maimi haromonized so well. Abe has such a pretty voice, while Maimi's, although has improved greatly as of late, sounds a bit strange at times. I think I've said this before, but she sounded like she was taught wrong in singing lessons..

My favorite part of 16sai no Koi Nante would have to be the ending, where Maimi seems to be making fun Nacchi. "Ojiisama?" "O-u-ji-sa-ma!" Its something I would do :D

The PV: Do you really have to wait in lines outside to get into ramen shops? If it was too cold, I would have to be really hungry to wait outside in a line for ramen. I really enjoy the casualness of it all. Its not often that we see a PV from Hello! Project with this "almost-plot" thing going on. Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba had it, but I believe thats the only PV that had it that is 'recent'. Even if its not much of a plot...it doesn't look cheap, like Mikan did to lots of people. I don't really have anything negative to say about the PV...except...maybe..I would have liked to see the girls go into the Ramen Shop!

The C/W: Watashi no Koibito na no ni
This is a very nice ballad! Both Nacchi and Maimi sing it very well :D. The haromonization at the end of the chorus and before they go into the chorus sounds so pretty! This song isn't something that I would go out of my way to listen to (like put it on my iPod) but if I were to hear it in a concert I would think "Oh, this is so nice :D".

No individual member evaluation this time! I think it would be silly with only two members...I start with three!

As a grade, I'd definitely give it an...A-. Just a couple lost points for a being a tad bit boring (the PV)!

As a side note...
My sister recently participated in Paul's Member Ranker. I sent the results to her email, but she deleted them O:! I remember her Number One, at least!

For Morning Musume it was Niigaki Risa. She said "Because green is my favorite color. She also looks the friendliest in the PV's."
For Berryz Koubou, she picked Sugaya Risako "She's pretty. and I like her voice!" I was quiet and didn't say anything about her...but I said Momoko was my favorite, so she put her in dead last :(. Her reasoning was "She's not pretty...and her voice is really annoying!" D:.
For C-ute, she picked Maimi. I think because "She looks the prettiest and has the nicest voice, even though it sounds kinda weird in that white PV (referencing Meguru Koi no Kisetsu)". She put Okai Chisato in last, saying "She's ugly." I showed her a video of her singing Romantic Ukare Mode and all she had to say was "Meh." >__<.

Well..thats it for now! I hope to finish my review for Renai Rider soon.

-Hotaru

Here they are! I didn't get it up when planned (loaded with homework!), but its here now :D

C-ute

I've been waiting for Paul at Hello! Blog to make one of these again! I didn't want to rank my members until then...but now I have the time!! Yay!

Morning

This was extremely hard. I honestly don't have super-strong dislike for anyone in Morning Musume right now. It was very hard to decide who should be first and who should be last! "Don't make me pick!" D:

1. Tanaka Reina - Its practically a three way tie between Reina, Eri, and Junjun! It was very hard, but in the end, I have decided that Reina is still my number one! She was the first member to stand out to me, and continues to shine magnificently in my eyes :D. Her voice has always been amazing to me, and the clothes she wears make me even more jealous! I sometimes wish I could wear as stylish clothing as she did! Haha...She'll probably be my favorite for a very long time....

2. Kamei Eri - Actually, now that I look at my last years pick, the first two are in the same position! :D I guess...Reina and Eri haven't displeased me at all throughout this year! Yay. Kamei has really impressed me lately though, shining when she gets solo lyrics and just being silly in Haromoni@

3. Junjun - Although she hasn't been in the group very long, she's already in the top three! Why is that? She has the most interesting personality out of the 8th gen, in my opinion. Also, she seems to be the only one on Haromoni@ doing random funny things, but without knowing she's doing them! Her love for Bananas is adorable XD. I also think she has a great voice! She's really the only Morning Musume member right now where "I want to know what happens in the future for her." right now...She has a lot of potential...I hope she gets to put her potential to good use!

4. Niigaki Risa - Ah! Gakisan, you moved down one to make room for Junjun! How nice of you....*ahem* Risa hasn't really changed in my eyes...Still the same old cute, underused, baby face, reaction queen Gakisan :D But thats who Gakisan is, and I love her being herself! She's also consistent in getting at least one solo line in every single XD. Can I imagine Gakisan being leader? Yeah. I can. I imagine she'd be a good, Yossie-like leader....but a lot crazier!

5. Takahashi Ai - Along with Gakisan, she was shifted down with the rise of Junjun. Aichan....is still Aichan, except now she's a leader. She has a bit more of a leader-like quality, now, but thats about it. I like Aichan, I do, her voice is amazing, but her personality has always been a bit bland.  Not that its a bad thing, Aichan is just being herself, I think. Which is great, really...its just not very interesting if you're a bland person to begin with. Aichan can be funny at times, though!  I'm rambling now XD. I like Aichan, I really do, but she's just not interesting enough to me make it higher...

6. Mitsui Aika - Yay Mitssi! I was rooting for her all through the 8th Auditions! She's such a cute little girl! Her voice is much better than expected too (Although she murdered Bon kyu! Bon kyu! BOMB GIRL). She's definitely going to become a memorable member...At least I think so! Her personality is adorable and seems...real. I love seeing Mitssi on Haromoni@, but she hasn't really done a whole lot, has she (then again, its just freakin' MouTube)?

7. Linlin - I feel bad for putting her so low...but she really hasn't appealed to me as much as the other members have...although I love her "Bacchiri desu!!!" She has this natural-idol-thing going on, and I hope she puts it to good use!!

8. Michishige Sayumi - I feel bad for putting her so low also. I used to dislike her in the sense that I dislike Rika, but suddenly...It was in Kanashimi Twilight, actually. I saw her as not being totally stick-like (Like...Well, Reina), which is very nice to see in an idol. She may not have the best voice...or even a good voice, but she tries. You can tell, since she has improved a lot! Take the Hello! Project 2007 Summer Concert's "Kowarenai Ai ga Hoshii no". Sayumi sang very well for her, and impressed me a lot...She might be higher next time I do a ranking!

9. Kusumi Koharu - The only member of Morning Musume that I don't really like. But even then, I can find myself liking her sometimes on Haromoni@.  Why don't I like her? She gets wayyyyyyyyy more attention than she needs right now. Yeah, she's the new Gomaki, but Gomaki can sing! Unfortunately, Koharu's not very good at it now! She needs time to improve...and I guess the only good way to do that is give a solo line her and there. Her solo career seems unnecessary (but the songs are so catchy!) and she has stolen so many preteens souls because of her solo career *sob*

And now for Berryz!
Hm...It appears as though VOX is having troubles...accepting...my Berryz Rankings. It doesn't want to upload the banner-thing. So....Heres the link..
http://www.helloblog.co.uk/vote2/images/2606b6574732.jpg (I hope this works!)

1.Tsugunaga Momoko - I really was neutral to her before Buono!. I fell in love with her with Honto no Jibun, and continued through Renai Rider. I never really liked her voice...but now I do. It was like a complete 180 XD. I think I'll continue to love her for a long time :D...

2. Tokunaga Chinami - The funny one :D. I think I've always liked her. I don't know why though...She has a cute voice, but is underused :(

3. Shimizu Saki - Yayyyy Saki. She was my favorite for a while. I still like her, but Momoko and Chinami have just gotten more spotlight. She can dance really well, which is something I can only dream of doing XD And while others think she isn't a very strong singer, I think she is a very strong. She just has a deeper voice than most of the girls. In Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi's C/W, Warera! Berryz Kamen, she got a few solo lines, which I think she handled quite well. With a few lessons, she could be an extremely strong singer :D

4.Kumai Yurina - She's cute :). Out of the 'Big Four' she has the lowest range. Not that thats bad at all...She seems like the kind of person I would want to be friends with...and I don't have good reasons as to why. Maybe its because she's so tall...and all of my friends are taller than me, so its just natural..eh...probably not... She just seems like the kind of person I would eat lunch with XD.

5. Natsuyaki Miyabi - She was the first Berryz to grab my attention. She has a pretty voice and has good stage presence...at least...I think so...Something happened though...whether its just the fact that I noticed other members and like them more, or Miya just got boring...I don't know. She's a very solid Berryz member to me, though...I don't have negative feelings towards her, so its easy to just say "She's neutral to me."

6. Sudo Maasa - She's been getting attention lately! Yay! She can sing pretty well, but no one knew until these past two singles XD There is little known about Maasa, except that she's pretty tall looking...and is pushed to the back a lot :(

7. Sugaya Risako - *hides* I don't hate her, I promise! I just think she is used too much in singles...and that she lets it get to her head a lot of the time. She's a very pretty girl and has singing potential...so I understand why people like her. Even my sister, who says "Everyone in those Japanese groups are ugly!" says "She's okay." (Which is a big step for her...). I am not in support of her being such sex appeal at such a young age...You can make her look pretty without making her look like she's much older than she is. I promise.

I'll put up C-ute's ranking tomorrow...I'm exhausted now!

-Hotaru~

My sister is a very strange person. She claims that she does not like Hello! Project, yet has several songs by Morning Musume and the like on her iPod shuffle. I decided to interrogate her on her mysterious interests earlier, and am here to report my discoveries!

I must warn you, this girl is very strange. She likes things for no apparent reason, like snails, cows, and pigs. Her reasoning for liking many of these songs is very...bland, and maybe a bit shocking to some. Please also keep in mind that she is 12. She is not very mature...some of her answers...eh...if you are brave, please read on!

Also, she is unlike many 12 year old girls in the sense that she has a strong dislike for the Disney Channel and its contents. She doesn't enjoy Hannah Montana or High School Musical. What she does like is the Ape Escape video game series, Tokyo Mew Mew, Card Captor Sakura...any of those younger magical-girl animes. I suppose I thought maybe Hello! Project would be more of an interest with her, since she was unlike all of the 12 year olds surrounding her at school. But....maybe not.

The first Hello! Project song she has is...
Watashi to Watashi to Watashi by Matsuura Aya from X3
I initially asked her what she liked about the song, but she simply responded "I don't know." She's very indecisive. So I decided to ask her if she liked Aya's voice...to this, she responds "not particulary." ah...I didn't protest or anything on account of research. With the last question "Any other comments?" I finally got some real feedback: "Its good dance music." ....How strange. Maybe its just me, but this doesn't really seem like something you would say "This is very good for dancing to." ..but maybe its just me.

After this, I was worried my whole interview would end up this way. Thankfully it didn't!

Yeah! Meccha Holiday (High Tuned Mix) by Matsuura Aya from X3 (is it? I think it is.)
With some prompting, I found out that she enjoys the song because its "Funny sounding". Upon further prompting I received the answer "Its like 'I'm weird, lets cut ourself!" .....................With that, I decided we should go on to the next song. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

Happiness! ~Koufuku Kangei~ By Berryz Koubou
Finally, I get an immediate response! "It sounds like an Ape Escape 3 song!!!" (Now you know where I was going with my warning?)  ...So she likes it because it reminds her of monkeys? She further convinces me that this is why she truly likes Hello! Project with a comment going something like "It reminds me of monkeys dancing!" *sigh* I am giving up hope.

Very Beauty by Berryz Koubou
She has a strange assortment of songs on her iPod! I wouldn't think she would like this, for I don't take a huge liking to it...it seems like something she would say it sounded incredibly annoying. But no, when I ask her why she likes the song, she responds "I like the instrumental." I look down one, and she also has the vocaless version of the song on her iPod! It was a bit surprising. I asked her if she liked the vocals at all, but I didn't get much feedback, just "They're okay."

Kacchoiize!! JAPAN by V-u-den
This is a strange one...the first thing I get is "I like the beating drums...are they plastic?" then "It sounds like something from Ape Escape 3." She continues to question me on the drums, so I have her watch the PV. Her reactions are quite amusing...I have this written down in quote form, so hopefully, if you've seen the PV before, or are watching it, you'll be able to be amused.
"I wanna live in that house..."
"Their outfits are really scary. So is the dance."
"Why are there only three girls living in such a big house?"
"Why'd she grab her leg? I don't think she should be doing that. Oh look, now the other girls jealous."
I asked her if she like any of the girls. Of course, she responded "No." she did tell me who the leader was "She's the leader, though *points at Rika*"

I felt that there would be some point to my attempt at a good 'post'...I at least felt people could find amusement in her Kacchoiize! JAPAN reactions <_<

Tokkaiko Junjou By C-ute
Well, I'm really not sure why this song is on here. Her responses weren't very...positive. When Maimi begin's she simply says "Her voice sounds weird." XD. When ask about the other girls...they all apparently sound weird too. It figured it was pointless to question her more about this song...so I just moved on...ah, she sure is strange...

Hello! No Theme by Kiiro 5
I was really surprised she had this on her iPod...it seems like something she wouldn't notice. Although, she has watched the 2007 Hello! Project Winter Concert with me (or at least...some of it), so perhaps she has heard it before. Anyway, she didn't have much to say about this song other than "It sort of sounds like an Ape Escape song." and "The Lyrics are funny." when interrogated further she just responds "Its like....its in Japanese!!" duh. Thank you so much for your deep understanding of the song...moving on...

Akai Fressia by Melon Kinenbi
Well...I know she's heard this song before, I sneaked it onto the Sims 2 when she wasn't looking (honestly, all of the music in that game is really...she needs something!!) She has a positive response to this song, though, it being "The intstrumentals okay." other than that, she claims to have put it on her iPod because she had heard it before. Bleh...

Lucky Cha Cha Cha! By Mini Moni
Man, this song is obnoxious...thats probably why I also put it on the Sims 2...so she could get it stuck in her head XD. As expecting we get the "Ape Escape" response, but also "Its really hyper sounding. It also 'sounds funny'." Eh, I guess she didn't really like this song either, she just walked away.

Egao YES Nude by Morning Musume
Wow, I immidietally got a response! "Isn't this the song where they were leoperd print outfits?" How she knows this, I don't know. She probably watched a concert I have with it <_<. Then she says "It sounds funny." I show her a performance of it...and she has a few remarkable commentation. She says "That was weird." when Aichan begins her "wooo" part at the beginning of the performance...XD She also exclaims "She just winked!!" when Yossie winks at some closeup...not a big deal, but okay. She said that Aichan looked like the leader...I told her "Not at this point in time." I'm not sure if she understood.

Mikan by Morning Musume
I'm not sure whether to be insulted or amused with her commentation here... "It sounds like a Barney song! Like...Yeah! You'll get a chance! You can do it!!" I show her the PV to avoid further Barney commentation >_<. Her opinions aren't too surprising to me... She claims that there are too many rainbows in the PV....and that their eyes look "scary". She also questions the pictures of the girls as little kids, noting that Aika looks cute with the puppy XD. My sister mistakes the leader for Koharu...when I tell her its Aichan, she immidietly says "She's kind of ugly," because my hair is modeled after hers....I tell her she's wrong..and she makes up for her mistake by saying that Koharu's hair looks weird...and...thats about it...with Mikan *phew*

THE Manpower!!! by Morning Musume
Nothing too notable here, except that she thought "Manpower" was "Mambo now", also saying "This doesn't sound like music that you mambo to." Great observation XD

LULULU by GAM
I have no idea why she has this on her iPod, for her only reasoning is "The name is funny, and its funny when they say Lululu." ??? I don't know. She's strange. If I had asked her further she probably would have gone into her "Cutting themselves" commentation...so I didn't.

FAMILY by GAM
Another strange song on her iPod, she immidietly says "It sounds funny," followed by "The song is called family, but it doesn't have anything to do with family...at least it doesn't sound like it does." agh, she wouldn't know! Why does she say such things >_< Actually, I really don't know my self, to be honest...but I really wouldn't say such things, honest! Ah, she says strange things...I believe she's just messing with me now.

Matsu Wa By W
The first thing she told me is "Oh, I've already seen this PV, you don't need to show me." Eh? I wasn't going to actually...I asked her what she thought of it and she said "It was really boring. They were just like...moving pillows around. Blah." I laughed a little, then asked her why she liked the song. I guess...she doesn't really like the song at all, she had just heard of it before... -_-;

Summer Reggae! Rainbow By 7nin Matsuri
Ah, this is a fun song, in my opinion. In my sisters opinion...this is a "Funny sounding song that reminds me of Ape Escape."...as expected of her. I got a bit more depth her, with her answer "Its sounds like something you would hear hippies play on a beach." ....okay...I guess? ooh....I really wonder why she put these songs on her iPod...

Chu! Natsu Party By 3nin Matsuri
As if her descriptions as to why she has these songs on her iPod couldn't get more leaning to the "I just put these songs on here because they're better than anything that plays in America these days." than her really liking it. With Chu! Natsu Party she says "It sounds really funny. Who says Chu Willingly?" She doesn't really...understand that Chu is an onomatopoeia for a kissing noise...I tried explaining it to her, but she rejected the idea and was convinced that the girls singing the song had a mental illness. She really needs to find better friends, they are a bad influence...

Hello Mata Aoune (the 7nin Matsuri Version)
This the only song on her iPod that got actual good comments. She said "I like the voices singing together and the guitar in background. Its all very nice." Finally! She had something nice to say! Maybe this made the experiment worth it!...Probably not, actually...but I wouldn't say this was a complete failure...

Well, although this experiment wasn't exactly the most successful of experiments, I did find out that my sister is more of a Closet-Hello! Project-fan. Which is good. In my opinion, as long as she doesn't like the Disney Channel we're in pretty good shape. The Disney Channel is pretty much the bane of man kinds existence.

I think I'll be performing more experiments on her in the future, but what the experiment will be is currently a mystery! 

Yeah, I did think that V-u-den would break up soon-ish. But not this soon! How dare they go speeding up time (>_>;)! Maybe they're doing this to get back for me predicting the future, since they are graduating in June, and their last concert could possibly be on my birthday (I doubt it though, my birthday is very early in the month)? My assumptions are all most likely false, though. V-u-den was never a favorite of mine, so UFA/Tsunku would have no reason to do such a thing to me.

Anyway, enough with my rambling!

It is unfortunate that they are disbanding, really. I am most concerned with Erika and Yui's future...I don't really care much for Rika, and her future has a much more definitive route; Ongaku Gatas. Perhaps they will each get their own groups? I can imagine a group with Erika and Yui together with a couple other girls...but I don't really know who would be part of it. Its hard to imagine anyone else but Rika XD.

Why the disbandment? They seemed to be pretty active for a not "big 3" group (Momusu, Berryz, C-ute). Although...Their sales haven't been very good, have they? I didn't really like Jaja Uma Paradise, and its obvious that neither did Japan <_<. They were never very popular, but they certainly were not a bad group.

Perhaps its just a need of change for the girls. Tsunku's message makes it sound like he's planning on having the girls doing different work, as a "Coming of age"-thing. While that seems odd, perhaps Erika and Yui will be put into groups where they wont have to fight for attention with all of the camera that Rika hogs XD.

I am optimistic but wary!

Soo, remember how I said that the final part to my HALCALI singles review would be finished soon? Well, it would have been, had the file not been deleted. Sooo, I guess I'll have to try again...eventually.

Ongaku Gata's came out with a new single though! Its pretty good, have you heard it? Oh...you have? Oh...you all have? Eh...Well, I'm a bit late (with my standards) on getting this out, but its here now! Its finished! Please read it!

713px-Yattarouze!

The Song: Yay Dance Man!!! Its been a while since he's arranged songs for Hello! Project, right (I could be wrong)? This song is really fun! Itsounds reggae-ish and really fun to dance to! Although, when I first heard this song, I didn't really think it was all that great...The song grew on me immensely, though! Theres a pretty even ammount of solo lines, except for the fact that Korenaga Miki and Mutou Mika didn't get one....but...other than that, its okay!! (<_<) Anyway, I really like how this song is so...fun...and funky sounding! While I don't like it as much as I did Narihajimeta Koi no Bell, its still a good single!

The PV: Like Morning Musume's Mikan, this PV is entirely green screen. Green Screen technology has improved a lot though, since (at least I think so) the dancing 'another dimension' part of the PV (most of the PV) looked pretty good. But anyyyway! The beginning of the PV is sort of silly...where Yossie makes a goal and the other girls crowd around her all "Yay!!!"-like...suddenly the fall through the ground!? To a green and purple jungle? Strange...but kinda fun. I really love the dance to this song! Its really...fun (like all of it :D)! During the instrumental to the final chorus is the best part of the dance...you can see it on Haromoni@ and part of it in the PV! :D

Member Review!

Yoshiawa Hitomi- Ah, Yossie, you always seem to shine in the Pv's you are in! She's the first member you see, and rightfully so, being the leader. After making a goal, other members of the team crowd around her and...fall down a hole! Through this hole Yossies hair changes, and its quite a drastic change; from straight to a curly-like-updo. Yossie looks much less stressed in Ongaku Gatas than she did in Momusu...which is certainly a good thing! I hope Ongaku Gatas continues so we get to see more of Yossie (and everyone else in the group!)

Ishikawa Rika- I'll be honest, she looks ridiculously scary to me in the PV! Her half-cornrows half-straight half-in a ponytail hair style is really painful to her features! They make her look pointy. Her make up also helps with her sharp features. Ahh, Charmy, look what they did...they made you look evil...I've never really taken a liking to Rika, though...so it her scariness does not concern me much! I'm not fond of her voice, with a few exceptions, and I believe this is an exception! I did not find her annoying at all when she sang her solo lines!

Konno Asami- Yay Konkon! Although she did not have a very big role in the PV or the song, I still noticed her whenever she came up XD. She's so cute, and she looks like she has lost her cute pudgy cheeks D:! I hope they're not gone forever! They're part of Konkon! It probably seems strange to some people that I appreciate Konkon's adorable voice, but dislike Rikas...but thats just how I am! I don't have a lot to say since she didn't have a big role in the PV or Song...but...I love her :D

Satoda Mai- I've never noticed how much I liked her voice until Ongaku Gatas (I haven't noticed her much at all until Gatas, but thats another story!!). I'm happy that she gets to be in a group, and doesn't sink into the sea of Hello! Project Forgottoness like Ayaka did. She seems like the "Obachan" of the group...In the PV, theres a part where Mai does a hand cross thing at a "Yattarouze!" into the Chorus...and to me...she just looks like an "Obachan" to me (maybe its just me) <_<. Regardless, I still like her! She had one of my favorite hairstyles, being simple but different from all of the other girls...and while remaining stylish(although a lot of the hair styles are like this...)

Korenaga Miki- She really wasn't in this PV much at all, was she? No, she really wasn't...There are only a few close ups of her! And if you don't pay attention closely, you're sure to miss most of them! Of course, most of the close ups are of people who got solo lines...Wow! After looking at her profile on The PPN, I found out that she's about the same age as Yossie! These Eggs are very deceiving with their ages and their youthfool appearances! Everyone of the Eggs in Ongaku Gatas are older than me D: (Mika is close though!) Ah...since there wasn't much to say about Miki-san, I just went off on another tangent. Hopefully she get some light in their album!

Noto Arisa- Ahhh, another deceiving egg! If you just look at her, you'd think she was fifteen, but the truth is, she's much older! She's really cute too! Her voice is one of the more noticed of the eggs, though, which makes me happy! It would be a shame if someone so cute was to sit in the back with Korenaga and Mutou (no offense to them <__<) Her voice kind of reminds me of Niigaki Risa's...which is good, since I like her (Risa's..and Arisa's. Ah, it sounds like a pun.) voice! I really wish to see more of Noto! :D

Mano Erina- She's a full year older than me! I thought she was like tweleve!! Darn you, immortal eggs! She is also adorable, though, Noto has competition! Erina can also sing well! She looks very young with her pigtails and baby face...ahh, looks are very deceiving (yes, I am going to keep saying that). Keep being adorable Erina, I'll probably notice you more that way XD.

Sengoku Minami- Yasy she got a solo line! She seemed rather energetic in her close ups, I hope to see more of her!! (I really don't have much to say about her at all. Her looks are deceiving too!)

Sawada Yuri- She got a few lines, and sounded pretty good singing both! While she's not adorable like Konkon, Arisa or Erina, she's still pretty cute, and looks like she's having a good time! Her close ups and solo's seemed full of energy (at least to me) and has great potential to become one of the more noticed members in future PV's. I can't wait to see more of her!

Mutou Mika- ...Its hard to determine whether or not this mysterious Mika is actually in the PV or not...! Seriously, she barely has any close ups and is hidden in the dance shot! I'm not sure whether I should take any interest or not on this girl...but...I guess I would like to see her face a bit more!

Overall, this is a solid single with a great tune that you can dance to! I'd give it an A-!