It's my very first A~min♥ B.L.T. photo so this one will always be very special to me! Also the way I received it was very special as CK and I did a trade from our 2010 AKB48XB.L.T. Visual Books!
I didn't know that fans regularly trade these photos with each other but as these sets are I think always?..included randomly?…with B.L.T. affiliated releases~* it sure makes it so much easier to be able to get your favorite♥ member photos this way. So I traded a Wasamin (CK's oshimen) photo for a A~min photo….funny how we received such favorite members of each others ne :P! And well someone finally brought A~min to me tonight and I think he had it for like a week (/∇＼*)！。。。 。。thank you again CK~♥ I'll cherish this (*´∀｀)♥！！！
Now listening to this album for the ↑↑↑↑↑～teenth time っo(*´∀｀)o～♪♪！。。。actually I've no idea of how many listens it's been but I can keep this disc on repeat for hours @ a time and not grow tired of it (*´∀｀*)♥！
When I pre~ordered it I wasn't aware that it was actually a reissue of their "SL Greatest Songs 2006~2007" but as I'm still new to so many of AKB's songs this was near to being completely a new album for me when it arrived a few weeks ago~. Having two new songs is an extra upon an extra for me so to speak with the tracks "Seventeen" and "Anata ga ite kureta kara" being new song releases~* for AKB here =).
The first pressing comes with an outer slipcase which is wonderfully designed to show a time~line of member graduations with opposite sides of the sleeve presenting a collage of the girls @ two years ago….to now~. Some looks have changed quite a bit even in just two years while a few girls look remarkably quite the same. But truly the anticipation of finding out which member's photo you've received is so much of the excitement!!…and with "SL" I received Sayaka~*, my very first Sayaka photo lol..um I'll be saying "it's my first~member~photo" a lot here it seems whenever I receive a different member :P!
And while video~sailing today I came across an older clip where it looks like they're promoting "RIVER" and while being interviewed by Sanma (I think it was him) the discussion turns towards AKB's visit to New York and when questioned about speaking English, Sayaka was immediately pointed out by the other girls as the one who helped with speaking English the most as she's really really great @ English..I mean she can speak with very very little accent at all that it's nearly unnoticeable. Sayaka's reason as it turns out is that she's half Filipino (from her mother) which gets a joke from Sanma (still think it's him XD) for obvious reasons…(^q^)! So anyway that was my tiny AKB lesson♥ to myself for the day ＾ ＾。
It's amazing how wonderfully 70's/80's retro so many of these songs are!! Favorites~♥? Well the entire collection is a favorite~♥….but if I really had to choose just a few they would include:
"Sakura no hanabiratachi", "Boku no taiyou", "Keibetsu shiteita aijou", BINGO!", "Skirt, hirari", "Dear my teacher", "Korogaruishi ni nare" "Yuhi wo mite iruka?", "Mirai no kajitsu" and "Anata ga ite kureta kara" (*´∀｀)♥！！
Aww~♥..A~min here~* greets fans on her blog and her photo for this entry so cute(*´∀｀)♥！：
(8/17/10/ 9:10 am)
"Good~morning, at last it begins the nationwide tour..first is Hiroshima. Arrived safely (♥). AKB has arrived. Everyone in Hiroshima please look forward (to the concert). A~min."
..e~hhhhh this is a bit strange no doubt (・o・)！！。。 but as Yuko writes here~* she made a "campaign promise" which sounds like from awhile ago by context where she says she would clean the "theater toilets??" Ｎａｎｄｅ？(・c_・;)？、and by "theater" I have to think that she's cleaning the AKB Theater toilets in the Akihabara Don Quijote although I'm not 100% sure. Hmm….I'm sure someone must know of this promise she's made as she addresses her fans in her post asking if they still remember but I can't get over just how odd this all sounds! If you know, please share~*, why did Yuko make such a promise to clean the theater toilets?
But in any case whomever had the honor of using said theater toilets afterward…yes honor..erm lucky :P!!, lol okay I'm getting a bit weird about those Yuko~cleaned toilets so I'll stop myself now。。。！
This is so much Tsunku @ his creative best!!..and while the song writing is truly aimed at a younger audience you still gotta love Tsunku's playful mood for S/mileage's 2nd major release "○○Ganbaranakutemo eenende!!" and with the look I initially had a flash~back of Tanpopo's "Otome pasta ni kandou." Next to the original pv versions I'm most attracted to "dance shot" versions mostly as it's a chance to see the complete choreography so here I opted for single type A (for the inclusion of the "dance version" pv) along with the must have pv DVD single release~*. Also so happy~* that Tsunku continues to keep S/mileage a "J~Pop" styled group as many times the leap from indies to major results in a sound shift to mainstream R&B which we have such an abundance of already.
..it's just so adorable and funny!! And with the magic of awesome editing fans are treated to such a lively and entertaining music video~♥, couple that with an alternate (visual) version of the original pv, an alternate (audio) version of the title track in "Ganbaranakutemo iindayo!!" and third audio track "Smile bijin" giving this a very much "maxi" appeal and you have a most attractive single release package which Pony Canyon is so known for throughout the years~. And every track?…cute!! cute!! cute!!
And as always with S/mileage, their "making of" extras are always the most candidly amusing to watch……oh and we also learn that Sakirin~* holds the record @ 5 minutes and 34 seconds for her ability to balance a cane upon her open palm while Yukarin~♥ is total~fail (・д・`*)！！。。still she does the best Chaplin/Monopoly Man/Pringle Guy impersonation (。ーωー。)笑。
I just realized today is Friday the 13th just a few minutes ago when I hovered my mouse above the time (._.;)! Funny, it's like I slept~walked through the entire day till now without really realizing today's date..okay let's put my dits~y aside for a moment XD! And I was just trying to think of something scary for Friday the 13th but this was the best that I could come up with on such erm…."short notice" (。ーωー。)笑。
A~h!! nothing like a giant plushy~plastic giant Pucchokun to hug (*´∀｀)♥！！。。if you've never had one they're very very chewy~and~yet~ very very~gummy~gummy with sometimes various levels of chewy~ness and tiny things inside that add to all of that already chewy~gummy~ness lol does that make any sense? I bet you so want a Puccho now XD!…….but….
..wait a minute!!!
What is that thing really??? lol I mean the flavor heads are all cute on their wrappers and there are sooooo sooooooo many different flavors to choose from if you can purchase these! Here we have Marukai, Don Quijote, Shirokiya and other specialty stores which import candies from japan~♥…
..but just imagine if that white & blue thing suddenly paid your bedroom a visit @ about midnight after you've been reading the Steven King novel "The Shining" all alone for a few hours earlier with now frightening images/thoughts flowing through your mind endlessly and there's no one at home to help calm your nerves? (true story!! although the blue thing never showed up :P) And what is Mayuyu doing to its eye?…or is that an eye?..that um mouth looks a bit odd too as I think it sort of resembles one of those plastic Easter Eggs that come apart in two, like it accidentally got wedged into that thing somehow at an angle? You may be thinking the overgrown Puccho is under seige ↓↓↓ here but I say lucky~* giant scary over~grown Puccho♥! Have a fun and safe 13th ＾ ＾！
Thank you~* to Spanusia for these scans o(*´∀｀)o゛♥！！！
Somehow I feel like I’m being transported to that maid cafe with Sasshi~* all over again…how about you ＾ ＾？。。or maybe it’s much more of a lingerie cafe? But in any case…
..yep it’s the ears..fuzzy pink ears and of course the nyan~♥nyan pose always adorable (*´∀｀)！！I don’t know if anyone else is finding it difficult to keep up with all of the photo shoots that AKB is releasing…I mean I just pre~ordered two publications with the group or a member(s) on their covers and I didn’t even see this issue whi~z by me last week XD! Now seeing if it’s still available for sale….hope so!
Yukorin, Acchan, Mayuyu, Sae, Yukirin, Tomochin & Kojiharu♥ taking sexy* to a new level!!!!! Are you also thinking pillow~fight or is it just me (*≧▽≦)♪！！。。actually that would be sexy* pillow~fight ne~ ＾ ＾！
Well it’s Team Beach vs. Team Room below…now where would you rather be? Essentially Team Lingerie vs. Team Bikini….?
I know it’s very early to say this, but “Kokoro no hane” is as of now my personal favorite♥ song~of~the~year.
(edit: all audio & video clips which were lost during my move from Vox to WordPress have been re~uploaded to this post. If there are any other older posts dated before September 12th, 2010 (originally “Vox” posts) in which you’d like to hear or see the audio/video clips for please leave a request in the top page tab titled “Requests.”)
Okay although I was probably out somewhere playing or getting dirty or falling down and hurting myself (_´Д｀)ノ~~！@ that age when The Dream Team visited Barcelona en~route to total domination of everyone and everything in their path っo(*´∀｀)o～！！。。it’s impossible I think to not know of one Michael Jordan and while I’m not exactly sure which Team Dragon member would each best represent the female version of those amazing players, one thing is for sure….
..Yukorin♥ is surely the “Michael Jordan” of this special~* unit!….
..and you may wonder why Yukorin and not Acchan or Mayuyu or Yukirin, or Kojiharu, or Tomochin or Takamina??? Well you see, unlike most idols ↓↓↓．．．．
…Yukorin♥ can score* on anyone え～へ！(*≧▽≦)♪
Adore my oshimen!Seriously, though Team Dragon is a total dream~*!!! It’d be difficult to pack in more senbatsu girls
without having a senbatsu overload and surely there’s nothing wrong with that ヽ(。´▽`。)ノ。。！！
So I ended up choosing out of the many many (11! :O!) available versions: versions Yuko, Mayuyu, Yukirin & version Team Dragon yes there was also a “Team Dragon” version and out of total curiosity I had to have this one too! For the most part each version is much the same as the CDs include the same tracks “Kokoro no hane” (“wings of the heart”) (ending theme song for “Dragon Ball Kai”) and “Sekaijuu no ame” and also the DVDs are quit similar with the inclusion of two music clips: the pv for “Kokoro no hane” and also a live version! For the individual “member” versions the differences lie in the third track on their DVDs as while there’s some mutual footage to be found on each alike, you’ll also find extended exclusive footage of that (version’s) member’s meeting with seiyuu for Dragon Ball Kai! as well as their documented challenge of performing as a seiyuu themselves with a live mic feed in studio!! And all of this after just a little time allotted to study the dialog and timing nuances to match the video feed!….seiyuu are amazing talents and it’s so much fun seeing Team Dragon take on this most difficult profession and just the reactions of the other members as they look on upon each others performance~! Each single version also includes a Team Dragon character card of the corresponding girl also above (photographed top left) I received Yukorin, Mayuyu, Yukirin and with the “Team Dragon version” single, a group photo card~. Each single also comes with a poster featuring all of the girls in Team Dragon gear (also pictured above, top left).
I am so in looooooooove!!! with this single (*´∀｀)♥！！！。。and I can’t say enough about how amazing~* the pv for “Kokoro no hane” is. To give a hint there are end credits which roll like a movie’s credits as it’s such a full production that was put into this project~….and hmm Sasshi’s name is in the credits but I’m yet to tell which scene(s) she’s in （さっしはどこにいるの？）。 Most importantly though the song! And it has a sweet heart~beat of a melody which is immediately catchy~♥ with as many hooks as any other great J~pop song!..no doubt that “Kokoro no hane” receives the Maochan awesome song ~seal of approval～～～＞=)! The melody will have you singing along in no time as this is J~Pop at it’s very best and it’s just a song which will make you feel happy~* with an uplifting spirit all its own~. Add in the production of a mini~movie and a look for AKB which goes from high~tech to purely angelic~* all in white with mesmerizing lighting effects..angles..shadows all set to the backdrop of an entire fantasy world edited in with the magic of blue screens all brought to life in intriguing/engaging fashion. The coupling with song “Sekaijuu no ame” (“rain throughout the world”) in its own right is nearly as awesome too with its sweetly dreamy~* pacing giving way to a folk arrangement which takes shape just in the pre~chorus sections of the song which then climaxes to chorus….a most beautiful and interesting arrangement~.
Now just what would get such an enthusiastic~* reaction from the girls??…well it’s all in the third track on each DVD where Team Dragon pays a most lucky visit to meet the famous seiyuu of Dragon Ball Kai and with it each member gets an opportunity to play seiyuu for a scene after just a brief opportunity to soak it all in with both dialog and emotion taking center stage for this challenge..oh and let’s not forget timing! Takamina’s notably so awesome throughout these clips as she takes the lead in representing the unit and just how well she carries herself both professionally all the while being most personable and respectful gave me such warmth~.
A~h kinchou!!..as you can just imagine how nerve wracking this was for all of the girls not only having to perform solo in front of the seiyuu but also in front of their fellow unit members! Okay from the three solo member versions I purchased and from being able to watch these complete clips…Yukorin was a bit overwhelmed but did well (and OMG! her dimples continue to mesmerize me..I’ll say again best dimples ever (*´∀｀)♥！！） l while Yukirin has a most cute scream~*! while voice acting although she had a little boo~boo (her reaction is sooo sooo adorable~♥!) but it’s Mayuyu~♥!!..I mean this was sooo sooo perfect for her with her interest in anime/manga and all as she really nailed her part as a seiyuu and she even garnered much notable praise from the professional seiyuu themselves along with awe inspired reactions from her unit members!!! Oh and in case you’re curious the “Team Dragon” version of this single includes a digest of everyone’s seiyuu performance as well as comments from each member albeit they’re edited down a bit which of course makes the solo member versions still the ones to get for each of your favorite members~.
To enter to win a newly sealed copy of Yukorin’s♥ “Yuko no arienai nichijou”, with the theme of “Dream Team” in mind please create your very own idol♥dream team including any seven girls from any idol groups mixed~and~matched anyway you’d like them as if you were acting as producer~. Depending on the number of entries (if only one person is interested I’ll give you the photo book) or with two entries or more a head to head style poll will pit each entry’s dream team~♥ against each other with the top vote getter for best “idol♥dream team” winning the photo book~. If there are at least 8 entries (an even number thereafter) a bracket style elimination head~to~head competition for best “dream♥idol group” will be held instead~. Deadline to enter is Monday August 23rd midnight (HST)…”23″ for Air♥Yukorin, I mean um Michael Jordan (*´∀｀)。
Rare is it that we are graced with such open beauty, expression and talent….all so effortless and relatable and yet so moving and tragic in its poignancy...
Karasawa Toshiaki, one of Japan’s most celebrated actors whose career has long been a staple of Asian cinema has a wonderful gem from yesteryear that I’d love to share here~…..and like so many other prominent figures in Japan’s entertainment industry, diversity and one’s willingness & interest to delve into and explore longstanding personal passions or perhaps just to experience a career outside of one’s main forte can lead to the often unexpected and ultimately wonderful...
Some of the most prominent idols of yesteryear went on to become accomplished musicians & songwriters which is something that for the most part, today’s idols are perhaps still striving to accomplish. Two of my favorites~♥~ that come to mind readily are Moritaka Chisato and Tanimura Yumi both of whom actually shed the idol tag quite early...
If you know the series “Furuhata Ninzaburo (was a top rated show in Japan) and you’ve ever watched the drama series “Hitotsu yane no shita” this’ll be mega~funny…(^q^)! And Kimutaku is uncanny~* here…how he captures the acting tendencies of one Tamura Masakazu also a most popular and accomplished actor in Japan. Not only does Kimutaku vocalize to a tee Tamura~san’s voice and all of his speaking nuances from his odd pauses and elongated vowels but he also emulates his posture and idiosyncrasies like how he often taps at his forehead while in thought~….plus check out the hair!!!!!! as the hair itself is a character here =D!! In a nutshell the character Tamura~san plays is Japan’s answer to America’s “Columbo” character made famous by Peter Faulk and in this special SmapxSmap skit the premise for the murder/mystery is set in an endearing drama of the 90’s in “Hitotsu yane no shita” creating a most hilarious merging of shows into one...
Surely a lot of scrutiny would go into anyone naming whom they consider to be perhaps the greatest vocalist they’ve had the pleasure of listening to over years of being a music lover and most definitely it’s an absolutely subjective outcome for each individual’s taste. Not an easy task by any means but for me personally while there are so many seemingly countless accomplished vocalists from generations past till present one name keeps coming to mind each and every time I hear him sing♪♪…
By 1997 Amuro Namie's music career was reaching new peaks~* during her “can you celebrate?” period and while many perhaps dreamed to reach her level of talent and success, one aspiring artist sought and found true emulation in her style~ling...
A magical marriage in music and stage presence took place on this night as legendary singer Ishii Tatsuya who’s best known for his larger than earth personality+ larger than (your group!) group Kome Kome Club + a larger than life voice to back all that up 200% and then some~!!!…took the stage accompanied by the most talented and beautiful Matsu Takako all on a most special engagement on Music Fair...
While Norikochan is deep in thought above thinking about her future……I thought I’d share a bit of her musical♪♪ career and early idol side. =)
Shiina Noriko began appearing in numerous idol publications including UTB and Weekly Young Magazine in the late 90′s leading up to her honor of being named Fuji Television’s “Visual Queen of the Year” in 2001. But unlike previous years which featured only a single winner, 2001 would present four idols being named to this popular title…….but I always felt that Norikochan *shined* the most of the four that were chosen that year and she would prove to be very worthy of the Visual Queen award as she ventured into additional modeling, t.v. dramas and yes~! music!!
One of the first J-Pop artist’ voices that I fell in love with belongs to Mochida Maki and there’s just something so aesthetically *pure* and *beautiful* in Mochida Maki’s voice….in fact I’ll go as far as to say it’s one of the most *pure* voices that I’ve encountered in J-Pop over the years and that holds true till this day~.
Fukuyama Masaharu♥ has long been one of Japan’s most beloved~* icons and constant figures as both a most accomplished musician and actor~…..his talents reach even further though as he writes, produces and has also charmed~* in the likes of radio and stage~.
I honestly haven’t been this moved and impressed by a solo artists’ release in ages and while Acchan has steadily and surely endeared herself to me there’s always that singular moment when you fully realize just how much and liken it to a coronation of one of your most favorite of idols~♥...
What’s better than idol♥ bowling? Getting idols to dish the dirt on one another in pressure moments while they bowl and to think these select 24 girls thought they were just going plain bowling and it’s quite surprising how many reveal this to be their very first time throwing that oversized gumball with three holes down a slippery lane in search of pins...
I’ve been in a sort of an anime* mood recently and so I thought I’d feature an older Vox post here @ WordPress and in terms of a J~pop idol♥ who better to exemplify an “anime” voice than CoCo’s Miura♥Rieko ＾ ＾。
Qlair, a wonderful part of the legendary Otomejuku idol phenomenon and a great testament to Momusu & H!P’s longevity can be really further appreciated when you examine other idol groups which boomed from the late 80′s into the mid 90′s, many of which held tenures lasting no more than 5 years and often times far shorter than that. What the numbers don’t share though is the high quality of the music produced in these sometimes brief J-Pop careers and Qlair is a great example of just that...
It’s funny how the very initial aesthetics are obvious when it comes to accessorizing as a single cute~♥ hair bow atop is a constant and a fashion statement must!! Mmm but when you really dig a bit “deeper”….Blossom and Takamina….Takamina and Blossom….Blossom and Takamina….Takamina and Blossom…..and soon you can’t tell the two apart or you just feel a bit zany like I do at times :P.
And what’s so different about “Kimi wa, boku no mono” is that it isn’t shot in your typical “idol” way and what I mean by that is that it’s not chaptered into camera seducing♥ segments but rather “Kimi, wa boku no mono” is presented very much like a documentary instead and it’s very warm and candidly~revealing of how production goes on a day~to~day basis~....
Ever ponder what life would be like residing beside Mayuyu♥ post~idol♥ dating into her late 30’s?…or just how often you’ll be “surprised~*” to see omelet rice upon your dining table day or night? Well, wonder no longer as the always experience packed singles presented by the incomparable AKB team have produced a debut single very much worthy of the one~and~only cutest resident nezumi~♥!! You see her voice has always been as preciously adorable as *~animemaki~*...
The stage set up and atmosphere is most intimate and free of any frills or distractions making the music and C~ute’s duo up front and center and while I’ve longed for in the past to see much more musicianship amongst idols as the extra presence of instruments coupled with these all too often hidden talents we know so many of our favorite idols possess, when taken to stage adds an immeasurable dimension to their presence and I believe that to their appeal as well. The presence of a live band versus a recording, then too makes these real~live events even more enjoyable both musically and visually as the nuances of musical improvisation and re~arrangements to familiar songs gives the audience entirely new moods and twists to the set lists breathing an endless possibility for both your eyes and ears. Here the underlying musical theme of sweet~folk~pop takes the reigns on this set list which includes...
I have to start with Final Fantasy VIII. It’s has by far my favorite FF theme song with “Eyes on Me.” Not necessarily the best of the series game wise but I sure really did ♥ it playing for hours into days into weeks. ^ ^ The storyline was no doubt engaging and the characters really grew on you in time in such a real way but it’s this theme song “Eyes on Me” which wins me over unanimously. I had actually never heard Faye Wong sing before playing this game but...
While I think most everyone has either seen or worn seifuku♥ wouldn’t it be cute and sexy* to be able to witness the variations in style and the dressing and undressing of a most adorable idol~♥ as if you were her mirror on the wall~? Um…for educational purposes only of course :P!
For the most accomplished of bands a thorough excursion through their bodies of work is necessary to fully understand & appreciate their accomplishments….for theirs’ is a tapestry on which rare greatness has gone full circle...
Matsu Takako recently released~* a special edition concert DVD set for her “Time for music” 2010 tour and this two disc set includes 19 awesome performances with some very familiar faces as her tour band accompanies her onstage with Shibata Toshibumi on keyboard, Sahashi Yoshiyuki on guitar, Yamamoto Takuo on sax, Kawauchi Keishi on bass, Ogasawara Takumi on drums & the lovely~♥ Matsu Takako performing on keyboards and of course as the lead vocalist~! Wonderfully jazzy arrangements are heard throughout the concert which mainly features the touring~album “Time for music” however there are also quite a few nostalgic j~pop gems too from Matsu Takako’s past release catalog even going back to her very debut single “Ashita, haru ga kitara” which is performed in an amazing new light with a much jazzed up arrangement...
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 actually...
~Every scene..a single brush stroke upon the canvas.
Films to savor, for film making of this beauty and depth and scale don’t grace us very often..and the fates truly lie in ways of the wind.
I couldn’t recommend two films any more than the John Woo directed epics “Red Clliff” and “Red Cliff II” and if grading on a ☆ scale these films receive 10 out of 10☆’ｓ。
Every now and then we’re graced with something so unique and special in music♪♪～, artists that move us with their melodies…relate to us with their lyrics and capture us with their hearts~. Sakai Izumi debuted as the lead vocalist for the group Zard in 1991 and for over a decade and a half her powerful vocals would resonate beautifully over 45 single releases and 20 albums (including compilations & tributes)…..she’s truly an artist that has left us too soon~...
Now @ 28 Fukada Kyoko has reached iconic heights as an idol who’s captivated and entertained in the vast opportunistic world of Japanese media where it’s most common for a talent to explore everything from modeling to television to movies and beyond~. Fukakyon♥ was born on November 2nd, 1982 and has remained with a single management agency (HORIPRO) since her early teens when she first began appearing regularly as either a cover~girl or featured girl in numerous idol magazine publications, then most notably with her early Bomb magazine appearances. Her acting career also began early in her mid teens and although Fukakyon is primarily known as a drama/t.v. actress having appeared in an impressive number of dramas which now total over 40 to date she also has a modest but noteworthy movie resume which includes standout performances first, in the dark realism of an idol’s world brought to screen in the 2002 film “Doll’s which mixes dark short stories and the 2004 cinematic~masterpiece “Shimotsuma Monogatari”...
This post is dedicated in the loving memory of my Grandmother♥.
I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time now…as my grandmother on my father’s side was pure Okinawan so this post holds a special meaning for me personally…I hope you enjoy it. ^-^ The lovely Kuninaka Ryoko (Kuninaka Ryouko) was born in Okinawa in June of 1979 and the first time that I saw her was...
Every now and then you come across an artist and individual so amazingly talented and endearing that you do the inevitable…..for me that means going on an instant shopping spree!…(^q^)..where I purchase as many releases as I can find in one swoop~! A seiyuu’s craft is dependant on her/his ability to project emotions, character and just about any nuance imaginable through their vocals as their onscreen personas are brought to life in ways that only a select few born with such *magical* pipes can achieve and excel with~*. I first heard Hirano Aya’s singing voice...
In a musical era where AkiP has brought attention and overwhelming success back to purely~styled J~pop compositions and an approach as well as a product which resonates all that reflects upon Japan’s uniqueness…a purity which over the years has been blurred by outside influences of hip~hop…r&b…euro~pop..and Ameri~pop to name just a few~. Ichikawa Yui in hindsight may have been just a few years too early as she ventured from model/actress into music, too early for the old~school resurgence which is topping the Japanese music charts of today~ and in a lot of ways I think she’s been one of J~pop’s much more underappreciated artists of the millenium~.
Born of Okinawan decent, Ueto Aya’s very first sparked~* interest in the entertainment industry at age 13 as she gained recognition in her very first beauty contest entry~…however much like Fukakyon, Ayachan’s time spent in the idol♥world was brief and was only explored early in her career~. A springboard into numerous successful endeavors~* which have flourished to this day…however before venturing any further I thought it’d be appropriate to first “meet” one of Japan’s most endeared and successful talents~o(*´∀｀)o゛♥...
It’s so amazing to watch Kimutaku, Shingo, Goro, and Tsuyoshi (aka “rice eye”…well that’s what my mom calls him because she can never remember his name… :P ) cook up delicious and amazing gourmet meals!!! I mean they really can cook!!! And not just simple dishes but rather...
Getting my very first taste of what could be Japan’s currently most aggressive all girl band! Four Osaka high school students with a garage~band aura? That was enough to pull me in and now after a little over one week of listening, “Temptation Box” is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums and where to begin?..there’s so much to say!
In preparation for my very first trip to LA and with the one mission in mind of acquiring autographs from AKB48 and Mano Erina that and of course attending a great concert and film event!, surely I needed to have some sort of memorabilia, photos or just something for them to sign, so....
For a somewhat more informative and structured post on Tanimura Yumi see latter posts (also "featured" below)….as today is all about performances and visuals~♥. Tanimura Yumi’s vocals are so immaculate and she makes it look so effortless in concert…..Yumi~chan really embodies all that is possible for any idol who aspires to a much more involved career, one that will leave a lasting impression for years to come. As noted previously Tanimura Yumi’s career went from pure “idol” to songwriter/lyric composer really early in her career and she’s so accomplished on the piano making her concerts appear at times more like recitals in a sense. Her vocal control and range is breathtaking also as will be seen in the following live clips but her pvs are so cute as well~! ^ ^...
Fun fact about Japanese watermelons or “suika” are that they’re much more round than their counterpart American ones so you know what that means right??….they’re great for bowling of course and remember if they drift towards the left they’re not quite ready to eat however if they barrow towards the gutter on the right side then they’re perfectly~* ready to dig into っo(*´∀｀)o! Sorry I just totally made that ↑↑ up just now (._.;)…anyway...
Okamoto Mayo, a most accomplished musician/ singer who’s been active since the mid 90’s debuted with a most distinguished achievement as her debut single “Tomorrow” topped the Oricon Charts at #1…released on May 10th, 1995 it was also a tie~in theme song to the drama series “Second Chance.” Her discography over the years includes 20 singles and 16 original albums in addition to compilations and numerous visual releases from pvs to live concerts. With a most recognizable style and a vocal prowess capable of the sweetest of highs with a range and nuance projected through heartfelt emotions and touch with outstanding control it’s still not her most impressive ingredient stemming from her now long reaching resume in music~...
SCANDAL, I think still the coolest and most impressive~musician oriented all female Japanese rock band since Princess Princess and I love that this album isn’t single~dominated as there are so many new songs here!! Love the entire album top to bottom but I particularly have a soft spot for “Bright” and “HARUKAZE”…♥!...
Like countless others have done so before and since, Nakama Yukie’s rise to becoming one of Japan’s most celebrated actresses/celebrities passed through the gates of idol career, gravure model as well as a venture into a music career…the latter being my initial focus here...
~Simply gorgeous♥, and it’s so much of what you’d envision of a production circled around one of Taiwan’s most popular, *sexiest* and successful models also turned actress and singer～ ＾ ＾。
So a couple of days ago my best and closest girl friend~ Couscous who’s admittedly cute~♥ and yummy♥ beyond words announces to me out “out~of~the~blue”….’I think you’re a vaginatarian.’ What exactly is a vaginatarian?...
With HM@ ratings down and the all new “Berikyuu” show on the horizon bringing the promise of something great, I’ve been trying to think of a few ways in which HM@ could improve their show! :P Starting with…
Well Augusta is upon us again…..and yet I know not much about golf technique and I once “scored” a 35 on that ugh!!! volcano~like miniature golf hole….I mean seriously who invented that thing?? (ノロ≦。)！！！
Back on May 14, 2000 Amuro Namie performed for the very first time in the U.S. and it occurred right here in Hawaii! With substantial financial backing and 2 years of planning this monumental concert took place at Oahu’s famous landmark, the Waikiki Shell....
Sooo what to do in the whee early morning hours??? Watch Dragon Half!
This is so much one of my most favorite animes ever!! I can’t even begin to tell you how much it continues to crack me up no matter how many times I’ve watched it! XD
Feeling tired (_´Д｀)ノ。。of your same old wardrobe? Want to feel the euphoria~* of custom idol♥gear? ………(゜∀゜)………。 …but low on cash$? Well now there’s a way~ to get a~hold of rare concert merchandise.. ..and its free!!!! っo(*´∀｀)o! …
There’s a great possibility that you’ve watched this one too! And there are those special dramas which further draw and endear themselves to the viewer and a few weeks ago I found myself again reliving the drama “Long Vacation” as I’ve watched it quite a few times since its broadcast =) and it’s most wonderful that till this day it hasn’t fallen ill to that sense of ‘dated’ or stuck in an era as great love/ relationship stories can be truly timeless,…when of course the storytelling and development of characters is at a premium in writing and talents respectfully...
1. The opening credits reflects so much of the show’s personality and is one of the cutest ever!! One of J-Pop’s finest, Arashi presents you the main theme song…here hit play while I ramble for a little while…
“Sword of Desperation” (“Hisshiken torisashi”) portrays the life of Sanzaemon Kanemi (Toyokawa Etsushi), a highly skilled swordsman appointed as chief protector to his lord...
In a span of approximately 55 minutes Kamei treats us to some of her inner most thoughts while on location in scenic Okinawa. Whenever I see any footage or photos of Okinawa it just has such a warm and small town feel to their community and their architecture is always so amazing to see~! Unlike any of its predecessors, in large “20 Dreams” is a personal recollection which delves into a much more intimate look into an idol’s aspirations, hopes and dreams as the title suggests and where other previous releases may have only scratched the surface, Kamei’s narrative throughout covers anything from simple aspects such as hair color, dream bedroom & home design and fellow members to much deeper thoughts of family memories, specific childhood events, and future speculation. And throughout it’s all delivered with cute sincerity and more than any other member in Momusu, Kamei possesses the uncanny ability to incorporate the most adorable random and honest laughter that I’ve ever seen...
あっ！すごいかわいく～♥！！かわいく～♥！！！
Harugon, Nacchan, Rabutan, Ayarin & Mayuyu continue to be the cutest~* of units!…and I’m just listening to their 6th single I know so late XD! While I so adore Mayuyu’s vocals and we’ve had plenty till now with her solo songs~♥, but the more I hear Rabutan’s voice the more she’s beginning to become my favorite vocal in the group =)……and while watching the making of she just sounded so anime~like saying “gyu♥!” each time, like the cutest cutest cutest character you can imagine っo(*´∀｀)o！！
Firstly, I wasn’t ever sure if I would see the day in which SPEED’s all time record sales for an all girl group would be broken and not by a slim margin by any means as AKB48 has eclipsed this record (reaching in excess of 826,000 copies sold) which has stood for I think…over a decade now?..and if there were any single which was worthy of such an achievement surely “Beginner” is deservingly so~. At the top of the Oricon this past week, AKB48 has also eclipsed omg!!! even Arashi’s~♥ used to be leading single’s sales plateau for the year for a single release :O and from the outside one may wonder why this single in particular?..and why now?
Do you crave more girl♥power in your life?
Or do you *secretly*….or maybe not so *secretly* ♥ watching very attractive actresses kick some serious butt on screen?!!
Have you grown tired of watching girls bake madeleines in the kitchen all day while the men get to drive the car?
Hmm…if you answered yes to any of the questions above then “so close” may be just for you~. (￣▽￣)
In collaboration with Aquaplus, Dream Tech has created a beautiful 1/6 scale pvc statue of Kousaka Tamaki who is one of several featured characters in the popular Japanese “renai” (aka dating simulation) game “To Heart 2.” This series has gone from Playstation2 to pc and has since become an anime and manga series in Japan...
Uminii’s newest visual release~* arrived and having gone from seeing her much earlier photographs from “Ao no corridor” initially to now “Umikaze”, she’s matured so much in so little time and she’s simply breAthtaking in this release...
While looking @ my bottle of shampoo a few days ago it got me thinking about the full~bodied model/idol♥…(yup I’m weird that way =P) and how it’s nice to see measurements and not have to ask the question possibly coined by L.A.~ians many moons ago: ‘do u think those R real (・c_・;)？？？
Shortly after the January 21st announcement during AKBb48’s “Request Hour Set List Best 100” the pre~orders went up for Akip’s latest unit interestingly named “Not yet” and such is the venue of favor these days for announcing graduations, debuts and other sometimes jaw~dropping bombshells upon unsuspecting fans’ heads~. Happily this time it’s the birth of a new foursome...
In late ’97 a flash of J-Pop goodness appeared on Japan’s horizon in the form of a most unlikely group of members…in a time when “idol” groups were just about to break free from their brief hiatus of unpopularity there came a group comprised of 2 comedians and a very very cute Taiwanese model...
