Berryz Koubou “Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance” ^-^

Berryz Koubou "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" LE (cover scan)

I'll be very interested to see the sales figures for Berryz Koubou's latest single next week as "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" reaffirms that when it comes to originality and overall creativity, Tsunku's potential for writing such a treat has seemingly no limits whatsoever! Just as the covers burst with life and colors so does the title track as BK takes us along on a Skittles sugar high safari. Initially the title had me a bit apprehensive as to what this single would sound like but just seconds into the song all doubts were quickly erased as this single looks to be possibly one of BK's most adventurous and catchy to date. The jungle inspired groove sets a perfect table for the wonderful rhythmic verses which come complete with…yes! "monkey" charged chatter phrasing…funny to explain but immediately recognizable if one has been anywhere near the monkeys' habitat at the zoo. 😛 And I really find these little rapid spurts of "monkey chatter" to be quite challenging vocal and timing wise!..and a lot of it occurs in an offbeat way giving it such a cool effect! Another fun aspect is how the composition retains an Asian undertone throughout all the while moving us with a nicely driven wilderness groove and I really must say thank you to the producer(s) for their conscious effort of involving every member and not just the "main four" in well timed solo lines throughout the thick jungle of lyrics. All too often are members Maasa, Sakichan, and Chiichan given adequate solo lines only on album tracks and b-sides but it really looks like an effort has been made here and for the better I think! 🙂 Is it just me or does Riichan in particular sound really really great on this track!…actually I've always loved her voice and her vocals are really going through a transition of sorts it seems…hmmmm but even if it's just my own imagination in this regard I do think that saying she sounds as cute as ever isn't stretching things at all! ^-^…and great! 🙂 In fact even with more vocal line distribution, Riichan really owns this song…hmmm she does get key lines though! ^-^ Kumachan has always had a voice as smooth and natural as strawberry yogurt..hmm maybe I'm hungry?….just love her vocals here too! Momo always brings the upper octaves of cute which are in more ways than one incomparable!…and Miya's vocals stir the BK pot for sure as she always has been the best vocalist in the group since its inception. "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" is no doubt going to be a great fan pleaser in live situations as any composition with this level of intensity and involvement is sure to rock any venue from arena to intimate stage settings and halls….can't wait to watch a live performance and I see that there already are a few available for viewing online! ^-^

Berryz Koubou "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" LE (inner jacket scan)

Maji Good Chance Summer

Berryz Koubou

The coupling with track "Maji Good Chance Summer" is much more in the vein of a straightforward J-Pop tune but I must note how much I love this track!!!….let's just say it lies somewhere in the top 6 H!P songs for the year for me personally. It's just such a beacon of positiveness and with a melody with as many hooks as my brother's tackle box (LOL! sad humor I know! :P) but that's a lot of hooks! 😛 "Maji Good Chance Summer" makes for the perfect song to wake up to each and every day…sure to put a smile on one's face or perhaps just me…grinning like an idiot because this song makes me giddy with happiness I'm afraid! 😛 "Maji Good Chance Summer" shows that J-Pop goodness need not be overworked….overstressed…or overstated in arrangement and musical terms. Sometimes a song that's just purely sweet and pop hook driven is all you truly need. 🙂 And I just love how the subtle melancholy feeling of the pre-chorus lends and builds into a fully joyous Miya/Momo driven chorus! ^-^

Berryz Koubou "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" RE (jacket scan)

BK's best cover artwork to date could possibly belong to the RE of "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance"…and while the LE's cover is just about as equally pretty and vibrant, the RE is a bit more awe inspiring…and even if it mimics "High School Musical"'s concept artwork in quite a remarkable way I still find it to be a dazzling shot in its own right.

Berryz Koubou "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" RE (inner jacket scan)

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Berryz Koubou "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" (Close Up Ver.) pv

The LE features a DVD containing a "Close Up Ver." of the title track's pv and while I would have preferred something along the lines of a "Dance Ver." instead at least it gives me a look into the visuals that could possibly accompany such a cute electronic jungle groove! As simple as the "Close Up Ver." really is I still find it amusing to see how each member expresses themselves in their own way in a stationary setting and in particular Maasa, Kumachan, and Riichan I thought were the best as far as this version of the pv is concerned….but really Maasa is the best here!…she's so not bashful at all and so funny! ^-^

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And you gotta love all of the bananas behind them as it really gets you into the monkeying around mood! 😛

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Momo's uniquely adorable high vocals always slice through BK songs like a hot knife through a strawberry shortcake! (^o^) I wonder if Jun Jun was somewhere sneaking around on set?…..been trying to see if any of the bananas are missing in any of these shots. 😛

Berryz Koubou "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" LE & RE CD singles

Still though…with the pv DVD release almost two weeks away and with with Paul's mention of 'monkey suits'!!…how could I resist any longer, so I caved and watched the original pv version too on YouTube here:

Berryz Koubou "Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance" original ver. pv

Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance = ♥!!…and those monkey outfits!!! Sooooooo cute! (^o^)/ And the dance choreography is absolutely perfect!…fun and even advanced in some ways! I wonder if they'll wear those monkey outfits in concert??? Perhaps fans will dress up in them for this coming Halloween in Japan….that is if girls can't find their seifuku outfits which apparently are a big Halloween tradition there! 😛

Manoeri "Manopiano" indie CD single

Ah my "Manopiano" single just arrived today!!! This cover is so cute and while I'm really looking forward to listening to it I'm going to hold off until tomorrow as….

"Taiyou no kisetsu" drama DVD set

…for the next hour or so before bedtime I'm going to indulge in an "new" drama that I just received, "Taiyou no kisetsu." It stars three actors that I really love…Takizawa Hideaki, Ikewaki Chizuru (loved her in "Summer Snow"), and Matsumoto Rio…you kind of have to scroll down that post to find her as well as some photos, her music, and a pv clip as she kind of got buried as I was preoccupied with other things at the time of that posting. ^-^

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