…who could it be? And this is was so unexpected really as all I was doing was first reaching for the DVD in the jewel case and there it was in the back of the case….an actual photograph~*!..most releases feature trading cards or alternate jackets,
but not AKB48! They've included an actual photo~*!!!
And now I know this is so meant to be~*…I mean.
It's Mayuyu♥ and actually had the photo been of Korin♥, Tomochin♥ or Yukirin♥ I
most likely would have had the very same reaction~* o(*´∀｀)o゛
I also purchased a new camera today~*..hence the much clearer photos (人∀`*)。
And in addition the first press* also came with a very large glossy thick plastic card and what are the odds that I'd get two of the same XD as I purchased two copies (one of which will up for a giveaway soon…) and "Pyonko?"…I've been wondering…."Erepyon?" but so funny I have two of them! The cover of "Kamikyoku Tachi" features just 12 members so at first and with the photo of Mayuyu♥ I received I was thinking that the random possibilities only included these 12 members, okay it does say that on the album's obi…but with the large plastic card of Pyonko it appears not to be the same case with these???
While Akimoto Yasushi pens the lyrics~* for AKB, he most surely employs song writers♪ whom are either deeply inspired or of the actual older♥school of J~Pop! And it's most evident with the song "Shonichi" ↓↓↓
In fact while I've been listening to this album repeatedly over the past week…in the car…while at home…before bed…while waking…the vast majority of the songs by AKB48, well at least here are written so much with the inspiration~* of late 80's to mid 90's J~Pop♥. It really says so much about Akimoto Yasushi's link to Onyanko Club and how you can see so much of that in his productions~*. Can anyone recognize the Princess Princess hook~* heard in "Shonichi?" and can you identify the song it's from?….it's not too subtle ＾ ＾＊。。。
I've just had a realization….
..It's also something that I've just never imagined I'd say or think but as of today AKB48 is officially my most favorite♥ J~Pop female idol group o(*´∀｀)o゛♥♥♥。。。and it's nothing negative towards H!P♥ of course whom will always be my most favorite first J~Pop franchise whom I've adored, worshiped and invested so much of myself into over the past 11+ years as none of that's changing, it's just that thinking back to why I first began listening and gaining an interest in J~Pop…and it was the music♪ itself. That's to say the music specifically, as back in then when my love first began there wasn't any vastly informative internet highway where everything and anything you wanted to find out was readily available in a few keystrokes~*, but rather it was the music pretty much alone in which captured you back then unless of course you lived in Japan~*. And today it's undeniable that AKB48 represents~* everything in this very sense and sentiment, that and so much more. And while "Kamikyoku Tachi" is surely a "best of" album, still it's the very best written album as a whole that I've heard in so many years. What it is is that the songs here are purely~* Japan's and what I mean by that is the outside influences (ie: American R&B, etc…) aren't heavily heard or in most cases not heard at all in their songwriting. It's simply J~Pop ＾ ＾♥。
My H!P love♥ is no way wavering as I'm by no means leaving my fandom♥…it's just a shift at the very peak of my interest and I actually have a lot more H!P releases~* on pre~order at the moment than AKB =). I have adored H!P from their very debut single "Morning Coffee" in real time when I purchased their single~* in February of 1998 when there wasn't a "H!P" just yet and there was only Momusu where the most dynamic of members and awesome songwriting attracted me so much….my love of H!P can never go away it's just too much a part of me (*´∀｀)。As far as any H!P vs. anyone it just doesn't exist for me as I don't see how feeling like you're aren't able to embrace any new found love because of any current one makes sense…I've actually touched upon these sentiments and how I feel anyone should be able to listen to anything because variety is the spice~* of life and what makes one happy one should enjoy without feeling any inner clash within or otherwise ＾ ＾。 If one loves Harry Potter surely they can also love Narnia…what touches and moves you which is what music and entertainment is is most personal~* and I just don't see the need for any vs. sentiments about fandoms. In the case of the members of a group I read often times about fans disliking members of another group because they're seemingly overshadowing or taking away from another group or artist and what saddens me is that these girls/guys aren't responsible in any way for this….I mean each individual member is going to their job (ie: idol♥) and trying their very best to be the best that they can. So to dislike of them for this reason seems unfair as if you were to put yourself into any one of their shoes I think you'd certainly be hurt reading about or hearing how fans are disliking you based on your group being popular and it having nothing to do with your character, values or upbringing. If an idol commits a crime I can totally understand fans turning on them or losing interest and questioning their morals but these girls/guys are simply living a dream~* of theirs to be idols and hopefully achieve success. I think any fan having the chance to be in their shoes would love to do the same and not feel any backlash or dislike for simply being ourselves and striving for success each and every day~. I hope all visitors♥ can find it in their hearts to be happy for my joy of discovering a "new" group in AKB which makes me smile while their music moves me and while I'm still learning each of their member's individual personalities and matching faces to names, it's just another facet of my fandom♥ in J~Pop as since I've been in my mid teens I've loved, listened to and supported by purchasing many different groups and artists' releases~* and will continue to far into the future…..anywhere which my heart and ears leads me to. And for all fellow fans of J~Pop or any other genre of music who may be reading, I hope you can also listen without prejudice and like or love whatever attracts or moves you without any pretenses or restraints from within or otherwise ＾ ＾。
And it's not just a single album which has struck me as I've been watching more and more clips online of AKIB and it's their individual member personal clips~*, their interviews and promotions, a drama♥ like "Majisuka Gakuen", the wide array of personalities…..just this complete franchise♥ they're doing everything right for fans for the experience*, the accessibility and there's just nothing like AKB…..past or present~*. Well, okay there's the songs♪♪～！And I'm really believing that anyone who loves J~Pop, if they would listen to "Kamikyoku Tachi" in entirety in a single sitting they would find so many if not all of these songs so catchy~* and amazing!!! Kiite ne~* the complete album's tracks can be listened to towards the end of this post along with the complete accompanying booklet scans ＾ ＾＊。
As a collective work I see no other possibility but to award~* the entire album of "Kamikyoku Tachi"
The Maochan♥seal of awesome songs ………(゜∀゜)………。！！！
"RIVER" and "Baby! Baby! Baby! Baby!" are just everything an idol♥ song should be!!! So are, "Ogoe Diamond", "Shonichi", "Kimi no koto ga suki dakara", "Juunen zakura" (awesome pre~chorus melody!!!) and "Namida Surprise" which is the best~* birthday song ever! and one I knew a bit earlier from their
Kouhaku performance.
"Sakura shiori", "Choose me!" and "Enkyori Poster which are gushed ヽ(。´▽`。)ノ。。！ about here, "Majisuka Rock n Roll" a song I just can't get out of my head (dramas♥ do that XD!), Hikouki gumo", "Iiwake maybe", "Jibunrashisa"….all so amazingly written and oh so catchy~♥!
The first time I heard "RIVER" it gave me goosebumps literally o(*´∀｀)o゛♥。。。and here in the "Kamikyoku Tachi" DVD's dance version from overhead camera it looks like they're dancing in a giant pizza box…(^q^)! Also you gotta love the continuous single take these were performed in just so awesome!!!! That tribal chant that starts up "RIVER" makes this like their power song ー(*￣Ｏ￣)ノ ！！！！！so love everything about "RIVER", it's just so perfectly written and performed with a retro yet modern style.
Here each of three songs which also includes "Ogoe Diamond" and "Iiwake maybe" were shot in multiple angles and distances from left, center and right! And I wonder how each girl was chosen but there's also a <– "1nin version" of each and please! please! can someone share this girl's name with me from the "Iiwake maybe" 1nin version? ↓↓↓(edit: Thank you~* Shar…she's Maeda Ami and since putting faces to names has been much helped with my first AKB48 ranker♥ ＾ ＾）And with so many fans dance videos up on YouTube I imagine these 1nin versions would be so useful in learning the complete choreography for each of these songs as both a full body camera and a close up are shown simultaneously.
She's just so adorable and has such pretty~* facial features which pains me even more as I can't seem to match her to any photos I have in magazines (*>ω<)。And although "Ogoe Diamond" and "Iiwake maybe" have cuter~* choreography, I love "RIVER" the most of these so I stuck with just the "RIVER" Kamikyoku Tachi versions here to upload ＾ ＾。
~♥!! the plaid seifuku in "Ogoe Diamond" (*´∀｀*)！
And in both "Iiwake maybe" and "Ogoe Diamond" there's lots and lots of classic J~Pop dance choreography to see like the "chicken♥wing" idol move made popular~* in the late 80's and into the early 90's by idol legends such as CoCo of Otomejuku♥fame~*….see if you're able to spot it ＾ ＾。
～♪♪♥～
