I’ve been meaning to post a few songs by Tanimura Yumi, the artist/writer that penned both the lyrics and music for Ayaya’s single release “Egao” and its coupling with track “Anata ni deaete.” Dating back to 1988, Tanimura Yumi has amassed quite a music collection over the years and even as far back as the early nineties she was already active in writing her own lyrics and music on select tracks. I was so happy to see Ayaya get a chance to showcase her vocals on a Tanimura Yumi composition…well not one but two!…and as I’ve already gushed over “Egao” and “Anata ni deaete” in that previous post linked above I’ll try to refrain from doing so again here. 😛 I wonder if Ayaya has any writing aspirations of her own and if perhaps she may tap into that in her post H!P career. Nothing’s for certain but I’m already assuming that she’ll no doubt continue on in music elsewhere in a new home or at least those are my upmost hopes!
~Tanimura Yumi “Umarekawaru kimochi” (live)~
This is such an awesome performance!!! “Umarekawaru kimochi” gets a new spin on it as this track was originally released way back in 1991 (on her album “Ai wa genki desu”) and here years later Tanimura Yumi does a great updated rendition solo on the piano!! Subarashii! The video and audio’s timing seem to be just a bit off though…but nonetheless an immaculate performance.
~Tanimura Yumi “Semete mono I LOVE YOU” mp3~
Tanimura Yumi’s writing skills even at an early age were quite remarkable and through the years she’s honed those skills creating a diverse tapestry of musical expression touching upon a well rounded scope of styles and genres. The track above “Semetemono I LOVE YOU” is a great example of her later development and it showcases a nice touch of a contemporary jazz element and by this point all of her songs were exclusively written by herself…lyrics and music. Just hearing this track may give you a strong connection to the two tracks that Ayaya was given to record as well as what her later style of writing entailed.
And here’s a wonderful live performance on solo piano of “Semetemono I LOVE YOU”…oddly the timing of the audio and video seem to be a tick off here as well…fushigi ne. While Tanimura Yumi’s earlier concerts were more like that of an idol, these later performances are amazing as the atmosphere is somewhat like a concert hall. No wotas jumping around out there! 😛
~Tanimura Yumi “Semete mono I LOVE YOU” (live solo piano version)~
~Tanimura Yumi “Ai wa genki desu” mp3~
“Ai wa genki desu” was the very first song that I heard by Tanimura Yumi as it served as the title track of her album by the same name. Tanimura Yumi wrote the music and what’s immediately remarkable about this is that this release was not far from her debut as an artist as this track dates back to 1991. Really a cute and catchy song and note the very well composed song structure while considering how young she was back then! Plus listen for the toy drums which are cutely also credited in the liner notes! ^o^ Tanimura Yumi is so amazing live too and she projects her vocals so strongly and with such feeling that I’m always in awe whenever I hear her sing.
~Tanimura Yumi “Koi ni ochita” mp3~
Here’s one more of her later compositions which she penned herself. “Koi ni ochita” is more on the dramatic side with a melody which showcases her vocal strength and range. Something to take notice of, as both “Egao” and “Anata ni deaete” really compliment Ayaya’s strong vocal range perfectly which UFA producers must’ve no doubt taken note of when they chose it for her to perform as they both share this gift of natural vocal strength. The degree of difficulty of a song like “Egao” really requires great range and vocal control…both of which Tanimura Yumi and Ayaya possess. Tanimura often performs live on the piano while singing and I’m always so impressed by anyone who’s able to project such feeling into their performance while accompanying themselves on an instrument.
In all I’ve collected 14 of her albums most of which were found at a local Book Off while the latter releases here were purchased through Japan’s Tower Export divison. ^-^ It’s amazing what gems you can find while browsing the shelves and to think that it all started with a chance purchase lead on by curiousity as I picked her “Ai wa genki desu” album release…..and what attracted me to it? I was amazed that it was a first press edition with special slipcase and booklet included…funny how I chose this but it truly led me to find some really exceptional J-Pop compositions. ^-^ Tanimura Yumi is one of Japan’s notable and exceptional talents.
For lots more on Tanimura Yumi, visit:
and also,
(edit, added Yumi’s album discography)
Tanimura Yumi album discography
モーニングBerryz48...the morning after..... "Always wear protection before reading…(^q^)." 
Allthough not a big fan of Ayaya's earlier works, i still like her upbeat tunes.Her latter work on the other hands is something i find very nice.And after listening to the last track here, i am swept away. you said her vocal range was strong, but i had no idea what i was going to hear. a really beatuiful song, and beautiful vocals.the other songs too are nice, but they were nothing like this. they were more pbeat and po. i really liked "semetemono i love you". i also dug the live version. maybe a notch more for some reason..speaking of artwork, that first picture is beautiful MorningBerryz! it is so clean and simple, and her face is amazing. it really makes the picture beautiful!any chance you are gonna up some of those tracks for download? (leech leech xD )
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ah, i forgot to sayI cant understand how you were able to pick only a few songs from her 14 albums!!? Must have been pretty hard huh? However, what you uploaded was very nice:) But i didnt see any dvds. doesnt she have a dvd collection?
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Ayaya has such an amazing body of work so far….just love so much of her music too! I'm so happy that you enjoyed Tanimura Yumi's music too Denadel! This post was getting lonely lol! :PAh "Koi ni ochita"…"Love has fallen", her vocals are so powerful from the very first note here..so true, such beautiful vocals. Tanimura Yumi has a nice fanbase in Japan and even her recent collections have sold out and gone out of print. She recently released a giant box set covering her career!! It's really great for her to release something like this as just about every one of those albums contained in that box set is out of print. And now this box set itself is out of print! The live versions are awesome and I love how she paces the song in such a lively way with her flowing vocals. There's a really great candidness to the way she sings live when you compare it to her studio recordings…really great I think. And she makes it look so easy….I'm always impressed by pianist who sing live.She really does look beautiful there! You've stated it perfectly! She was always so adorable…looking at her earlier releases, she's just so cute! And when you add in that amazing voice and her music writing abilities she's just incredible as an artist. Hmm….I'm thinking since they are out of print and you can't even buy them anymore that it would be okay to have a few here. I know that I'm really slow with this but I'll PM you with the links when they're ready. ^-^ It's true…she has so many songs that I love by her and it really wasn't easy choosing just a few to post here. I thought that these represented her pretty well although she does have much more upbeat songs in her catalog which I didn't get to. Tanimura Yumi has a few concert DVD releases which I may post from in the future now that I know there's another fan out there! ^-^ She also has a pv DVD collection. The funny thing is that back in '98 I ordered it but silly me didn't know anything about region 2 DVDs and I ended up putting it out on the sales floor where a customer bought it right away! But even after I got a region free DVD player in 2000 I was hesitant to re-order it as it was quite expensive at 5300 yen!! But happily it was re-released in late 2003 for much less at 2300 yen so it was a must have! You can see her available releases here. There's not much available anymore and I was really lucky to find so many of her albums at out local Bookoff at the shopping mall. It's amazing, she even has a new collection coming out on December 17th! Perhaps another Tanimura Yumi post may be in order. 🙂 ファン投票による、谷村有美のベストアルバム! 特設サイトでファンからのリクエストを募り選曲。Above, according to the Neowing site this upcoming compilation is the result of fan picks for the track listing! It's really great when they allow fans to participate in the song selection like this! Awhile back Melon Kinenbi did something similar for their "Fruity Killer Tune" album…..I actually got a chance to vote too. ^-^
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Hello Denadel, sorry this took so long but I finally got the songs upped that you wanted. I also added in Tanimura Yumi's original version of "Anata ni deaete" which was the b-side of Ayaya's "Egao" single….great to compare the two renditions and it really shows how suited this song really is to Ayaya's vocals also. ^-^ Again sorry for the long delay! (these are on 808Monkey's account which I'm sharing 🙂 ) "Semetemono I LOVE YOU""Koi ni ochita""Ai wa genki desu""Anata ni deaete"
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Hi Morning Berryz!Everything is hectic these days, as i am in a new jobl. I didnt get a chance to download these before now, and i cant wait to burn them on a cd and listen to it at work :DThank you so much for sharing :)"She recently released a giant box set covering her career!!"Ah, that is so cool! Did you buy it?"I was hesitant to re-order it as it was quite expensive at 5300 yen"That is quite expensive for a dvd, but it's worth it wasn't it?I just got my hands on nakazawa's fan club dvd (10th memorial), and it cost the same. i cant believe i spent so much money oin a dvd, but i think it will be worth it :DYou're lucky to have a bookof where you live. if your lucky you can get great bargains there!
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I was thinking that since I own I think most of the albums or was it all of them???….that I passed on it but the packaging alone was tempting for sure!I was just glad that they reissued it later on at a much more affordable price. I notice that they do this a lot with music releases in Japan, particularly with concerts and movies. Ah that's going to be awesome…Yukosan! I'm watching Nacchi's latest "Birthday" concert special and it looks like Yukosan makes a sweet surprise appearance in it! They really are the most representative of the origins of Momusu so it's so nice and fitting to see them together at any time. ^-^Sometimes I get lucky and find some rare items at the BookOff…..just found one of Momusu's really early fan club only "Sweet Morning Box" releases! I originally thought that there were only those released commercially between 2002-2004 but after Andra found an earlier edition I've been so curious to find the others…well found one so far. 🙂 I also found a lone 2001 Momusu Christmas plate..wondering if I should give it away as a Christmas giveaway item…although I don't own a duplicate of it.
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Hi there. I was going to mention this just now on a different post, but thought I’d put it in the sort-of relevant place… You’ll be pleased to hear I bought Feel Mie 1988-1991 DVD from CDJapan. I really regret not having bought this before. It’s blissfully good. Yumi looks amazing on stage (her clothes are always really stylish), and really interacts with those amazing musicians she had. The jazz roots really shine out, too, don’t they. As you say above, her live performances are a lot more candid. It’s emotionally very rich. Were the individual concerts from which this was cleverly spliced together ever released on video or laser disc, or is this there only appearance?
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Her concerts are always such incredible events with top notch musicians and they can become part recital too as well as such energy filled performances, love her wardrobe choices too! U~n and the improvisation is amazing!! You hear arrangement changes all over from noticeable one to little nuances, just wonderful to know a studio version by heart and then experience a whole new light of it live ~*. I believe they were released singly although I’m not sure if they were released in their entirety from concert to concert as for some reason a lot of concert releases back then were heavily edited. I’d need to check this gigantic catalog I’ve had in storage for some time, to see their detailed listings but I do believe that they were once separate releases but they may be difficult to find.
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I’ll probably (hopefully) end up buying them all. The Feel Mie Special 1996-97 is the one I’ve always had my eye on, and may go for that next. Is the 1993-94 similar to the 1988-91 in terms of splicing together performances? They certainly do splice together well, as the songs seem to be performed always in the same key and at the same tempo. Quite often live performances can disappoint as they’re ‘nothing like the record’, but her performances add so much more, don’t they. Her singing and playing are amazing. Otsuka Ai’s shows are the same: everyone is having such great fun, plus her intimate solo songs have so much more intensity about them. I love Momusu live because of the added energy. Possibly because they’re lip-synched, I find AKB concerts are slightly less involving compared to MoMusu. They’re a great spectacle, and oh so wonderful to watch, but because no one gets out of breath when they’re singing, I feel there’s a slight detachment. That hasn’t stopped me watching many of their concerts several times over. But it’s the MoMusu (and H!P) concerts, though, that really hook me in.
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Perhaps a special shopping list for Otokichi? Sounds like the producers really made an effort to compliment the performances with each other through the magic of editing and it’s really true for all of her performances how her live versions always have a special edge to them with new arrangements and improvisations going on and I so agree that while others can at times disappoint with that approach, it’s never an issue with Tanimura Yumi♥.
Perfectly said!! This really heightens H!P concerts over AKB’s as live singing…..I’ve always felt that live should really be live always. Here it would be frowned upon to have any lip synching going on and yet as you point out for AKB it’s all about the show side of the performance so I get why they do it and yet H!P definitely trumps them when it comes to concerts in this way…..Ayaya performing “Egao” live (coincidentally here a Tanimura Yumi composition) is still one of the most powerful and memorable live performances from all of H!P that always strikes me so much whenever I watch it.
It’s Ayaya’s Double Rainbow performance in particular, just incredible:
https://morningberryz48.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/%EF%BD%9E%E6%9D%BE%E6%B5%A6%E4%BA%9C%E5%BC%A5%E3%80%8C%EF%BD%83%EF%BD%8C%EF%BD%89%EF%BD%83%EF%BD%8B%E3%80%80%EF%BD%99%EF%BD%8F%EF%BD%95%E3%80%80%EF%BD%8C%EF%BD%89%EF%BD%8E%EF%BD%8B%E3%80%80%EF%BD%8D/
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That’s such a beautiful performance, yes, and the one Ayaya concert I don’t have. (Guess what’s just been added to the shopping list!)
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I remember hearing the overwhelming reaction to ther “Double Rainbow” release as being not very good back then which hurt =(….you know I never understood it as it’s a perfectly beautiful album in very way and the song writing is great!!…not to mention her vocals which had hit such a peak of maturity then…still it’s a puzzle as to why it didn’t sell much better =/.
A~hhhh but you see for Ayaya fans who truly love music and the art of performance….just hearing “Egao” live and it’s enough to be in love~♥ and really REALLY I promise the entire concert is great!!!! You can listen to a studio recording all of your life, and yet when hearing an artist belting out a song this way with this level of focus and range without any studio ‘tricks’ it’s just well…….Ayaya~amazing is what it is!!!!
So happy ~* you’ll be ordering “Double Rainbow” live too!!!!!!!
Ayaya, simply the best…..as H!P will be hard pressed to nurture another artist on her level…and that said with all due respects.
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Are there any really stand-out H!P soloists at the moment? The group performances are excellent, but I can’t think of any individuals of the likes of Ayaya or Nacchi. Maybe H!P doesn’t want to go in that direction at the moment, but that early period had some amazing solo talent, didn’t it.
My wallet groaned yesterday when I spotted not only a new Aiko album (I’d missed the release date) but the new Otsuka Ai album (the CD/DVD version is calling to me) as well as the new and must-have Nogizaka46 single. At least the must-have Nacchi release is a couple of months away! I also spotted another Kasai Tomomi single is forthcoming. Any signs of a new Mayuyu?
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Thank you so much for the Yuko @ the World Cup clip!!! I was watching just yesterday when the U.S. was playing versus Ghana and they played amazing winning very late with an incredible header for a GOAL! \(^o^)/!!~! I had missed their first goal as it occurred just 34 seconds into the match and I needed to desperately pee xD! How lame am I!
Not in particular as Tsunku just hasn’t found anyone in the likes of a Gomaki, Ayaya, Mikitty or Nacchi whom can command a stage alone let alone with vocals on that level. Still many of the girls in the groups definitely have stand out potential but just not in a soloist’s capacity…it must be said though just how incredible dancers the girls of C-ute ARE!!! In their golden years H!P really did produce such a high level of soloists.
Coincidentally I was listening to aiko’s new album this afternoon with the World Cup playing in the background and I was just putting the titles into their romanized form and it was wacky how my pc had all of the song titles incorrectly written in Japanese and then I realized that somehow my pc was thinking that this album was another aiko album xD…very strange! I so know what you mean about the hurt…..would love Kasai’s upcoming single too ~* 😀 ….sadly no new Mayuyu solo project as of yet =(.
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You’re welcome! Yuko’s such a polished professional, with a great range from joy to serious. She’ll never be short of work, will she. And isn’t she so tiny, when you see her in a group of people. Big, big personality, though!
Ah, you have the new Aiko! Really looking forward to hearing that. Otokichi has a couple of the very early singles and albums in stock at the moment. An unopened copy of ‘Girlie’ is $158, while an unused copy of the single ‘Hachimitsu’ will set you back $100. I’m certain an Aiko collector will snap these up in time. But would they then open them and play them, or would they leave them sealed up…? Ideally you’d have to acquire two copies of such rarities: one to play and one to store.
I’m so pleased for Kasai, as it can’t be easy to establish your career once you’ve left the AKB nest. She’s doing really well.
You’re so right about C-ute. Another thing I thought of is the actual song writing. Tsunku’s most recent work has concentrated on one particular area, when back in days of yore (there’s a Friends gag about ‘days of yore’, I recall, in an episode featuring a Pottery Barn apothecary table) his range was much wider: all the way from ‘Telephone Ring Ring Ring’ to ‘The Last Night’. Is it clear if he wrote the songs to develop Ayaya (for example) as a soloist, or did he write them because Ayaya was available to sing them? He was certainly gifted with an amazing group of performers.
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I bet she’s revved up the World Cup hysteria even more as it’s probably already quite the event in Japan and just so cool that she’s been appointed to be on location! She really has proven to be so capable and versatile, this event adding to her resume…I’m still hoping beyond hope ~* that she’ll one day release music as a soloist as I was really thinking that AkiP would’ve given her at least a single =(. Un she is a tiny person although I’m not the person to be calling anyone tiny as I’d be looking at her just about eye to eye as I’m just a smidgin taller as in closer to Mayuyu’s height which isn’t very much =P. Best thing about being tiny is that people tend to say it’s cute, worst thing about being tiny is that often times your size is still located in the kid’s department xD…nothing like standing beside a teenager waiting to get into the dressing room as it can been quite awkward to say the least xD.
Gosh the prices really reflect her popularity and overall stature in music and pop culture with her very being itself going beyond her music into a fashion and style sense as well. I’d no idea her early releases as rare as they are would be selling for such a high asking price!! =O aiko’s new album is everything a fan would want, filled with wonderful songs with her trademark style and vocal freedom. A~h that can be quite the dilemma for hardcore fans who’d like to keep a copy of such a rarity in mint, very expensive but totally understandable. A tiny instance for me occurred during the Love Machine frenzy as I purchased two copies of the VHS pv release as I didn’t want to wear out the VHS single and not have a newly sealed one to preserve just in case….funny thing is that the sealed copy remains sealed today as the other copy still plays fine =P.
Great sign that Kasai’s releasing a new single! Looking forward to it!
Haha it was Phoebe who was totally against false historical pieces as in everything sold at Pottery Barn and then Ross and Rachel shop there and then make up stories of finding them at a flea market sale claiming them to be authentically old =P! It was Rachel whom used the term ‘days of yore’ unwittingly with Ross then calling her on it asking her to name other time periods lol that was so funny 😀 !!! OMG the “Friends” junkie in me just emerged….I actually collected the entire series recording them weekly onto VHS during their original broadcast and then subsequently purchased them on DVD as they were released and then purchased the entire series on Bluray =P…interestingly Warner Bros. weren’t able to put all of the extra never before seen footage onto the Blurays as they were seen on the DVD sets….Seinfeld would air right after so it was a solid every Thursday night hour block of comedy for me back then 😀 …I never got into E.R. but that was aired on the very same night….gosh NBC really had the best shows back then!
C-ute really are such outstanding performers and I believe firmly they’re the best dancers in H!P today….really true that Tsunku in his latter compositions has not been anywhere as versatile with the styles and creativity as in his earlier years of H!P productions =/. You’ve just made the perfect example of this, and I like to think it was the perfect storm in a sense with Ayaya in particular as he not only had a soloist in her capable of singing with such range, nuances and versatility…..but he also was able to produce her into a direction unique from any other of girls in H!P back then which lent to the incredible catalog of songs he’d written specifically for her. Her development from simple pop idol songstress to contemporary music goddess was equally Tsunku’s doing as well as her natural ability which he knew just how to tap into in stages of changing and broadening styles for her over those magical years ~*. And then there’s Mikitty. She had been well on her way to a similar soloist career until Tsunku pulled the plug on her/ pulled the rug out from under her as he chose to place her into Momusu. In hindsight I know it helped Momusu both personality wise as well as vocally and yet I can’t help but wonder how her career may have turned out so differently had she been able to be nurtured further as a soloist by Tsunku at the height of his song writing….? Also amusing that she was part of the Kamei-Reina-Sayumin Generation, and subsequently most amusing to reminisce of how she became somewhat the new Nakazawa Yuko of the group…..sigh* a woman amongst these children lol as she stares them down with a funny/ berating verbal assault as only she and Yuko could do =P.
And now I’d like to watch all of Mikitty’s solo pvs~♥…..
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Thanks for reminding about the Friends plot. You know, they were being repeated every night here for a couple of years, but then they went back to Sky, and Big Bang Theory has taken its place. I used to have most of the episodes on videos and got rid of them, intending to replace them with the DVDs, but never did. Now I must! It was such a great show. ‘How I Met Your Mother’ didn’t seem to fill the void. BBT does, I suppose. I did an online quiz on FaceBook to find out which Friends character I was. Turns out I’m Phoebe. I wouldn’t have wanted to be Ross.
Did Mikitty ever express regret about losing her solo status? She was definitely a great addition to MoMusu, but when you watch the concerts now, in a way she does look slightly out of place. GAM was a perfect vehicle for her, although that was sadly short-lived. I don’t have her PVs, but I do have her album and the first live tour, which is very enjoyable. Yesterday I chanced upon an old conversation on the Hello online pages which was devoted to Aibon and Nono and how they were/weren’t getting along etc I never gave a thought to Nono, and how how Aibon’s dismissal affected her recording career. There was some speculation about the mothballed 3rd W album. Some people were wondering if Tsunku had already recycled some of the songs for MoMusu, suggesting a track on Sexy 8 Beats that had a W feel to it. I’d love to know!
I’m already watching the Feel Mie DVD for the third time! It’s complete magic from start to finish.
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78 minutes now and still a 0-0 tie!!!
Tim Howard U R the MAN!!!!!!! He is literally saving our behinds right now with 10 saves already!!!!!!!!
Mm…we had Friends too in syndication here on a couple of channels, their episodes are so timeless and re-watchable always really!! OH yes you can get the complete series on both DVD and Bluray however a word of CAUTION: You know how the DVDs all had a bit of extra never before seen footage at the end of every episode?…well according to their studio when they produced the Bluray complete series box set they simply couldn’t include any of the extra footage as they say it was recorded in a different format or something like that so they weren’t able to splice the footage into the original episodes there =/. So. If you’re a Friends freak like me =P you then own both the complete DVD series as well as the complete series on Bluray box set =P. I originally purchased their DVDs season by season as they were being released but then of course inevitably!! the complete DVD series then came out afterwards xD and a part of me regrets getting it although I already have the complete series in singly released DVD sets……and that is because they released a really beautiful complete DVD box set complete with wooden box casing with a clear glass sliding front door which also had all of the cast imaged upon it..REALLY pretty♥!!!!! You can still find it second hand…..silly me still wants it =P!!
Huh….I wonder whom I’d be most like…?? I once took a Momusu quiz of that type and I turned out to be most like Kamei♥♥♥ lol…..I wonder if it has anything to do with us both being a bit off the beaten path…..or as my friends like to say at times…’weird’…♥ 😀 . The Ross/Rachel dynamic was hard to resist though….but so many bumps and hills and landslides and pitfalls in their relationship no doubt! I do love Ross though or maybe it’s the actor….I mean his comedic timing is uncanny OH CRAP I CAN’T BELIEVE HE JUST KICKED THE BALL OVER TH GOAL =O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =( sorry. And now we have extra time……gosh talk about drama and stress!!!!!!!!!!! I’d like to think I’m most like Phoebe for her free will and open mind and free spirit ~*, Monica for her obsessiveness and her anal retentive nature lol I can ‘maybe’ related…I’d most likely drive you crazy!!!! xD, Joey for his unconditional love and because I can be not so bright at times lol =P, Rachel for her spontaneous power and Rachel~ness♥, Ross for his amazing hair!!!!! kidding but he does have that albeit I’d ask for less gel lol =P but really he’s such a talented actor as was the whole cast of course but he really stood out for me personally and *secretly* at times I just wanted to have #$* w/ him :D! and Chandler for….um…….wait it’ll come to me.
Seriously though I adore Chandler….hahha just giving him a hard time in cyberspace =D.
OH CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BELGIUM JUST SCORED NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO =(.
As far as I know not publicly but she really didn’t quite fit entirely albeit everything did seem fine. I just can’t fathom that Mikitty could have possibly been completely happy with Tsunku’s decision to put her solo career on hold (turned out permanent) back then and especially at that particular time back then although I’m not aware of her saying anything publicly to state any regrets or frustration. It was still so like having the rug pulled out from under you though and really he’d produced her into quite the solo career at that point…..sadly we may never know the truth…..can U say Mikitty tell all memoir? 😀 . Awesome you have her releases….she really could command the stage couldn’t she.
MM….the W album. I’ve not considered that before but it does hold merits. I mean having an entire album project indefinitely shelved…why not utilize those compositions with new life..definitely holds merit and I wouldn’t be surprised.
Awesome you’ve got the Feel Mie DVD…..!
AND NOW REALLY OH CRAP BELGIUM HAS SCORED AGAIN AND TIM HOWARD HAS BEEN SO AWESOME ALL MATCH LONG AND YET HOW MANY SAVES CAN ONE POSSIBLY ACCOMPLISH??! It’s not looking good now =(.
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You are definitely Soccer Fanatic! Next thing, you’ll be buying yourself a scarf and the latest team shirts. It’s been slow to take hold, but America is finally becoming soccer crazy! But please resist the urge if you get it to become a Football Hooligan! To be a Hooligan, you’ll have to drink lots of beer and then head off into your neighbourhood kicking trashcans and terrorising residents with football stadium chants and possibly even spray-canning ‘MB Woz Here’ on walls.
Funnily enough, I went into my local charity shop (thrift store) after writing my comment and there on the shelf were seasons 3,4 and 5 of Friends on DVD in excellent condition for the equivalent of $3.5 each. It’s so good to be reunited with the show after a gap of a couple of years. Must get the other seasons too. Love the description of the complete boxed set. That would be great on a shelf.
Hoping to get another Tanimura Yumi DVD soon, as soon as the new Nogizaka46 is in the bag. Looking forward to seeing Rena perform. I’ve avoided watching more than a few seconds of the available previews.
I’m not sure how Tsunku is doing, treatment-wise. Hopefully he’ll make a full recovery. I’m increasingly amazed at just how many MoMusu DVDs there are in addition to the concerts. There are just so many devoted to individual members. I have a few, but it’s the tip of the iceberg. I expect you have everything! I love the magazine DVDs, where you get to see the members flower arranging etc In other words, being relaxed. You must have been able to keep up with all the releases because of your local official store. Which reminds me, I messaged the Taiwan AKB48 store to ask if they posted to the UK, but they never got back to me. Sadly the Tokyo store doesn’t post items.
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I forget to say about Yuko, how much I loved her singing on Labrador Retriever. That is such a special song and she sings it so beautifully with that smoky voice of hers. The mv is wonderful too, especially when the ‘old girls’ appear. Yuko’s pure delight looks genuine, so I assume it really was sprung upon her? I love Labrador Retriever single a lot. The main song has such a beautiful chorus, and the coupling songs are all memorable. Kizaki Yuria is jaw-droopingly lovely. (P.S. I cheated with the secret code and looked online for the solution!)
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MM…..♥ Yuko♥x♥x♥ and I do too believe that wasn’t staged and genuine*!! U~n Yuria has a knack for that =P! Haha I don’t blame you for that 😀 U.S. has scored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We may have a bit of hope ~*!!!!!!!!?
Another AKRamen♥ is called for
TIM HOWARD marry me!!!….oh well just a hug* maybe!!!!!!!!!! He’s been incredible today!!!!!!!!!!!
Another AkRamen♥ is surely needed as I do have some AKB posts in drafts but I’ve just not completed them so perhaps a digest although I’m not sure yet. Having Yuko♥ featured there….YES!
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WEll it all comes to an end =(.
We had our chances.
Just wasn’t meant to be.
Tim was incredible I feel for him so much, he played the match of his life!!!
But what of the one minute added at the end??! I can’t believe it was just a single minute =O….oh I’m sad =(.
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@Philip:
(not sure if you’ll get this but I thought I’d reply to your message partly here for its relevance)
I was just watching this so so so so awesome performance above that you linked me yesterday! And to firstly answer, no I’ve not seen her perform on guitar before so this was quite the treat for the eyes and ears equally \(^o^)/!!!! As you could probably tell from this post “Semete mono I LOVE YOU” is one of my most beloved Tanimura Yumi songs all time and actually this album as a whole really ranks highly for me too. The band is perfect ~* too and I always love the inclusion of any brass section and especially with a jazzy touch to it as she does here and with her on acoustic guitar it’s literally quite magical ~*~~*!
That’s quite the extreme temperature in Sendai =O! When we hit the low 90’s it’s awfully hot here so I can’t even imagine triple digit temperatures.
So you’re very addicted to AKBINGO! 😀 and at 100 episodes under your belt of viewing that’s quite a lot!!!!! putting it lightly!!!! I’ve only watched a few scattered episodes here and there and it’s mostly been the games for me but those true life stories are very heartwarming and moving…and just realizing that the idols go through the very same pains and trials that the rest of us mere mortals do can be eye opening and there have been some extreme cases too as you’ve mentioned some in your message. And so true you can definitely pick up on the speech in a colloquial sense in these programs….and now we know why Yuko’s got that raspy flavor in her voice, well actually kidding I think she’s always had that but still that was very serious.
Wimbledon’s time difference to here makes it quite the challenge and unless I have the day off I usually don’t get to watch much except for the weekends and then of course they take the middle Sunday off xD. The woman’s final was disappointing and I felt badly for Eugenie Bouchard but she was just outmatched on that day and with her recent results which have been consistently amazing I’m sure she’ll break through in a major before long…also had no idea prior to that match that a Canadian woman had never reached a grand slam final before. My favorites on the woman’s side are Sharapova (although I could do with less screaming =P) and mostly Ana Ivanovic…just learning of how she grew up and came to pursue her dreams in tennis was inspiring and when she won the French…that was the best! That was way back in 2008 and with the French being regarded as perhaps the most difficult to win (based on a few notable tennis legends who never won it….) I always thought that she’d win more but it’s been difficult as of late for her to reach another slam final…still I’m always rooting for her!!! The men’s final, now that was epic!!!!!!!! When Federer came back from being down match points and a two break deficit in the fourth and won it 7-5 I was feeling him winning it all!!! I was most sad =(. You know that’d be weird if Andy Murray suddenly became not so British anymore…..that’s strange to hear =O.
Please keep me updated on how you’re feeling, I do wish ~* for things to go well. Really you have me worried.
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Hi there! So happy you’d not seen the Tanimura Yumi clip before! It’s a wonderful document, isn’t it, and wonderful of someone to post it for others to enjoy. And yes, a first for me too, to see her with guitar. She’s a little apprehensive, as she checks her fingers are in the right place more often than a seasoned performer would, but it’s still magical and wonderful.
I was sad when Sharapova was out and when Roger Federer lost, but the men’s final was awesome, with two incredible athletes battling for 4 very satisfying hours. Such a shame the time zones are not in your favour when it comes to Wimbledon, though.
I will indeed let you know what the various medical tests reveal. Hopefully it’s something fixable!
Haven’t watched an AKBingo today as I’ve been travelling, but might be able to squeeze an episode in now. Such a wonderful show. Side-splittingly funny at times, and very moving at others, when the personal stories are highlighted.
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Hello~=),
I’m thinking it was transferred from perhaps a VHS recording as there’s those distinct blurred colors at the bottom which I usually get whenever doing old recordings into digital format and I actually subscribed to their channel as you never know what other gems they may have from yesteryear to share~♥. Tanimura Yumi on guitar…who knew?! She’s so cute in that clip too with her looks of course mirroring that particular album cover….single cover I think it was a single too? I bet she was wanting to perform her piano parts all along too haha.
Yes! the men’s final was epic!!!!! I caught the replay on delay as I wasn’t going to be up at 2 am or so on a weekend =P. The US Open and the Australian Open work best for me time zone wise….looking forward to the US Open and all of those night matches which can be most memorable and just how unruly the crowds can get lol….seems we’re not as refined as you are in the UK =P.
=(…you feel that badly?? I hope with a little medicine it can be healed~*~~*.
Ohhh you’re not in the UK now?
i’m actually trying to write/ blabber today as I’ve got a bit of time at last =).
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Hi there! No, still in the UK, but visiting relatives for a couple of days. But oh how I wish I’d attended the Japan Expo in Paris recently as I’ve now seen photos of Nogizaka46 posing near the Eiffel Tower. That would have been wonderful to have seen them out and about. I wonder how security conscious N46, C-ute and Berryz managements were. I think handshake events have resumed for AKB, haven’t they?
I’ve started to collect Tanimura Yumi singles. Usually when I order some other 8cm singles from Otokichi, I add one of hers to the list. I’ve just a handful at the moment, but I love them. Otokichi recently found me the Sakai Miki single I’d needed to complete my collection of hers. I can never thank you enough for telling me about Otokichi! I check out the new arrivals every day in case something interesting has arrived, which is often!
I did wonder if the Australian Open would suit your time zone better. Ah, the UK tennis fans are fairly sober, I suppose. The cricket fans are definitely not. Much rowdy behaviour there. Possibly because the game is so dull (!) the spectators liven things up for themselves by growing restless and very loud. The soccer crowds are loud too, but it’s when they leave the football stadium that trouble can sometimes occur. I don’t think they’re as badly behaved as they once were, but a strong police presence for the big matches helps to prevent trouble. Rugby is more of a family spectator sport, a bit like baseball and US football, perhaps.
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Ah speaking of the Paris expo event someone just a couple of days ago posted a singed C-ute single they had gotten while in paris for this event!:
https://morningberryz48.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/c-ute-you-ride-your-bicycle-while-i-catch-the-train-home/#comment-104699
I’d gotten a poster signed by C-ute however it’s nothing like getting that in person!!
Ohhh N46 was there too, I hadn’t read up on the event but what a place to be….I mean it’s Paris!!!! The most romantic place on earth right?!! It’s like if I went there and still couldn’t find love, then I’d be a hopeless case wouldn’t I =P! I imagine in light of the horrible incident for AKB, security must have been tight no doubt and especially with international travel in mind as it’s always likely to have a heightened sense of security needs. U~n the AKB handshake events are back to normal as normal as one could hope, just sad that it took something so horrible to keep the creeps away =/.
Ah! you like Sakai Miki….I’ve got only one album and three singles by her. She also would appear in a variety of idol magazines back then in the mid to late nineties and I probably posted some of her pictorials here in the Idols♥ Unzipped Friday series back when I was scanning old magazines. She does have the cutest of voices!!..and she always appeared as the sweetest of idols =).
Hmm cricket, I don’t understand how it’s played but I have caught a glimpse of it before on t.v. and it was like I didn’t know when the game was going to end =P. I’ve heard about some tragic events during soccer matches overseas in years past with rioting and structures collapsing from overcrowding where too many fans were let in, happily security and planning is much better now. Today it’s like the muggiest of days here….after just a short while of cleaning the hallway it looked as if I had run a short marathon not kidding xD….if sweaty equaled sexy then I’d been ready for my pinup then =P. And now as I’m typing this the rain has begun and with no trade winds in sight it’ll get even more humid now =(. But enough about my horrible weather and the sweats, how are you?
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Hi! Yes, Sakai Miki does have a sweet voice. I saw her first in Love Letter and learnt she’d also been a singer. I only have her singles, so must now add her albums to my Otokichi wants list. I shared some of my slide-shows with him and he liked my music, which really pleased me as he’s surrounded by all sorts of music. I love my Otokichi parcels. They’re always so well packaged.
I’m fine, thank you. I’ve been doing lots of gardening chores, so am also ready for my own shashinshuu.
The soccer stadium tragedies are always terrible to hear about. There was one here in the UK in the 1980s with ramifications to the present day. The enquiries into what happened (the police were preventing people from leaving) continue, almost 30 years on. I’ve only attended one football match, when I was a kid. When I was a student, I lived near to a rugby ground. There were houses in the way except for a gap, and on Saturday afternoons and some evenings when it was floodlit, you’d see loads of guys suddenly running across the gap after/with the ball and then back again.
BTW what’s on those Hello! Project sports events DVDs. I see them on eBay and wonder if there’s any singing, or just sport. Surely Yoshi would win everything! Annoyingly I was about bid recently on Morning Musume magazine vol1 and their Hawaii visit vol 2. But I’m sure they’ll turn up again.
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I recognized the director Iwai Shunji instantly and it’s most likely because the fool that I am I once paid like $150.00 for a single VHS movie of his titled “Shigatsu Monogatari” and he sure has a style doesn’t he…..loves the snow for sure! For me it was all for Matsu Takako whom I love in every way possible…
https://morningberryz48.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/matsu-takako-a-love-story/
I also noticed that Nakayama Miho is starring!! Now there’s an artist with a gigantic catalog of releases!!! I have just a few of her albums from way back but she’s really great too!
Masa is so personal and incredibly friendly!!! He regularly has customers visit him and they even go out for dinners and drinks too….he usually posts them up although I’m not sure if he has that same page as he may have since moved to Facebook or something else I imagine? In any case YES he’s an awesome lover of music!!!
Very awesome you’ve gotten all of Sakai Miki’s singles!!!! I had no idea she released so many of them back then and I’ve never looked up her album discography but the one I have is actually a collection so it’s not an original album but she must have quite a few I imagine as she has so many singles I’m seeing in your posting!! =D
I’d gotten quite a few of those sports DVDs although I knew it was too big to collect them all back then with the price they were going for back then, you can check this photo as a fan in Japan posted his complete monstrous box set and it’s monstrous without question!!!…..
https://morningberryz48.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/hello-project-sportsfest-2006-the-mother-of-all-hp-releases/
Every girl got her very own personal Sportsfest DVD back then and they’re very fun to watch as there’s lots of humorous moments, great competition and yes at the end they even perform a short live for the fans in the arena!! You may not think it at first but Konkon is quite the runner in the group for those generations back then! I’d gotten Maimichan, Momo, Kumaichan, and Rikachan’s individual releases all those years ago.
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen a DVD boxed set of such enormity! It must have been on sale for several hundred dollars! The Sportsfests sound greatly entertaining. As I said, I’ve seen various DVDs on eBay and may now try to get my hands on one. Would the boxed set still be an item you’d long to have? Or is that a silly question!
Masa posts fairly regularly on FaceBook. He posts a photo of some of his recent orders. There was one especially huge shipment recently. It must have been packed in a giant cardboard box. From time to time, yes, he does share a photo of himself and family with one or other of his customer. There was a guy from Sweden (I think) who visited him a couple of months ago. I’d love to go to the shops he has…with an empty suitcase on wheels, of course. That would be a perfect way to spend a holiday. Far better than sightseeing! Iwai Shunji directed AKB48’s wonderful ‘Sakura no shiori’ mv, didn’t he. It’s gorgeous, both the song and the video. AkiP chose his director well, as usual.
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I think it hit another digit back then and when I even pondered the proxy costs I was like oh no that would be way too much to spend no matter how much I wanted it! It remains as one of those….if I win the lottery ~* type purchases in my future =P! I had only been following his earlier personal blog but moving to FaceBook was inevitable with its popularity, it’s great how many of his customers go to see him and they always seem to go drinking =)….when I visit it’s going to be one of those outdoor sake/ramen experiences although sake really does a number on me, one of my girl friends says that I need to weigh more to drink like that lol xD. You can really see his style of direction…he has a knack for giving imagery a poetic aura doesn’t he ^^.
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It’ll be great for you to visit, although, yes, you will have to be careful with the sake! I gave up alcohol well over a year ago (although fat lot of good abstinence did me) and now couldn’t even if I wanted to as it would not do my innards any good at all!
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Hi there, I hope you are well. I have a couple of queries which I’m hoping you’ll be able to answer for me. The first is about Green Live, the MoMusu concert from 2001. What was the occasion? Was it part of a larger concert with other acts, as the segment is just 40 minutes long. The venue looks open air…or is it? The green they’re performing on doesn’t look like astroturf. t acquired this recently, you see, and not being remotely fluent yet, am unable to read the DVD case. Though brief, it’s a fun and energetic performance.
Query 2 concerns Ayaya’s ‘Suna wo kamuyouni NAMIDA’ DVD. It’s exquisite, but so frustratingly short, with just three songs! Do you know anything about its release, please? Again, I acquired this recently after having it slip through my fingers several times. Ayaya’s on top form here, and the live band is wonderful.
Thank you!
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I had to go dig out “Green Live’ gosh I haven’t seen this DVD in ages!! I’m really having to put on my thinking cap here….okay the Green Live was like a commemorating concert celebrating the finale of the sports festivities which funny we were just speaking about earlier =D. The venue is the Saitama Super Arena and if I remember correctly it was held a day after the events ended…the green was to be symbolic of a sports playing field if that makes any sense ^^. I think that was the entire performance on the DVD as the concert wasn’t very long and I don’t think they edited anything out really….the performance of I wish is by far my most favorite on this DVD!!
Oh you’ve got me all nostalgic now!! I needed to go find this DVD too which has been in storage for too long I now realize. Just three live performances with that awesome live band and so cool how they reinvented those songs and in particular Love namida iro which goes from all pop happy to a much more contemporary sound here. This release was sort of a predecessor to her upcoming project Naked Songs which every H!P loving fan must own!!! I was trying to find an old blog post here as those came out actually before I knew what a blog actually was =P. No luck with that, but the whole studio approach with Ayaya here led to that album which I still believe includes the most rewarding DVD extra to date for any release, and that means a lot even coming from a silly person like me =D. I’m happy to see that the CD + DVD version is still in print!!!!
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/EPCE-5440
Again a must have for any H!P/ Ayaya fan, Naked Songs and its accompanying DVD in particular are….well, the BEST. Go get Naked Songs before anything else you order, I promise you’ll want to hug that release and make sure it has the DVD!
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Hi there. Thanks for your research. Very useful. As for Naked Songs, I do have the album, but only the CD. Maybe I ought to order the DVD version, then! I have almost all of Ayaya’s singles now, CDs and Vdiscs, apart from the techno one, which I would never play (I always skip that in one of the live concerts where she mimes it), although I guess there might be a non-techno coupling? I’ve even managed to get my hands on Ne-e? with the plastic bag! That’s in the post. Not sure how I’m going to store it, really. I love the Vdisc of Ne-e? It’s such a wonderful song and arrangement.
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Hi! Just found this wonderful live performance. You may know it already. Love her clothes, too. As always, she’s so stylish!
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And so happy~* you’re an Otokichi fan/customer =)!! A~h sounds like you’re now a best friend of his….sharing* is caring (hugs) ♥.
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http://thehistoryofphilipleslie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/miki-sakai-namida-yori-motto-kodoku.html I forgot to add this link to a recent Sakai Miki post of mine!
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Oops I replied to your message here, above =P.
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