shirenu’s blog

I've been so uninspired to write about anything, but now there are some things I'd like to discuss. It's going to be a random entry, so bear with me!

First of all, there were the news of now ex-H!P Egg Erina Mano graduating from Ongaku Gatas and finishing her training in H!P Eggs, to pursue a solo career. I was naturally thrilled by this piece of news, not really as a Manoeri fan but as an Egg fan (since Manoeri wasn't one of my favourite Eggs personally, but I can see the potential in her). Well, it's way too early in my opinion to guess what her future career will be like, since we don't even know for sure if she's going to be a singing idol or perhaps go for acting instead. It would be a first, eh? A bit farfetched perhaps, but we really don't know, do we. Every time I see her do the opening for Berikyuu I can't help but think how much she looks like an actress from some drama series, which is why I brought up the idea of her going for acting, but looks aren't - - well, actually looks ARE everything in this business. But nevermind.

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Out of curiousity, I dug up the first comment of mine on Manoeri that I could find. And it said "I think she's really cute..." I think that must have been most fans' initial reaction, since she seemed to become so popular (relatively, we are talking about Eggs you know) in such a short span of time. The picture above on the left has the first picture of Manoeri that was ever available to us (and also what I commented on as being 'really cute'), and on the right Manoeri now. But let's move on to our next topic.

So, our next topic is Sayaka Kitahara as Noeru on Kirarin Revolution - well, mainly in the live action clips on Oha Star, since I don't watch the anime. Her character is a tomboy sporty girl, which I had no idea about before I started watching, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The role seems to fit her perfectly and makes her seem very cool. I'm surprised I haven't seen that many screencaps of her around (I took these ones myself), and it makes me fear that fanboys (who usually take the caps) aren't that excited about her tomboyish role. But I think girls are very open and even inclined to like this kind of image (just look at Yossi's success... and hell, I'm buying it) so maybe Sayaka has a chance to gain more female fans. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. Either way I think everyone who's curious should head towards Hello! Online and grab at least one of these clips to hear Sayaka's tomboy voice and see her tough girl attitude!

Pictures from top to bottom:
1. Simply Sayaka as Noeru
2. Noeru is too cool to shake hands with random dudes. (Who knows where that hand has been)
3. Noeru meets tambourine

Her character's story seems to be that Kirari is determined to have Noeru join her as an idol, but Noeru isn't as excited about the idea. But in the end she gives in to it, after noticing that being an idol is also hard work (like sports).

I guess that's enough about Sayaka...

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Then, a little bit about Yuuka Maeda. She's going to be in a special unit for the Cinderella musical that Morning Musume is working on. What I would like to briefly praise her for are her singing and looks. I listened to the recording of the latest Shinjin Kouen where Yuuka performed an Ayaya song solo. I was surprised to hear that she actually did a decent job! I knew she had potential in singing from earlier performances, but she was still better than I had expected. I've been underestimating her a little, I think. Ah, and as for her looks... She's been cute all the time, but now it feels like she's reached a whole new level of cuteness. What on earth happened?! Maybe she just grew out of her 'awkward phase' (you know, the one that all teens go through). But her most recent official pics are just mind-numbingly adorable. Can't wait to see her in the special unit!

Then for something a little different. About a month ago, at JPH!P (the forum I go to and moderate) we started a "girl of the week" feature in the H!P Girls Threads section. Now it's not a huge feature thing, just that a certain member's thread gets stickified for a week and people are encouraged to post special comments and such in her thread. And especially visit threads they usually don't. So anyway, I actually noticed that this little feature has helped me to start paying special attention to certain members, even after their week is over. I'm mainly talking about Reina Tanaka and Risa Niigaki here.

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I've been over-looking Reina for ages now for no particular reason. But when it was her week (she was the first one up), I was thinking about all the things I liked about her and decided that she deserved more of my attention. And shortly after that Resonant Blue, the PV where she's pretty much the main featured girl (she opens and closes the 'another version'), came out and I was able to think "oh yeah, this girl definitely knows what she's doing". So I was able to pay more attention to all her good sides and start liking and respecting her more. It was rewarding!

To a smaller extent the same thing happened with Risa; during her week there was a conversation in her thread about her difficult early days in Morning Musume and current leader potential, which me notice her a bit more than usual, too. (There wasn't much new information for me in the conversation, but sometimes a mere reminder works wonders.)

I really haven't been paying attention individually to several H!P members, so I'm really looking forward to more "girls of the week" who I might end up appreciating in a whole new way. I realize that fans who are only interested in supporting a few particular members aren't going to benefit from something like this, but to anyone who wants to be a fan of the whole Hello!Project, it is beneficial to sometimes take the time to pay attention to each and every girl separately.

I'm going to end this post with one random wish: I want H!P Sports Festival back!!

I'm just saying, the common courtesy is to not direct-link to Japanese uploaders on foreign sites, and there are good reasons for it!

#1 If Japanese website hosts notice a lot of foreign traffic on their site, they're likely to BAN FOREIGN IPs. Then none of us outside Japan will be able to access the site! There are several sources outside Japan for Hello! Project & other idol pictures these days, most JPOP forums have some kind of a picture forum... So you should encourage other foreign fans to use those sources instead of everyone attacking the original Japanese source!

#2 To those people who sometimes spend hours looking for new uploaders, it sucks to see someone just provide links to fans who'd never bother seeing the trouble for it themselves. No offence but if a fan is too lazy to make the effort, maybe they're not supposed to find the original source! They're also not likely to share their findings with the rest of the community, so what's the point in giving the link to them??

#3 Some people argue that Japanese fans should take the foreign fans into account, too. Why?? What exactly do they owe to us? If anything, WE owe to THEM for making most pics and videos available. We should show some respect to them by not killing their fricking bandwidth! Uploader links belong to 2ch, to the Japanese community. If someone's too lazy to go and look for them there or wherever, they don't deserve access. That's what I think. And language difference is no excuse: when I started I didn't know crap. It's not difficult to find your fav members name, go to 2ch, search it there, and start looking for links.

I'm just so angry because one of my favourite uploaders just went down, and when I googled the name of the uploader to see if it changed address, I discovered that some English-speaking asshole had linked it on their website (along with other Japanese uploaders). THANKS A LOT!

I'm rising back from the dead with a little fan post about Ongaku Gatas! I was going to make a post about the Ongaku Gatas DVD Pamphlet in particular, however, I'm visiting my parents so I don't currently have access to it (much like I don't have access to all my pictures), and I've only watched it once. So I'll just try to come up with some general stuff, instead.

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Ongaku Gatas is my current favourite unit in Hello! Project. Why? I like their songs, I like the member roster, and they're fresh. Their two singles so far have been catchy and upbeat and their album was pretty good, too (I especially like Koi uranai doori ni wa naranai wa). The roster is a perfect mix of different personalities and different levels of talent. Everyone has their own kind of charm (I'll talk more about that later). It's a bit like Morning Musume back in the day. Additionally, I like the idea of combining experienced members with new faces, and I like it that some older members that wouldn't probably have as much to do without this unit get to now release stuff. Who could've thought a year ago that they'd see Konno, Ishikawa and Yoshizawa in the same unit again? It's a good mix of members both for fans of nostalgy, and for fans interested in finding out who the new faces are.

Speking of the mix of members, there's Asami Konno who is the ultimate underdog in Momusu's history (she was officially given that role by Tsunku in the 5th generation audition - maybe she never would've been as popular had she not been marketed that way since day 1). She's the intelligent and adorable one. Then there's Mai Satoda, the Country Musume girl who seems to have gained some popularity for herself with regular TV appearances. The best vocalist in the group and has a funny, outgoing personality as well. Then there's a past Momusu lead member, Rika Ishikawa. A charming, pink-loving girl with a body to die for and one of the most unique voices you'll hear. And, of course, the captain, (ex?)tomboy Hitomi Yoshizawa, with a great sense of humour, a low voice, and lots of confidence. Of course these members were basically chosen because they are all in Gatas Brilhantes H.P., but taking into account their character and fanbase, what a great range of members, and a lot of experience for the Eggs to learn from!

Of course, as a H!P Egg fan, I'd like to take a bit closer look at them. Miki Korenaga has now been promoted to an official H!P member, so she's no longer an Egg, but since this is her first time in a unit that releases music, I'll include her here anyway.

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So, Miki Korenaga! I still find it a bit funny that she is in this unit, but she does deserve to be there. Afterall, she is the star of Gatas Brilhantes H.P., and Ongaku Gatas was formed from this group of futsal players. Also, she seems to be surprisingly popular. Maybe even wota like to sometimes see something "different".

Korekore is not very idol-like, you see. Even now that she's more experienced with all the girly idol stuff, she comes off as a very "normal", awkward girl, not as someone who sings and dances as a part of her job. I think it's understandable that she hasn't been given solo lines in the singles so far, and I think she's happy with it, as well. In a TV interview she mentioned it being unnerving to have her solo lines recorded for the Ongaku Gatas album (you can hear her in Koi uranai doori ni wa naranai wa). Before that, she had been asked if she thought being in the recording studio was fun, and a thoughtful silence followed. Hehe~ Koretty fans shouldn't be that upset if she doesn't get to lead in this group, because I doubt it's something she'd even want herself. But it's definitely good that she has been chosen to be in this group, to represent someone who is really good at futsal, but also very down-to-earth and easy to relate to those of us who weren't born to be J-pop idols...

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Mika "Mucchi" Mutou is another member who originally joined as a futsal trainee, in Little Gatas. Along with Korekore, she hasn't had solo lines in the Ongaku Gatas singles. She also isn't very idol-like, however, I can still see her being very likeable in all her awkwardness. She seems so real and honest. In the Ongaku Gatas DVD Pamphlet Mucchi seems to be quietly mumbling to herself which is so adorable (and a bit weird. By the way, every time I say 'weird', I mean it as a good thing).

And Mucchi also has quite a cute nose. Well, all of her face is cute, but her nose in particular. Actually nearly all Eggs in Ongaku Gatas have brilliant noses, so round and cute (Mucchi, Manoeri, Nocchi). But the point is that thanks to her personality and looks, she is quite adorable and likeable. I don't expect her to wow me with talent in performing and all the usual idol stuff, but she's great for the underdog fans. I'm glad this unit has people like Mucchi and Korekore.

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Yuri Sawada is one of the Eggs I've been very curious about since 2006, so of course I was thrilled to see her debut in Ongaku Gatas. I don't know why I sensed that she had potential, but I did and believe I was right. In Nari Hajimeta Koi no BELL I saw passion in her eyes and was very impressed by her performance. I don't think she is a strong singer, but her other strengths make up for it. I think she might actually have the drive to try and be the best that she can, as a performer. Personality-wise, because she has once stated that 'killing the mood' is her special skill, I try to pay special attention to the way she is in company of others. I'd absolutely love it if it was true that she's socially clumsy (not in a shy way, but in a "what did she just say?" way). That would make her another great, unique addition to this group. However, I'm still undecided on whether she truly is a weirdo or not. (I hope she is!)

Lookswise, I find her beautiful. I think she has adorable eyes and I've never seen dimples like hers before. I'm a bit surprised that she doesn't seem that popular among the Japanese wota. Maybe her personality doesn't interest them? It's all speculation.

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Minami Sengoku. I think she might be a bit more dangerous than meets the eye. I actually find her very attractive, she may even have a sexy vibe about her, but it's all in her eyes and smile (not her body-type or the way she behaves). To me, out of the Eggs in Ongaku Gatas, she is the eye-candy. Someone I find fascinating to look at for no particular reason. But this is all subjective, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, blah blah.

When it comes to personality, I think she might be the most "normal" in the whole unit. That means lacking the awkwardness of Mucchi and Korekore, but also lacking the humour of Yossi, and hyperness of Nocchi. Because of this she doesn't stand out too much, but I think it's fine. I'm very curious to see her on stage again (DVD, I still haven't been to Japan) because I love her smile. Her tone of voice seems cute, too.

Random info: on 2ch, someone said she was 'ero' which stands for 'erotic', so at least I'm not the only one who thinks she has some special attractiveness about her...

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Erina 'Manoeri' Mano is a 2nd generation Egg, so she hasn't been an Egg for as long as the others, but seems to be doing a good job. It's easy to like Manoeri, she is just that adorable. Random observation: I think she might have a bit of a lisp when she talks. She is the cute kind of a clumsy newbie, because even if she sang badly or danced clumsily, most fans would think "aww, how adorable is she?". Of course then there are the antifans who will never forgive her for being well-liked and clumsy. It's a true sign of rising in popularity when people start dissing you for the silliest reasons, saying things like "Manoeri is overrated". I think the whole word 'overrated' is overused (much like 'underrated') and should be wiped from H!P fan vocabularies forever. But to use it in the context of a H!P Egg is simply ridiculous. But haters and fans have one thing in common, neither ones make no fucking sense. (I mean look at me write posts about fricking H!P Eggs!) So let's move on.

Manoeri is not the strongest singer, and perhaps not the strongest performer, but there is something charming about her. Is it just the clumsiness? I don't know, I doubt it. I think she also has a genuine sparkle in her eye that makes her enjoyable to watch. Genuine effort. She hasn't completely brainwashed me yet, but I can see why people like her, and I look forward to being convinced by her in the future.

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Arisa 'Nocchi' Noto, last but definitely not the least. Honestly, I never expected Nocchi to turn out to be as awesome as she has. Nocchi in a way shows why older girls should be made debut instead of little girls. Nocchi, now at 19, already has quite a bit of confidence, and it shows in her fearlessness to be hyper, energetic and funny in front of a camera, and even in the company of a senpai like Ishikawa Rika. She seems like a natural pro. The Ongaku Gatas DVD Pamphlet was the defining moment of Nocchi fandom for me: she made me laugh and smile even more than Yossi (who is known to be funny). Nocchi seems to really give everything her all. Even a less than a minute long self-introduction MC is more than just that when Nocchi does it. I can't help but smile when I see her smiling that bright smile and babbling on enthusiastically.

So to me, Nocchi has a winning personality, and it also shows on stage. I'm very curious to see her in Ongaku Gatas concert, whenever that gets released on DVD. Her singing voice seems so cute, too. In any case, this girl is doing a great job.

So that concludes my fandom post full of praise! Now let's see how many months it'll take for my next post to be made.

I couldn't think of a theme for a new post, but then I realized that the year's about to end. Of course it's time to hand out some awards!

Music
Best music discovery - F.I.R., a Taiwanese rock band with beautiful female vocals and strong ballads
Best music rediscovery - Yaida Hitomi, a Japanese female artist with joyful pop-rock songs and a unique voice
Best new group of the year - So Nyuh Shi Dae, a Korean pop girlgroup with 9 talented and crazy members
Best SNSD member of the year - Jessica (I only made this category so that I'd get to name her, so nevermind me. Any Asian pop idol who can quote Shakespeare deserves an award)

Hello! Project
Best Hello! Project single - Egao YES! Nude. Restored my faith in Morning Musume's singles; a catchy tune with sexy lyrics and a sexy video (even if not all the members are sexy)
Best new Hello! Project group - Ongaku Gatas, a group that combines past talent and cuteness with future talent and cuteness, in members such as Ishikawa Rika and Mano Erina. This group makes me smile
Best Hello! Project Egg - Ogawa Saki. She isn't my favourite Egg, but has convinced me/changed my opinion about her the most during the year. At the beginning of the year I thought she was a cute kid, but nothing special; now I know that she's a pretty good singer (in H!P terms) and performer for such a young little girl, and incredibly cute. She's charming and definitely someone to pay attention to, if she chooses to stay in this business
Best Berryz Kobo member - Natsuyaki Miyabi. Again, not my favourite member (my favourite is Momoko), but Miyabi is the member I started liking more than before the most, if that makes sense. Suddenly she was more charismatic to me than before (even if some people have said the opposite), and I became more interested in her
Best Morning Musume member - Kusumi Koharu. I'm feeling her miracle power, and she's the only Morning Musume member who has really fascinated me during the past year. I wanted Linlin to be that, but since I haven't watched any Momusu videos at all (except for some PVs and performances), it's hard for me to get to know the new members.
Best DVD release of the year - The shinjin kouen DVD, featuring Momusu 8th gen, Kanna, THE Possible and H!P Eggs. I'm a H!P Egg fan, so naturally this was something I was really excited to see, and I've actually watched this concert more than once (I usually don't do that).

Movies
*these aren't movies that were released this year, since I don't go to movies
Best psychological thriller - A Tale of Two Sisters. A Korean mindfuck movie, which I recommend to anyone who likes the genre
Best action movie - Infernal Affairs - actually, I don't know if this counts as an action movie, but it's a great movie in any case. Chinese, made me fall for Tony Leung
Best drama movie - Mezon do Himiko. Not too serious, has some hilarious moments, as well... But still touching, and has Shibasaki Kou

Television
Best new series (in Finland) - Dexter. A delightfully disturbing series about a serial killer who works for the police. Every episode was brilliant to me, which can't be said for every series I watch
Best continuing series (in Finland) - Lost. Yes, I be loyal to a series that I can say I'm a real fan of, since I've actually even bought the seasons on DVD. Every new season of Lost is at first difficult for me to follow, but after a few episodes the show starts to feel just as exciting as ever.
Best finished series (in Finland) - HBO's OZ. Yup, I watched the whole series as late Monday night reruns on Finnish TV, and it finished some time this fall. Hands down one of the best series I've ever seen. Great cast, great storylines, never a boring episode. There were some events in the show that I didn't like, but it just made me think "well, it's Oz. Shit happens." I'm happy that not everybody I liked died. lol
Best hospital series - Grey's Anatomy (3rd season). Just because it's the hospital series I watched the most. I think some of the storylines are a bit... Out there (like Meredith's afterlife experiences), but it's still an enjoyable series with some fun moments and good drama. I love Addison! I hope her spin-off series will be aired here, too. I've heard some bad things about Grey's 4th season, anyway.
Best new TV actress crush - Elizabeth Mitchell/Juliet from Lost. I was so convinced that I wouldn't fall for her, but I did. She's amazing.
Best new TV actor crush - Henry Ian Cusick/Desmond from Lost. He's hot (especially the accent).
Best reality series - Survivor: China. Actually, I haven't finished watching it, but I know who won and all. Some great casting and the most likeable final two ever (at least in my opinion). A pretty good season of Survivor, if I may say.
Best Survivor contestant - Courtney. Not because she 'played the best', but because she had the shiniest personality. She was absolutely hilarious and I just hope that I'll see her again one day in something. It's weird how she seemed to be both bitchy and loveable. Brutally honest, but in a funny way. Oh and she's very cute ^__^
Best Big Brother contestant - Nicky from BBUK. Not that many choices this year, to be honest, what a crappy year for Big Brother. Anyway, Nicky because she was so serious and unfunny that it actually made her funny. I found her rather adorable because of it, too. I don't think she deserved the boos that she got when she left the house. Then again, those vile beasts boo at anyone these days, it's just not special anymore.
Best America's Next Top Model contestant - Heather, both for looks and entertainment. I love her type of beauty, I love it that she's a geek, I love it that she's socially awkward but takes gorgeous pictures. But she also offered some of the funniest confessionals/narrational parts in the show. So shamelessly Heather, I love her. Heather was the star of Cycle 9 for me, no doubt.

Idols, celebrities
Best gravure discovery - Sugimoto Yumi. Cute dimples, gorgeous face, great body, needs more bum shots
Hottest Korean pretty boy of the year - G-Dragon from Big Bang, though maybe it's unfair to give an award to someone I first saw in late November (or was it early December) this year...
Most beautiful Japanese actress - Shibasaki Kou, and yes, I only made this category for her
Most beautiful western actress - Evangeline Lilly; love her eyes, freckles and smile
Best personality in a western actress - Kristen Bell. I've found out that she's a lot of fun and kind of crazy. Loving it. It makes me want to see more of her, in acting, behind the screen, photos, anything

Entertainment
Most addictive PC game - The Sims 2. See the family tree of my favourite family below
Most addictive PS2 game - Final Fantasy X. Yes, I'm late...
Best novel - The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot; I have to say this one because it made me cry twice, heh.

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I would've added more pictures, but this post is already long and it would take a LOT of time.. Spare me...

I haven't previously been into Korean pop at all, probably just because I hadn't bumped into anything interesting enough. But some days ago the lovely tama-chan linked me to SNSD's music video and I decided to check them out! And now I'm hooked.

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I'm not exactly an SNSD (So Nyeo Shi Dae) expert yet, but here's what I know or have heard so far. SNSD consists of nine talented girls aged 16 - 18. The girls have been training for their debut for years, some for as long as 7 years (at least Jessica, I'm not sure if there was someone else). Why nine girls? What Tiffany seemed to say was that it's not like they looked for nine girls to put into the group, but that there just happened to be 9 really talented girls that they decided to use. Something like that... And they really are talented. When I saw videos of them on Youtube singing live, I was just blown away - I've been a Hello!Project fan for so long that I've forgotten that there are girls who are cute AND can sing AND can dance! But I'll dedicate a post to this comparance later. I'd now just like to talk about my favourite members in the group, which may be troublesome because I really like all of them...

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The definition of 'adorable': TaeYeon

The leader and the oldest member of the group, but somehow also the one who seems the most child-minded: TaeYeon. I'm just plain addicted to her cuteness, although the first thing that impressed me about her was her voice. She's the best singer in the group and has a very strong voice - it's weird to think that such a powerful voice belongs to such a cute girl. I love her goofy personality and she's definitely one I want to see more of in the future. Her smile is amazing, too.

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The definition of 'dream girl': Yuri

'Dream girl' may sound like a really cheesy and tacky description, but it fits Yuri so well. She looks like a kind, sweet girl, and she very much seems like one, too. She's the kind of girl that others describe as someone who does everything from her heart. But in all her 'perfection', Yuri still isn't boring, either. When hanging out with the other SNSD members, she can be just as funny as them. I think she's too flawless to ever become my number one favourite, but I really do like her a lot.

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Tiffany

I couldn't think of a definition for Tiffany because I'm not quite sure why I like her. She actually seems a bit weird to me, but I can't explain that, either! One thing I have noticed is that whenever there's a camera around, Tiffany makes sure to smile to it. But not in an attentionwhore way - I'd say more in a courteous 'hello, how do you do' kind of way. She just seems like a very friendly and likeable girl, but yeah... Weird, too. I have to mention that she also has a beautiful singing voice and that I like her eyebrows. (No, really!)

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The definition of 'youth': YoonA

They advertise SeoHyun as the young and awkward one, but YoonA is the most youthful to me. She sometimes just looks so damn young, but I think her spirit is also very young and 'fresh'. She has sort of child-like enthusiasm that I find endearing. This girl is also always cheerful and has a lovely smile on stage. She seems so innocent and happy. YoonA is just very likeable.

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SeoHyun

(On the right in the picture) I was wondering why she was the first one I liked in the group, but then I watched their Into the new world music video again and remembered that SeoHyun danced ballet in it. Now how lovely and graceful was that. SeoHyun is very cute and likeable, but she hasn't really stood out to me that much when I've watched the Go to School show of SNSD. But I like her singing voice and I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

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Firstly, I need to give props to the younger members of H!P, especially Eggs and especially little Saki Ogawa. Why?

Well, last week I watched some old Tenavatähti videos on Youtube. Tenavatähti was a Finnish singing competition for kids in the early 90's. And oh boy... When I saw how awkward those children on stage were (and most of their singing was nothing special, either), I realized how talented our little H!P darlings are. People like Mai Hagiwara (not an Egg, but very very young and talented), Saki Ogawa, Kanon Fukuda and many others, are pretty damn awesome for their age.

Of course a whole other story are extraordinarily talented children, like the 11-year-old girl who participated in America's Got Talent and blew people away with her vocals. H!P members aren't this kind of people so it's unfair to compare them to them. However, compared to "normal" singing kids who have maybe sung a few solos in a choir and taken part in some local singing competition, the young H!P members to me show much more natural talent in stage charisma and things like that. Heck, I remember the girls who sang solos in my choir when I was a kid, and their singing wasn't that much better than the H!P kids, yet they were considered "good singers" by our teachers and other people. So it just seems like I've forgotten what is considered "good singing" for children after watching too many western idol singing competitions.

And Saki Ogawa hasn't even turned 11, but is doing a pretty convincing job on stage. Of course you can tell that she's still young and there's a lot of room for improvement, but man. Earlier I didn't understand why Saki was getting the push that she is, because I guess in my mind I was comparing her to people it was unfair to compare her to (such as previous and current Momusu aces). But watching those old Tenavatähti videos really put things into perspective for me. I see her in a completely different light now, and look forward to everything she'll do in the future!

Then for the second part of this post:

H!P fans have always said how Hello! Project is going downhill, blah blah yadiyada. But has anyone actually noticed that 2007 has been a pretty fucking awesome year so far? (Sorry for the swear word, but I felt it was appropriate here)

Some reasons why this year has rocked:

• Junjun and Linlin joined Morning Musume. Don't know about you guys, but I love them
• Ongaku Gatas was formed. This unit is like a dream come true, not just to me as a H!P Egg and Rika fan, but also to anyone who wanted to see Konno back, and Yossi have a singing career after graduating from MM
  
• Morning Musume has released three good singles in a row this year: Egao YES! Nude, Kanashimi Twilight and Onna ni sachi are. I also like the preview of Mikan I've heard, so for me it will be 4 good singles in a row. (But I understand that because Mikan is a joyful song, not everyone might like it as much as the "cool" and mature previous songs)
  
• Buono! was formed. I haven't paid a lot of attention to this unit, but after watching their PV I realize how awesome it is. It's basically the three aces of the younger generation. And hey, I love Miyabi and Momoko
  
• C-ute has been selling pretty darn well, and released (to me) their best major single so far, which is Tokaikko Junjou
  
• Koharu has continued to sell well
• To me personally, the fact that H!P Eggs have been able to do much more and have their own concerts has been very important, very rewarding, and an endless source of joy

Eri Kamei's new PB previews have inspired me to make this post, even if this post will certainly not be just about her.

It's just that during the year several of the younger members of Hello! Project have released a PB, and they just don't look like anything special in a bikini. So you get used to the mediocrity of it all, and then Eri comes along.

Why do I like to see Eri in a bikini?

• She actually has a waist. An obvious, beautiful curve
• Her tummy is really nicely shaped and yummy
• Even if both her breasts and ass are tiny, she still has a lot of curves going on because she has meat on her bones
• She has amazing, sturdy thunderthighs

So the rest of the post will be a "people I should find more pics of" reminder for myself, but anyone who likes cute girls might appreciate it.

Yasuda Misako - Loooove her and her moles

Tatsumi Natsuko - Potentially really cute, haven't seen a lot of her

Sugimoto Yumi - Have seen some great pic sets from her, she must be working with cool photographers/stylists/whatever. Want to see more of her

Suenaga Yoshiko - Just discovered her yesterday, and she's turning 17 tomorrow. Happy birthday! She's pretty cute

Sotooka Erika - Another 16-year-old that I discovered yesterday. I think her eyes stood out to me, and her smile is really cute

Ohta Ari - Not the greatest body, but I like her face. Seems like she has a blog, too, since I've got a couple of blog pics saved

Matsuyama Mami - She doesn't look great in every pic, but there's something soothing about her face (eyes in particular) and I like her smile, too

Matsukawa Mamiya - Not a big fan of her expressions (well I only have one set, but she has the same pouty expression in all of them - I want to see a smile), but she seems pretty

Kuninaka Ryoko - Lovely face

I was wondering what would be the best way to write about this concert, and ended up choosing the member-by-member system again. This is going to be a long day...

First, some general impressions! I've watched the concert twice now, and the 2nd time around I was more critical than the first. But the concert was still at it's best very energetic and a lot of fun. I was impressed! I was fearing for a lot of bad vocals, but the Eggs generally aren't too bad vocally. I don't think I heard any absolute trainwreck singing (like Sayumi when she debuted).

The performance I liked the best was Osaka koi no uta: everyone performing it was contributing 100%, the energy and presence were there, the vocals were pretty good, and even if little Saki Ogawa got a huge part of the lines, everyone got at least one good line where you could hear their voice well. Definitely the highlight of the concert for me.

Other performances I liked the best were GET UP! Rapper (it's only a bit forgettable because it's at the beginning of the concert), Chokotto Love (a lot of fun) and LOVE & PEACE! Hero ga yattekita (for all the energy; these performers also all had presence).

In sum, the concert was entertaining and I was impressed by the raw idol talent portrayed in it. Of course they still have a lot of room to improve, but for their first concert, this was pretty damn well done.

Short member-by-member reviews:

Linlin: Awesome energy and presence, dancing stood out to me in a good way. Her never-fading smile is definite win. I think her voice is the kind that you either like or hate, I choose to like it because it definitely stands out and that's a good thing. One of the most professional performers in this concert, and I can't wait to see her in a Morning Musume concert.

Junjun: Remember when people saw her audition for some Chinese singing show, and everyone was panicking that Tsunku chose another girl who can't sing? Rubbish, Junjun is actually pretty decent live, and her voice is the kind that would fit a lot of different songs. Junjun was also surprisingly good on stage. She didn't stand out to me as much as Linlin, but then again I was probably being biased. Next time I'll pay more attention to Junjun, promise.

Kanna Arihara: Kanna shows how experience can make all the difference. Kanna joined H!P at the same time as most of these girls, but working in C-ute has turned her into a total pro compared to the rest of the Eggs. Great presence and energy on stage, a lot of fun to watch, and her vocals have improved tons since that HPH where she sang I WISH. I'm glad Kanna was in this concert, not just because I love her, but because it showed how great the other Eggs can become, too, if they just become more experienced.

Aika Mitsui: For someone who's been in H!P for two years less than most of the Eggs she did a great job! I have to say that Aika's eyes are adorable little things. And her smile is so genuine. Her vocals weren't much better than most of the H!P Eggs, but at this point she was just about as inexperienced, so it's understandable.

THE Possible: These girls' previous experience on stage also showed. Akkyan got tons of lines, so she is obviously someone that the company wants to push - I can't really see why, because to me she isn't the best singer, the best looking, the one with best charisma or personality in THE Possible; but I guess Tsunku still knows best, and Akkyan will prove me wrong. I already feel bad saying these things about her, because I do like her... But I just don't understand why she's the one getting the major push. Akkyan's dancing is pretty funny, by the way. So clumsy! As for the other members, they did a good job. Mororin stood out to me with a 'sexy' vibe, and she also seemed to me more natural and cheerful on stage than before (which made her more beautiful). I loved seeing this improvement in her.

Alright. I'll attach pics of the rest of the Eggs so that people will know who I'm talking about, but because I'm not on my own computer, I'll have to use the pictures I already used in the previous Egg entries... Sorry about being boring!

Irori Maeda: When I reviewed the concert at JPH!P forum, I said some members seemed 'too young' to be there. Irori didn't seem too young, even if she's the 2nd youngest at 10 years old; she was genuinely trying her best and not looking like a lost child. She didn't stand out to me a lot because she didn't have a huge role in the concert, but when I did notice her, she was smiling and seemed to be having fun. Her 'cat paws' during the MCs were cute. She was exactly how I expected her to be: adorable and genki. Irori did a good job for someone so young.

Azusa Sekine: I didn't expect her to stand out to me, but she did. During the introduction MC she did the 'ganbarimasu' fist and I thought "ah, finally someone does more than just wave". Hehe! During another MC she was asked which CD she would like to have, and she answered "Sharan Q", which got a loud reaction from the audience (and Makoto said 'thank you'). That was so unexpected and brilliant! I also spotted her dancing with a smile on her face and showing some aight stage presence. What a lovely surprise.

Manami Arai: Born in the same year as Irori, but much less idol-oriented. Manami is one of the Eggs that I felt was 'too young'. She sometimes looked like she wasn't even in this world, looking kind of lost in thought/bored/confused. But I do think it's mostly because she's such a little child. I just wonder if she knows what she's got herself into, probably not. Funny though, she was excatly what I expected her to be like.

Asuna Okai: Assu still seems grave and serious to me! Seemed 'too young', just like Manami. She's not naturally idol-like ("born to be an idol"), so she'll need a lot more experience.

Saki Ogawa: Company's golden egg. Got tons of lines. I've been wondering why she's getting such a push, but to think about it - this girl is only 10 (turning 11 in November), and for her age she's doing one heck of a job! Her singing isn't great, well, nothing about her is great yet, but maybe it will be. And she is cute. I think the company is taking a risk putting so much spotlight on someone so young, but I guess they have been right before, so why wouldn't they be now. But the major push does seem weird. Oh well, I shall support this little girl.

Yuuka Maeda: She didn't actually stand out to me a lot in the concert. I can only remember her singing a line in Osaka koi no uta and looking exhausted in Zettai Tokeru Mondai X= ♥. She's still cute and has a cute voice.
 
Momoka Komine: I was slightly disappointed by her because she didn't look like she was always giving 100%, but she wasn't bad, either. I'm still interested in her, but her inexperience shows.

Sayaka Kitahara: A pleasant surprise! I liked her singing voice (good in Osaka koi no uta), and she seemed quite natural on stage. Looked good, too. I wasn't expecting a lot from her (I kind of forgot to, I mean it's 30+ girls), but she did give quite a bit. The Go Girl! hotpants outfit fit her really well. Also, she had nice cute expressions during the MC before Osaka koi no uta.

Akari0044

Akari Saho: I have to write about her separately because her pic is the only one on page 3 *stabs vox pic system*. Anyway, I wasn't expecting a lot from her because she's just one of the Eggs I like for no apparent reason, but she turned out to have a lovely, 'clear' singing voice, and she was all pretty and sparkly on stage. Adorable Akarin!

Mia Sainen: A disappointment... I was hoping for her to convince me (because she hadn't before), but instead I saw her barely lifting her legs or do pretty much anything during Yeah! Meccha Holiday. She just seemed to be making no effort and it was so frustrating. This girl has a lot of work to do if she wants to be a good idol. Weird how I could predict this, too.

Saki Mori: Morisaki IS weird. But I love her! When everyone was standing still during the MC, you could see her making all kinds of weird expressions, trying to catch her breath and smile at the same time. But she's so likeable. She dances well and sings well and stands out from the others (well, at least to me). A lovely goof.
 
Yuri Sawada: Sawachan showed some of the same presence and energy that was to be seen in Nari hajimeta koi no BELL PV (but not as strong). She didn't seem like a great singer, but that little squeal she accidentally let out during some song, (Strawberry Pie, I think) was adorable... Hehe. The pout she did during Pucchimoni performance was mad cute, too.

Mika Mutou: Kind of awkward and not idol-like, but cute. Didn't notice her a lot, but at least her attitude in performances was better than of some who seemed to forget what they were doing. She's not really someone I see making it as a singing and dancing idol, but her being so different from others is refreshing.

Konatsu Furukawa: In my opinion one of the best dancers in the whole concert. Very energetic, great presence, always reacting to things and looking like she's having the time of her life... Seemed quite professional to me. Her voice seemed alright, too. I've expected a lot from her, and she's lived up to my expectations. Can't wait to see more of her.

Anri Tanaka: Probably the biggest surprise of the concert for me! Very good performance skills and singing was good, too. Such a shame that she won't be in the second Egg concert (she was absent because of school). I wasn't expecting anything from this girl, but she turned out to be one of the most skilled Eggs on stage. Good job.

Erina Aoki: Enna put some good feeling into her performances, with the 'sekushii' line in GET UP! Rapper, for example. She's one of the Eggs who really looked happy to be there. She has some stage presence going for her, and she was slightly better than I expected.

Miki Korenaga: Invisible in the concert for most parts, and I do feel she belongs to the Gatas field more than singing and dancing in a concert. But the MC where she said she was a 4th year university student and the audience cheered was funny. It's somewhat bizarre but delightful that one of the least cute Eggs gets the loudest cheers.